Watermelon Salad

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients
1 (5-pound) watermelon
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 whole mint sprigs

Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is
dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings. In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs.

To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish with mint leaves.

Banana Nice Cream

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

This recipe is a great vegetarian substitute for chicken salad sandwiches.

1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or use dried beans, soaked and cooked according to directions, which is what I usually do).

1 stalk celery, chopped

2-3 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

small handful of almonds (sliced and toasted)

small handful of dried cranberries

salt and pepper to taste


The recipe is very versatile and can be altered to fit any taste.

Increased Risk of ADHD Associated With Early Exposure to Pesticides, PCBs

In the Journal of the American Medical Association from July 7th of this year, the article entitled "Increased Risk of ADHD Associated With Early Exposure to Pesticides, PCBs" states:

Individuals who are exposed early in life to organophosphates or organochlorine compounds, widely used as pesticides or for industrial applications, are at greater risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to recent studies.  

Previous studies had linked ADHD with very high levels of childhood exposure to organophosphate pesticides, such as levels experienced by children living in farming communities that used these chemicals. But a recent study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that even children who experience more typical levels of pesticide exposure, such as from eating pesticide-treated fruits and vegetables, have a higher risk of developing the disorder.

Bountiful Baskets

I went to my local Bountiful Baskets produce co-op on Saturday.  It is a completely volunteer run organization that gets locally grown produce for it's participants at a wholesale price.  You don't get to choose what you will get so you have to plan your recipes according to what comes home in your basket that week.  There is a really fun variety of items.  You can get an organic or non-organic basket according to your preference.  The cost of a conventional basket is $15.  There is a $10 fee to upgrade to organic.  Here is an example of what comes in a weekly basket:

Not bad for $15.  Bountiful Baskets is currently available in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and Washington.

Zucchini Patties

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 T. worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Grate zucchini and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Hint: Salting the zucchini and leaving it for several minutes will help draw out extra moisture.

2. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant.

3. In a bowl, mix together onions, garlic, zucchini, eggs, flour, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until well combined.

4. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini
mixture by spoonfuls onto the skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side,
until golden brown.

Can be served with marinara sauce, a dollop of sour cream, ranch dressing, or anything else that tickles your fancy.

Vote With Your Fork

Can I have some petrochemicals with that, please?

Why are we putting petrochemicals in our food?  Are they yummy?  That doesn't seem to make any sense to me. 

I used to not see a problem with putting synthetic food coloring in food, then I learned what they actually are, and now I am dumbfounded as to why anyone ever thought that was a good idea.

On another note, lets talk about sugar.  Do you know what color it is?  I'll give you a hint, it's not white.  I always thought it was white.  It's only white after it is bleached.  It starts out mostly brown.

Does anyone actually care if their sugar has a brownish color to it?  Honestly, I'm not offended in the least if my sugar is slightly brown.

So, how do we avoid synthetic additives and unnecessary chemicals in our food when they've become so common?  The best way is not to panic, but to go organic!

Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice

1 c shredded coconut
1 can  vegetable broth
(1⁄4 t ea salt/pepper)
(3 T butter)
2  c uncooked rice
1 sm onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded & chopped
2- 15 oz cans black beans, drained
(2 t chili powder)
(1 t cumin)
1 lime
2 green onion, thinly sliced
1⁄2 c cilantro
Sour cream
Mango, peeled sliced    

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake coconut in a shallow
baking pan for 8-10 min. In a saucepan, bring broth,
salt/pepper, 2 T butter and 2 c water to boil. Stir in the
rice. Cook 30-40 min. Turn off heat & keep covered till
ready to serve.

     Heat remaining 1 T butter in a sauce pan; add onion
& poblano pepper, sauté till tender. Stir in black beans,
chili powder, cumin & 3⁄4 c water. Cook over med heat
for 15 min.

     Zest lime peel and squeeze juice into sm bowl.  Fluff
rice w/ fork and add roasted coconut, green onion,
cilantro, lime juice & zest to the rice. Serve bean mixture
over rice. Top w/ sour cream & mango.

Vegetarian Pizza

Here is a vegetarian pizza that is really quite good.  The first time we made this we were feeding five hungry kids.  It was a big hit.  I even got a recipe request from the mother of three of the kids who were visiting us.  I guess the pizza was a big enough hit that she had heard about this pizza from her kids.

2 pizza crusts
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
2 or 3 oz imitation bacon bits
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
2 large eggs
½ c milk
¼ t basil

The pizza crusts we used were made of corn meal.  We got them at Whole Foods. They were in the frozen foods section and the brand was Vicolo.

Place each crust on pizza pan. Divide bacon bits,
tomatoes, and cheese on each crust. Whisk eggs,
milk, and basil. Divide and drizzle evenly on each
pizza. Bake @ 425 for 25 min or until egg mixture is
set.

We're Going Carbon Neutral!

 Thanks to the good people at Kaufda and the Arbor Day Foundation, we are now carbon neutral!