Pre or Post Vacation De-tox

I don't know if it's the wine at the play-dates (it's 97 degrees here...surely I read somewhere that white wine is a cure for heat stroke?), the entertaining kick we've been on, the birthday celebrations or simply swelling from the aforementioned ridiculous heat, but I have put on a few pounds this summer.  Given that I don't think a double chin would be especially encouraging in my marketing photos and that we are headed to the UK for a beach holiday in mid-August, I have decided to detox for a few weeks in hopes of getting back to my normal weight before we leave.  I am a big believer in nipping things in the bud when it comes to weight gain so whenever I feel the clothes getting a little tight, I try to lose the 3-5 lbs before it becomes 10-15.  If you don't think you could gain 10 lbs in two weeks in the UK, you haven't had a sandwich there.  They have never met a condiment they don't like - a grilled chicken sandwich comes with (seriously!) butter, mayonnaise and cheese - and it's considered gauche (i.e. American) to ask for anything special at a restaurant.  Anyway ... it's best I lose it now before I hit the pubs on the Cornwall coast. Because if there is a cure for jet leg and traveling with a toddler, it's a nice cold pint!

Many of you are probably traveling this summer and may need guidance on how to drop those post-vacation pounds, so I thought I would share with you what works best for me; but you may have a plan that works much better for you.  I have a big appetite and am fairly active so it's easier for me to change what I eat than to simply eat less. Also, since this is a pre-vacation "flush" (can you tell I hate the word diet?), I am not completely restricting alcohol or sweets like I might after a vacation when I have really over-indulged.

Whenever I need to lose weight or just that general "bloat" feeling that comes after a hedonistic spell, I cut out pretty much all carbohydrates except vegetables and fruit for at least a few days -- but no more than 2 weeks at which point this can become unhealthy especially if you are active.

Let me be clear: There are many many carbohydrates I consider to be very healthy (like steel-cut oats, quinoa, brown rice, etc.) that are an integral part of my normal diet, but to drop weight quickly, I find it behooves me to cut the non fruit and veg carbs as much as possible for 2-5 days.  If I find myself low on energy, I will add beans to a salad or have a sweet potato with my protein and veggies at dinner.

I also cut dairy -- not only does it bloat me and mess with my digestion, but it also adds a lot of fat (or sugar in yogurt) and calories without much fiber so you don't get much bang for your buck so to speak.

I limit sugar other than fruit, except I will allow myself 1-2 squares of very dark chocolate (70% cocoa) after a healthy dinner because the slight sweetness signals to me that I am done eating and satisfies me without adding too much sugar.

I also tend to eat more lean protein than usual. Animal protein is not only very filling but it can have a diuretic effect and I find the flat stomach that happens just a day or so after eating this way motivates me to carry on until the goal is achieved.  On my detox, I enjoy 2 eggs a day and up to 10 oz of lean, organic protein although I do not normally eat this much protein.

For those things I need to feel content (and functional) - ample healthy fat in the diet, small amounts of coffee and red wine - I just keep to a sensible minimum.  So enough olive oil and salt to cook with and season my food with, one cup of coffee, and a small glass of wine in the evenings.  You might be laughing at me for drinking on a "detox" but as many moms I know agree - once you have been pregnant and nursed a child, it seems insane to restrict alcohol completely just to cut a few calories! However, if it's really hard for you to have just one, best to avoid completely while on any health kick.

Here is a typical day on my detox:

Breakfast: Hot water with lemon, 1 cup of coffee and 2 free-range eggs scrambled with a cup or more of veggies sauteed in 1 tsp of olive oil. I often add fresh tomatoes once it's cooked.
Snack: Smoothie made with a fresh peach and frozen berries, water, a scoop of a good protein powder and 1/2-1 tbsp of flax oil (which adds healthy fat and helps regulates insulin so I don't feel hungry or crave carbs).  Using some frozen fruit gives it an ice-cream like quality which satisfies my craving for anything creamy.
Lunch:  5 oz salmon over a salad of arugula, beets and orange slices or "salad hold the lettuce" from this blog.  Dressing is a simple olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette.
Snack: A large apple or a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with a little olive oil and sea salt; spritzer of sparkling water, pure cranberry juice and fresh lime.
Dinner: Small glass of red wine, roasted chicken breast and a load of veggies!
Treat: 1-2 squares of extra dark chocolate

If I really needed to truly detox, I would cut the wine and the coffee and I have done this in the past, but this is more of "lose a few lbs and reset" plan.  I will do this for 2 weeks, but the weekends will be a little looser to accommodate social plans because who wants to be the person ordering steamed fish with no sauce at a restaurant?  Once I feel my clothes loosening, I will add the missed foods back in progressing from least to most offensive to my waistline, i.e. beans, nuts and seeds, then quinoa or brown rice then maybe some greek yogurt and sweeter fruits until eventually I am eating a wider array of foods but still sticking to my usual healthy diet which tends to be lots of organic fruits, veggies and fish; some organic animal protein; plenty of nuts, seeds and beans; some whole grains, a glass of red wine most nights (often more on weekends) and the occasional slice of cheese or sweet treat.

Everybody is different though.  If you find it easy to eat less food, but you still want satisfying tastes like peanut butter, I can recommend this detox from Gwyneth Paltrow's blog (I used to find it annoying but it's actually gotten much better and has some good tips on it). This is pretty restrictive though and should only be done if you truly need to lose weight or are "forced" to walk a red carpet once a week.

Just to reiterate: My plan is a weight-loss "detox" meant to be done for a short period of time. I hope I don't hear from any of you size-2s that you are loving the plan and close to your dream of being a zero. This is also not for anyone who is pregnant or nursing. Although I'll admit to watching my figure and wanting to look decent in a swimsuit like the next girl, Inhabit Health is foremost about being healthy, not skinny! And healthy can mean a size 10 for some, a size 2 for others.  So, use this or something similar as needed but be sensible and know when enough is enough.  If you really need to lose weight and need support doing it, I am taking clients now and you can visit my website for more information on my programs.

Cheers to your Health!

Recipe: Reverse Lasagna

Lasagna has always been one of my favorite foods.  What's not to like? Traditional lasagna involves layers of pasta, meat and cheese (often several different types of meat and cheese).  Then there are the "veggie" lasagnas from places like Whole Foods that replace the missing meat with several times the normal amount of cheese and sinfully scrumptious things like pine nut pesto or béchamel sauce.  Delicious no doubt, but hardly a food that belongs on a healthy eating plan, much less a weight loss regime. Well, thanks to an inspiration from my friend Sarah, a bonafide gourmet home chef, I have come up with a tasty but healthy lasagna recipe.  I call it "reverse lasagna" because it has a fraction of the pasta and cheese and about 5 x the vegetables of a traditional lasagna. You may recognize the reverse concept from past posts of mine.  In my Breakfast of Champions post I talked about my favorite healthy breakfast which is basically a reverse omelet (2 eggs scrambled and topped with a cup of sauteed veggies and a sprinkle of parm cheese) and in this post I talked about losing weight by reversing your plate and eating veggies as a main dish and meat or pasta as a side dish.  This lasagna recipe is a great way to embrace that tip in a main course.

Reverse Lasagna
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Boil between 6 and 10 whole wheat lasagna noodles (I use the drum semolina noodles Bionature) depending on the size of your baking dish and the number of people you are serving. You need enough to make two single layers of noodles.  Rinse with cold water.
Slice an eggplant thin and lay the slices on a paper towel. Douse both sides with salt. Once they have sweated for about 20 min (this takes the bitterness out), transfer to a baking sheet covered with foil and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Toss chopped zucchini and tomatoes (cherry, grape or roma) with olive oil, pepper, sea salt and any Italian herbs you have on hand.  Stick in the oven.  After about 15-20 min, stick the eggplant on a lower rack.
Begin preparing your rich tomato sauce or any tomato sauce you like (you can just heat a can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs in a pinch).
Once the tomato sauce is done and the roasted veggies look about 90% done (lightly brown and crispy), brush a baking dish with olive oil and line with one layer of noodles. It doesn't matter if there is some empty space.  Top with roasted veggies.  Top veggies with a light layer of crumbled goat cheese.  Top with another layer of noodles.  Top 2nd layer with eggplant and sauce.  If you have any noodles left, break into pieces and put on top (do not completely cover).  Sprinkle grated or shredded parmesan cheese on top. Cover with tinfoil and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. Uncover and heat for another 5 minutes or until cheese looks crispy.  Cool and serve.

You can of course add lean ground turkey or beef to your sauce or substitute the eggplant with spinach or add any other veggies you like to the roasting pan.  You could also use just parmesan or sub mozzarella for the goat cheese.  The point is to get maximum flavor from a minimum amount of fat and carbohydrates compared to normal lasagna. My husband LOVES this dish and although he does not eat meat, he is a big eater.  We usually eat this by itself in a generous portion with just a glass of red wine on the side.  This is a great way to get your veggies and feel a little decadent at the same time.

Enjoy!

There Are No "Bad" Foods...As Long As You Define "Food" correctly!

Food is not bad for you.  In moderation, absolutely no actual whole food is likely to make you fat, sick, or tired (unless you're allergic to it of course).  However, when I peak into people's grocery carts, I am left to believe that most Americans have no clue what "food" is.  Hint # 1: if it comes from a plant, it might be food.  If it was made in a plant, it probably isn't. Hint # 2 - if it says it's food, it probably isn't. If it doesn't say anything, it probably is.  If you are confused, it's not entirely your fault. A lot of money goes into making it hard for you to define food. Example: Today at the pool, I walked by the concession stand and saw a bag that said "Swedish Fish: A Fat Free Food."  But last week when I was at the farmers market, nothing in the produce section claimed to be anything other than what it was: an organic carrot, a gala apple, a navel orange.  In case you aren't clear, Swedish fish are edible fish-shaped rubbery things; they are not by any means "food."

But wait! The cereal I saw in aisle #5 said it was "cholesterol free" so it must be healthier for me than the raw almonds I saw in that weird unmarked bin that required me to pull a lever and get my own bag, right? Actually, you can thank the food company that made the cereal for insulting your intelligence because only animal products contain cholesterol so neither cereal nor almonds contain cholesterol, but only the major food manufacturer profited from telling you that (because "no cholesterol" sounded better than "processed, fortified and laden with sugar to mask the lack of any natural nutrients or flavor").  Next thing you know, they will be selling you "gluten-free" string cheese and "diary-free" rice cakes (if they don't already).  For another blogger's take on the lies food manufacturers tell, check out this excellent post by Fooducate.

The question I get most often from people is "Is _____ bad for me?" As long as the word in the blank is an actual food, my answer is one of the following: "Not in moderation" or "Only if it is a 'trigger food' for you."  We all have those foods that we can't eat in moderation - for some it's nuts, for others it's cheese or dark chocolate -- and my advice is this: if you are trying to lose weight, it makes sense to completely avoid those foods that trigger you to overeat.  This doesn't mean it's a bad food, it just might be a bad food for you.

I also like to draw a distinction between "weight-loss foods" and "maintenance foods," meaning that if you are trying to lose weight, some foods that may not be "bad" in my book still do not belong on a sensible weight-loss plan.  Some of these include fresh French baguettes, huge baked potatoes, nice hunks of brie, fruit smoothies, dark beers, etc. These are all foods you can eat in moderation if you are maintaining a healthy weight, but if you are trying to drop weight, stick with foods that are higher in nutrients and lower in sugar, calories and saturated fat.

When deciding if a food is bad or not, it's also helpful to ask yourself "Is it worth it?"For example, I do not consider there to be anything bad about a gorgeous blackberry cobbler made with seasonal fruit, natural sugar and real butter.  Do I think you can eat half the pie and not feel and look the worse for it? No, but do I think you should have a piece if your neighbor brings you one fresh out of the oven? Absolutely.  Even if you are on a diet? Maybe, if you are willing to make a concession the following day or two. It just might be worth it.  However, I would not say the same about that box of Oreos at a kid's birthday party. Even if edible food-like substances like Swedish fish or Twinkies appeal to you, there is no reason to justify inflicting them on your poor digestive track which is not designed to deal with them even if your modern mind thinks it's a good idea. There is not enough good to outweigh the bad. Not enough pleasure (beyond 3 seconds) to mask the potential pain non-food inflicts on your health over the long-term. To put it simply, our bodies have not evolved to handle the junk most of us are putting into it. If they had, we wouldn't have a serious obesity crisis on our hands.

Finally, when asked if certain foods are bad, I like to reference my "when in Rome" eating philosophy.  It goes like this: if you routinely order takeout from a pizza chain, you are compromising your health because it's full of preservatives and unnatural flavors and fillers as most fast food is.  But if you go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Naples and you don't sample the world's most famous pizza, you are a CRAZY person.  So even if it's full of fat and high in calories, if it's something you might get to eat once in your life and it's famously good - eat it! But if it's something you can get at any convenience store or any town with a strip mall, skip it.

To sum up:  if you do need to lose weight, think about your history with that food and whether it's worth it before deciding if it's a "bad" food. If you don't need to lose weight, just eat actual food that comes from the earth in reasonable sized portions, and you can't go wrong.  For more clarification on what's food and what isn't, check out "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan or "Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking With Whole Foods" by Cynthia Lair.

Recipe: Veggies 4 Ways

I keep telling you all to eat more veggies, but I haven't given you many ideas for preparing them.  I'm hoping this post will solve that.  My husband actually taught me how to prepare veggies in appetizing and satisfying ways.  The key is to eat multiple vegetables together, chop them in similar sized pieces to ensure proper cooking and to NOT overcook them.  Some of us who grew up in the South have no idea what a green bean actually tastes like when not cooked to a pulp and flavored with bacon fat. Some may not know that squash can be eaten in non-casserole form, that broccoli doesn't come topped with Velveta or that sweet potatoes actually taste just fine without marshmallows!  My parents are actually great cooks, but I wasn't paying much attention when I was still living at home (dinner was just that thing between homework and talking on the phone for 3 hours) so I am not referring to them, but anyone who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line knows what I am talking about, and I find that even most restaurants overcook veggies. In addition to overcooked veggies, another pet peeve of mine is when the media insinuates that healthy food doesn't taste good. I beg to differ. When prepared correctly, few things taste better than a fresh vegetable eaten in season. The slight sweetness of roasted carrots and parsnips, the delightful crunch of roasted brussels sprouts, the earthy flavor of a beet ... I could go on.  For a list of what's seasonal in your area right now, check out this great resource on one of my favorite sites www.sustainable.org.

Here are a few ideas for filling up on vegetables (all of these options make a great meal with a nice piece of wild salmon, grilled grass-fed steak or an herb-roasted free-range chicken breast...OR eat them as your meal and treat yourself to a little something sweet afterwards). I recommend skipping additional carbohydrates if you are eating the starchier vegetables like potatoes or corn.

Grilled: This is a great summer treat.  Chop carrots, zucchini, red and/or yellow peppers and onions (sweet Vidalia onions taste best) into similar size pieces (although carrots must be smaller to ensure they cook through) and break a few cobs of sweet corn in halves or thirds. Toss in a large Ziploc bag and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Zip and shake until all are lightly coated. Marinate for 1-6 hours. Before or after you throw them on the grill, add salt and pepper to taste.  This works better when you use larger sized pieces (think long flat slices of zucchini - about 5 per vegetable - and about 6-8 vertical slices per pepper and onion).

Braised:  Chop fingerling potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts and parsnips into similar size pieces. In a large pot, bring several cups of water to a boil and then add some vegetable broth paste (we like "Better than Bouillon") to create a rich broth. Throw the potatoes and carrots in first. Cook until you can just about poke with a fork (they should be about 50% done), add the sprouts and cook a few more minutes (everything should be about 75% done at this point), then add the parsnips. Throw in some white wine for more flavor.  The alcohol will cook off but the flavor will remain.  Let everything boil in the broth for a minute or so more. Make sure things do not overcook. Take out when it seems everything is about 90% cooked (tender but NOT mushy).  Drain and set aside.  Put your oil of choice in a wok, wait until the oil is smoking and throw all the vegetables in. If you are a wok master like my husband, you can shake and toss, but I usually just move them around a lot with a wooden spoon. They should brown and crisp off.  Add sesame seeds if you wish. Remove from the heat. Flavor with balsamic vinegar or take any sauce you like on your meat or fish - like a nice grainy mustard sauce - and throw it over the protein and vegetables.

Steamed and buttered: Steam carrots, broccoli or brussels sprouts and asparagus (you can do it together but put carrots in first, then add broccoli or sprouts, then asparagus for the last few minutes). Set aside.  Boil fresh or frozen peas until tender.  Drain peas.  In the now empty pot the peas were boiled in, place all the veggies and add one Tbsp of good butter and 1 oz of grated parmesan cheese per person and stir until the veggies are lightly coated. Flavor with salt and pepper and serve.  FYI - the vitamins found in most vegetables (A, D, E & K) are fat-soluble, meaning you will absorb more of the nutrients if you eat them with a little fat, so this is why you see me recommending veggies with moderate amounts of butter and olive oil. 

Roasted: Preheat oven to 400. Chop veggies (carrots, white or sweet potatoes, parsnips, zucchini, squash, sprouts, onions, Roma tomatoes and broccoli all work well) into similar sized pieces, making sure the ones that take the longest to cook are either cut into smaller pieces or go in the oven first.  Toss with olive oil, fresh or dried herbs (rosemary and thyme are particularly nice) and salt and pepper.  Place in a large roasting pan and roast at 400 degrees until everything is crispy.

Enjoy! And as always let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!

Follow Your Own Health Code

Gluten-Free! Meat-Free! Dairy-Free! Vegan!

These code words are all over the place, inducing panic into omnivores everywhere.  Before you freak out and rid your diet of everything except the plate, do a little self-inventory and figure out if you really need to buy into any of this (of course - BUY into it is exactly what the food marketers want you to do).  Like the people who have stopped spending during the recession even though their income hasn't changed a bit (therefore making the economy worse), you could actually compromise your health by cutting out supposedly "bad" foods that actually aren't bad for YOU (even if they are bad for someone else).

If there is anything the disastrous fat-free craze taught us, it's that most people do not replace the new "bad" thing with fruits and vegetables, they replace it with a different good-but-turns-out-to-be-worse thing like margarine or refined sugars.  I could generate hundreds of blog posts on the dangers of refined carbohydrates and sugar but I think most people get it. If not, here is a quick resource.

Here is one example of why you should question those code words: If you are not a vegetarian or vegan, vegetarian or vegan options are not necessarily a healthier choice for you.  In fact, soy-based products are now under fire as much as hormone-laden animal products for causing various health issues. Like most subjects in nutrition, the jury is still out on soy, but in various studies it has been linked to thyroid disease, infertility and breast cancer (this is because soy is loaded with plant compounds that mimic estrogen and therefore can disrupt the endocrine system). For more information on possible dangers of soy, check out The Whole Soy Story by Kayla Daniel.  If you don't want to read that much, just follow this simple advice: eat natural forms of soy (edamame, tempeh, natto, organic soy milk) in moderation, avoid processed soy "meats" and genetically modified soy as much as possible. A lot of vegan products also replace the eggs and butter with loads of vegetable oil -- unless you are allergic to eggs or a vegan, this is probably not the better choice. For more information on the dangers of processed vegetable oils, read this. In short, unless you are allergic to the natural food (or have a moral opposition to consuming it), the natural food always trumps the processed replacement.

As for diary, far more of the population is probably lactose intolerant than we realize (an estimated 30-50% among Caucasians and nearly 100% among African-American and Asians) BUT if you are not sensitive to dairy, you might not want to replace it with soy or leave it out of your diet completely, especially if it is your key source of calcium.  The best way to figure out if you are sensitive to diary is to eliminate it for a few weeks and see if you feel better. Many people notice a decrease in congestion and digestive issues, but you might not.  Because so many people have decreased their dairy consumption and replaced it with soy, soy is becoming a common allergen as well so rather than just replacing your dairy with soy versions, try to get your calcium from leafy green vegetables instead. Your body actually absorbs the calcium from those better than it does from milk or cheese!

As for the gluten-free craze, I definitely think this country is wheat obsessed and that most people could benefit from eating less of it, but rather than jumping on the bandwagon and buying more processed products like gluten-free pasta or bread, just try to cut out the processed foods in your diet overall and eat more fruits and vegetables. About 1 in 133 of the population has Celiac's disease (more may be wheat-sensitive but this is different) so before you cut out gluten and go crazy on crackers made with who-knows-what flour and fillers, either get tested if you are really concerned or just replace the gluten-containing products in your diet with more unprocessed foods like veggies and beans and nuts. This is a win-win diet change.

Now you may feel like all I've done here is induce panic about different foods, but my point is that nutrition is a young and fledgling science and that if we pay attention to history, we see that a lot of what we have been told is healthy is not, especially if it is made by industry and not by nature. I have said this before but when in doubt, follow the Michael Pollan rule of "If it comes from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't."

And, as always, take everything you read (including this blog) and hear with a grain of salt ... unless you think that's bad for you too. ;-)

No "Skinny Bitch" here!

I'll admit it: every time I post a blog about what to eat or not eat, a little voice inside my head says "Who are you to post nutrition tips, you are not skinny!" Of course I know I am not overweight either, but my body bears little resemblance to the size-0 fat-free types you see on TV and in magazines offering diet and fitness tips. Luckily for me (and I hope for you the reader) the louder voice in my subconscious says "You are healthy and you feel good and you have knowledge to share." That voice always wins the day because I really think that what I am learning at IIN can change lives.

I truly believe that WE ARE WHAT WE EAT and I don't mean this in a "moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips" way.  I believe (and research supports this to a degree although the field is still young) that food is the most powerful drug on the planet and is capable of both contributing to or preventing cancer, balancing or destroying moods, causing or curing disorders ranging from depression to autism to ADHD, making us more or less fertile, increasing or easing the symptoms of diseases like arthritis, fibromyalgia and diabetes; adding or subtracting years from our lives, making our skin glow or wrinkle, completely sapping us of energy or totally invigorating us. Yep, I think food can do all that.  If you don't believe me, check out works by renowned wellness expert, Dr. Mark Hyman, an M.D. who has not prescribed a drug in 12 years because he believes food is the answer to most health problems.

So while wanting to be thin may have been my starting point on this journey to better health, it has opened the door to a complex and exciting world of possibility and intrigue.  Can the right foods cure mental illness? Can a food allergy cause autism? Can you slow the aging process by eating the right nutrients? Some people think so. I am still learning, but this is what keeps me going.  Not fitting into skinny jeans or seeing the right number on the scale. Not anymore at least.

Interestingly, when I ate right for my weight, it always felt like an effort or even a battle at times. Now that I eat right for my health, it comes naturally. When you know the right choice might not just shrink your waist but extend your life, it's a lot easier to reach for the veggies instead of the fries. Once you eat to live better and learn to love the foods that love you back, you actually will end up looking and feeling better than you ever have.

If some of you are thinking "what's the difference?" because you think thin=healthy, think about the book "Skinny Bitch" which immediately became a best-seller due to the title and the fact that Victoria Beckham and other toothpick celebrities were photographed carrying it around like it was a bible (although it was actually a full-length diatribe by two former models on eating animal products).  I found it disturbing that so many women seemed drawn to this idea of being "skinny" and therefore better than other women. That being said, I did think it was a great title because if you stopped eating everything the authors tell you not to eat, you probably will be bitchy b/c it's hard to be nice when you are starving!

While I can't prove this, something tells me that the real skinny bitches out there probably aren't that healthy mentally or physically.  In fact, studies have shown that people who are overweight can even be healthier than thin people. When you aren't eating much at all, it's just as hard to get the nutrients you need as it is when you are living off junk.  For more information on how both overeating and under-eating can affect your moods and destroy your health see books by Julia Ross like "The Mood Cure" or Geneen Roth like "Women, Food and God." 

In short, my point is that if you are only watching what you eat because of a desire to be celebrity-skinny, you have a slim chance (pun intended) of seeing the real benefits of a healthy diet, which are more powerful and far-reaching than anything you can find out from a scale.

Recipes: Sweet and Savory Grain Salads

Here are two simple and tasty recipes that work with a variety of whole grains: The first is typically made with orzo pasta, but I have found it works just as well with a healthier grain like farro, barley or wheatberries.  If you read my post about multi-tasking whole grains, you know that all of these grains contain considerably more fiber and protein than a refined carbohydrate masking as a grain like orzo pasta. Of course this salad would also work with whole wheat orzo, but I encourage you to try it with barley or farro, both of which contain more protein and have a nuttier, more satisfying flavor than orzo. Another option is to cook some orzo and an additional cup of a new grain and mix the two. I do this sometimes with whole wheat orzo and wheatberries. They taste great together. You can play a lot with this recipe and still get great results.


Servings should be based on 1/4 cup grain per person.  I typically work with 1 cup and this makes enough for my husband and I to eat it as a main course and have some left over for lunch. The recipe below is for 2 cups of grain so it makes about 8 servings.


This is adapted from "Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions" by Giada De Laurentiis featured in Bon Appétit, April 2006 (and shared with me by my friend Lauren Scott who is known for always showing up with a meal for a friend in need -- thanks girl, I'll miss you when you move!)


2 cups of grain to 6 cups of water or vegetable/chicken broth (some grains should be soaked up to 6 hours ahead of time, be sure to read instructions before cooking)
12 oz of diced chicken, shrimp, tuna and/OR chick peas if you prefer a vegetarian dish
2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
I typically add some of whatever veggies are around; frozen or fresh peas work really well as do broccoli florets, spinach and artichokes
Remember to halve everything if you are just making this for 4 or less people!
_________________________________________________________


For the second salad, a sweeter salad better eaten as a side dish, cook the desired amount of grain in boiling water (1 to 3 ratio of grain to water).  This salad works well with the grains above or finer grains like quinoa and millet, whereas the first salad needs a denser grain.
Drain and cool grains then add olive oil, white wine or champagne vinegar and lemon juice to taste.  Start with no more than a Tbsp of each and then add according to your taste and texture buds. Add a generous amount of sweetened dried cranberries or currants (and/or dried apricots) and slivered almonds.  If you want something slightly more savory, add chopped scallions as well.  Simple but delicious!