"Keen-wah"

Quinoa is a tricky word to pronounce the first time you see it.  I had to be corrected by a bookstore clerk where I was looking for a wholegrain cookbook.  I was a little apprehensive about trying quinoa for the first time - I bought a box of it and put it in my cupboard but by the time I was ready to experiment with it, it had expired.  Needless to say, I went out and bought some new from the Bulk Barn.  The recipe I wanted to try used the traditional variety but the BB had only the red in organic so I got that instead.  I must say the salad I made with it was delicious and I will make it again and again.

I am crazy for wholegrain salads so I will feature them frequently.  They make the perfect work lunch for me because I don't like to microwave my food.  This salad features green lentils, sweet red pepper, feta, red quinoa  and fresh mint with a lemony dijon dressing.  Add some crisp baby arugula and enjoy!

*Quinoa and Lentil Salad*

2/3 cup  dried green lentils
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 sweet red pepper, chopped finely
2-3 green onions chopped
1/2 cup feta, crumbled or shredded
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste - I found the feta alone added enough saltiness and did not add salt

baby arugula

Rinse lentils and gently boil in salted water for 30 minutes or until tender but still firm.  Drain and set aside to cool.  Rinse quinoa thoroughly with warm water ( about 3 minutes) to remove the bitter coating.  Drain well and cook in the 2 cups of water for 15 minutes (or as per package instructions).  Let sit 10 minutes.  If there is still water in the quinoa you may drain it.  Add the cooled lentils and quinoa to the red pepper, mint, green onions and feta in a large bowl.  Make a dressing by whisking the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon, salt and pepper and mix well with the salad ingredients.  Add as much arugula as you like.  Yummy!

They call it the white death...

White sugar.  The white sugar in your homes that you use to sweeten your coffee or bake with, along with sugars added to processed foods and beverages is probably the worst dietary habit of all affecting your health.  It is high in calories and probably the easiest food to digest because it has been reduced to the simplest carbohydrate (devitalized down to it's carbon atom) by over processing.  Studies have shown that over-consumption contributes to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, weakened immunity and even cancer.  And that's just what we know.  Most people don't know that most brown sugars are simply refined white sugar that has had some molasses added back into it.  That would be an additional process.  I think the worst of all sweeteners is high fructose corn syrup.   Please take some time to research how sugar is processed and how it affects your health.

Ok, so is there any safe sugar?   I've found this a little confusing.  I think the best sugar would be the least processed one which is evaporated pure cane juice, organic of course.  Also known as turbinado, this sugar is relatively unprocessed, unrefined and crystallized through evaporation.  Similar to turbinado is demerara sugar, though to be honest I'm not sure what the exact difference is.  Both are large grained and a light brown color and can be used  in place of refined white sugar.   Muscovado sugar is a dark brown unrefined sugar that still contains some of it's molasses and can be used as you would brown sugar.

 Keep in mind when using that these "safer" sugars have the same number of calories and the same amount of glucose per spoonful  as refined white sugar (as does honey and maple syrup) so we still need to make sure we are not consuming more than our bodies can handle healthily.  The recommendations for a healthy adult without diabetes is under 40 grams per day.  Just to give you some idea how much that is, one teaspoon of granulated white sugar has 4 grams of sugar.  An average 12 oz can of pop has almost 10 teaspoons of sugar, or a full 40 grams.  If your yogurt has 12 grams of sugar per serving that equals 3 teaspoons of sugar!  Not many of us could sit and eat 3 spoonfuls of sugar right out of the sugar bowl, but we don't seem to notice it in a 100 gram serving of sweetened and flavored yogurt - how is that?  I don't know about you, but it defies my logic! 

I really try not to add sugar to anything I eat or drink and I don't drink any sugary beverages.  I don't drink juice either, preferring to eat whole fruits and vegetables which are hydrating and have the added benefit of fiber!  Am I ready to give up sugar?  No way!  I am, however, going to try and minimize my use of it.

Sometimes you just have to have something sweet and these coconut macaroons will fill that bill and may even be good for you.  Studies have shown that the daily consumption of coconut oil fats helps to burn fat and increase calorie expenditure.  These moist and chewy treats make  use of evaporated cane juice and contain no dairy, gluten, or fat other than what is naturally found in the unsweetened coconut used.  They are simple and easy to make and each cookie has only 60 calories!

*Coconut Macaroons*

1/3 cup water
1 cup evaporated cane juice (turbinado sugar)
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (fine shred works best)
1 large egg white


Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare cookie sheet by spraying lightly with a cooking oil spray.

In medium saucepan bring water, cane juice, vanilla, honey and salt to a boil over med-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Boil for 30 seconds to form a syrup and remove from heat.

In a medium bowl mix coconut and egg white well.  Stir in syrup mixture to form a dough.  Drop on prepared sheet by rounded tablespoons, one inch apart. 

Bake in center of oven for 8 minutes; rotate pan and bake for 4-5 minutes longer, or until brown and set.  Cool completely and store in airtight container.  Makes aprox 36 cookies.

Just a thought...

The other day I was thinking, wouldn't it be great if we could just eliminate the extra calories we don't use like we do the waste we don't use from our food.   But then I guess our species wouldn't have survived if we hadn't had the ability to store those extra calories as fat for the lean seasons.  What was once a trait necessary for our survival is no longer necessary due to the fact that food is plentiful in the developed world all year long.  We're also not spending most of our day searching for and hunting down our food! 

So there it is - our bodies are only doing what comes naturally and until we evolve physically we'll have to "evolve" our way of thinking about eating and eat only what we need to power our modern lifestyle.  I think we do need to count calories - we should find out how many calories are in our food choices and how much activity is required to burn off those calories.  Maybe then we will make better choices.  It sounds like a lot of work doesn't it, but what's the alternative?  We need to be accountable.

The pictures are of a meal we had last weekend - grilled steak and vegetables.  It doesn't get much easier than this!   The mixed peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus and cherry tomato grilled crisp-tender and lightly seasoned with Clubhouse vegetable seasoning go perfect with a nice steak.  Much tastier than a baked potato with sour cream, and I like the fact that I can fill my plate and not have to worry about empty calories!

Beans, beans, good for the heart...

Beans and lentils (legumes) are so good for you that I don't even know where to start.  Besides being inexpensive, they are full of nutrition in the form of protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals.  They are low glycemic which makes them diabetic and metabolic syndrome  friendly and are believed to protect us from heart disease, obesity and cancer. 

I especially love lentils - high in folate, magnesium, and iron they are packed with protein (26% of the calories), and fiber, and are known to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar.  Pair with a grain and you have a complete protein for a vegetarian diet.   Just add veggies.  I like to use sprouted lentils sold by the ShaSha Co.   Sprouted grains and legumes have about 3 times the nutrients of unsprouted.  These ones are organic and have been sprouted and dehydrated - all you do is soak them for half an hour and then cook them for 20-30 minutes.   ShaSha also makes a nice sprouted short-grain brown rice.

My favorite go-to recipe for lentils is a lemony salad made with bulgur and finely chopped vegetables.  I can eat this salad 5 days in a row and I often do! 

*Lemony Lentil Tabouleh*

1 cup dry green lentils  (you can use 2 cups canned lentils,drained, but trust me they aren't as good)
2-3 cloves of garlic, gently crushed
2-3 bay leaf
      Bring lentils, garlic, bay leaf and 3 cups water to boil; simmer for 20-25 minutes or until soft but still holding their shape.  Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again discarding bay leaf and garlic.  Omit this step if using canned lentils.

1 cup bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
    Mix bulgur,salt and boiling water; cover and soak for about 1/2 hour.

1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1/3 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
     In large bowl mix drained lentils, bulgur, vegetables and feta.  I have to confess that I don't really measure the fresh herbs so feel free to use more if you enjoy the flavors!

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (approx. juice of one lemon)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
     Whisk till well blended and thick; pour on salad and mix well.  Best if refrigerated an hour or two before serving.  Makes 4-5 servings.  I sometimes add a few halved cherry tomatoes when serving.

Making your own yogurt is easier than you think

This weekend is a long weekend here in Canada known as Victoria Day weekend, with Monday being a holiday.  It's going to be sunny with temps in the high 20's C (85 F) all weekend.  Perfect weather for a ride on the city bike trails!  I hope we can find time to go out again tomorrow.  We have some lovely bike trails that stretch the length of the city and we try to take advantage of them as much as we can.

Weekends I have more time for cooking and one thing I like to do is make my own yogurt.  It really is quite easy if you have a yogurt maker.  I love the one I have!  It's a Miracle Milk Carton Yogurt Maker.   There are ways to make yogurt without a yogurt maker using the oven, slow cooker or a cooler but I have never tried them.

The only yogurt I eat is  plain and unsweetened (preferably organic) pro-biotic yogurt.  It's really tangy and can be an acquired taste.   I eat it an average of 5 days a week for breakfast with some fresh fruit and a sprinkle of granola for added crunch and sweetness.  Yum!  Besides being a complete protein  yogurt with active cultures promotes good gut health (by creating balanced microflora in the intestines) and bowel regularity.  It may also help to prevent osteoporosis, cancer, and high blood pressure. 

The equipment:  2 quart saucepan, stainless steel whisk, candy thermometer, yogurt maker

The ingredients:  one quart of organic whole milk, 1/4 cup organic pro-biotic yogurt, 1/4 cup powdered milk

You can use 2%, 1%, or skim milk but it will be thinner.  I use whole milk because it's less processed than milk with the fat removed.  Be sure to use a plain, unsweetened yogurt with active bacteria cultures, and make sure it does not have gelatin or other thickeners in it.   There are many good quality organic  yogurts available so pick one that you like the taste of to start your colony.   It's not necessary to add the powdered milk, but the addition of these milk solids helps to make it thicker.

I have never found it necessary to sterilize the equipment/utensils used in making yogurt but you will want to make sure they are clean and free of anything that would contaminate or interrupt the fermentation process.  Heat the milk over med-high to a temperature of 180 F stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 115F.  Once cooled, mix about a cup of the cooled milk together with the yogurt starter and the powdered milk if using, and then mix it back into the rest of the milk.  It's now ready to put into your yogurt maker following manufacturers instructions.  With my yogurt maker I just have to pour it back into the milk carton, stand it in the machine and leave it for 8-12 hours.

The finished product:

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo, but you can see that it did turn out quite thick.

With bananas and granola.  Breakfast is served!

Ooops!

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in North America and my oldest daughter made me a lovely cake for the occasion.  It was a scratch cake flavored with strawberry puree and it was delicious!  I had a piece and saved a piece and sent the rest home with my visitors.  I think I may freeze my second piece for a later date - it can be my emergency piece of cake!   I have a sweet tooth so I try not to keep cakes and pastries in the house to tempt me except on desert day.  I have designated Sunday as desert day.  My mother, ever watchful of her figure, only served desert once a week, on Sunday.  It gave us something to look forward to.

We have to allow ourselves some not-so-good-for-us treats once in awhile or we end up feeling deprived, which can lead to binging (in for a penny, in for a pound), which leads to guilt, etc.   Allowing a scheduled treat gives us more control I think.  Now that I've had my cake for the week I can relax in the comfort of knowing desert day will come again!

Process This

The more I learn about processed foods the less I want to buy and consume them.  I thought I was doing good by avoiding those fast food establishments, but then I took a good look at what I was eating at home and it wasn't much better.  It wasn't that I didn't know better -I just didn't think about it.  I was just so busy and tired and they were so convenient.

Not all processed foods are "bad" for you though some extremists will argue that point.  Take frozen fruits and vegetables - they maintain a lot of their nutrients and have no additives.  At the other end of the scale we have the pizza-type pocket's, which are more or less a processed food product that is made with processed food products.  How much of it is real food?  Do we even know what we're eating anymore?

I strongly believe it's processed food that's making us unhealthy and overweight, and with little energy.  High in unhealthy fats, salt and sugars, there is really little nutrition - just empty calories. If we are what we eat, we need to make sure we're eating whole natural foods and not processed unnatural ones.  Even some so called healthy foods like yogurt can be high in sugar - always check your labels.  (IMO yogurt should contain two ingredients:  milk and  live bacterial cultures).  When you do have to use processed foods look for brands with the fewest ingredients and ingredients that you can easily pronounce!

There are so many processed dinner products out there that one  doesn't have to do any real cooking any more - just pop everything in the oven or microwave from the freezer.  It worries me that the art of actual cooking is becoming lost to future generations and I hope that's not the case.

Every couple weeks I make myself some fresh granola - I like to eat it as a topping on yogurt and fruit, or as a little power snack when I want something sweet and crunchy.   Dried fruit may be added after cooling.  Remember that granola is calorie-dense so keep portions small!

*Granola* 

Preheat oven to 275 and spray large roasting pan or 2 - 13 x 10 metal pans with cooking spray.

In large bowl mix together:

4 cups large flake or old fashioned rolled oats ( I like to use 3 c. oats and 1 c. rolled spelt flakes)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In small saucepan bring to a simmer:

1/2 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (may use canola oil)
2 tablespoons water

Pour the syrup/oil mixture over the oat mixture and stir to coat well.   Pour into prepared pan(s) and with clean hands squeeze to form some clumps.  Bake in center of oven for 30 minutes; stir and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp.  Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.