Hail to the Kale Salad

I had discovered this recipe about a month ago when I first started blogging about my cooking adventures.  http://janadrjoel.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-1-healthy-made-delicious.html  The name of the salad alone got me excited about it.  So when it came time to use up this week's organic vegetable share and I had two bunches of kale in my refridgerator, I went for it.  I'm going to save the salad for tomorrow night, when I attend my first local raw food pot luck.  I can't wait! (I did however take a taste, and OMG, this is really cool.)

Note: Everyone at the raw food potluck loved this salad.  It is a winner!

Chef AJ's Hail to the Kale Salad
makes a lot!

Ingredients:
2 large heads of curly kale (about 24 ounces)
sesame seeds, hemp seeds, peanuts, almonds or cashews (optional-I don't think it needs this)

Dressing:
1 cup raw almond butter (raw, unsweetened and unsalted)
1 cup coconut water (or regular water)
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2) and zest (I used the juice and zest of one large lemon, cause that's what I had on hand)
2 cloves garlic
fresh, peeled ginger (approximately 1” or ¾ of an ounce)
2 tablespoons low sodium Tamari (soy sauce)
4 pitted dates (soaked in water if not soft)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation:
In a high powered blender combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Remove the thick, larger stems from the kale and place in a large bowl. Pour 2 cups of the dressing over the kale and using an Ulu blade, massage the dressing into the kale while using the Ulu to finely chop the kale. Sprinkle with seeds or nuts before serving, if desired. Like a woman, this only gets better with age.

This dressing also makes a delicious peanut dip for fresh veggies but you need to cut way back on the water and add some cilantro. http://www.chefajshealthykitchen.com/

Wendy's notes: I have no idea what an Ulu blade is, so I just tore my kale into smallish pieces and dressed the salad.  Since it is going to marinate until tomorrow night, it should work fine.

Big Family Dinner #2

We're having 19 people over our house tonight for dinner.  I'm having so much fun planning the menu.  I really enjoy trying new recipes and sharing them with willing friends and family. 

So here's what's on tap for this week:
Challah and Grape Juice
Celery and Parsely Root Soup (recipe in a prior post)
Raw Cauliflower Korma (recipe in today's post)
Tabbouleh (recipe in yesterday's post)
Toby's Refreshing Salad (recipe in a prior post)
Talapia with Mustard and Capers (recipe in a prior post)
Hamentashen

Raw Cauliflower Korma

If you love Indian food and are searching for low calorie, healthier alternatives to hit that spot, then this is a great recipe for you.  I'm going to serve it tonight at a family dinner and I'm sure that some people will love this recipe and others will hate it.  It's spicy and has that Indian curry thing going on.

1 Small Carrot, Chopped 1/4-1/2 cup

1 Small onion, chopped 1/4-1/2 cup

2 tablespoons Water
2 tablespoons Mild curry powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 small red bell pepper
1 small handful cashew nuts
1 sprinkle turmeric
1 sprinkle cumin
1 clove garlic

½ head Cauliflower
½ cup raisins - divided
1 tomato, chopped
1 large date or 2 small

Put all ingrediants except the cauliflower and 1/4 cup of the raisins in the blender and whizz at a high speed until combined, the mixture should be thick but run off the back of a spoon – add more water if required.  (I'm not sure if I would attempt this in a regular blender.  My VitaMix Blender pureed all of the ingredients in seconds and without a hassle.  For this step, you may opt for using your food processor if you don't own one.)  Curry Sauce complete.

Wash and cut your cauliflower into smallish pieces.  Whiz in a food processor until cauliflower is the consistency of rice  but not as small as cous cous – this is personal preference though, any size would work.

In a bowl add the cauliflower, 1/4 cup raisins and then mix in your curry sauce…. Eat!

I rolled a dollop of the korma into a romaine leaf and laid them out on a platter.  You could serve it with other veg or some bread or crackers.

Can it really be this easy?

The other day at my favorite restaurant, Organic Energy, I was served up a plate of hummus, ezekial bread slices, carrots, celery, cucumber, apples and sprouts.  My friends and I made little sandwiches, spreading the bread with hummus and placing a slice of cucumber on top.  It was perfect!

So last night for dinner I toasted up some Ezekial bread slices, spread them with hummus, and applied a big, juicy slice of organic tomato to the top.  OMG, I didn't know healthy could be this easy.  So next time you are wondering how to get a nutritious, fast, filling dinner on the table, just grab some of the soup you have been making out of the refridgerator and serve it up with two of these sammys.  You'll be stuffed!

Ezekial Bread with Hummus and Veggies
2 sammies = 3 WW Points

2 slices Ezekial bread, toasted to your liking
3 Tbsp hummus
sliced tomato or cucumber
optional: sprouts

You know what to do!

Terrific Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is one of those complex, exciting dishes that is a fantastic addition to any healthy person's recipe arsinal. I trippled the recipe below for the dinner I am hosting tomorrow night.  I hope there will be leftover's for next week's dinners!

Tabbouleh

4 servings/serving size 1 cup

Printable Recipe

3/4 cup uncooked bulgur

1 cup boiling water

1 cup chopped tomato

1 cup chopped English cucumber

3/4 cup chopped fresh curly parsley

1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

Place bulgur in a medium bowl; cover with 1 cup boiling water.  Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Add bulgur and toss gently to combine.

Easy Fresh Ginger Storage and a Fabulous Soup

Did you know that you can have fresh ginger at your fingertips all the time?  What do you do with the rest of the ginger you bought once you used enough for that recipe you just made?    It keeps beautifully in a ziploc baggie in the freezer.  Just pull it out when you need it.  Scrape off the skin on the frozen ginger with a teaspoon and grate it frozen on a microplaner right into your recipe. Put the remainder right back in the baggie and into the freezer for your next kitchen adventure!

Celery and Parsley Root Soup

adapted from a recipe by Tom at Organic Energy Restaurant. A BIG thank you to Jill K for pursuing this!

Make enough for a big crowd, or some for this week and some for the freezer

2 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

1 really large onion, peeled and chopped

2 huge bunches celery, washed and cut into 1.5" pieces

2 bunches of parsley root, just the roots (plan on making Taboulleh as you will have some beautiful parsley out of the deal),  peeled and diced

1 Tbsp grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed or chopped

7 cups vegetable stock

1 14 oz. can coconut milk

1 Tbsp star anise

salt and pepper

Using a large stock pot, saute onion, celery, and parsley root in the oil for 10 minutes on medium-high heat.  Add vegetable stock, ginger and garlic.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Add coconut milk and star anise and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes (parsley root should be soft). Remove star anise from soup and discard.  Puree soup using an immersion blender but leave lots of chunks.  Taste soup and season with salt and pepper.

The Maintenance Blahs

A few weeks ago at not-my-normal Weight Watchers meeting, Lisa, the "other" WW meeting leader asked me if I had started to think about my goal weight.  I really can't remember what my answer was, because the important thing about that moment was what she said to me.  "Your goal," she expressed "is not a number on the scale that you preselect for yourself.  It's a place that you come to and find yourself feeling good about how you feel.  When you are there, you will know it, and that is the weight that you declare is your goal."

WOW.  That is so not what I thought.  All along I assumed that my goal should be this number or that number on the scale,  and that I should die trying to get there (not really).  But when she put it in those terms, everything suddenly seemed right in the world.

So the following week I walked in to my regular WW meeting and declared that I was at my goal weight RIGHT NOW.  Hooray for me (not really)! And baloons fell out of the ceiling (really).

That was almost exactly one week ago.  And it's been hell ever since.  Suddenly, the game was over.  A new phase was supposed to begin.  One in which I eat more food (not too much) and watch the scale to see how my body reacts. I'm still supposed to stick to my basic plan--which for me involves counting points.  But my mind has been playing tricks on me.  Asking me if maybe there is another way.  "Just eat healthy food, Wendy" it says.  "You'll see, you won't gain weight if you eat mostly vegan. You can do this without having to carefully analyze your food and count points.  What a drag that is!"

Well I'll tell you what is really a drag.  Seeing the scale register a 3 pound weight gain in 4 days when you have been "eating healthy" and exercising a lot.

So, after the initial shock of it all, I came to some realizations.

Realization Number 1: Maintaining a healthy weight is no different than losing weight.  And if you think it is, boy are you in for a rude awakening.  Get used to counting those points, logging your food, pre-planning what you eat, or whatever it is that got you to that goal.  Sure, you can eat about 200-250 more calories per day and not gain weight.  But everything else needs to remain exactly the same.  It's a bummer, but I've got to get over it.

Realization Number 2: The "game" of losing weight is over. The excitement of the "score" is gone.  I love winning.  Who doesn't? It's really fun.  Especially when this game has no losers.  I've got to find a new excitement to keep me going.  A new reason to count those points, log my food, pre-plan what I eat and exercise almost every day.  Maybe that new game is this blog.  Is it enough?  I'll find out.

Beets & their Greens

I know this is pretty controversial, but I love beets.  And since I am trying to incorporate as many green leafy vegetables into my diet as possible, I figured it was high time to try out beet greens.  I was totally amazed at how delicious this recipe was.

How to roast beets:

Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Trim off the leaves and stems of the beets and the little tail.  Rinse the beets. Wrap in aluminum foil  (you can put 3 beets in a pouch) and place in the oven on a cookie sheet. Roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel using a paring knife or by pushing the skin with your fingers.

Beets & their Greens with Shallots & Citrus

recipe courtesy Clean Eating Magazine

serves 4- 1 WW point per serving

 8 medium sized beets, roasted (see above)

all of the leaves from the beets, washed well and dried, and chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots (or onion)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (or 2 Tbsp. frozen apple juice concentrate)

Cut roasted and peeled beets into wedges.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook shallots (or onions) until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant and pale golden, about 1 minute. Stir in chopped beet greens, sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring often, until tender crisp, about 3 minutes.  Pour in orange juice (or apple juice concentrate) and stir.  Add reserved beets and cook until just heated through and liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature (can be stored in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.)

Big Family Dinner #1

I remember growing up that every Sunday afternoon at my friend Kristen's house her family got together for a big dinner that her mom prepared. I could sense that it was a really special thing that they did together. In my own home growing up, dinner was a special event every night. My friend Beth even made up a saying about it, she said "Every night is Thanksgiving at the Schkolnick's." Pretty funny, but true. My mom spent a great deal of her time in the kitchen preparing food from scratch. None of that processed stuff for us.

In my own home, I have to admit, it's been a challenge. We've had the vast majority of our "family" dinners at a local restaurant called Alladin's Eatery. Yes, the food is great, and we go there because I'm generally exhausted after a long week. But this week, I'm up for the challenge. So, here's this Friday Night's Dinner menu:

Challah (1/2 whole wheat)
Grape Juice (the unfiltered kind from Trader Joes)
Cauliflower & Leek Potage (recipe below)
Talapia with mustard and capers (testing tonight, recipe below)
Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Onion Salad (recipe below)
Raw Broccoli Salad (recipe posted on February 3rd)
Dessert (still figuring that one out)

This soup was so simple and quick to prepare. I was inspired to make it because I happened to have a cauliflower on hand and when I did a search for cauliflower on one of my favorite blogs (http://fatfreevegan.com) this recipe came up. I happened to have leftover leeks and all the other ingredients already in my pantry.

Cauliflower & Leek Potage
5 servings (2 cups each) = 1 WW point

Recipe by: Vegetarian Times May 2005

1 large cauliflower, trimmed and chopped
2 medium sized leeks, trimmed and chopped
3 C vegetable stock
2 tsp herbs de Provence (I used oregano, thyme and rosemary)
2 C unsweetened soymilk (I used coconut milk--my new favorite nut milk)

Combine cauliflower, leeks, stock and herbs in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in soymilk/coconut milk. Puree soup using immersion blender or food processor, adding more soymilk/coconut milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Talapia with Mustard and Capers
This is simply stupendous!
serves 2 = 2 WW Points

8 oz. Tilapia (4oz per serving)

1 Tbsp dijon mustard or to taste
2 Tbsp capers
sea salt

Sprinkle a little sea salt on the talapia.  Spread the dijon mustard on the tilapia.  Sprinkle capers.  Bake at 350 for 15 mins. That's it!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Onion Salad
This is an ALL TIME FAVORITE of ours from the WW website.  We even have it now for Thanksgiving instead of the sweet potatoes with marshmallows.  Recipe courtesy weightwatchers.com

Printable Recipe

Makes 6 servings of 2/3 cup = 1 WW Point

3 spray(s) cooking spray
2 large sweet potato(es), peeled, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large red onion(s), cut in 1-inch chunks
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 oz frozen apple juice concentrate (undiluted), about 2 Tbsp

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place potatoes and onion on prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray; toss to mix and coat. Roast until tender, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly; spoon into a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together chili powder, salt, pepper, vinegar and apple juice concentrate; spoon over vegetables and toss to coat. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

Toby's Refreshing Salad

OMG.  This is totally worth getting your Cuisinart out for!  It is so easy and heavenly tasting that I would serve this on a weeknight or make it for guests.  A new family tradition! Thank you Toby, my raw food friend, for all that you do.

Toby's Refreshing Salad

2 apples
2 beets
3 carrots
fresh juice of 2 oranges
optional: pomegranate seeds

Peel beets and carrots.  Grate apples, beets and carrots in a food processor or with a hand grater.  Mix gently but well with orange juice.

Great eaten by itself.  I served it over a bed of fresh spinach for a dinner salad.

Children and Nutrition

I am often asked how my kids and their food preferences fit into the picture of a healthy home.  Just today, my friend Lisa Z. e-mailed me and asked, "Do your kids and Randy eat the veggies? I have a hard time getting Rob and the girls to try new healthy things."  I've got some thoughts on this issue and I'm sure you do too. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE YOUR STRATEGIES FOR COOKING FOR KIDS AS A COMMENT BELOW.

1. Make what your kids want and like . . .  I tried it the other way.  It didn't work.  My 5 year old started going to dinner every night at my neighbor's house, for months.  I was very sad. So I just started to make what her and my 2 year old son will eat, which is anything and everything with pasta in it.  Macaroni-n-cheese, spagetti and meatballs, cheese ravioli, noodles with butter . . . pretty boring after a while.  But they want it.  And I want them to feel like their needs are being met in their own home.  What I do make a point of doing is putting cut-up fruit and vegetables on the table along with their pasta.  Their favorite right now is strawberries, and they seem to eat a lot less of whatever pasta I make and a substantial amount of the fruit/vegetables . . . but serve it along with simple things that you want them to eat.

2. Disguise it.  This is a great way to introduce your kids to new flavors without them even knowing it.  My friend Jill K has been experimenting with this concept lately. "Here’s a smoothie I made for the kids (and me). I am not watching the sugar content, I just want to find a way for my kids to eat some veggies and more fruit. The kids had no clue that a beet was in it."

Can’t Be Beet!—a Smoothie

I raw beet peeled
½ cup apple juice
½ cup skim milk
I banana
½ cup blue berries
Vanilla yogurt (5 oz give or take)
Flax seed grounds
Maple syrup
About 8 ice cubes

This works!  There have been entire cookbooks written about it.  My kids are eating Dr. Fuhrman's Black Bean Brownies every night since I have made them, and I want them to eat them!  And I don't particularly like them.  When I tasted the batter I was worried that they wouldn't taste sweet, so I did add about 1/3 cup of agave syrup to the recipe to make them sweeter.   http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/recipes-black-bean-brownies-for-valentines.html

Black Bean Brownies

½ cup dark cocoa powder
2 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 (15 oz.) can of salt-free black beans (drain liquid)
1 large handful of sunflower seeds or 1 T. ground flaxseed
1 ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups pitted dates (chopped)
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Put the first six ingredients in a food processor. Turn it on and then gradually add the 2 cups of chopped dates, a few at a time until blended. Add the flour and continue to mix until everything is well blended. Turn off the machine, remove the blade, and stir in the nuts (if using).  Spread into a 13” x 9” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Notes: Taste batter and if it is not sweet enough for you, add a little more agave syrup. You can double the recipe, put the batter into the 13” x 9” stoneware pan, and increase the baking time to 55 minutes. This will make 24, chewy brownies.

3. Your husband should eat whatever you put in front of him, or he needs to cook for himself.  I know this sound harsh, but you are already busy enough.  And don't use the excuse that if your husband and kids won't eat it then you can't take the time to make it.  If you don't take care of yourself, no one will.  Make yourself and your health your number 1 priority (I'll write a post about that later!).  If your husband has a hard time eating fruits and vegetables, do him a favor and get him a copy of either The China Study or Eat to Live.  After reading either of those books, you can't help but want to eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can.  It's healthy brainwashing!

4. As your kids get older, their tastes will change.  Yes, it will eventually happen.  My 10 year old daughter eats and likes just about everything that I make.  And you guys know what's in what I am making!  So it is important that you model for your children what healthy eating looks like.  If they don't see you doing it, how will they know what it is?

Amazing Cous Cous and Feta Stuffed Peppers

I made this recipe many times this summer and it was a big winner in my house every time.  The fennel seeds really give the stuffed peppers their unique flavor.  It's a great dish that is easily adaptable to whatever veggies you happen to have on hand at the time.  Just substitute what you've got for what is listed and you really can't go wrong.  Serve with soup or a salad for a hearty meal.

Cous Cous and Feta Stuffed Peppers
adapted from a recipe from www.epicurious.com
Yield: 12 halves
2 WW points per stuffed half-pepper (I eat 2 halves for a nice lunch or dinner = 4 points)

1 1/4 cups fat free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup whole wheat cous cous
6 large bell peppers, mixed colors, washed and cut in half horizontally, seeds and membranes removed
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
12 ounces zucchini and/or yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and then sliced across thinly
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
15 oz. canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 ounces reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place peppers, cut side up, on cookie sheet, sprinkle them with a touch of salt and roast them for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cous cous, and cover the pan.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion and sautee until onion is starting to get translucent. Then add the zucchini and/or yellow squash, fennel seeds, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas. Using a fork, scrape the cous cous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in the feta crumbles.

When the peppers are done roasting, turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Fill the roasted pepper halves with the cous cous mixture. Don't worry about the liquid that pooled in the base of the peppers--that adds needed moisture to the finished dish. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Refridgerates and microwaves well.

Optional: add spinach for even more nutrients.

Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude

I had the honor of being asked to be on a panel to speak to a large group of women about "The Secret of My Success."  Holy cow!  I definately have some strong feelings about this and I am excited to share my thoughts with anyone who will listen. 

One of my success "biggies" is that successful people always turn lemons into lemonade.  It's a lesson you can learn everyday if your eyes are open to it.  Success doesn't mean that life is not really, really challenging every day.  It just takes a strong committment to looking for the good in every situation that can be the difference between misery and bliss.  Personally, I choose bliss.

For those of you who know what I'm grooving on here, the following article takes this concept to a whole new level. http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_day/2009/04/how-to-feel-great-right-now.html  I first read this article many months ago and it had a major impact on my day-to-day life.  I even printed it out and saved it because it spoke so loudly to me. 

The author makes a lot of suggestions (about attitude and nutrition) all in one article.  Many of the suggestions made no sense to me when I read it the first time.  Then yesterday, the article came to my attention a second time and I reread it.  I couldn't believe how many of the concepts that the author spoke about were things that were now making total sense to me.

I hope you take the time to read the article at least once.  I personally guarantee that if you follow the author's advice, you will change your life.

A Diet of Abundance

Lately I've been getting a lot of questions, and some strange comments, from friends and family about diet and exercise.  It's only natural when a person puts themselves out there like I have with this blog to find yourself the center of some controversy.  So I thought I would answer some of questions (ie defend myself) right here, in case other readers were wondering the same thing.

QUESTION #1: WHAT DO YOU EAT? A.K.A. DO YOU EAT MEAT, DAIRY, CHICKEN, FISH, SUGAR, PASTA, ETC., ETC.? A.K.A. "DID YOU JUST EAT SOUP FOR FOUR MONTHS?" A.K.A. "WELL, YOU DON'T EAT."

MY ANSWER: I eat more food now, more happily, than at any other time in my life.  I don't concern myself much with what I can't have.  I prefer to focus on what I want to have more of.  More vegetables.  I try to eat one pound of raw vegetables and one pound of cooked vegetables every day, as per Dr. Fuhrman.  Do I weigh and measure vegetables? No.  I just keep the idea in my head that vegetables are the single best thing I can put into my body.  There are so many wonderful and creative ways to eat them that it is impossible to get bored.  And once you begin eating this way, the effect on your body is so dramatic (increased energy) you crave the energy fix like a drug.

Question #2: SO WHAT ABOUT THE MEAT, DAIRY, CHICKEN, FISH, SUGAR, PASTA, ETC., ETC.?

MY ANSWER: Once I began eating a lot of vegetables (and more fruits and beans) there wasn't so much room left in my tummy for other stuff.  And my body was so well nourished that I no longer had cravings for all sorts of other things.  Some people have even called those types of cravings "toxic hunger." Your body wants to be nourished and when it is not, it sends out very powerful "feed me" messages.  But if you are not giving your body the nutrients it really needs, it just keeps asking you to feed it.  And you just get bigger and bigger if you feed into this.

So the answer is this: No food is off limits whatsoever, but meat, dairy, pasta, refined sugar, etc.  just naturally became these once-in-a-while things.  I can't even call them "treats" because I don't find them to be any better tasting or more satisfying than what I am eating normally.  But, if I am in a situation where I don't have access to the foods I normally eat and I want to partake, then eating them is no big deal at all. 

No, I am not a vegan, vegetarian, raw foodist, etc., etc. I am not constantly stressing about food that I "can't" have--it's not like that at all!

QUESTION #3: HOW MUCH DO YOU EXERCISE AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

MY ANSWER: I only do exercise that is fun for me.  I have found that pilates on the reformer machine, power vinyasa yoga, brisk walking and occassional tennis are all really fun for me.  Who doesn't want to have as much fun each day as they can?  So I have scheduled into 6 out of 7 days a week some fun!  Do I work out 6 days a week?  I'd like to, but more often than not life gets in the way a little.  A great week includes 5 work-outs. 

If you don't like exercising, chances are that you haven't found what is fun for you.  Try lots and lots of different classes and workouts until you hit on what you love.  Then schedule the fun into your week.  Don't wake up everyday thinking, "Maybe I'll get to the gym today."  Know exactly when you will be there each week and exercise will become a happy thing for you.

Chaya's Carrot Soup

I was served this Carrot Soup at a friend's house a few weeks ago (thanks Chaya!) and while I thought I was not a carrot soup fan, boy was I wrong.  I had been wanting to eat it again ever since.  So I asked her for the recipe and here it is, with my tweaks after I made it in my own kitchen:

Carrot Soup

1.5 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil OR vegetable broth to just cover bottom of pot
2.5 pounds carrots, peeled, chopped
4 small or 2 medium onions, chopped
2 large leeks, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (dried is fine too)
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
8 cups (=2 boxes) or more canned or boxed low-salt vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Melt oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add carrots, onion, leek, garlic, teaspoon thyme and fennel seeds; stir to coat. Cover; cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add 8 cups broth. Bring to simmer. Cover partially; simmer until carrots are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree with a stick/immersion blender (or working in batches, purée soup in blender). Return to pan. Thin to desired consistency with more broth. Season with salt and pepper.

Aduki Bean Stew

 Aduki beans, a.k.a. adzuki beans, are rumored to be a magical weight loss food.  Adukis are one of the highest protein and lowest fat varieties of bean. They contain high levels of potassium and fiber, as well as B vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin, and minerals such as iron, zinc, and manganese.  Aduki beans promote regular bowel movements, are a good source of energy, and help lower cholesterol.


This recipe with aduki beans is some seriously healthy eats people!  If you want to lose weight it's the dish for you. Now I am not promising that you will think this is good enough to replace your favorite spagetti and meatballs, 'cause it's not going to.  But if you have done some recent damage to your girlish or boyish figure, go ahead and cook some of this up.  I personally think it tastes good and after eating it for 2 days, I hit a new low on my scale. Of course, I doubled both recipes so that I could have leftovers.

It is meant to be served over the Millet Mash that I posted about a few weeks ago.

Adapted from a recipe by Dr. Jillian McKeith

Aduki Bean Stew
2 cups = 4 WW points
Serves 4

1 can of aduki beans (drained and rinsed) available at Whole Foods
1 vegetable stock cube
1 onion, peeled and finely shopped
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and thickly sliced
1 leek, washed, trimmed and finely sliced (or ½ bunch scallions chopped)
½ butternut squash, peeled, halved, deseeded and cut into chunky pieces (poke holes and microwave the squash for 4 minutes first—it makes this step A LOT easier)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 bunch kale, washed and rough chopped

Put 1 liter of fresh cold water into a soup/stock pot. Add the vegetable stock cube and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the onion, carrots, leek, butternut squash, cumin and turmeric and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the aduki beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add the kale and cook for a few minutes until just tender. Season with salt and pepper if you need to. Serve with millet mash.

Black Bean Brownies

I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. 

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/recipes-black-bean-brownies-for-valentines.html

Superbowl Shocker! Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes

Last week I read on http://janadrjoel.blogspot.com/ (you remember, the blog where the woman prepares every recipe from Eat for Health in 30 days) how much she enjoyed Dr. Fuhrman's "Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes" and given where my head is at lately, I just had to give this recipe a try.  So on Saturday night my two-year-old son Max and I had a ball in the kitchen preparing them.  Lots of crazy ingredients like beets, zucchini, carrots, banana, applesauce, pineapple . . . and a whole boatload of dates went in.  When they came out of the oven they were too delicious to resist. Max ate 3 of them before they were even iced.  The icing was so amazing that I couldn't stop tasting it.  I think this recipe is fabulous!

So yesterday being the Superbowl, a religious holiday for my husband's family, my brother and sister-in-law hosted what can only be called a massive food fest.  There was a ton of food to choose from, so luckily I had no problem whatsoever sticking to my plan.  I filled up on raw veggies, an awesome guacamole that my sister-in-law makes (she mixes avocados with jarred salsa), shrimp cocktail (sorry Rabbi!) and lots and lots of the Kitchen Sink Chopped Salad that I brought along.  Everyone loved the salad, I might add, and you'll understand why this is important as you continue reading. 

Then a really weird thing happened.  Dessert.  Out came my healthy chocolate cupcakes, the raw key lime pie that I also made, a store bought iced cookie cake, a trifle made with pudding, angel food cake and cool whip and lastly, Aunt Viv's Famous Apple Cake.  I prepared my other brother-in-law Jim beforehand that no matter what he thought about my desserts, he had to pretend publically that he liked them (he's a health "nut" and I needed his moral support). Okay, back to the really weird thing . . .

No one really liked the healthy desserts.

Except for me.  I thought they were amazing.

And it hit me, after 9 months of living and eating this way, refined sugar no longer has its grip on me.  Real food just tastes way better. Looking at the iced cookie cake made me want to, let's just say, regurgitate.  So, if you are reading my blog like I hope you are and testing out some of the recipes for yourself, just remember the source.  And I hope and pray for you that if you don't already know it that you will someday, real food just tastes better.



This just in from my brother-in-law, 2/9/10: "I would like to publicly apologize to Wendy about my premature ridicule of the cupcakes. It must have been a fluke cross-contamination of cupcake and another dessert or other Superbowl specialty, but that initial odd taste has not returned in the slightest bit through the subsequent 3 cupcakes that I have devoured. So Wendy - please accept my deepest regrets for my comments. They are great, and you can make them for me any time! The pie --- I've learned my lesson. Long live healthy eats. Love, Rob"

On behalf of Dr. Fuhrman and myself, thank you Rob!

Kitchen Sink Chopped Salad

If you've been following my blog, you know that I am exploring the ideas and food that fall under the category of "raw" food.  I've learned a ton about nutrition this week and have formed my own opinions about the raw food movement (I'll post about that in a future posting). 

All this research has really pointed out that most of us really could benefit from a lot more raw food in our diets, whether or not you believe that humans should eat entirely raw.  So here's an example of a scrumptious way to get some living food into your body.  The idea is so simple that it really doesn't qualify as a recipe, but I thought it was so good that it's worth mentioning.

Grab a big bowl, cutting board and chef's knife.  Collect any and all veggies from your stash--whatever is in your fridge that day.  Romaine lettuce, kale, carrots, red pepper, broccoli, parsley, cucumber, cilantro, whatever you have on hand.  Start chopping.  Keep chopping. Throw it all in a bowl.  Add some type of fruit--fresh or dried-in small pieces.  Add raw sunflower seeds or raw sliced almonds--not too much.  Last, dress with your favorite dressing. Viola! A wonderful chopped salad that wakes up all of your taste buds.  And it even keeps in the refidgerator if you have leftovers.  Now that's whacky!

To Sweet or Not to Sweet, that is the Question

Recently I have been experimenting with bringing dessert back into my diet. Both Dr. Fuhrman and the raw foodists eat a lot of dessert it seems (once a day? is that possible?). But their desserts are creative concoctions made with fruits, nuts, dates, coconut, pure cocoa, almond milk and other highly nutritious ingredients. I can't say where this will take me, but if I end up gaining weight, I know that I can stop and take the weight off. Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat for Health has a bunch of dessert recipes, including chocolate cupcakes. And I read on someone's blog that they are awesome. Now I wonder if I can make them and only eat one??????

This raw key lime pie is heavenly.  Seriously folks, better than any "real" key lime pie you could ever make.

Raw Key Lime Pie

Crust:
1 ½ cup pecans
1 cup walnuts
1/3 cup mixture of dates
(medjool, barhi, etc) & monuka raisins
¼ cup of coconut oil/butter
Dash of sea salt

Filling Ingredients:
2 small ripe avocados
1 banana
1 1/4 C juice from key limes (regular limes will also work fine)
1/2 C mango chunks
1/2 C agave nectar
1/3 C coconut cream concentrate or oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

For crust, in food processor or high speed blender, process nuts. Next add dates, raisins, coconut oil/butter, and salt. Process until ball forms. Press crust into pie dish and set aside.

To make the filling, process all filling ingredients in a high-powered blender such as a VitaMix until smooth and fluid. Pour into pie shell and freeze about 4-6 hours or longer. I like to serve this topped with a little shredded coconut and mango chunks or slices.

Garnish with grated lime rinds and coconut.

Your One Wild and Precious Life

Marni Task read this poem in  yoga class this morning.  I thought it was beautiful. And a lot to think about . . .

The Summer Day by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is is you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?

Denial, It's Not Just a River in Egypt

Everyone has heard the term "hitting rock bottom."  We associate it with alcoholics and drug addicts.  And we know that different people hit their rock bottom  and become sober for good at different levels of addiction.  Some people are able to quit at a very early stage of addiction; some quit when they lose their job or their family or both; and some lose everything and die but never quit.

Think I'm not talking about you?  Is abuse of food different than alcoholism?  Do you eat when you are angry, lonely, tired, sad, frustrated or bored?  Even happy? Are you afraid of feeling your emotions? Maybe you use food/alcohol/drugs to numb yourself.  What would happen if you just allowed yourself to feel?

Victoria Boutenko, in her book 12 Steps to Raw Foods , points out a fascinating observation.  " . . . hitting the 'rock bottom' is not connected to disease or dispair but to something else.  What is the magic wand that returns people to the fullness of life?  The miraculous transformation happens when a person perceives the problem so clearly that he/she is not afraid to admit it to others . . . Some people are afraid of admitting the truth; others don't understand why it is so important . . . Such non-willingness to acknowledge the truth is called denial."

Writing this blog is a huge step for me.  In fact, it is really uncomfortable.  Shouting out to the world that "I have a problem and it's name is F-O-O-D is downright mortifying.  (Did I really think you didn't know just by looking at me?) But I'm here because I don't want to gain this weight back.

And I see so many people struggling with addiction all around me who want to stop but are so desperately afraid of having anyone else aware of their problem.  So they suffer because they know that some people will pass judgement.  But many others won't, because secretly, they are addicts of some sort too.  So don't be afraid.  Talk to other people.  Shout it out! What is the worst thing that could happen?  I think you'll be surprised at how entirely liberating it is.

Bananacado Smoothie and an Experiment

I am not a big risk taker.  But yesterday at my weekly Weight Watchers meeting I finally made the decision to give the Weight Watchers Simply Filling Plan a try.  I just might be tired of calculating and counting points for everthing that goes in my mouth.  It's a pretty big move for me, because for 9 months I have been counting Points religiously.  But, the more I become interested in raw, unprocessed food, the more appeal Simply Filling has.  I'm more than a little bit scared.  I don't trust it.  I mean I don't trust myself not to overdo it.

If you are interested in a complete list of the filling foods that you can print out, go to
http://www.weightwatchers.com/images/1033/dynamic/GCMSImages/FillingFoodList_US.pdf

This morning's smoothie was a radical departure from my normal low calorie smoothie.  The avocado and dates are not ingredients I would normally indulge in.  But the theory of Simply Filling, and coincidentally of the Raw Foods movement, is that these ingredients, although caloric, cannot put weight on a person.  According to Weight Watchers, you should not switch back and forth between their plans less than a week at a time.  So I'm committed to Simply Filling this week.  Stay tuned for the results!

Bananacado Smoothie

1 medium-large frozen banana

1/2 ripe avocado

3 dates-remove pits

3 stalks kale-remove leaves from stalks

5 ice cubes

1 cup water

1 heaping Tbsp flax meal

Put all ingredients into blender and blend.  Creamy, sweet and oh-so-filling!

The Raw Truth

I have a secret to tell you guys.  I'm obsessing about raw food ever since Friday night at our friend Chaya and Roger's dinner party.  I can't get it out of my head.  And then on Sunday my friend and neighbor Lisa gave me a book she happened to have laying around in her house, The Raw Foods Detox Diet.  Is that a sign?

I used to think "raw foods" meant that you ate carrots, celery and apples all day.  Boy, was I stupid.  There is a whole world of creative, delicious and oh-so-healthy recipes out there. Just do a google search for "raw food recipes."

So I found a recipe this morning for a raw broccoli salad and "cooked" it when I got home tonight, adapting the recipe to my needs (less oil and more servings).  http://allthingsnice.typepad.com/tastebuddies/2008/06/raw-broccoli-sa.html  It required an extensive amount of chopping, which I needed because I didn't get a workout in today.  It was wonderfully crunchy, lemony and salty--a perfect balance of flavors and texture.

Raw Broccoli Salad Recipe

(Serves 8)

8 cups of chopped broccoli
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup of finely minced cilantro
2.5 tsp of cumin seeds
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 3 lemons
1 1/2 tsp of sea salt, or if you have it, flor de sal

1.Wash and finely chop the broccoli, several florets at a time (do not use a food processor or broccoli will get mushy). Include 1 garlic clove in the chopping. Chop for another minute and then add the second clove. Keep chopping until the broccoli is a similar size to that in the picture -- 1/2cm to 1cm pieces.
2.Place the broccoli into a large, non-reactive bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and then mix well with a metal spoon. Cover and let the broccoli sit in the fridge for one hour.
3.Serve with accompanying meal of chicken, seafood or on its own.

There are a few local raw food pot lucks coming up in the next few weeks and I am itching to go with my new friend and raw foodist Toby, the organic vegetable share supplier.  But please, keep this our little secret!

Chunky Sweet Potato Stew

Did you see the movie Julie and Julia?  I sure did and it made me run home and order Julia Child's book  Mastering the Art of French Cooking because I too love to cook.  Cooking is a form of creativity that gives me a sense of almost instant gratification.  But neither the movie or the cookbook inspired me to actually create any of Julia Child's recipes.  Too much butter I guess. 

Enter "Mastering the Art of Healthy Cooking"  http://janadrjoel.blogspot.com/, a blog written by a woman named Jana who took on the challenge of preparing all of the recipes in Dr. Joel Furhman's book Eat for Health.  She made them all, in order, in 30 days, and then critiqued each one.  So Jana inspired me to take out my copy of Eat for Health to see what I was missing.  And it turned out that I had all of the ingredients conveniently available to me in my kitchen (what are the chances???) to make one of the first recipes, Chunky Sweet Potato Stew.  So I went for it this morning and ate it for dinner this evening.  Really, really delicious.

I'd like to give you the recipe for Chunky Sweet Potato Stew, but I'm not sure that Dr. Fuhrman would like that very much.  So, if you check out Jana's blog and are interested in the incredible healthy food that you can make, you've got to buy the book!  Luckily, I've made it really easy for you . . .

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Seeds

I'm super interested in any "real" food that can increase my energy, keep me healthy and help me maintain a healthy weight.  I read about Chia Seeds in Clean Eating Magazine (http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/) where they talked about their really high fiber and Omega-3 content.  So, I purchased them through Amazon (couldn't find them at my Whole Foods).  I have been adding 1 heaping Tbsp of Chia Seeds to my morning smoothie ever since . They add a real thickness to the smoothie.  More and more people seem to be catching on and maybe Chia is the new flax seed!

"Chia seeds may be eaten raw or prepared in a number of dishes. Raw, they are an excellent source of dietary fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids. Chia seeds may be ground into pinole, a meal that can be used for porridge or baked goods. They may also be soaked in fruit juice or water to make a dish known as chia fresca in Mexico. Chia seeds are very absorbent and develop a gelatinous texture when soaked in water.

In recent decades, chia has seen a resurgence in popularity and has been hailed as a "super food" with many dietary benefits. It helps the body retain fluids and electrolytes, it forms a gel in the stomach that slows the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, and it helps build muscle and other tissues. Chia is a source of protein and boron, which aids in the absorption of calcium. Chia seeds can be used to make a gel that one can substitute for oil or other fats in a variety of recipes. Chia gel can be added to any sauces, jellies, or baked goods, for example.

Making a batch of chia gel is simple. Chia seeds absorb nine times their weight in water, so use a ratio of nine parts water to one part chia seeds. Put the water in a sealable plastic bowl and slowly pour in the seeds while whisking with a wire whisk to prevent clumps. Let stand for a few minutes before whisking again, repeat this process once, then seal the bowl and store the gel in the refrigerator. It will last up to two weeks." http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-chia-seeds.htm