Monday, February 28, 2011

Asian Noodles with Coconut Milk and Vegetables

Mouthfuls of explosive flavor wait in the highly nutritious Asian pasta dish that brims with protein and colorful fresh vegetables. Another veggie-licious way to enjoy and increase your intake of  health-restoring vegetables. You’re doing great.

Serves 4

12 oz Barillo Plus spaghetti (or however much you think you need!

1/2 green/red/yellow pepper, julienned

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cabbage (Napa or red. Depends on your preference)

1/2 onion, julienned

1/2 c organic peanut butter (Meijer carries a nice one)

1/4 c soy sauce

2 tbs. sesame oil

2tbs. Ground flax or Chia seed for FIBER

2 tbs. cider vinegar

2 tbs. Raw coconut oil

¼ cup coconut milk (Shake the cans contents vigorously before opening)

1 tsp. Sea salt

½ tsp. Pepper flakes

2 tbs. sesame seeds (toasted if you have time)

1 scallion, chopped

2 tbs. chopped peanuts

1. Set a large pot of water on to boil Add salt followed by the spaghetti; cook al dente according to package instructions.

2. Slice (julienne) all the vegetables. (Note: you can really put in any veg you like. It all works!)

3. Whisk together the peanut butter, soy, sesame oil, and vinegar. Taste it! You might want to add more of one ingredient depending on your personal preference.

4. Heat the oil in a medium pan to medium heat. Add vegetables, hot peppers, then salt and hot pepper.

5. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. Add the vegetables and sauce to the pasta. Combine all the ingredients and add some of the reserved water or more coconut milk if the sauce is too thick.

7. Plate the dish and sprinkle with the chopped dry roasted peanuts and scallion.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Protein

Patriotic American lemmings have been trained to eat the biggest, reddest, greasiest, bloodiest slab-o-meat no less than three times daily, “… if not, you’re a Commie!”

The Western Hemisphere is obsessed with protein; more is mistakenly perceived as better, macho; a symbol of prosperity, so “Don’t dis my meat, dude!” This concern is misplaced. Although protein is unquestionably essential in the way our temple functions, humans don’t innately require humongous amounts, yet they demand it. In reality, human omnivores need only small amounts. Only one calorie out of ten we take in needs to come from protein. The average American eats 50 percent more than they need. Why don’t we have more than two canine teeth?

Most Americans placidly picture happy cattle munching grass on undulating pastures, chickens pecking worms and bugs outside quaint red barns, and pigs gleefully gulping food at the trough. Unless locally grown by a true steward of God’s green earth, those days are toast. Today’s genetically altered, hormone seasoned chicken, pork, and beef come from factory farms. Factoryfarming.com is a web site everyone should visit as well as renting an enlightening movie “The Earthlings.”

Next to water, proteins are a major part of your temple. Proteins build and repair body tissues, create essential hormones, form enzymes and body chemicals, regulate body processes, provide energy, hormones, and antibodies that empower the temple to fight infection. Protein is a significant building block of muscles, bones, cartilage, blood and skin. The health mojos of protein are contingent upon its quality and authenticity. Are the proteins you supply your family high or inferior in quality; garbage in, garbage out?

There are distinctive animal proteins, each performing a unique function in the body. This broaches cleanliness, originality, purity. Where did it come from, a local gentle family farmer who fed them green grass, or a factory farm where they were fed other cows, corn, or processed with carbon monoxide and red dye, or a chicken farmer who allowed his poultry to eat delicious bugs and meandering worms as our creator planned?

Eating too much protein, as we’re constantly urged, especially with too little complex carbohydrates creates ketosis; when the temple metabolizes body fat for energy purposes instead of the usual glucose-from-carbohydrates. An Endocrinologist’s dream. This process leaves behind carbon particles called ketones which cause loss of appetite and loss of water weight. Eating too much protein with no exercise, however, will not increase strength but will definitely increase stress levels. According to Mayo when someone suffers from a high level of ketones in the blood, they’ll begin to suffer from both excessive thirst and more frequent, foul-smelling urination.

An easy way to calculate your daily protein requirement according to the USDA is to multiply 0.36 (grams) by your body weight. That translates to about 44 grams for a 120-pound woman and 54 grams for a 150-pound male. An ounce is 28.4 grams.

Need another reason to dial down your meat consumption? You may have a higher risk of cancer if you eat too much meat injected with growth hormones given to cattle to help them grow larger. These hormones remain in factory meat and upset hormone balance leading to an increased risk of breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. Hormone residues found in beef and milk are being blamed for bringing on early puberty in young girls. This risk can be reduced by only eating hormone-free, organic meats.

AARP studies report people who eat the largest quantities of red and processed meats are 20 percent more likely to die of cancer. Recently red meat’s been associated with increased risk of overall mortality.

Sigh…. Unholy cow!  Your body’s your buddy, my dear readers. Keep reminding yourself, less is more, less is more.





Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Vegan Auyrvedic Kitchari

Kitchari, an easy-to-digest traditional rice and bean dish, is a comfort food of India. A five-day kitchari fast, with just some chopped cilantro leaves added, will cleanse the temple and strengthen memory.

1 cup split yellow mung dal/moong dahl, or red lentils

2 cups cooked Indian basmati rice, quinoa or long grain brown rice

3 tablespoons of Organic, Unrefined, Coconut Oil

1 inch piece of fresh ginger (root), peeled, chopped up well

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp turmeric

Pinch of Cayenne

1 cup washed, RAW veggies: peas, carrots, cauliflower, etc. cut into a 1/4” dice, keeping shapes uniform

Garnish with cilantro leaves

2 bu. chopped green onions

• First, wash and strain the mung dal and rice well. In sauce pan, heat 9 cups water until it boils; add in the mung dal & rice. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Drain off any excess water.

• While that’s going, crush the three seeds (caraway, fennel & cumin). In saute pan, heat the organic, unrefined coconut oil over medium heat; add the ginger, seeds, turmeric, and cinnamon. It should smell really good by now!

• When adding the washed veggies, add them ‘RAW’ to the grain once the spices are roasted.

• Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion; gently mix and serve.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Make Your Heart this Years Valentine

Our heart; the wellspring from which our true nature is revealed is the dwelling of intuition, love, creativity, wisdom, gratitude and faith; qualities generally associated with the mind. We know deep in our heart, the ever beating orb is entwined with influencing and being influenced by everything we do, say, see and eat.

Do you love and respect your life-blood, pumping pal? Last week Dr. Gregory Martin, Indiana State Health Commissioner advised heart-clutching vegaphobic Hoosiers, “We have to take a fresh look at our comfortable habits and apply better wisdom.” Hard-headed Hoosiers are one of the unhealthy states in America, and what they eat or don’t eat is the cause, hence, avoidable.

Open your heart to new foods and love your way toward a heart-healthy diet. Give your heart the daily gift of antioxidant blueberries, potent disease-fighting foods. Delicious dark blue jewels are infatuated with fiber, vitamin C, and available fresh and frozen year long. How about wild caught Salmon? If it’s not farm raised, salmon contains clean protein packed with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acid love. The American Heart Association advises eating salmon and other omega-3 rich foods twice a week.

Popeye and his Valentine Olive Oyl knew spinach is a powerhouse. Its rich, dark color comes from the amorous phytochemicals, vitamins, folate and iron that protect against heartbreaking situations. Don’t even flirt with grocery spinach unless it’s organic. Non-organic spinach is sprayed generously with cancerous insecticides. Consistently eating a variety of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and grass-fed dairy products lovingly protect a hungry heart and minimizes ‘the big one”.
Limiting certain fats is important. Of the types of fat; saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fat, saturated and trans fats increase risk of coronary artery disease. Major sources of inflammatory saturated fat include beef, pork, butter, cheese, milk and hydrogenated coconut and palm oils. Trans fats are banned in many major United States cities since they are worse than saturated fat because they raise LDL and lower HDL. Unlovable trans fats lurk within deep-fried fast foods, bakery products, packaged snack foods, margarine's, and crackers.

Want to break your heart; eat canola, a member of the mustard family. Canola, a hyped con-job developed in Canada, is bogus oil engineered from the rapeseed plant. It’s an excellent insect repellent according to the EPA. To their credit, the FDA has taken a stance to protect babies from the unknown risks of Canola oil and prohibits Canola from being used in infant formula. Canola is found to be poisonous for all living things, including humans. It’s also used as a lubricant, fuel and a solution to illuminate the colored pages of the magazines.

Instead, gift your heart extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, fish oil, flax and chia oils, raw unrefined organic coconut oil, and modest quantities of sunflower, sesame, safflower, peanut, and ghee. Unlovable cotton seed oil is the filthiest. Remember; never let any oil reach the smoking point; heat destroys the love. Rarely mentioned, fat from grass fed beef actually contains omega 3 fatty acids that reduce plaque. Factory Farms feed the furry vegetarian bovines other dead cows, ugh, genetically modified organism (GMO) corn, mouth-watering growth hormones, appetite stimulants and pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and everyone’s favorite, aflatoxins. This aberrant grocery meat should be avoided like Ebola. Other health-appropriate Valentine options include winter squash, oatmeal, Navy beans, cinnamon-an anti-inflammatory, and apples including the peel. Be aware, chocolate is a calorie-rich, fatty food. A little is wonderful, a lot is not.

This Valentine’s Day have a dalliance with your heart. By tenderly embracing real, living
foods intended by Creation to restore, rebuild, and sustain the temple, you engrave a love note onto your heart saying, “I care.”

Eating greasy, sugary, dead bar coded food with no fresh produce or whole grains heaps contempt upon your monogamous temple. So, what’s it gonna be, Valentine?

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Portobello Mushroom Pizza
WISH TV Eat Right Now with Chef Wendell
Makes 1 serving

We now know cheesy Pizza, yes, our beloved friend is largely responsible for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Open your mouth and mind to this delightful pizza ‘redo’ the whole family will love.

If you haven’t heard, recently the USDA and the CDC announced Americans need to eat more vitamin dense fruits and vegetables in order to avoid current plagues of chronic disease. So, here’s a little help from my recipe box.

It’s a terrific way for the entire family to enjoy fresh healthy vegetables. Gather everyone together and make these tasty pizzas as a family. If you wish to use pizza sauce rather than tahini, that’s perfectly fine. Mild Tahini is sesame seeds turned into a peanut butter-like consistency. Loaded with zinc!

1 large Portobello mushroom

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup raw tahini paste or almond butter

½ small ripe local tomato sliced thinly

¼ ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced

½ tbs. extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

•Remove and discard stem of the mushroom and remove the mushroom cap ‘gills ‘with a tablespoon

•Turn cap upside down and place on a serving plate. Squeeze freshly squeezed lemon juice over it, and then pour on the tahini paste or almond butter

•Top with sliced tomatoes and avocados. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil

• Have a sauté pan ready with a scant amount of antioxidant olive oil. Over medium heat, place the caps into the awaiting pan; sauté VERY briefly, remove.

•Cut into quarters

•Tastes best when eaten immediately.