Beauty Health for Life

Every Saturday, we post a piece from CHGs archives. Today, its one of Jaimes articles from June 2008, which we think youll find pretty timely. (*wipes sweat from brow*)

I am currently sitting at my desk in a t-shirt and shorts that I just thoroughly wet down with the spray bottle that was once meant for disciplining my cats. The new kitten never pays attention to being sprayed anyway, but Ive repurposed the spray bottle because right now, New York City is getting into its third day of a 90 degrees-plus heat wave, and I, wussiest girl about heat ever, am trying to go sans AC.

Its not that I dont have an air conditioner. I have two, actually – one in my bedroom, one in my living room, both still in the windows from last summer. But this year Im trying to use them just as fans (or, in the case of the one with a broken knob, as, um, decoration?). Just as eating frugally and healthfully often go together, so do helping the environment and my bank account. This is my first full summer in this apartment (my first summer living without roommates, too), and I dont know how much air conditioners jack up my electric bill, but I dont really want to find out.

Jumping in with this sudden early-June heat wave is kinda great – if I can make it through this, whats August? (Answer: a torturous, muggy hell.) Two days in, its remarkable what a spray bottle and a little determination can do. Rather than thinking Oh my *god* its so hot I want to *die* its Hm, I should drink some more water and I wonder if my laundrys ready yet. And mostly – This is just how the weather is. No Impact Man is a big inspiration, and bigger complainers than I have survived AC-less summers – yknow, every person to live before, say, 1950 – and just thinking differently seems to help. So does keeping my clothing perpetually damp.

Aside from my private, very un-titillating wet t-shirt contest (its me versus the cats, so I win!), the internet gave me a few pointers towards living an AC-less life:

During the day, close your windows and curtains. This keeps the hot air out, and prevents the sun from baking your apartment like a greenhouse. Opaque curtains are really best, especially if they have a white side facing out, to lect away the sunlight. I have sheer curtains in my bedroom, but I also have a spare set of purple sheets. Guess where those sheets are now hanging!

At night, open your windows to let the cool air in. Turn on fans to bring the air inside.

Open windows/doors on different sides of the room to allow for cross-ventilation. (If your floorplan allows. And then, I am also jealous.) You can set a fan in one window blowing air *out* - this will draw air in through the window/door on the other side of the room, creating a nice breeze.

Eliminate unnecessary heat. Dont use your oven; turn off your computer; turn off lights, or replace with fluorescents. (Environmental, too! And cheaper electric bills when the lights are on!)

Drink lots of water. You feel less hot if youre properly hydrated. Avoid ice-cold beverages – though they feel soothing, they stop your body from acclimating to the heat. (If youre really brave, try warm or hot tea. Some folks swear by it.)

Keep your outside wet, too. Evaporating water uses up heat energy, leaving your skin cool. Wrap a wet scarf around your neck, rinse your face and arms in the sink, wear a damp t-shirt. This works especially well if theres a fan blowing air over you – thats how I fell asleep last night, even though it was still near 90 at 1am.

When it gets this hot, there’s a part of me (the me who lived and died by AC, the me who wants to spend every second needing blankets and a sweater) that would rather lie on my kitchen’s cool tile floor than even think about eating. Or, at least about cooking. Ice cream and popsicles? Totally. But the idea of heating a skillet, let alone my oven, is terrifying. Here are some of my heat-wave stand-bys that keep me from running to the nearest movie theatre to live on popcorn and nachos in the frigid, frigid air:

Cottage cheese. I love this no matter the weather, but when it’s hot out, this cool stuff is amazing. Use it as dip for veggies or baked chips, mix it with berries and cinnamon, spread it on bread (it goes great with hummus). If keeping the oven off means that you’re going a few days without meat (because a heat wave is really not the time for steak au poivre), cottage cheese is a great way to make sure you’re getting protein. (12g per 80-calorie half-cup serving!) And when you’re really hot, the salt helps you stay hydrated as long as you’re also getting water.

Fruit. Cool, hydrating, delicious, ‘Nuff said.

Pasta salad. This stuff stays good for days in the fridge – if you know a heat wave’s coming, throw together a big batch so you don’t resort to take-out when the temperature climbs. This is a great catch-all for every healthy thing you’ve got lying around – veggies, beans, meat (if that’s your thing), plus dressing (salad dressing, oil and vinegar, mustard, even, yes, cottage cheese). Also makes a great lunch to bring to work, if your office has a fridge.

Grilling. Okay, I live in a teeny New York City apartment with barely a fire escape, let alone a back yard or anywhere I could grill. But if you can…

Cold soups. This is an aspect of cooking I’ve yet to explore, but just google “cold soup recipe,” and behold the myriad options. Gazpacho, veggies, even fruit soups – the possibilities are endless. Experimenting with a new (heat-free!) recipe will get your mind off the unbearable, oppressive, unrelenting heat, at least for a bit.

Wine and grapes. Sounds odd, and yet makes perfect sense. Or is it like tomatoes topped with ketchup?

Microwave. Not a food or a recipe, but a means of heating food that won’t also heat the air. Eating and drinking warm food and beverages helps acclimate you to the hot air. I’m normally a devout tea kettle user, but if I want tea today, it’s coming from the microwave for sure.

Its funny how an extreme behavior can seem completely manageable once you just decide to do it. When I moved into this apartment, I realized I couldnt afford cable on my own. Beloved TV, how would I ever cope? Pretty easily, it turns out. I watch shows on my computer, at friends houses, or just less. Giving in to the heat is in some ways more drastic, but its something I really want to try.

This decision is both financial and environmental. (Okay, and a little bit about testing my mettle, like when I decided to start drinking whiskey. Id previously been an amaretto sours kind of girl.) I want to put my money where my mouth is about conservation, and I want to keep my money in my wallet, not off to the electric company. It seems drastic – one friend asked, "Why not just switch to wind power," a green option our electric company offers but, a, I still pay for the wind power, and b, theres something about going full-out that I really like. Aw, yeah, I can brag at a bar, Im going totally without AC this summer. Then Ill order another whiskey, and floor all the boys with my very bad-ass ways.

(Photos taken from the pages of Flickr members lusciouz lindsay, 2U, Lucahjin and florriebassingbourn.)

Once upon a time, cereal bowls and takeout menus were the most-used items in my kitchen. Then came a voluntary downsizing, followed by a layoff, followed by four months of unemployment. It is amazing how motivating a drastically-reduced income can be!

From Flickrs procsilas

Man, and woman, cannot live on bread alone. And for some of us, a pot of beans or lentils is not the protein we want to dish out after a hard days work. There are some completely vegetarian dishes in rotation chez nous, but the go-to for me and my hardworking DH is a piece of meat, a side of vegetables, and a glass of wine.

Now: how to do that in the half-hour that is my self-imposed weeknight dinner prep time? Because lets face it, I dont want to spend more time than that in the kitchen after a full days work plus commute.

When it became clear that our $1200/mo food expenditure needed to be more like $400, I got in the kitchen. I scorched a few things. I learned not to use "soup mix" in any preparation except dip. And over time, I gradually accrued some actual cooking skills and lost my fear of spices. Here are three of my big winners for the carnivore who needs some meat fast, healthy, good - and relatively cheap.

Pan-grilled Chicken Breast

Generally speaking, I consider chicken one small step up from tofu. I have never had the opportunity to try a heritage bird, so its just not very exciting for me. However, its a good source of lean protein and in my area, organic cuts are readily available, so it does come into the house occasionally.

Years ago I discovered a recipe that produced a tolerable breast. (It was from a magazine, I think, so apologies to whoever wrote it, but I just dont remember.) I ended up changing it anyway, because it was a baked recipe and it just took too long. My oven is 30+ years old and takes twenty minutes to heat; baking for another 40 on top of that was not working for me.

From Flickrs larryjh1234

So I decided to try and see if I could adapt the recipe to my trusty Calphalon grill pan. And lo, it worked. Here it is. Please note, in my home, life is too short to buy chicken breast bone-in. Your mileage may vary.

Ingredients: two boneless, skinless chicken breasts totaling about one pound (and about $7 max). Bread crumbs or panko. Olive oil. Spices.

Prep: Remove the chicken from packaging, rinse, and pat dry. Rinse off their styrofoam tray as well and dry it. (If the chicken did not come in a tray, just use a plate.) Put the chicken back on the tray, pour a little olive oil on top and rub it in; turn the breasts over and repeat the treatment. While doing this, preheat the pan to medium.

Cooking: right before adding the chicken to the pan, lightly coat both sides with bread crumbs and seasoning. I apply both straight from their containers, and my seasonings are typically garlic powder (not salt) and paprika. Then lay the breasts in the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes. (Use a paper towel to brush off your plate into the trash - crumbs and oil really shouldnt go down the drain.) Turn the breasts over, reduce the heat to medium-low, place a large lid loosely over the pan to hold some of the steam, and cook for another 7-8 minutes. Note: this is not about getting a crispy coating on the chicken, its about getting moist chicken fast without using a gallon of oil!

After 15-16 minutes total cooking time, I usually cut the breasts lengthwise to check for doneness, as medium-rare chicken is not too appetizing, and my goal with weeknight food is to get it on the table expeditiously, not prepare a magazine photo. (Which explains why I have no photos.) Cook a little longer, under the lid, if necessary.

After the turn, prepare your side - in my case, nearly always a salad or a package of frozen veg. This preparation makes four servings.

The pairing: I like a bright red wine with chicken, like Sangiovese or Garnacha (Grenache). On the white side of the spectrum, this holds up well to chardonnay, verdejo, or pinot grigio.

Pineapple Pork Pot Roast

From Fresh Direct

"Pot Roast" is traditionally beef in the U.S., but a lower-fat, less-expensive alternative is pork. The secret is to not try to make it 100% non-fat. If you go for very lean cuts of meat in the slow cooker, you will sacrifice flavor and mouth feel on the altar of "nutrition." However, its my firm belief, based on years of study, that a moderate amount of fat from animals is not only not going to kill you - its good for you. This stuff metabolizes usefully: the body can really put it to work. Obviously, Im not recommending sitting down to a tasty bowl of lard, but letting your meat cook with its fat is not necessarily a bad thing.

With that in mind, and with the memory of a rather dry pork loin haunting me, I went looking for a piece of nice fat pig. I took home a four-pound pork shoulder roast, with about a one-centimeter layer of fat on its base (well say, a strip about three inches by eight), at a cost of less than three dollars a pound. Pork shoulder does have the fat and it does have a chunk of bone in it. After slow cooking, the net serviceable result was about 2.5 lbs - easily enough to feed eight.

This preparation cooks during the day, and if you like "Hawaiian" pizza, you will Love. It. For quick and easy assembly, peel the onion and garlic the night before, wrap in a damp paper towel, and leave in the rigerator till morning.

Ingredients: 1 c. crushed pineapple, in juice. 1 6-oz can of tomato paste. 1 large onion, peeled and cut in eighths. 8 to 10 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed, and roughly chopped (or not. Chopped, they will dissolve entirely, so if you like a bite of garlic, use more and dont chop them). Spices to taste: I used red curry, paprika, nutmeg, and chipotle - about 1/2 teaspoon of the first two, and 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg and chipotle. Plus, of course, the pig.

From Flickrs norwichnuts

How to prepare: first, get out the slow cooker and turn it to High. Combine pineapple, tomato paste, garlic, and spices in the bottom. Place the pork shoulder in the cooker and slowly roll it around in the sauce mixture. Then add the chunks of onion, put on the lid, and go get ready for work. Right before you leave, turn the cooker down to Low.

When you get home, roll the pig around a little to make sure the onions get thoroughly mixed into the sauce. The pork will probably fall apart at this point. Pick out the bone and let the pot roast continue to cook, with the lid off, until you are ready to eat. I served this with absolutely nothing else, but rice or quinoa or even couscous can be easily (and more or less negligently) prepared while you are decompressing.

The pairing: any chilled rose or sparkling wine, gewurtztraminer, or riesling.

Broiled Beef Tri-Tip

Tri-tip is most often seen at barbecues and in a mushroom sauce at Sizzler. But it is also a great steak substitute. I picked up a pound of tri-tip roast at my grocery store, on a night when they had no acceptable tenderloin, for less than ten dollars with my loyalty card - the same price as a pair of wimpy ribeyes that weighed in at a mere .6 pounds. This particular cut was about two inches thick at its deepest point, which dictated the cooking time. Less thick = less time.

From Flickrs arnold | inuyaki

How to cook it: remove your pound of tri-tip from grocers packaging and place it on your broiler pan. Give it a generous dose of your seasoning of choice, on both sides. (This seasoning should not include salt! Try a mix of black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. If you want salt after you taste it, go ahead.) Heat broiler for five to ten minutes. Put the whole tri-tip under the broiler for ten minutes. Then turn it over, and give it another eight to ten minutes (for medium-rare. If you require your steak well-done, you shouldnt bother eating steak).

Now take a look at it. If the edges are slightly carbonized, the top is lightly browned, and the meat springs back under your finger (presuming a silicone glove, here), its done. If it looks mostly gray and feels spongy, give it two or three more minutes. When its done, place the hot broiler pan on your stovetop and let the meat rest for at least five minutes. Then move it to a board and carve it into centimeter-thick slices. Because a tri-tip roast doesnt contain much fat or any bones, this will provide four servings of just under four ounces each.

A note on the nutritional value of meat. The oft-recommended four-ounce serving contains between 28 and 32 grams of protein. It just so happens that 30 grams of protein is the maximum that the average person can metabolize at one sitting. Anything more than that is excreted, or converted to glycogen (carbohydrate) and stored in the muscles for future short-term energy demands. So this is really all the meat you need in a given meal.

But this is a small amount of food, so you will want some additional ... something ... on your plate. I recommend a separate bowl, actually, with a nice big green salad in it. Or you could put the slices of tri-tip right on top of that salad. Or throw a package of frozen veg in the microwave after turning the roast.

The pairing: your hearty red wine of choice. I am fond of blended reds under $8.

If you are cooking for two, these three low-salt preparations will see you through 6-7 days with cooking only necessary on three days, for a meat cost of less than $30. If you try em and like em, Id love to hear about it!

~~~

If you like this post, youll love:

• Angus Anguish: Is Angus Beef Worth the Money?
• Newsflash! Scientists Getting Closer to Lab-Grown Meat
• Vegetarian Meal Planning for Meat Eaters

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