Lori, Author at Fake Food Free

Apple Carrot PB Panini

March 2, 2009

If I’m not eating peanut butter by itself with a spoon, it is most likely being used as a dip for my apples and carrot sticks. As I was trying to think of how I would participate in the Great PB Exhibition #5 I was feeling a bit restricted by the topic of sandwiches. I kept coming up with a fun idea and then realized it wasn’t even close to the sandwich category.

Then I thought, why not turn my favorite PB dippers into a sandwich. And why not take it a step further and make it a toasty Panini? This is an all around balanced meal – protein, grain, fruit, veggie and healthy fat all rolled into one.

I left my carrot and apple raw because I wanted the sandwich to have a bit of a crunch. I don’t have a Panini press. I just use two skillets with some foil over the sandwich. The heat makes the bread crisp and warms the peanut butter just enough that it covers the carrot and apple with gooey goodness.

Apple Carrot Peanut Butter Panini

4 to 6 inch piece of baguette (Sub any bread. A whole grain would be nice, but hard to come by here. )
2 Tbsp of natural peanut butter
1 small carrot, shredded
½ of a small apple, diced

Half your baguette, spread a little PB on each side. Top one side with carrots and the other with apple.

Carefully put together and heat in press or skillet for about 2 to 3 minutes each side.

Have you entered yet? The deadline is March 15th at Noon (PST).

Submission:

Click here to submit your recipe online. Alternatively, email “pbe (at) peanutbutterboy (dot) com” with “PBE #5″ as the subject and the following information:

Name

Recipe

Title

Recipe or Recipe Permalink

Prize:

All recipes will be listed but the judges will vote for the Top 3. All 3 winners will receive a winning badge to place on their site but the first place winner will receive the Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, one of the books that was the inspiration for The Peanut Butter Boy.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

February 28, 2009

I have had a very eventful week. There was my trip back to Brazil, a week of eating great food in Curitiba and now we are celebrating my husband’s birthday. Happy Birthday to my best friend!!

I managed to keep up with some reading this week and here are some posts that I enjoyed. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

The Salty Cod made an outstanding King Cake for Mardi Gras. She incorporated the recipe for a Sour Cream Almond Pound Cake. Yum!

Have Cake, Will Travel gives us another way to incorporate beans into our desserts with her Chickpea Blondies.

Intent.com had a good post about the Top 10 Things to Give Up or Add for Lent. I am Catholic so this is a common practice for me. However, I feel personal sacrifice, as explained in this post, can be beneficial regardless of your spirituality or religion. Giving up things we have come to take for granted can help us to simplify our lives. Devoting time to meditation or prayer can improve our mental wellbeing and reduce stress. If you’ve give up something for Lent or simply to better yourself, I’d love to know. Leave me a comment.

Lesley posted about how to make Greek yogurt. Hooray! So glad she shared it with us. If you haven’t seen it yet, head over there and check it out.

You’ve got two more weeks to enter the Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #5. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

French Influences

February 27, 2009

It started in high school. My French teacher would have breakfast for us one Friday each month. She always brought in buttery croissants and a jar of Nutella. Super authentic, I know.

That is where my love of all things French began – the country, the culture, the language and the food. I took a break from my French obsession throughout college, but I find myself returning to it as an adult.

Maybe it was my reading of books focused on French eating practices or, what husband attributes his interest, the intrigue with No Reservations and Anthony Bourdain. I’m not quite sure the reason, but it is back. Oh yes, it is back.

We haven’t been to France yet, we are thinking about it for next year. I have a lot to learn about French cooking. Right now I know that when it comes to this particular cuisine I truly enjoy when someone else makes it for me.

And this brings me to my point. Last night we dined at the French bistro L’ Épicerie in Curitiba. Before I go on, I should mention that when dining out where we live in Brazil we often find ourselves ending the meal with the phrase, “That was good….for Brazil.”

You see, our small town does Brazilian cuisine very well, of course. However, when it comes to cuisines of other countries there is much room for improvement. This is why I love coming to Curitiba so much – the food. There is much more of a melting pot here and it shows through in the dining scene.

My husband was actually referred to this place by a man he met on a flight. This gentleman is from Curitiba and having been to Paris several times, made it clear that he actually liked this bistro better.

Quite a hefty standard to live up to, so we thought we should give it a try.

The meal was absolutely outstanding. Period. There is no “for Brazil” added to the end of that sentence. It was foodie heaven.

I had the Salmon with Ratatouille and the Gratin Potatoes as my side. The salmon was perfectly seared leaving a light crunch to the outside and immersed in a citrus glaze. The vegetables were perfectly seasoned and arrived in the cutest little Le Creuset pot. The potatoes were so rich and buttery they melted in my mouth.

My husband had the Duck Breast with a demi-glacé and apples and the julienned vegetables as his side. This meal was no less perfect. The duck was full of flavor complemented nicely by the sweet apples. The vegetables were tiny strings molded into a symmetrical mound on the plate. They were still firm and full of flavor.

For dessert we went with Crème Brule, glad we had chosen to share one as it was quite large. Crispy sugar on the top followed by a creamy vanilla center. One of the best I have had.

In a few short days I’ll be back to making my own creations. Not that this is a bad thing, but I am taking full advantage of dining out. L’ Épicerie was an outstanding find and a great lesson regarding the fact that it can be to your benefit to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you on the plane.

Lunch and Learn

February 26, 2009

I arrived back in Brazil on Tuesday and instead of heading to Maringa, my husband and I decided that we would spend some time in Curitiba (one of my favorite cities) for him to work a few days and for us to celebrate his birthday this weekend. So I met him here on my way from the US. I’ve been working from the hotel room or coffee shop with the occasional exploration.

I headed out for lunch today, not quite knowing what sounded good. I finally determined that I wanted a true Brazilian lunch. This typically means a meat, rice, another starch and beans. (Although this time mine was without beans.)

This is unusual for me as I simply can’t get accustomed to the heavy lunches here, but it was a cloudy, cool day and comfort food, or what I consider more comfort food, was in order.

I settled on a little place that is popular with the office workers around the city. It is a bit small and honestly resembles more of a pub. I’ve had my eye on it the past couple visits, but had never stopped in.

I had thought my lunch would not warrant much to write about, but happily I was proven wrong.

The daily special was frango ao molho de maracujá, chicken with passion fruit sauce. I adore sauce of passion fruit. I first had it on salmon here and whenever I see it on a menu I can hardly resist. It is basically the pulp of passion fruit, cooked down with some sugar. The crunchy seeds are left in it and it still maintains a bit of a tart taste. It is excellent with salty meat, similar to the way pineapple is often used with pork in the US.

Despite the tasty main attraction, it wasn’t the most interesting part. I noticed on the menu that a puree of mandioquinha was included. Adding the inha in the Portuguese language occurs all the time. It basically means little. So I automatically thought this meant little mandioca, or manioc, or yucca which I talked about in my post on Moqueca.

It did turn out to be a puree like a mashed potato, but it had a bright yellow color. The taste was outstanding! I’m sure it had a ton of butter in it, but it was so rich and smooth, even better than many mashed potatoes I have had.

I did some research on mandioquinha and learned that it is actually a root vegetable different from mandioca. It is also called arracacha, batata baroa and the Peruvian parsnip. It is smaller like a carrot with a brighter yellow color than a basic white potato and a richer flavor as well. They are native to the Andes and are grown and used in many countries in South America. I haven’t seen these at our farmer’s market, but I will be looking more closely for them from now on.

I found this old blog post which will give you an idea of what they looked like before they were mashed up on my plate.

So lunch turned out to be more of a culinary learning experience than I was expecting. Tonight we are headed to a French bistro so hopefully I’ll have some more interesting finds for you tomorrow.

Book Review: First in Thirst

February 25, 2009

If you participated in any sport as a kid, are involved in them now or take part in more vigorous exercise there is no way you escaped the influences of Gatorade. I just recently finished reading the book First in Thirst: How Gatorade Turned the Science of Sweat into a Cultural Phenomenon by Darren Rovell.

It is a short, to-the-point book about the history of Gatorade including its creation and marketing throughout the years. My husband read it first and knowing my conflicting views of the product encouraged me to read it.

I don’t mean conflicting to be negative. I’ve always felt the drink had its purpose, however, in many of the publications I’ve written, especially, those about physical activity in youth, I’ve felt the need to identify just when it is necessary and when it isn’t. For example, I, and many other nutrition professionals I know, feel that for exercise less than one hour water is sufficient to rehydrate the body. For exercise lasting more than an hour a drink, such as Gatorade, that replenishes and restores electrolyte balance can be beneficial.

The book provides an eye opening account of the marketing of the product. While certain characteristics are necessary for promoting and selling a drink, Gatorade has remained relatively true to their original purpose, although things have changed and progressed throughout the years. According to the book, it is important to keep the drink only in the sports arena and not open it up as a casual beverage such as a soft drink or fruit drink. I personally find this pretty respectable considering how they may be able to increase sales by promoting the drink to the general public in addition to athletes and exercisers.

Upon finishing the book my husband asked me right away what I now thought of Gatorade. He drinks it during his long runs, especially in the intense heat we experience in Brazil. He knows my concern with processed, fake foods and how I’m trying to eliminate packaged goods from my diet. My response has remained the same – Gatorade serves a purpose in the exercise and athletic world.

My main concern, which was addressed in the book, is with the calories. I’m talking about the average exerciser who puts in a 30 minute session a few days a week and wishes to lose weight. Drinking back your calories isn’t beneficial in this type of situation. However, when you are working up a sweat through hours of training, the few calories the drink adds isn’t going to matter much. Again, it has its purpose.

I think this book is a good read for anyone who is an avid exerciser or athlete. The book provides the positive details of the brand, but also covers concerns of critics. I am big believer in learning more about what we put into our bodies and this book is a good resource for doing just that.

If you’ve read the book or have an opinion about sports drinks, I’d love to hear about it.

Update: Okay, I knew I had read this somewhere and Andrea brought it up in the comments. Liquid Gatorade in the US now contains HFCS. I searched for this post by a Life Less Sweet, but couldn’t find it when I was doing my research for this post. There is no HFCS in what we buy in Brazil and the powdered does not contain it. I’m definitely not going to promote something with HFCS (not that I’m promoting the drink at all), but if you are going to drink it go for the powdered….or buy it in another country. Just kidding.

(Cross-posted at Charity Mile)

The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #5

February 22, 2009

Sweet, salty, smooth, crunchy – my love for peanut butter exceeds that of most other foods combined. Breakfast, lunch, dessert or post workout snack, it is a food that gives me a nutritional boost while making me feel like I’m getting a decadent treat that elicits happy childhood memories.

In recent, years I’ve moved away from the standard variety to more natural peanut butter to decrease the hydrogenated fats and improve on the nutritional content. I do still crave that old fashioned sweetness though.

I never realized how fortunate I was to have peanut butter (and other nut butters) in my life until I moved abroad. Our tasty PB is very much a US thing. While there are peanuts everywhere in Brazil, peanut butter is rare. Occasionally you can find some imported brands and there is one Brazilian brand that sometimes shows up in the supermarket, but I’ve been warned it can’t compare.

I guess it is no surprise that each time I make the trip back to the States, a jar or two goes back with me in my luggage to Brazil. We savor every last ounce in that jar!

Given all this, you can imagine my excitement over being a host of the Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #5! In conjunction with For The Love of Peanut Butter , The Peanut Butter Boy and ZestyCook, we are proud to invite you to enter this recipe roundup and competition!

This time the theme is “Sandwich”. What classifies a peanut butter sandwich? Traditionally it’s a slab of peanut butter between two slices of bread, but let’s see some creativity here. How about some peanut butter lettuce wraps or Peanut Butter Sushi? Any method of eating peanut butter that is all-inclusive and portable should do.

Personally, I challenge you to go fake food free with your entry. Use natural ingredients and few, if any, pre-prepared or processed foods, with the exception of the PB, of course. However, if you want to make your own, feel free.

PS. You can use any nut butter! I can imagine some almond butter ideas are already churning!

To enter, submit your best peanut butter sandwich recipe below, following the guidelines. The deadline is March 15th @ Noon (PST) which gives you a full 3 weeks to brainstorm, develop and create the ultimate peanut butter sandwich! Stock up on peanut butter and get ready, read on for details.

Judging Criteria:

Peanut Butter Weight, Creativity, Portability and Preparation Time

Rules:

One entry per person so choose wisely! Pictures are highly recommended but not required. Due to peanut allergies, you may use any nut butter in your recipe since nut butters are easily interchangeable. Also, please link back to this page to indicate that you are entering the recipe into this contest and to spread the word. Feel free to use any of the logos, including the following, to do so:

Blogless? Don’t worry if you don’t have a blog, you can still submit your winning recipe. Fill out the same form but provide the “Recipe” instead of a “Recipe Permalink” and feel free to email a picture to “pbe (at) peanutbutterboy (dot) com” to go along with the recipe!

Submission:

Click here to submit your recipe online. Alternatively, email “pbe (at) peanutbutterboy (dot) com” with “PBE #5″ as the subject and the following information:

Name
Email
Recipe Title
Recipe or Recipe Permalink

Prize:

Happy creating and cooking! We can’t wait to see your entries!

Logos courtesy of the talented Kristina Sacci.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

February 21, 2009

I hope this weekend finds you well! I came across so many good reads this week. I was fortunate to have the time to catch up. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Verda Vivo gave us 14 reasons why we should stop drinking soda. Such a great post and I love that she backs up her writing with scientific research. I’ve pretty much given up soda/diet soda except for the occasional set back, usually with Mexican food or pizza. This post reminded me to pass on it when I’m tempted. (This post was actually from last week, but who’s paying attention.)

Café Nilson had a tasty Artichoke Chicken Casserole recipe. I can’t wait to try it. I love the tartness of artichoke hearts, but seldom find an opportunity to incorporate them.

Eat. Drink. Better. had a post that actually made me want to go back to school. (Eeek! I swore I’d never say that!) Montana State University has an undergraduate degree program in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems. The description sounds like so much fun! Where were these degrees when I was in college? Then again, I’ve gained a lot of knowledge since then. I probably wouldn’t even have known what they were.

I recently started following @Gaiam on Twitter which lead me to their blog and this week’s round up of stories. My favorite is the one about the Georgia Aquarium using Beluga whales as inspiration for yoga class. Very cool!

Cucumber, Ginger and Pineapple

February 19, 2009

While in Jamaica we stumbled upon a very interesting juice combo. You know I love making my own juice and the inexpensive fruits of Brazil allow me to live on a diet full of great combinations. I know there is a lot of talk about not getting enough fiber in juice, but if you drink (fresh) juice in addition to, not instead of, whole fruit it provides a lot of benefit.

This juice combo was cucumber and ginger. I was intrigued. I’ve tried making juice with cucumber before and I wasn’t thrilled with the flavor, although, I love cucumber infused water. I wasn’t brave enough to try this combo on its own so I mixed it with a bit of fresh pineapple juice to add sweetness.

An amazing juice combination was born. Well, maybe not born. I’m sure someone out there has done this combo before, but it was new to me. I tried it myself when we came back from our trip and it will become a regular in my juice line up.

I’ve been fortunate to be exposed to some of the freshest ginger possible. I never bought it in the States because all I could ever find were dried up little pieces at the very top shelf in the produce section. However, I have learned that fresh ginger is better. It contains more of the active gingerol which gives ginger its anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger is also linked to the relief of gastrointestinal problems such as gas and bloating, and is well known for its reduction of the symptoms of motion sickness.

Pineapple is full of vitamin C, an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory component and an aid in the function of a healthy immune system. This fruit is also an excellent source of manganese which plays a role in antioxidant function and energy production. In addition, pineapple gives you a nice dose of thiamin also important in energy production.

The cucumber adds a light and refreshing flavor to the juice. With cucumber you will get vitamin C, molybdenum, silica (important for connective tissues), potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin A and folate; quite a nutritional punch for such a low calorie food. Do pay special attention to the skin. It is the part that contains many of these nutrients, but often comes waxed with substances that may or may not be natural. I find the unwaxed variety at our farmer’s market.

Okay, so that is enough of the nutrition stuff. You get the idea. It is a great combo of a lot of different, important nutrients. Grab your juicer and toss in:

One unwaxed cucumber
About 1 cup fresh pineapple
1 small piece (about ¼ to ½ in) fresh ginger

Raspberries – The First Sign of Summer

February 18, 2009

For a long as I can remember raspberries have represented a preview of all that is to come of summer produce. Among the blackberry bushes that line my parent’s property, there were always a few raspberry plants. While I would have to wait until mid-summer for the blackberries, the raspberries ripened for just a few weeks in the spring to early summer.

It was a quick harvest and I often ate more off the vine than we actually brought into the house for baking. However short lived, though, they always marked the start of the garden bounty.

A few days after I arrived back in the States for this visit I was given the challenge of using up some of the frozen raspberries that are taking up space in my parent’s freezer. You see, this past summer my Dad decided to experiment with new varieties of raspberries and more plants that peak at different parts of the season.

The raspberries were falling off the vine from spring through early autumn. I’m not complaining, I loved it during my visits. However, after giving away what they could and selling some at the local farmer’s market, the rest ended up in multiple bags in the freezer. We are talking a whole freezer door full!

Well, I took up my raspberry challenge last night and turned to one of my favorite recipes. This recipe comes from the web-site of Bryant’s Blueberries which is located just outside of Louisville, KY. If you are ever in the area, stop by. This place makes for a fun u-pick afternoon.

I’ve played with this recipe on several occasions using different berries and this time I, of course, used raspberries. I made it according to instructions, but by substituting unprocessed sugar, honey or maple syrup and whole grain flour it would be easy to turn these into more of an energy bar than a dessert.

These bars were often my go-to item when I took treats into my office. They are incredibly simple, incorporate fresh ingredients and everyone always loves them.

Raspberry Oat Bars
Modified from Blueberry Oat Bars, Bryant’s Blueberries New Salisbury, IN

Crust
1 ¾ cups old fashioned oats
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped nuts (I used pecans and walnuts)
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

Fruit Filling
2 cups fresh or defrosted raspberries
½ cup sugar (I usually cut this way back for sweet berries)
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the crust ingredients and mix well until crumbly. Reserve ¾ cup of the mixture and set aside. Press the remaining mixture into an 11×7 inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Combine the fruit, sugar and 2 tbsp of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, for about 2 minutes. Stir to break up berries. Mix the remaining water, cornstarch and juice. Pour into the berries and cook about 30 seconds or until thickened.

Pour the berries onto the crust leaving about a ¼ inch of crust around the edges. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the fruit. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until edges are browned. Cool and cut into bars.

Yogurt Revisited

February 16, 2009

Several months ago I did a short post on yogurt and the difficulty of finding varieties that are free of chemicals, yet affordable. I have come to the conclusion that the best variety would be one you make yourself. I have the recipe from French Women Don’t Get Fat, but I still haven’t ventured out to make it.

A few months ago I read about Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious® yogurts and have wanted to try it ever since. I finally got the chance this past week when a local grocery store in my hometown started carrying the brand. I stocked up on Pink Grapefruit Lychee, Pomegranate Açaí, Plum Honey Lavender and Vanilla Chai.

The company has an interesting history of dairy farms in Wales passed down through generations. Rachel’s (both a company and a person) was a brand started in the UK in 1984. The company was launched in the US in 2007.

What I like:

The flavor is wonderful. I like tart yogurts and these meet that description. They are made from non-fat milk (without artificial growth hormones), evaporated cane juice, the actual fruit for which the variety is named and even vegetable juice is used to create color. The web-site states that no artificial flavor, preservatives and sweeteners are used. Finally, at just over a dollar around here, so I consider this yogurt affordable.

Things I’m still deciding on:

I have a feeling this kind of category is going to be a growing trend on my blog. I just finished Omnivore’s Dilemma, which I loved! It has me taking a closer look at companies.

If you’ve been a regular follower of my blog you know that I am not a “jump on the bandwagon” kind of person when it comes to organic. Local, naturally (old school) organic, and the respect of animals – that I like. This book reiterated for me that we have to pay attention to the source of our foods for ourselves and not just follow the crowds.

Case in point for me is industrial organic – not a big fan. They might be better than industrial products in some ways, and in others they might be about equal. I can’t say I’ll never buy these products, but I won’t exactly seek them out either.

In the US, Rachel’s is part of WhiteWave Foods. I’m not saying this is a bad thing at all. I’m just saying that I haven’t done enough research on the practices of this group so my support and spreading the word about one of their products is something I’m still deciding on. If you have an opinion please let me know in the comments.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to try the yogurt. At this point, it is a great alternative for me versus some of those brands with fake ingredients I grew up on. It is one step closer to a more natural yogurt for me. I will make my own eventually though.