COOKING FOR FUN... COOKING FOR HEALTH... COOKING FOR DIABETICS...
On April 5, 2014, I had the privilege of teaching a Nutritional Cooking Course for 32 Family Medicine/Chiropractic/Oriental medicine students from UCI and SCU.
The objective was to compose a FEAST for a theoretical patient: middle-aged Latina, mother of 2, diabetic with hypertension. We cooked a ten course meal for 40 people and boy did we have a blast! Who says you need to feel constricted or limited when eating optimally?
Below are the recipes that we tackled, developed by yours truly. (I posted quick walk-throughs on YouTube for each of the recipes if you like to see what each dish looks like before you attempt it: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO8OeOmiWw4yWmjxYGtPSgpmfBkyTiUx9&action_edit=1)
TAPAS (APPETIZERS)
Scallop Ceviche served in Endive
Ingredients:
1 lb. scallops, cut into small squares
(minced) (can be fresh or thawed from frozen scallops)
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 juicy
lemons)
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
4 to 6 good dashes hot sauce (depending
on personal taste)
¼ cup olive oil
1 diced cucumber (1/4-inch pieces)
(from a peeled and seeded cucumber)
20+ cherry tomatoes, sliced into 3-5
slices (thinly)
1 medium red onion, chopped small
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
leaves
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
leaves
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
(take out seeds unless you like spicy)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1-1 1/2 tsp. mineral salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4-6 heads of endive
Directions:
Zest the lemons making sure that you
don't get the white part of the lemon. Juice the lemons (straining
them and making sure that there are no seeds). Pat the scallops dry
using paper towels. Cut scallops (start by slicing the scallop then
cut into pieces) and put them in large bowl. Add lemon juice, lemon
zest, vinegar, hot sauce and olive oil to the scallops. Stir to
combine. Wash your cutting board and knife and make sure to dry both
thoroughly.
Chop and add the rest of the
ingredients and add them to the bowl (except for the endive). Stir as
you chop and add ingredients. Make sure that you cut the rest of the
ingredients to mimic the size of the scallop squares. As an extra
tip: work dry to wet, meaning do the tomatoes last.
Stir to combine all ingredients and add
seasoning to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about
30-60 minutes or until the scallops have turned completely white
(when done, they lose their opaque color on the outside, however,
they can be eaten a little more or less done); stir occasionally
during this step and make sure that the scallops are covered with
liquid at all times.
While waiting, remove the leaves from
the endive by cutting off the end and separating each leaf out. You
may need to cut the end off the endive more than once as you start to
remove the leaves and get stuck.
When the ceviche is done, stir once
more, drain off some of the liquid and place a spoonful on each leaf.
Decorate with micro greens or cilantro. Arrange on a platter and
serve.
Chef tip: This dish will taste great a
day or two later as well, so it's a good make-ahead dish.
Chef tip: Instead or in addition to
scallop, this dish works with octopus, shrimp, salmon and various
white fish (like red snapper). Just use 1 lb as the guide.
Guacamole served in Endive
Ingredients:
6 ripe avocados
1 diced cucumber (1/4-inch pieces)
(from a peeled and seeded cucumber)
20 cherry tomatoes, sliced into 3-5
slices (thinly)
1 medium red onion, chopped small
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves (chop
this small, make sure not to use stems)
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
(take out seeds unless you like spicy)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)--
may need less if avocados are creamy
1/8 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. mineral salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4-6 dashes hot sauce (to your liking)
4-6 heads of endive
Directions:
Cut the avocados in half, remove pits.
With a spoon, scoop out the avocado meat into large bowl and gently
mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl (except the
endive). Stir to combine. Adjust seasoning and liquid to taste. Let
sit for about 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
While waiting, remove the leaves from
the endive by cutting off the end and separating each leaf out. You
may need to cut the end off the endive again as you get further into
the heart of the endive.
When the guacamole is done, place a
spoonful on each leaf. Decorate with cilantro or micro greens.
Arrange on a platter and serve.
Chef tip: Don't like mint or cilantro?
Use parsley or chopped green onions instead.
SIDE DISHES
Spinach, Mint, Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa (red, white or a mix)
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoons of mineral salt, divided
6 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
¼ cup roughly chopped mint
2 cups chopped green apples
1 hothouse cucumber, semi peeled,
seeded and cut into ⅓-inch cubes (about 1 ½ cups)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and
drained
½ finely chopped green onion (white
and green parts)
For the dressing:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 juicy lemon juiced (may need more if
not juicy)
2 Tbsp. White vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
Directions:
In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock,
½ teaspoon salt and quinoa to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low
heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed (they
will still be a little crunchy). Remove quinoa from heat and let
cool.
Add spinach, cilantro, mint, apples,
almonds, cucumber, chickpeas, green onion and ½ teaspoon salt into a
bowl. When the quinoa is cooled, add it to the rest of the
ingredients and toss. For the dressing, stir together olive oil,
lemon juice, white vinegar and garlic. Add to the salad. Serve warm
or cold.
Chef tip: Need more crunch? Add some
sliced almonds. Need more sweetness? Add currants, cranberries or
raisins.
Chef tip: Like more tang? Add 1-2
tablespoons of unsweetened yogurt to the salad dressing.
Chef tip: Want to make this your lunch?
This dish will sit overnight in your fridge and does not need
refrigeration during the day.
Yields 8 servings
Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
3 carrots cut into rounds
1 large eggplant (skin on), cut into
large cubes
3 zucchinis-- cut into large rounds
1 red pepper cut into 12 pieces
2 onions cut into 12 pieces
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mineral salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut all
the vegetables and place on a sheet pan in a single layer. Sprinkle
with the oil, salt and pepper and toss together. Roast the veggies in
the oven for 30-35 minutes. When done, veggies will be soft and have
some brown color. Let cool slightly and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Chef tip: Blend all the cooked
ingredients in a food processor or blender to make a dip. This is a
great make-ahead recipe.
Yields 8 servings
Steamed Broccoli
Ingredients:
3 heads of
broccoli and/or cauliflower, cleaned
water
olive oil
mineral salt to
taste
black pepper to
taste
Directions:
Put freshly washed broccoli florets
with water still clinging to them in a large bowl, a small pool of
water should form in the bottom of the bowl. If you don't see water
in the bottom of the bowl, add a tablespoon of water. Add a little
olive oil and seasonings. Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe lid or
plate, and cook on high power for 1 minute. Test for doneness and
repeat at 30-second intervals until the broccoli is steamed. Once
done, broccoli may require draining or drying depending on how much
liquid you used and how powerful your microwave is. Remove broccoli
and serve.
Yields: 6 servings
BREAD COURSE
Pan Integral (Whole wheat bread)
Ingredients:
1 cup water, heated to approx 110
degrees
1 tablespoon natural sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons yeast
2¾ whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon mineral salt
Directions for flat bread:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Whisk water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl
and allow yeast to proof for 5-15 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the
salt and four. Pour the dry mixture onto a flat surface in the shape
of a mound.
With your hand, create a slight hole in
the center of the mound. Pour in the oil and part of the yeast
liquid. Start to work the liquid into the flour mixture slowly until
ball forms. Knead ball of dough until elastic (15 minutes or so).
With a rolling pin or hand, flatten dough into desired shape for flat
bread. Allow to rise 10-15 minutes.
Yields one large or two medium flat
breads.
Bake the flat bread for 15 minutes or
until browned. Pull out bread and add toppings (see below).
Chef tip: You can use this dough for
pizza or if you let it rise longer, shape it into a loaf of bread. If
you want to make it easier on yourself, you can put all the
ingredients in a stand-up mixer and this will save on kneading time
and effort at home.
Pan con Tomate
Ingredients:
fresh bread
tomato
garlic clove
olive oil
fresh herbs (oregano and parsley) to
taste
optional: kefir/raw cheese
Directions:
Cut a garlic clove or bulb in half and
rub on top of warm bread. Cut a tomato in half and rub the cut side
on top of. Drizzle olive oil, fresh herbs and (optionally: cheese).
Serve warm or at room temperature.
MAIN DISH
Salmon Empapelado
Ingredients:
Approximately 20 ox fish (one side of
salmon whole)
1/2 medium yellow onion cut into fine
half rings
1 small fennel bulb cut into fine half
rings
2 carrots chopped into rings
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 Tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
1 sprig of thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika (a large pinch)
bay leaf
2-3 sprigs of thyme
mineral salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
foil
the juice of ½ lemon
1 orange peeled and thinly sliced into
half rings
optional: microgreens or cilantro
leaves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a pre-heated sautee pan, add olive
oil to cover bottom of pan (approx 2 teaspoons) add onions, fennel
and carrots. Add salt and pepper to taste (go lightly). Cook on
medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula. When done, onions
will be translucent. Be careful not to burn the onion. When done
taste and make sure that the seasoning is correct; add more salt and
pepper if needed. Turn the heat off. Add the stock, bay leaf and
thyme to the onion mixture.
Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with
paprika, salt and pepper. Let sit for a few minutes to temper the
fish (10-15 minutes). In the meantime, make foil pockets*. Put the
whole thing on a sheet pan/baking sheet.Add onion/fennel mixture
(spread it flat so fish fits on top), and the salmon (you will want
presentation side of fish up, flat side down). Seal the pocket/s
tightly. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through but not hard;
approximately 20-25 minutes for individual packets and 35 minutes for
a whole fish.
Take packets out of oven and open them
gently. Pour off liquid into bowl and reserve, remove bay leaf and
thyme (if you can-- you don't want to eat them). Serve with a little
of the reserved liquid, squeeze fresh lemon juice over fish, place
fresh orange slices (half rings) and micro greens or cilantro on top
of fish.
*For Foil packet: cut two times the
size of the fish/protein/vegetables of foil.You will want shiny side
of the foil up.
Yields 4 full sized servings
DESSERTS
Arroz Con Leche
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 vanilla bean* (sliced in half with
insides scraped out)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 containers microwavable short grain
brown rice (6.3 oz each), not microwaved
4 cups soy milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup raisins
½ cup dates with pits taken out
(about 6 Medjool dates)
Zest of 1 medium orange
Directions:
Prepare your ingredients ahead of time:
split the vanilla bean in half and remove the pearls by scraping the
inside. Measure out the cinnamon and cardamom. In a food processor
fitted with the “S” blade, blend the dried fruit (dates and
raisins) until well chopped and forming a small ball.
Place the cinnamon, cardamom and
vanilla bean in a saucepan, add the soy milk and bring to a soft boil
(using the whisk to break up any lumps). Reduce heat, add fruits and
simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rice straight out of the containers (if
it's hard to get out, microwave for 15 seconds).
Raise heat until soft boil then drop
heat to very low. (Careful: soy milk can curdle so keep an eye on it
and don't keep it on high heat longer than necessary; stir/whisk
often).
Simmer for about 15 minutes,
stirring/whisking often to break down the ball of fruit and rice.
When done, most of the liquid will be absorbed (you still want a bit
of liquid so don't dry it out).
Remove white film on top of the rice
(if there is one). Add orange zest. Remove the vanilla bean. Serve
warm or cold. Please note: this dessert does get sweeter as it sits
and the fruit dissolves.
Beware that liquid does evaporate as it
sits. If rice is too dry when it comes time to serve, add more soy
milk or water (you want the consistency of a creamy rice pudding).
*Chef tip: Don't have a vanilla bean?
Use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract instead.
Yields: 8 full sized servings
Spiced Truffles
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups almonds, soaked in water
12-48 hours ahead of time
¾ cups Medjool dates (pitted)--
approximately 8 dates
¾ cups raisins
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
Unsweetened shredded dried coconut
Directions:
Drain the almonds. In the food
processor fitted with the “S” blade, grind the pre-soaked almonds
until they are the consistency of flour.
Stop the food processor and add the
pitted dates, raisins and spices. Grind in the processor until the
mixture becomes a ball. Remove truffle dough from the processor.
Using the dough, form balls (around 1/2 inch around-- use a cookie
scoop for consistency), then roll them in the coconut until
completely white on the outside. Serve right away or store in the
refrigerator for up to a week.
Yields: 25+ truffles
