"The Great Organic Deceivers"

In my last post, I extolled the virtues of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes. And then I saw this. Apparently Muir Glen is owned by General Mills, which is just one of a host of companies who have lobbied against "Label GMO"--a California initiative to increase awareness of what is really in our food.

In fact, many of the brands that we've come to associate with organic or otherwise healthy products are in fact owned by major corporate conglomerates. For instance, Kashi is owned by Kellogg, which is also one of the companies fighting "Label GMO," a.k.a. Prop 37. The hypocrisy extends even further--Silk Soymilk, Almond milk, and Coconut milk actually carries the 'Non-GMO Project Verified' seal on its products, despite being owned by Dean (who also produces Horizon brand organic milk), which has also lobbied against Prop 37.

Want to educate yourself further on GMOs--genetically modified organisms? Here is a great site with more information. Suffice it to say that GMOs are dangerous because they have not been proven safe to eat and they are not a part of sustainable agriculture--in fact, they cause more harm than good, both to our health and to our environment.

Want to get involved in the movement? Start by refusing to buy products made by the following companies:

Alexia Foods

Bear Naked

Cascadian Farm Organics

French Meadow Organic Bakery

Gardenburger

Honest Tea

Horizon Organic

Izze Sparkling Juice

Kashi

Larabar

Lightlife

MorningStar Farms

Muir Glen Organics

Naked Juice

Odwalla

R.W. Knudsen

Santa Cruz Organic

Sierra Mist Natural

Silk

The following companies have supported "Label GMO" and are otherwise great companies that deserve your support:

Amy’s

Baby’s Only Organic

Dr. Bronner’s

Eden

Lundberg

Nature’s Path Organic

Nutiva

Organic Valley

Straus Organic

Uncle Matt’s

The best way to avoid consuming GMO is to buy foods that are 100% organic and/or that carry the "Non-GMO Project Verified" label. If a product says 'made from organic ingredients,' that is not a guarantee that it is GMO-free. The most important products to be wary of are corn and soy--95% of the US soy crop and 75% of the US corn crop is genetically modified. This doesn't just extend to corn on the cob and edamame--anything made with corn or soy ingredients may contain GMO--from tofu to tortilla chips and even salad dressing and other products that contain high fructose corn syrup.

For further information on big-agro, check out Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a life-changing, eye-opening account of her family's experiment with eating only locally grown food. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about what they eat, or anyone who is on the fence about the benefits of organic eating. Post a comment if you check it out and tell me what you think!

"Block 45" Tomato Sauce

This is the second time I've made this sauce, and each time it's made me feel like I'm cheating on my mother-in-law's tomato sauce recipe. You know, the kind that sits on the stove for hours on end? Well, this one takes under 30 minutes, plus it TASTES like you slaved over it all day!

The original recipe is another great one from my Power Foods cookbook. Obviously tomatoes are the "power food" featured. They're loaded with lycopene, which is known to reduce the risk of certain types of cancers and macular degeneration. Cooking tomatoes actually increases their lycopene content because more is released as the cell walls break down. For many years the health benefits of tomatoes went unnoticed--because the tomato plant is part of the nightshade family, a line of poisonous plants, many assumed that tomatoes were poisonous too. Turns out only the stems and leaves are toxic. And one last fun fact: because lycopene is fat-soluble, this sauce is best consumed with an extra drizzle of olive oil or some mozzarella cheese.

I've dubbed this recipe "Block 45" Sauce, after the Pinot Noir I've used each time I've made it. Obviously you can use whatever sort of red wine you have on hand. Here's the recipe:

1/4c extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, minced (I used a regular yellow onion, since that's what I had)
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
1/4c plus 2tbsp dry red wine
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried basil
Coarse salt

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 7 minutes
2. Stir in remaining ingredients plus 1/4tsp salt. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Season with another 1/2tsp salt, or to taste. Serve immediately or let cool completely before storing. Sauce will keep for up to 5 days in fridge or up to 1 month in an airtight container in the freezer.*

The first time I tried this, I followed the recipe exactly, but ended up having to puree the sauce a bit because it was so chunky. This time I used a can of crushed tomatoes along with a can of diced tomatoes, which turned out much better. As with any recipe, the quality of the ingredients will affect the taste of the overall product. I strongly recommend using organic tomatoes, particularly Muir Glen Fire-Roasted if you can get them. This time I served the sauce with some multigrain rotini pasta, though I think it's best suited for thin spaghetti. Apparently it's also great over fish or grilled chicken. What will you try it with?

*Want to see pics of my culinary creations? Add "lawyermomcooks" to your friends on Instagram!

Restaurant Inspiration: Cafecito

I finally cashed in on my Mother's Day gift: a spa package and a lunch date in the city with my hubby. He suggested we check out a place on Congress Parkway in Chicago called Cafecito. When he mentioned that it was a Cuban sandwich joint, I immediately began craving plaintains! To indulge my craving, I ordered the Lechon platter (lechon=roasted pork), which was served with sweet plaintains and a side of Moros y Cristianos (black beans and white rice). Husband ordered the traditional Cuban sandwich (roasted pork w/ham, swiss cheese, mustard and pickles) with a non-traditional side of Lay's potato chips!

For what I considered to be an out-of-the-way place, the food was surprisingly authentic. My beans were perfectly seasoned--just the way I remember them from my time in Cuba. The whole experience left me feeling inspired to experiment more with my food and venture into different cultures through cooking.

With that, I'm announcing a new blog feature entitled "Internationally Inspired." During the last week of every month I will post a recipe that highlights a different culture or exotic ingredient. Feel free to comment with your suggestions or requests!

Meanwhile, I have a couple recipes in the works this week. Stay tuned for more tasty treats!

Brown Rice with Tofu, Dried Mushrooms and Baby Spinach

Okay, so tofu is probably not the sexiest food to write about when kicking off a food blog. Still though, this recipe won such rave reviews from the husband that I thought it was worth sharing. The recipe is from "Power Foods," which is written by the editors of Whole Living magazine and is seriously one of the best cookbooks I've ever encountered. Ever.

This particular recipe was super simple, despite the somewhat daunting list of ingredients. I especially liked that it involved a lot of inactive cooking time--meaning that I didn't have to stand in front of the stove the whole time. Here are the ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups short-grain brown rice
• I used organic brown basmati rice
• 2 3/4 cups water
• 1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (broken if large)
• I used twice as many fresh shiitake mushrooms to help mimic the concentrated flavor
• 1 tbsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 dried red chile, crumbled
• I subbed 1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Coarse salt
• 7 oz (1/2 package) extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 3 oz baby spinach
• 6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp low-sodium tamari soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, stir together rice, water, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, chile, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all liquid; 45-50 minutes/ Remove from heat.
2. Gently stir in tofu, and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Stir in spinach. Cover, and let steam 3 minutes. Stir in scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Cooking the rice with the mushrooms, ginger, etc. imparts so much flavor and makes a tasty and aromatic broth. The husband came home to a house that smelled just like a Japanese noodle shop, which brought back some fun memories for me. The next time I try this recipe, I think I'll go easier on the red pepper, or maybe leave it out entirely. The ginger creates enough spice on its own that any additional heat is almost overkill.

This recipe contains three main power foods: brown rice, spinach, and mushrooms. The chile, cilantro, garlic, and green onions have significant health benefits as well. All together, this meal can boost your immune system, aid with blood clotting and bone health, and lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Talk about a one-pot wonder!

Welcome!

Being a mom and being a lawyer are not the only two things that define me. I also love to cook! And bake. And eat. Especially eat.

In the interest of sharing my interests, I've decided to create this blog as a spin-off from my main Lawyer Mom page. I envision this as a place to share some of the tasty things I create, while also providing an outlet for my inner nutrition/food nerd.

Enjoy!