Corn, Tomato & Vidalia Onion Salad

August 18th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

I savored my first Vidalia onion more than 15 years ago during a business trip to Atlanta. I soon learned these Georgia treasures were mild enough to be eaten like apples, and a colleague sent me home with a 10-lb. bag.

These days, Vidalias are often my top onion choice, adding a distinctive sweetness to any recipe. They’re rich in vitamin C and fat-, cholesterol- and sodium-free. Weight Watchers even chose Vidalia onions as its pick of the season in the spring.

This easy-to-prepare recipe, adapted from The Vidalia Sweet Onion Lovers Cookbook, combines some of summer’s favorite flavors. All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.

Corn, Tomato & Vidalia Onion Salad

Makes 4 servings

1½ cups diced ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped Vidalia onion
2 medium ears fresh corn, cooked and cooled (or 1 cup cooked frozen kernels)
15 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes and onion.
Scrape corn and juice off cobs to make about 1 cup; add to tomato mixture.
Shred basil leaves; add to tomato mixture.
In a small bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vinegar, oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix well or shake to combine. Add to tomato mixture; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Photo by Lori Grice

Tags: corn, food recipes, onion, Organic Food Recipes, salad, tomato
Posted in Organic Food Recipes | 2 Comments »

Beefing Up the Grill

August 16th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

Last Saturday, I provided a recipe for Mushroom Merlot Burgers. If you try them, let me know what you think!

So, who taught you to grill a decent hamburger or steak on your barbecue? According to Chef Richard Chamberlain, owner of Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House in Dallas, it may be time for a crash course in Grilling 101.

“People love beef, but many don’t know how to cook lean cuts,” he says. He recommends purchasing The Healthy Beef Cookbook, which offers “more than 130 delicious and healthy lean beef solutions that are easy to prepare for anyone.”

Chef Chamberlain, in cooperation with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, offers the following grilling tips:

When grilling a “tapered” piece of beef, place the thinner end away from the fire to cook the meat evenly.
Be patient. Too much turning does not cook beef properly.
Turn steaks and roasts with tongs, not with a fork. A fork will pierce the beef and allow flavorful juices to escape.
If you forget to marinate beef in the morning for a stir-fry or salad, simply slice it into strips. The marinating time will be cut to only 20 minutes.

The Power of Umami

Did you know your taste buds have a fifth taste, in addition to sweet, salty, bitter and sour?

Known as umami (oo-MOM-ee), from the Japanese word for “delicious,” this fifth taste is described as meaty and savory, as characterized by the flavor of beef. Pairing umami-rich foods like beef with tomatoes, wine, soy sauce, mushrooms, cheese, corn, spinach or beets can add an explosion of flavor the next time you grill.

Note: Because you are committed to organic living, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic foods, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Mushroom Merlot Burgers

August 12th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

I love ending the week with a recipe, especially during summer grilling season. This dish is featured in The Healthy Beef Cookbook, a collaborative effort from the American Dietetic Association and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The classic bistro flavors of mushrooms and wine add a sophisticated touch to these open-faced burgers.

Mushroom Merlot Burgers

Makes 4 servings

1 pound ground beef (95% lean)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 large portobello mushrooms
4 slices French bread, cut diagonally 1/2 inch thick
2 ounces goat cheese (1/2 cup)
4 romaine lettuce leaves
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
1/4 cup ready-to-serve beef broth
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

To prepare sauce, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add shallots; cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until caramelized. Stir in wine, broth and thyme. Cook over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Combine butter and flour; whisk into sauce. Stir in salt and pepper. Cover; keep warm.
Combine ground beef, parsley, salt and pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into four 1/2-inch thick patties. Set aside.
Place mushrooms on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 16 to 18 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. About 10 minutes before mushrooms are done, move them to outer edge of grid. Place patties in center of grid; grill 11 to 13 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness, until no longer pink in center and juices show no pink color, turning once. Place bread slices on grid; grill until toasted, turning once.
Reheat sauce, if necessary. Spread half of cheese on toasted bread slices. Top each with lettuce leaf, mushroom and burger; drizzle evenly with sauce. Crumble remaining goat cheese over tops; sprinkle with parsley, as desired.

Note: Because you are committed to organic living, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic ingredients, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Recipe and photo from The Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2006 by American Dietetic Association and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. All rights reserved.

Catfish With Peanut-Coconut Crust

August 4th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

I usually like to end the week with a recipe, so here’s a perfect dish for tonight’s dinner or a tasty weekend meal.

As we pointed out in Which Fish Is Fit to Eat?, catfish is one of your best seafood choices, according to Environmental Defense. It’s an excellent source of protein that’s low in saturated fat and contains omega-3 fatty acids.

This entree features a crunchy peanut and coconut topping. Serve with sliced tomatoes and a green salad, and dinner is ready.

Catfish With Peanut-Coconut Crust

Makes 4 servings

1/3 cup honey-roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled honey-nut shredded wheat cereal
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
2 tablespoons minced green onion, divided
1/3 cup sweet-and-sour sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
4 catfish fillets (about 6 oz. each)

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine peanuts, cereal crumbs, coconut and 1 tablespoon green onion; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine sweet-and-sour sauce, soy sauce, garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon green onion. Remove 2 tablespoons of the mixture; brush over fillets.
Place fillets on your prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle fillets with peanut-coconut mixture, dividing evenly.
Bake until fish is opaque in center, 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size. Serve with remaining sauce mixture.

Recipe courtesy of The Catfish Institute and The National Peanut Board

Tags: catfish, food recipes, Organic Food, seafood
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Peanut Butter & Jelly

July 24th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

I’d normally come up with a more creative title for this blog entry, but there’s something so enticing about a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s healthy comfort food at its finest, so why tamper with perfection?

PB&J can also be one of your secret weapons in the war against childhood obesity, according to Dr. Gayl Canfield, a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa who we recently interviewed for our feature article Organic Food Fights Childhood Obesity.

“PB&J sandwiches, an old favorite, get much healthier when you use 100% whole-wheat bread and no-sugar-added or 100% pure fruit preserves,” she tells Organic Authority. “You might even find that your child prefers the nutty, firm texture of whole-grain breads to spongy white breads, which often get smashed paper-thin in their lunchbox. If your kids are banana lovers, use bananas instead of jelly. Slice the banana crosswise, and arrange your ‘banana pennies’ right on top of the peanut butter.”

I like my PB&J with slices of fresh pear (see photo, above). Couldn’t be juicier, and it’s a great summer lunch or snack—especially when it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

Note: Because you follow an organic lifestyle, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic ingredients, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Photo courtesy of USA Pears

Four-Grain Yogurt Pancakes

July 11th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

Registered dietitian Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network’s “Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger” and author of Small Changes, Big Results, has teamed with Horizon Organic to promote the importance of eating organic food.

“It’s easy to go organic without making big changes to your family’s eating habits,” Krieger says. “Organic dairy products—with all the nutritional value of protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals of conventional dairy products—make everyday meals healthful and delicious.”

Here’s Krieger’s and Horizon’s recipe for Four-Grain Yogurt Pancakes—a healthy start to your day. (And kids love to help mix the batter…)

Four-Grain Yogurt Pancakes

Makes about 12 pancakes

1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons each: cornmeal, soy flour, wheat germ, oat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 large organic eggs
2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter, melted
2 cups organic fat-free plain yogurt
3/4 cup organic fat-free milk
1 cup unbleached flour

In large mixing bowl, combine flours and grains, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.
Beat in eggs, melted butter, yogurt and fat-free milk. Batter will be lumpy.
Lightly oil hot griddle. Bake pancakes on griddle at medium temperature.
Serve immediately with butter, fresh fruit and syrup.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Horizon Organic Dairy

Purple Prose

June 29th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

Yesterday’s blog entry featured a wonderful recipe for Turkish Stuffed Eggplant. If you’re in the market for additional resources, two cookbooks are specifically dedicated to this versatile fruit, which is now in season at your local natural and organic food store.

The clear winner is Essentially Eggplant, by Nina Kehayan, which offers a cultural history of its sometimes maligned subject, followed by a unique collection of recipes. Anyone for Eggplants with Gruyere and Ricotta, Spicy Eggplants with Salsa, Eggplant in Ginger Sauce, Turkish Fritters or Eggplant Tempura?

Our second pick is The Totally Eggplant Cookbook, by Helene Siegel—a steal at $5.95. It features 96 pages of roasted, stuffed, grilled, rolled, fried and baked French, Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese recipes.

If you want to keep your kids reading this summer, order Susan Heyboer O’Keefe’s amusing romp, Death by Eggplant, about a boy who yearns to be a chef, but doesn’t want the world to know his “nerdy” secret.

Looking for a way to spruce up your organic kitchen? Check out artist Linda Montgomery’s lovely 12” x 10” Roasted Eggplant framed print and Elizabeth Berry’s famous Eggplant Poster.

And if you’re feeling hungry, La Favorita Italian Eggplant and Olive Cream Spread should satisfy your cravings. Imported from Italy, it’s made with all-natural ingredients.

Turkish Stuffed Eggplant

June 28th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

Eggplant season has just begun, and you can enjoy this fruit (yes, it’s a fruit—not a vegetable!) through October. Monday’s blog entry covered organic eggplant basics: nutrition, shopping tips and preparation hints.

Today’s recipe features ingredients that can be easily found at your local natural and organic food store. If you have trouble finding organic eggplant, you may substitute organic zucchini or yellow squash.

Turkish Stuffed Eggplant
Makes 8 servings

Canola cooking spray
4 small eggplants, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with canola spray.

Scoop out flesh from eggplants; cut into chunks and reserve. Lightly sprinkle inside of the shells with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place upside down on paper towels. Let stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray large skillet with cooking spray. Cook garlic and onion over medium-high heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, reserved eggplant flesh and allspice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, remaining salt and pepper.

Pat eggplant shells dry with paper towels. Spoon eggplant mixture loosely into shells. Place filled shells in prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until shells are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle tops evenly with feta cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes, then serve.

Nutrition information (per serving): 71 calories, 2 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 12 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 5 g dietary fiber, 236 mg sodium.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research

Greek Pasta Salad

June 23rd, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

’Tis the season for potluck picnics. As has become customary, let’s end the week with a great recipe featuring ingredients that are readily available at your local natural and organic food store.

Greek Pasta Salad serves 12, but you can easily cut the recipe in half if you’re cooking for the family. It provides a taste of the Mediterranean, with crisp cucumbers, Kalamata olives and feta cheese. A yogurt dressing, accented with mint, oregano and black pepper, is a cool, refreshing change from standard salad fixings.

Greek Pasta Salad
Makes 12 servings

8 ounces elbow macaroni
1½ cups plain yogurt
1¼ teaspoons dried mint flakes
1¼ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large tomatoes, cut into cubes
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Rinse under cold water; drain well.

Mix yogurt, mint, oregano, garlic powder and pepper together in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add macaroni and remaining ingredients; toss to coat well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy of McCormick

Teriyaki Lamb Chops

June 16th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

A Father’s Day barbecue is a great way to celebrate the first man in your life. Here’s a recipe for Teriyaki Lamb Chops that features ingredients you can easily find at your local organic food store.

Teriyaki sauce has been popular for hundreds of years, since the Japanese first mixed soy sauce, mirin (a sweet rice wine) and sake. The sugars in mirin are the perfect balance to the saltiness and tanginess of the soy sauce and wine. As foods prepared with teriyaki cook, the sugars caramelize, becoming even richer and deeper in flavor and sizzling aroma.

And then, of course, there’s “the glaze effect.” Those caramelizing sugars cause teriyaki to thicken and take on a beautiful sheen. In fact, the name “teriyaki” comes from the Japanese words for luster (teri) and broil (yaki).

Teriyaki Lamb Chops

Makes 4 servings

2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled
4 lamb shoulder arm or blade chops, each about 3/4″ to 1″ thick

Combine first 3 ingredients; remove and reserve 2 tablespoons mixture. Pour remaining mixture over lamb in large plastic food storage bag. Press air out of bag; close top securely. Turn bag over several times to coat lamb well. Refrigerate 1 hour, turning bag over once.
Place lamb on grill 4 to 5 inches from the fire. Cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side (for medium-rare), or to desired doneness, brushing occasionally with reserved sauce mixture.

Recipe courtesy of Kikkoman International Inc.

Corn, Tomato & Vidalia Onion Salad

Beefing Up the Grill

Mushroom Merlot Burgers

Catfish With Peanut-Coconut Crust

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Four-Grain Yogurt Pancakes

Purple Prose

Turkish Stuffed Eggplant

Greek Pasta Salad

Teriyaki Lamb Chops

Teriyaki Lamb Chops

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