Polenta Pizza

It was brought to my attention that I couldn't discuss dude food without properly addressing the issue of pizza.  I am a pizza lover myself, but the whole issue of pizza crust somewhat kills the potential for pizza being health food, especially if you are gluten intolerant, like me.  Of course, you can purchase gluten-free mixes at the store, but I have done so before and gotten mediocre results.  Namaste's gluten-free pizza mix often results in a rock-hard crust, and Bob's Red Mill crust is chewy, and the bean flour it is made from goes rancid quickly - giving it a bitter unpleasant taste.   Since most gluten-free doughs usually result in one just desiring the real thing, how about just changing the whole idea entirely - and making a crust of polenta?  Polenta is just an Italian term for corn grits when they are prepared with a thick consistency and allowed to gel slightly so that the result can be cut with a knife. 

In the south, grits were traditionally a by-product of the corn oil industry.  Grits were made up of the starch that was leftover after the germ - the nutritious portion of the corn - was removed.  Eating white grits is like eating white flour - because there is no nutritional value, eating refined carbohydrates leaves your body at a nutritional deficit.  Your body uses up minerals in order to digest these foods, but receives no extra minerals in return.  For that reason, it is important that you purchase whole grain grits.  Bob's Red Mill Organic Corn Grits-Polenta are available in many grocery stores with a large selection of natural foods.

My inspiration for this polenta pizza came from Cynthia Lair's cookbook:  Feeding the Whole Family: Recipes for Babies, Young Children, and Their Parents. It's an excellent book for the person who is looking to incorporate whole foods into their family's diet.

Make sure you consume grits/polenta with plenty of healthy organic butter.  Even better if the butter is a natural golden yellow color, evidence of the cows grazing on freshly growing green grass.  Over-consumption of maize has historically led to the disease pellagra - a vitamin B3 deficiency.  That is why in Mexico, corn was always soaked with lime (a.k.a. quicklime or calcium oxide) water.  This process releases vitamin B3 (nicotinamide), which otherwise remains bound up in the germ.  If you eat corn products often, the step of soaking corn flour in lime water will avoid the vitamin B3 deficiency disease pellagra with symptoms of sore skin, fatigue, and mental disorders (think William Faukner's characters of the south eastern United States in the 1930's).  It was discovered that less vitamin B3 was needed if there was plenty of protein in the diet (something that was scarce due to the dire economic circumstances of the rural south in the 1930's).  ... You needn't worry about pellagra if you eat grits with butter, cheese, milk, sausage, or bacon. 

Recipe for Polenta Pizza:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup Bob's Red Mill organic corn grits-polenta
1 can of Muir glen pizza sauce
2 cloves minced garlic 
pink or gray sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried
1/4 pound or less of free-range MSG-free local pork sausage
1/4 of a medium onion, minced
1/4 pound of Organic Valley raw mild cheddar, shredded
cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon organic unsalted butter
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil


Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.  Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Slowly add 1 cup of polenta, stirring continuously with a whisk.  Lower heat and continue stirring for 10 to 15 minutes until mixture thickens.  Stir in parmesan cheese.  Lightly oil a 10 inch pie plate or iron skillet.  Pour polenta into pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm. 

While the polenta is cooking, you can embellish the pizza sauce.  If you are short on time or energy, you can just skip this step and just add jarred pasta sauce instead.

To embellish pizza sauce:  Saute onion in 1 tsp. butter, 1 tsp. olive oil.  Add oregano and basil (reserve basil for garnish if fresh).  Add pizza sauce and minced garlic.

Saute sausage in pan, breaking into medium size pieces, cooking until no longer pink in the middle.

Remove polenta from oven.  Add sauce in a layer that resembles your liking.  Sprinkle cheese.  Top with sausage and sliced cherry tomatoes.  Bake in 350 degree oven until cheese is sufficiently melted.

Top with fresh basil, if available.

Serve with a simple arugula salad or sauteed kale or collard greens.

Best Dude Food Recipe #2: Meatloaf Sandwiches with sauteed Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Raw Cheddar on Naturally Leavened Whole Grain Bread

These meatloaf sandwiches were our next favorite meal that we've had this year, after the Salmon Tacos described in the previous post.  My inspiration in making these came from working at Oddfellas Cantina in Floyd, Virginia.  They serve their homemade local beef meatloaf on homemade grilled bread with sauteed mushrooms and melted cheese.  I copied the idea, and added caramelized onions, which are essentially, food crack.

I had actually never had, and certainly never made, meatloaf until several years ago when I had bought a share of grass-fed beef.  Buying a share of a beef is a cost-effective way to purchase local grass-fed beef.  The butcher will often give you much of the portion as ground beef, and so I was looking for ways to use it.  I was making many of recipes from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon at the time, and so I learned to make meatloaf from her recipe.  Meatloaf is one of those foods that is really more of a technique, and you can use whatever you have on hand.  Here is what I usually do:

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground meat (I usually use grass-fed beef, but have used lamb and bison)1 cup or so (I confess that I seldom measure) cooked brown rice, sprouted bread crumbs (Ezekiel Food for Life when I am not eating gluten-free), or kasha (toasted buckwheat - recipe to follow)
1/2 onion diced
2 carrots, peeled or scrubbed (I peel, but perhaps scrubbing is better), chopped somewhat fine
2 stalks of celery, chopped somewhat fine
a pinch or two of thyme- dried or fresh.  You could also add rosemary, red pepper flakes
sea salt (pink or gray)
black pepper
2 cloves of garlic
Organic ketchup, or something else creative to glaze the loaf.  One year I canned plum butter, which was great for glazing meatloaf.  

Preheat the oven to 350.

I saute the carrots, onion, and celery, and add dried thyme, crumbling it in my fingers as I put it in.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Then I put the raw ground beef in a bowl, with the cup of brown rice, add a good sprinkling of salt and fresh ground black pepper, minced raw garlic, and sauteed veggies and mix to combine.  (Note to recovering vegetarians:  You will be forming an intimate relationship with raw meat at this point.)  Have your rectangular glass baking dish ready, and form the meatloaf into a log shape in the dish.  If you want to make sandwiches, picture cutting slices of the meatloaf and shape your log according to the shape of your bread.  Glaze the meatloaf with ketchup, spreading it with a knife.  Add 1/2-1 inch of water to the pan to keep the meatloaf from drying out.  Bake until browned on the outside and no longer raw on the inside.  (Not that the rawness would hurt you, it would actually be good for you, providing enzymes, just not so appetizing). 



Caramelize onions while meatloaf is baking.
Thinly slice 2 red or white onions.  Melt 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon high quality extra virgin olive oil in an iron skillet over medium heat.  Stir every few minutes for 20-30 minutes, then turn the heat a little lower and cook for 15 more minutes or until sufficiently soft and brown.  It takes a lot of time to caramelize onions, and you have to watch them because they can burn easily, especially after they start to caramelize.  For more info. see
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_caramelize_onions/

Serve meatloaf for dinner with pureed parsnips (peel, cube and boil until tender, then mash with butter and salt) and steamed beets (peel, cube and place in steamer basket over a pot with a lid and a few inches of water, steam until tender.  Salt to taste).

For Lunch: 
Recipe:  Meatloaf Sandwiches with sauteed Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Raw Cheddar on Naturally Leavened Whole Grain Bread

Here in Floyd, I am lucky enough to buy locally-made naturally leavened whole grain organic bread.  I confess that I have gotten addicted to Sweet Water Bakery's products since moving here.  Their products are prepared with respect to the principles for preparing grains as outlined in Nourishing Traditions.  I am making a committed effort to going back to a gluten-free diet, however, as the gluten (even when fermented) wreaks havoc on my digestive system and causes fatigue.  Some people are able to tolerate gluten however.  If you are interested in seeing if gluten causes a problem for you, look for information on my spring cleanse elimination diet teleclass in the coming months. 

Cut meatloaf slices to desired thickness.  Lightly salt and pepper if needed.  Preheat oven to 350.  Cut slices of bread and spread with organic unsalted butter (Don't skip buttering the bread!!!)  Lightly salt.  Toast lightly in oven.  Place slices of meatloaf atop non-toasted side.  Top with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and raw cheddar cheese.  Put in oven until meatloaf is hot and cheese is melted.  See if it is not one of the best sandwiches you have ever eaten. 

Serve with leftover beets, Sauteed collard greens, organic raw sauerkraut or kimchee.

Dude Food: Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa

As I alluded to previously, my boyfriend and his college roommate, are the inspiration for this dude food discussion.  Not used to having a woman in their kitchen, the two seemed to curiously anticipate the dishes I would concoct.  With the cold snowy weather of January and February, I made some rather hearty, comfort food dishes of all organic ingredients, local where possible.  A southwestern chicken soup with cumin, salsa verde, cilantro, and sprouted corn tortillas, biscuits (Sally Fallon recipe) and gravy, chicken pot pie (made with leftover biscuits), a few variations on meatloaf, and salmon tacos with mango salsa. 

Recipe:  Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa
This was our all-time favorite meal.  This was not exactly comfort food, but the freshness was a welcome treat in February. The best part of this meal was the one special taco where fried salmon skin took the place of a tortilla shell.  The textural combination and flavors were incredible.  The fish is separated from the skin with a sharp fillet knife, then it is diced and rolled in the cumin and chili powder.  The combination of spicy fish, sweet refreshing mango salsa, and rich avocado meld together for a truly satisfying taco. 

Ingredients:

• 1 whole filet of Wild-Alaskan Salmon:

(I have found that if you go to the fish counter and ask for a whole fillet of wild-Alaskan or Sockeye salmon, you can purchase it still frozen - which is fresher than buying several thawed pieces from the counter, and less expensive than buying it in the packaging in the frozen section).  Wild-Alaskan or Sockeye salmon doesn't have the PCB contamination and environmental issues that Atlantic or Pacific Salmon has.  

•  1-2 packages of Food for Life organic sprouted corn tortillas (most corn is GMO-contaminated unless stated otherwise or certified organic)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• cumin - 1 tablespoon
• chili powder - 1 teaspoon
• sea salt - Redmond or Celtic is best - pink or gray salt has trace minerals beneficial for your thyroid
• 2 limes
• 1 mango - pick out one that is fragrant and semi-soft
• 1/2 large onion or 1 small-medium size
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/2-1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 2 small-mid-size cloves of garlic

Separate the raw salmon from the skin with a sharp fillet knife.  If you want to try the salmon skin taco, try to leave the whole skin in one piece as you separate it from the salmon.  We then fried this in nitrate-free bacon fat.  Cook the skin until it is just slightly crisping, but still soft enough to bend easily like a burrito.  It may be slightly gummy in places but this only adds to the exotic nature of this food.  Reserve for later.

Cut salmon into 1-inch cubes and coat with mixture of chili powder and cumin.  Heat a tablespoon or so of nitrate-free bacon fat, ghee, extra-virgin coconut oil or butter over medium heat (slightly lower for butter) and cook a few minutes on each side - until no longer raw when cut open.  Do not overcook fish.  Remove salmon from pan and place in a serving bowl.  Sprinkle sea salt to taste.

Mango salsa:

Peel mango, and dice into half inch pieces.
Rinse and dry cilantro, chop.
Dice onion.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
Mince garlic.
Mince jalapeno pepper.
Combine ingredients in bowl.
Squeeze a half of a lime or more to taste.

Add sea salt to taste.

Tortillas - spread out on the racks in a preheated 350 degree oven for a few minutes - do not allow to harden!  OR - soften in a skillet (my favorite way) with a little butter or other fat listed above - just a minute or two on each side until soft and tender.  This takes practice to get the right texture.

Cut lime slices for garnish. 

That's it!  Prepare salmon skin taco with a few pieces of salmon, mango salsa, and avocado.  Squeeze lime over everything and roll up salmon skin securely.  Slice in half or in three to share!  I wish I would have taken a picture of ours!

Optional:  Serve with Margarita's over the rocks made from Cabo or Petrone tequilla and Stirrings (natural) margarita mix.  ....  I'm starting to feel like Sandra Lee from Semi-Homemade ....

Healthier Dude Food?

My boyfriend and his college roommate are into food, not health food. They are also into beer. Not having been in college for several years myself, I was somewhat taken aback by the vast amounts of alcohol some college students consume. Being a health coach, I also came to realize that for many, alcohol, perhaps more than overeating, accounts for many extra calories contributing to weight gain. But as I discovered, the beer isn't budging, and so this series of posts is dedicated to other ways that dudes or those who love dude food may improve their health by improving their diet... and maybe also even help out their hard-working liver.

The big question is, what is Dude Food?

Well, I'm no expert, but the common denominator seems to be copious amounts of meat, or fat, or both. What I discovered is that when the meat and fat is in ample supply, simple carbohydrates like bread, potatoes, or pasta are hardly missed and can be a way avoid extra calories that may contribute to weight gain.  (If bread is missed, sprouted or naturally leavened sourdough whole grain breads are hearty and appealing.)  Free-range beef, lamb, pork, eggs, chicken or sustainably harvested and wild-caught fish can be paired with two nutrient dense vegetables like steamed beets and sauteed collard greens for example. Another example is bison meatloaf with whole-grain gluten free buckwheat instead of breadcrumbs, paired with steamed broccoli and pureed parsnips. Granted, this is for those with a well-developed palette, but very satisfying in respect to bulk, heartiness, color, and taste sensation.

Do you like dude food?
How do you define it?

Does any of this sound good to you?