Minestrone

This soup was originally based on a recipe from The New Basics Cookbook, but I've made so many alterations that it's really my own now. So here you go!


Cara's MINESTRONE

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely diced
1 leek, finely diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 head of cabbage, roughly chopped into bite-size pieces
1 potato, peeled and diced (I also have used a parsnip, which was really good)
6 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt, to taste
15 oz red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz white kidney beans (or Great Northern), drained and rinsed
15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I get this from Trader Joe's and it's amazing -- it's tomatoes and green chilies. If you don't want a spicy soup, just use regular canned diced tomatoes)
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar(the "secret" ingredient that I think totally makes it!)
freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

optional: Italian sausage, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

Heat olive oil over med-high in a large pot. Add garlic, onions, carrot and leek and cook until veg start to become tender (10 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally). Add cabbage, potato, stock and tomato paste and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 2 tablespoons of parsley along with the oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes and cider vinegar. Simmer until all veg are tender. Adjust seasonings and add sausage if desired. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of parsley before serving. Serve with Parmesan.

(You can also add pasta to this at the end. Add a few ounces of a small pasta before adding the sausage and simmer until pasta is cooked. We leave out the sausage and pasta generally to reduce calories.)


This recipe yields 6-8 servings and is only between 200-300 calories per serving (without sausage or pasta)! It makes for a tasty, quick, healthy, filling-but-not-heavy lunch. And, like all soups, I like this more the day after it's made. All the flavors really come out and blend.

To stick with my challenge rules, I'll have to make my beans from scratch next time I make this! I usually make this soup on Sunday afternoons and we eat it for lunch through-out the week. I'll have to plan ahead to get my beans soaking!

I will be sad when these veggies go out of season (they've all been coming in our CSA box for the past couple of months), but will be just that much more excited to make it next winter! That is the joy of eating seasonally -- you're not likely to burn out if you can only have them at certain foods at certain times of the year! It really makes you not take anything for granted, too. Which is a lesson we all need to learn. :)

Jamie Oliver & Jamie's Food Revolution

I'm sure you've all heard about this show by now, Jamie's Food Revolution (Fridays at 9pm on ABC). I have been a big fan of Jamie Oliver for several years now -- I used to watch his various shows on the Food Network all the time. Then for Christmas, my husband gave me Jamie's beautiful cookbook Jamie at Home and I absolutely love it. The food is so rustic and earthy and beautiful and whole, not to mention delicious! So when I heard about Jamie's Food Revolution a few months ago, I was very excited!

The show is basically about changing the way Americans eat, starting with public school lunch programs (which are horrible -- I remember from my own school days!)and the way families eat at home. Of course the show is a bit "reality show"-y (it is on ABC after all, and produced by Ryan Seacrest) but I am just thrilled that a show like this is on network television. It is something that people need to see! If you've missed the first two episodes, you can watch them online HERE and make sure you catch the next episode on Friday. Also, take 10 seconds to sign the petition supporting Jamie's effort to change the food that is being fed to American kids at school.



AND, not only is there a tv show, there is a cookbook called Jamie's Food Revolution. It is incredible!! I have read it cover to cover probably about 5 times now since I got it a week ago. The photography is beautiful, the recipes are exactly the kind of food I love, and Jamie's personality makes reading about boiling rice super entertaining (to me, anyway!) I can't really express how much I love this book. I carry it around the house with me (even to bed!) cause I want it near me. Unbalanced? Probably. But I just LOVE it!

The book is so perfect for people who have not cooked before or who only know a few basics but is still great for people who cook regularly. The first section has lists and photos of the equipment and pantry items needed to have a well-stocked kitchen that will enable you to make healthy, fresh food easily and quickly. I actually already have bought several copies as gifts and I wish I could buy a copy for everyone! Teehee.

In the past week I've made a few recipes from JFR: Chicken Tikka Masala (holy CRAP I can not tell you how amazing it was!), A Cracking Burger, Lemon Dressing, and Shrimp and Avocado with An Old-School Marie Rose Sauce is on the menu for tonight. I also made Light and Fluffy rice to go along with the Chicken Tikka that turned out so perfectly. Seriously, that meal tasted exactly like we were at our favorite Indian restaurant. It was brilliant! So, basically, I'm in love.

Get yourself to Amazon or the bookstore and get the cookbook asap! I can not wait to make and eat every single recipe. And then, make sure to start watching the show this Friday at 9pm on ABC!

Fast Food Nation & Food, Inc.

As I said, my interest-turned-passion/obsession for real, local, organic, natural, unprocessed food has been something that's been building for the past several years. What has really made me want to take the leap into this challenge though has been all of the research I have been doing lately on the food industry, the history of food, and the effects that the commercialization and separation from our food is having on this country. Just after a bit of reading, it all makes so much sense and it is so obvious where we've gone wrong. There are several books that I recommend if you're at all interested in these topics. And even if you aren't. :)


It seems like this book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and the film Food, Inc. are all over the place right now. I don't know if that's just cause I'm in that scene or if they are really getting a lot of attention right now. I hope it's the later because I really think everyone should at least see Food, Inc. The movie is a good overview about where our food comes from, how it's produced, what is in it and what the costs to society and the environment are. The book goes more in-depth into all of these subjects, along with the history of the fast food industry. It is fascinating! There is also a book called Chew On This by Eric Schlosser which is the young adult version of Fast Food Nation.





Please watch the Food, Inc trailer HERE and go HERE to watch a great interview with the director (who seems like such a great guy, he makes me happy!) and go HERE to sign a petition supporting healthy food in public schools!

P.S. I promise this blog won't be all me pushing stuff. :) Food photos and recipes coming up!

The Rules

I am challenging myself to eat only food prepared from scratch ingredients for the month of April 2010. But of course I chose a month in which I will not only be staying at a friends' house for several days, but also will have house guests myself for 2 weeks. Luckily for me, the friends with whom I will be staying are on the really same page as me when it comes to food, and I can basically move in there with whatever food I want to bring along. Also luckily, my house guests will be my 19-year-old brother who will be subject to whatever I make him do and my mother, who is also on the same page as me when it comes to my "real food".


Things I Can Buy

flour (whole wheat and bread)
rice (brown and basmati)
beans (kidney, cannellini, black)
sugar (brown and white)
pasta (because I'm too chicken to attempt this yet. Plus, we eat very little pasta.)
yeast
salt
olive oil
vinegars
milk and cream (organic)
eggs (from our CSA, laid by free-range, organic hens)
fruits and vegetables (organic, from our CSA and local farmers markets)
honey (local)
meat and chicken (from a local farm or Whole Foods)
chocolate (highest quality, fewest ingredients)
dried spices and herbs

Plus (kind of cheats):

*jarred curry paste (cause I don't want to make it and I don't use it that often -- probably once per month)
*vegetable stock (only if I'm unable to make enough myself)
*canned tomatoes (I plan to can my own when tomato season hits in a few months)
*salsa (only because some of the ingredients are not yet in season. I will be buying salsa only that contains ingredients I'd use in making my own at home)
*Haagen Daaz ice cream (flavors that only contain milk, cream sugar, vanilla, egg yolk, fruit or chocolate)
*a cupcake from our favorite cupcakery in Long Beach when we drive down to the airport


Another event happening in April that I just remembered is my brother-in-law's wedding 3 days into the month. Dinner is being held at a Greek restaurant after the ceremony. I will stick as closely as I can to eating the freshest, whole foods offered. And I'll report back on how it goes. :)

In the past week or so I've nearly been sticking to only making everything from scratch as it is. Some of the things I've made are yogurt, butter, whole wheat bread, biscuits (using buttermilk from making butter), as well as the majority of our meals. It's definitely been more work and time consuming. I feel lucky that I have the time available to dedicate to my venture. Some of my other hobbies are going to have to be put aside for the month, but I'm super excited to be able to solely concentrate on health, fitness and making real, whole foods for my family.

Wish me luck!!


EDIT: Oopsie, I forgot that I'm going to a friend's wedding in April, too! Yikes! But I'll make it work. :)

Starting From Scratch

I have discovered a new passion. It's something I've more or less been into for the past few years but more recently I have started totally geeking out on it.

My passion is Real Food. Food made from scratch -- from basic, raw ingredients in their most simple form, prepared by hand with love and care. Food that is not made in a factory or filled with chemicals, artificial colors or flavors, or added junk just for the sake of adding junk. Foods that were once "convenience" foods have become all too often the norm. Made not just on those nights when there's no time to cook something from scratch, but every night. And even worse than these pre-packaged convenience foods, is fast food. Which most people eat several times a week. Sometimes at least one meal per day. And much too often, more than one meal per day!

Growing up, my family made most of our food from scratch. It was both a budget thing and we also just knew that what we cooked at home was usually far superior to anything we could eat out. From a young age I started helping my mother in the kitchen. I was making pie crust by the time I was 11. I could, and would, make meals for my large (8 person) family without a thought by that age, too. Every one of my 5 younger siblings is confident in the kitchen and is able to cook and bake for themselves and do so regularly.

I feel lucky to have been raised this way. I know many people in my generation, growing up in the 1980s and 90s, were not so lucky. And they are now adults who are unable to cook for themselves or their families (and I fear that it's even worse for the kids 10-20 years younger than me!). Actually, I shouldn't say "unable", as everyone is able to cook once they learn a few basics. But these people either believe it's too hard or complicated, or it just doesn't even cross their mind to try. And why should they, after all? You can buy anything your heart (or stomach) could possibly desire already made for you.

I believe they should try. Everyone should try. All it should take is a glance at the ingredient label on anything you pick up in the grocery store to make you question what on earth you're actually consuming. The number of ingredients in most products is ridiculous. And usually more than half of them are unpronounceable chemicals and flavorings and preservatives. How can that possibly good for us? As it has so much to do with health and wellness, I feel strongly that the quality and source of our food is vastly important. After all, what is more crucial than having a healthy, happy and strong body? It can affect every aspect of our lives.

“The way we eat has changed more in the past 40 years than in the past 40,000.″ This quote from Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation) gives me the chills. Granted, everything we now know and use in our modern lives has changed more in the last 40-100 years than it has in the past 40,000 as well. However, even with all of our advancements in medicine, science, and technology and our extensive knowledge about the human body, health, nutrition, hygiene, etc, we are now dying in staggering numbers from issues that stem from obesity and other ailments that can be traced back to what we consume.

We are no longer dying en mass from the black plague, or small pox, or dysentery, but we are dying (younger and younger) as a result of the kinds and quantities of fuel we are giving our bodies. And that is something I can not wrap my mind around. It is just so backwards and against nature, in my opinion. And I believe that nature is pretty damn smart.

I could talk about this all day. Which is why I started this blog. And also because I want to challenge myself. I have a goal and I think it'd be interesting, and also hopefully beneficial to others, to document my journey towards that goal. My challenge for myself is to, for one month -- April 2010 -- only eat things that I make myself, from scratch. No prepared foods. No preservatives. No eating out. At times it's going to be tough, even though I use few of these things as it is.

The most common things I buy prepared (yogurt, butter, breads, pasta, canned beans, and a few others) will all be made from their basic ingredients in my own kitchen. And though I rarely eat anything that can be considered fast food, not eating out in other restaurants or similar will be challenging (bye bye Starbucks). A factor that will make this even more difficult is that April will be a very busy month. Not only will I be a house-guest at a friends' home for a few days , I will also have both a brother and my mom staying with me for a week each.

In my next post I'll detail the "rules" for my challenge. This blog will also be a place where I review and recommend books I've read in my research on all topics of health, nutrition and anything food related; link to websites and blogs also dedicated to these topics; share photos and recipes; and tell you about my triumphs and hardships along the way.

Ready? Let's do this!

P.S. I promise I'll have photos with future posts. And probably not quite so much text. :)