Kids had fun raspberry picking today and I had fun raspberry eating! 
Raspberry is great food. It hasn't been listed as one of the 10 Power Foods being best source of health and energy but it is still a good source of Vitamin K and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese. The problem is that a large portion of the calories comes from sugars...
1 cup = 64 calories and 5g of sugars.
One of my favorite healthy snacks, the Fruity Yogurt. Nothing fancy; just a cup of each low fat plain yogurt and frozen berries. Filling and nutritious but also good looking, no?
Thanksgiving luncheon at school. I stayed away from the meaty and greasy stuff and got some Pumpkin Bread, Banana Bread, Corn Bread, Crackers and Cheddar Cheese and Fresh Fruits.
I have finally found a decent bakery in my area and they have almost-as-good-as-the-real-stuff Pain-au-Chocolat; not the healthiest treat on Earth but a delicious and occasional spirit lifter for an isolated French soul...
Back to counting my Calories, Macronutrients (Nutrients needed in relatively large quantities) and Micronutrients (Nutrients needed for life in small quantities) to get back to the shape I was before getting caught into the "wax on, wax off" stress.
This wormy looking dish is a Shirataki Noodles, Baby Bella Mushrooms, Tomato and Fresh Spinach Stir Fry seasoned with Hemp Oil and Grated Romano Cheese. It is loaded with Protein but is low in Carbs.
Mmmh... QUE BUONISSIMO!
This fruit reminds me of my childhood because there was a tree in my Grand-Parents' garden. I remember not liking that fruit too much back then because I had so much trouble eating it. Now, I still struggle with the peeling but I am more patient, and I know the health benefits of what has been nicknamed "Power Fruit".
Another culinary "experiment" this week.
It sort of look like a white carrot when it is cleaned but Burdock reminds me the taste of the Artichoke. Burdock root is eaten as a vegetable in many places. It has many nutrients like iron, inulin (a carbohydrate), and beneficial oils and it is high in Fiber. As a traditional Medicinal Plant, it is used for its blood purifying and diuretic, as well as diaphoretic (that has the power to cause increased perspiration) vertues.
I was recommended to not peel it but to scrub it with a vegetable brush because the skin containts most of the nutrients.
In Asian cuisine Burdock root is often julienned or shredded, and braised with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and/or sake, and sesame oil. It is also often artificially colored orange to resemble a carrot and used pickled and rolled in sushi. It can also be found as a snack food similar to potato chips.
This was my first experiment with Burdock so I conservatively chose to slice my root and to add it to a Cabbage Stir Fry.
It looks like a big white carrot but it tastes a lot like the small red radish, except that the flavor is milder. It was my first "encounter" with Daikon - also known as Japanese Radish, Chinese Radish, Oriental Radish, Icicle Radish and Satsuma Radish - and I had to find out how to prepare it.
I have learned that Daikon can be eaten raw in salad, pickled, grated for use as a condiment, or in stir fries, soups and stews. For my first trial, I chose to mince it and to make a stir fry combining Extra Firm Tofu, Chery Tomatoes, Kale and Pine Nuts. I served with Red Quinoa.
Nutrition Information - Daikon is very low in calories. A 3 ounce serving contains only 18 calories. It is rich in vitamin C (34% of the RDA recommendations), and also contains active enzymes that aid digestion, particularly of starchy foods. Too bad my Daikon didn't come with leaves because they are know for also being rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, and iron; definitely worth using instead of discarding, no?
And for those who like to grow their own vegetables - I personally wish I was good at it - there are many kind of Oriental Radishes seeds available online.
On Saturday, a Convention. Looking for answers...
... and a comforting home made Apple Clafoutis (French Recipe).
On Sunday, a Family Fitness session on the beach.
TJ was riding his bike in the sand for the first time, and the rest of us were walking and jogging ahead or beside, because cycling in wet sand is not as easy as it looks and he needed a few pushes.
Little "Pinky" didn't want to ride her bike and chose to walk and jog with us.
Happy Columbus Day to those who celebrate and
Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian Friends!
