Healthy Recipes and Sustainable Food | Healthy Recipes and Sustainable Food

5 Guilt-Free Grill Tips for Your BBQs Before you fire up the grill, heat up your skills with these sizzling tips.

When it comes to grilling, you’re good. But how good for you are the burgers and dogs you throw on the fire? The fact is that the meats most of us cook contain stuff we don’t want on our plates. So learn to grill like a pro. These easy shopping, cooking and marinating tricks can make your barbecue both great-tasting and great for you:

1. Meet better meat. Surprise: research shows that a bit of nutrient-rich beef may actually decrease heart disease risk. “The problem is that most of us eat cheaply-farmed beef that contains antibiotics and hormones,” says Clean Plates founder Jared Koch. So when you shop, look for grass-fed, pasture-raised beef. “Buying a little less, but making it the best you can afford, will not only boost your health, but boost the flavor,” says Koch. More tempted by chicken? Look for free-range and organic.

As for hot dogs and brats, most are overloaded with salt and nitrates. Try to choose nitrate-free hot dogs made from grass-fed beef.

If you’re doing surf n’ turf, seek out wild or at least organic farm-raised fish. Cod and wild Alaskan salmon are good bets, high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid tilefish, king mackerel, shark and swordfish, which are high in mercury.

2. Stay in the pink. It can be tempting to blacken a steak, but that blackness yields carcinogens called “heterocyclic amines” or “HCAs.” Pull meat off the fire at medium-rare (as a chef might say, “Cook it, don’t kill it”) and remove any charred pieces. Trim off excess fat before grilling so it doesn’t drip onto the coals—this will keep HCAs in the smoke away from your food. Also, cooking smaller pieces or starting the meat in the oven and finishing it on the grill cuts cooking time, which gives HCAs less time to form. Cooking on a rack or cedar plank can also help you avoid HCAs.

Marinade trick: marinating meat in red wine or beer for six hours prior to grilling has been shown to dramatically reduce the amount of HCAs, while using acidic marinades with lemon or apple cider vinegar has also been shown to significantly cut HCAs.

3. Dress it right. Not all condiments are created equal. Check the labels; organic ketchups and mustards will be free of high fructose corn syrup, chemical preservatives and colorings.

4. Grill green. Veggies are great grilled, and provide your body with nutrients to counteract some of the harmful effects of other foods at a barbecue. Aim to fill at least half your plate with vegetables.

5. Indulge a little. “I call it the 80/20 rule,” says Koch. “Aim to eat really healthfully 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time…we’re only human.” Plus, your body will be able to better handle the 20% indulgence if you’ve powered it up with the healthy 80%.

The heat is on.

Photo by Luke Brymer

Summer Recipes: Vegetarian, Vegan & Flexitarian Whip up three farmers' market-fresh recipes.

Are you seeing farmers’ markets everywhere, and getting eager to try everything? So are we! It’s time to taste the rainbow with summer recipes. Try a vegetarian recipe, a vegan recipe and a flexitarian recipe from the Clean Plates restaurant guides, and from The Clean Plates Cookbook:

VEGETARIAN: Barbabietole (Beet Salad) from Chef Mette Williams of Culina

Serves 4

8 golden baby beets
8 candy-striped baby beets
1 1/2 c. kosher salt
10 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs cleaned and chopped
1 medium shallot, finely diced
¼ c. orange oil*
2 tangerines, segmented; save juices from segments and use to marinate beets
8 leaves watercress
½ c. soft goat cheese
2 Tbsp. basil oil*
petite basil or chopped regular basil
¼ c. candied pistachios or roasted pistachios

Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with a layer of kosher salt. Lay out a few thyme sprigs and then place 7 of each beet variety on top. Cover with foil and roast in the oven at 350° F for 30-45 minutes. To check the beets’ doneness, insert a toothpick. If it goes in easily, they are done. Let them cool until you can hold them comfortably, and then peel off the skins. The beets are easy to peel when warm.

When beets are all cleaned, cut into bite-size pieces and mix with the chopped thyme, diced shallots, orange oil and tangerine juice.

For the reserved raw beets, make sure they are free from dirt, and slice paper-thin on a mandolin or slicer, width-wise. These beet disks will be a garnish, and you can do them ahead of time and keep them in clean water until ready for use.

To assemble, place a few pieces of watercress on a serving plate and put the marinated beets on top. Scatter the tangerine segments, goat cheese and pistachios and drizzle with the basil oil and a bit of the beet marinade. Sprinkle on the basil and place the beet disks on top.

Note: avocado can be substituted for cheese if you want to make the salad vegan.

* To make a large batch of either orange oil or basil oil, take one cup orange segments or one cup basil, combine with two cups olive oil, and let sit overnight. Strain through a cheese cloth and discard the leaves or fruit left in the cheese cloth.

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VEGAN: Asparagus Soup and Cashew Cream from The Conscious Cook, by Chef Tal Ronnen of LYFE Kitchen and Crossroads

Serves 6

sea salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2″ pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 c. Thick Cashew Cream, plus more for garnish (instructions below)
freshly ground black pepper
2 c. fresh baby spinach
microgreens for garnish

Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

Add the asparagus, celery, and onion and sauté for 6 to 10 minutes, until the celery is just soft. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Cashew Cream and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high. Add the spinach to the last batch and continue blending until smooth. Pour the soup into a large bowl and stir to incorporate the spinach batch. Ladle into bowls. Garnish each bowl with microgreens and drops of Cashew Cream.

Thick Cashew Cream

Makes about 2 1/4 cups

2 c. whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water

Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with just enough fresh cold water to slightly cover them. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you’re not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)

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FLEXITARIAN: Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa from The Clean Plates Cookbook

Serves 4

The salsa is also great as part of a meat-free meal. Try it with roasted or grilled veggies!

2 limes
1/2 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4″ dice
6 oz. strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4″ dice
1/4 small red onion, cut into 1/4″ dice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
fine sea salt to taste
4 (5- to 6-oz.) sustainably sourced salmon fillets, about 3/4″ thick, skin removed if you like
organic extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
freshly ground black pepper

Zest one of the limes. Juice the zested lime to yield 4 teaspoons of juice. In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, avocado, strawberries, onion, cilantro, and salt to taste. Cut the remaining lime into wedges. Set the salsa and lime wedges aside separately.

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the salmon with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Serve the salmon hot, with the salsa on top and the lime wedges on the side.

Salmon photo by Family O’Abé

Food Talk: The Happy Egg Co. This company is a good egg.

At Clean Plates, we believe good sourcing yields better food. But did you know that “free range” hens don’t necessarily get out of the barn, or may not have a pasture outside? Or that “cage-free” hens can still be enclosed in a crowded hen house? As for “all-natural,” there are no standards for what that means. You’ve probably heard about battery cages, where hens have no space to move, and mega-farms where sick birds can contaminate well ones. So we were intrigued when we got a pitch from the happy egg co. Originating in the UK, this new-to-America company employs free-range farms that are Certified Humane, which means that everything from the hens’ living conditions to feed to caregivers’ expertise has been thoroughly vetted—aiming to give their hens an eggs-ellent life.

We questioned Rob Newell, Chief Marketing Officer, to see if it’s all it’s cracked up to be:

Q. Are the hens really running free on farms? How much space do they have?

A. Each farm is home to a flock of 16,000 birds. This works out to be 11 square feet per chicken, which is nearly five times larger than most standards. On the farm, the hens are free to engage in natural behaviors like perching on wooden towers and dust bathing in sand pits. Inside the barn, they have access to pecking toys to keep them engaged, and nest boxes to select from for laying eggs. The hens on our farms are tended to by family farmers: usually a farmer, his wife and several helpers, who are experts in animal stewardship.

Q. How can you produce enough eggs to supply supermarkets across America, yet not run crowded factory farms?

A. Rather than using large complexes, we select [multiple] small, family-run farms where we can provide our hens with the best care and attention at all times. [Happy egg co. is expanding across America now; check the store locator here.]

Q. Most major farms debeak their hens (a possibly cruel practice that removes the beak tip so that hens can’t peck each other). Does the happy egg co. debeak its hens?

A. We do not debeak our hens. When the chicks are one day old, we use an Infrared Beak Treatment (IRBT) to dull the end of the hen’s pointy beak. Whether we have six or 100 hens, we need to protect all our hens from being pecked. There is a reason we have sayings such as “pecking order” and “henpecked”; it’s a natural characteristic of hens. [Read more about IRBT here.]

Q. We’ve heard about “free range” hens that have access to the outdoors, but in reality, never leave the hen house. How is it on your farms?

A. A typical day for a happy egg hen looks like this: The hens wake up and get a drink of clean water, then head to the feeding troughs to have a breakfast of all-natural feed that is fortified with vitamins and minerals. In the morning, the hens choose a nesting box in which to lay their eggs. Hens have individual preferences about their favorite nesting box. Sometimes, one box will become so popular that the hens will line up and wait their turn to lay their eggs before going outside to spend the day. The eggs in each nesting box gently roll onto a belt which conveys them to the end of the barn, where the farmer picks them by hand and places them in a cooler.

After the hens lay their eggs, we open the doors and the hens rush outside (we call the doors “pop holes” because that’s what the hens use to pop outside) to soak up some sunshine and enjoy free time on the farm. Outside, the hens find their favorite flock members to roam around and explore the pasture and decide how they want to spend their day. Chase a bug, take five in the trees, or just sit back and relax. It’s up to them. As the sun starts to set, the hens naturally head home to the barn before settling in to roost for the night.

Q. What do your hens eat?

A. As our hens spend their time outside all day, they naturally forage and eat grass and other substances found in nature. It’s these natural nutrients and sunshine that give the yolk of a free range egg from the happy egg co. its rich, dark golden shade. The hens are also fed a specially formulated recipe of corn and soy mixed with vitamins and minerals. The feed never has added meat, bone meal, hormones or antibiotics.

Q. Do your eggs show any higher nutritional value based on the hens’ happy lifestyle?

A. Although we do not currently have our own studies to confirm this, Compassion in World Farming literature has compiled several studies that show that pastured hens produce eggs with natural increases in important vitamins, anti-oxidants and omega-3s in a favorable ratio to those bad-boy omega-6s. You can read more about the study and all scientific citations here.

Q. Happy Eggs are not organic. What makes them different from organic eggs?

A. Organic eggs come from hens that are given organic feed—that is, feed without GMOs or pesticides per the USDA standards. Typically, these hens also live primarily inside barns.

At the happy egg co., our hens are housed in barns overnight and are free to go outside every day. Our animal welfare standards go further than the current organic standards, which focus almost exclusively on a hen’s feed and doesn’t guarantee access to the outdoors. We care about providing great nutritious feed too, but our focus is on hens living higher welfare lives.

Photos by the happy egg co.

5 Gluten-Free Alternatives to Pasta Bet you haven't tasted most of these gluten-free noodles.

Want more nutrition with your pasta, but you’re going gluten-free—or just had enough of whole wheat? We’ve collected five pasta alternatives, on a scale from I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-Italian (great for the gluten-free beginner) to we’re-definitely-not-in-Rome-anymore (for the adventurous eater). Every one is packed with more nutrients than ordinary pasta. Try our gluten-free picks:

1. Brown rice pasta. This is the closest in texture to wheat pasta—so close that we’ve served it to Italians who couldn’t tell the difference! It’s not as low-glycemic as other alternatives, but it’s free of gluten and wheat, and an easy one to try. We recommend Tinkyáda brand.

2. Buckwheat sweet potato noodles. These are pictured above (shown with fresh mint, organic feta and sliced plum; get the recipe at RecolorthePalate.com). If you read the ingredients for most noodles packaged as “buckwheat noodles,” you’ll learn they’re made primarily of wheat flour. But buckwheat sweet potato noodles are free of wheat (though if you’re gluten-intolerant, always double-check the label). Lower on the glycemic index than most pastas, buckwheat has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Expect these to have a more toothsome bite, and a weightier feel.

3. Mung bean pasta. Their name might seem off-putting, but these noodles are actually neutral in flavor and similar in texture to the real stuff. Made from ground mung beans and nothing more, they’re a low-glycemic, high-protein, fiber-rich choice.

4. Kelp noodles. These are popular in raw restaurants because they don’t have to be cooked; they’re extremely mineral-rich, and have a great iron, iodine, calcium, and magnesium profile, with folic acid to boot. They’re also very low in calories. Served fresh, they have a crunchy texture, but if you give them time to marinate in sauce, they’ll soften and feel much more like familiar pasta.

5. Konjac noodles. This is for the most daring diner. Created from the root of the konjac plant, which is native to Asia, these noodles are low in calories and high in soluble fiber. They come packaged in liquid that needs to be drained before using. Try not to be turned off by their slightly fishy scent; they actually taste neutral.

Now, those are newdles.

Intrigued by these options, but not sure how best to prepare them? Check out the May Month of Meals Experience, an independent project from Clean Plates research consultant Ashley Spivak.

Freaky Facts about Conventional Orange Juice Is your orange juice hiding something from you?

Fill in the blank: eggs, toast, coffee or tea, and a small glass of ______. Yup, it’s orange juice, and for lots of us, it’s our favorite sunshiny wake-up call. But if you drink store-bought orange juice or cook with orange zest, we’ve got some news. Conventional oranges and “not from concentrate” commercial OJ may not be as clean as you think. Check out these surprising facts about conventional oranges:

1. Florida oranges are dyed.

We know. What? According to an article from Forbes.com on why we love colored foods, Florida farmers have been spraying conventional oranges with a coloring called “Citrus Red 2″ since the 1950s. The article says that due to Florida’s climate, oranges tend to take on more chlorophyll, which turns them green. The fruit is sprayed to give it that bright orange color we’ve come to associate with fresh oranges. Problem is, The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies Citrus Red 2 as “2B carcinogenic,” meaning it’s possibly carcinogenic to humans.

2. Your oranges may not be from Florida—and that’s not good.

As many as one in three glasses of OJ contain oranges from Brazil, not The Sunshine State. You’d think that would get rid of the dye problem, but in fact, last January, the FDA halted imports of Brazilian oranges (including those used to make Minute Maid and Simply Orange) after it found out that farmers were spraying orange trees with carbendazim, a fungicide that is not approved for use by the Environmental Protection Agency. Although not tested on humans, high doses of carbendazim led to stillbirths, hormone fluctuations and reduced fertility in female mice.

3. “Not from concentrate” orange juice contains flavorings.

In her book, Squeezed: What You Don’t Know about Orange Juice, author Alissa Hamilton details the process that most commercial “natural” and “not from concentrate” orange juice goes through before it hits the grocery store. Hamilton says this type of orange juice is put in aseptic storage, which strips the juice of oxygen “so it doesn’t oxidize in the million gallon tanks in which it can be kept for upwards of a year. When the juice is stripped of oxygen, it’s also stripped of flavor-producing chemicals. Juice companies therefore hire flavor and fragrance companies…to engineer flavor packs to add back to the juice to make it fresh.” Those flavors don’t appear on the label because they’re made from orange byproducts.

4. You can still get good OJ if you know what to look for.

Try to buy organic orange juice, and get fresh-squeezed from your favorite juicery or brunch spot. If you really love your OJ, you might want to invest in a citrus juicer.

Orange you glad you read this article?

Photo by AudreyJM529

Tasty Trivia Can you guess these weird fruits and vegetables?

Once again, it’s time to play Guess That Fruit or Veggie! Think you know your produce? See if you can figure out what these exotic picks are.

(Stumped? Scroll down for the answers!)

1. _ _ _ _ _

2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. _ _ _ _ _

4. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1. The bright purple akebi fruit has a short growing season, appearing on wild vines in northern Japan for just a few weeks in the fall. The fruit is ripe when one end pops open, exposing sweet, gooey flesh that can be slurped up along with the seeds. The slightly bitter rind can be prepared like a vegetable.

2. Samphire is a resilient vegetable that resembles seaweed, and is often called “sea asparagus.” The rugged plant grows in marshes and in rocky regions near the ocean, and its salty flavor makes an excellent complement to fish dishes. Try it sautéed or pickled in a salad.

3. The fruit of the salak tree grows in clusters at the base of the short-stemmed palm, and is also known as “snakeskin fruit,” due to its scaly appearance. Peel it by pinching the tip and pulling away the skin to reveal three large lobes containing inedible pits. The edible flesh tastes sweet and acidic, with a dry, crunchy texture. But beware: a careless peeler can cut a finger on the sharp scales.

4. The plant of many strange nicknames (“cheese fruit” and “dog dumpling” are just two) is known as noni fruit in its native Hawaii. The juice of the unusual-looking fruit is thought to have many medical benefits and is used to treat menstrual cramps, bowel irregularities, and urinary tract infections. The tree that produces this fruit is in the coffee family.

Know any weird fruits and vegetables we haven’t mentioned? Leave them in the comments!

Main photo by Family O’Abé; Photo 1 by misawakatsutoshi; Photo 2 by Denna Jones; Photo 3 by Vidya Crawley; Photo 4 by mmmavocado

Is Canola Oil Healthy? Get the truth about whether this oil is good for you or not.

Dear Clean Plates,

A chef friend of mine told me he uses canola oil because it has a high smoke point, and is flavorless. I’ve even seen it listed on menus as “healthy.” But other friends tell me it’s dangerous. What’s the truth?

Sincerely,

Oil Mixed Up

Dear Oil,

Canola oil does have a high smoke point, which is a good thing when cooking; once oil starts smoking, its structure changes, and smoke means it’s becoming carcinogenic. But the reason canola oil’s smoke point is high is also a negative. Most canola is highly processed via solvent extraction, which involves high temperatures that destroy the oil’s nutrients.

So, what is canola? It was developed in Canada in the 1970s by cross-breeding rapeseed plants (they’re related to mustard seed), and dubbed “canola” after the words “Canadian oil.” (Also, the word “rapeseed” didn’t sound appealing to most consumers.) Canola was bred to be low in saturated fats—it contains the least of any common cooking oil—and low in erucic acid, a potentially harmful component that naturally occurs in rapeseed, and that has been linked to heart lesions in lab animals. While there is still some erucic acid present naturally in the canola plant, only 2% or less is allowed to be present in the canola on your supermarket shelf.

To us, the most concerning thing about canola oil is that it packs 21% omega-6 linoleic acid (olive oil has 9%, and coconut oil has 2%). High intakes of omega-6 linoleic acid (polyunsaturated fats) have been linked to inflammation, heart disease, cancer, obesity and many other illnesses. Why: when these fats are exposed to heat, light and pressure, they become oxidized, which increases disease-promoting molecules called “free radicals” in your body.

If you still prefer canola because the tastes of better-choice oils like olive, macadamia nut, or aroma-free coconut oil are too strong, look for cold-pressed, organic, non-GMO canola oil, but remember that cold-pressed oils have lower smoke points. Also, know that even though it may be listed as “free of trans-fats,” canola oil can still contain up to half a gram per serving (check the ingredients to ensure nothing is listed as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”), so use it sparingly.

For more info about healthier oils, click here!

Photos courtesy of CanolaInfo.org. Thanks to Ashley Spivak for her research.

Food News: Flashes in the Pan, 4.5.13 Get your weekly serving of food news from around the web.

Hidden power. Could you be a supertaster? Find out if you are.

Shaken up. One in 10 US deaths are now being linked to eating too much of this.

Fish tale. A shocking 100% of sushi samples in certain major cities were found to be mislabeled. Find out where, and how to protect yourself.

Strong start. Eating a breakfast rich in this could keep you from unhealthy snacking at night.

Fighting chance. You’ll never guess where obesity is turning up—in fact, they’re really battling it.

Soy joy. Some say too much soy is linked to breast cancer. But this study shows soy could have a surprising health benefit.

Strong swimmers. Could eating this extend your life by more than two years?

Lot of nothing. Is there such a thing as a negative-calorie food? Here’s the answer.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Till Krech

4 Food Freebies Grab these free items for food fans.

Whether you’re low on dough or just enjoy a good bargain, it’s fun to get something for nothing. We’ve foraged the web for four freebies that will inspire you to eat cleaner.

1. An ounce of prevention. “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food” declared Hippocrates, the founding father of modern medicine. Could the right foods heal you? Find out with the documentary Food Matters, featuring raw food proponent David Wolfe and more nutrition celebs.

2. Lettuce eat. Want to eat more seasonal, farm-fresh food? Locavore is a free app that pinpoints the farms, farmers’ markets and CSAs nearest you. Find out what’s in season, get recipe suggestions, and share your finds on Facebook & Twitter.

3. Frankenfood. Concerned about GMOs? Did you know that 90% of GMOs grown belong to Monsanto, the controversial company that also manufactures the world’s best-selling herbicide? The World According to Monsanto is a documentary exploring the history and global impact—and connection to the US government—of this powerful biotech and chemical company.

4. Label it. Free Range, Certified Humane, Fair Trade, Non-GMO… ever wonder what those labels really mean? With the Label Lookup app, you can research about 200 product label claims to make more informed choices while you shop.

Feel free.

Money image by TaxCredits.net

Flashes in the Pan, 3.29.13

Get your weekly serving of food news from around the web:

A Rose by any other… What do names taste like? These unusually gifted people can tell you.
Burst bubbles. Harvard researchers say these cause 180,000 deaths a year worldwide, though manufacturers disagree. What do you think?
Take it back. If you have celiac disease, you’ll want to know about this food recall.
One to grow on. Want free veggies? Try this.
Grape expectations. New evidence nudges this supplement one step closer to being called a fountain of youth.
Tea’d off. All things in moderation. Here’s what happened to a woman who used 100 tea bags daily.
Baby steps. Taking toddlers off this kind of food could prime their taste buds to crave less salt in the future.
Seeing red. What are 9 of the worst foods for inflammation? Find out here.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Net_Efekt