Index of Topics and Recipes

Wednesday 31 August 2011

Dino Kale with Pasta and Pesto

The organic farm down the road keeps us supplied with the most wonderful kale all year round.  Red Russian, Dino Kale (called Cavalo Nero in the UK) or good ol' Curly kale.  I adored dino kale when I was in New Mexico, sometimes eating a dinner composed entirely of sautéed kale with spices, ghee, garlic and a bit of lemon juice.  Yum.  It's also great in dal, any hearty soup, or steamed with a soft boiled egg on top.  In really cold wintry weather, I love making a kale bake with stock, onions, garlic, plenty of dark kale, gluten free breadcrumbs and gruyere cheese on top.  That's one reason to accept the chilly weather in England these days.  I've also started juicing vegetables again, so I save my kale stems and juice them with a small apple, half a cucumber, maybe some lettuce or a carrot.  The apple (or pear, or carrot, etc.) balances the bitter green flavour, making it palatable.

If you have some basic knowledge of nutrition, you probably know that kale is really good for you.  It's linked to the prevention and reduction of five types of cancer, it lowers cholesterol when you eat it cooked, and is basically one of the best foods out there (click on link to read more).  It's best to cook your vegetables a bit because your body isn't really able to digest plant cellulose unless it's cooked, and kale's cholesterol-lowering ability is aided by the cooking process.  Very tender greens such as rocket and lettuces eaten raw are okay: it's a good idea to have some raw vegetables along with the cooked.

We grow kale in our back yard.  It grows all year round, doesn't mind cooler climates, even developing a sweeter taste after a frost.  It's a good plant to start with if you're just getting into growing your own food.

One easy, quick and delicious way to eat dino kale is with pasta, pesto and pine nuts.  I use gluten free pasta (I like Orgran's buckwheat spirals).  Any sort of pesto will do.  I used a variety with almonds and lemon instead of cheese, from the nearby organic shop.  Pine nuts are very pricey these days, so feel free to use walnuts or maybe sunflower seeds, pepitas or almonds.  Other types of kale, or any green cruciferous vegetables, also taste lovely.  I used some tender young broccoli shoots along with half of a large bunch of dino kale, all from Canalside Farm.



Dino/Cavalo Nero Kale Pasta with Pesto and Toasted Pine Nuts
serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are and what else you're eating

pasta: enough for two to four people
pine nuts or other nuts: between 2 tablespoons and 1/4 cup, depending on how many people you are serving
1 bunch dino kale (or other cruciferous green vegetable)
2 large garlic cloves
1 small onion (optional)
1 tablespoon (one glug or spoonful) of ghee or butter or macadamia nut oil
several large spoonfuls of pesto
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
pinch of chili flakes (optional)
liquid: stock, broth or water
juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
optional herbs: oregano, parsley, thyme
unrefined salt to taste (not table salt)

De-stem the kale to the degree that you prefer (some people like stems) and slice the leaves widthwise into thin strips.  Dice the onion and mince the garlic.  While you're prepping, you can boil a pot of water for the pasta, and pour in a bit of oil and salt.  When the water is boiling, pour in the pasta and cook until done (this can be done while cooking the kale to save you time). 

The other thing to do while the kale is cooking is toast the pine (or other) nuts.  I recommend doing this in a small skillet.  Nearly every time I toast nuts in the oven, I forget about them and they burn, so I recommend keeping them where you can see them.  Pour them into the small skillet, heat over medium and toss occasionally to toast evenly, adjusting the heat as needed, until lightly browned, perhaps 5 - 8 minutes.


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium or a touch hotter. When it's heated, add the (optional) onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown.  Now add the garlic, stir and cook for another minute or so.  Add the kale, stir again until coated in the oil.  Add the paprika, cumin and (optional) chili flakes; stir.  Begin adding the liquids with the stock or broth, a generous splash at a time.  Turn the kale over occasionally to let the heat and steam get to all the leaves.  Turn down the heat a bit to medium/low so that the pan doesn't dry out.  Add the lemon juice when you don't need too much more liquid: it has a tendency to caramelize quickly on the bottom of the pan.  Towards the end, when the kale is nearly done, add any herbs you fancy using and mix them in.

Stir several spoonfuls of pesto through the pasta, then add the cooked kale and toss.  Sprinkle with pine nuts, maybe some grated grana padano if you eat cheese, and serve.

Monday 15 August 2011

Reducing Sugar

I think I need to set the record straight, before people start telling me to re-title my blog as 'please pass the browns.'  Ok, I post a fair number of recipes for desserts.  They're crowd pleasers, or they're in response to requests.  Sometimes, they're just pretty.  It's always good to have a gluten-free cake recipe for special occasions.  But I actually think that eating sugar is one of the worst things for you, and have been re-examining my intake of it, swapping simple carbohydrates for protein and vegetables.


When I say sugar, I'm usually talking about white sugar and products that have similar effects, like high-fructose corn syrup (even worse that normal white sugar), golden syrup, demerara, unrefined cane crystals, etc.

Most days, I try to avoid sugar altogether, and I never eat sweeteners like aspartame.  I don't care if the FDA has approved it - for one thing, companies like Equal, NutriSweet, Spoonful, etc. are subsidiaries of Monsanto and the less money you send their way, the better.  Also, I think it's a terrible idea to take the government's advice as gospel when it comes to health.  They're much better at supporting companies and economic interests than they are at supporting your unique needs for vitality and well-being.  But if you're reading this blog, you probably already have a sense of that.  Artificial sweeteners also keep you craving overly-sweet things instead of allowing your taste buds to adapt to real, unprocessed food.  I recommend Stevia if you are looking for a sugar substitute.

Refined sugar is ultimately dehydrating, it actually depletes your body of nutrients and after the initial buzz, leaves you feeling lethargic.  It's addictive (if we consider an addiction as 'continued use despite adverse consequences'), it's one of, if not the, main contributor to weight gain, obesity and diabetes.  The list goes on but you get the idea.  Research suggests that high carb, low protein diets create a release of seratonin (the relaxing 'feel good' hormone), one possible reason why we turn to sugar for comfort when most of us feel too short on time to run a bath or take a walk.  We get desensitized to the presence and intensity of sweetness due to it being added into so many foods (sugar in mayonnaise??), creating a dependency on and continual craving for it.


I see people abusing their bodies with sugar everywhere I go.  It's a socially acceptable addiction, and sadly, often the cheapest food option due to big-business farming practices (for affordable vegetables, check out Community Supported Agriculture farms or learn to grow your own vegetables in your yard or at an allotment).  I sat in a coffee house yesterday, working, while the woman next to me ate a slab of carrot cake and slurped down a large frappuccino-thing with whipped cream for lunch.  On the plane back from America, the woman in front of me, traveling with a group, announced, "anyone want snacks?  I knew we'd get bored so I brought MnM's, Oreos, Nutter Butters..." the list of branded, sugary junk rolled on and then she produced a large plastic bag full of it.  The food they served on the flight was also loaded with the white stuff, plus extremely high gluten white rolls, muffins, crackers.  These foods feel much like sugar to me when I eat them, in terms of their effect on my energy levels.

The sugar thing has also come up recently from listening to podcasts by Dr. Christiane Northrup and reading "The Four Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss, author of my favourite business/lifestyle book, "The Four Hour Work Week".  Christiane discusses sugar (and a high glycemic diet, which also includes white flour, refined grains, white potatoes, milk, alcohol, etc.) as a major contributing factor to digestive issues such as heartburn, IBS, etc. not to mention hormonal problems, fertility, depression and weight problems.  Additionally, our sugar cravings can actually be a sign that we need protein or water.  Eating sugar with caffeine (coffee and donuts, anyone?) creates a release of stress hormones in your body because of the huge jolt to your system of stimulants.  I'd say most of us already have enough stress.  I can't help cringing when I see all of the energy drinks in stores: on their own or coupled with the high amounts of sugar in American's diets, it looks like a recipe for adrenal fatigue (your adrenals sit on top of the kidneys and one of their functions is the production of stress hormones like adrenaline).

So why not decide to enjoy the potentially marvelous human body that we walk around in, instead of enjoying another cinnamon roll or brownie that won't really nourish you?  Well, depending on where you start from, that can be a long process but it's fully worth the work.  I'm not promoting perfectionism, just more awareness of what you're really eating and how it affects you.  I eat sugar occasionally: when my brother, a professional pastry chef, whips up chai creme brulee or his dark chocolate covered salty caramels for Christmas, I tuck in, in moderation.  You'd be mad not to!  But, over the years, I've noticed a direct connection between the amount of chocolate I eat (regardless of the quality of it) and the amount of skin breakouts I get.  And the less sugar I eat, the more I'm able to feel the buzz, the crash, the sticky sour taste it leaves in my mouth.

So, for these reasons and more, I've been starting my days with an egg or two and vegetables, or maybe brown rice or oats.  I've reintroduced small amounts of poultry and fish.  I never really stopped eating fish completely, but for a long time I only had it once every one to six months, and I haven't eaten chicken in years.  My energy levels feel steadier, I have less of that "wilting, must eat now!" feeling and it's just nice to be eating less sugar.  At first, I tried Tim Ferriss' idea from T4HB of having 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, but this was making me gain weight, or retain water, or something.  I don't seem to do well with objective rules about food that don't come as an answer to "what feels nourishing to me?"  When I listen to my body, I get the nutritional answers I need.  Under the 30 grams of protein plan, I had to supplement my breakfast eggs with protein powder, and it never works for me to eat 'edible food-like substances' such as whey.  I always end up back with my beloved vegetables.  Also, I'm a yoga teacher who cycles and hikes.  I need some starch, some energy-rich food.

My cardinal rule is 'listen to your body.'  Many of us listen to our minds when we make food choices.  That's why we end up trapped on a plane with bags of junk.  Your body wants to be nourished, it wants real food that contains nutrients that it can process in the way it evolved to do.  Food is the best medicine there is, or it can be poison, depending on what you're eating.  And the voice of your body, and what it truly wants, is much quieter than the voice of your cravings, especially if you're not used to a wholesome diet.  If you want to listen to your body, you usually just have to sit down, take a relaxing deep breath into your belly and ask your body or your belly (as a thought, so that you don't look like a nutter), "what would nourish and sustain you right now?"  Wait a bit and see what comes up.

They say that 'the path gets narrower' and I have found that as I refine my health, my body's tolerance for junk gets lower and lower.  I'm far more sensitive to and aware of the true effects that substances (food, products, etc.) have on me.  Ten years ago, three quarters of my diet was sugary, floury things.  My body had adapted to my lifestyle and I often felt sleepy and unwell but didn't see the correlation (or didn't want to).  Our bodies are amazingly adaptable, for better or worse. 

Growing up, ice cream or something sweet was nearly required after dinner, and if we ate out, I ordered desert, because why else would one eat at a restaurant if not to 'treat' yourself?  That was my thinking then.  Trips to Dairy Queen or other ice cream shops were a way of spending family time together, or celebrating any occasion.  These days, I almost never order dessert at a restaurant, because I'd rather leave without feeling stuffed and sleepy, and be able to look back on that dinner as a lovely time without negative after-effects.  I enjoy my dinner far more now that I'm free of that remorse.  It also reduces the cost.

And so, in the end, I've reduced my sugar intake and slightly increased my protein intake while keeping my main focus on vegetables, always vegetables.  I get a couple of egg whites or a bit of fish or chicken almost daily, and make up most of my diet from vegetables, whole grains without gluten, nuts and seeds, lentils and beans.  I've done this because, in following my 'listen to your body' rule, it feels right.  I don't eat much fruit, but if it's seasonal I'll have a bit.  While in Oregon recently, I freely noshed on the fat, sweet blueberries that were in abundance in my mom's front yard.  Heaven.  I get starches from brown rice, sweet potatoes, corn chips (with hummus or a bit of aubergine pesto) and oats.  Oats, being low in gluten and sometimes gluten free, seem to suit me best.  Perhaps that's a genetic thing, being of Celtic heritage.  I love the big, organic rolled ones.  Home made granola is easy to make: I sweeten it lightly with apple juice or maple syrup, and add cinnamon, ginger, coconut flakes, sesame seeds, maybe a bit of grated ginger root, chopped almonds or hazelnuts.  It's delicious with rice or nut milk.

If I eat sugar now, what form does it take?  While on holiday, I had some dairy-free coconut lemon sorbet several times, and a slice of wedding cake, and some really amazing local ice cream on my last night there.  It almost never gets hot enough to properly enjoy ice cream or sorbet in England, but that's not the case in the USA at the moment.  Day-to-day, I'll have a couple of pieces of candied ginger.  Good for digestion and small.  I sometimes put honey in my tea (I add it in after the tea has cooled a bit so that the heat doesn't reduce the fabulous health benefits of honey - it also comes from the hive that my friend keeps, just a five-minute drive away).  I bake, probably twice a month, vegetable-based low-gluten breads with a little bit of organic unrefined demerara sugar in them (zucchini bread, pumpkin bread...).

What do I avoid?  I never eat breakfast cereals, fast food, processed food, commercial cakes and pastries (unless in France - their wheat harvesting, baking traditions and process are totally different than the ones that produce your Tesco criossants and baguettes).  The food I eat (or don't eat) in the morning sets the tone for the day, and my ideal breakfast is one or two soft-boiled eggs over steamed greens, or lentil vegetable soup.  If you're a coffee and muffin type, that probably sounds crazy, but it tastes great and feels great.  If you're looking to make one small change in your life that will have tons of positive effects, breakfast is a great place to start.  I actually almost never eat granola, even though I mention it above.  Dessert and ice cream are only for special occasions.  I drink very little alcohol (your body processes alcohol just like sugar).  I also avoid other foods that contribute to high blood sugar levels, like white potatoes, white flour and any other whites.

All that being said, I don't sweat it too much.  I don't want to spend my life obsessing, and at the moment, if I avoid most chocolate and keep my gluten, cheese and cream, alcohol and coffee to a minimum, I can eat just about anything and feel great.  But that's because in the past, I committed to periods of several months where I cut out all dairy, gluten, soy, sugar, chocolate, alcohol.  Not all at the same time, but as I improved and refined my health, I had to heal my digestion.  I've never felt better than when I was totally dairy, gluten and soy free for 90 days.  And since then, my body can tolerate a bit of gluten occasionally, especially if the source is organic, non-GMO or grown in France.  Thank GOD for French baking...

All of this is food for thought.  The point is that it's probably a good idea to reexamine your intake of sugar and high-glycemic foods.  It's also no fun to be a perfectionist who restricts food.  There are other sweet, pleasurable things in life, like massages, taking in some fresh air and beautiful scenery on a hike, a good movie with friends (without MnMs), loving your pet, allowing yourself some much-needed rest, snuggling on the couch.  If all else fails, there's always candied ginger.