In case you didn’t know whole grains, legumes and pulse should be in your diet.  Okay, that’s besides what’s in the your favorite beer of the moment.  And let’s be real here.  Like most I do like some of my grain intake in a fermented, liquid form but it does not have to be all crunchy, granola-y or boiled brown rice.

The world of grains has many faces, Farro, wheat, rice, barley, millet, rye and corn for a short list.  Legumes include beans of all ilk, black, white, red, Hutterite, Jacobs cattle, scarlet runner to name a few. Pulse however is just another word for Legume or bean which derives from the Latin, puls and from ancient Greek, poltos (which means a meal of a stew thickened with beans or legumes). And there you have your word of the day and extra points in Scrabble.

From a culinary viewpoint these ingredients offer a range of flavor advantages.  Grains like Farro have a nutty complex flavor with hints of oat and barley.  Barley, meanwhile is mellow, grassy flavored with an almost creamy mouthfeel and subtle floral undertones.

Pulses or Legumes are 20 to 25% protein by weight, which is double the protein content of wheat and three times that of rice.  Pulses(or beans/ legumes) are generally pretty high in protein, and the digestibility of that protein is right up there too.  Interestingly, they are often relatively poor in the essential amino acid methionine. Grains (which are themselves deficient in lysine)  which is why slotting them into your weekly menu together helps to form a complete diet of protein.

And so this little culinary journey leads us to today’s recipe which is inspired by Mourad Lahlou’s recent New Moroccan cookbook.  While you scramble for the pantry keep in mind three key points for this recipe.

1. Its hella nutritious.
2. Its vegan.
3. And its delicious.

North African Spiced Grain Salad     (serves 6)

• 1 cup Brown Rice ( I like to use the brown basmati rice that can be found in stores like Rainbow Grocery here in SF or at other stores like Whole Foods)
• 1 cup Barley
• 1 cup Green French Lentils  (these are the dark green ones that hold their shape nicely when cooked – not their light-colored cousin that we use for Split Pea soup a personal favorite of mine)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped fine (remember the microplane)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 teaspoons Ras el_hanout   a heady mixture of spices from north African regions.  There are many variations and you can just as well do one yourself.  There are many decent versions on the web.  Here is on. Assemble spices then grind together as finely as possible in a spice grinder (actually we use coffee grinders for this in kitchens and simply sift out any large pieces.)  (In  a pinch you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, 1 teaspoon coriander seed, 1/8th teaspoon whole black pepper, 1/8th teaspoon whole fennel seed- lightly toast these in a saute pan for a minute or two until they become fragrant then grind together and mix with a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons mild chile powder.)
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• zest  and juice of 2 lemons
• 2Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (use the best you can afford-always!!)
• 1/4 cup onion diced small.
• 1/2 cup black olives (optional) pitted and chopped large pieces
• 1/2 cup pistachios (or almonds) lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

The hardest part of this is that you have to cook the lentils, rice and barley separately.  Place each in a small separate pot.  Add 21/2 cups water and bring to simmer. Cook each until done.  This will take approx 20- 22 minutes for the lentils and approx. 15-18 minutes for the barley and rice.  Take care not to over cook so taste them several times towards the end of the cooking time.  Time will vary a bit.  When done drain each of all water and let let in a colander for a few minutes then combine in a large bowl.

In a small sauce pan heat the olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.  Next add the Ras el_hanout and stir well.  Let this cook slowly for a minute then pull off the heat and pour over the grain, rice, lentil mix.  Stir in then add the lemon zest, juice, salt and chopped parsley.  Lastly add the olives and chopped almonds.

Ras el Hanout mixed in the olive oil

Addding spiced oil mix to cooked lentils and grains.

Serve this as a warm or room temperature salad with a range of dishes be they vegan, vegetarian or not.  At my house I will serve this with a winter squash tagine, grilled or roasted fish, pork or poultry.  Serve with a light, fruity red wine like a Sicilian Frappato. Or perhaps a locally brewed Saison style beer.

Nutrition Facts Serving Size  (289g)

Amount Per Serving Calories 460    Calories from Fat 130    % Daily Value Total Fat 14 g 22 %  Saturated Fat 1.5 g 8 %  Trans Fat 0 g    Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %  Sodium 420 mg 18 %  Total Carbohydrate 71 g 24 %  Dietary Fiber 12 g 48 %  Sugars 2 g    Protein 14 g

Vitamin A   20 %  Vitamin C   25 %  Calcium   6 %  Iron   20 %

Pan Roasted Black Cod, porcini mushroom sauce, pickled shallot, thyme

Last month in the post Building Flavors  we worked through a dish of Ahi Tuna, Udon and braised greens with a spicy soy and ginger sauce.  Since we had such interest in the dish and the idea of adding flavors to a dish and ingredients we’re going into round 2 of Building Flavors.

This time we’re going to stay with the seafood theme for the main ingredient and fiddle around with the sauce that goes with it.

For the fish part of this dish its going to be Black Cod aka Sablefish. Here is we go off a bit about what we eat and why. Black Cod is  a terrific, unctuously flavored and textured fish that works equally well for roasting in the oven or on top of the stove in a saute pan.  It also will give excellent results when steamed or poached.  Because the fish live deep in the cold waters off the north Pacific Coast its flesh possesses a good amount of natural oil which translates to a beautiful  moistness when cooked.  (Note: this moistness means its easier to cook without worrying about drying out it it sits in the heat a little too long.)   Another big plus is its rated Best Choice  by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide.  Essentially this means that the species’ population is in good shape and abundant due to the good and efficient fish stock management by both the fishermen and government agencies.  As today’s fish market have more than  their share of pitfalls and questionable choices having a seafood that rates this good is…..a really good thing, especially for the fishermen.  Eat this fish with a clear conscious.

Now let’s get cooking.  This dish will take you about 15 minutes to pull together.

Serves 2

• 12 oz Black Cod filet (divided into two 6 oz pieces, bones removed)
• 4 oz medium regular mushrooms sliced thin (white or brown is fine)
• 1 clove garlic, minced or chopped fine( a microplane works super for this)
• 1/2 oz dried Porcini Mushrooms soaked in 2 Tablespoons warm water (shoot, if you happen to have fresh then hey, use them for sure)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 1/2  Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
• 1 shallot, peeled and diced small
• 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

Timing for this dish goes as follows.

1. Season Fish
2. Prepare and Cook mushroom sauce
3. Pickle shallots
4. Cook Fish
5. Reduce/ finish sauce and plate

First pre-heat the oven to 400F.

If the filets are a bit large trim them to 6 oz pieces.  You will find a line of bones down the middle of the front third of the filet.  Trim these out by cutting a V shaped cut around them.(you can also have your fish counter person do this for you).  Season the fish with the crushed Fennel Seed. kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Set this aside while the oven heats up and we get the sauce going

In a small bowl mix the diced shallots with the white wine vinegar, a small pinch of salt, a small bit of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Let this sit and marinate as the rest of the dish takes shape.

.

Next its sauce time. In a large bowl combine the sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, thyme, 1 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and black pepper

Heat a sauce pan or non stick saute pan heated over medium high heat to get it nice and hot.  Add the musrhooms to the pan and cook over a medium high heat for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally.  We want to get some color on them that will help develope a richer flavor.  Think Umami.

While the mushrooms are cooking pull the soaking dried porcini mushrooms out of the liquid and chop up into small pieces.

Add the chopped porcini to the pan with the rest of the musrhooms and give a stir.  If it looks like its going too fast for you just turn the heat down low.

Next add the white wine.  Let the wine cook down till it pretty much disappears.  Next add the  soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms and the stock.  (Note:  If you are so inclined this is where you could add a 1/4 cup or so of a rich meat stock or demi.  One trick we do in restaurants is to make a small stock of mushrooms, onion, carrot and celery with thyme.  This can be reduced down and strained and saved for occasions like this)

Soon you’re going to enjoy the heady aroma of wild, forest mushrooms filling the kitchen.  Reduce the heat on the pan and let it simmer slowly while you finish the fish.  There, sauce is almost good to go.

Now we cook the fish and get ready to have dinner.  Heat a 8 -10 inch non-stick pan.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl the pan to coat.  Slide the Cod filets into the pan and keep the heat at medium high.  Place the pan with the fish in the oven.  Roast the fish in the oven for about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the filets.

When the fish is done pull the pan out and let it rest for 3 minutes while you finish the sauce and pull togther any side dishes. Using a wide flat, spatula transfer the cooked fish to your dish.  Spoon out the mushrooms over the roasted cod.  One of the tricks here is not to just dump the sauce on the fish but to actually “spoon the musrhooms” on top of the fish leaving the mushroom liquid in the pan.  If its a bit too thin you can give it a quick and furious blast of heat to reduce it down to a glaze like texture.  Then spoon the reduced liquid AROUND the fish in a drizzle.  Its gonna look way cool.

Next spoon a teaspoon or so of the pickled shallot mix around the fish in several places on the plate.  The idea here is that the sharp bite of the pickled shallot will cut through the richness of the cod and mushrooms.  I like to add a few torn leaves of radicchio or cress to the plate as a counter point on the palate.

Serve with some roasted potatoes or a grain like farro.

Pasta.  For many of us athletes its become the common denominator for the fuel that keeps us going.  It comes in many shapes, sizes, flours and ethnic origins.  According to some research there might be over 600 types out there.  From spaghetti and penne to soba and udon to egg mein and silver needle, on and on it goes.  One of the wonders of noodles are that they begin with most often nothing more than dried flour ( wheat, rye, buckwheat, rice) with water added (sometimes egg or a vegetable puree), kneaded and worked to develop gluten ( the strands of stuff that give it and bread its shape) then sometimes dried (although often used fresh without drying).  Pasta has come to be a marvelous method to provide sustenance and energy for the world’s masses for hundreds of years.

Not surprising that along the way noodles have been co-opted and absorbed by dozens of cultures around the globe yielding innumerable variations as ingredients and sauces are added.  This my friends is one of the joys and wonders of cusine and culture.

One of the glories of pasta (and noodles) is that it is really a simple food.  Each type, style and manufacturer claim a special nuance of flavor and texture.  There is no arguing that egg noodles taste and feel differently in the mouth than a thin rice noodle or rustic spelt pasta.  Handled indifferently and it produces a sad and forelorn dish.  Too often the pasta bowl ends up a kitchen sink approach to cooking with “god knows” how many unrelated ingredients piled together and sauced heavily.  While it may give you the same approximate nutritional benefit I’ll say that its poor dining at best.  Just don’t do it.  Better to heed the mantra that less is more.  A few intelligently chosen ingredients, carefully prepared are all that is needed.  That hunk of broccoli, handful of tomatoes or bunch of spinach lying about might be better on the side, cooked seperately in its own right.   Paired with a crisp salad and pleasingly robust glass of wine is the way to go.

This recipe is for a simple pasta dish using fusilli shaped pasta that is readily available (but honeslty you can certainly substitute whatever you have at hand).  The key is to be flexible, look for and develop the flavors.  Let it have some character and integrity.

For 2 servings:

• 6 oz dried pasta (fusili or other shapes are good)(remember it will more than double in weight after it is cooked)
• 3 oz fresh sausage (a good Italian style fennel sausage is a super place to start. But don’t be shy here.  A little more or a different flavor will be just fine.  One word of caution is for this recipe is to stay away from the sausages that contain fruit)
• 4 oz shredded cooked chicken ( optional but a great way to build flavor, texture and add a boost of lean protein)
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to boil with a pinch of salt. When the water is really boiling vigorously add the pasta.  Set the timer for 10 minutes and go to work on the rest of the dish.

Heat a large shallow saue pan (if you have a non-stick version all the better).

Add the olive oil and swirl the pan.  Add the sausage and let it cook for 2 minutes moving it around a bit several times.  Its okay to let it brown a bit.

Add the chicken and stir it in.  Let this cook over a medium to low-ish heat while the pasta cooks.  When its hot remove from heat and keep warm.

For the Broccoli:

• 1 head broccoli ( or cauliflower prepped same way) trimmed into 2-3 inch pieces.  Tip: keep any leaves and cook them with the tops.  Also I like to trim off the bottom 2 inches or so off the bottom of the stalk then thinly slice it and include in the dish.  Waste not/ want not!
• 1/2 cup water (warm)
• 1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (or grated or thinly sliced) (Note: don’t sweat over this. The idea is again to build flavor.
• 1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• Optional – 1-2 anchovy filets minced small  (if you choose this route and its one I highly recommend be sure to purchase a good quality anchovy like Recca or Scalia.)

In sturdy pot with a lid heat the oil over a low heat until just hot.  Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook SLOWLY for about a minute.  Stir often and don’t let them brown.  (If you use the optional anchovy add it here)

Add the broccoli and water.  Cover the pot with the lid and raise the heat a little until the water begins to boil.  Keep the heat at a medium low level.  Stir a couple of times  and let cook for 8 minutes.

Check to make sure the water does not boil dry.  Add the salt.  At the end of 8 minutes remove the lid.  The broccoli should be soft and just beginning to lose its bright green color.  Its okay.  If its not  cover and let cook for another 2 mintues.  Were not making crunchy steamed vegetables here.  If there is still a bit of water you can pour some off or just raise the heat and let it boil for a few minutes.

The flavor of slow cooked broccoli is beautifully rich with a bit of umami showing thru.  Curioiusly the flavor works really well with other big flavored dishes and won’t kill the flavor of red wine.

Oh yeah, don’t foreget the salad.  Time of year keep an eye out at the markets for those super bittery salad greens like frisee, escarole and radicchio.

Nutrition Facts Serving Size  (337g)

Amount Per Serving Calories 680    Calories from Fat 250

% Daily Value Total Fat 28 g 43 %  Saturated Fat 7 g 35 %  Trans Fat 0 g    Cholesterol 50 mg 17 %  Sodium 1340 mg 56 %  Total Carbohydrate 71 g 24 %  Dietary Fiber 5 g 20 %  Sugars 3 g    Protein 35 g

Vitamin A   80 %  Vitamin C   200 %  Calcium   25 %  Iron   15 %

What is sustainability? What should the sustainable athlete look like?  Probably not very different from anyone else who tries to do the right thing by shopping and eating seasonally and locally.  When it comes to the food choices we make its a good idea to start with some basic ethics.  Over time you may find yourself modifying them as you become more confident in where to shop and what to buy.

First lets take a look at what the term sustainability means.  Here are a couple of decent definitions with which I have no problem. The first is from a seemingly unlikely source the EPA  (  http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm )  On their webpage they write. “Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.  Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.”

Not bad.  While our friends over at Wikipedia offer a lengthy dissertation on the subject, one section specific to food systems,  ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability  ). It’s worth a read.  Check it out.

Admittedly the label of sustainability may seem to be overused, abused and co-opted by more than one company or corporation. The seemingly obvious conflicts of interest and lack of transparency work to further dilute the meaning and significance of the label.  Still, that is what we have and a better phrase hasn’t popped up yet.  We’ll leave it that eating sustainably can serve as a a road marker to a living and eating ethic. 

So rather than get into a full on scree about what we should be eating, why, where to purchase ( or not) I’m going to offer several guidelines for how I think a well seasoned athlete might purchase the foods they cook and eat.

Things to consider:

1.  Try shopping at a farmers’ market at least once a week.

2.  Buy the things that excite you and don’t be afraid to try a vegetable that you haven’t tried before. 

3.  Don’t agonize over organic vs conventional at this point.  While I am a big advocate of organics supporting a local farmer is far more important.  Small(ish) scale farming more often keeps land in agriculture protecting green space.  It promotes a biodiversity of species. particularly pollinators (  see  http://www.pollinator.org/ ).

4.  Shop Seasonal and Local.  It’s about what is freshest and most nutritious.  It’s about looking at your carbon footprint.  It’s about supporting local economies and communities.

5.  Try to stay away from foods that are in a bag, box or can as much as possible.

6.  Make as much of your food from scratch.  It’ll taste better and will allow you to better understand and connect with the foods you eat.

So the sustainable athlete, along with any specific dietary restrictions or needs, really can participate in supporting sustainable food systems.  It may take time and practice.  But, hey, that’s what we do everyday.

There you have it.

For further reading and opinions on sustainable eating and sustainable food systems see the Sustainable Ingredients page for useful links and suggestions.

 What makes a dish really tasty good?  Where in the process of prepareing a dish does the magic happen? How can I take a small handful of ingredients of a meal and gussey them up so that I’m smakin my lips and looking for seconds?  Well, here at The well seasoned athlete its time to reveal the secrets. And to be honest, its one part ingredient selection, one part technique and one part intuition.

Ingredients-  Typically I begin preparing lunch, dinner or what have you with some ingredient starting point.  It might be a vegetable, might be a super da kine slab of fish or a great looking cut of grass-fed beef from here in NorCal.  Curiously most of my fellow chefs agree that the starting point when composing menus is a particular ingredient which screams “use me, first!”  Its wicked fresh, speaks of incredible integrity or excits in some way.  Other parts of the menu or dish fall into place after that.  The fridge yields a bag of dino kale, some locally grown almonds.  The pantry holds a spice or two which I’ve been dying to try out.  On this day I happened to have two previously prepared items that were just waiting for the right moment to show their stuff.  One thing to keep in mind is that its okay to enhance an ingredient or two.  Here I’ll show you how.

Technique and Intuition–  Let’s dig into a recent dish I prepared and see how it works. Seared Ahi Tuna, Udon with Mustard Greens, Soy Glaze, Gingerd Carrrots  (serves 2 people)

Here is the line up of ingredients.   Places where we will build flavor will be a. marinade for tuna; b. a light seasoning of the noodles prior to plating; c.tangy salad to accompany the dish and be a foil for the other flavors and textures; d. saucy type thing to hit the tuna with that keeps the taste buds wanting another bite. 

•  12 oz Ahi Tuna (it can be in one or two pieces)
• 6 oz Udon Noodles (dried in package ) (note: keep in mind that noodles of almost any kind will double in weight after cooking. So if you’re looking for more carbs then just measure up)
• 3 oz Young Mustard Greens or Spinach (fresh only )
• 4 oz Carrot, (peeled)
• 3 oz Cauliflower or Green Cabbage
• 1/2 oz pickled ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger grated fine mixed with 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup Soy (reduced sodium version is ok) mixed with 1 Tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons hot sauce (your call on brand)

First place for magic: seasoning the fish.  Salt.  After that you can be creative.  Options include, cracked black pepper, chili flakes, zest of lemon or lime ( or combination of), minced garlic, sesame seeds, spice blends such as a North African or Vindaloo work well.  One key is not to get all carried away and throw everything at it.  If its a citrus flavor you are looking for just use the pepper, chile and garlic.  If its the Vindaloo or Indian spice flavors go with the garlic and pepper.  When you use a mix of fresh or dried herbs stick with garlic, pepper and a little citrus zest  . 

It was decided that this dish was going include some Udon noodles, simply prepared by boiling. Easy enough, 9 minutes in boiling water, drain.

But here we can add a “behind the scenes” flavor by tossing with a two teaspoons of soy, two teaspoons of oil (olive or saflower), a dash of sesame oil and dash of hot sauce.  A light hand is needed here.  This is only to season the noodles, not make a sauce.  You’ll hardly taste it but the flavor is there and helps set up the palate for the rest of the dish.

Next, the young mustard greens or spinach.  Texture wise we have big flavored but sexy, soft tuna happening, silky noodles, a crunchy, tangy salad lurking ahead.  Traditionally this would call for a wilted or boiled vegetable like our greens.  Fresh flavor, fresh texture but soft and somewhat similar to the noodles.  The greens provide essential nutients, a vibrant color contrast but don’t fight the other elements of the dish.  All we do is give the greens a light steaming for 1 minute. Uncover and leave on the stove off the heat until ready to plate.

Now for the crunchy, tangy salad I mentioned above.  Shredded carrot mixed with chopped up raw cauliflower (or cabbage).  To get this right shred the carrots small.  You can use a box grater, the shredder blade of a food processor (Cuisinart) or a Japanese mandolin.

The cauliflower is just sliced thinly.  No need to make it pretty, its going to fall apart anyway and the thinner the better since it won’t be getting cooked.  (if you end up using cabbage give it the same treatment as the carrots)

pickled ginger I put up last month

Mix the carrots and cauliflower in a bowl and add 2 Tablespoons of chopped pickled ginger and 2 Tablespooons of the pickled ginger vinegar. Allow the salad to sit for 10 minutes before serving  ( Now don’t worry.  If don’t have pickled ginger then simply grate 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ginger and toss with 2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar.  Let sit for a few minutes before mixing into the salad.)

Now its time to pull this together.This is where Intuition comes into play. Timing is important.  Which order do cook everything?

1. Marinade Tuna.
2. Prepare Carrot Salad.
3. Reduce soy, honey, vinegar, hot sauce mix to a glaze. (takes only about 2 minutes in a small non-stick pan)
4. Steam greens.
5. Boil noodles.
6. Cook the Tuna (this can happen while the noodles are in the pot cooking.
7. Toss Noodles and Greens together with seasonings.
8. Slice Tuna, plate up the noodles, garnish with sauce and salad.

Bingo!

Nutrition Facts Serving Size  (466g) Servings Per Container

Amount Per Serving Calories 720    Calories from Fat 160    % Daily Value Total Fat 18 g 28 %  Saturated Fat 3 g 15 %  Trans Fat 0 g    Cholesterol 65 mg 22 %  Sodium 1780 mg 74 %  Total Carbohydrate 80 g 27 %  Dietary Fiber 9 g 36 %  Sugars 12 g    Protein 57 g

Vitamin A   350 %  Vitamin C   90 %  Calcium   10 %  Iron   30 %