Strawberries Contain the Highest Amount of Pesticides!

The new list of dirty dozen fruits/vegetables just came out from EWG!

Strawberries were number one on the list for the fruit/vegetable with the highest amount of pesticides!

When I read the article , I was sad at how little the consumer really knows about what we are eating.
Can you imagine that with every bite of a red luscious strawberry we are eating more than we want in pesticides! It's bad enough for us , but what about our kids?

When it comes to strawberries, I guess it's one fruit that need to be organic! From now on, I'll buy organic when it comes to anything on the list from the dirty dozen. 
I already always buy organic apples, celery, and spinach. I often buy organic strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and grapes. I need to step it up a little!

The EWG has a list of what they consider the

Dirty Dozen= highest amount of pesticides


1. Strawberries

2. Apples

3. Nectarines

4. Peaches 

5. Celery 

6. Grapes

7. Cherries

8. Spinach

9. Tomatoes

10. Bell Peppers

11. Cherry Tomatoes

12. Cucumbers

CLEAN 15 based on the amount of pesticide exposure according to EWG.
These are the cleanest vegetables/fruit  * Look for non GMO vegetables

1. Avocado 

2. Corn 

3. Pineapple 

4. Cabbage

5. Frozen sweet peas

6. Onions

7. Asparagus

8. Mango

9. Papaya 

10. Kiwi

11. Eggplant

12. Honeydew

13. Grapefruit

14. Cantaloupe

15. Cauliflower

Americans eat nearly eight pounds of fresh strawberries a year – and with them, dozens of pesticides, including chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive damage or are banned in Europe.

Strawberries tested by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2009 and 2014 bore an average of 5.75 different pesticides per sample, compared to 1.74 pesticides per sample for all other produce, according to a new EWG analysis.  Bill Walker,

This is the beginning of the article on strawberries from EWG: Click to read full article

Pesticides + Poison Gases = Cheap, Year-Round Strawberries

By  Investigations Editor, and Sonya Lunder, Senior Analyst

Read their research and info : EWG 





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Horseradish Soup ( Perfect for Passover)

Who ever heard of horseradish soup? Not I .. but once I tasted it , I was hooked.

This intriguing soup is creamy, flavorful, and can be made in 20 minutes ( my kind of soup) .

It is a delightful vegan spring soup made from cauliflower, onions, garlic and potatoes.  The horseradish is added at the end ( if you want to) and adds a little kick and lots of flavor.

Soup for Vegetarian/vegan Passover Seder

For those of us who are vegetarian/vegan, it is always an interesting challenge to find holiday foods that feel traditional, are healthy, taste good and are easy to make. This soup works for Passover!

Having a vegetarian/vegan Passover Seder? I love starting the meal with soup, and this soup is perfect! After all, horseradish is one of the foods on the ceremonial Seder plate and bitter herbs are traditional to eat on Passover. Horseradish commemorates the "bitter tears" that our ancestors shed in Egypt when they were slaves unto the Pharaoh! My mother used to use fresh horseradish root and grated it herself. It was so strong; it really brought out the tears! Today's jarred horseradish is milder and easier to eat. 

The root of the horseradish looks like this; some people make their own horseradish

If you are not a vegetarian or vegan, you can use your leftover horseradish ( from the Seder) to make this soup for lunch during chol hamod .

You won't be disappointed with this soup! It's unusual and delicious!

Horseradish is a Powerhouse of Immunity

In addition, horseradish soup is packed with high antioxidant vegetables ( garlic, onion, cauliflower)  and horseradish itself is a winner when it comes to immunity! Horseradish is high in nutrients and phytochemicals which are known to be immune protectors. No wonder my Russian grandmother lived to 107! Her daily diet included fresh horseradish!

Whether celebrating a holiday or not, this soup is a tasty addition to any meal. I have to admit that I love horseradish, and it is particularly delicious in this flavorful horseradish soup!

Author: Judee Algazi of Gluten Free A-Z blog

Adapted from: A Virtual Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 -6 ( depends on size of bowl) 

Ingredients: 

1 medium cauliflower , broken into flowerettes ( I used a large bag of frozen cauliflower) 

1 large potato, chopped 

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped in half

4 cups of vegetable broth

1 cup water
1 cup of almond milk ( how to make your own from just almonds) 

sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

1 teaspoon of white jarred horseradish to taste

Optional: garnish each bowl with radish slices

Directions:

In a large soup pot add potatoes, cauliflower, onion, garlic, water, and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes and cauliflower are soft. Add almond milk, salt,  and cracked fresh pepper to taste. Blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender. Taste and add the horseradish ( or don't)  to taste.

My Notes: 

1. I eat this soup without the horseradish- it still tastes good- just different! 

I then call it Creamed Cauliflower soup. If you add the horseradish, go easy- a little goes a long way!

2. Originally, I thought I would leave out the almond milk - it sounded strange to me in this soup, but to my surprise it enhanced the soup and it was better with the almond milk than without it!

3. The original recipe at A Virtual Vegan called for 2 potatoes - I wanted my soup to be less caloric so I substituted a cup of celery and used only one potato. You could add more chopped potato if you like.

4. This is a great cold of flu busting soup as well. Horseradish has powerful antioxidants so make it when you are under the weather as well. I read that horseradish has natural antibiotic properties and helps clear mucos!!!

5. Substitute kohlrabi for the potato. Kohlrabi is a vegetable that tastes very much like a potato, but with much fewer carbs! Kohlrabi would be a great substitute in this soup. I usually get kohlrabi in the fall at my co-op . If you want to read more about kohlrabi, check out my previous post. Kohlrabi ; The low carb potato 

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Homemade Babaganoush

If you love eggplant and Mediterranean spices you'll love this flavorful Middle Eastern appetizer called babaganoush (or baba ghanoush or baba ganoush or babaganouj). You may have tasted this dip before in a Lebanese, Syrian, or Israeli restaurant. Although it sounds and tastes exotic, I promise it's very simple and easy to make this tasty recipe.

Baba ghanouj ( ganouj/ganoush)  is an Arabic name that translates to " pampered father". Legend has it that an elderly father needed his daughter to mash his food for him because he was without teeth and couldn't chew. Thus the daughter baked and mashed eggplant and called it " baba ganouj"

There are two methods to prepare this vegan dish. One is to bake the eggplant; the other is to char-broil the eggplant.The first method is delicious and has a mild taste. The second method is delicious and has a smoked taste. The remainder of the ingredients and processing is the same for each method. I will explain both ways.

This recipe is my friend Debra's recipe. Debra is thoughtfully conscious about serving something gluten free for me when I visit. She prepared this recipe for a recent women's gathering. I liked her particular recipe because it's made from real ingredients and is healthy, low calorie, and about 1 smart point per 2 Tablespoons!! Everyone at the gathering was impressed with Debra's culinary talents and were delighted with the taste.

Use 3 medium eggplants for the recipe

Eggplant is available year round, but this would be exceptionally good during the summer months when eggplant is plentiful and in season.

This dip can be made the day before and only tastes better the longer it sits.

Author: Gluten Free A-Z Blog ( Debra Grossman)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Recipe: gluten free, vegan, parve
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 medium eggplants
3 Tablespoons Tahini
Juice of 1 lemon ( we used Meyer lemon)
2-3 Tablespoons of garlic paste
Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of cumin

Directions:

Method 1: 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and pierce the eggplants with a fork in a few places. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper, place the eggplants on the cookies sheets, and bake for 45-60 minutes until the eggplants are soft and wrinkled. Slice open the eggplants, drain any liquid, scoop out the soft insides of the eggplant and place in a large bowl. Allow to cool. 

Method 2: 
If you choose to charbroil the eggplants, place on a gas grill turning them around until the eggplant skin is completely charred. It should take about 8-10 minutes. Slice open the eggplant, drain any liquid, scoop out the soft insides into a bowl and allow to cool. 

Place the metal blade into the food processor. Add the cooled eggplant,  tahini, lemon juice, garlic paste, salt, pepper and cumin. Process until smooth. 

Serve with gluten free crackers or crudite!

My Notes:

1. Passover? By all means make this delightful recipe for Passover if you are Sephardic. If you are Ashkenazic leave out the tahini, and it will still be good. Eat it with celery, carrots, and cucumbers. We have many travelers who attend our Passover Seders, so I like to put out a few appetizers out for them before we begin the seder to take off the edge. ( it's usually at least an hour or hour and half until we finally get to the meal). The recipe is vegan, parve, and light!

2. Weight Watchers? I already mentioned this delightful recipe is about 1 point per 2 Tablespoons of dip! With vegetables , it's a great snack. If you leave out the Tahini ( and you can) it becomes zero smart points! This dip would be perfect to bring to a party so you have something tasty, healthy and low calorie to nibble on. Make it the day before!

3. Does it freeze? I don't see why not - but I am going to have to try it. Perhaps I'll freeze the scooped out eggplant and wait to process it with the lemon, garlic, etc. the day I defrost it. Just a  thought!

4. Spelling?? There does not seem to be a standard way to spell this word! I've seen it spelled so many ways. I looked up Middle Eastern restaurants, checked their menu, and still found a variety of spellings. Pick any spelling you want- they all seem to be acceptable!

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Riced Cauliflower- the easy way

If you are grain free, want to eat less carbs, or eat more healthy vegetables , then you MUST try
" riced cauliflower"- You can make your own or now you can buy it frozen in Trader Joe's. It's also available in lots of other stores now- so look for it in bags fresh or frozen.

Do you love "cauliflower rice", but hate to make it?  Problem solved!
Trader Joe now sells bags of organic cauliflower rice in their frozen section.
Maybe I'm late getting on the band wagon, but I just discovered it, and I just can't get enough.

How do I prepare it? I take a skillet , spray it with olive oil, add the package of frozen cauliflower rice and allow it to cook down until nice and hot. I then serve it as " rice"

or sometimes, I sautee some onion first and then add the cauliflower rice-

How else can you use it?

If you are a regular reader on my blog, you know that I've posted quite a few "mock" ideas using the low carbohydrate, low calorie vegetable..:

 click for the following recipes: 


Cauliflower Pizza,  

Cauliflower breadsticks ,

Cauliflower snow patties.-

Cauliflower Pilaf

The crust is made from cauliflower rice Cauliflower Pizza,

These are made from cauliflower rice- Cauliflower Bread Sticks  YUM

Great Pilaf from Cauliflower rice!!! Less Carbs, more veggies  Cauliflower Pilaf

 All the taste without the carbs!  If you have not made cauliflower rice before, it's time you tried it.

Riced cauliflower is absolutely a fabulous substitution for rice.
It tastes delicious, and it is uncanny how much this low carbohydrate vegetable tastes and has the texture of high carbohydrate rice.

Make Your Own Cauliflower Rice

Yes, I know that I can make my own. 
I've been making it for years.
But it was time consuming and messy.  I had to I've take out the food processor , place in the metal blade, cut the cauliflower into flowerettes, add the cut up cauliflower to the bowl, process it with 2-3 blasts to have perfect riced cauliflower. Easy right? Yes,  but it took 5-10 minutes to prepare and then I had to clean up the processor and the counter.
Click for : Recipe to make your own cauliflower rice

 Not doing that any more- I have found a better way.
 Thank you Trader Joe's !

Why I like this frozen organic cauliflower

•  It is comes frozen, so I can load up and use the bags at my convenience
•  It's organic
•  It's reasonably priced at $1.99/bag
• There is no mess
• It cooks up in 5 minutes 
• It is delicious in a recipe or just heated in a pan with a little oil spray

End of story! 

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