Feeding The World

Catastrophes are everywhere, sadly. Unfortunately, we just experienced hurricane Sandy here in NYC. It was brutal, to say the least. (I will post more on this later.) But there are more than just natural disasters claiming people's lives. In Niger, nearly one in two children is malnourished. And worse, one in six dies before reaching the age of five. Heart breaking. That is just one story of many.

While I am unbelievably grateful that I am able to provide my own child with wholesome and nourishing food, not every parent is so fortunate. Many families around the world feed their families on just pennies a day and often are not able to provide many nutritious foods. Farmers are struggling to stay afloat and more and more food is being thrown away in the US every day. These are all things we hear about but more of us need to take action.

Not too long ago, Oxfam contacted me to speak out about their GROW method campaign. 

Seems simple enough right? Now there is no giveaway this time. No prize on the blog for most food reduction. There is no donations to make. Your actions speak for themselves. Not convinced? Here are some more facts:

• If your family eats meatless one day a week you save the equivalent of 17 bathtubs of clean water.

• 8% of the WORLD’s clean water goes toward meat production. That is a lot to people who have 0% water  daily. Think about that.

• If Americans living in Urban areas bought just 2 Fair Trade chocolate bars a month, you would benefit 30,000 small scale cocoa farmers. Isn't that enough incentive?

• In the US alone we throw 27 million apples in the trash a year. 1/3 of our plates every day goes to waste. Imagine how many people could eat on what we throw in our trash. This is why shopping smarter helps more than just farmers.

Now I challenge you to take steps to help feed the world. Sounds a little daunting, huh? It doesn't have to be. Here is an easy discussion guide. And here is more info on what else you can do.
Food is something all of us think about several times a day. What will he have for lunch? What snacks should I pack in my child's lunch box? Take a step back and think about having those options taken away from you. That's how life is for millions of people. Think about that.




This post (and my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about Oxfam America's GROW Method. All commentary and opinions are, of course, my own.

Gluten Free Coconut Lime Tea Loaf

I bring you this delicious summery tea loaf today. I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite baking books Cakes: River Cottage Handbook No.8. I made a few changes to the already lovely recipe.

It's gluten free because I have a bunch of rice flour in my freezer that Scott keeps complaining about. Must use it up. It's coconut lime because I had both coconut milk and limes that also needed using up. Serendipitously for me, all of these "clean-out-the-fridge" items made a fantastic treat. It is also very low in fat since I didn't use any oil or butter. Just light coconut milk. Another bonus! I can't be expected to eat an entire tea loaf and still put on my bikini this weekend, can I? Well, yes, now I can. I have been enjoying slices of this bread with jam in the morning, toasted along with milky tea in the morning, and even as a base for another favorite of mine, Trader Joe's Frozen Yogurt, in the evening.

I'm sure this recipe would work with regular flour and would equally be good with orange or lemon juice also. And if you happen to have pineapple juice, I would definitely try that combo and then bring me a slice. Let me know if you make it!

Gluten Free Coconut Lime Tea Loaf
(adapted from Cakes: River Cottage Handbook No.8)
For the cake:

Serves 10-12

1 cup rice flour

2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum (To prevent sinking. I recommend it for gluten free baking.)

3/4 cup light coconut milk (You can also use full fat if you have it.)

Finely grated zest of 3–4 small limes

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

For the drizzle

1/2 cup coconut milk

the juice of about  3-4 freshly squeezed limes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Sift together the rice flour, baking powder and xanthan gum, if using, into a bowl. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut milk and lime zest. Add the sugar until the mixture is light and creamy.

Add the eggs, one at a time.

Carefully fold in the remaining flour, then fold in the desiccated coconut. 

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, lightly smoothing over the surface with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes or until the surface is nicely golden and the cake feels springy to the touch. 

Shortly before the cake will be ready, prepare the drizzle by combining the coconut milk and lime juice. 

When the cake comes out of the oven, prick the surface deeply, but not to the bottom, all over with a skewer.

Spoon half the syrup over the surface and leave to cool for 10 minutes before spooning the remainder over the top and down the sides. Leave until cool before turning out. 

This cake will keep for 5 days in an airtight tin.

Pumpkin Green Smoothie

In light of my last post, I wanted to offer a nice cleansing smoothie to jump start your clean eating and your week, if you choose to do so. Now, don't be discouraged. A lot of people are scared of anything green. Especially a green smoothie. I assure you, this smoothie is the cat's pajamas.

I don't have green smoothies every day. But drink a LOT of smoothies at any time of the day, especially while pregnant. In the beginning of my pregnancy, it was challenging to eat anything. Smoothies were the perfect meal to get me through those first few weeks of constant nausea and an easy way to eat the fruits and vegetables that I couldn't look at otherwise. Ugh.

And then, during the heat of summer, smoothies are always a quick way to have a substantial "meal" without any cooking!

Anyway, I do love them. And here is my current smoothie in rotation. It has spinach. It has pumpkin. It has tons of vitamins and is a tasty way to start your day with a lot of energy.

Pumpkin Green Smoothie


Into blender toss:

• a handful of spinach or kale
• 1/4 c of pumpkin puree
• half of a banana
• 1 c of milk or non dairy milk
• 1 T ground flax
• 2 T almond or peanut butter
• 2 t pumpkin spice mix
• 1 date

Blend, Drink, Enjoy!

Pumpkins & Things

Well, I'm officially one month from my due date. What does this mean? I'm freaking out. And when I'm freaking out, I cook. A lot.

So that's what I've been doing. Cooking a lot. Specifically with pumpkin, squash, and the like. Is this too obvious? Sorry, I like pumpkin things. They are delicious.

So among some of the other delights I have dreamed up during my marathon freak out cooking sessions, a few are Pumpkin Mac & Cheese (Whoa! What?!!), Pumpkin Protein Pancakes (NOM NOM), and Pumpkin Green Smoothies (Yes!).

I'll start with the obvious. Pumpkin + Cheese. Yes, I went there. And it rocked! I dreamed up this little number last night after (ahem) we had a perfectly healthy dinner. Oops. Mama needed more than kale, fish, and rice. I have some pumpkin puree in the fridge and have been adding it to everything all week. So when I saw a quick glimpse of mac and cheese on my Pinterest, I knew what needed to be done.

Now, on a side note, I have a love/hate relationship with brown rice pasta. Do you like it? I don't really care for it so much from a textural and flavor stand point. But I do appreciate that it's wheat free and more nutritious than regular pasta. Which leads me to be extremely picky about when I will actually use it. When the pasta is the shining star of the dish, I definitely go with fresh pasta or a great dried (regular) pasta. But I've discovered that if it's a baked pasta dish, such as lasagna, or if the pasta is secondary to cheese or sauce, such as mac and cheese, I'm usually okay with a brown rice or gluten free pasta because the structural (texture) integrity of the pasta isn't compromised. In fact, it's generally okay if it's on the mushier side in these cases.

Anyway, I digress.

Back to the good stuff. This pumpkin mac and cheese rocks because not only is it made with brown rice pasta, it is half the fat of the regular stuff. WHAT?! I know. You're mind is blown right now. Well, since you are adding enough pumpkin puree to the cheese sauce, you eliminate half the cheese and therefore fat. Yeaaaah!! And of course, it's super creamy, cheesy, and rich while providing you with plenty of fiber, anti-oxidants, mineral, vitamins, and virtually NO calories. Good stuff.

Lastly, you could make this dish vegan by replacing the milk with non dairy milk, butter with canola oil, and replacing the cheese with your favorite non dairy melting cheese (like Daiya) and nutritional yeast.

So here we go:

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese 

1. Cook 2 cups of your desired pasta (brown rice or whole wheat, etc) to package specifications. Drain.
2. Melt 1.5 T butter over low heat.
3. Whisk in 1.5 T All Purpose Flour until it's incorporated. 
4. Add 1 cup of your favorite milk (whole, skim, etc.) while whisking. This will turn into a base sauce for your mac and cheese or "roux."
5. Mix in 1/2 cup of cheese (I used sharp cheddar) until melted.
6. Mix in 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree. Yum!
7. Let all the flavors come together over a few minutes. The sauce should be thickening up.
8. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. You won't regret it. 
9. Taste. WOW! Amazing right?
10. If the sauce is too thick, add a little milk. If too thin, let it cook down for a few minutes. 
11. *You can stop at this point, mix your pasta in and go to town. Or you can do as I did and put in a baking dish with bread crumbs, broil, and have an amazing crunch crust.
12. If you're still here, you're looking for the real thing. Baked mac. You won't be sorry. After mixing in your pasta, spread your mac and cheese in a lightly creased baking dish, top with bread crumbs, (maybe a light spray of oil) and broil for a few minutes.
13. After cooking for as long as you can possibly wait (let's be real) devour and let people praise you for being such an amazing cook.

I hope you enjoy this as much as S and I did last night. I'll be posting my other pumpkin recipes too. since I know you can't get enough. I obviously can't. I'm making pumpkin, goat cheese, and spinach "hot pockets" tonight for dinner. 

My Favorite Veggie Burgers

We are not full time vegetarians at the P house but we do eat a lot of vegetarian meals. We choose to eat less meat most of the time because:
- we are really picky about the quality of our meat and where it comes from
- it helps us get more vegetables in our daily diets
- it makes us feel better
- it saves money!

Now trust me when I tell you I can get down with some beef burgers, turkey burgers, and I have even been know to eat a tuna burger. But there is another patty in my life friends, and that patty is named Veggie. I make a huge batch of these burgers every few months and we keep them in the freezer for whenever the mood may strike us, or when the fridge is bare (oops). This recipe is adaptable for so many flavors! I have made it with basil pesto to make it more Italian, more curry to make it more Indian, and even added coconut to give it a Thai spin. Play around with the base to make wholesome, nutritious, home made veggie burgers that are vegan and gluten free too! You'll feel much better knowing they don't have any soy, preservatives, or artificial ingredients (as most commercial brands do). These burgers are full of protein, fiber, and vegetables. I have made anywhere from a dozen to two dozen patties with this recipe. The seasonings are, of course, interchangeable but I have found that these work nicely to balance the flavors. You can also switch the black beans for others, such as garbanzo or pinto. You can eat it on a whole grain bun, like a burger with all your favorite toppings. Or you can even use this mixture crumbled in a tortilla, like a burrito. I have even used it to make vegan sloppy joes!

1 can black beans
1 c rolled oats
1/4 c ground flax
1 c shredded carrots
1/2 c frozen peas
1 T crushed garlic
1/2 c chopped onion
2 t curry
2 t cayenne
 2 t cumin
salt
pepper

Mash all of these ingredients together and form patties of your preferred size. Bake patties for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Or sautee in a medium hot pan for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Hi, I'm here.

I know you're on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about me.
Brace yourself.

I've been doing a whole lot of nothing.
Well, that's not entirely true.

I've been cooking. A LOT.
And now that I've officially stopped working (YES!), I am finding I have even less time to get everything done. It's one of those things when, the less time you have, the more you accomplish. And the more free time you have, the more you dilly-dally. Does that ever happen to you?

Sigh.

Anyway, I digress. Cooking - up - a - STORM.
Those photos are just a few that I managed to take before inhaling said meal. These last few weeks have consisted of pizza making, veggie burgers, baking english muffins, and tons of gazpacho, among other things. Oh yeah, and did I mention home made HOT POCKETS?! NO BIG DEAL!
This was meant to be a freezer item that we sampled for dinner that evening. Sadly, none of the pockets made it to the freezer before lunch the next day. Oops.

Other than cooking, I have been trying to really enjoy the remainder of the summer. Our last summer before baby. Our last summer of us two. While we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little guy, we are spending lot's of time just being together in the quiet of this last summer.

New York has been going through a heat wave, much like the rest of the country. Luckily, we have been able to go to the beach every week, which has been my saving grace. Every Sunday morning I bounce out of bed, as if it were Christmas morning, and we head out. I then proceed to spend the entirety of the day floating. It is absolute bliss. Ahhhhhh...

And how is baby?
Magical. Amazing.
I'm now officially in my third trimester. I can barely believe how quickly it is flying by. I'm in my 27th week, which means that baby boy could technically come in 10 weeks (when I'm considered full term). Is that crazy? I feel like I was just announcing my pregnancy on here.

Anyway, we are getting ready little by little. Our shower is in a few weeks and I am so excited to celebrate with all our friends and family and then begin preparing. I told Scott last night that after the shower, it was really go time. Eek!

Other than that, there has been a lot of picnicking, movie watching by the AC, and general loveliness.

Oh yeah, and here's my updated photo. I think this is 25/26 weeks...
It's just a crappy phone photo and the sun was shining in my eyes but you can see how much my belly has grown since my last photo update.

Let's talk about: Protein

I feel like most pregnant women I talk with have this issue. (One of many...) They can't figure out how to get enough protein in their daily diet. Protein is essential for proper growth and development of your baby as well as for your milk production as your due date nears. Eating plenty of protein will also give you plenty of energy throughout your pregnancy. It's also said to reduce swelling, later in your third trimester. While I'm not having that issue YET, I'm definitely interested in doing anything I can to keep (at least!!!) my feet from expanding...ew.

The recommended daily intake is 60 grams of protein. Now, I don't know about you but for me, that is a whole lot of protein. I do eat meat, fish, and poultry. I also eat tofu and various other vegetarian sources of protein. I drink cow's milk.

Given all this...I was still struggling to meet my daily goal. UNTIL I developed a plan!

It seems obvious, but eating protein at every meal increases your chances of getting 60g, right? Well yes, but are you planning on putting chicken on everything? Um, not if you're this girl. I've had a serious poultry aversion since the day I saw those two lines on a stick. I've tried force feeding myself steak, as well as disguising fish in pasta. I CAN"T DEAL.

And so what am I left with? Well here are some of my daily noshes:

Pregnancy Protein by karolinap on Polyvore.com

Yogurt: Specifically 2% Greek yogurt. With a whopping 20 grams of protein, these little tubs of love are a quick (and delicious) way to satisfy my hunger and boost my energy for the day. I often have one for breakfast or snack before bed. And now with all the amazing summer fruits in season, it's a great addition of Vitamin C.

Quinoa: Another great source with 24 grams per cup. Yahoo! This is a perfect substitute for rice, potatoes, and even oatmeal. I even use quinoa in cookies and muffins, in place of flour. If you've ever made home made granola, try toasting quinoa instead of oats!

Hummus: Ah hummus, an old friend. I kind of hummused myself out for a few years but have recently revisited my old standby because of it's 19 grams of protein. Go Hummus! Also, it's such a bargain when home made. I think a can of chickpeas is maybe a dollar. Don't buy five dollar hummus people.

Milk: Oh milk...what a delicious beverage you are. Who needs margaritas when I have you? (Yeah, right...) Oh and I'm talking whole people. None of this 1% garbage. Milk should not be grey. 8 grams in a cup. And if I have enough bowls of cereal in a day, I bet I can reach my intake just on this liquid gold alone.

Nut Butters With about 7-10 grams in two teaspoons, I could survive on nut butters most days. I try to shake things up with almond, peanut, cashew, and various others. But some of this on an english muffin with a tall glass of milk (yum) and I am a happy lady.

Smoothies Now we're talking. Ever since project protein began, I have been drinking smoothies almost daily. The number one reason: kefir. Don't know what kefir is? It's basically drinkable yogurt. But that's not all. We're talking 30 grams of protein folks. Toss that in with any other fruit you may love and you've got a meal. "But why don't you just use those awesome protein powders, Karolina?" Well, I try not to eat too many synthetic foods and those powders are highly processed. It doesn't matter if it's organic, soy, a million dollars, etc. It's fake. And I'd rather get my protein from real food sources. Hence all this research...

Eggs: This is weird, but eggs are probably one of my favorite foods. I know... But I can eat them any time of day and in any fashion. There are six grams in one large egg not including all the healthy fats you're getting! Egg-cellent. (Wow, this post is getting crazy.)

String Cheese: A five year olds lunch or a pregnant girl's best friend? I doubt you can hate string cheese at any age. Depending on what brand you get, it's between 8 and 10 grams of protein per stick. But who says you need to stop at just one?! I think I've, um, heard of some people eating a whole package at one time...

Phew. So there you go! These delicious little gems have been feeding myself and baby boy for the past few weeks with as little gagging as possible. Yay!

And don't forget some honorable mentions such as cottage cheese, tofu, an occasional turkey or veggie burger, and of course bean burritos.

Cravings...or not.

When you are pregnant, every person you see/talk to asks pretty much the same five questions.

How are you feeling? (Good. Ask me again in an hour.)
Do you know if it's a boy or girl? (See here.)
When are you due? (Halloween...)
Can I touch it? (Do you even have to ask? Always and forever no.)
Do you have any cravings?

Um...let's just say I don't NOT have cravings.
The truth is, in the beginning (that magical first trimester) it's more likely that I'm hoping you keep all food away from me. Especially any and all raw vegetables, all meat, fish, poultry, melted cheese (i know, don't even get me started), and probably anything that smelled, looked, and tasted weird/exotic/healthy.

Strange, huh? I basically only ate plain yogurt, an assortment of crackers, smoothies, bagels, english muffins with peanut butter, and actually any and all types of bread. But don't bring it near me if it is wheaty, seedy, or at all healthy.

This is so unlike me folks. As many of you know, I am a chef and holistic health coach. That's correct, I feed people and teach them how to eat healthy foods. Er...yeah, not happening.

Good news though! I am happy to report that things changed around week 14 or so. Phew! I was basically feeling like a big ball of dough from all the carbs I was eating. I am now happily back to every and all veggies, fruits, and mostly eating well. Including that melted cheese.

So what I am craving? Let's see...

Everything.

As S so lovingly says, "It's all about volume right now." Um, yeah, thanks for the support. Ha!

It's true. I can pretty much eat anything, any time. And if I get on a kick, that's it. Last week I ate watermelon three times a day all week long. This week it's cereal.

For those of you asking, YES, I will put up a "bump" photo. Even though I hate that name.

Image via

Sunday Morning

Breakfast sandwiches on home made buttermilk biscuits, Lykke Li, and coffee.
♥ Sunday ♥

Food Rules

My own food rules are pretty similar to what Marion Nestle writes, which are never to eat a food with:

More than five ingredients (too processed)
An ingredient you can’t pronounce (ditto)
Anything artificial (ditto)
A health claim on the front (these are always about marketing, not health)
A cartoon on the package (it’s being marketed to kids)

I'm loving this chart instructing you how to eat. It's not that complicated!

via

Organic Country Bread

Crispy fall weather makes me want to do nothing more than bake. And bake I did! Last night i finally cleaned off the counters and made room to prepare a hearty whole wheat country bread. It wasn't ready cooling till about midnight but that didn't stop S and I from tearing into it and having a few slices to sample before bed! What made baking it even more fun was that I baked it in my Le Creuset dutch oven! I enjoy baking my own bread because it gives me more control over my ingredients. This way I know I am only using organic flour and honey and no artificial fillers or preservatives. Yummy!

Here is the simple and delicious recipe I used for whole wheat country bread:

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 t salt

1/2 oz yeast

1 t honey

1 - 2 cups tepid water

Combine bread and salt in bowl.

Create well in center.

Add yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup of water. Sprinkle with flour and leave covered, in a warm place, for 15 minutes.

After yeast has started, slowly mix in enough or the rest of the water until you have a sticky, but firm, dough.

Turn out and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth.

Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place until it doubles in size, or about an hour.

Turn the dough one one more time and put into oiled bread tin or dutch oven.

Cover once more and leave for about half an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Put the bread in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Let sit and cool for about half an hour before slicing into, so that the crumb holds together.

Top with butter/honey/jam/cheese/topping of choice and enjoy!

After you master this simple recipe you can alter it hundreds of different ways. You can add dried fruit and nuts, sweeten it with honey or molasses, as well as make it a savory bread with different cheeses, chilies, or cured meats such as pepperoni.