By Marj Watkins and Suzanna Leigh
Chocolate of course! Who doesn’t love it? Choose cocoa for a temporary boost to your brains’ serotonin, the happiness chemical. It won’t give you lasting happiness, but it will—for a little while—make you smarter.
There are many components in chocolate, especially dark chocolate, that help to lift our mood. Tryptophan, for example, helps our bodies make the neurotransmitter serotonin, which makes us happy.
Phenylethylamine, which is released in the brain when we fall in love, acts as an antidepressant and increases our heart rate as well as our alertness. Aha! So that’s why chocolate is so popular on Valentine’s Day!
Theobromine relaxes us and relieves stress. Theobroma literally means “God Drink;” the Mayan people considered chocolate to be the drink of the gods.
A quick cup of hot chocolate made with milk and a stack of cinnamon toast made with whole-grain bread, could fire up those brain cells, make balancing your checkbook easier, and even lighten your mood. Make French toast, and you will have a higher-protein breakfast, one that stays with you longer. Or make chocolate crepes for a special Valentine’s Day breakfast!
Chocolate Crepes
Makes 15-18 crepes, 5-6 servings
Stir in mixing bowl:
- ½ cup almond meal
- ⅓ cup rice flour (my son uses mochi rice flour, which is finer than typical rice flour)
- Scant ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ tsp salt
- 3-4 tbsp sugar, or sugar substitute
Beat together:
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Stir liquid ingredients into flour mixture. Spoon onto heated, oiled skillet, 2 tbsp at a time. Turn and tilt skillet to spread batter. When bubbles appear all over, turn to bake on the other side. When steaming stops, turn out onto platter. Place in warm oven until all crepes are done.
Spread with cherry or strawberry jam or orange marmalade. Fold. Eat!
This recipe is from “Gluten Free Baking,” by Marj Watkins. Unfortunately, I can no longer eat chocolate, so please let me know how these turned out for you! Email me at leigh.suzannna@gmail.com to let me know or to order copies of “Gluten Free Baking.”
Fish is another happiness food. To keep your spirits up as the darker days of winter close in, try for a serving of salmon, mackerel, or tuna twice a week. A less expensive choice is cod, which is splendid cooked this Greek way:
Baked Cod in Tomato Sauce
Makes 3 servings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 9-12 ounces true cod
- ½ lemon (optional)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ½-1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
- Salt, pepper, and oregano flakes to taste
- Butter
Butter a baking dish. Cut the cod into approximately 3-inch pieces. Sprinkle it with lemon juice (or not). Arrange the cod pieces in the baking dish.
Heat oil in frying pan. Stirring occasionally, fry the onion and green pepper. Stir in salt, pepper, and oregano. Strew over the cod pieces. Pour the tomato sauce over all. Bake 25 minutes. Serve with steamed brown rice or millet. Of course don’t forget your vegetables, and maybe a salad!
