Roasted Sweet Pepper Salsa

Roast these sweet mini-peppers to get a wonderful flavored salsa

Sweet roasted, mini-pepper salsa

I rarely make the same recipe twice, especially salsa. There are way too many combinations that can be created with salsa, which is a wonderful thing.

Here is a recipe I threw together recently. I rather liked it's outcome!

8-10 sweet mini-peppers, roasted: broil for about 3-5 min. or until slightly charred, then when cool, cut off tops and scrape out seeds

1 medium size onion, quartered
2-3 cloves raw garlic
6 medium sized fresh tomatoes, quartered and insides/seeds scraped
1/2 can of green chilies
2 Tbsp of vinegar (I used coconut vinegar)
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
1-2 Tbsp. of salt (to your taste)
1 Tbsp pepper
2 tsp powdered cumin

Sweet, roasted, mini-peppers

Blend with small pulses....this baby is particularly speedy, thank you honey for my new toy!

Put all above ingredients in your food processor or blender and give it whirl (but not too much!) until desired consistency is achieved.

Best way to wash your produce

Several years ago (geesh, I have been starting out a lot of blogs that way lately....a sign that I truly AM getting "old"), before most grocery stores had a "Natural and Organic Foods" section, before the internet (did I really just write that?) and the age of information, I had a friend. This particular friend was a nurse. She was sweet as pie and to date, she is the only person I have ever attempted making sushi rolls with. I was just at the beginning of my conscious eating stage at this time. I remember having a conversation with her about organic verses conventional produce. The talk must have become slightly heated because I do not remember anything in detail about the conversation except the part where she looked at me rather annoyed and said with slight disgust, "Well, I DO peel the skins" meaning from her conventional produce. This was her way of telling me that she felt the skins carried all the pesticides and it is easy enough to get rid of the chemicals by peeling the fruit or vegetable. I stopped talking at that point-and quickly changed the subject.

gorgeous carrots soaking in peroxide with water

The easiest way for me to articulate how pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals infiltrate fruits and vegetables is to imagine a white carnation flower in a vase. Fill the vase with water and several drops of red food coloring. Not long and the white carnation will be pinkish-red. The water is absorbed into the stem and continues into the outermost edges of the flower. The same process happens with farming and cultivating produce, except often there is an added process with applications of outer spraying or dusting. What the fruit or vegetable is grown in, becomes part of itself, throughout. It is not just an outer layer, for most fruits and vegetables, that is affected.

Colored water is absorbed throughout the flower

It is well known that the skin of most fruits and vegetables carry with it most of the nutrients and fiber that makes that particular food healthy (assuming it is organically grown). By choosing to eat organic, one can eat the skins without worry, and the whole apple for that matter!

Even though 95% of the produce I bring home is organically grown, I still put it through a rigorous wash. One never knows how many times an apple has been touched, dropped on a floor, etc. It's a good measure to take.

Pile O' produce needing to be washed!

Here is my regime, my husband LOVES to help me do this after our Whole Foods bi-monthly trip (she writes facetiously):

1 large bowl of ice water and 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide

1 large bowl of ice water and 1/2 cup of white vinegar

large strainer

paper towels

produce storage bags (mesh, paper, plastic)

Do all your produce at the same time, to save on time and water. Start with the "cleanest" items that have edible skins, like your apples, pears, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc. Using the same water as you go for each item(s).  Dip in the hydrogen peroxide bath first, for 10 min., then on to the vinegar bath for 10 min. Rinse with plain water, dry, then place in most appropriate bag for freshest storage (potatoes in paper, apples in mesh bag, cucumbers in plastic, etc.) By this stage, you might have very slightly dirty water, but plenty clean for the next round of produce such as potatoes and produce with non-edible skins (melons, bananas, avocados, citrus fruits, etc.)

Take off any stickers, then start with cleaner produce first

All these rules drive my husband bananas- no pun intended- but when we spend our hard (ok, his) earned money and drive 2 hours round trip to get beautiful, organic produce, there is protocol to follow to ensure that our efforts and money do not go to waste.

So here are some "rules" to follow: Do not clean the following fruits or vegetable until you are ready to prepare them:


1. strawberries - can get mushy quicker if water sits in between berries
2. raspberries - almost always get mushy within 24 hours if wet
3. asparagus -tips get wet, then slimy quick
4. mushrooms -brown, bruised and slime quickly after washed
5. onions -don't need to be washed, the skins keep 'em clean
6. only clean lettuces and leafy vegetables (including herbs) ahead of time if you plan on getting out the salad spinner- and make sure to put some paper towels in with the washed lettuce as it helps keep it fresher, longer with less wilting/spoilage

Usually the lettuce sold in bulk (not in sealed bags or plastic clam shell containers) are the freshest, buy them when you can!

After soaking lettuce in peroxide & water, then vinegar & water, rinse well and, in batches, spin out the water

Prepare a new, clean bag, with clean paper towels inside and clipping the top closed. This helps keep the lettuce crisp and fresher for longer.

2 bags of fresh, clean lettuce ready for the fridge!

Soak and clean potatoes as all other produce, then let or pat dry before putting into paper bags

Ready for whenever I want to use them!

The beauty of it all is when I reach in the fridge,  for the night's meal preparation, and everything is sparkly clean and ready to be used! It's also great for the kiddos to grab an apple or a carrot and just go.

"USDA Organic"- what you get when you buy Organic in the U.S.A.

In my recollection of when I first started to buy organic food (a little here and there, then built my way up), it was pretty expensive compared to it's conventional (meaning non-organic) counterparts. Supply and demand surely came into play and organic farmers were more small time, not backed by huge companies such as "Hain". Therefore, I paid, you paid, we all paid more for our organics a decade ago. Nothing pleases me more than when I find USDA organic foods as cheap, if not cheaper, than conventional foods.

What I have found over the years is that not all organic foods are created equal. Imagine that? I have talked to several who don't "believe" in organics (I always say it's my religion) and convincing them is like trying to convert a Catholic to a Mormon-or vice versa.

I grew up in the Mormon religion, I can poke fun at it.

When discussing organics with a non-organic consumer, it can get touchy, like religion or politics. Trying to sell my own children on why organic foods are better (when clearly McDonald's chicken nuggets are the best food on earth) was difficult. I had to figure out how to explain to them that organic is not a flavor.

Once, a dear friend of mine told me that she had "tried an organic apple once" and "didn't like it". Ok, well, I have had movie theater popcorn, at several different movie theaters, and many times I didn't like the popcorn because it was either stale tasting, too salty, or whatever. But, I almost always buy popcorn still when we go to see a movie and I do enjoy it more than not (if only it were organic!). I surely cannot be the only person who has ever had to return a food item for not being up to par, whether it be organic or not.  It is quite possible that organic apple either was not picked at its peak, had been sitting on the shelf too long, or just wasn't the type of apple that pleased the taste buds at that time. The same can  happen with a conventional apple.

One should not base their entire view about organics on one experience, with one "bad" apple.

Organic foods, simply put, means it contains no GMO's, pesticides, fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, antibiotics, injected hormones, or "bad" chemicals.


Here are the USDA guidelines for what makes an organic food item organic, and how it will appear on a label:

• 100% Organic – Foods that are completely organic or made with 100% organic ingredients. May display the USDA seal.
• Organic – Foods that contain at least 95% organic ingredients. May display the USDA seal.
• Made with organic ingredients – Foods that contain at least 70% organic ingredients. Will not display the USDA seal. May list specific organic ingredients on the front of the package.
• Contains organic ingredients – Foods that contain less than 70% organic ingredients. Will not display the USDA seal. May list specific organic ingredients on the information panel of the package.

 Some question, "How do you know if your food is truly organic, especially when it comes from another country?"

Well, how do I know that the cook who made my meal at the restaurant I ate at the other night didn't sweat in my food? I don't.

I am confident my food was handled properly before it arrived on my plate?

How do we know anything for sure, unless we do it ourselves?

Until I grow my own, all I can do is trust that the agencies put in place, to monitor, audit, and impose fines (if necessary) are enough to ensure that my food is truly organic. Just like in religion, I have to have faith. For the most part,  I know that most organic farmers do it because they truly believe in what it stands for. Not many who believe in organics will cut corners risking their own jobs, livelihood, and organic's values. I can almost guarantee that the conventional farming practices will always be wrought with more pesticides and garbage at any rate.


MAJOR benefits to supporting organic agriculture:

1. Saving our environment:

Recently, I was watching one of those "Hoarding" t.v. shows, where bazillions of roaches, trash, feces, and the like were overtaking this woman's home by fault of her own diseased mind. So, they clean up her home, take it all out, make it nice. But, no matter where that garbage went, it is still on this earth. It is not gone forever. No matter how one cleans up a space on this planet, whether it be cleaning of the beaches, a back yard, a junk yard, the "stuff" is still here. It's not truly cleaned up, it's just moved on to another place on this earth. What does conventional farming do with the run-off of chemicals, the residuals, the contaminated soil? Organic farming, ranching, and dairy, has an amazing positive affect on our environment by sustaining all that it encompasses. By using safe measures for pesticide control, alternating of the soil, no chemicals to linger for decades to come, its practices are helping to preserve our children's futures. The scary part to me is knowing that conventional farming is still allowed, knowing how harmful it is to the environment, and ultimately us.

2. Helping Antibiotics stay effective when sincerely needed medically for humans:

The overuse of antibiotics (because many doctors, and doctors' patients feel they are necessary when they are not helpful at all) is making us all immune to its affects. Antibiotics that are given to animals (who are not organically raised) are ingested into our bodies when we eat the meat and/or dairy of that animal. Antibiotics are becoming less effective for humans due to the over abundance of its use and infiltration of our food.

3. Live a longer, healthier life:

Pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases, plain and simple- not to mention all the other culprits that are put into most conventional food items. I am all for living as long as possible so why wouldn't I try to limit my intake of poisonous substances? Sure, Mr. Paul Newman, a huge advocate of organic, holistic foods, died of cancer (RIP blue eyes). But, other factors come into play besides food. Genetics, smoking, drinking, environment, medications, etc. Maybe things he had done earlier in life had finally caught up to him. Maybe, no matter what, he was genetically pre-disposed with an increased chance of disease. So, I would like to think that his organic lifestyle, whenever he began down that path, helped him live a longer life than he would have had, had he not eaten organically.

Cuckoo for Coconut!

My first memory of coconut is the scent....the scent of sun tan lotion that I would wear as a teenager just so I could smell it! I have always loved coconut's scent and the flavor, but I admit, I have never cracked one open myself. I have always been intimidated by the rather large nut, that looks very hard to crack. Then, what to do with a bunch of fresh coconut? So, the by-products are usually what I find myself buying, eating, and wearing. There are entire blogs dedicated to this one nut. Check out the Coconut Mama. Wow. I thought hemp was versatile, but this nut is pretty amazing!

Great reasons to go coconuts:

*contains high amounts of lauric acid (rarely found anywhere else) that converts into an anti-viral/anti-bacterial/anti-protozoa property.

*coconut oil is nature's richest source of MCFA's (medium-chain fatty acids) similar to the amounts found in human breast milk, which act as a carbohydrate in your body, providing energy without the insulin spike- thereby helping your body burn calories

*great for our hearts

*coconuts have one of the highest fiber contents of any plant food

*acts as a vermifuge (expels parasitic worms)

*supports the thyroid gland

*is great for hair and skin's health

*its sugar and syrups are low on the glycemic index

*its oil is versatile in cooking and baking and superior in health benefits to most other oils

*its flour is a great gluten-free alternative in baking

*its cream is wonderful in smoothies, desserts, and more

Some of my favorite coconut products:

Coconut vinegar (no taste of coconut)

Dairy free, made with coconut milk, organic ice cream, love this stuff!!!

This coconut cream comes in a solid, concentrated form. It's great to add a little here, a little there for whatever recipe (rather than opening a can of coconut milk and not using it all).

Unrefined coconut oil for baking, sauteing, cooking, and moisturizing

Although I have tried coconut sugars and syrups, and I do like them, I have read that the methods for farming the sugars from a coconut palm tree render the trees useless after the harvest. This is not a sustainable practice and I will probably no longer purchase coconut in sugar form. Honey, maple syrup, agave, and "old fashioned" cane sugar will continue to be my sweeteners of choice for now. 

I will be sure to post coconut recipes here and there.....until then, what's YOUR favorite coconut product and why?

Chicken Cordon Bleu-the easy way

Quick, easy, healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu

 The originating recipe was given to me about 10 years ago from a dear friend, Dawn. She would always tease me that dinner did "not always have to be a 3 course meal". 10 years ago I was far from a good cook, in my opinion. I was evolving, still am evolving. But, I always made sure that there was a meat portion, a vegetable, a starch, and usually a dessert (and a starter if there was company). I  imagine most people's dinners have at least these components. Anyway, back to Dawn, another Navy spouse (I was a Navy spouse back then) who knew that cooking dinner with 3 kids in tow, and a husband who was MIA for up to 6 months, turned into less than 3 course meals very quickly. Her rendition of this recipe I have morphed over years, as I do with most every recipe, so as not to get bored. I have also gained more knowledge for healthy alternatives to foods I used to use...so for instance, the original recipe called for cream of chicken soup, but I do not use the traditional brands as these have msg and less than desirable ingredients. 10 years later, I am happy to have discovered an organic, more natural alternative to the condensed chicken soup, mushroom and cream of celery soup- that can allow me (consciously) to make those quick and easy comfort meals that I once prepared. So, without further adieu....

You will need:

1.5 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts (halve recipe if it's only 1 or 2 of you)-choose organic, free range chicken if you can find it

juice of 1/2 lemon

box of cream of chicken or cream of celery soup (click here for the organic version that I like)

1/2 cup heavy organic cream 

6 slices of baby swiss cheese (I prefer Boar's Head brand in the deli of most major grocery stores)

6 slices of ham (again, I like Boar's Head brand-tavern ham)

10 or so stalks of fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed of woody bottoms

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fry chicken in pan until golden, but leaving pink in the middle, to finish in oven

Prepare chicken breasts: heat a heavy bottom fry pan (on medium) with real butter or a healthy oil of your choice. Pat chicken breasts dry (must do this to attain a golden brown sear) then sprinkle salt and pepper on each side. When fry pan is hot and butter/oil is melted and hot, place chicken breasts in to fry both sides until golden brown. Do not cook through entirely. Set aside.

Mix cream of chicken soup with lemon juice, heavy cream and spices

Layer asparagus stalks over a thin layer of the Cordon Bleu sauce

In a medium sized bowl, mix the entire box of cream of chicken (or celery) in with heavy cream, lemon juice, nutmeg,  salt, and pepper.

In a baking dish, pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce in, then lay the asparagus spears side by side (with some space in between each spear) on top of sauce, then slices of ham on top of asparagus, then add slices of swiss cheese, and then the seared chicken breasts. Pour remainder of sauce on top of the chicken breasts. I find that I like to layer this all in different ways, depending on my mood- so do as you prefer!

Finish in the oven for 15-20 min.

To make it part of a 3 course meal, it goes nice with rice (or quinoa) and a salad!

Favorite Mexican Layer Dip Recipe!

I am not sure if my love of Mexican (American style) food started with my first ever waiting tables job or not....Wait a minute, start over. Yes, my infatuation began when I worked at the only Mexican restaurant for miles....before this, my only exposure to Mexican food was a boxed burrito kit (Old El Paso) and a few tacos from Taco Bell. (If you only knew how much junk food I ate while growing up, you might wonder where I grew to love organic, whole foods!) There isn't much that I will not eat on the menu at a Mexican-style restaurant. Caldo de pollo is always a favorite. So many delicate flavors in one bowl of chicken soup, yummo! Avocados are heaven to me, absolute heaven. I only wish that they could be purchased perfectly ripe when I desire to eat them right away. Lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, oh my....the melding of so many spices, and fresh flavors, I just love it! My only complaint is the time needed to prepare most of the Mexican style recipes. So much to chop and slice. But, this is what makes it a super fresh, wonderful treat. When I need my Mexican fix, this is a go to that requires little prep and has just enough flavor to get me through until the next big Mexi-feast. It's a naturally gluten free, meat free recipe that I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 can of organic refried beans (your choice)
1 small can, chopped green chilis
1 small chopped tomato
1/2 of green pepper, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 avocado, smashed with salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar and/or monterey jack cheese
**If you happen to have it (and love it as much as I do) add some freshly chopped cilantro

 Layer in ramekins or small baking dishes, the refried beans, tomatoes, sour cream, the green chilis, green peppers,  the avocado mash and top with the cheese. 

 Place in oven at 350 degrees F for approx. 12 min. Take out and top with any remaining ingredients.

Oh the melty goodness!

 Serve with warmly toasted, organic corn tortilla chips. Ole! 

Find raw cheddar cheese here: Organic, raw cheddar cheese, order here

sus·tain·a·ble

photo credit: Cadee Coombs

sus·tain·a·ble/səˈstānəbəl/

Adjective:

Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level. (esp. of development, exploitation, or agriculture) Conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources. Why is knowing the definition of "Sustainable" important when it comes to our environment? Here someone's view of sustainability : by Tsalyer: "Environmental sustainability is important because our food and water comes from the environment. If we use too much of it we will run out. If we run out and there is no way to produce more we will eventually become extinct." That about sums it up. If one stops to think about it....we are using up items and resources faster than the earth can produce them. This is why recycling is so very important to us all. Why would someone throw away a perfectly good plastic bottle that could be recycled into another plastic item? If a recycling program is available in one's home town, there is no excuse not to recycle. It is as easy as taking out the trash, but it's less stinky and messy! Think of all the trash you make, all by yourself, in just one day. Now think of all the trash your family makes in just one day. Think of how often you take out the trash. Now, think of trash day and driving through your neighborhood seeing all of the trash at the end of everyone's driveways. Trash day happens twice a week in our neighborhood. Now, try to wrap your thoughts around every home and business in this Country (not even the entire world, just our own Country) and the trash that we all produce daily, let alone weekly, monthly, yearly, in a lifetime. Honestly, I don't know where it all goes (well, tons of it goes into the ocean, but that's another blog entry), do you? I can tell you that steam almost literally comes out of my ears when I find a recyclable item in our trash bin (ask my girls). It is just as easy to put that plastic water bottle into the recycle bin as it was to put in the stinky trash bin. One way to keep the landfills from being "well stocked" with plastics, styrofoam containers, aluminum and the like, is to not use them, use as little as possible, and recycle what is able to be salvaged. Not everyone uses the same measures or makes the same efforts to recycle. But any little bit is truly better than no effort at all. Here are some of the things we do at our house to help sustain the environment:  Besides recycling as much as possible, we use baking parchment paper at our house where some would use aluminum foil. We still use the foil, but sparingly, and then we recycle it. We use wax paper snack baggies for snacks in my girls' lunches when possible, in lieu of plastic baggies. We pack them water in re-usable, double-walled, stainless steel water bottle/thermoses. We make most of our own cleaners and re-use the spray bottles, that we keep the cleaners in,  over and over. We use glass for most everything baking-wise and food storage wise. It ensures that we will have long lasting bake-ware and storage-ware with easy recycling ability should they get broken at some point. We return our printer cartridges and old batteries to the appropriate receptacles at various businesses. We try to find someone who can use a large item we may not need anymore, rather than throwing it away as trash, on the curb. We use scrap paper until there is no more room left on the paper. We have low flush toilets (anyone can do this by adding a brick or something solid to take up space in their holding tank). We have a rain barrel. We have drought-resistant landscaping that needs barely any watering. We use free, recycled mulch in our gardens as much as possible (some counties offer this, check yours!) We use as many natural products as possible to avoid contaminating the environment and water supply. These are little things, yet the little things add up when considering every home, every business, and all the trash we produce. What do you do to help sustain Mother Earth? I would love some new ideas! We all live on this Earth together. Let's make a New Year's Resolution to do at least one new thing in 2012 that helps sustain our Mother Earth. We all deserve at least that!