Wehani Rice

For upping the health ante of any meal, try incorporating wehani rice. Developed by industrious Lundberg Family Farms in northern California, wehani rice is a russet-colored, slightly chewy whole-grain rice with a wonderful nutty taste. When I was cooking up a pot this past weekend for the recipe below, my girlfriend came into the house and asked if I was cooking popcorn. The buttery popcorn aroma alone is enough to give this brown rice alternative a try. Like other whole-grain varieties, long-grain wehani rice has a wealth of fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants. Several studies suggest that those who shun refined carbs for more whole-grains are less likely to suffer heart disease and expanding waistlines. You can find wehani rice at most health food stores and some larger supermarkets.

With grilling season up and running, FoodieFights, a kind of blogger Iron Chef competition, asked this weeks competitors (which includes yours truly) to come up with a burger recipe. I decided to go vegetarian and rustle up patties with black beans and my new favorite rice, wehani. Though these burgers look like a high-flying kitchen feat, they really aren’t. For the pesto, a farmer at our local farmers’ market had some wild leeks and I could not resist trying them for the first time. Also called ramps, wild leeks have a flavor somewhere between garlic and onions. If you can’t find them, simply use a couple cloves of garlic and basil or cilantro in replace of the wild leeks. Also, if you don't want to use dried beans you can simplify things with a 19-oz can of black beans.

Check out the battle and vote for the big, bad black bean burger.
 
Black Bean Wehani Rice Burgers with Wild Leek Pesto and Sautéed Mushrooms

Pesto:

1 bunch wild leeks (ramps), white bulb and green leafy parts, chopped

1/3 cup walnuts

1/3 cup fresh mint

½ cup (125 mL) grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt to taste

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Burgers:

1 cup dried black beans

2/3 cup wehani rice

1 small onion, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon cumin powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of ½ lemon

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Buns of choice

1 bunch arugula

Mushrooms:

1 tablespoon butter

½ pound slice cremini mushrooms

¼ cup red wine

Place beans in a bowl, cover with water and soak for several hours.

Place wild leeks and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely minced. Add mint, cheese, salt and lemon juice and process until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Through the feed tube add olive oil while processing, until fully combined and smooth; set aside.

Drain the beans and rinse. In a medium saucepan, add the beans and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 50-60 minutes or until beans are very tender. Meanwhile, combine rice and 1.5 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer until water has absorbed, about 45 minutes. Drain cooked beans and rinse. In a bowl of a food processor, combine beans, onion, egg, bread crumbs, cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Process until well combined and a thick paste forms. With a fork, stir in cooked rice and cilantro. Form into six equal sized patties and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cooking to firm them up.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in red wine and cook for another 5 minutes or until most of wine has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Preheat grill to medium, coat burgers with vegetable oil to prevent sticking (I actually use a cast-iron griddle) and grill for 3-5 minutes per side or until well browned. Toast buns on grill if desired. To serve, spread pesto on bottom half of bun, top with a black bean burger, mushrooms, arugula and other half of bun.

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Asparagus Pesto

How can you not love pesto? So easy to make and bursting with flavor. I had never really thought about making pesto with asparagus before until I came across this recipe by Mark Bittman. Here is my version of his idea. I used it with grilled emu steak, but it would work equally well with fish, chicken or pan-seared tofu. The leftovers are being applied liberally to rye crackers when the afternoon munchies are striking.

I can't get enough of pesto, so I am all ears if you want to share any recipes. 

Asparagus Pesto

Instructions:
1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments
1/3 cup fresh mint
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam or boil asparagus until tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the asparagus cool slightly. Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the mint, garlic, walnuts, half of the oil, Parmesan, lemon, salt and pepper. Process the mixture until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary. Gradually add the remaining oil through the top and process until smooth with very few of the fibrous parts of the asparagus left. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

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Living Gluten Free

As an increasing number of people are realizing that gluten is the culprit behind their stomach woes, I've been asked to write about the gluten-free diet quite a bit lately. Here is an article I put together for Delicious Living magazine with tips on how to overcome some of the biggest challenges when you bid adieu to this ubiquitous grain protein.

Guide to Gluten-Free Living

Palm Sugar

It seems these days everyone is on the hunt for alternatives to highly refined sugar be it for their morning java or grandma’s famous chocolate chip cookies.

One of the newest competitors in North America is palm sugar. Palm sugar is kind of like a less processed version of brown sugar that is popular in Southeast Asia. It is somewhat lighter in color with larger granules and about equal sweetness with hints of caramel flavor. To make palm sugar, harvesters climb to the top of wildlife-supporting palm trees to collect the sap from the palm flowers. The collected flower nectars are boiled into thick syrup, then dried and ground to produce a grainy, crumbly sugar that’s organic and said to contain several minerals and vitamins sorely lacking in highly refined sugar. It’s believed that palm sugar also has a lower glycemic index (the speed at which a food raises blood glucose) than refined sugars.

So if you are looking for a sweetener that is closer to nature you may want to give palm sugar a try in your next batch of muffins. For the recipe below with heavenly spring rhubarb, I used palm sugar from Navitas Naturals but there are other brands out there as well. You can also find it in some Asian markets. You can use it as a 1:1 substitute for the regular granulated white or brown sugar a recipe calls for.

Rhubarb Strawberry Squares

If you eat this shortly after baking it will be more like a crisp. After a day or two in the fridge, the end result is more like a square.

Ingredients:

Filling

2 stalks rhubarb, thinly sliced

2 cups sliced strawberries

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Crust

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup almonds, very finely chopped

1 ½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats

½ cup palm sugar (or other sugar of choice)

¾ cup neutral tasting vegetable oil

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon in a saucepan and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add maple syrup and cornstarch to fruit mixture, bring to slight boil and cook for 2 minutes until sauce thickens; set aside. Combine the crust ingredients and mix until everything is moist. Reserve a bit less than half of the crust mixture and pat down the rest of the crust mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Spread the fruit mixture over bottom crust and spread the rest of crust mixture evenly over the top. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

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Rhubarb Lentil Dal

Those rough-hewn tables at the farmers’ markets are now well decorated with rhubarb. So, now is the time when I like to pig out on the stuff to the point I don’t want to see another greenish-red stalk until the next spring.

The two most pronounced nutrients in rhubarb are vitamin C and vitamin K. The latter of which is necessary for maintaining strong bones and proper blood clotting.

Most often, tart rhubarb is worked into sweet desserts and sauces. But it can also be great in savory dishes as well. This variation on a traditional Indian stew has just the right amount of tartness from the rhubarb.

Over at Muffin Tin Mania you should try out my Mini Rhubarb Apple Crisp for dessert tonight.

Rhubarb Lentil Dal

Ingredients:

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded, diveined, and diced

2 tsp. garam masala

2 tsp. ground cumin

Salt and fresh pepper to taste

2 cups chopped rhubarb, about 3-4 stalks

1 cup dried green or black lentils, rinsed

4 cups water

½ cup plain nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek-style (optional)

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions:

In a deep saucepan or stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, masala, cumin, salt, and black pepper; cook for 3 minutes. Add rhubarb and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add lentils and water. Cover pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lentils are very soft. Serve hot, garnish with yogurt and cilantro if desired.

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Spice is Nice

Without spices, ice cream is little more than frozen milk, and chili is just beans with squashed tomatoes. But spices do much more than turn dishes into flavorful creations worthy of awe-filled ramble. Cinnamon, turmeric and other spices are powerful bundles of antioxidants that snatch up cell-damaging free radicals to help combat a long list of diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Spices are also a great way of bumping up flavor letting you cut back on salt, sugar and fat. To reap the benefits of these calorie-free culinary wonders, here’s how to add a dash of excitement and extra yum to your cooking.
My article on a laundry list of spices in the May issue of Women's Health magazine. 

Tofu Curry

A couple winters back, my girlfriend and I spent 3 marvelous months cycling around Southeast Asia. In that time, we had some pretty awesome curries. A few inflicted some serious pain on our sunburned lips. I’ve never been able to master them quite like the chefs in Thailand but I thought this curry was a pretty good contender and worth sharing.

The curry is served over brown rice, which is heartier, healthier and more flavorful than the white guise. Plus, when long-grain brown rice cooks it fills the kitchen with a magnificent nutty aroma. You’ll find the tofu absorbs the spicy flavors of the coconut liquid.

Tofu Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1.5 cups long-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, sliced
10 ounces potato, cubed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon coriander powder
3-4 small dried red chili peppers, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 packaged firm tofu, cubed
1 can coconut milk
Juice from 1 lime
Thai basil leaves (optional)

Instructions:
In a saucepan, bring rice and 3 cups of water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, carrot and potato; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, chili, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in tofu, coconut milk and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Mix in lime juice. Serve tofu curry over rice and garnish with Thai basil leaves if using.

Recipe note: If you don’t have small dried chilies, you can try using chili or cayenne powder.

Awesome Asparagus

Springs iconic vegetable is back in business and now is the time to gorge yourself silly. This member of the lily family contains more of the B-vitamin folate than almost any other vegetable. On top of helping reduce birth defects and symptoms of depression, folate aids in lowering levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the body. High homocysteine levels have been found to be associated with heart disease. Asparagus also has a wealth of vitamin K, which promotes bone health and blood clotting. Plus, you get a healthy dose of inulin, a type of indigestible carbohydrate that serves as a food source for beneficial bacteria in your gut.

I usually seek out thinner spears as they are more tender. You'll want to choose similarly sized spears so they'll cook evenly. Once home stand the stalks upright in about an inch of water and place in the fridge. They should last more than a week with this storage method.

Here are two recipes that will help you max out your intake. Sorry about the malodorous number one.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Buttery cashews are a great vegan substitute for regular cream with a healthier fat profile.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted cashews
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, diced
1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1.5 teaspoons cumin powder
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups baby spinach

Instructions:
Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for at least 3 hours. Drain cashews and place in a blender with enough water to just barely cover them. Blend until very smooth. Set aside. In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and asparagus, cook 3 minutes. Add cumin, salt and pepper, cook 1 minute. Place 4 cups of water or vegetable stock into pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium until they begin to pop and turn golden. Remove from heat. Add cream to pot, return to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Add spinach, cook 5 minutes. In batches, carefully puree soup in a blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed and ladle soup into bowls.

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Naan Pizza with Asparagus and Hemp Pesto

This is an adaptation of a wicked recipe from a fellow contributor to Runner’s World magazine, chef Pam Anderson, that appeared in the May issue. Sorry about the crappy photo. I made this after a hard mountain bike race and had little patience to work on composition and lighting. Use the extra pesto for sandwiches or mix with pasta.

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh basil
1/3 cup hemp oil (or extra-virgin olive oil)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons hemp seeds such as those from Manitoba Harvest
¼ cup walnuts
Juice from ½ lemon
2 9-inch store-bought naan, preferably whole-grain
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
8-10 asparagus spears (bottom ends snapped off and cut into 1.5-inch lengths
5 slices Canadian bacon, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup grated fontina or Swiss cheese


Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 425° F. Place basil, hemp oil, garlic, hemp seeds, walnuts and lemon in a food processor or Vita-mix and blend until slightly grainy. Place naan on a baking sheet. Mix ricotta with ¼ cup of the pesto and spread over the naan. Toss the asparagus with oil, salt and pepper. Evenly distribute spears, along with Canadian bacon, over naan. Bake until naan is warm throughout and asparagus is bright green, about 10 minutes.Remove from oven and divide cheese equally among naans. Return to oven and continue to bake until cheese has melted, about five minutes. Slice and devour.

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Dirty Dozen

Before you grab that next bunch of conventionally grown celery you may want to take a look at the updated Dirty Dozen list by the Environmental Working Group. It lists produce which has the most pesticide residues and the fruits and veggies that are the cleanest.


Here is a very clever and whimsical Dirty Dozen cheat sheet that you may want to adorn your fridge with.

Fiddleheads

Whether you scoop them up at the farmer’s market or forage for them yourself, whimsical fiddleheads are a spring delicacy that should not be missed. The term “fiddlehead” refers to the stage in the life of all ferns when they poke up from the fecund soil in their uncoiled form before unfurling into graceful greenery. But it’s the ostrich fern that are most often harvested for consumption.

Prized for their delicate flavor that is reminiscent of artichokes, okra, asparagus and mushrooms, ultra-seasonal fiddleheads are well endowed with niacin, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin A required for a healthy eyes and immune system. And a 3 ounce serving only has about 35 calories.

Look for small, jade-green, tightly coiled fiddleheads and use them within 2 days since they don’t store well. Not overly toothsome raw, fiddleheads papery scales should be rubbed off and ends trimmed before being steamed, boiled or sautéed for about 5 minutes.

Here’s a recipe that is greener than Greenpeace.

Fiddlehead Asparagus Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and chopped

½ pound fiddleheads

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium. Add asparagus and fiddleheads; sauté until they become tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.

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Muffin Tin Mania

Who says the muffin tin is only good for only the eponymous baked good. I've got a new project up and running called Muffin Tin Mania where the goal is turn out all sorts of edibles such as mini quiches, meatloaf's and cheese cakes using this ultra-versatile kitchen tool. I just posted my first recipe - Curry Asparagus Mini Frittatas. Check it out at www.muffintinmania.com

Sushi with a Side of Mercury

Here’s an interesting study which found that the type of tuna that comes with your sushi can affect how much mercury you consume. In general, yellowfin tuna contains less mercury than bigeye or bluefin tuna because it’s a smaller species so it accumulates less of this neurotoxin. I have come across more than person who consumed sushi on a regular basis only to find out that their ill health was caused by unhealthy levels of mercury in their body.

Unfortunately, it can seem like a Sisyphean effort at times to figure out what fish you are actually eating at a sushi joint.

If you’re a sushi fan, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a consumer sushi guide to help you make choices that are healthier for you and the ocean.

Men’s Health has a good sideshow of how to choose the most nutritious sushi.