Whole Grain Challenge!

Okay readers. I am changing it up. I have been stuck in a MAJOR rut when it comes to blogging, cooking, and eating. I need a kick in the pants. I need some variety in my life. This whole school and dietetic internship thing has taken its toll on me and I need some revitalization. Spring break is coming and I am running a half marathon in 10 days; I sure could use some whole grain goodness to push me though those 13 miles to the finish line, therefore I have decided to take on a “Whole Grain Challenge!” I am not talking about Kashi cereal or any of that nonsense. I am talking about the real deal. I have decided for the sake of my sanity and my palate to embark on a mission. I will eat a different whole grain every day for 7 days. Starting tomorrow. I will blog about it for your reading pleasure and anyone who would like to join me in this mission is more than welcome. From my grainy adventure, you will learn about the wonderful health benefits of each grain and all that goodness that you have come to know and love on How to Find Real Food. Wish me luck!

Oh Samoa!

It is true folks. I once wore a little brown vest covered in badges and held up three fingers announcing that I would “help people at all times and live by the Girl Scout law.” I suppose I am living out that mission with my goal to become a dietitian and help people make lifestyle changes to live healthier and happier lives.

When I was a Girl Scout back in mid eighties I went door to door, signing up all the neighbors for boxes of Thin Mints and Samoas and looked forward to the cookie delivery and badge I received every year. I’m not totally betraying my roots and saying there is something wrong with the Girl Scouts or their cookie sales, but I do have a little bit of a bone to pick about the ingredients they use.

As I was walking into the grocery store the other day, a girl scout had a table set up and requested that I spend 4 DOLLARS to buy a box. I’m sorry to say that I did not contribute to the little girl’s badge this year and if you have been reading my blog for a while, I’m sure you can guess why. Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil? Now I understand that these cookies are a once-a-year special treat but can’t the Girl Scouts do better? The trans fats found in partially hydrogenated oils have detrimental health effects such as increased LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), decreased HDL cholesterol (the good kind), increased triglycerides, and increased inflammation, all of these factors contributing to cardiovascular disease in our country today.

Come on Girl Scouts! Time to take action and insist Little Brownie Bakers use higher quality products so you can really stand behind what you are selling. Until then I’m not sure that you are really living by the Girl Scout law.

Instant Curry

School has been exhausting lately. My dietetic internship applications are almost due and the Student Nutrition Association, of which I am president, is busy fundraising and volunteering. After our Top Chef competition last Friday, hosted by none other than This American Locovore, I had a leftover eggplant. I love eggplant. It is so delicious breaded and fried and drenched in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. But this little guy had a different destiny. It found itself into a delicious and super easy Red Thai Curry. This curry is the kind of easy that only an exhausted graduate student could pull off, all thanks to Thai Kitchen’s Red Curry Paste. Check out these ingredients: Red Chili Pepper, Garlic, Lemongrass, Galangal (Thai ginger), Salt, Shallots, Spices, Kaffir Lime. This is an extremely clean product. No additives or preservatives, plus it is delicious. You simply mix it with a can of coconut milk; add some veggies and protein and you are good to go. I use full fat coconut milk because the fat is coconut is comprised of medium chain triglycerides, which are really good for your digestive health, plus if you use low fat coconut milk you wont think that this recipe is as delicious as I am talking it up to be. Here are some photos to get you salivating.

Full fat delicious coconut milk

Pan fried tofu in the cast iron skillet, frying in one of these bad boys adds iron to your diet!

Here's the final product. The eggplant soaked up all that curry goodness and I threw some Thai basil in there because I'm good like that. I did neglect to add the shitake mushrooms that my neighbors grew on a log outside their front door. It's a sore subject here on 86th St.

Pie Crust 101

The holidays are in full swing and if there is one thing people eat a lot of around this time of year, its pies. Pies are delicious. Who doesn’t love pies? Our family makes a Swiss pear pie that is out of this world, and tonight, I am making turkey potpie with leftover turkey and vegetables from Christmas dinner. It was easy and delicious! I just sautéed up some veggies and turkey, threw in a little leftover gravy and chicken broth, made a pie crust and… STOP! Don’t run away so quickly…it’s just a piecrust. Making piecrusts often strikes fear in the hearts of many, when there is really no need to be afraid. They are quite easy to make. Nutritionally speaking, piecrusts are pretty caloric, but we can make a few minor tweaks to the recipe to make them a little healthier as well.

Now there are many different tricks and tips for making the perfect piecrust. My mother in-law uses vodka instead of water and using a food processor is also helpful, however, my rule of thumb for piecrust making is: use butter. Toss that Crisco in the garbage if you haven’t already because the news is out. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil is disgusting. Not only does it taste gross, (did you ever try eating it as a kid because it looked like ice cream?) but also it is a nutritional nightmare. Partially hydrogenated oils are loaded with trans fat. Trans fat increases your LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and decreases HDL (the good kind). It also increases triglycerides in your blood and causes inflammation in the body. The saturated fat that is in butter doesn’t have all these nasty side effects.

Okay I hear you saying, “Crisco makes the flakiest crust”. I’ll buy it. Shortening has a wider melting range so it is able to stay in solid form while you are preparing and rolling out the crust. The pea size granules that are desired in piecrust baking will then melt in the oven, creating layers in the dough and a flakier crust. But the same effect can be achieved with butter if the butter is extra cold and the dough is not over mixed or kneaded. Vegans can also use coconut oil or palm oil instead of butter as long as it is kept cold prior to mixing it with the flour and water.

In the piecrust that I made tonight I substituted ½ of the all purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour to give it a little more fiber, protein, and a nuttier flavor. It was delicious! What kinds of pies do you enjoy making? What are your secrets to make the flakiest pie crust?

(adding the ice cold butter in small cubes to the flour in the food processor)

(pulse the butter in the food processor until pea size granules are formed...do not over mix!)

(after adding just enough ice water the dough should clump together when squeezed like this)

(Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Now pop it in the fridge for about 1 hour.)

(I roll out my dough in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. My home economics teacher taught me this in high school. There are a few good reasons: 1) no flour used to roll which can make the crust tough and also a WAY easier clean up. 2) the crust is very easy to transfer to the pie pan.)

(Aw...isn't it pretty?)

(Dinner time! Delicious and flaky pie crust!)

Brain Food

Today kind of sucked. It’s finals week and I’m tired and cranky. I have been studying all weekend and all day and I am officially over it. The only thing that keeps me going during times like this is sugar-laden treats and knowing that it will all be over soon. After dinner tonight I might have whipped up some chocolate chip cookies or eaten an entire Theo chocolate bar, but with all this studying and with the holidays around the corner I thought I would do something good for my brain and my body and make a dessert that wasn’t so sinful.

Tada! Date and Walnut Balls. These walnut balls are so delicious, try making them as one of your Christmas cookies this year, people wont even realize that they are good for you. They also make great lunch box treats for kids!

They are a variation on Cynthia Lair’s Date Pecan Bon Bons, I just substituted walnuts for pecans because walnuts are super high in omega 3 fatty acids. You brain loves omega 3s, 60% of it is made from them. I figured I could use all the help I could get tomorrow on my Food Science final! Wish me luck!

Don't they look delicious? They kinda remind me of the SNL skit with Alex Baldwin. If you don't know the one... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXSyzeVWueI

At Least the Chili Was a Winner

As the weather gets colder, football season takes over our little apartment. We are hard up on our luck though. I’m a Buffalo native so I haven’t been excited to watch since the early nineties. Now that we are living in Seattle, I have been giving the Seahawks a try to no avail. We aren’t that impressed on Saturdays either with the Cougs or the Huskies. Oh well, at least we can eat chili and that is what we are going to do today. Everyone has their “secret ingredient” when it comes to chili. Some people use chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, other use chocolate, cinnamon, or Guinness. These are all delicious ingredients, but you heard it here first, I am going to let you in on my secret ingredient. Beef. Okay I know that you are disappointed to hear that, you already knew beef, duh! Well read on…

Grass fed beef is definitely where it is at, and it is the ONLY kind of beef that we eat in our house. See, cows are grazers. They like to roam about in an open field and munch on grass and that is what they are meant to do. America eats a lot of beef, as I am sure you know, mostly in the form of a patty that they pick up at one drive through or another. In order to increase production to meet the needs of Americans, beef producers crammed bunches of cattle into a small spaces scattered throughout the Midwest and fed them corn, and lots of it. Why you ask? Well another thing that Americans eat a lot of is corn, what is another story in itself, but we have a lot of it. Also, it fattens cattle WAY faster than grass so they can go to slaughter in a matter of months, as supposed to years. The sad part to this story is that corn makes cows sick. Their multiple stomachs aren’t made to digest it, as it ferments in their bellies, giving them bloat and ulcers. Next come the antibiotics to keep their ulcers from becoming infected and making them sicker. Are you grossed out yet?

Aside from the moral dilemma that corn fed beef brings up, it is nutritionally, a nightmare. It is extremely high in saturated fat and causes inflammation in the body, one of the largest contributors to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Grass fed beef, on the other hand is quite the opposite. It is extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to lessen inflammation, and lower in saturated fats.

In our house, we are lucky enough to have a rancher in the family. Jon’s dad raises grass fed beef so we get our meat from him. Don’t fret if you don’t know a rancher. Grass fed beef is popping up in all the quality grocery stores and if you visit your local farmer’s market, you are sure to find it. You will definitely pay a little extra for it, but the cows and your body will thank you!

To leave you tempted to eat some delicious and healthy grass fed beef, I have some photos of my homemade chili! Now for some football! Go Hawks!

Stuff the bird, not yourself!

Could it get any better? A day filled with family, friends, and delicious homemade food! You know what I am talking about! Thanksgiving! It’s tomorrow! Hooray! I have very fond memories of Thanksgiving Day in my house growing up. The smells, the tastes, the warmth, the laughter, and the games (I will beat you at Parcheesi some day, Mom!) are all part of the holiday for me.

There is of course, one uncomfortable thing about Thanksgiving. I am sure that you can relate. Sitting at the table, getting in one more bite of turkey because it is so delicious and that is what Thanksgiving is about, right? Eating until you keel over. What gives? This can’t be right. We are celebrating our thanks for the delicious bounty of food we are privileged enough to have…doesn’t that mean that we should appreciate it? How can you possibly appreciate your lovely thanksgiving dinner if you make yourself sick on it? Since when did this become a tradition?

Therefore I present to you, the Thanksgiving challenge. It’s about tuning in to your body. What we call in the nutrition world, listening to your hunger and satiety cues. It’s about eating enough, but not too much, and eating when you are hungry and not eating when you aren’t. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to practice listening to your hunger and satiety cues. It is easy to fill your plate to the brim with all the different options and favorite dishes. Try and be mindful of the fact that all that food on your plate is probably more than you need. Eat slowly and appreciate every bite and all the flavors. When your belly tells you it’s had enough, listen. Put down the fork people! You can always pick it up again later, if you are still hungry. Make it a new tradition to feel well nourished after your Thanksgiving dinner, not over nourished!

Enjoy this Thanksgiving by NOT eating too much. Think of it this way, more leftovers for turkey sandwiches the next day!