Feeding the Whole Family

Feeding the Whole Family is a cookbook by Cynthia Lair that provides simple vegetarian recipes for families who want to eat a meal prepared with fresh, whole foods. I just love her Red Bean & Quinoa Chili recipe. What's quinoa you ask? I've been eating this ancient Incan grain, pronounced Keen-Wah, for many years because it's easy to cook, has a light texture and nutty taste, is an easy substitute for rice, and has the unique benefits of being a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids. And it's high in iron and low carb to boot. It's a SuperGrain so eat up! Cook it in the rice cooker or on the stove top just like rice.

Cynthia Lair's Red Bean and Quinoa Chili (adapted)

The cinnamon in this dish gives it a natural sweetness that I love. Buy her cookbook and you won't be sorry.
Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours, 30 minutes if beans are pre-cooked.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
• 3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
• 1 large green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn (I like Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn)
• 1-2 cups organic tomato sauce
• 1 cup water

Optional garnish
A few tablespoons of grated cheese

Preparation:

1. Drain soaking water off beans. Place beans in a large pot with cumin and water; bring to boil. Simmer over low heat, covered, until tender (50-60 minutes) or pressure-cook using 2 cups water (45 minutes). If you want to buy canned beans, use 3 cups' worth and rinse before using.
2. Heat oil in skilled on medium heat. Add onion, salt, garlic, pepper, and spices; saute for 5-10 minutes. Add rinsed quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomato sauce, and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. Add cooked beant to other ingredients; simmer another 10 minutes. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of grated cheese if desired.
   

Pasta With Spinach and Blue Cheese

I have been a big fan of Mark Bittman, aka The Minimalist, for a long time. This recipe dates back to 2003 and every time I make it I thank him. Everyone likes it and it seems like a treat because of the full-fat blue cheese. Here's my version with a link to his original on the New York Times site. Basically, I omit the butter, use half the amount of pasta and only use whole wheat pasta. Trader Joes has a really good assortment of very good blue cheeses - Roquefort, gorgonzola, and the one I used in this version, Blue Stilton from England made from no rBST cow's milk!

Preparation Time:30 minutes
Serves 4 as a light supper and 6-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound Trader Joe's Organic whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 6 oz. bags Trader Joe's Organic baby spinach
• 4 oz. Trader Joe's blue cheese, crumbled - Roquefort, gorgonzola, or other good blue
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Boil water in a pot large enough to hold pasta, add salt and pasta and cook according to package directions minus one minute.
2. Meanwhile, open bags of spinach and crumble cheese. Place a colander in the sink.
3. Add spinach to cooking pasta when timer goes off, stir and cook until bright green and wilted, about 30 seconds.
4. Drain pasta and spinach well in colander and return to pot. Immediately add cheese and stir to melt and combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
   

Sometime I Hate Being Right

Many years ago I decided that ground beef would never again touch my lips nor those of my kids. The only ground beef we eat is what I buy and grind myself. Today's news about the largest ground beef recall in US history is what I always feared. Now I look sane to all those who thought I was fringe. I wish I had been wrong.

First, I'd like to thank the Humane Society for bringing the reckless behavior of Westland/Hallmark Meat Company to light. Please take a minute to view their videos showing abuses at this and other slaughterhouses so you can understand how inhumane and dangerous they are. Warning, they are not for the faint of heart and you may never eat ground beef again.

Who suffers when meat unfit for human consumption enters the food supply? Not me and mine because of our house rules discussed above. And because I pack my son's lunch every day, he is not exposed to the cafeteria food that I would not eat myself. Guess what? After I read him the article in today's NYT, I asked him if he understood NOW, FINALLY why I don't let him eat school lunch. He gave me a resounding YES accompanied by a vigorous, affirmative shaking of the head. I 'll take that as a thank you and promise not to ask me for the umpteenth time when I'll let him eat school lunch.

Okay, who does suffer? Consumers who think ground beef is a nutritious, tasty and inexpensive source of protein, kids who eat school lunch, including those on free and reduced lunch, and anyone who eats in institutions which participate in federal nutrition programs (read the poor and elderly). That's a whole lot of people, including our precious children! I sit here now hoping that none of them gets mad cow disease from eating those downer cows. Every parent should be outraged and should be asking their food service directors what they are doing to ensure the safety of the foods to make up school lunch.

What's gone wrong? Not enough inspectors? Lax enforcement of Federal regulations within companies that process meat? Companies putting profits before the health of consumers? All of the above and much more.

How can this be fixed? I have a few ideas. Send me yours.

1. Get the government to recognize publicly that their system for ensuring the safety of our food supply is broken.
2. Arrange a panel of experts, without ties to meat packing companies, to come up with a better system, including one that gives the USDA the right to recall products it oversees.
   
3. Get the National School Lunch Program to raise the bar on quality and understand why whole foods are the way to go and why the commodities program is problematic.
   
4. End factory farming. Support sustainable agriculture and local food systems.

I'm disgusted and hope you are too. If you want to know whether or not the recalled beef made it to your kid's cafeteria, good luck. The USDA isn't telling because of their arcane rules. Give them a ring and a piece of your mind: 202-720-4623.