Peace, Love and Joy

Just a quick note to wish all of you and your loved ones happy holidays!

 

As we reflect on the season may our hearts be filled with love and compassion. I will return after the New Year, with recipes in hand! 

I wish you all good health and happiness in 2013.

Love,

Susan

Love Park, Phildelphia, PA
Photo credit ronsaari.com

Thanksgiving Thanks!

What does the word “thanksgiving” really mean? Try reversing the order of the words to get “giving thanks,” which implies something that goes beyond just saying “thank you.” Giving thanks means demonstrating appreciation. While the words “thank you” are mannerly and polite, appreciation goes deeper than words as it implies action.

Some acts are small, and others are larger. Macrobiotic Philosophy teaches us that the small shows the large, or the part shows the whole. What can we do to demonstrate our appreciation?

Thanksgiving is also a time when families come together. Who is our family? In a sense, our family is larger than just our blood relatives and close friends. What about the food that we eat? The food that we eat creates the quality of our blood, establishing a connection between people who eat similar foods. Food also carries a vibrational quality, which means that food creates our spiritual quality and influences our dreams and goals.

What do I mean by all of this? Well, we are all in this world together. While we may have our separate differences we also share the commonality of the food that we eat. We need to unite and work together to make the world a better place. This is the only way to get what we want, a healthy society, good quality organic foods, and a healthy environment. Together we have a voice and a bright future.
And remember, everyone feels good when they are appreciated.

To show you my appreciation, here is a haiku that I wrote 20 years ago, when I first started practicing macrobiotics:

Brothers and Sisters
all from One Infinity
Love One another

I would also like to share a holiday recipe for Walnut Rice. This grain dish is so simple to make and loved by all. The combination of the walnuts together with the brown rice provide a rich, satisfying, and nourishing quality.

Please follow my recipe for cooking brown rice from my previous post.


Preparation:
Place 1 cup of walnuts in a bowl and rinse with filtered water.
To begin toasting, place the walnuts in a skillet.
Turn on the flame to a lower setting and begin toasting.

*Note: When toasting nuts or seeds it is helpful to be patient and take your time. 

Use a wooden spatula to move and turn the walnuts to prevent them from burning.
The walnuts are done when they are lightly toasted. Place the nuts in a bowl and allow them to cool. When the nuts are cool, they are ready to be chopped. My preference is to chop them by hand.
To serve, place a layer of rice in a bowl and a layer of  walnuts on top of the rice. Continue to layer, with the final layer being walnuts.

Trick or Treat?

It is that time of year when ghosts, ghouls and goblins rule; witches on broomsticks,
haunted houses and horror movies...While all of these things can be scary, they are only

make-believe. Now, let’s talk about things that are super scary and very real. The quality 

of our food is one of the most terrifying realities that we face today.

We are living in a time where our food supply is under siege from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and chemicals. Couple this with the deceptions in food advertising and labeling, and we have the makings of a national and potentially global disaster on our hands. Despite the intense focus on health and wellness in our culture, Americans are not getting any healthier. In fact, our national health is deteriorating. More and more people are developing diseases, food allergies, weight problems, and other ghastly health issues at younger and younger ages. It is not just the kind of food that we eat, but also the quality of our food that plays an enormous role in our overall ability to attain and maintain quality health. Unfortunately, this message is not always clear in government-sponsored health campaigns.

As a health educator and macrobiotic chef at The Strengthening Health Institute, I have been an advocate of organic, GMO-free foods for years. I have always read labels carefully, and have taught my students to do the same. However, food corporations are getting sneakier and hiding the the truth of the ingredients used in their products.

The solution appears to be plain and simple: labels should clearly state whether or not a food contains GMOs. As human beings we have the right to know what is in our food and what is in the packaging materials. Clear labeling allows us to make informed choices of what we want to buy, what foods we want to eat and what we want to feed our children. Yet the sad truth is that the state of California is engaged in a huge political fight about labeling GMOs in foods, and it is only just now that other states are beginning to address the issue of labeling GMOs.

Many countries around the world have passed laws to label GMOs. Many of these countries will not purchase GMO seeds. Isn’t it ironic that here in the United States of America, the land of the free, people have to fight for the right to know what is in their food? By clearly labeling GMO foods, we the people have the power to choose what kinds of foods we feed ourselves and our families. If America is truly the “home of the brave,” then we need to put a stop to the corporations and politicians who are trying to take away our freedom and poison our food. If you ask me, the struggle to know what is in our food is much more frightening than any ghost or ghoul on Halloween night. If you want to find out more about this subject, I highly recommend watching the film “Genetic Roulette” to learn more about GMO foods and their effects on our health and happiness.

BOO!

Tips for Menu Planning and Making Your Macro Life Work

Many people struggle with the challenge of “what to eat.” Most people who are interested in plant-based nutrition want to eat in a healthful way, but figuring out what to eat to create a balanced, satisfying meal can be stressful. Menu planning is especially tricky for people who are new to plant-based diets. Add in a full-time job, family, and our hectic daily schedules, and menu planning can start to seem impossible! This is why I have learned to plan ahead when I am cooking and to make a little extra so that I consistently have good food at home. This is the most practical and low-stress solution to the problem of “what should I eat?!” While fresh homemade food may be the most desirable, there will definitely always be a special place in my refrigerator for left-overs!

Here are my best tips for figuring out “what to eat” and planning ahead:

As someone who practices macrobiotics, there is an orderly progression to my meal planning. In fact my description of the macrobiotic way of eating is that “macrobiotics is the most well thought out plant based diet”. All of my meals are centered around grains and grain products. When trying to decide “what to eat,” I always decide on the grain dish first. I also always include one or two separate vegetable side dishes with every meal. After deciding on my grain dish, I decide which vegetable dish I would like to have with my meal. I also try to include a serving of vegetable soup once each day, and one or two bean dishes or bean product dishes (such as tofu or tempeh).

When I make a grain dish, I am sure to make enough for at least 2 days, possibly 3 days. Cooked whole grains and some cracked grains will hold good energetic value for up to three days at a time (meaning they will provide you with good energy). They can also be turned into other dishes; for example, leftover rice can easily be turned into fried rice, soft rice breakfast porridge or a rice pudding dessert.

When you cook beans, be sure to make enough for a few days. You’ll find that the flavor of your bean dishes actually improves the second time around!

When you make a vegetable soup, make enough for several servings and simply re-heat what you need without boiling.

Vegetable dishes can be slightly tricky. Vegetable dishes that take longer than 10 minutes to cook will usually keep for 2 to 3 days. Lightly-cooked vegetable dishes, such as blanched, steamed, or sautéed vegetables, only have a 24 hour window before their energetic value declines, so be sure to eat them before they lose their zip! Obviously, raw salad needs to be consumed before the wilt sets in. For the most optimum balance try to include a light vegetable dish with every meal. These light veggies provide
your body with a refreshing quality that will help to keep you more hydrated and make you to feel less pressured.

I hope that these guidelines for eating leftovers will help make your life easier.

And if you feel like you could use an extra helping hand, I regularly create custom menu plans for my clients. My menu plans are created especially for each of my clients, taking into consideration the client’s health, lifestyle, and daily schedule. Please contact me for more information if you are interested in discussing a menu plan!

Fall Abundance, and a Recipe for Creamy Sweet Squash Soup

Fall is an exciting time of year. Nature is full of color and transformation as we prepare for the arrival of the colder weather. It is at this time of year that you will start finding a mesmerizing array of winter squash at the markets. I have a personal preference for Kabocha or buttercup squashes. I find them to be drier in texture and sweeter to the taste, and are richly satisfying however they are prepared.

Kabocha squash, onions, and cabbage, all ready to be long steamed!

Since not all squash are created equal, here are a few tips for picking a good one:
First, look for squash that have an orange spot; this is a sign that it ripened in the field, which gives it a sweeter taste. Feel the squash, make sure that it has some weight to it, which is a sign of vitality. Be sure to check the stem-- ideally you want to pick a squash that has a nice, dry stem. If you notice a little sap seeping through the skin of the squash, this is also a sign of sweetness.

No matter what you do with your squash, it is going to be delicious, especially if you follow my guidelines for picking a good one! Here are some of my favorite ways to prepare it:

Sweet and Delicious.

• Long steaming- cut the squash into large chunks and steam until tender. 
• Squash Butter- peel the squash, cut into 2” by 2” chunks, place in a pot with a small amount of water, cover, and slowly steam it over low heat for a few hours, adding water when necessary, until the squash is tender enough to mash with the back of a wooden spoon. Squash butter is delicious on a piece of steamed sourdough bread, or serve it as a vegetable side dish, or as a sweet snack. 
• Sautéed and Simmered: prepare with other sweet vegetables such as carrots, onions, parsnips, leeks, etc 
• Creamy Sweet Squash Soup, see recipe below 

Creamy Sweet Squash Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups onion, diced
1/2 medium-sized squash, such as Kabocha, peeled and cut into chunks
6 cups of water
Sea salt
Fresh herbs or sautéed leeks for garnish, optional.

Preparation:
Place diced onions in a pot with water enough to cover onions by an inch.
Add a tiny pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium flame, continue to cook onions for several minutes or until they become translucent.
Add squash and additional water to cover the vegetables by approximately one inch.
Add an additional generous pinch of sea salt, cover, and bring to a boil on a medium to medium-high flame.
When water begins to boil, reduce the flame and simmer on medium-low for approximately 20 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Using a hand food mill, puree all the ingredients.
Return the pureed vegetables to the pot.
Garnish with finely chopped fresh herbs (rosemary or parsley are especially good) or sautéed leeks.

Note:
The consistency of this soup may be adjusted by the amount of vegetables and water. If soup becomes too thick, add additional water until desired consistency is reached.

For a richer flavor, try frying the herbs until they are just crispy before garnishing the soup.

Monticello and the Case of the Missing Blueberry

One of our last hurrahs for the summer was a weekend trip to visit our family in Virginia.
As “foodies” and staunch advocates of organic gardening, we thought it would be fun to visit

Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello.

We left Philadelphia early and arrived at Nathan and Marina’s home a little after lunchtime. Since we wanted to make the most of our time at Monticello, we grabbed some organic walnuts and blueberries to take along as snacks. 

Look they even have bees!

There is a lot to see at Monticello. We opted for the garden tour. 

All I can say is that Thomas Jefferson was a landscape genius. 

Every aspect of the garden was impeccably designed and well thought out to create an outdoor masterpiece. Thomas Jefferson 

was also into seed preservation and collected many varieties of heirloom seeds from his garden. It is interesting that what one of America’s founding fathers respected the the importance of good food and understood the role it plays in our future. Jefferson had 

the insight to preserve seed quality. Unfortunately, these days many people seem to want to do exactly the opposite of this, thanks to modern agricultural practices and politics.

Summer squash 

Food quality is important to me and I want to know what I am eating;

I want to keep my blueberries pure and free of genetically 

modified ingredients.

And now for the magic question, why the title of this post? Well, one thing about organic foods is that they are not all perfect which is exactly the way food is supposed to be. In a box of fruit you may get two or three inedible pieces as I did with my blueberries. In my effort to separate out my few funky berries, one escaped. We searched the car several times but the berry was never found. I guess it is just one of those unsolved mysteries.

Denny, Susan, Nathan and Marina overlooking the lower garden.

 

Hi, I'm Back!

I feel as though the summer just flew by. How can it be September already?

I did not intend to have a summer vacation from blogging, but I found myself much busier than anticipated. We held five different seminars at the Strengthening Health Institute, where I am co-director and head chef. Denny and I also taught at the Kushi Institute Summer Conference. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching my cooking class and presenting a lecture on “Macro Nouveau” (our new approach). We are also in the process of making some changes at the Strengthening Health Institute. We will be revising some of our existing programs as well as adding numerous new classes. Doing so has been extremely time-consuming, but I think that these new changes will be more than worth our efforts.

Outside of work, I spent a good deal of time with my family and friends. Our family vacationed in the Thimble Islands, staying at the house of a dear friend. We also took a weekend trip to visit family in Virginia. In August, I celebrated a “notable” birthday. Denny even threw me a surprise party. 

The harbor at High Island,  a bit of paradise!

Now that it is September and the season is changing, I am going to get back into the writing groove and will do my very best to post more regularly. You can expect a new post about once each week.

Today I would like to share one my favorites for a “quick and easy meal,” steamed sourdough bread. It is quick, simple, and nourishing. I’ve also included a variety of topping ideas and a recipe for steamed tofu sandwich filling. With school beginning this is a great, easy, healthy lunch solution. 

Tony's outdoor shower overlooking the Long Island Sound

Steamed Sourdough Bread

This is so easy to do and is a life-saver when you are pinched for time and need something nourishing and quick. It is completely satisfying and works for any meal.

You will need a steamer basket and a pot with a cover. Simply put a little water in the pan. Place the basket in the pot. Put the bread in the steamer basket, cover the pot, and turn on the flame to low or medium-low (if your steamer basket is one of the collapsible kinds that fit inside the pot, use a low flame). Steam until you can smell the bread, then remove the bread from the basket. I like to place the slice on top of a bamboo mat to cool; the mat prevents the condensation from making the bread soggy (yuck). Allow the bread to cool a bit before adding your favorite topping.

Here are some of my serving suggestions:
Use a nice spread of nut or seed butter together with sauerkraut
The classic PBJ or substitute tahini or another seed or nut butter for the “P”
Serve with hummus or make a sandwich
If you’re feeling fancy, add some steamed tofu. It is thoroughly satisfying.

Steamed Tofu Sandwich Filling
Ingredients:
Take one block of tofu, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices and lightly press with a towel to get rid of excess moisture. 

Captain Isaiah

Oops these are bottoms not toppings!

Make a savory mix of the following ingredients:
4 parts shoyu
1 part mirin
1 part umeboshi vinegar (Optional ingredient)
4 parts water 

*Note: For younger children dilute the
  mixture with extra water to make it

 less salty.

Preparation:
Place all of the liquid ingredients in a saucepan. Add the tofu and simmer
lightly (about 1.5 to 2 minutes) on each side.
Remove the tofu from the pan and allow to cool and drain before assembling your sandwich.

My Favorite Toppings:
Tahini
Mustard and/or hot sauce
Lettuce
Sauerkraut or pickles
Grated carrot
Sliced cucumbers

*You can also make this sandwich in advance and wrap it up. Refrigerate it and it will
keep for 1 or possibly 2 days.