A Week With the Parents

Ive taken the past week and half spending time with my parents and enjoying their company, not to mention a little help with our Jossy Bear. 



I still had to work though, which means I still had to eat.

Here's some shots of what the past week looked like.

I made some tuna fish wraps for the family.  I used some mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar to doctor up the tuna and added chopped dried cranberries for a little sweet.

If you live in the SF Bay Area or ever visit, do yourself a favor and visit, Little Luca.  Their sandwich's are phenomenal.  I know that this blog is all about not having sandwiches for lunch, but I didn't make this one and my parents

made the purchase and I hardly pass up free food.

The Wild Turkey.  Cream cheese cranberry sauce turkey.  Thanksgiving in a sub.

Some K and Q (Kale and Quinoa) for a midweek treat.

 





Here I have some Tofu Sweet Potato soup.  Too much water and not enough coconut milk for this recipe.









We stopped off at The Creamery for their fantastic crepes.  This one here is the Pesto Margarita.  Crepes, no longer just a fancy pants breakfast food for the French.

 

 

With my parents helping out with our daughter, I was able to go out for a run after two months of being pedestrian.  A mile and half, slow but steady.  We'll see splits down in the the 7 minute range again.

I also started taking the bike into work again.  Parking in San Francisco is tough and expensive.  What I do is leave my car in an all day free parking area about a mile away from my office.  No parking headache and light morning and afternoon workout = score.

I use an old tennis ball to protect the car from pedal scratches.  Always thinking.

 

 

 

More lunches, nutrition info, and workouts.  But for now, beer and Super Bowl.

 

3 Nuts in In a Straitjacket

In the box today I have another wrap.  I've found wraps highly versatile and loaded with possibilities.  This little creation I'm calling 3 nuts in a Straitjacket.  I incorporate plenty of nuts into my diet and for good reason.  They're action packed with good for you components such as Vitamin E for heart health, dietary fiber for weight management and diabetes control, selenium to prostate health, and plant sterols to lower cholesterol.

Usually, I'll have at least one serving of nuts in the form of almonds, walnuts or pecans.  Just a handful is all that's needed.

Today though, I loaded up. 

Here's what I'm working with.

The nuts in question.

Plain almonds chopped
Roasted & Salted Sunflower nuts
Skippy Peanut Butter

I also use a La Tortilla Company Smart and Delicious wrap, some raisins, banana, and I swapped the avocado shown here with a granny smith apple.  I figured I wanted more sweet and the fat was already adding up.

 





 

 

 

 

 

I chopped my own almonds this morning.

And also caught the wrath of my wife for waking the baby.

 

 

 

 

Before I left for work I spread the peanut butter over the tortilla and sprinkled the sunflower nut and almonds.

 

At work, I sliced up the apple and banana, and presto, lunch is served.

 

This bad boy here is estimated to yield:

 

800 calories

40g fat (33% of my recommended intake)

105g carbohydrate

27g fiber (55% recommended intake)

25g protein

 

A lesson on fat: the recommended amount of fat intake per day for healthy individuals is 25-35% of total calories.  In my case my estimated calorie needs is 3768 (more on that calculation later).  This meal contained 45% calories from fat.  All from plant sources. 

 

Being this percentage was so high I should monitor fat in the evening and at snacks.  

 

But darn if that wasn't tasty!

 

“Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.” ~ English Proverb

 

 

 

 





Soup's On

Today, I had one of those moments where I actually had most all the ingredients to a recipe in a cookbook in the house at the same time.  For me, this is like having the planets align, all of the stop lights on my commute be green, and the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series all rolled up in one. 

It just never happens.

So, my lunch today consists of a soup recipe from Andrew Weil, MD's book True Food.  It's just as the title says, Soup's On!  Here's what I'm working with.

The 'gredients

1 Butternut squash peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
4 Granny Smith Apples
Some cloves of garlic, mashed
Chopped up onion use as much or as little as you like, I use a half of onion
A couple teaspoons of oil, I'm using grape seed oil
Just a teaspoon of salt
Cayenne pepper
Turmeric (optional)
The recipe calls for cashew milk.  The book describes how to make it but I don't have cashews in my pantry.  I do however, have plenty of coconut milk.

I found this recipe easy to execute, but time consuming from prepping the squash and apples.

I put all the 'gredients in a large bowl and mix it up.  I use my hands because I'm not afraid to get dirty.

 Bake all this in the oven until everything is soft.  Test softness by puncturing the squash with a fork.  Very little resistance means its ready.  Puree all of it in a blender with about a cup of water.  Pour into a cooking pot with the coconut milk, heat, stir, and serve.  Or in my case put it in a coffee mug since I don't have anything better to put it in.  Guess I didn't think that one through.



What goes with soup?  Salad.  It just sounds good.  Say it, soup and salad.  Soothing.

I felt fancy so I made kale salad. 

I clean and steam some organic kale.  It's highly recommended to use organic kale due to the high prevalence of pesticides found in conventionally grown crops.  Check out the Environmental Working Group's list of fruits and vegetables that people should buy organic under Resources in the sidebar.  I don't buy everything organic but there are certain items that have tested for levels of toxic pesticides and I don't want to give my long term health  to save a couple dollars.

Back to salad making.  Steam the kale.  While this is going on make a vinaigrette with tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce, and squeeze of lemon.  Grind some pepper into the mixture and sprinkle a little dried basil.  I use a fork to whisk it all together.  Then I toss in a little minced garlic

Keep an eye on the kale, it will take less than two minutes to get it to cooked just right.

Run the kale under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking process, toss into the Tupperware with the vinaigrette.  Then shake the beejeezus out of it.

 

Throw a few grape tomatoes at it and there you go.

 

Soup and salad.

 

 

What's the best soup in your recipe book?

 

 

Worries go down better with soup. ~Jewish Proverb

Hold On, the Herring Are Running!

So, I was planning on sharing my Not Exactly Greek Salad Greek Salad today, but that'll have to stay in the fridge for now 'cause we have, dare I say, bigger fish to fry (puns r' fun).  Down by Agua Vista Park in the Potrero Hill neighborhood SF which is less than half a block from work, the herring were running.  The local fishermen in the know come here and cast their nets straight from and the pier. 

 They were pulling like this all morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, the big commercial fishers mainly go after herring for their eggs or roe which is highly sought after in Japan.

 

One of the fisherman was kind enough to give us some fresh herring that he had just pulled.

 

 

 

 

My coworkers and I are fortunate enough to work in a place with a kitchen.  Seems we don't have a whole lot of working knowledge on how to prepare fish, especially herring we cleaned the fish of the eggs and guts...

 

Then Fried 'Em!

 

We used a Gluten Free seasoned flour mix that we've been meaning to sample.  They were quite good and simple to eat. 

The fish was complemented by some sauteed celery with sprouted brown rice and garlic.  The crackers to the side are Skinny Crisps Whole Shebang.

 

 

 

As you may suspect, I don't fry too many of my foods.  The main reason why not, when oil is heated as such a high temperature the fat will oxidize which produces free radicals (unpaired electrons that don't know where to go in your body).  A lesser reason for me is the increase in calories from fat.  For someone looking to reduce calories, frying is a hurdle to that goal. 

 

 

But, this herring, though fried, still provides health benefits in the form of omega-3 fatty acids (improved heart health).  In fact it is suggested by the American Heart Association that we eat fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, & herring at least twice a week.

 

There's one down, one to go for me.





 

 

Do get much fish in your diet?  How could you get more?

 

Everything in Moderation.

 

Benjamin Franklin



 

 

Sandwich's Cousin, the Wrap

Back to lunch.  This morning I felt I needed something a bit more hearty than a container full of green things.  Sometimes meat's gotta take the starring role. 

Let's make the Italian Mexican Wrap.

Here's what I'm working with.

The only thing not so great about this combination is the sodium content.  1492mg.  The Adequate Intake for individuals age 9 to 50 is 1500mg/day.  I just met that quota in one sitting.  Since I'm a healthy person who gets plenty of exercise and eats right most the time it's OK to go crazy on the sodium every so often.  But for those with hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease, tread lightly.

I start off with some minced garlic and chopped onion sauteed in sesame oil

Let the garlic brown a little before adding the sausage.

Next up, cook the Italian Sausage per package directions.  In this case I'm using the skillet method by browning the sausage first for about 5 minutes.

While all this is going on prepare the wrap.  I use muenster cheese, spicy brown mustard, bread and butter sandwich pickle, 1/4 cup kidney beans, one slice of beet.

 

I suggest using a 100% whole wheat tortilla.  More fiber.

 

 

 

After the sausage has browned for 5 minutes remove the garlic and onions to the wrap.  Add 1/4 cup to the skillet and continue cooking the sausage on med low heat covered until done.  If you have a thermometer use it the internal temp should be > 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

I like to dab off excess fat after cooking.

 

And there you have it.  The wrap is just as portable as the sandwich.  For this one I work at a place that has refrigeration so I'm covered food safety wise.  I suggest to let this be at room temp for no more than two hours after prep.

 

 

The lifestyle I lead lets me enjoy the freedom of not having to worry so much about what I eat.  I feel better when I eat consciously and somewhat healthy with more plant based ingredients than animal sure.  But, I like the feeling that I won't have to pay later on down the road for not exercising and eating right.

 

What steps do you take in your daily routine to feel confident in your food choices?

 

You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.

George Lorimer, journalist

 





Pancakes, Star Wars, Utini!

After a night up with the Jossy Bear

I needed to simply remember my favorite things this morning.  And those things are Pancakes, and Star Wars.

This Christmas my lovely wife gave to me Williams Sonoma Star Wars Pancake Molds. What more could a Star Wars geek ask for besides a fully functional lightsaber and the ability to harness the Jedi Mind Trick?








Here's what I'm working with this morning in terms of gredients.

The original recipe is for fluffy buttermilk pancakes.

First, make buttermilk if you don't keep it in the house. 

Add 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar to 3/4 cup milk. 

 Let sit 5 minutes or so.

 

While this is going on, melt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter on low heat.

Next up, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking power, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt.

I also add good buddies nutmeg and cinnamon in no particular ratio.

All this mixing and whisking has given the buttermilk enough time to sour.  Add the egg and cooled melted butter, whisk!

 

 

Since these are going to be pancakes from a galaxy far, far away, I do something out of this world and add grated orange peel.

 

Now we're ready to make the batter.  Slowly add the flour mix to the milk mix.  Fold in the flour.  That's just like it sounds, take a spatula and fold the flour and milk mix.  It's fine if the mix is lumpy, what's not fine is a runny mess.

 

Before pouring into the molds, be sure to hit those molds with a spray of oil.  Be generous and get into every crevice.  The batter will stick to the mold otherwise.

 

 

 

And that's that.  The Tie-Fighter didn't do so well but in the movies they never do.

The Falcon got a little singed, that's my interpretation as to how it looked after blowing up the second Death Star.







Star Wars and pancakes, just a few of my favorite things.

What are your favorite combinations?