Tuesday, February 2
Added 3 parsnips, 3 carrots, and 3 onions to an Indian soup mix of lentils, split peas, and barley, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and curry powder.

Wednesday, February 3
Down to the wire with just a couple of carrots, a few potatoes, and some very small onions. Next pick-up is Saturday!

[ Photo credit: lapoli via Flickr ]

As in past years, I joined the Bialas Farms winter CSA this year for access to seeming oxymoron of farm-fresh vegetables in January and February. The first load of veggies came and went, leaving us with just a few carrots at the end of the two week period between deliveries. Here’s what we received in the second batch, picked up last Saturday, and the start of a daily account of what we’re doing with it.

Beets, 2 pounds
Butternut squash, 2 pounds
Cabbage, 3 pounds
Carrots, 3 pounds
Celery root, 1 pound
Onions, 3 pounds
Parsnips, 1 pound
Potatoes (small), 4 pounds
Russian kale, 1 pound

Saturday, January 23 – Monday, January 25
3 carrots, 5 cabbage leaves, 3 potatoes added to a stir-fry

Tuesday, January 26
Big pan of roasted veggies – 3 beets, 3 carrots, 1/4 of the celery root, 6 onions, 2 parsnips, 6 potatoes – seasoned with olive oil, herbes de Provence, kosher salt and served with baked salmon topped with herbed goat cheese.

Wednesday, January 27
2 carrots, a chunk of celeriac, and 3 small onions, all diced and added to slow-cooker 3-bean soup.

It depends. High calorie ingredients like cream, butter, and cheese certainly can set back the best waist-watching efforts. So can big portion sizes. Researchers from Cornell University found that recipe portions have grown by about 35% in the cookbook classic, Joy of Cooking,. This means that a portion that was, say, 300 calories in an earlier edition, now is 400 calories. It takes only 25 days-worth of an extra 100 calories to gain a pound! So what can you do?

My colleague JoAnn Hattner, a San Francisco-based dietitian, suggests serving smaller portions and pairing higher calorie favorites (read it here: sfgate.com), like her creamy baked oysters, with lower calorie dishes. And get guidance from books like 400 Calorie Fix that feature tasty and even indulgent recipes in right-size portions.

A year or so ago, I came across a recipe for Japanese carrot salad dressing, the bright orange dressing atop salad in many a Japanese restaurant. I lost the recipe and have been winging it ever since. We did a taste-off between my dressing and the dressing from our local sushi place, and mine won!

It not only goes well on salads, but our friends love it as a steak sauce, too.

1/4 cup miso
1/4 cup plain rice vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil (any kind)
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
1″ piece ginger root
1 tsp sesame oil
2 medium carrots, cut into small pieces

Place all ingredients into blender except carrots. Cover and turn on blender. Add carrot pieces a few at a time. Blend until relatively smooth, adding extra water or oil if the dressing becomes too thick. Refrigerate.

Recipe analysis per 2 Tbsp: 50 calories, 4 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein.

[ Photo credit: Jueno [ Ricey ] via Flickr ]

One of my sons enjoys watching shows on high tech kitchen equipment. Sadly, our poorly laid out kitchen — it’s really big but has little cabinet or counter space — doesn’t have a lot of room to spare for extra gadgets. He feels a bit deprived but I, on the other hand, don’t feel like I’m missing out on a thing. If given a choice, I wouldn’t replace my Top 10 low tech favorite pieces of cooking equipment:

1. Good pots and pans from All-Clad. We bought them 23 years ago and haven’t replaced a single one.
2. A good non-stick frying pan/skillet. It’s best for making eggs, crepes, and the “pancake” part of blintzes.
3. The KitchenAid mixer. Aside from being a bit underpowered at 325 watts, it does a better job at kneading than I could
   ever do.
4. The Cuisinart, with every imaginable blade. It slices, dices, juliennes, blends, and even kneads small amounts of bread
   dough.
5. The stainless-steel potato masher. Its squiggles do a job on potatoes, apples for apple sauce, beans in bean soup, and whatever else I can think of.
6. The Oxo peeler. My mom once gave me an electric peeler — who knew? — but a hand peeler is best.
7. The box grater. My mother-in-law picked it up at an odd lot store, a two-part lucite box with half a dozen “plates” for grating, slicing, zesting, and even separating eggs. Best yet, the bottom box is calibrated for measuring.
8. Good wooden spoons. They definitely help prolong the life of the All-Clad and the non-stick skillet (see above).
9. Spatulas in several sizes, small for little bowls and jars, regular for bigger bowls, and curved for wet things like cake batter and also for folding ingredients into whipped egg whites.
10. Silicone baking sheet. Cookies don’t stick, ever!

[ Photo credit: JamisonLitten's via Flickr ]

The title of an article in an e-newsletter caught my eye — Learning to Love Tofu. The Dallas Morning News and South Florida Sun-Sentinel joined forces to promote tofu, a protein food that is a big part of my diet.

Lots of people don’t like the bland flavor and custard-like texture of tofu, but it’s those very qualities that make tofu so versatile. I’m a fan of the firm and extra firm versions. They hold up well to stir-frying and are really tasty brushed with teriyaki sauce and grilled under the broiler or on the outdoor grill. Once they’re cooked, slice into chicken-finger size strips. Eating for a healthy heart? Mash up firm tofu with light mayo and add your favorite egg salad seasonings. For a vegetarian “chicken” salad, freeze a block of firm tofu, then thaw, press out the water, pull apart into shreds, and mix with chicken salad condiments. Buy silken tofu to toss into the blender for a creamy soy smoothie. And be sure to check your market for pre-seasoned tofu, ready to be mixed with veggies for a quick main course.

[ Photo credit: avlxyz via Flickr ]

Did you know that the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating three cups per week of legumes like chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, and split peas? My colleague Robyn Flipse, a registered dietitian and consultant for Bush’s Best, suggests that it’s time to expand our culinary horizons beyond tacos and chili and find new ways to use beans.

Here are five of my favorites:

1. Puree white beans with garlic and olive oil for a creamy dip.
2. Top a green salad with kidney beans.
3. Heat together butter beans, turkey sausage, diced tomatoes, garlic, and
   parsley and serve over pasta.
4. Empty a bag of split peas into a pot and add water to cover, diced carrot and celery, chopped onion, a bay leaf, and other seasonings. Simmer until the beans are soft, adding water if necessary, and season to taste.
5. Combine a can each of kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, and green beans, along with your favorite (lower fat) vinaigrette for a quick bean salad. Rinse the beans before adding to remove close to half the sodium.

[ Photo credit: tammer via TasteSpotting ]

And whole grain rice is even better than nice. Whole grain rices, including brown, black, and red rice, were featured in this week’s New York Times Dining section, complete with tips on speeding up cooking time.

I recently learned more about the health benefits of whole grain rice from USA Rice, and was reminded that mixing rice with a protein like chicken or tofu plus vegetables and/or fruit makes an easy and healthy rice bowl meal. How about leftover brown rice for breakfast? Heat and mix in chopped nuts, raisins, cinnamon, and a sweetener for a satisfying and warming dish.