You are what you eat.

Food and I have a complex relationship. Some weeks I have a torrid love affair with bagels. Others, I want nothing more than green stuff in my belly. Unfortunately, the latter adds up to fewer weeks per year than the former. 

Spring is always a time of change for me. I come out of my winter cocoon and start gravitating toward sunshine and movement. My semester always ends about six weeks before Kiddo's school year comes to a close, and I find myself inadvertently adopting a morning workout schedule. My diet becomes a lot lighter. My life grows a lot greener. 

  As I mentioned before, a new food co-op opened up in town about a month ago. And for the first time in the 5+ years we've lived here, I have access to a salad bar. Not just any salad bar, either. House made dressings, roasted/marinated tofu, organic veggies... it's amazing. Last week, while the boys were in NYC, I stopped by not once, but twice, to grab a quick dinner. I am also head-over-heels for their "Rawr" smoothie with kale, spinach, pineapple, and mango.

Of course, it is much more economical to make such things at home. It's still nice to know I have it on standby for those days when brown bagging seems impossible.  In the spirit of eating in, Mario and I made our own salad bar of sorts on Friday night. We roasted beets that were still hanging around from last summer's farmshare. If you think you don't like beets, you have to try them fresh from an organic farm. I thought I disliked them for most of my life. We cooked up some off-the-hook cilantro-lime chicken, courtesy of the co-op. Mario whipped up some homemade croutons using locally baked whole grain bread. We diced, grated, and chopped a wide assortment of fresh veggies. Then we piled it up and went to town. It was the best dinner.

Now, of course I know that you've eaten, and made, a salad. Probably many. But I'm notorious for buying the big container of organic mixed greens then letting 2/3 of the package wilt and disintegrate. I get on a kick then quickly abandon it. But taking a moment, even during these crazy times, to realize what a green diet does for me is of the utmost importance. My skin imparts a glow no serum can induce. The usual afternoon slump starts to lift. My belly feels less, well, rounded. My ring no longer leaves a dent on my finger. How I feel when I take care of myself trumps a bagel any day. 

Unfortunately, when under a great deal of pressure and stress I don't tend go back and re-read these types of posts. I put my head in the sand and eat what makes me feel good... in the moment. Not what keeps me going and energetic. To make eating green a lifelong habit as opposed to a seasonal tendency is the constant goal. 

Another goal? Figuring out how to make this dressing based on the ingredient list (which took me by surprise). I could eat it every single day... I'm that crazy about it.

P.S. I won a free large ad space over at The Perfect Pair earlier this month. It is such a lovely blog. Lauren was so nice and offered me all the perks normally given to her sponsors. You can see me, and enter to win a raffle, here.

You are what you eat.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Training is everything.

The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.

Mark Twain

After our amazing dinner last Saturday night, the boys and I ventured over to the brand spanking new food co-op that opened a few days ago. We are big fans of co-ops and therefore excited to have something like it conveniently located downtown.

We were so impressed! It is well stocked and the prices are super reasonable. I'm not sure we have any reason to make the trek to Whole Foods anymore. Not only do they have an amazing selection, there is a juice/espresso bar and tons of fresh food options for lunch or dinner.  If only I'd had my real camera . . .

We are big advocates of buying local. Mario is the son of a hard-working cattle rancher, so he can appreciate the need to support farmers more than most. He may have stared at the meat case for an extended period of time. Something about sausage with bacon in it. After that he started speaking in tongues.

I am a fan of miso soup. I have also read a lot about miso's purported health benefits (live cultures and all).  I have been wanting to make it for some time now, but never seem to get around to it. It sounded complicated. Well, the handsome new co-op had me looking up recipes on my phone. Most call for dashi granules, a product I have yet to see on a store shelf. I'm also guessing it is a bit less healthy than a real miso soup base.

So I went all in. I found a recipe for dashi and bought the ingredients. Then I found a highly rated miso soup recipe and set out to find the best of both worlds. Since the dashi recipe makes 4 cups, and the recipe calls for 4 cups of water plus dashi granules, the two recipes incorporated seamlessly. 

You only need two ingredients for the dashi. I got a "whoa, that's some expensive soup" from Mario at the store, as the two add up to about $18. Buuuut, it will make a ton of broth. You soak the kombu for 15 minutes, then place over medium heat until just on the verse of simmering. Put 1/2 cup of bonita flakes and allow to soak for an additional 10 minutes. Now you have your soup base. Easy peasy. As I mentioned before, this is a great, simple dashi recipe to follow.

Homemade Miso Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 cups dashi 
• 3 tbsp miso paste
• 1/3 block extra firm tofu, cubed (more or less to taste)
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• veggies and other add-ins (optional)

Directions:

In a saucepan over low heat, whisk miso paste into dashi (don't boil!). Stir in tofu. Add green onions and any other veggies, as desired. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. 

I have to say this was really good! You can definitely play around with the ratios to make the dashi stronger or weaker. I added kale to my batch, but found that I prefer it in soups with stronger flavors like this one. It was less salty than the restaurant-style miso soup, but it is a fair trade for a soup that is really good for me. It was satisfying and hit the spot on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The key to this is not to let it boil. It kills the live cultures and good-for-you-ness in the ingredients.

I am working to eat better and improve my overall well-being after months of feeling blah, and this soup is definitely getting added to my repertoire. Enjoy!

Training is everything.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Spare a Pig, Eat Chorizo

I could eat Mexican food. Every. Single. Day. There's a real love there. One of my favorite flavors is chorizo sausage. I'm not a sausage person in general (insert dirty joke), but this stuff is sooo good. Unfortunately, it's sooo bad for me.

Being the persistent person that I am, I have found a more than suitable substitute for the real thing. Besides, it's the flavor I'm after, not the fat.

Solution: Soy Chorizo. Don't run away. I'm not talking Tofurkey here, guys. This stuff is awesome. And easier to find than the real thing. It has the exact same flavor as real chorizo, but without the yuckiness.

There are two kinds I've tried:

Melissa's Soyrizo

 

This stuff is delish and found in most grocery stores. The texture and flavor are really, really good.

 

Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo

 

This is my absolute favorite. I simply can't get enough. It adds amazing flavor to chili, taco meat, and any Mexican/Spanish dish. The texture isn't soy-ish at all! You know what I mean. Squidgy, mealy, and overall funky. It blends seamlessly into dishes and you'll never miss the meat. I promise. This is coming from a girl who has tried and failed to love many a soy product over the years.

Because this stuff is housed in an inedible casing, ground is the easiest way to serve it. I suppose you could make a patty or something . . . I've never tried nor felt the need. I typically cut the tube in half along the fold and freeze one portion if I'm not using the whole thing in a dish.

 

 

This is my favorite use: Scrambled in eggs. This is just 2 whites plus one whole egg and soy chorizo cooked with a little pan spray. No other seasonings needed. Then I top it with any tastiness we have around the kitchen. This particular day I used avocado and goat cheese. Deeelish! And healthy.

Any great soy meat recommendations?

 

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Spare a Pig, Eat Chorizo

Monday, August 6, 2012

Farm Sharing the Wealth

Several years ago we discovered a local community farm that sells summer shares (they have since introduced spring and fall shares). We were instantly attracted to the idea of getting a basket full of fresh, organic produce each week. We have not been disappointed. For about $300 per 3-4 month season, we get a basket bursting with that week's harvest. What is also amazing is that we had no idea what "real" radishes, garlic, lettuce, and tomatoes tasted like before. When allowed to grow as nature intended, these vegetables are like nothing you have ever tasted. Never a big fan of tomatoes, the ones grown at the farm changed my entire outlook on what a tomato should be like. When I came home with our weekly bounty yesterday, my husband said, "I get so excited to see what is in our basket! It's like getting a present every week!" He's right! Unpacking it is like unwrapping a surprise...and some of the items don't even make it to the fridge before they are gone. I also like the fact that we are at their mercy in terms of what we get. It has allowed me to experiment with new vegetables (bok choy and pineapple tomatillos, for instance) and seek out new recipes (sweet and spicy canned beets...yum!).

While $300 may seem like a lot, it really isn't. And we are pretty frugal people. We think of it as more than just a basket of vegetables. It's an investment in our community (they donate several shares each year to needy families and local food banks) and our planet (they use only earth-friendly organic farming practices). Yeah, yeah. I sound like a hippie. Put on some more patchouli and straighten your hemp skirt, Sarah. But the fact is, if more of us supported these types of organizations, we would come a long way towards improving the food we put into our bodies and the land around us. By reaching enough people, we can change our perception of what food should be. Alright, I'm getting off my soapbox. However, if you are going to take on a cause, this is a good one. Another bonus of having freshly picked produce is that it lasts a really long time. I've had farm share lettuce stay crisp in my fridge for a month. I am lucky if I make it a week before the bagged stuff from the grocery store turns to slime. In that way, we actually save money because we throw a lot less away.

Another way in which our farm share supports the community is to get people familiar with some of our other local farmers and business owners. So for the first two weeks of the season we receive a jar of local honey (which I put on/in everything to help with my allergies) and a large loaf of freshly baked bread from a local baker.

If you want to see what farm shares are all about, I found a great website below that introduces the concept of community farms while providing a way to locate farms in your area. Check it out! You won't regret it.

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

 

Farm Sharing the Wealth

Sunday, June 24, 2012