2013 Food Challenge: Sweet Potatoes, with due credit to Tomatoes.

I was going to write a post on cherry and grape tomatoes, but that would be too easy. All I have to do with those babies is open the box and eat. No-brainer there. True, they are from Florida... and they did fill the quota, along with carrots and arugula, of my vegetable intake for the 9 days I spent in the car last month crisscrossing the continent. Thank you tomatoes. I love your sweetness, plumpness, and cheerful sunny colors.

But I will write about sweet potatoes instead. Yes, the one that looks like a potato and, once you buy it, have no idea what to do with it.

Sweet potatoes are an incredible vegetable. Traditionally, they are considered to be good for the blood. In Western lingo, sweet potatoes contain iron, which is an important nutrient for women like me that do not eat a whole lot of meat. Those sweeties will also give you vitamins B6, C and D, carotenoids, magnesium and potassium. Yes potatoes do pale in comparison: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/9-reasons-to-love-sweet-potatoes.html?page=1.

Why sweet potatoes? Because I happen to be cooking them tonight, plain and simple. Cut them up to look like potato fries. Toss them, with your hands, in a generous amount of olive oil and sea salt... and feel the softness that the oil gives your hands afterwards- added bonus. Then place them in a glass ware or cast iron pan to roast. I like to bake them in Florence, my cast iron pan, because it is easier to clean Florence than to scrub away crusty glass pans. I also use, when Florence is not available, a stainless steel frying pan. Never use Teflon!!!!! Never. Throw that junk, along with anything Calphalon, away. How many times have I written this, along with info to back it up? Not enough. So here it is: http://www.freshfoodunderground.com/2010/02/on-quest-to-get-rid-of-teflon.html, and http://www.freshfoodunderground.com/2010/12/what-are-you-cooking-your-food-in.html.

Now that your hands are nice, salty and oily, you can lick them, or you can just proceed to step 2- wash them. Step 3, place the potatoes in the oven preheated to 400ºF. If you are like me, and don't want to deal with waiting, put them to bake as the oven preheats to the right temp. Those babies are so hardy, they come out tasting great no matter what. Bake/roast for about 15 minutes, toss them around, put them back and bake/roast for another 15, or until they are as blackened as you wish them to be. I love mine like this. Take them out, and they are ready to eat alone with a nice beer, or with a salad and quinoa as I am about to enjoy mine. They are also yummy with chicken, kibbies, for school lunches, snacks, rice and beans... you name it, and they will follow your orders. Enjoy!

Feeding our children.

A father recently reached out to me, asking for food suggestions for his 2 sons. He says "I want to feed them well without breaking the bank. My older son is so picky... bread, chicken nuggets, meat... he likes. Eats but complains about carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers (eats middle with seeds). I want to have him eat food that I prepare for myself, but don't want to force him... it leads to tears, anger and frustration on both our parts. Suggestions?"

I have been feeding my children for 13 years now, and these are a few of the typical comments I hear when I serve them a meal: ''This again???... I'm sick of... I don't like... I hate... What is this???... This tastes salty... This looks weird... I'm not hungry... She looked at me funny... I'm tired... I want juice...'' Thank yous and please are optional...

What do our kids need? When it comes to their health and well being, kids need parents to be parents, not friends. It's ok to insist; if you think about it, don't our kids do that to us all the time? They ask us parents for whatever they want over and over and over, until we give in out of sheer exhaustion. So why not employ their technique on them? Ask and ask and ask until they eat that one piece of spinach, forkful or collards, cabbage, beets, sweet potatoes, cauliflower...

When trying new, different foods, ask your kids to try just one bite. They may resist at first, but don't give up. If kids get used to the idea that they are expected to try at least one thing, or one bite, at meal time, that is already a big accomplishment. Don't give up.

Do away with juices and snacks so the kids are hungry at meal time. When we are hungry, everything tastes wonderful. Let your kids help you cook, patience and time permitting that is... as their curiosity may override fear when it comes to tasting what you made together.

Kids resist vegetables, they're wired that way; they love and crave fat, carbs and sugar. But gently insist, at least a bite. Complaining, or even a few tears... won't kill them.

A few basic meals...

• Kibbies: pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1/2 cup of raw bulgur, and let it sit for about an hour; discard excess water. Add 1Lb (pound) of ground meat, salt to taste, and a little  (a teaspoon) of dry oregano. Mix, and shape into 2 inch ''footballs." Bake for 1/2 hour at 400 F, or until golden brown.
•  Chicken soup with brown rice and/or noodles (whole wheat), and vegetables: that is a great way for kids to eat their vegetables, as they sip the broth in which they have cooked.
• Roasted potatoes: add some sweet potatoes to the regular potatoes, make sure the kids try at least one...
• Whole wheat bread and whole wheat English muffins: instead of white bread.
• Roast chicken: instead of nuggets... and of course look for the good luck bone in it. Use the carcass to make chicken broth for your next chicken soup; boil it with a couple stalks of celery, a carrot, an onion, and herbs of choice (parsley, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil...). Once you have a nice-looking broth, pour it through a colander, and peel the rest of the meat off the bones. Discard (or give to the dog) the cooked stuff, put the chicken meat back into the broth, and use it for your next vegetable, or chicken-noodle soup.
• Scrambled eggs, omelets... with or without cheese, spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes.
• Brown rice with ground beef, mixed- super yummy. Make both separately, then mix.
• Edamame: with salt.

• Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, sweet potatoes, arugula, carrots, onions, radishes, spinach, cabbage, collards, cucumbers, zucchini, parsley, tomatoes, sweet peppers, green onions, kale... and yes, lettuce has just about 0 nutrients... don't waste your money on it unless you use it to mix with more nutrient-rich greens.

• Tofu: sautée 2-inch tofu squares in olive oil. Or bake it, coated in salt and olive oil, at 400 F.

• Whole wheat pasta: serve mixed, or side by side, with broccoli, chard, green peas, basil, parsley or spinach... and butter.
•  Quinoa: warm (with butter); or as a salad, cold (with olive oil, nuts, cranberries, feta cheese...)
•  Corn bread: made in the cast iron pan...
•  Lasagna... they can help you put it together, it's fun and easy if you buy ready-to-bake pasta.
• My daughter loves making Latkas. Think of Latkas as Jewish hash browns; as long as you stick to eggs, onions and potatoes (no zucchini), they are straight forward to make, and cook just like pancakes on cast iron.

Cooking takes commitment. And commitment is hard to give when time is short, we are tired from work, grocery shopping, kids fighting, homework, projects, bills, house cleaning, laundry... and it takes time to cook. It may not be as "easy" and ''quick'' as the "easy quick recipes" say they are. But it is so worth it!

Don't give up. The day does come when you are able to finally share a real meal with your children, and see your own kids eat and enjoy eating well... and hear them talk to their friends about good food and personal health. That is the magical day when you know that your kids will be ok... it does come, I promise!

My New Iron BFF.

Sweet potato greens.

I had previously written about how I borrowed my friend's cast iron pan over this summer in order to keep my sanity. I mean, cook.
When I arrived back in Jacksonville and found my own place, I realized that keeping my sanity not only served me well, it was actually quite enjoyable. So I decided to keep on cooking- with my own cast iron pan. A simple 8 inch pan.
My cast iron pan stays on top on my stove. I don't ever put it away, as I use it for pretty much everything I cook. Bacon for the beans, eggs, spanish tortilla, mexican tortillas, granola in the oven,  meat, corn bread, roasted chicken, vegetables, greens... all I need to do, when done cooking, is rinse it, without soap, and put it on the hot burner for half a minute for it to dry. Done. It goes hand in hand with living simply, using my time efficiently, and eating well. Good, wholesome, tasty food that is nourishing, fresh, and free of crap- pesticides, hormones, antibiotics. Food that is not processed.

Roasted chicken.

My challenge living alone, or even when I have my children with me, is to eat a broad, good-quality variety of food, especially when it comes to vegetables. It is so easy to say to myself ''oh, this is so complicated to make, it takes so long, I don't have the time, I need to study, I want to go climb, I just want to go ride or run, I am too tired to deal...''  I don't want to commit to hours in the kitchen. I already must wash all dishes by hand, mine and my kids'- that takes time. I don't want to toil all day in the kitchen, I am done with that part of my life. But I still want, and need for my own and my children's health, to eat well. Bling! Along comes my BFF!

Portabello in coconut oil.

My BFF can cook anything in minutes. Baby spinach that is about to go bad because the package is too goddamn big for me to eat it all as salad? Throw it in the cast iron with butter. Sweet potato greens from the local farm that only last a few days before turning brown? Cast iron with olive oil. Left over mushrooms that my son asked me to buy and never ate? Cast iron with butter. My daughter doesn't want to eat anything for breakfast? Throw her in the cast iron. Just kidding, throw some eggs in the cast iron, and let her cook them. Zucchini, peppers, eggplants, onions, garlic... sautée them with the fat of choice on high heat, and no matter what kind of vegetables they may be, simple or complicated, they are ready to eat in a few minutes. Serve over, or with, quinoa, roasted potatoes, farro salad, rice, chicken, meat, pasta... the choices are infinite.
Thank you, cast iron, for being there for me. Your companionship and loyalty is deeply appreciated. Even if you burn me sometimes- I understand.

Small cooler camping.

Breakfast in Alabama

Went camping and climbing with my children this weekend, and last. We traveled a ways (8+ hours each way to get to mountains), and camped for 2 days. 

I did not want to spend a lot of money eating out, or a lot of time cooking at camp, which is time away from precious, limited climb time. So I brought food with us. 

This is where it gets tricky. I have a Toyota Yaris, and have 2 children, one big dog, camp and climb gear, food, water, snacks and books (kids school homework) to fit into the car. That definitely precludes a big cooler. Which means that I need to be efficient. 

Last weekend I was too careful about space, and ended up with not enough food for the drive back. Yes, there are a gazillion fast-food chains on the highway, but I don't want to spend my money on that crap.  

So of course I brought more food this time. Obvious solution, except I needed to actually fit my "cold" food into a 12x7 box. 

For drinking, I brought Parmalat-style small chocolate milk containers, orange/apple juice in thermoses, and lots of water- some of it frozen to serve as the ice for the cooler. And beer of course. 

For food, I got burritos to go and stuck them in the cooler, along with baby carrots, a small ziploc sandwich bag of spinach, and some left-over quinoa salad. Outside the cooler I had chicken/spinach/mustard sandwiches I made from left-over roasted chicken, bananas, tangerines, peanut butter, jelly, sandwich bread, pop-tarts, potato chips (for salt), M&M's (they don't melt in the heat), and whole-wheat choc-oat-chip cookies I'd made that morning. No nuts this time, I ran out of them. 

I forgot the instant oatmeal, so the kids had to make do with pop-tarts... they didn't complain. Miles also ate bananas smeared with peanut butter. I opted for quinoa salad with spinach- not great with coffee, but what the hell.

Climbing at Sand Rock (AL), we shared burritos, along with clementines, M&M'S, and lots of water... gave the cookies to Johnny Arms, who had helped us, along with anyone who'd ask him, to find routes, set anchors and belay. And was surprised to receive, in turn, muscatine grapes! which I love... I promptly scarfed them down- they were fresh from the garden, so delicious. 

Chickamauga Creek, TN

Energy renewed, I took the kids to Lupi's pizza (in Chattanooga) for dinner. We ordered a whole pizza, and saved the left-overs for a picnic. I am not really a fan of cold pizza, but after hanging/playing in the river this morning, the roasted garlic/mushroom/red onion slice tasted great- and it kept just fine in the car, outside the cooler. 

Driving back, we shared the last burrito, more spinach, and polished the quinoa salad. 

Lesson learned? Keep it simple to save time and energy. Making fires and cooking at camp is great;  but if I need to drive, set up/clean up camp, pack, unpack, sleep, and actually enjoy myself and the kids, than I must be efficient. 

There are so many choices out there for no-cook, good quality food. Hummus, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, granola, scones, pasta salads, bean salads, cheese, salami, home-made popcorn,  all kinds of sandwiches... bagels, muffins, donuts... the car may be my limit, but that does not preclude fun, good meals with those I choose to share my time with. Here is to efficient, great eating on the road!

In defense of cheap food.

Brazilian Canjica (Hominy)

I have lived in the States for 25 years now, and have seen so many food fads and diets come and go. The interesting thing about them to me is that they all seem to share one common trait: they are all expensive.

Yes, blueberries are good for you. And so is quinoa,  Greek yogurt, sprouted bread, amaranth, green juice, pomegranate, açaí, coconut water, kefir, almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, granola, canola oil, matte tea, coconut fat, flax seed, chia, salmon oil and avocados.

The thing is, all foods are good for you. Not just a few special ones. We were made to eat everything. We are omnivores who can survive on anything from old soggy potatoes to squirrel meat. Just think for a minute about what people ate during war times, draughts and economic hardships. Porridge of grains, beans, oats, vegetables, whatever meat they found... simple, unprocessed food.

Unprocessed foods don't bring in money to grocers though. Vegetables and fruits spoil easily, and there is little profit to be made from grains and beans. Packaged, processed foods are the ones which market well, and sell for more money. And their packaging can always be changed to fit the fad, like the local Lay's potato chips I found at a gas station the other day.

Think about how much money you pay for that healthy granola. And greek yogurt and kefir... and chia and flax seed.... almond milk, soy and rice milk. And the antioxidant miracle fruit of the year of course.

Now go a few isles down the same market, and check the price of bulk oats and brown rice. Check the price of corn grits, yellow and white. Lentils, black and white beans, chick peans... check also how cheap turnip, mustard and collard greens go for, depending where you are in the country. Cabbage, squash, beets, radishes, celery, parsley, green onions, carrots, onions, turnips, garlic... those are all foods that are incredibly nourishing to the human body, and yet cost relatively little when compared to packaged pasta, packaged couscous, lettuces, tomatoes... which make pretty meals, but don't really give us much in terms of nutrients and health.

I am not advocating against buying granola, kefir (which I love), and all the other beautiful foods that we encounter at the grocery store. But I do want to make a point that, in order to eat well and stay healthy and slim on a lean budget, I can easily find and eat traditional, wholesome, simple foods that my parents, grandparents, and their grandparents, ate.

All I need is a stove, a few pots and bowls, a sharp knife, sea salt and olive oil, and I am ready to take care not only of myself, but those I care for. Because that is the beauty of those foods: they are generous. When I cook them, they expand and give, and it is easy to feed many on little.

Take a meal that I made yesterday: 2 cups of organic brown rice (1 Lb, about 2 or 3 dollars), 2 cups of organic dry black beans (1 Lb, about $3), 1 Lb of local, organic grass-fed ground beef (about $8), corn salad (organic corn on the cob, cheap during the summer: $10 for 48 ears) and a beet salad (a few dollars more)... it fed 8 hungry adults, 5 kids, gave some away, and there is still enough food left to feed myself and my kids for another couple days.

Growing up in Brazil I ate hominy, with sugar and ground peanuts, for breakfast and/or as an afternoon snack. I still often eat it for breakfast, with sugar and chopped nuts- it is so incredibly delicious, filling and cheap. I also ate a lot of polenta, both in Argentina and Brazil; cheaper and healthier than pasta, and so very sustaining. Rice and beans, soups made from the meat and chicken bones, eggs... and an incredible variety of vegetables and fruit.

Of course there is room for granola, as well as all the kinds of different and great foods that I find at the stores. But it is important to not forget that just because one food, like quinoa, is being lauded as the super grain of the year (it is actually a seed), that does not mean that good old corn, oats and rice aren't just as nutritious and balanced a grain as their (seed) cousin. The same goes for beans. Maybe they are not as easy to market because they do make folks kind of gassy, but they really are super foods. And don't forget eggs and butter, which I also remember were replaced at one point by egg whites and... margarine???

Trust your simple, wholesome, cheap foods- they will keep you, your budget, and your overall sanity going strong, lean and healthy.

How to Make Quinoa.

Adding ingredients...

Quinoa is a wonderful, versatile seed. It cooks quickly, and it may be eaten hot as a grain, or cold in a salad.

It is light, which makes it a perfect dish for lunch. I can eat it and stay awake, as opposed to when I eat brown rice and beans at lunch time, which make me full, heavy and sleepy. 

I mostly eat it cold as a salad, with a side of a greens, and/or left over chicken, chick peas, feta cheese, sweet potato fries, meat, boiled eggs, kibies… whatever I find in the fridge that day, basically. 

The secret for quinoa is how you cook it. I used to just boil it, which made it mushy and unappealing. But then I found out that if I put it in a dry pot, let it heat up and toast for a few minutes, it becomes deliciously fragrant.

Quinoa salad.

I put a cup of dry quinoa in a pot, turn the flame to medium high, and let it heat up as I toss it. When I smell its aroma, I add 2 cups of water to it. The trick here is to immediately cover the pot the second I add the water so that it doesn't splatter, make a mess on the stove, and burn myself. A couple burns were enough to teach me that trick.

Once I add the water, I turn the fire to low, and simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water has evaporated. There is no need to mix the quinoa while it cooks, as it will only make it become mushy. 


When it is done, I let it cool, and then mix it with 2 of my favorite ingredients: olive oil and sea salt. I put in nuts such as raw or roasted cashews and/or almonds, Kalamata olives, parsley or cilantro, red onion, corn... and toss it together. The salad will last for about 3 days, a great deal for about 15 minutes of chopping/mixing and another 20 of cooking, which can be done while I have my morning coffee (roasted by Bold Bean...), and get the kids ready for school.