Dried Spelt Pasta at Longo's

The last decade has witnessed a resurgence in the popularity of Spelt, not only because it has a much richer, more flavorful taste, but because it is far more nutritious than its less robust, overhybridized cousin, wheat. Even whole wheat, which has not yet been stripped of its fiber and nutrients, cannot stand up to Spelt in either the flavor department or the nutrient department.

Why then, one might ask, has wheat flour filled the shelves of almost all grocery stores, while Spelt is available almost exclusively at health and nutrition stores?

The answer is simple. Spelt does not lend itself well to agribusiness. While wheat loses its husk during the harvesting, or threshing process, Spelt does not. It retains its husk, requiring two separate grindings compared to just one for wheat. In the vast sweep of economics, agribusiness and technology, it was easy to let Spelt fall by the wayside. This in spite of the fact that the husk, though inefficient for purposes of grinding, did have some advantages. Spelt's tough outer husk helps to protect the kernel from pesticides and insects at the same time that it helps to retain valuable nutrients and fiber.

In the flavor department, there is no comparison. Anyone who has tried Spelt will tell you it has a richer, fuller flavor than its relatively flat and lifeless cousin, wheat. Some people describe it as "nutty", and most think it is delicious. It works well as a pasta with all of the same sauces used on ordinary wheat-based pastas. As bread, muffins and pancakes, Spelt is far more flavorful and enjoyable.
In the nutrition department, Spelt rules - especially when compared to wheat. A plate full of whole grain spelt pasta can provide as much as half of the USDA recommended guidelines for protein. In fact, 2 ounces of Spelt contains 10 grams of protein. The same portion of all purpose white wheat flour contains 2.74 grams of protein.

Impressed? Try this: A 2 ounce portion of whole grain Spelt flour contains a whopping 5.27 grams of fiber, while the same portion of all purpose white wheat flour contains less than 1.8 grams.
The numbers become more significant when you run them up the flagpole. Not only is Spelt rich in protein, but these proteins, in turn, contain all of the eight essential amino acids needed by the human body. These amino acids are called "essential" because the body cannot manufacture them. If you don't eat them, you don't get them.  Source:  Ecomall

It is important to note, however, that Spelt still contains some gluten and is therefore unsuitable for a gluten-free diet.

Today at Longo's York Mills,  I was delighted to find dried Spelt pasta!  Until now, I  have mostly had to source my Spelt pasta at specialty pasta stores (in Toronto, Bologna Pastificio on Dufferin is a favourite) but they come with a suitably gourmet price tag.  The bags of spelt pasta at Longo's are priced at $3.99.  Toss the pasta in some olive oil and garlic, a fresh tomato basil sauce or any other sauce that you fancy (EXCEPT Alfredo!!!)....toss in some chick peas, kidney beans or grilled spinach for an added nutritional kick and enjoy.

Three Healthy Desserts

Gillian McKeith is a British healthy-eating guru that I first learned of during my many visits to the UK.  I love her wholesome, vitamin and nutrient filled recipes and the knowledge that every recipe serves a purpose, beyond just good taste!  Below are some delicious, healthy dessert treats, some courtesy of Gillian.    I have made a few adjustments, based on trial and error.  Enjoy - without the guilt!

Vanilla and Cinnamon Rice Pudding (1 serving;  double / triple as needed)

350 ml water or vanilla almond milk
100 gm short grain brown rice
1 cinnamon stick (feel free to break in half if you are not a huge cinnamon lover)
1/4 pod vanilla (or a few drops vanilla extract if you cannot find pod)
zest and juice of half an orange
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Place the water or almond milk in a small pot, add the rice, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and juice and maple syrup.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is soft.  Garnish with chopped nuts / cinnamon sticks if desired.

Strawberry Ice

500 gm hulled strawberries (plus extra for garnish)
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
500 ml plain almond milk
mint leaves to garnish

This is best made with an ice cream maker but alternatively,  place the mix into  a shallow plastic container, pop it into the freezer and whisk every 30 minutes with a fork until frozen.  This is great with raspberries too and a fantastically healthy alternative to fat-laden ice cream!

Place the strawberries in the food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Add the honey and almond milk and blend for 30 more seconds.  Pour into the ice cream maker / shallow plastic container and leave to churn in ice cream maker for 20 - 30 minutes (or in plastic container as detailed above).  Spoon into a glass dish (or martini glass if it's for the adults!) and garnish with fresh fruit and mint leaves.

Baked apples

This was a favorite dessert growing up as my mom used to serve it to us as a special treat after supper.  Use your imagination and dress the apple to suit your taste...here's the way we serve it in our house:

6 apples, peels left on, cored and seeded.  Remove the top and bottom of the apple so that it will stand up in the baking dish.
Maple Syrup
Any combination of chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, dried cherries, shredded coconut, chopped dates, the list goes on!!!

After coring the apples, generously coat the inside of the apple (which should be standing up inside a long baking dish like a Pyrex) with maple syrup.  Fill the centre of the apple with chopped nuts, dried fruit, etc (our favorite is chopped walnuts and cranberries).  Drizzle some maple syrup on top.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until apples and quite soft, approximately 20 -30 minutes (check frequently)

Lentil and Spinach soup

Yes, I know we are in the middle of summer (and just coming off a record-breaking heat wave) but I still love starting a meal with soup!  Soup has a wonderful ability to fill your stomach before your "main meal" and help keep your portion size in check.  This soup is so filling, it is a meal unto itself.  I have long been a believer in the wonder of lentils - with approximately 26% of their calories derived from protein, lentils are the third best vegetarian protein source by weight (after soybeans and hemp).  Also, lentils have no cholesterol (as it is not an animal product), it is very low in saturated fat, very low in sugar, very high in dietary soluble fibre, high in iron, phosphorous and even high in Vitamin C.  It also provides antioxidants, necessary for a healthy body.  So, even if the weather IS a little warm, try this delicious soup anyway!  This recipe is courtesy of Jaimie Oliver.  I have made some small adjustments for ease of use.  As well, I doubled the recipe - this recipe serves 6.

Lentil and Spinach Soup
2 carrots - peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery - sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 litres vegetable broth.
olive oil
thumb sized piece of ginger, sliced into match-like slivers
1/2 - 1 fresh red chile, to your taste
10 grape or cherry tomatoes
2 cups red lentils
7 cups fresh spinach
sea salt and pepper
1 cup fat free yogurt to serve (optional)

Put the vegetable broth in a medium-sized soup pot and start to boil.  Meanwhile, get out a large fry pan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat.  Once hot, add all your chopped and sliced ingredients (carrots, celery, onion) and mix together.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape and the onion is lightly golden.  Seed and mince the chile (wear kitchen gloves!).  Slice the tomatoes in half.  Add the sauteed vegetables to the boiling broth along with the lentils, ginger, chile and tomatoes.  Give the soup a good still and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes with the lid on, until the lentils are cooked.  Add the spinach and cook about another minute.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide into bowls and add a dollop of yogurt on top to serve.

Tips and Tricks for the kitchen

So many of us do things in the kitchen a certain way because we saw our mothers or grandmothers (or fathers and grandfathers!) doing it that way.  I cut onions with a very precise criss-cross pattern in order to obtain a fine dice, after watching my mother do it countless times.  Some of the tips below are courtesy of "Fine Cooking"......next week, I will include tips and tricks for  fish, dairy and desserts.  


Kitchen equipment:  


Non-stick pans:  for many years now we have known that most non-stick pans are coated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) also know as C-8, a likely carcinogen that breaks down and likely releases toxic fumes when heated.  I threw out my non-stick pans years ago.  Now, many retailers (including Walmart in Canada, Target in the U.S. and many others) carry environmentally friendly and safe non-stick cookware.  Seriously consider changing over your pans, if you still use the old form of non-stick.
Burnt pans:  when you absolutely cannot clean out your pan, in spite of all the scrubbing and soaking, sprinkle a layer of baking soda (with enough water to cover) and wait a couple of hours.  Clean it again - your pan will come out sparkling.
Food Processor:  shredding carrots in the food processor always leaves an orange tinge on the bowl.  Pulse a few pieces of cheese (parmesan for example) and it will instantly remove the discoloration!  And then pop the cheese on your caesar salad!  

Keeping buns warm:  Fresh from the oven muffins or buns can be kept warm at the table for up to 30 minutes by putting a couple of cups of uncooked rice in a fabric sack (clean cotton tub sock, cheesecloth, etc) and heating the sac in the microwave until its warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.  Then hide the sac between two cloth napkins in the serving basket and place the baked good on top!


Produce:

Blueberries:  Big is best. The fattest berries are the sweetest - look for a graying purple colour and covered with a silvery sheen.  Unlike other fruits, don't bother sniffing - ripe blueberries aren't very fragrant.
Strawberries:  For lovely strawberries to serve in a fruit salad or as a topping, put the berries in an egg slicer - it's fast and easy and the berries come out picture perfect!
Citrus zest:  always remember to wash thoroughly any fruit before zesting.  Especially with non-organic produce, you will want to ensure you have washed off any pesticide residue and waxes before including the zest in your cooking.
Lemon juice:  to get the most juice out of the lemon, roll the lemon on the counter first and then microwave for about 30 seconds.  Then squeeze!
Cleaning hands after handling chiles:  rub a small amount of vegetable or olive oil on your hands.  Then wash as usual.  The oil removes the capsaicin, which is what irritates your skin / eyes.
Potatoes:  Don't peel!!!  Potato skins contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, Copper, Potassium, manganese and dietary fiber.  Peeling potatoes wipes away so many of it's vital nutrients - save yourself time, stop peeling!
Tomatoes:  to retain the sweet flavor of your tomatoes, store them out of the refrigerator.  Once a tomato falls below 50 degrees F, it's flavor enzymes are destroyed.  
Pesto: if you made a homemade pesto, store the extra in a plastic egg carton.  Put a portion into each egg cup, snap the top shut and pop into the freezer.  
Eggplant:  this veg soaks up oil like a sponge!  To avoid this, salt your sliced eggplant and let it sit for about 30 minutes.  Rinse, pat dry, cook as normal.

"...but what do I do now with all these STRAWBERRIES?"

Strawberry picking is certainly one of the joys of summer.  Packing a measly 55 calories per one cup serving, and containing 140% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C for children, it makes sense to try to add this fruit to your diet as often as possible.  Strawberries were also prized in ancient Rome for their medicinal uses, and indeed, this delicious berry is recognized as having more vitamin C than some citrus fruits! And if this all wasn't enough, they are also high in fiber, folate, potassium and antioxidants, making them a potential natural means of reducing the chances of heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers. 


"But my kids picked four huge buckets and I don't know what to do with all of them!"


Recipes abound for strawberries.  The usual suspects include cakes, pies, ice cream and other delicious delicacies.  However, when you have LOTS of berries left over and you don't know what to do with them, try this delicious summertime drink....


Strawberry Lemonade


I make this summertime drink by taste, not numbers, so please adjust as necessary.


Strawberries - washed but no need to hull...about 4 cups
Fresh lemons - squeeze out all the juice....about 6 or 7
Maple syrup - one to one and a half cups, depending on your taste preference.


Wash the berries but don't bother spending the time to hull them (pop off the green tops).  Put them into a big pot with the maple syrup and lemon juice.  Boil.  As the berries are boiling, use a potato masher to mash up as many of the berries as possible.  You are trying to pull off as much strawberry juice as possible.  Boil no more than about 10-12 minutes.  Pour into a colander, over a large bowl.  The juice that you have already pressed will pour into the bowl.  Use your masher again to push out that last little bit of juice.   Throw out the "strawberry mush" that remains in the colander.


Allow strawberry syrup to cool.  Taste.  It should be very sweet.  If not, add a bit of maple syrup and mix thoroughly.  If too sweet, add some more lemon juice.


When cool, pour strawberry syrup into a pitcher, along with 4 cups of water to start.  Add more water if still too sweet.  Drop in some mint leaves (optional) and chill.


Delicious and NO WHITE SUGAR!!!