Un-Snooty Tip: Grilling Veggies

Fruits and vegetables provide key nutrients, vitamins, and other good-for-you things that are ALWAYS absent from processed foods, and they’re much easier for your body to digest.  They give your body the power to fight off disease, and they give you the energy you crave to be the superhero you always wish you could be.  We watched a documentary recently about the effects of red-meat diets on entire cultures of people, and it’s kind of shocking to find that places like China (whose diets used to mainly consist of rice and vegetables only) had almost NO cases of obesity or heart disease.  Places like the US on the other hand, where the average diet is almost completely dairy and meat-based, heart disease and obesity are a huge concern.  For those interested, get on Netflix and watch the documentary Forks Over Knives.  I highly recommend it.  Also, while you’re at it, check out Food Matters.  I’m not a full-blown vegetarian, but Liz and I are going to be experimenting with it for a while during the week, eating small amounts of meat on the weekends.  We’re curious to see how much better we feel, and how much weight we end up losing.  For those skeptics out there who would ask “how do vegetarians get any protein without meat?”  Beans. Nuts. Hummus. And for you non-vegans like me, eggs.  Next question?

So, I digress.  Many of us red-blooded Americans heavily associate the grill (that all-important summer cooking appliance) with MEAT.  Delicious, charred, smoky, wonderful meat.  When you smell the neighbor’s barbecue fire up, you probably don’t think about what kinds of veggies they’re grilling.  I can tell you though, because of lots of things I’ve experimented with lately, veggies are now one of my favorite things to throw on the barbie.  Not only are veggies better for you than meat, but they’re (usually) more ethical also.  Here are my tips for making excellent veg.

1. Get some heavy-duty foil or a couple disposable foil pans.  Makes for quick and easy cleanup and maximum ease during the cooking process.  All you have to do is throw everybody together in the foil pan (or make a foil packet), throw it on top of the grill, and let it go.  Obviously stirring every once in a while is a must.
2. Pick veggies that will taste good together.  Really, the possibilities are endless.  Below, I’ll list a couple of possible combinations and pairings to get your creative juices flowing.
3. Cut all the veggies into pieces of a similar size.  This will help them cook evenly and at around the same amount of time.
4. Season with whatever combinations of spices you like.  You could do up some southwestern veggies, with cumin, paprika, cilantro, lime, cayenne, and garlic.  Or, you could do something Mediterranean with coriander, lemon, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.  I can tell you though, surprisingly enough, that no matter the flavor profile you choose, a dash of soy sauce makes it all taste amazing.  Another secret ingredient: a dash of sugar.  Really.
5. Once you’ve got your veggies and seasonings selected, Toss them together in a big bowl with s couple tablespoons of olive oil, making sure all the pieces are coated.  This helps things not to stick and burn too badly– although you want a little caramelization to happen.  That’s kind of the point of the grill, right?
6. I never measure seasonings.  Many people insist on measuring, but I have never had an issue.  All I do is put an even sprinkling of each seasoning over the top of all my veggies while they’re still in the bowl and stir it all in.  You can always adjust the salt once they’re done if you want more.
7. If you have access to a charcoal grill, it’s preferable because the flavor is so much more awesome.  However, a propane grill also gets the job done.
8. Adventure into fruit grilling territory also.  Fruit has high contents of natural sugar, so it’s awesome combined with high levels of heat.  You get the nice brown caramelization, and it’s wonderful.  Just combine it with a little brown sugar and cinnamon, and you’re good to go.  Maybe also consider adding some vanilla fro-yo.

Here are some great combos of veggies and seasonings for you to experiment with at home.  All of these are great as side-dishes, but can be adapted to be served as paninis, wraps, and many other tasty things! (spoiler alert: one of these coming soon in a recipe!)  I have tried each of these, and I promise they each rock.

1. Straight-up zucchini:  Just a simple zucchini on the grill with some olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Tasty, quick, simple, and healthy!
2. “Godfather’s Choice”: Red and green peppers, onion, mushrooms, and zucchini cut in coarse, bite-sized pieces with garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.
3. MediVeg Delight: Broccoli, onion, chopped tomato, mushrooms, red pepper, and zucchini all diced with soy sauce, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Corn-on-the-Cob: This can be done in many ways.  This is how I would do it: soak several ears of corn in water for about an hour.  Remove from water and wrap in foil.  Then grill them on medium-high heat for about 10 more minutes.  Serve with herbed butter: take 1 stick of room-temperature butter and mash together with 1 tsp. garlic salt, 1/2 tsp. dill, and 1/2 tsp. paprika.

It’s time to get creative.  Let me know if you have any combinations I need to try, I’m totally looking for ideas.  Grill away, Un-Snooty friends!

Summer 2014’s Cleaner Eating Guide

Greetings!  It’s (finally) spring!  That means it’s time to start thinking about summer and ways to trim down, buff up, and generally feel better because winter is FINALLY nigh and let’s face it, you want to look good for the beach.  Liz and I collaborated on this guide.  It’s the sort of stuff we like to do to guide our eating habits, especially after a long, harsh, fatty fat winter.  We think these tips are great for folks who aren’t great with dieting (and who is?), and just “like what they like.”  Let’s get started, shall we? 🙂

Good Rules of Thumb

1. The better you can pronounce the ingredients in the list/ know what they are, the better the food item is for you. A long list of unknown ingredients = a lot of preservatives and additives that your body can’t digest and doesn’t know what to do with. For instance, foods like frozen meats/hot dogs often have tons of preservatives and carcinogens in them. Fresher is always better.
2. When possible, eat organic.  It is more expensive.  It’s also more ethical.  Organic for veggies and fruits means no pesticides, and no GMO’s.  Organic for livestock means ethically raised (usually free-range) and on clean diets.  This all means less of a chance for you to get sick in the short and long-term!  Also, because organic products are free of preservatives, it means most of them are going to come from local sources.
3. Stay true to the serving size listed in the nutrition facts. Portion control is important. Eating until your stomach says “no more” is not a good idea. It means you’re always getting more calories than your body needs to function and you actually waste energy trying to metabolize all that food and burn the calories. This means you get tired quicker because you’re not only using energy to function, but your body is using energy to burn the food you ate. Plus it makes you feel bloated and full and it’s harder to breathe, which is never fun.
4. A green vegetable with every meal (ideally not cooked beyond recognition or incorporated into a casserole.  The more raw the vegetable, the more benefit you get from its vitamin and nutrient content).
5. Avoid eating before bedtime.  You don’t need the extra calories, especially since you’re just going to be sleeping.  You might think you’re hungry, but your “asleep self” won’t notice, and you can eat when you wake  up.
6. Don’t think of eating healthy as “being on a diet.”  That’s a surefire way to not stick to it.  Being on a diet is a temporary thing, where being healthy is a lifestyle.
7. Get in lots of fiber– this helps keep you regular (obviously) but also keeps your body getting rid of toxic things it doesn’t want or need.  A high-fiber diet, like a high-protein diet, will help you lose weight.  Whole grains and lots of beans are a good place to get extra fiber.  A lot of the recipes we make regularly have black beans or garbanzo beans (hummus is straight up bean paste).  Plus beans are a good source of protein, which gives you energy.
8. Try to do something physical every day, no matter how small. At least 30 minutes is ideal.
9. Substitute water for soda/juice/flavored teas/etc. as much as possible.  Pop (and lots of juices) isn’t good for you for lots of reasons, mostly because it’s packed with artificial sugars and other chemicals that your body doesn’t need and doesn’t know what to do with.  One every once in a while is better than several every day though.  A lot of times, juice isn’t good for you, but hides behind being juice.  It’s just as full of sugar and calories as pop, lots of times.
10. Take a multivitamin every day.  You’d be surprised at how many vitamins are missing from our usual eating habits.  B vitamins help metabolize food, and vitamin C helps to promote immune system health.  Vitamin K is great for your blood, and there are tons of other vitamins you need.  Also vitamins have been shown, in some cases, to prevent, stop, and sometimes reverse cancer.
11. Condiments can add hundreds of extra calories to a meal. Limit them when possible, and substitute creamy dressings/condiments with oil-based ones as much as you can (Italian over ranch on salads).  Look at the calorie content in each serving of dressing or condiments and stick to the serving size if possible.  Condiments like guacamole, hummus, and pesto (watch it with pesto though, the oil/ fat content is higher than in guac and hummus) are better for you than mayonnaise, ranch, barbecue sauce, and ketchup, because their ingredients are natural.
12. You don’t have to give up carbs, but when you do eat them try to make them whole wheat when you can. Especially in the store, nearly everything has a whole wheat option that tastes pretty nearly as good as the “white” option. Even at restaurants, many places now offer whole wheat/ brown rice or pasta options. it’s easy to get fooled though, at least with bread. There’s REAL wheat bread, and then white bread that’s disguised to look like wheat bread. The first ingredient will always be “Whole wheat flour” if it’s actually whole wheat, NOT enriched flour.
13. Don’t be afraid to branch out from what you know and try new things. Some things may seem new/different/scary, but once you learn what new things you like, a whole bunch of new possibilities open up.  Liz and I like mexican and mediterranean foods a LOT so we make lots of different kinds of food with those kinds of ingredients.  We have tried a lot of things we didn’t like, and because of that, we stumbled on lots of things we DO like.  That’s what experimentation is: Finding a bunch of ways NOT to do things so you can find the thing that works.

Great Websites for Tools & Reference

• www.skinnytaste.com – Lots of easy to follow recipes, healthier remakes of classic favorites (Macaroni and cheese, pizza, etc.) but also lots of creative new recipes that are outstanding.
• http://www.helpguide.org/life/fast_food_nutrition.htm
• http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/ – You don’t have to give up fast food/restaurants, just order the better options. For instance, instead of ordering a burger at Wendy’s, get a baked potato or salad and chili. At McDonalds, instead of a crispy chicken sandwich, get a grilled version.  Also, stay away from fries whenever possible.  Most fast food places now have healthy side options like apples.  Most fast food breakfasts offer yogurt or fresh fruit instead of hashbrowns.
• www.myfitnesspal.com – Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we are eating healthier than we actually are. We think we are consuming 1,500 calories, but by not keeping track we’re sneaking in 1,000 extra calories and hitting 2,500. Myfitnesspal has an app and a website, and logging calories/exercise can really help keep you accountable/let you see if you’re reaching your goal. It IS time consuming, but it works. And after a while, you just get used to doing it.
• www.pinterest.com – In the search bar on Pinterest, take your favorite recipe and add “Healthy” in front of it. You’ll get a list of hundreds of “lightened-up” versions of it.  Some of them aren’t great.  Some are awesome.  Use your judgement to decide on a version you will enjoy.

Eat This, Not That

• For carbs, try to stick to these.  Whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta.  Brown rice instead of regular rice.  Whole wheat or whole grain bread instead of white or enriched flour bread.  Quinoa instead of couscous or white rice.
• Chicken and fish more often than beef and pork – these are all good, grillable options.  Salmon is great for you, has lots of omega 3’s and fatty acids your body needs, and it’s good for your heart.  All kinds of fish and chicken have nearly unlimited ways you can prepare them.  Also grilling is fast, easy, and tasty all through the spring, summer, and fall.  I try to do it as much as possible, because it’s also healthier.
• Clear-based condiments instead of creamy condiments – particularly on salads.  Salad isn’t healthy anymore once it’s covered in ranch, croutons, and cheese.  There are tons of varieties of vinaigrettes that go with nearly anything you could possibly think of to put into a salad.  One of our favorites is a spinach salad with candied pecans, dried cranberries, feta cheese, granny smith apple, and a raspberry cabernet vinaigrette from Marzetti’s.  Also, you can easily make your own dressing by mixing red wine vinegar and EVOO with some spices (basil/ oregano, salt, pepper) for a really simple dressing that tastes really good.
• Fruits and vegetables instead of carb-based side dishes (pastas, rices, etc. ALSO, potatoes and corn are both starches, NOT just vegetables. So mashed potatoes/baked potatoes/corn shouldn’t be the staple vegetable, as they’re full of starches).
• Water instead of sugary drinks (iced tea with minimal sugar/ flavoring isn’t terrible, but too much coloring/ caffeine can cause kidney stones)
• Nuts, fruits, vegetables; whole wheat pita chips and hummus; light popcorn; rice cakes as snacks instead of chips/cookies. We keep roasted almonds around… I like the cocoa ones and the smoked ones.  Also, we have whole wheat pita chips and hummus in the house at all times because I love it.  We NEVER buy little debbies or potato chips, and even a lot of trail mixes and granola bars are not actually good for you, because they’re full of unnatural ingredients, sodium, and added sugars.  Also, we eat chocolate rice cakes with peanut butter spread on them for dessert a lot.  Peanut butter has some good fats and a little protein, but a lot of sugar too; be careful how much you eat.  The serving size is 2 tablespoons, which is plenty.

Recipes We Like

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos – chicken breasts, salsa, and spices go in the crock pot for 2 hours on high, then you just shred the chicken, mix it all together, and serve it on flour tortillas with the usual taco acoutrements!  Delicious and easy.  Watch for the recipe to be posted soon.

Crock Pot Mexi-Chicken – Same as tacos, plus a block of reduced fat cream cheese, a can of corn (drained) and a can of black beans (drained).  Then serve it over brown rice (minute rice makes it) with salt and lime juice (I add chopped fresh cilantro, which is an acquired taste… but you have to try it to like it).  This is one of Liz’s favorites.

Southwestern Black Bean/ Quinoa Medley – a recipe from Skinnytaste.com, it’s very mexican tasting and just really freaking good.  Lots of bold flavors.  Watch for my post on this soon.  You can make this a day or two ahead and eat it for lunch for several days.  It would be an awesome addition to any cookout, too!

Grilled Mesquite Chicken Breasts – buy a packet of McCormick’s mesquite marinade (I keep several around all through the summer).  All you have to do is mix it with water, juice, broth, beer, or a combination of those, and soak pierced chicken breasts in it for a while.  Then grill it and serve it with a green veggie. Seriously, I think I might make these tonight.

Cauliflower Mash – it doesn’t taste like mashed potatoes.  It has a similar texture, but don’t eat it expecting it to replace or taste like mashed potatoes.  While it is a great and healthier alternative to mashed potatoes and a variety of other starchy sides, it’s more like another way to eat cauliflower (and it’s especially good if you’re not a huge fan of cauliflower, which I am not).  All you do is steam the cauliflower until it’s very soft, drain it really well, mash it with butter (only a tablespoon or a little more), salt, and two chicken bouillon cubes.

Green Veggies – sauteed green beans (see post on Green Beans Almondine), grilled zucchini, broiled brussels sprouts, grilled asparagus, steamed broccoli, raw baby spinach (I don’t like it cooked), and recently kale chips.

Kale Chips –  they’re super tasty… and if you like crunchy, salty stuff (and who doesn’t?), you’d be surprised that you will probably like them.  Look for my post on how to make these tasty little morsels soon!

Asian Persuasion Stir-Fry – pick your favorite veggies (red/ green/ yellow peppers, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.) and cook in a little sesame oil and olive oil until they’re tender.  Add in some scrambled egg, minced garlic, and some chopped peanuts.  Then, top it off with a little bit of honey, soy sauce, and some ground ginger.  If you wanna, garnish it with some toasted sesame seeds.  You can serve it over rice or rice noodles.  Delicious!