Hipsters & Outhouses? Urban Farming in the Modern City

April 16th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger

urban farms are showing no sign of slowing down

The move towards urban homesteading is a trend that is taking root in the counterculture twenty-something demographic in cities around the country, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

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Go Green Expo Comes to L.A. This Weekend

April 13th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger

Go Green Expo Comes to LA

Go Green Expo makes its third appearance in Los Angeles this weekend at the LA Convention Center with hundreds of vendors and dozens of speakers, films and performances for the whole family.

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Former McDonald’s President to Open Healthy Fast-Food Chain

February 10th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger

Two ex-McDonald’s executives including the former president and chief operations officer, Mike Roberts, have teamed up with Oprah’s celebrity chefs in a healthy fast food restaurant chain concept called Lyfe Kitchen, an acronym for Love Your Food Everyday.

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Caribbean Sweet Potato Bake

November 8th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Caribbean Sweet Potato Bake

Organic bananasThe traditional Sweet Potato Bake, topped with gooey browned marshmallows, has become a Thanksgiving tradition—especially if you have kids.

But recipes are now geared toward more adult tastes, be it Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Pecan Streusel Topping.

Bananas add a touch of the exotic—and a nutritional boost—to today’s Caribbean-inspired recipe. Prep time is 20 minutes, bake time is 40 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

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Michael Chiarello’s Roasted Winter Squash

November 6th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner


Michael Chiarello

Bottega CookbookIf you’re a fan of TV cooking competitions, you know cheftestants sometimes do themselves in by going overboard with ingredients. Judges remind them to simplify their dishes and allow natural flavors to shine through.

Chef Michael Chiarello, a finalist on the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and owner of Bottega Napa Valley, gets it. Simplicity trumps fussiness, and his food is clean and elegant. (Check out his recipes for Radicchio Salad and Home-Style Minestrone.)

As noted yesterday, the roasting process is ideal for winter squash, as the vegetable’s natural sugars caramelize as it cooks. Add some organic butter, salt and pepper, and you have an easy-to-prepare side dish for your Thanksgiving table.

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4 Simple Ways to Prepare Winter Squash

November 5th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Roasted Butternut Squash

Pumpkin and Squash Cookbook’Tis the season to buy winter squash at your local natural and organic food store or farmers’ market.

Whether you select the acorn, buttercup, butternut (above) or Hubbard variety, you’ll enjoy numerous health benefits, as well as a tasty entree or side dish.

Let’s review the four basic ways to get cooking.

1. Bake/Roast

This method is super-delicious because it caramelizes a squash’s natural sugars:

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Super-Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

October 31st, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Vegetable Beef Soup

Organic vegetable juiceFall’s dynamic trio—a bowl of homemade organic soup, a tossed salad, and a loaf of crusty bread or homemade biscuits—is hard to beat on a chilly autumn evening.

Creating this filling dinnertime soup couldn’t be easier. Prep time is only 10 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Enjoy!

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup

Makes 6 servings

1¾ cups organic beef broth
2 medium organic potatoes, cut into cubes

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Beet and Red Cabbage Salad

October 29th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Beet and Cabbage Salad

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate fall than incorporating seasonal textures, flavors and ingredients into evening meals.

Today’s recipe for Beet and Red Cabbage Salad doubles up on nutrient-rich vegetables: pickled beets and sweet-and-sour red cabbage. Finish the dish with crispy tart apples and crunchy toasted pecans.

Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 10 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

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Halloween Polenta Bites

October 25th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Polenta Bites

Halloween cookie cuttersMost Halloween treats are sweet, but you can also celebrate the holiday with more healthful savory dishes.

Sweet potatoes (or pumpkin) give today’s recipe its orange hue. Use small Halloween cookie cutters (right) to create a kid-friendly side dish that’s rich in vitamin A.

All of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

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Halloween Treats: Black-Cherry Bats & Citrus-Orange Pumpkins

October 18th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Fruity Halloween Treats

Natural Cherry GelatinLooking for a Halloween treat that’s easy on your teeth?

Today’s recipes for Black-Cherry Bats and Citrus-Orange Pumpkins won’t screw up braces, fillings or crowns. The key ingredients are natural flavored gelatin (right) and fresh fruit juice.

Each recipe makes 2 dozen treats, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

These recipes have been adapted from The Braces Cookbook by Pamela Waterman.

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