Super Foods

Last year I read this book called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall at the insistence of a good friend.

Don't be discouraged by the title. This book is not only for runners, and it's a great read for anyone into athletics or great story telling (or both).

McDougall's main focus throughout the novel is a tribe in Mexico called the Tarahumara- a group of "superathletes" who derive their unmatchable speed and endurance from seeds.

No, I'm not kidding.

For thousands of years, the Tarahumara have depended on a seed called Chia, a teensy tiny little thing PACKED with Omega-3's, fiber, protein, antioxidants, AND calcium. Basically these things make it possible for the Tarahumara to run sprint 100 miles (again, not kidding)... and enjoy it.

So I really shouldn't have been surprised when I was walking through Whole Foods and saw half an aisle dedicated to Chia. Chia seeds, chia drinks, chia powders, chia snacks, chia bars, chia shot packets.... the list goes on and on.

My mom and I, being runners and having read Born to Run, were pumped. We weren't saying it, but in my head (and I'm sure she was thinking it too) I was like "SWEET! Imma be a super animal beast runner, trick!!" So we bought a couple of things to try out the chia trend.

One being a drink called "Chia Mamma" (Cherry Lime flavor)

Ok, Imma say it. It was NASTY. Its slimy and tastes artificial, and I don't care if it gives me running super powers, I am NOT drinking that stuff again. However, if the idea of melted Jello is appealing to you, grab a bottle. But consider yourself warned!

Its funny how America is so bipolar in its eating habits. We're gorging ourselves on fast food, yet all these so-called "super foods" are showing up everywhere and being obsessed about.

The thing is, we can't eat like crap 90% of the time and eat super foods occasionally and expect to benefit from them. If you give your body crap, you'd better expect it to be crappy right back to you.

So here's my philosophy on food-

If a food has an ingredient that you cant pronounce- don't eat it.
If you don't know what an ingredient looks like- don't eat it.
If it's shelf life is suspiciously long- don't eat it.
If it's unnaturally technicolored- don't eat it.

Eat things that make your body FEEL good! If you eat something and feel sick or tired or nasty afterwords, listen to your body! Whatever you just put in it is no bueno.

Eat natural, eat fresh, eat simple, eat local- THAT is eating healthy, THAT is eating well, and I guarantee that natural, fresh, simple, local foods taste REALLY good!

Happy eating! And treat your body well :) Its the only one you've got!!
Martha

Summer Noms

Happy summer everyone!!

I've always loved summer (only a crazy person wouldn't)- the sun, the laziness, the traveling, the weather, the messing around, and, especially, the noms.

(noms= food)

This summer is really cool for me because I'm just chilling HARD instead of traveling all over the place like I normally do in the summer.

Except not really. I work five days a week for 7 hours a day in the oppressive Texas sun... and I LOVE it. Sure its exhausting, but I'm coaching sailing with some really cool people, and I'm basically getting paid (minimum wage... lawl) to mess around with my friends and some boats.

But I digress. People I write to you with heart-stopping, awe-inspiring, earth-shifting news.

....

I ATE SHRIMP, TRICK! AND TUNA, DOG!

Try not to die from shock.

It happened on the fourth of July. My incredible chef Uncle made us a primarily sous-vide feast of asparagus with prosciutto, French potato salad (in a vinaigrette, absolutely no mayo), ratatouille (courtesy of my Momma), shrimp cocktail and grilled tuna steaks.

The latter two things on the list made me go like this.... o.O

Except I was like, "Screw this. It's the 4th of July. There are no excuses on AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY, DANGIT!!"

So I ate some shrimp. And after my first bite, I was like "Aight, this is pretty good!" So I had some more.

And then I was like "Yea Shrimp I showed you whats up, Tuna you're going down!" And so I tried some and I was like "Where have you been all my life?!"

It was borderline magical. I would have eaten a lot more than I did, but it was such a new taste to me that I had to take it slow... that and I had already gorged myself on sides :3

But in all seriousness I'm not afraid anymore. Someone can put a shrimp in front of me now without sending me into disgust-induced scaredy cat lock down.

Eleanor, don't try anything!

Tuna salad, on the other hand, is going to be a different story.


Please comment and let me know about your summer eating adventures!!

Coming soon- a post on a famous Kemah dive with a whoooooleeee lot of quirkiness.

Martha

Kubo's

Sushi has always scared me. Raw fish? Seaweed? I was always like, "Count me out, y'all, I'ma pass on that nastiness."

So when my friends suggested sushi the other night for dinner, I wasn't pumped. At all. Because I KNEW they would pull the "for the blog!!" line and then I would be forced to choke down raw fish nuggets. Lord, I'm dramatic.

Anyway, we went to this joint called Kubo's in the middle of Rice Village because its "Cheap, fresh, and always good."

Much to my surprise, this turned out to be true. Kubo's was good, y'all! And while I chickened out a little bit and got the vegetable rolls, I wasn't afraid to try what everyone else ordered.

Biggest deal of all? I tried a crunchy eel roll. O.o

It was scary, but I did it! It had two different kinds of caviar on it, and it made me gag a wee teensy bit (not gonna lie) because it was big, but besides that it was goooood.

Please enjoy this photo evidence of me preparing to eat the eel roll (and pleassseeee ignore my atrocious chopstick skills and the fact that my left hand is apparently unable to operate in stressful situations)

In other news, I'm going to try and incorporate some other stuff into this blog besides food... so enjoy this cover of Pursuit of Happiness by Lissie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMJCOT2wlQ

Cookies.

I am a cookie girl. Chewy, crunchy, chocolatey, nutty, peanut butter-y, crispy... you name it, I love it. Unfortunately, I was never much of a baker (my first chocolate chip cookie baking adventure produced burnt masses of dough with more eggshell than chocolate in them... sorry 6th grade English class!), so keeping my addiction alive and well was wasn't as convenient as it could have been.

Until I made these:

Hellooooo my pretties! These cookies are straight up the prettiest things I've ever made, and aren't a total pain in the butt to make. If you're like me, then you are the least efficient baker ever, so they take a while to make, but no fancy skills are needed.

They are, however, particular. If the butter is too warm, they flatten like pancakes and get all greasy. If you bake them too long, they get super flat and chewy. AND DON'T FORGET THE PARCHMENT PAPER ON THE COOKIE SHEET!! If you do then you'll end up with one giant sheet of dough (no bueno).

They're a big hit with everyone- chewy, spicy, and flavorful. They go great with vanilla ice cream... but just a warning: its really hard to eat only one!

Here's the recipe:
Makes 2 dozen, 5 mins prep time (HA!!), TOTAL: 35 minutes + cooling time

1/3 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light... I use light)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup light or dark molasses (NOT blackstrap!)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp ginger (same thing as ground ginger root)
1/2 tsp ground cloves (use a coffee grinder, or buy ground at the grocery store)
1/4 tsp allspice
be liberal with the spices!!
1/4 tsp ground pepper (grind very fine so no one gets a peppercorn!!)
1/4 tsp salt

Adjust oven wrack to middle position and heat to 375.

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, pepper and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined, about 30 secs. Beat in molasses until combined, scraping down the bowl and the beaters as needed.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. The dough will be soft and pliable.

4. Using damp hands, roll 2 tablespoons of dough (I do a little less than this, about a tablespoon) into a ball and roll in granulated sugar to coat, then place on parchment lined baking sheets... leave about 2 inches between balls.

Bake ONE SHEET AT A TIME for 10-12 minutes, and rotate baking sheet half way through.

The cookies will be ready when they have cracks on the top. They will look underdone, but they continue to cook after coming out of the oven... just make sure the edges are set.

Enjoy and let me know how the come out!!

Happy baking,
Martha

Cafe Express

click the title to link to cafe express's website!

Who remembers the Zach Attack? It was pretty much my staple meal as a kid- shell pasta with marinara sauce and a side of fruit. Simple, simple, simple. No frills, just carbs (which pretty much describes how I ate ALL the time before I started to branch out).

If you remember the Zach Attack, then I applaud you. You, dear reader, are obviously as loyal to Cafe Yum Express as I am.

However, if you do remember the Zach Attack, you also remember Cafe Express in its early years. Whoever owned the chain sold the restaurant, and the new guys promptly screwed it up. The menu was boring, the service was sub-par, and the overall experience of eating there pretty much sucked.

So then the first owner got his head on straight and bought it back from those evil, evil people who ran it into the ground, and now its a better, more exciting version of its first self. Makeover!!

Cafe Express has something for everyone. Sandwiches, soups, salads, fancy-pants entrees, sides, and a SUPER simple kids meal (which is totally perfect). Its a true American menu, but with sophistication, prominent Mediterranean influence, and a side of awesome.

That being said, Cafe Express isn't perfect. The portions are on the large side, and sometimes the meals come out too quickly to be made 100% to order.

However, that doesn't keep me from eating there pretty much once a week. You can't keep me from those sweet potato fries (swoon) for too long until I start to get grumpy. Its so close to my house that its become my go-to, and I haven't been disappointed in the quality since I've become a regular.

My favorites are the Chicken Rustica sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries (lunch) and the Pasta Amore (dinner).

The sandwich is, no lie, one of the best ever to grace my taste buds. The acidity of the tapenade, pesto, and vinaigrette work perfectly with the carbs of the grilled chicken and ciabatta bread. And the red onions and spring mix salad top it off with a really fresh taste. Deeeeeeelish!

Pasta Amore is just that- LOVE. Olive oil+tapenade+artichoke heart= ZOMGYUM (OMG, YUM! I feel the need to explain some of my terms every so often)!!!

So the next time you're looking for a quick meal that's more on the healthy side, find your nearest Cafe Express (there's a good number of them all across Houston)... Maybe I'll see you there!!

HAPPY EATING!

PS- I'd love to hear about what you order, because my usuals are great, but I'm always looking for something new!

PPS- Tell me what I can do better! Leave a comment with suggestions on content, PLEASE... I'd appreciate any and all constructive criticism!