Saturday, November 29, 2008

Hormones and Antibiotics, Oh My!

Consumers, beware! Don’t believe everything you read on the label.

Due to concern over growth hormones and antibiotic accumulation, many companies have started labeling their products as “Hormone Free” or “Raised Without Antibiotics.” While this trend may have begun as a means to help us avoid taking in excess toxins with potential long-term consequences, this has evolved into a mere marketing ploy. For example, Tyson Chicken has recently “come clean” about their practice of labeling chicken as “Raised Without Antibiotics” even though they do, in fact, inject their chickens with them. They skirt the issue by injecting the birds before they are hatched so that their claim is still technically true. Shady.


With regard to “Hormone-free “milk, you simply have to trust the producer. The hormones in question occur naturally in cows, so it would be nearly impossible to test for the addition of extra, synthetic ones. Producers have to sign an affidavit stating that they don’t inject these hormones (specifically, rGBH), but who trusts corporations these days… Monsanto, the company that manufactures the synthetic hormone, claims that milk from these cows is just as safe as the all-natural variety. Maybe we should just believe them—I’m sure they have our best interest at heart (*wink*)

Friday, November 28, 2008

Sweet Potato Muffins


I baked up a batch of some fabulously healthy, yet terribly delicious muffins this morning and thought I’d share my recipe!

Sweet Potato Muffins

You’ll need:

2 small sweet potatoes

2 eggs

1/3 c. canola oil

1 large apple, peeled and diced

1c. AP flour

1c. whole wheat flour

¼ c. ground flaxseed meal

2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake or microwave the sweet potatoes until tender and scoop out the flesh (you’ll need about 1 cup). Mash or puree potato until smooth, then add the eggs, oil and apple.

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly, then add to sweet potato mixture and stir until just combined.

Spoon into greased muffin or mini muffin pan and bake 10 minutes for mini muffins, 15 to 20 minutes for full sized (or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean).

Enjoy!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Tonight's Tasty Supper

No pics available because we ate it all...
Check out this month's Eating Well (I swear we'd starve without this magazine) for a delicious Ethiopian-inspired Lentil Stew... Magazine is in the bedroom (along with a sleeping baby), so let's see if I can get it from memory-- I tweaked it a bit anyway...
1 cup of green lentils, rinsed, sorted
1 cup frozen edamame
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 16oz. can diced tomatoes
6 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup quick cooking barley*
1/2 tbsp. ground chili pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika*
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cardamom*
1 tsp. cinnamon
dash Kosher salt*
dash ground clove
2 16oz. cans reduced sodium chicken broth* (because I left it cooking on high while bathing the baby and it soaked up all the water-- but I think this was a tasty addition)

Cook lentils in a small sauce pan (enough water to cover about an inch over the lentils) until tender
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions-- cook until translucent (5 minutes). Add tomatoes, edamame, spices, lemon juice, barley and one can of broth. Reduce heat and simmer until barley is cooked (10 minutes). Add mint and parsley. Add more broth as needed.
I served it with a loaf of crusty whole grain bread from the bakery.
Delish!!!!

*my additions

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Stuffed Squash... Yum!

Perfect Fall Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash
(adapted from Eating Well)




You'll Need:
3 medium sized Acorn Squash
1/2 lb. lean ground sausage (I use Gimme Lean vegetarian sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 16 oz. can diced stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup frozen sweet corn
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Hot sauce to taste
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

To Make:
Cut squash in half and scoop seeds. Bake in oven preheated to 375 deg. , face down on greased cookie sheet for about 45 minutes or until tender.

While your squash bakes, prepare your filling. Brown sausage over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until soft (5 minutes). Add garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Next, stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, salt and hot sauce and cook until heated through.

After you've finished baking the squash, reduce oven temp. to 325. Turn squash cup side up and fill with sausage mixture. Top each with cheese and bake 10 minutes (or until cheese is melted... but not burned!)

Seve with a side of kale sauteed with kosher salt, olive oil and garlic for a perfect Fall meal.