Recipe: Shepherd's Pie (All-Vegan All-Star!)

Vegan shepherd's pie

One essential part of managing my stomach issues is managing my stress!  One big relief is not worrying about "what to eat" after a long busy work-day.  I also worry about good nutrition -- eating "right" takes time.  

(Even for the most efficient of us, right?  When your day is full of work stuff, commuting, household chores, family commitments, and trying to exercise/breathe -- it can be exhausting to squeeze in home-cooking, even with meal plans, organized buying, and quick kitchen hands.)

Casseroles are my go-to for quick and good home-made meals!  A few months ago, I decided I was going to master a vegan Shepherd's Pie.  I love the idea of mashed potatoes topping -- and all those greenmarket roots look so happy under there together.   After studying several recipes in my book collection (Moosewood, Veganomicon and others) and online (including the Minimalist Baker's pie), I ended up with my take on it.  

And, as an easy to digest meal for cranky guts -- this one is so comforting and easy to tolerate for me. 

SHEPHERD'S PIE (ALL-VEGAN ALL-STAR!)

Ingredients: 

Amounts can and may vary depending on what you have available.  Generally, this is my favorite ratio:

Vegetable filling:

2 large or 3 medium parsnips, chopped 

3 medium carrots, chopped 

1 large leek, thinly sliced 

2 medium sweet potatoes (yellow or white), chopped 

3 cloves garlic, minced/pressed 

Optional:  Celeriac (that knobby thing in the photo) really adds flavor and texture to the dish.  I've made this with and without and prefer the celeriac.  I also have added celeriac to the boiling potatoes and mash it along for the topping.

Middle layer:

2/3 C. - 1 C. coarsely chopped walnuts 

1 16 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed (or 2 cans if you want more "middle layer").  I like the Brad's Organic beans shown here or any BPA-free can (or dried beans if you have time to prep them!)

Potato topping:

4-6 potatoes for the mashed topping, or enough to cover your pan of choice.

I usually use 4-6 potatoes.  Yukon or other white potatoes look the most "professional," but I have experimented with adding red and/or purple potatoes as well -- though the result looks not so appealing for guests.  :)   You can peel the potatoes for a more polished look but I always leave the nutritious and tasty skin on my mashed potatoes.  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Prep the vegetables:  peel and chop the parsnips, carrots, leeks and sweets, and celeriac if using.  A uniform size is key, on the smaller side is ideal.  But you don't have to use a ruler or worry too much about it -- just get everything about the same size!

2. In a large skillet (cast iron is exceptional for this), add a few spoonfuls of water and the leeks.   Cover with lid.  Cook for a minute and add the rest of the vegetables and garlic.  Cover with lid to "steam sauce" until softened.  Stir occasionally, adding more water as needed.

Vegetables soften up during the steam-saute.  Don't forget to cover with lid. 

3.  While this cooks down, make the mashed potatoes.  I literally mean "mashed potatoes."  I boil them, drain the water, and mash them.  No salt, no vegan butter or oil of any kind, no soy milk or other liquid.  Just mash 'em.  I leave the skin on because I like the taste and "all the vitamins are in the skin," as we learned years ago.  I also like how rustic it makes the dish look.  

4. Make the middle layer/filling:  take rinsed can of kidney beans and combine with nuts.  Blend very well so beans get smooshed with the nuts.  I have found the best technique is to just knead this together with your hands.   I usually start with less nuts and taste as I blend to get the right flavor.    

5.  In an 8x8 or 9x11 pan, spread the softened vegetable mixture.

6.  Spread the bean-nut mixture on top of this.  I have used one can and it doesn't fully cover the vegetables, but you can use 2 cans for a more thorough cover.  Whatever you prefer!    You will see it doesn't look pretty while you are putting this together...

  

This will transform and look much better after it is cooked!

7. Toss the mashed potato on top.   Do not press down -- you want this to be "thrown" together so the potatoes are not flattened.  (You could use a fork to make interesting patterns, and help with browning, but I had a great result by just literally "globbing" on the potatoes. 

8. Put in oven, uncovered, and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.   Check to see if "browned" and cooked through to your liking.  (You could eat the whole thing already, without baking, but the oven gets the potatoes pleasantly dried out on top and makes the nut-bean filling "come together.")

BONUS:  This dish is even better the next day when ingredients have mingled.  AND it freezes very well! 

I like serving with roasted squash (yes, MORE vegetables!) or just eat on its own.  A complete meal in one!

Recipe: Pinto Beans and Greens Tacos (with or without salsa)

Pinto and chard tortilla

Another successful experiment with "stuff laying around the refrigerator!"   I wanted something easy on my stomach after too many late dinners, and meals out.  So, some chard, a can of pintos, and frozen tortillas came together for this gut-friendly combo.  

A note on beans and other legumes:  Many of my meals involve legumes, a food often experienced by others as very non-gut friendly.  I've been eating this powerhouse food for decades -- peas, lentils and beans are a staple of my veg diet: I often eat legumes twice a day, and usually daily.    My guts don't seem to be bothered by most beans, except occasionally chickpeas or lentils can give me a gassy aftermath.    My thought is, as long as my guts are doing okay on legumes, load them up -- they are healthy, they are vegetarian :-) , and they are yummy!     For tips on reducing "bean issues" see this article on "respecting the bean" and Choosing Raw's guide to bean digestion.



PINTO BEANS AND GREENS TACOS

Ingredients
*Tortillas
Swiss Chard, kale, spinach, or whatever other "greens" you have on hand.  Mix and match!
**Pinto beans or whatever other beans you want to use
Fresh herbs (sage, oregano, thyme…)
Garlic (or garlic scapes, garlic greens, no rules here)
Tiny bit of olive oil for flavor and cooking assistance

1. In large pan (cast iron preferred), saute garlic in the small amount of oil until softened and aromatic.
2. Separate stems from leaves of the greens.  If using chard, chop stems and add to the softening garlic.
3. Cut leaves into strips.   Add to pan, and gently "fold" into the garlic/stems.
4. Chop/tear herbs into small bits and add to pan, stirring in.
5. Add water to just cover bottom of pan.
6. Cover the pan and slow-braise the greens until very soft, about 15 minutes.  Keep adding water, stirring/folding.  Braise longer if needed.  The longer the better!
7. Meanwhile, heat beans in a separate pan (or pot).
8. When beans and greens are done, heat tortillas on the stovetop.
9.  Place tortilla on plate.  Cover with spoonfuls of beans and then greens.
10. Fold and eat and enjoy!

Salsa:  Optional.

* My greenmarket sells Hot Bread Kitchen's corn tortillas, and they've become a welcome regular in MY kitchen!   They've inspired me to create all sorts of "bean and greens" combos for quick dinners and lunches. 

**I prefer to make my own beans "from scratch" but after not being able to find my beloved Cayuga Beans and a few busy weeks with no time to cook, I discovered Brad's Organic beans (in BPA-free cans!).  They're "good enough" and even pretty delicious, especially the kidney beans, pintos, and garbanzos.  There's even a fun "chili mix!"  Rinse the beans well to wash away excess sodium.

New Root Soup for a New Year!

New Roots Soup Recipe (see below for recipe)

Cranky Gerd is back!  I've updated the description of my blog to include Gastroparesis -- also known as "slow stomach emptying" or that unfortunate phrase, "lazy stomach."   After months of assuming I was suffering from "GERD,"  my doctor and my own self-observation realized it's not quite GERD that's the problem -- it's the more ambiguous gastroparesis.   In short, things don't move quickly enough through my GI tract.  Sometimes things get log-jammed in the stomach itself.  Other times, my intestinal tract is sluggish and there is "no movement" -- despite the healthy amounts of fiber, liquids, dried fruits, caffeine, and other traditional remedies.   This results in bloating, pain, gas, and overall feeling awful!  On a bad day, nausea can join in the fun. 

Gastroparesis is not just a physical discomfort -- it's a ridiculous waste of time, an annoyance, and emotionally draining.  Like right now, for instance.  I am supposed to be out the door in 10 minutes to have a relaxing Sunday, but my GI tract feels bloated, gassy, heavy -- I have to "go" but nothing is working "out."  Argh!  Do I leave the house like this and suffer for hours?  Or hang around for hours, possibly (most likely) for nothing but more waiting around until my guts decide to take action? 

This year, Cranky Gerd will continue to share my GI journey, and as in the past, recipes and tips for a healthy gut (or what works for me, in any case).   I'll also include "off topic" posts from time to time because 1) it's my blog :)  and 2) these things may be of interest to others here too, as we are not just our GI tracts!   :) :) 

So…

The first recipe of the year:  new root soup.   Inspired by the new roots emerging in the greenmarket these days, and the need to "de-tox" a bit after the holiday onslaught of treats, I tossed this soup together this morning.   Stay clear of salt, be stringent with oil, and enjoy the roots' naturally mineral-rich flavors and nourishing goodness. 

NEW ROOTS SOUP

This amount makes soup for a few portions -- depending how much you want to eat in one sitting.

Easily doubles or triples -- use a large pot to give the vegetables plenty of space to simmer.

• 2 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled as needed, and cut into small chunky slices
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 4 medium potatoes, cut into thin slices (any non-Russet potatoes would work best)
• 1 celeriac root, trimmed and cut into small chunks
•  2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 small leek, trimmed and sliced into small pieces  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• water

1.  Heat garlic and oil in soup pot at very low heat.

2. Add carrots, sweet potatoes, celeriac, and potatoes.  Cover pot and leave over low heat for 5 minutes to "sweat" the flavors together.  Mix occasionally to prevent sticking.

3. Add water -- use enough to cover about an inch above the vegetables.    Add the leek.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

5. Stir occasionally throughout the simmering.   Add more water if needed -- you want the water to cover the vegetables just a bit so there is a nice broth going.

6.  The soup is done when the potatoes break up easily and the other vegetables are softened.  You can cook more or less to your taste.    Take a wooden spoon (or potato masher if you wish) and "mash" on section of the veggies in the pot to thicken the broth and add texture.

7.  Enjoy!   This is a nourishing but "light" root soup -- great as a prelude to any meal, or a snack between meals, or a light meal in itself.

Secret Weapon: Saute-Braised Greens

"Dinosaur" kale from Paffenroth farms.

Greens are a constant on my table and in my guts.   I rely on them as a quick side, and for flavor and texture in casseroles and soups.   They're super-nutritious, easy to cook, versatile, affordable, and GERD-friendly -- what's not to love?   One of my favorite ways to use them is simply sauteed-and-braised, Southern style greens slowly cooked in a skillet with a bit of water (and I'll add a bit of olive or sunflower oil, though you can omit this according to oil-free recipes, or use vegetable stock in place of plain water for the braising).

Slow-cooking in liquid softens the greens to an irresistible melt-in-your-mouth texture, and mellows out any bitterness.    This method is great for all fresh greens:  kale, chard, spinach, collards, turnip greens, sweet potato greens, and whatever other greens come your way.

STEP ONE:  Prep the leaves

Rinse leaves.  For kales and other greens with chewy stems, remove all trace of the stem parts -- including along the inside of the leaves.  This is the key to achieving a smooth texture (versus a smooth mouthful of kale with jarring crunchy bits destroying the buttery mouth-feel).  Most restaurants do not go through this trouble, and I'm often disappointed by the results…

To remove the stem from the middle of the leaves, fold the leaf and grasp the stem, and pull… 

Soon, you will have a pile of leaves without stems… 

Gather the leaves into a pile, stacking them or bunching them in an organized heap.  Cut into slices with a large knife so you end up with strips or uniform chunks.

STEP TWO:  Cook the greens

I like to saute a few pressed cloves of garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil before adding my leaves.  Once the garlic is just starting to turn brown, add the greens.    Use a wooden spoon or spatula to turn the leaves so they start to wilt from the heat.  Keep turning a few times a minute until all the leaves are coated with the garlic/oil and wilting.

Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan, below the leaves.   You may add more water later -- the idea is to keep the greens in a thin layer of water throughout the cooking period, but not floating in water.  Cover with a lid and cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, and adding more water as needed to keep the greens hydrated.    Cooking time will vary depending on the greens.   Taste periodically until done to your liking.

I did not take a photo of the finished kale I documented in the previous photos, but here is an example of Swiss chard after saute-braising.  In the case of chard, I am more generous with the stems since they soften quickly in the cooking process -- I don't need to remove the stems from the middle of the leaves, and even cook up a few bits of stem with the greens.

Served here with brown rice and red beans.

Detox Recipe for the New Year: Carrot, Fingerling Potato and Parsley Soup

Carrot, fingerling potato, and parsley soup

Happy New Year!   I took a few weeks away from my blog to immerse myself in the Christmas season, with all its busy-ness, festive obligations, and visits with family and friends.    

THE HOLIDAYS AND MY CRANKY GUTS: SHORT UPDATE

Like many people, I veered away from my usual diet during the holidays -- more cheese/dairy, more sweets, less locally sourced foods, more food overall -- and had a few moments of extreme nausea and bloating, and constipation followed me into the new year.  I'm still experiencing occasional vomiting episodes -- scary! -- that seem to be related to eating too much, or eating too late.   I have to be vigilant about this.    I've not yet scheduled my first colonoscopy -- suggested by Dr. C. even though I'm not quite at the "colonoscopy age" yet, just to be sure nothing concerning is going on.  We're both convinced most of my issues are related to "stress" but if there is a pathological reason, we need to address it.   I'll deal with scheduling something after mid-January, when work deadlines subside; right now, it is a madhouse (which of course is probably contributing to my cranky guts - the circle continues!).

Soup underway!

BACK ON TRACK:  CARROT, FINGERLING, AND PARSLEY SOUP

After Christmas, I was eager to get back to cooking, and the greenmarkets.  I regularly shop at two greenmarkets that are open year round.  I'm fascinated by cold weather produce, and the challenge of cooking seasonally.  There's the occasional bag of frozen spinach and imported citrus, but mostly we rely on the winter root cellar: carrots, potatoes, turnips, apples, pears, and the rest of winter's pragmatic tubers and other produce.    Craving lots of vegetables and something easy to digest, I came up with this  tasty, GERD-friendly, nourishing blended soup (one of my New Year's Resolutions -- to use my immersible blender more often!).  I had this four four days in a row -- a great "detoxing" start to 2013!

Ingredients:

Sourced from your local greenmarket or farm

4 large cloves garlic (if you have small cloves, use more), pressed or finely chopped 

1 small onion, chopped 

4 medium to large carrots, sliced and chopped 

5-6 fingerling potatoes, quartered 

1 generous handful fresh parsley, chopped 

Olive oil

Water

1. Heat olive oil in soup pot and add garlic.  Cook over low heat until fragrant and softened.
2. Add onion.  Cook until softened.
3. Stir in carrots.  Cover with lid and cook until just softened.  Stir to prevent sticking/burning.
4. Add water to cover vegetables by about one inch.  Add potatoes and a few tablespoons of parsley.
5. Bring to boil and then simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are soft.
6. Add remaining parsley and cook for a few minutes.  Using immersible blender, blend until desired consistency.
7. Before serving, sprinkle with a few parsley leaves.

Variations:  I'm going to try this recipe again, varying it with celeriac, sunchokes, and other roots, or different potatoes (though the fingerlings are just divine in a soup).   A version of this with acorn or butternut squash might work.  I think turnips or parsnips might be too harsh for the flavor I'm trying to achieve here, and I may omit the onion next time.   I'm always interested in adding apples to savory dishes, and wonder how they would go here? 

Storage:  I divided the soup into portions for two and for one using my new Pyrex storage containers (yay, Santa!).  I did not freeze these, wanting to keep the mellow flavor away from any freezer burn.   

Cooling on the window ledge.

Recipe: Greenmarket Vegetable-Rice Soup

Vegetable soup, before addition of rice.

During my recent 2-week road trip through the Eastern Southern states, I was shocked by how my GERD did not flare up; in fact, it was better controlled than usual, even with a diet packed with cheese, eggs, and eating out each day.   Maybe being out of New York City and "on vacation" reduced my stress overall, or maybe my body does like dairy products.  I'm still figuring this one out.

In other ways, my body did feel deprived.  I am used to eating generous quantities of vegetables, fruits, and whole foods -- not getting these on the trip was difficult.   Restaurants don't serve "plates of vegetables" aside from salads, and much of Southern cooking involves animal ingredients.  My personal affinity for eating simply prepared vegetables -- braised, roasted, sauteed with a bit of olive oil and perhaps garlic or herbs -- was not going to be met on the road, while my protein sources -- beans, tofu, the occasional soy/seitan meat substitute -- was rarely an option.  I relied on eggs and cheese for most of the trip.  (I will admit, having an "excuse" to gorge on cheese was a guilty pleasure.)

After two weeks on the road, my first day back at my local farmer's market sent me into euphoria.  I over-bought (squash! string beans!  every kind of herb! potatoes! greens! carrots! broccoli AND cauliflower!) and needed to use things up.  Thank goodness for roasted vegetables and for soup!   

FLASH FORWARD:  SEVERE REFLUX

A week after we returned home, I experienced severe GERD after over-eating at a dinner.   It was the first time I literally vomited as a result of reflux.   What a lousy, scary, terrible experience.  A week later, severe reflux again resulted in vomiting, and I lost three pounds.   (These incidents have inspired me to make an appointment to see my GI specialist next week.)   I did not feel like eating anything, afraid of vomiting, and feeling immediately bloated after even a bite.   I'm blaming "return to work" stress on top of "racing around" stress (just five days after returning, I was back on the road for a family reunion, and a week after that, hosted out of town guests).  I FELT extreme stress. 

I decided my body needed food that was easy to digest, familiar, and packed with nutrients to help my immune system, and developed this soup using all greenmarket ingredients.   I later added a few cups of Savannah heirloom rice (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of rice per serving of soup) -- a trip souvenir.    This soup combated all GERD symptoms -- after days of eating this, I feel much better and able to tolerate food again.  No vomiting, no reflux, minimal "food in throat" sensations. 

RECIPE:  GREENMARKET VEGETABLE-RICE SOUP

Using fresh, greenmarket-quality vegetables is key!  I prepared white rice separate from the soup, adding it when reheating the soup, as needed.   You could use kale instead of chard, but I think the chard provides a more bright, calming flavor.  

Ingredients

1 medium onion, sliced thin

2-3 cloves garlic (3 cloves if small; 2 if large)

4 carrots, peeled and sliced (thin and/or in chunks)

1 large white potato, sliced (unpeeled, with skin)

4 small fingerling or new potatoes, any variety, sliced (with skin)

Handful of string beans, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch lengths

1 small bunch of chard, stems removed, leaves sliced into strips

olive oil

fresh thyme

fresh rosemary sprig

1. In large pot, heat olive oil over low heat; add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until softened.

2. Add carrots.  Stir with onion and cover.  Let saute-steam for a few minutes.

3. Add potatoes, stir and heat for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add water to cover contents of pot by two inches.

5. Add string beans.

6. Bring to boil.  Reduce heat, add thyme and rosemary, and simmer until carrots and potatoes are soft.

7. Remove rosemary sprig.  

8. Add chard; simmer until chard is softened and soup "smells" and tastes done.   You should smell a fragrant, delightful aroma as the ingredients come together.

Prepare rice as directed.  A sticky rice works best.   This can be done in advance of the soup, or later on.  Add rice as desired when reheating soup batches for meals.  I even added rice to my prepared lunch containers of soup, just microwaving everything together.  

Heirloom rice, bought in Charleston, SC.

A Cranky Gerd Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day Dinner, 2011

I am finally back to my usual routine after several days away -- which involved much cooking and eating!  Here are the results of our Thanksgiving Day feast.  I was invited to provide the main course for dinner with J's family, an exciting challenge.  After hearing the robust menu, the family decided to do away with the turkey altogether and, in the end, no one missed it.  (Especially not the turkey…)

Like most people, we ate more than necessary at dinner.  I was prepared to suffer a little for this special occasion, but was surprised that I felt fine after our meal, aside from a slightly "stuffed" feeling.   (In fact, I have had heartburn and overnight reflux the past two nights since my return home, making me wonder if New York City has something to do with it!   I did feel particularly overwhelmed re-entering the city this time.  My GI doctor already suggests the busy metropolitan life as a trigger for me, as it is for many of his patients.)

Our Thanksgiving dishes were cooked simply, with minimal seasonings and no sauces or gravies.  We also avoided salt.  The menu:

VEGETARIAN CASSOULET

ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES (FROM THE GREENMARKET)

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH (FROM THE GREENMARKET)

PAN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

CORNBREAD STUFFING

ROLLS

CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH APPLES

PUMPKIN PIE

APPLE PIE 

We started prepping and cooking at 2:30 PM and were ready to eat by 5:15 PM - perfect timing!  Here are photos from the afternoon:

Carrots and leeks getting prepped for the cassoulet.

Cassoulet simmering; cranberry sauce in the background.

Fingerling potatoes and onion just coming out of the oven...

Roasted Brussels sprouts after 2-step method.  Irresistible!  

Pan-sauteed asparagus, olive oil, no butter.

Cranberry sauce with apples.

The finished cassoulet!

I was especially pleased with the cranberry apple sauce -- a hybrid of my mother's recipe and my own recipe-mashing.  I'll post the recipe in a separate entry.

How was your holiday feast, Cranky readers?  Were you able to successfully manage GERD symptoms?  Any tips or suggestions for next year?

Cranky Food: Swiss Chard (And What To Do With It)

Swiss Rainbow Chard -- from the greenmarket this past Saturday!

One food that always goes well with my cranky gut -- and nearly any main dish -- is Swiss chard.  It's not only tasty but a nutrition powerhouse -- a cup even provides 3 grams of protein!

Most of my vegetables are given the same treatment:  steam-saute in a cast iron pan with olive oil, maybe some garlic too.   Or, roasting with olive oil and garlic.   I can't imagine any other cooking process providing as much flavor and just the right texture.   Here's what I did with Saturday's chard.  First -- separate stems from the leaves, and saute the chopped stems with olive oil and pressed garlic.  (I got the garlic going a bit first, before adding the stems.)

Chard stems and garlic.  Saute til the stems are softened.

Chop the leaves -- I just fold the large leaves over, and make thin slices.  You can't really go wrong here.   Add the leaves to the stems and "fold in" -- coat with the olive oil and stem mixture.  This may take two hands, especially if your pan is not quite large enough.   I add just a sprinkle of salt -- for taste but also salt helps the greens cook better.    Cover with a lid and heat over a low flame for a few moments.  Stir.

Here the leaves have been added and "folded" into the
softened aromatic stem/oil/garlic mixture.

Add a small amount of water, and steam-saute for several minutes, until the chard softens and becomes "mellow" in taste.  There is a magical number of minutes where the chard goes from slightly bitter to fantastic and mellow -- that's when you turn off the heat, keep things covered, and let it all "come together" for a minute or so while you get everything else plated.

And, here is the chard with the rest of our dinner:  grits, pinto beans (that I made from dry beans, also from the greenmarket) and veggie sausages.  Amazing!

Chard, pintos, grits, veggie sausages. 

Tuesday Dinner: Squash, Beans, Greens

My GERD has been more manageable the past week.  I have been drinking tea, eating chocolate, and went off my GERD Elimination diet on Saturday, apparently with good results.  I don't have an explanation, but I did notice by avoiding triggers for a few days, it allows me to then eat those triggers without penalty.  (Or, immediate penalty. Hmmm.)   Does anyone else notice this?

Here is our Tuesday night dinner -- roasted delicata squash (just slice, scoop out seeds, brush with olive oil, roast at 400 til soft), black beans (Cayuga organic beans that I soaked for 2 hours, boiled for 1 hour, sprinkle of salt towards the end of cooking -- these freeze very well), and frozen spinach (I was wanting greens and didn't have anything fresh left -- so this is just boiled in a tiny bit of water -- that's it).  That's a semolina bread hunk in the background, smeared with probably too much Earth Balance.  :)   I love these rolls -- they come from a NJ bakery that sells its goods at our local greenmarket.

(And, I roasted an additional squash which I can re-purpose on top of pasta, or as another side dish.  I'm always thinking ahead, plotting and scheming how to eat local / fresh / home-cooked without killing myself!)

Glimpse: Greenmarket Dinner

Dinner: black beans, kale, corn on the cob.  Sample of pinto beans from my latest batch.

Wednesday morning and what a positive way to start the middle of the week: a good night's sleep, morning weights and stretches while listening to This American Life on the podcasts, my guts getting back to a less cranky state.   Some food-in-throat feeling and fullness but no cramps or nausea.

I have been failing in my promise to make this blog more eye-catching, so here is a glimpse of our greenmarket-sourced dinner the other night:  black beans (fresh from Cayuga Pure Organics), Russian kale, corn on the cob.  My cob is the small half -- my effort to eat smaller portions.   I also had a small hunk of semolina bread with Earth Balance.

Views: Saturday Greenmarket

I bought a bunch of these purple long beans.  Fantastic!

Union Square Greenmarket -- where I get to shop alongside the chefs of NYC's best restaurants!

GERD update: after a day of "my food" I feel great.  I did a volunteer shift at the animal shelter, which always de-stresses me -- I love doing good there, and the animals can only uplift.

Dinner will be pasta and broccoli -- which these chefs also purchased, by the pound!

Green Beans and Bees

Finally, on to the Union Square greenmarket!  It's been three weeks since I've been there -- and my psyche and stomach are feeling deprived.  I've loaded my grocery cart with three tote bags (one is a cooler-style bag) and two plastic containers in which to stash fragile things like peaches and tomatoes.  My journey to the greenmarket involves a lot of walking and a subway ride, so preparation is the difference between getting things home in one piece or finding all of your cherry tomatoes turned into a mash.

As I've been grumbling in the past posts, my diet this past week has been lacking fresh produce, let alone my beloved greenmarket produce.  Blame it on the hurricane, my schedule, family visits and a lot of eating out.   So, I cannot wait to get green beans, chard, kale, tomatoes, other leafy things, maybe cauliflower if they have it.

 Of note: I've had green or black tea every day this week, and any effects were modest.  Right now, I am drinking an oolong and admit I feel a minor "lump in throat" feeling.  If this is all I experience, I'm not concerned.  (Unless it's pathologically affecting my esophagus.  Then I have trouble.)

My GERD is minimal today.  I spent the past two days eating smaller portions -- back to the "two breakfasts" scheme -- and minimizing my dairy intake (just the nightly ice cream).

I've been sleeping hard and long, even with strange dreams, and have started a reading-before-bed routine to help me de-stress.  Reading before bed -- it's been a long time that I've done this, and I LOVE IT!  Right now I am in awe of Motel Art Improvement Service, a comic by Jason Little.  (Whom I met at a local comics convention and he drew my own personal Bee for me in the cover flap of my book!)

Detective Work -- Did the Red Grapes Do It?

Am I trying to prove to myself that it is stress and not food that is my GERD trigger?  Well, maybe.  That would be a lot less complicated, right? 

In this spirit, I was pleased to find a link to a 2006 study linking GERD symptoms to stress.   The study's caveat is that stress does not predict GERD's impact on the esophagus.  (The study is flawed in a few ways, but I was interested to see the distinction made between GERD symptoms and endoscopic results.)
 
While I'm getting back to my regular diet, I am experiencing a lot of GERD symptoms today.   Here's my intake so far:


First Breakfast - 6:30 AM:
1 Wheetabix square
1/4 C. raisins
1 prune
1 C. almond milk

Second Breakfast - 10:00 AM:
1 package Irish instant oatmeal with my own cinnamon
1/2 C. orange juice
I managed to have an expanded brisk walk this morning, as well.

Snack - 10:30 AM:
5 red grapes
2-3 cherries

This is where the problem exacerbated.  I have been belchy (and gassy) for the past days, and experienced definite heartburn pain yesterday and the day before, to the point of reaching for Tums.  (Which did not help.)
I was feeling a little better this morning with less symptoms overall. 

Around 10:30 AM I decided to have some fruit, but after a few grapes, I immediately felt that "food in throat feeling" more severely than in recent weeks.  It was as through the grape skins were stuck to my esophagus.  The skins were especially thick and bitter -- does this mean anything?   Usually, I don't have problems with grapes.

Lunch - 12:45 PM:
1 serving chickpea-eggplant-tomato dish (homemade by me)
My accompanying rye bread was moldy.    Darn!

Snack - 2:45 PM:
1 white roll from Le Pain Quotidien
1 packet maple almond nut butter (3/4 finished; interrupted by meeting)

At 4:21 PM, I feel ok.  FIT but heartburn.  Some belching, more gassy.   This, despite a super busy day.  I don't feel "stressed" but rather excited and even a little manic, with all the projects swirling around me. 

Dinner - 6:30 PM
Bean curd with basil and brown rice at local Thai restaurant.  I had an unpleasant sensation while eating the green peppers and eggplant that were part of this vegetable-loaded dish.  I felt unsettled in my stomach afterwards, and took a Tums to see if this would help (it did).   In this case, the veggies may have been bad; I don't think this was GERD-related.  I felt very full after this modestly sized dinner despite having been "starving" at the start.

During dinner, I learned that J. also had trouble with the red grapes.  Earlier, he had a few and said he did not feel right afterwards -- they made him feel "funny" in the stomach and head.

Dessert - 8:00 PM
1 C. Breyer's ice cream (Vanilla Fudge)
By this time, I felt fine.

I am looking forward to the greenmarket on Saturday, and resuming my normal diet full of fresh produce, grains and beans!

Glimpse: Squashes Galore

Versatile, nutritious, easy -- I'm such a squash aficionado.  

Glimpse: Greenmarket Dinner

Monday's dinner: corn, fresh lima beans, Swiss chard, vegetarian sausages.