Irish Potato & Cabbage Soup with Soda Bread

Irish potato and cabbage soup- rustic comfort in a bowl.

Put on some Irish music and grab your apron. Here's a recipe pairing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day- whether you're a dyed in the wool Celtic lass, Scott-Irish, or only mostly Irish in spirit. Irish Potato and Cabbage Soup and gluten-free Irish Soda Bread.

Slainte!

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Gluten-Free Main Dishes + Comfort Food

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Gluten-Free main Dish and Comfort Food Recipes

Healthy Travel can be Tough

Yes, I have been away and I am sorry that I just disappeared without announcing it. I am on March break, and recently returned from Nashville, Tennessee where I saw one of my oldest, dearest friends get married. I did bring my own food to the wedding reception, but only because I heard that prime rib was going the main attraction at dinner, and we all know I can’t survive on cake.

Since I have two weeks of my March break remaining (yes, being a teacher has incredible perks) I am now off to a slightly more exotic locale: Marrakech, Morocco. I have never been to that part of the world before, and after this long, gray winter we’ve had, I'm craving some sort of sensory assault: bright colours, warm air and delicious food. It should be quite an adventure.

Like the title says, healthy travel can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be. This month has proven that with a little preparation, any excursion, whether it’s a quick road trip or a journey halfway around the world, can be executed with nutritious flair.

The easiest way to maintain good health while in transit is to bring your own food (obviously). This will allow you to sail past all those fast-food joints, saving you time, money and indigestion. I like to take along some of my favorite healthy snacks – easy to fit in a carry-on or in my purse – like brown rice crackers, almonds, dried fruit, high quality meal replacement bars (see recipe below), fresh cut veggies, etc. I also bring all my supplements with me. I drink plenty of bottled water and get more if I need it. I also try to have a full healthy breakfast before leaving home, as well as when I leave my hotel to come back.

Here are some healthy food travel tips, plus a recipe for delicious whole-food bars that will put those packaged ones to shame (even my mom likes them!)

* Load up on fresh-cut vegetables and fruit. Carrot, red pepper and celery sticks and great because they will stay crispy for at least 12 hours.
* Bring plenty of water. It will keep you hydrated and full so you don’t sip on sugary sodas.
* Bring baked whole grain crackers and a mini bag of cereal along on your trip. This is good for added fiber and nutrients.
* Don’t overindulge in greasy chips or sugary desserts. They offer nothing in the way of nutrition and can make you feel sluggish and foggy – a bad combination when you’re on vacation.
* You can also pack sandwiches made with whole grain bread and peanut butter or spreads like hummus.
* Nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts contain polyunsaturated fats and are easy to take on a trip in either individual bags or larger containers. These last forever, just remember to soak them!

And, before I even arrive at my final destination, I make sure I know where the nearest health food store is, just in case the local restaurants don’t measure up. I can always find the best ingredients to throw together a tasty sandwich if need be.

One thing I really like taking on trips are these “Everything Bars” (recipe from Enlightened Eating). They’re fully loaded with fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Satisfying as a snack, or a mini-meal on the go, you can make a whole bunch (the recipe can be doubled) and freeze them for your next road-trip or overseas adventure.

Everything Bars
Ingredients
3/4 cup amaranth flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
large pinch nutmeg, cloves, allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chickpeas
2/3 cup rice, almond, or soy milk
1 banana
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp. tahini
1/3 cup honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup grated carrot or zucchini
1/2 cup currants, raisins, chopped apricots or dates

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8” x 10” pan.
2. In a large bowl mix together amaranth and buckwheat flour, quinoa flakes, nuts, seeds, baking soda, spices and salt.
3. In a blender or food processor combine chickpeas, milk, banana, oil, tahini, sweetener and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add grated vegetables and dried fruit.
4. Pour batter (which will be thick) into prepared pan and bake until set, approximately 35-40 minutes.
5. Let cool and slice into 12-16 bars.

So I am off to Morocco for the next couple weeks and promise to have quite an entry when I return. The food adventure that awaits me will no doubt be unforgettable and I can’t wait to share all of my tasty travel experiences with you. All the best!

Now I’m outta here…

Roasted Tomato Soup

A tomato soup recipe to cure all ills. Roasting is the secret.

When cabin fever hits, I am not a pretty sight. My hair has a static-inspired halo decidedly unholy. My chin breaks out (zits? At 53?). I pace and fidget. I am not the serene goddess you think I am.

I am itchy and creaky and sick to death of pilled winter sweaters- not to mention winter temperatures. You folks in Ohio? My thoughts are with you, Babycakes. Here in northern New Mexico I don't have much to kvetch about. But you? Oy. All that snow? It might crush me. Seriously. I'd be done.

So to celebrate the return of Daylight Saving (three weeks early, no less) I made a life affirming taste bud tingling pot of soup this weekend. See if this doesn't help quench your cabin fever.

Just a little.

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Sexy Spring Pasta- with roasted asparagus & tomatoes

Simple and romantic: pasta with roasted asparagus and tomatoes.

Today's recipe is a romantic, sexy spring pasta sauce with balsamic roasted asparagus and tomatoes. Because it's snowing. There's a foot of the white stuff. Ridiculous. Our morning appointment with our real estate broker was canceled. Oh, did I mention? We're putting our house on the market. Los Angeles beckons.

Aside from my husband's screenwriting momentum, these ole bones of mine (not to mention, my spare parts) are too creaky for winters with snow. Two years ago, when we planned our big move west, I was naive enough to imagine kinder temperatures. A January with no snow shovels. February afternoons sunny and warm enough to peel off your apple-green cardigan, roll up your sleeves, and drink in vitamin D old school style. Maybe south, in Las Cruces.

But not here north of Santa Fe. And so I find myself once again turning toward the new, welcoming change. Packing away family photos and books to simplify rooms and coax potential buyers into imagining their own conversations and meals and lovemaking in this space.

This space in the desert that has been my shelter- and my tabla rasa. Where I have shed old skins and birthed a new sense of self- in startling and unexpected ways. Interesting, isn't it? Living here has been so different than I imagined. Difficult, even. And yet. So good for me. It's been all about the process of change.

And lucky for me- I think change is sexy.

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Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-free buckwheat chocolate chip cookies.

  

I know what you're thinking. Not another cookie recipe. Please. I've had it with melty chocolate chips and crunchy, chewy sweetness. Where are the rutabaga recipes, dagnabbit? And what about beets? Or parsnips? I've got a hankering for kale the size of Wyoming. I yearn for jicama. Cook me up some kohlrabi, already.

Sorry, Darling. Not today.

You'll have to be patient. There are cookies to bake. And these are gluten-free. And dairy-free. And vegan.

But I'll be honest. Baking egg-free, butter-free, gluten-free cookies (that actually taste tempting) can be tough. So if you- or an angel you love- are allergic to several of the top allergens, or living GF/CF for ASD reasons, just know I'm in the weird and rocky boat with you.

Which is why I keep experimenting and tweaking recipes.

And if the butter eating glutenous In Crowd doesn't get it, I say, You know what, Cheese Breath? Just go eat your Twinkies, will ya?

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Soak your Nuts

Adding nuts to your diet is a very good idea. Nuts and seeds of all varieties contain essential fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are wonderful on salads, super as a spread on sandwiches, and great as a quick snack on the run. Most of the nuts you’ll find in the grocery store are roasted, salted, or flavoured in some way, but we all know, just like fruits and vegetables, the best way to eat them is raw!

But, we can do even better than that.
Wonder why those seeds, (including almonds, sunflower, spelt, oats, pecans, sesame, wheat etc.) in your cupboard don’t turn into plants, or get moldy? Well, nature is amazing, and has given nuts and seeds a special enzyme that inhibits their growth until it has all the things it needs to grow (sunlight, water, soil etc.).

When we eat raw nuts, we also eat the enzyme inhibitors that prevent the seed from sprouting. This takes a real toll on our digestion, since they will prevent our own enzymes from breaking down the food in our digestive tracts, inhibiting absorption of precious vitamins and minerals. Simply by soaking nuts in a little water, the nuts release these harmful enzymes, and at the same time, their nutritional value skyrockets. Think back to my sprouting article: when we soak, we stimulate the process of germination, liberating the incredible life force inside! We are literally eating the beginnings of a plant, so consider of all the vital nutrients that must be unlocked, and all for us to consume. How bad could you possibly feel eating that?!

Traditional people always soaked or partially sprouted their seed and nuts before they were eaten. Aztec people still practice soaking pumpkin and squash seeds and drying them in the sun before eating whole or grinding them into a meal.

I usually put a handful of almonds in a bowl or jar and fill it with filtered water before going to bed at night. Then the next morning I can have them on my oats, or even better, blend them with some water to make almond milk! Delicious. I like to peel my almonds before eating them (see picture above). I just scrape one edge of the nut with the tip of my fingernail and the bran slides off. The almonds are soft, full of flavour and three times the nutrients! What a great way to start the day.

Softer nuts and seeds, like cashews, pumpkin seeds and walnuts can be soaked for even less time, about 4 hours. Just make sure to rinse all nuts very well after they’ve been soaking, since the water they were bathing in is filled with the enzyme inhibitors that you wanted to get rid of in the first place.

If you want large batches, simply spread all of your soaked nuts on a baking pan and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours, until dry and crisp (or use a dehydrator - this is a better option, as the temperature stays around 115 and prevents enzyme destruction). Store for up to a few months in an airtight container (walnuts need to be stored in the fridge).

That’s it! Another simple step towards greater health…and I just couldn’t resist that title.