After last week’s nerd post, which stimulated a steady stream of UNsubscribers, I’m going to make this week’s post short, savory, and to the point. Regardless of my dwindling followers, I’m going to stick with my theme. Stomp, stomp.

I’m on a fitness binge. Low calorie, nutrient dense food mixed with jogging, strength work, and yoga.

Heelllooo sulky metabolism. Get your ass in gear!

That’s my goal right now. Here’s an example of the kinds of food I’m kick-starting my days with. For part one of this breakfast series, check here.

Collard greens and brown rice (yes, for breakfast)
What you need
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup diced onion
2-4 Brussels sprouts, sliced
2-4 mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, shredded
2 cups collard greens, thinly sliced in ribbons to avoid “rubber glove texture syndrome”
1/3 to 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (I like Lundberg Organic Golden Rose for breakfast)
1/4 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
Simply Organic All-Purpose Seasoning, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper

What you do
1. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over low-medium. Add onions, garlic, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms and sauté, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add carrots, collard greens, rice, broth, and seasonings. Turn heat to low and mix well until collard greens are slightly wilted and rice is heated, about 5 minutes.
2. Serve immediately, wait two hours, and jog for 3 miles.

Check here for a detailed post on the nutritional value of collard greens and a “greens and beans” recipe.

Peace, love, and collard greens.
Melissa

This post was inspired by the people in my family (that would be Bill and Tevis) who have a funky allele from the shallow end of the “food sensitivity” gene pool. That little chromosome modification makes eating raw lettuce a digestive disaster.

Lettuce?

Yes, there are people who can’t eat raw lettuce. How weird is that? (This coming from someone who can’t eat gluten, bell peppers, black beans and eggplant. Or oysters, but that’s just because they’re icky.)

So, who says you have to eat lettuce raw?

Remember, you are the boss of your food. I find lettuce absolutely delicious sautéed and mixed in with other veggies and brown rice. Just like you would spinach or kale. What’s the difference? They’re all leafy and green.

sautéed lettuce and brown rice bowl (a favorite lunch of mine)
what you need
1 cup cooked brown rice (I love Golden Rose, but any brown or wild rice will do) *
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1 to 2 cups washed and chopped lettuce (a thick and leafy type is best)
Spoonful of coconut oil (or oil of choice)
Several splashes of vegetable broth
Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and roasted nuts (optional)
Dusting of gomasio * (or dried herbs, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper)

what you do
Heat oil on low/medium heat in a large skillet. Sauté onions, carrots and celery for 5 to 7 minutes, stir often. They should be lightly cooked, but still crunchy. Add garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and blend with veggies. If your rice is cold (cooked, but has been refrigerated), make sure you cook it long enough to heat it up. Add a splash of vegetable broth just enough to moisten the mix and prevent the rice and veggies from sticking to the pan. Add the lettuce and another splash of broth and stir well. Keep stirring and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until lettuce is wilted. You might even put the lid on the skillet and let it steam for a minute or two. Place in bowl, top with cheese and seasonings.

I’m not guaranteeing this will solve your food sensitivity problem, but many people have difficulties consuming raw veggies, lettuce included and they never think to cook it first. We cook all other veggies, why not lettuce?

I get lots of Romaine lettuce from my Grant Family Farms CSA share and find this to be a perfect choice for cooking (see above photo of chopped Romaine). It’s thick, crunchy and hearty, so it stands up well when thrown in the sauté pan.

* For detailed information on rice types and cooking tips, please check here.
* For a wonderful gomasio recipe, check here.

Peace, love and cooked lettuce.
Melissa

Whew, sometimes life takes over and blogging ends up slipping down the priority list faster than a sprint finish at the Tour de France.

To make a long story short, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed lately (I’ll spare you the details), the last straw being the perfect storm that hit my area the night before last. I can’t imagine being a farmer and watching the wind and hail annihilate my crops; months of hard work reduced to shreds in a matter of minutes. My little garden was destroyed, large tree limbs broken, flower pots ruined and my car damaged by golf-ball sized hail. With each season that I’m a Grant Farms CSA shareholder, my respect for farmers and my appreciation for fresh, organic produce increases. The photo above is a small sampling of what I received in my CSA box on Monday. The photo below is of my garden Tuesday morning after the storm. I had about twenty vegetable plants, plus an assortment of herbs and flowers.

Everything is gone.

Such is life for a small-time, recreational gardener. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal. But, if my lively-hood hinged on extreme weather fluctuations and fragile plants, it would be devistating.

On another note, I can’t complain about my chard and cabbage when it could have been my house that was ruined (this one’s nearby). Check out the size of this tree; completely uprooted, crushing the house.

Spicy veggie curry with brown rice
(make rice according to directions and time it so both dishes are finished at the same time)

what you need
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup water or broth
1 and 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter (I used fresh-ground)
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium sized carrot, juilienned
1/2 cup zucchini, juilienned
1/2 cup peas
kohlrabi, peeled and juilienned (I used 1 small bulb)
1 cup cauliflower, washed and cut in small florets
1 cup broccoli, washed and trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 tablespoons curry powder (I used Hot Curry Powder from Penzeys Spices)
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
coconut oil for sautéing
cilantro (if you have it)

These ingredients were what I had available from my CSA delivery, mix and match your veggies according to what you have on hand. Skip the peanut butter if you don’t want a “peanutty” taste and add whole roasted cashews instead (blend in at the end of cooking). This is a launching pad recipe, adjust to your liking.

what you do
Using a small amount of oil in a medium pot, sauté onions and garlic until tender. Add coconut milk and stir in curry powder and salt until all lumps dissolve. Add water or broth and peanut butter and continue stirring until well blended. Simmer and stir until you have the consistency you like. Add vegetables, cover and simmer until veggies are lightly cooked (just a few minutes). I added the peas at the end so they would remain crisp. Taste and adjust the seasonings (add more curry or salt). Serve over brown rice and top with a touch of cilantro.

For a detailed post on rice, check here.

I’m back — and thankful for fresh veggies and an intact roof over my head.
Melissa

If I had to pick my favorite vegetable, it would probably be beets. Roots, stalks and leaves — I love every part of the plant. The vibrant colors just add to their charm. For detailed information about the health benefits and some off-beat bathroom science about beets, check this past post I did on the subject.

This may sound a bit obsessive, but I eat fresh beets (never canned) in one form or another almost every day. I’m not sure which part I’d call my favorite — the root or leaves, as both are delightful for different reasons. If you’re tossing your beet greens in the compost pile, or (don’t even tell me) the trash, you can stop doing that right now. Beet greens are mild, tasty and full of healthy goodness. They can be used in the same way you’d use kale or spinach, lightly sautéed (my favorite) or steamed quickly.

Tips
I don’t peel beets, as the skin contains fiber and trace minerals and protects other beneficial nutrients from seeping out. Plus, there’s less mess from the color “bleeding” when you keep the skin intact. To store, cut off the stems and leaves about an inch or so above the root. Store greens in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. The greens don’t last long, so use them quickly. The roots store well on their own (in the refrigerator) for much longer periods.

Raw beet root
Scrub beet roots and grate, shred, or use a potato peeler to add to salads. Cut in matchstick strips and mix with jicama, pear, apple and/or carrots for a wonderful crunchy raw salad.

Cooked beet root
Beet roots can be roasted, steamed or sautéed. Roasting beets brings out the sweet earthiness; serve warm, or cool and save for adding to salads later. To roast — cut the stems and greens off about an inch from the root. Scrub roots, pat dry and toss with a small amount of oil. Place in a baking dish, add an inch or so of water, cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes depending on size.

Sautéed beet greens and brown rice
Wash beet greens, pat dry. Chop stems into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Coarsely chop greens. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or olive oil) in medium-sized skillet over low/medium heat. Add 1/4 cup diced onions and beet stems, stirring occasionally for about 5-8 minutes. Add 2 finely minced garlic cloves and continue stirring until lightly browned. Add a splash of broth (vegetable or chicken), the beet greens and a cup or so of cooked brown rice, stir gently and sauté until leaves are tender and rice is heated thoroughly. Add broth as needed to maintain moisture. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Skip the rice if you just want sautéed greens.

Your beet-nik nutritionist,
Melissa