Animal Writings

Beet Encore Performance
I would be remiss if I didn't include a beet salad in the beet section of this series. I chose Bryanna's Arugula and Beet Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Walnuts, by famous chef Bryanna Clark Grogan. (On the linked page, scroll down to the fifth beet recipe.) Although I took more of an Oliver Stone approach, basing my version loosely on the original.

I was pressed for time, and probably came nowhere close to doing justice to Chef Bryanna's creation. But I figured I'd report on my makeshift efforts anyway, to show how even a jury-rigged facsimile of a recipe can often produce entirely worthwhile results.


Beet Fact
Some day, you might pick up a can of whole beets by mistake, when what you really wanted was sliced beets. That's ok, they will pretty much work the same.
Basically, I paid scant attention to quantities, since a) I was only making one salad, b) I didn't want to mess with measuring cups. Usually arugula—the green in the salad—is not hard to find in my area, or any place except for real small towns. If you don't find it outright, you might find it in a mix. I couldn't find it at the nearby Whole Foods, and I didn't have time to go to another store, so I picked up one of our bunny's favorite mixtures, the escarole, endive, and radicchio combo from Ready Pac. It has a somewhat bitter, tart taste, as does arugula, so I figured it would make an acceptable substitute. You can start to see the pattern: Sweet beets are very often paired with something tangy, anti-sweet.

I laid down a bed of greens. Slicing the beets into thin julienne strips literally took a few seconds. I placed enough beet strips so that it looked like I would get some beet in every forkful of salad. I did the same with the walnuts. I bought "walnut halves and pieces." Close enough. Toasted walnuts, as called for in the recipe, would have undoubtedly added more flavor to the salad. I recommend adding the apple slices. In many stores, you can buy apple already sliced up. I bought a Fuji apple, and used about a quarter of it. Hint: if cut apple will be sitting around for more than 30 seconds, give it a squirt of lemon juice so that it doesn't turn brown. Or take Bryanna's advice and put the apple in some water into which a little lemon juice has been added.

I didn't have time to make balsamic vinegar dressing, even though it wouldn't have taken long. I used Raspberry-Hazelnut Balsamic Vinaigrette, from the good people at Wishbone. It worked well.

The salad was quite tasty, even though it probably paled against the original. The sweetness of the beets, apple, and raspberry (in the dressing), the bitterness of the greens and the vinegar (again, in the dressing), and the meatiness of the walnuts combined for a nice multi-flavor sensation in the mouth. Looked pretty, too. It took less than 5 minutes to make.

The thing is, even when you throw a salad together, most likely you're going to end up with something you like, and which is a cut above anything you'd get out of a bag. Often, just the addition of one or two off-the-beaten-path ingredients can make all the difference.

OK, we're really done with beets this time.


Trivia Question
What Sonny and Cher tune am I thinking of?

Next: A vegetable that needs no introduction...

Labels: beets, cooking, diet, salads, vegetables

This will be a multi-parter. One common theme: Go for variety.

For starters, let's go back to salads. Salads as well as soups are great ways to start a meal, because you can partially fill up on really healthy stuff. I'm somewhat partial to salads as a starter because they usually require no cooking; also, I like the contrast between something cold and something hot (e.g., the main dish).

Salads
• For lettuce, go beyond romaine. Go far beyond iceberg. Red and green leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, and Boston lettuce are common in grocery stores. It's very handy to buy the pre-washed blends of lettuce; I do it all the time; it's a nice way to get some variety without having to buy way more lettuce than I could ever use up (and I live with a bunny!). But it's ok to go the old-fashioned route, too, and buy a head of lettuce.


• Go beyond lettuce. Try watercress, radicchio, escarole, chicory, arugula, and endive. Cruise the produce aisles, see what looks good. Ask someone. If they're not busy, produce managers are usually more than happy to answer questions about produce. By the way, radicchio seems to stay fresh for a surprisingly long time. Of course, spinach works great in salads. (If you buy a bag of pre-washed spinach leaves, whatever you don't use for salads you can cook with my foolproof method, to be presented later.)


• It's amazing what you can put in a salad—successfully: Steamed green beans, raw or steamed broccoli, radishes (regular red as well as Asian varieties like daikon), bell peppers, banana peppers (what a great flavor), artichoke hearts, sweet onions, avocados, even a bit of fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill. Olives add interest to a salad. You can use black olives or get fancy with green olives stuffed with garlic or jalapeño. A sprinkle of sunflower seeds is an easy way to add some crunch and "good fats" to your salad.


• A stupendous resource: Asian grocery stores sell many kinds of greens and vegetables you may never see elsewhere. Try as many as you can. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive. If you're not sure what to buy, there's no harm in asking: "I'm trying to put together a delicious green salad. What do your recommend?" Or "What does this taste like? How should it be cooked, or is it better fresh? Is it possible to sample a small piece?" Other ethnic stores have their own unique selections of greens and vegetables—check them out, too.


• I suspect most of you usually use bottled dressings, but it takes very little time or effort to make your own salad dressing. It's a nice change of pace once in a while. You'll get different flavors and a fresher taste. You'll also usually get higher quality: less sweeteners and better oils. Many dressing recipes have five ingredients or less. Basically you pour everything into a small bowl and stir. Google "recipe salad dressing olive oil" and you'll get back a dazzling array of dressing recipes: Italian, French, thousand island, sesame-ginger, ones made especially for spinach salads, and more; most take 5 minutes or less.
  
• While you're at the Asian grocery store, or if you're at a restaurant that serves Japanese food, try a seaweed salad. It's a bit of a different taste if you've never had it, but in my experience at least half of the first-timers like it. There are innumerable variations of seaweed salad, so if you're on the fence after tasting one, try another version next time you get the chance. I'm partial to ones that have a ginger dressing.

Sandwiches
• Lots of veggies work well in sandwiches: Onions of any kind, roasted bell peppers (you can buy these in jars and sometimes at "olive bars" in stores that have them), avocados, greens beside lettuce (including spinach, arugula, and watercress), and sun-dried tomatoes. Use your imagination; keep it interesting.

Farmers markets are possibly even more relevant and rewarding for salads and sandwiches than they are for fruit. For instance, you'll see ultra-fresh varieties of local lettuces there that you don't see in stores.

Appetizers and Snacks
• Sushi is popular these days. Try vegetarian sushi. Fillings include avocado, asparagus, and cucumber. It's delicious. Try "dragon rolls" and other variations.


• Veggies and hummus make a high-protein, filling snack. Good vegetables for dipping include carrots, celery, and bell peppers.


• Buy the veggie tray at your supermarket and have it with non-dairy creamy dressings by Nasoya. Way healthier-than-usual finger food for company or watching football games. No double-dipping!


• There are lots more veggie appetizers and snacks. These are just a few of the easiest and most widely available.

Frozen Vegetables
If you're in the demographic I'm targeting, then your ratio of cooked frozen vegetables to cooked fresh vegetables is at least ten to one and maybe a hundred to one. I understand; I use frozen vegetables all the time, also. They're extremely handy, and since they're frozen and packaged soon after being harvested, they maintain their nutritional value.

• Go for variety. Break out of your frozen vegetable rut. Check out the frozen vegetable section at your grocery store and you're likely to find turnip greens, squash, snow peas, and maybe sweet potatoes—not just the usual green beans, broccoli, carrots, and about five others. Frozen vegetable blends may add in bell peppers, bamboo shoots, zucchini, and other vegetables. Go to different stores if need be, to maximize your variety.


• I'll get into some preparations for specific vegetables in a bit, but in general, you can't go wrong seasoning frozen vegetables with onion and/or garlic powder. Black or white pepper usually enhances flavor. Lemon juice often helps, also. Try two or three off-the-shelf spice blends as well. As an alternative to nuking, consider stir-frying the vegetables in a little oil and adding some soy sauce, garlic powder, and a teeny bit of red pepper.


• You'd be amazed what you can add to pasta sauce. If you have any frozen broccoli, throw that in. Frozen carrots or spinach would work, too. (Grated fresh carrot is also a nice addition.)


• Invest in a pepper grinder. It doesn't have to be fancy. Freshly cracked peppercorns produce a brighter, sharper, more aromatic flavor than you'll get with already-ground pepper.

To be continued...

Labels: salads, sandwiches, vegetables

• Artfully arrange some fresh fruit in a bowl on the kitchen table, or wherever you're most likely to eat meals or snacks. If you make the fruit more inviting and accessible, you may find yourself reaching for it more often.


• Always add fruit to cereal. Second choice: buy cereal with fruit already in it. The two choices aren't mutually exclusive. Add fruit to oatmeal and other hot cereal as well as to cold cereal. One option to consider here, which may give you more flexibility, is dried fruit.


• Fruit makes a nice topping for pancakes, waffles, and French toast. You can still use maple syrup and other toppings along with the fruit. One nice variation is escalloped apples or apple pie filling with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top.


• Fruit works surprisingly well in salads. Sections of mandarin oranges or red grapefruit (or both) go great on a spinach salad. Dried cherries or cranberries go well with most green salads. Try other combinations.


• Dried fruit mixes are a nice "pop a handful in the mouth" snack. They last a long time, and they often include fruits like papaya and apricot that I'm guessing you don't buy fresh very often.


• Bring some fruit to work. If you forget, and you work in a city, you can buy a piece of fruit from the street vendor or the little shop in the ground floor of your building. You can even buy a fruit cup at many Starbucks or other coffee shops.


• Bring fruit on trips and on hikes. Dried fruit may work better than fresh if you're going a long distance.


• Although it's not the cheapest or most environmentally responsible route, consider buying fruit for which the manual work—peeling, slicing, and so forth—has already been done, to make eating fruit easier. There are lots of choices here, such as orange and/or grapefruit sections, apple slices, and canned fruit. Most grocery stores now sell a variety of cut-up fruit, including watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, pineapple, kiwi, and strawberries. They typically sell combinations as well, which may include slices of larger fruit like melons and pineapple mixed with blueberries, raspberries, or other berries. Although you pay a little extra, you sort of get the best of both worlds here: Fresh fruit and zero preparation. Don't buy more than you'll eat in the next two days.


• Stop at farm stands. There's something about the freshness and color of the fruit on the stand that makes them more irresistible. In autumn, there's nothing like the burst of flavor you get from a crisp red, gold, or green apple right off the farm. But other fruit from farm stands, at any time of year, tastes great also. Like peaches in summer. OMG. Plus you'll be helping out a local farmer.


• Pretty much everything in the last bullet point also applies to farmers markets. Most areas have them.


• The easiest fruit salad in the world: Slice some bananas, slice some strawberries, add a drained can of Mandarin orange sections. Optional: Drizzle with agave nectar (a low-glycemic alternative to honey) and/or a bit of cinnamon. If you have any grapes or dried fruit around, they'll probably blend in fine. If this is dessert we're talking about, you can mix in some sweetened coconut shreds that you buy in the baking section.


• Consider smoothies. Make them or buy them. Go for the non-dairy versions. I prefer straight juice smoothies. But at some chains that sell dairy smoothies, such as Robek's, you can specify non-dairy and they'll substitute soy sherbet for the dairy product—and neither you nor anyone for whom you buy them will notice the difference.


• A lot of products have fruit in them, some more than others. Applesauce comes in a dozen different varieties these days, including Granny Smith, cinnamon, unsweetened, pear-apple, strawberry-apple, and peach-apple. Fruit pies are often loaded with fruit. Cranberry sauce is mostly cranberries. Well, with a lot of sugar, too, to offset the tartness. There's always fruitcake. These products aren't a substitute for fresh fruit, and some are loaded with unhealthy ingredients, but you get partial credit.


• At many sit-down restaurants, you can ask for a fruit dessert if it's not on the menu. If you're at an upscale place, see if you can get fresh berries with some liqueur like Irish Mist or Cointreau. Delectable. In general, a fruit dessert (and maybe a cup of coffee or tea) is a nice ending to a sumptuous repast that won't make you feel bloated or regretful.

Later in the series, I'll present a few super-simple recipes for green salads, fruit salads, and other dishes that incorporate fruit.

To be continued...

Labels: diet, fruit, salads