Busy Athlete’s Black bean and Kale Quinoa, 3 ways, 3 days
My friend Amanda (see Ironclad Resolution post) and I are collaborating on a project involving coordinating workouts and nutrition for endurance athletes. One of the most common struggles for endurance buffs, or any busy person who is health and fitness conscious, is finding time to focus on high quality nutrition while fitting in high quality workouts, alongside the usual busyness of life, job, family, etc. Here’s a big pot meal that can help alleviate some of the planning stress, while simultaneously negating the urge to pick up something quick on the way home. Make a big pot’s worth on Sunday, for example, then transform it with little tweaks through the week. Although all recipes state exact measurements, one of the best parts of a recipe like this is, you can pretty much go on intuition and throw everything in, adding what you’ve got, with minimal risk of failure (failure in this case meaning, something inedible at worst or even just unappealing).
February 3, 2010
Posted in: Uncategorized, fitness, pasta and grains 
2 Comments
Christina’s Cinnamon Orange Date Muffins
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, and somehow you don’t like dates, chances are you haven’t tried them the right way yet. Stuffed with goat cheese and baked (wrapped in pancetta if you really want to go indulgent) they make an impeccable, impressive yet easy appetizer that thrilled me to bits when I was introduced to it in its delectable simplicity, only this past holiday season (thanks, Robin!). They’re great paired with chicken, as in Moroccan cooking. Chopped and tossed in oatmeal, salads, breads, bars, and cookies, they pack a sugary punch that doesn’t take much to satisfy. Fiber-full and rich in potassium, as well as a variety of B-complex vitamins, dates are so richly sweet, they’re a tasty natural alternative to granulated sugar for many recipes when ground up as “date sugar”. The other week, I had leftover dates from making a batch of my friend Christina’s favorite whole wheat date cookies (more on this another time, as I’m planning to experiment with a new version of these using homemade date “sugar”). I also happened to have just the smallest amount of leftover homemade orange marmalade, and conveniently decided I wanted muffins. Here’s the result, dedicated to Christina.
January 25, 2010
Posted in: Breads and Baking One Comment
“Money Meal” Lunch (and Phoenix race report)
As of this past weekend, I have a happy new pre-race nutrition routine, at least where marathons and other athletic endeavors that actually benefit from carbo-loading are concerned: the classic pre-race pasta dinner at lunchtime. I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before. Then, the best part, a stack of pancakes plus something lip-smacking salty a few hours later (that’s just my personal addition to the sensible first part of the concept). It’s an individual preference, and definitely not at all a scientific conclusion, but neither was wearing the same underwear the day before a big event, and I did that for years unwaveringly. At least this new tradition resulted in actually feeling good, and boosted the sense of being prepared. I’ve always been a fan of breakfast at dinner, but not necessarily preceded by dinner at lunchtime, and definitely not accompanied by, in this case, sodium-laden Denny’s chicken soup. However, before the Phoenix marathon on Sunday, the timing and combination were perfect, leaving me feeling energized but not leaden. Here’s the full race report, for anyone interested in the bit-too-detailed details:
January 20, 2010
Posted in: fitness One Comment
Creamy Whole Grain Comfort: Brown Rice Pudding
For as long as I can remember, creamy rice pudding has been one of my favorite food soothers, especially when warm. But just like we favor hearty brown rice over it’s stripped-down counterpart, I wanted to explore ways of using brown rice for pudding, though white lends itself so much better to that creaminess that’s somehow so comforting. This week’s experimenting has been a little bit tricky; I was going for texture that elevated the product closer to dessert quality, or at least suitable for snacking, but really wanted it to be breakfast. So, the goal was nutritious, not too sweet, but flavorful; smooth more than grainy, but hearty. The initial result received some mixed reviews, and was a good reminder of the vastness between individual palates. I really liked version one for example, but others found it bland. I found the feedback was much more wholly positive when I increased the sweetener (maple syrup or agave), included 2 eggs, and moved from skim to lowfat milk. For someone scrupulously cutting back on calories, these may seem like more indulgent choices, but from a nutritional angle, the extra calories are well worth considering. Eggs, for example, not only help add a rich dimension and assist with browning and coagulating, they’re back in the spotlight again for their many health benefits, including being a great source of inflammation-reducing choline, important for brain function for one, high-quality protein, B vitamins and much more. It’s best to tailor to your personal tastes. What’s more, this is one of the most fail-safe, tweakable dishes out there. It may not always wow you, but it’s not likely to bomb. Much like a good bowl of porridge, you can throw just about anything in and it’ll work out. So instead of writing out the final version alone, here are three standard templates for prepping the rice, with a couple variations on completing the preparation.
January 13, 2010
Posted in: Uncategorized One Comment
Quick Post: Skin Deep and More, The Quick Skinny on Kiwis
Recently, I’ve been interviewing sources for an article, and in the process, discovered a few interesting tidbits indirectly related to my topic. One in particular has already impacted my life, in a small, but pleasingly tangy and satisfying way: you can eat kiwi skins. “Not many people know this,” Sara Ferrigno, a nutritionist in San Francisco, told me. I had never before thought about it myself, even though the idea made complete and utter sense. After all, we embrace apple and potato skins as being the biggest part of the nutritional package, along with a whole host of other foods, including grapes. What’s more, Sara’s description made kiwi-skin eating seem tantalizingly easy and freshly appealing. “I love doing this,” she said. ” It allows you to take the fruit on-the-go and is a great way to boost fiber in your diet, skins being where fiber is the most concentrated. And, believe it or not, the skin doesn’t taste like much at all- just wash and go!” You wouldn’t think this revelation would be such a big deal, but not only are the hairy exteriors generally unappealing, they represent just that teeny bit of hassle that often makes me leave lusciously delicious kiwis in the fruit bowl too long. This is a shame, as kiwis contain more vitamin C than the equivalent amount of oranges, plus a whole host of other great nutrients. The combination of health-promoting phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals in kiwis are in fact the subject of a lot of ongoing research, with regard to both oral and topical use. Anyway, after hearing Sara’s endorsement, I immediately tried scrubbing and eating a kiwi-on-the-go, and, seriously, aside from the two pointy, knobby ends that had to be discarded, it was awesome. Admittedly,the timing was great, as I was thirsty after finishing a run. Since then, however, I’ve eaten several more kiwis, skin and all, at varying times of day. The result is, I’ve felt an injection of refreshing variety in my week, and I’ve channeled a little thought and curiosity into what other fruit and vegetable skins are surprisingly edible. For one, Sara’s comment reminded me of something I read by Jamie Oliver concerning roasted butternut squash. He cuts his squash into wedges, removes the seeds, dabs with a little olive oil and salt, and rubs with spices. He then roasts, skin sides down, at 400 degrees F until tender, about half an hour. In The Naked Chef, Jamie writes, “The spicy flavor will cook into the squash, and the skin will crisp slightly, becoming caramelized and chewy.” Quickly doing a little research online, I’m learning that all parts of squash plants in general are edible when cooked. In fact, the entire plant can be eaten when prepared well. Other peels that come up in a quick search for the surprisingly edible include bananas, plantains, and mangoes, but at this juncture I’m a bit skeptical and not motivated enough to experiment. Yet.
Photo credit: Flikr user Darrren Hester
January 5, 2010
Posted in: Uncategorized One Comment
Ironclad Resolution: Lightened lean beef, mushroom, and spinach lasagna
My friend Amanda is a true Jack (or Jaqueline) of all Trades, being a seriously competitive athlete, wonder-working massage therapist, coach, teacher, and freelance writer. We’ve been collaborating on a fun project, matching training ideals and workouts to recipes. Heading into the new year, we can all get revved up once again to resolve to be better, fitter, faster, kinder, and healthier. One way I love to work at achieving all of these and more is, of course, running. Whether you train alone or in a group, time spent pounding the pavement or even better, trails, contributes not just to your cardio fitness, but your personal reflection and perspective too. But anyone who runs, except for perhaps the odd abnormality and enigma the rest of us can’t help but be jealous of, eventually discovers that running can really deliver a beating, too. One of the casualties can be your iron stores, particularly for women; this is even more significant when training at altitude. Read what Amanda has to say about iron, and enjoy an easy, lightened up lasagna, brimming with iron-rich foods like lean beef, spinach and whole grains, and great for both pre and refueling those tempo, interval, and long run workouts.
January 1, 2010
Posted in: Health and hygiene, fitness, pasta and grains 2 Comments
Happy Birthday, Mary! Butternut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Awhile back I had a cupcake request from my friend Emilee (the same inspiration behind the banana oatmeal chip cookie variations, and supercalifragilistic supporter at Vineman, too). She was frustrated by the beckoning allure of lard-topped creations to the under-5, and wary of boxed mixes. Baking for her two beautiful daughters, Mary and Laura, Emilee was on the lookout for healthier versions. At the same time, she wanted the be sure that they still looked like the decadently sugar versions her girls looked forward to.
Honestly, I’ve got to vouch for saving some space for cupcakes. Singularly satisfying, these mini baked goods can be at once refined and delicate, child-like and cheerful. Plus, not so suddenly, they’re totally back in style, with new publications and shops budding everyday devoted solely to assorted cup creations. Birthdays are definitely among those occasions when everyone deserves cupcakes from scratch, not necessarily overly lightened up. When it comes to kids’ birthdays, however, it’s pretty rare that birthday cake (or cupcake) is limited to the actual birth date. With strings of parties to host and attend, it’s nice to know there are ways to “sneak” a little added nutrition into celebrations, while scaling back on sugar and fat. This week, in honor of Emilee’s daughter Mary’s birthday coming up early in the new year, I decided to experiment with one of my winter favorites, butternut squash, with the goal of making it rich in goodness, but more like a cupcake than a quick bread, less dense, and more fluffy.
December 23, 2009
Posted in: Breads and Baking, Desserts, Uncategorized No Comments
Have Yourself a Merry Little Cookie Collection
I LOVE the holiday season, and nearly everything about it, fostering a child-like adoration for A Charlie Brown’s Christmas, the bustle and trimmings, and especially the peace and quiet magic that is Christmas Eve. One of my favorite aspects though, has got to be the cookies. Not actually eating cookies, strange as that may sound, but baking and decorating them, enjoying their seasonal scents, and the fun of exchanging them. Last year, I held my first cookie swap, and it felt like an instant tradition, though it was a good amount of work. But this year, when the holidays seemed to creep up even faster and more furiously than ever, I considered writing it off (as if!). Talking with my wonderful, cherished Kinder-teammate Melissa, however, shed light on a possible compromise: why not organize a super simple one at school, spreading the holiday cheer without the prep and clean-up? It sounded so simple, and was…until my wisely persuasive and enthusiastic friend Mary determined we had to have a cookie swap with some of our mutual runner/triathlete friends, too. Since I was secretly nurturing the same idea, I went from organizing 0 to 2 cookie swaps in the space of 48 hours. And actually, the contrast between the two seemed like a fun experimental observational opportunity. Of course, it wasn’t really an experiment, given that neither teachers nor runners/triathletes are one-dimensional, and both groups held individuals who easily belong in both categories. Still, I tried my best to learn more about my friends via cookie choices, and here’s essentially what I did gather: 1) No one appreciates extra homework (like emailing cookie recipes) during the holidays, and especially not teachers. Only three teacher swappers provided me with a recipe on time, and 2 of the 3 were my own teammates. Runners/triathletes were much more disciplined about following through with “the plan”. 2) You can call your general cooking style a reflection of yourself and your ideals, but cookies have an identity all their own (beginning with the infamously independent gingerbread man, of the can’t catch me, nobody can ilk), very distinctly separate from you, and thus it is really silly attempting to tie holiday cookie choices too much to one’s personal nutritional philosophy. Going for broke on making festive treats doesn’t mean you’ve got to gorge yourself on what you’ve got, so, taking a little hiatus from the usual healthful focus of this blog, enjoy some of the collected recipes shared here by friends.
December 17, 2009
Posted in: Breads and Baking, Uncategorized 2 Comments
Healthy Holiday Favorite: Sweet Potatoes
Spicy sweet potato fries as featured in Natural Solutions, May '08
Throughout the holiday season, wonderfully sweet, antioxidant loaded sweet potatoes are at their best. So absolutely delicious on their own, whether boiled, mashed, roasted, baked, or grilled, it’s a wonder that tradition has us drown the natural goodness with unnecessary fluff, such as the likes of tiny marshmallows. A powerhouse for infection-fighting and staunchly eyes and skin protective, vitamin A (providing over 200% of the daily value per vegetable), sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin C, and good sources of many other nutrients, including vitamin B6, manganese, fiber, and even iron. Well disposed to the sweet or savory, they’re transformed into sides, mains, breakfasts, and desserts. Here are some of my favorite sweet potato standbys, for the holidays and throughout the year. Check back for additions (like sweet potato pie, which didn’t make this particular post), and feel free to send in your own!
December 6, 2009
Posted in: Breads and Baking, Uncategorized, Vegetables 2 Comments
Quick post: The Farmer’s Garden
You know, as tense and turbulent as our economic situation has been of late, there are a few glimmering silver linings. 
In general, people are more conscious of the impact of each decision, and have been able to find reassurance in reaffirming what is truly most valuable to them. Tighter budgets have also aligned in many instances with a heightened focus on sustainability, reflected in increasing interest in home gardening. And, one of my favorite upshots of tough times, bartering is back!
Today, I wanted to take a quick second to introduce a new site that brings structure to the bartering of fresh produce, and has incredible potential, The Farmer’s Garden. Launched recently by master gardener Maureen Farmer (yes, that is her real surname!), this budding, national resource offers produce lovers everywhere the chance to post their surpluses and interests for sale, barter, or even giveaway. Best of all, this gem is one of those treasures which happily increases in value alongside the number of people who know about it. Register for free to type in your zip code for information on local produce in your area.
December 5, 2009
Posted in: Uncategorized One Comment
