Fat, Carbs, the American Diet… and a GIVEAWAY!!

24 Comments April 2, 2014 Lauren

A few weeks ago, I posted about the nutritional philosophies of my beloved Michael Pollan, journalist and food activist extraordinaire. Pollan believes that the American diet has been seriously skewed over the last 50 years, coinciding with the boom of the food, fast food, junk food, and nutrition industries- a theory I agree with. He’s also the author of my favorite food quote: “Eat food. Not too much, Mostly plants.” Perfect summary! As an interesting part of his belief in a diet comprised of simple, minimally processed, whole foods, Pollan, along with many others in the food community, suggests that the fat-free craze of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s and the subsequent elimination of fat from our diets contributed to the current American obesity epidemic.

Wait, what? Fat-free diets made us fat?

mind: BLOWN

You betcha. In the 1970’s, as heart disease rates crept upward, Americans were so desperate for a quick fix that we bought into new and shaky nutrition guidelines telling us that all dietary fat was bad. We stripped it from our diets, following the guidelines and replacing fat with sugar and carbs. And not just any carbs- highly refined, nutritionally void, calorie-dense carbs. But what if we’d replaced the fat with complex carbs!, you may argue, whole grains and fiber and brown rice and glycogen stores and all that!, you may say. Exactly. As NPR’s Allison Aubrey pointed out in her piece about the fat-free craze, “…the kinds of carbs the authors of the [nutrition] guidelines had in mind were whole grains, fruits and vegetables. But this message was lost in translation. What did Americans hear? Fat is bad; carbs are good.” Enter the food industry, cleverly sweeping in to replace fat with tasty, “guilt-free,” high sugar, highly processed, and, most importantly, highly profitable alternatives.

Think sugary, fat-free cookies and muffins.

Think WOW! chips made with Olestra and their hilariously horrifying warning labels.

Think fat-free salad dressing: remove all fat, replace with sugar and corn syrup. Check out the ingredient list of Kraft’s Fat Free Italian:

Ingredients: WATER, VINEGAR, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, SALT, PARMESAN CHEESE* (PART-SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF GARLIC, ONION JUICE, WHEY, PHOSPHORIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, YEAST EXTRACT, SPICE, RED BELL PEPPERS*, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, GARLIC*, BUTTERMILK*, CARAMEL COLOR, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, ENZYMES, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FRESHNESS). *DRIED. CONTAINS: MILK.

How are sugar, corn syrup, and preservatives better for the body than good old olive oil and vinegar? Simply put, they’re not. The sky-high obesity and diabetes rates that followed the food industry-benefitting industrialized diet have shown us just that. Super-sized portions, added sugars at every turn, and carby convenience foods to pander to our too-busy lifestyles blew us up and pulled us away from cooking the way our grandmothers did, which we realize now wasn’t such a bad way to cook.

FAT CHANCE:

One particularly vocal advocate of the benefits of fat and the detriments of sugar is triathlete Sami Inkinen. Inkinen, founder of Trulia, is a freak of nature athlete and computer-brain from some far-off Nordic land where the clean air, snow-capped mountains, and crystal clear streams produce people like him all the time. He’s so convinced that fat consumption is essential to building a healthy human body (and that sugar is toxic) that this June, he and his wife are rowing- unsupported -the 2400 miles from San Francisco to Hawaii, consuming mostly protein and fat to prove their point. This is a triathlete, mind you- a person you might think would preach a high-carb diet for energy, but no. He maintains a no added sugar diet and a moderate carbohydrate intake. Inkinen’s way of approaching carbs and fighting sugar may seem extreme, but it’s definitely interesting; his stellar triathlon performance certainly doesn’t betray his nutrition principles. You can follow and donate to the Fat Chance Row’s noble fight against sugar at FatChanceRow.org.

So, what now, masters Pollan and Inkinen? Here we are in 2014- overweight, over-medicated, cutting sugar and reintroducing simple, whole foods to our diets. And learning (with trepidation) how to reintroduce healthy fats to our diets. Nuts, coconut and coconut oil, olive oil, olives, fish if you eat it, organic dairy if you eat it, avocado, flax, chia, seeds, and so many more sources await a healthier you. Run from sugar. Embrace healthy fats for a healthy weight and a happy, healthy body.

Now let’s have some fun with a giveaway!

Cute logo, huh? I think so, too. My Coconut Kitchen is a Lake St. Louis-based company that specializes in luscious coconut butters chock full of the healthy fat and amino acids your body needs for healthy cell building and repair. Owner, athlete, and coconut whisperer Angie Carl expertly whips toasted, unsweetened coconut and natural flavors into versatile spreads. Her wide flavor selection ranges from classic toasty coconut to cherry-almond. And it gets better- check out the coconut butter’s impressive nutritional information.

I ordered my first 3-pack last week and brought it to my in-laws’ house. Sharing in itself was a deserted island-style gamble, as we all love to eat… I made it home with one jar. The five of us slathered the delicious spreads onto fruit and crackers and mixed it into coffee, tea, groats, and yogurt. To be honest, I ate more than a bit straight off the spoon. More honesty: I regret nothing. My Coconut Kitchen has a whole slew of ideas for how else to use the butters:

In smoothies, protein shakes and oatmeal
Spread on banana, apple or zucchini bread
On top of yogurt, cottage cheese, cereal or granola
Warmed up and used as a dip for fruit, cookies, or drizzled over bacon
Spread on pancakes, French toast, crepes or a peanut butter sandwich
Drizzled over ice cream or frozen yogurt
Mixed with red hot sauce and served with chicken, shrimp of veggies
In one of their tasty recipes < check out this amazing, chef-created list!
Straight off of the spoon! < Lauren tested and approved

I want to try them all! I’m especially excited to add some to our favorite sweet potato and red lentil soup the next time I make it. Coconut butter enthusiasts out of the area can order the entire range of My Coconut Kitchen products online, and St. Louis area locals can find Angie’s coconut butters at Local Harvest, Freddie’s Market, O’Fallon Nutrition, Emerge Fitness Training, and at a variety of farmer’s markets and local events each month.

For today’s post, Angie has graciously provided allez! gourmet with a 3-pack sampler of 8-oz jars for our first giveaway! Thanks, Angie! To enter to win the sampler, which includes roasty toasty coconut, cherry on top, and Cooper loves chocolate, follow allez! gourmet and leave a comment in the section below. Tell me how YOU incorporate healthy fats into YOUR diet! One winner will be selected at random Wednesday (4/9) at 11:30 am CST and announced on next week’s Thursday entry (4/10).

As always, thanks for reading- and good luck!

Focaccia! Deep-dish Focaccia! (v)

Leave a comment February 18, 2014 Lauren

Dave and I were fortunate enough to visit the most beautiful place in the world recently: the U.S. Virgin Island of St. John. The island is 2/3 national park (whaaa!), has beaches varying from pristine white sand with aquamarine water to grassy turtle habitat to all smooth, gray rock, it’s dotted with Dutch and Danish sugar mill ruins, and it’s crisscrossed with challenging and well-maintained hiking trails. The fact that the majority of the island is a park keeps the riff raff out (airports, huge all-inclusive resorts, restaurant chains, shopping malls) and that’s helped the wildlife, flora, coral, and sea life stay healthy and breathtaking. It’s pretty much the real-life Neverland. I know this because the people of St. John each have a glinting glimmer of Lost Boy in their eyes.

Neverland, I tell ya

We fell in love the moment we arrived and swam, hiked, and ran over as much of the island as we could during our stay. We snorkeled daily, swimming with hawksbill turtles, myriad tropical fish by the school full, barracuda, rays, and even a large eagle ray. Rarely have I come back from a vacation in better shape than I left, but that was definitely the case coming home from St. John. And while the scrubby Missouri hills of home can’t compare to the vertical, emerald green volcanic mountains of STJ, I am determined to forge a hiking habit this summer, ticks be damned. Each day after hiking and swimming, we’d head to better-than-they-have-to-be food and drink spots like the Fatty Crab (order the Recession Special), Sam & Jack’s, Vie’s Snack Shack for conch fritters, Skinny Legs for burgers, live music, and shots with locals, and Asolare (go straight to the bar to meet Kim, master mixologist). I’m telling you, if you’re an outdoorsy nature lover who also enjoys outstanding and creative food, people, and drink, St. John may very well be the island for you. It certainly stole our hearts.

Outside of physical exertion and rum-swilling good times, a highlight of our trip was an incredibly romantic dinner Dave booked with Ted’s Supper Club, a well-known private chef service on the island. We were agog watching Ted cook. A-freaking-GOG. The skilled and professional Chef Ted whipped up an unforgettable meal of salad, dumplings, scallops, fish, veggies, lava cake, and a deep-dish focaccia bread with pesto and tomatoes cooked in cast iron that held us over for days. The focaccia really made an impression on us and I vowed to make it when we got home. That was in January; we have refined our humble approximation over three tries since. I present to you: Lauren and Dave’s deep-dish St. Louis focaccia by way of Chef Ted of St. John. Hearty. Delicious. Bring a hunk on a hike.

DEEP-DISH FOCACCIA

Humbly and reverently adapted from Ted’s Supper Club and Italian Food Forever

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tbsp (3 packets) instant yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Italian seasoning
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
Parmesan cheese, optional (recipe is vegan without)

Directions:

Note: I let this bread rise three times, so go into this knowing that it’s is a time-consuming recipe, even with the speed-rise method I recommend. Mostly hands-off time, but still. In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour, salt, Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and yeast. Add 1 cup of warm water and stir until combined. Add the remaining cup water, 1 tablespoon pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir the rest of this in well until the mixture resembles a shaggy ball. This takes a bit of manhandling and you could take care of this step in a Kitchenaid with the hook attachment if you’d like.

I was lazy and didn’t take a picture of this step. Shame, shame! Enjoy this map of Neverland instead (available on etsy).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter or prep board and knead for about five minutes, until the dough is smooth and uniform. You may want to have your hunky husband take care of this step as you watch him admiringly from the other side of the kitchen, what with his being all rustic and manly and kneading the dough and all. Shape the dough into a ball. You’ll be very happy with how pretty it looks at this point. I’m happy for you, too. Ted would keep a small chunk of dough from his most recent focaccia as a starter, which we have begun to do as well. This helps the dough develop a yeasty, sourdough flavor, so tear off a hunk and refrigerate for your next batch if you plan to do the same. In a large, clean, glass mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp of the olive oil and place your dough in the bowl, turning to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside.

Now, for the rising process: I use a rapid-rise method for this bread, and it works wonderfully. Place a measuring cup (I use the same glass measuring cup I measured the water with) and microwave for about a minute thirty, until hot. Leave the cup in the microwave, and place your covered dough bowl in next to it. Close the microwave and let the dough rise until doubled, about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on this- take a picture on your phone for reference if you want to compare size. After the dough has risen, punch it down with the backs of your hands until the built-up gas has been released, then fold over itself, coating with the oil in the bowl, and cover again with the plastic wrap (I had to reach out to an expert baker friend from high school on this step via Facebook; I ❤ social networking). Let the dough rise a second time, punch down a second time, and let the dough rise a third and final time. Whew. This will take an hour to an hour and a half total. You will be handsomely rewarded for your patience, I promise.

doubling

Now! Preheat your oven to 425. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a cast iron pan, coating the bottom and sides. Remove the dough bowl from the microwave, punching down the dough a final time. Spread the dough out evenly in the pan with your fingers. Don’t you feel homey and capable? You should. Poke a few holes in the top of the dough, spread the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon pesto, and sprinkle with Parmesan, if you’d like.

Bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack of your oven, turning once. THIS STUFF IS DELICIOUS. We cut it into squares because we eat too much at a time otherwise but slices work, too. Top with a mix of hearty vegetables, or serve with marinara, meat sauce, or soup. Or just eat it plain and dream of the islands as you enjoy your lovely creation by the fistful. Così buono!

Stand Mixer Buttermilk Biscuits, or Ode to the KitchenAid, or Today, I Am A Woman

12 Comments February 10, 2014 Lauren

For Christmas, my thoughtful and generous mother-in-law gifted us the loveliest KitchenAid stand mixer in a retro mint green hue. It is a truly beautiful piece of equipment and an object of design perfection. Opening our new mixer felt like a rite of passage into True Womanhood. Just owning the thing makes me feel like a domestic goddess and I’m pretty sure it’s made me a better wife. Ha!

In my slightly melodramatic, tradition-loving eyes, when one comes to own a KitchenAid, one is inducted into a time-honored order of serious home cooks and bakers. I really feel the blessings of a million lovingly-made birthday cakes and doting grandmothers enveloping my kitchen, and I love them all.

I'm now one degree of separation away from Julia Child. here's her mixer at the National Museum of American History

I’m now one degree of separation away from Julia Child, right? here’s her mixer at the National Museum of American History.

It’s no small surprise that after gazing longingly at the mixer for a few weeks during an especially busy holiday season, as it radiated the mint green glow of graceful experience from its shelf, I launched myself into a series of attempts to make Womanly Things with it. Yesterday’s crack at gender inequality yielded some of the softest, most buttery and delicious biscuits I’ve ever tasted… and I’d made them. WHOA. My gain is your gain! Behold….. buttermilk biscuits!

butter me up

STAND MIXER BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Adapted from Broma Bakery

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 stick butter, chilled and cut into squares
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Set up your stand mixer. Dust off the top. Pat it affectionately. Pre-heat your oven to 425 and grease a baking sheet. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to the bowl and mix at medium speed (I used setting 4) with the whisk attachment. With the whisk attachment still in use and the motor running, add butter squares and allow to mix until the crumbs resemble cornmeal. This will take 3-5 minutes, so be patient- it’s still faster than cutting in butter with a pastry cutter and will be much more even.

Butter should mix in like this

Switch out the whisk for the dough hook attachment and turn speed back up to medium. In three additions, pour in the buttermilk, allowing the dough to absorb it between each pour. Let the dough hook mix it all up until the dough hangs on the hook in a ball, about another minute. Don’t over mix.

dough on hook

Lightly flour your hands, a rolling pin, and your rolling surface and plop the dough down. I really dislike the thought of rolling food out on a counter, so I use a flat, heavy, oversized cutting board for working and rolling dough. So there’s that. Pat the dough into a rough ball and begin rolling out in all directions, keeping the rolled surface level. I rolled my biscuits out to a 1/2 inch, but feel free to roll to a 3/4 inch or 1 inch height for taller biscuits, you showy thing, you. Cut out using a biscuit cutter or, as suggested in the original recipe, the top of a cocktail shaker! That worked perfectly for me- who knew?!

two uses- fabulous!

Cut all of the biscuits you can, and re-roll the dough, re-cutting as needed. This recipe yielded eleven biscuits for me, all of which were eaten same-day. Place the biscuits on your prepped baking sheet or, alternatively, in a cake pan or cast iron skillet for fluffy, pull-apart edges. Bake for 15 minutes, turning the baking sheet once. Voila! You’ve rocketed into the floury stratosphere of People Who Can Make Biscuits! Next time, I’m adding more sugar and using for strawberry-rhubarb shortcakes… stay tuned!

who had the best helpers in the world?! scissors, spoon, and all.

DIY Chocolate Brownie Protein Bars (veg, v, gf)

2 Comments March 4, 2013 Lauren

Hey, all! Disclaimer: I’m pretty much stealing the credit for this, as it was Dave’s project. Couldn’t resist, though, it’s a great recipe!! Dave’s an active guy and puts back a lot of protein, often supplementing and snacking during the day on packaged protein bars. I can’t stand eating those, and I don’t like the idea of the preservatives and binders, etc. that must go into making them.

eat chocolate, get lean

I recently started making DIY energy bars, or what I call “bird seed bars,” using a recipe from the Wassner twin’s blog (I’ll post a Quickie on those the next time I make a batch- they’re divine). Anyway, we thought trying a recipe for at-home protein bars would be cost-effective and more nutritious, and our confidence was bolstered coming off of the successful energy bar project. And speaking of being on a bar-making kick, find the paleo lemon bars we made here. Here are the fudgy, tasty protein bars we made! There are about 15 grams of protein per bar, and they can be made vegan with two simple twists.

DIY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE PROTEIN BARS

Adapted from the Fit Bottomed Eats formula

Ingredients:

1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup almond butter (you can use PB)
1/4 cup pourable honey (brown rice syrup or agave for vegan bars)
1/2 cup natural applesauce
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (or use instant coffee)
1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (gluten-free) or regular oats
2 cups chocolate whey protein powder- use Vega or vegan protein source for vegan bars
1 cup total mixed stir-in options: we used shredded unsweetened coconut, chia seeds, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries. you could add flax, other chopped nuts, other dried fruits, etc.- use whatever you have hanging around in your cabinets. But not more than a cup total.

Directions:

Easy-peasy throw-in-your-blender recipes… gotta love them. This is one! Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan. Coconut oil on a paper towel worked well for this. In your blender or food processor, puree the black beans, almond butter, honey, applesauce, vanilla or coffee, salt, and water. Scrape down the sides, if necessary, pureeing until smooth.

the goods

Add the oats and protein powder and pulse until combined (you may need to stir again). Add your mix-ins and pulse again until combined, stirring if you need to. Spread the batter into the baking dish and bake for 16-20 minutes, until the center is set and firm. Let cool completely and cut into bars (we cut into 12 bars). Keep on the counter for a couple of days, then freeze the leftovers… if there are any. Enjoy! Get your protein on! Look at those muscles…. they’re growing as you read this recipe! Daaang!

Blueberry Hand Pies! Because sometimes, pie is all that will do….

Paleo Lemon Bars… sugar & gluten-free lemony goodness! (gf)

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie, or: To Feed an Ironman, or: M Dot Pot Pie

Carrot Apple Muffins (veg)

2 Comments October 8, 2012 Lauren

Mmm, breakfast!! Dave loves baked goods in general, and these muffins are a tasty and healthy option that can be eaten in the morning or as a snack. They’re great toasted and buttered too. Next time I make them, I want to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking mix in place of the whole wheat flour. Until then, here you go:

CARROT APPLE MUFFINS

Adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup shredded carrots, chopped through several times (you may instead grate whole carrots)
1/4 c walnuts and/or raisins
1- 3.9 oz container unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c milk
1/4 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

my sweet whole wheat flour canister, a $2 antique shop find

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a muffin pan. I always use shortening to grease cake and muffin pans- it has a neutral flavor and a little goes a very long way. I dip a paper towel into the container and swirl a bit into each cup, then flour with the type of flour I’m using in the recipe at hand.

wet & dry

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another mixing bowl, combine chopped shredded carrots, walnuts and/or raisins, oil, milk, eggs, and applesauce. Stir half of the wet ingredients into the dry ones; combine well and then add the rest of the wet ingredients.

my sous chef

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full (1/2 for a large tin)- this will make a dozen muffins. Bake for 20 minutes, and you’re done. Very good buttered, served with scrambled eggs, or as a coffee snack. Such a nice treat for fall!! Enjoy.