I got an email from South Beach diet the other day with a recipe for taco salad that sounded amazing. Except it was full of expensive shit I didnt have on hand or intend to drop money on. So this recipe was born from that idea. Taco salad with ingredients on hand. Deeelicious. Especially the beans, which I will make again as a side for sure.
3/4 lb lean ground beef or 2 1/2 cups soy crumbles
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika is even better)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
10 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
3/4 large red onion, roughly chopped
1 large tomato
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (fat free is fine, i used daiya - which is gluten free, vegan and delicious)
spicy sweet black beans
29 oz canned black beans, rinsed, drained and pat dry
1 tablespoon EVOO
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
dressing
2 tablespoons fage 0% greek yogurt
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon lowfat sour cream
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
rinse and drain beans. pat dry with papertowels. add EVOO to a large skillet and wait 30 seconds. add beans, cilantro, honey and apple cider vinegar. when liquid begins to reduce and become stickier and beans are soft, add red pepper flakes. set aside in a large bowl to cool slightly.
mix oregano, paprika, chili powder and cumin in a small bowl with a whisk while a large skillet heats up with EVOO. add beef to EVOO and stir in seasonings, breaking up beef. sautee for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. roughly chop 1 large tomato, squeezing out juice/seeds with your hands and add to beef mixture, sauteeing for 5 minutes or until cooked through and tomato skin begins to blister slightly.
meanwhile, roughly chop spinach and red onion, tossing with cheddar. add to bowl with beans. top with meat mixture and toss.
whisk together everything but goat cheese. gently stir/fold in goat cheese crumbles and top individual servings of salad. yum.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
... Crab Cakes ...
It is very hard for me to use the word or ingredient CRAB seriously. Mostly because my darling Andrea and I have been calling eachother crab for the last few years after a brief obsession with hermit crabs. This recipe and post is for her, obvs.
I needed a quick meal tonight and remembered I had a few cans of crab meat in my massive suburban pantry. (Don't tell Ina Garten that I used canned crab meat. She'll never forgive me. We're best friends in my head, laughing as we pick fresh herbs from her Hamptons garden. Shut up. )
After a bit of internetting, I found the following recipe. The original is a bit high on cholesterol and sodium. You can omit the worcestshire if sodium is a concern and perhaps use egg alternative or two egg whites or vegan mayo in place of the regular to drop the cholesterol down.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Nutritional information on the bottom is for original recipe with all the high fat fixins. Substitute away, friends. And do yourselves a favor, sautee these in coconut oil for a touch of added sweetness. Thank you to Laura and Tim for turning me on to that wonderful stuff!
Maryland Style Crab Cakes!
18oz crab meat, picked through for shells and drained if in liquid
4 tsp mayonnaise
1 egg1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
1 tbsp onion, grated
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh parsley
6 tbsp crushed gluten free crackers or bread crumbs (aka 1 frozen waffle, toasted and processed)
Add egg to a large bowl. Whisk until slightly frothy.
Whisk in mayo, worcestershire, old bay, onion, dijon and parsley until well combined. Stir in crab meat. Gently fold in bread crumbs/crackers.
Form crab mixture into 8 evenly sized, flat patties. Think hockey puck sized.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to skillet. Add crab cakes, cooking for 3 - 4 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown. Try to only turn them once to lower the risk of cracking.
These were fantastic with a side of pasta (in lemon zest/juice, creme fraiche, veggie broth and green onions) and sauteed red and yellow peppers, also in coconut oil. Mmmmmm mmm.
Nutrition info (in 2 crab cakes) : 224 calories; 10g off at (5 saturated); 127mg cholesterol; 1131mg sodium; 13g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 1g sugar; 18g protein
I needed a quick meal tonight and remembered I had a few cans of crab meat in my massive suburban pantry. (Don't tell Ina Garten that I used canned crab meat. She'll never forgive me. We're best friends in my head, laughing as we pick fresh herbs from her Hamptons garden. Shut up. )
After a bit of internetting, I found the following recipe. The original is a bit high on cholesterol and sodium. You can omit the worcestshire if sodium is a concern and perhaps use egg alternative or two egg whites or vegan mayo in place of the regular to drop the cholesterol down.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Nutritional information on the bottom is for original recipe with all the high fat fixins. Substitute away, friends. And do yourselves a favor, sautee these in coconut oil for a touch of added sweetness. Thank you to Laura and Tim for turning me on to that wonderful stuff!
Maryland Style Crab Cakes!
18oz crab meat, picked through for shells and drained if in liquid
4 tsp mayonnaise
1 egg1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
1 tbsp onion, grated
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh parsley
6 tbsp crushed gluten free crackers or bread crumbs (aka 1 frozen waffle, toasted and processed)
Add egg to a large bowl. Whisk until slightly frothy.
Whisk in mayo, worcestershire, old bay, onion, dijon and parsley until well combined. Stir in crab meat. Gently fold in bread crumbs/crackers.
Form crab mixture into 8 evenly sized, flat patties. Think hockey puck sized.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to skillet. Add crab cakes, cooking for 3 - 4 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown. Try to only turn them once to lower the risk of cracking.
These were fantastic with a side of pasta (in lemon zest/juice, creme fraiche, veggie broth and green onions) and sauteed red and yellow peppers, also in coconut oil. Mmmmmm mmm.
Nutrition info (in 2 crab cakes) : 224 calories; 10g off at (5 saturated); 127mg cholesterol; 1131mg sodium; 13g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 1g sugar; 18g protein
Sunday, August 28, 2011
FRITTATA FRENZY
I have seriously been neglecting the original content portions of this blog. To make up for it, I bestow upon you all a frenzy of frittata recipes. Frittatas are easy midweek meals to throw together and serve with potatoes or a great salad. I also love them for lazy weekends since one will get two people through breakfasts with a little to spare.
The first version I made below was created based on what veggies I had around thanks to my parents picking everything from their garden to avoid it all being trashed by the hurricane. I'll give you three different versions to choose from, but you can really swap any vegetables or cheeses that you like. I've even made it with light sour cream instead of ricotta in a pinch. Frittatas are great because you can pretty much throw in whatever you have in the fridge. You can also knock out some more of the calories by using egg beaters or egg whites, without compromising the overall texture of the dish.
For an added fiber boost and crunch factor, add ground flax meal to the top before baking. Today, I processed a gluten free frozen waffle in my food processor and topped the first frittata with that.
Frittata a la Irene
5 eggs (or 1 + 1/4 cup egg beaters/egg whites)
1 cup of part skim ricotta cheese
3 oz goat cheese
3 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 large zucchini, sliced into long matchsticks and cut into quarters
2 roasted red peppers
1/2 large spanish onion, thinly sliced and diced
Moroccan seasoning blend (Fresh Direct's is fantastic)
In a large frying pan, add cooking spray and onions. While onions cook, dice zucchini. I like to cut it into thin match sticks and then into quarters. Once onions are translucent, add zucchini and at least one tablespoon desired dried seasoning. With this vegetable combination, I used a Moroccan seasoning mix which was delicious.
Preheat oven to 375.
While zucchini cooks until tender and lightly browned (you should be able to easily slice with your cooking spoon), add 5 eggs (or substitute 1 1/4 cups egg beaters or egg whites) and beat until slightly frothy. Add ricotta and stir until well integrated. Crumble goat cheese and stir, leaving crumbles intact for pockets of cheese.
Take vegetables off the heat and add to a bowl to cool slightly. Meanwhile, thinly slice and dice roasted red peppers (2 should be fine) and stir into egg mixture. Once onion/zucchini mixture is partially cooled, stir this into egg mixture as well.
Pour combined egg, vegetable and cheese mixture into baking dish. I like a pyrex pie dish for this. Bake at 375 for at least 25 minutes or until frittata is browned all around and firmly set in the center.
Greek Frittata
5 eggs
3/4 cup feta cheese
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
3 or 4 roasted red peppers, cleaned of seeds and finely diced
10 oz spinach, finely chopped, frozen or fresh
1/2 small package of fresh mushrooms, washed and finely diced
red/black pepper
dried oregano
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp all spice
Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.
Mexican Frittata
5 eggs
3/4 cup queso fresco, monterey jack or pepper jack
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
1 cup of diced green chiles (any heat level)
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 can of black or pinto beans, rinsed
red/black pepper
cilantro
1/2 red onion or 2 green onions, diced
Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.
The first version I made below was created based on what veggies I had around thanks to my parents picking everything from their garden to avoid it all being trashed by the hurricane. I'll give you three different versions to choose from, but you can really swap any vegetables or cheeses that you like. I've even made it with light sour cream instead of ricotta in a pinch. Frittatas are great because you can pretty much throw in whatever you have in the fridge. You can also knock out some more of the calories by using egg beaters or egg whites, without compromising the overall texture of the dish.
For an added fiber boost and crunch factor, add ground flax meal to the top before baking. Today, I processed a gluten free frozen waffle in my food processor and topped the first frittata with that.
Frittata a la Irene
5 eggs (or 1 + 1/4 cup egg beaters/egg whites)
1 cup of part skim ricotta cheese
3 oz goat cheese
3 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 large zucchini, sliced into long matchsticks and cut into quarters
2 roasted red peppers
1/2 large spanish onion, thinly sliced and diced
Moroccan seasoning blend (Fresh Direct's is fantastic)
In a large frying pan, add cooking spray and onions. While onions cook, dice zucchini. I like to cut it into thin match sticks and then into quarters. Once onions are translucent, add zucchini and at least one tablespoon desired dried seasoning. With this vegetable combination, I used a Moroccan seasoning mix which was delicious.
Preheat oven to 375.
While zucchini cooks until tender and lightly browned (you should be able to easily slice with your cooking spoon), add 5 eggs (or substitute 1 1/4 cups egg beaters or egg whites) and beat until slightly frothy. Add ricotta and stir until well integrated. Crumble goat cheese and stir, leaving crumbles intact for pockets of cheese.
Take vegetables off the heat and add to a bowl to cool slightly. Meanwhile, thinly slice and dice roasted red peppers (2 should be fine) and stir into egg mixture. Once onion/zucchini mixture is partially cooled, stir this into egg mixture as well.
Pour combined egg, vegetable and cheese mixture into baking dish. I like a pyrex pie dish for this. Bake at 375 for at least 25 minutes or until frittata is browned all around and firmly set in the center.
Greek Frittata
5 eggs
3/4 cup feta cheese
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
3 or 4 roasted red peppers, cleaned of seeds and finely diced
10 oz spinach, finely chopped, frozen or fresh
1/2 small package of fresh mushrooms, washed and finely diced
red/black pepper
dried oregano
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp all spice
Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.
Mexican Frittata
5 eggs
3/4 cup queso fresco, monterey jack or pepper jack
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
1 cup of diced green chiles (any heat level)
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 can of black or pinto beans, rinsed
red/black pepper
cilantro
1/2 red onion or 2 green onions, diced
Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Cooking Light goes Gluten Free!
On August 2nd, Cooking Light magazine is releasing a Gluten Free cookbook!
I am a huge fan of Cooking Light. I like their recipes and their focus on health and balance versus dieting, so I am psyched. You can read more about the release here.
There are a few reviews up on Amazon already which are not good. One star was given in each, in fact. And the complaints are typical. Between seeing comments on recipes around the web and scanning through my email comments, the following two criticisms are eeeeeverywhere.
Here are the big two.
1. The recipes rely on store bought mixes like Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill, Bisquick gluten free etc.
2. The recipes are "naturally" gluten free and focus around meat and vegetables etc.
Now, I love carbs as much as the next person. But just because you are eating gluten free does NOT mean that every meal needs to have a gluten substitute in it. I actually assume this is why many people unintentionally gain weight on a gluten free diet (not including those who were malnourished due to celiac and NEED to gain weight). I fell victim to the same thinking when I first went gluten free, eating anything and everything that was labeled gluten free, saying - HEY! I CAN EAT THIS! - to myself. Can does not mean should or need to. Shouldn't we be enjoying "naturally" gluten free foods too? Like proteins, vegetables and fruits - some of the most wholesome food choices out there? What is wrong with someone putting out a collection that includes many of those recipes? I do limit my carbohydrate intake and really appreciate gluten free recipes that aren't all about swapping one flour or starch for another.
My issue with the complaints for this particular book is related to who is publishing it. If you read Cooking Light or use their recipes, you'll find that many of their recipes are protein and vegetable centric, gluten free or not. I probably use 2 to 3 recipes from each magazine and rarely if ever have to make gluten free exchanges.
I'm excited for the idea of having the gluten free recipes together in one collection. Not having to scour recipes and new ingredient labels does save time when shopping and cooking during the week. I am also in favor of getting gluten free marketing away from packaged goods. But I also know that when I do bake or cook with gluten substitutes, time is of the essence, and I often do buy pre-blended flour mixes. I don't have the kitchen space to store 10 different types of flours and often get annoyed when "fast recipes" involve measuring five different types of flour. Part laziness, part realism. Just because I have a food allergy doesn't mean I have hours to devote to cooking each day.
So my take on this new collection? Thank you Cooking Light for helping the gluten free community focus on wholesome foods (that aren't always about the carbs) with convenience in mind.
I am a huge fan of Cooking Light. I like their recipes and their focus on health and balance versus dieting, so I am psyched. You can read more about the release here.
There are a few reviews up on Amazon already which are not good. One star was given in each, in fact. And the complaints are typical. Between seeing comments on recipes around the web and scanning through my email comments, the following two criticisms are eeeeeverywhere.
Here are the big two.
1. The recipes rely on store bought mixes like Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill, Bisquick gluten free etc.
2. The recipes are "naturally" gluten free and focus around meat and vegetables etc.
Now, I love carbs as much as the next person. But just because you are eating gluten free does NOT mean that every meal needs to have a gluten substitute in it. I actually assume this is why many people unintentionally gain weight on a gluten free diet (not including those who were malnourished due to celiac and NEED to gain weight). I fell victim to the same thinking when I first went gluten free, eating anything and everything that was labeled gluten free, saying - HEY! I CAN EAT THIS! - to myself. Can does not mean should or need to. Shouldn't we be enjoying "naturally" gluten free foods too? Like proteins, vegetables and fruits - some of the most wholesome food choices out there? What is wrong with someone putting out a collection that includes many of those recipes? I do limit my carbohydrate intake and really appreciate gluten free recipes that aren't all about swapping one flour or starch for another.
My issue with the complaints for this particular book is related to who is publishing it. If you read Cooking Light or use their recipes, you'll find that many of their recipes are protein and vegetable centric, gluten free or not. I probably use 2 to 3 recipes from each magazine and rarely if ever have to make gluten free exchanges.
I'm excited for the idea of having the gluten free recipes together in one collection. Not having to scour recipes and new ingredient labels does save time when shopping and cooking during the week. I am also in favor of getting gluten free marketing away from packaged goods. But I also know that when I do bake or cook with gluten substitutes, time is of the essence, and I often do buy pre-blended flour mixes. I don't have the kitchen space to store 10 different types of flours and often get annoyed when "fast recipes" involve measuring five different types of flour. Part laziness, part realism. Just because I have a food allergy doesn't mean I have hours to devote to cooking each day.
So my take on this new collection? Thank you Cooking Light for helping the gluten free community focus on wholesome foods (that aren't always about the carbs) with convenience in mind.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Gluten Free in... New Jersey?
Yes, folks. I have moved across the smelly river back to the much less smelly than everyone thinks land known as Dirty Jerz as of May of 2011. While I am still slightly ambivalent about how this plays out for many of my closest friendships, my career etc, I see this as a great thing for this blog, as gluten free friendly restaurants don't seem to be nearly as obvious/lauded outside of cities, so this is a great way of exposing myself and my readers to new, safe places to eat.
Early picks that are delish:
Zinburger
Clifton, NJ
Burgers
*Freaking FANTASTIC burgers. Go bunless. They'll provide you with extra lettuce wedges as a substitute if you request it. Most of their french fries are safe for celiac consumption. As are most of the burgers. My favorites so far are the kobe cheeseburger and the namesake zinburger. The servers aren't super knowledgeable overall (it varies quite a bit, very much a luck of the draw situation) but the managers and chef are on top of it. I just asked questions at my first visit, not explicitly saying that I had an allergy and they guessed this and gave me a full rundown of what was kosher for me to eat. Awesome! I keep promising myself that I'll try more of the french fry varietals, but the first ones I sampled, their "double truffle" fries, were safe (including truffle dipping sauce) and all sorts of good.
Joe's American Grill
Short Hills, NJ and Paramus, NJ
American/Pub
*I was shocked when I read elsewhere on the web that Joe's was a fantastic gluten free pick, since all I remember about them was the fantastic bread that they put out at the beginning of the meal. They might oversell themselves a tad (example: ALL OUR PIZZAS AND PASTAS CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE... except the two I first tried to order). That said, their manager was fantastic. He personally served all of my food, assuring me each time that he supervised all the cooking and that their line cooks were knowledgeable about cross contamination.
Portobello
Oakland, NJ
Italian
*Gluten free pasta can be subbed in all dishes except for those with white cream sauces with a bechamel base. Many gluten free apps are available, and the wait staff was on top of it.
Tinga
Upper Montclair, NJ
Mexican
*Mexican is usually the easiest choice as most sauces are naturally thickened (read: without flour) and corn tortillas are found in abundance. Tinga offers slamming tacos (beef brisket and shrimp are my current favorites) and enchiladas that are safe. They are also willing to substitute corn tortillas for flour in any case that works without really compromising the dish, which is great.
Terrazza
Nutley, NJ
Italian
*Chef was highly knowledgeable about which dishes were safe. I had the beef short ribs over risotto - fantastic and safe, as the risotto is prepared in a beef stock. Delicious! They advertise on their website that they offer gluten free pastas as a substitution, but didn't have any the night I stopped in. And it didn't sound like they were just "out" and needing to order more, either.
Happy eating!
Early picks that are delish:
Zinburger
Clifton, NJ
Burgers
*Freaking FANTASTIC burgers. Go bunless. They'll provide you with extra lettuce wedges as a substitute if you request it. Most of their french fries are safe for celiac consumption. As are most of the burgers. My favorites so far are the kobe cheeseburger and the namesake zinburger. The servers aren't super knowledgeable overall (it varies quite a bit, very much a luck of the draw situation) but the managers and chef are on top of it. I just asked questions at my first visit, not explicitly saying that I had an allergy and they guessed this and gave me a full rundown of what was kosher for me to eat. Awesome! I keep promising myself that I'll try more of the french fry varietals, but the first ones I sampled, their "double truffle" fries, were safe (including truffle dipping sauce) and all sorts of good.
Joe's American Grill
Short Hills, NJ and Paramus, NJ
American/Pub
*I was shocked when I read elsewhere on the web that Joe's was a fantastic gluten free pick, since all I remember about them was the fantastic bread that they put out at the beginning of the meal. They might oversell themselves a tad (example: ALL OUR PIZZAS AND PASTAS CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE... except the two I first tried to order). That said, their manager was fantastic. He personally served all of my food, assuring me each time that he supervised all the cooking and that their line cooks were knowledgeable about cross contamination.
Portobello
Oakland, NJ
Italian
*Gluten free pasta can be subbed in all dishes except for those with white cream sauces with a bechamel base. Many gluten free apps are available, and the wait staff was on top of it.
Tinga
Upper Montclair, NJ
Mexican
*Mexican is usually the easiest choice as most sauces are naturally thickened (read: without flour) and corn tortillas are found in abundance. Tinga offers slamming tacos (beef brisket and shrimp are my current favorites) and enchiladas that are safe. They are also willing to substitute corn tortillas for flour in any case that works without really compromising the dish, which is great.
Terrazza
Nutley, NJ
Italian
*Chef was highly knowledgeable about which dishes were safe. I had the beef short ribs over risotto - fantastic and safe, as the risotto is prepared in a beef stock. Delicious! They advertise on their website that they offer gluten free pastas as a substitution, but didn't have any the night I stopped in. And it didn't sound like they were just "out" and needing to order more, either.
Happy eating!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
I am so in favor of this article.
Looking for a Plan B? Make it Gluten Free
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/fashion/gluten-free-bakeries-and-cafes.html?_r=1&hpw
I do like to bake. But I like being lazy and wandering into a bakery and being able to eat something a whole lot more.
NY Times is all over the Gluten free shtuff this week. Earlier, an article touting how so many gluten free products are now completely delicious. And EVEN a gluten free pizza recipe!
Love. Love. Love.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/fashion/gluten-free-bakeries-and-cafes.html?_r=1&hpw
I do like to bake. But I like being lazy and wandering into a bakery and being able to eat something a whole lot more.
NY Times is all over the Gluten free shtuff this week. Earlier, an article touting how so many gluten free products are now completely delicious. And EVEN a gluten free pizza recipe!
Love. Love. Love.
Monday, May 16, 2011
the curse of pine nut mouth
Okay. Confession time: I am a bit of a hypochondriac. (Note: this may be the largest understatement ever made.) So its not terribly unusual for me to google symptoms as they happen and diagnose myself with the bubonic plague, lupus, brain tumors etc etc etc. I also recently made a joke that if I had a television show it would be called I Always Think I'm Pregnant.
This in mind, I successfully diagnosed myself via googling.... with PINE NUT MOUTH. Ugh.
I had some absolutely fantastic pesto, made with pine nuts, basil, arugula, garlic and parmesan, a few days this week on a tomato-zucchini gratin. It was absolutely delicious. Until I started getting a weird taste in my mouth that I could only describe as soapy and metallic that came back anytime I ate or drank anything, especially savory foods. At first I thought my yogurt was bad. Then I assumed the same about some chips I was snacking on. And then I had a burger that looked absolutely fantastic and still tasted like metal. These symptoms are apparently common with pine nuts that are imported from china, russia and vietnam. A few studies seem to attribute it to non-edible variations of pine nuts making it into the market. Others assume its an additive, others still believe the offending nuts to be rancid. You can read more here, thanks to Grace Tan, a scientist who took up the task of figuring out this mysterious pine nut syndrome.
My extensive googling confirmed the diagnosis but didn't tell me much about how to make it better. It seems like waiting it out is the consensus. But here are a few tips that made my few days of metallic soapy taste a little more bearable.
Three things improved the bad taste:
1. 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 10 oz of water, taken before meals
2. squeezing fresh lemon directly on my tongue / drinking water with several lemon wedges while finishing meals (as the taste is the worst after meals)
3. salty and spicy foods
Things to avoid:
1. sweet foods (the momentary relief leads to terrible bitter rebound - GROSS)
2. savory foods (especially cheese, which was heartbreaking)
3. starchy foods (potatoes, breads etc)
I did not come across literature on any problematic Spanish or Italian pine nuts. So if you need to use them in the above fabulous pesto (btw, cashews and walnuts make excellent substitutes) try and make good choices. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Costco are all continuing to sell these delightfully rancid treats, so make sure you are reading labels carefully about where the nuts (and nut mixes that contain pine nuts) are imported from.
Not exactly a gluten free dilemma, but relevant to happy, incident free eating. Choose those nuts wisely, friends*.
*(that's what she said)
This in mind, I successfully diagnosed myself via googling.... with PINE NUT MOUTH. Ugh.
I had some absolutely fantastic pesto, made with pine nuts, basil, arugula, garlic and parmesan, a few days this week on a tomato-zucchini gratin. It was absolutely delicious. Until I started getting a weird taste in my mouth that I could only describe as soapy and metallic that came back anytime I ate or drank anything, especially savory foods. At first I thought my yogurt was bad. Then I assumed the same about some chips I was snacking on. And then I had a burger that looked absolutely fantastic and still tasted like metal. These symptoms are apparently common with pine nuts that are imported from china, russia and vietnam. A few studies seem to attribute it to non-edible variations of pine nuts making it into the market. Others assume its an additive, others still believe the offending nuts to be rancid. You can read more here, thanks to Grace Tan, a scientist who took up the task of figuring out this mysterious pine nut syndrome.
My extensive googling confirmed the diagnosis but didn't tell me much about how to make it better. It seems like waiting it out is the consensus. But here are a few tips that made my few days of metallic soapy taste a little more bearable.
Three things improved the bad taste:
1. 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 10 oz of water, taken before meals
2. squeezing fresh lemon directly on my tongue / drinking water with several lemon wedges while finishing meals (as the taste is the worst after meals)
3. salty and spicy foods
Things to avoid:
1. sweet foods (the momentary relief leads to terrible bitter rebound - GROSS)
2. savory foods (especially cheese, which was heartbreaking)
3. starchy foods (potatoes, breads etc)
I did not come across literature on any problematic Spanish or Italian pine nuts. So if you need to use them in the above fabulous pesto (btw, cashews and walnuts make excellent substitutes) try and make good choices. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Costco are all continuing to sell these delightfully rancid treats, so make sure you are reading labels carefully about where the nuts (and nut mixes that contain pine nuts) are imported from.
Not exactly a gluten free dilemma, but relevant to happy, incident free eating. Choose those nuts wisely, friends*.
*(that's what she said)
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