I am Dr. Monique May, Board-certified Family Physician and Founder of Physician in the Kitchen™. Through my videos and best-selling book, MealMasters: Your Simple Guide to Modern Day Meal Planning, I help busy households enjoy healthy eating without impacting their hectic schedules. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the days easily merge into each other, and it is hard to remember what day of the week it is. Last week happened to be my 10th-grader’s spring break. Admittedly, before the coronavirus pandemic struck we didn’t have any major plans for spring break. Instead, I was actually planning a trip to the Bahamas in July and was about to start booking that before the world closed for business. But with the #stayathome blues setting in, I wanted to do something different last week to at least give my son something fun to remember about his 2020 spring break, COVID-style. I was struck with an idea: why not plan a virtual worldwind tour of five cities that my son could choose, and then cook a meal that the locals eat on a live stream each night? The catch was since we are practicing social distancing and staying at home, we had to make the dish with items that we already had in our pantry, cabinets, and refrigerator/freezer. Kind of a mash-up of “Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego” and “Chopped”. Being a typical teen, my son looked at me with a mixture of skepticism and reluctance, probably because his other task was to find 3-5 interesting facts about each locale to share with our audience. Hey, it’s my job as his mom to always find the learning opportunity in everything AND make sure he has nutritious meals. So away we went, with just our passports, empty stomachs, and full imagination. Our virtual trip was cut from 5 days to 3, but it was still a fun experience.
Below is a recap of the fun facts-food and otherwise-that I was thrilled to learn at each “locale”.
Day1: We “landed” at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan after a 17 hour “flight” from Charlotte. We stayed in downtown Tokyo, where we had a great view of the Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing, a busy intersection where up to 1000 pedestrians cross during peak times. We also learned that Japan is an archipelago, which is a group of islands, and is actually made up of over 6000 islands! For our culinary education, we decided to make our version of soba noodles with greens and mushrooms, vegetable tempura, and matcha powder cookies for dessert. Instead of soba noodles, we used whole wheat spaghetti, substituted cannellini (white kidney) beans for the mushrooms, and tried spinach instead of the menu’s Swiss chard.
- Soba is Japanese for buckwheat. Despite it’s name, soba does not contain wheat so people who have celiac disease or are gluten-sensitive can eat it.
- The broth that we made contained soy cause since I didn’t have tamari. They are similar but have important differences. Tamari is used in Japanese dishes and soy is used more in Chinese cuisine. Tamari does not contain wheat and has less sodium than soy sauce, making it a great option for both gluten-sensitive people and those watching their sodium or salt levels. As someone with high blood pressure, I will be switching over to tamari after this!
- Tempura is actually a Latin word from a phrase meaning “without meat”, dating back to an old religious tradition. That actually worked perfectly with our Meatless Monday theme!
- As the broth was cooking, the kitchen filled with a delicious aroma of garlic and ginger. The flavor was outstanding! I learned that flavor is known as umami, a savory taste common in soups and cooked meats. It is one of the 5 basic tastes (along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter). It will certainly be added to my repertoire!
- Matcha powder is made from green tea, so it’s a great way to get some antioxidants with dessert.
Day 2: After a 12.5-hour flight, we “arrived” at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. This time our view included the glorious Eiffel Tower! We learned that France has over 1000 cheeses, the first photo of a person was taken in Paris, and there are no stop signs in Paris! The person on the right always has the right of way…wow!!! For our culinary experience, we wanted something light since it was 2:30 AM when we “landed…much too late for a traditionally heavy French-inspired meal. We opted for a Lyonnaise salad with arugula, but instead of the bacon and poached egg the recipe called for, we used turkey bacon and hard-boiled eggs. I have danced with the devil named Shigella after eating-unknowingly-raw eggs in Mexico many years ago and I did NOT want to repeat that experience, especially not now, or ever!
- Luckily I had a fresh bag of arugula on hand, because I would hate to have to substitute for it. Arugula has a wonderful peppery taste and is chock full of things a healthy body needs. Multiple vitamins, such as A, C, K, and folate (which is a B vitamin), and minerals – calcium and potassium- offer antioxidant, bone health, immune, nerve, heart, and pregnancy benefits. It also acts as a breath freshener. But since it contains Vitamin K, if you are on a blood thinner named warfarin or Coumadin, check with your doctor if you are going to be eating large amounts of this (or any other leafy green vegetable) because it could affect your blood levels.
- The next time I make this recipe I will substitute an avocado for the egg. The texture is somewhat similar and would pair nicely with the peppery arugula. If you don’t like avocado, see a therapist. Just kidding…not really. I LOVE avocados so much I have made desert with it and I even have a T-shirt that says Avovado-holic! It is so versatile and a great source for many vitamins, healthy fats, and immune system support.
- Shallots are a great addition to almost anything. If garlic and an onion had a baby, it would be named shallot. We made our own salad dressing or vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and the scallions. Again, something else I will be adding to my rotation of deliciousness!!
Day 3: After taking off 2 days (we sort of lost steam mid-week and got busy doing other things) we “concluded” our travels in the Central American country of Costa Rica. After landing in Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Jose, we traveled over 4 hours to Ballena Bay, which means “whale” in Spanish. This beach is very aptly named because the aerial view looks just like the tail of a whale and is a great place to go whale watching as they migrate between Alaska and Antarctica. We also learned that over 750,000 species of insects live in Costa Rica, including over 20,000 types of spiders…yikes!! (These are the types of facts you get when you ask a 16-year-old boy to research the area lol.) Costa Rica also has a very diverse topography, including 5 active volcanoes, mountains, and rain forests. Rice and beans are staples in the Costa Rican diet, which tied in nicely with our theme of cooking with whatever we had on hand. My pantry is well stocked with a variety of different types of rice, as well as several different beans (garbanzo, red, black, pinto, and cannellini), so it was easy to find a dish to make Costa Rican style. We made Gallo Pinto, which is Spanish for “spotted rooster”. Since it is made with pinto, red, or black beans, and rice, the speckled appearance was thought to resemble that of a speckled rooster.
- This is dish is typically served at breakfast, with either a scrambled or fried egg. We actually had it for dinner because, well, vacation. We also did not have it with eggs. If I had some I would have eaten it with, you guessed it, an avocado. Did I mention how much I love avocados?
- The recipe calls for red bell pepper and celery, which makes for a beautiful array of colors, and since we do eat with our eyes first this is important. I did not have any red bell pepper and unfortunately it did not dawn on me until just now to try some sun-dried tomatoes. I also did not have any celery, but I did substitute that with some Brussels sprouts. I have blogged before about the versatility and health benefits of these miniature cabbage-looking powerhouses, but one other fact I learned was that they are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. This is great news for those who do not eat fish or seafood, which are common dietary sources of O3-FA. Omega-3 fatty acids help to lower triglycerides (bad blood fats), help improve our bodies’ response to insulin, and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Let’s talk about beans, baby! Beans are a part of the legume family which includes peas, lentils, and peanuts. They are very cheap, and if you buy the dry ones they are literally pennies per serving, making them even more cost-effective than the canned varieties. I do prefer canned though because they do not require soaking or any other preparation (I’m not the most patient person). As complex carbs, they are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and contain no cholesterol. Super versatile, they can be added to stews, soups, chili, and can be made into dips, burgers, and even desserts.
- To make this recipe even healthier, instead of white rice I could have used brown rice or even quinoa. Tricolor quinoa adds to the color variation theme of this dish since it is made of white, red, and red quinoa. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain-like seed that is packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Just rinse before cooking and add whatever seasonings you prefer.
All in all, I think my son enjoyed his spring break “travels”. He certainly enjoyed almost everything we made as well, and hopefully he picked up a few cooking techniques along the way. We both learned interesting local facts, and when we do actually get to visit these places we will be able to order at least one item off of the menu. Good food plus education…I’d call that a successful spring break for sure! Add the fact that it cost literally nothing but our imagination and you get a truly once in a lifetime experience. Who knows, since we are forever changed due to COVID-19, maybe I have started a new trend in travel and tourism 😊
The coronavirus will be with us for several more months, and it has definitely already left its lasting effects by changing the way we do things. As we all adjust to the new normal, please keep washing your hands, staying well-hydrated, getting enough solid rest, eating healthy, exercising, and practicing social distancing (or just staying home). If you are sick cover your cough and sneezes and stay home! If your symptoms are getting worse (shortness of breath, fever, or cough), call your local healthcare facility before you go.
For more information, be sure to visit me at DrMoniqueMay.com, and join the #MealMastersCommunity at www.Facebook.com/groups/mealmasters today.
