“Keen-wah”
Once considered sacred to the Incas and usually thought of as a grain, Quinoa (”Keen-wah”) comes from the seed of the chenopodium quinoa plant which is actually related to green leafy veggies like swiss chard and spinach. The World’s Healthiest Foods reports that it’s a complete protien, and full of many other nutrients like manganese.
The great thing about quinoa is that it’s incredibly versatile and easy to cook. Just add 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water and bring to a boil over the stove. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and you can fluff with a fork. You will know when it is ready because it will have a little white curly Q look to it.
I purchased some in bulk on the cheap at the local co-op and, since I really liked this stuffed squash recipe a few months ago, I decided to try a Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash dish for my first go at making this wonderful “grain” at home. You could also use it as a substitute for white rice in stir fry, as a breakfast food mixed with oats, and I’ve since used it in a fabulous gluten-free Quinoa and Black Bean Chili.
Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Adapted from the “Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Cooking”
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 c chopped onions
1/2 c quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 c vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup chopped almonds toasted
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange acorn squash cut side down in a baking pan. Add 1/2 inch of water to the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the squash are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Take the squash out and let cool, leave the oven on.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Add quinoa, stirring until toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock , salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Uncover and cool slightly.
Stir in the nuts, parsley, and 2 tbsp. of the cheese. Spoon mixture into the squash cavities. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Fermented Oatmeal
With all the talk about oatmeal lately, I was so excited to hear from a friend about a fermented oatmeal recipe using miso paste. I know, you are probably asking yourself, what the heck are you doing adding miso to oatmeal? Similar to other fermented foods like the raw fermented sauerkraut, unpasturized miso contains lactobacillus, the “friendly” bacteria, and other microorganisms that help create a healthy digestive environment. So, in adding miso to oatmeal during the cooling process you began the fermentation and you end up getting the best of both worlds - all the good stuff of oatmeal and the digestive power of the miso.
To try a little fermentation at home, all you need to do is too cook the oats in the evening before bed about for about 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Let the oatmeal cool and when it reaches room temperature, add the miso, cover and let sit overnight at room temperature. In the morning warm and serve. I love South River Sweet White, pictured above, which is a little pricey but contains 60 servings! I tried it with steel cut oats and despite Rhaya’s creative ideas from yesterday, didn’t need to add anything. The original recipe found here, has other suggestions for various miso flavors and different grains, but it is imperative that you use unpasturized miso.
Warm Up To a Bowl of Oats
Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? It’s a perfect time of year to start warming up to a bowl every morning. Just one bowl a day helps to lower cholesterol levels, control blood sugar, and ward off cardiovascular disease. It’s low in fat, high in protein and delivers a hefty amount of soluble and insoluble fiber, manganese and selenium. And a warm and hearty bowl in the morning will take you right through till lunch.
Steer clear of the instant stuff though since it is often loaded with extra sugars and processed to the point that the good stuff mentioned above is nonexistent! Look for the rolled oats which are “groats” (the oat grain) that have been hulled, steamed and rolled flat into flakes. Or, for a little bit different texture, I love steel-cut oats which are natural, unrefined oat groats that have been cut into two or three small pieces by steel blades with a minimal amount of heat.
I like to have oats as a hot cereal for breakfast, but also you can also use them in baking cookies, breads, pancakes, and I often use oats in place of breadcrumbs in meatloaf. Make sure to check back tomorrow for a healthy oatmeal breakfast recipe from Rhaya!
The Soup Loot
I ended up having such a great time celebrating National Soup Swap Day Wednesday! Pictured above is my contribution, a local Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Soup, frozen, labeled and all ready for the big swap. There were nine of us participating and after a little chatting and snacks we kicked it off with the telling of the soup and then drew numbers for the swap. I luckily drew the number one, and here is what I came home with:
- Tomato-Peanut Stew (sounds weird, I know, but it was my first pick and I have already tried it-delicious!!)
- Greens & Beans
- Minestrone
- Vegetarian Chili
- Chickpea, Tomato & Spelt
You can see that there was a lot of variety and in addition to those listed above, there were also a few other yummy temptations like a Hungarian Mushroom and a Chicken Noodle Soup that had been passed down a few generations! Check out the “Almost Foodies” pictures.
Agave Nectar
Most commonly known for its use in making tequila, the Blue Agave plant is just one of several species of the agave plant that can be harvested to produce agave nectar, a wonderful sugar alternative.
The proces is essentially this: juice is extracted from the core of the plant, heated, filtered, and then concentrated to form the agave nectar or syrup. Think honey, but with a thinner, less viscous, and an almost cleaner taste. It’s predominately made up of fructose, and while it has a very concentrated, sweet, flavor, it actually has a lower glycemic index rating than similar sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup. This means that it is not so destructive on your blood sugar levels as it releases gradually into your bloodstream rather than the direct injection you get with regular sugar.
I use it to add a little sweetness in hot tea, salad dressings, smoothies and as a substitute to the processed stuff in other sweet treats like this one. Try substituting it into a few of your recipes, it’s sweeter than regular sugar, though, so start by cutting the amount called for in half and go from there. One of my favorites is the Organic Nectars Raw Agave Syrup, a local company in upstate NY, and I have also tried and liked this one.
And if you are a runner, triathlete, or other endurance sport enthusiast, the little travel size sticks are an awesome pick-me-up during your training or an event.
Grassfed
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Shannon Hayes, a local farmer, mom and author. She and her husband were at the co-op showcasing meat from their family farm, Sap Bush Hollow Farm. I picked up her most recent cookbook, The Grassfed Gourmet (pictured above), and was anxious to try the Beef Stew recipe (below).
Grassfed meat is the obvious choice over the factory farmed variety, for many reasons. But, for me, it comes down to knowing exactly where my food came from and knowing that I am getting healthy food raised in an environmentally responsible way.
Old Fashioned Beef Stew
from the Grassfed Gourmet by Shannon Hayes
1 c all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 crumbled bay leaf
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 28 ounce can tomatoes, whole or crushed, undrained
2 cups beef broth
2 quarts water
6 to 8 carrots, scraped and cut into chunks
2 small turnips, peeled and cubed
4 boiling potatoes, cut into large chunks
Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a shallow bowl.
Dredge the meat in the flour. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat, and brown on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients, except the carrots, turnips, and potatoes. Cover. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
Add the carrots and turnips, cover, and continue cooking 45 minutes longer. Add the potatoes, cover once more, and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork.
Serves 6.
Local Raw ‘Kraut
I was never really big fan of sauerkraut, I never liked it on hot dogs and only really ever had it about once a year on my St. Patrick’s day Reuben sandwich. But a friend recently encouraged me to try a line of raw lacto-fermented vegetables from the nearby Hawthorne Valley Farm, and I really like it. It tastes so alive, having so much flavor it makes my tastbuds stand up. And I like it plain, all alone, no need for the sandwich!
While raw lacto-fermented vegetables may smell horrific, they are actually really good for you. Containing lots of Vitamin C, enzymes and friendly bacteria (lactobacilli), raw sauerkraut helps create a healthy atmosphere in your digestive tract by stimulating the growth of healthy flora and by keeping bacterial growth in check. Read more about the benefits of raw sauerkraut here.
I have also tried the fermented Ginger Carrots and the Kim Chee from Hawthorne Valley Farm which are equally as good. I am so happy to have found another great local food that’s in season and good for me, reminds me of why I choose to “eat local” as much as possible.
Tea Time
I am typically a coffee drinker, but when it is cold and flu season, I reach for tea (especially when I start to get the sniffles and scratchy throat myself). In addition to the natural soothing effect typically associated with drinking tea, it also has many health benefits (thanks to the natural antioxidants and minerals).
However, don’t just grab the nearest tea bag. Just like fruits and veggies, it is important to choose organic teas (here are some specific reasons why). Also keep an eye out for ones that are fair trade.
As for me, I like teas from The Republic of Tea (available at World Market amongst other places.) The Republic of Tea offers organic and fair trade varieties, and also keeps the environment in mind. (The packaging is a reusable tin, and all tea bags are unbleached and free of staples and string.) If you are interested in also helping a cause, look no further than their “Sip for the Cure Tea” and “Man Kind Tea”, which raises money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, respectively.
Guilt-free Egg Nog
On Saturday, I went to Christmas on the Farm at Traders Point Creamery. The winter market, farm fresh breakfast and organic hot chocolate were all delightful, but the real star of the show was the Traders Point Creamery’s new organic traditional eggnog.
Made with the milk and eggs from their very own cows and chickens, this organic eggnog is guilt-free not because of fat or calories, but because of the care that was taken in the making of it. Proving that you often don’t have to look very far to find traditional holiday flavors, that are made organically and locally.
All Hail Kale
A lot of people are unaware of just how good green leafy vegetables are for you and what an important role they play in your diet. A member of the Brassica family, which also includes a variety of other cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, and mustard greens to name a few, Kale is a wonderful source of Vitamins A, C, and K, beta-carotene and calcium.
I’ve already mentioned one easy way to squeeze in a serving or two of raw leafy greens through juicing or even smoothies, but it is also very simple to use kale as the base of a salad. I’ve seen a few recipes using kale this way and at the heart of most of them is the essential “kale massage.” Massaging chopped kale with olive oil and a little salt helps soften and break down the stiffness of the leaves, making it more suitable to eat raw by bringing out the moisture from within the cell walls.
One of my favorites is a kale and avocado salad which calls for chopped kale leaves massaged with olive oil and a little salt, then a second massaging of the kale with an avocado, all topped with chopped tomato, a dash of cayenne pepper and a few squeezes of lemon. It’s so quick and easy, I can make it before work and take it with me. Check out this excellent video by Karen Knowler for step by step directions.
