October 12, 2010: A Healthier Caesar Dressing

The weekend before last I made a meal for Teja, Barb, Nicole, and Katie that included a salad made from my healthier Caesar Dressing. I get a little queasy when I see recipes calling for raw egg. I always think there is a better way. Here’s a good example: a normal Caesar Dressing calls for at least one raw egg. I have substituted silken tofu instead. Same taste, consistency etc., but it is healthier, keeps longer, and I don’t have worry about salmonella poisoning!

Steve’s Healthier Caesar Dressing

• 2-3 garlic cloves (or what I use is 1 large 2″x1″ Elephant Garlic chopped small)
• 1/2 c. oil (more as needed, to get a smooth dressing)
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice (or juice from 1 small lemon; filtered)
• 1 Block Silken Tofu (water removed: place between plates; add pressure)
• 1 tsp. Dry Mustard (or Dijon Mustard…better, really)
• 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese (more to taste)
• Anchovy Paste or chopped anchovies (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Tofu from the market always has too much water. I place the block between plates and top with a pot filled with enough water to press the water out of the tofu. I ALWAYS do this in the sink (I’ve learned the hard way that tofu does not make a solid support!) I prefer fresh squeezed lemon, but I have used the bottled kind for this recipe. I usually pick up cheap lemons on the reduced rack at the produce area. These are usually not as pretty, but are at the peak of ripeness. I like Elephant Garlic as a rule (instead of regular garlic) as it adds a texture to most dishes. You have to section it before you process all the ingredients in a food processor as a big piece of garlic will jam the processor.

This is one of those recipes where it is almost impossible to screw up and takes several minutes (at the most) to make. The anchovies are optional (and more traditional) but I have not tried this yet, as I know it will not keep as long. This dressing is good on lots of salads. It’s good as a dip for fresh veggies. Safe, tasty, fast, easy, fun, and kinda loosey-goosey!

October 11, 2010: A Hunter-Gatherer Diet

 

Image courtesy of Method Fitness Blog

 

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of making dinner for my friend Dan and his charming tenants, Craig and Emily. Dan has just started a diet called the “Paleolithic Diet” which has its own inherent restrictions. I was up for the challenge and the menu Dan and I came up with was:

• Beet Soup (I had whole grain croutons and sour cream for everyone but Dan)
• Salmon and Scallop Duo (Dan provided the “wild” fish)
• Sautéed Portobello Mushrooms with butter, garlic and lemon juice
• Lemon-Leek Risotto (Dan didn’t have this either)
• Asparagus in butter and lemon

The Paleo Diet attempts to reproduce what our Paleolithic (2 million-10, 000 years ago) ancestors ate, with the idea that the modern human genetic profile remains 99.9% the same from the Paleolithic period, yet after agriculture we introduced (variety to be sure) but also harmful things to our diet. The Paleo Diet has no grains, no dairy, no sugar, no legumes, no fermented beverages and no preservatives. The emphasis of the diet is “wild” protein like game, grass-fed beef, free range poultry, wild-caught fish, and vegetables.

Dan (in addition to being a great guy and a good friend) is about as far from a cave man as possible! He is a Harvard grad, a computer whiz, and just about the smartest man I know, so when he say a diet like this “just makes sense” to him, I’m inclined to listen up. Dan has effectively eliminated processed foods, “bad” carbs, sweets, meat with hormones and toxins, alcohol…essentially ALL the things that plague a modern diet, that cause heart disease, many cancers, food intolerances, diabetes, and tooth decay! In one fell swoop, Dan has eliminated ALL junk food from his diet!

Dan cautions me that he has only been on the diet for a little while, and when I asked him if he had any cravings his answer was “Not so far” but admits that many of things he has eliminated from his diet he could live without. Personally, I think diets tend to work because you are paying more attention to what you eat and moderating it, something that is wise, anyway. The danger of a diet is that when you eliminate something in your diet and you miss it, as soon as you go off the diet, you gorge on those things, negating the purpose of the diet. A diet should be something that is achievable, if it’s going to succeed. You make the diet a life-time experience, something that will last.

I think Dan has made a wise choice in his diet. I feel impelled to point on that our hunter-gatherers ancestors burned tons of calories in their quest to survive, so as a dog owner (Dan now owns three dogs, and he is such a kind master that he puts a new emphasis on the phrase “lucky dog”) I recommend that Dan take his beasts out for frequent walks. You’ll benefit, and they’ll love it, keeping you (and them) happy, hearty, and healthy for some time to come!