What's Poppin'?

After watching from the sidelines for 2 years, I've finally taken the Eating Rules' October Unprocessed Challenge! With that said, you might be expecting a quinoa-kale-wheatgrass mixture of sorts on a blog like mine. Well, surprise surprise... I have 3 recipes for homemade pops here instead!

Dessert is often times a store-bought item for me since a) I don't like (more accurately, I'm terrible at) baking, b) I like ice cream but haven't felt the urge to buy an ice-cream maker, and c) store-bought stuff is usually infinitely better than what I can whip up at home. But when I saw fellow blogger Carrie of Steps2Nutrition experiment with her new pop molds, it seemed simple enough where I won't be able to mess it up like baking a pie.

Gifted

Some time 2 weeks ago, I stumbled into a big tub of fresh figs in the clinic I work at. While I was eyeing them and wondering if they're up for grabs, my coworker told me that a patient had brought them in and I can take as many as I want since no one else seemed to be interested in them. I thought JACKPOT!!

I wasn't a fan of figs so I had no idea why I was so excited about them (wasn't, being the operative word here). I hadn't cooked with them before, and I don't seek them out at farmers markets. The most recent memory of figs for me was coming across some beautiful light green ones at San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market almost 3 years ago.

On my commute home, I was going through the recipe archive in my head. A little search on the interweb gave me tons of ideas but I went with the mixed greens, figs, and wheat berries combo. It sounded tasty, fool-proof enough to execute, and most importantly, I had a bag of uncooked wheat berries in the pantry. How often does the culinary stars align where you find a recipe and have ALL the ingredients for it? It was a sign from above.

Let's Try This Again

After saying to myself that I'll get back to blogging about a dozen times, I'm finally doing it! The last time I declared I'm back on the blogosphere, it lasted a tragic 2 months with sporadic posts that were far and few. To my defense, there are only 24 hours in a day and 20 of those were consumed by a less than ideal job (yes, 20 hours a day because work never left my brain and haunted me in my sleep). So now that nightmare is over and has been over for about 7 months, I'm ecstatic to report I've reclaimed my happiness, rediscovered my passion for dietetics, found time to jot down my adventures in the kitchen here, and most important of all, my stress pimples are gone!

Mango Colada

I admit. I have been a long-time bubble "boba" tea addict. Especially in the summer time, all I can think about is cooling off with a smooth milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls. It's a carb bomb and practically a dietitian's nightmare. But recent news about carcinogenic plasticizers found in Taiwanese beverages kind of put a damper on my profound love for boba teas. Yes, I'm heartbroken, but maybe this is a blessing in disguise that will help wean me off these addicting drinks.

So it was with terrific timing that I stumbled upon the recipe for a (virgin) pina colada that cannot be more healthful and simple.

4-Minute Egg and Apple Salad

I can sense the skepticism across cyberspace already... eggs and apples?!?  I didn't think they belong together either, but somehow runny yolks manages to be friends with pretty much every food (not sure if they can be pals with chocolate though).

Match Made in Heaven

Everyone has a list of personal favorite food pairings. The classics may include peanut butter with jelly, grapes with cheese, pita with hummus, and burgers with fries. But I have a newfound food pair that might just blow your taste buds out of foodie heaven and back-
poached pear and salted caramel ice cream.

Since words cannot describe the explosive yet refined fireworks that these two create, here is a photo while I gather my words.

Kumquat Nectar

The wintry season came and is on its way out (but you can never know for sure with these erratic weather mood swings these days). Even though the days were cold and sometimes bleak, the season brought with it a cornucopia of citrus- oranges of all kinds, mandarins, tangerines, and little golden jewels called kumquats.

Insalata Caprese

Not that the well-loved and divine Insalata Caprese needs a makeover, but the heirloom tomatoes in this version take this dish to the culinary heights that it truly deserves!

Fresh sweet basil 
Heirloom tomatoes 
Lemon boy tomatoes 
Marinated mozzarella balls
Balsamic vinegar with a pinch of sugar and salt, reduced until thick and syrupy

Take advantage of the amazing varieties of tomatoes available during the summer by giving this definite crowd and taste buds pleaser a try on this Meatless Monday!

Homemade Apricot Preserves

Besides spreading on toast with some butter, apricot preserves are a delightful accompaniment to cheeses. This homemade preserve is excellent with some mild and creamy havarti (as I found out the delicious way) since it's more tart than most sugary jams available in the market.





Ingredients:
Apricots
Sugar (preferably turbinado sugar or the white cane sugar)*
Lemon juice 
Vanilla extract 
Sprinkle of ground nutmeg

• To remove the apricot skin, drop the fruits into a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes. Then transfer immediately to an ice bath for easy peeling. 
• Scrap apricot flesh into a stainless steel pot and discard seeds in the process. 
• Squeeze lemon juice over apricot to retain bright color and to add a burst of flavor. 
• Cook apricot over medium-low heat until some of the moisture has evaporated. 
• Add sugar (about 1/2 cup for 1.5 lbs of fruit), vanilla extract and ground nutmeg and continue simmering until mixture thickens slightly. 

* Other types of sweetener such as honey, agave nectar, or brown sugar may impart too much flavor for this delicate preserve. 

Special thanks to Ruth P. for providing the wonderful home-grown apricots to experiment with!

FoV of the Month: Watermelon

A follow-up to the previous post: What to do with watermelons besides eating the flesh or juicing it?

The fruit is an excellent source of fluid as it is 92% water by weight. It also provides plenty of vitamin A and C. As Independence Day is just around the corner, watermelons will be making their way into your kitchens and backyard if they haven't already.

Usually only the pink flesh is enjoyed, and the rind is tossed. The white-ish part is actually edible and can be stir-fried, stewed, or even pickled. The rind is delicious when dressed up with some simple ingredients like in the following recipe, a perfect salad alternative for any warm summer day.




Watermelon Rind and Celery Slaw 
Watermelon rind, julienned 
Celery stalks, julienned 
Cilantro, finely chopped

Dressing, whisk together the following: 
Japanese mustard (can be substituted with Dijon mustard or wasabi)
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Red wine vinegar
Honey (can be substituted with agave nectar for vegan foodies) 

Toss rind, celery, and cilantro with dressing. Chill and serve chilled. 

When Life Hands Me Sub-Par Melons

Summer is upon us! There have been all kinds melons for sale at markets, but unfortunately, not all of them are very good. Some aren't nearly as sweet as they should be, some were picked way before they were ready, and some are just water encased in shells to resemble melons. 

So what to do when life hands us sub-par melons? Bust out the blender! Watermelon and honeydew are excellent candidates for chopping up and throwing into the blender. Pictured above is honeydew-ade made with half a melon with a splash of store-bought lemonade. Definitely an invigorating beverage on a hot summer afternoon! Plus, it's an easy, easy way to get 2 or more servings of fruit into the day!  

I suppose this method can work for cantaloupe, but I'm not sure if it has the right flavor profile to be complemented by lemonade. 

Bust out your blender to make some melon-ade this Independence Day! Stay tuned this week for another simple watermelon recipe that's perfect for Independence (or any) Day. 

Meatless Monday: Box o' Harvest

After a week of much anticipation and waiting, the day to pick up my very first CSA box finally came! CSA, or community supported agriculture, has gained popularity in some regions because consumers are more interested in locally grown organic food. A byproduct of the partnership between consumers and CSA is economic support for local farmers. Another plus for supporters of CSA is the element of epicurean surprise- the produce changes every week to reflect the current crops and harvests.

CSA boxes are usually ordered online and either delivered to a designated address or picked up at a location. The plans are flexible (weekly, monthly, etc.), and some are rather affordable! I had decided to try the $15 box from South Central Farmers' Cooperative and picked up at Whole Foods Market on Arroyo Parkway. My box awaited me with carrots, yellow and scallop squash, zucchinis, artichokes, a variety of kale, some chard, and two types of lettuces.

The experience of getting fresh cut veggies that still have dirt on them is unparalleled. There was quite a bit of washing and trimming to be done after I got the box home, but it was well worth the effort. Not only was everything fresh and crisp, each vegetable carried their natural fragrance that is often lost in commercially-grown produce.

Now it's time to figure out what to do with my glorious box o' harvest on this Meatless Monday! I would appreciate any recipes or ideas on how to use these veggies (especially scallop squash and artichokes)!

FoV of the Month: Apricot

Apricots were first grown in China over 4,000 years ago. Nowadays, California is responsible for about 90% of all the apricots grown in the U.S.

These golden gems are classified with the plum family and can be found in almost all regions of the world. Apricots can be dried and eaten as snacks or made into an Egyptian drink called "amar al-din", added to savory or sweet dishes, or consumed fresh.

Like other fruits, apricots pack a nutrition punch. 4 medium-sized fruits eaten with skin offer 3 grams of fiber, almost 10% of the recommended daily value of potassium, and about 17% of vitamin A recommended for a day. 

Not only are these fruits great for snacking, they also make a wonderful dessert after spending some time on the grill. The heat helps to release their sweetness which makes them a healthful sweet treat compared to s'mores or ice cream on a summer day. Pictured on the right is Apricot Gingersnap Parfait. Assembled with almond "ice cream", this refreshing treat can be made vegan easily by drizzling with agave nectar instead of honey on top.

1 apricot, halved and grilled
2 gingersnap cookies, crushed
1 scoop almond frozen treat (used: Almond Dream)
Honey, or agave nectar, for drizzling
Makes 1 serving

Photo of apricots from Shutterstock on faq.org

ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES!!!

The title warranted 3 exclamation marks because I was THAT excited when I found organic strawberries! As elusive as Yeti to me before the discovery, I couldn't find organic strawberries anywhere- not at farmers market nor grocery stores. I even tried to find them at fruit stands set up next to farms and still no success... until they showed up at my local grocery store 2 weeks ago!

From the Dirty Dozen list, strawberries are one of the fruits that are most heavily doused with pesticide. Organic strawberries generally cost more than conventionally grown ones, but for the sake of health, they're definitely worth the extra dollar. Aside from health reasons, organic strawberries actually taste like strawberries! After eating so many sour strawberry-lookalikes, my tastebuds have refused to taste anything but the organic ones because the flavor explosion is just so indescribable.

The 16 oz. box of delicious strawberries pictured sold for $2.99 at Trader Joe's. Pesticide-free strawberries are also available at some farmers markets which are a terrific alternative to certified organic ones.

Update: Dirty Dozen vs. Clean 15

Breaking news: The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has revised the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15! 
The new guide to pesticides is now available to download at foodnews.org in PDF. Tech-savvy folks, no need to fret; the app for this new guide is coming soon!

New to the Dirty Dozen are blueberries and potatoes while carrots and pears are no longer on the "most dirtied" list. As for the Clean 15, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, and grapefruits are the new comers. 

One thing to keep in mind is that the Clean 15 fruits and veggies may still have trace amounts of pesticides on their skins. While the EWG deem these the cleanest produce as far as chemicals are concerned, it is still worthwhile to support organic whenever possible. Organic agriculture is more sustainable for the environment and has less ecological impact for animals, plants, and the planet. Not to mention organic produce tastes so much better!  

In case, you're not familiar with the Dirty Dozen, click here to read about it and how it can affect your health.

Special thanks to my fellow nutrition guru Lindsey P. for letting me know about the update!

Exposing the Dirty Dozen

Let's face it: organic fruits and vegetables can be expensive. As much as I want support organic agriculture 100%, high prices often stand in the way. I'm guessing many of you are in the same boat as me. 

To help us decide which produce items are most worth purchasing organic for, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) published a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that are most dirtied by pesticides. They're collectively known as the Dirty Dozen.

While the nutrient content of non-organic versus organic produce is still hotly debated, the amount of pesticide ingestion from traditionally grown fruits and veggies is undeniable. Pesticides have been linked to hormone imbalances, cancers, nervous system disorders, and irritations of the eye, skin, and lungs. Pesticide ingestion is especially a problem for babies and young children. Because they're smaller in size, they can be affected by these chemicals in much smaller concentrations.

EWG conducted studies that showed avoiding the Dirty Dozen can reduce pesticide ingestion by almost 80%! Imported fruits and veggies can be particularly high in these chemicals because pesticide use isn't as firmly regulated in some countries as in the U.S.

It is true that washing and peeling helps get rid of pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables. But there is always going to be some left on the skins no matter how much washing, soaking, rinsing you do. Peeling can take care of the problem but not in all cases. I.e. peeling a strawberry would be ridiculous. Or peeling an apple since 80% of its fiber is in the skin! That's a lot of value (both nutrition and money) down the drain.

EWG offers a handy  pocket-sized printable guide AND an iPhone app that list the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. Get yours by visiting foodnews.org.