A Quick Dinner for Summer

Last summer we decided to experiment with having lunch be our main family meal. Because my husband is a professor, it is possible to work around his teaching schedule so he can come home in the middle of the day to enjoy lunch with us. Then, in the evening we have a light, casual meal of leftovers or a salad of some sort with some bread and nuts. I really enjoy this schedule, as it allows me to cook when the house is still cool and have one of my main responsibilities done early in the day. Also, there seems to be less distractions, allowing us to be all together almost every day. The rest of the family also liked the idea so we decided to do it again this summer. If you have the flexibility to do this in your family, I highly recommend it. I would love to incorporate the traditional siesta as well, but haven't managed to convince the rest of the family (or country) to adopt this tradition. Maybe some day I will move to Spain...

Although my family enjoys this meal year round, it is especially appreciated during the summer when the house feels hot and the last thing I want to do is stand over the stove for a long time. (Notice that it feeds a whole family with only half a pound of meat.) So, here is a dinner that is quick and easy for the coming summer days:

Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Pasta-This serves my family of 6 with a reasonable amount of leftovers. If your family doesn't like shrimp, I have also made it with 8 oz. of preservative-free turkey bacon.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
• Course salt and ground pepper
• 6 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 lb whole grain angel hair pasta
• 2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn or cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Cut shrimp in half or thirds and season with salt and pepper (if you like a bit of spice, sprinkle on a dash of ground cayenne pepper).
2. While you make the sauce, bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. 
3. In a large wok or skillet, heat 4 tsp. oil over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook until it turns pink (about 3 minutes), turning occasionally. Transfer to a bowl.
4. To the same skillet, add remaining 2 tsp. oil and garlic. cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh diced tomatoes.
5. Add cooked pasta, shrimp, and basil to sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Toss and serve immediately.

Packable Pleasures

Outdoor adventure time is here, and all of that adventure requires fueling! I have let myself daydream before about how much more free time I would have if people didn't need to eat. It seems like I do this more frequently when considering the prospect of packing all of the food my family will need for a day away from home.

Monday, we went with some friends for a hike/bike trip to Craters of the Moon. It was a great day, and the food was good, so here are a couple of ideas for food on the go. Both of these are my own recipes, so I hope all of the instructions are clear. Let me know if there are any questions.

Spinach Black Bean Wraps

Ingredients:

• 8 of your favorite soft tortillas
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt*
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 3 cups cooked or canned beans (I like black and pinto mixture).
• 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
• 1 can black olives, drained and rinsed
• about 2 cups cheddar cheese
• spinach

Directions:

1. Mix yogurt with chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder.
2. In a food processor, combine the beans, salsa, and olives.
3. Spread about 2 T yogurt mixture and 1/2 cup bean mixture on each tortilla. Sprinkle a handful of cheese (to taste), and a handful of spinach on top, leaving a 1" border. Roll the tortillas and place them in an airtight container.

I made these the night before and put them in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, we put them in the cooler and they were perfect at lunch time. You could individually wrap each one in plastic wrap, but I just put them all close together in one container (with a lid), unwrapped, and they were fine.

*You can make your own "greek" yogurt by taking a bit more than a cup of regular yogurt and putting it in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl for a few hours. You will be surprised how much liquid drains off. This is important as you don't want that extra liquid in your wrap to make a huge, drippy mess and make everything soggy.

Trader Joe's Sweet Basil Salad-Last summer on our trip to the Oregon Coast, we stopped at Trader Joe's to grab some food for lunch. I got this salad and loved it so much, I took notes on the ingredients so I could reproduce it at home. This is my version. It is a great lunch or dinner on its own or served with some grilled chicken Italian sausage.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced (I have also used 2 limes with good results.)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic or 1 small clove
• 1 bunch basil (about 3/4 cup loose)
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes about 1.5 cups.

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup (about 8 oz.) pearled or Israeli couscous (yields about 3 cups cooked)*
• 1 med cucumber, diced
• 2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
• 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• Any combination of greens that look good (I like spinach, red leaf lettuce, and arugula)**

Directions (to pack with you for an outdoor meal):

1. Prepare couscous according to package directions. Let it cool then put it in a container.
2. Combine all vegetables except greens in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
3. Put all ingredients in a cooler and assemble just before eating. I usually just add dressing to taste and almost always have some left over.

*I really like Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend, which contains Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. However, since we don't have a TJ's close, I often just use plain pearled couscous. I think whole wheat orzo would be good, too.

**The amount depends on how you like it and how many people you need to feed. I always adjust the amount of greens I use, while using the amounts listed of the other ingredients. It is good with almost any ratio.

My Plant-Based Journey

In all of the years I have been following the twisty road of nutrition news, I have seen many quick-fix diet schemes come and go. There are more ways to lose weight fast than there are people in this world! Most of these methods work for a time, even if they aren't at all healthy. They work for one reason-they all force calorie restriction in one way or another. Then, once you go back to your old habits (you have to because there is no way you can maintain most of the fad diets for long and still live), the weight creeps back up with a vengeance! My focus throughout life has never been weight loss, but rather ideal health. Weight control generally follows, but physique alone is not a good indicator of overall health. My reading tends to hone in on disease prevention and vitality. Among books and studies about preventing disease and maintaining good health, there are always a few things in common. These things are the ones I have tried to incorporate into my lifestyle. I am always a slow adopter of new health trends. I like to give them time to prove to me that they are worth working in to my life. My journey to a more plant-based diet is no exception. In my many years of accumulated education about health and nutrition, these are the things that come up no matter what it is you are trying to prevent, cure, or encourage: regular exercise, decreasing consumption of red meats, and increasing the amounts of vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains in our diets. Along with this, most of our foods should be as minimally processed as possible.

Over the last two years, I have been adapting our favorite dinner recipes to be more plant based. For the most part I have accomplished this by cutting the amount of meat in half and replacing it with vegetables, beans, or grains. We never ate much meat to begin with, but I thought this would be a worthwhile change for my family. No one noticed the gradual change, and by the end of the first year, I was feeding my family of eight (we had two exchange students at the time) with one chicken breast. At one point, I decided to do an experiment on my family (is that ethical?). I decided to make meat-free meals and see how long it would take for anyone to notice. On day 4, James looked over the dinner I served and simply said, "Not an ounce of animal protein in sight." Some of our meat heavy meals I just stopped making, and the only one that has been requested since the change was, Meatball Sandwiches, which I gladly made.

My personal belief, after studying nutrition and vitamin and mineral absorption, is that the ideal diet contains small amounts of animal protein. I think going totally vegan is taking a good idea too far. Of special concern with a vegan diet are the minerals calcium and iron, and vitamin B12. It doesn't take much animal protein to increase the absorption of calcium and iron and get an adequate amount of  B12 and the essential fatty acids that are found mostly in animal products. Limiting, but not eliminating animal products greatly increases the convenience as well. It gives you the freedom to use the ingredient that is best suited to the recipe and not use a plant-based food when it isn't the best choice. In order to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet, you have to replace the meat with vegetable, beans, or whole grains. The meat substitutions on the market are not healthier than the meat itself. They are heavily processed and full of strange ingredients. It is best to avoid them if you are making the change for better health. You can find more information about my views by studying the diets of the world's healthiest populations. I am sure you have heard about the Mediterranean Diet. It includes an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes, a moderate amount of fresh fish, and very small amounts of red meat, dairy, and processed foods. A great book on the topic is,  The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell. 

There really is so much to discuss in further detail, but to avoid writing a novel, I would like to share a recipe I have been making for a few years that my family loves.

Three Bean Tacos
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients-this makes enough for about 24 tacos. I always freeze half for another meal. It stays good in a freezer bag for at least a month.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 T chili powder
• 4 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 12 tortillas
• toppings of choice: diced tomatoes, avocado, salsa, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, etc.

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (onion through garlic), and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add beans and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until thick.

Put the mixture into a food processor or blender and process until it is about the consistency of ground meat.

Warm tortillas and top with 1/4 cup bean mixture and desired toppings.

I Like It Best!

Yesterday when I called my kids to come and set the table, the question was asked, “How many people are eating with us?” This question was asked not only because once in a while one of us is not there at dinner time, but is asked every time the table is set because we frequently have extra people with us for dinner.  When I replied that just the six of us would be eating dinner at our table, Wendy said,”I like it best when it’s just us and we are all here!” That made my day. I work hard to get everyone together for a healthy meal and sometimes like to hear appreciation expressed by other members of the family.  I believe the implications of gathering together as a family regularly, while we share the common need for food, are huge. I will share a couple of quotes from Jeff Hamblin, a local chef instructor who did his PhD dissertation on the importance of the family meal:

“It seems that we often forcibly and extrinsically identify the rules or laws that will reform society, preserve or enhance culture, and transmit civilization; when in truth it is the common acts of social processes that convey the norms and morals of a culture.”

“The most natural way to ensure that every individual in society is nourished physically, emotionally, and socially is through a healthy family system.”

“Every shared family dinner [is] a mini-feast or festival, so that it can, like a feast, celebrate both the interconnectedness and the self-control of the group‘s members.” (Visser p. 22).

“In this manner, we surround ourselves with a support group that helps us through both the joys and difficulties of life‘s situations.”

So you see, a family meal shared has the potential to do more than merely meet our nutrient needs. In this setting, we are training futures leaders, passing on morals (heaven knows we need more people with these!), manners, and memories. We are also sharing our triumphs and trials in the company of those who love us most. We make ourselves available to clarify misconceptions, answer questions, and offer advice.

In our busy lives, how often do our kids get our undivided attention, or do we have the undivided attention of our teenagers? I think we would all do well to make the family meal time a higher priority and try to remove as many distractions as possible. Don’t share valuable meal time attention with televisions, phones, etc.

Depending on our life stage, or let’s face it-the day, we might spend some time chasing down an escapee, removing flung noodles from a child’s hair, or wondering out loud if our kids will ever have acceptable table manners, but that’s life. Stick with it! That child whose hair has noodles in it will one day be a leader in his or her own way.

Fast Food or Freezer Meals

It's 4:00 and you have been running the kids around since they got home from school. You have managed to find a time when everyone will be home for dinner, but not a time before that when you will be home to prepare it. You wish you had a personal chef, or at least an Alice. Most Americans, when faced with this situation, will hit the drive-through at their favorite fast food joint, pick up take-out from their stand by Asian restaurant, or pick up a pizza on the way home. All of these options are fine on rare occasions. In 1995, about 27% of all meals and snacks were eaten out. Families are over scheduled and have an abundance of convenient choices to cut out meal preparation time. Unfortunately, this trend has horrible consequences. According to an article in the International Journal of Obesity, "When children and adolescents eat too many of their meals away from home, their overall diet quality suffers. While a direct causal relationship between eating meals away from home and overweight and obesity has not been confirmed, many studies show an association between meals eaten away from home and risk for overweight or obesity. For example, a study of adolescents in Minnesota found that those teens who ate fast food more often ate more calories and fat, and drank more soft drinks. They also drank less milk, and ate fewer fruits and vegetables."  The 2006 publication of the findings of the Keystone Forum on Away-From-Home Foods highlights a number of studies linking frequent restaurant meal consumption to excess calorie and fat intake, higher body weights and higher body fats in both adults and children. In other words, convenience is significantly compromising our health. 

While there are some healthy dining out options, nothing compares to a home-cooked meal shared in the comfort of your own home with those you love. Some of our family's most interesting conversations happen around our own dinner table. This is where we find out what was learned in school, how friends are doing, what bullies are saying, and what news items deserve discussion and explanation. We learn about triumphs and trials while nourishing body, mind and relationships all at once. I will admit that sometimes we also experience bad manners, complaints, and drama. However that is the exception. It has been hard work to establish a tradition of prioritizing family meals in a society that schedules activities throughout the evening hours. We have made some sacrifices, but every effort has been worth it.

Here is my solution to those days when there is no time for preparation: Once I have my meal plan for the week (or month), I look it over and see which ones would freeze well. I then double that recipe and prepare one to eat and one to freeze for later. This only works if you are in the habit of meal planning because you have to anticipate a busy day and take the meal out of the freezer the day before. It doesn't require much more effort to double most recipes, and the payoff is huge. Most Italian and Mexican meals freeze well. One of my favorite types of meals to double and freeze are crock pot meals. Here is a tried and true recipe (not yet doubled):

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans

Ingredients (serves 6):

1 lb chicken breast
Juice from 2 limes
1 can chicken broth
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
16 oz frozen corn
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal bag and shake to mix ingredients together. Lay flat to freeze.
• To Prepare from Frozen: Remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).
• If desired, shred chicken right in the slow cooker about 30 minutes before cooking time is complete.

 To make two meals at once, simply double the ingredients and put half into the crock pot (cook on low for 8 hours), and half into the freezer bag. I like to make rice bowls out of it. To do this, I cook enough brown rice for my family in the rice cooker and serve the chicken mixture over the rice. We top it with pico do gallo, sliced avocados (or guacamole), and cheese. The whole family likes this meal!

Quick Tip Tuesday-Make Your Own Mix

Prepared seasoning mixes have all kinds of added sodium and preservatives that you don't need, and they are easy to make. Try to replace your normal seasoning packets with a homemade version. Here is an example of a Mexican seasoning (makes 1 oz):

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

 

Experiment until you get it just the way you like it. I like to add a fair amount of cilantro and leave out the crushed red pepper flakes. I also use fresh garlic instead of powder most of the time. You can mix it in a large batch to have on hand, or just get used to how much you need for a single use.