Fiber is the Future

If you like the crunch of sweet potato chips but want them without the oil, consider making your own in the microwave.

Microwaving dehydrates the potato, which makes for a crunchy chip without the greasy residue.

Making your own sweet potato microwave chips is easy, all you need to do is:

• Use a mandoline or thinly slice sweet potatoes into rounds (long, tubular shaped potatoes make for the crispiest chip)
• Cut a piece of parchment paper about the size of your microwave circular plate
• Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on parchment and place in microwave
• Microwave on hi for 6-8 minutes, watching closely and stopping heat as soon as chips start to darken in color
• Spray chips with olive oil spray and salt to taste

Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, containing high amounts of potassium and vitamin A.

A medium sized sweet potato (2″ in diameter and 5″ long) gets you 4 grams of fiber for just 110 calories.

Finally, a DIY crispy, crunchy snack you can feel good about!

Today is Whole Grains Sampling Day, and a pretty big holiday in the fiber-sphere!

Sponsored by the Whole Grains Council (who already want you to eat whole grains at every meal) this day is set aside to get people to try new whole grains. At the end of the day, they want you to say, “That was great! Where have you been all my life?!”

In the spirit of Whole Grains Sampling Day, I recently checked out freekeh, an ancient grain I first sampled at this year’s Expo West Natural Products show and now regularly include as a go-to whole grain.

Freekeh is an ancient grain whose name means “to rub” in Arabic. According to legend (and the folks at Freekeh-Foods), frekeeh was first “discovered” 2,000 years ago when a village in the Middle East was set ablaze, destroying a crop of young green wheat. Rather than throw out the crop remnants, the resourceful villagers rubbed off the wheat chaff, cooked it up, and freekeh was born.

Today’s freekeh is the product of roasting and rubbing green wheat that results in a nutty, chewy texture somewhat like bulgur. Marketed as “an ancient grain for modern times”, you can use freekeh in many ways: soups, salads, pilafs, and casseroles, or as a substitute for rice or couscous.

Freekeh is a nutritional powerhouse as it packs more fiber and protein than do many other grain products. A 1/4-cup serving of freekeh contains:

• 130 calories
• 1 g fat
• 0 mg sodium
• 26 g carbohydrate
• 4 g dietary fiber
• 8 g protein

If you’re looking to get your freekeh on this Whole Grains Sampling Day, I suggest you check out the fabulous cookbook 30 Ways to Freekeh! by Bonnie Mathews. From Roasted Sweet Potato Stew with Kale and Freekeh to Vegetarian Freekeh Burgers with Chipotle Mustard, this is the definitive cookbook for the freekeh fan.

To learn more about freekeh, check out Freekeh-Foods website at http://www.freekeh-foods.com/.

Is it broccoli or is it cauliflower?

Romanesco cauliflower – sometimes called Romanesco broccoli – is one of the most unique members of the family Brassicaceæ (which also includes brussels sprouts, cabbage, and collard greens).

With its stunning pointed florets and flourescent green fractal patterning, this cruciferous vegetable is popular in Italy, where it is called Cavolo broccolo romanesco. The French call it Romanesco cabbage, and in the US you may find it labeled as Romanesco cauliflower or broccoli.

The Romanesco’s flavor is nuttier than traditional cauliflower, and slightly more crunchy. Its season is short, and Romanesco flourishes in colder weather, usually being available in March.

Romanesco cauliflower can be prepared in the same way you make traditional cauliflower or broccoli: roasted, grilled, sauteed, or, in the case of cauliflower, mashed.

Two cups of raw green cauliflower provide 4 grams of fiber for just 40 calories. For some great recipe ideas, check out San Diego Specialty Produce’s page on Romanesco Broccoli.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has designated 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa.

Heralded for its unique nutritional properties and environmental adaptability, the UN is positioning this cereal-like grain as a key player in the global fight against hunger and food insecurity. With its tag line, “Quinoa, a future sewn thousands of years ago”, the UN hopes to promote quinoa as a viable source of nutrients for millions of people.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is indigenous to South America and has been an important part of the continent’s diet, particularly in the Andean highlands, for centuries. The UN is highlighting quinoa’s drought resistance, its ability to grow in poor soils and high salinity, as well as at a range of topographies (from sea level to 4,000 meters) and temperatures (-8 to 38 degrees Celsius, or 18 – 100 degrees F).

Nutritionally, quinoa is that rarest of plant foods that contains all of the essential amino acids, lending to its high protein content. One cup of cooked quinoa has 220 calories, 39 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein and 5 g dietary fiber.

Quinoa is gluten-free and can be used in place of rice, couscous, or other starchy grain. Click here for an excellent Red Quinoa Salad recipe – compliments of Chef Evandro Caregnato of the Brazilian steakhouse restaurants Texas de Brazil.

To learn more about the potentially life-saving benefits of quinoa, download the FAO report “Quinoa: an ancient crop to contribute to world food security“.

Hot on the heels of Taco Bell pulling their ad chastising veggie-toting football-watching fans comes the Wall Street Journal’s 22 Super Bowl Party Rules.

Rule 7. A good Super Bowl prank is to show up with big bowl of kale salad and yell, ‘WHO’S READY FOR SOME KALE SALAAAADDD!!!”

Now, what’s ironic about Rule 7, is that it’s the Wall Street Journal’s very own Kale, Cabbage and Carrot Salad that I am currently, really into.

When you have a blog on dietary fiber, you get PSYCHED if the WSJ hypes kale!

This recipe, from the Slow Food Fast column January 5, 2013 by Chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern has it all: homemade mayonnaise-based dressing, a marriage of cruciferous and dark green leafy vegetables, not to mention that it’s one of those rare salads that gets better the longer it’s allowed to marinade.

Here are the details:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• tablespoon caper pickling liquid
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed to a paste
• ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt, to taste
• 2tablespoons snipped chives (optional)
• 1/4 head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• ½ large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced or torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives or dill (optional)

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolk with mustard. While whisking constantly, slowly dribble in oils. Continue whisking until oil is fully incorporated and mixture is thick and pale in color.
• Whisk in capers, pickling liquid, garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste and snipped chives, if using.
• In a large bowl, combine all vegetables and herbs, if using. Add dressing and toss, using both hands to mix until dressing coats all ingredients. Allow salad to marinate until vegetables soften, at least 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information (makes 6 servings):

• 225 calories
• 19 g fat (relax…it’s good fat)
• 12 g carbohydrate
• 3.5 g dietary fiber
• 175 mg sodium
• 3.5 g protein

So this Super Bowl – make a stand, break some rules, and bring kale salad.

They’re going to secretly LOVE you.