How clean is clean?

The Los Angeles Times ran an article yesterday about the cleanliness of the bags of pre-washed greens one buys at the supermarket.

Even though the greens are triple-washed, it does not mean they aren't contaminated with bacteria. Because the washing is done in such large batches, a small amount of bacteria-infected greens added to the mix can contaminate many bags of greens. The bacteria they're most worried about is e-coli, which comes from animal manure.

I don't buy pre-packaged greens, because I prefer to shop at the farmers market. I'm also growing lettuce and other greens in our garden. On the rare occasions that I do buy the bagged stuff, I rinse it in cold water before serving. There is debate as to whether water will wash off the bacteria, but it makes me feel better.

The companies that wash greens are investigating various chemicals to add to the washes to ensure that no bacteria remains. I think this is going about it in the wrong way.

Our body's main defense against bacteria and pathogens in our food is the acid in our stomach. When working optimally, it breaks down and destroys the protein shell of microbes, rendering them harmless. And the good bacteria in our intestines should take care of any residue. So keeping a healthy digestive system is really important.

The public health problem with the spread of bacteria on bagged greens comes because the farming and washing is done on such a large scale that it can harm many people.

I buy my lettuce and greens from local farmers who eat the produce they sell, and who feed it to their own children. I know they are practicing healthy farming techniques, and I trust them to provide me with safe food.

Smaller is better.

Tropical Granola

It's been cold here in Southern California, so last week I decided we needed a taste of the tropics for breakfast.

I had found packages of dried organic mangos and pineapple at my local supermarket. I think the brand name is Made in Nature. I approached it with caution, because so often dried fruit is sweetened with sugar or corn syrup. Why, I don't know. Drying concentrates the natural sugars in fruit - they don't need any more.

But these are unsweetened, so I brought them home and decided to make tropical granola. The dried fruit is a little pricey, but it made a large amount of granola, and I have enough left for a second batch.

It's a good thing I made a lot, because Larry really likes this granola. (He says he likes all the granolas I make, but this one he's been eating regularly.)

Of course, as with any granola, you can vary the ingredients to suit your taste. I added currants for some tartness to offset all the sweet (and because I had some in the freezer). I used dates because they grow locally and I get organic ones from the Batista Family Ranch stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market. Raisins could take the place of both. I used raw wildflower honey from Martinez Apiaries (also at the Hollywood Farmers Market).

I cut the dried mango, pineapple and apricots with scissors - far easier than a knife - into irregular bite-sized pieces. I pitted the dates and cut them into rough eighths.

I think it's the toasted coconut that gives it that real tropical flavor. I recommend eating this granola as the sun rises over the palm trees in order to get the full effect.

Tropical Granola
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups oat bran
1 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup currants
6 dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup dried pineapple, snipped
1/4 cup dried mango, snipped
1/2 cup dried apricots, snipped

In large bowl, stir together oats, sunflower seeds, oat bran, dry milk, almonds, walnuts, coconut, sesame seeds and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, honey, vanilla and almond extract.

Stir wet into dry until well moistened (hands work best).

Bake in a 250° oven for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets 10 minutes, then stir in dried fruit.

Store in glass containers. Makes about 10 cups granola.

White Beans and Escarole

Larry was out late the other night, so I was on my own for dinner.

I got home at 5 p.m. and decided I was in the mood for comfort food on this cold winter night.

First I poured 3/4 cup of large shiny white dried lima beans into a pot of boiling water. While they simmered, I rooted through the fridge for a good green to pair them with.

I decided upon the pale green escarole I had bought from Flora Bella farm at the Hollywood Farmers Market last week.

Escarole is a slightly bitter green. It's usually used in salads, but it was too cold for salad. I decided to try it cooked.

By about 6:30 the beans were tender, so I drained them, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

I sautéed some onion in olive oil until it was tender, and then added some minced garlic and red chiles. (This was comfort cooking, so I can't tell you exact amounts.) When they were fragrant I added the escarole which I had washed and chopped into one-inch pieces, stems and all.

I seasoned with salt and pepper, added the drained beans, and moistened it all with some bean liquid. I stirred it together, put the lid on, and let it cook until the escarole was softened but still had a little bite. I sprinkled on some balsamic vinegar, stirred again, and checked the seasoning.

I enjoyed a couple of bowls of this delicious stew, and had some leftover for lunch the next day.

The picture above is of the reheated leftovers. The escarole looked more vibrant when I ate it the first night, but I was not in the mood to take pictures. I just wanted to eat my nutritious and delicious dinner.

Commercial Salad Dressing

Salad dressing is one of the easiest condiments to make. Shake oil, vinegar and a few seasonings together in a jar and you have a simple vinaigrette that will made lettuce sparkle.

I've posted a few recipes for salad dressings on this blog, including one with beer, a simple honey balsamic dressing, another with walnut oil. Search through the salad recipes for others including citrus, zesty garlic and more.

I recently read the ingredients on a commercial balsamic vinaigrette:

water
soybean oil
balsamic vinegar
white wine vinegar
sugar
salt
spice
maltodextrin
modified food starch
yeast extract
natural flavors (including soy lecithin)
whey
xanthan gum
natural flavor
less than 0.1% sodium benzoate added as a preservative
garlic
onion
caramel color
propylene glycol alginate

This is why I make my own dressings.

Lacinato Kale

This is one of my favorite kales. It's also called dinosaur kale because of its velvety dimpled leaves. Apparently this is what dinosaur skin feels like. Other names are Tuscan kale, black kale, and cavolo nero. Cooked a long time, it becomes silky and smooth, like pesto.

I like it cooked in the Italian style. I chop it coarsely and then sauté it in a little olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and red chile peppers.

I served it the other night with leftover mushroom risotto made into little cakes and fried until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Very Italian. Very delicious.

I like the greens like this, a little leathery, good chewing, but not crisp. However, Larry said that he prefers his greens to be silky soft so he can swallow without chewing (and tasting) too much. If your family is the same way, blanch the greens for 2 minutes in boiling water, drain, then cook as below.

Lacinato Kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
red chile pepper flakes
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and coarsely chopped
salt
pepper

Warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and a sprinkling of chile pepper flakes. Sauté until the onion is soft.

Add kale, along with the drops of water on its leaves. Stir well. Cover, lower the heat, and cook 5 minutes. Stir, cover, and keep cooking until the kale is softened but not mushy.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Serves 2-3

Dandelion Greens

In this cool winter weather, the Hollywood Farmers Market is overflowing with greens - chard, collards, arugula, many varieties of kale. It's hard to limit my selections to just a week's supply. So many greens, so few meals to eat.

Dandelion greens are my latest favorite.

They are nutrition powerhouses - rich in iron, B vitamins, and many minerals. They improve digestion, lower cholesterol, support the liver, and are exceptionally good for nursing mothers.

They are bitter, however, which I do not like. To neutralize the bitterness I add an acid. (This works with all bitter greens.) In Italian cooking, the acid is usually balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. When I cooked dandelion greens the other day I used lime juice.

We enjoyed the greens as a side dish with a leek and mushroom risotto, and then I took the leftovers to work the next day for a great mid-morning energy boost.

Dandelion Greens
1 bunch dandelion greens
salt and pepper
1 lime

Wash the dandelion greens well and discard the lower part of the leaf which is mainly stem. Chop the leaves coarsely - don't bother removing the center rib. Put them in a large pot with a half-inch of water in the bottom. Cover, bring to the boil, and cook until they are the consistency you like - I like them quite soft.

Serve with salt and pepper and lime wedges on the side so each person can season to their taste.

Serves 2-3

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Every now and then, Trader Joe's carries organic russet potatoes. These are a real treat, because the organic potatoes at the farmers' market are the all-purpose kind, great for boiling and mashing but not for baking.

And there's nothing like a baked potato on a winter evening.

It is possible to bake Yukon gold and other all-purpose potatoes, but they don't bake up as fluffy as Idahos or russets.

The peel is an important part of a baked potato. First, it bakes up crunchy and delicious. (Do not wrap your potatoes in foil to bake. It makes the skin soft, and I'm pretty sure your body does not have an aluminum deficiency.) Second, a lot of the nutrients in potatoes, such as fiber and bioflavanoids, are in the skin.

A single baked potato provides nearly 12% of the daily recommended intake of fiber. A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that potatoes have been wrongly classified as high on the glycemic index - they have more complex carbs than they were given credit for. And of course, even cooked they're a good source of Vitamin C.

Potatoes are the ultimate diet food - low in calorie, high in fiber, and wonderfully filling. The key is not to add too much butter.

The other day I made these delicious Broccoli Baked Potatoes. They have a little cheese and milk, but no butter. With a side of steamed vegetables, they made a hearty meal.

Broccoli Baked Potatoes
3 medium baking potatoes
1 large stalk broccoli
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
pepper

Preheat oven to 425°.

Scrub the potatoes and make a shallow slit down the middle as if you were cutting the potato in half lengthwise.

Bake until they are done, approximately 45 minutes depending on the size. I put on an oven mitt and squeeze them to determine if they're cooked.

Peel the stem of the broccoli as needed, and then steam the whole stalk until tender. Chop the stem and florets finely.

Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the insides into a bowl, leaving 1/4" shell. Stir in the broccoli, milk, and half the cheese. Add pepper to taste. Mash together, then pile the filling back in the potato shells. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and put back in the oven for 10 minutes or so until they're hot.

Serves 2-3

Healthy Resolution

One week into the new year, have you given up on your resolutions?

Are you ready for a new one?

From all the reading on health that I do, the one common denominator is that people who eat more vegetables are healthier.

It doesn't matter if the vegetables are raw, cooked, defrosted, organic, tossed in butter -- as long as they are vegetables.

So a great healthy resolution for this year is to make sure that half the food on your plate at each meal is vegetables. (You can use fruit instead of vegetables at breakfast if you like, but juice does not count.)

This does not have to be a lot of work. Keep some bags of mixed vegetables in the freezer and when you come home with take-out, or order delivery, throw the vegetables in the microwave or steamer. Toss them in butter or olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and you've got half your meal done. And you can feel good about it.

Don't worry if your family won't eat the vegetables. Do this for you.

Ideally you'd eat a variety of vegetables throughout the week - cooked greens, cabbage family, orange vegetables like carrots and squash, root vegetables -- but even if you just stick to broccoli and carrots, you'll go far.

Just remember, every time you eat, make half of what you put in your mouth vegetables.

It will be the healthiest habit you ever develop.

Happy New Year!

I read somewhere that it's good luck to eat black-eyed peas on January 1st.

A New Year's tradition requiring beans - count me in.

Black-eyed peas cook quickly. I put them in water to soak in the morning, and then cooked them for 45 minutes at dinner time. I served them with brown rice for a vegetarian version of Hoppin' John (Mike's Firehouse Smoked Cheddar from Spring Hill Dairy provided the bacon-y flavor).

Side dishes were corn bread and collard greens. And what collard greens they were. Usually I serve them with peanut sauce, but last night I decided to riff off their cabbage-y connection and serve them with mustard sauce. Lip-smacking good.

The greens are cooked to break down the cell walls and make the nutrients more available to the body. Then they're turned in fat which helps the body absorb more of the antioxidants. So while butter and cream might not sound like health food, they actually help the body get maximum nutrition from the greens. And boy, do they make the greens go down easy. (As always, make sure you use organic dairy products.)

Collards in Mustard Sauce
1 bunch collards
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tbsp whipping cream
1 tbsp mustard

Wash the leaves and strip the stems from the leaves. Chop the stems in 3/4" lengths. Tear the leaves in halves or quarters.

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Throw in the stems and 1 tsp salt. Cook 3 minutes. Add the leaves and cook another 3-5 minutes until they're tender. Drain well and squeeze out the excess water.

Put the cooked greens on a chopping board and roughly chop them with a big knife.

Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped greens and toss to coat with the butter, separating the clumps of leaves as best as possible. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together the cream and mustard. Pour over the greens, stir it in, and cook 3-4 minutes until the collards absorb most of the sauce.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2.