“A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do.” ~ P. J. O’Rourke, Political Satirist (1947 – )

Contemplating the difference between fruits and vegetables, I cruised the Internet highway hoping for a definitive answer. The one that made the most sense to me was a reader comment on an information site, saying that we should think of fruit as the womb of a plant and vegetables as everything else. That makes peas a vegetable, but pea pods fruit. Don’t get too stressed. Flawed thinking or not, I simply classify fruit as dessert. Except maybe for when it is in a Moroccan stew…

One of the reasons I enjoy the spring and summer holidays so much is because they are less labor intensive than fall and winter holidays. Perhaps our predecessors were too busy planting spring crops to worry about cutting out and decorating cookies.

Traditional Easter favorite, trifle, a cholesterol bomb made from day-old cake, cream, and jam, is no longer an option for us. What is an excellent choice, though, is a plate of fresh fruit with some simple dressings. We can also make do with almonds and a few dried apricots or mango pieces that have survived the winter. Even if you are going with the trifle, offering the choice of fruit alongside it is a considerate gesture for guests who would prefer to avoid the richer dessert. Nothing could be easier, so why not?

Dips for fresh fruit can be as simple as bowls of grated coconut, agave nectar, or brown sugar. Another favorite that takes just a little doing ahead of time is to melt some chocolate chips and drizzle it over strawberries, starfruit, and bananas, and dip the ends of dried apricots and chunks of fresh coconut. They require about 10 minutes in the refrigerator to firm up. I generally stay away from fully dipping the strawberries as shops like to do because the chocolate breaks away when biting, which makes them messy. Besides, the drizzle looks prettier.

If you want something a bit more formal but just as easy, consider offering a bowl of refreshing cantaloupe soup.

Cantaloupe Soup

Serves 6

1 cantaloupe, seeds and rind removed
1 (12 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 ½ cups coconut milk (lite canned is fine)
Several blackberries for garnish, broken into pieces
Fresh mint springs for garnish

Place melon pieces, orange juice concentrate, and coconut milk in blender. Process to a smooth puree. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour into bowls or martini glasses and garnish with blackberry pieces and mint sprigs.

See you Friday, when we’ll establish a good beet! As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

In our consciousness, there are many negative seeds and also many positive seeds. The practice is to avoid watering the negative seeds, and to identify and water the positive seeds every day.
~ The Most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master

When I was a kid – before I was even old enough to cross 13 Mile Road by myself – I used to like to walk to Bill’s Superette with my allowance to buy a nickel’s worth of penny candy. Bill Junior would put the purchase into a brown paper bag that was so small, the treats stuffed it to overflowing, and there amongst my “loot” would always be a small box or two of pumpkin seeds. I remember liking to hear the crunch as I ate them one by one, then the combination of toasty nuttiness and salt that flooded my mouth. Knowing how good they were for me might have spoiled the fun!

50 years later, the benefits of including seeds in the diet motivate me to continue eating at least one type of seed or another every day. They are rich in protein and calcium, and high in fats that fight cholesterol. Some, like flaxseed, are also strongly anti-inflammatory, which is a real boon to those of us suffering from arthritis.

In its whole form, flaxseed is indigestible. However, when ground to a meal, it becomes as soft as flour, with the appearance of ground walnuts. I toss it into almost everything I bake: breads, cookies, cakes, and muffins. Just substitute ¼ cup of the flour with ¼ cup flaxseed meal. It tastes slightly sweet and nutty, so it is a perfect way to add stealth nutrition to treats.

Other high-protein, high-fiber seeds we like to use are toasted sesame, and shelled pumpkin and sunflower seeds. They lend themselves well to including in baking, granola, a garnish for soups and salads, and as an out-of-hand treat. Remember, however, that even though they are a very healthy food, they are also high in fat so should not be consumed with abandon.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), an ancient seed known to have been grown in the Andes region of South America for over 6000 years, has recently found its way to our grocery store shelves. This seed has a highly balanced set of essential amino acids, meaning it provides unusually complete proteins. In many recipes, it can take the place of rice, bulgur, or couscous, or can be eaten as a hot breakfast cereal. An exception to the seed rule, quinoa has only 2.5 grams of fat per ¼ cup serving.

If you would like to give the quinoa seed a try, here is a recipe that replaces bulgur in the highly refreshing Middle Eastern tabbouleh salad. While typically served as a side dish, it is a particularly good lunch entrée when stuffed into a tomato shell or served in lettuce cups with wedges of pita bread on the side. Consider using this highly digestible salad in place of tuna or chicken salad to prevent the after lunch slump.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Serves 4 – 6

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well (use a strainer)
2 cups water
1 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tomato, diced*
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Coarsely ground salt and pepper, to taste

Measure quinoa and water into a small pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 12 – 15 minutes, just until all the water has been absorbed. Check frequently near end of cooking time to avoid scorching. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and cool to room temperature. Stir in remaining ingredients and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving so flavors can blend.

* If using this salad to stuff a tomato, you can substitute roasted red pepper, skin and seeds removed in place of the tomatoes in the salad.

Do you have a favorite seed? Share yours in the comments section so we can all enjoy them!

Monday is a great day to identify and water the positive seeds in your life, like the resolve to eat healthier. I hope you will visit with us again on Wednesday when we create some awesomely easy fruit-based treats.

 “Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference.”  ~ Robert Fulghum, Author (1937 – ) All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Working at a local senior center, I will forever remember the time when a 90-something woman who was obviously annoyed by the flirtations of a gregarious suitor remarked, “Feeling his oats? The only action he’s going to see will come from his oat meal.”  

Visualizations aside, the humble oat is certainly one of the more appreciated grains. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the shortest path to his stomach must be through an oatmeal cookie. Have you ever met a man who won’t roll over and do tricks for them?

Depending on the day you ask me, I will have a different favorite use for oatmeal. Yesterday, it was in baking bread. Recently, I have taken to substituting 1 cup of old fashioned oats for 1 cup of the flour in the my bread recipes. Besides the nutritional boost, the oats provide more texture and a hint of sweetness. The individual oats retain their shape through the kneading and baking, so they offer some visual interest as well. 

Several years ago, when it was suggested that adding a little more fiber to my diet might be in order, I started to make my own granola. The mixtures offered at the grocery store were good, and a bit pricey, but mostly I wanted more control over the ingredients – specifically, less fat, no dairy, and much less sugar. Granola making is a Saturday morning project, being somewhat labor intensive, but the individualization is worth it. If you make your own, consider using a mild tasting, heart healthy olive oil for the fat and a natural sweetener like maple syrup or agave nectar.

Of course, you can always eat oatmeal as… well, oatmeal! I quit buying the instant packets as soon as I learned how easy it is to prepare the old fashioned oats using the microwave oven: Measure 1 cup of water into a 1-quart capacity measuring cup, then stir in ½ cup old fashioned oats. Microwave on high for 2 ½ minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon plain ground cinnamon or top with a fruit topping (see March 15^th blog, Mango Mornings). Allow to cool a little before eating, then prepare to embrace all that natural energy!

Of course, while you are enjoying your breakfast, don’t forget to save a little of those oats for dessert after supper. While most fruit crisp recipes call for added butter and a significant amount of sugar, I prefer the minimalist approach for a fresher taste here, too, and a crispier topping:

Peach Crisp for Two

1/3 cup oats
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ cups frozen peach slices

Preheat oven to 350°   No need to grease the pan.

Mix oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and maple syrup together until ingredients are evenly distributed.

Spread the peaches in the bottom of a 3-cup casserole dish or small bread pan. Top with the oat mixture, covering the peaches in an even layer.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Serve warm.

Let us know how you like to feel your oats – and come back again on Monday when we’ll be Sowing Our Seeds.

“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.”
~ Calvin Trillin, American Author (1935 – )

A favorite buzz word for those working toward making our planet more sustainable is repurposing. This is the art of taking a cast-off and turning it into something else; like when we use a cracked mug as a pencil holder, or cut up a plastic lotion bottle to make a cell phone charging station. Finding new ways to repurpose items can be a fun challenge, especially when it comes to leftover food.

Leftover rice and veggies are particularly good for inventing new combinations, easily being converted into pilaf, Mexican rice, or Chinese fried rice. The end of a loaf of bread goes into bread salad or gets turned into crumbs. Scraps of leftover cooked vegetables get tossed into a bag in the freezer to later be turned into soup.

Of all the repurposing of food that we do, however, the enchilada must be the most eager recipient of our efforts. Whatever leftovers can be scraped together can be turned into a completely new meal. Feel free to pull together whatever leftovers appeal to you for stuffing the tortillas… except maybe spaghetti…

The Whole Enchilada

3 cups leftovers, diced
6 large (burrito size) flour tortillas
1 (31-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1 (28-ounce) can enchilada sauce
4 ounces grated cheese (entirely optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil a 13” x 9” x 2” casserole pan and cover the bottom with 1 cup of the enchilada sauce. Soften the tortillas according to package directions.
Spread ½ cup refried beans into a 2-inch wide line down the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2” border for folding. Top the refried beans with leftovers, dividing evenly between tortillas.
Fold over ¼ bottom and two sides of tortilla. Roll over the top and place side-by-side into casserole dish as each is completed. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Cover casserole with lid or foil and place on center rack of oven for 35 minutes, until heated through. If using cheese, uncover and sprinkle with the cheese, then return to oven for about 5 minutes, until melted.

Our favorite combination involves sweet potatoes and spinach. What is yours?

The week is half over already. Keep having fun and don’t forget to drop by on Friday for conversation about Feeling Your Oats.

“Much virtue in herbs, little in men.”
~Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Have you begun channeling your inner farmer yet? Spring officially arrived on Saturday, but the lawn was already turning green and the snowdrop flowers bloomed a week ago. So it is that my heart has turned toward planning the garden.

We do have a nice raised bed for growing vegetables, fenced in to protect the plants from being ravaged by rabbits. However, when it comes down to the favored child, the herbs are what get the bulk of my attention. Whether in pots or plots, fresh herbs carry the biggest return on investment, too.

Consider the cost of a bunch of basil from the grocery store. Usually running $2.50 on up for a small handful, a single packet of seeds at $1.79 will produce more than 20 bunches. Many herbs grow well in pots on the porch or window sill, too, if you don’t have regular garden space.

Above and beyond the savings, however, is what using fresh herbs will add to your cooking. Dried herbs are okay for their convenience and accessibility, but they don’t provide much in the color department. For foods that are not heated, few dried herbs convey significant scent, but you can taste a mint or thyme plant just by walking past it. So it is that herbs can add flavor to your doorstep.

Herbs simplify cooking, too; they turn humble into extraordinary with their presence alone. Take the tomato, slice it, sprinkle it with a little salt and freshly ground pepper and it is very good. BUT– — add some shredded fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, and you suddenly move into the realm of food magic. Total investment of time: 2 ½ minutes. I know, because I just did it.

An herbal holiday favorite at our house, particularly in spring, consists of a variety of olives and sprigs of fresh rosemary seated in a lake of slightly warm extra virgin olive oil. This is simplicity at its most elegant: guests dip bread into the fragrant olive oil instead of using butter, and they can eat the olives alone or on salads. Serve it with a bottle of Amarone or Chianti wine and you can almost taste Italy. Afterward, the rosemary leaves can be chopped and used to season potatoes for roasting.

When it comes to cooking with fresh herbs, nothing compares with the beauty and fragrance of the simple Pesto. Use it to replace the tomato sauce on pasta or pizza for a refreshing change of pace. Pine nuts are traditional for this dish, however, the more common and less expensive walnut works equally as well.

Walnut Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves (1 medium bunch)
1/3 cup walnut meats
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water

Whirl ingredients in food processor or blender to puree into a smooth paste, stopping to push mixture off sides and back down to blades periodically. This recipe makes enough to top one large pizza or pasta for 4. If you don’t use it all right away, freeze it in tablespoon-sized dollops on a cookie sheet or ice cube tray. Once frozen, store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer until needed.

There is no greater compliment for me than when a guest walks in the door and proclaims, “Oh, it smells soooooooo good in here!” The cause of the scent is undoubtedly an herb or spice involved in the preparation of a meal.

Through the coming months, we’ll talk more about using herbs to make food preparation easier and more satisfying. I hope you will use the comments section to tell us what your favorite herbs are and how you like to use them.

Please come back this Wednesday for The Whole Enchilada. In the mean time, don’t forget to inhale!