Finally got to sleep in this morning. Hurray.
Today’s breakfast: 2 plums, 2 cream crackers, a small portion of vegetable enchilada pie leftover from last night.
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16Jul
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15Jul
My Mom always bugs me about eating breakfast…or more accurately not. So, after more than a few decades of my own life experience I have to admit she is right.
Ok, so that’s a bit of an exaggeration – I’ve know breakfast was important for a long time but just never got around to it. I typically didn’t feel hungry in the morning and was busy coifing and getting ready to start my day so never had time. But, boy did I feel it mid-morning when my blood sugar plummeted and I became a cranky spaced out monster. I would start stuffing down anything in sight and end up with a tummy full of junk.
Now I advise folks on proper eating habits so of course I have to practice what I preach! I declared, “I will now start eating breakfast!”
I’d wake up, run around getting ready for my day and oops forgot again or ran out of time or there’s nothing good to eat… Hmm, this is not working so I realized, “Gee, I must plan ahead…” or I can wake up earlier…nope, not gonna happen.
Planning a few days out is good. So now I put together something the evening before or make sure I have something I can assemble quickly in the morning such as fruit already washed and cut up or soft boiled eggs. Since I’m not typically hungry until 9 or 10am I eat something light like fruit before I leave the house and pack something for later.
Some people like smoothies (I’m not fond of them – the smoothies not the people who like them . Line up all your ingredients so they are easy to toss into your waiting blender in the morning. Should take 5 minutes or less and viola a nice nutritious breakfast.
Most people I talk to have a hard time figuring out what to have for breakfast so I thought I’d report in every now and then on what I’m having. You’ll see that for me – any food is ‘breakfast” food.
Today’s breakfast: 1 banana, 1/3 c blueberries, and 3/4 c watermelon. Later (around 10am, I will have a turkey meatball sandwich (2 oz) with cheddar cheese (1 1/2 oz) on a sprouted wheat bun with a little dijon. -
06Jul
Who would have known that on that fateful day four years ago throwing down a few cape gooseberry seeds would mean a battle of epic weedy proportions. Yes, that first year a plant or two came up. I thought it would be oh so novel to be the first on my block to have a cape gooseberry plant. Cape Gooseberries seemed so rare (not to be confused with just plain ol’gooseberries) – especially when as the forager for a restaurant in San Francisco I was given the task to come up with pounds of it each week for a very delicious dessert the chef came up with. I scoured every farmer’s market until I finally found the one farmer in Northern California who had them. Victory. Never mind that this was years ago and I no longer worked at said restaurant. Somehow, like a poor easily imprintable pup or I suppose more like a brainwashed glassy eyed Stepford wife I had to have them. Hey, it was a stressful job!
So in other words, I didn’t have a plan for all the cape gooseberries that would soon grow into my possession.
Well, that first year I had bags upon bags of gooseberries… stored in my freezer. I even tracked down the chef and gave her bags of frozen gooseberries for which she didn’t really have a use for anymore. I finally found a use for them and incorporated them into 12 quarts of gooseberry barbeque sauce which I gave away as holiday gifts. To which I got a curious “What kind of Barbeque Sauce?”
Ok, so I was over it – it was cheap therapy! I realized I was a victim of my own eccentricity and maybe a bit of post traumatic stress. I got it out of my system. I didn’t need to have these obscure berries that no one knows what to do with anymore. I happily ripped out the gi-normous plant. However, no one told me that within each berry there were thousands of tiny seeds.
The next spring there were millions of cape gooseberry seedlings popping up all over the garden. In hindsight it wasn’t such a good idea to play fetch with the dog whilst tossing the gooseberries all about. Anyway, I resigned to my fate and pulled them out handfuls at a time. Finally after a few years I figured I had a handle on the seedlings and slowed down on my vigilance .
2004. Tomatillos – now that was a nice crop to have for chile verde sauce and green salsa. I didn’t bother to pull it out last fall and it seemed to do fine through the winter. More salsa this year.
This Spring I was walking through the garden and noticed the distinct aroma of Cape Gooseberries! Agh! I looked carefully at the tomatillo plant and it had morphed into a Cape Gooseberry plant. They happen to be in the same plant family and look identical. Ugh, outsmarted by a damn berry! Well, too busy to do anything about it – the plant grew and grew and gooseberry after gooseberry was produced.
One day a month or so ago my brother’s visiting Korean in law was out in the garden picking the gooseberries. Wow, maybe there is some wonderful Korean recipe! Excitedly, I asked her what she did with them and she said “Oh, I don’t know but as kids we would make whistles out of the husks. Bummer.
Then last weekend, the SO decided to pick a grocery bag of them. The aroma filled the kitchen. SO said, “What’s good to do with them?” I said “Uh, I don’t know. They’re high in pectin and vitamin C, how about putting them in your smoothies?”
I’d been feeling adventurous lately so decided to surf the web for Cape Gooseberry recipes and turned up with only two! only two in the whole wide world! Well, besides my famous Gooseberry Barbecue Sauce.
So tonight I made Almond and Cape Gooseberry Torte. The batter was very stiff and I had my doubts but SO declared “I like it” and proceeded to have another slice. Now my brain is working overtime…hmmm, how about Cape Gooseberry Scones? or Cape Gooseberry Pancakes? Or Pan Roasted Duck with Cape Gooseberry and Orange Sauce? Strawberry Shortcake with Cape Gooseberry Sauce…I could go on and on but will spare you the Forest Gump.
Anyway, that’s how I became the Gooseberry Fool… -
05Jul
…Granola that is…
Yipee! I finished the first half of the nutrition program at Bauman College and am now a Certified Nutrition Educator – well certified in a few weeks. Next stop is Certified Nutrition Consultant which will happen same time next year after another 350 hours of classroom time.
In celebration, here is a recipe for an unusual granola that I developed…
* Exported from MasterCook *
Granola – Nutty Tamari Seaweed
Serving Size : 12
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
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3 cups oats — old fashion, raw
3 tablespoons sesame seeds — whole raw
1/4 cup sunflower seeds — raw
1/4 cup pumpkin kernels — raw
3 tablespoons seaweed — flakes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/8 cup honey
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons tamari soy saucePreheat oven to 300F.
Put dry stuff in a bowl and toss to mix
Heat honey, tamari and oil over low heat until thin enough to pour.
Pour honey mixture on to oat mixture and stir to evenly coat.
Spread on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown. About 30 minutes total. Granola will still be a bit soft but will become crispy after cooling.
Cool and store in airtight containers.
***Notes: I try to use as many organic ingredients as possible. The seaweed is called ‘Dried Seaweed Powder’ or ‘Mikawawan San Aonoriko’. It’s not really a powder but more like flakes – green. I found this at Berkeley Bowl in the Japanese ingredient aisle right next to the sheets of Nori. It comes in a 20 gram bag. ***
Yield: “1 1/2 quarts”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 254 Calories; 9g Fat (30.7% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 103mg Sodium.
It’s a tasty snack all by itself. I like to take a little baggie of it with me while out and about in case I get hungry. Prevents me from eating junk out of desperation. I haven’t tried it on top of my favorite yogurt (Pavel’s Whole Milk Russian Style – we’ve got to bug the owners to make an organic version of this) yet but I imagine it would be quite tasty.
Enjoy!
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30Apr
I’ve had bunches of over ripe bananas lately and not being partial to eating spotted bananas or feeling like making smoothies I had to do something. I’ve always loved banana bread and decided to doctor up a recipe to give it a bit more fiber and protein – this might actually be good for breakfast!
For the yogurt, I used Brown Cow’s Chocolate flavor since we happen to have a partial container. Hmm, wouldn’t it be nice to perhaps use a fruit flavored yogurt and add some dried fruit to the batter?
You can use what ever nuts you have around as long as they haven’t gone rancid. If they have throw them out!
* Exported from MasterCook *
Banana Bread with Nuts, Seeds and Chocolate
Recipe By :Sandy Der
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Dessert
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
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1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup brown sugar — or sucanat
1/2 teaspoon stevia leaf — ground
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup pumpkin kernels — chopped coarse
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate — grated
3 banana — ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt — or buttermilk
2 large eggs — beaten lightly
4 tablespoons butter — melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside – OR – use muffin tin to make 18 muffins.
Combine first 10 ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.
Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan or muffin tin; bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Or bake muffins for 15-20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: “18 muffins”
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 177 Calories; 9g Fat (43.4% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 144mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates. -
12Mar
I love spicy food. It’s quite addictive really. I read somewhere that it has to do with a chemical rush you get when you eat fiery hot food. In fact as I type my scalp is perspiring…I can feel my eyelids sweating. My latest addiction…La Cascada Taquieria’s House Salsa…it’s called “Salsa La Cascada” It might as well be called fire in a pot. It’s not just hot though! It’s made with grilled tomatoes and grilled onions along with roasted garlic and dried chiles. The flavors are wonderful. This is not your typical salsa at all. Give it a try, you will love it!
I love it with Garden of Eatin’s Purple Tortilla Chips (no salt) or you can marinade meat or tofu with it and grill or my newest- use it for chilaquiles (eggs scrambled with salsa, tortillas & cheese). Yum! What a great pick me up at breakfast Oh, this gives me an idea – I haven’t had dried shrimp croquettas in a while and I bet the salsa would be great with those too… You can find the salsa at Berkeley Bowl or at the Taquieria’s located at 2975 College in Elmwood or 2164 Center Street in Berkeley.
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23Feb
I’ve never been but I think I would love to visit Morocco one day. Not just because of the cool hats but the spices and flavors and olives…
The flavors in Moroccan cooking are so different than what our western taste buds are accustom. One client loves cinnamon and another likes to incorporate cinnamon into their diet for it’s blood sugar regulating properties. Cinnamon is used widely in Moroccan foods so thus began my journey into the land of mysterious spices.
One of my most favorite dishes is the Roasted Organic Chicken with Moroccan Spices found in the January 2005 issue of Bon Appetit. Wow this is a good one! (Though those observant readers out there will note there is no cinnamon in this dish…so I digressed ;)! !
Looking at the recipe you will see a spice called “ras-el-hanout” This is not a spice but a blend of many spices and it seems that every Moroccan family has their own secret blend. Some recipes call for over 30 different spices. Some ingredients are even purported to be aphrodisiacs and some of which I’m sure to not want to know about at all. Never fear, you can buy this spice – I got it online from Amazon.com. Do a google search and many vendors will pop up.
In any case, I would not leave out this spice if you want to try this recipe. And I do encourage you to try it – the flavor is so full and rich. This is a definite winner and will be found on many of my clients menus in the coming weeks.For convenience, try it with parts too instead of the whole chicken. I’m partial to dark meat so I just use legs and thighs. Great side dishes are whole wheat couscous or I had it tonight with brown rice and a sauce I made based on this recipe also found on Epicurious.com.
For the sauce, I left out the chicken, added some cinnamon, ground coriander, paprika and ground cumin along with a cup of stewed tomatoes then finished the sauce with a touch of honey. Yea, I did say it was roughly based!
And for you olive lovers out there – Berkeley Bowl has Kalamata stuffed Green Olives!
That’s it for today. Bon Appetito -
09Feb
It’s Chinese New Year’s today. Yet another of my favorite holidays.
Today begins the year 4703, the year of the Rooster.
Typically you will see displays of oranges which symbolize wealth, tangerines to bring forth luck and plum blossoms which symbolize courage and hope.
Children and young adults receive lucky money in red envelopes. I’m still a young adult
And we have a big feast with our families. Each of the foods eaten during this traditional dinner has a special meaning to help set the tone for the coming year.
So, be good today as well as eat a healthy well balanced dinner. All to ensure a healthy, harmonious and properous year to come!
Happy New Year All!
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06Feb
In this article from marketwatch.com entitled: “Fighting the fat on kids Food firms say healthy choices taking hold; ads under fire”
There is a quote from the VP of Pepsico: “We are about real action,” Taaffe said. “Our aim is to lead the industry in our choices and programs that lead to a healthier lifestyle.”
For instance, she said PepsiCo’s school strategy involves stocking elementary-school vending machines only with “Smart Spot” foods, the company’s name for healthy alternatives. In middle and high schools, 50 percent of snacks and drinks would be healthy, and 50 percent would be “fun for you” foods — junk food.
“fun for you foods” – take the ‘junk’ out of junk food and put in the fun! Instantly the message is that ‘junk food’ is no longer junk but simply ‘fun’ – no longer bad for you…it’s fun
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25Jan
A request for a recipe so here it is…..BUT, if you try it – you have to post in the comments how it turned out for you.
I’d still like to get around to doing a sugar-free version…I plan to get to it this weekend for some friends that are coming over for dinner. Keep your fingers crossed…
* Exported from MasterCook *
Bean Cake – Chocolate
Recipe By : Sandy at Tao de Kitchen
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
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2 cups black beans, cooked — *see Note
1/2 cup almond meal
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar — or sub sucanat
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder — use 1 t if you want it fluffier
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanillaMix all ingredients in blender. Pour into a buttered 9 x 9 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
*you can also use a 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinse
