my food conundrum

I have a lot on my mind right now, so please bear with me.

I have been thinking about my food choices for a while now, and the recent changes in my diet and what the implications of those choices are. I've written about my thoughts on food before and I hope you won't mind my rambling again as I continue, I hope, to grow in my own understanding.

I was raised an omnivore in a culture that approves of using probably every part of the animal - boiled, stewed, fried, skewered, roasted - you name it. We ate everything else too - poultry, seafood, vegetables and sea vegetables, tropical fruit.

Then I started my yoga practice maybe 10-ish years ago and slowly transitioned to a vegetarian diet (which for me means no animal flesh, but with minimal to moderate amounts of dairy and egg). For the longest time, animal flesh just did not appeal to me.

butter lettuce, grown in Ohio

When asked by others why I became vegetarian, I just keep it simple and say, "personal reasons". Which is why I also hesitate to write about why I became vegetarian on this blog, except for a few posts. I don't want to alienate or polarize people, especially at social gatherings, and especially those who mean a lot to me (and well, the handful of readers I have on my blog are family and friends). But when pressed further to explain my reasons, my reasons started out as health-based, which later became more environmental (e.g., negative impact of factory farming on the ecosystem - the documentary Food, Inc. is an interesting one to watch).

image source

I've had a friend, who is an omnivore, say that out of all her vegetarian friends, I'm the one she enjoys eating with the most because she doesn't feel judged by me. I was glad to hear that (thanks, CD). Eating is a social and pleasurable experience - it's "breaking bread together".  Sharing a meal is nurturing. And again, I don't want to alienate or polarize people; I value the friendships I have. My entire family is still omnivore, and I've always been okay with it. (Of course, my dad eating crispy fried pork belly while having blood pressure issues is another story. Sorry for spilling it here, dad.).



A few months ago, after about 6 or 7 years of not eating animal flesh, I ate fish.

image source

I thought that was just a one-time thing. Then on my birthday, I ate fish again.

dinner at Lolita

(Here is a good resource on fish species that are more sustainable choices depending on where you live.)

And here is an even greater shock, even to me: I ate chicken. From this restaurant (which prides itself on sourcing produce and animals locally and sustainably). I am saying these buzzwords "local" and "sustainable" for reasons I will save for later, not to sound holier-than-thou. Just putting that out there.

chicken at Greenhouse Tavern ~ image source

It was so.darn.good. And yes, during that moment, I enjoyed it. Unapologetically. I'm being honest here. Which came as a surprise to me, because I've always been surrounded by omnivores and shared meals with them - and I always felt happy eating my legumes and vegetables while they enjoyed their meat/seafood/poultry. And, more importantly, we always enjoyed each others' company regardless of individual food choices.

There has been a lot of debate on the ethics of eating a plant-based diet vs. meat. Just do a search on the New York Times - there was an essay contest on "why eating meat is ethical", and I would imagine, many, many, many commentaries and responses on blogs and websites from non-meat-eaters and meat-eaters alike. 

image source

 
And while I try to keep up with all of this controversy and debate, I have to admit I haven't followed it closely. But that's probably not a bad thing, because I also don't want to be swayed as I am developing my own sense of ethics.

I think, that when it comes to food (and any product we use as a consumer, for that matter), it's not so much a matter of ethical versus non-ethical. I think we live in a continuum of ethics in our consumption, and our decisions lie in different points of the continuum from day to day.

Now I understand that there is good and there is bad. Before I go any further I will say that I'm not an expert on ethics by any means. We did study philosophy and ethics by St. Thomas Aquinas and the other great thinkers in my undergraduate years, and this was one of the toughest, yet most interesting  classes I took (even compared to some classes I took in grad school!). I'm not sure if I can re-state what I learned enough to do justice to their philosophies. So I'm not trying to write an essay on ethics by any means; this is just my way of thinking through my own dilemmas in my head.

Anyway -- the continuum. I have a hard time thinking in absolutes. If I did think in absolutes, then maybe my husband and I won't even be able to work through our interfaith marriage. But we do, and I think we're doing quite well. Ok before I go on that tangent, I will go back to my original thoughts...

Continuum example #1:
What is "better" - to eat local wild-caught fish from our nearby Lake Erie, or a processed and packaged GMO-soy product trucked in from the West Coast? Sure, the fish died to become food. But the fishery was also able to sell their catch, pay their employees, who can then provide for their families. Does this justify eating ridiculous amounts of seafood a la Man vs. Food? (there aren't a lot of things I hate - that is a strong word - but I really, really, really dislike that show on so many levels). Perhaps not. But consumed in moderation? Perhaps so.

Sure, no animal may have been killed directly in the production of a processed "vegetarian" GMO-soy product, but there may have been animals killed indirectly when their habitat was turned into a soy plantation. But what does a highly-processed "vegetarian" food do to the body compared to fresh seafood?

In the end, which is more harmful?

Continuum example #2:
Who makes "better" choices - someone who eats fresh food including a moderate amount of meat, rides his/her bike to work, and donates his/her time to charitable causes, or someone who eats a microwaved, packaged "vegan" meal and picks fights all day? (These are fictional characters for the sake of comparison only!)

I think the reason there is such a heated debate around food is that food is a choice we make everyday, 3 times a day (ok, in my case, 5-6 times, not including the meals I dream about). And I can make an impact through my choices 3x 6x a day 24/7.

We make food choices so frequently. And unless we run our own farm, raise our own animals in a healthy environment, grow our own plants as food, and source 100% of our food this way, our food choices can't be perfect all the time. I think, that unless we have full control over where our food or any product we use or consume comes from, the reality is that we inflict some degree of harm in any decision we make.

The banana I put in  my smoothie everyday.
This cheap T-shirt I'm wearing.
The laptop I am typing on to write this post.
Heck, even my so-called PVC-free yoga mat "made from natural materials".

I do not know the whole truth of how all of these are grown, harvested, produced, or manufactured. The truth is, we use the energy of something else - or someone else - in varying degrees in order to live. Whether that is the energy of an animal, or a person growing/harvesting our food or manufacturing the products we use every single day. I don't know if a migrant laborer suffered from heat exhaustion hauling loads of fruits all day. Or if a worker in the T-shirt factory who made the very T-shirt I am wearing suffered from a work-related injury due to unsafe labor conditions, received low wages and had no health insurance, then had to be laid off. Who knows?

This being the case, we can't live our lives feeling guilty. Food is a pleasure - I won't lie. It's something I enjoy in solitude, and it's also something I enjoy sharing with others. So maybe someone might say that I'm writing all this as a scapegoat to excuse my recent fish/poultry consumption. One can argue that a killed animal, regardless of how kindly it was raised, in the end, is a killed animal. The debate on ethics and nonviolence regarding food choices centers on this, and this is where you can probably read the most heated arguments, opinions, even outright judgments and name-calling. Non-violence, huh? Ironic, I think.

We live in a world of ironies. Take the craze on reusable grocery bags. Pretty much every store right now sells reusable grocery bags, and yet maybe 75% or more (just a guess) of the food they sell are packaged in plastic with no recycling facilities nearby (thankfully, we do have recycling facilities nearby, which I am happy to note recycles all plastics from #1-7). But hey, reusable grocery bags are a great start. The reality is, it's cheaper for me to buy the pound of dried pasta packaged in plastic for $2 (which, ahem, I virtuously ironically pack in my old cloth tote bag) than it is to get the fresh pasta - made locally and minimally packaged - for $6-7 for a half-pound. Though I've splurged on the latter on occasion, I can't do it every time. Now this probably contradicts my preference for the buzzword-worthy "wild-caught" fish or "pasture-raised, local" (i.e., more expensive) chicken I recently ate - but this is more of a rare indulgence than it is an everyday occurrence. Where am I in the continuum?

So now what?

Because I think we inflict some degree of harm in any decision we make, my responsibility then is make the best possible (least harming) decisions given the circumstances of the situation, and to offset my less-than-perfectly ethical decisions with good decisions whenever I can. Because no one is perfect.

So I go to my university campus once or twice a week, and burn fossil fuels with each 45-minute drive. But on other days, I minimize driving and walk to do my errands in my neighborhood whenever possible - despite the fact that my area has a  WalkScore of only 54/100 (which translates to "somewhat walkable").

So sometimes A. and I eat a packaged, but grain- and whole-food based vegetarian sausage (which I have to say by the way, is really good - the smoked apple sage flavor is awesome. I'm not going to lie.) produced thousands of miles away in Seattle and shipped to our local grocery store in Cleveland. But I reduce and reuse/re-purpose whenever possible, and bring a bag of recyclables to the recycling dumpster each week.

And A. and I use whole milk. From a cow. From a local, family-run sustainable farm that raises artificial growth hormone-free and antibiotic-free cows. Which I feel better about than packaged soy milk. Sure, I can make my own almond milk from raw almonds. Well, these almonds are grown thousands of miles away, in California. What about the person who has a severe dairy and nut allergy, and has to take either packaged soy or rice milk? We all need to do what's best for our own bodies, families, communities.

Then I recently ate fish, from a restaurant that supports and sources from local farms. But perhaps I can use the energy and nourishment that this fish provided to do better at my job (an unpaid summer "job"). To encourage, and hopefully, inspire the graduate students I'm supervising this summer to be better teachers.

Are these farfetched arguments? Maybe.

I'm not saying all this to give myself a pat on the back. The point I'm trying to make is, I can offset my not-so-good choices with good ones in other ways. Every decision we make will be in a different point within the continuum. We just have to do the best we can overall.

As I said earlier, I'm no expert on ethics and I certainly don't have all the answers.

I feel fortunate to live in a situation in which I can make these choices, understanding that this is mostly a first-world debate. A shepherding family or community in a remote area will use the wool from their lambs to clothe themselves and protect themselves from the elements, and eat the flesh of the lamb to survive. Are they making unethical choices? No. How about the child who ravenously eats some kind of "fish" that comes in perfectly cut squares, filled with extenders and breaded, in a box, shipped in a truck from a thousand miles away and then fried in a non-hexane free oil and served in a styrofoam plate at lunch in school because that is the only meal he will get for that day? Or take that same food, served by a parent who was recently laid off and is forced into this situation because this kind of food is what she/he can get with food stamps and they need to stretch their $ as thinly as possible? They are doing this for their survival. Who am I to judge?

I think the other reason there is such a heated debate on the matter is that we do live in a situation in which we can make choices. It's not a question of survival, but choices. Local. Organic. Sustainable. PVC-free. BPA-free. Free of this and that and the other. Sure it all sounds elitist, and by no means are my own finances in unlimited supply. We do the best we can with the options and resources we have.

The issue of food choices seems to be one of the most polarizing topics recently. I only wish that, in this issue, one side does not blindly judge the other for the choices the other makes, but instead seek to understand, respect, and make individual decisions thoughtfully, food-wise and otherwise.

As a dear friend responded to me, when I wrote to her to share what I was thinking regarding my dilemma: "I had to choose the things I can and cannot do to 'save the world.' You, alone, cannot save the world. You do what you can, within the context of your life. Peace, your peace, also saves the world." (Thank you, DLH.) 

In the end, this is what matters:

Saw this bus during my evening walk with A. tonight
(after enjoying a delicious dinner of enchiladas with black beans, spinach, and potato)

As the great poet Rumi wrote: There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. 

There are also hundreds of ways to practice nonviolence, kindness and compassion. Food-wise and otherwise.

If you made it this far - thank you for reading. I'm still wrestling with this dilemma and trying to make sense of it. I'd love to know what you think, friends.

my love affair with dips continues...and, a recipe for bean dip

As food-loving as I am, there are times when I feel like I could happily live on popcorn (lately it's homemade rosemary and garlic popcorn), grapefruit, and brownies for a few days. Especially when A. is out of town for work for days on end... like the past week. During these times, I tend to not have defined mealtimes, and instead favor grazing and snacking. But I try to make the best of it, and not subsist exclusively on those three things above.

As you can probably tell, I love dips, as seen in this post here. I love the simplicity and versatility of it, and it makes me feel better about myself when I snack on crunchy things like pita chips when I dip it into something healthy. In most cases, the dips I like to make are legume/bean-based. But after making maybe 3 or 4 flavors of hummus (plain, roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, spicy...), it gets old after a while.

Which is why I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for a "cheesy" bean dip. I don't use nutritional yeast much, as required in this recipe. The distinct smell of nutritional yeast takes some getting used to, so I've only used it twice - once in a mac and cheese and another time in a baked spinach artichoke dip, either to supplement the cheese (and make it lighter) or replace the cheese entirely. I went through a phase in which I wanted to avoid dairy, and nutritional yeast came in handy as it adds a salty bite - an almost cheesy flavor especially when you can "disguise" it in baked dishes like mac and cheese and artichoke dip (you don't really smell it in the finished product). Plus it has vitamin B12, which is always good to have in a vegetarian diet - so I appreciate seeing recipes such as this one I'm writing about, because I have to admit I'm not too adventurous with nutritional yeast.

This is a great way to incorporate beans into your diet, without having "heavy" bean stews. Now that it's officially spring, I'm trying to lighten up my recipes. 

So here is the recipe...with some changes. I tend to like stronger flavors so I added a few other ingredients to make it to my liking. I try to avoid using canned beans but I resorted to canned for this recipe - Emily suggested a canned 3-bean blend, so I wanted to try it that way, but I didn't have time to make 3 different kinds of beans from scratch when I wanted to make this dip. I actually took a break from beans for the past couple of weeks - the spring-fever weather we had recently made me crave lighter salads. After that I then had an intense craving for beans (tell me I'm not the only one who experiences this???) recently - and I heard somewhere that when the body craves something, it's an evolutionary response to a body's actual need for specific nutrients. I like that :) Hmm, now that I think about it, I believe I heard that from House. Oh well, they must do research to produce a medical TV show, right? ;-)

bean dip with multigrain pita chips

Bean Dip (adapted from Daily Garnish)

• 2 cans of beans (I used a 3-bean mix of black beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans, as suggested in the original recipe, but you could certainly use all black beans or pinto beans, etc), rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (I bought in bulk at Whole Foods)
• 1/4 cup water (I used less than the original recipe, for 2 batches)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (the original recipe called for lime juice, but I only had lemon)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus maybe a pinch more
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (either in the powder form or ground from whole cumin seeds)
• freshly ground black pepper

One of my good friends is from Turkey and she taught me a trick to take hummus to a whole other level - she toasts spices like cumin and paprika for a few minutes in a small skillet, then adds olive oil and lets it cook on low heat until the olive oil is warm and infused with flavor. Then she drizzles this mixture on top of the hummus (thanks for the tip, E.B.!). I used the same technique with the cumin and olive oil. The toasting intensifies the flavor of the spice, and is a great technique for this dip if you want a little more intense flavor.

Then add everything, including the flavored olive oil, to a food processor and process until smooth... then dip away!

You can certainly just use half the quantities as in Emily's original recipe. I doubled her quantities because I'd rather make a bigger batch when I dirty up my food processor. Plus, beans are our main protein source and we eat a lot of it in our household. I wouldn't be surprised if a bean was suddenly sprouting into a beanstalk in my stomach.

Spanish-style vegetarian white bean stew

Bean dishes are one of my favorite comfort foods, as you can probably already tell. I think it goes all the way back to my childhood, when we would eat a Spanish white bean and pork stew (yup, I was an omnivore back then) - which my grandfather said was my great-great-grandmother's recipe. It starts with a base of Spanish sofrito* - generous amounts of onions, garlic, and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil, to which white beans and pork pieces are added to slowly simmer in water until the beans are tender and the liquid is thick.

I learned from my late grandfather to generously douse good quality extra-virgin olive oil on top of your beans and dip warm bread into it, and I've always loved it this way (despite my rice-loving Filipino self). I still make it to this day (sans pork) and even my Indian husband likes it. I add a little bit of pimenton de la vera (Spanish smoked sweet paprika) to add more depth of flavor, and it does wonders to add complexity to this dish. I find that the regular paprika just doesn't cut it.

Beans... ah, such a humble, yet powerhouse ingredient. It's the main source of protein in our household. It also has other nutrients/ benefits like iron, magnesium, and fiber. Starting from dry beans is crucial here, because you want the beans to absorb the flavors as they cook.

And it's such a comfort to warm up to a hearty bowl of beans, as I am taken back to my childhood...

However, this might be one of my last recipe posts for hearty bean stews (at least till fall) as we've been having 60's/70's degree weather in Cleveland this week! Time to lighten up my recipes :)

I'm calling this stew "Spanish-style" and not "Spanish" because the original recipe calls for either pork pieces, chorizo, morcilla, ham, etc. There are many variations of this recipe online too such as this recipe for Fabada Asturiana.

Spanish-style White Bean Stew

• 1 lb (about 2 cups) dried white beans: Great Northern, cannellini, alubia blanca (Spanish white long beans) or judion beans if you can get it - soaked overnight
• olive oil
• 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
• a lot of garlic (by your definition of "a lot" - honestly I lost count with mine, so I'm not specifying quantities here)
• about 3 cups of chopped tomatoes, fresh or packaged chopped tomatoes in juice. (if you get packaged ones, try the San Marzano variety which is an heirloom tomato)
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon pimenton de la vera**, or Spanish smoked sweet paprika (this makes all the difference to get that smoky, earthy flavor; start with half a teaspoon first if you're unsure)
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• water or vegetable broth - enough to cover the beans about an inch
• 1 whole dried bay leaf

Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions and a pinch of salt (season as you go, a la Barefoot Contessa) and black pepper. Let the onions cook until soft, then add the tomatoes, garlic, and paprika. Let this mixture cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until it has an almost saucy consistency  (this is your sofrito). You can also add the tomato paste halfway through when you are cooking the onion-tomato-garlic mixture.

sofrito

Add the beans and enough water or vegetable broth to cover the beans by about an inch or so. If you are a "seasoned" bean eater, you can use the soaking water as it has vitamins and minerals from the beans. Add a small pinch of salt, as well as the bay leaf (which you might be interested to note, helps make the beans more digestible if you are a non-seasoned bean eater) and the pimenton de le vera. Let it come up to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Check it every so often to make sure it is not drying out, and add more liquid as needed - but not too much. I generally prefer the liquid to end up thick and velvety because that's how I remember it from my childhood, but you can certainly make it more soupy if that's what you like.

I know some sources say not to add acidic ingredients (vinegars, tomato, citrus) before the beans are tender as it can toughen the beans or slow down the cooking. But, this is a slow-cooked dish anyway and I let it be on the stovetop for a few hours at a simmer or cook in a slow cooker. And I just don't know any other way for this dish, especially since I want the beans to absorb the sofrito flavor from the start. 

When the beans are tender and the stew has reached your desired consistency, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. If you want a thicker stew, you can mash some beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Ladle into bowls, and douse the top with some good quality extra-virgin olive oil and a small pinch of pimenton de la vera. Serve with warm crusty bread for dipping.

Spanish-style white bean stew

* A sofrito is used as a base for many dishes, and there are several different versions depending on the dish you are making. Some versions call for chopped green bell pepper, or Anaheim pepper. The tomato-onion-garlic is the most basic one, I think, and I remember loving this flavor base. I remember in my childhood, we would sometimes thicken it to almost a relish or chutney kind of consistency, to serve alongside a humble dish of poached chicken and vegetables (pochero). Anyway, the sofrito is key for this bean dish, so don't shortcut this step! If you want to make these beans in a slow cooker, just remember to cook the sofrito separately or in advance and then add it to the slow cooker when you start.

** Here are a few sources for pimenton de la vera (remember to choose the sweet smoked one - there is also Spanish hot smoked paprika and bittersweet smoked paprika, which you can try in this dish - let me know how it goes - but I prefer the sweet smoked variety)

Hot Paella
La Tienda
Penzeys also has Spanish smoked paprika but the website doesn't specify if it is sweet or hot or bittersweet - but if you have a store near you, you could check it out at the store or ask the manager.

I use the La Chinata brand of pimenton which I got at TJ Maxx (or was it Home Goods or Marshalls? Can't remember) - you never know what you might find in these discount stores.

The shipping for those "specialty" beans I mentioned above (judion, alubia blanca) are a little pricey, but since it's a flat rate, see if you might split the cost with a friend/fellow bean aficionado near you.

Sunday brunch

There's something special about Sunday brunch. Whether we have it at home, or go out to one of our favorite brunch places such as Lucky's in Tremont or The Flying Fig in downtown Cleveland, brunch is just a leisurely, carefree time of day that reminds us to just enjoy the moment. Both places are quite a trek from where we live (by that I mean 30-40 minutes), but the food is so good, it's worth the trip.  I love both places due to the fact that they have vegetarian brunch dishes; and they source many of their ingredients locally.

Yesterday however we just stayed home, and I wanted to cook something I don't normally make for brunch. Typically weekend brunch here might just be simple toast, jam, and either poached/boiled eggs or an omelet/frittata. Or if A. cooks, we have poha, which is a traditional Indian breakfast. Every now and then we have pancakes, but I was in the mood for something savory.

One of my favorite brunch items at the Flying Fig is a dish of creamy polenta with wilted greens - either spinach or kale or some other greens depending on the season - and sauteed mushrooms (which they source from a local farm), and topped with a crispy poached egg. Crispy poached egg, you ask? Yes - it's a poached egg coated in panko breadcrumbs and flash fried to golden brown. It's an amazing study of textures - you break that crusty, crispy crust and yet you have that soft, runny poached egg inside.

The Flying Fig's creamy polenta dish

So I made my own version of the dish (without the 2-step crispy poached egg though), but I had to get creative with the ingredients I had. I almost always have polenta - and I use the quick-cooking kind that comes together in just a few minutes. Unfortunately I didn't have fresh greens left (only frozen, which wouldn't work here). I did, however, have olives and sun-dried tomatoes, so I decided to make a relish or pesto out of it - just finely chopped with some herbs and extra-virgin olive oil.

my Sunday brunch creation

Creamy Polenta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Pesto and Poached Egg

Polenta:
2 cups vegetable broth or water
2 cups whole milk
pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta
about 1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Pesto:
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives (or regular black olives if you find kalamata too salty)
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrated in hot water for about 10 minutes)
extra virgin olive oil
chopped basil or parsley
(I didn't add salt because I used kalamata - but you would probably need a pinch of it if you use regular black olives)

Poached eggs
Chives or parsley

Polenta: Combine the broth and milk in a saucepan. Add a pinch of salt. Let it come to a boil, then slowly add the polenta while whisking (this prevents clumps). If using quick-cooking polenta, this mixture comes together in under five minutes; if using regular polenta, it might take 15-20. Once the mixture is creamy, add the grated parmigiano reggiano. Cover and set aside. (Note - this made a LOT of polenta for just two of us, but I like having some leftover for another dish)

Pesto: Combine all ingredients - you can chop by hand or in a food processor. I chopped them by hand because I didn't want a very fine pesto for this dish - I wanted small pieces of olives and the chewy-ness of sun-dried tomatoes. Since the rest of the dish is soft and creamy, I wanted a little texture contrast. The quantities specified above result in more than what you would need for 2 servings of this dish, but it makes a nice topping for bruschetta later. :)

Poached egg: Bring a small saucepan of water to a bare simmer. Crack an egg into a bowl. Take a spoon and make stirring motions in the water, to create a "whirlpool". Slowly lower the egg from the bowl into the water - I actually lower the sides of the bowl into the water and let the egg slip out that way. The "whirlpool" will help the egg come together, but you can help it along by "stirring" the water (not the egg!) just along the inside wall of the saucepan. (Some people add a small splash of vinegar to the water to help "tighten" the egg, but A. is a bit particular about vinegar-y smells, so I do without. But fresher eggs seem to hold together just fine.) Let the eggs poach for about 3 minutes until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny. Line a plate with a paper towel, then use a slotted spoon to gently lift the egg from the water and drain it on the plate. (Here is a nice photo-tutorial on making perfect poached eggs.)

Spoon about a cup of polenta into a wide bowl, add the pesto and then top with the poached egg. Add a small pinch of salt over the egg, as well as freshly cracked black pepper all over. Snip some chives (or parsley or whatever herbs you like) over the top.

YUM.

Yesterday we had amazing 60-degree weather. A. and I went out in the afternoon for a nice long walk on the trails, about an hour and ten minutes... and, we had our first smoothies this year! We actually sat outside in the sunshine with our icy treats. Can't wait for spring.

Cuban black beans and rice

There's nothing like a slow-cooked meal of beans and rice. That really does it for me. One of my go-to dishes is Cuban black beans and rice. It's so easy to throw all the ingredients into a pot and then just let it simmer for a few hours until you get this deep, complex flavor. The result will be a delicious combination of flavors: slightly sweet, smoky, spicy (not hot-spicy but fragrant/herby-spicy), earthy, with just a hint of tartness to balance everything out.

I almost always start with dried beans - they are much cheaper and lower in sodium. With a little planning, it's easy enough to let the beans soak in water overnight, and then either pressure cook the next day or just use directly in a stew and let it cook that way. I occasionally have a can or two of cooked beans (plain, just packed in water and salt), which I sometimes use for those hurried evenings in which I did not have anything planned for dinner; I just always drain and rinse them in cold water before I add to a dish. But more often than not I buy dried beans, also to avoid the BPA that is in the lining of cans. However, this brand makes BPA-free cans - but they are about twice the price of regular canned beans though (all the more reason to buy dried!).

I've made this recipe both ways - in a Dutch oven, and in a slow-cooker in the morning, for those days when I work outside of home. Both turned out well.

Cuban Black Beans (recipe thanks to Penzeys)

• 1 lb dried black beans (about 2 cups)
• water
• olive oil
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon) --> this is is important here!
• 1 dried bay leaf (whole)
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano*
• 1 tablespoon epazote*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Rinse the beans and soak in enough water to cover by about an inch. Discard any beans that float to the top. Let soak overnight.

When ready to cook, drain and rinse the beans. Place the beans in a heavy-bottomed pot (I love my Le Creuset** 5-quart Dutch oven for this) with enough water to cover by about an inch. Alternatively, you can use a slow cooker as well. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the vinegar - the acid in the vinegar slows down the cooking, so you'll want to add it when the beans are tender.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover. Let cook for 45 minutes to an hour (if cooking on stovetop) until the beans are soft. Check the pot every now and then to ensure it isn't getting dry. When I use the slow-cooker, the beans are cooked when I get home in the late afternoon or evening. The cooking time will also vary depending on how fresh the beans are.

Add the red wine vinegar, then allow it to simmer with the cover off to reduce and thicken the liquid.

I also like to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon - this helps also especially if you want to thicken the stew and are too hungry to wait any longer for the liquid to reduce (which tends to happen to me :)) You'll want to leave most of the beans whole though, so I never use my immersion blender for this one.

Serve the beans with some Spanish rice. If you want even more fixings, fry up some plantains to serve on the side, or some diced avocados, or a dollop of sour cream of Greek yogurt. Or all of these together. Tonight we had none of those, so we kept things simple. And that's the beauty of this dish - it's certainly good enough to stand on its own.

This recipe makes a LOT of beans for just two people, but it's even better the next day. I also like freezing the rest of it in small airtight containers to enjoy later. 

Spanish Rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon of Spanish smoked sweet paprika
a quarter of an onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
half of a green bell pepper, diced small
half of a red bell pepper, diced small
1 carrot, diced small
a pinch of kosher salt

Bring the water to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Let it come up to a boil again, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook undisturbed until the water is absorbed. Take it off the heat and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains.

* I used to get my spices at Colonel De in my beloved Findlay Market (one of the most dee-lightful places), when I used to live in Cincinnati. These spices are probably not readily available at regular grocery stores, but you can get them online through Penzeys.

**Le Creuset cookware is on the more expensive side as far as cookware is concerned, but I consider it an investment because it stands the test of time - and I hope my future kids will want to cook as much as I do so I can pass on my collection. What can I say... I'm not into luxury goods, but I get weak in the knees for "luxury" cookware. ;-) But, a regular deep and heavy-bottomed pot (to distribute heat evenly and prevent scorching) will work just fine.

a vegetarian's dilemma

This kindred spirit wrote a thoughtful post on her blog sometime ago about vegetarianism, veganism, raw food-ism, and other diets/lifestyles/"-isms".

It made me look back and think about my gradual transition to my current vegetarian diet, which for me personally means no animal flesh or by-products that require killing the animal (like broth or gelatin), but occasional dairy and eggs, organic and/or from a local farm whenever possible. Now one  can debate on what does and does not constitute vegetarianism, however this is only my personal journey on how I've adopted the practice. And so, my transition:

around age 23: started giving up beef and pork. (Goodbye, pork adobo {the quintessential Filipino dish})

around age 24: started giving up chicken. (So long, chicken adobo... thinking, darn, my sister-in-law makes it really good...)

around age 26: 
- Started giving up fish. (Hello, spinach adobo.)
- Thinking that a flesh-free diet was "kinder" to our environmental resources due to the waste products from factory farming.
- Had to explain myself a number of times to relatives during social gatherings, that unfortunately, I'd love to try your chicken pasta salad but can't just move the chicken aside and eat only the pasta. Or, sorry, I'll go for the pasta with creamy Alfredo sauce (ironic, I know) so I won't have to move the shrimp aside to eat my way through your shrimp, noodle, and vegetable stir-fry.
- Hoped I was not offending anybody at said social gatherings, given the food-centric, omnivore culture I was raised in, but at the same time felt good about my choice to be vegetarian for all these reasons.
- Viewed food choices as black-and-white: people place themselves in categories, in these "-isms". Made me think that perhaps I should as well.

around age 27: 
- Experimented with a dairy-free and egg-free diet. I gave up dairy and eggs for a while, but did not adopt an allover vegan philosophy/lifestyle - meaning I still consumed honey, and used my existing leather shoes/purse, wool socks and coat, and silk scarves. I figured I'd rather keep them and use them rather than throw them into a landfill for the sake of calling myself "vegan."
- Ate more beans, lentils, nuts & nut butters, seeds, and whole grains as protein sources.
- Ate more soy.
- Got scared about the possible dangers of too much soy.
- Every now and then I missed raw fish sushi, due to the lack of creative options for vegetarian sushi beyond the ubiquitous, sad california veggie roll. (Raw fish sushi was so much a part of my childhood memories back home, as it was popular in the Philippines and in my family.)
- Started juicing fruits and vegetables.

around age 27, 2 months later: 
- Went back to my occasional dairy and eggs for additional protein (was training for a race)
- Dessert was just too good for me to pass up (hence the dairy and eggs). Creme brulee is just not the same with silken tofu, and - rum pound cake was just SO much better with real, organic butter compared to Earth Balance "butter" and real eggs from the farmer's market compared to the egg substitute. Revelatory, I know.

around age 28: 
- Read The World Peace Diet* and learned about (and read through parts of) The Omnivore's Dilemma*.
- Started questioning the "-isms". Felt somewhat inspired by The World Peace Diet, but I must have not fully understood its premise, as I was more confused than anything. In all honesty I wasn't sold on it -- believing that there are many other ways to peace than our food choices. Kudos to all those who tread lightly on the earth by adopting a plant-based, peaceful diet/lifestyle (and I say this with all sincerity - not trying to patronize here). But at the same time, I surmised that there could very likely be a peace-loving, compassionate omnivore raising animals humanely** just as much as there could be a belligerent non-flesh-eating person. And what about the rural farmer who makes a living and supports his family, supports his children's education/vocation through their sustainable animal farm?
- Viewed food choices as less black-and-white. Definitely more shades of gray.
- Liked Michael Pollan's mantra: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Liked the non-label, common-sense approach of this lifestyle choice. Still could not go back to being an omnivore though.

Source

- Still experimenting with eating minimal dairy and eggs; no animal flesh/broth whatsoever. Still eating mostly legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains as protein sources.
- Tried a few meat substitutes (e.g., packaged frozen veggie burgers) out of curiosity, and did not like most of them, especially the ones that claim to taste like beef. Tried seitan, and it was just...ok.
- Realized that I'd rather not have overly processed, "manufactured", and packaged meat substitutes as a part of my daily diet.

around age 28, 29, 30: 
- Relied on my mainstay protein sources: legumes, nuts, seeds, grains. Soy in moderation: only miso, tofu, and soy milk.
- Did not miss meat.
- Still experimented with dairy-free and egg-free phases (short ones), but never completely "vegan".
- Feeling ok with my choices and health overall.
- Read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle* and felt inspired to source food locally whenever possible (since I can't quite pack up and start a farm at this point). Reinforced my belief in that there are many ways to peace and sustainability (however that's defined - raising animals ethically**, smaller carbon footprint, supporting and contributing to your own local economy, etc etc etc).

Source

- Tried to buy more organic food at "Whole Paycheck," despite the higher price tag (I figured, I wasn't paying for other luxuries, such as cable TV  - I could spend a bit more on my daily nourishment).
- Still a little confused about this whole "organic" vs "local" debate, as illustrated below:

Source

- This time though, I think people stopped asking about my choices and I stopped explaining. Of all my family members' questions though, my nephew's question is without a doubt the best one.


around age 31, 32: 
- Started questioning my other lifestyle choices. Had these internal debates about my food choices vs other product choices - for example, choosing not to eat meat because I claim to dislike the idea of factory farming. But at the same time, I tend to buy clothes that are inexpensive but very likely made in less than ideal conditions in a sweatshop in a developing country - quite possibly the human equivalent of factory farming in agriculture. Who knows.
- Wondered, while I am fortunate to be in a situation in which I can make better food choices, why can't I make better choices with other products? I do try to support more "artisan" made products like those being sold on Etsy, but by and large it's the small price tag that draws me to the inexpensive (possibly sweatshop-produced) shirt vs the "fair trade" item or the homemade, but more expensive item.
- Then I remind myself (or try to convince myself) that it's not all or nothing - that every choice counts.
- And so I turn a blind eye...

{since you made it this far...}

age: a little shy of 33: 
- I ate fish. Yes, you read that right. I. ATE. FISH. I went to Whole Paycheck yesterday and bought a 3-ounce piece of wild atlantic sockeye salmon***, which I baked simply in white wine, salt, and pepper.  All in an effort to boost my possibly-deficient vitamin D levels.
- Pushed guilty thoughts aside, and decided to be thankful for this meal. Silently expressed gratitude for what I doubt hope trust to be a truly wild, beautiful, naturally salmon-pink piece of salmon that swam its way upstream, ate what was naturally available on the food chain, and had all sorts of adventures (or perhaps I should say misadventures) before landing on my plate, to be eaten along with a big pile of French green beans (haricot vert if you want to be fancy) sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and lemon.
- Started thinking that it was, in fact, a heck of a good meal... though I disliked the lingering, fishy aftertaste of my lunch afterwards. Or was it the aftertaste of guilt I disliked more?
- Brushed my teeth, perhaps also in an effort to metaphorically brush away any remaining guilt.
- And this is not too long after I did an online search on vegetarian vitamin D supplements (no bovine gelatin). Ah, the irony of it all...


What's a girl to do?


Do I hold fast to the "-ism" that I've defined for myself, or do I let it go, listen to my body, and fuel it with what I intuitively think it needs for my overall well-being?

Am I doing my body good, or taking the easy way out?

I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking. I do know though (for now) that I'm not ready for fish to be an everyday staple.

Interestingly, here is an article on former vegetarians now eating (sustainably-farmed/ethically raised**) meat:

Why Vegetarians Are Eating Meat

And, another piece that can quite possibly be a response to the above article:

When Did Vegetarianism Become Passe?

Is this what we can now call a vegetarian's dilemma?

**********************

*I'm not attempting to do reviews or critiques of these books by any means... just my personal thoughts on the matter.

**One might argue that there's no such thing as an ethical process of raising animals for food, with the premise that the very act of killing them for food is unethical... but this topic is beyond what I'm writing about right now. Once again... this is just my personal journey.

*** 3 ounces of salmon did not actually cost my whole paycheck. :)

"creamy" tomato bisque

...without the cream.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against heavy cream. Sometimes I just HAVE to have it. Whether it's to make homemade caramel or to top off an intense dark chocolate pudding, cream is just... sigh. In fact, one of the most unforgettable foodie moments A and I shared is when we went to this brunch place called Vine and Bean Cafe, ordered one of the best waffles I've ever tasted, and asked for another serving... Not a second serving of waffles, but another helping of whipped cream to eat with the rest of our waffles. Seriously. We enjoyed waffles with whipped cream like it was nobody's business. I wouldn't have been surprised if the server asked "You want a waffle with that?" while we were spooning whipped cream out of the little cup. It was bordering on shameless, I know... but I hope they take that as a compliment.

Anyway, before I go on into a foodie daydream about Vine and Bean's "vanilla bean buttermilk waffles topped with warm peach rhubarb compote, *honeyed whip cream*, and striped with house-made caramel sauce" (isn't that enough to make you want to go out into the freezing cold and visit the cafe RIGHT NOW?), I did set out to share a recipe. So why no cream in this one? Well, I could have used cream, but I didn't have any... and I was in the mood for soup and getting grumpy hungry, and knew I needed to eat something. And almonds, which are in this recipe, are so good for you... a good source of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and vitamin E. It's nice to lighten things up once in a while.

So here goes...

"Creamy" Tomato Bisque
(serves 2)

half a medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
a few fennel stalks, chopped (I know that the onion-celery-carrot trio is the "holy trinity" soup base, but I was out of carrots... and I had leftover stalks from a fennel bulb I ate a few days ago)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups diced or pureed tomatoes (when tomatoes are not in season, I prefer the Pomi brand of packaged tomatoes as they have BPA-free packaging)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup (maybe more?) of ground almonds or almond meal (you can buy this at Trader Joe's... or you can grind whole almonds in a food processor. Just happened to have the almond meal which I used for a pie crust)
salt, pepper, lots of basil

Start with a heavy-bottomed soup pot.

Saute the onion, celery, and fennel in some olive oil. Add a pinch of salt to help soften the vegetables. Once they have softened, throw in the minced garlic. I like to wait until the onion, celery and carrots (or in this case, the fennel) are soft before adding in the garlic, because garlic tends to burn faster and get bitter - not good for soup!

Add the tomatoes, broth (or water), and basil (save a little bit for later!). Bring it to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy the smells of your kitchen, and pretend you're in a Tuscan villa...

Sorry. Back to the soup...

Add the almond meal, then take the soup off the heat. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup until smooth. The almond meal adds a heartiness and creaminess to the soup, without the need for cream. Add more broth if needed or if you would like a thinner consistency. Check and adjust for seasoning, then add a little more chopped basil before serving. Serve with some crusty artisan bread with some really good, fruity extra virgin olive oil (this unfiltered kind is my favorite) on the side for bread dipping.

fall recipe: "white" chili

I'm taking a break from my regular musings on balance and stress relief, in favor of sharing a new recipe!

Fall always makes me think of chili. But after 2 rounds of the regular "red" vegetarian chili -- tomato-based stew with red kidney beans and peppers -- I felt a need to experiment and try new combinations. Hence, this "white" chili.

Enjoy!

Hearty Vegetarian White Chili

olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 medium carrots, chopped to small pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground oregano
2 tsp chili powder, or more or less to taste... I went with "more"
2 tbsp flour
a slosh of white wine... 1/4 - 1/2 cup maybe?
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I know... I used canned. Didn't plan ahead and soak dry chickpeas. You can also use cannellini beans or other white beans)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup bulgur (medium or coarse), rinsed and drained
1/2 - 1 bunch of greens of your choice, chopped or torn to bite-size pieces (I am loving Swiss chard and collard greens for this recipe. For hearty stews I prefer chard or collards over spinach... spinach tends to wilt down to almost nothing)
a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
chopped cilantro* (or parsley if you prefer)

Heat olive oil in a Le Creuset (I wish!) big, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onions and season with 1 tsp of salt - chefs on TV say to season as you go or season every layer, and it does make a difference so you don't add a ton of salt at the end that doesn't get fully absorbed by the ingredients anyway. Of course, start with just a small pinch of salt each time you season so that you don't risk over-salting the dish. The salt also helps cook the onion by drawing the moisture out. (Thanks, Ina Garten)

Add the carrots and saute until crisp-tender. The carrots help add natural sweetness to the stew to balance out the warm spices. Add the garlic and the spices (cumin, chili powder, and oregano). Adding the spices at this point in the cooking process toasts them and brings out their flavor. Add the flour and cook for a minute or so to cook off the "raw" flour flavor. The flour will help thicken the stew later. Add a good slosh of white wine to deglaze the pot and scrape the browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. You want those browned bits -- that's where the flavor is!

Pour in the broth. It will look like a LOT of liquid, but don't worry, it will get reduced down. Add the chickpeas (or white beans). Let it come to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Once it's boiling, add the bulgur. The bulgur will also absorb some of the liquid. It also adds texture and makes the stew more hearty. Add the crushed red pepper flakes. Start with a small pinch, as the flavor gets concentrated during the simmering. Stir in the greens. It will look like a whole lot of greens, but it will wilt down as the stew cooks.

Let it simmer until it thickens and until it reaches your desired consistency. You can add more broth or water if too much got absorbed or reduced while cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Add a generous amount of chopped cilantro. If you're one of those people who think that cilantro tastes like soap, use parsley instead. (But I would argue that really fresh cilantro should NOT taste like soap. Like the little cilantro I had growing this spring/summer. Best ever.)

You can also sprinkle some grated cheese on top if you like, but I did without it. And if you're like me and really like cilantro, sprinkle a little more cilantro on top of each serving.

This was a great one-pot meal, and one-bowl meal. It was colorful, flavorful, and healthy!  I wish I could take a photo, but I left Nick (my Nikon camera) at A's house last weekend. Gasp!


This makes a LOT of stew for one person... I typically let it cool a little, then portion it out into reused glass jars for freezing (I find that peanut butter glass jars are perfect for this). Make sure you leave enough room below the lid of the jar as the liquid will expand when frozen. So, instead of eating this same dish for 5 days straight, you can enjoy it another day, after enough time has passed for you to miss it. I have to say I love my homemade "frozen dinners". I usually have 3 or 4 different kinds of homemade soups or stews that I can choose from in the freezer, because I always make a big batch each time I cook to save time and energy. A few hours before dinner I take the jar of frozen soup/stew and immerse it in a container of water to thaw out.

* A note on cilantro, other fresh herbs, and greens... I found that taking a few extra steps in kitchen prepping keeps delicate herbs and soft greens fresher longer. Have you had herbs like parsley or cilantro just wilt down and get all browned, smelly, and nasty in those supermarket plastic produce bags in your refrigerator? Ugh. Waste of $ and yummy goodness! For those who know me, you know there's not a lot that I hate but I do hate wasting food. Must be my grandmother's ways...but anway, here's what I do:
When I buy packaged salads (not the ones in the soft plastic bags, but in the stiff clamshell plastic containers or those new compostable "plastic" containers), I wash and keep those containers to save for storing greens and herbs. When I get home from the store, I take the herbs out of the mesh/cloth/plastic (whatever you use) produce bags, and sort out and discard the already-wilted stems and leaves as these will make the good, fresh ones wilt faster. I line the containers with a layer of paper towel, then place the herbs into the lined containers. The paper towel absorbs the extra moisture. I also loosen the bunch a little bit to let air circulate - don't bunch it up again in the rubber band or twist-tie it comes in! When it's time to use the herbs, wash only what you need and store the rest. I know some people also store herbs in a glass of water in the refrigerator but I found that a bit difficult to do with big bunches like parsley and cilantro.

I do the same with greens like Swiss chard, kale, and collard greens. These greens stand up a bit more to washing, so I wash them, let them dry well, discard any tough stems or stalks, and chop/tear the leaves into big pieces - as store-bought chard can be supersized (which makes me a little suspicious), and they won't fit into the salad containers.  That way when I'm ready to use them in a dish, all the prepping has been done, and all I have to do is throw them into the skillet or pot and cook away.

In short... those plastic produce bags are the enemy of fresh greens in your refrigerator! For those of you who grow your own greens or are living in states that are still warm enough to have farmer's markets... I envy you. I'm sure you don't have this issue.

Ok... get cooking! Enjoy :)

nutrition evaluation

I've been having weird headaches lately. I think it started last week. They are not full-blown migraines (thank goodness), just slight nagging headaches. And the pain has been very tolerable - it's really been more a bother or an inconvenience rather than the kind of pain you get from a migraine. I try not to take any medicine for it except for this aromatherapy essential oil remedy that comes in a little roll-on bottle, which I bought from this vendor at a farmer's market in Cincinnati last year. (Since I have moved away from Cincy, I was happy to find out that I can order online!)

So this has prompted me to evaluate my everyday nutrition to see if there are certain kinds of food that have been triggering my headaches. It's been a while since I've taken stock of what I am eating. I think I have a fairly balanced diet of mostly whole, minimally processed foods (with exceptions, like soy milk and cheese) when I think about it over the course of a week -- of course it's not perfect, and I know I don't get everything I need in one day. So for me, thinking about it in a weekly time frame is a bit more forgiving than thinking about it on a per day basis. Because knowing my interest in all things food, I can easily get obsessive about this.

So here's my self-disclosure...

My vegetables throughout the week would be any one of these organic dark leafy greens: spinach, swiss chard, and kale. I eat dark leafy greens most days of the week, probably 5 out of 7 days on average.  I usually steam or lightly saute them in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and sometimes a dusting of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and/or a small handful of toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds. Or I get my vegetable serving in a veggie soup, like lentil vegetable soup, spinach soup, red pepper soup, pea soup....

photo taken at the Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia

So hopefully I have that area covered. For carbohydrates, it's usually a slice of bread (either my own, or this nine-grain bread from this place), or granola (my own) for breakfast. And for lunch or dinner it's either brown rice, whole wheat spaghetti, whole wheat couscous, or quinoa. Maybe about once a week or once every two weeks I would have white basmati rice just because it's SO GOOD with Indian food, which I love. Occasionally I have wheat or corn tortillas with a Mexican dish.

For protein, it's usually legumes. I love beans. It's got lots of plant-based protein, fiber, and folate. It's cheap and SO good for you. Cannellini beans for Italian-inspired dishes; black beans for Mexican or Cuban dishes; red kidney beans, yellow lentils, or red lentils for Indian dishes; regular brown lentils for lentil soup; French green lentils for cold lentil salad (because this kind holds its shape unlike other lentils, so they're great for salads); chickpeas, fava beans, or baby lima beans for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Beans and beans and beans. Yum. I tell you, one of my simple pleasures in life is shopping at the bulk section of natural foods stores to get this stuff.

photo taken at my neighborhood natural foods store

I almost always start with dry beans instead of canned unless I'm pressed for time. A tip for non-seasoned bean eaters: Add digestive herbs or spices like epazote (for Mexican dishes), bay leaf, or add a small strip (about 2-3 inches) of kombu to the cooking water. Even if I am used to eating beans, I still cook it this way - the spices add flavor anyway. (Except for kombu, which has a mild, fairly neutral flavor, so it's good for pretty much any recipe or cuisine, I think). Just a side story, I once had some "omni" friends over for dinner, and I served them a Tuscan cannellini bean dip as an appetizer, then we had a chickpea stew. I think I ran out of kombu then. I tell you, I did not hear the end of it from my friends when they called me the next morning about their digestion issues. I still haven't heard the end of it to this very day. :) None of the food bothered me though, as I eat legumes several times a week.

I also get protein from nuts - I always have bags of raw nuts in my freezer: almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts. I also love natural nut butters -- peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter. Lately I've been stirring a little vanilla extract, maple syrup or honey, and ground cinnamon into almond butter. It's indulgent!

Fruits are usually the basics: bananas, apples, oranges, grapes. I also like Medjool dates and dried figs, but I don't really treat them as fruit but more as dessert! Fresh figs are awesome too, but they are not in season yet. Occasionally I would have papaya or kiwi if I find good ones. Now that spring is here, I'm excited about the strawberries and the summer berries. (Wish I could have Philippine mangoes which in my opinion are THE. BEST. MANGOES.)

Calcium. Yikes. This is what I might not be getting enough of. I do drink soy milk, but one 8-ounce cup only gives you 30% of daily calcium needs. And I don't think I even drink that much in a day unless I make a smoothie with it. I put a little bit in my Earl Grey tea every morning and afternoon, but not much more. Sometimes I'll switch it up with almond milk for a different flavor.

Every now and then I might have plain organic yogurt which I just sweeten myself with a little honey or agave nectar. Or I have a couple of slices of organic sharp cheddar with my toast in the morning. Occasionally I'll have grated parmigiano over my vegetables or pasta. Once in a while I'll have Greek feta (from sheep's milk). So I may not be getting enough calcium...But, calcium is also in green vegetables (I think??). I'll really have to think about my calcium intake because my genetics are not in my favor in terms of bone density.

Chocolate. Being in its own food group (in my world), of course this deserves mention. I usually get a dark chocolate bar (3-4 ounces) and make that last all week. I eat a square or two after lunch and dinner. Or I might have a dollop of this chocolate hazelnut spread with fruit for dessert. I will say that I usually have more chocolate on weekends ;-) Especially if I made a fancy dessert (my weekend food project).

Dark Chocolate Orange Pots de Creme

Sugar is usually from any one of these: demerara or turbinado sugar, local honey, or agave nectar. I try my best to avoid white refined sugar but of course there are many hidden and not-so-hidden sources of this kind of sugar, such as fruit preserves, which I have with toast in the morning. This "Four Fruits" one is my favorite. But I'll take the white sugar in here over aspartame or sucralose, or worse, high fructose corn syrup.

I don't really buy eggs much, unless they are organic or from a local farm. I eat it once a week on a weekend brunch (thanks to A's omelets).

The other thing I'll need to reconsider is my omega-3's intake. Fish is a good source of omega-3's, but since I don't eat seafood I'll have to up my intake of flax and chia seeds. Any other ideas?

Every once in a while (about once a month) I'll have this intense craving for these salt-and-vinegar flavored, kettle-cooked potato chips. There's just something about that salty and tangy flavor combination that hits the spot. Ugh. There. Confession done.

So overall I think my diet is...ok. Again, it's not perfect by any means, but I don't want to obsess about it too much.

This week I am cutting out dairy products to see if that is triggering my headaches. I have not been getting headaches since I eliminated dairy. Next week I might cut out chocolate (so if I'm grumpy you'll know why) for a few days and observe.

I'll just wait and see...

spring soup

I realized that I'm a soup kind of gal. I love the comforting feeling you get from soup - whether it's something you made yourself, or a soup that someone else made for you. Whether I'm healthy, or feeling sick. Soup is a great way to make a nutrient-dense meal. I love the scents in the kitchen as the soup simmers on the stove. And I also love the creative process behind soup: take a look at the content of your fridge and pantry, and then throw some ingredients in a pot, and make a good soup come to life.

It's been fairly warm this past week, but I was in the mood for a light, springy soup.

Here's what I ended up with:

Pea Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Earth Balance, or unsalted butter
half an onion
2 stalks celery
about 4 cups vegetable broth
one bag of frozen green peas, thawed
salt and pepper
a little lemon zest
fresh thyme (chop the leaves from 3-4 sprigs; use less if using dried)
plain yogurt - I LOVE this yogurt from Kalona Organics*


Heat olive oil and butter. I like using both for soups, because butter has such a low smoke point and burns faster, and the olive oil helps slow it down a little bit. Saute the onions and the celery until soft and fragrant. Add the broth and peas. Let it come to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, lemon zest, and thyme. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender (I love these things). Alternatively, you can also use a regular blender - just blend it in smaller batches.

Stir in a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt at the end. I think creme fraiche or mascarpone cheese would be good too, but yogurt was the only thing I had, and I wanted to use the last of it.

It turned out REALLY good! It was so simple, quick, and easy yet so flavorful. The green peas tasted sweet, and I think the hint of lemon and thyme brightened it up even more. Lemon and thyme go so well together, I think, because thyme has some hints of lemon flavor/scent. The texture was really smooth and silky as well, thanks to the hand blender. Not to mention its beautiful shade of green.

In hindsight, I wish I had garnished it better with a dollop of yogurt on top and maybe some snipped chives to make it more photo-worthy... but I couldn't wait to eat it. :)

*Note on the yogurt:
Cultural Revolution yogurt from Kalona Organics is my favorite - it's creamy goodness. Well, it is a whole-milk yogurt, but I promise it's worth it. Fat-free yogurt just does NOT do it for me... nor does the overly sweet (read: high fructose corn syrup), artificially-fruit-flavored "fat-free" yogurt. Cultural Revolution yogurt is a bit hard to find, but Greek yogurt is great too and more readily available in most stores.
Yes, this yogurt is so good it deserved an * for further elaboration. :)

winter comfort food

Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter Sauce

This is by no means an original idea, as I'm sure there are many other pasta/gnocchi recipes with browned butter out there. Anyway...

I cheated with store-bought gnocchi. But I didn't cheat by using my usual non-dairy Earth Balance spread for this dish, in which the butter should stand out. I went all-out and used Lurpak Danish butter, which is SO good. My rare luxury.

I browned the butter in a cast iron skillet. The trick is to melt the butter slowly, so it doesn't burn. To that I added a small handful of fresh sage leaves, and let the sage cook slowly to become crisp. Enjoyed the scents in my kitchen. I then added the gnocchi, which I had cooked separately in a pot of salted boiling water (it only took 2-3 minutes). I just timed it so that the gnocchi would be ready just as the butter sauce was ready, so all I had to do was scoop out the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer them directly to the skillet. I gave it a gentle toss, added sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and that was it.

See those browned bits on the gnocchi? Yummy goodness.


Simple, rustic, and delicious.

(ed. 2/8/10: I am experimenting with more uses for sage browned butter. It's such a fall/winter flavor for me because it goes so well with hearty food that's such a comfort during the colder season. It's great on roasted potatoes, drizzled onto white bean soup just before serving, and even on grilled cheese! I love, love, LOVE sage browned butter. If anyone has other [non-meat] ideas, post a comment here. I'd like to hear it!)

Avgolemono - Greek egg and lemon soup.... but without the egg

.... and without the chicken.

Honestly, most of the time I don't really miss eating meat much. But I would be lying if I told you that I didn't miss it at all. I grew up as an omni, after all. Back home, we are known for eating everything. And I mean EVERYTHING.

It's been rainy here in Kent, and the weather called for soup. Avgolemono (which literally translates to "egg-lemon") is one of those dishes that I miss. It's a comforting, hearty soup that somewhat reminds me of congee. Both of these soups are chicken-based.

But I was craving. The last time I had Avgolemono was years ago, when I was still eating chicken. Being the compulsive cook that I am, I had to figure out a vegetarian version. I had to have it. So in the middle of reading a research article for school, I decided to just give it a shot. I know how I am; once I have a kitchen project in mind, I can't concentrate on other things until I do it.

This was the result of my project: (Loved it!)

(I have to apologize, this isn't the best photo... the lighting in my apartment isn't the best)

Avgolemono
olive oil for sauteeing
1/2 an onion, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 a leek, sliced thinly
1 small carrot, diced
1 quart no-chicken broth
2 cups of water
1/4-1/2 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 cup plain/unsweetened soymilk or other non-dairy milk
2 tbsp tapioca powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
juice and zest from l lemon (about a quarter cup of lemon juice, more or less)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp dried dill
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
good quality extra-virgin olive oil for swirling on top... just because I love EV olive oil, especially this one :)

Ingredient notes:
- You could probably just omit the shallots and the leeks, and just use onions...but I had them on hand.
- I don't think Avgolemono really calls for carrots... but I had one, so I used it anyway.
- You can use regular vegetable broth. I've never used the "no-chicken" broth because it was higher in sodium... but I thought I would give it a try in this recipe.
- Nutritional yeast is available in the bulk section at Whole Foods or your local natural foods store.
- You can also use cornstarch, instead of tapioca powder, but the latter is what I had on hand.

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, and carrot and saute until soft.
2. Add the broth and water, then the rice. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmering. Allow the rice to cook, about 20-25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, warm the soymilk or non-dairy milk in the microwave. Whisk in the tapioca powder or cornstarch and the turmeric, then set aside.
4. When the rice is cooked, mix the soymilk and tapioca again (the powder tends to settle on the bottom), then stir into the soup to allow the soup to thicken.
5. Let the soup simmer, then add the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper. Add the herbs, but set aside a little bit for garnishing in invididual bowls.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls, then swirl the EV olive oil and sprinkle more herbs on top.

Recipe adapted from this blog, but with my own tweaking :)

As a side note... I miss my mom's Hainanese Chicken Rice. Now THAT would be a vegetarian challenge.