Holiday Foods Follow-Up

So I got a few responses on people's favorite holiday foods.  Naturally, two out of the three were cookies.  The third was bacon-wrapped sweet potatoes.  Sounds like everyone is ready for some delicious holiday food!

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As we prepare to head into winter break and Christmas time, I'm hoping to be able to spend some more time preparing and eating meals.  What are some of your favorite wintertime meals, recipes, and desserts?

Here's one of my favorites: pumpkin gingerbread.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs beaten
• 3 tablespoons water

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter to keep the pumpkin gingerbread from sticking to the pan.

2. In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3. In another bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the pumpkin purée, melted butter, sugar, molasses, fresh or candied ginger, eggs, and water.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the raisins if using. Stir only until incorporated.

5. Place the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the edge of the loaf and invert the loaf to remove it from the pan. Let it cool on a rack for 30 minutes or longer.

Jenna Marbles' artichokes

Are you a Jenna Marbles fan?  If so, did you know that she's a vegan?  I was scouring her blog late at night and found this recipe for cooking an artichoke as a snack to munch on.  I'm not much of an artichoke eater, but since she swears by it, I think I'll give it a try and see how it goes.  If you like to laugh and eat and don't mind a little (or a lot of) swearing, give her recipe a read.

http://jennamarblesblog.com/i-love-to-nom-these.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's late in the apple season, but if you haven't already, go out and try a Kiku apple.  Whole Foods stores are selling them this year, and let me tell you, they're as good as (or better than?) Honeycrisp.  Cheaper, too!

Now, with Thanksgiving coming up, here's a healthy and delicious recipe from Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet.  

Sweet Potato Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 can corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 package Silken Lite tofu
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 2 jars tomato sauce (low sodium and sugar)
• 2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1 cup raw cashews, ground

Cooking:

    1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

    2. Sauté the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a nonstick pan.

    3. Add the mushrooms. 
4. Once the mushrooms have lost their liquid and onions are limp, put them in a large bowl.  (Keep the mushroom liquid in the pan.)
5. Sauté the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl.
6. Sauté the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl.
7. Drain the tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl.
8. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To assemble your lasagna:
1. Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce.
2. Add a layer of noodles.
3. Cover the noodles with sauce.
4. Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles.
5. Cover with a layer of noodles and more sauce.
6. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles.
7. Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes.
8. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.
9. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
10. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

What's new in food news?

There's a lot happening right now in the world of food, so today's posting deserves more than just a recipe for your greens and grains.

First of all, you may or may not know that McDonald's had terrible October sales.  For the first time since March 2003, their monthly sales dropped by 1.8%, and their net income fell almost 4%.  These declines were expected, but not as severe as Wall Street had estimated.  

New CEO Don Thompson blamed the economy and "consumer sentiment" (are people finally realizing that perhaps Chicken McNuggets are not a wholesome meal?), and said McDonald's will attempt to bounce back by promoting the Dollar Menu and reintroducing the popular McRib.

(On the topic of the McRib, did you know that it contains 70 ingredients, one of which-- azodicarbonimide-- is described by Time as "a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes"?  Keep that in mind next time you're craving a drive-through meal!)

Speaking of hidden ingredients, let's move on to this month's hot topic in food: genetically modified organisms (GMO's)! The most recent election could be seen as either a great failure or a great success for foodies, depending on whether you're a glass-47%-full sort of person.  

California voted on Proposition 37, which would have required more specific labeling of foods, particularly those containing GMO's.  Despite a strong movement and widespread protests, the opposition garnered a success after spending nearly $46 million attempting to destroy the movement.

Mark Bittman of The New York Times that although GMO's have not yet introduced anything harmful into our food, it is important to know what is in our food because "once we know what is in food we can better influence how it is produced."

But perhaps this ballot will be seen as a great step forward in food production.  Nearly 5 million people voted in favor of better labeling, and awareness surely increased.

Food processors and fast food restaurants are still very much in the game, and likely will be for quite some time.  But it will continue to be an uphill battle for them as transparency grows, and an expensive battle at that.

Hacking corn

We're mixing things up a bit today.  Although I love a good ear of corn, I've never been a big eater of it.  It seems like too much effort since I'm usually only cooking for one or two-- and I can't stand those hairy strings getting in my teeth anyways.  Thank God for the internet-- that's no longer an issue!  We have a quick solution up our sleeves.

Thanks, Tuxedo Mask!

Roasted Autumn Vegetable Pizza

Here's one that's good year-round.  Because everyone likes pizza, right?  You can adjust your ingredients with the seasons, and make it as healthy (or unhealthy) as you like!  Here's my suggestion for fall:

ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE PIZZA:

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil (or again, coconut oil if you're a believer in it!)
• Whole grain flour (just enough for dusting the surface)
• One pound of store-bought whole wheat pizza dough (unless you want to devote some time to making your own crust-- really delicious, but really time consuming as well; you can get some good whole wheat dough from Whole Foods, however)
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (skim, for a healthy option, or vegan if you're so inclined)
• 6 cups of roasted fall vegetables, chopped and drained
• Here I'd suggest some onion, eggplant, corn, red bell pepper, squash, zucchini, definitely mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, beets, carrots and anything else you can get your hands on.  Even add almonds if you like.  Apples can add a little soft sweetness.
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (again, skim or vegan are preferable for healthy options)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
• Coarse sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Brush a large baking sheet with oil.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an oval (unless you're from Chicago like me-- then you know better!) and transfer to baking sheet.  Don't worry if it's not even.
4. Sprinkle dough with half the mozzarella.  Scatter veggies on top, and dollop with riccotta.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and rosemary.
5. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle sea salt and pepper for seasoning.
6. Bake about 20-25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
7. Serve!

Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Since it seems I'm not alone in feeling that squash is just the best thing in the world-- we have another squash recipe!  This is a common one, but I'm going ahead with it anyways because there's a reason it's so popular.  If you haven't had it already, stop everything else and take this recipe to your kitchen!

QUINOA-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Ingredients:

• 1 acorn squash
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil for a nutritional boost, if you're feeling adventurous!)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (any variety!)
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (or pine nuts or sunflower seeds)
• a few splashes of tamari
• a sprinkle of brown sugar on top if you want it sweet, or a sprinkle of cayenne if you prefer spicy

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
3. Brush the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and put both halves in the oven for 45 minutes.
5. With the squash is baking, prepare the stuffing-- cook the quinoa.
6. Put mushrooms, onions, garlic, and chickpeas in a pan with a little oil and a few splashes of tamari.  Cook on the stove until ingredients start to brown.
7. Add cooked quinoa to onion mix in a pan and combine thoroughly.  Remove from heat and put in a large bowl.
8. Add basil and pumpkin seeds to quinoa mixture and stir well.
9. If you'd like, sprinkle some brown sugar or cayenne on top.
10. Once the squash has baked for 45 minutes, put the quinoa mixture inside both halves and put back in oven for 15 minutes, or until the squash is soft and starting to turn golden brown.
11. Save any leftover stuffing!

Happy Autumn!

Caramelized Butternut Squash

  CARAMELIZED BUTTERNUT SQUASH:

You will need:

• 2 butternut squash
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven too 400 degrees.
2. Cut off both ends of the butternut squash and compost.
3. Peel the squash and cut in half lengthwise.
4. Remove the seeds with a spoon.
5. Cut the squash into cubes (about an inch and a half each).
6. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
7. Toss your ingredients and lay them out on the baking sheet in a single layer.
8. Put them in the oven until the squash looks tender and caramelized, or about 45 to 55 minutes.
9. Turn the squash over a few times with a spatula for even cooking.

Happy squash season!

Welcome

Welcome!

One of the healthiest ways to eat is by what's in season, so this blog is devoted to seasonal foods and recipes to help us make the most of what's in season.  Not only do seasonal foods taste best, but they contain the most nutritional value.  And by syncing our patterns with the earth, we can experience the best of what the earth has to offer.  And that's quite a bit right now, as squash season has begun!

So to start off, what's in season in September?

VEGGIES:

• Artichoke
• Beets (get the ones with the greens on them-- they're fresher and you can eat the greens!)
• Bell peppers
• Carrots (going out, but they're always around)
• Corn
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Squash!
• Sweet Potatoes
• Mushrooms

FRUITS:

• Apples
• Cranberries
• Limes
• Melons
• Pears
• Plums
• Pomegranate
• Raspberries
• Tomatoes

NUTS:

• Almonds
• Chestnuts

MEAT AND SEAFOOD:

• Duck
• Lamb
• Lobster

Happy Autumn!