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Shame"The United States spends over $87 billion conducting a war in Iraq while the United Nations estimates that for less than half that amount we could provide clean water, adequate diets, sanitation services and basic education to every person on the planet. And we wonder why terrorists attack us." - John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Email From "Organic Consumers Association"
Six Questions
Monsanto may not be the largest company in the world. Or the worst. But the St. Louis, Mo. biotech giant has become the poster child for all that�s wrong with our industrial food and farming system.
With 21,000 employees in 66 countries and $15 billion in revenue, Monsanto is a biotech industry heavyweight. The St. Louis, Mo.-based monopolizer of seeds is the poster child for an industry that is the source of at least one-third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and is largely responsible for the depletion of soil, water and biodiversity. Not to mention the company�s marginalization�and sometimes terrorization�of millions of small farmers.
Since the early 20th century, Monsanto has marketed highly toxic products that have contaminated the environment and permanently sickened or killed thousands of people around the world. In a rare exception, Monsanto was recently ordered to pay $46.5 million to compensate victims of its PCB poisoning. Sometimes the company settles out of court, to avoid having to admit to any �wrongdoing."
But for the most part, thanks to the multinational�s powerful influence over U.S. politicians, Monsanto has been able to poison with impunity.
It�s time for the citizens of the world to fight back. On October 15 and 16, in The Hague, Netherlands�the International City of Peace and Justice�a panel of distinguished international judges will hear testimony from witnesses, represented by legitimate lawyers, who have been harmed by Monsanto.
In their preparation for the citizens� tribunal, and during witness testimony, the judges will consider six questions that are relevant not just in relation to Monsanto, but to all companies involved in shaping the future of agriculture.
Saving the Planet, One Meal at a Time CHRIS HEDGES FOOD AND AGRICULTURE NOVEMBER 11, 2014
Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all worldwide transportation combined�cars, trucks, trains, ships and planes. Livestock and their waste and flatulence account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or 51 percent of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock causes 65 percent of all emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 296 times more destructive than carbon dioxide. Crops grown for livestock feed consume 56 percent of the water used in the United States.6 Eighty percent of the world�s soy crop is fed to animals, and most of this soy is grown on cleared lands that were once rain forests. All this is taking place as an estimated 6 million children across the planet die each year from starvation and as hunger and malnutrition affect an additional 1 billion people. In the United States 70 percent of the grain we grow goes to feed livestock raised for consumption.
The natural resources used to produce even minimal amounts of animal products are staggering�1,000 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of milk. Add to this the massive clear cutting and other destruction of forests, especially in the Amazon�where forest destruction has risen to 91 percent�and we find ourselves lethally despoiling the lungs of the earth largely for the benefit of the animal agriculture industry. Our forests, especially our rain forests, absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and exchange it for oxygen: Killing the forests is a death sentence for the planet. Land devoted exclusively to raising livestock now represents 45 percent of the earth�s land mass.
And this does not include the assault on the oceans, where three-quarters of the world�s primary fisheries have been overexploited and vast parts of the seas are in danger of becoming dead zones.
We can, by becoming vegan, refuse to be complicit in the torture of billions of animals for corporate profit and can have the well-documented health benefits associated with a plant-based diet, especially in the areas of heart disease and cancer.
The Edible is Political ANDREA LEVY FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AUGUST 2, 2011
Many thinkers and activists who are deeply concerned about the scope and gravity of the environmental crisis pay too little attention to how far the production of animal flesh and fluids for human consumption is implicated in global ecological degradation, including climate change. Eating habits are deeply ingrained. And the thought of changing them radically is unpalatable to some people irrespective of the evidence.
But the need for a dietary revolution is incontrovertible. The unspeakable cruelty to sentient beings that defines such practices as factory farming should be reason enough for people of conscience to protest the reigning food system. But if the moral appeal falls on deaf hearts, the ecological argument should clinch the case.
Researchers Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang calculated previously uncounted livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions and concluded that, taken together, all the GHG-producing activities directly and indirectly related to meat and dairy production � from clearing land for grazing livestock and growing feed to animal respiration to meat processing and cooking � accounts for at least half of total worldwide anthropogenic GHGs (PDF).
Replacing livestock with sounder alternatives, they point out, would have a more rapid impact on reducing GHG emissions than actions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.
Time for a food revolution DEVLIN KUYEK FOOD AND AGRICULTURE JULY 10, 2011
A spike in food prices in 2008 pushed the number of hungry people in the world past the one billion mark. It was not a temporary phenomenon. Those record prices are now back on international markets.
Most of today�s hunger happens in the countryside. About 80 percent of those without enough food to eat are the people who produce food � farmers and rural labourers. People are not starving because of a global shortage of food, but rather because they do not have the money to buy the food they need or have access to the resources they need to produce it for themselves � land, water, animals, braisingg, etc.
And things are set to get much worse. By 2080, under a business as usual scenario, climate change is predicted to reduce global agricultural yields by a staggering 16 percent, while the population continues to grow. The worst effects will be felt in the South, in countries like Senegal. Already beset by high population growth and severe food insecurity, Senegal is predicted to see a 50 percent decline in agriculture productivity before the end of the century. To this we have to add an increase in extreme weather, such as droughts and typhoons that will severely disrupt agricultural production and leave twice as many people living in highly water-stressed environments.
In this context, the world desperately needs a food system that can ensure that food is distributed to everyone, according to need.
Each year 1.3 billion tons of food, about a third of all that is produced, is wasted
Environmental impact: the carbon footprint of food produced but not eaten is estimated to be 3.3 gigatons of CO2 per year.
How to revive old food and make it delicious again The statistics are getting repetitive, but they bear repeating ad nauseum: 40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten, equaling on average more than 20 pounds of food waste per person every month. Americans throw out the equivalent of $165 billion each year; the impact is staggering.
Much of it has to do with a wildly inefficient food system, but we consumers are to blame as well. The average American consumer wastes 10 times as much food as someone in Southeast Asia; we waste more than half [more] of what we did in the 1970s. We�re spoiled, we need to pay more attention. And one of the things we can do is not be so squeamish about imperfect food.
If apples, bananas, potatoes, avocados, artichokes, and others become brown
If fruits or vegetables are bruised
If lettuce has brown or pink spots
15 easy ways to reduce food waste Buy frozen foods, which suffer fewer losses from farm to shelf. Shop often. Buy fresh food at local farmers markets.
Take home leftovers. Share side dishes to keep portions under control. Ask the waiter to hold extras such as bread and butter you don�t plan to eat.
Use FoodKeeper or other apps for food-expiration reminders. Switch to smaller dishes to control portions. The standard plate is 36 percent larger than it was 50 years ago. Eat leftovers on a regular night each week. Give uneaten food a second chance. Freeze or can extras.
Not sure if those leftovers are still safe to eat? This app can help available for both Android and iOS
Denmark's newest grocer only sells unloved food Mislabeled products, damaged packaging, ugly produce, looming expiration dates � these are the things that send perfectly good supermarket food to the trash bin and add to the prodigious problem of food waste. In the United States we lose up to 40 percent of our food after it leaves the farm and the problem isn�t exclusive to the Land of Opportunity. France recently made it illegal for supermarkets to throw out unsold food � viva la France! � and now Denmark is jumping on the noble don�t-waste-food bandwagon with the launch of a novel new supermarket model, WeFood.
They are a non-profit run by volunteers; their profits go to help anti-poverty initiatives around the world. They collect surplus goods � from bread and produce to dairy and other groceries � and sell them 30 to 50 percent cheaper than regular supermarkets.
And how is that working out? Every day since the store opened in February, people have lined up on the sidewalk for a chance to buy previously unloved food. Bjerre says some of these surplus food die-hards are low-income people looking for a deal. But mostly, he says, they're here for more political reasons, Overgaard notes. The runaway success has led to a surprising scenario. They run out of food almost every day.
According to the to study�s authors, the loss was �catastrophic� and near irreversible without major changes to agricultural practice. Considering 33 percent of land worldwide is occupied with growing livestock feed and another 26 percent is being used to graze animals for consumption � we have to say we absolutely agree with the whole �catastrophic� thing � in fact, that might not even do it justice.
While this news is absolutely ridiculous, the reality is that we can all do something about this, starting today. By shifting our diets away from animal agriculture and towards more plant-based foods, we can redirect enough grain to feed 1.4 billion people.
Eat for the Planet http://www.onegreenplanet.org/ campaign
In the past 40 years, we�ve lost 52 percent of wildlife from the face of the planet; there is currently more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there has been in the past 800,000 years and our oceans are riddled with over 400 massive dead zones, completely devoid of life due to our pollution. While it may be difficult to fathom the fact that humankind has been responsible for this enormous amount of damage, it is the reality. But what is possibly even more challenging for people to understand is that something as simple as the food choices we make every day can be intrinsically tied to this destruction. Especially, our appetite for meat, dairy and eggs.
70% of global freshwater supplies are used for agriculture.
These statistics illustrate the devastating use of land resources, freshwater supplies and sheer volume of greenhouse gases produced by the livestock industry, and yet, 850 million people across the world still suffer from lack of food. Not to mention, animal agriculture is also the leading driver of deforestation and habitat loss which has pushed countless endangered species on to the brink of extinction. As our population grows to nine billion by 2050, these percentages are set to grow exponentially.
If every person in the U.S. were to choose more plant-based foods, we could cut our carbon footprint in half, save around 200,000 gallons of water each, redirect enough grain from the livestock system to feed roughly 2 billion people. We have the potential to make an enormous impact.
No matter how you look at it, the animal agriculture industry is a losing bet for the environment, animals, and people. It is time that we stop looking for ways to make this archaic industry �less inhumane," �less environmentally destructive," and �less unhealthy," and choose an option that is not �less bad� but undeniably better: plant-based.
Eating for the planet has never been easier � or more delicious. One Green Planet just happens to be home to the largest vegan recipe database on the web � and trust us, once you dive in, you�ll probably ask yourself why you never considered eating plant-based before.
Foil vs. parchment vs. wax paper: Here's when to use them
101 Cookbooks a clean, well-lighted place on the Web for cooking stories. Since Ms. Swanson is a professional food photographer, all of her gastronomic adventures come with beautiful pictures. Visitors are invited to post comments, as well as browse the list of upcoming attractions
20 things you don't actually need to keep in the fridge
Food Storage Mistakes Learn how to store food properly in order to fight unnecessary food waste at home.
No oversized containers: When you store food in a container that�s too big, it can lead to faster spoilage and freezer burn.
Don�t refrigerate hot foods: You might think your high-tech fridge can handle the task of chilling hot leftovers, but it�s not a good idea. The hot air can increase the temperature of neighboring foods and increase the rate of bacterial growth. Instead, let food cool at least somewhat outside the fridge before transferring it.
Change store packaging: If you purchase pantry items, the same rule applies. You want to avoid the 3 M�s � mice, mealworms, and mustiness � so transfer dry goods such as beans, pasta, flour, and grains from store packaging into glass jars.
Label freezer foods: Put a description and date on whatever goes into the freezer so you can keep track of it. All it takes is some masking tape and a marker. Otherwise, it�s too easy to forget what�s there. As you use freezer items, move older ones to the front for easy access.
Don�t keep potatoes and onions together: If you�ve been storing these in the same place (like I have), then it�s time to change. Apparently both require cool, dark, dry space, but they release moisture and gases that speed up spoilage. Onions need more air circulation than potatoes and are best stored in the fridge. Potatoes should never be refrigerated, but stored in a basket or bag in the pantry.
Store herbs properly: Fresh herbs can be kept in a jar of water on the counter if temperature is moderate. Alternatively, wrap in a damp cloth and place in a sealed bag in fridge.
Keep half-used onions separate from other foods: Onion halves will impart their strong smell to neighboring foods if stored loose in the fridge. Wrap or cover in a bowl to prevent having oniony-tasting pears, apples, and broccoli.
Don�t leave lettuce in plastic: It will go slimy if left too long. A better method is to wash, spin dry, and place in an airtight container or bowl with a clean tea towel or cloth napkin on the bottom to absorb moisture. You'll be more inclined to eat salad, too, if it's already prepped.
..rather than come up with one definition for the word "sustainable" as it refers to food and food production methods, we suggest doing away with the word entirely. In its place, as a way of helping food consumers make conscious, informed decisions, we suggest dividing global food and farming into two categories: regenerative and degenerative.
In this new paradigm, consumers could choose food produced by degenerative, toxic chemical-intensive, monoculture-based industrial agriculture systems that destabilize the climate, and degrade soil, water, biodiversity, health and local economies.
Or they could choose food produced using organic regenerative practices based on sound ecological principles that rejuvenate the soil, grasslands and forests; replenish water; promote food sovereignty; and restore public health and prosperity�all while cooling the planet by drawing down billions of tons of excess carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil where it belongs.
How Corporate Farmers Are Waging War on Our 1st Amendment Animal abuse isn�t only a problem when people find out about it.
The First Amendment may be inconvenient to some people at times, but it�s still the law of the land. Case in point: so-called �ag-gag laws."
These are laws in Idaho, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa that prohibit people from taking photos or videos of farms without permission. They�re designed to prevent the exposure of cruelty to animals on factory farms.
"The United States spends over $87 billion conducting a war in Iraq while the United Nations estimates that for less than half that amount we could provide clean water, adequate diets, sanitation services and basic education to every person on the planet. And we wonder why terrorists attack us." - John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
"The United States, with less than five per cent of the world's people, consumes over twenty five percent of its resources...
"...the really scary news is that the rest of the planet is scrambling to catch up with our lifestyle. If all 6.4 billion people did so, we'd need four more Earths to accommodate them" ("The Sierra Club Launches its "True Cost of Food" Campaign." Alamo Sierran, Aug. 2004: 1-2).
10 of the Most Common Ways World Hunger Is Misunderstood
Food scarcity is not the problem, but the scarcity of real democracy protecting people�s access to nutritious food is a huge problem. So, fighting hunger means tackling concentrated political and economic power in order to create new equitable rules. Otherwise hunger will continue no matter how much food we grow.
Because the global food system is so inefficient and inequitable, we have plenty of room to increase available food before we hit earth�s actual limits. If remade, our food system has unique capacities to help rebalance the carbon cycle by cutting emissions and storing more carbon in the soil. Climate-friendly farming practices are low-cost and especially benefit small-scale farmers and farmworkers, who are the majority of hungry people.
$51 Million: That�s How Much Big Food Spent So Far This Year to Defeat GMO Labeling Cole Mellino, News Report--Big Foods has done all they can to support the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, also known as the DARK Act. And most of it comes in monetary value spending more than $51 million to defeat GMO labeling.
WHERE IS YOUR FOOD FROM? TRANSPARENCY COMES TO U.S. WITH THE REAL CO - 100% SINGLE ORIGIN FOODS The Real Co is pioneering Single Origin in food products, which is an exciting and transparent new food category and method of sourcing products globally and delivering it at a local level. The Real Co enters partnerships with farmers and growers around the world that don't have an established route to distribute their products and creates a way to share their commodity with the world. The company brings full transparency and sustainability to the U.S. food industry. The Real Co products are carefully inspected and sourced by company representatives, and go straight from farm to shelf, eliminating the need for any middlemen. This unique 100% Single Origin method allows everyone in the world to enjoy what is usually impossible to experience: unique, tasty, freshly farmed/mined products at affordable prices.
GMO Foods Monsanto, etc.
The Dirty Secrets of 'Clean' Labels A survey last year by the Nutrition Business Journal found that high-fructose corn syrup tops consumers� least-wanted list. No. 2 was partially hydrogenated oils or �trans fats."
Names of things that sound like they�d be used by chemists, rather than home cooks, are being whisked off the ingredient labels of processed foods -- which now account for 70% of the American diet. Ingredient lists are being made as short, easy to pronounce, and understand as possible.
In the food industry, this is called �clean labeling." And big companies are racing to do it. In recent weeks, Kraft said it would take artificial colors and preservatives out of its iconic mac & cheese. Nestle is chucking artificial colors and flavors out of its chocolates. General Mills will purge artificial colors and flavors from its cereals.
In some cases, industry experts say companies are genuinely trying to make more wholesome products. But in others, they say these clean-label ingredient swaps are more about marketing food than really making it healthier. And there are some signs that the rush to make highly processed foods seem pure and basic may be causing problems for vulnerable consumers, like people with food allergies.
How did we get here? It starts with four letters: GRAS.
The FDA has long used the designation �generally recognized as safe� as a way to quickly exempt common and widely used food additives, like vinegar, from rigorous and sometimes lengthy formal safety reviews, which were required of new ingredients or old ingredients that were used in new ways.
But in 1997, amidst budget cuts and industry grumbling that the FDA was taking too long to approve new ingredients, the agency proposed a new system.
It now allows food companies to review their own new ingredients and decide what�s safe. They can submit those reviews to the FDA for acceptance, but it's not required by law.
He says there�s one switch that�s become pretty common in processed cereals and baked goods.
�You take out high-fructose corn syrup," he says, �and replace it with fructose."
In these cases, it�s also up to the food company to decide how to list the ingredient on labels.
In February, CSPI and three other consumer advocacy organizations called on the FDA to overhaul the GRAS system, saying it violates the 1958 law that requires the FDA to determine ingredients are safe before they are added to the food we eat.
What's Hiding in Your Food? All processed foods have ingredients called additives. While these additives often help food stay fresher longer or improve its flavor and texture, they may also affect your health. Here's what you should know about a few of these troubling ingredients.
Monk Fruit: First Healthy Artificial Sweetener That Also Tastes Great? Now monk fruit, a melon cultivated by Buddhist monks at one time or another in certain types of China, is gaining popularity as a flavorsome and healthier alternative to aspartame.
Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo fruit, is traditionally grown in the forested mountains of southern China, Reuters reported. Its antioxidant and vitamin properties have made it a popular remedy for anything from a sore throat to diabetes, and its naturally sweetened flavor makes its dry form a practical ingredient for soups and teas. Manufacturers report that one gram of monk fruit extract is equal to eight teaspoons of sugar.
In its pure form, monk fruit is considered 300 times sweeter than sugar. According to BioVittoria�s website, Fruit-Sweetness is around 150 times sweeter than sugar. Fruit-Sweetness, marketed as �a truly natural, zero calorie, high intensify sweetener," is currently the only product derived from monk fruit to receive the FDA�s GRAS approval.
Coca-Cola products are currently sweetened by stevia, a low-calorie sweetener that is �generally recognized as safe� by the FDA. Although stevia is considered a healthier option compared to the perceivably dangerous aspartame, it has also been criticized for its bitter taste. California-based Zevia recently launched its brand of zero-calorie sodas, sweetened with a mixture of monk fruit extract and stevia.
Companies like BioVittoria and Zevia may be at the forefront of the monk fruit market, but there is one dilemma any potential manufacturer of this fruit will run into: a Chinese law that prevents monk fruit from being grown outside of the country. This combined with the intricate process involved with monk fruit extraction makes it a pricey commodity. With the continued decline of Coca-Cola sales, soft drink companies may have to pony up extra coin to afford this healthier alternative to the dreaded aspartame.
Monk fruit has ancient healing power Monk fruit is a sweet fruit that has been used for centuries for its healing ability. It is also know as �Luo Han Guo� and dates back to the 13th century monks living in the steep mountain region of Southern China.
The fruit was named after advance Buddhist practitioners, called �luohan�. It is also known as the longevity fruit; many of the population live to be over a hundred in this region of China.
Magical fruit with many health benefits
Organic luo han guo supports the immune system, digestive tract, glands and respiratory system � which is why it is used in China for medicinal purposes. From allergy to cancer, this fruit holds the promise that it can help eliminate and defend against many health-related problems�
Defeating diabetes has never been easier
It has been found that luo han guo extract has a powerful effect on diabetes. The extract has been shown in animal studies to decrease blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglycerides and improve liver function. In addition, it increased the HDL (�good� cholesterol) while protecting the antioxidants in the animals livers.
Conquer allergies, cancer, heart disease (and more) � naturally
Luo han guo has been shown to have an antihistamine effect in mice given the extract. The extract seems to counter an allergic response by calming the mast cells that release the chemicals such as histamine � which is associated with both allergies and asthma.
Japanese laboratory studies found that mogrosides from luo han guo showed extraordinary effects against skin cancer in mice. This is note worthy since research supports the idea that sugar consumption elevates the risk of cancer. Perhaps it�s the type of sweetener, since the sweet Monk fruit seems to be able to elicit the opposite response.
Lo han guo seems to show promise at preventing cholesterol from oxidizing, and since this plays a role in the formation of plaque buildup in the arteries � it may translate to a decreased risk of heart disease and strokes.
Out Of Sight: The Labor Abuses Behind What We Eat NAFTA�s agricultural provisions allowed American farmers to dump their products on the Mexican market while raising animals fed on cheap American corn. This transformed Mexico. Mexican pig farmers went out of business because pork prices dropped so low. In 1995 Mexico imported 30,000 tons of pork from the United States, and in 2010 it imported 811,000 tons. Mexican hog farmers had to leave their farms to make a living. Some migrated north, becoming undocumented immigrants in the United States. A group of those people found work in a Smithfield Foods processing plant in North Carolina. Smithfield used these immigrants to bust a union-organizing campaign in the plant. When some of those immigrants in turn joined the union, Smithfield called the Immigration and Naturalization Service to report itself for immigration violations.
This Smithfield story tells us much about food�s role in the globalized economy. First, it shows that the food industry outsources production for the same reasons as other industries�to pollute and to exploit workers while minimizing resistance from empowered locals with labor and environmental organizations. The meat industry already locates its facilities in antiunion states such as North Carolina, and even politicians in more progressive states, like Maryland governor and Democratic candidate for president Martin O�Malley, oppose regulations demanded by citizens to keep their water clean because they fear that the meat industry will move to another state. If the regulations in all the states become too strict, NAFTA has opened up Mexico to American agribusiness. States compete with states and nations with nations in a race to the bottom. Ecosystems and workers suffer.
Corporations do not care about national borders so long as they can accomplish their objectives. Whether the slaughterhouse is in North Carolina or Veracruz, most of us never see where our food comes from. When it makes sense to invest in Mexico, agribusinesses do so. But they can also move to the vast Great Plains or the South, where environmental regulations are few and labor unions weak. As Timothy Pachirat writes in his powerful firsthand account of working in a Nebraska slaughterhouse, �Distance and concealment operate as mechanisms of power in modern society." Hiding food production protects companies by concealing how the industry treats animals, what it dumps into the ecosystem, and how it treats workers. Today�s consumers might eat organic food, but that does not mean the food is produced in a way that contributes to social justice. It does not mean that the people growing the food, butchering the meat, or serving you in the restaurant are treated humanely. Peeling off the food industry�s concealing blindfolds can empower consumers to again fight for labor and nature.
Public knowledge of working conditions and animal treatment is the food industry�s worst nightmare. This is the motivation behind a series of so-called ag-gag bills to criminalize undercover footage of industrial farming operations. Iowa, Utah, and Missouri have these laws, and Idaho joined them in February 2014. In Idaho, it is now illegal for anyone not employed by the farm�and for anyone who misrepresented themselves to get hired�to make video recordings of what happens on that farm without the express consent of the owner. Violators could receive a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. Agribusiness pushed for the law after an undercover video showed workers beating and sexually abusing cattle at an Idaho dairy operation. Animal rights groups are challenging on constitutional grounds, but it is a dangerous advance in the concealment of industrial activity. If laws protect what happens in meat factories from view, why would they not give all factory owners legal standing for concealment? Why not make the documentation of violations of workers� rights or the dumping of pollution in any industry a crime? Although court challenges will result, if these laws are held up, they are a very scary legal aid to corporations concealing their operations.
For years, as the link between disease, early death and poor diet grew irrefutable, advocates and nutritionists pushed for the same prescription: Physician, heal thyself. Specifically, they demanded that hospital administrators ditch the fast-food chains that frequently bolster health-care systems� bottom lines and adopt more nutritious meals as part of an overall plan to teach doctors and patients alike about the benefits of a balanced diet.
The success of these campaigns has been mixed: Some hospitals and clinics have cut ties with McDonald's, Burger King and the like. Others have hired chefs to revamp the food service in outdated kitchens that have employees who may not have the skills to prepare more sophisticated meals. But as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington nonprofit organization that has led the charge to revamp hospital food, points out, more than 30 medical facilities still play host to a Chick-fil-A, McDonald's or Wendy's.
Enter Tom Colicchio, one of the most recognizable names in the restaurant and television industries. He just introduced Root & Sprig, a new fast-casual concept that aims to give patients, families, doctors and other health-care workers a better meal when they�re at a hospital, whether working or recovering. The first Root & Sprig debuted Tuesday at the Children's National Research and Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.
"We were originally going to put 'Wichcraft in there, but we decided to do something new for the hospitals," Colicchio said in an interview with The Washington Post. "My [former] ops team from 'Wichcraft,' those are the ones who are running it and working on it."
Take Part take action
Food Tank news and action on food
GMO Foods Monsanto, etc.
Who's Making Money from Overweight Kids? meat and chicken are being subsidized heavily by the USDA.
Consumer Self-Defense: 12 Ways to Drive GMOs and Roundup off the Market
"...make fish safer to eat by acting to clean up the largest source of mercury pollution, coal-burning power plants...
"Send a free fax or find sample letters here www.healthyfish.net/index.html.
"Also contact mayor Garza and all the council persons telling them we do not want a HUGE coal plant right here in San Antonio" ("Do Your Part." Alamo Sierran, Aug. 2004: 2).
mycorrhizal fungi play a major role in taking up carbon and forming stable soil aggregates that protect that carbon from degradation.
Bimbo USA is a subsidiary of Mexico-based Grupo Bimbo, which has operations in 21 countries. Here in the U.S., Bimbo�s operates more than 60 bakeries (according to the company website) and markets a long list of brands, including Arnolds, Sara Lee, Thomas� English Muffins, Orowheat, Stroemans.
In July, Bimbo bought the Eureka Grainiac Organic line. The company also sells a brand called �Nature�s Harvest".
For the most part, Bimbo products are junk food. Search the website Fooducate.com and you�ll find nutritional information on a lot of Bimbo products, many of which high-fructose corn syrup, trans-fats, artificial color and petroleum-derived antioxidants and high levels of sugar.
8 Vegetables That Are Better to Eat Raw Cooking vegetables can often bring out their health benefits, but to maximize the cancer-fighting potential of some of them, raw is the better way to go.
Cooking vegetables is usually a good idea: Heat breaks down cell walls, releasing antioxidants. But heating cruciferous vegetables (part of the Brassicae family) actually destroys their unique anti-carcinogenic potential. That's because crucifers, unlike other types of vegetables, are high in glucosinolate, a plant compound that produces naturally occurring small molecules called isothiocyanates, which have been shown to fight cancer.
It should be noted that people with goiter or hypothyroidism must limit their intake of cruciferous vegetables, which are goitrogenic; i.e., they induce the formation of goiter through enzymes that interfere with iodine uptake. And as with most things, too much glucosinolate can be hazardous, particularly for people who are seriously ill.
Here are eight of the most popular cruciferous vegetables that are best to eat raw to get the most out of their cancer-fighting power -- and also to prevent their water-soluble vitamins from leaching out during the cooking process. Arugula, Bok Choy ( ranked second for nutrient density out of 41 "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables), Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, watercress.
PURSLANE
Dispelling another myth! Purslane is thought of as a weed, but you can go grab this delicacy right out of your yard and throw it in your salad. It's a succulent and has a wonderful peppery & slightly sour taste that compliments most leafy greens. I know, I had some cognitive dissonance the first time I pulled this plant out of a sidewalk and took it to the kitchen. It can feel a little weird.
Purslane is also a superfood! It contains more Omega-3 than any other land vegetable. You didn't even know salad greens could have omegas, did you? Well this one is packed with it. It also contains many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. (from Greenling email)
Our Broken Food System (And How to Fix It) video
* 5 FDA Approved Foods That Are TOXIC to Humans The majority of food items purchased at the grocery store and manufactured by big name brands contain toxins like BPA, genetically-modified food, aspartame, fluoride, pesticides and toxic vaccines and we aren�t even aware of it. And it�s killing us.
According to the CIA�s World Fact Book, The United States ranks 42 in life expectancy... No doubt some of the responsibility is on our shoulders as more of us reach for processed garbage and call it food. But the fact is there are chemicals in our food that have been approved by the FDA that are so dangerous and toxic they have been banned by other countries.
Acesulfame Potassium (also known as Acesulfame K)--a new calorie-free artificial sweetener marketed as "DiabetiSweet" and "Sweet One." It is used in gelatin desserts, baked goods and chewing gum. Possible side effects of this additive are, according to research studies, lung cancer and thymus gland tumors in rats, as well as leukemia and breast cancer.
Aspartame marketed under the names "NutraSweet" and "Equal." According to some health experts, this additive is one of the most toxic substances being added to our foods.
BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene) Petroleum-derived antioxidants and are primarily used in the preservation of fats and oil. They prevent these foods from oxidizing and spoiling too quickly. You can find them in chewy granola bars, breakfast cereals, potato chips, shortening, desserts, and candies, to name some of the food items.
Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue) and Blue #2 (Indigotine) banned in the EU.
Fluoride Even small amounts of fluoride if consumed can actually damage your teeth and bones and disrupt your thyroid function. It has also been linked to cancer and the lowering of IQ.
Exposure to fluoride disrupts collagen production and leads to the breakdown of collagen in our bones, tendons, muscles, skin, cartilage, lungs, kidneys and trachea.
Fluoride depletes the energy reserves and the ability of our white blood cells to find and destroy foreign bodies. Even the smallest, smallest traces of fluoride in the body can seriously depress the ability of white blood cells to destroy pathogens.
Fluoride seems to confuse the immune system and get it to attack the body�s own tissues. This causes an increase in tumor growth in cancer-prone individuals.
Fluoride disrupts thyroid function.
Fluoride promotes the development of bone cancer.
Fluoride causes premature aging.
Here�s How You Can Take Back the Power and Vote for a Better Food System Today Americans are changing the way they eat. Driven by concerns over health and sustainability, the average American consumer has grown a lot smarter about their food choices and it is spawning a real food revolution that�s currently sweeping the nation.
Meat and dairy consumption is on the decline and interest in clean, whole foods is on the rise. Moreover, consumers are starting to understand foods that are good for us also happen to be great for the environment. Yet, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, two government agencies responsible for updating and publishing the important Dietary Guidelines for Americans, decided to take sustainability off the plate for the latest incarnation of the guidelines.
According to a new survey commissioned by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, 74 percent of adults believe the newly released Dietary Guidelines should include environmental provisions and support sustainable agriculture practices. 70 percent of all survey respondents said that the agricultural industry has a responsibility to produce food in a sustainable way. In contrast, a mere 30 percent said the industry�s responsibility is to provide food at a low cost.
Consumer Trends Driving the Rapid Rise of Sustainable Plant-Based Foods in America Almost every other packaged food you find these days is labeled �vegan," as millions of Americans wake up to the idea that eating foods that are meat and dairy free just makes sense � they�re optimal for our health and the health of our planet. Here are some consumer trends:
1. Drop in Meat Consumption
Recent studies have shown that around one-third of Americans are choosing to leave meat off their plates more frequently. In 2015, annual per capita red meat consumption in the U.S. fell 15 percent to 101 pounds in the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It�s down by a third since the early 1970s, when per capita consumption was pushing 150 pounds per year. These trends are being driven by people broadly understanding how diet affects their health, concerns around the use of hormones and antibiotics in producing meat, the treatment animals in factory farms, and how food choices have a very real impact on the planet.
2. Drop in Dairy Consumption
Fueled by changing consumer perception of dairy�s nutritional value for bone development, concerns around hormones and antibiotics, increase in milk allergies, rising milk prices, and the popularity of plant-based milks, U.S. milk consumption has been steadily declining by 25 percent per capita since the mid-1970s. Americans, on average, drink 37 percent less milk today than they did in 1970, according to data from the USDA. That�s an astounding fact. What are they consuming instead? Plant-based alternatives like almond, soy, and coconut milk!
3. Values-Based Shopping
American consumers (a whopping 87 percent of them) want to buy food from brands that have a positive social and environmental impact, and most are willing to pay more for such products. Consumers are starting to value transparency, not only regarding food ingredients but also about the supply chain and are looking for brands that have an authentic mission and genuinely care about the impact of their products. From a natural resource consumption standpoint, plant-based foods are inherently better for the planet, and most brands in the space are not afraid to wear their values on their sleeves, which makes them even more attractive to consumers.
4. The Power of Millennials
By 2017, the generation is expected to outspend the baby boomers. As a consumer group, Millennials recognize that their food choices have a very real impact on society and the environment, and they are big proponents of shopping with a conscience. One in 10 millennials is vegetarian or vegan, and they are at the forefront of driving the American consumer marketplace by demanding more plant-based options. Millennials are increasingly interested in vegan cuisine, and more than 60 percent consume meat alternatives.
As a consumer, you need to recognize the tremendous power you wield with your food choices and what a crucial role you play in shaping this story.
8 Poisonous Foods We Commonly Eat
Rhubarb
Growing rhubarb in the garden? These pretty pink stalks are stellar in strawberry jam and berry pies, but stay away from the leafy greens. Unlike most garden goodies that offer extra value with many edible parts, the leaves of the rhubarb plant are to be avoided. Oxalic acid is a nephrotoxic and corrosive compound found in these leaves, and it should not be ingested, as it is commonly found in metal cleaners and bleach. Anthraquinone glycoside is another compound to watch out for. Unlike less harmful chemicals, those found in the rhubarb leaves can cause severe symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea and gastric pain.
Kidney Beans
Thinking about making chili tonight? Make sure those kidney beans are well cooked before serving. While a common ingredient in many recipes, these red legumes share something dubious with their cousin, the lima bean. Kidney beans contain a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin, also known as kidney bean lectin. Kidney bean lectin can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and in extreme cases, fatalities. Like many other foods containing poisonous compounds, the toxin is neutralized when the beans have been cooked. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends boiling for 30 minutes to ensure they reach a sufficient temperature long enough to completely destroy the toxin. Trying to decide if you should use canned or dried beans? Canned beans are usually pre-treated and safe. Dried beans should be used as stated on the instructions with overnight soaking and long, slow cooking over moderate heat.
Potatoes
Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and French fries are not as harmless as they look. The benign potato, often a favorite staple of family meals, is not just an innocent tuber. Potatoes are actually a member of the Nightshade family. Potatoes and their mild mannered counterparts contain chemical compounds called solanine and chaconine, both glycoalkaloids. Both occur naturally in potatoes as a defense mechanism, as they have pesticidal and anti-fungal properties. Solanine is potentially poisonous to humans, and can cause gastrointestinal distress, diarrhea, vomiting, burning of the throat, dizziness, and even cardiac issues. In severe cases solanine has been known to cause hallucinations, paralysis, fever, and other severe symptoms. Solanine develops in potatoes when they are exposed to light. As long as potatoes are stored in a cool, dry, dark place and not served when they appear green, they are perfectly safe to eat.
Tomatoes
The stems of the tomato however, can be quite dangerous to eat. They contain a substance called tomatine � a substance that�s toxic enough to be used as a pesticide. So make sure you completely remove the stems from any tomatoes you eat.
All types of tea come from the same basic plant, the Camellia Sinensis plant. The differences between teas arise from processing, growing conditions, and geography. ... Tea can be divided into six basic categories: black, dark (including puer), oolong, yellow, green, and white.
TYPES OF TEA details and info.
Weight Loss
Green tea has been shown to increase your metabolism an additional 80 calories per day. Studies have shown that the polyphenols contained in green tea provide both health and metabolism boosting properties. Resting metabolic rates have increased over 17% contributing to faster fat burning effect in some research reports.
In addition to its role in speeding your metabolism, it is also responsible for reducing hunger pangs as well as cravings. This makes green tea a great way to help shed those stubborn extra pounds.
Improves blood flow
Long known for its medicinal properties, green tea has health benefits that scientists are still discovering. For those with circulation problems, this �miracle� beverage can actually help to improve circulation and blood flow. Green tea contains flavonoids which increase circulation by relaxing the blood vessels and allowing blood to flow more freely through the body. Recent studies have also shown that green tea has short term benefits on arterial health. Drinking green tea can help the arteries to expand temporarily which helps the blood to circulate through the body. Improved circulation doesn�t just benefit cardiovascular health, it benefits the entire body. This is great news for anyone looking to improve their overall health!
Diabetes
One amazing benefit of drinking green tea is its ability to not only help prevent diabetes, but also its ability to help treat it. Green tea is rich in antioxidants including catechins. Studies have shown that catechins can positively affect glucose metabolism, which helps diabetics to maintain regular insulin levels. Catechins can slow the production of glucose while helping to increase the production of insulin. Green tea can help even out blood sugar levels and reduce insulin sensitivity. Additional research has shown that green tea lowers the risk of developing diabetes which is important for anyone with a family history of this disease.
Improves cholesterol
Green tea offers amazing cardiovascular benefits. In addition to helping to improve circulation, green tea can also help to protect LDL cholesterol and prevent ailments such as coronary artery disease. Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant known as EGCG which helps to decrease inflammation and prevents LDL cholesterol from oxidizing. The antioxidants in green tea prevent plaque build-up on arterial walls and also work to reduce cholesterol. Many doctors are starting to recommend green tea as a part of a healthy heart diet for those looking to improve symptoms, prevent heart disease and stroke, and increase their blood circulation.
Skincare
Thinking about replacing that cup of coffee with a cup of green tea? Here is another reason to do just that. The antioxidant properties in green tea make it an excellent source for healthy skin. Green tea contains polyphenols, which can help with cell regeneration and preventing skin damage. While not a replacement for sunscreen, studies have shown that long term consumption of green tea can help to prevent damage from UVA and UVB rays. The antioxidants in green tea also help calm inflammation as well as aging of your skin. With skincare as an added benefit, many companies are starting to include green tea as an ingredient in lotions and facial cleansers, though direct consumption is recommended as the best way to benefit green tea.
Reduces stress
There is nothing more relaxing than sitting down with a soothing cup of tea. In fact, green tea actually contains ingredients that can help to reduce stress and calm nerves. Green tea contains a compound called L-theanine which can help with serotonin and dopamine levels and positively affect emotions and mood. In addition to this, there is the added psychological benefit of slowing down and taking a moment to just sit and sip. Taking a moment to relax and combining it with the stress reducing ingredients of green tea can produce a calming and soothing effect.
Fights cancer
Its� anti-inflammatory properties
Improves brain function
Forgot where you put your keys? Green tea can also help with memory and brain function. In addition to providing additional energy, the compounds in green tea can offer help with aging and improving brain function. Studies have shown that the catechins that help with cardiovascular health also improve circulation to the brain. Green tea�s compounds can also have protective effects on neurons which may help to reduce the risk of neurological and cognitive diseases. Research has shown a stronger working memory area of the brain for those who consistently drink green tea. The L-theanine contained in green tea helps with focus and attention, increasing the benefits of this amazing beverage.
Coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of premature death and cardiovascular death, heart disease, cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and diabetes
Coffee should be organic and shade-grown; drink it black or with added coconut oil or MCT oil
Tea should be organic and grown in a nonpolluted environment to avoid contamination with heavy metals or fluoride; drink it without milk, with lemon added if you like
Could Veganism End World Hunger? The World Health Organization calls malnutrition "the silent emergency", and says it is a factor in at least half the 10.4 million child deaths which occur every year.
If you�re concerned about animal rights, water conservation, clean air and health then you may already be on the road to becoming vegan � so why not take five minutes and find out how veganism could end world hunger?
There is more than enough food being produced to feed everyone in the world twice over.
The problem is, our meat-based diet means that land, water, and other resources that could be used to grow food for human beings are being used to grow crops for farmed animals instead.
70% of U.S. grain production is fed to livestock.
One-third of the world's fish catch is fed directly to livestock.
In cycling our grain through livestock, we waste 90% of its protein and 96% of its calories.
An acre of cereal can produce five times more protein than an acre devoted to meat production. Legumes [beans] can produce ten times as much.
"Those who consume livestock products and fish are competing directly with those who need grain for food." (Lester Brown, president of Worldwatch)
The truth can no longer be dodged. Livestock farming gobbles up agricultural land, water and energy that could be far more efficiently devoted to growing food for people.
The cost of an 8 ounce steak will fill 45 to 50 bowls with cooked cereal grains.
Livestock now outnumber humans by almost three to one. In the last 40 years, the number of cattle has doubled and the fowl population has trebled.
The meat and dairy industry is also putting a huge strain on our water supply.. it is unsustainable.
"The American fast food diet and the meat-eating habits of the wealthy around the world support a world food system that diverts food resources from the hungry" [Dr. Waldo Bello].
It would take just 40 million tons of food to eliminate most world hunger, yet a staggering 760 million tons of grain will be used to feed farmed animals this year.
An individual can make a huge difference. They can stop supporting the meat, fish, egg and dairy industries. They can become vegan.
In the U.S., 64% of cropland produces feed for animals, while only 2% grows fruit and vegetables.
It takes about 300 gallons of water per day to produce food for a vegan, and more than 4,000 gallons of water per day to produce food for a meat-eater.
Fact: You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year.
Veganism is about wanting something better.. for the future of our children and the world as a whole.
Veganism is about making the world we live in a better place for people and animals alike.
Diet and Global Warming If one takes the threat of global warming seriously, the most powerful personal step you can take may well be choosing a vegetarian diet.
Big Food Found Guilty in Multimillion Dollar Cover up in GMO Labeling Fight
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) - Monsanto's Toxic Chemicals Monsanto's sordid past
What exactly is Bragg's Liquid Aminos honestly? Many vegans do mention protein being made of amino acids and them not needing it from animals and, how soy has all the essential amino acids in it.
It is unfermented so it can't be soy sauce(I can't confirm this, Braggs website doesn't mention it), and they also don't add salt.
Comment: It was created by a bonafide food scientist, Natral Health icon , Paul Bragg. It contains no wheat, no salt, and is not fermented, making it a superior soy seasoning; safe for our largely yeast overgrowth population; low in Sodium. Salty taste without unbalanced earth salt added.
Bragg's FAQ Amino Acids are the building blocks of all our organs and tissues. They are also the building blocks from which different food proteins are constructed. When we eat a protein food, such as meat or soybeans, the natural hydrochloric acid in the stomach digests the protein, releasing the Amino Acids. They are the link between the food we eat and assimilation for our body tissue. Lack of adequate Amino Acids may make it impossible for the vitamins and minerals to perform their specific duties.
Bragg Liquid Aminos is a healthy alternative to Soy and Tamari sauce. No table salt or preservatives are added.
Is it OK for a person on a low-salt or sodium diet to use Liquid Aminos? It is OK for an individual on a low-salt or sodium diet to have small amounts of the Liquid Aminos (just a few teaspoons) a day for seasoning. Bragg Liquid Aminos are not recommended for persons on no-salt or sodium diets.
What is the Nutritional content of Bragg Liquid Aminos?
The Average Nutritional Breakdown per 1/2 Teaspoon is:
� Protein / Soy (Amino Acids) 290 mg
Amino Acids: Coconut vs. Bragg's This miracle sauce is made from coconut tree sap and sea salt, with no other additives. Better yet, it�s raw, so all of those living nutrients, amino acids and enzymes from the tree sap are captured and passed directly along to you
Be careful not to confuse coconut aminos with Braggs liquid aminos, however. Braggs are actually a highly processed form of soy sauce that uses chemical reactions in place of natural fermentation methods.
Although coconut aminos are a great substitution for soy sauce, coconut aminos do have a high sodium content like soy sauce does, so be sure to keep that in mind if you are watching your salt intake.
Coconut Aminos Granted, regular soy sauce is horribly high in sodium. The same can be said of the lower sodium versions you can purchase at most grocery stores. However, for the last several years I've been able to purchase online House of Tsang Less Sodium Soy Sauce with only 320 MGS SODIUM PER TABLESPOON. A few months ago I read a couple of blog posts and forum entries about Bragg�s, and I bought a small spray bottle of the Aminos just to give it one more try. It tastes pretty much like the Tsang soy sauce I use. However, it's got 160 mgs sodium per 1/2 Teaspoon. That works out to 960 MGS PER TABLESPOON � quite a bit more than the low sodium soy sauce I presently use � three times more sodium!
A while ago, one of the Cooking Forum members posted a link to a coconut amino product that looked really interesting. Its sodium content is lower than Bragg's, just 113 mgs for 1 Teaspoon. That works out to 339 MGS PER TABLESPOON, just a little higher than the soy sauce I purchase online. When I found the coconut product at three different stores in my area, I decided to give it a shot.
Once I got it home, I did a taste test, comparing it to what I had on hand. The Coconut Aminos has a very similar taste to Bragg�s and low sodium sauce. It does, however, have a stronger fermented undertone. The extreme saltiness of the Bragg�s was immediately apparent in comparison to Coconut Aminos. I ended up dumping the Bragg�s and pouring the coconut product into the spray bottle. I figure a light spray on top of vegetables or rice might brighten things up a bit.
Although I will continue to use "House of Tsang" Less Sodium Soy Sauce, Coconut Aminos is a great option for those who dearly love amino products and also need to reduce their sodium intake. It�s got a flavor that�s similar to both Bragg�s and low sodium sauce. It�s also a great product for those trying to avoid soy products, due to sensitivity or allergy.
Comment: If the soy sauce is for a dipping sauce, I dilute it -- 2 parts low sodium soy sauce to 1 part water & 1 part unseasoned rice vinegar. (Example: 2 tsp. soy sauce mixed with one tsp. water & 1 tsp. rice vinegar.) Then I add a couple of drops of hot chili oil and some toasted sesame oil, maybe even some crushed garlic & ginger. By the time I'm done, I've got a pretty tasty dipping sauce with a lot less sodium than straight soy sauce, even low sodium soy sauce.
ONLINE: Coconut Secret Organic Raw Coconut Aminos Soy-Free
This sap is raw, very low glycemic, an abundant source of 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamins and has a nearly neutral pH. A comparison between coconut tree sap and soy, shows that coconut sap contains 2-14 times the amino acid content of soy.
Seasoning alternative for use like soy sauce in salad dressing, marinades, sautes, and with sushi. ... the folks at Coconut Secret for offering an alternative to soy sauce, tamari and Bragg's.
Why You Should Eat Pulses Every Day
Everything You Need to Know About Lentils Lentils do not require soaking. The red lentils cook the fastest. Avoid cast iron or aluminum cook ware when cooking lentils.
3/4 cup cooked lentils provides more potassium than a large banana.
Lentils provide more folate than any other plant food. [Foaltr Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Folate, formerly known as folacin, is the generic term for both naturally occurring food folate and folic acid, the fully oxidized monoglutamate form of the vitamin that is used in dietary supplements and fortified foods.
Groats are the hulled kernels of various cereal grains such as oat, wheat, rye and barley. Groats are whole grains that include the cereal germ and fiber-rich bran portion of the grain as well as the endosperm. Wikipedia
Both will take place in The Hague, Netherlands�also known as the International City of Peace and Justice.
Currently, it is impossible under law to bring criminal charges against a company like Monsanto or its management, for their crimes against human health and the integrity of the environment.
Each year, Monsanto spends enormous amounts on legal defense to fend off the cases brought by the victims of its activities. This does not encourage the company to change its practices. So long as it remains more profitable for shareholders to take risks in the community � even if that means compensating the victims occasionally - these practices will persist.
Monsanto's history is a paradigm for the impunity of transnational corporations and their management, who contribute to climate change and the depletion of the biosphere and threaten the security of the planet.
Monsanto will serve as an example for the entire agro-industrial system whereby putting on trial all multinationals and companies that employ entrepreneurial behavior that ignore the damage wrecked on health and the environment by their actions.
General purpose of the Tribunal:
To get a ruling � even symbolic - against Monsanto by a bench of real judges, after
veritable proceedings in an international court, and contribute to the establishment of international mechanisms to bring justice to victims of multinationals.
Five distinguished international judges will preside over the tribunal. Thirty witnesses and scientific and legal experts will present testimony during the two-day proceedings.
More than 45,000 citizens and nearly 800 organizations have already signed on to endorse this historic citizens� initiative.
To mark the end of the tribunal, and World Food Day (both on October 16), those who can�t travel to The Hague are organizing protests and house parties in a show of solidarity. Want to participate in an event near you? Or organize your own? Email campaigns@organicconsumers.org for details and materials.
The tribunal, announced nine months ago during the COP21 Climate Summit in Paris, has been in the works for more than a year.
Groups like the Farmers Union, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth and others didn�t mince words when it came to condemning the deal.
EcoWatch: Bayer to Buy Monsanto Creating World's Largest Seed and Pesticide Company A successful merger would create the world's largest agrichemical firm, which will control more than one-fourth of the combined global market for seeds and pesticides.
According to Bloomberg, "The deal gives Bayer more than 2,000 varieties of seeds for crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. Adding that portfolio to its own vegetable, rice, cotton and oilseed offerings give Bayer a virtually unassailable position at the head of the market."
The Monsanto-Bayer combination is yet another example of the rapidly consolidating agricultural industry, with only a handful of companies controlling the sector.
Monsanto, the world's largest producer of genetically modified (GMO) crops and maker of the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, has faced mounting controversy and numerous lawsuits in recent years over the health and environmental impacts of its products.
Bayer has also been subject to criticism over its widely used insecticide, imidacloprid, which belongs to a controversial class of chemicals called neonicotinoids that's linked to widespread deaths of pollinators.
On today's landmark news, Murphy said: "Now the most evil company in Europe has absorbed the most evil company in America. Monsanto and Bayer's new corporate motto should be 'Killing bees and butterflies for fun and profit.'"
"With this deal Big Biotech gets bigger; it means monopoly power for Bayer-Monsanto, just like the previous mergers of Dow and DuPont and Syngenta and ChemChina," Ken Roseboro, the editor and publisher of The Organic & Non-GMO Report, told EcoWatch. "These three companies will dominate the global seed and pesticide markets and will likely drive up costs for farmers. The Justice Department should stop these mergers because they are bad farmers, bad for agriculture, and bad for consumers."
"The merger of Bayer and Monsanto should make the connection between Big Pharma, Big Biotech and Big Food all the more apparent to consumers," Ronnie Cummins, the international director of the Organic Consumers Association, told EcoWatch.
Meanwhile, Monsanto's tribunal at The Hague next month is still on deck. The Organic Consumers Association, IFOAM International Organics, Navdanya, Regeneration International and Millions Against Monsanto, joined by dozens of global food, farming and environmental justice groups are putting the transnational corporation on trial for crimes against nature and humanity and ecocide.
Predictably, the corporate heads of state last week promoted the proposed $66-billion deal as an altruistic plan to improve �the lives of growers and people around the world." This week, they told Senate Judiciary Committee members that the merger �is needed to meet a rising food demand."
Is anyone out there still buying the line that Monsanto and Bayer are in the business of feeding the world? When all the evidence says otherwise?
Even if that claim weren�t ludicrous, who thinks it�s a good idea to entrust the job of �feeding the world� to the likes of Bayer, a company that as part of the I.G. Farben cartel in the 1940s produced the poison gas for the Nazi concentration camps, and more recently sold HIV-infected drugs to parents of haemophiliacs in foreign countries, causing thousands of children to die of AIDS?
Store them in the crisper drawer of the fridge, away from the fruit. Fruits give off ethylene gas which can hasten spoilage.
The easiest way to wash greens is to fill the sink with cool water and give the greens a bath. Separate the leaves and agitate the water a bit with your fingers to loosen the dirt. Shake the leaves dry of excess water and then dry them in a salad spinner or by laying them between two clean towels.
Greens can last up to a week in the fridge but they may wilt. You can perk them back up by putting in a bowl of ice for 10 minutes or so.
If the greens you are using have thick stems or stalks, you need to remove them. This is true for kale and collard greens. Other greens such as chard and spinach have edible stems though you can certainly remove those as well. Beet and turnip greens need to be separated from their roots before storing.
The easiest way to remove the stems from large leaves is by �stripping." Hold the base of the stem in one hand and run your index and middle finger of the other hand along the stem, from base to tip, stripping the leaves off as you go. The leaves can then be chopped.
Smooth-leafed firm-headed green cabbages are the most common type. Savoy cabbage, also known as curly cabbage, has ruffled, lacy, deeply ridged leaves which are loosely layered and more tender. Use Savoy cabbage to make these Savoy Rolls.
Red cabbage is a pretty purple color. It has a heartier texture. It tastes great raw and when cooked down as in this Braised Red Cabbage with Beets.
Napa cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, has long, light green leaves and looks a bit like romaine lettuce. It has a mild, peppery flavor and is often used in stir-fries. It is also used to make kimchi.
The stalks need to be cooked first since they take longer than the leaves though chard can also be eaten raw. Chard is often used in soups, stir-fries and stews.
Recent research studies have also shown that the monounsaturated fat found in olives (and olive oil) can help to decrease blood pressure. The oleic acid found in olives�once absorbed up into the body and transported to our cells�can change signaling patterns at a cell membrane level (specifically, altering G-protein associated cascades). These changes at a cell membrane level result in decreased blood pressure.
Weight Loss: It appears that monounsaturated fats, the kind found in olives, may encourage weight loss. Olive oil consumption has been shown to breakdown fats inside fat cells, get rid of belly fat and reduce insulin insensitivity.
People who have the highest olive consumption eat fewer calories overall and are rarely overweight. Blood tests show they have higher levels of serotonin, a so-called satiety hormone that makes us feel full.
Black olives are a great source of vitamin E, which has the brilliant ability to neutralize free radicals in body fat. Especially when working with the stable monounsaturated fats found in olives, vitamin E can make cellular processes safer. When such processes such as mitochondrial energy production are not well protected, the free radicals produced can cause oxidation, damaging a cell�s mitochondria, and preventing the cell from producing enough energy to supply its needs. If the DNA of a cell is damaged, it may well mutate and become cancerous. Studies have shown that a diet supplemented with olive oil leads to a lower risk of colon cancer, almost as low a risk as a diet rich in fish oil.
Less Pain: Spanish-style green olives, Kalamata-style olives, and many different methods of olive preparation provide us with valuable amounts of many different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients which can act as a natural Ibuprofen. Their oils contain oleocanthal, a substance with anti-inflammatory agents. Similar to classical NSAIDs, they are a type of non-selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX). 50g (more than three and a half tablespoons) of a typical virgin olive oil per day contains an amount of oleocanthal with similar anti-inflammatory effect as 1/10 of the adult ibuprofen dose.
Less Allergies: New research may help explain how olives work to provide us with anti-inflammatory benefits, especially during circumstances involving allergy. Olive extracts have now been shown to function as anti-histamines at a cellular level. By blocking special histamine receptors (called H1 receptors), unique components in olive extracts may help to lessen a cell�s histamine response.
How to Select Olives
Avoid purchasing olives in cans. FDA data has shown levels of acrylamide as high as 1,925 ppb in some canned, nationally distributed brands of black pitted olives. Based on this data, higher acrylamide levels in select canned black olives may be related to specific handling, storage, processing (especially preservation and darkening methods), and heating steps that favored formation of acrylamide.
As far olive oils go, the best processing come from ice-pressed oils which is in the complete absence of heat; a dramatic 20-30 times colder than the cold-pressed olive oil; a critical distinction in terms of maintaining the oils� nutritive and healing potential and to staking claim as one of the world�s only RAW producers of olive oil. Taste the distinct refreshing taste!
Health Benefit of Black Olives promotes digeative health [fiber], Iron, Vitamin E, promotes cardiovascular health.
Though black olives provide many health benefits, they are relatively high in sodium and calories. A 100-gram serving of ripe olives provides 115 calories and about 735 milligrams of sodium. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. It's important to limit sodium intake because increased salt consumption is associated with higher levels of blood pressure.
Olives: The world's healthiest food Even though more attention has been sometimes been given to their delicious oil than their whole food delights, olives are one of the world's most widely enjoyed foods. Technically classified as fruits of the Olea europea tree (an amazing tree that typically lives for hundreds of years)
Dozens of health-protective nutrients have been identified in olives, and recent studies have taken a very close look at olive varieties, olive processing, and changes that take place in olive nutrients. The overall conclusion from these studies is exciting for anyone who loves olives of all varieties. Greek-style black olives, Spanish-style green olives, Kalamata-style olives, and many different methods of olive preparation provide us with valuable amounts of many different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Hydroxytyrosol, an olive phytonutrient that has long been linked to cancer prevention, is now regarded as having the potential to help us prevent bone loss as well.
In traditional herbal medicine practices, preparations from olives and olive leaves have often been used in treatment of inflammatory problems, including allergy-related inflammation.
The number of Americans drinking coffee in 2017 rose after a decline of the previous four years as gourmet brews gained popularity, especially among younger consumers
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled coffee must carry a cancer warning under Proposition 65 as the brew contains acrylamide, a known carcinogen and potential neurotoxin
Acrylamide is created when carbohydrate-rich foods are heated at high temperatures; but while the production of acrylamide starts with brewing, elimination with longer roasting means dark roast coffee contains less than light roasts
Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive drug in the world, including children and adolescents; however, caffeine has demonstrated the ability to disturb sleep and had a long-lasting negative effect on brain maturation in young people
What Is Coffee's Effect on the Kidneys? The ever growing worldwide popularity of coffee as a beverage of choice also makes it a subject of intense study into its health effects. There is research that has been done to study how coffee impacts everything from our immune system, to the risk of heart disease, and even cancer risk. The debate about whether coffee is good or bad for you has actually raged on for over a thousand years, ever since coffee was first discovered (possibly) in Ethiopia.
A 2008 study from Korea that involved over 2600 women showed that consumption of coffee was associated with a decreased risk of kidney disease, including in diabetic women. As we know in medicine though, population-based surveys are not enough to draw hard conclusions.
Therefore, given the pertinent and possibly controversial nature of the topic, a meta-analysis published in 2016 attempted to answer this very question. This meta-analysis showed no association between coffee consumption and increased risk of kidney disease in male patients. Interestingly, it actually noted the possibility of a reduced risk of kidney disease in women who drink coffee.
The results of the above meta-analysis are similar to another study from another part of the world, specifically the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua where lower prevalence of chronic kidney disease in coffee growing villages has been noted.
Coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of premature death and cardiovascular death, heart disease, cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and diabetes
Coffee should be organic and shade-grown; drink it black or with added coconut oil or MCT oil
Tea should be organic and grown in a nonpolluted environment to avoid contamination with heavy metals or fluoride; drink it without milk, with lemon added if you like
Shoppers can use the lists developed by the Environmental Working Group to guide their purchases. The group has just issued its annual report on the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen (EWG April 10, 2018). The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that educates citizens about the environmental hazards found in food, water, cosmetics, household cleaners and other common products.
This year�s list of the most contaminated produce is actually a baker�s dozen. At the top of the list are strawberries, with detectable residues from 20 pesticides. The list goes on to include spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, bell peppers and hot peppers. When possible, these are products that should be purchased as organic foods. That�s because the conventionally grown products are so often contaminated. Aiming for organic strawberries, apples or spinach is especially important for those feeding children. Young bodies may be more susceptible to negative effects from pesticides.
spinach
nectarines
apples
grapes
peaches
cherries
pears
tomatoes
celery
potatoes
bell peppers
hot peppers
The EWG also determined the least contaminated produce�the clean fifteen. These are vegetables and fruits you can be confident in eating, whether or not an organic version is available. They include avocados, sweet corn (non-GMO), pineapples, cabbages, onions, frozen sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplants, honeydew melons, kiwis, cantaloupes, cauliflower and broccoli.
Whether you desire a boost for your stamina and endurance, support for your body�s natural detox processes, protect your cells and organs against environmental stress, or just want to support healthy blood flow throughout your brain and body, these fermented ruby gems might be just the ticket.
Red beet root juice has become synonymous with performance, stamina and endurance. But beet juice is not the ideal way to get the benefits of beets as it is loaded with sugar and is mostly from GMO beets.
Organic beets deserve a place in your everyday diet for 7 important reasons:
They help promote a healthy normal inflammatory response
They help promote healthy blood flow throughout your body and brain
They support your body�s natural detoxification processes
They support immune and cellular health
They promote brain neuroplasticity, or the ability to form new neural pathways, especially when consumed before exercise
They�re high in valuable nutrients: vitamin C, folate, potassium and manganese
So what is it about beets that make them such a unique and valuable vegetable?
bioactive pigments called betalains, and
other beneficial phytochemical compounds.
These endothelial cells line your entire circulatory system, from your heart to the smallest of your capillaries.
Inside these cells, a soluble gas called nitric oxide, or NO, is continually produced from the amino acid, L-arginine.
This gas, NO, is an important signaling molecule in every cell of your body. It plays an important role in:
Promoting your normal endothelial function
Promoting healthy dilation of your veins and arteries to support healthy blood flow
Protecting your cells� powerhouses, or mitochondria
Preventing your red blood cells from sticking together
Nitric oxide helps your blood vessels relax and increases the diameter of your vessels for improved blood flow.
What our food is fed directly influences our health. So, if the meat we consume has been fed an unhealthy diet full of chemical additives, it goes without saying that those chemicals, in turn, can transfer to us.
So, what�s the solution? Well for most people the solution is simple: organic meat. But what exactly are you getting when you choose organic meat? All meats labeled organic must meet the USDA�s standards and must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent. ORGANIC LABELS ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE ANIMAL WAS FED ORGANIC FEED AND RAISED WITHOUT THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS, GROWTH HORMONES OR ANY SYNTHETIC SUBSTANCES. MEANWHILE, WHEN IT COMES SLAUGHTER, IT MUST TAKE PLACE IN A CERTIFIED FACILITY. ADDITIONALLY, ANY SYNTHETIC PROCESSING AGENTS, SULFITES, NITRATES OR NITRITES ARE PROHIBITED.
What about the animals -- is organic production a much more humane way to raise them? Keep in mind that just because an animal has been raised organically it doesn�t mean they are living a lifestyle that is more humane than conventionally raised animals. For instance, according to the USDA, when meat is labeled organic this is an indication that animals must have access to pasture and be allowed to participate in their own natural behaviors.
However, PETA paints a different story. Animals typically raised organically spend most of their time confined to crowded sheds or mud-filled pens. That�s because many organic farmers can find loopholes to keep animals confined since the USDA decided that animals may be temporarily confined for health and safety reasons or to protect soil or water quality. Cruel animal practices still exist on organic farms.
Unlike organically labeled meats, THE �NATURAL� LABEL DOES NOT REQUIRE CERTIFICATION. SO, THERE IS NO GOVERNING BODY for all-natural meat products. It�s actually a common myth that meat labeled as natural has not received growth hormones or antibiotics. The fact is, EACH INDIVIDUAL PRODUCER CAN DECIDE IF THEIR ANIMALS WILL RECEIVE GROWTH HORMONES AND/OR ANTIBIOTICS, according to the USDA.
A natural label represents a meat product that CONTAINS NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS OR ADDED COLOR AND IS ONLY MINIMALLY PROCESSED. Minimal processing suggests that the product was processed in a manner that does not primarily alter the product. And of course, the label must include a statement defining the term natural, such as �no artificial ingredients and minimally processed."
Keep in mind with a natural designation there is no restriction on the use of growth hormones, antibiotics and animal byproducts. Additionally, a natural product does not consider the animal�s welfare. But that said, some natural producers do avoid using feed grown in chemicals or using antibiotics and growth hormones. They may also follow more humane animal husbandry practices.
Most cattle today are often fed grains. Yet, the animals who once roamed free ate grass, as they always did throughout time. All calves drink milk from their mothers and then go on to feed on grass. Eventually, though, conventionally raised cattle are moved from pasture to feedlot. There, cattle feed on a concentrated grain diet (usually corn) for the purpose of fattening them up quickly for sale.
On the other hand, grass-fed cattle spend their entire lives eating just grass as nature intended. They�re not fed any grains. So, unlike grain-fed cattle, grass-fed animals take six to 12 months longer to reach market weight, making them a healthier option for carnivores. Grass-fed beef is leaner and lower in calories than grain-fed beef due to less marbling. And, generally, antibiotics and growth hormones are not part of the diet of grass-fed cattle.
And when it comes to humane animal practices, well, grass-fed cattle lead more natural lives moving around in open pastures. In addition, cows cannot digest grain. So, switching cows to a corn-heavy diet upsets their digestive system and increases the likelihood they�ll develop heartburn, stomach ulcers and liver abscesses. Plus, grain fed cattle are raised in overcrowded feedlots with no access to pasture, exercise or fresh air -- a brutal and inhumane existence.
�Free-range� is ONE OF THE MOST MISLEADING LABELS THERE IS, thanks to the difference between what free range implies and what is actually required to make the claim. Labels on eggs and chicken products imply that the chickens ranged freely outdoors. But, the claim does not have to be verified through on-farm inspections.
So, producers can claim on a label that their product is free-range, as long as the animals were given �some� access to an outdoor area -- no matter what the size. For chickens, this outdoor area can be a small space that�s actually not big enough to accommodate all birds.
In fact, there are no requirements for the size or condition of an outdoor area. For that matter, there are no requirements for how accessible the outdoor area is to the birds, and how often and for how long each day the birds have to be given access to the outdoors. The bottom line is: chicken and eggs labeled �free-range� do not mean the birds ranged freely outdoors. Just another reason to consider backyard chickens.
Livestock that is prevented from moving naturally in overcrowded in cages, pens and transport trucks, only to be slaughtered in cruel conditions, is why vegetarianism is on the rise.
But if you still enjoy a steak, chicken breast or burger, and want to do so in the most humane way, here�s what you need to do. Buy your meat directly from a farm whose practices you trust. Visit farmers markets or even the farm yourself. If your local butcher or grocer is where you buy your meat then push for change.
Choose meats that are antibiotic- and hormone-free, with animals raised on a 100 percent vegetarian diet. The meat you consume should not be fed any animal by-products. Most of all, demand that your grocer or butcher supplies meat that�s either SPCA-Certified or Certified Humane.
A Certified Humane label on meat, chicken, pork, eggs, pet food or dairy products means that the food comes from farms where humane treatment of farm animals are implemented. So, don�t be fooled by labels that say one thing but mean something else altogether. There are other, more ethical choices available. Just put your dollar where your ethics are and change will happen.
-- Katherine Marko
The grain eaten by farm animals in the U.S. could be used to feed 800 million people.
Livestock accounts for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions globally.
That�s just a sampling.
Watson goes beyond merely quashing popular environmental talking points, though, going so far as to suggest that farming animals may be �part of the solution, not the problem," and that this is �logical and exciting." The piece is data-driven, provocative, and, at times, convincing. No matter where you find yourself on the carnivore/herbivore continuum, Watson�s essay is worth reading.
But who is spreading these myths (or, as Watson calls them, �damn lies�)? Sincere environmentalists who happened to have gotten their data wrong? Actually, according to Watson, the driving force behind this propagation of misinformation is people who spread anti-meat-posing-as-green (AMPAG) ideology.
This, from Watson, is unfortunate. The characterization of vegetarians or vegans as �ideologues� is nothing new, of course, but unsubstantiated. The reality is that for many, the decision to quit eating animal flesh is simply the result of moral reflection and from a recognition that animals, like humans, have both interests as well as the capacity to suffer.
Is this realization ideological? When we care for those who aren�t members of our family, or our nation, or our race, or our religion, we call it compassion or just common decency. But extend this concern any further and, apparently, compassion mutates into ideology.
I think we may have stumbled upon the most ingenious way of avoiding moral reflection: brand anyone whose concern for others is more inclusive than one�s own an �ideologue."
Is seeing animals as moral patients�beings which moral agents should treat with great moral consideration?--?a function of ideology? If not, if instead ethics are in view, then the way we characterize those opposed to meat-eating should undergo a change.
Despite the misplaced charges of �ideology," Watson is right that many animal welfare activists make use of environmental arguments in the hope of getting others to reduce their meat consumption. Yet there are far stronger arguments to support their position, which means that their deployment of discredited data points shouldn�t be taken as decisive.
The truth is, the decision to abstain from eating meat shouldn�t rest on the factuality of animal agriculture�s impact on the environment. It should rest on other, more morally salient considerations.
The debate surrounding the sustainability of breeding and killing animals is comparable to the question of whether or not homosexuality is natural. When someone condemns homosexuality by claiming it isn�t natural, many well-intentioned people retort, �Yes, it is!" But giving a �yes� answer lends credence to the underlying assumption that what is natural is what is good.
Some readers will recognize this as the naturalistic fallacy, and it is a problem for anyone trying to go from natural to good. Imagine we were all born with a gene that makes us cruel to everyone we meet. Should we conclude that this is right precisely because it�s natural, and that suppressing our cruelty is wrong because it�s unnatural?
Similarly, when adherents of the speciesism-posing-as-green ideology (SPAG) try to justify the harvesting of animal flesh by claiming that it is more sustainable than a vegetarian diet, the right response is to say, �So what?" Some try to engage the SPAG adherent on his or her own grounds, trying prove the opposite claim, that is, that eating meat is unsustainable, yet what�s interesting is that the question of sustainability isn�t very significant.
It isn�t entirely irrelevant, of course. If a practice were shown to be unsustainable, then calls to end it would make sense. But the converse?--?if a practice is sustainable, then it should be continued?--?doesn�t hold; being sustainable is only a necessary condition, not a sufficient one.
Invoking �green� arguments is tempting, because it appeals to the meat-eaters� own interests. But it also holds animals� well-being hostage to the possibility of conflicting data emerging from the lab. That is not to say that the SPAG ideology couldn�t be defeated at its own game. Recently, the Guardian published an article stressing the environmental benefits of a meat-free diet. But by engaging SPAG devotees in this debate of what is more sustainable?--?to exploit animals or not?--?animal welfare activists have inadvertently embraced the SPAG narrative, that is, that the answer to this question is morally relevant. It isn�t.
SPAGers will tell us that cows can graze on land not suitable to farming crops (as if every last acre of Earth must be utilized to produce protein for humans) and wax lyrical about the chemical qualities of livestock manure. It is a big leap, however, to go from �cow shit is useful� to �we must breed and kill its makers." Change the species to [insert your favorite animal here] and the proposal for any such practice would be dismissed rather than discussed.
Granted, the farming of animals has other benefits?--?many of which are laid out in Watson�s article?--?but the reluctance to search for alternative ways of realizing them is both lazy and telling. As an analogy, imagine being stranded on an island with one other person, and, after failing to spot an obvious food source within minutes of arrival, your travel companion starts to ponder the utility of eating you. Is it ethical to entertain such thoughts in earnest before all other options have been explored, never mind exhausted? No. And the situation we�re currently in is not too dissimilar.
The debate around the relationship between sustainability and animal husbandry must be recast?--?from asking if we require the breeding and slaughtering of animals for a sustainable future, to focusing on how we can sustain ourselves without having to do so.
Furthermore, time spent on the former is time not spent on the latter, meaning that the opportunity cost of debating the �if� question is literally death.
Fortunately, there are those who focus on the latter, as breakthroughs in food science show (e.g., Golden Rice and Clean Meat). But imagine how much?--?and how fast?--?progress could be made in this area if more people joined in the efforts? Wouldn�t that be �logical and exciting�?
Sadly, though, cognitive dissonance and a failure of imagination continue to plague the discourse around eating meat and its relation to animal welfare. Whenever an article on the apparent importance of livestock farming is published, meat-eaters rejoice. But news that it may be necessary to exploit the most vulnerable among us is a cause for contemplation, not celebration, and the creation of a sustainable world for all of us may well depend on how soon we realize this.
Walnuts7 Benefits of Walnuts MercolaSTORY AT-A-GLANCE
One-quarter cup of walnuts provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of plant-based omega-3 fats, along with high amounts of copper, manganese, molybdenum, and biotin Oftentimes, the simplest foods are best for your health, and this is certainly the case for nuts, in which Mother Nature has crafted a nearly perfect package of protein, healthy fats, fiber, plant sterols, antioxidants, and many vitamins and minerals. Among nuts, the case may be made that walnuts are king, as research shows they may boost your health in a number of ways at very easy-to-achieve "doses." The History of the Humble Walnut Walnuts belong to the tree nut family, along with Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts and pistachios. Each has its own unique nutritional profile. It's believed that the walnut tree dates as far back as 700 B.C. Walnuts were considered foods for the gods during the early Roman times, and were named after Jupiter � hence the scientific name Juglans regia. The "English" walnut that everyone is familiar with today is native to India and regions around the Caspian Sea, and was named for the English merchants that carried it for trade around the world. Another variety, the black walnut, is native to North America, in the Appalachian region and central Mississippi valley.1 Eating just one ounce of walnuts a day ( about seven shelled walnuts) may be all it takes to take advantage of their beneficial properties. But what exactly are walnuts good for? The 7 Best Benefits of Walnuts
CoconutThe Coconut & Thyroid Connection: How This Tropical Nut Supports Healthy Thyroid Function alternativedaily
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Probiotic chips:
Yes, probiotic chips. These just came out, and I'm fairly obsessed. They're made out of sauerkraut (yes, sauerkraut) and have over a billion CFUs (colony-forming units) of good bacteria per serving�and, oh yeah, they taste amazing. When I need a healthier Doritos fix (you know that irresistible crunchy/salty combo), these are what I reach for, usually in the Zesty Garden Veggie flavor. Bone-broth-spiked veggie juice:
Perfect for people who need a quick fix, these veggie and bone broth beverages taste kind of like really delicious cold soup. Unlike juices, all of that fiber from the veggies remains totally intact, helping sweep everything through your digestive system, while the bone broth seals off the gut lining. I love the butternut squash and red pepper flavors. Probiotic chocolate granola: Sprouted almonds:
When you eat nuts that haven't been soaked or sprouted, they won't kill you�but they're not great for your digestion either. Soaking or sprouting your nuts ensures you get all of their nutrients and avoid any bellyaches. You can buy nuts pre-sprouted from places like nuts.com, or you can simply cover almonds with water and let soak overnight. In the morning, drain and transfer to fridge, then consume within a day or two. Kombucha:
Drinking fizzy things makes you feel full, and kombucha has extra benefits, with acids that help with digestion and good bacteria to colonize your microbiome. I like to use it as a way to crush midafternoon sugar cravings. Right now, I'm loving the healing herbal blends made by Brew Dr. Kombucha�the rose-spiked Happiness blend is my favorite.
Make 'em YourselfCelery with almond butter and cinnamon:
Celery is a prebiotic, meaning it provides food for the good microbes in your gut. Topping it with a bit of almond butter adds protein and good fat that will keep you full while the cinnamon provides a burst of flavor and stabilizes blood sugar. Gut gummies:
I love making gut gummies, which are essentially like healthy Jell-O. To make, simply heat one and a half cups of liquid of choice (you can blend berries with water or milk, or just use a pre-bought, ideally low-sugar juice) until almost boiling, then remove from heat and whisk in three tablespoons of grass-fed gelatin (you don't want to use trendy collagen protein here, as you want it to really gel�I like Vital Proteins). When it's all blended, pour into a small, glass, rectangular container and place in the fridge to let cool. Once it's firm and jiggly, cut into squares and munch whenever you need a high-protein, gut-friendly fix! Collagen tea:
This one is a make but barely. Essentially, I brew up a glass of tea (any flavor will do), then stir in a heaping spoonful of collagen powder. You won't taste it, but it makes the tea slightly more viscous (and, I think, satisfying)�and, more importantly, it helps to repair the gut lining. I typically use Bulletproof's brand, but just make sure you look for one that's grass-fed from a company you trust. Chia fresca:
Commonly found in Mexico, chia frescas are essentially liquids spiked with chia seeds. It's said that Aztec warriors used them as ancient Gatorade, to boost their energy before going to war. Whether you're off to battle or not, you can simply squeeze some lemon juice and maple syrup into a glass of water, then stir in about a teaspoon of chia seeds. Let them expand, and you have your own bubble-tea-like thirst quencher. �There Simply Wasn�t a Ketogenic Snack Bar That Met My Criteria... So I Went Ahead and Created One!" Mercola Nutritional ketosis is a profoundly effective way to support your cells� mitochondria. Surprisingly few food products truly support a ketogenic lifestyle. This snack bar sets the standard...
Why You Don�t Want to Fuel Your Body With CarbsWhen you eat a typical Westernized diet, high in carbs and protein, you fuel your body primarily with glucose. Relative to ketones, glucose is a �dirty� fuel, and can cause unnecessary and harmful free radical damage to your cells. Here�s something that many people don�t realize about using glucose as their primary fuel: It severely impairs your body�s ability to burn body fat. And it contributes to insulin and leptin resistance, where your cells lose their ability to effectively respond to insulin. You may also lose your sense of knowing when you�re full, which can easily lead to overeating. With insulin and leptin resistance, you develop metabolic dysfunction, especially with your mitochondria that frequently leads to belly fat. Belly fat is unhealthy fat that creates a toxic environment for your organs. Not only does insulin and leptin resistance make your body hold on to fat, it triggers a cascade of inflammatory and cellular damage. And that leads to faster aging and the development of chronic disease.
Rhodiola RoseaRhodiola Rosea: Everything You Need To Know About The Stress-Fighting, Sleep-Boosting Adaptogen MBG
 These days, it can feel like everything comes with a side of adaptogens. From superfood chocolate to functional elixirs and beyond, herb-based medicines are easier to come by than ever. And one adaptogen you're likely to see more of is Rhodiola rosea, a flowering plant whose root can be used for fighting stress and anxiety, increasing athletic performance, boosting energy, and more. Also known as golden root, arctic root, and King's crown, it has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese and Greek medicine�and its beginnings may stem back as early as the first century A.D. As someone who has spent the past year and a half moving away from pharmaceuticals as much as possible (while understanding, appreciating, and utilizing them when needed!) and gravitating toward plant -and food-based medicine, I love exploring the uses and benefits of adaptogens and herbs. And Rhodiola rosea is a powerhouse that I keep in my herbal arsenal. Let's take a look at the benefits and side effects of this adaptogen to help you see if it's the right thing to mix into your morning coffee (or matcha, or herbal tea, or smoothie...). Because while adaptogens are increasing in popularity, it's important to make educated and informed decisions about the ones you should actually be taking: There are many reported benefits of Rhodiola rosea, some of which have been studied more than others. Here are a handful that are backed up by science: It helps regulate stress.
First and foremost, Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogen, so by definition it helps your body adapt to stress. These super herbs can adapt to what your body needs�whether it be a boost of energy when you're fatigued or a way to calm anxiety in stressful situations�and help regulate your cortisol levels to stave off fatigue. "Adaptogens are one of my favorite natural healing tools to use in my functional medicine clinic. I often recommend Rhodiola for patients who are severely stressed and anyone struggling with adrenal fatigue as it works to support your sympathetic nervous system�the stress control center of your body," shares Will Cole D.C., IFMCP, an author and functional medicine practitioner. It increases energy and fights fatigue.
One of the foremost reasons individuals choose to take Rhodiola rosea is for its energy-boosting and fatigue-fighting properties. According to one study that followed nursing students working shifts, Rhodiola rosea helped reduce their fatigue levels more than a placebo. Rhodiola rosea has also been shown to be beneficial for brain function and concentration. Another clinical trial showed that participants who took Rhodiola rosea every morning were more capable of fighting burnout and maintaining concentration throughout the day.
 It might help fight depression.
The adaptogen has also been studied in regards to supporting individuals struggling with depression. Compared to Sertraline, a pharmaceutical antidepressant (you may know it under the name Zoloft), Rhodiola rosea was found to be less effective at treating symptoms, but it had fewer side effects like nausea and drowsiness. The study concluded it to be a potentially better option for those with mild to moderate depression who want to mitigate the risk of such side effects. The laundry list of other potential Rhodiola rosea benefits in early research stages includes fighting diabetes, fighting cancer, preventing altitude sickness, and more. That sounds awesome! I should definitely take it then, right? Adaptogens are widely considered to be safe and low-risk, but there are certainly some things to keep in mind before taking them on the daily. Rhodiola rosea side effects are rather limited, but a small group of participants in one study showed mild side effects such as headaches and insomnia. "Rhodiola can be over-energizing, but in lower doses this can turn into a calming effect," explained Robinett. So you should consider taking Rhodiola in the morning, but be cautious if you are already a hyper-energized or anxious person. Rhodiola rosea side effects have also included dry mouth and dizziness. If you feel these effects or any general discomfort after taking Rhodiola rosea, stop taking it. There may be an herb that provides similar benefits that your body is more welcoming to. You should avoid experimenting with Rhodiola rosea if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking mood stabilizers. It is always optimal to consult with a doctor, herbalist, or naturopath when considering which herbs and adaptogens are right for you. OK, I want to try it! How much do I take and in what form? It's important to note that adaptogens generally work in your body over time, so try to work them into your daily routine for optimal benefits. If you want, you can take the occasional break to see if the herbs are really working. Rhodiola rosea comes in several forms�powder, tincture, extract, and pills. "I love the powder, because I get to smell it, taste it, and see the dusty-pink color. But for convenience, tinctures are also great," Robinett explains. Personally, I take it in tincture form, which I throw in water or into a morning elixir. As for dosage, smart small and work your way up. Robinett advises "One-eighth teaspoon per day to start, if using a powder standardized at ~3 percent salidosides, for example, which is then increased slowly to find the sweet spot. For most, if it's the right herb for you, that tends to be between 100 and 400 milligrams per day. If you're not seeing benefits there, it may be worth exploring other options." You also want to make sure Rhodiola rosea (and any other herbal supplements you're taking!) come from a trusted source. Look for third-party certifications from the brands you are purchasing such as the USP or NSF seal to make sure you're taking the adaptogen in its pure form. Energizing Caffeine-Free Morning Elixir
2 tablespoons organic almond butter
MatchaMatcha Is Super Trendy -- But Do You Actually Know Why It's Good For You Or What It Is? Consider This Your Ultimate Guide
But what is matcha? Regular green tea comes from this same plant, but the leaves are usually consumed via tea bags. Matcha is made by grinding up the pure green tea leaves into a powder, creating a much more concentrated version. A study found that matcha has three times the amount of EGCG than regular green tea. EGCG is a catechin (a class of antioxidants) which has anti-tumor and cancer-preventing properties. Matcha may also provide relaxation and increased focus. It contains high levels of L-theanine, which promotes a sense of overall well-being and calm. When this is mixed with the caffeine content, it produces a relaxed type of alertness. I never thought I'd be a matcha drinker over a coffee drinker, but recently it became evident to me that though I adored coffee, the feeling was not mutual. After experimenting and deciding to switch from coffee to matcha for a few weeks, I realized that coffee was the culprit that exacerbated my hormonal acne, aggravated my body's acidity levels and gave me acid reflux, and triggered my anxiety levels. Matcha still gives me that kick I need in the morning, but it offers a different and more steady level of energy; there are no highs and lows or crashes. I'm hooked. There are a few main types of matcha�and it's easy to be confused. One of the most common questions I'm asked is the difference between different types of matcha. There is ceremonial grade and culinary grade, then there are all sorts of "green tea powders" you may find online being marketed as matcha, but they're probably not at all, so be aware of that.
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Anti-Inflammatory FoodsThe 25 Best Inflammation-Fighting Foods mbgThe impact of food on inflammation is clear�but actually incorporating those foods into your daily life can be easier said than done. Here are 25 foods that are scientifically proven to help fight inflammation, and how I use them in my daily life:
1. BlueberriesI choose wild blueberries whenever possible, which have higher levels of antioxidants and are thus more potent inflammation fighters. I keep a stockpile of frozen ones on hand and use them to make blueberry pancakes (my favorite easy recipe is here) and to use in smoothies (they play especially well with almond butter and cacao).
2. Bone brothContinually cited by doctors as a top inflammation fighter, bone broth has become a staple in my cooking. I either make a batch or keep some frozen Bonafide Provisions [https://www.bonafideprovisions.com/products/organic-chicken-bone-broth] stocked. I'll keep some in larger containers to use as a soup base or to make grains taste umami-rich and delicious (you can use it wherever a recipe calls for stock), but I'll also freeze some in an ice cube tray, then pop the frozen cubes out and store 'em in the freezer in a large zip-top bag. These smaller servings can be used to deglaze vegetables or to add a quick hit of gut-healing flavor to dishes.
3. ApplesNew favorite dessert alert: When you're craving something sweet post-dinner, cut an apple into cubes and saute it a skillet with some ghee, cardamom, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a dash of vanilla extract until the apples soften and begin to brown. It's like apple pie filling, but it's ready in seconds and is packed with inflammation-fighting ingredients.
4. RaspberriesI love using raspberries in smoothies (you can find one of my go-to recipes here), but honestly, the sweet-tart fruits are one of my favorite stand-alone snacks. I like to stuff chocolate chips (I use Santa Barbara Chocolate Company's coconut sugar ones [https://www.santabarbarachocolate.com/organic-chocolate-chips-coconut-palm-sugar-sweetened/]) in their cavity and treat it like a decadent truffle.
5. ArugulaArugula is one of my favorite types of greens. It has a peppery, bold flavor and is widely available. I love it in salads, but I find that, because of its bite, you want to make sure that salad has really strong flavor and textural elements. The perfect way to eat arugula, in my opinion, is in a healthier grilled cheese, with sourdough bread (better for your gut!), pastured cheese, some type of sweet jam or jelly (raspberry chia jam works great), a generous layer of arugula, and a crack of fresh ground pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt. I heat it all up in ghee until it's crispy on the outside and the cheese is perfectly melted and then eat the best damn weeknight dinner around.
6. PistachiosI'm not one to play favorites, but let's face it, pistachios are the best nut. With a vibrant green color and a meaty, hearty texture, they add oomph to salads, make a delectably decadent nut milk, and make the best nut butter I've ever had. Just throw some shelled, raw pistachios in a food processor with cardamom, a bit of avocado oil, and some honey�I use the results on toast (ideally with some fresh crushed pistachios on top for crunch), thinned with a bit of water and drizzled on fruit for dessert, and in the world's best PB&J (that's pistachio butter and jelly, and it's far superior to its basic peanut butter counterpart).
7. Spinach
I don't actually love using spinach in salads�it's flat surfaces don't give the body, fluff, and heft that's ideal, and you end up with a clumpy, dressing-slicked pile at the bottom of the bowl. They are, however, the perfect greens for smoothies�you can add a ton without tasting it at all. So do it�add a ton! The main mistake I see people making with green smoothies is using a lackluster quantity of greens, so really heap 'em in there. Here's an easy formula [https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-27424/bookmark-this-the-only-formula-you-need-for-a-perfect-green-smoothie-every-time.html], plus my current favorite go-to to get you started [Chocolate Cherry Almond Cardamom situation with:
8. GarlicI have a recipe in my upcoming cookbook for what I consider the world's most delicious two-minute salad, which eschews dressing for a mix of lemon juice and zest, garlic, and olive oil. Garlic has such a potent flavor and can be used to elevate everything from greens to stir-fries. The big change I make when cooking with it? Chop it when you first start cooking�like, before you do anything else�to let the healing properties activate (they need about 20 minutes). Then add it toward the end of whatever you're making, giving enough time to mellow its bite but keep all of its therapeutic powers intact.
9. Turmeric
There are two ways to use turmeric: embracing its earthy, slightly bitter flavor, and hiding it. I do both: I'll often wind down from the day with a turmeric latte or make a turmeric sauce [https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/turmeric-almond-butter-sauce-recipe] to top vegetables and salads. 1/2 cup creamy raw or roasted almond butter (look for a brand with no added sugar) I'll also just sprinkle a bit into everything I eat, from smoothies to stir-fries�not enough to change the result but enough that I feel like I'm slipping in a bit of anti-inflammatory benefit throughout my day. Always remember to consume it with black pepper and fat for maximum bioavailability!
10. TomatoesLycopene, the anti-inflammatory compound in tomatoes, actually increases when the fruit is cooked, so, while I can often be found popping sun golds in the summer, I rely on canned tomato paste as my main form of the inflammation-fighting ingredient. The paste is inexpensive (usually around $2 a can) and adds mega-umami depth to any tomato-based dish. I mix it with dried spices and a bit of water to create a quick and easy pizza sauce, or mix it with bone broth as a perfect tomato sauce for pasta.
11. CacaoAh, cacao, how do I love thee. Cacao is what we wellness folk eat when we want to have our cake and literally eat it too. Simply chocolate in its purest form, it makes everything you use it in taste like dessert. I keep two kinds of cacao (usually from Navitas Organics, which I've found to taste the cleanest) on hand: Powdered, which I use in smoothies, brownies, and to add depth to tomato-based dishes (you just need a pinch!); and nibs, which are the perfect crunchy topping for desserts, a surprising salad mix-in, and the perfect sub for chocolate chips in any cookie dough dishes.
12. Brussels sproutsThe widespread availability of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts has, without exaggeration, changed my midweek life. Pan-fried with some avocado oil in a skillet until brown and crispy (which happens in minutes, because of the increased surface area), they can quickly turn into tacos, a stir-fry, a warm salad, or a delicious side. I flavor 'em with whatever spices I'm feeling that day: Herbes d'Provence if I'm feeling French, curry if I'm going for an Indian vibe, harissa if I want more of a North Africa feel.
13. GingerI love fresh ginger, although honestly, I'm often pretty lazy and will just settle for ground, which has a much less piquant, spicy flavor. I'll use either in stir-fries or to make a soothing tea (a go-to if my stomach is at all upset).
14. Grass-fed meatI have a seafood aversion, so I rely on grass-fed meat to get my proper omega balance. I always have ground beef (I get mine shipped frozen from Thrive Market or ButcherBox) ready to make tacos or Bolognese, although I always try to flip the ratio of veggies so they outnumber the animal protein (my Way More Veggies Bolognese was the runaway hit among recipe testers for my new cookbook).
15. Rooibos teaCaffeine stokes my anxiety, so I rely on tea as a way to distract me from snacking throughout the day. Rooibos is my go-to�I sip it plain or with a bit of almond milk foamed in.
16. Olive oilContrary to popular belief in the wellness world, you can actually cook with high-quality olive oils, and they have some of the best anti-inflammatory properties of any cooking oils. It does have a less neutral flavor than avocado oil (another go-to), but I love using it as a base for salad dressing and to pan-fry eggs, a trick I learned in Spain that leads to some of the best scrambles around. It also captures and diffuses flavor�one of the reasons it's so revered in Italian cooking, where they start many meals by warming aromatics in the oil�which I take advantage of by making a quick flavor-rich popcorn topper with garlic and whatever fresh herbs or dried spices I have around. I like Lucini and California Olive Ranch, both of which are widely available and reasonably priced.
17. Pastured eggsEggs are one of the healthiest foods around�if you choose pastured eggs from hens that have been eating bugs and grasses. Vital Farms [https://vitalfarms.com/find-pasture-raised-eggs-and-butter/] makes some of the most widely available ones (the bright-orange yolks are glorious), and I'll also pick some up at my local farmers market if I find myself there on Saturday morning. My go-to way to eat eggs is as a breakfast-for-dinner situation, which is the easiest, laziest way to get food on the table after a long day. I'll do a quick soft scramble, top it with any leftover sauces I have in the fridge (pesto is my fave), and serve the whole thing on top of sourdough toast. Heaven.
18. CollagenIf you're not on board the collagen train by now, you're missing out. I mix Vital Proteins into my smoothies on most days, and my skin, hair, and nails have never looked better (my nails actually grow annoyingly fast now).
19. DandelionWarning: Dandelion is super bitter. I mitigate this by stir-frying it in some avocado oil or ghee with chili flakes and garlic (chopped at least 20 minutes ahead of time, per above!). The result is a savory, spicy, piquant side that'll be your new addiction.
20. Rose waterI became addicted to rose water and orange blossom water when I was traveling in the Middle East and have since used them to upgrade much of my cooking, especially in the dessert realm. Available online, in the international section of grocery stores, and at many liquor shops, rose water serves as the perfect base for rose lattes, one of my favorite anti-anxiety drinks. I also love it splashed on a bowl of fresh berries with a bit of vanilla for the perfect feels-fancy-but-takes-seconds dessert.
21. Medicinal mushroomsI don't actually love the flavor or texture of traditional culinary mushrooms, but I've long wanted to take advantage of their myriad health benefits. When Four Sigmatic [https://us.foursigmatic.com/] and Om [https://ommushrooms.com/] came along with their medicinal mushroom blends, I gingerly dipped a toe in before diving into the deep end. I swear by Om's immunity blend when I get sick (I just mix it into smoothies), and Four Sigmatic's reishi hot chocolate is my go-to de-stress drink.
22. ThymeI'm obsessed with herbs�I use them not only in savory cooking but in smoothies (lemon zest and fresh thyme make an amazing smoothie, as do strawberry and basil) and crisps, with the herb acting the perfect counterpoint to the sweet fruit.
23. Chia SeedsChia is one of the most used foods in my kitchen, due to its ability to act as a high-protein thickener in any number of recipes. I'll use it to add bulk, protein, and healthy fat to smoothies, and, when I'm feeling a bit backed up, I'll make chia pudding (right now, I'm all about that pumpkin pie flavor), which Terry Wahls, M.D., cites as one of her go-to constipation recipes. [https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-28154/what-to-eat-to-have-a-great-poop.html]
24. CauliflowerThe new darling of the grain-free world, cauliflower has been turned into everything from dinner rolls to pizza crust, with varying degrees of success. My favorite is cauliflower rice, which I buy pre-made or quickly pulse in a food processor, and Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi, which lives up to its cult-favorite status with a delightfully chewy but fluffy texture. Mixed with some tomato paste and bone broth or a bit of canned pumpkin, pan-fried sage, and ghee, it's a perfect 10-minute dinner.
25. LemonWhile I think starting every day with lemon water is slightly overrated (not to mention bad for tooth enamel!), lemon is a key ingredient for culinary and anti-inflammatory success. Often, when dishes feel like they're missing a sparkle or pop, they're missing acid, and lemon is one of my go-to's. I use it to finish soups, salad dressings, stir-fries, fruit crisps, and more. Liz Moody
LectinsSee Leaky Gut
Plant lectins act as a built-in defense mechanism that ensures survival by triggering a negative reaction in predators; in humans they attach to your cell membranes, often wreaking havoc on your health
TerpenoidsWhat Are Terpenoids?Mercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Terpenoids represent the largest and most diverse class of beneficial plant chemicals; more than 40,000 individual terpenoids exist, and new ones are discovered every year Performing high-intensity exercises that activate the NO signaling pathway, such as the NO dump exercise, activates Nrf2, and so does intermittent fasting. Spices: Certain spices may help prevent or repair damage from peroxynitrites. Spices rich in phenolics, specifically cinnamon, cloves, ginger root, rosemary and turmeric, have exhibited some protective effects against peroxynitrite-induced damage
OrganicGo OrganicMercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Choosing organic foods lowers your exposure to pesticides linked to cancer, damage to children�s IQ and neurobehavioral development and other health problems
SodasGive Up SodaMercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Giving up soda -- both sugar-sweetened and diet -- is one of the most fundamental steps you can take to improve your health. You likely have made that choice long ago, but it is one that is important to many that you know
FiberFiber Is Your Food FoundationMercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE
A high-fiber diet can help manage your weight. Short-chain fatty acids produced by bacteria that feed on plant fiber are also epigenetic communicators, offering protection against many chronic diseases
Grow Your Own FoodGrow Your Own FoodMercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Growing your own food is a convenient and cost-effective means of boosting your nutrition and health, and garden-grown fruits and vegetables are the freshest and most nutrient-dense foods available
Grass FedGo Grass Fed Organic -- AGA CertifiedMercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Grass fed meat and dairy are better for you -- higher in certain vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fats -- than meat and dairy from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
WaterProperly Filter Your WaterMercola Story at-a-glance
If you care about your health, filtering your household water is more a necessity than an option
Blueberries13 health benefits of blueberries
FenugreekPsst...This Blood-Sugar-Balancing Ingredient Might Also Soothe Bloating & Painful Periods mbg 10-20-18Ever popped a turmeric supplement or maybe mixed some ashwagandha powder into your morning smoothie? Then you know the powerful healing role that herbs and spices can play in our lives. Whether it's fighting inflammation or easing stress and anxiety, these nutrient-packed remedies have offered relief to countless people for thousands of years�and now, studies are backing up their therapeutic properties. Another potent oldie but goodie that fits the bill is FENUGREEK. "Fenugreek is an herb that's been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of conditions ranging from skin issues to pain, digestive ailments, and more," says Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN, registered dietitian and health coach. "You'll often see it in seed or powder form." These days, modern science is finding that fenugreek�a longtime staple in Indian, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern cooking as well as ayurvedic and Chinese medicine�may actually live up to many of its ancient health claims. Here's an inside look at the herb's various health benefits, how to use it in your cooking, and what to look for in a quality fenugreek supplement. OK, so what is fenugreek? Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), also known as methi and shambalileh, is a plant that's part of the Fabaceae (or pea) family. Native to Asia and the Mediterranean, the plant typically reaches about 2 to 3 feet tall and consists of green spear-shaped leaves and small white flowers with pods containing small, aromatic yellowish-brown seeds. Both fenugreek leaves and seeds are edible and can be used in cooking too--their flavor is strong, a bit sweet, and a little bitter (sort of reminiscent of burnt sugar). For thousands of years, they've been ground up and incorporated into curries, chutneys, tea blends, and spice rubs. Today, they're even used to flavor imitation maple syrup. Various cultures throughout history have also used fenugreek medicinally. In ayurvedic medicine, it's been praised as an aphrodisiac and digestive soother. Meanwhile, in Egypt, fenugreek seeds were used to promote milk production in lactating women and relieve menstrual cramps. Ground fenugreek has also been taken internally to induce childbirth and used externally as a poultice for soothing skin irritation and infections. As you can see, there are about a million and one ways to use the plant medicine�but what makes it so effective? Let's unpack the health benefits of fenugreek. Fenugreek is jam-packed with nutrients. One tablespoon of the seeds contains 3 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, 20 percent of your daily value of iron, and 5 percent of your daily value of magnesium�all for just 36 calories. Plus, fenugreek packs a variety of health-promoting phytochemicals. "Commonly used for gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and dysmenorrhea, the seed of fenugreek contains flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins, and saponins," says Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., Ph.D., an integrative neurologist. "It's these constituents that seem to offer powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-platelet activity, among other benefits." And while there isn't enough evidence to officially recommend fenugreek to treat any specific health condition (more comprehensive clinical trials are needed), preliminary research does suggest this seed packs a serious health punch, thanks to its impressive nutritional profile. Here are a few ways it may help you: 1. It balances blood sugar and lowers cholesterol. A pre-meal swig of apple cider vinegar isn't the only thing that will help keep blood sugar levels in check. Fenugreek seems to slow the absorption of sugars in the stomach and stimulate insulin, both of which help lower blood sugar in people with (or at risk for) type 2 diabetes. "Fenugreek is high in fiber and protein, so some of its benefits, like blood sugar management and appetite control, are thought to come from that," says Cording. Fenugreek's gel-like soluble fiber is also thought to combine with bile acid and lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels. In a recent study, 140 subjects with prediabetes were given either a placebo or 5 grams of fenugreek seed powder twice a day before meals over the course of three years. The fenugreek group experienced a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose levels and post-meal blood glucose levels and a drop in LDL "bad" cholesterol. But most impressively, at the conclusion of the study, the placebo group had a 4.2 times greater chance of developing diabetes compared to the people taking fenugreek. Fenugreek powder may also help prevent blood sugar spikes when incorporated into baked goods, with one small study finding that bread containing 5 percent fenugreek powder was more effective at reducing insulin resistance among people with diabetes than regular wheat bread. Additional research shows that drinking fenugreek tea (made by mixing fenugreek seed powder in hot water) may be even more effective at balancing blood sugar and lowering cholesterol than consuming the seeds incorporated into food. 2. It provides relief from painful periods. Dysmenorrhea (the physical pain and cramping associated with periods) has plagued women since the beginning of time. Various cultures, like the ancient Egyptians, looked to natural remedies like fenugreek and even cannabis to alleviate symptoms. Now, researchers suspect that the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of fenugreek seeds may be one big reason they've stood the test of time as a natural remedy. In one study, women were either given a placebo or 900 milligrams of fenugreek seed powder three times a day for the first three days of their period for two consecutive menstrual cycles. While the severity of pain was reduced in both groups, the duration of pain decreased significantly in the second cycle of the fenugreek group only. Symptoms of fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and lack of energy also decreased with fenugreek, and no side effects were reported. (Here's how to tell if your period is signaling a hormonal imbalance.) 3. It can soothe bloating, constipation, and GI distress. Long used as a digestive aid in ayurvedic medicine, fenugreek works to keep our guts happy and bowels moving in a few different ways. The most obvious way fenugreek combats constipation is with its high content of soluble fiber (3 grams per tablespoon). Soluble fiber absorbs water and adds bulk to stools, helping things move along smoothly. Since constipation often causes bloating and cramping, fenugreek may help alleviate those symptoms as well. (Want more ways to beat bloat? Try these eight science-backed tips.) Fenugreek may also have demulcent properties, relieving irritation of the mucus membranes in the digestive tract by forming a protective film or coating of mucus over them. "Some people find that fenugreek helps with acid reflux," says Amy Shah, M.D., an immunologist and mindbodygreen Collective member. "The exact mechanisms are still a question, but it may pull lubrication into the GI tract so that both acid reflux and other stomach ailments get better." These properties may also help to prevent or heal a leaky gut. For similar reasons, fenugreek might have anti-ulcer potential. One study on animals found that a gel solution derived from fenugreek seeds had comparable anti-ulcer effects to omeprazole, a proton-pump inhibitor found in medications like Prilosec. The fenugreek solution protected the mucus membrane layer of the stomach from damage and reduced the secretion of stomach acid�a reaction that could be promising for those with recurring heartburn and indigestion. 4. It increases breast milk production. 5. It provides relief for inflammatory skin conditions. 6. It increases sex drive for men and women. A few other potential health benefits of fenugreek. Some very preliminary studies have also looked at fenugreek's potential to aid in weight loss, improve exercise performance, and alleviate arthritis symptoms. But these claims aren't yet well-established by research, nor do they have as much anecdotal evidence behind them as some of the benefits above.
What you should look for in a fenugreek supplement.Fenugreek is available in a few different forms: as whole seeds, ground powder, supplement capsules, and in teas. "For medicinal purposes, capsule formulations are the best form," says Ruhoy. That's because most brands use a standardized 500 milligrams of fractionated tempered fenugreek seeds, which is the form typically used in most studies. Plus, taking a capsule makes it easier to study any benefits you may experience, since you can keep track of how many you take much more easily than remembering how much fenugreek you sprinkled into a recipe. There's no single recommended or ideal dose for fenugreek, since it may vary depending on the condition you're treating. But with supplements, it's likely a good idea to start with 500 milligrams per day and work your way up to the recommended dose on the label (usually 1,000 milligrams) as long as you don't experience any adverse side effects. Since the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't regulate dietary supplements, it's smart to seek out a fenugreek supplement that's been tested by a credible third-party group like NSF, UL, or USP. These certifications verify that a supplement contains what the label says it contains and that it isn't contaminated with dangerous substances.
A few ways to use fenugreek seeds and powder.If you don't go the supplement route, cooking with fenugreek seeds and seed powder is a simple, inexpensive way to boost your overall health and infuse some extra flavor into your meals. You can usually find them at specialty markets, and they're widely available online. Be sure to store whole and ground fenugreek in an airtight container in a cool, dry, and dark place like a pantry. Typically, this will keep them fresh for up to six months. Here are a few recipes to start experimenting with: Take a straight spoonful: "Overnight-soaked fenugreek seeds are my preference," says Shah. Just take a spoonful in the morning to set yourself up for optimal digestion and balanced blood sugar. Make a soothing tea: Another simple fenugreek recipe that Shah endorses: "Mix a spoonful of the powder into warm water and drink it." Or, to up the complexity a bit, you can boil whole fenugreek seeds with a couple of cardamom pods and a chamomile tea bag for 20 minutes. Serve with honey for a little extra sweetness and to complement fenugreek's naturally maple-y taste. Make a sprouted salad topper: You can actually sprout whole fenugreek seeds, just as you would other seeds and beans, says Shah. Simply leave them overnight in water and then change the water in the morning, repeat for 2 to 3 days until you see green sprouts, then toss them into a salad or a grain dish for added flavor and texture. Use as a sweet or savory flavor booster: "Experiment with using fenugreek seeds and powder in spice blends, grain dishes, and other recipes," says Cording. Ground fenugreek seeds are often used in curries and can also be sprinkled into a variety of sauces, onto cooked greens or other vegetables, and into plain yogurt. For something savory and warm, try this inflammation-taming soup featuring fenugreek and turmeric. Or if you're craving something sweet, without the blood sugar spike, try out this fenugreek rice pudding.
Are there any side effects I should watch out for?Fenugreek appears to be relatively safe in humans, and the most commonly reported side effects are minor, including gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and dizziness if taken in high amounts, says Ruhoy. Keep in mind, though, that all children should also avoid fenugreek supplements, as there's not enough evidence to establish that it's safe for them. Some evidence suggests fenugreek may worsen asthma symptoms as well. Consuming it as a flavor-boosting ingredient in foods, however, is likely safe. If you're on diabetes, blood-thinning, or anti-platelet medication, you should only use fenugreek under the care of a physician. Fenugreek may amplify the effects of these medications, potentially dropping your blood sugar levels too low or impairing your blood's ability to clot. Jiva USDA Organic Fenugreek Whole Methi Seeds 7 Ounce - Nearly 1/2 Pound $5.89 p 4's
Certified USDA Organic Fenugreek Whole (Methi Seeds) Rani Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds Whole 14oz (400g) $8.99 p 5s
Fenugreek is Native to the eastern Mediterranean and is cultivated widely in India, Pakistan, Morocco, France and Argentina. Fenugreek is a favorite spice in South India and Sri Lanka, where it is not limited to curries, but may also be found in chutneys, lentil dishes, pickles, and vegetables. Rani Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds Whole 21oz (596g)--bigger bottle $10.99 p 5s
This phenomenal spice is featured by Dr. Oz for its health benefits!
Tahini or Sesame oil8 Ways to Use Tahini
Dip raw veggies in it. ... How Sesame Seeds Could Save Your Life gmi 10-20-18 by Sayer Ji, Founder We don't think of sesame seed paste as a 'life saver,' but compelling research shows it is capable of reducing blood markers of cardiovascular disease risk by 39% within only six weeks. Sadly, in the Western world, when the average Joe thinks of protecting himself from heart disease, aspirin and statin drugs are often as high on the list � if not higher � than exercise and eating better. Through decades of intense marketing and miseducation millions have been made to think of the #1 killer as an inevitable force; one against which we fling pills and various pharmaceutical potions to 'minimize risk,' never to strike to the core of the problem and resolve it permanently. This is one reason why natural medicine continues to gain popularity, as it is founded in more than a palliative approach to disease, and does not require the ingestion of patented chemicals (i.e. pharmaceuticals) whose side effects are often worse and far more plentiful than their claimed therapeutic ones. Instead of simply managing and/or suppressing symptoms, the goal is to invoke bodily self-healing, which is to say remove the interference that keeps it from doing so. And often, this is simply a matter of modifying the diet � adding something medicinal here, removing something not so healthy there. One of the most promising studies to come through the biomedical pipeline of late was a gem published in the journal Archives of Iranian Medicine, and which looked at a traditional, sesame-based food-medicine known as Ardeh (aka tahini) for its ability to decrease cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetics � a group whose risk of cardiac mortality is greatly enhanced due to unhealthy ratios and quantities of blood lipids associated with chronically elevated blood sugar, glycation and insulin resistance. Titled, "Ardeh (Sesamum indicum) Could Improve Serum Triglycerides and Atherogenic Lipid Parameters in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial",[i] the study consisted of 41 patients with type 2 diabetes, who were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: group A (Ardeh 28 g/d, n = 21) and group B (control, n = 20). The patients in group A were given 28 grams (two tablespoons) of Ardeh with their breakfast, while group B patients continued with their regular breakfast, both for six months (the energy content of both groups was kept within the same range). Both groups were evaluated at baseline and six weeks later for blood pressure, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C, HDL-C, and the so-called atherogenic index (i.e. heart disease promoting index) of plasma (AIP; log TG/HDL-C), TC/HDL-C ratio, and LDL/HDL-C ratio . Remarkably, after the six week test period, significant positive changes were reported:
"After six weeks, there were significant decreases in serum TG (15.3 mg/dL) and AIP (39 %) in group A. Moreover, slight decreases in serum TC, LDL-C, and other atherogenic lipid parameters and a mild increase in HDL-C also were observed during Ardeh supplementation. Anthropometric measures and blood pressure were unchanged during the study period in both groups." Based on these promising observations the researchers concluded: "Ardeh could have favorable effects in decreasing CVD risk factors in type 2 diabetics." Keep in mind that they found a 39% decrease in the so-called atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), which is no small effect for a relatively small dietary change. It should be noted that the brand of tahini used in this study (Oghab Halva Company) had no additional additives or oil. It was ground sesame seed, plain and simple. Were this a drug trial, results like these would be broadcast the world over as the next life-saving (multi-billion dollar selling) blockbuster drug. For a more detailed explanation of the results, read the entire study at the link here. [http://www.ams.ac.ir/AIM/NEWPUB/13/16/11/008.pdf] This is not the first human clinical study to find a beneficial effect of sesame on cardiovascular health or diabetes. Here are few others:
A 2012 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that "Sesame oil consumption exerts a beneficial effect on endothelial function in hypertensive men.[ii] Sesame is truly a super star among medicinal foods. In fact, recently, we reported on a study that found that eating 40 grams of sesame seeds, or the equivalent of TWO TABLESPOONS OF TAHINI, WAS SUPERIOR TO TYLENOL IN REDUCING PAIN IN THOSE SUFFERING FROM KNEE ARTHRITIS. You can also take a look at the over 40 health benefits of sesame seed and/or its components on our sesame seed health benefits research page to learn more about this remarkable healing food. Let's face it. At this point, with human clinical research from respected, peer-reviewed journals revealing that simple dietary changes � yes, as simple as eating some sesame paste (tahini) daily -- can have huge impacts on risk factors for the most deadly and common diseases known in modern times, the time has come to reevaluate what exactly it is that is going on under the name of medicine today. Drugs don't cure disease any more than bullets cure war. Foods, on the other hand, can be curative, and may just help us to put our 'war against heart disease' � like are failed 'war on cancer' -- to rest once and for all. Finally, for a quick tahini recipe, take a look at this About.com how to, and consider super-charging the heart-friendly properties of this food with the addition of garlic, whose life-saving properties we have expanded on in another article.
References[i] Parvin Mirmiran, Zahra Bahadoran, Mahdieh Golzarand, Asadolah Rajab, Fereidoun Azizi. Ardeh (Sesamum indicum) Could Improve Serum Triglycerides and Atherogenic Lipid Parameters in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2013 Apr;20(2):202-8. doi: 10.1177/2047487312437625. Epub 2012 Jan 25. [ii] Kalliopi Karatzi, Kimon Stamatelopoulos, Maritta Lykka, Pigi Mantzouratou, Sofia Skalidi, Nikolaos Zakopoulos, Christos Papamichael, Labros S Sidossis. Sesame oil consumption exerts a beneficial effect on endothelial function in hypertensive men. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2012 Jan 25. Epub 2012 Jan 25. PMID: 22345690 [iii] Devarajan Sankar, Amanat Ali, Ganapathy Sambandam, Ramakrishna Rao. Sesame oil exhibits synergistic effect with anti-diabetic medication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Nutr. 2011 Jun ;30(3):351-8. Epub 2010 Dec 16. PMID: 21163558 [iv] D Sankar, M Ramakrishna Rao, G Sambandam, K V Pugalendi. A pilot study of open label sesame oil in hypertensive diabetics. J Med Food. 2006 Fall;9(3):408-12. PMID: 17004907 [v] D Sankar, M Ramakrishna Rao, G Sambandam, K V Pugalendi. Effect of sesame oil on diuretics or Beta-blockers in the modulation of blood pressure, anthropometry, lipid profile, and redox status. Yale J Biol Med. 2006 Mar;79(1):19-26. PMID: 17876372 Open Sesame! Health Benefits GMI 10-20-18 By: Sayer Ji, Founder Here are just 10 evidence-based medicinal properties of this food-medicine:
Diabetes: A study published in 2011 in the Clinical Journal of Nutrition showed that sesame oil improved the effectiveness of the oral antidiabetic drug glibenclamide in type 2 diabetic patients. [1] Another study published in 2006 in the Journal of Medicinal Foods showed that the substitution of sesame seed oil as the sole edible oil lowers blood pressure and glucose in hypertensive diabetics. [2] Sesame deserves to be recognized, along with garlic, honey, turmeric and a select few other substances, as an easily accessible and affordable food-medicine that, if consumed regularly, could quite possibly save lives.
Cerealsglyphosate, "a systemic, broad-spectrum herbicide that kills things not genetically modified to resist it." I do not know if your kids are genetically engineered to be Roundup Ready, but mine weren't. 
CleanupHow to clean annoying messes on your kitchen appliances and tools
RecipesSmothered, saucy and comforting dinner recipes
Sumac spiceSumac, is any one of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. The dried and powdered fruits of Rhus coriaria are used as a spice in Middle Eastern cuisine. Wikipedia
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Use promo code SR9509F11730 at checkout to receive 10% off your first order! Check your email for your password. If you�ve ever dined in a Middle Eastern restaurant, you may have noticed the dark red powder that dusts everything from salads to meat to baklava. It�s sumac, and it packs a wallop of tart, lemony, almost vinegar-like flavor that brightens salad dressings, popcorn, even Bloody Marys. It�s a spice every kitchen should have, and one that isn�t as hard to come by as you might think. Where it�s from: It might surprise you to learn that this dry red powder isn�t a true spice -- it gets harvested from the fruit of the sumac, or sumach flower, a member of the cashew family. Although it�s prevalent in Middle Eastern cooking, the plant hails mainly from subtropical and temperate areas in Africa and North America. But that doesn�t mean you can�t find the plant growing in Iran, Turkey or Yemen, three regions that covet the ancient seasoner. As for its use, over 2,000 years ago the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides wrote on the health properties of sumac in his epic tome De Materia Medica, and doctors as well as cooks have employed it for centuries. Medicinally it was utilized as an astringent, antiseptic and tonic. At one time there was even sumac pink lemonade, which helped cool feverish patients in addition to tasting good. In North America, the indigenous peoples also used fragrant and smooth sumac in beverages, mainly to create a concoction similar to beer. When it�s in season: Harvested from the drupes, or stone fruit, of the sumac flower, this plant grows from early spring until late fall. However, its peak season is late summer through the middle of fall, and you can even find it yourself if you are tromping through the woods. Just be sure you don�t end up with poison sumac instead of the edible stuff. The former has white berries, not red, and instead of the flowers standing straight, they droop. What to look for: There are many types of sumac you might find, including winged sumac, Sicilian sumac, fragrant or lemon sumac, littleleaf sumac, staghorn sumac, skunkbush or sourberry sumac and the most common, smooth or scarlet sumac. You can use any of these types (just stay away from poison sumac for the obvious reason) in cooking, though in stores you will usually find fragrant or smooth sumac. It all comes in powder form, and as long as you purchase it in a sealed container, it�s good to go. How to store it: Like other spices, sumac should be kept in a closed container at room temperature or, if for some reason you end up with a whole lot of the stuff, in an airtight vessel in the refrigerator. How to prepare it: The most basic use for sumac is sprinkled on top of things -- fresh greens, a cucumber salad, grilled chicken or bread. However, some chefs are taking the ingredient and turning it on its head. �We use sumac in many different ways, from making vinaigrettes out of it to curing meats, seasoning meat and fish, and I have even made desserts with it, including puddings and ice cream," says chef Dave Santos of Louro in Manhattan. �I like the acidity or citrus quality of sumac, which helps lend itself well to a lot of different ingredients." As for desserts, Santos says it posseses a gentleness that works well in lieu of lemon. �When you think about sumac you think about its lemony quality along with a bit of astringency, just like a little pith from a citrus," he said. Hence, he makes a traditional-style pudding that tastes of lemons but doesn�t have a lick of the fruit. More traditionally, Tarik Fallous of Au Za�atar in NYC uses sumac in his house-made za�atar mixture, dusts it on pita, scatters it on top of traditional fattoush salad, mixes it into marinades and encrusts lamb chops with the stuff. Fallous also coats his Phoenician fries with it, a trick that adds a lemony kick to the crisp potatoes. �Sumac has a tart flavor, and in fact centuries ago, it served as the tart, acidic element in cooking before Romans introduced lemons in the region," the chef and owner says. �I like to use it with fish and chicken, and I think that it adds liveliness and great flavor to vegetables. It is also great to use in a salad dressing that does not contain vinegar." When using sumac in your own kitchen, Fallous warns, �Be aware that most sumac mixes have a pinch of salt so you should cut on salt."
Taste: Sour The sumac bush, native to the Middle East, produces deep red berries, which are dried and ground into coarse powder. The spice was long used in Europe to add tartness to many dishes until the Romans introduced lemons to the area. While it�s less common, the berries may also be sold whole. Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice. A small sprinkle also adds a beautiful pop of color to any dish. Sumac is a widely used, essential spice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. It�s used in everything from dry rubs, marinades, and dressing. But its best use is sprinkled over food before serving. It pairs well with vegetables, grilled lamb, chicken and fish. Sumac is one of the main components in the spice mix za�atar, and is used as a topping on fattoush salad, and makes a nice topping on dips like hummus. A bushy shrub of the Anacardiaceae family, reaching to 3m (10 ft). It has light gray or reddish stems which exude a resin when cut. Young branches are hairy. The leaves are hairy on the underside. In autumn the leaves turn to a bright red. White flowers are followed by conical clusters of fruit, each enclosed in a reddish brown hairy covering. Easily propagated by seed, sumac grows best in poor soils. In Sicily, where it is widely cultivated and grows wild in the mountains, its quality is found to increase proportionately the higher it is sited. Other Names Elm-leafed Sumac, Sicilian Sumac, Sumach, Sumak, Summak, Tanner�s Sumach
French: sumac Za�atar is a blend of sumac and thyme use to flavour labni, a cream cheese made from yogurt.
Substitute for Sumac Sumac is a spice singularity. There is nothing else like it. The deep cabarnet-colored sumac berry is ground and dried to impart a tart, lemony flavor with a refreshing complexity. Sumac�s traditional usage in Middle Eastern cuisine sees it added to everything from meat rubs and kebabs to yogurt dips.
MushroomsThe Best Way To Use Mushrooms For Age-Reversing & Potent DetoxificationMushrooms are often used as a tasty addition to many meals without much thought given to their nutritional value. While fungi aren't always the most appealing choice to everyone, mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in many cultures for their medicinal properties, and research is now starting to prove what people have known for years�mushrooms are one powerful superfood group. In my functional medicine clinic, I encourage regular consumption of mushrooms to my patients. There are thousands of mushrooms in existence ranging from poisonous to psychedelic, but I focus on the ones that are considered adaptogenic. These varieties support and bring balance to different areas of the body that are out of whack while also still being sulfuric to aid in methylation�your body's regulator of detox and inflammation pathways. So next time you hit the grocery store, step away from your usual Portobello, and reach for these other next-level varieties to seriously elevate your health:
1. Chaga
 Often used in Eastern European traditional folk medicine, current research is proving chaga's ability to help heal various ailments. In particular, the phenolic content in chaga makes it a powerful tool to fight free radicals to reduce cell oxidation and help your skin glow. Chaga is also used as an antiviral against the flu and has been shown to boost and rebalance the immune system. Cancer is also no match for this mushroom as lung, brain, and liver cancers have all been found to decrease with intake of chaga.
2. Cordyceps
 If you are really looking for natural beauty support, look no further than cordyceps. This mushroom will act as your fountain of youth by increasing the antioxidants glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase while decreasing lipid peroxidation activity and pro-inflammatory monoamine oxidase, which contribute to signs of aging. Cordyceps also does wonders to rebalance hormones and help restore energy for those struggling with adrenal fatigue.
3. Lion's mane
 For anyone looking for added brain support, my first recommendation is Lion's mane. Its neuroprotective properties are second to none and the perfect choice for alleviating brain fog and enhancing cognitive function due to its amount of nerve growth factors, which protect and regenerate brain tissue. One study found that those who took a lion's mane supplement for 16 weeks showed significantly higher cognitive function compared to those who didn't.
4. Himematsutake
 Also known as Royal Sun Agaricus, this mushroom is a next-level cancer fighter. Blazein is a specific protein found in this mushroom that has been shown in studies to kill cancer cells. One study in particular showed that this mushroom began to kill lung cancer cells after three days and stomach cancer cells after just two days.
5. Maitake
 Multiple studies have shown that maitake is able to reduce the growth of cancer cells and suppress tumor growth through its ability to boost the immune system. Maitake can also improve glucose tolerance and blood sugar in cases of diabetes.
6. Oyster
 If you are struggling with systemic inflammation, load up on oyster mushrooms, which have been found to soothe inflammation and aid in healing inflammation-related health problems such as cancer and heart disease.
7. Reishi
 Blood sugar issues are a serious problem in our society with 50 percent of Americans being either prediabetic or diabetic. Ongoing blood sugar problems can contribute to further hormone imbalances, fatigue, weight loss resistance, chronic inflammation, and so much more. Focusing on a plant-based ketogenic diet is one way to battle this epidemic, and mushrooms are a great nutrient-dense low-carb option. Multiple studies have proved reishi's ability to lower blood sugar in those diagnosed with diabetes as well as down-regulating alpha-glucosidase, the enzyme responsible for turning starch into sugar in the body. It can also help improve symptoms associated with diabetes such as kidney problems and poor wound healing.
8. Shiitake
 Packed with B vitamins, shiitake mushrooms work to support optimal brain health and healthy adrenal function. Shiitake is yet another cancer fighter and has been shown to shrink tumors. This mushroom also has powerful antimicrobial properties and cholesterol-lowering abilities.
9. Turkey tail
 Perhaps one of my personal favorites from this list, and the most well-researched, it is my go-to choice for patients dealing with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and candida yeast overgrowth.
 Turkey tail also works to fight cancer by boosting the immune system with its polysaccharides content. One study showed that the polysaccharide known as PSP in turkey tail greatly improved immune health in 97 percent of cancer patients.
Are mushrooms safe for everyone?The beauty of adaptogens is that they are generally safe for everyone. Since every person's health case is different, what works for one person may not be the most relevant for another. Specific dosages can vary, but I like to recommend to my patients having some type of adaptogenic mushroom three times a week minimum. Start out small and give your body time to adjust before gradually increasing your dosage.
What's the best way to eat therapeutic mushrooms?I personally like to incorporate whole mushrooms into my regular meals saut�ed as a side dish or on top of my salads. When buying whole mushrooms, it is essential to look for organically grown varieties as conventional mushrooms can be highly toxic due to the fact that mushrooms are extremely porous in nature and easily absorb pesticides and other chemicals. Depending on the stores in your area, it may be more difficult to find organic versions of adaptogenic mushrooms since they are such a specialty item. If this is the case, you can buy dried mushrooms online or, to save on cost, buy an organic kit online and grow your own! Not only will you be getting nutritious food medicines, you'll have a fun new hobby! If you're not a fan of the taste or texture of mushrooms, you can get these in powdered form, extracts, or in supplement form. Just like the whole food versions, you need to make sure these are organic. Some of my favorite brands include OM and Four Sigmatic. When you are in a hurry, powders are a great way to get your serving in of adaptogenic mushrooms for the day as they can be added to any beverage, smoothies, soups, or sprinkled on top of your favorite meals. I love to add these to my coffee to make an elevated adaptogenic latte.
Age-Reversing Mushroom Latte
1 cup organic hot coffee Add hot coffee into a large coffee mug. Add in mushroom powder, cacao powder, and desired sweetener to coffee and stir to combine. Pour in milk and froth with a milk frother.
Uncommon FruitsYou�ve seen these uncommon fruits. Here�s what to do with them.WP 11-26-18 Casey Seldenberg
percent of the recommended daily vitamin C, fiber, B vitamins, other minerals such as manganese, copper, and phosphorous, and phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids to help prevent cancer. (iStock)  Fun facts: The national fruit of Japan (though they originated in China), persimmons are in season from September through December, making them regulars in holiday cooking. During the fall harvest, some people attempt to predict upcoming winter weather by peeking at the pattern inside persimmon seeds. If the pattern resembles a fork, it will be a mild season. A spoon suggests a snowy winter, and a knife indicates bitter cold and wind that will cut like a knife. There are two types of persimmons: the hachiya, which is shaped like an acorn and is bitter before ripening, and the fuyu, which is sweet, round and usually seedless. Buy this latter variety and eat when it�s firm but not hard. Nutrition: One persimmon provides 55 percent of the recommended daily vitamin A, 21 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C, fiber, B vitamins, other minerals such as manganese, copper and phosphorous, and phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids to help prevent cancer. Ways to serve: Chop the crisp, sweet flesh to include in a lunch box, eat like an apple (peeling is optional), make a mozzarella- (or any kind of cheese) and-persimmon sandwich, top a bowl of ice cream, add to salads, mash into baby food once a baby is 8 to 10 months old, add color to a cheese plate, bake in muffins, or make into a chutney. Star fruit (carambola)
in addition to fiber, potassium, copper and B vitamins. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)  Fun facts: When cut crosswise, this fruit looks like a star, hence its name. Star fruit, which is native to parts of Southeast Asia, tastes similar to a grape. The larger varieties tend to be sweeter, and the entire fruit is edible, skin and all. Star fruit are ripe when they are vibrant yellow; if brown spots appear, pop the fruit in the refrigerator. The few seeds are edible or can be discarded. Nutrition: One star fruit provides 76 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C, in addition to fiber, potassium, copper and B vitamins. Ways to serve: Slice star fruit for a snack or add to a lunch box, blend into smoothies, chop for chutney or salsa, add color and interest to a fruit salad, or give sweetness and appeal to leafy green salads. Dragon fruit (pitaya) antioxidants and flavonoids, B vitamins, 15 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C, iron and calcium. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)  Fun facts: Dragon fruit, believed to be native to Central America, are technically part of the cactus species, yet look like a smaller, softer, pinker pineapple. They are mildly sweet, described by my daughter as a mix of a kiwi and watermelon. They�re ripe when firm but not hard. The pink-fleshed fruits tend to be higher in nutrients and a bit sweeter than the white-fleshed ones. Pitaya trees produce fruit multiple times a year, yet the flower blooms just once a year, and only at night, so it is quite a spectacle. Nutrition: One dragon fruit provides phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids, B vitamins, 15 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C, iron and calcium. Ways to serve: Slice lengthwise, then quarter, and peel off and discard the skin. You can eat the black seeds along with the flesh. Chill it, then chop into cubes or shape with a melon baller for a fruit salad. Frozen dragon fruit pieces for smoothies are found in many grocery stores. Litchi (lychee)
vitamin C, plus fiber, antioxidants, flavonoids, high levels of B vitamins, potassium and phosphorous. Litchi can be an allergen. (TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images)  Fun facts: These fruits, which originated in southern China, have a tough, bumpy skin that is easily peeled to reveal white flesh much like a peeled grape. Litchi fruits have one inedible seed. Litchi trees are high-producing, with one Florida tree yielding a record-breaking 1,200 pounds of fruit in one year. Nutrition: One half-cup of the fruit provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C, plus fiber, antioxidants, flavonoids, high levels of B vitamins, potassium and phosphorous. Litchi can be an allergen. Ways to serve: Chop into a salad, or use to flavor drinks such as iced tea. Kiwano (horned melon)
protein as a tablespoon of peanut butter. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)  Fun facts: When ripe, this spiked fruit, native to Africa, is bright orange on the outside. On the inside, it is slimy green, much like a kiwi -- but with a taste more similar to a banana with a hint of cucumber. It appeals to kids because of its alien appearance. To eat, cut it in half and scoop out the middle. The seeds are edible like cucumber seeds, as is the skin. Do not refrigerate. Nutrition: A cup of kiwano melon has almost as much protein as one tablespoon of peanut butter, plus vitamin C, iron, potassium and lesser amounts of phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, calcium and copper. Ways to serve: Toss on salads, or blend and add to smoothies, salad dressings and drinks.
PersimmonYou�ve seen these uncommon fruits. Here�s what to do with them.WP 11-26-18 Casey Seldenberg
percent of the recommended daily vitamin C, fiber, B vitamins, other minerals such as manganese, copper, and phosphorous, and phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids to help prevent cancer. (iStock) Fun facts: The national fruit of Japan (though they originated in China), persimmons are in season from September through December, making them regulars in holiday cooking. During the fall harvest, some people attempt to predict upcoming winter weather by peeking at the pattern inside persimmon seeds. If the pattern resembles a fork, it will be a mild season. A spoon suggests a snowy winter, and a knife indicates bitter cold and wind that will cut like a knife. There are two types of persimmons: the hachiya, which is shaped like an acorn and is bitter before ripening, and the fuyu, which is sweet, round and usually seedless. Buy this latter variety and eat when it�s firm but not hard. Nutrition: One persimmon provides 55 percent of the recommended daily vitamin A, 21 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C, fiber, B vitamins, other minerals such as manganese, copper and phosphorous, and phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids to help prevent cancer. Ways to serve: Chop the crisp, sweet flesh to include in a lunch box, eat like an apple (peeling is optional), make a mozzarella- (or any kind of cheese) and-persimmon sandwich, top a bowl of ice cream, add to salads, mash into baby food once a baby is 8 to 10 months old, add color to a cheese plate, bake in muffins, or make into a chutney.
Star fruit (carambola)You�ve seen these uncommon fruits. Here�s what to do with them.WP 11-26-18 Casey Seldenberg Star fruit (carambola)
in addition to fiber, potassium, copper and B vitamins. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images) Fun facts: When cut crosswise, this fruit looks like a star, hence its name. Star fruit, which is native to parts of Southeast Asia, tastes similar to a grape. The larger varieties tend to be sweeter, and the entire fruit is edible, skin and all. Star fruit are ripe when they are vibrant yellow; if brown spots appear, pop the fruit in the refrigerator. The few seeds are edible or can be discarded. Nutrition: One star fruit provides 76 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C, in addition to fiber, potassium, copper and B vitamins. Ways to serve: Slice star fruit for a snack or add to a lunch box, blend into smoothies, chop for chutney or salsa, add color and interest to a fruit salad, or give sweetness and appeal to leafy green salads.
Dragon fruit (pitaya)You�ve seen these uncommon fruits. Here�s what to do with them.WP 11-26-18 Casey Seldenberg Dragon fruit (pitaya) antioxidants and flavonoids, B vitamins, 15 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C, iron and calcium. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post) Fun facts: Dragon fruit, believed to be native to Central America, are technically part of the cactus species, yet look like a smaller, softer, pinker pineapple. They are mildly sweet, described by my daughter as a mix of a kiwi and watermelon. They�re ripe when firm but not hard. The pink-fleshed fruits tend to be higher in nutrients and a bit sweeter than the white-fleshed ones. Pitaya trees produce fruit multiple times a year, yet the flower blooms just once a year, and only at night, so it is quite a spectacle. Nutrition: One dragon fruit provides phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids, B vitamins, 15 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C, iron and calcium. Ways to serve: Slice lengthwise, then quarter, and peel off and discard the skin. You can eat the black seeds along with the flesh. Chill it, then chop into cubes or shape with a melon baller for a fruit salad. Frozen dragon fruit pieces for smoothies are found in many grocery stores.
Litchi (lychee)You�ve seen these uncommon fruits. Here�s what to do with them.WP 11-26-18 Casey Seldenberg Litchi (lychee)
vitamin C, plus fiber, antioxidants, flavonoids, high levels of B vitamins, potassium and phosphorous. Litchi can be an allergen. (TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images) Fun facts: These fruits, which originated in southern China, have a tough, bumpy skin that is easily peeled to reveal white flesh much like a peeled grape. Litchi fruits have one inedible seed. Litchi trees are high-producing, with one Florida tree yielding a record-breaking 1,200 pounds of fruit in one year. Nutrition: One half-cup of the fruit provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C, plus fiber, antioxidants, flavonoids, high levels of B vitamins, potassium and phosphorous. Litchi can be an allergen. Ways to serve: Chop into a salad, or use to flavor drinks such as iced tea.
Kiwano (horned melon)You�ve seen these uncommon fruits. Here�s what to do with them.WP 11-26-18 Casey Seldenberg Kiwano (horned melon)
protein as a tablespoon of peanut butter. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post) Fun facts: When ripe, this spiked fruit, native to Africa, is bright orange on the outside. On the inside, it is slimy green, much like a kiwi -- but with a taste more similar to a banana with a hint of cucumber. It appeals to kids because of its alien appearance. To eat, cut it in half and scoop out the middle. The seeds are edible like cucumber seeds, as is the skin. Do not refrigerate. Nutrition: A cup of kiwano melon has almost as much protein as one tablespoon of peanut butter, plus vitamin C, iron, potassium and lesser amounts of phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, calcium and copper. Ways to serve: Toss on salads, or blend and add to smoothies, salad dressings and drinks.
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Rum BallsRum Balls
1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers (from about 50 cookies) Combine the vanilla wafer crumbs, rum, honey and walnuts in a medium bowl, until thoroughly blended. Shape into balls about 3/4-inch wide. Dust completely with a light coating of confectioners' sugar. (If you plan to freeze them, do not dust until they are defrosted.) Place in individual candy-size paper cups. Adapted from a 1970s Bacardi rum recipe booklet.
Turkey Tortilla SkilletHere�s a chuck-wagon skillet dinner your young cook can master
Turkey Tortilla SkilletWhen you allow tomato paste to cook for a bit in a cleared part of the pan, its flavor deepens. A package of refrigerated corn tortillas almost always has a few that are torn or a little dried out; those are the ones we turn into a crunchy counterpart by toasting them in the oven. And we�re using canned beans, which, when rinsed and drained, should override the need for seasoning with salt.If you want to bump up the seasoning in this dish, you can sprinkle the tortilla strips -- after they�ve been hit with a spray of cooking oil -- with smoked paprika or flaky sea salt. The ground turkey could stand to handle a pinch of dried oregano.
Six 6-inch corn tortillas Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tortillas into 1-inch strips and spread those on a baking sheet. Give them a light coating of cooking oil spray; bake for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp. Watch closely so they don�t burn. Meanwhile, cut the onion into small dice. Mince the garlic. Rinse and drain the beans. Heat the oil in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the onion and garlic; cook for 5 or 6 minutes, until softened. Clear a space at the center of the pan; add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until it�s fragrant and slightly darkened, then stir in the Sriracha or other hot sauce and the ground turkey. Cook until there�s no trace of pink left, then pour in the broth. Once the mixture is bubbling at the edges, add the drained beans. Cook just until they are warmed through, mashing half the beans with a potato masher, for more texture. (Yep, we�re using an old-school masher in the photo above.) Turn off the heat. Cut the scallions into thin slices (white and green parts). Stir the crisped tortilla strips into the skillet mixture, then scatter the scallions on top. Top with small dollops of sour cream and drizzle with more Sriracha or hot sauce. Serve warm. From deputy Food/recipe editor Bonnie S. Benwick.
GarlicWhy you should roast a head of garlic virtually every time you turn on the ovenDoes everyone know about the glorious versatility of roasted garlic? I hope so. But just in case you don't, the next time you've got your oven going for at least the better part of an hour, roast some and you'll see. Just take a whole head of garlic, cut it in half horizontally, so you get through all the cloves, drizzle each half with olive oil, wrap each in foil, and roast for 45 minutes or so. Let it cool slightly, and then squeeze out the cloves. Slather some on toast while it's still warm, sprinkle with salt, and devour. Save the rest to whisk into vinaigrette, puree into hummus or other bean dips, add to marinades, stews, soups. There are as many uses as there are cooks. Roasted garlic adds depth of flavor to the most basic recipes. Take a simple cauliflower soup like the one I spied in "Little Bird Goodness" by Megan May (Penguin Books, 2017). You simmer cauliflower florets in vegetable broth until they're tender, then blend the affair with cashews (for plant-based creaminess) and, yes, a whole head's worth of roasted garlic. What would have surely been pale, bland and boring turns into something with an almost mysterious backdrop of nutty sweetness. As we head into soup season, it's a trick to remember. If you're like me, you'll appreciate the idea so much that you'll want to make one important amendment to the advice I gave at the top of this column. Don't roast a whole head of garlic. Roast two, at least. Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup 4 servings (makes about 5 cups) Adapted from "Little Bird Goodness," by Megan May (Penguin, 2017).
1 head garlic Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Discard the loose outer layers of papery peel from the head of garlic, then cut it in half horizontally and drizzle each half with the oil. Wrap each half in a small piece of aluminum foil, place on a small baking sheet and roast (middle rack) until the cloves are very tender and caramel-colored, 40 to 50 minutes. Unwrap and let cool, then pick or squeeze out each roasted clove and discard the skins. Combine the broth and the cauliflower in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, so it's barely bubbling. Cook until you can easily mash the cauliflower against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, then add the roasted garlic cloves and � cup of the cashews. Chop the remaining 1/4 cup of cashews and reserve for the garnish. Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the soup until smooth. It will be fairly thick. (Alternatively, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender, being careful to not fill it more than halfway to avoid splatters.) Wipe out the saucepan, and return the pureed soup to it, over medium-low heat. Stir in the salt and pepper; cook until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust the seasoning, as needed. To serve, divide the soup among individual bowls. Top each portion with the chopped cashews, a drizzle of the basil oil and pea shoots, if using.
The CauliflowerThe CauliflowerOld-school brining seasons this vegetable evenly throughout; if you have the time to commit to this and are looking to take your cauliflower eating to the next level, the results will be worth it. Chef Matty Matheson creates a range of textures and flavors in his original dish, with a minty salsa verde, ricotta cheese, a celery root broth and fried artichoke chips; we've skipped the chips here. Make Ahead: The cauliflower needs to be brined in the refrigerator overnight, and then air-dried for 2 or 3 hours. The broth can be made several days in advance. Tested size: 4 servings INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAULIFLOWER
2 cups water FOR THE BROTH
4 medium celery root (celeriac), trimmed, peeled and cut in half FOR THE SALSA VERDE
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil FOR ASSEMBLY
1/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese For the cauliflower: Combine the water and salt in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from the heat. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Place the ice in a large, deep bowl, then pour in the salt water, stirring until the ice has melted. Cool to room temperature, then add the cauliflower, top side down. Refrigerate overnight, then drain, discarding the brine. Air-dry for 2 to 3 hours. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; roast (middle rack) for about 10 minutes, or until the exterior is lightly browned and slightly softened, but the inside is still somewhat firm. For the broth: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the celery root and onions on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil; slow-roast for 4 hours, until they look lightly caramelized. Transfer to a soup pot. Add just enough water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour, until deeply fragrant and a rich dark color. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the solids.Taste, and season with salt, as needed. Keep warm over low heat, or cool, refrigerate and later reheat over medium-low heat just before serving. For the salsa verde: Stir together the oil, parsley, cilantro, basil, tarragon, mint, jalape�o, shallot, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl; the consistency should be pulpy. Season lightly with salt and pepper. To assemble the dish, pour about 6 tablespoons of the warm broth into each wide, shallow serving bowl. Divide the cauliflower into 4 equal portions, placing one portion in each bowl. Top with equal amounts of the ricotta, then spoon the salsa verde on top. Serve warm.
Tandoori CauliflowerThis dish brings the fire -- and the fun -- of Indian cooking to roasted cauliflowerTandoori Cauliflower -- see the recipe below. Technically, I realize, you can�t make tandoori anything without one special piece of equipment -- a tandoor. But you can take the same type of marinade -- yogurt, with spices such as garam masala, turmeric and cayenne -- that Indian restaurants use for tandoori chicken, slather it on cauliflower florets and end up with something spectacular. It�s a simplified version of a popular North Indian street-food dish, tandoori gobi. I might even say that this is the cauliflower you should make for somebody who doesn�t like, or doesn�t think they like, cauliflower. The marinade, some of which you save to sauce the florets after roasting, is so tangy and fiery that at the very least it will distract them from what�s underneath, and at the most it might make them realize that cauliflower itself is actually pretty neutral-tasting. Harmless, even. But this is also what you should make for anybody who loves cauliflower, because they are no doubt looking for exciting new ways to experience it. Believe me, this qualifies. Tandoori Cauliflower 4 servings Serve with rice or naan. Adapted from �Feasts of Veg: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes for Gatherings," by Nina Olsson (Kyle Books, 2018).
1� cups plain Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat, but may use low-fat or nonfat) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the yogurt, oil, the sweet and smoked paprikas, garam masala, turmeric, salt, agave syrup and cayenne in a mixing bowl to form a smooth marinade. Transfer half of it to a small saucepan. Add the cauliflower to the bowl with the remaining marinade and toss to coat thoroughly, then transfer those florets to a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast (middle rack) for 25 minutes or until fork-tender. Start checking at 20 minutes; when the cauliflower is almost done, place the saucepan with the remaining marinade over medium-low heat. Gently cook it until hot, being careful not to let it bubble up or boil. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm. Pour the warm marinade over the roasted florets; taste, and season with more salt, as needed. Serve warm, garnished with cilantro.
Garlic BasicsHow best to harness the power of garlic in your everyday cookingThere are probably plenty of small but mighty ingredients hanging out in your kitchen. Cinnamon sticks, dried chile peppers, cardamom and herbs are all proof that size is definitely not proportionate to how much flavor a food has. Perhaps the MVP of the culinary featherweights is garlic. Easy to buy, easy to store and easy to incorporate into a wide variety of dishes, this little bulb can do it all. �It�s such a simple way to get a lot of flavor. It�s a simple bulb," says Kate Winslow, who wrote �Onions Etcetera: The Essential Allium Cookbook� with her husband, Guy Ambrosino. It�s complex, too. When raw, it�s sharp, spicy and pungent. But cooking garlic gives way to sweetness, even caramelization. Want to make the most out of your garlic? Here is some helpful info and a few clever hacks. Know what you�re getting Winslow and Ambrosino write in their book that there are two main subspecies of garlic: Soft-neck, which features large cloves around a center of (annoying) smaller cloves, and hard-neck, which sports larger cloves in a single ring around a woody stalk. You�re most likely to come across hard-neck at the farmers market. Don�t bother with elephant garlic, they advise, which is more closely related to leeks, boasting a mild onion flavor that is not a suitable stand-in for regular garlic. When choosing garlic, try to find the freshest. The taste gets �funkier� and stronger as it ages, Winslow says. The cloves should be plump and juicy, not wrinkled. Ideally, they won�t have a green sprout running through the middle, but if that�s the only garlic you have, just pop it out with the tip of your knife and move on. Store garlic in a spot with good air circulation; cool and dark are helpful, too. Peeling Ah, peeling garlic. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this somewhat tedious task. Check out the video below to see Food editor Joe Yonan try a bunch of them, including microwaving, skillet toasting and using a silicone roller.
Video on how to peel But Joe�s favorite method is the good ol� knife smash. Winslow and Ambrosino agree, as do I. The other methods involve more steps, more equipment and sometimes, more mess. Garlic skin flying everywhere is one downside of shaking all the cloves in a bowl, the couple says. If you have to peel A LOT, as in several heads worth, the microwave or skillet might be worth considering. Otherwise, for everyday garlic tasks, stick with the trusty knife. �It�s a little fiddly," Winslow says of peeling. Even so, she advises against pre-peeled (and minced) garlic, the flavor and age of which can be questionable, and which includes preservatives. Best to work your way through a head a week. Prepping The general rule of thumb is that the more you break down the garlic, the stronger the flavor will be. So if you want to gently flavor the oil you�re sauteing vegetables in, throw in halved or whole cloves, as Winslow and Ambrosino do. �I use it almost every single time I saute a vegetable," Ambrosino says. If you want just a whisper of garlic in your mashed potatoes, throw some cloves in as you boil the potatoes (remove or crush and incorporate into the final dish) or steep it in the milk as you warm it. Minced makes for especially potent flavor. If it�s going into a dish raw and you�re worried about its strength, consider this tip from deputy Food editor and recipes editor Bonnie S. Benwick: Mince the cloves and place in a small microwave-safe bowl with a teaspoon or two of extra-virgin olive oil. Microwave in 10-second increments until fragrant, and the bits have turned slightly golden in color. If you prefer to have your minced garlic on the smooth side, chop it with a pinch of kosher salt, smearing the two together on your cutting board to form a paste. That�s especially good for something like salad dressing, Winslow says. Roasting garlic is another versatile option. Winslow and Ambrosino suggest cutting off the top 1/4-inch of two heads to expose the cloves, drizzling them with 2 tablespoons of oil, wrapping in aluminum foil and roasting at 500 degrees for about 40 minutes. The garlic will be very soft, which makes it easy to squeeze cloves out of the papery skins once they have cooled slightly. Incorporate the cloves into butter for a compound butter, or add to mayonnaise for a quasi-aioli. Or just spread directly onto bread. Use them wherever you want mellow, sweet garlic flavor. Roasted garlic has the potential to win over skeptics. Cooking with it If you want to start using garlic in more of your everyday cooking, there are a lot of ways you can go. One of the simplest is to rub a raw clove on toasted or broiled bread. �It�s like salt in a way," Ambrosino says. �It just adds more flavor." Serve with salad and soup, as well as dips, spreads, bruschetta and tapenade. Winslow is a fan of adding garlic to marinades, especially for the Cuban pork roast in her book. �It makes such a full-flavored marinade," she says. As we�ve already covered, garlic is a natural in dressings. It�s also right at home in stir-fries, particularly when mixed with scallions and ginger. (Just keep your eye on it, as once garlic is minced, it can cook and turn fragrant in as little as 30 seconds.) Ambrosino likes to do a simple pasta with oil, garlic and hot pepper. That�s only the beginning. �Garlic is definitely our second love behind onions," Winslow says. �I think it�s an ingredient that should be in every cook�s kitchen." �It�s used in cuisines all around the world," she adds. �It�s really worthwhile getting to know it."
ToumToum or Toumya is a garlic sauce common to the Levant. Similar to the Proven�al aioli, it contains garlic, salt, olive oil or vegetable oil, and lemon juice, traditionally crushed together using a wooden mortar and pestle. WikipediaThis is one of the more versatile condiments to have on hand. It can outlast the sprouting fresh garlic in your pantry and is at the ready for marinades, dips and sauces and as a spread for any savory sandwich. Its flavor will mellow only slightly over several weeks. If you have access to a high-powered, commercial-grade food processor, the paste will turn out even fluffier and lighter than if you use a standard food processor. Make Ahead: The garlic paste can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Tested size: 4 cups Scant 2 cups peeled garlic cloves (from about 7 heads) Combine the garlic cloves and salt in a food processor. Puree until as smooth as possible, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl as needed. With the motor running (for the next 4 steps), gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the oil in the thinnest possible stream; do not rush the process or the mixture will separate. Stop to scrape down the bowl. Gradually add 1/2 cup more of the oil in the same manner; the mixture should begin to set up a bit, with the consistency of creamy cooked grits. Gradually add the lemon juice. The mixture will become lighter and whiter. Add 1/2 cup more of the oil in the same gradual fashion as before, then slowly add the water. The mixture will loosen but should not be runny. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. The resulting garlic paste should be creamy white and fluffy, like beaten egg whites. If not, keep the motor running and add more oil to achieve the right color and consistency. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid; seal and refrigerate for a few hours before using, and up to 3 weeks
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Onion BasicsGreat recipes start with an onion. Here�s how to know which one to use.Almost any onion will make you cry once you slice it open. So does it really matter which one you grab at the grocery store? You probably think I�m going to tell you, �Yes, absolutely, and if you choose the wrong one, your recipe will be ruined!" That�s only sort of true. They�re more interchangeable than you might think, at least in a good number of situations. Let�s focus on the supermarket staples of yellow, white and red. Sweet onions -- Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc. -- are great, but they�re much more perishable and less widely available during a short season. And pearl onions, shallots, scallions and leeks are distinctive enough from their globular cousins to not create substitution confusion. The big three have a lot in common. They:
Sport the characteristic papery skin that litters the bottom of every single one of your reusable shopping bags. For the vast majority of us, the biggest difference may be their color. If you closed your eyes and tasted samples of each, would you be able to tell them apart? I don�t think I could. Video: How to chop an onion.
Halve lengthwise Still, if you�re going to choose one type of onion to always have on hand, you�re best going with the yellow onion. According to the National Onion Association (yes, this is a thing! and their Twitter handle is @Onionista!), the yellow onion accounts for about 87 percent of the country�s crop, with red a distant second at 8 percent and white a measly 5 percent. It�s acceptable raw, ranging from mild to pungent depending on age, and gets mellower as it cooks. Yellow is the ideal variety for caramelizing. When you are sauteing onions to build flavor as a base for your dish (soup, tomato sauce, you name it), the yellow onion is your friend. That being said, white onions are a totally acceptable substitute for yellow, especially if you�re cooking them. Based on conventional wisdom, white onions are milder and crisper than yellow, which is why you might want to use them thinly sliced in a salad, chopped in pico de gallo or in other raw preparations. The biggest drawback of white onions is not their flavor, but rather that they don�t last as long in storage. Red onions are particularly good raw in many of the same places as their white cousins. Red onions work well in salads and guacamole, or on a juicy burger, in part because of their vivid color. One of my favorite ways to use red onions is pickling them -- including red wine vinegar in the brining liquid only enhances the visual pop. I would not, however, recommend adding them to your frittata, as I once did. The onion�s natural chemicals didn�t get along too well with my eggs, which emerged from the oven an unappetizing blue-green-gray color. So many good meals start with an onion. Even more would be improved by adding one. And now the next time you shed tears, it won�t be because you didn�t know which color to choose.
Ethiopian FoodHands-on eats: A deep dive into enjoying Ethiopian food like a pro
 Ethiopia has one of the world�s most singular cuisines, one influenced by foreign ingredients but still wholly its own. It�s a fiery fare that doesn�t require utensils, unlike that of most around the world, and places great importance on bread at the table, a trait shared with France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, India and many other countries. And although meat dishes (even raw ones) play a starring role, so do vegetarian preparations. Maybe you know some of this already? Maybe you don�t. The point is, America is a country without a border around its appetites: There are as many kinds of cuisines as there are people, and while each of us is probably familiar with the food of our own heritage, and perhaps a few others, as patrons in an increasingly global dining scene, we should strive to understand more. That�s why I�m here to help -- with assistance from experts. Eating with your hands For those who were raised to use the proper utensil for every course, an Ethiopian restaurant can be an intimidating place. There is no silverware, and sometimes a proprietor may be resistant to cater to Westerners and their love of flatware. Harry Kloman, a journalism instructor at the University of Pittsburgh who writes extensively about Ethiopian cuisine, remembers when the owner of an Ethiopian restaurant in Milwaukee told him, �They have to ask me three times before I remember to bring it out." Utensils are not impossible to find in Ethiopian restaurants or in the home country. The raw beef dish known as tere sega, or kurt, is served with a steak knife, used to slice the slabs of beef round into manageable bites. Back in Ethiopia, the Gurage people of the south-central highlands often use long wooden spoons to eat their kitfo, Kloman notes. But otherwise, an Ethiopian meal is a feast for the hands, a tactile experience in which a diner tears off a piece of injera flatbread and uses it to scoop up the stews and salads that cover a communal platter (which itself is covered in injera). The bread, in short, doubles as a utensil, which brings us to . . . A bread unlike any other Teff is a tiny grain -- about the size of a grain of sand -- that has been cultivated in Ethiopia for nearly 2,000 years. Back in the home country, injera is made from 100 percent teff flour, but the grain has often been difficult (and expensive) to source in the United States. The Ethiopian government banned the export of teff and teff flour for nearly a decade because foreign sales were causing prices to jump in the country. American farmers have just started to fill the gap. Even now, with limited exports of teff flour from Ethiopia, the price remains high for the product in America. So injera-makers, such as Meaza Zemedu, owner and chef of Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine in Falls Church, Va., use teff and wheat flour to prepare their flatbreads. It�s a painstaking process that requires Zemedu to ferment the teff batter for three to four days, then combine it with wheat-flour batter before griddling the mixture on a hot mitad grill. Good injera should be thin, tangy and have a lot of �eyes� -- those tiny craters you find in the flatbread, Zemedu says. All-teff injera will be tangier than the hybrid kind found at most Ethiopian restaurants in the United States. At some places, you can order all-teff injera imported from Ethiopia, but it�ll cost you, as much as $2.50 a roll.
 The pivot to chiles Ethiopian cuisine as we know it didn�t come into existence until the 16th century. Or maybe the 17th or 18th centuries. It�s not exactly clear. What�s clearer is that even though Ethiopian food is known for its sometimes-incendiary spices, when Francisco Alvares visited the land that would become known as Ethiopia, the Portuguese missionary and explorer ran across no chile peppers during his long stay in the 1520s. At least, Alvares never mentioned one in his copious writings on Ethiopia. The chile pepper �couldn�t have been there at that time, or he certainly would have mentioned it," says Kloman, the University of Pittsburgh instructor. Nearly 250 years later, around 1770, Scottish explorer James Bruce arrived in Ethiopia and found plenty of chile peppers. Hot peppers were probably introduced to Ethiopia by Europeans who brought back plants from the New World, Kloman says. The chiles would dial up the heat levels of Ethiopian dishes, which had previously been spiced with black pepper from India and a native plant called cress. The spice is right Chile peppers are the prime ingredient in two spice blends that dominate Ethiopian cooking: berbere and mitmita. Berbere is a complex, brick-red blend in which chile peppers are cut with a fair number of other ingredients, including cinnamon and besobela (known as Ethiopian sacred basil), to tamp down the heat. This milder blend is used in a wide variety of dishes. Mitmita is a significantly spicier combination, heavy on peppers such as serrano, and reserved for flamethrowing preparations such as kitfo (a mound of ground beef, often served raw, mixed with mitmita and spiced butter) and dullet (in which tripe is sauteed with mitmita and other ingredients). Few Ethiopian chefs in the United States dehydrate, grind and mix their own spices and peppers for berbere and mitmita. Instead, they will buy pre-made mixes from the mother country or from American producers, such as Workinesh Spice Blends, in Minnesota. But regardless of a blend�s origin, a chef will try to source one to her particular tastes. �The spice level can vary, depending on the chef," says Zenebech Dessu, the founder and chef behind Zenebech Restaurant in Washington. �They can make it more spicy." Salt is a key factor in determining the quality of a berbere, say Dessu and her son, Michael Demissie, who helps manage the family restaurant. Inferior berbere blends will be cut with too much salt. �Everything is going to be salty," Demissie says.
yellow chickpeas, cabbage, collard greens, tomato salad mixed with injera and more. Also on the platter are meat dishes doro wot, kitfo and house tibs  Good for vegetarians Despite Ethiopia�s affection for raw meat, the country has, by necessity, a deep respect for vegetarian and vegan fare. More than 40 percent of the country�s 106 million residents consider themselves Ethiopian Orthodox, a Christian church that observes as many as 250 �fasting� days. During fasting periods, the observant will typically eat only once a day, usually around midday or evening, and the meal will not include meat, fats, eggs or dairy. �That�s why vegetarian meals are so important," Kloman says. Ethiopian cooks have therefore become experts at developing veg dishes with lots of flavor, such as misir wat (in which red lentils are goosed with berbere) and tikel gomen (a dish in which cabbage, carrots and potatoes are elevated with turmeric, ginger and cumin). So when your vegetarian friends tire of salads cobbled together from an indifferent kitchen at the latest flavor-of-the-month restaurant, take them to a place that knows how to cater to both meatheads and vegheads: an Ethiopian spot.
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SnacksStore-bought isn�t as fine as these homemade snacks and finger foods
We could all use more fresh vegetables in our diets, but this time of year especially, anything green and crunchy seems even more necessary. Gather up your favorite vegetables to eat raw or just barely cooked -- we went with green beans, red bell peppers and Belgian endives -- then dip away into a creamy, herb-forward spread. Feel free to use other herbs in the dip; we couldn�t find fresh tarragon, so we added more parsley and a teaspoon or so of dried tarragon. Tested size: 12 servings; makes about 3 cups FOR THE DIP
Flesh of 2 ripe avocados FOR THE VEGETABLES
1 pound haricots verts (thin French green beans), trimmed For the dip: Combine the avocados, scallions, tarragon, parsley, chives, yogurt, vinegar and salt in a food processor; puree until fairly smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Unless you�re serving it right away, press plastic wrap directly on the surface (to prevent browning). For the vegetables: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook/blanch for about 1 minute, so they become bright green yet are still crisp. Use a Chinese skimmer or large slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice-water bath; cool, then dry on paper towels. When ready to serve, place the bowl of dip at the center of a platter. Arrange the haricots verts, red bell peppers, grape tomatoes and endive leaves around it.
Marinated olives from the salad bar are nice. This Persian olive dip, with fresh fruity bursts from pomegranate seeds and buttery richness from walnuts, is so much better. Keep it whole, as pictured, or pulse it a few times in a food processor. Serve with crackers or flatbread. This dish originated in northern Iran near the Caspian Sea, where locals make it with regional herbs. It also works well as a colorful accompaniment on a cheese platter and can be served with thin bread such as lavash, baguette slices or on crackers. The mixture can be pulsed in a food processor as well. Make Ahead: The dip should be refrigerated for 1 week before serving. Where to Buy: Ground angelica has a celery-like flavor, and is available in Middle Eastern markets. Tested size: 6-8 servings
6 cloves garlic, minced Combine the garlic, mint, cilantro and chopped walnuts in a mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt, pepper and the angelica, if using. Gradually stir in the pomegranate molasses, then stir in the oil to form a thick paste. Add the olives and pomegranate seeds, stirring gently to incorporate. Transfer to a jar with a tightfitting lid; seal and refrigerate for 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Turns out making your own candied citrus peel is really easy! This recipe turns out soft strips of candied orange peel that you can munch on plain, dip in chocolate or use to decorate baked goods. The same method works with lemon, lime and grapefruit peels, too. These sparkling sugared strips are a classic garnish for cannoli, but they have plenty of other uses, too. Their texture is somewhat softer than typical candied citrus peel. Chop them finely and add them to cakes or pastries or dip them in bittersweet chocolate and serve them with espresso for an elegant, light dessert. And don�t limit yourself to oranges; you can peel lemons, limes and grapefruit using the same technique. Make Ahead: The syrup-cooked peels need to dry for 1 to 2 hours. The candied peels need to dry overnight. Store in a clean, airtight glass container at room temperature for up to 1 month. Tested size: 2 cups
3 organic navel oranges, preferably with thick peel, rinsed well Use a sharp paring knife to slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Score the oranges, making vertical slices at 1-inch intervals and cutting just through the peel and pith but not into the flesh. Pull off the segments of peel and slice them vertically into strips about 1/4 inch wide. (Reserve the flesh for another use.) Place the strips of peel in a saucepan with water to cover by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook the peels gently for about 45 minutes, until just tender. Drain in a colander set in the sink. Set a wire cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the granulated sugar and 2 cups of water in the same saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to low and add the drained peels. Cook gently, stirring from time to time, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the peels are tender and most (but not all) of the syrup has been absorbed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peels to the rack, taking care to keep them from touching. Let dry for 1 to 2 hours. (Don�t discard the syrup; store it in a jar in the refrigerator and use it to sweeten brewed tea.) Spoon about 1/2 cup superfine sugar into a quart-size zip-top bag. Add 3 or 4 strips of peel to the bag and shake to coat with evenly. Place coated strips back on the rack, taking care to keep them separate. Continue until you have coated all the strips. Let dry overnight, turning them once or twice, before serving or storing.
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Holiday Vegetable Platter With Herbed Avocado Dip
We could all use more fresh vegetables in our diets, but this time of year especially, anything green and crunchy seems even more necessary. Gather up your favorite vegetables to eat raw or just barely cooked -- we went with green beans, red bell peppers and Belgian endives -- then dip away into a creamy, herb-forward spread. Feel free to use other herbs in the dip; we couldn�t find fresh tarragon, so we added more parsley and a teaspoon or so of dried tarragon. Tested size: 12 servings; makes about 3 cups FOR THE DIP
Flesh of 2 ripe avocados FOR THE VEGETABLES
1 pound haricots verts (thin French green beans), trimmed For the dip: Combine the avocados, scallions, tarragon, parsley, chives, yogurt, vinegar and salt in a food processor; puree until fairly smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Unless you�re serving it right away, press plastic wrap directly on the surface (to prevent browning). For the vegetables: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook/blanch for about 1 minute, so they become bright green yet are still crisp. Use a Chinese skimmer or large slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice-water bath; cool, then dry on paper towels. When ready to serve, place the bowl of dip at the center of a platter. Arrange the haricots verts, red bell peppers, grape tomatoes and endive leaves around it.
Candied Orange PeelI�ll miss the bonfire, but my Nowruz will taste like home - Iranian Christmas TraditionsTurns out making your own candied citrus peel is really easy! This recipe turns out soft strips of candied orange peel that you can munch on plain, dip in chocolate or use to decorate baked goods. The same method works with lemon, lime and grapefruit peels, too. These sparkling sugared strips are a classic garnish for cannoli, but they have plenty of other uses, too. Their texture is somewhat softer than typical candied citrus peel. Chop them finely and add them to cakes or pastries or dip them in bittersweet chocolate and serve them with espresso for an elegant, light dessert. And don�t limit yourself to oranges; you can peel lemons, limes and grapefruit using the same technique. Make Ahead: The syrup-cooked peels need to dry for 1 to 2 hours. The candied peels need to dry overnight. Store in a clean, airtight glass container at room temperature for up to 1 month. Tested size: 2 cups
3 organic navel oranges, preferably with thick peel, rinsed well Use a sharp paring knife to slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Score the oranges, making vertical slices at 1-inch intervals and cutting just through the peel and pith but not into the flesh. Pull off the segments of peel and slice them vertically into strips about 1/4 inch wide. (Reserve the flesh for another use.) Place the strips of peel in a saucepan with water to cover by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook the peels gently for about 45 minutes, until just tender. Drain in a colander set in the sink. Set a wire cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the granulated sugar and 2 cups of water in the same saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to low and add the drained peels. Cook gently, stirring from time to time, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the peels are tender and most (but not all) of the syrup has been absorbed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peels to the rack, taking care to keep them from touching. Let dry for 1 to 2 hours. (Don�t discard the syrup; store it in a jar in the refrigerator and use it to sweeten brewed tea.) Spoon about 1/2 cup superfine sugar into a quart-size zip-top bag. Add 3 or 4 strips of peel to the bag and shake to coat with evenly. Place coated strips back on the rack, taking care to keep them separate. Continue until you have coated all the strips. Let dry overnight, turning them once or twice, before serving or storing.
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These are the ones from the latest report's tables: The brands that failed to meet the extra virgin olive oil standards, according to this study: Bertolli, Carapelli, Colavita, Star, Pompeian.
1. Lucini Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil
the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) told ABC news that one of the easiest foods that can be tampered with is olive oil, since it can be diluted with cheaper oils and we as consumers won�t know the difference.
Do you know about the �Olive Oil Fraud�? Many of us want to use �extra virgin olive oil� for all the wonderful health benefits and taste, but when you go to the trouble of seeking it out and spending the extra money, there is a high chance that it is not virgin at all!
Olive oil will keep well if stored in a sealed container in a cool, dark cupboard for about one year. If unopened, the oil may keep for as long as two years.
Early Summer Greens With Garlic Vinaigrette RecipeEarly Summer Greens With Garlic Vinaigrette Recipe
DESCRIPTION
SERVES 4 - 6
1 large garlic clove, minced For the Dressing:
On a cutting board, sprinkle half of the salt over the minced garlic, and using the side of a chef�s knife, press the knife into the garlic and salt to mash into a paste. Scoop the garlic paste into a bowl to make the dressing. For the Salad:
Place the mixed baby greens in a large salad bowl.
Simple Cabbage and Carrot Sauerkraut RecipeSimple Cabbage and Carrot Sauerkraut Recipe
DESCRIPTION
SERVES 1 quart
9 cups shredded or very finely sliced cabbage and one outer leaf left whole, about 1 medium head Special equipment: 1 large, wide-mouth glass jar (1 or 2 quart size) with a tight fitting lid, washed in hot soapy water and allowed to air dry. 1 (4-ounce) glass jelly jar or glass paperweight that fits into the large jar, washed in hot soapy water and allowed to air dry Directions: Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add carrot and squeeze and knead together with the cabbage for at least 5 minutes, or until cabbage has soften and released fluid. Transfer the cabbage mixture into the large jar. Pour any juices from the bowl over the top. Using a potato masher, wooden spoon, or your fist press the cabbage down until it is tightly packed. Place the whole cabbage leaf over the top and pack the mixture down again. The fluid should completely cover the shredded cabbage. Weigh down the large cabbage leaf with the small jar or paperweight. You can fill the small jar with clean rocks or weights to make sure that the level of the liquid is above the level of the shredded cabbage. Wipe the rim of the large jar clean and cover with the lid. Allow cabbage to ferment at room temperature (60-70� F) for at least 4 days or up to two weeks. Remove the lid once per day to allow the culture to �burp� and release any excess pressure. You may need to press the cabbage down occasionally to force the air bubbles up and out of the cabbage mixture and to ensure the liquid continues to cover the cabbage. Once fermented, remove the weights and whole cabbage leaf and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Sauerkraut will keep for up to 6 months.
NoriV How to make a Raw Vegan Nori Wrap Recipe Video
Nori is cleansing and high in iron
San Francisco may be best known for sourdough, but a few years ago it also became home to a new culinary mash-up: the sushi burrito. A combination of rice and fillings all wrapped -- burrito-style -- inside a sheet of nori, the sushi burrito is a very welcome solution for wheat-free burrito-lovers, like myself. How to Make Nori Burritos Like flour tortillas, when filled with rice, the nori softens and becomes very flexible, allowing you to wrap and roll tightly with no breakage. And despite how thin it is, nori will hold an immense amount of food inside, allowing you to stuff it to the brim. You can use the nori straight from the package or, with the help of tongs or your fingers, toast them quickly over an open flame from the stove. From there, take warm rice and spread it over about three-quarters of the nori sheet, and then layer your fillings slightly off to one side -- spreadable stuff (like avocado or spicy mustard) on the bottom and harder stuff (like jicama or cucumber) on top. Be sure to leave an inch or so of space from the edges. As for the rolling part, it�s just like wrapping a burrito. First, fold the side edges in, pressing down slightly so it will stay folded. Then, starting with the end closest to the filling, tightly roll the nori sheet over the filling (and itself) until it reaches the other side. I usually do this just with my hands, but you can also use the help of a bamboo mat to make sure you get a tight roll. Sometimes you�ll find you�ve overstuffed the nori (like in the picture) and its hard to get the ends tucked in (like a burrito), so here�s my trick: plastic wrap. Once the super-stuffed nori burrito is rolled, place it off-center on a large piece of plastic wrap. Use your fingers to tuck and press the nori together on the ends, patching up any holes -- thankfully nori gets sticky with warm rice [or any liquid], so this is easy to do. Fold the plastic wrap over it, further assisting the closure. Then, tightly roll the nori burrito completely in the plastic wrap so its nice and snug. Leave it like this for a few minutes in the fridge or until lunchtime. And when you take it out of the plastic wrap, the ends will now be shut and all the filling will stay inside. If you don�t like plastic wrap, just use foil.
Salad Dressings
Greek Salad DressingsEASY GREEK SALAD DRESSING
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Homemade Greek salad dressing is so easy to make. My method of choice is adding everything to a mason jar, covering it tightly with a lid and shaking vigorously. There�s no whisking and it emulsifies perfectly! You can certainly opt to prepare this dressing in a food processor if you�re so inclined. Simply add everything but the oregano, process until emulsified, then stir in the oregano. Easy Greek Salad Dressing will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. We eat salads a lot so this dressing never lasts longer than that! CUSTOMIZE EASY GREEK SALAD DRESSING You can customize this greek salad dressing recipe in a multitude of ways. If you don't have fresh oregano on hand, use a teaspoon of dried. If fresh garlic is too much for you, substitute it with a 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or omit it altogether. While I prefer my Greek salad dressing with red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar would be a great substitution as well. This Easy Greek Salad Dressing is a staple in my kitchen and will take your salads to the next level every time!
LOUIE SALAD DRESSINGHOMEMADE NO MAYO LOUIE SALAD DRESSING
1 cup vegan mayo* Add all ingredients except for the pickle relish into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Pour the dressing into a bowl and stir in the pickle relish. Add up to 1 tablespoon more if desired. Serve with your favorite salad and enjoy! RECIPE NOTES: *My preferred brand of vegan mayo is Vegenaise. I use the soy-free variety, but there are many to choose from including reduced fat. You can use your favorite ketchup, but I recommend using a natural ketchup that's low in sugar and doesn't contain artificial ingredients. I used just enough ketchup in this dressing to give it tomato flavor without making it too sweet. If you like a spicier dressing, substitute the ketchup with chili sauce or add more horseradish. If you're not following a vegan diet, Greek yogurt would be a viable substitute for the vegan mayo. Leftover dressing will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for 7-10 days. Just stir and enjoy!
SANTA FE CHICKEN SALAD WITH TANGY LIME DRESSINGSANTA FE CHICKEN SALAD WITH TANGY LIME DRESSINGSanta Fe Chicken Salad with Tangy Lime Dressing is a fresh, hearty salad packed with black beans, roasted corn and tortilla strips tossed with a zesty lime dressing! {GF}
 This salad has everything I love all in one place. And the clincher? It�s all tossed in a fresh, zesty lime dressing with crunchy tortilla strips over the top. I chose not to add grated cheese to mine, but you can certainly add cheese if you like. The main attraction is the chicken breast sprinkled with a generous dose of my Homemade Taco Seasoning and grilled to perfection. The chicken is juicy, flavorful and provides a significant source of protein.
The crowning glory of this salad �besides those crispy tortilla strips! -- is the tangy lime dressing. It includes plenty of fresh lime juice, along with maple syrup, fresh cilantro, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. I made this dressing extra zest with the juice of two limes. To me, there�s no such thing as too much lime, so feel free to tone it down a notch if it�s too much for you. FOR THE SALAD:
(2) skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 � 1.5 lbs.) seasoned with 2-3 teaspoons of my Homemade Taco Seasoning FOR THE DRESSING:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Place the lettuce, green onions, cherry tomatoes, black beans, roasted corn, avocado, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Toss together gently, and serve on plates. Top with the chicken and tortilla strips. Place all salad ingredients in a small jar, cover and shake until combined. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss to coat. You will more than likely have dressing leftover. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Vegetarian Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles are an easy low carb meal packed with zoodles and veggies in a delicious Thai peanut sauce! This dish is the low carb version of my One Pot Thai Peanut Veggie Pasta, which is one of my most popular recipes. It�s gotten rave reviews, and I thought that a lightened up take on it would be appreciated.
Now that it�s zucchini season, my spiralizer has been working overtime. Do you own a spiralizer? I love mine, but I�ll admit that sometimes I get lazy and I buy my zucchini noodles at the store. It can get costly over time, so I�m trying to spiralize my own zucchini and other veggies myself.
 CUSTOMIZE YOUR VEGETARIANTHAI PEANUT ZUCCHINI NOODLES There are so many ways that you can customize this meal to make it your own. It�s a perfect �clean out the fridge� meal to help you use up the veggies that you have on hand. If you want a protein boost, add tofu or animal protein if you're so inclined. If carbohydrates aren't a concern for you, substitute the zucchini noodles with sweet potato or butternut squash, or serve with a grain such as quinoa or rice to make it heartier.
5 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce Place the soy sauce, peanut butter and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, mushroom and carrot and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and ginger cook for 30 seconds. Add the bell pepper and zucchini and cook 2 minutes. Add the sauce and stir till combined. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until zucchini is softened to your desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve warm topped with chopped peanuts and additional cilantro and lime wedges. Enjoy!
30 minute thursday: one pan chicken enchilada bake30 minute thursday: one pan chicken enchilada bakeThis One Pan Chicken Enchilada Bake is loaded with shredded chicken, hearty rice, and topped with cheesy tortillas. It contains the classic flavor of enchiladas, but in casserole form. Made in one pan and ready in just 30 minutes, you�ll have this simple dish ready to be devoured in no time! Bottom line, this One Pan Chicken Enchilada Bake is packed with flavor, full of simple ingredients, and made in just one pan. And did I mention that it�s ready in just 30 minutes? Zesty, delicious, and bursting with Mexican flair, you�ll be going back for seconds (and thirds) of this dish. I used shredded, rotisserie chicken that I found in the deli section of my local grocery store. Of course, you can cook and shred your own chicken (or use ground beef or turkey), but the already-made chicken just makes this meal that much easier. Simply saut� some garlic and chopped onion in a skillet, add in some diced tomatoes, uncooked rice, and water. Let the mixture cook until the rice is tender, and then stir in the chicken, shredded cheese, and cilantro. And for the finishing touch? Quartered soft tortillas, topped with cheese and then broiled until melted. Easy peasy, right? In just 30 minutes, this One Pan Chicken Enchilada Bake is oozing with flavor and ready to be devoured. It makes the most delicious weeknight meal and is great for leftovers, too!
2 tablespoons olive oil Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saut� for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add in minced garlic and stir to combine. Add taco seasoning, tomatoes, rice, and water. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until rice is tender. While rice mixture is cooking, preheat oven to medium broil. Remove mixture from heat and stir in chicken, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and cilantro. Top mixture with quartered tortillas, and sprinkle remaining cup of shredded cheese on top. Broil for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and top with sour cream and more cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM ASPARAGUS FAJITAS {VIDEO}GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM ASPARAGUS FAJITAS ARE FAJITA-SPICED VEGGIES GRILLED TO PERFECTION. SERVE WITH HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE FOR A HEALTHY, VEGETARIAN 30 MINUTE MEAL!
 I grill year round, but when it�s cold out I�d rather use the oven to warm up the house! Once the weather heats up, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven, so I�m almost always using my grill. I tossed my portobello mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, and onions in a fajita spiced-oil and grilled them up for 10-15 minutes until charred and softened.
 I could�ve eaten them right off the pan but refrained. They�re even better in a tortilla! It�s surprising how hearty and satisfying these Grilled Portobello Mushroom Asparagus Fajitas are. The portobello mushrooms alone add some serious bulk to this meal and add a savory, meaty flavor that will keep you from missing the meat. The asparagus, bell peppers, and onion are the perfect accompaniment to the meaty mushrooms. Squeeze some lime over the veggies, and then comes the fun part�deciding how to top them. The first time I made these Grilled Portobello Mushroom Asparagus Fajitas, I topped them with sliced avocado and dollop of Greek yogurt. It was amazing too, but topping these fajitas with guacamole is the ultimate. I�m a firm believer that almost everything is better with guacamole�except maybe chocolate cake. These Grilled Portobello Mushroom Asparagus Fajitas are healthy, amazingly satisfying, require little prep and clean-up, and take only 30 minutes to make. Those are all the reasons you need to add them to your Cinco de Mayo menu and make them all summer long. RECIPE NOTES:
The veggies may be grilled ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated before serving. They make great leftovers too!
2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 4 tablespoons olive or algae oil 2 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed, gills removed with a spoon, and sliced into 1/2? slices 1 lb. asparagus, tough lower stems removed 1 large red bell pepper, sides removed by cutting from top to bottom 1 large yellow bell pepper, sides removed by cutting from top to bottom 1 red onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2? thick rounds Soft taco sized whole wheat or corn tortillas Serve with 5-Minute Homemade Guacamole, lime wedges, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro! Preheat the grill to medium. Place chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add the olive or algae oil and stir to combine. Toss with the vegetables to coat as well as possible. Place the vegetables on the preheated grill and cook for 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms have softened and the vegetables are crisp-tender, turning halfway during cooking time. Remove from heat. Serve with warm tortillas, 5-Minute Guacamole, lime wedges, jalapeno, and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
ONE POT TERIYAKI BEEF ZOODLESONE POT TERIYAKI BEEF ZOODLESTeriyaki Beef Zoodles {Zucchini Noodles} is an easy one pan meal perfect for busy weeknights. It can be made lower carb or gluten free with paleo-friendly options. Takes only 30 minutes to make.
 And here we go with another zoodles recipe. I just can�t seem to help it though. I adore zucchini and can have it all year round and I love hearing how many of you guys are including these Teriyaki Chicken Zoodles, Teriyaki Shrimp Noodles, Kung Pao Noodles and Mongolian Beef Zoodles into your healthier meal prep plans. There are definitely more zoodle recipes on the way but I wish my husband was as enthusiastic about spiralized veggies. He is a big time meat-eater but he actually loved these Teriyaki Beef Zoodles. It�s an easy meal that comes together in about 30 minutes � perfect for those busy weeknights and a great way to sneak in some extra green The recipe starts off with some marinated steak, sweet pineapples and spiralized zucchini noodles. The homemade teriyaki sauce is the same one I use for this Teriyaki Chicken and Teriyaki Shrimp recipe and is super simple to make. I am a huge pineapple fan and always love adding it to teriyaki sauce. It gives it that additional layer of tangy sweetness to the teriyaki sauce The zoodles are tossed into the pan near the end for no more than 2 minutes. They soften up slightly with a nice bite. You can also serve the zoodles raw as a salad if you�d like with the beef and pineapples over top. Either way, it�s a fun way to get more oodles of zoodles into your life. MAKE AHEAD-TIPS FOR THIS ONE POT TERIYAKI BEEF ZOODLES
spiralize the zucchini before hand and store in an zip-top freezer bag in the fridge or the freezer FOR THE SAUCE:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce gluten free tamari or coconut aminos for a paleo version FOR THE ZOODLES:
8 ounces flank steak sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices OPTIONAL:
Sesame Seeds FOR THE SAUCE:
Combine all the ingredients (except for the water) for the sauce into a medium bowl FOR THE ZOODLES:
Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until pan starts to get smoky. Add beef and allow to sear and brown on both sides (about 1 minute). Transfer onto a plate. Video Recipe Notes *Be careful not to overcook zucchini noodles - leave them in the pan no more than 1-2 minutes as they continue to soften once they cook.
5-MINUTE HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE5-MINUTE HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE {VIDEO}5-MINUTE HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE IS A CHUNKY, FLAVORFUL GUACAMOLE THAT WILL BECOME YOUR NEW GO-TO RECIPE! IT�S GREAT FOR TOPPING TACOS, FAJITAS, OR SERVING WITH CHIPS!
 Guacamole is something that I make at least once or twice a week. Most of the time I make this basic full-proof recipe at my husband�s request, or like to change things up my street corn black bean or mango tomatillo versions. There are a lot of different interpretations of classic guacamole, including using a mortar and pestle to mash the avocado until perfectly smooth. While I�ve eaten it that way too, my favorite way to enjoy it is when it�s rustic and chunky like this. This 5-Minute Homemade Guacamole is so easy to make and will become your new go-to recipe whether you�re eating it with chips, serving it with tacos or fajitas, or just eating with a spoon. RECIPE NOTES:
If you like your avocado smooth, simply mash it with a fork until it reaches the desired consistency. INGREDIENTS:
2 large ripe avocados Halve the avocados and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in a medium bowl. Using a knife, slice the avocado against the sides of the bowl until it�s chunky (or mash with a fork if you prefer). Add the lime juice, red onion, jalapeno, garlic, tomato, salt, and pepper and stir gently to combine. Serve with chips or use to top tacos, fajitas, and more!
Avocado Egg Cups Avocado Egg Cups baked with crispy bacon and bell pepper are a super healthy and easy breakfast to start the day. Best of all, this simple recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. Low carb, keto and paleo friendly.
2 avocados halved with pit removed 1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. 2. Line a baking sheet or baking pan with foil or parchment paper (for easier cleanup). 3. Cut avocados in half and scoop an additional 1-2 tablespoons of the avocado flesh out to create a larger nest for the eggs. 4. Position the avocado halves propped against the baking dish or touching the other avocados snugly to avoid spilling over. You can also place a small ramekin and prop them against the avocados. 5. Gently crack one egg in each avocado half - if needed - save some of the egg whites in another bowl if the avocado well is too small. 6. Bake for 13-18 minutes, or until the whites are set and the egg yolks are cooked to your liking.
13-14 min. - softer yolks 7. Top with crispy bacon, chopped red bell pepper, spinach and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Breakfast Egg CasseroleBreakfast Egg Casserole � an easy and delicious breakfast bake packed with spinach, zucchini, ham, cheddar, tomatoes and goat cheese. Best of all, low carb and ketofriendly and perfect for weekend brunch.
10 large eggs 1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. 2. Crack eggs into medium-sized bowl. Add cream and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well-combined. Stir in spinach, zucchini, ham and cheddar. 3. Spray a 9x13 pan with avocado or coconut oil cooking spray. Pour egg mixture then top with more tomatoes, cheddar and goat cheese. 4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until eggs are set and not jiggly. Remove from oven once edges of casserole are golden brown. 5. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Grilled Chicken Cobb SaladGrilled Chicken Cobb Salad has all the classic flavors of the popular favorite with a simple vinaigrette. Made with lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, cucumber, avocado and cheese � perfect for a healthy lunch, dinner or your next summer potluck!
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to even thickness 1. In a resealable zip-top bag, add chicken, salt, pepper and garlic powder and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with fresh lemon and olive oil. Grill the chicken: 2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Remove the chicken from the grill and tent with foil. Let it rest and cool a bit for about 10 minutes and then slice or chop into bite-sized pieces. Assemble the salad: 1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Drizzle 1 teaspoon over the sliced avocado (to prevent from browning). 2. In a large bowl, add the lettuce, then top with cooked pasta, eggs, avocado, bacon, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese. Drizzle with dressing right before serving.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Garlic This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Garlic is the perfect easy low carb / ketofriendly meal for spring. Best of all, this chicken cooks up tender, juicy and full of flavor with instructions for the Instant Pot and stovetop
6-8 boneless chicken thighs skinless or with skin* 1. Press the Saut� function (Normal setting) on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil to the pot. (I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot DUO) 2. Place chicken in the Instant Pot and saut� on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. This helps to seal in the juices and keep it tender. (You may have to work in batches depending on the size and amount of chicken you are using). Once browned, remove from Instant Pot and set aside. 3. Melt butter in Instant Pot and stir in the onions and garlic. Add lemon juice to deglaze pan and cook for 1 minute. Add Italian seasoning, lemon zest and chicken broth. 4. Place the chicken back into the Instant Pot, lock the lid, and turn the valve to SEAL. 5. Select the Manual (older models) or Pressure Cook (newer models) button and adjust the timer to 7 minutes. It will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure and start counting down. 6. When done, release the pressure after 2 minutes, then remove your Instant Pot lid. 7.Remove chicken from Instant Pot using tongs and set aside on a large serving plate. Stir in heavy cream (if using) into the Instant Pot. If you like your sauce thicker - you can thicken with a cornstarch slurry (if not low carb) or arrowroot starch slurry (or xanthum gum) by mixing 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (arrowroot starch) mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water). Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE and allow sauce to bubble and thicken. Turn off and add chicken back to the Instant Pot to coat with sauce. Sprinkle chicken with chopped parsley and serve hotwith your favorite sides. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Chocolate Pecan Fat BombsChocolate Pecan Fat Bombs � the perfect easy snack full of healthy fats and protein! Best of all, this recipe is made with only a few ingredients and is gluten-free, paleo, keto, low carb and vegan.
NUT BUTTER LAYER: 1. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with parchment paper liners or silicone liners.
FOR THE NUT BUTTER LAYER: 2.Remove from heat & stir in MCT oil, sweetener (if using) and salt until smooth. Adjust sweetener according to taste. 3, Divide the nut butter mixture evenly into each muffin cup with a spoon. Tap the pan on the counter to smooth out layer. Freeze for 15 minutes or until firm.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER: 1. Remove muffin pan from freezer and spoon chocolate layer evenly over each nut butter layer - tap pan on counter to smooth out layer. Place pecan halfs on top (if using). Freeze again for 30 minutes or until firm. Enjoy immediately or store in zip-top bags or airtight container in freezer until ready to enjoy. For a softer texture, remove from freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for 1-2 minutes.
Instant Pot Whole ChickenInstant Pot Whole Chicken � Rotisserie Style � perfectly tender, juicy, roasted chicken you can make easily at home in about 45 minutes using your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Best of all, includes instructions for thawed, frozen and the oven.
1 3 1/2 - 4 lb whole chicken 1. Gently loosen the skin from the chicken breast with your hands lifting and separating the meat. Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil followed by a third (1/3) of the seasonings under the skin using your hands and fingers. Next, rub another tablespoon of olive oil and the rest of the seasonings over entire chicken and inside body cavity. Optional: place the onion, garlic cloves and lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. This helps to seal in the moisture and add flavor. 2. Press the SAUTE button HIGH. When the word "Hot" appears, swirl in 1 tablespoon olive oil. 3. Place the chicken - breast side down, in pot and sear for 5-7 minutes, or until a golden brown. Using tongs and a spatula, flip chicken over and sear for another 5 minutes, or until brown. 4. Remove chicken and place on a large platter. Place a trivet (the one that came with the Instant Pot or use another) inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Pour chicken stock or broth in pot. Place trivet on top of the chicken broth then lay chicken on top of trivet, breast side up. 5. Cover and lock lid. Turn the valve to SEALING. Press the MANUAL or HIGH PRESSURE button and set to 24 minutes if your chicken is four pounds. If it's smaller or larger, calculate how much time it should cook by multiplying the number of pounds by 6 minutes. So, a 3 pound chicken would be 18 minutes and a five pound chicken would be 30. For a FROZEN WHOLE CHICKEN - set to 42 minutes ON HIGH for a 4 lb chicken. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure (this may take about 10-15 minutes). 6. Once the 24 minutes is up and the Instant Pot beeps indicating the chicken is done, allow to naturally release for at least 15 minutes and then quick release for any extra pressure. 7. Open lid and transfer chicken to a platter or a large cutting board. Optional: Broil in the oven for 4-5 minutes to crisp up the skin. 8. Let chicken cool for 5-10 minutes. Slice or shred and serve with your favorite sides
No Mayo Avocado Egg SaladNo Mayo Avocado Egg Salad is a healthier twist on the classic favorite and the perfect way to use up your hard boiled eggs. Best of all, it�s super creamy and mayo free
8 hard boiled eggs roughly chopped 1. Cover the eggs with very hot tap water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn heat off, cover with lid and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 18 minutes. Uncover and pour out hot water. Run under very cold water and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until cool. Peel and chop. 2. In a large bowl, mash the avocados using a fork. Add the chopped eggs, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice and mix to combine. Season with salt, black pepper and dill, to taste. 3. Serve immediately at room temperature, or chill and serve cold. 4. Serving suggestions: Enjoy alone, spread between two slices of bread with kale & cabbage slaw for an Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich, add to pita or scoop into lettuce wraps for a low carb keto version.
Life Made Sweeter: 10 Delicious Low Carb and Keto Recipes
Crystalized GingerNow Foods Ginger Slices (Crystallized) - 12 oz. (Multi-Pack) (4 pack)
$32.48 p 5s
Bleu Cheese DressingSprinkle bleu chesse over saladPoor olive oil over salad
Mustard Vinaigrette3 tablespoons walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil Whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl to form an emulsified dressing.
Sweet Potatoes9 Reasons to Eat More Sweet Potatoes
Antioxidants AplentyNot all sweet potatoes are orange. Their skins and insides can be white, yellow, brown, red, pink, and purple. The range of color brings different nutrients to the table. Purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are thought to contain super-high levels of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. As these substances pass through your system, they balance out free radicals -- chemicals that harm your cells.
Vitamin A VictoryJust one medium baked sweet potato can give your body a whopping 400% of the vitamin A it needs to keep your eyes and skin healthy and help hold off illness.
A Beta-Carotene BoostDeep-orange sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant thought to fend off illness. This might include certain cancers as well as eye disease.
Healthy Prep Is EasyThe way you cook your sweet potatoes can make a big difference in the nutrition you�ll get from the dish. One study measured how many carotenoids, like beta-carotene, stayed in the food afterward. The simplest method, oven baking, turned out to be the best.
Cancer-Fighting CompoundsScientists found these colorful spuds have a unique protein called a protease inhibitor. When tested against cancer cells, it appeared to halt some growth.
Vitamins and MineralsSweet potatoes are rich in vitamin C, which revs up your immune system. High potassium levels help control blood pressure, while calcium bolsters your bones.
Better for Blood SugarWhite potatoes, the ones you normally eat baked or as french fries, rank high on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly food affects your blood sugar. Sweet potatoes rate lower. They also have more fiber -- about 5 grams in a 3/4 cup serving -- which slows digestion and keeps you feeling fuller longer.
Fabulous Fiber
 If you�re trying to trim down, they�re stuffed with filling fiber. For a satisfying meal, bake them in the skin. Or serve them on the side, mashed, roasted, or chopped into a savory stew. White potatoes have their assets -- both tater types are fat-free -- but the sweet ones have slightly fewer calories and carbs.
Iron Man WorthySweet potatoes a good source of iron. That makes them star material for vegetarians and vegans. Here�s why: Meat has heme iron, which your body absorbs more easily than the non-heme type found in fruits, veggies, and nuts. But if you eat foods with lots of vitamin C, like sweet potatoes, your body can absorb the non-heme iron better.
Sweet HistorySweet potatoes often get confused with other veggies. Most often it�s yams. Truth is, they come from a far older family. Sweet potatoes can trace their roots back to prehistoric Ecuador and Peru. Yams, which are native to West Africa and Asia, only date back to 50,000 B.C. They�re rare outside those areas, so that dish labeled yams might really be sweet potatoes.
Year 'Round GoodnessYou might link sweet potatoes with holidays like Thanksgiving, when they play a starring role in casseroles and pies. Why limit them to a couple of months when you can enjoy them anytime? Most supermarkets carry raw and canned potatoes all year. You can also find them in newer products like potato chips and frozen fries.
In the center of the Venn diagram of "incredibly tasty foods" and "incredibly nutritious foods" sit a select few of nature's treats. Among them is the sweet potato�in part for its versatility and in part for its satisfying texture and taste. After all, what other veggie can you roast, mash, spiralize, slice and bake into fries, and transform into grain-free brownies? Seriously, take a minute to think about that. Here, learn everything you'd ever want to know about sweet potatoes�including seven compelling health benefits�that will inspire you to eat this superfood daily. A brief history of the sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are starchy root vegetables. Specifically, they're what's known as underground tubers, and they actually grow on the roots of a plant known as Ipomoea batatas. Today, sweet potatoes are grown worldwide, but where did they first appear, courtesy of Mother Nature? For years, scientists have been debating this very question. Some argued that the Thanksgiving staple originated in North America, while others weren't so convinced. In 2018, research by a paleobotanist at Indiana University suggested that the sweet potato's actual continent of origin is Asia�and that this root veggie has been growing for way longer than we thought. David Dilcher, a professor at IU-Bloomington, along with colleagues in India, recently identified 57-million-year-old leaf fossils from eastern India, suggesting that sweet potatoes trace their roots to this country. Specifically, the fossils were identified as members of the morning glory family�which includes sweet potatoes, among other plants. This was a game-changer, since previous fossil evidence led scientists to believe that the sweet potato's plant family originated in North America 35 million years ago. Different types of sweet potatoes. When you think of sweet potatoes, you probably think exclusively of bright-orange spuds, but there are actually several varieties of sweet potatoes. First, sweet potatoes are divided into two main categories: dry-fleshed and moist-fleshed. Dry-fleshed sweet potatoes are starchier and have tan skin and light-colored flesh that can range from white to light yellow in color. These dry-fleshed sweet potatoes are more similar to "regular" potatoes than their moist-fleshed cousins. Moist-fleshed sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are probably what you picture when you think of "sweet potatoes"�they have darker, reddish-brown peels and brilliant orange flesh. They're also sweeter than dry-fleshed sweet potatoes, which might help explain why they've become a favorite. There are at least 6,500 varieties of sweet potato worldwide. While each of these varieties is unique in its own way, you'll typically hear people classify them more broadly by their color, particularly orange, white, and purple sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes vs. yams: What's the difference? In some parts of the United States (and in Canada), sweet potatoes are often called and even labeled as yams. This is very misleading, however, since sweet potatoes and yams are two totally different things. For starters, yams can get much, much bigger than sweet potatoes. While some yams are potato-size, they can also grow up to 5 feet long and 132 pounds. Even though yams and sweet potatoes are both starchy tubers, they're only distantly related. In fact, they don't even look that much alike. While sweet potatoes are, you know, potato-shaped and come in, primarily, white, orange, and purple varieties, yams are longer and more cylindrical in shape with brown, bark-like skin and flesh that can be white, yellow, pink, or purple. You'll also notice a clear difference if you ever try to prepare both sweet potatoes and yams�yams are much harder to peel than potatoes. The difference is also clear in a taste test, with yams being less sweet, drier, and more starchy than sweet potatoes. If you haven't noticed these differences, it might be because the "yams" you're eating are actually mislabeled sweet potatoes (true yams are typically only found in specialty grocery stores or international markets). The USDA actually requires that sweet potatoes labeled as "yams" also include the term "sweet potato" on their label, but this rule is frequently broken.
The health benefits of sweet potatoes.Here are some of the biggest science-backed benefits associated with incorporating more sweet potatoes into your diet:
1. Sweet potatoes are insanely nutritious.It's best to start with the basics, and the most basic fact about sweet potatoes is that they are thoroughly packed with nutrients. When it comes to their basic makeup, sweet potatoes are about 77 percent water, 20 percent carbohydrates, 1.6 percent protein, 3 percent fiber, and practically free of fat. What's more, a medium sweet potato contains about 180 calories, while being a good source of a range of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium. Their nutrient composition also makes them particularly great for sleep when consumed at dinner or as a late-night snack. "They are rich in potassium, which helps your muscles relax. They also have magnesium, which promotes GABA secretion in the brain�a relaxation-inducing neurotransmitter," says Vincent Pedre, M.D., gut health specialist and mbg Collective member. "And as a complex carb, they digest slowly, providing the steady energy your body needs to make it through the night in a fasting state."
2. Sweet potatoes may improve your memory.Purple sweet potatoes, in particular, have been linked to better brain function. In animal studies, purple sweet potatoes have been shown to protect the brain and improve learning and memory. We can thank purple sweet potatoes' high levels of anthocyanins, antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and protect neurons against free radical damage, for this brain-boosting magic. While no similar studies have been conducted to verify these results in humans, research has shown that people who eat a lot of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables have, on average, a 13 percent lower risk of developing dementia.
3. Sweet potatoes are great for digestion and gut health.Because sweet potatoes are excellent sources of not one but two kinds of fiber, they're amazing for your digestion. Sweet potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The human body can't digest either type�so instead of breaking down as they pass through the digestive tract, these fibers travel along intact, doing great things for your gut in the process. Both types of fiber play an important role in keeping bowel movements regular. Soluble fiber (also known as viscous fiber) absorbs water, which softens stool, while insoluble (aka non-viscous) fiber doesn't absorb water and therefore adds bulk that makes stool solid. Not only is eating a fiber-rich diet good for alleviating constipation, diarrhea, and bloating, it's also great for your colon and overall gut health. Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut and has been shown to promote the health of the cells lining the digestive tract, potentially helping to prevent leaky gut. Eating a high-fiber diet has also been shown to lower the risk of colon cancer. The antioxidants in sweet potatoes may also promote gut health. In test-tube studies, antioxidants in purple sweet potatoes were shown to aid in the growth of a specific type of gut bacteria that helps lower the risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
4. Sweet potatoes are full of age-defying antioxidants.In addition to vitamins and minerals, sweet potatoes are also home to a wealth of antioxidants. This is especially true of orange and purple sweet potatoes. Antioxidants are important because they help protect your body from free radicals�unstable molecules that damage DNA, cause inflammation, and have been linked to chronic and serious health conditions, like cancer and heart disease. In basic turns, free radicals accelerate the overall aging process. This means that just about any source of antioxidants is a good addition to your diet. In addition to anthocyanins found in purple sweet potatoes, orange sweet potatoes are chock-full of an antioxidant called beta-carotene. This compound is what gives traditional sweet potatoes their signature orange hue. When your body processes beta-carotene, it turns it into vitamin A, which is key to maintaining healthy eyes and vision. Additionally, beta-carotene is fabulous for the skin. Not only do food sources of beta-carotene literally give your skin a natural glow, but research shows that they help protect skin from the sun's damaging UV rays.
5. Sweet potatoes may boost your immune system.The next time you're looking to boost your immune system, don't simply reach for orange juice or vitamin C�add an orange sweet potato to the mix, too (they make a great addition to smoothies). As one of the best natural sources of beta-carotene, orange sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A (beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body), which is vital to healthy immune system functioning. Additionally, the fiber content of sweet potatoes can also boost immune health. Fiber is needed to feed beneficial gut bacteria so they can multiply and improve overall gut health. A healthy gut, in turn, is key to optimal immune system functioning, as about 80 percent of the immune system lies in the gut and is heavily influenced by what happens there.
6. Sweet potatoes may have anti-cancer properties.If you're looking to adopt an anti-cancer diet, eating more purple sweet potatoes is a great idea. As mentioned above, they contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been shown to help slow the growth of cancer cells (including bladder cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, and breast cancer cells) in test-tube studies. Similar studies on mice have shown that eating purple sweet potatoes may lower the risk of colon cancer. These results have yet to be replicated in humans, but they're still promising. Beta-carotene from orange sweet potatoes may also help reduce the risk of various cancers, including lung cancer.
7. Sweet potatoes are a diabetes-friendly food.Some evidence suggests that regularly eating sweet potatoes may help improve blood sugar regulation in people with type 2 diabetes. That said, people with diabetes should watch their serving size, since this root vegetable still has a medium to high glycemic index (which measures how fast a food causes blood sugar values to rise after a meal). If you struggle with diabetes and love sweet potatoes, keep in mind that boiled sweet potatoes seem to have a lower glycemic index value than fried, roasted, or baked sweet potatoes do. Pairing sweet potatoes with a good protein source and other fiber-rich foods also reduces their glycemic load.
Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce [Vegan, Grain-Free]
This one is much more mild with a bit of sesame oil added and loads of chives and green onions. I like to saute the mushrooms on the stove top before hand because you really need to cook the mushrooms to ensure they don�t get rubbery and tough. This also brings out all their delicious, earthy flavors. The best part about this recipe is it�s one-pan. You just add the beaten eggs to the mushroom mixture and then in the oven it goes!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
To a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sesame oil, chives and salt. Set aside.
In a medium skillet (that�s oven-proof), add the olive oil.
When warm, add the mushrooms and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until softened slightly.
Next, add the green onions and a few pinches of salt. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms and give it a quick mix.
Transfer to the oven to bake for about 15 to 17 minutes, until firm to the touch.
Garnish with chive leaves or extra chives.
Slice and serve.
Spicy Asian Chocolate Short Ribs from Skinny Me Choc.
1. In a slow cooker, whisk together beef broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and chili paste.
2. Season your short ribs on both sides.
3. Add the beef to the slow cooker, make sure it is completely covered by liquid.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
5. Transfer ribs to a serving plate to rest. Skim liquid of fat.
6. In a double boiler temper the chocolate.
7. After, add the broth mixture � cup at a time until you reach the consistency of sauce you would like.
8. Serve beef over rice topped with chocolate sauce and scallions.
9. Be happy and enjoy!
Okra is not the most popular vegetable used in the culinary world, but it�s still very special! Also known as �Lady Fingers�, okra is a small green vegetable, but is packed with health benefits. Some of these benefits include fiber, vitamin K, and folate. Okra is a versatile veggie, possessing the ability to be used in many different types of dishes.
There are so many plant-based products to successfully rival traditional dairy products, even the kinds you�d expect to be difficult to recreate like vegan queso and cream cheese. There are even plenty of plant-based sour creams available in stores, but Good Karma Foods wants to really change the game with their latest products. They are launching a vegan sour cream and French onion dip!
Classic vegan brands like Tofutti and Follow Your Heart sell their own versions of sour cream, but Good Karma believe they are the first to get the taste right. Even more innovative though is the French onion dip, which is not a common plant-based alternative found in stores. These new products are made using a traditional culturing process, making them the only plant-based alternative that actually has live and active cultures.
Sweet Potato Toasts With Hummus, Radish and Sunflower Sprouts
Coconut Flour
Okra
Tahini
It's green, a little slimy, and I admit it's a bit scary, but seaweed is one food you need to stop fearing and start eating
I knew I had to learn to love seaweed, especially since it's practically a food group in a plant-based diet.
Since vegan eaters don't eat fish, getting certain nutrients like omega-3s, iodine, Vitamin B12, calcium, and magnesium can sometimes be a bit challenging. That's where seaweed comes to the rescue!
A 100% Raw Food and is free of all allergens
Originally made with mineral rich sea kelp, now these kelp noodles contain the powerful antioxidant Konaberry to make it even more nutritiously delicious! Includes two 12 ounce bags of Konaberry Kelp Noodles.
Easy to prepare, raw food, that is also fat free and gluten free. Low in calories and carbohydrates as well. The perfect replacement for pasta and rice. Can also be included in a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Konaberry is a fruit that surrounds and protects the coffee bean and has been found to be rich in many vitamins and minerals as well as a powerful antioxidant. The noodles do not contain any coffee so there is no caffeine, only antioxidants!
These kelp noodles have a neutral taste which allows it to be used in a variety of dishes such a salads, stir fry, soups, and many more all while providing vitamins and minerals. Now you can have all the benefits of eating seaweed without the seaweed taste!
No cooking is required just rinse and add the noodles to your favorite dish and enjoy!
5.0 out of 5 starsJust what I was looking for
Let's get this out of the way:
2) They are crunchy.
So if you are willing to be patient and work with these, you will truly have your traditional noodle replacement. I'm glad I took the negative reviews with a grain of salt.
5.0 out of 5 starsI like soak them and then cook them in a skillet ...
5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing if prepared correctly
4.0 out of 5 starsKonaberry Kelp Noodles Review
5.0 out of 5 starstaste great and so easy to make.
Last year 15,000 selling * very popular products!
Salad:
1 clove garlic
or in a savory dish you choose.
Here are 10 amazing things seaweed can do for you and why it�s essential to a vegan diet:
Just one gram of seaweed provides your entire day�s worth of iodine, a critical mineral for the thyroid.
Increases hair and nail growth
Clears the skin and enhances eyesight
Improves mood by reducing anxiety and enhancing mental focus
Prevents anemia and fatigue
Cleanses the digestive tract
Alkalizes the blood
Prevents and treats sugar cravings
May prevent depression
Still afraid of seaweed? Here are a few delicious recipe ideas to use seaweed in right now:
Add kombu to a vegan soup.
Add it to this Mock tuna sandwich. www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/chickpea-tuna-salad-sandwich/
Eat kelp via these Vegan Chili Thai Kelp Noodles. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/chilli-thai-kelp-noodles/
Use agar-agar to make this Almost Raw Panna Cotta Cream. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/almost-raw-panna-cotta-cream/
These foods fight off harmful fake estrogenic compounds we encounter through the environment and factory farmed animal products. They also all contain amino acids that hormones need to function properly. They also help prevent health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, and cancer.
Cayenne chilli peppers can grow to 30cm/12in long. They're used mainly in hot sauces. When dried, the seeds and pod are dried and ground to make cayenne pepper, a red, fiery, hot spice, a pinch of which can be added to or sprinkled over a variety of dishes, particularly cheesy ones.
Easy jambalaya
Vegan paella
Turkish spiced chicken with flatbreads and green relish
Chicken and rice traybake
Chilli powder is made from grinding dried chillies to a powder. Chilli powder can vary in heat and is also available smoked.
British beef Raj curry
Chicken and apricot curry with potato straws (sali murghi)
Slow cooker chilli con carne
Kerala king prawn and coconut curry
This is an aromatic Mediterranean plant that produces long pods containing oblong, brownish seeds. The seeds have a slightly bitter taste and are roasted and ground and used as a flavouring in curries. The leaves from the plant (often sold as methi) can be used in salads, and both fresh and dried leaves are used in Indian cookery. The seeds and the leaves have a strong aroma.
Saag gosht (lamb and spinach curry) with chapatis
Aloo gobi and jeera rice
Cabbage with mustard seeds
Saag aloo with roasted gobi curry
Pakistani spicy potatoes (aloo bhujia)
Kerala parathas and South Indian tiger prawns in coconut
Kadi
An aromatic mixture of ground spices used as a base in many Indian dishes (�masala� means spice). The proportion of spices changes according to the dish being cooked (and the cook!) but typical ingredients are cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper, with substitutions or additions made depending on whether the dish includes meat, vegetables or fish.
Chana masala
Quick fish curry
Saag gosht (lamb and spinach curry) with chapatis
Spiced fish with coriander chutney
This is a fiery North African paste that is orangey-red in colour. It�s a mixture of peppers, dried red chillies, garlic, caraway seeds, ground cumin and coriander, tomato pur�e, salt and olive oil. It can be used as a condiment or as an ingredient in cooking and provides a real boost as an accompaniment to vegetables and pulses.
The spicy, aromatic, dark berries of the juniper tree can be used fresh or dried, crushed or whole, to flavour casseroles, marinades and stuffings and complement pork, rabbit, venison, beef and duck. They can also be used in sweet dishes such as fruitcake. Juniper berries also provide the main flavouring for gin.
For the jerk chicken, put all the chicken ingredients except the chicken thighs and butter in a food processor and pulse to a rough paste. Rub the paste all over the chicken thighs.
Heat the butter in a frying pan until frothing, then fry the chicken thighs for 7-8 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown and cooked through. (The juices will run clear when the chicken is pierced in the thickest part with a skewer.)
Indoor: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Follow directions for preparing chicken. Lay chicken (skin side up) on a foil-lined pan. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn brush with glaze and continue roasting for 10 minutes. Turn once more generously brush with glaze and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until done. ...
Level: Intermediate
For Glaze:
To butterfly chicken, start by removing neck, giblets, and cut away excess fat. Next, take a pair of kitchen shears and cut along both sides of backbone to remove. Turn chicken over skin side up and press down between the breasts to break the keel bone (this will allow the chicken to lay very flat on grill).
In a small bowl, combine jerk seasoning, cloves, and cinnamon. Sprinkle liberally over all sides of chicken; set aside. Chicken can be prepared up to this point a day ahead.
For glaze: In a small pot over medium-high heat, combine all glaze ingredients. Bring to boil and cook until glaze thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
Set up grill for indirect grilling over medium heat or heat a 10-inch cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.
Place the chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook until skin is crisp and has nice grill marks. Brush the flesh side with the glaze, then turn the chicken over and brush the skin side. Transfer the grill pan to the oven and bake until chicken is cooked golden and the internal temperature of the thigh registers 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes. Transfer to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes before cutting. Serve hot.
Level: Easy
Cover the chops with waxed paper or plastic and whack each chop with the heel of your palm to flatten it out. Season chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Combine cumin, coriander and paprika and sprinkle the mixture evenly over chops. Pat the spices in place and wash up. Let chops stand 15 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add peppers and onions. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and cook together 5 minutes, then add grape tomatoes and continue to cook until skins begin to burst on tomatoes. Add half the flat-leaf parsley to the skillet and toss. Transfer vegetables to a platter and cover with loose foil to hold heat.
Place a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a small pot for couscous, just eyeball the amount. Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. Saute garlic 1 minute then add the pine nuts to toast a little. Add chicken stock to the pot and bring it up to a boil. Add couscous, remove from heat, and cover the pot. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Return skillet to stove and add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add lamb chops to skillet and sear 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium rare, cook 4 minutes on each side for medium well chops. Place chops on top of the peppers and onions.
Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in mint and the remaining parsley. Pass couscous at the table. It makes a nice bed for the veggies and lamb to catch all the juices.
Level: Easy
Preheat grill pan to high. Brush chops with a little olive oil. Combine dry spice blend in a small container, cover and shake to combine. Rub spice blend into the chops on both sides. Grill chops 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, for medium rare, 10 to 12 minutes for medium to medium well. Serve with wedges of lemon.
Level: Intermediate
For the Charmoula:
Have the grill preheated to medium-high heat.
In a small bowl combine the salt, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the chops and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
For the Charmoula: In a food processor or blender, add the remaining spice mixture, the onions, parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Brush the chops with olive oil and put on the grill. Grill until the lamb is medium-rare, about 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and serve with the charmoula.
Level: Intermediate
Bulgur Wheat Salad:
Over open flame, place 2 red bell peppers. Allow to roast until charred. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Scrape charred skin off peppers.
Gather the cumin, coriander and caraway in a small skillet and toast over low heat until fragrant. Then grind to a powder in spice mill or a clean coffee grinder. Put the peppers into a food processor along with the spices, garlic, chiles, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice and pulse to puree.
Sprinkle olive oil over lamb chops on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Put chops on grill pan preheated over medium-high heat. Cook for 8 1/2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve the chops with the harissa and the Bulgur Wheat Salad. Garnish with cilantro.
Bulgur Wheat Salad:
Toast bulgur in dry pan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes and add in the juice of 1/2 lemon. In medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the bulgur. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, and let stand until the bulgur has absorbed all of the liquid and is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. In small bowl, combine figs, honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/4 cup hot water and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 10 to 20 minutes.
Fluff bulgur and stir strained figs and almonds. Add chopped scallions, cilantro, parsley, mint and olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste. Stir to combine.
Mustard is an unsung hero of the kitchen cupboard, adding a lick of heat and a depth of flavour to a huge range of dishes. The sauces we think of as mustard are made from mustard seeds. Mustard's fieriness is dependent on the addition of water: whole mustard seeds that are added to a stock, made into a wholegrain sauce, or fried at the early stages of preparing a curry are much mellower than a paste made from ground seeds and water. Prepared mustard is made from mustard seeds and other flavouring ingredients.
Grilled salmon, braised cabbage with bacon and onions
Roasted vegetables with herbs and feta
Chicken schnitzel
Creamy paprika chicken
Spiced haddock chowder
Panch phoran, is the Indian subcontinent�s equivalent to the five spice blend. All of the ingredients are seeds and include equal amounts of fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard and fennel seeds. Unlike many other spice blends, panch phoran is always used whole and never ground. It is traditionally either dry roasted or fried in oil and used with vegetables, meats, lentils, fish and pickles.
Indian five-spice vegetable stir-fry
Paprika is the ground bright red powder from sweet and hot dried peppers. It is much milder than cayenne pepper with a characteristic sweetness, and it is a favourite ingredient in European cookery. Hungarian or Spanish, hot or sweet, smoked or unsmoked, these clay-red powders all bring a distinct flavour to the dishes they are added to.
Paprika comes in a surprising array of flavours. Varieties that were previously obscure in the UK are becoming more commonly visible on supermarket shelves or in specialist delicattessens.
In Austria and Hungary, paprika is a main flavouring in meat stews such as goulash. Eastern Europeans use it to flavour venison stews and soured cabbage and other vegetable dishes. In Spain and Mexico paprika is used to flavour chorizo salami, which is eaten raw and in fresh chorizo sausages, which are skinned and crumbled into dishes to impart a spicy paprika flavour to the dish. Portuguese cooks use paprika to flavour fish stews and salt cod.
Experiment with the different varieties, using smoked paprika to bring a smoky richness or hot paprika to really attack the tastebuds and catch the imagination of the mouth. Use it to give spicy depth to lamb, chicken and fish dishes or try sprinkling a pinch over the yolk of a fried egg or creamy scrambled eggs.
Crab broth with cod and crab fritters
Crispy pollack with pickled carrots and sweet vinegar dressing
Mushroom doner [A meat-free mushroom �doner� kebab packed with two types of sauces, pickles and veg. A mighty delicious vegetarian dish. ]
Spiced skewered lamb
How to make chilli con carne
Paprika is a ground spice made from dried red peppers. Smoked paprika is a version where the peppers have been dried over wood fires to give a smoked flavour.
Vegan fried breakfast
Sichuan fried chicken
Easy piri-piri chicken
Ras-el-hanout is a classic spice mixture used in Moroccan cuisine. The name means 'top of the shop', which reflects its expensive ingredients. Good mixtures will contain more than 20 different spices, including dried peppers, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, rose buds and lavender, but ras-el-hanout can contain up to 100 spices.
Ras-el-hanout is used in couscous, rice, meat and vegetable dishes
Ajwain, also known as carom or oomam, is a pungent, Indian seed-like fruit with a bitter taste, similar to that of anise or oregano. They smell almost identical to thyme but even more aromatic.
The fruit is commonly dry-roasted and crushed before using and rarely eaten raw. It is often used to season oil or butter before combining with lentils or in savoury pastries and breads such as parathas.
A bright yellow spice that comes from the rhizome of a plant in the ginger family. It is sometimes available fresh, but is usually sold dried and ground, in powder form. Turmeric has anti-oxidant properties which is why it has long been an Indian home remedy for many illnesses.
Turmeric is often a component of curry powder and it is used on its own in many Asian dishes, including fish curries, dhals, pilafs as well as in many North African meat and vegetable dishes. Turmeric also gives chutneys and pickles (such as piccalilli) their distinctive yellow tinge. It has a slight peppery aroma and a musky taste.
Black cardamom, also known as Begal cardamom or brown cardamom, is similar to the Indian green cardamom but has a much smokier flavour, as it is traditionally dried over an open fire. It is most commonly used in slow-cooked meat stews and is never used in sweet dishes.
Like green cardamom, you can remove the seeds or use the pods whole.
China and Vietnam also use black cardamom as a key ingredient in jin-jin meat and phu broth respectively.
Kashmiri biryani [A melting pot of tender meat, rice, dried fruits and Kashmiri spices - great for treating special guests to a feast.]
Lamb masala
Lamb curry
Sumac is a tangy, lemony spice often used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Try using it in salads instead of lemon juice or to season grilled meat and fish. It�s also delicious sprinkled over hummus.
Ras-el-hanout chicken wraps with a yoghurt sauce
Fattoush [This salad is all about sourness. The combination of lemon and sumac really packs a punch. Great with a barbecue.]
Harissa lamb with peach, feta and mint salad
Grilled sardines with crab mayonnaise and dukkah
Harissa-roasted monkfish with blood orange, sumac, pomegranate and za'atar flatbread
"It�s like this super universal technique, but people didn�t necessarily know what to call it," says cookbook author Molly Stevens, who literally wrote the book on the subject, her 2004 tome, �All About Braising."
But �if you cook at all, you probably braise," she says. �It�s a really old-fashioned way of cooking," second only perhaps to that brilliant moment (oh, to be a fly on that cave wall!) when our early ancestors decided to put food over a fire.
Essentially, braising involves cooking food -- meat, seafood or vegetables -- in a sealed environment with some liquid. Remember those water cycle diagrams from school? Braising is essentially the same concept. As it�s heated, the braising liquid releases steam. The steam hits the underside of the pot lid, condenses and falls back onto the main ingredient (meat or poultry for the purposes of this guide). So you get a constant cycle that causes the flavors of the liquid and the meat to meld, with an especially tender result by the end of cooking.
�It is such a forgiving way to cook, and there�s so much room in the technique," Stevens says. �It�s hard to screw up."
If you�re up for embracing and improvising with braising (and, no, it�s not just a winter thing), here are tips to get you started.
What to braise
Depending on whether you want a long or short cook time, you can braise a wide variety of meat, from chicken thighs all the way to lamb shoulder. It�s especially ideal for tougher cuts of meat, the parts that do the most movement in the animal, Stevens writes in her book. Examples include short ribs, lamb shanks and pork shoulder. Those active pieces contain lots of collagen in the muscle, which when heated melts and turns into gelatin, giving you tender meat and a smooth, velvety sauce.
If you�re interested in a short braise, which can even be done on the stove top, you can go with something like chicken or sausage. The main goal in a short braise, according to Stevens, is to enhance flavors in that feedback process, rather than coaxing collagen out of the meat.
Whether or how much you trim the fat on meat is mostly a matter of preference, Stevens says. Huge pockets should probably be cut back before cooking to keep the final dish from getting too greasy. Otherwise you can �let it all play out," allow the flavors to meld and skim off any fat you want at the end.
What to braise in
Braising doesn�t require anything fancier than a heavy pot, ideally one that can go from stove top to oven. It should have a snug-fitting lid (although foil can also work) and high enough sides to hold the liquid. Then again, if �fancy� to you means an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven -- yes, you, with the beautiful Le Creuset you haven�t used much! -- that is exactly the kind of thing you want here. Stainless steel-clad aluminum works, as does earthenware, although you�d have to do your browning on the stove top (see below) in something else first.
If you want to cut down on head space and make the steam-condensation-flavor cycle more efficient, Stevens recommends putting a piece of parchment over the food, making sure it is big enough to reach all the way out under the lid.
Building your braise
Whatever you choose, Stevens recommends that you aim to have the liquid come about a third of the way up the meat. Too little and the food will scorch. Too much and the sauce will be diluted and light on flavor. If you�re starting with a larger amount of liquid, you can reduce it on the stove top before the pot goes into the oven, which will also help strengthen the flavor. Stevens sometimes does this in two steps, first cooking down wine and then doing another round with stock.
Cooking
Low and gentle heat is the hallmark of braising. Stevens says the ideal oven temperature is 275 to 350 degrees. Check on your food -- it�s okay to peek under the lid! -- after about 30 minutes to make sure the liquid in the pot isn�t boiling or bubbling too vigorously. If it is, start knocking back the oven by about 10 degrees.
As to when the dish is done, �Tenderness is really what I look for more than anything," Stevens says. If the meat is on the bone (her preferred cuts, as she thinks bones add flavor and gelatin), the meat should be starting to fall off. It should be fork tender, too.
�You can overcook a braise," she says, even if there is more wiggle room for when it�s done. �Just because it�s in a moist environment doesn�t mean you can�t dry it out. . . . Longer is not necessarily better." So pay attention to how it�s cooking and, especially if you�re winging it, check out a few recipes to have a general idea on how long you might expect to leave the meat in the oven.
Fitness Expert and NYT Bestselling Author JJ Virgin in our newest class Boost Your Metabolism: Lose Weight, Balance Blood Sugar & Increase Your Energy where you�ll learn the secrets to revving up your metabolism to make sustained lifestyle changes for a healthier life.
Here are my top 10 picks:
Coconut oil is made up of healthy fats called medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) that help your body burn fat. MCTs also control your blood sugar and naturally dampen your appetite, so adding this food to your diet can make it easier to pass on snacking between meals. I like to scoop a tablespoon into my morning protein shakes, and it�s also a great swap for vegetable oils when cooking.
The superstar weight loss ingredient in green tea is antioxidants known as �catechins." Catechins fight obesity and protect against type 2 diabetes. These powerful antioxidants are also known to stop the inflammation that can lead to premature aging, weight loss resistance, and weight gain. As if all that wasn�t exciting enough, green tea also amps up your primary fat-burning hormone! Drink it hot or cold�just hold the sugar and artificial sweeteners and switch to decaf after lunch so you still sleep well.
I�m definitely a big coffee lover, and I start every morning with a half-caf Americano with coconut milk. Studies show that coffee burns fat by activating hormones that melt away stored fat and speed up your metabolism. When shopping, buy quality beans and watch out for mycotoxins in your coffee. It�s also key to pass on the artificial sweeteners and sugar so you only get the good stuff with no sugar impact!
Like your food hot? It�s time to spice things up! It�s the capsaicin in chili peppers that give it that distinctive flavor kick. And capsaicin has been shown to boost metabolism, fight obesity, and keep your appetite under control. Add cayenne to your meals or choose dark chocolate with added chiles for an extra health boost.
These healthy nuts are packed with protein, vitamins, and omega-3s. They�re also easy to take with you anywhere! Studies have shown that adding almonds to your diet can lead to increased weight loss, while also lowering your risk of heart disease. I like to swirl some almond butter into my chocolate shakes to make them taste like a candy bar, only healthier and guilt-free!
A recent study showed that a daily serving of lentils can result in both weight loss and lower cholesterol levels. In addition to its high protein content and nine essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, the fiber in lentils helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. Lentils are also super versatile in soup or as a savory side dish!
Full of healthy fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber�what�s not to love about this amazing food? Avocados combat metabolic syndrome on many levels, and its anti-obesity effects have been noted in several studies. Though most folks consider them a vegetable, avocados are actually big berries! And they�re super useful in every meal of the day, whether you add them to your morning smoothie, make a batch of spicy guacamole, or top a bowl of soup with a few creamy slices.
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are natural anti-inflammatories. Research proves that eating salmon also promotes weight loss and lowers belly fat. Including this clean, lean protein in your diet keeps you feeling full longer and helps you maintain muscle as you burn fat! Remember to choose only wild-caught salmon, not farmed�it�s better for both you and the environment.
High-fiber superfoods like spinach are great for boosting metabolism and keep you feeling full for hours. It�s also rich in vitamins, minerals, and even some protein. A handful of spinach in your breakfast shake is a great way to increase fiber and rev up your metabolism at the start of your day!
This popular and versatile spice has been shown to have many health benefits, including increasing insulin sensitivity, which helps to prevent your body from storing fat. Cinnamon is also rich in manganese, which is great for metabolizing fat and carbs. Adding cinnamon to your diet is easy�try sprinkling some cinnamon in your oatmeal or spice up your coffee with a pinch of this rich, warming spice!
Mark Hyman, M.D., is one of the country�s top functional medicine doctors and a member of the mbg Collective (if you didn�t catch his panel on mitochondria at 2017�s revitalize, it�s a can�t-miss!). In his just-released book, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, he takes the complicated world of healthy eating and makes it simple and, well, easy to digest. Hyman analyzes all of the latest science to cut through the confusion and tell you exactly what�s good for your body, and, in a very You. We. All.-friendly way, for the planet at large. Ultimately, he concludes that the healthiest way to eat is a play on paleo and vegan: the pegan diet. In this excerpt, he explains exactly what that means.
The choice of nutritional philosophies is endless these days: We can go vegan; vegetarian; ketogenic; Paleo; flexitarian; pescatarian; Mediterranean; high-fat, low-carb; high-carb, low-fat; raw; and on and on. Trying to find the best one can be overwhelming. I�ve spent many years studying nutrition, and even I have trouble sometimes sifting through all the conflicting science and opinions. For years I tried different diets. I was a vegetarian. Then I went paleo. But eventually, I got fed up. It seems like the world of nutrition is being divided into armed camps, each proclaiming its superiority and decrying the fatal flaws in all the others. The obvious fact is that they all have advantages and disadvantages.
The vegan diet, for example, ideally incorporates plenty of whole, plant-based foods. As a result, vegans get lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats with none of the baggage that comes with feedlot meat. They�re also making the world a more humane place for the creatures that are treated cruelly by industrial farms, along with reducing their carbon footprint. But even a perfect vegan diet won�t provide enough DHA and EPA, which are important omega-3 fatty acids. Neither will it provide enough iron, zinc, copper, or vitamin D.
Vegans are also unlikely to be getting the amount of quality proteins and essential amino acids they require, especially as they age. It�s possible to find sufficient amounts in non-animal sources, but it is incredibly challenging. But they�re definitely not getting B12 because it only comes from animal foods. Finally, it�s entirely possible to be a vegan and still eat a poor diet filled with sugar, refined grains and flour, highly processed oils, soy-based protein substitutes, and foods loaded with chemicals and additives. You can live on Oreos, potato chips, and root beer and still call yourself a strict vegan. Even if you were to swear off wheat and gluten, a common staple in many vegan diets, the food industry is booming with "gluten-free" food items that trick us with misleading health claims on the label. Just because the gluten has been removed from something doesn�t mean it�s healthy; often, it means the exact opposite. If you eat a gluten-free brownie full of gluten-free refined flours and tons of sugar, you�re still wreaking havoc on your blood sugar and weight.
In the last six years, the paleo diet has become the most popular diet among health and wellness advocates. As we all know by now, this regimen is based on the idea that our bodies do best when fueled by foods that existed during the Paleolithic era, before agriculture came along 10,000 or so years ago. That means no sugars (except maybe honey and those occurring naturally in fruit), no grains, no dairy, no legumes or beans, and only nonindustrial meat, fish, whole nonstarchy vegetables, some starchy root vegetables and winter squashes, fruit (but not too much), nuts, and seeds. And that�s about it.
As extreme as that may sound, it can be a healthy, low- glycemic diet, especially at a time when so many people are in ill health from eating grain-based sugary foods made with overly processed fats and oils. In fact, emerging research is using this approach, and a more aggressive approach called a ketogenic diet (very-low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet), to reverse type 2 diabetes.
However, some use the paleo philosophy as an excuse to eat too much meat and too few plant-based foods. As critics point out, there were many diets in the paleo era, depending on what part of the world we�re talking about. Back then, humans foraged for their food, mostly plants, and ate animals only when they could find, catch, and kill them. Meat wasn�t nearly as abundant as it is now. Meanwhile, our prehistoric ancestors had a huge amount of healthy plant fiber in their diets (100 to 150 grams a day vs. 8 to 15 grams a day, which is the modern average).
Our healthy plant fiber intake doesn�t come anywhere close. I�ve tried both of these diets (vegan and paleo) and plenty of others, but I always wind up finding my way back to a happy medium. A few years ago I was on a panel with two other doctors; one was a paleo advocate and the other a strict vegan cardiologist. I was sitting in the middle, and to lighten things up I joked, "Well, if you�re paleo and you�re vegan, then I must be a pegan."
All joking aside, the best versions of both diets are built on the same foundation: Eat real, whole food. Vegan and paleo diets focus on foods that don�t raise our blood sugar, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy protein and fats, and no crap. I synthesized the best aspects of each and integrated them with the anti-inflammatory and detoxification principles of functional medicine to create a balanced, inclusive dietary plan that changed my life and my patients� lives, too. Now thousands of people all over the world are following the pegan diet.
This is not a quick fix that you follow for 10 or 30 days and then quit. After you reset your body, I recommend eating this way every single day. It is inclusive, not exclusive, and based on sound nutritional science and working with patients for more than 30 years.
Here's how to eat a pegan diet:
That means a diet low in anything that causes a spike in our insulin production�sugar, flour, and refined carbohydrates. Think of sugar in all its various forms as an occasional treat, that is, something we eat occasionally and sparingly. I tell people to think of it as a recreational drug. You use it for fun occasionally, but it is not a dietary staple.
As we learned earlier, more than half your plate should be covered with veggies. The deeper the color, the better. The more variety, the healthier. Stick with mostly nonstarchy veggies. Winter squashes and sweet potatoes are fine in moderation (� cup a day). Not a ton of potatoes! French fries don�t count even though they are the No. 1 vegetable in America.
This is where there could be a little bit of confusion. Some paleo champions recommend eating mostly low-sugar fruits like berries, while some vegan advocates recommend all fruit equally. I find that most of my patients feel better when they stick to low-glycemic fruits and enjoy the others as a treat. Stick with berries, and watch the grapes, melons, and so on. Think of dried fruit as candy, and keep it to a minimum.
Also, no chemicals, additives, preservatives, dyes, artificial sweeteners, or other junk ingredients. If you don�t have that ingredient in your kitchen for cooking, you shouldn�t eat it. Polysorbate 60, red dye 40, and sodium stearoyl lactylate (also known as Twinkie ingredients), anyone?
I�m talking about omega-3 fatty acids and other good fats like those we find in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados. And yes, we can even eat saturated fat from fish, whole eggs, and grass-fed or sustainably raised meat, grass-fed butter or ghee, and organic virgin coconut oil or coconut butter.
This includes canola, sunflower, corn, grapeseed, and especially soybean oil, which now accounts for about 10 percent of our calories. Small amounts of expeller or cold-pressed nut and seed oils like sesame, macadamia, and walnut oils are fine to use as condiments or for flavoring. Avocado oil is great for higher-temperature cooking.
As we learned in earlier chapters, dairy doesn�t work for most people, so I recommend avoiding it, except for the occasional yogurt, kefir, grass-fed butter, ghee, and even cheese if it doesn�t cause any problems for you. Try goat or sheep products instead of cow dairy. And always go organic and grass-fed.
Vegetables should take center stage, and meat should be the side dish. Servings should be 4 to 6 ounces, tops, per meal. I often make three or four vegetable side dishes.
If you are eating fish, you should choose low-mercury and low-toxin varieties such as sardines, herring, ANCHOVIES, and wild-caught salmon (all of which HAVE HIGH OMEGA-3 AND LOW MERCURY LEVELS). And they should be sustainably harvested or farmed. Check out www.cleanfish.com and www.foodthebook.com to learn more about your fish options.
Most gluten comes from Frankenwheat, so look for heirloom varieties of wheat like einkorn. Eat wheat only if you are not gluten-sensitive, and even then, only occasionally. Dr. Alessio Fasano of Harvard, the world�s top gluten expert, has done research showing that gluten damages the gut�even in non-gluten-sensitive people who show no symptoms.
They still raise blood sugar and can trigger autoimmunity. All grains can increase your blood sugar. Stick with small portions (� cup per meal) of low-glycemic grains like black rice, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, or amaranth. For type 2 diabetics and those with autoimmune disease or digestive disorders, a grain- and bean-free diet may be key to treating and even reversing your illness.
Lentils are best. Stay away from big starchy beans. Beans can be a great source of fiber, protein, and minerals. But they cause digestive problems for some, and the lectins and phytates they contain may impair mineral absorption. If you are diabetic, a high-bean diet can trigger spikes in your blood sugar. Again, moderate amounts (up to 1 cup a day) are OK.
What works for one person may not work for another. This is called bio-individuality, and it is why I recommend that everyone eventually work with a functionally trained nutritionist to personalize their diet even further with the right tests. If you�re interested in getting tested and coached by one of my nutritionists, visit www.foodthebook.com/diet for more information.
Based on excerpts from Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, by Mark Hyman, with the permission of Little, Brown and Company. Copyright � 2018.
The insulin index of a food represents how much it elevates the concentration of insulin in the blood during the two-hour period after the food is ingested. The index is similar to the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL), but rather than relying on blood glucose levels, the Insulin Index is based upon blood insulin levels. The Insulin Index represents a comparison of food portions with equal overall caloric content (250 kcal or 1000 kJ), while GI represents a comparison of portions with equal digestible carbohydrate content (typically 50 g) and the GL represents portions of a typical serving size for various foods. The Insulin Index can be more useful than either the glycemic index or the glycemic load because certain foods (e.g., lean meats and proteins) cause an insulin response despite there being no carbohydrates present, and some foods cause a disproportionate insulin response relative to their carbohydrate load.
Holt et al.[1] have noted that the glucose and insulin scores of most foods are highly correlated,[2] but high-protein foods and bakery products that are rich in fat and refined carbohydrates "elicit insulin responses that were disproportionately higher than their glycemic responses." They also conclude that insulin indices may be useful for dietary management and avoidance of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia.
The first general principle is to avoid all lowfat foods. The highfat versions both taste better and have a lower insulin index. So as economists would say, all lowfat foods are dominated: worse on taste and worse in terms of making you fat. Always choose the high fat version of everything. Let me give here some of the comparisons from the table between lowfat and highfat versions of things:
For other health reasons, I am not going to recommend drinking alcohol. (The idea that alcohol is good for health doesn't replicate well, empirically.) But it is worth knowing that while beer has an OK insulin index of 20, white wine has an insulin index of only 3. (Gin has an even lower insulin index of 1, but such high levels of alcohol have other negative side effects for health that have nothing to do with insulin.) Because grapes have a relatively high insulin index, I suspect that red wine, which leaves more of the grape in has quite a bit higher insulin index than white wine. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if the insulin index for red wine is in the same ballpark as for beer. Given this principle, of alcoholic beverages I will only list white wine below.
Jason Fung argues for the benefits of extended fasts (periods of time without eating) in The Complete Guide to Fasting. And many people find not eating for even a week surprisingly easy. Anyone interested in this should read the book before trying it and heed Jason's warning:
Here, what I want to suggest is that for those who don't tolerate extended fasts (lasting more than a day) very well, it might work well to have a week, say, in which you only eat very-low-insulin-index foods. To my mind, that is too little variety to be a satisfying diet all the time, but if you think of it as a modified fast, a week of very restricted food choices wouldn't be that bad if you then go back to eating a wide variety of things. Here, I will list the things there is data on, then I will give my best guess about a wider range of things I suspect would have an insulin index below 10.
Let me note this: I assume the bacon in the list just below is bacon with no sugar added. Unfortunately, in the US, most bacon does have sugar added. You have to work hard to find bacon without sugar added and then pay extra. Bacon with sugar added likely has an insulin index quite a bit higher than 9. You may not always feel it is worth the extra money for bacon with no sugar added, but I would make a point of getting bacon with no sugar added for your modified fast, if you are going to eat bacon during your modified fast.
Based on this data and my guesses about the insulin index of things that weren't tested in time for this table, I would allow any of the following foods during a "modified fast":
This list means that you can have a very nice kale salad with bacon, avocado, olive oil, low-carb dressing and pine nuts, with a side of other nuts. And you can have "bulletproof coffee" which is butter melted into coffee, or stick with just cream in your coffee or tea. That doesn't sound so bad if it is only for a week.
It should go without saying that if you like these foods, it is great to eat them all the time�don't limit them to modified fasts. Part of my own practice is to make sure to eat a gigantic salad every day. That daily salad has a few other things in it, for example a tomato, mushrooms and half a cucumber, two eggs instead of bacon, and usually lettuce and spinach instead of kale, but it includes many things in this "insulin index so low it is suitable for a modified fast" category, including a whole avocado every day, pine nuts and all three of hummus, oil (olive oil or MCT oil) and full-fat 1-gram-carb ranch dressing. Preparing food causes an anticipatory rise in insulin, which makes me hungry, so I eat handfuls of roasted cashews and almonds and raw brazil nuts and salted raw macadamia nuts while I am preparing my salad.
It should go without saying that if you like these foods, it is great to eat them all the time�don't limit them to modified fasts. Part of my own practice is to make sure to eat a gigantic salad every day. That daily salad has a few other things in it, for example a tomato, mushrooms and half a cucumber, two eggs instead of bacon, and usually lettuce and spinach instead of kale, but it includes many things in this "insulin index so low it is suitable for a modified fast" category, including a whole avocado every day, pine nuts and all three of hummus, oil (olive oil or MCT oil) and full-fat 1-gram-carb ranch dressing.
Preparing food causes an anticipatory rise in insulin, which makes me hungry, so I eat handfuls of roasted cashews and almonds and raw brazil nuts and salted raw macadamia nuts while I am preparing my salad.
Having once experienced this "true hunger", you will no longer confuse it with the emotional desire or physical discomfort we usually associate with hunger. Such physical "hunger pains" felt either in the stomach, or as "hunger headaches", are said to actually be withdrawal and detox symptoms from rich foods, chemicals, and stimulants.
The Insulin Index Book at Documents/Insulin Index_5569.pdf
Lard is rendered pork fat; the term is usually used to refer to rendered pork fat suitable for cooking. Leaf lard specifically comes from the visceral, or soft, fat from around the kidneys and loin of the pig. As such, it has a very soft, super spreadable consistency at room temperature. Leaf lard is considered the highest grade of lard.
The lard sold in blocks in most stores, by contrast, is rendered from fat from all over the pig and is treated in a variety of ways, including hydrogenation, to make the lard shelf-stable, deodorized, and keep it solid at room temperature.
How to Use Leaf Lard
Like all types of lard, leaf lard has a high smoking point, making it an excellent choice for frying, pan-searing, and even grilling.
Also, while leaf lard doesn't have the porky flavor of caul fat, it does have a gentle back-note of subtle, gentle meatiness that hydrogenated lard lacks. So leaf lard is a good choice when you want that high smoking point, but you don't want the final product to taste like pork (such as when you're making donuts or French fries).
Due to its natural moisture content and mild flavor, leaf lard is particularly prized by bakers for use in producing flavorful and flaky pie crusts.
True lard-ophiles may even choose to spread leaf lard on bread. Add a sprinkle of salt and you'll see why it's common practice in some regions of the world.
When Not to Use Leaf Lard
By contrast, leaf lard isn't good for everything. Its softer consistency makes it a poor choice to use when larding. [The word larding is a culinary technique for preparing large cuts of meat in which long strips of fat are woven through the meat using a needle called a larding needle. Strips of pork fatback are commonly used for larding, which is how the technique gets its name (because lard is a form of rendered pork fat).]
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Directions
Question: I just received a box of 6 packs of angel hair pasta, should the packages be refriderated before cooking them?
Question: Has anyone tried cooking them with chicken in chicken broth as in chicken and noodles?
5.0 out of 5 starsIt's Great to Have Pasta Again
5.0 out of 5 starsA Diet Life Saver!
They are flavorless. Yes, they don't have a starchy flavor so common in pasta and noodles because they are not made from starch. They are simply plant fiber.
They have a rubbery texture. Sort of, but if you follow the instructions this is minimized and the end result is on par with a toothsome al dente pasta. It is not like chewing on rubber bands.
The noodles do take on the flavor of whatever you cook them in, sort of similar to the way tofu operates. Because of this, I recommend not using the noodles as you would spaghetti. If you boil your noodles and cover them in pasta sauce you are setting yourself up for disappointment, and the makers of the product know this, hence they give you a recipie booklet to take full advantage of the power of the noodle.
I usually make a spicy stir fry in szechuan sauce and add the noodles at the last moments and allow the noodles to absorb the peppery sauce. The entirte dish has only 4 grams of carbs and is filling.
Let's not forget that the noodles are a great source of fiber!
Do not go into the order process expecting spaghetti or egg noodles. But if you are on low carb, gluten free, or simply trying to change your eating habits then Miracles Noodles are simply that, a miracle.
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat pasta substitute
UPDATE JULY 2016- just made Mac n Cheese with these. I haven't had Mac n cheese for months! I did the pre rinse, dry skillet to dry them and added very small amount of butter, dry cheese powder, small amount of half n half and one slice of Colby cheese. Let it melt in skillet then put it into toaster oven and broiled and slightly browned the cheese. OMG! Was it good!
INGREDIENTS: Purified Water. Organic Konjac with GLUCOMANNAN fiber. Organic Oat Fiber. That's it. Nothing else. Clean, simple and free of: Wheat, Fat, Sugar, Sodium, Dairy, and Soy.
Originally made with mineral rich sea kelp, now these kelp noodles contain the powerful antioxidant Konaberry to make it even more nutritiously delicious! Includes two 12 ounce bags of Konaberry Kelp Noodles.
Easy to prepare, raw food, that is also fat free and gluten free. Low in calories and carbohydrates as well. The perfect replacement for pasta and rice. Can also be included in a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Konaberry is a fruit that surrounds and protects the coffee bean and has been found to be rich in many vitamins and minerals as well as a powerful antioxidant. The noodles do not contain any coffee so there is no caffeine, only antioxidants!
These kelp noodles have a neutral taste which allows it to be used in a variety of dishes such a salads, stir fry, soups, and many more all while providing vitamins and minerals. Now you can have all the benefits of eating seaweed without the seaweed taste!
No cooking is required just rinse and add the noodles to your favorite dish and enjoy!
Finally....a delicious replacement for pasta and rice that is low calorie, gluten free, low carb and packed with vitamins and minerals!
Konaberry Kelp Noodles are the perfect replacement for pasta and rice that also contain more antioxidants than acai, pomegranate, and blueberries.
So what is Konaberry? Well Konaberry is a fruit that surrounds and protects the coffee bean and has been found to be rich in many vitamins and minerals as well as a powerful antioxidant. Konaberry has 6 times more antioxidants than acai, 60 times more antioxidants than pomegranate, and 100 times more antioxidants than blueberries.
Konaberry Kelp Noodle Features:
Konaberry Noodles are the perfect noodle to enjoy that are even more nutritious and delicious than regular kelp noodles!
Your order will include two 12 ounce bags of Konaberry Noodles. Ready to rinse and enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
5.0 out of 5 starsJust what I was looking for
2) They are crunchy.
5.0 out of 5 starsI like soak them and then cook them in a skillet ...
5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing if prepared correctly
5.0 out of 5 starsI am switching to konaberry for good.
4.0 out of 5 starsKonaberry Kelp Noodles Review
14/ The juiciest meat. It takes time to fry chicken or pork properly. Put the meat in a brine. 3 cup water, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar. Pour over meat and put in fridge. 1 hour for most meat. Pat the meat dry before cooking. You want them fried, not stewed.
13. Flavoring spices. To enhance flavor of pepper or cumin, toss in pan over medium heat. Toast them until they are fragrant. Use a moroe and pestle to grind the spices. Use cracked pepper corns instead of ground pepper to get much better aroma and flavor.
12. Light and airy dough. Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge the night before. If use yeast, put in warm place and wait until it becomes puffy. The puffier the dough, the airier the pastry.
11. Fish with a delicate crust. If using grill, spread some mayo on it to get a delicate crust. Use pastry brush and sip in sauceand lightly apply mayo to the fish. Add some salt and then grill. Use minimum spices. When donw, drizzle with lemon juice.
10. Cooking steak without oil. Place steak on its edge to render the fat. You can now cook steak in beef fat. Plus it creates a delicious crust on the edges. Thus do not need oil to cook.
9. Creamy mashed potatoes. Before turning cooked potatoes into mashed ones, they need to be dried properly. Place in frying pan and leave until all water is gone. Do not let the heat fry them. Smash them in a pan and then add the milk
8. Excellent cream soup. Fry all the veggies separately with olive oil. Then add water or broth. Frying will caramalize and enhance the flavor. Same trick can be applied to a veggie stew.
7. The best pancakes. Always add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to the recipe. The tastiest dough is kept in the fridge for 12 hours.
6. Sugar is not for sweetness. Sugar reduces sourness and makes any meal taste better.
5. Perfectly fried eggs. 3 components of a perfect egg are a thick walled frying pan, butter, and minimum heat. Heat up the frying pan and add 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Has to heat slowly, not reaching a sizzle. Cook eggs for 4-5 minutes and add salt
4. Clear broth. Cook chicken on low heat without a cover for at least 3 hours. Don't let it boil and remove the suds as they appear. After cooking for 1 1/2 hours, add parsley, celery, carrots and onions. For meat broth, roast veggies before adding them to the soup. Broth is used in many recipes.
3. Crispy bread crust. When baking, put a bowl of water in the overn. Or use a tray of ice cubesl. The trick is the steam which is produced, keeping the outer layer of the dough moist.
2. Cook onions correctly. Use medium heat for fryinjg and add both cooking oil and butter. Add onions and fry with some salt. The salt does 3 good things: it gets rid of the unpleasant onion smell, it helps them cook quicker, and it caramalizes them to add a sweet flavor. To prevent darkening, use melted butter.
1. Don't be afraid of garlic. Instead of using garlic in the dish, apply garlic juice to the plate. Avoids the unpleasant smell and still enjoy favorite flavor.
Bonus: say NO to nonstick pans.
V 21 Invaluable Kitchen Hacks Few People Know Of
Biting into a fresh, ripe blackberry is sure to make your taste buds tingle with nostalgia for warm summer afternoons, but this sweet little berry is also a nutritional powerhouse! Not only are they full of vitamins and minerals, but they also contribute unique advantages to your overall health. Blackberries are often referred to as a superfood and are an excellent lower-glycemic option for those with a sweet tooth, so you will be wanting to add this berry to everything.
Below are six incredible healing benefits of this delicious summer berry, with recipe suggestions from our Food Monster App for inspiration!
If you are deficient in vitamin K, it could contribute to blood thinning and bone fractures, leading to osteoporosis or bruising.
Luckily, blackberries contain over one-third of the recommended daily value of vitamin K, weighing in at 29-micrograms in just one cup!
Blackberries are very high in fiber compared to most fruits, and are an amazing topping to add to your morning oats or smoothies to expedite and improve the functioning of the digestive system.
Thankfully, by eating just one cup of raw blackberries, you are getting half of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that exceptionally heals the body!
Welcome to Heritage Radio Network, the ultimate destination for savvy, entertaining, conversations about what�s going on in the culinary world. We�re an independent, member-supported, 501(c)(3) nonprofit radio station, broadcasting from two recycled shipping containers behind Roberta�s Pizza, a restaurant at the forefront of Brooklyn�s culinary renaissance. Our 40+ hosts invite the most influential, visionary people � from brewers and bartenders to pastry chefs, policy makers and more � to discuss today�s most vital issues. We cover food policy and agriculture, the restaurant scene, and everything to do with food and drink, as well as introduce you to today�s up-and-coming chefs and share compelling human interest stories, such as how the devastating hurricane Sandy affected food supplies in the New York area.
If you've ever wished there was an easier and better way to get dinner on the table every night, you need Rachael Ray's Week in a Day. The woman who taught America how to make a meal in 30 minutes is back with an even bigger promise: one day of cooking, up to five days of eating! In every episode, Rachael will show you five meals you can put together in a single day. So when you come home from a hard day of work, the hard work in the kitchen's already done. Using the recipes, strategies, and tips from Week in a Day, you can eat well every night - even on those days when the clock is working against you.
Featuring Mely Martinez. Authentic Mexican Recipes and Dishes
As much as I love to snack on a slice of orange or add the bright zing of lime juice to a cocktail, in my opinion nothing beats the gorgeous flavor that the zest of citrus delivers. Yet tragically, I spent much of my youth tossing citrus peels into the compost without liberating the zest beforehand. What was I thinking??
The zest of lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, and all of their cousins is comprised of the colorful part of the peel � it's the place where the fruit's aromatic oils live and it is heaven on Earth. While the white part of the peel � the pith � is bitter, the colorful layer above has all the depth of the citrus flavor. The juice and flesh may have the bright acid and edible fruit, which is of course is what they're famous for � but the zest's rich, fruity, and floral flavor is one of the best kitchen ingredients around.
Zest can be used just about anywhere to impart its flavor: Anything from salads, hummus, pastas, and compound butters to cookie dough, pancakes, ice cream, and cake batter. And really, just about anywhere else. It's my go-to ingredient for the best salad dressing and the secret of success for my guacamole and buttercreams. And if you use citrus already, it's free!
WHEN TO ZEST
The best approach that I have come up with is to zest an entire fruit right before eating it or juicing it, since it's easier to zest a whole fruit. The zest can then be used, or stored using one of the methods below.
HOW TO ZEST
The most important part is to remove only the colorful part, and avoid the bitter pith. There are a number of tools you can use for different results. I've made a quick visual. (Note the collapsable box grater (that fits in a drawer), one of the greatest kitchen inventions ever.)
TYPES OF ZEST
For times when you want the texture of the zest to disappear, the finest grating is best, like with a microplane. I almost always go with this method because it seems to release the most flavor. For use as a delicious garnish, the little curls from a zester are good � perfect for topping cookies or cupcakes. For cocktails, the vegetable peeler or knife make a more sizable garnish. While I have acquired all of these tools over the years, one could get pretty similar results for all of these with a sharp knife and some knife skills.
HOW TO STORE
If you are not going to use your zest right away, it will last until you need it. Zesting right onto the food or into a storage container ensures that all that nice aromatic oil doesn't end up on the cutting board.
Refrigerate: For use in a couple days, just store it in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Freeze zest for up to six months; this makes an excellent source for a sprinkle here and there. No defrosting required.
Dry: Make zest or twists and allow to dry, about three or four days for twists, less for zest. Store in an airtight container.
Make powdered extract: Dry like above, and then pulverize into a powder in a blender or spice grinder. This can be added to spice blends (like lemon pepper) or delicious citrus sugar.
Make citrus olive oil: Pound course zest or strips in a mortar and pestle with some oil added. Place in a jar with more oil and let rest for six hours. Strain into a clean jar.
Candy peels: Sugar and citrus is one of the food world's best partnerships. You can candy orange peel for the French confection known as "orangette," you can candy lemon strips for sweet garnishes (or just eating straight), and you can even candy whole kumquats. See more here: 8 odd things you can candy.
Rachael says Russian and Thousand Islands are the same dressing?
Adds diced onions and chili paste.
Substitutes 1/2 cup plain yogurt, chipotle pepper, minced red bell pepper
In a bowl combine yogurt, vegetable oil, tomato sauce, lemon juice, mustard powder, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk together until blended. Add onion, sweet relish, olives, and jalapeno and whisk to combine evenly. Chill 1 hour.
Recipe courtesy of Greg Morris
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out the skillet.
Heat the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add 2 bread slices. Top each with one-quarter of the cheese and 2 strips bacon. Spread 2 bread slices with some of the dressing and press them on top of the sandwiches, dressing-side down. Cook until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat to make 2 more sandwiches, adding more butter as needed.
Recipe courtesy of Kelsey Nixon
Butter Lettuce Salad:
Quick Pickled Sugar Snap Peas:
Homemade Breadcrumbs:
For the thousand island dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, sweet pickles and capers together in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
For the butter lettuce salad: Quarter each head of lettuce, removing the cores. Arrange the lettuce in a serving bowl or on individual salad plates. Cut the Pickled Sugar Snap peas in half on the diagonal and toss evenly over the lettuce. Drizzle the homemade thousand island dressing over the salad and top with the Homemade Breadcrumbs.
Quick Pickled Sugar Snap Peas:
Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander and mustard seeds in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Place the snap peas in a bowl or canning jar and pour the pickling brine over them so they are submerged. Cover with plastic wrap or a jar lid for at least 30 minutes before removing.
Cook�s Note
Homemade Breadcrumbs:
Similar to ranch dressing but with added bleu cheese.
Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle on the salt and mash it into a paste with a fork.
In a bowl, combine the garlic paste, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, dill, chives, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, vinegar, paprika, cayenne and hot sauce. Add the buttermilk to desired consistency and mix to combine, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thinning with more buttermilk if needed.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream and vinegar. Add the chives, parsley, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper and whisk well to combine.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If using plain yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with a paper towel and place the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the strained or Greek-style yogurt and the rest of the ingredients. Add salt, to taste.
Combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, basil, parsley, chives, oregano, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.
Serve over lettuce with Bleu Cheese Ranch Dressing on top.
Can also servie with corn chips. Throw in oven to heat for more flavor and crunch.
As a planner, there's nothing more appealing to me than the idea of meal prep - getting ahead, saving time and effort, and not having to cook for the rest of the week. But like so many things in life, the reality of it never quite lived up to the hype. I mean, how often do you get to Thursday and still have a hankering for the roasted vegetables and salmon you made on Sunday afternoon? On top of that, the concept of meal prep at some point became a more functional and utilitarian practice than a creative or enjoyable one, where "shoulds" trumped "wants." This was in part due to its increasingly health-focused bent, which made me often feel guilty and undisciplined for not wanting to spend the last bit of my weekend preparing food that I wasn't even thrilled about eating today, let alone two lunches from now.
After several failed good-faith attempts to make meal prep a sustainable part of my life, I realized that semantics may have been more to blame than my willpower. And so, as a big believer in both food as joy and time as currency, I've dropped the term "meal prep" in favor of something I like to call "batch cooking" - and that simple tweak has worked wonders on my motivation.
To me, batch cooking means making a dish that 1) naturally comes in large quantities, 2) keeps or freezes well, and 3) most importantly, actually brings me enjoyment, preferably over the course of a few days. If this sounds suspiciously similar to meal prep, that's precisely the point. But the difference is that instead of "what should I make this week?", batch cooking begins by asking, "what do I want to eat? Is there a food I've been craving recently?" From there, it's about finding the overlap between that dish (or something similar) and those other two factors.
Once I internalized this mindset, I discovered an entire world beyond neatly arranged, pre-portioned Tupperware containers. A cheesy, vegetable-laden lasagna, half of which I can freeze for future use? Check. A creamy potato leek soup that tastes just as good on Day Three as it did the day I made it? Yes, please. Slow-simmered, basil-spiked tomato sauce that I can store in quart containers and warm up to order when I cook pasta? Don't see why not. My personal favorite: Japanese curry made from store-bought curry blocks, which is not only easy and cheap to whip up but also surprisingly versatile, as it can incorporate a variety of proteins and vegetables and is delicious eaten over rice or noodles. Above all, it's a dish I can feasibly, and quite happily, eat for days.
Some might say I'm splitting hairs here, but words really can make (and have made) a difference for me. In my experience, batch cooking offers the same rewards as meal prep (re: time, effort, and sanity) without the rigidity or monotony, which means planning food for the coming days can be an achievable, sustainable, and even exciting part of my weekly routine. I'm no longer guilty of scrapping my thoughtfully prepped-and-portioned food for last-minute takeout halfway through the week in hopes of feeling something again - because the curry I made on Sunday (or Tuesday, or Friday) does the job for me. If that�s not the best metric of success, I don't know what is.
In the world of Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright, any delicious, lovingly-prepared bite is worth the calories
Premiered in the United Kingdom in 1996, the BBC show follows Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright as they climb aboard their Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle � driven by Paterson with Dickson Wright riding shotgun in a sidecar � and go on adventures, like scallop fishing on a boat in Cornwall, all resulting in a slew of dishes that range from drool-inducing to totally confounding.
Your morning coffee is in a perilous state. There are just two species of coffee plants on which the entire multibillion-dollar industry is based: One of them is considered poor-tasting, and the other, which you�re likely familiar with, is threatened by climate change and a deadly fungal disease.
Thankfully there's another kind of coffee out there, known as stenophylla. It has a higher heat tolerance, greater resistance to certain fungal pathogens, and it tastes great. There�s just one problem: It's incredibly rare, and until recently, scientists believed it was extinct.
Stenophylla is just one of dozens of important foods that are threatened with extinction, according to Dan Saladino, a BBC journalist and author of the new book Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them. While grocery stores may seem as abundant as ever, Saladino argues that the diversity of food is actually in decline. Of the hundreds of thousands of wheat varieties that farmers once cultivated, for example, only a handful are now farmed on a large scale, he told Vox.
As we grow and harvest fewer varieties of plants and animals, the foods you can buy in the grocery store may become less nutritious and flavorful, and - as the current state of coffee demonstrates - the global food system could become less resilient. That�s why it's so crucial to lift up communities that are protecting foods from disappearing, Saladino told Vox in an interview about his new book.
We're a nation of snackers. There's nothing new about that. But it appears that the timing of our snacking has shifted slightly during the pandemic.
Adults who say they have an early morning snack rose from 17 percent in 2019 to 23 percent in 2021, according to nationally representative surveys involving more than 2,500 adults from the Hartman Group, a market research firm. Snacking to get through a midafternoon slump was down from 38 percent to 33 percent, and while the percentage of breakfast eaters remained unchanged, fewer people said they're eating lunch or dinner, too.
It's not clear why morning eating may be inching up. It makes sense to think that it's related to many people working at least partly at home. But it could be a pattern that will continue. What and whether to eat in the morning has long been a matter of debate, particularly as diet trends such as intermittent fasting have grown in popularity. But research increasingly suggests that front-loading calories is a habit worth considering.
Timing is everything
"Eating more earlier in the day can be beneficial because you're moving more throughout the day and burning more energy," says nutritionist Lisa Young, an adjunct professor at New York University.
It also works with - rather than against - our body's biological clocks, or circadian rhythms. In the morning, our internal clocks increase insulin sensitivity and decrease the sleep hormone melatonin. In the evening, insulin sensitivity goes down as melatonin increases, preparing our body for rest and cell repair. These natural patterns make it easier for the body to process food, especially carbohydrates, in the daytime than in the evening. And that helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and has other metabolic benefits that studies suggest are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer.
What and when to eat
The goal is to shift more of the calories you consume to earlier in the day, but not all of them. If bigger morning meals lead you to skip rather than scale back on lunch or dinner, that could affect your energy levels. And simply increasing what you eat in the morning without adjusting your diet later in the day can backfire because it could lead to weight gain.
Young suggests having a meal or snack with a combination of protein and fiber within one to two hours of waking up to stabilize blood sugar. Adding healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, nut butter or avocado can help with satiety and blood sugar control, as well. Something as simple as cereal with milk, yogurt and fruit, or whole-grain crackers or toast with nut butter works well, she says. But you don't have to eat traditional American breakfast food. All types of cuisines can fit into a healthful morning eating routine. And if dinner leftovers are what sound good, that's fine, too.
Quick hunger fixes
Here are a few breakfast snack ideas that fit the nutritional profile and can be pulled together in five minutes or less.
• Ricotta toast with tomato: Spread one slice of whole-grain toast with 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch of sea salt.
• Hard-boiled egg and fruit: Sprinkle a sliced hard-boiled egg with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning and top with a medium-sized piece of fruit.
• Overnight bulgur cup: Combine 1/4 cup of bulgur wheat with 1/2 cup of unsweetened nondairy or low-fat milk, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir well and refrigerate overnight. Top with 1 teaspoon of chopped nuts and 1/4 cup of fruit when ready to eat.
• Hummus and avocado on crackers: Spread a long rectangular whole-grain cracker, such as Ak-Mak or Wasa-style crackers, with 1 tablespoon of hummus. Top with 1/4 of an avocado, sliced. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of hemp or sesame seeds on top.
I was turning to paper towels for every conceivable job: shooing crumbs off counters, drying my hands, cleaning the espresso maker, polishing stainless-steel surfaces, wiping my mouth during meals, absorbing the crocodile tears that I shed for the environment.
I had become the thing I abhor: the wasteful American, the person with enough disposable income to keep his life tidy at the expense of life on this earth, whether plant or animal.
Few things will make your head spin faster than trying to determine the environmental impact of paper towels. Water consumption for cloth rags vs. paper towels is apparently a wash. Paper towels individually have a small carbon footprint, but collectively contribute to deforestation and global warming. The major manufacturers of paper products continue to rely on virgin forest fiber, though the industry says paper towels are "made from recycled paper or from a renewable resource - trees that are planted to meet future demand for paper and wood products and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow."
The fact is, when it comes to paper towels, you can basically make an argument for whatever side of the divide you favor. But to me, there seems to be a few irrefutable facts:
paper towels are among the tons and tons of paper products that clog our landfills;
paper towels, even if manufacturers are replanting trees for the ones they harvest, are contributing to the rising carbon dioxide levels, at a time when we can little afford it.
As the New York Times reported in early 2020, "A tree planted this year won't make much of a difference in terms of carbon sequestration over the next decade, a period many scientists say is critical for climate action."
For these reasons- and because the boss asked me to - I went a week without using paper towels. Or, I should say, I tried to go a week without using them. I feared the task would be tougher than imagined when, on the first day, I unconsciously grabbed a paper towel to clean a dog food bowl. Some habits are so ingrained they become like internal organs: so integral to daily living that you don't even think about them.
Because of these mindless practices, some folks ban paper towels from their homes, or at least hide rolls under the sink, just like hardcore smokers keep cigarettes out of their reach when trying to break the habit. I refused to go that route, for one reason: I knew there would be messes that I'd never use a kitchen towel to clean, such as those occasional "accidents" from our maladjusted mutts. And by "occasional," I mean daily.
My first step was to clear the cutesy and designer towels from the kitchen, like the one printed with the family recipe for gingerbread cookies or the one I bought for my wife at a small crafts store in Frederick, Md. The latter features a cartoon dog, its tail a-wagging, with the phrase: "Wigglebutts drive me nuts." I don't really care to mop up bacon grease with a gift that doubles as an inside joke between husband and wife. I mean, I might as well grab the wedding dress to do the job.
My second step was to buy a stack of FLOUR-SACK DISH TOWELS. They're super cheap, super absorbent and super dependable for just about any mess. I set aside one just for coffee-making: to ferry the wet filter and grounds to the trash, to clean the group head on our espresso machine and to mop up the inevitable dribbles involved with the daily process of caffeinating our bodies. I quickly adjusted to the idea that this towel was the equivalent of a tackling dummy: It would take all kinds of punishment and keep coming back for more.
I gradually, perhaps intuitively, developed a strategy on when to use paper towels rather than dish towels. If the mess came from a dog�s mouth (or some other canine body part) or was so large as to require multiple dish towels (and multiple rinsings of those multiple towels), I defaulted to paper towels. The latter situation happened only a couple of times.
The worst was when some egg yolks, sitting in the fridge awaiting my wife�s next baking project, somehow escaped their glass bowl and yucked up most of the top shelf, clinging to every conceivable surface. The paper towel was my best friend that day.
But aside from that mess, and the "occasional accidents," I relied on dish towels for everything. I even pushed myself to see how committed I was to the project. I fried half-pound burgers in a cast-iron pan, with a couple fat pats of butter, relying on a cloth towel to mop up the grease splatters. I cooked two racks of St. Louis-style ribs in an off-set smoker, keeping a dish towel draped over my shoulder to wipe my hands and keep all surfaces clear of runaway rib rub. I even fried thick-slab bacon in a pan and let the strips drain on a dish, not paper, towel.
Sometimes the towels required only a warm rinse under the faucet to be ready for another use. Other times, they needed to be thrown into the laundry. Either way, these cheap flour-sack towels always bounced back. (Incidentally, I also bought BAMBOO TOWELS, which are reusable and highly sustainable as anyone with bamboo in their backyard can attest to. They�re sold in rolls, like paper towels, but have the texture of felt, which is not a sensation you want when wiping your mouth.)
The highest hurdle to clear when switching from paper towels to cloth ones may be psychological. Americans - and I say Americans because, as a country, our use of paper towels dwarfs the rest of the planet's - have this habit of not wanting to see evidence of the messes we make. We like to toss our messes into the trash, never to think about them again. We kick our messes down the road to let someone take care of them.
Cleaning your kitchen with a cloth towel makes the mess your own. Its evidence can linger for minutes or days, depending on how swiftly you wash the towel. The evidence can hang out in your kitchen, like an unwanted house guest. The sooner you accept these dirty misfits, the sooner you can break the paper-towel habit.
I can speak from experience. I�m on my third week now and have gone through only half-a-roll of paper towels during that time, even with canine accidents. Come to think of it, I might even start dedicating an old beach towel for those messes.
Congrats, you've almost made it through July! You've got this cooking in summer thing down, right? Except there's still August, arguably the most punishingly hot and steamy month. Even if you can't imagine it now, there might be nights in the coming weeks when it just feels too hot to cook, and too sweltering to even consider going out to eat. But eat you must.
Whether you will eventually feel like heating anything up or not, here are tips to keep cool in the kitchen.
BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHEN YOU COOK.
IF YOU DO CHOOSE TO HEAT UP THE KITCHEN, GET THE MOST OUT OF IT.
THINK ABOUT OVEN ALTERNATIVES.
And while you might think about slow cookers and multicookers (i.e. Instant Pot) as tools for chilly nights, they're also great for summer meals. One idea from Willis: pulled chicken or pork. Or if you are more opposed to heating up the kitchen as opposed to heat itself, you can, of course, take the party outside to your grill.
OR DON�T COOK AT ALL.
But salads are just the beginning. How about a chilled bowl of blender-made gazpacho? Raw fish in the form of ceviche? And unlike regular pasta, Asian rice noodles don't typically need to be boiled - just soaked in tap water.
GET THE AIR MOVING.
KEEP YOURSELF COOL.
It�s easy to talk about cooking as a monolithic concept, but there�s so much more nuance to it. You may use one method in a recipe, or multiple. You could have one completely mastered and be terrified of another (hello, me not that long ago, afraid of frying).
I like this simple definition of cooking, beyond the broader notion of just any kind of food prep, from �The Science of Good Food,� by David Joachim and Andrew Schloss with A. Philip Handel: �Cooking is a process of heat transfer from a heat source to food to transform the food into something different.�
It�s also a matter of balance, which I�ll get into in the techniques below. �No matter what you�re cooking, or what heat source you�re using, the aim is always the same: apply heat at the right level, and at the right rate, so that the surface of the food and its interior are done cooking at the same time,� says Samin Nosrat in �Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking.�
So let�s take a little deeper dive into your different options, starting with two common stovetop methods. I�ll explain how they work and look at some good recipes from our archives to help you master them. Stay tuned for future posts on strategies that take advantage of water and the oven.
Harold McGee, author of �On Food and Cooking, � says a lot of cooking methods rely on several types of heat transfer. Perhaps the most straightforward are pan-frying and sauteing. In this scenario, the pan conducts heat directly from the source to the food. The speed at which this happens depends in part on the material of the equipment. Better conductors will heat the fastest, though they can also be prone to hotspots or uneven cooking. Per a chart in �The Science of Good Food,� here is a list of common cooking materials, from least to most conductive: glass, stone, stainless steel, carbon steel, cast iron, tin, aluminum and copper. Some pans will mix and match materials to take advantage of the properties of multiple types, such as enameled cast iron (the enamel helps distribute the heat over the cast iron) and stainless steel clad aluminum (aluminum helps conduct heat, but the stainless evens it out and guards against the aluminum reacting with certain ingredients).
These strategies generally involve some but not a lot of oil, over moderate to high heat. In sauteing, Nosrat says to aim for just enough oil to barely coat the skillet (1/16 inch deep), while pan-frying uses a more generous amount, about 1/4 inch deep. McGee says that the oil helps the food come into more uniform contact with the heat, prevents sticking and lends flavor. Sufficient heat under the pan helps immediately dry out the food and brown it, which is why, with a few exceptions (namely enamel and nonstick pans), you typically want to preheat it before adding oil. That also prevents the oil from breaking down and turning sticky or burned. Similarly, try to keep your ingredients fairly dry and spaced apart so they brown quickly and crisp rather than steam. Stir-frying involves fairly high heat, with constant � you guessed it � stirring for even, rapid cooking. Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry is a prime example. For larger cuts, searing is more about generating flavor through browning via the Maillard reaction than achieving doneness, Nosrat says. Those will then require a more gentle indirect heat to finish cooking. For smaller proteins, as in Scallops With Peas, Mint and Shallots, all you may need is the sear to reach the desired level of doneness.
Seared, Slow-Roasted Steak.
Popping steaks into the freezer means you can get a dark sear without overcooking before they�re transferred to a low oven. The result: Perfectly cooked steak from edge to edge.
Korean Glass Noodle and Vegetable Stir-Fry (Japchae).
Harness the power of high heat when you stir-fry your choice of vegetables.
Sauteed Early Peas With Olive Oil and Prosciutto, Florentine Style.
Sauteed garlic and prosciutto form the flavorful foundation for this quick and simple Marcella Hazan dish.
Shallow and deep-frying can be among the more intimidating ways to cook food � they were for me, at least. Frying in oil is a way to cook using convection, as heat travels in currents throughout the liquid (though the heat is initially transferred from the heat source via the pot by conduction). Here the liquid is fat and not water, as is the case in boiling, which we�ll tackle in the future. In shallow-frying, there�s enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the food, while deep-frying covers the food all the way in oil, McGee says. One of the biggest advantages of frying is, of course, the crispy exterior, which comes thanks to the fact that oil can get to a much higher temperature than water (frying is often done about 350 degrees), allowing for flavorful browning reactions to occur. Breading and batters provide crunch and flavor and also protect the food from the intense heat of the oil. As in many other cooking methods, frying is about managing temperature and food size to create the optimal conditions that let the interior and exterior cook at an equal pace. Among the keys to successful frying: Maintaining the proper oil temperature (insufficiently heated oil can turn food soggy, too hot and it will burn), using a vessel big enough to prevent boil-overs and meticulously keeping moisture out of the oil, which can cause spattering.
If you�re a frying novice and are worried about those spatters, start with something unlikely to give you problems. At the top of my list would be Crispy Herbed Falafel. Doughnuts are another option; ditto tortilla chips or tostadas. Letting breaded and battered foods rest for about 10 minutes before frying can also help eliminate surface moisture and give the starches time to start swelling and gelatinizing so you�re well on your way to crispy perfection.
Understanding cooking methods, and why certain things happen the way they do, is one key to kitchen success. It also gives you the confidence to improvise and experiment.
Sources such as �Modernist Cuisine,� Harold McGee (�On Food and Cooking�) and J. Kenji L�pez-Alt of Serious Eats and �The Food Lab� fame, have helped create a cottage industry in food science. And that�s great. But the more people who read them and try to convey the principles, the more likely it is that certain concepts can get distorted and the errors amplified as they spread, like a game of culinary telephone.
Take the Maillard reaction. If you�ve heard anyone talk about cooking meat, you�ve probably come across the term � and odds are you�ve come across some confusion about what it means. Let�s break it down, and learn why it matters.
What it is.
Part of the confusion about Maillard � named after a French chemist who first described the phenomenon � is that it�s often called the browning reaction, but it�s only one type of browning, says Joseph Provost, a chemistry and biochemistry professor at the University of San Diego who co-wrote �The Science of Cooking: Understanding the Biology and Chemistry Behind Food and Cooking.� In Maillard, sugars (more on that below) interact with the amino acids of proteins, creating a cascade of new flavors and aroma compounds, with several hundred possibilities.
"The important thing about the Maillard reaction isn�t the color, it�s the flavors and aromas,� according to �Modernist Cuisine,� by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young and Maxime Bilet. �Indeed, it should be called �the flavor reaction,� not the �browning reaction.'"
The Maillard reaction has about 20 to 30 steps that happen very quickly, Provost says. �We know most of them, but we don�t know all of them.�
While Maillard is responsible for all sorts of enticing flavors and aromas, it�s not without controversy. As Chemical and Engineering News, a publication of the American Chemical Society, explains, the reaction can cause the creation of acrylamide, a potential carcinogen, in highly processed foods cooked at higher temperatures. You can read more from the Food and Drug Administration, which notes that �acrylamide is found mainly in foods made from plants, such as potato products, grain products, or coffee. Acrylamide does not form, or forms at lower levels, in dairy, meat, and fish products. Generally, acrylamide is more likely to accumulate when cooking is done for longer periods or at higher temperatures.�
As to those sugars in meat? Let food scientist and author Robert Wolke, explain, as he did in a Food 101 column published in The Washington Post in 2006: �When we sear a steak, for example, certain parts of the protein molecules (the so-called amino parts) interact with so-called carbonyl groups, which are parts of sugar molecules. � A carbonyl group is indeed a certain grouping of atoms found in sugar molecules. But it also is found in many other kinds of molecules, including the meat�s very own fats and proteins. The Maillard browning process can use the carbonyl groups that are inherent in the meat; it does not require sugars.�
What it isn�t.
Caramelization is another type of browning, so it�s easy to conflate it with Maillard, especially because you can get both types of reactions at the same time, Provost says.
Caramelization, however, specifically refers to when sugars, and only sugars, are exposed to high temperatures. �The sugars break down and turn successively yellow, tan, brown and darker brown, while developing that complex, sweetly pungent flavor we call caramel,� Wolke wrote in The Post in 2002. It�s also worth keeping in mind another related point from Wolke � that not all browning is caramelization, either.
When it happens. Maillard happens all the time in all kinds of food: Meat, of course, which is the context most of us know. But you�ll also find its influence in everything from coffee and toast to chocolate and beer. What gives the reaction so much variation is the differences in the amounts and types of sugars and proteins in the different foods.
Specifically, Maillard kicks in around 300 degrees.
How to make it work for you.
You can�t always control Maillard, but you can maximize its potential in certain situations. Again, those often involve meat. Provost recommends getting your meat as dry as possible before cooking, which means the energy in the skillet can go toward browning the food rather than evaporating surface moisture. That can be done by patting the meat dry or, as a longer-term strategy, salting meat a day in advance and letting it dry in the refrigerator. If you�re going to be employing a moist-cooking method, such as braising or using a slow cooker, consider browning your meat first, because meat submerged in liquid will not reach a temperature above the boiling point of 212 degrees, making Maillard hard to achieve. But if you sear initially, you�ll still get the benefits of the flavors and aromas generated, even if the meat is transferred to a moist environment.
Baking soda can also give an assist in speeding along Maillard by creating a more alkaline (higher pH, or basic) setting. That's why you might see baking soda used in a water bath for pretzels or in caramelized onions. Some recipes employ baking soda to help meat brown faster as well.
For breads, Provost extols the virtues of an egg wash to promote Maillard so that the proteins in the egg can interact with the sugars in the dough for appealing toasty flavor. Cook�s Illustrated notes that the type of wash can also affect the degree of browning. Water will give decent browning with little shine, with both features increasing as you move on to milk, whole eggs, egg whites and lastly to egg yolks, which impart very good browning and an intense shine.
Higher heat can promote the Maillard reaction, too, up to a point. Above 355 degrees, �Modernist Cuisine� says, you get a different type of browning: pyrolysis, or burning.
Most of us understand the need to pay attention during cooking. But what about everything that happens before there�s any food involved? That�s where it can be easy to rush or shortchange the process. Case in point: preheating your skillet.
This preliminary step is �one of the fundamental things of cooking,� says Adrienne Cheatham, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York who�s working on her first cookbook, centered on her pop-up dinner series.
When and how you preheat the skillet has implications for how well your food turns out and how well your equipment will hold up over time. Your strategy may vary depending on the type of skillet and the food you�re cooking. Here�s what you need to know to make the right decisions.
The background. On a microscopic level, metal is not a naturally smooth surface. Cheatham compares it to a mountain range with peaks and valleys. But heat alone will not alter that rough surface (i.e. close up the gaps) to keep food from sticking to the metal. The heated pan and the oil work in tandem. As is the case with seasoned cast iron or carbon steel, you can over time smooth out the surface by creating layers of polymerized oil, which form a plasticlike coating. But proper preheating is more about timing to ensure that the oil can quickly and evenly transfer heat from the pan to the food, so that it immediately browns and crisps rather than sticking to the pan. David Green, associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Virginia�s School of Engineering and Applied Science, explains that one problem with preheating a pan with oil is that the oil can pool around the edges due to the difference in surface tension between the hotter center and cooler perimeter of the pan. That leaves the center vulnerable to sticking.
There�s another reason to hold off on adding fat until the pan is hot, though I�ll get into some exceptions below. �Preheat the pan to reduce the amount of time fat spends in direct contact with the hot metal, minimizing opportunity for it to deteriorate. As oil is heated, it breaks down, leading to flavor degradation and the release of toxic chemicals,� Samin Nosrat writes in �Salt Fat Acid Heat.� Each fat has a smoke point, at which point it will be pretty obvious you�ve gone too far, thanks to the smoke and acrid smell. You can read more about smoke points in this post, but know that reducing the time the fat is in the pan and not allowing a pan to preheat too long at too high of a heat are key parts of perfecting preheating.
Types of skillets. Preheating an empty skillet is most straightforward when it comes to cast iron or other uncoated metal, such as stainless steel. What about nonstick? Depends who you ask. �Nonstick coatings made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can break down and release noxious fumes if heated above 500 degrees, which can happen quickly when pans are heated empty or placed under the intense, direct heat of the broiler,� advises Cook�s Illustrated. To keep the skillet from getting to that point, the magazine recommends using the butter and oil in the skillet as a bellwether. Since they will smoke between 350 to 400 degrees, you�ll know your skillet is too hot well before it gets to the point at which you risk affecting the coating.
Surveying manufacturers, though, gets you different advice in some cases. With regard to its nonstick line, All-Clad, for example, says �do not overheat empty cookware,� suggesting using nothing higher than medium heat. Calphalon says, �For better cooking results, preheat the pan using the setting you [intend] to use when cooking, before adding butter or oil.� Lesson: Be sure to read the instructions for your particular equipment.
Cheatham is comfortable heating empty nonstick cookware for a few minutes over moderate heat. �Some people do take things to extremes,� she notes. If you choose to preheat an empty nonstick skillet, keep an eye on it and don�t let it get ripping hot.
Do not preheat an empty enameled cast-iron pan on the stove top, which can subject the glasslike coating to thermal shock (a sudden change in temperature) and potentially cause it to crack. According to Le Creuset, �Your choice of liquid, oil, fat or butter should completely cover the base before heating begins. Do not leave the pan unattended, and do not allow a pan to boil dry, as this may permanently damage the enamel.�
How to preheat.
Cheatham prefers to place an empty skillet on nothing above medium-high heat. Over high heat, she says, you may shock the metal. Placing a skillet over too high of a heat also risks burning the fat or food, especially in cast iron, which is particularly effective at retaining heat once it has come up to temperature. Nosrat warns against the temptation to �categorically crank the heat,� noting you may get a beautiful browned and crisp exterior on a piece of meat too quickly, leaving the interior raw or undercooked.
Nosrat makes an exception for searing meat, which she recommends doing over high heat before adding the fat and letting it approach the smoke point. Then in goes the meat. In trying to replicate rip-roaring, restaurant kitchen-level heat in her home kitchen, she places a cast-iron pan �in a blasting hot oven for at least 20 minutes� and then transfers it to the stove top to sear on high.
The oven-to-cooktop method is an option best left to the sure-handed and those without children or pets underfoot. Cheatham says she would rather stick to the stove top to avoid the potential for burns or a dropped skillet.
When time allows, you can make more elaborate sides to impress your fellow diners, but more often, you just need a filling, well-rounded meal to make it through the day. So whenever you�re in search of a few simple side ideas, consult this list to help you figure out how to get dinner on the table.
I remember learning the acronym KISS (for �keep it simple, stupid�) as a child, and I�m here to remind you that simplicity doesn�t necessarily mean boring. Pasta tossed with butter or olive oil, and maybe even a little grated Parmesan or Pecorino if you�re in the mood
And it doesn�t stop there � venture out from Italian pasta to include other types of noodles, like rice or soba noodles with a drizzle of sesame oil or chili crisp, to round out a meal.
One quick and easy weeknight meal I like to keep in my back pocket is a seared steak (or pork chop or boneless, skinless chicken breast or slab of tofu) with some spinach quickly saut�ed in the same pan. It all comes together in about 15 minutes, largely thanks to the spinach being done in the time it takes for the protein to rest, if not sooner, making it a great side dish for just about any meal. I like to season it with salt, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and then hit it with some acid, such as lemon juice or sherry vinegar, to perk it up. If you�re not a big fan of spinach or simply want to switch it up from time to time, use any other tender green of your choosing, such as Swiss chard or radish greens.
Some people don�t consider a meal to be complete without a bowl of rice on the table, but others find making a pot of rice at home beyond their culinary prowess. If you find yourself in the latter camp and have yet to improve upon your rice cooking skills (or have yet to invest in a rice cooker), then there are plenty of boxes and pouches of rice and other grains on the market today that eliminate much, if not all, of the guesswork. Take inspiration from these recipes.
In my book, all you really need for a side salad is some lettuce � maybe with a couple cherry tomatoes and some sliced cucumber thrown in � and your favorite dressing. While you can and should make your own salad dressing, I�m here to say that there�s no shame in using the bottled stuff when you simply don�t feel like putting in any more effort than you have to. And, to that end, bagged salad mixes are certainly convenient when you want a variety of ingredients without having to purchase each component individually.
Linguine With Butternut Squash, Garlic and Olive Oil (Linguine e Butternut Aglio e Olio)
Salsa verde, Tahini, Furikake, Anchovies, Preserved lemon, Basbaas Somali Foods� Coconut Cilantro Chutney, Chili Crisp [blend of chiles, peppers and onion], Pepperoncini.
Raise your hand if you�ve ever burned eggs on the bottom of your frying pan. Now that it�s clear that we�re among friends, take comfort in knowing this fact: It�s not all your fault.
It�s science we have to blame. Partially, anyway.
Let�s start with those eggs. �Most pans, even the really good ones, are actually filled with little cracks and crevices,� says Joseph Provost, a chemistry and biochemistry professor at the University of San Diego who co-wrote �The Science of Cooking: Understanding the Biology and Chemistry Behind Food and Cooking.�
When the pan is heated, the metal expands, allowing the egg to get trapped in those microscopic cracks, where it then sticks and burns.
Eggs actually have two things working against them: Their liquid flows into those cracks, and their proteins are problematic.
As Harold McGee explains in �Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes,� �High heat causes food proteins and carbohydrates to form bonds with the pan surface.� And according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, �Protein-rich foods are particularly prone to sticking because the proteins can form complexes with metal atoms, such as iron, in the pan.�
See, it�s not just you. Sticking is particularly problematic when it comes to delicate foods such as eggs and fish, McGee writes. But it�s just as annoying with sturdier pieces of meat, too. Chicken and lean beef are prone to sticking because they�re high in protein but low in fat, Provost says. Without much fat to lubricate the surface between the pan and the food, the meat will stick.
Here are a few things you can do about that.
The most obvious is to put a barrier between what you�re cooking and the surface of the pan. You can use some kind of cooking fat, such as butter or oil. Provost recommends heating the pan first. Then add the fat and let it get hot, but not so hot that it burns. (For eggs, McGee says butter is better than oil, as butter �carries antisticking emulsifiers.�) Another barrier is air. �Sticking is reduced on grill-like, dimpled and irregular pan surfaces that reduce direct contact between food and pan,� McGee says. However, �They also reduce browning and flavor development.�
If you�re using a well-seasoned cast-iron pan, then you have built-in protection. When you cook in cast iron, the heated fats reorganize into a plasticlike coating that bonds to the pan. Or you could go with manufactured nonstick cookware, whose coating smooths out the surface of the metal and separates it from the food.
It�s also essential to pat your meat dry before you place it in the pan. Otherwise, the heat in the pan will evaporate the water on the surface rather than brown the meat. Since the goal is to start breaking down the proteins on the surface of the meat as quickly as possible � before they can start bonding with the metal � any heat and time lost in cooking off that moisture is working against you. Plus, browning means flavor, so it�s better to be searing than steaming when it comes to meat.
McGee says that breading or coating food in flour can prevent sticking. That outer layer is both a barrier and method for further creating a dry surface.
A key point is to make sure you leave your meat in the pan long enough, Provost says. If you try to remove it too soon, it will stick. The browning is what will help the meat release itself from the pan, once the proteins are broken down sufficiently. (Sometimes a little sticking is good, as when you get the cooked-on juices, or fond, that you can incorporate into a pan sauce.) Contrary to what you might think, patience, rather than speed, is crucial to avoiding food that sticks.
In other words, it�s best to put the time in up front � rather than scraping all that burnt-on food out of the pan later.
A core principle of my cooking philosophy is to never pass up an opportunity for flavor. So when I see cooked-on juices in the bottom of my saute pan, I don�t see a dishwashing chore. I see pan sauce. Think of it as the difference between a plain pork chop and a pork chop anointed with glossy, intensely lip-smacking sauce that flavors the pork and elevates everything on your plate.
Pan sauces are quick, thank goodness, because you don�t want your main ingredient to cool off while you�re fussing. The choreography is actually quite beautiful: Saute, then whip up the sauce while the star rests (which makes it juicier).
The process has two parts: 1) capturing flavor deposited in the pan by the ingredient you just cooked, and 2) enhancing that flavor.
The capture part happens by �deglazing,� which means dissolving the cooked-on meat juices using liquid, from tap water to champagne. Those juices are vital because they�ve undergone chemical transformations during cooking (Maillard reactions) that make them super savory. You�ve heard the term �bottom of the pan flavor,� right? The enhancement comes through adding more liquid, plus accents, and reducing that liquid until it has concentrated in flavor and texture.
So here we go. The steps are simple, but the pace is brisk, so please read all the way through and gather your ingredients before you turn on your burner:
Pick the right pan.
Choose what you�ll put in it.
Start by cooking it right.
Coat the pan with a tiny bit of oil, get it very hot, put the chops in the pan and then RESIST THE URGE to tinker. You might have a cool pair of tongs, but don�t use them just yet. Let the chops sit undisturbed for about a minute to develop a browned surface. This prevents them from sticking to the pan, and it encourages the sought-after cooked-on juices, which in a French kitchen is called the �fond� � meaning �base� � and is pronounced as in �I�m very fond of runny cheese.�
When cooked, transfer your chops to a plate (pulling the skillet off the heat so you don�t burn the fond), tent them loosely with foil and let them rest while you make the sauce.
Protect the browned bits and add to them.
Pour off any rendered fat, but take care to preserve that fond. If you wish, add finely chopped shallot or onion, garlic, fresh chile, bell pepper, something to add fragrance and flavor � an �aromatic.� Saute just until softened but not browned, again taking care to not burn the fond. (I�m going to make T-shirts that say �Don�t Burn the Fond.�)
Deglaze, twice.
This is the dramatic part. I first deglaze with a �strong� liquid to provide a nervy backbone to the flavor, such as wine, vinegar or a spirit such as brandy. Then I add a second liquid � the �body� liquid � which mellows the intensity of the first liquid and gives you a greater volume of sauce. Good body liquids are chicken or vegetable broth, apple cider and � for a luxury effect � cream.
To deglaze, adjust the heat so your pan is hot but you�re not going to burn the � you know. Then pour in your strong liquid (see below for amounts). It should sizzle energetically, but it shouldn�t evaporate immediately; if that happens, add a spoonful or two of water to reconstitute. Stir and scrape the pan so that the juices are fully dissolved.
Reduce.
This simply means to boil a liquid so the water evaporates and the flavor compounds remain, thereby concentrating flavor and texture. Reduce your strong liquid to the point that it loses any harshness (always important when deglazing with wine), but not so much that you have no volume of liquid left; you want about a tablespoon.
Now add your body liquid and reduce to about a third of the original volume (if your chop has given off some juices as it rests, pour them into the pan, making sure you bring them to a boil as well). Taste to find the perfect point, but generally more reduction is better than less, even if you end up with only a few spoonfuls of sauce.
Add your extras.
Now is the time to add Dijon mustard, capers, lemon zest, fresh herbs or, heck, cacao nibs if you want. Just be sure the flavoring ingredients don�t need further cooking, because you�re almost finished. The sauce will have enough body at that point to leave a clear path when you draw your spatula through it.
Enrich.
The final step, which is optional but I recommend it, is to add a touch of cold butter, cream, creme fraiche, maybe even finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, which will round out any sharp edges, unlock a few more flavors and produce a luscious texture.
Taste and adjust.
You�re not quite done. As with anything you cook, do one final flavor check to dial it in: Taste, and a touch more salt, a grind of pepper, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice or more butter (always the right answer).
The brilliance of a pan sauce is its ability to adapt and improvise, so as you grow more comfortable with the process, you�ll devise your own flavor combinations. To get you started, here are three of my favorites, with approximate amounts.
Quantities are for 2 servings, or about 12 ounces of boneless meat or poultry, such as pork tenderloin, pork chops, chicken thighs or breasts, filet mignon or other beef steak, or lamb rib chops:
Orange-Chile Pan Sauce:
Mustard-Cream Pan Sauce:
Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce:
Holmberg is the author of �Modern Sauces� (Chronicle, 2012) and co-author with Joshua McFadden of �Six Seasons: A New Way to Cook Vegetables� (Artisan, 2017).
Most of us understand the need to pay attention during cooking. But what about everything that happens before there�s any food involved? That�s where it can be easy to rush or shortchange the process. Case in point: preheating your skillet.
This preliminary step is �one of the fundamental things of cooking,� says Adrienne Cheatham, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York who�s working on her first cookbook, centered on her pop-up dinner series.
When and how you preheat the skillet has implications for how well your food turns out and how well your equipment will hold up over time. Your strategy may vary depending on the type of skillet and the food you�re cooking. Here�s what you need to know to make the right decisions.
The background. On a microscopic level, metal is not a naturally smooth surface. Cheatham compares it to a mountain range with peaks and valleys. But heat alone will not alter that rough surface (i.e. close up the gaps) to keep food from sticking to the metal. The heated pan and the oil work in tandem. As is the case with seasoned cast iron or carbon steel, you can over time smooth out the surface by creating layers of polymerized oil, which form a plasticlike coating. But proper preheating is more about timing to ensure that the oil can quickly and evenly transfer heat from the pan to the food, so that it immediately browns and crisps rather than sticking to the pan. David Green, associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Virginia�s School of Engineering and Applied Science, explains that one problem with preheating a pan with oil is that the oil can pool around the edges due to the difference in surface tension between the hotter center and cooler perimeter of the pan. That leaves the center vulnerable to sticking.
There�s another reason to hold off on adding fat until the pan is hot, though I�ll get into some exceptions below. �Preheat the pan to reduce the amount of time fat spends in direct contact with the hot metal, minimizing opportunity for it to deteriorate. As oil is heated, it breaks down, leading to flavor degradation and the release of toxic chemicals,� Samin Nosrat writes in �Salt Fat Acid Heat.� Each fat has a smoke point, at which point it will be pretty obvious you�ve gone too far, thanks to the smoke and acrid smell. You can read more about smoke points in this post, but know that reducing the time the fat is in the pan and not allowing a pan to preheat too long at too high of a heat are key parts of perfecting preheating.
Types of skillets. Preheating an empty skillet is most straightforward when it comes to cast iron or other uncoated metal, such as stainless steel. What about nonstick? Depends who you ask. �Nonstick coatings made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can break down and release noxious fumes if heated above 500 degrees, which can happen quickly when pans are heated empty or placed under the intense, direct heat of the broiler,� advises Cook�s Illustrated. To keep the skillet from getting to that point, the magazine recommends using the butter and oil in the skillet as a bellwether. Since they will smoke between 350 to 400 degrees, you�ll know your skillet is too hot well before it gets to the point at which you risk affecting the coating.
Surveying manufacturers, though, gets you different advice in some cases. With regard to its nonstick line, All-Clad, for example, says �do not overheat empty cookware,� suggesting using nothing higher than medium heat. Calphalon says, �For better cooking results, preheat the pan using the setting you [intend] to use when cooking, before adding butter or oil.� Lesson: Be sure to read the instructions for your particular equipment.
Cheatham is comfortable heating empty nonstick cookware for a few minutes over moderate heat. �Some people do take things to extremes,� she notes. If you choose to preheat an empty nonstick skillet, keep an eye on it and don�t let it get ripping hot.
Do not preheat an empty enameled cast-iron pan on the stove top, which can subject the glasslike coating to thermal shock (a sudden change in temperature) and potentially cause it to crack. According to Le Creuset, �Your choice of liquid, oil, fat or butter should completely cover the base before heating begins. Do not leave the pan unattended, and do not allow a pan to boil dry, as this may permanently damage the enamel.�
How to preheat. Cheatham prefers to place an empty skillet on nothing above medium-high heat. Over high heat, she says, you may shock the metal. Placing a skillet over too high of a heat also risks burning the fat or food, especially in cast iron, which is particularly effective at retaining heat once it has come up to temperature. Nosrat warns against the temptation to �categorically crank the heat,� noting you may get a beautiful browned and crisp exterior on a piece of meat too quickly, leaving the interior raw or undercooked.
Nosrat makes an exception for searing meat, which she recommends doing over high heat before adding the fat and letting it approach the smoke point. Then in goes the meat. In trying to replicate rip-roaring, restaurant kitchen-level heat in her home kitchen, she places a cast-iron pan �in a blasting hot oven for at least 20 minutes� and then transfers it to the stove top to sear on high.
The oven-to-cooktop method is an option best left to the sure-handed and those without children or pets underfoot. Cheatham says she would rather stick to the stove top to avoid the potential for burns or a dropped skillet.
How to know when the skillet is ready. Cheatham likes to gauge the heat of the skillet by simply holding her hand above the surface. It may take some trial-and-error for you to get to the point where you can confidently do this, too, but you can use other cues to recognize the right moment. Look for the oil to shimmer (to me it looks like water rippling over small rocks at the edge of a lake) when added to the skillet, Cheatham says, with maybe just a faint wisp of smoke, but no more.
Or do the drop of water test, using your eyes and ears. �If it crackles a little bit before evaporating � it doesn�t have to be a violent sound � then the pan is ready,� Nosrat writes. �A general clue that both the pan and fat are hot enough is the sound of a delicate sizzle upon addition of the food. If you add food too early and don�t get that sizzle, just take the food out, let the pan heat up sufficiently, and put it back in to ensure it doesn�t stick or overcook before it browns.�
What to start in a cooler or cold skillet. Nosrat�s biggest exceptions to the preheating rule are butter and garlic, both of which can burn if not gently heated. Cheatham explains that if butter hits a hot pan, it will immediately start to splatter as the water rapidly cooks off (butter is as much as 18 percent water). Moreover, the milk solids in butter can burn and blacken in excessive heat. So add butter to a cold skillet or one that has been heated less than you would for oil.
Toasting seeds or nuts is another time to take care with heat. Those I put into a cold, dry skillet over medium-low heat and leave in just until they start to turn fragrant � if you listen closely you may also hear the oils in the seeds or nuts sizzling. Pay attention, as they can go from perfectly toasted to scorched in a second.
There are times when you may want to start meat in a cold skillet, as well. Bacon is a prime example. Allowing the bacon to gradually heat up renders the fat so that the end result is crispy. In a hotter skillet, you run the risk of immediately browning the outside and creating a crust that seals in the fat, turning the strips flabby. Keeping the bacon in the skillet longer at that point might end up burning it. Similarly, you can start skin-on pieces of chicken in a cold skillet to help render their fat and create a crispy exterior, as Cook�s Country recommends in several recipes.
For situations where you�ll be working with a deeper level of fat, such as pan-frying or deep-frying, the oil should be added to the skillet or pan and then brought up to temperature.
Scrambled eggs
Gin cocktail
Chocolate cake
Fish Dinner
Mangoes
Tea sandwiches
Chocolate mousse
Strawberry jam
Beef tournedos
Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable and I've grown to love experimenting with it. One of my favorite things to do with this cruciferous vegetable is to turn it into �rice."
Because rice can often leave dishes feeling heavy, it's nice to substitute a vegetable where a starch would usually be. In addition, it's a great way to squeeze more servings of vegetables into your day.
There are two techniques for making cauliflower rice. You can either use a box grater with the medium-size holes (pictured below) traditionally used for cheese, or a food processor with the grater blade to blitz it into small pieces. With both techniques you�re aiming for little pieces the size of rice.
One additional step I like is to press any excess moisture from the rice by transferring the cauliflower rice to a large paper towel or absorbent dish towel and squeeze/press to remove any remaining water. This ensures no excess moisture remains, which can make your dish soggy.
Once you have your cauliflower rice, it�s easy to cook! Simply saut� in a large skillet over medium heat in 1 Tbsp oil. Use a lid to cover so the cauliflower steams and becomes more tender. Cook for a total of 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season as desired (such as with soy sauce or salt and pepper).
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Pump up the flavor of any meal with these spices.
In order to accommodate the lightning-fast speed at which a professional kitchen runs, it has to be kept extremely organized. All kitchens adhere to similar rules for cleaning and organization -- mostly so that newbies can jump in without having to relearn a new system. My friend, Jesse, has been cooking in professional kitchens for 10 years now, and because he finds these organization methods are so useful at work he follows many of the same rules at home.
In the spirit of passing things down, he has taught me many neat tricks that have made my own kitchen so much more efficient, but my favorite takeaway is also the simplest: alphabetizing the spice rack.
I thought it was a bit obsessive at first, but once I tried it, I realized how helpful it is. If something is frying on the stove, for example, I don�t have time to hunt for the spice that is going to make it taste just right. When they are in alphabetical order, I can easily find (and grab!) the one I�m looking for in seconds.
I like to have my spices easily accessible and in my line of sight at all times, so that I am always considering how I can spice any given dish. My two-tiered lazy Susan holds all of my spices -- with space for a few more -- and it looks great on my kitchen cart. I love that I can organize all of my spices (labels out) and never have to worry about anything getting pushed to the back and lost.
Jesse�s system is a bit different -- he stores his spices in labeled plastic containers like they do in professional kitchens. They are neatly stacked in his cupboard; it�s amazing that he can fit more than 30 spices in such a small amount of space! An added advantage of this system: If he accidentally purchases a spice that he already owns, he can combine them in the same container.
Either way, the result is the same: Storing spices in alphabetical order will cut down on the time you spend hunting for the right spice.
Have you ever picked up what you thought was a hand of ginger to find yourself with something that looked quite similar, but tasted nothing like what you�re expecting? Chances are you picked up galangal -- an honest mistake, since these two members of the rhizome family look ridiculously similar. So what really is galangal and how does it compare to ginger?
Both galangal and ginger are rhizomes, a type of underground creeping stem of a plant that sends out shooters to create new plants, in the ginger family (turmeric and cardamom are also in this family). Their biggest difference is their taste: galangal has a sharp citrusy, almost piney flavor, while ginger is fresh, pungently spicy, and barely sweet -- that means that they cannot be used interchangeably.
Galangal
Galangal is also know as Thai ginger or Siamese ginger (because it resembles fresh ginger so much), but it really is its own ingredient. It�s commonly found in Thai, Indonesian, and Malaysian cooking. The skin of galangal is smoother and paler than ginger and its flesh is much harder. It can�t be grated like ginger can, but instead must be sliced. The flavor of galangal is much stronger too; it�s earthy, sharp, and extra citrusy.
Hold on to your forks, because chefs across the country are using fermentation to spice up that classic menu staple: the salad. While fermented salads have long been consumed in Asian countries, with Burmese tea salads, Korean kimchi and some Thai salads being categorized as such, the trend has only recently taken root in the United States. With healthy eating and probiotics coming into favor, fermentation has started to become more mainstream. The pros are jumping on board, using pickled vegetables and fermented dressings to create tangy twists on typical salads. Here are a few spots offering fermented spins of their own.
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Long grain rice is one of the most versatile grains in the world. Enjoy it in a pilaf, as a bed for barbecued meats, or with any stir fry or curry. In addition to all that, you can enjoy our Organic Long Grain White Rice in just about 20 minutes.
Certified Organic, Certified Kosher, Certified Vegan.
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1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind/zest
Yield: 4 servings
Cut avocados in half, working around the pit. Separate the 2 halves. Remove pit and scoop out avocado flesh with a spoon. Wedge avocados and pile in the center of a large platter. Seed and wedge tomatoes and arrange around the avocados. Spread sliced onion over platter. Sprinkle platter with cilantro. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes evenly over vegetables. Season with coarse salt. Drizzle platter with oil and serve.
Navigate Asian markets and restaurant menus with ease
This Saturday on The Kitchen the co-hosts are sharing new healthy shortcuts you need to try, like Jeff's easy sheet pan take on Thai noodles. Here are some of their best low-carb alternatives from past episodes, including three different ways to make pizza crust, two easy noodle hacks and quiche that uses prosciutto as a crust!
This recipe combines ground sweet potato and almond flour to create a vitamin-packed crispy crust.
Level: Easy
Toppings:
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
Add the sweet potato cubes to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until coarsely ground, similar to the texture of coarse salt.
Add the ground sweet potato, almond flour, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder and egg to a bowl and stir until combined. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking sheet and form into a 12-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake until browned around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
For the toppings: Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath. Blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling water, then transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into crumbles, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Remove the crust from the oven and top with the pizza sauce, broccoli rabe, sausage, goat cheese and pepper flakes. Place back in the oven and cook until the toppings are warmed through and cheese is melted, another 8 to 10 minutes.
Katie uses just four ingredients to bring this easy pizza crust together.
Level: Easy
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Use a small paring knife to puncture the spaghetti squash a few times all over. Place on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool until cool enough to handle, then use a large knife to slice the squash open lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a fork and discard. Continue to use the fork to pull the flesh from its peel. (Leave the oven on.)
Wrap the squash in a clean dishtowel and squeeze out all the excess water. (There will be quite a bit of water in the squash. It is important to squeeze out as much as you can so that the crust will have a better texture.)
Whisk the eggs together with the shredded mozzarella and garlic salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the spaghetti squash until well combined.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the squash to the center of the baking sheet and spread into a 10-inch circle. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Spread the pizza sauce on the crust and top with the desired toppings. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, an additional 10 minutes.
Level: Intermediate
Pickled Vegetable Rice:
Special equipment: a spice grinder; 15 to 20 skewers, soaked 30 minutes if wood or bamboo
Place a medium skillet over medium-low heat and add the coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mustard, peppercorns, cardamom and cinnamon. Toast, shaking the pan, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Set aside and let cool slightly. Place in a spice grinder along with the dried chile and pulse to a powder-like consistency, then transfer to a bowl and add the turmeric and paprika. Transfer a few tablespoons to a large mixing bowl and save the rest of the spice mixture for another use.
To the mixing bowl, add the yogurt, ginger, garlic, olive oil and some salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the yogurt mixture and let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the yogurt and thread it onto skewers. Place on the grill pan and let cook, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
Place the Pickled Vegetable Rice in 4 small bowls. Serve with the chicken.
Pickled Vegetable Rice:
Place a small to medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, curry leaf, chicken stock and cardamom pods and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Let cook according to the package instructions, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the curry leaf and cardamom pods from the pot, then fluff the rice with a fork and set aside to keep warm. Stir in the pickled vegetables and their pickling liquid.
Level: Intermediate
6 (6-ounce) firm white fish fillets, such as grouper, tilapia, striped bass, or catfish
1 lime, juiced
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of the salt, pickling spice, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and Scotch bonnet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and skim any foam that rises to the top. Simmer vegetables for 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside until warm before serving. (Pickled vegetables may be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated in a nonreactive container until ready to serve. May be served warm or cold.)
When you are ready to cook the fish, place the fillets on a nonreactive plate or platter and squeeze the lime juice over the fillets. Let sit for several minutes then pat fillets dry. Season well on both sides with salt and freshly ground white pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, Essence, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and white pepper and stir to combine. Dredge the fillets in the seasoned flour mixture and shake to release any excess.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan and, when hot, add the fish and cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (This will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets you are using.) Transfer fillets to a platter and spoon some of the pickled vegetables with pickling liquid over the fish. Serve immediately.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, Published by William Morrow, 1993.
Level: Easy
Quick Kimchi Persian Cucumbers:
In a large bowl, mix the beef or pork, ginger, garlic, gochuang, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce and black pepper. Cover and marinate, in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat with the vegetable oil. When shimmering hot, saute the diced onions for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, or until soft. Add the marinated meat and saute, stirring, just until fully cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any residual fat, if needed.
While the meat cooks, toast the buns.
Divide the meat and place it into the buns. Serve, ideally with pickles and shredded iceberg lettuce.
Quick Kimchi Persian Cucumbers:
Make the cure mix: In a small bowl, stir together the salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar.
Make the kimchi marinade: Add the pear, gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to a blender and blend until smooth.
In a large pickling jar or lidded container, combine the cucumber and the cure mix; let sit for 15 minutes. Drain excess liquid, then add 1 cup of the kimchi marinade, stirring to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This kimchi will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Level: Easy
Quick Kimchi Persian Cucumbers:
In a large bowl, mix the beef or pork, ginger, garlic, gochuang, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce and black pepper. Cover and marinate, in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat with the vegetable oil. When shimmering hot, saute the diced onions for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, or until soft. Add the marinated meat and saute, stirring, just until fully cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any residual fat, if needed.
While the meat cooks, toast the buns.
Divide the meat and place it into the buns. Serve, ideally with pickles and shredded iceberg lettuce.
Quick Kimchi Persian Cucumbers:
Make the cure mix: In a small bowl, stir together the salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar.
Make the kimchi marinade: Add the pear, gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to a blender and blend until smooth.
In a large pickling jar or lidded container, combine the cucumber and the cure mix; let sit for 15 minutes. Drain excess liquid, then add 1 cup of the kimchi marinade, stirring to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This kimchi will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Level: Easy
In a large plastic food storage bag, combine chicken cutlets with teriyaki sauce, 2 tablespoons oil and grill seasoning. Close bag and combine to coat evenly. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill or grill pan to medium-high.
Cut cabbage into quarters and cut away core. Shred the cabbage and set aside.
Cut clean, trimmed scallions into 3 inch lengths. Pile scallions lengthwise and julienne them into thin strips.
Pull the threads from the ends of snow peas and julienne into thin strips, lengthwise, like the scallions.
Drizzle honey into a small bowl. Add vinegar and combine with a fork.
Place chicken cutlets on grill or into hot pan and cook 3 minutes on each side.
Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add pickled ginger and cut carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add cabbage and stir-fry 2 minutes more. Fluff and toss veggies with tongs so they stay dry and crisp while cooking.
Add scallions and snow peas and stir-fry another minute. Add honey and vinegar combination, pouring it all around the pan in a slow stream.
Cook the liquids down 30 seconds more then turn off heat. Continue to toss the slaw and season it up with salt and pepper to your taste.
Slice the chicken meat thinly on an angle. Mound up 1/4 of the slaw on each plate and place the sliced chicken along side, edging its way up the slaw salad. Serve immediately.
Level: Easy
Total: 40 min
Active: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Toss the steak with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a large bowl. Combine the cucumber and celery in a separate bowl; set aside.
Stir the black bean sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch, the cherry pepper brine and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the cucumber-celery mixture and cook, undisturbed, 1 minute. Toss and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet. Add the steak in a single layer. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 1 minute. Toss and continue cooking, stirring, until just a few pink spots remain, 1 more minute.
Add the garlic, ginger and peppercorns and cook, stirring, until the meat is cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes.
Add the black bean sauce mixture and cherry peppers and bring to a boil. Cook until glossy, about 1 minute. Toss in the cucumbers and celery.
Serve the stir-fry over rice. Top with celery leaves.
Tex Wasabi�s Koi Fish Tacos
Fried Clams With a Classic Tartar Sauce
Food.com�s Soy and Sriracha Glazed Brussels Sprouts.
5 Great Barbecue Sauces
Hollandaise Sauce
Marinara Sauce
Pizza Sauce
Bechamel Sauce
You�ve already fallen for garlic�s intense flavor, now find out just how versatile those small, fragrant cloves can be with this guide to prepping and cooking with garlic.
Level: Intermediate
Jerk Sauce:
Lightly sprinkle the chicken with salt and coat liberally with the jerk rub. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of jerk marinade (or more to intensify the heat). Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours.
Preheat a grill to 450 degrees F. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up, and cover the grill. Cook until the skin is rosy brown and crisp, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan, skin-side up, and pour over a cup of Jerk Sauce. (Do not cover the chicken with sauce; just add enough to create some steam.) Cover the pan with parchment and foil and bake until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 30 to 45 minutes.
Cut the chicken legs off the thighs and cut the thighs in half. Place the chicken on a plate and add Jerk Sauce.
Jerk Sauce:
Add the port, soy sauce, liquid smoke, browning sauce, vinegar and 2 cups water to a stockpot; bring to a boil. Add the adobo powder, jerk rub, poultry seasoning, jerk marinade and breadcrumbs. Add the carrots, garlic, onions, thyme and peppers. Boil over high heat until the vegetables are fully cooked and the wet marinade has dissolved into the sauce, 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Cook�s Note
Level: Intermediate
Cook's Note: To roast bell peppers, arrange them on a baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until the skins are blackened. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel and seed the peppers.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a casserole dish with 2 tablespoons butter. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the pasta and toast until golden.
Stir in the rice and saffron. Add 3 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until al dente, about 17 minutes.
Add an extra 1/2 cup water if the liquid evaporates before the rice is tender.
Meanwhile, season some flour with the paprika in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour and shake off the excess.
Heat 3 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and crisp on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to rest.
Add 1 tablespoon EVOO to the skillet, then add the chorizo and cook until the fat begins to render, about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Deglaze with a splash of sherry, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the peas, thyme and roasted peppers and immediately remove from the heat.
Slice the chicken and combine with the rice mixture and chorizo-pepper mixture.
Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Bake until heated through and the bottom is crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.
Add a splash of stock, about 1/2 cup, if the top of the casserole dries out too much.
Meanwhile, cover the fish with about 1/2 cup kosher salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
Season some flour with seafood seasoning in a small dish. Lightly dredge the fish in the flour and shake off the excess.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until firm and opaque, 5 to 6 minutes, turning once.
Transfer the fish to a plate. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until pink, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and 1/2 cup sherry, then swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted.
Add the parsley.
Flake the fish into pieces.
Top the casserole with the fish, shrimp and sherry sauce. Divide among plates.
Cook's Notes: Always buy seafood within 24 hours of serving. Quick-salting cod with salt is a technique of NYC chef George Mendez. It gives the fish a firmer texture and more pronounced flavor. The casserole can be covered and refrigerated before baking for a make-ahead meal.
Level: Easy
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove 2 cups of the broccoli florets, cut in half, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and bake until the florets begin to crisp and turn slightly brown.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top. Stir to combine and cook until the flour is absorbed and smells lightly toasted, 1 minute or so. Add the milk and half-and-half. Add the nutmeg, then the broccoli, a small dash of salt and plenty of black pepper. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the broccoli is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.
Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup as is, mash with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree in a blender, return the soup to the heat to heat back up. Splash in some chicken broth if needed for thinning.) Garnish with the toasted broccoli or grated cheese and serve.
When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for five minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth.
For the wet jerk seasoning: To a blender, add the onions, garlic, ginger, thyme, Scotch bonnet, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, allspice, cayenne and 1 1/2 cups water. Blend well.
Level: Intermediate
Curried Goat:
For the wet jerk seasoning: To a blender, add the onions, garlic, ginger, thyme, Scotch bonnet, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, allspice, cayenne and 1 1/2 cups water. Blend well.
For the curried goat: Place the goat meat in a large mixing bowl. Add the wet jerk seasoning and 3 tablespoons of the curry powder; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat the vegetable oil in a stockpot or braising pot. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons curry powder; stir into the hot oil. Add the seasoned goat and 2 cups water, and bring to a simmer. Cover and braise over medium heat for 1 hour, turning often.
Add the carrot, onion and potato. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the scallion and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Level: Intermediate
Brine:
Jerk Marinade:
Jerk BBQ Sauce:
Special equipment: latex or vinyl gloves
Brine:
Stir the salt and light brown sugar into 8 cups water in a pot and bring to a simmer, stirring to ensure that the salt and sugar completely dissolve. Let cool to 38 degrees F before using.
Place the chicken in a large bowl or baking dish and pour the brine over it, making sure the chicken is fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Rinse the chicken well. Wearing latex or vinyl gloves (Scotch bonnet chiles can remain on the skin for 24 hours!) rub the Jerk Marinade all over the chicken. Place in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Preheat a grill for cooking over indirect medium heat. Lightly oil the grill grates, then place the chicken skin-side down over indirect heat. Grill, uncovered, turning the chicken every 5 to 6 minutes, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pricked with a fork, 40 to 50 minutes.
Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to distribute equally.
Cut the chicken into quarters, separating the leg portions from the breast portions, and serve with Jerk BBQ Sauce.
Jerk Marinade:
Put the soy sauce, oil, salt, allspice, thyme, green onions, garlic, chiles, ginger and onion in a food processor and puree until a smooth paste is formed, adding more oil if necessary. Set aside.
Jerk BBQ Sauce:
In a nonreactive heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the tomato paste and 2 cups water and heat slowly, stirring, until well incorporated. Add in the Jerk Marinade, molasses, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, tamarind, celery salt, cumin, pepper, liquid smoke, thyme and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened and reached the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Level: Easy
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles.
In a large Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring, until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve.
Strain the fat from the pancetta into a bowl and wipe the pot clean. Add back in 2 tablespoons of the pancetta fat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the pot. Reserve the remaining pancetta fat for another use or discard.
Add the onions, cabbage, carrots and thyme. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and half the pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables with the butter. Cover and cook until the cabbage is wilted and almost tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the cabbage is very tender, about 10 more minutes.
While the cabbage cooks, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.
Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the cabbage and onions are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add in the garlic and capers and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas, deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the lemon juice. Add in three-quarters of the pancetta, combine well and remove from heat.
Drain the noodles and add to the pot with the cabbage. Toss well to coat the noodles with the cabbage and onion mixture. Sprinkle with the parsley, remaining pancetta and remaining pepper. Serve immediately.
Cook�s Note
Level: Easy
In a large pot combine the spare ribs, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns, vinegar and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
In another pot, cover the scrubbed beets with water and bring to a boil. Simmer the beets for 45 To 1 hour or until the beets are tender. Drain and rinse the beets under cold water until they are cool. Peel and grate the beets.
When the meat is tender, Remove the bones and strip off the meat in bite size pieces. Return the meat to the broth and stir in the grated beets.
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl stir together the sour cream, milk and flour. Add two cups of the hot stock to the sour cream mixture and stir to combine. Pour this mixture through a strainer into the soup.
Heat the soup over medium heat at a gentle simmer, but do not allow it to boil. Boiling will cause the sour cream to curdle.
Serve immediately with boiled potatoes and pumpernickel or rye bread
Total: 1 hr
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute scallions and garlic in oil and place on the bottom of an oiled 8-inch casserole.
Mix flour, milk, sour cream and eggs and herbs, butter and seasoning.
Place vegetables in casserole.
Pour egg mixture on top and cover with crumbled feta.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes.
Level: Easy
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
Preheat grill. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut kielbasa into 3-inch lengths and butterfly lengthwise. Place on hot grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side turning frequently, charring all sides. Remove from grill. Transfer kielbasa to a baking sheet and place in oven to cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and sugar. Allow sugar to cook to a golden brown color. Add onions and cook until caramelized. Stir in the sauerkraut and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until onions and sauerkraut are wilted and colored.
Remove kielbasa from oven and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add to pan of sauerkraut and onions. Toss together and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a platter, garnish with parsley and serve with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined.
Level: Intermediate
Sweet Potato Mash:
Fried Sweet Potato Triangles:
Grilled Tomatoes:
Slice the sausages on the diagonal and cook in a grill pan over medium-high heat, until grill marks form, about 3 minutes on each side.
Saute 1 quartered and sliced white onion in a medium pan in extra virgin olive oil until tender. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of sugar to the pan and coat the onions evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and continually stir the onions until they are brown. Top sausages with onions and.serve with Sweet Potato Mash and Grilled Tomatoes.
Sweet Potato Mash:
Salt Cut 2 medium sized sweet potatoes into small, 2-inch cubes and boil in salted water, in a large pot, until the cubes are fork tender, about 7 minutes. Once the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, drain the water from the pot and place into a medium sized bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin, cinnamon, and ginger. For added heat, add 1 teaspoon of minced chipotle pepper. Mix together with a masher or wooden spoon until the ingredients are fully integrated, then set aside.
Fried Sweet Potato Triangles:
Slice the sweet potato into 1/8-inch triangles. Fry the triangles in vegetable oil in a medium sized saute pan until crisp. Use the triangles as a garnish in the sweet potato mash.
Grilled Tomatoes:
Place the tomatoes in a large pot of boiling water for approximately 2 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and immediately shock them in ice water. Once the tomatoes are cool, peel away the tomato skins. Cut the tomatoes in 1/2, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the tomato halves in a grill pan, and cook until each side is seared, roughly 3 minutes per side. Remove the tomato halves from the pan and set aside.
Total: 2 hr
Preheat overn to 375 degrees f.
Saute onions, and garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until translucent and set aside to cool.
Mix beef with cooled onion mixture, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, and mushrooms. Form into 4-ounce patties and saute in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until golden brown on both sides and set aside.
In saucepan melt 2 ounces of butter and add flour and cook over low heat for 1 minute until wet sand consistency. Begin to add stock 1/3 at a time whisking and bringing to simmer each time making sure there are no lumps.
Add mushrooms and simmer for 1/2 hour.
Place patties in a roasting pan and pour gravy over patties and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Garnish with grilled onions and serve.
Total: 17 min
2 package (24 ounces each) refrigerated prepared mashed potatoes or cauliflower
In a large skillet, saute sausage, carrot, and onion in butter until onion is tender.
Add the cabbage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, covered 14-16 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
Meanwhile, heat potatoes according to package directions.
Serve with sausage mixture.
Level: Easy
Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.
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A story went viral this week of a New Hampshire lunch lady, Bonnie Kimball, losing her job after allowing a student with an $8 school lunch debt to take his food without paying. The student paid his school debt the following day but Kimball was called into the Cafe Services manager�s office and released. Kimball had worked as the lunch lady for Cafe Services, at Mascoma Valley Regional High School, for five years preceding the firing on March 29. It was only a couple of weeks before that Kimball was given a good review by her boss. You don�t have to share his political views to understand that this is a man with real humanitarian integrity. His work to help people in crisis in Haiti and Puerto Rico alone is awe inspiring. Whether he�s reaching out to help federal workers in trouble because of petty government shutdowns, offering places to stay for newly elected congressional representatives in need, or heading down to the southern border of the United States to help out families in very stressful and dangerous times, Jos� Andr�s sounds like someone anybody would enjoy working for.
Word spreads around the internet fast and an angel named Jos� Andr�s responded. Andr�s is the world famous chef and �Humanitarian of the Year," known for reaching out to anybody and everybody he can to help in any way he can.
You don�t have to share his political views to understand that this is a man with real humanitarian integrity. His work to help people in crisis in Haiti and Puerto Rico alone is awe inspiring. Whether he�s reaching out to help federal workers in trouble because of petty government shutdowns, offering places to stay for newly elected congressional representatives in need, or heading down to the southern border of the United States to help out families in very stressful and dangerous times, Jos� Andr�s sounds like someone anybody would enjoy working for.
Level: Easy
Cut off and discard the tough stems and discolored leaves from the greens. Cut across the leaves into 2-inch ribbons.
In a large stock pot, over medium-high heat, add the canola oil and the diced salt pork, and cook until light golden brown and just crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let cool.
Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the red chili flakes, black pepper, and the collard greens.
Stir every few minutes, or until greens have wilted down. Add the chicken stock and the water and cover. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, then remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and add the vinegar and a teaspoon of hot sauce. Adjust the seasoning, if needed, then put it into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the salt pork and serve with additional hot pepper sauce on the side.
Level: Easy
Collards:
For the lemon yogurt sauce: Add the yogurt, lemon juice, dill, coriander and some salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix together, then drizzle some olive oil on top and garnish with a sprig of dill.
For the collards: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and have a bowl of ice water ready. Boil the collard leaves until bright green and pliable, about 1 1/3 minutes. Transfer to the ice water to cool. Gently squeeze the leaves dry.
Lay out the leaves one at a time on a paper towel to blot, and use a sharp knife to cut out the thick center stems, cutting about three-quarters of the way to the top and making sure to leave 2 to 3 inches uncut at the top. Set the trimmed leaves aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the rice, raisins and allspice and cook, stirring, until the rice is well coated, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and remove from the heat. Stir in the dill, parsley, mint and lemon zest.
Lay out one collard leaf with the intact end pointing towards you and the trimmed stem end pointing away. Spoon 2 level tablespoons of the rice filling in the center of the side facing you. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then roll the leaf up tightly away from you like a burrito, starting from the bottom and finishing seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining leaves and rice filling. (Some of the larger leaves may need to be trimmed slightly if they appear too bulky when rolled up.)
Add a splash of the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to a medium saucepan. Arrange the collard rolls in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. Top with enough water to just cover the rolls, then drizzle in the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice. Cover the rolls directly with a round of parchment paper. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer and cook, covered with a lid, for 1 hour. Remove the rolls from the liquid, drain on a paper towel-lined plate and let cool to room temperature. Serve with lemon wedges and the lemon yogurt sauce.
The Mediterranean diet is based on traditional Greek food including lots of fish, fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and red wine. Heart healthy omega-3 olive oil is traditionally used in Greek cooking, along with olives and nuts.
Common pitfalls:
Traditional foods like moussaka, spanakopita, tiganita (deep fried veggies) and saganaki (fried cheese) are extremely high in calories. If you must indulge, share with friends.
The gyro is also high in fat and calories -- we suggest you skip it.
If you look beyond the greasy offerings at many Japanese steakhouses, you'll find lots of low calorie protein and healthy fats in Japanese cuisine. Edamame, miso soup and lots of seafood are some healthier choices. Nowadays, you can also order up brown rice to up the fiber.
Common pitfalls:
Fried dishes like tempura and spring rolls -- avoid them, or share with friends.
1. Massaman curry, Thailand. One more reason to visit Thailand.
The national restaurant industry is bracing for a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation that could round up hundreds of migrant families that have received deportation orders. Restaurant owners and worker advocates hope the operation, planned to start on Sunday, will not disrupt an industry already hurting for staff, or broaden into a wider investigation of employees not on the Trump administration�s deportation lists.
President Trump announced on Monday that the roundups would move forward despite debate within the administration over the potential humanitarian issues (separating children from their parents) and political fallout (alienating Democrats as Congress debates a $4.6 billion supplemental aid package to deal with the crisis at the border) of the operation to remove up to 2,000 families. News reports later confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security and ICE would proceed with �family op," as the agencies call the plan, in up to 10 major immigrant destinations such as Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and other cities.
Restaurant associations and immigrant advocacy groups across the country were sending out mass emails to members and workers this week, alerting them to their rights should ICE agents knock on their doors. The California Restaurant Association, the Illinois Restaurant Association, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (which advocates for restaurant workers), South Asian Americans Leading Together (which advocates for the rights of South Asians in the United States) and the Restaurant Law Center (the legal affiliate of the National Restaurant Association) were among the groups alerting constituents about the expected ICE actions.
Their messages were basically the same: They provided information on what both employees and employers can and cannot do when targeted as part of an ICE raid. The groups emphasized many of the same points, including that ICE agents must have a signed judicial warrant to enter the workplace and that employees have the right to remain silent. Several advocates said that, in the face of federal immigration officers, employers and employees frequently don�t realize they have the right not to incriminate themselves.
Fear, said Saru Jayaraman, president and co-founder of ROC United, is part of the Trump administration�s tactics when announcing, in advance, when the ICE raids will take place. It�s both the specificity (10 cities) and the randomness (no one knows where agents will show up) that cause anxiety among workers, she added. Employees will just leave their workplaces rather than wait on ICE agents to possibly appear, and their departures can sometimes leave restaurants in the lurch.
"Every time this new threat arises, workers don�t show up." Jayaraman said. �This is not the first time, and each time it doesn�t just hurt the workers and their family, but it hurts the owners and the customers."
The restaurant industry, observers point out, is particularly vulnerable to immigrant enforcement actions. An estimated 1.3 million unauthorized workers toil in the �leisure and hospitality� industries, according to the Pew Research Center. That�s about 8 percent of the workforce.
"I would bet two weeks pay that every business with over 20 employees in the hospitality sector has at least one undocumented employee," said Madeleine Tillotson, Chicago director of sales and marketing for Rooam, a mobile payment start-up focused on the restaurant industry. As part of her job, Tillotson talks with dozens of clients, and potential clients, in the Chicago area, often hearing the fears that ripple through the restaurant industry.
In response to questions about the agency�s tactics and potentially widening the scope of its operation, spokeswoman Kate Pote emailed: �ICE officers routinely conduct targeted enforcement actions. Officers do not conduct arbitrary �round ups� or �raids,' nor do they indiscriminately engage with and/or arrest individuals."
The Trump administration has signaled that the upcoming raids will target only those migrant families that have gone through due process and received a final deportation order. But Lakshmi Sridaran, interim co-executive director of SAALT, said that information is being passed around the �immigration hub� -- a coalition of immigrant rights organizations that share intelligence from the field -- that the Trump administration has expanded beyond its original targets to include �unaccompanied children who have aged out." Minors, in other words, who are 18 years or older.
What�s more, recent ICE raids at restaurants have gone beyond their intended targets. In April, ICE agents targeted a 42-year-old man from Mexico who worked at popular Mexican restaurant in Crawfordsville, Ind., about 50 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The man had a felony conviction for sexual and domestic battery. The federal agents got their man. They also got six other restaurant employees -- known as �collateral arrests� -- who were reportedly unauthorized to work in the country. ICE�s expanded roundup raised concerns in the mostly conservative community.
Several months earlier in January, ICE agents targeted a restaurant in Chatham, N.Y., reportedly looking for an undocumented Guatemalan man with pending criminal charges. According to the Times Union newspaper, �The officers went back into the kitchen and began questioning workers about their immigration status. They arrested three men -- including the one they had initially targeted."
There is also concern among restaurant owners that ICE officials may be coordinating with the Social Security Administration, which, according to the New York Times, has mailed out letters to more than 570,000 employers since March, notifying the companies that the names of some employees do not match their Social Security number. Restaurateurs fear that ICE may be also targeting those employees with mismatched Social Security numbers.
These letters �are not uncommon," said Melissa Stewart, executive director of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association. �They can have them for myriad reasons." Social Security numbers may not match sometimes, Stewart said, because of basic clerical errors, though she did not rule out the possibility of undocumented workers, either.
Once migrant families -- and anyone else caught up in ICE�s actions -- are detained, the Immigrant Justice Corps will mobilize their fleet of lawyers to help. Jojo Annobil, executive director of IJC, said that many of the targeted migrants probably did not receive due process, despite assurances from the Trump administration. The �rocket docket� that sped these immigrants through the courts left many of them at a loss on what to do, he said. Some didn�t have counsel. Some weren�t notified of their hearings. Some, because English is their second language, thought their ICE agency check-ins were their court hearings, Annobil said.
The Immigrant Justice Corps has put together an information network to try to track the migrants whom ICE detains for deportation. IJC plans to file emergency motions to get their cases reopened because, Annobil said, numerous immigrants have a good argument for asylum because they face legitimate threats back in their home countries.
"There�s a more humane way to do this," Annobil said of the immigration system.
The verdict is in: Hawaii may just be the ultimate paradise. After all, in addition to the wondrous sunshine and hypnotic waves, this state is also swimming in loco moco -- a comfort food dish created right here on the Big Island.
As the locals tell it, loco moco got its start as a way to satisfy the most outsized of appetites: those of teenage boys. If the goal is to leave one stuffed, this protein-packed powerhouse is certainly up to the task. A beefy burger patty is nestled on a mound of steamed rice, crowned with a fried egg and then drenched in a downpour of glistening brown gravy.
That original version dates back to 1949, though it has never been officially decided if the dish was first cooked up at the long-defunct Lincoln Grill or the still-going-strong Cafe 100 (which has trademarked the loco moco name).
Different variations have been dished out through the decades, with some riffs switching out the steamed rice for fried, substituting Spam (or another type of meat) for the beef patty and even using an entirely different kind of gravy altogether. Loco moco has continued to surge in popularity, as the dish has spread beyond its birthplace of Hilo, Hawaii, and can now be found on menus across the mainland United States. Check out Food Network�s gallery to find out where to tuck into a traditional take on Hawaii�s comfort food classic.
Level: Intermediate
Special equipment: a deep-frying thermometer
Cook the ground beef and chorizo in a hot skillet until browned. Add the onion, garlic powder, onion powder and some salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion softens and the meat is cooked through. Set aside to cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the rice, Cheddar and ground meat. Add the beaten eggs and mix well.
Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with oil and slowly bring it to 375 degrees F. Form the meat mixture into medium-size balls and dredge in some flour. Fry until golden and drain on paper towels.
Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour and cook, whisking, until well-combined and bubbling. Whisk in the beef stock, demi glace, and some salt and pepper, and simmer until thickened.
Fry the remaining eggs until sunny-side up.
Place the rice balls on 4 plates and top with sunny-side up eggs. (Save the remaining rice balls for another use.) Drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle each plate with scallions.
When the fog rolls through the waterfront city of San Francisco, few dishes can ward off the ensuing chill like a steaming bowl of cioppino.
This tomato-based stew sings with the flavors of the sea, as any version done right comes crammed with a veritable bounty from the ocean in every bite. Though seafood is the constant of this dish, there is no set standard as to what kind must be used. Seasonings and type of stock also vary, though the base traditionally includes tomatoes.
Though the history of San Francisco�s signature stew is as nebulous as the city�s famous fog itself, this comforting staple is believed to have come into existence more than a century ago. Italian fishermen who migrated to the area are credited with having invented the dish, whose name and ingredients are similar to the seafood stew ciuppin that originated in Liguria, Italy. It�s thought that they combined whatever they happened to reel in on any given day with a base made from tomatoes to create the prototype that came to be known as cioppino.
This dish that started off as a simple way for fishermen to satiate their appetites eventually lured the interest of local restaurateurs. The late Rose Alioto was one of the first to offer it, creating a version in the 1930s for her waterfront restaurant, Alioto�s. This iconic restaurant, which is still standing on Fisherman�s Wharf, continues to attract crowds hungry for a taste of the classic stew.
Cioppino has since seeped past the confines of San Francisco and can now be found simmering on restaurant stoves across the country. This Food Network gallery reveals which spots are ladling out the most-luscious spins.
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Yield: about 1 cup
Heat a wok or saucepan over high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry just until fragrant, and then add the juice, vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cornstarch and water mixture and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir into any nearly completed stir-fry dish and bring to a boil until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Level: Easy
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Use one tablespoon of butter to grease a 9 by 13-inch baking or gratin dish. Mix together orange juice, brown sugar, and spices, then add pineapple. Layer slices of sweet potatoes in the dish, then dot with butter. Top with pineapple mixture. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Repeat this process until all sweet potatoes are used up, ending with pineapple mixture.
Bake in oven for 40 to 45 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender when a pairing knife is inserted. Baste gratin with excess juices every 10 minutes. The top should be bubbly and brown. If the top gets too brown or starts to burn, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking until sweet potatoes are done.
Salad:
1 clove garlic
Potatoes:
3 large waxy potatoes, like Yukon gold, washed
Prepare 2 small saucepans over low heat. To the first, add the mirin and 3 teaspoons of ginger and simmer until the mixture is about 3/4 reduced and is a dark caramel color. To the second, add the chicken stock and reduce by about 1/2. Slowly pour the mirin mixture into the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the soy sauce and pineapple juice and reduce again by 1/4. Let the mixture cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. When well mixed, form the beef into four 6-ounce patties. Brush all sides of the burgers with the teriyaki sauce and place in either a hot grill or 450 degree oven. Continue brushing with the teriyaki as the burger cooks until the desired doneness is achieved.
Salad:
Using a food processor, combine the garlic, anchovies, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Blend in the rice vinegar, and egg yolk. With the processor running, slowly drizzle The oils until a consistency of thin mayonnaise is reached. Refrigerate until ready for use.
Potatoes:
Using a mandoline, cut the potatoes into match-sized sticks. Fill a fryer or medium heavy pot one-third full with the oil and heat over high heat to 350 degrees. Add the potatoes to the oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the salt.
Plating: Cut the bread into 8 slices and toast on a grill or under a broiler. Top one side of the bread with the lettuce and tomato and place the burger on top. Place a mound of the salad next to the burger and arrange a handful of the potatoes on top of the salad.
Little turkey lettuce wraps pack big Thai flavor with ginger, lime, cilantro and fish sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and seafood seasoning. Cook until the vegetables start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and scallion greens and cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pineapple, cilantro, and lime juice. Remove from the heat.
SERVE: Spoon the filling over the hot cooked rice and serve with lime wedges and lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps.
Get a taste of the Roaring Twenties with these vintage recipes for oysters Rockefeller, finger sandwiches, strawberry Charlottes and much more.
We've rounded up the best recipes ever. They're our most loved, commented and rated 5-star recipes from our big Taste of Home community, all in one place. These apps, mains, desserts and more are guaranteed delicious!
Buffalo Chicken Dip, Pepper Poppers, Tasty Lentil Tacos, Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce
Creamy Italian Chicken
Ground Beef Spaghetti Skillet
This updated version of a classic appetizer uses only half the egg yolks of the original recipe and calls for soft bread crumbs to help firm up the filling. We replaced the mayo with fat-free mayonnaise and reduced-fat sour cream. �Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks; refrigerate eight yolk halves for another use. Set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash remaining yolks. Stir in the mayonnaise, sour cream, bread crumbs, mustard, salt and pepper. Stuff or pipe into egg whites. Garnish with olives. If desired, sprinkle with paprika.
My grandmother taught both me and my mom this appetizer recipe for stuffed celery. We always serve it at Christmas and Thanksgiving. The stuffing is so yummy that even if you don't normally care for the ingredients on their own, you'll love the end result. �Stacy Powell, Santa Fe, Texas
Finely chop the pickles and olives; set aside. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, Miracle Whip, juices and salt until blended. Stir in the pickles, olives and pecans.
Transfer to a small resealable plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag; pipe or stuff into celery sticks. Store in the refrigerator.
Test Kitchen Tips
Pecans have a higher fat content than other nuts, so they�re more prone to going rancid. They�ll stay fresh for twice as long in the freezer as they would at room temperature.
Give limp celery a second chance to season entrees, soups and stews. Cut the ends from the limp celery stalks and place the stalks in a glass of cold water in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. You�ll be surprised how refreshed the celery will be.
This authentic German potato salad recipe came from Speck�s Restaurant, which was a famous eating establishment in St. Louis from the 1920s through the �50s. I ate lunch there almost every day and always ordered the potato salad. When the owner learned I was getting married, he gave me the recipe as a wedding gift! �Violette Klevorn, Washington, Missouri
Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 4 tablespoons drippings. In the drippings, saute onion until tender.
Stir in the flour, salt, celery seed and pepper until blended. Gradually add the sugar, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Cut potatoes into 1/4-in. slices. Add potatoes and bacon to the skillet; cook and stir gently over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.
Test Kitchen Tips
I buy several pounds of bacon when it�s on sale. I put the strips in a single layer on jelly roll pans and pop them in the oven to bake at 350� until crisp. I then place the strips on paper towels to drain before storing them in single layers in a freezer container. It�s easy to remove only the number of strips I need for a quick breakfast, sandwich or salad. A short time in the microwave reheats the bacon. �Dale H. Holland, MI
Celery seed is a classic addition to seafood dishes, slaws and pickles. The seeds are herbaceous, crunchy and slightly bitter. They come from a type of flavorful Asian celery.
Requires preserved lemons and Harissa paste [the curry of North Afrika].
Get iron skillet hot, add oil.
Looks like one Alton used on show
Same as above
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When temp reaches 350, add garlic and salt. Cook until garlic starts to brown.
Add Harissa paste and preserved lemons and brown sugar. Cook 30 seconds, stirring briskly.
Add bell peppers and tomatoes shredded through the largest holes of a box grater. Should leave only skins to throw away. Reduce heat to medium low and stir every five minutes.
Cook for 20 minutes.
Serve with eggs poached in the stew.
Transfer to ice bath for 30 seconds.
Crack each egg into a divot made in the stew which is on low heat
Let cook for 12 minutes
Cut lemons into wedges.
Place 4 wedges in mason jar and cover with salt.
Repeat until jar is full. Include juice from cutting board.
If no juice add another lemon.
Store in fridge for 4 days.
Then flip jar upside down and leave for 4 days.
Best in one month. Even better in 2 months.
Great for cutting dough, sectioning crusts, scraping baking sheets, chopping veggies and more
Stainless steel blade includes quarter-inch markings for easy measuring
Soft, comfortable non-slip handle
Tall enough to keep hands away from food
Dishwasher safe
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Toast seeds in dry iron skillet.on medium heat until fragrant 3 minutes
Slive 8 cloves garlic very thin with mandarin [ceramic slicer, kevlar gloves]
Dice 1 onion.
Add 1/4 cup EVOO, onions, garlic, and 1 Tbsp Kosher salt. Stir around
When onions soft, add tomato paste and 1 cup Urfa biber. Cook 1 minute.
Add red wine vinegar and cook down, 2 minutes
Put in food processor and blend until a smooth paste.
Can store in glass jar in fridge for up to 3 months.
Use in shakshouka, beef stew, scrambled eggs, et al.
Substitute hot paprika, cayenne, or crushed red pepper flakes. Ancho chile powder would be the closest substitute,possibly combined with a dash of salt.
Bag, 4 oz. $9.49
Bag, 16 oz. $34.99
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Level: Intermediate
Urfa Biber Harissa:
Quick Preserved Lemons:
Special equipment: a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, food processor, 16-ounce canning jar
Position an oven rack 5-inches from the top of oven and set the broiler to high.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, discard the seeds, and place cut-side down on a sheet pan. Broil until the skins are completely charred, about 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. (Or char the peppers over gas burners, turning often.)
Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow then to steam for 15 minutes, then rub the skins off under running water. Drain and roughly chop into half-inch squares.
Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and heat until shimmering, or until it reaches 335 to 350 degrees F. Stir in the garlic and salt and cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 1 minute.
Add the harissa, brown sugar and preserved lemons and cook, stirring vigorously, for 30 seconds. Follow with the peppers, then grate the tomatoes directly into the pan using the large holes of a box grater, discarding the remaining pieces of skin. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Carefully lower the eggs (in their shells) into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute then dunk in the ice bath for 30 seconds. Remove to a dish towel.
Create 6 divots in the stew with the back of a large spoon or ladle, making them deep enough to hold the eggs without pushing through to the bottom of the pan. Crack the par-cooked eggs into the divots. (I usually break them one by one into a custard cup to protect the yolk.) Cook over medium-low heat until the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, about 12 minutes.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Toast the cumin, coriander and caraway in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, onion and salt. Cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the urfa biber and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine vinegar and cook 2 minutes more.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with a standard S-blade and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Store in a tightly sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Trim the ends off the lemons. Slice each lemon into 8 wedges, removing any seeds as you go. Reserve as much of the juice as possible.
Layer the lemon wedges in a wide-mouthed 16-ounce canning jar, covering each layer with salt. Pack the jar as tightly as possible, pressing down to release the lemons' juice as you go and leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace in the jar.
Cover the wedges with the reserved lemon juice from the cutting board and the ends. If your lemons do not release a significant amount of juice, top off the jar with the juice of another lemon.
Stash in the refrigerator for 4 days, then flip the jar over and age another 4 days before sampling. The peel should be nice and soft. Rinse before using.
Expect peak flavor and texture after about a month. As long as they're kept refrigerated, preserved lemons should keep indefinitely.
Level: Easy
Heat the olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro stems, garlic, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened and the vegetables are coated with the spices, about 1 minute.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stir the tomatoes with their juices into the skillet. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
Use the back of a spoon to make 4 wells in the sauce, 1 to 2 inches apart. Crack an egg into each well. Run the edge of a rubber spatula through the egg whites to break them slightly, being careful not to break the yolks (this allows the egg whites to cook faster). Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are just set, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with the cilantro leaves. Serve with pita bread.
Level: Intermediate
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, harissa, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, another good pinch of salt and a few turns of black pepper. Cook until it's all dreamy-smelly, another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, followed by the chopped tomatoes and sugar, and simmer until slightly thickened, 10 minutes more. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings.
Make 8 little wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs. Simmer until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes. (You can either baste the eggs with sauce during cooking or just let them be in a sunny-side-up situation.) Off the heat, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Scatter the feta and parsley over all.
[from Show: Girl Meets Farm
A mixture of spices, jalapeno and chipotle spice up this lamb (or beef) shakshuka. This tomato and egg dish is so hearty and savory you will want breakfast for every meal.
Level: Easy
To Serve:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Gather your ingredients.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO to the pan, 2 turns of the pan. Add ground meat, crumble and cook until the pink color goes away and meat is lightly browned.
Peel and chop onion, seed and finely chop the peppers and chop or slice the garlic. Add onions and peppers to the meat and stir to soften a few minutes. Add seeds, spices and garlic; stir.
Puree in food processor a can of chipotle in adobo. Add 2 tablespoons to pan and the rest to a bag to freeze and store for another use.
Add tomatoes, honey if using, feta and stir. Make 4 to 6 nests in meat sauce using the back of a wooden spoon and drop eggs into them. Transfer pan to oven for 8 to 10 minutes till eggs set.
For naan, heat a griddle over high heat. Scatter a little water onto skillet and griddle the bread to blister, then flip. Brush bread with melted butter and cut into pieces/wide strips.
Garnish eggs with dollops of yogurt if using, cilantro leaves and scallions.
[from 30 Minutes Meals]
Level: Easy
In a food processor, pulse oyster crackers into crumbs, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the cornichons, capers, scallions and tarragon to the food processor and pulse into small pieces. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and pepper and pulse to combine.
Remove 1/2 cup tartar sauce to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Pour the remaining tartar sauce into the bowl with the cracker crumbs and gently fold together with the egg and crabmeat. Use a 1/4-cup measure to form the mixture 16 crabcakes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and, working in batches, cook the crabcakes until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Serve with a dollop of the reserved tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
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Active: 20 mins
There aren't too many ways I don't like eggplant, if it's cooked right. And that often involves an ungodly amount of olive oil, since eggplant soaks up the stuff as if there were an impending shortage. The reputation of eggplant as an oil hog has even resulted in the name of a classic Turkish dish, imam bayildi, which translates to �the imam fainted." Legend says that�s what happened when he discovered just how much oil went into the eggplant dishes his new wife was cooking.
I love the traditional version of the dish: Even when the oil use is more restrained, the eggplant -- stuffed with a garlicky tomato-onion mixture -- ends up with a luxuriously soft, rich texture.
My friend Aglaia Kremezi keeps a light touch with the oil in her Greek take on the dish and ups the ante with the stuffing. Greek cooks are masters at stuffing vegetables, and Kremezi adds bell peppers, walnuts and cheese to this party, along with the warming touch of cumin, the spark of chile flakes and a blanket of tomato sauce.
It�s exactly what I feel like cooking right now, letting the eggplants bake twice just as the nights turn into sweater weather -- and what I feel like eating, too, as I start to put behind me the raw tomatoes, salads and cold soups of summer. Like so many other Mediterranean vegetable dishes, it also tastes great at room temperature and as leftovers a day, two or three later. That makes it good anytime, anywhere.
Make Ahead: You can bake the eggplants up to 3 days in advance, cool them and refrigerate until needed, or you can freeze them for up to 6 months. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 small yellow onions (12 ounces), halved and thinly sliced
3 medium red bell peppers (1 pound), stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup walnuts (4 ounces), chopped
1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese or cheddar cheese (3 ounces; may substitute shredded vegan cheese, such as Violife or Daiya)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more as needed
1 large beefsteak tomato, cored and cut into 8 slices
1 cup store-bought marinara or other plain tomato sauce
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, keeping the stem. Score the flesh lightly with a knife and generously season the eggplants with 2 tablespoons salt. Let them drain in a colander set over a bowl for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with a clean dish towel.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle. Place the eggplants, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Brush liberally with oil on both sides. Bake until the eggplants are golden, about 20 minutes.
In a deep skillet over medium heat, warm the 1/4 cup oil until shimmering. Add the onions and the remaining � teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Stir in the walnuts, cheese, cumin and red pepper flakes. Taste, and add more salt and/or red pepper flakes, as needed.
Choose a baking dish that will hold the eggplants snugly. Brush the pan with oil and line with the tomato slices. Place the eggplants on the tomatoes, skin-side down. Using a spoon, press into the eggplants� softened flesh to create indentations for the stuffing. Fill each eggplant half with the onion-pepper mixture and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Push any extra stuffing into the gaps between the eggplants, and pour any remaining sauce around them.
Bake until bubbling and browned on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer the eggplants and tomato slices to a serving dish. Garnish with parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.
Adapted from �Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts� by Aglaia Kremezi (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2014).
Active: 35 mins
I never met a noodle I didn�t like. Spaghetti, ramen, udon, rice: You name it, I�ll slurp it, happily. A favorite, especially in the summer, is dangmyeon, Korean sweet potato noodles, a.k.a. glass noodles, a.k.a. cellophane noodles.
Why especially in summer? Because these noodles, which get their English name because of their translucence, are super-light and springy, and gluten-free. I can eat a lot of them without feeling as weighed down as I do by, say, pasta (as much as I love pasta).
When stir-fried with vegetables, they star in the Korean dish japchae. It�s easy to put together -- once you get past a good bit of chopping in the prep, that is. As with most stir-fries, the work is all upfront, and once you get everything together, the actual cooking happens in the flash of a pan. The pan of choice is a wok, although a large skillet can work, too.
This version by Marja Vongerichten uses a garden�s worth of produce, including tri-color bell peppers, green beans, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, edamame and spinach.
And much of the flavor comes from a quick sauce she makes from soy sauce, honey, garlic and sesame seeds.
I took major liberties with the sauce because I know that a quarter-cup of even low-sodium soy sauce is going to cause an off-the-chart sodium reading for our nutritional analysis, so I substituted coconut aminos, which have much less sodium and also a touch of sweetness, allowing me to also omit the honey. If neither sodium nor sugar is an issue for you, feel free to return to her surely more traditional version.
The recipe is amenable to other substitutions and adaptations, too: You could use broccoli or cauliflower instead of green beans, kale or collard greens instead of spinach, and so on. You could include fewer vegetables, it�s true, but do me a favor, and make sure to include more than one variety. The name japchae, after all, means �mixed vegetables� -- plural.
NOTE: The noodles can be found in Asian supermarkets and in many well-stocked grocery stores. If you can�t find them, use thin rice vermicelli or any other favorite noodle.
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup liquid aminos or coconut aminos, or more as needed (may substitute low-sodium soy sauce plus 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar)
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 small onion, finely chopped (2/3 cup)
3 bell peppers, preferably a mix of red, yellow and orange, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced (3 3/4 cups)
1 large carrot, scrubbed, trimmed and cut into 1-inch matchsticks (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 cup snow peas, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup thawed frozen edamame or peas
3 cups baby spinach leaves
Sriracha, for serving (optional)
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and drizzle with a little sesame oil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the aminos, sesame seeds and half the garlic.
In a large wok or wide, deep skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onion and the remaining garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until browned and softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a plate and drizzle with a bit of sesame oil.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the wok and add the bell peppers and carrot. Cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the green beans, snow peas and edamame and cook until all the vegetables are just barely cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Add the reserved sesame-garlic sauce, the noodles and spinach and stir-fry just until the greens wilt, 30 seconds. Taste, and add more aminos or soy sauce if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature, with Sriracha for drizzling if desired.
Adapted from �The Kimchi Chronicles� by Marja Vongerichten (Rodale, 2011).
If everyone in the United States adopted this (almost) waterless method of cooking pasta, we'd save billions of gallons of water.
Ah, the kitchen. The heart of the home, the happy place, the spot where all the magic happens � and a place of prodigious waste. From unimaginable food losses to the cult of disposability to the needless frittering away of resources, the place that nourishes us is also a place where much is squandered.
Over at Epicurious, David Tamarkin tackles one of these waste quandaries when he writes about the place that water has in cooking:
But regardless of where we live, the ways we waste water is so obvious, so naked before our eyes. What other ingredient do we consistently, literally pour down the drain?
And in indeed, we use a lot of water in the kitchen. By some accounts, a family of four uses 100 gallons of water a year just for cooking pasta. Considering that on average, a resident of sub-Saharan Africa uses 2 to 5 gallons of water per day, 100 gallons is a lot of water to be dumping through the colander.
In a quest to decrease his own water footprint in the kitchen, Tamarkin started experimenting with less water-intensive cooking methods, like steaming things instead of boiling them.
But pasta � how to handle something of which a giant vat of boiling water is part and parcel? Writes Tamarkin:
After some adventures with the Epicurious test kitchen, it was confirmed that less water worked, but why stop there? They went on to experiment with using no water at all, and voila, they could. Well, kind of. The method works by putting uncooked pasta directly in a pot of simmering sauce, topping it with just enough water to cover (which is significantly less than a whole pot, obviously) and allowing the pasta to cook in the sauce. The extra water steams off, the pasta is cooked.
There is not a pot of water requiring the energy to boil. There is not a pot of water that gets dumped down the drain. There is not an extra pot that requires washing. If everyone in the U.S. applied this method, we could, astonishingly, save billions of gallons of water.
I really love this method for the reasons above, but also for a selfish reason: It makes pasta taste better, in my opinion. Pasta mavens know that boiling pasta to just al dente and then finishing the cooking in the sauce can do two things: The starch from the clinging (or added) pasta water helps thicken the sauce; meanwhile, hydrating the last of the dry pasta with sauce infuses some of the saucy goodness into the pasta itself. By cooking the pasta entirely in the sauce, you end up with a beautifully thick sauce and a noodle with added flavor. While that might not be for everyone, I find that with tomato sauce, it is lovely.
And Tamarkin and I aren't the only ones who promote the concept: Martha Stewart's one-pot pasta recipe instructs one to throw all of the sauce ingredients, along with the uncooked pasta, in a pot and cook until the water is absorbed. Basically the same idea, Martha-approved.
The results of this exploration are presented in the video below, which is part of an animated series from Epicurious called The Answer is Cooking. The series looks at ways in which cooking practices can have a positive impact on the environment� a topic that delights this treehugging foodie, for sure. Watch it, and browse other installments in the series � and in the meantime, ditch that extra pot of boiling water.
For flavor, depth and texture, these simple vegan staples work like magic.
I love cooking and food so much that when I go on vacation, I do my souvenir shopping at grocery stores. I've hauled the strangest and most beautiful things home, canned and dried delicacies from all over the world have found a place in my kitchen and eventually my family's meals. I am just smitten with ingredients, which has been a good thing since I'm often (happily) tasked with making food to suit a variety of diets and preferences. Members of my household swing from vegan to omnivore, and extended family provides a whole other array of quirks; but even so, my arsenal of ingredients rarely fails me.
Most of my cooking is vegan and vegetarian, which I've been doing since I was 12 years old. While I think that plants on their own are absolutely delicious, coaxing the most flavor out of them is not only fun, but works well to keep the omnivores happy as well. With that in mind, the following 10 ingredients are my go-to staples that never let me down.
Miso paste is basically umami � that elusive fifth taste � in a jar. It is so savory and deep and delicious, and adds a satisfaction factor to things in the same way I think meaty flavors would. It is the perfect stand-in for anchovies (like, in a Ceasar salad), and adds depth to soups and pasta dishes; rubbed on vegetables � eggplant, winter squash, you name it � before roasting is transformative.
Also great for umami and their concentrated flavor, but excellent for texture as well. There are many kinds, so I suggest trying different ones to find what you like; personally, I love them all! I use shiitake, wood ear, matsutake, morel, trumpet, chanterelle and the real workhorse, porcini. They need to be reconstituted with hot water, but then you have two ingredients: A rich flavorful broth as well as the toothsome mushrooms themselves. I adore mushroom barley soup using both components, plus fresh button mushrooms for extra texture. Great in soups, stews, stir fries, pasta, pizza, etcetera.
Raw jalapeno is nice, roasting one transforms it into something else entirely. That sharp bright pepper flavor turns into a smoky sweet spiciness that can add a surprising little something in unexpected places. I almost don't make pesto without adding some; it's also amazing in hummus, vegetarian chili and bean soups, salsa and anywhere else you can think of. They are quick to roast if you have a gas stove; just put it on the open flame and turn it with tongs until all sides are black and blistering. Once cool, wipe off most of the charred skin and use accordingly. (As always, when handling hot peppers, wash your hands well after.)
This darling from the 60s health food movement has endured and remains a perpetual favorite among wholesome eaters. Also derived from soybeans, it tastes a lot like soy sauce, but it is non-GMO and is gluten-free; and as its name suggests, it boasts a whole party of naturally occuring essential and non-essential amino acids. I get it in the spray bottle and use it in salads, salad dressings, on vegetables, in rice and grain dishes, in soups and beans, stir fries, marinades and anywhere else I might need a salty/umami spritz.
I realize that a lot of kitchens have olive oil in this day and age, but that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a shout-out. It is powerful stuff! Lately I've been trying something I learned fromThomas Keller, which is to mostly use other vegetable oils for cooking and use olive oil mostly for finishing/dressing a dish. (Previously I've predominantly cooked with olive oil, despite its low smoking point.) This has meant more splurging in the olive oil department, and the discovery of all the amazing flavors it has to offer, from spicy and peppery to sweet, grassy and nutty. And lo and behold, I now love olive oil more than butter, which used to be my favorite food group.
The unfortunately named nutritional yeast is a super staple for vegans for both its nutrients (especially protein and B-complex vitamins) and its flavor. It is a yeast grown on molasses and comes in powder form; it is inactive, so it doesn't have leavening power like other yeasts used in the kitchen. My household has been using it for so long I don't remember if it is an acquired taste or not. It is a little different in flavor, but it's that distinctive flavor � with its nutty and cheesy umami personality � that makes it such a great stand in for cheese. I mean, not like cheese as in cheese and crackers, but anywhere you might use grated cheese. Like, popcorn, on top of pasta or in pasta sauces, to replace the parmesan in pesto, in salads ... and really just sprinkled anywhere you want an extra sprinkle of depth and flavor.
Sweet paprika is a classic; smoked paprika is its exotic sultry sister. It's got so much smoky spicy flavor that just a dash of it can bring all the goodness of barbecue right to a dish, no animals required. Try it on popcorn with flake sea salt, good olive oil, and nutritional yeast and you can test four of my favorites in one place.
I probably use maple syrup more for savory dishes than I do for pancakes and their friends. For me, that perfect balance of sweet-salty-spicy creates a ringing harmony that rivals, I don't know, ABBA? For instance, marinating/brushing eggplant or winter squash in soy sauce (or Braggs) with maple syrup and cayenne before roasting brings out all the best parts of the vegetable and results in a beautifully meaty-not-meaty dish that is super satisfying. Maple syrup also pairs wonderfully with dijon (or wasabi, yum) for a honey-mustard kind of relationship.
For a long time I assumed that dried seaweed was pretty much limited to the nori sheets used for snacking and to make sushi rolls, and some other random assorted seaweed-salad seaweeds exclusive to Japanese restaurants. Oh my goodness I was so wrong. There are so many amazing kinds of sea vegetables and they are so nutritious and have so many uses � and best of all, of course, is that they are so delicious. They are very full of flavor; savory, sweet, salty, earthy ... and come in a range of types and textures. They can be used as a seasoning or as a stand-alone vegetable; in salads, stirred into soup, tossed in noodles, you can even roll things up in sheets of nori. Brilliant, right? They differ in preparation, but most packages will have instructions for use.
I'm adding this one because it's an ingredient that almost always ends up dying an ignominious death in the compost or trash can, and that's just a crying shame. I absolutely adore lemon zest; so much that in my dark-humor imagination, lemons call me the lemon torturer when they see me coming with my microplane. Citrus zest adds all the deep orange/lemon/lime flavor without the tart punch (which I love too, it's just different). Our go-to green salad is a bowl of big mixed leaves dressed with olive oil, a little balsamic, sea salt and loads of lemon zest. It is so much more delicious than its parts; zest just brings a bright dimension to nearly every plant-based dish I can think of. At this point, I can't imagine guacamole without lime zest or asparagus without lemon zest (and olive oil and flake sea salt; are you seeing a theme here?). So whenever you use citrus, embrace the zest as well!
You can use a citrus zesting tool, a microplane, or the smallest holes of a cheese grater; you can also use a vegetable peeler or even a knife, just be sure to avoid the white pith which can be bitter. You can freeze juiced halves and zest them as needed, or you can make the zest and then freeze it on its own. You can also dry it and use it like that, or pack zest in sugar or salt for savory or sweet applications. If you are using citrus already, consider the zest a free ingredient.
I know, salt seems basic beyond even worth mentioning so this is just an add-on ... but while some people have sweet tooths, I have a salty one, as one look in my pantry would tell you. I have so many kinds of salt, it's kind of silly, but my go-to is Maldon sea salt flakes. Different from finely ground salt, which seasons something over all, and course salt, which offers big hard crystals, flake salt is great for finishing and gives little crispy pops of salt that don't overpower and don't break your teeth. It gives lots of pizzazz in a way that elevates the seasoned ingredient, so that, for instance, a lovely raw radish becomes extra spicy and vibrant, or avocado drizzled with lemon and olive oil becomes somehow even more dynamic.
-----
So there you have it; a handful of super simple secret weapons for vegan cooking. One really doesn't need a lot of fancy meat and dairy substitutes to make the most from an animal-free diet � just some basic staples used purposefully and a bit of creativity to explore the power of plants.
See also
For flavor, depth and texture, these simple vegan staples work like magic.
I love cooking and food so much that when I go on vacation, I do my souvenir shopping at grocery stores. I've hauled the strangest and most beautiful things home, canned and dried delicacies from all over the world have found a place in my kitchen and eventually my family's meals. I am just smitten with ingredients, which has been a good thing since I'm often (happily) tasked with making food to suit a variety of diets and preferences. Members of my household swing from vegan to omnivore, and extended family provides a whole other array of quirks; but even so, my arsenal of ingredients rarely fails me.
Most of my cooking is vegan and vegetarian, which I've been doing since I was 12 years old. While I think that plants on their own are absolutely delicious, coaxing the most flavor out of them is not only fun, but works well to keep the omnivores happy as well. With that in mind, the following 10 ingredients are my go-to staples that never let me down.
Miso paste is basically umami � that elusive fifth taste � in a jar. It is so savory and deep and delicious, and adds a satisfaction factor to things in the same way I think meaty flavors would. It is the perfect stand-in for anchovies (like, in a Ceasar salad), and adds depth to soups and pasta dishes; rubbed on vegetables � eggplant, winter squash, you name it � before roasting is transformative.
Also great for umami and their concentrated flavor, but excellent for texture as well. There are many kinds, so I suggest trying different ones to find what you like; personally, I love them all! I use shiitake, wood ear, matsutake, morel, trumpet, chanterelle and the real workhorse, porcini. They need to be reconstituted with hot water, but then you have two ingredients: A rich flavorful broth as well as the toothsome mushrooms themselves. I adore mushroom barley soup using both components, plus fresh button mushrooms for extra texture. Great in soups, stews, stir fries, pasta, pizza, etcetera.
Raw jalapeno is nice, roasting one transforms it into something else entirely. That sharp bright pepper flavor turns into a smoky sweet spiciness that can add a surprising little something in unexpected places. I almost don't make pesto without adding some; it's also amazing in hummus, vegetarian chili and bean soups, salsa and anywhere else you can think of. They are quick to roast if you have a gas stove; just put it on the open flame and turn it with tongs until all sides are black and blistering. Once cool, wipe off most of the charred skin and use accordingly. (As always, when handling hot peppers, wash your hands well after.)
This darling from the 60s health food movement has endured and remains a perpetual favorite among wholesome eaters. Also derived from soybeans, it tastes a lot like soy sauce, but it is non-GMO and is gluten-free; and as its name suggests, it boasts a whole party of naturally occuring essential and non-essential amino acids. I get it in the spray bottle and use it in salads, salad dressings, on vegetables, in rice and grain dishes, in soups and beans, stir fries, marinades and anywhere else I might need a salty/umami spritz.
I realize that a lot of kitchens have olive oil in this day and age, but that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a shout-out. It is powerful stuff! Lately I've been trying something I learned fromThomas Keller, which is to mostly use other vegetable oils for cooking and use olive oil mostly for finishing/dressing a dish. (Previously I've predominantly cooked with olive oil, despite its low smoking point.) This has meant more splurging in the olive oil department, and the discovery of all the amazing flavors it has to offer, from spicy and peppery to sweet, grassy and nutty. And lo and behold, I now love olive oil more than butter, which used to be my favorite food group.
The unfortunately named nutritional yeast is a super staple for vegans for both its nutrients (especially protein and B-complex vitamins) and its flavor. It is a yeast grown on molasses and comes in powder form; it is inactive, so it doesn't have leavening power like other yeasts used in the kitchen. My household has been using it for so long I don't remember if it is an acquired taste or not. It is a little different in flavor, but it's that distinctive flavor � with its nutty and cheesy umami personality � that makes it such a great stand in for cheese. I mean, not like cheese as in cheese and crackers, but anywhere you might use grated cheese. Like, popcorn, on top of pasta or in pasta sauces, to replace the parmesan in pesto, in salads ... and really just sprinkled anywhere you want an extra sprinkle of depth and flavor.
Sweet paprika is a classic; smoked paprika is its exotic sultry sister. It's got so much smoky spicy flavor that just a dash of it can bring all the goodness of barbecue right to a dish, no animals required. Try it on popcorn with flake sea salt, good olive oil, and nutritional yeast and you can test four of my favorites in one place.
I probably use maple syrup more for savory dishes than I do for pancakes and their friends. For me, that perfect balance of sweet-salty-spicy creates a ringing harmony that rivals, I don't know, ABBA? For instance, marinating/brushing eggplant or winter squash in soy sauce (or Braggs) with maple syrup and cayenne before roasting brings out all the best parts of the vegetable and results in a beautifully meaty-not-meaty dish that is super satisfying. Maple syrup also pairs wonderfully with dijon (or wasabi, yum) for a honey-mustard kind of relationship.
For a long time I assumed that dried seaweed was pretty much limited to the nori sheets used for snacking and to make sushi rolls, and some other random assorted seaweed-salad seaweeds exclusive to Japanese restaurants. Oh my goodness I was so wrong. There are so many amazing kinds of sea vegetables and they are so nutritious and have so many uses � and best of all, of course, is that they are so delicious. They are very full of flavor; savory, sweet, salty, earthy ... and come in a range of types and textures. They can be used as a seasoning or as a stand-alone vegetable; in salads, stirred into soup, tossed in noodles, you can even roll things up in sheets of nori. Brilliant, right? They differ in preparation, but most packages will have instructions for use.
I'm adding this one because it's an ingredient that almost always ends up dying an ignominious death in the compost or trash can, and that's just a crying shame. I absolutely adore lemon zest; so much that in my dark-humor imagination, lemons call me the lemon torturer when they see me coming with my microplane. Citrus zest adds all the deep orange/lemon/lime flavor without the tart punch (which I love too, it's just different). Our go-to green salad is a bowl of big mixed leaves dressed with olive oil, a little balsamic, sea salt and loads of lemon zest. It is so much more delicious than its parts; zest just brings a bright dimension to nearly every plant-based dish I can think of. At this point, I can't imagine guacamole without lime zest or asparagus without lemon zest (and olive oil and flake sea salt; are you seeing a theme here?). So whenever you use citrus, embrace the zest as well!
You can use a citrus zesting tool, a microplane, or the smallest holes of a cheese grater; you can also use a vegetable peeler or even a knife, just be sure to avoid the white pith which can be bitter. You can freeze juiced halves and zest them as needed, or you can make the zest and then freeze it on its own. You can also dry it and use it like that, or pack zest in sugar or salt for savory or sweet applications. If you are using citrus already, consider the zest a free ingredient.
I know, salt seems basic beyond even worth mentioning so this is just an add-on ... but while some people have sweet tooths, I have a salty one, as one look in my pantry would tell you. I have so many kinds of salt, it's kind of silly, but my go-to is Maldon sea salt flakes. Different from finely ground salt, which seasons something over all, and course salt, which offers big hard crystals, flake salt is great for finishing and gives little crispy pops of salt that don't overpower and don't break your teeth. It gives lots of pizzazz in a way that elevates the seasoned ingredient, so that, for instance, a lovely raw radish becomes extra spicy and vibrant, or avocado drizzled with lemon and olive oil becomes somehow even more dynamic.
-----
So there you have it; a handful of super simple secret weapons for vegan cooking. One really doesn't need a lot of fancy meat and dairy substitutes to make the most from an animal-free diet � just some basic staples used purposefully and a bit of creativity to explore the power of plants.
If you�re anything like me, you probably have a bag -- or three -- of old frozen vegetables sitting in your freezer. Forgotten, unloved, possibly freezer-burned. But these grocery staples definitely deserve more appreciation, especially as winter creeps ever closer, diminishing access to the fresh, local produce many of us rely on.
�A lot of people pooh-pooh them," says Bruce Weinstein, who has written 32 cookbooks with his husband, Mark Scarbrough. But �the convenience factor is ridiculous."
The quality is not something to dismiss either, Weinstein says, as what you can find in the freezer section during the offseason is often better than what�s in the fresh produce section. Food meant to be frozen is picked at optimal ripeness and processed, often within hours of coming out of the field. That means it can beat out items trucked in from far away in terms of both taste and carbon footprint, especially for vegetables brought up in winter from the Southern Hemisphere.
Here�s what you need to know about putting nutritious frozen vegetables to good use.
Picking.
Water expands as it�s frozen, and that process affects vegetables. Those ice crystals break the cellular structure of the produce. �Some people say that ruins the vegetables," Weinstein says. It�s true if you eat the vegetables uncooked (which you should reconsider anyway; see below), when you may get mushy food that ends up releasing a lot of water. But as cooking is intended to drive off moisture anyway, using frozen vegetables means you�re already a step ahead in eliminating some of the water you�d be burning off by roasting, sauteing, etc. �It can save a lot of time on both ends of cooking," Weinstein says.
That initial breakdown is why some frozen vegetables hold up better than others. Look for options that are lower-moisture and sturdy enough to not be rendered into pulp by ice. Some of Weinstein�s favorites include corn, artichokes and cauliflower. Cook�s Illustrated adds peas, lima beans, pearl onions and spinach to its recommended list, with broccoli, carrots and green beans on its acceptable roster, especially if you�re incorporating them into dishes where a crisp texture is not crucial. The magazine is less keen on high-moisture vegetables, such as bell peppers, snow peas, snap peas, asparagus and mushrooms.
Also think about the types of frozen vegetables that can save you time -- peeled pearl onions, prepped artichoke hearts, shelled edamame and cubed butternut squash.
Storing.
Unlike meat, which is sold airtight or can be frozen airtight when you wrap or vacuum-seal it yourself, frozen vegetables in bags include air, and therefore moisture, in the packaging. �I think they have a more limited shelf life than meat," Weinstein says. More moisture, coupled with the cycles a self-defrosting freezer goes through, can cause freezer burn and wreak havoc on the texture of food. For those reasons, he prefers to use frozen vegetables within a few months. Aim for a colder part of your freezer, if you can, away from the door. If you open and use part of a package, try to cook the rest within a week.
Prepping
First, a necessary word about food safety. �Most frozen foods are intended to be cooked, and the safest way to consume any product is to carefully follow the package cooking or preparation instructions," Alison Bodor, president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute, told writer Sally Squires for an article we published this year. Don�t assume that the washing and blanching process kills pathogens, as frozen produce, just as fresh, has at times been linked to outbreaks of food-borne illness here and abroad. Yes, you may have eaten uncooked frozen vegetables and been fine, but know that there is some risk.
The first step to cooking may involve thawing, especially if the moisture released by frozen vegetables will be a problem. For Weinstein, those situations include stir-fries and curries. He likes to thaw vegetables before adding them to a pot of soup or stew, as straight-from-the-freezer food can drop the temperature and cause you to overcook the food when you�re forced to cook it longer to bring the temperature back up. Thawing and wringing water out of frozen spinach is almost always necessary, unless you enjoy soggy lasagna. Extra moisture can prove problematic in dips and frittatas, too.
Weinstein says you can let your frozen vegetables thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If you�re using a small amount of smaller-size vegetables, as with the corn and peas in the fried rice recipe I published last year, a brief stint on the counter while you prep your other ingredients is sufficient.
Thawing is not always necessary. The Kitchn likes roasting vegetables straight from the freezer, in a hot oven on a preheated baking sheet, with plenty of oil. They can work in soups or stews, with a few caveats. Weinstein is okay chucking them into the pot for a soup that�s going to be pureed, for example, since overcooked vegetables won�t matter. Other recipes may suggest adding frozen vegetables in the last few minutes to just heat them through, which will prevent them from turning to mush and changing how the rest of the dish cooks.
If you�re using frozen vegetables in a multicooker or pressure cooker, it may take longer to come up to pressure. That�s one reason Weinstein and Scarbrough place frozen vegetables on top of the noodles, away from the liquid, in a lo mein recipe they included in their �From Freezer to Instant Pot� cookbook. In a chop suey recipe, they add still-frozen vegetables to the cooked dish, where they are cooked by the residual heat and a quick boil.
Cooking.
Weinstein says he prefers using frozen vegetables as an ingredient in dishes rather than on their own as a side. Even if you�re not eating the vegetable straight up, you may want them cooked through if you�re, say, adding them to a grain salad or burrito. A good first step is to read the instructions on the side of the bag, which often include microwave or stove-top options. I tend to overcook frozen vegetables in the microwave, especially if I�m using only part of a bag, but I still prefer it to boiling, which can lead to mushy, waterlogged vegetables that also lose some of their nutrients. Steaming is a nice middle-of-the-road option, with a moist but not too moist environment that doesn�t take very long, either.
So what dishes are prime candidates for frozen vegetables? We�ve already touched on soups, stews and stir-fries. Try stirring peas and/or carrots into mac and cheese (maybe my/your kid won�t mind?). Frozen vegetables can shine in risotto, too, as in this Frozen Spring Vegetables Risotto from Taste magazine. Food52 recommends adding them to the mix when you�re making veggie burgers (corn), dumplings (edamame) and gnocchi (spinach). The site says greens can be swirled into yogurt or sour cream for a dip, or mushy and mashed vegetables (carrots, squash) or spread on toast. Try making your own flavored hummus with cooked, pureed frozen vegetables.
Total: 45 mins
The curse of the takeout box of rice: If you�re anything like me, you know it well. Shoved toward the back of your fridge -- �Oh, I�ll use it later!" you promise yourself -- it languishes, unused, unloved, its red pagoda and admonition of �ENJOY� glaring at you like some scarlet letter. Then, weeks pass until you unearth it, long after its useful life is up.
Guilt, frustration, the haunting of meals uneaten, all of it bubbles to the surface. But no more! After years of telling myself I would repurpose the extras, I now feel confident I will, because this dish is one of my favorite things I�ve made and eaten lately.
The �fresh� fried rice you get from your local carryout is often so underwhelming. No surprise, homemade is better (and can even use up the bits and pieces of other dishes, too).
Perhaps no one knows her way around a quick, improvised stir-fry better than cookbook author Grace Young (�poet laureate of the wok," according to one food historian, and owner of the Twitter handle @stirfrygrace).
�It�s the quintessential one-pot meal," Young says of fried rice. �I love it because it�s my lifesaver. .?.?. I know I can get dinner on the table in 15 minutes because I have cooked rice in the refrigerator."
Young strongly endorses making this and other stir-fries in a well-seasoned carbon-steel wok. (If you do use such a wok, you can double all the ingredients and cut back a bit on the oil, because the wok can handle more volume and requires less oil.) To reflect what most beginner and intermediate cooks probably have, I adapted this recipe for the more common 12-inch stainless-steel skillet.
Here are Young�s tips for fried rice success:
Preheat the skillet. If you add oil to a cold pan, your food will stick. You�ll know the skillet is at the right temperature when a few drops of water flicked on the surface evaporate in a second or two.
Don�t just stir like you�re stirring a pot. The stir-fry motion is scooping and tossing. This does a better job cooking all sides of all the ingredients and prevents sticking. You really need to get under the rice and keep it moving so it doesn�t burn on the bottom of the skillet. That�s why a fish spatula is excellent for the task. Any other type of thin metal spatula, even one designed for pancakes, works.
Each ingredient should be cut the same size to encourage even cooking. Young recommends that hard vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips and broccoli stems, be cut into 1/4-inch dice.
The cooking happens fast, so be sure to have all your ingredients nearby before you start.
Make the dish exactly the way you want it. Think of this recipe as a starting template. You can use whatever vegetables or meat you have in the refrigerator, as long as you think about when it�s added to the dish. Hard ingredients, such as carrots, and medium-hard, such as bell peppers, should go in first. Then you can use defrosted frozen vegetables. Add cooked proteins in the last minute, and you can get as creative as you want. Two of Young�s favorite recipes use unexpected stars -- jerk chicken and crab. (She suggests cutting chicken into about a 1/2-inch dice.) And don�t discount barbecue chicken and shredded prosciutto, either. Eggs and nuts help turn the fried rice recipe here into a hearty main for vegetarians. Young says fresh shiitake mushrooms are another good option.
�I feel like fried rice is a wonderful way to express yourself as you cook," Young says. �Once you start doing this, the sky�s the limit."
Prep note: Toast the nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan a few times to avoid scorching. Let cool completely before using.
Heat a 12-inch stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. When a few drops of water flicked over the surface evaporate in a second or two, the skillet is at the right temperature.
Swirl in 2 tablespoons of the oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the beaten eggs and tilt the skillet so that they spread, covering the surface like a crepe. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until it�s just set. Use a thin spatula and flip the eggs over; cook for 5 seconds to make sure they are thoroughly cooked through. Slide the eggs onto a cutting board, then cut into strips.
Wipe the skillet clean, then return it to medium-high heat. Repeat the water test to make sure the skillet heat is the right temperature.
Pull the skillet off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling the pan to coat the bottom and sides. (If the oil begins to smoke, the skillet is too hot. Let it cool for a few minutes, wipe it clean, wash and start again.)
With the skillet back over medium-high heat, add the ginger and crushed red pepper flakes; stir-fry for 10 seconds, or just until fragrant.
Add the carrots; stir-fry for 30 seconds, or until they turn a brighter shade of orange. Add the corn and peas; stir-fry for 1 minute.
Make a small clearing in the center of the pan and pour the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil into the skillet, then swirl to distribute. Add the rice and scallions; stir-fry for 2 minutes, breaking up the rice with a spatula until the rice is heated through. Season with the salt and white pepper.
Pour the soy sauce around the edges of the skillet, then stir-fry to incorporate it. Return the cooked egg to the skillet, along with the nuts, if using, tossing to incorporate. Stir-fry until the egg is just warmed through.
Serve right away.
Adapted from a recipe by cookbook author Grace Young posted on TheKitchn.com.
Calories: 360; Total Fat: 23 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 95 mg; Sodium: 580 mg; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 9 g.
When North Carolina State University microbiologist Benjamin Chapman makes a smoothie, he, like many of us, uses frozen berries. But first, Chapman microwaves his frozen berries to boiling and then refreezes them again before tossing them into the blender.
Why the extra steps? Chapman wants to be sure that there are no pathogens in the frozen berries that could cause a foodborne illness for him or his family.
�What I am doing may be overkill, but it makes me feel good," says Chapman, who has been making smoothies this way for the past eight to 10 years, since his children were infants and toddlers. �I don�t have any thoughts that the berries are super high-risk to making us sick. But to me, it is something that is quick and easy to do. It�s my own risk management."
Nor is he alone in taking extra precautions with frozen berries. In May, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it began sampling frozen berries last fall to look for hepatitis A and norovirus, two of the most common foodborne illnesses. The federal agency said that it plans to test 2,000 samples over the next 18 months from both domestic and imported sources, including food processors, distribution centers, warehouses and retailers, such as grocery stores.
As a result of this effort, there have already been two recent recalls of frozen berries announced by the FDA. They involved frozen blackberries and blended berries that were found to contain parts of the hepatitis A virus. These products were made by Townsend Farms and sold by Kroger and Costco. No outbreaks of hepatitis A have been linked to the frozen berries.
Nor does the recall mean that any of the berries contained whole, live hepatitis A virus.
�These are tests for the DNA of these organisms," said microbiologist Donald Schaffner, distinguished professor and extension specialist at Rutgers University. �It is not an indication that these berries contain the living or intact virus that can make people sick. That said, a recall is the right thing to do."
Schaffner predicts that there will be more recalls of frozen berries but doesn�t expect that there will be a lot of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to berries �based on what we have seen historically in the United States."
He would hate for consumers to think that frozen berries are not safe.
�We want people to eat more fruit and vegetables," said Schaffner, who co-hosts the Food Safety Talk podcast with Chapman and is an editor of the journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology. �We want people to eat berries. I am not going to change my berry-eating consumption because of this, because we know that these are safe, healthy foods."
�Frozen berries have a long history of safe use in the United States," said Alison Bodor, president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), a national trade association for the frozen food and beverage industry. �AFFI supports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration�s sampling assignment to increase the understanding of the risk of hepatitis A and norovirus in frozen berries."
Bodor adds that �most frozen foods are intended to be cooked, and the safest way to consume any product is to carefully follow the package cooking or preparation instructions." However, frozen fruits do not require cooking and �are intended to be thawed and consumed right out of the bag."
When it comes to foodborne illnesses, most people think of the culprits being undercooked hamburgers or fresh produce, such as spinach, romaine and cantaloupe. All have been fingered as the sources of recent foodborne illness outbreaks, including salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7.
Lesser known and lower in number -- but still important -- are a handful of foodborne illness outbreaks that have also been tied to frozen berries. According to the FDA, frozen berries caused three hepatitis A outbreaks and one norovirus outbreak in the United States from 1997 to 2016. Nearly 550 people were sickened and 53 had to be hospitalized. There were no reported deaths.
What worries microbiologists is that in Europe, frozen berries have caused a much greater foodborne illness problem. Between 2013 and 2014, mixed frozen berries caused a hepatitis A outbreak that sickened more than 1,500 people.
�As a scientific community, I don�t think that we understand the connection between viruses and frozen berries," Schaffner said. �Why is there that hotspot connection? The FDA has now embarked on this sampling trial to try to give us more information to try to figure out what the risk actually is."
It might seem that freezing should kill these sometimes deadly diseases. But cold temperatures are actually how microbiologists preserve hepatitis, norovirus and other foodborne microorganisms to study in the lab. �Freezing doesn�t kill them, and they die very, very slowly in the freezer," Schaffner said. He added: �So basically, there are lots of things that can make you sick in the freezer."
This is why Chapman always cooks frozen vegetables for his smoothies or any other dish, even if the recipe calls for just thawing in the refrigerator before adding them uncooked to dishes.
�Easily accessible recipes and food suggestions online say that if you want to make a smoothie even more healthy, take these frozen vegetables and include them without cooking them," said Chapman, who writes the Barf Blog about food safety and serves as a scientific adviser to AFFI. �That is a much riskier situation than with frozen berries."
Chapman recalls how his children�s pediatrician recommended that uncooked frozen peas could be used to help soothe them while teething. �As a food safety professional, I don�t expect that frozen peas are ready-to-eat," he said. �Having a health professional tell me and presumably many other people that this is a ready-to-eat product is really concerning."
It is so much riskier because the food processing industry doesn�t treat frozen vegetables as ready-to-eat foods. As Chapman said, �They are expecting us, the consumers, to cook them."
Said the AFFI�s Bodor: �The bottom line is frozen foods vary and are specifically labeled in accordance with food safety standards and regulations."
So what can you do to reduce your risk of contracting a foodborne illnesses from frozen food? Here are five tips that food safety experts not only recommend but also say they follow in their own kitchens.
Five tips for frozen food
1. Use a probe digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of all foods to ensure they reach the recommended internal temperatures.
2. Follow the cooking instructions on all frozen food and always cook frozen vegetables, which have been linked to some foodborne illness recalls.
3. Keep your freezer packed and don�t open the door except when needed to help ensure a constant temperature and less air flow, which can warm foods.
4. To take extra precautions, as N.C. State microbiologist Benjamin Chapman does: Microwave frozen fruit, stir and check that the temperature eclipses 200 degrees before using in recipes or refreezing, especially when using these ingredients in foods served to the very young, elderly, pregnant women or anyone with a compromised immune system.
5. Download the free USDA Foodkeeper app available for Apple and Android devices.
Fresh fruits and vegetables can do some alarming things. They can crack open and change colors, sport tiny -- or really big -- scars, and even start trying to make new produce, right there on your kitchen counter.
�When in doubt, throw it out," you might tell yourself as you approach your garbage can, suspicious produce in hand.
But hold on. Americans dump an estimated 150,000 tons of food every day, most of which is landfilled and generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. You�re also squandering the resources used to produce that food. A 2018 study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and two universities found that every year, more than 30 million acres of cropland and 4.2 trillion gallons of water are dedicated to producing food that Americans throw away.
So before you curse your overly ambitious farmers market run, consider taking a second look at that scarred tomato on your counter or the sprouting onion in your pantry. Because while sometimes �off-looking� fruits and veggies are telling you that they�re no longer good to eat, often they�re simply showcasing harmless science lessons.
Here�s what you might see in your fresh produce haul and what to make of it.
A sprouting onion
The onion looked fine when you took it home, but, now, it has sprouted green shoots. Is your stir-fry doomed? Not at all. The onion, prompted by factors such as age and temperature, simply moved to its next stage of life.
�It�s certainly not dangerous to eat," said Elizabeth J. Mitcham, of the University of California Postharvest Technology Center, noting that it just won�t be optimal quality. �If it�s in my cabinet, I�m not going to throw it away."
Having sent sugars and water to the sprout, the onion may taste a little bitter and possibly more fibrous; you�re more likely to notice this if you eat the onion raw. I�ve sauteed onions and garlic with small sprouts and haven�t noticed unpleasant flavors in the final dish. In fact, I usually forget about the sprouting by the time I sit down to eat my meal.
As for the sprout itself, the �Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook� urges treating it like a green onion, though Cook�s Illustrated taste testers found the green shoots unpleasant. Give it a try and decide for yourself. And, of course, potato sprouts are an entirely different story. We�ll get to that in a moment.
A green potato
A number of vegetables, including potatoes, garlic, onions and carrots, will develop green patches if exposed to light -- the better to photosynthesize. But in potatoes, something a little extra, and a little dangerous, happens, too. Natural or artificial light prompts the creation of defensive toxins called glycoalkaloids that can cause digestive distress, headaches and neurological issues if consumed in significant volumes.
But before you pitch your potatoes at the first hint of green, consider that such glycoalkaloids naturally occur in potatoes at harmless levels and even contribute to flavor. Additionally, the human body tends to excrete the toxins quickly, without incident, and you�ll probably notice a bitter taste on the first bite of any seriously glycoalkaloid-riddled tubers.
When Nora Olsen, potato specialist for the University of Idaho, encounters a green potato, her first concern is flavor, not poisoning her family. Noting that potatoes in the United States are bred for low glycoalkaloid content and that you need to ingest quite a lot to get sick, she advises cutting off lightly greened patches and pitching any potatoes with large green areas. If serving young children, err on the conservative side.
Potato sprouts also pack higher levels of glycoalkaloids. Olsen doesn�t worry much about pen-tip-sized sprouts and suggests just rubbing them off when you wash your potatoes. Bigger sprouts, along with the �eye� they sprouted from, should be cut off, but the potato itself may be dehydrated and not worth salvaging.
A scarred tomato
Like us, when fruits and vegetables suffer scrapes, they naturally seal up the wounds. Unlike us, however, they don�t form scabs that fall off to reveal new tissue. So, the scars, made up of a woody material with pathogen-fighting properties, stick around on tomatoes and other types of produce.
Seeing a big scar? That�s likely evidence of an injury that dates back to the tomato�s early days; the scar just grew with the tomato. Tiny scratches might tell a story of rough handling during harvest. If you see an asterisk pattern on top of your tomato, or concentric rings, you�re probably looking at the tomato�s answer to stretch marks. It likely got an unexpected influx of water in the field, grew too fast, cracked open and then healed the cracks. Many heirloom tomatoes, not bred for aesthetic perfection, are more likely to develop scars.
No matter the cause, if the scar is dry and not showing mold or rot, the tomato is safe to eat.
[6 winning tomato recipes to beat the heat]
At the store, I deliberately select tomatoes with dry scars because I worry others will pick over them and they�ll go to waste. I don�t notice small scars once I�ve made my sandwich or shakshuka. In my kitchen I do, however, cut around big, thick scars; they�ll likely have an unappealing texture.
An apple with patches of brown, corky skin
A number of factors can cause apples to develop rough, brown skin, but excessive moisture is a common culprit, especially amid the wet springs of the East Coast. Known as russeting, the rough brown skin often starts around the little dip where the stem attaches and radiates outward. The pattern makes perfect sense when you consider how water might collect and drip down the apple.
Certain varieties, such as Golden Delicious, are more susceptible to russeting. While the appearance may be off-putting, it doesn�t negatively impact flavor. In fact, some people swear they taste better.
A yellow arugula leaf
Imagine a tree�s leaves transitioning to fall, and you�ll get a sense of what�s happening when a leafy green fades to yellow. The chlorophyll that makes plants green is breaking down. Your salad greens, cut off from a light source and the rest of the plant, use the components of chlorophyll to fuel chemical reactions that help keep the leaf�s cells alive, said Jim Monaghan, director of the Fresh Produce Research Center at Harper Adams University in England.
The arugula is still perfectly edible but losing nutrients as it ages. If you see a yellow leaf or two in your bag of mixed greens, don�t be concerned, but do make that salad quickly to maximize your own nutrient intake. (Seeing yellow in your potted herbs? That�s a different scenario, Monaghan said, a sign that you�re overwatering or that the plants are short on resources such as iron, magnesium or nitrogen.)
A moldy peach
Aside from not tasting very good, moldy and rotting food sometimes harbors pathogens and toxins that can make you sick. What if it�s just a little mold? For soft foods, such as peaches, the USDA recommends discarding the entire item because the mold could have penetrated it thoroughly. For harder foods, such as carrots or bell peppers, cut off the affected area and eat the rest. Mitcham, with the UC Postharvest Technology Center, said that one moldy strawberry doesn�t doom the entire carton.
�I will take it out as quickly as possible because otherwise it might spread to others in the container," she said. And, of course, as with all produce, you�ll want to give the fruit a good rinse before eating it.
Rachael Jackson writes about confusing food situations at EatOrToss.com. You can reach her at EatOrToss@gmail.com.
It sounds so easy, but sometimes it�s not: A pot of rice.
I admit to struggling with this, often bouncing between batches with grains burned on the bottom (and not in the good way a la bibimbap or crispy Persian rice) and others with a gummy, unappealing texture -- more often the latter than the former.
Now, I know some people swear by a rice cooker. And if you do, great! But I don�t make rice often enough to justify owning one, nor do I have room for yet another appliance. So the pot it is.
Of course, your ideal rice may be different from my ideal rice -- individual grains, aromatic, not soggy and at home under a variety of meals, especially curries and stir-fries. You may like to use a different type of rice, or use it in a different type of dish. It�s all good. I just won�t be able to get into every single possibility here.
If you�re like me, however, and in search of a better all-purpose pot of rice, here are some tips to consider:
Understand what you�re looking at in the grocery store.
Rice typically is categorized according to shape and size as long-, medium- or short-grain. The sizes refer to how long the grains are in relation to their width, from long and tender to short and rounded. Examples of long-grain rice are basmati, jasmine and Carolina Gold; they are less starchy and cook up better into individual grains. This is what I turn to most, and basmati is my favorite variety for its aromatic but not overpowering flavor.
Medium- and short-grain, which cook up stickier, tend to run into each other in terms of how they�re categorized, but varieties include arborio (used in risotto), bomba (used in paella) and sushi rice. Brown rice is to white rice what whole-wheat flour is to white flour, in that brown rice has not had the outer (brown) bran and germ removed. Other items you�ll see on the shelf: Trendy black rice (an unprocessed version of Japanese sticky rice) and wild rice (not actually rice, but a grass).
Play with the ratios of rice to water.
Tradition says 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. I almost always find this results in rice that is too wet for my taste. I�m more in the camp of 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 cup of water to 1 cup of rice. Your ideal ratio may also depend on the size of your pot and how much rice you�re cooking, especially when it comes to scaling up.
As Cook�s Illustrated explains in this post and accompanying video, rice can only absorb so much water, and only so much water will evaporate in cooking. If you try to proportionally scale up the water your rice cooks in, you will likely end up with some mushy rice. (For example, in doubling their rice pilaf recipe, which calls for 1 1/2 cups rice and 2 1/4 cups of water, they ended up using only 3 3/4 cup water rather than 4 1/2 cups.)
Rinse your rice.
This is an important step. According to �Seductions of Rice: A Cookbook," by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 1998), rinsing rice �means that there is no more loose starch or other powder or coating left on the rice that might gum it up or change the texture of the cooked rice." Use cold water to rinse the rice until the water runs clear. I do this by putting the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and holding it under the faucet. As soon as the water filtering through is no longer milky-looking, you�re good to go. Set the strainer over a bowl for a few minutes to let any excess water drain.
Some people make a case against rinsing enriched rices, which have been coated with a powder to provide extra nutrients. Alford and Duguid write that �we feel that since in North America we have access to a wide range of vegetables and other foods, the loss is not critical." They recommend doing whatever you�re comfortable with, but they fall on the side of rinsing to achieve better texture.
Consider toasting the rice.
The benefits are twofold. You�ll get fluffy and light rice, plus the addition of some wonderful nutty flavor. Try it with a little butter or olive oil over medium-low to medium heat in the pot before you add the water. If you want to get fancy, you can add some aromatics (garlic, onion) or spices for additional flavor.
Pay attention and be patient.
Like pasta, you may want to check the doneness of the rice a few minutes before the end of the cook time recommended on the package. Ideally you�ll see little craters on the surface from where the steam has cooked out. You don�t want to vigorously stir, but push a little rice aside and take a look underneath. Is there wet, mushy rice lower down? Then try a piece. The rice may feel done, or it may need a bit more time. Once you�re satisfied, Alford and Duguid recommend letting the rice rest for a bit after it finishes cooking, about 10 to 15 minutes, after briefly lifting the lid to let steam escape. Last step: Fluff with a fork and enjoy.
These common mistakes defy the fridge's purpose in life, which is to keep things fresh and edible.
The refrigerator is a magical box; a modern convenience that allows us to keep food fresh much longer than we would be able to otherwise. But it is also a master of deceit that can easily swallow up the abundance of foods we feed it, turning them into alien life forms and things that look like they belong on the forest floor. This is especially true in the era of the ginormous fridge (and one of the reasons we advocate for smaller refrigerators around here). Big box shopping doesn�t help, either.
Misusing the refrigerator helps Americans reach the sad milestone of wasting nearly a pound of food every day, which works out to around 30 percent of the average American's daily calories � not to mention the expense. Fortunately, a little know-how can help save a lot of food from an ignominious death in the icebox. Here are some of the more common mistakes to avoid.
Not all produce wants to be in the refrigerator. Keep tomatoes, melons, potatoes, garlic, citrus, and onions out � the fridge can affect their taste and texture. Only put bananas, nectarines, pears, peaches, and avocados in the fridge if they are threatening to become over ripe. (The peel on bananas will turn black in the fridge, but the flesh will be ok.) In the meantime, apples look good in a bowl on the counter, but they prefer the fridge.
Many people swear by doing weekly meal prep and washing all the produce as soon as they get home from the market. This can make using up your vegetables easier � but if they are not thoroughly dried, the residual moisture can lead to bacterial growth, mold, and the dreaded slime. I like to wash my greens and spread them out on a big bath towel on the counter, let them dry for a while, and then finish the job by rolling up the towel to get all the last bit of moisture out.
The refrigerator pulls the moisture out of bread and other baked goods, making it stale and much less appetizing. The secret miracle trick is to keep it in the freezer and bring out what you need when you need it; it thaws in no time and tastes as fresh as the minute it went in. If you have a whole loaf or baguette, slice it before freezing.
Nobody likes to reach into the bag of herbs to discover a handful of cilantro-flavored pond scum. Store your herbs in a glass of water with a bag loosely covering them. I keep my �vases� of herbs in the tall shelf of the refrigerator door where the milk usually goes. See #5
Even though the obvious place for milk is the tall shelf in the door, experts suggest that this is not the best place for the more sensitive items. Like milk. It is the place in the fridge that sees the most fluctuations in temperature. Things like dairy, eggs, and meat should live in the colder parts, which is usually in the back.
Much like herbs, greens can become slimy. One trick is to throw a paper towel in the bag with them to help absorb moisture. Once it is damp, remove it and let it air dry so you can use it in the next batch. (We don�t use paper towels at my house, but I have had luck using small absorbent dishtowels.)
The oldest food should always take center stage. When you get home from the market, take the old food out, put the new food in back, and then replace the old food in the front.
Even if you cook as many things from scratch as possible, there may still be occasional things in cans. Maybe it's chickpeas, maybe it's tomatoes, maybe it's chipotle peppers. And it may seem more efficient to keep those things in cans once they're opened; why dirty a storage container when the food came with its own? But there is a very good reason to decant your canned food and put in a new container: If you leave it in the can, it will begin to taste ... canny. And stale, metallic-tasting food is a quick candidate for the trash. (Epicurious explains that it's not a health issue, by the way, which is interesting.) Just make sure whatever you're transferring the food to is nice and clean; I find that little recycled jam jars are perfect for occasion.
You know what doesn�t get eaten? Little bits of leftovers that are hiding in covered dishes or packets of aluminum foil in the back of the fridge. Invest in a good set of see-through glass storage containers that allow your leftovers to plea for your attention.
A little leftover onion here, a half a carrot there � it is easy to toss disparate prepped leftover bits nonchalantly into the fridge � or trash. If you keep a storage container or bag in your produce drawer, you always have a place for them to gather. It can work as a wonderful secret stash when throwing a meal together; the bits can go into soups, sauces, beans, omelets, pasta dishes, even the glorious leftovers tart. Check the container regularly to make sure nothing is going south; and if things start to go sad or limp, make a beautiful vegetable stock with it all.
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Here�s what you will need to make tartar sauce from scratch:
Pickles add crunch and flavor to the sauce. We use dill pickles and particularly enjoy the refrigerated Claussen pickles for this. For a sweeter style, try bread and butter or sweet pickles instead.
Fresh lemon juice is essential for the best tartar sauce. It thins the sauce out so that it�s the perfect consistency for dipping and adds a fresh, zesty flavor.
Capers are an optional ingredient since we don�t always have them in the fridge, but they add even more flavor and work wonders when mixed with the lemon and herbs.
Fresh or dried dill is a must for us. If you don�t have dill, parsley is a good alternative.
Worcestershire sauce is an unusual ingredient, but it really brings the sauce together. We only add a dash.
Dijon mustard is another optional ingredient, but if you have it on hand, we highly recommend it.
Just a few seconds of stirring turns the sauce into a creamy and delicious mixture. Then, for the best tartar sauce, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. It gets better and better overtime.
For a lighter sauce with fewer calories, you can swap the mayonnaise for light mayo or plain yogurt.
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Saw on DDD. Use pumpkin in beans.
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Caribbean nachos look great.
Sofrito basis of all cooking on island:
Level: Easy
4 or 5 dried ancho chiles
6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 finely chopped)
Kosher salt
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or tripe, trimmed and cut in half
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 bay leaf
3 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
Diced avocado, shredded cabbage, diced onion, sliced radishes and/or fresh cilantro, for topping
Break the stems off the chiles de arbol and ancho chiles and shake out as many seeds as possible. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water; weigh down the chiles with a plate to keep them submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add the smashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.
Rub the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pot; add the pork to the other side and sear, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the chile sauce (depending on your taste). Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 3 hours.
Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart, about 1 more hour. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; roughly chop and return to the pot. Add some water or broth if the posole is too thick. Season with salt. Serve with assorted toppings and the remaining chile sauce.
Level: Easy
2 dried ancho chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
2 dried cascabel chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small white onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces dried white hominy, picked over and rinsed
1 cup fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems), plus more for topping
2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for topping
1 bay leaf
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 8)
Sliced radishes, crumbled queso fresco, sour cream and/or shredded cabbage, for topping
Lime wedges, for serving
Set an Instant Pot to saute on high. When the pot registers hot, add the dried chiles and cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Turn off the pot and put on the lid. Let sit until the chiles are completely softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to push the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl.
Reset the pot to saute on high. When the pot registers hot, add the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the pot.
Add 6 cups water, the chile puree, hominy, cilantro, oregano and bay leaf to the pot. Put on and lock the lid; make sure the steam valve is in the sealing position. Set the pot to pressure-cook on high for 1 hour 10 minutes. When the time is up, carefully turn the steam valve to the venting position to manually release the pressure. Turn off the pot and remove the lid.
Add the chicken to the pot and press to submerge in the liquid. Replace and lock the lid; return the steam valve to the sealing position. Set the pot to pressure-cook on high for 10 minutes. When the time is up, carefully turn the steam valve to the venting position to manually release the pressure. Turn off the pot and remove the lid.
Discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and shred into bite-size pieces with two forks. Return to the pot along with any accumulated juices and stir to combine. Divide among bowls and top with dried oregano, radishes, queso fresco, cilantro, sour cream and/or cabbage. Serve with lime wedges.
5s, 43 reviews
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 6-ounce cans whole green chiles, drained
1 cup fresh cilantro
4 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans hominy, drained
Sliced avocado and radishes and/or baked corn chips, for garnish (optional)
Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
Transfer to a blender, then add the chiles, cilantro and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme and puree until smooth.
Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens and turns deep green, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth, hominy and chicken to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes.
Garnish with avocado, radishes and/or corn chips, if desired.
By M. Carrie Allan November 19, 2019
At a Thanksgiving a while back, after our family was reduced to immobility by the meal we had just consumed, someone at the table made a sensible suggestion: We should all just take a nap.
We didn�t bother to stand up and find a couch or spare bed, but simply slid from our chairs one by one, dropping to the carpet beneath the dining room table, poleaxed. Occasionally someone would giggle or groan or make a feeble attempt to crawl toward the medicine cabinet and its merciful canister of Tums, only to lie back down. The dog went from one of us to the next, inspecting our faces for traces of leftovers. We could see in her eyes a dawning understanding that we had been reduced to human turduckens, stuffed with sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce and broccoli with hollandaise, there for whatever enterprising canine might summon the will to take the first bite.
The Old-Fashioned is about as close as you can get to one of the earliest-known definitions of the cocktail itself: �a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters," according to a New York state newspaper in 1806.
Estimates of what Americans eat at the Thanksgiving meal range from the slightly alarming (2,000 calories, a typical day for many adults) to the truly Brobdingnagian (up to 4,500 calories, which I presume is for those who accompany each dish with a shot of gravy). There is some delicious irony in a national holiday that bastes our heritage of colonialism in butter and leaves celebrants so incapacitated with food that, should foreign hordes wish to re-vanquish our borders, Thanksgiving would be a good time to try.
Had we been thinking more clearly that year, we would have accompanied the Grand Snarf with a strategic application of bitters. Bitters are the stomach�s wingman -- its appetizer before a big meal, its comfort and helpmeet in the aftermath. And while the taste of bitterness often stimulates a prehistoric �Nope!" deep in the human brain (it�s a flavor long associated with toxicity), when balanced with other flavors, bitter can be beautiful.
Drink bitters come in two basic forms: potable and non-potable. Those terms are misleading, because �non-potable� bitters are poted, just typically in very small doses. Such bitters (like Angostura and Peychaud�s) are intensely flavored, with bitter plants like cinchona and gentian and other botanicals that contribute to the taste. This type is usually used in drops and dashes. Think of them as a cocktail seasoning. Potable bitters, on the other hand -- liqueurs such as Campari, Suze, J�germeister -- are consumed in bigger portions. While they, too, are bitter, some intensely so, most include sweeteners that make them easier to swallow.
Even though most non-potable bitters are highly alcoholic, you can walk into a grocery store and buy a bottle of Angostura bitters (which at 44.7 percent alcohol by volume is boozier than most vodkas) without ever having to show any ID. Try to drink the stuff neat, and you�ll understand why; it�s the rare teenager indeed who�d decide getting blitzed off this stuff would be a good idea.
Although both types of bitters are now used mostly for the flavors they impart, they all came out of herbal medicine traditions and are sometimes still used for their digestive effect. Andrew Chevallier, an author and medical herbalist, told me via email that we experience bitterness through molecules that stimulate taste receptors in our tongues, mouths and the stomach itself. �A wide variety of compounds do this and thereby stimulate digestive activity, especially digestive secretions� like saliva, stomach acid and duodenal juices, �all of which promote the ability to process and absorb nutrients," he said. �One of the main functions of aperitifs and bitters is precisely to promote nutrient uptake, and to aid the digestive system in efficiently processing a meal."
The bitter liqueur tradition in Europe is wide-ranging. The Italians make red bitters such as Campari and Aperol and a host of darker digestive bitters called amari. The French have bright yellow Suze and clear Salers, both gentian-based; the Germans have J�germeister and Underberg.
Because brands tend to treat the formulas with extreme secrecy, it�s hard to decipher what�s shaped the traditions that govern when to drink these. Why are some bitter liqueurs treated as aperitifs and some as digestifs? Italians seem to concur that their red bitters are aperitivi and darker ones are digestivi, but I�ve yet to fully understand why. I often seem to arrive at a tautology: Digestive liqueurs are so categorized because you drink them after a meal.
Chevallier, though, helped me think it through. Bitter herbs have different effects on the body, he explained -- promoting nutrient uptake, slowing the heart rate, reducing physiological components of stress, easing bloating and gas and the sense of fullness after a big meal. In the days when these liquids were consumed primarily as medicines rather than recreationally, people probably learned to consume them for their particular digestive impacts.
Francesco Amodeo, president of Don Ciccio & Figli, a D.C.-based distiller of multiple cordials, aperitivi and amari based on the traditions of the Amalfi Coast, said the company uses different botanicals for its aperitivi than for its variety of digestivi. Some of these traditions came from superstition, he said, but �if you�re going to have an earthy amaro, you need earthy and stronger ingredients. The botanicals will activate your stomach and tell your digestive system to contract. If you use something lighter -- gentian, bitter orange, juniper -- those will tell your stomach to expand and make you hungry." The base of the word aperitivo, aper, he points out, means �open."
Sticking with the tradition of red bitters before the meal, I created a festive hibiscus-pomegranate punch for Thanksgiving. It�s rosy and herbal, lightly bittersweet, and topped off with bubbly. Prepped with all its garnishes, it�s a visual treat, but should also act as an aperitivo to get you and your guests in the mood for munching.
For postprandial imbibing, you can go with darker digestive liqueurs, or, for something light and stomach-settling, try the classic bitters and soda. It couldn�t be easier: ice, club soda (you can use tonic or a flavored carbonated water if you prefer), a few dashes of bitters and a squeeze of citrus. What I�m planning, though, is to combine two classic after-dinner options: coffee and amaro. A giant meal (especially one laced with tryptophan!), seems to point to a need not only for a tummy-settling, but also for a wake-up call. In Italy, the caff� corretto (an espresso �corrected� with a little alcohol) varies by region. The alcohol is usually sambuca or grappa, but I�ve found that many amari go nicely with coffee, either added directly to coffee or served alongside an espresso.
There are even options that combine the two in the bottle. Lucano Caff� Amaro combines coffee with notes of cloves and other herbs, and Baltimore Spirits Co. makes Baltamaro, the coffee version of which has nice citrus and cocoa notes. A real standout is J. Rieger & Co.�s Caff� Amaro, which started off as a housemade concoction when Ryan Maybee was behind the bar at Manifesto in Kansas City. An alcoholic infusion of coffee paired with juniper, cardamom and orange peel was a customer favorite; when Maybee went on to co-found the distillery, the team started producing it at scale.
Don Ciccio & Figli makes a barley/coffee liqueur called Concerto. It�s not an amaro, but it is far more complex than a standard coffee liqueur and is based on a recipe made by monks on the Amalfi Coast since the 1600s. Amodeo remembered his father drinking that version after meals. �Since there�s such a star anise flavor profile, his mustache, every time he would kiss me, I would just feel like I had that smell all over my face," he recalled.
If coffee, bittersweet liqueurs and the thought of paternal kisses scented with spice don�t give you that post-Thanksgiving glow, maybe you didn�t get enough to eat. Time to go back for fourths?
thyme, marjoram, or sage
It goes well with soups, stews, bean dishes of any sort, succotash, cabbage, and sauerkraut. Summer Savory has a clean, piney fragrance and peppery flavor. Romans used Savory as an herb and seasoning even before they used pepper. They used it as a medicine, a bee sting treatment, and an aphrodisiac.
Summer savory has a peppery taste much like thyme, while winter savory has a more piney taste. Savory blends well with basil, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and other herbs. It is said that the taste of savory brings all these herbs together for a unique flavor.
Ground Savory
This creamy dip has all the sausage-and-mushroom flavor of stuffed mushroom caps -- perfect for any gathering.
5s 5 reviews
8 ounces ground Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds white button mushrooms, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup panko
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 baguette, toasted and sliced, for serving
Special equipment: a 1-quart ramekin
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and almost cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Add in the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and the moisture has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the cream cheese and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Add the Parmesan and half-and-half and cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the mushroom mixture into a 1-quart ramekin. Mix the butter with the panko and parsley and sprinkle on top of the mushroom mixture. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown and the dip is bubbly around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes then serve with toasted, sliced baguette.
5s 25 reviews
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces ground beef
1 cup green olives with pimientos, roughly chopped
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1/2 cup raisins
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Bell Peppers:
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 green bell pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 orange bell pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the picadillo: Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the olives, carrots, onions, raisins and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well to combine. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a simmer and simmer until the flavors are incorporated, about 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
For the bell peppers: In a small bowl, stir together the mozzarella, panko and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the bell pepper halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and season each with a pinch of salt. Use a large spoon to divide the picadillo evenly among the peppers. Bake until the filling is hot in the center and the peppers are tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the peppers from the oven and turn the broiler to high. Sprinkle the peppers with the panko and cheese mixture and broil until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
4's 4 reviews
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup jarred green olives with pimiento drained very well
1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
8 slices prosciutto di Parma
8 slices Genoa salami
8 slices copicolla (hot ham)
8 sesame bread sticks
8 celery sticks, ribs halved lengthwise, leafy tops intact
Serve these with an assortment of store-bought antipasti such as:
Roasted red peppers
Eggplant in extra-virgin olive oil
Artichoke hearts
Giardiniera hot vegetable salad
Marinated mushrooms
Combine cream cheese, ricotta, olives with pimiento and garlic in processor bowl and process until smooth.
To make each horn, place a piece of prosciutto on work surface and spread with a layer of cheese, top that layer with a slice each of Genoa and ham layered next to each other. Spread more cheese over the salami and ham and place a bread stick and a celery stick at 1 end of the meats with ends hanging off to the side. Wrap and roll the meat forming a fancy Italian horn. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Arrange a platter with antipasti and garnish with a pile of Italian horns.
Keep these essentials on hand for authentic Latin cooking.
FRUITS & VEGGIES
Ajo: Garlic
Avocado: Often treated as vegetables, these fruits date back to the time of the Aztecs, Mayas and Incas. They come in various sizes and their green skin turns black as they ripen. Store them at room temperature to speed up ripening.
Boniato: Also known as white sweet potato, Florida yam and camote, this tuber looks like a sweet potato but is shorter and contains a white, semi-sweet and mealy flesh. Sensitive to the cold, boniatos are best stored at room temperature and used quickly.
Canned pimientos: Use these small sweet red peppers as garnish for just about any dish or pair them with Spanish olives and cerveza (beer) for a simple snack. Refrigerate open canned pimientos for up to two months.
Chiles: Canned or fresh, dried, whole and powdered, chiles (peppers) are quintessentially Latin American. Stock a variety, including ancho, cayenne, chipotle, jalapeno, pasilla and Serrano.
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Typically sold in a jar, these give salsa cruda an extra kick or add a smoky twist to any sauce.
Hearts of palm: Add extra saborcito (flair) to any plain ensalada (salad) with these canned treats. Refrigerate after opening and use them within a week.
Lemons and limes: These give a citrus kick to marinades, dressings, beverages and ceviches.
Mango: When fully ripe, this fruit has a deliciously sweet, fragrant and juicy flesh. It works in simple salads, desserts or as a sweet balance to a savory dish.
Manzanilla olives (Spanish olives): Both a garnish and a snack, these are key to adding a zesty flavor to arroz con pollo and picadillo. In a variety of sizes, they're often stuffed with pimento. Once opened, they'll keep refrigerated for six months.
Papas: Potato
Pina: Pineapple, fresh or canned
Plantanos (platains): A member of the banana family, plantains are always served cooked. Look for a brownish-black skin to know when they're ripe.
Scallion: Known as "small green onions" in Brazil and "Chinese onions" in Peru, scallions tend to be milder tasting than other onions. Use both the white bottoms and the green tops.
Spanish onions: Spanish onions come in three colors -- yellow, red and white. Yellow onions are full-flavored and are a reliable standby for cooking almost anything. The red ones are good for grilling and served fresh. White onions are the traditional onion in classic Mexican cuisine; they have a golden color and sweet flavor when saut�ed.
Tomatillos: Coming in a number of colors when ripe, including, yellow, red, green or purple, tomatillos are a key ingredient in fresh and cooked green sauces.
Yuca: Also known as manioc or cassava, this is a white, starchy tropical vegetable. Yucca is used fresh or frozen in many South American and Caribbean recipes.
HERBS & SPICES
Adobo: Dry adobos are spice rubs for meat, fish or poultry that typically include salt, garlic, black pepper, turmeric, onion powder and other spices depending on your preference.
Cilantro: Also called coriander, this leafy herb is particularly popular in Mexican, Andean and Brazilian cooking.
Cinnamon: Named for the island where it originated, Mexican cinnamon is also known as Ceylon.
Cumin (comino): Strongly aromatic, this distinctive spice is featured in the foods of North Africa, Mexico, India and western Asia.
Recaito: A base for stews, soups and meats, recaito is made with garlic, cilantro, onion, vinegar and spices.
Sazon: This seasoned salt mixture is used throughout Latin America and Mexico cooking and often includes cilantro, achiote and garlic.
Saffron: The small orange stigmas from a crocus plant, saffron boosts a dish's color and flavor. An indispensable ingredient in paella, it's also used in other rice dishes, soups, curries and even some bakery products.
MEATS
Bacon: Cured and/or smoked, bacon is any certain cut of meat taken from the sides, belly or back of a pig.
Chorizo: A spicy sausage, Mexican chorizo uses fresh pork while Spanish chorizo uses smoked pork.
LEGUMES & GRAINS
Beans: Whether you call them frijoles or habichuelas, always keep a variety of dried or can beans. Black, pinto and red kidney are most common. Always rinse canned beans to remove excess sodium.
Masa harina: Made from dried masa (ground, dried corn that has been treated with lime), this traditional flour gives heft to tamales, tortillas and sopes.
Quinoa: Pronounced "KEEN-wah," this tiny, ancient grain is high in protein and nutrients and can be used like rice or couscous.
Rice: Keep two kinds of rice on hand -- long-grain for dishes such as arroz blanco or arroz a la Mexicana, and medium-grain for arroz con pollo and rice pudding.
Tortillas: Made with both corn and flour, tortillas are essential for preparing tacos, enchiladas and burritos.
OILS, FATS & OTHER ADD-INS
Coconut milk: Used as a base in the Brazilian stew moqueca, canned coconut milk will last refrigerated for a few days after opening.
Condensed milk: This sweetened thick canned milk is often used in desserts.
Guava paste: Add this fuchsia-colored, sugary paste to everything from sweet barbecue sauces to Cuban pastelitos de guayaba.
Manteca: Lard
Olive oil: Use it in salad dressings, drizzle it on white rice while reheating or add it to the pan when frying a Cuban bistec de palomilla or pl�tanos.
Tabasco or jalape�o sauce: These pepper-based sauces add zing to anything from Nicaraguan shrimp cocktail to fajitas. Store bottles in a cool, dry place for up to five years.
Tomato sauce: Keep several cans on hand to use as the base for many Latin dishes, from Caribbean sofrito to Spanish gazpacho and Ecuadorean seco de chancho.
Vinegar: White or red wine, vinegar is essential to many marinades and dressings.
SWEETS
Chocolate bars: Use dark-chocolate bars to make mole sauces and bittersweet ones for hot chocolate. Keep them wrapped and away from direct sunlight for no more than a year.
Dulce de Leche: Both a sauce and a caramel-like candy, dulce de leche is popular across all Latin America cuisines.
OTHER MUST-HAVES
Queso fresco blanco: This salty, firm, white cheese is similar to mozzarella or Muenster.
Caf� (coffee): Use very fine grounds for espresso brews, medium-coarse for regular coffee and extra-coarse for French presses. To preserve taste, refrigerate ground coffee in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Enjoy fresh garlic bread any night or day when you have a stash of this Easy Make-Ahead Garlic Bread in the freezer. So good and easy!
But you know what? Garlic bread is awesome! And it deserves a little more attention. For all its simplicity, it�s the first thing to go when I serve an Italian buffet.
For all its humble, wallflower status, Garlic Bread is truly the star. And you�re doing it a disservice if you buy the aforementioned foil-wrapped logs waiting for you at the grocery store checkstand.
Why?
Because it�s better and easier and BETTER to make your own. That�s why.
Garlic bread is simple and easy to make, but often times at the end of the day, maybe you don�t want to make spaghetti AND meatballs AND a salad AND garlic bread. And so, garlic bread in all its glory is forgotten.
May it no longer be so!
This easy, make-ahead Garlic Bread will have your dinner bread basket buttoned up. Especially if you stash a few loaves in the freezer. Having homemade garlic bread in the freezer feels like a luxury, but its really not. It�s so cheap and easy to make!
Make a few loaves this week, squirrel them away in the freezer, and pull them out when you want to bring an everyday dinner to new heights.
Tips and Tools
The holiday season is a great time to stock up on butter! You�ll get the best prices, and you can freeze the butter until you�re ready to use it.
If you don�t already have one, invest in a quality bread knife. I love this one from ErgoChef.
Preparation Time:10 minutes
1/2 cup butter, softened
Lay out the two halves of the bread loaf onto a large piece of aluminum foil.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, garlic, and parsley. Spread the garlic butter in a thick layer over each cut side of bread.
Put the two halves back together and wrap with foil. At this point you can store it in the freezer for later use. I thaw mine overnight in the fridge before baking.
Bake, thawed, 25 minutes at 375 �. If frozen, add 10-15 minutes to your baking time. Right before serving, you can unwrap the foil and broil the bread briefly to crisp the top.
The cookbook, "All-Time Best Appetizers," includes a recipe for Herbed Spinach Dip.
Spinach dip can feel like the responsible, healthful choice on an appetizer buffet, but that doesn't mean it has to be bland or boring. For a spinach dip to really taste good, we found that both the ingredients and the method were key.
We packed tons of flavor into our spinach dip with herbs, red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, and even a little kick of hot sauce. For the mixing method, we used the food processor to help distribute the spinach evenly throughout the dip.
This method also made it easy to add other flavors to the dip for our creative variations. The garlic must be minced or pressed before going into the food processor or the dip will contain large chunks of garlic. Serve with crudites.
Servings: 4-6
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
3 scallions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper
Process all ingredients with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until well combined, about 1 minute.
Transfer to serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until flavors have blended, at least 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Nutrition information per serving: 179 calories; 153 calories from fat; 17 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 16 mg cholesterol; 425 mg sodium; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 2 g protein.
Before we get the this easy and delicious bean recipe, I want to thank everyone for their kind words about my new series: Slow Cooker Sundays. It means so much to me! If you have any slow cooker recipe ideas that you would like me to make for Slow Cooker Sundays, leave a comment below. I love creating recipes that you want to make!
The second recipe in the series is my Slow Cooker Mexican Pinto Beans. The slow cooker is my favorite way to make dried beans. I love making frijoles de olla, traditional Mexican pinto beans, but sometimes I don�t want to watch the stove for two hours.
Pinto beans are cooked with white onion, garlic and sometimes a jalapeno. The pinto beans can be used in different recipes throughout the week. I love making refried beans, simple bean tacos, and soup. The options are endless. Cooking beans from scratch is also very budget-friendly.
I always recommend using the freshest dried beans. If your beans are really old, they might not cook all the way. I like to check the expiration date when I�m at the grocery store. If the beans are going to expire in a few months, that means they have been sitting on the shelf for too long. I�ve had times where the beans were expired!
The slow cooker is the perfect way to cook up a batch of dried beans. These pinto beans are seasoned with traditional Mexican ingredients: white onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Make a batch on the weekend and enjoy throughout the week.
Prep Time
Soak the pinto beans overnight.
Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the slow cooker.
Carefully use a pairing knife to cut open the top of the jalapeno; be careful not to cut all the way.
Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno to the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 3 hours.
Check the beans. If you still aren't done, continue cooking until tender. Check every 20 minutes or so.
Season with salt to taste.
Serve or use in your favorite recipes.
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Make perfect oven-roasted veggies every time with this easy how-to guide. Looking for more delicious roasting ideas? Check out our hassle-free roasting recipes.
You can roast just about anything, but vegetables especially benefit from the high, dry heat of the oven. Their flavor becomes concentrated and their natural sugars caramelize, transforming them into richly satisfying sides. For every 2 pounds of vegetables, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil prior to roasting. Spread in a single layer, with space in between pieces, if possible, or they'll steam instead. You can roast different veggies together if their cooking times are similar. Try our seasoning tips for easy, dinner-party-worthy dishes.
Beets, 2 lbs. (without tops)
Broccoli, 2 lbs.
Brussels sprouts, 2 lbs.
Butternut squash, 2 lbs.
Carrots, 2 lbs.1-in. pieces
Cauliflower, 1 1/2 lbs. (1 medium)1 1/2-in. florets
Eggplant, 2 lbs. (2 medium)1/2-in.-thick slices
Fennel, 2 lbs. (2 large bulbs)
Green beans, 2 lbs.
Onions, 2 lbs. (2 jumbo)
Potatoes, 2 lbs. unpeeled
Sweet peppers, 2 lbs.
Sweet potatoes, 2 lbs.
Turnips, 2 lbs.
Zucchini, 2 lbs.
Marinate chicken in this for 12 hours.
BBQ the chicken. Use in Tacos.
Cook down.
Start cooking 80/20 angus ground meat
Add to the veg.
Add
Cook for 30 minutes
Butter insides of bun and toast
Cook down. Then add
Let come to a simmer.
Then put in oven
Remove and add
Cooks love pairing fennel with pork, chicken, and sausage, and the more daring will even add it to lamb dishes. The herb in all of its forms is also a popular choice for almost every type of fish, including shellfish. A popular ingredient in Italy and Tuscany, fennel is a common ingredient in crab and mussel risottos.
Fennel bulb, which looks kind of like a cross between an onion and the base of a bunch of celery, has a sweet, perfumy, anise-like flavor. Rather than making food taste like licorice, though, fennel imparts a light, bright spring-like quality to foods.
Fennel can be used from the bulb to the seeds to the leaves to the stalks. Typically, fennel is associated with a licorice or anise-like taste, which is true, but this is really only the fronds (or the leafy part which kind of resembles dill but does not taste like dill).
Fennel seed is less pungent than dill and more astringent than anise. Good with beans, beets, cabbage, cucumber, duck, fish and seafood, leeks, lentils, pork, potatoes, rice and tomatoes. Combines well with chervil, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, lemon balm, mint, parsley, Sichuan pepper and thyme.
Once you start buying fennel, you won't be able to stop.
I first discovered fennel when I lived in Sardinia for a year at age 16. I was an exchange student, and my host family's dietary habits were foreign and fascinating. The father would set out of a place of thinly sliced fennel with every lunch; it was his 'palate cleanser' after the heavy pasta and meat courses and prior to the cheese/dessert course.
I tried it and felt ambivalent, the way I do about celery. It seemed tasteless, bland, boring � not enough wetness to make it refreshing like a pepper, not enough crunch to make it fun like a carrot, just enough anise flavor to turn me off. But as the year wore on and I suffered from lack of fresh vegetables in the rest of my diet, I started reaching for it more often and grew to love it.
Back home in Canada and many years later, fennel has become a weekly grocery staple during the winter months. I avoid buying imported lettuce at this time of year, so I resort to making chopped vegetable salads to accompany family meals. These are a colorful m�lange of whatever's on hand, usually radishes, bell peppers, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, celery, and always fennel, and my kids can't get enough of it.
The more I've handled fennel, the more I've come to realize just what a special vegetable it is. First, it transforms with cooking, namely roasting. Of course all vegetables do, but there's something about fennel's roasted form that is utterly decadent. It becomes deeply sweet and caramelized, adding flavor and body to any pan of roasted vegetables. I mix it in with chunks of squash, zucchini, or potato, and roast until golden.
Second, it is so easy to prepare. With no seeds or tough peel, it's far quicker to prepare than most other vegetables in the fridge. Fennel requires a good wash, then you cut off the base and fronds, cut out the small woody core, and then you're ready to dice or slice, depending on what you're doing. It's as easy as preparing a cucumber � a nice change after battling seedy, armoured winter squashes and the like.
I asked my sister, cook extraordinaire, for some ideas on how to use fennel and she threw out a string of rapid text messages in response: "Fennel and orange salad. Fennel-cauliflower-pear soup. Fennel fritters. Caramelized fennel confit. Braised fennel. Fennel and sausage pasta. Fennel and Parmesan gratin." Some of these are fancier than I'd attempt on a typical weeknight, but the point is, you've got a culinary chameleon on your hands if there's fennel in the fridge.
If you haven't tried fennel before, I urge you to buy a bulb the next time you're in the grocery store. Don't be intimidated by the alien-looking stalks; these are edible but stringy, and best tossed in a stock. The feathery fronds can be minced and added to salads for visual appeal.
This simple but very popular dish of toasted bread covered in melted cheese and topped with mustard or spices has been popular since at least the 1500s under the name of 'caws pobi', which is Welsh for toasted cheese. ... The first recorded reference to the dish comes from 1725, where it was called 'Welsh rabbit'.
5 stars
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup porter beer
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces (approximately 1 1/2 cups) shredded Cheddar
2 drops hot sauce
4 slices toasted rye bread
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to brown the flour.
Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Add beer and whisk to combine.
Pour in cream and whisk until well combined and smooth.
Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth; this will take 4 to 5 minutes.
Add hot sauce. Pour over toast and serve immediately.
Why do they call it Welsh Rarebit?
In Welsh it is called Mochyn Du. The recipe is over 2 centuries old and common in Southern and Western England and the rarebit/rabbit part is the cheese sauce that is poured over toasted bread.
Welsh Rarebit origin is a little sketchy, but it is said the dish was a way to highlight the Welsh wheat bread and cheese. Some say that toasted cheese is so popular in Wales that it spread like rabbits, others say only the wealthiest of people could afford to eat rabbit, so they alternative �Welsh rarebit� was born. A much more appetizing name I think and since there is no rabbit in the dish, a more befitting name.
Serving suggestion
I serve this Welsh Rarebit with a side of Warm Cherry Tomato & Basil Salad.
National Welsh Rarebit Day
Yes, it has a National Day and falls on 3rd September every year. I don�t know why, but there seems to be a National holiday for just about any food and dish, so why not.
The bread
A good, hearty grain bread is optimal for this recipe. A bread that can hold up to the weight of the cheese sauce and not turn soggy on you.
The cheese
A good sharp white cheddar is best for this recipe. If you can find a Welsh cheddar, even better. A grocery store with a large cheese department will most likely have white Welsh cheddar. I found it at my Kroger store. I have also seen it Whole Foods and Trader Joe�s.
Leftover cheese sauce
Sometimes when I make this, I have sauce leftover. It keeps well in a sealed container refrigerated for up to 4 days. Just spread the sauce onto toasted bread and broil until browned, melted and bubbly.
Melt butter in a saucepan until bubbling.
Whisk flour into the melted butter and cook for 1 minute to cook out the flour taste.
Whisk dark ale, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder into the flour mix.
Add white sharp cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted and smooth.
Spread the cheese sauce onto the slices of toasted bread. Broil until melted, brown and bubbly.
Is welsh rarebit the world's best cheese on toast � or do you have a better version?
About a year ago, I devoted some 1,500 words to the best way to cook a jacket potato. Among the many comments this important subject attracted was a demand that I devoted equal attention to perfect toast "because I can't wait to see what some of your more enlightened readers come up with". So finally, StrokerAce, this one's for you. It might not quite be what you requested (although I could certainly hold forth for a few hundred words on the best way to cook a crumpet), but after a week of cheese on toast, I am more convinced than ever that such simple recipes are well worth investigation.
Now, let's get the name thing out of the way at the start. Some suggest that the dish earned its rather peculiar title (and, once and for all, rabbit is the correct form regardless of what this newspaper's style guide says. Rarebit doesn't pop up until some 60 years after the recipe itself first surfaces, although given both have been in use for over two centuries, I think you're entitled to go with either. I prefer rabbit, but to fall in line with the official guidance will suffer rarebit here) from the poverty of that nation. The point was that a Welshman couldn't afford even that cheapest of meats. Whatever the truth of it, I think this does the heavenly combination of crisp toast and molten cheese a disservice; done right, it's certainly no poor relation.
Indeed, according to a 16th-century joke, the Welsh were famous for their love of toasted cheese � St Peter was said to have got rid of a troublesome "company of Welchman" who were troubling the peace of heaven by going outside and shouting caws pobi � "that is as moche as to say 'Rosty'd ches!' Which thynge the Welchman herying ran out of heven a grete pace". And who wouldn't be tempted from eternal bliss by such a prospect? In fact, according to Jane Grigson, rarebits were once common throughout southern and western England, but, with the only Welsh sort still on the menu, it seems they really do know how to do it best north of the Bristol Channel.
The cheese
Almost all recipes call for cheddar, but I suspect that's simply because it's what most of us keep in the house � and rarebit is a very Sunday-evening, empty fridge type of dish. There are other options: Jane Grigson suggests Lancashire in English Food, as do Simon Hopkinson and Lindsay Bareham in The Prawn Cocktail Years, where they explain that, traditionally, a rarebit would have been made from "hard English cheeses � cheddar, double gloucester, cheshire and lancashire". Mark Hix, perhaps anticipating a Welsh backlash, goes for caerphilly in his book British Regional Food, while Delia consigns any such concerns to the bottom of Lyn Tegid, and plumps for an equal mix of cheddar and parmesan for the Welsh Rarebit Souffl� in her Complete Cookery Course.
Nigel Slater reckons that caerphilly doesn't have enough of a "tang to be interesting", and I'm inclined to agree with him � the mild flavour is lost among the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and stout in Hix's recipe. However, at the risk of exposing myself as a cheese wimp, I find mature cheddar too aggressively flavoured � after half a slice, I start to feel a cheese overdose coming on (and this from someone weaned on Roquefort). Delia's parmesan obviously just makes the situation worse, but I'm on to something with lancashire; it has just enough bite to dominate the dish, without smothering every other ingredient in the process.
The toast
Although I like my rarebit made with seedy wholemeal toast, which I think gives a more interesting texture and a pleasantly malty flavour, I respect your right to use any sort of bread you like (although no one will persuade me of the merits of the Welsh rarebit foccacia, seen on the menu at a pub I recently didn't eat at). That said, it must be robust enough to take the weight of the cheese; anything too pappy will just become soggy. You can help it along by toasting both sides of the bread before adding the topping, as Mark Hix suggests, rather than just one, as in the Prawn Cocktail Years recipe: the outer edges might char slightly on their second grilling, but, as they'll be covered in cheese, you're unlikely to regret this.
The liquid
Most rarebit recipes, with the exception of Nigel Slater's quick version, loosen the cheese with a liquid: milk or ale, in Jane Grigson's version; cider for Cheese Society; port for Mrs Beeton; or stout, which comes with the weighty recommendations of both Mark Hix and the Bareham / Hopkinson team.
The cider is too acidic for my taste, and the port, while surprisingly delicious, gives the dish a vinous tang that reminds me more of a Swiss fondue than something from the Black Mountains. (It also turns the cheese a rather scary colour.) The ale isn't bad � it adds a subtle nutty flavour � but once I try a rarebit made with stout, I'm sold.
It gives the dish a rich malty savouriness which works brilliantly with the salty tang of the cheese � and there are a number of great Welsh stouts available too, just to soften the blow of that English cheese. Nigel, meanwhile, mixes his cheese with solid butter, which gives a denser, more intensely cheddary topping which I'd hesitate to describe as anything grander than a simple cheese on toast.
The rich bit
Such fat, however, is an important distinguishing feature in a proper rarebit. It could be melted butter, as in Jane Grigson's recipe, double cream, as in Mark Hix's, or egg yolks, as used in the Prawn Cocktail Years, but without it, as Mrs Beeton's recipe proves, the cheese quickly reverts to a rubbery mess (which is no doubt why she advises keeping it bubbling over a rather nifty-looking "cheese toaster" filled with hot water, for people to spread on to toast at table).
I think the butter makes things rather too liquid and greasy, and by the time I've reduced the double cream with the stout, I'm not sure I can taste it anyway. Egg yolks, however, work brilliantly to soften the cheese to a spreadable consistency, although I wouldn't wait until it's completely cool to stir them in, as Simon and Lindsay suggest, because by this point it has solidified to such an extent that it's difficult to beat back into smooth submission.
Wildcards
Delia uses eggs yolks too, added to a white sauce, and then mixed with cheese and folded into some whipped up egg whites to make what is, essentially, a souffl� base, which is then piled on to toasts and grilled. The airy texture does nothing for me though � gooey should be the watchword with rarebit.
The Cheese Society also has an unusual take on this classic dish. I start by whisking flour into milk, and heating until slightly thickened, then stirring in cheese, breadcrumbs and cider and continuing to cook until the mixture comes away from the side of the pan. The mixture is then whizzed in a food processor, along with an egg and an egg yolk, before it's ready to be spooned on to toast, and grilled.
This cheesy twist on a British classic will keep everyone warm on Bonfire Night. Use your favourite sausage variety - herby Lincolnshire, leek or apple flavours work well
Seasonings
I like English mustard in my rarebits, just to add a bit of a kick � wholegrain and Dijon are both too sharp here for my taste. Worcestershire sauce is a must, but I can do without Tabasco and cayenne pepper: the mustard adds all the subtle heat the dish needs.
Welsh rarebit may be a simple dish, but if even Nigel Slater admits to a few failures, then it's certainly worth getting the basics right. This is my perfect version, but, using the same formula, play around with different kinds of cheeses and beers until you find one that would tempt you out of paradise. Because if heaven isn't toasted cheese, then I don't know what is.
Serves 2
1. Mix the mustard powder with a little stout in the bottom of a small pan to make a paste, then stir in the rest of the stout and add the butter and about 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce � you can always add more later if you like. Heat gently until the butter has melted.
2. Tip in the cheese and stir to melt, but do not let the mixture boil. Once smooth, taste for seasoning, then take off the heat and allow to cool until just slightly warm, being careful it doesn't solidify.
3. Pre-heat the grill to medium-high, and toast the bread on both sides. Beat the yolks into the warm cheese until smooth, and then spoon on to the toast and cook until bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.
Is welsh rarebit the world's best cheese on toast � or do you have a better version? Do you favour white or brown toast, cheddar or caerphilly? And what's your favourite store cupboard standby dish?
Cooking a great jacket potato is more art than science, but you can skew the odds in your favour with a little know-how. What's your technique?
Facket potatoes are the ultimate winter convenience food � my modest circle of friends includes a lady who was sent to school with one wrapped in foil as a hand-warmer-cum-packed-lunch and a triathlete who eschews the pre-race energy bars and powders beloved of his fellow competitors in favour of a simple spud; easier to open, apparently. They're popular with everyone from hearty outdoors types who can knock up a campfire in less time than it takes me to strike a match, to Saturday shoppers � the jacket potato cart, often mystifyingly Victorian-themed, being a fixture of many town centres on a Saturday afternoon.
This weekend, up and down the country, thousands of Britons will be grimly chewing their way through charred remains in the name of Guy Fawkes, who seems, as if annual immolation wasn't punishment enough, to have become the unofficial patron saint of the burnt potato. Although I wouldn't dream of depriving anyone of the fun of poking around in some ash for that elusive final spud, ovens were invented for a good reason: jacket potatoes.
The clue to the perfect jacket potato lies in the name � any old baked potato can have a delectably fluffy interior, but it takes real skill to achieve that wonderfully crunchy skin. It's not something which can be rushed, which is presumably why most high-street potatoes are such damp squibs: this is a treat best cooked at home.
A note of caution, however, from the ever-wise Nigel Slater: "A good baked spud is as much about luck as good planning," he warns. "You can follow all the rules and yet food sometimes does its own thing � Sometimes cooks just have to cross their fingers." True enough � but you can at least improve your chances by getting the rules right to start with.
Plain and simple
Salt and water
he perfect baked potato is rough, salty and crisp outside, pure white and fluffy within. It should, I think, be round and fat, and be served so hot you have to blow on each forkful before you put it in your mouth. No waxy-fleshed trendy varieties please, just a plump King Edward as big as your hand, and butter, lashings of it, to mash into the snow-like flesh.
Forget everything you have heard about wrapping each potato in tin foil. Someone is having you on. It produces flabby skins and doesn't, as is occasionally suggested, hasten cooking. A nice fat spud takes about 45 minutes to an hour, a fact we have no choice but to swallow. So just run a bath, pour yourself a drink and wait for the nutty smell of crisping potato skin to fill the kitchen.
Some nights, a jacket potato is what I want on the side of my plate, other times it is my entire supper. It can be a humble meal with nothing but butter and some grated, sharp-flavoured cheese (or even that forlorn, dead lump of cheddar at the back of the fridge) or it can be a performance meal, with all the bells and whistles a cook can conjure up. Either way, the texture of the inside really matters. Yes, the variety of spud makes a difference, as does the cooking temperature and the speed at which it is served, but true perfection depends on how you open the potato.
The karate-chop method works best. I was told about this long ago by cookery writer Rosie Stark and it works unfailingly. You need practice to get it right. Too slow and you burn your hand. Too hard and you shower the kitchen with potato shrapnel and nobody gets any supper. Ideally, you bring your hand down fast and sharp as if you were doing a karate chop, but only hard enough to crack open the potato skin. It sounds silly but the point is that it lets the steam escape in one great woosh, causing the flesh to turn instantly to snow. Slice it open instead and the result will be solid rather than fluffy.
I should add that it is a good idea to cover the potato with a tea towel first. I mention this in light of a reader who wrote (kindly) to tell me of a scalded hand she got using my method. "You should have done it quicker" must have sounded unsympathetic as a reply, but you do have to look sharp. Thhwack! I do without the protection I suggest above. Not out of machismo, but to save a clean tea towel.
We can stuff a spud to our heart's content - if it is one of those times when only butter and cheese and bacon and cream will do - or it can be a spartan supper with a slice of goat's cheese, just so long as its skin is crisp and salty and its flesh is as deep and soft as the driven snow.
Oil and salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Wash the potatoes well, dry them and prick several times with a fork. Pour some olive oil into your hands and rub over the potatoes, then scatter over some sea salt which should stick to the oil. Place directly on the shelf in the oven and bake for 1�-1� hours, depending on the size of the potato. When cooked, the potato should be golden-brown and crisp on the outside and give a little when squeezed. Serve split open with lots of salted butter or try one of the fillings below.
I use British rapeseed oil [worst oil available for health; use grapeseed oil instead -CG], as olive seemed contrary to the whole ethos of the dish. It's more difficult to achieve an even coating with the salt than with a wet potato, but when baked, it has a better colour to it � as if it had naughtily taken advantage of the sunbeds too. The results, however, are just the same as Nigel's � satisfactorily crisp outside, and fluffy within, so the benefits of the extra fat, for once, seemed rather negligible.
Basting
Brining
I do one for the minimum, and one for the maximum time, and then roll both in more salt, as directed, ignoring the number of government health warnings these potatoes are contravening. I'm expecting them to be flabby, after such a long time submersed in water, but they're both up to Nigel's standard. I can't really detect any transfer in flavour to the flesh in either, however, and it's unclear how much of the flavour is down to the brining process, and how much to the outer crust of salt, so I bake a third, brined for three hours, and then half rolled in salt. The half without the extra salt has a nicer flavour � more subtly salty � but is less crisp, which renders the whole exercise pointless.
Methods
Finally, in terms of temperature, it's Nigel Slater versus Delia � he reckons they should be cooked between 200 and 230C, she knows better. "I used to put them in a hot oven," she confides, "but I've learnt over the years to get the crunch, they need to have slightly less heat and slightly longer cooking."
I've been cooking mine at her preferred oven temperature of 190C [374F, but for my last spud, I crank the dial up to 220C and stick my damp, salt-crusted victim on the middle shelf. It's pretty average in size, so I set the timer for the hour suggested by Nigel, which leaves it definitely done, but lacking something in the crispness stakes, so I give it another 15 minutes. It's perfection: a crackly, crispy, salty shell, which, when I give it a good thump, splits in a cloud of steam to reveal a snowy interior of impeccable fluffiness.
The perfect jacket potato is as simple as the pleasure of eating it: a floury variety, a crust of salt, and longer than you might think in a hot oven � eat it fast though, before it goes soggy!
About 20g coarse sea salt
1. Pre-heat your oven to 220C. [428F]
2. When the oven is up to temperature, wash the potatoes well, and prick each in a couple of places with a fork. Allow to dry slightly, while you tip your salt into a shallow bowl. Roll each potato in the salt to give an even coating, and then place on the middle shelf of the oven, preferably directly on the rack.
3. Cook for around an hour, then give them a squeeze � the potato should just give, and the skin should be distinctly crisp. If not, leave them for 10 minutes, and check again � if you overcook them, the insides will be dry, so it's important to be vigilant.
4. Take out of the oven and put whole on to plates: they shouldn't be opened until you're ready to eat, and then preferably by hitting them sharply so they burst, for maximum fluffiness. Do your thing with butter, and tuck in immediately.
Do you like your jacket potatoes tender and buttery, or so crisp you could break a tooth on them? Is there any better filling than cheese and beans? And lastly, has anyone ever managed a satisfactory spud in a bonfire?
Cooking a great jacket potato is more art than science, but you can skew the odds in your favour with a little know-how. What's your technique?
The Cornucopia Institute�s Organic Soy Report and accompanying Scorecard rates companies that market organic soy foods, such as soymilk, tofu and �veggie burgers," based on ten criteria that are important to organic consumers� showcasing companies that are truly committed to the spirit and letter of the organic law while exposing those that do not rate highly or were unwilling to share their sourcing and production practices in our survey.
The scorecard sheds light on questions such as:
Is the company devoted to supporting organic agriculture by sourcing only organic soybeans and marketing only organic products?
Does the company use loopholes in the organic standards to source cheaper non-organic ingredients even when organic ones are available?
WTH Are Liquid Amino Acids?
In a nutshell, liquid aminos is a ~fancy~ version of soy sauce that basically tastes like heaven. It has a very rich umami flavor, says Sharon Palmer, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian and author of Plant-Powered for Life. Umami is the fifth flavor (you already know bitter, salty, sweet, and sour) that represents a meaty, savory taste. Besides creating an explosion of "mmm" for your taste buds, umami has been linked to some health benefits too: People who eat more umami-filled foods have a healthier appetite, body weight, and overall health, according to a recent study in the journal Flavour. (P.S. Here are are a bunch of other umami-rich foods to nosh on.)
Liquid aminos also contains plant proteins and a variety of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, says Palmer. It's especially important for people eating a plant-based diet to consider liquid aminos, as it's more difficult to find the nine essential amino acids (which your body cannot manufacture on its own) without consuming animal products. That said, it's not necessary to get them all in one food. But if you can get a bunch while adding epic flavor to your food, well, why wouldn't you? One popular brand, Bragg Liquid Aminos, contains 16 types of essential and non-essential amino acids�that's almost all of the 20 amino acids found in your body's proteins.
It's worth noting that the total amount of protein is pretty low (one teaspoon has about .5 grams of protein), so you can't really count it as a protein source. And, of course, you have to think about sodium. Just 1 teaspoon has 320 mg of sodium, which is still a considerable amount compared to the 335 mg for tamari (another soy sauce alternative), says Palmer.
So why choose liquid amino acids? Unlike soy sauce, liquid aminos doesn't contain wheat and isn't fermented�meaning if you're gluten intolerant or have to steer clear of alcohol, this is a great swap. Plus, it makes nearly everything taste amazing. Here, we have clever ways to incorporate liquid aminos into your everyday healthy eating.
Make a Dressed-Up Salad
Even if you're not in the cult of kale lovers, the umami explosion that is this Garlicky Lemon Kale Salad will surely make you a convert. Why is it so good? You can blame the liquid amino acids, nutritoinal yeast, and apple cider vinegar. (Yes, those ingredients basically make this a health food-lover's dream.)
Make Raw Veggies Edible�and Crave-Worthy
By letting these Garlic Lemon Broccoli Bites marinate for a day or two in the fridge, they become saturated with flavor and irresistible to eat. With so much flavor from the olive oil and amino acids, these bites will take care of your potato chip craving without sabotaging your diet.
Make a Simple Saut�
Saut�ed veggies, meet your favorite flavor partner. This simple Kale Saut� gets a huge boost from liquid amino acids, garlic, and red wine vinegar. Getting your daily dose of greens has never been so delish. (And you really need to eat your kale�just check out all the health benefits it has.)
Make a Low-Sodium Soup
Soup is the perfect warm and cozy treat when the temps start to drop. What's not so great: The sodium that often comes along with it. So whip up this Raw Coconut Bok Choy Spicy Soup with liquid aminos instead. You'll get plenty of flavor, but not too much salt, and there's no pre-made, high-sodium broth required.
Make a Soy Sauce-Free Stir Fry
Stir-fry is one of those quick and healthy weeknight meals you can make with pretty much anything that's in your fridge. But avoiding soy sauce can seriously sacrifice that signature stir-fry flavor. The solution lies in liquid aminos; add them in in place of soy sauce and you're good to go.
The human body is made up of of 65 to 75 percent water. Without it, the human body can�t function properly.
We lose water every day through natural excretory systems such as sweat, breath, and urine. It�s critical that you take in enough water each day to stave off dehydration, which occurs when your body loses more fluids than it takes in, leaving cells depleted and unable to properly function.
Fluid loss depends on your level of physical activity and the temperature and humidity of your environment. Acute dehydration can be caused by vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, and excessive sweating during intense physical activity.
What many people don�t know is that you can be chronically dehydrated, especially as humidity and temperatures rise. Chronic dehydration can sap your energy and can be responsible for symptoms such as migraines and other chronic pains, insomnia, lack of mental clarity and concentration, anxiety, and depression. It can even affect your immune system by altering its ability to remove toxins out of the body.
Drinking enough water is the key to staying hydrated. However, lack of water intake isn�t the only cause of chronic dehydration. Some foods, when consumed excessively, can lead to chronic dehydration as well.
A healthy person should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Increase your water intake during hot weather, illness, while exercising, and if you have dehydrating foods in your diet. If you do consume any of the foods mentioned above, drink at least an extra glass of water to avoid dehydration.
Remember that thirst is a natural instinct created by the communication between your brain and all the cells in your body. It�s a signal the body uses to let us know that our cells are getting depleted and we need to take in more water. As Ayurveda teaches, always listen to your body and drink extra water when you feel thirsty.
A lot of the food we consume on a daily basis actually dehydrates our body and makes us thirsty easily. Sometimes, it would be best for you to avoid these foods completely.
Here are 10 foods which will make you really, really thirsty.
Salty foods increase the rate of fluid loss in your body as water is required to eliminate the excess sodium inside your body. In other words, do drink up after eating these foods!
Oh and, I drank all the soup too.
For the next 30 minutes I spent on the bus ride, I was seriously contemplating if I should get off the bus and grab a bottle of water just to appease my body.
Never again.
If you want to watch how unhealthy instant noodles is, you might want to watch this video we�ve done just for you:
Very high sodium conent
The acidic environment created by the soft drinks may impair enzyme function, resulting in a decrease in your body�s water storage capacity.
In other words, stay away from the soft drinks for a healthier body!
Oh and, coffee is also a diuretic, which means you�ll want to pee more frequently after drinking it.
Caffeine + sugar =WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!
Instead of a can of energy drink when you�re feeling tired, why not just chug an entire glass of ice cold water? Pretty sure that�ll wake you up too!
Just 3 tablespoon of soy sauce contains more sodium than the recommended daily intake! Next time you�re adding soy sauce to your porridge, pay attention to how much you�re pouring!
So tone down on that asparagus! I know asparagus is kinda like durian�you either love it or hate it. Like durians, too much of it is definitely no good!(Or any other food, for that matter)
And that�s because a high protein diet actually dehydrates you!
As with all dried food with no moisture, it�s always good for us to eat them with a drink! Like Oreo and milk! (Best combo ever!)
We�re all inclined to overindulge when it comes to food, eating things we know we shouldn�t. It�s fine as long as it�s in moderation. While you may think that the food you�re eating is healthy and wholesome, you could be surprised. As for the foods you know aren�t good for you, you may not realize just how bad they are for your health.
The concept of �cheat� food for athletes is a reward for going through a clean period. This is because they want to keep their body in good order. Food affects how the internal workings of your body work and are revealed in your extremities. Overindulgence constantly will affect the strength of your nails, your skin, the color of your eyes and of course your weight. If you indulge too often in the below foods, you not only risk gaining an immense amount of weight but your health is at risk as well.
While it�s hard to resist donuts, there are various reasons that they wreak havoc on the body. For one, they are high in carbohydrates, fat, and calories. If the donuts aren�t fresh, preservatives have been added to allow them to sit on a shelf for longer periods of time. Donuts can also cause dental problems as you can get cavities from the sweet icings and glazes. Excessive consumption of donuts will make you gain weight and you become easily exhausted. Your lack of energy will prevent you from working out, therefore those calories will stay in the body and be stored as fat. Your mental health may also suffer as the chemicals in donuts can cause brain fog as well. Offering absolutely no nutrients, you�ll be full of empty calories. Long term issues with donut eating can include diabetes due to being overweight and in poor health. This condition can get much worse as diabetes can result in a whole host of complications from edema of the limbs to the onset of gangrene for from infection in the feet.
Bagels and its normal counterparts, such as butter or cream cheese, can cause inflammation. Most bagels available have between 300 to 500 calories unless it is truly one-hundred percent whole grain. Bagels are full of refined carbohydrates which have been linked to Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other conditions. Bagels are also high on the glycemic index, as these spheres of delight increase a person�s insulin levels as well as cause inflammation throughout the body. All of these factors can lead to acne, aging prematurely and weight gain. It is important to note also that one bagel contains up to three servings of carbohydrates.
A staple in many households as a quick go-to meal or as a convenient breakfast, cereals such as the big brand named ones as well as the generic brands you will find in any grocery store, carry a large amount of inflammation-causing sugar as well as gluten. Gluten causes the skin to breakout along with the inflammation of the stomach lining. Also, try to take caution that even a cereal that is branded as �healthy," often made from whole grains, can include contents high in sugar. Read the labels on your favorite cereals to see how much sugar is being added. The additional sugar adds calories you do not need and can potentially spike your blood sugar, leading to an energy crash before lunch.
Inexpensive, tasty, and readily available, potato chips are common household snacks for many individuals. For starters, many kinds of potato chips are fried in trans fats, which are the union of hydrogen and vegetable oil. This process is known as hydrogenation and is useful for preventing the spoilage of the oil. Trans fats are a preservative, giving this type of snack a longer shelf life. It also gives the chips a less greasy feel, which is misleading. Trans fat can cause a spike in cholesterol levels as well as increase your risk of coronary heart disease. Chips are also typically high in calories and fat, increasing your risk of weight gain and obesity, which can lead to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and various forms of cancer. For instance, one ounce of potato chips, approximately fifteen to twenty chips, contain ten grams of fat and 154 calories. The sodium content in potato chips can also lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels as well.
Similar to potato chips, French fries are often deep fried in trans fat. It�s also suggested that you don�t overdose yourself with potatoes as they are high on the glycemic index, however potatoes in general, and even sweet potatoes, are good for you in moderation and studies have shown that potatoes themselves do not negatively impact your health. It�s not the potato aspect of French fries that are bad-its all about how they are prepared.
Considering French fries are fried in oils and the sodium content that comes with it, this delicious and favorite food can lead to diabetes as your insulin levels increase. Many individuals are also at an increased risk of weight gain, obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. French fries contain acrylamide which is a carcinogen that forms when food is fried at a high temperature for a short time. Acrylamide is known to cause the formation of cancer in the body and have been shown in different studies to increase the mortality rate amongst populations as well.
Fast food carries a lot of empty calories with plenty of saturated and trans fats. On average, the meat used to make a fast food hamburger is only twelve percent meat. The rest of the burger contains, water, bone, and other fillers that the body does not require. The trans fat found in most fast foods, especially hamburgers, can raise your cholesterol levels substantially and is linked to causing heart disease as well. The additives in hamburgers are also a health hazard. Ammonia is often used in the mechanically separated meat product in order to irradiate any forms of bacteria.
Sodium phosphate and nitrates are used to preserve and texturize the meat. Some individuals may suffer from side effects due to how processed the meat becomes. On average, most fast food options, hamburgers, in particular, are extremely high in sodium to enhance the taste. In addition to the meat, the buns used are often made with enriched flour, which is processed or bleached flour, and the toppings, which may appear healthy, can contain numerous amounts of sugars and salts, as seen in many condiments like ketchup and mustard.
While eating fat-free might be appealing to many who want to shed a few pounds, many of these foods are highly processed and contain high if not higher amounts of sugar and calories are their normal versions. There are some fat-free foods that are healthier for you, ensure to also check the labels for sugar content. Cheese and other dairy products can be produced fat-free simply by replacing whole milk with skim milk. Many foods are available fat-free today, such as peanut butter, yogurt, and salad dressings.
Manufacturers of fat-free foods tend to add sugar or even high-fructose corn syrup to maintain a longer shelf life for many of their products. This is only adding empty calories to your diet, replacing one problem with another. You skip the fat but are still getting the calories. Consuming fat is part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation and choosing healthy sources of fat. Monounsaturated fats are something the body can digest. These healthy fats can be found in fish, avocados or nuts. Stick to these fats and save your health by skipping fat-free foods that are available at the store.
Microwave popcorn contains highly dangerous ingredients if you indulge too often. This tasty, salty snack food contains carcinogens which are cancer-causing free radicals. Even the bag is harmful to your health, with Perfluorochemicals being added to the bag to ensure they are greaseproof, and this chemical has been linked to thyroid disease and ADHD. Diacetyl is one of the ingredients put in the artificial fat of microwave popcorn which is also a cancer-causing chemical.
A recent investigation was performed by an Occupational Safety and Health organization in a popular (and not disclosed) factory that made microwave popcorn. The investigation began because some employees were developing bronchiolitis obliterans, a type of lung disease. The results of the investigation discovered the disease was caused by something within the factory, as numerous employees were exposed to the artificial flavoring agent found in the product. Employees now have an exposure limit to these flavoring agents that we consume when we eat microwavable popcorn. If you still crave this savory snack, try making your own from natural kernels in a popcorn maker or over the stove, as it is not only a healthier alternative but a safer one too.
While margarine is allegedly being marketed as a healthy alternative to butter, it is a major source of trans fats. Not to mention, there was never enough evidence that indicated that switching from natural butter to processed margarine would drastically decrease a person�s chance of having a heart attack or heart disease. Rather, it was a simple marketing ploy used to sell a product that played on people�s fears for their health. Trans fats cause cholesterol to spike as well as damage blood vessel walls. Numerous research reports note that margarine has high levels of trans fats that raise LDL cholesterol levels, or bad cholesterol while lowering levels of HDL, or good cholesterol levels within the body. In addition to trans fats, margarine contains synthetic vitamins along with artificial colors. Consuming omega-3 fats or butter is much better for not only your overall health but your heart too. Regardless of the amount of fat content in butter, the ingredients are much more natural than margarine, especially if you eat organic or grass-fed butter.
A meatless hamburger or hot dog has protein in it but consider how processed the vegetarian dish is to make it taste like meat. Although these �meat� products are highly fortified with vitamins and minerals and have no saturated fats or cholesterol, they are still highly processed food products that are packed with salt, refined ingredients, and calories as opposed to whole, natural meats. Many processed meat products are made with soy and gluten, therefore always read the labels on any alternative meat product. Meat products like this often contain a lot of added chemicals making it incredibly unhealthy as well. Often people gain a significant amount of weight when they go vegan due to consuming the wrong kind of proteins. The shorter the ingredient list, the better for your health and body.
Similar to processed foods, prepackaged foods may be quick and convenient, but many contain hidden ingredients that are not listed on the packaging. Even prepackaged meals that are marketed as healthy can contain numerous chemicals and preservatives. For instance, many of these prepackaged meals and snacks, often frozen, contain high amounts of sodium, sugars, and fat. Meals that are high in sodium, such as prepackaged pizza, soups, bread, soups, pasta and meat dishes, sandwiches, and Raman noodles, put an individual at an increased risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease, and to keep these levels healthy, you will need to limit your sodium intake to less than 1,500 milligrams a day.
Other prepackaged foods contain copious amounts of sugar, including high fructose corn syrup, and consuming a large amount of sugar will increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. Not to mention, trans fats are often incorporated into these foods and increase your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, and a heart attack.
Although labeled as a healthy alternative that will keep you on the right track with your fitness and health goals, diet drinks and foods are not what they appear. Calorie-free beverages such as fruit drinks, slimming shakes, teas, and sodas may help you reduce the amount of calories you consume, however, a majority of these drinks are loaded with chemical replacements for sugar. In fact, research has connected artificial sweeteners used in these products to increasing a person�s cravings for other high-sugar and high-caloric foods. These sweeteners often include aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin, acesulfame-k or sucralose, which all carry their own health risks as well, and are 200 to 13,000 times more sweeter than regular sugar.
Besides beverages, a majority of diet foods and drinks are not just packed with artificial sweeteners, but also artificial acids, colors, flavoring, preservatives, vitamins and minerals, and caffeine. For instance, certain acids like citric, malic, and phosphoric, are linked to tooth enamel erosion. Many of these additional chemicals that are included in many diet drinks and foods are related to the development of Type II diabetes and heart disease in numerous studies conducted on patients who consume these products on a regular basis.
Similar to fat-free and diet foods and drinks, low-calorie snacks can be incredibly deceiving when it comes to the ingredients used in producing these foods. Numerous chemicals can be packed into a tiny 100-calorie package. While low-calorie snacks do offer portion control, unfortunately, many of these snacks are packed with high-sugar and low-fiber processed foods that leave many craving more sugary foods. Instead of reaching for one of these convenient snacks, try eating wholesome snacks that have either natural sugar or none at all and contain fiber. Examples of snacks include fresh fruit, yogurt, low-fat cheese, and nuts, which will help keep you focused and full. Speaking of yogurt, some ultra-low calorie yogurts may reduce sugar and fat, but are replaced with artificial sweeteners and thickeners. When in doubt, always read the labels of low-calorie snacks, particularly paying attention to the ingredient list and the sugar, fat, and sodium content in each snack.
Who doesn�t love going out to eat once in a while? Although dining out in moderation is a better option, remember to always read the menu and to ask your server questions when it comes to your food. Salads may seem like a smart choice as you will get to load up on vegetables and proteins, but extra toppings such as cheese, tortilla strips, and heavy dressing can turn your salad from fab to fat real fast. Not to mention, portion control! Most restaurants offer menu items that are labeled healthy are truly not due to the outlandish portions most restaurants provide, resulting in you overeating, loading up on empty calories, and possibly gaining weight. Try taking some home with you and only eating until you are full, or order off of the kid�s menu for a healthier portion.
Rather than simply choosing a meal with all the trimmings, opt for a few other options, such as swapping out French fries for a salad with vinaigrette dressing or a baked potato, and choose whole grain options such as brown rice, pasta, or bread rather than eating the standard bleached version. Load up on healthy, lean proteins such as chicken or turkey and skip red meats when possible. Another smart option is to ask for your vegetables to be steamed or baked rather than fried in greasy, fatty oil, and ask for low-sodium options when it comes to condiments. No matter if you�re ordering in or dining out, you can make smarter, healthier food choices with a few simple switches!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Combine potatoes, oil, Mexican seasoning, and garlic salt together in a bowl; stir to coat potatoes completely. Spread potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are crisp and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer potatoes to a plate and top with Mexican cheese blend, black beans, diced tomatoes, black olives, green onions, and green chiles.
Nutrition Facts
These Loaded Baked Potato Nachos are similar in concept to traditional nachos except they�re made with potato slices and topped with all of your favorite baked potato toppings!
Be sure to shred your own cheddar cheese! Fresh cheddar cheese melts so much better than the pre-shredded kind from the grocery store. All you need is a simple box grater. Also, I recommend cooking your own bacon so that you have real bacon crumbles. Add a dollop of sour cream to the top and you�re left with cheesy Loaded Baked Potato Nachos.
Tip: Make sure that you evenly cut the potato slices for the best result. I used my food processor to get even slices. You can certainly use a knife, but cut them as evenly as possible, otherwise they will not cook evenly.
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pre-heat your oven to 425F.
Toss the potato slices with olive oil, salt and black pepper
Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet that you�ve sprayed with non-stick spray
Bake for about 10 minutes, flip the potato slices, and continue baking for 10-15 minutes longer.
*Optional � Turn the broiler on and broil for a few minutes until the potato slices are crispy.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, turn off the broiler and turn the oven on to 400F.
On a baking sheet, arrange half of the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with half the cheese and half the bacon. Top with remaining potatoes and sprinkle the remaining cheese and bacon on top.
Bake for about 8 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
Top with sour cream and green onions for garnish.
In this recipe you can either bake or fry the potatoes to make them nice and crispy!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Slice potatoes 1/4? thick and place in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes. Drain very well and dry potatoes with paper towel.
If baking preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil. Place on a parchment lined pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until browned and crispy.
If frying, preheat oil to 375 degrees. Place potatoes into hot oil for about 7 minutes per batch or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.
NACHOS
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
In a bowl, combine cheese, corned beef (or bacon) and half of the green onions. Layer half of the potatoes in an oven proof skillet or dish (a large pie plate works well). Top with half of the cheese.
Repeat layers. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted through.
Remove from oven and top with remaining green onions, tomato and jalapeno. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.
Nutrition Information
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Toss the potato rounds in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip and continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, depending on how thin your rounds are.
Pile the cooked potato rounds onto an oven safe serving dish (or pile them right up on the baking sheet) and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with the crumbled bacon, sour cream, and green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Preheat the oven to 425�F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
Clean and cut the potatoes into wedges. Try to keep the potatoes similar in size for even cooking.
n a large mixing bowl, drizzle the wedges with olive oil then toss the wedges with the taco seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Arrange on the baking sheet.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until crispy and fork tender. Turn once while cooking.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Arrange the black beans and black olives on top. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts.
To serve, top with pico de gallo, crumbled bacon, sour cream, crumbled queso fresco and pickled or fresh slices of jalapeno peppers. Serve immediately. Yield: 12 servings
Ooey gooey melted cheese, spiced beef, and crispy tortilla chips come together to create these Cheesy Macho Nachos, a fun appetizer or late night snack!
These nachos are an �upgraded� version of what I used to make. The main difference is the addition of some spiced up (although not �hot� spicy) ground beef (hence the �macho� part of the title), but I also tweaked with the cheese. Did you know that pre-shredded cheese has a chemical added to it so that it doesn�t clump in the bag? The chemical that is added is the reason that pre-shredded cheese does not melt as well as cheese that you shred on your own. Anytime you�re making something where you want the cheese to be ooey gooey and melted, definitely shred your own which is my recommendation for these nachos. You can use any cheeses you�d like, but I used a combo of sharp cheddar cheese with some american cheese. For the American Cheese, I bought a chunk at the deli counter at my grocery store, and shredded it myself.
This recipe calls for a 9�13 inch pan, but you could easily cut it in half and use something like an 8�8 pan to make a smaller portion. These definitely must be eaten fresh, so don�t count on eating leftovers � we did, and I don�t recommend it! Fresh is definitely best.
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Saut� the onion until translucent.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the ground beef to the pan. Use a large spoon or other utensil to break the meat up. Add in cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salt. Cook until the ground beef is cooked through, then drain off any excess fat.
In a large 9�13 inch casserole dish, spread out half the chips. Spoon half of the meat on the chips, and half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining chips, meat, and cheese.
Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until all of the cheese is melted.
Serve with salsa, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, and any other toppings you�d like.
Rotkohl (German Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage)
Cook the onions until caramelized and just beginning to brown, 7-10 minutes.
Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the apple, broth, bay leaf, cloves, juniper berries, red currant jam, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add more broth if needed.
Combine the flour and water until dissolved and stir into the Rotkohl. Simmer for another minute.
Add more salt, sugar and vinegar to taste.
The beloved side dish found in virtually every restaurant and home throughout Germany and I grew up eating this on a regular basis with Sunday roasts and Rouladen. Here is a thoroughly authentic recipe for this delicious way of preparing red cabbage.
I�ve been meaning to post this recipe for a long time and just kept forgetting. A few comments from German food fans reminded me, so here it is � the quintessential German red cabbage side dish!
Rotkohl has been around for, well, forever. And that�s how it usually works, doesn�t it? Great dishes stand the test of time. And Rotkohl takes the humble red cabbage and transforms it into a wonderful dish that traditionally accompanies beef roasts, Rouladen and Sauerbraten. For any of you who have traveled to Germany, you�ll remember this delicious dish. This recipe is like the Rotkohl you enjoyed at your favorite German restaurants or in your favorite German homes.
Rotkohl is also a great way to eat those healthy veggies. Red cabbage is packed with a ton of health benefits. It�s low in fat and high in fiber (ie, a �smart carb�), it�s full of vitamin K which has been shown to help prevent nerve damage leading to Alzheimer�s and dementia as well as help with mental functioning (ie, brain food), it�s high in sulfur which improves the health of your skin (ie, natural beautifier), it�s high in vitamin C which helps remove toxins in the body (ie, great for detox), it�s been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, helps regulate blood sugar, and because it�s high in potassium it can also help regulate blood pressure.
So cabbage, especially red cabbage, is one of man�s best friends � a superfood. And here is a delicious, traditional German way of preparing it. Butter, apples, vinegar, red currant jam, bay leaves, cloves and juniper berries are some of the ingredients that mingle to include this unforgettable side dish. Just be sure to make time for the slow cooking process. It�s that long simmering process that�s key to the final outcome.
Number one fruit preserve in Germany
The traditional accompaniment to your Sunday roast, this authentic recipe for Rotkohl is sure to become a favorite!
Prep Time10 mins
Finely chop the red cabbage.
Finely chop the onions.
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the onions until lcaramelized and just beginning to brown, 7-10 minutes.
Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the apple, broth, bay leaf, cloves, juniper berries, red currant jam, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add more broth if needed.
Combine the flour and water until dissolved and stir into the Rotkohl.
Simmer for another minute. Add more salt, sugar and vinegar to taste.
Traditionally served with roasts, Rouladen, Sauerbraten and potatoes, Spaetzle or Knoedel.
Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 568mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1560IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.1mg
This very popular vegetable can be served with Rouladen, Sauerbraten or Roasted Duck.
German Paprikaschnitzel / Paprika Schnitzel Recipe
German Frikadellen (Hamburg Steak, Meat Patties) Recipe
Bavarian Kartoffelpuffer, Reibekuchen, Reiberdatschi - Potato Pancakes Recipe
Kartoffelkroketten / Potato Croquettes
Ingredients:
Preparation
Wash the red cabbage, remove trunk and cut into fine strips.
Brown the sugar in the butter until light brown in color.
Add the finely chopped onion and in small cubes cut peeled apples.
Sauté for a few minutes.
Add the red cabbage and mix everything to combine.
Immediately pour a little of the red wine vinegar on the cabbage so it retains the red color.
Season with salt, add a little of red wine, bay leaves, cloves and steam covered on medium heat until cabbage is tender for about 45 - 60 minutes.
At the end dust cabbage with some flour, season to taste and add some more red wine and/or vinegar if necessary. Add some jam if desired for enhanced taste, stir.
Tip: Do not cook cabbage in a cracked enamel pot because the taste may be compromised and the food may get discolored!
Red cabbage is one of my family's favorite German dishes! It goes well with many meat dishes, especially those served for special occasions. The longer it cooks, the better! �Cathy Lemmon, Quinlan, Texas
Total Time
Place the peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag.
In a Dutch oven, saute onions in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add the cabbage, apples, salt, pepper and spice bag.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, for 30-35 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar. Discard spice bag. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Nutrition Facts
Red Cabbage Recipe - Rotkohl - Homemade Red Cabbage try second
Red Cabbage with Apples (Rotkohl mit �pfeln) try third
Red Wine Onions (Rotweinzweibeln)
Active: 25 mins
Black-eyed peas are a Southern staple, especially on New Year�s Day, when cooks combine them with rice for Hoppin� John. Eat them for good luck, if you�re into that sort of thing.
These little legumes are staples in plenty of other cultures� diets, too, all year round. I love Nigerian-style stewed black-eyed peas (often served with fried plantains), the lobia masala of north India and the African-Caribbean black-eyed-pea fritters called accra (also known as akara or accara).
Such dishes can take some time to make. But in her new book, �Indian in 7," Monisha Bharadwaj shows the beauty of a much simpler approach, combining canned black-eyed peas with tomatoes, mushrooms and warming spices.
I particularly appreciate the way she treats those mushrooms. I would have been otherwise inclined to thinly slice and saute them with the super-fragrant ginger, garlic and spices before adding the tomatoes and legumes. But when you cut them into thicker pieces and briefly cook them later in the process, they stay nice and juicy.
Best of all, the dish has a depth of flavor that tastes as though it took hours, not minutes. And that�s something you�ll welcome any day of the year.
Storage notes: The dish can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the whole tomatoes to a medium bowl, leaving the extra juices and liquid behind (reserve it for another use). Snip the tomatoes into bite-size pieces with kitchen scissors or crush them with your hands.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering.
Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they start to darken, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, another 30 seconds.
Stir in the chili powder, turmeric and garam masala, cook for a few seconds, then pour in the water and cook until it evaporates and the oil separates, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, black-eyed peas, mushrooms and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the flavors have melded and the mixture has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and, if you�d like, use a wooden spoon to mash some of the peas to thicken the sauce. Serve hot.
Adapted from �Indian in 7," by Monisha Bharadwaj (Kyle, 2019).
Nutrition
I think of grocery shopping as a multi-tiered process. At the bottom are the basic ingredients, the building blocks of most recipes. Next are the second-tier ingredients, which are not crucial but lend flavor and variety to meals. Occasionally I buy top-tier treats for special occasions, but these are for pleasure, not nutrition.
Not all basics ingredients are created equal, however. There are some, like onions and celery and garlic, that usually serve the same purpose every time � to create an aromatic base for a recipe. But others are more versatile, capable of being transformed into a range of different dishes. These are the ones I want to talk about today, the shape-shifting kitchen helpers that spark numerous ideas whenever you're stuck wondering what to make. These are the most versatile ingredients in my pantry, and the ones that I make sure to buy week after week.
I have young children who can't get enough cheese. We buy marble, old Cheddar, and mozzarella weekly. Cheese can be used for last-minute meals in the form of quesadillas or grilled cheese sandwiches. I add it to egg omelets in the mornings or sprinkle over huevos rancheros for a vegetarian dinner. I grate it and top flatbreads or pitas, cooking under the broiler for a tasty accompaniment to homemade soup. We make cheese pizzas and use it in layered nachos, tea biscuits, cornmeal muffins, and as a snack with crackers. When it's on sale, I buy multiple packages and keep in the freezer.
As we work on reducing our family's meat consumption, having a supply of canned beans is important. I do cook them from dried as well, but I'm not always on top of it, and sometimes we need them sooner than I can prepare. Black beans are the family favorite, delicious in burritos or quesadillas. My husband likes to sauté with onion and cumin as a base for fried eggs. I make a spicy black bean soup topped with yogurt, mixed bean chili, and often add a can to whatever other soup I'm making. We mix them into quinoa-mango salad and rice-corn-arugula salad in the summertime.
I buy at least 2 packages every week of ten whole-wheat tortillas. One goes into the freezer and the other stays out for immediate use. We use them for quesadillas and burritos for dinner and lunch, but the kids also love them for quick snacks. They spread peanut butter and jam, cream cheese, or shredded cheese on top, and roll them up. Sometimes I make breakfast wraps with fried egg, salsa, and avocado inside.
It has taken me a while to appreciate the versatility of potatoes, but they really are an amazing food for how little you pay. We make mashed potatoes, lemon roasted potatoes, scalloped potatoes, boiled potatoes with butter, cream of potato soup, potato salad, Spanish tortillas, latkes, and more. We add chopped potatoes to curries and soups, and serve boiled wedges with dip. Most recently, I cooked a bunch of potatoes to use in a recipe for homemade doughnuts.
Never be without apples! When I have apples in the kitchen, I feel like I can make any dessert or baked good. Apple crisp, pie, and muffins are the most commonly known, but I shred them and add to pancake and waffle batter, stuff and bake whole, and saut� with onions and cabbage for an unusual side dish. Obviously they're fantastic eaten raw, dipped in peanut butter for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Oh, rice. I don't know what I'd do without it. We eat it steamed at least 3 times per week to accompany curries, stir-fries, and dal, but I often make biryani, spiced rice pilafs, and paella as main courses. I love homemade rice pudding and risotto; I add it pre-cooked to burrito filling, put a scoop under some bean chili, and add it to grain salads. I reheat leftover rice and top with fried egg for breakfast.
Canned tomatoes can be transformed into almost anything. In fact, you should just look at my post on 8 ways to turn a can of tomatoes into dinner.
I love chickpeas and usually make mega-batches from dried form in my Instant Pot and stash them in the freezer. At least once a week I make chickpea curry (chana masala) with spinach, but I also add them to bean chili, mash them into bean-lentil burgers or meatballs, or make spiced chickpea patties (similar to felafel, which they can also be used in). Chickpeas are delicious in salad and, for years, were one of my go-to baby foods for kids learning to eat soft finger foods. They loved chasing the chickpeas around their highchair tray.
Whether homemade or not, having a loaf of sliced bread in the freezer can make feeding the hungry masses considerably easier. I use sliced bread for sandwiches of all kinds; grilled cheese; plain or toasted topped with salty butter, avocado, egg, or PB&J; French toast for a quick gourmet-seeming breakfast; and topped with shredded cheese and broiled for a hearty side to soup or salad.
Active: 10 mins
Winter tempts us to roast everything -- even fruit. Roasted fibrous apples or almost-ripe pears fill crostatas and crisps, turn up next to meat and game, or get added (sometimes clumsily) to salads.
Citrus, so plentiful in winter, typically gets little oven time, and that�s a shame.
Roasting citrus may seem at odds with the bright fruit that�s mostly juice, spongy pulp and waxy rind. Instead, uncooked segments pop up in salads; the juice and zest go into dressings, marinades and custards.
Try roasting lemons and oranges, however, and you�ll find that the sugars caramelize to create surprisingly intense flavors.
Roasted sweet orange slices add concentrated flavor and texture to dishes; while roasted whole lemons and oranges taste sunshine-bright, candy-rich, and are to the palate what pastels are to pencils. They are as versatile as they are assertive.
Citrus can be roasted successfully in one of two ways: Cut the fruit into thin slices and dry roast it at a high heat; or leave the citrus whole and cook it low and slow in a bit of water and its own liquid.
In either case, you need to foil the ambitions of the bitter pith with vinegar, or by allowing that white membrane to cook until nearly clear and sweet.
I stumbled up on the process of roasting citrus. One day, I had a surplus of citrus and just thought, �what if?" I kept roasting until the richness balanced out the bitterness, and I was hooked.
Thin-skinned, sweet oranges are the best choice for slicing and dry roasting. Underneath the fragrant, bright peel, the white pith is soapy and bitter. But if the pith is thin, as with juice oranges, such as Valencia, the fruit roasts perfectly in slender, pretty slices.
The pulp pulls taut as it roasts, sometimes becoming floss-thin and caramelized at the edges, giving the oranges a little chew. Reinvigorate the roasted slices with vinegar to elevate their sweetness and knock out that residual bitterness.
Active: 20 mins
Add these roasted orange slices to leaf or grain salads, or a cheeseboard. Serve them alongside game, pork or poultry, or just nibble on them as a snack. They have the chew and sweetness of dried fruit with a slight bitter edge.
1 pound thin-skinned oranges, such as Valencia, scrubbed, stem removed
Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
Quarter the oranges and remove any seeds. Lightly trim any membranes still attached to the central core of the wedges. Slice each wedge crosswise into triangles, no more than 1/8-inch-thick. Place the slices in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and salt.
Spill the oranges onto the parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes, until the slices are soft and beginning to brown at the edges.
Carefully grab the long sides of the parchment paper and shake the slices so they fall together into the center of the paper. Return the parchment to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the gathered orange slices with 2 tablespoons vinegar.
Then, fold the raised edges of the parchment together several times to make a pouch, carefully folding and tucking the open ends underneath. Roast for an additional 10 minutes, steaming the slices.
Allow the orange slices to cool inside the parchment pouch before tasting them. If the slices remain bitter (they shouldn�t), sprinkle with another tablespoon of vinegar, add a pinch of salt, fold the parchment over again, and place the baking sheet back in the oven to steam for 5 more minutes.
Remove the oranges from the oven. Place the slices in a glass or ceramic container, scraping any accumulated juices over the slices. Cover and let cool completely.
Adapted from �The Nimble Cook," by Ronna Welsh (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019), founder of Purple Kale Kitchenworks.
Nutrition
Roasted orange slices are sturdy enough to toss into a salad, a pan of sauteed greens or a bowl of toasty grains. Like any other dried fruit, they deliver a concentration of flavor.
Roast orange slices on parchment paper, rather than directly on the baking tray. This prevents the thin pieces from sticking to the pan; and the parchment becomes a steaming pouch for re-softening and seasoning the dried slices.
Once the orange slices become tender and begin to brown, pull up the sides of parchment to gather together the pieces, then -- after adding a splash of vinegar -- fold the paper onto itself to create a pouch that traps the newly created steam. The vinegar at once loosens the bits of fruit and caramelized juices from the parchment, and as it settles into the slices it intensifies their flavor.
For the second roasting method, you cook the fruit whole for a long time over low heat. Slow roasting works beautifully with both lemons and oranges.
A thinly sliced shallot added to the pot at the start becomes a catalyst for caramelization. The shallot melts into the juices released from the citrus creating a delicious, intense sauce. The softened peel and long-simmered seeds thicken the fruit�s pulp and juices to a golden syrup.
Since I�ve been making them, I stopped buying preserved lemons altogether. The roasted lemons are quite different, taste-wise and much more versatile.
Pair roasted citrus with a wide range of flavors, including olives, capers and aged cheeses, sweet and hot peppers, dry and fresh tomatoes, shrimp and sardines, any herb and leafy green, and even dates and bittersweet chocolate.
Add pieces of roasted lemon to the pan toward the end of roasting the chicken, meat or whole fish. Mash a small piece into vinaigrette or pesto. At the very least, add to the roasted citrus to olive oil for slathering on bread.
1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
Place the oven rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put the lemons, shallot, water and salt in a Dutch oven or any ovenproof, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid.
Cover the pot, place in the oven and roast for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
After the first 30 minutes, check on the lemons every 15 to 20 minutes, stirring gently to coat the lemons with the liquid.
If the lemons begin to brown, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees to prevent scorching.
Watch for the lemons to begin to collapse, and for the liquid in the pot to take on a golden hue and thicken slightly. The shallot will melt into the liquid.
Remove the pot from the oven when the lemon pith is completely translucent and the juices have turned syrupy and caramel brown.
Using tongs, grab a piece of lemon and use the softened fruit to mop the sides of the pot, loosening any bits. Drop that lemon back into the pot with the others.
Remove the lemons and the accumulated liquid from the heat and let cool completely. Serve as a condiment, or use to add flavor to sauces.
Recipe note: The size of the lemons, the thickness of the pith, the heaviness of the pot, even swings in oven temperature, all affect the cooking time. Sometimes the lemons may need additional roasting time beyond the suggested 1 1/2 hours for the pith to turn completely translucent.
Adapted from �The Nimble Cook," by Ronna Welsh (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019), founder of Purple Kale Kitchenworks.
Nutrition
Classic Sauerkraut
Active: 25 mins
The proposition sounds a little dubious: Leave some vegetables in a jar on your counter. Just leave them there. For weeks. Then eat them. It�s perfectly safe, say the pickling enthusiasts. They�re great for you. You�ll love them! they say.
Not convinced? Science is here to explain why fermenting vegetables is not only perfectly safe but also surprisingly easy and rewarding. Spoiler: Microbes do most of the work.
In our hyper-Pasteurian, expiration date-driven era, it might be difficult to relinquish control over our food to these mysterious forces. But a small measure of understanding yields rich rewards: crisp classic sauerkraut, warmly tart beets, bright preserved lemons and just about anything else you can dream up.
These classically preserved foods and so many others -- from kimchi to kombucha -- have been expanding their footprint on cooler shelves in supermarkets and even on some restaurant menus. In part, we have to thank for this the proliferation of new research on gut health and the outsize role beneficial microbes (which are bountiful in fermented foods) play in helping our gut, immune and overall health.
As the probiotic-driven food trend has accelerated, many chefs and consumers have also rediscovered a new world of flavor and texture that has long been missing from U.S. tables. We might have a sepia-style image of sauerkraut fermenting in large wooden barrels in Northeastern Europe. Or a vague notion of preserved lemons pepping up a warm Middle Eastern grain salad. But this style of food preparation can incorporate just about any produce you might find at the market -- or languishing in your crisper drawer -- and unexpected seasonings, such as spiced fermented beets.
Many of us grew up with shelf-stable pickles and krauts, which stay that way through a combination of vinegar and pasteurization. These two processes are ruthlessly effective in killing off harmful microbes. But they also zap the helpful ones.
Produce is naturally covered in microbes. For thousands of years, people have relied upon these unseen life-forms that to create myriad delicious, nuanced non-vinegar ferments, often called �wild ferments."
The process is quite simple: Salt, submerge, wait. And eat.
Why does this method work so reliably? Salt kills harmful microbes and encourages beneficial ones, such as those that produce lactic acid, which are similar to many found in the gut microbiome. Similarly, submerging the produce in liquid (whether added or extracted from the food itself) protects it from the less-desirables.
And, the process offers further safety measures. As fermentation gets underway, the ascendant bacteria begin to alter the overall environment. They consume some of the carbohydrates from the produce, creating carbon dioxide (which appears as bubbles) and, more important for our purposes, lactic acid (which lowers the pH).
"The process is self-protecting," explains fermentation expert Sandor Katz, who is the author of The Art of Fermentation, among other books about the craft.
"Statistically, fermentation makes vegetables safer than they are raw," he says.
"It's pretty bomb-proof," agrees Mara King, co-founder of the fermented food company Ozuk�. "As soon as you achieve something that is pretty sour, it is safe."
Food regulations deem fermented food safe at or below a pH of 4.6. For comparison, a lemon has a pH of 2 to 3. If you are skeptical about ballparking the sourness with a lemon-taste test, King suggests purchasing inexpensive paper pH test strips (remember those from high school chemistry class?) or investing in a pH meter.
As hands-off as the process seems, there are ways we can steer the bacteria to do their best work.
One method is through temperature. A warmer environment will encourage more bacteria to thrive more rapidly and will result in a faster ferment. A cooler environment will have the opposite effect (which is why we hold �finished� ferments in the fridge for longer-term keeping).
Generally, 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is an effective range for most vegetable ferments. We can also nudge the fermentation duration forward or backward with salt concentration -- less salt for a faster ferment; more salt for a slower one.
Time is the final and most powerful variable. Over time, the flavor and texture of the produce shift toward the acidic and soft, respectively. Which is why Katz recommends "tasting at intervals."
Tasting also provides a reminder to keep tabs on ferments.
Although the microbes might be doing most of the work, it is important to ensure ferments remains submerged. An exposed piece of produce is inviting real estate for yeast and mold that need air to flourish.
But fear not if your ferments gain a bit of a surface growth -- most frequently kahm yeast or a fuzzy mold. It�s fine. Really.
"Remove it as best you can, and don't worry if some dissipates into your brine," Katz says. The salt and acidity will protect the rest of the ferment. (Watch for a bright, colorful mold. That could be hazardous. But in the decades of his work and travels, Katz has never seen a dangerous mold on fermenting vegetables.)
Despite what our 21st century instincts might say, in the compendium of food preparation methods, lactic-acid fermentation is among the most forgiving. It's also healthful -- and enthralling.
"I love the alchemical magic of the process," Katz says. And the science, too.
Classic Sauerkraut
Versatile sauerkraut is easy to make and can stand as a condiment, snack or a side dish. Served as a hot dog topping, warmed alongside sausages or eaten out of a jar, this cabbage packs a delicious, fermented punch. While this recipe calls for caraway seeds, you can opt for other seasonings to flavor your kraut, such as dill or juniper berries.
Make Ahead: The sauerkraut needs to be made at least 2 weeks ahead of when you plan on eating it.
Storage Notes: The sauerkraut can be stored, covered and refrigerated for up to 6 months.
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
Using a chef's knife, cut the cabbage into quarters. Cut away the core from each quarter and discard. Place a cabbage quarter on the cutting board, flat-side down and slice across into 1/4-inch strips. Repeat with the remaining wedges. Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt.
Using your fingers, massage the cabbage forcefully for 5 to 10 minutes until it sheds enough liquid to submerge all pieces. Take a break every few minutes as needed; the salt will keep working while you rest. (If, after about 10 minutes you still don�t have enough liquid to submerge the cabbage, mix 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of water and add as needed.)
Add the caraway seeds and, using your hands, mix into the cabbage until combined.
Pack the cabbage into a 6-cup clean, wide-mouth jar or crock.
Using a stone or water-filled plastic bag, weigh the cabbage down so it is submerged in the brine. Cover with a lid, cheesecloth or an airlock fermenting lid (which allows building gases to escape without allowing new air -- and microbes -- in). If using a plain lid, be sure to "burp" the jar regularly -- ideally before you notice it bulging at all -- to release gas. Alternately, you can cover with cheesecloth.
Place in a moderately cool location. A temperature range of 65 to 70 degrees will yield sauerkraut within 2 to 3 weeks.
Taste weekly to determine when the sauerkraut meets your preferred taste and texture. Some people prefer their kraut crunchy and light, while others enjoy a softer, more sour kraut that has been fermenting longer.
Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. The sauerkraut will continue to slowly ferment over time. It will maintain its texture best when submerged in the brine.
Harmon Courage is the author of �Cultured: How Ancient Foods Can Feed Our Microbiome� (Avery/Penguin Random House). Follow her on Twitter at @KHCourage, on Instagram at @KatherineCourage or at katherinecourage.com.
Recipe by Katherine Harmon Courage. Tested by Ann Maloney and Olga Massov; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.
Active: 5 mins
Bright and briny, these preserved lemons make a flavorful addition to cooked grains, roasted chicken, stew or soups. You can also muddle or puree some of the lemon to add brightness to a gin-and-tonic or a martini.
Make Ahead: The lemons need to be prepared at least 3 weeks before you will use them.
Storage Notes: Store the lemons refrigerated in a jar with a lid, ideally submerged, for 6 months and up to 1 year.
Make a deep �x� incision in 4 of the lemons, leaving about 1/4-inch intact at the bottom of each fruit, so it almost opens like a flower. Pack about 1 teaspoon salt into each lemon, getting it between the sections.
Pack the salted lemons into a wide-mouth jar just large enough to hold the lemons, squishing them down with clean hands to yield as much liquid as possible. Juice the remaining lemon; you will need about 1/4 cup of juice. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water; then add the juice. Pour the brine over the lemons until they are completely submerged, then weigh the lemons down with a heavy stone or water-filled plastic bag. (If you don�t have enough liquid to cover the lemons in the jar, you can mix 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of water, and add as needed.)
Cover and place in a moderately cool location, about 65 to 70 degrees. (If using a lid, be sure to �burp� the jar regularly -- preferably before it shows signs of bulging. Or use cheesecloth or an airlock fermenting lid, which will allow microbe-created gas to escape while keeping outside air from entering. If using cheesecloth, you do not need to cover with lid.)
Taste the lemons after 3 weeks, and weekly thereafter, to determine readiness. They will remain a saturated yellow and will taste bright, salty and sour -- including the peel.
Harmon Courage is the author of �Cultured: How Ancient Foods Can Feed Our Microbiome� (Avery/Penguin Random House). Follow her on Twitter at @KHCourage, on Instagram at @KatherineCourage or at katherinecourage.com.
Recipe by Katherine Harmon Courage. Tested by Olga Massov; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.
The environment minister stated that post-Brexit trade deals will not allow chlorine-washed chicken or hormone-treated beef.
Britons have received some reassuring news from their environment secretary. After years of debate over whether or not chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef from the United States will be allowed into the United Kingdom following Brexit, Theresa Villiers has stated that it will not. In an interview with Countryfile, secretary Villiers said,
She also stated that the government will "hold the line" on this even if insisted upon by the U.S. president in trade talks. No doubt this will frustrate U.S. trade negotiators and poultry farmers, who have invested considerable effort into trying to convince the UK that its meat is safe for consumption. Just last year, the U.S. government paid for a $100,000 press junket that took British journalists on poultry farm tours.
It's good to see Villiers sticking up for British agricultural standards, which are far from perfect themselves, but at least do not take the 'sledgehammer' approach that the Americans do � relying on chlorine to fix all the problems that arise from keeping animals confined in horrible conditions. To quote Dan Nosowitz of Modern Farmer:
The BBC says the argument over farming standards has been ongoing between the U.S. and European countries since 1997, and the U.S. was hoping to crack into the British market following Brexit. "Leaked trade documents showed the U.S. tried to establish how far the UK would, after Brexit, detach from the EU's hard line against U.S. farm trade methods. U.S. officials had made a presentation and repeatedly raised the 'unscientific approach the EU maintains towards Pathogen Reduction Treatments [chlorinated chicken]'." Now that is looking less favorable for the Americans.
Maybe the U.S. should reconsider its methods, rather than get angry at the rest of the world for not accepting them.
If the US and the UK come to a trade agreement, it could mean lowering UK agricultural standards to accept American poultry. This is troublesome for many reasons.
Until now, no species has had such a profound effect on shaping the Earth's biosphere as the humble broiler chicken.
I have a faint childhood memory of walking into a huge barn full of peeping yellow chicks for as far as I could see. The barn belonged to my mother's cousin and he let each child (there were four of us) choose a chick to take back to the house to play with. We gave those chicks rides on a toy train set and stroked their silky soft fuzz until it was time to return them to the barn. By the time we came for another visit, the chicks were gone and I was devastated.
That barnful of 50,000 chicks is a scene that can be found all around the world, thanks to humans' insatiable appetite for chicken. Broiler chickens, as birds raised for meat are called, are the most populous species of birds on Earth, with an estimated 23 billion on the planet at any given time. This is ten times more than the next most populous species (the red-billed quelea from sub-Saharan Africa, pop. 1.5 billion) and forty times more than the sparrow.
Humans breed and eat so much chicken that scientists say it will have a permanent effect on the geological record. Our era on Earth will be marked by a layer of chicken bones, along with plastic, concrete, and black carbon left over from burning fossil fuels.
A study published this week by the Royal Society describes the monster we've created in the past half-century of chicken breeding. The industry is fully reliant on technology, from egg incubator to slaughterhouse; and modern broilers � 90 percent of which are supplied by three companies, crippling genetic diversity among commercial breeds � would not survive without human support. From the study:
Gone are the days of pecking for bugs in the backyard. Modern broilers are now fed cereals such as maize, wheat, and barley that are commonly mixed with fishmeal and re-processed hatchery and broiler waste (egg shells, chicks and chickens).
James Gorman reports for the the New York Times,
This means that geologists of the future will be able to recognize the bones belonging to Gallus gallus domesticus, further aided by the fact that chicken bones do not decompose easily when we toss them the way we do, encased in a plastic bag of other household trash. Instead of breaking down, they become fossilized. And, in Gorman's words, "there are so, so, so many bones."
The Royal Society paper does not take a moral stance on humans' treatment and consumption of chickens; it simply lays out the facts. But one can't help but feel uncomfortable when reading it. It's eerily reminiscent of a horror film script, describing a dystopian future where the ground is littered with the skeletal remains of creatures that were brutally dominated and eaten by another. Something about the sheer number of chickens consumed (65 billion annually) makes it deeply unsettling, too � a whole animal killed for every meal or two.
Read it, absorb it, and let it influence your food choices.
Abstract
Changing patterns of human resource use and food consumption have profoundly impacted the Earth's biosphere. Until now, no individual taxa have been suggested as distinct and characteristic new morphospecies representing this change. Here we show that the domestic broiler chicken is one such potential marker. Human-directed changes in breeding, diet and farming practices demonstrate at least a doubling in body size from the late medieval period to the present in domesticated chickens, and an up to fivefold increase in body mass since the mid-twentieth century. Moreover, the skeletal morphology, pathology, bone geochemistry and genetics of modern broilers are demonstrably different to those of their ancestors. Physical and numerical changes to chickens in the second half of the twentieth century, i.e. during the putative Anthropocene Epoch, have been the most dramatic, with large increases in individual bird growth rate and population sizes. Broiler chickens, now unable to survive without human intervention, have a combined mass exceeding that of all other birds on Earth; this novel morphotype symbolizes the unprecedented human reconfiguration of the Earth's biosphere.
With a tiny investment and a little foresight, you can do away with a lot of unnecessary waste.
1. For disposable party plates: A stack of vintage bread plates
2. For paper napkins: A drawer of linens
3. For plastic cups: A case of party glasses
4. For paper towels: A box of retired textiles
5. For plastic food storage: A hodgepodge of hacks
Got leftovers? Learn about these green, plastic-free alternatives for food storage so you'll never need Ziplocs, Tupperware, or plastic wrap again.
While doing kitchen cleanup, it�s common to reach for a stash of Tupperware or other plastic containers, Ziploc bags, and plastic wrap to deal with leftover food. While these materials work, they�re not great from an environmental standpoint. Plastic wrap and bags cannot be recycled, ending up in the trash and, eventually, the ground or ocean. Containers are known to leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into food. A better solution is to move away from plastic altogether and find alternative ways to store leftovers.
Glass jars: Wide-mouth glass jars get a lot of love in my home. They are indefinitely reusable, easy to clean and sterilize, good for refrigeration and freezing, and see-through for better monitoring of what needs to get eaten soon. Store cooked food or unused ingredients. Perfect for leftover soups.
Glass containers: You can buy glass storage containers that stack together in the fridge and limit wasted space. It is possible to find glass containers with stainless steel lids, such as this one sold by Life Without Plastic.
Bowls: For food that won�t be stored for an extended period of time, just transfer it to a mixing bowl (which come in all sorts of convenient sizes) and put a plate or towel on top.
Paper: For items that don�t need as much protection, wrap in waxed paper or all-natural parchment paper. Use brown paper bags for mushrooms, avocadoes, potatoes, berries, dates, figs, pears, and strawberries. It helps to absorb excess moisture.
Cloth: Many vegetables and fruit can be stored wrapped in a damp tea towel, instead of a plasti |
