White House Garden 2009 Video

Several peer reviewed journal articles, including this Summer's 2009 Journal of the American Dietetic Association, have reported how children involved with gardening have enhanced fruit and vegetable consumption. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of disease and obesity in children and adults.

Green thumbs up to First Lady, Michelle Obama for showing us how easy it is to improve family diets with added fresh fruits and vegetables from a backyard garden. If you haven't yet viewed the video of the White House Garden, here it is:

In the Land of Plenty, NO one should experience HUNGER

Act Now! Collect your extra tomatoes and squash, and
Plant-a-Row for the Hungry* Fall Harvest

Plant nutritious fall crops such as:
Salad greens, Beets, Cilantro, Kale, Peas, Spinach and Chard
Deliver to a soup kitchen or food pantry nearest you
You can make a difference ~ Thanks!

*Plant-a-Row is a program sponsored by the Garden Writers Assoc.
For more information visit: www.gardenwriters.org Call Toll Free (877) 492-2727

Search for a Food Pantry: www.AmpleHarvest.org
***

South Jersey local food agencies ready for fresh produce include:

• www.foodbanksj.org The Food Bank of South Jersey is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help eliminate hunger and malnutrition in the four counties it serves in southern New Jersey - Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem.

• www.cathedralkitchen.org Camden Cathedral Soup Kitchen

Related Links:
USDA Economic Research Service

What's Cooking at the Academy of Culinary Arts: Summer Rolls/Lettuce Wraps

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Great tips for Watermelon

Great tips for Watermelon

Click Link to view Video: "Preparing Watermelon"

Watermelons are fairly inexpensive at the market. And as you know, the best buy in town is to grow your own. What happens after you grow or purchase watermelon? Where does it end up?

If you said, "In my stomach!" Good for you, that is where it should go, but many people, like us, may experience watermelon waste. For example, right now we have a whole sugar baby melon (for the third day) looking like a bowling ball, just sitting there wasting away on the counter top. It was too big to fit in the fridge.

Watermelons can have a way of ending up in large hunks, clear wrapped in the refrigerator for days, or whole, pushed into a corner on the counter top, while family members pass it by to nibble on other snacks. The video "Preparing Watermelon" (link above) perfectly sums up how to prevent the watermelon waste syndrome. Michael Marks (the produce man in the video) also demonstrates good knife skills, along with a good method for quickly slicing watermelon. The technique shown works well for cutting other melons too, such as cantaloupe and honeydew.

To be sure to get the healthy benefits of your fresh fruit, cut your watermelon into bite size portions as soon as it arrives in the kitchen. This will guarantee you and your family an immediate and healthful treat. The watermelon's nutrients will end up in your body and not in your compost pile!

Related Article: Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus ~ Nutrition & Growing Tips
by Diana Wind

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Don't Fear Feral Felines

In my house, we are animal lovers and from time to time, we speak out on behalf of these voiceless creatures -- especially feral cats. I encourage you to do the same.

Don’t Fear Feral Felines

This headline is not meant to suggest approaching feral outdoor cats. It is never a good idea to confront outdoor animals; leave that to trained animal experts.

Feral cats are often misunderstood by people and often perceived as a community health threat or nuisance. The concerns often lead to calls to Animal Control, which usually result in killing of the cat(s).

In addition to not being a humane option, euthanasia is not an effective method of population control. The evidence is seen in the increasing numbers of feral cat populations throughout the country.

What does effectively control feral cat populations? Trap, Neuter and Release programs have been shown to reduce unwanted feral cat populations. 

For the most part, feral cats are shy, nervous and unsociable, preferring to stay a safe distance from people. Due to their constant struggle to survive, feral felines often appear undesirable, malnourished and dirty. Contrary to their dirty appearance, feral cats pose no significant health threat. Although cats can get parasites (worms), disease and rabies, The Centers for Disease, Control and Prevention (CDC) have not reported cats as a serious community threat for transmission of disease or rabies (preventable viral disease of mammals). 

The vast majority of rabies cases reported each year occurs in wild animals. With human intervention and care - parasites, disease, rabies and unwanted overpopulation can easily be controlled.

According to the CDC, “Domestic animals account for less than 10% of the reported rabies cases, with cats, cattle, and dogs most often reported rabid.”

• Think about it, both outdoor house cats and feral felines frequent the same outdoor places and are therefore exposed to the same disease risks.
• Before calling your local animal control, check their policy about feral cats. You may be surprised that most often the policy is to euthanize them upon pick up. Instead, contact The Humane Society, Alley Cat Allies or an organization, veterinarian or shelter near you that cares for feral cats.

• If you are able and interested you can financially contribute and/or become responsible to trap, neuter, release, micro chip and become an "owner" of a feral friend(s).
• Pet owners are protected by law from unreasonable seizure of their pets.[1]
• If adopted young enough, feral cats can be trained to be lovable, petable house pets. Older ferals can too, over time. Each animal has a unique personality, and every cat will respond differently. Feral cats require a lot of patience with no expectations; and they prefer to keep a 'safe' distance from human touch.
  

• Your support can help your community humanely work towards ending the problems of unmanaged feral cat colonies, community nuisances, wildlife concerns and the needless suffering of the cats.

"All praise to you, Oh Lord, 

for all these brother and sister creatures."

~Saint Francis of Assisi

Related Links:
Burlington County Feral Cat Initiative Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) programs working across the country
Effectively Managing Feral Cats CD/DVD offer by The Humane Society: Fixing Feral Cat Overpopulation, How to Perform a Mass Trapping, Implementing a Community TNR Program
Related Story: "Tango the Garden Cat" Dave's Garden 3-part article series by Diana Wind

Part 1: Tango Arrives
Part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure
Part 3: Home for Christmas

Footnotes:
[1] Who owns 'my' strays?

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Chicken Veggie Wok Stir-fry over Ginger Brown Rice

Chicken Veggie Wok Stir-fryover Ginger Brown Rice

Wok vegetable Stir-fries are nutritious, quick and easy. They make delicious side dishes, without protein, or can easily become a main dish by adding poultry, meat, vegetarian tofu or tempeh, served over rice.

Wok cooking is best over high heat. High heat Wok cooking enables the food to be cooked quickly with little oil, sealing in the vitamins and nutrients. In addition, Wok cooking brings out fantastic flavors in the vegetables by caramelizing some of their natural sugars.

We use whatever veggies are in season from the garden and/or whatever is on hand. The oil used for a stir-fry should have a medium-high smoke point. Once cooking has begun, it is important to keep an eye on your Wok. You want the oil to heat up, but not get so hot that it smokes. At that point carcinogens are going into the air and free radicals into the oil.* The GardenCuizine recipe below uses hot Sesame oil and Canola, both have medium-high smoke points.
Yields 637g Serves: 3
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled

Ingredients:
Protein of your choice. We used poultry, it could have been beef, pork, vegetarian tofu, seitan or tempeh.

• 1 full boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 half breasts) (ttl wgt 236g)
• 1 Tablespoon (28g) hot Sesame oil

Assorted Veggies of your choice and availability. We used:

• 1 medium Carrot (61g)
• 10 florets Broccoli (110g)
• 1 small Onion (70g)
• 1 small Zucchini (118g)
• 1 Tablespoon Canola oil
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Lite Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• fresh parsley or shiso leaves, chopped
  

Putting it all together:
Prep all your foods first. Stir-fry cooking goes pretty fast.

Cut the raw chicken into bite size pieces, set aside.

Wash hands and sanitize your work area.
Cut up all the vegetables into bite size slices and florets.

Carrots and broccoli will not cook enough just by stir-frying; precook them first in the microwave or by heating a little water in the Wok to boiling, add veggies and cook them halfway. Do not use too much water or the water soluble vitamins will be lost when you pour the excess down the drain. Remove the carrots and broccoli, set aside. Drain the excess liquid (or you can save it for soup stock or for use when cooking rice and grains).

Cook the protein: heat the Wok on medium-high to dry thoroughly. Add the sesame oil. Stir-fry the chicken (or other protein) being careful not to overcook as the protein will get added back to the dish before serving to reheat. Using a spatula or tongs, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Do not wash the Wok.

Stir-fry the vegetables: add a small amount of Canola oil* to the wok over high heat, as soon as it heats up add the garlic and ginger. When cooked, push the veggies up the side of the Wok, making a well in the center for the chicken.

Add the chicken. Gently stir the chicken to heat, then stir all ingredients together to combine.
Serve over brown rice.
Garnish with a generous sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley or shiso leaves.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: calculated from USDA nutrient values
Chicken Veggie Stir-fry, 1/3 of recipe
Good source: Potassium, Riboflavin, Folate, Magnesium
Excellent source: Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, Selenium
 
Serving size: 212g, Calories: 242, Calories from Fat: 132, Total Fat 15g (23%DV), Saturated Fat: 2g(10%DV), Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 46mg (15%DV), Sodium 138mg (6%DV), Potassium: 526mg (15%DV), Total Carbohydrate: 8g (3%DV), Dietary Fiber: 1g (6%DV), Protein: 20g (40%DV), Vitamin A: 4593IU (92%DV), Vitamin C: 45mg (75%DV), Riboflavin: 0.2mg (11%DV), Niacin: 9.5mg (47%DV), Vitamin B6: 0.6mg (32%DV), Folate: 49mcg (12%DV), Phosphorus 208mg (21%DV), Magnesium: 43mg (11%DV), Selenium: 15mcg (22%DV)

***

Ginger Brown Rice: two parts water to one part rice (2:1 water to rice ratio)
Yields 692g, Serves 3-4

2 cups water (veggie broth or chicken broth)1 cup brown rice
2 Tablespoons onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
Seasonings: your choice: We vary what we use -- always omitting or using very little salt and usually adding one hot chiltepin pepper along w/fresh ground black pepper

In a Corningware pot or pot with a tight fitting lid, saute onion in oil until it becomes translucent not brown, add the ginger, rice and seasoning (chiltepin pepper, black pepper, curry powder, coriander or whatever herbs and spices you like to cook with). Stir to combine. Add the water, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: calculated from USDA nutrient values
Brown Rice, no salt
Source: Dietary Fiber
Good source: Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, and Selenium
Excellent source: Manganese

Serving size 1/4 recipe (173g), Calories:203 (10%DV), Calories from Fat:41, Total Fat:5g(7%DV), Saturated Fat: 1g(4%DV), Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 8mg (0%DV), Total Carbohydrate 36g (12%DV), Dietary Fiber 2g (7%DV), Calcium: 15mg (2%DV), Iron: (4%DV), Thiamin 0.2mg (13%DV), Niacin: 2.4mg (12%DV), Vitamin B6: 0.2mg (12%DV), Magnesium 68mg (17%DV), Manganese: 1.7mg (87%DV), Selenium: 11mcg (15%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

*Related Links:
Kitchen Guide about Smoke points and Oils
The New York Times Wok Recipes


Photos and recipe Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Healthy Wok Cooking

Healthy Wok Cooking

The evolution of cookware has taken us from turtle shells, clay cooking baskets, earthenware pottery and Celtic myths of magical cauldrons...to real cauldrons, spits, (common in medieval kitchens) and onto the metal and nonmetal cookware of today.
 
Metals in Cookware
Today’s cookware for the stovetop (with the exception of Corningware, a favorite of mine, made from glass ceramic) is made primarily from metals: cast iron, aluminum, steel, copper and stainless steel. Both cast iron and carbon steel cookware must be seasoned before using (see below link for how to season a Wok). Once seasoned, over time the cookware lining will get increasingly darker and serve as a nonstick surface. Carbon steel and cast Iron are the most common for Woks. And unlike what you may be thinking about the cast iron -- cast Iron Woks made in China are surprisingly not heavier than steel Woks.

Carbon steel seems to be the most popular among Asian cooks and is our personal favorite too. Similar to cast iron, carbon steel is reactive to acidic foods, therefore is not a good choice for cooking with wine, citrus juice or tomatoes. Carbon steel is steel derived from Metallic Iron and is a combination of Iron with a small amount of Carbon. The metallic form of iron (Fe) is not found in nature and must be derived from iron ore.

Although Carbon steel does not conduct heat as well as other metals, it can be rolled and hammered into very thin, strong sheets with high heat resistance. This is an advantage in Wok cooking. Wok Stir-fry cooking is a healthy cooking method because the high bottom heat quickly sears in the water soluble nutrients in the food. Also over cooking can be avoided by moving the food up the sides of the Wok where there is less heat, controlling the cooking.
 
Wok Styles
Types of Woks come in various styles, primarily: Cantonese (round bottomed with two metal handles), Northern-Style (a long, hollow metal handle and round bottom), and Shanghainese (like the Cantonese with two metal handles, but with a slightly rounder and deeper), and a flat-bottomed Wok (with two wooden handles) created specifically for use on residential electric ranges. We prefer the Northern-Style, round bottom with a long single handle and find it is best for cooking on our gas cooktop.

We have two well used and seasoned Woks, one large 16-inch and one average size 14-inch. Both are good sizes for home use. We often use the lid from the smaller wok to cover food when we cook in the larger wok (as shown in the photo). Also, we always use a circular metal ring “collar” as the base over the gas burner to raise up the wok and avoid damage to the heat element. The collar makes a nice, stable stand for the Wok too. Collars were introduced to Western world markets as an innovative accompaniment to the Wok in the1960’s.
 
What to Wok cook?
Many foods lend themselves to wok cookery, especially vegetables and proteins such as poultry, meats or tofu. Stir-fries are the most common use, but woks can also be used for many other cooking methods, such as braising, deep-frying, boiling, and steaming.

Wok History

Woks have been used for cooking around the world and in Chinese cooking for more than 2000 years, mainly because of their versatility and ability to cook large quantities of food quickly at high temperatures, using little fuel expenditure.

In the late 1970’s -- woks -- a once culinary staple cookware, started being replaced with modern cookware of the times influenced by Western society. Sensing this change in Chinese cuisine and culture, Grace Young and photographer Alan Richardson collected woks across the United States and China. Their work resulted in a fall exhibit in 2004 at New York University’s Asian/Pacific/American Institute, New York, NY called, the “Wok Hay” exhibit. The exhibit showcased Woks collected from the US and China by Young and Richardson. Their collaboration also resulted in a book, The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking through Recipes and Lore (Simon & Schuster).

Some regions refer to woks or similar cookware by different names. ‘Karahi’ is the name for similar cookware in India, ‘Penggorengan’ in Indonesia, ‘Kuali’ or ‘Kawa’ (small or large wok) in Malaysia, and in Japan, woks are called Chinese pots ‘Chukanabe’.

Time to get cooking!
GardenCuizine Healthy Vegetable Stir-fry recipe to follow
Related Links:
Cookware Materials
How to Season a Carbon Steel Wok
How to Clean a Carbon Steel Wok
Blog article and photos Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved. rev 3/4/11

Garden Chef Video: Vegetarian Rice Rolls

Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls
with Prawns, Ginger Soy Sauce & Lime Herb Salad
by Australian GardenChef Amanda Athis
from Cafe Belle Fleur

My dream restaurant would have an herb and vegetable garden just outside the door. There are many Chefs that have just that -- how fabulous is that? Chef Amanda Athis of Flower Power Garden Center (Glenhaven, Australia) is one of those lucky Chefs. She can walk into her garden and pick fresh herbs, lettuce, shallots and other foods. Cafe Belle Fleur, a nursery cafe, has a lake view, for people to relax and enjoy their GardenCuizine. I wish we lived closer, we would surely stop in. Maybe you can. Their address is:

Cafe Belle Fleur
609 Old Northern Road
Glenhaven 2156
(02) 9899 7783

Chef Amanda's Ingredients include:

• Fresh Garden Herbs: Coriander and Mint
• Mixed Salad Greens
• Garden Shallots
• Rice Noodles
• Kaffir Lime Leaves
• Roasted Peanuts (optional)
• Yellow and Red Capsicum
• Grated Carrot
• Organic Snow Pea Sprouts
• Lime Juice
• Sesame Oil
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Prawns (optional)
  

Click here to visit GardeningCentral.com and view Amanda's recipe.

Also, I am writing an article about Chefs that have Gardens. Please let me know the "Gardening Chefs" you know. I'll be sure to mention them. And, if I get to it, I'll do a Nutrition Analysis for this recipe, I'm sure it would be a winner with all those wonderful fresh and organic veggies and little fat!

***

Gardening Central is Australia's online gardening community featuring articles, ideas, inspiration, facts, recipes, videos and a lot more. Check it out, it's great! Within their site you will find: GardenChef, Gardenbook (social networking for gardeners), Gardening Directory and Gardenshopper, as well as a YouTube channel, which features all of their videos (Gardenchef Recipes, Gardening Central growing/planting tips plus more).

Classic Italian Pomodoro Sauce

Pomodoro Sauce
Classic Italian Pasta Sauce

Treat your family to the best sauce around -- yours!

• What is the difference between Marinara Sauce and Pomodoro Sauce?
  
• Click here for the answer

Italian Regional Cuisine
In general, many sauces in northern Italy are based on dairy, with a lot of butter used. You’ll find more olive oil and tomato sauces in southern Italy, with more of a Mediterranean style to the cuisine.

Shapes paired with sauces
Pasta shapes are often paired with sauces. Creamy, robust sauces are best served with macaroni or fettuccine and thick chunky sauces, such a Bolognese is best served with shells or ziti. Thin pasta strands like angel hair, spaghetti or linguine are best served with a sauce like this -- a classic Pomodoro (Tomato) Sauce.

We make red sauce weekly and never seem to grow enough large tomatoes in our garden for the volume of sauce we consume, so we use canned San Marzano peeled plum tomatoes. The best San Marzano tomatoes are grown in Italy. If you have better luck than we do with homegrown tomatoes, by all means turn them into Pomodoro sauce. Baskets of tomatoes, 'seconds', or really ripe tomatoes from farm markets are another option too.

Pomodoro sauce is low in sodium and fat and is a source of Dietary Fiber and Iron. Pomodoro sauce is also an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.

GardenCuizine recipe

Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Pomodoro Sauce

Pomodoro (Tomato) Sauce
~ Low Fat, Low Sodium ~

Make a large batch of sauce the day you need to use it and freeze the leftover. For a family of 3 adults, we get 3 pasta dinners from this recipe.

Yields: 3 quarts. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
Ingredients:  

• (3) 28 oz (794g) cans undrained San Marzano peeled tomatoes with or without added basil
• (1) 6oz (170g) small can tomato paste
• ½ medium onion chopped (110g)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves, 18g)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon fresh
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 chiltepin hot pepper (optional)
•  handful Basil (1 cup leaves, 6g) fresh picked and washed, or 1-2 tablespoons pesto*

Putting it all together:
Wash your hands and put on a cooks apron. Add the olive oil to a large sauce pot over medium heat. When hot add the onion - sauté until the onion becomes translucent, but not brown. Add the garlic and optional hot pepper - stir with a wooden spoon. Avoid over browning the garlic, immediately add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you drop them in the pot. Add the paste. Stir well, bring to simmer. Reduce heat and cover. If your sauce seems too thick, thin it with some of the cooked pasta water.

Contrary to popular belief, pasta sauce does not need to simmer all day or for hours -- unless of course, you include a large piece of pork as some Italians do. Meatless Pomodoro sauce is finished after simmering for one hour or less. That being said, beneficial lycopene (a disease-fighting antioxidant found in tomatoes) may be better absorbed if the tomato sauce cooks longer. 

Ohio State University research Scientist, Steven Schwartz, found that the molecular structure of lycopene changes when tomato sauce is heated for a long period of time with fat such as olive oil. For more read: TURNING UP THE HEAT ON TOMATOES BOOSTS ABSORPTION OF LYCOPENE

*To preserve your garden basil harvest, make pesto during the summer when fresh basil is plentiful and freeze it in small containers. Pesto freezes quite well and adds excellent basil flavor to homemade pasta sauce and other recipes during the winter months when garden fresh basil is not available and the market price for fresh is high.

Buon Appetito

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis calculated from USDA nutrient analysis
Good source: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Serving size 1/9 of recipe (120g), enough for one good size bowl of pasta
Calories 67, Total fat: 3g (5%DV), Saturated fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 91mg (4%DV), Total Carbohydrates: 8g (3%DV), Dietary Fiber: 2g (9%DV), Vitamin A: 784IU (16%DV), Vitamin C: 9.2mg (15%DV), Iron: 1.6mg (9%DV), Vitamin K: ~13.3mcg (~17%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

Related Reading 
Lidia Bastianich: Lidia's Italian Table: More Than 200 Recipes From The First Lady Of Italian Cooking 
Mario Batali: Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages 
Frank Pellegrino: Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking
Henry Hill and Priscilla Davis: The Wise Guy Cookbook: My Favorite Recipes From My Life as a Goodfella to Cooking on the Run

In Culinary school they taught us that Italians do not over sauce
their pasta…obviously they never met my mother!

Photograph and blog article copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved. rev 11/18/11.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Balm Muffins

Blueberry, Lemon Balm Muffins

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is a 12-18” perennial herb, hardy to USDA zones 4a-9b. This easy-to-grow, drought tolerant herb likes full sun and grows well in part shade too. Once you plant it you will always have it; some folks find it invasive, as it likes to spread. Therefore it's no surprise, Lemon balm is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee). Lemon Balm can be used in teas and adds eye appeal -- along with a hint of lemon flavor -- to baked goods.

Yields: 12 muffins (805g, 1 muffin=67g)
Preheat oven to 425º F

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2cups unbleached all purpose flour
• ½ cup quinoa flakes (available at health food stores, can sub with ap flour if you can’t get it)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds or fortified flax (optional: available at health food stores, can sub bran or wheat germ)
  
• ¼ teaspoon iodized salt
• Grated zest of ½ lemon

• 1 cup 2% organic milk
  
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

• 3/4 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries
• lemon balm (if available from your garden, use however many leaves you would like)
  

Putting it all together:
Prepare muffin tin (for 12 muffins) with a light spray of non-stick cooking spray. In a small fry pan, melt the butter and the canola oil together. Set aside to cool.

Sift dry ingredients (except the quinoa flakes and flax) into a medium sized bowl. Add the quinoa flakes and flax. Give the dry mixture a quick stir using a whisk to combine.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, egg, cooled butter/oil mixture and lemon zest. Gently whisk these ingredients, trying not to incorporate too much of the flour -- then incorporate the flour mixture. Be careful not to over stir. Mix until almost, but not quite, fully blended.

Using a rubber spatula stir in the blueberries and lemon balm. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, cool on wire rack then depan and serve muffins in a napkin lined country basket.

Buon Appetito

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis calculated from USDA nutrient values:
serving size 1 muffin: Calories: 163 (8%DV), Total Fat: 5.6g (9%DV), Cholesterol: 24.3mg (8%DV), Sodium: 183mg (8%DV), Total Carbohydrate: 25.1g (8%DV), Dietary Fiber: 1.0g (4%DV), Calcium: 96.9mg (10%DV), Riboflavin: ~0.2mg (~12%DV)

Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Understanding Food Label % Daily Values

 Understanding Percent Daily Values
(%DV) on Food Labels

Why are Percent Daily Values on food labels? Nutrition Facts Labels contain a list of Percent Daily Values (%DV) to aide consumers (us) in comparing and interpreting the level of nutrition content in the food. 

Percent Daily Value is a measurement between 0 and 100%, based on a 2,000 calorie a day intake by adults and children age 4, and older. A total daily nutrient intake of 100% represents the highest limit recommended by public health experts for the foods total fat, sodium, carbohydrates, and certain vitamins and minerals. 

Food labels include %DV to assist us in comparing and interpreting the level of nutrition content in the food. Values can be low, good or high.  

• Daily Values less than 5% are considered 'LOW'. 
• Daily Values between 10 and 19% indicate a 'GOOD' source of the nutrient.
• Daily Values greater than 20% indicate the food is an 'EXCELLENT' source, or in the case of cholesterol, sodium, and fat -- a 'HIGH' source.

Reading the Label
Referring to the candy bar label shown above: The product label indicates 10g of saturated fat with a %DV of 50% for a serving size of 45 grams (3 bite size squares). 50% is well above 20%, meaning the product has a 'high' amount of saturated fat. 

A %DV of 50% means you would receive half of the saturated fat suggested for the entire day! Obviously, limited consumption of this product would be recommended, since it is high in saturated fat. Some products are not so obvious as to what they may contain, making the nutrition facts label a real help.

Your Caloric Needs are Unique

Allow for some adjustments based on your age, sex, weight and activity level from the 2,000 calories a day that the DVs are based on. Caloric energy needs vary with each individual; yours may be higher or lower than 2,000 calories a day.

Food Labels~ A Useful Reference

Food labels are meant to be used as reference guide for you, your family and friends as an aide in selecting products better for optimum health. 

Prudent food selections based on label reading, along with portion control and daily physical activity, will greatly benefit you and your family's health and well being. For more information on how to read Nutrition Facts Labels on product packaging, see the related links posted below. 

%DV does not pertain to infants or children under four years old. Pregnant, lactating women and persons with metabolic disorders and disease may have different nutrient needs as well; consulting with a licensed medical Doctor and Registered Dietitian is recommended.  
Related Links: 
Reading Food Nutrition Labels
Interactive Nutrition Facts Label
The New Nutrition Facts Label
 
Copyright © 2009 wind rev 08/22/2021

Cooking with Haddock

Photo Credits: Haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus. Drawing by H. L. Todd, from: No. 10440, U.S. National Museum, collected at Eastport, Me., 1872, by U.S. Fish Commission, Public domain image, Wikipedia.

Haddock Dinner

A nutritious and balanced dinner entree includes a protein, starch or whole grain and a generous serving of vegetables. For this Haddock dinner (recipe in separate post), the protein was fish. Out of the many healthy cooking options -- baking, broiling, poaching or grilling -- we decided on baking the haddock. For the starch or grain, we looked over what we had in the pantry (potatoes, pasta, millet, whole wheat cous cous, quinoa, wild rice or brown rice) and decided on millet pilaf with steamed broccoli as the vegetable.

Haddock is a good white fish to try if you like varying your fish menus. Variety is important in eating right. The benefits of varying your protein choices are that you get a balance of nutrients, minimize mercury exposure and increase your consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids. Some fish, like salmon, trout or herring have higher levels of Omega-3's and fish in general, when compared to meats, is very low in saturated fat.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 ounces of cooked fish per day, and at least 2 servings of fish each week. Portion control is important in eating right, not just to watch excess calories, but because meat and fish proteins can be high in cholesterol or environmental contaminants. For example, shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish are high in mercury. Haddock is not high in mercury, but is high in cholesterol like many fish (proteins). Flounder, tilapia and farmed salmon also have high cholesterol with a combined average, for a 5oz fish serving, of 89 mg (30%DV) - when calculated for cooked fish using a dry heat method, such as baking or grilling.

The good news is most all fish and seafood have some content of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown in epidemiological and clinical trials to reduce cardiovascular disease. Haddock is a firm fleshed white fish, mild in flavor and very low in total Fat. A 5oz serving is an excellent source of Protein, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B-12, Phosphorus, Selenium and Magnesium. A 5oz portion of Haddock is also a very good source of Potassium and Magnesium.

%DV = Percent Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet
Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Baked Haddock with Millet Pilaf and Steamed Broccoli

Haddock Dinner Recipe

Baked Haddock with millet pilaf and steamed broccoli

Yields: Dinner for 3
(easy to modify to suit your family size)
Preheat oven to 350ºF

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. Haddock (for 3 people, we usually order a little less than one pound of fish - Approx 15 oz. so each adult serving is approximately 5 oz.)
• Broccoli
• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Millet (found in health food or gourmet stores, in packages or bulk)
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/2 cup onion
• Olive oil
• Seasonings: your preference (we used: salt-free Spike, salt (dash), paprika, tumeric, onion powder, black pepper, hot pepper, curry powder)
• Garden herbs: your preference (we used: garden fresh thyme and parsley)

Putting it all together
Fish
Rinse and pat the Haddock fillets dry with a paper towel. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season, turning to coat. Season as you prefer, we used salt, paprika, tumeric, onion powder and salt-free spike (I like salt-free seasoning blends best, so we can better control the amount of salt added). Cover and bake at 350ºF until fish is opaque white in color and flakes with a fork, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Millet
The millet only takes 20 minutes. Ratio of water to millet is 2:1. One cup of millet will yield 898g of pilaf and serve 4-6. Rough chop (small size) some carrots, celery and onion (mirepoix). Use however much of this aromatic trio you desire -- it can be more or less than 1/2 cup -- no need to get hung up on the measure (more carrots = more vitamin A). Saute using a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil directly in the pot you will be cooking the millet in. I regularly cook in old-fashioned, 'Cornflower Blue' CorningWare, since it can be used on a stove-top. Alternatively, stainless steel pots with tight fitting lids work great too. Add whatever seasonings suit your fancy. Again, we used salt-free Spike seasoning, black pepper and a pinch of salt; we also added hot pepper* and curry powder.
Stir in the millet and then add the water. Bring to a boil over med/high heat, then cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed - about 20 minutes. If desired, stir in some fresh cut garden herbs just before serving.

• *The GardenCuizine pantry is never without a stash of Chiltepin peppers (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare). These tiny peppers are HOT stuff (50,000 - 100,000 Scoville Units) a little goes a long way! They are known as bird peppers and are small (only ¼ inch round in diameter). Just one adds the perfect amount of heat and will not overpower the dish. Your food will still be palatable to those who don’t like things too hot. And adding a little heat makes food tasty, and allows you to decrease the salt used in your cooking.

Broccoli
Steaming is easy and preserves the water soluble vitamins. First wash and trim off enough florets to serve 3 people or however many you are cooking for. Place in a covered dish with a little water added - microwave until tender, but still bright green in color, approximately 3-5 minutes. We never add salt. A low fat salad dressing can be added to the broccoli at the table for those who don't like it plain.

Garnish
Pick something fresh from your garden. I simply used a parsley sprig, if we had been making dinner for company, you may have seen a nasturtium bloom or two.

Buon Appetito

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis calculated from USDA nutrient values:
5oz Baked Haddock: Calories: 158, Total Fat: 1.32g (2%DV), Cholesterol: 105mg (35%DV), Potassium 565mg (16%DV), Protein: 34.3g (68%DV), Niacin: 6.55mg (33%DV), Vitamin B6: .49mg (25%DV), Vitamin B-12: 1.97mcg (32%DV), Magnesium: 70mg (18%DV), Selenium: 57.3mcg (81%DV)

140g Millet Pilaf: Calories: 165, Total Fat: 5.61g (8%DV), Cholesterol: 0, Protein: 3.74g (7%DV), Dietary Fiber 3.27g (13%DV), Vitamin A: 1706 IU (34%DV), Manganese .55mg (27%DV)
Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.