July 3rd, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Yesterday, I provided tips on selecting a juicy organic watermelon. Today, we feature a Fourth of July recipe for a festive Americana Basket.
All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.
Americana Basket
1 oblong-shaped watermelon
Honeydew
Blueberries
- Using an oblong watermelon, slice 1/4″ off the bottom, lengthwise, to provide stable base.
- Use a pencil to draw lines for handle placement and basket opening.
- Cut the handle first, wide enough to hold stars; then make zigzag cuts with a paring knife, all the way through the rind. Be careful not to cut through the handle base on either side.
- Carefully remove sections, pulling out large chunks of flesh. Cut them into 3” x 3” squares.
- From squares, trim off 3/4” thick slices to cut out stars. Use 1½” to 3” star-shaped cookie cutters to create them.
-
Next, cut out 5 large star-shaped pieces from the leftover rind. Use a paring knife, if necessary, for the handle. Trim off red flesh, and attach to basket handle with white side out, using half toothpicks.
- Use an ice cream scoop to remove flesh from inside of basket, and cut scoops into quarters for the fruit salad. Place in bottom of the basket.
- Use a white-fleshed melon like ripe honeydew to cut out white “stripes” for salad.
- Garnish top of fruit salad with watermelon stars, melon stripes and blueberries.
Recipe and photos courtesy of the National Watermelon Promotion Board
Tags: fruits, Organic Food, recipes, watermelon
Posted in Organic Food Recipes | No Comments »
June 29th, 2009 - Leslie Billera
 I’m about to become a first-time mom at age 40. Literally, at any moment.
I don’t know how I will feel when I first see my baby (my guess is a post mortem cocktail of thrill and terror), but one thing I definitely do know: my time – and sleep – will be limited. That’s what everyone has been telling me for the last 10 months (yes, it’s actually 10 months, not 9…but that’s another blog subject!).
Soon, my husband and I will have less time to make buying decisions – but more pressure than ever to make the greenest and healthiest choices for baby. The hours I formerly spent clicking around eco product sites, languorously reading ‘about us’ and ‘press’ sections to try to discern a given product’s ‘true green value’ will be but a hazy memory.
To prepare, I’ve saved these green washing sites – green washing is misleading marketing about the environmental benefits of a product – that I now share with other busy moms, dads, or just busy people in general…
Green America’s Responsible Shopper
I’m a Green America Business Network member, so this one is close to my heart (as a copywriter, I’m Green America-Approved and have the seal to prove it!). This site ranks companies in 27 industry categories from best to worst based on research focusing on such key issues as human rights, social justice, environmental sustainability and more. Check out the user-friendly “Act” section in which you can join campaigns to battle corporate abuse, or sign up for instant emails to get actions delivered to your inbox.
Skin Deep Database from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
This searchable database matches the ingredients in more than 25,000 shampoos, makeup, deodorants, sunscreens and other personal care products with 50 toxicity and regulatory databases. It provides the most safety information anywhere about the products you put on your body – and on the body of baby too!
The Greenwashing Index
Enviromedia Social Marketing’s website asks consumers to send examples of both good and bad green marketing campaigns, which visitors then rank using a five point index that includes 1 for Authentic, 3 for Suspect and 5 for Bogus. Also includes “ripped from the headlines” exposes on worst offenders, i.e. the recent charge from the FTC that Kmart Corp., Tender Corp., and Dyna-E International are making false and unsubstantiated claims that their paper products were “biodegradable.”
Terrachoice
Check out the free report entitled the Six Sins of Green Washing and get tips on the top suspect terminology – i.e. the use of ‘chlorofluorocarbon-free’ even though these chemicals have been banned, by law, for years.
Laura Klein’s Green Club
Shameless plug here (I am the chief copywriter for Laura Klein’s green lifestyle membership site), but there’s no doubt that in addition to lots of good, green info and action-oriented tips, membership in Laura Klein’s Green Club gives you one-on-one consultation from Laura herself on any question relating to going green. It’s like having a personal eco consultant at your finger tips, so it makes for a truly great value.
Babies away!
Tags: babies, children, grocery shopping, healthy eating, healthy living, motherhood, newborns, Organic Food, parenthood
Posted in Green Living, Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes, Organic Living, Parenting | 1 Comment »
June 26th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Many people think of sweet potatoes as a winter vegetable reserved for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners.
In truth, these golden gems are available year-round, and they hit the nutritional jackpot: One half-cup of sweet potatoes contains 90 calories, no fat or cholesterol, 380% of your daily vitamin A requirement, 35% of your vitamin C requirement and 3 g fiber (about 11% of your daily requirement).
Our weekend “steak” recipe replaces meat with sweet potatoes. Prep time is only 10 minutes, and cook time is just shy of 90 minutes.
All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.
Grilled Sweet Potato Steaks with Maple Pecan Butter
Makes 6 to 8 servings
4 large sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Maple Pecan Butter
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Wash sweet potatoes, and wrap each one in a single sheet of aluminum foil.
Preheat your grill to approximately 400°F.
Place wrapped sweet potatoes on the grill. Close lid; cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes with indirect heat, or until sweet potatoes soften.
While potatoes cook, prepare Maple Pecan Butter. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add maple syrup, pecans, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt. Heat mixture on low for less than 1 minute or until a layer of bubbles forms over the surface. Remove from heat, and set aside until needed.
Remove sweet potatoes from grill. Unwrap and halt cooking process by dipping them into a bowl of cold water. Place sweet potatoes on a countertop and let them cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into 1/2-inch thick medallions.
Coat each sweet potato steak with olive oil, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Grill each steak for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove potato steaks from grill and serve drizzled with warm Maple Pecan Butter.
Recipe created by World Champion Pitmaster Chris Lilly. Photo courtesy of Kingsford.
Tags: Organic Food, recipes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in Organic Food Recipes | 2 Comments »
June 24th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Brooklyn’s Isa Chandra Moskowitz hosts the online Post Punk Kitchen video series, which offers great vegetarian cooking lessons. She’s also the author of the highly acclaimed Vegan with a Vengeance: Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock.
The cookbook is divided into nine sections:
- Brunch (Sweet Potato Hash with Five-Spice and Watercress, Ginger-Pear Waffles)
- Muffins and Scones (The Best Pumpkin Muffins, Glazed Orange Scones)
- Soups (White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup)
- Little Meals, Sammiches and Finger Food (Parsnip-Scallion Pancakes, Fresh Corn Fritters)
- Sides (Balsamic-Glazed Portobello Mushrooms, Coconut Rice with Toasted Coconut)
- Pizzas and Pastas (Homemade Gnocchi, Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes and Kalamata Tapenade)
- Entrees (Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Tofu with Baked Pumpkin and Cranberry Relish, Moroccan Tagine with Spring Vegetables)
- Cookies and Bars (Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Macadamia Blondies with Caramel-Maple Topping)
- Desserts (Coconut Heaven Cupcakes, Gingerbread Apple Pie)
Rocker Joan Jett added her review to the book’s back cover: “This fun and creative book is delicious for people like me, who don’t eat pets!”
Vegan with a Vengeance retails for $17.95, but the current price on Amazon is $14. Use the recipes to jump-start your organic Meat-Free Monday meals.
Tags: books, Meatless Monday, Organic Food, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | No Comments »
June 21st, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Make Father’s Day festive with this colorful, healthful fruit dessert, featuring kiwis in the lead role. (Best supporting actors: peaches, pineapples, strawberries and bananas.)
Younger children can help assemble Summer Fruit Kebabs, and older kids can help Dad grill them.
Prep time is 15 minutes, marinating time is 30 minutes, and cook time is 10 minutes. All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.
Consider serving the kebabs with a refreshing Kiwi Vesper cocktail/mocktail or Watermelon Lemonade with Kiwifruit Splash.
Nutrition Note: A two-piece serving of kiwifruit has twice the vitamin C of an orange, as much potassium as a banana and as much fiber as a serving of bran flakes—all for less than 100 calories and around $1.
Summer Fruit Kebabs
Makes 8 servings
2 green kiwis, peeled and cut into halves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 green kiwis, peeled and cut in half widthwise
2 peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 strawberries, hulled
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 wooden skewers
- To make kiwi glaze, purée first two kiwis, lemon juice, honey, ginger and cinnamon in food processor until smooth. Do not crush kiwifruit seeds; set aside.
- Place prepared fruit in large bowl. Pour puréed kiwifruit glaze over fruit and gently toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- Arrange mixed fruits on skewers. Brush grill with oil. Preheat grill.
- Grill fruit over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, brushing with kiwifruit glaze until light brown. Serve immediately.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Zespri Kiwifruit
Tags: fruits, kiwi, Organic Food, recipes
Posted in Organic Food Recipes | 1 Comment »
June 19th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
A homemade gourmet salad dressing with only five ingredients?
Consider it done.
Prepared green salsa (salsa verde) kicks up the flavor of this delicious vinaigrette, which is perfect for a backyard barbecue or summer party.
Prep time is only 5 minutes, which means you can relax and enjoy your get-together, without sacrificing flavor.
All of the ingredients should be readily available at your local natural and organic food store.
Salsa Verde Vinaigrette
Makes 1 cup
1¼ cups salsa verde
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Mixed salad greens
Other fresh vegetables of your choice (cucumber, tomato, green onion, etc.)
Beat salsa, oil, vinegar and black pepper with fork, or whisk in medium bowl. Pour over salad greens, tossing lightly until coated.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Pace Foods
Tags: Organic Food, recipes, salad, salad dressings, salsa, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 1 Comment »
June 12th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Organic tomatoes are plentiful this summer, one of the mainstays on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of top seasonal produce picks.
They’re also a nutritional best bet: A 1/2-cup serving of cubed tomatoes contains only 20 calories and provides 40% of your daily recommended vitamin C intake.
Our weekend recipe was adapted from Young & Hungry: More Than 100 Recipes for Cooking Fresh and Affordable Food for Everyone, by Food Network host and celebrity chef Dave Lieberman (more on Dave tomorrow).
All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.
Oven-Roasted Plum Tomatoes
Makes 4 servings
- 4 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 pound)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Handful fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 pinches salt
- 10 grinds black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut off tomato tips and top cores. Halve tomatoes lengthwise. Toss halves together in bowl with oil, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Lay tomatoes on baking sheet, cut side up, and pour over them any seasoned oil left in bottom of bowl. Roast until skins are shriveled and tops are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature, and then gently pinch off shriveled skins. Serve at room temperature.
Note: These tomatoes freeze well by wrapping small quantities in freezer wrap to keep freshness in and air out.
6 Additional Tomato Recipes
- Tomato and Onion Salad
- Gazpacho Salad
- Cherry Tomato Salad With Tarragon and Chives
- Fresh Tomato & Zucchini Salad
- Tomato and Roasted Red Sweet Pepper Soup
- Corn, Tomato & Vidalia Onion Salad
Recipe and photo courtesy of Hyperion Books/Glad PressN’ Seal
Tags: fruits, Organic Food, recipes, tomatoes, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food Recipes | 5 Comments »
June 9th, 2009 - Laura Klein
 “It’s 100% vegan, but it tastes like KFC.”
Welcome to a magical place where grab and go, decadent comfort food blissfully coexists with super high nutrition and globally good underpinnings…The Veggie Grill’s got it all.
“Our overarching purpose is to show people how delicious and enjoyable plant-based food can be when prepared the right way,” says T.K. Pillan, one of The Veggie Grill’s owners. Goodbye bland tofu, uninspired bean sprouts…hello Chipotle BBQ, Grillin’ Chickin’ and Carne Asada sandwiches…all of which are made from 100% plant-based, veggie protein blends.
“The Best Chicken Sandwich I Ever Had!” Veggie Grill converts regularly proclaim that The Veggie Grill’s Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ (crispy fried chillin’ chickin’, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, southwestern spiced vegan mayo on a wheat bun with a side of red cabbage ‘slaw) is ‘the best chicken sandwich I ever had!” The irony? There’s no chicken in it!
By using its signature marinades and sauces, The Veggie Grill converts super nutritious plant-based proteins patties (which in their base form, are pretty much flavorless) into familiar and yummy all-American comfort food.
“There’s a certain stereotype about vegetarian and vegan food being boring and tasteless,” continues Pillan. The Veggie Grill busts through that myth, despite its cholesterol-, trans fat- and high-fructose corn syrup-free menu offerings.
Another amazing side effect? No bloating or sleepiness, as you might feel after a guilty indulgence in ‘conventional’ fast foods. What you eat affects your vitality, and The Veggie Grill is on the right side of your energy and nutritional levels.
Eco Bite The Veggie Grill takes a decidedly non-preachy approach to their vegan comfort food…but Pillan adds that 100% plant-based food is as sustainable as you can get.
The huge carbon foot print of cattle and other animals raised for food has a greater impact on the planet than even transportation, a little known fact.
“Meat is simply an inefficient use of the planet,” says Pillan, citing Brazilian rain forests that are currently being cleared to make room for raised-for-meat cattle grazing. You can get much more from land – and for people – by growing plant-based food versus animals raised for food.
Sourcing wise, The Veggie Grill strives for local and organic whenever possible, especially when it comes to produce.
Check out Fox’s Good Day L.A.’s recent visit to The Veggie Grill and plan your outing to this amazing eatery soon (there are two locations in Irvine and one in El Segundo, CA). Staying at home? Pick a new dish from Laura Klein’s huge offering of healthy organic recipes!
Know any other ‘comfort food’ vegan or vegetarian restaurants? Let us know!
Tags: food, restaurant, vegan, vegetarian
Posted in Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 4 Comments »
June 5th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
 Gremolata is a homemade Italian condiment that’s traditionally composed of fresh garlic, parsley and lemon peel. Commonly served with meat and seafood, it elevates the flavor of any protein you wish to serve.
Our weekend recipe pairs gremolata with fresh fish fillets for a restaurant-quality entree. Use the Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector to choose a sustainable fish.
Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 15 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.
Gremolata-Crusted Fish Fillets
Makes 6 servings
1 slice whole-grain bread
1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
6 fish fillets (about 1½ pounds)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In food processor, process bread until small crumbs form; remove and set aside.
- Into processor, add parsley, garlic, lemon peel and pepper; process until blended. Add mayonnaise and process just until blended.
- On baking sheets or broiler pan, arrange fillets. Evenly sprinkle with lemon juice; evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then bread crumbs.
- Bake 15 minutes or until fish flakes with fork.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Unilever
Tags: fish recipes, Organic Food, sustainable fish
Posted in Organic Food Recipes | No Comments »
June 3rd, 2009 - Leslie Billera
…it’s a heck of a good start!
When I found out that there were several bitter truths beyond the taste of my favorite dark chocolate, another layer of guilt was added my guilty pleasure.
Not-so-sweet truths about ‘conventional’ chocolate include:
- Pesticides used in ‘conventional’ cocoa farming impact the soil, water, and the health of cocoa farmers
- Unethical practices in the cocoa industry – especially in Africa – include forced child labor, unfair pay, and poor working conditions
That’s why I was pleased as punch to read about the World Cocoa Foundation’s June Partnership meeting in Washington, D.C. June 3-4th. The meeting will be attended by top U.S. foreign agriculture brass and many other key decision makers in the industry. According to the WCF’s President, Bill Gutyon, “Efforts to improve farming practices, incomes and overall wellbeing for the millions of people who grow this unique crop are expanding significantly.”
One great start is the Cocoa Livelihoods Program, a new, $40 million program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, eleven leading chocolate industry companies, and other partners. The program aims to significantly improve the livelihoods of approximately 200,000 cocoa farmers in West and Central Africa.
Show your support for organic chocolate with this scrumptious cupcake recipe; and let us know what favorite organic, fair trade chocolate brands are in your cupboard. We love hearing from you!
Source
Tags: chocolate, cocoa, food, healthy food, Organic Food
Posted in Green Living, Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | No Comments »
|
|
please Share the Love