RUTH FOOD BLOG

By Ruth Lahmayer Chipps, MS, RD

My husband Jeremy said this is the best bread he’s ever had.  It’s incredibly easy to make. The beauty of this technique is that you never have to touch the dough and get sticky hands. It’s as easy as stir it and forget it! The outcome is truly rustic/European style bread with crusty outside and moist sour-dough texture inside. Additionally, baking your own artisan breads is economical and your guests will be wowed with the aroma. Experiment with different variations and enjoy!

Once you have the technique down, try substituting 1/3 of the flour for whole wheat flour and adding walnuts, dried cranberries, ground cardamom and cinnamon.  Another variation is to add Kalamata olives and garlic chunks (dried) along with the cheese. You can also toss in ground flaxseed, rolled oats and a few sesame seeds for part of the flour. Experiment and enjoy!

Artisan Parmesan Bread (Knead-Free)

3 c. bread flour

¾ t. yeast

1 ¼ t. salt

½ c. Parmesan cheese, chopped in small chunks (1/4 inch)

1 5/8 c. water (more or less)

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt and pepper. Add cheese and use non-stick rubber spatula to stir together. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. You may need more or less water depending on type of flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles and almost doubles in bulk. Lightly release the dough from the edges of the bowl using the non-stick spatula and form it roughly into a loaf. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise again for about 2 hours.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (Dutch oven, cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats to 450 degrees. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. (I use oven gloves…be careful pot is VERY hot). Use the spatula to gently loosen the dough from edges of the bowl and turn dough over into the hot pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Sprinkle with cornmeal or bran if desired. Use pot holders to cover with the lid (it’s hot!) and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes, or until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.  Variation note: when using whole wheat flour, you may not need the last 15 minutes. Tap on the top of the loaf to be sure it is golden brown (not dark brown) and firm. The bread will have a sourdough texture and consistency.

Note: It’s important to be very careful with removing the pot and the lid!—it is extremely hot. I always use heat-resistant oven gloves.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Serve immediately or slice loaf and keep in freezer. Pull out by slice as needed and toast.

RUTH FOOD BLOG

Today’s post is dedicated to my Mom - Jeanette. She’s an incredible cook and even published her own cookbook. Here is a favorite recipe from her book:

Mom’s Vegetable Beef Soup

2 t. olive oil

3/4 to 1 lb. stew beef

1 lg. soup bone

2 (14 oz.) cans of beef broth

1 quart (4 c.) tomatoes

2 c. each  - diced potatoes, chopped carrots,  corn & green beans

4 bay leaves

2 t. dry parsley

2 t. dry marjoram

2 t. dry savory

2 t. dry thyme

4 beef bouillon cubes or 2 Tbsp. granules

salt and pepper to taste

Method: Brown beef and bones in small amount of olive oil; cook until tender. Remove meat and bones. Add tomatoes and vegetables; cook until tender/crisp – you may need to add more water for the right thickness. Add bouillon cubes and herbs. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces and return to pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook until vegetables and meat are tender - about 20 minutes. You can use any combination of vegetables that appeal to you. We often have soup with bread and fruit for dessert for a low fat, delicious healthy lunch.

10 servings. Approx. 161 calories, 5g fat, 0g trans fat, 17g Carb., 4g Fiber, 14g Protein, 274mg sodium

Note from Jeanette: “My daughter, Ruth loved this soup and wanted it for a birthday party when she was 6 years old. The guests were not happy, but she was. This recipe is dedicated to my daughter, Ruth.”

Recipe from cookbook: Fifty Years of Love, Recipes and Memories by Jeanette & Al Lahmayer. If you’d like to find out about how to get a copy, email me at ruth@lahmayer.com.

RUTH FOOD BLOG

I’m a smoothie-lover and there’s no better way to enjoy fresh or frozen fruit than when it’s been whipped with fermented milk!  Yes, that may sound unappetizing, but think again. Fermented milk is considered to be a longevity food–filled with “healthy” bacteria that act as gut protectors setting up a defensive army of good guys that fight off the invaders. These little critters are amazing microscopic friends that are partners in healthy eating.  Yogurt and kefir are common names for milk that has been allowed to experience life extension.  Yogurt is typically thick and custard-like and contains specific cultures such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus.

Kefir has a more liquid texture and generally contains a wider array of healthy bacteria. Look for products with “live, active cultures” on the food label to maximize the probiotic effects on the intestinal flora. New pourable yogurts are also available which contain healthful cultures as well as prebiotics–a type of dietary fiber that helps to feed the healthy bacteria (called probiotics).

Fermenting milk is a practice that has been used for centuries–likely a method of preserving milk when refrigeration didn’t exist. This necessity turned out to be a health-promoter and plays a role in enhancing the immune system and digestive tract. It may offer a host of other health benefits such as reducing inflammation and infection and other possible roles now being studied.

Beyond the health benefits, I enjoy the tart taste that fermented milk provides—it offers that perfect balance with the sweetness of fruit in a blended smoothie. In our household, we toss in all kinds of fruits and spices. Invent your own smoothie every day. Here is one basic recipe to build upon.

LONGEVITY SMOOTHIE

1 c. vanilla flavored pourable yogurt or fermented milk (kefir)

1 medium frozen banana (peel the over-ripe ones and toss in the freezer with other fruits)

½ c. other frozen fruit such as purple grapes, mango or pineapple (or a combination)

2 Tbsp. ground flax seed

2 dried plums

Blend on low or pulse until frozen fruit is softened, then blend on high to smooth the mixture.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: I do not currently represent any fermented milk products.

RUTH FOOD BLOG

By Ruth Lahmayer Chipps, MS, RD

Never before has a book had more potential to promote a national movement towards mindful living. Friend and colleague Dr. Amit Sood has written “THE” guide for the mind-body connection. A physician and integrative medicine expert, Dr. Sood is the Director of Research for Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program and has been called an “intelligent optimist.” His new book is truly a guide for an optimistic future for healthy living.

I asked him about his goals for the book called “Log-On – Two Steps Toward Mindful Awareness” and he shared the following mission of the book:

-To share knowledge about the workings of human mind and brain;

-To use this knowledge to teach a two step journey toward peace, happiness, resilience, and healing;

-To help cultivate among each learner on this journey, a sincere love in heart, kindness in actions, charity in thoughts, wisdom in mind, and selflessness in self;

-To transform human consciousness.

His writing and inspirational presentations, which I have attended, have truly transformed my own consciousness. Practical techniques and gentle reminders throughout the book helped me realize greater meaning in life. Log On truly has the potential to soften the hard edges of people and positively impact health and longevity. We know of the dangerous effects that stress has on the body and Dr. Sood’s strategies help people move out of the “stress syndrome” to realize a better, healthier way of approaching life—one that is peaceful and joyful. The book is so captivating and easy to read that even my 82 year old parents are both reading the book and gaining amazing insight from it!

Here’s the excerpt from Amazon – where the book is available for purchase
(Incidentally, Dr. Sood is donating profits from the book to help children of the world.)

(Amazon.com) Log-On. A practical, hands-on approach to developing and nurturing mindfulness, that here-and-now state of total attention and being that determines so much about how we live our lives. In two simple steps, Dr. Sood takes us on a journey to help us engage and empower our brain’s higher centers. By training our attention and refining interpretation by nurturing forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, and true meaning and purpose we can cultivate the level of objectivity required to successfully cope with daily obstacles like stress and illness. The simple to follow exercises further our training with results both immediate and recognizable. Log On will help us train our mind to cultivate peace, joy and resilience, decrease anxiety and attention deficit, and ‘rightwire’ our brain to live fuller and more purposeful lives.

Here is the link to Dr. Sood’s marvelous book Log On: Amazon.com

Healthy, mindful reading!

–Ruth

You can eat healthy and have a positive influence on the environment! Consider growing your own vegetables, frequent a farmers market or buy direct from a local farmer.  Stock up in high season, so you can enjoy the bounty later in the year.

Today  in early February of  ’09, I enjoyed the harvest of ’08 with a squash and apple dish that’s truly delicious.  Butternut squash is one of my favorites and my mom grows a big patch of them every year. They store very well in a cool, dry place. Rotate them occasionally and be sure the stem stays on the squash. Four months after harvest, we’re still enjoying this seasonal favorite.

Plan ahead for new ways to go “garden” green.  Plant a backyard garden, share plot space with a friend or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Make green living part of your daily ritual by getting back to nature and enjoying natural home grown produce.

My mom gave me this recipe and exclaimed: “I can’t stop eating this dish—it’s like dessert.” I absolutely concur—and I think you will too.

Enjoy!
Ruth

Butternut Squash & Green Apple Bake

Delicious as a side dish with chicken, pork or pasta.

5 c. squash/sliced, butternut

4 c. apples, tart, sliced

¼ c. butter/melted

½ c. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

1 t. salt

½ c. ground mace

Method:

Peel and slice squash/apples. Melt butter and brown sugar; stir in flour, salt and mace. Stir mixture into squash/apples. Bake at 350 for approx. 1 hr or until soft. Stir halfway through cooking process to distribute ingredients.

Enjoy!

Incorporating a vegetable into holiday cookies is an innovative way to eat more vegies. These cookies are a personal favorite and a family tradition. Thanks, Mom for the recipe!

Cookie batter:

3/4-c. sugar

3/4-c. butter

3/4-c. cooked, mashed carrot

l egg

2 c. unbleached flour

2-tsp. baking powder

1/2-tsp. salt

1-tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice

1 Tbsp. fresh grated orange rind

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Powdered sugar (approx, 1 c. or enough to make it spreadable)

Combine and blend sugar and butter. Add carrots and eggs. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter. Add vanilla. Place spoonfuls on parchment paper covered cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for approx. 8 minutes. Only bake until they are no longer shiny and slightly brown on edges (tops do not get brown.) Test with a toothpick. Cool on racks. Mix icing ingredients and spread on cooled cookies. These are soft and luscious - the orange and carrots are perfect partners. Freezes well. Enjoy!

Healthy Holidays,

Ruth

It’s definitely time to visit your local farmers market, if you haven’t already been a frequent visitor.

The markets are brimming with the best of the fall harvest and one of my favorites is butternut squash. I’m fortunate to have received a few fresh picks from my mom’s garden in rural Wisconsin.  You can identify butternut by it’s light creamy tan exterior color, characteristic hourglass shape and rich golden-orange interior. This fall favorite it filled with nutrients,such as beta carotene and is a good source of fiber.

Last night I cut the squash into eight chunks, removed the seeds and roasted the pieces at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes with a sprinkle of salt & pepper an drizzle of olive oil. We enjoyed it as a side dish with chicken spaghetti meal. Leftover pieces were refrigerated for today’s soup:

Butternut Squash Soup

2 tbsp. olive oil

¾ c onion, chopped

¼ c. red pepper, chopped

¼ c. green pepper, chopped

2 tsp cumin (more if you like it)

1 ½ t. fresh minced garlic

¼ t. white pepper

2 (14oz .) cans low sodium chicken broth (or homemade – if you have it)

2 c. cooked or make squash

¼ c. half & half (optional)

Hot pepper sauce to taste.

Brown onion and garlic in olive oil. Add red and green pepper and lightly sauté. Add remaining ingredients and heat. Your’re the cook – adjust seasonings as needed –

Just before serving add the optional half & half and heat to serving temperature (do not boil.) Sprinkle the desired amount of hot pepper sauce.

Serve with a slice of seasonal fresh local apples–We’re enjoying “honey crisp” in Minnesota right now!

To Your Health,

Ruth

-New bill offers opportunity for expanded Medicare coverage for preventive medical nutrition therapy-

 As a registered dietitian, I’m joining my colleagues in a collective high-five today—the new Medicare bill passed yesterday! This means that we can now begin to approach more coverage for medical nutrition therapy services (MNT). Nutrition counseling has been proven to play a major role in preventing conditions such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity and diabetes.

  Read the rest of this entry »

Great news was released on Monday confirming the success rate of using a simple self-monitoring device that dietitians have been recommending for years—the food diary.  A new study by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research with 1700 participants found that those who kept a daily food record lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t keep records. The participants also followed a healthy eating regimen – the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) as well as engaging in 30 minutes of moderate activity per day. They also attended regular support meetings. Weight lost averaged 13 pounds during the 6-month period.  The study was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and will appear in the August edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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The recent Midwestern floods have been devastating for many of my neighbors in surrounding counties.  Our home was unaffected, since we live on higher ground—less than a mile away from the mighty Mississippi in Minnesota. Only minutes down the road, disaster areas have been declared in Southern Minnesota as well as many counties in Iowa and nearby Wisconsin.

As families in river towns struggle to save their communities, we must be aware of the potential long term effects from the losses of these vital farm communities – from economic losses to environmental destruction. There will likely be a resounding effect on our food supply, considering the flooded areas are in the “bread basket” of our country. The immediate concern has been for adequate fluids, food and shelter. Read the rest of this entry »