Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

I couldn't resist the beautiful colors of these organic heirloom tomatoes. I didn't have much luck growing them the last few years because because the trees have grown and shaded my vegetable boxes, so I've had to rely on the wonderful growers that bring them to my local farmers' market.


Today I prepared a Caprese salad using freshly picked basil from my garden, and fresh mozarella cheese, sliced. I like a semi-generous amount of EV olive oil and a little splash of fine balsamic vinegar and then sprinkled with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper.


All of the flavors work so well in bringing out the flavors of the fresh tomatoes and it's so easy to prepare. I've got to hand it to the Italians for coming up with such simple yet flavorful dishes such as the Caprese salad.

The colors and patterns of the tomatoes are spectacular. On the one hand they look too beautiful to eat but it's the beauty that makes them look so appetizing that one can easily eat several tomatoes in one sitting.

Easy appetizer: Bite size Caprese salad

A couple of weeks ago my friend Suely hosted a fun brunch with lots of delicious and healthy food.

One of the favorites (by me and others) was this tasty bite size Caprese Salad. I sometimes struggle to find good appetizer recipes that are easy to make, healthy and light, and complement the rest of my meal, so I was happy to come across this. Not only does it fit those criteria but it's also very pretty and looks great on the table.

It's so easy it doesn't even need a recipe but in case you're not seeing the image well, it's basically these three items cut small enough to fit on the toothpick.

1 cherry tomato (sliced in half)
1 small cube of mozarella cheese
1 small piece of fresh basil leaf

No dressing, no salt (and therefore no mess when eating it)... just the fresh taste of the 3 ingredients of the classic Italian salad known as Caprese. It's a keeper and I think I'll be bringing this dish to the upcoming parties I'll be going to later this month.

Just to make sure you drool some more, I thought I'd share a few more pictures of the other appetizers she served.  :-)

Asparagus spears blanched and wrapped in puff pastry before baking. Made by my friend's 12-year old daughter. Such a fun presentation.

Portuguese cheese bread - she made a Brazilian recipe. My first time tasting this and it was delicious! It had a slightly chewy consistency and the inside had lots of air pockets so it wasn't heavy.

Blueberry scones. Another one of my favorites on the table because it was it was only very lightly sweetened so it didn't compete with the natural sweetness of the fresh blueberries. I need to get the recipe!

Chocolate and zucchini cake

The organic zucchini I purchased the other day stared at me every time I opened the fridge. My intention was to grill it with some fish but because of the cold and rainy weather, I was craving something that would comfort me... like one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes. Yeah!

As you can imagine, zucchini doesn't really have that much flavor (unless it's enhanced with salt, olive oil & perhaps a little garlic), so in a way, the zucchini in this cake recipe only serves to add a little texture and moist carb (in lieu of more flour). Plus it's healthier - it has greens/vitamins and fiber. The chocolate (and coffee in the recipe) pretty much overwhelms the true zucchini flavor. So what's the point? It makes feel like I'm eating a healthier cake... that's enough to justify baking it. Yeah!

I've baked this cake many times before and I've modified the recipe to make it a little more "healthy", but the original recipe is based on this recipe by one of my favorite food bloggers, Clotilde Desoulier.

The modifications I've made are:
- I use all whole wheat flour
- I add 1 cup more zucchini than the recipe calls for to make it more moist (compensate for the dry whole wheat flour)
- I decrease the sugar by almost half
- I use 60% chocolate chips (Ghirardelli)
- I add raw walnuts

In this last batch:
- I substituted half of the butter for greek yogurt (+ 1 TB)
- I added 2 TBS brewed espresso (+ the instant coffee granules) for a little more flavor intensity

I appreciate that the recipe allows me to use up zucchini when I have a big harvest in the garden. Also that it's easy and doesn't have too many ingredients.

The only thing I wonder is how many slices of cake equals one serving of vegetables?  :-)

Top 10 FEEL-GOOD foods - Sunset.com

I just found an article that I had saved from the January issue of Sunset magazine - the top 10 feel-good foods are:

1. Fresh sardines
2. Blue corn
3. Artisanal tofu
4. Hazelnut butter
5. Chioggia beets
6. American kiwi
7. Sea vegetables
8. Quinoa
9. Bison
10. Scarlet runner beans

Luckily the article and the beautiful photos can also be found online so you can get the full story here: Top 10 healthy foods on Sunset.com

Photo by Thomas J. Story, written by Stephanie Dean and Margo True

Alice Waters honored by the French Legion d'Honneur

The article in this week's food section of my local newspaper focused on how Alice Waters continues to have high standards for her Chez Panisse restaurant - I really admire her standard of excellence.

There are so many approaches to and philosophies about food and cooking. Watch the Food Network and you'll see a wide variety of programs targeted to many different audiences. For me food is about many things, but mainly about nourishment and flavor - the best quality ingredients I can find, easy to prepare, tastes good and healthy for me, my family and the planet.

It's why Alice Waters is my food idol - she has influenced my approach to food more than any other food celebrity or chef out there. It's sometimes hard for me to succinctly articulate exactly why her approach agrees with me. There are many reasons and one of them is a point she makes in the article and she says it best herself...

"It's a moral issue for me," she said. "Everyone on this planet deserves to eat food that's really nourishing and produced in a way that is fair to the people who produce it. We have to get over the idea that food should be cheap. The people who take care of our farms are treasures. And in terms of the damage to our health, our culture and our planet, that extra cost is nothing."

I understand that low income families can't justify buying broccoli for the same price as 4 fast food hamburgers, but there is something wrong with our food system that it has come to this. That's another argument for another day (put the Food Inc. movie in your Netflix queue).

In the process of cultivating food (that nature helps to create) in manner of high integrity, we get food that tastes good, is healthy for us and healthy for our bodies. I'm grateful that she has passionately dedicated her life to changing the way America eats, she an many others who are dedicated to the same cause.

Congratulations to Alice Waters for being awarded the coveted French honor last week.

Macadamia, panko and furikake crusted salmon

Crusted salmon
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

The last of the summer's stash of wild salmon came out of the freezer this week and was baked with a crust of panko, macadamia and Japanese rice seasoning, also called furikake.

Here's wikipedia's definition of furikake:

"Furikake (振り掛け / ふりかけ?) is a dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice. It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other flavorful ingredients such as katsuobushi (sometimes indicated on the package as bonito), salmon, shiso, egg, powdered miso, vegetables, etc. are often added to the mix.

Furikake is often brightly colored and flaky. It can have a slight fish or seafood flavoring, and is sometimes spicy. It can be used in Japanese cooking for pickling foods for onigiri, or rice balls."

How it ended up in my pantry...
Yes, MSG is a no-no in my household... but I got addicted to this after babysitting my 4-year old nephew, who loves to eat rice seasoned with this stuff, so I'm making a small exception here. It was the only way he would eat the brown rice - and if you're a mom, you know how difficult it can be to get your kids to eat so you make exceptions every once in a while right? After feeding my nephew and eating with him for a week, I was hooked too and ended buying some when my sister and I visited the Japanese store.

I don't eat rice very often so my jar of furikake seasoning is getting close to expiring. I hate to waste food so that's how I ended up using this seasoning in my salmon crust. Plus I like how it adds some color to the crust, makes it look more appetizing.

Crusted with macadamia, panko and black sesame seeds

I've also used black sesame seeds to make my crust look more interesting and it gives it a nice flavor too. My husband and I cook/eat so much salmon throughout the summer season that I have to find different ways to prepare it. 9 out of 10 times we just throw it on the grill seasoned with just salt, white pepper and dill or sometimes I spice it up or marinate it. But when the weather gets colder I'm more inclined to turn on the oven - that's when I can experiment with making a crust.

Strawberry season winding up

Strawberries // Swimming
Originally uploaded by giant dwarf

I love when May comes around because that means it's strawberries time! I picked up a flat of organic strawberries at the farmers' market the other day and have been enjoying them daily. Sometimes I put them in cereal with soy milk or with a little vanilla ice cream - yum!

Last weekend I had a little dinner party to celebrate my sister's birthday and Mother's Day. I needed to make a gluten free dessert/birthday cake for my sister so I made this...

Strawberry Yogurt Trifle

1. Sliced up a small loaf of gluten-free lemon poppy-seed cake I found at the shop. Put a layer of that on the bottom.

2. Then I poured a little bit of fresh squeezed orange juice on the cake.

3. Then a thick layer of yogurt - I used a mixture of sweetened vanilla low-fat yogurt and unsweetened plain non-fat yogurt.

4. Then I placed a layer of strawberries (cut in half) on top of the yogurt.

And then repeat the 4 previous steps. The great thing about trifle is that it doesn't have to look perfect. I didn't take measurements, just did it by eye. You can add other fruit or replace the OJ for jam. Feel free to take some creative liberties.

Easy and delicious and healthy and not too sweet. It was a hit!

About the photo
The fabulous photo above with the cereal is by giant dwarf of Flickr. The photo below is the Strawberry Yogurt Trifle that I made.

Orange season winding down

Oranges drying
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Yes, the cost of living in California is high so you have take advantage of all the free things it offers, such as the good weather. And while we do get freezing cold and rainy weather here in Northern California during the winters, it's still temperate enough to grow citrus.

The orange tree in my parents' backyard has been reliably supplying us THE sweetest navel oranges I've ever had for about 25 years! This one full grown tree brings about 300 oranges per season.

It's fun to pick them and give them away to friends and neighbors. I like to squeeze the juice and store them in small containers in the freezer so I have some handy for drinks or to use in a citrus marinade.

The season starts about the end of January - that's when the first ripe oranges can be tasted. But here we are in early May and what's left on the tree is not much, but they're super sweet and juicy. It's such a treat!

My parents were kind enough to buy an orange tree for our backyard in the first year my husband and I moved into our house - that was about 11 years ago. Our tree is not quite as prolific (yet) but perhaps some day it will.

Thank you Golden State for the oranges that are nourished by your soil and climate!

Pumpkin-carrot walnut cupcakes

Both my parents' birthdays are within a couple days of each other so we always celebrate together. Mom likes pumpkin bread and Pop likes carrots so I combined the 2 ingredients to make birthday cupcakes for them. Decorated with Johnny-Jump-Up flowers cultivated in my garden specifically for eating.

Making it more healthy...
Yes, of course I altered the recipe which is based on Spiced Pumpkin Bread from Epicurious.com. It came out moist and delicious so I'll do it again...
- instead of 3 cups white flour, I used 2.5 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup white flour
- instead of 1 cup of oil, I used 1/2 cup of oil and 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce (more liquid to balance the dryness of whole wheat flour)
- decreased the sugar to 1.5 cups (instead of 3 cups) and also added 1/2 cup honey (which helped to also increase the moisture)

- also added 2 shredded cups of carrots - this is optional since the recipe doesn't call it for it

Don't overbake...
If you bake them in a cupcake tin, then between 15-20 minutes seemed to be the right baking time, depending on your oven. And because it's based on a "bread" recipe, they're really more like dense muffins than a light cake. And because they're not too sweet, they worked well as breakfast muffins and tasted better the next morning. :-)

The frosting...
Just a basic cream cheese frosting - found a generic recipe and just decreased the sugar. You know... cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.

All in all in turned out well and everyone enjoyed looking at them as well as eating them.

April 30, 2009 UPDATE...
In yesterday's San Jose Mercury News article in the Food section, Katherine Greenwald writes a great story titled "What's this flower doing in my food?" If you want to learn more about which flowers are edible, this is a must-read. More on this topic in a future blog entry!

Is coffee really that bad?

Bad Ass Coffee in Santa Cruz, CA
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

All the conflicting reports out there has me really confused. I choose what I want to believe (don't we all do that?)... but I'll keep reading the latest & greatest new studies in hopes there will be a definitive answer. Can anyone recommend some good recent studies or articles on caffeine and its effects on health?

What I want to believe...
That a moderate amount of coffee (without milk) helps digestion and therefore helps with detoxification. (yeah! I like this one.)

Unfortunately the caffeine jolt triggers the adrenals and stress hormones, and apparently, that encourages fat cells to be stored (in the form of love handles in my case - urgh!).

Ultimately I believe...
That (mostly) everything in moderation is ok. One 8-oz cup in the morning with about 4 oz. of soy milk does the trick and occasionally in the afternoon, but never past 3pm (or I won't be able to sleep).

I love the smell of coffee in the morning and love the little burst of "energy" it gives me, . And do I love the taste of this motivation juice, so why not start my morning in a pleasurable way?

About the photo
Bad Ass Coffee is one of my favorite coffee shops in Santa Cruz, CA. Their coffee is incredibly smooth and tasty - which conflicts with their name. :-)

Re-using vintage dishes

Retro dinner party
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Look! My friends and I had a pot luck using our vintage dishes. Not only did we feel good about making good and healthy food for our friend's birthday dinner (last summer), but we also used old dishes that were passed down from our Moms or found at garage sales or thrifts. Re-using (or continuing to use) old stuff instead of filling the landfills can be fun.

The vintage look and the bright retro colors was perfect. Mid-century goodness for our mid-century friend.

The menu:
- vegetarian waldorf salad made with organic brown rice, apples & walnuts
- grilled wild salmon
- organic mixed green salad with avocado, feta, cucumber, toasted almonds witn EV olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- crudite platter of veggies with various dips (hummus and a couple others, can't remember exactly)
- multi, whole grain organic bread
- blackberry cobbler (berries picked and baked the night before)
- and birthday cupcakes

We certainly enjoyed a delicious and colorful feast!

April is Earth month

Earth Energy
Originally uploaded by Auntie K

April 22nd is Earth Day and it's awesome that during the whole month of April we see a lot of media coverage promoting activities and good practices to help keep our environment clean and healthy.

I too will dedicate the most of this month's blog entries to being good to our planet and environment.

I try my best to tread lightly on this earth. I'll admit that I don't do everything I know I should or should not do (for example, I do drive a car), but I believe that even the smallest daily practices help. For example...

1. CLOTHES LINE IN MY GARAGE
I try to hang most of my laundry, especially larger items like towels that soak up a lot of water. Yes, sometimes, I put those items in the dryer for about 10 minutes when they're still a little moist just to soften them up a bit, but at least I dried 90% of it without the use of the dryer.

It's also more gentle on clothes and makes them last longer. It seems like a lot of trouble but actually, once you get in the habit, it doesn't really take that much time - you don't have to hang it perfectly. I learned this from my parents so I've been practicing this my whole life.

2. WALKING TO THE GROCERY STORE
I'm lucky enough to be a 10-minute walking distance to a supermarket so when I don't have too big of a load to pick up, I walk over with my canvas bags. Luckily my bank/ATM and the post office are also in the vicinity so I run those errands at the same time.

I know, I know... life is very busy and who has time? For me it's only 20 minutes round trip by walking, but even if it's 30 minutes, it's a good way to get a little exercise (walk fast) and get away from the phones and computer. It's amazing what it can do to your mental state to stop the frenzy. I just make a choice to give up watching TV or reading a book for that amount of time. Sometimes the trade-offs aren't that easy, but the point is that I TRY to do it when I can. :-)

What small (or big) things do you do on a regular basis to help our environment? Please do share.

About the photo
This amazing photo was found on Flickr.com - click on the image to see the full credits.

Tulsi Tea

Tulsi Tea
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

I love trying new things I just learn about. Tulsi tea, also known as Holy Basil, was recommended by my yoga instructor, Sean (who is also an herbalist). He writes in his blog:

"Medicinally, Tulsi has been used in Ayurvedic medicine, for centuries, to support a healthy response to stress, promote longevity, nourish the mind, and elevate the spirit. And now, many modern studies support this use. Studies show tulsi does lower blood glucose levels. It also is a natural COX-2 enzyme modulator, which means it has an inflammatory-cascade normalizing action. Many studies now show it supports immune system health, and it is a potent anti-oxidant."

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy basil leaves steeped in hot water but it was actually really good. It's not like drinking pesto. :-)

Sean just started his blog but I've started following it because I anticipate more interesting and healthful recommendations. If you're interested, follow him at http://www.ebacupuncture.blogspot.com/

Green Energy

Green juice
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

I can't drink caffeine past 3pm or I'll be awake all night. About 8 ounces of this juice blend diluted with water and with an extra shot of chlorophyll gives me the that boost of energy I need to get me through the afternoon. Woo hoo!

It's got more sugar (from fruit) than I'd like to consume so I'd love to learn about other ways I can get that late afternoon energy boost. If you have anything you'd like to share, please do let me know.

What’s your cooking personality?

What’s Your Cooking Personality? is a related NY Times article about the Nutritional Gatekeeper (see prior blog post).

Click here to take the test and you will end up in one of these categories:

a) Giving: Friendly, well-liked and enthusiastic, giving cooks seldom experiment, love baking and like to serve tried-and-true family favorites, although that sometimes means serving less healthful foods.

b) Methodical: Talented cooks who rely heavily on recipes. The methodical cook has refined tastes and manners. Their creations always look exactly like the picture in the cookbook.

c) Healthy: Optimistic, book-loving, nature enthusiasts, healthy cooks experiment with fish, fresh produce and herbs. Health comes first, even if it means sometimes sacrificing taste.

d) Competitive: The Iron Chef of the neighborhood, competitive cooks have dominant personalities and are intense perfectionists who love to impress their guests.

e) Innovative: Creative and trend-setting, innovative cooks seldom use recipes and like to experiment with ingredients, cuisine styles and cooking methods.

I am a combo of C and E. I try to optimize health and taste. I don’t sacrifice taste to eat healthy - healthy doesn’t have to be tasteless.

Though there are many generalizations, I like how this article makes the point that there is not just one standard to being judged as a good cook.

Many cooking shows and media articles glorify the cook who can make the most “incredible” meal. “Incredible” being defined as great to look at and highly flavorful. I appreciate the artistry of good food presentation, but I prefer top notch ingredients over food that’s nice to look at.

About the photo
In a pinch a like to use Trader Joe's pre-packaged chard to make a chard and barley soup. It hits the spot in the winter.

Nutritional Gatekeeper

Did you see last week's article in the New York Times, Who's Cooking? (For Health, It Matters)?

Here's an excerpt:
"Studies show that the biggest influence on family eating habits is the person who buys and prepares the food. These “nutritional gatekeepers,” as researchers call them, influence more than 70 percent of the foods we eat, according to a 2006 report in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association — not just home meals but children’s lunches, snacks eaten outside the home, and even what family members order at restaurants."

I am definitely the "Nutritional Gatekeeper" in my household because I do the grocery shopping and prepare/cook the food. I do my best to prepare a variety of healthy meals that are pleasing to the palate, but not necessarily fancy or pretty.

It's interesting that the article goes on to make the point that the Nutritional Gatekeeper influences a family's eating habits and can pass on both good and bad habits to children. It makes sense.

Doctoring recipes

Lemon blueberry yogurt pound cake
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

It drives my husband crazy that I'm constantly fussing with recipes to make them more "healthy", that is, if baked goods can be considered healthy.

Sometimes I fail miserably and what was suppose to be a healthy blueberry muffin ends up tasting like cardboard and doesn't quite satisfy the sweet tooth. But hey, at least I'm trying and with some practice I'm starting to get the hang of it.

Baking is tricky because it's more of a science than cooking, so you can't just change the measurements and expect it to turn out well. So unless you're scientifically inclined, trial and error (and taking lots of notes) is the only way to go.

Last week I made a second attempt at "improving" a lemon blueberry yogurt pound cake based on a recipe from Food Network's Ina Garten. I substituted the white flour for whole wheat flour, decreased the sugar and added stevia, increased the yogurt a little and added (frozen) wild blueberries.

It was a total hit! Really moist, good flavor with a nice pucker of lemon and just enough sweetness to satisfy the sweet tooth. This doctored recipe is a keeper!

If you'd like details on the "improved" recipe, write a comment and I'll reply. :-)

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

One of my favorite ways to prepare salmon is to bake it with a crust consisting of:

- panko crumbs
- chopped macadamia nuts
- black sesame seeds

First whisk an egg with a little salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Slice the fish fillet into individual servings. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, then roll in the crust mix and bake on a lightly greased (olive oil) pan at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. (I know wild salmon is out of season now but it's available frozen.)

I always make a big batch so I have enough for lunch and dinner the next day. When it's cold it can be served over a bed of organic baby greens (dressed with EVOO and balsamic vinegar) to make a delicious salad. Yum!

Yoga to nourish the body and mind

I took my first yoga class about 20 years ago but only in the last 18 months have I practiced more regularly (1 to 2x a week), mainly because my husband has gotten into it (thanks to a particular instructor). I've seen many benefits from my more consistent yoga practice, so I am committed to continuing the once or twice per week practice... hopefully for the rest of my life!

In some ways I feel my progress is so slow because most sessions are just so challenging. But in other ways I feel big changes have been made in my body's strength and flexibility in a relatively short time. For example, recently I've been able to do the back bend position, but 6 years ago my back was in such bad shape I thought there would be no way in my life time that it would be possible (even my chiropractor didn't think so). In fact, my back is so much better I've stopped going to the chiropractor after just 6 months of practicing more consistently.

Besides the physical benefits of yoga, each practice is a wonderful opportunity to escape my thoughts. There is no opportunity in class for the mind to wander... only to focus on my teacher's instructions. There's no choice but to focus on NOW. It's meditative and relaxing to the mind, while challenging for the body. I'm not sure what is more valuable... the relief from my anxious and active mind or the toning of my muscles. I suppose both equally support good health.

In the spirit of sharing good health with my friends and readers, I want to acknowledge my wonderful yoga instructor, Sean Michael Hall. He is totally committed to wellness and he has made a huge contribution to my and also my husband's health.... and for this we are grateful. Anyone who lives in the Berkeley/Oakland area would find it convenient to go to one of his yoga classes. He also has an acupuncture practice that specializes in pain management and women's issues.

To your health!

About the photo
Taken at the Palomarin trail in Bolinas, CA.

High flavor, high protein breakfast

Soy chorizo & eggs
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Quick breakfast tip...

I love the flavor of chorizo sausage but I'm not a fan of pork so I was happy to discover SOY chorizo at Trader Joe's a couple of years ago. It's already cooked too so whipping up a scramble with eggs takes no time at all. It's such an easy way to get a high protein breakfast that's really flavorful.

It keeps a while in the fridge so you can pick one up on your next TJs shopping trip and just keep it handy in your fridge.