Talkin’ Bout a Revolution April 5, 2010

Are you singing yet?  You should be.

Jamie Oliver, renowned chef is on a mission to change the way we eat in America, starting with a small town in West Virginia that was rated the unhealthiest place in the world (or something like that).  Some people say, “Rubbish.  All that organic stuff is a product of liberal, hippie brainwashing.”  I say, “FINALLY!!!  Processed foods are killing us!”  Not only are these foods killing us, they are packing quite a punch for our planet as well.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…organic is expensive.  I get it.  Many of us are barely making enough to afford the groceries we purchase from our local super-cheap, super-bulk, super-toxic grocery stores.  Processed foods are less expensive because they can be made in bulk.  Guess what they do to them to keep them on your shelves forever?  They pack them with additives and pesticides that wreak havoc on your body.  If you’re okay with that, then you are probably reading the wrong article.

The part that is scary is that we’re exposing children to these chemicals.  Studies have shown the negative effects these chemicals have on our metabolic systems, yet we still choose to ignore the data because the comfort of some fries and a burger with a cute toy is easier (and cheaper) in the short-term.  We believe that children deserve the best schools, the best teachers, the best opportunities for success…but we haven’t quite gotten there with food.  Is that because we don’t want to look in the mirror?  What would we have to face?

Putting down the snack cakes for an apple isn’t easy.  I’m guilty of running for some cheese crackers and peanut butter cups when I’ve had a stressful day.  I know better, but it is there and it sends chemicals to my brain that tell me everything is going to be okay.  I’m slowly working through these issues!  Knowledge is power, and I know that if I put things in my house that are bad for me, I will eat them.  So…I choose to pack my refrigerator and cabinets with all-natural, organic items.  If I need a chocolate fix, it has to be bad enough for me to have to get in my car to go get it.  More often than not, I realize that I don’t really need it.

Jamie Oliver is challenging the community he’s visiting to change the schools first.  If kids are given the choice between grilled chicken and pizza, what do you think they will choose?  That is a no-brainer.  The adults in communities around the nation are going to have to start expecting more from their school nutrition teams.  With budgets being cut, this is going to be even harder than before.  We have to be creative!  School gardens, partnerships with local farmers…whatever it takes.

It is going to take a revolution to change the way we eat…why can’t it start with you?

Sweet & Spicy Salmon

This is a great dish for those of you who aren’t fishy people (you know what I mean).  As I get older…I’m starting to like fish more and more.  However, I am still pretty picky and have to have a sweet glaze on salmon to even consider eating it.  I found this recipe at Cooks.com and just changed it up a little to have more natural ingredients.

You will need 1 lb. salmon (make sure you get salmon with the skin cut off…you’ll see why later), 1/4 cup Agave Nectar, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 clove garlic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

First, mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl (chopped garlic, Agave Nectar, chili powder). I was out of chili powder, so I had to improvise. I used 1/2 tablespoon red pepper and 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. It was a little too spicy, so I will change that ratio to be less on the red pepper side next time. Set this bowl aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Don’t be jealous that your husband (or wife, or child, or roommate) is in the living room playing iPhone games. They will have to do the dishes while you read books later…with a full belly.

When you realize that you bought salmon with the skin still on…call on that person playing iPhone games to come cut it off. Gross! Okay, I could’ve cut it off myself…but I don’t mind looking at those arms every chance I get. Call me selfish…I don’t care!

Cook your salmon on each side for 4 minutes.

It will be brown and toasty when it is finished.

Pour your glaze over the top of the cooked salmon. It will bubble up and you will start to smell the garlic cooking. Let the sauce reduce (2 minutes) and flip the salmon once to coat.

Sprinkle some sea salt over the top for a little extra flavor and serve with garlic mashed potatoes or my Sweet Spuds.  This salmon was juicy, sweet, and spicy.  I was wishing that I had more as I took the last bite.

Lazy Man’s Chicken Pasta

When it comes to dinner, I am not one of those people who plan out five nights of meals each week. Actually, I am usually scouring my cabinets when I get home, trying to find ingredients that will fit together for a quick and easy meal. My local Whole Foods Market was having a sale on Muir Glen tomatoes over the weekend…so I grabbed a couple of cans. When I was rushing around the house at 6:00 tonight, trying to quell the beast in my belly, I came up with this super-easy chicken and pasta dish.

You will need 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 can of diced tomatoes (Muir Glen are delicious), 1 cup pasta, 2 servings cooked chicken, and salt/pepper.

Cook the pasta according to package directions and heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Chop your garlic and add it to the heated olive oil. Toss it around to coat in the olive oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes…the garlic will start to smell great and you’ll know it’s time to throw in the tomatoes.

Throw in the can of diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and salt/pepper to taste. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes.

Add a scoop of pasta to a bowl and top with your chicken and tomato mixture. Add a little fresh parmesan cheese and you’re in for a fast, easy, delicious treat.

If you have left-overs, they are great (even without the pasta) the next day.

Sweet Spuds March 23, 2010

Sweet potatoes are one of my new favorite foods. While they aren’t quite as healthy as some greener vegetables, they do have a ton of Vitamin C and they appease my sweet tooth until the weekend. The recipe below takes about 30 minutes to make and it will serve four people.

You will need: 1 large sweet potato (not pictured), 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar or honey, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and Sea salt for final topping (optional).

Peel and cube your sweet potato. Place the cubes in a 2 quart saucepan.

Cover the potatoes with water. Place potatoes on high heat on your stove top. When the water begins to boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Drain the potatoes and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Add all other ingredients at this time (butter, salt, Agave Nectar or honey, and cinnamon).

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, combine ingredients (60 seconds).

Top with sea salt and serve.

Banana Nut Cupcakes March 22, 2010

My brother has been urging me to make Hummingbird Cake for weeks now. He is also on a health journey, but he has much more will power than I do. When you put sweets in front of him, he will smell them and be satisfied. Well…I’m not sure if satisfied is the word. He just finds enough inner strength to pass. On the weekends, he will indulge in things like this cake. Like I said before, he is stronger than me.

Since I usually tend to sway toward chocolate recipes of all kinds, I was a little hesitant to try this recipe. However, once I saw that they are topped with a decadent cream cheese icing, I was in.

I found the recipe at www.joyofbaking.com. The original instructions call for you to make a cake…but I’m a sucker for cupcakes. The individual sized option is just more fun and easy to control your portion sizes. Who am I kidding? I ate more than my fair share today…it was all for research, though.

For the cake, you will need: 1 cup toasted, finely chopped walnuts (the original recipe called for pecans, but I like walnuts better), 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup canola oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 cup crushed pineapple, 2 cups mashed ripe bananas.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and line 24 cupcake tins with paper cups. If you’re making this as a cake, you can spray and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

To toast your walnuts, lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes. Also, to make the baking process easier, measure out all of your ingredients before you start if you can. Just don’t forget what item is where!

Remember, go organic when you can. It will remove unnecessary toxins from your foods.

In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients: flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set this bowl aside.

If you’re using fresh pineapple, go ahead and crush it up now. I used about 1/3 of a fresh pineapple, cut it up into small chunks, and then used my hands to separate it in the measuring cup (it was easier than using utensils). Do not drain the juice.

Do the same to your bananas. I did not use my hands for this one…a little too slimy.

In a separate bowl, combine your wet ingredients: eggs, canola oil, vanilla extract, crushed pineapple, mashed bananas and chopped walnuts. I know it looks a little gross in the photo…don’t worry. It will be worth it.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill your cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Now, they could be finished at this point. Add a little butter and you’ve got a delicious muffin for breakfast and day of the week. Like I said before, I don’t have that kind of will-power. My brain had already been set on cream cheese icing, and it wasn’t going to let me forget.

For the icing, you will need: 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature, 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar (1 lb. box), 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts.

Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese until it is smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl when needed.

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Stir in the chopped walnuts. Resist the urge to eat large spoonfuls of this icing or you won’t have any left for your cupcakes. Do you think that I was that strong? Research, I said. It was for the greater good!

Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, give them a generous topping of your cream cheese icing. They are so moist and delicious….you won’t be able to hold out for long before…

Notice the tiny granules on top? That is sea salt. They were a little sweet for me (not sure where that came from), so I added the salt and they were just right.

Naan Sandwiches March 21, 2010

Need a quick, tasty meal for lunch or dinner?  These sandwiches are filling and delicious.  This recipe can be made with conventional or organic ingredients.  Since I’m on a mission to remove chemicals from my food, I’ve chosen organic.  Feel free to substitute where needed.  Okay…let’s get started.

Ingredients

You will need olive oil, 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, Cajun seasoning, 1 cup cooked chicken (I buy a rotisserie chicken and use it for other recipes during the week), 4 pieces of Naan (I always use Garlic Naan, but any variety will work).

Before you get started, cook your naan according to the directions on the back of the package.  Next, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Slice the onion, yellow pepper, and red pepper into thin strips.

Toss the veggies in the olive oil to coat.  Add 1-2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning (I use Toni’s and some Red Pepper).  You’ll be able to add more seasoning later if you need a little extra kick to your sandwich.  Saute over medium heat until the onions begin to turn stringy, stirring occasionally to make sure you don’t burn your delicious vegetables.

Add in the chicken and mix with your cooked veggies.  Continue to cook over medium heat for an additional 3-4 minutes while the chicken soaks up the flavor.  Add more spices at this point if needed.  That means you get to have a taste test!

Add your chicken and veggie mixture to your cooked naan and dig in.

Clean Eating March 19, 2010

I love to eat…

I especially love to eat things that are not-so-good for me.  Give me heavy cream and butter instead of asparagus any day of the week and I’ll be a happy camper. Unfortunately, with a family history of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, it wasn’t working for me.  A little over a year ago, I was told that I had borderline high-cholesterol (don’t ask me what that means because I can barely remember yesterday, let alone last year).  So, I set out to get healthy by dieting and running.  I ate five meals a day…limited to a 1,200 calories per day.  I ate sweets only on Saturdays.  I ran many, many miles each week.  And even though I grew to somewhat enjoy the time alone on the track, I would never say that I loved running.

The good news was that it worked!  I lost 25 pounds and felt better than ever.

Unfortunately, years of jumping up and down on gym floors at basketball games and tumbling over uneven football fields didn’t do a thing for my knees.  They started to swell when I would run and I’d be down for a few days, wondering how I was going to keep up this plan.  I was also growing tired of eating the same thing for every meal…I’m a picky eater.  I gradually started adding calories back into my diet and the scale was showing my lack of discipline.  Plus, it was the prime season for Reese’s Peanut Butter Holiday Cups.  Am I the only person who is in love with these treats made of pure perfection?  From October to April, I’m like a zombie chasing after fresh brains when these packages hit the store shelves.

Anyway…I just knew that there had to be an easier, more sustainable way to stay healthy (despite my addiction).

As I was trying to figure out how I was going to keep myself healthy, I came across Jillian Michaels’ book, Master Your Metabolism.  The saying “misery loves company” comes to mind here because I love knowing that people who I assume “have it easy” at keeping healthy are struggling just like the rest of us.  After reading the first few chapters, I was amazed at the crap that is in our food…legally!  It is hard to believe that so many chemicals and pesticides are put into our foods.  Now, I know that people can become “fanatics” when it comes to organic foods.  I myself have teased my uncle about being adamant towards eating organic foods.  Now, I know why!

Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

I am now on a journey…a journey to eat delicious, nutritious dishes without the pesticides and chemicals from conventional foods.  I’ll be finding my favorite recipes, figuring out how to make them chemical free, and sending them on to you so that you can keep yourself, your friends, and your family healthy and happy, too. Yes, there will be chocolate…on Saturdays, of course.

Wish me luck!