Extreme Meal Makeovers

Today’s Culinary Cooking and Concepts program was about “makeovers” rather than “leftovers.” Just in time for Thanksgiving, we learned many recipes to recreate delicious dishes with the extra turkey.

I talked about making brown rice in the oven. Here’s the directions for it and also how to freeze rice:

Oven-Baked Brown Rice

• 3 cups brown rice
• 4 2/3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon table salt

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread rice in 9- by 13-inch dish.
2. Place water and butter or oil in saucepan. Cover. Bring to boil. Stir in salt and pour over rice. Cover tightly with double lay of foil. Bake for 1 hour, until tender and all the water is absorbed.
3. Remove dish from oven and uncover. Fluff rice with a fork, then cover dish with clean kitchen towel. Let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and let stand 5 minutes longer.

Ready-Rice

Whenever you cook rice, consider making a double batch and freezing some. Here’s how:

• Spread hot rice on a baking sheet to cool. Break up any large clumps.
• Place cooled rice in zip-lock bag. Lay flat on the freezer shelf to allow stacking.
• When you need rice, cut open the bag of frozen rice. Place contents of the bag in a dish and reheat in the microwave. Or thaw to make fried rice or to add to a recipe such as soup or stew.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving feast and all the meals to follow!

Phenomenal woman

Maya Angelou was on the Today Show this morning having been named one of Glamour Magazine’s 2009 Women of the Year. She read the first stanza of her poem Phenomenal Woman. Here’s the poem in its entirety:

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

The Cruise Mentality

You might wonder why the topic of a cruise comes up right now when the temperatures have barely dipped below freezing. Shouldn’t we wait to dream of going on a cruise until the dead of winter, when the mercury falls below zero and goes into a holding pattern? The thought of a cruise comes to mind because of the upcoming season of food. Let me explain.

About three years ago, I was preparing to go on a cruise—my one and only excursion on an ocean liner. I heard words of caution from nearly everyone I talked to. The advice was not about being sure to use enough sunscreen, nor was it a tried and true cure for motion sickness.

The main thing on everyone’s mind was the FOOD. There’s so much of it and it is all so GOOD! And it was true—there was a gourmet restaurant serving a six course dinner every evening, round-the-clock buffets, sandwich shops by the pool, and even a sushi bar.

After that trip, I coined the term “the cruise mentality” to refer to a way of thinking when you find yourself in the midst of an abundance of food. This is a great time of year to adopt this mindset. From the stashes of Halloween candy (okay, maybe that’s not really delicious but there usually is a lot of it), to the Thanksgiving feast and leftovers, to just about every day in December, good food—familiar and delicious—abounds.

Why would an abundance of food ever be a problem? The trouble is not with too much good food but from the rules about what and how much to eat. When food is categorized as good or bad; portions are something to be memorized (size of a deck of cards, size of your palm—wait, does that include my fingers?, no bigger than a tennis ball, etc ) and certain food combinations are defined as harmful, people tend not to trust their natural instincts about eating anymore.

Be assured, it is possible to be calm around food, even when it’s plentiful and scrumptious. Here’s how:

1. Begin by giving yourself permission to eat anything you want.
2. Select the foods that are most appealing. Take plenty—it’s important for your plate to look pleasing and generous.
3. Savor every bite until you have had enough.
4. Stop eating knowing there is plenty of deliciousness whenever you are hungry again.

 “The cruise mentality” assures you that you know what and how much to eat in all situations, even when there is an abundance of appetizing food. Trust yourself and, by all means, enjoy!

Enjoyable Movement Boosts Body Image

The Body Image Project, Beauty as a Relative Concept, exhited at MSU this week

What do you think you look like? What do you say to yourself when you catch your reflection in a mirror or window or picture? Your body image is how you see yourself in your mind’s eye. Given the idealistic images constantly bombarding us, it’s not surprising that many people think and say negative things about their bodies. In fact by adulthood, most people disapprove of their own bodies.

 Children as young as 5-years-old say they don’t like how their bodies look. Recent data shows that in grade school, 40 percent of girls and 25 percent of boys are dissatisfied with their bodies. The numbers escalate through the teenage years and into adulthood when approximately 60 percent of women report body dissatisfaction.

 Being critical of your body has all kinds of negative consequences from psychological issues (depression, social anxiety, and eating disorders) to physical risks and sacrifices (smoking, steroid use, and impaired sexual function) to economic costs (diet pills, weight loss programs, cosmetic surgery, beauty and fitness products). Yet beauty and fitness do not predict body satisfaction. 

In a recently published article, researchers reviewed fifty-seven studies looking at exercise intervention programs and their effects on body image. They found that people have a more positive body image through the simple act of exercise, not necessarily achieving the fitness guidelines as defined by The American College of Sports Medicine and The American Heart Association. One factor that made a difference was increased frequency of exercise (number of times per week) which led to even greater body satisfaction. Individuals who did not participate in any form of exercise had the most negative body image.

“You would think that if you become fit that you would experience greater improvements in terms of body image, but that’s not what we found,” said Heather Hausenblas, co-author of the article. Body image improved the same amount regardless of whether or not the fitness guidelines were met.

Health benefits aside, women who have a positive body image rate themselves as happier, more attractive, healthier, more assertive and more sociable and feel they have more control in their lives.  That’s a lot of positives! Move in ways you enjoy for a few minutes on a regular basis to give yourself an immediate boost in body image.

References:

Campbell A, Hausenblas HA. Effects of exercise interventions on body image. Journal of Health Psychology. 2009; 14(6):780-793.

Curried Chickpeas on a Bed of Greens

How To Cook Vegetarian: Legumes was attended by a large group of interactive women. Sharing ideas amongst ourselves is a great way of becoming inspired.

asofoetida--use a pinch as a flavor enhancer

Kiran shared a suggestion for a flavor enhancer, asafoetida. This spice is popular in vegetarian dishes, especially those with beans or lentils, as it is known as a digestive aid.  When uncooked, it has a pungent odor. Add it to hot oil or ghee and it gives off an aroma of strong onions and garlic. It develops the flavors more deeply in the recipe. Add it cautiously! Begin with just a pinch.

The first recipe I prepared today was not in your handout.  Here’s the recipe as I prepared it. You can add a pinch of asafoetida powder with the other spices if desired.

Curried Chickpeas on a Bed of Greens

• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
• 2 (14- or 15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
• salt and pepper
• baby greens or other lettuce

In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until the onion is deep golden and crispy, stirring frequently, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the spices and cook; stir constantly, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, cilantro and lemon juice and continue to cook, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Taste; add salt if desired beginning with 1/4 teaspoon. Cool. Transfer to container or serving dish, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to allow the flavors to meld. Taste; add salt, lemon juice and pepper as desired. Serve on a bed of baby greens. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

French Foodie Flick

If you haven’t seen Julie and Julia yet, I recommend it. I saw it twice–in the same weekend. Once with my hubby and once with my cooking friends. Meryl Streep captured the essence of Julia Child. I could see and feel Julia’s passion about food.

Julia was a foodie long before her training at Cordon Bleu and opening her own cooking school, L’Ecole Des 3 Courmandes. It was her love of food that led to her career as a gourmet, making French cuisine accesible to “the servantless American cook.” That would be me!

French cooking is high on flavor. The French strike a perfect balance when it comes to great tasting food–and you can too. Here’s how it works:

• Excellent flavor leads to pleasure.
• Pleasure allows you to tune-in to each bite, savoring the texture, flavor and aroma.
• Over-indulgence isn’t necessary when you freely offer yourself flavorful food.

Toddlers do it, so can you

I love to watch toddlers eat. If I had my druthers, I would choose a table in a restaraunt with a  view of a little guy or gal eating. They are perfect examples of normal eaters.

THE Pumpkin Dessert

Find this fine pumpkin dessert at The Finer Things in Life

http://amysfinerthings.com/the-pumpkin-dessert