Superbowl Challenge and Recipe

Most years, I have more interest in the food than the football on Super Bowl Sunday. But we love the Broncos; our dog is named Bronco so I’ll be watching. And according to statistics, so will most of you. This concerns me, I have heartburn just thinking about Super Bowl food where team healthy is the biggest underdog around.

Instead of suggesting what to skip, Carolyn and I decided to make a crudité plate that could compete. No sad, wet baby carrots and a hummus container can do that.

If you need some crudité coaching, check out our #CooCoo4crudite video

Crudite Starting Lineup

Here is the recipe for the dip we mention in the video

Super bowl Spicy Tahini

¼ cup Tahini

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs Apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp. Sunny Bang probiotic hot sauce

¼ tsp. Wakaya turmeric

Himalayan salt and pepper to taste.

Complicated Instructions: mix/whisk together & amp up spice, salt & pepper if needed.

*I’ve made with coconut oil but you need to increase the heat if you do so.

*Any hot sauce or salt will do, we used our MVP incredients.

I think our crudité can compete but can you beat us? We’re veggie voyeurs, please post your plates with the hashtag #coocoo4crudite on Instagram or Twitter. If you’re not that social, email us your cool creations and we’ll see who wins this crudité competition (and the game).

Will you be watching the game? Which football foods do you plan on eating? What do you think is the secret for crudité that can compete/interesting veggie plates?

And of course some pregame

Is being a foodie good for your weight?

Has anyone else notices a surge in slogan tees?

Sometimes clients come in and apologize. “It’s terrible, I just love food.” They’ll elaborate, “I enjoy restaurants and trying new foods.” I sit back waiting for the part they should be sorry for. Other times, in a session, I’ll talk about a recipe and clients will look at me surprised “wow, you really know about food.” Where did we all get this notion that being healthy or losing weight requires divorcing ourselves from food pleasure? I come bearing good news; nothing about Foodtraining or weight loss requires staying home eating undressed greens, sad yet skinny.

In many ways, I think my foodie clients do better. If you like a lot of foods, chances are you like a lot of healthy foods. Give me the fearless foodie over the picky eater any day. Foodies like flavor. I can get a foodie excited about a farm egg, oysters or the most delicious finishing salt. If anyone knows how to make healthy food exciting it’s the foodie.

But, yes there’s a but. I wish there was a way that life could involve daily cheese courses, free flowing cocktails (farm to bar movement anyone?) and loads of “freshly baked” everything but it can’t and shouldn’t. For most people you really cannot eat out every night, sample everything (trust me you don’t “have to”) and stay slim.

Amber Valetta, in a recent Allure interview, said that she loves great food (I believe her another misconception is that if you’re thin you must not) but that’s not what she eats day in and day out. Brown rice, quinoa and vegetables are staples for her. I like this way of looking at things. In a week perhaps there are some restaurant meals. There is a time for treats. But we also need those less exciting slightly Spartan options to balance it out. Maybe it’s my turn to apologize but I promise that even quinoa and vegetables with a miso dressing or harissa will be ok.

Do you consider yourself a foodie? Do you like that term? Do you think this is an asset or liability when it comes to weight?

Meet Harissa

I love condiments, particularly spicy condiments, so I’m wondering why it took so long for harissa and I to meet. Harissa is from North Africa and I’m from North America but since when, in 2013, does geography throw a wrench in our eating plans? While I’m all for local bounty, I also love coconut water, matcha and Himalayan salt. So it was probably just bad luck that harissa and I hadn’t crossed paths.

My first harissa spotting was at Le Pain Quotidien. I enjoyed what I tasted but their harissa is very thick, almost a paste. I was intrigued and ordered harissa from one of my favorite sites mouth.com.This was the Mina brand harrissa and I have to say I fell in love. I've since learned this harissa is widely available even sold at West Elm (a desk and some condiments anyone? weird).

I dipped veggies in harissa, added it to scrambled eggs, folded some into my sardine/avocado combo and used it on grilled chicken breasts. For every ingredient I tested harissa on, it passed with flying colors. I want to try this recipe for salmon, kale and harissa next.

As much as I love to cook, I’m not someone who feels you have to DIY for everything if someone else can make it better. I’d cop to laziness but it’s really, without getting too deep, about insecurity. Can mine be as good? With Harissa, I didn’t think so but because of this blog post I decided to try. I used this recipe.

On a 100-degree day I cranked up my oven to 500

Roasted my peppers

Diced my chilies (not the Thai chilies the recipe called for but long green hot peppers). Remember the chili pepper/metabolism connection?  I also used ground coriander versus seeds (it’s all I had).

blurry, spicy chilies and garlic

 Combined everything in the Vitamix (recipe says to do in 2 stages but needed the volume for Vitamix to work).  I spooned the blended harissa into a weck jar,  refrigerated it as directed and you know what? Just as good as Mina’s.

Have you already met harissa? Do you make it yourself? What do you use it for? What's your current favorite condiment?