Modern Vintage Cooking

Elimination Diet Green Smoothie - Kale, Apple, Ginger, Lime, and Basil

2013-09-08T08:31:00.002-07:00

After feeling pretty rundown for a few weeks, I decided it was time to detox and begin a cleanse, and this time my husband has decided to join me. I have to admit that I never thought I'd see the day where he'd be drinking tea and green smoothies, but I'm happy to have the support.

It's been about a year and a half since my last cleanse, so I was overdue. After a stressful first half of the year and a couple vacations with plenty of indulgence, it seemed like the perfect time to reboot.

We're following an elimination diet and cutting out coffee, alcohol, dairy, corn, and gluten, as well as a few other foods that tend to cause sensitivities or are harder on the digestive system.

I'm excited to work on more elimination diet recipes during our journey and am sharing one of our favorite green smoothies to start. We are using some great kale and apples from the farmer's market for this smoothie and blending them up with some ginger and lime for flavor and cleansing properties.

When you can't have your morning cup of coffee, give this smoothie a try.

Elimination Diet Green Smoothie - Makes 2 Servings

7 large kale leaves, stems removed and leaves chopped
2 medium apples, cored and chopped (no need to peel if organic)
A 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 lime, zest and pith removed
Leaves from one sprig of basil
Pinch of salt
Water
Ice

Place all the ingredients, except the ice, in the blender with about 1/2 cup water.

Blend on high speed until smooth (timing depends on the strength of your blender). Add more water if needed.

When the smoothie is well blended, add in a handful of ice and blend until the ice is incorporated.

Serve over ice (with a big straw!).

Gluten- and Dairy-Free Living - Baked Chicken and Millet with Sweet Potatoes and Walnuts

2013-08-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently shared that she will be cutting both dairy and gluten out of her diet for the next year. She is the third friend of mine to make the decision to cut gluten out of her diet, a decision that I'm sure is a difficult one to make, but that has become increasingly common. I grew up with a dairy intolerance myself and rarely eat dairy these days, so I understood the challenges of that limitation firsthand.

As I thought about foods that she might want to introduce to her diet and recipes that could help ease the transition, I thought of the great Autumn Millet Bake recipe by Mark Bittman. I love this recipe, but it's not quite filling enough to make it a full meal (other than enjoying the leftovers for breakfast). I wanted to create a recipe that would be a perfect one-pot dinner for a busy mom with diet restrictions.

I think this is it - healthy, delicious, gluten-free, dairy-free, and super affordable. Millet is as cheap as rice (less than $2 per pound in the bulk section), and the chicken pieces can be swapped out for whatever is on sale (I got this great pair of bone-in, skinless chicken breasts on sale, but you may find chicken thighs or drumsticks to be cheaper). You don't even need to use broth for the liquid because the chicken will infuse the millet with all its juices as it cooks.

The end result tastes remarkably similar to a Thanksgiving meal. The millet takes on the flavors of the meat and aromatics like a great batch of stuffing (my favorite part of every Thanksgiving dinner). The sweet potatoes lend a sweet richness to the dish, and the chicken breasts are perfectly cooked through and tender.

Give it a try, whether you're gluten-free, dairy-free, or just plain hungry.

Baked Chicken and Millet with Sweet Potatoes and Walnuts (4 servings)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, one sprig chopped and one cut in half
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup millet
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper
1 medium sweet potato, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 large chicken breasts, skinless, bone-in (or 1 lb. of chicken pieces)
1/3 cup raw walnuts or almonds, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Saute onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil 5-10 minutes at medium-low heat in a Dutch oven or other covered, oven-save pot. Add chopped rosemary, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to coat vegetables in spices and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes longer. Add the millet to the vegetables and stir. Allow millet to cook for 2-3 minutes, but not allowing the millet to brown.

Add 2 cups of water to the millet and vegetables. Add the chopped sweet potato on top of the millet/vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of the sweet potatoes. Split the other rosemary sprig, and place each piece on top of one chicken breast. Cover with the lid.

Bake covered at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Remove the lid and check to see if the millet is cooked fully. If the millet is not fully cooked (hard to bite into), add about 1/4 cup of water.

Add the nuts to the top the chicken, drizzle the top with a bit of olive oil, and cook about 10 more minutes until the top is slightly browned and the millet is fully cooked.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

My New Favorite Workouts with Tracy Anderson

2013-03-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

While I usually write about healthy cooking, I want to shift my focus to fitness for this post and share a few fun workouts that I've found really beneficial.

After getting myself into a bit of a workout rut, I turned to Tracy Anderson to help me change things up. While Gwyneth's endorsement of Tracy definitely got me interested, it was Tracy's style of workout that ultimately appealed to me. As a former dancer, many of her exercises felt familiar to me - leg lifts, standing ab routines, and weight-free arm routines. But most importantly, Tracy finally gave me permission to stop running!

Performing repetitive movements in fitness (such as running) creates a distinctive imbalance in the muscular structure and causes the large muscles in the legs to charge up. While running and cycling may burn calories, they do not design feminine muscles or get rid of an imbalance that may masquerade as a “problem area”—even on women who are genetically thin.

Tracy also gave me permission to stop doing weight training with weights heavier than 3 pounds. I had always thought that lifting more weights would give me excess bulk (which I didn't want), but it was great to finally find a real arm workout that toned my muscles without building bulk.

Before ordering two of Tracy's DVDs, I tried out a few of her videos on YouTube. I watch them on my TV using the YouTube station on AppleTV.

First, I tried Tracy's 15-Minute Workout for Goop, and it made me so sore! It hit muscles that I was clearly missing in my workout routine and got me interested in her other workouts.

I tried Tracy's arm workout for Gwyneth next. It may seem tough at first, but after doing it a few times, I got the hang of it and have a lot of fun with it.

Finally, I like this cardio video, though I mute the volume on the TV and put my own music on instead. I recommend trying this workout while listening to Girl Talk's Feed the Animals album. Really fun and upbeat. At the end of the video, the editing seems to be off and it's harder to follow - just keep up as best you can, or turn the video off and continue to do the movements that Tracy demonstrates on your own. Sometimes I replay this video until I hit the amount of cardio I want to do that day (usually 20-30 minutes is about right).

Tip: Make sure to wear supportive shoes for this one, as you will be jumping around a lot.

If you like these videos, I highly recommend the Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout DVD. If you're like me, you will be really sore the first time you do this DVD. Just be careful if you have any existing injuries, because this workout is tough on your lower back. For the ab section, I often keep my legs bent so that my back is flat against the floor. If that becomes too easy, you can always adjust down the road.

I am happy to report that I have already noticed results after starting Tracy Anderson's workouts. In particular, I have found that my ab and lower back muscles are much tighter than before. I also feel like the skin on my arms is tighter now than it was when I was doing heavier weight lifting. All good results. Thanks, Tracy!

How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

2012-12-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how to enjoy the holidays and keep your health goals? Here are a few of tips that I have learned along the way to make it a little bit easier to stay healthy during the holidays.

Christmas Tree at my office building

Bring the Healthy Dish

You can't control what others cook and bring to holiday events, but you can control what you cook. Bring a healthy dish so that you know there will be something that you can fill your plate with at dinner.

If your family has the same list of menu items that everyone brings year after year, try to give your assigned recipe a healthy update. For example, if you usually bring the green bean casserole, try some steamed green beans with olive oil and toasted almonds instead. If you usually cheesy potatoes, try some roasted potatoes with rosemary and Parmesan. Healthy or not, if you bring a delicious dish, everyone will dig in.

For healthy appetizer options, try Martha Rose Shulman's vegetable purees, like this Winter Squash and Walnut Spread.

Photo by Andrew Scrivani via New York Times

Follow the "One Bite" Rule

At large family get-togethers, there is often an overabundance of dishes to try. My "one bite" rule is to put no more than one bite of everything that looks good on my plate. If I really love something, I can always go back for more (second helpings are one of the best parts about holiday feasts!). If I'm not crazy about a dish, I don't have to eat a whole serving of it.

Learn to Share

Sharing a dish with another person cuts your calories in half. Sharing a dish with a very hungry person (like my husband) cuts your calories even more! My husband and I share dishes all the time when we go out to eat. That way, I get to try everything, but I don't feel obligated to eat the whole thing.

Sharing food during the holiday season is just as valuable. If there are 3 types of desserts that look good, make a deal with your significant other or another close family member to split a piece of each. You can each take a bite of everything without worrying about eating the whole slice or being wasteful.

Stay Active

If you have some time off of work around the holidays, use it to get some extra exercise. Take the dog for a walk in the middle of the afternoon just because you can. Hit the gym when you would normally head to work in the morning and get a double bonus - keeping your sleep schedule regular and getting an extra workout in when you really need it.

Keep Other Meals Simple and Healthy

When you have lots of holiday parties on the schedule, where you'll inevitably be eating and drinking more than you normally would, keep the rest of your meals simple and healthy. Stick to your breakfast and lunch routine to keep your body on track.

Use holiday leftovers, like ham and turkey, to make big pots of soup that you can have around the house (try this Turkey pho soup from goop to use leftover turkey meat). Healthy soups are perfect for lunch or a quick dinner before you head to a party. A good soup will keep you full so you don't end up overindulging on unhealthy appetizers and desserts just because you're hungry.

Photo via Goop

Start a New Tradition

This may seem obvious, but baking 10 kinds of cookies and having them sitting around the house in pretty colored tins is probably a recipe for disaster, at least in terms of staying healthy. Unless you have amazing self-control, you will likely find yourself snacking on the cookies all day without keeping track of how many you've eaten. Cookies could begin to replace your normally healthy breakfast or become a sweet snack after every meal that you eat at home.

Besides potentially leading to weight gain, eating too much sugar during the day will likely affect your mood. Holidays are stressful enough, but when your blood sugar is out of whack because of all the holiday desserts that you've eaten, that stress can be more difficult to manage gracefully.

But what about tradition? My advice is to try to start a new tradition. Instead of a "cookie exchange," where everyone makes a different kind cookie and then gets together to trade for more variety, what about a soup exchange? Everyone makes their favorite soup recipe and then packs it up in plastic containers and shares it with the group. Suddenly everyone has a variety of healthy soups to choose from to feed their family and any visitors that are staying in the house. Keep them in the refrigerator to enjoy during the holiday season, or freeze a few for those cold days in January when all you want is a bowl of homemade soup for dinner.

Cauliflower Soup

Vegan Split Pea Soup

If you really want to make sweets, try some healthier recipes this year that utilize whole grains and fruit.
I really love Nikki's Healthy Cookies on Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks blog.

Photo by Heidi Swanson

The Gift of Health

I love giving homemade edible gifts around the holidays. It's tempting to make really decadent, over-the-top desserts desserts to give away as gifts, but with so many sweets in most people's homes, the recipient may value your healthy homemade treat even more.

Last year I made several different kinds of granola and packaged them up in sampler packs to give away. Everyone enjoyed snacking on it, and I knew that it was made with whole grains, nuts, and dried fruit.

My Pumpkin Apple Cranberry Harvest Granola

Another great option is to bake some loaves of whole grain bread to give away.

My Pumpkin Apple Walnut Bread

And finally, I think a small jar of homemade nut butter would be a lovely hostess gift. Perhaps something decadent like toasted walnut butter with cinnamon and dried dates.

By giving family and friends healthy homemade gifts, you're showing that you love them and that you value their health. And health is the gift that keeps on giving long after the holiday season is over.

Happy Holidays!

All I Want for Christmas: Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies, Cooks, and Gourmets

2012-12-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us. Lots of excuses to cook, bake, and eat, plenty of parties to host or attend, and, if you're lucky, a present or two under the tree.

If you're a foodie, or you have a special foodie in your life, here are some ideas to inspire your holiday wish list or gift giving.

Books

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust - While I find all of Ina Garten's recipes to be "foolproof," her latest book provides a great collection of trusted recipes that are guaranteed to bring you go back for a second helping. I can't wait to get my copy when Ina visits DC next week.
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Home Made Winter - If you liked Yvette van Boven's Home Made, check out her inspired winter recipes that are perfect for the cold months ahead.

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative - Austin Kleon's book about creativity can definitely be applied to cooking and recipe writing. The first time I picked up the book at Kramerbooks in DC, I couldn't stop reading until I had finished the entire book.

The Daily Soup Cookbook - This is one of my most frequently used cookbooks. Every soup that I have made from this cookbook has been delicious, and I have made at least 20 of them at this point. There are soups for every season and palate.

The Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking magazine is a perfect stocking stuffer for any baker.

Movies

I love a great film, but a great film about food? Spectacular. For some reason, many of my favorite food movies have yet to be released on Blu-ray. For now, we'll have to suffer through Standard Def versions of these foodie favorites.

Big Night - A great film about the conflict between the restaurant business and art of cuisine. A great story and a wonderful cast. This film will make you hungry, so make sure you eat a great meal before watching, or at least have reservations at a great restaurant for when you finish.

Julie & Julia - Every food blogger has to love this movie, right? This is one of the few available on Blu-ray.

Waitress - If you've never made a homemade pie, I bet you will be inspired to do so after watching Waitress. This movie is for anyone who's dreamed up recipes while trying to fall asleep at night.

Chocolat - For all the chocolate lovers. This one is also available on Blu-ray.

The Godfather, Part One - The Godfather is a food movie? Yes. Check out the scene where Clemenza teaches Michael how to make spaghetti for a crowd. It's also a holdiday movie in my eyes. In any case, it's worth owning on Blu-ray.

Like Water for Chocolate - Many of us use cooking to express our love for others, but this film takes that to another level.

No Reservations - A pretty typical romantic comedy, but with lots of time in the kitchen and talk about food.

For the Coffee Lover

If you're not already using the pour-over style to brew your morning coffee, I recommend starting now.  The method doesn't require any expensive equipment or specialty coffee, and I think that you really can taste the difference.

But don't take my word for it - check out Katie Carguilo's tips on How to Make an Awesome Cup of Coffee.

I use the Chemex 6-Cup Glass Coffee Maker :

But the Hario V60 is a good option too:

You may want to get a kettle with a thinner spout, but it's not necessary:

Make sure to include some great coffee beans with any coffee-themed gift. Some of my favorites are:

Photo from Swing's Coffee
Swing's Coffee - My favorite local coffee shop also roasts coffee beans and sells them by the pound. I usually go for the Diplomat Blend because I'm a fan of dark roasts.

Photo from Peet's Coffee
Peet's Coffee - I used to get Peet's coffee shipped to my house before I discovered Swing's in DC. Peet's offers some good gift packages, as well as monthly "coffee tours," where you can get a new pound of coffee delivered every month for three, six, or twelve months.

Photo from Counter Culture Coffee
Counter Culture Coffee - These folks know their coffee. They're also offering $3 flat rate shipping in December, which is perfect for gift giving from afar.

For the Kitchen

Every serious baker deserves a great stand mixer.  It's a big investment, but a good mixer should last generations.

My biggest kitchen splurge was on this Vitamix blender. It was worth every penny. Your soups, sauces, and smoothies will reach a new level with this blender.

Lodge now makes enameled cast iron items for any budget.

I just love Emile Henry's pie dishes. They are a bit of a splurge, but the crust always turns out perfectly.

Specialty Food

Rancho Gordo Heirloom Beans - Heirloom beans are the perfect gift for any cook who is looking to improve the flavor and texture of their soups and salads. You might even want to cook up a pot of heirloom beans as a healthy holiday side dish. Throw in some aromatics with the cooking liquid, and the resulting broth will be extra flavorful.

Photo from Rancho Gordo

Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Chickpeas

2012-11-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall vegetables. It is sweet and flavorful when roasted, and it blends beautifully into soups and sauces, creating a creamy texture without the need for cream or milk.

Winter squash is also extremely affordable. I pay between $1 and $2 per pound for organic squash at the Dupont Farmer's Market in DC, but I saw huge butternut squashes at a Michigan farmer's market a couple weeks ago for only $1 a piece. I would probably make gallons of this soup at a time if I could buy squash at those prices.

And while I love the smooth, creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe I created last year, I wanted to create a soup that was creamy, slightly sweet, and hearty enough to serve as an entire meal.

To strike that balance, I used butternut squash to create a slightly sweet, pureed base and added chunks of vegetables and chickpeas to make the soup even more filling.

My inspiration for this version of the soup came from Yvette van Boven's Sweet Potato Soup with Buttered Cashews recipe from the book Home Made. She combines sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, and chickpeas in her recipe to create a subtly sweet, yet hearty, soup.

I was struck by the combination of sweet potatoes and chickpeas in one soup. I had been trying to figure out how to add beans to my butternut squash soup for months - white cannellini beans are too bland, and black beans just turn the dish into a form of chili (delicious, but not what I wanted). Chickpeas were the key.

You can use dried or canned chickpeas.  I like to use dried because you can infuse them with more flavor when you cook them, you can control the amount of salt, and you can use the broth as part of soup. If you can splurge on heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo, even better.

I like to roast the squash first, but it's not necessary. Roasting can be done a day or two ahead of time to make your life easier. You can also saute and simmer the squash with the other vegetables if you want to remove this step.

*Time saving tip - Get the most out of your time in the kitchen
Prep and roast the vegetables as part of your dinner prep a day or two ahead of time. The squash can be tossed in the oven with roasted potatoes or winter root vegetables that you make for dinner.

Better yet, get someone else to peel and/or chop the vegetables while you're cooking dinner. I regularly ask my husband to peel and chop carrots, celery and onions while I'm cooking.  That way, you can oversee the process and still accomplish two tasks at once.

By the time your dinner is ready, the soup prep is also done.   Just toss the chopped vegetables in plastic containers and store them in the fridge until you're ready to make soup.

Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Chickpeas (10 servings)
2 medium butternut squashes, peeled
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
3 springs of fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems, or 1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt
Cayenne pepper
2 cups white wine or water
1 32-oz container low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or about 4 cups cooked chickpeas (no need to rinse chickpeas that you cooked, and feel free to as much of the broth as you wish)

Toppings:
Greek yogurt
Fresh thyme leaves
Crumbled goat cheese
Cooked sausage, sliced
Sauteed greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc.)
Toasted cashews, pumpkin seeds, or squash seeds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut each butternut squash into 4 large pieces (cut in half horizontally, and then cut each of those halves in half). Scoop the seeds out of the bottom halves of the squash (discard the seeds or save them to toast later). Coat the squash in olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Lay the pieces cut-side-down on a parchment- or foil-lined half sheet pan.

Roast the squash for about 45 minutes, until it begins to caramelize. The squash should be cooked at this point, but not mushy. Remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool. When the squash is cool, cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, until the onion is soft and translucent, but not brown (turn the heat down to medium-low if it starts to brown).

Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste). Stir to coat the vegetables and cook for another minute.

Add the wine (or water) and broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down so that the liquid is just simmering. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the roasted squash and allow the soup to simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the pot and discard.

If using a regular blender: Remove about half of the vegetables from the pot to a separate container using a ladle. Then puree the vegetables in batches using the blender. I like to blend about 3 cups of vegetables at a time, adding enough cooking liquid to cover the vegetables each time. Blend until smooth, adding more cooking liquid as needed to create a smooth puree. When you finish each batch, you can add the puree back into the pot with the remaining vegetables and broth.

If using an immersion blender: Remove about half of the vegetables with a slotted spoon to a separate container. Use the immersion blender to puree the remaining vegetables and cooking liquid until you achieve a smooth puree. Return the reserved vegetables to the pot.

Add the chickpeas to the soup and stir to combine. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes until the chickpeas are warmed through. Taste and add additional salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Serve warm. The soup is great on its own or with any of the listed toppings. My favorite version included goat cheese, sausage, and toasted cashews.

Top 10 Tips for Eating Healthy and Delicious Food at Work

2012-09-02T04:56:00.001-07:00

In honor of Labor Day, I've compiled my top ten tips for eating healthy at work. If you work a full-time job like I do, you probably spend the majority of your waking hours during the week at work. You also face countless food-related challenges there on a daily basis - overcoming the temptation of a cupcake on a coworker's birthday or the call of the office vending machine at 3 PM can be difficult for even the most health-conscious foodie.

With those challenges in mind, here are my top tips to help you get through the week and accomplish your healthy eating goals:

1. Plan ahead - The key to eating healthy at work is planning ahead. Figuring out a routine that works for you - and sticking to it - is a must. We like to coordinate our lunches with dinners during the week (see number 5 below) in order to maximize our cooking time and make high-quality lunches that we look forward to eating. For example, we make lunches for the first half of the week on Sunday or Monday night and lunches for Thursday and Friday on Wednesday night. We also have a rotation of snacks that we pack - such as fresh fruits with homemade walnut or peanut butter and oatmeal with yogurt - that make it easier to get through the day. Lastly, set some time aside on Saturday or Sunday to think about your lunches for the week. You will thank yourself on Tuesday afternoon as you dig in to a delicious homemade lunch while your coworkers contemplate buying a burger and fries from Five Guys.

2. Bring your own coffee and tea - Let's face it, most of the free coffee and tea offered in the workplace is subpar. This reality leaves you with a few options - lower your standards during the day and take advantage of the free beverages, spend some money at the local coffee shop (which can add up quickly, but also offer you a chance to get out of the office), or bring your own provisions from home. I generally employ a combination of these options. I buy a container of vanilla soy milk at the local CVS, combine it with the free coffee, and add a bit of my own instant coffee (from Trader Joe's) to the mixture in order to make it palatable. Complicated, yes, but it helps me get through the day and avoid spending too much money at Starbucks. When I really want a treat, I take a nice long walk past the White House and buy a great cup of coffee at M.E. Swing Coffee House and then sip it in Lafayette Park. This helps break up the day and remind me what a really great cup of coffee tastes like.

3. Make a batch of emergency oatmeal - Oatmeal is a really easy snack to keep at the office. You can make your own homemade mixture by combining rolled oats, flax meal, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and your favorite dried fruit and nuts. Then you can enjoy it a couple different ways- first, you can pour some oatmeal in a bowl and cover it with some of the hot water that offices usually supply for tea, and then wait either five minutes at room temperature or longer if you store the oatmeal in the refrigerator, and then combine the oatmeal with some plain yogurt and/or fresh fruit; or you can combine half a cup of your oatmeal mixture with half a cup of milk in a bowl and microwave it on high for one minute, and then enjoy the oatmeal warm. Either way, emergency oatmeal is great for those days when you didn't have time to make breakfast at home or when you're really hungry in the middle of the afternoon and just need a healthy snack to keep you from raiding the vending machine.

4. Be your own caterer - When you walk or bike to work everyday, the containers you choose to pack your lunch in are very important. We had a few disasters with glass Tupperware containers, which eventually led us to buy the lightweight plastic containers that caterers and specialty food stores use to pack food. I like the Newspring DELItainer Clear Round Deli Containers from The Webstaurant Store. They are light, easy to carry, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, and practically leakproof. Plus, you don't have to worry about them crashing to the ground as you load your bag onto the front of the Capital Bikeshare bike in the morning.

5. Maximize dinner cooking time - as I explained earlier, we like to make lunches by making extra portions of dinner during the week and then packing the leftovers into containers for lunches. Dinner can be a big pot of soup, a batch of vegetable curry, or a tray of roasted chicken with vegetables. Make six or eight servings instead of two on two of the nights that you cook dinner, and then you have your lunch all set for the rest the week.

6. Make a batch of toaster sandwiches - I created these sandwiches to utilize one of the appliances that can be found in most office kitchens: the toaster. Microwaves are generally horrible for heating up bread, and I just about insist that bread for sandwiches be toasted first. So I came up with the idea of a thin sandwich that can be made ahead of time - it consists of a whole wheat (or gluten-free) tortilla and your choice of fillings. You pack it in your lunch when it's cold and then heat it at work using one side of a conventional toaster.

Our favorite is the peanut butter and jelly version that uses homemade nut butter, raspberry preserves, and a sprinkle of coconut, which can be eaten cold or warm. To make this version, lay the tortilla flat on a plate or cutting board. Spread the entire tortilla with your choice of peanut butter or almond butter, then spread some raspberry preserves or another type of jam or jelly over the nut butter, and finally, sprinkle with a bit of coconut (toasted or not). Then, fold the tortilla in half and wrap with plastic wrap or place in a sandwich-size plastic bag. Other filling options include Gruyere cheese with tomato and onion or tuna salad with capers and bread and butter pickles. Make sure you keep the sandwich thin by using minimal toppings - otherwise, you risk spillage in your office toaster and snide looks from your non-foodie coworkers.

7. Utilize frozen vegetables - Frozen vegetables can help you make quick dinners, but they can also serve as a good workday snack. My personal favorite is a combination of frozen peas and corn with a pinch of salt and pepper. You can heat up the vegetables in the microwave for a quick snack, or you can add them to some leftover chicken and rice to create a well-balanced lunch.

8. Make time for breakfast - Eating a substantial breakfast in the morning gets your day started right. We usually start our day with a steam-fried egg, some sautéed spinach, and half of an avocado, along with a cup of coffee. Breakfast also gives us an opportunity to spend some time with each other before we head off to our jobs for the day.

9. Stock up on fresh fruit - Fresh fruit is a must during the workday. We like to shop at the Dupont farmer's market on Sundays and stock up on the seconds that they offer at our favorite orchard, Toigo Orchards. For $.99 a pound, we can stock up on the most delicious peaches, apples, and nectarines available. I like to eat a piece of fruit as a midmorning snack and then another piece of fruit after lunch. Eating fruit during the day helps to control your cravings, and it makes you less likely to grab that cupcake later in the day.

10. Have a good Plan B - Have a good affordable restaurant choice to fall back on for the times when life gets busy and you don't have time to pack your lunch. My favorite Plan B restaurant is District Taco in downtown Washington, DC. They have great fish tacos made with grilled tilapia on Tuesdays and Fridays for only $2.50. I wouldn't want to eat tacos for lunch every day, but it's a good option when you don't have time to pack a lunch the night before.

So enjoy the long weekend, and don't forget to think about what you're bringing for lunch on Tuesday. Happy Labor Day!

Guys Can Cook: Berry Beet Breakfast Smoothie

2012-04-16T16:45:00.002-07:00

Breakfast smoothies have recently become C's territory. For weeks, if not months, I was tinkering with different breakfast smoothie variations, combining different fruits and vegetables until I came up with my favorite variations. C would drink the mysterious concoctions, but he was a little timid about making his own smoothies, fearful that he'd end up with some thick, brown, tasteless liquid and have wasted some delicious fruits and vegetables in the process. I understood the hesitancy, because, to be honest, smoothie-making isn't really as easy as it appears.

Sure, to make a smoothie, you can just add some fruits (and vegetables, if you're into that sort of thing) and liquid and turn the blender on. But making a really tasty and nutritious smoothie can be a bit of a challenge. I was originally drawn to beets with my Carrot Beet Smoothie recipe because of the gorgeous color. The color can be somewhat problematic if you like to add greens to your smoothie (spinach, kale, chard, etc.), but to solve that problem and make the most of my produce purchases, I started using the beet greens. They don't alter the magenta color at all, and you can still get your fill of leafy greens. I'm usually able to find beets with greens still attached at the farmer's market or at Whole Foods.

I finally wrote down the recipe for our favorite breakfast smoothie. You can make it on the weekend to serve with brunch or pack it in a container in the morning and drink it at work. There are multiple variations of the recipe, allowing you to make it vegan, add Greek yogurt, incorporate it into a Cleanse, or even add some oats or spelt flakes to thicken it up and add some fiber.

Your use of ice is up to you - I usually make the smoothie with just one or two ice cubes and then store it in the freezer at work until I'm ready to drink it. Then I'll add a scoop of ice cubes and drink it with a straw. If you're at home and like frothy smothies, use frozen blueberries, cold tea, and some ice cubes and blend it until you get the right consistency.

You may need to run the blender a few times to get the drink really smooth - even with the Vitamix, I run the "Smoothie" setting a couple times until it the consistency looks right. And if your blender is less powerful, cook some extra vegetables with dinner (without seasoning them) and save them for your breakfast smoothie in the morning.

Berry Beet Breakfast Smoothie (1 generous serving, or 2 smaller servings)
2 small beets (or one large) with greens (about 1 cup) - peel beets, wash greens and roughly chop
1 medium carrot, peeled (greens washed and chopped if attached)
3/4 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)*
1/4 cup (about 2oz) greek yogurt (I like Fage 0%) or 1 Tbsp raw cashews (*vegan/non-dairy option)
1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
1.5 Tbsp flaxmeal
1 scoop Move**
3/4 cup brewed yerba mate or green tea (chilled if possible, or at least cooled to room temperature)
Pinch of cinnamon and salt
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
(Optional) 1 clementine, peeled and broken into segments*
Ice, as needed***

*Nutrition note: This smoothie can be pretty high in sugar when you add in the blueberries and clementine. And while it is all natural sugar from fruits and vegetables, you may want to lower the sugar content to suit your own taste and nutritional needs. To lower the sugar content, leave out the optional clementine and add blueberries to the smoothie 1/4 cup at a time, blending and tasting along the way until the smoothie is sweet enough for your taste.
**Move is a great source of Fiber from the Clean Program. Another option to try if you don't have Move and can tolerate gluten is to add about 2 Tbsp of rolled oats or spelt flakes.
***Try making some ice cubes from any leftover tea that you may have during the week. I also do this with leftover coffee and save the cubes in a freezer bag for when I want an iced mocha.

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to run your blender a few times, checking the consistency as you go. To help keep the smoothie cold, you can leave out the ice cubes and frozen blueberries until the rest of the mixture is blended smooth - add the ice and blueberries at the end and blend one last time to chill the drink.

All nutrition facts below assume that this recipe yields one large serving, but the recipe definitely makes enough to share.

Nutrition facts for one smoothie made with Greek yogurt, without the Clementine, and without Move:

Serving Size 490 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

266

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

5.1g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

305mg

13%

Total Carbohydrates

48.4g

16%

Dietary Fiber

13.3g

53%

Sugars

31.3g

Protein

12.6g

Vitamin A 254%	•	Vitamin C 46%
Calcium 19%	•	Iron 21%

Nutrition facts for one smoothie made with the clementine and Greek yogurt, without Move:

Serving Size 564 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

301

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

5.1g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

305mg

13%

Total Carbohydrates

57.2g

19%

Dietary Fiber

14.6g

58%

Sugars

38.1g

Protein

13.2g

Vitamin A 254%	•	Vitamin C 106%
Calcium 21%	•	Iron 22%

Nutrition facts for smoothie made with the clementine, cashews, without Move:

Serving Size 516 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

320

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

9.1g

14%

Saturated Fat

0.9g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

285mg

12%

Total Carbohydrates

57.7g

19%

Dietary Fiber

14.9g

60%

Sugars

36.2g

Protein

9.5g

Vitamin A 254%	•	Vitamin C 106%
Calcium 15%	•	Iron 24%

Nutrition facts for Move can be found here.

Deliciously Homemade Peanut Butter

2012-03-28T18:02:00.002-07:00

I have so much catching up to do with Modern Vintage Cooking that it's hard to know where to start. Computer issues have consistently kept me from posting new recipes - first with my computer's memory, then with uploading the photos, and finally Blogger editing issues - but the good news is that I have lots of recipes saved up to post.

While it's not difficult to find instructions online about how to make your own peanut butter, I feel like the magic of homemade peanut butter too often gets lost in discussions of the mechanics. And homemade peanut butter is magical - it's cheap, quick and easy to make, utterly delicious, and better than any variety you can buy at the grocery store.

I grew up eating crunchy peanut butter from the grocery store and thought it was pretty good. I never really thought about making my own to use in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or to enjoy next to a sliced banana. I also never realized just how easy it is to make homemade peanut butter or how amazing it tastes in comparison to processed peanut butter. It's a whole new world.

If you're new to making your own nut butters, peanut butter is a great place to start because you don't need to add anything to the peanuts if you don't want to. I've experimented with different amounts of salt and seasonings and have my own preferences that I detail below, but you can also just put peanuts in your food processor and end up with peanut butter in the end. You can't really mess it up.

Start using your homemade peanut butter on sandwiches, in smoothies, on cereal, and in desserts, and you will discover the magic that is super fresh, homemade peanut butter. Friends will wonder why your peanut butter cookies taste so good, your kids will request extra peanut butter on their sandwiches, and you might even find yourself opening up the jar of peanut butter armed with only a spoon and a taste for something homemade.

Homemade Peanut Butter (Makes about 2 cups)
1 pound roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
(optional) 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, depending on taste
(optional) 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup)

(Optional prep step) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the peanuts out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 5-6 minutes, until the peanuts are just lightly toasted. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before proceeding with the peanut butter. This step can be done in advance, but store toasted peanuts in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

1. Place peanuts, salt, cinnamon and honey in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the steel blade.

(*Note: if you like crunchy peanut butter, reserve 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of peanuts, chop, and set aside. When the rest of the peanuts have been processed into a smooth butter, stir in the reserved nuts with a spatula)

2. Turn the machine on and process the peanuts until they go from:
the coarse meal stage (crumbs),

to the clump stage,

to the smooth butter stage.

3. Taste the peanut butter to determine if you need to add more salt, cinnamon, or honey. If you add additional seasoning, run the food processor for an additional 30 seconds to incorporate the added ingredients.

4. Transfer the peanut butter to a glass jar or plastic container for storage and keep in the refrigerator.

*Note: Save the glass jars from store-bought nut butters, jams, pickles, etc. to use for your own homemade nut butters. When the jar is empty, you can sanitize it by running it through the dishwasher (usually once or twice will do the trick) and then refill it with your homemade peanut butter.

Nutrition facts for about one tablespoon of peanut butter:

Serving Size 14 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

7.0g

11%

Saturated Fat

1.0g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

36mg

Total Carbohydrates

3.2g

Dietary Fiber

1.1g

Sugars

0.8g

Protein

3.4g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%	•	Iron 2%

Pear Apple Oat Crisp

2012-03-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Is this breakfast or dessert? You decide. I've been loving the local apples and pears at the farmer's market during the past month and have been experimenting with roasting and baking them. I've completely fallen for this crisp recipe and have been known to eat it at any time of the day. If your local orchard sells "seconds," grab them and make this recipe.

I've tested this crisp recipe using lots of different variations, but my favorite version has a combination of apples and pears with a good helping of dried cranberries mixed in. I was also pleasantly surprised with the version where I added some baked sweet potato in place of some of the apple and pear. The sweet potato is soft and creamy and added an almost pumpkin-like flavor and texture to the dish without making it mushy.

I'm usually pretty strict about my breakfast routine during the week - a smoothie made with fresh greens, carrots, ginger, flaxmeal, and whatever fresh or frozen fruit we have in the refrigerator - but this dish is such a lovely breakfast treat on the weekends. Since I prefer cold "cereal" for breakfast, leftovers are my favorite way to eat this in the morning.

For dessert, you can serve the crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or gelato. Or make up some cold "yogurt cream" like I do by blending yogurt, ice, a handful of cashews, and fruit (fresh, frozen, dried - your choice!) in the blender until smooth. Then pour the cold "cream" over the top of your crisp and let the oats soak up the liquid. Top with some chopped toasted walnuts, and the texture is just about perfect.

Pear Apple Oat Crisp (8 servings)

Juice and zest of one small Meyer lemon (or half of a standard lemon)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

4 pears, peeled if not organic

2 apples, peeled if not organic

¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped into ¼-inch pieces

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons molasses (or maple syrup)

1.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats or spelt flakes (or a combination of the two)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

For serving: toasted walnuts, cinnamon, vanilla ice cream or yogurt (see notes above)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Grate the zest of the lemon and squeeze its juice into the bottom of an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Grate the fresh ginger into the dish and set aside.

Chop the pears and apples into 3/4-inch pieces and place the chopped fruit and dried cranberries in the baking dish with the lemon juice, zest, and ginger mixture. When all the fruit is in the dish, toss the fruit in the juice mixture so that all the pieces are coated. Add ½ cup of the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1 Tablespoon honey, and 1 Tablespoon molasses. Stir to combine.

Place the remaining 1 cup of oats to a separate bowl and add the olive oil and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of honey and 1 Tablespoon of molasses to the oats. Stir to coat the oats in the mixture. Add the oat topping to the top of the fruit mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the fruit is tender and the topping is browned. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Nutrition facts for one serving using rolled oats:

Serving Size 185 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

192

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

2.9g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

5mg

Total Carbohydrates

42.0g

14%

Dietary Fiber

6.2g

25%

Sugars

22.4g

Protein

2.6g

Vitamin A 1%	•	Vitamin C 14%
Calcium 3%	•	Iron 7%

Nutrition facts for one serving using spelt flakes:

Serving Size 177 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

154

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

2.1g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

41mg

Total Carbohydrates

36.6g

12%

Dietary Fiber

5.4g

22%

Sugars

23.0g

Protein

1.3g

Vitamin A 1%	•	Vitamin C 14%
Calcium 3%	•	Iron 4%

Slow-Cooked Turkey Bolognese with Chicken Sausage and Homemade Spelt and Flax Pasta

2012-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect weekend meal. During the week, I generally limit myself to pre-planned lunches and a handful of quick, simple dinners. On the weekend, however, I like to let myself go. I sit at the kitchen table reading through my newest cookbook finds from the library, picking out recipes that I want to make. I usually pick way too many recipes and spend some more time interrogating C about what he wants to eat. Then I get started.

When I first read Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe for Turkey Bolognese from My Father's Daughter, I was a little hesitant. The listed preparation time is 5 hours, and while I may spend most of my Saturday cooking anyway, I usually don't spend 5 hours cooking one dish. But I was really craving some traditional Italian food, so I made the time investment and was thoroughly delighted with the result.

Of course I changed the recipe a bit, adding some carrots and celery, a little extra tomato paste, and a pinch of dried herbs, but nothing too radical. I also decided to make some homemade pasta to go with my slow-cooked sauce (I had the time, right?). I honored tradition by using half semolina flour, but I also added whole grain spelt flour and flax meal to the dough to make the pasta a bit easier to digest. If the Goop Cleanse taught me anything, it's that little choices made at each meal to aid digestion can add up to much bigger effects in the aggregate.

If you're looking for a quick, healthy version of this for a weeknight, try my Turkey Bolognese with Quinoa recipe. It will satisfy the craving for Italian food in a fraction of the time. But honestly, if you're having company over for dinner or have some time on a long weekend, definitely give this slower version a try. Then sit down and watch an episode of the Sopranos and call it a night.

Slow-Cooked Turkey Bolognese with Chicken Sausage (4-6 servings)
2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound hot Italian sausage made with chicken or turkey* (about 3 links)
1 pound ground turkey (Lean or dark will work, but I'd go with darker meat for this)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 celery stalks, leaves removed and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 28-oz. cans organic whole peeled tomatoes in juice**
1/2 cup filtered water or red wine, plus additional water as needed
1 6-oz. can organic tomato paste
Pinch of dried basil and oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
3/4 lb. pasta, or Homemade Spelt & Flax Pasta (recipe below)
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for serving

*I used the fresh Hot Italian Chicken Sausage at the Whole Foods, which was flavorful, but much lower in fat than traditional pork sausage. You can get mild Italian sausage, but this sauce is pretty mild to start with, so I went for the hot version.
**I get the Muir Organic brand whole peeled tomatoes from Whole Foods. The quality of the tomatoes is important, so I'd spend an extra dollar or two to get the good ones. I also like San Marzano tomatoes for Italian dishes.

1. Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven (or other heavy pan) over medium-high heat. Cut the sausages in half and add them to the hot pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning the sausages so they cook evenly, until they are evenly browned. Remove the sausages to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the ground turkey to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and a bit browned. Remove the turkey from the pan and add it to the plate with the sausage.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pan. Cook until the vegetables are soft and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another minute or so.

3. Add the canned tomatoes and the water or red wine to the pot. Add the ground turkey and sausages back to the pot, and make sure the meat is covered by the liquid. Bring the sauce to a boil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and turn the heat down to low.

4. Partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving just about 1/2 inch of space on one side for the steam to escape. Gently simmer for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a bit of water (or extra wine) to the sauce if it looks a little dry.

5. After 3 or 4 hours of simmering, add in the tomato paste and a pinch of basil and oregano, partially cover the pot, and allow the sauce to simmer for 1 additional hour. Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes at the end if you think the sauce needs a little heat.

6. I used the last hour or so of simmering time to make homemade pasta, but if you're using boxed pasta, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add a big pinch of salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving a little bit of pasta cooking water (1/4 to 1/2 cup).

7. Add the cooked pasta to a bowl (or back in the pot to save on dishes) with the pasta water and one ladle full of the tomato sauce. Mix the pasta with the water and sauce so that each noodle has a light coating of tomato sauce - this will keep the pasta from clumping on the plate. Serve the pasta with additional tomato sauce on top and some freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition facts for one serving of sauce, assuming the recipe yields 6 total servings and you use 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and water (rather than red wine) in the sauce:

Serving Size 490 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

370

Calories from Fat

154

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

17.1g

26%

Saturated Fat

3.6g

18%

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

93mg

31%

Sodium

359mg

15%

Total Carbohydrates

21.2g

Dietary Fiber

6.0g

24%

Sugars

12.6g

Protein

34.4g

Vitamin A 126%	•	Vitamin C 76%
Calcium 9%	•	Iron 21%

Homemade Spelt & Flax Pasta (4-6 servings)
1 cup semolina flour
1 cup whole grain spelt flour
2 Tablespoons flaxmeal, or ground flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 medium organic eggs, or 2 large or extra large eggs
1.5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Water, as needed, 1 Tablespoon at a time

1. Add the semolina flour, spelt flour, flaxmeal, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.

2. Whisk together the eggs and olive oil (I used the 1-cup measuring cup from the flour to save on dishes). Turn the food processor on, and slowly pour in the egg mixture through the feed tube of the food processor. Add some water to the cup used for the egg mixture, and slowly add about one tablespoon of water to the dough with the food processor running until it comes together in a ball.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

4. Cut the dough into about 6 pieces, and use a pasta roller and cutter to make your desired pasta shapes. I made fettuccine for the Turkey Bolognese sauce and some cappellini for dinner the following evening. The recipe will yield about 4-6 servings of pasta, depending on portion size. Cooking time was about 2 minutes for the fettuccine, angel hair will likely cook in no time.

Nutrition facts for one serving of pasta, assuming this recipe yields 6 total servings:

Serving Size 71 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

233

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

6.5g

10%

Saturated Fat

1.1g

Cholesterol

71mg

24%

Sodium

219mg

Total Carbohydrates

35.7g

12%

Dietary Fiber

4.2g

17%

Protein

8.9g

Vitamin A 2%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%	•	Iron 14%

Soupy Sundays: Vegan Split Pea Soup

2012-02-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

Since I finished my 21-day Cleanse a couple weeks ago, I've found myself still cooking generally Cleanse-friendly food. I've reintroduced tomatoes and eggs and will eat those occasionally, but I really enjoy eating the foods that make up the base of the Elimination Diet.

This Sunday I decided to make Split Pea soup using the Daily Soup Cookbook's recipe. I had never made split pea soup before (or even tried it, dare I admit?!), but I bow to the writers of the Daily Soup Cookbook and dove in just the same. I added an extra serving or two of vegetables to the soup, threw in some Herbes de Provence, and only puréed a portion of the finished soup to retain some of the chunky texture, but otherwise I was fairly obedient in following instructions.

This soup has been enjoyed for lunch all week, and I really think that making my own vegetable stock first really added a lot of flavor to the soup. I'd imagine that the soup would still be delicious using water, store-bought stock, or a combination of the two, but if you have some extra carrots, onions, and celery sitting in your vegetable drawer, you really owe it to yourself to cook up a quick stock.

Vegan Split Pea Soup (Makes 10 cups)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, , chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (if you don't have this blend, just add another tsp of thyme instead)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound green split peas, rinsed and picked over to remove any debris
8 cups of basic vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (can substitute with more vegetable stock to be Cleanse-friendly)
1 clove garlic
Chopped parsley and/or Parmesan cheese (not vegan, but a delicious topping nonetheless)

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for about 4 minutes, until tender.

2. Add the thyme, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper and stir to coat the vegetables.

3. Add the split peas, stock, and white wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat so that the soup simmers, partially cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes, until the peas are tender.

4. Remove the bay leaves and purée 1/2 to 3/4 of the soup in a blender with the clove of garlic (no need to peel), or by using an immersion blender and reserving a portion of the soup in a separate container. You can also blend the whole thing if you prefer a smooth soup.

5. Return the puréed soup to the pot and simmer for 2 minutes to heat through. Serve with chopped fresh parsley and/or shredded Parmesan.

Nutrition facts for 1 cup of soup, assuming you get about 10 total cups.

Serving Size 290 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

203

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

2.0g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

313mg

13%

Total Carbohydrates

31.9g

11%

Dietary Fiber

12.4g

50%

Sugars

5.3g

Protein

13.1g

Vitamin A 63%	•	Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 4%	•	Iron 14%

Lessons Learned on the Goop Cleanse

2012-02-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

I officially finished my 21-day Goop Cleanse last Thursday and enjoyed my first non-Elimination-Diet meal on Friday night when my friend made some amazing homemade pasta and a delicious lemon cake. Aside from my much-needed splurge, I plan to stick to the Elimination Diet as home base for the next week or two as I reintroduce foods into my diet.

The Cleanse has caused me to reflect on my own diet and food habits. During the last month, I have experienced a number of revelations about food, cooking, food culture, and myself that reach far beyond the limits of the Cleanse. These are lessons that I will apply to my cooking and eating habits in the future.

1. Sometimes a smoothie is what’s for dinner. “What’s for dinner?” seems to be the eternal question during the week when you’re done with work for the day and heading home. For me, it was always a bit stressful to figure out what to cook for dinner during the week, and quick dinners like homemade pizza often ended up in the rotation.

On the Cleanse, however, the dinner question practically disappeared. During the first week of the Cleanse, I made dinner most nights during the week, trying to come up with recipes that were Cleanse-friendly, but that somewhat resembled what I was used to eating. I ended up feeling overwhelmed. There I was preparing dinner for C and I, an Elimination Diet lunch and snacks for the next day, and smoothie ingredients for the following morning – something had to give.

I decided to let myself off the hook and fully embrace the Cleanse, which meant that dinner became a green smoothie and usually a side of cooked vegetables or socca. Sometimes that would be followed up with a bowl of fruit, millet, and toasted nuts in cashew milk, or sometimes C and I just enjoyed a mug of Chocolate Herbal Tea while watching an episode of Dexter.

Letting go of the daily dinner quandary was the best decision I have made in a while. Sticking to smoothies on busy days is healthy, cuts down on stress, and leaves you extra free time during the week. It’s basically like eating a big salad without the chopping and dressing. And it doesn’t have to be a smoothie to fit into a busy week – any simple dish with fruit and vegetables will do the trick.

2. Keep it simple. Aside from switching to smoothies for dinner, I realized that the best way to stick with the Cleanse was to keep meals simple. Steamed greens with roasted chicken and mushrooms is a delicious meal and Cleanse-friendly, so why make it more complicated and try to other people’s recipes that include ingredients that you can’t eat?

I learned to focus on the foods that I could eat: produce, gluten-free grains, and protein. Since I used to snack on bowls of cereal, I started combining cold cooked grains, toasted nuts, and chopped fresh fruit to make a healthy, unprocessed snack that could just as easily serve as a breakfast.

Another discovery during the Cleanse was the “steamed salad” work lunch. Salads seem to be a dieter’s standby, but to be honest, I get sick of eating salad for lunch everyday. The constant munching on raw vegetables is somewhat tiresome, and during the winter, I long for a warm, comforting meal to perk me up during the workday.

The Steamed Salad recipe is simple and not really a "recipe" at all. Take a microwave-safe lunch container and add:

Greens – spinach is my favorite for this, and I literally pack as much will fit into the container

Protein – roasted organic chicken breast was the most common for me, but fresh or cooked mushrooms were really flavorful and gave a meaty flavor to the dish too

Herbs (optional) – if you have fresh herbs, they are perfect in here. Just a few torn leaves of basil add lots of flavor.

Grains and Sauce (optional) – I sometimes add a bit of quinoa or millet to the bowl and some homemade Cleanse-friendly pesto (don't use store-bought pesto for this - it likely contains dairy).

Extra veggies (optional) – If you have leftover roasted veggies, throw a few in for flavor. Also, I like to peel long strips of raw carrots and add them to the bowl, and the result is that they steam quickly in the microwave and lend a light sweetness to the salad.

Lemon – slice off a sliver of a lemon and store it in the container, removing it before you microwave, and then squeeze the lemon juice over the top of the salad after cooking.

Seasoning – if you’re not using any sauce, you’ll probably want to add a pinch of salt to the dish, and maybe even some red pepper flakes if you want some heat. I refrain from adding garlic for the sake of my coworkers, but the choice is yours.

Microwave the salad covered for about 1 minute 30 seconds on high, until the greens have steamed and shrunk down and the other ingredients are warm. Squeeze the lemon over the top and stir to combine.

3. Feed your body, not your emotions. Food is extremely powerful and brings up lots of memories and emotions. I find myself drawn to certain foods when I’m in a particular mood, or even when the weather changes (snowy days inevitably lead to thoughts of mac and cheese, while a hot summer day might bring about gazpacho). There’s nothing inherently wrong with these emotions, but sometimes these tendencies can lead you to eat food for purely emotional reasons.

Food is expensive therapy, and unless you’re willing to pay the price, it's best to cope in other ways. Being on the Cleanse was a great way to cut down on emotional eating. Lots of snack and comfort foods were cut out of the Cleanse, including popcorn, potatoes, chocolate (other than cocoa powder), and anything containing wheat (bread, crackers, pretzels, pasta). I really couldn’t get into much trouble with fruits, vegetables, chicken, and quinoa in the house. I developed my Herbal Hot Chocolate to enjoy as a dessert at the end of the day and really enjoyed my whole grain “cereal” bowls, but those are healthy indulgences. It’s important to enjoy your food, but it's not meant to cure boredom, wake you up, or comfort you when you’re feeling sad.

I have realized that by practicing self love - nourishing your body with healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and making time in the day to do the things that you love - removes the urges that lead to emotional eating. In addition, but cutting out sugar, caffeine, and many carbohydrates, I found my mood was consistently calm during the Cleanse. Little things during the day bothered me less, and I felt more content. Whether that was because I was taking control of my food choices and working towards a higher goal, or just because good food makes you feel better, I’m not sure. In any case, I am still enjoying the foods and meals I discovered on the Cleanse, and I plan to use this experience to influence my cooking philosophy.

Food matters, and by nourishing your body with healthy foods that make you feel great, your soul can’t help but rejoice as well.

Day 17 Goop Cleanse Elimination Diet: Socca (the Gluten-Free Answer to Crêpes)

2012-01-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

When C and I were in Nice last September, we discovered Socca. Authentic Socca from a stand at the market that was cooked in a wood-burning oven. It was utterly delicious, and I had sworn that I would attempt to make my own Socca when we got home.

Four months passed, and I finally bought a bag of Garbanzo Bean Flour, predicting that I would need to bake something while I was on the Goop Cleanse. And then I remembered the delicious Socca and set out to make my own in a cast iron skillet. Not completely traditional, but delicious nonetheless.

Socca is a savory gluten-free pancake/crêpe made of garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour. You can add your own seasonings to the batter, including rosemary, cumin, or sauteed onions, to customize it to your taste. You can also cook the Socca until it reaches the consistency that you prefer - you might like yours really crispy at the edges or soft and custardy. The recipe is yours to tweak as you like.

C decided that Socca would be the perfect snack to eat after an evening of drinking - not that you need to be drunk to enjoy Socca, but it would definitely satisfy a late-night craving for pizza or cheesy bread. So if you suspect that you're going to be headed out for a late night, it might be a good idea to whip up a batch of this super easy batter so it's ready when the craving comes calling.

Day 11 Goop Soupy Sunday - Mollie's Vegan Red Lentil Soup with Dried Apricots

2012-01-16T15:35:00.000-08:00

Day 11 on the Goop Cleanse Elimination Diet - No dairy, eggs, tomatoes, bananas, corn, red meat, pork, gluten, soy, sugar, coffee, or alcohol (among other foods).

I am officially more than halfway through the 21-Day Goop Cleanse process. I'm still feeling great eating this food and even noticed that my jeans feel a bit loose. It's not a big change, but after wearing the same pair of jeans for over 2 years, I can tell when there's a change.

I have gradually shifted to follow the Cleanse schedule of having a larger meal in the middle of the day and having a smoothie for breakfast and either a smoothie or soup for dinner. I've always been hungrier in the afternoon, and it feels good to eat the majority of my food in the middle of the day when I'm the most active.

As far as cooking goes, I've turned to my favorite vegetarian recipe writers for inspiration, Mollie Katzen and Heidi Swanson. Even though I can eat chicken, turkey, and some fish on the Cleanse, my focus has mainly been on the vegetables and gluten-free whole grains, and Mollie Katzen and Heidi Swanson have such creative ways to prepare vegetables and grains that I haven't found myself bored with the Elimination Diet yet.

Yesterday I decided to try Mollie Katzen's "Lentil Soup with a Hint of Fruit" recipe because the mixture of lentils, dried apricots, and balsamic vinegar intrigued me. I loved this soup - it's an unexpectedly exquisite combination of flavors. Since I'm always tinkering with things, I changed the cooking method a bit and added in some shredded carrots for texture. I also puréed a couple cups of the soup at the end to give the broth a thicker, creamier texture. To make the soup a heartier (vegan and gluten-free) lunch, add some cooked quinoa or millet to the soup.

Mollie's Vegan Red Lentil Soup with Dried Apricots (8 servings)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups minced yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
3 medium carrots, shredded
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over
8 cups water or homemade chicken or vegetable stock (I used a combination of water and stock)
1 cup dried apricots, minced (about 4.5 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (adjust according to your taste)
Black pepper and cayenne, to taste

1. Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, and carrots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the cumin, mustard, and garlic and stir to coat the vegetables in the seasonings. Cook for another minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the lentils and water and/or stock to the pot and increase the heat to bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the lentils for about 25-30 minutes, until soft.

3. Add the apricots and salt, cover the pot, and let the soup sit for about 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and add black and cayenne pepper to taste. Also, add any additional salt if necessary.

4. Optional: To give the soup a creamier consistency, add 2-3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the puréed soup.

The soup can be served at this point or stored for up to several days in the refrigerator (and even longer in the freezer I would guess).

Serve this soup hot, and add a bit of yogurt and some fresh parsley if you like. Also, as I mentioned earlier, you can make this dish a bit heartier for a work lunch by adding some cooked whole grains. Millet was great, and I imagine that quinoa or brown rice would work as well.

Nutrition facts for one serving of soup

Serving Size 354 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

218

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

3.2g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

381mg

16%

Total Carbohydrates

34.6g

12%

Dietary Fiber

8.5g

34%

Sugars

4.5g

Protein

14.0g

Vitamin A 83%	•	Vitamin C 8%
Calcium 5%	•	Iron 19%

Day 7 - Cleansing Spree and Ginger Carrot Rice Pudding

2012-01-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

Day 7 on the Goop Cleanse Elimination Diet - Including no dairy, eggs, tomatoes, bananas, corn, red meat, pork, gluten, soy, sugar, coffee, or alcohol.

I think the Cleanse is finally getting to me. I woke up this morning with the extreme urge to clean my entire apartment and rearrange the furniture. If you knew me well, you would realize that this is not normal behavior. At all. I am not a messy person per se, but I am certainly not the type of person who wakes up and starts cleaning the apartment and rearranging furniture at 7:45am. That just doesn't happen.

But it happened today, and it felt great. The cleansing process has been surprisingly therapeutic and has encouraged me to reevaluate many aspects of my life. Today I was reevaluating which way my dining room table should face and where to put my ~~overabundance of~~ hair accessories. Tomorrow I might be reevaluating my monthly budget. All the small things that we put off on a regular basis eventually add up and can make life seem a little out of control.

Cleansing is about taking control of the things that you have the power to change and then letting the rest go. Eating is all about control, and when you control what you eat with the intention of making your body feel as good as possible, it has an effect on how you approach the rest of your life. So many things are out of your control in the world, but your food and living space are two things that you do have the power to manage.

As I looked around my apartment, which I had thought was fairly clean when I wasn't looking at it too closely, I realized that I had let certain things pile up around the house and allowed some dust to accumulate. Out of habit I ignored these things that were really making my everyday life worse in the long run. However, while clutter and dirt are easily fixed with a day or two of thorough cleaning, our eating habits are a bit more complex.

It's so much harder to see the "clutter" in our eating habits - extra food that we eat that doesn't benefit us, yet we can't seem to cut it out. The toughest part about food "clutter" is that until you strip down your diet, it can be difficult to identify what is the clutter and what is the good stuff. Fruits and vegetables are obvious good stuff, but what about those processed protein bars that you eat? They're supposed to be "healthy," and yet they contain a million different ingredients and probably a bit too much processed sugar. Is that clutter, or is that still good stuff?

I can already foresee a million questions that I'll be forced to answer after I finish the 21days of cleansing. What foods will I reintroduce first? How many of the excluded foods do I want to put back in the rotation? Do I really need to start drinking coffee in the morning again? I can't say for sure what my answers will be to these questions, but I know they will involve a bit of self-reflection, and that's the important part.

For now, I will post another "clean" recipe - Ginger Carrot Rice Pudding. This version puts a healthy spin on a traditional dessert, turning it into a dish that can be eaten at any point during the day when you want something slightly sweet. I used short grain brown rice, but you can experiment with other types of rice or even other grains like quinoa or millet, which would substantially cut down the cooking time (no need to pre-boil, just rinse the grains and add to the ginger carrot mixture)

Ginger Carrot Rice Pudding (6 servings)

1 cup organic short grain brown rice

3 cups water

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces*

4 dried pitted dates

1 pear, cored and cut into large pieces (no need to peel if organic)

½ cup cashews

1 small piece of ginger (about an inch long), peeled and cut into small pieces

Kosher Salt

2 ½ cups water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Optional) ¼ cup dried cranberries, or another dried fruit, roughly chopping larger pieces

(Optional) Chopped almonds or toasted cashews for serving

*If your blender has a tough time blending raw carrots into a puree, you may want to cook the carrots before blending. Steaming or boiling until tender will do the trick.

1. Bring the rice to a boil with 3 cups salted water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Lower the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, dates, pear, cashews, ginger, a pinch of salt, and the 2 1/2 cups of water to the pitcher of a blender and blend on high for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You should end up with about 5 cups of liquid purée.

3. Transfer the carrot purée to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat.

4. When the rice is ready, drain the rice in a strainer and transfer the partially cooked rice to the carrot purée. Turn the heat to medium high to bring the mixture to a boil.

5. When the mixture boils, reduce the heat so that the mixture is just simmering. Allow the mixture to cook for about 25 minutes, stirring to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg, stir into the mixture, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Taste the rice to determine if the texture is to your liking. If you like your rice more well done, continue cooking over low heat until you achieve the desired texture.

6. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla and dried cranberries.

7. Distribute the rice pudding evenly in ramekins to create individual servings or transfer the pudding to one larger bowl.

The pudding can be served warm, room temperature, or cold based on personal preference. Serve with some chopped nuts on top – almonds or toasted cashews would be good – and perhaps a couple extra pieces of dried fruit.

To store: cover the ramekins or bowl with plastic wrap, pressing down on the plastic so that it touches the surface of the pudding. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Nutrition facts for one serving, assuming you get 6 total servings:

Serving Size 209 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

233

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

6.5g

10%

Saturated Fat

1.1g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

104mg

Total Carbohydrates

42.2g

14%

Dietary Fiber

4.8g

19%

Sugars

8.8g

Protein

4.4g

Vitamin A 102%	•	Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 3%	•	Iron 7%

Day 4 Goop Cleanse Elimination Diet: Clean Chocolate Milk and Peppermint Hot Chocolate

2012-01-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

Day 4 on the Goop Cleanse Elimination Diet - No dairy, eggs, tomatoes, bananas, corn, red meat, gluten, soy, sugar, coffee, or alcohol.

I love chocolate drinks and have developed a few good ones for the blog, including the Vegan Iced Mocha and the Vegan Green Mocha Breakfast Smoothie, but they always included coffee. Since I can't drink coffee on the Elimination Diet, or use bananas, agave, or honey to sweeten, I decided to start experimenting with herbal tea as a base and dried dates to sweeten.

I was honestly shocked at how delicious this drink turned out. I made C try the hot version and he thought it reminded him of chocolate cake! I will have to decide at the end of the Cleanse how much coffee I want to drink going forward, but I will definitely be making this drink long after the Cleanse is over. It's delicious and fulfilling.

The cold version is a great mid-afternoon treat to take the place of an iced mocha from Starbucks. The warm version is the perfect soothing indulgence at the end of the day if you're craving a dessert.

Clean Chocolate Milk (1 servings)

1 ¼ cups water

1 yerba mate tea bag, or another herbal tea*

3 fresh mint leaves (optional)

About 3 Tablespoons (small handful) nuts or seeds**

1 (heaping) Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I love Valrhona - expensive, but worth it)

3 dried pitted dates

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Dash cinnamon

Pinch of salt

*I really like the Organic Yerba Mate with Green Tea and Peppermint from Whole Foods, but other green and herbal teas will work. Pick your favorite chocolate-compatible flavor.

**I mixed pumpkin seeds and cashews here, but almonds worked too.

1. Microwave water in a mug for 2 minutes. Let the tea steep according to the instructions, or about 3 minutes. You may add the mint leaves to steep with the tea at this point if you like – they give the drink a subtle mint flavor reminiscent of a peppermint hot chocolate.

2. When the tea is ready, discard the tea bag and mint leaves.

Note: If you would like to enjoy the drink cold, allow the tea to cool either at room temperature or in the refrigerator and then proceed with the instructions. Or you can make the drink with the warm tea and then refrigerate, serve over ice, or blend with ice.

3. Add the tea to the blender with the nuts/seeds, cocoa powder, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.

4. Blend on high for a minute or two, until the mixture is smooth and frothy. Depending on which nuts/seeds you’re using and the power of your blender, you may want to strain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer to remove any larger pieces of nuts/seeds that might remain.

4. To serve cold, you can blend the finished drink with a few ice cubes, or chill the drink in the refrigerator.

For a minty hot chocolate, simply serve in a mug and enjoy!

Nutrition facts for one serving, assuming you get one serving:

Serving Size 350 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

215

Calories from Fat

100

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

11.1g

17%

Saturated Fat

1.2g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

6mg

Total Carbohydrates

27.2g

Dietary Fiber

4.9g

20%

Sugars

16.2g

Protein

7.1g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 3%	•	Iron 10%

Day 3 Goop Cleanse Elimination Diet - Roasted Winter Squash and Sage Millet Risotto, Clean Green Salad

2012-01-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

Day 3 on the Goop Cleanse Elimination Diet - No dairy, eggs, tomatoes, bananas, corn, red meat, gluten, soy, sugar, coffee, or alcohol.

Clean eating feels really good and is forcing me to be a bit more creative with my cooking. While I generally have a policy of not placing restrictions on the foods that I eat, I have found sticking to the Elimination Diet to be more of a food challenge than a diet. There are no calorie restrictions, no restrictions on snacking, just a list of healthy foods to eat that are designed to be kind to your digestive system and body in general.

Before I started the Cleanse, I decided that I wasn't going to worry about losing any weight. I knew that if I decided to follow the Elimination Diet with the intention of losing weight, I might lose sight of the real reason I'm doing the Cleanse - which is learning how to cook and eat foods that make me feel great. Therefore, I will wait until the end to check in with the weight issue, but for now, I'm just trying to cook up the new foods on my list.

I love the fact that the Cleanse focuses on maximizing your fresh fruit and vegetable intake. I am always looking for new ways to get more produce into my diet, and when I can't have coffee, dairy, and oats, I find myself reaching for even more fruits and vegetables during the day. I thought that it would be difficult to cut out my breakfast grains (oats, bulgur, multigrain toast) and eggs but I have been surprisingly satisfied with my smoothie creations on the Cleanse. I was used to drinking breakfast smoothies before, but they usually included bananas and/or instant coffee (neither of which are allowed on the Cleanse). The Vitamix helps a lot, and I've been switching up my homemade non-dairy milks with pumpkin seed milk for some extra protein and adding some sesame seeds to my favorite cashew milk. I love trying new creative ways to use foods on the list because it makes meals a bit more interesting.

Last night I cooked up a "clean" dinner for C and myself, and I was honestly completely satisfied with the result. The flavors were delicious, and I felt great afterward - ready for a long walk in DC with C before settling in to watch a movie. The Goop Cleanse Manual gave me the inspiration for the Millet Risotto, and I added a small fillet of broiled tilapia for additional protein and a big green salad.

Roasted Winter Squash and Sage Millet Risotto (4 servings as entrée, 5-6 as side dish)

Adapted from the Goop Cleanse Manual

4 cups low sodium organic chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil

½ yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh sage, minced – divided in half

1 cup millet

2 ½ cups roasted winter squash*

Handful of fresh parsley, minced (optional, but really great to throw in at the end)

Kosher salt and pepper

*I roasted 1 small butternut squash and 1 small acorn squash the night before – tossed with olive oil and kosher salt, roasted at 425 degrees, 25 minutes, flip the squash halfway through. I stored the roasted squash in the refrigerator overnight and warmed it up in the oven as I made the risotto. You can easily roast the squash as you’re making the risotto – just get the squash in the oven before you start the risotto.

1. Add the broth to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2. In a larger pan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 Tablespoon of the fresh sage and stir for about a minute.

3. Add the millet, and sauté for about a minute, stirring to coat the millet in the oil and herbs. Add in about 1 cup of the vegetable broth and stir. Turn the heat up to about medium-high until the broth comes to a boil in the millet. Turn the heat to medium and wait for most of the broth to be absorbed before adding additional broth. Continue to add ½ cup of broth every few minutes until you have used up all the broth. Stir the risotto frequently to ensure that it does not stick to the pan.

4. Continue to cook the risotto until the broth has mostly been absorbed but the risotto is still moist – 20-25 minutes. Add in the warm roasted squash and stir to combine the mixture. (At this point, you can turn the heat down to low, or even off, and cover the risotto while you finish preparing the fish). Add the last tablespoon of sage and the fresh parsley to the risotto immediately before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition facts for 1 serving of risotto as an entrée, assuming you get 4 total servings:

Serving Size 442 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

306

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

7.4g

11%

Saturated Fat

1.1g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

150mg

Total Carbohydrates

53.7g

18%

Dietary Fiber

6.9g

28%

Sugars

2.1g

Protein

8.0g

Vitamin A 182%	•	Vitamin C 39%
Calcium 7%	•	Iron 15%

Nutrition facts for one serving of risotto as a side dish (as pictured), assuming you get 6 servings:

Serving Size 295 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

204

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

4.9g

Saturated Fat

0.7g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

100mg

Total Carbohydrates

35.8g

12%

Dietary Fiber

4.6g

18%

Sugars

1.4g

Protein

5.3g

Vitamin A 121%	•	Vitamin C 26%
Calcium 5%	•	Iron 10%

Clean Green Salad (Makes 2 servings)

3 cups mixed organic greens – I used baby kale and baby spinach

1 small cucumber, or ½ large cucumber, chopped

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 avocado, chopped

2 Tablespoons roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

½ lemon

Olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Combine the greens, cucumber, onions, avocado, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the lemon over the top of the salad, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the salad and serve.

Clean Cooking: Day 1 of the Goop Cleanse Challenge and Curried Lentil Soup

2012-01-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us even in our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavour. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.

- Henry David Thoreau

I am generally not one for making New Year's resolutions. I tend to classify them in the same category with Lenten Promises - intentions made in the presence of others (usually under the influence of peer pressure), which are often abandoned and forgotten within a matter of weeks. Perhaps that characterization sounds cynical, but I always found the exercise of making New Year's resolutions to be a tad pointless. Shouldn't we try to do the right thing everyday? And shouldn't there be a larger goal guiding the decisions we make about the foods we eat, the amount we exercise, and the energy we devote to the people around us, besides the fact that one more year has passed?

Be that as it may, New Year's Day came and went, and I was without a holiday resolution. I was dedicated to continuing the blog, but I was looking for new inspiration to guide my cooking and writing in the new year. And then yesterday, just as I was getting ready to start my day and test a new granola recipe, I received a new Goop newsletter. The email described a Cleanse that Gwyneth recommended, and I was immediately intrigued. I was a fan of Gwyneth's cookbook, My Father's Daughter, and generally liked to read any advice that she had to give related to healthy cooking.

I scrolled down the email to see some interesting healthy recipe suggestions, including one by Jamie Oliver, and I was feeling pretty good about the idea of a "Cleanse." I was thinking to myself, "I like to try new healthy foods, maybe I should give this a shot." I clicked on the link to the Goop Cleanse Manual to take a look at the program details and was quickly confronted with a feeling that surprised me - betrayal. I'm not talking about betrayal in the dramatic sense, but the sort of betrayal one might feel after thinking they had mastered a particular video game, only to find out there was another level waiting for them that no one had told them about.

To participate in the Cleanse, I would be giving up dairy, eggs, wheat, oats, bananas (!), tomatoes, and a bunch of other foods that frequently made appearances in my kitchen. Many of these foods were part of my routine, which I had become pretty content with, and participating in the Cleanse was going to throw off my habits. But maybe that was a good thing. When we stop challenging ourselves, we risk becoming complacent and set in our ways, whether those habits are really beneficial or not.

While I couldn't afford to purchase the Goop Cleanse supplements and follow the 21-day program with the shakes, I decided that I was going to at least follow the Elimination Diet for 21 days and see how I felt. I liked the idea of slowly reintroducing foods at the end of the Cleanse and being able to really zero in on which foods might have negative effects on your physical and mental well-being. It reminded me of a science experiment, which is always a good thing for me.

I decided to approach The Elimination Diet as a challenge - one that held additional possibilities that could never be explored without a firm intention to follow the list for a set period of time. 21 days is an arbitrary period of time, but I felt it would be a long enough period to really challenge me and truly explore what it means to focus on "clean" foods. While this is a personal challenge for me and my body, I am mainly focused on challenging my cooking and recipe-writing skills. I plan on posting only "clean" recipes for the next three weeks.

C likes to say that cooking healthy food involves a higher degree of difficulty and should therefore be graded on a curve. Most foods taste pretty good with a stick of butter in or on them. But working with healthy, whole ingredients presents additional challenges to the cook, which can be tackled by embracing the natural flavors of fresh ingredients and learning how to season food well. I'm not asking for extra credit to cooking foods that are both healthy and delicious, I just think that people need to adjust their expectations away from the over-the-top creations that they see on TV and embrace simple, whole, fresh foods.

I should also note that I am not trying to lose weight on the Cleanse but rather increase my energy level and learn whether I have a sensitivity to any of the foods that I eliminate. So while I'm pretty sure that I'm not allergic to peanut butter and bananas, I am going without both of these foods for the next 21 days and will eventually reincorporate them into my diet after the Cleanse is over (on a great peanut butter and banana sandwich with whole wheat bread if possible!). So I bid farewell to some of my favorite foods for now in search of a new way of eating, cooking, and (hopefully) thinking.

Last night I decided to make my first official "clean" meal to start the Cleanse off right - Curried Lentil Soup. I love this soup and have made it many times before, and I was excited to think that many of the foods that I enjoy cooking actually fit right in with The Elimination Diet. This is a very inexpensive soup to make, and you should be able to find French green lentils at most grocery or bulk food stores. It's really filling and makes a great lunch to bring to work.

Curried Lentil Soup (6 Servings)
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2010

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2-3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons curry powder (or more, depending on taste)
1 cup French green lentils (aka Du Puy)
4 cups water, plus 1/4 cup for the chickpeas
1 15- to 16-oz. can organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Green onions, chopped (for serving)

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and curry powder and stir for about one minute, until the spices are fragrant.

2. Add the lentils and water and bring the soup to a boil by increasing the heat to medium-high. When the water comes to a boil, turn the heat down so that the soup is just simmering (likely medium-low heat on your stove). Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender.

3. Purée the chickpeas with 1/4 cup water, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the lemon juice. You can use a food processor or mash the chickpeas by hand if you want a more rustic soup. (If you mash them by hand, I recommend heating them for a couple minutes in the microwave first and then mashing with a potato masher or other mashing tool. In fact, heating the chickpeas first will help you get a smoother purée whether you're using a food processor or a masher - try it when you make hummus).

4. When the lentils are fully cooked, stir in the chickpea purée. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and curry powder if you like. You can also add additional water 1/4 cup at a time to thin the soup to your desired consistency.
Serve with chopped green onions and sliced lemons if you like.

Nutrition facts for one serving, made with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1.5 Tablespoons olive oil:

Serving Size 356 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

237

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

4.3g

Saturated Fat

0.5g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

353mg

15%

Total Carbohydrates

37.5g

13%

Dietary Fiber

9.5g

38%

Sugars

4.0g

Protein

12.7g

Vitamin A 105%	•	Vitamin C 11%
Calcium 10%	•	Iron 20%

My Top 10 Foods for Healthy Eating

2012-01-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

In honor of the many health-related resolutions made this week, I have put together a list of the Top 10 Foods that I like to keep stocked in my kitchen. These are foods that I've been eating regularly for years now, and they have always served me well. Whether I'm making a healthy breakfast or packing my lunch for work, I can usually combine these items to come up with a pretty tasty and healthy meal.

This list is by no means all inclusive, but it might be helpful to keep in mind the next time you're writing up a grocery list for the week.

Organic Eggs - Despite the bad press that eggs have gotten related to cholesterol, I think they are still one of the cheapest, quickest, and most delicious sources of protein available. I buy my eggs from Waterview Foods at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market every Sunday, and they taste better than any eggs I've tried from the grocery store. If you haven't made the switch to organic eggs, make a fresh start this year. Not only is it better for the environment, it just tastes better. My favorite way to prepare eggs is Steam Frying, and I like to serve one with a pinch of salt and pepper on a piece of Sunflower Flax toast from Atwater Bakery.
Plain Yogurt - I won't even share how much plain yogurt C and I go through in a week, but let's just say it's more than one large container. Sometimes we get nonfat Greek (Fage 0% is the best), other times we buy the Organic Plain (I like the kind at Trader Joe's), and when we want something special, we pick up the great fresh yogurt from Keswick Creamery on Sundays. If your grocery store doesn't carry organic Greek yogurt (most don't), you can easily make your own.
Apples - Despite the "apple a day" saying, I didn't eat apples for a very long time. I never wanted to bite into them, and slicing just seemed like a lot of work. And then there was the issue of them turning brown so quickly. Anyway, I've changed my ways and now love to eat apples in my muesli for breakfast or in a fruit sundae for dessert. They're also pretty darn delicious with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some homemade peanut butter...
Bananas - Bananas are up there with yogurt as far as the most-frequently--consumed item in the house. I buy tons of bananas every week and freeze any that are ripe and not going to get eaten. Frozen bananas are perfect for just about any smoothie, including my Vegan Mocha Breakfast Smoothie, the Carrot Beet Smoothie, and the Peanut Butter Banana Power Smoothie.
Nuts - I really couldn't pick just one nut for this list, as I usually have at least 5 different kinds in my refrigerator or freezer at once (the nuts stay fresh much longer when refrigerated or frozen). I use cashews to make homemade cashew milk (a great substitute for processed soy or almond milk). I keep peanuts around to make homemade peanut butter (so easy and delicious), smoothies, and trail mix. Walnuts are perfect for baked goods like Pumpkin Apple Walnut Bread or for the top of Vegan Ice Cream sundae.
Rolled Oats - Great for muesli and all kinds of delicious baked goods, oats are great to keep in your cupboard at all times. I add them to smoothies when I want something filling after a workout and sprinkle them on top of muffins and scones.
Spinach - I buy the big bins of organic spinach at the grocery store and try to add it to as many dishes as possible. To keep your spinach fresh longer, I recommend putting a piece of dry paper towel in the spinach bag or bin to keep the spinach fresh even longer. Replace it every day or so, and your spinach will last at least an extra couple days. The most bizarre use for spinach that I've developed, which really increased my intake, is my Vegan Mocha Breakfast Smoothie. It might sound a tad crazy at first, but I really recommend giving it a try. Best case scenario: you'll start buying 2 bins of spinach per week and never worry about it wilting in the fridge.
Beans - Again, I can't pick just one kind, but my favorites are garbanzo beans and black beans. I usually buy the canned kind and rinse them well to remove the excess salt. Keep them on hand to throw in any salad to make it extra filling. My other little secret that hasn't turned up in a blog recipe yet: Add a handful of beans to your breakfast smoothie for a fiber and protein boost. Or just make some Flourless Brownies or Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars for dessert. Your choice.
Applesauce - I actually don't even eat applesauce plain, but I use it so much for baking that it made the list. It's a wonderful substitute for oil in many different recipes, including my Pumpkin Granola and Vegan Chocolate Cake. It keeps baked goods moist and has a very mild flavor. Try substituting half of the butter in your favorite baked good with applesauce and see if you can taste any difference.
Quinoa - Quinoa is the new kid on the block in my kitchen, but it has definitely proven itself to be a great addition to my pantry staples. I've been using it as a substitute for pasta, a breakfast grain, and as a base for serving some of my favorite soups.

These foods have kept me happy and healthy for many years, and I hope they help do the same for you in 2012. Happy New Year!

Guys Can Cook: Turkey Bolognese with Quinoa

2011-12-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

While I do most of the cooking in our house, C has decided that he wants to learn how to make a few meals from scratch. He knows how to make many of the breakfast and lunch staples that we eat, but dinner is usually my territory. Most of the dinners we eat on a normal weeknight are not difficult to make, so I decided it would be helpful to cook some dinners with him and post the recipes for future reference.

I think that everyone should know how to make some version of homemade spaghetti sauce, so I decided to throw together a quick and healthy version of Spaghetti Bolognese. I replaced the spaghetti with quinoa to cut down on the carbs and increase the protein content of this comfort food. Starting with Giada's Turkey Bolognese, I added some additional vegetables, used tomatoes and tomato paste rather than premade marinara sauce, and substituted ground turkey for the shredded turkey.

The result is a flavorful and filling dinner that is quick enough for a weeknight but could also be slowly simmered on a Sunday afternoon and kept for reheating later in the week. I often freeze 2-serving portions in plastic freezer bags and then defrost the sauce when I need a quick dinner in the middle of the week.

Quinoa is a great substitute for pasta. By boiling it like pasta rather than slowly simmering it, I find that you eliminate the need for rinsing and lose any bitter flavor that quinoa can sometimes have.

Turkey Bolognese with Quinoa (Sauce makes 6 servings)

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 small bunch of fresh basil)

1 pound ground free range turkey breast

3/4 cup (6 oz.) red wine or water

1 28-oz. can whole peeled organic tomatoes

1 6 oz. can organic tomato paste

Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

1 cup uncooked quinoa (makes about 3 servings - Use 2 cups for 6 servings)

1. Heat a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and then add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and sauté until the onions are translucent and the other vegetables are soft, about 5-10 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, along with a small pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to the pan and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the garlic and spices become fragrant.

3. Break the ground turkey into smaller pieces and add the meat to the pan. Use a large spoon to break up larger pieces of turkey. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and is opaque, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the red wine or water. Use a small paring knife to roughly slice up the whole tomatoes in the can, and then add the canned tomatoes and the tomato paste to the pan. Thoroughly mix in all the ingredients and bring the sauce to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to a simmer (medium-low to low depending on your stovetop) and allow the sauce to simmer partially covered for at least 20 minutes. You can also let this simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours on low if you like - the flavor will only get better. Taste the sauce before serving and add salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed.

6. While your sauce is simmering, prepare the quinoa (or boil pasta if you prefer). *I cook quinoa using the same boiling method used for pasta because it eliminates the need for rinsing and cooks the quinoa perfectly. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

7. Salt the water and add quinoa to the boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes and then drain in a mesh strainer.

8. Serve about 1 cup of cooked quinoa with about 1.5 cups of the Turkey Bolognese sauce.

9. Top with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese. Store any leftover quinoa and sauce in the refrigerator. Sauce can be made ahead and frozen in freezer bags or freezer-safe plastic or glass containers.

Nutrition facts for one serving of sauce (without quinoa) cooked with water and 1/4 teaspoon of added salt:

Serving Size 302 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

175

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

3.0g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

47mg

16%

Sodium

414mg

17%

Total Carbohydrates

16.5g

Dietary Fiber

5.2g

21%

Sugars

9.4g

Protein

21.6g

Vitamin A 79%	•	Vitamin C 42%
Calcium 4%	•	Iron 4%

Nutrition facts for one serving of sauce and one serving of cooked quinoa, sauce cooked with water and 1/4 teaspoon of added salt:

Serving Size 356 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

372

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

6.3g

10%

Saturated Fat

0.7g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

47mg

16%

Sodium

417mg

17%

Total Carbohydrates

50.8g

17%

Dietary Fiber

8.9g

36%

Sugars

9.4g

Protein

29.1g

Vitamin A 79%	•	Vitamin C 42%
Calcium 7%	•	Iron 18%

Carrot Beet Smoothie

2011-12-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

With only one week until Christmas, I feel as if I should be posting a recipe for a Christmas cookie, or at least a cinnamon coffee cake to serve to out-of-town guests. Instead, I've been experimenting with vegetable-fruit smoothies. I've been putting lots of crazy things in my smoothies, but beets make this one the prettiest.

The smoothie is a great way to use up some winter veggies in the fridge, and it's the perfect drink to sip in the morning when you're on your way to work. I usually pair this drink with a steam-fried egg on toast for a filling breakfast.

Carrot Beet Smoothie (1-2 servings)
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks*
1 medium beet, peeled and cut into quarters*
1/2 medium banana, broken into 2-3 pieces (frozen or not)
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite)
Juice of one small tangerine or half of a larger orange
1/3 cup plain unsweetened almond or soymilk, or low-fat organic milk
1/2 Tablespoon almond or cashew butter
Pinch of cinnamon
3-4 ice cubes (plus more for serving)
Cold filtered water as needed

*Depending on the strength of your blender, you may want to cook the carrots and beets (or use leftovers) before adding them to the blender. I use raw vegetables, but you may need to experiment with your own blender or put a Vitamix on your Christmas list this year.

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend for about one minute on high, or until the mixture is smooth. Add cold water as needed until you get to your desired consistency (I usually add a splash or two).

Serve cold, over ice if you like.

Nutrition facts for one serving, assuming you get one total serving, made with plain unsweetened almond milk:

Serving Size 521 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

236

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

1.8g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

283mg

12%

Total Carbohydrates

48.6g

16%

Dietary Fiber

9.0g

36%

Sugars

30.0g

Protein

10.1g

Vitamin A 618%	•	Vitamin C 68%
Calcium 22%	•	Iron 9%

Vegan Chocolate Red Wine Cake

2011-12-07T16:52:00.001-08:00

This recipe was inspired by Mollie Katzen's "Made-In-the-Pan Chocolate Cake" recipe. The original recipe is easy, delicious, and (surprisingly) vegan. When I made it for the first time, I was impressed by the moist texture and thought it presented endless possibilities - vegan chocolate cupcakes, vegan chocolate layer cake (aka vegan birthday cake!), and, this time, vegan chocolate red wine cake.

I made a few "green edits" to the cake and added red wine and cinnamon for a deep cold-weather flavor combination.

Vegan Chocolate Red Wine Cake (8 servings)

1 ¼ cup ~~unbleached white flour~~ whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

~~1 cup sugar~~ 2/3 cup turbinado sugar

3/4 teaspoon (kosher) salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup ~~water~~ red wine

1/3 cup ~~vegetable oil~~ unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.

(Note: Jamie Oliver has the coolest trick for cutting parchment to fit a pan where you fold up the parchment first. It looks like you're going to make some sort of crazy valentine or snowflake out of the paper. You put the point of the folded paper in the center of the pan to measure the length of the pan's radius. Then cut off the excess paper and unfold to have a perfect circle to fit in your pan. Video would help here, but hopefully if you look at the folds of the paper below, you get the general idea.)

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Add the sugar and whisk to combine.

2. Combine the red wine, applesauce, vanilla and vinegar. Add to the dry ingredients.

3. Use a fork and slowly stir the mixture in small circles, breaking up lumps in the batter, until the batter is smooth. (I do this in a separate bowl rather than in the pan because I'm using a circular metal pan rather than the glass pan that Mollie's recipe calls for).

4. Pour the batter in the pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees, or until a toothpick or butter knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Invert the cake onto a plate or platter to serve.

Dust with powdered sugar for a very pretty presentation.

Nutrition facts for one slice of cake using the original recipe:

Serving Size 89 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

258

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

9.8g

15%

Saturated Fat

2.1g

11%

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

337mg

14%

Total Carbohydrates

41.9g

14%

Dietary Fiber

1.7g

Sugars

25.2g

Protein

2.7g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%	•	Iron 8%

Nutrition facts for one slice of cake using the green edits (and red wine):

Serving Size 76 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

154

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

0.8g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

341mg

14%

Total Carbohydrates

29.6g

10%

Dietary Fiber

3.2g

13%

Sugars

13.1g

Protein

2.6g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%	•	Iron 7%

Green Edit: Pumpkin Apple Cranberry Bars

2011-11-21T12:52:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed many delicious dishes at your family feasts. With the Christmas season already underway, I want to share a dessert recipe that I developed for Thanksgiving dinner that could easily work its way into your holiday baking this year.

I am a sucker for pumpkin pie (and used to think that no Thanksgiving was complete without one), but I dared to be different this year and decided make some pumpkin bars that could theoretically feed a bigger crowd than a standard pie. This recipe makes at least 16 bars, while a pumpkin pie generally yields 8 servings.

I used this recipe as an opportunity to test out a new format for the blog that allows you to easily see the process that I go through when I edit a recipe. I call them "Green Edits" - the green text indicates my suggestions for lowering the fat, calories, and sugar in the recipe while maintaining the flavor integrity of the dish.

While there isn't anything inherently wrong with the original recipe, and you can certainly feel free to disregard my changes, I think it's helpful to know what changes you can make to a recipe and still have it "turn out." These Pumpkin Apple Cranberry Bars are still dessert - they're just a little bit better for you and can be enjoyed with less guilt than a traditional holiday dessert.

This particular recipe starts with the Joy of Baking's Pumpkin Bar Filling and Mollie Katzen's Foolproof Oatmeal Cookie Crust. I decided to add a chopped apple, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans to the bars, and the result was truly a harvest-themed treat.

Pumpkin Apple Cranberry Bars - Makes about 16 bars

Mollie Katzen's Foolproof Oatmeal Cookie Crust:

1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

~~1/2 cup unbleached white flour~~ 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

~~3 Tablespoons brown sugar~~ 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

~~1/2 cup butter~~ 6 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce; 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Joy of Baking's Pumpkin Filling:

2 large eggs

1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin (2 cups)

~~3/4 cup light brown sugar~~ 1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

~~1/2 teaspoon ground ginger~~ 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

~~1/8 teaspoon ground cloves~~

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

~~1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream~~ 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite) + 1/2 cup light unsweetened coconut milk**

1 tart apple (Granny Smith, Gold Rush, and Gala are all good choices)

1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

*To toast the pecans - spread pecans in a single layer on a baking pan and place in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant.
**I made another version of these using 1 cup of Greek yogurt instead of the yogurt + coconut milk combination, and they turned out great. The filling just had a thicker consistency.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the pan with a piece of parchment, allowing the paper to drape over the edges of the pan.

1. Combine the oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, pecans, applesauce, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix until the oats are moistened and the batter starts to come together like an oatmeal cookie dough would.

2. Press the batter into the prepared pan using wet hands, making sure that the crust reaches the edges and corners. Bake for about 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees, until the crust is just firm to the touch.

3. While the crust is baking, combine the eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and yogurt in a mixing bowl and set aside.

4. When the crust is finished baking, sprinkle the cranberries over the top of the warm crust and allow the crust to cool a bit. .

5. Peel and chop the apple into 1/2-inch pieces. Distribute the apple pieces evenly over the crust, and then pour the prepared pumpkin mixture over the top. Shake the pan to distribute the pumpkin mixture evenly if it doesn't easily flow to the edges. Top the mixture with the chopped pecans.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the center is just set. Allow the bars to cool before slicing. Use the parchment paper "sling" to pull the bars out in one piece and then slice on a cutting board (or you can leave the bars in the pan if you're traveling with them and use the parchment to pull them out and slice them when you arrive).

Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can eat these at room temperature, though I prefer to enjoy them cold with a big scoop of Greek yogurt, chopped pecans, and a dash of cinnamon.

Nutrition facts for one serving (1 bar, with 16 total servings) of original recipe:

Serving Size 78 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

238

Calories from Fat

146

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

16.2g

25%

Saturated Fat

9.0g

45%

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

71mg

24%

Sodium

131mg

Total Carbohydrates

20.6g

Dietary Fiber

2.1g

Sugars

9.5g

Protein

3.5g

Vitamin A 93%	•	Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 4%	•	Iron 7%

Nutrition facts for one serving with Green Edits:

Serving Size 80 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

148

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

5.8g

Saturated Fat

1.8g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

31mg

10%

Sodium

95mg

Total Carbohydrates

20.8g

Dietary Fiber

3.0g

12%

Sugars

8.7g

Protein

3.9g

Vitamin A 84%	•	Vitamin C 3%
Calcium 4%	•	Iron 7%

Spinach & Kale Polenta Pie

2011-11-17T06:00:00.001-08:00

Believe it or not, I used to order spinach pie (spanakopita) for breakfast when I was a kid. I wasn't crazy about eggs and breakfast meat, and I was pretty picky about my pancakes, so at some point, I just started ordering spinach pie with a chocolate milkshake. Yes, spinach pie and a chocolate milkshake for breakfast. I'm not sure what I was thinking.

I first made Spinach Pie at home using Ina Garten's recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. It involves layering phyllo dough with lots of butter and making a filling from frozen spinach, eggs, and a mixture of Parmesan and feta cheese. Delicious, but not the healthiest option for dinner (or breakfast!). After seeing Martha Rose Shulman's recipe for Greek Greens Pie with Cornmeal Crust in the NY Times last week, I was inspired to give spinach pie another try at home.

This version uses a combination of spinach, kale, and parsley with a cornmeal crust that will remind you of polenta. The crust takes much less time to prepare than phyllo dough and adds great flavor to the pie. This is a great dish to make when you're having people over for dinner - it takes a bit of time, but you can make it in advance and serve it at room temperature with a big Greek salad and perhaps some grilled chicken breasts.

Spinach & Kale Polenta Pie - 6-8 servings
Inspired by Ina Garten's Spinach Pie and Martha Rose Shulman's Greek Greens Pie With Cornmeal Crust

1 bunch of kale (about 1 pound), washed, with stems removed and set aside
3 cups (or more) fresh baby spinach, washed
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 leek, washed and chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, washed and minced
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1.5 oz. Parmesan, freshly grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk, soy milk, or almond milk
1.5 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
(Optional) 1 oz. Parmesan, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a pie dish with cooking spray.

1. Steam the kale and spinach. If you have a steamer, you can use that to steam the greens, but if not, you can easily create your own steamer using a colander and pot of simmering water. I just cover the colander with aluminum foil and put the top of the pot over it to create a seal.

Steam the kale for 5 minutes total, adding the spinach after 3 minutes.

2. Chop the kale stems and set aside with the chopped onion and leek.

3. Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions, leeks, and chopped kale stems to the pan, add a pinch of salt, and sauté the vegetables for about 6-8 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to cool down.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the parsley, pepper, nutmeg, feta, Parmesan, eggs, and another pinch of salt. Add in the cooled vegetable mixture, and stir to combine.

5. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and water over medium high heat. When the liquid is hot and starting to form bubbles around the edge of the pan (before it starts to boil), slowly add in the cornmeal in a stream, whisking the mixture to prevent lumps from forming. If the mixture gets too thick to continue stirring with a whisk, switch to a spatula.

Turn the heat off when you have finished stirring in the cornmeal. Add a pinch of salt and the optional Parmesan cheese and allow the mixture to cool.

6. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, add about half of it to the prepared pie dish, pressing the crust out to the edges with your hands (getting your hands wet first makes this much easier).

7. Add the cooled vegetable mixture to the pie dish.

8. Add about 1/2 cup of additional water and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the remaining polenta mixture and stir to combine. The mixture should have the consistency of "wet sand." Spoon the polenta mixture over the top of the vegetables, spreading with a spatula or wet hands to create an even layer.

9. Bake the pie at 375 degrees for about 1 hour, until the crust is cooked through and the filling is set. The edges will start to brown.

Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes to allow the crust to set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat chilled slices in the oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until the filling is warm.

Nutrition facts for 1 serving of pie, assuming you get 8 servings, made with 1% milk, 1.5 teaspoons of total salt (1 teaspoon in the filling, 1/2 teaspoon in the crust), and the optional Parmesan cheese in the crust.

Serving Size 175 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

228

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

10.6g

16%

Saturated Fat

4.2g

21%

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

71mg

24%

Sodium

629mg

26%

Total Carbohydrates

23.3g

Dietary Fiber

4.5g

18%

Sugars

3.2g

Protein

11.3g

Vitamin A 206%	•	Vitamin C 138%
Calcium 31%	•	Iron 16%