Chef Funk Takes Over

Last week was one of those weeks when I was booked up with a meeting, appointment or event every night of the week and was majorly multi-tasking just to fit everything in. Brushing my teeth while packing lunch? Did it. De-stress yoga DVD while checking my email between poses? Ashamed to admit I did that too, while noting the irony. Fortunately Chef Funk swooped in and made sure I was at least well nourished and fixed me a delicious, huge dinner with a side of fresh cut flowers and a glass of vino. Ahh true love (I mean Funk, and the wine too I guess).

Usually Funk is a pro at prepared foods: He knows the exact crispiness oven temperature for soy nuggets, and is a master of making couscous in the microwave. But the other night he wowed me with a multi-dish dinner, including one fabulous side of Mushroom Rice Pilaf with Peas and Pomegranate Arils. He even photographed the meal like a food blogging pro!

I loved the sweet-savory combo of the rice pilaf and arils, and the peas added a punch of protein and color. Without having to measure ingredients or follow a recipe, Funk was able to whip up a stellar side dish. It could have also been the main dish, as it had a complete mix of grains, protein and fruit, and the leftovers actually turned into lunch for me the next day.

This goes to show that you don't need to be a chef or kitchen master to make a nutritious and delicious meal. Just pull some ingredients out of your freezer and cupboard and get to work. Wine and flowers optional (but they do win major bonus points).

Go Bananas for Equal Exchange

The other day I popped into Stop and Shop on my way home from work to pick up some essentials. When I headed to the fruit section I saw something I hadn’t seen in the past: The option of regular bananas (Chiquita, Dole) or Equal Exchange Organic bananas. I had seen the Equal Exchange (EE) stamp on coffee, tea and chocolate before, but never bananas. So after picking up a bunch, I headed home to do some research. Low and behold Stop and Shop is a grocer that has newly introduced EE bananas to their bunch! This is exciting news.

Recently I’ve started to pay more attention to where my food is coming from. That’s not to say I require all of my food to be local or even organic, but I like to know a bit more about it’s origin. My interest in this was heightened even more when I was on the POM Blogger Harvest Tour. As we drove by eggplant, artichoke, and garlic farms, and saw cotton bushes (I had never seen cotton growing before!) and orange trees, I realized that while I try to purchase mainly whole foods, I still don’t think about all of the work that went into growing those foods. When we were at the POM plant and watched farmers drive truckloads of pomegranates to the plant that they picked that morning, I was struck by how much work goes into just one bottle of juice and that someone actually hand picked every single piece of fruit. Sure this is obvious info but how often do you actually stop and think about it?

That’s exactly what I did when I got my Equal Exchange bananas. Equal Exchange partners with co-operatives of farmers who provide high quality, organic coffee, chocolate, teas and snacks from all over the world. This system supports small farmer co-ops and uses sustainable farming practices. All along I knew that paying a higher price for these goods meant a little extra cash was going to the farmers who were supplying it, but I didn’t think much further than that.

While peeling through some EE banana websites (Ha! Get it? Oh banana humor), I learned that banana farmers are treated unfairly and have horrible working conditions. Typically, bananas are grown on large plantations where workers earn low wages and experience poor living and working conditions. This production system pushes the price of bananas down to a point at which small farmers cannot compete. In addition, heavy chemical use causes health problems in communities surrounding the plantations. Many of us may think about how organic eating can benefit us without thinking about how those same chemicals can significantly harm the health of the growers.

Equal Exchange only works with small farmers that have formed democratic co-operatives in order to reach the global market. The farmers own their land and have control of their business. The EE bananas are organically grown – so no harmful chemicals are used and the farmers are working in healthier, cleaner environments. By buying Equal Exchange bananas, you are using your purchasing power to make the world a better place. Yes they carry a higher price tag than say Dole regular bananas, but the mark up money is well spent. Last year approximately 1.8 million dollars went from EE bananas to the banana farmers in Ecuador to be used for things like schools and health centers.

This really struck a chord with me as a food Blogger and dietitian. I write and work to help improve the health of others, which of course includes encouraging nutritious foods, such as bananas. Bananas are one of the most commonly consumed fruits. Many families buy bunches each week and kids tend to favor them over all fruits. But by making a choice in our food system with a fruit we already eat and enjoy, and choosing EE products, we can not only improve our own health, but also the health and wellbeing of its farmers. It feels empowering to know that the foods we choose to buy can have a positive influence on others’ lives.

Please join me in supporting these hard working farmers and choose Equal Exchange. If you live in Massachusetts, check to see if your local Stop and Shop has the EE bananas and if not, encourage the store to carry them!

Check out some of these great resources for more information:

A blog about one woman’s experience in Ecuador learning about Fair Trade

The Equal Exchange website

The Equal Exchange Bananas website

A fellow Registered Dietitian I know works at Equal Exchange, and I was able to get a lot of inside scoop about EE from her. She has a fun prize for a Dine Dish Delish reader but you have to click on my reviews site (Dine Dish Delish Reviews) to find out what you need to do to win (and what the prize is)!

Disclaimer: I am not being paid by Equal Exchange to promote their banans. I just support their fantastic cause!

Yoga in a Toga with Stonyfield Farm Oikos Yogurt

I recently saw a contest sponsored by Stonyfield Farm Oikos Yogurt. Although dairy doesn't love me, I do love Stonyfield Farm and always promote that brand of yogurt to my clients. I also love yoga and for the past few years have been dreaming of one day going to the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, MA. I have heard it is a phenomenal, life changing experience. Wow! Low and behold, Stonyfield Farm Oikos Yogurt is having a contest to win an all expense paid trip for two to Kripalu. Count me in! My friend Nicole and I have actually promised each other that one day (when we have an extra three thousand dollars to spend on a weekend of yoga), we'd buy each other a trip to Kripalu. Winning this trip would be an even better way to get us there!

It's easy to enter. You can:

A) Share a brief story about why you need to relax and say “Ohm.”

B) Share a recipe you create or tip using Oikos yogurt.

C) Post a photo of you doing yoga in a toga (Oikos is Greek yogurt after all!).

All entries (your post is your entry) must include a link to the Facebook fan page, and be emailed to oikos@360publicrelations.com by November 30, 2009 – and you’ll be entered to win! The winner will be selected at random and notified by 12/15/09.

I decided to go with the Yoga in a Toga entry. Man, how did those Greeks do it? I could hardly do a downward dog without a toga mishap! Thanks Stonyfield for this fantastic contest. Kripalu...hope to see you soon! (But I'm leaving my toga at home.)

Homemade Pumpkin Sage Ravioli

I love pumpkin ravioli. So much that I decided to make my own. You may remember when Toni and I made Mushroom Ravioli that was unbelievably good and not outrageously hard to make. (Hi Tones!) This time around I created my own recipe that wound up being a perfect batch of homemade pumpkin ravioli.

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
Grapeseed or canola oil
Fresh sage (about 10 leaves, chopped)
1/3 cup soy cheese
Salt to taste
Dash of cinnamon
15 ounces canned pumpkin
1 package Nasoya won ton wraps

For the sauce:
1 cup vegetable broth

1. Dice and sauté the onion and fresh sage in a pan until the onion is browned and beginning to caramelize. Add the can of pumpkin, salt to taste, and a dash of cinnamon and cook until mixture is heated thoroughly. Put mixture in a bowl and mix in cheese, which will melt into the pumpkin.

2. On a flat surface, place one won ton wrap. Drop about a teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture onto the wrapper.

3. Brush all four sides of the wrapper with water using your fingertip. Place second won ton wrap on top and press down all four sides with a fork. Repeat with all won ton wraps.

You can either make 48 small ravioli (by folding the won ton in half) or 24 large ravioli, which is what I did.

Heat water to a rapid boil and gently drop in the ravioli. Boil 5-10 minutes until the wrap is cooked through and slightly translucent. Place in a strainer to drain off water.

You should have about a cup of pumpkin mixture left that didn’t fit in the won tons. I pureed this with my immersion blender with 1 cup of vegetable broth and poured it over the ravioli.

Since this is my blog, I’m going to brag. These were so good. They weren’t like your typical ravioli that are stuffed with gobs of cheese. They were light and melted in my mouth. Funk gave them rave reviews (he is my biggest – and only – critic so his reviews are critical!). The sauce is thin like the texture of tomato soup, and tasted great drizzled over the ravioli adding even more pumpkin flavor. If you’re looking for a thicker sauce, I’d recommend using about ½ cup of vegetable broth or adding more pumpkin, or even pureeing in a can of white beans for a thicker, heartier sauce. I had a Twitter follower ask if these ravioli are vegan and I said Yes! Until I remembered No! The won ton wraps contain egg whites. If anyone knows of vegan won tons, please let me know!


I made these on Sunday night when I had a bit more time than on a typical weeknight. But they were worth all of the effort that went into them. It was like a craft project for our bellies. Some meals are just meant to be labored over, and this was one of them.

What’s the most labor intensive meal you’ve ever made? Was it for a holiday, a loved one, or just because you wanted to enjoy a good meal all to yourself?

DIY Edible Gifts:Holiday Food Fest

I'm back with another Holiday Food Fest Post! This week's theme is Edible Gifts, and perfect timing because I just lead a seminar this week on healthy holiday gifts! I really like making gifts for others. It brings out my crafty side and they're always a bit more meaningful than something picked up at Target. Here are some Do It Yourself Gift Basket ideas to make this holiday season.

For the Coffee Connoisseur, fill a basket with:
•Gourmet coffee
•Hand-held milk frother
•Flavored syrup
•Travel mug
•French Press Coffee Maker
•Chocolate covered coffee beans

For the New Chef, fill a basket with:
•Measuring cups
•Mixing spoons
•Mixing bowl
•Kitchen timer
•Apron and pot holder
•Cook book

For the Dessert Maker, fill a basket with:
•Non-stick cupcake cups
•Cake decorations (frosting, candles)
•Decorative frosting tips
•Cupcake cookbook
•Cake stand

For the Mexican Cuisine Sampler, fill a basket with:
•Gourmet salsa varieties
•Mixed dry beans
•Chili peppers
•Mexican spices
•Tortilla press
•Brightly colored kitchen towels or plates
•Mexican cuisine cookbook

For the Green Thumb, fill a basket with:
•Decorative planter
•Seed starter kits
•Herb plants
•Herb growing guide/cookbook
•AeroGrow Garden (hint hint...this is #1 on my wish list!)

For the Grill Master, fill a basket with:
•Grill tongs
•Meat/veggie marinades
•BBQ/grill cedar chips
•Grilling cook book
•Metal grilling skewers
•Vegetable grill pan

For the French Cuisine Sampler, fill a basket with:
•Variety of cheese
•Cheese cutting board and slicer
•French wine
•Gourmet Dijon mustard
•Gourmet jam
•Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook

For the Japanese Cuisine Sampler, fill a basket with:
•Decorative chopsticks
•Sushi rolling mats
•Wasabi powder
•Tea set
•Sushi making cookbook

Are you making anything to give this holiday season? I'd love to hear about it!

EA Sports Active Wii Interactive Fitness Test Drive

Over the weekend Sarah (remember her from my diet.com videos?) invited me to test drive EA, the Wii interactive fitness game system at the EA Fitness Lounge in Boston. I'm not a big video game player (zero attention span, and cartoons make my eyes glaze over) but was interested in trying EA to see if it was worth the workout. I have had clients use Wii Fit and seem to love it, so I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype and qualified as an actual workout.

I met Tina, Jessica, Elizabeth, and Sarah at the Fitness Lounge at 156 Newbury Street in Boston for an hour-long session. We learned all about the EA Sports Active and More Workouts and got to try them. The Fitness Lounge is open through the holidays and locals are invited to stop in at any time for a free workout! Boston bloggers are especially encouraged to bring a group in for a trial session.

I teamed up with Elizabeth for some friendly competition. We put on the EA leg strap, grabbed our controllers (numb chucks?) and got moving. We did a workout that included dancing, tennis, volleyball, and even inline skating. The inline skating required some seriously deep squats and high jumps - I was definitely getting a good workout there. I loved tennis, and it made me want to get outside on the courts! Playing volleyball reminded me how terrible of a volleyball player I was in high school! I didn't do any better at EA v.ball either, for the record.

Some pros of EA:

• We definitely got our heart rates going and worked up a sweat.
• We had a blast!
• EA would make a great workout for those days you just don't want to go outside or get to the gym.

Some cons of EA:

• There was a lot of standing around trying to pick our workout from the menu. I expect once you get used to the system, this is a breeze but I wanted to get going!
• There was a calorie counter that I can't imagine is accurate. The system didn't even ask for my height/weight (I think I could enter it somewhere if I wanted it to) so there is no way it was 100% on target, but it was a good reference.
• It is easy to slack off while playing. You could choose to move your feet and bounce around to keep your heart rate up, or you could lazily swing your "tennis racquet" or bump your volleyball arms without exerting much effort, therefore getting a weak workout.
• However, I fully support anything that is active and if this system gets people off the couch and into a workout routine, I'm all for it. For me, though, I prefer the real deal, whether it's on a tennis court, shooting at a real basketball hoop, or running a race.
  

Have you ever tried Wii EA? Or is it on this year's holiday wish list? I'd love to hear what you think about it!

Delicious (Healthy) Chocolate Coconut PB Truffles and Guest Post

Today as part of my nutrition seminar I’m presenting to Tufts Health Plan, I’m doing a holiday treat cooking demo. I just started getting into presenting more cooking demos for my corporate wellness gigs and love them. Instead of telling people how to eat well, I show them how to eat well.

With the holidays coming up, I decided to show the group how to whip up a no-cook, nutritionally satisfying, sweet treat that they can make for holiday parties or food-gifts. One of my Twitter followers suggested this recipe for Delicious Healthy Truffles a while back when I was looking for a no-bake recipe and I’m glad she did. I made it a month ago at another cooking demo and they were a huge hit. Looking at the ingredient list, you may be surprised…prunes?!?!

Prunes are chock full of antioxidants, fiber, and flavor! They’re the softest, juiciest dried fruit and they’re so satisfying. Let’s call them “dried plums,” shall we? Prunes sound so…old. One of my last cooking demo participants stated she hates dried plums, but loved this recipe and even took extras home for her family to try. Maybe you can become a dried plum convert too.

Even Funk, who doesn’t love coconut and doesn’t like peanut butter in his desserts (weirdo) liked these truffles. They’re sweet and soft and taste like dark chocolate. With only 60 calories per truffle and heart-healthy unsaturated fats, you can feel good about enjoying these sweet treats during the holidays.

Ingredients
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted dates
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Directions
Chop dates and prunes into small pieces, then squish together with a fork (use a sturdy, large bowl). Add peanut butter and maple syrup and mix together. Add cocoa and mix thoroughly. Roll mixture into bite-size pieces and roll in coconut to cover. Refrigerate and eat!

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Also, today I guest posted on Silly Tater Tot. Katy (a Syracuse Grad and Triathlete - woo hoo!) is going vegan for a week and is documenting it on her blog. Click here to see what vegan tips and advice I gave, and follow her for the week (and beyond of course) to see how she's doing!

Red Lentil Restaurant in Watertown, MA

A few months ago, after Funk and I returned from a vegetarian eating frenzy on our trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley, I lamented that there just aren’t enough vegetarian restaurants in Boston. We’re in a happenin’ city, yet at best, most restaurants will only offer a cheesy veggie burger or hummus wrap – both of which I can make much better at home for a fraction of the price. Then just at the right time I received an email from the Boston Vegetarian Society that Red Lentil, a new vegetarian and vegan restaurant was open in Watertown, MA, just a few miles outside of Boston and the menu looked incredible.

This past Friday night I was so excited to check out Red Lentil with some fellow nutrition ladies and food bloggers. Lindsey, Jess, Elizabeth, Corrine and I made a dinner reservation which was very smart, since Red Lentil probably seats only 35 guests at a time. We started with some Pan Seared Breaded Portobella Strips, which were tender and lightly crispy with a zesty mango chutney and red pepper coulis. They looked just like chicken fingers! We also shared a hummus and pita platter and every time I have homemade hummus, I remember how much better it is than the packaged variety!

I ordered the vegan Butternut Squash Polenta, which jumped right off the menu page at me since I love butternut squash and polenta and figured combined, they’d taste even better. I was right! But I did have a hard time deciding what to order as every single menu option looked like one I’d enjoy. I can say that happens for me just about never in a restaurant. My dish included grilled polenta, oyster mushroom ragout, and warmed sesame asparagus drizzled with cilantro sunflower seed pesto. Heavenly.

We all ordered something different, and had bites of each other’s. Every dish was as good as the next. We wrapped up our meal with a slice of vegan carrot cake and vegan chocolate cake for the table. You could tell they had been sitting in the fridge before they were served to us - they had a slight refrigerator taste - but I still thought they were tasty, especially the carrot cake frosting! My three-course meal (with pretty big-sized portions) only came to $22 including tip.

If you’re in the Boston area, this restaurant is a must. Even if you’re intimidated by seitan, tempeh, and macrobiotics, there are some simple standards on the menu like nachos, burritos, quesadillas, and pizza.

I know this restaurant will become a go-to place, and already can’t wait to take Funk there. Another awesome perk? Once a month I consult at a location just steps away from Red Lentil. I can’t think of a better place to treat myself to lunch! As luck would have it, I’m consulting there tomorrow. It’d be a first for me that I hit up the same restaurant twice in one week, but hey, it’s just that good.

Holiday Food Fest, POM Contest, oh and a recipe

Today's post is a loaded one. Not only do I have a yummy recipe for you, but it also ties in to Holiday Food Fest and National Pomegranate Month and a sweet giveaway. Shirley, who I met on the POM Blogger Tour, is the blogger behind Gluten Free Easily and boy does she know her gluten free stuff. She invited me to participate in a bloggers' Holiday Food Fest - to link one of my posts during a food-themed week to share with other bloggers and readers. Hop on over to Tasty Eats at Home to check out more Fall Dishes, which is this week's theme.

It's also National Pomegranate Month, the height of the pomegranate season! To celebrate, I cooked up a pomegranate-fall-themed-dish for dinner last night and the wonderful people at POM offered to send two of my readers some POM goodies. Click on over to my Dine Dish Delish Review site to enter to win!

Now on to the recipe. I'll call it Pomegranate Quinoa with Peas and Celery. That's not only the title, but also the ingredient list!

1 cup quinoa - rinsed and drained in cold water

2 cups POMx iced tea - I used the hibiscus green tea but you could use any flavor, or POM juice, or even plain old water or vegetable broth

1.5 cups frozen peas

5 celery stalks, diced
salt to taste

After rinsing the quinoa, bring quinoa and POMx tea to a boil. Once you're at a rapid boil, lower heat to a simmer, add the celery, peas and salt, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut open your pomegranate verrrryyyy gently so the arils don't pop and splatter all over your white ocuntertops and white cabinets. I cut off a thin slice from the top, and make a shallow slice on one side then grip my pomegranate on either side and crack it open. Tip: I do this in a bowl of water so if those arils are going to pop, they're not going to pop all over me or my white kitchen! Then just poke and prod the arils out into the water, drain, and voila! Nearly two cups of gorgeous ruby red arils.

Once the quinoa is done cooking, stir in one cup of the pomegranate arils and your dish is done!

This meal is packed with protein from the quinoa and peas, fiber from the quinoa, veggies, and fruit, and an antioxidant overload from the POMx iced tea and arils. It was a sweet and savory dish that we enjoyed piping hot. And no, it didn't taste like iced tea! The POMx tea added a subtle flavor of hibiscus but nothing overpowering. I love adding sweet fruit into my savory dishes so this one hit the spot.

Happy Holiday Food Fest and National POMegranate Month - don't forget to head to Dine Dish Delish Reviews to enter to win!

Katie's Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness

The other day, while spending way too long perusing the blog world, I came across Chocolate Covered Katie's blog, linked over from Heather Eats Almond Butter (remember her from my POM trip?). There I read Katie's post about Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness and her mission to raise money on her blog to give to charity. The best part about it is she makes it so EASY to give! All you have to do is click on her blog...multiple times! And if you're a blog junkie like me, you're already doing it anyway. No fundraising, no PayPal, just click over and read her blog.

Katie, like many well-read bloggers, makes some spare change writing her blog and every time she gets a page view: cha-ching! I love that she's decided to put this money to good use for her favorite charity, The Enough Project.

Here's more from Katie:

What can you do to help? Spread the word! If you have a blog, please help me get the word out by blogging about, or even just mentioning, the “Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness” page view charity drive on your blog. (Feel free to use the logo as well.)

Throughout the month, blog about, and link to, ANY chocolatecoveredkatie.com post (such as a Chocolate-Covered Recipe). Each time someone clicks on any link to my blog, more money will be earned for the cause. Good time to make Fudge Babies or Peanut Butter Babies, perhaps? Or Banana Butter… or Melted Banana Trick oats?

During the month, click on as many pages/links on my blog as you can. Each post you click on, and each link you follow, earns more money for the charity drive. Or, when you see my posts in Google Reader, simply click on the posts instead of reading them in Google Reader format (which doesn’t translate to any page views).

Browse the Chocolate-Covered Recipes, read up on processed foods or veganism for omnivores in the FAQ section, find every flavor oatmeal imaginable in All-things-Oatmeal, see “My Life in Cupcakes” in the About Me section, check out the Most Popular, or just peruse old posts.

So go ahead and click on over to Katie to assist her with this generous and thoughtful mission!