Food for thought...

This recipe was inspired by something Martha Stewart posted just before Easter.  I love avocados and try to add the occasional egg to my diet, so Martha’s recipe caught my eye.  You should know I’m lazy;  to be clear, I’m actually very lazy — especially when it comes to cooking. My house however, is filled with post Easter hard-boiled eggs and I got hungry.  

Here’s what I came up with.  It takes me about 30 minutes to whip up — it will only take you about 10 minutes to make.  I’m appallingly slow in the kitchen.

Why it’s healthy (aka Ingredients):

2 hardboiled eggs, chopped 

1 avocado, chopped

2 thin slices of onion, chopped

1 slice of feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 lime

drizzle of olive oil (don’t be stingy)

cumin

turmeric

chili powder

2 pita breads

Directions:  Rub a little olive oil on the pita breads and slice them into 1/8ths.  Pop them into the oven to toast if you like a little added crunch.  Combine the chopped and crumbled ingredients in a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lime.  Add hearty shakes of the spices.  Mix well.  That’s it.  Gently combining the oil, lime and feta creates a creamy “dressing” without the mayo.  Serves 2 hearty eaters or 4 dainty types.  

Stop here if you care only about taste and not so much about nutrition or health.

Healthy Facts (based on a super quick internet search):

I loathe mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, homemade or otherwise -- it’s a taste thing for me, but I also love eating fresh and healthy, which lets me feel virtuous and indulge in my love of chocolate more often.  One little tablespoon of mayo adds up to approximately 94 calories; 10 grams of fat, no protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron or calcium, so it’s high in calories without much in the way of nutrition except for fat.

Eggs:  High in protein, contain all 9 essential amino acids, highly concentrated with vitamins and minerals and one of the best sources of choline (good for the brain) you can get.  Rich in  two antioxidants Lutein (eyes) and Zeaxanthine (whatever that is).

Avocado:  Excellent source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, K, folate, and B6. Half an avocado has 160 calories, 15 grams of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and only 2 grams saturated fat. Contains more than one-third the daily value of vitamin C, and more than half the day’s requirements of vitamin K.

Onion:  A powerful antibiotic, onions exceed Red Wine in heart-protective properties by lowering cholesterol, inhibiting hardening of the arteries, adding elasticity of blood vessels and helping maintain healthy blood pressure.  Regulates blood sugar and racks up hundreds of scientific citations on anti-cancer properties.  Who knew?!

Olive Oil:  A monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), considered a healthy dietary fat — as long as you’re replacing saturated and trans fats and not adding to them.  MUFA’s may help lower your risk of heart disease.  They have been found to lower your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.  May also help normalize blood clotting, regulate insulin levels and aid blood sugar control.  (so says the Mayo Clinic)

Turmeric:  Anti-inflammatory - pretty color too.

Cumin:  Aids proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Cumin is also a source of iron, making it a good metabolic support for efficient energy production and robust immunity.

Chili Powder:  Boosts metabolism and immune system.  Inhibits inflammation. (I use Santa Fe Seasoning’s chili powders - they taste amazing)

Feta Cheese:  Lower in fat and calories than most cheeses, but so yummy.

Tasty + healthy.  Let me know how you like it!

E. England

www.ninedragons.etsy.com

Arroz con Leche and Love

Arroz con Leche and Love

Dinner parties are very special to me.  Gathering interesting new friends or dear old pals around a beautifully set table and chatting into the wee hours over good wine and a thoughtfully prepared meal is one of my very favorite things.  Lingering over leisurely meals and a bite or two of dessert is when the best conversations take place and secrets are told.  Truly, the most interesting stories come out once stomachs are pleasantly full, candles are burning low and the music is mellow.  It’s a bit of a balancing act, making the evening special enough so that your guests know you care, but easy enough to take part in the stories as well.  

Not being the best planner-organizer, I usually manage to pull together the table and the meal before 9:00 pm when dinner guests are at my mercy -- but I often run out of steam when it comes to planning and preparing a calorie worthy uncomplicated dessert. Nine times out of ten, I concede defeat and run out to buy dessert which, in all honestly, works just fine.

Still, if I can pull off a little homemade dessert that elicits mmm’s, I feel I’ve given my guests a secret hug or the whisper of a kiss on their cheek -- a tiny secret gift -- in exchange for their friendship.  Silly, I know.  My friends will love me either way, but I feel like I’ve just gotten away with something when I’ve hand-made the dessert.

Some years ago, I read an article written by a woman who chose not to cook.  To the dismay of her mother, domestic arts were neglected and her energy went towards a career.  In the article, she tells of falling in love and discovering her lover (a talented cook - how perfect) being drawn to the ethnic food made by her mother.  

She knew they were destined to be together when she realized one day that she wanted to learn to prepare something special for him.  She loved him so much, she learned to make Arroz con Leche, a recipe which requires time and constant attention as the rice slowly absorbs the milk, sugar and flavor of the cinnamon sticks.  In discovering love, she opened herself to sharing the gift of her time -- a very great gift indeed - whether offered to our lovers, our children or our friends.  

Her lovely story touched me, and encouraged me to think about how easily distracted I can be and how much I sometimes take for granted.  Within days of reading the article, I had ventured out to purchase the ingredients in order to offer my own dessert-loving husband the gift of my time.  Such simple ingredients, such a sublime dessert!  

I realize, and certainly hope, that my dinner guests never know how much time goes into this simple, elegant dessert...as I lay  small, warm ramekins at each place setting and smile inside.  The crisp bite of Fall is in the air, it’s the perfect time for Arroz con Leche, cozy dinner parties and love.

E. England

Recipe 

Warm 4 cups of whole milk.  Heat 1 cup Arborio rice with 2 cups of water, 1/8 teaspoon salt, one cinnamon stick.  Slowly add milk (about 1/2 cup at a time) to the simmering rice, stirring constantly.  Let most of it absorb before adding the next portion.  Finally add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Stop heating when the pudding is still very soupy -- 20 minutes or so.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  

Note:  The inspiration for this blog and the recipe above was taken from an article titled Catching a Man With Arroz con Leche by Julia Alvarez

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