Jul 2009
Barbu, An Organic Tapas Restaurant
07/31/09 Filed in: Restaurants
I discovered a new restaurant while surfing through some organic food pages. Its called Barbu, and it is an organic tapas restaurant. Located in South Beach on the corner of West and 20th Street, it a small restaurant set up almost like a lounge. The decor is a mix of industrial meets contemporary meets Africa. There are a few table tops, one long snaking couch, and lots of stools. This is a BYOB joint with a $5 corking fee. The menu is a mix of items with a broad range of tastes to satisfy foodies to vegetarians.
I started with an avocado appetizer that was amazing. My friends had a pear soaked in balsamic and covered in blue cheese which was also full of flavor. I had a stew with squash, edamame, tofu, and lots of yummy flavor. So yummy that I actually had to take a piece of bread to get all the soup from the bowl, and I don’t eat bread! My husband had a dish with chorizos cooked in couscous. I didn’t try the sausage, but the couscous was rich and creamy.
Overall, a great new find. The food was full of flavor. There were a wide variety of choices to suit any palette. The atmosphere was easy and casual, and the service was good.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
I started with an avocado appetizer that was amazing. My friends had a pear soaked in balsamic and covered in blue cheese which was also full of flavor. I had a stew with squash, edamame, tofu, and lots of yummy flavor. So yummy that I actually had to take a piece of bread to get all the soup from the bowl, and I don’t eat bread! My husband had a dish with chorizos cooked in couscous. I didn’t try the sausage, but the couscous was rich and creamy.
Overall, a great new find. The food was full of flavor. There were a wide variety of choices to suit any palette. The atmosphere was easy and casual, and the service was good.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
0 Comments
Cocoa Mole
07/29/09
I bought a Larabar the other day for my husband and I to hold us until dinner. I like these bars because they are made from whole foods without preservatives and the like. The flavor of mine was Cocoa Mole and I loved it. I read the ingredients, and I thought, I could so make these. And I did!
One package of date puree (I buy mine at a greek store in the neighborhood.)
1 cup Almond flour or ground almonds
1/2 cups walnuts finely chopped
one teaspoon cinnamon
one teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
In a double boiler, heat your date puree until soft. Add 3 tablespoons of hot water and “whip up” your puree with your spatula. Add almond powder, cocoa powder and spices and mix. Add walnuts and mix. Press mixture into a loaf pan that has been oiled with coconut oil. Placed in the freezer for 30 minutes for easy cutting and removal from pan. Remove form the freezer and slice into bars. Wrap individually for use as snacks!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
One package of date puree (I buy mine at a greek store in the neighborhood.)
1 cup Almond flour or ground almonds
1/2 cups walnuts finely chopped
one teaspoon cinnamon
one teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
In a double boiler, heat your date puree until soft. Add 3 tablespoons of hot water and “whip up” your puree with your spatula. Add almond powder, cocoa powder and spices and mix. Add walnuts and mix. Press mixture into a loaf pan that has been oiled with coconut oil. Placed in the freezer for 30 minutes for easy cutting and removal from pan. Remove form the freezer and slice into bars. Wrap individually for use as snacks!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
Coconut Oil
07/26/09
Coconut oil has been used as cooking oil for thousands of years.
Up until the 1950’s, coconut oil was widely used in the United States both in homes and in large bakeries. Because research indicated that saturated fat was a big culprit in heart disease, people were told to stay away from tropical oils. Bakeries switched to using hydrogenated oils to replace coconut oil. Hindsight is usually 20/20, and now we know that these manufactured oils are toxic to our systems.
Coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids called medium chain triglycerides. These fatty acids are different from the common longer chain fatty acids found in other plant based oils. The longer chain triglycerides are typically store in the body as fat while the medium chain triglycerides are burned for energy and burned up quickly.
Coconut oil is nature’s richest source of these medium chain fatty acids. Some of the benefits of these fatty acids include an increase in metabolic rate which helps lead to weight loss. These fats are also very similar to the fats found in breast milk and have similar health effects.
Coconut oil is also nature’s most abundant source of lauric acid. Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human body to destroy viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various bacteria including listeria.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Up until the 1950’s, coconut oil was widely used in the United States both in homes and in large bakeries. Because research indicated that saturated fat was a big culprit in heart disease, people were told to stay away from tropical oils. Bakeries switched to using hydrogenated oils to replace coconut oil. Hindsight is usually 20/20, and now we know that these manufactured oils are toxic to our systems.
Coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids called medium chain triglycerides. These fatty acids are different from the common longer chain fatty acids found in other plant based oils. The longer chain triglycerides are typically store in the body as fat while the medium chain triglycerides are burned for energy and burned up quickly.
Coconut oil is nature’s richest source of these medium chain fatty acids. Some of the benefits of these fatty acids include an increase in metabolic rate which helps lead to weight loss. These fats are also very similar to the fats found in breast milk and have similar health effects.
Coconut oil is also nature’s most abundant source of lauric acid. Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human body to destroy viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various bacteria including listeria.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A Rainy Day Chili
07/25/09 Filed in: Soup
A rainy, thunder filled day in Miami often makes me wistful for warm comfort food of my winters up north. Today that was chili.
Chili has been around since the 1800’s and hails from the southwest region. Today, chili has regional variations from Cincinati which is topped with pasta to the Texas style which became the official food of Texas in 1977. I grew up with a version from my mother which sort of a Cincinati chili but without any pasta. She always put clove and cinnamon so that the chili had a sweet backtaste. Today, no matter what kind of chili I make, white, veggie, or red bean there are two ingredients that are staples, chili powder and cinnamon.
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
2 carrots chopped
1 green pepper
1 can red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can green chilis
1/2 cup red lentils
2 tsp chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon corriander seeds crushed
i tsp parika
1tsp salt
1 cinnamon stick
14 oz container vegetable broth plus two cups water (or all water)
Start with the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the green pepper, carrots, beans, and lentils and saute five minutes more. Add spices and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer until spices have mixed in well 30-40 minutes.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
Chili has been around since the 1800’s and hails from the southwest region. Today, chili has regional variations from Cincinati which is topped with pasta to the Texas style which became the official food of Texas in 1977. I grew up with a version from my mother which sort of a Cincinati chili but without any pasta. She always put clove and cinnamon so that the chili had a sweet backtaste. Today, no matter what kind of chili I make, white, veggie, or red bean there are two ingredients that are staples, chili powder and cinnamon.
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
2 carrots chopped
1 green pepper
1 can red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can green chilis
1/2 cup red lentils
2 tsp chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon corriander seeds crushed
i tsp parika
1tsp salt
1 cinnamon stick
14 oz container vegetable broth plus two cups water (or all water)
Start with the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the green pepper, carrots, beans, and lentils and saute five minutes more. Add spices and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer until spices have mixed in well 30-40 minutes.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
Take the Stairs
07/22/09 Filed in: Exercise
Modern convenience has effectively taken away most of our built in exercise. We can choose to take the escalator or the elevator. We can drive around the corner versus walking. Heck, I even drive to the gym, and it is about a quarter mile from my house!
By making some conscious decisions throughout our day, we can ramp up our exercise without going to spinning class. My favorite decision, which drives my husband batty, is to take the stairs.
What are the advantages of taking the stairs?
There is no special equipment needed.
There is no special training needed, you already know how to do this.
You can fit this exercise within your hectic schedule. Just make a choice to take the stairs.
This activity will strengthen your legs especially your buttocks. Lord knows, that is where I fight gravity everyday!
This is a cardiovascular activity. Translation: it will strengthen your heart.
This is a low impact exercise and will not over stress your knees.
Wow, that’s a lot of benefit. Yet, how often do we choose that elevator? Here is some incentive, a stair calculator. This website will calculate the calories burned by how much time spent taking the stairs. I put in just five minutes going up and down, and that gave me a 75 calorie burn off for the day! Why that equals a 3.5 oz glass of red wine!
Do I have you convinced, yet?
By making some conscious decisions throughout our day, we can ramp up our exercise without going to spinning class. My favorite decision, which drives my husband batty, is to take the stairs.
What are the advantages of taking the stairs?
There is no special equipment needed.
There is no special training needed, you already know how to do this.
You can fit this exercise within your hectic schedule. Just make a choice to take the stairs.
This activity will strengthen your legs especially your buttocks. Lord knows, that is where I fight gravity everyday!
This is a cardiovascular activity. Translation: it will strengthen your heart.
This is a low impact exercise and will not over stress your knees.
Wow, that’s a lot of benefit. Yet, how often do we choose that elevator? Here is some incentive, a stair calculator. This website will calculate the calories burned by how much time spent taking the stairs. I put in just five minutes going up and down, and that gave me a 75 calorie burn off for the day! Why that equals a 3.5 oz glass of red wine!
Do I have you convinced, yet?
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A Hot Flash or a Niacin Flush
07/21/09 Filed in: Vitamins
Apparently I bought the wrong niacin supplement at the store the other day. I have been taking it for years, but I have always taken the no-flush variety without incident. Well, yesterday, after lunch, I opened a new bottle and took my vitamins. After which I sat down in front of the computer to work through some email. With in a few minutes, I began to feel my face get hot and prickly. I thought to myself, that’s odd and continued to read my mail. The heat continued to rise and started to spread to my neck and arms. I got up and went to look in a mirror and lo and behold I saw a very red face staring back at me.
My first thought was that I was having an allergic reaction. I mentally review all that I had eaten that day and could not identify anything new or unusual. The heat spread to my torso and was uncomfortable. Then I remembered that I had recently taken my vitamins and wondered if this could be that mysterious thing called a niacin flush. I went back to the vitamin bottle and realized that I bought the regular version of niacin supplement and not my usual purchase.
Wanting to confirm my suspicions, I jumped on the internet and researched niacin flush. Basically, niacin causes your capillaries to get wider. Blood normally passes through capillaries very slowly. Niacin causes more blood to flow quicker through this system, hence, the flush. There is no harm caused by this flush. In fact, it can help your system carry away more toxins from the cells in these areas!
Niacin is used by your body to turn carbohydrates into energy.Niacin also helps your nervous system, digestive system, skin, hair, and eyes stay healthy. Niacin is also used to help boost your good cholesterol or high density lipoprotein HDL. Niacin is found in dairy, lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts, eggs, and enriched breads.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
My first thought was that I was having an allergic reaction. I mentally review all that I had eaten that day and could not identify anything new or unusual. The heat spread to my torso and was uncomfortable. Then I remembered that I had recently taken my vitamins and wondered if this could be that mysterious thing called a niacin flush. I went back to the vitamin bottle and realized that I bought the regular version of niacin supplement and not my usual purchase.
Wanting to confirm my suspicions, I jumped on the internet and researched niacin flush. Basically, niacin causes your capillaries to get wider. Blood normally passes through capillaries very slowly. Niacin causes more blood to flow quicker through this system, hence, the flush. There is no harm caused by this flush. In fact, it can help your system carry away more toxins from the cells in these areas!
Niacin is used by your body to turn carbohydrates into energy.Niacin also helps your nervous system, digestive system, skin, hair, and eyes stay healthy. Niacin is also used to help boost your good cholesterol or high density lipoprotein HDL. Niacin is found in dairy, lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts, eggs, and enriched breads.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Black Bean Brownies-Dairy Free, Wheat Free
I tried a recipe today that I have to share. Brownies made from black beans. Pretty cool, huh?
You are probably thinking that beans are a funny ingredient for brownies but I found this recipe on The Happy Herbivore and I had to try it out. I have been on an experimental baking kick for a while looking for the best recipes that are wheat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.
So the real review will be from my husband. Survey says......they’re okay. (He’s a tough critic.) He was disappointed with the chocolate flavor and thought there was too much cinnamon. He had no issues with the beans replacing the flour. There were no texture issues with the brownies. In fact they are moist and dense. So will I make these again? You bet. I will ramp up the chocolate by using melted baking cocoa versus powered, eliminate the cinnamon, and add a touch more vanilla. I’ll post an update with the results!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free and wheat free recipe.
You are probably thinking that beans are a funny ingredient for brownies but I found this recipe on The Happy Herbivore and I had to try it out. I have been on an experimental baking kick for a while looking for the best recipes that are wheat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.
So the real review will be from my husband. Survey says......they’re okay. (He’s a tough critic.) He was disappointed with the chocolate flavor and thought there was too much cinnamon. He had no issues with the beans replacing the flour. There were no texture issues with the brownies. In fact they are moist and dense. So will I make these again? You bet. I will ramp up the chocolate by using melted baking cocoa versus powered, eliminate the cinnamon, and add a touch more vanilla. I’ll post an update with the results!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free and wheat free recipe.
Broccoli Soup-Dairy free
07/20/09 Filed in: Soup
I love soup. It is one of my favorite foods. It gets better over time. It is easy to freeze. It provides a comforting warm meal. Soup is a great way to use up leftover vegetables, grains, and meats. And I could go on and on...
One of the challenges of soups as I changed my diet was to find replacements for my favorite dairy based soups. Here I am going to showcase my broccoli soup, but you can use it for a base for many vegetable soups that normally use heavy cream.
Start with a tablespoon or two of olive or canola oil in your stock or large sauce pan. Chop an onion and three cloves of garlic and saute until onions are clear. These do not need to be finely chopped as you will puree the soup later.
Dice two baking potatoes and add to your onions. You can leave the skins on or take them off, it is your choice. I usually leave them on since I am going to puree the whole thing and that way I am keeping maximum nutirtion. Saute until beginning to get soft about 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking and browning. If they do start to stick, just add some chicken broth or water to the pan to loosen them up.
Chop up a bunch of broccoli coarsely including the stalk. Add to your onions and potato mixture and cook until the broccoli starts to turn bright green.
Add 32 oz container of chicken broth and 1-2 cups water depending on how thick you like your soups. Cook until the broccoli is soft but not overcooked.
Take the soup off the heat and use and emersion blender to puree the soup. Add a pinch of nutmeg and serve! Adding a squeeze of lime just before serving gives the soup a twang for those that crave salt.
This is a very forgiving recipe so use it to experiment and expand your use of veggies!
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
One of the challenges of soups as I changed my diet was to find replacements for my favorite dairy based soups. Here I am going to showcase my broccoli soup, but you can use it for a base for many vegetable soups that normally use heavy cream.
Start with a tablespoon or two of olive or canola oil in your stock or large sauce pan. Chop an onion and three cloves of garlic and saute until onions are clear. These do not need to be finely chopped as you will puree the soup later.
Dice two baking potatoes and add to your onions. You can leave the skins on or take them off, it is your choice. I usually leave them on since I am going to puree the whole thing and that way I am keeping maximum nutirtion. Saute until beginning to get soft about 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking and browning. If they do start to stick, just add some chicken broth or water to the pan to loosen them up.
Chop up a bunch of broccoli coarsely including the stalk. Add to your onions and potato mixture and cook until the broccoli starts to turn bright green.
Add 32 oz container of chicken broth and 1-2 cups water depending on how thick you like your soups. Cook until the broccoli is soft but not overcooked.
Take the soup off the heat and use and emersion blender to puree the soup. Add a pinch of nutmeg and serve! Adding a squeeze of lime just before serving gives the soup a twang for those that crave salt.
This is a very forgiving recipe so use it to experiment and expand your use of veggies!
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
Alloxan in White Flour
07/11/09 Filed in: Chemicals in our Food
So I already know that white flour is an empty food choice. I understand that choosing food made with white flour creates a missed opportunity for putting useful nutrition in my system. However, I always figured that a little white flour along the way would not be seriously detrimental to my health. Silly me, I should understand by now that big business only cares about profit. Hence, this brings me to a substance called alloxan.
Alloxan is the chemical which “bleaches” the flour. The FDA allows Alloxan to be used in the processing of foods.
Alloxan is also a substance that destroys the beta cells of your pancreas. Beta cells produce insulin. When alloxan was administered to rodents it caused an insulin-dependent diabetes. Are you starting to see the problem?
What really bothers me about this information, is that the business industry made a decision to use this substance instead of other less harmful bleaching agents without care or concern to the long term effects on the general public. Even worse, is that the FDA approved its use. I am angered by the fact that the public was not educated in order to make an informed choice. Some people will not care, of course, people continue to smoke even though they know it has a direct link to cancer. They have made a conscious choice. The people innocently eating their rye bread deli sandwiches deserve the same choice. What do you choose?
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Alloxan is the chemical which “bleaches” the flour. The FDA allows Alloxan to be used in the processing of foods.
Alloxan is also a substance that destroys the beta cells of your pancreas. Beta cells produce insulin. When alloxan was administered to rodents it caused an insulin-dependent diabetes. Are you starting to see the problem?
What really bothers me about this information, is that the business industry made a decision to use this substance instead of other less harmful bleaching agents without care or concern to the long term effects on the general public. Even worse, is that the FDA approved its use. I am angered by the fact that the public was not educated in order to make an informed choice. Some people will not care, of course, people continue to smoke even though they know it has a direct link to cancer. They have made a conscious choice. The people innocently eating their rye bread deli sandwiches deserve the same choice. What do you choose?
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
The Emptiness of White Flour
07/10/09
As my grandmother use to say, “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.” The food industry has the knowledge and technology to break whole food down into its individual components. They leave out the things that may take away from their profit margins, and then put it all back together again, yet label it enriched. The flour industry is the perfect example.
Wheat as a whole grain is full of things which are healthful. During the manufacturing process, the most nutritous parts of the wheat grain are removed. These are the outside bran layer and the germ (embryo.) Fifteen vitamins and mineral are lost in this process, and only four are added back for enrichment. This is done to improve shelf life. The bran and germ is the part of the grain that contains oils. Whole wheat flour cannot live indefinitely in the pantry. It will eventually turn rancid. White flour, however, can be left for years in the pantry, dusted off and used without fear.
Michael Pollan, a writer with many books to his credit, says there are 7 rules for eating. Rule number four says, “Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot.”
Here’s a list of what we loose when whole wheat flour is refined into white flour:
Out of the twenty five ingredients removed in the refining process, only 5 are added back. This is what is meant by enriched flour. Good deal, huh?
For more information, try reading The Food Revolution by John Robbins.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Wheat as a whole grain is full of things which are healthful. During the manufacturing process, the most nutritous parts of the wheat grain are removed. These are the outside bran layer and the germ (embryo.) Fifteen vitamins and mineral are lost in this process, and only four are added back for enrichment. This is done to improve shelf life. The bran and germ is the part of the grain that contains oils. Whole wheat flour cannot live indefinitely in the pantry. It will eventually turn rancid. White flour, however, can be left for years in the pantry, dusted off and used without fear.
Michael Pollan, a writer with many books to his credit, says there are 7 rules for eating. Rule number four says, “Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot.”
Here’s a list of what we loose when whole wheat flour is refined into white flour:
Out of the twenty five ingredients removed in the refining process, only 5 are added back. This is what is meant by enriched flour. Good deal, huh?
For more information, try reading The Food Revolution by John Robbins.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Mango Spelt Muffins
07/06/09 Filed in: Muffins
This recipe turned out the best muffins so far that are dairy free and egg free. I used mango as the fruit but I think it would work with bananas or peaches just as well. If you changed up the spices, other fruit could also be substituted. It is a simple recipe that is very forgiving.
Ingredient list:
1 single serving container of plain soy yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove (I used a full tsp because I love clove)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups diced mango (You can also puree the mango if you do not want chunks.)
3/4 cups golden raisens (optional)
zest of one lime
Mix together all dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together the yogurt, applesauce, mango, raisens, and lime zest. Blend the two together until all the flour is mixed in.
Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Ingredient list:
1 single serving container of plain soy yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove (I used a full tsp because I love clove)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups diced mango (You can also puree the mango if you do not want chunks.)
3/4 cups golden raisens (optional)
zest of one lime
Mix together all dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together the yogurt, applesauce, mango, raisens, and lime zest. Blend the two together until all the flour is mixed in.
Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.