Life after Salt

I had just started Jenny Craig diet for the 2nd time when I began to notice that my migraines were increasing in intensity.  I still wonder what was in those pre made meals besides salt. Don't get me wrong, I loved the "Jenny Crack" diet  (this is what the substance users I worked with used to call it when people they knew lost weight for no apparent reason other than increased drug use).  I had lost 15 pounds a year prior to this and I really liked the taste of the food.  That's why I signed up again.  I even remember my counselor's name was Jen.  She was a 20 something bit of nothing with green eyes and long blond hair.  

It irritated me that all the women who worked at the center were skinny, young, and looked like they never had weightier problems than what color to paint their nails that day.  Jen's solution to being overweight was to not eat.  Simple but for some reason I could never figure out how to do that, hence my return to ground zero.   I guess I should be grateful to Jenny Craig for being the catalyst that caused my diet change, but part of me can't help but blame J C for pushing me over the edge into bad health.  I had just signed up for a year long membership which wasn't cheap by any mean, when I noticed an increase in foggy thinking and what I like to call my pre-migraine  syndrome: the period of time when I could feel the ice pick pushing against my left eye but it hadn't broken the skin yet.

Since I was eating pre-made food three times a day, the additives were constantly saturating my body which lead quickly from pre-migraines to full blown migraines everyday.  I was smart enough to figure out that the food had triggered the headaches, so I quit Jenny Craig, but I wasn't smart enough at that point to change my diet in any other way.  My doctor gave me 2 prescriptions  but made no suggestions about what might be causing my symptoms.  The thought crossed my mind that I might have a brain tumor, but since doc didn't seem concerned I didn't push the topic.

After J C,  I noticed that certain foods triggered migraines within a few hours of eating them.  Usually the foods were high in salt, MSG, and preservatives.  Since that was my entire diet that really sucked.    
When I decided I was tired of feeling like a swollen balloon, I started reading food labels.  Yikes! sometimes real food was the 3rd or 4th ingredient on the label. Everything had salt, preservatives, and sugar. That's when I realized I wouldn't be able to eat  anything that wasn't fresh and homemade.

The sad thing about cooking without salt is that everything tastes weird, like  something is missing, which, of course, it is.   Once you get used to the taste of food without salt, everything else tastes weird.  I went to Whole Foods and bought kale and whit bean soup.  I took 2 bites and threw the rest out. The saltiness of the soup overpowered everything else.  I don' t eat out much anymore because salt seems to be the secret ingredient to making everything taste better.   I usually make everything from scratch and alter recipes that have salt in them.

Now when I invite people over to eat I have to remember to put some salt in whatever I am serving or risk their criticism of my tasteless food.  When people invite me over I always bring a dish if I can.  I  went to a friend's house one night and ended up eating peas because there was nothing else I could eat at the table, except maybe the table itself.  There is life after salt, it's finding the balance that makes it a little tricky.

The Whole Enswellata - Crab Tostadas with Fire Roasted Chiles, Avocado and Tomatillo Salsa

I heard Ryan Scott talking about this recipe on KGO and my mouth started watering!  What's sad and disturbing to me is that I am publishing his recipe here even though I can't eat crab.  I love love love seafood but it has become one of my see food head starts throbbing foods.  I never had trouble eating fish before my body decided it couldn't handle salt and other food additives.  After waking up with swollen, puffy eyes and the hangover effects of  Maxalt one too many times I decided to call it quits with fish.  Of course the fact that I am now vegetarian hasn't stopped me from savoring the smells of good food.  I can use tofu instead of crab for the tostadas.  Besides I plan to make the salsa which sounds delicious.  I will probably use it with the ranchero sauce recipe I posted before.   

Crab Tostadas with Fire Roasted Chiles, Avocado and Tomatillo Salsa

TAGS: MAIN COURSE, RECIPES: FISH, RECIPES: MEXICAN, FOOD RUSH

Inientsgredients

• red bell pepper, charred and cut in 1 inch strips
• 1 ripe avocado, cut in small cubes
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 pound lump crabmeat
• 10 tomatillos
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo
• 6 corn tostadas

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, mix the lime juice, cilantro and salt.
Add the bell pepper, avocado and crabmeat and gently mix everything together. Be careful not to over mix and break up the crabmeat.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tomatillo Salsa
Remove the husks and stems of the tomatillos and discard.
Rinse the tomatillos under warm water to remove the sticky film.
Place in a medium pot and cover with cold water.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the tomatillos turn dark green and are soft, about 10 minutes.
Do not overcook or let them split or you will lose some yummy juice.
Remove from the water and allow to cool.
In a large mortar (or a food processor) add the salt, cumin and garlic and grind to a paste.
Add the chipotles and continue to grind until smooth. Add the cooled tomatillos.
Press them gently between your fingers to pop them and then grind them into the mix. The salsa will be slightly chunky.
Place each tostada on a plate or break into pieces to serve them appetizer style.
Top with the crab mixture.
Drizzle the tomatillo salsa liberally over the crab. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Note: You can substitute shrimp in place of the crabmeat for a dish that is great as an appetizer or main course. If you have any leftover crab mixture, combine it with the salsa and use it as a filling for enchiladas.

The Migraine Diaries

 In  my 30's I could always tell when my period was going to start by the horrible migraine I got the day before.  Just one more little f--- you from mother nature for being a woman.  My doctor said it was normal and caused by hormones. I accepted that answer, didn't bother to explore the whys and what fors about it because I was too busy. 

When I turned 50 I began having migraines almost everyday.  Working through a migraine is no fun. Making sure to take my migraine pills, and having them stashed everywhere I went became my number 1 priority.  Let me not bore you with the details of tearing my  house apart like a crack addict searching for a pill when I ran out.  Taking a pill too late usually resulted in laying flat on my back in a dark room for hours in between bouts of vomiting and praying for death.  My favorite medicine, Maxalt, was doled out at 9 pills a month by the pharmaceutical company.  I once asked the pharmacist why I was allotted so few pills, and he told me that people who have more than 9 migraines a month should seek medical attention... 

My doctor experimented with different  medications to help prevent the migraines from incapacitating me, even though the medicine itself was often just as debilitating.  I spent days in a foggy cloud and felt like I had a terminal illness. My doctor was happy to prescribe every experimental drug out there, but what she didn't do was help me figure out what was causing the migraines.  I was mystified that she didn't run any tests.  At one point I even joked that I obviously didn't have a brain tumor because I probably would have been dead by now.

I tried acupuncture, massage, meditation, and yoga to cure myself from migraines.  I was so desperate that I even let an acupuncturist poke holes all over my head to help the blood flow.  As she dabbed at the blood, she showed me the rag and told me the dark blood meant it was old and bad.  

I began to notice that certain foods were making the migraines worse.  I tried to keep a diary and it soon  became clear that when I ate foods with MSG or high sodium content I began to feel a migraine within an hour after eating the food.   Considering the American diet is chock full of sodium and MSG this was not good news.  I stopped going out to eat, but even at home it was hit and miss as to what foods set off the migraines.  

I discovered Dr. Fuhrman through a co-worker who told me she was on a diet where she could eat fruit and beans all day.  This really didn't sound appealing to me as I didn't eat a lot of beans and was pretty convinced that I could never give up meat because I craved it all the time.  She gave me a copy of Dr. Fuhrman's diet plan, and I promised I would look at it. I didn't pick it up again for a few months and only out of desperation did I begin to seriously consider making drastic changes to my diet.  

I was scheduled for a colonoscopy and had to take that horrible concoction the day before to clean out my system.  Migraine symptoms began a few hours afterwards.  I was afraid to take my medicine because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to. By the time I was seen for the procedure the next morning, my migraine was in full force and I could barely talk.  The nurse told me the medicine they gave me would help the migraine. Of course it didn't.  When I woke up after the colonscopy I began vomiting all over the post op area.  The doctor gave me a pill but I promptly threw it up.  It took me hours to recover from the migraine and I swore I was never going to go through that again.

I read Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat to Live, which has a section on migraines and began to make some changes to my diet. I read labels on food, and cleaned out  my pantry.  It was hard to change my diet, and convince my family and friends that I really was a vegetarian and that chicken wasn't a vegetable.  I had developed so many allergies to processed food that I wasn't sure what I could eat so I had to start over from scratch.  I combed the internet for recipes and information about nutrition and natural foods.  

Making myself food everyday has become a full time job.  Finding stores that carry natural food involves shopping several times a week. I miss salt. I miss coffee.  Surprisingly I don't miss meat.  I am hit and miss with the things I cook. Some are great and some are total flops.  I feel bad when people don't eat what I cook because I love cooking.  I don't miss the 31 pounds I lost or not having migraines for months.  My husband has lost 40 pounds as a result of the diet changes.  I bought a vitamix and make fresh veggie drinks everyday.

The recipes I post here are mostly ones I have found online.  I am taking baby steps towards creating my own recipes that taste good.  I enjoy cooking more than restaurant food and when I go over to people's houses to eat, I often bring a dish with me just so I know I have something I can eat.  I have a lot more to learn about nutrition and eating healthy but I am enjoying the journey.

Nutty Oatmeal

I have been following Dr. Fuhrman's diet/lifestyle for over a year.  It This is my favorite Dr. Fuhrman breakfast recipe.   

Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal

www.DrFuhrman.com

Serves: 2

Preparation Time:

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tablespoons currants

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 banana, sliceden I 

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped or grated

2 tiablespoons chopped walnuts

Instructions:
In a saucepan, combine the water, cinnamon, oats, and currants. Simmer until the oatmeal is creamy. Add the blueberries and banana. Cook for 5 minutes, or until hot, stirring constantly. Mix in the apples and nuts.

Banana Bread

This recipe is delicious and filling.  When buying medjool dates make sure they are the big soft ones, not the small dried out type.  Also make sure you remove the pits before blending them unless you like woody fiber in your banana bread!

Banana Bread

  4 ripe bananas

  1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup pineapple or fruit juice of any kind

juice of 1 lemon

  4 cups oat flour (can be oatmeal ground in a blender or food processor)

  2 tsp. baking soda

  1 tsp. baking powder

  2 tsp. cinnamon

  1/4 tsp. nutmeg or allspice

  8 medjool dates 

2 TBSP ground Flax
stevia (I put in a small amount, don't  have measurement for this)

Blend the bananas, apple sauce, pineapple or juice, medjool dates in a blender or food processor until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients well. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the dry mixture to the bananas while processing, or pour the blended bananas in a separate bowl, and mix the dry ingredients in by hand. Pour into a glass loaf pan, and bake for 45 minutes, covering with aluminum foil for the first 25 minutes. 

Serves 8

Butternut Squash and Ranchero Sauce

I started this food blog because I wanted to share healthy recipes with friends and family but with Christmas and travel and the never ending flu bug, I haven't felt like writing out my recipes so I've taken to copying some of my favorites from other web pages. 

I love this recipe I found on The Punk Post Kitchen website. sometimes I just make the ranchero sauce and eat it with eggs and tortillas or add it to grilled veggie tacos. 

Sink your fork into a slice of Charbroiled Butternut Squash, and then scoop up some saucy black beans in a spicy ranchero sauce. It is not unlike a little bite of autumn heaven in Mexico. If Mexico had the kind of autumn that New England does. But instead of wrapping your head around that, just wrap your tastebuds around this recipe. Ooh, and you can serve with guacamole, too. For perfect timing, just start the squash recipe before starting the ranchero sauce. And remember to be careful when handling jalapenos! Don’t touch the seeds and definitely don’t touch your eyes after handling.

1 recipe Charbroiled Butternut Squash

Serves 4 to 6

All it takes is a little walnut oil and salt, plus a short spell under the broiler, to elevate your squash into something sublime. The exterior gets all caramelized and crispy while the interior is smooth, sweet and creamy.

1 large butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons walnut oil (olive oil is just great, too)

Salt

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel the butternut squash. Slice off ends. Chop the bulbous part off and scoop out seeds. Slice everything widthwise into just a little under 1 inch thick slices. The bulbous part will be sliced into pretty rings.

Drizzle one tablespoon of oil onto the baking sheet and dredge butternut slices in oil. Drizzle the remaining oil over the slices. Spray with a little cooking spray for good measure. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then flip, sprinkle with a little salt, and bake another 15 minutes. It should be cooked through and a browned at this point.

Turn the heat up to broil. Place baking sheet under broil and cook for about 5 minutes, the squash should be dark brown in places caramelized. The rings may cook faster than the other slices, so remove them sooner if necessary.

Ranchero sauce

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons oil
1  yellow onion, diced medium
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp maple syrup or agave
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Sliced scallions to serve

Preheat a large heavy bottomed pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Dry toast the seeds in the pan for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until they’re fragrant and a few shades darker, just be careful not to burn. Raise the heat to medium high, add the oil and saute the onion, peppers and garlic for about 10 minutes, until onions are browned. Add the tomato sauce, salt and syrup and cook for about 5 minutes.

Transfer to the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If using a blender, intermittently lift the lid to let steam escape so that it doesn’t build up and explode and kill you.

Return sauce to the pan and add beans. Cook over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

To plate:

If you’ve got some large shallow bowls they would be perfect to use here. Pour a layer of saucy beans in the bowl and top off with 2 or 3 slices of squash. Garnish with scallions.

Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

I found this recipe online and now I keep a batch in my refrigerator so I can add some
to recipes I am making, or when I want to spice up my veggie tacos and burgers.

There are different types of Chipotle Chiles. All Chipotles are Jalapeños that have been ripened, dried and smoked. They all turn out to be spicy, rich and smoky. But different varieties of Jalapeños turn into different varieties of Chipotles.

The smaller kind of Jalapeños, more intensely flavored and fragrant than the rest, turn into Chipotles Moritas, pictured above. Dark in color and deep in taste, they’re the ones I prefer. Commercial makers do too, probably because of their flavor and attractive color, but also because being smaller, they work well for the smaller sized cans sold in shops

You can also use Chipotles Mecos, pictured below. They are bigger than Moritas and with a much lighter color. They are tasty too.

 The perception exists, that it is complicated to make Chipotles in Adobo. It’s not.

Chipotles need to be rinsed and simmered in water for about 15 minutes. This rehydrates and plumps them up, so they can absorb the flavors from the Adobo sauce and have a soft bite.

Most recipes for pickling Chipotles, don’t include the Adobo element. But it is the Adobo which makes the store bought product so rich and delicious.

To make it, aside from the usual pickling suspects such as vinegar, oil and spices, after a lot of testing, I found out you need Ancho chiles. Some people add tomatoes some people don’t. My palate does call for them. Once the tomatoes and Ancho chiles are cooked in water until soft, and pureed, they make a rich Adobo base.

 Yes… The idea of marinating a Chile in the puree of another Chile is wild. But it is exquisite. Chipotles are spicy, smoky and rich. Anchos are bittersweet, mild and have a prune like flavor. Trust me, they like each other’s company.

The Ancho chile base is cooked and seasoned over sauteed carrots, onion and garlic in olive oil.

With the addition of marjoram, thyme and bay leaves.

Then those chiles beg for salt and a generous amount of brown sugar, or piloncillo. What it does to those Chipotles is blissful.

No.

Maybe sinful.

You be the judge…

 To finish the Adobo, pour rice vinegar and white distilled vinegar. That combination of vinegars works as if you were using the fruit based home made vinegars traditional in Mexico’s countryside.

 Then you just add the chipotles, cook it all together for 10 minutes. And you are done.

 Once they cool off, place them in pint sized jars.

This recipe will make four pints you can keep in the refrigerator until you finish eating them (they will last months and months and keep getting better).

 There may be a more important reason why most Mexicans don’t make their own Chipotles in Adobo Sauce. Not only is it because the product sold at the shops is so good. Or because there is the perception that it takes a long time to make them. I think its mostly because they are so good, and eaten in such large quantities, that any home cook would need to make Chipotles in Adobo continuously in their kitchen to meet the steady demand for more.

They are eaten with everything! Tortas, sandwiches, quesadillas, tostadas as a pickle… They are also used to season and flavor from soups to stews, to tamales to beans, dressings and casseroles… and so much more…

CHIPOTLE CHILES IN ADOBO SAUCE

Makes about 4 pints

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound dried chipotle chiles moritas, about 90, or for the mecos, about 45

1 oz ancho chiles, about 2 or 3 chiles, rinsed, stemmed and seeded

4 roma tomatoes, about 1 pound

1 1/2 cup ancho chile and tomato cooking liquid, (see below)

1 cup olive oil

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced, about 2 1/2 cups

1 white onion, halved and sliced, about 3 cups

6 garlic cloves, thickly sliceds

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, or piloncillo grated

1 tbsp kosher or sea salt, or more to taste

3/4 cup white distilled vinegar

3/4 cup rice vinegar

TO PREPARE

Rinse the chipotle chiles and drain. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Set over medium-high heat. Once the water begins to simmer, cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Place the stemmed and seeded ancho chiles and tomatoes in a pot and cover with water. Simmer for about 6 to 8 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through and soft. Transfer to a blender with 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and puree until smooth.

In an extended and large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the carrots and onion, let them season for a couple minutes. Make some room and add the garlic, cook for another minute. Pour in the ancho chile and tomatoe puree, the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, salt and sugar. Stir, and let the sauce season and thicken for 5 to 6 minutes.

Pour in the vinegars, and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally, drain the chipotles, discard their cooking liquid and add to the mix. Let it all cook together for 5 more minutes and turn off the heat. Let them cool off and place in jars.

Cover tightly and refrigerate. Give them a day before you eat them, so they will have had time to pickle and thrive in that adobo sauce.

They will keep in the refrigerator for 6 months, if they last that long.

Spicy Eggplant Recipe

Spicy Indian Eggplant

I love eggplant and was hunting for a recipe using indian spices. I found this recipe and became intrigued  when i read that the recipe was a runner up in a foodie contest.  It was really flavorful.   I used a little less oil and sugar then called for and added some GARBANZO beans but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.  I served this with rice.

The recipe was posted here:

http://www.kcet.org/socal/food/the-public-kitchen/recipe-contest-runnerup-spicy-indian-eggplant.html

Photos by Shane Redsar

Best Spicy Indian Eggplant OMG
1 teaspoon fresh ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 medium eggplant, peeled
2 tablespoons Earth Balance (or your oil of choice)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine spices in a small bowl.

In a measuring cup, stir together water, sugar, and vinegar.

Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook spices, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add eggplant and salt and toss to coat with spice mixture.

Stir vinegar mixture and add to eggplant mixture. Simmer mixture, covered, without stirring, 10 minutes or until eggplant is just tender.  

Uncover skillet and cook eggplant mixture at a rapid simmer, without stirring, until liquid is almost evaporated and eggplant is slightly charred (but not burned) on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and let eggplant stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Serve with liberal sprinkles of fresh cilantro.