Take Action to Get GMOs Out of the Food Supply

Although most of the foods listed are south of the border to Canada, we as consumers have these very products in our grocery stores. Personally I don't want to eat GMO foods, I want to know that what I am putting into my body is healthy food, free of pesticides and toxins. Is that so hard to ask of our governments? If the governments want a solution to the rising costs of health care shouldn't they be concerned with ensuring healthy food is available, that junk food is taken out of schools and that we grow and provide the best possible food? There is a good PDF list of foods to take shopping and is easily downloaded.


Take Action to Get GMOs Out of the Food Supply

Roast & Boast

We didn't have an Easter Dinner and we weren't invited to one either. Instead we had a few Easter eggs, cinnamon buns and eggs for breakfast on Easter Sunday. On Easter Monday we went grocery shopping and found ham along with turkey on sale. We had a turkey roast at Christmas which was great, providing a few meals and even one in February from the leftovers we froze. We didn't find the turkey roast we'd had before but we did find a Lilydale Roast and Boast. I remember my parents roasting turkey in a bag along with the potatoes and vegetables but haven't seen this sort of thing in ages. We cooked this up during the week we were on vacation. Made really tender turkey, easy to cook and easy to cut up. I recommend this type of turkey for one or two people. The turkey freezes well too for making meals later, even a stir fry or cut into fine pieces for soup. There were juices to make gravy as well, although we don't eat gravy so I put the juices aside to add to the soup I'll make.

Making Time to Cook or Easy Stir Fry

When I was single I really tried to cook for myself. This isn't easy as most packaging is for two or more and it is so easy to be lazy. Or "no one cares except me" and I will eat whatever, a bowl of cereal often doing for dinner. This isn't how I wish to feed my partner, John or myself anymore. To be honest I felt guilty not treating myself by cooking and feeding myself healthy meals. I've been doing very well since July when I moved in and one became two. After making a few basic meals, I've decided to branch out and add some interest to our menu.

On the back of Green Giant's Valley Selections Japanese mix is a recipe for Thai noodles with Shrimp.

1/2 lb chow mein noodles or chunk soba noodles
(I used kamut spaghetti)
2 teaspoons of sesame oil (buy the sesame oil it is well worth it)
1/4 cup each less sodium soy sauce and reduced sodium chicken broth
(I used Bragg instead of soy sauce)
1 Tablespoon of light peanut butter
(I used raw organic almond butter)
2 teaspoon each of sugar and minced ginger
(I used 1 teaspoon of raw cane sugar)
1 teaspoon of canola oil
(I used olive oil)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1 package of Green Giant Valley Selections Japanese Mix frozen vegetables
1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
(I used two steamed skinless boneless chicken breasts)
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

Boil the spaghetti as per package directions. Drain well and toss with sesame oil.
While the noodles are cooking, in a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, nut butter, sugar and ginger. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 30 seconds. Stir in vegetables and cook and stir on medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes Add meat. If using shrimp cook until shrimp turns pink. Stir in soy mixture and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Toss with noodles. Sprinkle with cilantro.

I added the noodles into the mixture and cooked it together for about 3 minutes to blend the flavours.

Almond Cookies

I am blessed with having really great friends. My friend Paula, in efforts to help find treats for her daughter Lila that are gluten free, and my efforts to avoid milk/casein and to help my brother's family avoid gluten, dairy and eggs, has us both exchanging recipes. Paula bakes more often than I do and kindly brings me "Louise friendly" treats. Paula recently turned up at my house for movie night with almond cookies and almond cupcakes baked fresh that day. Both were delicious and I got to keep the leftovers. The next day I had the leftover almond cookies with a cup of tea. As my sister in law has mentioned, gluten and dairy free treats are much better the next day. The cookies had firmed up and had a nice crispness to them. If you can eat nuts and are looking for gluten free, these I highly recommend, and bake them a day ahead.

Almond Cookies

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup organic unbleached sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup ground almonds, maybe a little more

Blend soft butter with sugar, mix in egg, add ground almonds. The dough should be wet and sticky like very thick peanut butter.
Scoop spoonfuls of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet or a silicone cookie sheet liner on a pan. Bake at 350 C for seven to ten minutes. Test for doneness -- should be slightly springy. Better to pull 'em out of the oven a little early than dry them out till they're brittle. When the cookies cool a little, peel them off the silicone sheet before they get cold.
If the cookies break, keep them! They're good as crumbles in various parfaits and things.

Halibut Season in BC

I'm trying to acquire a taste for fish. Canned tuna in water has been the only fish I've eaten other than shellfish, crab and prawns which I find delicious. Halibut is my first venture and so far I've steamed it with lemon and margarine, butter would probably have been better, in foil packets in the rice cooker/steamer/slow cooker machine I have. This method keeps the halibut from being overcooked and is a healthy way of cooking as only a very very small pat of butter is required, less than a teaspoon. Here's a recipe from EAT magazine that I would like to try.

The sweet and salty flavours of the bacon dressing may seem a bit overpowering on it’s own, but when paired with meaty halibut, well, it’s divine! Especially if you use bacon from Choux Choux. A hint of horseradish with earthy beets adds a little kick too.

4 beets, trimmed and scrubbed

Olive oil

1 tsp prepared horseradish

4 6-oz fillets fresh halibut (choose thick centre cuts)

Knob of butter

3 thick strips bacon, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup Spinnaker’s Apple Cider Vinegar

1Tbsp Babe’s honey

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

1. Place beets on a large piece of foil and drizzle with a little olive oil. Seal to form a package and place on a baking sheet. Roast in 375°F oven until tender, from 35 to 45 min., depending on size. You want them tender but not too soft. When cool enough to handle, slip off skins. Chop beets, then toss with horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover and keep in a warm spot.

2. Season fish with pinches of salt and pepper, if you wish. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high. When bubbly, add fish, skin-side up. Sear until golden, 2 to 3 min., then place, skin-side down, on a small baking sheet. Finish cooking in preheated 375°F oven until cooked through, 8 to 10 min.

3. Meanwhile, wipe out frying pan. Add bacon and fry until crispy. Remove bacon to a plate but leave 1 Tbsp fat in pan. Add shallot and reduce heat to medium. Cook until soft, 3 to 4 min, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 min. Pour in vinegar and scrape up any bits from pan bottom. Stir in honey and oil until well mixed, then remove from heat and stir in parsley.

4. To serve, place beets on plates and top with fish. Spoon dressing overtop. 

Backpackers Pantry

I know Michael Pollon says to eat real food and stay away from processed foods but sometimes that isn't always possible. John and I had given our friend Bernie some Backpackers Pantry pouches to take with him when he went kayaking/camping. He told us they weren't bad.

We decided to buy one each and test them. Although I'm off milk we tried the Beef Pasta which had dried milk powder listed as one of the many ingredients. The whole thing mixes inside the pouch and served two nicely (following Food Rules about small portions). I didn't experience any discomfort from the milk powder or the fact this is processed food which doesn't sit well with me either. Plus there weren't any pots to wash, just our two bowls and forks.

I wouldn't want to base my whole camping trip on eating Backpackers Pantry but having one or two just in case wouldn't be a bad thing either.

The Ecological Impact of Eating Factory Farmed Meat And What We Can Do About It

The Ecological Impact of Eating Factory Farmed Meat And What We Can Do About It