Poster Child - Rice and Peas

Very often I meet someone that is a poster child for what is wrong with our food supply, education system, welfare system or health care system. Two days ago I met someone who was all this rolled into one. A fairly young man, obese with a chronic disease or two, developing more chronic disease and on our disability roles. I will call him Joe.
Joe was admitted to the hospital and asked to see a dietitian. He tells me that his doctor told him that his blood pressure was getting high and that his blood sugars were getting high as well. He wanted to know what else he could do to improve this situation, he thought he was doing everything he could. So we start out with the weight. Can he be more physically active, he says no, because of his asthma (I am thinking he is a lazy dude). I know lots of people with asthma that participate in sports (but don't be judgemental, maybe this guy really can't).
I start talking about portions sizes, when I tell him what a portion size of meat is (size of a deck of cards) he acts like this is news to him. His serving is more like a deck on a house. So we got the eat less part. I show him what 2000 calories a day looks like.
Now for the sugar part. Excess sugars lead to excess calories, lead to excess weight, leads to high blood pressure and hyperglycemia. Turns out he drinks lots of apple juice. More than 4 cups per day, oh and fruit punch. But he does not drink soda. 8 ounces of apple juice is 120 calories and 28 grams of sugar. 8 ounces of soda is about 100 calories and 28 grams of sugar.
Then he says that he buys cereal bars because they have real fruit. If you want real fruit eat real fruit I say. A Nutrigrain bar is 160 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams fiber and 7 grams (almost 2 tsp) of suar.
Shredded wheat is 170 calories , 6 grams of fiber and no added sugar for one cup. Add fat free milk for 85 calories and 8 grams of protein. Add blueberries, strawberries or a banana for the real fruit.
Then we go for the salt part. Remember this guy said he was doing everything he though he could. Canned soup, canned vegetables. That's all I have to say. We talked about making more foods from scratch, since he was not working he had time to do this.
This guy was a little overwhelmed by the end of the discussion. I am hoping he has been able to make a few changes. Obesity is costing all of us too much. To many healthcare dollars, disablility dollars. Most people just need basic education, some guidance and support. This is less expensive than paying for hospital stays, medication and welfare.
Joe mentioned that he ate a lot of rice and beans. A healthy meal, high in protein and fiber. Often can be high in salt and fat, depending on how it is made. Portion size is key to keeping down excess calories. Remember eat less. That saves money too!! This recipe is in honor of Joe.
A nice spicey dish that even my hubby, who is not a bean kind of guy, will eat.

Jamaican Rice and Peas for Joe

1 14 ounce can black eyed peas - rinsed well (removes up to 1/3 of the sodium)
if you can find no added salt version use that (Eden brand)
1 13.5 ounce can lite coconut milk
4 scallions, finely chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped (use gloves when chopping)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cups long-grain whte rice (or use brown rice)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook rice in coconut milk and enough water to make 4 cups of liquid. Rice cooks for 20 minutes on low simmer until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Add scallion, jalapeno, garlic and thyme to pot while it is simmering.
2. When rice is cooked add black eyed peas and pepper, heat through.
Makes 8-10 servings.

Yummy and Healthy all in one Pot

I am a huge fan of the one pot meal. Less dishes to clean and only one pot to pay attention to. For the past two weeks I have not been home during the dinner hour. Meals (if made) are prepared at 4 in the afternoon. I eat 1/2 my dinner early and then eat the other 1/2 when I get home at 8:30. That way I am not starving and tempted to eat junk in my car. I am also not starving when I get home and wanting to eat everything in site, including the masses of Girl Scout cookies.
That said, a one pot meal works well. It is also usually something that is good for leftovers and holds up well to reheat later. Last night it was a pot of Minestrone Soup. Everything is included, protein (beans) veggies (carrots, onion, celery and tomato) and carbohydrates (potato and gluten free pasta). For this I like the Skaar's brand of rice pasta shaped like tiny o's. This comes out kind of thick, but you can add more broth if needed.

Minestrone Soup

3 tbsp trans fat free margarine
3.4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1 (19 ounce can cannelli beans (rinse well to reduce sodium- kidney beans can be subbed)
2/3 cup shredded cabbage (you can use the bagged coleslaw mix)
1- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes- no added salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth - reduced sodium
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup small sized rice pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt margarine in heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and potato, saute for a few minutes.
2. Add diced tomatoes, broth, beans, cabbage, tomato paste, garlic, parsley and salt to the pot.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 45 minutes.
3. Add pasta to pot and simmer for 15 more minutes. Correct seasoning if needed. Serve with grated cheese.

Out for the Weekend

This weekend I ate out not once, but twice. The first was after some very exiting shopping, we bought a shed. This made me very hungry. A pizza place is not the first restaurant that one would think of for the gluten free, but I had a tip about a place nearby that made a gluten free pizza. Also being a beautiful spring day this place had outdoor dining. My hubby ordered a gluten free pizza with grilled veggies. The veggie were to be onion, mushroom, peppers and eggplant. Sounds great.
However, when the pizza came the eggplant appeared to be breaded. Now you would think that common sense would kick in. If the guy was ordering a gluten free pizza the veggies should not be breaded. Being ever the optimist, I had to ask. Who knows the breading could be gluten free. But no. A new pizza had to be made, sans eggplant.
This is not the first time such a thing has happened. We will explain to the waitress that the food can have not wheat products in it and what will appear atop the salad, croutons. We have been presented with gluten free menus from chain restaurants in which almost none of the food can be consumed. Why bother then.
We have had the best luck in smaller places where the chef will actually come out to talk to us.
Chef Harry at the local winery will come out and go over the entire menu with us. If in doubt we have been known to ask for the food package.
We ended up with a good pizza (have had better) and for the incovenience was not charged for it.
Restaurant outing number two was for my honey's 50th birthday. Several member of his family are gluten intolerance. His sister and three spouses of nephews (not blood related). We also have several family members who are vegetarian. We chose an Indian restaurant as all needs would be satisfied and we love the place. The staff is warm and welcoming as well as very willing to describe the food to us. This would be Mirch Masala in Groton. Thanks Raj for a delightful meal.
Indian cuisine is mostly gluten free. Nan is an exception - an Indian flat bread that I love. They serve a crisp "bread" that I do not know the name of which is made from chick pea flour. The only other item made from wheat flour is the pastry part of a samosa (this is an appetizer).
My personal favorite is an eggplant dish called Bagara Baingan. Indian food features lots of vegetables, but often uses a vast quantity of oil and gee, so careful of the portion sizes.
Raj kindly allowed us to bring our own cake. I made the cranberry upside down cake (see previous blog) and a pineapple upside down cake. The pineapple upside down cake was made using the same recipe, just substituting pineapple. I have to say that everyone enjoyed them, including the non gluten sensitive people.
FYI - I did have an event of lack of planning with the cake. I had run out of tapioca flour for my usual gluten free mix and being Sunday morning the local health food store was closed. I ended up having enough gluten free mix for 1/3 of the batter ( I made 3 cakes) and used rice flour only for the remaining 2/3. Crossed my fingers. It came out fine.

Fish and "chips" for three

Spring has sprung in New England. This time of year sends shots of energy through my system. I have incentive to do all the jobs that I neglected all winter. Seems like a nap was a higher priortity than painting the bathroom. The energy is also translating to being more physically active and more incentive to move the body in an aerobic way. Two weeks ago I joined a gym. Yes, should have done it during the dreary winter months, when I don't want to excercise out side, but there never seemed to be the right time. Well I'll be all set for next winter and for the days in the summer when it is too hot and muggy to kick my butt our doors.

That said, the nice weather also makes me want to spend less time in the kitchen. It's a bit cool to start using the grill in the evening, so I go for meals that take less than an hour to make from start to finish. On Saint Patrick's day I did some cod fillets, roasted potatoes and coleslaw. Cod is a nice mild fish that everyone likes - any mild white fish can be used - haddock, flounder, tiapia. Cod is in danger of being overfished, so I do not use it often. These fish are low in fat and good sources of omega 3 fatty acids (not as good as the more oily fish like salmon, but some fish is better than none)

I start by being sure the fish is thawed completely - thaw the fish either in a water bath or by taking it out the day before and thawing in the refrigerator. Next I start with the potatoes as they take the longest to cook. I just cube up white potato (3 medium), sweet potato (1 large) and carrots (2-3) , place in a plastic bag, add1 tablespoon of olive oil and shake to coat. Add black pepper (thyme, rosemary, oregano, cayenne pepper), transfer to a 8 x 12 inch baking dish and roast at an oven temp of 425 degrees. The vegetables take a total of about 35 minutes to become tender and browned - depending on the size of the cubes.

Now the fish ( use 3-4 ounces per person) . Line up 2 shallow dishes. One will contain an egg white, 1 tbsp on dijon mustare and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. The other will contain 1/4 cup corn meal and 1/2 tsp dried thyme.

You could also use gluten free bread crumbs or ground almonds. The fish fillets go into the egg white mixture and then into the corn meal mixture to coat and then into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. When the veggies have cooked for 15 minutes the fish can go in for another 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Give them a spritz with the non-stick spray. If the fillets are thin check after 15 minutes, if they are thicker they may need a bit more time. Do not overcook the fish.

While this is in the oven the coleslaw gets made. I use the cabbage all shredded in the bag and the coleslaw recipe on the back, with a few additions. The dressing is 3/4 cup mayonaise, 2 tsp white vinegar, 1 tbsp skim milk (or soy milk) and 2 tsp sugar. This gets mixed right in the measuring cup. Toss the cabbage with the dressing and add 1 apple diced (this ups the antioxidents and adds sweetness) and about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (more omega 3 fatty acids and some nice texture). Ta Da - it's all done and ready to eat.

Why do I not use low fat mayonaise. For several reasons, the low fat versions of mayonaise and salad dressings are just watered down, air infused versions that cost the same amount. I just use less of the real thing, I can add my own water for free if I want ,thank you. I also find that people tend to use more of the low fat version, if not measuring, because of the watered down taste. Low fat versions also use more additives, most of which should be safe, but I don't want these either.

So a healthy meal is made in less than an hour with minimal clean up. More time for fun.

Label reading with Girl Scouts.

This is what I felt like after teaching a nutrition class to 10 enthusiastic Cadettes girl scouts. I could have crashed on a splintery wooden post just like this little panda. These are 12 year olds that are working on an Interest Patch. The catalyst for this is that one of there members has developed Type 2 Diabetes. Yes a 12 year old with diabetes. Unfortunately something that has become more common due to our more sedentary life styles and abundance of high calorie "foods".

Kids like visuals and girls like jewelry, so we made necklaces denoting there needs for calories, fat, sodium, fiber and sugar. The typical girl created a necklace with 14-17 purple beads (1 bead=100 calories), 20 blue beads ( 1 bead= 100 mg of sodium), 7 pink beads, (1 bead = 1 tsp of added sugar), 10 yellow beads (1 bead= 5 grams of fat) and 17 green beads (1 bead=1 gram of fiber).

The next step was to compare the bead they had with foods that they might eat. They were suprised to find that a quarter pounder, plus medium fries and a medium drink took up 9 of their calorie bead and that a package of instant oatmeal took 3 of there sugar beads, even though it was "organic". Being able to visualize was really helpful. I might try this with my adult victims. hmmm.

When we looked at sodium contents of frozen dinners and fast foods, there eyes got big. They were actually able to come up with meals that are lower in salt, including cooking from scratch.

I love the insights and honesty of the kids. One said "How come they get to lie on package labels". One adult piped in that they were not lying, they were stretching the truth. In my book that's a lie, especially when it comes to people's health.

Applesauce Cake

I am doing cake experiments as my honey is turning 50. In honor of buckwheat and also due to the fact that I had an open jar of applesauce in my refrigerator, the cake of the day was applesauce cake. The other flour used is rice flour. Xanthan gum is is a n emulsifier and thickener . It is powdery, make from glucose in a reaction requiring a slimy bacteria called Xanthomaonas campestric. This sounds goss, but it it is the same bactereal that appears as black rot on veggies like broccoli. You know when the broccoli gets forgotten in the veggie bin and it gets that black stuff on it (never happens in my world). The recipe is derived from one off of the Bobs Red Mill web site.
I thought I would try to make the cake vegan by substituting the egg for an egg replacer. I started to put it into the bowl when a little voice said to me "what is this stuff made of"? Checking the ingredient list revealed wheat gluten. Not using that. I could have used a mixture of ground flax seed and canola oil, but the recipe has of oil in it, so I decided to just use 4 egg white in place of the two eggs. That reduces the fat content a bit. It is not vegan at this point.
This cake comes out nice and moist, with a mild, not too sweet flavor. Very nice with a bit of whipped cream.

Applesauce Cake-

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp Xanthan gum (find at health food store or large grocery store)
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
4 egg whites (the yolks go to the dog)
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9 inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix together dry ingredients. Add oil, honey and eggs. Beat mixture for several minutes until smooth. Mix in applesauce and nuts.
3. Pour mixture into baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested. The cake bakes up high in the pan. Cool 10 minutes and then flip out onto a pretty plate.
Serve with whipped cream or low fat vanilla ice cream.

Real men eat Quiche

It's been a few days. I am blaming the horrible New England weather - endless rainy days, followed by a few nice days, and now the third day in a row of rain and wind and yuck. My back yard is a swamp and trees are threatening to fall down completely. At least it's day light savings and I can look out my window and see the yuck for one more hour a day. I am also blaming Spring Break and having my older girl home for a week. More distraction.
Dispite feeling low from the lack of sunshine, I made myself cook dinner. I have spent much of the day preparing for a nutrition lesson for middle school age girls - there will be more about that after the happening. Comfort food was the rule of the day, so I settled on quiche. I had eggs in abundance, cheese that needed to be used and some mushrooms. The beauty of the quiche is that with a basic recipe, imagination can be your guide. It's just eggs, milk, cheese and veggies. I skip the crust for the gluten free and who needs the extra carbs and fat anyway. To make it healthier the cream is changed to skim milk, and the egg yolks are reduced by adding another egg white. (the cats and dog are very happy about this) Skimping on the cheese is a no-no in my book.

Real Man's Quiche - makes 2- 8 inch pie pans - serves 6-8

2 tbsp transfat free margarine
2 cups sauted vegetables (onion, leek, broccoli, spinach, mushroom, asparagus)
1 cup shredded cheese (swiss, cheddar, gruyere)
1/4 cup grated parmesean (can use veggie sprinkles)
1 tbs rice flour or gluten free mix (or all-purpose flour)
3 eggs plus 2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 light sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2, 8 inch pie plates with non-stick spray.
2. Melt butter in non stick skillet, saute vegetables until tender and onions are browned.
If using spinach add this last or seperately. They cook down to nothing in seconds.
Spread evenly over pie plates.
3. In a bowl mix together the chesses, flour, milk, sour cream and eggs. Beat well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. (cheese is already salty - may omit) Pour evenly between the two pie plates.
4. Bake for about 35 minutes, until quiches are set and slightly browned.

Someone in my house does not like cooked spinach, so I cooked the onions and mushrooms first, divided it among the pie plates, then cooked the spinach and put it in the quiche that I can now call my own.