A Less Scary Halloween

It’s just once a year, so many of us allow the excesses and frankly scary ingredients in Halloween candy for just that week. While it may be once a year, it kicks off the marathon into Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other sweets-related holidays for children. Many of the offerings out there contain fillers, chemicals and just about anything but real ingredients. Before you know it, the end of the year degrades into more junk than is fair to hoist on a youngin’.

This year I was determined to find appealing treats that came in safe packaging. After some research online I found several sites and blogs that recommended more pure candies like dark chocolates, jellybeans and hard candies made from natural flavors like fruit juices. I searched the store shelves at several drug stores and supermarkets in my area for economical and kid-appealing examples and while I found some good choices at reasonable prices, the poor choices were overwhelming. No wonder many of us give up. Items labeled dark chocolate contained other suspicious looking ingredients and often did not have cocoa, chocolate or its liquor as a first or even prominent ingredient. Fruit juices and natural flavors were harder to spot though fruity flavors abounded. I was pleased to see a natural brand of individually wrapped hard candy in hip flavors like pomegranate, honey and apple. The price was a bit steep so perhaps I’ll sample them for Christmas stockings rather then the Halloween grab-bowl.

In the end I picked three treats that should keep the local ghouls happy and their tummies a little healthier.

Starburst Sour GummiBursts
13 packets in a $2.99 9-oz package
The first ingredient is corn syrup followed by sugar so this was the chanciest pick. I know corn syrup is not high on the hit parade of sweeteners but I use corn syrup in pecan pie and for now am allowing it in some moderation. I felt a bit better about the gelatin, apple juice and citric acid ingredients and decided to live with the others that comprised “less than 2%” of the total according to the package label. This candy is made by Mars and each packet cost about 23¢.

SunMaid Raisins
6 packs on sale for $1.59
Some like raisins; some don’t. I think they taste great with dark chocolate and I know a few in the neighborhood who are also fans. Simple and pure and in a cute box too. These really compete with the Sour GummiBears at 24¢ per box.

Toblerone Tiny dark chocolate with honey and almond nougat
22 pieces in a 4.65 oz package on sale for $1.79
This turned out to be the best deal when I opened the packages and found 22 pieces inside on average. Bittersweet chocolate is the first ingredient listed and it’s subset of ingredients also lists chocolate first. I recognize all the other ingredients and like the inclusion of honey and almond nougat for children who are not yet under the spell of dark chocolate. (Allergies note: this treat has nuts and eggs.) The signature prism-shaped packaging is cool and thematically dark to suit the holiday. At about 8¢ per tiny bar, this is a fun treat at a great price. I feel as good about these as I do about the raisins and can give out 2 per trick-or-treater without breaking the bank.

Brown Rice and Pasta Pilaf

If you suspect your family is not going to like brown rice, introduce it in a rice pilaf. This recipe will remind you of Rice-A-Roni*, a favorite of many a small tyke. The difference is the whole grain pasta, brown rice and a safe amount of sodium in an enhanced chicken broth that translates the flavors you remember from the packaged brand to a pure food in which you will recognize every ingredient. Nice additions like almonds, celery and mushrooms make this a complete side dish. A sweeter variation includes chopped, dried apricots or raisins. This tastes great cold too. I’m having it for lunch.

1 tablespoon butter and olive oil (1/2 tablespoon of each or 1 tablespoon of either)
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup brown rice
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon each turmeric and powdered thyme
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/5 package whole grain angel hair pasta like Barilla Plus
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet, heat butter and oil and sauté mushrooms over medium heat. When mushrooms soften and begin to brown, add celery, onion and brown rice. Stir to coat rice in butter/oil and allow rice to cook until it becomes opaque. Push the mushrooms, celery and rice to side of pan and add almonds. Brown briefly. Add chicken broth and water and stir to combine. Lower heat and stir in turmeric, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.

Place pasta in a long plastic bag and close. Drag bag across edge of a counter, pressing down to break pasta into 1-2 inch pieces. Add paste to rice mixture, cover and simmer another 30 minutes. Check occasionally that liquid has not evaporated. Add more water if pilaf looks dry. When rice and pasta is tender, remove from heat and keep covered a few minutes to allow broth to be fully absorbed. Pilaf can stand, covered, for 15-20 minutes while the rest of the meal is completed.

For a vegetarian version, substitute water for chicken broth and add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

*Cooking pure foods does not have to cost more. You’ll pay around 40¢ a serving for Rice A Roni and 34¢ a serving for this version without the extra vegetables and nuts (which cost only 36¢ more per serving).

Peanut Sauce with Cilantro

There are lots of recipes for peanut sauces. This one uses cilantro to add an extra fresh taste that goes well with cooked poultry, noodles, salads and cold vegetables. Use only fresh, not dried, cilantro for this sauce. Any peanut butter is okay but the sauce is really best with an all-natural one (nothing but roasted peanuts and salt, no emulsifiers). I’ve made it both ways and there is a difference. Chinese chili paste can be found in most Asian markets with and without garlic (your choice). In a pinch use fresh or dried hot chilis (like serranos) or your favorite hot sauce.

1/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth
1T soy sauce
1/2 t Chinese chili paste
2 t dark brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lime
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped (skip if only dried is available)
1/4 cup + hot water
1 T chopped dry roasted peanuts for garnish

Combine all ingredients except water and chopped peanuts in a small processor and pulse to combine. Add most of the water and process to a smooth sauce. Taste and add more water, lime juice or soy sauce to taste. Pour into a small bowl for dipping, garnish with chopped peanuts or pour over roasted or grilled chicken.

Sauce can be made by hand: use a fork or small whisk to incorporate peanut butter into other ingredients.

Great on chicken, cold noodles (with slivered cucumbers, scallions and carrots), vegetables (hot or cold) or as a dip for just about anything.

Try Plain Potato Chips

Thanks to chefs like Ferran Adria and Michael Chiarello, plain unsalted potato chips are making it into stores. Food Network’s Michael Chiarello introduced the idea of creating a signature barbeque potato chip at home by mixing your own blend of spices over unsalted potato chips on an episode of Easy Entertaining. Andre Ferran blew the lid off making Spanish tortilla (the potato-onion stovetop frittata of Spain) using time saving unsalted chips in place of sliced potatoes cooked slowly in olive oil. Spanish home cooks took to it with enthusiasm and thanks to Anya von Bremzen, who included the technique in her wonderful cookbook, The New Spanish Table, American fans of Spanish cooking can whip up a great tortilla de patatas quickly too.

Unsalted potato chips have a refreshing taste of – surprise- potatoes. Many large manufacturers make them, including Wise and Lays. Some store brands have a plain, unsalted chip too. I like the Price Chopper store brand from the medium size chain of supermarkets in northeastern states. High quality at a great price.

Inspired by Michael Chiarello, I toss sea salt and smoked paprika on plain chips spread on a cookie sheet. Place the sheet of potato chips in a 250˚ oven and warm them for 10 minutes. This heats the oil on the chips and encourages the spices to stick nicely. Be stingy with the spices—less than a teaspoon or two goes a long way and can flavor a cookie sheet’s worth of potato chips. I’ve learned that I also like plain ones warmed up and in a pinch a little sea salt sprinkled on top at room temperature is nice too. The key is moderation. Let yourself taste the pure flavors you’ve created using the less is more approach. Your lips won’t swell up oddly after eating a batch (as many of us have experienced with store-bought flavors) and you will be rewarded with a specialty of the house that is your own blend of pure flavor. Other spices to try include cumin, finely ground black pepper, nutmeg/ginger for a fall-inspired treat, cayenne pepper, etc.

To keep quantities in line with reason, think about them as a side dish. Portion out a vegetable-sized portion alongside a sandwich or burger, then store the bag back in the pantry.

Farewell Ugly Tomatoes

The photo of tomatoes at the top of the page includes “ugly” tomatoes, a type that produces fruit that is deeply pleated and at first looks misshapen. If you found these at your farmer’s market this summer, you know these are dinner show-stoppers. Simply sliced and anointed with a light sprinkling of sea salt they are the essence of the joys of eating pure foods. Every time I served them, someone at the table halted the conversation to expound on their flavor. They are sweet and taste like what tomatoes are supposed to taste like. One friend said, “I am eating the tomatoes of my childhood.”

We sustained our first snow in Pennsylvania yesterday, a nor’easter with another expected tomorrow. With that, I have accepted that the summer tomatoes and corn that stretched out summer’s harvest for me will be no more at the farmer’s market. Farewell ugly tomatoes, hello winter squash.

While the beautiful ugly tomatoes are in season, it’s hard to do more than serve them as is. I like them in tabouleh too where I normally add low-sodium canned tomatoes when the fresh ones are out of season. Tabouleh is a cracked wheat salad that is easy to prepare and goes anywhere rice, potatoes or a side salad fits. Cracked wheat takes a bath in liquid to plump up and then gets the addition of olive oil, herbs and vegetables. I learned to make tabouleh while part of a Community Supported Agriculture project in Vermont during the 1990’s. All summer the weekly bag of fresh produce included a new recipe using one of the abundant ingredients of the harvest. Most tablouleh recipes, including that one, use water for the plumping stage. I’ve adapted the recipe to use low-sodium tomato juice to inject the grain with even more flavor.

Tabouleh
Yield: 3 cups (6 side servings)

1 cup cracked wheat (OK to substitute bulgur wheat)
4 oz low-sodium tomato juice
4 oz cold water
3 diced tomatoes or one can low sodium peeled tomatoes (drained and diced)
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Place cracked wheat in a wide bowl or casserole dish. Pour juice and water over wheat and cover dish. Place in refrigerator to soak 3 hours or overnight, until wheat grains are soft and chewy. Drain and add remaining ingredients using a fork to fluff up the grains and combine flavors.
Optional: for a quick and complete office or school lunch, toss in some sliced chicken breast and take it along. Cucumbers, grated carrots or sliced celery also taste great in this side dish.

Recreate and Make it Better: Salad Dressings

One of the foods that I see people eat a great deal of is salad dressing. Over greens, in sandwiches, or as a dip salad dressing is a simple sauce of infinite variety. Many bottled dressings have ingredients in them that help to preserve them but don’t do much for your body or your taste buds. If you love salad, a great way to get more “pure” is to make a small batch of your own salad dressing. Everything you put in it will be something recognizable and nothing need be artificial. Try your own and you’ll soon recognize that some favorite bottled varieties taste off—artificially sweet, salty or just plain chemically.

If you love Italian dressings, try a Viniagrette:
3oz olive or vegetable oil
1 oz apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried herb like basil, thyme or oregano or a mixture of the three.
Combine mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and slowly whisk in oil. Sauce will thicken as oil is added. Stir in remaining ingredients. Alternately, placed all ingredients in a jar. Close the lid and shake to combine. OK to store at room temperature.

The recipe can be doubled and varied using different types of oils and vinegars and different herbs. If using fresh herbs, triple the quantity to 1 1/2 teaspoons or more.


If you love Ranch dressing, try Buttermilk Herb dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon each dried dill, basil and oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar, close with the lid and shake to combine. Allow dressing to sit for a bit so that the dried herbs can re-hydrate into the liquid. If you do not have buttermilk on hand, use 1/2 cup milk and 1 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar to substitute. Store in refrigerator.


If you love Blue Cheese dressing, try a Homemade Chunky Blue Cheese version:
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup milk (low fat OK)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
optional: a few dashes of hot sauce or 1/2 teaspoon horseradish or even some crumbled crispy bacon (only the real thing please—your taste buds will thank you).

Combine sour cream, milk, vinegar and oil in a small bowl. Fold in blue cheese and remaining ingredients. This is delicious on salads, with hot wings or as a vegetable dip. Refrigerate leftovers.

We are inspired to make salad when really fresh ingredients are on hand. By using salad dressings made from real ingredients the salad retains its best quality- pure flavor. It will be hard to go back to bottled once you taste these and see how easy they are to whip up from things you already have on hand.

You are an expert already.

 -->You have the tools: your taste buds. You just need to re-sharpen them and they will guide you. After years of too much sodium, too many sugars and too many unidentifiable ingredients in processed foods our sense of smell and sense of taste can get out of whack. If things just don’t taste as good as they used to, it may be because you are no longer eating the real thing. Pure foods are just that. They are what they are and you really can get more of them into every meal. Start small or start big but either way you will begin to notice your taste buds respond when you treat them right.

First readjust by reducing the amount of processed food you consume. Do this by replacing or recreating foods you know are not very real. Make your own and you will make it better.

Remember what real flavor tastes like by eating the real thing with nothing added. Start tonight with fruit. For dessert, slice an apple or pear and eat it alone or with a small quantity of cheddar or goat cheese. Drizzle sliced banana with lime juice. Mash it up and freeze it an hour for a cool, naturally sweet dinner finale.

Enjoy, knowing you are an expert already.