Food

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What Should We Then Eat? (Part 1)

What should we have for dinner?

I never realized what a significant question that is… or how fraught with danger. If you read (and believe) the media, health hazards lurk at every turn; environmental disaster hinges on my choices. I could even destroy the lives of workers I’ve never met, should I make my food decisions irresponsibly. How in the world does anyone with any scruples determine what to eat?

In an effort to sift through the hyperbole and discover what is actually worth our time and energy, I have been reading extensively both online and in actually print-on-paper books. Now I want to pass along what I’ve learned. Hopefully it will save you  time and money, and assuage your conscience at the same time.

Today, I want to consider the health aspects of our food choices. (I’ll cover the other issues in later postings.)

We all “know” that some foods are beneficial, while others will cut us down as we chew. Sausage and pepperoni pizza? Bad. A huge slab of caramel-topped cheesecake? Must be bad! Bran muffins? Supposedly good, except that they’re full of white flour, fat and sugar, which is bad. Apples are generally considered good (except for the pesticide load on the non-organic ones), as is broccoli, spinach, and sweet potatoes. While we may not always make the sensible choice, at least the options are pretty clear.

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Sprouting a Harvest

The calendar says it’s spring, but here in Colorado, the snowflakes are still flying. Even if we could plant outside, crops take time to grow. It may be way too soon for homegrown tomatoes, but in less than a week you can have fresh crunchy greens for your salad and sandwiches. How? Homegrown sprouts are easy to produce right there on your kitchen counter.

Alfalfa sprouts have been popular for decades, and are a good place to start, but there are many other options. Clover sprouts are delicious, reminding you of spring. Mung bean and lentil sprouts may be eaten raw or added to stir-frys. Broccoli and radish seeds have a decided zing to them, while onions will wake up your taste buds. Among the grains, wheat berries and rye are your best choices.

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Vegetable Korma

This recipe is adapted from The 30-Minute Vegetarian Indian Cookbook, by Mridula Baljekar. I would like to put in a plug for this book. I absolutely love Indian food, but the long preparation time most dishes require isn’t compatible with my busy schedule. Baljekar simplifies traditional recipes to the point where I can make them every week. For this, the author deserves a medal!

This is wonderful with fresh warm chapaties for scooping. (Silverware isn’t used in most parts of India. Instead, you scoop with your right hand.) I serve it as an accompaniment to a meat dish, but you could give it top billing in a vegan meal.

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French Chicken Sauté

Valentine’s Day is coming, and who knows more about being romantic than the French? This month’s recipe is my own take on French cooking. Try serving it with asparagus in browned butter, almond rice pilaf, and a salad of butter lettuce with French vinaigrette dressing. Dip strawberries in melted chocolate for dessert. Don’t forget the candles.

This recipe serves four. You can either cook just two pieces of chicken instead of four, or save the other half to reheat in a few days.
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Weird Meals

I was hunting through my well-thumbed copy of The Joy of Cooking, looking for some meal-planning inspiration. Mind you, a friend gave me this book in college. Even though the original edition was published in 1931, my 1975 version couldn’t have changed much. Let’s just admit that both my book and I are old.

I was at first amused—and then appalled—at the menu suggestions listed. Mind you, these are intended for company meals. If someone invited me to lunch and then served some of these, I’d suddenly begin a very spiritual fast that would last until I could run through a McDonald’s on the way home. Could it be a regional difference or did they really eat these things?

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Making Soup

Happy New Year!! If you’ve made some New Year’s resolutions, at least one probably involves healthier food or healthier finances. Today’s blog will help you with both.

For years, soup was the refuge of thrifty cooks. There’s a reason places that offer free meals are called “soup kitchens.” With a tiny bit of effort, you can make a great-tasting new meal from leftovers, and it costs practically nothing.

I was at the market the other day, helping my elderly dad pick out some easy meals he can just heat and eat, and we ended up at the soup aisle. I guess I hadn’t looked at pre-made soups in a while. The prices were exorbitant. Why should a can of soup—not even condensed—cost $3.00? The ingredients are probably worth more like a quarter.

You do not need to buy canned or packaged soups. You can make your own. You don’t even need a recipe. It’s that easy.

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Rolled Butter Cookies

One of my earliest memories is making these cookies with my mom. There was always a batch for Christmas, and I would spend hours and hours decorating them with different colored frosting, creating works of art that were always proclaimed “too pretty to eat.”  But eat them we did. First we ate the “oops-es” and then the less perfect ones, and finally the rest. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a day spent in the kitchen, covered with flour.

1988-12 kids making cookies 073When our kids were small (see photo), of course we had to make the same cookies. It has now become a family Christmas tradition.

These cookies are also a really great excuse to collect cookie cutters. I have dozens, and am always looking for another good one. A good cutter has no narrow spots, where the cookies usually break. It isn’t so big that it swallows up all the dough. And it’s a fun shape for decorating. I even still have the original cutters I used as a preschool-aged child—the horse, rabbit, dog, fir tree, circle (with crinkle edges), star (also crinkled), bell, and especially the crescent moon, whose shape was perfect for fitting between all the other cutouts.

What about you? What are your favorite Christmas cookies? Is there a special recipe that  your family always makes for the holidays?

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Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple Sauce

If you’ve been at all conscious lately, you realize that Thanksgiving is a mere twenty days away. I like being helpful, so I thought I’d share one of our family’s Thanksgiving recipes. About ten years ago, in an effort to eat a bit healthier, I decided to trim a lot of fat and sugar from the  traditional “Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows” that most of us grew up on. In spite of the lack of sugar high, everyone liked my alternative so much that I received nary a complaint. I’ve served it every year since.

The recipe is easily doubled, but allow more time for the potatoes to cook (a bigger pot with more water takes longer to heat).

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Company Meals

The phone rings about three o’clock on a busy afternoon. Pete wants to bring someone home for dinner. Is it all right with me? With a hurried look at my to-do list, and a quick prayer for help, I agree. He hangs up happy, and I start wracking my brain. I’m suddenly feeding someone I’ve never met before. What should I serve?

This is actually a pretty common scenario at our house. Pete collaborates with ministries all over the world, and he frequently invites out-of-town visitors for a home-cooked meal. As hostess, I want to make these guests feel welcome, while filling them with good food. With years of practice, I’ve learned some helpful tips, which I now pass on to you.

For the most part, you can serve your company the same food you’d normally eat. It is their part to be gracious and thankful for whatever you offer. Don’t feel pressured into putting on a special feast, or spending a lot on expensive ingredients. Not everyone is a gourmet chef.

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A Better Carrot Cake Recipe

After a summer of salads, the cooler weather has me wanting to bake again. Autumn always makes me think of the color orange, and what is more orange than carrots? I really like this recipe for carrot cake because it is chewy and moist but not greasy. The sugar content is under control, and you don’t need frosting—a dusting of powdered sugar is enough to give it a finished look. Try making it for your small group meeting or as the finale to a special dinner.

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