[Kelly with her youngest cutie-patootie, Ginger. Image from Kelly's Facebook page. ]
Many of you already follow Kelly, the powerhouse behind The Spunky Coconut blog, mom of three, grain-free baker and cook extraordinaire. When Kelly asked me if I’d like to join her for one of her popular podcast chats, it took me all of a tenth of a second to say “YES!”
We had a blast! Head over to Kelly’s blog to listen in to our chat about the ACD, kombucha, homemade coconut milk-based yogurt, stevia, Sweet Victory and Nourished, favorite Toronto restaurants, cooking with beans and what Kelly called my “Canadian accent” (I don’t hear it–do you?). ;-)
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!
[Summer has finally arrived, which means time for playing outdoors, fresh food, girls in bikinis. . . and giveaways! I've received several great products for review and giveaway the past few months, so I decided to catch up by offering a summer series--I'll be giving away something every week this month! Here's this week's "Giveaway Gone Wild."]
[Strawberry, kale, protein powder, chia and rice milk smoothie.]
It’s no secret that I love breakfast (I even wrote an entire ebook about the meal), and smoothies are one of my very favorite breakfasts–they’re a delicious, nutritious way to start the day that’s also quick and easy (and who among us doesn’t love quick and easy? At least, that’s what my old boyfriend, Rocker Guy–he of the black leather pants–used to tell me).
A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to receive a sample from Strawesome, “the original glass drinking straw.” The beauty of a glass straw, of course, is manifold: first, it’s totally eco-friendly; reusable, non-plastic (and, therefore, also completely free of BPA or other toxins that can be associated with plastic).
[My typical breakfast green smoothie]
Second, Strawesome straws are made of nonporous, ultra-strong glass (the same kind that’s used for Pyrex and space shuttles!), so there’s no worry about it chipping, breaking, or fracturing in the dishwasher (and totally dishwasher safe). And while it’s still glass (and therefore not indestructible), the folks at Strawesome offer a Lifetime Guarantee for each of their handmade straws–if you ever do notice chipping, cracking, or any other breakage, you can request a replacement straw for no charge. Nonporous glass also means that it’s chemically inert (that is, won’t trigger any kind of allergic reaction) and doesn’t absorb germs, bacteria, or other microorganisms that might live in the minute pores and scratches of a plastic straw.
Third, Strawesome straws are great for kids. Their colorful, fun styles and shapes are a perfect way to encourage otherwise reluctant little ones to sip on a fruity (or perhaps vegetabley?) drink. Children love the fact that they make drinking easier and that they can be taken along wherever they go.
[Now, isn't this a beautiful way to start your day?]
Finally, Strawesome straws are beautiful! Each Decorated straw is adorned with a handmade glass accent that’s as unique as your morning green smoothie (or whatever flavor you choose). And how great would it be to own a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork–that can also help you consume healthy beverages?
I made a few simple drinks with my straws and was delighted with both the size and decoration. Somehow, drinking through a straw makes every beverage look and taste that much better. In fact, it felt like a luxury to sip a thick, fruity smoothie through a lovely, sturdy, Strawesome straw.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!
And now, Strawesome has offered to give away agreed to give a straw similar to mine (8-inch, straight straw) away to one lucky DDD reader (since no two are exactly alike, they can’t promise an identical straw).
Note: this giveaway is for Canadian residents only–apologies to all my international readers! (But thereARE a few other giveaways open to everyone at the moment–see below!)
Here’s how to enter this week’s giveaway: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!
1. Go to the Strawesome page and tell me which straw you like best in a comment, below.
2. All the usual suspects: “Like” Strawesome on Facebook; follow them on twitter; subscribe to this blog; “Like” DDD on Facebook; follow me on twitter. For each entry, come back and tell me that you did so.
The giveaway will run until Friday, June 17th at midnight my time, after which I’ll randomly choose a winner. Be sure to come back next week to see if you won!
OTHER DDD-RELATED GIVEAWAYS & EVENTS CURRENTLY RUNNING:
Iris over at The Daily Dietribe is offering a copy of my new ebook, Good Morning! Desserts without Gluten, Sugar, Eggs or Dairy (until June 28th). To read Iris’s lovely review and enter, click here.
Sweet Freedom is on sale for the summer! I negotiated a one-time discount with my publisher and have 150 books to sell–at the lowest price, ever, for the book! You can also combine the hard copy with any one of my ebooks for further discounts. Details here.
And for those of you in the Toronto area, I’ll be teaching an “Anti-Candida Feasting” cooking class at the Body-Mind Centre in Maple (Keele and Major Mackenzie) on Thursday, June 16th at 6:00-8:00. I’d love to see some of you there! (For full details or to register, click on the “News and Events” tab and scroll down).
[Quick Chocolate-Mint "Milkshake"]
Quick Chocolate-Mint “Milkshake”
suitable for ACD all stages
This is a quick and easy shake recipe that’s great to sip on while you read yor favorite magazine or watch your favorite TV show. The addition of tahini contributes a good hit of calcium (one tablespoon of tahini provides 6% of your daily requirement).
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened rice, soy, almond or hemp milk
1-1/2 Tbsp (22.5 ml) raw cacao nibs (or use unsweetened carob chips for ACD Stage One)
20-40 fresh mint leaves, to your taste (will depend on the size of the leaves–I used 40 spearmint leaves)
10-15 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia
1 heaping Tbsp (20 ml) tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chia seeds
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender (such as a Vita-Mix) and blend until perfectly smooth. If using a conventional blender, grind the chia seeds in a coffee grinder to a fine powder before adding to the blender. Pour into a tall glass (ideally, with a Strawesome straw!) and sip away. Makes one large serving.
Welcome to another month and another round of the SOS Kitchen Challenge! After posting April’s roundup, Kim and I realized that the SOS Kitchen Challenge is now a year old. Our first challenge in April 2010 featured the beet, and we’ve been on a roll ever since. Many thanks to all of YOU for continuing to support the Challenge with your recipes and ideas!
To celebrate our one year “birthday,” we’ve decided to pick one of our favorite ingredients and feature giveaways for two lucky readers! This month we are featuring…
Carob, also known as St. John’s Bread, has been used for over 5000 years. The word “carob” is derived from the Arabic Kharrub or Kharoub, which means pod or bean pod. This ancient food has a long and interesting history, feeding Mohammed’s armies and (according to the Bible) sustaining St. John the Baptist in the wilderness (Mark 1:16). Carob was referred to as the “Egyption fig” or “Egyption date” by the Romans, who at the unripened pods as a sweet treat. The ancient Egyptians used carob to make the adhesive used in mummification, and carob has been found in Egyptian tombs. And more recently, thousands of Spaniards relied on the nutrition from the carob pod during the Spanish Civiil War and World Wars I and II. Fascinating!
Carob is harvested from the carob bean tree. Depending on the age of the tree, carob bean trees yield between 100 and 250 pounds of beans per year. Over the course of the growing season, glossy flat green bean pods develop. As they mature, the pods turn dark brown and become very firm. Each pod grows up to 12 inches in length and can contain as many as 15 carob seeds. Seeds are harvested and used for human consumption while the pods are often used as animal feed.
As a food, carob is remarkably versatile. Carob powder, available both raw and toasted, is a wonderful 1:1 substitute for cocoa powder in any recipe. Carob is also used to make carob chips, which can be substituted for chocolate chips. The rich brown color is similar to that of cocoa powder, and naturally sweet flavor reduces the need for other sweeteners in recipes, making it great for low-sugar or sugar-free diets (such as the ACD!). But unlike cocoa, carob is free of caffeine, theobromine, and oxalic acid, so it a great choice for individuals who are sensitive to, or wish to avoid, those things.
Roasted carob seeds have a rich flavor, and can be used as a substitute for coffee or black tea. Whole pods are eaten in Egypt as a snack and crushed pods are used to make a refreshing drink (I actually used to snack on the pods when I first began the ACD about ten years ago. . . slightly warmed, they become soft and chewy, very date-like). In addition to using the pod whole or ground, it can be used for a variety of other purposes. Throughout the Mediterranean, carob is used to make liqueurs and syrups for both culinary and medicinal purposes (carob syrup can be found at Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or speciality markets). The commonly-used thickener locust bean gum–often found in many processed foods–is derived from carob.
In addition to being delicious, carob is actually quite health promoting. As mentioned earlier, it is free of caffeine, theobromine, and oxalic acid, perfect for anyone intolerant to caffeine or on a low oxalic diet. It is high in fiber and contains a respectable amount of calcium, potassium, riboflavin, copper, potassium, and omega-6 fatty acids. It can be used as a treatment for diarrhea, and is particularly effective in infants and children.
How To Participate (And Enter To Win!)
Kim and I are offering great prizes this month to two lucky readers as a way to celebrate our one year anniversary. By submitting a recipe to this month’s SOS Challenge, you are automatically eligible to win! (Please remember that recipes must be vegan or provide reliable vegan substitutes, cannot use refined sugars, and must utilize whole ingredients–no box mixes). For full Challenge guidelines, please see this post. If your entry does not comply with our rules, we will be obliged to remove it–so please read the rules!
Entries must be recieved by 11:59 pm CST on May 31, 2011.
Our prizes this month:
A 1-pint jar of Harrison’s Sugar Bush Maple Syrup, harvested by Kim’s family in Fence, Wisconsin. This syrup is made in small batches and is only available through them–it is not sold in stores. So, lucky you!
At the end of the month, Kim and I will choose the two winners at random from the entries, and will announce the winners on our blogs Wednesday June 1, 2011. Be sure to come back here and check if you won at the beginning of next month!
We’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm and incredible creativity you’ve all shown over the past Challenges. So put those carob-filled thinking caps on, and start cooking!
Here are some carob-based recipes on the blog to inspire you:
It’s April–which means the cruelest monthlove is in the air another SOS Kitchen Challenge!
This month, with so many of us thinking about spring and green shoots finally making their way toward the sky, Kim and I have chosen an ingredient that is itself a harbinger of spring. With its lively green hue and tender, pine cone-like tops, this veggie is often enjoyed even by those who don’t otherwise consume many veggies. Our happy ingredient this month happens to be
When asparagus hits the grocery stores and markets around this part of the world, we know spring is just around the corner. And who doesn’t love spring?
Available in most places from April to May (though much earlier in California and much later in the midwest), asparagus is beloved by many as a special treat.
Actually part of the Lily family, asparagus is available in three varieties: green (the type with which most people are familiar), white, which is grown underground to inhibit the chlorophyll and thereby prevent any color from developing; and purple, which is much smaller and more delicate than the standard type.
Perhaps part of its elite appeal is the fact that asparagus is more perishable than many other vegetables; it stays fresh only a few days, and, in fact, begins to lose its antioxidant value more quickly than other veggies. The best way to store asparagus to keep it fresh is to place the cut ends in a little bit of fresh water; I stand my bunch of asparagus upright in an empty (clean) large yogurt container or glass jar, with about an inch (2.5 cm) of water in the bottom. I invert a plastic veggie bag (usually the one it came in) gently over the spears for storage. It will keep a couple of days this way.
With its high fiber content, asparagus is a great aid to digestion. It’s also an excellent source of folic acid and Vitamin K (essential for healthy blood and bones) and is a good source of other B-vitamins. The high amount of Vitamin A (just 6 spears provide 25% of the daily requirement) is great for healthy skin; and it’s also a mild diuretic, which means it can help to reduce swelling or other conditions in which one retains water (such as PMS). Finally, it also helps to detox the body with antioxidants like glutathione (important for liver function). And let’s not forget that it tastes delicious and often appeals to folks who don’t otherwise enjoy their veggies!
Most of us think of asparagus as a savory ingredient, used in classic dishes like quiche or risotto, above–and of course it’s delicious that way! But it’s also great shredded, raw, in salads; creamed in soups; or grilled. And if you can think of a tasty sweet use for this vegetable, you’ll get an extra-special mention in this month’s SOS Roundup!
How to Participate:To play along with this month’s challenge, simply cook up a new recipe–either sweet OR savory (or both)–using asparagus.
Be sure to follow the general SOS guidelines for ingredients and submission requirements (please be sure to read the guidelines before submitting! We hate to remove links, but we will do so if they don’t comply with the general guidelines). You may submit your own recipe or one you found on a website or blog (even one of ours). Then link up your recipe via the linky tool at the bottom of this post, or any of the other SOS: Asparagus posts that I publish this month. Be sure to also add a link to this page on your post, and if you wish, include the SOS logo.
Your recipe will be displayed on both Kim’s and my blog via the Linky, and will be featured in a recipe roundup at the end of this month. As always, we look forward to more of your innovative, delectable, enthusiastic entries this month!
[The main course table from my recent holiday potluck with nutritionist friends, clockwise from top left: [out of the photo--Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts]; Southwest Brown Rice Casserole with Beans [white bowl behind cutlery]; Tempeh-Brown Rice Curry and Vegetables; Baby Spinach Salad; Rutabaga Gratin; Cinque Pizza with olives, green pepper, faux meat and onion; and (in red casserole in center) Carrot and Sweet Potato Latkes. The latkes were fried–I have no idea what kind of oil she used. Yes, I ate one.]
In recent years, it seems, we’ve all become hyper aware of the connection between food and health; it’s one of the hottest topics on the internet, twitter, blogs, or in magazines; you can’t read anything, flick on the television or listen to the radio without someone discussing a new study or mentioning a specific food and how it is or is not good for us. Goji berries? Superfood. Kale? Will save your eyes. Sugar? The devil. Trans fats? Avoid at all costs. Refined flours? Shortcut to a heart attack. And so on. How do you decide what to eat?
Well, I had originally planned to tackle this rather amorphous topic in the new year, once we’d all recovered a bit from the holidays and I had more time to craft a thoughtful post about it (since I’ll be on vacation then–whoo hoo!). Instead, I’m going to leap right in today after receiving the following comment on the Simply Bar giveaway post (the first part in quotation marks is what I wrote in the original post itself):
“In addition, the company has prided itself on using real, natural ingredients, without any added fillers in their bars. For example, the “Cocoa with Raspberry” flavor contains soy crisps (like rice crisps in texture and taste), organic agave nectar, organic brown rice syrup, organic cocoa, raspberries, organic canola oil.” Six ingredients–that’s it!”
SOY CRISPS! has the world gone mad? I appreciate that these bars only have a few ingredients in them, but they are a few, highly processed ingredients.
Soy crisps – a bean that is only truly digestible when fermented, is processed into a crisp?
Canola oil – oil that is high in inflammation promoting omega 6, processed from rapeseeds and should only be eaten raw.
Agave syrup – the sugars of the agave cactus without the natural brake of fibre, controversy rages about whether it is low or high GI.
Brown Rice syrup – sugars inherent in rice – highly processed, super high GI, even though it’s brown rice!
Only six ingredients? Whatever happened to the good old nut and fruit bars of my childhood made entirely from nuts and dried fruit? I’d rather have a bar of dark chocolate than one of these!
Since I not only promoted the bar on my blog but actually eat them, I felt a response was in order (and I will respond to the email itself toward the end of the post).
First, let me outline how I decide what to eat and what not to eat; here, then, are the principles I follow and firmly believe in when it comes to “eating healthfully.” (This is not a post about how to keep to a healthy diet over the holidays; I dealt with that subject here. )
[African Sweet Potato Stew--pretty darned good for you.]
I. Aim for a Diet That’s 100% “Good-for-You”. . . .
More than anything else about food, I believe that we are, literally, made up of what we put into our mouths, whether food, drink, or breath. Whether fresh or rancid, pesticide-laden or organic, whole grain or refined, local or imported, dirt-still-clinging-to-its-roots or packed in a BPA-lined bag inside a box, food will contribute to the makeup of every cell in your body.
In nutrition school, we learned about a diet called NAG–Natural, Alive, and Good Quality. I wrote more about it in this post. Basically, the diet aims to include only real, whole, unprocessed and organic ingredients, with most (if not all) nutrition coming from plant sources. Lucky for me, I love healthy foods (I also happen to love unhealthy foods–but that’s a topic for another post).
My own tweaks to the NAG foundation were made because of the anti-candida diet I now follow (about which I wrote more here and here), and include, for the most part: no sugar (and most other sweeteners), no sweet fruits; nothing fermented (with a few exceptions); nothing moldy or yeasty (mushrooms, nutritional yeast, alcoholic beverages, many nuts and some fruits, etc); nothing highly processed (packaged or most canned goods); no gluten; very few legumes; no eggs or dairy. (The ACD typcially allows organic chicken, beef and fish, but I don’t eat those.) I include tofu occasionally, which is considered “acceptable” in about half the anti-candida diets out there (there is quite a bit of variation about what is included in the diet).
With the ACD, you will ideally re-introduce many of the banned foods after you’ve been following it for a while and are feeling better. For instance, now that I’ve been on the diet for over two years and am 90% better, I am eating some fruits, using (gluten free) flours, and consuming the very occasional treat with agave nectar or coconut sugar.
About my own eating habits, let me be clear: during the first couple of phases of the ACD, I followed the diet one hundred percent, 100% of the time–I never “cheated.” That’s because I was in great distress about my poor health and wanted to heal as quickly as possible. However, as one of our teachers at nutrition school remarked, even following the ACD “most of the time” will, eventually, lead to diminished yeast in the body and better health; it will just take longer.
[This would definitely be a rare treat. . . even if I weren't on the ACD. Cake recipe in Sweet Freedom; frosting here.]
II. . . .90% of the Time.
Just as highschool graduates might send their first applications to Ivy League schools; as aspiring editors aim to nab a spot at a ”big house” like Farrar, Straus and Giroux; or as newly-graduated life coaches dreams of being on Oprah, when it comes to eating, I believe we should endeavor to eat only the best quality, healthiest foods. But what happens when the grad isn’t accepted by Harvard or Yale; if the young editor is offered a job at Harlequin; or the life coach lands a local radio spot instead? Do they decline the lesser offer, or worse–give up entirely? Of course not.
In an ideal universe, I’d be eating a top-notch, 100% “perfect” diet all the time. My meals would be 70% raw, all organic, as close as possible to the condition they’re in when they’re plucked from the ground, and entirely unprocessed–things like this, or this, or this. While I may have lofty ideals when it comes to food and eating, I understand that reality doesn’t always comply. Consequently, I try not to beat myself up if I can’t achieve that ideal. If I can remain compliant 90% of the time, I’m okay with having something less than perfect the other 10%. (Certainly, there are otherfoodbloggers out there who manage such menus far more often–and more consistently–than I).
For example, I’ve mentioned before that the HH enjoys eating in restaurants, and we still frequent them occasionally. I’ve found a couple of places that actually serve ACD-friendly food (at one, ”Israeli Salad” consisting of fresh cucumber, tomato and onion with olive oil and lemon juice alongside hummus; at the other, gluten free pizza crust with toppings of my choice, usually roasted garlic, baked tomato, red onion, spinach and black olives). As a result, we tend to patronize either of those most of the time.
Once a month, though, we head to a Malaysian restaurant I adore. They’re willing to provide vegan options and also hold the sugar at my request. Great! But I am fairly certain that they don’t grease their woks with organic coconut oil (or anything organic, for that matter); and I am not willing to stress about this. If I consume a small quantity of less-than-healthy oil once a month, I rely on the remaining 90% of my uber-healthy diet to compensate; it’s worth it to me to be able to enjoy the rest of the meal.
For the past couple of years, I’ve been rediscovering books by Geneen Roth and am devoted to her intuitive approach to eating–letting your body determine when, what and how much you eat. The woman has effectively peeked into my psyche (and my pantry), and I relate to her ideas on food as psychological comfort, how food serves many other purposes besides nourishment, and how we can learn to enjoy eating in the most natural and instinctive fashion. I’m not entirely “there” yet when it comes to attending to my body’s messages, but I’m learning.
I had my first epiphany about listening to my body only about a month ago, when I first began to experiment with coconut sugar. Having baked only with stevia (and a miniscule amount of yacon or agave) until then, being able to use a one-for-one sugar replacement was thrilling. I went a little crazy in the kitchen, baking cookies, brownies, bars, muffins and whatever else I could think of. I also tasted them all. . . and then some. I probably ate more baked goods in that week than I had in the previous six months. If that episode had occurred two years ago, it would likely have spiralled into an endless round of sweet binges, fuelled by sugar and guilt and the rationalization that “it’s the holidays.”
Instead, something odd occurred: I suddenly didn’t feel like eating so many sweets any more. My body said, “Give me kale! Give me black bean soup! Give me cinque e’ cinque!” (somehow, my body managed to pick up Italian while I was sleeping). I averted a crisis simply by listening to the physical signals I routinely ignored in the past. It felt great, and I’m striving to improve my skills in that area, and practise it more often. Your body intuitively knows what’s good for you. Listen to it.
Earlier yesterday on twitter, a famous vegan cookbook author asked, “Q: how much oil in a recipe before you won’t make it? Does mention of 1/2 c olive oil freak anyone out? 1/3 cup better? What is OK?”. Well, I think the answer depends on several factors. What kind of oil is it? How many servings does the recipe make? How much of it will I be eating at one sitting? How often will I eat it? Half cup (the amount in the recipe) is 8 tablespoons (120 ml) or 24 teaspoons (24 x 5 ml). If the dish yields 20 servings (a baked dessert), that’s less than 2 teaspoons per serving. If it’s a main course that makes 8-10 servings, it’s still 1 tablespoon or less per serving–less than most people use on one salad. Mostly, I wouldn’t think twice if the dish were a special occasion recipe–it’s only once in a while, anyway.
What struck me about the exchange was the idea that based on the amount of oil alone, people would eschew the entire recipe. I know people who eat raw coconut oil by the tablespoon, yet the idea of 1/2 cup in an entire recipe is anathema.
A while back, I was asked in a comment on this post about whether roasting nuts renders them less healthy–and, of course, the short answer is “yes.” But do I want to eat raw nut butter all of the time? No. I like the taste of toasted nuts better than the taste of raw nuts. Nuts still contain healthy fats. They are still a real food. So I eat them toasted sometimes, and I don’t worry about it.
My point is that you can be so focused on the health-related characteristics of your food that you overlook the fact that food is supposed to taste good and confer pleasure. As Andrew Weil notes in his book, Eating Well for Optimum Health, a rigid adherence to eating only “healthy” foods can negate the pleasure we get from sharing our meals with others–and sometimes the social contact is more important to our health than the absolute quality of the food we’re eating.
Which brings me back to the comment that started it all. Here’s my response to each of the points made by the commenter:
Soy crisps – a bean that is only truly digestible when fermented, is processed into a crisp?Yes, soy crisps are processed (they contain non-GMO soy protein, tapioca starch and salt); see my comments above about 90%/10%. As I’ve mentioned before, even though fermented soy is more easily digestible than non-fermented (eg, tofu), I do not avoid tofu or other non-fermented soy (eg, soymilk) in moderation. It is a great source of protein and contains isoflavones that are advantageous in myriad ways, plus many other health benefits. While it’s not for everyone (you can read about the pros and cons yourself), for me, soy’s numerous health benefits–and the fact that it’s been a staple food in many Asian cultures for centuries–makes it a desirable food.
Canola oil – oil that is high in inflammation promoting omega 6, processed from rapeseeds and should only be eaten raw. As far as I know (or can find information in my nutrition texts and online), canola oil is considered a “monounsaturated fat” because it contains mostly (about 55%) monounsaturated fatty acids. Like any oil, canola is made up of mono-, poly- and saturated fats in different ratios. It does contain Omega 6 oil, but it also contains a larger percent of Omega 3. In any case, unless the canola is organic and cold pressed, I wouldn’t want to consume it at all. Like any oil that is liquid at room temperature, canola is best when unheated. It might not be my first choice for baking or cooking (I don’t ever use it at home); however, I am not too concerned about eating a snack with it on occasion (see point II, above).
Agave syrup – the sugars of the agave cactus without the natural brake of fibre, controversy rages about whether it is low or high GI. I know that some people think agave is evil. I am not one of those people. The glycemic index (GI) of agave, when organic and processed without excess heat or chemicals, is relatively low (38 or so). Like any other natural sweetener, agave is harmful in large quantities. However, having readseveralarticles about it, I’ve decided that, for me, agave is a good sweetener as long as it’s organic and not overly processed. Like maple syrup, it requires some processing to convert the raw sap into what we buy in the store. It is still a delicious, low glycemic sweetener–but like any sweetener, should be eaten in small quantities and as a treat.
Brown Rice syrup – sugars inherent in rice – highly processed, super high GI, even though it’s brown rice! Again, brown rice syrup is a traditional natural sweetener that’s been used for ages. The sugars inherent in rice are no worse, as far as I can tell, than the sugars inherent in wheat, spelt, millet, or any other grain. And while some processing is, of course, required to convert rice to a sweetener, I have been able to find absolutely no corroboration that brown rice syrup is high GI. Most of the articles I’ve come across list its glycemic index as around 25-35–rather low.
Given my own approach to healthy eating, I am comfortable consuming snacks such as The Simply Bar on occasion. If the bars’ ingredients don’t jibe with what you think is healthy, please, don’t eat them. I’m grateful to the commenter for prompting me to examine my viewpoint on these ingredients and articulate my eating philosophy in general.
["Does this mean we get to listen to our bodies, too, Mum? Because my body is telling me that it's time you gave me a treat."]
Perhaps most importantly when it comes to our diets, however, is that I believe each of us must make our own informed choices about the food we put in our mouths. If my approach doesn’t resonate with you, that’s fine; there are many other approaches out there to pursue. With so many sources of illness in our world–toxins, pollution, carcinogens, molds, bacteria, germs, viruses, electromagnetic pollution–I could go on–I think it’s essential that we don’t allow ourselves to become bogged down in the negative impact of them all. It’s still possible to eat well and enjoy your food while keeping an eye open to the possible drawbacks.
Whew! And if you made it this far in the post, well, I think you deserve a reward. Go get yourself a huge piece of chocolate, or maybe a (thin) slice of cake–made with real, organic ingredients, of course.
I’d love to hear what you think about the issue–what constitutes a “healthy” diet in your mind?
[Fantastically versatile, high fiber and low(er) fat. . . savory spread, here on a raw veggie cracker.]
It was while lunching with a friend in New York last weekend that I first had the inspiration for collard rolls with sweet potato spread.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t exactly while we were lunching, but more like a day or two later. And oh, all right, maybe it wasn’t specifically collard rolls with sweet potato that I ate back then, but more like nori rolls with pumpkinseed pâté. Oh, and sure, maybe I wasn’t hit with inspiration, exactly, but perhaps something more like. . . a touch of indigestion? But you know, it’s taken me thirteen years to wend my way back to New York since my previous visit, and I feel I should now milk that trip for all it’s worth. Besides, I’ve always wanted to say something like, “It was while lunching with a friend in New York last weekend that I first had the inspiration. . . . “ Makes me sound rather the jet-setter, don’t you think? Or maybe like a younger (of course that would be much younger) version of like Ina Garten.
(I know. But just indulge me).
Although I tend to eat raw foods fairly regularly, a dinner of entirely raw nourishment requires a bit of forethought since the HH generally won’t partake (or, if he does, it’s just a side dish for him). However, I was on a raw roll both in New York and immediately afterward. It began with that lovely lunch before I left the city, followed by a raw dinner that same evening back in Canada. Then, this past Saturday, the HH and I went out for a birthday dinner. My choice of venue? Rawlicious.
The best part of eating at a raw food restaurant, for me, isn’t the food–though food is paramount, of course. No, the best part is that someone else prepares it, expending all the time and effort that entails. Since I’ve created a few elaboraterawmeals at home myself, I am aware of how much preparation precedes a multi-textured, multi-seasoned and veggie-rich dishl such as the ones the HH and I enjoyed.
First up, we shared a platter of “nachos,” served with a trio of “sour cream,” guacamole and salsa. Heaven! Then the HH feasted on a raw bolognese “pasta” (made from spiralized zucchini), while I chowed down on a raw “tortilla”–a collard wrap filled with a hunk of nut “meat” along with a variety of colorful shredded veggies and sauce. I fully admit to being a poor, poor food blogger (though so far, anyway, a fairly good Vegan MoFoer) since I was so excited about the prospect of finally eating at the place that I forgot my camera at home!
[My version of raw collard wraps. . . I guess Valerie and I had the same idea! ]
Since I can’t offer you photos of my professionally-prepared collard wrap, I thought I’d share pics of my own creation. My wrap is an amalgam of the nori roll I had in New York crossed with the raw collard wrap from Rawlicious. With one important diversion: I added a spectacular spread made from sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are such a regular fixture in the DDD household that even The Girls receive their portion almost every day; I regularly grind up raw sweet potato along with cauliflower, greens, or apples to add to their dinner. And while I am happy to consume the sweet spuds in their uncooked state as well, this spread adds a bit of cooked yam to the otherwise raw roll.
I’ve tried the spread in both a sweet and a savory incarnation, and both are spectacular. Blending the sweet potato purée with either nut or seed butter results in a smoother, lighter spread, and one with less than half the calories and only 1/3 the fat of plain nut butter. After noshing on this spread on crackers, scones, a chickpea pizza and straight from the jar for the past 4 days, I’ve concluded that I might just like this better than straight almond butter (gasp!).
You can play around with the varieties of nut or seed butter you use as well as with proportions of sweet potato vs. butter. I’ve found the 2:1 ratio works best for me, but do what pleases you most.
This is also my first submission to this month’s SOS Kitchen Challenge hosted by Kim and me–our ingredient this month is (you guessed it) sweet potatoes.
Sweet or Savory Sweet Potato Spread (suitable for ACD Stage 1 and beyond)
I used the savory version as the base in raw collard wraps, and the sweet on an amazing breakfast “pizza” (recipe coming up soon). Use the savory spread as the base for sandwiches, on polenta rounds, tossed with pasta, or wherever you want to add some creamy texture. The sweet spread is perfect on muffins or scones, toast, or even pancakes.
The Savory:
1 cup (240 ml) packed sweet potato purée
1/2 cup (120 ml) natural unsalted sunflower seed butter (or another nut or seed butter of your choice)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
1 to 1-1/2 tsp (5-7.5 ml) garam masala, to your taste (or substitute 1/4 tsp/.5 ml ground ginger, 1/2 tsp/2.5 ml cinnamon and a pinch of cloves)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
The Sweet:
1 cup (240 ml) packed sweet potato purée
1/2 cup smooth natural unsalted almond butter (or another nut or seed butter of your choice)
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
10-20 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
For both versions: Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and well combined. Transfer to a clean jar and store in the refrigerator. Makes about 1.5 cups (360 ml). Will keep, covered in the refrigerator, up to 5 days. I haven’t tried freezing it, but am guessing it would hold up well if defrosted overnight in the refrigerator.
How did it get to be August 4th already?? To coin a cliché, the summer has flown by. It’s three quarters over and I’ve only had about three days off. What the–??
Some days, I feel like I’m living in that old Calgon commerical. Well, with shorter hair. And better music. And hey, who has time for a bath, anyway? Still, my life does feel that out of focus at times.
Yep, things around here have been verging on “too much chaos” for quite some time now. Did you know that North Americans enjoy fewer statutory holidays and routinely work longer hours than people in any other Western countries? Never mind my gray hairs. Never mind my IBS (almost always associated with stress). Never mind those computer and twitter malfunctions (oooh, I sorely miss my tweetdeck! Hoping to fix it soon!). No, the sign that you are truly and verily overworked is when even meditating stresses you out.
And so, what to do to help soothe the savage breast (and the rest of me, too)–or, as Andrew Denton calls it, “the common cold of the psyche”? Well, music is fine, but for me–and for this month’s SOS Kitchen Challenge–the choice is
MINT!
Yes, the SOS Kitchen Challenge is back! Kim and I challenge you all to create either sweet or savory dishes (or both, if you’re really adventurous–though of course, that’s not required) to submit to the event! Full rules are posted here. And please note a few changes to the event’s structure, also mentioned below.
Of course, mint is great for those times when you need a respite from the crazy-making work, boss, kids, traffic, neighbors, dogs, baby, etc. And aside from its incredible health-promoting qualities (it’s a great tonic for indigestion, nausea, headache or even congestion; it has antioxidant and antimicrobial qualities; and it’s actually an excellent source of vitamins A and C), mint just plain tastes great. And, as I discovered a couple of years ago, it’s an almost indestructible perennial plant (as evidenced by the photo in this post).
You see, when the HH and I moved into this house almost three years ago, the previous tenants has left us a teeny, tiny patch of mint alongside the house. Within a couple of months, the green sea of swaying leaves threatened to take over the entire space between our house and the neighbor’s. I learned quickly to use mint in many different ways.
Mint originated in Europe and the Mediterranean, and is now cultivated around the world. With over thirty varieties of mint (mostly peppermint and spearmint), each with its own distinct properties and heady aroma courtesy of the menthol they contain, mint is a useful and versatile herb.
Mint is appropriate in both sweet or savory dishes, from classics like peppermint candies or chocolates to mint chutneys and curries. It makes a soothing, cooling beverage as well, as we witnessed when Daisy, Gatsby et al sipped on their refreshing mint juleps (or you could try my ACD-friendly Ginger Mint Iced Tea).
I’m going to opt for a sweet recipe first this month. This is also a sneak peek at a recipe from my upcoming ACD friendly dessert ebook, available in just two weeks!
If you’d like to participate in the challenge, all you need to do is create a new recipe and submit it through a link form below (no more emailing!). Please be sure to link up to this page and mention the SOS Challenge in your blog post. And feel free to use the SOS badge, too!
Then just add your name and a title for your recipe to the form below. Your link will automatically display a photo and will direct readers to your blog. We’ll leave the form open until the end of the month, just in time for the next SOS Challenge!
Please remember to follow the rules – vegan, no refined sugars, and natural, whole foods ingredients only – or at the very least, make sure you offer reliable substitutions for those things in your recipe if you use something else. Entries that don’t meet these requirements will be removed from the linky list.
We look forward to seeing what you create this month, and check back often to see all the great submissions to this month’s SOS challenge!
Note: We appreciate your submissions and would like to include them all, but sometimes have to remove an entry from the list. The most common reasons are:
No link to this post. Even if you mention the SOS Challenge in your post, without a live link to this post, the entry doesn’t qualify.
You link to an old recipe. We only accept recipes that are created for the challenge.
You include ingredients that aren’t part of the challenge. Most often, the inclusion of cane sugar (UNrefined evaporated cane juice is okay, but not regular sugars), eggs, cow’s milk, or other animal products will disqualify an entry.
If none of these applies to you and your entry was removed, please contact me in case a mistake has been made! Thanks, eveyone.
[Sometimes, you just want to eat something now. I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]
[Ooohh-wee! Just look at those little cacao nibs peeking out!]
First: thanks, everyone for the great anniversary wishes on my last post! (The HH thanks you, too, in his inimitable fashion). Because we won’t actually celebrate until this Saturday evening, I’ll be posting photos of our meal in the subsequent blog post after that. Stay tuned!
In the past week or so, I’ve received a few emails asking how my ACD is going, and I realized it’s been a while since I posted an update. So, here goes:
For the most part, everything is pretty much status quo (with the ACD, that is. But The EL-LENd Me a Hand campaign continues to grow–join the wave and possibly win a free cookbook!). Basically, I’m now following Phase II of the Whole Approach diet, which now adds the occasional fruit (apples and berries, primarily) and some gluten free flour products. These new additions have opened up the world of baking possibilities once again, which makes me happy (I take it where I can get it). I’ve now lost 46 pounds and holding , which also makes me happy, though I wish it were a bit more. I’m feeling about 95% better, with lots of energy and clear headedness–which makes me very happy. And I still cannot eat peanuts, pistachios, fungi, yeast, alcohol, or any sweeteners except yacon and stevia. Which decidely does not make me happy.
Not happy, especially, since one of my very favorite foods in life has always been peanut butter. I’ve been eating it since the early days of my childhood when The CFO and I would sneak downstairs at 6:30 AM on a Saturday morning to watch Bugs Bunny with a side of soda crackers (loaded with PB) to my days as an undergrad in my first apartment when almost every breakfast consisted of a bran muffin slathered with PB, to the halcyon days of my relationship with the HH when we’d regularly slurp up Moroccan Spiced Tomato Soup or munch on my all-time favorite Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies or Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudgies with abandon (not to mention a few other things we used to do with abandon–no, no, you debauched minds, you! I meant drink wine with dinner).
Not so any more.
Luckily, the ACD permits other nuts like almonds, walnuts and brazil nuts, so I often substitute almond butter for the PB in recipes, with little if no loss of appeal. But there’s one place where almonds can’t easily stand in for peanuts in an ACD-friendly format: flavored peanut butters.
Ever since I first caught a whiff of peanut-butter laced names like ”Dark Chocolate Duo” or “White Chocolate Wonderful” or “Mighty Maple,” I’ve been dying to try them but could never find them here in Toronto. And then, I started the ACD, which meant no PB at all.
[Bounty courtesy of Hannah--and yes, that's her homemade vegan white chocolate on the end! Whoo hoo!]
And even when the amazing Hannah of Bittersweet sent me a faint-inducing care package with all manner of treats, including those aforementioned PBs (bet you thought I forgot, eh, Hannah?), I couldn’t even try them out! (Don’t worry, I’ve set them aside until the very last day on the “Best Before” stamp, hoping I’ll have a chance to dig in by then; and the white chocolate is waiting patiently in the freezer). Thanks again for the delectable chocolate and nut butter bounty, Hannah!
Well, that got me thinking. (What? Again??). I’ve been making my own nut butter for years; if you’ve never tried it, you will be amazed at how easy it is. Homemade nut butter is so much healthier than store bought–even the all-natural kind– because you control exactly how long the nuts are roasted, and there’s no need for additional oils (which are often added to store-bought brands). In addition, homemade tends to be fresher than pre-jarred types. Heck, I realized, I could make my own, ACD-friendly version!
And then it hit me: instead of attempting to create a poor imitation of peanut butter using almonds, why not concoct something completely different, unique unto itself? I decided to create a flavored spread with walnuts. Why walnuts? Well, I love the flavor of these little cerebrum-shaped nuts when they’re just lightly toasted; they’re wonderfully nutritious, with about 95% of your recommended daily intake of Omega 3 fatty acids in a 1/4 cup (60 ml) serving and a bevy of other amazing nutrients, fiber and protein. And since their fat content is slightly higher than that of almonds, walnut butter is easier to blend in a food processor and results in a richer flavor. Perfect!
[In lieu of syrup over pancakes--heavenly!]
I opted to mix my walnut butter with cacao nibs for a chocolate intensity, and sweeten with just a bit of stevia. The result was a textured spread, a bit thinner than regular almond butter, but so much more luscious. I absolutely adored it, and could barely contain myself from licking it off the spoon. The cacao conferred a hint of chocolate throughout, which was, surprisingly, not the least bit bitter even though the nut butter isn’t extremely sweet.
Because of its light texture, this is a perfect topping for breakfast breads and quickbreads like scones, biscuits or pancakes–but that won’t diminish its charm if spread on an otherwise unadorned rice cake. You’ll never crave peanut butter again!
Since this is a kind of “healthy makeover” recipe, I thought it would be great for Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. Head on over and check the roundup!
Walnut Cacao Butter (ACD Phase II and beyond–with ACD Phase I variations)
Spoon up some of this amazing spread when you want to feel special. I made a small batch because otherwise risked eating it all–but the recipe will double nicely. The variations are almost endless.
10-15 drops plain or vanilla flavored stevia, to your taste (I like NuNaturals Vanilla)
In the bowl of your food processor (or in a coffee grinder if your processor blades aren’t too sharp), process the cacao nibs briefly to break up into crumbs. Don’t overprocess, or you’ll have cacao flour; you want a bit of texture. Remove the nibs to a bowl.
In the same processor bowl, whir the walnuts and sea salt until the mixture becomes almost perfectly smooth (this should occur fairly quickly).** Stop the processor, add the stevia, and pulse a couple of times to blend. Add the cacao nibs back in and stir to combine, but don’t process again.
Turn the mixture into a clean jar. Makes about 1 cup (240 ml). Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week (well, I’m actually guessing on that one, since it didn’t last that long in our house).
** If you use other nuts, you may need to process longer. Walnuts and pecans smooth out fairly quickly; almonds take a bit longer (since they have a lower natural fat content). Cashews, in my experience, take longest (up to 10 minutes, scraping down sides of processor occasionally); you might need to add 1-2 tsp coconut oil to help them along.
Carob Variation: (ACD Phase I and beyond): Instead of cacao nibs, use 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) carob powder, added with the walnuts. This will make the spread slightly thicker, but no less delectable.
Coconut Variation (ACD Phase I and beyond): Add 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) coconut oil or coconut butter (a la HEAB) along with the walnuts (will also firm it up a bit). Add 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) coconut flavoring with the stevia, if desired; stir in 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) unsweetened shredded coconut once the butter is completed. This will result in a very firm spread once refrigerated.
How did it get to be Sunday already, and five days since my last post? Well, I haven’t been lounging around watching soap operas and eating bon-bons, that’s for sure (just watching soap operas–I’m not allowed bon-bons on the ACD, silly!). Actually, my dear friend Sterlin has been visiting from England, and I’ve been spending as much time as possible with her (including a surprise birthday party–with Sterlin as the guest of honor–yesterday evening). And though I cooked up a storm for the party, most of the dishes were tried-and-true Indian fare, many of which I’ve already shared on this blog. I fully intended to try out a few new recipes, but ran out of steam, and time, before the party.
[Dishes I contributed to the party: (clockwise, starting with the rice): broth-cooked basmati; peas in a creamy curry sauce; okra masala; cauliflower and pear curry from Celine and Joni's upcoming cookbook; lentil dal; and creamy eggplant stew in the center (also from the upcoming cookbook).]
So, instead of a new recipe today, I thought I’d address a topic that’s garnered a bit of attention on my blog over the past year or so, both from me and from readers. In fact, over the past month, I’ve received quite a few emails asking me about the ways in which I use stevia (the predominant sweetener allowed on the ACD, along with vegetable glycerin or yacon syrup, which I use only rarely).
For anyone just starting out on the ACD, anyone required to eat low-glycemic or low-carb foods (ie, diabetics, people watching their weight, and so on) or anyone interested in ditching artificial sweeteners, stevia is an all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener that you might like to try.
*Please note: I am not a scientist, a chemist, or an expert on stevia, and this post is not intended as advice for anyone contemplating using the sweetener. I’m writing about my own personal experience with stevia, and this is my own, personal, opinion.
How I Discovered Stevia
In the home of my childhood, sweets and desserts were ubiquitous. My mother was an accomplished from-scratch baker and my father, an immigrant to the country, was accustomed to a big slice of home-made cake after dinner each evening. Consequently, my sisters and I grew not only to expect freshly baked confections in our house at all times, but also to prefer sweets to any other types of foods.
As I grew older and my sweet tooth became more ferocious, I began to leap on every chance to eat something sweet without the caloric consequences. When saccharin first became available in Canada, The Nurse and I concocted a cream-cheese based cherry cheesecake sweetened entirely with Sweet N Low (my mouth still puckers at the thought). Later, I found myself buying Weight Watchers Mousse (containing aspartame) in bulk, as I’d often consume an entire batch (supposedly enough for six people) for dinner. When I lived on my own, I stocked Diet Pepsi as if I were hoarding for the next pandemic, and would often imbibe a liter or two of the stuff almost daily.
Needless to say, my sweets addiction got me into some trouble, not once, but twice. About a year ago, I found myself afflicted once again (the previous time had been 10 years prior) with a raging case of systemic candida. The only solution? A strict, relatively restrictive diet and herbal (and, in my case, prescription) anti-fungal medications.
When I was in nutrition school, there was a lot of buzz about a “new” herbal sweetener called stevia. I must admit, I was a bit wary at first (perhaps it was my Pavlovian response to any sweetener that came in little blue packets), but I’ve come to appreciate and even love the mighty sweetleaf. And this time round, it’s certainly allowed me to placate a persistent sweet tooth even while adhering to the diet that will eventually restore my overall health and digestive balance.
What is Stevia?
While the Stevia rebaudiana plant (a leafy shrub) is native to Brazil and Paraguay, it’s actually been grown here in Ontario since 1987, which may explain why Canadians are more familiar with the sweetener than Americans (it’s been designated as GRAS–generally recognized as safe–only since 2008 in the US). Still, stevia is considered an herbal supplement in Canada, so you won’t find it on supermarket shelves next to the Equal; instead, it’s available at health food stores. It’s also the most popular sweetener in Japan, where they’ve been using it to replace artificial sweeteners since 1971.
When the stevia leaves are dried and the liquids extracted, the compounds acquired (called stevioside and rebaudioside) give stevia its sweetness (at about 250-300 times sweeter than sugar). The compounds can be dried into powder or used in liquid form; either way, they are usually augmented with fillers, since the pure extract is so sweet the amounts used would be infinitesmal. Liquids usually have food-grade alcohol (such as they use with vanilla extract) or glycerin (for a non-alcohol version) added. Just a few drops of the liquid offers sweetness equal to 1-2 tsp (5-10 ml) of sugar. (The powder is premixed with dry bulking agents such as cellulose, dextrose, or maltodextrin so that one packet equals about 1 tsp/5 ml of sugar). You can also consume the fresh leaves, which are about 30-45 times sweeter than sugar. [information from here].
Are There Problems Associated with Stevia?
If you’re concerned about possible side effects or health risks, you should know that there have been some studies that indicated genetic mutations in animals who ingested large amounts of the herb. However, these studies haven’t been replicated on humans. Additionally, stevia has been used for hundreds of years in its countries of origin, as well as longterm in Japan (where it’s the number one sweetener, before sugar).
Because it’s derived from a plant and undergoes very little processing, I would much prefer to use stevia than any of the artificial, chemical-based, sweeteners such as Equal or Splenda (and I take issue with those who refer to stevia as “another artificial sweetener”; to my mind, that’s a misnomer). Like saccharin or aspartame, stevia adds zero calories to your food; it tastes very sweet; and it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels.
The difference between stevia and sucralose or sodium cyclamate, however, is that stevia exists as-is in nature, and doesn’t require laboratory procedures to be made sweet. In fact, I’m a little leery of some of the new products like PureVia or Truvia (and please note that I’ve never tried either one of them) that extract only the rebaudioside A only (it’s one of the factors that makes stevia sweet) so they can manufacture sweeteners from it. Why not continue to use the whole plant (you can steep the leaves like tea leaves) or the natural, whole extract from the whole leaves, as people have done for centuries? For my part, I’ll use only products labeled as whole “stevia,” containing that one ingredient only, rather than those with trademarked names that are not “stevia.”
I tend to prefer using stevia in foods that are naturally sweet to begin with or recipes that require very little sugar (1/4 cup or less), as well as recipes in which the texture isn’t changed (much) by the addition of sugar. For instance, my favorite use is in my morning smoothie or bowl of oatmeal. It’s also great as a sweetener in salad dressings, puddings, pancakes and pie fillings, since they don’t rely as much on sugar to produce a particular texture.
The greatest challenge with stevia, I think, is using it in baking, because its intense sweetness (up to 300 times sweeter than sugar) permits only a minute amount to be added to batters or dough. When you substitute 10 drops (or 1/4 teaspoon powder) for 1 cup of sugar, you alter the dry-to-wet ratio in your baked good, as well as the chemical reaction that takes place with baking. As a result, I’ve had to experiment quite a bit with my stevia-sweetened baked goods. Keep that in mind if you try stevia as a sugar replacement. (There are also one-for-one stevia-based sweeteners on the market that allow you to measure one cup of the mixture for one cup of sugar, but these always contain bulking agents. While they produce a good product, my digestive system hasn’t taken kindly to the added ingredients, so I avoid them.).
If you do use stevia in baked goods, remember that you’ll need to compensate for the loss of sugar as a binding agent (due to caramelization when it’s baked). Instead, try using nut or seed butters, or fruit purées in place of some of the sugar, as I do in this recipe. You can find other stevia-based desserts like cookies, puddings and cupcakes with frosting (plus some savory dishes as well) in my ebook, Anti-Candida Feast.
My Favorite Brands of Stevia
Until this year, the only brand of stevia I used was NOW Foods’ brand, as it was the one most readily available here. I prefer the liquid (some people have noted a slight bitterness or aftertaste with the powder; I’ve never found this to be the case with the liquid).
Recently, however, I’ve had the opporunity to try out a few other brands, as well, such as Stevia in the Raw (powder, extract of whole stevia), which I won in a blog giveaway; NuNaturals (vanilla and unflavored liquid) and Stevita chocolate flavor (both of which I received as samples for review on this blog).
Granted, this isn’t a representative sample of all the brands out there, and I’m always scouring the local health food store for other brands. While I loved the NuNaturals and Stevita brands, I did notice that they require a bit more volume than the NOW brand to achieve the same sweetening power (so if I need only 5 drops of NOW stevia to sweeten my bowl of oatmeal, I need up to 10 of the others for the same degree of sweetness). I haven’t detected any bitter aftertaste in any of these brands, though, so perhaps I’m just one of those lucky people with a genetic quirk of the tastebuds that doesn’t register that particular type of bitterness (then again, I also adore brussels sprouts).
Is there anything else you’d like to know about the ACD, my diet, recipes on the blog or any of the ingredients I use? I plan to post more informational blog entries like this one on occasion, in which I answer readers’ questions or address comments related to the diet. So let me know what you’d like me to cover!
“Mum, I know there have been some tests on animals, but dogs can enjoy stevia too, can’t they? Because, you know, we don’t want to give up taste-testing those Carob-Coconut Sweeties you make.”
[I thought it would be fun to run a little series over here at DDD: I'll profile one one of my favorite foods, or a food that I've recently discovered and enjoyed, over several days. For this fifth edition, I'm focusing on cilantro. The series is presented on an occasional (and entirely arbitrary) basis, before I move on to the next lucky comestible. This is the first entry on cilantro.]
The other day, the HH and I were discussing the possibility of taking a short trip to Boston to visit my cousin CBC. “That would be so much fun,” I blurted out spontaneously, “I’ve got a couple of friends in Boston!” When he asked whom, I stammered, “Well, blog friends.”
Before I started blogging, I couldn’t have fathomed how one could consider a virtual (no pun intended) stranger to be a “friend.” Yet it’s true–I feel as if I’ve made friends in cities across the continent and even around the world through this l’il blog, and my contact with them is often more consistent and frequent than it is with my “local,” live friends.
Well, thanks to my blog reader, cookbook tester, and friend Courtney, I came home last week to a package that contained these:
Don’t you just love receiving gifts in the mail? The GardenSac bags (on which the card and brown rice are resting) are made from 100% cotton and can be used for any kind of shopping. And, as Courtney and I discussed, they’re terrific because the open weave allows you to easily see what’s inside. With most stores here in the Toronto area recently switching to “pay-for-plastic” policies (and some offer credit if you bring your own reusable bags), this is a perfect, and very timely, gift! And I don’t know how Courtney guessed, but I love wild rice. I’ve already made a wonderful Confetti Salad with it–which I’ll blog about anon. Thanks again, Courtney!
And as if last week wasn’t already great enough, I found out that I’ll be presenting two recipe demos from Sweet Freedom(one on Saturday and another on Sunday) at the upcoming Vegetarian Food Fair in September! Billing itself as “North America’s largest annual vegetarian festival,” and with stellar keynote speakers like Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (author of The Joy of Vegan Baking and The Vegan Table) and Brenda Davis (co-author of Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan), the Fair promises to be another spectacular event this year. It’s scheduled between September 11 and 13 at Toronto’s Harbourfront. Come on out and say “hi”!
Whew! And now, time for some zingy, spicy, nutritious and delectable food!
Having grown up on a farm, my dad must have felt a strong affinity for the earth, because even after working six days a week and keeping incredibly long hours, he always grew a garden in summer. Granted, it was a fairly small garden; still, growing up my sisters and I were regularly graced with fresh tomatoes in August, plus the occasional cucumber, red pepper, or propitious esculent each season.
One year, he decided to try out sunflowers. Why sunflowers? Beats me. Maybe he thought they were pretty (come to think of it, if their wallpaper choices are any indication, my parents did lean toward all things floral). I remember being astonished at how tall the stalks grew, capped with golden saucers that towered over my own eight year-old frame, and how the actual seeds filled the center of the scalloped disk, encased in their rigid black shells. When summer ended, we roasted the seeds in the oven, and my sisters and I continued to snack on them through Hallowe’en (at which point they were unceremoniously chucked in favor of candy, of course).
Remember the Jack Nicholson-Morgan Freeman groaner, The Bucket List? Well, self-indulgent male menopausal buddy flicks aside, I’ve recently been thinking about my own version of the list, and activities that are most important to me in my lifetime. One of the items I’ve added to my personal bucket list is “grow a real garden.” Believe me, this is quite the proclamation coming from She Who Shrinks from Anything Insectoid. Also, a startling revelation from She Who Recoils at Anything Snakelike. Oh, and don’t forget a shocking assertion from She Who Guards Against Anything Even Remotely Germ-Infested or Bacteria-laden. Why, then, it makes perfect sense that I’d choose to spend my time on my knees on the dirt, digging into earth rife with microorganisms, the habitat of myriad insects and worms–and often visited by garter snakes.
I’m not sure what it is, but as I get older, I see what must have appealed to my dad about a garden. Nurturing the seeds, coaxing infant seedlings until they stretch sunward, ultimately unfurling in full bloom, just taps into my (otherwise untapped) maternal instinct somehow. (“And don’t forget having dogs, Mum! That taps into your maternal instincts, too, right? Hopefully the ‘you must feed your children’ maternal instincts.”)
Which brings me to this post’s Lucky Comestible: cilantro.
I determined early that my garden absolutely had to contain cilantro–lots and lots of cilantro. Now, I know that cilantro is one of those herbs one either loves or loathes. Like the ability to curl your tongue or whether or not your earlobes are detached, a penchant for cilantro appears to be genetically predetermined. Some people perceive it as “soapy and perfumey” while others can’t get enough. Having begun life in the former camp, I now find myself firmly entrenched in the latter.
Like so many herbs, cilantro (also known as Chinese Parsley) confers a plethora of health benefits besides the usual vitamins and minerals (though it’s no slouch in those areas, either–only 9 sprigs of the delicate plant provide almost one third of your daily Vitamin A, nine per cent of your daily Vitamin C, plus iron and calcium).
More importantly, the green pigment in cilantro represents chlorophyl, a powerful detoxifying agent and blood purifier. Cilantro is known to be a chelating herb, which means it draws heavy metals out of the system by encouraging the liver to produce bile so they’ll be excreted. In his monumental tome, Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Dr. Elson Haas includes a recipe for “Anti-Radiation Soup” that relies on the cleansing properties of cilantro to help flush the body of toxins produced due to radiation. I always have the soup after any necessary X-Rays (and, according to Haas, the soup was “shown to reduce radiation sickness after the Hiroshima bombing”).
If you’re one of those people who comes down on the “loathe” side of cilantro, I’d urge you to give it another try. You’ll find that the next few posts here at DDD will focus on this fragrant and fragile herb. Of course, you can always substitute parsley for some or all of the cilantro in these recipes– but why not live dangerously? That’s one more item you can check off your own bucket list.
Fresh & Spicy Cilantro Sauce (suitable for ACD all stages)
This sauce is perfect for summer with its brilliant shade of emerald and cool, tangy, tongue-tingling flavor. The tart lime juice melds beautifully with the smooth nut butter and fragrant cilantro here. And while we ate it spooned lightly over Jessy’s Brown Rice Veggie Burgers, it would be a perfect sauce for any meal-in-a-bowl of your choice, or even tossed with cold noodles for a zingy summer salad.
1 to 1-1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and thin stems (depending on how much you like cilantro)
1/2 large jalapeno pepper (remove seeds for less heat)
juice of 2 limes
1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) water, if necessary to reach desired consistency
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pumpkinseed butter; or use sunflower or almond butter (use raw butter for an all-raw version)
1 fresh green onion
pinch fine sea salt
Blend everything in a blender until it comes together in a smooth, light, vibrant green sauce (you may need to push down the sides of the blender a few times until everything is incorporated). Taste and adjust seasoning. Makes about 1/2 cup (120 ml). Will keep, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days.
