So many thoughts are being spun about our current predicament. See if these words are not spot on:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – “

Little did we know, sitting in English Lit class so long ago, this prose penned in 1859 by Charles Dickens as the opening of Tale of Two Cities would apply to us in 2020 in such profound ways.

Just one day of following the news feed will see his words pop off the page as the conferences, sound bites, interviews, statistics, reflections, and insights parade across our screens.

Everyone has become a philosopher of late; I will not try to add to the fray of who says it best. But we would be all amiss if we were not looking at our personal values through a wiser lens.

What is important, lasting, and of value?

Stocks, 401-Ks, and wages may decline or even vanish.

Time is my only commodity.

I do not even know how much of it I have. My portfolio could be fat or completely running out.

Doesn’t really matter. The only time I have is this second. How will I spend it?

How are you spending yours?

Food for thought.

Now, for a different kind of food talk. Since we are all pretty much cooking 3 meals a day lately, there will be several recipe ideas in the coming posts.

Facing fewer trips to the grocery stores prompted my concerns about fresh vegetables. As a card-carrying broccoli fanatic who can consume an entire head of steamed broccoli at one sitting, I was more than a little concerned about how I could stretch my broccoli purchases.

The answer came in the form of broccoli salad. Raw veggies fill us up faster than cooked – and retain their nutrients – not to mention the fiber factor is ramped up.

Before the recipe, let’s look at an optional ingredient to these salads: cold, cooked rice. Why? Well there’s some magic involved…

First remember, moderation in all things.

You are going to learn a cleaver hack can circumvent the carbohydrate load of (starchy) rice – BUT, even if employed, it can be overdone to our detriment.

You may already be taking a probiotic supplement or may be consuming fermented foods alive with healthy bacteria to boost the population of good bacteria in your colon. Great.

Have you heard of pre-biotics?

A pre-biotic is the non-digestible part of food – think fiber and in this case, starch – that goes through the small intestines unchanged only to land in the large intestine/colon where it is fermented and used as food for the bacteria living there.

Well-fed good bacteria equal a happy gut. Happy gut equals happy body.

Seems the starch in hot-off-the-stove rice or potatoes will act like any other carbohydrate: turn into sugar, cause blood sugar spikes coupled with the need for more insulin to process, and will contribute to weight gain.

Enter cold rice or potatoes (potato salad), and the starch goes through the small intestine unabsorbed – no blood sugar spikes – and arrives in the large intestine/colon ready to feed the troops in the fermentation process. Yay.

Do not sit down to a large bowl of potato salad by yourself. Cold pizza probably won’t work either.

Moderation!

Now – on to the recipe full of goodness that will contribute to a healthy gut, leave you full and satisfied, and will stretch out the broccoli – or Brussels sprouts – to last between less frequent trips to the store.

Broccoli Salad With Options

Ingredients for salad

1 small broccoli crown or a combination of broccoli and Brussels sprouts – cut broccoli up into small florets, and cut Brussels sprouts in half, lengthwise, and thinly slice horizontally

1 large carrot, grated

Fresh parsley, chopped

1 Bell pepper – red ones have more Vit. C – diced

Handful of pumpkin seeds

Optional salad ingredients:

Handful of dried cranberries

1 cup cold, cooked rice

Parmesan cheese, grated

2 stalks celery, diced

Ingredients for dressing

Duke’s mayonnaise – quantities vary … sorry. How big is a large dollop? I do not like super-creamy green salads. I use just enough to glue things together. Remember: moderation.

Sour cream – about the same amount as the mayo

Juice from ½ lemon – this I know for sure!

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup hemp seeds

Splash of milk of choice to thin the dressing

Method

Using a large mixing bowl, make the dressing first. Throw everything in and stir to incorporate. The amount of dressing you have along with your personal preference of salad wetness will guide how much broccoli and/or sprouts you will use overall.

Prepare the salad ingredients and add to dressing, stirring to combine after each addition.

This probably benefits from some chilling time to meld the flavors, but it is not necessary.

I like serving this with halved cherry tomatoes.

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Done and done. A little goes a long way. My quarantine go-to salad. Ingredients vary. Last week, I had no Bell peppers or carrots, so I added the celery and created an all green version. Parmesan is a nice flavor enhancer as well – add only if you need to ramp up the saltiness.

A big shout out to my dear friend and editor-in-chief, Sheree Alderman, who is making a gradual comeback after a host of life-challenging conditions and surgeries. Love you, girl! We are in this together!

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In health-

Deidre