Tasty Tidbit: Nibble on Nuts

A handful of nuts may just be the perfect snack. They're portable when you're on the go, and they satisfy the "just need something to crunch" urges we all get from time to time. Tree nuts are a great source of protein and fiber and they provide important phytonutrients like lutein (pistachios), ellagitannins (walnuts), and polyphenols (almonds). Walnuts and almonds are also high in the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 oils that are so important for maintaining good health and avoiding and treating chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Nuts contain oils that oxidize fairly quickly so store your nuts in the fridge or freezer to increase shelf life. I toast mine then store them in freezer bags, keeping just a small container in my pantry to nibble on. Next time you have the urge to munch, grab a handful and nibble on some nuts.

Oven-Roasted Beets and Kale with Feta

I have a confession to make. Before I started my natural treatment program for rheumatoid arthritis I could count on one hand the number of times I'd eaten beets. They were of the pickled variety (my mom's fave) and I didn't like them. In fact, I loathed them. So it was with some trepidation that I purchased my first bunch of beets at Central Market for juicing. I had to give them a try, I knew there was no way around it. I had learned in my research that beets are super nutritious and detoxifying and my main problem with my health was toxicity, so...

Much to my surprise the beet juice was super delicious and added a lovely sweetness to the greens and turmeric I was juicing with them. Still, it was several weeks before I was brave enough to try cooked beets. I decided to oven-roast them. Past experience with other veggies had taught me that the process would produce a tender, al dente internal texture, while allowing the exterior to caramelize. The result was spectacular. It was life-changing. I kid you not, it was practically a spiritual experience.

It's safe to say now that beets are a regular player in my diet. I toss them with lots of other veggies and grains but my absolute favorite beet dish is the one below. This recipe is the perfect combination of flavors, the sharpness of the feta balances the sweetness of the beets. The textures are interesting too, the soft beets against the crisp kale leaves and the crunch of the toasted walnuts. I swear my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Oven-Roasted Beets with Kale and Feta

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

3 small or 1 large red beet, washed, peeled and cubed (you want about 2 cups cubed)

4 kale leaves, washed, ribs removed, torn into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees with the baking sheet in the oven so it gets nice and hot before you add the beets.
2. Toss the beets with the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and spread the beets in a single layer. Return to the oven until tender and beginning to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Shake the pan now and then to cook evenly.
3. Meanwhile, toss the kale leaves with the 1 teaspoon olive oil in the same bowl used for the beets.
4. Add the kale leaves to the baking sheet with the beets and bake until crispy, about 8 minutes.
5. Add the walnuts to the baking pan for just one minute to warm through.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Add the feta and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

TIPS:

• Always toast nuts before using them in cooking or baking, it gives them so much more flavor. Instead of toasting for each recipe as I need them, I toast the whole bag when I buy it, then store the toasted nuts in the freezer. Just pull out what you need when you need it. Time saver.
• You can substitute golden beets in this recipe but the reds are so gorgeous against the green kale and white feta. We eat with our eyes too!
• You can use any type of kale here. I often use the "dinosaur" or Liconato variety, but this time I used the purple curly leaf kale and it was divine.
• If you're dairy free you can omit the feta and the dish is still delicious. I only just added goat cheese back to my diet again in last 2 weeks. I was off all dairy for months, and I ate this dish without it and didn't miss it. That being said, now that feta is back in my life, I'm not sure how I lived without it!

Soup Season! Let's Make Mirepoix Y'all!

Hallelujah and yee-haw y'all, it's finally soup weather in Texas! We Texans have had enough of the blasted record-breaking heat this year and the arrival of Fall weather this week has us all dusting off our boots and sweaters, and loading our shopping carts with lots of yummy soup ingredients.

I personally have been longing for soup weather for months. Nothing is more comforting than soup. It's my go-to food when I need a little self nurturing. To make the souping process easier, do what I do and make your mirepoix in advance and store it in the freezer. Mirepoix is the flavor base for many soups, stocks, and sauces, so it's a good basic to have in your repertoire. It's easy enough to make but it's time-consuming with all the chopping and the slow cooking process. To save myself time I make a big batch and freeze it in 1 cup portions so I can pull out as much as I need for a particular recipe, saving myself at least 30 minutes each time I make soup, stock or pasta sauce.

The Barley Bean Soup recipe below is a family favorite. It's my own twist on a recipe from Whole Living Magazine. This soup is high in fiber, protein and iron, and thanks to the addition of the collard greens it's also rich in vitamins K, A and C. The garnishes of non fat Greek yogurt and basil pesto make the soup taste deceptively decadent without sacrificing healthfulness. I make this soup in two batches, one for my family as the recipe states and a second for myself using rice in place of the barley since I don't eat gluten. Both are delish.

Mirepoix ingredients ready to go

Mirepoix cooked and cooling

Basic Mirepoix Recipe

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
6 celery ribs, sliced
salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery and stir to coat with the oil.
3. Add several cranks freshly ground salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon each)
4. Cook, stirring every 6-7 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Don't brown the veggies but a little golden color is desirable and will add flavor. Veggies should be tender but not mushy.
5. Spread the finished mirepoix on a large plate or baking sheet to cool. Pack in one cup portions into zip lock freezer bags, squeezing out the air and flattening the bag to fit easily in your freezer.
6. Freeze for up to 2 months. To use, remove from freezer and place into your stock pot over med heat to thaw then continue with recipe as instructed.

TIPS:

• Technically speaking this recipe would be called a soffrito which is the Italian version of the French mirepoix because I'm using olive oil instead of butter, but the two have become virtually interchangeable, and mirepoix is the more commonly used name.
• This is the quantity you'll need for the soup recipe below but if you want to make extra for future recipes you can scale it up as many times as you can accommodate in your pot, or make multiple batches.
•  The exact measurements on the ingredients are not important, you can make any quantity that you want, just keep the proportions of the three ingredients more or less equal.
• You can oven-roast your mirepoix rather than cooking on the stove top. Place the veggies on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil and roast in a hot oven (400-450 degrees) until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Watch closely and shake the pan every now and then to cook evenly.

Bean and Barley Soup with Basil Pesto

Mirepoix, use recipe above (about 2 cups)
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup collard greens, washed and sliced in chiffonade (thin ribbons)
1 cup pearled barley (if you're gluten intolerant like me omit this ingredient, see note following recipe)
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans
1/4 cup non fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup basil pesto

1. Make your mirepoix or pull 2 cups frozen mirepoix from the freezer and place in stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 8 minutes or until the frozen mirepoix is warmed through and the garlic is tender.
2. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to boil and blanch the collard greens. Drop greens in boiling water for one minute then plunge into an ice bath immediately to stop the cooking. Set aside.
3. Add the pearled barley (see note below if you're gluten free) and 6 cups stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until barley is tender.
4. Add the beans and collards and cook for about 10 minutes or until the beans are warmed through.
5. Serve with a spoonful of non fat Greek yogurt and pesto.
6. This soup freezes well. Store in air tight containers for up to 2 months.

TIPS:

• This soup is a great basic and tastes fab just as it is but you can change it up and make it your own. Swap out different beans or grains, use spinach instead of collards, add chicken sausage if you're a meat-eater, etc.
• Barley contains gluten, so if you're on a gluten-free diet like me you can use rice instead of the barley, or even quinoa. The rice will most closely resemble the original texture of the barley and the quinoa will give a more nutty texture.

Juice it Up! The Lemon Blast

Juicing is part of my daily routine. My "BACK to Health" juice blend is my breakfast most days, and on occasion, it's an afternoon pick-me-up too. I'm embarking on my first juice fast so it's time to expand my juice horizons. First up, The Lemon Blast. And let me tell ya, it is indeed a blast. This juice is light and refreshing, reminiscent of lemonade, but less sweet and with more za-zing!

The Lemon Blast

1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and quartered (or cut to fit your juicer feeder)
1/2 English cucumber (you can use the common variety too)
1 lemon, halved
4 leaves Napa cabbage, ends trimmed
small bunch fresh mint

Juice it all up and get ready for the blast. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Pain, Pain, Go Away...

In spite of my best efforts to work my natural healing program, from time to time my rheumatoid arthritis pain creeps back in. It's subtle, and definitely not the intense pain I experienced in the months before I started my program, but it's there, and it's annoying, and it slows me down. Inevitably it's the result of overwork, of stupid long hours working in the kitchen. I can always see it coming, I know the weeks that it's likely to hit me, the weeks with a schedule of big, heavy, sculpted cakes, or 7 tier wedding cakes, or orders of 2000 cupcakes, or all of thee above. It's the weeks with an all-nighter. Or two. Yes, sometimes, even though I know better, I just overdo it. After all, I am self-employed, and the work has to be done.

The reason I'm sore this week- 30 hours of hands-on work went into this retirement cake for an XTO Energy employee. Oh yeah, and there was that 5 tier wedding cake too!

The first joints affected are my wrists and fingers, then my elbows and knees. But the first sign of trouble is always in my sinuses. Sinus pain and inflammation is my early warning system. Yeah, I know, that seems weird and unrelated to rheumatoid arthritis, but inflammation is inflammation, I guess, and whenever my joints are hurting so are my sinuses. So, what's a medication-free girl to do?

To ease the pain in my joints I take long, hot baths, drink extra turmeric tea, take infrared saunas, rest, do extra breath work, and eat lots of omega 3 rich foods like salmon, walnuts and flax seeds. Additionally, for my sinuses, I inhale herbal steam (see below), take nettles and bromelain and use saline nasal spray. I also take a close look at my diet to make sure I haven't inadvertently allowed in any trigger foods. Most of the time I'll notice an improvement in my discomfort within two days and a total recovery in 4-5, but on occasion, when I REALLY overdo it, it can take a week or more to feel fully well again. In the meantime, I slow down a bit, and take stock of my many blessings. Sometimes the very best medicine is gratitude.

What you need for the steam

Herbal Steam

Stock pot of water

3-5 drops eucalyptus oil

3-5 drops tea tree oil

large towel

Bring the pot of water to a boil over high heat then remove from the heat. Add the oils. Place a large towel over your head to create a "tent" and lean over the pot (careful, the steam can be very hot). Inhale the steam for several minutes. You can control the heat by lifting or lowering your head and opening the towel to allow some of the heat out. Do this several times a day to open sinus passages, decrease inflammation, and reduce mucus. Follow the steam with saline nasal spray or neti pot.

Tasty Tidbit: Mushrooms

Mushrooms are an everyday food for me. Here are a few reason why...

• They are high in vegetable proteins and low in calories, making them a valuable source of healthy nutrition. 
• They contain zinc, iron, chitin, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Mushrooms are also high in amino acids, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, vitamins B, C, and K, and pantothenic acid.
• Not only are mushrooms a healthy addition to the diet, they also have important medicinal properties. Traditional Chinese Medicine has used mushrooms for thousands of years. There are over 200 species of mushrooms in China that are used to practice healing. An amazing 25 percent of these mushrooms are credited with tumor-fighting capabilities.
• All varieties of mushrooms possess cleansing capabilities. Mushrooms contain a substance called Germanium. Germanium is a nutrient that helps boost the oxygen efficiency within the body. Germanium also helps counteract the body's exposure to environmental toxins and helps to increase the body's ability to fight disease.

Shiitake

Shiitakes are among the best mushrooms nutritionally speaking, Reishi, Enoki and Cordyceps are good as well. Steer clear of cultivated white button mushrooms. 

Healthy Cooking Fake Out: Bacon Flavor Without the Oink

I admit it, I used to be an "everything's better with bacon" girl. In fact, I was that girl until just a few months ago, when I decided to take my health into my own hands and treat my rheumatoid arthritis without drugs. Bacon is not on my arthritis diet for a number of reasons. First, my anti-inflammatory diet is low in protein and allows no beef or pork. Second, foods containing nitrosamines and other curing agents are off limits. And lastly, my nutritional research has led me to make some personal choices about what I'm eating. While I'm not technically vegan since I eat fish and pastured eggs, I have given up all "meat with feet".

But the foodie in me still craves that rich, meaty, "umami" flavor in my dishes, so I started doing some experimenting to recreate those flavors in another, healthier, form. I found the answer in, believe it or not, shiitake mushrooms! Cooking sliced or diced mushrooms at relatively high heat until browned and crisp, and adding coarse sea salt at the end of cooking produces a fantastic "fake out" bacon. Now, this isn't going to stand in for bacon on your breakfast plate next to your pancakes, but added to pasta, vegetables, quinoa, omelets, etc, you'll never notice the difference. And the bonus is that shiitake mushrooms are super healthy, containing antiviral and anticancer properties.

I eat shiitake nearly every day so I always have them on hand, but you could substitute crimini or baby portobellos although the result will be more meaty than crispy unless you slice very thinly. Skip the white button mushrooms as they are nutritionally inferior. Measurements are not included here because you can make these in whatever quantities you need for your particular dish.

Fake Out "Bacon" Mushrooms

olive oil

Shiitake mushrooms, sliced or diced (see Tips below)

coarse sea salt

1. Heat oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. You want just enough oil to lightly coat your pan (see Tips below). If your oil starts to smoke, turn down the heat a bit.
2. Add the mushrooms and saute until browned and crispy. Don't move the mushrooms around too much or they won't brown properly, just give them a shake or stir every minute or so. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits as they cook, there's lots a flavor in those bits so you want them in your finished dish, not on the saute pan to be washed down the drain.
3. When finished cooking add freshly ground course sea salt and toss together.

TIPS:

• Don't wash your mushrooms or they will absorb the water and become soggy. Take a clean kitchen towel or a piece of paper toweling and brush any visible dirt from the mushrooms.
• The thinner you slice your mushrooms the more crispy they will be when sauteed. If you like your "bacon" a bit meatier then slice your mushrooms thicker.
• Make sure your pan is hot before you add the mushrooms or they will get soft before they brown.
• You don't need much oil here, just enough to lightly coat the pan, we're not frying. 
• Mushrooms are about 80% water and that water comes out as they cook and then is reabsorbed. If you add salt during the cooking process it will be reabsorbed with the water in the later stages of the cooking process. We want our salt on the outside of our mushrooms so wait until the very end to add it.
• I add these mushrooms to just about everything: pastas, veggies, quinoa and rice, salads, bean dishes. They also make a wonderful garnish for soups. I often add toasted walnuts to the same dishes, the flavors complement each other very well.

Last night I added my Fake Out "Bacon" Mushrooms to sauteed broccoli, roasted garlic and toasted walnuts. Yum!