The Incredible Edible egg!

No matter how you pronounce it, it taste great!

Quinoa- have you heard of it? Pronounce Keen-wah and not Kwin-oh-a. while no one food can provide us with all of our essential nutrients, quinoa comes very close. In addition to being nutritious, it is quite tasty, nutty in flavor and crunchy to taste.

Quinoa grows high in the Andes and is an amazing crop to produce. It grows easily in dry, unfertile soil, needing no irrigation or fertilizer. Under these conditions, the United Nations has named quinoa the "super crop" due to its ability to feed the poor and hungry of the world with little agricultural efforts.

The quinoa plant grows from 3 to 9 feet in height, is magenta in color and comes in over 120 varieties. Botanically quinoa is related to beets, chard and spinach. Both the leaves and the seeds are suitable for eating.

In the USA white quinoa, followed by red quinoa and black quinoa, are the most popular and available varieties found in our markets. Quinoa can also be purchased in flakes and flour. Many or our larger grocery stores will carry these products in their organic section. If you have difficulty locating quinoa in your store, try your local health food market.

So are you curious enough to give it a try? I have found quinoa the most inexpensive when purchased in bulk at health food stores. Why not purchase yourself a small amount and give this recipe a try?

Black Quinoa Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

8 ounces of black quinoa (if you think the color will inhibit you from eating it, buy the white quinoa)
2 cups of water
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1 cup snap peas, bias cut
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup scallions, bias cut
1 mango, diced small
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
sesame seeds, toasted, to garnish

Dressing:

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
2.Rinse quinoa under cold water until the water runs clear. Place quinoa in boiling water and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl combine orange juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger and hot sauce. Slowly whisk in sesame oil to create an emulsion. Set aside to incorporate flavors in dressing.
4. In a large bowl combine quinoa, red cabbage, snap peas, carrots, scallions, mango, and cilantro.
5. Fold in dressing and let chill in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Makes 7-8 cups

Recipe courtesy of Indian Harvest Specialtifoods

Local Freshness is almost here!

According to my calendar, Spring is just 6 days away. It's been a long, cold and snowy winter and I just can't wait to put it behind me. To help me feel better, I sent my 2010 CSA registration in this morning! Yes, fresh, local and organically grown produce will soon be back on my plate. While I am waiting, I think I will take advantage of some of spring's first producers- radishes.

Here are some facts on Radishes that you may not already know:
1. Radishes can be enjoyed raw and cooked! See recipe below.
2. Radishes are not just Red. They grow in a variety of shapes and colors. Why not give a few other varieties a try this year?
3. In Ancient days, radishes were used for medicine for such ailments as whooping cough, cancer, gastric problems and constipation. Parasites and arthritis were also treated by eating radishes.
4. The pungent flavor is due to the plant's compound- glucosinolates, which are also found in horseradish, mustard and wasabi.
5. Findings indicate that radishes will help protect the body against rectal and colon cancer and heart disease. Research done in India found that radish consumption may reduce the risk of gallbladder cancer by 60%.
6. The nutrients and flavor are found mostly in the skin of the radish, so don't peel them!
7. They are very low in calories (19 calories in 1 cup!), rich in vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium.

Give this recipe a try.

Sauteed Radishes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 bunches (about 1 pound) of fresh radishes, tops trimmed and quartered
1/4 black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.

Directions:

1. Heat oil and water in a saute' pan over medium heat.
2. Add radishes and pepper.
3. Saute' radishes, stirring often, until they begin to brown and are crisp tender (about 8 minutes)
4. Sprinkle with fresh dill and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Nutritional information per serving: 38 calories, 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fat, 2 grams fiber, 4 mg. sodium

Recipe courtesy of Environmental Nutrition

Go Green!

It's March! Do you know what that means? It's "Go Green" month! You know, Shamrocks and all that.

Perhaps we can just go green on our plates this month! Many wonderful vegetables are delicious and nutritious and green!

Here is one you may not eat on a regular basis- Avocado

Did you know that avocados:

* are green on the outside and the inside

* grow on trees. One tree can produce up to 400 avocados per year

* are a fruit

* have a very large, hard pit and skin which needs to be removed before eating

* can be used as butter (because they are so creamy)

* can be sliced and used as a garnish, added to salads and sandwiches

Nutritionally, avocados are an excellent source of:

*vitamin C

* B6

* vitamin E

* potassium, magnesium, folate and fiber too!

* cholesterol free

* sodium free

* available all year round

How to select an Avocado:

Avocados have skin that range in color from yellowish green to dark purplish black. To select avocado, purchase ones that are hard to firm. Place them on your kitchen counter to soften. When the skin gets dark (purplish black) and is soft to the touch they are ready to eat.

How to peel and cut an avocado:

Take a sharp knife and slice through the avocado the length way of the fruit. Twist the fruit and pull apart. The large seed will be left on one half of the fruit. Take your knife and lightly tape it against the seed, pull up. The seed should come out with the knife. Now you have 2 halves. Take a large spoon, such as a soup spoon and place it between the skin and flesh of the avocado. Run the spoon all the way around the perimeter of the fruit. The flesh should easily slip away from the skin. Now your fruit is ready to be sliced or chopped.

Here is an easy and light avocaod recipe you can try.

Chicken and Avocado Wraps

makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

3- 10 inch flour tortillas

1 1/2 cup lettuce, shredded

1 1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1 tomato, diced

1 avacodo, chopped

2 T onion, diced

2 T. barbecue sauce

2 T. ranch dressing

1. Place the tortilla on a plate. Top with lettuce, chicken, tomato, avocado and onion.

2. in a small bowl combine the barbecue sauce and ranch dressing. Mix well. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon over tortilla

3. Roll up tortilla and serve

Nutritional information per serving:

kcal 360, total fat 21 grams, sodium 810 mg, dietary fiber 3 grams, sugar 6 grams, protein 21 grams

Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday and is usually acknowledged by Catholics and Protestants around the world as a period of time where fasting is observed. Traditionally in the Catholic faith, members obstain from eating meat. Evangelical believers tend to fast from other food items, such as sweets or coffee, or activities which play a large part in their life, such as tv watching or the use of the computer. Whatever your faith, you will find that fish is a popular and frequently eaten dish during this religious season.

To assist you in this culinary season of no meat, I have included some recipes you may want to try. Enjoy!

Fish Stew

Ingredients:

1 1/2- 2 pounds of fish of your choosing (such as tiliapia, haddock, shrimp, scallops etc)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 bunches of fresh parsley, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1- 15 ounce can of plum tomatoes

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, mixed in 3/4 cup water

salt to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

1 loaf of crusty italian bread

Directions

1. in a skillet saute the onion, garlic and parsley in the olive oil

2. add the tomatoes and heat through

3. add the vinegar mixture and heat through

4. season with salt and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust if need be

5. Add fish and and cook through for 10-15 minutes.

6. slice bread and place bread in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladel soup over the bread. Enjoy!

For more lenten recipes follow the links to some of my favorite TV Chef's recipes.

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1787

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2540

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2133

Chocolate- it's not just for dessert!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner you may have chocolate on your mind . While we often associate Valentine's Day with chocolate, Americans don't usually limit their consumption to this time of year. Americans consume about half of the worlds chocolate products.

If you make the correct selection, chocolate can actually be healthy for you. Dark chocolate is packed with flavonoids, the phtyochemicals that act as antioxidants. Eating dark chocolate will increase the antioxidant levels in your blood, thus increasing your heart health. Studies have shown that cocoa powder, dark chocolate and milk chocolate, in that order, have the highest antioxidant properties.

Have you ever wondered how chocolate is made? Here is how it works-
It all begins with the cacao (pronounce Kuk-kow) bean. The beans are first roasted and then ground into a thick chocolate liquor (non alcoholic). When the liquor hardens it becomes unsweetened chocolate. When pressure is added to the liquor, the bean fat is extracted, resulting in cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is made by drying and sifting the remaining materials from the liquor. When you mix chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and milk, the end result is the chocolate we have all come to love.

Here is the percentage of cocoa in chocolate products. Choose products with a higher cocoa percentage to get those flavonoids and increase your heart health.

Chocolate by the Percents Type -% from cacao
Unsweetened or baking chocolate- almost 100%
Semisweet or Bittersweet- at least 35%
Milk chocolate- at least 10%,
Sweet chocolate- at least 15%
Dark chocolate- common to see 45-80%

Not all of your chocolate consumption needs to come in the form of candy. Why not give this mole sauce a try this heart health month?

Quick Chicken Mole

Ingredients :
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 chipotle peppers, roughly chopped
1 (10-ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 (5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), for garnish
White rice, for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and spices and continue to saute to toast and develop flavor. Add diced tomatoes, peppers, chipotles, broth, peanut butter, and chocolate. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and puree until smooth.

Sear the chicken in a heavy bottomed hot saute pan over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Add to casserole dish, cover with sauce and braise the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Garnish with pepitas and serve with white rice.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Dean

Baby it's cold outside

Boy do I miss my CSA delivery of fresh organic vegetables. I truly enjoyed that experience and am looking forward to another wonderful season of locally grown fruits and vegetables.

What is a CSA, you may be asking?

"Community Supported Agriculture or CSA is a unique model of local agriculture whose roots reach back 30 years to Japan, where a group of women were concerned with the use of pesticides. Originally called "teikei" in Japanese, which translates to "putting the farmers' face on food," the concept later moved to Europe. Eventually, in the mid-1980s CSA made its way to the U.S.

CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between local farmers and community members who pay the farmer an annual membership fee to cover the production costs of the farm. In turn, members receive a weekly share of the harvest during the local growing season. This arrangement gives the farmer a direct connection to and relationship with the consumer.

Ultimately, CSA creates"COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED-AGRICULTURE" where members receive a wide variety of local in-season foods harvested at their peak of ripeness, flavor, vitamin and mineral content."

Excerpt taken from the Spiral Path website. http://www.sprialpathfarm.com/

If you are interested in participating in a CSA, visit this website to located a farm near your home. http://www.localharvest.org/


So while you are waiting for those fresh peas, spinach and delicate leaf lettuce to sprout why not eat some delicious root vegetables, which are so plentiful this time of year.


Butternut and Ginger Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
• 1 tsp mild olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 lbs (6 cups) peeled raw butternut or other winter squash
• 1/2 lb (1 cup) new potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup unsweetened 100% apple juice
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped Granny Smith apple
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet or large saucepan on medium high
2. Sauté the onions 3 minutes or until tender
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute longer
4. Add the squash, potatoes, 100% apple juice, and water or broth
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 35-40 minutes or until very soft
6. Puree in a blender or processor, in batched, until smooth
7. Pour back into the pan and stir in the milk and salt
8. Reheat and serve topped with apple and parsley

Nutrition Information: 190 calories, 1 grams total fat, 45 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams protein, 6 grams fiber, 220 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more recipes and access to the recipes full nutritional profile, visit www.fruitandveggiesmorematters.gov