tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86242006119788102622012-02-16T09:45:23.880-05:00Adventures with whole and natural foods.Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-10449708409621802042009-01-20T22:13:00.004-05:002009-01-21T11:03:07.634-05:00

One lonely can of pumpkin puree has been sitting in the cabinet above my kitchen sink since early December, when I did my holiday baking. This evening I finally found a use for it, replacing the two point five bananas in the recipe mentioned here with 15 ounces of pumpkiny goodness. I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of ginger.The result was tasty but mooshy, despite the

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-69297247777046702532009-01-14T10:15:00.006-05:002009-01-14T10:35:18.998-05:00

There's a little market down the street from my apartment. It's the sort of place that carries fourteen different types of olive tapenade, stocks eight varieties of imported rare mushrooms, and sells only artisinal cheeses. I stop in on my way home from work every now and then when I want something different and a little la-ti-da.Yesterday evening I brought home duck eggs. Larger than chicken

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-47529629816316239482009-01-12T19:29:00.006-05:002009-01-13T11:56:36.636-05:00

It's been a loooooong time. Let me explain. Or rather, let me sum up: beginning of last summer, I broke up with the boyfriend, moved out of apartment and into sublet with criminally tiny kitchen. (Seriously, it was smaller than some dining room tables.) Met charming, attractive, available, health-conscious pescatarian. Moved into much nicer apartment (with female roommate, not with Charming

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-50783930583101924312008-06-13T19:38:00.003-04:002008-06-13T19:42:30.672-04:00

No really. Go to the store right now and get the following, then come home, put them all together in a bowl, and eat. You can thank me after.Mixed baby field greens1 avocadohandful of blueberrieshandful of sunflower seeds1/4 cup or so sprouted green lentils (if you have them on hand)half a cucumber2 tablespoons olive oil whisked with 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-21897372239500842682008-05-27T10:12:00.008-04:002008-05-27T11:15:58.432-04:00

Sometimes life doesn't give you time to spend in the kitchen. Since I don't do fast food, I tend to live off food in bar form when I can't cook. In no particular order, my top five rectangular food choices:1. Greens+ Chocolate Energy BarOk, so maybe this list is in a particular order -- Greens+ is far and away my favorite of the bar form food group. It's organic, made with gmo-free soy and no

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-17553551549574080192008-04-08T17:25:00.007-04:002008-04-08T22:36:38.873-04:00

It's just barely spring here in Boston, but the peaches in this smoothie remind me of summer.In a blender, combine:3/4 cup frozen peaches1/4 cup frozen blueberries1 cup rice milk1 tbsp wheat grass powderjuice of one lemonsqueeze of agavesprig of fresh mint (if you have it on hand)Sit on the front porch in your short-shorts and enjoy.

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-54461400880691691822008-04-05T21:23:00.007-04:002008-04-06T15:41:00.175-04:00

According to Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen, sprouting beans or grain "greatly increases the nutritional value of these foods and makes them far more digestible because their protein is broken down into amino acids, their starches are changed into simple sugars, and their fats are converted into soluble fatty acids." Sprouting also activates dormant enzymes in the food, which helps your

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-84052409877273310822008-04-01T18:12:00.010-04:002008-04-02T15:01:38.759-04:00

This smoothie is amazingly good, but green hemp powder + yellow mango = unappetizing, sludgy color. So serve this one in an opaque glass.In a blender, combine:3 tablespoons organic hemp protein powder1 tablespoon wheat grass powder3/4 cup frozen mango chunks1/4 cup frozen raspberries1 cup rice milk (add more for a thinner smoothie, less for a thicker one)squeeze of agave or honeyHemp contains

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-72595883395136485342008-03-30T20:32:00.012-04:002008-04-02T15:02:52.820-04:00

Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur*. Other ingredients typically include onion, tomato, and mint, but this recipe, from Epicurious.com, uses beets, apples, and basil. You'll need:1 cup bulgur1 1/3 cups boiling-hot water2 small red beets1 Granny Smith apple1 cup packed fresh basil leaves1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juiceThe original

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-14219714961616883982008-03-27T15:21:00.001-04:002008-03-27T21:28:00.981-04:00

This recipe is inspired by the vegan stew at the Otherside Cafe in Boston. The pink color comes from the beets, and the tahini adds a unique, comfort-food flavor. I rarely advocate cooking the crap out of vegetables, but in this case you're going for a soft, almost mooshy texture, so plan on a longer simmer time.You'll need:1 15oz can of chickpeas1 large red beet (or 2 smaller)2 medium carrots1

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-15951157007610440072008-03-25T12:38:00.000-04:002008-03-25T12:38:24.314-04:00

Like I've said, I'm a big fan of oats for breakfast. You get all the benefits advertised in Cheerios commercials (lots of fiber, lower cholesterol) without any of the sugar or preservatives.For those seeking something other than typical rolled oats, there's the heartier steel cut variety. Essentially the same as rolled oats, steel cut oats are made by chopping up whole oat groats, rather than

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-29065556916105228702008-03-14T12:30:00.003-04:002008-03-18T13:50:44.800-04:00

If I could claim to have a signature dish, it would be figs stuffed with goat cheese and honey. I make these whenever I host any sort of event and they always go over well.When I cut dairy out of my diet, I assumed that was the end of stuffed figs. But then my friend Michelle blogged about nutritional yeast the other day, mentioning that it tastes a little like cheese. Which got me thinking...

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-90550384703162422962008-03-11T14:38:00.007-04:002008-03-11T18:47:00.519-04:00

My mom came to visit this weekend, and brought with her the easiest pumpkin muffin recipe you ever did see. I love it, because it can be made to accommodate different food sensitivities and tastes with minimal effort. And bonus for those on a diet - there's little to no fat.You need:1 box cake mix (any kind)1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree1 cup waterWe used gluten-free spiced cake mix,

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-80885775276097151062008-03-06T12:24:00.007-05:002008-04-01T18:53:38.969-04:00

My boyfriend and I received as a gift one of those Magic Bullet blenders that you see advertised during late-night infomercials. I was excited to make salsa and pudding and do all those other nifty tricks with it, but it turns out that (surprise!) the thing doesn't work very well. Except when it comes to smoothies.So, I now have a dedicated smoothie machine, which has led me to create a few

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-70646506128329017982008-02-29T22:09:00.005-05:002008-02-29T22:24:08.265-05:00

This is another Kripalu-inspired recipe. Miso marinade would work well with all kinds of things -- vegetables, fish, even meat if you eat it. I used carrots and daikon for my first attempt.The marinade is super simple:2 tablespoons miso2 gloves of garlic, minced1 teaspoon ginger (either powdered or freshly grated)2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar1/2 cup waterPut in a bowl with whatever it is you

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-7106100963920114032008-02-29T12:48:00.004-05:002008-02-29T13:01:23.369-05:00

I tried making something other than rice in my new rice cooker last night. Turns out it works just as well on quinoa as it does on brown rice.I was in the mood for something different to go with said quinoa (ie, not broccoli or kale or squash), so I looked for inspiration in the pantry. Here's what I came up with:2 cups quinoa, rinsed then cooked1/2 cup raw almond slivers1/2 cup raisins2

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-32134494789160395252008-02-27T11:25:00.004-05:002008-02-27T11:37:54.939-05:00

I'll get to a proper recipe update soon, but in the mean time, I thought this was interesting.Arguments for choosing organic olive oil over conventional (from idealbite.com):-Pesticides are fat-soluble and thus concentrate in the oil portion of plants (and that includes olives). Choosing organic decreases exposure risks.-A Greek study found that organic olive groves cause fewer CO2 emissions

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-47006433959851732622008-02-19T14:02:00.005-05:002008-02-19T14:29:55.028-05:00

This is a cooking blog, not a look-at-this-cool-site blog (though those are fun, too). But since we have to get our ingredients from someplace, look at this cool site!If you live in the U.S., Local Harvest will help you find farmers markets, co-ops, grocery stores, farms, and even restaurants near you that offer local, sustainable, and organic foods. You can also find community supported

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-3094918923392099272008-02-18T19:23:00.001-05:002008-02-19T11:58:38.095-05:00

I live with my decidedly non-vegan boyfriend. For Valentine's Day this year we skipped the fancy restaurants and made dinner together. Witness, the picture of compromise:

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-31843037962250098722008-02-18T19:07:00.000-05:002008-02-18T19:07:32.758-05:00

Last weekend I went to Kripalu with three of my yoga teacher training buddies. The food there is amazing -- everyone would eat well if they could eat at Kripalu all the time. Most of the food is vegan, though there are a few chicken or fish options and the occassional dairy product. Since many of the dishes are made with seasonal produce, the root vegetables were in full effect. One of my

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-57525204718556755352008-02-12T13:05:00.001-05:002008-02-12T13:24:48.306-05:00

I read somewhere that burdock root tea "strengthens the blood." Having no idea what that meant but thinking that it can't hurt to have stronger blood, I picked up a burdock root at the store and brought it home to experiment with making tea.Burdock roots look like exactly that -- roots. Carrots and parsnips and yams are roots too, but they don't look as unabashedly rooty as burdock. I expected

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-20911405817338736842008-02-04T13:57:00.000-05:002008-02-04T14:14:02.892-05:00

One of my favorite ways to cook is to grab a bunch of things from the fridge and pantry and throw them all together in a big pot. No recipe required, no specific ingredients necessary. This is a great way to use up veggies that are in danger of going bad.Today's pot included pinto beans, carrots (whole, with the leafy tops), onion, kale (as always), quinoa, garlic powder (no fresh garlic in the

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-6124981684531671612008-02-03T16:04:00.000-05:002008-02-03T16:35:53.252-05:00

Years ago, I bought millet at the pet store for my parakeets. A few days ago, I bought millet in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods, for me. People all over the Eastern half of the world eat it daily, so I figured it was worth a try.Millet is a grain rich in protein and B vitamins, and when dry looks a lot like quinoa. It's as easy to cook, too: 3 parts water to one part grain, brought to boiling

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-31936016125643847362008-02-01T11:33:00.000-05:002008-02-01T11:49:35.623-05:00

You know those bags on the bottom shelf in the cereal aisle? "Bite-size Frosted Flakes", "Cereal-Os", Malt-O-Meal? Well, at Whole Foods, you get things like Kamut Puffs. I saw these the other day and, not having any idea what kamut is, picked up a bag to play with.Turns out that kamut (ka-moot) is related to wheat. The grains are twice as large as typical wheat, so the puffs are much larger

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-72540817163807407532008-01-27T20:17:00.001-05:002008-01-28T11:33:38.669-05:00

I can cook for one person, or for ten. When I try to cook for two, I end up with lots and lots of extra food. So a big part of my cooking repertoire (if you can call it that) is creative things to do with leftovers.I had a ton of leftover quinoa in the fridge from a recent attempt to cook for two, so tonight I came up with a vaguely Mediterranean-inspired recipe to use it up:2 cloves garlic1

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-27924923162745407142008-01-21T15:12:00.001-05:002008-03-18T14:05:41.747-04:00

I've been living off lentil soup for the past couple weeks. I made a batch last night with parsnips and carrots that's pretty good -- or it was, until I got carried away with the miso.Miso is a fermented food that aids in digestion. It's a big part of the macrobiotic diet, and since I've been reading Jessica Porter's Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics I decided to pick some up and play with it.

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-39152127444130618002008-01-20T18:41:00.000-05:002008-01-21T12:00:25.872-05:00

Hot chocolate was an integral part of wintertime when I was growing up. It was the best treat, alongside Ritz crackers and peanut butter, for warming up after sledding all afternoon. But now that I don't do dairy, and I'm trying to cut out cane sugar, my usual canister of Ghirardelli is out. So this morning I broke out the bag of raw cacao powder (which is ridiculously rich in vitamin C) and

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-53090676320139435502008-01-18T10:53:00.000-05:002008-01-18T14:12:13.720-05:00

The problem with coming up with recipes while cooking dinner is that it's hard to get a good photo of the result when it's dark outside. Now that I don't have access to professional studio equipment (one of the few things I really, truly miss about college), I have to make due with window light. And in New England, dinner time in the winter = pitch black outside. So you'll have to trust me

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-43832419800348724942008-01-14T13:09:00.000-05:002008-01-14T18:26:35.668-05:00

I went a little crazy in the bulk foods aisle at Whole Foods this weekend; I came home with wheat berries, red lentils, and a big bag of chickpeas. So, while I'm snowed in and working from home today, I'm also stirring a pot of chickpeas for a batch of homemade hummus.You can get chickpeas in a can; and if you're in a hurry, that's the way to go. But if you have all day (literally), you can

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-19903785400175624202008-01-10T21:37:00.001-05:002008-03-18T14:06:25.896-04:00

My friend Lynn couldn't believe I'd never eaten lentils, so when she came over to make dinner last night we made this lentil soup recipe, sans saffron yogurt, from Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks blog. Good stuff! We added some pepper, and decided carrots would also be a good addition (though we didn't have any to throw in).I knew that lentils were good for you, but I didn't know why. So, after

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-42761910969992321292008-01-08T21:45:00.000-05:002008-01-10T00:04:41.195-05:00

A friend started a diet recently, and as part of her diet planned to eat two packets of flavored instant oatmeal for breakfast every morning. Of course, as soon as I heard that my processed-foods-are-bad bell went off and I said, "No! Eat real whole grain oats! Protein! Fiber! No added sugar! Processed foods are bad!"But once the fanatical frenzy had worn off, I felt a tinge of guilt -- I

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-3157135663442810372008-01-01T18:31:00.001-05:002008-03-11T14:52:35.261-04:00

I have a new love, and it's name is brown rice syrup. Thick, golden, subtle; this is grown-up sweet. I could have eaten it out of the jar by the spoonful. But I didn't. Or rather, I did, but only the one spoonful.Brown rice syrup is considered a whole food. It's made by cooking brown rice in water, then evaporating most of the liquid to leave behind a golden brown honey-like syrup. It's less

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-57492599022873326382007-12-30T15:08:00.001-05:002007-12-31T18:55:35.132-05:00

Left to my own devices, my cooking is "okay." Occasionally I wander into "good" territory. Last night's creation was somewhere in between.I combined wheat berries - whole wheat grains rich in protein, fiber, and manganese - with cranberries and baby spinach to make a hearty salad. The wheat berries themselves were delicious -- tender with a slightly nutty flavor. These would be a great base

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-88279327456143061012007-12-29T18:19:00.000-05:002008-01-09T20:53:07.040-05:00

I could have used soba noodles back in college when I started cooking, and my go-to meal was white flour pasta with chopped green peppers and marinara sauce. (And when I say "go-to", I mean "what I ate every night.") One 1/2 cup serving of soba, a Japanese noodle made with buckwheat, is packed with protein, iron, and a host of B vitamins. And it cooks in 8 minutes! This might be my new

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-3491650019864294292007-12-28T21:05:00.001-05:002008-03-11T14:53:17.094-04:00

Success! And it tastes so good. Literally, that's some awesome bread.I originally found this recipe on Post Punk Kitchen, then tweaked it to cut out some of the fat (substituting apple sauce) and add more flavor (yay ginger!). Here's the recipe I used as the starting point for today's pumpkin bread:1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 cup packed dark brown sugar1/3 cup white sugar1 teaspoon baking

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624200611978810262.post-11763738142721050492007-12-28T16:35:00.000-05:002007-12-28T21:05:20.730-05:00

Today began my pantry make-over. Out with the processed sugar, the all-purpose white flour, the ultra-refined canola oil. Organic or not, there isn't much to these foods that makes them worth eating (from a nutritional standpoint, anyway).After the usual trip to Trader Joe's to pick up groceries for the week, I headed to Whole Foods with Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking in hand. I spent

Ellen Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706362356584372121noreply@blogger.com1