Gluten-Free Yeast Rolls

During the last two years I discovered that wheat and my digestive tract are no longer friends.  They probably never were but only recently did I have the courage to eliminate wheat from my diet.  I've found it is easiest to choose gluten-free products - where there is no gluten there is no wheat!

The one thing I have missed is a good yeast roll for sandwiches or burgers.  I've also missed the wonderful experience of fresh baked bread, including the aroma while it is baking and the enjoyment of eating it warm from the oven.

While attempting to grocery shop without my glasses, I accidentally picked up a Bob's Red Mill "Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix" instead of the biscuit mix I'd intended to buy.  

I decided to experiment to see if I could use the mix to make a roll suitable for a burger bun.  The first time I made them, they were irregular shaped blobs that quickly fell after I'd baked them.  I didn't cover them while they were baking and they browned too quickly, which resulted in my pulling them out of the oven a bit early. 

Today I made them again, and results lived up to the "Homemade Wonderful" label.  I wanted to share this with all of the gluten-free foodies who may also be missing yeast rolls and want to get adventurous in the kitchen.  Simply mix according to the directions and shape them into circular mounds instead of putting the dough in a bread pan.  I baked them for 20 minutes and covered them with foil after 10 minutes to prevent over browning.

They freeze well and are good enough for everyone to enjoy, gluten-free or not.  Enjoy!

Chocoholics Rejoice!

Chocolate lovers and chocolate manufacturers are united in their celebration about the health benefits of chocolate, or more specifically cocoa.

Cocoa is rich in a type of antioxidant called polyphenols  also found in plant foods such as red grapes and green tea.  These polyphenols may reduce the risk of heart disease, improve blood flow, and lower blood pressure. 

Cocoa or cacao beans are not beans but the seeds of the fruit of the Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds are dried and then processed to produce cocoa powder.  Dark chocolate generally has a higher percentage of cocoa content than milk chocolate.

Hershey Compares Dark Chocolate to Super Fruits

The Hershey Company conducted a study published in Chemistry Central Journal, where researchers compared the total flavonol and polyphenol content as well as antioxidant activity content of cocoa powder and dark chocolate vs. super fruits, including acai, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate.  (Keep in mind that this study has some risk of bias since Hershey has a vested interest in the outcome.)

The researchers looked at the antioxidant content per 40-gram (1.4-ounce) serving of dark chocolate (containing 60%-63% cacao) and cocoa powder vs. 8 fl. oz. of super fruit juices.  The fruit juices included acai, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate and were 100% non-blended juices.  The total antioxidant activity of dark chocolate per serving was significantly higher than the super fruit juices except for pomegranate juice.  

The total polyphenol content per serving was highest for dark chocolate at about 1,000 milligrams per serving.  This was significantly higher than the fruit juices except pomegranate juice.  Dark chocolate also had the highest total flavonol content per serving at more than 500 milligrams, followed by cocoa beverage at about 400.  All of the super fruit juices had less than 200 milligrams per serving of this type of antioxidant.

Researchers say it's important to note that the cocoa powders, cocoa beverages, and dark chocolate used in the study contained natural or non-alkalized cocoa.  Alkalization is a process used to mellow the flavor of cocoa, but it also destroys the polyphenolic compounds.  Most hot cocoa mixes contain alkalized cocoa and thus contain few or no antioxidants.

Health Benefits

How do the polyphenols in chocolate help to reduce heart disease?  Research has shown that the polyphenols in chocolate inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.  This reduces the potential for LDL cholesterol to stick to artery walls, decreasing the risk of plaque buildup, heart attack and stroke.

Before you run out to buy your favorite chocolate bar, be aware that all chocolate is not equal.  Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70% is recommended because it is lower in sugar and higher in polyphenols than milk chocolate. 

Definitive studies using dark chocolate to prevent heart disease have not been done, so don’t go crazy and add a chocolate bar to your vitamin regimen.  It is reasonable to eat up to 1 oz. daily of high quality dark chocolate as part of a healthy diet.

Endangered Species is one of my favorite brands.  The bar shown below is 3 oz. and I've found that about 1/2 oz. savored after a good meal is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Kale... Chips??

I know it sounds strange to make chips out of a leafy green that often decorates salad bars, but if you haven’t tried them you are missing an incredible snack alternative.  People who have tried them describe them as “addicting” and confess that they often eat a whole bowl themselves.

When I first heard about them I knew that it was something I had to try!  Leafy greens are a powerhouse for health and creative recipes inspire me.  I purchased some Dinosaur Kale, also known as Lucinato or Tuscan Kale.

I found a few recipes online and baked a batch with less than delicious results – too salty, unevenly cooked, and some were charred beyond being edible.   Yuk!

I had some beet greens from a beautiful bunch of beets from the farmers market, so I decided to get creative and tried a less salty recipe with the greens, along with some balsamic vinegar.  It sure sounded good, but the results were not good.  What about collard greens?  They are thicker and might hold up better to the heat of the oven.  Wrong!  By this time I was getting frustrated and I was close to a household rule that leafy greens do not go in the oven – ever.   I ended up buying a package of kale chips from Whole Foods for $7.99 to see what the “professional” chips tasted like, but I disliked these more than those I made myself.

I decided to consult an expert, and it just so happened that I was at the Summer Food Academy at Auburn School District.  On the last day of the academy, their experienced kitchen manager made kale chips for the kids.  They were fantastic, and many of the kids couldn’t get enough of them.

One of the critical factors I'd missed was the type of kale.  I learned that the Curly Kale is much better suited to even cooking because it does not lay flat on the baking sheet.

I found some beautiful purple curly kale at the farmers market and added some dried oregano and a pinch of cayenne pepper along with the olive oil.  I sprinkled salt on the kale just before baking to season it as I would any roasted vegetable to prevent adding too much salt.  The result was 100% delicious! 

Why was I so determined to make them?  Kale is a superfood, and I am always looking for creative ways to incorporate it in my diet.  One cup of raw kale contains 684% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K, 206% of vitamin A, and 134% of vitamin C.  It is also an excellent source of manganese, copper, calcium, and iron and has 2 grams of fiber.  This is the kind of snack I get excited about!

If you haven’t tried kale chips, use my recipe below to give them a try.  Vary the seasoning if you’d like to and be sure to watch them closely as ovens vary in temperature.

Spicy Kale Chips

These home-made chips are so delicious that even your kids will enjoy them!  The curly leaf kale works best as the curly edges ensure that the kale doesn’t lay flat on the pan.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large bunch kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

~1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more if you prefer more heat

1.       Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.       Spin kale in a salad spinner or blot with a paper towel to remove excess water. 

3.       Place kale in a large bowl, add olive oil, and massage the oil into the kale until all of the leaves have been coated.

4.       Place kale on a large baking sheet sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper.  Toss to evenly distribute the spices.

5.       Bake for approximately 10 minutes and then toss the kale to redistribute it on the pan for even cooking.

6.       Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until the kale has just begun to brown around the edges and kale pieces are crispy.

7.       Cool and serve.

Preparation time:  25 minutes.

Makes 4-6 servings (or 1 if you eat them all yourself!)

Note:  Please consult your doctor if you are taking a blood thinner.  The high content of vitamin K may interfere with your medication.

Sacha Inchi Seeds – "43% Omegas"

A while back I wrote about a new product (new to me anyway!) called sacha inchi seeds.  The seeds are grown in the highlands of Peru and boast a high content of healthful omega-3 fatty acids.  I stopped at Whole Foods Market a couple of weeks ago and was curious to try them.

I found the TerrAmazon brand of packaged roasted seeds near the bulk section – 3 oz. for $9.99!  I could have ordered a 5 oz. bag of Savi Seed brand inchi seeds for the same price from Amazon.com, but after shipping the cost would have been just about equivalent.  My first discovery for research of this product was that it is expensive!  A serving size is 1 oz., so get out your wallet if you plan to make this a regular snack.

I measured out 1 oz. to see how many seeds a serving is, and it totaled 38 seeds.  The seeds are the shape of a disk about the size of a dime, so 38 seeds is quite a large serving. 

The seeds are roasted and salted, and the taste?  The closest thing I can come up with is a soy nut, but not as crunchy.  I thought they were tasty enough to eat a few, but I did not enjoy them as much as nuts and would not be happy with eating 38 of them at one time.

The 1 oz. serving contains 170 calories, 6 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of protein.  The total fat per serving is 14 grams, with 1 gram of saturated fat, 1 gram on monounsaturated fat, and 12 grams of polyunsaturated fat consisting of 6 grams of omega-3, 5 grams of omega-6, and 1 gram of omega-9.  One serving also provides 4% of the daily value of calcium and iron, and 170 mg of sodium.

Would I choose this product for its omega-3 content?

Nutritionally important omega−3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  ALA is found in plant foods and EPA and DHA are both found in cold water oily fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies.  Our bodies have the ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is inefficient at less than 5%, and as low as less than 1% if the ALA is competing with omega-6 fatty acids. 

Much of the research on the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids is for EPA and DHA, including prevention of heart disease and inflammation.  ALA has not been shown to have the same cardiovascular benefits as EPA or DHA, although there are many products on the market (such as the sacha inchi seeds) that claim to have health-promoting omega-3’s.  The TerrAmazon brand does not mention heart health or inflammation, but they do claim that the plant in general has medicinal properties.  It would be easy for an unaware consumer to invest in the seeds thinking that they are getting the health benefits of EPA and DHA when they are not.

For me the choice is simple, I would not choose this product.  They are expensive, not as flavorful as nuts, and most importantly they do not contain the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA that I want in my diet.  I’d rather spend my money on simply grilled with a splash of lemon.

Which salmon species has the highest content of EPA and DHA? 

It depends on where the salmon lived prior to being caught for testing.  Omega-3 fatty acids can be thought of as the “anti-freeze” of the fat world, because these polyunsaturated fats remain fluid in fish that swim frigid ocean waters.  This explains why omega-3s levels are usually highest in salmon that come from and return to the coldest rivers, and swim in the coldest ocean waters.  If you are interested, one reference chart is included below.

Fish Species and Description	DHA+EPA per 85 g (3 oz.)
Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked, dry heat	1.56
Fish, salmon, Chinook, cooked, dry heat	1.48
Fish, salmon, pink, cooked, dry heat	1.10
Fish, salmon, coho, farmed, cooked, dry heat	1.09
Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat	1.05
Fish, salmon, chum, drained solids with bone	1.00
Fish, salmon, coho, wild, cooked, dry heat	0.90
Fish, salmon, chum, cooked, dry heat	0.68
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/report/html/table_g2_adda2.htm

Fuzzy Peaches - Love at First Bite!

Last week at my local farmers market I bought a couple of small, seemingly “extra fuzzy” peaches.  I brought them home and put them on the counter to reach ripe perfection for a mid-week snack.  I’ve found that filling a bowl with fresh, luscious fruit that is visible every time I go into my kitchen creates a snack magnet that overrides any other cravings when I need something sweet.  And it helps me toward my goal of at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Back to the peaches!  This peach must have been fresh off of the tree and picked at the perfect point of ripeness.  It was soft, sweet, juicy and fell right of the pit.  I can’t remember the last time I’d had a peach so perfect and I wish I’d purchased more!

A small peach has only 50 calories, 2 gram of fiber, and is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium. 

In North America alone there are over 300 varieties of peaches.  The most common you will see in the market include yellow or white flesh, and clingstone, freestone, or semi-freestone.  Most peaches sold in the U.S. are yellow flesh and have more of an “acid tang” than white flesh varieties.

Clingstone peaches have flesh that clings to their pits.  This variety is softer, sweeter and juicier than freestone peaches and commercially canned peaches are all clingstones.  The growing season is May to August and this is the time to find them at your local farmers market.

Freestone peaches’ flesh does not stick to the pit and they tend to be larger and less juicy than clingstones.  The growing season is slightly longer, from May to October.

Semi-freestone is a hybrid of clingstone and freestone, an attempt to combine the sweetness of clingstones and the easy eating properties of freestones.

You may also find donut peaches, a heirloom variety this is flat, white-fleshed, and low in acid.  I’ve seen them in grocery stores that carry local and specialty produce during the summer months.

In addition to enjoying peaches fresh, they are fantastic grilled with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, diced in muffins or pancakes, or sliced on top of yogurt, cereal, or salads.  If you are feeling ambitious, buy extra and can them, freeze them, or make home-made jam to enjoy all winter.

Here is a link to simple instructions on how to successfully freeze peaches: How to Freeze Peaches.

Free Lunch and Garden Discoveries

I successfully completed my first dietetic internship rotation this week.  It was exhilarating to have an opportunity to put my knowledge and experience in practice, and everyone I worked with was extremely supportive.  My first week included two assignments: (1) Assist with preparation of food and delivery of lunches for a free Summer Lunch Program and (2) participate in a Summer Food Academy for 4^th-5^th graders. 

Free Lunch

The delivery of lunches was fast and furious.  The USDA funds the free lunch program, but the funding is limited to $3.00 per meal which must cover the labor, delivery costs, and food.  Amazingly enough, the lunch included hot and cold entrée choices, two choices of fruit, two choices of vegetables, milk and a “treat”.  AND, the meals are delivered to almost 40 sites every day including parks, apartment complexes, and schools.  The food is loaded on small school buses with built in food warmers, coolers, and thermal packs that hold a milk crate.  Food and milk was kept frosty cold using ice packs.   At each site, we quickly set up a sturdy folding table and set out food.  There was always a line formed at each site, with 40-60 children ages 1-18 eagerly anticipating a nutritious lunch.  Lunch service was often as short as 15 minutes and the delivery schedule was tight.  We got a great work out unloading and reloading the bus at each site.  At several sites the kids chased the bus and waved as we drove on to the next neighborhood.

What did we serve, and did the meal include whole foods? 

While the hot entrée was standard fare for school age children (chicken nuggets, pizza, corn dogs), the children could also choose a fresh deli sandwich, small salad with chicken, yogurt, or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  All of the fruit, vegetable, and “treat” items impressively included whole foods:  fresh orange segments, apples, and apricots; baby carrots, broccoli florets, sliced cucumber, and sliced summer squash fresh from the garden.  The “treats” included a carton of orange juice or a fruit cup with only 2 ingredients:  strawberries and sugar.  I was surprised to see only a very few of the children do their best avoid the raw vegetables, but parental encouragement quickly won every time.   I was even introduced to a new food:  raw sliced summer squash fresh from the garden.  At first we questioned the wisdom of including these raw.  I tasted a slice at the first site and enjoyed it.  At the next site, when we were asked “what did you bring?” our response was “crunchy organic squash freshly picked from the garden!”  We ended our service with an empty vegetable container.

Summer Food Academy

The Summer Food Academy was inspiring.  The program was from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for three days.  Upon arrival, the students made breakfast, set the table, and ate together.  After a short outside recess, they participated in several lessons in the school garden including harvesting vegetables, creating a worm farm, composting, the life of a plant and edible parts, whole vs. processed foods, and reading Nutrition Facts labels.  Back inside the kitchen, the students prepared their lunch and ended the day eating lunch together.  The foods they experienced making included pancakes with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, fresh strawberry jam, scones, yogurt and fruit parfaits, baked chicken or burgers, sushi, and homemade pizza.  In addition to their cooking contributions, breakfast included several different kinds of fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, bananas, apples, oranges) and lunch included the vegetables they harvested and more, both roasted and raw (green beans, onions, beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, radishes, cucumber, zucchini, and a fresh salad  with balsamic vinaigrette) and more fresh fruit.  We picked mint and seeped it in water overnight to enjoy mint water for lunch the next day.  Cabbage was served raw, roasted, and dressed as cole slaw so the students could experience the vegetable in many different preparations. 

Did they eat it?  The food was passed family style around the table, and each mounded fruits and vegetables on their plates at every meal.  The instructor set the expectation on the first day that everyone would take at least one bite of everything served.  Not only did they try everything – they cleaned their plates at both meals!

While we enjoyed the meals together, we discussed the importance of calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C and identified the foods on the table that provided the nutrients.  The students were quite nutrition savvy for their age and eager to share what they knew.  There were many new food discoveries and the students excitedly reported their experiences to their parent(s) at the end of each day. 

It was clear that the children had tremendous fun and left with a new respect for where their food originated.  They tried many new vegetables and found some new favorites to eat at home.  I left with a full heart and a full stomach, inspired to include more fruits and vegetables into my own meals.