Marvelous Muffins

I am not a big baker.
I do not bake because when I do, I tend to eat the whole batch of warm whatever-it-is and wind up with a serious tummy ache. A fresh, chewy cookie or muffin is my absolute undoing, so I don’t often offer myself the temptation. However, two things happened over the past week: I completed a major project at work (therefore I needed a reward) and I found this very healthy recipe for orange-blueberry muffins. At first I was skeptical that they would be delicious and satisfying, but they delivered the goods, with tons of fruit and fiber to boot! I hate to use the term “guilt-free” when it comes to food because that emotion should never be associated with eating, ever, but why not? I’m gonna say it! These are hip-friendly, tummy lovin’ muffins…and I ate three when they came out of the oven!

Ingredients
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil or butter
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
2 Tbs. Tahini
Grated zest of 1 organic, un-waxed orange
2 cups whole grain flour (spelt, kamut, or whole wheat)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
nut or seed of your choice (optional)
--> pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts etc.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Put the orange juice, oil, syrup, tahini, and orange zest into a medium bowl and whisk until well combined.
3. Mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until well combined. Add the orange juice mixture and combine, using as few strokes as possible so you do not over mix the batter. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each approximately 3/4 full. Sprinkle with nuts or seeds. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes). Let the muffins cool before removing them from the pan.
Or, do what I do: take a spoon and desperately dig them out like a complete maniac.

These muffins freeze beautifully. Eat half while they are still warm (you think I’m joking?), and once cooled, put the others in a thick plastic bag in the freezer. Take one out in the morning and put it in your bag for an afternoon snack at work. You will thank yourself for being so prepared and healthy!

This recipe comes from one of the best cookbooks I have ever read. It's called "Enlightened Eating" by Caroline Dupont. Pick up a copy, find food nirvana.

Have you Masticated Today?

I’m talking about chewing! When did we all stop eating mindfully and actually using our teeth? These days it’s hard to find time to eat, let alone do it “properly” so I thought it would be a good idea to remind us all why chewing is so important to our health and how to get back to masticating like we should.

Chewing your food properly is the first step in the process of digestion, which extracts the nutrients from what you eat. The bottom line is: the more you chew your food, the more nutrients will be available for your body to absorb. There’s no point in dropping extra cash on organic food, if you don’t even chew it up!

Here are some great reasons to start chomping again:
1. Chewing cleans your food before it hits your stomach since saliva is antibacterial. Certain food-borne bacteria can be killed just from chewing!
2. When you eat, it takes a while before satiety (“fullness”) signals reach your brain and tell you that you’ve had enough. If you rush your meals you will eat much more before these signals kick in, resulting in your consuming more food than you need. Just by slowing down when you eat you will more likely to eat less (apparently some people want to do that).
3. According to university studies, chewing stimulates the endocrine system, keeping your hormones in balance for a happier, younger-looking you. In particular, the parotid glands just under your cheekbones release a cell-rejuvenating substance, which gives you that youthful glow.
4. Chewing decreases your risk of indigestion and gas. By increasing the surface area of your food, the enzymes in your saliva can begin digestion earlier and prevent your stomach from working too hard. Also, when you chew slowly, you take in less air. You won't champion the next belching contest at the pub, but that's not something to be proud of anyway.
5. The more you chew, the more oxygen is sent to the brain. So take your time and give your meal a thorough munching if you want to keep your mind sharp and avoid those post-meal sleepies.
6. Scientists have also discovered that munching is magnificent for the memory. It may help keep dementia in the elderly at bay. It seems that the more you chew, the more short-term memory cells you develop. When people get older, they lose their teeth and start eating mushy foods. The short-term memory may be compromised because of this simple change in diet and behavior. Isn’t that amazing?

So it turns out grandma was right. Chewing sufficiently does make a difference in how we feel and even look! For best results, try chewing each bite 30 times or more. At first this may seem too time consuming, but remember that eating should be done without hurry anyway. Enjoying the flavour and texture of each bite will bring awareness and gratitude to the act of eating and you’ll naturally slow down. I like to chew my food until it’s liquid simply because I know that I am doing my body a huge favor – last time I checked, I didn’t have teeth in my stomach!

Grass Fed Beef in Pomegranate Sauce

Snow on the ground means time for delicious beef in pomegranate sauce.

Have I got a slow cooker recipe to soothe winter weary spirits. Why? The mesa is clouded in white this morning- again. We woke to a fresh dusting of snow. I'm posting on a laptop in bed, snug beneath a Pendleton blanket, hoping Steve lights a fire in the kiva soon.

Although consensus is that New Mexico is drop dead gorgeous in the snow, I am so not a winter person. By mid January I am bored with fussing with boots and itchy sweaters and jackets. The tedious layering. (I never choose the right winter coat, so I gave up- I haven't owned one in two years- and besides, who knew you needed a winter coat in New Mexico?) And then there is the loopy ritual of locating gloves that migrate to the oddest hiding places- inside boots or under folded pillow cases. If it isn't obvious to you, Perceptive Reader, I am more than ready for spring. Until she arrives, I remain a big fan of winter comfort food.

Last night I tossed together an intuitive combination of pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar sweetened with pure maple syrup. Odd, you think? Just taste this.

And by the way, my recipe is featured in the fab new cookbook:  Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking

Slow Cooker Grass Fed Beef in Pomegranate Sauce Recipe

You can slow cook this in a slow cooker like we did or slow simmer it, covered, on the stove top. It's an easy sauce- no fuss. And huge on flavor. Big, bold lip-smacking flavor. I could regale you with factoids about how good pomegranate juice is for you- with all those nifty antioxidants and all- but you know what? It's just tastes so crazy good. Try it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds grass fed beef or buffalo roast or steak, fat trimmed
Sea salt
Light olive oil, as needed
1 onion, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 14-oz can Muir Glen fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar- omit for yeast-free
1/8 cup pure maple syrup- or use agave to keep it lower glycemic
1/2 cup fresh cranberries or golden raisins
1 teaspoon dried French herb mix or Bouquet Garni
A small pinch of cinnamon

Instructions:

I slow-cooked my recipe in a slow cooker because that's what works for me here at high altitude. You can follow suit and Crock Pot your little heart out. Or do it old-school style, in a heavy Dutch oven or soup pot.

Salt the beef on all sides. Wait a few minutes. Kiss the cook. Get your slow cooker situated and turned on to High.

Heat a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides to sear in the flavor, using long tongs to turn the pieces. This doesn't take but maybe five minutes, or so. Remove the beef and set aside.

Add a small dash of olive oil to the crock. Add in sliced onion and garlic. Stir to coat with the olive oil. Place the beef on top.

Pour in the pomegranate juice, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Add the cranberries or raisins, dried herbs, a pinch of cinnamon, sea salt and ground pepper.

Stir a little bit to co-mingle ingredients.

Cover and let the magic happen- about 4 to 5 hours.

Taste test the sauce for seasoning adjustments. My intuitive combo was the perfect balance of tart and savory with a hint of sweetness.

We served ours with a generous mound of whipped mashed potatoes. Heaven. Seriously.

Serves 4.

Gluten-Free Banana Cookies

Gluten-free and vegan banana cookie recipe.

Two firsts today. I made my first batch (ever!) of banana cookies (and the recipe just so happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free). And I took my first post-fracture outside walk today, bundled up against a chilly wind, walking stick in hand, patient husband at my side.

I use the word patient for a reason. Because Babycakes, walking with me is painted turtle in the shade slow. Careful. Deliberate. No funny business. No waggling or showing off. It ain't necessarily pretty.

But it's vertical.

It's biped (if you don't count the requisite walking stick as an appendage). And these days- in this house- vertical rocks our world. When we circled back to the casita the kitchen smelled like bananas and vanilla. I unwrapped my purple scarf, peeled off my mittens and turned the kettle on. It was time for tea and cookies.

And I had worked up an appetite.

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Vegetarian Polenta Pie

Layered polenta, veggies and vegan cheese.

An easier savory vegetarian pie than this you won't find. It's a simple fresh recipe that rocks. I made it to celebrate.

We just got back from my three-month post-op check-up. The hip looks good. "I gained ten pounds," I said to my hunky surgeon, Brant, as he was lifting my left leg in the air and poking me in the pelvis.

"So what?" he snorted and turned to Steve. "These tall skinny chicks. Ten pounds."

"I thought you'd be proud of me," I countered. "You know- that whole, You fit the broken hip profile thing you said to me? Female. White. Skinny. Vegetarian. (Celiac!)"

"Yeah, well. I gotta give you shit about something," he said.

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Golden Potato Soup for the Sensitive Soul

A lovely creamy potato soup- gluten and dairy free.

When I want a recipe for comfort food I reach for potatoes first. And when I need a soup recipe in a hurry, this creamy potato comfort always hits the spot.

Decades ago (yes, decades- how scary is that?) while I was still in art school, living in my boxy white washed one-bedroom off Dupont Circle, I would make potato soup in a blender (no crankin' Cuisinart or snappy immersion wands back then) and serve it chilled in Asian blue and white bowls (Pier One Imports, 99 cents apiece) with a sprinkle of bright green chives. Art student friends would scrape their bowls clean and ask for more. And I would gladly oblige. (They were easily impressed, because they were, well, not exactly starving, but used to living on instant ramen noodles, pizza and beer.)

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Weekend Picks

January weekends put me in the mood for two things. Cocoa with marshmallows and browsing cookbooks. Ideally, at the same time. In bed.

And since you can't join me, Dear Reader- as I spoon rapidly melting marshmallows from my hefty green-glazed cup, trying ever so carefully not to drip chocolate on an open cookbook as I slurp- I thought I might quickly browse some of my favorite on-line recipes and snag a list of seasonal inspiration for your weekend. Pure comfort food.

The cocoa part is up to you.

From Karina's kitchen:

Roasted Green Chile Bake

Two Artists Chili
Buttermilk Flatbread
Roasted Vegetable Cheddar Quiche

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

From some of my favorite tasty blogs:

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries at Kalyn's Kitchen
Potato "Gatto" from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
Black Bean Soup at Simply Recipes
Curried Chicken and Rice Soup from Gluten Free Gobsmacked
Salad with Fennel, Pears and Pine Nuts at Lucullian Delights

Gluten-Free Soup, Stew and Chili Recipes

Gluten-Free Soup, Stew and Chili Recipes

Here is a collection of my favorite gluten-free soups, stews and chili recipes. Warm up body and soul with one of these hearty slurp-worthy bowls of  comfort. There's nothing like soup. And from a can doesn't count. Many of these favorites are made in a slow cooker for easy, year round cooking.

African Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

African Coconut Chick Pea Soup
Big Easy Soup with Beans and Andouille Sausage
Buffalo Sausage Stew
Butternut Chili

Carrot Soup
Celery Soup with Fennel with Ryeless Rye Croutons
Coconut Split Pea Soup
Cream of Broccoli Soup with Coconut Milk
Curried Butternut Soup
Curried Carrot Soup with Pan Toasted Cornbread Croutons

Detox Green Soup
Detox Soup: Mulligatawny
Favorite Gluten-Free Chili
Irish Potato Cabbage Soup- with sausage

Mexican Pumpkin Soup with Black Beans + Lime
Mulligatawny Soup with Jasmine Rice
New Mexican Stew with Ground Turkey + Green Chiles
Potato Leek Soup
Potato Soup for the Sensitive Soul
Pumpkin-Sweet Potato Soup
Purple Cabbage + Sweet Potato Soup

Roasted Corn Chowder with Chicken
Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasted Vegetable Chowder
Rustic Mediterranean Chicken Soup for the Soul

Santa Fe Chicken Chili
Santa Fe Pumpkin Chowder
Sesame Noodles
Slow Cooked Green Chile Stew with Sweet Potato, Corn + Lime

Sneaky Tomato Soup
Spicy Vegetable Soup with Lime
Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger

Turkey Soup

Watermelon Gazpacho
White Bean Chicken Chili

See also: Slow Cooker + Crock Pot Recipes

Organic Garden in your Kitchen

Since we’re now in the dead of winter and we’re not exactly getting much in the way of local produce anymore, I thought it would be a great time to introduce ya’ll to the wonderful world of sprouts! I’m sure that most of you have eaten sprouts before and seen them in those little plastic boxes at the grocery store, but I am going to show you that growing your own is so fast, easy and inexpensive that you can have your very own organic garden on your kitchen counter for the rest of your life.

Why should I sprout?
Sprouts are the most vitally alive and nourishing foods we can eat. Once sprouted, grains, seeds and beans have 15% - 30% more protein, up to 10 times the B-vitamins, more vitamin C, vitamin E and K, beta-carotene, calcium, phosphorus and iron. They absolutely qualify as “super foods”. For those trying to lose weight, sprouts provide a low-calorie, high-nutrient food that tends to support improved metabolism.
Sprouting at home takes only a few seconds a day and can produce a good part of your daily requirements of the nutrients you need from fresh produce. The hassles are minor, the costs are low, and the health benefits are immeasurable.

What can I sprout?
Chickpea, alfalfa, sunflower, lentil, wheat, quinoa, mung bean, adzuki bean, clover and radish are just a few of the protein and vitamin-rich sprouts of many possible seeds, grains and beans. Really, any “seed” that is endowed with the potential for the next generation of plant life is sproutable.

What do I need to sprout?
1. A jar, 1 liter to 4 liter (1qt. to gallon) size, depending on your appetite for sprouts and size of your family.

2. A bowl of the right size and weight to prop up the jar.

3. Some screen or netting and a rubber band. You can use an old pair of nylons, cheesecloth, or screen from a hardware store.

4. Fresh water.

5. Seeds with good germination, preferably grown organically. Avoid purchased garden seeds unless you know they aren't treated. Most natural food stores have the common sprouting seeds; if in doubt, ask if it's organic. You can also grab some right out of the bulk bin at a health food store – chickpeas are my favorite. Most seeds keep for a year or more in a cool dry place.

How to sprout:
Easy Sprouting Directions (for most small seeds)

1. Soak: Put 1 to 4 TBS. seed in a wide mouth jar. Cover with mesh and secure with rubber band. Add water, swirl, and drain. Add 1 cup cool water and soak for 4 - 8 hours (or overnight).

2. Rinse: twice a day, refill jar with cool water, swirl, and drain. Invert jar and prop at angle in sink or bowl.

3. Enjoy in three to six days, when sprouts are 3 to 5cm (1 to 2") long. Cover the jar with plastic and a rubber band, or transfer to a covered container, and refrigerate to store. It's really that easy!

Below are some photos of my own alfalfa sprouts. I like to put them on sandwiches or salads for added crunch, flavour and of course, nutrition.





Now, here is a hilarious video I found on YouTube featuring a groovy couple that is VERY enthusiastic about sprouting. It is fun, clear and concise, so after watching you should have the confidence to begin your life as a sprouter.

Remember, if you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments section. I am your resource for all things holistic!
All the best. Happy sprouting, Sarah

Baked Cod with Roasted Sweet & Sour Vegetables

Yesterday, it snowed. Today the winter sky is clear and bright. The snow shadows are blue- almost purple. I was sorry to see the last of our Beef and Potatoes au Chocolat go. A chilly day like today is the perfect day for a slow cooked soup or stew. But alas. There's not a cup of soup in the house. Or any leftovers, for that matter. Last night we tossed together a simple dinner for two- cod fillets baked in olive oil and garlic, and topped with tangy roasted vegetables. Mermaid comfort food. 

It was gone faster than you could say Daryl Hannah.

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Beef and Potatoes au Chocolat

Spices make this chocolate sauce muy fabulouso.

One of my favorite food-themed movies is Chocolat. All those sexy close-ups of thick and glossy ribbons of deep dark chocolate. The dustings of cinnamon you could almost taste. And the revelation of chile-spiked cocoa! It's enough to make any chocolate and spice lover swoon.

Flash forward. Winter day. Steve is turning, smiling- devilish- in the late afternoon sun that slants through the square kitchen window, unwrapping (vegans please skip ahead now to when I acknowledge your goddess-given right for a substitute) a gorgeous grass fed ribeye steak from Whole Foods and ponders, aloud, Should we make some kind of stew tonight- something Sicilian, maybe? And suddenly- feverishly- I am possessed with the idea of mole- a lip smacking, foodgasm-inducing Mexican sauce, decadently rich and redolent with unsweetened chocolate and spices.

You know what happened next.

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Spicy Eggs Diablo on Polenta

Spicy eggs on polenta aka Huevos Diablo (or Diavolo)

I've been a tad busy behind the scenes here at Karina's Kitchen. A little cooking, yes. Now that I can stand for longer and longer periods of time and not topple over. And no, I haven't been drinking. Well, just a little red wine with dinner, of course.

No, I'm afraid it's not an intoxication issue at all, it's the whole getting-used-to being vertical thing. It's a wee bit strange and vertigo inducing. It seems I have to re-orient my depth perception and excavate my bi-ped spatial navigation skills (which were never as we now know particularly well honed). I must relearn how to aim and propel this stiff and complaining body (spare parts included) semi-crutchless around my casita-bound world. For the first time in ages.

You think that's easy?

Actually, it's all good. Even the failed baking attempts are good. Like the vegan pear cobbler that wouldn't bake in the middle and got only gummier the longer I baked the damn thing (what is it with high altitude and egg-less baking?). Actually, I blame gluten-free and egg-less baking. It's no walk in the park. It looked pretty, but tasted god-awful. So I'm sparing you.

Instead I'm reprising an older recipe I once ate with gusto (and can no longer consume due to an egg allergy; but you can, I hope!).

I love you that much.

Make this tasty egg dish for brunch or breakfast for dinner on some rainy spring night.

Eggs Diablo on Polenta

Bake the eggs as you stir the polenta and your brunch- or dinner- will be done in no time. I used stone ground cornmeal for the polenta, so it took longer to cook than a pre-cooked "instant" version. The creamy corny texture was worth the effort. Make sure the cornmeal you use is gluten-free.

Ingredients:

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Polenta
4 1/2 cups light GF vegetable broth
1 cup grated Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese (use vegan cheese to keep it dairy-free)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 cups spicy salsa
2 cups GF red pasta sauce
1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles- hot or mild, to taste
A good dash of balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper chili flakes, to taste
A good dash of cumin or chipotle powder, if desired
Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, to taste
8 large free-range organic eggs

To serve:
Queso fresco, goat or feta cheese, if desired

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring the broth to a high simmer and pour the cornmeal into the simmering broth in an even, steady stream, whisking as you go. Keep stirring. This take a while. Hand the whisking job over to a willing and able assistant as you prepare the eggs. [Promise them chocolate, if you have to.]

Combine the salsa and red sauce, chiles and vinegar for the Diablo Sauce. Add in the garlic and spices. Pour into a deepish baking pan- I used a 10x13-inch pan. Place the pan in the oven for ten minutes to heat the sauce. In the meantime, give your assistant a break on whisking the polenta, or busy yourself with selecting appropriate Huevos Diablo music. Cesaria Evora works.

When you are about half way through the polenta process (around the 10 to 15 minute mark) pull the pan from the oven and crack the eggs- one at a time, preferably- into the simmering sauce. Place the pan back into the hot oven.

The Diablo sauce will poach the eggs. When cooking only four eggs, I will cook the eggs and sauce in a deep skillet (covered) on the stove, instead; I chose to bake them on this occasion because I was poaching 8 eggs at once.

When the polenta has thickened and is pulling away from the sides of the pot a bit, add in the shredded cheese and season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the pot from the heat.

Note: If all goes well, the eggs and polenta will be done at the same time. My polenta took a little longer than I anticipated, so my poached eggs turned out a little more solid than I like. I should have pulled the pan from the oven and kept the eggs on the stove top until the polenta was ready.

To serve:

Spoon a circle of polenta on each of four warmed serving plates. Spoon some Diablo Sauce over each mound of polenta. Top with two poached eggs. If there is any remaining sauce, spoon a little extra on each plate.

Top with fresh chopped cilantro if you like.

If you are not dairy-free, crumble a little queso fresco, goat, or feta, on each serving, if desired.

Serves 4.

My New Year's Breath-olution

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you all had a safe and healthy holiday.

On New Year’s day I woke up to see Toronto festooned with a fresh frosting of snow; bright and clean and ready to take on the New Year. I felt so inspired by the sight of it all, I grabbed my camera, water bottle and headed out to the woods around my house. The things I saw that day were truly breathtaking – and I spent a good deal of time lying in the forest like a crazy person. I lay there in the quiet, looking up through the snowy trees and was suddenly compelled to breathe very deeply. Once I started I couldn’t stop and each time I inhaled, I let more and more oxygen into my starving lungs. I felt the long, slow deep breaths radiate through my whole body. It was then that I realized how long it had been since I had taken a proper breath! Weeks for sure, since my yoga routine was thrown out the window during the holiday rush.
So there, on the forest floor, my New Year’s resolution was decided: breathe deeply and often. I’m not sure what you’ve resolved to do to better your health, but if you’ve only cut back from eight coffees to seven, I invite you to join me in my breath-olution.

One of the reasons aerobic exercise is good for you (and is so good at clearing away mental cobwebs) is that it ups your heart rate and forces your lungs to take in more oxygen while expelling more carbon dioxide. This gives your heart a good workout - it is a muscle after all - and pumps a quick jolt of oxygen through your cells, even those that may have been operating at reduced capacity.

Shallow breathing (or chest breathing) causes a constriction of the chest and lung tissue over time, decreasing oxygen flow and delivery to your tissues. Deep, rhythmic breathing expands the diaphragm muscle, the cone-shaped muscle under your lungs, expanding the lung’s air pockets, invoking the relaxation response, and massaging the lymphatic system.

Breathing serves as the pump for the lymphatic system, just as the heart serves the circulatory system. Your cells must have oxygen to survive moment to moment. To thrive, they rely on a complex exchange between the circulatory system and the lymphatic system. Blood flow carries nutrients and ample amounts of oxygen into the capillaries, while a healthy lymphatic system carries away destructive toxins. Proper breathing is the moderator of this exchange.
The consequence of a sluggish lymphatic system is that you cannot detoxify properly. And if you aren’t breathing deeply or moving regularly, chances are your lymph fluid is not flowing as well as it could. As you can well imagine, this can lead to health concerns over time, including weight gain, muscle loss, high blood pressure, fatigue, and inflammation.

But the great news is that you can improve your lymph system cleansing by learning to practice deep breathing. The expansion and contraction of the diaphragm actually stimulates your lymphatic system and massages your internal organs, helping the body rid itself of toxins, and leaving more room in the cells for an optimal exchange of oxygen.

Remember to breathe through the nose, as it is axiomatic to invoking the parasympathetic nervous system and the attendant relaxation response.

By taking a few moments in your day to really pay attention to the inhalation and exhalation that supports your life, you will slowly and surely move toward a healthier and happier place. Try 5 minutes right now. Tomorrow, 10 minutes. You'll become addicted, I swear. Remember, small changes add up to big improvements - and what better way to begin than breathing?

My best to all of you in the coming year! May you all breathe deeply, sleep soundly, and of course, eat well. Love, Sarah

information reference: http://www.womentowomen.com/fatigueandstress/deepbreathing.aspx