Roasted Cauliflower and Barley Salad with Caesar Dressing

Merry Christmas!  I have a few minutes to spare.  I am going to TRY and post some fun recipes for Christmas and I have some good ideas for salads, appetizers and deserts.  Salads seemed like a good place to start—as a good recovery from Thanksgiving (for now) and also as a nice accompaniment to a main course (for Christmas).

This warm salad is substantial enough for lunch or a light dinner, but would also taste great with a roast or fish.  Roasted cauliflower is probably one of the best foods in the world, and something about a smooth coat of egg, garlic and parmesan from the Caesar dressing makes it so luxurious.  Don’t be scared of the sugar, it just helps it become more crispy brown—it doesn’t make it too sweet.  The egg, not unlike carbonara, coats the grain and cooks through, so don't fear the raw egg.
 

1 head cauliflower
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp pepper

8 ounces barley 

1 egg yolk
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp. lemon juice (from 1 to 1/12 lemons)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
pepper
1 anchovy fillet
pinch salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil 

4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked, finely chopped 

1/2 cup pine nuts 

Preheat the oven to 400.  Cut up the cauliflower into florets and spread them on a cookie sheet lined with foil.  Sprinkle the salt, sugar and drizzle the olive oil.  Cook the cauliflower until golden, approximately 25-30 minutes.   On a separate baking sheet, bake the pine nuts for 5 minutes at 400 when the cauliflower is almost done.  

Cook the barley in salted boiling water according to instructions.  (I bought parboiled barley and cooked for 12 minutes).  Drain when tender. 

To make the dressing, combine egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, pepper, pinch of salt and anchovy in a blending.  Add the oil slowly and then the parmesan.  Blend for 1 minute until creamy.  While the barley, pine nuts and cauliflower are still warm, combine all ingredients in a bowl including the thyme.  The warmth of the salad should cook the egg through.

Cannellini, Tuna and Herb Salad

This is the perfect summer lunch.  Light, refreshing and healthy with a huge dose of fresh herbs.  You can use whatever herbs you have on hand, parsley and mint are always excellent, rosemary and tarragon would also taste delicious.  This salad would be great on sandwiches, on lettuce or just by itself served with hard boiled eggs, avocado and tomato.  The options are really endless. 

2 cans tuna drained

1 15 oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed (other white beans such as great northern would also be good)

1 cup loosely packed roughly chopped herbs.  I used a combination of parsley, mint, dill, basil, lavender and thyme

juice of 2 lemons

2 tbsp sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar would also be good)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1 small shallot finely chopped

pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Make the vinaigrette by adding the herbs, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, shallots, salt, pepper and oil.  Allow to sit 5 minutes to let the herbs soften.  In a large bowl, combine tuna and beans and then add the vinaigrette.  Combine everything.  Enjoy!  

Refreshed-- Tart and snappy apple, fennel and fig salad

Life is worth celebrating!

Feeling happy and refreshed.  Even though I’m still working a lot I feel comfortable in my job and I’m loving what I’m doing.  Second year has been fantastic so far; I’m not so nervous about every decision I make or what everybody thinks of me.  I’m not falling asleep with the pager under my pillow praying it doesn’t beep.

This year I’m focusing on two goals--improving my surgical skills and more importantly appropriately counseling patients.  As much as I wanted to give patients the right information I think I failed many times last year due to time constraints, fatigue, frustration and lack of knowledge.  I’m trying to take the time to step back and truly make sure patients understand what is happening to them and why, and it’s a really good feeling.

I’m also trying to bring a bit of balance back into my life.  It’s easy to forget what being a human is like.  The other night I made this easy and fresh salad using fresh fall flavors which is very tart and sweet--but not too sweet.  The salad was very easy to make with a mandoline for thin slices.   A very sharp knife would work just as well.  I brought fresh figs as something new to try and was very happily surprised and how great they taste raw tossed in some lemon juice and olive oil. 

Tart and snappy apple, fennel and fig salad

2 gala or other tart apples cored, unpeeled

1 fennel bulb

4-5 fresh figs

1-2 lemons (depending how tart you like your salads)

½ cup toasted and salted pepitas

crumbled goat cheese

¼ cup olive oil

½ tbsp salt

With a mandoline or sharp knife, slice apples and bulb of fennel into paper thin slices.  In a medium bowl combine apple and fennel with lemon, salt and olive oil.  Toss to combine.  Place on platter, leaving remaining juices in bowl.  Slice figs into thin slices and toss in remaining dressing.  Place figs on top of apple and fennel combination.  Sprinkle pepitas and goat cheese on top.  Enjoy!

Grilled chicken and eggplant salad with arugula pesto

I’m feeling lucky and relaxed, back from another wonderful vacation with my husband spent in the car driving around the Midwest.  Also, even bigger cause to celebrate, I’m a second year resident!  Intern year is over and I feel so proud and accomplished of all that I learned and did in one year (tons of deliveries, dozens of C-sections, gynecologic surgeries, hundreds of emergency and clinic patients.)  More than anything, I’m freaking relieved by the promotion.  The second year schedule is a bit more forgiving and well balanced and there is a scant amount of clout that comes with the job. 

Even though I had an awesome year, it is great to know that it will be somebody else running around labor and delivery trying to get it all done--although I think I’m hard wired to sprint when I hear “doctor for decelerations/delivery/exam” on the overhead speaker.  As second year, we learn how to be consultants to midwives and are in charge of the women’s ER.  Plus, there will be lots of scalpel time as we are primary surgeon to all C-sections at night.  It is amazing how much I’ve seen after just one year, and I’m excited to keep learning and gaining more responsibility as I work my way up.

Perhaps now with a new year and a new job, July is a much better month than January to make New Year’s resolutions.  While in January I was merely trying to survive; to get out of bed, go to work and do the best job I could, I’m blessed to have a bit of time this month to make some real changes in my habits.  I’m feeling bloated after eating a hot fudge sundae every day of my vacation. This is worsened by the fact that even though I joined the gym almost a year ago, I haven’t been at all since February.  (My husband is surely chuckling)

Thankfully, summer is a great time to eat a lighter diet.  I found beautiful small eggplants at the grocery store and they grilled up just great. We have a gas grill as part of our apartment, and I know, I know it’s not charcoal but I’m getting the hang of the grill and hopefully someday can promote myself to hot coals. Even though pesto isn’t necessarily diet food, it at least is a step in the right direction.  I love making pesto with arugula as it has a wonderful peppery bite and is cheaper than basil.  This “salad” can be served hot or cold and would be great over bread, mixed in with lettuce or pasta or can be eaten alone.

Grilled chicken and eggplant salad with arugula pesto

Arugula pesto

Handful loose basil

1 cup arugula

Salt and pepper to taste

Clove garlic

¼ cup grated parmesan

¼ cup walnuts

1 tbsp high quality balsamic vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb eggplant

1 lb roma tomatoes, seeded and divided in eight pieces

½ red onion thinly diced

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Olive oil and salt for seasoning

To make the pesto, place basil, arugula, garlic, cheese, walnuts, salt and pepper into food processor.  Run until all components are well combined.  Scrape down sides and pulse in balsamic vinegar.  With machine running, slowly add oil until all ingredients well combined.  Set aside

Preheat grill to medium high heat.  If using small eggplants such as thai or Indian as I did, cut in half and salt and brush with olive oil.  If using a large eggplant, cut into 4-5 horizontal slices and salt and brush with oil each side.  With the chicken, salt and oil each breast.  Grill eggplant for about 6-7 minutes on each side until juices run from the eggplant and they are soft to touch.  Grill chicken for about 7 minutes on each side until juices run clear and the chicken has an internal temperature of about 150F.

Dice eggplant into about 1 inch cubes, doing the same for the chicken.  In a large bowl, add eggplant, chicken, tomato and onion.  Add pesto by the tablespoon until each piece of salad well coated.  You will have leftover pesto which can be put aside for a separate use. 

Cool as a cucumber—refreshing my Spanish on the job

A word to the squeamish or vaginally offended, this post is really about gynecology

I came to Texas for residency because I love taking care of Spanish speaking women.  For good reason, I’ve discovered.  There couldn’t be a more caring, kind, respectful and fun group of people to take care of than the Mexican and Central American patients that we take care of in clinic and on the wards.   Although I have spent multiple months perfecting conversational and party Spanish all over Latin America, my gynecologic castellano wasn’t quite all there when I started residency.  

It’s kind of funny to try and communicate clearly but still be professional and culturally sensitive when talking about private parts in another language.   Whereas in English I might just come straight out and ask patients about sexual activity, in Spanish, I seem to have better reception and communication if I ask about “relaciones”.    While I could literally translate the questions I ask in my history the same way I normally would, I have noticed that in Spanish, phrasing is more modest and more nuanced.   So, here below I have a list of common words and phrases used in OB/GYN that I have picked up over the past few weeks. 

Basic gynecologic Spanish, patient friendly edition:

Pain—dolor

Blood—sangre

To examine—examinar

My vagina—mi parte (or mi vagina)

Cervix—cuello de matrix (literally neck of the uterus)

Itching—comezón

Discharge—flujo

Pads—toallas

Contractions—contracciones

Cramps—cólicos

Pap smear—Papanicolaou

Speculum—especulo

IUD—dispositivo

Clots—coágulos

D+C—legrado (pretty awesome that there is one short word instead of dilatation and curettage)

Vaginal delivery—parto natural

You probably don’t want to eat after that, but hey, I do it everyday.   Even though my patients might be modest about their private lives, they certainly eat some very bold food.   The other amazing part about living in Texas besides fantastic patients is the fantastic food, and the large Hispanic grocery stores.  Limes are 20 for a dollar and the produce is fresh, diverse and abundant. 

One of my favorite Mexican inspired treats couldn’t be easier.  It’s a simple dressing put on all fruits, including cucumbers consisting of chile powder, salt and lime.  Just makes anything taste better.  Keeps me cool as a cucumber!

Mexican cukes

1 cucumber

chili powder

sprinkle salt

juice of 2 limes

Combine and enjoy

Eating alone—with garlic breath

So, sadly, my fiancé departed this afternoon to finish his job in Cleveland.  I’m in Texas alone.  Sad, but not that sad.  Alone time is awesome.  Considering I know about zero people in Dallas, besides the Patron promotional model who I met at the apartment pool, I’m hunkering down with my sweet self for some introspective, reflective, pampering “me” time.

People always tell me that they don’t cook because they don’t like cooking for one.  I love cooking for myself!  Considering I am the most important person in my life, I like getting the chance to whip up a quick dinner and curl up with the remote and watch whatever the hurk I want to watch (which would usually be PBS but considering we just got cable might just be the Keeping Up with the Kardashians marathon) or messily opening up the sewing machine.  I love that I can eat all of the food if I want to with nobody judging, that I can eat it out of the pot with a serving spoon, and that I can lick the countertops if I please. 

So tonight I’m making the perfect kind of meal for one.  It’s quick, easy, healthy and delicious and gives you really stinky garlic breath.  This way you can be in allium ecstasy and nobody will mind, expect maybe your cat if you have one.  The physiology of garlic breath is quite interesting.

Garlic breath comes from a combination the breakdown of garlic in the mouth and in the gut into sulfur containing compounds, ie stinky.  Many of the compounds can be rid of by brushing the teeth, but one major compound called allyl methyl disulfide (AMS) is absorbed by the gut, diffused into the blood and gives off the classic garlic breath smell.  It is thought that the liver metabolizes all other sulfur by-products of garlic breakdown with “first pass metabolism” but that AMS lingers on in the blood.  Ultimately, the AMS compounds stick around for a long time and are exhaled which is why teeth brushing doesn’t help garlic breath [1].

Breathe easy—your halitosis is acceptable.  Tonight I made my favorite Thai dish, which I ate every day when my fiancé and I were in Thailand a few years ago.  Yes, the recipe does say six cloves of garlic.  I also made a Thai inspired coleslaw/cabbage salad which cuts the salt and spice of the main course and gives a lovely, refreshing crunch.   A lot of the ingredients are purchased in an Asian specialty store such as holy basil and long beans, but I will give acceptable substitutions.  The only thing that is necessary is fish sauce.  Without fish sauce, it’s not Thai.  The recipe yields two servings, so you can pack up the other half for a delicious lunch, or you can torture your friend or lover with your stinky mouth.

Cooking for one (recipes actually serve 2)
Thai green bean basil

1 tbsp veggie oil
½ pound ground beef (or chicken or pork or tofu)
6 cloves garlic
1 large shallot
4 thai chilis (or more) seeded and chopped
1 ½ cups chopped long beans (or green beans)
2 ½ tbsp fish sauce
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
Juice of one small lime
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup packed holy basil leaves (or regular basil)

To prep: using mortar and pestle or knife, pound garlic and shallots to a rough pulp.  In a bowl mix fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and lime juice.  Make sure all ingredients are chopped and ready once you start because will cook very quickly.  Over high heat, heat wok or cast iron pan and add oil until smoking.  When smoking, add beef and garlic and shallots until beef is cooked and shallots are slightly translucent.  Add beans and chilies and cook until beans are slightly tender.  Add sauce, stir constantly, add basil until wilted.

Thai style cabbage salad

¼ head cabbage
¼ cup mint finely chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas
¼ cup baby carrots

Dressing:
Juice of 2 small limes. 
3 tbsp fish sauce.
1 tsp sugar
½ inch ginger root peeled and grated
¼ cup veggie oil
Splash sesame oil

Core cabbage and slice into thin pieces.  Thinly slice peas and carrots.  Add mint.  Add dressing.  Mix and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let flavors meld.

Serve dinner with rice. 

1. Suarez, F.; Springfield, J.; Furne, J.; Levitt, M. “Differentiation of mouth versus gut as site of origin of odoriferous breath gases after garlic ingestion.” American Journal of Physiology, v. 276 issue 2 Pt 1, 1999, p. G425-30.

The chicken and the egg. They came together.

Raw eggs make great food.  If you’ve ever been to my house for dinner, or eaten something I brought to a party, you’ve probably eaten raw eggs.  Yes, I know, I’m a horrible friend because I didn’t tell you, and now I’m announcing it on the internet.  You may never come back.

But before you decide that you’d rather not acquaint with me, let me just say this.  Yes, salmonella infection is a risk if you eat raw eggs, and yes, I put you at risk.  Even so, according to the CDC, 1 in 10,000 eggs are currently contaminated with salmonella 1.  The highest rate of egg contamination is in the Northeastern region of the US, which, thankfully (not to off-put the lovely inhabitants of New England) I do not live in. 

A risk is a risk.  Let’s put this risk into perspective.  As a human dweller of North America, you have about a 40% lifetime risk of getting cancer, a 4/10,000 risk of having a pulmonary embolus if you take birth control pills, and if you were born in 2000, which obviously you weren’t, you have a 35% lifetime risk of developing diabetes! 2,3,4. So, one in ten thousand? I’ll take my chances on a creamy, yolky, tiramisu and work on becoming that one in three with “a touch of sugar”.  I guess my risk of salmonella is actually higher since I probably eat 200 plus eggs a year, but even so, most of them are cooked.*

Salmonella can dwell in the ovary of the chicken, and thus the egg becomes infected before the shell is formed.  Proper washing of the egg does NOT prevent salmonella, even though when I was sheepishly watching Rachel Ray the other day, she said her husband told her to put the eggs in warm water and whatdyaknow it’ll go away!  Check your sources, lady.  Even so, using fresh eggs and keeping them refrigerated can prevent the bacteria from multiplying. 

Eggs and chickens are not the only foods that put you at risk of salmonella.  Vegetables, peanut butter and other “safe foods” are contaminated with some nasty pathogens.  In a 2009 report analyzing food related bacterial illnesses in 2006, 21% of cases were related to poultry, 17% were related to leafy vegetables and 16% were related to fruits and nuts 5.  One multi-state outbreak was attributed to “baked goods contaminated by floor sealant”.  Maple syrup is not the same as polyurethane.

Raw egg yolks make a beautiful base for a salad dressing.  They emulsify the fat and water based ingredients to make a rich, creamy dressing.  In this salad, which is my punchy version of a Caesar salad, I like to add poached chicken thighs which are moist and flavorful, boiled new potatoes for starch, radishes for a strong bite, and red chilies for a kick.

Elizabeth’s Caesar-ian Section Salad

For the dressing:
One egg yolk (I like to separate eggs with my hands)
Juice of one lime
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
One clove of garlic smashed and finely chopped
¼ cup finely (and freshly) grated parmesan cheese
Lots of black pepper
1 tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
medium shallot diced finely
½ tbs salt
¾ cup olive oil

1 lb chicken thighs
1 lb new potatoes boiled until tender
Radishes, finely sliced
½ pound of romaine washed, dried and chopped
½ red chili seeded diced finely
1 yellow pepper chopped
2 green onions chopped

For the dressing:
Separate the egg yolk from the white, add the garlic, lime and vinegar, whisk together. Add the parmesan, pepper, salt.  Add ½ cup of olive oil in a steady stream whisking constantly.  Add the shallots and herbs, add remaining ¼ cup oil.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours for flavors to blend if you have the time.

To poach the chicken:
In a pan with lid, fill with water about ½ inch-1 inch, season with salt, add chicken.  On medium-low heat simmer chicken, covered for 10 minutes and then flip.  Cook for 10 more minutes.  If you are using chicken breasts instead, reduce the cooking time to about 7 minutes on each side.

To assemble salad, slice up chicken and potatoes.  Add veggies and toss dressing (you might have extra dressing).  I’m assuming people know how to put things in a bowl.

 

 

1.http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/salment_g.htm#What%20is%20the%20Risk

2. http://seer.cancer.gov/

3. Farmer, RD., et al. 1997. Population-based study of risk of venous thromboembolism associated with various oral contraceptives. The Lancet 349, no. 9045:83-8.

4. Narayan, KM., et al. 2003. Lifetime risk for diabetes mellitus in the United States. JAMA : Journal of the American Medical Association 290, no. 14:1884-90.

5. 2009. Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks - United States, 2006. MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 58, no. 22:609-15.


* Disclaimer: if you are pregnant or immunosuppressed in any way, don’t eat raw eggs.