This thread started because fred described a meal that had me salivating (see below). I somehow find the art of nourishing myself and others satisfying on many levels. And a challenge to figure out sometimes when standing, let alone complicated, draining things like chopping, can be an issue.
favourite recipes/foods/menus
- Thread starter leelaplay
- Start date
roasted pear salad
ok fred - here's part of my dinner tonight. Had bought a big bag of pears (as way cheaper that way), and then had to learn how to use them up! Hadn't know before that you can do a lot of cooking with them before they're ripe. Pear raisin pie was brilliant as was tonight's salad.
The trick for me is how to get things chopped, cored, sliced etc as I can't stand for too long, especially if exerting energy. And just can't chop etc for too long
trick#1 I never stand still - I do slow leg movements to keep the blood moving - move them, change weight from one to the other, do partial squats, do balance stances............
trick#2 I spread the work over the day, only doing a few minutes at a time. Have found with things like pears, if I toss them in fresh lemon juice, cover them with plastic so no air gets at them, and keep them in the fridge, things usually don't go brown.
recipe (i think i found it on epicurious or elsewhere on line)
a few pairs (unripe is better as ripe can get too soft) cored and cut into 1/4s or 1/8s
romaine or some stronger green like arugula
good olive oil (evoo preferably)
balsamic vinegar
parmesan
walnuts
1. rip up the greens - you can toss them in a balsamic vinegrette but i didn't feel it necessary as i'd put a bit too much evoo in the pan
2. heat up a thickish pan on medium and add the evoo (or some use regular or grapeseed etc to cook and just add the evoo before serving)
3. put the pears in with one cut side down and pan roast til brown (3-5 min). then turn and do the other side
4.meanwhile dry roast the walnuts (i used to do them on the stovetop but have found if I put them flat on a plate they nuke well - i do it for one minute. if i can't smell the walnut oil, then do one more minute - that way I can sit/lie down in between)
5. when the pears are ready and still in the pan, drizzle a good balsmic over them and toss to glaze them
6. place pears on the greens, sprinkle the wanuts on top + drizzle a bit of balsamic + evoo on top
7. use a paring knife to shave parmesan atop each salad
heavenly! so glad i feel well enuf occassionally to make something like this that I will eat in one meal
ok fred - here's part of my dinner tonight. Had bought a big bag of pears (as way cheaper that way), and then had to learn how to use them up! Hadn't know before that you can do a lot of cooking with them before they're ripe. Pear raisin pie was brilliant as was tonight's salad.
The trick for me is how to get things chopped, cored, sliced etc as I can't stand for too long, especially if exerting energy. And just can't chop etc for too long
trick#1 I never stand still - I do slow leg movements to keep the blood moving - move them, change weight from one to the other, do partial squats, do balance stances............
trick#2 I spread the work over the day, only doing a few minutes at a time. Have found with things like pears, if I toss them in fresh lemon juice, cover them with plastic so no air gets at them, and keep them in the fridge, things usually don't go brown.
recipe (i think i found it on epicurious or elsewhere on line)
a few pairs (unripe is better as ripe can get too soft) cored and cut into 1/4s or 1/8s
romaine or some stronger green like arugula
good olive oil (evoo preferably)
balsamic vinegar
parmesan
walnuts
1. rip up the greens - you can toss them in a balsamic vinegrette but i didn't feel it necessary as i'd put a bit too much evoo in the pan
2. heat up a thickish pan on medium and add the evoo (or some use regular or grapeseed etc to cook and just add the evoo before serving)
3. put the pears in with one cut side down and pan roast til brown (3-5 min). then turn and do the other side
4.meanwhile dry roast the walnuts (i used to do them on the stovetop but have found if I put them flat on a plate they nuke well - i do it for one minute. if i can't smell the walnut oil, then do one more minute - that way I can sit/lie down in between)
5. when the pears are ready and still in the pan, drizzle a good balsmic over them and toss to glaze them
6. place pears on the greens, sprinkle the wanuts on top + drizzle a bit of balsamic + evoo on top
7. use a paring knife to shave parmesan atop each salad
heavenly! so glad i feel well enuf occassionally to make something like this that I will eat in one meal
moving while standing.
(Sorry I don't have the ooomph to comment on delish food)
I find that I must stand with feet about 18" apart and gently sway side to side from the hip in order to stay upright for any length of time. I think it helps to pump the blood, don't know, but do know I have to do it and that it helps.
bon apetit
(Sorry I don't have the ooomph to comment on delish food)
I find that I must stand with feet about 18" apart and gently sway side to side from the hip in order to stay upright for any length of time. I think it helps to pump the blood, don't know, but do know I have to do it and that it helps.
bon apetit
My favorite meal....
Sushi at the Miyakos down the road. No cutting, no chopping, no standing, no swaying.
I do love to cook but find it difficult for the same reasons as others have described. Also, my kids are so picky that it dosn't matter what I cook, they will complain. Irritating....
I just had a thought. What if I cook spinich and hominy for dinner ever night for a month. I bet they will love my honey chicken after that.
Sushi at the Miyakos down the road. No cutting, no chopping, no standing, no swaying.
I do love to cook but find it difficult for the same reasons as others have described. Also, my kids are so picky that it dosn't matter what I cook, they will complain. Irritating....
I just had a thought. What if I cook spinich and hominy for dinner ever night for a month. I bet they will love my honey chicken after that.
Koan
I had to look up ugali and sukuma weeki. Porridge and collard greens? I love collard greens and my sister makes collard greens and cheesy grits (with jalopenos of course, for Thanksgiving).
Ok....I have to tell my story. I love spinach now but it took years to develope a taste for it. When I was about 4 years old I was in a daycare that, for some reason (child abuse) they served us spinach and hominy. I remember sitting at the head of the table refusing to eat it. Finally, they grabbed my spoon and scooped up every bit of spinach on my plate and shoved it into my mouth in one bite. They did the same thing with the hominy. It took me years to realize I love spinach and I eat it cooked or raw on a regular basis today. Hominy, however, is not something I enjoy. I am open minded. It could be that I havn't had it made the "right" way but I doubt it.
I had to look up ugali and sukuma weeki. Porridge and collard greens? I love collard greens and my sister makes collard greens and cheesy grits (with jalopenos of course, for Thanksgiving).
Ok....I have to tell my story. I love spinach now but it took years to develope a taste for it. When I was about 4 years old I was in a daycare that, for some reason (child abuse) they served us spinach and hominy. I remember sitting at the head of the table refusing to eat it. Finally, they grabbed my spoon and scooped up every bit of spinach on my plate and shoved it into my mouth in one bite. They did the same thing with the hominy. It took me years to realize I love spinach and I eat it cooked or raw on a regular basis today. Hominy, however, is not something I enjoy. I am open minded. It could be that I havn't had it made the "right" way but I doubt it.
I don't really know what hominy is. I'm assuming it is often followed by grits, yes? And that grits are some kind of starch or carb, yes? I gotta google - brb!
Ugali is a maize porridge but it's thick and pretty dry, as opposed to at all goopy, so that you can scoop up some and use it to scoop up something else. The sukuma weeki is scooped up in a little blob of ugali in which you have made a depression with your thumb.
(I love the niceties of eating with one's fingers Probably because my mother inflicted on me far too many knives and forks each with its own rigidly prescribed use.)
It's interesting that hominy is also maize. I wonder if there is a direct line between the two dishes in east Africa and the two dishes in the American south.
It's probably easier to find ugali in a restaurant here than it is grits! You say you like spinach now, but do you like grits?
Benedryl should come with a warning: Do not operate heavy machinery or post on forums!
Ugali is a maize porridge but it's thick and pretty dry, as opposed to at all goopy, so that you can scoop up some and use it to scoop up something else. The sukuma weeki is scooped up in a little blob of ugali in which you have made a depression with your thumb.
(I love the niceties of eating with one's fingers
Probably because my mother inflicted on me far too many knives and forks each with its own rigidly prescribed use.)It's interesting that hominy is also maize. I wonder if there is a direct line between the two dishes in east Africa and the two dishes in the American south.
It's probably easier to find ugali in a restaurant here than it is grits! You say you like spinach now, but do you like grits?
Benedryl should come with a warning: Do not operate heavy machinery or post on forums!
making up for bad post
Here's an easy recipe for quiche. It's kind of expensive, but good for you. There is a small amt of prep, slicing green onions and cooking those w/sliced mushrooms, quartering the artichoke hearts. I can buy those in glass, don't know if they are everywhere though. Frozen ones are not very flavorful.
One pre-made pie crust. Sprinkle with whole wheat or wheat germ after it thaws for whole grain pretense. Or make it without crust.
1 tub Feta cheese, 8 oz
1/2 bottle julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
mushrooms and green onions, cooked till soft in a little OO or butter
1/2 bottle baby artichoke hearts, quartered (good for the liver)
leftover veggies from fridge (broccoli is good)
1 cup half and half (don't know a way to make this part healthy)
6 eggs, beaten with half and half
Salt and pepper
Cool the mushrooms and onions, mix everything together and pour into shell. Cook about 1 hour at 350 F.
I don't cook much I made eggplant parmigiana (with bottled spaghetti sauce) and it was way too hard. Sometimes I add ground beef to bottled pasta sauce and serve it over julienne zucchini instead of pasta to cut down the carbs.
Thanks for all the yummy ideas. Hungry for steak now.
Kelly
I'm rethinking that you don't need to cook the onions and mushrooms.
Here's an easy recipe for quiche. It's kind of expensive, but good for you. There is a small amt of prep, slicing green onions and cooking those w/sliced mushrooms, quartering the artichoke hearts. I can buy those in glass, don't know if they are everywhere though. Frozen ones are not very flavorful.
One pre-made pie crust. Sprinkle with whole wheat or wheat germ after it thaws for whole grain pretense. Or make it without crust.
1 tub Feta cheese, 8 oz
1/2 bottle julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
mushrooms and green onions, cooked till soft in a little OO or butter
1/2 bottle baby artichoke hearts, quartered (good for the liver)
leftover veggies from fridge (broccoli is good)
1 cup half and half (don't know a way to make this part healthy)
6 eggs, beaten with half and half
Salt and pepper
Cool the mushrooms and onions, mix everything together and pour into shell. Cook about 1 hour at 350 F.
I don't cook much
I made eggplant parmigiana (with bottled spaghetti sauce) and it was way too hard. Sometimes I add ground beef to bottled pasta sauce and serve it over julienne zucchini instead of pasta to cut down the carbs.Thanks for all the yummy ideas. Hungry for steak now.
Kelly
I'm rethinking that you don't need to cook the onions and mushrooms.
Kelly,
The quiche sounds absolutely delish! Lots of work, though! You'll need to specify where the lying down bits happen.
I used to make something similar except with just sauteed spinach and onions. I don't think a cup of 1/2 & 1/2 is unhealthy in a whole quiche.
I also used to make a great lasagna (veg. of course) which was your basic lasagna except the middle layer was a deep layer of ricotta mixed with sauteed spinach and onions and beaten eggs.
Must now up self and raid pantry!
The quiche sounds absolutely delish! Lots of work, though! You'll need to specify where the lying down bits happen.
I used to make something similar except with just sauteed spinach and onions. I don't think a cup of 1/2 & 1/2 is unhealthy in a whole quiche.
I also used to make a great lasagna (veg. of course) which was your basic lasagna except the middle layer was a deep layer of ricotta mixed with sauteed spinach and onions and beaten eggs.
Must now up self and raid pantry!
I'm busy reading this book at the moment
http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Tr...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256314074&sr=1-1
It's the best book I have bought in a long while and is fascinating. It's more than a recipe book, it is an education on nutrition and what the food industry has done to destroy our health.
It follows the Weston A Price Foundation theory that traditional societies with their long lives had the right idea in using animal fats and protein, with no vegans found amongst them, and has a vast range of healthy recipes. I have always found a problem with having to chose healthy against tasty and traditional but this book has some amazingly delicious looking healthy sugar free recipes and seems to bring things together to give a managable life long diet that can be healthy and delicious. At the moment I am studying lacto- fermented foods which I will incoporate with my vegetable juices to give me more ENZYMES which I think are the secret to healing and retaining health. Eating a processed food cooked diet uses up all of our enzymes so that we get sick and age faster.
One of the things the book has taught me is that traditional cooking always soaked grains seeds and pulse before cooking. I have been soaking my whole oats and sprouting them before I cook them overnight in my slow cooker so can't wait to see how they turn out. Sad I know, to have such a boring life to be excited about this but there you are.
Whole oats soaked 1 day and sprouted 1 day
2 tablespoons whey
salt
cook overnight in slowcooker and eat next day with maple syrup and cream or kefir, which is what I use.
http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Tr...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256314074&sr=1-1
It's the best book I have bought in a long while and is fascinating. It's more than a recipe book, it is an education on nutrition and what the food industry has done to destroy our health.
It follows the Weston A Price Foundation theory that traditional societies with their long lives had the right idea in using animal fats and protein, with no vegans found amongst them, and has a vast range of healthy recipes. I have always found a problem with having to chose healthy against tasty and traditional but this book has some amazingly delicious looking healthy sugar free recipes and seems to bring things together to give a managable life long diet that can be healthy and delicious. At the moment I am studying lacto- fermented foods which I will incoporate with my vegetable juices to give me more ENZYMES which I think are the secret to healing and retaining health. Eating a processed food cooked diet uses up all of our enzymes so that we get sick and age faster.
One of the things the book has taught me is that traditional cooking always soaked grains seeds and pulse before cooking. I have been soaking my whole oats and sprouting them before I cook them overnight in my slow cooker so can't wait to see how they turn out. Sad I know, to have such a boring life to be excited about this but there you are.
Whole oats soaked 1 day and sprouted 1 day
2 tablespoons whey
salt
cook overnight in slowcooker and eat next day with maple syrup and cream or kefir, which is what I use.
Brenda,
Not sad at all. I think people who have found pleasure in the simple things in life, to be far happier than those that spend all their time filling their lives accumulating meaningless, material possessions & engaging in superficial unfullfilling encounters.
Outside work, my life is made up of simple pleasures & short, engaging conversations about the things I love most - food & nature.
What joy to eat eat simple, organic, healthful foods on a beautiful plate that pleases the eye & nurtures the soul.
Victoria
Not sad at all. I think people who have found pleasure in the simple things in life, to be far happier than those that spend all their time filling their lives accumulating meaningless, material possessions & engaging in superficial unfullfilling encounters.
Outside work, my life is made up of simple pleasures & short, engaging conversations about the things I love most - food & nature.
What joy to eat eat simple, organic, healthful foods on a beautiful plate that pleases the eye & nurtures the soul.
Victoria
Brenda, welcome to a whole new world of soaking and fermenting and traditional eating. "Nourishing Traditions" was a real eye opener for me as well.
I always have sauerkraut on the go and have experimented with fermenting other vegetables. I soak my almonds before eating them and try to have bone broth every day. Virgin Coconut oil is the oil I prefer to cook with.
Due to gallbladder issues I do need to be careful when consuming fats- particularly eggs. Even so I often have them for breakfast as set out below:
Vegetable Eggs
(suitable for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks)
Ingredients:
Vegetables of choice- I usually go for grated zucchini and carrot and diced capsicum.
one or two eggs
coconut oil and/or butter
salt (herbed salt such as Herbamare is delicious)
Method:
1.Place vegetables in small frypan with a small amount of water and oil/butter. Stir until half-cooked.
2.Add an egg or two on top of the vegetables.
3.Place lid or plate over the frypan.
(this is the time to have a mini rest if needed)
4.Steam until eggs are done to your liking.
5.Slide vegetable eggs onto plate and season with salt.
YUM!
I always have sauerkraut on the go and have experimented with fermenting other vegetables. I soak my almonds before eating them and try to have bone broth every day. Virgin Coconut oil is the oil I prefer to cook with.
Due to gallbladder issues I do need to be careful when consuming fats- particularly eggs. Even so I often have them for breakfast as set out below:
Vegetable Eggs
(suitable for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks)
Ingredients:
Vegetables of choice- I usually go for grated zucchini and carrot and diced capsicum.
one or two eggs
coconut oil and/or butter
salt (herbed salt such as Herbamare is delicious)
Method:
1.Place vegetables in small frypan with a small amount of water and oil/butter. Stir until half-cooked.
2.Add an egg or two on top of the vegetables.
3.Place lid or plate over the frypan.
(this is the time to have a mini rest if needed)
4.Steam until eggs are done to your liking.
5.Slide vegetable eggs onto plate and season with salt.
YUM!
Victoria
Thanks and thanks for being such an encouragment to others.
Must get the plate!
Snez
Great! You too! I am amazed it was written so long ago. I know the book is not perfect - some of her ideas are wrong ie about enzymes in raw vegetables and she is a bit extreme in her disapproval of veganism, when it does help some people a lot and some for a limited time in cleansing, and she is not getting it that the best way is to combine the raw juices with the fermented cooked foods to get the best deal instead of sticking to traditional absolutely, and she is a bit preachy, but it has been a great inspiration to me. My first try at soaking grains ie oats has been a great success and the finished porridge feels much gentler.
Like your egg recipe.
I think that a lot of people try 'healthy eating' for a while and don't think they feel any better so give up when the answer is to go into it more slowly. I think that going into it too fast may cause some stress in missing the prohibited foods and I never prohibit anything if I really want it *occasionally*. The stress is enough I think to inhibit the good of the diet. It feels overwhelming at first to think of giving up favourite things but there are all sorts of ways to change our taste buds and it does not mean standing in the kitchen for ages, there are simple things to do like for example soaking nuts grains and seeds before we cook or eat them and doing things that are easy first like juicing vegetables.
Thanks and thanks for being such an encouragment to others.
Must get the plate!
Snez
Great! You too! I am amazed it was written so long ago. I know the book is not perfect - some of her ideas are wrong ie about enzymes in raw vegetables and she is a bit extreme in her disapproval of veganism, when it does help some people a lot and some for a limited time in cleansing, and she is not getting it that the best way is to combine the raw juices with the fermented cooked foods to get the best deal instead of sticking to traditional absolutely, and she is a bit preachy, but it has been a great inspiration to me. My first try at soaking grains ie oats has been a great success and the finished porridge feels much gentler.
Like your egg recipe.
I think that a lot of people try 'healthy eating' for a while and don't think they feel any better so give up when the answer is to go into it more slowly. I think that going into it too fast may cause some stress in missing the prohibited foods and I never prohibit anything if I really want it *occasionally*. The stress is enough I think to inhibit the good of the diet. It feels overwhelming at first to think of giving up favourite things but there are all sorts of ways to change our taste buds and it does not mean standing in the kitchen for ages, there are simple things to do like for example soaking nuts grains and seeds before we cook or eat them and doing things that are easy first like juicing vegetables.