Practically ever client I have ever had, has come to me with some kind of expectation that the secret to their weight problem/eating disorder/heart disease lies in a magical set of recipes filed away on my computer. If I don't hand them recipes, they feel as though I have failed them.
It's not that I don't mind creating recipes, in fact, it is one of my very favorite things to do! But I feel as if I give you too much structure in what I encourage you to do, you miss the point of cooking. And I feed the delusion that some specific set of instructions on a piece of paper is going to magically fix your problem.
So today I thought I would share what my morning has been like. I hope you will see, that the best kitchen inspirations come from the most surprising places. You often have to put the recipes away in order to see them.
My culinary challenge this week for Chow Locally is developing recipes for mustard greens. My big barrier to this challenge is that try I as I might, and trust me, I have done so many, many times, I just can't get into mustard greens. They are pretty bitter to my palate. But since we have about 125 customers wanting to know what to do with the mustard greens we gave them, and since mustard greens grow pretty well in Phoenix, I got the feeling the Universe decided to tell me it was time to cut the mustard (Ha! Couldn't resist!)
I didn't snap my fingers on this one. I am pretty sure by now, in fact, I have read every single blog post about mustard greens, looking for ideas that sounded like they might work for a wide spectrum of taste buds. When I woke up this morning, needed to try a recipe, I had no idea what I was going to do.
In typical procrastinator's style, I decided to clean my kitchen instead. And…there sat inspiration #1: a couple of inches of stale beer that I was not able to finish last night. It was tasty, a local brewery's White Chocolate Ale, and I didn't want to throw it away. I realized since it was sweet I could get away with less sugar, which I had been thinking of using.
On the way but not totally there, I decided to procrastinate even more by working on my pile of samples from Expo West. This is what my living room floor looks like for about 2 weeks after I get home!
Out from the pile popped my collection of samples from a great family-owned business over in Orange County, Matt's Munchies. They have created a fun variety of healthy fruit leathers. The ginger spice, which is really a ginger and cinnamon-laced mango leather, became ingredient #3.
I poured the beer in a skillet, heated it up to dissolve the mango leather, and then put my chopped mustard greens in to let them braise. I cooked them all the way down until the sugars started to caramelize.
OK, I lied, it did use recipes in this process…but not in the way you are thinking. Because I'd read literally hundreds of recipes in search of inspiration, I noticed that a lot of Indian recipes for greens incorporate just a touch of brown sugar. So I knew if my concoction had something sweet in it, it would caramelize and offset the bitterness that make mustard greens challenging for me. I am not going to give you any more instructions than this, and you won't get a nutrition analysis. You all know the ingredients here are good ones, and to give you more of a script defeats the purpose of my nudging you to free yourselves of overly rigid behavior in the kitchen. I promise you, your very favorite foods will be the ones where you left the script and started having some fun!
Finally, I threw in just a touch of sweetened coconut flakes for color and texture.
The following is a guest blog post from Dawn Marie Black, a woman with PCOS. Dawn is learning to cook in hormone-friendly ways, and has a great blog,Much Madness Is Divinest Sense, in which she records her experiences on this journey. In this post Dawn shares information about coconut flour.
If you'd like to try coconut flour but cannot find it locally, here are some options for online ordering.
What flour is high in fiber, and protein, low in carbohydrates and gluten free? We're talkin' coconut flour here!
I have PCOS, and found that these things are better for me, and having tried this flour I found I really like it.
Coconut flour is fiber from the coconut meat after most of the oil has been extracted to make Virgin Coconut Oil. Each brand of coconut flour will vary in their content of protein and fiber, but the protein and fiber is higher than gluten based flours, and that makes this flour very appealing for keeping my baked goods low carb, and to reduce other gastric issues that gluten can aggravate. Who really likes having IBS issues? I, for one, am not a fan. It is also considered a hypoallergenic food since so few people are allergic to coconut, which makes this easy to offer to many of your friends who may have other allergies. There are three things to remember when using coconut flour: One, always sift. Two, extra liquid is needed. Three, it needs something to bind it all together.
Coconut flour can be used in all recipes calling for flour. Most can be substituted with anywhere between 10% — 30% coconut flour, adding in the equal amount of liquid into the recipe as well. Other recipes may need further adjustments, for binding agents and liquid depending on the amount of fiber in the coconut flour. The easiest recipes to convert to 100% coconut flour are muffins, bars, pancakes, cakes, and quick breads. There are recipes on the internet and in print that can be helpful in building new recipes from. I have tried doing an equal exchange of flour, and without the extra binding agents and liquid the muffins were really dry, enough to toss with one bite. It was awful. If it looks dry, add more liquid.
There are several things to remember when using coconut flour. Always sift before measuring whether the recipe calls for it or not, it is inferred. If you forget to sift, you will be disappointed with your results as it will be dry and crumbly. This flour is very"thirsty", the fiber in the flour soaks up moisture, so more needs to be added to your recipes, it's usually an equal amount. Sticky sweeteners, such as brown rice syrup, can be included in your measurements for liquid, but oil is not included. Then you'll want to remember that since the flour has no internal binder, it requires additional eggs. The ratio is between 4-5 eggs per cup up to 1 egg per ounce of flour, there are other binders that can be utilized as well, egg whites, soaked flax, sticky sweeteners help with binding as well. I have found that those who are cooking vegan know many other binding agents and are good sources to ask regarding other alternatives in your baking. I've compiled a list of alternatives you can find by clicking here. I personally like eggs, they provide protein and are tasty, but I do substitute egg whites for some of the eggs, especially when I know I will be eating them in other forms through out the day.
If your batter is dry your baked goods will be dry, add in more liquids to moisten the flour for a more moist baked item. I forgot this once with a quick bread recipe, the batter was dry, and when the bread came out of the oven it was more lumpy and dry then when I had put it in the oven. Do not be afraid of a more moist batter, the fiber soaks it up. Coconut flour can be used in other common purposes such as breading and as a thickening agent for soups, stews, etc. If you are using it as a breading, make double the sauce to pour over your item in order to allow for the soaking up of the liquids. I made a Coq a Vin for a party, and overnight the breaded chicken soaked up all the sauce that was to be poured over the pieces of chicken. The flavor was there, but it would have been more delicious with the sauce to pour over the meal. Do not be afraid to make adjustments, print out your recipes make notes with your changes, decide how you liked your item and either make more corrections or make a note letting yourself know if you liked it or not. There will be some things that you will love the flavor, but maybe you will want a different texture. I'm still working on gooey brownies, I will be adding apple sauce to increase the moisture in my next batch.
Here are some helpful links to find recipes to begin your journey of cooking with coconut flour, and don't forget these three things when using coconut flour: always sift before measuring, extra liquid is needed, and it needs something to bind it all together.
I think, personally, one of the biggest barriers to healthy eating, is that it is marketed as just that--healthy eating.
Food marketers have done a great job of twisting our food ideas so that we automatically assume if it's tasty it has to be bad for us, and if it's healthy, it can't possibly have any flavor.
We also assume that if it's healthy, it's probably time-intensive and high-maintenance, and likely full of ingredients we'll only use once and pitch once we've made the healthy, untasty recipe and decided the junk in the processed food section of the store is easier and more attractive.
Here's a thought: What if healthy food could be low maintenance AND tasty?
Here's an answer: It's been there, all along, right under your nose, and you just didn't realize it.
I pulled out my November Sunset Magazine issue last night and was thrilled to find that not only did they have some great recipes for Thanksgiving, but it was full of tips for the beginner Thanksgiving dinner cook. The recipes all include calorie and carbohydrate counts, if you want them. But I can tell you that the reason I've stuck with this magazine for years and years, is because the recipes are doable, and they're yummy!
One of my favorite rituals each month is to pull out the recipe section from the magazine that I then recycle. All of my Sunset recipes are filed by month, so that when I sit down to do my menu and shopping planning, I simply pull out the stack for the corresponding month. I can remake old favorites, try some new things, knowing I'm also taking advantage of foods in season, which Sunset is good about coordinating.
Here are some of the recipes from the November issue…doesn't it just make you want to be a tasty (code word: healthy) cook? Honestly, the best foods to eat for your health will never be anything you see recommended here. They will be the foods you seek out and eat on a regular basis, because you like them. With a partner like Sunset…it's actually kind of fun!
Cauliflower panko pakoras Northwest bounty bruschettas (which, by the way, use omega-3 friendly hazelnuts) Pearl couscous with fall vegetables and caramelized onions Zinfandel risotto with roasted beets and walnuts
For those of you who love green tea, you may wish to expand on your experiences with matcha. This version of tea is made by covering tea bushes before harvest, which causes them to turn a darker green. The biochemistry of this change gives matcha a sweeter flavor than traditional green tea.
This form of green tea is a super power house; gram for gram, it ranks higher in antioxidants than many of the foods consistently on health writers'"top ten supefoods" lists. In fact, researchers recently reported that the ECGC content of matcha can be up to 137 times higher than commercial green tea!
These leaves are then ground into a super-fine powder, which can be used in baking and cooking. If you've ever had green tea ice cream or a green tea smoothie, it is likely matcha that provided the flavor. I think it adds a beautiful color to whatever it is used in.
Most recipes on the Internet using matcha seem to be oriented toward sweets. However, if you look, there are some really interesting options in other categories. I've posted some of the most interesting below, along with links to the websites where I found theme so that you can be inspired in your own kitchen.
If you can't find match locally, consider visiting my friend Kerstin Wingert's online store. That is where I've found it and she is very popular in Phoenix because of her attention to quality in her products.
A storage note: Once opened, matcha does oxidize quickly so be sure to have a plan for using it, or share with friends and have fun tasting each others' creations!
One of the many smoothie recipes I found
Matcha Mango Smoothies
1 1/4 cups mango chunks 1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk or low-fat milk 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon matcha tea powder 1/2 cup ice cubes Honey or agave syrup (optional)
Add mango, soymilk, yogurt and matcha tea powder to blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes; cover and blend until smooth. Taste for sweetness. Add honey or agave syrup if needed; cover and blend to combine. Pour into 2 glasses.
Makes 2 servings (1 1/4 cups each)
Tip: Adding too much matcha tea can result in a bitter flavor. Start with a small amount of matcha and adjust according to taste.
Here is the most interesting one I found. It is on my list to try!
Green Tea Fish Stew
5 Tbls. Olive oil 1 Clove garlic; peeled 4 medium Potatoes; peeled and diced 1 lb. Flounder, cod or red snapper fillets cut in chunks 2 bottles clam juice 2 cups water 16 ozs. diced or pureed tomatoes 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 Bay leaf 1 tsp. Salt 1/8 tsp. Crushed red pepper or to taste 3 Tbls. Chopped parsley 1 tsp. Matcha green tea powder
Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add garlic; sauté until well browned. Discard garlic. Add potatoes to Dutch oven, cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Add fish, stock, tomatoes, wine, Matcha, bay leaf, salt, crushed red pepper, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until fish and potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve sprinkled with parsley. Serves 4
You could probably cut the sugar in this one. Be sure to use dark, high quality chocolate. A great holiday treat!
Matcha Almonds 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 8 ounces unblanched almonds 2 teaspoons butter 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces 1/2 teaspoon matcha (powdered green tea) or more to taste
Preparation
1.Combine the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan and slowly heat to boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook sugar syrup until it reaches 240 degrees, or to soft-ball stage. Add almonds and stir to coat. Add the butter and remove from the heat. Stir until the almonds are glazed with syrup. Cook over medium-low heat until little liquid is left in the pan.
2.Add the chocolate and heat until it melts and almonds are completely coated. Set aside to cool.
3.When almonds are cool, dust from on high with the matcha to coat evenly.
And just for a little fun, here is matcha martini recipe! Isn't this the most Christmasy looking beverage! The photo shows a strawberry garnish, the recipe suggests mint and cinnamon, but for this holiday in particular, garnished with a candy cane it would be so pretty!
Weiss, David J; Anderton, Christopher R (2003-09-05). Determination of catchins in matcha green ttea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Journal of Chromatography1011 (1-2): 173–180.
We know you all love recipes and inspiration, so we are excited to be joining a group of bloggers that will provide you even more of what you're looking for!
Recipe Redux is a monthly blogfest showcasing the creativity of registered dietitians who love to cook. At the beginning of the month we are each given a theme to work with, and on the 21st of each month, our creation relating to that challenge is posted, along with links to all of the other recipes our colleagues have provided.
Dietitians participating in this club agree to focus on at least one of the following in their recipes.
reduction in overall calories and/or sugar
increase in fiber
lowering of saturated fat and/or increase in mono- or poly-unsaturated fats
reduction in sodium/salt from processed foods
showcases at least one food group mentioned by the Dietary Guidelines as the basis of a healthy diet: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, seafood and beans
I encourage you to peruse the links at the bottom of this post, learn, and collect…since all the recipes are from registered dietitians, you can be reasonably confident that most of them will be healthier than what you might find on other websites. (I say that because we dietitians love the occasional indulgence as well, so you will find some dreamy fun entries in the collection!)
Our challenge this month was to create something using either maple syrup or honey. I decided to use one of my favorite treats on a cold night, champurrado, as the basis for which to create Mexican Oatmeal. Champurrado is a hot drink traditionally made with masa (the cornmeal you use to make tortillas), flavored with all of the spices native to Mexico (chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, fennel seed, and some type of sweetener). All of these are beneficial for inflammation and insulin resistance, so adding them to oatmeal makes a perfect hormone-friendly breakfast! I simply took those spices, switched out the masa for oatmeal and created the following breakfast you can make in your microwave. Think Mexican Hot Chocolate and oatmeal all mixed together…yummy, healthy, and full of energy to get you through to lunch!
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove, stir until chocolate is completely dissoved, and microwave for one minute more.
*You can use any dark chocolate, really, I just chose this one because it's what I keep around to make Mexican hot chocolate. The darker the chocolate the better…vegan chocolates will give you more antioxidant power as milk tends to bind the beneficial compounds and render them metabolically unavailable.
Someone on our Facebook page recently asked how you cook kale. And she asked at a perfect time, since we've been getting it almost weekly at Chow Locally, and I've been the one who's been curating recipes and techniques to keep our customers excited!
First of all, a bit about kale. It is actually a type of cabbage that never gets around to forming into a head. In this photo you see curly kale, which is one of the more popular kinds, what you often see used to make kale chips. It comes in a variety of colors and leaf shapes, all of which can be enjoyed!
Here are some of the great things kale can do for you.
1. It can lower your cholesterol. 2. It can lower your risk of cancer. 3. It is a great food for detoxification. 4. It is extremely high in antioxidants — over 45 have already been identified. 5. One cup cooked kale has 1328% of your RDA's for vitamin K, 354% for vitamin A, and 89% of vitamin C. And only 36 calories.
Now that is what I call nutrient dense!
For the longest time, I thought kale was just the pretty gray-green curly stuff you used to decorate party platters, but didn't really eat. Then antioxidants were discovered, and kale topped the charts, and people started deciding, maybe they should figure out how to eat it. It can be a bit of a challenge because it is bitter. Unless you are Kitty, who loves raw kale (this is white peacock kale here), it's best to know a few cooking techniques!
Here are some of the easiest ways to enjoy kale.
1. Juice it. There are a bazillion recipes for juicing kale on the Internet. I am linking you to just one here.
2. Massage it and eat it raw. Interestingly, kale's bitter flavor dials back a bit if you chop it, and massage it with some type of oil until the color pops green. Here is a great blog post with three massaged kale salad recipes, along with more ideas (colcannon, which is mashed potatoes and kale, is a recipe I sent to our customers with this week's box.)
3. Saute it. Super easy, as you can see in this recipe!
4. Make pesto with it. One week we got gorgeous purple peacock kale in our boxes, and it intimidated some of our customers. It's the same vegetable, just a different color, and to demonstrate, I made a purple pesto. You can make this exact same pesto with any kind of kale…curly, dinosaur, peacock, Toscano…because it's still kale!
5. Steam/wilt it. This is one of my all time favorite kale recipes, by Rachel Ray, steamed kale with portobello mushrooms. I often make this dinner!
6. Kale chips. This is all the rage right now. I'm giving you the recipe and I encourage you to try this with any sturdy greens you might have available — kohlrabi and beet have worked very well in my kitchen. 7. Braise it. Braising is a way to slow cook and infuse the flavor of a wine, vinegar, alcohol, broth, or other liquid. I just found this great salsa-braised kale recipe while surfing for this post…it is on my list to try! I hope this gets you started! Let us know how you end up cooking yours!
I was recently graciously shipped a jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Standard Virgin coconut oil for review. First of all, thank you to Tropical Traditions for their generosity! I use coconut oil twice a day on my skin and I love the noticeable difference it makes. I'm also learning to cook with it, and am happy to have this to work with.
This is a long, drawn out post. I'm putting my conclusion at the very beginning so you can decide if you want to sit through the rest:
I love coconut oil, I use it myself, both in cooking and on my skin. I love this particular brand and product, and it's clear that the company is very proud of the attention they devote to quality and sustainable practices. If you choose to incorporate coconut oil into your cooking, and I hope that you do, please consider supporting a company that works so hard on behalf of integrity.
My intention is to encourage more people to use coconut oil than currently do. It wasn't long ago that we discouraged coconut oil consumption and I still encounter people who think it's unhealthy. I'd also like to encourage those who may be creating problems with excessive use, to understand why that may not be a good choice.
My only reservation is that there is somewhat of a health halo hanging over coconut oil that encourages its use in quantities that potentially do not support improved health.
I'll be addressing those issues in this post. A little bit of feedback on the coconut oil information I found on the website.
In the FAQ section, there is no peer-reviewed reference provided to support the following statement:
The benefits of coconut oil are mainly from the nutrient value of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). The best comparison in nature as to the percentage of MCFAs being consumed in a diet is human breast milk. To equal the amount of MCFAs a nursing infant would receive in one day, an adult would need to consume about 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil a day according to researchers.
1. With regards to fat, what an infant needs, nutritionally, is far different from what an adult needs.
For example, nutrition experts recommend 2% milk for children up to to years of age, then a drop to 1% or skim. The reason for this recommendation is that the extra fat is needed during the first 2 years of life to help fuel the rapid growth occurring during that time. As growth and development slow, so do needs for dietary fat.
Arachidonic acid (ARA) is an essential fatty acid for infants. The only place they can get it is milk, so if an infant is formula fed, ARA needs to be added to that formula. When that infant is weaned, however, and can get this fatty acid elsewhere, it no longer needs to be added to the diet.
It simply has not been proven that nutritional needs for infants are the same as nutritional needs for adults. Or that what you would feed an infant is even healthy for an adult. So I'm not entirely convinced that the extrapolation from an infant's saturated fat intake in breast milk, to a recommendation for adults of 3.5 tablespoons per day is a logical or healthy leap. (I am happy to adjust my stance if peer-reviewed research supporting the higher level becomes available. Our readers are in large part pursuing fertility and possibly in the midst of infertility treatment. I owe it to these high-risk situations to lean toward the skeptical and conservative. I don't want to heap more expense, stress, and/or disappointment on women who take our advice so seriously.)
Fat is fat, no matter where it comes from, it still contains calories, and the recommendations are still to keep saturated fat intake to about 10% of total calories. Regardless of the source of the saturated fat.
I did a long blog post calculating dietary amounts for different calorie levels that this translates to not too long ago if you want more specifics. I do think that when possible, saturated fat from coconut oil is better than saturated fat from meat, so the focus needs to be learning how to make that switch. (See the recipes I posted below.)
2. In moderate quantities, coconut oil can definitely be beneficial. A 2009 Brazilian study providing 1 tbsp per day of coconut oil to a group of women with abdominal obesity found that compared to 1 tbsp of soybean oil, the coconut oil group had higher HDL, a lower LDL/HDL ratio, and a reduced waist circumference. It cannot be determined from this study design if the change was due to the absence of soybean oil, the presence of coconut oil, or a little of both, but it does illustrate that when used in moderation, coconut oil can be part of a hormone-friendly eating program.
3. What IS showing up in the literature is that too much coconut oil can be metabolically deleterious. Individuals at risk for diabetes (and if you have PCOS that means you) need to use coconut oil with care. One recent study in particular (done with calves) compared coconut oil to a non-medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) diet as well as to another MCT, caprylate oil. The coconut oil-fed calves weighed pretty much the same at the end of the study, contradicting claims that coconut oil promotes weight loss. In addition, the coconut oil calves had heavier, fattier livers and contained 15% more fat than the livers of the other calves.
Bottom line, used respectfully, coconut oil has many health benefits and I do encourage its use. What I DO discourage, is using this product indiscriminately with the belief that it has any kind of magical quality that counteracts dietary indiscretions or which somehow allows you to ignore other important rules of nutritional balance.
4. I spent a long time on the company's companion website, http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/ to see how others were using coconut oil in cooking. Most of the recipes were for baked goods and sweets, the use of which, due to the insulin resistance issue the readers of this blog deal with, should be limited. Cakes, cookies, etc., are not nutritionally dense and cannot be eaten in large quantities just because of the oil they were made with.
I did find a great recipe for coconut oil vinaigrette coleslaw, which nicely combines the concept I've been writing about recently, consuming a bit of vinegar before meals, with a nice, moderate use of coconut oil. I would so love to see more savory recipes like this, as it would help the readers inCYST most often works with, to use this oil to their benefit.
I did my best to walk the walk, as well, and asked the members of our Facebook fan page to share any savory recipes they might have using coconut oil. Here are a few provided by culinary school graduate Alyssa Fritts.
Coconut Green Beans Blanch fresh green beans by dumping them in boiling water for about 20-30 seconds. Strain them out and put them in ice water to s top the cooking. Melt a tsp or less of coconut oil in a pan. Add 1/2 clove of garlic and the strained green beans, toss around a few times. Add chopped almonds and salt and pepper to taste.
Coconut Pork Chops Put a little bit of coconut oil in a pan, salt and pepper pork chop with all fat trimmed Brown on both sides. Remove chop, add garlic, and chopped onion. Saute until garlic is fragrant. Add veggie or chicken stock and a LITTLE bit of apple jui ce. Put chop back in and let it reduce down by about half. Remove chop and place on plate. Add a scoop of stone ground mustard, and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Let it thicken. Finish with a swirl of coconut oil to give it the smooth fullness butter would. Pour over your chop.
Miso-Ginger Salmon 1/2 tsp coconut oil 1 clove minced garlic 1/8 in piece peeled ginger in matchsticks 1 tbs chopped onion 1 tsp miso paste 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup veggie stock or water 1/4 tsp coconut oil
Melt 1/2 tsp coconut oil in pan. Salt and pepper salmon. Place in pan skin side up. Brown on both sides. Set aside on a plate. If needed as a tiny bit more coconut oil. Add ginger and garlic. Add onion and sautee for a few seconds. Add wine and stock. Add salmon back to pan and cook for about 5 min. Remove salmon and turn heat up to high. Add miso and reduce down until thick. Swirl in a tiny bit (up to 1/4 tsp) of coconut oil and pour over salmon.
What Alyssa is illustrating, beautifully, is that one of the best ways to use coconut oil is to switch out other oils for coconut oil in your regular cooking, being careful with quantities just as you would any other fat. It adds a nice flavor while it helps your metabolism.
If any of you use Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil, and you've developed some savory, hormone-friendly recipes you'd like to share with our friends at Tropical Traditions, I would love if you would do that. I'd like their customers to see just how much potential this oil can have in the kitchen. I'd really love to see this company, which clearly has a heart for wanting to do something good, succeed at that goal. I'm in love with the creativity of inCYST fans, and encourage you all to step up and share it in a way that can have benefit far outside of this blog post.
Bottom line: Used intelligently and respectfully, Tropical Traditions gets a thumbs up. Stay tuned, as tomorrow we're going to announce a giveaway encouraging you to think about and incorporate the concepts presented in this blog post!
Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM. Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity. Lipids. 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13. Talbott, Shawn M. and Kerry Hughes. (2006). The Health Professional's Guide to Dietary Supplements. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 60–63. ISBN 9780781746724.
Mills JK, Ross DA, Van Amburgh ME. The effects of feeding medium-chain triglycerides on the growth, insulin responsiveness, and body composition of Holstein calves from birth to 85 kg of body weight. J Dairy Sci. 2010 Sep;93(9):4262-73.
Yesterday I shared some information about coconut oil.
Now I'd like to encourage you to put it into action!
I'd like Tropical Traditions to have more savory recipes using coconut oil in their library, recipes that incorporate the concepts we teach at inCYST.
Tropical Traditions has graciously offered a free 32 oz. jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to the winner of this giveaway. So this is what you'll need to do.
1. Create a SAVORY recipe using coconut oil. That means main dish, no baked goods, pancakes, sweets, etc.
2. The total fat content of your dish cannot exceed 30% of total calories. You can run your recipe through an analysis program such as http://www.fitday.com/ to be sure.
3. The total saturated fat content of your dish cannot exceed 10% of total calories.
4. Total calories for your dish, per serving, cannot exceed 500 calories.
5. To be fair, members of the inCYST Network cannot participate in this challenge. Anyone else is eligible.
6. Submit your recipe, along with your calorie and fat contents, on or before June 30, 2011, to marika@google.com in order to be considered.
7. The winner will be randomly drawn from the submissions, and all recipes will be posted here as well as forwarded to Tropical Traditions.
If you'd like to purchase the product I've been writing about, here is a link to do so.
In the 30 years I've been a dietitian, the number one complaint I've always gotten is that eating out is always the place where good intentions fail. I'm finally deciding to do something about it. I'm looking for restaurants who would like to partner with my company to help healthy eaters find the goods they want! We've developed a service that will provide you with analysis of your recipes, that you can provide to any customers who ask.
If your recipes fit within the guidelines for what we've found to work for our clients looking to manage infertility, diabetes, high cholesterol, or simply weight, we're happy to include you in the iPhone application we're working to develop. We want to send our fans to places where they're confident about their menu choices!
If they need some adjusting, we'll work with you to tweak them.
This is an ongoing service, but any takers between now and March 15 will receive an additional discount on the price.
For more information contact me (Monika Woolsey), either at marika@google.com, or 623.486.0737.
My friend Steven recently returned from a vacation to Australia. He shared this photo of vegemite ice cream! It reminded me that our friends Down Under have a culinary love affair with a food our vegan readers should become better acquainted with. That is, brewer's yeast.
Vegemite (also known as Marmite if it is produced in the UK, New Zealand, or South Africa, and Cenovis if made in Switzerland) is a dark paste made from brewer's yeast leftover after the brewing process. It's most commonly eaten as a spread on bread, as shown in this photo.
Some of the more common descriptions of Vegemite's taste include: salty, bitter, like beef bouillon. One friend described as"Australian miso". It's never really taken off in the United States, but my friends from places where it is common do seem to"Jones" for it when they've gone awhile without a fix.
Nutritionally, Vegemite is an incredible powerhouse! It is very high in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid, all vitamins which women with PCOS need more of. Kraft, maker of Vegemite, has a website with some interesting recipes for the adventurous reader, including this one for a roast pumpkin and leek risotto. I may have to buy some myself just in the name of trying that one!
One of the things I like about Vegemite is that it is actually made from the leftovers of the beer-making process. In short, leftover yeast cells are processed and combined with salt, celery extract, and onion extract to make the popular black paste. So it's green as well as nutritious, meaning everyone wins!
If you happen to be reading this from Vegemite's home turf, be on the lookout for a new product released just last month. My First Vegemite, actually designed for children, is 50% lower in sodium. It's also fortified with vitamins B6 and B12, which makes it even more attractive to vegans, who have a hard time finding sources of vitamin B12 that are compatible with their food philosophy.
While nutrition purists may insist that Vegemite is too salty, I maintain that in moderation, and used in other recipes, it has its benefits. Amazon.com has not yet picked up this new product but I did find it on eBay.
I'm not an expert on this food, but I'm told Vegemite's cousin Marmite, which is actually available at the local Fresh and Easy, is milder in flavor and also contains vitamin B12 which the original Vegemite does not. That IS available on amazon.com if you're not close to Australia, Fresh and Easy, or other store catering to expat Aussies.
I'm still wrapping my head around vegemite ice cream…though my adventures with jalapeno beer (local), reindeer sausage (on a trip to Alaska), and elk steak (on a ski trip to Steamboat Springs) were far from disappointing. Hmmmm…may I'll have to scheme a business trip to Australia and do some in-depth journalism…
To our many Aussie readers, thank you for your visits! I see you on our stats and I appreciate your visits. I've actually been timing new posts to show in concert with YOUR early evenings, not ours. I hope you find us helpful, mates…be sure to ask questions when you have them! And if you have ideas for how to use your food that we newbies might appreciate, please share!
To our vegan readers, stay tuned. More on brewer's yeast tomorrow. You REALLY need to become friendly with this nutritional gem.
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!
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.
So many of you are artistic, and appreciative of color…it occurred to me while working on another project the other day, that perhaps thinking about food in a different way would work better with your creative brains.
We had a challenge recently at Chow Locally, we got a beautiful head of peacock kale. Many people who received it had questions about what to do with it, and when I looked online for recipes to share, I didn't find many. And that meant my weekend was going to be devoted to coming up with ways to use it that were easy to make and not too avant garde.
I went with my backup for greens, pesto, and came up with this really pretty final product! The recipe can be found here.
Another one of our customers, Barefeet in the Kitchen's Mary Younkin, also a food blogger, came up with this beautiful purple smoothie made from the same kale. She went with more of a fruity theme, which you can read about on her blog.
In recent weeks, I've also enjoyed some other colorful creations!
Here are some egg salad wraps. I used a simple egg salad recipe and added chopped spinach for color. And I saved a few leaves of a gorgeous head of Merlot lettuce for the wraps. Simple recipe, made exotic simply by switching out the colors!
We had a bunch of bright lights chard, so I made risotto, another one of my favorite ways to use greens. The stems are a beautiful array of reds and yellows, so instead of throwing them out, as many risotto recipes will tell you to do, I minced them, sauteed them, and added them in for a confetti effect.
This head of romanesco surprised me by turning fluorescent green while it slow roasted! I really didn't do much to this, it decorated itself in the oven. But I loved the surprise that came out of the oven!
And here is a Daikon radish slaw! I was really doubtful about this one since radishes are not my favorite veggie, but it was so colorful it enticed me to taste it, and I ended up loving it!
We're no different from Mother Nature's other creatures. We are attracted to foods for a variety of reasons. One of the most important ones is color. Fortunately, the foods that add color are usually the ones loaded with nutrition.
When you are in the kitchen, take off that healthy cooking hat and put on your creative"PCOS brain" hat. Ask yourself where the color is! If it's not inherently there, don't be afraid to deviate from the recipe. Create your work of art, and trust that if it's naturally colorful, something in that food is going to benefit your health.
I recently received a review copy of the Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies, by Meri Raffetto, RD, and Rosanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN. Meri's name may sound familiar to some of you, as she also wrote the Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies.
This followup book is a nice practical guide to putting the principles of the glycemic index into action. I like this. I can't tell you how many times I've spoken to groups of women with PCOS who can repeat the many sound principles of diet for PCOS, as if they have more education than I do on the topic, but look at me like a deer in the headlights at the end of the presentation when I ask,"OK, now what are you all cooking for dinner?"
What really matters is not how much you KNOW about what to eat, but how often you EAT based on what you know. This book transitions you from theory into practice.
This book is not lacking in theory, however. It nicely distinguishes between low-glycemic foods and a low-glycemic diet, for example. You don't always get both with the same food choice.
The authors are also very good about discussing in detail the many factors besides diet (like stress, binge eating, not attending to portion sizes, for example), that can interfere with good blood glucose control.
Once they make sure you're on board with the principles of low-glycemic eating as they were intended to be used, they proceed to what to eat. Even there, they're entirely practical, reminding readers that if you haven't taken the time to stock your kitchen with the right items, you're not going to eat the way you say you want to. From planning your menus, and making your shopping list, to organizing your kitchen to navigating the grocery store, Meri and Rosanne work you through setting yourself up for success.
And then…about 2/3 of the book is actual recipes to use. If the recipes don't make you wonder why it took you so long to try this way of eating, the beautiful food photography in the middle of the book will certainly start you thinking!
Trust me, I saw chocolate, cream cheese cake, asparagus and goat cheese and toasted walnuts, cheesy quinoa with spinach, and even spaghetti, yes spaghetti!
If you're done with the theorizing and ready to get in the kitchen and get your eating plan off on the right foot, consider adding this book to your library.
Click here to order the Glycemic Index for Dummies Click here to order the Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies — paperback version Click here to order the Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies — Kindle version
Disclaimer: I do want to add that Meri is a personal friend and she did mention inCYST in her book as a PCOS resource. Because of this I do have a bias that cannot be avoided. However, I have declined to promote friends with other books, products and services on the blog that were not the right fit for our audience. I do my best to stay 100% fair, but I want you to know it's not a perfect world. Just wanted to be sure you know where I stand on the issue.
I almost missed Mark Moody. I had been enjoying myself at a gallery opening hosted at the local After Hours Creative Gallery, featuring the work of local artist friends Gennaro Garcia and Joe Ray. As I stood to leave, I noticed a cowboy on the other side of the beverage table, with a pint of strawberries and a pint of grapes, that he was rolling in something for people to taste.
I strolled over to see what he was doing. Turns out, he was letting people sample mesquite flour he produces from his property in Bouse, Arizona (a town so small even this near-Arizona native had to Mapquest it to find it!).
It didn't take much to get Mark talking about his passion. At his feet was a Native American metate, or grinding stone, that he was using to demonstrate how mesquite beans were traditionally processed into flour. He told me, he found the metate on his property, beneath a mesquite tree, where it was likely used long ago to reap nutrition from the desert.
Mesquite flour has been around for eons, but has only recently caught the attention of consumers. The trees abound in the Sonoran desert. My parents recently brought me some flour they had milled from their own backyard harvest in Tucson. It's a labor-intensive process, which makes it a challenging product to bring to market.
Nutritionally, mesquite flour is high in protein and soluble fibers, which helps to make it low-glycemic. It is also gluten-free. As far as other nutrients, it's a decent source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Its taste is described as nutty, sweet, hints of molasses, caramel, cinnamon…I'll leave it up to you to try. I can tell you I loved the bread I made with it! It does require a bit of adjusting when baking, as I learned with my first loaf of bread. But I've pasted a few tested recipes below to get you started.
New Mexico State University has an interesting summary of some of the compounds in mesquite with potential health benefits. These include from antidepressant to anti-inflammatory to liver protection. I would NOT quit taking any prescribed medications based on this information, but it's interesting to note that nature provides us with many gentle options to medications when we diversify our diets.
Mark shared with me that he had been approached by a major purveyor of unique grains, to provide them mesquite flour to enhance their offerings, but, concerned he wouldn't be able to meet the demand, he turned the offer down. He does want to bring his product to market, but without compromising the business principles that have earned him a fine reputation in Arizona.
In order to honor Mark's commitment to quality, we'll offer his mesquite flours to you when supplies are available. That means if you really want it…no dilly-dallying!
********************************************************************************* Recipes I found at http://www.desertusa.com/ (and adapted slightly to fit with our inCYST recommendations)
MESQUITE CORNBREAD
from Native Peoples Magazine
3/4 C. each of cornmeal and flour 3/8 C. mesquite meal 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. each baking soda and salt 1 C. yogurt 1 egg 3 Tbs. honey 3 Tbs. canola oil
MESQUITE ZUCCHINI BREAD
from Martha Darancou Aguirre of Rancho la Inmaculada
1 c mesquite meal (Sonoran) 1/2 c all purpose flour 1/2 c whole wheat flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 c sugar (experiment to see how little you can get away with!) 1 c Finely shredded unpeeled zucchini 1/4 c chopped nuts 3 eggs 1 c canola oil
Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. In another bowl, mix sugar, zucchini, oil, egg and lemon peel. Mix well. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool thoroughly before wrapping.
Combine dry ingredients in medium sized bowl. Combine the wet ingredients and stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spread into greased 8 inch by 8 inch pan. Bake 20 — 25 minutes at 350 degrees. For a unique Southwestern kick, add 1 tablespoon chipotle (dried, smoked jalapeno) flakes and 3/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels.
And this? Just a little shout out for Joe and Gennaro, who are 100% for me meeting Mark in the first place. It's a collaboration between the two. I've linked to their respective websites above if their creativity catches your eye.
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!
We love to hear how we're helping you, what you want more of, less of, etc.
I recently received this letter from someone who joined the inCYST Institute. Thanks, friend!
I remember very clearly which article was the one that opened my eyes. I'd been reading the blog for a while after I'd done a PCOS-related search. I think there were a few articles where you mentioned fish oil and I do remember reading them but I figured I'm already seeing a Naturopath and if she hasn't prescribed it to me then I must not need it.
And then you wrote this: http://www.incyst.com/2011/11/what-inflammation-means-to-your-brain.html. I remember reading it and it was like a hit in the face. I'm an Engineering student and for the last five years I've carried around a ton of guilt regarding my 'professional' success. I used to be more motivated in high school and I'd put in more effort and I'd get better results. Ever since I'd started my undergrad career those things had just gone more and more and more downhill. I couldn't concentrate and I just stopped caring after a while, I basically resumed to doing whatever I can to pass, and honestly I don't think I had it in me for much more than that.
Before reading that article, I blamed it all on myself, thinking I'd just become lazy and I'm not as smart as I think and I'm never gonna be as good as the other Eng students around me. I can't even tell you how much I thank you for that article, it was the biggest relief of my life to read it and think that maybe it wasn't all me. I've been taking fish oil ever since and things do seem to be getting better. So thank you, again. Thank you!
I very much enjoy reading articles like that because you explain in very common terms what it is that bad habits do to you and it kinda scares me into submission (I know it's a bad way to put it). I find that I have to constantly remind myself what could happen if I don't have healthy habits since I'm constantly being bombarded with images of unhealthy people who still look great (I'm referring to the mass media here). I also find it useful when you review products and/or actual food items, nutrients and vitamins, with the science behind of course as you always do. I'm really excited about Fitness Fridays and I think the first article was really useful (perhaps not for me personally right now since I can't afford a personal trainer anyway) for people who actually spend their money on working out with someone.
I won't lie, I rarely try recipes that you post even though I read them unless they're super raw. I'm way better at taking ingredients that I know I want to eat and somehow mix them up together to create a great meal rather than following instructions. I do use the recipes you post to guide my creative meal-making though. I also try to eat most of what I eat in the most natural form possible so I don't actually cook quite so often.
Anyway, that's all I can think of for now. I made the final decision to join when I read this on facebook:
inCYST Programs for Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome I am starting to get the feeling that one of the reasons many of you have so much trouble with food…is that you were not raised in environments that were in touch with food in healthy ways. So much of what suggest is too far removed from where you are in reality. Do you need some kind of boot camp or club that worked you through the basics of food and cooking? This would have to be a paid offering, as I am pretty tapped out with regards to offering help that does not pay my bills.
It's pretty sad that it had to come to that for me to decide but it did. I think I often forget that there's an actual person behind all of this and yeah, why not help if I can. I mean for 25 dollars, it's not the end of the world. I spend that much going to see a movie with my boyfriend. If I could I would encourage more people to support inCYST, but I know of no one else who actually benefits from it since I don't know any other women with PCOS in my non-online life. I think that people respond better when they realise what kind of impact they can have with just a little bit of help from each of us.
I had not put that on Facebook to garner sympathy, but rather to encourage people to consider investing in something they felt had value to them. An investment here has the potential to save you money on medications…and for some…assisted reproduction. We don't ask for much, but we hope you can help if we have helped you!
Our blog statistics have shown over time, that we get quite a bit of regular traffic from the other side of the world. I have to admit, my advice is hemisphere-centric, since I've never been south of the Equator. So I invited a friend from Australia, Olwen Anderson, who works with PCOS in her part of the world, to share a little bit of advice. Here's hoping for our Aussie readers, it introduces you to someone close to you who can help you, and that what Olwen has to say, is helpful!
Legumes are a girl’s best friend… when you have PCOS
Olwen Anderson is an Australian Nutritionist-Naturopath who specialises in treatment of hormone imbalances and gut disorders. Her blog contains lots of PCOS-friendly recipes: Visit www.olwenanderson.com.au
Been diagnosed with PCOS? Meet your new nutritional “best friend” – legumes.
When you think about food as medicine, legumes should almost be a compulsory prescription for good health. These amazing little vegetables are packed to the brim with nutrition that can help moderate your hormones. They taste great; and once you learn how to prepare and use them, they will open up a whole new culinary world for you.
Legumes include chick peas (or garbanzo beans), black eyed beans, haricot, lima beans, kidney beans, soy beans and many other dried beans that are a staple food in many countries. In fact, legumes are one of the powerful plant foods common in countries where people routinely live happy, productive lives to 100 plus.
Phytoestrogens and fibre are two outstanding features of legumes that will benefit you. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant chemicals that have a molecular shape similar to estrogen. When digested, they ‘latch on’ to the estrogen receptors of cell membranes, and effectively block real estrogen molecules from connecting with the cell. This means that when you have plenty of the right fibre in your diet, you’re automatically reducing the effects of excess circulating estrogen.
Its good bacteria in your intestines that convert plant phytoestrogens to their active form. These good bacteria feed and breed on soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. Fortunately legumes are packed with fibre, so your intestinal bacteria will love them. When there’s plenty of fibre in your diet, your body produces more sex hormone binding globulin. This transporter molecule travels through your bloodstream, picking up and removing excess hormones, including excessive androgen hormones like testosterone. Exactly what you want to happen in your body.
Even better, legumes are packed with nutrients: Some protein, a little of the good fats, and complex carbohydrates. They’ll take ages to digest, resulting in smoother blood glucose management; and they’re packed with minerals too.
But won’t they make me flatulent?
Many women worry that if they start enjoying legumes, they will become windy. To prevent this, start with small quantities (about one tablespoon) and build up over a few days to half a cup so your intestinal bacteria have a chance to adjust.
It’s easy to incorporate legumes into your diet every day:
- Sprinkle chick peas (garbanzo beans) through your salad
- Enjoy some home made baked beans for breakfast with poached salmon
- Fresh broad beans, steamed and mashed, make a great vegetable side dish
- Include legumes in your stews, casseroles and soups. Like minestrone soup; or lentil stew.
You can buy legumes canned; but the dried variety, cooked, taste so much better. (Also, avoiding canned food helps you avoid suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA). Buy dried legumes, soak for a few hours, boil until cooked, (firm but not crisp), then freeze in portion size containers.
I always keep containers of cooked legumes meal-ready in the freezer. Then, if I want a quick meal, I can take one out, stir-fry in a hot pan with garlic, spices, some kangaroo fillet, a few baby tomatoes and a handful of baby spinach leaves. Fast, healthy, one-pot cooking.
Looking for recipe inspiration to enjoy legumes?
- Visit my web site at www.olwenanderson.com.au (recipes tag on the blog)
- Look at recipe books for cultures where legumes are part of the daily diet: South American, Mediterranean, Indian.
If you're looking for PCOS-friendly recipes, I have been uploading files I've saved over the years onto my Pinterest account. I am organizing them by month, to help you with seasonal ideas. For the most part, they are PCOS-friendly, some instances may require substitutions. Recipes are sources of inspiration and should be adapted by the chefs who use them!
I've now worked with three Chow Locally boxes, and for the most part I was cruising along. Until this past week when arugula showed up in the box. A few years ago, I belonged to a CSA at a farm where arugula grew particularly well. So for weeks at a time, it would show up in the box. I was not particularly fond of it in the first place, but when having to eat it for weeks on end…well, let's just say I developed an intense dislike for the green.
But my job at Chow Locally is to show people how to use foods in season. I decided to use this as an opportunity to put myself in many of my client's shoes, and I chose to challenge myself to learn to eat--and like--arugula.
Flipping through some recipes, I happened across arugula pesto. And I like basil pesto, so I figured it might be fun to try it with arugula. It turned out so tasty I was eating it by the spoonful!
So I cruised the Internet and found a lot of recipes for pesto using a lot of other greens that people often turn their noses up at. I found kale pesto, collard pesto, and mustard green pesto.
I think I was open minded to and expecting to like this recipe because I had an expectation of the taste that would be positive. Trying something completely foreign on top of a new food would have been too much. Expectation is half the battle!
So if you're trying to learn to cook and eat new foods, think of ways to cook the new so that it is familiar. Willing to bet it helps you add more new things to your repertoire than you thought yourself capable of.
My friend Kate recently showed me the Whole Foods Market app on her iPhone. It has a lot of features which could really be helpful to someone who's overwhelmed with the thought of menu making and cooking.
Its recipe lists can be filtered based on special preferences such as gluten-free.
If you enter ingredients you already have in your kitchen, it will search for and display recipes using those recipes. Or, you can build your own list from scratch.
If you select a recipe, it will add needed ingredients to your shopping list.
It will work even if you're not shopping at Whole Foods, but if that's what you want to do, it will direct you to their nearest location.
Kate shared that it did the tedious work for her and made a task she used to hate, even a little fun.
This application can be downloaded at the iTunes store.
