Quinoa in Quarantine

Posted on April 22, 2020

God I love carbs! Yes, I just stated the obvious because…Who doesn’t? my love of starchy grains and root vegetables is the main reason I could never, back in my dieting days, do Keto or Atkins for more than a few weeks.

Not only do carbs bring me pleasure, but brown rice, oats, and potatoes also offer a cornucopia of nutrients and fiber, whether their incarnation on my table is creamy, fluffy, or crispy. That’s because they’re carbs of the complex variety, in a different league from white carbs like pasta and white rice.

Even so, complex carbs were something I regulated. It’s just the law of my middle-aged metabolism. They don’t process in my body the way broccoli does (if only).

But enter march 2020, the coronavirus makes its way around the entire circumference of the globe and we’re all told to stay home. Not such a horrible thing if you’re a homebody to begin with. But if you’re a mover and a doer and kind of attached to your job and its attendant income, this coupled with the mortal threat to one’s health can add up to a precarious and sticky situation where food, whiling away free time, and wellness are concerned.

That being said, let me make one thing crystal clear: this is NOT the time to rectify the stress-eating with a strict and horrendously cruel diet. That’s a set-up under normal circumstances. Under Corona circumstances, you’d simply be asking for a freefall into the abyss of dieters who have shamefully tumbled off the wagon.

Shame is the last thing we’re striving for here, and in a word, if you want to acknowledge any kind of goal or intention during these tumultuous times, may I suggest the concept of balance. It’s broad enough to be non-threatening and definite enough to give you something to shoot for.

I often like to think of balance in terms of things I would like not to do, as in: inhale a bag of fritos, or make donuts part of my repertoire, or order a pizza the size of a Monopoly board with a side of buttery garlic knots. It’s so much easier to clarify what I want when I’m clear on what I don’t want. Not that all of the above doesn’t have its gastronomic appeal, but I know, through much trial and error, that my body will not appreciate the ensuing after effects of poor digestion, bloating, and extreme thirst. So what’s a carb lover to do??

Enter quinoa. The undisputed champion of complex carbs. More expensive than rice or potatoes, it’s an ancient grain hailing from the Andes mountains and has significantly more vitamins, fiber, and protein than brown rice. Inspite of this impressive resume, I can feel your interest waning and I get it. I even ADMIT that quinoa on its own is a yawn. But it’s a little known fact that under the right alchemization, it can be YUMMY!

In my cookbooks and on my archives here, there are recipes for Chocolate Quinoa Cake, Quinoa Muffins, even quinoa pancakes. Recently, though, I was craving a savory treat. Something akin to polenta, but with a healthier bent.

As it usually does, quinoa pinch hit for the simple carb BEAUTIFULLY! For this particular batch, I made it thin because I wanted a base for Eggs Benedicts, but you can also spread the better into an 8×10 pan if you prefer chunky squares of polenta.  I often enhance the flavor of quinoa polenta with pecorino cheese, but fresh chopped rosemary is also wonderful.

Hope you give it a shot and enjoy the nutritious ride! Your body is already thanking you in advance!

Quinoa Polenta

About 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked polenta

2 eggs

2 tablespoons light oil

½ cup grated pecorino cheese

1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. The batter should be very thick, but spreadable. Spray an 8×10 pan with cooking spray (or 9×13 if you want the polenta thin). Bake for 25 minutes and check to see if it’s firm in the middle. When firm, turn oven off and leave in a cooling oven for another 10 minutes to set. Serve warm.

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Confinement: A Few House Rules

Posted on April 5, 2020

Take a breath, slowly. Then another. Stay in the moment. And don’t try to change too much too soon. This is the advice I give readers and clients. It’s sound wisdom anytime, and during this time of heightened uncertainty and strangeness, it is CRUCIAL.

Spending more time at home without the comforting rhythms of usual routines, minus the personal contact we now realize is crucial to wellbeing, and with the repetition of news loops running on the TV, computer, or just in our own minds can mean increased frequency of stress-eating and perhaps nutritionally poor food choices. I think most of us have been heeding the comfort-call of simple carbs this past month. These choices will inevitably be followed by panic, remorse, and the use various strategies to throw the engine in reverse.

In modern times, the most oft-sought strategy has been the diet. No secret that I gave it up years ago, but its evergreen allure still looms large in our collective psyche. Even though it’s now-common knowledge they not only don’t work, but dig us further in the trap…they still beckon us to give it another shot, like Lucy holding the football for an eternally naïve Charlie Brown.

The clever diet industry, however, has adapted to consumer cynicism, concealing the useless strategy of going on a diet under the guise of sensible trends or ‘Hear-Ye, Hear-Ye’ health mandates. I won’t name any names because you may be taking refuge in some of them, or are perhaps, even found them to be helpful. I only wish to remind you that the conventional wisdom of the diet industry, best-selling authors, talk show hosts, etc. should NEVER usurp your own wisdom. Who knows your body better than you? No one! Ditto for the mind and heart.

Springtime is the perfect time to shed our skins, outdated habits, ways of thinking, and belief systems that no longer serve us. Not that we can’t learn from one another; of course we can. Just don’t flip your own innate ability to discern what feels good to you to the off switch. Take new information in if you’d like…and see if it’s a fit. What better time to try on a new way of being?

What’s something you are ready to shed?

I’ll go first: worrying about the future and obsessing on carb intake…

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Brown Rice To The Rescue

Posted on March 30, 2020

During this unprecedented time of global lockdown, depending on whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, you’re either aglow with contentment or climbing the walls. Even a life-long bookworm like me is having challenging moments. While I’m content to curl up with a memoir or writing project, there’s no denying that the why of our lockdown is disturbing to the core.

I’ve limited my news-watching, but also refuse to lift off into la-la land. What I see on TV and on the internet often freezes me in my tracks with dread. I take the necessary steps to protect myself. I check on loved ones and urge them to do the same. I say prayers for the afflicted and medical and military personnel on the frontlines doing the brave work of heroes.

Sometimes I find tears welling up out of nowhere. Or sudden irritability gushes forth like Old Faithful and I’m silently criticizing everything from politicians and celebrities to the ads on TV (which have swiftly switched gears to capitalize on the nation’s collective anxiousness).

And as a longtime emotional eater, I observe myself. For me, this is a sort of emotional temperature-taking throughout the day, done without criticism or scorn. I simply notice what I’m feeling and when helplessness or frustration may (as they sometimes do) propel me to seek comfort in food. There’s no doubt our present-day situation is napalm for the emotional eater. Lots of time on one’s hands coupled with stress and uncertainty can spell a beeline for the comfort food.

Bill and I have noticed on our most recent grocery shopping expeditions that the cookie and candy aisles are decimated while the produce section is chock-a-block with fruits and vegetables. Interesting. And not surprising. Salads were never my go-to comfort food, and they probably never will be. That’s why, when it comes to fine-tuning comfort-food tastes towards whole foods instead of processed junk food (and that takes good old-fashioned time) it’s best to cater (no pun intended) to your personal preferences. I’ve largely accepted that I don’t like raw vegetables. I’ll eat salads to be virtuous, but they’re something I’d rather do without. Instead, I alchemize the world of vegetables into soups and stews, and there are lots of delicious recipes in my archives here.

Today’s missive is about touting one of my new favorite clean comfort foods: Hot cereal. Don’t laugh! Think about it. Hot cereal is an unsung (and often improperly rendered) hero that, when made the right way and with the right accompaniments, can nourish and satisfy…WITHOUT skyrocketing your blood sugar or decimating your liver. With the majority of my adult life spent as a hardcore binge-eater, I’m amazed I never needed a transplant. So now, I spend my days eating foods that nourish me thoroughly which I also happen to enjoy. Take it from an experience yo-yo dieter, nutrition is just a hologram if you don’t enjoy what you’re eating.

Creamy, dreamy, and constructive…

There are actually several versions in my archives, but my new favorite is rice-based. Brown rice, that is. Quite simply, it’s one of nature’s most perfect foods. And don’t get hung up on the fact it’s a carb. It’s a complex carb (not a white one) and that means it comes with fiber, nutrients, and even a little protein. And according to my wonderful nutritionist, Nancy Guberti, it’s also anti-inflammatory. Now, it is a carb, which doesn’t mean license to go nuts, but when I want something warm, creamy, and comforting, this fits the bill.

It may seem like a lot of work to mill it from scratch but you’ve got nothing but time right now, so what better opportunity to see if hot cereal might be your new go-to. And as far as time investment into food-prep goes, the way I look at it is: when I’m the one doing the processing in my kitchen, it means I’ve eliminated processing that would otherwise take place at a factory, so who’s the winner?

There really aren’t a lot of rules for hot cereal, other than, make the base non-dairy if you can. Flavoring is up to you. Today, I used a blend of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Turmeric is wonderful as well. I take my hot cereal unsweetened, but if you want, add some maple syrup, honey, or Stevia. Oh, and you can even up the nutrition with chia seeds, ground flax seeds, or hemp heart seeds. Trust me, your body will love all this and ask you why you didn’t do this sooner. And…this freezes beautifully, giving you yet another option for healthy fast food.

Brown Rice Cereal:

2 cups cooked brown rice

about a cup of warm unsweetened almond milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix or blender until smooth. Depending on how thick you like your cereal, adjust the milk – I like it on the thinner side. Bake in a covered crock until warm and bubbly or heat over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally.

Love, love, LOVE my Vitamix!

I prefer baking it, but that’s just me…

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The Art of Being Vulnerable

Posted on January 26, 2020

We all have it. A soundtrack from our childhood. At no time was that soundtrack more embedded into my longterm memory than during my 7-week sojourn at summer camp, a yearly adventure which took place from 1971-1978.

The counselors all had transistor radios in their quarters – rabbit-eared lifelines to the outside world as well as the cherished Top 40 loop. Listening to pop songs both quelled and aggravated homesickness, but overall, I was grateful for the music. Especially the really good stuff.

And like all great music, it stands the test of time irrefutably. I could pick at least a dozen songs I loved from back in the day, but Melissa Manchester’s 1975 ode to vulnerability remains a song that both dazzles me and puts a lump in my throat. Melancholy and hopeful at the same time, the lyrics, though probably intended as a romantic overture, seamlessly apply to any intimate relationship run aground where the heart is invested. Never heard of it? That’s OK kids. Take a listen and hang on to your hats – and maybe a tissue. “Midnight Blue” is from the era when it mattered not what a singer looked like or how risqué her burlesque act was. The currency of the day during the ’70s was channeling the essence of your soul into the microphone.

As I listened to “Midnight Blue” again recently, letting the chords bring me back to a place that no longer exists, I realized something: everything I need to know about vulnerability, I’ve learned from the songwriting team of Melissa Manchester and Carole Bayer Sager. Throughout the song, Manchester remains boldly honest as she explains, unapologetically, that she wants continuity in a relationship. She values the other enough to, well, admit it out loud.

I’ve spent the better part of my adulthood recovering from my childhood. What that’s meant for my relationships is a lot of ups and downs. Many moons ago, I possessed a simmering mistrust of people that bordered on hatred, and it had been earned. There weren’t many people in my corner during my formative years. As an unconscious means of self-preservation, I tried to quit humans, many a time. Dogs were better…OK, they still are. But as innocent and unconditionally loving as canines may be, they’re still not my species.

Grudgingly, I had to admit that maybe it’d be in my best interest to make peace with people. That maybe I even n-n-n-need them. Yes, Virginia, I do need connection with other humans. As fraught with risk as it is, it’s crucial to emotional wellbeing – like it or not. It was a learning process to accept we’re all imperfect. Forget Hollywood and the corny scripts of perfectly curated dialog and sunny scenarios abounding. This is real life and as such, human intimacy means both inhaling the fragrance of a rose and getting punctured by its thorns.

Troubled waters, tensions, and disagreements aren’t relegated only to romantic liaisons. There are so many variables when two humans decide to join forces: DNA patterns, personality types, and family history to name a few. Whether it’s in friendship, blood-relations, romance, or in business, relationships can get messy. There’s no varietal of relationship conflict this song can’t be applied to:

* Mother-daughter tensions – check

* Sibling rivalry – check

* Friendship worn down by lack of proper maintenance – check

* Rift with a co-worker because of a conniving boss who loves being subversive – check

When the boat gets rocked, the answer isn’t to throw a relationship away or passive-aggressively neglect until it dies a natural death. Nope, if it’s an alliance worth saving, I’m now brave enough to say so.

#Wellness #SacredSunday

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Beef Bourguignon – The Perfect Wintery Mix

Posted on December 31, 2019

Something happens when I hear the local meteorologist warn the masses of an impending wintery mix. Immediately, the announcement elicits a response in my brain synapses to head to the stove and cook something warm and comforting, preferably within the indestructible confines of a 20-pound enamel pot.

Most of the time I’ll concoct a lentil-based soup or stew, and why not? The varieties of dried beans are many and the pairing possibilities with vegetables, healthy grains, and spices are endless.  And lentils are some of the most fiber-rich and nutrient-dense foods on earth, able to please the vegan and omnivore in equal measure. Free-form invention of soup is my strength. But when I crave the time-honored classic Beef Bourguignon and its to-the-letter preparation protocol, I let Chef Bill take the wheel. Adhering to classic recipe methodology is his strength and he does it with panache.

You don’t have to be a trained chef to give this satisfying stew, made famous in our country by Julia Child. But you do have to peruse the recipe ahead of time and simply follow the steps accordingly. It’s a little more time-consuming than most stew recipes, but so worth the effort. The recipe we used for our most recent bourguignon foray was inspired by Ina Garten, cookbook doyenne of the Barefoot Contessa series and Food Network star who refuses to submit to the network’s relay-race cooking obsession. Check out her books and her shows, they’re a joy to watch.

Meanwhile, you don’t have to wait for a snowstorm to thoroughly enjoy this Beef Bourguignon recipe, but it definitely adds to the ambiance.

Beef Bourguignon

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ pound high-quality smoked bacon, diced

2 ½ pounds of beef (preferably quality sirloin), cut into 1-inch cubes



kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

1 pound of carrots , peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and sliced thinly

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

½ cup cognac or brandy

1 750-ml bottle of dry burgundy

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste



1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or corn starch

1 pound mushrooms, any variety, sliced thickly

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound of pearl onions



Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

In a large enamel dutch oven, heat olive oil and bacon over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the bacon is slightly browned, not crisp.

Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer bacon to a plate. Salt and pepper the beef cubes and add to the pot (leave bacon grease in). Sear over medium heat in batches if necessary for even cooking until just browned on all sides.  Transfer the beef with a slotted spoon to the plate with the cooked bacon pieces.

Add the carrots and sliced onions to the pot with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper.

Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until evenly browned. Add extra olive oil if necessary.  Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Carefully add the cognac, standing back from the stove as it may momentarily ignite. If there is a flame, when it dies down, stir so the alcohol evaporates as it cooks. Add the meat and bacon back to the mixture, and the entire bottle of burgundy, along with the beef broth. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme and bring to a simmer.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 1 ¼ hours.

While the stew is braising in the oven, saute the mushrooms in two tablespoons of unsalted butter until just softened and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the four tablespoons of softened butter with the flour with a fork until it’s a smooth paste. Set aside.  After the allotted baking time, remove pot oven from the oven. Carefully remove lid and stir in butter/flour mixture with a spoon until blended. Add mushrooms, pearl onions, and thyme. Simmer on stove-top covered for an additional 15 minutes.

This is traditionally served over slices of toasted baguette. Variations can include brown rice, wide noodles, or roasted potatoes.



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