New Breakfast Recipe: Short and Unsweetened

Posted on April 6, 2018

My relationship with carbs has been quite the patchwork of mood swings over the past decade. In January, it will be 10 years that i stepped out in faith and followed the cues Life was suddenly giving me to make slow and steady changes toward better health.

Step 1: shelve the binge-eating and processed foods. This is a huge step in and of itself but I felt ready. And I also knew, after a lifetime of dieting and being hard on myself what NOT to do. So in the beginning this was my only rule. I didn’t place restrictions on quantity or calorie-counting, or writing my food down the day before – all of which drove me nuts.

Step 2: Going gluten-and dairy-free. This was at the advice of my mentor, Diamond Dallas Page, creator of DDPYOGA, the physical part of the equation that helped me regain my strength and physical grace (it was there all along…it only needed to be uncovered).  The second step was a big one and it was taken at about month 3 of my journey. Very important detail because when I take on too many changes too soon, it backfires. I wasn’t in a race and I didn’t want overwhelm, only permanent change I could LIVE with.

Step 3: Becoming acquainted with the gluten-free and cow-dairy-free lifestyle. This was actually fun, because I had some pretty delicious times with cupcakes, cookies, baguettes, bagels…..you get the picture. But I was younger and my metabolism could take it. I didn’t over eat them though, even though I easily COULD. Being mindful of quantity and when I’ve had enough was a skill that developed over time, and the one underlying rule I still live by is no binge-eating. And when I want to eat more than my body needs I simply take it as a sign the waters are troubled and it’s time to do within.

Step 4: Keeping the weight off. I’ve been doing this for almost a decade thanks to following the formula laid out in Step 3. Which isn’t to say I’m a robot or fitness model whose weight never fluctuates. It has and it does. Which brings me to….

Step 5: Menopause. And all its attendant symptoms, including (cue the music from the shower scene in “Psycho”) WEIGHT GAIN! Yes it has happened, 30 pounds have come back, uninvited. The pasta dinners I could burn off with a longer work or harder workout don’t get incinerated like they once did. Because of this, carbs became the enemy – banished until further notice! But this wasn’t livable. I wasn’t happy and neither was my body. Which brings me to…

Step 6: Renegotiating with carbs. Let’s face it, I love ’em. They’re creamy, comforting, and nourishing…if you choose a healthy one. After listening to my body carefully and talking it over (dialoging with your body as you would a close friend is something I do and recommend to my clients, it’s a great way to glean information, as well as repair the damage from all the years I berated it), I decided adding healthy carbs back in the equation was in order. I welcomed brown basmati rice, quinoa, potatoes (red and purple in particular) to the stove with open arms. Even if some of the menopause weight is here to stay, so what? I should deprive myself of healthy food? I don’t think so.  I don’t eat carbs daily, but several times a week for sure. And here’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy a bowl of comforting carbs – hot cereal. Sure, there are plenty of gluten-free hot cereals out there, try ’em all if you like!  But as you know, I love not only cooking, but alchemizing food with my Vitamix. There’s a little labor involved with this one, but remember, labor in the kitchen usually translates into something that’s less processed and better for you in the long run. Make a big batch and have it for the week, or freeze part of it. Cream of Brown Rice Cereal is a blank canvas so jazz it up with shredded coconut, hemp hearts, dried fruit, pumpkin pie spice…whatever!  The point is to enjoy both the process and the eating. Yes, we are allowed to ENJOY our food – what a concept!

 

 

Cream of Brown Rice Cereal

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked brown rice (I love brown basmati rice)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice)

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash of cinnamon (optional)

Sweetener of choice (I eat it unsweetened, but if you want to add maple syrup or honey, go for it)

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Scrape into a small ceramic baking dish with a lid and bake for about 20 minutes at 300. May also be cooked on the stovetop but it has to be stirred frequently or it’ll burn. Serve and enjoy. You are FUELED for the morning.

 

Sooo good for you in the morning…or whenever the urge to be comforted by carbs strikes.

 

 

Don’t eliminate, UPGRADE. White Quinoa is a beautiful and delicious thing….And can be alchemized into hot cereal.

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The Joy of Blueberry Picking

Posted on March 13, 2018

 

 

Anyone who has ever done it knows that picking blueberries in a sunny field on a beautiful mid-summer’s afternoon is good for the soul. But since those days only occur during a short window at a very specific time of the year, it’s best to embrace the opportunity with both arms and squeeze hard, so to speak. There’s something infinitely satisfying about A) being immersed in nature; B) harvesting your own food; and C) embarking on an activity that’s so absorbing, your focus on it becomes a meditation. I’m not the most disciplined meditator, as much as a fan as I am of its benefits. Sitting still for 20 minutes is a chore for me, but picking blueberries is NOT.

This may seem like torture to some of you, as yet another Nor’Easter bears down on some of the country. Spring isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for us at this point, so summer seems especially distant. Think of this post as more of a ‘something to look forward to’ seed to be planted now and enjoyed later.

 

A bucket full of Joy!

Picking blueberries has become a cherished summer ritual, not the least of which has to do with the beautiful health benefits they possess. I love eating fresh blueberries on their own, in smoothies, coconut yogurt, and in baking.  When fresh blueberries are no where to be found, I rely on frozen!  They don’t have the plumpness and physical beauty of their fresh counterparts, but they are perfect in smoothies and baking. Case in point: muffins! One of my all-time favorite indulgences.

One of the easiest ways to whip a batch up is with a gluten-free box mix. Simply dump in desired amount of berries to the mix and you have a masterpiece on your hands.  Or, if you’re looking for a from-scratch recipe, here’s my favorite Paleo version:

 

 

One of my favorite indulgences…that’s loaded with antioxidants!

 

 

 

 

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups almond flour (or flour of choice)

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup coconut palm sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

¼ cup coconut oil, melted or softened to room temperature

1 cup coconut milk (full-fat from the can)

1 tablespoon vanilla

2-3 cups fresh or frozen berries (thawed if using frozen)

 

Batter up!

 

 

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and sift-blend with wire whisk. In a food processor, add eggs, vanilla and coconut milk. Pulse mixture until smooth. Pour liquid from food processor into the mixing bowl. Add coconut oil and blend thoroughly with wire whisk or wooden spoon. Add blueberries and mix thoroughly. It’s OK if some burst and ‘bleed.’ Spray two muffin tins (12 each) with non-stick cooking spray, or use paper muffin cups in the tins. Pour batter into each cup, filling about 3/4 full.  Bake for 25-30 minutes on the oven’s center rack. Turn oven off and let sit for 10 minutes in cooling oven. Remove from oven and serve while still warm. Muffins may be refrigerated for up to a week, and they also freeze well.

 

 

Worth every bit of effort…

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh or frozen, blueberries make a beautiful breakfast parfait. See “Clean Comfort” for the recipe.

 

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Eggplant Meatballs

Posted on February 3, 2018

Among the highlights of the annual Wine and Dine for the Arts Festival in Albany, N.Y.,  was the grand tasting on Friday January 12. Just about every chef brought their A-Game and served some pretty amazing food. Some of the stand-outs were Provence’s feather-light truffled liver pate mousse, courtesy of chef Rachel Bozzella; Chef Ric Orlando of New World Bistro offered his addictive sticky and sweet short ribs; and the best arancini I’ve ever had was served by Nick Yusavage at the Pasta Pane booth. But the dish I most ardently wished to recreate at home was the intriguing Eggplant Meatballs, dreamed up by Jen Hewes, executive chef at The Point. These meatless meatballs were moist, aromatic, and oh-so-substantial.

The fact that I’m not the biggest fan of vegetables but adore eggplant sealed the deal…and besides, I could always use a few plant-based tricks up my sleeve. So, I gathered the courage to ask Chef Jen if she’d share her recipe and she complied, very willingly. Eggplant Meatballs is a recipe so delicious that it wouldn’t be right not to share it, so below is the magic formula.

Chef Jen was inspired to create meatless meatballs because she wanted a vegetarian appetizer on The Point’s menu that was enticing enough to be share-able. Trust me, these are. And since I’ve been eating gluten-free and cow-dairy-free for nine years, I’ve provided two versions. The recipe is a bit time-consuming, but don’t let that deter you. Eggplant Meatballs are a great reason to while away an afternoon at the stove on a cold winter day.      

 

Photo credit: Emily Culver, General Manager of The Point in Albany, N.Y.

             

Eggplant Meatballs

 – Chef Jen Hewes, The Point Restaurant, Albany, N.Y. 

 

4 large eggplants, peeled and diced

3 ounces fresh garlic, minced

1 cup light olive oil or grapeseed oil

4 ounces chopped fresh oregano

4 ounces fresh basil

2 ounces fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

4 eggs, well-beaten

3 cups Panko bread crumbs

2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

2 cups flour

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, combine the following: diced eggplant, salt and pepper, garlic and half-cup oil. Toss until eggplant is evenly coated with oil. Place on baking trays and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let it cool until almost room temperature and puree in batches in a food processor. In a large mixing bowl, combine pureed eggplant, eggs, oregano, basil, grated cheese, crushed red pepper, remaining oil, and the seasoned bread crumbs. Form into a large ball, then shape mixture into two-ounce balls. In a separate bowl, combine Panko, flour, and parsley. Roll the ‘meatballs’ individually in the flour mixture and refrigerate for 20 minutes. In a large frying pan or wok, heat remaining oil until shimmering. Fry until evenly cooked and golden on all sides. Place on paper towels to drain and keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve.

 

 

The Gluten-Free & Cow-Dairy-Free Version of Eggplant Meatballs

Ingredients:

4 large eggplant, peeled and diced

3 ounces fresh garlic, minced

1 cup light olive oil or grapeseed oil, divided in half

4 ounces chopped fresh oregano

4 ounces fresh basil

2 ounces fresh parsley chopped

2 cups Peccorino Romano cheese, finely grated

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

4 eggs, well beaten

3 cups gluten-free Panko bread crumbs (or matzo meal)

2 cups seasoned gluten-free bread crumbs

2 cups of all-purpose gluten-free flour

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, combine the following: diced eggplant, salt and pepper, garlic and half-cup oil. Toss until eggplant is evenly coated with oil. Place on baking trays and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let it cool until almost room temperature and puree in batches in a food processor. In a large mixing bowl, combine pureed eggplant, eggs, oregano, basil, grated cheese, crushed red pepper, remaining oil, and the seasoned bread crumbs. Form into a large ball, then shape mixture into two-ounce balls. In a separate bowl, combine Panko, flour, and parsley. Roll the ‘meatballs’ individually in the flour mixture and refrigerate for 20 minutes. In a large frying pan or wok, heat remaining oil until shimmering. Fry until evenly cooked and golden on all sides. Place on paper towels to drain and keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve.

 

 

 

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Thank You Disillusionment

Posted on January 18, 2018

Picture it …the 1985 and highly impressionable version of me in my sweetly naive ‘I’ve got life by the tail’ repose. Vital stats at the time: 100-lb. weightloss, check! Golden tan, check! Approval from the world, check! Self-esteem…M.I.A.

Fixing the external only is meaningless. Internally, I was unsatisfied, adrift, confused, and in utter shock that dropping the weight didn’t magically bestow happiness upon me as had been the implication. Backsliding, bewilderment, regaining the weight plus more, feeling like a royal screw-up, and diving back into destructive eating patterns were inevitable. How else could have I found the real way to health and balance? 

Unbeknownst to me, that fateful August afternoon, there were many lessons to be lived. As I let the cascade of compliments from everyone around me bounce off my inner-turmoil, I knew I had only just begun to tap into the Truth.

 

 

 

Appearances can be deceiving…

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So You Think Lasting Weight-Loss Is All About Food?

Posted on January 11, 2018

“Is there anything you think would put you in danger of re-gaining the weight?” my good friend Doug asked me one afternoon back in 2011. For much of our lives we both fought the war with the scale, and he knew my history of being a chronic regainer. The answer I gave Doug was instantaneous. “Yes,” I said, leaning forward across the table at lunch that day. “Men.”

Seven years ago I was fresh off my most recent victory with said scale: 180 pounds lighter and enjoying an understandably new way of existing. Having learned much from all of my past weight loss ‘failures,’ I knew in precise terms what did not work for me, so there would be no more buying into quick-fix seductions from the diet industry. This time, I conquered obesity and binge-eating through a mosaic of solutions: self-help books, therapy, 12-step meetings, meditation classes, even a soul-searching stint in a food rehab. And when the wounds were properly salved, I was ready to take on the physical leg of my journey, finding a form of movement I clicked with (DDPYOGA) and taking the advice of a reputable nutritionist.

There’s no magical, easy life once the weight is gone, however. I still had to live with myself…and my hang-ups and fears. 25 years ago a painful break-up sent me reeling. Determined to never be hurt again, I dove head-first into regaining lost weight and hiding from the issues of intimacy. I hid with copious amounts of food and by half-heartedly agreeing to a new relationship where I knew I wouldn’t be fulfilled or happy, but hey, it was about hiding from the truth, so I was all-in. My body and soul paid the price. It was only after I was aroused from this self-inflicted coma 20 years later that I took a step back and admitted how profoundly unhappy I was. What, did you think lasting weight loss was all about calories in/calories out? If only it were that cut and dry.

But don’t be discouraged. Please don’t be discouraged. All it takes is a little bravery. Once you wade into the waters of honesty you’ll discover it’s not only not excruciating, it’s freeing. After a year or so of taking time to reconnect with myself again, it seemed like the right time to think about dating. I assumed that with the weight off, a roster of dashing men would somehow find me and commence courting. They didn’t. Friends suggested online dating. I said no way, it was for losers who couldn’t meet people on their own. Another year went by and I wasn’t meeting people on my own. Humbled, I joined a dating site, knowing it would be more than a viable way to meet a guy – would provide a golden ticket to face my fears and slay them once and for all.

Did I experience rejection? Of COURSE! Were some of my hopes dashed? Yup. Was there a healthy percentage of players? Affirmative. But a wise friend imparted some powerful wisdom to me at the beginning of my online search that stuck: something along the lines of ‘no one can make you unhappy but you.’ Sure, people can disappoint me, but it was incumbent on me to mind my side of the street, properly interpret the red flags, and not get carried away in my head. And believe me, I was getting fed up with some of the shenanigans from some of my suitors. Perhaps it was time for a break…I was approaching the six-month mark, and my patience was set to expire with my membership.

But, at the 11th hour, I grudgingly agreed to go one one more coffee date before checking out. January 11 is the day the walls came down, not because I was invested in a fantasy, but all the years of trial and error, learning and discerning, and rising again after each dust-up had taught me well. I sensed goodness in the man who sat across from me that morning of January 11, 2012, and as it always is, my gut was correct.

So, cheers to not only 6 years, but to surmounting obstacles and smashing down walls that keep us hidden. Risks are soul-enhancing, and disappointment is survivable. This I know for sure.

 

Proving everyday that food and intimacy are compatible….

 

 

 

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