Last month I did a blog post on super foods for men. I also threw in some basic (and not so basic) differences in male and female brain function. This time I’ll focus on us girls.

Is there a better place to start than hormones and chocolate? Maybe fashion, hats, and shiny things. I’ll see if I can weave them all together, but the launching pad has to be hormones. A brain sloshing around in a pool of estrogen looks and behaves quite different from a brain infused with testosterone. I touched on a few cognitive gender differences in my last post, but since I find this so fascinating, I think I’ll keep this neuro-thread going.

I’m a research nerd and guess what I’ve discovered after logging zillions of hours reading scientific papers (plus, years of field study)?

Men really are from Mars.

Before you jump to the conclusion that I might be gender-biased in my observations, I’ve also discovered that women are from BabbleOn. See – if I was going to fudge my findings, I’d pick something far more flattering.

Here’s the deal. Women do better than men on tasks that require verbal communication and memory of personal experiences. Men excel in the manipulation of complex spatial information.

What does that mean?

Women talk a lot and remember everything. Men can park 2 cars, 1 motorcycle, 3 mountain bikes, a fishing boat, a side-winder circular saw, 6 pairs of skis and 300 pounds of camping gear in a 2 car garage.

Like I said before, we’re different.

Back to the hormone part. Scientifically speaking, aside from all the other stuff estrogen does, it also provides females with the ability to outperform males in associating stimuli across time. It even shows up in more adult-generated neurons in our hippocampus.

What’s a hippocampus, you ask?

It’s a little doo-hickey in the brain that just so happens to be a long-term memory consolidation station and an emotional storage bin. It’s like a jewelry box for stuff you can dig up and throw into a heated conversation years later.

So think about that one for a minute.

Estrogen, emotions, new neurons, and memory storage? It’s no wonder we never forget things men do (or, don’t do). Sorry, but I have to take this one step further (female trait, babbling on). Gender differences in memory and learning are facilitated by differences in hormones and brain anatomy. But it doesn’t stop there. That also gives us the ability to further change our brain anatomy by forming new neurons. The actual structure of the brain changes allowing us to remember more stuff you guys did for longer periods of time.

Like f o r e v e r.

Oh my gosh, it’s a self-perpetuating cycle.

Although I took a rather convoluted, gender-driven journey to get here, I want to stress the importance of balancing blood sugar (glucose) and hormones when it comes to women’s health. Those two things form the foundation for radiant energy, stable emotions, and better stuff in your jewelry box – both pleasant memories and shiny things.

To function optimally, the body must maintain blood sugar levels within the proper ranges. Extreme fluctuations cause roller-coaster hormones, which can lead to hissy fits, dish tossing, and crying jags. It also leads to all kinds of health problems down the road. We can avoid the drama by keeping glucose and hormones in balance. That starts with nutrition and exercise. Yoga is my preferred form of movement-induced, hormone balancing (pun intended). Here are my food favorites.

Melissa’s top 10 super-foods for women (in no particular order)

1. Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a long history as a functional food. Not only does this sweet spice smell and taste wonderful, it also helps control blood sugar and makes you feel full longer. It’s anti-microbial, helps fight candida and is a good source of fiber, calcium and iron. I add about a teaspoon of cinnamon to all my smoothies. I also sprinkle it over yogurt, add it to homemade granola, power bars and whatever else I can think of. I try to eat at least a teaspoon of cinnamon a day.

2. Broccoli
According to cancer researchers at the University of Michigan, a natural compound in broccoli inhibits breast cancer stem cells and helps block their self-renewal pathway. There are all kinds of studies regarding cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy and similar green leafy vegetables) and their positive role in cancer prevention. Good stuff!

3. Fiber
Although not a food per se, fiber is so important for blood sugar balance, weight loss, and overall health. I’m a huge fan and eat way more than the recommended amount. For a detailed post I did on fiber several years ago, check here. You’ll find all the information you need to boost your fiber intake. Make sure you do it slowly and drink lots of water.

4. Avocados
Avocados are high in fat, but it’s a healthy fat and worth adding to your arsenal of super foods. Plus, if you add avocado to a big green salad or a fresh salsa mix, you greatly increase the absorption of the other nutrients. Carotenoids (in tomatoes, peppers, carrots, greens, etc.) are fat-soluble nutrients that need to tag along with high-grade fat to be adequately absorbed and assimilated. Avocados are also a low-carb, high-fiber food source, which is great for balancing blood sugar and hormones (once again, so important).

5. Coconut
Another high fat food, but again, this is good stuff, so don’t be fat-aphobic. The key is to be very picky about your fats. Please check here for a detailed post I wrote a couple of years ago on the health benefits of coconut. I love the stuff! Eat it, cook with it, put it on your skin, slather it on your hair.

6. Dark chocolate and red wine
Hey, what can I say? Girls are programmed to lust after chocolate. Resveratrol, a substance in cacao and red wine, is the “it” supplement right now. But, in most cases, I believe we’re better off eating the whole food rather than taking supplements. Treat yourself on occasion (moderation, moderation) and eat a small chunk of high-grade dark chocolate. You might even pair it with 4 ounces of a nice Pinot Noir.
Past resveratrol posts: dark chocolate as health food, enlightened hot chocolate, carnival of love (red wine)

7. Beets and berries
Those of you who have following this blog for the past 4 years know I’m passionate about beets. Ridiculously so. I’ve been a beet girl my entire life. My mom says I ate them as a baby and grew up thinking they were dessert. I was lucky. I had a mom who fed me beets, spinach, and broccoli during the explosion of processed foods. I can’t remember ever having a Twinkie, sugary cereal, or Hamburger Helper. We ate real food, made from scratch. There are so many studies linking the nutrients in beets to good health that I won’t even try to list them all. Just trust me, they’re amazing. I have a lot of beet blog posts in my archives, but since summer is around the corner, here’s an ice cream recipe.

8. Apples
Apples are high in fiber, help balance blood sugar in several different ways (they’re magic), are anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants, support healthy gut bacteria and are packed with goodness. Studies show positive results with age-related health problems as well (macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, etc.). I’m taking this “apple a day” thing seriously. Apples are sprayed with some seriously nasty stuff, so choose organic.

9. Swiss chard and leafy greens
Greens are true super foods. All greens are great sources of beneficial plant nutrients, but I’ll focus on Swiss chard since I’m on my “balance your blood sugar” rant. There’s a substance in chard (syringic acid if you must know) that has warrior princess power when it comes to blood sugar regulation. Chard (like beets) also contains a group of phytochemicals called betalains, which are high in antioxidants, are anti-inflammatory and promote detoxification.

10. Chick peas
How could I not include chick peas? Lucky for us, these little nutrient-dense namesakes help regulate blood sugar and are packed with fiber. I know, this blood sugar/fiber thing is getting tiresome, but it’s so important for long-term health, artful aging and hormone balance. Chick peas are also super high in the mineral manganese, which is an antioxidant involved with energy production. Who doesn’t want more energy? Check here for one of my favorite roasted chick pea recipes from Shirley at GFE.

Just as important is what you don’t eat. Avoid processed foods, refined sugar, soda pop, too much caffeine or alcohol, and junk food. Stick to whole foods with an emphasis on veggies and fruit.

Peace, love, and real food!
Melissa
Image of Robert Lewis Reid painting courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Last week (or was it last month – yikes, what happened to April) I had some fun with a post featuring my top 10 super foods for men. My intention was to follow up with a top 10 super foods for women post, but I got behind and now I need to make a programming change. Women’s nutrition and more fun with the differences between males and females will air next week. Stay tuned because (gasp!) we really are different!

Here’s why I’m interrupting my regularly scheduled program. I have a good reason.

May is Celiac Awareness Month and Diane from The W.H.O.L.E. Gang has cooked up a blogging event called 30 Days to Easy Gluten-Free Living. You’ve probably heard people (even some top celiac docs) talk about the difficulties of life without gluten. And how awful it is. And woe is me. And blah, blah, blah. Like gluten was chocolate or something.

Well, 30 different food bloggers are here to say otherwise. Check out this wonderful list of daily contributions. While there’s definitely a learning curve to living gluten-free and it’s not always easy, with knowledge and support, it can be the gateway to a whole new healthy and radiant lifestyle.

Here we sit at the top of the food chain and many of us (gluten-free or not) have no idea what to eat. Factor in conflicting health advice and a diagnosis of gluten intolerance and suddenly eating becomes very complicated. It doesn’t have to be. In 2009 food guru Michael Pollan came out with a handbook of simple and straightforward food rules. Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual became an instant best seller. I’m going to borrow his easy-to-follow format and tweak it a bit to focus on gluten-free eating. Some of these “rules” are my own creations and some are adapted from Michael’s book.

The point is to heal, renew, rev your engine, turn on your brights and thrive. But first, you need high grade, gluten-free fuel. Adopting these food rules will help you do that. Plus, you’ll lessen your chances of being zapped by gluten cooties.

Gluten-Free Food Rules (in no particular order)

1. Choose fresh, organic, whole foods. They’re gluten-free by default. No labels to read.

2. Make plant sources, especially vegetables, your foundation.

3. If it’s made in a plant, don’t eat it – if it is a plant, do eat it.

4. For the most part, choose foods you can hold in your hands and wash. Can you wash a box of Kraft mac and cheese, oreo cookies or a Hostess ding dong? You can wash cabbage, apples, tomatoes and you can rinse brown rice and quinoa.

5. If animals, insects and bacteria won’t eat it, we shouldn’t either. Food that has been sprayed with chemicals to repel critters isn’t a good choice for people either.

6. Don’t eat food that never spoils. If it doesn’t rot, it’s not food.

7. Stop eating when you’re no longer hungry, not when you’re full. No longer hungry is different from full.

8. Choose products (gluten-free flours, grains, etc.) that have been tested and are certified gluten-free. The Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) and the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) currently have certification programs. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is in the process of creating a similar certification program.

9. Ingredients are listed by weight on labels. Any product that has more sugar than other ingredients has too much sugar. Avoid HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).

10. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t eat them.

11. Avoid impostors (foods pretending to be something else). Think, “I can’t believe it’s not butter.” Eat real butter, not fake butter.

12. Eat a good portion of your veggies raw. Organic is best. Click here for a pocket version of the Environmental Working Group’s guide to organic produce (the dirty dozen and the clean 15).

13. Buy oils packaged in dark bottles and store away from heat. This prevents the oil from going rancid (very unhealthy).

14. Use the water you’ve steamed or cooked veggies in. Save it for smoothies or soups. It’s packed with good plant nutrients.

15. Pay more, eat less (see photo above).

16. “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper.” I don’t know who originally said that, but it’s true.

17. Don’t eat food that has been tossed to you through your car window. Don’t eat and drive.

18. Prepare your own food, don’t get it from a vending machine or a gas station.

19. Eat all your meals at a table.

20. Be wary of supplement claims. If you want to increase your antioxidant amounts, eat beets, asparagus, blueberries, chard and cherries. Eat colorful fruits and veggies. Choose real food in its natural form. Don’t count on supplements unless you REALLY need them (verifiable deficiencies).

Roasted salmon and asparagus
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a piece of tin foil on a cookie sheet and lightly grease with olive oil.
2. Carefully rinse and pat dry the salmon filet (any size). Pour a little olive oil in your hands and rub it on the entire fish.
3. Place fish skin side down on the baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Wash and trim asparagus. Pat dry and place in baking dish. Toss in a small amount of olive oil and place on prepared cookie sheet (see photo above) next to the salmon. Sprinkle with diced fresh garlic, sea salt and ground pepper.
5. Bake fish and asparagus together in oven for 10 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon. Remove when the fish flakes easily with a fork.
6. Serve with lemon slices and a fresh green salad.

For more information on salmon, a detailed breakdown of EFAs (essential fatty acids – omega 3 and omega 6) and a tamari salmon recipe, check here.

Peace, love and easy gluten-free living!
Melissa

This small, dried, light-colored French bean variety is called the flageolet bean. The word also means delicate woodwind or flute instrument. Leave it to the French to come up with a fancy word that combines beans with tooting. Linguistic inflation is rampant in France. Not that that’s a bad thing. Wouldn’t you agree that flageolet beans sound far more exotic, highfalutin and gourmet-ish than kidney beans?

Look at that French country color, they even look snooty.

Now that the lowly bean has been elevated in stature, I’m going to throw in a little bioscience and share what actually happens when we eat these little gems. Fancy words or not, indiscriminate digestive rumblings can (and often do) occur after eating beans.

Here’s why.

Let’s start with the endogenous microbial block party going on inside the large colon. According to National Institutes of Health scientists at the Human Microbiome Project, we have 100 trillion bacteria in our distal gut alone.

Yikes!

Beans contain some rather large and unwieldy sugar molecules called oligosaccharides that we can’t easily digest and utilize. We didn’t come equipped with the right enzymes to break down these massive (molecularly speaking) lug-nuts, so instead of being processed in the small intestine as they should be, they bounce their way through the gut relatively untouched and arrive in the colon as an all-you-can-eat buffet for roving herds of bacteria.

Imagine a medieval barbarian banquet – a feeding frenzy of gulping, burping and farting bacteria. If you think about it, it’s really not you tooting, it’s the unruly bacteria. So quit blaming the dog (poor guy) and place blame where it belongs. On the gluttonous bugs, their innate behavior and offensive methane byproducts.

There’s another thing about beans that has been making the food blog rounds lately. Are they highly toxic if eaten raw?

Okay, you’re thinking, who in the world eats raw, dried beans?

Well, who eats coins, dead crickets, paper clips and golf tees?

Little boys.

If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you an x-ray of my son with a stack of coins in his gut. Kids eat weird things, just ask any ER doc.

Raw, dried or undercooked kidney beans contain a toxic compound that can cause severe nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. According to the FDA, most beans contain this compound, but raw kidney beans contain an enormously large amount. The hemagglutinating unit (hau) is the substance measured for toxicity, with raw kidney beans topping out at between 20,000 to 70,000 hau. Cooked beans contain from 200 to 400 hau. It only takes 4 or 5 raw kidney beans to make an adult sick, so imagine a little kid eating only 1 or 2. Don’t expect your GI doc to know anything about natural plant toxins, so if you call and say your kid is sick after eating one raw kidney bean, he/she will think you’re a nutbar. Or at the very least, an incredibly neurotic mom.

In this case, you could be both and still be right.

To be on the safe side and to avoid having to explain what phytohaemagglutinin means to an overly busy ER doc, make sure your curious little kiddos don’t stick raw beans in their ears, up their nose, eat them or feed them to the dog. Beans can be enough trouble when they’re cooked, avoid them raw at all costs.

If you’ve read through all this digestion turmoil, you deserve a recipe for flageolet beans. I’ve made them on several occasions and love the delicate, buttery taste. They’re delicious. You can use them in salads, soups or as a side dish. Add roasted tomatoes to the cooked beans and top with a poached egg and some shredded Parmesan cheese. Absolutely divine.

Basic Flageolet Bean Recipe (courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill with my adaptations)
Sort and rinse before cooking. Soak beans in cold water overnight (I put them in the refrigerator). Drain and rinse well. Add 4 cups of water or chicken broth for every 1 cup of flageolet beans. Liquid should be 1-2 inches above the top of beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. Add more liquid as needed.

• 1 cup of dried beans yields about 2-1/2 cup cooked beans
• cooked beans can store in the fridge for about a week
• cooked beans last about 6 months in the freezer

You might also like
• Soup au Pistou Recipe with flageolet beans from 101 Cookbooks (use gluten-free pasta)

Peace, love and well-cooked beans!
Melissa

I’m a product of the sixties, a hippie-girl at heart.

This whole chard-eating, brown rice-making, kefir-drinking way of life is nothing new to me. In fact, the first two cookbooks I bought when I launched out on my own were the Vegetarian Epicure (circa 1972, cover pictured above) and the Tassajara Vegetarian Cookbook from the San Francisco Zen Center (circa 1973). No Joy of Cooking or Julie & Julia stuff for me. I wanted cookbooks that focused on beets, burdock root and buckwheat groats. I made my own bread, wandered the wilderness, belonged to a food co-op, wore flowers in my hair and advocated peace, love and tie-dyes.

I also voted for Nixon, but that’s another story.

Anna Thomas, a 60s soul sister, wrote the Vegetarian Epicure while she was in college. Considered the whole foods bible of the vegetarian fringe in the 1970s, it’s now a classic and still in print. I treasure my original, well-worn, food-stained copy. I don’t know which parts of the book I like more. The recipes, the earth-brown pages, the marijuana references, or the far-out hippie drawings scattered through-out the book.

Marijuana references, you ask?

Read the last paragraph from the “Entertainment” section of my tattered cookbook. Actually, read the whole page. It’s absolutely wonderful and she’s so right-on when it comes to food, friends and entertaining. Anna’s new book, Love Soup, has quickly become one of my current favorites.

Just so you know, I’m not a pot-smoking nutritionist, but I do have fond memories of my first introductions to ghee (clarified butter), curry and veggie rice bowls. I can thank Anna Thomas for that.

And yes, I probably dated this guy.

Buddha Bowls consist of brown rice or another grain (quinoa works well), sautéed veggies and some kind of sauce. They’re meant to be a launching pad for whatever your heart (and stomach) desires. Options include adding meat or tofu, although mine are usually veggie bowls. Sit in lotus position, oomm in gratitude, and eat all your food out of one bowl.

brown rice Buddha bowl (a common dinner at our house)
what you need
2 – 4 cups of cooked brown rice or other cooked grain
1 – 2 tablespoons coconut oil

assorted veggie options (be creative, there are no rules)
1 small onion, chopped or sliced in strips
2 stalks celery, chopped or sliced in strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips
2 portobella mushrooms, sliced in strips
2 carrots, sliced in thin strips
shredded beets
spinach, chard, beet greens, or kale, washed and thinly chopped

sauce options
wheat-free tamari
vegetable or chicken broth
sesame oil
curry

garnish options
fresh cilantro
roasted sunflower seeds
chopped green onions
currants

what you do
1. heat coconut oil on medium heat in a large skillet
2. add onions, garlic and other veggies and sauté lightly (enough so the veggies are cooked, but still slightly crisp)
3. add cooked brown rice, freshly ground pepper, sea salt and a splash of broth to moisten the mix; turn heat down and warm thoroughly
4. if you want to add a specific sauce, do it now and continue to cook until all ingredients are well heated
5. top with garnishes (optional) or gamasio

Other “bowl” recipes you might like
• Elana from Elana’s pantry posted a Mexican chicken and “rice” recipe a couple of years ago with a quirky grain-free twist to the Buddha bowl.
• Ali of Whole Life Nutrition has a recipe for Summer Vegetable Kitcheree that is akin to a Buddha Bowl and is as tasty as it is healthy.
• Fellow nutritionist, Cheryl Harris of Gluten Free Goodness, has a great recipe for a basic quinoa bowl laced with mint and lemon. You might have to save this one for mint season, but it’s a nice addition to the Buddha bowl list.
• Sautéed lettuce and brown rice bowl (from my blog)

Peace, love, Buddha bowls and hippie chicks!
Melissa
• I took the above photos of the cover and two pages from my 1972 vintage book, The Vegetarian Epicure. I hope I don’t get in trouble.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and although I love chocolate, jewelry and other girlie things, I’d prefer a new ski rack for my car, an Isis hoodie down jacket (in arctic blue), or a year’s worth of SPOT tracking. I’m way too picky about my jewelry and chocolate to hint around for anything from those categories.

Very picky. Neurotically so.

In fact, it’s best that I just whip up my own chocolate Valentine treats and pick out my own jewelry. That way I get exactly what I want. Which is the point of gift-getting. Right? I’m not spoiled or anything – at least not from my perspective.

But did I mention picky?

I need jewelry suited to the backcountry (sparkly, silver and indestructible) and high-end, organic, gluten-free, papaya-infused, almond-laced, dark chocolate with a sprinkling of freshly-ground, pink Himalayan sea salt. Freshly-ground sea salt. Like, that minute.

See what I mean? Uber-picky.

Hopefully I’ll get a new ski rack instead. I’m not as picky about that.

Okay, I’m picky about that, too. I want the Yakima FatCat 6 so I can put my skis on top of my car without taking off my “ice station zebra” mittens. If anyone is listening.

We’ll see how things turn out. In the meantime, here’s a recipe for delightful and decadent Valentine chocolate squares. Make them for your sweetheart or for yourself. This is so easy, it’s practically cheating. Actually, is cheating, but that’s okay. It’s for a good cause.

Super-easy, gluten-free, chocolate Valentine treats
what you need
6.5 ounces organic dark chocolate, coarsely chopped *
2-3 tablespoons dried papaya, diced
2-3 tablespoons almonds, chopped
freshly-ground sea salt

what you do
1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Continually stir until the chocolate is fully melted. Add papaya and almond pieces, blend well.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can also use tin foil.
3. Using a spatula, evenly spread the melted chocolate, papaya and almond mixture onto parchment paper.
4. Sprinkle with very small and rustic sea salt chunks. OMG, this makes it wonderful.
5. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cut into 2 inch squares and dazzle your Valentine (or yourself).
6. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

* I used 2 organic Chocolove dark chocolate (61% cocoa content) bars. Chocolove also makes a 55% cocoa content bar if you prefer less intense flavor and 73% and 77% versions if you like the high-octane stuff. The higher the cocoa content, the stronger and more bitter the taste. If you don’t have access to Chocolove, use another version of dark chocolate.

* You can also use dried cherries, dried apricots, peppermint chunks, or whatever your heart desires. Be creative.

For more of my gluten-free chocolate treats, check the following recipes
Enlightened hot chocolate
Chocolate Beet Cupcakes
Babycakes Chocolate Brownies

More gluten-free chocolate love from around the blogosphere
Gluten-free sunflower chocolate squares from Carol at Simply Gluten Free
Raw chocolate and raspberry candy from Kelly at The Spunky Coconut
Valentine’s Day dark and white chocolate cake pops from Elana at Elana’s Pantry
Chocolate layer cake from Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen
Flourless chocolate cake from Shirley at Gluten Free Easily
Chocolate coconut pudding from Karen at Cooks 4 Seasons
Twisted chocolate bark from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Kids in the kitchen dairy free fudge from Alta at Tasty Eats at Home

Peace, love and chocolate! Or a ski rack. Or both.
Melissa

Look at these beets. Of all the vegetables, beets are the most ardently impassioned (nutritionally speaking). This torrid root vegetable is at the top of my list of vibrant and nutrient-dense super foods. I love beets.

The above mixture made for a surprise hit at my recent Udi’s Gluten-Free ultimate pizza and ski party last Thursday night. The annual SIA Snow Sports Show was here in Denver. I had a pizza party at my house on opening night for ski-rep friends from out of town, shop owners and a few manufacturers. Since I’m gluten-free, my guests are always gluten-free. Why not? Gluten-free isn’t what it used to be, especially when you have help from visionaries like the good folks at Udi’s.

Udi’s Gluten Free Foods is located here in Denver. How lucky is that? I’ve watched their artisanal drift into the gluten-free product world for some time now and have run into Heather (marketing coordinator) and Jillian (social media maven) at various conferences, shows and events. I’ve even done some early taste-tasting at one of their unveiling parties. I don’t do product reviews, book reviews or give-aways on my blog. I decided early on that I didn’t have time for it or enough interest in processed foods to bother with it. I prefer whole foods and if I’m going to advocate for anything, it will be organic plants and my support for local CSAs (community supported agriculture). Having said that, I do use a few pre-made, gluten-free flour mixes on occasion and I’m a huge fan of Udi’s gluten-free pizza crusts. If I use a specific product in a recipe, I say so, but I don’t accept products for blog endorsements. I’m a nutritionist, not a professional blogger.

When I decided to have this pizza party, I knew I’d need to make about 28 to 30 pizzas. If you’ve noticed how popular Udi’s gluten-free crusts are, you’ve probably also noticed that sometimes they’re hard to find. (I think gluten-cootie people are buying them as well. Grrrr.) I have two Whole Foods and one Natural Grocer nearby and they’re often low or out of the crusts. They’re that good. I contacted Jillian a week before the party and asked her if I could order 15 packages of crusts and pick them up myself. I didn’t want to freak out if I couldn’t find enough. Jillian said she’d have the crusts delivered to my house at no charge. To be honest, that wasn’t my plan and I didn’t want them for free (seriously). We emailed back and forth and she finally said, “Hey, we’re Colorado ski and snowboard people here at Udi’s and we know the SIA Show is in town. We just want to contribute to the energy and fun of it all.”

Thank you Udi’s! They delivered 16 packages of gluten-free pizza crusts (32 crusts) to my house, fresh and ready for me to top with my bizarre creations. I don’t make mainstream pizzas.

Pepperoni and cheese? No way.

Roasted beets and beet greens pizza? Delicious.

New Mexican red chile enchilada pizza. OMG!

BBQ chicken and onion ring pizza? Huge hit.

Bacon, LETTUCE and tomato pizza? Another winner.

Plus, I did lots of mixed veggie pizzas with exotic cheeses.

It was a lot of work, much more than I anticipated and even though I have a double oven with convection settings, it wasn’t easy to shuffle 28 pizzas in and out of the ovens. There were too many people here to have a sit-down dinner so I used groovy-looking, palm frond eco plates and forks that eventually went into my composter and lined my dining room table with butcher paper. Easy clean-up. We pulled the pizzas out six at a time, cut them up and slid them onto the butcher paper. People drank local beer and Red Truck wine (not local) and hung around the table testing the weird assortment of pizzas. My guests loved it.

Total success! Thank you Udi’s and thank you Jillian. I would have said good things whether you gave me the crusts or not, but I do appreciate it and love having you in my backyard. Colorado is such a great place to live. Glad you guys live here, too.

gluten-free red chile enchilada pizza
(see top square plate above loaded with 3 pieces of this pizza)
*This was one of my odd-ball creations and it came out great. I made four of these pizzas and didn’t write down a detailed recipe, so I’m generalizing here. You’ll have to adapt the recipe amount to your needs, but use this as a basic guideline.

what you need for the sauce
Udi’s gluten-free pizza crusts
Bueno’s Basic Red Chile Purée (see my recipe instructions below, adapted from Bueno’s)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon gluten-free rice flour (or whatever basic GF flour you have on hand)
sea salt, ground pepper and Mexican oregano
* Make the sauce ahead of time as it needs time to cook and simmer down to the consistency appropriate for a pizza. You want it thicker than traditional red chile sauce. This recipe from Bueno Foods is a good basic one, although I tweaked it slightly. I used a little less water (so the sauce would be a touch thicker), more oregano (I love Mexican oregano), omitted the sugar and used 1 tablespoon of rice flour. Using this recipe as a guideline – heat the oil, saute the onions and garlic, add the flour and mix well. Add the thawed red chile purée, water, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper and blend well. Simmer for an hour or longer. This is what it should look like.

what you need for the topping
shredded, cooked chicken
Hatch canned whole green chiles (1 small, 4 ounce can per pizza)
1/2 cup corn kernels (or more)
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained (or more)
shredded colby-jack cheese

what you do
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I start with thawed Udi’s pizza crusts.
2. Brush prepared (and warm) red chile sauce on the Udi’s pizza crusts. I used just enough to fully cover the pizzas. You want the flavor and coverage, but you don’t want it wet and sloppy.
3. Place the shredded chicken in a bowl and add 2 or 3 spoonfuls of the red chile sauce to moisten it and add more flavor. Mix well. Place the chicken on the pizza crusts. You don’t need a lot, just enough scattered around so you get a few bites of chicken here and there.
4. Place strips of green chile over the chicken. Make sure you drain the green chile well (pat it with a paper towel so it’s not wet).
5. Sprinkle some well-drained corn kernels and black beans over the pizza.
6. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The Udi’s directions say 5 to 7 minutes, but I always cook them longer. I like the cheese to be lightly browned and bubbly. Set the timer for 7 minutes and see what you think. Rotate pizzas and bake for a few more minutes. Watch closely as they can burn and overcook easily.
* Tip: line the bottom of the oven with tin foil to catch the drippings.

You might also like my Udi’s roasted beet, spinach and zucchini pizza. Or, my Udi’s ridacchio and squash pizza.

Peace, fresh powder and Udi’s gluten-free pizza.
Melissa

In keeping with my off-beat blog titles, this post could also be called, “Caffeine: the good, the bad and the stupid.”

I even have a research study to go with it, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and put on your geek hat. If you’re not in the mood for my take on liquid lubrication or the good and bad of caffeine, you can skip right to the recipe. Scroll away, I’ll never know.

But you might find this interesting. It’s cutting-edge (okay, just edgy) stuff from a group of researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia. Their multiple experiments revealed that not only does caffeine increase attention, information-processing, and the twitchy jitters, it also makes us more susceptible to influence. We can be persuaded to change our minds more readily if we’ve been drinking coffee. We’re more gullible.

Yikes!

And all this time I thought it was wine that made me do stupid things. Just think, we can start and end the day by being persuaded to do something we might not normally do.

Caffeine-mediated arm twisting followed by wine-induced lack of judgement.

Now that you’ve had that cup of attitude-adjusting coffee, can I interest you in a brownie? They’re delicious and full of dark chocolate flavor. In fact, they’re even moderately healthy. What do you think? I know you want one. They’re gluten-free.

Were you persuaded? If so, you can pick up the recipe at the end of the post, but first I’m going to give you my take on coffee drinking. You might be surprised, especially coming from a kale-eating, yoga-practicing, holistic nutritionist.

Caffeine: the good the bad and the stupid.

We’ll start with the good (sort of).

• Boosts memory and alertness
• Improves circulation
• Increases metabolism and conversion of fat to energy
• Relaxes smooth muscles in the digestive tract
• Boosts muscle strength, speed and endurance in some situations
• May reduce asthma symptoms
• May reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease
• May reduce the risk of gallstones
• Coffee is the #1 source of antioxidants in the American diet (yikes! that’s not good)
• Coffee contains dietary fiber
• May reduce the risk of developing Type II Diabetes
• May be associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer
• Good, organic, high-grade coffee smells divine and tastes wonderful (my opinion)

On to the bad.

• Caffeine increases cortisol (the stress hormone) levels causing the fight or flight response
• Causes a rise in blood pressure
• Can inhibit adenosine (neurotransmitter), which calms the body, causing sleep disturbances
• Continuous adenosine blocking wreaks havoc on normal circadian rhythms
• Interrupts the deep sleep cycle and along with it, important rest and regeneration
• Is addictive and functions much in the same way as amphetamines
• Can give you a temporary boost, followed by fatigue and mood swings later
• Is addictive and causes unpleasant detox symptoms upon withdrawal
• May interrupt conception at levels over 500 mg per day
• Studies show caffeine is bad for the developing nervous systems (children)

And now the stupid.

• Caffeine makes you more susceptible to persuasion (see above study). You might get talked into buying a purple, metallic, PT Cruiser or a tight, leopard-print, mini-skirt. You might even say yes to taking on a project you have no time or interest in.
• A Starbucks Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha is 700 calories! Yes, 700 calories.
• A coffee grande from Starbucks contains about 550 mg of caffeine, almost 3 times as much as a NoDoz. The half-life of caffeine in the body is around 6 hours, so if you drink a 200 mg cup of coffee at 4 PM, at 10 PM you will have 100 mg of caffeine floating around your system and blocking your adenosine receptor sites. That will mess up your sleep cycle, which is not good.

Bottom line? There are some good things about coffee, so like everything else in life, moderation is the key. One cup of coffee in the morning is fine. If you “need” it to wake up and “need” it throughout your day, that is bad. Choose a high-grade, organic coffee and enjoy a cup on occasion (unless you’re hypersensitive).

Gluten-free coffee cranberry pistachio brownies (inspired by Coastal Living online)
what you need
1/4 cup coconut oil
4.8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (or close to that, see notes below) *
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (see notes below) *
2 large eggs
1/4 cup cooked and puréed beets (this adds sweetness and moisture to GF baked goods)
2/3 cup organic Turbinado sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake Mix
1/2 cup dry-roasted, unsalted pistachios
1/3 cup dried cranberries

what you do
1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil.
2. Pour water to the depth of a couple of inches int to the bootom of a double boiler over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Place coconut oil, chocolate chunks and coffee granules in the top of the double boiler over the simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs on low speed. Add puréed beets, sugar, vanilla and salt; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate mixture and fold in Pamela’s mix. Stir in pistachios and cranberries.
4. Pour into prepared baking pan, spreading batter evenly. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few crumbs. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Like coffee, these little treats have caffeine, so don’t eat them before bed, although I’m not suggesting eating them for breakfast either. Hmmmm? Life can be full of dilemmas.

* I used 1 and 1/2 bars of organic Chocolove 61% dark chocolate (one bar is 3.2 ounces). Check here for details.

* I used Mount Hagen organic instant coffee, but any will do. You can buy Mount Hagen by the jar or in single serving packets. I love the single serving packets for backpacking (seriously wonderful stuff). Check here for details.

You might also like:

Dark chocolate details (another off-beat blog post)
Carnival of love (okay, my archives are full of quirky posts)

Peace, joy and persuasion (the good kind).
Melissa

I know, I know. Not the best keyword-rich title for a recipe post, but these cupcakes lead to hanky-panky. I thought I better mention that right off.

Sometimes I just can’t help myself. Off-the-wall recipe titles often trump SEO in my world. I understand that’s not the best strategy for improving online search results, but it’s so much more fun. Plus, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to mix cupcakes with sex.

According to a recent study by the Taste and Smell Treatment and Research Foundation, essence of pumpkin is the way to a man’s heart. Or, at least to his boy parts.

Dr. Alan Hirsch and his smart-smelling colleague, Dr. Jason Gruss, conducted an in-depth plethysmographic (don’t even ask) study on the food smells men find most sexually stimulating. Empirically documented through hemodynamic testing (so to speak).

The results are in and guess what, ladies? No need to wear high heels or buy expensive perfume (not that I do either). Just stick a doughnut in your pocket, munch on some licorice and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice in your hair. You’ll be irresistible.

But, be careful. I’d think twice before setting bait for the doughnut guys.

The Top 10 Odors Male Volunteers Responded To
(actively responded to, like in a physically noticeable way)
1. Pumpkin pie and lavender
2. Doughnut and black licorice
3. Pumpkin pie and doughnut
4. Orange
5. Lavender and doughnut
6. Black licorice and cola
7. Black licorice
8. Doughnut and cola (doughnuts and cola? seriously? who are these guys?)
9. Lily of the valley
10. Buttered popcorn

So — the way to a man’s heart (with a stop here and there) is through pumpkin pie spice and doughnuts? I bet men wish the reverse was that simple.

Doughnuts versus shiny, sparkly things.

Men are from Mars via Dunkin’ Donuts and women are from Venus via the jewelry store (or in my case, Bent Gate Mountaineering).

Here’s a recipe for love ~
Gluten-free pumpkin pecan boyfriend bait cupcakes
(I threw in some chocolate so the ladies would also be in the mood)
what you need
1 and 1/2 cup Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake Mix
1 and 1/2 teaspoon 5-spice blend *
1/3 cup organic Turbinado sugar (or another form of sugar)
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used Madagascar vanilla — sniff and swoon)
1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (I used Farmer’s Market canned organic pumpkin pie mix, it smells divine)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, but recommended for obvious reasons)

what you do
• In a medium bowl, whisk together Pamela’s mix with the 5 spice blend. Set aside.
• Place melted coconut oil and sugar in mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until well blended. Blend in eggs (one at a time), vanilla and pumpkin pie purée.
• Slowly add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended.
• Fold in chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
• Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4ths full and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 22 to 26 minutes (depending on your oven temperature), or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. You can also use silicone baking cups.
• Cool on wire rack and see what happens.

* I use Frontier Chinese Five Spice powder. Oh my gosh, the research team should have set their standards higher than doughnuts and popcorn. This stuff is heavenly. It’s a bit exotic though, so if you want to play it safe, use cinnamon (1 teaspoon) and nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon).

* I didn’t make this research story up. Here’s the official study. Anybody up (no pun intended) for a gluten-free version of this research?

You might also like the smell of garam masala and Moroccan stew. Very sensual.

Peace, love and sexy cupcakes.
Melissa
P.S. I almost forgot. These cupcakes are wonderful! Top with cream cheese frosting or vanilla ice cream and serve at your own risk. And selectively.

Those of you who have been following this blog know I’m head-over-heels in love with my local farmer, Andy Grant. The way to this woman’s heart is via freshly harvested, organic produce.

Or expensive glittery things.

Or new backcountry gear.

A study in contrasts? Most likely. I have no problem wearing sparkly earrings while backpacking the Colorado Trail and eating organically grown, homemade, dehydrated kale soup or bison jerky. I love my life.

But I digress. Sort of.

The organic cherries used in this cobbler were locally grown and part of last week’s CSA delivery from Grant Family Farms. They were harvested some time ago, frozen as organic pie cherries and saved for fall baking. And oh my gosh – what a difference between the canned, processed, blah version of pie cherries and these little gems.

This recipe is my contribution to Shauna and Danny’s Gluten Free Thanksgiving Baking Challenge and online celebratory launch of their tasty new cookbook, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef (which by the way, is wonderful).

Melissa’s gluten-free cherry cobbler
what you need for the filling
• 3 cups unsweetened pie cherries, about 1 & 1/2 pounds
• 2/3 cup organic cane sugar (or turbinado sugar)
• 2 tablespoons Pamela’s GF Baking & Pancake Mix
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• dash of sea salt

what you need for the crumble topping
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or turbinado sugar)
• 3/4 cup Pamela’s GF Baking & Pancake Mix
• 1/3 cup pastured butter (frozen works best)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

what you do
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Put prepared cherries in a large bowl
• In a medium bowl, mix up the dry ingredients you need for the cherry filling
• Pour over cherries, gently folding until well blended and cherries are covered
• Put cherry mixture in a glass pie dish
• Mix up the ingredients for the crumble topping *
• Place crumble topping mixture over cherries and press firmly in place
• Place pie on center rack of oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, checking after 20 or 30 minutes to make sure the top isn’t burning (I cover the pie loosely with tin foil after about 30 minutes to prevent burning)
• Tip – place tin foil on the bottom of the oven to prevent a mess if it boils over

* Freeze the butter and then grate it into the mixture using a cheese grater. It’s much easier than cutting it into the mix using knives.

* Shauna and Danny will be in Colorado on their book tour. Please check here for times and places and join in on the gluten-free fun.

Peace, joy and gluten-free love.
Melissa

This Moroccan stew is steeped in sensuality. The sweet and spicy smells of garam masala and cayenne pepper give a hint of what’s to come. Garam masala is to me what madeleines were to Proust. I love the stuff. The smell alone is intoxicating. There’s a divine fusion of sultry aromas and warming spices in this stew.

Excuse me while I sniff the spice bottle.

“I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place. An exquisite pleasure invaded my senses…” Marcel Proust (1871-1922) Remembrance of Things Past

I know exactly what he means, although my pleasure fixation is not for madeleines. It’s for the cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne, clove, cumin, coriander and black pepper that give this stew such complex and sensual flavor.

Walk into a fine spice shop and take a deep, slow whiff of freshly ground and mixed garam masala. You’ll know what I mean.

sweet and spicy gluten-free Morrocan stew
what you need
2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
2/3 lb organic, 100% grass fed beef, cut into stew cubes
1 medium onion, chopped, about 1-1/4 cup
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped in 1 inch cubes, about 3 cups
3 garden-fresh and roasted tomatoes (optional, but good) *
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained *
6 mejool dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup coconut milk (optional, but good)
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper *
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

what you do
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees if you choose to add roasted tomatoes. Wash and cut tomatoes into quarters. Put in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, add some sea salt and freshly ground pepper and toss to coat. Place in a shallow glass baking dish, skin side down and put on center rack of the oven for 20 minutes. (You can do this as you’re preparing the other ingredients.) Let cool slightly and mash with a fork. Set aside for later.
• Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large soup pot or sauce pan. Add beef chunks in batches, so they don’t crowd each other. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and brown on all sides, about 4 or 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add a little more coconut oil to the pot (1/2 to 1 tablespoon). Add the onion and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. Add garlic and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.
• Pour the chicken broth into the pot and add the chopped sweet potato chunks. Bring to a low boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add the beef, roasted and smashed tomatoes, garbanzo beans, mejool dates, coconut milk and spices. Gently stir to combine ingredients. Let simmer until juices thicken and ingredients combine. Add the cilantro, cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.
• Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Take a big sniff, serve and enjoy. Makes about 6 servings.

Eat alone as a stew or pour over brown rice. Next time I think I’ll add a few chunks of candied ginger. Doesn’t that sound good?

* The tomatoes are an option. I have so many tomatoes right now, I’m tossing them in everything I make.
* Eden Organics uses BPA-free cans.
* If you don’t want spicy, skip the cayenne pepper and use 1-2 teaspoons of paprika. I actually used more cayenne pepper than I mentioned in the recipe, but I like spicy.

Peace, love and aromatic spices.
Melissa