Finally Tried It: Black Rice

A few months ago I posted about an article regarding the attention black foods have been receiving in relation to their health benefit. Since then I kept telling myself that if I came across black rice I just had to give it a try. Lucky me, I just happened to find some at the Japanese market here in town a couple weeks ago.

So, why this interest in black rice?

Well, first of all it is different; perhaps not to Asian cultures, but certainly different and rather exotic to those of us not incredibly familiar with all Asian foods. Second, the dark color is an indicator of nutrients. Specifically, anthocyanins, which give the rice its dark purple, almost black appearance.

Anthocyanins are believed to have anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to improve serum lipid profiles which includes cholesterol and triglyceride readings. Studies have analyzed the action of anthocyanin-extract specifically from black rice and have found the above beliefs to be supported.

In addition the iron content in black rice is higher than for other varieties of rice. However, when we consider iron from plant sources such as rice, we also have to consider the bioavailability of the iron. Iron from plant sources is considered non-heme iron and is not always readily absorbed by the body. It is good to know, however, that consuming adequate amounts of vitamin C helps our body absorb more non-heme iron.

Along with its interesting nutritional makeup, black rice has a very rich history that is quite difficult to verify. It is believed that in ancient times it was only to be consumed by Emperors of China giving it the name, forbidden rice. Fortunately for us it is no longer forbidden. It is becoming more and more popular and easier to find in supermarkets.

I decided that this time around I really just wanted to taste and experience the rice itself so I didn’t add it to a complex recipe. I actually pulled a tip from the recipe for Forbidden Black Rice Salad from Lotus Foods. I didn’t have any of the veggies in for the full salad so I simply tossed my rice in sesame oil and soy sauce after it cooked.

Black rice is a medium grain rice so I didn’t cook it much differently than I do the white rice we use so often in Brazil. I cooked one cup of the rice for a few minutes in a bit of olive oil. Then I added 2 cups of water and allowed to it simmer, covered, stirring it occasionally. It took about 25 minutes for it to cook.

The first thing you will notice when cooking it is the smell. It was amazing, filling the apartment with a warm, nutty aroma. It immediately told me that I was not going to be disappointed with this find.

After it had cooked I tossed the rice in the combination of oil and soy sauce. The flavor was perfect. The dressing gave it an even greater nutty, salty taste and it went very well with the salmon I was having for lunch.

Have you tried black rice yet?

Here are a couple interesting posts about black rice from around the blogging world. Enjoy!

We Heart Stuff - Trend: Black Rice

Live to Eat: Forbidden Rice Pudding

Links to a Healthy Weekend

Whoa! Is it seriously the last weekend of March? It simply doesn’t seem possible.

This week has not been without frustration for me. Our Internet service here has been a bit of a battle since day one. It had been doing well for the past few months and within the past week we have had more problems than I can count. After losing for two days solid a couple weeks ago, it then worked for about a week. It went out for another day, was repaired and it has been on, off, on, off for hours at a time since.

We had another man out last night to repair it and we hope it will be good for a while, but I have to admit I just keep waiting for a page not to load and the lights to be blinking randomly on the modem.

I am a big fan of a break from screen time, but very much enjoy it when it is a voluntary break and not a forced one. I feel like I’m trying to play catch up with work every time service returns and since the web is my access to phone I had to miss an important conference call regarding a book I’m coauthoring with an organization I blog for.

So this explains why the links are late this week and why you probably haven’t seen me commenting around your blogs. Fortunately I was able to find several great links early this week when things were still running smoothly. Here’s hoping for a better week coming up!

I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend!

food for living had a recipe for S’mores Oatmeal. What a great idea! I’d probably leave out the energy bar to lower calories and try to find the most natural graham cracker I could, but this is a great oats idea.

use real butter had a recipe for Sticky Toffee Pudding. This is one of those desserts I’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t been in the right place at the right time. This one looks delicious!

Everyday Cookin’ showed off some fabulous looking Crispy Fish Tacos. I’m sure they taste as good as they look. I can’t wait to give them a try!

Pizza-making machine has Italian chefs in a spin was an article on Yahoo News. This had to be the week’s most interesting read. I really think the chefs need not worry. I can’t imagine a vending machine being able to compete with the food in Italian restaurants. Although I’m headed to Italy this summer and I’ll definitely be taking a picture if I come across one.

In case you missed it Michelle who formerly blogged at What Does Your Body Good? has launched a beautiful, brand new site along with her exciting new business - Find Your Balance Health Counseling & Yoga. She's giving away a Kripalu Cookbook of gourmet vegetarian recipes to celebrate so go check it out!

Photo of Volksgarten - Vienna, Austria

Bread Success!

Despite my past work in bread bakeries I rarely have bread success at home. I’m not sure what it is – atmosphere, yeast, lack of talent. My mom makes amazing bread and I’ve always strived to develop a similar skill at making it.

Good news! I think I finally had a bread success.

I will admit it came after a few failures, though. I had a simple baguette recipe I found in a book a long while back that I play with occasionally. It has never turned out well. One reason is that it has too much salt. I never could get used to the flavor. I decided, however, that the recipe had potential if adjusted it enough and if I set my sites on more of a loaf as opposed to a baguette.

I had some golden raisins left from my scones and a bread from my past came to mind today – Cinnamon Raisin Walnut. It has been forever since I’ve had it so I decided to give my base recipe one last attempt at being successful.

I am so happy about the loaf I ended up with. It has a hard, crusty outside and a soft inside just the way I like my bread. The cinnamon and raisins add just a touch of sweetness without being too overwhelming. I had to wrap it up and push it to the corner of the kitchen after two pieces for fear it would be gone before the end of the day.

I will warn you in advance that this is an all-day kind of bread, or at least all morning. It might be a good idea to leave this one for a relaxing weekend. My next mission will be to increase the whole wheat flour (I was almost out) and incorporate some different grains.

Cinnamon Raisin Nut Bread

1 ¼ cups warm water
1 tsp instant dry yeast
1 ½ cups white flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
¾ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup golden raisins
1/3 cup walnuts

Mix the yeast with water and let it sit while you mix the other ingredients. Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, raisins and walnuts in a mixing bowl. Pour in yeast and mix with a spoonula until combined. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead for five to eight minutes. Form the dough into a round loaf and place in a greased bowl. Let rise for about one hour or until it has doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and form it into a long loaf. Place it in a greased loaf pan. It will look something like this.

Let it rise for 2 more hours at which point it will look more like this.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes or until the loaf is nicely browned on the outside. Remove from oven and use a knife to loosen the sides and de-pan immediately. Let cool on a wire rack.

Spring Cleaning

While I don’t think that cleaning should be reserved for just the spring, I got into the spirit of the season and decided to do a little spring cleaning of my own over the weekend. This cleaning wasn’t focused on my whole apartment though. My recipe file was my target.

I have this big folder in which I keep all the recipes that I tear out from magazines or jot down from who knows where. It was getting a bit out of control so I really needed to do a little updating. This is a good organizing task for me because I think my tastes change over time and what I once thought was a fabulous find doesn’t seem so appealing a year or two later.

What really surprised me as I went through my stack, though, was that it wasn’t so much that I wouldn’t like the recipe, but more so that I didn’t like the ingredients. I hadn’t realized how much my goal of reducing fake foods had influenced the appeal of recipes.

I threw away a good portion of dinner and dessert ideas that no longer interested me. The reason – because they called for fake foods. It really made me realize how much I’ve changed over the last year or so. These were some of the common culprits.

Cake mixes
Cornbread mixes
Pre-made cookie dough
Biscuit mixes
Canned soup
Instant gelatin and puddings
Whipped topping

Now I will be honest and say I didn’t toss every one that included an ingredient like this. (Well, except for the gelatin and pudding mixes. I’m just simply not into them anymore. It was an easy thing to eliminate.) Most of the things I did keep were special desserts that I’ve always enjoyed.

For example, my mom has a great rum cake recipe that starts with a yellow cake mix. I kept that because I love that cake around the holidays. My goal with these recipes is that one day I can spend some time re-creating them from scratch with more whole, healthy ingredients.

Have you experienced anything like this? How have your eating and food preferences changed over the last year?

Warm Grapefruit

While many people begin to pucker their lips at the thought of grapefruit, I am one who is fond of this sour, citrus fruit. I can remember eating it when I was younger. Topping it with sugar or artificial sweetener was simply a part of the process. However, as an adult I’ve grown to like the tart, bitter flavor. I still like a bit of sweet with my sour, but much less than before.

Grapefruit has popped up in the media several times throughout the years. Remember the “Grapefruit Diet”? It was one of those well-known fad diets promising rapid weight loss that simply required you to eat a structured diet each day with grapefruit or its juice at each meal. These diets always give me a laugh, because when you take a closer look you see that it is simply a reduction of calories that is causing the weight loss through a very structured meal plan. Somehow as a society we can’t seem to resist their appeal, though.

Even though I don’t believe in fad diets, I have no doubt that grapefruit is a miracle food. Let’s face it. Most fruits and vegetables are whether they act as the fountain of youth through age defying antioxidants or as active disease fighters via many vitamins and minerals.

While grapefruit on its own will not make all weight loss dreams come true, it will still greatly benefit our health. The first thing to point out is that when you have a choice pick the pink or ruby red varieties. As is true with most produce, colors indicate nutrients. While all grapefruits provide valuable vitamin C, the pink grapefruit flesh provides more vitamin A and is rich in the phytonutrient lycopene, also found in tomatoes. Lycopene is recognized as one of the strongest cancer-fighting antioxidants. In addition, current research is analyzing the grapefruit’s role in bone health possibly due to its antioxidant make-up.

Grapefruit is pretty much non-existent where we are living now. There is a market here that imports a variety from time to time, and last week there just happen to be some in when I stopped by. I typically steer clear of the imports because there is so much local variety to choose from, but I hadn’t had a grapefruit in so long and it sounded really good. Since there was no distinction on the sign, upon cutting it open I was happy to find that my grapefruit, was in fact of the pink/ruby variety.

I find that I like grapefruit in just about every form. I’ll eat it fresh, drink the juice, and I love those little grapefruit gummy slices; however, I am not kidding myself that latter hold any nutritional value. I addition, I love the smell and often use grapefruit scented lotion.

Despite my love of this fruit and its scent I’ve never experimented much with it. A few months ago I came across a tip in a magazine to try grapefruit broiled with some honey and walnuts. Not having tried warm grapefruit I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to give it a whirl.

It is outstanding! There is something about the heat that makes the tartness a bit milder and nothing can beat the combination of honey and walnuts. While not always a combination added to citrus fruit it actually fits quite nicely. Another thing I loved is that eating grapefruit this way turns it into more of a breakfast for all seasons. What I mean is that in the summer I like fresh, cold fruit, but in the winter I enjoy something warm. A warm grapefruit is a great way to eat fruit on a cooler morning when you need a little comfort food.

The preparation is easy. Simply cut your grapefruit in half and place it cut side up in a pan safe for broiling. Take knife and cut around the outer edge and each membrane. Drizzle the flesh with some honey and top with a few chopped walnuts. Broil for about 5 minutes or until the rind is slightly browned and serve warm.

I still have the other half in the fridge and I’m thinking maybe a salad is in order. I’ll be sure to share its final destiny later this week.

Resources:
Grapefruit pulp may boost bone health: study
Lycopene: An Antioxidant for Good Health (American Dietetics Association)
Facts about Citrus Fruits and Juices: Grapefruit (pdf) (University of Florida Extension)
WHFoods: Grapefruit

Peanut Butter Winners & Links to a Healthy Weekend

Before I post my favorite reads of the week I need to admit that I’m a little late in sharing the winners of the Great Peanut Butter Exhibition # 5 – Sandwiches. If you haven’t had a chance to head over The Peanut Butter Boy to see the results, I have listed them below.



Congratulations to all the winners! Even if you didn’t enter, click on over see all the wonderful new peanut butter recipes to try.




First Place: Peanut Butter and Caramel Smores by Brilynn at Jumbo Empanadas

Second Place: The Dunkin Ultimate PB Sammie by the husband of MaryBeth from Dunkin Cookin

There was a 4-way tie for Third place!

Maple-Date PB Belgian Wafflewich from Amy at Coffee Talk. (This was my personal favorite of the contest.)
L’eggo my PB & Pumpkin by Bodyblogger. Check out the recipe on Nick’s post.
Master of Faster Asian Kale Wrap with Tamari-Peanut Spread by Jeremy, a new blogger, from Red Chair Cooking
Cinna-Spiced Chicken PB Wrap from Brandi at Bran Appetit



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Okay, as if that isn't enough wonderful links for this weekend, here come some more. This was one of those weeks where I found myself bookmarking page after page of good stuff. I had to narrow it down a bit to keep from making your read on all day, but here you go!

Rebecca’s everyday foods had a unique recipe for Peach Biscuit Soup. I’d never seen anything quite like it and it sounds delicious.

The plans for the White House organic garden were released in a New York Times article this week. Such an exciting project and there is all kinds of cool stuff on the planting list.


Compost and Its Rewards on The Epi-Log was a great review and personal account about using an indoor composter.

Two Peas and Their Pod featured a recipe for Snickerdoodle Blondies this week. I don’t think I need to say anymore about that winning combination. Yum!


Contests and Giveaways:

Savor the Thyme has the cutest contest going with her challenge for foodies to use Peeps as the inspiration for some culinary creations.

Diet, Dessert and Dogs is showing off her brand new site design (great!) and giving away the organic maple syrup she reviewed this week.

Economic Influence and Portion Control

I’ve had two food and health related topics on my mind lately – how the economy is influencing our food choices and gigantic portions. At first I didn’t really feel like my thoughts on the two had anything to do with each other, but the more I ponder it I think maybe they do.

Despite absorbing a small hike in food prices into our budget, living abroad has afforded us the luxury of avoiding most of the current economic struggles being experience by many in the States. Everyone is talking about it of course and I’ve been reading just about everything I come across on the subject. Though, I’ve realized that there is a big difference in reading about it and experiencing it.

When I go back to the US to visit it is much like a vacation. Everyone is happy to see me (thankfully) and typically when people want to get together it is to go eat a meal in one form or another. This leads to great opportunities for observing how the economy has changed eating out, if at all.

For example, in my hometown there has been relatively no change in the amount of people out in restaurants. My brother recently moved back to our hometown from Florida and is constantly commenting about vast differences in eating out between where he lived there and our hometown. He says that the numbers of people he saw eating out in south Florida have dropped drastically – no people hanging outside waiting for a table on the heavily restaurant-populated streets. However, in IN it seems nothing has changed.

So it has me wondering - are these simply the people that the economy has somehow failed to influence, or is it a case of drowning sorrows about current situations. To simplify, are people living beyond their means to begin with and say “What’s another charge on the credit card. Let’s go eat.”

This is where the issue of portion sizes comes in. My in-laws took me to Red Lobster while I was home last time. We all ordered off the lunch menu. The portions were appropriately sized, maybe even a little big for lunch. As I ate my meal and as we exited the restaurant something drew my attention to all the plates sitting on the tables around me (all tables which were full, by the way). I would estimate that 75% of people had large dinner platters, not the smaller lunch menu plates.

Now I would love to assume that this was the large meal for those people that day and they were going to have a light dinner, but our eating habits in the US as a whole tell me I would probably be wrong. Not only did these people have huge portions, but they also had the extra expense of purchasing a dinner entrée for lunch.

I used to feel that portion size was an issue that we were gaining control of - more restaurants offer half portions, people are educated to take ½ home in a to-go box, etc. However, I have to admit there are times when I get a bit scared for us and think – how in the world are we going to get a grasp on this unhealthy practice?

In the last 3 months I have had half salads on two occasions that could have fed two or more people. When something like that arrives to the table at first I start to chuckle about how huge it is, but then the reality sets in along with the feeling that it isn’t a laughing matter at all. It is really serious – a serious waste of resources and a risk to the health of those people who have unhealthy relationships with food.

Now, I realize the economy has affected people in many different ways and I am grossly generalizing through my observations. However, I can’t help but question what the key will be to solving our issues with portion sizes regardless of whether it is the consumer or restaurant’s fault. If a failing economy, loss of jobs and tight budgets doesn’t make us order off a less expensive menu to save money, and the health risks don’t scare us enough to eat smaller portions what will finally make use eat the way in which we were designed to.

Me? I don’t have any answers at the moment, but I definitely want to know yours.

St. Pat’s Day in Brazil

Last week I set out to plan a meal I could put together for Sunday that would serve as somewhat of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The holiday is non-existent around here (along with Valentine’s Day) which has always confused me due to the fact that I’m living in such a Catholic country.

Anyway, I tossed around ideas for a while considering what my ingredient restrictions would be. Then a recipe came to mind. On my ex-pat blog a long while back someone mentioned that I should try Escondidinho. This was followed by a comment from another ex-pat saying that it was like a Brazilian Shepherd’s Pie.

I had forgotten about this recipe and a couple months ago my husband took me to a new restaurant in town that he had been to previously. He said there was something on the menu he wanted to try. After ordering it, eating it and feeling that the name of the dish sounded oddly familiar I went back in my bookmarks and sure enough, it had been Escondidinho. My commenters were right, it was very similar to a Shepherd’s pie type of dish.

So keeping with the spirit of the holiday and respresenting the fact that I do currenlty live in Brazil, I decided this would be our main course. With a little research I learned that as with most popular dishes there are a variety of ways of preparing it. Many recipes exist, each with their own little twist.

The one we had at the restaurant that night was made with carne seca and topped with mashed mandioca mixed with a creamy cheese here called catipury. It was delicious. However, the recipe I had was for Escondidinho de Frango (chicken). I decided to go with this one because we had already had some ground beef throughout the week and I didn’t want more red meat.

I’ve learned it is difficult to translate recipes from another language. Some things I followed exactly and others I improvised from the original recipe, slightly guessing what the translation meant.

A few notes about ingredients. This recipe, of course, called for mandioca (manioc, yucca), considering it is likely you don’t have access to this, potatoes or another root vegetable would work well. The recipe also calls for creme de leite. This is an ingredient that doesn’t exactly match anything available in the US. A Brazilain friend once told me it was “like sour cream without the sour”. The best substitute would be heavy cream or half and half, although the viscosity isn’t exactly the same. That’s about it. Everything else should be easy to find in most places.

Escondidinho de Frango
Translated and adapted from Mais Você Culinária at globo.com

Olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 tomatoes without skin (I used canned, similar to whole tomatoes)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 kg (2.2 lbs) of chicken breast, cooked and shredded 2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 kg (2.2 lbs) mandioca, cooked (substitute potatoes) 2 Tbsp butter
1 can cream of milk (1/2 cup heavy cream)
1/3 cup coconut milk
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Pepper, ground nutmeg, parsley, chives and crushed red pepper all to taste

½ cup grated mozzarella

In a medium pan cook garlic and onion in olive oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken breast and soy sauce. Heat through, stirring to break up tomatoes. Set aside.

In a bowl, use a potato ricer to mash potatoes or use a mixer, add butter.
In a mixer beat cream milk, coconut milk, parmesan cheese, pepper, ground nutmeg, parsley and minced chives and red pepper. Add the cream to your mashed potatoes and mix well.

Grease a large glass baking dish. Pour in chicken mixture. Top with potato mixture and then sprinkle with cheese. Bake or broil until cheese is melted and top is browned. Serves 6.

And what would St. Patty’s Day be without a little Irish whiskey. So along with this…..

I also put together a cake using the star ingredient. I came across a recipe for Apple Cake in my Joy of Cooking cookbook that was perfect to modify for making a Spiked Spice Cake.

This recipe makes one 9 –inch round cake and in order to keep us from having cake around all week I just made the one layer and then cut it in half to make a half layered cake, you’ll see below. Double recipe for a full, round layered cake.

Spiked Spice Cake

1 cup all-purpose white flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup mascavo sugar (or use brown sugar)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp Irish whiskey
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients removing any lumps from the sugar. Stir in wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter is formed. Poor into a greased and floured, 9-inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, de-pan and cool completely.

Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp Irish whiskey
Milk as needed – 1 to 2 Tbsp

Cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla, whiskey and enough milk to create a smooth, spreadable frosting.

#9 Irish Fruit Scones

While I’ve been known to enjoy a full, hearty breakfast, my usual daily selection is a bowl of oats or a simple omelet. Truth-be-told, however, without a concern for health or calories a pastry and coffee would be my favorite way to start a day. Yes, I would be sure to run out of energy in a few hours, but there is something incredibly enjoyable about a sweet treat and a strong cup of coffee.

Breakfast pastries come in many varieties and while others may go for the cinnamon roll, cheese Danish or muffin, I reserve this special breakfast spot for the scone. Put me in a bakery with an assortment of sweets and 9 times out of 10 the scone will be mine.

My love of scones started when I began working in a bakery. We used to make the most amazing blackberry, cream cheese scones you have every put in your mouth. As I’ve traveled more and tested more scones, I now realize that what we made there really wasn’t much of a scone at all. They were too sweet and cake like.

It is only after traveling to Ireland that I think I have experienced a true scone. I have found I love them just the way they are, as well. That dry crust with a bit of moist goodness in the center, just a touch of sweet flavor making jam and clotted cream the perfect addition.

In honor, of the upcoming Irish holiday I decided to make my own batch of scones. While I have tried them in the past I’ve never made the Irish Fruit Scones that I’ve enjoyed so often on our trips to the Dublin area. It also helps that this is item #9 on my list of 30 foods. I’m slowly but surely making my way through my 30th b-day list.

I used the recipe from greatfood.ie and you can find the recipe here. I had to make my own buttermilk using 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a little less than a cup of milk. I also used golden raisins in my recipe.

While the result was not quite as perfect as those I’ve had in Ireland, I was quite pleased with the results. They make a great St. Patrick’s Day breakfast.

Tomorrow, I plan to share my Brazilian St. Patrick’s Day dinner, a traditional Irish favorite with a Brazilian twist. See you then!

A Little Me Time

I’ve found that I enjoy it when the blogs I read come to life, so-to-speak. I’m not one for sharing too much personal information, but I can easily get engrossed in a post where the author is telling me a little bit about themselves which usually includes something that has led to motivation for their blog.

So when Chef Wanabe left me this me-me I thought I’d take the time to write up a bit this weekend. If you haven’t visited Anna’s blog you should take the time to head over there and check it out. Don’t forget to check out her About Me page where you can see some of her amazing art. Such talent!

I’m supposed to tell you 10 things about myself, so here is my list. Now, I know everyone feels a bit differently about me-mes, so I’ve decided if you’d like to participate then you have earned this award from me. Let me know if you did in the comments so I am sure to check out your post.

Working in a Great Harvest was my second job (first was working for my brother’s lawn company). I ended up working there on and off throughout college. I started at the counter eventually moving into production, including sweets and baking. I also worked in a bagel shop at one point.

For as long as I can remember I have struggled with my weight. Exercise and watching what I eat are not options for me. If I don’t do both I will gain weight without fail. I’m currently in the process of losing what I have gained since our move abroad.

I have a BS in Nutrition, Fitness and Health which was actually in the school of Consumer & Family Sciences. My MS is in Nutritional Sciences – Wellness/Sports nutrition.

I grew up with animals around me at all times – pony, sheep, goats, dog, cat, bunnies – were all part of the family.

My Dad is the most amazing gardener I know. I’ve never appreciated his skill and the fruits of his labor more than I do at this point in my life.

My Mom always ran a cake business out of our home including birthday and wedding cakes. She is extremely talented, skilled and self-taught. I have inherited neither her skill nor patience for this.

I am a product of private, Catholic school K-12. Uniforms were a norm in my life.

Travel is necessity for me. My husband and I try to travel to Europe, the Caribbean and various places throughout the US each year. I’m willing to give up a lot in order to have the money to travel.

Despite living in Brazil for almost 2 years, studying CDs, group classes and private lessons, I still have not learned to speak Portuguese sufficiently. I view this is one of my greatest failures, but what is life without a few failures along the way, I guess.

Food has a lot to do with culture for me. It is why you won’t find me eliminating grains such as white rice or meat from my life. I feel blessed that I do not have to, I might add. Cultures have survived on these types of foods throughout history. While the foods have changed drastically overtime, for me the answer is not giving them up, but going back to more natural ways of producing them.

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Last week I also received these awards from Brand New Sidewalk. Thanks Candice! I'd like to share them with Tangeled Noodle and Gastroanthropology. Two blogs about food and culture that inspire me and teach me something new with each post.

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Links to a Healthy Weekend

So, during the first part of this week, I thought it was a slow one. Then, bam! It was over. The days flew by for some reason, I suspect because like most others, I had a lot to do. I’m feeling that good, caught-up feeling this weekend and I’m planning to spend some time away from the screen. I find I really need that every now and then. I’m thinking some squash playin’, reading and cooking are in order.

I had some problems with Internet access this week so I got behind on my reading a bit. I still managed to find some great things, though.

Enjoy your weekend! Happy St. Patrick's Day a little early! The celebration certainly calls for a little (or a lot of) Guinness!

Off Her Cork is doing a monthly special called “Feet on the Street” where she features runners around the blogging world. I’ve really been enjoying the read. In addition, Friday was her B-day so she is doing a chocolate giveaway! You only need to comment to enter and the contest ends on Sunday.

Eat Real made one of my favorite Irish dishes – Colcannon – just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

Uncornered Market is a blog by a great couple who are traveling the world and recording their experiences for the world to see. This week they posted an amazing slide show of the foods they had in Thailand. It is some of the best looking street food I have seen!

What is Wellness? is a question that was blogged about on Intent this week. The list is deep, but sometimes I like deep. The ideas presented will really get you thinking.

And last, but not least. Don’t forget that the Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #5 ends on Sunday at noon PST. Have you entered yet? The competition is getting quite stiff. There have been some creative sandwiches invented!

Beef and Eggplant Stromboli

There is this local pizza joint in my home town the makes the most amazing Stromboli. It is a favorite of my whole family and any time we are together you can bet that at least one dinner will end up being Stromboli night.

I’ve never had anything comparable. They use the most amazing soft, white bread that has been toasted with butter giving it this perfect crisp, chewiness. The meat is of sausage type, very finely ground with a sauce that you can order mild, medium or hot made so with varying amounts of crushed red pepper. Each bite is just full of chewy, spicy, cheesy goodness. It is one of those things that, try as you may, you will never be able to replicate exactly. Good for them, I guess.

Despite failed efforts I still continue to make the occasional Stromboli. I seem to change it a bit every time and last night was a good example. Earlier in the week I had roasted an eggplant intending to make some Baba ghanoush only to realize that I was out of tahini. Not wanting to waste it, I thought why not incorporate it into my sandwich somehow for a bit of a nutritional boost.

After eating the Strombolis, I expressed to my husband how great they were. Sorry, I’m not at all afraid to be proud when I make something darn tasty. The opposite happens equally as often so I figure take credit of something good when you can.

I purchase bread at a local bakery here and this time I used pão francês; small roll-like breads that are a bit lighter and softer than a traditional baguette. Any type of roll would do though, just pick your favorite.

While I can’t pass on a Stromboli as tasty as the one I get in my hometown, this one isn’t so bad, as well as not being so bad for you.

Beef and Eggplant Stromboli

4 rolls or pieces of baguette, 3 to 4 inches in length
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
½ lb lean ground beef
Insides of one roasted eggplant
½ to 1 can of tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
Dash of salt and black pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

Split each of your breads and broil, cut side up, for 3 to 5 minutes until dried out a bit and slightly browned. Set aside.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet and add garlic. Cook for one minute then add pepper and onion. Cook for two minutes and add beef. Once beef is browned add in eggplant and heat through. Add sauce to desired consistency and seasonings, let simmer a few minutes for flavors to blend.

Spread ¼ of the sauce mixture on the bottom of each Stromboli bread. Use ¼ cup cheese for each sprinkling half on the meat mixture and half on the top half of the roll.

Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Assemble the sandwich and serve.

Stuffed Potatoes

I’ve always been a fan of the baked potato. I was rather sad when it got such a bad rap as the “carbs are evil” campaigns started around the nutrition world. I am very glad to see that the potato is being promoted for its positive points now and showing up more regularly on healthy plates. Just ask Denise Austin about it – fitness icon turned potato pusher.

My selection of baked potato toppings has changed over the years. I have never really been a butter and sour cream person. There was once ranch dressing, then I moved on to salsa and lately a little hot sauce is all I need.

Around here, the stuff potato is a popular item in the mall food courts. While some of the stuffings aren’t the best for you, you’ve got to admit that when it comes to health you can do a lot worse in a food court than a baked potato.

I especially like that they have a “light” menu at these places because that is usually where my favorite combination resides. I posted about the arugula and sundried tomato combination that I was introduced to since coming to Brazil. You can find it on everything from sandwiches to pizza and also on your baked potato.

So here is the one I get at the food court. Dark leafy greens, anyone?

Here is my recreated version.

It makes for a simple, tasty lunch and is, without a doubt, full of vitamins. The best way to eat it is to get in there and mix everything up so you’ve got a little potato in each bite.

All you need is – a baked potato, chopped arugula, chopped sundried tomatoes and a little of your favorite cheese. You can open the potato and throw the cheese on first to melt it, or you can dice it and toss it with the veggies.

I’ve gotten more creative with stuffing my potatoes since we made this cultural discovery, which actually comes from the UK in the eyes of Brazilians. Any time there is a world food fest here the tent representing England serves stuffed taters.

I didn’t get a photo, but last night I browned up some lean ground beef with onions and peppers, and added a little bbq sauce. The mixture went on top of our potatoes with a little cheese. That was also a great combination.

How do you stuff your potatoes?


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Over the past few weeks I’ve made some of the recipes from other food bloggers and thought I would mention a couple. Both turned out great!

Mongolian Beef from Pink Bites which I turned into a lettuce wrap.

Homemade Bubbly Beer Bread from Zesty Cook. I used the Brazilian Beer, Bohemia.

Xocoatl

I love it when interesting little things pop up while I’m shopping; those little unexpected pleasures that fully warrant somewhat of a splurge in order to gain a new culinary experience.

The most recent occurrence that that fits these criteria involves chocolate. I love chocolate – big deal, I know. So do a lot of other people. I will admit when I hear people utter the words “I don’t like chocolate” it is followed by a jaw drop and gasp. Then I think – are you sure? I mean, it is chocolate.

When I delve into the history and health benefits of chocolate I often grow amazed at how this perfect, natural substance ever became what we’ve come to know as chocolate in the US – a candy, full of fat and sugar. What stares back at us on our store shelves barely resembles that from which it was made.

Now I’ve enjoyed my fair share of milk chocolate, but it is the dark stuff that has my heart. I like it dark and bitter, just barely sweet. The type of chocolate where you only need a small bite to feel fully satisfied.

So let me bring you back to my unexpected find. Browsing the food selection at a local bakery a few weeks ago I came across a rather intriguing drinking chocolate – Xocoatl. I became even more interested when I read the back of the package, which, lucky for me, was also printed in English so I didn’t have to worry with translating.

This is what it said:

Long before Columbus reached America, Aztecs roasted and ground cocoa beans and
mixed them with water, honey, vanilla and pepper. This ceremonial drink, called
Xocoatl, was available only to the nobles and priests. During the 16th century,
Xocoatl was taken to Spain, where spices from the East Indies were added to the
drink. Nugali Xocoatl is prepared according to this 400-year-old recipe, which quickly became a success among
European courts.

Well, noble or priest or I am not, but I did by up a bag of these tasty little disks for making drinking chocolate. I didn’t have to think twice after the description – honey, vanilla, pepper and chocolate – I knew I would love it.

The directions indicated that you should melt 3 to 5 tablets in a cup of hot milk. A bit difficult to melt down, it did not become a thick, dark drinking chocolate that most of us think of. However, this was its only fault.

The warm drink gave the sweet, yet bitter taste of fine chocolate and left a warm heat in the back of the throat. Such a combination of flavors that you know this is a rich drink meant for the most special of occasions.

This was certainly a new find for me. Have you ever heard of or had Xocoatl?

Links to a Healthy Weekend

Happy weekend! I hope you are enjoying it. As always, there was so much great stuff out there to read this week. It looks like many of you are enjoying the first signs of spring. It is hot here and we are really looking forward to a little sign of fall and winter (being that winter here is like a beautiful fall in the mid-southern US).

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on the Blog Reading post this week. It was so great to have everyone’s input.

Now, some healthy reading for your weekend…

Food Magazines Begin to Consider Cooks’ Budgets was an article posted at the NYTimes this week. It was an interesting read about how the more upscale food magazines are adjusting their content to meet the needs of those who have found themselves with a little less money to spend on fancy meals.

Green Gigs shared the details of 7 Green Careers from Home. This was especially interesting to me since I work from home myself.

Delicious by Nature sparked my interest with a recipe for a homemade, dairy free Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I had never thought of using coconut milk for a base in my ice cream maker, but I will be trying this.

Diet, Dessert and Dogs posted some outstanding meal-in-a-bowl ideas, some great discussion and recipes for her sauces. Almond curry or orange fig anyone?

Food Renegade is introducing Fight Back Fridays – a blog carnival of real foods. Even if you don’t participate it is surely going to be worth it to head over and check out the recipes of those who do. The first one is March 13.

Photo of Cape Meares, Oregon Coast

Awards and Some Words

I saw the Blogging with a Purpose award around the food blogging scene a while back and it immediately caught my attention. The reason is that I do my work, as we all do, for a purpose. My purpose is deeply grounded in my Christian faith, but it shows itself in the influences I aim to have on the health and wellness of others.

Since leaving my office job where I worked with a statewide organization in community health education, it’s has been challenging for me to find a place where I have the potential to truly influence people. By setting out to grow as a freelance writer I’ve been able to connect with others on, not just a statewide basis anymore, but now a global basis and I love it. My blog is a large part of this for me and I appreciate each one of you for reading and commenting.

With all that said you can imagine my delight when I realized that the wonderful Chef Bliss honored me with the Blogging with a Purpose award. Thank you! I am a fairly recent reader of her blog and I encourage you to stop by. You will love her Orange Star Cake!

I want to pass this on to two blogs I greatly enjoy and that are serving a great purpose in getting us all to eat more healthfully.

• 
  A Life Less Sweet shares her journey as her family eliminates HFCS. If you need some advice about HFCS and alternative foods that don’t contain it, head over and check out her blog. We had some especially fun discussion about her recent Gatorade – Revisited post.
• 
  What Does Your Body Good? is serving up outstanding recipes that are wholesome, natural and downright tasty. I repeatedly learn about wonderful dishes to try with lentils, hummus and whole grains including one of my recent favorites Hard Working Breakfast Grains.

Finally, here is my entry into the Eating Your Words Challenge hosted by Tangled Noodle and Savor the Thyme.

I needed to whip up a batch of my Breakfast Energy Bars this week and I thought why not spread the word (with prunes!) about physical activity because you will need some to burn off these, healthy, yet quite hearty bars. So Be Active!!

The Whole Cashew – Apple, Fruit and Nut

Cashews have always been a favorite in our house. They are the first thing to disappear when a can of mixed nuts happens to show up at a party. Before moving to Brazil, I knew cashews were quite popular due to the fact that they are native to the country. What I didn’t know was that the cashew is popular for a very different reason than the nut we often associate it with. While the nuts can be found; here, cashew is known for its juice.

I was relatively surprised the first time I saw a whole cashew. You see, the picture to the right is of cashews from the farmer’s market in town. Being a plant/tree that is native to the northeast of Brazil the fruit is somewhat rare around here, but for a few weeks in February they do show up at one or two booths among the vendors.

When not speaking of the nut, the cashew is often called a cashew fruit, but in actuality it is made up of three distinct parts. That orange yellow part that I first thought looked like a bell pepper is called the cashew apple. It is referred to as a false fruit or pseudo-fruit in the plant world.

The cashew apple contains a high concentration of tannins which are the same substances found in tea and wine. They give the apple a very distinct taste which I’ll discuss a little later.

The kidney-shaped green stem is the fruit of the cashew and it encases the nut; the same nut that we eat and refer to in the US as simply “cashews”, called castanha de cajú in Brazil.

The green fruit contains urushiol oil, the same substance found in poison ivy and poison oak which irritate the skin. You have to be very careful when removing the nut and it is for this reason that I have never purchased a whole, fresh cashew for myself and experimented with it. In an older article from Purdue University Horticulture I read that in some countries at one point the nut was simply thrown out with the fruit due to this toxin and much more emphasis was placed on the apple.

Cashews are grown in other tropical places throughout the world such as Vietnam and India. However, unless you live very close to one of those places it is likely you will never see a whole cashew. The fruit is juicy, fragile and spoils very quickly so extended transport is not an option.

I have grown to love cashew juice which is made from the cashew apple. It has a sweet flavor with a richness that resembles that of the nut. The tannins leave that familiar drying feel in the mouth which they are known for. This is the reason my husband does not prefer it, but for me it gives the juice a unique appeal.

I have noticed a difference in the juice when I order it in a restaurant versus purchasing it prepackaged in the store. I should mention that you can buy bottled pulp without sugar in the supermarket and add your own water and sweetener if desired. The fresher juice is much more astringent than the packaged.

There are ways to remove tannins and I’m wondering if this has been done to the packaged juice to make it more appealing, as I came across some research from India where they were discussing processes to reduce tannins to get more people to drink the juice for its nutritional content.

Juice from the cashew apple contains about 205 to 220 mg of vitamin C per 100 ml. During my research I found a few sources online in the UK for the cashew apple pulp to make juice. I also came across the Veggie Chic blog on B5 Media that posted just a few weeks ago about the cashew juice from O.N.E. (One Natural Experience).

So even if you may never have the chance to see a whole cashew in person, it is looking like you may still be able to enjoy its flavor and nutrients as the news about cashew juice begins to spread to the rest of the world.

Let’s Talk About Blog Reading

I thought I’d take a short break from food and wellness and gather your views as a blog reader. Not necessarily as a reader of this blog, but just food and health blogs in general.

I’ve been reading (and writing) blogs for about 18 months now and I think I’ve developed a bit of a blog-reader personality. Things I like and dislike about blogs and communities, and qualities that make me want to come back. Everyone is a little different so I really want to find out about your blog-reader personality as well.

As one continues to explore, and more and more food and health blogs are being created, it is easy to wish there were extra hours in the day for reading. I read a lot more blogs than those that reside on my blogroll and there are so many additional blogs I would like to add to my daily reading list, but I often don’t have the time to get to them all.

It seems I’ve created categories of sorts. There are those I visit every day, unless I’m away from the computer for some reason. These are blogs I really enjoy and are the ones I’ve been reading the longest. Then there are those that I catch up on once or twice a week. It really isn’t that I like these blogs any less; it could simply be the fact that they came into my radar at a later time.

My visits also vary depending on the frequency of posts of the author. I may visit one every day and learn the writer only posts a few times a week at which point I’ll start checking in only once or twice a week to catch up. I do have to admit that when I read a blog where the author posts multiple times a day I end up missing a lot of content because I only have so much time to catch up.

So tell me, how do you balance your blog reading? Do you wish you had more reading hours in the day to stay caught up and explore new blogs?

That brings me to comments. I am a big believer that bloggers need to be involved in their comments. You don’t have to respond to each person, but getting in there and facilitating discussion is an important part of blogging for me.

If I find a new blog to read there are two ways a blogger can keep me coming back. First, there is the content, of course. Second, is acknowledging my comments either by responding on their own post or responding to one of mine. I don’t comment on every blog I read, but if a thought is sparked I make a point to say something to let the author know I did enjoy/agree/disagree with their post. That is what blogging is all about, in my opinion.

Now, someone doesn’t have to read my blog for me to like theirs, but if I find an author never responds to those who comment I do lose interest. I guess I just feel like blogging is a two-way street. Responding to comments is a way of showing respect and acknowledging that you have real people out there who took their time to offer their thoughts. It is something I really appreciate and my responses, no matter how short, are my way of showing this.

Plus, I simply want to foster conversation. I learn so much from my readers and I really want you to keep talking (typing) so I can learn more.

I understand the issue if you have a huge number of comments. You can’t respond to everyone, but I think a simple acknowledgement to your community in general or welcoming those you recognize as new readers is important.

I guess a big reason why comments are so important to me is that, especially in food and health, blogging creates community. As I continue my journey working from home as opposed to the office it is necessary to find human replacement for office mates even if it is screen-based. While I certainly don’t look to the web-world as a main source for relationships you all do my make work day a lot more fun and interesting. I think there is a common interest that links us in many ways.

How do you feel about commenting? Will you continue to return to a blog if the author never acknowledges your input?

Apple Carrot PB Panini

If I’m not eating peanut butter by itself with a spoon, it is most likely being used as a dip for my apples and carrot sticks. As I was trying to think of how I would participate in the Great PB Exhibition #5 I was feeling a bit restricted by the topic of sandwiches. I kept coming up with a fun idea and then realized it wasn’t even close to the sandwich category.

Then I thought, why not turn my favorite PB dippers into a sandwich. And why not take it a step further and make it a toasty Panini? This is an all around balanced meal – protein, grain, fruit, veggie and healthy fat all rolled into one.

I left my carrot and apple raw because I wanted the sandwich to have a bit of a crunch. I don’t have a Panini press. I just use two skillets with some foil over the sandwich. The heat makes the bread crisp and warms the peanut butter just enough that it covers the carrot and apple with gooey goodness.

Apple Carrot Peanut Butter Panini

4 to 6 inch piece of baguette (Sub any bread. A whole grain would be nice, but hard to come by here. )
2 Tbsp of natural peanut butter
1 small carrot, shredded
½ of a small apple, diced

Half your baguette, spread a little PB on each side. Top one side with carrots and the other with apple.

Carefully put together and heat in press or skillet for about 2 to 3 minutes each side.


Have you entered yet? The deadline is March 15th at Noon (PST).

Submission:

Click here to submit your recipe online. Alternatively, email “pbe (at) peanutbutterboy (dot) com” with “PBE #5″ as the subject and the following information:

Name

Email

Recipe

Title

Recipe or Recipe Permalink

Prize:

All recipes will be listed but the judges will vote for the Top 3. All 3 winners will receive a winning badge to place on their site but the first place winner will receive the Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, one of the books that was the inspiration for The Peanut Butter Boy.