Ghee, that was a good meal!

In a previous post I mentioned ghee as a product I’ve been using lately as a butter substitute. Today I want to share more information about ghee and my experiences with it.

source: http://www.zonameditacion.com.ar

To the western world Ghee (pronounced rhymes with “key”) is known as clarified butter. In India and Southeast Asia, where Ghee is used in daily cooking, it is seen as a sacred Ayurvedic butter and its traditional preparation has been used for centuries. While it is not completely vegan or vegetarian, its main difference from regular butter is that in its preparation, all of the water and milk particles are evaporated (thus making it a potential useful product for those with lactose intolerance, and of course, also for those who have problems with candida). Pure ghee or traditionally prepared ghee does not have any additives or salt.

Some also believe that Ghee has therapeutic properties. Its benefits may include:

• increasing longevity and brain function
• acts as a general tonic (the older the ghee, the more powerful)
• increases fertility
• removes excess bile
• enhances the voice and throat
• can be used as a salve for abscesses, minor wounds or burns
• useful for ulcers or respiratory problems
• can be used as a vehicle for medicinal plants
• low-fat and aids digestion

Whether you believe in ancient Ayurvedic medicine or not, ghee is a great substitute for butter or oil in just about any recipe. Some of its common uses are:

• as a substitute on plain toast
• a universal cooking oil
• a good skin moisturizer
• for baking, sauteeing vegetables, in stews, and in desserts

It should be mentioned that ghee can be cooked at a higher temperature without burning so it’s exceptionally useful when preparing vegetables. It also has a longer shelf life…homemade ghee can last a year at room temperature!

If you want to purchase ghee it’s best to start your search at a natural food store or a large grocery store that sells international food items such as Whole Foods or Wegmans (if you’re living the US). Just make sure that you buy ghee that has been derived from animals–not the hydrogenated oil kind (it will be devoid of all the properties I mentioned above). If not, you can try at an Asian food store. If you still have no luck or want to try your own hand at making ghee, it involves a somewhat tedious process but is not overly difficult to prepare. I found a great website that details every step of the ghee making process, check it out!

Now that you’ve learned a little bit more about ghee and its wonderful uses, I want to share a quick and delicious recipe I tried last night. The taste blew me away (I really wasn’t expecting it to turn out so good) and the feeling after I had finished eating was incredible. With every bite I felt that my stomach was smiling at me and my strength was growing stronger–seriously! And just in case you think it was only power of suggestion, I can assure that I felt as if my body was being restored even BEFORE reading about all of ghee’s naturally therapeutic properties. It was truly a restorative meal.

String Beans and Zucchini Curry

Simple yet tasty

Makes 4 servings

• 1/2 pound fresh string beans
• 1/2 pound fresh zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped and crushed into small pieces)
• 1/4 tsp dark mustard seeds
• salt to taste

I am a bit ashamed to admit that this was my first time cooking fresh string beans (I’ve certainly eaten them before, just never took the time to do it myself). As a city girl, I usually buy my string beans frozen or worse in a can *shudders*. I actually had to look up ways of preparing fresh green beans…:O! But now that I know how to do it, I’m never going back. If it’s your first time too, it’s quite simple. Just wash the beans carefully and sit them in a colander. Then cut off the top end and the bottom end of the pod. Then make a cut down the side and remove any string (here I can only find “chaucha de vaina balina“…all the beans are in a long casing and you have to open them to cook). If you have the “snap” kind of green beans, you can snap them in half instead of cutting them and any string is easily removed by snapping off the top and bottom half.

After I prepared the beans, I broke them into 2 inch long pieces. Then I washed the zucchini, peeled it, and cut off the top and bottom ends. The original recipe says to just cut it into small rounds but since I didn’t want the skin, I peeled it before that step. Then I peeled and diced the onions into small pieces. Using my wok (you can also use a pan or a skillet), I sautéed the onions with ghee over medium heat. Once the onions turned soft and sort of tan in color I added turmeric, cumin, and coriander (the recipe calls for the mustard seeds at this point but I didn’t have any. if you are using mustard seeds wait for the seeds to start jumping in the pan, then add those other spices).

I also added a few left over crumbs from my rosemary buckwheat bread (recipe details coming soon!)

Sautée the onion until it is totally covered with the spices. Then add the string beans. Mix and cover them for 4 minutes (at this point if you feel that the onions are burning you can add more ghee like I did. just a little bit). Lastly, add the zucchini, chili pepper, garlic and salt. Cook everything together for 8-10 minutes. I continuously was moving all of the ingredients around, making sure everything was coated in ghee and the spices.

Rating: 5!!!

As you can see it’s quite a simple recipe but I promise you, it was so good, I was excited for the next plate before I finished the first (and I cleaned my plate twice!). I loved the crunch of the beans combined with the softness of the zucchini. The ghee really adds a unique taste and aroma to your food. If you’re wondering what it tastes like, I’d say it’s not as salty as regular butter and much more smooth. It really acts as more of an oil. Next time I’d like to try the recipe with mustard seeds to see if it makes any difference.

Well…I’m off to enjoy a glorious day in bed (haha still not feeling a hundred percent but much better than yesterday). I might make a final helping of this recipe and hope to get that same healing sensation again.

Enjoy!

–R. Mackenzie

source for this post: http://www.zonameditacion.com.ar/el-gheela-mantequilla-ayurveda/

I don’t believe in diets…but here’s one exception

Like the title says, I don’t believe in diets. In fact I hate them. Diets are responsible for some really complicated and unhealthy relationships between people, their bodies and most importantly food. It’s always tragic to see someone on a yo-yo diet, who starts out really motivated and then months down the line reverts back, totally discouraged and ready to throw in the towel for good. If you want to change your body, start with your mind. Don’t see your journey as a diet–especially if you’ve chosen a diet to lose weight. See it as a change of lifestyle. I know that expression is trite but it’s true. You can’t pick a selection of food and a point system and expect that to hold you alone. You need to change the way you view food, the way you view your body (being healthy comes in all shapes and sizes), and really understand the importance of breathing exercises in addition to physical exercise. In short, a diet shouldn’t be a quick fix, it should be a permanent decision to change.

But enough of the diet rant. Despite initial reservations, I’m currently embarking on a candida diet. Here the word diet is used in its true form: a change of habit in relation to food. I am not restricting myself from certain foods because they are inherently “bad” (well with the exception of refined sugars which ARE inherently bad!). I am eliminating harmful elements from my daily consumption that could negatively affect my body and my general health. I am monitoring my progress and transforming my dietary needs based on my body’s changing responses. It’s a dynamic process that requires a lot of work and time and unfortunately, it’s not an inexpensive venture either. However, I’m doing it all for a good reason: to rid myself of a candida albicans overgrowth.

What is candida albicans?

In short form, candida albicans is a type of yeast that given the right conditions, can invade and take over your gut or intestines. It causes you to feel tired all the time, bloated, contributes to skin problems (e.g. acne, eczema), recurrent vaginal or prostate infections, oral thrush, loss or lack of concentration, anxiety and overall lack of strength. Some of the symptoms are more visible than others (the white coating on your tongue that comes from oral thrush) and of course not all of these symptoms are a clear sign that you have candida. But the important thing to remember is that everyone has some amount of candida in their system and if your body happens to produce too much, it can potentially cause a lot of uncomfortable problems.

For a more detailed description of candida and its symptoms I recommend this website. It’s very informative and where I learned the majority of the information I have (in fact all of the information I will share below was gathered from that site). I think the best resource on the site is the candida forum. There you can find a network of people who suffer from it or have beaten it and who are diligently working to provide support and inform the public.

How do I know if I have it?

Since there are many doctors who don’t believe that candida infections even exist (surprise, surprise…wouldn’t be the first time medical snobs dissed or misjudged the severity of natural imbalances), you may have been suffering from some of these symptoms and found no relief. I’ve always suspected a yeast related problem with my body because I have an unusually weak immune system (which can be caused by candida) and have read on occasion that some of my symptoms matched up with a possible overproduction of yeast. If you think you have recurrent symptoms of the main ones I mentioned above, I recommend reading through the information on the forum. I haven’t experienced all of the symptoms but the ones I have were recurrent and despite taking antibiotics and talking to a doctor semi-frequently for over 5 months, I never found relief. The same symptoms kept coming back.

How is it caused?

I’m not sure what initially caused the infection but I certainly know what didn’t help it: stress, a diet rich in carbohydrates and sugar, and antibiotics use. All of the aforementioned can contribute to a candida explosion in your body—remember, it’s already there, it just needs the opportunity to overpower you.

How is a diet going to help me?

When I decided to start the candida diet I did as much research as possible. To be honest, a lot of sites have conflicting or contradictory information (this mostly in regard to the actual diet required). After reading through the forum and similar sites I’ve decided that the information on the forum seems to be most accurate and most helpful. However, I would recommend that you do a little research yourself and after making an informed decision, try the candida cleanse for one or two weeks. Within two weeks you will be able to recognize if you have candida or not. The clearest sign are die-off symptoms. I couldn’t even last three days on the cleanse because my die-off symptoms were so strong.

You may want to ease yourself into the cleanse if you feel it is necessary. Though a cleanse will give you a jumpstart to recovery it is not required–and not always advisable if you have a stressful or busy work schedule. I will warn you: DO NOT FOLLOW THE CLEANSE ON THE WEBSITE. The cleanse on the particular website I chose advises people to use controversial supplements and herbs. It is best to try the cleanse found on the site forum (which has been tested by many, including myself, and works just fine).

After following the cleanse for a week or two you can move on to the regular diet (called stage 1 on the site) which is still quite restrictive. An important thing you need to know is once you start, your utmost committment is required (I know..I have no leg to stand on…but I’m back on track. I promise!). I suggest starting the cleanse or diet during a holiday when you have less commitments and then stocking up on the allowed food lists before actually starting the process. This will give you motivation to keep going and you won’t have to worry about scrambling to the grocery store on half empty batteries (danger!!).

You may be surprised to see just how restrictive the diet is but in the end you will realize how important it is to follow it! I’ve learned first hand (see last post) that die-off symptoms are no joke. Speaking of die-off…

What are die-off symptoms?

Die-off is a reaction that your body experiences when candida, sensing a threat, releases harmful toxins into your body. This can cause painful or uncomfortable symptoms including problems with digestion, insomnia, brain fog, low energy, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, skin break outs, recurrent vaginal, sinus or prostate infections and muscle pain. In some cases people have reported an increased heart rate, cold sweats, fever and other flu like symptoms. If you have a problem with your heart rate or feel exceptionally ill, stop the cleanse or the diet and see a doctor. If you feel exceptionally sluggish and unfocused, there are ways to help cope with the symptoms all explained on the website. Again, check the forum for even more information and tips. It is hard to get through die-off but it’s important to make it through so that you can finally rid your body of the infestation.

Are there any medications or pills I can take instead?

Unfortunately there is no quick fix to candida. Patience is key. If you follow the diet, take the right supplements, get plenty of sleep, and do light exercise (if possible), you will gradually see an improvement in your symptoms. It is ESSENTIAL that you obtain the supplements you need to more effectively fight candida. They include anti-fungals (help eliminate the candida) and probiotics (help replace the bad cells with the good ones).

How long do I have to stay on the diet?

There is no timeline for candida. Some people heal in weeks, others in months, others in years. After about a month on your diet you can start testing foods to see if they give you a reaction. If they do, you know that a problem still lingers and you’ll have to give your body more time to heal. Try not to stress about it and take that time to come up with or research creative food ideas. It can be hard but it also can be fun. And after all, you wouldn’t be reading my blog if you weren’t already interested in alternative food creations right?

Phew! That was a lot of writing. I think I’ve said all I needed to say about candida. If I think of more I’ll add it in later. If you think you may be suffering from candida or already know and would like some advice/encouragement, leave me a comment! I am always open to sharing experiences and knowledge. Knowing your options puts you on the right path of finding success!!

–R. Mackenzie

Para las gripes…CAMA!

Title translation: For the flu…BED!

For my readers from the Northern hemisphere it may be strange to be reading something about the flu, now that the spring equinox has finally arrived and from what I’ve heard, the weather is warm and pleasant on the upper east coast of the US. Here in Buenos Aires, the autumn equinox has rung in with cool weather, a chilly breeze and soft golden sunlight. Today is a day I would love to have enjoyed at the park, under a massive tree, reading a book or daydreaming. Alas, I could only daydream of that lovely scene in my head while I was at work…sneezing my head off! I apologized to all my students for the frequent interruptions and told them I had caught a seasonal cold..but the reality is much deeper than that.

This also is a testament to the true power of food. In my last post I confessed that I had cheated a bit on my detox. Well, yesterday was decidedly worse. One of my private students came to my house for class and brought cookies (a friendly new custom of his that I will unfortunately have to break). Chocolate cookies with creme filling (an Argentina version of Oreos). I knew it was a bad choice. I knew I had my own stash of lemon almond cake in the kitchen. But I neglected to take my own advice and decided to accept the free treat. In short, I was being greedy…and boy did I pay the price! After eating about two cookies I immediately started sneezing like crazy and the sneezing fit was followed by an itchy sensation in my mouth and on my tongue.

I freaked out for a minute because that is something that’s never happened to me before. I knew immediately that my body was trying to send me a message: no more cookies, OR ELSE. Unfortunately by the time my student left, I was so ravenous for more sugar that I ate three more cookies. And thus, this morning I woke up with more sneezing fits and I’ve been suffering flu like symptoms all day. One could argue that it’s also related to the drastic change in weather (extreme changes in temperature have always affected me in the past) but I’m 95% sure the biggest reason for my current condition is poisoning my body once again with toxic sugars and yeast products.

Here is the moment that I have to remind myself of my own motto: know your body. If I had listened in the first place I would probably be feeling much better right now. I reached out for friendly advice from a fellow candida sufferer and was informed that this week I’ve likely been experiencing the preliminary affects of die-off. I suppose at this point if you’re not familiar with candida and all of its related terms, you’re wondering what in the sam hill I’m talking about.

I’m going to compose a second entry so you can read to your heart’s delight about it. Suffice it to say, die-off isn’t anything nice (could you tell from the name?). I’ve had extremely low energy, trouble sleeping, gas (yuck), bloating issues and trouble concentrating on anything (what is often described as “brain fog”). Each day it’s gotten worse and as the candida fights from being eliminated by releasing toxins into my body, my body has also started craving the very things it knows it shouldn’t and can’t support right now (including all sugars, any yeast or grain products, milk or cheese from animals, soy, caffeine and most ingredients found in processed foods). I’ve realized now that instead of resorting to old ways of fixing body issues (with wrong food choices!) I should have paid more attention to the myriad of natural herbs and supplements that can help ease the pain.

From now on (until I get a bit better), it’s back to strictly veggies. Perhaps an egg or two or even sardines if I’m super low on energy. But I’m eliminating any form of milk (including coconut milk) from my diet until further notice. Before making that decision I decided to allow myself one last treat as a result of today’s hellish conditions.

I came home seeking comfort and something warm to ease up my congestion. Usually I would have gone for a cup of hot cocoa..but since chocolate is off limits, I decided to go for something even better: masala chai. It was delicious and brought a smile to a tired girl’s face.

Coconut Masala Chai (Coconut Chai Tea)

Makes 1 1/2 cups

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups coconut milk (or your preferred milk; almond is another good alternative for candida sufferers)
• 4 herbal tea bags of your choice (usually made with black tea but I can’t have caffeine; I chose mint and lemon balm)
• 1 large piece of ginger diced
• 2 tbsp chai masala mix (I bought my mix fresh from a local Indian food store. if you don’t have a mix you can make your own: Grind 1 cinnamon stick, 10 whole cloves, 10 cardamom pods (about 1/2-1 tablespoon), and 5 black peppercorns (about 1 teaspoon), 2 whole star anise)
• 1-2 tsp Stevia (can also use Xylitol or honey if you have no candida problems)

Add the spice mixture to the water and heat. When the water boils, add the tea and after a few minutes add sweetner and milk. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes more and then remove from heat. The whole process should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Let the chai sit for about 10 minutes before straining (if you don’t want the spice sediment in your drink). The coconut milk will have that weird film on top when it cools. I suppose the only way to prevent it is to keep stirring..or you could just take it out when it’s finished.

I used those water/milk proportions because I wanted a creamier chai. If you prefer your chai less thick you can try equal amounts of water and milk. Also, if you’re on a low budget, instead of buying spices you could use the Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice herbal tea and mix it with another tea for a faux chai masala 😉 In any case make sure to sprinkle a few more shakes of ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg on top like I did to make it look special.

It’s the perfect tea for a cold day (no pun intended :D).

Enjoy!

–R. Mackenzie

Training my sweet tooth

Today was a long day to say the least. It started with me waking up at 6 AM only to learn that my first two classes were cancelled and I could have slept in until 9 (oh well, at least it forced me to be productive). Despite eating breakfast AND lunch before leaving the house (very rare), I found myself very weak and low on energy throughout the day. Add to this lack of motivation and a sudden sugar craving that came out of nowhere and by the time I came home I was ravenous, frustrated and ready to break the detox diet I’ve been following for the past two weeks.

Thankfully I stopped myself from running to the nearest pizzeria to order myself a slice of Napolitana pizza. But I must admit…I did cheat a little. First I ate a plain yogurt topped with nutmeg and cinnamon–I was trying to refrain from any dairy products for another week or so. Then I figured “what the hell?” and ate an artesanal brownie made from carob flour (this was the bigger no no since carob contains a high amount of sugars despite being more “candida friendly” than chocolate, it’s still not allowed on the detox). Therefore, I am a little disappointed in myself. But also relieved because it could have been much, much worse.

I’ve reached that point in everyone’s detox or cleanse or diet change where you start to miss the old things and the cravings kick in at the worst moments. In these times I think it’s important to give a little–to keep yourself from going too crazy–and if possible, treat yourself to something “safe” and yet close to that harmful product you desire.

I had already decided that it was time to introduce a little sweetness back into my diet before I found an article on NPR. I was really excited to see the title: Baking Without Flour Brings Sweet Results. “Finally”, I thought, “the mainstream world is catching up with the rest of us and offering us a few baking tricks to soothe the savage sugar beast”. As the saying goes, don’t count your chickens before they hatch! Though there are some lovely sounding recipes in the article, and are all flour free (good news for celiacs and candida sufferers alike), they are LOADED with sugar and other ingredients that are a definite no-no for some of us.

One recipe that I was able to rescue was the Lemon Cornmeal Cake. I modified the list of ingredients to transform it into a celiac friendly, lactose-vegetarian friendly, and candida friendly recipe (if you are at the cleanse stage this recipe will not work for you. If you’re in Stage 1 most of these ingredients shouldn’t give you a problem but pay close attention for a reaction). I also saw fit to rename the recipe (hope the creator doesn’t mind ;)).

Lemon Almond Spice Cake

Makes 12 servings

• 1 cup almond flour (or you can try oat bran or coconut flour if you have issues with almond)
• 1/2 cup ground almonds (optional, I didn’t add almonds because they’re hard to digest)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (or 1/2 cup of ghee..in the end I’m not sure if I used this amount or more due to the description below)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup stevia or xylitol
• 2 large eggs (or egg substitute for vegetarians/vegans)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (you could also use plain greek yogurt which is more consistent with sour cream–what the original recipe calls for)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a dash of nutmeg
• a dash of chai masala mix (to top the cakes)

 

I followed the cooking instructions of the original recipe except I don’t have a food processor so I beat all the ingredients by hand. I also buttered the pan with ghee. I suppose a light oil could be used as a substitute. One thing to watch out for with the ghee is that it’s very easy to beat and make fluffly–a bit too easy. I kept feeling like the ghee was disappearing (possibly evaporating?)! I put about five or six tablespoons in until it looked like the right amount.When everything had been lightly mixed in (don’t go overboard with the mixing! it helps to maintain the fluffy texture) I added a dash or two of nutmeg for an extra kick (you know me and my spices!).

Ready for baking.

To top the cakes the original recipe calls for course organic sugar but of course I couldn’t do that so I sprinkled my chai masala mix on top instead. Then I baked it for about 20 to 25 minutes—it didn’t take long to bake at all. I did the fork test and voila! Finished.

I have to say that I was very impressed with the texture. The corners were a little crunchy because they had started to brown in the oven–which I liked. Upon biting into my first cake, the texture was moist and smooth–something I’ve really missed over the last few days. I think the flavor combination was pretty good. Not too lemony but not too sweet. Of course stevia is sweeter than sugar so you could get away with using a bit less sugar. In fact, I will probably use less stevia next time and perhaps more nutmeg/cinnamon. Then again I’m a person who drinks several glasses of lemon water each day with no sweetener.

The great part about this recipe is that it seems thoroughly adaptable. If you’re strictly vegetarian you could substitute the yogurt or milk for apple sauce and still get a moist like texture. Plus a cinnamon apple lemon cake sounds yummy (mmm! too bad I can’t eat apple sauce for a long time).

Well I’ve just cut the cake into slices and I’m going to go enjoy another piece 😉

Enjoy!

R. Mackenzie

p.s. One more thing I forgot to add: this recipe makes your kitchen smell lovely!!

It wasn’t meant to be…

Last night was one of those nights when you realize you have a dud of a recipe on your hands and you try everything in the book to bring it to life and nothing works. It’s especially disappointing because I’ve had a great string of eggplant recipes recently. *le sigh* It’s painful to share but I’ll tell you the story.

I’ve eaten a lot of eggplant dishes this week but still found myself wondering what to do with one last eggplant sitting in the fridge, exactly one egg, and about two cups of buckwheat flour left over from making a loaf of bread. So I considered myself pretty lucky when I came across this recipe for Eggplant Fritters. Amazingly it called for just the amount of ingredients that I had. Maybe I should have been a bit more worried that the ingredients sounded a little too simple (and the fact that it only got three stars although taste is always subjective):

• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons flour (I used buckwheat flour to make it CD–candida detox–friendly)
• 1 medium eggplant, about 1 cup mashed
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter, soft (I used ghee to make it CD friendly)

Whenever I prepare eggplant I usually cut it into long slices, sprinkle the slices with salt and let it sit in a colander for a few minutes. Against better judgment I decided to use the method that the original recipe called for: peeled, chopped and boiled in salt water. I’m not sure if it made a big difference in the overall outcome of the recipe but I’d like to think that a different food preparation could have benefited it at least a little bit. I also added about a tbsp of lemon following someone’s suggestion in the comments. Instead of butter I used ghee, which is a great alternative to butter for those who can’t consume sugar products  (I’ll do a post about it later). However, it’s not 100% dairy free so watch out if you’re lactose intolerant, vegan or non-lactose vegetarian.

I mixed all the ingredients together once the eggplant had been strained/mashed. The consistency seemed a bit too liquidy to form into cakes so I added more flour. I also added in some onions and cinnamon as a last minute addition (as people in the comments recommended putting sugar in the mix, I decided cinnamon would add a semi-sweet kick). The consistency still wasn’t solid enough to form cakes so I scooped it up in a ladle and dropped spoonfuls onto an oiled piping hot skillet (sort of like making pancakes).

Burnt and sad.

The fritters started sizzling fast and my first try turned out burnt 😦 As a side note, thank goodness there aren’t any smoke detectors in many apartments here in Buenos Aires (*smirk*) or the firemen most definitely would have been at my door last night!

The second try was a disaster because I used too much batter and it fell apart in the skillet.

On the third try I used less batter and added a bit more salt because the first two tries tasted pretty bland. Also I’m not a big fan of oily foods and I had to use A LOT of oil to keep the skillet from burning. Though it’s acceptable to use a skillet, perhaps a deep fryer (what the original recipe called for) would produce better results.

On the fourth try I added some turmeric (as part of my efforts to get in 1/4 tsp of turmeric a day) and a dash of paprika to liven up the taste.

I tried various other attempts and combinations, each time adding new spices in an attempt to bring out the flavor–any flavor. To say the fritters were bland is an understatement. For all you Marylanders out there (represent! what whaaat!) or any other person who has had the opportunity to try a crab cake, it was like eating a crab cake…without the crab. All you have is that doughy taste left over (which by the way should never be too present in a REAL crab cake. Real crab cakes taste like crab, Old Bay, and HEAVEN ;)). You know how delicious fried flavorless dough is right? Yeah, thought so.

At some point I realized there was no way to save this recipe and took to eating my boring, flavorless fritters. Adding a bit of fresh basil, onion and a small dollop of black olive sauce made the fritter taste at least edible.

Looks great, tastes? Not so much.

One thing I did appreciate about this recipe was the crunch and the moderately soft inside. I’ve had a fried food craving lately and since I’m not eating potatoes it was a nice alternative. However, I could have lived without the oil slick that formed around my kitchen as a result of trying to cook the fritters without burning them (pretty hard to do since they don’t float).

Crunchy on the outside, smooth and spongy on the inside

If I ever try this recipe again (which isn’t likely unless I have an eggplant I desperately need to use), I’ve found two recipes that seem like they could offer better results. One suggests using sugar (which I won’t be trying until I can add stevia back into my diet) and the other is quite similar to the original but with breadcrumbs and a different style of preparation.

Overall rating: 2 out of 5 (your standard “hot mess” recipe)

Things that could have improved this recipe: a different cooking method, more spices, proper cooking tools

p.s. While searching for a better Eggplant Fritter recipe I came across this hilarious recipe post. It reminds me of something Forrest Gump would write…no offense to the author. In my opinion it’s precious!

Getting to know you

Bienvenidos!! Welcome to my food blog!

This blog is for anyone looking to make a significant change in their regular diet (if you happen to be a strictly meat and potatoes type) or new ways to spice up their dishes (literally! I LOVE spices and I try to fit them in wherever I can). My love affair with cooking  and baking started with mini cooking lessons in the kitchen with my dad–a humble gourmet chef with a green thumb. Now that I’m almost a quarter of a century old, miles away, and living in another country, I’d like to think that his passion for healthy, multi-cultural, well rounded meals have provided a great foundation for my own kitchen endeavors.

I must say I never thought I’d make a food blog but what started as a hobby/interest has developed into a full blown need to document and catalog my findings. I thought I’d have a little fun along the way by making it into a blog 🙂

I’m what you might call “veggie curious”–a veggie and seldom meat eater, but I lean more towards going 100% green each and every day. Most of the recipes on this blog will be dedicated to vegetables with the occasional chicken or egg dish (which currently is my main source of protein. in the future I would love to be able to switch back to soy or beans). So if you’re vegan or vegetarian or “veggie curious”, this blog might be a good fit for you. I’m currently on a very restrictive diet (which I will describe in my next post) so some recipes are also apt for any celiacs or candida albicans sufferers who are looking for safe yet yummy recipes.

I probably won’t be posting daily (or maybe I will…I’m not making any promises to myself or my readers this time) but I will post some of my favorite (or failed) recipes, new techniques, surprising food discoveries, and new developments in my personal kitchen philosophy (check it out in the menu).

Feel free to add suggestions, ask questions or make comments.

-R. Mackenzie