Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Everyone knows it’s healthy to eat fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables every day. Raw foodists take this way of eating to heart and base all their meals around different preparations of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. While some people debate the health merits of eating a totally raw food diet year round, it certainly it a great diet for the long, hot days of summer!
Raw foods, in addition to having abundant nutrients, (more…)
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
My favorite first “fruit” of spring, this tangy vegetable requires you to slow down and give it some love and attention before diving in. I suppose you could just eat it raw, but be warned, you’ll have the most pinched, sour face ever! Rhubarb, like fresh cranberries, are almost unbearably tart, and need to be tempered with sugar or honey before you can really enjoy it.
The word rhubarb comes from the Latin rhabarbarum, - “root of the barbarians” because the Romans believed (more…)
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
When speaking of mindfulness and “awareness” garlic certainly has it’s place!! Nothing like eating a nice garlic rich lunch only to be reminded of it the rest of the afternoon. But aside from adding a familiar flavor to our most loved dishes, (and the dreaded “garlic breath” after), garlic is known the world round for not only it’s versatility as a food, but as a healing medicinal ingredient.
We all know garlic for it’s ability to ward of Vampires and demons, but did you also know that some Christian Myths believe that garlic and onions arose out of the footprints of Satan after leaving the Garden of Eden?! If that’s the case, then I’m with Satan because I LOVE garlic! (more…)
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Nutritionally quinoa is hard to beat. Because it contains all nine essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein), it’s considered a “complete” protein, which makes it extra awesome for vegetarians and vegans who are sick of beans and tofu. Quinoa is also particularly high in the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair, and is high in manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorous - all good things.
One of the reasons quinoa has survived through the millennium has been attributed to the resinous, bitter coating that protects its seeds from birds and insects, called saponin. (more…)
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
In the spirit of stockpiling healthy pantries, I’ve compiled a short list of freezer items to always have on hand. These will undoubtedly make your cooking life easier. I’m not a huge fan of prepared frozen meals, as they are usually loaded will all kinds of wacky chemicals, and are almost always super high in sodium. These, combined with your well stocked pantry and one or two fresh ingredients can mean meals in minutes! Here are my faves:
1. Organic Frozen Berries - perfect for smoothies in the summer, pies in the fall, and warm crisps in winter.
2. Organic Frozen Veggies - Frozen veggies get a bad rap, but because they’re usually frozen at peak ripeness, they sometimes have more vitamins then the “fresh” produce that’s been on the shelf for over a week! Make a stir fry on the fly!
3. Cooked, Frozen beans & lentils - Just as fast as canned (but better because you made them yourself), these can be defrosted quickly and added to your dish in mere minutes.
4. Frozen Pie Crusts - Perfect for a quick quiche or an apple pie, these are versatile and save you the trouble of rolling out dough!
5. Organic Edamame - these delicious baby soybeans are ready in a snap! Simply boil and sprinkle with sea salt, or toss into that stir fry for added protein.
Check out this post I did early last year where I divulged the contents of my freezer and all the things I like to stash away in there!
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
“Good broth will resurrect the dead” says a South American Proverb. A cure-all in traditional households, and the magic ingredient in classic gourmet cuisine, stock or broth has no real replacement. Most often made from the scraps and bones of chicken, fish and beef, these soups are cherished for their ability to build strong bones, assuage sore throats and nurture the sick.
Science validates what most grandmothers have always known… that homemade chicken broths help cure colds. But not all of us eat chicken, fish, or beef! For my fellow vegans and vegetarians out there, we are not lost! While vegetable based stocks don’t contain the same healthy vitamin and mineral profile as their meaty counterparts, they are still incredibly healing and nourishing. Making your own vegetable stock is easy and inexpensive, is infinitely adaptable to what ever vegetables you have on hand, and is much quicker to make than meat based stocks, which sometimes require hours on the stove.
One of my favorite kitchen quotes is “your soup is only as good as your stock” and if you’ve ever made soup with poor quality stock, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Canned broths tend to taste, well, canny or tinny, and usually overly salty and boxed broths usually don’t fare much better. As always, it’s better if you make it yourself, where you have control over the subtleties in flavor, and saltiness. Check out my recipe below for super delicious vegetable stock, and next time you’re feeling under the weather, you’ll know what to do!
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Far more than just for jack-o-lanterns or decorative window displays! Pumpkins are nutritional powerhouses and are super tasty to boot!
A member of the Cucurbita family, which includes squash and cucumbers, pumpkin gets its name from the Greek word “pepon” for large melon. Pumpkins, like all deep orange or red-hued foods, are loaded with beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A, and a powerful antioxidant. Research shows that people who eat a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers. Pumpkins are also great sources of potassium and zine, and are very high in fiber. They are also great sources of fun!
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are nutritional powerhouses as well, and can be beneficial for people with kidney, prostate and gallbladder problems. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and essential fatty acids.
Eating as little as 2 ounces of pumpkin seeds provides a solid 10g of protein, and can help elevate low iron levels. Eating pumpkin, or other gourd seeds, can promote a calm state and more restful sleep thanks to the amino acid tryptophan. Our bodies use tryptophan to manufacture serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical.
So when you’re feeling stressed out, or too anxious to get good rest, try incorporating more pepitas and more pumpkin into your life!
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Most people put cauliflower into the category of vegetables that your mother always tried to get you to eat. Cauliflower is almost always the untouched item on the crudité platter, and generally speaking, is not given enough regard when passing through the grocery store. Phooey! Cauliflower is delicious and worth experimenting with, as it lends itself well to many types of cuisines and preparations.
The name cauliflower comes from the Latin caulis (cabbage) and flower (duh), an acknowledgment of it’s odd place among a family of plants known mostly for their leafy greens. (more…)
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Tomatoes are one of my favorite things about late summer. Farmers markets at this time of year are overflowing with dozens of colors, shapes and sizes of them, each with something unique to offer. While this years crop has seen much heartache due to the nasty tomato blight which has all but wiped out crops across the Northeast, they are still available and worth celebrating.
The tomato has to be one of the most versatile foods on the planet, showing up in almost every cuisine in the world, and in dishes as varied as hearty stews, soups, tarts and curries… and the list just goes on. Gazpacho would not be possible without them, nor would pasta sauce or pizza!
But as it turns out, whats good is also good for us. [read more] Tomatoes are loaded with vitamin C and beta carotene, and are great sources of both fiber and potassium. Low in calories, tomatoes are a perfect summertime food, best enjoyed fresh, ripe and in season.
Eating tomatoes and tomato based products have also been shown to be a powerful aid in the protection against cancers. Tomatoes are a primary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which is responsible for it’s bright red pigment. Diets high in lycopene have been shown to protect against cancers of the prostate gland, lungs, and stomach, as well as breast, pancreatic, cervical and other cancers.
While our culture has a habit of isolating nutrients and consuming them in extremely large quantities when we find they have healing properties, why would we bother to separate lycopene from tomatoes when tomatoes are so good?! Researchers believe that it’s not just lycopene resposible for the health protective qualities of the tomato, but lycopene in conjuction with the thousands of other elements that make up a tomato.
Eating diets that are rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can safeguard us against any number of ailments and I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather eat a great bowl of gazpacho than pop a lycopene pill!
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
If you’ve been past a farmers market in the past few weeks, you’re likely to have seen what I consider the start of summer… STRAWBERRIES! And fast on her tail is blueberries and late summer strawberries. Not to leave out stone fruits like peaches, nectarines and plums of course… but berries are… well, they’re the best!
Enjoy berries while they’re in season, and while their at their peak of freshness, flavor and nutritional value. Because they’re so delicious, it’s easy to fulfill your minimum requirement of “5-a day” of fruits & veggies on berries alone! Which is good news since these nutrient powerhouses (more…)
© 2009 - Lara Adler, New York, NY. All contents licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
