The Wheat Belly Revolution...Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Spinach And Brie

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This is a reprint of the earlier post titled Spinach And Brie Chicken Breasts With Yellow Rice And Pimentos which I messed up when posting.  The comments were also erased when reposting.  My apologies.

If you live in the United States you have probably heard of Wheat Belly, the new "diet" bestseller that is taking the country by storm.  In his book, William Davis MD,  a renowned cardiologist,explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems.

  After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat"and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.

Although I found the information to be very educational, well researched and most useful,  I found the book a bit boring and repetitive. Notwithstanding, what I found really alarming was how predominant this new genetically altered "wheat" is in everything we eat.  Just for that alone you should pick up a copy and read it.

Even before finishing the book, I decided to eliminate wheat for a few days and sure enough, after just a couple of  days, I noticed my belly had receded a bit and I felt "lighter".  It wasn't til Sunday night after I cheated with a couple of slices of my homemade pizza that I awoke in the middle of the night with the acid reflux that has been plaguing me for awhile.  If you have had these before you know how scary they can be! Hmmm....

Since I really could use losing a few pounds and bathing suit time is just around the corner, I have made a pact with my cleaning lady to follow this regimen for a few weeks.  We both weighed ourselves (after lunch and with our clothes on!), joted it down and hid it somewhere safe.  We swore each other to secrecy on the penalty of her never coming back to clean my house, which, now that I think of it,  is worse for me than it is for her.

That doesn't mean that this will now become a wheat free cooking blog.  Au contraire.  There are many recipes that we all enjoy and that are wheat free.  It also doesn't mean that if you decide to follow Dr. Davis' advice you can never have wheat again, just occasionally and in moderation, something we American just don't know how to do.  Let's just say we will eat more like the Europeans or Asians and won't think about pie until peach season! 

Tonight we had a delightful dinner, completely wheat free,  made by my daughter and adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart.  Instead of the orzo that accompanies the dish, I made yellow rice with onions, parsley and pimentos.  As I am writing this, I can tell you I feel full and satisfied, although I'm having a tough time fighting a craving for a bowl of ice cream!

Luckily the next couple of recipes that were already planned for the blog are also wheat free.  And summer is coming...lots of stuff on the grill and fresh vegetables to accompany.  And, if all fails, we can always move to Europe where this genetically engineered stuff is simply banned!

By the way, let me know what you think of the book if you have read it... My son who suggested the book and looks like a movie star says the regimen is so easy it's almost like cheating.

The following recipe has been adapted and perfected by my daughter.  The addition of the bacon is her idea and improves the recipe by a mile.  We have also substituted the yellow rice for the orzo originally in the recipe and not allowed in a wheat free diet.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Roasted Halibut With Tomato Curry Sauce

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Although we are having another cool spell here in North Georgia, I just know one of these days summer is going to be upon us and bathing suit time will be a rude awakening.  I have already crept up on those scales and what I see is not pretty so cutting fat down to 35 grams a day is my goal for the next month or so.

That doesn't mean I plan to starve or eat yucky stuff, just avoid desserts, bread, and cut back on my daily cocktail.  Oy vey, boring!

Indian food is fairly low in fat and a great alternative, particularly if you choose a recipe like this with a flavorful tomato curry sauce.  For less calories, serve it with plain white or jasmine rice instead of the cauliflower rice recipe suggested.   If dieting is not an objective, I highly recommend it. 

If you are lucky to live in an area where fresh halibut is readily available, great.  If not, remember those flash frozen packages you can find in the supermarket...not bad for second best.  I have also found fresh halibut at Costco on occasion.  Sea bass or another meaty fish is a good alternative.

You can find garam masala at most supermarkets; however, if you want to make your own, a recipe can be found at Closet Cooking here.  

Roasted Halibut with Tomato Curry Sauce
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable or other neutral oil

2 tbsp mild Indian curry paste (garam masala)

1 tsp grated ginger

4 pieces halibut, 5-6 ounces each


Directions

Combine oil, curry paste and ginger in a bowl. Place halibut in a glass or metal dish and brush curry paste mix all over. Leave to sit for 30 min.

Curry Sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp chopped garlic

2 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you like it HOT)

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 to 2 tsp mango chutney

1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened about 8 to 10 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and continue to cook 1-2 more minutes. Stir in coriander and cumin and cook for another minute. Add cayenne, tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and chutney and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste and add more mango chutney if needed. Let cool slightly and then puree sauce with immersion blender, then stir in chopped cilantro. Set aside.

For Fish:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast halibut for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through. To serve, spoon sauce in the centre of a serving plate, top with halibut and add Cauliflower Rice Pilaf on the side.


Cauliflower Rice Pilaf

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

3 cups small cauliflower florets

1 tbsp chopped seeded green chili

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 cups basmati rice

1 cup coconut milk

1.5 cups water

1/2 tsp whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

3 tbsp chopped mint


Directions

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes or until softened. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in chili and garlic and saute for 1 minute then add rice and still well. Add coconut milk, water, cloves, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper to taste.

Cover pot, turn heat to low and cook rice for 15 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes to steam before serving. Remove whole spices. Sprinkle with almonds and mint before serving.


Adapted from Food and Wine Via Closet Cooking

20 Easy Tips For Slimming Down And Eating Well

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Relax, this blog is not about to turn itself into a boring diet blog.  I just want to share some things that have helped me when I've tried to put on the brakes after a month long binge with food.   It also seems to be what is on everybody's mind this week so let's talk about it.

If you are feeling like I am, right this minute on January 2nd, you are probably nauseated at the thought of  sauces, cookies and fancy hors d'oeuvres.  If I keep on eating like this, I will be keeping company with the hippos at the Atlanta Zoo by next spring.  So cutting back is a must, not only for the figure but for your health as well.  That doesn't mean you have to eat bad stuff.  People think that if a recipe is good, it has to be fattening.  Think again...

In my past life I used to travel all over the world and stay at the best hotels and eat wherever I pleased.  Except for my trips to Brazil, I always came back a couple of pounds lighter.  Why Brazil? their food is awfully good but quite salty and this lady tends to accumulate water like mad.  All this got me thinking about the reasons for this surprising weight loss and I came to the conclusion that preservatives and bad meal timing were the main culprits in making me gain weight.  Now I know what you are going to say... it was all the walking you did! People in Europe and Asia walk more than we do, that is a fact; but I lived in New York City at the time and walking is part of everyday life there. So that wasn't really the difference.

In the Far East dessert is non existent.  It's just not part of the equation.  It's mango this or that for dessert, and very few other choices, none of them worth adding extra calories for.   In Europe you eat sweets differently.  Ice cream and cakes and cookies are eaten in the middle of the day.  Try to get an ice cream or a gelato after 6 in Paris, Venice or Rome and you are out of luck.  After 6:00 p.m. you'd be hard pressed to find a fresh tart or cookie for sale or a patisserie or boulangerie open for business . Next time you are abroad, check the menu at any restaurant and tell me if you see cake or pie for dessert in the evening.   Dessert is usually chocolate or cooked fruit of some sort. Chocolate tarts are almost flourless and souffles are not as fattening as a big slice of cake or pie.  Cheese of course, helps the digestion.  In England, scones, sandwiches and cookies are for tea and that happens before 6 o'clock.  Get the picture?

Rice and beans are usually served at lunch in Spain and Latin American, except for Christmas or New Year's Eve.  Fried foods are eaten occasionally and usually for lunch. People don't snack in the middle of the day in any of these countries...they have planned meals, including tea.  They drink wine mostly, and little hard liquor.  Soda's are to be enjoyed occasionally, if at all.  Water is what you drink when you are thirsty.  And portions, yes, PORTIONS are half or more of what they are here in the States.  They eat nothing frozen  just what is in season.  But they eat well, and you hardly ever hear anyone going en regime. 

So throughout the years I have devised a plan for myself that seems to work when I want it to work.

When I want to lose weight, or at least stop that scale, here's what I  (try to) do.

1. Fruit and coffee in the morning and lots of water until noon.
2. No heavy carb meals (risottos beans,  pasta ) after 6 p. m.
3. No hard liquor, red wine on occasion
4. At least 8 glasses of water a day.  Keep a bottle of room temperature water by your side and sip away as you work or watch tv.  I even take it in the car with me.
5. No desserts, bread, potatoes or pasta at least for a week.  Afterwards, occasionally and preferably for lunch.  Bye bye cookies!
6. Have more Asian type meals for dinner
7. Eat Beef only 3 times a week
8. Eat a big salad at least once a day
9. Accentuate the vinegar in salad dressings
10. Drink Cuban coffee or espresso after lunch to raise metabolism in the afternoon
11. Watch those fat grams and try to keep to less than 30/day.  Reduce butter! cook with olive oil
12. Substitute whole grain  for regular pastas and  especially bread
13. Read ingredients and watch out for preservatives
14. Reduce portions.  Eat half of what you normally eat or use a dessert instead of a dinner plate
15. Take a walk at least once a day!
16. Have dinner before 8:00 p.m
17. Plan your meals ahead so you are not tempted later!
18. NO diet drinks! This was the only advice my oncologist gave me after chemo (which believe it or not makes you gain weight!) to lose the 15 lbs. I gained (I didn't) Your body cannot differentiate between real and fake sugar and when you consume diet drinks it wants more because it is not getting the real thing.
19. No snacks.  Eat your 3 meals plus afternoon tea if you must.
20. Think THIN! 

If you check the main courses in the Master Recipe List, I guarantee you can eat 90% of them, as long as you eat in moderation and have a light lunch and breakfast that day.

Now, I am not a doctor or a dietitian, just a lifelong sufferer of weight gain when I let myself go for a few months.  These are the things that have served me well.  I no longer go on diets or even tell myself I am on one.  I just pay attention to what I put in my mouth and somehow, after a week or two the extra pounds begin to come off and my mind readjusts itself to the new regime. 

I'd love to hear what works for you!

Artist: Fernando Botero

A Healthy Dinner...Baked Halibut With Tomato Caper Sauce

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I am horrified at the amount of dessert recipes I've been posting lately...aren't you?  Why didn't somebody tell me?!  By this time of the year I am usually in bathing suit mode and all pies, cakes and bread disappear from my radar.  With this strange weather- one day cold, one day hot, three days raining-  my system is a little confused;  but before I know it, it will be time to don that (ugh) bathing suit and all hell to pay.  I love to swim and nothing is keeping me out of the water, even if it is fresh water whose bottom I can't see!

Cutting back  and eating healthy is not that bad if you really put your mind to it (yeah, right).  All it takes is a little adjusting... no more drinks during the week,  lighter meals at night, more salads for lunch and absolutely NO desserts.  Oh, but life would be so dull...  don't worry I can always resort to old recipes and post a dessert here and there...but not three in a row!

Luckily halibut season is upon us. It starts in March and ends sometime in late Fall.  Fish is the best thing to have for dinner when you want to cut back, even better than chicken.   Unfortunately, where I live now, I have to resort to buying fish at Costco and Trader Joe's as there isn't a  fish market for miles.  If you can't get fresh fish, flash frozen is the way to go.    Its ironic that I live within spitting distance of a lake and can't get fresh fish, even occasionally.  But these lake fish are smart.  Did you hear someone caught a bass yesterday on our dock but it got away?   Jumped right out of the bucket back into the lake..never heard that one before.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be dull or complicated as you will see from the recipe below


Yield: Serves 6

For the tomato caper sauce:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

4 plump garlic cloves, minced or mashed in a mortar and pestle

1/4 cup capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped or mashed with the garlic in a mortar and pestle

2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

Salt, preferably kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, three to five minutes, and add the garlic and the capers. Cook, stirring, for three to five minutes, until the onion has softened thoroughly and the mixture is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

For the baked halibut:

1 recipe tomato-caper sauce, above

6 6-ounce halibut fillets

Salt, preferably kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

6 lemon slices

Directions

1. Make the sauce as directed and keep warm.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough for the fish to lie flat. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and arrange in the baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the fillets, and place a round of lemon on each one. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Check the fish; if you can cut into it with a fork, it is done. If it doesn’t yield, (halibut fillets tend to be thick can take time to cook), cover and return to the oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven, and check again. Remove the lemon slices from the fish.

3. Place a spoonful of sauce on each plate, and place a piece of fish partially on top. Spoon some of the liquid from the baking dish over the fish. If you wish, top the fish with another spoonful of sauce, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Advance preparation: The sauce will keep for about five days in the refrigerator.

By M. Shulman for NYT
Published: May 12, 2009