I'm a Wimp Who's Scared of Curry

I don’t know whether to attribute it to growing up in a Kosher household, which limited outside dining options, or to the fact that Jews stereotypically can’t handle heat, but I have a very limited palate when it comes to ethnic food. And spice. And the variety of the ethnic dishes I do eat.

Let me explain: When it comes to sushi, I grew up eating tuna rolls – tuna, rice, seaweed—cucumber rolls – cucumber, rice, seaweed – and avocado rolls – avocado, rice, seaweed. Mexican in the Goldman household consisted of a delicious casserole made from rice, beans, cheese, tuna, peppers, and mild salsa. No heat, no zingers.

I tried Thai food for the first time during my sophomore year at BU. My friends and I went to a restaurant called Noodle Street, which I still HIGHLY recommend, and a kind waitress advised that if I was new to Thai, I should try the “See ew” dish, because it was not all that different from the Chinese food that I did know. I tried it; I loved it. I tried my friend’s Pad Thai dish as well. It has been two years, and those are STILL the only Thai dishes I will order and eat.

I’ve never tried Indian. For context, I spent 4 months in London – which is arguably, the second-best place in the world to try Indian food – and I am still a wimp about it.

But why not? I mean, I live in Boston – a far cry from the ethnic food mecca that is New York City, but we hold our own. I have all sorts of ethnic delights around me, and yet I do not actively try them.

I will be the first to admit it. I am a wimp when it comes to trying ethnic food. I am scared of spice levels, I am scared of not knowing what to order, I am scared of not liking what I ordered. Am I the only one with these irrational fears?

I ask you for help fellow foodies: What dishes should I be trying? And am I alone in my fear of curry?

Recipe: Mushroom and Fresh Basil Frittata

I love eggs for breakfast because they're delicious and they keep me full until lunch. The great thing about this recipe, because it makes four servings, is it makes a great brunch or "Breakfast-for-Dinner" Entree.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Liquid Egg Whites
• 3 Cups Sliced Mushrooms
• 1/3 Cup Skim Milk
• ½ Cup Whole Fresh Basil Leaves
• ½ Cup 2% Four Cheese Blend (Shredded Cheese)
• 1 TBS Olive Oil
• Salt Substitute and Pepper to taste

To Make:

• Preheat oven to 350° F
•  Sauté mushrooms (in olive oil) in a 10 inch non-stick, oven-safe skillet over a medium flame. (This should take 5 minutes)
• While mushrooms sauté, combine egg whites, milk, salt substitute and pepper.
• Chop fresh basil and add to egg white mixture
• Add ¼ cup of shredded cheese to your egg mixture
• Pour egg mixture over mushrooms in skillet, and cook in oven for 20 minutes
• Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the eggs and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the eggs have set

Servings: 4

Each Serving: 149 calories, 4 g carbs, 6 g fat, 19 g protein, 323 mg sodium

Obviously, you don’t have to use basil and mushrooms when making frittatas – there’s hundreds of variations you could try. You could go crazy with ingredients, or pair it down to a few and let those flavors really shine through.

Here are a few combos to get you started – just keep in mind, the nutrition facts for this recipe will change if you use different “add-ins”:

• Onions and Swiss
• Tomatoes, Spinach, and Feta
• Bacon and Cheddar
• Ham, Green peppers, (and a dash of hot sauce on the side)

Happy Cooking!

Recipe: Parmesan and Parsley Crusted Cod

At the request of one of my readers, Louise, I am posting this recipe for the parmesan and parsley crusted cod that I referenced in my Seasonal Foods of March post. I often pair fish dishes with rice and a side salad because it is so much lighter than chicken or beef, but that’s a personal choice.

I buy individually packaged frozen fish from Ocean Market, so for this, and other fish recipes, I’ll be referencing a single serving, but feel free to double at your discretion.

Also, I’ve used both dry and fresh parsley when making this dish. I think fresh parsley tastes better, but if you can’t get it, it’s really not a problem – using dry parsley tastes good as well. Just remember:

1 tsp. dry Parsley = 1 TBS Fresh Chopped Parsley = 2 sprigs of Parsley

Happy Cooking, Fellow Foodies!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. portion of cod
• ½ TBS Light Miracle Whip
• 1 ½ TBS grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 TBS Fresh Chopped Parsley

To Make:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees
• Lightly spray a baking pan with non-stick spray
• Combine 1 TBS Parmesan cheese, parsley, and Miracle Whip and spread over the top of the cod filet
• Place cod on baking pan and sprinkle the remaining ½ TBS Parmesan on top of Parmesan/parsley paste
• Bake 6-8 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork

Per Serving: 123 Calories, 1 grams carbs, 6 grams fat, 17 grams protein

This Parmesan crust works very nicely on most white fish because of their mild flavor. Try it on flounder, tilapia, or haddock! 

My Weight Loss Technique

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve lost 20 pounds by becoming a member of the free weight loss/social media community Myfitnesspal.com. Today’s forum discussions on MFP have centered on what number of calories a person should eat when dieting, how to determine that number, and why a person should not go below a certain number.

Now, I am not a doctor. I have had no medical training. However, I am a recovering eating disorder patient, who has seen multiple nutritionists, dietitians, and doctors over the years. I am sharing with you the science that I have learned by multiple medical sources.

The reason why diets tend to fail is that the dieter assumes that if he or she simply eats less and exercises more, than the weight will come off. This thinking is only a few steps away from dieting extremes. Let me explain: If eating less calories results in weight loss, than the unhealthy extreme would be to eat the bare minimum – an eating disorder behavior which will force your body into ‘starvation mode’.  In the same vein, if exercising more results in weight loss, than the unhealthy extreme would be to burn all the calories that you have eaten – another behavior associated with the eating disorder exercise bulimia.

To lose weight in a healthy way, you need to EAT. And eat ENOUGH. It’s a hard concept to wrap ones head around. I remember the shock I had when I realized that after swimming laps, I actually needed to eat a second dinner to meet my calorie and nutrient requirements for the day.

Try thinking of it this way: in order to lose weight, the body needs to be in peak condition so that it can ‘streamline’ itself. To be in peak condition, you need to hydrate it, feed it, and feed it the right nutrients.

So how many calories do you need to net? There are two important numbers to calculate when determining how many calories you need to eat when starting a weight loss plan: Your BMR, and TDEE.

BMR -- the Basal Metabolic Rate – is how many calories you burn if you just sit and breathe all day -- you should NET at least this number.  (Total Calories Eaten – Total Calories Burned = Total Calories Netted)

I found this great website which calculates your BMR: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

TDEE -- Total Daily Energy Expenditure –This is how many calories you should eat to stay at your same weight: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

When you deduct the recommended 250 – 500 calories each day (for a half a pound, to a pound of healthy weight loss each week), you should do so from your TDEE – as long as deducting those calories keeps you eating at a calorie level between your BMR and TDEE.

Of course, losing weight is not as easy as simple math – sodium and water also affect the number on the scale. (Too much sodium causes water retention, so make sure you’re getting enough water to ‘flush out’ sodium).

As I said, I’m not a medical professional. But this approach has been approved by medical professionals and has worked for me. 

Before

After

Recipe: Breakfast Egg "Cupcakes"

Eggs are protein powerhouses! But it takes time to cook them in the morning -- time that I often don't have. That's why I created this recipe to bake ahead, and pop in the microwave as I'm running out the door. Enjoy!

Breakfast Egg "Cupcakes"

Ingredients:

• 12 Eggs
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/3 cup 2% cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. Morton's Salt Substitute
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• nonstick spray

To Make:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees
• In a bowl, beat the eggs together and add mushrooms, peppers, and cheese. ***You can use whatever vegetables or meats you'd like -- just keep in mind that the calorie counts provided will be different if you do.
• Season egg and vegetable mixture with salt substitute and pepper.
• Spray a 12-count cupcake pan with nonstick spray, and distribute the egg mixture evenly.
• Cook 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture is no longer runny. 
• Pull egg cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool. As they cool, the eggs will finish cooking completely. 

From here, I usually put them in a Ziploc and freeze them, so that I can grab them as I need them. If you want to beef up the recipe, feel free to add liquid egg whites to the mix, or additional vegetables. And they're so healthy, so you can easily grab two!

Serves: 12

Per Serving: 100 calories, 2g carbs, 6g fat, 8g protein, 392 mg potassium, and 122 mg sodium

What's Your Pizza Personality

Last week's issue of Parade was pizza themed. One of the articles inside featured the following pizza-eating personality chart:

• The Folder: You're a multitasker who is always on the go, and you believe in eating to live rather than living to eat. Food just isn't a top priority for you.

• The Pizza Surgeon: You are a bit of a martyr -- you don't mind suffering first if it means enjoying a treat later. This is why you carefully cur away the edges of the crust and scrape off the cheese, which you then savor last.

• The Hands-on Eater: You consume pizza the traditional way: with your hands, cheese side up. You're non-judgmental, you always go with the flow, and you enjoy taking life slowly.

• The Knife-and-Fork Holder: You like order and organization, keep your emotions in check and scrupulously clean, and tend to focus on one task at a time. 

I think this list is pretty lacking, though -- I mean, what if you eat your pizza backwards? And the article doesn't even touch what your toppings preferences say about you?

I decided to add to Parade's list:

• Crust-discarder: You are a minimalist who pares life to the essentials: You've already gotten the taste of pizza, you don't need anymore.

• Backwards-eater: You exemplify America's subculture underbelly that goes against the grain. You, hipster, you!

• The Glutton: By taking two pieces, and "double fisting", you display your enthusiasm when eating.  Careful, this can also be perceived as greed.

• The Calzoner: As someone who takes two pieces, and then stacks them cheese side together, you illustrate that you are not only flexible, but have a deep appreciation for other cultures.

Toppings Choices:

• Pineapple: You're a natural leader who's not afraid to take charge and try something new. Or you're really hankering for that island vacation. Take your pick.
• Multiple Veggies: You may be one to get swept up in culture trends and fads. By adding veggies, you think you're making the pizza healthier, but in reality, it's still pizza.
• Multiple Meats: You have animalistic urges and tendencies. Not the best companion in a zombie apocalypse. 
• Everything Imaginable: You want it all. By trying to appease all your different taste buds, you run the risk of muddling flavors. 

Seasonal Foods: March

In honor of the first day of March, I have compiled a list of foods that are coming into season this month.  I don’t know about you, but parmesan and parsley crusted cod on a bed of brown rice, with a side of roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and leeks, with an orange for dessert is sounding like a great dinner! Happy Cooking, Fellow Foodies!

• Chicory
• Radishes
• Broccoli
• Spring onions
• Cauliflower
• Leeks
• Bananas
• Blood Oranges
• Kiwis
• Lemons
• Oranges
• Passion Fruit
• Pineapple
• Pomegranate
• Rhubarb
• Parsley
• Cod
• Lemon Sole
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Salmon
• Sea Trout