Food Rescue
Got the off-season blues? Put a little bounce into your spring with these superfood recipes that will make you feel as good as they taste. -by Alison Berkley Margo
A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend and yoga colleague Amanda Dykann had a luncheon at her apartment in Aspen to talk about Mila (www.lifemax.net), a proprietary blend of chia seeds, one of the latest “superfoods” to hit the market. At first I was skeptical that this was just another one of those yoga trends until I started taking it (the tasteless seed mixture can be added to just about anything from juice or yogurt to baked goods). Within a month, my skin had cleared up, my hair felt thicker and healthier, and I had more energy. Now I eat it every day.
As much as Aspen loves to party, we are also a health conscious, hyper-athletic community. Because of that, we are exposed to all kinds of information about health and wellness you might not get in other parts of the country. We’re pretty progressive that way and it shows. Aspen is, after all, the land of the beautiful people. Just look around, hello.
At this luncheon I was introduced to the concept of “superfoods” as a diet staple. I always thought of it as a diet supplement, just like you’d take your vitamins. But a lot of these foods, things like kale, quinoa, goji berries and acai can be integrated into my every day diet in such a way that I not only want to eat it, but love to—not only because it’s good for me, but because these foods are fresh and delicious.
Let’s face it: our options are limited in off-season when it comes to the dining scene in Aspen. While it is a time to enjoy deep discounts at some of our favorite restaurants, it’s also a good time to do a little spring-cleaning of your own, as in, the detox portion of my “detox to retox” philosophy on life here in Aspen. What I mean by that is it’s all about balance. Enjoying life is why we’re here, and we’re good at it. But in order to be able to sustain that, we have to take care of ourselves, too. We have to clean out our systems just like we change the oil in our cars. We want everything to continue to run well for a long time, so we have to do some maintenance.
I’ve written a lot about cleansing, which is a good thing to do once and a while, but it’s also extreme. In order to sustain a healthy diet over a long period of time, you need to create a diet that’s as enjoyable as it is good for you, and also allow for the occasional indulgence. It’s not realistic to think you can cut gluten out of your diet forever. And now we’re seeing all these processed “gluten free” foods that are probably just as bad, if not worse, than eating a little wheat, for crying out loud.
These are fads (remember the “fat free” trend in the 90s, the low-carb trend of the early 2000s?) that encourage people to cut certain foods out of their diets, which will result in weight loss, at least at first. Sooner or later, people figure out ways to bring those calories back in with foods that are okay to eat, even under their self-imposed restrictions. And then the diet doesn’t work anymore.
What does work is a diet based on eating whole, unprocessed foods including fresh organic vegetables, fruits and hormone free meats and fish.
Off-season is a great time to stay home and have a little Q.T. (quiet time and or/quality time). Save some money, take care of yourself, get some rest, and eat well.
At Amanda’s luncheon, Sara Whiteford, a health food cookbook author and chef from San Francisco spoke to us about how to integrate superfoods into our daily lives. Sara is a classically trained French chef who eventually began to cook only with these kinds of healthy, fresh ingredients (www.maryandsara.com). She talked a lot about her “superfoods shrine” and was so enthusiastic and excited about these foods that I was sold. Right after the luncheon, I immediately went to Clark’s to revamp my pantry (Clark’s is expensive, but they do have a solid selection of health foods. Vitamin Cottage in Glenwood is another option). I bought quinoa, oatmeal, raw goji berries, coconut oil, kale, dried organic mango, and a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies.
Here are three dishes that have become a staple of my diet. Sometimes I’ll make big batches at the beginning of the week, as the flavors meld over time, and serve them with different proteins like grilled chicken, steamed fish, or local beef.
Killer Kale Salad
I know, I know. I didn’t love kale either but the dressing on this salad has enough acidity to soften these beefy greens, and the goji berries and mango make it sweet and delicious. Unlike mixed greens, this salad keeps well and can be added to any dish for some extra color. The heartiness of these greens give the dish a little more girth than your average salad, so it makes an excellent light dinner or satisfying lunch.
Ingredients
-1 organic bunch kale, chopped into 1/4” strips
-Raw dried goji berries (soften in water for 10 minutes before using)
-Dried organic mango (also can be softened in water)
-Cherry tomatoes
-Sliced carrots
Zingy Lemon Honey Soy Dressing
-¼ cup olive oil
-½ cup Braggs Amino Acids
-Lemon juice squeezed from 1 lemon
-1 tablespoon honey
When you toss the salad, be sure to massage the dressing into the leaves to soften them. Let the marinated greens sit at room temperature for ten minutes or so before serving. All these ingredients are available at Clark’s. Try to use organic whenever possible.
Colorful Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is one of the best whole grains you can eat. It has more protein than brown rice and most other grains and a light, fluffy texture. Like most grains, quinoa is more about texture than flavor, so it’s best served with an accompanying salad or vegetable dish to mix together. This dish reminds me of Mexican pico de gallo, but without the spice. It also keeps well and can be made in batches and eaten over several days.
-1 cup quinoa (to cook at altitude, use 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups water). Boil water then add quinoa, lower heat and cover for 10 minutes.
-1 avocado, sliced
– 2-3 vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
– 1 cucumber, sliced
– Some chopped Basil
Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
– ½ cup Balsamic vinegar
– 1 cup Olive oil
– Salt and pepper
-1 tbsp Honey
(Dressing is kind of a personal thing, so feel free to play with the ratios to taste: add more honey for more sweetness or more vinegar than oil for tang and less fat).
Chop veggies and toss with dressing and serve with quinoa. This dish can be eaten with almost anything and is delicious as a healthy base for an egg breakfast. Try poaching your eggs and serving on top of this salad. It’s also a great side dish to serve with any meat and adds a lot of color to any plate. I love to eat make it as a side dish for dinner and then eat what’s leftover for lunch the next day. It packs well into Pyrex containers for a good healthy lunch on the go.
Ali’s Awesome Coconutmeal
My mother-in-law turned me on to hot oatmeal, and now I eat it every day for breakfast. The cool thing about oatmeal is it can be whatever you want it to be, depending on what you add to it. I love it with almond butter, honey and bananas, but this is my latest concoction and I am totally addicted. You know how sometimes suntan lotion tastes so good you want to eat it? Well now you can.
Ingredients (makes 1 serving, double for 2)
-½ cup oatmeal
-1 cup water
-1 tbsp coconut oil
-A handful of raw dried goji berries
-A handful of blueberries
-1 serving package of Stevia
-Salt to taste
I use the fast cooking oatmeal because it only takes a minute: use 1 cup water to ½ cup oatmeal. Boil water, add oatmeal, lower heat and simmer for five minutes. While oatmeal is simmering, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Coconut oil is another superfood—it has tremendous anti-oxidant properties and is one of the world’s most nourishing foods—try the Nutiva brand, which is cold pressed and organic. It tastes amazing, like putting a little of the tropics in your bowl. Add goji berries, too, so they soften. When all the water is absorbed, take off heat and cover for 1 minute. Add Stevia (An all-natural herbal sweetener that has no calories and no carbs! I am in love with this stuff and use it all the time), blueberries, and salt to taste. Top with raw, unsweetened organic dried coconut flakes. I love the Woodstock brand they carry at Clark’s.
If you want to learn more about Mila, contact Ali at alisonmargo@gmail.com. Share your best off-season recipes with us and post something, anything! I am getting very lonely over here!!!