Food Cravings

The last few weeks have been a bit on the crazy side- between working trade shows, studying, and a recent trip to NYC, my blogging has been sadly, well, neglected.

To top that off, I have not been inspired to write-guess I have a case of writer's block on top of everything else.

But this past week an inspiration revealed itself and it came in the form of a craving. I have been noticing my food cravings more and more, thanks in large part to the coursework I am doing at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (aka- IIN).

First it was spinach and any kind of green really- and I still crave greens almost everyday so that is still great. But this past week, I suddenly had a craving for grapefruit. That ruby-colored sweet juicy citrusy fruit. What really amazed me about it though, is this craving directly coincides with the fact that grapefruit is in season right now! The best time to eat it is January through March.

So, I am wondering....did my body know this? How did it know this? Is it a matter of coincidence? I didn't crave them last year like I am right now. I think it could be part of the awareness I feel with what my body itself seems to know and I am just learning how to tap into that. I can't wait to see what I will crave next!

I know that a lot of us crave "bad" foods too- and I am no exception believe me! Salty snacks and  chocolate have always been my weakness. I do get cravings for these from time to time, but as of late, I am able to ask myself, "Do you really want that or are you just thirsty?" It seems that we often crave foods that are not so good for us when all the body really needs is hydration. I also learned a term recently called H.A.L.T.- which is hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. I now ask: am I any of those things? This is where and when cravings for the wrong foods have the potential to kick in and we go down a road of binging and over-eating when all we need is to access what we are feeling in that moment.

But let's get back to the lovely, delicious and nutritious grapefruit! My favorite way to eat it is the old-fashioned way my Mom taught me (and her Mom before her). Just slice in half and cut the sections with a special grapefruit knife, use a spoon to eat it, and squeeze out and drink all the juice at the end.

 The best grapefuit knife in the world, above

 detail of the double blade

 Pink and red grapefruit are  packed with Vitamin C and have high amounts of vitamin A, potassium (325mg), folate (25 micrograms), calcium (40mg), and iron (1mg) and contain high amounts of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that is know for lowering the risk of prostate cancer. Grapefruit stimulates appetite and possesses the unique ability to burn away fat. Grapefruit is a rich source of pectin. Pectin is a soluble fiber that helps to lower blood cholesterol.

My second favorite way to enjoy grapefruit is in a salad- some recipes actually use the juice in the vinaigrette so it really brings a fresh and light flavor to the greens and the rest of the salad.

Years ago I discovered The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and instantly fell in love- I probably made everything in that book over the years! Even dined at the restaurant in San Francisco and what a treat that was. I still make her Butter Lettuce and Spinach with Citrus and Avocado Salad and that is what I will share with you here. The combination of the soft butter lettuce, the dark spinach and the brightness of the ruby jewels of grapefruit, make a winning combination. The avocado is the creamy icing on the cake that brings it all home. Hope you will enjoy. I highly recommend using the Szechuan peppercorns if you can get them- they add a flowery fragrance-toast them first and grind with a little salt- omit the the fruit vinegar and use all sherry vinegar instead. Here is the recipe with a few of my adaptations.

 photo via williams-sonoma.com

Ingredients 

serves 4-6

• 1 head butter lettuce, limestone, or Bibb lettuce
• 1 small bunch young spinach leaves (or one bag of baby spinach leaves)
• 2 ruby grapefruit 
• 2 avocados
• 4 teaspoons sherry vinegar 
• 2 teaspoons raspberry or other fruit vinegar 
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 6 to 7 tablespoons virgin olive oil or a mixture of virgin and light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chives, finely sliced 
• Black pepper or Szechuan peppercorns

Method

Separate the leaves of the lettuce and remove the spinach stems. Discard any leaves that are bruised or yellow, wash the greens–the spinach in two changes of water– and dry them in a spinner. (skip this step if you are using the bagged spinach) If the spinach leaves are small, leave them whole. If they are large, layer several leaves together, roll them up, and slice them into wide or narrow ribbons. Place them loosely in a kitchen towel and refrigerate until needed.

Use a very sharp knife to peel the grapefruit. Slice a piece off the top and the bottom of each, then work down the sides, removing the white pith as well as the peel. Holding the grapefruit over a bowl to catch the juice, cut each section loose from its membrane and turn it into the bowl. (Later you can drink the juice.)

Peel the avocados, slice them in half, and remove the seeds. Lay the halves cut side down and slice them crosswise at an angle.

Combine the vinegars, shallot, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the oil or mixture of oils. Taste, and adjust the balance of vinegar and oil if necessary. Stir in the mint and chives.

Pour the juice off the grapefruit sections, combine them with the avocado slices, and dress them carefully with some of the vinaigrette. Toss the greens with the rest of the vinaigrette and lay them on salad plates. Set the grapefruit and avocado slices in and among the leaves. Add a grinding of black pepper (or roasted Szechuan pepper) and serve.

What are some of your favorite grapefruit recipes? Please share them in the comments section!

Wonderful Spinach

 I am on a spinach kick these days-coming up with as many ways I can think of to make sure I get a daily dose.

Not only does spinach pack a punch of vitamins and minerals, it is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection. It has more calcium in it than iron (which was surprising!).

Nutritionists believe that raw spinach is a much more beneficial way to absorb these essential nutrients, but lightly cooking or steaming it is not the end of the world!

I can't recall where or how I found this recipe for Wilted Spinach Salad with Hazelnuts, but it makes a lovely winter salad and very easy to prepare as well as addicting! I think it may be from an old Gourmet magazine......

Wilted Spinach and Hazelnut Salad

2 handful of baby spinach, washed (per person)
1/4  cup hazelnuts
1-2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced or chopped fine (you decide)
2 tablespoons olive oil
drizzle of good balsamic
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the hazelnuts and toast in a skillet with the olive oil. Add the garlic being careful not to burn.

Pour over spinach in a salad bowl, toss with the balsamic and season with salt and pepper.

EXTRA CREDIT: add a few spoonfuls of soft goat cheese for some real magic!

Simple Quinoa Salad

If you haven't yet discovered the wonders of quinoa, I am about to give you a delicious recipe for you to put into your side dish repertoire.

Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") is a great source of protein with a slightly crunchy texture. It is available now in most grocery stores and of course health food stores as well. Make sure you always rinse it before cooking and strain it in a fine mesh sieve. What I find is that it's very adaptable to whatever ingredients you want to mix in with it. You can do something as simple as adding a little butter and fresh herbs or really get creative with combinations of flavors and ingredients. Any way you make it, you will start to wonder what you did without it! Here is the recipe:

 Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Pesto and Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 cup white quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 white or yellow onion, diced small 
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small carrots, diced
1/2 red or orange pepper, diced
6 stalks of asparagus, sliced in 1/4 discs
1/2 of a zucchini, diced
4-6 sundried tomatoes, sliced thin
olive oil for sauteing
2 tablespoons fresh pesto sauce (can be store bought!)
1/4 fresh parsley, chopped
handful of walnuts, or pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa in salted water until tender.  This can be anywhere from 15-20 minutes depending. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside to cool.
Next, saute onion in a little olive oil until soft, add the the carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables, and cook until soft but not mushy. Cool.

Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Add the vegetables, pesto, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold to incorporate all ingredients. Top with toasted nuts. This makes enough for 4 healthy servings.

 
 It's funny because my sister and I were having a conversation about quinoa salads just the other night so she just sent me a recipe she tried and liked. I am going to make her version next and maybe I'll post it here! Hope it's good MB! :) I am sure it is!