O'Connor Christmas Zucchini Bread

Although the recipe has evolved over the years and I am even experimenting with a gluten-free version, my mom's whole grain zucchini bread is as much of a Christmas tradition for my family as the tree itself.  We only eat the zucchini bread on Christmas morning (and there after until it is gone!), saving the treat as a special holiday tradition.  Thinking back on my childhood, I realize how forward thinking my mom was, passionate about recycling, reusing, and up-cycling before it was popular.  Zucchini breads and homemade croutons packaged creatively in containers from our home were gifts to teachers, friends, family and even the mail-carrier!  Our art section of the playroom was a bookshelf full of recyclable or up-cycleable items that I still believe had a huge part in launching my creative thought process.  Creating something brand new out of ordinary found objects expands your mind so much farther than any plastic toy wrapped in plastic, wrapped in cardboard and surrounded by plastic (again) can possibly do!

The more I focus my thoughts on ways to improve the environment and make life healthier, the more it is clear that a simpler life, truly reflecting the meaning of going back to the basics can make the most impact.  We constantly need more and more and wonder why our landfills are so large, why our food has to be genetically modified and pumped full of pesticides to keep up with demand, why we have health and obesity epidemics.  I'm not trying to say it is easy, but I think we can all benefit from a little more creative thinking... next time you go to deliver fresh baked cookies or a gift (with the holiday season upon us) think of a way to present it wrapped in something you find in your home.  What a great way to save money as well.

I will leave you with this.  Although it stems from a rich sense of humor, my brother has never, literally never used wrapping paper and it has become something to look forward to... what is Ryan going to wrap our presents in this year?!  I will take a picture this year.  

...and back to the Zucchini Bread, here are the recipes 3 ways!:

Whole Grain Zucchini Bread (modified from the original to eliminate oil, refined sugar and white flour)
                                            Ingredients

3 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup local honey
2 cups fresh grated zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup flaxseed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
                                             3 tsp. cinnamon
                                            1/8 tsp. allspice
                                            1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (eggs through applesauce), set aside.   Sift wheat flour and oat flour into a bowl and combine with the remaining dry ingredients (salt through nutmeg).  Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and thoroughly combine.
Divide batter between two loaf pans and bake for 40 minutes or until you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread (made to be free of gluten, refined sugar and low in fat)
2 cups of brown rice flour
1 cup of tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups freshly grated zucchini
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 TBS melted and cooled butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup applesauce
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients (brown rice flour through nutmeg) in a large bowl and whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (zucchini through applesauce).  Make sure the butter has cooled before you add it to the egg mixture so you don't accidentally scramble the eggs!
Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry stirring until the batter is well incorporated.
Divide batter between two loaf pans (or one loaf pan and a muffin tin like I did!) and bake bread for 30-40 minutes and muffins for 20-25 minutes.  Gluten free should be watched in the oven because depending on the moisture in the air, the cooking time could vary.  Simply poke the muffin or bread with a cake tester or toothpick and if it comes out clean, pull those babies out!

To store, place in a sealable glass storage container and pop in the freezer, they will be good to go for a  month (but trust me, they won't last that long!), just re-heat in your toaster oven at 200 degrees.

Original Recipe (yummy and tender, but definitely a treat...)
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated raw zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the first 5 ingredients in order, beating after each addition.  Mix sifted dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) into the egg/sugar mixture.  Pour batter into two loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Organic Buffalo Anyone?

I picked up some organic buffalo ground beef at Whole Foods the other day and made some burgers last night.  Sorry for fuzzy picture... anyone interested in sponsoring a souped up camera to Nourish This??! ;)  Anyway, the burger was a little bit sweeter tasting than regular beef and was pretty tender.  I just added salt and pepper to the meat and grilled it on my grill pan, topped it with asiago cheese, caramelized onions and fresh basil.  It would have been perfected by a slice of a giant garden (or heirloom) tomato, but no such luck.  I didn't think of it in the moment!
As you can probably see, I had it with steamed broccoli and sweet potato fries.  The sweet potato fries are a synch.  Just dice them into whatever shape you like (shoe string, rounds, squares, etc.) just make sure they are fairly uniform in size so they cook evenly.  Sprinkle them with a bit of olive oil, just to lightly coat the potatoes and then a dash of large grain sea salt, fresh nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon.  I cook them in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces).  They are so simple but definitely one of those things you literally can't stop eating because they are so good!  Don't worry though- they're sweet potatoes so go to town!

Farm Fresh Omelet Wrap

I felt badly about not taking a pic of my pretty fish dinner the other night so I figured the least I could do is use that tasty basil oil on my eggs and remember to take a picture of that this time!
Breakfast was definitely my favorite.  I have a few things in my fridge that helped me make it so good so quickly, but this might give you a few ideas.  My grandma emailed me a week or so ago about asparagus and all of its healing powers.  The email gave a few examples of how people used asparagus puree (2 tsp.s 2x/day) to help cure themselves of all kinds of illnesses.  It came from a fairly reliable source, so I thought I would give it a try... my feeling is, its asparagus, what's the risk?!
Long story short, that is why I had a glass pyrex full of asparagus puree in my fridge!  So, I scrambled 2 tsp.s of the puree with one egg and one egg white and a splash of water, salt and pepper.  In the meantime, I also sauteed a few slices of zucchini in olive oil.  When the eggs were done, I heated my gluten-free brown rice wrap (well half of one anyway) on my skillet for just a second, topped it with the asparagus scramble a pinch of parmesan cheese, clearly the basil oil and my zucchini slices.  Wow was that good.  I am not kidding that the whole thing took me about 5 minutes to throw together.  I had organic eggs, wrap, asparagus and zucchini and basil straight from my garden, how can you beat a breakfast like that?!

Baked Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil Oil

I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of this last night.  Seriously.  This recipe is so unbelievably easy and makes a gorgeous presentation.  I have no excuses for not taking a photo either, I was just plain lazy!  I told myself it was because my knee was hurting and I didn't want to go down and then back up the stairs to get the camera... to me that is just screaming "I want to sit on my rump instead!"  Anyway, I will absolutely have to make this again, take a picture of it and re-post this because after you see it, you won't be able to not make it for dinner!

Alright so what you do is: In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Wash and slice organic cherry tomatoes in half and add to the skillet when it is hot.  I used two bunches of tomatoes because I wanted leftovers for pizza (I love to make something that I can split in half and use for two different recipes).  Dice 1/2 cup of red onion and saute with the cherry tomatoes.  The tomatoes will start to get juicy, thats ok, just turn the heat up to medium high.  You want to cook the tomatoes until the liquid reduces and you are left with a chunky thick tomato sauce.  Ok, so add about 1 TBS of tomato paste (helps to thicken it up), 1/2 TBS dried oregano and a dash of large grain sea salt.  Stir to combine.  Lastly, add 2 tsp. of maple syrup.  I know it sounds weird, but it cuts the bitterness from the tomatoes and makes them taste incredibly rich.  Ok, your sauce is done!  

I let my sauce cool a bit and  then spooned it on top of a piece of halibut, popped it into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for ummmmm about 35 minutes (it was a thick piece!).  While it cooked, I washed about 1/4 cup of basil leaves and tossed them into my mini chop with a pinch of large grain sea salt and whirred it together with about 1/2 cup of olive oil.  You could be fancy and strain out the finely chopped basil leaves, but quite honestly, I like the extra flavor.

When the fish comes out of the oven, serve and drizzle with the basil oil.  

I made this recipe with sauteed kale and parmesan quinoa.  Loved it.

Peter, Pina, little Sophia... and new inspiration

I REALLY need to get in the habit of being attached to my camera because it would have come in handy this weekend.  I went to Long Island to visit/plan/hang-out with my partners/advisors, Dr. Peter Bongiorno and Dr. Pina LoGiudice (and their precious 13 month old baby girl- Sophia).  It is always inspiring to get together with them.  I learn so much, but best of all, our conversations usually shifts my perspective slightly, opening my eyes to new possibilities for Nourish This.

Equally inspiring on this particular visit was our deliciously authentic take-out!  We debated about whether we would go to the grocery store and prepare lunch ourselves or if we should order take-out from either a Turkish or Indian restaurant... as soon as Peter and Pina mentioned Masala Dosas (which I had never tried before) both of their eyes lit up so bright I could hardly resist finding out what was so exciting!  Well, the pancakes came and they were HUGE, super thin and sort of stretchy... maybe I am not making them sound as appealing as they were!  They are made from lentil and garbanzo bean flours (are gluten-free) and taste terrifically light and tender.  They came with curried potato and onion as well as a few dipping options (what looked like a cilantro pesto of sorts, a spicy tomato based sauce and tomato chutney).  I am not sure if we ordered this separately, but it also came with a cold coconut spread, a slightly lighter and chunkier consistency than hummus-which I adored. 

Peter explained  that in ayurvedic medicine, the idea is to eat a variety in each meal, both sweet and savory, warm and cold, etc.  In doing so, the body is being completely satisfied... interesting thought.  I have to say I was definitely full and satisfied but not uncomfortably stuffed after that amazing lunch.  

Like I said... should have taken a picture :(  Next time, I promise!

ps- Pina found this photo for me on http://www.indianfoodforever.com/snacks/masala-dosa.html, so there ya go!

Deciphering Diets

I started reading Eat Right 4 Your Type yesterday... very interesting stuff.  I am trying to digest what the book is saying and fit it into my perspective on food/nutrition/diet.  It is challenging me.  Basically the book lays out dietary suggestions for 4 different blood types, Type O, A, B, AB; it describes why each type requires a different diet, type of exercise and lifestyle habits.  A lot of what it said about me correlated perfectly (with a few exceptions).  I have always been curious about different diets, the Mediterranean diet, Atkins, the Schwartzbein principle, the Zone diet... and my opinion is that each diet has its merit BUT like everything else, it needs to be applied in a way that makes sense for each individual person.

I think I can safely say that we all get confused, what helps us lose weight more, low carb, low fat, calorie restriction, exercise alone??!  All of these questions are important to ask, but equally important is figuring out what works for you and understanding how your body reacts to changes in your diet and lifestyle.  That being said, I think it is not something we can figure out once and go with for the rest of our lives, our bodies and life circumstances are always changing and so too are our dietary and life-style needs.  

I will give you an example from my personal experience.  When I hit 18 I started having a tremendous amount of trouble with my endocrine system (hormones and blood sugar), I started gaining weight despite reducing the amount of calories I ate and exercising like a crazy person!  After talking to Dr. Williams in Santa Barbara (at the Life Balance Centre), I understood that I was overtaxing my adrenals... basically putting additional stress on my body by excessive exercise and fewer calories at a time when my hormones were already wacky!  I worked with him to get to the root of the problem and fix it from there.  For about 2 years I only did moderate exercise, yoga, pilates, walking, etc. and ate a low-carb, nutritionally balanced diet (eliminating gluten, soy and dairy because apparently I am allergic!).  It took a while, and a tremendous amount of dedication, but my body adjusted.  My hormones are still slightly touch and go but definitely on the right track, and I am able to exercise a little differently.  We are always evolving and changing so I guess I have worked out my own question... what plan should we stick to?

Your own!

That being said, I always find it valuable to gather as much information and data as I can, always reading and trying to keep up with new findings.  That way I can continue to learn and make the right decisions for me.

Matchaaaaaa!

I go through phases of drinking Matcha tea religiously every day and then not at all... I am in the every day phase right now and I just had my last scoop!!! I guess its off to teavana for me. They are the closest Matcha retailers in my area and they are 20 minutes away. I need to be better at planning ahead!
Oh, if your not too sure what Matcha is, it is a powdered form of green tea. Matcha is a traditional ceremonial tea in japan made from ground green tea leaves. The health benefits of drinking green tea this way are tremendous because you are ingesting all the nutrients the tea leaves have to offer, not just what is steeped into the water through a tea bag. For example one serving of Matcha has about 70x the amount of vitamin C than a single orange. Although Matcha is caffeinated, it contains elements that counteract the energizing affects of caffeine and help to calm the body. Oh, and my favorite statistic is that when consuming matcha regularly, it increases your metabolism by 35-40%! Sweet!
Anyway, if your not convinced that you should hitch a ride to teavana with me just yet, all you need is one tempting sip and you will be as much of an addict as I am... and thats one addiction that does not require a support group!

Ryan the Guinea Pig

My brother could see this as an advantage or disadvantage... you decide! He lives close by and so when I am experimenting with new recipes, I use him as my guinea pig. The thing you have to remember is that I am experimenting!! SO, it is not always a success. It has been a little less than a week since I have tried to come up with a new one, so I figured I would write 3 recipes, make them and stick them in Ryan's freezer. I know he will call me and say "uh, how do I heat this up?" so then I will know WHEN he is eating each dinner and I can hound him afterwards for an official critique! I can pretty much judge the success of the dinner based on the enthusiasm in his voice when he says it was "good." I ask if he would want it again, if he ate the whole thing (if not we would be in some serious trouble... recipe would be promptly ditched and never thought of again!) and if there is anything he would change. Its a good system, at least it weeds out the really bad ones and I can feel comfortable trying them out on other unsuspecting diners!
So this is what is on the menu for Ryan today...
1. Chicken Stir Fry with Curried Cashew Cream, snow peas, carrots, zucchini, water chestnuts and a side of brown rice with fresh mint and slivered almonds.
2. Corn and Herb crusted Grouper over whipped potatoes (just for Ryan... I would skip the potatoes) with spaghetti squash tossed with crumbled goat cheese, walnuts and parsley.
3. Penne pasta with shrimp, peas and a white bean cream sauce.
I never make red meat, I don't think its a bad thing to have once in a while, but I just don't make it for some reason... hmm. Anyway, we'll see what Ryan says about these, I wonder what he will like best?!

Quinoa for Sophie

Sophie requested more quinoa recipes so I thought I would start her out with this one! This is a recipe to have along side your dinner (or as your dinner!).
First and foremost it is important to RINSE your quinoa before cooking. Doing this helps get rid of that bitter taste quinoa can sometimes have. Ok, now, cook quinoa in one part water, one part chicken broth... it only takes about 10-12 minutes after coming to a boil.
While it is cooking, chop up some spanish olives, grape tomatoes and fresh spinach. When the quinoa is finished cooking, fluff it with a fork and toss with the chopped veggies. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper and voila!... You have another fabulous recipe :)

*To spice up this recipe even more, you can add crumbled fresh feta or goat cheese.
OR you can buy stuffing mushrooms (you know, the extra big white mushroom caps); wipe them clean with a damp towel,pluck the stems and spoon about a bit of your quinoa mixture into the mushroom and top with a hard cheese like parmesan or hard goats cheese and bake in your 375 degree oven for 10 minutes!

Satisfy your Hunger

I know so many people that skip breakfast. I don't get it because if I skip a meal I feel like I have not eaten for a week and I might fall over and pass out! But thats just me!

The point is, even if you can skip breakfast or have an aversion to eating in the morning, my advise is suck it up and do it anyway! The Mayo Clinic lays out 5 pretty convincing reasons we all should fit a good morning meal into our routine...
1. You are more likely to consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol during the day.
2. You are more likely to have better concentration and be more productive throughout the morning.
3. You are more likely to control your weight!
4. You are more likely to have more strength and endurance.
5. You are more likely to have lower cholesterol, which lowers the risk of heart disease.
(www.mayoclinic.com)

If you start the morning with a wholesome, filling breakfast you will find that you are satisfied all day. Skipping will only leave you spending the day searching for foods to fill you up. Its like having to play catch up... and thats a game you don't want to get into!