The Healthy Cooking Coach

Got Cauliflower?

Have you ever noticed that the most heavily processed foods have the biggest advertising campaigns backing them, while some of the most nutritious and natural foods go unnoticed and unadvertised? Have you ever seen a billboard that says, “Got bok choy?” “Got kale, collards, or cauliflower?”

No. Mostly you see ads for processed foods––––pasteurized, homogenized, factory-farmed milk from cows on drugs; artificially flavored,  colored, and carbonated sugar water; fluffed, puffed, extruded, fried, and dextrinized cereal products; worse than butter substitutes and tubs of you-can-believe-it's not really butter products.

Some of the most nutritious foods are on they're own, unless some scientist discovers their virtues and gets someone in the media excited enough to write about them. Even then they may get short shrift. Let's face it, they're more perishable and less profitable than foods with longer shelf lives and more potential for fabrication by food processors.

So, you’ve probably heard you should avoid white foods––-white rice, white bread, white sugar and that the more color a vegetable or fruit has, the more nutrients it contains. Well, there are some exceptions to that rule. Take cauliflower. It's actually more nutritious than you might think at first glance. Like onions, garlic, and mushrooms, this white food packs powerful nutrients your body needs.

What’s so great about cauliflower? 

* Cauliflower, like onions and garlic, is a good source of allicin, which can prevent the common cold,  improve heart health, reduce the risk of having a stroke, fight microbes in your body, and prevent and treat cancer.

* Cauliflower is a good source of selenium, a trace element that promotes healthy liver, thyroid, and immune function. It acts as an antioxidant, scavenging free radicals that would otherwise damage our DNA. It reduces the damaging effects of toxins such as alcohol and second-hand smoke and may reduce the risk of developing cancer.

* Cauliflower is a good source of vitamin C (and you thought oranges were the only source?), which protects your body from damage by free radicals, slows down the againg process, promotes healthy skin and gums, reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

* Cauliflower is rich in folate, a B vitamin that reduces the risk of neural tube defect in pregnant women and brain tumors and cardiovascular problems in fetuses, cuts a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer. when teamed up with vitamins B6 and B12, folate helps the body get rid of excess homocysteine, which researchers believe reduces the risk of heart disease and stoke in adults.

* Cauliflower contains indole-3-carbinol, a substance that curbs the growth of tumors and may help prevent breast and other female cancers, such as uterine and cervical cancer.

* Cauliflower contains glucosinolates and thiocyanates, which increase your liver’s ability to neutralize potentially toxic substances you're exposed to on a daily basis.

* Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, an anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer compound that accelerate the activity of detoxification enzymes that neutralize free radicals before they cause mutations. This compound can rid the body of cancer causing chemicals and stop the spread of cancer cells.

* Cauliflower is a good source of potassium, an electrolyte that carries tiny electrical charges throughout your body, ensuring the proper functioning of your heart, brain, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems.

* It blends easily into soups, especially puréed soups, mashed vegetable dishes, and casseroles.

* It makes a great dipper and chip replacer when cut into florets and blanched in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then plunged in ice water to stop the cooking and hold the color.

New ways with cauliflower
If you’re tired of steamed cauliflower and raw cauliflower with ranch dip, try this recipe.

FYI: I recommend against eating raw cauliflower and broccoli. These cruciferous vegetables contain substances called goitrogens that can inhibit thyroid function if consumed in large amounts. Cabbage family vegetables also contain enzyme inhibitors that block the activity of digestive enzymes, causing painful gas and bloating. Cooking helps reduce these substances. It reduces bitter compounds and makes them more tender, tasty, and digestible.

I served this dish for Thanksgiving and have made it at other times during the year. It has a more familar flavor and texture than low-carb cauliflower and cheese-based faux mashed potatoes. Experiment with different seasonings, such as horseradish or roasted garlic if you feel adventurous. 

Cauliflower-Potato Mash

Hands-on prep: 15 to 20 minutes/ Cooking: 15 minutes/ Yield: about 4 cups; 6 to 8 servings

I have nothing against potatoes. They’re nutritious, filling, and rate high on the satiety index as long as you avoid them in the form of french fries, potato chips, hashbrowns, fried potato skins, and instant mashed potatoes. However, most people have plenty of carbs coming at them on a daily basis. But most people don’t eat enough cruciferous vegetables. This recipe helps you ease into eating less starch and more crucifers.

I got the idea from Chef Patrick Gaudet who presented his version of this at the West of the West Culinary Festival in Phoenix, Arizona, two or three years ago, when he worked for the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa (not sure if he's still there). I replace heavy cream with unsweetened coconut milk, which contains half the fat and calories of cream and some powerful antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial compounds, and the butter with coconut oil (yes, its a healthy fat!), and changed the kind of potato.

As always, I recommend making enough for planned-overs you can serve the next day at breakfast with poached or fried eggs and fruit or for lunch or dinner salmon to beef, lamb, or turkey, green salad, and a colorful orange, yellow or red vegetable or fruit. Okay, enough said!

Ingredients:
1 cup homemade Bone Broth (recipe in The Garden of Eating), chicken or turkey broth or stock, or gluten-free preservative-free broth from a natural foods store
2 small Yukon Gold or Yellow Fin potatoes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium cauliflower (about 2 pounds), quartered, cored, and roughly cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt (Celtic, Lima, or RealSalt); reduce if using salted broth

1/4 cup unsweetened, sulfite-free coconut milk (I prefer Thai Kitchen)
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (butter also works)
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste, optional
finely chopped scallions, chives, or parsley for garnish
Hungarian paprika or Smoked paprika, optional

1. Add the broth, to a 2- to 3-quart pot. Layer the potatoes over the bottom of the pot. Top with the cauliflower, and sprinkle with sea salt Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender enough to mash, about 15 minutes.
2. Transfer the cooked vegetables and remaining liquid to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the coconut milk, coconut butter, pepper, and optional nutmeg. Purée until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Return the purée to the pot. Cover and refrigerate if you’re not ready to serve it. To serve, warm over medium heat, stirring periodically until warm.
4. Garnish with scallions, chives, or parsley and sprinkle with paprika if desired, then serve.
5.  efrigerator leftovers in a heat-proof Pyrex or Corningware container. Uncover and warm in a 300˚F toaster oven or cover with parchment paper and place on a rack or steamer tray, cover the pot (or steamer) and steam heat for about 10 minutes, until hot.

Source: Chef Rachel Albert-Matesz, The Healthy Cooking Coach

An Unconventional Thanksgiving Dinner

I had a wonderful and unconventional thanksgiving dinner yesterday. No turkey. No gravy. No grain. No heavy feeling after the meal and no regrets. 

My holiday meal included a lot of locally grown ingredients from my state, region, and bio region, and only a few imported ingredients from far away places (the coconut milk and oil, cranberries, Turkish dried apricots, and spices).

I shared a delicious meal with my friends Kenny and Brenna, and their three beautiful children, Zane (6), Kaleb (4), and Murphy (14 months). Kenny, an experienced commercial fisherman (also known as The Fishhugger) thinly sliced some of his sustainably harvested wild Alaskan salmon from this summer’s catch. If you live in Phoenix you can buy it at farmers'markets around the valley or have him deliver it to your door.

Kenny poached half the Coho salmon in white wine with rosemary (fresh from his garden) and seared the other half in a cast iron skillet with Bariani stone-crushed California-grown olive oil, which he sells at farmers' markets in Phoenix. We seasoned it at the table with Kenny’s Original Spice Rub, a blend of ground kosher sea salt, white pepper, black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, rosemary, parsley, and dehydrated lemon peel.

Brenna made a colorful green salad with fresh vegetables from Bob McClendon of McClendon's Select at the Town & Country Farmers’ Market in central Phoenix, dressed with more Bariani olive oil and mustard-dill vinegar. She also steamed Bob's hearty braising mix of red kale, green kale, tat-soi, chard, mizuna, red and green mustards, and topped it with butter from pasture-fed cows.

I brought a dairy-free, reduced carb variation of mashed potatoes using 1 part potato and 3 to 4 parts cauliflower (recipe in the next post), homemade bone broth, coconut milk, coconut oil, sea salt, and pepper. I have nothing against potatoes. I just figured we’d be eating my my low-sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free Squash Pudding Pie for dessert, so I wanted something lighter and less starchy for our feast.

I also brought homemade Cranberry Apricot Chutney with Ginger (recipe below) and a package of Teeccino, an herbal coffee, to brew and serve with dessert. It looks dark, smells rich, and has a full-bodied flavor reminiscent of coffee. Yet it doesn't contain coffee beans, caffeine, or irritating acids, and its free of the chemicals found in decaf. It tastes mildly sweet from dates and figs, yet it's low in calories and carbs. Some people use it gradually wean themselves off coffee. Others, like me, simply enjoy the bitter and robust flavor that few teas can deliver. It makes a nice contrast to a sweet dessert and a good morning wake up drink without draining your adrenals.

Although Teeccino contains barley, an independent laboratory at the University of Nebraska that specializes in gluten testing found no detectable levels of gluten in it. Gluten is not extracted by boiling water. The company regularly has Teeccino tested at the University of Nebraska’s Allergy Testing lab where it has had no detectible levels of gluten found at 10PPM. To view the lab report click here.

Everyone enjoyed the meal, even the kids. Kenny’s kids absolutely love fish and willingly eat vegetables and fruits. The boys (4 and 6) each polished off two pieces of my low-sugar, dairy-free, Squash Pudding Pie. You can find the recipe for that in both of my recent books, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook and Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces. I make the pie several times a year, not just for Thanksgiving. Even Murphy (14 months) enjoyed the Teeccino beverage, straight-up, unsweetened!

Cranberry-Apricot Chutney with Ginger
Hands on: 20 minutes/ Cooking: 15 minutes /Yield: 3 cups; 12 servings
                   
The inspiration for this tangy chunky chutny came from a recipe by Sally Sampson (Delicious Living Magazine, Dec., 2003). I changed the sweetener, cut back the “sugar,” and added my own twist. This relish perks up poached, sautéed, grilled, or broiled chicken, turkey, salmon, or pork, or a vanilla- and cinnamon-infused omelet. It also doubles as jam for cornbread and makes a wonderful holiday gift.
       
Notes: Double the recipe if you like (it freezes well) but use a large and wide pot so the juices cook away quickly. Xylitol, a granulated, low-glycemic substitute for sugar, contains 40% fewer calories. Look for it in natural foods stores. To reduce fat and calories, omit nuts below.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pitted, sulfite-free (preferably-Turkish) dried apricots, finely diced
1/4 cup sulfite-free raisins or dried currants
1/4 cup xylitol or honey or agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder (you could try liquid stevia)
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger root or bottled ginger purée (double if desired)
12 ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw), about 3 cups
1/3 cup apple juice, pineapple juice, or apricot or peach nectar
1 tablespoon arrowroot dissolved in 3 tablespoons cool or cold filtered water
grated zest of 1 lime
grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 to 3/4 cup lightly toasted, coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds


1.    Layer dried apricots, raisins or currants, xylitol, stevia, sea salt, ginger, dried cranberries, and fruit juice in a 1 to 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
2.    Dissolve arrowroot in cool water then add to saucepan. Simmer and stir until thick and clear, then remove from heat. Stir in orange and lime zests, and optional nuts. Transfer to glass containers. Allow to cool, then cover, and freeze whatever you don’t plan to use within 1 month (leaving 1-inch of headspace in each container), and refrigerating the rest.

1/4 cup with nuts: 122 calories, 2 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate (5 g fiber), 4 g fat, 8 mg calcium, 39 mg sodium
1/4 cup without nuts: 86 calories, 1 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate (5 g fiber), 0 g fat, 4 mg calcium, 39 mg sodium

Variations:
*   Cranberry Apricot Chutney with Chipotlé: Replace ginger with 1 to 2 minced jalapeno or chipotlé chiles or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground jalapeno, ancho, or chipotlé pepper powder.
*    Replace dried apricots with dried, fruit sweetened strawberries.

© Copyright 2008, Rachel Albert-Matesz

How Far Will Your Food Travel For Thanksgiving?

“When far-flung families get together for Thanksgiving dinners next week, much of their food will have logged more miles than their relatives and friends around the table, finds a new study by the Worldwatch Institute, an environmental and social policy research organization based in Washington, D.C. In the United States, food now travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, as much as 25 percent farther than two decades ago,” say experts at the World Watch Institute.

"We are spending far more energy to get food to the table than the energy we get from eating the food. A head of lettuce grown in the Salinas Valley of California and shipped nearly 3,000 miles to Washington, D.C., requires about 36 times as much fossil fuel energy in transport as it provides in food energy when it arrives," says Worldwatch Research Associate Brian Halweil, author of Home Grown: The Case for Local Food in a Global Market.

Problems with non local food
Our reliance on food picked long ago and far away undermines local economies, creates numerous opportunities for contamination, and increases fuel use, contributing to global warming. It also reduces the nutritional value of our food. Fresh vegetables and fruits can lose 50 percent of their carotene (pro-vitamin A) content and 60 percent of their vitamin C within three days of being harvested. A week after harvest, these nutrients can be completely lost. Rarely is fresh produce in the consumers’ mouths within a day of harvest when the nutritional value is greatest (assuming the produce was allowed to ripen fully).

Eating more locally grown food reduces fuel use
The solution is to base your holiday meal and the other 1094 meals a year on increasing amounts of locally grown food.  According to some surveys, a typical meal comprised of locally grown ingredients may require four to 17 times less petroleum to transport than the same meal bought from conventional food chains.

How to choose more locally grown food
Picture a bulls-eye (dart board). We’re in the middle. That's your target! The next circle out consists of the rest of our state. The next represents neighboring states, our region, then our bio region. What you want to do is buy more food from the inner circles, the ones closer to home.

If you live in Arizona that means you’d make Arizona grown apples your first choice, California and Washington apples your second choice, apples from the Midwest your third choice, and those from the East coast your fourth choice. You’d stop buying apples from New Zealand. This is most important for the most perishable products and those you use in the largest amounts (vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy products vs. dried herbs and spices). It also means you’d eat more apples and fewer bananas if you live in the U.S.

Going local---aim for progress, not perfection
While you may not be able to do this for everything you buy, you can make a positive impact on your local and national economy, world-wide ecology, and your health by increasing the amount of locally grown food you consume now and throughout the year. Don’t fret if you still buy some out of season, out of region foods. I do.

In some cases your budget or time constraints may limit your options. Think of it as a process––not an all or nothing proposition. Every local purchase counts as progress. Start by frequenting your local farmers’ markets. You may be surprised at how many foods grow in your state. Check the origin labels in stores and choose more foods grown in your state and  in the U.S. rather than other countries. Let's give thanks for our local bounty.

You can make this recipe for Mashed Sweet Potato with Lime using locally grown red garnet, jewel, or beauregard yams, which are actually sweet potatoes but we're not going the get people to change their names now. Recipe below.

To learn more about how to shop, cook, and eat this way, sign up for Rachel’s cooking classes TODAY! Click here to find out more about

* Whole Foods Cuisine I and II through Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, AZ
* Rachel’s classes at Kitchen Classics in Phoenix, AZ
* Rachel’s private cooking classes, cooking parties, phone coaching, and kitchen coaching sessions

For locations and hours of farmers’ markets close to your home check out:

Farmers' markets by state

Find farms, farmers' markets & CSAs in your area

10 Reasons to buy locally grown food

What’s on your menu for Thanksgiving? Try this delicious recipe for the holidays and beyond.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Lime 

Prep: 15 to 20 minutes/ Cooking: 1 to 1 1/2 hours/ Yield: 6 to 8 servings   

This family-friendly recipe has been popular with children and adults. It’s easy on the cook and it reheats and freezes well. It also works well served at room temperature in a pack lunch.

Thoroughly baked sweet potatoes can taste delicious without sugar, syrup, or marshmallows if you get good ones. Look for small to medium-size sweet sweet potatoes with firm, smooth, unblemished skin (no mold). Avoid buying jumbo tubers because they usually taste tough and have a mealy texture. Bake them (don’t boil, steam or microwave) until soft and squishy. Note: White/beige sweet potatoes have a drier texture and do not work well in this recipe; they're great just not in this recipe.

Ingredients:
6 medium to large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds total):
    red garnet or jewel yams, or Beauregard sweet potatoes
1 lime, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoonsunrefined coconut oil or organic butter or 1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pistachios for garnish
Finely chopped scallions for garnish, optional

1.  Zest (finely grate) the colored part of the lime skin using a microplane grater or the smallest holes of a box grater. Halve and juice the lime and set aside.
2.  Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400˚ F. Scrub and rinse sweet potatoes. Pat dry but do not peel. Remove soft or black spots. Arrange in a shallow baking pan with sides. For ease of cleanup, line pan with unbleached parchment. Do not cover. Do not add water.
3.  Bake small to medium (6 to 10 ounce) tubers for about 1 hour or until soft and juicy; larger ones may take 1 1/2 hours. If possible, turn them over halfway through cooking.
4.  When cool, slip off and discard skins. Mash with half the lime juice, optional zest, and pepper. Taste and adjust with more juice and zest if desired. Spoon into an oiled heat-proof dish. Warm in a preheated 300˚ F-oven or toaster oven for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
5.  Top individual portions with oil, butter, or nuts at the table. Garnish with chopped scallions if desired. Freeze what you don’t plan to consume within 3 days, refrigerating the rest. Reheat in a toaster oven for energy efficiency and maximum flavor

1 serving w/out oil or nuts: 183 calories, 3 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate (5 g fiber), 48 mg calcium, 17 mg sodium

Variations:

* Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange or Tangerine & Ginger: Replace lime zest and juice with 1 orange or tangerine. Omit pepper; add 2 to 3 teaspoons juice from peeled, finely grated and squeezed ginger root.

© Copyright 2004, Rachel Albert-Matesz & Don Matesz from The Garden of Eating: A Produce Dominated Diet & Cookbook

The Making of Great Dates

How we get dates
Do you have date trees growing in your yard or neighborhood? Have you ever wondered if you could just walk outside, collect ripe dates, and start eating? If only it was that easy. 

The birds, the bees, and the date trees
Date trees come in male and female varieties. The pollen from the male trees must reach the female trees to pollinate them and yield dates. Relying on birds, bees, and wind for pollination, only about 5% of female date trees would bear fruit.

With the help of humans and hand pollination––one of the oldest agricultural practices––the odds and yields can go up to 90%.

A single male date palm can pollinate 50 to 80 female date palms. The male trees don’t move an inch. You’re wondering how this works, right? Here’s what one Arizona woman, Erika Schlather, went through to bring her dates to fruition and market.

Hand pollination
In March, she rented a mechanical lift to go the to top of one of her male date palms after the flower sheaths had fully developed and opened revealing thousands of small, star-shaped flowers. Wearing gloves she collected the creamy white pollen in a cheesecloth bag, came down from the tree, then took the lift up to the top of each of her female trees to dust the small, round, fertile female flowers with pollen.

But wait! The female palms have to be at the right stage of maturity for this to work. If the males are ready but the female fruit clusters haven’t opened yet, you have to store the pollen in a cool dry place until the time is right. Sometimes date trees mature faster than others, so you might have to schedule two pollinations, about two weeks apart. You need to mark the trees you’ve pollinated so you don’t miss any or duplicate your efforts. (See Erica up in the lift?)

Thinning the date palms
In June, when the fruits are about the size of large peas, Erica thinned the individual clusters, so the remaining strands could produce bigger dates. In July or August, the dates begin to change color, from green to red or yellow (see picture right). Red ones turn black and yellow ones turn brown when they’re ripe (see right).

Bagging the dates
Erica rented another a lift for an entire week. She went to the top of each tree, untangled the strands of leaves so she could separately enclose each cluster of dates in a porous nylon-mesh bag, then she took a piece of string (twine works too) and closed each bag tightly with a slip knot so it wouldn’t come off and the birds wouldn’t get into the bags and steal the dates.

Each date cluster can weigh as much as 50 pounds. You have 12 to 14 clusters on every tree. You have to tie each cluster to a frond above it for support, using another piece of twine, then go on to the next cluster. (I'm sure this would count as resistance exercise.) You have to move the lift to make your way around each tree. Consider this an all day endeavor. Erica spent about 3 hours per tree and she worked 2 1/2 to 3 trees a day  n 120 degree weather. She learned that you have to wear gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes from the sharp spines that grow on the fronds.

Harvesting dates
In October, Erica rented the lift again (at $220 a day) and went up with a handsaw to shear off the stalks of each cluster, put them on the lift (remember each cluster can weigh 50 pounds), and take two clusters down to the ground, then go back up and repeat the process five or six more times. It took her 45 to 60 minutes per tree to get the dates down.

Once on the ground she untied and carefully removed the bags, set the date clusters on a table, and began putting the dates single file on wire trays. You’ll have some perfect dates, some mushy fermented dates, some dried out, and some under ripe dates. You have to separate all of them. The under ripe dates ripened and tured black after about 4 days.

With four people working on this process she ended up with about 60 to 80 trays, each about the size of an average square window screen, full of dates. She hosed them off, let them dry overnight (increase this to a couple of days for a longer shelf life and more stability at room temperature). Drier dates last longer out of the fridge or freezer.

Sorting the good dates from the bad
You have to sort the dates continuously to get rid of the bad ones. Place the good ones in zip-top bags or plastic clamshell containers, then freeze if they’re very moist. "You’ll find some bugs if you’re not using pesticides. Freezing kills them," Erica says. "That’s the reality of not using chemicals. You’ll probably eat some bugs, tiny ones you don’t even notice.”

It’s an amazing amount of work. For her 15 date palms Erica probably spent 2 days pollinating, 2 to 3 (10 to 12 hour) days thinning the leaves, 1 week bagging, and at least 1 (15-hour) day  harvesting.

If you don’t own a mechanical lift you’ll have to rent for at least a week, maybe two, which gets expensive. Next year Erica plans to borrow one from a friend who recently purchased one. Ideally a neighborhood of people could share one or two lifts if they all harvest their date trees.

Date yields
Erica figures she harvested 2500 pounds of dates and threw away 1000 to 1200 pounds because some weren’t ripe when she collected them. This was her first season harvesting. If you can spread the harvest out over an entire week, picking each cluster as it’s ready, you’ll have more ripe dates and a higher yield.

To get your hands on great Arizona dates and support Erica's valiant efforts, call her at (602) 505-7892 for Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx Dates. Or visit her at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market Saturday mornings 8 am and 1 pm at 721 N. Central Avenue (SE corner of Central Ave & McKinnley, 2 blocks west of Roosevelt). Her delightful dates sell for $7 a pound. If you freezer space permits, buy 12 pounds (a flat) for $70 to get 2 pounds free.

Photo credits: Erica Schlather, Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx Dates, © Copyright 2008

Thanks to Erica, I now know a lot more about dates and what goes into bringing these treats to my table.

My First Date

I had my first date in third or fourth grade. I was helping my mother make date-nut bars from a mix.  We added water to the paper pouch of dried, powdered dates, spread the dark paste over a crumbly oat mixture, pressed the remaining flour mixture on top, and baked. They looked something  like this: Photo credit for date bars  from this site

I found the creamy texture, jammy texture, and sublime sweetness of the dates against the dry cookie crust irresistible. I became equally fond of date-nut granola and holiday fruit cake. However, I don't think I had my first plain date until college. I was at a party, feeling awkward and shy, when I spotted a tray of dried fruit and nuts in the corner. I moved closer to investigate. Hesitantly I picked up a luscious jumbo date, split down the center and stuffed with an almond. It was love at first bite.

Still I held back. For years I dabbled with dates, adding them to cookies, cakes, or holiday quick breads on occasion, but never really exploring the many ways I could bond with them. Maybe I was afraid of getting closer. It wasn't until my early thirties that I let dates move into my kitchen for good. Since then it's been a great relationship and I've never looked back.

How sweet it is! 
Eventually I saw how I could use dates to replace other sweets and sweeteners in my diet. For dessert, I’d stuff one or two of them with toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans; purée dates into puddings and smoothies; mix them with pulverized nuts for a no-bake pie crust; or frost a coconut-date roll with nut butter after dinner. Then I started creating new recipes with dates, including the Dark Chocolate- Dipped Date Nut Truffles to your right (recipe below). Photo credit: Rachel Albert-Matesz © Copyright 2007

What’s so great about dates?
This desert-sweet fruit is virtually fat free, a good source of potassium, and i contains other important nutrients in modest amounts.

Nutrition breakdown for 100 gram portion (5 to 6 medium dates)
248 calories
248 milligrams of potassium (7% of DV)
31 grams of carbohydrate
3 grams of fiber fiber (14% of DV),
4% of DV (Daily Value) for magnesium
2% of DV (Daily Value) for calcium
trace amounts of iron, riboflavin, phosphorus, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6

Note: If you’re like me, you won’t eat that many dates in one sitting. I find dates so sweet I need to cut them with something bitter––toasted nuts, nut butter, or unsweetened baker’s chocolate. Still it's great to know that you can satisfy your sweet tooth while you take in important nutrients.   

Photo of dates right > courtesy Erica from Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx Dates, Phoenix, AZ.

Tips for working with dates
Pitting dates: Cut a slit down the top of each date, pull the sides apart, remove seed, then press the date together again.

Chopping dates: Use a heavy chef or vegetable knife. Rinse and dry the blade frequently to remove the sticky residue. To chop a large volumes of dates with ease: pit then freeze on a cookie sheet for 1 to 2 hours, then slice. When dealing with hard, dry dates, steam until soft, then chop.

 Puréeing dates: Spread dates in a shallow bowl; add warm or hot water to barely cover (approximately 3/4 to 1 cup hot water per cup of dates). Cover and soak for 1 to 2 hours, then purée in a food processor or Vita-Mix until smooth. Add additional water only as needed to blend. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks or freeze.

Using date paste or purée: Add it to baked goods to replace liquid sweeteners. Use as a jam-like spread for bread with organic raw butter or toasted cashew, almond, or peanut butter. Use as a sauce for pancakes or waffles or to sweeten plain organic goat or cow’s milk yogurt.

For some great locally grown dates from a small producer (if you live in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area), contact Erica for Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx Dates 602-840-0622

For more great ways with dates, Check out The Ice Dream Cookbook

Dark Chocolate-Dipped Dates & Date-Nut Truffles 

Prep: 30 minutes/ Yield:  24 to 32 pieces   

Who would think that you could make a healthy chocolate indulgence with so few ingredients? Dates stand in for refined sugar and dairy products in these truffle-like creations. They're great for parties, picnics, pot lucks, the holiday, and year round entertaining. People who think they don’t like dates usually change their minds after they try these. People who already like dates (and chocolate) need no convincing.

FYI: Look for coconut-date rolls in natural foods stores, or over the Internet if you don’t live in a date-growing region.They’re made from dried, pitted dates put through a grinder twice, rolled in sulfite-free, unsweetened coconut, and shaped into cylinders. Different brands vary in moisture content, size, and sweetness. If possible, make your own date rolls using locally grown dates. It’s easy.

To make your own coconut-date rolls: Pulverize soft pitted dates in a food processor or put them through a meat grinder. If the mixture appears stiff, add warm water a tablespoon at a time as needed to create a stiff cookie dough texture. Add 1/2 cup unsweetened sulfite-free coconut per half pound of pitted dates. Omit coconut if you’re allergic. Form into 1-ounce cylinders. Cut each one in half to form two pieces for the recipe below. 

Look for unsweetened, sulfite-free shredded coconut in natural foods stores or over the internet. Most supermarkets only sell bleached and sugared coconut flakes, which you don't want.

If you use walnuts or hazelnuts below, after toasting, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and roll the towel back and forth the loosen the bitter skins. Remove the nuts and leave the bitter skins behind.

Suggestion: Don’t eat these on an empty stomach. Wait until you’ve had a satisfying meal with ample protein and fibrous vegetables, when you just want a little something to complete the meal. Then, slowly savor one or two and stop. Yes, they’re much better for you than conventional candies; however, they’re still very calorie dense so you don’t want to make a meal of them! (Do I sound like your mother?)

Ingredients:
4-ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate bar (e.g., Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, Nestle, or Sharffen Berger), broken or chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound Coconut-Date Rolls (about 16 long pieces; see notes above)
1 cup unsweetened, sulfite-free shredded coconut
1 cup shelled, dry toasted or roasted, unsalted pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, or hazelnuts (you might want to use 2 or 3 different kinds for variety)     

1.  Line one or more rimmed baking sheets with foil wrappings from the chocolate, unbleached parchment paper or a nonstick bake liner.
2.  Melt chocolate in a double boiler over hot––but not boiling––water, or in a small saucepan over very low heat. If using a gas range and a saucepan, slip a heat deflector under the pan to keep the heat low. When mostly melted turn heat to warm.
3.  Arrange whole or crushed nuts and coconut in small bowls. Cut date rolls in half. Roll each half into a ball or shape into 2 small squares.
4.  Add 4 to 6 date squares or balls to the melted chocolate. Using 2 spoons, turn the pieces in the chocolate one at a time to coat. Drip excess chocolate back into the pan.
    For square pieces: Transfer a chocolate-coated date square to the prepared sheet. Press a whole nut or nut half on top or sprinkle with several pine nuts. 
    For round pieces: Transfer a chocolate-coated date ball to a small bowl of coarsely chopped, toasted nuts or unsweetened, flaked coconut. Using 2 clean spoons, lift the nut meal or coconut over the ball and turn to coat. Transfer to the prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining coconut-date pieces.
5.  Refrigerate or freeze until firm before serving.  When chilled, transfer remaining pieces to a container, cover, and refrigerate or freeze. (They won’t spoil!) Freeze for at least 48 hours before packing for gift giving. It works best for local gift giving because the untempered chocolate will melt in transit. To transport, freeze dates for at least 12 hours then carry in an insulated tote with freezer packs.

1 serving (2 pieces): 139 calories, 2 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate (3 g fiber), 6 g fat, 8 mg calcium, 3 mg sodium

© Copyright 2008, Rachel Albert-Matesz

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alterantives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert-Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004)

The Best Dates

Do you remember your first date?
Maybe not, but you probably remember your last great date. Me, I had the most incredible date on Friday afternoon. Actually I had three of them…one right after the other, all the space of about 90 minutes. One word sums up my experience: divine! I would definitely repeat the experience. Maybe you will too.

Where was I?
I was in the northeast Phoenix Arcadia district. I had an appointment to meet with someone I had met at the downtown Phoenix Public Market the week before. She, Erica, was going to give me a tour of her portion of the Arcadia date grove at 47th St and Lafayette on the South side of Camelback Mountain, where a 24-acre Sphinx Date Ranch used to reside.

Nearly 90 years ago the date palms were obtained in Arabia and planted here in Phoenix.
In the 1940s and early 1950s date ranches stretched from Glendale to Mesa covering 300 acres. Approximately 15,000 trees produced more than a million pounds of dates annually in Arizona, including exotic varieties such as Hayany, Halawy, Maktoom, and Medjool, and created what was then a $1 million-a-year industry. Imagine how much money that would be today.

Where did all the dates go?
Competition from California and an influx of new residents contributed to a drop in date production and harvesting. Approximately 46 years ago the date ranch was subdivided into housing tracts and the surviving trees became the property of the individual homeowners.

Although many of the original date trees still exist, only a few scattered individuals continue to farming dates from their trees. Erica is the only person in her neighborhood who invested the time and money into pollinate, farm, and harvest the dates from the 15 trees she shares with her father. I’ll tell you more about what goes into this process next week. Right now I’ll let you in on a secret so you can experience delicious dates like the ones I tried yesterday.

About those dates    
The dark, thin skinned, soft and fleshy Black Sphinx dates I tried had a rich flavor reminiscent of honey. They melted in my mouth. I tried several in varying stages of dryness, each a little different from the one before. I found them softer and more appealing than the over-dried deglet noors and medjools sold in supermarkets. You need to keep these fresh dates in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent spoilage. Because of their high sugar content, they remain soft even when frozen.

How you can get some great dates?
Erica sells unfumigated, chemical-free Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx dates at the Downtown Phoenix (Arizona) Public Market Saturday mornings between 8 am and 1 pm at 721 N. Central Avenue (SE corner of Central Ave & McKinnley, 2 blocks west of Roosevelt. You can also buy dates directly from Erica by calling (602) 505-7892. They sell for $7 a pound. If you have freezer space, buy 12 pounds (a flat) for $70 and get two pounds free. Remember, you can freeze what you don’t plan to consume right away. They will last for years….unless you eat them sooner.

Why buy local dates?
What benefits do you reap by buying dates directly from a small local producer, such as Erica, if you live in Arizona?

* You support small local farmerer and encourage them keep farming their trees.
* You keep money in our local economy
* You preserve an exotic fruit (Arizona is home to the only Black Sphinx date groves)
* You build local food sufficiency (buying local food is more logical)
* You reduce fuel use (local foods require 14 times less fuel to reach you)
* You get to enjoy nature’s most natural candy (nothing artificial added)

Try dates in the following dishes
*  pork and lamb stews
* vegetable, meat, or poultry-based curries
* fruit chutney
* poultry stuffing (with wild rice, brown rice or a rice blend)
* hot grain pilafs
* cold rice, millet, or quinoa salads
* tuna or chicken salad
* cooked vegetables, such as carrots, squash, or sweet potatoes
* raw vegetable and fruit salads
* cooked fruit compotes
* NBJ sandwiches; use dates or date paste to replace jam or jelly with nut butter
* sweet potato or toast topper (whip with real butter and cinnamon or pie spice)
* stuffing for baked apples
* sweetener for pears poached in wine, granola, or hot cereal
* quick dessert stuffed in pitted dates or date-coconut rolls

Date yields
1 pound unpitted dates = 2 1/2 cups pitted and chopped
8 ounce package pitted dates = 1 1/4 cups chopped

I'll share more delicious date recipes and tips over the next few weeks, so keep reading.

Photo credits: Erica Schlather, Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx Dates, © Copyright 2008

A Healthy Burger

Quality, quantity, context
That’s what I look at when I consider the effect of various foods on human health. Take the typical burger. It has several strikes against it. It’s usually made from low quality, factory farmed anonymous meat from confined cow’s fed a highly unnatural diet. Cows are not designed to eat grains and beans or to have growth hormones and antibiotics pumped through their bodies. Then there’s the quantity issue. Many restaurants burger portions provide more meat than many people need in a single serving. We need the nutrients that meat provides, but we don’t need the super-sized portions many establishments serve.

Then there’s the context. In my opinion most burgers are served without enough vegetables or fruits for health and with too many refined carbohydrates (e.g., white flour, processed potatoes, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup) and are cooked in refined, rancid, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, depriving your body of nutrients it needs and flooding it with substances that cause your cells to malfunction and become diseased.

You don’t have to throw out the burger with the bucket of fries and soda. Improve the quality, enjoy a modest quantity, and improve the context in which you serve it and you'll create  meals that satisfy your taste buds and your nutritional needs. 

 Consider buying 100% grassfed meat, preferably from a local farmer. You'll reduce the risk of getting E-coli infected meat. The meat will contan less fat, fewer calories, and more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and cancer-protective CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Plus the meat will  taste great and be more ecological! 

Read more about the benefits of grassfed meat in The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook. If you live in Phoenix, AZ, contact A Bar H Farm for great grassfed beef, pork, lamb, and poultry.  Tell Anya Chef Rachel sent you. Or get Fishhugger beef and wild Alaskan salmon from Kenny Aschbacher.

The next best thing is organically raised meat, but it’s not nearly as nutritious or as eco-friendly as 100% grassfed beef, bison, or lamb.

Next, make a colorful green salad, a bowl of coleslaw, a tray of blanched vegetables, or sautéed leafy greens to serve on the side. Instead of a bun and fries, consider baking or roasting a pan of potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash, carrots, or parsnips or simply serve a side of fresh raw or cooked fruit. If you absolutely must have a bun with your burger, try 100 percent sprouted whole grain buns, such as Ezekial brand, sold in natural foods stores if you tolerate wheat, then omit the roots or tubers. If you have a gluten intolerance, buy or make a gluten free bun or abandon the bun altogether.

Instead of soda, consider hot or iced herbal tea, depending upon the weather, and try sweetening it with liquid stevia.

Herbed Burgers

Prep: 10 to 15 minutes/ Cooking: 8 to 12 minutes/ Yield: 4 servings

I like mixing in herbs and spices. It not only adds flavor, it also adds antioxidants the promote health and help ward off disease and it helps block the production of harmful compounds if you decide the grill the meat. I usually serve my burgers without buns. The more vegetables the merrier for me.

Note: If you’re cooking for two people consider cooking all 4 burgers at once. Leftovers make a convenient breakfast or lunch entrée the next day, heated briefly in a toaster oven. If you’re using meat that was not previously frozen, you can freeze the patties separated with parchment paper. You’ll probably want to make a double batch for this. Transfer frozen meat to refrigerator 24 to 36 hours ahead of time to allow time to thaw.

Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/4 pounds 90 to 96 percent lean ground beef or bison, completely thawed        
1 medium to large whole egg or 2 egg whites, optional
1/3 cup finely minced or grated red, yellow, or white onion or 4 minced green onions (scallions) or 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes mixed with 1 tablespoon of warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried, crumbled herbs or 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons fresh:
    basil, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, or combination 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper 
1 small to medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt or 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce, optional
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, unrefined coconut butter, clarified butter, or ghee

1. Tear the meat into pieces and place it in a medium bowl. Add everything but the oil. Whisk the eggs, herbs, spices, and other seasonings with a fork. Pour this over the meat and mix with clean bare hands to evenly distribute, being careful not to pack the meat tightly. Shape into 4 balls. Flatten to 3/4- to 1-inch thick with a fork or your fingertips. If desired, separate burgers on squares of unbleached parchment, and refrigerate for later use.
2.  Heat the oil in a heavy, stainless steel or cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook burgers for about 6 to 8 minutes for rare, 8 to 12 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. You may cover the skillet after browning each side for 2 minutes. Alternatively, cook patties on a preheated gas or charcoal grill.
3.  Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers and use within 2 days.

1 serving beef: 162 calories, 25 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 5 g fat, 22 mg calcium, 52 mg sodium
1 serving bison: 179 calories, 33 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 3 g fat, 33 mg calcium, 67 mg sodium

Variations:

*    Buffalo Burger or Bison Burger: Replace the beef with grassfed buffalo (aka bison). Note: Grassfed buffalo will be lean. Grain-fed buffalo will be very fatty. Read labels.

*    Garlic, Ginger & Scallion Burgers: Replace dried herbs and pepper with 2 teaspoons peeled, finely grated fresh ginger. Increase garlic to 2 cloves, and replace sea salt with tamari.

Source: The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz & Don Matesz (Planetary Press) ©Copyright 2004