Organic!?

Our underwhelming winter has come to an end and spring has officially sprung.  Unlike our trees and flowers that we only see growing and thriving in spring and summer, our vegetables are being grown year round.  Growing fruits and veggies during every season can get expensive and growing them to keep up with the large population eating them can be challenging.  Introduce pesticides and chemicals to keep up with demand and all of the sudden people started thinking twice before eating their apple a day.  A lot of research has been done over the years, much media attention has been given, and as a result we see the hot food fad 'ORGANIC' hit our supermarkets.

What is organic? Here's the definition given by the USDA:  Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.

What's a person to splurge on at the store when it comes to organic?  The list I use is from the Environmental Working Group (an organization of scientists, researchers and policymakers).  They lay out their 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean 15'.  According to the EWG the dirty dozen, when grown conventionally, tested positive from 47 to 67 different chemicals.  In my opinion, here's where to spend your organic money:

• celery
• peaches
• strawberries
• apples
• domestic blueberries
• nectarines
• sweet bell peppers
• spinach, kale and collard greens
• cherries
• potatoes
• imported grapes
• lettuce

All fruits and vegetables aren't created equally. Because of this the EWG deem these 15 as being "clean" (testing for zero to limited chemicals when conventionally grown).

• onions
• avocados
• sweet corn
• pineapples
• mango
• sweet peas
• asparagus
• kiwi fruit
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• grapefruit
• sweet potatoes
• sweet onions

New recipes posted on the 'Favorite Recipes' tab!

Grilled Eggplant Steaks topped with Mediterrean  Chickpea Mix

Sweet Potato Patties

 Chopped Caprese Salad

Veggielicious

I remember the day very distinctly, it was June 30th, 2011.  I had just returned home from one of several work trips I had been taking lately.  I asked my husband how his week was and he said something along the lines of "eventful, I went to the library and have been reading a lot of books".  Knowing my husband and his take it or mostly leave it attitude about reading books for fun, I had a hunch the next words to come out of his mouth would effect my life forever.  "I want to become a vegetarian".  I begin processing.  How do I react, this is craziness, but he read books about it, I should be supportive, for better or for worse, but I love meat, I should probably say something. So I answer him the only way my brain knows how, deflect with light humor.  "On purpose?" I ask, with the cutest smile I can muster.  We sat on our couch and talked a long time that night about his choice.  For the first, probably 20 minutes, my reaction was the same as any other logical, rational carnivore. I combated every point he made by calling him a "crazy hippy".  When I was finally able to open my mind up to the reasons he was giving me as to why he wanted to become a vegetarian, I realized he was actually making sense.


I should begin telling his story by explaining where he's coming from.  My husband has something called Berger's Disease (IgA Nephropathy). In very simple terms, his kidneys struggle filtering waste, excess water, and electrolytes from his blood.  He received this diagnosis in college and since this time has labs run on his blood and urine every six months.  As a result, as long as I've known him, he's been conscious of what he puts in his body.  And when I was pregnant with our 2nd child he decided to become, I'll just use the term "aggressive", in his food choices.  In many ways, having children effects our brains and how and why we make decisions,  My husband is not the exception.  Having lost his dad at an early age due to a heart attack, I see his nutrition choice as being a father's choice to do everything he can to be with his kids as long as he can.  And I love and respect him more than words can say because of that.


So back to the meat analysis...

1. Besides the fact that meat tastes delicious, it's also good for you because it's a "complete" protein.  By complete, I mean it has every essential amino acid our body needs to build the protein that helps us perform basic bodily functions.
2. The trouble with meat, red meat especially, this quick fix protein comes carrying the extra baggage of saturated fat.  I use the words 'extra baggage' very intentionally.  Saturated fat is linked to that extra baggage we find on our bellies and thighs and the extra baggage clogging our arteries.
3. As with most anything meat in moderation probably isn't overly problematic.  The problem for me was, when we ate meat, it was the centerpiece of our meals.  Oftentimes we consumed more than the recommended limit of 4 oz. And because we were getting full on meat, I wasn't making and we weren't eating as many healthy unsaturated fats and vegetable nutrients that would help our bodies function better.
4. Those I love are worried that without meat, my family won't get protein. And that's what I worried about first as well. So here's what I learned, vegetables do have protein. It's just "incomplete" because each veggie on it's own doesn't contain every essential amino acid.  This means I need to work harder to get our protein by combining vegetables and non meats in meals in order to "complete" them.  It's really not a convoluted process, we just make sure we eat rice, beans, whole wheat, and nuts throughout the week.
5. In the end we've decided not to become vegan or vegetarian.  We still eat eggs (which are "complete" proteins like meat) and we've opted to keep fish and seafood in our diet.  They're "complete", low fat, many are a great source for b12, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids.
6. I personally do eat meat sometimes when I go out.  But I don't go out often, so it's become a treat; not a staple. I've found I can get a veggie sub at the sandwich shop and the veggie burrito bowl at the taco place without blinking and I'm completely satisfied.

Since our decision to cut back on meat my husband has had labs done on his urine and blood twice. His results have started the numbers that can cause concern, trending downward.  While we can't prove this is the direct effect of the change to our dinner table, I like to believe it was a little change that did us good.  I want to reiterate that for me this wasn't about eliminating meat, it was about adding vegetables.  It took cutting out meat for me to be creative in my kitchen again.  There have been many tasty and hearty dishes served.  Click on the recipes tab to see three I added this week.

• Eggplant Bruschetta sandwich
• Creamy wild rice on a bed of apple
• Whole grain Tuscan linguine (a knock off from one of my favorite noodle restaurants)

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Back to Work I Went

Well, back to the grind I went.  I've been telling people it's nice to get that part of my brain working again, and I really do mean it.  As most working families know a fresh dinner can be tough to orchestrate.  I got back to my old routine in a hurry.  Sunday morning I went through my recipes looking for quickest prep and least amount of dishes (who wants to wash dishes after a long day's work).

Organization and preparation have become simple on my new favorite website: http://www.pepperplate.com

I save all my recipes in this virtual cookbook and it's easy to add new ones I find on the internet every day.  You can manually add your oldies and goodies as well as instal the "add to pepperplate" feature to your internet toolbar which imports the recipe with a click of the mouse.  From this site I plan my week by picking the recipes to add to my weekly planner, then create my shopping list. Which, by the way, I can organize by the aisles in my grocery store!  It's the little things that get me smiling :~)

Here are a couple of the "stuffed" tasty dishes I picked for my first week back to work (find them in the recipes tab):

• Quinoa-Stuffed Poblano Chiles: http://www.vegetariantimes.com
• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes: One of my few originals

Super Food Sunday

I have to admit I have paid very little attention to football this season.  This does not mean I will be sitting out on one of the biggest food holidays of the year.  I will be partaking, just a little bit lighter.  Did you know Antacid sales increase by 20% the day after the Super Bowl? Yowza!  Inspired by this fun fact, I thought it pertinent, to post some of my unfried favorites I've found and have been working on making my own.  Check out the recipes tab <Or Click Here> for Avocado Fries, Zucchini Chips, Baked Red Tomatoes, Sweet Potato Fries, and Onion Rings.

For me, the key to leaving behind most processed, junk, and fake food has been the reward when I make a viable knock off.  I hope you enjoy!

Need a Spice Rack Makeover?

I received my first set of spices when I bought my first house.  I then took those spices with me the next time I moved years later.  The truth is, my spice rack was more of a decorative counter topper than something that I ever learned how to use.  Since that time I've thrown out those spices and learned some tips worth sharing.

1. Expiration:  Technically speaking, most spices don't go "bad" for 2-3 years.  They do begin losing their flavor and potency as quickly as six months though. The quick signs are: your spice smells less aromatic and more like dust. And it begins to lose color (green spices shade toward brown and red shade toward maroon).
2. Where to buy:  If you're going to begin using your spices and you've abandoned them for a while, or simply can't remember when you purchased them, it's time to cut your losses and toss.  WAIT! Save the containers!  If you try to restock your spices from scratch at a traditional chain grocery store, you can be looking at upwards of $50.  A couple years ago I stumbled on bulk spices at my local Whole Foods (you can also buy in bulk at a co-op grocer near you, there are over 80 in MN).  The great thing about bulk is your spices are the freshest.  All you do is fill a baggy with how much you think you'll use over a 3-6 month period, you pay for just that much, then go home and fill your saved containers.  Just to give you an idea, I fill my jar of Oregano for less than $.90.  Added bonus, if you're making something wacky and you'll never use that spice again, you buy and pay for a teaspoons worth then move on with your life.
3. My favorites:
1. Dried herbs: Oregano (finds its way into everything), Basil (Italian cooking must), Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, and Dill (great on fish), Coriander (a.k.a. Cilantro).
2. Heat: Red pepper flakes (again, I put this in everything), Cayenne (just a pinch is tasty in hot cocoa and brownies)
3. Vegetables  (for those days you just don't feel like mincing): Garlic powder, Onion powder, and Ginger 
4. Ethnic: Cumin (Mexican and Indian), Curry powder (Indian)
5. Mixes:  Paprika (mix of bell peppers and chili peppers), Chili powder (mix of  Cumin, Garlic, Oregano and Chili peppers), Italian seasoning (mix of Basil, Oregano, Parsley), Cajun Seasoning (Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Red Pepper, Cayenne)
4. Be on the lookout:  I frowned out loud recently when I learned some of the name brand mixes I love are loaded with salt - maybe that's why they were my favorites.  This includes a steak seasoning that I absolutely adore and would use on most everything.  I've been out on the lookout, and found a couple substitutes that I'm taking a liking to. 
1. Lemon Pepper - It's exactly what it sounds like and you can get it at all grocers.
2. 21 Seasoning Salute - This is a magical mix of 21 seasonings excluding salt that you can pick up at any Trader Joe's near you!
5. How to cook with spices:  Ah the beauty of the internet age.  Next time you cook your staple vegetables or meats, just do an online search for what spice goes with your item and you'll get lots of ideas.  By smelling the spice, it'll usually give you an idea of where it fits also.

Whenever possible, I love using fresh herbs. Unfortunately I find it's also the most thrown out item in my refrigerator because I never use it all before it goes bad.  This past summer I thought it would be a great idea to keep a basil plant.  It's not finicky for this black thumb to manage, it smells amazing, and happens to be my favorite herb.  Well, I couldn't keep my cooking up with its production and there was a lot of waste. I'm happy to report, I've found a simple solution to save your herbs and use them when you're ready. 

• Cut herbs from the stems, wash, put in a baggy, add water, label, throw in the freezer, take out the day you're going to cook with it.

One last thing. Here's my Presto Pesto recipe with just 5 ingredients.  Husband tested, cook approved!

• 2.5 oz (standard container) basil
• Handful of slivered/sliced almonds
• 2 garlic cloves
• Handful of grated Parmesan
• Pour Extra Virgin Olive Oil through the top of your food processor while processing until you get desired consistency.
• If you're daring (it's really not that daring) throw in a couple pinches of crushed red pepper for a little kick.
• Taste and modify as you process, you may decide to add more parm, or almonds, a pinch of salt.

This will keep in your refrigerator for the week.  Stir into 8oz whole wheat orzo for a pasta dish. Spread on a slice of bread add some tomatoes and make a fancy grilled cheese.  Recipe for those tasty looking "Baked Red Tomatoes" below to come next week with some of my other favorite unfried things.