by Roxanne -

Vacation Eats

Tired of campfire cooking? While on vacation we are trying some new restaurants and doing a bit of eating out. But we can’t eat out all the time. Most nights we fix dinner for ourselves.

Vacation food you fix yourself has to overcome a number of hurdles: it has to be easy to find and easy to fix, fast, healthy and of course taste terrific. Who wants to cook or build a fire after hiking or a day trip – or when it’s NINETY degrees like it is tonight?

We’ve found a few standbys that can’t be beat and we’ve been putting them to the test this week. First – the Caprese salad. I can throw this together (tomato, mozarella or your cheese of choice, basil or cilantro), drizzle with olive oil, grind pepper and salt on a plate and serve with crackers or french bread. Easy, healthy, fast and delicious. Eat outside or in.

Northern Minnesota has fabulous smoked fish – salmon or whitefish, caught in Lake Superior. It’s very inexpensive, unlike at home. Up here it makes a nice add-on.

Last night, DH did a version of the Caprese on steroids, adding smoked fish and a few other fresh vegies. Of course he doesn’t throw his on the plate like I do – he has presentation skills 😉 Lakeside dining with a view.

In the morning, French roast coffee in the coffee press requires only boiling water for perfect coffee. For breakfast we like Greek yogurt with granola and fresh fruit. Today I added fresh strawberries and bananas – plus walnuts.

We like to use simple, fresh ingredients. If you have a small fridge or cooler these ideas will work.

This has been a great trip, but tomorrow we head home. We’ll likely stop at the Duluth Grill on our way out. Duluth Grill is another restaurant that serves local food and fair trade whenever possible.

If you liked the pics from our trip – check out the rest on the InnerPacific home page, “Retreats Online” – click on the retreat entitled North Woods Retreat.

You may also like Summer Fruit Salads and Strawberry Soup.

 

 

by Roxanne -

Grand Marais

Today we’re visiting Grand Marais. Even this far north – not too far from the Canadian border, it’s still HOT. But staying near the lake shore makes it bearable. Grand Marais has some interesting things happening.

We stopped at the Angry Trout for lunch. The Angry Trout sits in the middle of Grand Marais overlooking Lake Superior. Diners can sit inside or out and enjoy the great view. Today they were serving Menomene, a local fish that is delicate and light. We had it grilled and served with fresh greens and walnuts.

Walking around we watched the clipper ship pull into dock. There is a woodworking school here where students learn to make canoes from local wood. The wood shop is a great stop. We watched all of the work that goes into one beautiful canoe – inlaid wood, design, bending and creating a light, durable, custom canoe.

As for me, I love the bookstore in Grand Marais – Drury Lane Books. I like their selection of books. Today I found The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.  Mostly thought I just love how this book store is painted on the outside:

We did catch the clipper –

Tonight – another beautiful sunset.

Tomorrow I’ll share what we’re cooking – or not cooking – for meals, as we try to eat well yet avoid the heat.

by Roxanne -

Wheat Belly

Part of our responsibilities as adults is to constantly question our assumptions. William Davis, M.D. does exactly this in his new book, Wheat Belly. From the book jacket,

Since the introduction of dietary guidelines in the 1970’s calling for reduced fat intake, a strange phenomenon has ocurred: Americans have steadily, inexorably become heavier, less healthy, and more prone to diabetes than ever before. After putting more than 2,000 of his at-risk patients on a wheat-free regimen and seeing extraordinary results, cardiologist William Davis has come to the disturbing conclusion that it is not fat, not sugar, and not our sedentary lifestyle that is causing our nations’ obesity epidemic – it is wheat.

In his book, Davis takes a look at all of the genetic modifications made to modern wheat within the past fifty years – and there are thousands. The wheat we eat today is not the wheat we had growing up. These modifications were made to increase the profit and efficiency of the wheat industry. Further, no one has been monitoring the impact of these modifications (made for better yield and resilience) on human beings. In fact, modern wheat spikes blood sugar far higher than sugar, causing an addictive cycle. It’s quite possible that we are a nation addicted to wheat.

Davis observes that the reaction of an addict is exactly what happens when he suggests to patients to give up breads, pastas and cereals. But after just four weeks of wheat-free eating he claims results are stunning: blood sugar, cholesterol and weight all significantly lower for most patients.

Davis notes how wheat is present in so many food products we know and love such as cereals, noodles, burritos, bagels and cookies. But wheat is hidden in many products which would seem to not contain wheat – such as salad dressings, beers & vodkas, artificial colors and flavors and nutrition bars.

Could he be correct? Could authority’s (like the USDA, American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) call to eat more whole grains actually be making our entire population sick?

Read it for yourself and then decide. In fact, why not try it for yourself? Removing wheat from our diets for one month will not cause anyone nutritional devastation. In fact, the book provides wonderful wheat alternatives – as I do on “Food or What We Eat” category to the left on this blog . Try eliminating wheat and watch what happens.

You may also like Salad in a Jar and Fresh, the Movie.

 

by Roxanne -

Homemade Ginger Ale

Photo HuffintonPost.com

With the unseasonably warm weather we’ve had recently it feels like summer is just around the corner. For many of you it may already be here!

Makes me think of homemade ginger ale. Remember the original ginger ale? It’s a cool, fizzy drink that’s not too sweet. This ginger ale recipe was given to me from a friend who owns a restaurant in downtown St. Paul.

Grab your staw hat, find a chair in the sun and sip slowly . . .

Ingredients you’ll need –

Ginger Water: 1 cup peeled, finely chopped ginger, 2 cups water

Simple Syrup: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water

Club soda, lime juice, lime wedges

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add ginger. Reduce heat to medium low and let ginger sit in the simmering water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard ginger pieces.

2. In a separate saucepan, make the Simple Syrup by dissolving 1 cup granulated sugar into 1 cup of boiling water. Set aside.

3. Make individual (tall) glasses of ginger ale by mixing 1/2 cup of ginger water with 1/3 cup of Simple Syrup and 1/2 cup of club soda. Add a few drops of fresh lime juice and a lime wedge to each glass. Add ice.

Makes four servings.

Photo R. Meshar

Adapted from the original post on 3-23-11. You may also like Picnic in a Jar, Frozen Custard, Ice Cream & Gelato, Walking Chicken BBQ and Easy Summer Travel Wardrobe.

by Roxanne -

Brussels Anyone?

Basically, I can eat pretty much anything. Also I like pretty much everything. Really there are only two things I really dislike: creamed peas and brussel sprouts. Ever since I was a kid I have hated creamed peas and brussel sprouts 🙁

Creamed peas are generally overcooked and the creamy texture is so unappetizing to me. I find the taste worse than bland. Brussel sprouts have always seem like overcooked, over-boiled small cabbages – also unappealing. However, for brussel sprouts, this has changed.

DH created a dish with brussel sprouts that was unbelievably delicious! Take a look. It’s also gluten free and salt free (if you use no salt broth).

Saute (cook until brown) rinsed and sliced brussel sprouts in 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan on medium high heat.

Photo R. Meshar

Add 2 cups of chicken broth and the juice of one lemon. We added one dried, broken shitake mushroom to our chicken broth.

Photo R. Meshar

Simmer 7-10 minutes until sprouts are tender.

Photo R. Meshar

Remove sprouts, add 2 tbsp of dijon mustard and reduce sauce on high heat, stirring while reducing.

Photo R. Meshar

Spoon reduced sauce over brussels sprouts. Serve with toasted garlic bread or maybe red wine.

Photo R. Meshar

Now I love, love, love brussels sprouts!

For the record, I still hate creamed peas 😉

You may also like Leek Soup and Persimmons, Salad in a Jar and Pasta 43 Ways.