Eat Your Veggies, the Fall Edition

Roasted vegetables are the perfect fall comfort food, accompanying roasts, poultry, fish, eggs, or just on their own. Best of all, they are super easy to make:

1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. Cut veggies* and arrange in a single layer in their own sect

ions on a baking sheet. Don't crowd.
3. Drizzle with olive oil.**
4. Season with your favorite herbs and spices (not salt, not yet), such as pepper, rosemary, garlic powder, Italian herbs, cumin...
5. Cook for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.

Some veggies will be crisper than others; if you like them more "well done," remove those that are to your liking and leave the others for another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

What is your favorite roasted veggie?***

*Veggies cook at different rates. Sizes are approximate: broccoli and cauliflower into 1-2" florets then halve; carrots 1/4-1/2" slices; sweet potatoes/yams 1/2" cubes; beets 1/2" cubes; zucchini cut in half and quarter (depends on width of zucchini). Arranging them in their own sections allows "done" veggies to be removed easily with a spatula.

**Cut veggies can also be placed in a bowl and tossed with oil (~ 1 Tbsp per lb of veg), but if using beets, toss them separately to avoid turning. I'm not a fan of dirtying dishes (or washing), so I prefer the drizzle method.

***I love beets. And Brussels sprouts. Yams...no, wait, I love them all!

Breakfast

Eggs. Click here to read all about it on my Facebook Page post.

Quick and Easy Pan Chili

Sunday is when I make lunches for the week, typically something I can portion into individual glass containers, refrigerate, and grab on my way out the door in the morning. A few weeks ago when I was using my stock pot for one thing, my slow cooker for another, I came up with this easy, quick way to make chili in a covered sauté pan.

Quick and Easy Pan Chili
(All organic ingredients were used in the making of this recipe)

One medium onion, diced
Two large carrots, diced
One pound ground turkey, buffalo, or grass-fed beef (optional)
Two 15 oz cans of beans, drained & rinsed, any variety (Eden Farms makes BPA-free cans)
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Cumin, approximately 1/2 teaspoon, or to taste
Jar of marinara sauce
Olive oil
Garnishes (grated cheese, plain yogurt, diced onion)

• Cook onions and carrots in small amount of olive oil, in a deep sauté pan with a lid, over low to medium heat until soft.
• Turn up the heat, add ground meat and brown, turning often.
• Season with spices.
• Stir in beans, then add marinara sauce.
• Cover and simmer until heated thoroughly and meat is cooked.
• Garnish and serve over brown rice, polenta, and kale or other hearty greens.

I don't add a lot of seasoning because the marinara sauce has plenty of flavor. I just "de-Italian" the chili by adding the cumin and cayenne. Sometimes, I add frozen mixed veggies for more "greens." Clean up is super quick, just the skillet, cutting board, and any utensils used for stirring (or sampling).

The chili can be made without ground meat, just add more beans or even more veggies (peppers, celery, sweet potatoes, or squash). The beans don't have to be canned; if there is time, rehydrate dried beans. It's less expensive and there is less risk of BPA or other contaminants from cans.

Related Information
BPA in Cans | Organic Grace
Two Cents for Safer Cans

Comfort food: Roasted chicken

Gluten-free comfort food is easy, and the perfect thing on a cold, blustery winter's eve. Here's my take on this classic entree:

Stuff a chicken with carrots, sage, thyme, and apple slices. Massage the outside with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Place in dutch oven on top of chunks of carrots and red potatoes that have been tossed in olive oil. Roast at 425° for 30 minutes, cover with foil and reduce to 350° until done (internal temperature of 160°). Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with Brussels sprouts and homemade applesauce.

Zucchini ribbons with white beans and tomatoes

My favorite new show is The Fabulous Beekman Boys on Planet Green. Sure, I've only seen one episode, but I watch clips on the website (including the goat cam) and I follow them on Twitter. I just love the idea of The Boys moving to the country and starting a farm, because after all, that's my dream.

Live TV : UstreaI wasn't able to have a garden this year, way too busy. Not sure if I will be able to have one at the house next year anyway, it's very shady, not enough light for growing veggies. Lucky for me, one of my colleagues brought in a care package of giant zucchini and heirloom tomatoes. Ever since I went all gluten-free/all-the-time, I just stopped baking, so zucchini bread wasn't an option for the monster zukenites. I scoured the 'net and found websites for carving zucchini or drying them out to build a shed. I did find one site where shredded zucchini was a substitute for pasta (how gluten-free can you get?), and my soon-to-be gentlewoman farmer, Copeland, sent me a link to her "recipe" for zucchini and lavender soup.

But then I saw the Tweet: "A recipe that will make you happy you have all of that excess zucchini." I was sold on zucchini pasta. Of course, I had to make it my way (read: with ingredients found around the house). Again, no measurements, but if you've been reading my blog for a while, you should expect that from me by now. I shredded two giant zucchini, but only used enough to make myself lunch. I have enough to make a couple of more meals, with variations on toppings. You can adjust your own amounts according to how many you are cooking for, or if this is a main meal or side dish.

Zucchini ribbons with white beans and tomatoes
Monster zucchini
Olive oilGarlic
Dried (or fresh) Italian herbs
Several whole tomatoes, choppedCanned white beans, rinsed and drained
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, as needed

Wash, then peel the zucchini into long strips until you reach the core with seeds. At the Beekman farm, they feed the leftovers to the pigs. My chickens back in Oregon would have gone nuts over the cores. These are going in the composter*.
Add olive oil to a large, heated pan, then add dried herbs and garlic. Stir in zucchini strips, and keep stirring until almost cooked (more translucent than raw), then add the chopped tomatoes and white beans. Cook a few more minutes and you're done. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan and more herbs. I didn't add salt, as the parmesan is salty enough for me.
You can see how the sky's the limit with how you garnish the strips, adding tomato sauce or even pesto. I wish I had some fresh basil—how yum would that be with the heirloom tomatoes? Super yum. I just ate a heaping helping for lunch and don't have that post-pasta coma feeling. I'm going to be a little sad when monster zucchinis are no longer available!

ORIGINAL RECIPES:
What to do with a Giant Zucchini from Pixel remix: the Ann-alog
Zucchini Ribbons by Angela Rae Berg, from Beekman1802.com
More zucchini fun, via http://bigzucchini.com/

* Yes, I have a composter without a garden. What else does one do with kitchen scraps?

Cucumber salad with heirloom tomatoes

Olive oil, apple cider vinegar and dill dressing.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chickpeas in Jalfrezi simmer sauce

Posted this yesterday while cooking dinner. Whole thing was made in the time it to cook the rice, which is perfect for those of us just who work long days and need a healthy dinner FAST. The Seeds of Change simmer sauce is organic and so delicious; I can't wait to go back and try more flavors. Garbanzo beans are full of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar. They have a nice amount of protein when served with brown rice and a decent amount of molybdenum, a trace mineral that helps your body process nasty sulfites that are found in processed foods and wine. Garbanzo beans, or chick peas, are also a good source non-animal source of iron.

So tired and hungry when I got home from work. Reached into pantry and grabbed brown rice, a can of garbanzo beans, a jar of Seeds of Change simmer sauce, an onion. In the fridge I found some organic mushrooms and fresh baby spinach. Prepared one cup of brown rice. While rice cooked, chopped 1/2 onion, sliced mushrooms, and sauteed them in large pan with olive oil. Rinsed can of beans, added to pan with several handfuls of spinach. Simmered some more. Added jalfrezi curry sauce (with red peppers and coconut).

So, now all of that is simmering while the rice finishes cooking. Smells amazing and looks like I'll even have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Okay, just tasted it and dang, that's good stuff.


Quick, easy, healthy. Thank you. Time to eat. Good night.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Surfing the 'net

• How Ginger Soothes Muscles, Fights Cramps Some of the many uses of ginger, from Health.com (as seen in the latest issue of Health magazine). I always travel with candied ginger to ease the nausea from motion sickness, and adding a slice or two to a tea of lemon, honey, and cayenne is a warming way to relieve the cough and chill of colds and flus.

• Exploring a Low-Acid Diet for Bone Health (from the New York Times) Not that we need another reason to eat our veggies. Low-acid diets high in fruits and vegetables may be more beneficial for bone health than one high in dairy and meat. Be sure to also read about the best exercises for healthy bones.

• Thinking About Diabetes With Every Bite An insightful blog entry about living with diabetes. From the New York Times.

Classic Summertime Gazpacho

Gazpacho is super easy, all it takes is some veggies and a blender, so no heating up the kitchen with a hot stove. August is the best month for finding super ripe tomatoes, another reason gazpacho is the perfect summertime meal. The original recipe calls for bits of bread to be added to the soup, I have stopped using it as I try to maintain my wheat-free lifestyle, although I'm sure a nice gluten-free loaf from New Cascadia Traditional Bakery would do quite nicely. Experiment with different types of tomatoes; I sometimes use red peppers instead of green to intensify the color of the soup.

Classic Gazpacho
3 medium tomatoes, skins removed and cut into wedges
2 green peppers, seeded and sliced
1/2 cucumber
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
4 cups water

Add all ingredients except 3 cups of water to blender. Blend, slowly adding the rest of the water. If you like thicker soup use less water or add pieces of Italian bread to the mixture and blend some more.

Serve chilled. Garnish with diced cucumber, green pepper, tomato, and bread.

White Bean Summer Salad

The inspiration for this summer salad came from the veggies from my backyard garden. My garden has been slow to grow, I'm not sure if it's due to the position in the yard or the late date of my planting. Always looking for something quick and easy to cook after a long work day, I harvested some of the fruits of my labor and came up with this simple, yummy salad.

White Bean Summer Salad
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed
1 english long cucumber, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
tomatoes (I used 2 small yellow Taxi tomatoes from the garden and one medium red from the store), chopped into small pieces
handful of basil leaves, thinly sliced

Add all ingredients into a large bowl, mix gently. Season with vinegar (I used balsamic, but red wine would work just fine), extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

I told you it was easy! Hoping more cucumbers appear, was looking forward to canning pickles this year.

What I'm Reading

From the New York Times online:
Don't speak! Why you shouldn't whisper when you have laryngitis. Best to give your vocal cords a break, avoid talking as much as possible.

Oral Allergy Syndrome: Why pollen allergies can lead to fruit and veggie allergies. Denature the offending proteins by peeling and cooking.

For something green on this St. Patrick's Day, a Provençal soup that is chock full o' greens and nutrients. Leave out the eggs, bread, and/or cheese if you have dietary restrictions, it will still be filling and delish.

From Treehugger.com, plant a garden and save money! Do something good for the wallet and the environment.

Surfin' the net 2009

How to make a New Year's resolution? Make BIG changes, act like the person you aspire to be.

High blood sugar leads to cognitive decline. And exercise can help, so move, move, move!

The new yoga? Mindfulness without judgement.

20 Healthy foods under $1 Broccoli, beets, and squash, oh my!

Fall for Eating!

Autumn is definitely here! The cool weather reminds me of walking through the Union Square Farmer's Market in NYC on my daily commute to work, admiring the varieties of apples and squash. Buying food that is in season is not only more affordable, it is also fresher and more nutritious! When cooking, add spices such as ginger and cinnamon to your recipes to further warm you on a crisp autumn day.

Food Network - In Season Now A resource for finding out what food is in season and how to prepare it!

Local Harvest Check out this website to find farmers markets, family owned farms, and even restaurants and groceries that emphasize local, organic food.

And speaking of local, Mixed Greens is a blog out of Seattle that shares wonderful information (including recipes) on sustainable living in the Pacific Northwest. I just learned that pears are best when picked unripe, so today I need to grab a ladder and investigate the tree in my own backyard. Eat Local Northwest blogs about sustainable eating and cooking in Seattle and Anchorage (yes, Alaska).

And just for fun...
The 100 Mile Diet Local is the new organic

Fresher Fruits and Veggies

As I've mentioned before, I LOVE my biweekly delivery of organic veggies. Even though we order a small box, we often find some of the veggies go bad quickly and end up in the compost pile.

I found this great list on produce care, courtesy of Door to Door Organics. I suggest printing it out and posting on the fridge as a reminder how to tend to your precious produce! Of course, it's best to eat the veggies when fresh, so make sure you're eating your daily dose. Eat Local, a website out of Portland, Oregon, has some information on preserving locally grown/raised products.

Citrus is best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks.
Berries and cherries are best kept covered in the fridge. Don't wash until you use them - too much moisture in the package speeds spoilage. Use within 2 - 3 days. Same for cranberries but they can be stored for a week.
Apricots, peaches, pears, nectarines and melons should be ripened before refrigeration. Cut portions should be covered before refrigerating. Use all within 3-5 days except melons, which should be used as soon as possible after ripening.
Apples are best kept in the fridge stored loose - they need to breathe to stay crisp. Use within a month.
Avocados and bananas are best stored and eaten at room temperature, but can be refrigerated after ripening. To speed ripening of green bananas, place them in a paper bag in a drawer, cupboard or other dark place with a wrinkled apple. If they still don't ripen after one week, they have been transported at a low temperature, and you might as well make chutney out of them. I place unripe avocados in a paper bag to speed up the process.
Eggplants, mature onions, winter squash, rutabagas and sweet potatoes are best kept moderately cool - no lower than 50 degrees.
Potatoes need a colder area of 45 - 50 degrees. A cool dry dark place is best. Use within a few weeks. However, they will keep longer.
All other fresh vegetables belong in the refrigerator:
Keep tomatoes uncovered and green beans and lima beans in their pods, or, if not in their pods, in plastic. They'll last 3 - 5 days in the fridge.
Keep corn in it's husk in the fridge. Eat as soon as possible because its sugar quickly turns to starch,causing it to lose its flavor.
Carrots, radishes, turnips, beets and parsnips should be stored in plastic once the leafy tops are removed. They'll last two weeks in the fridge.
Most other fresh vegetables store well in the crisper bin, but usually need plastic to avoid dehydration.
Broccoli, brussel sprouts, scallions and summer squash will last 3 - 5 days in plastic bags in the crisper. Spinach, kale, chard and collards have the same crisper life, but should be washed and drained thoroughly before packing in bags.
Lettuce, Salad Greens, Peppers and Cucumbers should be washed and stored in the crisper.
Cauliflower, Celery and Snap Peas don't have to be washed - use within a week.
Cabbage has a long fridge life of up to two weeks.
Asparagus is delicate and should be used within 2-3 days.

11 Best Foods

Nutritionist Jonny Bowden, contributed a list to the wellness blog on the New York Times website of the 11 best foods you should be eating but aren't. Here is a revised version of the list (I added some comments/recipes of my own).

1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.

How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.
You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They're now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.

How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.

Fabulous Summer Slaw
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (or mixed with apple cider, sometimes I think I use more vinegar than you're supposed to)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or 1/2 if you are using powdered)

1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dry herb/spice of choice (caraway seeds, poppy seeds, celery seeds)
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk the oil, vinegar and mustard. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss in the dressing. Refrigerate several hours before serving, it's even better overnight.

3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat: Chop and saute in olive oil.

Green Eggs
Makes about 2 servings
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups washed, chopped chard
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce, such as sriracha

In large frying pan, sautée onions and garlic in oil until soft. Do not brown garlic. Add greens to pan and continue cooking. Lower heat and cover with lid until greens are soft. In small bowl, scramble eggs, adding to soft, cooked greens. Keep stirring the mixture to cook thoroughly and keep eggs fluffy. Flavor with salt and pepper. Serve with hot sauce.

Use silken tofu for a vegan alternative to the scrambled eggs. Use approximately 1/4 cup of chopped, silken tofu per egg, flavored with turmeric or curry powder.

4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.

5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it. Find a brand that does not have any added sugars.

6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: As an appetizer. Wrap a paper-thin slice of prosciutto around each dried plum and secure with a toothpick. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the plums are soft and the prosciutto is crispy. Most of the fat will cook off, and you'll be left with a decadent-tasting treat that's sweet, savory, and healthy.

7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.

8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.'’ They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread. (I just like them straight out of the can).

9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,'’ it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or add to any vegetable dish.

10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or coconut milk as a smoothie, add some ground flax seeds for added fiber and omega 3s. I like to add them to my oatmeal, with some cinnamon and walnuts.

11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. I think adding this mixture to applesauce sounds delish, as a perfect side to grilled chicken or pork chops.