Modern Communication: Technology and the Human Connection

I haven't listened to many TED Talks but I found this one to be very interesting and thought provoking. Sherry Turkle considers how technology is changing the way we form and manage our relationships with one another and also how we are so afraid of being alone that we neglect to make time for solitude.

A Calorie is Not Just a Calorie

In the news this week there has been a lot of talk about the study released by JAMA and how the type of calories you consume, in addition to the amount, affects your weight. It's an interesting topic that I definitely think is worth considering, especially for those who are interested in maintaining their weight.  The results of this study showed that a low-carb, high fat diet helped people maintain their weight by reducing the caloric expenditure of their bodies the least.

Food Politics: Does Where Calories Come From Matter to Weight Maintenance by Marion Nestle - Marion's summary of her interpretation of the Journal of the American Medical Association's (JAMA) study published June 27th.

Low-Carb Diets May Burn the Most Calories on MSNBC Today.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Just about every recipe for roasted brussels sprouts uses oil so I decided to try out half of the recipe using just a little non-stick spray and a non-stick pan and the other half with olive oil. The result was very little or no difference in taste or texture so save yourself the calories and nix the oil altogether.  In short: You don't ALWAYS have to use oil when you cook as recipes would have you believe.

Based on a recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• salt
• pepper
• Balsamic vinegar

Recent Culinary Explorations - 6/2012

Enchiladas

In this post: Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas - Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust - Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas - Adapted From Penzy's Spice Catalog

The first time I made this I stuck to the recipe (which was horribly written & hard to follow - I'm surprised they actually published it that way in the catalog). The second time I changed it up a little by using butternut squash instead of potatoes and I made half with baked tofu and the other half with ground beef for the non-veggie head. I also used 2 minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and some canned enchilada sauce. Unique and tasty, it can be a very healthy meal. Cook the squash/potato chunks in the microwave to save time.

Carrot & Apple Soup

Served with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Pasta

This soup was light, sweet and savory and incredibly simple to make. I reduced the amount of butter called for but I would imagine replacing it with a quick spray of non-stick cooking spray would do just fine as well. Using sweet potatoes or butternut squash in place of the carrots would probably be an excellent variation of this soup.

 

 

 

Carrot & Apple Soup 

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 large golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" chunks
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sweetener such as Splenda (or sugar, agave nectar, etc.)
• 1 tsp peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger
• 2 cups water
• chives, chopped for garnish, optional
• half & half or creamer for garnish, optional, I used one of the individual half & half tubs compliments of my office :)

The Western Diet

"The number of people with cancer is set to surge by more than 75 percent across the world by 2030, with particularly sharp rises in poor countries as they adopt unhealthy "Westernized" lifestyles... said the paper from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France." From the article: Cancer cases to surge 75 percent worldwide by 2030