Sweet Potato Home Fries

 Out with the white potato, in with the sweet potato!  Not that white potatoes aren’t delicious (and believe me, they are!), but I think most of us can agree that the starchy, carb-filled white potato has a much more limited place on the menu than it did a few years ago.  I have not cooked with white potatoes in over two years and, instead, have been experimenting with the deliciously versatile sweet potato in my kitchen.   With sweet potatoes, I’ve made everything from French fries and breakfast hash to mashed potatoes and chips.

Some benefits of sweet potatoes include: a low glycemic index, plenty of antioxidants, and an abundance of important vitamins and minerals.  It’s also important to note that sweet potatoes are part of an entirely different botanical family than white potatoes; and, perhaps most importantly, sweet potatoes do not contain nighshade alkaloids like white potatoes which can provoke allergies and cause inflammation.  For the those with inquisitive minds, here are few informational articles about sweet potatoes:

Sweet Potato Basics

Health Benefits of the Sweet Potato

The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams

One easy recipe that I fall back on again and again when I need some extra carbs (or extra comfort!) in my diet is sweet potato home fries.  A favorite of Dave and mine for breakfast or brunch, we’ve also served this dish for dinner and, judging by the positive response we’ve received from guests, this will be a dish to keep in the recipe book for years to come!  Enjoy my recipe for sweet potato home fries whenever you feel the craving for a good, home-cooked meat and potatoes meal!

Sweet Potato Home Fries

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons fat or oil (butter, olive oil, or coconut oil)
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Dice sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes.  

Heat the fat or oil in a heavy skillet (ceramic-covered cast iron works best).   Turn heat to medium-high and add sweet potatoes, stirring until coated with oil.  Season with cinnamon, salt and pepper.  

Cook until lightly browned, stirring often.  Turn heat down to medium low to finish cooking.  Sweet potatoes should be lightly browned, cooked through, and a bit crispy.

 

Sweet potato home fries shown with my quinoa cakes eggs benedict, the perfect brunch!

Fat Head - A Review of the Documentary Film

It isn't often that Dave or I come down with a cold or debilitating illness of any kind, but for the past week we've both been battling a pretty nasty cold bug.  As they say "something's going around" and sometimes, as hard as we try, it's just impossible to avoid getting sick.  Needless to say, I've been spending a lot of time lying around reading, and, well, watching the tube.  Luckily we had filled up the ol' Netflix queue with some goodies, and Friday we treated our sick selves to Fat Head, a sort of follow-up film to Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary, Super Size Me.

I had actually not heard of Fat Head until recently, when a co-worker who has also had much success with a low-carb, whole foods-based diet, recommended the film to me.  Sadly, Fat Head has not experienced much mainstream success or popularity and, after viewing the film, I know exactly why: Fat Head challenges many of the myths we've been fed by nutrition "experts," doctors, agricultural lobbyists, the government and big pharma.  That's a heck of a lot of powerful people for one man to discredit!

I honestly couldn't tell you when the last time was that I ate at a McDonald's or other fast food joint, but up until a few years ago, I loved the stuff and would find myself in the drive-thru at least once a week.  However, all it takes is a conscious decision to change, and that's what I did. Not too far into my initial shunning of fast food I watched Super Size Me and loved it.  I think I actually cheered while watching it. So many thoughts filled my mind, but mostly I was thinking "McDonald's is horrible!  How could they be doing this to people???  They must be exposed!"  I was not alone with these thoughts, as Spurlock had planted the idea in the minds of thousands that the obesity epidemic and dramatic increase in chronic disease, heart disease, and diabetes all lay within the fast food industry's ability to feed the American people junk.  As easy as it can be to place the blame on McDonald's, this approach is neither logical nor fair. Fat Head has inspired me to think a little harder and apply the knowledge I already have regarding nutrition and the human body in order to come to a more logical conclusion as to why Americans are faced with this health epidemic.

In the documentary film Fat Head, comedian and health writer Tom Naughton proves that one can be healthy by eating a diet rich in good fats, discovers that many of the nutrition "facts" we've been fed over the past fifty years are bologna,  and shows it's even possible for one to lose weight by eating nothing but fast food for a solid month.  Before embarking on his 100% fast food diet, Naughton visits his doctor where he learns he is considered obese and has a very high body fat percentage, but also, surprisingly, find out his cholesterol levels are "incredible." Giving himself realistic rules for the experiment (he doesn't eat the salads and yogurt parfaits; he actually eats traditional fast food) but also taking into consideration that he is a human with a brain and can make decisions (i.e. saying "no" when asked if he'd like to super size), he decides to limit his caloric and carbohydrate intake to certain levels.  In the end, the guy actually loses weight and reduces his body fat by eating three fast food meals per day.  As a follow-up, he eats a diet rich in saturated fats, vegetables, and fruit for one month, totally eliminating grains and sugar, and further improves his health situation!  My favorite part of the film happens when Naughton visits his doctor following his first experiment, learns he has lot weight and lowered his BMI, and the doctor actually says "I don't like what you're proving here."  Hmmmm, I wonder why?

Now, don't jump to conclusions; Naughton is not stupid and does not promote eating fast food regularly as a healthy lifestyle decision, but instead digs deep to uncover facts and, above all, encourages freedom of choice.  Proof that a diet full of fast food is not the healthiest, he learns his HDL ("good" cholesterol) has gone down after his month-long fast food diet; evidence that the vegetable oils used at most fast food joints are detrimental to health.  Conversely, after spending a month on his saturated fat diet, his HDL shoots back up again, further proving that eating saturated fats does NOT have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. There is detailed discussion about cholesterol, what the numbers mean, and the fact that there is much more to it than "good" and "bad," unlike what our doctors tell us (at least most of us, anyway).  Along with the discussion of cholesterol and the lipid hypothesis, Naughton delves into the specifics behind how the body processes carbohydrates and the negative effects of a grain-heavy diet.  He also introduces the often pooh-pooh'd idea that overweight folks can be healthy with regular blood pressure, good cholesterol numbers, and no chronic diseases.  On the flip side, skinny people can be unhealthy (and many are), presenting with metabolic syndrome or other blood sugar-related illnesses.  I also appreciated Naughton's respect for the average person's intelligence level.  Most of us know that fast food is not healthy, but yet understand that it's a personal choice to eat it, whether daily, weekly, monthly, or only once in a blue moon.  Personally, if I never saw another McDonald's again, I would be happy (largely because I don't approve of their sourcing from factory farms), but that is just my opinion and clearly there are far more people who disagree with me, seeing as our country is full of Mickey-D's! 

Fat Head is filled with a good amount of humor (Naughton is a former stand-up comic, after all), but is also rich with information from leaders in the health and wellness field.  There are plenty of moments where Naughton refuses to tell viewers what to do or think, but instead presents the facts and leaves it in the hands of his audience.  While the basic premise of the documentary revolves around Naughton's fast food diet, the film reaches beyond the obvious and encourages viewers to think for themselves, realizing that creating a truly healthy lifestyle has nothing to do with the presence (or absence) of McDonald's, but instead comes from one's own effort, determination and willingness to learn.

Steuben's Brunch Review

Ok, time for take two at Steuben’s in Denver’s Uptown Neighborhood! This time Dave and I decided to try brunch at this renowned “urban diner” and I found myself to be beyond impressed with the gluten-free brunch offerings.  Not only could we have all of those deliciously bad forbidden delights (French fries, hash browns, chicken wings, etc.), but there were also plenty of other options to choose from.  The brunch menu is an eclectic mix of breakfast, lunch and dinner, with offerings like salads, soups, omelettes, eggs benedicts, sandwiches, burgers, and various sides, and, surprisingly, our gluten-free menu proudly hosted a good 75% of the regular menu (minus the bread, mind you!). 

Since it was Saturday and it is rare that we come across a gluten-free wing, we decided to share the buffalo chicken wings with bleu cheese.  Normally we request our wings extra crispy, but did not this time and we were both happy that the texture was neither too dry nor overly moist.  The flavor was there, but definitely not super spicy or overpowering.  I found the bleu cheese dressing to be one of the best I’ve had ; it was clearly house-made and had some chives mixed in for extra flavor.  Even the veggies served alongside were tempting – very fresh and crispy, definitely a step up from the anemic celery and carrot sticks that normally accompany wings.  I must say that we were thoroughly tempted by our server’s description of the “Steubie Snacks”, another item on the gluten-free appetizer menus which consists of fried pork chunks, dusted with powdered sugar and served with a house made sauce.  We did, however, resist the urge (at least on this occasion!).

As for the entrees, Dave decided to stick with a classic and had two eggs with sausage and hash browns.  Of course, he lathered everything with Tabasco, but not before I could steal a few bites.  The sausage patties were generously portioned and had a nice subtly spicy flavor.  Hash browns were crispy and the eggs were perfectly cooked (over easy); both were yummy.  As for me, I could not resist trying a cup of the French onion soup, and so decided to lighten up the rest of my meal by ordering the chopped salad, dressed with the house vinaigrette.  As a fan of French onion soup, I must say Steuben’s definitely gets this right.  The soup is not too salty but at the same time packs a lot of flavor.  They certainly do not skimp on the gruyere and, trust me, I did not miss the crouton!  The salad was a typical chopped salad with bacon, eggs, chicken, avocado, and tomatoes.  All of the ingredients were fresh and colorful, unlike a few chopped salads I’ve had in the recent past (I won’t name names here…).  I could take or leave the vinaigrette, as it was mostly flavorless but did add a bit of much needed moisture to the salad.  All in all, we were happy and quite impressed with the presentation and flavor of all of our dishes. 

It was, again, a nice sunny day here in Denver so we were able to dine al fresco.  The tables are nicely spaced and service was excellent, as usual.  Besides the fact that brunch can get a bit pricey if you include a couple drinks, I was very pleased with the experience and quality of food and will definitely be dining here again in the near future.  If you live or will be visiting Denver anytime soon, I highly recommend a visit to Steuben’s on 17^th Avenue in Denver!

Gluten-Free at DIA - Pour la France Review

Over the past weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to make a quick trip out to Boston to spend some time with Dave (he’s working there for a couple weeks) and also visit friends.  As an inexperienced traveler who has only navigated the airport on my own a handful of times, I was understandably a bit anxious about my trip.  Add to that my dietary concerns, the stress of a couple short layovers, and I had myself pretty worked up!  Luckily, I planned ahead, allowed myself plenty of time, and was able to enjoy a lovely gluten-free breakfast before catching my plane.

Pour La France, Denver International Airport

We all know how stressful it can be to find appropriate gluten-free food offerings, especially when travelling, and this trip was no exception.  On this particular occasion, I found myself desperately in need of an early breakfast since I knew I probably wouldn't be eating a meal again until dinner time.  And so, I was quite pleased to find my departure gate right next to Terminal B’s Pour la France.

Not only was Pour la France open early enough for my 6:00 am meal time (they open at 5:00 am every morning), but I also knew from a prior Google search that they would be able to accommodate my gluten-free diet.  I approached the hostess and asked to take a peek at the gluten-free selections.  She promptly handed me their designated gluten-free breakfast menu.  Of course, it was much smaller than the regular breakfast menu and I certainly didn't see any of those delicious-looking croissants or cinnamon rolls on my menu, but, in all honesty, I didn't care!  

The gluten-free breakfast menu has four meal options, most of which are omelette dishes, but they also offer yogurt, fruit, gluten-free bread, and a few other items in the "sides" section.  I decided to go with the Omelette François (ham, mushrooms, and cheese) and was given a choice of tomatoes or potatoes on the side.  For airport food, my meal was definitely “good enough” and did the trick.  Most importantly, I knew I was eating a meal which would sustain me throughout my travels and NOT make me sick.

The wait staff were extremely attentive, service was quick, and everyone I spoke to seemed to have a basic understanding of “gluten-free. “  Pour la France does offer gluten-free menus for lunch and dinner as well, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to look at these menus.  However, if what I read online is any indication then it's worth a try in the future. All in all, I was pleased that my meal decision was much easier than usual when travelling and now have a go-to gluten-free restaurant at DIA!

Should We Really Save Our Best for Later?

The idea to save our best for later has been around for a very long time.  It wasn’t too long ago that many of the items which we take for granted today were cherished household possessions.  Manufacturing and technology simply weren’t where they are today, and so it was quite costly and fairly difficult to replace items that may have been broken or lost.

Times have changed and we have certainly become more of a “throw away” culture, thriving on inexpensive, short-lived products while our few quality items sit behind glass or tucked away in the attic.  Now, many of the reasons we save our best for later are different.  However, I don’t think the concept to use our best more often is foreign by any means.  Several books I’ve recently read discuss the idea, it’s been mentioned many times on some of my favorite blogs, and I’ve even had a few friends and family members chime in with their take on the topic.  Since I found the same example used again and again, I’ll share it with you all as well:

How many of us have three, four, or even five sets of dishware?   There’s that REALLY nice china set that was a wedding gift or has been in the family for years.  This particular set either sits carefully wrapped in storage or inside a china cabinet, only to be used for very special occasions (or, more accurately, not at all).  Then there’s a set that’s not nearly as fancy as the fine china, but is still nice enough to use when company is over.  Lastly, there’s the regular, everyday set, cracked, chipped, and probably missing a few pieces.  This is what most of us serve ourselves and our families with daily.  Why do we save our best for later (which rarely comes, I might add)?  Why not enjoy what we have, getting rid of those expired dishes and use the nice stuff instead?  If a piece breaks, then replace it with something similar.  While a dish may be beautiful or carry family history, it shouldn’t be treated as a burden or an artifact.  Consider your family, your friends and yourself worthy of enjoying the best.

It makes a whole lot of sense to think about using our best when de-cluttering.  Do you really need to hold on to all those dish sets when one or two will surely be enough?  If you truly love something, why does it sit untouched in a closet year after year?  Clothing, dishware, furniture – many items we own are sometimes considered to be “too nice” to use for most occasions, and then sit, unused, for years!  These items were created to be used and enjoyed, not collect dust!  Some may argue that if we are always using our best, then what do we do when a truly grand occasion comes around?  It’s my opinion that there are always ways to make a day or an event special and, most of the time, it’s simply the joy of that particular occasion that makes it most memorable.  I also firmly believe that in life, it’s often the small moments that are most precious, and so I aim to make each of my “everydays” special.  I challenge you to use your beautiful china for a mid-week meal, drink a glass of that wine you’ve been saving for a “special occasion”, and wear one of those nice outfits in the back of your closet.  What a lovely way to enjoy life!

Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Along with whole chicken, beef brisket is another one of those meats that I had no desire to mess around with prior to about a year ago.  When it comes to red meat I tend to stick with the ground variety, largely because I just don’t like the texture of other steak-like cuts.  It wasn’t until I had regularly frequented the farmer’s market for about a year that I finally decided to try something a bit unfamiliar.  Dave suggested the brisket, and I, having no clue what to do with that two and a half pound cut, was understandably a little wary.  I forget how we cooked the brisket that first time, but what I do remember is that it was nothing like what I thought it would be.  Slow-cooking is really the best way to go and I find when properly cooked and served with a flavorful sauce, brisket can be moist and quite delicious.  While brisket isn’t a staple in my weekly menu, I do enjoy serving it from time to time, especially when I see a nice one at the farmer’s market.  Enjoy my recipe below!

For the barbeque sauce:

• 2 cups ketchup (use a corn syrup-free brand)
• 1 cup water, room temperature
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard

 

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan.    

Place over medium-low heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

For the brisket:

• 2-2.5 pound beef brisket
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 cups barbeque sauce (recipe above)

Lightly salt and pepper the brisket.  Place in a slow cooker.  

Smother brisket with barbeque sauce.  Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 2 hours, turning brisket after 1 hour.  

Remove from slow cooker and slice into ½ inch strips.  Serve with remaining barbeque sauce.

What's Your Resolution?

While I’m not too keen on making one single big New Year’s Resolution, I do appreciate the tradition of reflecting on the events of the past year and thinking about how to move forward in the year to come.  If you’re anything like me, you don’t need a special season to set high expectations for yourself; you’ve already got the goals set with a detailed plan in place to ensure they will be reached in a timely fashion.  Ahh, the joys of being a Type A personality! Maybe you have made a single resolution for 2013 or perhaps you’re in the same boat as me, but in any case remember to stick to your guns, regardless of missteps, temptations, and naysayers. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself when you aren’t perfect.  I’ll give you an example:  Dave decided he would start eating 100% gluten-free for the New Year.  Twelve hours into 2013 he grabbed a beer out of the fridge and drank half of the bottle before realizing that his beverage was not gluten-free (another reason to rid your home of everything containing gluten!).  Clearly, this was not intentional, but a misstep still the same.  Instead of throwing his hands up and declaring gluten-free to be an impossible feat, he told me about it, we both laughed and then decided to buy some gluten-free beer to make things easier for him.  Likewise, don’t give up when you make a mistake or feel bummed about making slow progress.  As my husband frequently tells me, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  So true.

Temptation can present itself in many forms, but we are most likely to give in when feeling vulnerable.  Make a conscious decision to remove yourself from situations that may result in giving in to temptation.  Don’t make exceptions.  Constantly remind yourself of the big picture, whether through gathering with like-minded people once a week, posting words of encouragement in your home, or simply spending some time each day in quiet thought to stay focused. 

Do what you feel is right, regardless of those who may doubt your abilities or ideas.  Remember that we are all here to do the best we can with the time we’ve been given.  Others may not understand your goals, but as long as you can see the big picture and feel you are heading in the right direction then that is all that matters.  Maybe you have noticed that YOU are one of the naysayers from time to time (we all are, really).  In this case, try not to doubt others but instead provide encouragement and learn to appreciate we all have different paths that are waiting to be discovered. 

What are your goals for 2013?  I hope you are able to achieve them and much more in the months ahead.  Cheers!

**If you are thinking about going gluten-free for 2013, take a look at my step by step plan HERE.