Spiced Apples and Cabbage

Guys, I'm super excited to announce that today... we have our first guest blogger!! Sam is another plant-based nutrition enthusiast who is my MIT cycling teammate and also a PhD student at MIT. Well, I am now a postdoc but he is lucky enough to still be a student. I actually met Sam while we were both in physical therapy when I was rehabbing my shoulder after surgery. At that time, he was focusing on triathlon, but I somehow convinced him that it would be a good idea to come out to the MIT bike race that I was on the planning committee for. Since cycling is awesome, the rest is history! This post is the first of a two part series where Sam will be sharing two awesome cabbage recipes. I've been super excited for his recipes since cabbage is a really worthwhile food that I've been looking to incorporate into my life, but I haven't found a good way yet. Now I know! I'll be buying some red cabbage tonight to give these gems a try!

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This recipe is one of my favorites because it brings me back to my childhood.  My dad used to buy bushels and bushels of apples every fall. We would stop by the “Apple Lady’s” truck on the way home from church to pick up the season’s freshest, crispest, orchard-fresh apples.  Most of the garnet orbs would be steamed, cooked, and pressed down into a winter’s worth of apple sauce.  The remainder would go towards other exciting apple condiments, desserts, and …dinner mainstays!  The smell of sweet cabbage and sour apples melding on the stove-top makes me long for winter’s snow! Time to ring in the festive season with some Mass-local produce.

As an athlete, this dish is a nutritive complement to the health benefits of training. Antioxidants?  You want antioxidants?  This recipe packs a ton of the top biggest-antioxidant-bang-for-your-buck foods!  Keep those skins on the apples and enjoy the cloves. Even better, concentrates from cruciferous veggies like red cabbage have been shown to reduce the production of cancer cells and improve immune function.  And if you’ve got diabetes, cassia cinnamon is your friend!

Braising is a wonderful way to bring out the sweetness of dense veggies, as well as meld flavors.  Pick out the brightest, freshest cabbage you can find and braise it long enough that it melts to unveil its internal saccharine nature.  The apples can be thrown in later so that they don’t completely disintegrate (the crisper the apple, the less “apple-saucy” the dish). Feel free to spice it up how you feel, though cinnamon and cloves make this dish almost dessert-like.

Too bad I didn’t have a hot mug of spiked, spiced cider to go along with it.

Spiced Apples and Cabbage

1 tbs neutral oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped large
1 lb red cabbage, chopped into strips
1/4 c water
3 orchard-fresh apples, cored and chopped
1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1 Tbs maple syrup, honey, molasses or agave (optional for added sweetness)

1.     Heat a large skillet on medium heat, and add to it the oil.  Sauté the onions in the heated oil for 5 minutes until they turn translucent, reducing heat as necessary.

2.     Add in the cabbage and stir to combine.

3.     Pour in the water, and cover the skillet for braising on low-medium heat.  Stir as necessary for 15 minutes.  Add water if it all evaporates.

4.     After the cabbage starts to wilt, stir in the apples, and continue to braise covered for 10-15 minutes, stirring as necessary.

5.     When the apples are almost soft enough to stab with a fork, mix in the spices (and sweetener).  Cook for 5-10 more minutes to reduce and finish cooking the apples.

6.     Serve warm from the pan, or cold any time of the day.

The brilliant purple of the cabbage starts to come out as it is braised. Keep cooking to incorporate the color and flavor with the rest of the ingredients.

Seitan Stew

Today's recipe calls for two unusual ingredients: Vegemite and seitan. I ordered some Vegemite last spring because it is highly recommended by one of my MIT cycling teammates who is Australian and very fast. Wanting to be very fast, I ordered some hoping that it was her secret to speed. Then I was at a loss as to how I should use it. Vegemite is a dark brown yeast extract spread that is rich in many of the B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium, and is definitely an acquired taste. Finally, I read somewhere that Vegemite could make a killer vegan broth that was almost beef-like and I knew what I was going to do with it! I got a little bit faster without it this season, we'll see if I get super fast now that I am incorporating Vegemite into my diet.

The next strange ingredient is seitan. Seitan is quite literally wheat meat: it is concentrated vital wheat gluten, the protein that tends to cause a wheat sensitivity. Naturally, this stuff is off limits to people allergic to gluten, but for the rest of us it offers an interesting high protein vegan meat substitute. Wheat protein is low in the essential amino acid lysine, but all of the essential amino acids are there, making this a good choice occasionally when you're looking for something with a meaty texture. 1/4c dry makes a generously sized "cutlet" and contains 120 calories, 0.5g fat, 23g protein, and 10% of your daily value of iron. It also absorbs flavors very well, making it an excellent choice for incorporation into a vegetarian stew. If you are allergic to gluten, I would highly recommend trying this recipe with dried giant white lima beans. They are a complete source of protein, taste more like white beans than lima beans, and will absorb the flavor of the stew well!

Seitan Stew

For the Sietan
2/3c vital wheat gluten (you can find it on Amazon or at Whole Foods)
2/3c water
1T ground sage
1T parsley
1t garlic
1t black pepper
(OR 1c dried Giant White Lima Beans)

For the Stew
2 scallions
2 celery stalks
3 carrots
2 potatoes
1 can diced, no salt added tomatoes
1T Vegemite (you can find it on Amazon)
sage, parsley, garlic, and black pepper to taste
~4c water

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients for the seitan. Once the dough starts to cling together, kneed it a few times.
2. Meanwhile, combine tomato paste, Vegemite, sage, parsley, garlic, and black pepper with two cups water in the bottom of your crock pot. Whisk to combine.
3. Add can of tomatoes.
4. Slice and add celery and scallions and add to crock pot.
5. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Cube/ slice and add to crock pot.
6. Add additional water to fill your crock pot 3/4 full. Pull small lumps off of your seitan dough and add them directly to the stew. Stir to combine every few lumps so that they don't end up sticking together.
OR! To make this gluten free, wash your died beans well and add them directly. Add extra spices to the broth.
7. Fill your crock pot the rest of the way with water.
8. Cover and cook on high for ~8 hours (overnight or while you are at work/ school for the day)
9. Come home to a delicious smelling, warm supper!

Polenta Pizza

Happy Friday! Today I decided that I'd share my go to gluten free pizza recipe with you, rather than a baked good. Growing up in my house (and in most of my hometown) Friday night was always pizza night! We've found an amazing gluten free pizza option at Stone Hearth, but ordering out every Friday gets expensive pretty quickly. Thus, I've developed an easy gluten free option. We've made standard pizza crusts using gluten free flour, but unless you buy the perfect flour, these can get really frustrating to roll out. So instead, I developed a recipe that omitted the rolling step because after a stressful, busy week, the last thing I want on a Friday night is to be frustrated by a pizza crust.

As an added bonus, I'll be profiling polenta as a Great Grain! Polenta is a corn-based gluten free grain. Polenta, cornmeal, grits... these are all the same grain, just ground slightly differently and marketed under a different name! I've found that "polenta" is the most expensive, followed by "grits," with "cornmeal" being the cheapest option. So this is what I've started using almost exclusively. Cornmeal can be found at most grocery stores, whereas polenta can be a bit trickier to find. For every 100 calories, this grain contains 2g of protein and 2g of fiber, providing the lowest amounts of these nutrients of any grain that's been profiled thus far. It offers modest amounts of iron, thiamin, and niacin. Cornmeal is lacking in the essential amino acid lysine. (Which is curious, because corn is supposedly rich in lysine. I'll have to look into this further.) To combat this inadequacy, I add nutritional yeast, which is a complete protein, to my polenta. Additionally, if you make your polenta pizza with real cheese, most cheese is rich in lysine so you'll be getting your essential amino acids anyways!

Polenta Pizza

For the Polenta 

3/4c cornmeal, polenta or grits
2 or 3T nutritional yeast
1t garlic
1T dried basil
2c water 

Toppings  
(These are suggestions, you can put whatever you'd like on your pizza!)

3 large tomatoes, sliced
2 sprigs of basil, leaves only
1 ball of fresh mozarella (or if you do not eat dairy, Daiya is the tastiest vegan cheese & is found at Whole Foods)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2.  Combine all polenta ingredients in a saucepan on the stove. Heat over high, stirring constantly. Once the mixture starts to stick together, turn off the heat. 
3. Spread the polenta mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased 9" pie pan.
4. Add your toppings, the above is a suggestion for a margherita pizza, but you can go crazy!
5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool for 30 minutes to let the polenta crust set. (I am usually impatient so I cut it right away and it comes out more like a lasagne... if you want a slice that you can lift, you have to wait!)

Recovery Tips from the Pros

I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but for some reason, I procrastinated the actual writing part. To be honest, I was searching patent literature rather than writing this... I think probably it's because my expertise in the matter of recovery stems from a magical period of my life that thinking about sometimes still feels a little like salt in a fresh wound. For those of you who don't know, I spent most of the summer of 2009 at the Caspersen Olympic Training Site in Princeton, training and making the senior national rowing team. I represented the USA in the women's lightweight quad and won a bronze medal at the World Championships. This was all right after I passed my qualifying exams to become a PhD candidate at MIT. I was truly living the dream. A few months later, I got badly injured and was never able to return to that level of competition. It still hurts.

Anyways, when you are at the training center, it is absolutely critical that you are at your best every day, for every practice, and that you never show any weakness. If you're not at your best, someone else will be and that someone else will take your place on the team. From my time "living the dream", I learned that you have to take your recovery just as seriously as your training, and I learned a ton of tricks to make sure that my legs felt fresh every day! This isn't a super scientific post, it's what I think (from experience) are the most effective means to make sure that you're at your best for your next training session or race.

Contrast Showers: I used these half-heartedly during the world championships since no tub was available, but really fell in love with them this year. Now they are my favorite recovery trick for the summer time. Basically, it's what it sounds like: You alternate between 1 minute of hot water (as hot as you can stand it) and 1 minute of cold water (as cold as you can stand it). I do this for the duration of my shower, so that it's very efficient multi-tasking. The idea here is that during the cold bouts, your blood (which is full of the waste compounds from your hard workout) rushes out of your limbs and to your core, to support life. Fresh blood travels back to the limbs during the warm bouts. (This is better for summer or indoor workouts, as it helps bring your core temperature down. Once the temperature dropped below 60F, I got too cold for this to be effective.)

Compression Socks: They sell a lot of fancy, expensive compression socks and tights for recovery, and this is because they definitely help! Compression socks are my favorite trick for recovering during the colder months, or for keeping your legs fresh while driving to a race. I've tried more expensive versions, but my favorites are these $5 socks that you can get at your local drug store. Basically, the idea here is that you're compressing your lower legs to prevent the blood (with waste products from your workout) from pooling and to help your legs recirculate the blood.

Legs up the Wall: This literally drains the blood out of your legs, which takes the built up toxins with it so that when you stand up, fresh blood rushes in. I stay like this for 30 minutes, but some of my friends can get the effect in less time.

Ice Baths: We all know that icing an injury helps bring down inflammation, right? The idea here is the same, with the added benefit that all of your blood will rush out of your legs and into your core for survival. Thus it will be replaced by fresh blood once you warm up. Professional athletes use extreme versions of cryotherapy but we can get a similar effect by filling our bathtubs with cold water, adding 2 bags of ice, and sitting there for 20 minutes. Make sure to put on a warm fleece or jacket and hat while your sitting in the tub to prevent actual hypothermia. If your body temperature still hasn't returned to normal an hour after you get out of the tub, you may want to take a warm shower to get things flowing again. I always have to do this because I get really cold!

Sleep: This seems obvious, but it needs to be said. Everyone's needs are different, but you'll perform better if you're getting 8 hours of sleep. Or more if you're trying to recover from a really tough race or training session! I took a nap every afternoon while I was at the training center, and still take naps every day of multi-day races. 

Proper Nutrition: There is a "magic window" in the hour after you work out, where your body utilizes the food you give it to actively rebuild the damage that you've inflicted. After that time, the calories are used less effectively. During your magic hour, it's best to consume both carbohydrates and protein, preferably in a 2.5 to 1 ratio. There are also many papers that suggest that cherry juice can help with the recovery process.

Anyways, those are the tricks that I think help the most. Lately, I've been making smoothies right when I get back from my rides, to jump start my recovery with a tasty elixir containing carbohydrates and protein in a 2.5 to 1 ratio. I keep it simple and I think the antioxidants in the blueberries help!

Super-Simple Recovery Smoothie

1c frozen blueberries 

1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (should be ~12g protein. I like using a mixture of hemp/ pea/ rice protein, but I'm still working on figuring out my preferred brand)

1c almond milk (or coconut milk for the medium chain triglycerides)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk or water if you like a thinner smoothie. Enjoy and recover well!

Kale Chips

Guys, today I need your help! The Virtual Vegan Potluck is approaching and I have no idea what I should send in! I need to create a new recipe for it, and I'm stuck as far as which course I'm best at... I was thinking I'd create either an entree or dessert. Thus far, I feel like my most creative recipes were my Savory Squash Pie and my White Bean Gingerbread Blondies. To that end, I was thinking I might create another supper pie? Or maybe another bean dessert? I was even thinking to keep it classic and make a soy-free pumpkin pie (bean based) but I think that recipe would be overlooked in its simplicity. And should I use the featured ingredient, beets? What recipes have you liked best and would like to see more of? I'd love your input!

While you're thinking about that for me, I'll give you some food for thought... kale chips. Kale is a real superfood, delivering a ton of fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, C and K. Kale also contains a ton of polyphenols and carotenoids, which are potent antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals. The best part is, kale chips are wildly simple to make in your oven, no dehydrator necessary! The chip form is a great way to enjoy this superfood, especially if you're craving a crispy, salty snack. The only problem with the oven-made version is that it doesn't stay crispy in storage, so you'll just have to eat them all at once. I promise that won't be a problem with these chips! More often than not, we have to make a second batch because the first batch disappears so quickly.

Kale Chips

1 bag kale

splash olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F. Throw the kale in a bowl, splash some olive oil on top and add some salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Transfer to a greased baking sheet  and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5. Remove from the oven when crispy, and watch carefully because they are not as delicious when they are burnt!

As you can see, kale chips are even hammy approved! My hamster, Bijou, ate the chips with such enthusiasm that I couldn't even steal a picture of her stuffing her cheeks with them. The raw kale took her longer to deal with.

Pumpkin Curry

It's finally documented... my love for pumpkin is getting a little bit out of control! Today I'm sharing a super-easy pumpkin curry recipe. This is a great weeknight dinner, and leftovers store really well, so if you're cooking for a family, you can double the recipe and take leftovers with you for lunch for a few days. (If you're only cooking for one or two... you'll have plenty of leftovers as is.) I love this recipe because it tastes very authentic, using only a few spices that you can buy at a regular grocery store. Usually, when I try to make Indian, I can tell that I've made the sauce since the spice balance isn't quite right. Now all I need to find is a recipe for naan... don't worry, I will share when I do.

I choose to use chickpeas as the protein source in this recipe (I imagine that lentils would work well too, if you don't have chickpeas) and for that reason, I'll take the time to highlight them as a Laudable Legume. In 1/4c dry, you'll find 6g of fiber and 8g of complete protein. Chickpeas are also a great source of manganese, folate, and iron. Additionally, they are probably the most universally loved legume: I don't know anyone who doesn't like hummus and falafels!

Pumpkin Curry

1 can pumpkin puree
1 can light coconut milk
1 can chickpeas, washed & drained
1 package frozen spinach (or 1 package frozen peas also works very well)
1 potato, peeled and cubed (this can be omitted if you're really trying to get dinner on the table quickly!)
1/4c raisins
1/4c walnuts (can be omitted if you're allergic to nuts)
1T (yellow) curry powder
1T turmeric
1T cinnamon
1t crushed red pepper flakes
1t garlic

Peel potato and cut into cubes. Place in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, start your rice. Mix pumpkin, coconut milk and spices in a large pot. Use a whisk to combine thoroughly. Taste and add more spice based on your preferences. Once the sauce is appropriately seasoned, add chickpeas, spinach (or peas), potatoes (when ready), raisins, and walnuts. Cover and let simmer until vegetables are cooked and infused with curry flavor (~15 minutes). Serve over brown rice. Enjoy!

My apologies for the picture... the curry was gone before I had a chance to take another!

(White Bean) Gingerbread Blondies

Since my black bean brownies were such a smashing hit, my mind got rolling as to how else I could create a crazy dessert with the taste of decadence and the nutritional profile of a superfood. Last time, I had questions on how to best make the brownies without peanut butter, since that is a very common allergen. I also had a friend who had a hard time finding black beans in Europe, but did have white beans, so this recipe is for you guys! From those comments, I accepted my challenge to make an equally delicious dessert using white beans and no nuts.

This is a kind of crazy recipe because I've never actually had a blondie... why on earth would I have wanted a blondie when I could have a brownie?! However, I am no stranger to gingerbread and my love of molasses has only grown over the years. It was when I was anemic, that my love for molasses was really solidified. Did you know that 1 tablespoon of good molasses has 20% of your daily value of iron, more potassium than a banana, and is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, manganese and magnesium? This is because when cane sugar is processed, molasses is the last cut in the refining process. Just like my recrystallizations in the chemistry lab, first comes the pure white sugar crystals, then comes the slightly less pure light and then dark brown sugars, and finally when there are so many impurities (i.e. nutrients) left that it will no longer crystalize, you get the molasses. Because of this refining process, impurities other than the nutrients will concentrate in molasses so care should be taken to buy good, organic molasses. And you know this is true because, well, this is the first time I've suggested specifically that you should buy something organic. (If you're in Cambridge, Whole Foods has a big bottle of the good stuff for $8.99, which should last you a long time so is well worth the money.)

(White Bean) Gingerbread Blondies

2c white beans (navy beans are best)

1/4c brown sugar

1/4c molasses

1T cornstarch

1/2t baking soda

1/4t vanilla

cinnamon and cloves to taste

1T uncrystalized candied dried ginger*

Preheat oven to 375F. In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Process until you don't feel the chunks of dried ginger banging around, which will take a few minutes. Taste your batter and add more brown sugar if you feel it's necessary. (You probably want to add an additional tablespoon brown sugar if you're using dried ginger, rather than the candied.) Transfer to a greased 9"x9" square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. (these take much longer than the brownies) Enjoy your gluten free, vegan, nut-free, and highly nutritious dessert!

*If you love ginger and want these to have a very potent ginger flavor, add up to 1/4c candied, dried ginger. If you aren't a ginger lover or if you don't have candied dried ginger on hand (it can usually be found at Trader Joe's although the sugar-coated version would likely make this recipe too sweet), you can use regular fresh or dried ginger.