Grocery Fatigue

Research confirms what you already suspected: We tucker out when faced with too many choices. Including at the grocery store where the number of cereal flavors, liquid soup fragrances, juice combinations, pickle varieties, rice mixes and canned tomato types slows us down to consider, reconsider and finally either choose or walk away to the next aisle, also replete with choice.

Combat this with a list you can stick to and get out of the store faster and less exhausted. Spending more time around good food does not mean spending your precious hours shopping by wandering aimlessly through the aisles in search of direction. It means investing your energy on the activities that count: meal preparation and its enjoyment. Selecting pure foods as your ingredients is simpler than you think and will buy you time for more pleasant and group oriented meal-making and dining.

First make a list. If you’ve never shopped with a list give it a try. You will find it liberating since most families repeat many of the same stock items every week. Make a good list once and you won’t have to change it much to use it repeatedly and effectively. Some items can be broad like fruit, green vegetables, salad fixins’ or dried pasta. Some will need brand/size notes (which also makes it easy to send others to fetch items).

Organize your list in the order of the aisles in the store you frequent. Here are broad categories to get you started that will keep you on a pure foods path. You’ll find most of what you buy is in one of these departments or aisles and you can customize this basic list to suit your tastes. Fill in how many of each type of food you need to cover a week and you will have eliminated another thing to think about:

Produce Department- select sale items that look and smell delicious
Fruit 2-4 choices (bananas, pears, berries)
Green vegetables 4-5 choices (broccoli, asparagus, green beans, kale)
Root vegetables 2-3 choices (sweet potatoes, beets)
Salads including lettuces, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, avocado, nuts and seeds
Herbs

Meat, Fish, Ready-to Eat Meals departments
6-7 protein choices for week’s worth of dinners- plan for leftovers to cut back on meal prep time or to carry over as enviable brown bag lunches.

Dairy, Eggs
Milk, cream cheese, hard cheeses, cottage cheese, eggs, butter, yogurt
Be selective, choose low fat where possible provided additives and additional sweetening are not added as a substitute for flavor.

Supporting Aisles
Rice, grains, pasta, dried beans
Canned and jarred low sodium vegetables and beans
Canned and jarred fruits, applesauce, dried fruits
Condiments: mustard, hot sauce, pickles, international sauces
Frozen foods: fruit, vegetables, prepared healthy meals and desser, etc.
Bakery: whole grain bread products.

Also
Cereals- cut back on the number of flavors you buy at one time; this is not the candy aisle
Juices, teas and waters- read the labels and consider mixing your own juice-teas from herbal tea bags and 100% juice.
Cookies, crackers, snacks- some people bypass this aisle. If you do not, try cutting back on the variety you buy and select something you can serve with fruit. Enjoy but be selective.

Keep Some Options Open
Try something new, but have parameters. The part of choice you may not want to abandon is finding new favorites and sampling foods you’ve heard about or seen advertised. If you toss the overwhelming aspects of consumer choice, you can keep the adventurous part as long as you stay in command. Stick to your primary list which includes brands that have passed your quality standards and pricing and explore within range to improve your home pantry.

Try something new each week and keep the rest of your list simple. For example, if you want to add more fruit to your diet pick something new for the fruit bowl or build a fruit salad out of old favorites and one new item. It can be a different variety of pear or melon or a fruit you’ve never eaten before. Farmers markets provide lots of opportunity to learn about a new fruit or vegetable and most vendors are very helpful with recipes and serving ideas.

The following week you may want to experiment with some lower sugar cereals that you can serve with fresh berries. Dietary news on sodium means we’ll be seeing new and hopefully healthier formulations of soups, shelf stable and frozen meals, snack foods and more. On another visit, take a trip abroad and check out the international foods aisle to sample a new flavor profile. You might even pick out a vegetarian meal from fresh and prepared ingredients to add to your repetoire.

The key is to keep the kinds of choices you want to make focused so that you minimize fatigue. Go home with a little more spring in your step, less exhausted in both mind and body.

Peas and Lettuce with Mint

Peas and mint always feel very English to me but I have also enjoyed this striking pair as a puree with ravioli served with Mario Batalli’s famous beef cheeks.  It’s a genius combination.  In this side dish version, delicate lettuce leaves add a wonderful additional texture.  Don’t skimp on the mint; it is essential and if you haven’t used mint in many savory dishes, a real find.

When you have access to fresh peas and Bibb lettuce, this is the dish with which to exalt.  Frozen petite peas can stand in until the garden grows or your farmers market opens its gates.  No Bibb lettuce (Boston or butter)?  Romaine lettuce or baby spinach can be used instead.  And leftovers transform into a terrific soup the next day. 

Peas and Lettuce with Mint
Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients
2 cups peas
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 tablespoon cream
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a medium sauce pan with a tablespoon or two of water, cook peas until almost tender over medium heat.  
2. Add remaining ingredients, lower and cover.  
3. Cook an additional 2 minutes then stir.  When lettuce has wilted, the dish is ready.

If you make a double batch of the pea and lettuce recipe you can use the leftovers to create Pea and Lettuce Soup for two.   Pea soup is often forgotten once the weather turns warm and heartier soups are abandoned.  Just as satisfying as its winter counterpart, fresh pea soup is lighter but still a nice filling dish that can be eaten hot or cold.  

Fresh Pea and Lettuce Soup
Ingredients
2 cups total cooked fresh peas and lettuce
3/4-1 cup broth
2 ounces low fat milk
extra mint

Mrthod

1. Place leftover peas and lettuce in a blender or food processor.  Add just enough vegetable or chicken broth to cover and pulse or blend until finely pureed.  
2. Press soup through a strainer if you’d like a really smooth soup.  Add a touch of low fat milk and more fresh mint.  Enjoy this pure spring flavored soup hot or cold.

How to Make Quick Vegetable Broth
Make vegetable broth when the items in your vegetable drawer are looking a little tired.  There is still plenty of flavor and nutrition there and a quick broth will draw that out.  Use vegetable broth where you would meat-based broths, in soups and stews, to make rice and as a base for sauces. 

Ingredients
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion
2 carrot
2 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon black pepper corns
Salt (added at end)

Method

1. Scrub celery and carrots.  Peel onion.  Rinse tomatoes and parsley.  Chop vegetables  coarsely.  
2. Place vegetables in a large microwave safe bowl with 1/2 cup water.  Cover loosely and microwave on high to wilt the vegetables.   
3. Add herbs, peppercorns and 1 1/2 cups water and microwave loosely covered on medium for 6-10 minutes.  
4. When broth has achieved a light rose-tan color, drain vegetables and taste.  Add salt in small increments if desired

Note: It is also perfectly fine to make this broth from fresher vegetables.

Falafel Burgers

Since the 1970’s street food carts in  U.S. cities have been packing pita pockets with middle eastern falafel and salad drizzled with yogurt and tahini sauces for just a few bucks.  I remember a time when lunchtime crowds would converge on a certain mid-town Manhattan street corner to get what was rumored to be the best falafel in the city.  My colleagues and I would often walk 15 blocks passing several other vendors to get the falafel with the special hot sauce served from this cart. 

True falafel uses chickpeas soaked in bicarbonate of soda that are ground with parsley and spices then fried as bite-sized balls or patties. In Egypt, fava beans rather than chickpeas are used for falafel, a word that is used to describe things of a fluffy and crunchy texture in Arabic.  It is also thought to be a derivative of the Arabic word for peppers which sounds like “filfil.”

My falafel burgers shortcut the process with cooked chickpeas giving them a slightly softer texture but the same satisfying experience.  The burgers are baked rather than fried and can be made ahead and frozen for a future snack or lunch. A batch makes a week’s worth of bag lunches.  Peppery, spicey, fluffy, crunchy falafel burgers are easy to prepare and make a pure snack for big after-school and post-workout appetites.  For the truly time-starved (or oven-challenged) I've even included a no-bake falafel pita dip. 


Falafel Burgers with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce
Makes 5 burgers

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained or 2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
1 cloves garlic, mashed
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
spray cooking oil

Method

1. In a large bowl mash chickpeas with a fork until the mashed beans hold together but are still a bit chunky.
2. Microwave diced onion on high 1 minute (or cook in a covered pan with a tablespoon or two of water).  Watch it carefully to ensure onions stay moist while they soften.  Add onion and parsley to chickpeas.
3. Using the side of a chef’s knife, smash garlic clove and remove outer skin.  Sprinkle peeled clove with a bit of salt to provide friction and chop to a fine consistency.  Use the side of the knife to smooth garlic and salt into a paste.  Add to bean mixture.
4. Next add cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and olive oil.  Taste mixture and adjust according to your tastes for more cayenne, lemon or spices. 

The falafel mixture can be eaten at this point, scooped into pita pockets with salad and tahini sauce or the yogurt-cucumber sauce below or served as a chunky dip.  To turn the dip into burgers, continue with recipe.

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly spray with cooking oil.
2. Stir in egg and baking powder.  Using a 1/3 cup scoop or measuring cup, place a scoop of falafel onto a shallow dish covered with a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Flatten into a patty using the back of a fork or the measuring cup.  Sprinkle top of patty with more bread crumbs.  Use a spatula to carefully lift falafel patty to baking sheet.  Patties are quite delicate at this stage.  Use a fork to make any needed repairs from the dish to thje baking sheet.  
3. When all patties are formed, spray the tops with a little more cooking oil and bake for 15 minutes, turning once.  

Falafel burgers can be served at once over a salad dressed with yogurt-cucumber sauce (below) or tucked into a pita pocket with lettuce, cucumbers, radishes and tahini sauce (see note).  Your favorite hot sauce finishes these burgers for those who like even more spice. 

Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce
Makes about 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients
8 oz plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
several fresh mint leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, mint, salt and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Note: Tahni is sesame seed paste.   Thin a few tablespoons with water and lemon juice to make tahini sauce.  Natural peanut butter can be substituted.  If you find you love these burgers, buy some real tahini which comes in resealable cans and can be found in most international sections of your grocery.


When in New York City-- Falafel can be found served from carts on just about every corner but when I am in NYC and want some great falafel I head to Taim, a little shop in the west village where they serve falafel flavored three different ways.  Try a combo to learn what great falafel should taste like. (222 Waverly Place, west of 7th-- closest subway stations: Christopher St (#1) or 14th Street (#1,2,3).

Shepard's Pie

Holidays often mean great leftovers.  After the Easter lamb, try the original Shepard's Pie using leftover, finely sliced lamb instead of cooked ground meat.

Shepard’s Pie is a leftover dish with lots of room for variation.  A layer of gravy'd meat followed by a layer of cooked vegetables is topped with potatoes and baked for a little over half an hour at 350˚F.  Dinner is ready when the center is hot and the potatoes are lightly browned.

You can plan for leftovers by baking a few extra potatoes and making extra vegetables to ensure you'll have enough for the dish or cook additional vegetables to fill in when you are ready to make the pie. This recipe calls for carrots and peas but asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli or green beans make a nice middle layer too.

The topping here uses both sweet and regular baked potatoes for a twist on the traditional pie.  Mashed rutabaga or mashed potatoes mixed with pureed spinach, broccoli or sliced cooked cabbage also make lovely toppings dotted with butter or grated cheese.

Cooked ground meat or very thinly sliced roasts bathed in gravy are the base.  We never seem to have made enough gravy.  Here is how to make a quick beef gravy with a can of beef broth if you have also run out.  If you have pan juices, add these to your gravy for extra flavor.

Need More Gravy
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup low-sodium beef broth (or homemade)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
optional: 2 tablespoon dry sherry or milk-- added to beef broth before mixing into flour

In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add flour and stir to combine.  Keep stirring while flour cooks (about 2 minutes).  Next whisk in warm or room temperature beef broth and stir vigorously until all ingredients are incorporated and sauce is smooth.  Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste.  Lower heat and continue to stir until gravy has thickened.

Shepard’s Pie
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Lightly spray a casserole or deep pie dish with cooking oil and start layering:

Layer 1
2 cups leftover meat—lamb or beef
3/4 cup gravy

Layer 2
2 cups cooked vegetables-- carrots and peas

Layer 3
2 each baked sweet and Idaho potatoes peeled and mashed with
1 tablesspoon butter
2 ounces milk or sour cream

Optional Layer 4
1/4 cup grated cheese

Bake pie at 350˚F for 35-45 minutes.  Pie is ready when internal temperature reaches 165˚F and the top is lightly browned. 

Shepard's Pie freezes well for up to six weeks.  Leave off the cheese and cool completely, wrap well, label and freeze.  To cook, bake from frozen covered at 325 for 1 hour.  Remove cover and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Cook another 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165˚F and the top is lightly browned.