TED Talk I love: Thandie Newton on "Otherness"

I think it's time for a non-food related post. I adore TED talks. They are informative, inspiring and usually prompt me to think of things in an entirely new way. Helen Fisher and Brene Brown gave two of my favorites, and I watched/listened to the one below by Thandie Newton earlier today. I'm posting it here because Ms. Newton puts to words what I so often felt as the only racially mixed person growing up in a very white place, one of the few progressives in a sea of conservative Catholics in college and someone from modest roots in a place of great privilege during law school. Like Newton, I lost my "self" in dancing in performing while growing up and found that my "otherness" gave me a great deal of empathy for other misfits. Like Newton, I suffered from disordered eating and struggled with wanting to disappear as the "other" that stuck out like a sore thumb. I now prize the fact that I don't belong in any one group because it leaves me free to surround myself with people who feel right rather than people with the same skin tone (which is biologically meaningless). I could go on about how much this talk spoke to me, but instead, I'll let Newton say it all much more eloquently.

Coconut Orange Scones

I decided to have a very lazy Sunday. From time to time, I need to not do anything but read something trashy, watch some movies, catch up on Jersey Shore and lay like broccoli. I also like to take some time and make myself a snack I wouldn't have time for during the week. Trashy romance novel? Check! Movie? Check!

The only thing I needed was some scone goodness. I started from a recipe in The Art of Simple Food, and riffed a vegan recipe from there, using coconut in lieu of cream, coconut oil in lieu of butter and adding orange zest to up the flavor quotient. After the scones came out of the oven, I paired them with some orange creme dream Talbot tea and had a civilized tea (in my jammies).


Orange Coconut Scones

Makes 4 coffee shop sized scones

2 cups flour (I used unbleached all-purpose, but white spelt or white whole wheat would be even better)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
1 1/3 cup coconut milk (I just used the kind from the can)
1 orange zest
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoon evaporated cane juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Measure and mix together the dry ingredients. Stir in the coconut milk and orange zest. Mix until the dough just starts to come together. It will be sticky. Turn it out onto a flour surface and knead briefly until it comes together. Pat into an 8-in circle. Brush with the melted coconut oil. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice. Cut into four wedges and put on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy! They are great with a touch of butter or earth balance, and I would imagine they would be lovely with some jam.

Mediterranean Red Pepper Spread/Dressing

I have the day off of work today, and I've spent the morning doing "GGTL" (gym, groceries, tidying up and laundry). All that running around built up an appetite. I have been meaning to try my hand at a Muhammara for a long time now. It's a traditional Middle Eastern spread that I miraculously have never encountered in a restaurant. It's spicy and tart, so I have been dying to put some in my face, but hadn't gotten around to it. In the past few weeks, though, the Universe has been nudging me towards this goodness. I first read about it in Supernatural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson. I opened up the book to that page about a month ago and kept looking back at it. Then, a few weeks ago, my friend Gena made a raw version. So, last night, I looked up an old Gourmet (R.I.P.) recipe and melded that with Gena's and my own special twists. This is what I came up with and it's extremely delicious if I do say so myself. With the walnuts and bread crumbs, it makes for a hearty spread on top of homemade (vegan) spelt flour soda bread (recipe forthcoming). I mixed about a tablespoon of the spread with some olive oil and additional lemon juice to make a dressing for my salad (just green and carrots to keep it simple). The "authentic" version has pomegranate molasses, but I couldn't find it at my Whole Foods. I wouldn't know, but I don't think the spread suffers.

Muhammara (makes enough for several lunches/snacks)

1/3 c. spelt bread crumbs (or Ezekiel) --this should be about half a slice of bread
1 c. raw walnuts
3 roasted red peppers (I used jarred 365 brand in water)
4 sun-dried tomatoes, quickly immersed in warm water to soften
juice of one lemon
1 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp red pepper flakes
1-4 cloves of garlic (I uncharacteristically forgot this, but I will be adding it next time)
2 T. olive oil (as desired for blending)

Put the bread in the food processor and blend until crumbs. Add the other ingredients. Blend until kind of smooth. Try not to eat it all standing at the counter. Dip in veggies. Spread on bread. Throw in a sandwich.

Warming Winter Smoothie

I was really in the mood for something fruity, but still toasty tonight. I also wanted some density. I have to say, it's totally improvised deliciousness:

Ginger-Banana "Nog"

Serves 1-2

1 frozen banana
1 frozen pear
1/4 cup tahini
1.5 cups nut milk
pumpkin pie spice to taste
vanilla stevia to taste (or just plain vanilla)

Blend. Pour. Try not to drink it so fast your brain freezes.

Easy Stock and a Soup Tutorial

Slurping on vegetable based soups is a wonderful way to stay warm and cozy as winter sets in (I'm actually slurping on a soup right now), so I thought I'd share a favorite simple soup recipes with you as well as a simple veggie stock that is worlds better than anything you'll buy in a store.

Veggie Stock (Makes 2 quarts)

1-2 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 sprigs thyme
2 quarts water
Salt to taste

Saute the onions, shallots, celery, garlic and thyme in melted butter over medium-high heat until everything is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and let simmer between 30-60 minutes. Strain and refrigerate for up to a week (or freeze).

Soup Tutorial

A good veggie soup consists of a fat, mire poix, seasoning, a stock and a "star" vegetable. All you have to do to make a great soup is saute any or all of the following: an allium (onion, leek or shallot) with garlic and/or carrots in your choice of fat. I personally prefer unsalted butter, but coconut oil or olive oil will also work. Then you add your "star vegetable(s)." I LOVE cauliflower, asparagus, or even a starchy vegetable like butternut squash. You also want to add seasonings. A squash soup calls out for sage, cinnamon, nutmeg and other fall flavors. You could add a curry for a more international flavor or you could stick with sea salt and pepper. You saute the veggies so that everything is coated in the fat. The fat is important because it carries the flavor of the vegetables through the soup. Even if you add just a smidge of butter, it will elevate your soup, so don't skimp out entirely. Next, you add your stock, enough to cover the veggies. (If you're out of stock, use water. You'll have to add some salt to compensate, but it will work.) Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat, then simmer until the veggies are tender. This time will vary, depending on the veggie. (Butternut squash will take longer than a non-starchy vegetable).

Once the veggies are tender, I like to blend my soup. I transfer the soup into my blender in small batches, cover the top of the blender with a towel (very important if you want to avoid hot soup in the face), and blend the soup until it's completely smooth. Enjoy what you want and store the soup for a few days in the fridge for easy reheating. Veggie soup makes a great addition to an office lunch if you're into cooked foods during the day. Here is one of the soups that I'm loving right now.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

Unsalted Butter, Olive Oil or Coconut Oil, to taste
1 leek, chopped (wash and drain)
2 cloves of garlic
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
salt
pepper
a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes
enough veggie stock to cover the veggies
garnish with a bit of lemon juice and some sliced leeks or parsley

Follow the procedure above, or get creative. Really, the sky is the limit and you don't ever need to get bored.

A Bottle of Wine is Not a Single Serving (Natural Hangover Cures)

Okay, so alcohol is not an ideal substance. Not one single bit, but when you clean up your diet in a big-picture sort of way, a couple of glasses of wine is not going to set you back. Especially when you're sharing a bottle of wine and some laughs with friends. Drinking a bottle alone on the couch (even when chatting on the phone) is just not a good idea. Trust me. I'm feeling the effects of that bad decision as I type. Nonetheless, sometimes it happens (though a lot less often than it used to). Fortunately for you, that gave me an idea to write about some super healthy, supernatural hangover cures. Yes, you can cure a hangover without Advil, high fructose corn syrup or greasy eggs. Read on to find out how.

1. Water: Alcohol is completely dehydrating. That's why your face looks like a hot mess the morning after a few too many. Slamming a bunch of water is one of the quickest ways to beat the bloat and stop your mouth from feeling like the Mojave.

2. Green Juice: Alcohol is acidic in the body. Green juice is alkaline and hydrating. The green juice will support your eliminative systems in purging your body of the demon drink.

3. Coconut Water: It's nature's Gatorade. You may have seen the packages and cans because they are oh so trendy right now, but if you hack open the white coconuts yourself, you get the real deal (sometimes with little pieces of coconut). It's uber-hydrating and it contains a modest amount of sugar and electrolytes. (And no HFCS). Anyone who knew me in college knows that if they saw me with blue Powerade in the dining hall, I had probably been to the Boat Club (just thinking about that place and sticky muck on the floor gives me the shivers) the night before. Now, if you see me sipping on coconut water from a mason jar, it means I had more than two glasses of wine the night before. (Oh, how times have changed).

4. Healthy Fat: It's no wonder that people tend to gravitate towards fatty food when they are hung over. Ingesting fat slows the release of toxins from the liver because the liver has to process both the fat and the alcohol. (This is why alcohol inhibits fat metabolism, and many weight loss professionals tell their clients not to drink....ever.) Well, when you're hung-over, that bell has already been rung. I liken a dose of healthy fat the day after a party to a homeopathic remedy. In homeopathy, like treats like. So something that needs to be metabolized by the liver will mute the hangover symptoms. My favorite ways to get healthy fat are avocados and raw goat's cheese. With that, I give you the "Perfect Hangover Soup."

Hangover Fruit Soup

1 avocado (healthy fat)
16 oz coconut water (for aforementioned hydration)
A couple of handfuls of spinach for chlorophyll
A couple of cups of blueberries (for sweetness)

Blend in a high speed blender and sip while on the couch.

Suck-it Pinkberry!

I have to admit that I was never a fan of the California phenomenon known as Pinkberry and its progeny. For one thing, cow dairy has never agreed with my digestive system. For another thing, I just didn't like the flavor. That said, I was craving a sweet, frozen treat on Sunday. I had some leftover Coco-gurt which I thought might make a nice sweet treat. I blended it up with a little bit of almond milk, and some vanilla stevia, and came up with my new favorite dessert! Coconuts are full of healthy fat, despite of the bad rap they got during the low-fat diet craze. Coconuts contain a high level of lauric acid, which has anti-viral properties. Combined with the probiotics in the yogurt, my Coconut Fro-yo will actually enhance your health rather than cause bloating, like the dairy version. Enjoy!