The Healthy Cooking Coach

Conservation Lamb

When I heard about Lava Lake Lamb, I knew I wanted to try it. I like eating lamb. I like supporting family farmers in my state, region, bioregion, and country. I prefer meat from humanely raised, grassfed, pasture-raised animals and I like knowing that my purchases support preservation and restoration of the environment.

What makes this lamb different?
Lava Lake Ranch raises certified organic lamb the way nature intended. The lambs drink their mother’s milk and graze on pesticide- and herbicide-free grasses, herbs, forbes and legumes, such as alfalfa, for their entire lives. They’re not confined and they’re never given grain, growth hormones, or antibiotics.

Lava Lake Lamb is raised on one of the west's largest land conservation projects and all profits from the sale of Lava Lake Lamb support habitat restoration and conservation. How cool is that?

Nutritional benefits
Like other grassfed meats, Lava Lake 100% grassfed lamb contains more nutrients than meat from grain-fed animals. USDA Scientists compared grassfed lambs with grain-fed lambs raised in a feedlot and found that “lambs grazing in pasture had 14% less fat and about 8 % more protein compared to grain-fed lamb.”

Grassfed lamb is an excellent source of vitamin B-12, niacin, zinc, and a good source of iron. It’s a rich source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, the heart-healthy, inflammation and cancer-fighting  fatty acids most modern diets are deficient in.

Grassfed lamb contains twice as much lutein (a nutrient that protects against macular degeneration) when compared to grain fed lamb. Lutein is also found in dark leafy greens, which grassfed lambs feed on. So they concentrate this nutrient in their meat.

Meat from exclusively grassfed animals contains up to five times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than conventional meat. CLA has been shown to reduce cancer risk in animals.  A century ago, when cancer rates were a fraction of what they are today, people were eating CLA rich animal products as a matter of course.

Ecological benefits of grassfed meat
Agricultural university research has shown that using land for pasture can be more earth friendly than using it to raise grains, and that raising animals on pasture is more economical for the farmer, which helps preserve small family farm. Pasture farming eliminates the need for herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers, while protecting groundwater from agricultural run-off, increasing biodiversity, and reducing fossil fuel use.

If you’re already eating lamb, switching from New Zealand lamb to grassfed lamb raised in the U.S. will reduce fuel use. New Zealand lamb travels thousands of miles over several days before it reaches retail outlets in the U.S. Even when shipped to states outside of Idaho, Lava Lake Lamb is a more local choice for Americans because it travels a shorter distance.

Lava Lake Ranch supports sustainable agriculture by
1) avoiding the use of pesticides and herbicides and maintaining our organic certification on over 60,000 acres of pasture and range land
2) continually evaluating their impact on the land where their animals graze through scientific research
3) implementing a variety of habitat restoration projects. 4) participating in and supporting local farmers markets and local food distribution networks
5) conserving resources wherever they can

Their grazing lands extend over almost 800,000 acres from the deserts of the Snake River Plain to the high peaks of the Pioneer Mountains near Sun Valley. To learn about how their ranching practices protect the region’s wildlife for future generations click here. For a photo tour of Lava Lake Ranch, click here

Ordering decisions
They have so many different kinds and cuts of lamb: loin chops, French rib chops, loin of lamb, tenderloin, rack of lamb, lamb shanks, leg of lamb, stew and kabob meat, ground meat, shoulder rost, rib roast, and lamb sausage made without wheat, gluten nitrates, nitrites, msg, or fillers. I found it difficult to choose. I settled on ground lamb, lamb sausage, and lamb stew meat. My order arrived frozen, in perfect condition.

How does it taste?
Wow! So far I’ve cooked their ground lamb twice, as spiced burgers using recipes from their web site. I’ve tried two of their sausage flavors, rosemary-garlic and chorizo, and made a warming winter stew with their meat. I liked that that the ground lamb burgers and sausages were moist and flavorful, but not fatty like grain-fed lamb. I found the stew meat melt-in-my-mouth tender, and fragrant. My guests loved the meals a made with Lava Lake Lamb and I loved the leftovers.

By the way, the Lava Lake web site has an assortment of lamb recipes you can download if you’re not sure how to cook lamb or you’re looking for new ideas. I'll post one of my favorite lamb recipes and pictures in a couple of days.
 
Support a good cause
I highly recommend Lava Lake Lamb. I think it would make a great gift any time of year for anyone who appreciates quality food and has a concern about health and the environment. I look forward to cooking with it again. Visit www.LavaLakeLamb.com

Grassfed Animal Products: Good For You & Mother Earth Too

Vegetarian authorities claim that raising livestock is a misuse of land, causes global warming, ground water loss and pollution, loss of species diversity, and depletion of fossil fuels. They say it is more ecological for humans to eat a grain-based, largely or totally vegetarian diet.  But there’s another side to the story that they don’t tell you.

Contrary to popular beliefs
Not all animal products are harmful to health, and not all animal husbandry is inhumane or unecological. The usual arguments against meat, eggs, and milk apply only to products from grain-fed, factory farmed animals and heavily processed meat products, such as conventional bacon, hotdogs, sausages, and lunch meats. Unprocessed and minimally processed products from 100 percent pasture-fed animals can be extremely healthful and humane. Grass feeding animals can actually be more ecological than row cropping grains and beans.

The nutritional composition and health effects of any animal product depends entirely on the animals’ diet while the ecology or unecology of how it was raised depend on what the animal is fed and how it is raised. 

If the following excerpts from The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz (me) and Don Matesz intrigue you, you can buy a copy of the book here. You can also read Why Grassfed is Best, which has been republished under the title Pasture Perfect: The Far-Reaching Benefits of Choosing Meat, Eggs, and Dairy Products from Grass-Fed Animals by Jo Robinson.  Visit her site for more info

Benefits of Grassfed (Pasture-Raised) Animal Products

1. Improved nutrition
Grass-fed livestock are better nourished than grain-fed animals. Livestock have better digestion and assimilation when raised on pasture foods, which is what nature intended they eat. Studies show that this produces meat, eggs, and milk that contain more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega 3 fatty acids than conventional feedlot products.

2.  Avoid food poisoning
Grain feeding adversely alters farm animals’ intestinal flora and pH, promoting pathogenic strains of acid-resistant E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. Strictly pasture-fed animals are less likely to harbor legions of these malicious microbes. Mad cow disease is not found in cattle fed entirely on pasture and hay. It’s a product of factory farming and feeding ruminants a species inappropriate diet.

Sanitation violations are rare in local USDA inspected processing houses used by small farmers selling grass-fed animal products. These skilled butchers process one animal at a time and sterilize equipment between each animal. 

3. Ecology
Only about one-third of the Earth’s land mass can be used for food production; only about one-third of this is suitable for growing crops. Suburban sprawl and erosion from row cropping continue to reduce this area. The remaining two-thirds of the usable land supports growth of plants that humans can’t eat but ruminants, such as bison, cattle, deer, elk, zebra, eland, sheep, and goats can eat.

According to the USDA Conservation Reserve Program, cultivated soils returned to pasture gain an average of half a ton of carbon per acre per year for the first 5 years after restoration. Returning row-cropped land to grassland actually helps combat global warming. Compared to cultivated lands, properly managed pastures make almost no contribution to soil erosion, ground water loss, or water pollution.  

Do grazing cattle damage range lands?
Only if improperly managed. Grazing animals are a natural, essential part of healthy grassland ecology. If managed in a way that mimics natural patterns of native animals (deer, elk, bison, sheep, etc.), grazing cattle can improve rangelands. Well-managed grazing increases the number and vigor of native perennial grasses, reduces weed species, improves vegetative cover of stream banks, hastens manure decomposition, and extends the pasture’s growing season. 

4. Energy efficiency
Raising animals entirely on pasture is probably the most energy efficient of all food production methods. To raise row crops, farmers commonly invest 5 to 10 calories of fossil fuel (for large machinery used for tilling, planting, and harvesting) for each calorie of food or fiber harvested.

Pasture-based animal husbandry is 10 to 20 times more energy efficient, producing 2 calories of energy profit (food, fertilizer, and fiber) for every calorie of fossil fuel invested. 

Grains and beans are energy intensive
Grains and legumes all require extensive, energy-intensive processing (such as grinding) or cooking. This is true even of so-called quick-cooking rice and cereals, which are “quick” because they are processed and precooked by the food industry. The food processing industry is the fourth-largest U.S. industrial energy user. Farming uses less than one-fifth of the energy consumed by our food system. The other 80 percent is spent in processing, packaging, distributing, and preparing the food.

Meat, eggs, and milk are all edible with little or no processing or cooking. When you buy fresh or frozen raw animal products directly from the farmer, the total energy spent in getting it to your plate is a tiny fraction of what’s spent in the industrial food loop.

5. Supports Local Family Farms
Perhaps most important, when you purchase pasture-based animal products you support local family farmers who take care of their animals and their environment. Large corporations have converted farms into mass-production animal factories that supply food to supermarkets. These corporations are running family farms out of business by producing large quantities of low-quality food, regardless of the damage inflicted on rural economies and families.

The list of scientifically documented health, economic, and environmental benefits of pasture-based animal husbandry and grass-fed animal products is so large we can’t present it all here. Visit Jo Robinson’s site for up-to-date information. 

 If you want to support sustainable, local agriculture based on healthy family farms, purchase more locally produced, pasture-based animal products (as well as fruits and vegetables) from your state, region, and country. Grass-farming supports small, local farmers (and businesses in their communities), relationships between growers and consumers, and health of people and our precious planet.

Excerpted from The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz (me) and Don Matesz. © Copyright 2004, Planetary Press. Order from our web site for immediate delivery.

Ricotta Chocolate Mousse

Last spring I was leading a series of private cooking classes for one of my clients who wanted to learn how to make chocolate mousse. I knew he probably wouldn’t make a fussy or difficult recipe so I searched on line for something simple.

I prefer making and eating dairy free desserts. I also recognize that some things are hard to  replace–––ricotta and other cheeses, and cream. I've used tofu in puddings, custard pies, and mousses (silken tofu works best). I thought they tasted okay, but not great. The beany flavor can be difficult to disguise. I like tofu in stir fries more than desserts. Besides, I think I overdosed on soy during my vegan and macrobiotic years, so I prefer to limit my consumption of it now to tamari and miso, fermented condiments used in small amounts. So, I occasionally compromise and use some dairy products. This is one of those cases.

Photo on right by Julie Ann Elefante

Most people are familiar with French-style chocolate mousse with its light and airy texture. I wanted something more dense, like what my mother made when I was growing up. She used to melt several cubes of unsweetened baker’s chocolate, add sugar, and vanilla, then fold the mixture into part skim ricotta cheese; her recipe didn’t contain whipping cream. I loved the thick, rich mouthfeel of it but I never got the chance to find out exactly how much of each ingredient she used.

Ricotta Chocolate Mousse
Prep: 20 minutes/ Cooking: 3 minutes/Chilling: at least 1 hour /Yield: 4 servings

When I found this recipe from one of the Moosewood cookbooks, I knew I had to try it. I replaced the white sugar with honey (agave nectar also works) and stevia. I changed the garnish (I love the bitterness and crunch of cocoa nibs against the creaminess and sweetness of the pudding) and tweaked the instructions.

Health notes: Buy raw whipping cream from a local farmer whose animals that haven't been given growth hormones. Next best is pasteurized organic whipping cream or one that says “rBGH-free” or “rBST-free” on the label (that means the cows didn’t receive growth hormones) Avoid ultra pasteurized cream, it doesn’t whip up as well as regular pasteurized or raw milk cream. 

Organic Valley is the only company I found that makes an organic ricotta cheese. It's worth searching for and paying more for given the risks associated with eating rBST or rBGH treated milk. These genetically modified growth hormones significantly increase the risk of reproductive disorders and cancer in humans.

If you don't know much about the hazards of consuming genetically modified foods, please buy, rent, or watch the documentary Seeds of Deception on line.

FYI: For a screaming deal on organic cocoa nibs (aka cacoa nibs), check out Cocoa Supply Company. What are they? Roasted cocoa beans separated from their husks and broken into small bits. They add a delightful crunch to recipes and can be used in place of nuts in cookies or as a garnish for ice cream, puddings, or mousses.

Ingredients:
15-ounce tub ricotta cheese, organic if possible (you may use part skim to reduce the fat)
3 ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate (Hersheys, Sharffenberger,
1 teaspon pure vanilla extract, preferaby alcohol free
1/4 to 1/3 cup raw (light colored) honey, such as clover or citrus honey or agavé nectar
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder (a brand with nothing added to it) or clear stevia extract liquid, optional

Whipping cream (yields 2 cups):
1 cup heavy whipping cream (see notes above)
1 tablespoon raw honey or agavé nectar
1/2 teaspon pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder (a brand with nothing added to it) or clear stevia extract liquid, optional

Garnish:
4 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced or 8 raspberries
2 to 4 tablespoons organic cocoa nibs

1.  Remove ricotta from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before you begin.
2.  Break or chop the chocolate into pieces. Melt in a saucepan over very low heat. You can use a double boiler, but it’s not necessary.
3.  In a blender,Vita-Mix, or food processor combine the ricotta, melted chocolate, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend until very smooth. Add 1 1/3 tablespoons additional honey or agave. Taste and add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon stevia for a sweeter taste. Divide mixture between 4 dessert cups or wine glasses and chill.
4.  In a glass or metal bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat to combine. For a sweeter taste, add stevia and beat again.
5. Generously spoon whipped cream over the mousse. Fan strawberries or arrange raspberries over the top. Sprinkle with cocoa nibs, and serve. Refrigerate leftovers and use within 1 week.   

Nutrition breakdown: not available

Variation:

*   For a lighter mousse: At the end of step #3, spoon chocolate mousse into a large mixing bowl. After beating whipped cream in step #4, fold 2/3 of it into the chocolate mousse. Divide mousse between serving cups or wine glasses. Spoon remaining whipped cream on top, then garnish with fruit and/or cocoa nibs.

An Apple A Day

Apples and Your Health
Have you ever wondered where the expression, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” came from? According to food historians, it came from the old English adage, “ To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”

One medium apples contains about 80 to 100 calories and 5 grams of fiber, more than you get from a slice of most whole grain breads. Apples contain soluble fiber, which is less irritating than the insoluble fiber found in wheat.

Two-thirds of the fiber in an apple is found in the skin, along with some of the antioxidants, which protect our tissues and cells from damaging free radicals, prevent premature aging, and reduce the risk of developing many diseases.

Apples are a great source of tannins, substances that helps prevent UTIs (urinary tract infections) and may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and periodontal (gum) disease.

Women who eat apples while pregnant may protect their child from developing asthma and related symptoms, say the authors of a recent study.

Apples are rich in flavonoids, a class of antioxidant. Apples are rich in one particular flavonoid known as quercetin, an antioxidant-like compound also found 
in onions and red wine. You won’t get pulled over for eating apples, so you can enjoy it any time, any where, without requiring a dedicated driver.

Apple Trivia:
You’ve bobbed for apples, right? Have you ever wondered why apples float? Air makes up 25 percent of an apple's volume.

Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C. Charred apples have been found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland.

Did you know the crabapple is the only apple native to North America? The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Apples belong to the rose family.

Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States after oranges. They’re grown in 50 states, but grown commercially in 36 states.

The top apple producing states include Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.

The world's top apple producers include China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy.

2500 varieties of apples are grown in the U.S., yet only 100 varieties are grown commercially. 7500 varieties are grown world wide.

I love apples
In the fall and winter I often eat one every day or at least four times a week. One of my favorite snacks consists of a sliced tart-sweet apple slathered with peanut butter. I like to add sliced apples to green salads with raisins or cranberries and a fruity vinaigrette or to a chicken waldorf salad. Sometimes I make them into an apple sauce that rivals bottled brands, or a stewed apple compote that tastes divine sprinkled with chopped toasted nuts or a slightly sweet nut butter sauce. I’ve made, dried apples chips and fruit roll ups for gifts. I also like baked stuffed apples. The recipe below comes from my previous book, The Garden of Eating. This is a great recipe for the holidays.

Baked Apples with Date-Nut Filling

Prep: 30 minutes/ Cooking: 1 hour/ Yield: 9 servings

You don’t need butter or brown sugar to make irresistible baked apples. This dessert tastes wonderful warm or close to room temperature and the leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note: Use eating apples rather than cooking apples; they hold their shape without collapsing into a puddle of apple sauce.

Filling:
1/3 cup packed, dried, sulfite free raisins
1/3 cup packed, dried, pitted dates
1/3 cup unsalted, unsweetened almond or cashew butter or non-hydrogenated peanut butter
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate (do not thaw)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla or maple extract (preferably non-alcoholic)
1 1/4 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

Apples:
9 small to medium size tart-sweet apples (5 to 6 ounces each): 
Early Gold, Ginger Gold, Braeburn, gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, Sundowner, or Cortland
1/3 cup filtered water or apple juice

1.  Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Mince dried fruit and combine with remaining filling ingredients. Or, combine filling ingredients in a food processor or Vita-Mix and process until smooth.
2.  Wash apples and core twice to create a wide cavity. Remove apple bits from around seeds, then core, mince, and add to filling.  Peel upper 1/3 of each apple to keep skins from splitting during cooking, or remove entire peel.
3.  Fill apples, mounding extra filling on top. Stand apples in a 9-inch square or oblong baking pan. Add water to pan. Tightly cover pan with parchment then aluminum foil, or a tight-fitting lid. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until fork tender but not mushy.
4.  Simmer the pan juices in a saucepan to reduce to 1/4 cup, then spoon over apples. Serve warm or close to room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers and use within 5 days.

1 serving: 195 calories, 3 protein, 35 g carbohydrate (7 g fiber), 6 fat,  62 mg calcium

Variations:

*   Substitute 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon powdered orange zest, for apple pie spice.

Source:  The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook
By Rachel Albert-Matesz & Don Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004)

True Food Kitchen Revisited

I met my friend Zona and her two grown children for lunch at True Food Kitchen a week and a half ago (my third visit in 4 1/2 weeks, a lot of eating out for me). Before they arrived I talked with one of the waiters and found out that all most all of the vegetables and breads (50% of the menu) come from local Arizona) farmers or producers and that 70% of the menu consists of organically grown food.

 

Certain menu items are marked with the following: v (vegan), veg (vegetarian), gf (gluten free), t (available with tofu to replace fish, fowl, or meat).

We all started with T-9 drinks: tomato, celery, ginger, cucumber, golden beet, apple, carrot and parsley juice. I was disappointed when the drink arrived and more than half the glass was filled with ice after I’d ordered my water with no ice. Ugh! After I’d ordered my water with no ice. I almost sent it back because I didn’t want an ice-cold drink. I expected a glass filled with freshly pressed juice and nothing else. I thought it would be sweeter too. I was disappointed. My dining companions thought the juice tasted okay, not as good as what they make at home.

I missed getting a picture of the next course, an herbed hummus and pita bread appetizer ($8) that we all shared. I went to the bathroom, came back, and they had already devoured part of it. We liked the thick, chunky texture and herby flavor, but found the feta and olive topping made the hummus very salty. It also came with a lot of pita relative to amount of hummus. If I order it in the future, I’ll ask them to leave off the feta and olive topping and replace the bread with cucumber, carrot, or jicama sticks.

 

Tamara ordered a half portion of Chicken Minestrone Soup ($7) and loved it. I tried a couple of bites  and thought it was really good. She also ordered the Roasted Garlic, Wild Mushroom, Tuscan Kale Pizza with organic flour, spelt, and flax seed crust and some kind of cheese ($11). It was a generous personal pizza, more than enough for one. She liked it. (I took one piece home and tried it the next day. I thought it was good, not great).

Zona ordered the Turkey Burger with Oaxaca Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato & Avocado on Flax Bun with Sweet Potato Hash ($11).

 Bill ordered the Turkey Burger with Kale Salad ($11). See picture on right. They both said the burger was too soft and squishy (they wanted something thicker and denser), needed more flavor, and had too much bun relative to burger. I tried a bite of the sweet potato hash and kale salad and found both flavorful. They deemed the kale salad the best dish of the entire meal!

I had an indecisive menu moment. I almost ordered a half portion (a cup) of Chicken Minestrone with the Harvest Chopped Salad with Butternut Squash, Apples, Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Vinaigrette  ($10). I changed my mind after having a cold  veggie juice and part of the hummus plate. I didn’t think I’d have room for soup and salad too. So I changed my order to the Greek Chopped Salad with Chicken, Feta, Olives & Lemon Vinaigrette ($12). I know, not an adventurous move. Very generous portion (I ended up taking some of it home), but, very heavy on the feta and very salty for my tastes compared to similar sounding salads I’ve had at Pita Jungle. I wished I’d gone with my original inclination––a reminder to go with my gut feeling!

What about dessert? None of us ordered it. My dining companions don't eat a lot of desserts and I usually pass up dessert in restaurants because a) they're usually much sweeter than I like and contain refined ingredients I normally avoid; b) I make such delicious and healthy desserts at home; c) I have plenty of chances to eat dessert leftover from my cooking classes, cooking parties, or recipe testing for magazine articles or books I write.  Besides, we all felt comfortably full.

The tab ran $84 for lunch for four of us––without gratuities. When I asked Zona, Bill, and Tamara how they rated the meal, they gave it a 7 out of 10. They considered the food mediocre for the money, but thought the service was fantastic!

Would they go back? Bill said he would if he was meeting a friend who wanted an organic restaurant and if he was in the Biltmore area. Zona and Tamara nodded in agreement.

Would I go back? Yes, if one of my friends wanted to experience it and especially if someone else was picking up the tab.

Turtle Mountain So Delicious Bars

When I was a kid
If you’re like me, you grew up eating ice cream, including Eskimo Pie© Ice Cream Sandwiches and Ice Cream Bars. You begged your mother to buy them from the supermarket or give you a a nickel (or was it a dime?) so you could get one from the ice cream man when you heard his truck round the corner in your neighborhood.

Healthier ice cream bars?
I haven’t eaten commercial ice cream sandwiches or ice cream bars in years, but I’ve  knock off products in natural foods stores. Don’t assume they’re healthy just because you find them here. For example, Tofutti Cuties look like something I grew up eating, albeit smaller. Yes, they’re milk free and lactose free, but  I don’t recommend them. After water, the first tow ingredients are sugar and corn syrup solids (that means sugar makes up the largest volume). They also contain caramel coloring and unbleached wheat flour (off limits for celiacs and others who are intolerant of gluten).

Dairy free frozen dessert
When Turtle Mountain introduced their Purely Decadent coconut milk-based ice cream alternative, my students wondered what I thought. After the release of my new book, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces in July, I became the person to ask about healthy frozen desserts, something like the Accidental Ice Dream Queen.

I tried Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent coconut-based vanilla frozen dessert last summer and gave it a big thumbs up. I consider it one of the best ice cream alternative on the market. It’s lactose and dairy free, soy free, gluten free, trans fat free, contains less than half the fat of premium ice cream, contains organic ingredients, and gets its sweetness from agave nectar, a low glycemic sweetener, rather than refined sugars found in most frozen desserts. It tasted delicious to me.

FYI: Their cookie dough and mint chip flavors contain beet sugar in the cookie and chocolate parts. Their new the bars and ice cream sandwiches contain agavé nectar in the fillings. The chocolate candy coating and cookie coating contain beet sugar.

Are they gluten free?
I checked with Turtle Mountain's Quality Control Manager. He assured me that their frozen desserts sold by the pint are all gluten free. The chocolate coating on their ice cream-like bars are also gluten free and run on production lines that do not contain gluten (so, no wheat, barley, rye, or oats). They're ice cream-like sandwiches, however, do contain wheat flour (a source of gluten).

The taste test
So here we are in December. I know it’s kind of chilly (in Phoenix) to be eating frozen desserts. Still, I wanted to taste their two new barsand ice cream-like sandwiches two weeks ago so I could tell you what I think.

Rating Delicious Mini Sandwiches
I liked the size (small) of Turtle Mountain’s frozen mini-sandwiches and the fact that they contain only 100 calories and 7 grams of sugar each. Not too much sugar in one sitting. I like the purity of ingredients, although I would like to see them make a gluten free cookie outside.

I occasionally eat wheat, but I prefer eating gluten free and so many of my cooking students and clients must eat that way exclusively. I believe gluten free eating will become even more popular, and important, over the next 10 years, as more children are diagnosed with autism, Celiac Sprue, and more people discover they have autoimmune disorders that are aggravated by gluten.

But back to the cookie sandwiches... I liked the coconut (vanilla) flavoredbetter than the banana split flavor. give it a 7 out of 10. one Still, I prefer my homemade gluten free Ice Dream Sandwiches so I’m comparing their product to my recipes in The Ice Dream Cookbook. I know it’s not easy to create a preservative-free product with a long shelf life and I commend them for creating an alternative product. I rate them good, but not great.

The banana split flavored ice cream-like sandwiches contains real strawberry purée (a plus), but I couldn’t get past the banana flavoring that reminded me of the artificial banana flavored products I ate as a child. I'd give that one a 5. I know real banana purée would be hard to stabilize; it discolors so easily. Maybe they could try a strawberry only filling w/no banana or do a chocolate, strawberry, vanilla filled ice-like cream sandwich.

Rating So Delicious Mini Bars
The mini bars, which run smaller than typical ice cream bars, contain 10 grams of sugar per serving and 150 calories (vanilla flavor) and 170 calories (coconut almond). The flavor and texture reminded me of the bars I ate as a kid. However, I found both of them too sweet for my tastes (I don’t like things as sweet as I used to or as sweet as most people do) from the beet sugar used in the chocolate coating. Most people would probably find the sweetness just right. They're also gluten free (another plus).

If you’re looking for a non-dairy, chocolate covered ice cream bar or healthier ice cream sandwich, give them a try….preferably after the weather warms up. If you must indulge now when during winter. drink a hot cup of spicy tea (try ginger) or Teeccino, an herbal coffee alternative, with it to warm your digestive system.

Have you heard about True Food Kitchen?

Green cuisine
Would you go to a restaurant that serves organic and locally grown food, that offers vegetarian and non-vegetarian items, has gluten-free as well as dairy-free selections, and doesn’t use any trans fats? Would you be interested in eating at an eco-friendly restaurant?

 I would. I wanted to check out True Food Kitchen after a cashier at Sprouts Market and one of my former cooking students and assistants told me about the collaboration between Dr. Andrew Weil and renowned Arizona restaurateur Sam Fox.

I read on-line that the True Food Kitchen menu follows Dr. Weil’s principles for an anti-inflammatory diet, which I agree with on most accounts. (Weil advocates a higher carb diet and encourages people to eat more beans, especially soybeans, and grains, and less meat than I eat or advocate.) Overall, we’re both encouraging people to eat a vibrant assortment of colorful vegetables and fruits, omega 3-rich eggs and wild fish, hormone-free, preferably organic, meat and poultry, whole grains rather than refined grains, extra-virgin olive oil, avocadoes, herbs, spices, dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa content, and modest amounts of minimally refined or unrefined sweeteners.

Healthy and delicious do they go together?
So many people think healthy and delicious food are worlds apart. Not me. I know that healthy and delicious can go hand in hand. You know it too if you’ve come to my classes or cooked from my books, The Garden of Eating and the Ice Dream Cookbook. I wanted see if this place delivered on the concept, not just for me but also for my friends.

You’ll find True Food Kitchen in the Biltmore Fashion Park at 2502 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 135, in Phoenix, Arizona, in the 4,000 space spot where Coffee Plantation used to be. This open, airy lunch and dinner spot has been packed the two times I’ve gone for lunch. I’ve even had to wait 30 minutes for a seat. One of their servers told us they did $100,000 in sales their third or fourth week open.

Allergy-friendly dining
I talked to a chef in their kitchen who assured me that the staff was trained for two weeks in the intricacies of cooking for people with Celiac Disease. They know to boil a fresh pot of water when cooking gluten-free pasta, not to use the same utensils to handle wheat or barley and gluten-free foods, not to cook burgers on the same grill space used to heat wheat buns, etc. Right now their tamari soy sauce does contain wheat, but the Chef I spoke to assured me that they are looking for another source of wheat-free tamari. Make sure you ask about that if it’s an issue for you.

So what about the food?
On my first trip to True Food Kitchen, my friend, Heather, and I ordered The Caramelized Onion Tart with Smoked Garlic, Black Figs, and Gorgonzola appetizer ($9). Heather thought the name “tart” didn’t fit. She thought it was more of a flat bread. Still we liked the crunch of the crust, the contrast of sweet, tart, salty, and pungent, and the portion size seemed just right. Btw: This dish was not gluten-free.

 

We ordered Miso Glazed Black Cod with Bok Choy and Asian Mushrooms ($22) and the Farm Vegetable Salad with slivers of Manchego cheese, pistachios, chili lime vinaigrette ($10) and asked our server to add a side of chicken breast for more protein.

We thought the cod was excellent! I liked the salty, savory, soy-saucy sea of juices that surrounded the cod. I would have liked a little more bok choy (I like large vegetable portions) and more heat––more garlic or ginger. The salad had a nice mix of greens and colorful veggies and a pleasant mix of textures.

Our server forgot the chicken we ordered and we were half way through the salad before it arrived. But when it did, we found it tender, easy to cut, and were glad we asked for it and our server comped the entire salad, so we didn’t complain.

Overall we thought the food was good and fresh. Heather rated it a 7 or 8 out of 10. I agreed. Incidentally, we were so satisfied that didn't have room for desserts.

On my second trip to True Food Kitchen, I brought a different friend. We ordered a mixed salad: Sashimi Tuna with Avocado, Cucumber, Tomato, Edamame & Ginger ($14) and Steak Tacos, Avocado, Tomatillo Salsa & Anasazi Beans ($14).

The salad came first. Wow! Really refreshing with a nice hit of gingery. My friend wondered where the tuna was. I pointed out the tiny cubes of it amidst the salad greens. We definitely wanted more tuna.

The tacos, 4 soft,  slightly warm corn tortillas topped with chunks of beef that we found difficult to bite into smaller pieces. We hoped for more kick from the salsa (and I don’t normally like spicy hot salsa). I liked the stewed but plain Anasazi beans (native to this area) more than my dining companion. We both agreed it could use more spice and more layers of flavor and that they needed to use a different cut of meat, something with more fat or a more tender cut, and to stew it until it was melt-in-your-mouth tender and easily cut with a fork. We also thought the meat portion was rather small. Still I liked it and we polished off ever bit of it.

If I sound critical, you’re right. I am a little. I don’t eat out a lot and when I do I compare it to my own cooking. I think the place has potential. I think they could punch up the flavors of some of the dishes with more spice (or offer that option) and the portions for some of the protein items. However, I know what it takes to run a natural foods restaurant (I did that in my early 20s). Higher quality ingredients increase the cost of the food. They also have to cover rent in a high traffic area. Heather, who eats out way more often than me, thought their prices were pretty fair considering the quality of food they serve.  She said, “obviously customers should expect to pay more for better food.”

For True Food Kitchen menu, click here.

I like it enough that I’d go back. Who knows how it will evolve over time. In fact I’m going there next week with some friends who haven’t tried it. I like fresh, clean food and the kinds of ingredients they use. Give it a try and tell me what you think

Root Vegetable Renaissance

What vegetables have you eaten today?
This week? What have you eaten besides lettuce, cucumbers, tomato, broccoli, and potatoes? Have you been ignoring your roots? Now’s the time to repair your relationship with these often ignored vegetables. And you thought I was talking about your great grandparents and their parents? I’m focusing our garden roots here.

At the turn of the century, Americans ate them in abundance. With the advent of fast food these sustaining slow-food staples have fallen out of favor. Nowadays, many people are unable to identify more than one or two root vegetables. If you don’t believe me, take a selection of roots through the checkout line at a supermarket and see how many bewildered looks and questions you get as they try to figure out what you’re buying. Sadly, they can probably name more brands of beer or soda than root vegetables.

Name that root
How many of these roots can you accurately identify?

Black radish
Burdock root
Celeraic
Daikon
Horseradish
Icicle radish
Kohlrabi
Parsnip
Rutabaga
Salsify
Turnip
Watermelon radish
Winter Radish

What’s so great about roots?
They provides stability and a sense of root-ed-ness. Without roots, we tip over, feel awry, un-rooted, up-rooted, unconnected to our origins, and ungrounded. We become lost in upward and outward energy.  If we want our feet firmly planted on the earth, we have to reconnect with the primal energy of Mother Earth. What better time to do this than during the Autumn and winter? And what better way than by eating earthy root vegetables. (Did I mention that most of them taste mildly to strongly sweet when baked, boiled, roasted, stewed, or simmered in a soup with onions?)

The function of roots   
A plant’s roots draw water and minerals from the soil to nourish and sustain its leaves. They regulate water and mineral movement and keep crucial fluids flowing. Roots store energy collected by the leaves, slowly releasing it to fuel growth, activity, and reproduction for plants. During a long cold winter, the underground portion of a plant stores vital energy after the leaves die back, allowing the plant to regenerate in the spring. I like to think of roots as fertilizer for thought, nourishment for the next project, and batteries for bolstering our bodies.

What’s in a root?
From a nutritional standpoint, roots provide carbohydrates, minerals, including potassium and phosphorus, small amounts of iron, vitamin C, fiber, an abundance of phytonutrients, and a cornucopia of carotenoids beyond beta carotene.  One cup of turnip or rutabaga can supply as much vitamin C as one grapefruit or half an orange. And you thought you had to eat oranges to get your C? Given the right internal conditions, your body converts some of the beta carotene in roots into vitamin A.   

Benefits reaped by eating more roots
Volume for volume and calorie for calorie, roots supply more nutrients and fewer calories than grains. Their soluble fiber can increase satiety, aid weight loss, and keep you regular. Using root vegetables as a replacement for grain adds vibrant colors, textures, and flavors to meals. One or two daily doses of roots may lessen your desire for sweets, provided you pair them with ample protein and friendly fat and oils on your plate.

Year round goodness
Depending upon where you live, the harvest time for these vegetables will vary. However, most are amenable to year round use and many may be grown in the dead of winter with the use of cold frames or a greenhouse. In Phoenix, Arizona, we we can enjoy locally grown roots throughout the fall, winter, and spring.

Here’s a great ways to celebrate the season and reconnect with your roots.
   
Roasted Mixed Root Vegetables        

Prep: 20 minutes/ Cooking: 45 minutes/Yield: 8 servings

Oven roasting makes root vegetables caramelize, intensifying their sweetness. You can use a variety of vegetables here. I like to include bright orange, yellow, or red vegetables for the most colorful presentation. You can serve them warm from the oven or chilled in a lunch tote, as a side dish, or arranged on a bed of baby greens with vinaigrette and a side of fish, poultry, meat (or a bean soup if you’re vegetarian). I recommend making enough to serve 2 to 3 days in row; leftovers make the healthiest convenience food. (See picture above for a before and after cooking images.)

Note: Select the smallest roots you can find; large, overgrown specimens usually turn out  tough, dry, and bitter. Look for small, smooth, unblemished sweet potatoes and yams if you include them. Look for less common varieties of beets such as golden or candy-striped specimens, baby turnips, and heirloom carrots.

Ingredients:
1 medium to large onion, optional
2 pounds of root vegetables, scrubbed, rinsed, and trimmed:
carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, beets, or some combination
2 tablespoons clarified butter, ghee, or extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
juice of 1/2 lemon or orange
2 teaspoons of lemon or orange zest (colored part only)
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, pie spice or dried, powdered rosemary
1/2 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Add oil to a 14x9x2-inch or 18x9x2-inch roasting pan. 
2. Zest (grate the colored part) of the lemon or orange, then juice the fruit, and set aside.
3. Peel vegetables, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks or wedges and arrange in a prepared pan. If using baby turnips or real baby carrots you can leave them whole. Add the fat or oil, citrus juice, and zest. Toss to coat (use your hands to evenly distribute seasonings). Add spices and toss again.
4. Place the pan in the oven and cook uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the vegetables with a large spatula, return them to the oven, and cook for 20 to 25 more minutes until fork-tender, fragrant, and slightly browned.  Serve warm or allow to cool, then cover, and refrigerate in glass or Pyrex containers. Use within 3 days.
5. Reheat leftovers or serve at room temperature.

1 serving: 118 calories, 2 to 3 g protein, 14 to 19 g carbohydrate (4 to 6 g fiber), 5 g fat, 41 mg calcium, 11 mg sodium

Variations:

*  Roasted Root Vegetables with Ginger Juice: After vegetables have roasted for 30 minutes, toss with 2 tablespoons ginger juice made from peeled, finely grated, and squeezed fresh ginger. (Use a microplane, the smallest holes of a cheese grater, or ginger grater, and discard pulp after you’ve squeezed out the juice.)

* Roasted Root Vegetables with Garlic: After vegetables have roasted for 20 minutes, break a bulb of garlic into individual cloves, leaving the skin on them. Toss them in with the roots, stir, and return to the oven to bake for another 30 minutes.

Source: Modified from The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz and Don Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004). For more information and sample recipes click here

Healthy Edible Gifts for the Holidays

Love holidays but not the gluttony of over shopping, over spending, overeating, and waste? You can avoid the malls by making mouth-watering consumable gifts from simple, wholesome ingredients.

Tradeoffs that pay off
Why not tade traffic,long lines, big bills, and headaches for quiet, creative time in your kitchen. Make a healthy recipes your family and friends will cherish, They won't ask how to return or exchange these gifts. Instead, they'll appreciate the healthfulness, uniqueness, and thoughtfulness that went into your gift.

 Packing tips for edible gifts
You can pack my treasures in half-pint, pint, and quart canning jars, re-decorated salad dressing bottles, plant-based cellulose bags with twist ties, and gift boxes lined with foil and parchment paper. Use plastic bags for bread and items that must be kept airtight that won’t easily fit into jars. 

How to bag it 
When you pack cookies or breads in zippered bags, separate each layer with unbleached parchment paper. Place a piece of unbleached paper towel inside the top and bottom of each bag to absorb moisture.

Insert a straw 2 to 3 inches into the bag. Zip the bag closed to meet the straw; exhale the air from your lungs, then inhale through the straw to pull the air out of the bag. Pinch the straw shut. Pull out the straw and zip the bag closed to prevent freezer burn. Refrigerate or freeze.

No bag deal: just jar it!
Stash perishable liquid items in wide-mouth canning jars. Use a wide-mouth funnel to fill the jars. Do not fill beyond the lip of the jar. Leave 1 1/2-inchs of headroom for expansion during freezing. Allow warm items to cool slightly, uncovered, at room temperature, then refrigerate. When food reaches refrigerator temperature, cover tightly (vacuum seal if desired), and freeze.

A Tilia Food Saver® with accessory attachments will allow you to seal food in canning jars. It removes air from containers and seals in freshness, flavor, fragrances, and nutrients. It also prevents freezer burn and keeps food fresh up to five times longer than conventional containers or plastic wrap. Look for it on line or in large supermarkets. Note: Vacuum sealing does not replace refrigeration, freezing, or canning. Food can still spoil. Let your gift recipients know which gifts need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

 How to decorate your gifts
You can decorate jars with ribbons and decorative fabric cut into circles with pinking shears (make the fabric cut outs 2-inches wider than the jar tops). Place pieces of fabric on top of vacuum sealed jars before screwing on the metal bands.

Keeping your edible gifts in ship shape
Tightly seal jars and containers. Vacuum seal if possible. Slip jars into zip-locking bags, leaving air in the bag for cushioning. Surround jars with bubble wrap and cushion with wadded up newspaper, cornstarch packing peanuts, popcorn, or more bubble wrap in a sturdy box.

When shipping multiple items, place heavy stuff in the bottom of the box and allow plenty of space and cushioning between the objects. To prevent shifting, shake the box down, then add more stuffing as needed. To reduce shipping costs, ship refrigerated or frozen items in separate boxes from non-perishables.

How to ship perishables
Buy dry ice in supermarkets in 5-pound plastic bags. One bag will keep the contents of an 18-cube box (18x18x18) cold for 24 hours. Take it to your local UPS store with refrigerated or frozen food gifts and have them pack it properly and ship it next day air. Better yet, ship less perishable items such as beef and turkey jerky, fruit roll-ups, dried fruits, nut pralines, macaroons, and cookies that don't require ice.

Labeling tips
Use waterproof markers and large, bold print for ship to and return address labels on the outside of your boxes. Secure labels with clear shipping tape. Label “PERISHABLE” and ship the fastest method possible.

What kinds of recipes make great holiday gifts?
These are some of my favorites gluten-free, dairy-free recipes from my previous book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook:

* Moroccan Barbecue Spice Mix 
* Moroccan Barbecue Sauce
* My Favorite Coconut Macaroons        
* Dark-Chocolate-Dipped Date Nut Truffles
* Homemade Beef Jerky & Homemade Turkey Jerky       
* Homemade Apple Sauce
* Cranberry-Apple Compote           
* Dried Apple Chips                
* Fruit Rollups/Fruit Leather           
* Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Nut Spread (made very thick)
* Spicy Peanut Sauce with Chipotlé
* Cashew-Macadamia-Dill Dip & Dressing
* Poppy Seed Pineapple Drizzle (dressing)       

These are some of my favorite gluten-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened recipes from my newest release, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies Compotes & Sauces:

* Hot Fudge Sauce
* Hot Chocolate Sauce
* Carob Sauce
* Raspberry Sauce
* Cherry Sauce
* Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
* Dark Chocolate-Dipped Date Nut Truffles
* Almond, Sesame, or Pumpkinseed Pralines
* Chocolate Chip Blondies
* Chocolate Cookies
* Chocolate Chip Cookies
* Pumpkin & Gingerbread Spice Cookies
* Banana Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
* Graham Crackers

You can order these cookbooks in time for holiday gift giving by visiting The Garden of Eating web site or by calling Planetary Press at (602) 840-4556.