Don't Fear the Freezer

Easy things get a bad rap. It’s as if to say, if you haven’t sweated and toiled and sacrificed for something, you haven’t earned it. “Don’t take the easy way out” — How many times have we heard that?

In the world of food, sometimes a healthy skepticism toward easiness makes sense. If you’re hungry for a snack, few things are easier to get your nosh on than a bag of potato chips or Cheetos. Here, though, what you’re saving in terms of convenience you’re more than giving up in nutrition.

There are “easy” foods that can be good for you. For snacking, an apple with peanut butter is a great combination that can be prepared in literally one minute. (While peanut butter is considered healthy as-is, you can up the health quotient even more by buying natural brands, which use less sugar.) In fact, nuts in general are an excellent, easy snack food, when eaten in reasonable amounts. Or if that sounds boring, try the spiced varieties available in bulk at your grocery store.

When it comes to cooking though, one of the easiest ways to find healthy, inexpensive ingredients is to visit the frozen-foods aisle. I repeat: Frozen foods — fruits, vegetables, fish — are your friend.

It’s curious how frozen food seems to get short shrift when compared to canned food. Maybe it’s because canned food has been available to consumers longer than frozen food. Or maybe it’s because freezers are relatively new conveniences (freezers weren’t mass produced until the end of World War II). Shoot, maybe people just don’t have enough room in their freezers because they seldom clean them. Who knows?

Whatever the reason, it’s a shame, because frozen food can be an economical, convenient, and healthy component in people’s kitchens, especially during the off-season for various types of produce. Before they are frozen, fruits and vegetables are picked at the height of ripeness, when they are most nutrient-rich and flavorful. In freezing, produce retains more of those nutrients than the fruits and vegetables that were canned.

Sometimes I’ll even use frozen vegetables instead of fresh. For instance, if I want to make a black bean and corn salad, I’ll usually use frozen organic sweet corn over fresh corn because it’s available year-round. I don’t buy fresh corn on the cob in January because I know it’s been shipped from who knows where (and who knows how long it was kept refrigerated). Frozen corn, on the other hand, is picked when it’s ripe — it’s the next best thing to eating seasonally.

Canned food has its place, but in most situations frozen is better for nutritional content, and it’s still relatively cheap, especially compared to fresh produce that’s out of season. Oh, and another frozen-food convenience: It’s typically already prepped and ready to go! Try it, and take the easy way out.

Ginger Sauce Tweetcipe

This flavorful sauce makes a yummy stir-fry. I triple the amount and freeze several containers at a time. Use it with cooked strips of chicken, pork or beef.

I have a client who loves it with stir-fried slices of carrot, bok choy, red bell pepper, onion and green peas.

Ginger Sauce

¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup fresh grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 teaspoons sesame oil
3 teaspoons sambal or a 2 shakes of red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Put all of the ingredients except the water and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix water and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to the sauce. Stir for 1 minute.

Nutrition is Essential for Good Health

Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.

—Hippocrates

You are what you eat. Literally. Regularly consuming exceedingly processed, fatty foods will make you feel tired and look fatty - “overly processed,” if you will. A diet rich in fresh foods and lean proteins will make you feel fresh and revitalized and look lean. The occasional birthday cupcake won’t hurt you (in fact I encourage the special indulgence as a treat for the soul) but it is all about balance. I believe it is nutritional imbalance that plays the primary role in the cancer and diabetes rates we see today. If we pay closer attention to our consumption of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, we will be well on our way to increased stamina, better sleep, clarity of mind, and far less disease.

To ensure we get the most out of our food, look to the vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are enablers, or assistants in the nutritive process. For instance, the suite of B vitamins are necessary for our bodies to properly turn carbohydrates to sugar and create energy (without adequate B vitamins, our bodies store those carbs as fat). We can take vitamins in the form of pills, but the absorption rates are unpredictable; the vitamins and minerals most readily usable by our bodies are found in our food. When we eat fresh, brightly colored, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, good quality dairy and meats, and whole grains, the vitamins and minerals within are readily absorbed by our bodies and are then available for all the necessary nutritional chemical reactions.

To ward against disease, I suggest ensuring a good quantity of antioxidants in our diet. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals so our bodies can focus on repairing and protecting us. While free radicals are an essential part of a healthy immune system, they can accumulate in our bodies as a result of environmental toxins (pollution, chemicals, radiation, etc), physical and emotional stress, and unhealthy fats, preservatives, and pesticides in our processed foods. Excessive free radicals then attack our tissues and make us more vulnerable to many degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and many cancers.

It seems to me that our country needs revitalization, and that starts with its individual citizens. A great way to revitalize ourselves is by retraining ourselves to eat healthier. I’d love to see more people cut down on their consumption of fast food, exercise to reduce stress, and eat a diet rich in organically grown fruits, vegetables and proteins. I think it would make a real difference in so many ways.

Chicken Curry Tweetcipe

I’ve always admired people who can intuitively cook, never needing to look at a recipe. When I cook for a client I always bring the printed recipes because I’m likely to forget an ingredient or two until it’s too late. I rely on my lists and backup systems! However, I was cooking for a client a couple of weeks ago and had forgotten my printed recipe for Chicken Curry with Cashews. So this time I was on my own, no safety net, and I’m happy to report that my client loved it! I like to serve this over brown basmati rice. Here’s the recipe I made up on the spot:

½ t cumin seeds
¼ cup butter
1 chopped onion
¼ lb fresh green beans, cut in half
3 minced garlic cloves
1 T fresh ginger, processed on a zester
3 T curry powder
½ t sriracha sauce (or a dash of cayenne)
salt to taste
1 – 14 oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¾ cup plain yogurt
4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 cup toasted cashews, chopped coarsely

Heat a soup pot over low heat and toast cumin seeds. Stir often and be careful not to burn them. When the seeds start to brown and become fragrant, turn the heat to medium and add the butter, onions, garlic, ginger and green beans. Stir occasionally until onions are softened. Add salt, curry, sriracha sauce, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir. Add tomatoes plus juice, and cilantro. Turn the heat down, stir, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in yogurt and serve. I like to ladle the curry over basmati rice or quinoa, and generously sprinkle cashews on top.

People’s Diets Before & After the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution, which historians say first started in the U.K. around 1760, was less a revolution and more of a gradual but profound metamorphosis of Europe and, close on its heels, North America. And by gradual, I mean about 150 years of invention, improvement and industrial application. Authors like Thomas Hobbs described 17^th Century farmers’ lives as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short."

Then the Industrial Revolution brought mechanization and technological advancements. Farming on a small scale was all about maintaining the delicate health of the soil through fallowing, cover crops and crop rotation. With the Industrial Revolution, it became a large-scale process where nature could be managed and exploited, though not always controlled. Control came later, after the harsh lessons of the Dust Bowl years were indelibly printed on farmers who took advantage of new automation machines, farmed ever more acreage but did not heed the appropriate steps to renew and protect the soil as their forefathers had.

Meat and dairy were expensive and rare commodities in pre-industrial Europe. Most livestock was slaughtered in the autumn since grazing areas were scarce in the harsh winters, lending to huge autumn feasts, followed by a bland, meager, almost vegetarian diet through the winter. Then science taught ranchers the finer points of effective husbandry, and grains became more readily available to get livestock through the cold months. Within a century, meat was available to the masses year round, and dairy was more easily produced with the larger stocks of breeding animals each spring. Peasants began to eat like aristocrats.

Exploration and early forms of genetic modification (in the form of selective breeding) brought new peppers, corn, and chocolate from the Americas to Europe, inspiring cooks with bold, new flavors. The chocolate was dark, mostly served as a beverage, and far less sweet than most of today’s impulse buys, but thank goodness for those brave sailors who brought it back and those chefs that made it a part of our Valentine’s Day traditions!

Scientific discoveries and studies enabled farmers to breed and cultivate plants for consistency, quantity, and flavor. Small family farms were replaced with vast fields of genetically similar crops that were easy to grow, but homogeneous and more prone to large outbreaks of disease and pest infestation (meaning stronger systemic fertilizers and pesticides had to be formulated and applied.).

While birth rates were flat during the Industrial Revolution, improved medical care, diet, and sanitation sharply reduced death rates. A growing population needed to be fed, and since most of that population now lived an urban lifestyle, food had to be brought into the cities. Trains sped things up, the invention of canned goods, fillers and additives made the food go further and last longer on the shelf.

Today we can enjoy asparagus in December and mangoes in the Midwestern United States. However, in an effort to feed our exponentially growing population the abundance of fruits and vegetables we now expect year round, we may have taken the industrialization of our food supply too far, stripping our dinner of genetic diversity, flavor and adequate nutrition. Perhaps the pendulum will now swing successfully back to center with a balance of small, local, organic farms and the large homogeneous farms to make the best of all that our ancestors and our great scientific minds have to offer.

Vera Cruz Sauce Tweetcipe

During the busy months of November and December, along with the cold snaps in December and January, I found myself cooking a dish a number of times that met my need for speed, nutrition and low calories and fulfilled my need for warmth and spiciness. I’m not sure if this sauce is named for the Mexican state of Veracruz or the Mexican seaport by the same name, but I’m guessing it’s the seaport, because this sauce tastes best over baked or grilled fish. It’s not a bad way to treat chicken either!

Vera Cruz (or Veracruzana) Sauce

2 tablespoons grape seed or safflower oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 – 15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf

Heat oil in a non-corrosive saute pan over medium heat, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add wine and reduce. Add tomatoes, green olives, capers, Serrano pepper, sugar and bay leaf and bring to a low boil and cook until thickened. Reduce heat, add grilled or baked fish/chicken and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Small Farm Organic vs. Large Farm Organic

It is a new year, and we are all thinking about taking better care of ourselves. We plan to exercise for our hearts, de-clutter for our peace of mind, and eat well for weight-loss, stamina, and disease prevention. Eating organic foods — especially those grown at small local farms — can be a great way to embark on healthy living.

Thanks to the popularity of organic foods and the premium price they command, big farms are also jumping into the organic market. In some ways, this is a good thing: Large farms have established distribution channels with large retail grocery chains, so organic foods are becoming more mainstream. In other ways, it is a challenge for large farms to effectively balance the altruistic tenets of organic farming with the need to maintain profitability. For us as consumers, it is a good idea to take a second look at our organic food to ensure we are getting the maximum nutritious bang for our buck, while doing our part to protect the environment.

Specifically, let’s discuss organic beef. To be labeled “organic” (per the implementation of the 2002 National Organic Program (NOP) regulations), the USDA requires that ranchers track the health and feeding history of every cow. In addition, the cattle must not receive antibiotics or growth-promoting hormones, they must be fed only certified organic grains and grass, and they must have unrestricted outdoor access. In February 2010, the USDA clarified its rules by stating that organic cattle must spend the grass-growing season (at least 120 days per year) grazing on pasture. This is a welcome clarification, since prior to that cattle could be in dry lots so long as the door was left open to a (sometimes too small) pasture for the herd.

An additional new rule is that grass or “dry matter” must account for 30% of a cow’s diet. Here is the tricky part: The 30% pasture requirement is lifted during the last 120 days of a cow’s life, or the “finish feeding period.” Some ranchers and consumers believe cattle should be fed corn in these last four months to improve the flavor and marbling of the meat (for many, this also saves money). Keep in mind that cows’ digestive systems can’t handle grain or corn, so they suffer and often become ill. However, cattle that are grass fed throughout their lives will be less stressed because of a consistent diet, and they will produce leaner beef, which is much better for our cardiovascular systems and our waistlines, though, admittedly, our taste buds will notice a difference.

With produce, the main concern is with controlling pests. Synthetic pesticides are not allowed under organic certification standards, but some pesticides that are derived from plants are allowed. Unfortunately, even these “natural” pesticides kill both the beneficial insects and the pests, they have had adverse effects in tests on lab animals, and they can be devastating to aquatic life. Not to confuse the matter, but keep in mind that certain vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, English cucumbers) are often grown in greenhouses, which greatly reduces the need for pesticides and herbicides. To be sure, look for the Certified Greenhouse™ label.

The bottom line is that for the food you buy from large ranches and farms, read the labels thoroughly, understand the legal meaning of words like “Natural” and “Organic” and scrub those fruits and vegetables before you eat them, whether or not they are organic. I highly recommend utilizing local small farms via CSAs, and farmers’ markets since they are going to be the most reliable choice for the health-conscious consumer (and those who care about their carbon footprint). If at all possible, know your rancher and know your farmer, and the confusion amongst organic, grass-fed, pesticide-free, free-range, etc goes away.