karrot kraut

F E R M E N T A T I O N.

I'm all about it these days! My cousin sent me this recipe from her Fermented Vegetables cookbook and I have already made two jars. I love it. I have downsized the recipe to make just one quart jar at a time, the one in the book calls for 8 lbs. carrots! This is so perfect for topping macrobowls, inside summer rolls, on veggie burgers, or just as a bright and tangy side dish.

• 2 lb carrot, shredded or julienne
• 1/2 lb daikon radish, shredded or julienne
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1 inch piece of turmeric, grated
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice 
• a little bit of lemon zest ~ 1/2 tsp

I have a julienne peeler so I prepared my carrots and daikon that way, but grating or shredding them would work just fine. Finely grate the ginger and turmeric. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and massage gently until a brine starts to form. This should only take a minute or two.

Transfer kraut into a clean quart jar and press firmly so all carrots are covered in brine. I like to cover my jar with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band and leave it on the counter to ferment. There are several ways to do this step (in a bowl, crock, etc.) but this has worked best for me, it's how I do sauerkraut and kim chee as well.

I left mine on the counter for a week this time before refrigerating, but this step will vary as well. Because I live in Hawaii and it is almost always warm and humid, it doesn't take long to ferment. In cooler climates it may take longer, up to two weeks. A good test is a taste test! It should be tangy but not rancid, you'll know, trust me. And keep in mind that because carrots have a high sugar content, they will continue to ferment in the fridge.

Once refrigerated, enjoy liberally :)

intuitive eating

I know I haven't been the best blogger lately, but bare with me. School is so demanding, and as much as I want to make blogging a priority, school takes precedence. Don't worry though, there's still something in it for you, because the more I learn about nutrition, the more you learn.

Studying nutrition in Hawaii

But there is more to nutrition than just the composition of food and what it does for our bodies. Obviously, because we know for the most part what is good and bad for us, how to count calories and carbs, and how much of each specific macro and micro nutrient we need, yet we are still suffering from a global obesity epidemic that is directly related to diet. There is a psychological component that is making us sick. For some reason we aren't listening; not to the USDA guidelines, to doctors, to scientists and teachers, and most importantly, we aren't listening to ourselves.

A concept relatively new to me that I first heard about on a Jess Lively podcast, and recently have done some of my own research, may be the key to successful weight loss and long term health. Intuitive Eating. 

Intuitive eating is defined as "the dynamic process-integrating attunement of mind, body, and food" (Tribole, 2012). This means having a connection to your body's internal cues for hunger and satiety, and letting them regulate your food intake. It means mindfulness, attention, awareness, and self-love. If you're thinking, "Whatever! If I ate whenever I was hungry I'd be eating all the time!" Then great, that's what I thought too. But there is more to it.

It consists of four main components:

1. Unconditional permission to eat when hungry and whatever food is desired. 
2. Eating for physical rather than emotional reasons.
3. Reliance on eater's internal hunger and satiety cues determines when to eat and how much. 
4. Body-Food Choice Congruence-- choosing foods mindfully based on how your body responds to them (Tylka, 2013)

This concept may seem strange, but the things we have been doing, like restrictive eating compiled with self-critical thoughts and comparing ourselves to supermodels, have not really been that successful. A five year-follow up study on adolescents shows that restrictive eating (dieting) can actually be associated with obesity, higher BMI, and increase the risk of eating disorders. In contrast, interventions that focused on long term health, physical activity, and positive body image resulted in prevention of obesity and eating disorders (Neumark-Sztainer, 2006).

So how does it work? You basically focus on the food that you are eating. Enjoy it, taste it, feel it, and stop when you feel full. I don't know about you, but I have always had a hard time feeling when I am full. Fortunately, research shows that eating mindfully at one meal will reduce intake later on in the day because you vividly remember what and how much you ate (Higgs, 2011). So even if you can't quite recognize those innate signs of hunger and satiety, because we have been training ourselves to ignore or override them for most of our lives, just start by paying attention. The next meal you sit down to try to eliminate distractions, focus on each bite, and acknowledge how you feel before, during, and after the meal. I'm trying it too, so I'll be right there with you. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks about intuitive eating and if you are willing to try it or if it is working for you!

Yep, still trying to find my balance

References:

Higgs S, Donohoe JE. Focusing on food during lunch enhances lunch memory and decreases later snack intake. Appetite. Vol 57. England: 2011 Elsevier Ltd; 2011:202-206.

Neumark-Sztainer D, Wall M, Guo J, Story M, Haines J, Ei- senberg M. Obesity, disordered eating, and eating disorders in a longitudinal study of adolescents: how do dieters fare 5 years later? J Am Diet Assoc 2006;106(4):559-68. doi:10.1016/j. jada.2006.01.003.

Tribole E, Resch E. Intuitive Eating. A Revolutionary Program That Works; 2012:1-344.

Tylka TL, Kroon Van Diest AM. The Intuitive Eating Scale–2: Item refinement and psychometric evaluation with college wo- men and men. J Couns Psychol 2013;60(1):137-153.

tomato + turmeric soup with black olive + black kale pesto on toast

This semester I have a late class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I am gone all day and don't get home until around 6:30pm.  This has resulted in many "easy dinners"-- salad nights, pizza nights, and eating out at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant (Saigon's, as mentioned in an earlier post). I have also adopted some new habits to that cut down cooking time on these nights. I plan ahead. I have always done some planning for the week but now it's crucial. So I do things like pre-make brown rice and cut up a bunch of veggies so I can throw together a quick stir fry. Or, in this case, pre-make an awesome pesto and chop up veggies for a quick blended soup. I am so excited to share this one with you!

I made this pesto the day before but it would also be fine to make a few days ahead of time, or even freeze it for a while. This recipe makes a decent amount and has limited oil so don't feel bad about piling it on-- it makes a mean pesto toast.

black olive + black kale pesto

• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup roughly chopped black kale (dino kale, lacinato kale, etc.)
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives (2.25 oz can)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and blend until chunky. While it's running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Blend to desired consistency.

Now for the soup. This recipe is so easy and fast, and can be made even faster by prepping the veggies ahead of time!

tomato + turmeric soup

• 6 medium tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp miso paste 
• 2-3 inches turmeric root, or 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
•  salt to taste
• handful of chopped fresh parsley

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to a high speed blender or nutribullet. Add all other ingredients except the coconut milk and parsley to the tomatoes. Blend on high until super smooth. Transfer to a soup pot and add the can of coconut milk. Heat at a slow simmer for about 15 minutes, taste for salt. I usually don't need any more salt than the miso paste has to offer, but other palettes may be different so make sure you have a taste test!

While the soup is cooking, slather some fresh pieces of crusty bread with pesto and toast in a 400 F oven for about 5 minutes or until toasty and heated.

Serve soup topped with fresh parsley (fresh cilantro would be nice too if you have some left over from pesto making!).