New Take on Green Bean Casserole

 Want to update that green bean casserole you’ve been making these last few holidays? Try upgrading it by  using fresh green beans and wine infused mushrooms.

 Ingredients

 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped sweet onion

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced button mushrooms

1/3 cup Madeira wine or dry sherry

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Click to see savings1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

Click to see savings1 cup (about 2 ounces) canned fried onions (such as French's)

Click to see savi1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Place beans into a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Place beans in a large bowl; set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and thyme to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Add mushroom mixture to green beans; toss well. Place green bean mixture in a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine fried onions and grated cheese in a small bowl. Top green bean mixture evenly with fried onion mixture. Bake at 425° for 17 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Serves 8

Recipe By: David Bonom

Eat More Chocolate

Trying to be healthy during the holidays doesn’t have to be strenuous. Consume foods that have shown to deliver health benefits, such as chocolate.  Chocolate gets a bad reputation for being a diet killer, but studies have shown that chocolate can be beneficial to your health.  Chocolate contains two antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids, both which help to reduce cholesterol. The best kind of chocolate is dark chocolate. Research has shown that eating the equivalent of 30 calories of dark chocolate a day can help to lower systolic blood pressure by 2.9 millimeters of mercury. Choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa.  Although chocolate provides health benefits, it is important to consume it in moderation.

Not meeting your daily goal of fruits? Put some chocolate on it, such as strawberries, bananas, and apples.  Chocolate covered fruit provides all the benefits of fruit and the antioxidants in chocolate.

 

 

Thanksgiving Recipes

With the holiday approaching, I thought providing organic cranberry recipes would be helpful to those who enjoy eating organic. These are two simple recipes that I hope makes your holiday taste healthier.

 

Organic Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Plan ahead! Cranberry sauce needs to chill in your refrigerator for at least three hours before your feast. It is best to make it the night before Thanksgiving.

Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally for five minutes:

·         2 cups of organic sugar or sucant (sucant will give you a darker colored sauce)
·         2 cups of water

Then Add:

·         4 cups fresh organic cranberries
·         1 tablespoon grated orange peel (optional)

Boil for at least five minutes longer or until cranberries pop. The cranberries must pop to release the natural pectin that will thicken your cranberry sauce. Refrigeration for at least three hours before Thanksgiving.   

 

Cranberry Bread

Prep time 5 min

Cooking time 60 min
 
·         1 packet simply organic Banana Bread Mix
·         2 large eggs
·         ¾ cup water
·         1 cup dried, chopped cranberries

 

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Empty contents of bread mix into mixing bowl. Add eggs, water and chopped cranberries. Stir just until mixture is evenly moist. Spread batter in greased 9”x 4” loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until center tests done with a toothpick or knife. Cool for 15 minutes in pan, then remove loaf from pan and finish cooling on rack.

Makes 15 servings.

Chef Suggests: After bread is cooled, drizzle with an orange glaze of icing. To make glaze, mix 2 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup melted butter, ¼ cup milk and 1 to 2 teaspoons orange extract.

 

 

The Benefits of Organic Foods

Organic produce contains fewer pesticides. Pesticides are chemicals such as fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. These chemicals are widely used in conventional agriculture and residues remain on (and in) the food we eat.

Organic food is often fresher. Fresh food tastes better. Organic food is usually fresher when eaten because it doesn’t contain preservatives that make it last longer. Organic produce is often (but not always, so watch where it is from) produced on smaller farms near where it is sold.

Organic farming is better for the environment. Organic farming practices reduce pollution (air, water, soil), conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy. In addition, organic farming is better for birds and small animals as chemical pesticides can make it harder for creatures to reproduce and can even kill them. Farming without pesticides is also better for the people who harvest our food.

Organically raised animals are NOT given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts. The use of antibiotics in conventional meat production helps create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. This means that when someone gets sick from these strains they will be less responsive to antibiotic treatment. Not feeding animal byproducts to other animals reduces the risk of mad cow disease (BSE). In addition, the animals are given more space to move around and access to the outdoors, both of which help to keep the animals healthy. The more crowded the conditions, the more likely an animal is to get sick.

Pumkin Pie Cupcakes

A holiday favorite is now baked into cupcake form! This is not pumpkin pie flavored frosting, this is actual pumpkin pie filled into a piping bag and used as frosting on cupcakes. Hope you enjoy this creative twist on the pumpkin pie classic we all love.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Yields: 15 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 cups sugar

1/2 tbsn. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk, divided

2 large eggs

1 large egg white

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

For the graham cracker crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsn. light brown sugar

3 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted

For the pumpkin pie frosting:

2 large eggs, beaten

1 can (16 oz.) pureed pumpkin

2 tbsn. molasses

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tbsn. flour

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

The "frosting" should be made first as it takes the longest to bake and needs to cool before using. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a medium bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients until well combined. Pour the filling into a 9-inch round pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 F and continue cooking for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the filling comes out clean. Let cool completely before using.

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners, set aside. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the butter and 1/4 cup of milk. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. In another bowl, blend the eggs, egg white, remaining 1/4 cup milk and vanilla. Add to the batter in 3 additions, mixing for 2 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions. Set aside.

To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. Add 1 tbs. of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner and bake for 5 minutes until the graham crackers are golden. Remove from the oven then fill about 1/2 full with the cake batter. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. To frost, scoop the pumpkin pie "frosting" into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.

Zucchini Carrot Cake with Mapel Brown Sugar Frosting

Indulge in a moist and spicy Zucchini Carrot Cake smothered in a dreamy layer of Cream Cheese Frosting with a hint of maple and brown sugar

If you are a  fan of Carrot Cake this recipe has the surprise element of zucchini in it. The zucchini makes the cake moist. And, moist means delicious.

Zucchini Carrot Cake

adapted from TasteofHome

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Beat sugar and eggs until frothy. Whisk in canola oil.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in a separate bowl. Beat into egg mixture until well combined.
3. Fold in carrots, zucchini and walnuts.
4. Pour into 2 greased 8 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Let cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Maple-Brown Sugar Frosting

• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Cream together cream cheese, butter and brown sugar. Beat in maple syrup and vanilla until well blended. Spread onto cooled cake.

* This has a very light maple and brown sugar flavor. Feel free to add more of either to suite your taste.

This is the perfect cake to enjoy that fall produce. Enjoy!

Juices!

Since the weather in Southern California doesn't seem to be cooling down anytime soon, we thought it would be a good idea for you to use your fresh organic produce to make healthy and refreshing juices.
Here are four ideas for you to try. The quantities of each fruit and vegetable will depend on your taste, so just play with them to find something you like!

Let us know what you think, and enjoy your weekend :)