Archive for March, 2010
While we don’t agree with Jamie Oliver on a few important things – eating meat and dairy, for example – we do approve of his commitment to children’s health and nutritious school lunches, and his appreciation for whole foods and simple preparation. Also? He has an awesome backyard garden, and he does a lot of seasonal cooking, and uses lots of herbs for flavor. Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution airs Sunday evening on ABC. Check it out.
In honor of Meatout, we want to share a favorite vegan entree that showcases North African flavors. We make this in about 30 minutes (includes chopping time) with surprisingly basic ingredients. A couple of budget tips: If you don’t have some of the spices, try your local food co-op or natural food store to get a small amount. They’re fresher than what’s available in the cans and jars of the grocery store, and you only need to buy what you need – usually at a very low cost (don’t let the per-pound price on the bulk jar fool you – you’re probably buying less than an ounce). Dried beans are a lot less expensive than canned beans. Soak 2 cups of dried beans overnight to save money. ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 1 Tablespoon olive oil Cucumber Yogurt Sauce Make the cucumber-yogurt sauce and refrigerate. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook for 6 minutes. Add the spices and mix well. Add the garbanzo beans and broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Mash with a potato masher until the mixture is about half-smashed (it’s okay to have whole beans in there, but it’s easier to eat if they’re a bit smashed). Season with salt and pepper and then stir in the spinach and cilantro. Spoon 1/2 cup of the garbanzo bean mixture onto each tortilla and top with some yogurt sauce. Roll up the tortillas tightly and serve.
Meatout is a full day of enjoying meat-free meals and celebrating kindness to animals. (Hardcore? Go vegan!) Invite your friends and family to join you in one day of compassionate eating – it’s good for the animals, plus you’ll feel great, eating a plant-based diet. Check here for Meatout events happening Saturday – worldwide (countries and states are listed at the top of the page). Here’s the commercial you may have seen for Meatout. Warning: some graphic scenes. A couple of other websites in support of Meatout:
Are you stuck in such a big fitness rut that you’ve started to decorate it? If you’re just going through the motions during your workout, shake things up by trying something new! Change will challenge your mind and your body.
Shake it up, baby!
Last weekend, I attended the Natural Foods Expo – I love this show; I’ve been going for 13 years. One of the things I love to do is check out the trends. The exhibit hall is huge – when I first started going there were about 350 booths, and now there are 3500! Anyway, the established companies and products are all upstairs. Companies like Amy’s, Clif Bar, Balance, Sophie’s Kitchen, Earth Balance, Whole Soy, Snyder’s, Burt’s Bees, Aubrey, and Tom’s of Maine are all upstairs. The newer companies are downstairs, and that’s where you can spot the trends. This year, it looked like the big trends are vitamin elixirs, chocolate (even chocolate pasta!), and dog food. My favorite new product, though, is Daiya – a new non-dairy cheese. It’s made from tapioca, and it’s amazing. It’s already being used by Amy’s and Tofurkey in their products. You should be able to find it at Whole Foods starting around the end of April.
Read the full article. (Really, it’s not long, and it has more details.) Marilu is testifying before a Congressional committee today in support of healthy school lunches for all children. You can do your part, too. Contact your US House Representative in support of H.R. 4870, The Healthy School Meals Act of 2010, being introduced this week.
This is a simple family supper – serve it with a green vegetable, like green beans or broccoli, on the side, and a small dinner salad. Poaching chicken (or fish) is easy and quick. Just cover the chicken with water, and put the pan on medium heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to barely a simmer. In 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and cover the pan. In 10-15 minutes more, your chicken will be cooked through. Fish only takes about 5 minutes to simmer and 5 minutes to rest. You can use plain water, or you can “fancy it up” by adding things to the water – like white wine or coconut milk (about 1 cup for every 3 cups water), a bay leaf or herb sprig (try thyme or rosemary or lemongrass), 3-4 whole peppercorns, and a little salt. You could even add a chunk of onion or carrot or celery. You can strain the poaching liquid, freeze it, and add it to your next pot of soup. ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or use part boneless, skinless thighs) In a medium saucepan, poach the chicken in enough water to cover. Remove poached chicken to a plate. In a large frying pan, sauté pepper and garlic until softened but not browned. Add tomatoes, onion flakes, and thyme. Shred chicken with two forks, and add back to pan. Cover and simmer on low 20 minutes adding raisins for the last 10 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve over cooked brown rice.
Hey, take this little challenge – just for fun. See how many different green foods you can eat today. Try these… grapes
And the dancin’ o’ the green, too! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! You know what time it is – time to get up from your computer and dance. You don’t have to do Irish step dancing, but if you know how, why not do it today? Folk dancing is fun way to get some exercise. It’s usually not partner-based, so you can go alone. You’ll get a peek into different cultures, you’ll hear some new music, and you’ll get moving. Look for a community education class, a local college class (you can often audit classes), or a local dance studio to offer folk dancing. Really get into it. It’s your day to be Michael Flatley. ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Not necessarily paper-free… but at least paper-less. These two websites will help you reduce the amount of paper that comes into your house. Take 10 minutes today and make it happen. You’ll save a tree!
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