Happy Healthy Long Life

Introducing Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale "Gravy" - A Palate Pleasing Nitric-Oxide Boosting Nutritional Powerhouse for the Foodie In You

 

Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale "Gravy"

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

Almost two weeks ago I got an email from Mike in Louisville:

 

I played around with your savory oatmeal recipe challenge and made an Oat Cake with San Marzano tomato/kale "gravy".   Now, here's a recipe loaded with avenanthramides!

It is a two step recipe that may be a bit more involved than what you requested. I made this originally with Field Roast Italian faux sausage, but realize many heart patients would omit, so I simplified where possible.

The oat cake is combined with my home made fat-free roasted red pepper hummus, but Whole Foods has a couple of brands that save time. Please let me know if you would like the recipe I will forward it.

 

I wrote back:

 

Mike:

Yes, yes, yes! Definitely, forward the recipe to me! Can't wait to try it. Sounds amazing.

 

Ten days later I finally tried out Mike's recipe--with one link of Field Roast Sausage--and my husband said:

 

This just might be the best dish you've made!

 

I absolutely agreed with him!

 

Here's a little preview about Mike--and why he's conducting Esselstyn-friendly plant-based cooking experiments in his kitchen.   His recipes are sure to please the pickiest of foodie palates.

• He loves good food and he hails from a long line of accomplished Italian cooks.
• He's got a strong family history of heart disease.
• About a year ago his 48 year old sister had a heart attack, followed by emergency quadruple bypass surgery.  She didn't fit the typical profile of "a heart attack waiting to happen".  She was slim.  She exercised regularly.  She never smoked.
• After his sister's heart attack, Mike's food IQ evolved at warp speed--leading him to make major changes to his diet--and his cooking.  He's now somewhere between 95-99% Esselstyn-style plant-based oil-free.  About 11 months ago he ditched the diet he thought was heart-healthy: lean meats & olive oil.
  
• Within 6 months he lost 45 pounds
• His omnivore friends & family all rave about his plant-based cooking!

 

My Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy--No Idea Why They Look So DIfferent from Mike's

 

What's So Special about These Oat Cakes?  Greens, Oats & Beans, Baby!

 

Mike had one goal.  Increasing his intake of oats, beyond a breakfast cereal.

It's all about the avenanthramides in oats and the nitric oxide boosting nutrients in kale!

Need a refresher on avenanthramides?

There's a little-known antioxidant in oats--avenanthramide--and it has a beneficial effect on our blood vessels.

Turns out, according to Dr. Mohsen Meydani, the "oat expert" at the USDA-Agricultural Research Vascular Biology Lab at Tufts University, oats help prevent atherosclerosis by increasing artery-saving nitric oxide production in the endothelium or lining of our arteries. That's the "magic gas" that keeps the arteries relaxed and dilated. 

And it's a dose-response--the more avenanthramides you eat, the greater the nitric oxide production.  The dose-response thing--that's what makes oats such an important part of a heart-healthy diet.  More oats=more nitric oxide!  

Which is exactly why Mike wanted to expand his oat recipe repertoire beyond breakfast cereal.

 

Here's the deal on nitric oxide:

1.  Nitric oxide is absolutely essential to vascular health--a finding that won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1998.

2.  It relaxes blood vessels, selectively boosting blood flow to the organs that need it.  It prevents white blood cells and platelets from becoming sticky, and starting the buildup of vascular plaque.  It lowers blood pressure.

3.  But with every meal of processed oil, dairy or meat we eat, within minutes there is damage & injury to the "life jackets" of our vascular health--which is the single layer of endothelial cells that line all of our blood vessels.

4.  The essential building block for nitric oxide production is an amino acid that is found in rich supply in plant foods.

5. And what can you eat to insure that your endothelial cells will have the raw materials to produce this healing nitric oxide?  Beans & leafy greens.  Load up on kale, collards, Swiss chard, bok choy, & beans and you will be well on your way to healing the linings of your blood vessels.

6. Dr. Esselstyn's patients who adopted a strictly plant-based diet brought about rapid restoration of their endothelial cells' capacity to manufacture nitric oxide--and restore circulation.

7. Here's why the Mayo Clinic says nitric oxide is important for the brain.

 

 

Introducing the Recipe that Met the Nitric Oxide Recipe Challenge:

Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy

 

 

 

Mixing Up the Oat Cake "Batter"--Steel Cut Oats, Parsley, Tahini-Free Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Garlic & Roasted Red Peppers

 

Chopped Onions, Garlic, Parsley, &  One Italian Field Roast "Sausage" (not an Esselstyn-approved ingredient, & can be left out--the red pepper flakes & some fennel seed can give you that  Italian "sausage" flavor)

 

One Pound of Farm-Fresh Kale, Stripped of Stems, Cut Into Ribbons

 

Dry Sauteeing the Onions, Red Peppers, White Beans, & "Italian Sausage"

 

Add 2 Cups of Cento's San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes with Some Puree--Another Heart-Health Booster

 

Mike is a San Marzano Man - After Trying Them, I Can Understand His Loyalty to This Tomato

 

Oat Cakes Bake in No-Stick Silicone Muffin Cups - So Easy to Use

The Tomato, Kale, & Bean Gravy

 

Three Oat Cakes Waiting for the Gravy 

 

Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy

 

 

Serves 5-6

Click here for the recipe on one page.

Note:  These cakes are a winner.  I plan to make a batch up regularly to keep in the freezer.  Works well for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner & can be easily topped with jarred (my fave: Walnut Acres no-oil pasta sauce or "Appetite for Reduction's" Puttanesca (pg. 75)

First the Oat Cakes

Ingredients:

One Cup of rolled oats cooked to package instructions (Boil in water for this recipe)
Hint.. thicker consistency is better here. HL's substitution: I used my fave-steel cut oats, which take longer to prepare!

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (helps tighten/thicken up the oatmeal and helps you cheese fans) HL's substitution: I used 2 tablespoons

One Cup Fat-Free Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (Sahara brand if you can find it--There are other brands of fat-free hummus on the market, or you can make your own)

Chopped Italian Flat Leaf Parsley (Lots)  HL used about a cup.

Extra add-ins: chopped garlic, oregano, chopped roasted red pepper, basil

 

Preparation:

 

1. Transfer cooked oatmeal to large mixing bowl.

2. Add hummus and finely chopped Italian Parsley. More garlic, oregano, basil, cumin (HL left this out), or chopped roasted peppers (HL added 2 roughly chopped roasted red peppers) would be additional options here…. Mike's thinking is that oats can absorb some serious savory.. so add what you like.  Mike makes his own Hummus. That, as they say, is a whole other show.

3. Combine, and with a large spoon place Oat / Hummus batter in silicon
or non stick small muffin or cupcake pans. Mike's were silver-dollar size.  (HL filled hers muffin cups to about 3/4 full--and got 16 muffins--but they took much longer to bake!)

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You are going for
golden exterior crust and moist in center.  Just keep an eye on these--and bake as long as necessary to get them golden, with a moist center.  (HL had to bake her muffins for about 50 minutes--kept a close watch on them--to get them golden, with just a slightly moist center.  Next time I'll bake them at 400 degrees)   

These refrigerate well if doing ahead of time or storing leftovers.  Highly recommended! Will speed up the preparation & it would be wonderful to have a stash in the freezer or fridge!

 

Kale Gravy

Note: Mike is a San Marzano tomato snob. He admits it. He also admits that he spends too much on these canned beauties from the old country in this down economy. But Muir Glenn
ain't exactly cheap, either. Any quality crushed tomato product will work.

Hint: Due to their natural sweetness, San Marzano's require a bit more salt for balance.
If salt restriction is your goal you may want a more acidic variety.

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup diced white or sweet onion  (HL added about 1/2 cup)

3 cloves fresh chopped garlic

Red pepper flakes, to taste (read spicy) You want this dish spicy--but suited to your tastes!

One bunch fresh kale greens washed, large stems removed, and cut in ribbons. (HL used 1 pound)

1/4 cup low/no sodium vegetable broth for "dry" sautéing (this is where Mike says he misses a little olive oil.)

1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed (optional…but highly recommended) (HL didn't have cannellini beans & used white kidney beans)

One link of diced Field Roast Italian sausage  or Mexican flavor works great also.(Optional) Hint: if you can't or don't want to use the Field Roast--add some fennel seed to give "gravy" the Italian "sausage" taste

2 cups of the San Marzano canned tomatoes (from a 28 oz. can) and some of the puree from can as needed. (HL used almost all of the 28 ounce can) 

Splash Red Wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar  (HL forgot this!)

 

Preparation:

1.  In a large saute pan "dry sauté" onion and pepper flakes over medium heat adding a little vegetable broth as needed. When onions release juices, add the Field Roast sausage, if using it, and turn up the heat slightly. Brown for 3 minutes and add chopped garlic and the rinsed beans.

2. The beans will "trap" the garlic-onion-sausage flavor. Add a few more drops of broth around edges of pan and put a cover on for two-three minutes.

3. Remove cover and add tomatoes and puree/juice, breaking up the whole tomatoes with a spoon.  Season with (optional) salt and pepper.

4.  Add the kale greens and cover again. Garden fresh kale will be tender and ready in under 10 minutes. But kale can be stubborn, so cook to your tastes to get it the way you like it. Some prefer al dente, others like kale softer, gentler to the bite.

5.  Put a few oat cakes (HL used 3 per serving) in bottom of serving bowls, (reheat for 15 seconds in microwave if using leftovers)

6.  When kale is tender, spoon your kale, tomato, bean gravy over the oat cakes

Note: Mike likes a sprinkle of red wine vinegar over the finished dish, but balsamic is great too. (HL left this last step out)

 

Nutritional Information Based on 1/5 Serving of the Recipe

This is truly a palate pleasing nutritional powerhouse!   It doesn't get much healthier, and tastier than this!!  Read this label.

 

 

Nutrition Facts Louisville Mike Oat Cakes wt Tomato Kale Gravy
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	375
Total Fat	5.7g
Saturated Fat	0.8g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	468mg
Carbohydrate	66.1g
Dietary Fiber	14.6g
Sugars	4.5g
Protein	24.2g
Vitamin A 366% Vitamin C 258% Calcium    28% Iron 42%

Stay Tuned for More Recipes from Mike.   They're load with spice, kick & originality.  Definitely, foodie-approved, IMHO.

I'm loving Mike's Kick A** Thai Peanut Butter (PB2) Chili Oatmeal with Yin Choy (or spinach or kale) &  I can't wait to try his Honey & Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Cakes!

We'd love to get your feedback on the Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy.  So, fire-up your test kitchens--and get cookin'!!!

 

Hot-Off-the-Press Article about Derek Tresize--Vegan Body Builder

 

photo by: Rebecca Bolte

 

Check out the Sept. 20, 2011 article in The Miami New Times, by Camille Lamb, "Derek Tresize, Vegan Bodybuilder: Meat Grows Muscles and Cancer".    

I had never heard of Deek Tresize before today.  This article was sent to me by a cardiologist who eats plant-based.  

An excerpt:

 

How did all of this start?

"I was pretty much a red-meat, chicken, and broccoli guy before, which is what you see a lot of the strength trainers doing. Then I just started learning about the negative effects of animal protein on the body, and I thought I'd give it a shot. Just from reading in Dr. T. Colin Campbell's "China Study", and from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's, "Eat to Live", you hear over and over the promotion of cancer, the promotion of heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, significant problems that afflict millions of people.

Heart disease and cancer both run in my family. So I tried going 30 days without touching [animal products], and I noticed right away, aside from food cravings, I felt much cleaner. That's the best word -- you feel cleaner inside. Then, after the 30 days, I went back to trying to eat those foods again, and they made me really sick. And so that was kind of a wake-up call.

 

How did your dietary shift affect your athletic performance?

 
First thing, I lost a ton of weight, but it was body fat. It went from 12 percent to seven percent over a couple months. Which is a huge drop. I hadn't been able to do that with a whey protein diet, or with tons of cardio. But just by changing what I ate, the fat disappeared.

 

What do you mean by that?

 
Just based on our physiology, based on our digestive system, we're really geared towards breaking down plant material. But all athletes are like, "No, you need to have animal protein -- it's a complete protein, all the amino acids," and all that, so I was kinda surprised to get leaner and get stronger pretty quickly.

​I looked at all the medical studies and disease rates. People that eat a plant-based diet are healthier. And I looked at comparisons of us to a lion and to a horse. And we're nearly identical to the horse and nothing like the lion in terms of our digestive tract, which is pretty interesting. Because a lot of people would assume the inverse. And also look at us in terms of behavior. Carnivorous animals will be active a very short period of time. Like a lion will sleep 20 hours a day and be active for, say, four. Versus horses, you know, they spend their whole day foraging. So they're awake a long time. And people. People sleep eight hours; they're active for 16, 18 hours. And then you look at our teeth. Definitely not designed for catching and killing animals. So it really does make sense that we're designed to eat plants, and not eating plants causes problems.

Go to the article & read the rest.

 

It's A Piece of Kosher-for-Passover Cake: Navigating a Plant-Based No-Oil Gluten-Free Passover Week - The Seder - Breakfasts - and a Mina de Masa/Matzoh for the Rest of the Week

 

“The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

                                         -Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi-

"I am the dean of religious life at a liberal arts college.

Yesterday, I went to a Maundy Thursday service (interdenominational Protestant), a Holy Thursday service with foot washing (Roman Catholic), and the second seder.

Having been raised Roman Catholic, I resonate with the words and sounds of prayers and hymns of my childhood so powerful that it is almost instinctual, but in my adulthood I have come to discover and be spiritually nourished by other traditions, particularly Judaism.

At last night’s student-planned seder, many of the participants were not Jewish but have participated every year of college and wouldn’t miss it. That has to be a good thing." 

-Jennifer, a commenter to Judith Warner's opinion piece, "This I Believe"  New York Times, April 9, 2009-

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness. The important thing is that they should be part of our daily lives.

-The Dalai Lama-

 

 

 If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version on this post.

This year I'm hosting a group of friends-who-are-like-family for Passover Seder 2011.  This is definitely going to be a group effort--with everyone bringing a dish.  A very stress-free celebration.

This year the first night of Passover arrives on a Monday evening--April 18th--not so easy for long-distance-mid-week travel to celebrate with family.   With my kids all in St. Louis, and my sibs in Cincinnati & Florida--I'm grateful to have a close group of "in-town" empty-nest friends whose families also live out-of-town.

It's going to be my first-ever Plant-Based & Gluten-Free Passover!  If you know anything about Passover, this is a serious challenge.   This is the no-flour, no bread, no grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, or rye), no beans, no legumes holiday.  If your ancestors came from Eastern Europe, as mine did, it means eight days of mostly matza, lots of oil, lots of eggs, brisket, chicken, gefilte fish, and matza pizza.

Oops!  Left out something.  I'm not on a gluten-free diet!  But one of my guests is on a gluten-free diet--which is why gluten is "mostly" out of this Seder--matza balls excluded!  And yes, she has scored a box of one of the hardest-to-get commodities in town--Gluten-Free Matza!

If you're eating plant-based with no-added oil, a traditional Ashkenazic Passover is not going to work out very well in the health department--so I'm loosening up the rules this year & taking on the Passover customs of the Mediterranean Sephardic tradition--and eating what's known as "kitnyot"  click here for a list:  rice, beans, legumes, soy & corn are allowed.   Still no grains, none of my usual savory "cheezy" or pumpkin oatmeal, no bread of any kind, no soba noodles, or whole wheat pasta.  Quinoa, thankfully, is on the OK-to-eat list.  This is going to be a very easy Passover.

 

What's on My Plant-Based "Mostly" Gluten-Free Passover Menu?

 

OK.  Full Disclosure.  I'm not Orthodox, not an expert on Passover--so take my menu under advisement

 

Chickpea Gefilte "Fish" cakes with horseradish sauce

Fennel, Leek, Spinach Matza Ball Soup

Chef AJ's Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna with Brown Rice Noodles

Veganomicon's Quinoa with Black Beans & Mango

Roasted Asparagus or Susan's Seductive Stawberry Salad

Macaroons, Jane's Un-Named Dessert, or raspberry sorbet

Kosher Wines

Recipes Below

 

Gefilte "Fish" and Horseradish Sauce

 

Gefilte "Fish" with Horseradish Sauce 

 

Serves 8 (small portions)

 

I'm using a non-fat adaptation of Ellen Allard's "Tuna Fish" recipe, and shaping them into gefilte fish patties or mini-loaves.

Ingredients:

15 ounce can of no-salt chickpeas, drained

2 stalks of celery finely chopped

1 TBS fresh snipped dill, or 2 tsp. of dry dill weed

1 tsp. celery seed

2 TBS.  finely chopped dill pickle or pickle relish

1 TBS. capers (I LOVE capers)

1 tsp. kelp flakes (don't worry if you can't find this.  I found it at Whole Foods)

1/4 cup or more of my version of Chef Del's "Mayonnaise"  *see below

1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)

1/4 tsp ground white (or black) pepper

Mash all the beans in a bowl using the bottom of a flat-bottomed drinking glass (or a fork, or a potato masher, or if you like to dirty more dishes, carefully use a food processor).  You want the beans broken, but not pulverized--kind of a mix of chunky & smooth.

Add the vegetables & seasonings & mix in the mayo.  Add more if needed.   Form into mini-patties or mini-gefilte fishes

Serve with white horseradish, or Chef Del's Horseradish "Mayo"

 

*My version of Chef Del's Mayo

Makes 1 1/2 Cups  (use half for the horseradish mayo)

1 (12 ounce) package firm silken tofu in aseptic box (Mori-Nu brand)

1/2  tsp dry mustard (or Dijon mustard)

1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)

1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 fresh garlic clove (optional)

1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)

2 TBS. lemon juice

1 TBS. cider vinegar

Process in a food processor or blender.  Adjust seasonings if needed.

Mix half of this to make horseradish sauce by mixing in 1 TBS of horseradish--add more to taste.

 

Matza Ball Soup

 

Fennel, Leek, Spinach Soup  (Dick's Soup)

Serves 8

This has become my staple Passover soup ever since I tasted it at Fran & Dick's seder quite a few years ago.  Dick found the recipe from a 1997 Bon Appetit--and I've modified it to eliminate the margarine.  It's so easy--so delicious--and so healthy!

Ingredients

• 6 cups chopped fresh fennel bulbs
• 4 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3-6 cups of baby spinach (or more--you know how it just melts down to nothing)

Preparation

1.  Heat a large soup pot on medium high

2.  Add fennel and leeks. Lower heat to medium.  Sauté until just translucent, about 15 minutes.  Add a couple of tablespoons of broth or water, as needed, when the vegetables start to stick--and to deglaze the pan.  Once the vegetables are translucent, add broth & cover pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

3.  Once cooled, puree soup in small batches in blender until smooth, adding spinach to last batch before pureeing. Return soup to same pot.  Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)

4.  Rewarm soup over low heat, stirring occasionally.

5.  Ladle into bowls.  Add 2 matza balls to each bowl and serve.

 

Isa & Dr. J's Matza Balls without Oil or Eggs 

 

OK--Maybe these aren't the usual light fluffy giant matza balls you're used to--and they look like falafel--but these are pretty darn tasty!  Tasted great in my lunch time sweet potato soup.

I owe this recipe to Dr. J, who perfected this "baked version" of the matza ball recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan with a Vengeance--and to blog-reader Barbara who suggested using avocado instead of Isa's oil.  I tried them with oil--and with avocado--and I couldn't tell the difference--so why not just use avocado?

The matza ball challenge:  to boil or bake?

Isa gives elaborate boiling instructions and I followed them to a tee.  I didn't like the result.  They sort of fell apart and I had floating matza meal in the water--and the texture seemed water-logged.

Dr. J's baked version, on the other hand, is much easier & they turned out beautifully  They're small--but the same size as Isa's boiled ones.  Plus, they're delicious, can be made ahead & will be perfect in my Fennel Leek Soup!

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat matza meal

3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 (12 ounce) package of firm silken tofu in the aseptic box (Mori-Nu)

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup plus 2 TBS. soft avocado  (Isa uses 1/4 cup + 2 TBS.  of extra-virgin olive oil, if you want to use her version)

1/2 carrot peeled & shredded

Preparation

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Mix matza meal with salt & pepper in a bowl--set aside

3.  Crumble tofu into a blender or a processor (preferred).  Add 1/2 cup broth & puree until smooth.  Add the avocado (or the oil if you're going that route) & blend again.

4.  Mix the tofu mixture with the matza meal, making sure that everything is moist.  Add the grated carrot.   I did need to add just a little more vegetable broth to get the mixture moist enough--it was a little too dry--but don't overdo it!

5.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

6.  Form into tightly packed walnut-sized balls & bake in a 350 degree preheated oven.  Total baking time is 20 minutes--but turn them half-way through.

After 20 minutes the matza balls were brown and held together well--the center was a little moist but tasty--so taste-test them, & cook them longer if you like--or make them ahead & reheat them in the oven before serving your soup. 

Dr. J adds them into individual soup bowls at serving time.  Do not attempt to boil these in the soup--they may fall apart!  I'm going to make mine a day ahead, refrigerate them, warm to room temperature & reheat before serving.

 

The Main Course--Sephardic Italian Style

 

Chef AJ's Spinach Mushroom Lasagna with Brown Rice Noodles

This is something I can make ahead.  It will do well warming up in a slow oven as we read through the Haggadah.  Plus, it tastes great, and is gluten-free!

Click here for the recipe.   I may cut the cashews in half in the tofu filling--and a reader told me she succesfully substitutes walnuts for the cashews when she makes Faux "Parmesan".   Walnuts beat cashews hands-down for health benefits!

 

Quinoa--Passover's Miracle Food

 

Veganomicon's Quinoa with Black Beans & Mango (This is a possibility for our 2nd main course)

Click here for the recipe 

Note: leave out the oil in the dressing--substitute lime or orange juice--or use orange or lemon vinegar.

Quinoa is Passover gift--kind of like manna from heaven.  It's not really a grain--so it's Passover-approved--whether you're Ashkenazic or Sephardic!  It can be used in place of rice or couscous or bulgur for any recipe--plus it's a high-fiber complete protein.

Click here to read why quinoa is such a winner--and to get to the fabulous  Inca Quinoa Salad recipe--another Passover possibility.  Ditch the oil in that recipe--and substitute  2 TBS of lime juice or rice vinegar or orange juice.

My Favorite Quinoa?  Eden brand--t hey use a mechanical rubbing process to remove the protective saponin coating from the grain (which can leave a bitter flavor), rather than a water wash.  This retains more flavor, fiber & nutrients.  When I compared the nutrient values of Eden's with other brands, it had the highest in all categories.

Quinoa for Passover Breakfasts:  I'm planning to substitute quinoa for my morning oatmeal--both the "savory cheezy" kind--and a delicious dried-cherry & raisin version.   Click here for the dried cherry quinoa cereal.  For "savory & cheezy" quinoa, just follow the directions on your quinoa package, but add in my seasonings for "cheezy savory" oatmeal--and top it with "melted/microwaved spinach".

Best Quinoa Cooking Technique:  My friend Susan who is a professional caterer in the Maryland/D.C. area  (Chocolate Chili) recently included this fool-proof quinoa cooking tip in her Chocolate Chili newsletter. I haven't tried it yet--but I trust Susan!:

My first try with quinoa didn't turn out well. I simmered it in standard rice proportions: 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water. It was waterlogged, tasteless and mushy.

So I tried again, using new instructions from the Gourmet Today cookbook:

1. Rinse 1 cup quinoa in 3 changes of cold water.
2. Bring 3 to 4 quarts water to a boil in a saucepan. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon salt, then add quinoa and boil for 10 minutes.
3. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water.
4. Bring about 1½ inches of water to boil in the same saucepan. Set the sieve with the quinoa over the saucepan. Cover with a kitchen towel and a lid, folding edges of towel over the lid so they won’t burn. Steam 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is fluffy and dry.

Perfection! Each grain was distinct and fluffy, even after I added herbs and a lemon-olive oil vinaigrette. Next time I make it, I plan to add corn, cilantro, chilies and feta cheese for a Mexican twist; or maybe tomatoes and basil for something a bit more Italian. Quinoa is basically a blank canvas that you can dress up with all sorts of flavors.

 

The Passover Side Dishes

 

This is the easy part.  It might be roasted asparagus.  It might be Susan's Seductive Strawberry Salad.

 

The Passover Dessert

 

This one belongs to Barbara.  We're considering Jane Esselstyn's Un-Named Dessert,  gluten-free traditional Passover macaroons ( Elana's Pantry egg-white version or maybe a gluten-free & vegan version), and maybe some homemade VitaMix raspberry or peach sorbet.

 

What About Something Special for the Rest of the Week? How About a Mina de Masa/Matzoh?

 

 

No doubt about it, Mina de Masa rocks!  But it also contains eggs, butter, farmer's cheese, feta cheese, pine nuts, and Parmesan.  And to think I thought this was so healthy!

Hoo Haa!  Just spotted the mother-lode of Mina de Masa recipes.  Hop on over to this piece that just appeared on NPR today for all kinds of very easy Mina de Masa fillings!   Use your imagination and make your own "Easy as Pie" Mina de Masas!  Click here for the recipes, Mina template & story.

 

Mina de Masa - a Greek Style Mediterranean Matza Lasagna

Something to enjoy later in the week.  I've always loved Tina Wasserman vegetarian version  made with farmer's cheese, feta, eggs, and butter   Here's my attempt to enlighten it!

 

Mina de Masa (the enlightened vegan version for Passover)

Spinach "Cheese" Filling:

1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and wrapped in paper towel to remove excess moisture  (I prefer NaSoya low-fat firm tofu--my favorite)

2 TBS. fresh dill

1 cup  raw cashews  (you could cut this in half)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup low-sodium miso (I used regular miso)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4-1 tsp. nutmeg to taste

2 pound frozen chopped spinach drained, and squeezed well to remove excess liquid)

 

Onion-Mushroom-Artichoke Filling:

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 pound of sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves

8 ounces of defrosted artichoke hearts (or water packed in a jar)

1/4 cup tamari  (check labels if making gluten-free)

salt & pepper to taste

The Matza Lasagna "Noodles"

8 regular or whole wheat matzo squares
2 cups warm vegetable or mushroom broth

The Topping:

2 TBS grated Faux Parmesan cheese:  In a food processor, grind 1/3 cup of raw cashews or walnuts, 3 TBS. nutritional yeast and 1/4 tsp of salt-free seasoning, until a powdery mixture is achieved. If you like it more chunky, process less.

Preparation instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350F

2.  Lightly spray a 9 X 13 pan with spray canola

3.  Make filling no. 1 (the tofu filling)  in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, by adding tofu, dill, garlic, lemon juice, miso, nutritional yeast, nuts and nutmeg.  Puree until smooth. Add drained spinach and process again.

4.  In a large non-stick saute pan, saute chopped onion in 2 Tbsp water or broth until translucent, about 8 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Add garlic, mushrooms and tamari and saute until browned. Taste mixture, adding more garlic/tamari according to your taste. Cook until mushrooms appear to be glazed and there is no more liquid left in pan.  This can take awhile if the mushrooms release a lot of liquid.  Be patient--you want all the liquid to evaporate.

5.  If the artichoke pieces are large, cut them in quarters.  Add them into the mushroom mixture and stir to heat through.   Set aside.

6.  Heat the 2 cups of broth in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.  Pour into an 8 inch square casserole or a deep dish that will hold the liquid and soak 2 sheets of matzo at a time until soft & pliable.  Do this with the next 2 matzos and as they become soft fit them in the bottom and sides of the greased 9 X 13 pan.  This sounds complicated, but it's not!

7.  Spread the spinach & tofu mixture carefully over the matzos and then top carefully with the mushroom/onion/artichoke mixture.

8.  Soak the remaining 4 sheets of matzo in the broth and then cover the filling.  Trim or tuck the sides in to look neat.

9.  Pour 1/2 cup of the remaining broth evenly over the entire casserole.

10.  Sprinkle the Faux Parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and   bubbling.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

 Note: Sorry,  I haven't tried making my enlightened plant-based oil-free version yet--but I can't see why it wouldn't work.  It basically substitutes Chef AJ's tofu filling for Tina's cheese filling--and then uses Tina's mushroom/artichoke filling.   It leaves out Tina's pine nuts, eggs, farmer's cheese, feta, butter, Parmesan.

 

Happy Holidays to Everyone - Passover or Easter! 

 Please Share Your Passover Faves

 

 

 

 

Dayenu! My Holy Week- Three Passover Seders, One Blessing of the Sun, One Synagogue Service, One Easter Service, One Yoga Class

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness. The important thing is that they should be part of our daily lives.

The Dalai Lama

Dayenu!  It's the Hebrew word that means, "It would have been enough!"  It's the song that's sung at every Passover seder.  It's my favorite Passover song.  But this year I sang it four different times.

It never dawned on me until this morning what a holy week this has turned out to be.  Three different Passover seders, the once every 28 years Birkat Hachama--the Blessing of the Sun, a Friday night Shabbat synagogue service, an Easter service at a mega-church, followed by my favorite Sunday morning yoga class.

Birkat Hachama (The Blessing of the Sun)

This once-every-28-years event occurs during the spring equinox, which occurs every 365¼ days.  It occurs at dawn on a Wednesday (the fourth day of creation, based on Jewish beliefs), when Jews recite the blessing. According to Jewish beliefs, God created the sun, the moon and the stars as the fourth day began.

This year it was one of only a few times in history that the Blessing of the Sun coincided with the eve of Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the release of Jewish slaves from Egypt in Biblical times.

The next Blessing of the Sun will occur in 2037.  Not sure if I'm going to be around in 2037, so I didn't want to miss this one!  It was supposed to be recited at 6:58 am.  We recited it outside with all our Seder guests at 6:58 pm.  Better late than never!


First Night Seder - A cozy intimate gathering of friends who are like family, held at my house, using my current favorite haggadah--A Night of Questions: A Passover Haggadah   Same order, same songs, but it's always different--and this year was no exception. 

Second Night Seder - A large group gathering of cousins & aunts held at my 94 year-old aunt's apartment.  This seder used the traditional Orthodox haggadah.  Same order, same songs, but much more Hebrew.

Friday Night Shabbat synagogue services - In front of us sat the grandparents of the baby who was about to be named.  We chatted before the services began.  One set had just driven in from Virginia, the other was local and Catholic.  I knew in a few months my husband and I would be the proud new grandparents.

As always, for some inexplicable reason--maybe the music--maybe the singing--maybe the Hebrew prayers--tears start to well up in my eyes.  They don't stop. It happens often in synagogue--sometimes more--sometimes less.

By the time the Rabbi begins to bless the couple who is celebrating their 66 years of marriage, and bless the 87 year-old wheelchair-bound man celebrating his birthday--I'm undone--watching this man use every ounce of his strength to stand up.  The congregation joins in the traditional Sheheyanu prayer, which thanks God for keeping us alive,  sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season. It's a prayer that's said often on happy occasions & first-time events.  I can't open my mouth, because I need every ounce of energy to not cry--I'm so inexplicably touched.

Third Seder - A medium sized group of friends, grown-up kids, and friends of the kids. This seder used an original haggadah created by the hosts' three daughters years ago.  Same order, same songs--but with unique twists that only this wonderful creative family can come up with. 

Sunday Morning Easter Service - This was my first ever Easter service.  One of my husband's patients is a minister at local mega-church and he had invited us.  Why not?  There were at least 1000 people there, and this was the first of three consecutive services to be held this morning.  I was struck by the upbeat music, the full orchestra, the words of the sermon---the many similarities of its underlying message.  But most touching to me, was noticing two women in front of me who were dabbing at their eyes, catching their tears as they sang.  I understood.

Sunday Yoga class at a Jewish Community Center. - I wasn't going to miss my Sunday class after all.  I arrived a little late, and sandwiched myself in between two women who are Hindu, one man who was born Polish Catholic, but converted to Judaism, and one man from the Philippines who is Christian.  My yoga teacher happens to be Christian.  As we end the class, Dawn asks us to put our hands together and bow to our neighbors and someone we don't know, and say, "Namaste", the sanskrit word which means, "The Light within me honors the Light within you." 

I am the dean of religious life at a liberal arts college. Yesterday, I went to a Maundy Thursday service (interdenominational Protestant), a Holy Thursday service with foot washing (Roman Catholic), and the second seder. Having been raised Roman Catholic, I resonate with the words and sounds of prayers and hymns of my childhood so powerful that it is almost instinctual, but in my adulthood I have come to discover and be spiritually nourished by other traditions, particularly Judaism. At last night’s student-planned seder, many of the participants were not Jewish but have participated every year of college and wouldn’t miss it. That has to be a good thing. 

-Jennifer, a commenter to Judith Warner's opinion piece, "This I Believe"  New York Times, April 9, 2009-

She couldn't have said it better.

DAYENU!

  

NYT's Dana Jennings - In Cancer, a Deeper Faith - "When You’re a Cancer Patient, Each Day is a Holy Day – No Matter What Your Beliefs"

Dana Jennings. (Lonnie Schlein/The New York Times)

In Cancer, A Deeper Faith 

Here's the link.

New York Times editor Dana Jennings writes each week about coping with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

By Dana Jennings

We are about to enter a holy few days for Jews and Christians. Passover starts at sundown tomorrow, and Easter is Sunday. But then again, when you’re a cancer patient, each day is a holy day – no matter what your beliefs.

I converted to Judaism five years ago, after decades spent stumbling toward God. That faith has helped sustain me this past year, from the diagnosis of my prostate cancer, through surgery, and through radiation and hormone treatment when it was learned that I had an aggressive cancer.

I am not a fool. I am a patient with Stage T3B cancer and a Gleason score of 9. I need the skills and the insights of the nurses and doctors who care for me. But they don’t treat the whole man. Medicine cares about physical outcomes, not the soul. I also need — even crave — the spiritual antibodies of prayer, song and sacred study.

And it’s a powerful thing to know that others are praying for your return to health. My faith reminds me that I am not alone, that I am part of a larger whole, part of an ancient tradition and a timeless narrative. Disease often makes us feel cut off from community, even from ourselves, and faith helps defy that sense of isolation.

One of our cultural verities about serious illness is that it often challenges our faith. But for me, if anything, having cancer has only deepened it, heightened it.

I have spent the past year in the dark ark of cancer, and there is no question that I have become a new man. I’ve been granted a wisdom that only arrives at the rugged confluence of middle age and mortality. And I know, soul deep, that I have not been cut open, radiated, and tried physically and spiritually so that I can merely survive, become a cancer wraith. Since my diagnosis — after shaking off the initial shock — I have kept asking myself, in the context of my belief: What can this cancer teach me?

The most surprising thing I’ve learned is that cancer can be turned toward blessing. Through the simple fact of me telling my cancer stories on this blog, many of you readers, in turn, have told your own stories. And that mutual sharing of our tales has changed my life for the good. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said, “Life is not meaningful … unless it is serving an end beyond itself, unless it is of value to someone else.”

None of us would choose to have cancer. But getting this unexpected mortality check has deepened my appreciation of and connection to this life. Each moment holds out the promise of revelation.

Cancer, like faith, urges us toward the essential in our lives, toward love and kindness and paying attention to the smallest, smallest detail. We suddenly understand that ice chips spooned into a parched mouth, that being able to simply urinate, are gifts, the kinds of ordinary gifts that make up our lives.

So, yes, Easter and Passover beckon with their vernal tales of exile, renewal and redemption. I found out exactly one year ago today that I had prostate cancer. But I won’t know for a very long time whether I’ve been truly passed over.

Whatever happens, though, I’m ready.

Credits: New York Times, April 7, 2009.  By Dana Jennings

The first comment to Dana's essay came from a Michael Kassin.  I passed it by in an instant--too long--no paragraphs--aarghh--who wants to read this!  Something made me take a second look.  It's absolutely worth reading.  I'm glad I took a second look.  Here's his comment

Whether It's a Passover Seder or an Easter Brunch - Enjoy Yourself, Lower Your Stress and Plan for a Healthy Do-Ahead Menu

Last week I looked up my Passover 2008 HHLL post --I needed the recipes!  This year I'm making the exact same menu & taking two days off of work to prepare.  I've learned my lesson.

The 2008 menu works--it's healthy--and best of all, except for the soup, it can all be served cold or at room temperature. 

Whether you're celebrating Passover on Wednesday April 8th, or Easter on Sunday April 12th this menu will do the job.  Learn from my mistakes and make your holidays as stress-free as possible!

If you want to go Vegan on Passover, good luck!  I suggest you go Sephardic-style and allow beans, legumes and rice.  As for me, it's a holiday, so I have no problem with eating fish, eggs & a little dairy.

 

Monday Morning Quarterbacking the Passover Seder with a Little Help from Men's Journal by Way of the New York Times

 

 “At the right levels, stress is a good thing.  It shows you care and can cause you to work harder"

                -Nicole Cusik, Men's Journal-

 

--originally posted on Happy Healthy Long Life on April 21, 2008

This year was my turn to host the Passover Seder.  Weeks before it arrives I'm in a generous, "bring it on baby", I-can-do-it-all, let's invite everyone kind of delirium.  Kids are coming in from DC & NYC.  Mother-in-law from Florida.  The Cincy sib & family.  In-town friends & relatives.

Two weeks before Passover arrives reality starts to sink in.  Gotta get the guest rooms in order.  Clean the house.  The endless food shopping for a week's worth of Passover-approved food.  Get out the good dishes.  Plan the menu.  Orchestrate the Seder.  Enough haggadahs for everyone?  Plan the reading passages for the 4 hour Seder.  Set up the card tables for extra seating.  Lug up the extra chairs from the basement.  Iron the table cloths and napkins. It can go on and on.

I've done this for at least 30 years, not counting all those times when my generous friends and family have taken their turns to host. Oh how I love & appreciate being a guest!  So....why doesn't it get easier?  Is it possible to pull off Passover without the stress?

This morning,  the-morning-after, I finally had a chance to kick-back & relax with the New York Times.  Got a chance to read Paul Brown's article "Don't Stress Over Stress" .  He starts out with a great synopsis of Nicole Cusick's recent article from Men's Journal and after going through my own Seder stress I deem this to be practical wise advice.

• Embrace the pressure. “At the right levels, stress is a good thing,” Cusick writes. It shows you care and can cause you to work harder. “It may seem obvious, but being conscious” of the symptoms of stress is the first step in calming down.   I wish I had read this 2 weeks ago.  It's so encouraging.  Instead of feeling guilty and upset with myself for feeling stressed & pressured about celebrating a meaningful holiday with my favorite family and friends, I would have "embraced the stress!".  I care a lot about my guests.  I care a lot about making a meaningful celebration.  I care a lot about making sure everyone is going to be comfortable, inspired, well-fed and be happy to return.  Of course Seder brings stress and Passover brings pressure.  Next year I'm embracing it.  Hope it will calm me down!

• Work out. People in better shape have more confidence at crunch time.  Yes and no.  Sometimes getting in that work-out has to drop by the wayside when you have limited hours to get everything done.  I thought I'd get to work-out on most days this week, but it just didn't happen. I've exercised only 2 out 7 days this week and I'm feeling it.  Amazing how even a few days off brings on a little lower back stiffness, a little achiness and a drop in my usual good mood groove.  It makes me acutely aware of how important exercise is to my well-being.  But honestly, it's hard to know if working out when I'm under a deadline is stress-relieving or stress-inducing.  Would I have felt more relaxed if I took the time to exercise this week, or would I have been more stressed because it would have cut into my Passover prep time?

• Prepare. No surprise here. The more you have practiced, the more confidence you will have.  True!  Practice makes "good-enough" perfect.  Every year I fine tune the Seder.  It's all about the prep.  I know my limits, so this year I took a couple days off of work to give myself time to do it all.  I always underestimate the time it takes. This year I added 2 new tweaks that made things work more smoothly.   

          1.  Except for the soup (which was hot & healthy), all the dinner foods were healthy, prepared ahead of time and best of all--could be served at room temperature!! Trust me, when you have a 2.5 hour Seder before you serve the meal, it is really hard to keep everything "warm/hot" and not "dried out". And I like to sit at the table, not continually running back & forth into the kitchen to check on the status of everything. 

Poached salmon with lemon mint tzatziki sauce, Inca Quinoa Salad, Susan's Seductive Strawberry Salad, Spinach, Fennel, Leek Matzo Ball Soup, Salmon and White Fish "Gefilte Fish" Cakes , and egg salad in roasted new potato shells.  All done ahead. All served cold or room temperature.

          2.  Have all the food cooked and table set the day before.  Even with all that done, the last minute preps took up most of the day of the Seder.  I actually thought I'd have the whole day to laze around and visit with my house guests. As it turned out, I was grateful to have the extra time to get "everything else" done.  The kind of chores I usually think take no time, took most of the day. It was great to have the cushion of time.

• Think positive thoughts. If you visualize success, the odds of it occurring increase. “Negative ruminating may prime you to fail.”  Sometimes that is easier said than done.  The food part is easy to be positive about.  Having everything flow easily and worrying that the Seder will engage a group of diverse age and observance levels is something I haven't learned to "let go of" yet.        The lesson here for me:  I can't worry about pleasing everyone.  Just do the best you can.  I'm not responsible for everyone else's good time. 

• Try meditation. “Researchers from the University of Wisconsin found that meditation can improve your focus — beneficial when preparing for a stressful event.”  I agree 100%!  Maybe I didn't exercise like I should have, but I did meditate this week.  I am not a regular meditator, but I pull it out of "my bag of tricks" when I'm under stress & when I need to "recharge".  You don't need a lesson to start meditating.  I just go to the guest bedroom, set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes, get comfortable by propping up my back on a Back Jack, wrapping up in a cuddly blanket & slowly breathing in and out. Count the breaths on the exhale & when you get to 10 start counting again.  That's all you have to do.  When I notice I've lost count & I'm up to 21, I say, "Oops, & start over with one".  When I notice I'm thinking about a recipe, I say "Oops, & start over with one".  By the time 30 minutes has passed I'm rested & relaxed and feel as if I had a nice nap.  Try it!

• Learn from mistakes. For those who still let their nerves get the better of them, take solace in this:  “Ironically, it’s people with more cognitive ability, more working memory, who tend to choke under pressure,” says *Sian L. Beilock, a University of Chicago professor.  I checked out Sian's article and it's that old counter-intuitive conclusion.  Under low pressure, smart people use all their smarts & problem-solve beautifully.  Under high pressure, smart people freak out, take short-cuts & screw things up.  The trick is to convince yourself "you have nothing to worry about" and "you have all the time in the world".  "Don't worry - be happy"  and then "Do your best!"

Parting thoughts:  I just came across this quote that says it all.

“The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

*Beilock, S. L., & DeCaro, M. S. (2007). From poor performance to success under stress: Working memory, strategy selection, and mathematical problem solving under pressure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 33, 983-998.