Month: March 2017

What the Health? Yes, Virginia, there are vegan athletes and meals that are great!

Published on by thejanetgreen4 Comments

Please try to be patient with me. This is my first review of a movie.

I had an aha moment this weekend. I don’t have to eat meat.

I have a bit of a thing for Documentaries. Depending on my mood, the topics might vary from health to history, plants to politics, or science to technology. A few weeks back, I saw a post on Facebook for a new movie coming out. It’s called “What the Health”. This is the latest film by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, makers of “Cowspiracy”. Viewers watch as they have discussions with doctors and others about the impact of the meat based diet on people, the animals, and the planet.

Watching this documentary I was reminded that there is more to living a plant based life than just what meat does to you and your body. The movie covers impact on the animals, and the communities near the large processing plants. One of the aha moments for me came during discussions about contributions made by various parties to popular organizations.

I have been moving towards plant based diets for some time. If and when I consume animal products, I try to source humanely raised animal products. Yet, again I feel the need to take a step back. I am not trying to tell anyone what they must do, but if you are reading this, I hope you would at least consider the concepts as presented. Perhaps you will consider consuming less meat, or at least become more aware.

I was impressed greatly by the film.

All of this brings me to the recipe for the day; Szechuan Eggplant and Tofu over Quinoa pilaf, with raw veggies on the side.

It was Sunday afternoon, I had worked a half day, and I was trying to get comfortable and watch the movie. I could not cook fish or meat while watching the movie. I decided to take a shot at a great tasting vegan meal.

I try to use as many organic products as possible, but even there, I’m not perfect, so here goes.

I get an idea or a feeling when I’m about to cook. So I knew I wanted brown rice mixed with red quinoa. That turned into ½ Organic brown basmati, ¼ red quinoa and ¼ mixed mung bean pilaf. What can I say? I live to mix it up. Pretty straight forward. I used a rice cooker. In this case it was about 2 cups of dry with 5 or so cups of water, salt, pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil and a shake of hot pepper flakes.

I love Szechuan eggplant, yet, I wanted to keep it as healthy as possible. I did some googling and mix matching of recipes. (from Spice Ame Cooks  and connoisseurusveg) The first suggested cubing and baking the eggplant first. I loved this idea, as eggplant has a tendancy to absorb oil, water, or basically everything. Preheat 425 F/220C. Dice to smallish cubes, drizzle with some good olive oil, salt, pepper and pop into the oven for about 17 – 20 minutes, until brown on the edges, soft in the middle. I must say, this was brilliant. Should out to

Next, I mixed up the sauce and put it down to set. I loosely used the sauce recipe from Spice Ame Cooks  but I threw in a bit of hot and sweet jam and sweet chili sauce as I didn’t get the hot/sweet/tart thing going correctly the first try. In short, I skipped the fish sauce, used Tamari for Soy, Rice Vinegar, bean sauce, sesame oil, stevia, and the above mentioned sweet jam and sweet chili.

I chose a sprouted organic spicy tofu, which I then pan fried on my comal in cubes, browned on each side, per connoisseurusveg

Once the eggplant was done cooking, I threw some garlic in my skillet with the sauce, added the eggplant and crispy tofu and cooked it down a bit.

Now for the assembly. Scoop of quinoa mix. Scoop of eggplant. I used one of my trusty magic mandolins to julienne carrots. I sliced a quarter avo and added a few sliced grape tomatoes.

Heavenly. Just heavenly and not too terribly labor intensive either.

By the time it was ready, I was only about 30 minutes into the movie. I was able to enjoy my dinner and the movie.

If you want to learn more about the movie, check out What the Health

I also highly recommend a newly favored blog and podcast by Rich Roll, and I can’t wait until Julia’s new book on This Cheese is Nuts!  comes out.

Don’t believe the myth about needing to eat meat. Don’t be afraid of the veggies, they’re not going to hurt you, and will make feel great!

#EatToLive

#WTHfilm

#WhatTheHealthFile

#MakeNewChoices

WTHEggPlant

Seedlings are almost as cute as puppies

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I do love to plant seeds. I get really sad when they fail, but there is always a percentage that fail. There are lots of seeds that I start indoors, or more accurately on my patio. I confess, this is due more to laziness and access than necessity. Yet, for those that are in frost prone areas, many folks start seeds indoors two weeks before the last frost. Some plants transplant better than others, and I’m prone to dropping or not being gentle enough. I received a few of the soil pellets that you see used here along with Seeds Saver order last year. I love them. While they are not recommended for all plants, they allow me to get things going in a limited space and still have a great success rate.

I am not a quick riser. I use an alarm. I had to train myself to gradually move from someone who would stay up all night to finish a book, to someone who rises with the sun. It is amazing how maturity, kids and jobs can change our personal habits. Daylight savings this year has been torture. My mind still tells me that if the sun is not over the ridge directly east of my bedroom window, then it’s not time to get up. My alarm, which starts it’s dance at 6:10 am begs to differ. I actually resent hitting the snooze button. I want to be able to rise like the sun, with gratitude and a smile. My daily routine includes my gratitude affirmation, letting the dogs out of their crates, starting my espresso brewing, throwing the bean bag heating pad in the microwave, and at this time of year, wandering outside to my patio check on my babies.

I know that almost everyone, including me, oh! and ah! over puppies and kittens, or rescue animals on Social Media. I haven’t figured out yet why there is not yet the same viral following for seedlings. Often, in less than one week, the seed bursts forth stretching for the sun and then changes every day in noticeable ways.  I reuse all types of containers to hold the my soil pellets, and then there is my less than stellar or scientific labeling. Note to self: Stickies don’t stick long term. I’m excited to have a few ideas how to improve that situation, but I’ll save that for another day.

In case it’s not clear in the photos, the soil pellet is contained in thin netting. For some seeds that grow very fast, I cut the bottom before promoting to the final destination, whether container or bed.

Let me say it again, soil pellets are not mandatory. If you prefer to start your seeds in containers, egg shells or sew directly in the ground, great! Go for it! If you have limited space, or if you want to see if the seeds are “good”,  this method works great for me. When I transplant depends on the plant. The first leaves that appear are called “cotyledon” or seeds leaves. They form from the embryo/seed. You will see the true leaves form later. I don’t bother to pinch the seed leaves, but some people do. If you would like to find out more about it click:  True Leaf vs. Cotyledon

While there are many companies that sell seed pellets or seed starting soil, I ordered mine from Seed Savers you can also order their catalog online. They are one of my favored seed sources.

At first, you can barely tell the different baby plants apart. I can say, almost two weeks in, several of my labels have blown off once again, which means I’ll be doing some guessing. I did intentionally start flowers and have a list of the plants, even if there might be some question as to which ones are which. Last year I missed planting my sunflowers in time. Some plants take a good solid 90 days or more to grow to maturity. Two years ago I had a full fence/hedge of the most gorgeous sunflowers, I’m shooting for that again.

I try to select plants for purpose, consumption or pleasure. I try not to grow interesting food that I won’t eat. I have added flowers to encourage pollinators. I have seen a noticeable increase of bees and butterflies from the practice last year. I also like to grow plants with a variety of benefits, for example, I have several plants growing that are intended to deter mosquitoes or for tonics.

My recommendation is to plant what you love, whether flowers, veggies or trees.

 

Seed Pellets
Day 1
Day 2
Look at them, tell me these aren’t cute
Fenugreek
Sunflowers
Blue Borage and… Cleome I think
Fenugreek again
The giant Sunflowers are starting to get second set of leaves day 11

 

In case you wonder why I’m yammering on about sunflowers, with great anticipation, look at these babies from two years ago.

#UrbanGarden #LifeIsAnExperiment #LoveMotherNature #EatWhatYouGrow

Why can’t I mix Jerk and Curry?

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If you know me, you know that I slay recipes without apology. I tend to consider them more as suggestions than than a legal document or contract. For this reason, I always call myself a “cook” rather than a “chef”. This applies to baking as well as savories, it’s an experiment after all. The fun is in the making it my own. For more complex recipes, I will try to follow a standard recipe the first time, sometimes I can get through the whole thing without tweaking, but it’s rare.

I have no fear whatsoever when it comes to attempting ethnic recipes, or serving a variety dishes from different nationalities on one plate.

Two standard favorites in my house include jerk and curry. Very often this manifests as jerk chicken or curry chicken, but might also be shrimp or eggplant.

It’s been a long week. I’ve had a lot going on.I needed to come up with something that “honored” my low-carb day. I’m intent on improving my health, and dropping some weight.  Hmm, I knew I had a boneless chicken breast, baby greens lots of spices, less patience, and more hunger. What to do?

Last night, I had put the breast in a glass container and marinated with a basic lemon and oil salad dressing. The marinade was not strictly required, but I tend to marinate if I’m not going to cook right away (to prevent/delay spoilage).  I have a great cast iron comal. I use it for everything from grilling to naan and crepes.

After adding a drizzle or two of olive oil, I set the heat to medium. While the comal was heating, I moved to the spice cupboard for inspiration. I couldn’t decide between my Jamaican dry jerk seasonings and the Jamaican curry, so I grabbed them both. (Yes, there is a difference in curries from different countries). I also grabbed the Frank’s Hot Sauce. I happen to have at least seven different types of hot sauce that I select with my mood.

I sliced the chicken across into six or eight “tenders”. The comal was good and hot by now, so I sprinkled the chicken with the jerk seasonings first, then curry and popped them onto the comal. The idea was to sear the outside but keep the inside tender. I covered it with a lid and turned on the fan to ensure the very sensitive smoke detectors didn’t start screaming.

Meanwhile, I grabbed some baby spinach and baby kale from the fridge, made a sufficient but not excessive pile. Time to check the chicken. Looking good, add more jerk and curry and flip it using either a fork, tongs or spatula. Add a bit more jerk to side a for good measure. If the skillet is too dry, or cooking too fast, lower the heat or add a bit more oil, or drizzle some water. Cover.

For the “dressing”, grab a small glass bowl (you will find I try to avoid plastics as much as possible), using a standard spoon, drop a dollop (+/- 1 Tablesppon aka 15 gr) of plain Greek yogurt, and a little less of Mayo, add curry, salt, pepper, Frank’s Hot Sauce, a quick shake of rice vinegar and either a few drops of stevia or a drizzle of honey (your choice). I had to add more curry as I really wanted the curry to shine through. Stir.  Taste. Adjust. I just had to have a bit more citrus, so I added a couple drops of Orange Oil. If too thick add a little water, but only a teaspoon (5 ml) or less at time. Wing it. Add or delete spices as you and your family prefer.

The chicken should be finished by now. Check it. Dice and place on top of the bed of greens. Dollop with dressing. If you like, you can add carrots, tomatoes or avocado, it all depends on you and how you  are eating for the day and what strikes your fancy.

Whenever possible I used fresh veggies from my garden.

Enjoy.

CurryJerkChickenSalad

#YeaIDidThat #EasyDinnerTweaks #FearNotItsAKeeper #GrowthTakesExperimentation #BreakingRules

For conversions I consulted: International Cooking Measurements

I also received a request for basic ingredients list, I am including links to suggestions that I enjoy. I included online links for those that might not have a Jamaican grocer locally.

  • Protein (I chose boneless chicken breast, but shrimp and tofu would also work)
  • Jamaican Jerk Seasoning – You can make your own, or choose ready made.
  • Jamaican Curry – You can make your own, or choose ready made.
  • Plain Greek Yogurt – I prefer Organic
  • Mayo – I prefer Organic, but you can also make your own if so inclined
  • Frank’s Hot Sauce
  • Rice Vinegar or other light sweet vinegar
  • Orange Oil – Not required, but I enjoy. email me  if you would like more info jlgjoseph@gmail.com

Seeds, Seedlings and Catalogs, Oh My!

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Spring 2017 cont’d

I was really excited when I received my two favorite seed catalogs; Baker’s Creek and Seed Saver’s. It’s like porn for the garden addict.  Then I heard my conscience nagging me. I got out my box of seeds from last year’s order, along with the seeds I saved from my own harvest. Sigh. I’m going to have to think twice and unless there is something really special, I can’t order more seeds. Sad.

That brings me to the point of this blog. Whether you are new to gardening, live in a place without much yard, or maybe even live in an apartment, I still highly recommend planting something. There are so many choices. You can use beds, raised beds, containers, pots, grow indoors or out. But there isn’t anything quite like watching things grow, and even more, eating what you grow.

  • The end of winter is the time time to clean up the winter mess. For a change, in Los Angeles, it rained a lot this year. I live on a relatively steep slope, and between the mud and the weeds, I had to wait until the rain fully abated.
  • Look up the last frost date in the almanac and the next new moon for your area, take micro zones into consideration. Here is Los Angeles, we supposedly never get frost. Start deciding which plants you will start from seed indoors, which might go directly in the garden, or see what sales are going on for young plants at a reputable location. I recommend firmly that you try to find flowers that are NOT treated with nicotinoids. The chemicals are negatively impacting bee populations.
  • For those that use containers, time to take stock clean them out. Any of the pots that had diseased plants, I dump the whole thing dirt and all. No point in infecting the garden again. For those that were basic die off, I dump the pot to a compost heap, and use a bleach wash for the pot. It’s a good time to recall which pots were too small, or didn’t weather well etc. I’m considering trying grow bags this year. I may add my research on that later.
  • If you have a worm compost bin, check in on them. Did they make it through the winter? Is it time to harvest the compost and set them up with a clean bin? If using a standard compost bin, check on it, turn, follow up etc.
  • Seed Inventory – what do you have in stock, and what do you need.
  • Adding any trees to the garden this year?
  • Are there any plants or trees that need transplanting? Have you identified and prepped the location?
  • For each of your plants you will need to determine the best locations by sun, water and other special needs.
  • Water – how will you be watering? I use a drip system, and I need to make some updates. I also hand water some of the containers. I need to expand the drip system and do some more reviewing.
  • Adding Compost, fertilizers etc. I try to use organic matter as much as possible. I accept that I live on a lot with a lot of construction debris. So in some areas I supplement and amend, in other areas, I use containers. This year I am also going to try using some chemical free hay bales to build up some beds.

Whatever you do, don’t let any of this intimidate you. If you are new, start small. I started with house plants, then went to sprouts. If you are brand new, maybe starting from seedlings will work for you. Support local, organic sources when you can. I visited FigEarth yesterday for the big Tomato Blow out and got several tomatoes and some culinary herbs. If interested you can follow them on Instagram #figearthsupply, great folks and they have harvest swaps periodically.

SmartSelectImage_2017-03-12-08-32-43

You might still have time to get into the seed giving away from Baker Creek, subscribe to the new YouTube channel https://youtu.be/vIgcKN7UClk

I’m still learning and practicing. I gain so much joy from my garden, that the work is part of the pleasure.

As in all things, I am a work in progress, and an ongoing experiment. Keep an eye out.. I will write more on the garden soon.

#UrbanGardenLove #ReconnectToTheEarth #GrowthTakesExperimentation

Winter is fading, Spring is peeking out around the corner

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March 2017, Los Angeles

For better or worse, I started this blog a few weeks ago. It seems like so much has changed since then. Instead of being the 1st of March, it is now mid-March, the sun is finally up when my alarm goes off at 6:15 am PT. Why is it so much harder to crawl out of bed when it’s dark outside? I’m much more motivated to get up and get going in the light, and then add to it the fact that the sun is going down later too? I can go walk the Rosebowl or hike with the dogs, or hit the gym, as long as it’s still not sunset.

I’ve spent a series of the latest sunny days, after all that rain we had here in Los Angeles, weeding. I know that we needed the rain desperately, but I’ll include some photos so you can see just how much the wild ones have grown. In some empty lots near me, they are well over my head already. As of today, I’m done with the pulling, yes I still hand pull weeds. It was however, imperative that I get out there while my very clay soil was still soft enough to pull the whole plants out. Once it gets too dry, it’s like trying to extract something from a solid mass.

1Before

The very weedy beginning
1Part1
3part2
5part4
4part3

6part5

Finally progress

I needed to weed wack the wild grasses, and do some pruning, for this I enlisted some help. All this so that I can start with the fun part, putting seeds in the soil. I have made an appointment with a friend to help me rework my drip system, another appointment with another friend to help me/show me how to clean out and restart the worm compost bin etc. I’m already seeing lots of buds on the Satsuma Plum, new leaves on the Honey Fig and lots of self-starters in the Marigold family.

You could say I’m trying to develop a garden that reseeds itself, and is based on edibles and pollinator attractors. So far, the marigolds have really surprised me.  My goal is to have a large garden that mostly repopulates itself, and provides lots of food for me and as many people as I am able.

You might still have time to get into the seed giving away from Baker Creek, subscribe to the new YouTube channel https://youtu.be/vIgcKN7UClk

I’m still learning and practicing. I gain so much joy from my garden, that the work is part of the pleasure.

As in all things, I am a work in progress, and an ongoing experiment. Keep an eye out.. I will write more on the garden soon.

#UrbanGardenLove #ReconnectToTheEarth #GrowthTakesExperimentation