Shpaghetti Shquash and Shpinach Shpecialties...

OK, maybe the title for this post is lame, but the RECIPE IS DEEEE-LICIOUS! I had bookmarked this when I saw it in my latest issue of Vegetarian Times, and I made it tonight.

Can't say I would have predicted that I'd be putting "spaghetti squash," "spinach" and "fritter" in the same sentence, but I'm a believer now. These little flying saucers of goodness melted in our mouths and were totally satisfying. Give 'em a try!

My only caveat: the recipe says the recipe will make 16 2-inch fritters; I made 8. I don't think I did anything wrong, but...

SPINACH AND SPAGHETTI SQUASH FRITTERS
serves 4

A lightly spicy combination of spinach and spaghetti squash is shaped into 
crisp oven-baked fritters.

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash (1½–2 lb.)
2 cups packed baby spinach
½ cup diced red bell pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (I used some gluten free breadcrumbs I have stored in my freezer)
¼ cup all-purpose flour (again, GF)
¼ tsp. ground chipotle chile powder


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Pierce squash in several places with knife. Microwave 3 minutes on high power to soften. Slice off ends, and stand squash upright. Cut straight down length of squash. Remove seeds with spoon. Place halves cut side down on rimmed baking sheet, and add 11/2 cups water to cover surface. Bake 30 minutes, or until squash yields when pressed. (OK, this method of prepping the squash to be cut is PURE genius. SO. Much. Easier.)

3. Cool squash cut side up 10 minutes. Scrape halves with fork to release strands. Measure out 21/2 cups strands.

4. Meanwhile, spread spinach on baking sheet. Bake 2 minutes, or until just wilted. Cool. Squeeze dry, and chop.

5. Stir together spaghetti squash, bell pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, flour, chipotle powder, and spinach in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

6. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, and increase oven temperature to 425°F.


7. Divide squash mixture into 16 2-inch disks; place on baking sheet. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, turning once.

from Vegetarian Times, Oct 2014, p. 69

Totes Tomatoes

Well, this summer has provided a BUMPER crop of tomatoes, thanks to my housemate's dad roto-tilling the beds before we planted. We feasted all summer on cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, fat and sassy Heirloom tomatoes and last but not least, some Gilberti tomatoes (which look very much like big ol' chili peppers on the outside, but are meaty and tasty tomatoes on the inside).

From Caprese salad to omelettes to pizza to tacos to a quick thrown together rice-and-vegetables something-or-other, these little red balloons of deliciousness have delivered every time.

I am sad to see them go, so I wanted to go out with a bang. My latest issue of Vegetarian Times gave me just the recipe to do so. This recipe, even for a half batch, required a whole mixing bowl of the season's end of tomatoes. It was crazy to cut up so many and see them get pulverized into a glistening and mouth-watering sauce.

If you want a flavorful dish with lots of color and texture, this does the trick. Enjoy! (And farewell, sweet tomato friends... see you next summer.)

Tomato Curry with Tofu and Vegetables
serves 6 (remember, I made a half-batch)

Curry Sauce
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 medium white onion, diced
5 large tomatoes, chopped (6 cups)
⅓ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup raw cashews
½ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ tsp. garam masala, optional

Tofu and Vegetables
2 Tbs. vegetable oil, divided
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into ½-inch cubes
8 oz. white button mushrooms, quartered (3 cups)
½ cup frozen peas, thawed

1. To make Curry Sauce: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, and sauté 30 seconds. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes more. Add tomatoes, and cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Transfer to blender (I used my immersion blender directly into my soup pot), add yogurt and cashews, and purée until smooth. Return sauce to saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat. Add turmeric and garam masala (if using), and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, or until thickened. (I made this sauce in the afternoon, then threw everything else together that night before din din.)

2. Meanwhile, to make Tofu and Vegetables: Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and sauté 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Transfer to plate, and set aside. Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in same skillet, add mushrooms, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Stir tofu, mushrooms, and peas into Curry Sauce; season with salt, if desired. Cook over low heat 5 minutes, or until heated through.


September 2014, Vegetarian Times p.10

Best Dessert of 2014 (so far, anyway)

Old friends (and former students from youth group days) Cassie and Chase had me over for dinner last night and blew me away with a glorious feast of lentil veggie burgers, baked sweet potato fries, onion relish for the burgers, topping it off with this RIDICULOUS dessert.

After taking several bites, Cassie tried to get me to guess the ingredients. Never in a zillion years would I have figured this out. But friends and neighbors, you don't have to be a gluten-free, granola-lovin' vegan who doesn't shave your legs to like this amazingness. JUST. TRY. IT.

(P.S. Cassie got this from a friend, who got it here... just spreading the love through the blogosphere!)

Flourless Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies with Sea Salt {vegan, gluten-free & healthy}

INGREDIENTS

Cooking Spray
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup all natural almond butter or peanut butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar (you can also use honey if you’re not vegan)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup vegan (or regular) chocolate chips plus 2 tablespoons
sea salt, for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a food processor, add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth. Fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips, I like to use dark chocolate because it has less sugar but it’s up to you. Note: Batter will be thick and super delicious, so you could actually just eat it on it’s own!

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. (The batter may stick to your spatula, so I like to spray my spatula with nonstick cooking spray first.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges are a tiny bit brown. The batter may look underdone, but you don’t want them to dry out!

Cool pan for 20 minutes on wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt then cut into squares. Makes 16 blondies.

Notes
Adding an egg to the batter will make it more cake-like, but not vegan.
You can use your favorite nut butter, just make sure it’s all natural.
Feel free to add in other things according to your dietary needs like nuts, dried fruit, or other types of chocolate.

What To Do With Hot Temps & Winter Vegetables?

I haven't posted a recipe in a long while, not for lack of cooking. I have enjoyed many of my favorites lately, but was ready to try something new tonight. I ate it as I caught up on the latest episode of Downton Abbey... while I'm still not sure whether I like where this season is going (can we please remove the black cloud from Bates and Anna and get on with it!??), I am sure I will make this recipe again.

Winter Vegetable Medley
I followed most of this recipe, but had to substitute for orzo, since I'm gluten-free. It was still wonderfully full of flavor, and I'm confident it will taste even better tomorrow as all the seasonings deepen. A true keeper.

Serves 4
30 minutes or fewer

Good-quality saffron is the key to this dish. Shop at a reliable source such as a gourmet store or online spice purveyor, and choose brands that indicate where the saffron was harvested. Kashmiri, Persian, and Spanish saffrons are some of the best.

Ingredients
2 ¾ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. saffron threads
1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted whole tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved, and tomatoes halved
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
1 cup orzo pasta (I used 1/2c arborio rice and 1/2c buckwheat groats)
¼ cup frozen peas (I used snap peas)
2 cups large cauliflower florets
8 green onions, each cut into thirds
1 cup large broccoli florets (I used brussels sprouts)

Directions
1. Bring broth to a simmer in saucepan. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, saffron, and tomato liquid. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and keep hot. (This was my favorite part in cooking this dish... the broth was really fragrant.)

2. Coat large skillet or 8-qt. Dutch oven with cooking spray, add oil, and heat over high heat. Add tomatoes, sear 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned and dry, and transfer to plate. Add bell pepper, sear 2 to 3 minutes, and transfer to same plate.

3. Sprinkle orzo (grains) into skillet, and stir 30 seconds. Stir in broth and peas, and reduce heat to medium. Arrange cauliflower florets on top of orzo in pot. Arrange green onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper pieces around cauliflower; cover, and simmer without stirring, 11 minutes. Scatter broccoli over vegetables, remove pot from heat, and let stand, covered, 10 minutes, or until orzo has absorbed all liquid and broccoli is crisp-tender. (This took slightly longer because I used the arborio and buckwheat... it was worth the wait!)

I toasted some walnuts and chopped them up coarsely, sprinkling them on top as the final touch. Quite good.

November 2013 p.30, Vegetarian Times

Other favorites I've made lately
Butternut Squash Risotto
Polenta Pizza
Almost Alfredo
Broccoli Pesto
Thai Peanut Sauce over Noodles

Though hot temperatures in January have me confused, the drought has me worried and Downton is more of a downer than I would prefer, at least I'm eating well! Onward and upward. Happy 2014!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

In sunny, silly Santa Barbara, the main way I can tell that it is fall (even though it was 80 pickin' degrees yesterday...) is that there is a plethora of sweet potatoes, yams, squash and pumpkins in the store. I love them all!

As I approached lunchtime today, I looked at the sweet potato on my counter, and then turned to my pantry. With a can of diced tomatoes and a can of black beans, I was confident something good was coming... I googled those three ingredients, and here's where I landed.

Wish I could share a bowl with you right now. My tummy is quite happy. Stoked too that leftovers will be divine! Try it out.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (see Note)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups water
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* I also added a half-cup of frozen corn kernels

PREPARATION
Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

"One Grain More" (aka Gluten Free Should Not Be Trendy)

Eating gluten free is getting a bad rap these days, in my opinion. Earlier this month a story came out in the media that 30% of adults are trying to eat gluten free. I mean, really? The articles quote some "expert" who says that "This is the health issue of the day." Ah, only in America, folks, with our first-world problems.

Now, when someone invites me over for dinner and asks if I have any "issues," or I'm on a consulting project and am asked what we should order in, it's hard not to feel ridiculous when I say I'm gluten-free. I secretly wish I could wear some little badge that makes the disclaimer that I'm not trying to be paleo or Atkins or whatever... (For a post from 2009 giving some of my reasons for eating gluten free, go here.)

But I will not play the martyr. I need to laugh at it along with everyone else. Enjoy this very funny video mocking the gluten free trend, titled "One Grain More."

I would not be gluten free if it did not make me feel a lot better, because it's not convenient or fun, especially when I travel. However, I have learned to work with it, and am now sort of enjoying the adventure of it. Now, when I'm heading out of town I google to find out where I can eat gluten free. Here are my top four so far:

Veggie Grill, which has several locations in the west (of course), serves some really good vegetarian and GF options. I went to one in Seattle during a recent work project, had some mac and cheese made with quinoa pasta that was terrific.

Risotteria in NYC. Probably my favorite so far. They serve you GF breadsticks when you sit down, and those are things you realize how much you miss when you finally get to have them! I let myself eat whatever sounded good: beer, sandwich, salad, dessert... because all of it was gluten free. It's my happy place these days when I am daydreaming...

Flappy Jacks in Glendora, CA. I am down in Azusa at least twice a month, and whenever I have to spend the night, I brave the crowds and go here. They have a huge gluten free menu filled with all the things you have hung your head over as a gluten free eater and just accepted you cannot have: waffles, french toast, pancakes that actually taste like pancakes...

Sensitive Sweets, Fountain Valley, CA. I just stumbled onto this place during a vacation in Laguna Beach. I had a chocolate fudge cupcake that was practically a religious experience (yes, go ahead and picture me with fudge frosting circling my mouth...). I bought a GF cake mix that was used for my birthday a few months later and it was perfection.

Those are just a few of the highlights. While I'm at it, I have to vent about my #1 pet peeve as one who has to eat gluten free: nearly every church I visit for training, speaking, consulting, etc., build their community meals around what I call the Big Three: pasta, pizza or sandwiches! I know, I know, it's because these items tend to be cheaper. But I end up scrounging around for iceberg lettuce and gloppy Italian dressing in the church kitchen refrigerator, and try to smile... Fortunately, whenever I visit Latino churches, I do just fine as I stuff my face with chicken, beans, salsa, corn tortillas...

Parting advice you didn't ask for: If you are considering going gluten free, I strongly suggest you do so only if you are having genuine medical issues, as I did. My acid reflux went away and the rumbling down below has abated, thankfully. Despite all the press about it as "the health issue of the day," I actually gained weight during the first two years I followed a GF diet, and finally got it all under control this year, losing twenty pounds as I understood more about metabolism, whole grains, etc.

Furthermore, it's not something you sort of do, like "I try to avoid it when I can..." because once I gave it up, I found that I actually became more sensitized to gluten if I fudged or accidentally ate it. (Other GF'ers have confirmed this too). You're either all in or all out. Otherwise, you do not gain the benefits that you think might be there.

There are a lot of GF products out there now, but be wise... I learned the hard way that you only want to eat whole grain. A lot of GF products use white rice flour, tapioca flour, etc, and that is high on the glycemic index (which sounds like I know what I'm talking about, but I don't... do your homework.)

All for now... go ahead and make fun of gluten free trendiness. I'm right with you.

Four Days of Rain + Many Vegetables = Delicious Soup!

I posted this soup on the second day of January in 2011 and it merits recycling because my house smells SO GOOD right now as I await the finishing touches on a batch of this. I have a crisper full of celery, kale, mushrooms, leeks and brussels sprouts, plus a couple of garlic cloves on the counter, so here goes.

Asian Mushroom Soup

When it is raining really hard, it's chilly, and you're in denial over the end of vacation, here's a good solution... a veryflavorful soup, full of vegetables, chicken and rice noodles.

I had some chicken broth I made after having an amazing roast chicken on New Year's Eve. But you could just use canned broth or bouillon cubes if you had to. The flavor comes from the garlic, ginger, soy sauce and mirin. If you don't currently have that in your pantry, you should... it's a great ingredient for salad dressings or just to add some tang to stir fry.

My roommate is fighting a cold, so I'm hoping the combo of ginger and garlic can do some chicken soup magic -- with a little Asian flair.

Happy New Year people. Don't be in denial -- it's gonna be a great year!

Ingredients

• 4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (or tamari if you're gluten-free like me)
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced -- white buttons, oyster, shitake, portobello and crimini; if using shitake, discard stems 
• 3 cups white cabbage, cut in wedges (I didn't have cabbage, but had a stalk of brussels sprouts. Yummy!)
• 2 cups fresh udon noodles or cooked linguine (I used a package of pho noodles -- PERFECT)
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, with some of the green tops
• 2 cups shredded raw spinach or whole baby spinach leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon mirin (sweetened rice wine) (optional)

Directions

In a large pot, combine broth, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots and chicken. Cover. Bring to a boil; simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in noodles, green onions and spinach; simmer until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes. Season.

What's Cookin'? (Arroz Negrito Otra Vez)

I posted this recipe last year around this time, but made it again tonight, with two unique changes.

I got the idea for the changes from the Here & Now podcast on NPR. The cook they interviewed talked about (I kid you not) milking the corn when you cut off the kernels. After I got over how crazy it sounded, I realized I had to try it.

Additionally, I took her advice and chopped the leftover cob into 4 big chunks and threw them into the mix as it cooked to suck every tasty flavor out of it before I threw it out.

I'm happy to say a hearty yesssssss! to these changes. The sweetness of the "corn milk" was apparent, yet the kernels still popped with good summer flavor.

Arroz Negrito makes me happy in so many ways... it reminds of my beloved trips to Guatemala with students, it tastes FANTASTIC on homemade corn tortillas, and it leaves you with leftovers that might just taste even better than the first round.


ARROZ NEGRITO / GALLO PINTO / FAT TUMMY
Serves 4

1 cup of white or brown rice
1 tbsp of oil
1 onion, chopped
minced garlic - the more the merrier
1 can black beans - drain the liquid into a measuring cup
1 small can diced green chiles - drain off fluid and add to black bean liquid
1 chopped green pepper (leave in chunky pieces)
1 chopped zucchini
1 tsp of chicken or vegetable bouillon
1 tbsp diced cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano
1 corn on the cob (follow the instructions for "milking the corn" from the link above - it's easy)
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Sauté the garlic and onion directly in the rice cooker by turning it to "cook." Continue till onion is slightly translucent.

Add rice, the bouillon, spices, and the rest of vegetables.

Mix together until it all starts to clump together. At this point add the beans. Stir together.

Add enough water into measuring cup of bean, tomato & chile water until it makes 2 cups of water. Put this water into rice cooker. Stir well.

Cover and cook!

Serve warm and garnish with pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, sliced avocado... use either as a filling for burritos or soft tacos, or just piping hot in a bowl! And here's the recipe for my homemade corn tortillas.

Other possible vegetables to include:

1 can of diced tomatoes - use fluid from that to add to black bean water (I did that tonight - ¡perfecto!)

diced cabbage
mushrooms
chard

Too Many Tomatoes? (What's Cookin', Part Four)

I first got turned on to cooking seasonally after reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. One of my favorite sections describes what happens to her family as they "drown in tomatoes" during peak tomato season in late summer.

With only two tomato plants in the little condo garden next to my home (planted by my great housemate), I can't say I'm drowning, exactly... but earlier this week I picked a half pound of tomatoes for my dinner (used in the recipe below) and then two days later was able to pick another two pounds to bring with me for a weekend trip with friends to Lake Arrowhead, where I contributed homemade pizza sauce for dinner on Saturday night. That's a lotta tomatoes in my world.

But if I can keep making meals like this newest recipe, I will welcome the bounty. Homegrown tomatoes taste nothing like store-bought ones -- so sweet and flavorful. What I liked best about this recipe was discovering the wonder of making roasted tomatoes. I threw in a couple of my own twists to this recipe from Martha Stewart -- try your own additions. Go crazy!

PASTA WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, GARLIC, CAPERS and CREAM CHEESE
(adapted from Martha Stewart)



Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes (I used a combo of Romas and cherry tomatoes)

3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, plus more for serving, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 pound short pasta, such as orecchiette (I used Trader Joe's brown rice fusilli - you want something with a lot of shape so that the sauce can grip on to it)

Salt

My additions: 3 whole garlic cloves (peeled); 1 tablespoon cream cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes, capers, garlic cloves and oregano with oil and season with salt. Roast until tomatoes burst and begin to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.

Return pasta and 1/4 cup pasta water to pot and add tomato mixture. Cook over high until sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until sauce becomes a light red, almost pinkish color. If necessary, add remaining pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta. Serve sprinkled with oregano.

Black Bean Soup = Happy Belly

It's Friday, I'm done with a long week, it's pouring rain, and a luxurious three-day weekend awaits... for me that means making a big ol' pot of soup to kick off a few days of nesting and resting. Ahhhhh....

So I rooted through my latest issue of Vegetarian Times, the pantry and the crisper to figure out what to make. I came up with this recipe, though I varied it according to what I had on hand (because my lands, I wasn't going out into that rain!)

CUBAN BLACK BEAN & POTATO SOUP
Serves 2-3

1 medium onion (or 1/4 cabbage, which is what I had in the crisper)
1 small red bell pepper, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cans black beans
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 tb vinegar (recipe calls for white wine vinegar, I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
2 tb diced cilantro
cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa or diced onion for garnish

1. Sauté onion (or cabbage), bell pepper and garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until vegetables soften.

2. Transfer to blender, or use my BFF Cuisinart Smart Stick to blend in the pan, and purée till smooth.

3. Add beans and some water -- purée to the consistency you prefer (I like mine on the thick side).

4. Add potatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, cilantro and salt. Simmer, covered, for at least 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and top with garnish. This soup would be good with crusty bread, rice, cornbread, or tortillas. Have a great long weekend!

Pancakes with Protein?

My new favorite source for recipes (gluten-free, low-cholesterol, organic, blah blah blah) is Whole Foods. I subscribe to their weekly newsletter and I usually take away at least one recipe a week. I'm trying another on New Year's Eve -- if I like it, I'll post it here.

I tried this new one at breakfast today with blueberries. Oh me oh my. Perfection. I will try it with thin apple slices next. I used gluten-free flour and it worked perfectly.

Only thing to remember: if you like thick restaurant-style pancakes, skip this... these are more light and crepe-like. They were oh-so-tasty.

Note to self: Make sure you chew them as you're shoveling them in your mouth....

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Serves 4

In these moist and tender pancakes, the cottage cheese adds quality calcium and protein. Serve with a bit of butter and maple syrup or, for a special treat, top with fig spread.

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached flour (remember, I used GF flour and it worked great)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 eggs (I used egg substitute - again, great!)
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
Canola oil cooking spray

Method

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, milk and oil. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk until completely blended.

Spray a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray then heat over medium heat. Working in batches, form each pancake by spooning about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet. Cook, flipping pancakes once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to plates and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 6.5oz/186g-wt.): 310 calories (120 from fat), 13g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 220mg cholesterol, 600mg sodium, 33g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 17g protein

Lovely Lasagna

Gluten-free joy abounds in my home this week. (Yes, I am easily pleased. Cut me some slack.) Someone gave me a box of Rice Lasagna noodles and I was stoked at how EASY it made everything...

I didn't have to cook the noodles ahead of time -- what a beautiful thing. Some gluten-free pasta is gummy and hard to work with. This was not that way at all. It was delicious and tasted like real lasagna. Plus the leftovers for lunch the next day were even better.

In the thick of zucchini season, I love to have such great options. And if you like meat, it would be easy to add some ground turkey to this recipe. My favorite part of it was the taste of the cream cheese and cottage cheese combo. It really works.

Thanks to Cooks.com for the recipe. I stole the photo from the internet, but this is essentially what mine looked like. Does that count?

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

1/4 c. butter 8 oz. fresh mushrooms 4 c. thinly sliced zucchini 8 oz. lasagna 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese 3 c. cottage cheese (24 oz.) 1/3 tsp. parsley 1/2 tsp. celery salt 2 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese Heat butter in large heavy skillet. Add mushrooms and zucchini. Cook about 10 minutes. Prepare lasagna according to package. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Combine cream cheese, cottage cheese, parsley, and celery salt. Layer lasagna and cheese mixture in dish. Cover with 1/3 vegetable mixture, 1/3 spaghetti sauce, 1/3 Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Notebook #5

Not a lot of news to report in my ongoing venture to work with my cholesterol and metabolism, other than it's not very easy to maintain a this way of life when one is working at a convention in a Midwestern urban center! Not only was my schedule non-stop during that week (which does not allow much room for preparing meals), I was also constrained by limited facilities and resources. I did have a great grocery nearby that allowed me to have giant tasty salads or hummus and vegetables each day for lunch, and a Japanese restaurant had wonderful sushi for a couple of on-the-run dinners, but overall I'd give myself about a B- in terms of adherence.

This past week was spent getting back into the swing of all of life: food, exercise, sleep, work, play. I'm a happier camper (though the conference was outstanding) now that I'm back in my routine. That sounds so boring and grown-up, I suppose. Oh well.

This morning I made a breakfast that I cannot keep a secret any longer. I got the recipe from my nutritionist and oh baby... it takes a time or two to get it down, but it's well worth the trouble. You'll take a look at the ingredients and scratch your head. But it works wonderfully, and is an amazing treat on every level. Enjoy!

BANANA WALNUT PANCAKES
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ripe banana, mashed or 1 apple, grated
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c walnuts, chopped
olive oil, as needed

Pour a thin film of olive oil in a cast iron or stainless skillet. Heat on low (I use a gas stove, and have it between 2 & 3). Meanwhile, mix ingredients together. When oil is hot (I sprinkle a few droplets of water to test - if they sizzle, it's ready), pour batter into pan with a ladle, forming 2-3" pancakes (NO BIGGER).

When little bubbles form on top of pancake, flip over and brown other side. This will take practice. My first batch was an abysmal failure. Serve immediately. I top my pancakes with peanut or almond butter, or blueberries. Really, really good.

Nutrition Notebook #4

Had my monthly check up with the nutritionist to get the stats and see if this approach (see earlier posts) is paying off. I'm glad to say, yes indeedy. My cholesterol went from 201 to 178 in one month, people! My HDL and LDL numbers also went down, as did my TSH.

IDK what that means, but LOL, I'm told it's good...

Apparently it pays to eat LOADS of vegetables. And no meat or cheese. Fish and nuts are cool though.

So I have said goodbye to the food of youth ministry, perhaps forever. I will admit that I am not sure I can ever give up french fries, but perhaps I'm willing to scale back.

The plan is for month #2 to be like month #1. As I said in my first post on November 25 about it, I'll continue to be "a leafy green vegetable-eating squirrel -- tooting along due to a slight increase in bean intake." I get to actually increase my nut intake. So that's exciting. Well, maybe not exciting...

Final stat: I've lost 6 pounds. Hoping for, oh, a whole lot more of that, but who's counting?

Free piece o' advice: I must say that I would NOT recommend starting an entire revision of the way you eat the day before Thanksgiving, carrying on through the Christmas season. Just a thought. I'm not whining though.

Merry Christmas!

Nutrition Notebook #3

I haven’t updated my gigantic fanbase (thanks, all three of you…) with the latest on this new self-improvement project.... This all started on November 25 with a visit to the nutritionist to get some help in my gluten-free status. She decided that my cholesterol and thyroid needed a gigantic kick in the pants as well.

So I'm on a rigorous, how-low-can-you-go nutrition plan in terms of establishing a baseline for my cholesterol. Folks, we are not messing around. Nutrition Lady is taking me down to the studs -- no meat, no dairy, no sweets, no soda (Diet Coke, I miss you!), no pasta, no bread, no crackers. (The last 3 are not difficult -- don't be forgettin' I've been gluten-free since late May).

Yes, I'm essentially living on twigs and branches, with an occasional nut for fun. KIDDING. I'm doing just fine. Granted, I'm reaching new levels of vegetable intake unbeknownst to humankind, but I'm not suffering, even in this Christmas season of peanut-butter balls waiting to pounce around every corner.

I won't bore you with every detail, but here's a generic framework, at least till end of this month, when I will get bloodwork done to assess my numbers:

• Trader Joe's "Essential Greens" first thing in the morning. Not as bad as it could be, but not Yippee, Time for Essential Greens! either.
  
• Followed by hot cereal (gluten-free, yes there are options) with lots of fruit, topped with nuts, or eggs with lots of vegetables (mushrooms, onion, spinach, whatever I want). Yes, I still get one, count 'em, ONE cup of coffee.
  
• Lunch is a gigantic salad with protein - fish, nuts or beans
• Dinner is a hoot: a salad, ONE POUND of cooked vegetables, and an entree: fish, beans, 1 lb. of potatoes or polenta or 1/2 cup (dry) of brown rice.
• Snacks are veggies, fruit, hummus, air-popped popcorn.
  

After some radical ups and downs that first week or 10 days as my body went into shock and let me know it was noticing I was up to something, I settled in to it comfortably. I'm not gonna lie: eating out is pretty tricky, and I spend more time cooking than I ever have. I'm trying not to panic about how I'm going to make this work when I'm at Urbana Dec 26-Jan 1. But I feel GREAT, and there have been two side bonuses:

1. I’ve lost 5 pounds (honestly, how could I not??!)
   
2. I had a student blurt out in class this week at Providence Hall, “Hey Kelly, you look younger!” He has no idea about this change I’ve been working on, so I haven't the foggiest sense of where this comment came from. Sadly, I had no witty comeback for him.

Here's one new favorite treat that I can have for a snack occasionally - it's sort of a mind-blower.

Almond Bread - I usually make it in half batches
1 lb almond flour (you can buy it at Lassen's, Lazy Acres or Whole Foods)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tb olive oil
3/4 c water, carbonated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour flour into bowl, add remaining ingredients. Pour into olive-oiled bread pan and bake 1 hour (for my half batch, I only bake it for 35 minutes...). Can stay fresh for over a week in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Major disclaimer -- I would NOT try this nutrition plan unsupervised. Remember, this is geared for me due to my various needs and issues. But it's quite a ride, and I'm interested to see where it takes me. It is most definitely worth making a visit to a nutritionist recommended by your own doctor though. Stay tuned.