Food Blog Dot Com

FoodBlogDotCom

Food Blog Dot Com is written
by Lin Ennis, a writer passionate
about good food, healthful
food and food as medicine.

( Food Lovers Only )

Year: 2010

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS

by

The net has been abuzz with ideas and speculation about the new food management system Weight Watchers rolled out in the United States on Sunday, November 28, 2010. Since then, it’s been whining! I’ll write more about this in the coming days, because I’ve neglected my Food Blog too long! For now, I will say, I have gas. It’s my own fault, not Weight Watchers’. I indulged a bit too much over Thanksgiving, with some homemade candy gifts (incoming), cornbread stuffing (my own), and so forth. Plus a couple or three months of being a bit lackadaisical about dietary control. I took the rolling out of the new plan as an opportunity to get back on track, weigh or measure everything that counts, and “behave.” OK, the first day, I had a bit of stuck-in-my-car snacking rebellion. I had snacks with me and maybe it felt like a last fling or something. And they were salty-crunchy…my favorite. Yesterday, I did much better on the food, but drank more beer than my points allowed. I unloaded firewood from the truck and stacked it, so I earned two activity points. Lame, I know, but that’s just it–both an ankle and a shoulder are lame, so I cannot walk, run, do jumping jacks, bicycle, or anything I can think of to get in a good 30 minutes’ activity! Anyway, here’s my food points breakdown on the new system: Allowed Eaten MON 29 64 TUE 29 46 WED 29 31 And when I say “eaten,” I mean ingested in any manner. You can tell I’m getting better at it! I’ll be the first one to admit I didn’t expect it to be this hard. Again, it isn’t just because of the new system. It’s because I’d gotten lazy, and I got in a habit of indulging over the holiday. But, the new points system shows indulgences better than the old program did. That’s why it’s such a good thing. So today I ate veggies, veggies, veggies. I had Ritz crackers with my zero-point soup at lunch. It would have been fewer points to put oil or burger crumbles, or even a potato, into the soup, because it just wasn’t satisfying. I spent 8 points on crackers; a potato might have been 4. At dinner time, I had more soup, and a small sweet potato and a Griller. And LOTS of okra–about three servings. The soup had green beans, celery, sweet peppers and a very few lima beans. I borrowed a hula hoop. I was able to sustain five minutes of trying at one session and three at another. Combined, I did not earn an activity point. Somehow I imagined doing 30-60 minutes of hooping per day. That was before I kept bruising my legs by trying to stop the hoop from dropping. I can keep practicing! And I stayed away from the chocolate. And beer. I borrowed a hula hoop. I was able to sustain five minutes of trying at one session and three at another. Combined, I did not earn an activity point. Somehow I imagined doing 30-60 minutes of hooping per day. That was before I kept bruising my legs by trying to stop the hoop from dropping. I can keep practicing! And I stayed away from the chocolate. And beer. I am associated with Weight Watchers as a paying member and supporter, not as a paid employee or official spokesperson. Does anyone realize how small a 4 ounce serving of white wine is?

THE CRUNCHIEST

by

Today I discovered Nabisco’s Wheat Thins Flatbread – Tuscan style. I wasn’t hungry when I got home from the store, but I was exhilarated that I was within Weight Watcher’s weight range at last night’s weigh in, and a couple of pounds lighter this morning. And wanting a crunch! About 5:00 I chose to indulge in a light snack before beginning to cook my veggie-binge stirred-but-not-fried dinner. The Tuscan Herb flat bread was salty enough and uber-crunchy. Light enough to break with a glance. Which was part of the problem. The box had been dropped somewhere along the way, and many crackers were broken. As with pretzels, back when I used to eat them, I had to clean up the product by eating all the broken pieces. Then breaking more. Then more because they broke so easily. (Testing their lightness!) Note to self: Buy these only when above your highest level of self-control if you’re a salty-crunchy eater. I ate nearly the whole box (only 20 crackers). Then it seemed pitiful to put away four – then two. So I finished them. I’m stuffed.. That was 600 calories. My Weight Watcher’s Points Finder doesn’t go that high. Nor to 15 grams of fat. Since the Points Finder stops at about 20 points (for one serving of one food mind you), I chose to estimate my crispy indulgence at 25 points. Coincidentally, that’s the number of points I was given when I joined Weight Watchers at 80 pounds above my maximum healthy weight. Yikers! Should I go ahead and cook dinner? If I don’t, I’ll feel snackish all evening. But can I add any coconut milk to my stir fry? Any side of brown rice? My experience instructs me I should get back on a normal track as soon as possible. Excessive sacrifice to make up for prior indiscretions cannot turn back the clock. Extra days of vegetables-only at least once a day, more exercise — these things can adjust my ongoing challenge with keeping the old habits at bay. I think I’ll opt for a bit of rice and no coconut milk. I bought some beautiful fresh vegetables at the store today. Calling them beautiful, and romanticizing them to myself, does adjust the mindset. Because luscious vegetables are almost always expensive, I heap shredded cabbage — much cheaper — into almost every stirred-not-fried dish. Along with Chinese or sugar snap peas, diced sweet peppers of various colors, home grown super mild and sweet garlic, a bit of onion, and whatever else is on hand. Bon appetite!

CABBAGE CONFUSION

by

After my ode to Napa cabbage (my first post), a correction is in order. I went on and on about Napa cabbage. I talked to friends about trying it. When I bought one last week at a different supermarket, it rang up as Savoy. I said, “I thought that was a Napa.” “No it’s savoy!” said Jeanie, the cashier whom I know from Weight Watchers. “Well, it’s marked ‘Napa’ at _____ store!” I countered. “Of course they have it marked wrong!” chimed Jeanie. I couldn’t argue. My main pet peeve about the supermarket Jeanie does not work in is that the produce is sometimes not priced. Produce managers come and go, but item names and price tags are often hard to find (not exactly near the produce they speak to), or are missing. If ______ store ever gets a produce manager who sticks around, I’ll train her or him to keep prices close to the items and names readable (I don’t mind, really I don’t). So this little curly-leafed thing is savoy, savoy, savoy. (Why didn’t I select bok choy, which is unmistakable?) It’s always more expensive than ‘regular’ cabbage, but to my taste (and appreciation of texture) is a completely different vegetable…like red cabbage does not closely resemble green cabbage in taste or usage. So I treat myself to it, about every third or fourth cabbage purchase. And occasionally use more than one type of cabbage in the same dish. While I’ve not made slaw with it, I have eaten leaves raw while cutting for a stir fry. Love them! Do you have a favorite cabbage? Can you talk about Napa? (I’ve eaten more varieties than I’ve cooked with. Help me here!) Thanks to Wikipedia for the photo and confirmation on the savoy cabbage.

VEGGIE WRAPS

by

haven’t been a big fan of making wraps at home; though, wraps are often one of the most healthful choices when eating out. The main reason I didn’t stick with buying the huge flour tortillas and wrapping food in them is their calorie load often compared to that of bread while their ingredient content (white flour base) was inferior to good bread. La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Soft Wraps have been all the buzz in our local Weight Watchers group. I chose the Multi-Grain variety. At 3.5 fat grams, this flavor barely squeaks in at the 1 WW point the wraps are famous for – and that’s if you have a very steady hand when using the points value slide rule. The wrap is 100 calories with 12 grams of fiber! The multigrain has contributions from wheat, oats, flax, millet, rice, soy, corn and sunflower seeds. (Other varieties have less fat.) Men love it! It made the top 125 Best Foods for Men in the 2009 Men’s Health Nutrition Awards, selected by Men’s Health Magazine. The wrap pictured contains a combination of lightly steamed vegetables (yellow squash, mushrooms, spinach) and diced raw veggies (cucumber, red bell pepper, scallions). I wanted to add tomato, but obviously, my eyes were bigger than my wrap! Radish and broccoli sprouts added a little spice and crunch. It rolled up like a giant taquito. I was unable to fold the ends in…possibly because it cooled too much while I added the ingredients. I drizzled a little balsamic vinaigrette in it, and held on for dear life to keep the innards from becoming outtards as I ate it. My recommendation to improve this would be to marinate the veggies, then drain well before wrapping. And use less filling. Or use all cooked veggies which would keep the wrap warm and stretchier (I think). Again, I recommend eating a wide range of colors and varieties. Don’t stick to what you know and love all of the time. If you eat spinach, for example, try Swiss chard, too (which itself comes in three colors). Besides, color makes a pretty lunch. All trademarks used belong to their owners. This website is not affiliated with any brands or programs in any financially remunerated way. The opinions expressed are mine…but you knew that, right?

FOODIES UNITE

by

When my friend Kate and I scheduled a meeting over lunch at my house, she said, “Let me bring lunch. I’m a real foodie.” Knowing I am a vegetarian, she brought quinoa-stuffed acorn squash and an elegant salad. As she laid things out, I learned she was a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. (That means she’s achieved and maintained a rational weight according to Weight Watchers International charts). Having never seen Kate overweight, I was shocked she’d ever been “fluffy.” What really struck me though was how lovingly she talked about food. As we munched on salad and seasoned Ry-Krisp, she revealed more about the amount of time she spends cooking (for the week), the quality she reveres, and nourishing her body. I’d never thought a thin person could claim to be a foodie — and why would a fat person? isn’t their problem obvious? I was 80 pounds overweight and probably didn’t like mentioning food out of fear people would think, “Duh; it’s so obvious you dream about food!” I joined Weight Watchers soon after that (the exact how and why are another story). It took a few months, but eventually I realized I was becoming a foodie. I was focused on food, wanted the best-tasting food I could get for my calorie expenditure and wanted the food to make me healthy and fit, not just thin(ner). I started cooking more-elaborate dishes, cooking for one, cooking for one every day, and trying new ingredients: new-to-me vegetables, different varieties of apples and oranges. New seasonings. More seasoning, learning that packing in flavors – like onions and garlic – can make a dish much more satisfying. Something I feared would make me fatter – thinking and talking about food, a lot – has supported me in achieving my Weight Watchers goal and lifetime membership. Sure, I’m still 30 pounds heavier than I need to be to be healthy, but I am in a healthy range (ok, at the very top of a healthy weight range. To stay on track, I focus on food. I intend to eat food I like. Like a lot. For example the pre-made frozen Indian platter I have in the freezer right now. And veggies–always veggies. I love peas, but not just any peas–they must be petite peas (about $3/pound frozen). I intend to take more time to prepare food, to think of different seasonings instead of my former trio of onion powder, garlic powder and crushed dried sweet basil leaves. I’m testing out Thai and Indian and yellow versus red curry. Steamed versus sauteed. Roasted versus steamed or baked. Spinach with onions or plain…or with nutmeg? I love plain food, veggies that taste like the earth from which they came. It’s hard for me to add seasonings and lose that fresh, earthy flavor. But so much color and pizazz await becoming a foodie and experimenting, listening to others, asking questions, ordering something interesting sounding at a restaurant you would usually not visit. If you’re a foodie, too, dab some vanilla behind your ear or leave a little vinaigrette on your fingertips–somehow identify yourself to the rest of us. Here’s one: write comments on this blog, and send the link to others you know who cherish their bodies and their gustatory delights! Weight Watchers and other brands mentioned are trademark names for the companies that trademarked those names. They have not yet reviewed and decided to endorse this Food Blog. Nor do I receive any compensation or punishment for any brands I mention. Kate is a psychic healer totally nuts about health in a fun-loving way. Here’s her PsychicSedona website.

HOW TO PEEL A BANANA

by

When serving my 12-year old nephew and his playmate bananas with their lunch sandwiches, I asked the boys, “Who’s smarter – you or a monkey?” Monkeys peel bananas from the blossom end, not the stem end. Pinch the little brown tip between your thumb and forefinger, and peel back the skin toward the stem end. The boys tried it, and this is what they found: 1) Bananas are easier to open from the bottom. 2) They don’t require a slit to start peeling without crushing the fruit, and best of all… 3) The strings come off with the peel rather than being stuck to the banana, requiring an extra step to avoid eating that bitter part. I wanted to show a picture of a cute chimp grinning (like a banana) while eating a banana, but this photograph by Spatz of how bananas grow on the tree is so beautiful, I chose to share this with you rather than a stereotypical picture. WASH FRUIT BEFORE PEELING Wash bananas before peeling them! Why? Because your bare hands are going to transfer pesticides and bacteria from the skin to the fruit when you take the fruit in the same hands that just picked up the banana and peeled it. Even if you buy organic bananas that are pesticide free, banana slugs, banana spiders, the human hands that cut and packed the bananas, and the human hands that unpacked and shelved the bananas have been all over them. Need I remind you bananas do not grow in countries with the highest level of public health and hygiene awareness? There are no “Wash your hands after using the bathroom and before returning to work” signs in banana plantations. I forgot to mention banana rats. Dr. Katz, who writes for O magazine, says all fruits should be washed under running cold water. Special food washing detergents are unnecessary. On thick and rough-skinned fruit, like oranges, he says “Use a Brush,” and make sure you run that brush through the dishwasher regularly. OK, that’s a new one on me. I rinse off grapefruit, oranges and avocados before cutting or peeling them, but I didn’t think about getting into the dimples with a brush. Yikes! That’s more work. But you’ll remember it this way: whatever has touched the skin part that you’re about to remove and throw away will be transferred by your own hands to the naked fruit you’re about to touch with those same hands as you prepare and eat it. Picture the sanitary and health conditions of all the people who may have touched that fruit–wash that off! Of course, monkeys don’t wash their bananas, but they eat lice picked out of each other’s fur, too! Photo used by permission of the photographer Spatz through WikiCommons

STUFFED PEPPERS

by

Intending to roast more red peppers, I picked up three very large ones at the market for $1 each, day before yesterday. They looked so lush and inviting on the kitchen counter, my partner suggested we have stuffed peppers for our special Friday night dinner. That’s how yesterday’s lengthy post came about…I was thinking peppers. You can see I had to encourage them to play snuggle together in my 7 X 12 ceramic baking dish. I was rushing to get them in the oven on time, so I didn’t trim the white membranes carefully with a knife. What I pulled out with my hands is all I removed. The seeds and stems get tossed out the back door for whatever wildlife browses by: Western and Eastern cottontails, mule deer, collared peccaries, and, of course, squirrels who might like the seeds. I mentioned tenting the dish. Of course, if your baking dish has its own cover, aluminum foil is unnecessary. However, acidic foods should never bee cooked in aluminum. If you cover lasagna (or our tomatoey stuffed peppers) with aluminum foil, whether in the refrigerator for a few days or in the oven a few minutes, there will be some breakdown of the aluminum by the acid. On foil, that shows up as dark pin pricks. On the food, it shows as white spots. While some online cooks and Extension Service Officers say the jury is out on whether eating aluminum is harmful, for me it is enough that it is called into question! “Is this poison?” you ask. “We don’t know,” we say. “OK, I guess I’ll eat it.” Is Homer Simpson your nutrition advisor? After the ends of the foil are secured to the dish, it’s easier to pull up the middle. Your tent doesn’t have to have vaulted ceilings like the one shown here. Just keep the foil off the tomatoes! We baked ours 2.25 hours at 350. I turned it up to about 375 for 10-15 minutes near the end of that, because these peppers were huge, with thick skins! After they fork-tested tender, we sprinkled about 2 teaspoonfuls of finely grated Mexican style cheese on each one, popped them back in the oven, turned the oven off, and waited a bit under 10 minutes for the cheese to melt. They were a big hit! Everyone had seconds!

LOW-CARB STUFFED PEPPERS

by

Vegetarian stuffed peppers are often stuffed with rice, and I’ve made them that way many times. However, I’ve switched to using MorningStar Farms (MSF) Burger Crumbles – a low-fat, pre-cooked substitute for ground beef. To bind the meatloaf-style mixture together, you can use egg or cheese. Egg makes it taste more like meat, but only slightly so because the seasonings are the real kicker in this comforting dish. I use grated mozzarella cheese as a binder, and it works well with a low-fat version (white cheeses are generally lower fat than are yellow cheeses). We buy grated Mozzarella in a large bag and keep all or most of it in the freezer. (You can keep a small amount in a baggie in the fridge, but air in the bag and warmer temps can make it spoil if you leave it in the fridge too long.) We used to use a blend of yellow and white cheese, but including cheddar within the mixture increases calories per serving. Our favorite recipe is very flexible both in quantity and ingredients. While many people lean toward Italian seasonings, we prefer Mexican. STUFFED PEPPER RECIPE about 30 min. prep, from start to cleanup Also you’ll need: Mix ingredients (just the top set of bullets, please) together in a large bowl. You don’t have to put tomatoes in the mixture, since they will be poured over top, but putting a can in the mixture lowers the calorie count per serving (cut large pieces). The crumbles and cheese can be mixed in frozen; just break apart lumps with a fork or a hammer. Spray the baking dish lightly with non-stick spray. Cut the stemmed tops off the peppers to stuff them whole, putting their caps back on (or not)…OR…halve the peppers. We usually halve them lengthwise, so one pepper makes two servings–and they bake faster. Also, if you halve them lengthwise, you don’t have to buy peppers with flat bottoms to stand on! Stuff the peppers by pressing the mixture into each pepper tightly and fit them like puzzle pieces into the dish. I usually start the stuffing with a spoon, but as the crevices fill, I finish off my pressing by hand. The reason measurements don’t have to be precise depending upon how many peppers you’re stuffing is that you fill the peppers based upon how much mixture you have – either mounding it up high or just filling! (Extra mixture can be frozen for next time.) Pour a can of S&W Mexican Style Stewed Tomatoes over top, making sure the liquid covers the bottom of the dish. Tear off a l-o-n-g sheet of aluminum foil (half again the length of your dish). Form it into a tent so that it does not touch the food. Crimp it to the handles on the dish. (Tomatoes will ‘eat’ aluminum foil; then you’ll ‘eat’ the aluminum in your food. Tremendously dangerous.) Bake at 350 for 90-120 minutes. At our altitude, 4300 ft. above sea level, we bake for at least two hours. This dish is best baked a longer time at a lower temperature, than rushed by turning the oven up. (Even 300 degrees is nice.) If you need to shorten the baking time, parboil the peppers. You can do that in the microwave by placing them in a covered dish (don’t use plastic) with just the water remaining on them after you’ve rinsed them inside and out. Nuke on high for 90 second to 2 minutes. The peppers should show slight softening. Test doneness of the completed casserole by piercing a pepper wall with a fork. We like ours completely soft, but you may prefer more crunch. For a great finish, just before serving, remove the foil and sprinkle a bit of grated cheddar cheese on top. Return to the oven to melt (or brown, if you prefer) the cheese. This is one of our favorite dishes to serve non-vegetarians. They never ask what it’s made of; though, most know I’m a vegetarian. My mother-in-law always asked prior to visiting us if they could expect to have some of my famous stuffed peppers. We sometimes fix a side salad to go with it, but when it’s just us, we may not. I love peas along side. What’s great about this dish: 1. It’s delicious 2.It’s nourishing comfort food 3. It’s high-protein, low carbohydrate 4. It keeps well in the fridge, tastes good as leftovers and can be frozen 5. It’s all about “assembling,” not “cooking” 6. You can put this together at 4:00, and have a steaming, savory dinner almost by magic at 6:00 or 6:30 (depending upon altitude) 7. Can be baked and reheated! Yay!

Toasting Almonds

by

I’m making one of my new favorite snacks. I learned this from Cheryl in an exercise class. The main ingredient is raw, shelled almonds. A three-pound bag at Sam’s Club or Costco is about $9.00. The secret ingredient is Ume Plum Vinegar. Sound exotic (i.e., expensive)? It’s only about $3.25 a bottle! I found it at our local natural foods store, but it is also available online from Eden Organic. Pour about a pound of almonds into a 2-quart bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of Ume Plum Vinegar onto the nuts. I don’t measure this. The bottle’s design is perfect for shaking a small amount of vinegar. You can add more, but I don’t know that there’s such a thing as too much. (More vinegar will result in a darker, almost black finished nut; less and they remain golden.) Stir well, till all the nuts are coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet (cookie sheet). Toast in a 350 degree oven (not preheated) for about 20 minutes, until the almonds smell toasted and are crunchy when cooled. (Too little toasting will leave them soft-ish). I’m at 4300 feet elevation, so my altitude may influence the amount of time it takes. I set a timer, but go by the doneness of the nuts…start with 15 minutes. Test by pulling 3-4 nuts out to cool, bite, and decide whether to continue toasting until you get the time that’s right for you. I prefer them slightly undertoasted to overtoasted. If you let them roast too long, they’ll be very dry, almost powdery, while chewing. (Have drinking water handy!) What’s great about this recipe is the almonds come out with no taste of vinegar but with plenty saltiness without your having to add oil to make salt stick! The Ume Plum Vinegar has 1050 mg of sodium per teaspoon! That’s about the same amount as 1/2 teaspoon of table salt. These toasted almonds are a huge hit with guests. People can’t stop munching on them. I keep a dish of them out all them time. Tips:

RED PEPPERS VS. TOMATOES

by

Bell peppers have been on sale lately. When any color but green is 99¢ or less, I buy them. Red peppers are more expensive than green ones because they’re, well, not green! Green peppers are red peppers that aren’t ripe yet. (I can think of very few foods we intentionally eat in a not-yet-ripe state!) Suddenly the refrigerator has bags of peppers–red, yellow, and orange–tucked everywhere. As I understand it, yellow and orange peppers are cultivars. (Bell peppers can also be white or purple!) I’ve grown bell peppers, and seen them turn from green to red. The redder (riper) they are, the sweeter they are, especially when ripened on the plant. I roasted half a dozen reds, peeled and jarred them. (I just discovered a bag of yellow and orange awaiting roasting!) This has inspired me to find new uses for roasted peppers. Of course, they’re delicious on sandwiches, but what about salads? Tomatoes are so prosaic! Here’s a loose comparison of the nutrition of red peppers compared to tomatoes. I say ‘loose,’ because I’m using Internet results for raw peppers and raw tomatoes, without verifying the variety. I found roasted pepper information, but I didn’t know whether the canned/jarred varieties contained additives, such as oils. My home-roasted peppers don’t. Raw Food Cal Fiber Vit A Vit C Pot Lyc 1 c chopped tomatoes 32 2 1499 IU 23 mg 427 mg 4631 1 c chopped red peppers 46 3 4666 IU 190 mg 314 mg 459 Though I added a column for the recently popular Lycopene (appearing in ketchup ads everywhere!), I think the numbers above cannot be correct. Lycopene is red (in all red or pink foods, even grapefruit). The redder the food, the more lycopene it has. Thus, roasted red peppers have more lycopene than raw peppers, and more than raw tomatoes. In addition, lycopene is more bioavailable when cooked, so tomato sauce trumps raw tomatoes for this nutrient (though not for vitamin C–again, we’re back to variety, variety, variety). If you have nutritional information on roasted red peppers, please post it below, especially if you know about its lycopene. Meanwhile, sprinkle some diced roasted red peppers on your salad tonight and enjoy. (Add pine nuts and you’ll think you’re in heaven!)