Eating “En route” Part II

Between flights

Our plane from Tel Aviv arrived late at night in Toronto, our overnight stop-over en route to Milwaukee. With an early connecting flight, we needed to be up by 5 a.m. the next morning.

After picking at the far-from-nourishing airline meals during the flight, we were hungry for dinner. And I was already thinking about tomorrow’s breakfast.

We had researched kosher restaurants in Toronto, but after the flight from Tel Aviv, we were too tired to travel from the airport hotel into town. For less than round-trip taxi fare, my husband had the brilliant idea of ordering out. Le Bistro Grande, a lovely kosher dairy restaurant, was most cooperative and within half an hour they delivered a tasty meal of pasta with vegetables, salad and bottled water.

As for breakfast - I had my single-pack cereal boxes, paper plates, bowls and plastic utensils. We added a banana, milk and orange juice purchased from a Starbucks at the airport.

But what if you find yourself far from the convenience of a kosher restaurant? And you forgot those cereal boxes?

In most airports you can find something healthy and kosher to eat. Check the coffee houses for whole fresh fruit and pure fruit or vegetable juice. I found small baby carrots and cherry tomatoes in an airport store.

Look carefully among the candy bars and you’re likely to find at least one fairly nutritious “snack” or “health” bar. In Canada I like the “Break-a-Way Snacks” Organic Nature Bar. It’s a mix of seeds, nuts, dried fruit and sweetener. Although high in fat (11 grams per bar) and rather sweet (12 grams of sugar), it is a good source of fiber (3 grams) and quick energy. I also like “Kashi” bars and “Larabar”, a dried fruit and nut bar with 5 grams of fiber.

Kosher packaged nuts are usually available at airports. Look for plain nuts or mixtures of dried fruits and nuts.

Our recent dinner menu at O’Hare airport while waiting between flights was tuna salad on crackers (carried with us), fresh carrots, cherry tomatoes, sparkling water and fresh fruit.

Once you’ve reached your destination, don’t forget to keep drinking. It’s especially important to re-hydrate, and water is the beverage of choice.

While I don’t recommend drinking coffee (or alcohol) while flying (both will increase dehydration), here is a suggestion that helped us once we were on the ground: A cup of coffee followed by a short nap (15-20 minutes) helped us deal with jet lag, especially in the afternoons when we felt especially sluggish. By the time you are finished resting, the effect of the caffeine will give you an extra “push” until bedtime.

Safe, healthy traveling to all of you – N’siyah Tovah!

Eating “En route”

Part I

My husband and I just returned from a trip to the U.S. We travel fairly often for family, business and pleasure.

It’s challenging enough for us to find kosher food away from home. But healthy kosher food is even more difficult.

On the Plane

Most airlines have eliminated hot meals on all but overseas flights. And those meals leave something to be desired.

Here’s what Air Canada served us last week:

Dinner: Garbanzo bean salad, two rolls, mini-hot dogs, beans, rice, green beans and a chocolate-filled hamentashen (no kidding – this was in May!)

Breakfast: Three white-flour pastries (muffin, cookie, roll), canned fruit cocktail, a spongy baked egg dish with a teaspoon of tomato sauce and fried potatoes.

Add in margarine, non-dairy creamer and water – all kosher, of course.

It’s easy to see what’s going on here – low cost food high in carbohydrates, fat and sugar. O.K., I’ll give them credit for serving low-fat, high-protein legumes. But three types of beans in one meal?

So what did I eat? Garbanzo bean salad and green beans for dinner, supplemented with almonds and dried cherries brought from home. And for breakfast, a granola bar and fresh fruit, packed away in my carry-on bag.

To reduce jet lag, long-distance travelers should eat lightly and drink lots of water. So let’s not complain too much about poor airline food. After all, you shouldn’t be eating so much anyway. And all of that water should have you feeling rather full. But most of us get just a little hungry on these long flights. And what are you supposed to do on flights when no food is available?

Carry food from home with you!

I’m a firm believer in traveling with food. Whenever I spot small sample boxes of cereal, I grab a few for the next trip. Throw in a few paper bowls and plastic spoons, buy a small carton of milk and fruit at the airport and you’re set for breakfast.

When in the U.S., I buy single-serve peanut butter. And I always travel with whole-grain grain crackers and a plastic knife.

Dry-packed tuna and salmon in flat foil pouches are perfect for traveling. My local fast-food restaurant is more than happy to give me a few packets of mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing to mix in with it. Packed in a zip lock bag with a few forks and napkins, they take up very little space in your carry-on bag.

Nuts are also a good source of protein that travel easily. Choose almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or peanuts and look for unsalted or low-salt varieties.

And don’t forget fruits and vegetables. Bring along already washed cherry tomatoes, carrot and celery sticks and cucumbers to eat on the plane. Firm summer fruit like plums and cherries travel well in the summer. Choose easily peeled citrus, grapes and apples in cooler months.

Traveling to a country that doesn’t allow in fresh produce? Eat your fresh fruit and vegetables on the plane and take along dried fruit for later. Dried apricots, pears, cherries, peaches and prunes all travel well.

I travel with fruits and nuts that I mix at home in a zip-lock bag. My current favorite is walnuts and dried cherries. In the winter, chocolate chips might find their way into the mix too.

After a long flight, our plane landed and we looked forward to an overnight rest in Toronto before heading to Milwaukee and then California.

More eating challenges ahead!

Happy 60th Birthday Israel!

Beyond Falafel

May 8th, is Israel's 60th anniversary.

There are celebrations planned throughout the country and in Jewish communities around the world. Most will include food, of course. And falafel will likely be on many menus.

I enjoy a good falafel. We have one of the best falafel stands in town right across the street, and it's nice to indulge occasionally.

But Israeli food has graduated far beyond falafel.

While falafel and schwarma joints still abound, especially here in Beer Sheva, fine restaurants can be found in all large cities.

Gourmet is “In”.

Boutique wineries and cheese makers are abundant. There are now nearly 300 wineries located throughout the country.

When I made aliyah in 1970, you could buy yellow cheese and white cheese. Period. Today, the variety of soft and hard cheeses made in Israel rivals that of France.

Organic produce is available in many larger grocery stores. We get farm-fresh organic produce delivered directly from the farm to our doorstep every week.

Add to this the amazing influx of people from every corner of the earth – everyone with their own unique cuisine. In spite of the wars and hardships that Israel has suffered, a new, sophisticated cuisine – an Israeli Cuisine, is developing before our eyes.

In 60 years we’ve come a long way as a country. And our tastes in food and drink have become far more sophisticated than they were back in 1948.

Pancakes

We had a major heat wave during Pesach: the kind of day when you don’t even want to step into the kitchen, let alone turn on the stove.

A fresh green salad was definitely in order for dinner, but what could we have with it that wouldn’t take hours in the kitchen?

From the refrigerator, a small container of cooked beet greens was my inspiration: PANCAKES!

Mention pancakes and most of us think of breakfast.

But vegetable pancakes are especially popular in Sephardic cuisine – spinach, chard and leek patties for example. Corn fritters are an American favorite.

Vegetable pancakes can be a good way to get children to eat vegetables, especially if you make them small and let the children eat them with their fingers.

My recipe started with about half a cup of chopped beet greens previously cooked with onion and garlic. I added an egg and about 1/3 of a cup of matzah cake meal, salt, pepper and a dash of cinnamon.

Try cooked spinach, chard, broccoli or raw grated zucchini. Add an egg or two, flour to bind the ingredients and fresh or dry herbs. Sauté in a small amount of olive oil and enjoy!

Zucchini Pancakes (Dairy)

1 ½ pounds zucchini
6 scallions, thinly sliced or ½ small onion, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
8 ounces feta cheese (I use 5% fat Bulgarian cheese)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 eggs, beaten
Olive oil for frying

Grate the zucchini coarsely. (A food processor works well.) Add the scallions, dill, cheese, paprika, flour and eggs.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. (I use a non-stick pan.) Drop the zucchini mixture by large tablespoons and spread them out to make thin patties. Cook until crisp and brown on both sides.

Chag Kasher V'Sameach!

We’re coming down the home-stretch now. The shopping is done, the produce ordered, and except for a corner of the kitchen, the house is ready for Passover. Just a quick change of dishes, a few more leftovers in the refrigerator, kashering the stove and counter tops, and we'll be ready to go.

I’d like to be finished with my baking before our friends arrive from America on Wednesday night. Then I’ll start cooking on Thursday, hopefully before our son comes home from his army base, exhausted and hungry for “normal” food. By then, it will most likely be pizza and take-out noodles eaten in the garden.

Most of us have plenty to do during the next few days. So this will be my last Passover post.

I wish all of you a Chag Kasher V’sameach -

A Happy, Kosher and Healthy Passover.

And just one more Passover recipe – our favorite Sephardi-style Charoset. In fact, my husband is making it now.

We prepare a double batch and spread it on matzah or eat it “as is” during the week. For a delicious breakfast, try it with plain low-fat yogurt.

Rubin Family Charoset

Ingredients:

1 seedless orange, peeled and cut into eighths
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1 cup dates, pitted and halved

1 cup raisins
½ cup walnut pieces or halves
½ cup almonds
2 tablespoons orange juice

Method:

Put all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the
mixture becomes a soft and rather coarse paste. Add more juice if necessary.
Refrigerate to blend the flavors.

Yields: 3 cups

Leftovers

My refrigerator looks rather forlorn now: half a jar of mustard, a spoonful of mayonnaise, leftover rice; a little of this, a little of that.

We’re all in the same boat – trying to make the best of leftovers and piecing together meals before Passover.

But this year I won’t complain about leftovers. I have a new appreciation of my own leftovers when my son told me what the IDF is doing with theirs: The Israeli army is frying up their leftover “loof” – the kosher version of Spam that’s provided to soldiers in the field, and serving it instead of the usual schnitzel. Evidently, loof is not kosher-for-Pesach, and the army is trying to use it up before the holiday.

Yum!

Passover Quiz

Here’s a quick quiz that we can all relate to:

By the end of Passover:

A. I have gained several pounds
B. My stomach is upset
C. I feel totally exhausted
D. None of the above
E. All of the above

If you’re like most of us, you’ve likely checked “E”.

Jews are known as “The People of the Book.” But on Passover, we become “The People of the Cookbook!” Our time is spent in the kitchen and around the table – it’s food, food and more food.

And with an emphasis on eggs, potatoes, sweets and matzah, it’s not surprising that we don’t feel our best by the end of the holiday.

But here’s the good news: It doesn’t have to be this way!

By making some simple changes to your usual Pesach diet, you can eat light, you can eat right, and you can feel better than ever when Pesach is over.

You don’t have to eat matzah at every meal. The mitzvah of eating mitzvah only applies to the Seder. And if regular matzah is upsetting to your digestive system, try whole wheat matzah instead.

Plan your meals around vegetables. Eat a green salad every day. Center your meals on soups, salads and main courses prepared with fresh seasonal vegetables.

Include fish often during Pesach. It’s a healthy low-fat alternative to meat that doesn’t leave you feeling stuffed.

Serve lots of fruit. In addition to fresh seasonal fruit, I like to prepare a simple dried fruit compote to last throughout the holiday. Cook the fruit with a stick of cinnamon or orange slices and there’s no need for added sugar.

Quality not quantity. Most of us tend to prepare way too much food during the holidays. One solution is to estimate reasonable portion sizes and freeze any leftovers for another meal. And if someone is still hungry after dinner, offer fresh fruit.

Be active! Just because it’s a holiday, there’s no reason to sit around the house. During Chol Hamoed, get out and walk, ride bikes, exercise or play ball.

By the end of this Pesach, I hope that we can all answer “D” – “None of the Above” when I re-send this quiz!

PASSOVER MACAROONS

My husband hates macaroons – the canned, overly-sweetened coconut variety that most of us grew up with during Passover.

But a traditional macaroon is something completely different. At its simplest it is a cookie made of ground almonds, sugar and beaten egg whites.

When I prepared real macaroons shortly after we were married, my husband was in shock. He loved them! His very favorite is a version made with pistachios, sugar and a whole egg. The ultimate in simplicity.

Later this week, he’s promised to shell at least a pound of pistachios so I can bake enough of these for our family and friends. Here’s the recipe:


Pistachio Macaroons

1 cup shelled, roasted, salted pistachios
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the nuts, sugar and egg in a food processor and grind to a coarse paste.

Use a scant tablespoon of batter for each cookie, placing them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a baking rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 2 dozen

And for Some Variety: Quinoa for Pesach

Most authorities agree that quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is kosher for Passover. * The tiny round quinoa seed is unrelated to the five varieties of grain prohibited during Pesach, and will not ferment or rise. It is recommended to check quinoa carefully (before Pesach) for any extraneous matter and to purchase it from a manufacturer that doesn’t package chametz in the same plant. In Israel, quinoa is very popular throughout the year and is available “Kosher for Pesach” in most grocery stores.

Nutritionally, quinoa is an excellent protein source and is high in iron, potassium, magnesium and lysine. It cooks in only 15 minutes and takes to a wide range of seasonings. It is naturally covered with a bitter substance called saponin. Rinse it in a sieve under cold water to remove this coating.

* It is always best to consult your rabbi regarding matters of kashrut

Try this recipe and then experiment with variations of your own:

FRAGRANT QUINOA WITH VEGETABLES

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small thin strips
1 medium zucchini, cut into small thin strips
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Freshly ground pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the quinoa and salt. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. (You will notice a small opaque spiral around each grain. This is normal.)

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the carrots for 3-5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for another few minutes, until both vegetables are tender but still crisp. Add the paprika and cinnamon and cook for another minute.

Mix the vegetables with the quinoa and serve.

Serves 4 – 6