Great Way Weekly

I’ve been playing with this gluten-free brownie recipe that I found at Gluten Free Goddess, and it really is one of the best brownie recipes I’ve ever made. It uses almond flour and some rice flour, and it’s completely delicious. I’ve made it using a combo of almond flour and a gluten-free flour mixture (which includes brown rice flour, quinoa flour, coconut flour and potato and tapioca starch). Even though they are gluten-free, I would confidently serve them to gluten eaters, and not feel like I was giving them a second-class pastry.

The Goddess includes directions to make your own almond meal, but it’s available in my local Whole Foods. I use Bob’s Red Mill brand. They also make a hazelnut flour which would probably be equally lovely in this recipe.

I’ve been playing with the chocolate, and have gotten good results by using 1 tablespoon of Ghirardelli’s cocoa powder plus 3 tablespoons of coconut oil to replace 1 ounce of chocolate. Any oil will do–I like coconut oil because it’s a healthy fat, and adds only the slightest hint of coconut flavor (which I really like). I also like to use this chocolate substitute because I can make it dairy-free. You could also use melted butter or margarine, olive oil, safflower oil, or really any oil with a mild flavor.

In the last batch I made, I used 2 ounces of Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of Ghirardelli’s cocoa powder plus 9 tablespoons of coconut oil. The flavor of these brownies is screaming for some sort of alcohol flavoring, so I’m working on a way to include brandy or maybe some Kahula to give them an extra depth of flavor.

Good quality chocolate or cocoa powder makes a difference here, so don’t skimp!

Here is the recipe, as it appears on Gluten Free Goddess. You can read the Goddess’s original post here.

Dark Chocolate Brownies.

5 ounces Belgian dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe’s)
1/2 cup butter or vegan margarine such as Smart Balance (or Spectrum Organic Shortening)
2 organic free-range eggs
1 cup packed organic light brown sugar
1/2 rounded cup almonds, processed into a fine meal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla plus 2 teaspoons peppermint extract)

Optional:

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired
1/2 cup extra semi-sweet chocolate chips for the top, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with foil and lightly oil the bottom.

Using the microwave, melt the dark chocolate and butter in a large (microwave safe) measuring cup. Stir together to combine. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium high till frothy. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Add the melted chocolate mixture into the egg-sugar mixture a little at a time – incorporate it slowly- and beat well for a good minute. The chocolate will look smooth and glossy.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond meal, rice flour, fine sea salt and baking soda; whisk together. Add the dry flour mix into the chocolate mixture and beat well for a minute. Add the vanilla, beat another half a minute or so.

You now have your brownie batter.

If you are adding nuts, stir in the nuts by hand and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan [this brownie batter is much thinner than any brownie mix batter I've tried- don't worry, it's going to be wonderful]. Shake the pan a little bit to even out the batter.

Layer the semi-sweet chips all over the top of the batter and press them in slightly, if adding.

Bake in the center of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 33 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set. Don’t overcook. (Err on the side of gooey, if you must- that’s what I do; I find gluten-free brownies taste better slightly undercooked and soft in the middle than over-cooked and crumbly.)

Cool on a wire rack; and remove the brownies from the pan by gripping the foil edges. Chill before cutting. We saved out two squares, and wrapped the rest for freezing.

These brownies were outstanding slightly chilled. Intense, chocolaty and tender. This is a fabulous recipe. And I have to Clare to thank for it.

Makes 9-12 servings. We got nine squares out of it.

Congee or Jook is a special rice porridge eaten throughout Asia when someone is sick or feels the need to eat simple foods to cleanse the system. Traditionally, it is made of white rice cooked slowly in a large quantity of water, i.e. 1 cup of rice cooked in 3-8 cups of water for however long it takes to become a thick porridge. It is extremely bland and very gentle on the system.

I often make congee with whole grains, and then I add other things for flavor. For breakfast, I might add some dried fruit and nuts, and maybe a spoonful of agave nectar or honey. For lunch I like to add some sesame oil, soy sauce, cooked edamame, spinach, and if my tummy feels up to it, some chopped green onions. If you have the time, it’s nice to soak the grains to help make them easier to digest. I like to use brown rice, and often add other grains like quinoa or millet. If you are not avoiding gluten, whole barley and wheat berries are nice, too, but they work best when you soak them ahead of time, and add the maximum amount of water when you cook them. Whole oats, or even steel-cut oats are a nice addition, too.

Whole grain congee is not tradional, but I think that when you soak the grains, and cook them for a long time, they can be gentle to your system, and more nutritious than traditional white rice congee.

Maki at JustHungry.com give a recipe for a new year’s congee that includes 7 greens. You can read her posting here. The recipe is below:

Recipe: Nanakusagayu using local greens

Makes 4 servings

Since this is such a simple dish, make sure to use the best quality ingredients you can. The quality of the rice in particular is important, as is the rinsing and drying process. Use fresh greens and a salt that really tastes good.

* 1 cup white medium grain or Japanese style rice (see Looking at Rice).
* Mixed dark leafy greens
* 8 cups water
* Sea salt, to taste

Rinse the rice with several changes of water (see How to wash rice) until the water runs clear. Drain the rice into a colander, and leave for at least 30 minutes to dry.

Wash the greens. If you are using any slightly bitter or tough greens like kale, collard greens, daikon radish leaves (not sprouts), turnip greens, puntarelle or cabbage, blanch them briefly in boiling water, drain and refresh under cold running water. Tender greens can be used as-is. Chop up all the greens. You should end up with about 1/4 cup of cooked greens or 1 cups of raw greens, or a mix of both.

Put the rice and the water in a heavy bottomed pan (traditionally you might use a donabe or earthenware pot, but I just use a cast iron enameled pot). Bring up to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook, while stir up the rice from the bottom of the pan occasionally as it cooks, so that it doesn’t burn or stick, for about 40 minutes, until the rice porridge is creamy, like a loose risotto. Add 1 tsp. salt and stir. Just before serving, add the prepped greens and stir in well. Serve piping hot, with additional salt on the side that people can add to taste to their bowls.

Congee cooks up nicely in a crock pot–just set it up before bed and you’ll have a nice porridge in the morning. I make mine on the stove and reheat it as needed (though Maki doesn’t recommend this. I find it works just fine for me).

Check out this listing of some great health and diet blogs: Nursing Online Ed has a list of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Who chose which blogs made the cut? I’m not sure, but they do seem to have picked some good ones.

Scroll to the bottom for the list of blogs on alternative medicine, including acupuncture. And it’s nice to see so many people writing about being healthy!

I can’t wait to try making this healthy Carrot Cake recipe that Dr. Weil posted recently. Carrots are really good for you, but carrot cake is loaded with sugar and fat. In this recipe, he’s replaced refined sugar and butter with honey and olive oil. Honey is still very sweet, and shouldn’t be consumed in large quantities, but it is a better choice than white (or brown) sugar. Olive oil might seem like a strange thing to put in a desert, but it’s actually quite nice and will not make your cake taste like Italian food. It has a wonderfully rich taste making it a good substitute for butter. This recipe includes walnuts, but in my hometown of New Orleans, we would use pecans instead. Both nuts are rich in essential fatty acids, and in Chinese medicine, help build your Kidney energy.

Here’s the recipe:

2 cups firmly packed finely grated carrots
Juice of 1 large orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 cup honey, liquefied in microwave (30 seconds)
1/2 cup crushed or chopped pineapple, drained
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the carrots, orange juice, vanilla, olive oil, honey, and pineapple until well blended.

3. In another bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and spices. Mix in the walnuts.

4. Blend the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture, stirring until just mixed.

5. Pour the batter into a nonstick 8-inch-square baking pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and remove from pan.

From Dr. Weil. Carrot cake image borrowed with gratitude from English food blog A Merrier World. Go there for recipes for carrot cake (a more traditional version) and other tasty goodies.

My new fav food blog, the beautiful and inspiring JustBento introduces us to kabocha squash.

I’ve been trying to expand my winter squash repertoire, and came across this recipe for a Japanese-style squash. It looks pretty flexible, so I think really any variety of winter squash would do. I’m going to try it with the beautiful Red Kuri Squash I bought at the farmer’s market today.

It looks so much like a pumpkin that that’s what my husband thought it was, until I told him.

“Dr. Weil has some great suggestions for some easy, healthy snacks here. I personally try to snack on as much dark chocolate as I can!”

Dark chocolate. An ounce of dark chocolate now and then will satisfy a sweet tooth while providing antioxidant polyphenols. Choose high quality dark chocolate with at least 70 percent pure cocoa, and enjoy the rich flavor.

Read more snack suggestions at DrWeil.com.

The New York Times recently had a story about how migraines disappeared in 80% of people who had plastic surgery in the forehead, temples, or back of the head. Wow!

Now, I’m not sure how I feel about surgery for migraines, but if it truly produces significant improvement, then it’s nice to have that as an option. Acupuncture also works well for migraines. I don’t usually see a total elimination of migraines, but a big reduction in frequency and severity. The nice thing about acupuncture versus plastic surgery is that it does not have any of the risks associated with surgery.

Read more at the New York Times.

And on another note, while we’re on the coconut-milk tip, one of my favorite coconut milk products is Purely Decadent coconut milk ice cream. It’s as rich and creamy as any of the super-premium ice creams (i.e. Ben and Jerry’s), but it’s made with coconut milk instead of dairy. There’s a subtle coconut flavor, but it’s barely noticible, particularly with the various chocolate flavors. Again, it’s not a health food, but if you’re going to eat ice cream, why not eat one that won’tgive you cholesterol problems?

I’ve recently been using more coconut milk in my diet, and was excited to see this recipe for pumpkin pie, from foodie blog Eat This!. This recipe replaces the evaporated (or condensed) milk with coconut milk to make a dairy-free alternative. While coconut milk has a lot of fat, they are medium-chain fatty acids, which aren’t as bad for you as the saturated variety that’s in dairy and meat. Don’t look at coconut milk as a “health food” exactly, but rather simply a great alternative to milk. And that’s a godsend if you’re lactose intolerant!

Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 can coconut milk
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Directions

Preheat overn to 425 degrees.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves. Gradually add coconut milk while stirring.

Pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.

Read more at Eat This!.

I work on a lot of tennis elbow in my acupuncture practice. One problem with resolving tennis elbow with acupuncture is that people have to go out in the world and continue using their arm, even before it’s fully healed. So we often have a two-steps-forward-one-step-back experience. That’s why I’m always looking for more ways to help my patients.

Adding some exercises can speed up the healing process. Take a look at this promising, low-impact, non-surgical treatment for tennis elbow recently posted in the New York Times Well blog. It involves a series of exercises with a flexible rubber bar, like in this video:

Read more at the New York Times.