The Healthy Cooking Coach

Adding Spice to Your Life

How many different herbs and spices do you use on a daily, weekly, and regular basis? Do you feel confident pairing these seasonings with food? If not, you could benefit from the tips and techniques outlined my my cookbooks, my cooking DVD, and the live cooking classes I lead in the Phoenix metro area.
 
Confused about herbs & spices?
One of my cooking students asked me some questions about herbs and spices that some of you may also be wondering, particularly if you didn’t grow up cooking or cooking from scratch. She expressed wondered how to tell an herb from a spice, how to know which herbs and spices to use together and how to know which ones go best with which foods. She was curious about the functions and effects of different herbs and spices. So, I decided to turn her queries into a blog post. Consider this an overview.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert, © Copyright 2010

Herbs & spices for better nutrition
Most herbs and spices contain numerous nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, various enzymes, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that can help stimulate bile flow and improve the flow of digestive juices. They help the body fight pain and inflammation. Many of them improve circulation disarming free radicals before they damage our DNA and cell membranes. Some support liver function. Most herbs and spices serve multiple functions. There are so many herbs and spices and they do so many things to enhance health. These simple seasonings increase our enjoyment of eating. Although herbs and spices aren’t calorically dense, since they help us digest and get more nutrition and pleasure out of the foods we eat, they are worth becoming familiar with and cooking with on a daily basis.
 
Where to start
You’ll find many classic herb and spice combinations the world’s most popular cuisines, such as Greek, Italian, Moroccan, Chinese, Thai, and French cooking. With practice you’ll become familiar with the most common seasonings and with the foods they pair well with. I suggest that you seek out and follow recipes on a daily and weekly basis.

By measuring and following recipes, you’ll start to get a feel for what seasonings go well together and with which foods and of how much to use. You’ll build your recipe repertoire. You’ll get a feel for which seasonings and seasoning blends you like best. If a recipe comes out to salty, spicy, bitter, dry, pungent, blank, or otherwise unpleasant or less than ideal, if you’ve measured or written down what you did to modify a recipe, you’ll find it much easier to adjust the recipe the next time (more or less red pepper, black pepper, ginger, or coriander, or sea salt). If it comes out great, you’ll know how to repeat your success the next time and you’ll be able to share the recipe with confidence knowing your friends or family members can repeat what you did with great results!

Photo credit: Rachel Albert, © Copyright 2010

I encourage my cooking students to learn and master what I call basic procedures or master recipes. One of the thigns that makes my cookbooks unique is that I lay out master recipes with proportions and then offer variations for different herbs, spices, and other ingredients. This allows you to get more mileage from each recipe and to master not only the recipe but the actual technique. For example, if you make my Silver Dollar Sweet Potato recipe, Roasted Onions, or Oven/Fried, Roasted Parsnips, you’ll learn how many pounds of vegetables to use with how much fat or oil and how many teaspoons of herbs, spices, and optional sea salt.

If you some of the same recipes regularly, you’ll start to learn the techniques. Over time you'll memorize the amounts required for the recipes. If you use a different herb or spice or combination each time (these are the variations I list in my recipes), you’ll become more familiar with more herbs and spices. Your confidence, skill, and the speed with which you can assemble the recipes will grow. You can start to memorize the recipes and seasonings combinations you like best. With repetition, using herbs and spices and following recipes will become a habit. Eventually, you'll be able to make variations on other people's recipes with greater ease and confidence.
 
Stocking up
I use herbs and spices at almost every meal. I keep a supply of approximately 50 to 60 dried herbs and spices in my kitchen. I mainly use dried herbs and spices. They’re more convenient to use than fresh herbs and they last longer without spoiling.

I like fresh herbs, but in the absence of a garden, porch, or other suitable place to grow fresh herbs and spices (my windowsils won’t work), I opt for dried ones. I buy most of them from bulk bins in the spice section of natural foods stores, which saves money and allows me to buy the amount I want and need. Some oneline sellers allow you buy this way as well. I buy fresh garlic and ginger, get rosemary from my friends’ gardens, and buy fresh basil, cilantro, parsley, sage, mint, and others as needed.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert, © Copyright 2010

Defining Herbs & Spices
The term spice applies to dried roots, barks, pods, seeds, and berries, while herb refers to leaves, flowers, shoots and stems. Black pepper, red pepper, chili powder, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, cumin, mustard, and nutmeg are “spices.” The term herb applies to leaves, flowers, stems, and buds. Ecamples include bay leaf, basil, oregano, thyme, dill, parsley, sage, rosemary, tarragon, chives, and marjoram. 

Herbs are generally more volatile than spices and more easily injured by overcooking or too high heat. Spices are sturdier; they can take (and give) more heat. Fresh (as opposed to dried) herbs are the most volatile and should generally be added during the last few minutes of cooking. Whole spices, such as cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, vanilla beans, whole cloves, and peppercorns, often require longer cooking to release their flavors and should be removed before serving.
 
Where to go from here
For more information about selecting herbs and spices, whether to buy whole or ground spices, how to store them, how to buy them most economically, and which ones I recommend stocking up on, please refer to chapter 10: Stocking the Pantry, in my book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook. It's like three books in one. You get information about nutrition, stocking, organizing and outfitting your kitchen, planning meals, prep secrets, sample menus, along with 250 family-friendly recipes suitable for vegetarians, vegans, omnivores, and anyone with an interest in health and healthy eating.

Even people who don't eat animal products have found tons of great recipes and tips in this book. The produce-dominated approach suits a wide range of tastes and dietary preferences. I hope you will check it out. You can find sample recipes here on this blog by clicking the categories on the left. You'll find time tested recipes with clear directions, approximate prep time, cooking time, serving size, yields, nutrition breakdown, variations, as well as serving and storage tips.

For the best price on my books, click here to order from Planetary Press. (Amazon sells my book buts they're usually scalped for several times the retail price. Last week I noticd my Ice Dream Cookbook was being sold used on Amazon for $406 and new for $1999!) I also have a cooking DVD that visually walks you through 19 recipes, many techniques, and information that can make it less intimidating to try new recipes and work with new foods.

Eat Well, Feel Good, Practical Paleo Living Cookbook Giveaway

If you read Tuesday’s post about this book and you want more gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, produce- and protein-rich recipes and you’re looking for more ideas, Eat Well, Feel Good, Practical Paleo Living may be a book for you.

I’ve posted her super-simple, creamy and delicious Cilantro-Lime Dressing below. In the photo on the right I served it with Roasted Carrot, Parsnip & Ginger Soup (from Diane's book), romaine lettuce w/cucumber, roasted eggplant, onion and garlic and a Green Chile Turkey Burger (aslo from Diane's book).

Your chance to win this cookbook
Diane Frampton has graciously donated a copy of her cookbook to one of my readers. I will select one winner next week. Enter as many times as you like but remember to post separate comments for each action you take. Click the comment button at the end of this posts to do that.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert Copyright 2011©
 
How to enter:

Leave a comment below and
(a) Tell me why you want to win Eat Well, Feel Good, Practical Paleo Living.
(b) To receive bonus entries, spread the word about my blog and this giveaway.

Select as many actions as you like and BE SURE TO post a separate comment for each action telling me what you did so your extra entries will count:

   1. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel (watch my cooking dvds if you like)
   2. Subscribe to this blog (upper left side of this page)
   3. Subscribe to my newsletter (upper left side of this page)
   4. Follow my Healthy Cooking Coach Page on Facebook
   5. Tweet about the giveaway and send me a link
   6. Announce the giveaway on Facebook and send me a link
   7. Mention the giveaway to your family and friends and invite them to enter
   8. Mention the giveaway on your blog and send me a link
   9. Come up with your own creative idea and tell me about it
 
Note: Do any or all of the above and BE SURE TO post a separate comment for each action telling me what you did so your extra entries will count.

Deadline: Midnight, Thursday, December 29th, 2011.
Selection criteria: Random drawing
Limitations: Drawing open only to US residents due to shipping restrictions.

Cilantro-Lime Dressing

This dressing makes a great topping for a crisp green salad, a bed of greens topped with grilled or roasted veggies, or a blanched vegetable salad. For one-dish dining, add some cooked fish, poultry, beef, bison, or lamb to the green salad before or after dressing.

My note: The recipe info says “makes 4 servings.” I thought it made 8 to 12 servings (1/4 cup of oil per serving would be a lot of oi per person!).

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cider vinegar (I use Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar)
juice of 1 lime (use 2 if they're small)
1/4 cup cilantro, leaves removed and finely chopped (double for a thicker dressing )
1 teaspoon [finely ground, unrefined] sea salt (I use Celtic Sea Salt or Redmond Real Salt)
1 teaspoon ground pepper (I used black; white pepper also works)
1 cup olive oil (I used extra virgin)

Mix all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. (I used a Vita Mix. A blender would also work.) With the machine running, add oil slowly down the feed tube until emulsified.

My notes: I poured the dressing into a wide-mouth glass jar before refrigerating it.

Source: Eat Well, Feel Good, Practical Paleo Living by Diane Frampton (2011).

Eat Well, Feel Good

A few months ago I received a review copy of a Eat Well, Feel Good: Practical Paleo Living by Diane Frampton. You don’t have to be into paleo or primal diet to enjoy this book. It contains beautiful photographs, time and money saving tips, and some simple substitution strategies for people who eat or aspire to eat a produce and protein rich diet comprised of unprocessed foods.

Frampton’s recipes are, by nature, gluten free, grain free, casein free (the only dairy product called for in the book was ghee, which if you don’t have you can replace with real creamery butter (if you normally use it), virgin coconut oil, non-hydrogenated palm shortening, or avocado oil.

What I like about the book
I like the warm, homey feel of the cover: a burlap shopping bag of vegetables pouring out onto a hardwood table top. I like the author’s philosophy of eating fresh, real foods, cooking from scratch, and eating a colorful medley of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, high quality meats (mostly or wholly grassfed, pasture raised, or organic), high quality fats and oils, and very modest amounts of unrefined or minimally refined sweeteners.

I like that the author practices and encourages some of the same things I do, such as eating a colorful array of fresh vegetables on a daily and meal by meal basis, stocking the fridge, freezer and pantry, using a lot of herbs and spices, planning ahead, chopping ahead, cooking ahead and in quantity and freezing so you have great leftovers for the next few days and to store in the freezer for future meals. Doing this saves time, energy, and money because it makes healthy food ready and available when you need it most.

I also like that Eat Well, Feel Good contains beautiful color photos, not of every recipe, but enough to intrigue and to entice. It's a lovely book, well put together.

The evolution of this book
Diane Frampton’s personal challenges with her weight and digestive issues during adolescence and early adulthood, her attempts to lose weight and regain her health after the birth of her children, and her the fitness and nutritional philosophy popularly known as Cross fit. Eventually she committed herself to following a 30 Day Paleo Challenge with no dairy, no grains, no sugar, and no alcohol. The experience and her commitment to the paleo diet principles beyond the challenge allowed her to shed 40 pounds and keep it off with ease and eliminate her digestive issues.

Frampton’s efforts to put together recipes for friends grew along with request for more. The project culminated in the publication of, Eat Well, Feel Good: Practical Paleo Living, a collection of more than 200 paleo-inspired recipes.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert Copyright 2011©

What I tried
My friend, Anne, made and brought me some of the Short Ribs with Vegetables, the Blueberry Scones, the Spinach Pesto, and the Beet Hummus. The ribs (really a stew) were my favorite. I found the stew nourishing and satisfying. Here I paired it with sauteed spinach with onions and garlic.

The scones, which were very low in sugar, containing only 1 teaspoon of honey each, were super moist, almost like a muffin. If you’re not a fan of the strong flavor of ghee, I suggest substituting real butter, non hydrogenated palm shortening, or avocado oil.

You’ve gotta love beets and tahini to like the bean-free twist on hummus here. It was a little too bitter and tart for my tastes, but could easily be modified. I think the best would have been great if I had eaten closer to when it was made (it sat too long in the fridge) or if it had been stored in several smaller jars, each covered with a  layer of olive oil, with most of them frozen until close to when they would be used.

At home, I made and really liked her Cilantro Lime Dressing and her Sloppy Joes. The dressing paired perfectly with roasted vegetables served on a bed of baby spinach and with various raw salads I enjoyed throughout the week.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert Copyright 2011©

If you make the Roasted Carrot, Parsnip & Ginger Soup, cut the vegetables into small (maybe 1/2 inch) pieces before roasting or increase the cooking time. I cut them into roughly 2-inch wedges, as I usually do when roasing, and they took several times longer than Frampton's recommended roasting time to become tender and golden around the edges. Not a problem. I thought it seemed odd, maybe even an error that the book listed 15 to 25 minutes at 350˚F; I usually roast chunks of vegetables for 45 minutes at 400˚F. I also added coconut milk; I thought it needed that for the flavor and mouthfeel I’m accustomed to in creamy soups. The soup tasted even better the second day. (I kept some in the fridge and froze some.)

I have flagged some additional recipes I want to try from Frampton's book for the challenge and variety that new recipes add to my weekly cooking routine, including Japeno Turkey Burgers for later today.

You’ll find the recipes simple, straightforward, and with fairly clear instructions. One caveat; she doesn’t typically say what size pieces to cut the vegetables into. Most recipes simply say, “chopped.” Since I"ve done food writing for publication for 20 years and taught cooking classes for 25 years, I’m used to seeing and providing more specific direction, such as “cut into 1-inch chunks” or “finely chop.” These specifications make a big difference in the cooking time and presentation of recipes. They also guide readers, particularly less experienced cooks, leaving less up to guessing and possible error. Still if you peruse the cooking times and the gist of the recipe, the generalities here probably won’t trip you up. I think it's a good book overall.

While some of her recipes call for ingredients some of you may not be familiar with (coconut flour, coconut butter, coconut crystals, blanched almond flour, and ghee), most if not al of the foods you’ll need to prepare most of her recipes can be easily found at your local farmers market and supermarket. Many chain grocery stores stock the formerly unfamiliar ingredients on the natural foods aisle, so you won’t necessarily have to go to more than one store, unless you want to.

Recipes run the gamut from beverages and breakfast items to appetizers, dressings, marinades, rubs and sauces, and from soups and salads to cooked vegetables, and from fish, fowl, and red meats to desserts. You can find sample recipes on her web site here:

Check back later this week. I plan to host a giveaway of this book.

If you’d like to order a copy of Eat Well, Feel Good: Practical Paleo Living , click here.

More Healthy Edible Gifts & Party Food

Looking for an easy recipe to bring to a holiday potluck, party, or gift exchange or something you can make for the people on your gift list? I’ve got just the recipe, actually many recipes, for you. I’ll post one below and additional ideas as well.

You can savor the season without spending a fortune. You can delight family, friends and co-workers with memorable, mouthwatering gifts made from inexpensive whole foods ingredients and give the gift of health. I make it a point to make and share healthy, edible gifts. I usually teach one or two cooking classes where I share some of my favorite recipes for this purpose. In it, I also share tips for wrapping, decorating, packing, freezing, and shipping your homemade delectables.

If you already own my award-winning book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce Dominated Diet & Cookbook, or my dessert book, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies Compotes & Sauces, you may already know about some of the great recipes they contain that work for gifts for friends near and far away.

For ideas, check my previous healthy gift ideas posts for a list of recipes with links for some of the items listed.
http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com/2009/10/healthy-edible-gifts-for-the-holidays.html
http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com/2008/12/healthy-edible-gifts-from-the-hearth.html
http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com/2010/11/healthy-edible-gift-ideas.html
http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com/2010/12/last-minute-holiday-gift-ideas.html

I am also including a great recipe from another source, Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple, a paleo and primal diet and fitness blog. I own and have read Mark’s book, The Primal Blueprint. I’ve cooked from his cookbooks. I also led two cooking demonstrations last year at Mark’s PrimalCon2011, a weekend of primal education, fitness, fun, and camaraderie at a beach park in Southern California. I'm scheduled to teach there again in 2012. For details, click here.

I’ve made this recipe in a cooking class and I’ve shared it with friends who loved it. I plan to make and give more of it away for Christmas.

Say Yes to Nuts!
Nix nuts and seeds from your “no-no” list. Recent research has affirmed what your taste buds already knew: nuts are great for your health. How good? Findings from at least five epidemiological studies have concluded that consumption of one ounce of nuts at least five times a week may significantly reduce your risk of developing coronary artery disease. One ounce of nuts is roughly 1/4 cupful; this is equivalent to 2 tablespoons. Either one is an easy amount to squeeze into your diet five times a week or even once a day. That amounts to about 200 calories per serving. YOu don't need to eat a lot of them to reap their health benefits. There are many studies showing that eating

 Spicy Almonds

Prep: 15 minutes        Cooking: 20 minutes        Yield: 2 cups

One of the greatest things about nuts is that they are easy to transport, but sometimes, well, they’re just a little boring. Spice up your next snack mix with this recipe from Mark Sisson from his blog: Marks Daily Apple. Note the word of caution above about the energy density of nuts. Sometimes people go wild with them and wonder why their weight is going in the wrong direction.

I make the recipe as is except that I use a different kind of red pepper. You could ramp up the spice the second time around if you like more heat. You can double, triple, or quadruple this recipe. It ships well. It also looks great in a canning jar with holiday ribbon and a card.

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I use ground chipotle, my favorite)
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon olive oil (avocado oil also works)
2 cups of whole raw almonds, shelled (of course!)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt (I use Celtic Sea Salt or Redmond Real Salt and only 1 teaspoonful)

1. Preheat oven to 300˚F. In a non-stick skillet heat the olive oil and spices over low heat for 3 or so minutes. 
2. Place the nuts in a bowl and pour oil mixture over the top, toss and stir. Add the sea salt and stir to evenly distribute.
3. Spread nuts into a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet and pop preheated oven for 15 minutes, shaking the tray about every 5 minutes to cook evenly. I add another 10 minutes to the baking time to get a better crunch and to toast the almonds throughout.
4. Remove from oven and transfer to a bowl. Let cool two hours. Store in an airtight container.

 

Get Your Free Healthy Cooking DVDs

Are you looking for great holiday gifts for health-conscious family members, friends, neighbors, or co-workers? Do your gift recipients have food allergies or intolerances? Do they follow a paleo, practically paleo, primal, or natural foods diet? Do they want to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, more home cooked meals, and less sugar? Do they want to learn how to make healthy food taste great?

I can help. My cookbooks and cooking DVDs are perfect for a wide range of people and fit in with many ways of eating. They're great for people who who know how to cook and have experience cooking with natural fodos and for those don't know where to start. The recipes have been tested on thousands of kids and adults, including both adventurous eaters and picky eaters.Cookbooks and cooking DVDs can change lives. They can educate, inspire, and guide people who want to improve the way they shop, cook, eat, and look at food, and help people look and feel better.

I am offering a holiday special between now and the end of December. Buy any 2 of my cookbooks (The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook and/or The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces) and receive my Cooking With Whole Foods DVD (2-CD set) FREE!

Offer ends 12/31/2011! You pay only $5.00 shipping on the FREE DVD.

NOTE: Orders must be phoned in to receive this special offer. Call 602-840-4556. Leave a message if we are out of the office when you call. If you want to order additional copies of the DVD, you may.

I hope that you will allow me to inspire the people you care about most by giving them the gift of my cookbooks and cooking DVDs. If you don't have my books and DVDs, I hope that you will give yourself these great gifts. 

Sincerely,

Chef Rachel