A Practical Guide To Healthy Living

You’re trying to clean up your act, right?  Eat less meat?  More veggies?  And maybe part of your plan was to incorporate more soy-based products into your repertoire . . . after all, you’ve gotta get some protein, right?  Well, you might want to consider splurging on organic.  In a recent report by the Cornucopia Institute, a research and advocacy group for small-scale farmers, a “dirty little secret” of the natural foods business is exposed.  Turns out, there’s widespread use of a toxic and environmentally damaging chemical, hexane, in the manufacturing of “natural” soyfoods such as veggie burgers, nutrition bars and protein shakes. Hexane (a by-product of gasoline refining), is used to separate the whole soybean into soy oil, protein and fiber.  The use of chemical solvents like hexane is prohibited in organic food processing, yet its use is widespread in the “natural” soy industry, including in some products labeled as “made with organic soybeans,” such as Clif ® Bars. Hexane is a neurotoxin, and is listed as a “hazardous air pollutant” by the EPA.  The health effects of consuming hexane residues in soy foods haven’t yet been thoroughly studied and are not regulated by the FDA, but the test results obtained by the Cornucopia Institute indicate that residues—ten times higher than what is considered normal by the FDA—do appear in common soy ingredients.

Not so healthy. 

What to do?  If you’re freaked about this, look for soy products like veggie burgers and nutrition bars that are labeled “organic.”  You probably don’t have to worry about tofu or soymilk, because the soy protein in those doesn’t need to be isolated from the soy oil and fiber . . . hence, likely no hexane.  Of couse, if you don’t choose organic soymilk or tofu, you might end up with genetically engineered foods, which is a whole ‘nother can o’ worms.

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I know that some of your gardens are still over-flowing with basil . . . and if you have a food processor or blender, pesto is so easy to whip up.  Make it in big batches, omit the cheese (for now) and throw it in your freezer for a little hit of sunshine come winter.  Then go beyond pasta and use your pesto in a new way:

• Use as a spread for grilled cheese sandwiches – try some great bread and use provolone cheese
• Top a homemade or prepared pizza crust with pesto, cheese, red bell peppers and/or chicken and enjoy a new twist on a quick old favorite
• Top a cracker with a schmear of cream cheese (or goat cheese) and a dollop of pesto for a gourmet snack
• Spread it under the skin of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts and bake for a moist, savory treat
• Add a spoonful to your favorite tomato or roasted red pepper soup
• Broil up a fillet of mild white fish (think cod, haddock or tilapia) and serve it with a little pesto smeared over the top
• Use as a topping for baked potatoes

What’re your favorite ways to use pesto?

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Now that everyone’s back in school and the temperatures are falling, it really seems like autumn’s upon us.  Cooler temps mean freedom to turn the oven back on at night to prepare dinner, and one sure-fire crowd-pleaser over here is roasted chicken.  L. literally begsme to roast a chicken every week – it’s her favorite meal.  But on a weeknight, who has time?  Enter the parts . . . even a bone-in chicken part will take far less time to cook, yet will yield some of that same juicy, crispy, delectable treat that whole roast chicken delivers.

This recipe is versatile – you can make “plain” chicken for those “selective eaters” in your house, and amp up the flavor with ginger, lime and curry powder for those who prefer a little more zazzle.  Rubbing the spice mixture under the skin ensures that the meat is highly flavored . . . the skin and bone ensure it’s moist.  Whether you indulge in crispy chicken skin is your business (dont’ tell anyone, but I love it) but in any case, this is a 30-45 minute deal.

Crispy Ginger-Lime Chicken (adapted from Everyday Food)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the ginger, lime juice, curry powder, scallions, a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 of pepper in a small bowl.  Place chicken on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Gently loosen the skin on each pice of chicken with your fingertips.  Then rub equal amounts of the ginger/lime mixture under the skin of each piece.

Bake until skin is crisp and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes.

Serves 4.

In my Fresh Flavor Fast cookbook, this is paired with a quick little side recipe for Couscous with Carrots and Cilantro . . . we ended up with leftover rice with our chicken – not nearly as exciting.  And remember, if you use whole wheat couscous, you’ll up your nutrient and fiber quotient . . . .

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I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!  The weather was glorious here in the Boston area . . . we indulged ourselves with two cookouts, some lounging on the patio, a looong bike ride in Boston and a lot of Ikea shelving assembly (well, that last one wasn’t so much of an indulgence, was it?).

But now we’re back to work and school and I’m introducing a new weekly feature @Semi-Sweet, the Tuesday Tidbit.  Every Tuesday I’ll highlight a resource, food fact or health tip that’ll help you live a healthier life.  

Today’s Tidbit features the GoodGuide.  GoodGuide provides manufacturers, retailers and consumers with the health, environment and social responsibility information they need to make better purchasing decisions. The site rates over 70,000 consumer products according to their health, environmental and social performance. And GoodGuide even provides a free iPhone app so that you can scan product barcodes and receive instant ratings on products.

GoodGuide ratings range from 0 to 10 (10 being the best) and indicate how a product performs on a comprehensive set of health, environmental and social metrics. If you are looking to switch to a better product, GoodGuide’s summary rating can be used to easily identify the best products in a category. If you are looking for more refined ratings, drill down from the summary rating to focus on a product’s health performance, or a company’s environmental or social performance.

However you choose to use it, the GoodGuide is a quick way to find non-toxic, environmentally friendly products from companies with good social and safety records.

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I’m always looking to get more veggies into our diet (heck, if could get any veg aside from baby carrots into L’s body, I’d attempt a cartwheel).  So when I see recipes that offer wiggle room on veggies, I jump at the chance.  Casual dishes that involve sauces can usually be stretched so that you could add, say, double the vegetables called for – helping you on your way to 5-9-a-day.

This delicious looking recipe from the new Everyday Food cookbook called Fresh Flavor Fast caught my eye.  I had an over-abundance of bell peppers in the fridge and a bag of frozen cut green beans on hand – voila!  A veggie-full combo, easy enough for a weeknight and easily convertible to please any vegetarian or vegan palate as well.  I made this to serve 2 generously, but you can easily double either the whole lot, or just the protein portion to suit however many mouths you have to feed.

Thai Green Chicken Curry With Chicken (or Tofu) (adapted from Everyday Food Magazine)

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken cutlets or tofu and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes each side.  Remove to a plate, let rest for 5 minutes and then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, add the onion and season with salt and pepper (if you are using tofu in your recipe, you may need to add a bit more olive oil here).  Cook until translucent, then add the green beans and bell pepper strips.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are heated and the bell pepper begins to soften.  Add the curry paste and cook until the paste is slightly darkened, approximately 3 minutes.  Add the chicken or tofu, coconut milk and broth and bring to a simmer.

Cook until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the basil and lime juice.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper accordingly.  Serve over rice.

Serves 2.

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This is going to be quick, ’cause right now, I’m the only one in this house who’s awake.  I’ve got three jet-lagged Madrileños and a 7-year-old all wound up about her school open house tomorrow all snoozing upstairs and it’s only 8:30 p.m.  I’m left up laundering and munching marshmallows, so I thought it’d be a good time to check in and let you in on tonight’s recipe success.

This spinach and cheddar strata is SO easy and it can even be made ahead of time.  I whipped it up this morning while L. had a friend over, covered it, put it in the fridge and pulled it out when I got home from the airport with my sister and her family.  30 min. in the oven and out popped a warm tasty treat – just enough but not too much for anyone who wants a lighter meal.  Like anyone who’s been trapped on a plane for 7 hours with a 9-month-old.  Just a for-instance.  The gang loved this, and I hope you will, too.

Spinach and Cheddar Strata (adapted from Everyday Food Magazine)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s wilted, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a colander and drain, pressing with a spatula until the spinach is as dry as possible.  Transfer to a cutting board and chop coarsely.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/4 of the cheese, some salt, pepper, the cayenne and the nutmeg. 

In an 8-inch square baking dish, or one of similar capacity, layer the bread cubes and then the spinach.  Pour the egg mixture over the lot and sprinkle it all with the remaining cheese.

Bake at once in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or else cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.  Remove from fridge and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Serves 4.  This would be great with a nice tossed salad alongside . . . but tonight, I just had to get something in their bellies before they fell asleep – so this was a one-dish meal.

Sweet tip:  I keep odds ‘n’ ends of bread in the freezer for just this sort of purpose.  Sometimes we don’t make it though a whole loaf of good Italian or French, so the next day when it’s less than appealing, I bundle it into a Ziploc, label it, and sock it away.  Great for stratas, croutons, breadcrumbs etc.

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Ahhh, the weather was SO beautiful in Boston on Friday night.  Breezy, not too hot, low humidity – it screamed out for another dinner on the patio.  D. came home early and fired up the charcoal grill, and L. and I got to work in the kitchen. 

That’s where the breakthrough comes in.  Those of you who know me off-blog know that I’ve cooked with L. since she was 2.  It was mostly a labor of love for me – often frustrating, but I kept at it.  She loved “helping” me out in the kitchen, and I was hopeful that someday, it’d start to pay off and we could work together and enjoy each other’s company while cooking at the same time.  After years of waiting (my baby turns 7 in a week) I’m pleased to report that L’s turned a corner in the kitchen – she is now a bona fide sous chef.  Yes, that’s right; she’s now not only willing, but actually helpful in the kitchen! That’s her up there, chopping scallions. 

The other night she suggested we make fettuccine carbonara – and she actually separated eggs all by herself. 

I did other stuff while she prepped, stirred, measured and combined . . . amazing and fun for both of us.  And the results were delicious.

Anyway, back to the Friday night burgers.  These were a snap to throw together and very tasty, unlike some turkey burgers.  Fire up the grill or fry ‘em up in a pan – either way they’ll take you under 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

California Turkey Burgers (adapted from Fitness Magazine)

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix with hands, being careful not to overwork the mixture.  Shape into 6 patties and cook until cooked through the middle, about 5 min. each side.

Serve with:

Serves 6.

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We’re in!  We’ve moved, and are madly rushing about, trying to settle ourselves.  The first hurdle to tackle was unpacking and organizing the kitchen, of course – this family’s had too much takeout.  I’m pleased to announce that mama’s kitchen is open for business, and man, this new kitchen rocks, folks.  I’m a lucky, lucky woman.  I have great space, great tools and lots of inspiration.  Not sure how often I’ll be posting now that we’re here, but I can assure you, it’ll be more often than it has been this summer.  I’m so happy to be back!

Today’s recipe is vegetarian, quick, easy and just might help you use up some of that produce that your garden or CSA is dishing out.  The original recipe is meant to be served cold, and indeed, this is great leftover, but I made this as a warm salad.  Feel free to add more veggies as you please.  Any way you toss it, it’s got a great mix of flavors that’ll prevent a weeknight dinner slump.

Quinoa and Spinach Salad With Chickpeas and Smoked Paprika (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Pour the chicken broth into a medium saucepan and add the quinoa.  Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the spinach, chickpeas, tomatoes, mint and feta in a big bowl.  Add the quinoa and toss gently to wilt the spinach and blend the ingredients.

Combine the vinegar, smoked paprika and olive oil in a glass jar with a lid, cover and shake until combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.  Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. 

Serves 6.

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