Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

As I mentioned in my last post, we had friends over for dinner last night, and I made this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for dessert. I found the recipe when I was looking for strawberry recipe ideas for the Co-op's produce newsletter. I really like the way this turned out; it has a lot of fruit and very little sweetener, and the rolled oats give it a nice crunch. It's reasonably healthy for a dessert, and very flavorful. I think it would also be really good with sliced stone fruit (peaches, plums, etc.) and/or other berries.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
adapted from a recipe on skinnytaste.com
For the filling:

1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered

6 rhubarb stalks cut into small pieces

zest from 1 orange
juice from 1/2 an orange

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey

For the Topping:

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or garbanzo bean flour if you want to make a gluten-free version)

1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries and rhubarb in an oven safe dish. Add agave nectar (or honey), then orange juice and orange zest; sprinkle with cornstarch and toss until fruit is well coated. Mix remaining ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl then spread over fruit. Bake until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 50 minutes.

Quinoa with Lemon, Walnuts, and Parsley

We are having friends over for dinner tonight, and I decided to try out a new quinoa recipe. This was a good gamble, as it is so delicious! If you haven't tried quinoa before, I highly recommend it. There are lots of great articles about quinoa's nutritional benefits and how to cook with it, including this one from Cooking Light, and this one from Eating Well. Quinoa is often touted as being high in protein for a grain, and one of the coolest things about quinoa is that unlike most other plant foods, it contains all of the amino acids, which makes it a gem for people like me who get most of their protein from plant sources.
Many recipes advise rinsing quinoa before using it, but I've never found this to be necessary. Quinoa does have naturally occurring coating that can give it a bitter flavor, but most of the quinoa available commercially has already been processed to remove this coating.  If you like to rinse it, go for it, I just find it to be an extra (and messy) step. At any rate, below is a modified version of a recipe I found on Cooking Light. I added lemon zest and juice since they are such natural flavor affinities for  parsley and nuts. I also substituted walnuts for the pine nuts in the original, but I'm sure it would be delicious either way. The recipe in Cooking Light also had a cook time for the quinoa that was way too short (it was still crunchy at the time the recommended). I usually cook mine for about 20 minutes,  so that's how long I cooked it for, and I added an extra 1/2 cup of broth to the original. This recipe makes plenty for four people with leftovers to boot. I hope you try it and enjoy it- it's easy to make and really good!

Quinoa with Lemon, Walnuts and Parsley

2 cups uncooked quinoa

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

2 tablespoon minced garlic

3 cups broth (if unsalted you will need to add the salt)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

1/2 cup walnuts

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

zest of one lemon

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute or until tender. Add minced garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add quinoa; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth and optional salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

2. While quinoa cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Combine quinoa mixture, nuts, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and pepper; toss.

"Bikini Body"

Today I saw an ad in a "health" magazine that made me feel completely enraged. In the ad was a beautiful woman, smiling and holding a glass of cloudy liquid. Next to her was a list with "My Bikini  Plan" written at the top. Would you like to know her plan? For the first week, she is going to replace all of her meals with a supplement powder that is stirred into water. She also gets to add one teaspoon of oil to each drink, and as a bonus, she can drink as much vegetable broth as she likes! Wow! For the "Second Week and Beyond", she will do a slightly modified version of this plan that allows her to add a little low-fat milk and some spices to her drinks and eat some vegetables and lean meat once a day. Can you imagine trying to be an active person if you were actually following this plan? I can't. I think this type of advertising plays a huge role in why many women are insecure about their bodies and turn to fad diets like this one to fit into a particular idea of what advertisers tell us a beautiful body looks like. The concept of eating a certain way (or not really eating at all in this case) so that you can look a certain way in a bikini is repulsive to me. Sadly, it is also a type of cultural conditioning that I have struggled with myself many times over the course of my life.  You know how I want my body to be? Strong, muscular, fit, and healthy. In order to achieve that end, I try to eat a balanced, whole foods diet (which includes actual food, and plenty of it!) so that I will have enough energy to work-out and be active. As something I saw recently said: "If you want a bikini body then put a bikini on your body". I say amen to that.

Spicy Arugula Spread

This morning I noticed that I had a huge amount of arugula that was ready to harvest in the garden. In looking for an arugula pesto recipe online, I found one that incorporates a small amount of cooked garbanzo beans for extra fiber. That gave me the idea to incorporate more beans and nuts to make  a more substantial spread with the arugula. I ended up filling collard green leaves with the arugula spread, which I then topped with red peppers, carrots, and celery. I served these delicious wraps with a fruit salad and a few tortilla chips. Yum! This spread would also be great on sandwiches or as a dip for vegetables, and you could easily substitute other beans and nuts for the ones I used.

Spicy Arugula Spread 
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (canned are fine)
4 cups (packed) arugula
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar or parmesan
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 tsp salt

Puree all ingredients except 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans and 1/4 cup of walnuts in a food processor and puree until smooth. Chop remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts and stir into spread. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans.

Green Tortillas

Today for lunch I enjoyed some yummy burritos, but instead of tortillas, I used raw collard greens. If you've never tried this before, I highly recommend it. Collard greens are easy to wrap and roll, they have a mild flavor and a nice texture, and they are super nutritious. I filled these collard greens with a brown rice and black bean salad topped with chunks of avocado. They would also be really tasty with hummus and veggies, but really anything you can put in a tortilla would be great in these. I think collard green wraps would also make really pretty and unique appetizers. There is a good tutorial here on how to wrap them. The long and short of it is to use them as you would a regular tortilla; just lay a whole collard leaf flat, remove the stem, place whatever filling you are using in the middle, fold the sides in, and roll. Easy, tasty, and so good for you!

Dancing is Fun and Great Exercise Too

Tonight my niece asked me if I'd like to join her exercise class. She was listening to music and doing jumping jacks on the coffee table when we arrived at her house. Of course I said yes, and after dinner my nephew and I joined her for some fun in the living room. She taught us a couple of cool exercises, but was a very forgiving fitness instructor, allowing pretty much whatever moves we wanted to do. When I asked her if it was ok to just dance she said "Of course, dancing is really good exercise!". She's right, dancing is really good exercise, and it's a lot of fun too. Even if you can't make it to the gym or to a yoga class, you probably do have time to put on music you like and boogie down with your favorite kids (or pets) in the living room.  I'm glad I said yes-this will probably be my favorite exercise of the week!

Silly Kitchen Tip #1

Ok, this is a funny little post- not really about health or fitness, but I just wanted to share a kitchen tip that I learned a couple of years ago and use all the time. See how close that little hedgehog is to my kitchen sponge? That's because my kitchen sponge smells good enough to be that close. My kitchen sponge used to start smelling gross before it would wear out. I always felt bad about throwing it away and starting another one, but I also guessed that whatever was causing that smell wasn't good to be rubbing on my dishes and counter. I've never been able to get my dishes as clean with a dish cloth, so I wanted to keep using sponges, but I didn't want to be wasteful either. Happily, I learned that you can kill the bacteria that cause stinky-sponge by getting the sponge really wet and microwaving it for 3 minutes. Pretty cool, probably more sanitary, and makes sponges last a lot longer.

Orange Ginger Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Tonight for dinner I wanted to make a warming and spicy soup, which I often find helpful for colds and congestion. This recipe is pretty amazing! It has a complex and unusual mixture of flavors- both sweet and savory with a nice texture that is rich and satisfying. I used arugula as the green in my soup since I have a ton of it growing in my garden and wanted to use some up. I don't know if I mentioned this in a post before, but I really love using arugula as a green in soup; you can just stir it in at the end, as it only needs a couple of minutes to cook.
Sorry I didn't get a better picture of the soup, but as you can see, it is quite nice served with a crispy green salad and a little whole grain bread.

Orange Ginger Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

adapted from sproutedkitchen.com who adapted it from The Travelers Lunchbox who adapted it from Once Upon a Tart

1 Tbsp. oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of red pepper flakes to taste

pinch of nutmeg

1 1/2 cup green lentils

6 cups vegetable broth (I used 3 boullion cubes disolved in 6 cups of water)

1 1/2 tsp. muchi curry powder

2 tsp. dried thyme

1 can coconut milk

a few large handfuls of arugula, swiss chard, or spinach, torn or chopped if leaves are large

3 Tbsp. orange juice

Start a kettle of water heating on the stove if you will be disolving boullion cubes for broth.

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, pinch of red pepper flakes and pinch of nutmeg and saute another minute. If spices stick to pan, you can add a little water from your kettle to mix them back into the onions. Scrape onion mixture into bowl and set aside.

Add the lentils, broth, thyme and curry powder to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Add the onion mixture to the lentils and stir, keeping the heat on a low simmer.

Add the coconut milk and greens and simmer another few minutes, stirring occasionally until just wilted. Taste for salt and spice and add as you prefer. Finish with the orange juice and serve warm.

Before and After: Smoothies and Popsicles

 I've had a nasty cold this week, and I haven't felt much like cooking. One thing I have enjoyed making, however, is smoothies. A cold smoothie feels great when you have a sore throat, and they are a quick and easy way to eat something reasonably healthy. As I was enjoying one the smoothies I made this week, I realized that they would also make excellent popsicles. I love ice cream, so I am always looking for healthier frozen treat alternatives. What I like about using popsicle molds like these is that you can put whatever you want in them. I am lucky to work in an amazingly well-stocked co-op where we have many types of bulk frozen fruits to choose from, so I took advantage of that and used lots of different types of fruit in my smoothies. Below are 3

smoothie recipes that I tried making popsicles with today. A few notes: Normally, I would probably use regular milk, but since I've been congested, and thought dairy products would make it worse, I used soy milk in these. I'm sure you could substitute whatever type of milk (almond, rice, coconut, goat, etc.) you like. Also, as I mention above, I can buy small quantities of lots of different fruit for variety. If you don't have access to bulk frozen fruit, just try one or two types at a time. And of course, when fruit is in season, feel free to substitute fresh fruit! Smoothies and popsicles are a great way to use up fruit that is bruised or becoming overripe in the warmer months. Each of the recipes below makes 2 popsicles + one 8oz smoothie.

Strawberry Melon

1/2 melon

1/4 avocado

1/2 banana

large handful frozen strawberries

small handful of frozen peaches

1/2 cup OJ

1/4 cup soy milk

Pineapple Mango

1/2 banana

1/4 avocodo

large handful frozen mango

large handful frozen pineapple

1/2 cup OJ

1/4 cup soy milk

Raspberry Lime

1 banana

2 large handfuls frozen raspberries

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup OJ

1/2 cup soy milk

Let Free Time Be Free Time

I'm overdue to make a new goal, and for me, this one is a big one. Like a lot of people, I seem to have a really hard time allowing myself mental space from work. Even when I'm not at work, I'm often thinking about work, or working on work projects for "just a few minutes"on my days off. One of the places I find myself spending way too much time on my days off is in my work email.  It is not unusual for me to spend an hour or two of my weekend reading and responding to work emails, and sometimes even more time than that thinking (or worrying) about something I've just read. What would it be like to spend that time going for a walk? Or working on a painting? Or reading a book? Or having a conversation with someone I love? As far as I know, my time on the Earth in this body is limited, and I really don't want to look back and realize that I spent a lot of precious time by trying to be the most responsive and responsible co-worker.  In fact, a few of my co-workers have kidded me about how often I check my email and have admonished me for replying to work emails on my days off. In the spirit of trying to create better work/life balance I bring you goal #19: I won't check my work email on my days off. I know if someone really needs to get in touch, they can (and will) call me at home.

My Sweet Ride

Would you take a look at that pretty piece of machinery? That's right, that's my sweet ride, and these days we're getting out together and taking advantage of the nice weather. I rode to work 3 days this week, and I enjoyed it so much that I think it's time to make a new goal: I will ride my bike to work at least two days a week during the sunny season. Advantages to riding a bike to work (at least for me since I often walk, take the bus, or get a ride with a co-worker):
- easy exercise that just feels like fun
-noticing the beautiful scenery around me
-getting my body warmed up and ready to move before work is nice
-cheaper than driving or taking the bus
-self-reliant, you leave when you want to and go where you want to
-getting to sleep in a little longer than if I'd walked
-time for self-reflection and quiet thought (unlike the bus!)
-great bike bags make it easy to transport lots of groceries without hurting my back
-amazing feeling of the sun on my back and the breeze on my face
-If I get strong enough, maybe I will be able to handle pulling my paddleboard on a bike trailer by the end of the summer!

Epic Paddle

Today I went for a really long (and physically exerting) stand- up paddle with my friend John. We left from Boston Harbor Marina at about 10:00 am, and paddled toward the Evergreen Beach via Eld Inlet. We made it almost all the way there, but finally turned around when we started feeling tired and sunburned. Overall, we probably did about 3 1/2 solid hours of paddling- since we were fighting the tide and also dealing with some pretty intense wind and boat wake, it was pretty slow going crossing over to Cooper Point. There were a few moments as the waves lapped over my board that I actually felt scared, and I had to use all of my core and leg strength to keep from falling off my board. At one point, I commented to John: "Maybe we should go back!", but I was glad we pushed through. Once we got to Eld Inlet, it was a nice, relaxing paddle, and we took a few breaks for snacks, re-sunblocking, and enjoying the beautiful sound. We saw a few seals, lots of jellyfish, and a couple of flocks of seagulls (ha!). Coming back in was also really hard work, and at the end I felt glad to be done. This was by far the longest paddle I've done, and while I enjoyed it very much, it was a hard, intense workout. It's now 9pm, and I still feel a little like I have wobbly sea legs. But I also feel very proud to have accomplished a physical feat that a year ago would have seemed impossible.

Easy Rice Noodle Salad

Last night I made this easy and tasty rice noodle salad. I've been trying to save money, and there was a bunch of reduced produce at the Co-op that I wanted to incorporate into a meal. This is kind of an amalgamation of lots of Thai and Vietnamese noodle salad recipes that I found online. You could use pretty much whatever raw vegetables you have on hand. You could also substitute a few ingredients in the sauce- I've made some suggestions below.

Easy Rice Noodle Salad
1 14oz package rice noodles
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 carrots, shredded or peeled into strips with a vegetable peeler
4 Napa cabbage leaves, finely sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 package baked tofu, cut into cubes
toasted peanuts for garnish

Sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (could substitute all or part with rice wine vinegar)
4 Tbsp fish sauce (some recipes said to leave this out and add more tamari, I think you could also substitute broth for all or part of this)
2 Tbsp tamari
3 tsp sugar
1-2 tsp chili sauce (or 1/2 a fresh jalapeno, minced)

Start a large pot of water boiling. While you are patiently waiting for the water to boil, chop your vegetables and make your sauce. When the water has boiled, add the rice noodles. Allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water. You can snip them with kitchen shears if you like shorter noodles, or you can leave them long for sloppy noodle slurping. Mix sauce with chopped vegetables and tofu in a large bowl. Add rice noodles and mix well, using your hands to get it all well mixed together. Serve topped with toasted peanuts.  Also makes plenty to take for lunch!

Running Shoes

Earlier this week I had the kind of day at work that made me really look forward to my evening workout. The weather was great, but it was a little too late to go home and get my paddleboard, so I decided to go to the Y. When I got to the gym, however, it felt really dark and cavernous compared to the lovely outdoors, so I put on my workout clothes and went for a run outside. I did two laps around Capitol Lake, and unlike last year when I tried this, I felt pretty good afterwards. In the past when I have tried running that far in one stretch, I've ended up with thighs so sore I could barely walk for a week! Am I in better shape this year than I was last year? Yes, and this probably contributed to a faster recovery. I also rode my bike the next few days and did yoga when my legs started to feel tight. I think the biggest contributor though was finally wearing decent running shoes when I went running. I'm such a cheapskate (and also sometimes embarrassed to wear  proper athletic clothes), that I have always run in shoes that were not really suited to runnning. Last fall, someone stole my ratty, ill-fitting Value Village tennis shoes from my locker at the gym, and I finally relented and bought these dorky but very comfortable running shoes.  I thought I hated running, but maybe I'll have to rethink this...running around Capitol Lake in the evening was so beautiful, it was a terrific stress-reliever, and it was great to get in a good workout outside.