Slow and Low...

Earlier this Fall, I taught a series of cooking classes this fall with two other awesome ladies in my community and will be continuing them again in the Spring. This definitely falls under the classification of just another Hayward adventure for me! I had an absolute blast doing it, but it definitely made me devote some serious time to recipe planning! One of the classes we taught this fall was a slow cooking class. Most people assumed we would be teaching people how to make recipes using their crock pot, and we did make sure to add that to our instruction, but what we wanted to share with everyone in this class, was really the beauty of braising. 

If braising is not part of your current line up in the kitchen, you seriously need to consider adding it. Braising takes the tougher cuts of meat and makes them tender and succulent. Think about that melt in your mouth, fall off the bone, tender and delicious piece of meat just waiting for you to devour it! Braising is really rather simple and while it can sometimes be time consuming, this is why people like the crock pot, because there is little fear of this unsupervised cooking process, there are some braising dishes that really don't take that long outside of the crock pot. I follow these steps that I learned from Mastering the Braise, by Molly Stevens. Whether using your crock pot or your dutch oven, remember these simple steps and you will always have an outstanding result.  

All braising involves some basic steps. The steps include picking the right ingredients, searing, aromatics, liquids, braising and finishing. You will find that each step is designed to add layers of flavor to the finished product. Braising is gently cooking over a low heat, under cover, with a little bit of liquid. Because of this cooking process, choose some of the tougher meats to roast. Cuts of meat closer to the hoof and horn are tougher and include lots of connective tissue, that when cooked slowly over a low heat will result in a very tender, flavorful finished product.

Whether or not you are using your crock pot, or braising in a dutch oven, there is some initial work that will be done on the stove top. The benefit of braising in the dutch oven is the searing and braising all happen in the same pot and goes straight from cook top to oven. If using a crock pot, get a good quality, heavy bottom, stainless steel pan or cast iron griddle to use to prepare your dish prior to putting it in the crock pot. These types of pans, like the dutch oven take a little time to heat up, but once they do, create a very even cooking temperature and surface. I use my cast iron skillet if I am prepping for the crock pot, but my favorite thing to use is my Denby dutch oven. It is large, cast iron, pot with a lid, coated red on the outside with a white enamel coating on the inside. Again, the cast iron does a great job with even temperature, the lid is provides a perfect seal when needed and the coated enamel interior means I don't have to season it to make it nonstick like you do with regular cast iron.  Although, that really isn't that hard either. Here is a picture of my beauty. Can you tell how much I love it? 

Now that we have the equipment, lets get on with the show! Once you have chosen your roast, you will need to sear it. This is your first layer of flavor. Pat dry and season your cut of meat. When searing, make sure the pan is hot. If you don't hear a sizzle when the meat touches the pan, the pan needs further heating. This will help to prevent the meat from sticking. Conversely, if you add the meat to the pan and the oil is popping and smoking, you have the heat too high. Make sure the pot you are using is large enough to accommodate the size of your roast.  There should be space on the sides for heat to escape.  If you are braising smaller cuts of meat, like short ribs, beef stew, or chicken thighs, like the recipe below, the same rule applies.  Do not over crowd the pot at this stage.  If you do, you have bypassed searing and gone straight to cooking the meat over high heat which will result in a tougher finished product. Once you put the roast in to sear, leave it alone. Allow the roast to sear for several minutes to form a nice crust. Watch the heat, you want it hot enough to sear, but not burn or scorch. When a nice crust has formed, turn and sear the other sides. Remove from pot to a rimmed pan to catch any juices that may collect while the meat is resting. When you remove the roast from the pan you will be left with some little bits of meat and seasoning in the pan, keep that in the pan, that is cooking gold. If there is an excessive amount of fat from the meat, pour off all but about 1-2 tablespoons for the next step.

And that next step is aromatics. Aromatics add flavor and character to the dish.  This is usually done in two layers; the first layer or the base layer includes vegetables like onions, celery, and carrots. The second layer of flavor includes spices, herbs and garlic. When adding vegetables, keep in mind, the finer the cut the more they will dissolve into the sauce because of the length of cooking time. This is especially important when cooking whole roasts. Smaller cuts of meat will usually take less cooking time and the vegetables will hold a little better. But a good rule of thumb is if you want the vegetables to hold their shape, keep the cuts large and add 1/2 way through the cooking process. One other note, if you add aromatics by using a sachet, rather than directly to the pot, do not tie to handle on the side or you will not get a good seal on the pot.

As with aromatics, the braising liquids add additional flavor and character to the dish and are generally in two layers. The first layer is a small amount of very flavorful liquid that is used to deglaze the pan to incorporate all the lovely bits left in the pan from searing. Remember that cooking gold? Now is when it will add additional flavor to your dish. Alcohol and vinegar are two commonly used liquids when deglazing. Alcohol adds another depth of flavor and most of it will burn off in the cooking process, just leaving the flavor. Vinegar can be used in place of alcohol and still has a nice sharp acidity.  The second layer of liquid is usually a larger quantity and is the main cooking liquid. This is usually stock or water, but can also include things such as fruit juice or cider. When adding fruit juice, be careful not to use too much or it may make the final dish too sweet. Another good liquid for braising is tomatoes in their own juice. When adding liquids to your dutch over or crock pot, the liquid should go no more than 1/3 of the way up the pan. 

It is in this stage, actually, right in the middle of this stage that you will transfer from the pan to the crock pot if that is what you are using.  Once the pan has been glazed, you would transfer the aromatics and the first stage of liquid from deglazing into the crock pot. Transfer the meat that has been resting and add the cooking liquid.  If braising in the dutch oven, keep on working in the same pot.  We are now moving on to the actual braise.

Remember that slow cooking at a low heat will yield a tender finished product. Oven temperature for braising usually ranges between 225 and 325 F. Make sure that you have a good seal on your pot. If there is no lid, just use foil to create a tight seal around the cooking vessel. Your dish is ready when it is fork tender, this means a fork inserted pulls out and meat pulls apart easily. This can take anywhere from 1-5 hours depending on the type, cut and size of your meat.

Once the meat is fully cooked, there is one last step before we can sit down and eat our lovely dish. That last step, is appropriately named, finishing.  Once the braise is complete, remove the meat with tongs and the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Degrease the broth. If you braise a day ahead, when you remove the roast, allow it to cool slightly, wrap in foil and refrigerate. Store the aromatics and cooking fluid in a glass container and refrigerate. The next day, the fat will have solidified on the top and will easily lift off. This entire process may not be necessary, as in the case with the attached recipe. Chicken thighs, while fattier than the breast, will probably not create enough fat to warrant this process. Sauce can be served as is, or you can bring it to a boil and reduce it over heat to intensify the flavors. Always give a final taste to check seasoning levels. A handful of chopped fresh herbs can add color and freshness. Grated citrus zest and a squeeze of juice injects a bright note. A splash of vinegar balances richness. A dollop of creme fraiche or heavy cream will mellow. 

Now, this is certainly not the end all be all to braising, the most important thing to remember is slow cooking time, low cooking temperature, tightly covered cooking vessel, and a little cooking fluid.  That being said, I have used this technique and come up with all sorts of my own recipes that have all turned out delicious.  So, if you like to experiment with ingredients like I do, these steps will give you a tried and true method and let you experiment at the same time.  

One such experimentation from this evening that turned out really well is Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Chestnuts in a Mustard Sauce.  I came up with the idea for chestnuts from another chicken dish that I saw on Pinterest, but didn't want to use the exact recipe. They add a meatiness to the dish similar to the mushrooms and are just slightly sweet. I was looking to create something with a grainy mustard that I had on hand, and this is the result.  I loved it, the kids loved the chicken and the sauce, but I couldn't get them to try the chestnuts and mushrooms, but that's okay, it left more for me! The hubs did not get to try it as he was at a meeting.  Poor him! I served it with oven roasted green beans. I also made a side of noodles for the kids, but think this would be awesome with some wild rice and will try that next time!  Unfortunately, I was so excited to eat it, that I forgot to take a picture of it before hand! Will try to get a picture tomorrow with the leftover chicken thigh and post it here at that time. 

Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Chestnuts in a Mustard Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken thighs (skin removed, bone in)
sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
½ large onion, sliced (~1 cup)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup cooked chestnuts, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence 
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1-2 cups homemade chicken stock
2 Tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
fresh lemon juice (to garnish)
red pepper flakes

Following the steps for braising, heat oil in dutch oven over high heat. Pat dry chicken thighs, and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat down to medium high and working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, sear the chicken thighs, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Remove to another plate to rest.  If necessary, drain excess grease from the pan, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons. 

Add onions to the pan, saute for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add the chestnuts and saute for another minute or two.  Add the garlic, lemon zest, Herbes de Provence, and bay leaf. Saute for another minute.  Add white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Whisk a little of the stock into the mustard, just enough to make it runny and pour thinned mustard into the pan and stir. Place the chicken thighs on top of the mixture and pour chicken stock into the pan until it reaches about 1/3 of the way up the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through.  I think this took an additional 15 minutes or so. Check at 15 minutes and go from there, using the fork tender test. This dish did not require degreasing, and was finished with just a squeeze from half a lemon, but did not use all of the juice from the lemon half, a sprinkling of parsley and just a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve with wild rice and roasted green beans. Delicious!! 


 
 

Announcement! Now offering private cooking classes!

I have been very busy since my last blog post! I completed my Holistic Health Coach Certification at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, started a website and a Facebook page for Another Health Adventure and began teaching cooking classes at the Sheppard Mansion Kitchen in partnership with the Carriage House Market.  I will admit, I have a lot of work to do on my website.  The basics are there, but I need to take some time now and add everything I have been doing with the cooking classes.  Those classes kept me very busy this Fall.  If you missed them, we tailored the classes around local, seasonal food and made some really great stuff! Jacquelyn, from Jacquelyn's Bakeshop taught a breads class, a pumpkin scone class and a holiday cookie baking class.  I taught a class on turkey and prepared a great tasting kale and quinoa salad to go with it.  We also provided a class on slow cooking and braising.  Let me tell you, braising is a great way to create some absolutely fabulous dishes with very little hands on time.  This can be done in a crock pot, but I do most of my braising and slow cooking in the oven with a big cast iron casserole pot.  We made a Braised Cuban Pork with Red Peppers and Onions that was absolutely delicious!! In addition we offered a class on the savory side of winter squash and pumpkin.  In that class we made Sherried Butternut Squash Soup, Wild Rice Stuffed Pumpkin, and Oven Roasted Butternut Squash flavored with Blood Orange Olive Oil and finished with Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar and Ancho Chili Salt from Abithat's, a local artisan oil and vinegar shop in downtown Hanover.  It was so good! I finished off the Fall Cooking Class Series with a Holiday Sides Class.  We made Sweet and Creamy Carrot Soup, Autumn Harvest Brussels Sprouts and Prosciutto Wrapped Butternut Squash as an appetizer.  I am working on getting these recipes on my website, so stay tuned!

This Spring we will be offering our Spring Cooking Series at the Mansion.  We are in the process of developing the classes right now.  We decided to stay away from group classes in the Winter because the weather can be so unpredictable.  In the meantime, I have had a very exciting development and that is private cooking classes!  I am very excited because this is something I have envisioned since the first time I came up with the idea of offering cooking classes!

So, my plan is this; I will be offering private classes at the Sheppard Mansion kitchen or your home kitchen at a mutually agreed upon date and time.  I am developing menus and price lists and will have them available on my website soon.  You can pick one of the menu packages at the fixed price, or we can develop a menu to meet your individual needs for an additional cost.  Please keep in mind that I am NOT a registered dietitian.  While I will be happy to work with you on any individual needs you may have, I am not licensed to develop meal plans based on medical needs.  That being said, my focus is creating great tasting food that is good for you, so let's get cooking!

If you are interested in private classes, please email me at Krista@AnotherHealthAdventure.com

Sometimes I can get a little long winded, this would be one of those times... But it includes a great recipe for Black Rice and Sweet Potato Salad with Pickled Red Onions, Caramelized Pecans and Dried Cranberries in a Red Wine and Blood Orange Vinaigrette. See, I told you I can get long winded!

I love words.  I love to read them, I love to speak them, I love to hear them.  Although, I am better at speaking them, than hearing them, and there are times when I just want quiet; but I collect words the way some people collect shoes.  I have shelves filled with books. The camera roll on my iPhone is filled with saved quotes.  I have collections of quotes on my Pinterest account too.  And it's really no different than when I was younger.  My locker in high school was filled with quotes I loved.  They followed me to college and took their place on my bulletin board in my dorm and then my apartment.  My collection grew and continued to follow me to every job.  I posted them on my bulletin board for anyone to read that came to visit me and even in my desk drawers as little words of encouragement meant just for me.  I currently don't have an official office set up for myself, but all of those quotes are tucked safely in a file folder waiting to resurface.

I think words have the ability to make us or break us.  You know the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me"? I don't think that's entirely true.  Yes, I think we need to teach our children and ourselves to let things roll off our backs and realize that what other people say about you or how they treat you is a reflection of what is happening in their life, not yours; but it's what we believe in the words that we hear that have the power to hurt and tear us down or build us up.

Mother's Day was a few weeks ago.  The week leading up to that was pretty crazy, the house a disaster, the laundry wasn't done, I wasn't getting as much accomplished as I wanted.  I had been spending a lot of time at the boys' schools doing end of the year things and was feeling pretty frazzled and not very productive and was eating pretty crappy.  The self talk was getting pretty negative.  It was making me frustrated and snappy.  Then on Mother's Day I received two homemade cards from my boys.  Thing One wrote a beautiful letter that made me cry, but it was written in true Hayward fashion with loving sentiment, sarcasm and humor.  Thing Two made a craft with a sweet poem that said each flower would have something on it that he would do for me.  The flowers were blank except for one that said "I will love you".  It too made me cry.  He then said that the others were blank because he's not much into chores.  I couldn't help but laugh at his humor.  Both of them have the ability to use their words to make me laugh and to feel loved, they are just like their dad.  I am a very lucky person in that regard.

It was a nice affirmation that words are some of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal.  And sometimes we need others to remind us what we should already know.  While hearing positive words from others is important, I challenge you to use the words that you say to yourself as a way to build yourself up, not tear yourself down.  Just the other day I received a compliment about the work I have done creating my blog and my Facebook page and rather than take the compliment and talk positively about myself and the things that I am working on, I allowed doubt and negative self talk to find its way into my head and right out my mouth.

I saw this quote the other day,

I couldn't agree more.  It's kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy.  You are what you say you are, you will do what you say you will do.

Here's another good one.

I say this and am writing this to challenge and inspire you to be more positive about yourself; but I also and probably more so, write this as a reminder to myself.  There are so many other quotes I could add to this blog post, but I will save them for another day.  Make the effort to use these words to start being more positive about your skills and abilities, in whatever you do, but also in maybe something new that you've been holding yourself back from starting. Take that leap and try it.

Many of you tell me what an amazing cook I am and that you don't know how I do it.  Well first, thank you to all of you that have tried my cooking and enjoy it.  There is nothing more satisfying to me, as a cook, than to know my food and time are appreciated.  But here's the thing, when I first started cooking, I was awful.  I burnt grilled cheese sandwiches, made fried eggs with over cooked edges and runny whites in the middle, the list goes on.  But I kept trying and believed that I could do this.  And that is my secret, I kept trying.  And that's not to say I haven't had some miss fires over the years.  Just last year, I tried a new cake recipe for Thing Two's birthday and let me tell you, it was awful.  "Kids ate the frosting off the top and trashed the cake" type of awful.  A few months ago I had a dinner party and tried a new recipe for the chicken tenders I made for the kids.  It used a sweet potato puree as the "wet" for the bread crumbs to stick to on the chicken.  They were gross. And to top it off, I forgot to put the timer on and over-cooked them. I don't say that to get sympathy, or to fish for compliments and be given reassurance about my abilities.  I say it to be candid about my skill.  Yes, I am a good cook.  When I am on my game I can create a Cuban-themed dinner for 40+ people complete with homemade Cuban bread, three entrees, sides, soup and dessert and it was fabulous if I do say so myself.  But we all have times where we try things and fail.  The point is, I think I am a good cook, and I like to challenge myself to get creative and not always follow a recipe to the letter, and I would encourage those of you out there that wish you were a better cook, start believing in yourself.  "Fake it 'til you make it" as they say!

I think my style of cooking, like that of probably a lot of home cooks that create rather than follow a recipe, makes it difficult to share recipes because I do a lot of tasting and smelling to make combinations that I think would taste good, then when it's finished, I realize I didn't measure any ingredients and will probably never be able to duplicate what I just made!  I am trying do a better job documenting my ingredients as I go so that I can share recipes with you, but understand that it's about your personal taste as well.  The recipe that I am sharing I made earlier this month at the Teacher Appreciation Lunch at Thing Two's school.  It was inspired by a recipe from a friend of a friend, who is a phenomenal cook that I had the pleasure to share a kitchen with last October.  She made this outstanding Black Rice and Sweet Potato Salad and I couldn't remember the exact recipe, so here is my take on it.  I used the basic ingredients of black rice, sweet potatoes, pecans, onions and dried cranberries, but then I "Krista-ized" it.  I love experimenting in the kitchen, and the more you cook, the more you can pull one technique from one recipe and use it in a new recipe.  Which is exactly what I did in this one.

I know for some it can be tough, because you are thinking, "Yeah, but what happens when I experiment and fail and then have nothing to serve?"  Start small with your experiments.  Find recipes that you like and think how you can expand it.  When I was first learning to cook, I loved stir fried dishes.  So I found a recipe for a sauce that I liked and then experimented with what I stir fried.  Most of the times it was chicken, but sometimes I used shrimp, scallops, beef or pork. Then I played around with the vegetables; onions, peppers, broccoli, celery.  Then I experimented with adding cabbage, mushrooms, snap peas, bamboo shoots.  Very simple experimentation.  Then I decided to stir fry southwest style and changed the seasonings.  I read a lot of seasoning jars to learn what the recommended pairings were, and then I would sniff.  I opened different seasonings and sniffed one and then another, did I like the pairing? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.  You begin to identify that some are earthy, some are floral, some smell fresher and lighter.  Its actually a really great was to get to know your seasonings.  I later moved from dried seasonings to fresh, but dried was a great way to start.  From there I would think about the taste I was trying to create.  Fresh and light? Earthy and comforting? Spicy and flavorful? You get the idea.  Most of the time I think that seafood wants a light, fresh seasoning; think dill, mint, parsley.  Pork, usually an earthier taste; think cumin, oregano, chili powder like in Pork Posole.  But then you can also think about the ethnic flavor you are trying to create.  Beef is certainly a heavier, earthier meat, but you can make it lighter and fresher with a Vietnamese marinade with cilantro and mint.  Just don't be afraid to experiment!  Experimentation is half the fun of cooking! The other half of the fun would be eating it, just in case you were wondering.

So, I think I've gone on long enough.  Here is my recipe for Black Rice and Sweet Potato Salad with Pickled Red Onions, Caramelized Pecans and Dried Cranberries in a Red Wine and Blood Orange Vinaigrette.  I really need to come up with a shorter name for it! Enjoy it as is, but I encourage you to play around with it.  First note, pickling the onions takes a little time.  The longer the better.  Combine the sliced onions and red wine vinegar and let them soak for a few hours.  Save the red wine vinegar for the vinaigrette.  If you do not have access to Blood Orange Olive Oil, you can order it through Fiore Artisan Olive Oils.  There are probably other stores out there, this is just one that I visited in Bar Harbor, Maine and have had great experience with their oils and vinegars.  If you are into essential oils, you could use regular olive oil with probably a drop of Wild Orange essential oil, I will try that next time.  If you are using essential oils for consumption, I recommend making sure its an oils that states it can be consumed.  I use DoTerra oils and you can buy that through me if you are interested.  Click the here for my website for that.  Another idea would be to zest an orange.  Lastly, and probably the easiest way to get the orange flavor would be to use a little orange juice.  I would say maybe a tablespoon.  But, as I said before, smelling and tasting are the key to great experimentation.  (I'm referring to food here people!)  Take a little taste once you've made it.  This isn't supposed to be an overwhelming orange flavor.  Just enough that when you eat the salad, you have an essence of orange.  Think of when you eat something and think, "Hmm, what is that I'm tasting?" Not too overpowering.  If you are watching your sugar, just add the pecans as is, without caramelizing them. The sweet of the brown sugar on the pecans adds another dimension of flavor, but could be omitted.  One other note.  When I added the cranberries and the pecans, I did it by handfuls.  I have gone back and measured what is left in the container and tried to determine how much was used.  If you add this and think you need a little more, go for it.  If as you are adding you think it's too much, don't add as much.  That's the great thing about making the recipe yours!  Anyway, enjoy!

Black Rice and Sweet Potato Salad with Pickled Red Onions, Caramelized Pecans and Dried Cranberries in a Red Wine and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

1 cup black rice
2 cups water
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized pieces
olive oil (for cooking)
1/2 red onion sliced in strips
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons finely chopped, fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley

Slice red onion in strips, place in red wine vinegar and refrigerate for two - three hours. Remove from vinegar, saving vinegar for vinaigrette.  Cook black rice in water to package directions.  Meanwhile, coat diced sweet potatoes and a large frying pan with olive oil.  Saute sweet potatoes until done.

In a small saute pan, over medium low heat, add brown sugar, as it starts to melt, add the pecans and stir continuously to coat.  Remove from heat and cool pecans on parchment paper.  As pecans cool and are able to be handled, separate any nuts that clumped together in the sugar.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, sweet potatoes, onions, pecans, dried cranberries, chives and parsley.  Drizzle with vinaigrette to desired taste.

Vinaigrette
1/2 reserved red wine vinegar from pickled onions
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup blood orange olive oil (or see notes in above text)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine vinegar and honey.  Slowly add olive oil, whisking to emulsify.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Will yield more than needed for salad, but makes an excellent vinaigrette for other salads or as a marinade for chicken.

I am having a love affair with Iceberg Lettuce

Yes, I admit it.  I have found myself in a torrid love affair with that pale green lettuce leaf thought by many foodies as crunchy water that doesn't even deserve to grace a salad plate.  Ok, maybe torrid is a little dramatic, but I have to tell you, I was one of those iceberg snobs for a while, but no longer.  

I have always associated iceberg lettuce as a "starter" green.  It was the first lettuce I ate as a child.  First, on sandwiches and cheeseburgers, then I made the brave, bold move into the salad.  As a kid, salads were for grown ups.  So in middle and high school, when you had the option of the regular cafeteria food or the salad bar, I ate salad!  Iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, cucumbers and maybe some tomatoes, drowning in Thousand Island Dressing with croutons like little lifeboats floating in my salad.  I thought I was pretty big stuff.  

Then I was introduced to the Caesar Salad and Romaine lettuce.  This was another salad that I got to drown in a creamy dressing and cover in croutons, but Romaine, now that was fancier than Iceberg! Iceberg was for chumps!

On I went from Romaine to Spinach, Arugula, Mesclun, Dandelion Greens, the list goes on and on. Other than Romaine, these are the greens my husband likes to call, weeds from the backyard.  But I love them.  Some are spicy, or bitter, others are sweet or tangy.  As I began to experiment with these new greens, my dressings changed as well, from creamy and thick to light vinaigrettes.  And then I found out you could put fruit on a salad! And nuts! And all sorts of wonderful things! Never again would I eat that bastard child of the greens family, iceberg.  Not when there were all these other wonderful greens around! 

So a few weeks ago, I made Green Goddess Dip for the raw vege tray for a party I was having.  It has become my new favorite dip.  Then I bought a new cookbook, because next to my current torrid love affair with iceberg lettuce, I have an addiction problem in the form of collecting recipes.  Be it through Pinterest, cookbooks, or cooking magazines, I have hundreds of thousands of recipes.  If I stopped collecting recipes now and only made recipes from all the cookbooks and recipes I have pinned to Pinterest, I would not be able to make all of the recipes in my lifetime.  It's really rather ridiculous, but I digress.  This cookbook, Earth to Table, Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm, by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann, is wonderful.  I absolutely love the idea of seasonal, local cooking.  That's not to say that I don't make things out of season that aren't local, but I try.  One recipe that caught my eye immediately was Iceberg Wedge with Green Goddess Dressing.  Oooo! Green Goddess Dressing? Yes! Bacon? Yes! Cherry tomatoes? Yes! Blue Cheese? Yes! Pickled Onions? Yes! Iceberg lettuce? Really? 

I gave it some thought and decided, I would give it a whirl.  Maybe I could get the boys to eat it.  I mean, it is a "starter" green!  Well, my children refused to eat it.  It's a leaf, mom! But they did eat the tomatoes and the bacon, baby steps.  Right? But let me tell you, I LOOOOOOVED it.  Super crunchy and sweet.  I forgot how refreshing iceberg lettuce can be.  And let me tell you, this sturdy little head of pale green leaves has a longer shelf life than its dark green, delicate counter parts.  I can't tell you how many times I have purchased a bag of Mesclun (Spring Greens) and they have gone bad if not eaten that day! And that is particularly frustrating if you don't want to have to go to the grocery store several times a week! 

Since making this salad, I have made it and differing varieties of a wedge salad or ordered wedge salads when we go out to dinner at least 6 times in the past two weeks.  I can't get enough of it! Sometimes I use the Green Goddess Dressing, sometimes a Balsamic Vinaigrette, but always with a big ol' wedge of iceberg lettuce! That doesn't mean that I don't still love a spring green mix with grilled chicken breast and sliced strawberries with roasted pecans and red wine Vinaigrette dressing, but I will no longer turn up my nose to the humble iceberg.  

If it's been a while since you ate this lovely green, or if you are not a vegetable person, I encourage you to have your own adventure with Iceberg lettuce.  While I am not reprinting the original recipe from the cookbook that I spoke about earlier, I am posting my modified version of Green Goddess Dressing.  Most of these recipes are very similar, and mine is slightly different from the one on the book so I feel like I can call it mine.  I will also give you some ideas for really easy wedge salads with which you can experiment.  But, I also encourage you to check out this book.  If you live locally, I purchased it at the Carriage House Market in Hanover.  Speaking of local, seasonal food, this is a great place for just that thing!  If you aren't local, check out your local bookstore or follow the link that I provided above to Amazon.  

As I write this blog, it has dawned on me that I haven't taken any pictures of any of the wedge salads I have made over the past two weeks! (Slapping my forehead right now!) But I do have a pic of my lovely Green Goddess Dressing for you to see. 

Wedge Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette, serves 4 

1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

8 grape tomatoes, quartered

1 pack of bacon, cooked and drained and chopped (I use Applegate Natural Reduced Sodium Sunday Bacon.  It is gluten free, and has no added nitrites or chemical preservatives.)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Divide the wedges of lettuce among 4 plates, sprinkle with remaining ingredients and salad dressing.  Enjoy! 

Wedge Salad with Shrimp, Feta and Green Goddess Dressing, serves 4

1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 dozen shrimp, peeled and cooked (can be served warm or chilled)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Green Goddess Dressing (recipe below)

Divide the wedges of lettuce among 4 plates, sprinkle with remaining ingredients and salad dressing.  Enjoy! 

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, makes about 3/4 - 1 cup

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard (I use Organicville Brand, Organic Stone Ground Mustard, gluten free)

1 clove of garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

In a mini food processor, blend all ingredients until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Green Goddess Dressing, makes about 2 cups

1 cup Mayonnaise (click here for a simple recipe to make your own or use store bought.)

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (I am not a fan of anchovies, but I assure you, it really makes the recipe! I use Giovanni's Anchovy Paste.  If it is not available in your local grocery store, check out specialty food stores like Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table, or click the link to order through Amazon.)

1 scallion, chopped

1 garlic clove

3 tablespoons fresh, flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped 

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (most recipes call for tarragon infused vinegar, but I just use regular white wine vinegar)

In a mini food processor, blend all ingredients until emulsified, about 1 minute.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lessons Learned from the Cleanse...

I did not make it the entire 90 days on the Candida Cleanse.  As I anticipated in my February blog, the upcoming trips made it difficult to stick to the plan.  That being said, it would have been difficult, but not impossible.  Had I truly felt it imperative to stick to it, I know I could have.  But I managed to accomplish what I needed to.  I lost 15 pounds (and still going), I have a ton of energy, I am having less digestive issues than I did before, the cold sore outbreaks that I spoke of in my January blog are now virtually non-existent, and I even feel like my creative juices are flowing better than they have in a long time.  I am feeling very healthy and very happy.  

Additionally, I see what I am doing as a realistic way to eat.  This is big.  I don't feel like a failure for having not made it 90 days because the things I have begun to identify about my thoughts and feelings about myself has changed.  The biggest thing that I recognized is self sabotage.  When I normally diet and restrict certain things, the first thing I focus on and crave is that which I have restricted and labeled as bad.  Before, I would "cheat" and I thought of it as a cheat against the diet, not against me.  If you have never dieted, this may be hard to understand.  By changing my diet because of my immediate health concerns, it became more about me and not so much that one food is bad.  Just that my body's reaction to the food is not healthy.  I also stopped focusing on some arbitrary number on a scale.  I am happy for the weight loss, but the fact that if I eat that, I will physically feel bad has been the switch that I needed to flip to be successful.

I think this is a benefit of an elimination diet.  Knowing that I was only eliminating certain foods for a small period of time made it easier to stick to the plan.  And our bodies are amazing machines.  Without getting into all the science that I have read about elimination diets, the basic premise is that within three weeks, the body begins to heal when foods that you may be sensitive to are eliminated.  As soon as those things are reintroduced, your body lets you know right away whether or not it can handle it.  And that is just what I have found out.  If I eat gluten, my stomach hurts.  If I now have too much sugar, my stomach hurts and I get gassy.  These are immediate responses and help me to realize that it's not cheating on a diet, it's avoiding something that my body is sensitive to, similar to someone with a food allergy.  Luckily for me, it's not as serious as a full food allergy, but thinking of it this way helps.  

Secondly, the thought process, at least for me, about cheating on a diet is that I am getting away with something.  But guess what?  I'm not.  And I am only hurting myself by eating foods that are detrimental to me.  And guess what else? I am important enough to not do that to myself.  That is the other really important thing that I have learned by participating in this cleanse and from participating in this journey with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  I am important enough to make myself my first priority.  Again, for some of you this may be a no-brainer, but for others of you, you know exactly what I am talking about.  It's like when you are traveling on a plane and they go through the safety checklist prior to take off and they tell you that in the event of a loss of cabin pressure, masks will drop from the ceiling.  They ALWAYS instruct you to put yours on first and then help those around you that may need help.  They don't tell you to run around the plane depriving yourself of oxygen while putting the mask on others.  In part, I feel like that is what I have been doing.  Over my lifetime I have lost weight to look good in a prom dress, to look good in a bathing suit, to look good in a wedding dress, to be healthy for the baby while I was pregnant (which is important, but many women can make their health a priority for the baby, but not for themselves. Why is that?), or to look good for whatever the next major life event was about to happen that was going to involve a photographer so that I didn't look bad in pictures.  But what about eating healthy and losing weight because I am worth being healthy and feeling good just for me?  I am worth taking the time to realize that putting crap into my body does nothing but expel crap right back out.  And don't get me wrong, I don't mean to sound like a martyr.  It's not like I am looking for pity because I didn't make myself a priority.  If anything, I think I need a good swift kick in the backside! And I am just stating a fact that is true for many people.  Making eating right and exercising a priority is nothing to feel guilty about.

Lastly, what I learned from this cleanse is the 80/20 rule.  I make it a priority to avoid refined carbohydrates, added sugar, alcohol, and processed foods during the week.  On the weekend, I still try to avoid them, but allow myself the flexibility that things happen and if I am going out or want to have one of these items, I can.  If I try to remove them completely from my diet, I am setting myself up for failure.  I will eventually binge on it and sabotage all my efforts.  And I am worth the occasional treat.  As long as I keep "occasional", occasional! If I'm not honest with myself about the 20%, it won't work.

That's not to say that I have it all figured out and that I am now the model of good nutrition.  I still need to work things out.  But, I read labels and plan my snacks.  I make sure I have nuts to snack on and water to drink.  I plan out my daily meals as part of my schedule so that I am prepared.  Because getting hungry and not having the right foods conveniently available can set me off track very quickly.  But, I also know that I could eat a big ol' bowl of spaghetti in a heart beat and damn the consequences.  I know that although pasta is a food that gives me digestive issues, I love it.  I have moved to gluten free pasta to take care of the digestive issues, but I also know that I just feel better in general when I eat less refined carbohydrates and more lean protein, vegetables and healthy fats like avocados and green smoothies made with coconut milk, leafy greens and just a little added fruit.  I also know now that if I absolutely need a grain, whole grains like quinoa, wild rice, and millet are satisfying.  Here's the problem, spaghetti is my comfort food.  But here's the solution, knowing this, I have to work to keep it in the 20% part of the 80/20 equation.  If I try to remove it completely, I will set myself up for a round of self sabotage.  

I am continuing to try new things and come up with new recipes that have less refined carbohydrates.  And my kids and husband, bless them, that sometimes just want something easy and normal, have been fantastic about this whole thing.  Yes, I know that the zoodles (zucchini cut into noodle like strips with a spiralizer), are not really noodles, that you like the taste of white rice more than all of these crazy grains I have introduced you to, and that I haven't fooled you even with the brown rice! I know that you are not a fan of almond butter and have made great strides just changing to a better type of peanut butter, and that sometimes, you just want a Tasty Kake.  And that, for the kids at least, Pastelon, kind of a Puerto Rican lasagna, is a little over the top for you to try just yet.  I also know that some day you will look back on this, of course, who am I kidding, you already see it as your crazy mom taking you on another Hayward adventure! 

There is one area where we have found common ground and that is with smoothies.  I haven't convinced my kids to try a green smoothie yet, they just can't get past the color and flecks of green! We are making some great smoothies using plain yogurt, fruit and almond milk.  As well as smoothies with coconut milk, my favorite! So I am posting two smoothie recipes, my kids' favorite, Strawberry-Banana. (I mean, what kid wouldn't like that!?) And one of my favorites, Mom's Superfood Chocolate Smoothie.  Some of the ingredients in my recipe are a little uncommon and may not be found at a regular grocery store, but could be found online, or if you are local, go to Sonnewald's in Spring Grove.  I hope you enjoy them!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Serves 2
1 cup strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 banana
3/4 cup Greek style, plain yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened, vanilla Almond milk
1/2 cup ice
1 Tablespoon honey, maple syrup or agave nectar

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy! 

Mom's Superfood Chocolate Smoothie
Serves 2
1 banana

3/4 c coconut milk, unsweetened, full fat

1/2 c almond milk, unsweetened, vanilla

1 T goji berries

2 T cacao powder

1 cup kale leaves

1/2 cup ice

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy! 

Day 42...

I am now 42 days without sugar, gluten, corn, soy, dairy or alcohol.  Well, full disclosure, I have gone without these things, mostly! I will admit that I have had a few times when I've gone out for dinner that I have ordered things that probably had sugar or dairy in the sauce, but I have made a conscious effort when dining out to try to order things without sauce, and the times I have eaten them, its been pretty small.  I don't eat bread, I haven't ordered pasta, or dessert, and have done a pretty good job of sticking to the detox.  My goal, 90 days.  That being said, I have a lot of events planned over the next few weeks and am trying to be realistic about this.  I am going with the 80/20 rule on the weekends for the next month.  My plan is to follow the detox/cleanse to the letter during the week and then do the best I can on the weekends.  So, while I will still be staying away from the obvious things like breaded foods, pasta dishes and desserts, because those are the things that I could so easily incorporate back into my diet in the blink of an eye, I am already planning to allow myself a small amount of alcohol at the next few upcoming events, because that was something that was already an occasional thing for me anyway and will be easy to do in moderation.  But even that, I am trying to be smart about.  I'll have white wine, maybe with seltzer, or small glass of red, but no overly fruity cocktails, no creamy coladas or other frozen drinks made with ice cream and milk.  You get the point.

My plan with this detox/cleanse was twofold, eliminate sugar and other foods that may be contributing to a sugar addiction and causing problems with leaky gut and candida.  Second, determine what foods my body can tolerate and what foods should stay out of my diet.  My goal was NOT to deprive myself from now until eternity of treats, but more to learn to make treats truly treats that you have occasionally and to learn how to cook meals without hidden sugar and use less refined carbohydrates.

There are also a few reasons I decided on 90 days.  The first and most obvious was that I was intrigued by a Facebook page that a friend of mine started the exact same time I started the sugar detox, it was a 90 day candida cleanse.  Because the cleanse and the sugar detox were so closely aligned, I decided that step one, 21 day sugar detox, step two, continue on the additional time to complete the 90 day candida cleanse.  If you are interested in learning more about it, the page is called Crushing Candida on Facebook and Sharla has done an amazing job of putting together resources, a questionnaire to determine if the cleanse is right for you, a webinar explaining the process and documents to help you decide what to eat and what to avoid while on the cleanse.  My second reason for trying to stick to this for 90 days was because I know my brain, and while many behavior modification books say it takes three weeks to change a habit, I find it can take about two days to slide right back into that habit.  Think about it, if you have been eating a certain way your entire life, 3 weeks is a drop in the bucket.  Because of this, I knew it would take a longer amount of time for me to truly develop habits that become so ingrained in my brain, that I know they will stick and be my new nutritional habits.

I have to conscientiously decide every morning to not have the things I have always eaten, simple carbohydrates are so easy and have always been my "go to." I no longer have toast with jelly, or a bowl of cereal, or leftover spaghetti (yeah, and not just once, but many times. I have eaten spaghetti for breakfast since I was a kid. Remember, spaghetti sandwiches with buttered bread have been my ultimate comfort food!).  Now, I have chia seed pudding made with unsweetened almond milk and topped with berries, or a bowl of sauteed vegetables with an egg, or half a green apple with unsweetened almond butter, and sometimes a smoothie; but made with less fruit and more vegetables with some healthy fats like coconut milk or avocado blended in.  My smoothies are also smaller than they were in the past.  When they aren't filled with tons of wonderful sweet fruit and vanilla yogurt that has now been blended into a creamy delicious "one step away from a milkshake" morning beverage, I no longer suck them down in 30 seconds.  They last longer because they aren't so sweet and the fat from the coconut milk satiates me much faster and stays with me much longer. When I am in a pinch, I have hard-boiled eggs already made and in the refrigerator that I can grab for some on the go protein or half an avocado with a squeeze of lime juice and a little cracked pepper. The shell of the avocado makes a perfect bowl for on the go! If I have time to dice and put the avocado in a bowl, then I will add chopped cilantro with the lime juice and pepper.

In addition to learning to make new breakfast items for myself, I am trying to modify the way I have always cooked dinner.  Pasta was always a staple in our house for dinner, and quite honestly, probably always will be, but I have found ways to make this work.  When making spaghetti for the kids, I make a batch of zucchini noodles (or Zoodles) for myself.  I recently bought this spiralizer from Williams Sonoma.  I don't get any kick back for telling you this, I just like to share when I find a gadget that I really love.  I actually used it to make radish noodles too. It's pretty darn incredible! I do eat brown rice on occasion, but more often I make riced cauliflower when the kids have rice.  Here is a great recipe for cilantro lime "riced" cauliflower from Skinnytaste.com.  I also have found others and have pinned them to my Pinterest board, For the Love of Food - Sides, if you are interested in finding other recipes.  Be warned, if you start looking at my Pinterest boards, I have A LOT of recipes that I pinned prior to going on the cleanse, don't assume that all my recipes in my boards are "cleanse friendly." A future project is to organize them to make it easier to find those recipes, but for right now they are stuck in with the rest.

While I have been on this journey, I have talked to a few people about teaching others how to make meals that don't have hidden sugars, are free of some of the major food sensitivity ingredients - soy, corn, gluten, and dairy, and are easy recipes to make.  Well, so far, I have been successful in two of the three areas.  I feel as if I now have a small, but solid foundation of these types of recipes, my only hurdle, turning them into easy recipes that don't take a ton of time in the kitchen.  I am working on creating a collection of easy recipes though, and intend to share them through my blog and through cooking classes.  As I create them, I am trying to time myself to find out if they fit the bill of a meal that can be made in 30-60 minutes.  The first recipe that I have tried this with where I actually remembered to write down and measure the ingredients and found that it took 60 minutes because I remembered to time myself is Chicken and Cauliflower with Salsa, served over Cilantro Lime Brown Rice.  I did not make this with the riced cauliflower because I was making it to take to Thing 1's swimming banquet and was afraid riced cauliflower may be a little over the top for that venue! But, would probably make a batch of that for the next time I make it at home.  The recipe follows, but unfortunately there is no picture! In the mad dash to get out the door, I forgot to take a picture to have on the blog!  So instead, I put a picture of some lovely roasted cauliflower until I can edit it! I have some additional links below for products and stores that I use.  Again, I don't get compensated to mention them, I just like supporting local businesses and sharing great finds.

Also, if you are interested in some one on one cooking help or attending a cooking class, let me know.  While I am still in the planning stages of developing my health coaching practice, as I fine tune what services I will be offering, and when classes are scheduled, I will be sure to let you know.  Being in the kitchen with me, will certainly be another Hayward Adventure!

Chicken and Cauliflower with Salsa, 
Served over Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
Cilantro Lime Rice
1 cup brown rice, prepared using package instructions.
(Make sure to start this first as brown rice takes easily 40 minutes to prepare.)
Zest from 1 lime
Juice from half a lime 
(Just zest the lime, cut it in half and leave unjuiced for now, you will use the other half of the lime below)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

While rice is cooking, continue with recipe below, when rice is done, stir the lime zest and cilantro into the cooked rice.  Take half a lime and squeeze the juice over the rice, stir to incorporate.

Chicken and Cauliflower with Salsa
olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
3 cloves of whole, unpeeled garlic
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 lb leftover chicken, shredded
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c water
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 c salsa (look for one with no added sugar, I used Epic Pickles brand salsa.  If you are local you can get it from Carriage House Market)
1/3 c chopped cilantro
Juice from half a lime

Condiments
Chopped black olives
Julienned radishes
Diced avocado
Chopped green onion
Chopped cilantro
Sour cream
Cheese (I used queso cotija which is a grated cheese, but queso fresco would be nice too.  If you are local, El Agave in Hanover carries this.)
Note, if going dairy free, obviously the sour cream and cheese are not good garnish choices.

Preheat oven to 425*. Coat a rimmed baking pan with olive oil, toss the cauliflower in the oil, place the 3 cloves of unpeeled garlic on the pan, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, roast for 20 minutes.  While cauliflower is roasting, chop vegetables and saute in olive oil over medium heat until crisp tender in a large pan.  I use the chop and drop method here, which means I put oil in the pan and turn the heat on, as the oil heats, I chop the celery, add it to the pan and give it a stir. Chop the onion, add it to the pan and give it a stir.  I make my way down the list of the vegetables until they are all incorporated.  Add the chicken.  (Note, I used leftover chicken from a roast I made the previous day that was already shredded.  If using raw chicken, I would chop it and saute it first, then proceed with the vegetables. This will take longer to do this way.) By this point the cauliflower should be done and can be added to the pan.  Set aside the roasted garlic for a moment.  Stir in the tomatoes and water.  Push the chicken and vegetables in a ring around the outside of the pan, the tomato juice and water will pool in the middle of the pan.  Peel and chop the roasted garlic and add the garlic, seasonings, tomato paste, and salsa and whisk into the liquid to incorporate completely, then stir all the ingredients in the pan together to coat.  (Note, I used 1/2 teaspoon of Chipotle chili powder because the salsa has some kick to it and because I was taking it to a banquet and didn't want it to be too hot.  I would lean more towards the 1 teaspoon if making this at home.  But it really depends on your personal taste and the heat level of your salsa.) Lastly, add in the cilantro and squeeze the juice of half a lime over the top and stir.

Serve over rice and garnish with suggested condiments.