Swedish Breakfast on America's Independence Day

Happy 4th of July! I've had this past week off so I have been busy with meetings, doctors appointments, and experimenting in the kitchen. Yesterday, JC and I tried our hand at fermentation. For my birthday, JC got me The Art of Fermentation and Jennifer got me Wild Fermentiaton both by Sandor Ellix Katz. I've been wanting to try fermenting for a while and I finally found some inexpensive bail-top glass jars at TJ Maxx yesterday. We decided to start with some dill cucumber pickles and sauerkraut. We've filled the jars, locked the lids, and now it's time to wait. In just a couple weeks we'll have delicious (and nutritious) fermented treats.

This morning I wanted to try making some swedish oat pancakes. I was inspired by the pancakes at La Bellavia restaurant in Flagstaff. They are these giant, dense, oaty pancakes topped with cinnamon apples. I decided to try to make them a little smaller, more buttery/savory, and lighter. I found a recipe on Bon Appetit and these turned out absolutely amazing! JC thinks they are even better than the ones in Flagstaff. These have a rich buttery flavor, just slightly sweet, and not too heavy or dense. These taste wonderful just as is but would be just delightful with a dollop of jam or preserves. They are so easy to make with very simple ingredients.

To top off my Swedish breakfast, I made some crispy bread topped with smoked herring. I would have like to used smoked trout, but this was all we had at home. JC and I have been eating lots of canned fish recently--anchovies, sardines, herring, trout. I topped some toasted bread with cream cheese, sliced cucumbers, and a few pieces of fish. What a delicious fresh snack.

These swedish oat pancakes and smoked fish on bread are the perfect brunch item. Enjoy!

Swedish Oat Pancakes
from Bon Appetit

• 2 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Preserves or fresh berries (optional)

1. Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. 
2. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add to dry ingredients; whisk until blended but some small lumps still remain. 
3. Let batter stand to thicken, about 2 hours in the refrigerator. (Can be prepared up to one day ahead. Cover batter and refrigerate.)
4. Cook pancakes on greased skillet (I used the griddle side of my Griddler). Ladle batter by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top. Turn pancakes over and cook until bottoms are golden brown.
5. Optional: serve with preserves or fresh berries 

Omega-3 Cakes

I love sardines. Yes, I do. They are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids and are fairly inexpensive. I also recently learned that sardines and herring are the same fish, they only difference is the size--sardines are small and herring are large. Fascinating!

I was trying to come up with a quick and easy dinner for tonight and was reminded of a recipe from a wonderful friend. She made this dish while we were at HEART and it was one of my favorite meals. I was one of her helpers in the kitchen and I saw how simple yet delicious these fish cakes are. They are so versatile; you can mix whatever spices you like in them or top them with sauce or dip. I decided to eat them with some endive which provided a nice crunch and some color.

I used my mini cookie scooper to portion out perfectly sized discs and cooked them in some coconut oil in my new baby cast iron skillet. This provided the perfect crispness on the outside of the fish cakes and they cooked up very quickly.

Enjoy this simple and extremely nutritious dish!

Havely's Fish Cakes

• 1 can of fish (sardines, salmon, tuna)
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ~1-2 Tbsp flour (wheat, rice, or buckwheat)
• Spices (I used some fresh garlic, turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper)
• 2 Tbsp frying oil (coconut, lard, butter)

1. Mix all ingredients (except the frying oil), breaking up the fish with a fork.
2. Cook in oiled pan over medium heat for a few minutes on each side

Inspiration: The Hazel Room

I just got back from a three week stint in the pacific northwest. I spent the first week in Seattle at the Nutrition and Health Conference, then two more weeks rotating at Swedish Family Cherry Hill and the Seattle Indian Health Board. The weekend in between I spent in Portland with a dear old friend. I had a great time, I love the city of Seattle and everyone in the residency was amazing, but it is really nice to be home.

I basically went on a culinary tour of both cities. My clinics were so conveniently located that I could walk/bus to so many wonderful restaurants. I've listed some of my favorite places I visited below:

Seattle:
Macrina Bakery
Serious Pie
Cascina Spinasse
Sitka and Spruce
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Ba Bar
Salumi
Canlis
Paseo
Maneki
Saigon Deli

Portland:
Pok Pok
The Hazel Room
Broder
Olympic Provisions
Tasty n Sons
Boxer Sushi

Wow, looking at that list, I realized how much I ate. All of those places are absolutely wonderful and I highly recommend all of them. One of the dishes I really enjoyed and was simple enough I thought I could create was at The Hazel Room. The restaurant is a cute little place with boozy tea drinks, baked goods, and a fantastic brunch menu. I had a skillet dish with two sunny side up eggs, fennel, onions, bacon, baguette, arugula, fleur de sel, and gruyere. It was so simple, yet so yummy. I was determined to make it at home.

I stopped by the restaurant supply store today and picked up a cute mini cast iron skillet, perfect for making over easy eggs. I omitted the bacon in my dish, just because I didn't have any, and it tasted just as delicious. The only thing my version is missing is the scrumptious homemade buttermilk biscuit on the side. This dish is so simple and perfect for brunch or dinner. It's very filling and definitely a recipe I will keep on file.

Egg Skillet with Fennel and Arugula
inspired by The Hazel Room

• Oil to grease skillet
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• One bulb fennel, sliced
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• large handful of arugula
• grated cheese (gruyere, parmeasan...)
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• a few slices of toasted baguette

1. Heat skillet on medium-high. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the two eggs and flip when ready to make two perfect over easy eggs. 
2. Add the butter to a separate pan. Heat until the butter stops foaming then add the sliced fennel and onions. Mix in the brown sugar. Continue to toss until the onion and fennel are soft. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the fennel/onion mixture on top of the eggs in the skillet. Top with the rinsed arugula and grated cheese. Sprinkle some extra salt and cracked pepper on top and serve with the crusty baguette. 

Changes

Hello world. Sorry I have been MIA, there have been lots of things going on here recently and I'm not sure the best way to sum it all up.

To begin with, I just returned from a month long rotation called HEART. It's an acronym that stands for something very long that I, nor any of the other students could ever remember. I had the great opportunity to live in northern California, surrounded by towering redwoods that proved to be an incredibly healing, peaceful, and special place. I lived with 23 other truly amazing and inspiring medical students (including one yoga instructor!) from all over the country. We came from very different locations and the majority of us had never met before, but by the end of the rotation I knew I had made a group of lifelong friends. We lived together, we laughed together, we cried together, we journeyed together, we hugged together (we had pretty epic spiral hugs), we explored together, and I feel we all changed together. I can't really put into words what the rotation entails, but it really was something special and something I will never forget.

Mini-plug for HEART. If you're a medical student who wants to remind yourself why you wanted to become a physician and rejuvenate yourself before you start residency, apply for HEART. You won't regret it, I promise. Learn more HERE.

One topic I brought back from HEART was gratitude. I really learned how important it is to be grateful everyday and take time out to reflect on what you are thankful for. We created little mailbox baggies for ourselves and others would leave gratitude notes in them periodically. I loved reading them and appreciated all the kind words other had to say about me. I wanted to try and create something in my home to remind me to be grateful everyday. Enter Gratitude Board. We had a cork board hung up on the wall near the front door. Over the years, it had accumulated a good collection of miscellaneous items like coupons, arizona basketball ticket stubs, business cards, doctor's appointment reminders, eyeglasses prescriptions, free Desert Museum and Biosphere 2 passes, etc. It was basically a junk hoard I would have to look at every time I left the house. I thought it would make a perfect gratitude board and something I can look at every time I leave or come home. Down came the odds n' ends and up went my daily gratitudes. It looks a little sad and empty now, but I promise it will grow. The first gratitude note I added (not really a gratitude, more of a reminder to myself) simply says "Patient: Thank you for your wonderful bedside manner. It's nice to have someone actually listen to me. You're going to be a great doctor."

my new gratitude board

One of the highlights of HEART was that we created a strong community which included cooking for each other. Of course I was excited about this! Being around other foodies and health conscious eaters was such a great experience. I picked up so many new recipes and helpful tips in the kitchen. I learned to be much more mindful while eating and appreciate my food. I learned hara hachi bu from Wendy--eat until you're 80% full. I was reminded of the importance of where your food comes from and buying quality food. My body and gut are the happiest they have been in a long time. A month of eating an organic, high quality, mostly vegetarian diet can really do wonders on your body.

I've tried to bring that mentality back home with me, though it can be difficult as a medical student. I've recently been on a nutritional yeast kick. I've been sprinkling it on almost everything. Tonight, I made a bowl of popcorn using coconut oil, drizzled it with olive oil and then sprinkled some nutritional yeast and sea salt on top. Perfect late night snack. Even JC was hooked.

popcorn sprinkled with nutritional yeast

Another healthy change JC and I have picked up is sprouting. I got into sprouts a few years ago after visiting the farmer's market and tasting all of the wonderful sprouts for sale. Who knew there was so much more than just alfalfa sprouts out there? JC recently bought an Easy Sprout Sprouter which makes sprouting so simple. So far we have done simple alfalfa sprouts, JC is working on some red lentils, and I'm doing some wheat berries. I'm still debating if I want to continue my wheat berries for munching or to use them to make rejuvelac. My favorite resource for all your sprouting needs is Sprout People, they not only sell any type of sprouting supply you would need, but they also have great videos and instructions about how to sprout just about anything. Happy sprouting!

wheat berries day one

Lastly, my final healthy comment (and the recipe for today) is about tofu. It is such a versatile food that can be prepared so many different ways. JC left a carton of extra firm non-GMO tofu in the fridge before he left for Flagstaff. I decided to try and fry it up to eat with a seaweed salad. I've had problems in the past with frying tofu. I've never been able to create a crispy outer coating with that perfect browning on the outside. I was inspired by one of my fellow HEARTies who whipped up a batch of fried tofu while I was there and it was delicious. I googled how to fry tofu and found a pretty foolproof method of frying tofu. It turned out great with a crispy coating and it was so simple. I'm not going to list out the full recipe here, but you can head over to herbivoracious where they have a great step-by-step on how to make fried tofu (actually how to make tofu really freaking delicious).

really freaking delicious fried tofu

Like I said, lots of changes recently, both good and bad. Sometimes it can be difficult to stay optimistic and find the good in things; but it is always there, you might just have to search a little harder. I'm grateful for so many things in my life and so lucky to be me. Thank you to anyone and everyone who has ever helped me in the past, I wouldn't be the person I am today without you. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you. Enjoy today!

Nearly Vegan

I have been sort of MIA recently. Last month I did the Integrative Medicine Elective Rotation through my home school, the University of Arizona. It was an incredibly inspiring experience and I met some amazing people. It would be difficult to sum up what I learned and how it changed me in a blog post, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Currently, I am doing my family medicine sub-i, so that leaves me very little time to do things outside of work. To makes things even more difficult, JC has been off doing his rural thing in Tuba City so it's been just Kuma and I to fend for ourselves at home. This means I make a big batch of a recipe and eat the same thing for the next couple of days.

During the IMER, I was introduced to nutritional yeast. I had never tried this peculiar substance before. It's a yellow powdery/flakey ingredient that has a savory/cheesy flavor. Apparently it is great for vegans or vegetarians because it is a source of protein and often fortified with vitamin B12. I picked some up in bulk from one of the local grocery stores and I wasn't completely sure what to do with it. So I dove into the vast array of vegan blogs in search of a recipe. I should note here, in no way, shape, or form am I a vegan/vegetarian. Generally, I don't eat meat on a regular basis only because vegetables are so much easier to cook. I have nothing against those who don't eat meat, as long as you still have a well-balanced, nutrient rich diet.

Caution: nutritional yeast is not the same as regular baking yeast! If you use baking yeast in this recipe, it is going to be incredibly disgusting. You've been warned.

I noticed vegan mac and cheese came up multiple times on my nutritional yeast search, so I picked a recipe that sounded easy and delicious. This recipe is really simple and doesn't call for any odd-ball ingredients--other than the nutritional yeast. Surprisingly, the dish comes out tasting pretty similar to cheese...similar is the key word, it's not not exactly like cheese. It's never going to replace a good old blue box of Kraft mac n cheese, but this is definitely way healthier. It's packed with B vitamins and the anti-inflammatory super spice turmeric. This would be great with some veggies mixed in like broccoli, and the turmeric gives it an amazingly vibrant yellow hue.

Confession: This is nearly vegan mac n cheese. You need a bit of some sort of butter substitute. The recipe recommends buttery spread (aka earth balance), but I'm not particularly fond of these spread used for anything other than spread on toast. If you need a true vegan dish, you can sub the buttery spread, but I'm a butter girl.

Vegan Mac & Cheese
from Love and Lemons

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. vegan butter or regular butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• squeeze of lemon
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 8-12 oz pasta
• 1-2 c. pasta water
• salt and pepper

Heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions, a few pinches of salt, and simmer until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add flour and whisk to thicken. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes on medium-low. 

Add a good squeeze of lemon and stir to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add coconut milk, nutritional yeast, mustard, tomato paste, turmeric, paprika, and a few more pinches of salt. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. 

Vitamix the sauce together to make the sauce really creamy

Taste and adjust seasonings. In a large bowl stir together cooked pasta, some of the sauce, and optional veggies. Stir in pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.