My Mujadara is the bomb diggity.

My family in Michigan knows the best Middle Eastern restaurants, and every summer when I visit, we gotta go. We're particularly in it for the Mujadara, which is a dish with lentils, caramelized onions and Yogur (i leave off the 't' for effect).

So this is my version of Mujadara, starring one of Trader Joe's best products to date (MAYBE top 3 in my opinion), the vacuum-packed steamed lentils. This is what they look like:

Lentils are a great source of protein and fiber, plus they contain other vitamins and minerals.

Here's what I use to make them:
above package
1 medium sized sweet yellow onion, chopped thin
1 tbsp olive oil
black pepper
2-3 tbsp soy sauce or braggs amino acids
1 tsp cumin (a must)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or chili pepper (or both, if you like it hot)
any other middle eastern or indian spices that strike your fancy to taste

First, I heat a pan on medium-high and saute the onions. This takes a while because you want them really soft and sweet. I'd say 10 minutes. If they burn a little, that's OK. You can turn the heat down a bit to medium.

When the onions are done, transfer them to a separate dish, add a little more olive oil to the pan and put it on medium. Now, put the lentils in the pan.
NOTE: The package says to boil the whole thing in water. I don't. I just cut open the plastic, and let those little suckers roam free. They're very stuck together, so break them up with the back of a wooden spoon.

Toss them in the pan until they're separated and evenly heated (about 5 minutes). Then add soy sauce, black pepper, cumin, cayenne and other spices. Mix again.

When everything is mixed and heated, add the onions back to the pan and toss again. Should take another 3 minutes, but just eyeball it. Taste it to see what you think. Add more spices if necessary.

I like to serve it with rice pilaf...ahem BASMATI rice pilaf. And then you can put some plain Yogur on top. It really cools it down and makes it the bomb.

Ask Esther: The Goods on Grains

So Mom, what kind of rice should I buy?
Short or long grain brown rice is good; Brown Basmati rice has a delicious aroma that smells like popcorn. And wild rice is the absolute healthiest, but you have to soak it overnight.

What rice should i not buy?
White rice.
(ed: shocker. nothing white lives in the Gordon household, except maybe tennis shoes.)

What about Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah) ?
Ohh, quinoa is great. That's the grain with the most protein; you can even get quinoa pasta and the texture is very similar to regular pasta. If you get the quinoa grain, you can make it for breakfast in the morning and mix it with fruit and almond milk.

(this is where Esther takes control of the interview)

You know what I just got? It's called Crispy Brown Rice, made by Erewhon. The only things in it are: organic brown rice, organic barley malt and sea salt. It's crunchy and delicious and only has 1 gram of sugar. You should get that.

Ok Mom, let's end this on a nostalgic note. Give us a story about grains from your childhood:
When I was in the Isle of Pines, Cuba as a kid (back when tourism was big there) they cooked rice in coconut milk, and it was so good. I sometimes put coconut oil and sea salt in rice when I cook it now. Try that, it's absolutely delicious. Also try mixing rices.

Greens Day: Bok Choy, Boyyy

On many a Sunday afternoon in 2006/07, when you were leisurely sipping on iced tea, I was getting dragged around Chinatown by my ex-boyfriend. It made me want to be airlifted anywhere else in the world; a Wal-Mart in Topeka, Kansas would have been more appealing, less fishy and much cleaner. However, the one redeeming quality about Chinatown (and main reason for our trips there) was the abundantly cheap Bok Choy.

The choy is actually less a green and more a Chinese cabbage; I love it because it cooks quickly and is super crunchy. Health benefits include: vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium and dietary fiber. So tonight, I made some. I bought it like this from Whole Foods:

Total cost? $5.11. Rip off? yes.

I separated, washed and cut off the ends:


Then, I put about a tablespoon olive oil in a big pan on medium heat, and minced up 2 cloves of garlic to go in it. (This cooking method is not hugely different from the one I use for Kale.) When the garlic is sizzling, add the Choy and keep rotating it with tongs until it's soft. You may need a bit of water but it actually condensates (is that a word?) a lot. In short, it gets pretty watery.

Then I added a tablespoon or two of soy sauce (or Bragg's Amino Acids which I'll post about soon), 1 tsp powdered ginger and a roll around the pan of plum wine vinegar or sherry. Also, black pepper is a must. Kept rotating it with tongs (all in all, 8 to 10 minutes) and then try a bite to see if it's cooked through, yet crunchy. It should be. I made shrimps with it (wild, jumbo, frozen at Trader Joe's for $10.99):



And rice pilaf:


The end.

On Olive Oil

I've gotten a request to talk about the health benefits of olive oil, directed at a man who echews it for its fat content. (This gentleman also avoids avocados). EB--I'm looking at you, and I'm not happy.

Olive oil's health benefits are old news: it's filled with antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients. Yes, it has some fat, but it's good fat, which your body needs. I guarantee it's better for you than that artificial shit you're using to grease your wok.

I recently read not to cook with it above 250 degrees, because the fumes can be harmful. [If you do want to cook with it under high heat, mix vegetables with it before it gets too hot.]

The other night, I went to a tapas restaurant, and on the table was a moat of olive oil, featuring a clove of crushed garlic and a single sprig of rosemary for bread-dipping. You could start with this at home, rather than using butter. So delicious.

In fact, olive oil is so good for you that my Grandma Rose used to rub it on her face to prevent wrinkles. Look at her:

Gorgeous. If you're worried about gaining an ounce from olive oil, let me know--something else in your cupboard needs to be adjusted.

In short, embrace olive oil! Let it into your home. Rub it on your wife. You won't be disappointed.

No play, Yoplait

Readers, save yourself the 75 cents:



First off, the ingredients include:
-High fructose corn syrup
-Lactic acid esters of mono and diglycerides (can't be good)
-Gelatin (kosher, albeit)
-Potassium sorbate to maintain freshness (code word--preservative)
-And modified corn starch

I ignored the ingredients and bought it (for research purposes) because the commercial said it could be frozen, and I thought it would taste like Pinkberry. It does not. It doesn't freeze well and it tastes/smells like chemicals. Meanwhile, Pinkberry can suck it too.

Try this Ginger

I ain't gonna lie, I've got some stomach issues. And every time I'm at my parents house and I have an upset stomach, my dad's all, "Chew on some ginger." Like I'm going to get a hunk of ginger, peel it and naw on it. A. it's extremely strong B. it's extremely gross. Sometimes, I'll have ginger tea, and while it's not the most delicious, it definitely helps. Same goes for ginger ale.

So recently, I tried this stuff, Uncrystallized Candied Ginger:


The only ingredients are ginger and sugar, and it really works wonders. Plus, you don't have the high fructose corn syrup you find in ginger ale. It can be a little strong, but if you can handle the burn, ginger is great for any stomach ailment--especially nausea (shout out to pregnant mommies, Mooks. And baby Book--or Fook--what are we calling this kid?). So just pop a couple pieces next time you're about to bahf.

I also have a theory that Japanese restaurants serve ginger with sushi because it coats your stomach and allows it to handle the raw fish. But that's not proven, just my opinion.

Ask Esther

So Mom, Mommy, Mummy, Mumma, Mother, Mama--
Question: Why are you so psycho about NOT eating farm-raised fish? And why do you call ahead to restaurants to ask if they serve wild fish?

Well...because it's heathier.

Ok, why?

A. Because farmed fish stay in one area, they can't get out, they poop in that area, they eat their poop and they just live in the one area where they poop. Like, farmed shrimp don't have taste, ok? Wild shrimp, you can really actually taste the flavor.

Also, you don't know what they feed those fish; they may feed them hormones.

Is it bad for your body if you eat farm-raised fish?

A. I don't know all the facts ok? Don't use me as an authority.


Well this is all good information.

So I found an article, that gives a little more insight into the grossness of farm-raised salmon. I would imagine other farm-raised fish is similar. Here is an excerpt:

"Seven Reasons to Avoid Farm Raised Salmon by Page Remick"

Over 60% of the fish eaten in the United States is farm-raised. What are some of the things that you should know about man-raised salmon?

Farmed Salmon:

1. have seven times the levels of PCB’s (Polychlorinated biphenyls) as wild salmon
   

2. have 30 times the number of sea lice

3. are fed chemicals to give them color

4. are fed pellets of chicken feces, corn meal, soy, genetically modified canola oil and other fish containing concentrations of toxins

5. are administered antibiotics at higher levels than any other livestock

6. have less omega 3’s due to lack of wild diet

7. are crowed into small areas inhibiting movement, and causing disease

I buy slabs of Trader Joe's wild salmon frozen, and it's pretty inexpensive. I usually defrost it, put salt and pepper, a thin layer of dijon mustard, thin layer of breadcrumbs, lemon zest, more pepper, and finish it with thin slices of lemon on top (and maybe a couple thin pats of butter). Then I bake at 425 for about 12-15 minutes. It's pretty flipping delicious.

Greens Day: Kale

By popular demand, I'd like to start the Greens Day series with my favorite leaf, Kale. Sometimes I see it as a garnish on fruit trays, and I want to say, "Bitch, pleeze. That there is good stuff." But they don't know...they don't know.

Kale's health benefits include: Vitamins C, K, calcium, anti-inflammatory properties and anti-oxidants.

So the other night, I washed up a big batch (excuse the image quality--digital camera is en route, in the meantime making due with the Razr).

And here's what I did with it. I originally got this method of cooking from Alton Brown, but I added some stuff.

You need:

Bushel of kale (2 if you want leftovers)
3 cloves of garlic
About a tablespoon of olive oil (or grapeseed oil or vegetable oil)
Salt
Pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup of water
Soy sauce
1/2 Lemon
1/4 cup White wine (optional--can substitute Plum wine vinegar, red wine, something comparable.)

Getcha a big thing of kale (above is the leafy green kind, but there's also lacinato kale--which is pretty tasty, cooks quicker and is less intimidating to clean). This is a huge amount--you could buy half this. I wash every leaf individually, because if there's one thing Esther has planted in my head, it's that greens have bugs. And then, I wash it all again.

Then get a huge pot--the biggest pot you have. Put on stove over medium high heat. Crush up one or two cloves of garlic. (Really get in there and hammer it with a big knife.)

Add olive oil to pot. Add salt and pepper (to taste). Add crushed garlic. Let it sizzle, but don't let it burn. Lower heat if necessary. You're really making garlic oil here.

After about two minutes, add the kale. It's going to sizzle big time, so use a pair of tongs to move it around. Especially move the bottom leaves to the top, and vice versa. If it looks like the kale is overflowing in your pot--don't worry. It cooks down a lot. Add about quarter to half cup of water to help it steam.

So, keep the leaves circulating for about 5-8 minutes on medium heat. You can cover the pot to let it steam a little more (just make sure it doesn't burn, look to see if its getting soft). Once it's pretty soft and almost done--you'll see it gets much greener--add soy sauce. I usually eyeball it, but i'd say 1/4 of a cup. Add more black pepper. Let it steam for 2 more minutes.

THEN--this is the great part--CHOP the remaining garlic and add it to the pot. You can add the white wine here too. And if you don't have white wine in the house, you can use Plum Wine Vinegar or red wine.

Let it steam for a little longer--maybe 2 minutes and finally add the lemon juice. I usually use half a lemon and it does the trick, but add more if you feel like it. You can make the heat very low at this point and let it sit a little longer. Just try a piece and see if its chewable for you. Don't let it get too soggy. I like to have it as a side with wild salmon and rice. It's also great with chicken and sweet potato.

The finished product should be freaking flavorful, garlicky and delicious. If it isn't, write me with questions.

This is buffet style

Welcome Friends!

Some of you have expressed interest in healthy recipes, products and techniques, so I thought I would share some of what I eat and make right here.

What are my qualifications, you might ask? Most notably, a lifetime in a household of health and nutrition, where sugar was verboden and Fig Newtons were the only dessert I knew for the first 12 years of my life. However, this space will be much more fun. What can you expect from G&G? I'll have recipes, product suggestions, advice from Esther and special Greens Days.

I like to cook. I like to eat. And I'm talking fresh, unprocessed, easy foods for all mah boos.