My Favorite Christmas Salad

Food is so primal, so essential a part of our lives, often the mere sharing of recipes with strangers turns them into good friends. 

-Jasmine Heiler

This recipe is inspired by my mom--a slight adaptation of one of her many beautiful dishes.  With so many holiday parties this time of year, bring something that will nourish you and the ones that you love.

Mix with Love:

Salad Greens

Persimmons, skinned and sliced
Pomegranate seeds
Cucumber skinned, sliced and cut in half

Avacado, sliced or chopped

Pine nuts or pumpkin seeds

Dried cranberries

Toss with:

Briannas Real French Vinaigrette Dressing (if short on time)

or a homemade dressing  (i.e, mix olive oil, canola oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and a little sea salt).

Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw Food friendly.

Enjoy!

Raw Vegan Chocolate Truffles -- Just in Time for Christmas!

"You can deprive the body, but the soul needs chocolate."

I found this recipe from the Institute of Nutrition blog, a creation of chef Karolina, and brought it to a recent holiday party.  With no dairy or processed sugar and the goodness of raw cacao it was a hit with everyone!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Un-cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 25 truffles

Ingredients:
1 cup cacao powder
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup maple syrup
water (to mix)

Roll in shredded coconut, chocolate nibs, cacao powder, dehydrated cherries or cranberries, or whatever you love!

Directions: Mix cashes in a food processor to a powder, adding water to mix. Add mapple syrup to cashews and process, then mix with cacao powder, refrigerate for a few hours or overnight for best results.

Easy and Delish!

The State of Food in America - Food Additives and Factory Farms

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are"

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

The modern American supermarket has 47,000 food products.  In an environment where the U.S. food supply provides an average of 3,900 calories a day per capita, we have almost twice as much food as needed to feed the U.S. population.  And yet Americans as a whole, are not stocking up on whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Instead they are consuming an increasing amount of processed food "products" that contain harmful additives and are nutrient deficient.

Food dyes are commonly used in processed food and according to new research from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, eight of these food dyes are linked to hyperactivity, impulsivity, learning difficulties, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in many children. The dyes, which are mostly petrochemicals, are often used to stimulate the presence of healthy, colorful fruits and vegetables. In Britain, where the dyes are banned, the food companies have used colorings from real food ingredients, showing that use of the dyes is unnecessary.

The food industry itself is changing; it is moving away from small local farmers and is now largely controlled by a small number of corporations. Over eighty percent of the beef packing market is controlled by four corporations; followed by pork packing (64%), flour milling (63%) and broiler chicken production (56%). McDonalds is the largest purchaser of beef and pork and one of the largest buyers of apples and potatoes, and therefore has significant influence over how the food is produced. As a result, the demand is for cheap meat, irrespective of quality, humaneness nad in many cases, safety.
 
At this time, the majority of meat and dairy products sold in the U.S. are produced in factory farms where tens of thousands of animals are packed tightly together. The animals produce a large amount of untreated waste, creating large cesspools that eventually wash downstream and lead to environmental contamination of the surrounding community. If vegetables are grown downstream, the waste can cause ecoli contamination--like the 2006 nationwide ecoli outbreak in spinach. The meat itself is also of questionable safety. In feedlots, the animals stand knee deep in their own waste. When they go to slaughter, they are hosed down but is is common for some of the feces to remain on their hides, presenting the risk of contaminating the meat with viruses and bacteria.

To add to the safety concerns, meat coming from these industrial factory farms contain high levels of hormones and antibiotics, which are given to the animals to preempt disease and promote growth; thereby reducing production costs. The Union of Concernerd Scientists reports that seventy to eight four perfect of all antimicrobials in the U.S. are fed to livestock. As a result, humans are developing antibiotic resistance resulting in serious public health concerns. In addition to antibiotics, hormones are used on approximately two-thirds of all cattle; in large U.S. commercial feedlots, their use is almost 100 percent. While widespread in the U.S., beef hormones have been banned by the European Union since the 1980s because of possible risks to human health.

The more we know about the state of our food, the better choices we can make for choosing whole foods that are unprocessed, and meats that are fed an organic diet and are hormone and antibiotic free. The beauty of America is that we have a bounty of healthy alternatives to fill our plates this Christmas!

Health Revolution Petition

If you're like me, you've probably done a fair amount of research on the various health care reform options out there. When I read the Health Revolution Petition, I felt like someone had put words to everything that I have been saying and thinking for the past year. You might wonder why I bring up health reform on a food blog, the reason is that food and nutrition are a central component of our health and must be considered in the discussion.

In summary, the petition is for a voucher system that can be used to cover a variety of wellness options. It promotes health, maintains free choice, eliminates insurance companies, reduces the influence of the drug industry and works to clean up government agencies like the FDA.

I encourage you to visit http://www.HealthRevolutionPetition.org/index.html?ID=30706 and sign the petition today.

Sauteed Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.
-Harriet van Horne

If you're like me, you might lust after the beautiful greens at the summer farmers market. When I saw this recipe, I knew it would be a wonderful way to incorporate all of those greens in a healthy, savory dish. Recipe comes from the book "Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health & Happiness" by Joshua Rosenthal.

1/2 bunch mustard greens
1/2 bunch kale
1/2 bunch dandelion greens
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins

Directions
1. Toast pine nuts on a cookie sheet in a 325 degree oven for 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Wash and chop greens.
3. Heat olive oil.
4. Add greens, sea salt and raisins. Stir and cook for 5 minutes
5. Turn off heat, add in pine nuts and transfer to serve dish.
6. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Note: I've made this several times with only kale and added lots of lemon juice.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6

Amaranth and Polenta Porridge

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. -Voltaire

For those who want to be more adventurous in the variety of grains they use, or for those with wheat/gluten allergies, this is a delightful porridge to try. Recipe is from "Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health & Happiness" by Joshua Rosenthal.

1/2 cup polenta
1/2 cup amaranth
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pine nuts
1-2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup milk (or non-dairy milk)

Directions
1. Heat water with salt to boil.
2. Add polenta and amaranth.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, covered about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. After 20 minutes, stir in cranberries.
5. Taste to see if it's done. It should be soft and creamy.
6. Add pine nuts, honey and milk and enjoy!

Note: I made it without the cranberries and pine nuts and added cinnamon. The texture is different than a more traditional porridge but overall it's more nutritious and fun for the taste buds to try something new.

Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon w/ Tomato-Arugula Salsa

There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman making dinner for someone she loves. -Thomas Wolfe

After a recent trip to Alaska which involved a full day of fishing, my sister wowed me with this recipe (which she took from the New Alaska Cookbook) to turn our fresh catch into a sumptuous dinner. After replicating it, I fell in love with the salsa and found that you can add it to a variety of dishes for added flavor. Let me know what you think!

Tomato-Arugula Salsa
8 Roma tomatoes, cored and diced small
3/4 cup chopped arugula
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup capers

Salmon
1 3/4 pounds salmon fillet
1/2 cup herb olive oil*
kosher salt and pepper

Herb Olive Oil
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons parsley
2 teaspoons marjoram
1 teaspoon thyme
Directions: Puree the oil and herbs in a blender

Directions
1. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients and refrigerate.
2. Preheat the grill
3. To prepare the salmon, skin, trim, and remove the pin bones from the salmon fillet. Divide into 4 equal portions. Brush the fish with the herb olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Grill on a very hot grill until just done. Baste with more herb olive oil during the cooking.
5. When done, place each piece of fish on a warm plate, top with 1/4 of the salsa and serve.

My note: as with any recipe, fill free to use creativity to customize as desired.

The Need for Nutrition and Preventative Medicine in the Healthcare Debate

"The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine."

- Hippocrates

As Obama and Congress attempt to reform the U.S. health care system, I hope that we seriously consider the need for nutrition and preventative medicine to be integral components of health care. Bill Clinton once said that we don't have a health care system in the U.S., we have a sick care system. We practice medicine by prescribing drugs to people that are sick rather than promoting health through nutrition and preventative medicine. It seems like it should be common sense so it's surprising that it can be such a tough sell. From both a productivity and fiscal standpoint, we would be enormously better off if we were a nation of healthy and vibrant people. The integration of nutrition and lifestyle choices can begin with doctors and hospitals. Consider the dreaded hospital food, which is almost on par with airplane food for its popularity. Certain foods have been scientifically shown to have a positive affect on the immune system and reducing inflammation, the cause of almost all disease. And yet, in cancer hospitals we find that patients are being fed food that actually aggravates their condition.

Further, if the goal is to improve the health of our nation, while lowering costs, we should consider the cost of a healthy diet and if needed, subsidize the cost of fruits and vegetables (rather than the meet and dairy industries) in order to all for people of all incomes to have a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and healthy grains. While this might sound like an added expense, the public already pays for the medical expenses of chronic health conditions associated with a poor diet, such as diabetes and hypertension. Why not lower costs by improving health through diet.

In the meantime, I am taking my health into my own hands in the hopes of reducing my need for traditional medical care. I look forward to the day when health care does not mean prescription drugs, insurance companies and

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Michael Pollan's latest book "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" does not disappoint. In fact, one of the things that I like most about it, is that he is pro-food, and pro-enjoyment of food. That is, as long as it's "real" food.

In the end, he boils down his argument to: Avoid food products containing ingredients that are:
1. Unfamiliar
2. Unpronounceable
3. That have more than five ingredients
4. That include high-fructose corn syrup.

Reasons to avoid food that isn't "real food"?

1. Chemical additives and corn and soy derivatives.
2. These additives lie to your body: artificial colors and flavors, synthetic sweeteners and novel fats confound the senses that we rely on to assess new foods and prepare our bodies to eat them.

The book also is an easy read of good nutrition advice. Sure you've heard that you're supposed to eat Omega fatty acids. But do you know the difference between Omega 3's (from fish and green plants) and Omega 6's (from seeds - processed foods, corn fed cattle). Omega 3's have been show to play an important role in mental function and a reduction in depression, suicide and homicide. They also tend to dampen the inflamation response while Omega 6's tend to exite it. Why is it important to know the difference? Too many Omega 6's will override the positive benefit of the Omega 3's. Therefore, merely adding Omega-3s by supplements (which I do), may not do much good unless we also reduce the high levels of Omega-6s.

And who knew that the butter vs. margarine debate involved the Omega fatty acids? Margarine, man's attempt to out-design nature, introduces trans fats to the diet and significantly increases Omega-6's at the cost of Omega 3's.

But mostly, Pollan just makes the simple argument for food that is local, organic, unprocessed and beef that is grass fed. If you take his advice, you will not only feel better but you will also find the food more enjoyable.

Food Inc.

"This land is your land, this land is my land

From California to the New York Island

From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters

This land was made for you and me"

Erase all preconceptions of documentaries, this film is brilliant. A Participant Productions film, Food Inc. opened in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco on June 12th.

If you eat, you will want to watch this movie. Don't let the pictures of cattle knee deep in their own manure or the chickens that are bred to grow so large and quick that they can't even stand up, scare you, this film is written in a post Obama era where the mantra is "Yes we can!" No longer will we sit by while our children die, our loved ones develop diabetes and chronic health conditions soar. No longer will we tolerate animals to be treated inhumanly, the factory workers to be abused or the farmers to be unfairly sued by large corporations. The beauty of this film, is that as much as it educates, it also inspires. As consumers, we have power. We vote every time we make a purchase. I encourage you, no, I beseech you, to watch this movie, take action and tell someone else about it.

Cook's Corner: Portobello Pizza

Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.

-Elizabeth Berry


I find the greatest obstacle to healthy eating, is inspiration for cooking something new. Still jet-lagged from a recent trip myself, I spent my morning shopping for fresh, organic, local-when-possible, blood-type diet friendly food. The end result was Portobello Pizza for lunch. Simple, healthy, delicious!

Portobello Pizza*

Ingredients:

1 portobello mushroom, cleaned, stem removed and chopped
1-2 Tablespoons pizza sauce that is BTD compliant
1 Teaspoon feta or goat cheese (I used feta from goat's milk)
1 Tablespoon mozzarella cheese
minced garlic to taste
2 cups mixed greens and vegetables (I used spinach leaves)
1 Tablespoon oils (olive oil and/or falxseed oil)
Other toppings of your likings (I did Canadian bacon and pineapple)

How to make it:
1. Saute portobello in 1/2 oil & 1/2 garlic
2. Set aside
3. Saute veggies & chopped mushroom stem in 1/2 oil & garlic
4. Spread pizza sauce on top of portobello mushroom
5. Pile on chopped mushroom stem and veggies or other toppings to your liking
6. Add feta/goat cheese and mozzeralla cheese (I used mozzeralla from sheep's milk)
7. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbling & starting to brown
8. Enjoy thoroughly!

*Recipe from the blood type diet

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Local Food Movement

Back in February I was taking a road trip to Death Valley and used the long hours in the car to listen to Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. If you haven't read it, you should.

Kingsolver moves her family from the Southwest to a rural farm in the Appalachian mountains with the goal to only eat for a year what they can produce on their land or buy from their neighbors. Sure, this may sound easy for a writer/academic couple with the luxury of taking a year to devote to such a cause but even they are faced with the daunting tasks of having to kill their farm animals (sorry, all you vegetarians) and improvising favorite recipes when key ingredients are no where to be found.

To her credit, this is not an easy thing to do. Even in Southern California, with a year-round growing season, it is maddeningly hard to find a wide variety of local food. If I fail to make it to the Farmer's Market, I usually find about three "local" options from the Whole Foods produce aisles (disclaimer: there are usually greater options for conventional foods vs. organic). I've asked the produce boys to pass on my disdain about the matter to the management. It would help if they heard it from more people. It's all about DEMAND they tell me.

But more than just the movement to buy local, Kingsolver reminds us of the relationship we have with food. That it's seasonal, that it requires someone's hands to get dirty, that it's messy, and that the variety of seeds and crops we can use are are a true art form. When our relationship to food is reduced to packaged, sanitized, and color-injected food that is shipped thousands of miles before ending up on our supermarket shelves, it's easy to forget our connection to food. I'm convinced if we could all have gardens, we would have a greater appreciation for the food that we consume. I'll let you know when I find a way to convert my LA balcany to a mini-garden.

Some facts I borrowed:

• Each item served in an American meal has traveled an average of 1500 miles before it reaches the dinner table
• After automobiles food production ranks at the second-biggest consumer of fossil fuels. Americans consume about 400 gallons of oil per citizen per year directly related to eating.
• Almost 75% of all antibiotics used in the United States today are used by Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations – 1152 chickens can fit into a 6 X 8 foot room
• If all the products with corn and soy included in them were removed from your grocery store the shelves would be next to empty – even packaging is now made from corn starch
• Over 70% of the Midwestern United States farmland now only produces commercial soybean and corn

Genetically Modified Food: The Future of Food

"I think this is probably the largest biological experiment humanity has ever entered into."

-Ignacio Chapela


Genetically Modified (GM) Foods are "organisms whose DNA has been modified through genetic engineering, unlike similar food organisms developed through the conventional genetic modification of selective breeding or mutation breeding."

After watching the movie The Future of Food, I am concerned that the integrity of our food has been compromised. The movie will make you think twice about the food you eat, U.S. government regulation, and potential health consequences. Following are a few highlights:

-Once it became legal to patent seeds, corporations now have the power to own and control species of the earth. In the 90's the pesticide industries bought the seed industries and now Monsanto, a large agricultural corporation, owns 11,000 patents...they own the marketplace.

-GM plants reproduce and when introduced into the environment, they cannot be contained. This means that birds or other animals can carry seed from one farm to another--or seed can blow off from a truck driving down the highway and corrupt all of the farmland that the GM seed falls into. Not only are the farmers losing the integrity of their plants, but they are being sued by the corporations that own the GM plant patents and being forced to burn their own seeds that they have used for hundreds of years.

-The GM process uses bacteria and viruses to invade the cells, leading to concern for health risks.

-There are three government agencies that oversee GM products:
Department of Agriculture (USDA)- is supposed to test the environmental impact of GM crops. The USDA did not require a single environmental assessment.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- regulates insecticides. The insecticide BT is in every GM crop.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- is responsible for food and drug safety. They placed GM products in the category of "generally recognized as safe" and therefore do not require testing or labeling of GM food.

-Because GM food is not labeled in the U.S. there is no ability to trace the health consequences, thus reducing liability concern for the corporations and putting the public at risk. Twenty-five other countries require labeling of GM food, including all 15 countries from the European Union. Japan has stated that before using GM food, they will "watch the children in the U.S. for the next 10 years."

-Because corporations now own the patent to thousands of seed varieties, they can limit the number of varieties that are actually used. Limited variety leads to increased risk to the world food supply. If one food variety is compromised, it can wipe out a huge portion of the world food supply (remember the potato famine in Ireland?).

I encourage you to watch the movie. It's worth thinking about what we are putting into our body. Let me know what you think by posting a comment.

Movie Synopsis (you can watch at www.hulu.com)

THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply.

Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today.