New Year's Resolution - Eat Less, Walk More

Walk along with our Erickson-Bisch shadows as we chat about our New Year's Resolution to eat less, walk more. Drop in on a short segment of our conversation as we walk 3.5 miles through King Estate's vineyard on a beautiful, crisp January 3, 2010 afternoon. Wait for the winery to come into view.

If you don't own a pedometer, I highly recommend you get one and start walking with us. Read the stickK Experts Word on Getting from Resolution to Real Change and visit Wonders of Walking for inspiration. I took a 12-week contract out on myself last year with stickK to exercise/walk 3 or more times a week. My daughter was my referee. If I didn't met my weekly goals, I set up my contract commitment to send money from my checking account to a non-profit I did not want to support... if I failed. Worked like a charm; I met every goal for 12 weeks. I just renewed my commitment for 2010.

A note about weight control: While at the used bookstore the other day, I picked up a 10-year old booklet Amazing Apple Cider Vinegar, which happened to be sitting on top of a pile of books I was passing by between bookshelves. An odd coincidence, as earlier in the week I was thinking about adding cider vinegar to my daily regime to aid digestion and weight control.

The recommendation is to drink a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water before each meal to melt away excess pounds. The author Earl L. Mindell claims that it works, although no one really knows why. He suggests that it either (1) really does burn calories, (2) takes the edge off of the appetite or (3) just fills the stomach. No matter what the science proves to be, the effect is the same - weight loss. I'm willing to give it a try, besides, apple cider is known to have many curative benefits to our health... to numerous to mention here, but there are many publications and online resources out there dedicated to the subject of apple cider vinegar.

If you are thinking about adding another cookbook to your library, I recommend The Sustainable Kitchen published in 2004 by Stu Stein, Mary Hinds and Judith H. Dern to share their passionate cooking inspired by local and regional farms, forests and oceans. At one time, Stu Stein was the executive chef at King Estate Winery.

Mock Balsamic Vinegar and Jeera Lassi

The aromas coming from the kitchen were incredible. My pre-holiday test-run to try out these dishes was not without its challenges. While enjoying the warm notes of the smoky Provolone wafting from the kitchen as the strata baked, I took time out to defrag from a couple of glitches during preparation.

In the course of preparing dinner, I discovered (1) that my blender’s bearing was shot, leaking some of the swirling yogurt mixture all over the counter top as a metallic gray slurry, having run down through the motor first; (2) this is also the first time our fillet of sole came with its tough gray skin and spiny bones attached. My husband only noticed the topsides while making his selection at the fish market. Problems out of the way and resolved: blender in the recycle bin, fish recipe revised to accommodate two people who are not the least up to spending the next hour removing skin and bones, all ended well. The commingling of aromas kept us in a mood of great anticipation... and we weren't disappointed. Great meal!

Jeera Lassi is a traditional drink in India made by blending dry-roasted cumin seeds, yogurt, water and salt and pepper to taste. Especially with spicy foods, this beverage refreshes your palate between bites. Garnished with mint and roasted cumin.

Christmas Fish is a holiday entree meant to be presented as stuffed, rolled fillets sprinkled liberally with red paprika. Here you see that I spread the stuffing over the top of the sole fillets and baked according to the directions. This worked out quite well; much less work than rolling the fillets around loose stuffing.

Dinner this evening was an infusion of textures and flavors from four recipes taken from both of my Cooking Course Challenge books. The Christmas Fish is found on page136, Shilpa’s Roasted Beets on page 96 and Jeera Lassa on page 207 of the Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet; Asparagus and Provolone Cheese Strata is found on page 156 of The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen.

Asparagus and Provolone Cheese Strata can be prepared a day ahead. Chill 3 hours or overnight before baking.

Shilpa's Roasted Beets first marinate in Mock Balsamic Vinegar, combined with garlic, oregano, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. This is now my favorite way to prepare beets. No boiling or peeling necessary. Delicious served hot or cold.

How to make Mock Balsamic Vinegar:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes longer. Let the vinegar cool. Refrigerates well for up to 2 weeks. Yields 1/2 cup.

Because the beets cook for an hour at 400 degrees, the strata for 45 minutes at 325 degrees and the fish for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, I baked the strata first, then increased the temperature, roasting the beets for a half hour, placing the fish on the lower rack to bake for the last 30 minutes without adjusting the temperature. The fish was moist and tender; not overcooked. I kept the strata hot in my warming drawer until the other two dishes were ready to serve.

 

Here's how to make Jeera Lassi:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 cup yogurt
• 3/4 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste ( I used cayenne)
• Ice, optional
• Mint sprigs and roasted cumin seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Dry-roast the cumin seeds in a small pan, without oil, over medium heat.
2. Stir seeds until they brown; do not burn.
3. Set a few seeds aside for garnish.
4. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the ice and mint.
5. Chill or pour into glasses and add ice. 
6. Garnish with mint and cumin seeds.

Serving size: one 10 ounce glass

Enjoy!

"A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen and this kitchen is delirious." Anon