Week in Food
Edibles I make and like.
Tasty in the mouth, good for the body.
I recommend your ingredients be organic.
EAT IT! (AGAIN)
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Two Cheese, Pinot Nior Wednesday - Tastes Good
There is a cheese I’ve often had that comes in a white rind with a luscious cream between it and the white flaky center that guarantees to be delicious. Although I know it’s not a cow’s milk, I haven’t paid enough attention to be certain of it being sheep’s or goat’s milk, what region it comes form or any other details. I recently heard that goat’s and sheeps’s milk cheeses from the Pyrenees mountain regions are particularly wonderful. When the disinterested sales person at Whole Foods assured me he had no Pyrenees cheeses, I decided to buy both a goat’s and sheep’s milk cheese from Spain, that bore the aforementioned characteristics hoping one would be a Pyrenees.
I paired my Caña de Oveja and Caña de Cabra with a cheap Pinot Nior from Moldova, by Apollo Creek. The wine together with both cheeses was heavenly. Neither turned out to be from the Pyrenees region, but both were very good, both only mildly pungent. The Caña de Oveja sheep’s milk however was incredible. It was richer, woodsy-er and much more complex. I can now understand why people eat cheese for dessert, it’s as if part of this cheese ripened into honey. It seems that it’s the sheep’s milk I should seek out. Perhaps now I need to narrow down a region?
Caña de Oveja is an unusual soft-ripened sheep’s milk cheese from Murcia, an area known primarily for goat cheese, caña de oveja ripens from the outside in, so it should be soft and luscious under the rind. Expect mushroom aromas and a tangy finish.
Caña de Cabra is creamy and mild but has a full and happily satisfying flavor. Tangy citrus notes balance the rich creaminess of the cheese and there’s a fleeting hint of deep woods’ mushrooms that grow in shady spots.
The Caña de Oveja seen on the right. No contest.
BENEFITS
Cheese has lots of calcium. Calcium Helps Prevent Colon Cancer, Osteoporosis, Migraine and PMS. Also is best known for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralization, calcium and phosphorus join to form calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate is a major component of the mineral complex (called hydroxyapatite) that gives structure and strength to bones. Calcium also plays a role in many other vital physiological activities, including blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity, cell membrane function and blood pressure regulation.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=121
Moderate consumption of wine is associated with a longer and healthier life than that of abstainers (an observation supported by a great mass of published evidence). While at least half of the benefits associated with wine consumption appear to be derived from the alcohol itself, there are other components of wine that contribute to the same benefits.
Alcohol’s health benefits chiefly favor the cardiovascular system, and are dramatically reflected in reduced risks of atherosclerotic heart attacks, ischemic strokes and limb amputations due to compromised blood supply. Most intriguing are the poly-phenolic flavonoids, also known as antioxidants… found in grapes, chiefly the skins, their concentrations tend to be higher in red wines (when skins are included in fermentation) than white (when skins are culled).
http://www.thewinenews.com/aprmay00/comment.html
Apollo Creek, Moldova: http://www.snooth.com/wine/apollo-creek-pinot-noir-2008/
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Polish grated beet salad
One of my favorite Polish foods is a simple grated beet “salad”. It’s not what American’s think of when they refer to a salad, just grated beets. This is a variation the traditional dish.
GET
- beets w/ tops
- 1 carrot
- pepper
- coarse kosher sea salt
- white wine vinegar
COOK
Cut beet tops off and reserve. Leave about an inch of beet top on beets. Place beets with skins and a pinch of salt in water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 min. Stick a fork in the beet to check if tender. Rinse with cold water and slush off the skins with your hands, they slide right off. Grate the beets and raw carrot. Add a touch of salt and taste.
You may like it as is: sweet and delicate. Try a bite with a bit of pepper and a touch of vinegar. If you like it, you can add the pepper and vinegar as you go or mix it into the whole batch.
This can sit in your fridge for at least a week. For a full Polish experience have it with pickled herring or a pork cutlet and mashed potatoes! For a Mediterranean spin dice instead of grating and add basil, goat cheese and olive oil. Just basil works nicely too.
As for the tops, I will post a recipe once I cook them later this week.
BENEFITS
Amazing beets. These colorful root vegetables contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer. The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color-betacyanin-is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent.
Beets are an excellent source of the B vitamin, folate, and a very good source of manganese and potassium. Beets are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49#healthbenefits
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Saturday sweet potato, squash, kale and split pea soup
This soup was inspired by Ira’s Tuesday Night Split-Pea Stew, but has a flavor all of its own. Hearty, rich and heavy on cumin!
These proportions are for 6 qt stockpot.
GET
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 minced leek
- 1 chopped red onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2-3 medium russet potatoes 1/2”cubed
- 1 Delicata squash 1/2” cubed
- 2 potatoes 1” cubed
- 1 sweet potato 1/2” cubed
- 1/2 cup yellow split peas
- 6 cups water or broth of choice
- 1 qt low-sodium chicken stock or veggie
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp lime or lemon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp minced fresh sage (about 4 leaves)
- fresh ground cumin (use a mortar+pestle)
- 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- 3 leaves chopped kale
COOK
Saute onions and leeks until golden-brown. Once they’re done add garlic, saute for about a minute. Add stock, water, then peas, squash, potatoes, bay leaf, lemon, salt, pepper and cook about 35 min or so, until veggies are soft. About 10 min before the soup is done cooking add the sage, cumin and nutmeg. Once the heat is off add the kale. It will add a lovely splash of color and flavor to the soup.
BENEFITS
Kale is one of the Organosulfur Phytonutrients that Help Prevent Cancer… these 10-15 glucosinolates present in Kale appear able to lessen the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers…” Rich in vitamins A, C, K and manganese.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38#healthbenefits
Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuber storage proteins, such as patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48#nutritionalprofile
Sweet potatoes contain unique root storage proteins that have been observed to have significant antioxidant capacities. This root vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. This is an Antioxidant-Rich, Anti-Inflammatory Food. Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are chemicals that damage cells and cell membranes and are associated with the development of conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, and colon cancer.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64#healthbenefits
“Winter squash, like other richly colored vegetables, provide excellent sources of carotenes. Generally, the richer the color, the richer the concentration. They also offer a very good source of vitamins B1 and C, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber, potassium, vitamin B6 and niacin….”
http://www.everynutrient.com/healthbenefitsofsquash.html
Dried peas are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. They are also of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. Dried peas also provide good to excellent amounts of four important minerals, two B-vitamins, protein, and isoflavones (notably daidzein). Isoflavones are phytonutrients that can act like weak estrogens in the body and whose dietary consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including breast and prostate cancer, amongst other health conditions.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=56
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Sunday Night Indian Spice Rutabaga + Turnip Soup
I can’t seem to get enough of my root vegetables. This soup boasts 5 varieties: rutabaga, turnip, carrot and potato. Eight if you count the bulbs (onion + garlic) and the rhizome (ginger). Very hearty, flavorful and complex - in a peasant stew sort of way.
GET
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
- 1/2 chopped red onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 QT vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 big 1/2-inch cubed pieces peeled rutabaga
- 1 big 1/2-inch cubed pieces peeled turnip
- 4 sliced carrots
- 2 small peeled diced russet potatoes
- 1 14oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp blood orange vinegar or lemon juice
- sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- half of 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
- half of 1/4 tsp ground clove
- pinch of cayenne
COOK
Heat oil in 4QT or larger stockpot over medium-low heat. Add leek and onion, saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, saute 1 min. Add broth, turnips, rutabagas, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes with juice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, add vinegar or lemon juice, sea salt, cracked pepper, cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes. A few minutes before the soup is done, add cardamon, clove and cayenne.
BENEFITS
to come….
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One of my all time favorite foods: BEETS
I have made numerous dishes with beets and will post them with time, but I wanted to make a brief mention now with this simple snack or side dish recipe.
GET
- medium sized peeled red beets
- olive oil
- pumpkin seeds
- cracked pepper
- sea salt
- fresh basil
- goat cheese (optional)
PREPARE
Slice raw peeled beets thinly. You can simply use the vegetable peeler to shave the beet into slices. Coat with olive oil, add the rest of the ingredients except the basil leaves and optional cheese. Toss well. Top with basil and cheese.
OPTION
You can use cooked beets for this dish. I prefer raw for nutritional reasons. When you cook beets, they bleed and loose some nutritional properties. If you choose to cook them, get smaller beets, scrub the skin lightly, leave 1/2 inch of the beet top in tact. Place beets in water with a pinch of salt, bring water to a boil and cook 15-20 minutes. They will still be firm, but slightly sweeter and softer.
Amazing beets, these colorful root vegetables contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer. The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color-betacyanin-is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent.
Beets are an excellent source of the B vitamin, folate, and a very good source of manganese and potassium. Beets are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49#healthbenefits
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SATURDAY PECAN+PEAR STEEL CUT OATS
I am a creature of habit, as is my partner. We have had oatmeal nearly every weekend for the past 6 months. I try to bring some excitement to the ritual with various fruit and nut combinations. This morning I toasted pecans to add to the pear recipe from a week ago. I think I actually preferred it with walnuts, which I hadn’t toasted, but simply added to the oatmeal mixture while it was cooking. That was a bit healthier than toasting and one less pan to clean. Nonetheless, this was quite good too. If you like pecans, give it a try!
Top with honey. The Whole Foods Brand (365) organic raw honey is a perfect pairing. It is very sweet and flowery, which I don’t like as much in my tea or yogurt, but works very nicely here. The Organic WFB 365 Maple Syrup is also a good buy for a the amount. Get the extra dark for cooking variety, it’s a Grade B which is more nutritious and flavorful than lighter Grade A syrups.
BENEFITS
Raw Honey - Antioxidant, Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Viral, Anti-Fungal
The health benefits of honey - like all foods - depend on the quality of the honey. But in this case, the situation is even more extreme, because the pollen that collects on the bees’ legs as they move from plant to plant is only as healthful and as diverse as those plants. In addition, the processing of honey often removes many of the phytonutrients found in raw honey as it exists in the hive. Raw honey, for example, contains small amounts of the same resins found in propolis. Propolis, sometimes called “bee glue,” is actually a complex mixture of resins and other substances that honeybees use to seal the hive and make it safe from bacteria and other micro-organisms. Honeybees make propolis by combining plant resins with their own secretions. However, substances like road tar have also been found in propolis. Bee keepers sometimes use special screens around the inside of the hive boxes to trap propolis, since bees will spread this substance around the honeycomb and seal cracks with the anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal resins. The resins found in propolis only represent a small part of the phytonutrients found in propolis and honey, however. Other phytonutrients found both in honey and propolis have been shown to posssess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties. These substances include caffeic acid methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate. Researchers have discovered that these substances prevent colon cancer in animals by shutting down activity of two enzymes, phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and lipoxygenase. When raw honey is extensively processed and heated, the benefits of these phytonutrients are largely eliminated.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96#nutritionalprofile
For other benefits search: Steel Cut Oats
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30 min Impromptu Winter Veggies
I was on my way home one of the first blustery Fall evenings and had an insatiable craving for potatoes and carrots. It turned out a delicious and pretty meal.
GET
- scrubbed, cubed potatoes with skins
- 1/2” biased cut carrots (cut at an angle)
- stemmed, chopped kale
- chopped big red onion
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- grated ginger
- lemon juice
- agave syrup
- sea salt
- cracked pepper
- olive oil
- butter
COOK
Place potatoes in plenty of water with a pinch of salt. Boil and cook until tender. When the potatoes are cubed they cook fast. Check them with a fork after about 8-10 minutes of boiling. They should be quite soft, but not crumbling. Drain, add butter (sub w/ olive oil for vegan opt) and salt to taste. Mash to desired consistency. I like them a little chunky, the skins add a nice texture too.
While the potatoes are cooking, you can get two skillets going, one needs a lid. Saute onions with salt and pepper until golden on low heat, stir occasionally, about 10 minutes.
In the other pot heat oil. Add garlic and ginger, saute on low heat for about a minute, then scoop out and reserve. Add carrots, lemon juice and pinch of salt to oil, cook on low heat with lid on for about 10 minutes, stir every minute or so. Add agave to taste just before the carrots are done cooking. Once the carrots are off the heat, return ginger and garlic, toss well.
Arrange the potatoes, carrots and kale on plate. Top the kale with the hot onions and a touch of olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Salt and crack pepper if needed.
BENEFITS
“Organosulfur Phytonutrients that Help Prevent Cancer… these 10-15 glucosinolates present in Kale appear able to lessen the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers…” Rich in vitamins A, C, K and manganese.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38#healthbenefits
Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots’ antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21
Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuber storage proteins, such as patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48#nutritionalprofile
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Christer’s Sundried Tomato Paste
This delicious paste brings wonderful flavor to sandwiches, mixed into a dressing, toppped on pasta or paired with any other food that beckons for a little richness and zest.
GET
- 1/3 lb sundried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 to 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 minced red chili (or 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes)
- 7 long leaves fresh (or dried) salvie (sage)
PREPARE
Soak sundriead tomatoes in warm water for 15 minutes. Add olive oil, chili, garlic and sage. Use a hand blender to puree until nearly smooth, but leave a little chunky.
For an excellent open-faced sandwich drizzle whole grain sunflower bread with olive oil, layer with thin slices of perfectly ripe avocado, sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper, then spread a layer of Christer’s Sundried Tomatoe Paste and top with clover sprouts. Viola! A little bit of heaven in your mouth.
BENEFITS
Sundried tomatoes are low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol, a good source of dietary fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, copper and manganese.
But beware, sundried tomatoes are very high in sodium, and a large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3021/2
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Ira’s Tuesday Night Split-Pea Stew
Here’s a wonderful recipe from my friend Ira, something she “threw together”.
You’ll need a big stockpot, about 10 qt.
GET
- 3 Tblsp olive oil
- 1 big onion
- lots of crushed garlic
- 2 red peppers
- 2 zucchini 1” cubed
- 2 potatoes 1” cubed
- 1 sweet potato 1” cubed
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/2 cup yellow split peas
- 7 cups water or broth of choice
- sea salt
- black pepper
- ground cumin
COOK
Saute onions until golden-brown, add peppers and zucchini, cook until tender, once they’re done add garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Emediatley add about 7 cups water or broth, add the rest of the ingredients. Split peas take a long time to cook, about 45 min or so. If too much water burns off, add hot water to thin.
BENEFITS
Dried peas are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. They are also of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. Dried peas also provide good to excellent amounts of four important minerals, two B-vitamins, protein, and isoflavones (notably daidzein). Isoflavones are phytonutrients that can act like weak estrogens in the body and whose dietary consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including breast and prostate cancer, amongst other health conditions.
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