Healthy Obsessions

Polenta.



Whole grain with what seems like a made up name. Actually, a lot of the whole grains and their derivatives have odd names. Polenta, funky name and all, is made from corn and corn is...a whole grain!


(Remember the whole popcorn thing).

Corn's high sugar content and low supply of vitamins and minerals (low when compared to other grains) lets it get second billing. It's like that underrated opening act for a headliner. Sometimes, we just want the main event, and it's years later before e see the talent in the other acts. Polenta is just like that. Been around for some time, but during the whole "peasant food is chic" phase, it gained some hype.

I'm here to hype it further.

Polenta can also be sold as cornmeal, or as I call it, yellow grits. (Whenever I have to explain what it I'm eating to a co-worker, as soon as I call it yellow grits I see a light bulb appear over their head.) This makes it very affordable, and easily available. I tend to get the tube of organic polenta from Trader Joe's, but the cornmeal also can be cooked, and then cooled to use the same way.

Lately, my fav thing to do with polenta is to flavor build pizza to it. So, basil & tomato veggie burgers and chicken sausages have been my background. Then I've added baby spinach, low-fat cheese, fire-roasted tomatoes, and heat the sucker up. Sooooooooooooooooo good. No cooking required either. Home made can also be made at home, if you ask me, and sometimes it's just as good.

There's a monster in the blender...

One of my co-workers will periodically ask me about leafy greens, although I don't know why. I suppose she figures that since I eat healthy that I must love to eat all healthy things.

So, I tell her leafy greens are probably some of the best nutritional bargains out there. They're full of vitamins, minerals, and very low in calories. They're gorgeous to look at while they're still in bunches. You can get several pounds of them (when frozen) for a mere 1-2 dollars at the grocery.

They also are notoriously bitter. Ugh. I can eat them, but I have to hide them in casseroles, wraps, soups and omelets. I kind of hate them, but I won't tell her that.

Incidentally, we discovered green monsters: shakes or juices that incorporate greens and yield a drink mixture. Google it!

Her doctor recommended blending greens such as spinach, kale, and collard with a bit of ginger. It was horrible. I suspect her doctor has no taste buds because they all committed suicide from drinking that thing.

Fear not! There's a better way. One of my healthy obsessions, Herbal Flavors, serves its own variety of a green monster, and it's pretty good. The banana in it kills the bitterness, but since it's a smoothie, it's raw, so little or no nutrients are lost. It also keeps your taste buds from committing suicide. I make a copycat of their green monster because their green monster is five bucks-a-pop. Their green monster eats all the green out of my wallet if I indulge too often.

It's pretty nifty when you can replicate dining out faves at home. For a green monster, use my smoothie guide and a basic/bland base (milk/juice -thickener- sweetener - extra: vanilla) . Adjust it by adding a cup of leafy greens. I also like to add nutmeg, it's spicy and pungent which compliments well with baby spinach (my green of choice).

I have pics, but have no idea how to get them out of my phone. That's a whole different monster to contend with.