Food Fright (and a Fall Cookie Recipe)

Are you modeling fear of food behavior?  Scary.

 You know, that’s when someone is eating something unusual like raw oysters or roasted cactus and another diner comments, “Oooooh, gross!” Right while it’s in their mouths.  Children are picking up your signals.

If your eating habits and food outlook is limiting, your offspring can hardly be blamed for struggling too.

Your adventurousness and world knowledge is also being noted. Like when a food from a different culture is shown on TV, haggis for example, and someone squeals, “eeeew.” In many parts of the world people are not so removed from the source of their nutrition and have created dishes that extend a limited food supply.  Some of these become national dishes that use innards or blood to provide needed nutrients like the famous Spanish dish rinones al jerez (kidneys in sherry) or blood sausage (also know as black sausage.) Sometimes more of an animal is used than we are accustomed to and we find ourselves on the verge of saying something rude.  That’s bad manners in any culture. 

How about at a restaurant when an order includes, as loudly as possible, “NO ANCHOVIES!” No issues with asking for what you want or don’t want, but make sure you are not sending a message to the rest of the table about how you feel about people who don’t eat the same way as you.

Before you know it, you have both signaled and given permission to your children to say no to something new.  Now where’s the fun in that?

While researching this piece I came across lists of foods people posted online that was gross (to them).   Notice that many are distinct in texture, often the feature people find off-putting.  Also seafood and certain vegetables give some people pause.  Here were some surprising and not so surprising ones:

Carrots  (now that one surprised me)
Eggs
Asparagus
Avocado
Mayonnaise
Oysters
Sea urchin
Rare beef
Garlic cloves
Anchovies
Sardines
Hot dogs
Beets
Russian dressing
Sweet pickles
Green beans
Blue cheese
Cottage cheese
Buttermilk
Okra

Need I go on?  What some of us find repulsive the rest of us enjoy.  As an adult you don’t have to eat everything, but show good manners and let others enjoy.  And if there are children at the table, be mindful of the thoughts that might be creeping into their heads!

Skeletons in Your Closet? 
Many moms have shared this little secret with me: they keep cookies and salty snacks on hand because of the kids but they end up eating the stuff instead. So who's really asking for the junk food?  It’s the brave parent who isn’t spooked at clearing out the pantry.  If you want cookies, make some real ones. Show your children you don’t fear food because you are the one in control.   Here’s a recipe for a small batch that can be ready to eat in 1/2 hour:

Emergency Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen

These have no butter so they are lower in fat.  Aside from one egg, everything can be stored in the pantry (including individual 1/2 cup portions of applesauce) so you can make these at a moment's notice.  We like the peanut butter variation that adds back in a bit of fat via crunchy, all natural peanut butter.  These cookies have a granola bar feel.   They are excellent with a glass of cold milk or a crunchy apple.  

Ingredients
1 c. flour
1 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
Optional: 1/2 c. raisins, chopped nuts
Peanut Butter Variation: mix in 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter with other mix-ins. 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet or line with silicone pad. 
2. Combine all dry ingredients. 
3. Combine egg, vanilla and applesauce and stir into dry ingredients. Add mix-ins at this stage.  
4. Drop by teaspoon (or use a mini-cookie scoop) onto cookie sheet.  The cookies bake up in the shape you drop them so leave rounded or flatten with a fork moistened with water if you want a flatter cookie.  
5. Bake 10-12 minutes until bottoms are slightly browned.  Cool briefly before eating.  
6. Good warm or room temperature.  Store in an airtight container; eat within 2 days.

Happy Halloween!

Pure Foods Top 10

Its fun to look at the first year's history and discover patterns, uncover readers’ interests and wonder about how people become aware of a topic.  I was delighted with the range of blog topics that were popular in year one.  Here are the Top 10 (according to Google Stats):

Brownie Baked Alaska, 7/28/10
Summer Corn Salad, 7/21/10
All-American (Dinner menus from across the US), 8/22/10
Beyond Potato Salad, 9/01/10
A Less Scary Halloween, 10/26/09
No Apologies Chocolate Mousse, 9/17/10
Heat Wave Foods, 7/25/10
Foraging for Blueberries, 8/29/10
Pure Drinks Party, Pt 2 (Beers), 12/31/09
The Whole Enchilada, 10/12/10

That’s four under dessert/fruits, three in side dishes, two in the main dish category and one in beverages. 

Desserts and fruits on top might concern some but I believe that a healthy relationship with this category marks the pure eater.  Knowing how to navigate our land of sweets is crucial and seeing desserts and snacks as an opportunity to add pure, good foods like dairy, fruit and nuts to a daily diet is a good step away from apologetic eating.  It was fun to see the Halloween entry so well read.  (Yes, there are plans for another terrifying Halloween-related entry coming up.)

At number two, side dishes are one of the great adventure spots on a plate and provide a gateway to sample new and pure foods and flavors and make slow but steady changes to our meals.

The main dish of the year was the recent Whole Enchilada. In fact recent posts have been beating out older ones at a rate that hints at readership growth.  That’s good news to this author.

I wasn’t sure beverages had a place in this blog.  I drink water on most days but even I referred back to the beer entry a few times over the past year when I wanted to sample something new.  Recently we’ve been sampling the growing selection of non-alcoholic beers, a very nice (and not sweet) alternative to a soft drink that also goes well with many dinner choices.

Thank you for being a part of the first year.  Your feedback has made it meaningful.

Nuts, to You

Nuts and seeds are finding there way into more of our meals.  Peanut or almond butter on a whole wheat waffle or oat pancake with banana slices is a favorite breakfast (especially on mornings when there are extra homemade pancakes or waffles in the freezer).  A 1/2 ounce of whole almonds (10-11) has fueled me between meetings for years, especially when I was on the road and a healthy meal might be more than a few miles ahead.

More recently, toasted nuts and seeds have been finding a place in our dinner salads.  They add the crunch of croutons but with extra nutrients. 

We eat salad most nights.  Keeping salad really simple is what makes it easy to serve consistently.  Torn lettuce plus 1-2 other items topped with nuts or seeds takes less than 5 minutes to put together.  It has been years since we had bottled salad dressing in the house because we keep that simple too—balsamic vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper.  Small jar, replenish weekly.

We mix and match but get started with these combinations:

• Sliced almonds- nice in roasted beet and goat cheese salads or with orange slices over greens
• Walnuts or Pecans, chopped or whole- compliment salads with apples, pears or blue cheese
• Pistachios- taste great in salads with dried fruits like figs, cherries or cranberries
• Pumpkin seeds, hulled- happy in most salads and a fun addition to fall salads
• Sunflower seeds, plain or roasted- try them in a salad with avocados
• Pine nuts- sprinkle them onto a simple green salad with a basil infused oil or fresh basil leaves and shards of Parmesan cheese

One tablespoon of nuts per serving is quite generous in most salads.  Raw nuts are fine but if you have an extra 2 minutes, try toasting them to boost the flavor by warming their oils.  (I don’t toast pine nuts as they are very delicate and burn easily.)

Here are two methods. A batch can be made ahead:

Oven Roast Method
In a small roasting pan, use 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil for every 1/4 cup nuts.  Toss nuts with oil.  Leave plain or sprinkle on a favorite spice or a touch of salt.  Place in a 400˚ F oven and don’t walk away.  Nuts can burn quickly depending on their fat content so use a timer and stay close.  You’ll have warm toasty nuts in about 2 minutes.  If they need more time, add it in 15-30 second increments.
(Pumpkin time note: If you’d like to toast pumpkin seeds from a carved jack o’lantern, rinse them well in a strainer getting as much of the pulp off as possible.  Pat them dry with a dishtowel then proceed as above. Fresh pumpkin seeds will take longer then hulled ones. Count on 10-15 minutes and turning them a few times.  Don’t stray too far while they are roasting.)

Stove Top Method
This works best in an dry, iron skillet over medium-high heat.  A “dry” skillet has nothing added—e.g. no additional oil for this method.  Heat the skillet and add nuts (1 cup maximum at a time).  Stir gently and occasionally until nuts brown lightly and begin to release their volatile oils. Done.

We have family members with peanut and tree nut allergies so we limit out enjoyment to occasions when the coast is clear.  If you have a nut allergy, can you eat seeds? Some experts say yes, but beware of seeds that are processed where nuts may also be processed and there is a likelihood of cross-contamination.  Here’s more information: http://foodallergies.about.com/od/nutallergies/f/treenutsseeds.htm

You may want to try roasted chick peas in salads as a nut substitute if you are not allergic to legumes other than peanuts.  Drain and rinse a can of chick peas.  Pour onto a dishtowel to dry off beans a bit.  Pour beans onto a rimmed cookie sheet and toss with a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil, some salt, paprika and/or cumin.  Roast at 400˚F for 15-20 minutes.  Check and stir a few times to prevent sticking.  Cool and keep in a airtight container: use within 3 days.

The Whole Enchilada

If you love enchiladas but not the fuss of rolling tortillas into neat rows, try this stacked version that always comes out looking great.  Extra filling ideas allow this dish to go vegetarian.  Use a one-quart souffle dish or any dish with high sides that fits the diameter of your corn tortillas. Like many casseroles, you can assemble it earlier in the day or cook it right away and freeze it for a later meal. 

Enchilada Casserole
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 15-oz can low sodium black beans, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
2 T freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 lime
1 cooked whole chicken breast, shredded  (1 to 1+1/2 cups)
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1 10-oz can plain tomato sauce, low sodium
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
optional: 1 peeled, chopped tomatillo, 1/2 small can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 corn tortillas
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.  Lightly oil the casserole dish to prevent sticking.  
2. In a medium bowl combine corn, black beans, jalapeno pepper, tomato and cilantro.  Add a squeeze of lime and mix well.  Set aside.  
3. In a second bowl, combine shredded chicken with olives.  (Set aside about 5 olive slices for garnish.) 
4. In a shallow dish or pie plate wide enough to fit tortillas, mix together tomato sauce and chipotle powder.  If using tomatillos or a canned chipotles, combine the sauce in a blender and pour into shallow plate.  
5. Dip a tortilla in sauce so it completely covers and slightly softens the tortilla.  Spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom of the casserole and top with softened tortilla.  
6. Add half of the corn-bean mixture, 1/4 cup cheese and a second tortilla softened in sauce.  Add another spoonful or two of sauce then add entire chicken mixture to form next layer.  Sprinkle on another 1/4 cup cheese.  Add a bit of sauce if chicken looks dry.  
7. Create the next layer with a softened tortilla, the remaining corn-bean mixture and 1/4 cup cheese.  
8. Top with the last tortilla, softened in remaining sauce, the rest of the cheese and the reserved olive slices.  Pour remaining sauce over top. 
9. Cover casserole loosely with foil and bake at 375˚F for 25-30 minutes until center is hot, at least 150˚F.  
10. Remove foil and continue to bake, about 10-15 minutes longer until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbling. (Center of casserole should read 165˚F.)  Remove casserole from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.   
11. Serve alongside a bed of lettuce with a wedge of avocado and lime.  Garnish with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.  

Vegetarian version:
As a vegetarian casserole, this dish can be used as a main or side dish at a dinner with all types of eaters.  To create a vegetarian enchilada casserole, double the bean mixture and eliminate the chicken layer or replace the chicken layer with a mixture of thickly sliced and sauteed mushrooms, zucchini and peppers (hot or sweet, your choice) mixed with sliced olives and spiced with cilantro, oregano and a bit of cumin. 

Happy Anniversary!  Pure Foods Project blog celebrates its first anniversary today.