Food, cooking, recipes, family history and all that good stuff!

[Dr. Nili Marcia]

This is the forum for your cooking tips and ideas, for comments about food, for your favorite recipes and even for telling us what you heard about food, eating, lack and abundance when you were growing up.

[sue tiritilli]

Ever try quinoa (keen'-wah)? It is a whole grain and is nice and light. Here's a salad I like:

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- dressing -
2 cloves minced garlic
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup tamari (soy sauce)
1/4 cup lemon juice

(soy sauce is quite salty, so do not add salt until you taste first)

Mix well, pour over salad mixture and toss well to coat. Enjoy!
Keeps in fridge a couple days.

[saz120]

all these recipes look lovely il have to try them mmmmmmm making me hungry :)

xx

[Susannah Rose]

Potato and Millet Bake

Cook and mash potatoes in the style you usually do

Steep millet in boiling water for 10 minutes, then simmer for 20 minutes (ish)

Soft fry onion and garlic, salt and pepper to taste

If you like eg savoy cabbage you can chop a few leaves very finely, add to onion and garlic while cooking,until cooked to preference , then mix up potato, millet (and cabbage ) into a delicious bowl full

Sprinkle in dried sage to taste.
Millet itself is bland so herbs of some sort are needed to make it a bit sexy

Bake in medium oven 35 minutes -ish until warmed and the top is as crusty as you like

[Ilana Wolfson]

I'm posting this a second time, in the right place"

Here is the recipe that wt. loss Dr. Doyle recommends you eat, shortly before going to big social events:

Nanette Cameron, RD Phone: [phone]
Margaret McLand MS., RD Phone: [phone]

Green Bean & Tomato Soup

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and carrots in oil for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, beans and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the tomatoes, basil and pepper. Cover and simmer 5 minutes longer. Note: Frozen green beans and/or canned tomatoes may be used in place of fresh. If using canned tomatoes, make sure to use a low-sodium chicken broth. Nutrition Facts: Yields 9 servings. One serving (1 cup).
Calories 71, Cholesterol 0-2 mg, Fat 1g, Protein 3g, Sodium 651 mg, Carbohydrate
12 g, Fiber 4g

AND a second bonus recipe. (We like the first one better. The first time my husband had it he said "I'm gonna lose wt. on this delicious stuff?")

Herbed Vegetable Soup

3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 package (16 ounces) frozen cut green beans
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, chopped
1 small onion chopped
3 cups tomato juice
2 teaspoons low-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

In a large pot, combine the cabbage, beans, celery, carrots, zucchini, onion, and tomato juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the bouillon, seasoning blend, basil and rosemary; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Nutrition Facts: Yields 8 servings. One serving (1 cup).
Calories 66, Trace cholesterol, Trace fat ,Protein 3g, Sodium 358 mg, Carbohydrate
13g, Fiber 5g

Nili, I'm sure either one would be a great choice for after 8:00 pm eating (except it would probably give you old man peeing syndrome (waking up during the night to pee, because of over full bladder)).

[Virginia L. Neher]

Hi Sue! I agree that smoothies are really a good thing! I have a vitamix blender which although somewhat expensive is worth it because it is so powerful. I noticed you put spinich in your smoothie. I just started putting in greens and I think it is a great way to get raw greens into your diet easily.

sue tiritilli said:

Now that it is summer here in California, my family and I have been enjoying what we call 'smoothies'. They are made in the blender and the choices are unlimited as to what you can put in them. Here are two we are making at this time:

FRUIT SMOOTHIE

1 banana / 1 sm. handful of berries (your choice)
1 peach / 2 pitted prunes
3 Tbsp. plain yogurt / 1 tsp flax seeds
1 tsp sunflower seeds / 1 Tbsp. aloe vera juice
1/2 cup of water or soymilk
Blend well all ingredients. I try to freeze my berries and bananas and keep them on hand. It also helps to cool the drink.

GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 banana / 1/2 avocado
1 handful of spinach / 1 tsp sunflower seeds
1 tsp almonds / 1 tbsp. honey
1 glass of water or apple juice (or 1/2 cup of each)

This is beautiful and tasty and filling and very nutrient packed.

[Ilana Wolfson]

Green Beans with Onion Paste (about 850 calories total) modified from Madhur Jaffrey

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of fresh ginger, about 1 inch square, coarsely chopped
1 medium-sized canned tomato, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
Optional - 1 or 2 whole dried red peppers OR 1/2 hot fresh green chili sliced in half OR 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons lemon juice (or to taste)

Garnish - 1 tablespoon finely chopped Chinese parsley (Coriander or Cilantro)


Wash the beans. Trim the ends. Slice the beans into rounds about 1/8" - 1/4" thick. (I left them 1/2" - 1", too much work)

Put the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and turmeric in a blender and blend into a smooth paste.

Put 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a non-stick 8-inch skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, and heat it on medium. Pour in mixture from blender and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time, adding a teaspoon of warm water if and when it starts to stick to the bottom. Now put in the coriander and ground cumin and continue frying another 5 minutes, again adding a teaspoon of warm water if necessary to prevent sticking.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium flame. When very hot, put in the whole cumin and mustard seeds. After 10 seconds, add the whole red peppers if you are using them. Stir once, and as the peppers darken and the mustard seeds begin to pop, put in the sliced green beans and the sliced green chili if you are using it. Now scrape up all the mixture from the first skillet and add it to the beans. Fry the beans on medium flame for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Turn heat to low, add the salt and lemon juice, and let the beans cook covered, stirring now and then, until they are tender (about 35 minutes). If you are using cayenne pepper, stir in 5 minutes before the end of cooking time. If the beans stick to the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of water, stir and keep cooking.

These beans can be cooked in advance and reheated over a low flame. Serve them in a warm dish, and if you like sprinkle finely chopped Chinese parsley over them.

Additional suggestions - Fry the mixture from the blender in a deep pot to keep splatter down. Make sure you fry the mixture well, it's essential to the overall flavor of the dish. I think it needed a bit more lemon. It's a fabulous blast of flavor in the dish. I think the dish needed to cook longer than 35 minutes, I'd suggest you allow 45 minutes.

Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. They are a good source of vitamin A and an excellent source of vitamin C, and 3/4 of a cup of is only 25 calories. The calories in this dish come mainly from the oil. For each tablespoon of oil you leave out, the calories are reduced by 135.

[Ilana Wolfson]

This recipe is one of my favorites for three reasons: #1- It's quick and easy to make; #2- It's good for me because it's a powerhouse full of antioxidants and phytonutrients; and #3- It tastes GREAT! Most people don't even think about putting fresh veggies into a smoothie, especially green leafy ones, but once you try this recipe I'm sure you'll have a different look at how you make your smoothies in the future. Keep in mind, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collard greens, and mustard greens (just to name a few) are great sources of vitamins A, C, D, E and K as well as calcium, iron, folate and fiber. WOW! All of that nutrition in 1 serving of spinach or Kale? You bet. So, don't be shy about the spinach in this week's recipe, and feel free to change it up every so often by using a different green leafy vegetable each time, like kale (I use only the leaves of the kale for easier blending). Give it a try for yourself and enjoy!


Berry Green Smoothie from Christine Watson, RD, LDN

1 frozen Banana
1 cup Blueberries (fresh, if in season, otherwise frozen)
1 generous handful Baby Spinach, fresh
1-1/1/2 cup liquid of choice (water, soymilk, ricemilk, almond milk, juice)

Directions:
Blend liquid of choice with fruits, and add spinach progressively until smooth. Use more or less water as desired.

Servings: 1-2

[Aimee Lauezzari]

Anyone else eating a high protein diet? I have recipes for lovely treats without grains, or with limited carbs, if anyone would like. Since finding my metabolic type, I don't count calories anymore, and eat more than I ever have before. It's been very freeing.

I noticed the opening post mentions family history of lack and abundance. I know I still have an issue with "is there enough food??" Like I would ever starve! I have enough, there is enough, and there will always be enough, but still sometimes I worry. There were times when my family was probably poor, but we never really felt it. We lived on a farm and always had food, even if we didn't have a lot of clothes or fancy things. Later, as an adult I did have a time when I wasn't sure I would have enough money for gas in my car to get to work and food on the table. That was not a good feeling, and ironically, or not, it was a time when I was my heaviest. Food has so much attached to it, doesn't it?

[Dr. Nili Marcia]

"Food has so much attached to it, doesn't it?" It does indeed Aimee, it does indeed!

Your post made me curious all over again about metabolic typing. I've heard a bit about it including that one generally goes to a practitioner for help finding one's type. That's not an option for me to do in person but surely one can do this with the help of the internet or a book? What can you tell us about this Aimee?

[Aimee Lauezzari]

Metabolic Typing Diet by William Linz Wolcott

This book has an extensive quiz in it and tons of information. That's my resource. I've not worked with anyone, but have taken some advice from Antonio Valladares of the Healthy Urban Kitchen. He's also on Ning.

For a quick start, while waiting on your copy to arrive, try these:

Gaia Quiz and Metabolic Quiz online

For me, metabolic typing was such an amazing discovery. I can't eat many carbs if I want to feel good and have a lean body. That's just a fact, and knowing that has really helped. I have also dealt with sugar and carbs as really addictive substances. That sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but I've learned that gluten and sugar actually trigger the opiate receptors. I've managed to reduce my cravings to nearly nothing, so I have been puzzled about why I still eat those things, likes cakes and chocolate, and I'm sure now that I will get to the bottom of that with EFT, but metabolic typing has sorted out my *intended* eating. :)

[Aimee Lauezzari]

Here's a followup on the Metabolic Typing Diet.....an interview with the author on Underground Wellness . Scroll down, it originally aired on 10/1/2009.