Recipes

I'm a little bit addicted to salmon: It's easy to cook, tastes great, and it has 48 grams of protein per 8 ounce serving. Studies have shown that it also might be helpful in treating anxiety due to its high content of Omega-3s. In fact, Ohio State University researchers found that just 2.5mgs of Omega-3s, meaning 12 to 15 ounces of salmon, can lessen anxiety by more than 20%.
 

Recently, I attended a dinner party where the host was serving a dish made of leeks. It was the first time in my life that I'd had leeks as a focus of a dish instead of something just diced into a larger dish, and it made me rethink this sweet little vegetable as more than just a flavoring.
 

Watermelon is a fruit that absolutely defines the summer. Every picnic, barbecue, or garden party seems to offer up the brightly colored juicy melon. And while it always feels so new and fresh, this member of the cucurbitaceae family has been with us a long time. It is reputed to have been cultivated more than 4,000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians, and there are even reports of its seeds being found in the tomb of King Tut. From Africa, it made its way to the Mediterranean, then on to India and China, leading to China’s now being the world’s greatest producer of watermelon.

I can't remember how it started, but my old friend and I call each other "mung bean." The words themselves sounded cute together, and coupled with the image of little beans, it just seemed like a good pet name. Years later, I found myself curious about these critters, and decided to do so some research.

When it comes to getting a healthy source of protein without a lot of cooking, you can easily whip together a fresh tempeh salad. Tempeh, the nutty-tasting, crunchy soy cake, is one of the finest protein sources around, bringing 31 grams per cup, as well as 24 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of iron, and 18% RDA of calcium.

My family has a tradition of celebrating dishes from many cultures. This mildly spicy-sweet soup hails from Senegal and is a delicious way to honor Kwanzaa, a festival that celebrates African-American heritage and features dishes native to Africa.

Ingredients
1 ½ teaspoons peanut oil
4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon coriander

We were saved by veggie burgers. When the price of our favorite healthier meat, bison, went through the roof and it became clear that beef should be eaten sparingly as a way to help the planet, easy-to-make vegetarian patties became our go-to entrée.

And go we did with wild abandon because these are little wonders of tasty vegetable goodness. We felt good about switching to a sustainable protein source, plus there are all kinds of varieties and flavors available at the market, and you can make a satisfying dinner in seconds flat.

Our recent post about homemade soup drew great response from the Nation. One poster asked about a recipe for kale and bean soup. Here's one I like to make. It's a forgiving recipe, so feel free to add or substitute ingredients. It serves 4-6. You'll need:

According to some researchers, chocolate can be good for your state of mind. Anecdotally, we know many folks who will swear to this! If you'd like to test this theory on your own, here's a great, easy recipe for chocolate chip cookies. You can make them as organic or as conventional as you'd like, as almost all the ingredients are readily available in both versions. Ingredients