Keeping the faith in February

Written by Robin Glowa
Monday, 15 February 2010 16:05

“Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great importance to the morale.”

— Elsa Schiaparelli

As I watch the blinding, swirling snow squalls fill the sky on this mid-February day, I am reminded of an old phrase: “Living well is the best revenge.” But living well sometimes is misconstrued as eating heartily, to the point of gluttony and discomfort; or consuming foods that are either decadently rich, deep-fried, overly processed or excessively salted.

Living well and eating well often require great discipline on my part. The discipline of portion control and choosing natural, whole foods revives and regenerates me, giving me more brain power, energy and enthusiasm.

During this rapidly darkening winter day, I am having great difficulty, however, curbing my urges for copious quantities of carbohydrates in any form or fashion. I eat salty crackers, pretzels, tortilla chips, cereal, anything I can crunch in mindless abandon, as I wait for another New England storm to subside.

I have found one relatively subversive tactic for quelling my desire to load up on Ritz crackers, pretzel rods and Triscuits jammed into the peanut butter jar. Eating super-fresh, crispy vegetables such as celery and bok choy gives me the major crunch factor I’m craving, while providing much-needed hydration, vitamins and minerals.

Bok choy is high on my list of winter-wonder foods. I am enamored of bok choy’s tender, succulent, green leaves and crispy white stalks. I have been enjoying it in a multitude of stir-fried preparations, added to chicken soup and thinly sliced in salads.

Loaded with vitamins A and C, bok choy marries beautifully with Asian seasonings such as sesame oil, soy sauce and hot peppers. These strong flavors satisfy and satiate, adding immense pleasure and warm spice to cold winter days.

Prepare a delicious life by eating well of the foods that best nourish and sustain your high level of good health.

Winter bok choy stir-fry

1 head bok choy, well washed and trimmed, white stalks cut into thin slices, green leaves chopped

1 sweet pepper, red, yellow or orange, seeded and cut into strips

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons minced, fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup chicken broth

Heat a frying or sauté pan over high heat. Add the canola oil and roll around to coat pan. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for about 20 seconds.

Add white bok choy stalks, pepper strips and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for one to two minutes. Do not overcook.

Add greens to the pan with the chicken broth. Cover pan and cook for two minutes, or until greens are wilted. White stalks should be crisp, and the greens still a vibrant color. Serve immediately. Excellent with roasted salmon.

Robin Glowa, HHC, AADP, is a passionate food and wellness enthusiast who earned her certification in holistic health counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teachers College.

She specializes in teaching healthy cooking classes for children and adults, as well as cooking presentations and wellness workshops for many local organizations.

For more information go to theconsciouscook.net.