I recently rediscovered potatoes at my local organic farm market.

It’s a bit ironic because eating potatoes has never appealed to me. I don’t enjoy eating French fries (or frites), mashed potatoes, or even the classic Russet variety “baked potato”.

This is likely because I have carbohydrate intolerance. I am unable to tolerate grains of any kind, including rice (of which I ate copious amounts throughout my childhood) and/or other sources of starchy carbohydrates (think bread, pasta, pizza, etc.). In the past, the main symptoms I experienced after eating starchy carbohydrates was brain fog and extreme fatigue….I literally could not keep my eyes open!

Last fall, however, I began to occasionally introduce a very small portion (apx. 1/4 cup) of starchy whole food carbs with my meals, mainly in the form of root vegetables, sweet potatoes and potatoes.

These organic, red-skinned potatoes are lower in starch than a typical potato, and the flesh has a firm and dense, yet moist, quality to it. Best of all, red potatoes are amenable to steaming, and it only takes about 11 minutes for the potatoes to cook through—compared to 45 minutes to 1 hour to roast or bake.

As a home-cooked whole food—eaten judiciously—organic red potatoes can be a nutrient-dense food. The thin red skins are a good source of fiber, vitamin C; B vitamins, including B6, niacin and folate, as well as minerals, such as potassium and magnesium, that help regulate blood pressure.

I love the simple, unadulterated taste of steamed potatoes. You really taste the essence of the potato—without a lot of “stuff”, like butter, cream or sauces, masking its true flavor.

Steamed Organic Red Potatoes

1 to 1-1/2 pounds organic red potatoes, rinsed well and patted dry
Celtic sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Keep the skin ON! Slice potatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds; stack the rounds, then dice. Place diced potatoes in bowl and set aside.

Add 2 cups of water to a 3- to 5-quart Dutch oven. Cover and bring water to a boil. Remove lid and insert a collapsible vegetable steamer.  Place diced red potatoes in steamer and arrange so that they are evenly distributed.

Cover Dutch oven and steam potatoes over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.

Uncover. Stir potatoes once or twice. Reduce heat to medium-low and steam potatoes approximately 8 minutes, or until a knife slides easily in and out of the potatoes.

Season, to taste, with Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Optional:

–Sprinkle thinly sliced scallion rounds or minced garlic chives over the red potatoes.

–Toss steamed potatoes with 2 tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of crumbled, dried oregano for more of a Mediterranean flavor.

Parsnip is a root vegetable in the carrot family; in fact, a parsnip looks like a cream-colored carrot. Parsnips are best eaten cooked (NOT raw!) and have a very sweet, slightly nutty flavor.

Nutrient-dense parsnips are a slow-digested, complex carbohydrate, which helps keep blood sugar stable. An excellent source of fiber, parsnips are a good source of Vitamin C and folate, as well as minerals, like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.

The nutrients in parsnip support heart health, bone health and eye health. If you struggle with digestive issues, especially constipation, consider adding fiber-rich parsnip to your vegetable repertoire. Parsnips are VERY filling and I, personally, find it impossible to overeat them!

My favorite way of eating them is to, first, roast the parsnips; then, place in a food processor and blend with warmed coconut milk, nutmeg,

Celtic sea salt (to taste) and grass-fed butter (you can use olive oil if you prefer). See the recipe below. It’s creamy, luscious and tastes like dessert!
 

Roasted Parsnip Puree
Serves 4 to 6

For the roasted parsnips:
3 pounds parsnips, ends removed, peeled, and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1-1/2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt
5 tablespoons olive oil

For the parsnip puree:
2 tablespoons (1 oz.) grass-fed butter or olive oil
1-3/4 cups organic coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Celtic sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two heavyweight baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cubed parsnips, olive oil and sea salt. Make sure the parsnip is well coated in olive oil. Arrange in a single, even layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast on the center rack for 20 mins. Then, stir the parsnips well, turn pan to the other side, and roast another 20 mins. When the parsnips are golden-brown and soft, they are done.

While the parsnips are roasting, pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and warm over medium heat. When the coconut milk comes to a gentle simmer, cover, and turn off heat.

Once they have finished cooking, transfer roasted parsnips to a food processor.

Add grass-fed butter, nutmeg and warmed coconut milk. Pulse until smooth and creamy. If the parsnip puree is too thick for your taste, add some filtered water to thin out. Season with Celtic sea salt, to taste. Serve warm.

Sweet corn is a starchy vegetable; this means that it is high in starch-carbohydrates that convert to sugar in your body (the body can’t tell the difference between sugar and starch)— and can spike blood sugar, especially if you overeat corn. For example, 1 cup of sweet yellow corn contains about 41 grams of carbohydrates, which is the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. Granted, fresh sweet corn also contains fiber and nutrients, such as thiamine, folate, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. But it is a high carbohydrate food that can potentially raise blood sugar.

On the other hand, dried corn, with the bran, endosperm and germ intact, is considered a whole grain.

Many people who have an autoimmune condition, like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), psoriasis, or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis also have multiple food sensitivities; the most common being gluten, dairy, soy, grains (including corn!), nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes and peppers), nuts and seeds. I have Hashimoto’s, and I am unable to tolerate all of the aforementioned foods….with the happy exception of corn (as a starchy vegetable—not as a grain) and red peppers!

Sweet corn, enjoyed in its whole food form, confers many pleasure…one of them is this fresh sweet corn salad. So worth the effort! Enjoy…
 

Fresh Corn Salad

For the corn salad:

3 ears of fresh corn, boiled
2 large red bell peppers, ends discarded, seeded,
white “veins” removed, and finely diced (apx. 2 cups diced red pepper)
2 small red onions, finely chopped (apx. 1 cup)
1 small avocado, cubed
3/4 cup organic scallions, sliced into thin rounds
3/4 cup chopped organic cilantro
 
For the vinaigrette: (you will have some left over)

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a heavyweight baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cook the corn. Click here for perfectly cooked corn on the cob.

Remove corn cobs from the pot. When cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to slice the corn kernels off the cob. You should have about 4 cups of corn kernels. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.

Place finely diced red bell pepper and finely chopped red onion (I use a food processor) in another medium bowl. Add two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and stir pepper and onion mixture until well combined. Spread the pepper-onion mixture out evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Place on rack in the upper third of the oven. Roast about 15 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Add corn kernels to pepper and onions, drizzling 1-2 teaspoons olive oil over the corn. Combine well with the red pepper and onion. Roast another 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

Transfer roasted corn, red pepper and red onion to a serving bowl. Add cubed avocado, scallions and cilantro.
In a small measuring cup, whisk together the cumin, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro until emulsified.

Drizzle about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette over corn salad. Add 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt; or, season to taste. Mix all ingredients well.

Enjoy corn salad warm or at room temperature.

Shiso actually originated in China, where it was used as a medicinal herb. It later made its way to Japan, where shiso evolved into one of Japan’s main seven flavorings. It is als­­o used in Vietnamese and Korean cuisines. In Korea, the herb’s name translates into “sesame leaves” (as you see in my photo), although, technically, shiso and sesame are not related. As it turns out, the farmer at my favorite stand, who grows perilla, is Korean.

There is green shiso and red shiso. Green shiso tastes like a cross between citrus and cinnamon. Personally, I favor red shiso, which has an exotic, hard-to-describe flavor profile—a helter-skelter fusion of mint, basil, anise and clove. The pigment is a distinct, deep red, hinting at its rich anthocyanin (flavonoid) and mineral content, especially iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Shiso has a history of being both a medicinal and culinary herb in Japan. If you eat out at Japanese restaurants, you have likely had shiso in any number of ways…added to soups, rice or tempura, served with sashimi, wrapped around sushi, meat or fish cakes, or used as a garnish for tofu.

Shiso leaves can also be used to make an antioxidant-rich “red” tea (just add hot filtered water). Its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties can help boost the immune system. In Japan, shiso has been used as a natural herbal remedy for conditions, from asthma and arthritis, to eczema. Because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, shiso has traditionally been used to treat morning sickness and can provide relief for indigestion and food poisoning.

I enjoy shiso as a pesto…it’s a handy condiment—easy to digest and a versatile flavor complement to grilled or poached fish, chicken or 100% buckwheat noodles. You can also chop shiso leaves and add to salads. Or, add whole shiso leaves to a stir fry.
 

Shiso Pesto with 100% Buckwheat Noodles and Arugula

For the Shiso Pesto

2 large bunches of shiso, leaves only, washed and spun dry
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, strained of pulp
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, or, to taste
3/4 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until well blended and creamy in consistency.  Store in a 32-oz glass mason jar in the refrigerator.
 

For the Buckwheat Noodles
1 serving

Despite having “wheat” in its name, buckwheat is NOT related to wheat at all. It is, in fact, the seed of a flowering fruit related to rhubarb and sorrel. That said, in Japanese cuisine, “soba” is the Japanese name for buckwheat.  However, soba is often made with a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours. Because I am unable to tolerate gluten or wheat, I always specify 100% buckwheat noodles—only buckwheat and no wheat!

1 skein 100% buckwheat noodles

Bring water to a boil, add noodles, reduce heat and take care not to overcook (it’s just 5 minutes for King Soba and 8 minutes for Eden). Drain and rinse with cool water.

Transfer noodles to a bowl.  Add a generous dollop of shiso pesto. Garnish with baby arugula. Enjoy!

Fresh corn-on-the-cob is a good source of minerals, especially potassium, as well as magnesium and phosphorus. Corn-on-the-cob also contains folate and a fair amount of protein (for example, one large ear contains apx. 5 grams of protein). Although corn-on-the-cob is a starchy vegetable, its relatively high fiber content makes it a complex carbohydrate that the body digests more slowly, which helps keep blood sugar stable.

A corn note: Most of the field corn grown in the U.S.—apx. 90%—is genetically modified and used for animal feed and ethanol; it also winds up in processed foods by way of corn-based sweeteners (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, etc.), starches and oils. On the other hand, only a small percentage of sweet corn grown in the U.S.—for human consumption—is genetically modified.¹ At least…for now.

Like fish, corn is a food that is so simple to cook…yet—more often than not—it ends up overcooked! If you’ve ever eaten at an old school-style New England seafood restaurant, where the lobster arrives with mushy, over-boiled corn, you’ll know exactly what I mean!

Years ago, my husband and I stumbled across the late Craig Claiborne’s boiled corn recipe in the New York Times Cookbook. Though it didn’t seem possible that a seemingly simple, straightforward recipe could produce such a good outcome, we were happily proven otherwise. If you follow it to the letter, this classic recipe guarantees that you’ll have perfectly cooked corn-on-the-cob every time!
 

Perfectly Cooked Corn-on-the-Cob

4 to 6 ears of locally grown, ideally non-GMO, sweet corn, shucked, silks removed and washed well.

Fill a Dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed pot two-thirds full of fresh cold water. Cover, and bring water to a roiling boil. Do not salt the water.

Once the water is boiling, slip in the ears. Cook, uncovered. When the water comes back up to a gentle boil, remove pot from the heat, and cover. Set timer for 5 minutes. Steep corn for 5 minutes—and not 1 second more!!

Remove corn from the water immediately and cool on a large plate or serving dish.

Happy eating!

Source

¹ Environmental Working Group, 2014

In a sweet potato…that’s where!

I grew up in a family of sweet potato lovers (my parents, especially, adored eating them plain). Not me. I studiously avoided those orange-fleshed tubers at Thanksgiving (or any other time of year).  I’m not sure why I didn’t cotton to sweet potatoes, though I vaguely recall finding them unappealing because of their thick skin, plain taste and fibrous texture. I probably didn’t care for the supermarket variety—Beauregard and Jewel are the two most common commercial varieties. Or, maybe it’s because—as I later learned—the skin of conventionally grown sweet potatoes is often treated, post-harvest (with dye or wax).

Now, sweet potatoes are a staple in my kitchen. (They’re also the perfect post-workout snack: one medium (apx. 7 ounces) sweet potato has 950 mg of potassium.)

Several years ago, I rediscovered sweet potatoes at a local farmers’ market.  I bought them from a farm vendor practicing “beyond organic” farming (as they call it), using no spray on their crops. Their beautiful, intensely flavorful produce and herbs draw a near cultish customer following.

Among several varieties of sweet potatoes, I became especially enamored with the purple-skinned Japanese sweet potato and its dense creamy white flesh, hinting at a chestnut-like sweetness.

Since then, I have found that organic sweet potatoes—whether from the farmers’ market or the health food store—to be superior in terms of quality, texture and taste (having a more pronounced sweetness) compared to conventionally grown ones.

There are roughly 400 varieties of sweet potatoes. All of them, however, fall into one of two types: one, where the flesh is firm and dry, almost mealy, when cooked. Or, the second, where the flesh becomes soft and moist when cooked.

Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse. They are an exceptional source of antioxidants, including beta-carotene found in orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, and anthocyanins found in purple flesh varieties.  An excellent source of Vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), sweet potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6 and minerals, including manganese and copper.  They are also good source of vitamins B1, B2 and B3 (niacin) as well as the minerals, potassium and phosphorus.

I’m not eating refined sugar, wheat or grains these days, but, occasionally (especially in the week preceding my period), I have starch-carb cravings. When I do, I roast a few sweet potatoes.
An ideal snack, sweet potatoes contain both soluble fi

Soluble fiber (45%) and insoluble fiber (55%). Soluble fiber delays stomach emptying, which makes you feel fuller and helps stabilize blood sugar; it can also help with lowering LDL cholesterol. Insoluble fiber, present in root vegetable skins, adds bulk and has a laxative effect, preventing constipation.

In my own experience (and I’m a big eater!), binging on sweet potatoes is virtually impossible because they are SO filling and satisfying.  Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that eating sweet potatoes with a healthy fat—grass-fed butter, coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil—will help you maximize your absorption of vitamin A.

Roasting sweet potatoes requires zero “cooking skills”.  You can roast in advance for an easy grab-and-go snack. But don’t try “roasting” sweet potatoes in a microwave! (A friend who did was sorely disappointed by the end result!!)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4-6 organic sweet potatoes (keep the skins on)
Grass-fed butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Celtic sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a heavyweight (I use stainless steel) cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Rinse sweet potatoes thoroughly (remove all grit from skin).

Dry sweet potatoes with a paper towel and arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cut a few diagonal slits in the sweet potato (to allow steam to escape).

Place sweet potatoes on center rack in oven.  Roast 30 minutes.  Turn cookie sheet around.  Roast another 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in sweet potato slides out easily.

If not eating immediately, let cool.  Wrap in parchment paper and aluminum foil and refrigerate.  Rewarm before eating.