Line the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper and lightly coat with canola oil. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and then set aside.

Roughly chop the raisins and place in a small bowl and then set aside.

In a mixing bowl add the fruit juice, brown sugar, eggs, and peanut butter, and cottage cheese and whisk to combine. Use a powered mixer so your arm doesn’t tire. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well to combine. Add the dried fruit and mix until they are combined. Spread into your baking dish and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the protein bars from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Combine all ingredients except for the ginger and garlic in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add the ginger and garlic; cool.

This sauce can be used to baste or marinate chicken or mixed with beef or turkey hamburger meet.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring to blend thoroughly. Pour into jars. Cover and seal tightly. May be refrigerated indefinitely. Shake well before using. Makes 2 cups sauce.

Interstitial Cystitis makes it nearly impossible for many people to eat carbohydrates, simple or complex, and because carbohydrates are found in almost everything from pasta to fruit, using lettuce is an excellent way to keep things safe.

For the recipe below simply use romaine, iceberg, red leaf, bib, or any leaf lettuce that when torn is the size of your hand. Aside from arugula and watercress, most greenery is virtually flavorless (why else would we douse it in salad dressing?) so we must pay special attention to the filling for our wraps, and for that I choose an Asian inspired chicken filling. Feel free to substitute the chicken with tofu, turkey, or you can skip the meat altogether and make it a vegetarian meal.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Serves 4

4 Chicken Breasts – grilled and then minced
2 Tbls vegetable oil
2 whole carrots (use 3 carrots for vegetarians) – minced
1 cup water chestnuts - minced
2/3 cup any mushrooms – fine chop (1 cup for vegetarians)
1 garlic clove - minced
½ of a cucumber (1 cucumber for vegetarians) - minced
½ tsp salt
¼ cup fresh basil - (1 TBL if using dried)
8 Whole lettuce leaves (romaine, bib, iceberg, etc)

Sauce

¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
½ tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp salt

Make the sauce by combining the sugar, water, oil, and salt in a bowl. Mix very well and set the sauce aside until you are ready to serve the wraps.

Add the oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil reaches its temperature pan fry the chicken for 5 minutes per side. When the chicken is cooked move them to a paper towel to drain, let the chicken rest while you cut up the vegetables. Drain the oil leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan to sauté your vegetables.

Cut all the vegetables according to the directions then toss them altogether in the oil and sauté for five minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the sauce and minced chicken to the cooked vegetables and toss well.

Fill each leaf of romaine with equal amounts of the filling. Enjoy!

I have listed below a battle plan - if you will – designed to formulate the greatest backyard BBQ. Keeping in mind that you (my readers) have Interstitial Cystitis, this battle plan is intended to feed our own team. If you follow these steps you will soon be on your way to mouth watering chicken smothered in BBQ sauce, cooled downed by the classic potato salad and ice tea!

1. The Grill

Grilling begins with the grill itself and you must have the right tools to complete any job. Most of us have the basic gas grill and these grills will do the job just fine, however they do come with some flare causing qualities. For starters, they have hot rocks that are exposed directly below your food and when the fat in your meat begins to render, it will drip down onto those hot rocks creating smoke. Smoke contains PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) which is harmful for not only those with Interstitial Cystitis but also for everyone. Even though you cannot avoid PAH altogether, you can limit its contact with your food by grilling leaner cuts of meat and poultry and then finishing the cooking process in the oven.

2. The Meat

The leaner cuts of meat are as follows: top sirloin (beef), top round steaks (beef), tenderloin (beef), skinless chicken breast, lamb, pork tenderloin, pork bone in rib chop, venison, buffalo (bison), shrimp, and fish. For this dish I have chosen skinless chicken breasts. I prefer to butterfly my chicken breasts before grilling because it cuts the cooking process in half and that will allow less time for PAH’s to contact your food. Grill each side of the chicken breasts for three minutes before you add the BBQ sauce. When the BBQ sauce is added, lower your grill heat to low and grill each side for one minute, basting with BBQ between each flip. Rotate each breast three times per side, this will ensure you get a nice sweet crust.

3. The Sauce

BBQ sauce is evil. Mine is not.

1 cup carrot juice
¼ cup blueberry juice
1 garlic clove – minced
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons wheat flour
Salt to taste

Melt the butter first. Then sauté the garlic over medium heat for 30 seconds until it becomes aromatic. Increase the flame to medium high and add the flour, stirring for one minute (it should clump up). Now add the carrot and blueberry juices and brown sugar then stir for an additional minute. The sauce should thicken to the consistency of BBQ sauce, if it has not, continue stirring until it does. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

4. The Sides

Potato salad is a staple at my BBQ as well as everyone else’s in these 50 states. This potato salad is made with no mayonnaise and will contain no vinegar or citrus. This recipe will be new to most people who did not grow up eating German potato salad, but it will still please your taste buds. If you can eat dairy, add 2 tablespoons of sour cream right before serving, and add a teaspoon more salt.

4 potatoes
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped parsley or chives
Salt to taste

Boil the potatoes in salt water until fork tender, drain and let cool. Add the flour, water, and honey into a sauté pan and stir over medium heat until thickened. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and then add the parsley and salt. Toss and cool.

5. The Drink

Anything served ice cold would surely feel nice on a hot day. I normally would make a large pitcher of ice water but with all these great flavors I have to choose blueberry herbal tea. Blueberry herbal tea will compliment the blueberries in the BBQ sauce and keep any threat of a flare at bay!

Ingredients:

4 large red bell peppers
1 Tbl olive oil
3 cloves roasted garlic
1 Tbl basil, fresh is best
1 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the peppers lengthwise in half and discard the white ribs and seeds. Lightly brush the peppers with olive oil and place on a foil covered oven pan. Roast for 20 minutes and immediately transfer the peppers into a covered container or paper bag for twenty five minutes. Allow the trapped steam to help loosen the skin so you can peel and discard it.

Place the garlic, basil, salt, and peeled roasted peppers in a food processor and blend until smooth.

This is will hold in the refrigerator for one week and goes very well with any pasta or pizza.

It was that gloomy morning that I sat in yet another row of sticky black airport seats and watched as my chariot gracefully opened its canopy for me. I know hundreds boarded before me, but I believe cheap tickets are a great way to ensure I get any seat I want, being a man who prefers the window; I can’t imagine being wedged between two strangers for hours constantly smiling as our elbows harmlessly fight for the arm rest. I suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it is important that I have a little space. My strategy of being last to board proved to be a success, for I spotted a great window seat just a few feet from the exit. I noticed the direct eye contact from the flight attendant when she was discussing the emergency exits, and it seemed as if she was implying that I may have to act as a hero if something should go terribly wrong. I ignored her directions along with the red letters above my head, “EMERGENCY EXIT”, and within minutes we were soaring gracefully over the front range of the Rocky Mountains.

The flight was heading toward San Francisco and I was on my way to meet someone very special, someone I wanted to look snazzy for. So my black shirt was pressed and my pants were crisp white corduroys. The pants were a daring purchase, nobody at the time seemed to be wearing them and I wanted to make sure I stood out (lesson learned). I looked up to see the seatbelt light illuminated and the only thing moving about the cabin was the beverage cart. I love being the first one served and the first one off the flight, I guess you could say I was flying high (pun intended). I ordered a crisp can of tomato juice from the beverage cart, tomato juice always reminds me of a spoon full of my mothers pasta sauce. It was while I was sipping on my tomato juice, covered head to toe in eye popping fashion, when the unthinkable happened! The turbulence (there was none) sent my fingers into a spasm and I dropped a cans worth of tomato juice on my white attire. With my seatbelt still tightly fastened I jumped quickly only to be snagged back into my seat. I must have yelled pretty loud because with-in seconds I was surrounded by many people who thought my accident was more important than obeying the illuminated seatbelt sign above all of our heads. One woman , in her infinite wisdom, quickly doused me with her club soda and furiously began to wipe up my lap. I looked as though I had just endured a horrible response to a stand up comedy routine, pelted numerous times with ripe tomatoes. I rushed to the rear bathroom, passing hundreds of instantly curious people covered in grins and stares.

So for obvious reasons, I avoid tomatoes whenever I can, but those of you with IC shun this fruit for deeper more severe reasons. If there were a way that I could enjoy tomato juice during a flight without possibly suffering the same outcome as before, believe me, I would. The same logic applies when dealing with the affects a tomato has on many in the IC community. But there is a way to enjoy many dishes that normally involve tomatoes without actually digesting the ones that may cause you to flare up.

There are dozens of tomato varieties that exist today, such as; beef steak, roma, cherry, globe, plum, currant, heirloom, purple, and many more. Most of these tomatoes contain high levels of acidic properties, but there are a few that have considerably lower acidic levels. For instance, the yellow cherry tomato is less acidic than its red counterpart, therefore somewhat blander in flavor. If you find that the yellow cherry tomato is safe for you to eat, consider making a salad of fresh asparagus, yellow cherry tomatoes and basil. Toss these ingredients in a little olive oil and salt and enjoy a perfect side dish. Also, homegrown tomatoes and organic tomatoes contain less acid because they are naturally “vine-ripened.” Other tomatoes are ripened using ethylene gas or special warming rooms, thus these tomatoes will never have the texture, aroma and taste of the vine-ripened tomatoes. If you can enjoy the low-acid tomatoes, only purchase ones that are free of blemishes and avoid any that are heavy for their size and give to a little palm pressure. Store your tomatoes at room temperature in a vented paper bag with one apple. Never refrigerate tomatoes- cold temperatures kill the flesh and dulls the flavor.

I am aware there is a large majority of people with IC that cannot stomach tomatoes no matter the ripening cycle or their organic qualities. A good alternative may be red bell peppers. I have received enough positive comments on this website along with facebook, in regard to the red bell pepper being safe to eat, that I have successfully integrated the red bell pepper into a classic Red Sauce without the use of tomatoes. Below you will find a recipe created with Italy in mind.

Red Sauce

Ingredients:

4 large red bell peppers
1 Tbl olive oil
3 cloves roasted garlic
1 Tbl basil, fresh is best
1 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the peppers lengthwise in half and discard the white ribs and seeds. Lightly brush the peppers with olive oil and place on a foil covered oven pan. Roast for 20 minutes and immediately transfer the peppers into a covered container or paper bag for twenty five minutes. Allow the trapped steam to help loosen the skin so you can peel and discard it.

Place the garlic, basil, salt, and peeled roasted peppers in a food processor and blend until smooth.

This is will hold in the refrigerator for one week and goes very well with any pasta or pizza.

I spent twenty minutes and used five cans of club soda on my pants and never did returned to the front window seat, I remained in the back, close to the bathroom, where I was last to leave. It comes as no surprise that tomatoes have played a pivotal role in how I go about enjoying my travels, but they don’t have to play a pivotal role in your food style. This recipe is designed to bring the heartiness and experience back to your kitchen. So the next time you set the table for a wonderful Italian meal be thankful your feet are firm on the ground knowing nothing will ruin your red sauce or corduroys, not even turbulence. Does anyone else find it ironic that this mess happened on flight 409?
　

Ingredients:

Roasted Vegetables

Herb Filling

Chive Oil

Preheat your Oven to 350 degrees F.

Begin by rinsing the potatoes and beets. Peel the butternut squash by cutting off the ends leaving you with a 3 inch long cylinder. Hold the butternut squash tight, and cut length wise one side (¼ inch) making a flat bottom. Turn the squash so this flat cut is facing down, you can now safely cut length wise the other three sides. You should end up with a three inch long block of squash with no peel remaining. Now make ¼ inch slices until the squash is completely cut. You should get six pieces of squash 3 inches long, and two inches wide. Repeat this with both the potato and beets. The sizes won’t be perfect, but the intentions are to make layers of equal size vegetables.

Lay the vegetables on two baking sheets lined with aluminum foil, brush each piece with olive oil and season with salt. Bake these for 40 minutes.

Filling

Combine all the filling ingredients into a food processor and pulse for one minute. Refrigerate the filling until the vegetables are done baking.

Chive Oil

Use a blender to make this sauce. Toss in chives and oil and blend for one minute. Now strain the oil into a squeeze bottle. If you don’t have a squeeze bottle store the oil in the refrigerator in Tupperware and spoon onto the finished dish. This will be safe to eat for up to two weeks and could be tossed with any salad, and can be made with basil, tarragon, mint, and sage.

To construct this dish, simply layer each vegetable with the filing in between each layer then sauce using the chive oil. Enjoy.

TIP: Serve this dish warm, right out of the oven!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour (white flour, or wheat)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 cup zucchini, grated
• 1/2 cup nuts, chopped (walnuts or pecans)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Start by sifting all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Now beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add the rest of the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix well. Finally toss in the nuts and fold them into the batter.

Butter enough muffin pans to make 10 muffins. Using a dinner spoon scoop one big portion into each muffin hole, keep an eye on the portions, be sure they are all equal.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick thats stuck in the middle comes out clean. Serve with a little butter.

]]> http://www.myfoodstyle.com/2010/02/21/zucchini-bread-muffins-for-vicki/feed/ http://www.myfoodstyle.com/2010/02/21/zucchini-bread-muffins-for-vicki/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MyFoodStyleChangingTheFlavorOfTheEveryday/~3/xHtTuczJQlY/ http://www.myfoodstyle.com/2010/02/19/breakfast-with-daniel-big-flavorno-flares/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:29:23 +0000 Chef Daniel http://www.myfoodstyle.com/?p=557 If you’re anything like me, you are afraid of clowns and eat breakfast less than three times a week. We are not alone in our fears, nor are we in our eating habits. More than 20 percent of Americans just don’t eat breakfast, which we all know is the most important meal of the day - especially if you have IC. Whether you eat a large dinner, or you just don’t enjoy eating breakfast, there are many reasons why millions sabotage their morning fuel intake. If your one who does not like eating breakfast, you can easily split it up into two smaller meals. Eat blueberries or a hardboiled egg at home (minus the yolk), and an hour or two later, sneak a pear and a handful of healthy nuts like almonds or walnuts.

On average it takes the body 8 hours to digest a meal, in those 8 hours the body will extract up to 90% of the nutrients. These nutrients may carry you through the night and they may even provide you enough energy to convince yourself you’re not hungry come breakfast. However it is important to remember this is the best way to ensure your getting the vitamins and minerals you need to make it through the day.

When I skip breakfast, I will usually hit a wall that leads to extreme hunger, which then leads to a lack of discipline and ultimately leads me to stuffing my face as if I were the hot dog eating champion of the world. Okay, I do confess that sometimes it’s salty food and sometimes it’s sweet…nevertheless, it creates a craving for things that just aren’t good for you. This panic is why many with IC flare up and assume it’s just better to not eat at all, but this method of avoiding flares leaves your body malnourished, and your brain foggy as if your watching “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!” Pity there is no influx of cash flow on the days you do devour your breakfast…

Not eating breakfast is as serious a problem as wearing socks with sandals. You may have your reasons for avoiding breakfast AND ignoring good fashion sense, but there is no reason to deprive yourself of a healthy morning meal that won’t irritate your bladder. This is quick and simple! A healthy breakfast would consist of protein and fiber. You can get your protein from low fat meats, eggs, beans or dairy and the fiber can be found in vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. So throw away your excuses, suppress your fears (especially of clowns) and talk your kids into trying some of this before you rush them off to school.

Come to my table on this beautiful morning and join me in a delicious:

Spinach Mushroom Egg White Omelet with Cheese, Blueberry Jam on Crispy Toast and Mint Scented Chamomile Tea

Pinch of kosher salt

Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat and add the butter/oil. When the butter/oil is hot, sauté the mushrooms and salt for three minutes, then add the spinach. Separate the egg whites and whisk for 30 seconds.

When the spinach has wilted, add the eggs to the pan and turn the pan so egg whites can cover the entire surface. Let the egg cook from the bottom up without turning. When very little moisture is left on top, fold the egg in half and transfer to your plate. Top with fresh chives and cheese.

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