Recipe - Greek Quinoa Salad

I always try to set aside Sundays to be my day of grocery shopping and pre-cooking a few things to use throughout the week. It just makes the rest of the week that much easier for me. After I got home from Whole Foods last Sunday, I set out to make a big salad that I could munch on all week. I knew I needed to revisit that package of quinoa in the back of my cupboard. I love eating quinoa but hadn't had much success cooking it before. I just didn't know what to do with it and it tasted bitter when I prepared it. Yuck!

This time, I rinsed the ever-loving crap out of it, and it made a HUGE difference. No bitterness this time! (You will need a mesh strainer to do this properly, or you can rinse it in a pot and awkwardly position your hand against the rim, trying to pour out the water while not letting the microscopic quinoa escape... like I do!) Then I combined it with some veggies and a delectable Greek dressing inspired by the one posted here. It gave the perfect tang to the salad due to the magic ingredient: red wine vinegar! I'd always thought it was lemon that gave Greek dressing its zip, but alas I was wrong - not one drop of lemon juice in this dish.

I was super happy with the result and ate this salad for lunch over some fresh spinach and avocado slices or alone as a snack. I did include one nightshade veggie (red bell pepper) because I couldn't handle the idea of not having something red in my salad and it holds up way better than tomato. Feel free to omit it and you'll have a truly Superhero dish. Or, if you're not following the Superhero plan, add in all the tomatoes and peppers you'd like!

Johnny was surprisingly a big fan of this salad, he actually ate TWO BOWLS of it throughout the week! This is an accomplishment as he doesn't usually eat leftovers at all. Score one for quinoa!

Doesn't it just scream SPRING?!

Greek Quinoa Salad

Serves 8

1 cup dried quinoa

2 cups water

1 English cucumber, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 green onions, white and light green parts only, diced

1 large handful of basil, minced

1 15oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed

Dressing:

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp oregano

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

After you've thoroughly rinsed the quinoa, place it in a saucepan and cover with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The quinoa is done when it is fairly translucent, and it is light and fluffy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and add the cucumber, red pepper, onions, and garbanzo beans. In a small container with a tight fitting lid (I use an old, cleaned out salsa jar), combine all the dressing ingredients and shake vigorously until well blended. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Just before serving, add in the basil and mix. (The basil will darken as it sits, so try to add it just prior to serving if you care about that sort of thing!)

Nutrition Info per serving: Calories 238; Total Fat 10.8; Saturated Fat 1.5g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 479mg; Carbohydrates 30.8g; Dietary Fiber 4.9g; Sugars 1.3g; Protein 6.5g; Vitamin A 18%; Vitamin C 69%; Calcium 4%; Iron 17%

Screw "Wonder Woman", You Can Call Me "Whole Grain Girl"

Hi guys! This entry is going to be a bit different from the rest. I usually don't get too personal on my blog as I like to concentrate on the issues at hand, but today I'm going to discuss my health as it plays a part in how I'll be eating and cooking for awhile. I'd also like to open up a dialogue and see if anyone here has similar health problems and/or suggestions for how to cope. So dim the lights... pull up a big pillow. Let's sit in a circle, hold hands and talk this thing out.

I've been struggling with acid reflux (aka GERD but that name makes me wanna upchuck) on and off for awhile now. I first noticed it last May and tried to control it with over-the-counter meds and antacids, but didn't have much success. When I went vegan in November it magically went away overnight. I was shocked, amazed and so happy to be done with the problem for good. But it reared its ugly head again in March and hasn't gone away since. This is more than just a little heartburn: I wake up everyday with the taste of acid in my mouth, my teeth are sensitive from the acidity, it has affected my breathing, it makes me nauseated and afraid to eat most foods and it generally screws up my overall quality of life. I completely cut out the foods that are the biggest offenders for acid reflux (tomato based sauces, chocolate, coffee, etc.) and took some Zegerid and Prilosec, but still didn't see much of a difference.

I was referred to a gastroenterologist who decided I should get an upper endoscopy done to rule out any serious problems. What a fun way to spend a morning! I had to swallow meds to numb my throat, have a sedative pumped into me by IV and the doc proceeded to shove a giant plastic tube down my throat and into my stomach. He took the little camera and investigated my insides, made some notes, and the whole thing was over in about 15 minutes. I then spent the rest of the day feeling like someone on the first day of Celebrity Rehab - major sedative hangover. So after all that I hoped I'd at least get some answers, right? RIGHT?!? No. Still no reason why I suddenly have acid reflux around the clock when a year ago I'd never had it a day in my life. Just a few benign polyps and some erosion in my esophagus from where the acid has already caused damage.

The doc said to take a double-dose of Prilosec in the morning and another one in the evening and to supplement it with Vitamin D and calcium pills daily because it has been shown to cause osteoporosis. And also to eat foods rich in magnesium as it depletes magnesium levels for some reason. And that it's a relatively new medication so all the long-term affects are still unknown. I smiled, nodded my head and thought to myself, "You've gotta be kidding me." Modern medicine at its finest.

I left his office feeling defeated. Don't get me wrong, I know my problems could be worse. There are plenty of people out there who are so severely ill that they have to take medication everyday just to be able to get out of bed. But I have this voice inside saying, "That's not for you." I am only 30-years-old and the thought of being tied to a medication for the foreseeable future has my heart and wallet in a tizzy. I know there's gotta be a better way. So I'm setting out to find it.

This weekend, I picked up my copy of "The Kind Diet" (a book that was instrumental in my becoming vegan) and re-read some of it. Those of you familiar with it know that Alicia Silverstone divided it into three parts - one for those just flirting with veganism,  one for those who have gone fully vegan, and one for those who want to be, as she calls them, "Superheroes." The Superhero plan is based on the principles of macrobiotics, but leaves out all animal products so it's still vegan. On this plan you concentrate on whole grains, vegetables, and protein and leave out most sugar, processed and refined foods, and nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes and peppers). That stuff is okay in strict moderation, but the point is to eat clean, healthy foods as often as possible. Her book and web site have story after story about people who have had great success battling all kinds of illnesses following the Superhero diet.

Normally I'm not a believer in diets that claim to have such amazing benefits, but it's not like she's suggesting I eat nothing but steak and ice cream all day, right? It seems that the foods recommended just make sense. Everyone feels better when they concentrate on whole foods, vegetables and protein. My suspicion has been that processed foods are the culprit in my case. Since I'm a vegan, I feel like I generally eat pretty well, but this article on The Huffington Post caught my eye today. I URGE YOU TO READ IT. It shows you how even a breakfast of cereal and yogurt can contain a TON of additives, preservatives and dyes. And a Subway sandwich can contain 40 different additives, preservatives and dyes! FORTY! Even when you think you are being healthy, you are ingesting so much stuff that you just don't need to.

So I have decided to give the whole Superhero thing a try and incorporate some of the principles into my diet.  I figure it can't hurt and if I feel better as a result I will be one happy girl. I planned out my weekly menu on Saturday and during my trip to Whole Foods on Sunday I was shocked at how little I had in my basket during checkout. I've already seen how getting back to basics can be a big relief on your budget! 

As far as my menu, I will be posting some recipes as I go, but here's the run down: I am starting everyday with a cup of miso soup. This is a nice way to introduce your body to food in the morning and gets your insides prepared for digestion. It's a really lovely alternative to coffee or tea, better than I imagined! My breakfasts are focusing more on whole grains and less on processed foods and sugar than usual. (Goodbye organic cereal with almond milk and whole wheat bagels with peanut butter! Hello to wheatberries and steel cut oats!) Lunchtime has been mostly leftovers or some type of salad. And dinner is a combination of grains like brown rice, lentils, barley, quinoa plus protein in the form of tempeh, tofu or beans and lots of veggies. There are even some desserts that can be called Superhero, but I'll try to keep those to a minimum. Last night I just had a tablespoon of unsweetened peanut butter and it was more satisfying than you'd think :-)

It's only been two days, but I do already feel some effects. It could be in my head, but I've had more energy, fewer body aches, more focus and even (dare I say it?) less acid reflux! Maybe I'm onto something here... I certainly don't anticipate that I'll be able to eat this cleanly 100% of the time. But even if I can do it 80-85% and have the occassional treat or meal at a restaurant, I shoud be ahead of the game.

I hope you enjoy the recipes I create on this new journey and I'll continue reporting on the effects that eating this way may (or may not) have. I'll continue taking the meds for now, just because I don't want the acid to cause any further damage, but depending on how things go, I may try to ween myself off of them. Keep your fingers crossed for me! And if you have any remedies or suggestions you'd like to share, please do so!

XOXO,

Hally

Recipe - Charro Beans

Good morning! Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend. We are finally starting to get some warmer weather here in NYC and it felt so nice to walk around without a heavy winter coat and snow boots for the first time in 5 months! It really does wonders to improve your mood when the sun is shining and the birds are tweeting.

I wanted to share this recipe for Charro Beans with you because I think it is perfect for springtime and the upcoming Cinco de Mayo. I made these to go with the Potato Tacos I posted about last week, but as yummy as the tacos were, I think I might have loved these beans even more. They're just so nourishing and satisfying and best of all VERY healthy so you can eat as much as you want and not have to cry in the closet from shame afterwards. (Am I the only one who does that? Hmmm...)  

It's weird that didn't encounter this style of beans until I was well into my 20s. A lot of Mexican restaurants in Tucson serve Sonoran-style food and the beans are generally of the refried persuasion with lots of melted yellow cheese on top (the kind you can peel off the top with a fork... you know what I'm talking about!). I was finally introduced to my bean soulmate at one of my favorite Tucson restaurants, appropriately named... El Charro! I used to work in dangerously close proximity their downtown location and my friend Michelle and I would eat lunch there more often than was prudent. There was just something so very relaxing about sitting on their sunny porch, sharing a salad, a cheese crisp (pre-vegan days) and occassionally sneaking in a beer (shhhh!). But the Charro beans were always the best choice, all at once warm, filling, and healthy. It's nice to get back to basics sometimes!

I feel like I type the phrase "Johnny was skeptical" a lot, but it's true! He's a picky eater, what can I say? Anyway, he was very hesitant to try these (especially after devouring three potato tacos), but I made him take one bite just so I could share his opinion. He liked them so much that he continued eating, unprovoked by me! I think he was deliriously tired, but it seemed I could do no wrong in the kitchen that night by him. :-)

This dish takes a little planning as you have to soak your beans for at least 8 hours. This is definitely the recommended method of cooking them as it means a shorter cooking time (so you cook out less of the nutrients) and in soaking you get rid of some of the indigestible complex sugars that make you gassy. No one likes a Gassy Gus! I just toss the beans and water in a large bowl before work and stick it in the fridge and by the time I get home they're ready to go. You can also buy canned beans and reduce the cooking time to really nothing at all, but beware of the sodium content of canned beans - rinsing them first will help get rid of some salt. Hope you enjoy!  

A dramatic little picture for such a charming dish!

Charro Beans

Serves 6

1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans

Water

1 tbsp olive oil

2 spring onions or 1 small white or yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 12 oz bottle of Mexican beer

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

One handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Place the beans in a large bowl and fill with water. (Ensure there is plenty of water as the beans will plump up as they soak and you want to make sure they remain covered by the water.) Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight or at least for 8 hours.

When the beans are soaked, drain them of their soaking liquid and rinse well. Place into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat to medium and allow to cook until almost completely tender, about 45-50 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until transluscent. Add the tomatoes and jalapeno and continue cooking for 5 minutes, until everything is tender. Pour in the beer and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the beer has reduced by about half. 

Pour the contents of the pan into the pot with the beans. Stir in the salt and pepper and continue cooking until the beans are completely tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve with a wedge of lime.

Nutritional Info per serving: Calories 213; Total Fat 3.5g; Saturated Fat 0.5g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 22mg; Carbohydrate 32.8 g; Dietary Fiber 9.8; Sugars 0.5g; Protein 10.7g; Alcohol 2.3g; Vitamin A 11%; Vitamin C 18%; Calcium 6%; Iron 15%

Recipe - Potato Tacos with Romesco Sauce & Pickled Red Onions

Howdy pardners! Long time no see. This will be a two parter as it comes from a meal so epic it had to be split up lest the awesomeness go all supernova and short circuit the internet. (I exaggerate a little sometimes.)


I was inspired by the tacos I ate at Teqa a few weeks back, but I wanted to change things up a bit and add some of my own flair. I am a big fan of potato tacos - essentially mashed potatoes in a fried corn tortilla shell - but haven't made my own before. I checked out a few recipes on-line and got to work, quickly figuring out some of the pitfalls. For one, my potato mixture (of which I made way too much) was pretty dry and tended to fall apart, so I couldn't overstuff the tacos or the filling came out in the frying pan and made a big ol' mess of my cooking oil. (If anyone has any suggestions for a potato filling that is a bit more sticky, please let me know!) The end result was tasty, but I think adding some liquid to the potatoes could be beneficial. Speaking of oil, I added WAY too much to the pan the first round and ruined a few tacos. But you live and learn, right? Or you learn from my mistakes and do it the right way the first go!

I also made a romesco sauce from scratch and I was so impressed with myself! I usually shy away from complicated sauces as they can be so time consuming, but I'm coming to realize that the more time you spend on the details, the bigger the reward. This sauce is to die for! It's smoky and rich and has so many flavors that I kept sampling it and saying, "...woah." It would also be delicious just tossed with some pasta, or as a dipping sauce for some grilled bread or potato pancakes.

And finally, the piece de resistance, the pickled red onions. Growing up, I would say 80% of my friends were Mexican, and they taught me about the finest Mexican delicacies. Everytime they made a trip across the border, they would come home loaded with Mexican candy - Pica, Duvalin (aka frosting with a spoon!), tamarindo, mazapan, obleas... oh jeez, my mouth is watering now! - and the enamel on my front teeth is completely gone thanks to childhood binges on lemons with saladitos stuck in the middle. I spent a lot of time at my friend Mary's house, consuming every dish her mom cooked up and put in front of me. I was so spoiled! One of my favorite things were the pickled red onions she always had in the refrigerator. They're vibrant purple and the flavor is simple and mind-blowingly delectable. They can work as an addition to many different meals, and now that I know how to make them, I think I'll start keeping a batch in my fridge, too. They're good just by themselves!

Johnny powered through three tacos, to the point where he had to stop and say, "I think I'm eating too fast." THEY'RE THAT GOOD. He was skeptical of the pickled red onions (again, it's all in the name for him), but after giving one a try he was a big fan. He suggested adding some pico de gallo on top to give an extra crunch.

Tomorrow, I'll post about the Charro Beans that I made to go on the side. The whole meal took about two hours to cook, but if you're just making the tacos I'd say it's closer to an hour.

There's a LOT going on here.

Potato Tacos with Romesco Sauce and Pickled Red Onions

Serves 4

One dozen corn tortillas

2-3 large potatoes

1 spring onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Romesco Sauce (recipe follows)

Pickled Red Onions (recipe follows)

1 avocado

1 small can diced green chiles

Juice of 1/2 lime

Lettuce (optional)

Peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle boil. Cook until potatoes are tender all the way through, about 30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Chop your onion (white and light green parts only) and add to potatoes. Add the salt, pepper and cumin and mash with a potato masher or fork. Set aside.

Microwave your tortillas on a small plate for about a minute, or until pliable. (This step is muy importante or your shells will break.) Scoop a few tablespoons of the potato mixture onto half of a tortilla being careful to leave a border near the edge of the tortilla. Press the potato mixture with your fingers so it sticks together, then fold your tortilla in half and press again so it stays closed. Repeat until you have used all your tortillas.

Heat a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet for 5 minutes. When the oil is ready, you will see some wavy lines appear in it. Cook the tacos in batches for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned. If your tacos are not browning and are soggy, increase the heat. Add additional oil as you go to maintain a thin layer in the bottom of your pan. Transfer the cooked tacos to a plate lined with paper towels to remove some of the oil.

In a small bowl, mash your avocado with the green chiles, lime juice and a dash of salt.

To assemble the tacos, place the tacos on a plate and top with Romesco sauce, guacamole, lettuce, and pickled red onions.

Romesco Sauce

Makes about 4 cups

(Based on this recipe with some changes)

1 red pepper

1/2 cup + 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided

3 tomatoes, halved

6 garlic cloves, skin removed

1/2 cup whole almonds with skin

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 slices crusty bread (I used semolina)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp sea salt

To roast your red pepper, remove the stem, seeds, and pith and cut the pepper in half. Rub the skin with 1/2 tsp olive oil and place on a small baking sheet. Cook under a broiler for 10-15 minutes on each side until the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft. When it's cool enough to handle, remove the skin and set the pepper aside.

Heat your oven to 450 degrees. On the same baking sheet, arrange your tomatoes, garlic cloves, almonds, and pine nuts. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven, scoop the pine nuts out (which should be nicely toasted) and replace with the two pieces of bread. Place back in the oven for another 7-8 minutes.

Transfer all ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add in the red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt and process until very smooth. Pour into a bowl and allow to sit for as lot as possible before using to allow the flavors to combine.

Pickled Red Onions

Makes 1 cup

(Recipe by one of my foodie loves, Rick Bayless)

1 small red onion, peeled

1/2 cup lime juice

1 1/2 tsps salt

Thinly slice the red onion and separate the rings. Place into a non-reactive bowl (I used glass). Boil some water in a tea kettle and pour over the onion until covered. Ten seconds later, drain the onions and return to the bowl. Add the lime juice and salt and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. These will last a week or more in the refrigerator.

Nutritional info: It all depends on how much cooking oil you use, etc. It's safe to say this isn't health food, so let's just leave the nutritional info out on this one, shall we? (If you'd really like to know, just email me and I'll be happy to post!) 

Sabor de Soledad - Part I

In my lifelong quest to be more like Andy Rooney, "Sabor de Soledad" is a new column in which I will share amusing, food-related items from the internet with you. If you have any suggestions, send them to me at hally.thornton@gmail.com

In writing my recipe for Potato Tacos with Romesco Sauce and Pickled Red Onions (post coming tomorrow!) I make mention of certain Mexican candies I grew up eating. I decided to Google "Mexican candy" to see what some of the ingredients in my faves were and whether or not they are vegan. (A lot of them apparently contain lead, which explains so, so much....) I stumbled across this web site called The Latin Products, a shopping destination for food, cooking utensils, cleaning products and everything "Latin". 

Let me preface this by saying that I have always been a big fan of things that get a bit... lost in translation. One clear memory from a trip my sister and I took to Europe a few years back is a sign in the B&B where we stayed in Florence. It gently asked of the guests: "Close you sweetly every door." So poetic, so adorable. I also have an amazing user's manual that came with a mini-TV I won at an office holiday party. The TV was manufactured in Japan and the manual was written by someone who obviously spoke English as a second language (or third... maybe forth?). The TV is long gone, but I've held on to that manual with a vengeance, because it is the funniest thing I've ever read!

Well, it may have competition now. The descriptions on The Latin Products web site itself are generally grammatically correct and straightforward. But there is a strange "blog" associated with The Latin Products on which someone waxes poetic about some of the things they sell, and they do so in a way that has me positively spellbound. SPELLBOUND.

I'm scared!

Take, for example, the De La Rosa Giant Marshmallows (my comments in italics):

"Giant Marshmallows: Get Tempted Looking Along Their Length" Nice headline. Way to pull the readers in.

"The De La Rosa Marshmallow is practically the largest you will ever come across. Size is not the main issue here, though, but the savor is. Even before you open the packet, your nostrils are teased by the tempting aroma of these De La Rosa Marshmallows. Once you open the packet, all you feel like doing is just sit on the couch all day long as you enjoy your favorite marshmallows while watching your favorite show." I just like the visual of nostrils being teased. Moving on...

"If you are bored with the monotony of having cake, ice cream or fruits for dessert after a sumptuous meal, the De La Rosa Marshmallows is the only way to go. This snack of giant marshmallows is more than just perfect for desserts. What’s more, it is a sweet tasting candy that even kids will enjoy eating! Make them eat as much as they can, and turn them into sweet-toothed kids. Its fun you know!"  Whaaaaa?! Guess it's a step  up from shoving lead in their mouths, but holy crap!

"The De La Rosa Marshmallow is a snack that has all goodness wrapped up in its sugary form. Pick one up and take some time to push it into your mouth until its full length is in your mouth. Don’t wolf it down as you may lose its original taste as you hustle." I am reading this at work and every time I read it again I can barely stop myself from laughing so hard as to make people worry. WHOA!

I mean it just goes on and on! They sort of make it seem like each post is written by a different person, but it's confusing. "Someone else" with a stronger grasp on the English language, but no obvious sense of decency, writes about these mutant marshmallows:

"These are such large marshmallows that sometimes it’s difficult to get your mouth around the whole thing. My kids play a game called Chubby Bunny with them, where you put one large marshmallow in your mouth and say the words “chubby bunny.” A friend does the same thing, and then you put a second large marshmallow in your mouth without chewing the first one. Continue this until one person’s mouth is so full it is impossible to get the words out." I can't get the words out... you've rendered me speechless, Latin Products.

What's in that cup, Granny?

Let's not forget this sensual description of Abuelita's Mexican Chocolate:

"My personal favorite way to use Abuelita Mexican chocolate is to enjoy it as a warm drink on those winter nights to drive the chill away.  It is indeed a divine feeling to hold the tumbler of that delicious drink and sip it up till the last drop. Not to mention that freaky attempt of extending my tongue out and wait patiently till I enjoy that last drop which just refuses to come. As I cannot restrain my craze to taste such scrumptious delights made with Abuelita chocolate, I never feel bad for doing such mad tricks. After all, it boils down to anything for the Abuelita chocolate." You talk about your grandma with that mouth?!?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the site here and let me know what other gems you uncover. I'm going to try to scrub myself clean in the shower now. <shudder>