The Best Dish Ever!
Saturday 27 October 2012
Cheesy Quinoa & Broccoli Casserole
Cleaning Your Home Naturally
Similar to how I think about GMO foods, I ask, why do we insist on putting products that make the body ill into our environment? Why do we buy products that are labelled with a skull and cross bones, put them in our pantries, our cupboards and in our laundry rooms and think that this is safe? Do we not realize that packaging emits toxins? If not, then your sinuses would not be irritated when you walk down the cleaner aisles at your local grocery. So what is it that cleaners do to us when we are using them directly and not wearing a gas mask to help prevent breathing in the fumes?
We know that everything we allow down the drains in our homes affects the environment. Scientists have also made the public aware that the increase in allergies and asthma in children and adults is in part caused by the toxins in our environments and in the very products we believe are best for cleaning our homes. I have to be honest in that I cringe when I am visiting someone and use their washroom, only to see bright blue water. I cannot believe that this type of product is even manufactured. Not only is this product toxic, but the blue dye is so not necessary (dye is another topic). If you did not know what I have just written, it is time to start Googling!
There was a time and it was not so long ago, that if you wanted to clean your home ‘cleanly’, you pretty much had to make your own cleansers. This is probably still the best option all around as you are contributing less to your carbon footprint with less packaging waste. For the busy families, this is not the most convenient of options and there has been a blossoming of natural cleanser product development hitting in the market; so much so the bigger mainstream players are on board, needing an even bigger slice of the pie. We have options and with options, it is trial and error to find the one that works best for your needs.
For years, I have been using non toxin laundry soaps and dish detergent. I have flip flopped between making my own household cleansers and buying not toxic bottled product and I am still not certain which way to go when it comes to scrubbing the toilet. I don’t use bleach and I don’t use ammonia and yes, I do wear lots of white clothing. There are other products and ways to keep whites white!
I spent the evening reading different websites in order to gather information and these are a few sites I thought you might find interesting:
We can all do our part in using less toxic products and be healthier for it. If you have ideas that will benefit others or if you have stumbled across a great product, share it, we would love to hear from you.
Happy Cooking,
Laurie and Lyndsay
Saturday 20 October 2012
Vegan Quinoa Patties
Prep: 20 Minutes Cook: 10 Minutes Serves: 5 large or 8 small
Ingredients:
1 19 fl oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed (using 1 cup mashed)
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chick pea flour
1/4 red bell pepper diced finely
1/2 medium onion diced finely
1/2 zucchini diced finely
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Puree chick peas with water and transfer 1 cup to a medium sized bowl
2. Prepare quinoa as per directions on packaging
3. In a small sauce pan, on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, once heated, add in onions, let cook for 2 minutes, add in garlic, red pepper, zucchini, spices, salt and pepper—let cook for 7-8 minutes
4. Remove from heat & add to the chick peas, mix together, add additional salt and pepper if required
5. Add in 1 cup of quinoa to the chick pea mixture, mix thoroughly & make into 5 large patties or 8 small, so each serving can be two small patties
6. Heat remaining oil on medium heat in a large frying pan, add in patties, flip after 5 minutes and cook additional 5 minutes on each side, watch carefully to ensure that medium is not too high for your stove top and the patties don’t burn
Beautiful as your protein along side a vegetables or as a burger with lots of yummy garnishes!
More About Those Nasty GMO's!
It is pretty difficult today to be unaware of the term NON GMO. This is no longer a topic just covered in natural food publications; it is written about in mainstream newspapers and magazines and featured on mainstream television programs including one of my favourites, Dr. Oz, http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/gmo-foods-are-they-dangerous-your-health . This topic is on the mind of a growing population of consumers who want to make informed choices.
We have discussed the topic of NON GMO in other newsletters, but I thought that this week, I might focus on this in more detail. If you are not already familiar, there is a non profit organization called the NON GMO PROJECT which “is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices”. I first discovered this project at a past Canadian Health and Food (CHFA) show in Toronto and it happened to be one of the busiest booths at the trade show. In what realistically is a short time; this organization has laid tremendous groundwork for what is to come. This website http://www.nongmoproject.org is full of information, so please do yourself a favour and read thru their WebPages to arm yourself with valuable information.
Foods have been genetically modified naturally and by man for centuries, but is this the same as the bio engineered foods today? What I call the ‘modern genetically modified bio engineered food industry’ is relatively young; it has affected the US food chain and third world countries on a very large scale. Due to the short life of Modern GMO food industry, it is impossible for us to have the results of long term studies to determine how damaging they are to human DNA which makes the human population the guinea pigs for products many of the generally population is not even aware of. What is even more sad is that genetically modified foods are far more cost effective, therefore, the mid to lower income consumer is almost forced to feed their families on this level of the food chain. Don’t misunderstand me in that there are lab tests underway and they are proving tumor growth and cancer development in rats. My question is ‘is it so necessary to introduce foods that we need to test on rats to determine if safe for humans?’ Am I naive in my way of thinking?
As many of the Vegmenufortheweek subscribers know, I work in the Food Industry and my focus is on natural foods but I work in food manufacturing that does include conventional products (as opposed to just organics and NON GMO). I see the costing on conventional products that may be and may not be GMO, but how am I to know which ones are without labelling? This is where the NON GMO Project will have tremendous impact if they are able to affect government for the demand of food labelling. This project is “the only third party verification and labeling for non-GMO food and products”*
One of the projects I am working on is associated with www.justfood.ca called Healthy Food for All. We are developing a pilot project that offers affordable options for the school and social programs in the city of Ottawa. What an eye opener this has been with the largest observation, that our governments have no idea what healthy foods cost. This observation is based solely on what budgets are given to these programs by government agencies.
In a past newsletter, I had written that I understood wheat to be one of the most genetically modified grains and I stand corrected. I have done further research and commercially growing GMO grains has been repeatedly rejected in the US and in Canada, the Wheat Board has rejected the possibilities so far.
Crops that popped up on the net as GMO include canola, corn, soy, papaya and sugar beets, lentils, potatoes, rice, squash and tomatoes. There are a couple of concerns for me in that our labels of foods that use these crops are still lacking the information consumers need to make informed decisions. Will we see GMO labels on foods that are? We know that the ethical producers who know that NON GMO labels are a key selling feature on the market will definitely take advantage of this label to attract customers. We can also choose organic foods whenever possible, but until this industry is more the norm than the exception, organic does not fit the budget for the masses.
Other informative sites to check out:
Please let us know how you feel about this topic, we would love to hear from you!
Happy Cooking,
Laurie & Lyndsay
Sunday 14 October 2012
Vegan Mac'n Cheese
**Please note, this is not a healthy vegan recipe**
This recipe is a heaping serving for 1 individual
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles (I use brown rice noodles)
2 tablespoons Daiya Mozzarella or Cheddar wedge
1 tablespoon vegan margarine (Vegan Becel, Earth Balance, or Earth Balance Coconut)
1 few shakes of vegan Parmesan (Galaxy Natural Foods - Rice Parmesan)
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Cook pasta al dente, strain, rinse, set aside
- In a medium pot, on medium heat, add margarine and once the margarine starts to melt, add in the wedge mozzarella or cheddar, continue to cook until the cheeze is melted, add in the vegan Parmesan, salt & pepper, give a stir
- Add in the cooked pasta, stir until all the noodles are coated
- Dish is ready to eat
If serving for a group, you can just multiple the ingredients above for the amount of people you are cooking for, but cook the noodles 3-4 minutes less than needed, add extra cheeze, transfer to a glass baking dish, cover with parve bread crumbs, spray with extra virgin olive oil, cook in 380 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, put on broil for last 2-3 minutes until bread crumbs have browned.
Bon Appetit!!
Health Benefits of Garlic
It is garlic season in Eastern Ontario and for 15 years, the small town of Perth ON is host to the annual ‘Perth Garlic Festival’ http://www.perthgarlicfestival.com. This festival began as a venue to promote Ontario grown garlic to those who produce products using garlic and the general public. It is anticipated throughout Eastern Ontario for weeks in advance and the advertising is so effective that I started asking for Ontario Garlic the week that the farmers began to harvest. I bought 2 beautiful bulbs of hard neck garlic at my local natural food store Foodsmith’s which is renowned for supporting the local agricultural community. I brought them home and I peeled back the skin to find beautiful silky skinned garlic cloves without a blemish! I made a simple gluten free linguini olio l'aglio. The dish was simple, yet beautiful!
As many of you may realize, or maybe you have not noticed, Lyndsay and I love garlic and love to cook with it. Not just because it adds glorious flavour to so many recipes, but because there are many health benefits to eating garlic. It is known to be an anti fungal, an anti viral and an anti bacterial. It is also claimed to help prevent heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. This should be enough for every healthy and unhealthy person to dig into a big bowl of garlic, don’t you think?
Lyndsay and I are not researchers, we are ‘googlers’ and there is some much information out there to educate the masses. Here is a garlic nutritional table I found at http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/garlic.html
Here are a few websites I found that support the health claims listed above:
I do wonder about those who are allergic or have sensitivities to garlic. Is there a substitute for the wonderful flavour it offers to many dishes? There are onions, but these beautiful bulbs are from the same family so chances are one allergy is the same as the other. All I can recommend is to substitute fresh herbs to add flavour when garlic has to be omitted. If any of you any have suggestions, please send them to us and we can try implementing into our recipes.
Happy Cookin’!
Laurie and Lyndsay
Health Benefits of Sprouts - Amazing!
I recently started working with a sprout grower from Cantley, Quebec Canada. ‘Magic Foods’ is an organic sprout company that was started one year ago by Contractor, Claude Rowe. He is experiencing tremendous growth in this short time and his sprout business was born out of necessity. Claude’s girlfriend, Johanne Roy had been ill for some time with Chronic Fatigue and it had been recommended to her that eating living sprouts just may help her condition. They shopped around and found very little appealing sprouts available to them and so they decided to start growing their own at home for personal benefit. Claude saw this as a need in the natural food industry that was sadly lacking and he set out to build a business. I am happy to report that Johanne is experiencing more energy and Claude has quit working construction to focus on building Magic Foods!
My second visit from Claude, came with sprout samples from Johanne, and I am not a food waster so was obliged to start eating sprouts. Really it was Johanne’s infectious dedication to eating her sprouts and educating all who will listen that got me hooked. It has only been a few weeks and after the ‘exhausted’ stage of introducing a new living food to my daily regime; I am starting to feel the benefits of sprouts. I am sure I will have more to report at a later date.
Sprouts and micro greens have long been thought of as healthy foods, but it is only in recent years that the mainstream public are learning how nutritious they really are. Sprouts are high in protein and fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals, high in enzymes that help with digestion. This is the information Claude gives to retailers to educate the customer and I found it to be written in terms we can understand without getting technical:
Did you Know?
Your organism will find in sprouts all it needs to be healthy... all with superior quality!
Alfalfa - Its nutritional qualities are significant: lots of protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, D, E, K. You should consume them on a regular basis.
Broccoli - From the cabbage family, broccoli, like all related vegetables, has a wealth of benefits and is known for its anti-cancer properties. Also an excellent source of vitamins C, A, potassium, iron and zinc.
China Rose Radish - This vegetable is interesting as it detoxifies the liver, drains the kidneys and clears up the respiratory tract if you have a cold, asthma, bronchitis or sinusitis.
Red Clover - Sprouts rich in vitamins B, C, E and provitamin A and minerals. Boosts the immune defense system and slows down the cell aging process due to its antioxidant proprieties. Most appropriate for women. Alleviates menopause and osteoporosis symptoms. Also prevents cardiovascular problems and relieves coughs, eczema, psoriasis and itchy skin.
Spicy Lentil Crunch – Mix of alfalfa, red clover, radish, mustard and lentil that is rich in calcium and vitamins B and C.
Crunchy Bean Mix – Mix of garbanzo beans (chick peas), lentils as well as green peas that are affluent in iron, phosphorus and vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and A.
Sunflower – It’s a magic seed that contains almost all the nutriments we require daily: calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein and vitamins E, A and D.
Buckwheat – The richest in magnesium, as well as iron, zinc and vitamin B.
Wheatgrass – Wheatgrass juice is one of the most complete food nature has to offer. High concentration of chlorophyll, rich in vitamins B-12, B-6, K, C and beta-carotene (A).
Kale - Kale sprouts are considered a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties . Kale sprouts contain high amounts of vitamin K, C, A, beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, chlorophyll, sulforaphane, plus other phytochemicals and nutrients. Kale sprouts are also enzyme rich.
Mung Beans - Mung bean sprouts are the most commonly consumed sprout on the planet, and for good reason. They are a great source of vitamins E, C, B and A as well as potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and protein.
As per my usual shtick, I recommend that you do your own research and here are a few sites that you can meander through:
Most often, it is Lyndsay who founds great products to introduce to our own diets and to offer information in our newsletter but I think this is something that Lyndsay is considering introducing to her diet as well. If any of you have a story, information or perhaps a recipe that you would like to offer, we would be happy to a have a read and consider using your material in the very near future.
Happy Sprouting,
Laurie and Lyndsay
GMO...A Bad Word?
GMO is a bad word! Not just a bad word, but a bad thing!
We shop for our groceries and there are few labels regarding foods that are genetically modified, however you are starting to see them more. For those of you who are able to afford to eat an entirely organic diet, you need not worry so much. For the average consumer, conventional produce is part of your daily intake. My Grocery shop includes a combination of conventional, certified organic, greenhouse and locally grown (when available) fruits, vegetables and grains. There are 3 items that I am pretty diligent on keeping organic is soy, corn and wheat. To my knowledge, these are 3 of the most genetically modified foods on the planet. Due to the clever workings of a multibillion dollar American multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation, Monsanto, the market is swamped with Genetically Engineered foods.
I guess I should qualify the acronym GMO. Here is Wikipedia’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMO explanation of what a GMO is: A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms that have inserted DNA from a different species. GMOs are the constituents of genetically modified foods.
It is said that up to 60-70% of foods in the US are GMOs. As a Canadian I did look for Canadian statistics and could not find. As we rely on the Unites States for a high percentage of our produce and other goods, I would think that the percentage in Canada would be pretty close. If I am wrong, please feel free to email or facebook statistics for our market. Studies have shown that by increasing eating GMO products, we increase toxicity in our bodies, allergens in the body are increased, sterility has occurred in test animals (sorry to have to mention this), negatively affects our digestive system and who knows what else.
Here are a few sites that you can visit for more information:
Not only has genetically modified foods entered our world, but genetically modified seeds are damaging our eco system and some industries. I was horrified one day while listening to a program on CBC Radio, a Canadian National News station regarding the story of Vandana Shiva, a Canadian Educated Scientist whose mother was an Indian Farmer. Ms. Shiva spoke about the plight of the cotton farmers in India and the state of this industry all because of GMO Cotton Seeds. She now heads up Navdanya, an Indian-based non-governmental organization which promotes biodiversity conservation, biodiversity, organic farming, the rights of farmers, and the process of seed saving, taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navdanya.
http://www.navdanya.org/. Even the cotton we wear generally comes from GMO seeds and most of don’t even know it! I was absolutely stunned by this story and thought you might also be interested in doing some of your own reading.
Where I am going with this newsletter is not exactly where I intended to go, but I hope this information is of interest and perhaps of use to many of you.
Have a fantastic Labour Day Weekend everyone, happy cooking!
Laurie and Lyndsay
Endive and Leek Rolls with Mushroom Cream
Prep: 20 Minutes Cook: 20 Minutes Serves: 4
2 leeks, whites only, thinly sliced
1 Belgian endive, thinly sliced
4 cups water
8 tofurky slices
4 large cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 large button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 large Portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons brown rice flour (or choice of thickener)
1 tablespoons vegan margarine
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Bring salted water, leeks and endive to a boil on high, reduce heat to medium and
simmer for 6-7 minutes, strain leeks and endives from water, set leeks and endive aside
simmer for 6-7 minutes, strain leeks and endives from water, set leeks and endive aside
2. Add mushrooms and thyme to liquid and bring to a slow simmer for 5 minutes
3. Reduce to medium low, add two tablespoons of the hot liquid to 2 tablespoons of flour in small bowl and whisk until smooth
4. Stir rice mixture into mushrooms and simmer until liquid has thickened to a gravy like consistency, season with pepper (salt if needed)
5. Fill the end of each tofurky slice with 1-2 tablespoons of leek endive mixture and roll up
6. Place rolls in groups of two in baking dish and top with mushroom sauce
7. Bake in 375° oven for 4-5 minutes or until tofurky slices are hot to touch
8. Garnish with green onions
If mushrooms are not your thing, try a cashew gravy or perhaps a lemon velouté. Serve with a salad or brown rice, whatever happens to be your fancy!
Planet Organic's Cosmic Cookie Recipe
Planet Organic's Cosmic Cookies
These are the most amazing cookies that Planet Organic, health food store in Calgary & Edmonton: http://www.planetorganic.ca , has available to purchase individually or if you are like me, you purchase 3 of 4 at a time, to enjoy after every workout! They are full of nuts, seeds, flax, protein - Amazing!
You have to try them yourself! Taken right from their website:
2 1/4 cups quick oats
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cups raisins
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup soy milk
Instructions:
- Turn oven to 350 degree F
- Lay a large baking sheet out, cover it with parchment paper
- Mix all dry ingredients together thoroughly, in a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients together thoroughly.
- Combine the separate bowl in one, mix on low with a beater or with hand, do not over work
- Using a 1/3 sized measuring cup, scoop out cookies and place on baking sheet
- Bake for 24 minutes, or until lightly browned
Saving Time in the Kitchen
Lyndsay and I both have full time careers in addition to Vegetarian Menu for the Week. We are both career women and we absolutely love creating recipes for all of you each week. What we do, we know saves you time and money, but we also know that creating meals each night when you get home can be taxing and tiring. My background is in restaurants and catering and you start each shift off with prep time or what is traditionally called ‘mise en place’. Preparing for the shift ahead of you is how a restaurant chef can put out meals as quickly as is possible.
Applying your own ‘mise en place’ to your week will save a little bit of time each week. My set up is a little different because we create several recipes in one day, but the idea is still the same. There are time saved by purchasing some things already done, and for busy families, I say go for it!
Before wwe.vegmenufortheweek.com I would spend a part of my Sunday preparing for my week. I would have certain items already prepared and other things, partially done.
Vegetable Cutting
- Garlic – I tend to purchase several bulbs at a time. I peel them all at once, pop them into a mini chopper with a few tablespoons of olive oil and blitz. I put them into a jar, covering the surface with a tiny bit more olive oil to keep the garlic from oxidizing. Fresh minced garlic can be stored in the fridge for a few weeks as long as the surface is covered with oil. You can also choose to purchase garlic in oil, just pay attention to what oil is used.
- Onions – organize your vegmenufortheweek recipes so that you can cut a few nights worth of recipes in advance.
- Washing – for vegetables that need to be scrubbed and not just rinsed, do this in advance so that all you have to do is pull from the fridge and use
- Chop up your herbs and freeze them … you will make sure nothing is wasted and can throw them into hot dishes and all the flavour is there! – this one comes from Christine from Calgary – thanks for the tip!
Cooking Starch
- Beans often take the longest to cook. Using canned legumes saves time, but if you may prefer to cook your own. If this is the case, cook your beans off on a day when you have more time.
- Undercook brown rice and wild rice in advance and freeze, pulling from the freezer before you head off to work in the morning and allow thawing in your refrigerator. I only recommend this process if you are going to use in a hot dish.
- Cook noodles al dente (direct translation ‘to the tooth’), meaning not soft, but no exactly hard either. My suggestion is to cook 2-3 minutes less than package instruction. Cool the noodles on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Once cool, place in a covered bowl in the fridge and your pasta is ready to be tossed in whatever sauce we have planned for you. This is not recommended for pasta salads as your pasta will be too hard to serve at room temperature.
- Peel potatoes in advance and soak them immersed in water and place in refrigerator. Not recommended for more than 2-3 days in advance.
Garbage, Recycling and Composting
- Line a large bowl with a compostable bag and place on the counter next to your work area or in the sink to have handy as you do your prep work. You can tie up the bag and drop in your composter or in your green bin for recycle day.
- Have your recycle bin and your garbage bins accessible to your work space rather than having to go back and forth.
One dish items – Casseroles, Lasagnes etc...
- These are items you can prepare in advance and freeze. It is up to you as to whether or not you cook in advance and reheat or freeze uncooked, thaw and cook. If budget allows, double up the ingredients once in a while and prepare additional dishes. Wrap well and label with name of dish and date of freezing. This will give you a back up dish when you are in a pinch!
Cooking utensils and necessities
- Get everything ready to go before you start to cook:
- Fill pots with water
- Place cutting board on no slip matt or damp cloth
- Have plates and bowls ready to be filled
- Have herbs, spices, salt, pepper, oils, condiments and ingredients within arm’s reach
- Be ready with containers with lids ready for left overs. Makes packing lunch a quick morning process
Clean as you go
- This is one I really do struggle with. It is not that I don’t know to do this; I just plow thru the cooking process and clean up after. The problem with this is that when I cook, I may have 5-6 recipe tests on the go and then the most exhausting part of the process is the clean up! Do as I say, not as I do!!!
Being prepared and organized is always the key. We all move at a different pace. Having spent so much time cooking over the years, my knife skills happen to be quite sharp, no pun intended...well actually, that was intentional! If you live in an area where there is a gourmet food, kitchen or butcher shop that offers knife skills classes, sign yourself up. Not only will you learn how to hold a knife and cut well, you will also learn what knives are best for what purpose and generally, you will reduce the risk of cutting your appendages.
Happy cooking!
Laurie and Lyndsay
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