Archive for July, 2009

YES, Organic is Better

Yesterday, all the big media sites showcased a new U.K. report that concluded there’s really no difference between organic and conventional food. I shook my head, because it’s just a shame that we have to get these skewed messages that keep people from moving towards more natural and less chemical. I can just picture people skimming the headlines and thinking, “yep, just as I expected, organic food is a waste of my time and money.”

I’m really busy this morning because I’m headed off to Chi-town, but I wanted to share Civil Eats’ rebuttal article “Organic Versus Conventional Food: UK Report Flawed.” Please read it when you have a few minutes. Let’s help spread the truth and get Americans healthy! Shout out to Paula Crossfield who wrote the article. I’m thankful for you!

To mix in some positive inspiration, watch the first two episodes of Truck Farm, a film project about a 1986 Dodge Ram converted into a mobile garden that rides around Brooklyn, NY. It’s equipped with organic compost and heirloom seeds, a green roof, and a solar-powered time-lapse camera. Cool ish!

Head on over to Wicked Delicate and click on Truck Farm to check out the first episodes.

White Bean Chili Cornbread Pie

Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine the chili and corn. Place in a lightly oiled 10" pie plate. Combine the dry ingredients for the cornbread topping and mix thoroughly. Combine the wet ingredients and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Blend the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Pour the topping evenly over the chili and corn. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the cornbread comes out dry. Remove and scoop out to serve.

Chili with Cornbread

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place all the cornbread dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the sweet corn and onions. Mix thoroughly. Mix Edensoy, vinegar and oil together and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Combine the dry and liquid ingredients and mix again. Lightly oil a cast 8" to 10" cast iron skillet or an 8" x 8" baking dish. Pour the cornbread mixture into the skillet or dish. Bake for 35 minutes in the skillet or about 45 minutes in the baking dish. When the cornbread is almost done, heat the chili in a medium saucepan. Remove the cornbread from the oven and slice. Ladle the chili into serving bowls and serve with a slice or two of cornbread.

Chili & Polenta

Bring water to a boil, add sea salt, and whisk in the polenta. Bring to a boil again, cover and reduce the flame to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. When the polenta is almost done, heat the chili. Spoon the polenta into serving bowls, ladle the hot chili over and serve. NOTE: 1/4 cup each of sweet corn, minced onion and minced red or green bell pepper can be cooked together with the polenta for variety.

Chicago Brunch w/ Tropicana

Attention readers! Does anyone live in Chicago?

If so, I’d like to invite you to a special brunch this Sunday, August 2 for an orange juice and oatmeal breakfast provided by Tropicana. (You can read details on my Tropicana Weekend here.)

I will be at the brunch with Tropicana, other healthy living bloggers, and our  readers. If you’re in Chicago this weekend and would like to attend, please leave me a comment on this post and I will email you details with the specific time and address. I’d love to meet you!

Here are the other bloggers I’ll be meeting up with in Chicago:

Kristen: www.thatsfit.com

Melissa: www.consumerqueen.com

Jenn: http://fitbottomedgirls.blogspot.com/

Michelle: http://whatscookingblog.com/

Fitz: www.fitzness.com/blog/

Sarah: http://totallyher.com/

Cristin: http://www.self.com/fooddiet/blogs/eatlikeme

Maridel: http://www.vitaljuice.com/everywhere

Amy: http://blog.superhealthykids.com/

This weekend I will be live-blogging about my experience at Tropicana’s Get Your Fruit On Weekend. Check back for updates!

Makes Me Laugh

www.nataliedee.com

Shrimp Curry Rice is Comforting

Last weekend I completed my training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. I’m now a certified holistic health counselor. Yay!

On Sunday night, I was supposed to fly out before 9pm, but thunderstorms delayed the flight until 1:30am…and I didn’t get home to Florida and my place until after 5 in the morning. Yipes! With a long day at work yesterday, you can imagine I was pretty tired when I got home.

On a night like that, a warm home cooked meal is essential for me. I whipped up some curry rice with shrimp and a big bowl of mustard greens on the side. It turned out delicious and was oh-so-comforting to me after a weekend of excitement and sleep deprivation.

Comforting Shrimp Curry Rice

(inspired by this recipe from Edison Mays)

First, I started a pot of organic brown rice. I like to cook my grains separately so I can use them for different meals throughout the week.

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Ingredients for shrimp curry sauce:

1/2 lbs. large shrimp (pre-cooked, peeled, de-veined)

1 can coconut milk

1 tblsp. of red curry paste

1 garlic clove

1 small vine-ripe tomato

3-4 green onions

3 small celery stalks (or 2 large)

2-3 tblsp. fresh cilantro

1/2 cup fresh pineapple

Salt and pepper

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Directions:

Heat the olive oil a big saute pan on medium heat, then chop up the garlic and toss it in. Let it sauté for a minute, then add in the curry paste and coconut milk. Stir and allow to cook for a couple minutes while you’re chopping up the tomato, green onion, cilantro, celery, and pineapple. Add them into the pan and stir everything together. Sauté everything for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. Add shrimp and cook for another minute or two (just to allow the shrimp to heat up). Add salt and pepper to taste.

That’s it! Put a scoop of brown rice in a bowl and top with your shrimp curry sauce. Save leftovers for lunch the next day or two. Tasty, healthy, and comforting on a night when you need it.

Tropicana Weekend & Free Fruit Baskets!

I have some fun news to announce. At the end of this month, I’m jetting off to Chicago for Tropicana’s “Get Your Fruit On!” weekend. I’ll be joining about 10-15 other health and fitness bloggers at Tropicana’s headquarters to learn more about the company and its healthy living and sustainability efforts. In addition, I’ll be joining some roundtable discussions where I can interview Tropicana execs and other guest speakers.

I’m really looking forward to it, and it’s a great chance for me to mingle with the Tropicana folks and the other healthy-minded bloggers from around the country.

I’ll be doing some live-blogging and picture-uploading from the event, so look out for that. Chi-Town, here I come!

Free Fruit Baskets

In the meantime, Tropicana is allowing me to give away four  “Get Your Fruit On” baskets to my readers. Here’s a picture of the basket which includes: 1 64-oz carton of Tropicana Pure Premium No Pulp, 1 12-oz bottle of Tropicana Pure Premium No Pulp, 1 8-oz serving Tropicana glass, and a variety of fruits (looks like apples and oranges).

Submit your entry to win one of the 4 baskets by leaving a comment in this post with your answer to the following question:

What’s your biggest challenge to eating healthy?

All entries must be submitted by Wednesday, July 29 at 11:59pm EST. The 4 winners will be chosen at random and notified by email. If you win, I’ll need your name and address to give to Tropicana so they can send you the refrigerated basket.

Quick & Easy Asian Pasta

Cook udon per package directions, drain and place in a medium size mixing bowl. Mix together the oils and shoyu in a small bowl or cup. Pour over the pasta, add green onions and toss to evenly mix. Place in a serving bowl. Serve garnished with gomasio.

Cool Off with Fresh Mint

This past weekend I was in NYC for school, and the weather was unbelievably gorgeous! It was sunny, warm, breezy, and the sky was bright blue. I took the opportunity to eat my lunch outside on Sunday and sat on a park bench to people watch.

I had hummus and whole wheat pita bread, tabbouleh salad with quinoa, and some fresh iced mint tea from a tiny restaurant called Hummus Place. My food was delicious, but the mint iced tea was my favorite. They brewed the tea on the spot, swirled in big mint leaves, and poured it over ice right before handing it to me in a to-go cup. It was the perfect drink for my lunch outside. So, um, can you tell how much I loved it?

It helped me feel fresh and energized after sitting in a lecture all morning. As far as I’m concerned, mint is the perfect herb for this time of year.

Mint actually helps cool your body off, giving you a refreshing sensation when you smell, eat, or drink it. It’s wonderful for your digestive system and helps ease your stomach during and after eating. Even better, studies show that mint is helpful in reducing stress and tension in the body.

Try picking up some fresh mint the next time you’re at the grocery store or market. There are close to 20 different varieties (though you’ll probably only find one or two). You can add it to iced tea, water, or juice for added flavor, health benefits, and fresh breath.

If you’re attending a summer BBQ, try adding mint to a fruit salad, or be everyone’s favorite guest when you show up with mint mojitos!