Deconstructed Salad Dressing

I have loved making some of the nut- and seed-based nutritarian dressings first inspired by the drfuhrman.com recipe collections and member posts, as well as Chef A.J.'s "Hail to the Kale" salad. My own versions of these dressings are available on this blog under the "salad ideas" tag. But in an effort to be more deliberate in my measurements of seeds and nuts, and to enjoy them fully, I have started "deconstructing" these dressings, including their components in their original form instead of blending them into a dressing.



Tonight, for example, I'm having a salad with a Middle Eastern spin:  dark lettuces, red onion, halved green grapes, diced cucumber, some pinto beans, one pressed garlic clove, the juice of a quarter of a lemon, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, and some toasted pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds).

Yesterday I had a similar one with a California spin: dark lettuces, a few raisins, diced tomato, diced pepper, a mix of sprouted beans, one pressed garlic clove, a grating of fresh ginger, and toasted almond slivers.

The other day I did one with a Mexican spin: dark lettuces, Vidalia onion, diced tomato, diced green pepper, pinto beans, one mashed garlic clove, a dollop of salsa, and the juice of a quarter of a lime.  I saved the nuts for peanut butter on an apple on the side.

The key is to mix the "dressing" ingredients together with the beans and wet veggies (tomato) in the bottom of the bowl, then toss the leafy and hard veggie bits and fruits with this mixture and enjoy! I really like they way it helps me wean myself away from the idea of a dressing from a bottle or jar and to just enjoy the flavor that the fruits and vegetables give to the salad.

What are some other possibilities for this technique?

• Tropical/Jamaican:  tomato, hot red peppers, pineapple, green onions, black beans, coconut?
• Italian:  softened sun-dried tomato, fresh basil and rosemary from the garden, white beans, pine nuts and/or marinated olives
• . . .

Update June 20:  Today I'm having pinto beans, garlic, a squeeze of lime, a dash of blood orange vinegar, sweet cherries, toasted almond slices, lettuces, baby greens, onion, and yellow bell pepper. It's great!

Zucchini "Fries?"

Is it appropriate to call a food "fries" if there's no frying involved?

I have to get creative to deal with all the produce coming in now, like the 30-pound bucket of cucumbers dh hauled up from the garden last night.  Okayyyy . . . Did I mention I'm the main cucumber consumer in the house and dh doesn't even like them?

And of course there's always zucchini.  I made a zucchini frittata (Joy of Cooking) the other day, and a stir-fry with sausage--no recipes here for obvious reasons.  But here's a nutritarian-friendly dish I created last night, vaguely inspired by some recipes I've seen lately, like this one from Vegan Mama for eggplant fries.

CRISPY BAKED ZUCCHINI SPEARS

1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt (soy should be fine)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves (or dry if necessary)
a few grinds of pepper
a sprinkle of salt (optional)
4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into about sixths and then halved, for finger-sized spears
2 large slices whole-grain bread, in crumbs
1-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast if you do that, or omit altogether and try another spice or herb with the crumbs)

Combine yogurt, garlic powder, basil, pepper, and salt and allow to stand while preparing the zucchini. Coat each zucchini spear with the yogurt mixture and set aside on a plate until all are done. Then roll the spears in the mixture of crumbs and parmesan until partially coated on all sides, and arrange on a large cookie sheet which has been smeared with a bit of oil or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. It might be a good idea to add the crumbs to a plate in batches so they're not all moistened by the end of the process, and do note that you won't have enough crumbs to completely coat the spears--but getting enough to hold the zucchini off the cookie sheet surface will allow for a crispier result. Slide the pan of prepared spears into the fridge for a little while and pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for about twenty minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the crumbs are crispy.  Serve with a sauce like the lemon-dill sauce in Vegan Mama's recipe above.  I mixed horseradish sauce with more plain yogurt and that was very nice, too.

Verdict: Excellent!  We really enjoyed these, a great way to use up that zucchini!  This made VERY generous servings for four and would easily feed eight people a moderate serving.

Now to use my friend Pam's Bang Bang Chicken recipe, with variations, to work with some of those cucumbers!  Her recipe, from the book Extending the Table, has a sauce component similar to this one on video:  Bang Bang Chicken.  I will report later . . .

Resuming

Despite my silence here, I've been keeping daily food logs for months at drfuhrman.com . I've decided to post again here--if not every day, then when I have something interesting to share from a day's menu, in the way of a recipe or method. This is a summer endeavor--I may cave to time pressures again in the fall.

ITALIAN STIR-FRY

2 tsp olive oil
8 oz. bag frozen Italian-style green beans (the flat, diagonally-cut ones)
1 red bell pepper cut into strips (I used the delicious long "Ancient Sweets" in a plastic bag)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
big tablespoon pesto (mine is frozen homemade from last summer)
big handful (2 oz?) fresh spinach
grated asiago cheese to garnish

Heat the oil in a pan and add the green beans, stirring a bit before adding the pepper, onion, and garlic, then pesto, and finally spinach at the end to wilt it.  The idea is to leave the peppers and onion the slightest bit crunchy and colorful.  

Optional: I tossed my portion of this with whole grain penne and topped it with a little jarred marinara heated with a dash of wine

Verdict:  VERY GOOD.  I really enjoyed this satisfying recipe for supper. (I had about half of it with 2/3 cup pasta and a couple of tablespoons of marinara and a grating of asiago.) It's probably fine to omit the tiny bit of oil and the asiago, but you need something in the way of the pesto to perk it up, especially with no added salt. 

PEACHY-GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 peach and 1 nectarine, pits removed
1 navel orange, peeled
3 hand-sized leaves of kale
a tray of ice cubes and a cup or so of water

Combine in blender (Vita-Mix is best!) and whirl until smooth, with little flecks of nectarine skin.

Verdict:  VERY GOOD. It's good this way but has a slightly sulfur cast. I threw in a couple of chunks of fresh pineapple to improve the second glass. Lemon would probably fix it, too.  This makes over a quart, and I add a tablespoon of flax seed meal to my first glass.

Doesn't look like much for breakfast?  Remember it's over a quart of smoothie, sweet and refreshing, so it's satisfying and filling, for sure. I ran the nutrition on this recipe (including flax, not counting pineapple), and it's under 250 calories, with 7 grams of protein (about the same as a small egg), 4 grams of fat (mostly from the flax), and 10 grams of fiber. It has over twice the RDA of Vitamin C, almost all the RDA of Vitamin A, half the RDA of copper and manganese, and at least a quarter of the RDA of Vitamin B6, magnesium, phosophorus, thiamin, and niacin.  And it's all fresh ingredients, the flax seed meal the only processed item. Having this at 8 a.m. will have me properly hungry for lunch about noon.

Ongoing Review : "Aggressive Weight Loss Plan (non-vegetarian)" Part Two

Go here for Part One.

The one-week plan is stretching out to about ten days for me, and I will not get to all the recipes, since the groceries I have on hand don't match and/or the remaining recipes don't look too great.  So I need to make a menu and a grocery list and start over today or tomorrow, and in the meantime I'm having a lot of leftover this and that.  What's great about the nutritarian recipes is that I know I can grab this or that and be confident that it's "on plan" for the most part. If it has a starch in it I'll skip it today, since I had oatmeal for breakfast. If it has nuts I'll consider how that fits with the other nut/seed things I have had for the day.  And after about nine days I've lost about seven pounds, so that's a nice aggressive start! :-)

I read somewhere recently that the new books (Eat for Health) have better recipes than the old one (Eat to Live).  But for those who are serious, ETL has the quick start and the more science-oriented discussions.  I really look forward to working through the recipes site at drfuhrman.com in the Member Center and getting great new ideas from others.

I'm definitely enjoying the leftovers, though I'm often "tired" enough of a recipe by the time I serve it that it doesn't appeal too much the first time around.

So, without further ado, here are my impressions of several more recipes from the "Aggressive Weight Loss Plan (non-vegetarian)" :

Excellent

• Roasted Mixed Vegetables (photo here, and it does look a lot like mine) (very tasty mix of cruciferous veggies and carrots and asparagus, with garlic, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce roasted at 450 and finished at 350 to keep them from getting too dry -- and I added the asparagus late for just that reason. I even skipped the brown rice in the original recipe, because I was having butternut squash seasoned with pineapple tidbits and dates, plus a bit of plain potato with my Great Greens -- see below.)
• Tasty Hummus (went VERY simple on this one -- the recipe in the plan calls for the addition of soy sauce and horseradish, but no thanks -- mine is garbanzos, tahini [less than you might think], lemon juice, and garlic, and it is fabulous -- I'm craving it)

Pretty Good

• Great Greens (simple steamed mix of kale, chard, and spinach, dressed with garlic, wine vinegar or balsamic or similar, fresh dill, and basil)
• Rolled Eggplant or "Roulade" (eggplant slices marinated in balsamic vinegar and water, then rolled around a filling of red and green bell pepper., onion, garlic, tomato sauce and tomatoes, and herbs that have been simmered together for a while, with more of the sauce on top -- the whole thing baked for a while)
• Bean Enchiladas (I made this a layered casserole of corn tortillas with a simmered mixture of green pepper, onion, salsa verde [though the original called for regular salsa], black and white and pinto beans, frozen corn, cumin, and cilantro -- and I encouraged the family to melt cheese on top of theirs if they liked)

What I'm Not Making

• Chard and Vegetable Medley (onion, garlic, yellow squash, chard, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar -- just too much like the other stuff I've been eating, and I'm out of greens) 
• Cream of Asparagus Soup (steamed asparagus blended with soy milk [I'd use regular lowfat milk], soy sauce [or liquid aminos], raw cashews, cilantro for garnish, and -- really? -- four dates.  I may actually make this since I have the ingredients, but I'm not sure.)
• Dijon Pistachio Dressing/Dip (may try it later but just haven't needed it -- pistachios, lemon juice, ground flax, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, and a date)
• Lisa's Lovely Lentil Stew (just haven't gotten to it -- lentils, onion, basil, tomatoes, celery -- I'll probably be more adventurous)
• Russian Fig Dressing/Dip (blecch! pasta sauce, almond butter, sunflower seeds, fig vinegar)

Vroom Vroom Vitamix!

I guess I've entered the ranks of the crazy folks -- I bought a Vitamix! I didn't get exactly the one in this ad, but similar, and I paid less (remanufactured) at the Vitamix site.  For $400 I was expecting a lot, so I couldn't help but be a bit concerned at the plastic container, after the nice glass one on my Oster Fusion (RIP). But I've decided to give it a chance and so far I'm getting more optimistic.

SALSA MEXICANO

In the instruction booklet they advise that you start with their recipes and branch out after that.  So I made their version of salsa, which consists of only tomatoes, a bit of tomato paste I omitted, cilantro, jalapenos, and some salt.  It was okay for what it was, but the machine didn't process the slightly leathery peppers I dropped in without getting to the point of liquefying the tomatoes, so I just picked out the big hunks of pepper afterwards.  I then used the chopping feature to do some onion and garlic since we like that in our salsa, then I did another batch (2 cups) of their recipe. Mixed all together, it's very nice.


SMOOTHIE

This morning I tried my first smoothie, with a frozen banana, about 1/3 cup frozen peaches from a local farm (our trees didn't bear this year), an orange, and about one medium windfall apple (Gala type) from down the road. I added a bit of water to get the right consistency, and then I added flax seed meal to my glass afteward. That was nice, too, and I saved about a third of it as a smoothie starter for another time. This was not their recipe, but quantities as in the Vitamix booklet recommendation.

After following the instructions for cleaning the container with warm water and a couple of drops of dish liquid, then running it on high for 30 seconds, I could still detect some apple residue (I'm guessing) on the sides of the container, so I'm a little concerned about getting it really clean between uses.

PESTO SAUCE
(My reduced-fat variation)

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
3 cloves garlic
2-3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons toasted walnuts

We have a big crop of basil and I was looking forward to making some pesto once I had some kind of workable machine in the house. (My wedding-gift Sunbeam food processor has only the shredding/slicing attachments functional now, so it's limited, and the Oster Fusion blender died, so I was READY for a Vitamix!)  Of course I discovered that I didn't have any pine nuts left, but I did have walnuts, and they work just fine.  I reduced the oil and parmesan in the Vitamix booklet recipe by 30% or so and increased the basil, and the result was EXCELLENT, with no need for the salt and pepper in the recipe.  The texture is very smooth, which is fine with me, and the flavor is nicely balanced.  Now, to increase the nutritional value, I want to cut back even more severely on the oil and cheese and see how little I can get away with.  I have in the past frozen a basil puree that I use as I would pesto in some applications. 

I saved about a quart (four batches) of the Vitamix (but reduced-fat) pesto in four snack-size Ziploc bags in a quart-size Ziploc bag in the freezer. I hope to use it in those quantities or even clip the corner of the bag and squeeze out what I need--I expect that's going to be messy.  I even saved a little in the fridge so we can use it in the next few days.

I was concerned that I couldn't get all the pesto out of the container beneath the blades, and the Vitamix people want me to remove the blade assembly only if absolutely necessary (and they'll then sell me a tool to do it with). To be fair, since I used less oil I created a bit more of a problem for myself. But I solved it in part by adding water to the container at the end and swishing it around by hand, then dumping it into a bean/pasta soup I was making for my lunch. It was perfect!  After the soapy cleaning routine I thought I could feel a bit of oil residue, so I'm not crazy about that.

This afternoon I need to start processing some other produce--mostly tomatoes and green beans. I'll report back if I decide to use my Vitamix for any of it. :-)  I also had fun browsing through the 3-ring recipe book they included--some good things in there!

Moosewood Eggplant Scallopini Marsala (or Sherried)

This afternoon I kept pretty close to the recipe for Mollie Katzen's "Eggplant Scallopini Marsala" from this cookbook.


<--

Someone has posted a pretty close list of the ingredients here. Katzen offers the substitution of sherry for marsala, so I did that, not having any marsala around the house. However, this list reads "2 teaspoons" of oil while the original calls for 2-3 tablespoons of oil. I might have skimped except I was making it for a church potluck and felt that 2 tablespoons of oil (plus another tossed in the pasta) was not too much for a good dozen servings.  The recipe says it's for six, but those are giant servings, a one-bowl meal each.

It was a joy to work with the gorgeous small, shiny, firm eggplants my husband has grown this summer, plus his peppers, onions, tomatoes, and basil. I did use canned mushrooms--alas. This is a delicious meal--recommended!

Zucchagna!

My husband estimates he's picked about 200 pounds so far of summer squashes, mostly zucchini, with more to come, so I'm trying to find various ways to use it.  A couple of weeks ago I dehydrated some thin longitudinal slices to emulate lasagna noodles, hoping to create something that would not have the wateriness that regular zucchini would lend to such a dish. My thought was that if the dry slices could absorb flavored moisture from the sauce, the whole thing would turn out nicely.

I was right!


Because I had some cheeses for traditional lasagna, this recipe is not as "clean" as I would like to try later, but it's a good start for the experiment. Try it with tofu filling, non-dairy cheeses, etc., if you like.

ZUCCHAGNA

Makes a 9x13 and a 7x11 dish

5-6 cups marinara sauce (I used the 43-oz. jar of Ragu from Costco)
Dehydrated longitudinal slices of zucchini to make two layers in each dish (I didn't count!)
48-oz. carton lowfat ricotta cheese
48-oz. carton lowfat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
handful of freshly-picked basil, oregano, and rosemary (or smaller amounts of dried--about 2 tablespoons)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups mozzarella shreds

Spread enough marinara sauce to cover the bottom of each dish, then arrange dried zucchini in a single layer. Combine ricotta and cottage cheese with parmesan, garlic powder, and herbs and divide between the two dishes. Sprinkle with about 1/3 of the mozzarella (divided between the dishes). Arrange another layer of zucchini slices in each dish and top with the remaining sauce.  Seal with foil and bake at 360 for about 30-40 minutes (large dish), then remove foil, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella, and bake until bubbly, about ten minutes.

Verdict: Excellent! Everybody liked this, and now I think I can dial back the dairy and try some other variations. The zucchini was chewy and satisfying, with a sweet flavor that I think would lend itself to some Middle Eastern variations.

Now I'm dehydrating another load of zucchini with a lot more to go after that!

Zucchini Harvest Has Begun

Hubby brought in about 25 pounds of zucchini today from the garden, so I need to start using it creatively. I want to start with my new Excalibur Food Dehydrator, and this blog post from Walnut Spinney has some great ideas for that and for other uses.

Traditionally we use a recipe I once found in Farm Woman Magazine, which in the late 80s changed its name to Country Woman, and actually started out as Farm Wife! Here's where I figured that out.

These ladies knew what to do with a lot of extra zucchini. Though this recipe starts with sausage you could use something vegan if you wanted to, or otherwise add flavor as desired. The real bonus is that it uses up a LOT of zucchini:

In the biggest skillet you have, brown about one-half to one pound of sliced sausage (kielbasa, smoked sausage, Italian sausage, etc.) Add to the skillet a couple of chopped onions and a couple of cloves of garlic, smashed. When the onion has softened, add a huge pile of shredded zucchini and cook down until the zucchini has softened and some of the liquid has evaporated. Add a can of chopped tomatoes, or fresh, and just before serving add some oregano, basil, salt and pepper, and the secret ingredient, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You may add parmesan at the end if you like and eat like a stew in a bowl, with or without a side of crusty bread, or on top of pasta or our favorite, rice. Depending on how you steer the seasonings, you can go more Italian, Creole, Middle Eastern, Indian, or in another direction entirely.

Tonight I'm making a variation on this, starting with chunks from a giant zucchini, olive oil (not much), onion, garlic, a jarred roasted red pepper, a can of diced tomatoes, several marinated green olives, a dash of balsamic vinegar, fresh oregano and basil, and several turkey meatballs (the nutritarians can leave these behind in the skillet :-) ). I'm making whole-wheat spaghetti to serve it over.

And now to go start making some of those zucchini chips for the dehydrator!

Very Veggie Lasagne

Today I needed to clean out some items in the fridge, and I decided to make a lasagne, though without a ricotta-like filling I don't know whether it can be called that. Does the noodle make the difference? Anyway, here goes:

VERY VEGGIE LASAGNE

--The Filling--
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped (chunky, and the same below)
3-5 cloves garlic, sliced
4 medium zucchini, chopped
1 large eggplant, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
1/4-1/3 cup pesto (I used the jarred russo type from Aldi)
1/4 cup or so white wine (I used the last of a bottle of homemade mead)
a few shakes each Italian herbs and garlic powder, salt to taste

--The Other Stuff--
Large Costco-sized jar of Ragu
1/2-1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (what was leftover in my fridge)
1-1/2 boxes whole wheat lasagne noodles, not cooked (you need about 22 noodles)
1-pound bag shredded Italian cheeses (You're welcome to substitute "cheez" if desired, but my recipe yields about one ounce of cheese per generous serving.)

--The Method--
Heat the olive oil and add first the onions, then the garlic, then the other ingredients in the order listed, according to needed cooking time (you don't want the eggplant a complete mush), with the seasonings last and to taste. Total simmering time should be about a half hour.

In each of two 9x13 glass pans, pour enough Ragu or other sauce to just cover the bottoms, then arrange three DRY noodles lengthwise and break another to fill up the remaining space at the end of each pan. Top the noodles in each pan with a bit more than a quarter of the veggie filling, then sprinkle about three ounces of cheese into each pan.

Add a thin layer of Ragu over the cheese in each pan and top with another layer of noodles, pressing down to even the filling. Distribute the last of the veggie filling over the noodles and add three more ounces of cheese to each pan.

Finally, place another layer of noodles directly onto the last layer of cheese and press down lightly, then add the chopped tomatoes to the Ragu jar and shake it up, distributing the contents over the two pans to moisten the top noodles thoroughly.

Cover each pan with foil, oiled or sprayed with cooking spray if the filling will touch the foil. I baked one and refrigerated one for later.

To bake, put foil-covered pan (at room temperature) into a cold oven and bake at 375 for about ninety minutes. Near the end of baking time, remove the foil and test for softness of the noodles, then sprinkle with remaining two ounces of cheese (for each pan) and bake until melted.

Verdict? Excellent. We didn't miss the ricotta much at all--this was quite satisfying, though improved by a nice crusty roll on the side. :-) My lasagne sometimes fails with hard noodle bits on top, too-dry a result, or slight burning, especially of the top. But this was just right, and cuts up nicely, too, for neat leftovers in microwaved lunches.

Notes: This recipe is definitely a bit skimpy on the cheese, so be advised. The veggies can be water-sauteed, too, especially if you're adding pesto with oil/nuts. One eighth of a pan is a generous serving and includes an ounce of cheese, less than 1-1/2 noodles, half a cup of sauce and tomatoes, half a zucchini, an ounce of mushrooms, 1/16 of a big eggplant, and some onion and garlic as well. I have nothing against ricotta, or a mixture of ricotta and cottage cheese, or even a tofu replacement, but I just didn't have any on hand. The trick to baking lasagne with dry noodles is to make sure they're touching wet ingredients and that the casserole is baked closed for most of its time in the oven.

Vegan Epicurean: Our Favorite Foods

Vegan Epicurean: Our Favorite Foods

View the amazing inspirations of my blog-friend Alicia. Her creations take a special genius and the time and diligence my own life and inclination do not allow. :-)

I'm Back

I'm heading off to bed with a compelling book, but first I want to get back into the groove here:

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Smoothie of frozen banana, small cara-cara orange, 3/4-1 cup frozen blueberries, handful of fresh spinach, tablespoon or so of flax seed meal, and water to blend

Lunch--Dry-sauteed large zucchini, half an onion, clove of garlic, and several mushrooms, with a half cup or so of garbanzo beans, several garlic-stuffed olives, and 1/3 cup or so pasta sauce; golden apple with peanut butter

Snack--Small handful (ounce or so?) roasted almonds

Supper--Half grapefruit (in chunks before supper); iceberg lettuce (all we've got!) topped with refried beans, sauteed green peppers and onion (picked out of the fajita mix I made for everyone with beef), a stray sliver of beef here and there, raw onion and pepper and tomato, mix of guacamole and plain yogurt for dressing, topped with some salsa, and a single corn taco shell on the side

Snack/Dessert (because I'm hungry at almost 11 p.m.)--130 calories or so of roasted edamame and another apple (I need to do some grocery shopping soon)

Fusion Hummus

I have a party to go to this evening, and I have a refrigerated container full of what's left after you take two or three cups of garbanzo beans out of an institutional-sized can of the things. So I'm doing hummus. I have been looking at the things on my shelves and getting some inspiration recently for an Italian take on hummus, so here it is:

FUSION HUMMUS -- ITALIAN

3 large cloves garlic
3 cups canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
9 garlic-stuffed green olives
white wine as needed to blend (I used 1/3 - 1/2 cup)
one whole jarred roasted red pepper (no oil), snipped into small pieces

Whirl garlic, garbanzo beans, olive oil, pine nuts, and olives in blender, adding white wine as needed for proper consistency. Remove to bowl and stir in snipped pepper pieces. Option that might be pretty--reserve olives or some olives to snip into the blended mixture at the end.

Verdict--Excellent. This is more "fancy" or indulgent (read: contains more fat) than I'd want to use for everyday, but I have leftover garbanzo beans still and can puree them with this hummus for my own use in the days to come. Does hummus freeze well?

FUSION HUMMUS--MIDDLE EASTERN

3 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup tahini (mine was heavy on solids, light on oil, at the end of the jar)
3 cups canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
half a lemon, flesh and all, with the zest from the rind
tablespoon Garam Masala (mine is homemade and on the dark side, but not strong because it's been on the shelf for a few months)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
water (I used about 1/2 cup) and olive oil (I used a tablespoon, I think) to blend
dried parsley
salt to taste

Whirl garlic, tahini, garbanzo beans, lemon, and spices, with water and oil to proper consistency. Then turn out to a bowl and stir in parsley and salt as needed.

Verdict--Excellent. Hummus is just plain good, and I love the variations on it. I wanted a "warmer," sweeter version for this one. I think a fresher garam masala or some good coriander (mine was too shelf-old) would be good for it, maybe even a touch of cinnamon or cloves.

On the Road Today

I knew I'd be facing dining out in Grove City again today for lunch, so daughter and I determined to go to McDonalds, where I was pretty sure I could get a decent salad (with darker greens than iceberg lettuce!). I was given the crispy chicken on mine and didn't realize it until I'd eaten my portion (slightly less than half the chicken), so it was more fat than I'd intended for lunch. To prepare for this lunch I made sure to have a substantial breakfast, and I didn't have time until afternoon to get in any fruit!

For supper I wanted a lot of veggies done in an interesting and satisfying way, for one of the few times this week our whole family will sit down to supper together. I had spaghetti squash on hand, already cooked, and wanted to do something with that. One recipe that tempted me is "Spaghetti Squash I," with feta and black olives and tomatoes. But I wanted more veggies than that, and I had zucchini and eggplant on hand, so I did this instead: "SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH RATATOUILLE SAUCE."

This dish includes no oil but I put in a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and I added some sweet white wine, too, to mellow the expected harshness of the flavors. I also added some frozen dried-tomato (and basil) pesto lurking in the back of my freezer, in lieu of the fresh basil in the recipe.

Verdict: Excellent, and everybody else liked it, too. I have leftovers I know I'll enjoy in the next few days.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--South Beach Multi-grain Wrap (100 calories, 9g fiber?), 1/2 teaspoon butter to sautee one green onion and scramble one medium egg and two whites

Lunch--McDonalds Southwest Chicken Salad with Lowfat Balsamic Vinaigrette (all shared with daughter, so I calculate I had about 275 calories from my portion, including a couple of ounces of the chicken)

Snack--Leftover strawberry smoothie (includes some spinach and flax seed meal) with additional banana added; half to 3/4 ounce roasted edamame

Supper--SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH RATATOIULLE SAUCE (I had about a cup of squash and one to 1-1/2 cups of the sauce. The family had some of this as a side dish with their braised steaks and leftover mashed potatoes and rice.) ; apple with peanut butter

Banana-Nut Oatmeal, Convenience Food, Christmas Party

I started thinking about this a couple of days ago and got to enjoy it this morning:

BANANA-NUT OATMEAL

1/3 cup steel cut oats
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 very ripe banana (mine was frozen)
1/2 ounce broken-up walnuts

Cook oatmeal as directed, adding other ingredients near the end of the cooking time and mashing all together.

Verdict: Excellent! I usually put a dash of salt in my oatmeal and this doesn't need it.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--BANANA-NUT OATMEAL

Lunch--Harry and David Anjou pear; Amy's Garden Vegetable Lasagne (frozen, 290 calories, 80 of those fat, 5g fiber, 13g protein) over dry-sauteed mix of two chopped zucchini, half an onion, and a few mushrooms. Because sometimes nutritarians need convenience food, too! :-)

Snack--About 20 chocolate chips, half a biscotti. This is dangerous territory, but . . .

Supper was a challenge. The first part was at a Christmas Open House for Grove City College. It was a gorgeous spread, and I actually wound up eating some of the table decorations, really! Next to the roast beef and the stuffed mushroom caps and the oysters something-or-other (not Rockefeller) they had giant mushrooms. I didn't take any of those. At the other end of the table, by the miniature beef wellingtons and crabcakes, they had a pile of gorgeous yellow and red bell peppers. I didn't take any of those, but I took a tangelo from beside another meat option. I took a bit of the salmon but left the grapes garnishing the platter. By a platter of toasts piled with ham and strawberries I took a single strawberry garnish. There was a beautiful tray of mini caesar salads in parmesan baskets. I took one of those and enjoyed the salad (a few bites) and single crouton. I sampled the cheese basket to be sure what it was, but I left it. I nibbled a few of hubby's choices, particularly the desserts I didn't even get near otherwise, but I totaled no more than three or four bites of the rich goodies. Sooo...

Supper--Tangelo, strawberry, two or three bites caesar salad and a crouton, ounce of salmon with a bit of sauce, tastes of hubby's choices totaling maybe two ounces of heavy hors d'oeuvres and desserts; at home a salad of romaine, carrot, red bell pepper, half a cup of white beans, 100 calories of guacamole, onion, and salsa, plus one toasted corn taco shell (50 calories); half cup of leftover strawberry smoothie from last week

Ambrosia for Breakfast, Minestrone Soup

It makes me happy to have for breakfast a cup of AMBROSIA made about sixty hours ago, so that the flavors have mingled and chilled together so nicely, in a chunky cup decorated with a gold and red checkerboard border and little green Christmas trees and gold stars around its circumference.

MINESTRONE SOUP
Inspiration here and here.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
large onion, chopped
three cloves garlic, sliced
three ribs celery, chopped
5-7 stems from the chard I had earlier in the week, chopped
two large zucchini, chopped into chunks
large can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato puree (I just had some left over)
tablespoon Italian herbs
teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon powdered thyme
teaspoon paprika (in one of those recipes)
cup chicken stock
sprig fresh rosemary
three bouillon cubes
two teaspoons garlic powder
tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
cup dry ditalini or other small pasta (you could use more but I'm minimizing)
4 cups cooked navy beans
half a bag of fresh spinach inadvertently frozen in the mud room fridge (drat!)
teaspoon pepper, salt to taste

Saute onion, garlic, celery, chard stems, and zucchini in olive oil, then add other ingredients through the chicken stock, bring to a boil, check flavor, then add the other things through the pasta. Simmer until pasta and zucchini are tender, then add beans and spinach. Don't overcook to the point of mushy beans and veggies, but let sit on the stove an hour or so before eating, then heat gently again. I expect the leftovers will be even better next week.

I know that's a lot of ingredients, but it just follows how I operate in the kitchen. Consider the two recipes linked above that I used for inspiration.

Verdict: Excellent. I didn't have much appetite, though. :-(


TODAY'S MENU

Early Breakfast (I got up at 5:15!)--AMBROSIA with flax seed meal

Later Breakfast (about 10 a.m.)--Half a whole-wheat bagel with one egg (half the yolk) and a teaspoon of homemade, homegrown elderberry jam

Lunch (I see the problem with publishing everything I eat--some of it is just weird)--2 cups of steamed broccoli with about 1/3 cup homemade mac & cheese and 2-3 oz. baked pollock

Snack--pecan triangle (Ours are actually squares, and I didn't have any yesterday!). I can tell I do better without the treats--having this has made me feel "munchy" for the late afternoon, but then again, since I got up almost twelve hours ago, maybe I'm just ready for supper!

Supper--MINESTRONE SOUP; one bite of hubby's pumpkin pie; maybe a piece of fruit I'll choose after I post this.

Challenges of Travel, Progress Report

On my three-day first-time-ever trip to New England, I started very strong and ended kind of weakly, with renewed cravings (see note on potato chips in today's menu!). Here's a rundown of how it went:

Thursday--Smoothie at home for breakfast, Taco Bell "Fresco" chicken burrito, apple and nuts, two bites of hubby's turkey sub at the airport, ounce or so of roasted edamame, then a late-night Mexican salad at a Sonic (chicken, black beans, corn, cucumber, a bit of tomato, light ranch dressing)

Friday--Bowl of mixed fruit and one egg at hotel with one bite of daughter's bran muffin; Gordon College cafeteria excellent salad bar salad of dark greens and healthy veggies on top, including garbanzos, with fat-free balsamic dressing; Gordon College "Vegan Gumbo" with red beans, okra, celery, tomato-type broth; banana; ounce or so of roasted edamame. For dinner an amazing dinner recommended by a local at Passports in Gloucester, MA. I definitely had the fresh popover the waitress put on my bread plate before we ordered, and a couple of sips of hubby's white wine. I ordered the sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna with stir-fried vegetables and a ginger-type sauce. I requested additional veggies in lieu of a potato or rice. I could tell the sauce had some fat in it, but the fish had very little crust on it and the whole of it seemed pretty light. I was really hungry but still took home a good little leftover portion daughter enjoyed the next evening. I enjoyed a couple of bites of hubby's paella, too. :-)

Saturday--Bowl of mixed fruit and one egg with a small bran muffin at hotel; half ounce or so of mixed nuts; mid-afternoon lunch at Gloucester House -- I had the Greek-Style Seafood Scampi with just shrimp (allergic to scallops) and a small piece of cornbread. I ate almost all of this--left behind some of the pasta. It was definitely fatty but also very good. Later as we relaxed in the hotel I had some nuts and an orange. In the late evening hubby got a pint of ice cream for the three of us to share and I had no more than three ounces.

Sunday--Bowl of mixed fruit and 1-2 scrambled eggs, with small bran muffin (bet you can't guess this was at the hotel); after church lunch at Bertucci's, famous for not publishing nutritional information. But their roasted veggies are included in the posted recipes online, so I learned today I got more oil than I thought with those, and I ordered a bowl of minestrone and completely enjoyed the amazing roll on the table, plus I had the lunch salad we'd requested with light burgundy vinaigrette. At the airport I had a bite of a muffin and of a doughnut hubby had purchased for us three to share--I really could have done without those. And at home I had some leftover SATYAMMA'S FAMOUS CAULIFLOWER CURRY and some asparagus I found in the fridge from other daughter's dinner party Friday night.

In the wake of that increasingly non-nutritious eating over those days I have felt "needy" today (Monday) and grasping of treats I know are around, though the potato chips below are the only infraction I can think of right now. I'm trying to max out the good stuff today so I won't be hungry for the not-so-good stuff, and I hope to be back on an even keel by Tuesday.

There are times to enjoy celebratory, vacation-type food, and I think the dinner at Passports was just the thing for that, as was the small serving of ice cream. I'm not as happy about the "bite" here and there of non-optimal stuff, nor with the scampi at Gloucester House.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Oatmeal with frozen homegrown peaches, nutmeg, slivers of candied ginger, and toasted pecans

Lunch--Salad of romaine and spinach topped with black beans, onion, green pepper, salsa, and a tablespoon of ranch dressing; sweet potato with raisins and a few pecans broken up; unauthorized small handful of sour cream and onion potato chips (they're gone now, for which I'm thankful)

Supper--Yellow squash and onions; chard braised with garlic, olive oil (a tad), and lemon at the end; two ounces of pollack baked with a bit of olive oil and low-cal Italian dressing; orange

Snack (planned now as I'm posting)--Apple with peanut butter

PROGRESS REPORT

Well, after a difficult weekend I'm pleased to report being just one pound up from last week, and I hope that will resolve in a day or two. That's eleven pounds down in six weeks.

Ginger-Sprout Stir Fry and Eggplant Almost-Parmesan

For lunch today I just started pulling Asian-type ingredients out of the fridge to see what ideas presented themselves to me. Here's what resulted:

GINGERED SNOW PEA AND BEAN SPROUT STIR FRY

1-2 teaspoons sesame and/or peanut oil
quarter cup diced onion
sliced clove garlic
four or five shredded baby-cut carrots (or yes, about one large whole one)
half a large zucchini, chopped
soy sauce to taste
2-3 oz. cubed firm tofu
half a cup snow peas, chopped if desired
cup of mung bean sprouts
quarter cup cooked brown rice (that's just what I had left over)
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
2 slices crystallized ginger, chopped

Cook the ingredients in a medium nonstick pan or wok in the order given, pausing as needed to have them all come out done to desired extent. Putting in the soy sauce early helps insure the tofu will absorb good flavors.

Verdict--Excellent! The crispness of the sweet snow peas and bean sprouts and the firm crunch of the sunflower seeds blend well with the satisfying softness of the tofu and zucchini, and the ginger adds a nice burst of flavor here and there. This made a BIG bowl.

EGGPLANT ALMOST-PARMESAN
(Adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking) )

half a large eggplant, in 1/2" slices
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup combination of whole wheat bread crumbs and wheat germ
combination of basil, marjoram, thyme, etc.
sprinkling of parmesan cheese

Combine herbs with bread crumbs. Put milk in a shallow bowl and dip eggplant slices into that and then into the crumbs, then lay on a nonstick baking pan. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or so, until soft but crispy on the outside. Serve with pasta sauce, either plain or on noodles, sprinkled with a bit of parmesan cheese.

Verdict--Excellent! I was very pleased with this--had two slices for my supper on a bed of whole wheat linguine with chunky pasta sauce over all and a sprinkling of parmesan.

CHUNKY PASTA SAUCE

1/4 to 1/3 cup pesto (mine has little oil in it)
large zucchini, chopped
onion, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
clove garlic, minced
jar of Ragu or other pasta sauce
can of diced tomatoes

Heat pesto in a pot, then add zucchini, onion, pepper, and garlic and stir while cooking to slight softness. Then add pasta sauce and tomatoes and simmer fifteen or twenty minutes. Serve over almost anything.

Verdict--Very Good. Just one of those everyday things to enjoy.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Leftover BERRY KALE SMOOTHIE

Lunch--GINGERED SNOW PEA AND BEAN SPROUT STIR FRY, half pink grapefruit

Snack--Banana with peanut butter and flax seed meal

Supper--EGGPLANT ALMOST-PARMESAN, CHUNKY PASTA SAUCE, half cup of whole wheat linguine

Progress Report, Spinach and White Bean Soup

SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

2 cups chicken stock (homemade preferable, with carrot, celery, onion, and garlic, fat skimmed off)
4 cups water (I should have used less, as I needed to add bouillon to give it some flavor)
1/2 onion, chopped (I used red)
1/4 cup chopped green and red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
three big handfuls (handsful?) fresh spinach, about six cups
1 cup navy beans
1 cup butter beans
Optional: 1 cup cooked pasta plus pesto (I used leftover PESTO PASTA)
Seasonings to taste--Italian herbs, salt and pepper, bouillon cubes

Simmer the stock, water, onion, pepper, and garlic together until flavors begin to release, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer ten minutes to a half hour to meld flavors.

Verdict--Excellent. I had chicken on the side for my lunch mate to enjoy in her soup. The key is having good stock and seasonings. I think a veggie stock would work well, too, if it had plenty of body. Garlic is crucial.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Tuscan melon, halved red grapes, small local apple, flax seed meal

Lunch--SPINACH WHITE BEAN SOUP (two bowls full!)

Snack--Large pear, one ounce or so raw almonds and roasted mixed nuts

Supper--Small can V-8, 1/2 cup baked butternut squash with sprinkles of nutmeg and cinnamon, one cup cooked frozen peas mixed with a small can of sliced mushrooms, a few sliced grape tomatoes, slivers of sage from the garden, and a dash of dry sherry. (I should have left out the tomatoes--they were pretty but the flavor wasn't right with the rest of the mellowness.)

PROGRESS REPORT

Down three pounds this week, for a total of six pounds in two weeks!

Sunday Pasta

GREEN PEAR SMOOTHIE

1 large ripe pear, cut up
1/3 cup canned pineapple chunks with a bit of their juice
1 frozen banana
handful of fresh spinach
1-2 tablespoons flax seed meal
ice and water to preference

Whirl it all up in the blender and enjoy! I had about half for my breakfast.

Verdict--Very Good. It was almost too sweet--I could have stood more spinach, perhaps

PESTO PASTA

2 cups cooked whole-wheat penne
scant 1 tablespoon pesto (homemade, skimpy on oil)
1/2 cup marinated mushrooms (herbs, garlic, no oil)
drizzle of red wine

Toss hot pasta with pesto, add sliced mushrooms and wine, and heat. Half of this was my serving for Sunday Dinner.

Verdict--Good. It was satisfying, but I found myself feeling I'd have preferred less penne and more of something else veggie--zucchini, perhaps. I had more a sense of hunger later in the day, perhaps because of the "refined" carbs.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--GREEN PEAR SMOOTHIE

Sunday Dinner--Carrots with MOOSEWOOD HUMMUS for a dip; PESTO PASTA; broccoli with lemon

Snack--Local Paula Red apple; 1/4 cup mixture roasted edamame, peanuts, dried apricot, raisins

Supper--At a reception a few grapes and a bit of pineapple with some cashews; at home leftover CAULIFLOWER CURRY and green beans

Green Smoothie Redux

Thanks to Natalie for the tip about using pineapple in a green smoothie!

PINEAPPLE-BANANA GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 frozen banana
1 large tangerine
8 or so canned pineapple chunks, with some of their juice
2 cups (one large handful) fresh spinach
1-2 tablespoons flax seed meal
water as needed to blend

Combine in blender and whirl. Makes two large glasses (I had both)

Verdict--Very good. I liked this combination.

ANCHOVY SPREAD

2 oz can anchovies in oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup minced onion
Balsamic vinegar to taste (I used about 2-3 tablespoons, I think)

Mash anchovies into a saucepan over low heat, then add other ingredients and simmer until onions are softened.

I spread a little onto one half of an Arnold's Sandwich Thin and baked it in the oven until crisp, to add a lot of pizzazz to my salad (below).

Verdict--Good. I have never before cooked with anchovies that I can remember, so this was an adventurous move. I think a little of this on cooked zucchini would be good.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--PINEAPPLE-BANANA GREEN SMOOTHIE

Lunch--Leftover filling from STUFFED GARDEN VEGGIES tossed with 1-1/2 cups homegrown broccoli and a small zucchini, steamed; portion of a pear, red grapes

Snack--About a dozen raw almonds

Supper--Salad of mostly spinach with some romaine, topped with 1/2 cup navy beans (rinsed) tossed with onion, bell peppers, and tomato in lite raspberry vinaigrette dressing and garnished with bits of the ANCHOVY SPREAD toasted on an Arnold Sandwich Thin half; Tuscan melon

Confession: I didn't particularly enjoy my supper tonight. There are other issues getting me down at the moment, but another combo of greens and beans and vinegar just wasn't exciting to me. I think I'll thumb through the recipes in Eat for Health and see what I can come up with to inspire me. I already have a cauliflower curry planned . . .