UB Cookin'

[Sandy]

Thank you, Rod!

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Sheet! Pancake?

Like brownie bread with flatbread appeal.
Try with raw walnuts and/or toppings.
Complements YMCA Spread.

Ingredients:

1 cup buckwheat flour
3 tbsp 100% cacao powder
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup half & half
3 tbsp egg whites
3 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper;
pre-heat oven to 400F degrees.

Whisk ingredients in the order listed,
then pour onto baking sheet.

Reduce oven to 375F and bake 30 min.
Cut into preferred slices.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Pumpkin Muffin Pizza

It's all about the convenience!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup half & half
1 1/3 cups light oat bran
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
3 tbsp egg whites
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Place parchment paper on baking sheet;
pre-heat oven to 400F degrees.

Combine ingredients as listed,
lest rest 5 min., then stir well
and pour onto baking sheet,
creating circle about 1/2" thick.

Reduce oven to 375F, bake 35 min.

Serve like a pizza (for breakfast) ...
or flatbread, or pancake, or cookie.
Try dusted with powdered sugar
and/or chopped raw walnuts!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Carrotamush (development pathway to Carrotamunch)

"Mush" is what you get if you process the carrots too much,
but the beneficial fiber remains if the carrots are not cooked.

Depending on processing, chewing can be minimized to that
needed for applesauce, but food always needs to be mixed
with saliva enzymes to begin the better digestion
(why Smoothies may not be so healthy)

Ingredients/Directions:

Food process 2 cups small baby carrots with 1 cup natural applesauce.
Add 1/2 tsp Vitamin C crystals to upscale the nutrition (optional).
Tip: Food processors prefer cut raw carrots.

Suggested: 1/3 cup daily with cinnamon sprinkle,
followed by a mug of green tea (try Open Nature's
"Green Tea Energy", found at a local store).

Requires more chew but not yet a Carrotamunch:
Add 1/4 cup finely shredded coconut to increase fiber.

Requires even more chew when including
raw almonds that have been soaked in water
overnight then drained and refrigerated.

Suddenly this hints that a holiday side dish can be created
by adding chopped fruit, like cherries, pineapple, whatever
... then this can be served as Carrotamunch.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.studyfinds.org/coffee-can-s ... ntia-risk/

"Drinking six or more cups a day was linked with a 53 percent increased risk of dementia and make stroke more likely, too.
Brain imaging reveals that drinking a lot of coffee was also associated with brain shrinkage"

Well, financial shrinkage is obvious ... at today's prices for a cuppa! And speaking of obvious ...
the good/bad egg debate has FINALLY segued to coffee ... apparently.

Rod (just a two-cupper ...
but averaging three every third day)

[Sandy]

Oh Wow! I must change my evil coffee ways!
Hope it's not too late for me.
Thanks Rod!

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.healthygem.com/diet/high-bl ... ese-foods/
"If You Have High Blood Pressure, Avoid These Foods"

Peanut butter, jelly, and many foods are not No-Nos
... according to serving size recommendations. In fact,
Serving Size Diet is the simplest yet! (read label).

Butt "serving size" in restaurants is an oxymoron.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://calories-info.com/compare/prunes-raisins/

Today's nutrition humor: "Zink"
1. (at first, I perceived only something strange about this word, then noticed 'k')
2. A second looc tells me that their nutrition is not that dissimilar.
3. A third looc suggests that prune's antioxidants tip the scale:
https://www.pharmaceuticalonline.com/do ... t-may-0001

"Vitaminium" is also entertaining!

Been there! Done that! ...
A snack pail including equal portions of 85% cacao chocolate, raw walnuts,
and prunes is the nutritionist's cat box meow.

For easier finger food plus beneficial fiber (the reason for this culinary season),
cut moist prunes into small bites, dust with guar gum powder, then cinnamon.

Rod

[Amigoo]

New method to grow avocado seeds (proposal)

Remove uncut seed from avocado, sponge in water to remove flesh,
allow to dry several days, wrap twice with tape*, apply rubber band,
stand in water sufficient to cover 2/3 of seed ...
then wait forever (3-4 weeks to sprout)

Remove mesh and plant in soil when root is well developed.

* like this fiberglass wall repair tape, 2" x preferred length:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/FiFlexMesh- ... /306531336

See also: https://empressofdirt.net/grow-avocado-seed-easy/

Rod

[Amigoo]

Suddenly Eggplant!

Easy preparation, permitting consumption of skin
(super source of antioxidants and flavor).

Wash then vertically slice medium eggplant,
creating 3/4" thick slices with skin. Place in
3/4" simmering water, skin side down, then
cover pan. Steam until tender (about 7 min.)

Then cut into bite size pieces with skin side up.
Turn pieces over, sprinkle on garlic granules, salt,
pepper, then drizzle on olive oil. To upscale, serve
with steamed baby bellas and sharp cheese.

Rod

[Amigoo]

More about eggplant"...

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279359
"Eggplant health benefits and tasty tips

Rod

[Sandy]

Thanks, that's amazing, Rod...and to think George used to think eggplants had nothing in them.
Bring on the eggplants!

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Sandy,

George was somewhat correct when the skin is discarded,
albeit fiber inside is beneficial (mushy when cooked).

Re: https://htmlcolorcodes.com/colors/eggplant/
"low saturation purplish-red with the hex code #483248"

Since 4+8+3+2+4+8 = 29 and 2+9 = 11,
eggplant could be be the offical 1111Angels' berry
(not vegetable). George will be berry amused.

Consume with chilled Zinfandel, Merlot, or Malbec,
should your eggplant dinner guests whine 'n dine:
Re: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant
"In 13th-century Italian traditional folklore,
the eggplant can cause insanity."

Rod

[Sandy]

Rod, I can hear G saying now, "See I told you so!"...as I never used the skin. ( I loved eggplant parmesan but to be honest I didn't make it often. Those lovely breaded eggplant slices soaked up soooo much oil in the frying pan. )

I like the idea of the eggplant being the 1111 food mascot.

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Taste Synergy for Skinny Dippin'
(for raw veggies, chips, whatever)

Combine two 7oz containers 2% Greek Yogurt
with 1/2 cup Stoneground Horseradish Mustard,
1/4 cup dried chives. Refrigerate overnight.

Tips: Serve, generously sprinkled with paprika.
Thin-sliced baby carrots remain dippin' perky:
rinse in slightly salted water every other day;
keep refrigerated until used.

Try with chilled, pre-cooked Brussels sprouts.
(cook al dente; cut larger sprouts into bite-size)

Rod

[Amigoo]

Another Greek yogurt option ...

Re: https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/gr ... arlic-mint
"Greek Yogurt Sauce with Garlic and Mint"

"We really prefer this dip with a fatty fish like salmon or arctic char,
but it's equally good with lean chicken or pork."

It might be good with canned mackerel
... when you're really economizing! Seriously,
mackerel has great nutrition (they say).

Rod

[Amigoo]

Unexplainable but consistent ...

To preserve half of unpeeled avocado for later consumption,
score vertically around seed, twist halves in opposite direction,
lightly sprinkle sugar over half with seed, then refrigerate it
in a small glass container with lid (stays colder).

Best consumed within 24-36 hours.

Rod

[Amigoo]

That baking chocolate (e.g., 100% Cacao) is not candy is a no-brainer,
but an intriguing culinary interlude between a full meal and dessert:

Taste buds are instructed to forget the meal and prepare for dessert
... ANYTHING that tastes better than baking chocolate!
(or at least, a tasty coffee and/or liqueur ;- )

Rod

[Sandy]

I still remember my first (and last I might add) bite of Bakers baking chocolate. My Mom was making chocolate cookies and she had walked away from the counter to get something. I sneaky-like took the opportunity to nip off some of that yummy-looking chocolate left lying there in plain sight with an "EAT ME!" sign on it. ( I might have imagined the "eat me" sign).
How can anything that tastes so good with sugar and taste so bad without?

My mom didn't even blink an eye. To this day I think she "set me up."

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/compani ... ar-AAMYzVU
"Plant-Based Fish Is Rattling the Multibillion-Dollar Seafood Industry"

Hmmm ... with so much effort (and expense) to create faux foods
(from plants), isn't it better just to eat the plants au naturel ...
such as how they were consumed long before food labs

Hmmm ... if faux fish is not real fish,
is faux faux the real deal?

Re: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tyson ... ike-prices
"evidence continues to mount, now with Tyson,
that food prices have yet to peak and are still rising."

Probably a good time to bond with natural food flavorings,
then use these to make your whateverburgers, et al. But others
are already transitioning back to ff plant foods (faux faux).

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrit ... ar-AANf1jj

" 'Whole' indicates foods that have not been highly processed. Think vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, eggs, poultry and dairy in their simplest forms. An orange, chicken breast or potato are examples of whole foods, while orange-flavored soda, chicken nuggets and barbecue chips are ultra-processed versions."

"In a 'plant-based' diet, most of the foods you eat come from plants such as vegetables, fruits and beans, rather than animals (meat, poultry, dairy). Most definitions of 'plant-based' say there is flexibility to include some fish, eggs, poultry, dairy and meat in the diet, as long as most of the diet comes from plants."

"Carbs are the staple of many populations that have healthy diets, but also exercise
and don’t have an abundance of unhealthy food environments like we do."

Faux meats, despite being "plant-based", are not these "whole" foods.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.studyfinds.org/fast-carbs-d ... e-you-fat/

"a review of nearly two million adults across 34 previous studies finds
the impact of fast carbs is no more harmful than slow carbs."

However, a study of fast people vs slow people (exercise less)
might be directly related to carbs ... since muscles can help
burn off excess carbs consumed per meal.
(excess carbs is the real problem)

Rod

[Amigoo]

Today's culinary wisdom ...

When other diets are unsatisfactory, try the Pu Pu Diet,
with more focus on quality of output.

Note: "Pu" is pronounced "poo" - not "p u"
since "p u" indicates poor input quality.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/well ... biome.html
"How Fermented Foods May Alter Your Microbiome and Improve Your Health"

"One subject on which there is usually little disagreement among nutrition experts is the benefits of a high-fiber diet.
In large studies, people who consume more fruits, vegetables, nuts and other fiber-rich foods tend to have lower rates
of mortality and less chronic disease... Microbes in the gut feed on fiber and use it to produce beneficial byproducts
like short-chain fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation."

The human microbiome seems most important in surviving disease,
including any harmful effects of modern medical interventions.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/walnuts
"rich in omega-3 fats and contain higher amounts of antioxidants than most other foods."

"They’re low in carbs — most of which consist of fiber."

Notes: Walnuts contain ALA which body converts to omega-3.

Lotsa carbs gets lotsa negativity in the news, but fiber (a carb)
is beneficial to good blood sugar control ... and provides
support for a better microbiome (re: immune system).

Rod