Borscht: An Eastern European Tradition

“Tomorrow, I’m going to learn about Eastern European food.”

Before I made Borscht a few days ago, I knew (or thought I knew) very little about it. My sum knowledge was:

• Its Russian
• Beets are involved
• On the show Rugrats, Tommy Pickles’ grandma made it

Upon further research, I have learned that the term “Borscht” is just about as general as the term “Chowder.”  I revised my knowledge:

• Its actually Ukrainian, but variations are popular throughout Eastern Europe
• Beets are usually involved, but not always

There is no one way to make borscht.  The Ukrainian version of beets cooked in meat broth is what many people associate with borscht.  However, recipes have been passed down through families from generation to generation, with everyone changing it to suit their tastes and resources.   Some add other veggies and extra meat.  Some serve it with sour cream. Or yogurt. Or radishes. Or mushrooms. They add tomatoes, or replace the beets altogether. The possibilities are endless, and I’m sure everyone thinks their version is the best. That's the beautiful thing about traditional food.

The only rule: borscht is red.

I chose this recipe for several reasons.  First, it was cheap.  There aren’t any whacky cuts of meat or a long list of ingredients.  Second, it was fast.  On this particular day, I didn’t want to simmer a cow leg all afternoon.  In fact, since I cooked it for Sarah, I didn’t want to use any cow parts at all. She doesn’t eat cows.  Last but certainly not least, it is light and healthy.  Beets and cabbage are full of nutrients!

Can nutrients be absorbed through skin? If so, I'm set.

The results were fantastic, and I think borscht will replace simple roast beets as go-to dish for any beets I get in my CSA box next year.

Bonus tip:  Beet juice can be removed from hands, baby faces,  and other surfaces with an acid (like vinegar or lemon juice) plus salt.

George is 1/16 Russian and he approved.

Beet and Cabbage Borscht

½ head red cabbage
3 medium raw beets, peeled and quarters
4 tablespoons butter
½ medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, fineley chopped
6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian version)
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup roughly chopped fresh dill
about 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
Sour cream or yogurt
Use a blender or food processor to grate the beets.  Shred the cabbage using a food processor, or chop the cabbage.  (I tried using a blender to shred the cabbage and was woefully unsuccessful.)

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until soft.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute.  Add the cabbage and beets, turn up the heat to medium high, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth and 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Add the dill, vinegar, and remaining salt.  Taste, and add more vinegar if the soup is too sweet.

Serve with sour cream.

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from Cook This Now, by Melissa Clark

Borscht info sources:
Meek, James. “The story of borshch.” The Guardian, 14 March 2008.
“The Food Timeline: Soup.”
Wikipedia article on Borscht

Going Paleo and Gluten Intolerance

“Tomorrow I’m going to go paleo and never look back.”

“Hello, my name is Katie, and I eat Paleo.”

That’s my husband’s favorite quote to taunt me with because he thinks it’s funny how I nerd out about eating Paleo. What’s Paleo you may ask? It is eating lean meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, healthy oils and nothing more.

Why did I start eating this way you might also be wondering? Well changing my diet and lifestyle came about because of serious health problems I started developing a few years ago.

When some kids are little they love fries, corn dogs, and fried chicken. I was one of these kids, but my stomach and bowels didn’t seem to be able to take on the ‘fried’ food. Consuming anything that was battered and fried generally constituted that I would have a bout of a stomach ache or be in the bathroom in mild pain for hours.

A family history of IBS and GI issues preceded me, so everyone wrote symptoms off to the fact that I should just avoid fried foods because that’s what probably was causing issues.

Then came the sensitivity to richer dairy products like butter, cream cheese, cheese and ice cream. I would eat and eat and eat, knowing full well that my stomach was going to cramp, my plumbing would surely become backed up and I’d get the biggest wave of ‘brain fuzz’ sweeping over me momentarily. Again there was a family history of lactose intolerance.

Over this past spring and summer I began training at Crossfit (a gym) and discovered they were promoting the ‘Paleo Diet.’ The coaches said to try it for 30 days and see if I noticed a difference in training and other areas of my health. Wowee! Let me tell you! That 30 days in July had me feeling the best I’d felt since I could remember. My skin cleared up, no more IBS-like symptoms, no more GI problems, regular bowel movements, weight loss (and in my stomach no less!), energy that could rival five red bulls, no cravings for bread and cheese (two of my weaknesses).

Once the 30 days were up I went on a bender of having candies, cakes, bread, pizza, pasta and anything else non-Paleo I could lay my hands on. Cue IBS, GI issues, dizziness, nausea and a multitude of other unpleasant side effects. Normal souls may find this a time to reassess treating my stomach like a garbage pit, but it turns out there is a thing called gluten intolerance (also linked to gluten addiction) and lack of will power that seemed to be a major roadblock. I saw my doctor within the past two months and confirmed with her all the symptoms I was experiencing which mirrored (aside from vomiting) all of the symptoms for gluten intolerance. She recommended I infuse my diet with gluten  (equivalent of 4-6 slices of bread a day) to determine if that was what caused so many of my issues, and boy, was that the worst experience ever. Thanksgiving was a real drag with all of the gluten filled foods and major weight gain.

Starting this past Sunday 12/2/12 I committed to myself to go paleo for good since I had completed the allotted time recommended for a gluten rich diet. Thank goodness for eating paleo! Within this past week I have lost 11 pounds, my IBS/GI problems are fixed and my skin is clearing up. Makes me feel like the sun is shining and it’s shining on me. So read through what I’ve linked and if it sounds like something you’ve been experiencing don’t hesitate to ask your doctor about whether you may have a gluten or dairy intolerance.

1) Information about gluten intolerance: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/features/gluten-intolerance-against-grain

2) Information about going Paleo:
http://assets.paleoplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Paleo-Plan_Quickstart-Guide-and-Paleo-Challenge-Sample.pdf

Hi I am Katie, and here’s me in a nutshell. I love to eat, and used to live to eat. Now I eat to live. There is never a day that goes by that I am not reading a new scientific article about gluten intolerance and fitness or perusing a blog on gourmet paleo cooking ideas. I Crossfit and am on the Couch to 5k running series. Hit me up with your nutritional, health and fitness based questions.

Eat Your Veggies: Roasted Delicata Squash

“Tomorrow, I’m going to eat more vegetables.”

"Eat Your Veggies" is a pseudo-weekly series featuring easy, seasonal veggie recipes.

I guess I’ve been going a little squash crazy lately, only because I have a ton of it leftover from my CSA.  And its just such a quintessential fall food: brilliantly orange, soft, warm, and pillowy.

Delicata Squash are awesome.  They’re small, so you can buy only the amount you need and not have awkward half-squashes wrapped in plastic and tupperware bins of puree hanging around your kitchen.   Peeling winter squash is the most dangerous and time consuming aspect of preparation, but Delicata skin is thin enough to digest, so no peeling required!  Hooray for not going to the ER with severed fingers!

Give roasting them a shot.  Its quick and easy, and makes a great side dish to any fall or winter meal.  I served it with mini meat loaves and green salad.

Roasted Delicata Squash (serves 3)

2 medium Delicata Squash
olive oil
salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon brown sugar (or honey, stevia, agave nectar)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon.  Slice crosswise into half inch crescents.
Toss with olive oil, salt to taste, and rosemary.  Place on a baking sheet and roast in 400F oven for 20-30 minutes, until very tender and easily pierced with a fork. Allow to cool for five minutes and place in a large bowl.

Toss squash with mustard, vinegar, sugar, and parsley.  Add salt to taste.

Recipe Source: Rachael’s brain, probably amalgamated from various squash recipes.
Delicata Squash Info Source (and more recipe ideas): “Healthy Delicata Squash Recipes.” EatingWell.

Holiday Leftovers: Winter Squash Risotto

 “Tomorrow, I will use up my leftover squash puree.”

I never seem to have the exact amount of squash puree that a recipe calls for.  Sometimes I have too little to use in another recipe, yet too much to throw out.  Usually it ends up in the trash anyway. Or ends up sitting in the fridge for weeks before ending up in the trash. But how do you use a tiny amount of squash puree?  Why, throw it in a risotto of course! 

Disclaimer: risotto in general is not a health food, and this version is no exception.  It is butter, starchy, and cheesy.  “Carb-tastic,” if you will.  I try to limit my portion size.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can vary the amount of squash that you use, depending on how much you have and how much squashy flavor you like.  A little bit of squash just adds a layer of depth to the primary cheese flavor.  Adding more will feature the squash flavor more prominently.

Even the smallest amount will turn the risotto a brilliant orange, making it look similar to Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  That resemblance alone made the picky eaters in my life much more open to trying it!

I served this as a side dish to steaks.  That was a mistake. Its so heavy and creamy, I think that it can be a meal on its own, when accompanied by an interesting salad.

Winter Squash Risotto

3 tablespoons butter, divided
½ medium onion (or one small onion), finely chopped
¼-3/4 cup winter squash puree (ie pumpkin, kabocha, butternut, I used red kuri)
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
~5 cups chicken broth
½ cup white wine
⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent.  Add rice and toss well to coat with butter. Stir and cook until translucent, but be careful not to allow the rice to brown.

Add the wine.  Cook until the wine is almost entirely absorbed.  Add the squash puree and 1 cup of broth.  Simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed, then add another ½ cup broth.

Continue cooking, adding broth in half cup increments when the liquid is almost absorbed.  The rice should never get dry.  After about 20 minutes from the first addition of broth, start tasting the rice for doneness.  When the risotto is done, the rice will be tender but not mushy.  You may not need the full 5 cups of broth (I didn’t.)

When the rice is tender, add 1 tablespoon butter and the parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat and stir the risotto vigorously.  Season to taste with salt. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Source: Heavily adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Some pictures of the cooking process that might help you:

Liquid is not absorbed, just stir and cook

Liquid has been absorbed- add more broth

Holiday Leftovers: Turkey Kale Soup

“Tomorrow, I am going to use up my leftover holiday turkey.”

Soup is a delicious way to use up a great deal of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or another holiday feast. Turkey soup is healthy and light, which is a nice counterpoint to the rich meals of this time of year.

I made broth by boiling the turkey carcass and some assorted vegetables.  Apparently bones contain magical substances that combine with water to become pure deliciousness.  Don’t throw away your turkey bones without unleashing their awesome power!

So Christmas-y!

Making broth takes a long time, but you don’t have to pay much attention to it.  It just kind of does its thing.  If you have time, I suggest cooling the broth in the fridge so you can scoop off the congealed fat that floats to the surface.  Its a dirty job, but I’d rather have the fat in the garbage than in my arteries.

For the rest of the soup, I sauteed some onions/celery/carrots, which also happened to be leftovers from Thanksgiving.  Don’t use the veggies from the broth, they’ll be slimy and bland at this point.  I added some turkey and cooked kale and voila!  Soup!

Turkey Kale Soup

Broth: 1 turkey carcass
2 parsley sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
1 carrot, cut into chunks
3 celery sticks, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 small onion or half of a large onion, peeled
1 bay leaf

Soup:
Olive oil
1 small onion or half a large onion, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 head of kale, stems removed
1-2 cups leftover turkey, shredded

Place turkey carcass and all other broth ingredients in a large pot.  Cover (or mostly cover) with water (about 4 quarts).  Simmer for two hours. If you have time, cool and skim off fat.
Bring a pot of water to boiling, and add the kale.  Cook for 3-5 minutes until bright green and tender.  Drain, rinse with cool water and chop.  
Saute onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil until soft.  Add broth, turkey and kale.  Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Source: The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters