Buy fresh, buy local! Yeah we get it, but what if we’re too busy to find and peruse our local farmer’s market. “Tell me what to look for in my local super market for heaven’s sake.” Check out this short list from Foodnetwork.com of perfect produce choices for spring. Yes, it’s true my thawing East coast friends. Spring is on the move!

Artichokes – a food favorite for this Italian girl. Don’t be deterred by its rugged exterior. Inside is a heart of deliciousness.

Asparagus – low in calories and high in folate, (important for cell growth and repair), asparagus can make any meal tasty and nutritious. Try it in your next omelet, salad or as a side dish.

Blueberries – yum! This berry isn’t as likely to burden your blood sugar with an unwanted spike. With a lower glycemic index than other berries. Blueberries are a good choice to acommpany your morning oats or as a snack.

Carrots – What can I say about carrots? One of the three amigos in most of my soups.

Peas – look for bright green, plump pods.  Perfect for stir fries.

Rhubarb – known as the “pie plant,” these brightly colored stems are often mixed with fruits to make pies and jams. Simmer stalks for 45 minutes over medium-heat to make rhubardsauce. A tart-sweet sauce similar to sweet and sour.

Strawberries – Can’t leave out this spring-time favorite. Try mixing strawberries with rhubarb to make a yummy pie.

And don’t forget your when in doubt organic list.

I’m not a noodle hater by any means. You gotta put Sunday Sauce on something, right? And spaghetti is my favorite. Unfortunately, pasta isn’t exactly a conquering hero for the department of nutrition. But I fret not. Finally after all these years of twirling my fork full of empty carbs, I found a healthier substitute that meets my fancy. Not quite the same consistency as pasta but holding just as much water in a battle of culinary delight, the Spaghetti Squash has won a seat at my table and in the bellies of me and my loved one.

I adapted this recipe from one found on AllRecipes.com. When I first started dapling in the art of food, All Recipes was my go to guide for how-to’s in the kitchen.  I’ve since evolved, but they’ll always be a tried and true.

Spaghetti Squash Delight

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
• 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp goat cheese
• basil, fresh or dried
• 1/4 c. kalamata olives, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• cooking spray

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance (about 35 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
• Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and dried basil (if using),  and cook until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
• Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash into in a medium bowl. Mix in veggies, olives and fresh basil (if using, I didn’t have any ). Serve warm topped with goat cheese.

This dish was so good! I was really impressed. If you haven’t yet discovered the joys of cooking, I highly recommend it. I get so much satisfaction from sitting down to a healthy and delicious meal that I’ve made myself.

Happy Day-Light Savings!

Oatmeal may appear to be just a bowl of warm carbs, but “oh contraire!” While oats certainly do contain carbohydrates, they’re a little more complex than that. (aahh, how’s that for a pun!)

Anyway. Unlike simple carbs like refined sugar and white flour, oatmeal is full of fiber and digested slower which means two very good things. One…it makes you feel full longer, perfect for those trying to lose weight, and two…it won’t raise your blood sugar levels as much as quickly, making it a good choice for diabetics.  My favorite reason for eating oats in the morning, they go great with an array of toppings.

I went all the way with this morning’s oatmeal recipe. It was so good. Even the All-Star, an old lover of crappy instant packaged oatmeal, filled with sugar and dehydrated fruits, wished for seconds. Houston, we’ve made contact!

So this recipe was inspired by a can of pumpkin that’s been sitting in my cubbard since we moved in.

Just a couple tablespoons…

Some blueberries I picked up yesterday, which aren’t local but are SO good…

A touch of vanilla extract, some crushed walnuts, coconut flakes and voila…

sprinkled with cinnamon…Breakfast deliciousness!

What’s favorite addition to oatmeal?

Okay, so it’s Lent. For many that means no meat on Fridays. But don’t let Lent be an excuse for carbs. Pasta, the easy vegetarian fix, it isn’t exactly a nutritional substance. And while we’d like to think that faux-meat is a healthy alternative, it’s really just another example of a processed food-like substance. So what’s the alternative? Of course you can have fish, a wonderful source of omega-3’s and a nutritious way to keep the ritual. But fresh fish isn’t always an option. I say, turn to the bean! High in fiber and protein and always available, a hearty bean soup can fill your belly and your appetite, especially in these last few weeks before the thaw.  Here’s my recipe for a delicious black bean soup I conjured up. Let me know what you think.

Black Bean Soup

1 lb black beans, soaked overnight in water and rinsed
3 red bell peppers, chopped
1 serano pepper, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper,chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 organic celery stalks, Chopped
3 garlic cloves (optional)
1 cup corn, freshly cut from the cob (if available)
4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth (according to mom it’s only the flesh of the animal you have to refrain from)
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro
1 lime
a little bit of sour cream (just to be naughty)

I went the total easy route with this recipe. Warmed some oil, added the veggies and beans at the same time, mixed it together, then added the stock and the spices to taste. Set it low and cooked it partially cover until the beans were tender, about an hour. Viola! Perfecto! It was delicious.

In today’s society, shopping for food is anything but easy. If we’re lucky enough to fight our way through the processed food section of the grocery store and reach the shining light of the produce department, we’re still faced with that grueling question…organic or non-organic? We all know that organic is the healthier way to go. We also all know that it’s more expensive. What’s a health-food nut to do?

Usually I shamefully pass by the small organic section of my local food market, glancing long-fully at the less than perfect looking produce like a child with no allowance outside a candy store. At this point in my life I find it difficult to break that bank for a head of cauliflower. Okay, so an extra $.50 won’t break the bank, but it adds up. To supplement my lacking initiative to splurge for my health, usually opt for local, seasonal foods over organic and, fingers crossed, hope that the chemicals used to keep the pests away aren’t reeping havic on my body.

Finally, last week, a little bit of my frustration was eliminated when I found the “dirty dozen,” a list of foods that you most definitely should buy organic. Also included, a list of fruits and veggies that you can skimp on if you have to. Kudos to whomever first printed this list. My body and my wallet thank you.

So here’s the Dirty Dozen list, in no particular order, of fresh foods that you should always opt to buy organic…

12 Most Contaminated

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

And the equally appreciated list of foods that don’t require your whole paycheck…

12 Least Contaminated

• Onions
• Avocado
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Kiwi Fruit
• Bananas
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Papaya

So there ya have it. A simple solution to a grappling question. And lucky, some of these items are often on sale. Right now in California, organic pears are on sale for ridiculously cheap. Bell peppers, however, are often expensive regardless of the farming method. So I make some sacrifices, or rotate my shopping list. Whenever possible, I recommend shopping at your farmer’s market.  There you’ll find more organic options for a cheaper price and guaranteed local and in season. To find a farmer’s market near you visit localharvest.com.

Sunday is The All-Star’s birthday and his family is flying us in to celebrate. Many thank-you’s to them!  So where am I now? In Salt Lake City airport for our 3 hour layover. Thank goodness for free Wi-fi. Many thanks to SLC. Wish we were staying longer to enjoy the `slopes. But I’m excited to get to the Big Apple!

So, I’ve have become quite the traveler. Mastering the art of security checks, long layovers, and connecting flights, what I’ve struggled with is keeping my travel diet healthy. Sadly terminals aren’t exactly equipped with the healthiest of choices and their prices aren’t very budget friendly either. The good news…while you can’t bring water past airport security, you can bring food. Today, with a just little thoughtful prep-time, travel no longer means unhealthy food or a hungry tummy. My body is thanking me and so is my wallet.

Here’s what I brought for tonight’s long night red-eye trek…

• To avoid in-flight packaged snacks filled with sugar and salt…

…walnuts, raw almonds and dried cranberries.

• To avoid the layover quick-stop pit-stop…

…a bunch of asparagus sauteed in creamy butternut squash soup (just enough to coat it with delicious flavor). Seasoned with crushed red pepper.

• To avoid a greasy egg sandwich or bagel upon our early arrival at JFK…

…Cut up apples, oranges and pears.

…with some peanut butter for dipping. Yum!      

Prep time for this travel meal was about 20 minutes. Can’t beat that! And it all fit perfectly in my carry-on luggage.

Also to save a buck, because I really dislike buying over priced water, I brought along my Klean Kanteen and my new travel filter stick which alkalizes water, making the fountain, or the faucet, an easy option for quenching my thirst.

So that’s it from my travel log. I’ll try to blog from my destination, though it should be a pretty fast and busy 48 hours. Hopefully they’ll be a fridge of provisions I can raid for the long trip back on Monday. Happy weekend! And Happy Birthday to The All-Star!

The greens that is. Who knew these pesky lawn weeds could be added to any recipe calling for a leafy green. They’re a little on the bitter side so be prepared, but cooking them takes some of that edge off. Rich in vitamins like A and K, I’d think twice before chopping them up with your lawnmower blades.

Actually, I wouldn’t recommend eating anything that grows on your front lawn, unless you know for sure it hasn’t been tainted with chemical fertilizers. Luckily, you can find dandelion greens at health food stores and farmer’s markets.

I added a bit to each of my meals today. I read they’re good for the liver. Who doesn’t need a little liver boost.

For breakfast it was a fried egg with horseradish, dandelion greens and tomato. So good. The horseradish really made this dish. I highly recommend having some with your next egg.  I finished off the most important meal of the day with some cut grapefruit. The perfect combination of bitter and sweet.

Lunch was a salad of dandelion greens and quinoa. I added walnuts and dried cranberries to make it bitter-sweet. Goat cheese would have made this dish perfect, but I forgot I had some. Regardless, dandelion greens score again.

For dinner…slow cooked chicken with mushrooms, peppers and heirloom tomatoes served on a bed a dandelion greens. The perfect comfort food to end a long and busy day.

While I believe it’s healthiest to eat a variety of foods throughout your day, it was fun to see how these familiar plants held up at every meal. I was pleased to find that they fit the bill and look forward to keeping them on my rotating grocery list!

While giving a look around the internet for some healthy starch choices, I happened upon the website for the Whole Grains Council. Man, there’s a council for everything.  Anyway. The folks over at WGC have come up with the “grain of the month” and for March it’s quinoa.  Clap clap clap.  Congratulations to the mother of all grains! (That’s what the ancient Incas called it.)

I also learned that 1/2  a pound of quinoa seeds is enough to plant a whole acre which can yield 1200-2000 pounds of new seed. The United Nations calls it the super-crop because it’s drought resistant and can grow in poor soils.  AND the seeds have a bitter flavor coating which acts as a natural pesticide. Nice!

Nutrition wise, it’s my grain of choice.  High in potassium, fiber and gluten-free, it can be served as a side, an addition to soups, stews and salads, and its flour can be used to make many a baked good!

Not sold yet? Studies have suggested that quinoa is useful in preventing and managing Type 2 diabetes. Most likely because it serves as a healthy alternative to starches with a high glycemic index. But also because it has high levels of quercetin, an anti-oxidant that also acts as an anti-inflammatory and an anti-histamine. Studies are examining quercetin’s ability to prevent cancer.

To learn more about this “mother grain” visit the Grain of the Month page on The Whole Grain Council’s website.

They’ve got some good recipes there too. It’s super easy to cook and only takes 15 minutes! I use my rice-cooker. 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water is all you need. One cup of uncooked seeds yields 4 servings. Just make sure you rinse the seeds a couple of times before cooking. Remember that bitter coating I mentioned? You want to avoid bringing that flavor to your food.

Enjoy and be healthy!

Mushrooms keep finding their way into my recipes lately. Maybe my body instinctively knows that they’re a good source of nutrients like potassium, selenium, and vitamin B. More likely it’s just because I dig their earthy flavor. Whatever the reason, I’m happy when there’s fungus on my plate!

For tonight I made a snap pea and mushroom saute. It was de-licious! Snap peas are another favorite of which I definitely don’t eat enough. They too are loaded with nutrients. Vitamin K, manganese and fiber, to name just a few.

I have fond memories from my childhood when my dad grew these puppies in our backyard garden. I would pick and eat them right of the vine. I loved their sweet crunchiness…and I still do!

Snap Pea and Mushroom Saute

• 3 cups snap peas, rinsed
• 2 cups white mushrooms
• half a onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• several sprays of Bragg Liquid Aminos
• red pepper flakes to taste

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add all ingredients and cook for 5-8 minutes.

After this, I definitely feel nourished!

I just finished reading Michael Pollan’s new book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. You must buy this book and read it! It’s fabulous and takes less than an hour to finish. 

If you’re not familiar with Michael Pollan, he’s a journalist and author of other popular and important books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma  and In Defense of Food. 

I’m not going to tell you much more except that Pollan has graciously filled the 140 pages of this little book with 64 rules of thumb for eating and that’s about it. No biochemisty breakdowns, no doctor’s research, just good and sound advice. This is a must read for everyone!