TIPS Tuesday: Interstate Car Travel Proves Challenging...But Not Impossible

Traveling is never easy when staying away from refined carbs; you're not going to find a Farmers Market just off the interstate on, say, a Tuesday. That said, even giant 'travel centers' offer some possibilities.  The big ones have a huge selection of only slightly-overpriced legumes, and occasionally apples and bananas. I did see turkey franks once, but mostly these are beef and pork--which you could easily just eat plain, without a bun. Luckily, on this trip I also had a huge sealed plastic container of trail mix, and lots of water. I guess you could also take along in a cooler a hunk of some low-water cheese, such as Romano, and a really sharp knife with which to cut it up.

At Love's Travel Center in Quartzite, AZ (elevation 106, population 106, and temperature...106; a little travel humor), you can get salted, de-shelled pepitas--pumpkin seeds--in a decent size for under three bucks. I didn't find the fruit, but I did find their house brand of beef jerky, which, while it did contain some amount of sugar, did not contain any chemicals or preservatives. In a pinch, I'll eat it--and you can safely give the plain variety to your dog as a snack without having to stop. As well, 100% percent juice drinks are available--I don't recommend that hit of sugar, but it is...factually, food. Water is best.

Speaking of water...next month I'll be posting a podcast from the owner of a wellness center in Panama, where hydration and fasting are practiced as keys to good health. Listen and decide for yourself. Stay tuned.

SCRUMPTIOUS Saturdays: Chipotle Cole Slaw

Here's a winner that's easy to make, good for you, and goes with a range of entrees, from vegetarian to carnivorous. This Chipotle Cole Slaw is spicy, it's crunchy, it's great for a summer lunch or dinner. It tastes like food should taste, invigorating, delicious, and authentic. And, and it would be really, really hard to mess up. Another Sunset Magazine-inspired adaptation.

Equipment: chopping board, good knife for chopping. mixing bowl, measuring spoons and cups, plastic wrap, wood fork or spoon.

Ingredients: for the salad...1 large cabbage, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1 cup broccoli slaw, 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, 7 green onions, 1 small can, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (remove the peppers you need, then reserve 2 tbsp. adobo sauce). For the dressing...1/2 cup mayonnaise (vegan or not), 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tbsp. white vinegar, 1 tbsp. molasses.

Notes: Make dressing first, mixing thoroughly. Chop all vegetables and place in mixing bowl. Dice peppers as best you can, and add to salad mixture; toss in. Add dressing mixture, then the adobo sauce. Toss thoroughly. It's best if you chill before eating. Also, be very careful adding the chipotle peppers; add just a little, toss thoroughly, and see if you like the heat. If you need to add more, do so. The original recipe called for red cabbage, which is not in season near me--I used the carrots and slaw as a substitute; worked great. With beer and pulled pork, or BBQ-flavored fried or sauteed tempeh with onions, this slaw adds to it all.

PRODUCT of the Week: Safeway Select Mushroom & Onion Pasta Sauce

Put it on roasted eggplant slices, with some cheese. I like this product, because, well, it's easy to find...you don't need actually need pasta to use it, and it doesn't contain sugar: Safeway Select Mushroom & Onion Pasta Sauce. A no-refined-carbs triumph!

THEMATIC Thursdays: NERC* Diet Fights Age-Related Ailments

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Although it's not news that consuming refined-carbohydrates ages you, supplemental research in this area is coming out all the time. Recently, National Public Radio reported Jay Olshansky, a professor at the University of Illinois (Chicago) School of Public Health, saying that the basic advice hasn't changed: "...eat more fruits and vegetables." Moreover, a study from just a few years back, authored by a Tufts University researcher, noted that high glycemic-index foods (e.g. sugar, many processed foods, breads) contributed to vision loss after age 50, for a significant percentage of adults.

Need some basic info about flour and sugar intake? This article does a pretty good job of explaining the basics of refined carbs (bad) versus complex carbs (good), and how sugar speeds up a natural aging process in the body called glycation, which among other things, causes skin-wrinkling.

*Not Eating Refined Carbs

TIPS Tuesday: Resisting the Refined Carbs Avalanche

Copyright Free Courtesy AIGA

It's pretty hard to take a pass on the avalanche of breads, cakes, muffins, waffles, pancakes, bagels and floured pie-crusts that dominate our societal foodscape. But, you have alternatives--and if you plan your food-day, you will not feel so tempted, or deprived.

Some tips:

*Strong Breakfast and Snack: Eat a no-toast big breakfast with protein and fruit, followed by a cheese, fruit, nut or combination snack at 10:30 a.m.

*Good Lunch and Snack: Lunch can be a salad, with or without meat (but some protein, if without meat. No croutons). Snack again around 4 p.m.

*Moderate Dinner: With four meals under your belt, you'll need a smaller dinner: hummus with baby carrots, some olives, some cheese, may suffice. Dessert can be fruit. Finish before 7 p.m.

Other Tips: 

*If you eat dairy, keep two types of cheese around (so you don't get bored of one). No dairy? Fruit, nuts, veggies. Soy cream cheese makes a great dip with tofu.

*Nuts keep well, and travel well. Keep different kinds handy, and replenish a continuous trail-mix bin.

*Use a day off or weekend to make dishes ahead of time. The more NERC food you have on hand, the less likely you'll head for bread.

*Buy fruit every weekend, habitually. Buy too much? You can dump it in a blender with ice and make smoothies, with or without yogurt.

SCRUMPTIOUS Saturdays: Eggplant and Tofu Grilled Bundles

It's rare that a dish--in this case, "Tofu and Eggplant Hobo Bundles"-- I adapt doesn't work out too well (or can't be saved); my guess is that in this case, I am showing my amateur skills, rather than any weaknesses inherent in this Sunset Magazine recipe I tried out. It's still worth making: it's filling, and delicious--just not perfection. See my notes at the bottom.

Equipment: chopping boards, small chopping knife, large knife, mixing bowl, large squares of foil (at least one foot long, outdoor grill with fuel and lighting implements.

Ingredients: 3 green onion (scallions); 1 20 oz. container, firm tofu; 1 large eggplant (or 2 small); 2 tbsp. minced garlic; 2 tbsp. minced ginger root; 1/3 cup soy sauce; 5 tbsp. oil (any kind).

Directions:  Start the grill to heating. Cut the foil squares. Cut the tofu into even chunks (about 16). Chop the vegetables and add to the mixing bowl. Add soy sauce and oil. Mix gently to make sure all vegetables are coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours, stirring and turning contents once. Spoon four portions onto the foil squares and seal up the squares into a purse. Place foil purses onto the grill, and cook until contents are tender (about 15-25 minutes depending upon size of grill).

Notes: Oh boy, where to begin? I would fry the tofu chunks up before adding them to the bundle; otherwise I would use tempeh chunks and let those marinate with the vegetables. The tofu just ended up as, well, hot sauced tofu--too soft. I increased the amount of soy sauce called for, and was glad I did. The ginger and garlic saved my effort from being too soggy, and tasteless (it was soggy, but very tasty). I might also add zucchini chunks, with the chunks large enough to withstand the heat in the bundle and not break down into mushiness, when cooked in this fashion. 


Ah yes, the recipe called for rice--which I don't eat. I did make some  brown Jasmine rice, just to see how it went. You can include brown-rice, or not and serve the cooked bundles over the rice. I'm tempted to propose putting the recipe constituents on some kind of a sieve, spatter cover or other porous, but grill-ready, implement, to simply grill everything, but I understand that the recipe was attempting to be campfire-friendly, with the foil purses re-purposed as a plate, once ready to eat...

THEMATIC Thursdays: You Can Get Fresh With Me....

Once you've committed to eating food that is "factually food," you will need to keep up on what vegetables and fruits are in season--that's the best way to eat fresh, factual food...and food that is economically-priced. Your grocer may sell produce from around the world, but she also knows what's fresh and local...ask. Farmers markets are another option; they're not as expensive as they seem if you keep to local produce.

I recently obtained a great bunch of mint leaves from Fresno, CA at a Hollywood, L.A.,  farmers market, and fresh strawberries from Oxnard, CA at a tiny market in L.A.'s Toluca Lake section.

Here are some resources:

Local Harvest online can help you locate farmer's markets, or Google your town and "farmers market." Another resource online is the seasonal map. Epicurious offers a very nice one, as does Field To Plate, which offers links for each state to agriculture departments and other resources via its Seasonal Look-up Guide.

PRODUCT of the Week: Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Mayonnaise

This is a tough call because there are some words on the ingredient label that trouble me: words like "isolate" and  "oleoresin." Nevertheless, Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Mayonnaise, which is vegan-friendly, does fit the bill for a product with no sugar or flour--two important characteristics of a "product of the week" here at Factually Food. Having used it for some years (and being a mayonnaise-lover), I can tell you it is not only close to a model-mayonnaise, it is--in some ways--better than the standard packaged mayo: tart, savory, creamy, lemony yet with very little after-taste or extravagant taste notes.

Perfection.

TIPS Tuesday: Cutting it With Mustard

Investing in high-quality mustard might seem like a luxury one can ill-afford in tight times. However, the better the mustard...the less one has to use to 'tart' up dressings, sauces, and dips. A caveat is that many mustards contain sugar or wheat flour, or both. Way back in '09, SlashFood (now at HuffPo Food), rated mustards and found Tabasco made the best one--I've not had a chance to check the ingredients label for sugar and flour, so I cannot recommend it...yet.

Mustard's a condiment made from mustard-plant seed (or powdered-seed), so you can construct your own, theoretically--and many do.

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Combined with mayonnaise (sugar-less, please), mustard is a great sauce for fish, cold or hot. Combined with ketchup (sugar-less, we hope), and horseradish, it contributes to a savory cocktail sauce. With dill, olive oil and some wine vinegar of your choice...a lively salad vinaigrette. Food Network's Alton Brown offered up a homemade mustard recipe earlier this year; if you replace the brown-sugar and the 'sweet' in the sweet pickle juice, this could NERC-ready.

ENVIRONMENTAL IDEA: Why Not a French Press?

So, I've decided to lighten up my kitchen's space and environmental-impact by ditching my electric coffee-maker and going with a French Press. These nifty mechanical coffee makers do not need power, just coffee and hot-water, and many folks swear by the authentic taste they impart to freshly-made coffee. It's true, the hot-water has to be heated somehow, but I'll see if I can reduce the appliance use in my place; I am searching for a French Press.

Picture by Stephen Carlile:This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.

SCRUMPTIOUS Saturdays: Almost-Vegan Stuffed Jalapenos

If I had left out the butter from the hash--a variation on my breadless stuffing from a some weeks ago--it would be certifiably vegan. Nevertheless, this is certainly a vegetarian hash-stuff, that goes well inside peppers. I'm still working on how to reduce the heat of the jalapenos...be careful.

Stuffed Jalapenos + 1 Anaheim Pepper

Equipment you will need: Several chopping boards, a large mixing bowl, a sharp knife for dicing vegetables and a narrow paring knife for hollowing out the peppers, a skillet, a wooden fork or spoon.

Ingredients you will need:

*Hash-Stuffing: 1 tart apple, diced; 1 small yellow onion, diced; 3 scallions, diced; 1 tbsp. fresh Rosemary; 2/3 cup diced tempeh; 1 quarter-cup oat-bran; 1 cup raw oats (steel-cut and/or flakes); 1/3 cup almond meal; 4 tbsp. melted butter; 1 1/2 cups diced, sauteed mushrooms, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. garlic powder (or two cloves pressed garlic); pepper to taste, 1 tbsp. chili powder.

*Peppers: 15 hollowed-out peppers (jalalpeno, green or Anaheim)

Notes: Try to find the biggest jalapeno peppers you can find; Anaheim chili peppers are bigger and will be easier to stuff. Green peppers are another option. Cut the tops off the peppers, and hollow out with a narrow, sharp knife, rinsing out the remaining seeds. Dice the mushrooms very fine, and saute them with butter in a skillet. Melt butter and mix in with remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make sure all hash ingredients are finely chopped and diced. Stuff hash into peppers. Bake in oven at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

THEMATIC Thursdays: Back to the Future...

"Paleo." "Caveman." These are the diets sweeping dieting culture, in part because, much like the NERC diet of this blog, these regimes eliminate processed, packaged and refined foods--including refined carbs, a cause dear to my heart. These diets (sometimes) emphasize whole, uncooked grains, seeds, berries and certain fruits and meats, although the latter is usually limited (tough to catch that water-buffalo with a spear...).

That said, there are differences. The editor of About.com's Low Carb Diet page reconnoitered the whole space while attending the Ancestral Health Symposium, an impressive-sounding conclave that basically explores the trend mentioned above.

I'm always curious about how grains and other carbohoydrates are treated in these diets, because, for my money, regulating blood-sugar is a major challenge--all the more so, because modern existence inherently cuts down on physical activity, and 'burn-off' that active humans of yore engaged in--allowing them a little more leeway in the amounts of carbohydrates they could ingest--processed or unprocessed.

NERC* Product of the Week!....Pace Picante Sauce

I've decided to launch a "Product of the Week" feature to highlight retail food products that do NOT contain sugar, artificial flavorings, or chemicals.

Our first product of the week is one you can find on many mainstream grocer's shelves--not just the Whole Foods of the world. "The Original Picante Sauce," from Pace, is salsa that comes in a variety of sizes and strengths. And it doesn't come with sugar, artificial flavorings or chemicals. I prefer medium 'heat' myself. Que rico! 

BTW, Pace is a division of Campbell Foods; apparently big packaged-food companies can turn out products that are...Factually, Food.

*Not Eating Refined Carbs

TIPS Tuesdays: What's Sweet about that Treat?**

Here's a well-intentioned piece in iVillage that brings to the fore some common mis-perceptions about foods, and how much sugar they really have. I recommend trotting through this slide-show. Very important! However, it conflates the effects of, say, orange juice, with Kettle Corn and Cheerios--one contains natural sugar, which plays much less havoc with one's blood sugar, while the latter contain processed sugars, i.e. refined carbs.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again--it's great that folks are sugar-intake conscious, but an apple (or 100% apple juice) as a food remains different from Kellog's Apple Jacks.The former are NERC*-ready; the latter is definitely not. By all means, reduce sugar intake. But, even better: reduce your consumption of products containing processed sugar.

*Not Eating Refined Carbs

**I'm considering using my revolutionary 'breadless stuffing' from a few weeks ago, in altered form, to create Jalapeno Poppers for Scrumptious (formerly Satiated) Saturdays...stay tuned.

SCRUMPTIOUS Saturdays: Zucchini and Vegetable Quiche

A vegetable quiche or frittata can be a satisfying meal. I adapted this version from the wonderful classic 1980s recipe book, "365 Easy One-Dish Meals," by Natalie Haughton, now issued in paperback by William Morrow Cookbooks (...and also on Kindle).

You Will Need the Following Equipment: large skillet; mixing bowl, whisk, wooden fork or spoon, ceramic baking dish (at least 9x11, cutting board, sharp knife for chopping, grater.

You Will Need the Following Ingredients: 2 tbsp. butter, 1 large or 2 smaller zucchini squash, 1 large tomato, 2 scallions, 2 jalapenos, 12 ounces, combination of Monterey Jack cheese and cheddar cheese, shredded, 6 eggs, 1/2 tspn. each of salt, pepper, garlic powder or one clove of fresh garlic pressed.

Notes: I replaced Natalie's suggestion of canned green peppers with jalapenos, and mixed it all up in the bowl, rather than on the stovetop: Melt the butter in a skillet; chop and dice all the vegetables, and saute the zucchini and scallions very gently until they are softer, but not scorched or browned, add the other vegetables. While the vegetables are gently cooking, mix the eggs, spices and grated cheeses. After the vegetables are softer and wet, but not limp, mix into the bowl with the egg-cheese mixture. Mix up well and pour mixture into the baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes at 325 degrees. Let cool and serve.

THEMATIC Thursdays: Going With the Grain

Some NERC dieters also eschew grains of all kinds; I do not, but I am very careful about what grains I will allow. At a minimum, I want the whole grains that I eat to be either low-gluten, or gluten-free, and very low-carbohydrate. Oats-both regular oatmeal flakes and steel-cut oats, along with oat bran--are something I rely on for fiber--in crusts, stuffings and as a yogurt parfait garnish. Only in the case of the stuffing are the oats heated-up. Recently, I bought some buckwheat groats (from which you can make kasha, when soaked and cooked); they look and taste a little like steel-cut oats. True buckwheat is not a wheat product, by the way. I'm hoping to also sample some kamut and amaranth, as well, at some point.

As always, I look for uses and recipes in which I do not have to cook the grains, to preserve vitamins and fiber.

It's really unclear whether my allowance of corn tortilla chips (not Frito's, but actual tortilla chips) in this diet constitutes eating refined carbs or not. It's true that tortilla chips at their most simple are made with corn meal, oil and lime juice, and then baked, broiled or fried. However, corn is not glutinous in the way that wheat is...more as this story develops.

TIPS Tuesdays: The Art of 'Burger-Stripping'

Yes, you can eat where normal non-NERCs* eat, and still avoid dreaded breads, pastas, sugar. I did this recently on Interstate 5, northbound, at the Tejon Ranch travel plaza. After purchasing a Whopper with cheese at the Burger King, and asking for a plastic knife and fork, I took it back to my car. I unwrapped it, and using my plastic-ware, maneuvered the bun, top and bottom away from the burger, and deposited them in the take-out bag. I then used the plasticware to, well, eat the burger still remaining on the paper sandwich wrap, along with toppings and veggies.

A little messy, but worth it. Yes, We CaNERC!**

*Not Eating Refined Carbs

**CanNot Eat Refined Carbs