Happy Healthy Long Life

The Healthy Librarian's "What's Working, What's Not?" Sprouting, Step Counting, Produce Bags, Switching Schedules and Exercise Routines

The Easy Sprout - The Sprout People's Most Popular Sprouter

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I've let too much time go by without giving any updates on some of the new additions to my household and daily routine.  I promise this is going to be a quick post (yeah right!) because I have some very interesting medical topics I want to get to--and this is one of the few mornings I have some time in which to do it.

We're Making Our Own Sprouts Now!

Thanks to a wonderful reader, Kim, who wrote after I posted "Straight from the Experts at Ohio State University, Johns Hopkins University, & Canyon Ranch: Three "New-to-Me" Super Foods: Black Raspberries, Broccoli Sprouts, & Chicory-Family Leafy Greens", we have started making our own sprouts at home.

 "Why buy Brocco-Sprouts for $4.99 a container when you can make them yourself?  It's much cheaper to do your own & it's really easy.  Check out Sprout People!, " Kim said.

My husband took off running with Kim's suggestion.  Soon we had 10 white plastic sprouters on top of our kitchen counter, and all kinds of seeds to sprout.  He is now a huge fan of the Sprout People.

Sprouting is like having an indoor mini-fresh-garden in the winter.

He's now THE sprout-maven-indoor-farmer, and I just sit back and enjoy the harvest.  Broccoli and alfalfa sprouts are our favorites--and you can't compare the cost & freshness of sprouting your own to buying them at Whole Foods.

He has broccoli sprouts ready to eat in 3-6 days and they last from 2-6 weeks in the refrigerator--although we eat up a batch in a week--adding them to sandwiches and salads.

He's experimented with all kinds of seeds, including sprouting up a batch of "Madison Market Mix" which is a combo of peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds.  The Sprout People say this is "more of a soak than a sprout", but it's delicious on a salad.

Wondering what the big deal is with sprouts?

"Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional foods on the planet.  They're rich with enzymes and vitamins and amino acids.  And perhaps most important of all, sprouts like alfalfa, broccoli, clover, mung bean, and the like contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals that can have strong protective effects against disease.

When you eat a sprout, you're actually eating a very, very young version of the whole plant.  You're eating the root, stem, and head. 

Different glucosinolates--phytochemicals that convert to very healthy metabolites in the body--are concentrated in different parts of the plant.  Some are still in the root, others are in the leaves that are thrown away, still others are in the stem.

According to Sonja Pettersen, N.D., "Sprouts are one of the most concentrated sources of nutrition.  They're loaded with phytonutrients."

-Jonny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods of Earth-

Storing Sprouts and Vegetables in PEAKfresh Produce Bags

OK, I admit it.  When my husband said he was going to order PEAKfresh bags to store our sprouts, because that's what the "Sprout People" recommend, I rolled my eyes, and thought, "Uh oh!  Now he's listening to some weird "Sprout People" on an internet site.  What next?" 

I had tried those Debbie Meyer Green Bags (thanks to SIL Lis) and was disappointed.  These sounded like more of the same.

But according to "The Sprout People":  These bags are amazing! We have tested sprouts, fruits and veggies. We had Cilantro in one of these bags for a month! Plastic bags will still do for storing your sprouts, but if you want the best - for every sprout, fruit and vegetable - try these!

You know us, we don't sell stuff just to sell it - these really are awesome. The bags are widely reviewed (positively), and like we said above - our personal experience is great, so we think it is a good bet you'll be happy with them.

Read more about these bags ($5.85 for 10 re-usable bags) here.

These bags really are superior to just storing produce in regular plastic bags!   Really.   I didn't expect them to perform at all.  I stored a cut ripe avocado in a bag--following the directions to press out the air in the bag & seal with a twist tie.  It stayed green and fresh for 10 days--and I had fresh avocado to spread on my sandwiches.  Far superior to a regular bag or container.

Then I decided to try cilantro, which always ends up rotting in the bag after I use it once for a recipe.  Not this time!  The same for the lacinato kale.  They are as fresh as the first day I bought them, after 10 days.  I wish I could report that they lasted longer--but I used them up.

My light bulb discovery!  

• I followed the PEAKfresh directions.  Pre-cool warm fruit and vegetables in refrigerator before storing in bag. Check!
• Use a separate bag for each type of produce. Check!
• Produce should be fresh, dry, and undamaged.  Easier said than done.  But a key step!

DRY!  Wetness is what rots produce quicker than you can blink an eye.  And with all those grocery store sprinklers drenching the greens & herbs getting them dry is tough.  I've tried blotting them with towels - but when I wanted to test out the PEAKfresh bags the "towel dry" method was not doing the job. 

I thought about laying the greens out to dry on the kitchen counter, but I didn't want to take the time to do it.

Then it dawned on me!  Use a hair dryer.  I laid out the greens, zapped them with the hair dryer, and in 2 minutes they were dry enough to get bagged.  Yes, it's an extra step, but produce is expensive.  It beats having to throw out rotted veggies.  Don't laugh.  It worked.

My Step Counter Experience

This is my new toy.  Last week I mentioned that as part of my workplace's incentive to lower our health insurance rates I have to report how many hours I exercise a week and how many cups of vegetables & fruit I eat.

I could have opted to report how many steps I walked a day if I had wanted.  Everyone received a free Omron Hip Pedometer and after writing the post about Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer's tips on keeping weight off--people who successfully kept their weight off put in 11,000 steps a day (5.5 miles)--I decided to clip that pedometer to my hip & see how much walking I was doing throughout the day.

OK--I admit it.  Exercise is not a problem for me.  I can easily exercise 6-7 hours a week, because I just like to exercise.  But, honestly, my weight just stays the same--it doesn't budge.  Maybe the pedometer will help me knock off a few pounds.

Here's what I'm finding out:

• Wearing a step-counter is fun and motivating.  Who would have thought?
  
• Throughout a regular workday--I don't use the counter while I exercise--I manage around 6,000-6,500 steps a day--between 2.84-3.00 miles just doing my regular routine.  It's a far cry from 11,000 steps a day.  I guess I need to kick it up a notch.
  
• My basic plain-Jane Omron step-counter/pedometer is as easy-as-pie to use.  This is the pedometer my very large medical center has chosen to use,  probably because it's easy, reliable, long-lasting, and low cost. There are more sophisticated pedometers out there, but this one is a no-brainer-which is a good thing.  Just clip it on in the morning and go.  It records a week's worth of steps.
• The urge to do more. It's human nature to want to challenge yourself, and increase your steps.  I find I want excuses to get up and walk around at work.  Normally, I never take breaks, but next week I'm going to start--and see how many extra miles I can add up with speed walking for 15 minutes.
• My friend Mary Pat told me that she takes every extra opportunity she can to pump up her daily step totals.  Instead of sitting down for 30 minutes while she waited for a doctor's appointment, she just walked back & forth--boosting her steps.  When she arrived at a movie theater an hour early--to be sure to get a ticket--she didn't go into the theater and sit down--she just walked around the theater.
• Want to check out the best pedometers?  Click here and here

Switching Up My Exercise Routine & Changing My Work Schedule

Since November I've tweaked my usual work & exercise schedule to maximize my time and energy.  Hey, a  little experimenting is always a good idea!   

I am a true-believer in my post: Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks To Your Daily Energy Levels, and  it was high time to stop wasting my peak "9-11 am: Brain work-Creativity-Analytical work" time slot on housework, errands, or exercise on the days when I'm not at work.  It really helps to pay attention to what your best times for brain work are, and make the most of those hours.  I definitely lose motivation for "hard thinking work" if I don't do it early.

By carefully rejiggering my schedule, I was also able to get to a yoga class 3 times  week, instead of maybe once every other week.   And instead of doing my same-old same-old Nautilus weight-machine work-out, I added a killer old-fashioned weight-training class to kick things up a notch.  And I still get to a Spinning class 3 times a week. 

Why was I skipping out on yoga?  I always planned to go to a yoga class after work--never happened.  And the less I went, the harder it was.  And the harder it was, the less I wanted to go.  Guess what?  Once I started going 3 times a week those planks & Chatarangas (the yoga push-up) started getting easier, and I started to really reap the benefits of a regular yoga practice.

Here's what I did:

• On non-work days, I write or research in the morning when I'm fresh--the best time for brain work. Errands, housework, and everything else come later in the day.  If I do decide to exercise I do it in the late afternoon, instead of exercising first thing in the morning. 
  
• I volunteered to work late every Thursday night, but I leave the house at 9:00 am.  I go straight to the gym and take a tough old-fashioned weight-training class, and follow it up with a yoga class.  Then I head on to work.  Before this switch I never exercised on Thursday. 
  
• Early Monday morning I head to a yoga class before starting work.  No need for a shower after class--I save time by changing into work clothes once I get to work. 
  
• Switching from weight machines to a weight-training class has upped my strength.  It's so easy to stick to the same-old-same-old routine because it's comfortable and a no-brainer.  But, Ann Esselstyn (Who is she? Click here.) convinced me to try this class, and what a challenge it is!  She's over 12 years older than I am, and if she can do it--I can do it!  There is no way I would do push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, and free-weights on my own.  No way.  This is like having a knowledgeable personal trainer without the cost.  It's definitely a killer, but every week it just gets easier and easier.  Thank goodness.  Added benefit:  This class keeps my heart rate in an aerobic range for most of the hour!  A 2-fer!  I never even budged into the aerobic range with the Nautilus machines.
  
• Take away point:  Look at your schedule.  Are you doing your brain work when you are at your sharpest, or are you wasting your best hours on activities that don't need brain power?   And look carefully at your schedule, and see where you can squeeze in some exercise.  I'd rather stay at work later, and get my exercise in early.  By evening time I'm just ready to chill out. 
  

I know you all have wonderful discoveries that are making your life easier, healthier, and more productive.  I get some of my best ideas from all of you.  So, please, let me know what's new and working for you!  What's working?  What's not?

Three Simple Diet Tweaks to Keep You Healthy, Happy, and On Track From Breakfast Through That Evening Snack

Mexican Hot Chocolate

It's no secret that I try to eat healthy. 

But, there's only so much time in the morning to prepare something that's as tasty as it is healthy.

And I'm no saint.  I love chocolate, but I have to keep it far away from my kitchen cupboards.  There's no way I can stop at a tiny square of a dark chocolate bar.

And in the evening, when I'm watching TV or a video, I sometimes want something tastier than an apple for a snack.  I want a little crunch.  And yes, a bit of salt.  A tiny bit.

This is going to sound crazy, but these three simple, delicious, time-saving food tweaks have made my mornings a breeze, brought me a mid-day boost, and satisfied my snack cravings at night.  You've got to give them a try!

And the best part.  Each of these foods comes with impeccable research credentials.  But frankly, they taste so good, I wouldn't care if they didn't.

1.  Steel cut oats.  Put up a double-batch of crock-pot fruited steel cut oatmeal on Sunday night, and have breakfast ready-to-go all week.

2.  Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate.  Late afternoon or in the evening make my gourmet Mexican cocoa with cayenne & cinnamon & you won't miss high-cal chocolate bars.

3.  Popcorn.  Get yourself a hot-air popcorn popper, and hit the popcorn with 4 or 5 sprays of canola or olive oil and as it fills up a huge bowl--sprinkle with a few shakes of super-fine popcorn salt, and you won't miss the microwave or oil-made popcorn at all.

Overnight Crock-Pot Fruited Steel Cut Oatmeal

After making this oatmeal for months, it finally dawned on me that if I doubled the recipe, I'd have enough for breakfast 7 mornings a week--in a microwave minute!

If you are used to making steel cut oats on the stove, let me tell you--the taste doesn't even come close to the crockpot version that slowly cooks for 8 hours.

As for the health benefits--Dr. David Jenkins' 2008 JAMA study found that high fiber low-glycemic foods--like steel-cut oats--were superior to even whole grains, like whole-wheat bread and brown rice when it comes to keeping the blood sugar stable. 

Stable blood sugar not only keeps you full, is great for preventing type-2 diabetes, but it also prevents the kind of spikes that damage the dentate gyrus--the memory center of the brain.  Click here

And for added measure throw in the benefits of the soluble fiber of oatmeal that removes damaging cholesterol--and the dried fruit that is great for bone health.  If you're scratching your head over the fruit-thing--read Dr. Amy Lanou's research.

And here's a new one to me.  Oatmeal also enhances the body's immune system, is anti-inflammatory, and has more protein than most cereals.  (according to Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. in The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth)

My Creamy Crock-Pot Oatmeal with Lots of Dried Fruit   enough for 7-8 servings.

Cooker:  3 quart
Setting and Cook Time:  Low for 8-9 hours. 

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup dried currants
1 tsp. Trader Joe's pumpkin or apple pie seasoning (or a little cinnamon & nutmeg)
5 1/2 cups water 
1 cup almond, hazelnut or soy milk

1. Lightly spray your cooker with cooking oil spray to prevent sticking.
2. Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Mix up well.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, until thick & creamy.
3. Wake up to delicious cooked oatmeal.  The smell is amazing!  Refrigerate the leftovers for later in the week.  Just scoop out a serving from the the fridge & microwave for a couple of minutes.

A happy oatmeal surprise.  My entire life I've never eaten breakfast first thing in the morning.  I'd get up at six, and never eat breakfast until 8:30 or 9.  With this oatmeal I've started to eat breakfast first thing in the morning, and to my surprise, I'm actually less hungry throughout the entire day.  It keeps me full and energetic until lunch-time.  I can't explain that one!

Spicy Sweet Mexican Hot Chocolate

About 3 years ago my husband, my college friend Babs, and I went to New York City chocolate shop called The Chocolate Bar and indulged in hot chocolate with chili peppers.  I loved it!   So, a couple months ago when I spotted this Aztec Hot Chocolate Mix at Whole Foods I decided to give it a try.  Of course it was delicious, but who needed the sugar in it?  Certainly not me.

I decided to try my hand at making my own, and it tasted even better.  I tested it on my non-hot-chocolate drinking 26 year-old son & husband, and they both gave it a big thumbs up.

And the health benefits are almost too good to be true!

• Cocoa powder lowers inflammation, increases HDLs, and has the potential to slow or prevent atherosclerosis.  This comes from straight from a 2009 Spanish study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Cocoa has more flavonoids than tea or red wine and they improve lipid profiles and insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure (click here), reduce platelet activity, and keep the lining of blood vessels flexible and healthy.
• In a 12 week study the skin of women drinking a daily cup of cocoa containing 2 TBS of high-flavonoid cocoa powder was significantly smoother, retained more moisture, and had better circulation.  Click here for the article
• Cocoa gives you all the benefits of chocolate without the fat & calories.  Dr. Susan Kleiner, author of the Good Mood Diet is a big fan of drinking hot cocoa in the evening.
• Drinking 8-10 ounces of hot cocoa fills up your tummy far better than 1 ounce of chocolate can, and nips hunger in the bud.
• Cayenne pepper contains a phytochemical called capsaicin that's linked to weight loss, pain relief, & cardiovascular health.  A 2009 Danish study even confirmed that it suppresses appetite by creating feelings of satiety.
• Cinnamon is known to lower blood glucose and LDL cholesterol.

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate   Serves one

1 heaping TBS. of high quality non-dutched (it retains the flavonoids) unsweetened cocoa.  I like Ghiradelli's, & Scharffen Berger's

1 packet of stevia (I like Stevia in the Raw) or sweetener of your choice

1 tiny (or not so tiny) pinch of cayenne powder.  The best way to do this is to shake some in the palm of your hand and then pinch some.

A few shakes of cinnamon

About a tablespoon of very hot water

1 1/4 cups of hazelnut, almond, or soy milk  *Note: my taste tests show that Pacific brand's Hazelnut milk makes the best-tasting Mexican hot cocoa.  The almond milk just didn't have the depth of taste.

Mix the cocoa, stevia, and spices in a nice-sized mug.  Add some very hot water and mix it all up.

Add the milk and mix.  A tiny whisk works great for this.

Microwave until nice and warm.

A happy cocoa surprise.  This is so satisfying as a late afternoon snack or an evening dessert.  I was completely surprised at how tasty and satisfying this cocoa can be, and I'm not even missing chocolate.

Hot-Air Popper Popcorn

About 6 months ago I decided to pick up an Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Popcorn Popper for $20 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond with a 20% off coupon.

Frankly, I ditched my original hot air popper in the 70's because the popcorn it made was so bland.  But, my friend Howie told me about his technique of grinding up salt in a coffee grinder to get a powdery mix that sticks just fine to the popcorn if you spray it a few times with canola or olive oil spray.

Then my husband perfected the whole technique, and he picked up some Morton Super Fine Popcorn Salt, so we could ditch the "grinding step".

Here's the Snack-Maven's technique

1.  Measure 1/4 or 1/2 cup of popcorn & pour it into your popper

2.  Use the largest bowl you have--and if it has a lid it's a plus for better "salt distribution"

3.  As the popped corn starts to fill the bowl spray it with a quick shot of "oil spray", and then a quick shake of the salt.  We usually end up with about 5 sprays and 5 shakes.  I actually measured out how much salt comes out, and it ends up less than 140 mgs of salt, which is 6% of your daily recommended intake--and that's if you eat a whole bowl yourself. 

4.  If you have a lid, give the bowl a nice shake.

Six cups of hot-air popcorn is about 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 10% iron.

Health Benefits:

• Rich in insoluble fiber to keep your digestive system moving
• Eating 3 cups of air-popped popcorn (not microwaved) twice a week can reduce your risk of diverticular disease by 28%.  Click here for the study
• Popcorn has THE HIGHEST LEVELS of healthy antioxidants of all whole grain snack foods.  Click here for the study

Happy popcorn surprise:  Who knew how satisfying and tasty hot-air popped popcorn could be--not to mention how healthy it is.

10-Minute Quick-to-Fix Vegan Dinner. The Healthy Librarian's Arugula Pear "Steak" Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

Super Fast Arugula Pear "Steak" Salad with Walnuts and Cranberries

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Back when I was eating meat, a favorite quick-to-fix dinner was sliced grilled flank steak with roasted vegetables over mesclun greens--with a little sprinkle of chopped nuts, and maybe some goat cheese.  But that was almost 2 years ago.

Last Saturday night Joyce and Ron whipped up an "Arugula and Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette" in about 10 minutes.  It was fabulous, and I became an instant arugula fan. 

On Sunday I stopped at Trader Joe's and picked up 2 bags of organic arugula--where they had purchased theirs.  I brought an arugula salad to work on Monday, and made this one for dinner on Tuesday night.

Good-bye mesclun greens.  Hello arugula.  I always thought of it as a seasonal snooty fancy shmancy salad green.  But there it was at Trader Joe's, reasonably priced, organic, and looking beautiful. 

Now that I know it's in that super-healthy family of chicory greens it's got even more credibility.  Don't forget about the 3-new-to-me super foods I wrote about last week:  black raspberries, broccoli sprouts, & chicory-family greens!  Click here if you want a refresher.

Why Does Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., D.N.S, F.A.C.N. Have Arugula on Her Top Ten List of Favorite Foods?

• It's loaded with minerals and antioxidants
• It's a delicious cruciferous vegetable that helps to protect us against toxins like xenohormones--the hormone disruptors in pesticides, plastics, and pollution.
• It protects against cancer because its loaded with the anticarcinogenic indole-3-carbinol. (click here for: Sarkar, FH, Li, Y. "Harnessing the fruits of nature for the development of multi-targeted cancer therapeutics"  Cancer Treatment Reviews, 2009 Nov;35(7):597-607. Epub 2009 Aug 5---just one of many articles on the benefits of the indole-3-carbinols.

Why Does Jonny Bowden Ph.D., C.N.S. Have Arugula on His List of the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth?

• For only 5 calories a cup you get a generous amount of eye-healthy carotenoids, like lutein and zeaxanthin, plus folate, and vitamin A.
• It's also loaded with calcium and Vitamin K--essential for building strong bones--and 1 cup of arugula has 62 mcg of vitamin K.  The recommended daily intake is: 90 mcg for women and 120 mcg for men.
• What's the calcium/vitamin K connection?  Vitamin K helps the body transport calcium and metabolize it into our bones.  Several studies (including the very large Nurses' Health Study) have found that high intake of Vitamin K (at least 110 mcg a day) boosts bone mineral density in postmenopausal women and reduces hip fractures by 30%.  Click here and here to read more.
• It has glucosinolates--the same cancer-fighter as found in broccoli sprouts--that neutralizes cancer cells, and also inhibits cancer cell growth.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman ranks arugula 11th on his ANDI Scale (aggregate nutrient density index)--right under greens like kale, watercress, Swiss Chard, and broccoli sprouts.

 

Super Fast Arugula Pear "Steak" Salad with Walnuts and Cranberries

You'll have this on the the table in less than 10 minutes!

Serving size: 1 salad 

Ingredients:

2 cups of arugula

1/3 thinly sliced pear

1 TBS. chopped walnuts or pecans

1 TBS. dried cranberries

9 slices of either Trader Joe's Beef-Less Strips (aka Gardein)  If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby,  use Morningstar Farms "Beef" Meal-Starters found in your grocer's freezer.  Note: *TJ's Beef-Less Strips come in 3 serving packages.

A couple of shakes of Durkee Grill Creations Kansas City Style Steak Seasoning

I drizzled this on as salad dressing:

1 tsp. Olive Tap Blood Orange Fusion Olive Oil  click here 

2 tsp. Olive Tap Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar  click here

Directions:

Quickly brown 1 Package of Trader Joe's Beef-Less Strips in a frying pan.  Sprinkle strips with the Grill Creations Steak Seasoning.  One package of strips makes 3 servings. 

Rinse arugula.  Pile a dinner plate with the greens.  Top with the olive oil and flavored vinegar--or the dressing of your choice--see Joyce & Ron's Maple Vinaigrette below.

Top with the sliced pears.  Sprinkle on the chopped nuts & cranberries, and enjoy.

Save the left-over strips--one package contains enough for 3 salads.  Note:  Tal Ronnen uses these strips for a "Steak Sandwich" served on a ciabatta or focaccia square, layered with watercress, red pepper, sliced red onion, and horseradish mayo.

NOTE: Want to cut calories & fat?  1 TBS. of walnuts=4.8 g of fat/52 calories; 1 tsp. olive oil=4.6 g of fat/40 calories.   Cut 92 calories & 9.4 gr of fat when you leave them out!

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Arugula, Pear, "Steak" Salad wt Cranberries & Walnuts
Serving Size: 1 recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories	345
Total Fat	11.5g
Saturated Fat	1.2g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	346mg
Carbohydrate	37.9g
Dietary Fiber	5.4g
Sugars	26.5g
Protein	23.3g
Vitamin A 42% Vitamin C 26% Calcium    20% Iron 38%

What's in Trader Joe's Beef-Less Strips?

These are vegan, but, alas, not gluten free.  I don't like to use faux meats very often--but occasionally--why not?

Ingredients: water, vital wheat gluten, isolated soy protein, natural flavors, barley malt, expeller pressed canola oil, garlic powder, yeast extract, onion powder, organic evaporated cane juice, red bell pepper flakes, sea salt, citric acid, spices, pea protein, carrot fiber, organic beet root fiber, sunflower oil.

Nutritional info for 9 strips.  Calories: 120; Total Fat 2g;  Sat Fat & Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0g; Sodium 310 mg; Total Carbs 5 g; Fiber 1g; Sugars 1g; Protein 20g.

Joyce & Ron's Arugula and Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette  (from Real Simple Magazine)

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 20 minutes.  (they made the dressing ahead of time, and it took 10 minutes to assemble)
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
    •    1 tablespoon maple syrup
    •    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    •    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    •    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    •    1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    •    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  (consider lowering this amount to 4 tsp.)
    •    8 cups arugula leaves
    •    1  pear, unpeeled, thinly sliced
    •    1/2 cup (3 ounces) blue cheese, crumbled  (optional--leave out for the vegan version)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil; set aside.
2. Arrange the arugula on individual plates and top with the pear and cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Tip

For a warm salad, heat the vinaigrette in a small saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute, and substitute spinach for the arugula.

Nutritional Information
Calcium 185.47mg; Calories 183.58; Calories From Fat 65%; Carbohydrate 11.91g; Cholesterol 15.95mg; Fat 13.3g; Fiber 1.96g; Iron 0.88mg; Protein 5.83mg; Sat Sat Fat 4.92g; Sodium 410.06mg

NOTE: The higher fat and sat fat in this recipe is from the blue cheese and olive oil.

*Source of information about Shari Lieberman & Jonny Bowden:  The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.  by Jonny Bowden.  Gloucester, MA:  Fair Winds Press, 2007.

The Healthy Librarian's Top Picks for Healthy Holiday Gifts

This week I received a pre-holiday email from MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.

It said:  "Share the Health: M.D. Anderson's Holiday Gift Guide - This holiday season, experts at M.D. Anderson encourage shoppers to purchase gifts that offer health benefits for recipients."

If you get receive this blog via email, click here to get to the web-version

It was a pretty good list:

1. Gym membership - they recommend 30 minutes a day to lower the chance of getting cancer
2. Active gear for kids - they say kids need 60 minutes a day of activity to lower their risk of getting cancer as adults
3. Dark chocolate - look for at least 65% cacao - and boxes with small serving sizes--all you need is 1 ounce a day to get a daily shot of delicious antioxidants
4. Green tea sampler - studies show that green tea antioxidants protect against cancer by stopping cancer cells from growing.
5. Fruit of the month club - tons of antioxidants and plant chemicals that help the body fight cancer.
6. Steamer - cook vegetables without oil or butter and eliminate extra fat and calories, and encourage the likelihood of getting 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
7. Sun protective clothing - look for UPF clothing for an easy & reliable way to get sun protection that lasts through many washes - for runners, gardeners, or anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors

But I got to thinking.  I've got plenty of good gift suggestions to add to this list. 

Great gifts of health that I've received.  Great gifts of health that I've given to others.  Great gifts of health that I've bought for myself.  So here goes.

The Healthy Librarian's List of Favorite Healthy Holiday Gifts

In no particular order:

1. Vitamix 5200 - I've written about this so much, I'm even boring myself--but there is no denying that it's one of the best ways you can ensure that you eat 7-9 fruits & veggies a day.  We use it everyday to make green smoothies, to instantly blend vegetable soups, to make humus, fruit sorbet, or even Tal Ronnen's cashew cream.  Honestly, you can't compare its power to a blender's.  And clean-up is a breeze!  We've given Vitamixes to each of our kids for a 1-gift-fits-all Chanukah, Birthday, & Anniversary/Apartment-warming present.  It's a "BIG" gift--as in a $400-$450 gift!--but I can't think of any better "gift of health" for someone you love!  To read more, click here, here, here. Told you I can run off the mouth on this!
2. Exercise heart rate monitor - My husband gave me my first Polar F6 Heart Rate monitor 3 years ago.  Now they have a women's model that fits my skinny wrist better.  This is one of the best gifts I've ever gotten.  Honestly, I don't like to exercise without it.  It lets me know if I'm working hard enough--or too hard.  It keeps me in aerobic range, counts the calories I've burned, and keeps track of my weekly workouts.  It's just plain motivating, and you can set it up to reflect your age, weight, sex, and your exercise abilities.  Retail $119, but you can probably find it for $100.  Don't skimp--buy Polar.  To read more click here and here.
3. IPOD Nano - I love my 2 year old Nano, but the newest version rocks.  Not only can you download 8GB of music, audiobooks or podcasts, you can shoot and store 8 hours of beautiful video. If that weren't enough--it now has an FM radio that lets you pause it midway, and then return to listen to up to 15 minutes of what you missed.  How is a Nano a gift of health?  It makes solitary exercise fun and great music is motivating.  Not to mention that music can be used as medication--violins instead of Vicodin.  Check out this NPR story.  Click here.  (thanks for the tip, Les) Retail: $149, but they're cheaper at Costco.  Click here and here to learn more.
   
4. Calphalon One Infused Anodized 7-Quart Sauteuse with Lid - This is one of the best gifts I-never-knew-how-much-I-needed-it-until-I-got-it!  It's a beautiful 7 quart, 15" wide, 3" deep lidded pan that you can use on the stovetop, in the oven, or under the broiler.  It's perfect for dinner-sized stir-fries, sauteing vegetables, making any one pot veggie concoction, and it works for just about any dinner recipe I'm making.  My husband just made the best potato latkes, ever, in this pan. It's large enough to hold all the ingredients without spilling over the sides! And it's safe with metal utensils, too.  Cost is about $99.  Click here for more info.
5. Hot-Air Popcorn Popper - This is so 70's, but I recently bought one for $20 (with a coupon) at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.  It has completely satisfied our need for a salty crunchy evening snack.  Thanks go to my husband, who has perfected a "genius" method of adding flavor to this fat-free snack.  Here's the deal: Use a giant bowl with a lid, and as the popcorn starts filling the bowl, spray it with about 4 or 5 sprays of olive or canola oil.  When finished give a few good shakes of popcorn salt--which is super-fine & sticks to the popcorn.  Cover the bowl, and give it a good shake.  You eliminate all the chemicals found in microwave popcorn--and it's done in 1/2 the time.  We pop 1/2 cup of kernels at a time--but I'm thinking that 1/4 cup would probably work better if your bowl isn't gigundo!  Click here for more info.
6. Phillips Sonicare Flexcare 2 Handle Toothbrush All-in-one Sanitizing Charging and Storing Unit - OK, I admit it, who wants to get a toothbrush for a gift?  But, once you use this toothbrush, you'll understand its value in keeping your teeth--and more importantly--your gums in tip-top shape.  There is no way can you manually brush your teeth as well or as long as the oscillating Sonicare can.  Set it to Max mode, and it goes for 3 very long minutes.  The best part: it comes with a built-in ultra-violet light sanitizer that kills up to 99% of E. Coli & streptococcus Mutans, not to mention assorted cold viruses.  If you store your toothbrush in the bathroom--and your toilet lid is up--a closed sanitizer is a plus! It also includes a handy travel charger & case--perfect for when you leave town.  Geeky, yes!  But it's healthy.  I'm getting all A's on my dental report card since using the Sonicare.  Cost is about $140 with a Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupon.  Click here for more info.
7. Olive Tap Flavored Vinegars - This Chicago-based company makes fabulous specialty flavored olive oils and vinegars.  Since I try hard to cut back on oil, I'm recommending their vinegars.  I discovered this company at my hospital's weekly Farmer's Market.  Their booth seems to have the longest line.  What do you do with flavored vinegars?  They are fantastic on salads, pasta, or vegetable dishes with their deep & rich taste.  They are thick and not acidy tasting.  A sample of their 22 flavors: Sicilian Lemon Balsamic, Tangerine Balsamic, Cinnamon Pear Balsamic.   Add a dash of one of their flavored olive oils, too.  Cost: $14.50 a bottle.  click here for all 22 specialty vinegars.
8. Gourmet Cocoa Powders for Hot Chocolate - Cocoa is loaded with healthy flavanoids that will lower inflammation, blood pressure, and improve arterial function--with the added plus that it's fat-free. My all-time favorites are: Scharffen Berger Natural Cocoa Powder (click here) and Ghiradelli Chocolate All Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Click here)  Both cocoas are made without alkaki--meaning they are non-dutched--which is a good thing--because it preserves the phytochemicals.  Hot Chocolate is great evening snack, and if you don't want cow's milk, make it with soy, hazelnut, or almond milk.  Cost: $5.95-$9.95
   
9. Games for your brain, and for belly laughs.  Bananagrams.  I learned about this game from my daughter-in-law who's a word game maven.  This one won the TOTY 2009 Best Game award.  It's a fast and fun word game, that will get you thinking in new ways--and it exercises your brain.  It's actually recommended for use as a brain workout. Kids love it.  Adults love it.  As far as I'm concerned, it beats Scrabble hands down. Cost: about $15.00   Click here to learn more.  Last Word.  This is a fast fun easy-to-learn game, that works as well for 2 players as it does for 8.  I've played it with just my husband.  I've played it with a group--and we had a blast!  It's a word game that's not intimidating--or will make anyone feel left out.  Anyone can win--because when the random timer goes off--whoever said the "Last Word" wins.  Even the usual non-game players in my family enjoyed this one.  Cost:  about $20.00. Click here to learn more.
10. My Favorite Vegan/Vegetarian Cookbooks

• The Conscious Cook:  Delicious MEATLESS recipes that will CHANGE the WAY you EAT. by Tal Ronnen. So far everything I've made from this cookbook has been delicious.  But, definitely cut the fat in half! "The Conscious Cook shows readers that avoiding the health risks and ethical dilemmas of eating meat and dairy does not mean sacrificing taste and appetite. This is not a cookbook of sprouts and tofu burgers, but of mouth-watering, hearty meals that keep the protein at the center of your plate."  Read my review here.

• Clean Food:  A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source.  With more than 200 recipes for a healthy and sustainable you. by Terry Walters.  From NPR's Top 10 Cookbooks for 2009:  "Recent years have seen more and more vegan cookbooks hitting the mainstream, and this one bristles with crossover charisma. Sure, there are a few ingredients your average omnivore will never buy — the ume plum vinegar, the agar powder, to name two — but in a year when there was no other significant vegetable book, Clean Food excels: You could call it a graduate course in meatlessness."   Arranged by season, focusing on what's available seasonally--This winter I'm ready to try Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Soup and Goodness Soup--a pumped-up version of mushroom barley soup with hulled barley, lentils & beans. Lots of new-to-me background information on the healthiest of ingredients, and the best ways to cook beans and grains.  Walters explains why grains can be difficult to digest--and how to fix that problem by soaking them and cooking them with a little kombu--a sea vegetable.
  

• Raw: the UNcook Book.  New Vegetarian Food for Life.  I recently received this book as a gift and it's unlike any cookbook I have--of course--it's raw!  Juliano has a famous San Francisco restaurant--and having recently sampled some raw dishes, I'm ready to give it a whirl.  It's definitely going to be a cooking adventure.  Juliano is a big fan of sprouting seeds for their superior nutritional value (and after writing about broccoli sprouts--I'm ready to give it a try),  and dehydrating food.  Not to worry--a low oven (150 degrees) can substitute for a dehydrator. Those who have tried his recipes are raving.  Read more here.

• Any Jeanne Lemlin cookbook.  Lemlin's books are my go-to source for never-fail-always-delicious soups, salads, and main dishes.  They're vegetarian, so if you are eating vegan, just substitute ingredients.  My favorites are: Simple Vegetarian Pleasures.  Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.  Vegetarian Classics.  They are all still in print.  Click here to read more

   11.  Slow-cooker/crockpot - This is my new favorite appliance for healthy food prep. It's fantastic for making overnight rib-sticking-healthy steel cut oatmeal.   Mix up the ingredients before you go to sleep, and wake up to a kitchen filled with the cinnamon nutmeg scent of delicious oatmeal.  You can make enough for 2-6 servings, and refrigerate the rest for easy-peasy-just-take-it-to-work-and-heat-it-up-oatmeal.  And don't forget that crockpots make it so easy to cook your own beans, soups, and chilis. No more worries about BPA-lined cans.  Cost: About $15.00 for a 3 quart cooker.  Click here for my recipe for overnight fruited steel-cut oatmeal.  Click here for the BPA in cans report.

  12. A book or CD about meditation - I asked my husband what he would add to the list and he said, "Definitely a book or CD to learn meditation."  Want something easy, straightforward, and non-sectarian?  Try The 8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind--Change Your Life.  by Victor Davich.  for info on the book or guided meditation CD click here.

I know you all have some great suggestions to add to the list.  Please let me know what would be on your favorite healthy gift list!

The Instinct Diet Helps Us Combat Our Hard-Wired Food Cravings - And Satisfy Our Cravings for Something Spicy, Salty, Crunchy, & Chocolate

"How do you counter a hunger attack?  You can walk into the nearest deli and buy an 800-calorie brownie--or you can plan ahead and carry a high fiber Snack Attack Pack with you at all times.  Because these 'snacks' slow digestion, they should help our craving disappear over time.  I favor rich, full flavors and chewy textures, all kinds of spices and herbs--delicious and satisfying flavors without too many calories."

-Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and psychiatry at Tufts University-

I stopped by my local library to return books on Wednesday and as always, I checked out the New Book Shelf. 

Honestly, I almost always bypass diet books.  And at first glance, The Instinct Diet, sounded like just one more goofball diet book, but I took a look and quickly changed my mind.  Susan Roberts, the author knows her subject, and this book is the whole package--brain & body.  Remember--she's a professor of nutrition & psychiatry.

Her book is the perfect companion to Dr. David Kessler's The End of Overeating, because it provides you with tools to end overeating.  Remember, I blogged about his book back in May?   Dr. David Kessler, Former FDA Commissioner's New Book: The End of Overeating - Why A Chocolate Chip Cookie Has So Much Power Over Us - Fat, Sugar, Salt, & the Brain.

Roberts' book addresses all our instincts:  our cravings for calorie-dense fat and sugar foods--our food-trigger comfort foods--our need for never-ending food variety--all of which adds up to overeating.

"Satisfying our hardwired instincts has been critical to our survival for as long as we have been human. That's why we eat when food is available, choose the most calorie-dense foods, and hate the feeling of hunger. Today, these same drives are leading millions down the path of obesity. But Dr. Susan B. Roberts, an internationally recognized nutrition researcher at Tufts University, shows how to turn our food instincts into an engine for permanent, healthy weight loss.

The Instinct Diet—the "I" diet—is a pleasure to follow: a diet based on impeccable research, a diet where the dieter never goes hungry, a diet that's unequivocally healthy, thoroughly grounded in the metabolic, genetic, and psychological workings of the human body. Essentially, it shows how you can control the controls."   --the Amazon book description--

Here's why I took the book out.  Since I've been a kid my favorite comfort foods have been barbecue potato chips and anything chocolate--preferably with crunch.  In elementary school, I used to stop by Coventry Drug everyday to buy a Nestle's Crunch Bar.

This year I gave up sugar.  And I keep chips and snacks out of the house.  But...when I saw Dr. Robert's recipes for the Instinct Diet Cereal Desserts and Snack Attack Packs, I just had to give them a try.  Sometimes I just want a little snack that's not fruit or nuts.

Here's the Principle When It Comes To Snacks:

1. You keep the junk food out of the house.  Yeh, we already knew this.

2. You allow yourself only two healthy snacks a day.  This is the brilliant part of Robert's plan.  You've got a specific limit here.  And it's not just the usual fruit, veggies or cheese sticks.

I tried 2 of her snacks (the Chocolate Cereal Dessert & the Salty Snack Attack Pack) & I was happily surprised at how satisfying they were.  Not that I'm going to regularly start indulging--and not that I need any more fiber in my diet--but give these a try and let me know what you think.

It's possible that my tastebuds are so changed (or deranged) these days that I'm deluding myself into think that these snacks are delicious.

Chocolate Cereal Dessert--My Nestle's Crunch--Chocolate-Covered Peanut Substitute

Makes one serving

Because the cereal is coated with chocolate, you'll feel as if you're eating more chocolate than you really are, and it's surprisingly delicious!

1/3 cup high-fiber cereal  (Fiber One or All-Bran Extra Fiber)  purists note:  there's a titch of the dread aspartame in this, and other unnecessary ingredients.   Advice about a non-additive high-fiber cereal would be appreciated!

1 square (about 10 grams) good bittersweet chocolate such as Lindt Excellence Intense Dark or Ghiradelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie 86% cacao  (use a scale to measure this!!)

1/3 cup nonfat milk.  Since I avoid dairy, I substituted Pacific Hazelnut Milk.  Or use soy or almond milks.

2 drops mint extract (optional)  I opted out.

Put the cereal in a small microwave-safe bowl with the chocolate on top.
Microwave on high on high power until the chocolate is melted but not bubbling.  20-40 seconds
Mix the cereal and chocolate together well with a fork until all of the cereal is nicely coated.
Wait a minute or two for it to cool, then add the milk and mint extract, if desired.

**I have a 20 year old 500 watt microwave.  By the time I got the chocolate to melt, the cereal had burned.  So...I tried it again.  I first melted my chocolate, and then added the cereal and mixed it all up.  Just a warning!

Calories:  106; Protein:  4.7 grams;  Total Fat:  3.0 grams;  Saturated Fat:  1.2 grams;  Fiber:  9.9 grams

**Update:  A reader (thank you J.K.) came to the rescue with a suggestion for a healthier, non-aspartame fiber cereal.

Read All About It

Salty Snack Attack Pack--My Barbecue Potato Chip Substitute

Makes one serving

1/4 cup high-fiber cereal (Fiber One or All-Bran Extra Fiber)  Purists note:  there's a titch of the dread aspartame in this, and other unnecessary ingredients.   Advice about a non-additive high-fiber cereal would be appreciated!

2 TBS dry-roasted lightly salted peanuts  (check labels to be sure there's nothing else added)

Seasoning Powder, such as nacho, Cajun or barbeque flavor (Roberts recommends Spices, Etc. for interesting blends)

Put the cereal and peanuts in a plastic bag.  Add the seasoning powder, mix everything together, and you have a snack to go.)

Calories:  125; Protein:  2.3 grams;  Total Fat:  8.2 grams;  Saturated Fat:  2.3 grams;  Fiber:  8.1 grams

Trail Mix Snack Attack Pack

Makes one serving

1/4 cup high-fiber cereal (Fiber One or All-Bran Extra Fiber)  Purists note:  there's a titch of the dread aspartame in this, and other unnecessary ingredients.   Advice about a non-additive high-fiber cereal would be appreciated!

1 TBS raisins

2 tsp. sunflower seeds

2 pecan halves, chopped

Put everything in a bag and they're ready to go.

Calories:  125;   Protein: 2.7 grams;   Total Fat:  8.2 grams;  Saturated Fat:  2.1 grams;  Fiber:  8.1 grams.

Sweet Snack Attack Pack--My Nestle's Crunch/Chocolate-Covered Peanut Substitute

Makes one serving

1/4 cup high-fiber cereal (Fiber One or All-Bran Extra Fiber)  Purists note:  there's a titch of the dread aspartame in this, and other unnecessary ingredients.   Advice about a non-additive high-fiber cereal would be appreciated!

1 square (about 10 grams) good bittersweet chocolate such as Lindt Excellence Intense Dark or Ghiradelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie 86% cacao  (use a scale to measure this!!)

4 pecan halves, chopped

Put the cereal in a small microwave-safe bowl with the chocolate on top.
Microwave on high wave on high power until the chocolate is melted but not bubbling.  20-40 seconds
Mix the cereal and chocolate together well with a fork until all of the cereal is nicely coated.
Let cool completely, mix in the pecans and put this sweet snack in a bag to take with you next time you go out.

**I have a 20 year old 500 watt microwave.  By the time I got the chocolate to melt, the cereal had burned.  So..I first melted my chocolate, and then added the cereal and mixed it all up.  Just a warning!

Calories:  125; Protein:  2.7 grams; Total Fat:  8.2 grams;  Sat. Fat:  2.1 grams; Fiber:  8.1 grams

The Five Food Instincts

1.  Hunger.  Confront hunger head on, every day!  Make sure every meal and every snack makes you feel satisfied and cuts hunger with one or more of the following compositions:

• High fiber
• High protein/low carb
• High volume
• Mixed high- and low-Glycemic Index foods

2.  Availability.  No excuses here!  You can take charge of your food environment, and you can make changes to reduce temptation, overeating and even hunger.

• Keep your kitchen stocked with ready-to-eat, healthy, satisfying foods.  Throw out the junk.
• Keep eating out to a minimum.  (The Healthy Librarian agrees!)
• "Spring-Clean" your mind.  Control sight and smells to keep temptations at bay.

3.  Calorie Density.  You love food in general and rich treats in particular.  These simple tricks can help you keep pleasure up and calories down.

• Use the "sandwich" technique with moderate portions of high-calorie foods in the middle of a meal, low-calorie foods high in fiber and protein at the beginning and end.
• Make low-calorie foods more appetizing.  Add a little fat or strong flavoring to make them taste better.  Keep some indulgences, but cut calories and add fiber to make them healthier.

4.  Familiarity.  Let's hear it for routines and rituals.  With a little direction, this instinct can be turned around to to help you create healthy food preferences.  (Healthy Librarian: This works.  My tastes have really changed.  I'm done with chicken, burgers, dairy, ribs & fries)

• Eat at regular times so your body will learn not to expect food at other times.  This will increase your enjoyment and reduce temptation.
• Learn to get greater enjoyment from healthy, satisfying foods by eating them when you're hungry!
• Reduce cravings by carefully following a food plan and using proactive craving stoppers.

5.  Variety.  By influencing what you eat without being aware of it, this instinct can help or hinder weight control, depending on what you put in your kitchen and on your plate.

• Keep a low variety of variety of unhealthy foods.  This reduces how many calories you eat.
• Keep a high variety of healthy foods.  This good variety reduces calories and increases satisfaction.
• Use the 50% Variety Rule (make sure at least 50% of foods in each meal and snack are low in calories and high in fiber or protein)

The Instinct Diet is definitely not a light-weight.  It has proven tips and tricks to keep us satisfied & to help us manage our cravings. 

• There are many vegetarian and vegan recipe options
• Added fat, when used, is kept low
• The ingredients are fresh "real" food.  Roberts encourages a move to no-additive eating.
• Roberts includes an extensive bibliography of scientific articles to back up her techniques
• Even if you are following a low-fat vegan diet, you will definitely pick up a few eating strategies and techniques that will help you work with your food instincts and keep you on "the straight & narrow".

Bittman's 101 Simple Salads. One Sentence Recipes for Enjoying the Summer's Vegetable & Fruit Bounty

                                                               Francesco Tonelli for the New York Times 

Click here if you don't see the video

Thank you once again, Mark Bittman--Minimalist Cook Extraordinaire! 

You make it sound so simple.

Here it is folks, The Minimalist's 101 Simple Salads for the Season.  Something for everyone.  Vegan.  Vegetarian.  Salads with Seafood.  Salads with Meat.  Salads with Noodles.  Grain Salads.

A one sentence recipe?  How simple is that?

I can hardly wait to get started.

Here's What Mark Has To Say About Summer Salads

"SUMMER may not be the best time to cook, but it’s certainly among the best times to eat. Toss watermelon and peaches with some ingredients you have lying around already, and you can produce a salad that’s delicious, unusual, fast and perfectly seasonal.

That’s the idea behind the 101 ideas found in this section. In theory, each salad takes 20 minutes or less. Honestly, some may take you a little longer. But most minimize work at the stove and capitalize on the season, when tomatoes, eggplant, herbs, fruit, greens and more are plentiful and excellent.

This last point is important. Not everything needs to be farmers’ market quality, but it’s not too much to expect ripe fruit, fragrant herbs and juicy greens.

Salt, to taste, is a given in all of these recipes. Pepper, too (if I want you to use a lot of pepper, I say so).

Herein, then, are enough salad ideas to tide you over until the weather cools down."

Here are just a few that I can't wait to try:

1. Cube watermelon and combine with tomato chunks, basil and basic vinaigrette. You can substitute peach for the watermelon or the tomato (but not both, O.K.?). You can also add bacon or feta, but there goes the vegan-ness.

9. Chop or slice jicama (or radishes or kohlrabi) and mango and mix with coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder and cilantro or mint.

10. Cook whole grape tomatoes in olive oil over high heat until they brown lightly, sprinkling with curry powder. Cool a bit, then toss with chopped arugula, loads of chopped mint and lime juice.

18. Roughly chop cooked or canned chickpeas (you can pulse them, carefully, in a food processor) and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, lots of chopped fresh parsley and mint, and a few chopped tomatoes. Call this chickpea tabbouleh.

20. Shred Napa cabbage and radishes. The dressing is roasted peanuts, lime juice, peanut or other oil, cilantro and fresh or dried chili, all whizzed in a blender. Deliciousness belies ease.

27. Cook whole, unpeeled eggplant in a dry, hot skillet or on a grill, turning occasionally, until completely collapsed and soft. Chop and toss with toasted pita, toasted pine nuts, cooked white beans and halved cherry tomatoes. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice and lots of black pepper. Or a (non-vegan) yogurt dressing is good, especially one laced with tahini.

99. Toss cooked quinoa with fresh sliced apricots, cherries, pecans, and enough lemon and black pepper to make the whole thing savory.

Note:  I like Mark's blender salad dressing suggestions, but I'll be cutting way down on the oil, upping the vinegar or adding lemon, lime or orange juice to make up for the liquid.  Dr. Joel Fuhrman advises subbing 2 tbs. of nut butter or tahini for the oil. Usually just a tablespoon of dressing is more than enough.

Be sure to click on the actual article & don't miss all the salad dressing recipes in the sidebar!

Check Out the 120 More "Share Your Salads" Recipes Submitted by NYT 's Readers to Mark's Bitten Blog

One's more interesting than the next!

Enjoy!

Thanks To My New Vegan Artisan Favorite - Field Roast Italian Sausages - Rice Salad With Grilled Italian Sausage, Peppers, And Onions Is Back On My Menu

 

Brown Rice Salad With Field Roast Italian Sausage, Peppers, & Onions

Thank you thank you Molly Jade for tipping me off to The Original Field Roast Grain Meat Vegetarian Sausages!!!  My quick & easy vegan recipe repertoire has just mushroomed!  If you're looking for zero fat or gluten-free--sorry, look elsewhere--but there's just 1g sat fat & 0 trans fat and the oil they use is expeller pressed.  Sorry, my low-fat fans!

Never in a million years would I have found these "real food" delectable gourmet sausages--they're hidden away in the freezer case at Whole Foods.  How is anyone supposed to know they exist?  Just ask at customer service.

• Real food-quality ingredients
• Artisan-made in small batches in Seattle, Washington since 1997.
• 4 to a package--peel casing before cooking
• About $1/a sausage
• I had a non-vegetarian friend taste-test this for me and she gave it a big thumbs up!

The Field Roast Grain Meat Story

Best New Faux-Meat Product

Field Roast Sausages  click here for the company's web site

Long ago, Field Roast founder Chef David Lee was looking for a meat substitute to use in a teriyaki wrap. He experimented with a concentrated wheat protein food called seitan (wheat gluten), whose origins date back to seventh-century China and borrowed from European cuisine, mixing the seitan with wine, mustard, garlic, herbs, vegetables, and legumes. The result formed the base for what would become an entire line of Field Roast meatless meats—now available nationwide—ranging from a variety of amazingly authentic-tasting sausages to various roasts (also available as deli slices) to veggie burgers. Field Roast has become one of the main players in meeting America's growing hunger for healthy, humane, and delicious vegetarian foods—even many nonvegetarians agree that Chef Lee's delicious meatless sausages have the "real" thing beat by a mile!

Italian sausage with eggplant, fennel, fresh garlic & red pepper: vital wheat gluten (seitan), filtered water, expeller pressed safflower oil, red wine, eggplant, onions, naturally flavored yeast extract, garlic, barley malt, dried red bell pepper, fennel seed, granulated garlic, spices, and sea salt.

Mexican Chipotle sausage-very hot & spicy with smoked chipotle and chili de arbol peppers:  use as chorizo in vegan or vegetarian omelettes or frittatas, or to spice up veggie chili or black bean soup--vital wheat gluten (seitan), filtered water, expeller pressed safflower oil, onions, garlic, apple cider vinegar, naturally flavored yeast extract, chipotle peppers, onion powder, granulated garlic, brown sugar, spices, sea salt, barley malt, black pepper, chili de arbol peppers, cumin seed, paprika oleoresin and oregano.  Check this out.

Smoked Apple Sage sausage with Yukon gold potatoes, apples and rubbed sage: filtered water, vital wheat gluten (seitan), expeller pressed safflower oil, non-sulphered dried apples, yukon gold potatoes, naturally flavored yeast extract, onion powder, barley malt, garlic, natural hickory smoke flavor with torula yeast, sea salt, spices and rubbed sage.

My Family's Favorite Summer Dinner on the Grill--Sausage Pepper Onion Rice Salad

After a fantastic 4 day NYC visit with my 5 week old grandson, #1 son,  #1-daughter-in-law, and #2 son from DC--I was already planning our Sunday dinner as my husband & I drove home on Sunday.

We weren't going to get home until 8:00 pm, but I had all the ingredients in the fridge for this rice salad and I knew I could whip it up within 30 minutes.  Really.  I've been making this dish for years & I know all the short cuts. I figured my sausage-pepper salad was history now that I've "mostly" sworn off meat.  But it's back with a vengeance now that I've discovered Field Roast!  Woo-Hoo!

Brown Rice Salad With Field Roast Italian Sausage, Peppers, & Onions
(for recipe on 1 page click here)

4-4.5 cups of cooked brown rice  (In a hurry, I use 2 packages of Trader Joe's frozen microwavable brown rice)

4 Field Roast Italian Sausages, grilled - casings removed  (I did a light cooking oil spray before grilling--these grill beautifully)  Cut into 1/2 inch slices after grilling

2 Grilled Peppers (1 red, 1 green)  chop into 1/2 inch dice after grilling

4-6 grilled sweet onion slices, chop into 1/2 inch dice after grilling

1/3 cup good olive oil (I cut this down from 1/2 cup & think you could easily cut it down more.  Experimenters welcomed!)

3-4 TBS fresh lemon juice (speed it up with Real Lemon frozen lemon juice, thawed, or Santa Cruz Organic 100% Lemon Juice, not from concentrate)

3 TBS. fresh minced parsley  (I often omit because I don't have it)

1/4 cup (or more) fresh shredded basil leaves

1 tsp. kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Garnishes:  sliced radishes, oil-cured olives, fresh basil leaves  (I never bother)

1. Microwave the frozen rice--or cook the real thing--making enough for 4 to 4.5 cups.
2. Transfer rice to a large bowl and mix in cut up sausage, peppers, onions, basil, and parsley.
3.  In a small bowl whisk up the oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
4.  Mix dressing into rice/pepper/sausage mixture and adjust seasonings.
5.  Serve at room temperature or chilled. 
6.  Hope you have left-overs.  It makes a wonderful lunch.
7.  Serves 4-6

Good News for Vegetarian Grillers

HCAs, a family of mutagenic and cancer-causing compounds, are produced during the grilling of many animal products, including chicken, beef, pork, and fish. In January of 2005, the federal government officially added HCAs to its list of known carcinogens.

Plant-Based Foods Yield Negligible HCAs
Since creatine, one of the ingredients for the formation of HCAs, is mostly found in muscle tissue, it is not surprising that grilled veggie burgers and other vegetarian foods contain either no HCAs or negligible levels.

Choosing plant-based foods instead of meat also lowers cancer risk in other ways. Not only are vegetables low in fat and high in fiber, they also contain many cancer-fighting substances.

Safe alternatives, which produce undetectable levels of HCAs when grilled:

•Soy-based veggie burgers

• Veggie brochettes

• Portobello mushroom "steaks"

• Pineapple

• Veggie kabobs -- marinated cherry tomatoes, onion and peppers on skewers

Source: The Cancer Project

No More Vegan or Vegetarian Barbecue Blues - I've Finally Found the Perfect Barbecue Chicken & Smoky Hamburger Fix!

OK, I admit it!  Now that summer is here--I miss my barbecued chicken and hamburgers.  They're easy, fast, and just plain taste great.  No, I'm not missing the meat--I'm just missing real outdoor barbecue flavor.  And I'm not ashamed to admit it!

Somehow grilled veggies and vegetable kabobs don't quite fill the bill in the summer-time!

Last week I finally found the fix for my vegetarian BBQ Blues!  First I experimented with barbecued chicken sandwiches made in a flash.  And then I discovered Smoky Portobello Sliders, better-than-real-burgers-with-grilled-onions, in the July/August issue of Vegetarian Times.  Not as quick--but worth it.

The Healthy Librarian's Five-Minute Barbecued Chicken Sandwich

1 package of Trader Joe's Chicken-Less Strips.  Find them in TJ's refrigerated case.  Substitute a package of frozen Morning Star Farms Meal-Starters "Chicken", if you aren't near a Trader Joe's.  I no longer have the box they came in, so I can't fess up to exactly what's in them--but as far as "fake food" goes, they are mostly "real" ingredients, and the taste & texture would fool most chicken-lovers. I'm not a big fan of fake meat substitutes--but for summer BBQ--I'm changing my tune.

1/2 cup more of less of your favorite pre-made barbecue sauce.  My new favorite is Trader Joe's Bold & Smoky Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce.

4 whole wheat mini-buns.  Once more, my new favorite is to use Trader Joe's whole wheat dinner rolls, instead of the buns.  Less bun, less calories!

1. Oil or spray a grill topper & heat it up on your grill.  For easy veggie grilling just go out & get a grill topper.

"With a vegetable grill topper, the size of the vegetables doesn't become a limiting factor and you don't have to worry about slices falling through the grate," recommends master vegetarian griller, Andrea Chesman.

Recommended topper:  The Danesco Stainless Steel Topper ($19.99; target.com)

2. Quickly grill the chicken strips until slightly browned. Don't let them dry out.  Then brush with sauce.  Continue grilling for a few minutes until the sauce caramelizes & the strips are nicely glazed. You could do the "saucing" in a fry pan, if you wanted, but it does need the initial grilling for the right smoky taste.

3. Toast whole wheat buns on the grill. 

4. Add some extra sauce, coleslaw, avocado slices, or whatever you like on barbecue chicken sandwiches.

One package of TJs Chicken-Less Strips serves 3.   (nutritional info on the strips:  9 strips, 1.5 g fat; 0 sat fat; 0 cholesterol; 330 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 20 g protein) 

For the future: I plan to experiment with Trader Joe's Beef-less strips on the grill for both barbecue beef, ribs, & teriyaki flank steak substitutes--especially as salad-toppers.  Chicken & beef for grilled fajitas, too.

Vegetarian Times Smoky Baby Portobello Sliders

 

This one takes a little more time and I've made them as mini-sliders with baby portobellos, and as full burgers with regular portobellos.  The sliders take a little more fussing, but they're fun to eat--definitely company fare.  No exaggeration--these burgers are fantastic--sweet & spicy & smoky & juicy & darn right sophisticated!  It's hard to believe, but they're even better as leftovers--which I would never say about a hamburger.

Note:  the grilled onions can be made up to 2 days ahead, and once you've made the Classic BBQ Rub, it's ready to go for the next time you make burgers.

8 nice sized baby portobello mushrooms, stems removed.  Or 4 regular-sized portobellos, stems removed  Note: I could only find smallish baby ports, & needed to grill more, using 2 per slider.  Or just take the easy route & use 4 regular-sized portobello mushrooms, stems removed.  Full-sized portobellos=Full-sized buns.

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided.

2 Tbs. Classic BBQ Rub (see below for the recipe)

1 large Vidalia, Spanish or other sweet onion thinly sliced.

1 tsp. herbes de Provence

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I like Trader Joe's Bold & Smoky Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce)

2 oz. (3/4 cup) shredded smoked Gouda (Trader Joe's has a low-fat version--or substitute Vegan casein-free Follow Your Heart cheddar or Monterey jack cheese)

8 Trader Joe's whole wheat dinner rolls (or mini-challah rolls) if making sliders, or 4 regular whole wheat buns if using full-sized portobellos.

1.  Mix 1 Tbs. olive oil with 2 Tbs. Classic BBQ Rub & rub it on the portobellos. Set aside.

2.  Heat remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and herbes de Provence, and cook 30 minutes, or until golden, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3.  Heat grill or grill topper over medium-high heat.  Rub grill topper with oil, or spray well.  Place mushroom stem side down on grill.  Brush mushroom tops with barbecue sauce, and grill 3 or 4 minutes until soft & charred around the edges.  (Larger mushrooms may take longer) Flip, and grill 3 minutes more.  Divide cheese among the mushrooms, placing in center of each stem side.  Grill 1 minute more, or until cheese is melted.

4.  Meanwhile, warm buns on the grill.

5.  Spread barbecue sauce on bottom buns, then top each with 1 mushroom, sauteed onions, and top bun.

6.  Wrap leftovers in foil, refrigerate & enjoy the next day.

Serves 4.  2 sliders per serving with baby portobellos, 1 regular sandwich per serving with full-sized mushrooms.

Vegetarian Times Classic BBQ Rub

"This basic spice blend can be added to marinades or sprinkled directly on grilled vegetables.  The recipe makes enough for a number of Smoky Portobello Sliders.  Store in an airtight container to use throughout the summer."  VT

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup smoked (or sweet) paprika--or go 1/2 & 1/2

3 Tbs. ground black pepper

3 Tbs. kosher or coarse sea salt

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in small airtight container.  Mix well to blend.  Store in the refrigerator.

My Big Barbecue Brat Disappointment

 

Kathy over at the The Lunch Box Bunch blog  raved about Tofurky's Vegan Beer Brats.  "They are higher in calories,  but very tasty and a nice plump size. Uses real microbrewed Full Sail Ale in the flavoring. Grill approved. 260 calories, 13 g fat, 27 g protein."  The microbrewed beer is what suckered me in.

I couldn't resist Kathy's delicious photos.  Too bad the brats were such a disappointment. This was supposed to be a real treat for my husband on Father's Day.  We both really really wanted to like them. Didn't happen.

Flat bland taste, an unappealing fake mealy texture, with a bit of a nutmeg in the flavor--not the kind of taste I was hoping for in a brat.  Looks good, tastes--not-so-good.  Actually, I did enjoy the left-over brats cut up on a salad the next day for lunch.  Go figure.

Anybody else care to share their vegetarian barbecue winners?  I'd love to increase my BBQ repertoire.

I want to try these "new to me" Field Roast Vegan Sausages made in Seattle--Mexican Chipotle, Italian & Apple Sage.  Has anyone else tried them?

Fast Food for a Healthy & Delicious Plant-Based Diet. Ginger Teriyaki Tempeh, Barbequed Seitan, Larabars, Whole Foods Vegan Lentil Dal Burgers & McDougall Instant Breakfast Cups

Super-Fast Barbequed "Chicken" Seitan Salad

If there's one down-side to eating healthy and plant-based, it's that YOU have to do a lot of your own cooking.

No more picking up a rotisserie chicken, cold cuts, or pizza on your way home from work. 

But I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for putting together some super-quick meals that taste great with minimal muss & fuss.  All the ingredients are "real food", minimally processed without crazy chemicals or additives.


My Super-Fast Barbequed Seitan Salad

Ingredients:

1 package of Westsoy Chicken Style Seitan (note: high in protein)

 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, or teriyaki, hoisin or curry sauce of your choice  (use an amount you feel is necessary to coat the pieces)

 Mixed mesclun greens

 Left-over roasted vegetables, like cauliflower or butternut squash  (click here & here for instructions)

 Fresh vegetables of your choice: like cherry tomatoes, red pepper strips, carrots

 Salad dressing of your choice.  I'm a big fan of Wild Thymes Salad Refreshers, like Meyer Lemon

Directions:

1.  Spray a non-stick pan and quickly brown the drained seitan pieces.  You may need to cut or shred up some of the pieces to make them bite-sized.
2.  Coat the pieces with some barbeque sauce or teriyaki & continue to saute until they are nicely browned.  This will only take about 5 minutes.
3.  Assemble your salad, top with a little dressing, & pile on your barbequed seitan.  If taking this to work, pack the seitan, greens & veggies, & dressing separately, & mix them up when you're ready to eat.

I've prepared this whole salad before work to take for lunch--it's that easy to prepare.
The seitan makes up 1 lb. 2 oz. of barbequed "chicken", so it's enough for 4 salads.

**If you're new to seitan--it's a delicious great textured meat-like substitute that will pick up whatever flavor you coat it with.  It's low fat, high protein, but not gluten-free.

My Favorite Pick-up Burger from the Deli Counter

Whole Foods Vegan Lentil Dal Burger

I love these Vegan Lentil Dal Burgers from Whole Foods' prepared deli counter.  I buy them 4-6 at a time--wrap them up individually & stick them in the freezer.  Whenever I don't know what to take for lunch, or I want a quick dinner--I just pull one out.

Cost:  about $2 each.  Each one is about 1/4 lb. & the burgers cost $7.99 a pound.  Not cheap--but SO GOOD!

Great on a bun, or just plain.

TIP:  These are best heated up in the toaster oven until they are crisp.  I don't recommend microwaving.   But I do eat them cold when I take them to work.

I've looked in vain for the recipe, but it's a big secret.  One day I'm going to experiment & figure it out.

UPDATE 9/20/09:  I figured out the recipe and posted it here:  Whole Foods "Like" Lentil Dal Burger Recipe
 
Here's what's in them:

Lentils, potato, onions, chickpea flour, eggplant, peas, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapeno peppers, ginger, garlic, curry, salt, cumin, black pepper, chutney, canola oil (alas, these aren't fat-free)

I LOVE to top them with a spicy chipotle sauce.

**Another good Whole Foods Prepared Deli Burger:  Four Grain & Tofu Burger.   $6.29/lb.  Contains:  tofu, brown rice, wild rice, kamut, wheatberries, sunflower seeds, toasted oats, ginger, garlic, carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, thyme, basil, chipotle powder, ancho chili powder, salt, brewing starter, white pepper, toasted sesame seed oil, & green onion.

Ginger-Teriyaki Tempeh Soba Noodles with Asian Vegetables & Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1  8 oz. package of Eden Selected 100% Whole Buckwheat Soba noodles  (be sure to get the 100% variety--it's tastier, healthier & gluten free)

1 package Lightlife tempehtations.  Ginger Teriyaki flavored.  (or make your own if you have time--for less cost--with plain tempeh & teriyaki sauce)  Lightlife also has other flavor varieties.

1 lb. package of frozen Asian vegetables, I like Trader Joe's variety, but any will do.

Enough jarred or homemade peanut sauce (or hoisin, teriyaki, or curry or whatever) to coat the mixture.  Look for something natural, without added oils. 

Or make your own:

Engine 2 Peanut Dressing

4 tbs. chunky peanut butter
2 tbs. cider vinegar (I prefer rice vinegar)
1 tbs. hot water (more if needed)
3 tbs. agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup  (you could use brown sugar)
red pepper flakes, chili powder, cayenne or a jalapeno to taste--if you like spice & heat

Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.

Directions:

1.  Cook the noodles according to package directions.  8 minutes.  Drain, rinse, & have them ready to go
2.  Microwave the vegetables
3.  Spray a large non-stick (skillet or wok & heat to medium high.  Quickly brown the tempeh pieces for 3-4 minutes.
4.  Add the drained noodles & drained vegetables to the pan, along with the sauce of your choice.
5.  Heat up until everything is coated & warm.
 
Dinner is on the table in less than 20 minutes, from start to finish.

Instant Breakfast

I usually take a Green Smoothie to work for my breakfast.  But when I don't feel like making one, I pack my favorite "Instant Breakfast"

Dr. McDougall's Cranberry Muesli Instant Non-Dairy Breakfast Cups

There are about 4 different flavor varieties, but I'm partial to the Cranberry Muesli.  The label says it serves 2, but don't believe it!  Eat the whole cup.  It's 320 calories (don't worry about it! - 10 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber) of whole grains (rolled oats, barley, triticale, spelt), powdered soy drink, almonds, cranberries & organic unbleached cane sugar.

I often bring along 2 tbs. of ground flax meal to add to the cup.

You can microwave or add boiling water.

TIP:  As good as the Dr. McDougall breakfast cups are--they are hard to find.  They aren't at my Whole Foods.  I can find them at one of my local grocery stores, and I used to have my grocery store special order them for me.

**These cups definitely win the "picky-eater award" for good taste.  Really!
They're also great to take with you when you travel.


My Favorite Mid-Morning or Late Afternoon Snack

I love Larabars--and Cashew Cookie is my favorite.  I've been eating them for 2 years, and I've yet to tire of them.  They're vegan, Kosher, and contain only fruit & nuts.

The bars run from 180-210 calories each, & because they contain nuts, they definitely have fat.  I don't get hung up by that at all.  Nuts, in moderation, are so good for us--and I'm sure the reason that these bars are so filling & satisfying is precisely because of the nuts!

When you are starving, and it's not convenient to eat a meal, a Larabar will satisfy you in no time flat.  It's just fruit & nuts ground up into a delicious bar.  The Cashew Cookie is just cashews & dates.  That's it.

My husband didn't believe me when I said they would instantly fill him up & stave off his hunger pangs.  But he tried them & now he keeps a box of them in his office.

I keep some in the car & in my purse--and I always travel with them.

I buy them by the box at Trader Joe's, but if you're willing to eat other varieties (like Cherry Pie & Apple Pie) you can buy them on the super-cheap at Costco in a variety pack.  For a listing & a terrific review of all the flavors, click here.

I'd love to hear your recommendations for fast healthy foods--and I'm sure others would appreciate it, as well.  Any suggestions?  What are some of your favorite quick recipes or products?

 

Martha Rose Shulman - My Favorite Vegetarian "Recipes For Health" - A Dinner With Tips

                                                 Photo: Andrew Scrivani for the NYT

 Recipes for Health:  Spaghetti With Roasted Cauliflower, Tomato Sauce & Olives

I rarely bother with cookbooks anymore--now that I've discovered Martha Rose Shulman's recipes.  You'll only find them online at the New York Times--where she provides a steady supply of winners.  I try one about once a week--and many have become favorites--like this one!
Click here to get started. 

Ms. Shulman has been creating vegetarian recipes for over 30 years and she developed many of the recipes used by Dr. Dean Ornish in his diet & disease reversal books.  I'm a very finicky cook--I want lots of flavor--lots of variety--and I don't want things too complicated.  Martha Rose Shulman is now my Go-To-Gal-For-Gourmet-Vegetarian-Grub.

Thursday Night's Dinner-On The Table In 25 Minutes

Here's my big tip: 

Roast the cauliflower the night before--and roast a whole one, not a half.  It's delicious and not at all like the steamed or microwaved versions, which I'm not too fond of.  This will cut your prep time in half.  And the left-over roasted cauliflower is great on salads or as a side.  Frankly, I think this is the only way I'd eat the stuff--not counting Obama's Kansan Macaroni and Cheese.

What's so good about cauliflower?

It's loaded with compounds like indoles and sulforaphanes, which are potent cancer fighters.  The sulforaphanes were first identified in broccoli sprouts by researchers at Johns Hopkins University--they're super-charged antioxidants and stimulate the body's natural detoxifying enzymes in the liver.


Spaghetti With Roasted Cauliflower, Tomato Sauce & Olives

1/2 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets  (I roast an entire head--and do it the night before)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided  (Yes, I use the oil--I think it improves the roasting)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (I like lots of spice & heat, so I use 1/2 tsp. & it has kick!)

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice (use a tad more if you want more of a "saucy" result--it might be nice to have about 6 extra ounces of tomatoes on hand)

Pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper

12 kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half lengthwise (this is a must-no substitutions)

3/4 pound spaghetti (I use Barilla Plus Angel Hair-4 grams of fiber & tastes great--but 3/4 lbs. is a little too much pasta for the amount of sauce that the recipe makes)

2 ounces either feta (crumbled), ricotta salata, Parmesan, or a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino (grated) (the dish can easily stand alone, without cheese if you want a vegan dish)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Blanch for two minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water. (Don't get put off by the blanching process--it's really not a big deal) Drain and blot dry. Cover the pot; you’ll use the water again for the pasta. Quarter the cauliflower florets, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt generously. Transfer to a baking sheet, place in the oven and roast 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a wide, nonstick frying pan or a 3-quart saucepan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, thyme and salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thick, 15 to 20 minutes. (Add more tomatoes or even a little water if you want a little more liquid--just not too much!) Stir in the cauliflower and the olives, and simmer a few minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Bring the water back to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until the pasta is al dente, usually about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the cauliflower-tomato mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve at once.

Yield: Serves 4

Advance preparation: The recipe can be made through step 2 as far ahead as one day. Keep in the refrigerator overnight, or on the stove for a few hours. I recommend pre-roasting the cauliflower the night before--then you can quickly finish the recipe after work--really!

Note: Cauliflower roasted in this way is delicious as a side dish on its own.

Martha Rose Shulman's Tips for Healthy Cooking

On April 20, 2009 Ms. Shulman answered NYT readers' questions on healthy vegetarian eating and cooking.  Check out the full "consult" here--it's loaded with great info.  Note: Shulman is a vegetarian, not a vegan or a no-fat cook.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Q:  What about reducing oil in recipes?
A:  ...when I approach a recipe that calls for a generous amount of oil, I always ask myself if I can make an authentic-tasting version using a little less fat than the recipe calls for. If a recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of oil, I try to make the dish with 2 tablespoons...

Q:  Your recipes often call for using a non-stick skillet at medium heat.  I thought you were only supposed to use non-stick cookware at low heat.
A:  The weight of the skillet is significant. I use a heavy Anolon non-stick skillet, and do not heat it for a long time with nothing in it. The nonstick surface does not change over medium-high heat and I’ve never had a problem with the surface peeling.

Q: As a vegetarian I'm always falling back on packaged fake-meat products, like crumbles, strips & deli.  I'd like to come up with some new meal alternatives that won't be as processed.  Any suggestions?
A:  The best way to get away from the packaged products is to begin to cook. I believe that fake-meat products are just another form of processed food, and that they are not particularly healthful. The best thing about vegetarian food is the food itself – produce, grains, beans, good dairy products. With Recipes for Health, my goal is to provide you with lots of satisfying and simple ways to prepare these foods.

Q:  I want to cook healthier meals, but I work full-time & go to school and by the time I get home at 10 p.m. I'm way too tired to cook. Help!
A:  More than “quick cooking,” I think the key to easy healthy cooking is stocking your kitchen and pantry with a few food items. If you can get a couple of routines down, it will be easier to slap together a healthy supper when you get home from work at 10 p.m. See: Staples for a Healthy Kitchen Pantry: Tips from NYT's Mark Bittman and the Healthy Librarian.

If you can make a trip to the market once a week and buy salad greens, some vegetables that you like and eggs, you’ll have the fixings for a quick dinner. Wash and dry the salad greens and seal them in a plastic bag so they’re ready to toss; steam or roast enough vegetables for two or three days so that you don’t have to cook them when you get home from work; and make enough salad dressing for the week.

A main dish salad is one of my most frequent fall-backs when I’m pressed for time or it’s late and I’m hungry and tired. You can add many substantial foods to make a salad a meal — canned beans or tuna, boiled eggs, grains and cheese. Steam a pot of rice or other grains, like quinoa or barley; cooked grains will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator, and you can easily heat them in a microwave or throw them into salads.

If there’s a day when you’re home and do have an extra hour, make a pot of beans or a pot of soup that will last the week. Scrambled eggs are my most frequent late-night dinner; a delicious and nutritious meal, especially if you’ve got some vegetables and/or a salad to serve on the side.  Click here for the rest of the article.  Take a look at "It's All About Preparation.  My Smoothie, Soup, Salad, Single Dish Supper Diet"

Who Makes the Best Pasta? New York Magazine Answers the Question
in "The Last Noodle Standing" April 26, 2009

*Thanks to my New York tipster Babs for this info!

Hey, I usually opt for something with whole grain that also tastes good, like Barilla Plus, but according to the experts, Barilla is not a fave!

The Carbo-Contenders

"The results were surprising, to say the least: The 99-cent underdog from Trader Joe’s triumphed, edging out the pricey artisanal competition. Most surprising of all perhaps was the poor showing of the mid-priced Setaro, which is highly touted by just about every top Italian chef in town, present company included. “No flavor at all,” is how Schirripa put it. “Like eating paper.”

Trader Joe's 99 cents a pound Cheapest of the bunch, and best in show. Canora praised it for its “great aroma and nutty, malty flavor” Ladner called it a “great performer.” “Not bad at all,” said Schirripa.	Rustichella $6.50 for 17.6 ounces at Dean & DeLuca Neck and neck with Trader Joe's for texture and sauce-gripping ability, only lost the flavor race by one point. “Pulita!” exclaimed Casella, which means “clean” or something like that in Italian.	Martelli $8 for 17.6 ounces at Marlow and Daughters Ladner liked the texture, not the flavor. Schirripa demurred: “I’d love a big bowl of this with some meatballs and sausage.”	Latini Classica $8 for 17.6 ounces at Dean & DeLuca This acclaimed artisanal brand scored high in the sauce-absorbing department. Ladner, Casella and Schirripa liked the flavor well enough, but Canora said it tasted “cardboardy.”
94	93	83	71
Benedetto Cavalieri $8.79 for 17.6 ounces at Garden of Eden Good scores for flavor, middling ones for texture. Schirripa surmised that it was a “cheap brand.” Little did he know.	Setaro $6.95 for 35 ounces at BuonItalia Big surprise here in that only Casella gave it high marks, succinctly stating on his scorecard: “I like.” The best the others could muster was “not terrible.”	Barilla $1.79 a pound at D’Agostino’s America's most popular pasta was far less so among our panel in every way. Schirripa liked the flavor, but admitted that to him “even an old shoe would taste good with butter and Parmesan.”	Rummo $1.99 a pound at DiPalo’s Poor Rummo elicited the lowest scores and harshest comments (“overall crappy,” “yucky gummy,” “a shit pasta”) and rendered Ladner almost speechless. “No like much,” he wrote on his scorecard.
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