[As I mentioned last time, I'm thrilled beyond words that my cookbook, Sweet Freedom, is one of only three cookbooks recommended on Ellen DeGeneres's new "Going Vegan with Ellen" page! If you've had success with the recipes or if you have the book and like it, please hop over and leave a comment to let Ellen know as well!]
There’s just enough time to squeeze in one more summer giveaway before we all head back to the city from the cottage, back to school from the parks and beaches, back to work from our holidays, or just back to autumn after the long, lazy, delightful days of summer–so how could I resist? Besides, with autumn in the air in these parts (the mornings are already feeling a wee bit chilly), I needed something to cheer me up!
These days, the importance for Omega 3s, those essential fatty acids (EFAs) that we can only acquire from foods (our body can’t make them) is being emphasized all over the media and the supermarket aisles. EFAs are even added to foods in which they’d never appear naturally (such as orange juice), in what seems to me a pseudo-GMO fashion. And everyone is concerned about how to get their fill.
When I was in nutrition school back in the early 2000s, hardly anyone had even heard of Omega 3s. In class, we learned that the best sources for EFAs were salmon, walnuts, and flax seeds. Our teachers advised us to consume at least 1-2 teaspoons (10 ml) of the stuff a day. And the product they recommended most often to ensure we achieved our daily quota was fish oil.
For couple of years after school ended, I forced myself to take my fish oil daily, despite the fact that I was entirely unhappy with its source; further, the “lemon flavor” never really tasted like lemon to me, and I had a hard time swallowing it (literally). I tried mixing it in smoothies, but found that the flavor simply overpowered the smoothie. Finally, I determined to stop taking it when I cut other animal products out completely, and I turned to walnuts, flax and, later on, chia seeds for my Omega 3s.
Well, imagine my surprise when I learned that there’s a totally vegan Omega 3 oil out there, and one that is derived from plant and algae sources! When I was contacted by Kristine from Ascenta Health to see whether I was interested in reviewing their vegan Omega 3 oil, I was most surprised to discover that the company for which she worked was the same one that made NutraSea! The product she offered me was a vegan counterpart, called NutraVege.
I agreed to try the oil, making no promises. The bottle arrived a few days later, and I set up my station by the sink: open bottle in one hand, teaspoon in the other, full glass of water to drown out the taste on the counter. I poured; I slid the spoon into my mouth; I swallowed and grabbed the glass.
And then–the strangest thing happened! There was no need to drink. No need to mask the flavor at all, in fact, because it was actually extremely pleasant! The oil is smooth and clear with a subtle citrus note that lingers for a few seconds. In fact, the taste was so pleasant that I felt I could happily incorporate the oil into my recipes, though honestly, you can eat this stuff entirely on its own.
First I added some to a smoothie (this one has kale, cucumber, lettuce, plum, cinnamon, and coconut water):
As I suspected, it was dee-licious!
Next, I made this fantastic salad based on a recipe from Nava Atlas’s VegKitchen, subbing part of the oil with NutraVege. The addition of a citrus boost worked beautifully with the lime-based dressing. (You could also simply use olive oil for the dressing if you don’t have the NutraVege at home, of course).
Apart from its lovely flavor, NutraVege is also a powerful source of Omega 3s for vegans (with 20 times more DHA than flax, according to their website). One of the problems with plant-based sources of Omega-3s is that they don’t readily convert to DHA (those with low thyroid function, for instance, have a hard time with flax-based Omega 3s), but since NutraVege is derived from the Echium plantagineum plant (I had never heard of it before, either!), its source is readily converted and so offers a great alternative to fish-based oils. And the Algal DHA it contains is identical to that found in fish, since it’s actually the source eaten by the fish to provide their own DHA. (The company also provides a neat little chart comparing their oil to flax oil in terms of both cost and effectiveness. Take a look for more info.).
I was so thrilled with the sample, in fact, that I wrote back to Kristine and I askedher if I could give some away to one of you! She graciously agreed and then offered not one, not two, but three prizes to lucky DDD readers!
So if you’d like to win a bottle of Nutra-Vege of your very own, here’s all you have to do:
1) Live in Canada (so sorry, US friends–this is one giveaway restricted to Canada. I promise the next one will be open to everyone!).
2) Leave a Commenton this post telling me why you’d like to try it.
3) For extra entries, check out the Ascenta website and tell me one interesting fact you found there; follow @Ascenta_Health on twitter; tweet about the giveaway (using @rickiheller so I see it); ”like” Diet, Dessert and Dogs on Facebook and leave a comment on the wall; follow me on twitter and send me a tweet to @rickiheller; blog about this with a link back to this page; post about it on Facebook and link to Diet, Dessert and Dogs either here or on Facebook. For each of these, please come back here and leave a separate comment so I know you did so.
I’m really excited to have a healthy, delicious and vegan alternative to fish oils available for a great boost of Omega 3s and 6s. Now it’s easy to obtain all your essential fatty acids without animal products!
The giveaway will remain open until Friday, August 19th at midnight. I’ll then choose three winners at random and post their names by Monday. Please be sure to come back on Monday and check whether or not you’ve won! If I don’t hear from the winners within a week of announcing them, I’ll choose new winner(s).
Good luck, everyone!
And if you’d like to try that amazing salad, here ‘s the recipe.
Raw Sweet Potato and Greens Slaw (suitable for ACD all stages)
The minute I saw the recipe for Raw Sweet Potato and Cabbage Salad on Nava Atlas’s VegKitchen, I knew I had to try it. Grated raw sweet potato is perfect alongside these hearty shredded greens. I recombined Nava’s original ingredients in the blender for a creamy version of her dressing.
1/2 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 cups (480 ml) very thinly sliced dark leafy greens (I used a mix of chard and kale)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh cilantro
heaping 1/4 cup (70 ml) raw cashews
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, preferably organic
2 tsp (10 ml) Nutra-Vege Omega 3 oil (or use more olive/avocado oil)
1/2-1 tsp (2.5-5 ml) dried chili flakes, to your taste
Place the sweet potato, greens and green onion in a salad bowl and toss to distribute evenly. Set aside.
In a blender, combine the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth (you may need to add 1-2 Tbsp/15-30 ml water to achieve a pourable consistency).
Pour the dressing over the salad in the bowl and toss to coat well. Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes to allow the greens to soften a bit and for the flavors to blend. Makes 4-6 servings. Keep, covered in the refrigerator, up to 2 days.
And don’t forget: you can still submit your healthy recipe to this week’s Wellness Weekend, until midnight tomorrow (Monday)!
Now that May has arrived, it’s time for the second SOS Kitchen Challenge from Kim at Affairs of Living and me! Thanks, again, to everyone who participated last time. You helped to make the inaugural event a huge success!
This month, Kim and I decided to go with another versatile vegetable that can be used in a host of different ways. Are you ready to exercise your kitchen creativity and cook up some Sweet or Savory dishes that contain. . .
SPINACH?!
Did you know that, of all vegetables, leafy greens contain the most nutrients? No wonder they’re considered the royalty of the vegetable world! And when it comes to spinach, Popeye knew what he was talking about: this veggie really is a nutritional superhero. With a light, delicate texture and mild flavor, it’s no surprise that spinach is the most popular of all the leafy greens.
Besides offering up ten times your daily requirement of Vitamin K (essential for healthy blood formation), three times the daily Vitamin A, and almost 100% of the daily manganese and folate, a cup of boiled spinach also provides a host of other minerals, vitamins, the amino acid tryptophan, and some heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. The anti-cancer properties of spinach (and all leafy greens) are well-known; this delicate leaf can combat prostate and ovarian cancers, improve bone and cardiovascular health, keep your mind sharp and your eyes healthy (the latter mostly due to the carotenoid lutein, which has been proven to help prevent macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness as people age).
According to Paul Pitchford in his classic tome, Healing with Whole Foods, spinach is also a considered cooling food within the traditions of Chinese medicine; it “has a ‘sliding’ nature, which facilitates internal body movements such as bowel action and urination, and thus is treatment for constipation and urinary difficulty.” Moreover, the high chlorophyll and iron content help to build blood. (Beware, however, which spinach you buy; according to the Environmental Working Group, spinach ranks number eight in the top twelve fruits and vegetables most sprayed with pesticides. With spinach, if you can afford it, it’s best to buy organic).
To enter this month’s SOS challenge, simply create and post a recipe using spinach before the deadline of midnight, May 20, 2010, CST, and send it to soskitchenchallengeATgmailDOTcom (note: you don’t have to cook up an original recipe–any recipe that uses the ingredient is just fine, even if you found it somewhere else!).
For full details on what kinds of ingredients to use and how to enter the challenge, see this page. I’ll post the roundup (as will Kim, on her blog) a week after the deadline so you can take your time browsing through the amazing collection of recipes before the next challenge!
My first contribution to the challenge this month is this quiche that’s been a staple in our house for as long as the HH and I have been together (that’s more than a dozen years now–yikes!). In fact, it’s such a standby recipe that I was sure I’d already posted it–but couldn’t find it in the archives.
I first tasted quiche as a callow undergrad at the University of Windsor, one weekend when my room mate’s friend (who hailed from the booming metropolis of Toronto) came to visit. Ildiko (why is it all the good cooks I encountered as a university student had unusual names?) arrived with backpack in tow, from which she withdrew in quick succession, a bag of flour, a pound of butter, a carton of cream, various zip-loc bags of chopped vegetables, and, ultimately, a wooden rolling pin. It was like watching the Grinch and his bottomless bag of gifts at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas--every time she pulled out another item, I assumed it would be the last, but there was always one more to follow.
Right there in our dorm room, Ildiko mixed up a pie crust, deftly rolled it out on a piece of wax paper on my desktop, then transferred it, seamlessly, to the pie plate. Next she whipped together the eggs and cream, a few seasonings, and sprinkled in the chopped veggies. We baked the quiche in a toast-r-oven we had in the room, and as the scent began to fill the air, I suspected that quiche was something I was going to enjoy. Later, as we devoured slice after slice, the three of us polishing off the entire thing in no time, I learned that quiche came in infinite varieties–you could add pretty much any fillers you liked, but it was the custard that really defined it.
I can’t say I craved quiche over the years, but I did occasionally notice it on restaurant menus and think, “hmm, it would be nice to have a slice of that.” As with that first quiche back as an undergrad, though, it was the custardy texture that most appealed to me.
And then, I discovered silken tofu–and this recipe. This classic vegan quiche is one I found online and adapted (sorry, I can’t recall the source; so if the recipe looks familiar, please let me know!). To my palate, it reproduces almost exactly the same smooth-yet-firm, moist and creamy custardy filling. I’ve upped the veggies considerably compared to that first pie, but the general idea is remarkably similar to the “real thing.” In fact, this is one of my go-to recipes at home, and a regular feature when I teach gluten-free cooking classes.
With limitless possibilities for the vegetables in the filling, this quiche can be altered to your tastes and the occasion at hand. I use a handy millet crust, but again, feel free to change it up; if you’ve got a nice pastry crust that you think will go well with this, go ahead and use it.
To see Kim’s first spinach recipe (a creamy spinach and celeriac soup), check this post.
“Mum, real dogs do eat quiche, you know. As long as you pick out the onions, that is. And we like that custardy texture, too.”
Classic Tofu Quiche (ACD-friendly, Phase I and beyond)
The real beauty of this recipe is its versatility–as long as the volumes stay the same, you can use pretty much any vegetables in place of those listed.
For the crust:
1/2 cup (115 g) dry millet
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) vegetable broth or stock
pinch of fine sea salt
For the filling:
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1 onion, diced
2 roasted red peppers or 1 fresh, sliced into thin strips
1 carrot, grated
1 cup very firmly packed spinach or chard leaves, stems removed, chopped
2 cups (700 g) firm or extra firm silken tofu, or soft tofu
1 Tbsp (15 ml) white miso (for ACD Phase I, use extra tahini)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a pie plate, or line with parchment paper.
Prepare the crust: Pour millet into a small pot and add the broth. Bring to boil over high heat, then lower heat to simmer, cover, and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the millet is soft and beginning to fall apart (if necessary, add extra stock until the millet reaches this consistency). Stir well, then immediately pour the millet into the pie pan and, using the back of a spoon or wet hands (and being careful not to burn yourself!), press the millet into the pie plate to create a “crust.” (Dipping the spoon or your hands in water helps). Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes until slightly dry.
Prepare the filling: Heat oil in a large frypan and sauté onions for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the pepper, carrot, and spinach, and sauté for another 5 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and other ingredients begin to soften. Cover and turn off heat.
In a food processor or blender, mix the tofu, miso, tahini and Bragg’s until very smooth. Pour the mixture over the vegetables in the pan and stir to combine well. Turn into the crust in the pie pan, and smooth the top. If desired, sprinkle with a little paprika.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes to set before serving. May be eaten hot, at room temperature, or cold. Makes 8 servings. May be frozen.
After being on the ACD for a full year now, I must admit to feeling a bit like a basket case (my, time sure does fly when you’re [not] having fungus). Having cut out poprocks and coke–not to mention all sugars, molds and fungi–it seems my body is now just a minim closer to reacting normally when faced with gastonomic excess. Whereas pre-ACD, I might have mindlessly polished off an entire pan of brownies in one day (who am I kidding? more like one sitting), nowadays, I start to feel full after barely four squares of ACD-friendly treats. Just call me a walking contradiction.
And so, lately, I’ve been feeling my body’s warning to take it easy. I suppose I could blame it on too many experiments in the kitchen (cheese bread? Fudge? Brain stew?). Or I could blame our recent trip to Florida, where the locals beckoned, ”welcome to paradise,” inviting me to eat all manner of slightly questionable foods (such as Butternut and Edamame Hash, likely bathed in maple syrup). I might just blame it on my current holiday from the college (Oh! Please wake me up when September ends!). Should I blame my dysfunctional childhood, with its boulevard of broken dreams? Or should I just blame it on the rain (hey! how the heck did those guysget in here?).
Whatever the reason, I’ve been feeling a need to cleanse, to refresh, to–yes, detox–lately. Not that I’m jaded, you understand; but I did think it would be fun to spend a whole day eating green foods, as a way to gently cleanse the system. What better way to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day than an entire day of green? (Okay, perhaps not 100% green–but, at least, foods that contained a majority of green. Which, I suppose, puts me in the minority).
[This is what wheatgrass juice looks like frozen. Don'tcha wish you had some?]
Why green? Well, as we know, greens are the healthiest foods out there. (Even Michael Pollan has a rule to that effect: eat more plants; mostly leaves). Also, they contain chlorophyll, which is a great blood detoxifier and cleanser. Furthermore, greens contain incredibly high proportions of minerals and Vitamin K. And let’s not forget a whole whack of antioxidants. So, taking a longview on health, and given their wonderful nutritional profile, I opted for a Green Day.
[This is what wheatgrass juice looks like defrosted. Now I bet you really wish you had some!]
As usual, my day started out with a hit of wheatgrass juice (I have it whenever I can get it at our local market; I juice enough for about 2 weeks’ worth, freeze in ice cube trays, and defrost overnight in the fridge) along with my daily flax/chia mix with spirulina (or, as the HH affectionately calls it, “Green Slime.”)
[Green Slime--with lots of affection.]
An hour or so later, I followed up with a green “pudding”/smoothie, based on this with a bit of this. With all that energy, I could have run a Macy’s Day parade (but decided against it, since we all know nice guys finish last).
[Avocado, cucumber and lettuce made this so green, I felt compelled to add some carob.]
I whisked up a steaming cup of matcha green tea, which I sipped as I finished some work on the computer.
[And yet more green!]
Lunch was a quick raw wrap–romaine lettuce with homemade nut cheese, grated carrots, cucumber and the other half of the morning avocado. Deelish!
[Fresh, crisp, and green as a four-leaf clover!]
And finally, for dinner, I opted for a lovely green soup. I discovered this recipe entirely serendipitously, one morning as I trod the treadmill (don’t you just love that word, “trod”?). For some reason, my soap opera hadn’t been recorded, and there I was, watching a blank screen like an American idiot, waiting, waiting. . . until I finally realized I was soapless. Well, good riddance, I say–and on to Food Network, where you can have the time of your life!
By chance, Laura Calder’s show was on, and her theme was “foods kids will like.” In contrast to her usual flesh-centric, cream-and-butter, weighty recipes, this soup was light, smooth, rich, and mildly flavored. The soup was incredibly quick and easy to make, and a hand-held blender was perfect to purée the final product. In less than 30 minutes, I had the emerald ending to my day of green.
Whether you opt for green soup, green beer or just some green-themed cheer, hope you all have a happy St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th!
(I know, I am a total nerd. I mean, who else would feel compelled to fit 20 greatest hits into one blog entry? But for now, I guess you’re just stuck with me.)
“Mum, we have to agree that yes, you are a nerd. But at least you’re not a geek stink breath. Now perhaps you’d like to give us a Greenie in honor of the day?”
Green Soup with Spinach, Lettuce, and Peas(ACD Phase I and beyond)
Quick and easy, this soup is a perfect first course to a light dinner. Or add some cheesy bread and call it a meal.
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced (white and light green parts only) or 3 medium yellow onions, sliced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut or extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth or stock
1 small bunch (about 2 cups/480 ml) baby spinach leaves
2 cups (480 ml) cooked green peas
2 cups (about 4 large leaves) shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 to 1 cup (120-240 ml) unsweetened soy or almond milk
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
fine sea salt and pepper, to taste
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat; add the leeks and cook, stirring, until they are soft, 5-10 minutes. Add the broth, lower heat, cover and simmer until leeks are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the spinach, green peas and lettuce, pushing the leaves to submerge in the broth. Continue to cook until leaves are soft and wilted, about 5 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend soup to desired smoothness (Calder suggests straining it, but I prefer to consume the excellent fiber in this soup!), then add the milk, lemon and seasonings to taste and stir well. Heat just until warmed through, and serve. Makes 4 servings. May be frozen.
* Or, It’s a Privilege to Eat You (thanks, Whole Foods).
Happy “Celebrating Our Country’s Freedom Day” to both Canadians and Americans (and anyone else who’d like to take part in the party!).**
And before I forget (because I’m at that age when I do forget), let me also say “THANK YOU” to everyone for your amazing, supportive, generous and kind comments and emails while I’ve been away! Of course, I would have returned to the blog in any case just because I love it, but your encouragement may have hastened the process just a wee bit.
It does feel great to be back. And just what have I been doing for the past month, you may ask?
Well, most importantly, I’ve been assiduously following my ACD and have definitely made progress in terms of overall health (in fact, as my naturopath studied my live blood cells under a microscope the other day, he commented, ”The membranes look really healthy. They’re in great shape.” Alas, if only he’d been able to say that about my hips and thighs). Still, I’m sure my immune system was flattered.
While a couple of the most annoying symptoms do still persist, I’ve determined to continue with the regimen, which will likely mean a few more months of restrictions. So for those of you who are relatively new to my blog, you should know that I don’t normally consume gluten-free foods exclusively, but I will be doing so for a while longer. I’ll be eating more vegetable-based dishes and more raw foods as well. And some fruits are back on the menu, though (and let me tell you, even the serpent in Eden wasn’t this gleeful to see apples).
With the school year just completed, I thought I’d summarize my last month and save space by posting a report card instead of writing about it at length:
Student: Ricki Heller; Term: June 2009; Program: Get the Candida Out! Age: You’re kidding, right?
TOPICS AND GRADES:
Adherence to ACD: 100% (not an off-program crumb since March 7, 2009)
Current strictness of ACD Phase (II): 95% (allowed some fruit and oats now)
Current health status: 80% (only one really nagging symptom left)
Percentage of weight lost toward goal: 66% (lost 28 pounds–only 17 to go!! Regular updates on the Progress Tracker.)
Percentage of airtime devoted to Farrah as opposed to Michael: 2.5% (It should be a crime, really.)
“Good for you, Mum! But they forgot to mention that you share and play well with others (especially canines). And we agree–even though Michael seemed to be fond of animals, what about poor Farrah’s fifteen minutes?”
The most important thing I’ve discovered over the past month, however, is that I am a lousy multi-tasker. So rather than attempt to keep up with work, blog, cooking, promoting a cookbook, baking for said cookbook, Facebook, and any other “-book,” I’ve decided to slow the pace somewhat. I will still be blogging regularly, though perhaps not quite as often. And while I promise to keep reading all the blogs I love, please forgive me if I don’t comment as often as I used to–but know that I’m still there!
And now, on to the über-healthy (and ACD-friendly) recipe!
On weekends, the HH and I usually enjoy a leisurely brunch before starting our day in earnest (well, if a meal at 9:30 or 10:00 AM can properly be called “brunch.” You see, as in most areas, when it comes to mornings, the HH and I are polar opposites. When I lived on my own, my natural proclivity was to wake at 6:30 AM every day, weekends included. In contrast, the HH, left to his own devices, would have just fallen into bed around that time, then sleep until long past noon. Our compromise is a 10:30 brunch).
Our typical habit (once the meal is dispensed with) is to sit across from each other, sipping our respective hot beverages (He: Hazelnut Coffee with Full Cream and Sugar; She: Green tea, straight up) while we read the newspapers. In a positive spin on that scene from Citizen Kane, we read choice tidbits aloud to each other (too nerdy, I know). The HH invariably peruses the Real Estate section in The National Post. The other day, for instance, he pointed out that they were profiling the home of artist Ken Danby, at around $3 million. There was also a suburban mansion with a 2,000 square foot (610 metre) kitchen. A 2000 square foot kitchen!!! Do you think they’d let me live in the pantry? (No, seriously. I understand that bulk bags of rice can serve as very comfortable pillows.)
Running in the social circles I do (okay, more like “speed-walking in the social circles I do”), I can often forget that there are a lot of incredibly wealthy dudes in Toronto (even without Prince and the Torontonian wife he divorced who once lived on The Bridle Path ). A casual stroll along Bloor Street West in the tony Yorkville area will yield sightings of Chanel, Hermes, LaCoste, Tiffany & Co., Harry Rosen, Holt Renfrew, Dolce and Gabbana, and pretty much any other unattainable-to-the-average-shopper stores you can think of. As for me, I get a kick out of peeking through the smoked glass windowpanes, gawking at all those privileged folk who can buy $1500.00 thong sandals without batting a (false) eyelash.
Given the average net worth of shoppers in the area, it makes sense that Toronto’s first Whole Foods Market decided to set up in Yorkville. After all, they don’t call it ”Whole Paycheck” for nothing.
About a week before their grand opening (in an effort to curry favor with local residents), they published this recipe for their popular Kale and Seaweed Salad in the local paper (in fact, I do believe I read it aloud to the HH over brunch). I also remember thinking, “This is one of their most popular recipes? Are all those rich customers slightly touched as well?” Having never tasted sea veggies at the time, I couldn’t imagine the magical commingling of salty, mineral-rich arame with chewy bits of barely-cooked kale, peppery shards of fresh ginger and crunchy sesame seeds, all bathed in a smoky, nutty sesame oil dressing.
In order to sample it from the source, I (along with throngs of other curious shoppers) made the trek to Yorkville and purchased a small container of the stuff (price: about $6.47 for three miniscule forkfuls). I must admit, though, I was smitten; it is truly an inspired mix of ingredients, and one that I still, all these years later, love. But I couldn’t bring myself to buy it again for that price since I, unlike the local denizens, am not a magnate/ celebrity/ third-generation billionaire/ ostentatious nouveau-riche/couture designer/ plastic surgeon/ or other financially privileged resident.
Luckily, the salad is easy to make at home, and it’s become a regular feature in our summer menus. It’s also the perfect introduction to sea veggies for anyone who’s never tried them and may feel a little wary; arame is one of the mildest forms of seaweed, decidely not ”fishy.” The recipe is also fairly quick to prepare, despite the presoaking and then boiling of the arame. (While the seaweed soaks, simply cook your kale and prepare the dressing; then rinse the cooked seaweed with cold water and toss all together). And don’t forget that sea veggies offer an ample nutritional boost, helping to foil cancerous growths, keep your thyroid healthy (lots of iodine, there!), prevent cardiac disease and inflammation, and provide a full array of minerals and vitamins (particularly iodine and Vitamin K ).
As we munched on our portions of salad the other night, the HH remarked (and I quote verbatim), “I really love this salad.”
So go ahead, give kale and seaweed a try this summer. At the very least, you can feel as if you’ve been intermingling with the upper crust for a little while.
I thought this would be a great entry for Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays, too! Learn more here.
**I meant “Canada Day” and “Independence Day,” of course!
Kale and Seaweed Salad (suitable for ACD All Stages)
adapted from from Whole Foods’ recipe, originally published in The Globe and Mail
A delicious first course to a stir-fry or rice noodle dish; or serve as a side salad with nutroast and sweet potato fries.
1-1/2 cups (about 0.5 oz/ 15 g) dry arame or other strands of dried seaweed (such as hijiki)
1 large bunch kale, washed, large vein removed
2-inch (5 cm) piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchstick pieces
2 Tbsp (60 ml) roasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup (60 ml) Bragg’s liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) reserved soaking water
2 Tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame oil
In a medium bowl of cold water, soak the arame about 20 minutes, until softened. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the liquid. Place the drained arame in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, then cover and turn off heat. Let sit 5 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Place the drained, cooled arame in a large salad bowl.
Meanwhile, steam the kale or cook in a minimal amount of water until just tender (about 5 minutes). Drain the kale and rinse with cold water; spin in a salad spinner to dry. Chop roughly or tear into bite-sized pieces. Add the kale to the salad bowl with the arame. Sprinkle with the ginger and sesame seeds.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the Bragg’s, reserved soaking water, and sesame oil. Pour over the salad and toss to mix well. Arrange on a serving platter or individual plates, discarding excess liquid (the dressing is quite thin, but I found you need all the water to offset the saltiness of the Bragg’s or soy sauce).
Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold. Makes 4 servings (but only 2-1/2 in our house). Will keep, refrigerated, for 2 days.
[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).]
[With Collards, Chard and Red Onion]
It’s been a truly crazy past week, what with our new semester starting up today at the college and my cookbook deadline being perilously close.* (And let’s not forget the Golden Globes from last evening–didn’t B & A look marvelous amidst the hubub and Moet & Chandon? And did you hear that Tracy Morgan is the new face of the US? But Mamma Mia, that Ms. Streep is timeless! ) With all that, there’s been no time for handiwork in the kitchen.
Instead, here’s what I’ve been eating lately–and by “lately,” I mean pretty much every day. I’ve made this three times in the past six days: it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s delicious and it contains nature’s most nutritious vegetables, leafy greens. And with all the deepbrowns, ochres, ambers and ecrus I’ve been consuming over the past few weeks, I figured it was time for some green.
[With Collards and Yellow Onion]
Besides, I adore leafy greens and have been trying to include them in my diet more often. Jagged, zippy dandelion greens are like the tough kid in the schoolyard, the punk who wears his black leather jacket like a trophy and loiters in the corner of the schoolyard chain-smoking. With a hard and bitter exterior, he’s really a sweetheart once you get to know him. Collards, with their elegant, frond-like shape, are the modern jazz dancers of the group, deftly swaying side to side as they harmoniously meld the delicate and the cacophonous. And kale, my very favorite, is the ditzy neighbour, the plucky, perky best friend, the Mary Richards of leafy greens; she fidgets and bobs and sighs histrionically, clad in her ruffly collar and matching cuffs–she’s a little wacky, maybe, but always honest and reliable. How could you not love greens?
This dish was created when I had intended to try out a recipe for brussels sprouts and apples I read about on Vegalicious a while back. When I discovered I had no sprouts, I opted for the greens instead (heck, they’re all brassicas, right?). Using the other recipe for inspiration, I threw this together. It was ready in ten minutes, and I was left to marvel that something so simple could taste so good.
The barely-wilted greens are chewy and toothsome, while the apples and onions, having softened and caramelized slightly, provide a balancing sweetness to the slightly bitter leaves. The addition of lemon juice here, besides imparting an appealing tang, renders the minerals in the vegetables more bio-available (and thereby more easily absorbed) so you can best benefit from their high mineral content.
* As to the cookbook, right now, it looks as if the publication date will be mid-April; I’ll report back as soon as I’m given a “firm” date from the publisher. What this means, however, is that my blogging may become slightly more sporadic over the next few weeks, as will my commenting on other blogs. But know that I’ll keep reading and enjoying all of your blogs even if I don’t make my presence known. And I do hope that you will still comment here–I always look forward to, and read, every single comment on this site–it is truly a high point in my day!
Perfect as a quick weekday side dish or a great lunch main, this recipe comes together in no time an is infinitely adaptable: for a main course, add cubed tofu or lgihtly toasted nuts or seeds. A few raisins or currants tossed in would also work well. And feel free to switch up the greens or combine several types for equally good results.
1 large bunch collard greens, chad, kale or a combination
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large sweet apple (I used Gala),washed, cored, cut in eighths and sliced
1-2 tsp. (5-10 ml.) apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
Wash and dry the greens and remove any thick stems. Stack the leaves in batches, roll up along the long side, then cut across the roll into slices, creating thin strips. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in frypan and add the onion; sauté until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and apple slices and continue to sauté until the apples begin to soften, another 2-3 minutes. Add the greens, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Toss briefly to coat the greens, then cover and allow the steam to wilt the greens, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Makes 4 side dish or 2 main course servings.
