What Should I Eat? Prunes

Prunes

Years ago, full-page ads in a popular Jewish women’s magazine featured two products: bran cereal and prunes. That was a clear message to me – this publication was for ladies my grandma’s age who needed more fiber in their diets.

The ads have changed, along with the image of the magazine. And bran is now modern and fashionable.

But prunes (or dried plums, as they’re called now) were left behind.

I’m to blame as much as anyone. The box of prunes in my refrigerator hadn’t been touched since Pesach. I just noticed it and ate a few. Wow - what a great snack! They’re sweet, chewy, and satisfying. You can cook some up with dried apricots, a cinnamon stick and a little water (no sugar needed) for a quick easy dessert.

Prunes are high in potassium and anti-oxidants. And yes, they’re still a great source of fiber.

Now that some of us are grandmas, let’s leave that old image behind. It’s time to give prunes their respectful place next to dried cherries, peaches and blueberries.

What Should I Eat? Whole Grains

Here's another in the series "What Should I Eat?" Each post is about "normal" food that is good for you. Nothing exotic or expensive - I promise.

Whole Grains

Think whole grains for healthy wholesome eating. Chock full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, they’re low in fat and high in taste.

Try bulgur, cracked wheat, barley, millet, quinoa and brown rice. Our current favorite is farro – an heirloom strain of wheat that we first tasted in Tuscany. Chewy, soft and mild, it’s easily digestible and cooks faster than whole wheat berries. It makes a lovely summer salad and a tasty side dish to fish and poultry.

Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice. But if you don't have a full 45 minutes or so to cook it, you can plan ahead with these two "short-cuts".

1. Soak the rice (1 cup rice, 2 ¼ cups water) for an hour or so before cooking it. This also works if you’re using a rice machine.

2. Parboil the rice: Boil 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot. Add 1 cup of rice. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain. Use it now in your favorite white rice recipe, or store it in the refrigerator and use it within a few days.

Challah Baking Questions

Returning to the subject of flour, here are some challah baking questions from another reader.

Hello Chana!

I have spent several years searching for a really great whole-wheat challah recipe that has great taste and texture. I am also interested in sweetening with agave rather than sugar or honey because of the low glycemic index. Finally, if I could use and egg substitute to lower the cholesterol, that would be great too. Do you happen to have any suggestions? If I had do make a choice between the agave and the eggs, I would prefer to keep the agave and use whole eggs. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Sarah

Dear Sarah,

Kol hakavod - I applaud your efforts to bake a delicious loaf of whole-wheat challah.

With so many bread baking variables, it's hard to give you a simple answer. And everyone has their preferences. Some people enjoy a dense loaf made with 100% whole-wheat flour, no sweetener, no eggs, no fat and no yeast. (They probably use a starter of some sort.) Others like their challah light and airy.

My current favorite challah recipe uses an Italian-style biga (a simple starter that’s prepared ahead of time), olive oil, a little sugar, eggs, three-quarters whole-wheat flour and one-quarter white flour.

To lighten whole-wheat breads, including challah, I often use gluten (also called vital wheat gluten) - 1 tablespoon per cup of whole-wheat flour. If you want to use a high percentage of whole-wheat flour and prefer an airier loaf, this is one way to achieve it. Using a starter will also give you a lighter loaf.

Agave syrup is a plant-based sweetener that’s sweeter than sugar and less viscous than honey. It does have a lower glycemic index than sugar and honey, but it’s also high in fructose.

You could try substituting it for the honey in your challah recipe, but you may need to adjust the amount of flour and liquid.

I’m more comfortable using sugar (which has been around for a long time!) than some of the “health-food” alternatives, which can also be very expensive. Keep in mind that these sweeteners, including agave, are all pretty much the same calorically (4 calories per gram), and none of them have much to offer nutritionally.

What’s most important is to cut down on the total amount of sugar in your diet.

And I wouldn’t be too concerned about the glycemic index of the sugar or honey in your challah, especially if you're using whole-wheat flour and eating the challah with a meal. The protein, fat and fiber in the other food you’re eating will moderate the spike in blood sugar from the small amount of sweetener.

If you’re diabetic or have particularly high cholesterol levels, you can substitute commercial egg-substitute for the eggs in your favorite challah recipe. Or use two egg whites in place of each whole egg.

But most people shouldn’t have to worry about a few eggs in their challah. It's more important to avoid trans fat (unhealthy fat found in commercial baked goods and snacks containing partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil) and saturated fat from high-fat meat and dairy products.

I hope this information is helpful. Happy challah baking!

Chana

After The Fog of War

Three weeks of being on high alert took its toll. On the one hand, I felt super alert, ready to run at the first sound of a siren. On the other, I felt foggy-brained and unable to concentrate. Multi-tasking was out. Curling up on the couch with a book was in.

We’ve been rocket-free for several days now in Beer Sheva, and the city is slowly coming back to life. I saw a few children out playing today. The buses were fuller, the shops busier. Schools are re-opening tomorrow.

I’m getting back on track as well. I woke up energized and started working on neglected laundry, sewing repairs and a clean sweep of the refrigerator.

Among my findings were leftover mashed potatoes and a bit of salvageable fresh dill: I’ll add a can of salmon and an egg and make salmon patties for dinner.

What about that pitcher of fresh lemon juice my husband squeezed a few days ago? I’m thinking of making lemon curd, that tart and tangy spread that’s especially popular in Great Britain. Traditionally it’s made with butter and egg yolks, so it’s high in fat and cholesterol. But this recipe cuts out the butter altogether and uses whole eggs instead of just yolks, so it’s more like a thick sauce or custard. Serve a spoonful over fresh fruit, berries or sponge cake for a special Shabbat dessert.

Lemon Sauce (Parve)

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon

Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and heat it to a simmer.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until they’re slightly frothy. Whisk a little of the hot lemon mixture into the eggs, mixing constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking it in carefully and stirring constantly with the whisk. Cook the mixture, whisking it all the time, until it begins to simmer. Cook for another minute.

Pour the lemon cream through a fine strainer set over a bowl. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest and let cool.

Refrigerate in a covered container.

Makes about 1 ½ cups

Whole-Wheat Pastry Flour: The Israel Story

When it comes to cooking and baking, you can usually find everything you need here. But there are exceptions. Here's a question (with my answer) from one of my Israeli readers that I want to share with everyone.

Hi Chana,

What is whole-wheat pastry flour called in Hebrew? Where do you get it? In my local health food store they have two types of wheat flour, 100% whole and 70%whole. As far as I can tell 70% is as whole as white flour. Am I missing something?

Rivka


Dear Rivka,

This sounded like a pretty straight-forward question, until I started looking into it. It seems that not all flour is necessarily what it appears to be!

I called the chief food technologist at Stybel, the large flour producer in Israel, who was extremely helpful. In addition, I contacted health-food store managers in Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva as well as a company that produces stone-ground whole-wheat flour.

Let’s start with whole-wheat pastry flour. In the US, it’s 100% whole-wheat flour made from soft winter wheat. That means it’s lower in gluten than regular whole-wheat flour, making it especially good for cakes, cookies, muffins and biscuits. Unfortunately, it’s not produced in Israel. The Stybel technologist said that they could easily produce it here if people wanted it, but right now there’s no demand.

At one time I used קמח מלא מנופה – sifted whole-wheat flour, in place of whole-wheat pastry flour. It was less gritty than regular whole-wheat flour, which indicated that it had indeed been sifted. But apparently there’s no standard definition for this flour. My contact at Stybel refused to even talk about it, as to avoid speaking badly about any other flour company! A health-food store manager who sells it in Beer Sheva told me that it was 70% whole-wheat flour – whole-wheat flour with 30 % of the bran removed (sifted out).

That brings me to 90% and 70% whole-wheat flour. In my mind, that sounds like 90 or 70 percent whole-wheat flour mixed with 10 or 30 percent white flour. Wrong!

These are blends made mainly of white flour, with wheat bran and germ mixed back in.

What are your options for baking whole-grain cookies, cakes, muffins and biscuits in Israel?

Stybel’s #6 flour is 100% whole-wheat. Their #8 is 100% organic whole-wheat. For cakes and cookies, you could mix your own blend using either of these together with their cake (#5) or cookie (#4) flours, or an all-purpose white flour (Stybel #1 or any house brand).

I’m very happy with the organic whole-wheat flour I buy from a company in Itamar. (They’re part of a Yesha cooperative of small businesses that deliver here every few months.) The owner told me that he uses soft wheat and grinds it twice in an electric-operated stone grinder. Sometimes I mix it with white flour. But it’s fine-grained and light and gives wonderful results in non-yeasted baked goods. It also makes delicious bread.

Given that it’s made from soft wheat, I’d say that this is the closest to whole-wheat pastry flour you’ll find in Israel. An added benefit is that it doesn’t need to be sifted (to check for insects) before using, since it’s kept under constant refrigeration from just after grinding. It also needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer once you bring it home.

I hope this answers your questions. Happy and healthy baking!

Chana

Just say NO!.... (to hot dogs)

And now for something completely different...

Yes, we're still at war. Less than 20 rockets hit southern Israel today. They just announced it on the news as if it was something to be happy about. But for those of us who are reminded of a wailing siren whenever a motorcycle goes by or the heater turns on, even one rocket attack is too many.


Let's discuss something else today:

Should hot dogs and salami be banned from school lunch?

The Cancer Project, an organization promoting cancer prevention and survival, is trying to do just that.

What’s wrong with hot dogs, bologna sandwiches and corned beef on rye? Are deli meats all that bad?

What’s the big deal?

The recommendation is based on a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund. Looking at a large number of studies, they found a direct link between eating processed meat and developing colorectal cancer.

Their conclusion pointed to a 21% higher risk of cancer from eating 50 grams (1 ¾ ounces) of processed meat every day. That’s the size of one hot dog. And apparently, some children eat hot dogs every day!

Bologna, salami, corned beef, pastrami, sausage, hot dogs – these are all processed meats. They’re prepared by curing, salting, smoking or by the addition of preservatives.

We’re not sure why they increase cancer risk. It may have to do with the added preservatives, flavorings or colors. Or it may be the result of a chemical reaction during cooking or digestion.

There’s another good reason to avoid processed meats. They’re notoriously high in salt and saturated fat – bad news for heart health.

There are plenty of healthier ways to enjoy meat. Lean cuts of beef, chicken and turkey are all good choices. And don’t forget other healthy protein foods like fish, eggs and the wonderful variety of delicious legumes.

The AICR recommends that everyone – not just children, avoid processed meats entirely. And I agree.

Cooking Under Fire

Fortunately, I started cooking for Shabbat yesterday.

Because at 5 a.m. this morning we were aroused by the missile warning siren. We grabbed a blanket, fumbled out of bed, turned on a light, sat on the floor in the hallway and tuned in to our local radio station.

But they were broadcasting as usual. Not the usual pre-recorded instructions of what to do and (depending on how far you live from Gaza) how much time you have to do it. I thought I heard someone on the radio talking about carrots. Who listens to the radio at five in the morning? Do they really talk about food at that hour?

Anyway, we didn’t hear the usual series of booms, so we went back to bed. Only to be awakened again at 7 a.m. This time for real – four Grad rocket booms exploded in the distance.

Still feeling groggy, I knew it was pointless to try to go back to bed. So I started making challah and dessert. And chicken. Only to be interrupted twice more by sirens. With booms.

Our Erev Shabbat menu:

Borlotti bean and farro soup (the last vestiges of our Tuscany trip)
Green salad
Marinated beets
Chicken thighs, fennel and onion baked in lemon sauce
Mashed potatoes
Lemon tart
Fresh baked challah

Many thanks to all of you who have written to express your concern and warm wishes. We so appreciate your thoughts and your prayers.

With my very best wishes for a Shabbat shketa. A peaceful and quiet Shabbat.

Missiles are flying and food is still on my mind

I’d like to think that we won’t have to get used to this.

Pillows, blanket, radio (and now a teddy bear for our granddaughter) on the floor in the hallway - our “safe” area.
Flashlights strategically placed around the house.
The light left on all night and the front door we leave unlocked, just in case.

Will I get used to watching T.V.?

Except for an occasional cooking show or movie classic, television never held my interest. I’m much happier reading a good book or listening to music. But here I am now, checking every few hours for news updates.

After this morning’s news, I happened on a lesson broadcast for high school students in the south, where schools are still closed. The teacher was contemporary Israeli author Meir Shalev. His subject – King Saul, David and Goliath (Samuel I). How interesting to hear his thoughts on the Tanach delivered in eloquent literary Hebrew.

He encouraged the students to think about contemporary leaders in light of biblical heroes. How does charisma influence leadership? Can young people contribute creative solutions to the tough problems we face today? He stressed the importance of thinking “outside of the box”.

At the end of his lecture he took a slingshot out of his pocket and began to demonstrate David’s technique in his match with Goliath.

At which point my mind wandered to Shalev’s novel that I’d recently read in translation - “Four Meals”. His story revolves around four gourmet meals eaten by the narrator. Ah yes, it was back to food for me ….

Remember those garbanzo beans I was cooking the other day?

My husband and I collaborated on this delicious meal. It's not a formal recipe. There are no measurements. Just these general guidelines:

Whole Chomous and Eggplant (Parve)

1. Pre-soak and then cook a cup or two of garbanzo beans (chick peas, chomous). When they are nearly done, season with salt to taste and cook them a little more until they’re very soft. There should be a little cooking liquid left. Add a tablespoon or so of extra-virgin olive oil to the beans.

2. While the beans are cooking, grill an eggplant or two until the skin is charred and the inside is completely soft. Slit the eggplant with a sharp knife and let it drain in a colander.

3. Chop the cooled eggplant coarsely. Season it with techina (Especially easy with more liquid pourable techina sold here.), salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Garlic is good too.

4. Toast a handful of pine nuts in a small dry skillet.

5. Put the warm garbanzo beans into a serving bowl or arrange them on a platter.

6. Spoon the eggplant on top of the beans. Sprinkle with a little sumac (or paprika) and then with the pine nuts.

Enjoy!

Notes from Beer Sheva...plus a recipe

As of last night, our ground troops are fighting in Gaza.

We’ve been advised to stay close to home in anticipation of rocket attacks. Thank God, here in Beer Sheva it’s been quiet.

Neighbors with young children are staying with their parents. Elderly parents are staying with their children.

Several friends from Jerusalem have opened their homes to us, but for now, we’re staying put. Our family and friends are here.

Schools have been closed for a week now. Many shops are empty. Grocery and pizza deliveries are the only businesses that seem to be doing well.

This morning we phoned friends whose son’s wedding is tonight. Their younger son had just called them to say that he’d either be at the wedding or fighting in Gaza. It’s hard to imagine such a bittersweet occasion.

I’ve been puttering around the house. There’s laundry in the washing machine and garbanzo beans cooking on the stove. Rye bread is baking in the bread machine. Occasionally I check the television for updates. (It took a war in the south for me to learn how to use the remote control.) At least my Hebrew is improving from the constant repetition of the news.

Rye flour reminded me of another recipe. It’s a version of French honey bread, a little like gingerbread. Rich with whole-grains, nuts and seeds, these soft, chewy bars don’t resemble “health food” at all. They’re lovely for dessert or as a snack with coffee or tea. And when the world outside is a mess, you’ll find comfort in the soothing aroma coming from your oven when you bake these.

Multi-Grain Walnut Spice Bars (Parve)

½ cup rye flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown or demerara sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Line the bottom of an 8” (20cm.) square baking pan with parchment paper and spray the pan with non-stick baking spray.

Mix together the rye flour, oats, walnuts, sunflower seeds, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and set aside.

Mix the eggs, sugar, honey, oil and vanilla in an electric mixer. Beat the mixture until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine the ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into squares.

Makes 16 bars