Totally Delicious Kale Chips

Although I adore kale, most of the time when I've had or made kale chips I've thought they were ok, but I've never been overly impressed. Never that is until my co-worker Chie shared some kale chips she'd made. They were totally delicious, and when I ate them I suddenly understood why  people have extreme love for kale chips . I asked her what kind of seasonings they had, and the things I remember her telling me are: soaked cashews, lemon juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast. I decided to try making some at home, and while they aren't as good as Chie's (she is a quite elevated and  amazing snack maker!) they are really good. I made a batch last week and another today. This time I forgot to buy cashews, so I substituted tahini, which was a little easier and tasted great, so this is how I'll probably make them from now on.
Garlic Dill Kale Chips
1 large bunch of green curly kale, washed, dried in a salad spinner, and torn into small pieces
1/3 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs tamari
2tbs nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill
Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together all ingredients besides kale in the largest bowl you have. Add torn up kale pieces, and toss to coat, using hands to massage the mixture into the kale. Lightly oil a large cookie sheet and spread the dressed kale into a single layer (use more than 1 cookie sheet if needed). Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, turning the kale over every 10-15 minutes to prevent it from burning and help it cook evenly. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can eat a whole bunch of kale!

Quinoa Banana Pecan Quick Bread

I'm teaching a quinoa cooking class this Sunday, and I wanted to try out a recipe I saw recently that sounded intriguing. The original calls for using sprouted quinoa, and being the slightly lazy cook that I am, I decided to try it with raw quinoa just to see if that shortcut would work out.  My verdict? It's tasty, but a little weird...
This bread is dense, sweet,and filling, with a flavor that reminds me of a nourishing bowl of sweetened oatmeal. Using the uncooked quinoa gives the bread a slightly crunchy and seedy texture. I think it would be really good topped with a little blackberry jam and/or some dried cranberries and lemon zest thrown into the batter, but it's also pretty good on its own. Overall, this is a really nice substitute for a less healthy pastry or dessert, but trust me, you will feel like a total hippy when you're eating it.

Quinoa Banana Pecan Quick Bread
 recipe by Brandi Evans

1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup quinoa (sprouted or not)

½ cup sprouted (or nonsprouted) oats

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped pecans

2 ripe medium-sized bananas, mashed

1 cup buttermilk

¾ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons oil or melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Stir together the flour, quinoa, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pecans in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla, and oil or butter.

Add banana mixture into the flour mixture, and fold together until the batter is just combined.

Pour batter into a greased 9 × 5 loaf pan (or use a 10inch springform cake pan like I did) and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf (mine took 35 minutes and probably should have stayed in for 5 more minutes). Cool for a few minutes for easier slicing.

Healthier Taco Salad

Tonight I threw together some quick taco salads. This take on a taco salad is something I fell in love with when I worked at Macheeezmo Mouse in the early 90s. It's a lightened up version of the usual taco salad (which is typically served in a deep fried bowl), and yet for me, it still satisfies the itch. It's an old favorite of mine- comfort food from my early twenties that still fits into the way I want to eat today. At Macheezmo, we used to make the "sour cream" with 1/2 sour cream and 1/2 yogurt. I use plain low-fat yogurt now, but you could try the 1/2&1/2 version if you like a richer topping, or you could also try low or non-fat greek yogurt for a more traditional sour cream consistency.

Healthier Taco Salad
serves 2 generously
Lettuce (Romaine or green leaf, red leaf gets too cooked by the hot beans)
1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa (optional but really good)
1 can black beans
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
grated pepper-jack
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 avocado, cubed and scooped from the shell
a handful of chips for each salad
salsa
plain yogurt
cilantro or green onions (optional)

First, empty your can of beans into a small pot. Add the spices. Stir and heat until very hot. Cover 2 large salad plates with lettuce. Layer toppings in this order: rice, beans, cheese, red peppers, avocados. Crush a handful of chips and sprinkle on each salad. Top with yogurt and salsa and sprinkle with cilantro and/or green onions. Serve immediately.

Last Night's Dinner

Last night Zach and I made a spectacularly garlicky dinner with recipes from the website ohsheglows. I didn't alter them at all, so I'm just reposting one of them below. The pasta sauce is really incredible. It tastes like a cream based sauce, and it's really hard to believe it doesn't contain any dairy and only has good fats in it. I used a garlic we just got in at the Co-op- Korean Red- it's really spicy, and it definitely warmed the pasta sauce up. I served it over brown rice pasta and garnished with lemon zest and pepper. Yowza! So good! The cabbage salad was also fantastic, and we added a little tofu for protein. I'll post that recipe another time so this post doesn't get out of hand. Overall, a very fancy, tasty, and healthy meal. Kind of a lot of garlicity on one plate, but we enjoyed it.

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta
from ohsheglows.com

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted

1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish

1-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 3 and it was super garlicky, but if you are not a big fan of garlic use 1 clove)

1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

~1/4 cup Fresh Basil, 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta 

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Please Note, this dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Makes 2 servings.

Goodbye Beer, See You In a Month

As much as I hate to do it, especially in the middle of the summer, I'm taking this opportunity to make Goal #29 giving up beer for one month. Although I really love beer, the kind of beer I like (microbrew IPA) is calorically dense (250-300 calories per 12oz beer) and relatively expensive. Since I am looking for ways to cut some unhealthy calories out of my diet, and also looking for ways to save money, this seems like a good two for one kind of goal. Tonight I'm going to visit the Co-op and stock up on lots of cold and fizzy drinks (carbonated water, kombucha, iced tea makings) so that I will have some good substitutes on hand for post yard-work summer days, which is when I think I'll probably miss beer the most.

Healthier Ice Cream Substitute

Tonight I wanted to make a sweet treat for a friend of mine who is injured, so I whipped up some "Nice Cream" in the food processor. Nice Cream is like ice cream, except instead of using dairy products as the base, you use frozen bananas. Nice Cream is easy to make, you just have to plan ahead a little.
What you'll need:
ripe bananas
a flat freezer safe dish
a food processor
anything you'd like to mix into your Nice Cream (For this batch I used coconut and pecans. I've also used peanut butter and hippie Nutella which are also both delicious, and a co-worker told me he's used figs. Really, anything you'd enjoy eating in regular ice cream should work fine)
Step 1: Peel the bananas and slice them onto the flat freezer safe dish in a single layer
Step 2: Freeze the bananas until they are solid (I usually freeze them overnight)
Step 3: Puree the frozen bananas in the food processor. They will go through some weird stages (big hard lumps, tiny gritty lumps, etc.). You want to keep pureeing them until they are still frozen but starting to get smooth. When they get to that point, mix in your other ingredients and give it one more whir. Scrape your concoction into a freezer safe container and freeze for a few more hours. Yum.
Happily, I made enough extra to enjoy some myself when I got home from my bike ride!

The Love Child of Salad and Potato Chips

Yesterday I made a ridiculously simple cucumber salad. It was so delicious, yet weirdly, reminded me of eating flavored potato chips. So for anyone who would really rather be eating potato chips, this one is for you:

Cucumber, Mustard, and Dill Salad

Gourmet  | October 2004

ingredients

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon mild olive oil

1 large seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped; 1 lb), peeled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

preparation

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking.

Cut cucumber into small rounds, first removing all or part of the peel if desired.

Add cucumber and dill to vinaigrette, tossing to coat.

Popcorn!

What we have here is a picture of my beloved airpopper, which has just popped up a lovely batch of popcorn. It's so cool to me that you can have delicious, crunchy popcorn using no oil at all in the popping process. You also don't have to worry about the weird chemicals that often accompany low-fat microwave popcorn. If you don't have an airpopper, look no further than your local Goodwill or Value Village, where you can often find a nice assortment of choices. For a healthier topping than the usual butter and salt, I like to use olive oil mixed with tamari. I drizzle that over the popcorn and then top with nutritional yeast (extra B vitamins, yay!). Air popped popcorn is a pretty healthy snack that is cheap, quick and satisfying.

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!

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

Do Walnuts Look Like Brains Because They Are Good For Brains?

I recently read an article about Alzheimer's disease that helped me decide to recommit to eating nuts. In the article from Vegetarian Times, the author examines dietary and environmental factors that contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease, and makes recommendations for foods that can help protect you from developing Alzheimer's disease and sharpen your memory in general. One of the recommendations the author makes is to add a small quantity of nuts to your daily diet, since nuts contain ample amounts of Vitamin E:
"...Vitamin E is your fire extinguisher. It is a powerful antioxidant—it neutralizes free radicals. You’ll find it in spinach, mangoes, and sweet potatoes, and in much larger amounts in nuts and seeds.

It makes a real difference. In the Chicago study, people who ate these vitamin E–rich foods had less than half the Alzheimer’s risk, compared with people who were missing vitamin E. The amount that made a difference was 8 milligrams per day—which you’ll find in just 11/2 ounces of almonds."

One of my favorite ways to enjoy nuts is in a snack I call The Scone Substitute. I started eating The Scone Substitute as a way to stop myself from eating pastries mid-morning at work (which I totally love, especially scones). Somehow, this combination usually scratches my itch for a bready sweet treat, and it combines three foods that are excellent for me- blueberries, yogurt, and nuts. 

The Scone Substitute

6oz goat yogurt (or other yogurt of your choice)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Mix together and enjoy!

Toasting nuts really brings out their flavor, and I think it is worth the few extra minutes it takes. Toasted nuts are also a great addition to salads, particularly those with fresh, tender greens and fruit.

How to toast nuts

Skillet method: Heat a dry skillet on the stove. Add nuts and stir frequently until toasted.

Oven method: Heat oven to 300F. Put nuts on cookie sheet and toast in oven, shaking pan occasionally until nuts are toasted.

Kale Chips

Today after work, I made some kale chips. While I love eating steamed kale, and I use kale all the time in the dishes I cook, I've never been that big a fan of kale chips. But tomorrow I'm teaching a class on cooking with greens, and since so many people (even people who otherwise hate kale) love kale chips I thought I'd include them.
The ones pictured here are tamari-sesame. The were pretty good, but a little too salty for my taste. Still, kale chips are a great healthful alternative to other salty snacks, and they are cheap and easy to make.
I found many sites with tips for making kale chips. This site has simple instructions for making kale chips and some interesting recipes too. The bulk of their post is below. I am especially curious to try the "Roasted Chicken" flavor, using "No Chicken" vegetarian bouillon cubes of course!

DIY Kale Chips! Plus, A Whopping 10 Flavor Options 

By Kelsey Miller 

Base Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, washed and dried (crucial step!)
1 tbsp olive oil

Flavor Variations:
Soy & Sesame: 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
Salt & Vinegar: 1 quarter cup sherry vinegar + 2 tsp fine salt
Lime & Chili: Juice of 1 lime + 1 tsp lime zest + 2 tsp chili powder
Seasoned Lemon: 2 tbsp Annie's Naturals Lemon Chive Salad Dressing + juice of 1 lemon + 1 tsp black pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette: 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp Dijon mustard + 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
Roasted Garlic: 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped + 3 tsp garlic salt
Creamy Dill: 1 tbsp sour cream mixed with base olive oil + 3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Roasted Chicken (don't hate, ask the UK!): 1 chicken bullion cube dissolved into 1/4 cup water
Extra Cheese: 2 tbsp Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Half mixed in the bag, half sprinkled on before baking.
French Onion: 1 packet (or two tbsp) french onion dip or soup mix, combine with olive oil.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 300. Pour olive oil into a large Ziplock bag.

Step 2: Pour flavor ingredients in, and shake/smoosh until they're relatively combined.

Step 3: Remove kale stems, and chop into large-bite-sized pieces (they'll shrink a bit while baking). Put the kale in the bag — don't press the air out

Step 4: Shake, shake, shake then turn it upside down and shake some more.

Step 5: Once the chips are evenly coated, open the bag a bit and press air out. Re-seal, and now massage the kale through the bag. This will help the tough leaves take the flavor.

Step 6: Lay kale on a lined baking sheet (or one that's sprayed lightly with cooking spray). Pop 'em in the oven for 30 minutes or until crisp!

Stopping Unnecessary Snacking and Tooth Decay Simultaneously

What you see here is my nighttime dental care routine- floss, brush, and inter-dental pick. What I've noticed in the past month is that if I take care of my dental hygiene pretty immediately after dinner, I am a lot less likely to have a snack. Most of the time, I'm not really hungry before bedtime, but as I've said before, it's easy to get into routines and create habits, and snacking at night when I'm not hungry is one of my bad ones. Goal #10 is to brush my teeth after I eat dinner to prevent unnecessary snacking. Typically, I do not want to have to re-clean my teeth, and a snack rarely feels worth the effort of doing the whole dental routine twice. I expect this goal to be pretty easy to work into my life, and I hope that it will make enjoying snacks a more deliberate and intentional occurrence rather than a bad habit.

Blueberries

For goal #9, I've decided to add more blueberries to my diet. Blueberries are a really good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. Additionally (and perhaps most importantly) they contain a wide array of antioxidants. There is an explanation here of how antioxidants are beneficial to our bodies. Blueberries are often called a "superfood" because they contribute to better health in so many ways. Some health benefits commonly associated with consumption of blueberries are a reduction in the risk of heart-disease and cancer, as well as a reduction in inflammation in all areas of the body.

My two favorite ways to eat blueberries are with plain goat yogurt and walnuts (I call this a "scone substitute" since it kind of scratches my itch for a blueberry scone, with more nutrition and far less saturated fat and empty calories from sugar) or just by themselves as a snack. In the winter, fresh blueberries are expensive and usually come from far away (sometimes as far away as Chile), so right now, I am buying and eating lots of frozen blueberries.  My goal is to eat a cup of blueberries at least 3 times a week.