Where does food come from?

Over at Nourishing Days they presented the question today of where does your food come from? This question has been weighing heavily on my mind since reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Micheal Pollan and even more so since finishing Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

The thing about eating locally and knowing where your food comes from is that it isn't hard to find out, at least not for Jon and me. We shop at places that identify local foods and like to go to the Farmer's Market. We shop at Market of Choice, even though it's more expensive because they clearly label all their produce with the location that it came from. That part isnt' hard.

The part that is difficult is making the effort to eat locally and trying cut ties with things that aren't and will never be local. Between the two of us, we probably eat close to four pounds of bananas every two weeks. Each one of us has one for breakfast, obviously if we are eating locally then bananas would no longer be a possibility. That future is hard to think of! While being bananaless for the rest of our lives is difficult, I can't help feeling a little pang of guilt every morning over the fact that my banana was picked totally unripe and shipped all the way from Ecuador.

I know that it's easier to eat locally when the food is abundant. I do plan on roasting some tomatoes from our garden this year and freezing them to eat throughout the winter, we are also planning on doing the same with homemade pesto with basil from the garden. Currently, we are also eating fresh salads from our little container garden almost every night. It's so satisfying to go into the backyard and pick our dinner.

I feel that as long as we make little efforts and little steps in the right direction we are contributing more then if/when we were just ignorant or apathetic to our food system. I know that we both feel better both physically and mentally when we are eating healthy and we know where our food has been.

It's all about baby steps...

Dal Palak

This combined with the naan from Wednesday was a FABULOUS dinner. The Dal does take some work, but it freezes well and makes great lunches throughout the week! A perfect vegetarian Indian dish.
Ingrediants
1 large onion, diced
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
2 medium-sized potatoes (I used some great potatoes from the farmers market), cubed
1 inch fresh ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or spice
2 teaspoons coriander
1 tablespoon garam masala (you can get this in the bulk food section at specialty markets or at Cost Plus World Market)
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
10 ounce bunch of spinach (or more if desired!), roughly chopped
1 cup red lentils
3 cups of water or broth
1-2 Tablespoons salt
3-4 scallions, chopped (these aren't completely necessary)

Start by prepping all your vegetables. This is what takes the longest. In a large soup pan, heat a heavy drizzle of olive oil over the bottom of your pan. Once it is hot, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and the onions become translucent. Add the potatoes and cook until they are brown around the edges.

In an empty spot in the pan add in the spices, garlic and ginger. Heat until the garlic becomes fragrant. You can adjust the amount of red pepper to this dish according to the level of heat you want. 1/4 of a teaspoon was perfect for me, Jon added hot sauce.

Add in the tomatoes, broth/water and lentils. Heat until there is a small simmer. Then add the spinach and allow to wilt down into the Dal. Simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes until the Dal becomes nice and thick. If you want it thinner, you can add more water or broth for a more soup like dish.

We had this over brown basmati rice and I really think it's the best at home Indian dish I have made. It was fantastic and just as good today for lunch! The naan can also be reheated in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

Whole Wheat Naan

This is SO good. It's the perfect naan. It will take a while to make though so plan ahead!

Ingredients
1 .25 ounce package of instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
4 cups flour (1 1/2 cups whole wheat 2 1/2 cups white)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons minced garlic
Butter or Smart Balance

In your mixer bowl, add the warm water and yeast along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Mix with a fork and let stand until the yeast has proofed (it will be foamy). Start the mixer going and add in the sugar, milk, egg and baking powder. Then start adding the flour in 1/2 cup at a time. Once the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, switch to your dough hook and knead for five minutes. Put in a well oiled bowl and let rise.

When the dough has doubled in size (or so) punch the dough down and add the garlic. Then begin to knead the dough for a second time for another five minutes. After the second kneading, pinch the dough into balls (2 inches) and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Let rise again until they have doubled in size. As a disclaimer, I didn't let them double in size because I'm impatient. The first rise was about 1.5 hours and the second rise was a force rise in the oven and was about 45 minutes.

Next, roll the balls of dough out onto a well floured surface into thin layers. The thinner the better! To cook the dough you can do a couple of things. I "fry" mine on a cast iron skillet that I have heated to medium. You can also cook them on the grill or in the oven. If you are cooking on the skillet or grill, oil the surface slightly first, then spread on a little bit of butter on the side facing up before flipping over. Toast until the naan has turned a light brown color then turn.

This makes a lot of naan and you can also refrigerate for up to three days. Jon and I both think this is the most authentic recipe we have tried!

Meal Planning 4/19-4/30

Just for clarification, my meal planning is more of a rough draft of what to have for dinner. If things change throughout the week I'll totally adjust my meal plan. I'm not that anal!

Sunday 4/19
Dal Palek
So good, my version with variations will be coming soon!

Monday 4/20
Potato and Pepper Frittata

Tuesday 4/21
Pesto Pasta and Salad

Wednesday 4/22
Ahi Tuna and Rice

Thursday 4/23
Black beans and rice burritos

Friday 4/24
Homemade Pizza

Saturday 4/25
Tuscan Bean Bake

Sunday 4/26
Mac and cheese

Monday 4/27
Cheesy Basil Orzo and fresh salad

Tuesday 4/28
Spaghetti

Wednesday 4/29
Tuna Melts

Thursday 4/30
Left overs!

Cheesy Basil Orzo

This is such a great and easy recipe! It's one of our favorite side dishes. Paired above with a fresh garden salad and steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or Smart Balance
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup cubed or shredded pepperjack cheese (can be subbed with mozzarella)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

(all ingredients can be adjusted slightly for taste, vegetable broth could be used in place of chicken broth)

In a medium size pan heat up the butter or Smart Balance on medium high heat. Saute the uncooked orzo in the butter until it starts to get toasty (you will be able to smell it). Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium low and let simmer until all the broth is almost gone. Then, add both the cheeses and the basil and stir until the cheese is melted. Salt and pepper to taste (it is already pretty salty because of the chicken broth and cheese).

This is really good, but as a warning, it's not the greatest reheated. It kinda turns into a brick. It's not bad reheated but don't make extra planning on leftovers.

Pesto Pizza

The recipe for dough is slightly adapted from this recipe at Smitten Kitchen. I tried to make the pitas and they refused to puff, but they were still good and make a great, crispy pizza crust. I recommend refrigerating the dough overnight before using.

Ingredients
3 cups flour plus more for dusting (I use half whole wheat and half regular)
2 teaspoon salt
1 packet of yeast (.25 oz)
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for bowl
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon of rosemary

Add warm water (just under the point of hot tingly water) and yeast your mixing bowl. Let stand for about 10 minutes until it becomes creamy. This is proofing the yeast. I always warm up my bowl first under hot water to help this process along. After the yeast has proofed add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the teaspoon of salt and turn the mixer on. Slowly begin adding in your flour. I usually add a half a cup at a time. It will look like it's lumpy, but don't worry, it will all work out. You will notice that around the last half a cup, the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. This is the sign that you have enough flour. If your dough doesn't do this, add a little more flour until it does. You can see the consistency that it should be above. Change over to your dough hook, or start kneading by hand.When the dough is finished in the mixer you will want to transfer it to a rather large bowl. Start with drizzling olive oil in the bowl and then add your dough. I also drizzle a little olive oil on top of the dough. This will prevent sticking. Put the dough someplace warm (on top of the stove or dryer) and let rise for about an hour. It will double in size. Dust your counter space with flour and lay out your dough. Add the rosemary and knead. My kneading process is very simple, fold in half, press, and turn a quarter and do it again. Knead for about 10 minutes adding flour when it starts to stick to the counter or to your hands. When it is finished kneading add back to the bowl. Let rise again for an hour, or until it doubles in size. After the final rise I really suggest refrigerating the dough for 24 hours or up to three days. That really helps the consistency of the dough when you make your pizza. If you don't it's still good, but it's much better with the refrigeration period.
After refrigerating, roll out the dough on your counter using a little flour. Transfer the dough onto a cookie sheet (here I am using a Pampered Chef bar pan that cracked in half while I was cooking the pizza). It doesn't have to be a perfect circle, mine never is! Add your sauce. For this pizza I used pesto, but I also like to use red sauce or just garlic and olive oil. Add your toppings. One of the reasons that I love homemade pizza is because Jon can have a half and I can have a half. Mine has tomatoes and artichokes and his is Canadian bacon and pineapple. Add the cheese, mozzarella and cheddar, notice I was lazy and sliced the cheddar.

Cook the pizza in a preheated 425* oven until the cheese has browned and the crust is crispy and done to the touch.

This is one of our favorite dinners and pretty much make it once every two weeks. You can make the dough on a night that you have extra time and leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Homemade Pesto

Homemade pesto is so much better then store bought and really it's impossible to screw up!

Ingredients

Fresh Basil
Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Toasted Pine Nuts
Olive Oil

In a small saute pan, start toasting the pine nuts over medium heat. Make sure to move them around frequently to ensure they don't burn.

Remove the basil from the stems and add to the blender. Use about 2 loose cups. Throw in 1 cup or so of Parmesan cheese (this isn't a science, you really can't screw up with these ingredients combined). Add in the pine nuts, usually I use a little more then what is pictured above, but that was the rest that I had. Press the garlic cloves through a garlic press (you don't want chunks in your pesto). Once you have everything except the olive oil in the blender, put the lid on and start streaming the oil in. Turn the blender on and keep adding olive oil until it smoothly blends. You might have to shake it around and stop and stir the pesto a couple of times.

When everything is nice and combined the pesto is done! It will keep in the fridge for a while, and you can use it on top of pizza (coming tomorrow) or over pretty much any kind of pasta. Just remember, a little pesto goes a long way!

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Loosely adapted from 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler


Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 1/2 c Shiitake Mushrooms (I used .5 lbs)
1 1/2 c Onions (I used one medium size)
1 c Red Bell Pepper (I used one red and one green)
2 t Minced Garlic (I used four small cloves)
8 c Spinach (I have a picture)
2 packages Frozen Artichokes 9 oz each (I used a 12 oz bag and a can)
3 c Skim Milk divided
1/4 c plus 2 T Flour
1 c Parmesan Cheese (I used low fat)
1/2 package Cream Cheese (I used low fat)
1 t Lemon Juice (I used 1/2 a small lemon)
1 T Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute (Italian seasoning would work fine here)
12 Lasagna Noodles (I used whole wheat)
1 c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Start this dish by chopping up the mushrooms, onion and peppers. In a pretty big pan, heat up your olive oil and add the chopped veggies. Peal your garlic cloves and add into the mixture by using a garlic press to mince them. If you don't have a garlic press, you can mince them yourself or you could use jarred garlic.

Saute the mixture over a medium high heat for 3-5 minutes until things start to look translucent (see second picture). Then add the spinach, torn into small pieces and the artichokes chopped into bite size pieces. Cover and wilt the spinach for 5-8 minutes (see first picture, bottom row). After the spinach is wilted, uncover the pan and heat over a medium heat until all the juice is gone. It's about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you are good at cooking, you will start the roux/cheese mixture when you begin to wilt the spinach in the directions above. I actually suck at making a roux so I made Jon make it. Start by heating two cups of the skim milk in a sauce pan. While that is going, mix the remaining cup of milk and the flour in a separate bowl. Whisk well to avoid any lumps! When the milk starts simmering add in the flour and milk and keep whisking. The mixture will get thick fairly quickly (about one minute). Remove from the heat and add in the grated Parmesan cheese, cubed cream cheese, seasoning and the lemon juice (did I mention I made Jon make the roux, he *loves* pictures). Season to taste with salt and pepper.


If you are good at cooking, you will start a pan of water to boil about when you start making the roux, I kinda forgot. Once the water starts boiling add in your noodles. I used whole wheat and they were great. I thought there would be more of a difference, but since Jon and I use primarily whole wheat noodles when cooking, we are used to the change.

Once the noodles are cooked very ale dante it's time to layer. Yes I am layering over my kitchen sink. Start with a small amount of the cheese sauce just to make sure the noodles don't stick. Then add noodles, veggies, cheese sauce, noodles, veggies, cheese sauce, then noodles and any cheese sauce you have left. After you are finished building your layers add lots of shredded mozerella cheese.

Cook slightly covered in a 350* oven for 30 minutes then remove the covering, cook an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Verdict
Jon and I both thought this was really good. He had two helpings and didn't seem to miss the meat at all! Make sure to salt your layers as you go, because you aren't using processed foods that have lots of salt (like cottage/ricotta cheeses). This is definately one that we will make again. We had it with roasted asparagus and it was the perfect end to a nice spring day.

Bi-Montly Meal Planning 4/5-4/16

Sunday- Artichoke Lasagna (1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes)
Monday- Pesto Pasta
Tuesday- Salmon with Broccoli Rabe
Wednesday- Orzo Pasta with Salad
Thursday- Bean and Rice Burritos
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Saturday- Happy Anniversary to me and Jon!! Dinner out.
Sunday- Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes (1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes)
Monday- Seared Ahi Tuna with Salad
Tuesday- Tuscan Bean Bake (1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes)
Wednesday- Tuna Melts
Thursday- Dal Palak