Spring – Page 20 – GUTSy Performance Nutrition

Spring Cleaning + Kitchen Essentials

March 28, 2016March 28, 2016by Rebecca2 Comments

William and I moved six times in the last six years of living together and every time we’ve moved, the amount of things we’ve chosen to take along has grown smaller. Even though our new home cannot be considered large, it feels spacious to us. Part of this is because we decided to buy a house with a converted garage, and in lieu of accumulating stuff there, we have a “formal” dining room, complete with one homely kitchen table and a lot of floor space. After almost four months, there are still empty cupboards in the kitchen, and an otherwise empty spare room with one lonely box of decorations sitting in its center.

We got rid of furniture, too, and have so far decided not to replace. The picture I’m painting might seem sparse and uncomfortable-sounding, but I like this blank slate phase. I want to take my time to fill (or not fill) it with only meaningful or necessary things. Ideally, that means less. Hence the reason the decorations are still in a box.

Fittingly, BlueStar Cooking recently reached out to me to share tips for spring cleaning the things in our kitchens, where if you’re like me, unnecessary gadgets tend to accumulate. When we were moving last, I consolidated and donated a nice pile of kitchen goodies that were no longer necessary. This is what remains:

Can you tell I still have work to do?

How to Begin: A couple years ago, I decided I had too much kitchen stuff. First, I asked myself the question: What is absolutely essential? What can I not live without? I learned from two extended stints in student accommodation in Europe that less is absolutely more. For me, a rubber spatula, couple large wooden spoons, whisk and mini-whisk, citrus juicer, and a microzester, a good chef’s and serrated knife, along with a cutting board are the essential gadgets for almost all basic cooking. I cook with a lot of citrus and spices, so depending on your cooking style, you may opt for even less.

Second, let go of all small kitchen appliances that aren’t essential. Small appliances take up a lot of space. Recognizing this, I basically stripped the appliances down to what we use regularly. For us, this includes:

An electric tea kettle, toaster, mini-food processor, and spice/coffee grinder. We also have a large Kitchen Aid mixer, waffle iron, and indoor grill tucked away, but they get infrequent use.

Third, eliminate clutter. I’m terrible at accumulating clutter, even though it makes me cranky and anxious. Our rule for small appliances is that only the tea kettle can take up counter space since we use it constantly. The rest needs to fit in the cupboards.

Essentials:

a good chef’s knife + a cutting board – Find a quality knife that feels good in your hand. You’ll know it’s the one when it feels right. I like mine to be a little on the heavier side as it feels more stable.
electric kettle – We’re not regular coffee drinkers but we love tea. Like multiple cups a day. An electric kettle boils water fast, plus I use it when cooking often for when I need hot water. My current one has a few settings for heating water to different temperatures. I frequently use the lowest setting for sipping warm water with lemon during these chillier months.
Le Creuset 2 qt. dutch oven – These are spendy, but I’ve had mine at least 10 years and use it almost daily. It’s my favorite pan for cooking grains. I get perfectly steamed rice with no sticky mess on the bottom every time. Some day, I’ll probably invest in one or two more in larger sizes.
fine mesh strainer – I use it almost as much as the tea kettle and dutch oven, to wash and rinse grains and beans, to strain small batches of pasta, and rinse small fruits like berries.
food processor and/or blender – I consider one of these essential for making sauces, dressings, smoothies, puréeing soups, etc. Admittedly, I broke an old hand-me-down blender a few months ago and still haven’t replaced it. My food processor is an old mini and since it’s still working, I haven’t been in a rush to upgrade.
kitchen scale – I use mine almost daily, but I’m OCD about measurements and portion sizes. Also, it comes in handy when converting baking recipes to gluten-free and figuring out how much is one pound of beans or broccoli.
microzester and citrus juicer – I’m including both of these since I use them so often. The zester is great for fresh ginger, and adding a touch of lemon or orange zest to meals or desserts.

Wish List: Our last kitchen left much to be desired. We had a mini-oven and dishwasher and neither worked well. So I’ve hardly a complaint or desire for more in my new kitchen, which came with all new appliances. We have several items on our projects and wish lists for the house, but I’ve been eyeing a new high-speed blender from either Vitamix or Blendtec for a while now. Eventually, I’d like to replace the tile counter tops in our kitchen for easier cleaning, and to install a new hood above the stove that vents to the outside. What I like about BlueStar, is they create commercial quality products for home kitchens in a ton of customizable colors and options. I’ve been having fun looking at the photo galleries of chefs’ home kitchens on their site, and am inspired by their collection of ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, and hoods. It makes me both glad and sad that I don’t have to make any big kitchen-remodel decisions any time soon. I’m terribly indecisive!

What are your spring cleaning tips, kitchen essentials, or wish list items?

Autumn, Running, Spring

Coconut Grape Chia Pudding

March 21, 2016March 21, 2016by Rebecca16 Comments

Most of my friends and aquaintances know me as the girl that knows a bit about agriculture and growing vegetables. Few of them remember or know that I started out in college as an English major, or that I actually did continue to take English classes all the way through, receiving a minor instead. All my favorite classes as an undergrad were in the English department, not the college of agriculture. I particularly enjoyed the upper division writing and research-intensive classes as I enjoyed reading others’ research even more than I enjoyed actually reading the classic literature itself.

What I’ve been particularly excited about since deciding to go back to school is the opportunity to dive back into the academic literature—this time in a way that is a little more applicable and interesting to me now than the cohesion of magic and religious practices in medieval literature. Like grape juice. Is grape juice beneficial? Will the grape juice in my freezer enhance my athletic pursuits? Can it do other things?

I’ve had a gallon of really tasty homemade/homegrown grape juice hanging out in the freezer for over a year now. My best friend’s parents gifted it to us for Christmas in 2014. Having already used half of it last year, I knew it was good. But I rarely ever crave a glass of juice, let alone a gallon of it. And William, though he’s quite keen on green juice, proclaimed grape juice is for summer, and turned up his nose when I asked if he’d drink it.

After defrosting the juice, I noticed the thick must from the home-pressing settling at the bottom. It looked, smelled, and tasted like there was a lot of nutrition there, in a good way. Since tart cherry, pomegranate, and beet juice have all been in the research and news these last few years for their benefits to athletes, I started wondering what the verdict has been on grape juice? I did a quick initial search and scan through peer-reviewed journals, and though there’s not an overwhelming amount of research on grape juice and exercise, there is enough to suggest grape juice might increase running time-to-exhaustion (1), improve recovery (2) and immune function (3). What I’m really excited about is to learn how to pick apart the good research from the bad since a study can be found to support just about every viewpoint on any given topic.

For now, I’m comfortable with the idea that eating this coconut-grape chia pudding might have helped me avoid coming down with a full-blown cold last week when I was experiencing a little sore throat and depleted energy. Or it might have been that I recognized the signs and took it easy for a few days. In any case, I’ve been wanting to turn that grape juice into chia pudding for a while now, and as it turns out, grape juice thickened up with chia seeds and some coconut makes an excellent dessert, or breakfast, if you’re of the mind.

Coconut-Grape Chia Seed Pudding, makes 4 cups

The Recipe Redux challenged us to an easy, seven-ingredient-or-less recipe this month since it’s Income Tax Season. What I like about this recipe is that it makes a big batch, can last for several days or feed a crowd, and can be interchanged with another type of juice for a flavor mix-up. I prefer to serve it with tangy yogurt and crunchy granola, to create more of a parfait, but the chia pudding is also quite nice on its own.

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3/4 cup chia seeds

4 cups 100% grape juice

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

granola of choice, optional

plain unsweetened coconut yogurt, optional

peanut butter, optional

In a medium bowl, whisk the chia seeds, coconut flakes, vanilla extract, and grape juice together. Let sit out for a few minutes and then whisk again to make sure the chia seeds are evenly distributed. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove from the fridge, spoon into dishes, and serve as is or with the optional mix-ins.

References:

Toscano, L.T., Tavares, R.L., Toscano, T.T., Oliveira da Silva, C.S., Monteiro de Almeida, A.E., Biasoto, A.C.T.,…and Silva, A.S. (2015). Potential ergogenic activity of grape juice in runners. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 40(9): 899-906.
Dalla Corte, C.L, De Carvalho, N.R., Amaral, G.P., Puntel, G.O., Silva, L.F.A., Retamoso, L.T.,…and Soares, F.A.A. (2013). Antioxidant effect of organic purple grape juice on exhaustive exercise. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 38(5): 558-565.
UPI NewsTrack. (2008). Quercetin, found in produce, fights flu. Business Insights: Global. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

Spring, Winter

Hungry Gap?

March 19, 2016March 19, 2016by Rebecca3 Comments

In temperate climates like ours in western Oregon, and also traditionally in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the weeks between March and April are known as the Hungry Gap for gardeners and local producers because we have nearly run out of winter storage crops and the new season’s growth does not provide a substantial amount of nourishment.

Most of us don’t think about this anymore, since we have access to almost any type of food we’d like from all across the globe. Easter is next weekend however, and for me, Easter marks the beginning of true spring. Likewise, I associate Easter with strawberries and rhubarb at home with my parents and extended family. Because I manage a garden, I’ve become aware that this pairing won’t come together locally until early May, and though I’m okay with purchasing a few berries from afar to enjoy sooner, I’m nearly always disappointed with the flavor. When I spent a summer on the strawberry farm as their trials intern, I was surprised at the diversity of varieties. Some were super-packed with flavor and others were big and beautiful, but tasteless. Interestingly, all the varieties went into the same punnets and at the grocery store, I could just as easily pick up tasteless strawberries as flavor-packed ones. In any case, it is not common for commercial fruit and vegetable varieties to be bred for outstanding flavor. It is early yet in this new season and this year we won’t be traveling home for Easter. So I think I will wait on strawberries.

I’ve noticed a little of this hungry gap in shopping for local vegetables lately too, as there is a plethora of greens and some winter storage roots like rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, and beets, but the variety that other seasons provide is missing. Still, in our age of abundance, there is a bounty during this season.

I’ve been doing a better job too, of planning meals since moving, taking on grad school, and commuting. I thought I would be letting go of cooking creatively during this new phase, but the opposite has actually been true. Using seasonal produce as the foundation for meals and then planning for busy weeks, being flexible, and doing a little more batch cooking on slower days has been quite instrumental. William’s one day of managing dinner has also allowed for simpler things like pizza, tacos, and pasta primavera to show up in our rotation.

Even during this hungry gap and busy season, we are enjoying lots of variety. This is what I picked up in the last week, and how we enjoyed them:

Turnips + Rutabagas: Rustic Indian Samosa Pie

Beets: We had beets, lentils, tahini + flatbread last weekend and leftovers into the early part of the week.

Leeks, Nettles + Potatoes: We enjoyed a nice Irish Nettle Soup with leeks and potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day.

Sprouting Purple Broccoli + Collard Raab: I lightly roasted these with tempeh and za’atar, and served them alongside harissa and millet. Yum!

Eggs : William powers through tax season by eating eggs and green juice most mornings for breakfast.

Green Salad mix with lots of winter greens like kale, arugula, frisée, bok choy, and chard: To round out meals.

Carrots + Parsnips: For snacking and carrot + parsnip oatmeal.

Parsnips + Sage: I am experimenting with a parsnip + sage risotto for dinner tonight and serving it alongside white bean fagioli from Heidi’s new book.

What local abundance is available lately in your corner of the world?

Rustic Indian Samosa Pie with Mint + Cilantro Chutney, serves 4

I first got the idea for this pie from Kelsey, when I attempted to make her Sweet Potato Samosas and failed miserably with tiny pastries and gluten-free crust. Since then, I decided to turn it into a seasonal veg pie and finally perfected a savory crust. I’ve made this a few times and change up the vegetables depending on what I have. It is a good one for using up random vegetables that might be hanging about. This version has rutabagas, turnips, and peas and only a top crust. If you want more of a true pie, double the pastry recipe and make a double crust. It will take a little longer to bake. A word to the wise, I tend to air on the side of spicy with seasonings, and then serve a cooling mint and cilantro chutney alongside to tame it down. Use a little less cayenne if you prefer less heat.

Savory Pastry

1/2 cup brown rice flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup quinoa or amaranth flour

3/4 cup chickpea flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Filling:

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, medium-diced

5 cups chopped vegetables (mix of turnips, rutabagas or any others)

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. garam masala

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

3/16 tsp. cayenne

1-inch piece ginger, minced

1 Tbs. arrowroot or tapioca starch

Cilantro-Mint Chutney:

1 large bunch cilantro

1 cup tightly packed mint

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup plain coconut yogurt

1/4 tsp. salt

Make the crust: Combine the flours and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to aerate and mix. Add the olive oil and 1/4 cup cold water. Pulse until the dough just comes together, adding a little more water as needed.
Transfer the dough to a plastic wrap, wrap it loosely and press it into a flat disk. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
To make the filling: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and then add the onion, and cook until lightly browned. Add the chopped vegetables and 1 cup broth and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar, coriander, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, salt, minced ginger, and remaining cup of broth. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the peas and arrowroot starch mixed with a small amount of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer and let cook a couple minutes more. Remove from heat and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.
Dust a large flat surface with rice flour, and roll the pastry out until it is about 1/8-inch in thickness. It should be just larger than the pie pan. Roll the dough carefully around the rolling pin and transfer it to cover the filled dish. Trim the edges and fold under. Crimp them around the edge of the pan, then cut a couple slits in the top to let steam escape. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until starting to bubble and the crust has become golden.
To make the chutney: Put mint, cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt in a food processor, and purée until smooth. Serve alongside the pie.