Kickin’ in the kitchin’.

hey friends! (and happy tuesday, jess!)

thanks so much for your sweet words about my insomnia. i really appreciated all those who chimed in with personal experiences, but i wish you guys didn't struggle too! it breaks my heart that insomnia is so common these days, ya know?

by the way, if you're interested in extra better sleep tips, check out the expert advice in the comments from tatianna, both melissas, peace be me (what is your first name?), and bitt.

but now that we're all awake, how about a picture/recipe/life update, shall we? i finally found the darn escapist camera cord, so no more excuses for me. in no particular order, here are some recent happenings:

first day of school. look out VCU.

pinto bean and plantain stew, sans parsnip chips

this soup is crazy good! i didn't make the chips because i'm poor and parsnips are like gold around here, but hello - a little recognition for cooking with a plantain!!! they were on sale for 54 cents at waldirtmart, so one magically jumped into my cart somehow.

but no, your eyes don't deceive you - i did finally made a recipe from Veganomicon, one of the cookbooks i got for my birthday. i was super excited about this book specifically because i see jessica, matt, the other jess, the other other jess (haha ok enough), and many others refer to it as "the vegan bible" and cook from it fairly regularly. good enough for me!

... honestly? i hate to say this, but i was a tiny bit disappointed. for someone who doesn't see the appeal in "mock meat" or soy meat substitutes, i wasn't thrilled to see a good portion of the book devoted to seitan, tofu, and bean cutlets.

don't get me wrong - certainly all those things have their place in the freezer section, and if you dig 'em, it's totally cool! i'm just not a fan of eating food that mimics other food... if i wanted meat, i would eat it, ya know? i'm already cool with soybeans and black beans, so i don't feel the need to "transform" them into a substitute. 

i like food that just is what it is. no imitations. but that's just my deal, yo.

spicy coconut curry squash soup

after i just ragged on their cookbook full of homemade tofurkey, i gotta give the ladies at the Post Punk Kitchen a shoutout... those girls can make some SOUP, man. hopefully that makes up for it?

i modified this recipe because, well, i had squash and not sweet potatoes, and can't leave well enough alone!

i made guac. alton brown's guac. no explanation needed.

and what's not pictured? in the last week or so, i've made gluten-free millet and flax crackers (like sami's bakery, but waaay cheaper), mom and i tag-teamed some delicious veggie bean chili, then some enchiladas (with beef for my brother, and without for us lettuce heads), various kitchen sink salads, gluten-free orange sweet potato muffins, quinoa coconut "rice pudding," homemade peanut butter and tahini, chocolate coconut cherry laraballs, pesto, and two kinds of hummus: roasted red pepper and jalepeno cilantro.

um, yeah. i've been busy. if you want details on how to recreate anything i made, comment or shoot me an email! mostly i just throw stuff in the pot and cook, but i'd be more than happy to share my "recipes" with you guys!

................................................................................

to continue on in this insanely random post, remember how i finally got around to a gluten-free trial? yes? well houston, we have a problem.

i gave it a month gluten-free before i "tested" my stomach again with my old foods, and let's just say that yes... it's clear that the remainder of my ibs issues are from gluten.

i won't die if i eat it (like when eating out), but for what i can control, i'm sticking with eating gluten-free. practically, it just means i avoid sandwiches and wheat pasta (almost everything in our kitchen is safe because of my sister), which is cool because i'm not a huge fan of those foods anyway. we have plenty of gluten-free bread should i get the urge for a sandwich, but that's pretty rare.

it's awesome though because i thought i was doomed to being bloated all my life, and hooray - no more! if you struggle with this, you might want to test for a gluten-intolerance... why not? and head's up you guys, unless i mention otherwise, the recipes i post from here on out will be gluten-free.

phew. you guys have been along for quite an interesting journey with me, no? now i leave you with the most hilarious food face i've seen in a while:

mom's blueberry goat cheese english muffin. oh snap, he has a moustache!

gluten-free thoughts, and recipes.

hello friends! happy august :)

source.

i've been a bit preoccupied recently, mentally and physically, so my blog-thoughts have been limited. but you guys are wonderful, though, and really important to me!

as far as my chronic lack of comments, i'm going to attack my google reader today... seeing as how it crossed 1,000 unread posts day before yesterday (EEK!).

but more importantly, to the kitchen!

i'm always on the prowl for a good, hearty gluten-free recipe to bake for my little sister, but recently i've been trying to mix up my grains a bit, too. i think it's much healthier for our bodies to get a mix of grains, not only so we don't O.D. on wheat, but also to reap the nutritional benefits that each unique grain has to offer.

and if you're somebody like me who gets food boredom, mixing it up is crucial!

so all this lead to a freakin' amazing muffin recipe. naturally.

even if you aren't gluten-free, you should experiment with some of the amazing grains god has made! there are so many different ones, so why limit yourself to just wheat?

i took pictures, but for some reason, they won't load!

here's one of hers.

GF banana cinnamon raisin muffins
adapted from this saintly woman

combine wet:
- 1 c banana puree (2-3 big bananas)
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp maple agave, agave, or honey (thanks kelli!)
- 1/2 c canola oil
- 2/3 c brown sugar (1 1/3 c if you like really sweet things, 1/3 c if you want it barely sweet)

add in dry:
- 1 c buckwheat flour (so good with bananas!)
- 1 c sorghum flour
- 1/2 c tapioca starch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg

stir in:
- 1 c raisins
optional: 1 c chopped walnuts or pecans

bake:
- at 375 for about 15 minutes.

tips:
- cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan, and cool on rack until room temp.
- i wrap these individually in plastic wrap and throw them in a freezer bag.

what else do you need to make?

the easiest cracker recipe known to man... these were absolutely delicious! i'm still tinkering with the proportions, but here's my adaptation of the original.

quick "mary's" crackers:
from beautiful miss averie
- 1/3 c chia seeds
- 1/3 c sunflower seeds (i did half pumpkin, half sunflower)
- 1/3 c flax seeds
- pinch of salt

combine:
- pulse in food processor until you have coarse crumbs, not nut butter... although that's not a bad idea, really! i used pre-ground flax and added it after i mixed the first two.

add your flavorings:
- for sweet, try: agave, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, carob powder, etc.
- for savory, try: nutritional yeast, cumin, fresh herbs, sundried tomatoes, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, etc.

add water:
- i think averie suggestes 2-4 tablespoons, but i used much more... maybe 1/2 a cup or so?
- my suggestion?: start with 1/4 a cup, and increase as need be. it should be loose, not like cookie dough or peanut butter, but also not like soup.

bake:
- the recipe says bake 30 mins on each side at 300 degrees.
- my suggestion?: i baked mine longer, on a lower temp. i baked mine at 250 for about 40 minutes on each side, and they were still a bit soft. it's a learning process!

i think i might add even more water next time to make them a bit thinner, and more like mary's crack(ers). i love realllllly thin crackers, though. if you like them heartier like pita chips, by all means follow the recipe!

these are also way more nutritionally dense than your normal, flimsy cracker. real women (and men!) need real food, y'all!

gluten-free cooking tips:

source.

this week, i had the pleasure of catching up with christie from honoring health (one of the very best blogs out there!). she's been gluten-free for about a year, i believe, and just started tackling the intimidating job of baking bread for herself and her lovely husband. naturally, she came up against some difficulties!

the trouble with baking gluten-free is, not only are we not used to working with it, but that gluten is a tricky (but helpful!) little bugger.

wheat flour has two properies in baking: structure, and binding. when you bake GF, you have to get those properties from two separate elements. it's not difficult, but you have to know what to combine to get the texture you want.

i thought i'd give you guys a little run-down of my favorite gluten-free flours, and then tell you how to combine the different parts to make some truly bangin' bread.

flours:

millet: one of my favorites. physically similar to rice, but nutritionally similar to oats. mild.

teff, quinoa, and amaranth: high protein flours that work well in combination with other flours. have nutritional stats similar to cooked quinoa (obviously). strong tastes.

rice: one of the most popular GF flours. i only use brown rice flour because of the nutritients, but most frozen breads you buy use white rice flour. think of brown rice flour = whole wheat bread, and white rice flour = wonderbread. one of the most neutral tasting flours.

buckwheat: another of my favorites. ignore the name - it's not wheat! has a strong, nutty taste (similar to rye bread), and tons of nutrients (it's related to rhubarb!).

sorgum: a great neutral grain. good to combine with the stronger tasting flours.

chickpea/garbanzo: a new-to-me flour, i see this one a lot in ethnic recipes. has a great earthy taste, like hummus!

corn/tapioca/potato/arrowroot starches: sticky grains that act like glue in bread. most store-bought GF products will be based off of these, which is a shame because they aren't nutritionally solid by themselves. they are meant to be combined.

xanthan/guar gum: not flours, but what helps GF bread "set." if you've ever had a cake fall in or a bread recipe go flat, you know what i'm talking about!

there are other grains you can use, of course! these are just a few that are easy to find and i'm most comfortable with. 

now what?

now you know what some GF flours are, but what do you do with them? most recipes are written with the protein/starch combinations in mind, but just so you know, the "science" behind it usually combines:

a protein (structure) + a starch (binding) + a gum.

my point? to teach you what you can and can't substitute. if you don't have all the flours called for in a recipe, that's ok!

good protein subsitutions: buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, teff, chickpea, and sometimes brown rice. these are usually about 50% of the flour in the recipe. play around and see what flavor combo you like!

ok all-purpose flour substitutions: sometimes you can sub in a mix of 50% rice flour, 50% starch, and a tiny bit of xanthan gum if the recipe doesn't call for that much all-purpose. i wouldn't try this in a bread recipe, though.

good starch substitutions: arrowroot, potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch. all starches are pretty much interchangable!

other tips:

- try to find gluten-free versions of your favorite recipes. instead of trying to substitute GF flours in a pound cake, for example, look for a GF pound cake recipe!

- check out the library and barnes & nobles for GF cookbooks. they help you learn so much!

- make a list of your favorite foods, and see what you'd miss going gluten-free. instead of shelling out $10 for GF crackers, try to make your own. who knows - you might like your version better!

- scour GF blogs for their "tip" sections. many GF bloggers have been baking for years and have lots of helpful pieces of knowledge to make your food taste better.

- practice, practice, practice. the more you bake GF, the more you know what to look for and expect, and the better your food will be!

- adjust your seasonsings. GF flours often taste strong or "off" to those of us used to wheat, so it helps to really flavor your recipes. swap in stock for water, double your herbs, increase your cinnamon, add dried fruit, etc.

honestly, re-learning how to eat and bake can be scary! it's a life change, but you can do it. take baby steps. it taste different, but sometimes different can open us up to a whole new world of flavors.

i learned most of what i know today from shauna, karina, and bette hagman - stay curious, ask questions, and respect your resources, y'all!

i hope this helps. i'm certainly no expert, but if you need help, shoot me an email or twitter me!

tips? thoughts? questions?

-rebekah

soy... joy?

a quick word of foreshadowing.

this is a whopper post!
appreciation, recap of my last few days/foodie dates, and a little ditty on soy for y'all.
you've been warned :)

a quick word of thanks.

to all you guys who have been reading/comment/making suggestions on my calorie and wheat posts...

YOU ARE THE BEST!
it's incredible to have this new circle of people who understand me, have insight, and can help me through the tough times.
(special shoutout to averie, katie, and emily! thanks ladies... and many more!)

and a quick weekend recap (so far!).
i had GREAT workouts this week... what a blessing! i got all 5 days in - 2 lifting days, 2 runs, 1 walk/jog with mom in the sunshine! i also had a great thursday with momma. we went shopping for her some new shirts for spring and me a new sports bra...

i was ready for the spring weather alright!

but first, we had to eat.

because i couldn't be more obsessed with grilled veggies,

we went back to california pizza kitchen (my second time this week!)

and we split the grilled vegetable salad with grilled shrimp ($16.75)

yummmmmmmmmmm i want another STAT.

the shrimp were freakin' ridiculously good!

and i did find a sports bra... wonders never cease!

it's crazy hard to find one for me.

Under Armor Head Gear Zip Front "Endure"

yay for companies who make freak sizes!

i would definitely recommend this one if you are like me, and have a small ribcage.

they come down to a size 30!!! so rare. fabulous.

unfortunately, mom didn't find any clothes.

darn... we have to keep shopping :)

we were pretty wiped out when we got home, so i made us an lazy easy dinner that actually was heavenly!

scrambled eggs with garlic and onion powder, S&P, and laughing cow wedge on rye wasa crackers spread with sundried tomatoes and italian herbs

i love these crackers!

          because my little sister's coming home from her spring break trip today (!!!), i baked up a double batch of natalie's millet-oatmeal bread for her school lunches when she gets back.
          and because she's allergic to oats, i substituted buckwheat flour in for the oat flour. it adds a nice depth and protein to the bread that the oats kinda lack (if you've had GF bread before, you know what i mean!). i also substituted maple syrup for the molasses (i used it up a while ago... oops!) and added in some herbs for flava flav!

then friday i got to spend some time with my freshman year roomie!

clearly i have a red polka dot fetish. i'm ok with it.

...and eat Ellwood's thai spring rolls! (and some zucchini that's m.i.a... hmm)

i MIGHT have been hungry.

appetite before blogging sometimes...

shoutout to my local girl brittany, who blogs frequently about ET.

as a sidenote: i'm also pretty jealous she gets to go there often, and is in cali.

loser.

anyways, i also got to go out for AMAZING pizza with some beautiful friends to bottoms up pizza. since it was dark in there, i would have felt weird using my flash...

you guys feel the same?
i got the maggie malay, which had their amazingly fresh tomato sauce, local roma tomatoes, spinach, artichoke hearts, and just the perfect sprinkle of feta cheese on top.

so far today,
i've met up with an awesome girl at whole foods for brunch (hey hunter!).

she's my host/buddy from the passover celebration. her dad was so interested in why i was taking pictures... he wanted to see my blog! i was honored :). i had some questions for her about starting my wheat-free test tomorrow (she's gluten-free), and she was super helpful.

i had the split pea soup. pretty darn tasty!

i wish it wasn't cold enough out to crave soups anymore though :(

...boo?

and now... soy joy?

          as i've mentioned before, i try to stay away from eating a lot of soy because of my mom's breast cancer. when she was on chemo, she did a lot of research on the possible contributors, since her cancer wasn't hereditary. although you can't "give yourself" cancer, you certainly can create an environment conducive to the cells' growth, and she wanted to learn how to prevent that for the future.

          at that time (around 2006), there were some very conflicting findings on whether or not soy was safe for daily consumption. some studies "had proven" that soy is helpful for preventing heart disease, obesity, and certain types of cancers. they claimed that asian countries have been consuming soy for thousands of years, and since they have the lowest rate of illnesses, soy must be the cure (especially in place of animal proteins). other studies "proved" that soy is, in fact, very harmful in human consumption, and acts like a phyto-estrogen in the body, which accelerates the spread of estrogen-fed cancers (like my mom's).

          since then, new health reports have come out each year, yet it still seems unclear whether it is something we should be comfortable with accepting as 100% safe.

my opinion?

oh, so glad you asked!

my theory is this - based on a few years of careful googling research since my mom's diagnosis, i don't have much i can say for certain.... what i can say is this: any time the media "discovers" a new superfood that cures EVERYTHING and has no flaws, be careful. food is just that... food. it is not a miracle drug, it is not your comfort, and it is not your enemy. it is fuel for your body. you guys know that i LOVE me some food, but everything in it's place... moderation. and that's how i feel about soy. think of soy like chocolate; just because it's healthy does NOT mean it's ok to hammer down a pound on christmas (sidenote: i know! darn.).

         

          i am not a nutritionist/doctor/prophet (yet!... except the prophet thing), but my understanding of soy is this:  it is a natural, healthy food... in it's pure, unadultered, non-GMO form, in moderation. my issue, however, is this: the average american eats far more food/calories than we should, and an increasingly large percent of this is soy. incase you haven't read a nutrition label in the last decade, soy protein isolate is an additive to many prepackaged foods, as well as soy lecithin, which is used as an emulsifier/binder in almost all baked goods. if you eat protein bars/shakes/loaf bread/candy/cookies/cereal/anything, i can guarantee you that a good percent of your food is soy (breakfast examples: quaker oats? yep. luna bars? definitely.). the problem i have is not the soy itself, but the fact that it has been processed to death in a factory's lab after being genetically modified for profit (more than 80% of soy products are chemically created!). that, and i don't feel good about eating so much of something that has such mixed reviews on it's effect on breast cancer risks. knowing that soy has estrogen-like effects on the body, i question its ability to interfere with my hormones, and down the road with cancer.

just one more thing.
          a guy friend of mine recently confided in me that for the last year, he has been going to his physician for decreased energy, no sex drive, and breast tissue growth (!). let me just say that this guy is a college lacrosse player, lifts weights weekly, and is sexy as all get-out. the doctor had NO idea why this was happening, given his current health/lifestyle, and eventually gave up, prescribing him chemically-regulated testosterone... at 21. WOW. so i randomly asked him, out of curiosity if he got much concentrated/processed soy in his diet...?
... oh, only a few protein shakes a day!
i suggested to him that before he commit to a life of hormone therapy, he research for himself the effects of soy. maybe try switching to another source of protein and testing if it helps, just to see. the doctor NEVER questioned or considered his diet as the culprit. guys, please educate yourselves. never blindly take my word as law! or anyone elses, or the t.v., or your nutritionist. double check everything! in all of my mom's yearly checkups, never ONCE did the doctor ask her about her habits - diet, sleep, stress, exercise, nothing. they have a lot to consider, and sometimes not all of the important questions are asked.

i'm not saying that soy is evil, or that it causes cancer.

i employ a "better safe than sorry" policy.

if i have concerns, i skip it.

and i have a fair amount of concerns. so i rarely indulge.

we will never know the answers to life's questions unless we pursue them.

fair? thoughts? i'd really love to hear your opinion/experiences.

- r

p.s. - the little sister just got back from florida safe, tanned, radiant, and full of life. in food news, mom made these delicious burgers for dinner! go mom!
and a coupon for crofter's superfruit spread!

friday foodzzzz

i'm not quite sure why i'm not sleeping right now... i've been up since 4am and it's past midnight.

body, we need to talk. insomnia is SO 2009.

i didn't toss and turn or anything. i was just up and at 'em at around 4 something. it was a good thing, however, because shortly after my little sister got up to leave for her spring break. she and her buddy are driving to tampa, florida!!! when i was 18, there was NO WAYYYYY my mom would have let me do that. but i'm happy for her :)

some of her swag i picked up from wf...

cashew cookie larabars, justin's maple almond butter (!), ener-g brown rice bread, and cream of buckwheat. you know, normal stuff.

to send her off right, i made her some banana bread millet:

½ c millet

1 reaaaaally ripe banana (not sad to see him go!)

3 prunes

1 packet stevia

1 c milk

sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg

splash vanilla extract

how I did it, and what you shouldn’t do
I toasted my millet in the bottom of my pot first. That was all well and good. But I got the crazy idea (hey, it was 5am!) that it would be a good idea to go ahead and boil the milk in the micro so I could just add it right to the toasted millet. Sounds good, right? Well apparently I’m the only one who didn’t know that hot pot + hot liquid = hot explosion on your countertop.

it does.

after I washed the milk foam from all over hell and back, I brought the millet back to a boil, then cut it down to simmer for years and years… ok, more like 25 minutes or so. She loved it, so that’s all good.

because i'm a terrible blogger before sunrise, no pic. but here's another egg wrap to add to my growing collection:

1/2 c egg whites, pinch salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder, sauteed mushrooms.

sex on a plate!

after breakfast, my mom and I were supposed to go on a walk in our nice weather (it got to 85 here in Richmond!!), but she didn’t sleep much either, so we rescheduled until tomorrow. I went to the gym and started reading some new james patterson book. I got about 5 pages in, got bored, and talked to my friend zach for the rest of the time on the elliptical. today was an easy cardio day, so not too worried.

upon my return, i promtly snacked my face off on what else? cottage cheese oats!

1/2 c cottage cheese

1/2 c old fashioned oats

packet stevia

1/2 tbsp liquid crack (a.k.a. white chocolate wonderful!)

also, i daily consume about 10932043 cups of this:

deeevinee.

I threw myself at the bed for an hour after eating. It was gooood...

Eventually I reemerged, then went to California pizza kitchen for lunch with the boy!

 I hadn’t been in ages, and I totally forgot to take a picture because I was so hungry! the line to get in was CRAAAZY long today because of the nice weather, and the boy and i were not pleased. I got the grilled vegetable salad…

credit-o. because i was too hungry.

omg – it’s heaven. It has pretty much every grilled veggie you could ask for! grilled corn, asparagus, zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, and avocado. I didn’t even need salad dressing it was so good.

The boy and I shopped in urban outfitters and levi’s for a bit before he had to go back to work. I got a scarf!

And I wore it. Obviously.

... still squinting from that flash.

and i finally got to wear sandals!

After that, I pretty much sat inside on this gorgeous day like a bum.

But… I won my first giveaway!!! Tropical traditions coconut cream concentrate!

If you guys have any ideas on what to use it for, please share! Thank you to Stephanie!

Later, mom and my older sister and I got a girl’s night out! We graced Tara Thai with our presence.

 It was fantastic, as usual.

i ordered the plah goong - cashew shrimp in lime-chili sauce!

i get it everytime. i try so hard to pick something else, but it's just that good!

and now, food porno, friday style :)

we're pretty heavy drinkers, us three.

mine.

mom's.

kristen's.

sense a shrimp theme?

us too.

right before that, i was totally vanna white-ing my plate, but mom couldn't get the camera to work.

so now, i'm just cheesin'.

and my nightcap:

trader joe's berry blend, sprinkled with stevia.

so good frozen.

well i'm finally hittin' the sack. hope you guys had a great friday!

tomorrow i am going bikini shopping (eek!), then to a friend's house for a little pre-easter dinner.

i also have a post planned on soy... stay tuned :)

- r