TJ's Tex-Mex Chex Mix!

Wow! It seems surreal that I have no academic commitments for an entire week! Not quite sure what to do with myself. Perhaps I'll get to know my doorman better or take up knitting. Actually I think it's a safe bet that neither of those things will be accomplished.

Like most squirrels, I'm a big fan of nuts. I feel sorry for those of you who are allergic---because you are truly missing out on one of mother nature's finest gifts. Anyway, wanted to bring up my love for almonds and share a little story....Most of us grew up with parents who had the big bowl of shelled mixed nuts during the holidays, hence the whole nutcracker vibe. However, some of us had "nut-stingy" parents who would wait until their daughter went to bed and then get to crackin'. But, almost every time their daughter would be woken up by the cracking sound and sidle up to the "cracker" with anticipation for one of the almonds. Now their daughter is old enough to buy her own almonds but because she doesn't buy them in the shell, sadly, some poor migrant worker has probably done the primary labor for her.

Anyway.......Almonds are a super-heart-friendly nut chocked full of vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, iron, protein and fiber. They are a perfect food for all you vegans out there. As well, consumption of ten raw almonds a day, every day, for a month can also help significantly lower your cholesterol by about 10 percent!

In the spirit of the holidays, I thought I might share my own personal favorite healthy/spicy chex mix recipe which contains plenty of almonds. Viva Tejas!!

3 Tablespoons Smart Balance Olive Oil butter
2 Teaspoons Worstershire
2 Teaspoons Jalapeno Tabasco sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cilantro Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder (OPTIONAL--not for the the spicy-intolerant)
2 Cups Whole Wheat Chex
2 Cups Corn Chex
1/2 Cup Almonds
1/2 Cup Peanuts
1 Cup Whole Grain Goldfish Crackers (I prefer the cheddar flavor)
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Annie's Bunny Crackers (I love the fish/rabbit diversity in my chex mix)

Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, and crackers; set aside. In ungreased 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Addressing our Wildlife Obesity Issue....

Well, I think it's time to call the WWF. What on earth are our wild critters getting into that they end up looking like this little guy?? Or is it because he's a Hoosier squirrel? He needs to add more tree bark to his diet!

I have a tendency to think these winter months can be relatively boring when it comes to working out. Most of us succumb to the indoors and if you're not doing a torturous spinning class or power yoga, then one can grow bored very easily. But I have an overall-beneficial solution to curing the winter workout blues......First, it's super-duper crucial for us to do both cardio and weight-training because we automatically lose about 15% of our lean body mass between our mid-20's to our mid 70's. This amount can increase more if we routinely sit on our bums! As well, lean body mass loss can also lead to significant arthritic problems and chronic disease. Weight training is a fantastic way to retain lean muscle mass and cardio is a great compliment to keep the vibe going (and prevent love handles). Even more cool is that interval-cardio burns body fat (or in my case, burns off my dark chocolate habit).

As previously mentioned, indoor workouts can be less-than-entertaining but I wanted to pass along my solution. Because we are all at a different fitness level, feel free to adjust your cardio time (from 5 minute intervals to 20 minute intervals). This workout will take from an hour to two hours depending on cardio time and I highly recommend it 3x a week (then mixing spin class, lower-body weight lifting, and yoga on the other days--wink wink) I also find that having your favorite cooking, news, sports or fitness magazine as your cardio machine-friend really helps too! Or blaring Shakira on your iPod--you choose!

* 10 Minute Warm-up on cardio machine of your choice, rotating 1 minute normal pace & 1 minute medium pace

* 2 15-repetition sets of biceps, 2 15-rep sets of triceps, 1 set of abs

* 10 minute cardio machine of your choice, rotating 1 minute medium pace & minute fast pace

* 2 15-rep sets of back/lat, 2 15-rep sets chest, 2 15-rep sets of shoulders, 1 set of abs

* 10 minute cardio machine of your choice, rotating 1 minute medium pace & minute fast pace

* 2 15-repetition sets of biceps, 2 15-rep sets of triceps, 1 set of abs

* 10 minute cardio machine of your choice, rotating 1 minute medium pace & minute fast pace

* 2 15-rep sets of back/lat, 2 15-rep sets chest, 2 15-rep sets of shoulders, 1 set of abs

* 10 Minute Cool-down on cardio machine of your choice, rotating 1 minute normal pace & 1 minute medium pace

Liver Lovin' Holidays

Hope everyone had a grandiose Turkey Day and was able to stick to their diets (Ha!). Many thanks to Susan because she prepared a brilliant feast. Was thinking back to last Thanksgiving in Africa (see photo) and how it was certainly my most unique holiday experience. We all went up on a big hill which overlooked the Senegal/Mali border (at the Senegal river) and had a massive bonfire to cook steaks, potatoes, onions and apples. Instead of Pinot Noir, we had South African 40-ouncers and watched the various brush burnings from the hilltop. I recommend everyone do this at least once in their lifetime.

Anyway, for those of you who indulged last week (just like me), I have some “de-tox” recommendations for you. Other than significant exercise and a de-toxing week-long vegan diet, there are some other solutions out there.......

Green Tea! If you love alcohol like I do, your liver needs some lovin. Try getting in at least three “green tea shots” per day. True green tea (not the lipton sweetened/pre-made junk) is full of EGCG antioxidant properties and your liver’s detoxing enzymes are stimulated by this. The purest/most economical green tea on the market is Stash Green Tea ($2-$3). You can find it at almost any supermarket. It taste somewhat like ass but here’s my solution. Take one tea bag and 2 oz. hot water, let tea steep for at least 3 minutes, then let it cool down a bit and do it like a shot of tequila (sans salt/lime). Works like a charm! If you want a good detox-sippin’ tea, stick with South African Rooibos.

I also must recommend finding your “ inner bunny rabbit” this holiday season. Make up for your naughty eating by having whole-food dinners or lunches. My personal favorite is a half head of steamed broccoli (chopped up), topped with salsa (preferably fresh) and non-fat plain yogurt (it taste just like sour cream), accompanied by whole wheat toast and spinach scrambled eggs (4 whites, two yolks) topped with more salsa (you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the girl!) or the Thai hot sauce, Sriracha. Buen Provecho!

Cold Weather Stiffness

I don't know about y'all but after spending 10 years of having 10-month summers, this chilly southern Indiana weather has my joints aching as if I were about 20 years older than I really am.
I know I'm not the only one out there with stiff joints (as I do have several lovely "seasoned" readers). Therefore, I have been doing some research on foods which might help out during these stiff/cold winter months and wouldn't you know it--Omega 3's take the cake! While high saturated fat foods (mostly meats and butters) increase joint inflammation, Polyunsaturated omega-3s actually work to decrease inflammation by suppressing the production of cytokines and enzymes that erode cartilage.
Here is a list of some the better Omega-3 source foods on which to concentrate this holiday season:

Walnuts
Seaweed (seaweed salad!)
Ground Flaxseed
Soybeans (Kroger now makes microwavable edamame snack-packs)
Salmon (preferably wild and not farm-raised)
Omega-3 Fortified Eggs
Herring
Sardines/Anchioves
Oysters
Rainbow Trout

Also, Ginger, Cinnamon & Tumeric are great anti-inflammatory spices (Hello Curry and Moroccan delights!!)

And Antioxidants such as:
Vitamin C (especially for the smokers!!)
Selenium (Brazil Nuts);
Vitamin-A in Beta-Carotene form (pumpkin, kale, butternut squash, sweet potatoes)
Anthocyanidins (Blueberries, Blackberries, black currants, cherries, red grapes)
Vitamin D

Bon Appetit!

Rants and Facts

Thought I might put up this photo with a view from my old flat in Houston. Photo courtesy of Groovehouse......I miss Houston and the southern heat (and Groovehouse too!!).

I have decided the next time I read an article or see an interview with an actress who says "Yeah, I'm just a naturally skinny person. I eat whatever I want, although I do workout 3 days a week for 20 minutes each time, with a trainer." I am going to give her a "knuckle sandwich." I despise these women. They set such poor health examples for everyone. I wish a popular magazine would write about how they actually eat only a milligram of food per day and exercise 5 hours a day, 6 days a week. The 7th day, they are probably in the hospital receiving IV fluids so they can muster up enough energy to tell the world how they are "naturally" thin.

anyway.......

In the numerous articles I have read this semester for my nutrition classes, I have found out some very interesting random facts and wanted to share this food for thought with you:

1) 80% of Overweight/Obese Children will become Overweight/Obese adults. This really scares me, because depending on how long you have known me, you probably know I was a very chubby tween. (hello double-dose of boot camp today!!)
2) Because of our overweight/obesity epidemic, Today's generation of children will be the first generation to have a shorter life span than their parents.
3) Over 30% of children in the U.S. do not consume a fruit/veg on a daily basis.
4) Vegetarian children, the primary youth "consumers" of fruit/veg, have slower growth rates than the typical child.

Nobody wins. I will say this though; for those of you who know any kids whom may need a little guidance in the nutrition department, send them my way.

By the way, speaking of healthy eating, this past weekend, I had the world's greatest bbq ribs from the amazing chef at the Guilford Bistro in Broadripple. I highly recommend them!!

La Vida de la clinica......

As most of you know, I am here in Indy with a latino health clinic. A great place which provides spanish-speaking health services over a cinco-state area. However, Saturday we saw over 50 patients within the first four hours and only one patient admitted to exercising at least once a week! I often wonder if the rest of these patients exercised at least once a week if they would still be visiting the clinic??? Although I would choose Western Medicine practice over Eastern any day--there's still something to be said about Eastern medicine and pro-active healthcare as opposed to just "fixing the condition." One day I will find a way to make it easy for everyone to "prevent the condition." (in a perfect world and I'm off my soap box now.....)

NYC was great! The Myklusch's are still one of the Top Ten World's Most Beautiful Families. I also ate my weight in gourmet goodness and give high recommendations to Balthazar, Cafe Bossa and The Shake Shack (best burger of all time--thanks again Mr. Myklusch!). They are all in the lower east side of Manhattan, which is where I will hopefully one day have a cute little part-time dojo.

Thanks to my hosts, I do have the double secret recipe for the Shake Shack Burger. I will not post it on here but if you want it, I will be happy to send it your direction.

INDY FARMERS MARKET: For those of you in Indy looking for some great local goods, there is a new Farmers Market Downtown. Can I please recommend the Vermont Bars from the pastry lady to the right of the entrance. Joder!!!
http://indywinterfarmersmarket.org

Anyway, The other night I made Baked Falafel and I wanted to share this healthy yet flavorful recipe with y'all!

1 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped (or if you like parsley, go for 5!)
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1.5 teaspoons cumin
Smidge of crushed red pepper or my personal fave, Sriracha Hot Sauce!
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons wheat flour
Salt
Pepper
Heat Oven at 375, spray down baking sheet.
Mash chickpeas, spices, tahini, and juice in medium bowl. Mash it real good! Stir in onions/garlic/parsley. Stir in flour
Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball (no Bangkok jokes please!). Slightly flatten. Put on tray, bake 12 minutes and serv'em up on a pita with lettuce, tomato, tahini and tzatziki sauce!

Le Pâté Moderne

What a week! Lots of academia and very little time to fit it all in.

Am looking forward to NYC in just one more week. Can't wait to see Carrie and get in some NYC pizza!

Tomorrow night--for those of you in Indy, the Indiana Ice are hopefully going to get in a few more goals against the Waterloo Blackhawks of Iowa. Actually, I really don't care who wins as long as they serve nachos at the game. Really makes me miss the BBQ pork nachos at the Houston Aeros games (sigh.....).

Sooo, look out Frenchies (you too Camille!), my pâté worked like a charm! I have successfully come up with a low-fat (well, lower fat) and wicked-tasty Foie gras pâté recipe. Something I have also realized in my culinary pâté endeavors is that the pâté consistency completely coincides with the type of butter you use. Firm butter = firm pâté Soft butter = soft pâté. (duh) Remember, Pâté is like a good marinara or curry dish, although it can be eaten straight-away, it is always better on the second (or third) day.

One can use any herb combo, I went with the ol' standbys of garlic, parsley and oregano......


TJ's Pâté

Cooking spray
1/2 small spanish onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1/4 cup mushrooms chopped
3/4 cup light butter (I used Fabio's fave: "I can't believe it's not Butter")
1 cup cooked goose or duck or chicken liver
4 tablespoons brandy. I prefer Torres b/c it's Spanish and tastes best (viva Espana!)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
A few shakes of salt
Several rounds of crushed black pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)

Saute onion & garlic until soft, then add mushrooms for a minute. Set aside. Saute liver in 1/4 cup light butter and 3 tbsp brandy until well cooked. Drain liquid and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes. Mash liver in bowl and then add 1 tbsp brandy, mash in sauteed onion/garlic/mushrooms, then add spices, then mix in butter (with a spoon, not a mixer--I'm old fashioned like that). Make sure all ingredients have mixed-in well and put in air-tight container, add a little parsley, coarse salt and pepper on top to decorate and store in the refrigerator. It will easily keep for a week. Bon Appetit!

Irie Feast

I just found a Jamaican Recipe Website. It seems VERY authentic. Here it is: http://www.jamaicatravelandculture.com/food_and_drink.htm Gonna put a few recipes to the test this weekend!

By the way, here's one of me (drunk) making Guatemalan Pork Butt Stew. Although, that evening, I insisted on calling it Sopa de 'culo de puerco' guatemalteca! You gotta email me for the recipe, it's wayyyyy too long to post.

Stars & Sprouts

So much for the Orionid Meteor Shower the other morning. I did catch about four good streaks before I realized my bed would be a much comfier (and warmer) place. It was brought to my attention that in Florida, it was too cloudy to see the sky but the warm weather and waves crashing on the ocean made up for it (thanks TS!) Although I'm still hoping for some unseasonable Texas or West African weather here in the Hoosier state, I really can't complain right now. Over the past few days, I was able to get in both a massive hike at the Deam in the Hoosier National Forest ( http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hoosier/recreation/ccdw.htm ) and a long bike ride on the Monon Trail in Indy ( http://www.indianatrails.org/Monon_Indy.htm ) I highly recommend both during this "leafy" season. Am including a great photo from my Deam hike.

Am looking forward to much of the same this weekend in addition to trying my first attempt at foie gras pate. Hope it works out!!

It seems one of my favorite veggies is now in-season and that is the loved/hated Brussel Sprout. I love them but have met many people in my time whom would rather eat roadkill than some brussels. However, for all you haters, please know that the Brussel has officially beaten out Broccoli as the healthiest veggie of all time!

Thought I might share my usual recipe (vegan) but accompany it with my naughtier version (not-so-vegan):

2 Cups Brussels de-stemmed and cut into quarters
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
2 Cloves Garlic-chopped
Non-stick cooking spray (or several tablespoons olive oil for a more decadent version)
1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans
Soy Sauce
Cracked Black Pepper
Naughty Additions:
Although I prefer Serrano ham, it's not always easy to find, instead you can use several slices of lean smoked ham, chopped into pieces
I prefer Stilton Crumbles but any blue cheese will do.

Sautee Onion & Garlic on medium heat for several minutes in spray or olive oil. Add Brussel Srouts and sautee for a several minutes. DO NOT let them get too soft, only let them turn a slightly darker shade of green, so they stay crunchy and still retain a majority of their nutrients. Add pecans for a minute or two (you be the judge). If you decide to do the naughty version, add the ham bits for a minute or two. Remove from heat, add soy sauce/black pepper. If making the naughty version, let it all cool for a minute or two and then add the blue cheese.

This weather is not my vibe....must add BOURBON

Indiana weather is EVIL. Current temp = 39 F. My blood is too thin for this crap! Don't get me wrong..... I love Autumn, but this is ridiculous.....especially because it is 78 F in Houston (located in the Almighty People's Republic of Texas) right now.

Writing this at 8:30 a.m. makes me wonder if it is too early for Bourbon with my coffee? Perhaps I will go lighter and do like the (beloved) Spaniards, a little Brandy in one's morning coffee should cure the early a.m. chills! Also, is it too early to rock out to some Reggaetón? If so, I'm in a lot of trouble........

Anyway, A great benefit of an Indiana autumn is that during the harvest, the scrumptious Persimmon is bestowed upon us. Therefore, I am happy to share Tercia's not-so-famous Bourbon Maple Pecan Persimmon Bread recipe. Highly encouraged to be drank with coffee accented by Bourbon. As well, I don't know why, but the bread turns out best with a little Reggaeton being played during preparation.....¡Muevete!

Persimmon Maple Pecan Bourbon Bread

1.5 c. whole wheat pastry flour (regular whole wheat with a smidge of white will work)
1/2 c. regular oats (NOT instant)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp nutmeg
1 c. persimmon pulp
1/4 c. brown sugar (just like I knew you would!)
1/2 c. light or low sugar maple syrup (I use Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free butter flavor)
1/2 c. low fat milk
3 tablespoons Bourbon (I dig on the Makers!!)
2 eggs
1/4 c. low fat softened butter
1 c. chopped Pecans
Optional (dried cranberries or raisins would rock)

Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix the persimmons, sugar, bourbon, eggs and milk. Add the dry ingredients and butter. Mix until well blended. Stir in nuts (and dried fruit). Put in a well-greased loaf pan, 9x5x3 inch. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Granola & Obama & The Prize

Tis the season again when the leaves are starting to turn (which is new for me as I have not had a true "autumn" in 10 years!), apple cider is flowing, crisp-air mornings and evenings, pumpkins/mums are springing up everywhere and the Nobel Peace Prize committee has smoked so many joints that they have decided to choose another American political figure to be the un-deserving recipient of their esteemed award. Don't get me wrong, I love our President, he's an amazing man. But come on--the Nobel Peace Prize?! Really?! We should have given it to the cancer genetics research chicks and waited at least three more years before we give it to the Prez. I'll bet if it were up to our President, he too would have given it to the genetics chicks.

Anyway, in the true spirit of Autumn and the Nobel Peace Prize, I am handing out my NPPS (Nobel Peace Pumpkin Spice) Granola recipe. It's something everyone deserves to enjoy! One slight caveat which comes with this and ALL of my recipes: I cook very much like my late Mamaw Beaumont--in my culinary world--there are no "true" measurements.

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 or 2 tablespoons flax seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon melted Earth Balance butter (it's the best!) or Canola oil--you choose!
1/4 cup low-sugar maple syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (but I always use a little more)
1/3 cup chopped pecans (see walnuts comment)
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cherries (or cherry craisins)
Optional (1/3 cup sweetened-dried coconut)

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2) In a large bowl, toss the oats & flax seeds with the salt & spices. 3) In a medium bowl, stir together the melted buttah, syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.

4) Pour the syrup mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them (get messy!!): Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture. 5) Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture. (I love clumpy granola!)

6) Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the nuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven. 7) Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. 8) Bake for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Add coconut (if you opt for it) 9) Let cool completely (about 30-45 minutes) & then toss the apricots and cherries with the granola... yum!

L'introduction

Well, it's not Jolly Mali but after a relatively cruddy year, and due to popular request, I have decided to return back to the blog scene. There's a saying here in Indiana, "When life hands you a can of green beans, try to make the best casserole you can." Therefore, my new philosophy is to 86 the can of mushroom soup/fried onion strings and replace them with white truffle bechemel sauce and carmelized shallots......now let's make a casserole!

My general intentions with this new blog are to contribute my minimal knowledge/opinions on food and health as well as dish out a few unsolicited comments--as to which I always welcome a hearty agreement or justified argument.......(bring it on)