Summer Tomato, Basil and Farro Soup

Mmm, farro!  Have you tried it yet?  It's a hearty whole grain with sort of a nutty flavor and al dente texture.  I experimented with farro for the first time on the Fourth of July when I made this amazing (no joke) summer salad from the New York Times.  The New York Times must really love farro because a couple weeks ago when I was searching for a soup recipe that would put some of our tomatoes to good use (we have enough to start our own tomato shop) I found this soup on the New York Times website, which called for...wait for it.....FARRO!

Our garden, about 3 weeks ago, looked like this.  Now imagine this same image, times about four.  That's what it looks like now.  It's not really pretty at this point, but it's my recipe inspiration.  The left is mainly butternut squash, and the right side is tomato and green pepper.

Without further ado, I present, the most amazing summer soup.....

Tomato Basil and Farro Soup

Source:  The New York Times

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, more as needed

1 cup farro, dried

4 large sprigs basil, stems and leaves separated

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

4 garlic cloves **

1 large leek, white and light parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced **

3 lbs. ripe roma (or other) tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges

Black pepper, to taste

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet omit the garlic and add the garlic flavor back by using a garlic or Tuscan-infused olive oil.  Also, instead of using leeks use chives (I used ~ 1/2 cup chopped chives. Yum).

Directions

1. Pour 8 cups cold water and 1 tablespoon salt into a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium, add the farro and basil stems, and cook until grains are tender but still a little chewy, about 25 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the leek and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook leeks until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 cup reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer.  Cook until the tomatoes have completely fallen apart, about 30 minutes.

4. Using an immersion blender, blender or food processor, purée the tomato mixture until smooth (you may have to do this in batches). Add half the farro and pulse until the grains are broken down and the soup is a chunky purée. Stir in the remaining farro. If the soup seems thick, add more cooking liquid. Taste and add more salt if needed (although, it shouldn't be needed!). Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Drizzle with oil; top generously with black pepper and torn basil leaves.

This was my first time using an emersion blender.  It was fun.  I need to put this on my Christmas list (this was my mom's).

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/6th of recipes
Source: CalorieCount.com

WARNING!  This soup is not low sodium. Nope, not even close.  I would strongly recommend reducing the sodium if you are trying to reduce your sodium intake.  This is actually less sodium than the original recipe (yikes, can you imagine!?). You could also use a salt substitute or add some vinegar to replace some of the salt (the bitterness from the vinegar might bring out some of the saltiness, making it taste saltier than it really is).

Nutrition Highlights:  Excellent source of iron, fiber, and vitamin C

On the night I made this Nick and I had dinner with my parents.  It's always a good sign when both Nick and my dad enjoy something that I've made.  They both gobbled this soup down, and Nick was even happy to take home leftovers for his lunches.  It was truly delicious.  On this particular night we served the soup with chicken off the grill (and some good Columbus Pale Ale, of course).

QUESTION:  Have you tried farro? What about farro in soup? Are you looking forward to soup season like I am? It's right around the corner!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Is a Calorie Really a Calorie?

Yes.  A calorie is a calorie.  That's not really what this post is about. I mean, it's obvious that 100 calories worth of celery is the same amount of calories as 100 calories worth of peanut butter. We all know this.  But the real question is; "Does it really make a difference where you get your calories from, an a day to day basis?".  In short; Yes, it does. At least, if you care about staying trim, fit and healthy, it matters.

Source: iStockPhoto

It was recently reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that an analysis of trends since the 1970s found that Americans were consuming more calories from 1971 to 2003, but are actually consuming less calories today (by about 74 calories per day) than in 2003 (to read more details about the analysis read this article). So if we're actually eating less calories as a nation, why are we still gaining more weight? It just doesn't make sense, right? Shouldn't our decreased calorie consumption coincide with a decrease in weight? The article suggests a few things;

1.  People may not have been accurate in their calorie reports (I've seen this firsthand, it's true that people tend to underestimate their calorie consumption.  But, I doubt we are any more inaccurate in our estimates now than we were in 2003)

2.  We may be consuming less, but we're also less active, which sort of "cancels out" any benefit we might see from eating less calories (uhhh, yeah, this one makes sense, we are sitting more and moving less than ever before).

3.  There hasn't been enough time to allow the decrease in calories to actually "kick in" and have an effect on our nation's weight (In other words, in a few more years this small decrease in caloric consumption may actually produce a concomitant decrease in obesity.....  I say fat chance. Pun intended.)

I think these are all fine points, and certainly may explain this phenomenon somewhat, but from my perspective there is certainly more to the story.  Yes, a calorie is a calorie, and yes if we reduce our calories we should theoretically lose weight (all other factors remaining the same), but it's not quite that simple (come on, you all know someone who has reduced their caloric intake, either slightly or significantly, and still hasn't lost weight....right?!) I think Mark Bittman explained it well in a March 2012 article for the New York Times.  Here is a snippet for you to read.

SOURCE 

In other words;

• If you eat more calorie dense foods (foods that are compact, small, and loaded with calories), you'll likely eat more calories each day and in a sitting.  However, if you eat more low calorie dense foods that are greater volume and less calories (ie: not calorie dense) you are most likely going to take longer to eat, feel more fool, satiated, and therefore most of the time you will eat less calories.  So, yes, a calorie is a calorie, but if you eat better calories you are more likely to eat less calories.

I like the idea of eating with the volumetrics concept.  Read more about volumetrics (and calorie density) here and here

• People may be eating less calories, on average, than in 2003, but that doesn't necessarily mean they should (as a nation) be less obese.  The sad truth is more people are overweight now than they were in 2003.  Not only that, but those who are overweight are more overweight (with higher average BMIs) than in 2003.  This means two things; first, it's going to take more caloric restriction to lose the weight because our bodies try to hold onto fat for dear life.  And second, perhaps the fact that we are more overweight and "weight obsessed" now than in 2003 (wouldn't you agree?) plays a roll in the decrease in caloric consumption. Many more people are on diets now so it's not a shocker that our average caloric consumption has decreased.  And, we all know that most "new age diets" simply don't work, so there you go!

So what can you do?  Choose less of this....

Source: iStock Photo
Liquid calories.  This is America's worst enemy.  I believe it.

and this....

Source: iStock Photo

And of course less of these......no, the "MyPlate" logo doesn't have grains and starches as the entire plate!

And more of these (fruits and veggies, high volume, low calorie!).....

.....and do more of THIS!

QUESTIONS:  Are you surprised that we are eating less calories, yet still not losing weight as a nation?  What other reasons can you think of for this "phenomenon"??  Another question is, what's your favorite high volume, low calorie food?  Mine is spinach.  Love it.  I can make a HUGE SALAD with spinach and it's so filling, with so few calories.  Of course, I always add stuff to my salads, but the base is the spinach and that's my favorite high volume, low calorie food (other than popcorn, of course, popped by me!).

And of course I can't end this post without saying something about yesterday's tragic events in Boston.  My heart and prayers are with everyone who was there and everyone affected.  Is anyone safe anymore? That's the real question.  This is now the second time in less than a year that I have been approached in the middle of my busy day at the grocery store with a "Did you hear about the shooting/bombing in xyz???".  Seriously.  It's a shame that I even have to think twice whether or not to bring another child into this world for fear of what it's turning into.  Just remember to hug the ones you love today, and everyday.  And, cherish every moment.

Thanks for reading.

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Are Eggs Really Bad For Me? (Confused Day Tuesday)

When I was in school for dietetics, eggs were considered a healthy food but one that should only be consumed two days a week because of their cholesterol content.  And let's be honest, that wasn't too long ago....about 8 years to be precise.  Since that time things have changed.  Actually, a lot has changed.  Now all of a sudden cholesterol in food isn't really what raises our cholesterol...it's saturated fats (although for some populations at greater risk for heart disease, cholesterol should still be limited (read about Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes here)).  And these days even saturated fats are being looked at in a different light, with so many different forms having different effects on our blood lipids.  Speaking of blood lipids, a simple lipid profile provides only the basic information and doesn't provide enough detail for certain high-risk populations.  Advanced lipid profiles can tell us so much more about a person's risk (I mean, having "high cholesterol" may not be so bad anymore, as the types of LDL cholesterol are turning out to mean so much more than we ever thought).  It's confusing, even for me, a dietitian.  There is just so much information out there, and so much yet to be discovered.

Source: iStock Photo

The whole saturated fat debate will probably carry on for years (if you'd like to read more check out a couple of my past posts; Margarine vs. Butter, and Is Coconut Oil Really That Great?), but a debate that I believe is finally coming to an end is the debate about eggs.  Without fail, the question I get asked the most is, "How many eggs can I eat every week?" or "Are eggs bad for me"? I'm going to start handing out this article from the New York Times to everyone who asks this, because I sometimes feel like a broken record.

Source: iStock Photo
The eggs may not be bad, but the bacon? That's another story, for another post.

The bottom line? After pooling data from eight prospective studies, which included over 250,000 subjects, there was no evidence that eating up to an egg a day increase people's risk for heart disease or stroke (diabetes patients were the only exception, but there were too few in the study to draw any conclusions. Please read the very short article to learn more).

Now THAT is something to smile about!  Wondering what this is? Egg white and oat crepes; 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup oats, a dash of vanilla, put in a skillet and cook like a pancake. Top with syrup or fruit or Greek yogurt or all three!

But, the question still remains....how many eggs can be consumed each week before negative effects are seen?  That's still unclear, but the consensus seems to be that as long as you are eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. and replacing some of your saturated fats with unsaturated fats, it's probably fine to do more than 1 egg a day, sometimes (but of course, listen to your doctor's orders, as some people are at greater risk for heart disease and some evidence still shows that a reduced cholesterol diet is very important for certain high-risk populations).

Nutrition Facts for eggs

My personal opinion?  Eggs are definitely high in cholesterol, but the mere 1 gram of saturated fat is pretty amazing. And check out the protein, riboflavin and vitamin E!  And then there is the choline, which is found in the egg yolk and has some positive health effects.   Ok, but what else do you notice about the label above?  I have a confession.  It wasn't until I was working with a client just two weeks ago who was trying to stick to a low-sodium diet that I realized just how much sodium eggs contained.  Can you believe I thought eggs were sodium free? Yeah, I'm so embarrassed.  That 65mg is mainly from the whites. And guess who eats egg whites all the time?? ME!

This is my egg white crepe, same as the picture above but a bit messier.  Still delicious.

So....basically here is what you should know; 

• To go along with this month's National Nutrition Month Theme, remember, Eggs aren't a "Bad Food" (there is no such thing as a bad food, only bad food patterns, and don't you forget it!).  They are low in saturated fat, and even though they are loaded with cholesterol the research doesn't seem to show that they increase heart disease or stroke risk.

• If you're skipping the egg yolks, you are missing about half of the protein and all of the choline in eggs.

• If you are just eating the egg whites you need to consider the sodium content.  While the ~55 mg of sodium in 1 egg white isn't high, it can quickly add up when you make that 6 egg white omelet!

• Eggs are delicious and health-promoting, but if you are on strict orders to reduce your cholesterol, do not eat them. Period.  

Here are some of my past egg recipes;

Egged Spaghetti Squash

Spinach and Mushroom Eggs Benedict

Alton Brown's Perfect Scrambled Eggs

And with Easter right around the corner, don't forget eggs are perfect hard boiled and topped on spinach salads.....

....  and they are also perfect with peanut butter and chocolate ;)

QUESTION:  What's your favorite way to eat eggs??? 

By the way, I had a few questions about tempeh on yesterdays tempeh taco post.  I think any brand is fine, I don't really have a preference.  I look for fewer ingredients, and the non "Flavored" type (less sodium that way).  I also like it when they add whole grains because the texture becomes  "meat-like" (and I personally like that, not everyone does though).  It's fun to just experiment a bit.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.