The Hemp Connection:
recipe

Thanks so much to Kerstin Wingert of Souvia Tea and Michael Keele of Central Slope for sharing their expertise about these topics!

Here is more information about the companies, products and resources mentioned in today's program.

TEA STUFF

Here is information about the personal travel tea bag Kerstin mentioned. She has many other gadgets in her tea store as well.

Culinary Tea: More Than 150 Recipes Steeped in Tradition from Around the World is the book Kerstin mentioned, containing 150 recipes with tea as an ingredient. Have a foodie on your Christmas list? Check it out!

Remember, if you are in the store, mention the radio show and receive 20% off your purchase. Or, if you shop online, use my name, Monika, as your coupon code, and receive the same discount.

Both Kerstin and Michael mentioned Absolutely Delightful Honey, another local Arizona business.

BEE STUFF

If you garden, Humble Seed, a local company (with an online store), which specializes in"providing the highest quality heirloom, non-GMO, non-hybrid, and organic seed varieties" is the company partnering with Central Slope to host the exclusive Arizona premiere of the documentary, Vanishing of the Bees.

Here is the trailer to the movie.

If you would like to attend this movie in Phoenix, it is showing at the MadCap Theater, on Saturday, November 6, at 5 pm. You can buy tickets ($15 each) at the theater, 730 S. Mill Avenue, in Tempe, or online at http://www.madcaptheaters.com/

There is also a need for sponsorships for this event. If you're interested, please contact Michael Keele at info@centralslope.com.

FREE STUFF

I promised you a recipe to try cooking with tea, and here it is. Thank you so much to Sous Chef Lisa at Green Mountain at Fox Run Resort for sharing her Sesame Peanut Sauce recipe. (Kerstin suggested a Keemun tea for this recipe, which she says is full body, very smooth with a slight smokey flavor. Can you see what I mean when I say she is to tea what many others are to wine?)
Sesame Peanut Sauce

Yields about 1 cup — perfect for noodles, chicken, tofu, etc.

Steep 1 black tea bag in 1/2 cup of room temperature water for 3 hours. (Heating the water can cause the tea to be bitter.)

Whisk the resulting tea with:

1/2 cup peanut butter (almond or cashew are lovely substitutes)
2 T honey (or agave nectar)
2 T tamari or soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
pinch of cayenne or sriracha sauce to taste (optional)
Voila!

One of my clients sent me this recipe, which also happens to be gluten-free. I'm thinking it could make a great Thanksgiving day breakfast, giving you a great Thanksgiving taste, fueling a great morning walk or workout, and keeping your appetite in check when the big meal is served. I removed the whipped cream and the sugar from the rims which you will see in the original recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free + More Free)

1 cup pumpkin puree, chilled (fresh or canned)

½ cup full-fat coconut milk, chilled

½ cup filtered water

1 sliced, frozen ripe banana

1 tbsp almond flour (optional)

1 tbsp hemp seed (optional)

A tablespoon or two of honey, to taste

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, or more to taste

Prepare glasses by dipping rims into shallow bowl of water and then cinnamon.

Combine all ingredients in blender. Cover and blend on high until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds.

Pour into prepared glasses or pint-sized Mason jars as I did.
Enjoy!

http://glutenfreeeasily.com/pumpkin-pie-smoothie/

Blog reader Renata Mangrum, a fellow dietitian, sent me this recipe. I am not a sardine lover myself, but I am always surprised at how many people really do enjoy them. On behalf of those who do…here is Alton Brown's sherried sardine toast. Enjoy!

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sherried-sardine-toast-recipe/index.html

I'm hearing from some of you that you're having fun learning about new and different foods, so I thought I'd pass along an idea for the more adventurous readers!

My mom was just telling me that she and my dad went to a Peruvian restaurant recently, and they tried a traditional drink called chicha morada. It is made with purple corn and has a much higher resveratrol content than red wine. It's also high in anthocyanin, the powerhouse commonly associated with blueberries. I did some checking, and found that there is research suggesting that purple corn may help to fight insulin resistance (reference below).

I'm posting a link to a video that shows you how to make the drink. Note that it includes cinnamon, another ingredient many of you are already using for insulin resistance.

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2010/07/07/how-to-make-the-chicha-morada-super-peruvian-resveratrol-drink/

If you can't find purple corn anywhere near you, you can find it on amazon.com

When you think of your PCOS journey as an adventure, instead of something that limits you, it's amazing how much fun you can have in the kitchen.

Dietary cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside-rich purple corn color prevents obesity and ameliorates hyperglycemia in mice. J Nutr. 2003 Jul;133(7):2125-30.

I was looking for something comfort-foody to make the other night. I ran across a potato soup recipe that looked yummy…until I saw that it called for heavy cream.

I tried substituting Greek yogurt for the cream and it turned out great! It is not as luscious-creamy as a traditional cream soup, but it's still wonderful nonetheless.

Here is the recipe. I actually added the salsa because the recipe originally called for poblano peppers and my store was out of them. Loved the extra kick!

If you were to use the Monterey Mushrooms, which are organic and high in vitamin D, you'd be creating an especially hormone-friendly meal for yourself!

It is an adaptation of the Potato Poblano Soup recipe found in the lastest Costco Cookbook,"Smart Cooking the Costco Way."

Spicy Creamy Potato Soup

2 tsp canola oil
1 white onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced
1 cup fresh salsa
3 small to medium potatos, cut into 1/2 inch dice
5 cups 1/2 strength chicken broth
1 cup Greek yogurt
salt and black pepper

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and aute for 2-3 minutes.

Add mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add garlic, peppers, and salsa; saute for another minute.

Add potatoes and chicken broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add Greek yogurt.

With a slotted spoon, scoop out about 1 1/2 cups of the soup vegetables and puree in a blender. Return the puree to the soup and stir well.

Reheat the soup to a simmer, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Yes, some of us encounter circumstances that bring things we want, our way, a little more easily than they come to others. However, much of what we perceive as"luck", is the manifestation of a collection of prudent choices we've made, coming together to provide us with positive circumstances.

As a dietitian and exercise physiologist, I have lost count of the times that I've heard a client say,"But look at you. You're lucky. You don't have to worry about your weight like I do."

That's complete and total magical thinking, ladies. Some of the choices I make that play a part in what these clients see:

--exercise, sometimes walking, sometimes time at the gym…regardless of what it is, a commitment to being physically active, even on days when I don't feel like it. In fact, more commitment on the days that I don't, because that's when I need it the most.

--certain foods that simply don't come home in my grocery basket. Doesn't mean I don't eat them, but it does mean I don't set myself up to eat too much of them by allowing their colorful packages to stare me in the face every time I walk into the kitchen.

--associating with people whose goals for themselves are consistent with my own health goals. I tend not to stay out too late at parties because I value my sleep, I enjoy being active but also going to museums. I have friends who allow me to be balanced, rather than obsessive in any direction. Friends whose lives revolve around foods I know I shouldn't overindulge in, are not friends I can spend a whole lot of time with and maintain an expectation that I can be healthy.

--spending time with animals and nature to restore my energy reserves.

All of this takes commitment. I'm not known as the Party Girl in my circle. I'm actually kind of a nerd. But I have awesome family and friends, tasty food in my kitchen, I laugh and love a lot, and I fall asleep easily at the end of a day when I've worked hard on inCYST as well as my own physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health.

What my clients see is not a lucky person who never lifts a finger or never sacrifices, but a person who invests in health, who gets a return on her investment for the effort, and who wants everyone she aspires to help to join her on that journey.

I've never offered the idea that somewhere in all of this you're going to arrive at a place where you won't ever have to make responsible choices. But I do want you to trust that when you make responsible, self-nurturing choices, things that used to elude you suddenly show up on the radar. And I want to show you how it's done.

On that note, here is a recipe from the South for black-eyed peas. They are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day for good luck. But they happen to be high in protein and fiber, excellent for hormones, and a proactive choice you can make to invest in your own health. One small, positive step is a most excellent building block for bringing more positive energy your way.

See you next year!

If possible, use fresh basil in the dressing for this easy salad.

Ingredients:

•3 cups canned or cooked black-eyed peas (2 15-ounce cans, drained)

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1/2 cup finely chopped onion

•1/2 cup finely chopped celery

•1 small sweet red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

•.

•Basil Dressing

•1/4 cup cider vinegar

•3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried

•2 to 3 medium cloves garlic, crushed

•1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1 cup olive oil

•fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Preparation:

In a serving bowl combine black-eyed peas, 1/4 teaspoon salt, chopped onion, celery, and green pepper. Set aside.

In a small bowl or other container, whisk together the vinegar, basil, garlic, sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil until the dressing is well blended. You can use a blender for this step, if desired.

In a medium bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, the chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and basil dressing. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley or basil, if desired.

Serves 6.

Yesterday I received a request for a holiday food idea from the Whole Foods blog. They accepted my entry--I wanted to share it here since we talked about this salad in class last week, and I told everyone I'd get them the recipe. You have to scroll down a bit, but you'll see my name. This is the salad that convinced me that I love beets!

If you have a healthy Christmas idea, send it to the Whole Food bloggers. Accepted entries will be put into a drawing for a $25 Whole Foods card. Not bad!

Good luck!

I probably would never run into many of you on Black Friday. While you're filling your carts at Toys R Us, Walmart, Best Buy, and Macy's…I rise early, head straight to Costco, and score one of their free cookbooks they give out each year on this day. (Then I devote a good chunk of the day to working off dinner from the day before! Ha!)

I'm such a fan of these Costco cookbooks, as they are filled with beautiful photography and innovative ways to use old favorites. If you lost out, you can find these cookbooks online on the Costco website.

Here's a great twist on Brussels sprouts to give you an idea of what you'll find in these fabulous publications!

Oh! As for the holiday shopping? You will find me this year at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market First Annual Phoestivus Market. It's important for me to, as much as possible, support local farms, craftsmen, and businesses. I'd love it if you joined me for some fabulous one-of-a-kind gift shopping.

Superhero Brussels Bites (from Smart Cooking the Costco Way)

2 cups quartered Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped or minced red onion
2 tablespoons sunflower kernels
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan. Add 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper to taste; toss to coat. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until tender, turning occasionally. Remover from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine sprouts, onion, sunflower kernels, raisins, and cheese.

In a separate bowl, combine remining olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the dressing to the sprouts mixture and toss to coat. Serve hot or cold. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

We've all had those moments…the kitchen is low on groceries, it's late at night, and either the store is closed or you're just to tired to go restock.

So your choices are:
…eat nothing
…make a fast food run
…eat cereal

I've learned that in these times Google is a lifesaver. You can simply enter the name of a couple of ingredients you have along with the word"recipe" and something is going to pop up.

Sunday night I was completely bare. And I had a can of pumpkin and some Bob's Red Mill garbanzo bean flour.

So I Googled"pumpkin hummous recipe". What I got, out of my bare kitchen, was one of the best recipes I've ever tried.

Here it is for your enjoyment.

Notes to readers:
1. Be sure garbanzo bean flour is a kitchen staple because you can make just about any kind of hummous.
2. Remember Google.
3. Don't let your kitchen go as empty as I did.
4. And if you ignore number 3…don't let your knee jerk reaction be a fast food run.: )

Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups dry garbanzo beans
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
5 fluid ounces lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup tahini paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
salt to taste

Directions

1.Place the garbanzo beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Or, bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse before using.

2.Place the soaked garbanzo beans into a large saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the garbanzo beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once cooked, refrigerate the beans and liquid until cold.

3.Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the beans and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid into a blender, and puree until a smooth paste forms. Add the pumpkin puree, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Cover and puree again until smooth. Use additional cooking liquid as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt.

Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/pumpkin-hummus/Detail.aspx

This past week I read an article about foods traditionally served on the Mexican holiday,"Dia de los Muertos," (Day of the Dead), which falls on November 1. If you're not from the Southwest, you cannot appreciate the festivities associated with this holiday, on which Mexicans honor their passed relatives.

My favorites are the skeleton cookies!

I know, it sounds a little morbid, but it's all about remembering and honoring your loved ones, and maybe even visiting their burial sites with offerings of trinkets and their favorite foods.

The article about Dia de los Muertos foods described a warm, gruel-like beverage called atole, which is typically made with masa or oatmeal, and spiced with cinnamon. I found one, however, based on pumpkin and pumped up with peanut butter, that looked especially healthy and yummy. It is from the blog, A Visit With Grandma.

It's really a healthy, caffeine-free twist on a pumpkin latte! Tee hee…all this time you thought someone up in a Seattle test kitchen thought of it first…

Here it is…enjoy!

Americanized Pumpkin Atole
To a blender add:
1 egg
a few glugs of molasses
some sugar (brown or white)
2 cups of cooked squash or pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
optional — 2 or 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
milk (fill the remaining space in the blender with milk, leaving just a little space at the top.
-Blend this all up and taste to see if it needs more sweetening.
-Pour the mix into a pot and heat until just boiling.
-Serve

I don't like avocado. I grew up with avocado trees in my own yard and all my neighbors' yards, and never, ever, ever (did I mention EVER?) could I stand the taste of avocado, no matter how it was presented to me. I figured, I probably wasn't missing out on anything anyway. Even at Mexican restaurants, while everyone dug into the guacamole with gusto, I enjoyed the salsa on my chips just fine without the green stuff.

Imagine my surprise, when I started learning about good nutrition and healthy cooking and discovered I was in fact missing out. I learned that avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, which is said to help lower cholesterol, or keep it low. They're also a great source of potassium, fiber, folate — all good for your cardiovascular health!

So here I was, wondering if I'd ever find a recipe using avocados that would actually make this fruit palatable to me (yes, it's a fruit!). I wasn't necessarily going out of my way to find a recipe, but serendipitously, as I clicked through various websites, I came across this recipe for a chocolate avocado cake on Joy the Baker's blog, and the curiosity of baking with this healthier fat source instead of butter was too strong to resist. Plus, I love chocolate.

Monika Woolsey and I have been talking about this cake — and about baking with avocado in general — for weeks now. Today was the day. I didn't follow the recipe to the letter, because I didn't have enough powdered sugar, but really, it could use a little less anyway! Also, I used macadamia nut oil instead of whatever the recipe called for.

The outcome was REALLY surprising, in a good way! The cake itself is moist, but not greasy, definitely chocolatey, without even a hint of avocado. Instead it has a hint of macadamia nut! YUM!

The frosting is another story. I couldn't leave it green, the way it is in the original recipe — 3 avocados and powdered sugar = green frosting. It looked like the slime from Nickelodeon and the sight of it turned my stomach. So I added 3 tbsp cocoa powder, crossed my fingers and turned on the mixer one more time. The result: chocolate frosting. Unfortunately, the frosting doesn't taste as good on its own as the cake does, so I wasn't wild about licking the spatula.

The combination of the two, however, was very good! I will definitely play with this recipe a little more and maybe even make some cupcakes or a batch of brownies like this!

And yes, there are still several cups of sugar and 3 cups of flour, so it's not a miracle food that's great for your health. However, it could work with a little less sugar, and all the good stuff from the avocado bring it up a notch or two in the"good for you" department.

By the way, if you'd like to learn a little more about the avocado, check out the World's Healthiest Foods website — it's a great resource!

Here's the recipe, I'll note my deviations in parentheses…

Chocolate Avocado Cake, with Avocado Frosting

• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 2 teaspoons baking soda


• 2 cups granulated sugar


• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used macadamia nut oil)


• 1/2 cup soft avocado, well mashed, about 1 medium avocado (I ended up needing two since the ones I had were so small)


• 2 cups water


• 2 Tablespoons white vinegar


• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2. Sift together all of the dry ingredients except the sugar. Set that aside too.

3. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl, including the super mashed avocado.

4. Add sugar into the wet mix and stir.

5. Mix the wet with the dry all at once, and beat with a whisk (by hand) until smooth.

6. Pour batter into a greased cake tins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

Avocado Buttercream Frosting from Alton Brown
(honestly, it's FAR from resembling buttercream!)

• 8 ounces of avocado meat, about 2 small to medium, very ripe avocados (I used 3 small avocados, which only yielded 6.5 oz)


• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (I didn't have lemon juice so I used lime juice)


• 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted (I only had 1/2 pound of powdered sugar, so that's what I used, 8oz)


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Peel and pit the soft avocados. It’s important to use the ripest avocados you can get your hands on. If the avocados have brown spots in the meat, avoid those spots when you scoop the meat into the bowl.

2. Place the avocado meat into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment. Add lemon juice and whisk the avocado on medium speed, until slightly lightened in color and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat. Add vanilla extract until combined. If not using right away, store in the refrigerator. Don’t worry. It won’t turn brown!

***NOTE: The stand mixer didn't do a good enough job of making this even remotely close to frosting-like, so I took out my handy immersion blender and went to town on it. The result was a really smooth and shiny frosting with no visible bits and pieces of avocado!

We have this mentality about food. If it's healthy, it has to mean work and sacrifice. I am soooo against that way of thinking! For me, food is art, and it's creative energy, and thinking up ways to make it healtthy is part of the process.

I shop a lot at Fresh and Easy, and they have a sale shelf. It's one of my favorite things to do, see what's cheap and see what I can concoct from unexpected combinations.

Here's an example of what can happen when you decide to have fun with food. At last month's Places, Spaces, and Faces dinner here in Phoenix, the theme was fusion. inCYSTer Ivonne Ward, whose heritage is Cuban, started out with a basic Cuban ingredient, plantain bananas.

She called me from the store asking for some inspiration for a savory dish. I suggested Moroccan couscous.

Ivonne found a pre-mixed version, as well as some chicken curry salad. We decided to make what we ended up calling"Cous-chettas y Brus-curry de Havana"…a bruschetta-like appetizer, using broiled platano rounds instead of bread.

Here's how to replicate it.

Cous-chettas y Brus-curries de Havana
1 bag of plaintain chips
2 plaintain bananas
1 bag Mediterranean dried fruit mix
1 container guava jelly
1 salad container prepared couscous salad
1 salad container prepared chicken curry salad
Mint leaves
Olive oil

1. Separate the plaintain chips, setting aside all of the whole ones. Grind the broken ones into crumbs in a food processor.

2. Chop the dried fruit mix.

3. Slice the mint leaves into thin ribbons.

4. Cut the plantain into 1-1/2 inch slices. Stand them upright and smash them from top to bottom, to make what looks like mini pancakes. Spray them on both sides with olive oil and broil them on both sides until browned.

5. Take a few squares of guava jelly, add a bit of water, and heat over medium heat until it melts into a syrup. Set aside.

6. Spoon a small amount of salad on top of the plantain rounds, then spoon a small bit of chopped dried fruit mix on top of the salad.

7. Sprinkle crushed plantain chips on top of the salad, then drizzle a bit of guava syrup over the salad.

8. Lay a mint strip on top, and insert a whole plaintain chip for decoration.

9. Give yourself a pat on the back for having fun with food!

You can use any topping you have, really. What I liked about this creation is that we used ready-made salads to save some time and took a cultural favorite, fried plantains, and figured out a healthy way to cook them.

Yesterday I found kale and portobello mushrooms deeply discounted at the store. I bought them both, since I try to eat kale whenever I can, and my own personal nutrition project is to eat more mushrooms. I hoped to find a recipe that incorporated them both, but figured if I couldn't, I'd be happy with portobello burgers and some kale chips.

I found this super easy recipe by Rachael Ray. This is what it looked like just before serving time. Isn't it beautiful?

Kale is one of nature's highest anti-oxidant vegetables, but it's not one I find many people naturally bring home from the store. They often have no idea what to do with it. Hope you like the recipe.

I still have enough kale left over for making chips. Yay!

After posting yesterday's article one of our Trinidadian readers asked about sorrel…and gave me my research project for the day.

Sorrel is popular in many other places, too, including: Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Belgium, and Greece…so hopefully this will put some on more than a few island plates!

Because sorrel is so popular in the Caribbean, it's been studied by the Scientific Research Council of Jamaica and they've found out some interesting things:

-The leaves are high in flavonoids, which means there are antioxidants there! (It's those flavonoids that give sorrel those beautiful red veins you see in the photo.)
-There is some thought that sorrel leaves may have some potent cancer-fighting ability.
-Sorrel tea, popular in many cultures, may help to reduce triglycerides.

I've never even seen it in a store or farmer's market in my part of the world so I've never had an opportunity to experiment with it. Apparently the leaves taste a little bit like strawberry or kiwi fruit. I may have to schedule a reseach trip for this one! In the recipes I've found it's a green that is available primarily in the spring, so I'm a little late in that respect. But I wanted to answer the question while it was being discussed.

Here's a recipe from the Two Small Farms blog that uses a popular favorite, pesto, as a place to include sorrel. Enjoy!

Sorrel Pesto: great as an interesting pasta coating or a thick sauce for fish.

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh sorrel, ribs removed
1/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

In a food processor or blender puree the sorrel, the parsley, the garlic, the parmesan, the pine nuts and the oil, transfer the pesto to a jar with a tight fitting lid and chill it, covered. The pesto keeps, covered and chilled, for 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup.

To use the pesto: For every pound of dried pasta cooking in a kettle of boiling water, stir together in a heated serving bowl 3/4 cup of the pesto and 2/3 cup of the hot cooking water. When the pasta is al dente, drain it in a colander, add it to the pesto mixture, and toss the mixture until the pasta is coated well. Vermicelli works very well with this recipe.

Please read yesterday's post so you see this one in its proper context.
A reader found a recipe from Dr. Dukan. She liked it. It works for her. She shared it with me. I liked that she found a productive solution for herself. And I'm sharing it.

Try the pancakes yourself…if they work, they work. They might help you make a healthier choice for yourself. We must reference the source, even though we don't endorse this guru or food religion. Just like we don't endorse any. We just want you to find ways to eat that help you to feel better.
From First For Women — the 8/8/11 issue. Dr. Pierre Dukan's Belly-Flattening Oat Bran Pancakes.

I LOVE this recipe and I've found that you can put fruit OR veggies into it to make either a sweet pancake or a savory carb-craving-cutting way to make mini-pizza (by baking it of course).

Here's the VERY simple recipe:

In a bowl, beat 1 egg white until foamy.

In a separate bowl, blend 1 1/2 tablespoons oat bran,

1 tablespoon nonfat plain Greek yogurt and EITHER

1 teaspoon zero-calorie sweetener suited for baking (like Stevia) or pepper, herbs and/or chopped garlic (for the savory option).

Combine egg white and oat mixture.

Cook in nonstick pan over medium heat 8 minutes or until golden, turning once.

You can add hot water to make oatmeal or you can bake it into muffins, a mini-pizza or a pancake.

I have also experimented with adding raspberries, blueberries, and bananas. Or topping the savory option with beans, salsa, yogurt and avocado.

This time of year the Southern Belle part of my DNA kicks in and I eat watermelon until it's coming out of my ears! It's the most refreshing fruit on a hot summer day.

I made a watermelon feta salad yesterday that was to die for. I'd never tried vinegar on watermelon but there was something about the combination that has me hooked! Here is something close to what I made for you to try, from the Domestic Goddess blog.

I wanted to share it with all of you since I've been writing a lot about how vinegar can help postprandial blood sugars. There are so many ways to use this concept other than taking a spoonful of vinegar!

¼ seedless watermelon, diced (about 4 cups)
1 cup salty feta cheese, broken into teaspoon-sized lumps
¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
excellent quality extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle on top
drizzle of red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

It's that time of year when it just doesn't help things to use the stove or oven. Anything cool--keeps your body temperature down, and keeps your kitchen from heating up the house.

That is why, in my home, this is gazpacho time of year. Traditional gazpacho is a cold vegetable soup. Have you tried any of the fruitier varieties? Here are some great fruity gazpacho recipes from around the Internet just waiting to be tried!

Blueberry gazpacho (pictured here)
Mango gazpacho
Watermelon gazpacho
White gazpacho (with grapes)
Peach gazpacho
Pineapple gazpacho

These recipes are not very high in protein, so be sure to add a cold bean, lowfat cheese, or bean salad to help temper the glycemic load. Also, instead of topping with sour cream, try plain Greek yogurt.

Hope this helps you to stay deliciously cool!

It's been super hot around the country. It's that time of year when hydration is extra important. But water can get boring, and many of the options are just too full of sugar to be realistic in large quantities. Here is a great beverage option that is lower in sugar but more interesting than plain water--the Arnold Palmer.

The classic Arnold Palmer is a half and half mix of lemonade and iced tea. But with the many fruits in season and all of the great non-caffeinated teas on the market, there's no reason to stop there! I spent the afternoon Google searching and found some great, creative lemonade recipes. I've altered them a bit to cut the sugar even more, and asked Kerstin Wingert, a local tea purveyor and copfounder of Souvia Tea, to pair them with some of their offerings to get you thinking about what potential your own local farmer's market holds. I got Kerstin's suggestions back and immediately wanted to head to my own kitchen! Who would want to drink soda when you've got these incredible alternatives?

A think-ahead suggestion, when juicing your fruit, and making the tea, make a little extra for ice cubes to add to your final beverage!

Note: In the lemonade recipes, I've cut the sugar by half from the original recipe, (except in the cucumber and ginger versions) and doubled the fruit. I encourage you to start at this point and then sweeten to taste, rather than oversweetening. Remember that even those these beverages are lower in sugar than soda and juice, they still contain sugar. They will be best tolerated when enjoyed with a meal, to help you tolerate the sugar.

Here is the general link to Souvia's online store. For your convenience, I've also linked each of the individual teas below in case you'd like to try them.

Watermelon Arnold Palmer (lemonade recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market)
Lemonade: 10 cups 1-inch cubes seedless watermelon, 1 bottle (10-ounce) 365 Everyday Value®
Organic Lemon Juice, 6 cups water. If you use real sugar, start with 1/4 cup and increase to taste.
Iced tea: Honey-Do, a fruit blend of melon, apples and a touch of hibiscus

Raspberry Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 2 cups rinsed fresh raspberries, mashed with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, and 2 cups
water. Add more sugar if desired.
Iced tea: Raspberry Honeybush – a naturally sweet tasting infusion that is caffeine free

Peach Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 4 peaches peeled and cubed, 4 C water, 1/2 C sugar, 3/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice
Iced tea: Black Peach – a blend of black teas with the taste of ripe peaches. Or…Cranberry Peach – a
black tea that combines flavors of sweet peaches with the tartness of cranberries.

Blueberry Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 6 cups blueberries, 1/3 cups sugar, 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 cups cold water
Iced tea: Blueberry Yoghurt – Rooibos from South Africa with blueberries. Freeze-dried yoghurt pieces
add to the smooth flavor.

Pomegranate Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup pomegranate juice, 2 1/2 cups water
Iced tea: Pomegrante/Grape – White and green tea blend with pomegranate and grapes – light and
refreshing

Cucumber Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed, 1 lemon, 5 c water, sugar to taste
Iced tea: Lemon Souffle– Rooibos with a creamy lemon taste

Strawberry Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 2 pints mashed fresh strawberries, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups water
Iced tea: Strawberry Fields – A mélange of black and green teas with strawberries and pineapple pieces

Basil Hibiscus Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1/2 cup rinsed, lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, 3 tablespoons sugar, 4 cups water,
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Iced tea: Lemon Basil Oolong – Formosa Oolong combines the savory taste of basil with sweet citrus note

Mango Mint Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 4 large mangoes, 2 1/2 cup(s) water, juice from 6 medium lemons), 1/4 cup(s) sugar
Iced tea: Moroccan Mint Organic

Lavender Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1/4 cup dried lavender, 2 cups boiling water, 1/3 cup white sugar, 8 lemons, 5 cups cold water
Iced tea: Quiet Mind – Rooibos with coconut and lavender

Green Apple Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 3 green apples, cored and juiced, juice from 2 lemons, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup cold water
Iced tea: Apple/Mango Rooibos

Ginger Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 4 quarts water, 14 slices fresh ginger root, 4 cups fresh lemon juice
In an 8-quart saucepan combine sugar, water and ginger root. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Cool 15 minutes. Remove ginger. Refrigerate lemonade at least 1
hour, or until chilled.
Iced tea: Georgia Peach – Black tea with ginger and peach pieces

It's my absolute favorite time of year, when cherries are cheap. I wait all summer for July! Even though I usually eat all my cherries before I have a chance to do anything else with them, a few years ago I did find a cherry salsa recipe in a Costco cookbook that earns raves every time I take it to a party.

Cherries are a great anti-inflammatory, and they are also high in melatonin. So they do double duty in helping to balance hormones. Eat them plain…throw them in a smoothie…try this salsa…no matter how you pit 'em, you can't go wrong!

From: Favorite Recipes The Costco Way

Cherry Salsa

Mix together in a bowl:

1 1/4 cups pitted, chopped cherries
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp freshly grated lime peel
1/2 tsp freshly grated orange peel
3 tbsp chopped yellow onion
2 tbsp chopped yellow bell pepper
1 tsp finely diced serrano chile
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1tbsp very finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt

Enjoy!