Spice Primer, or, What’s that spice for, again? I’ve heard it said that variety is the spice of life. Given the variety of spices that can be used in food, I can see why. Spices are different from herbs in that herbs come almost solely from leafy green sources and can be used fresh. Most spices are dried and ground, although there are some exceptions. Ginger, for example, comes from a root and can be used either fresh, or dried.
Author Archives: goddess
Meat substitutes I like
Friends ask me what I mean when I say I don’t eat much processed food. Processed = anything with a label.
Bread, pasta = label = processed.
Frozen or packaged meals, chips, cookies = label = processed.
Pastries, bagels, cakes, candies = label = processed.
Fruit, carcass, no label.
Broccoli, produce = no label.
Deepak Chopra says eat nothing with a face or a label. I’m not that extreme.
Veggie Steaks
GODDESS GRUB TIP: Cut firm fleshed vegetables into steaks, then lightly saute or grill them. This gives them a meaty bite in a sandwich.
There are a lot of things I am used to eating, like sandwiches, that I still want to enjoy. If I substitute the meat and cheese with a flavorful, fat free vegetable, I’ve saved hundred of calories and a dozen or more fat grams. Here’s how I do that.
Bean Sauces
I love savory flavors, and I love gravies. Since going lowfat, I now substitute bean sauces for my beloved gravies. They are delicious and nutritious, as they add the fiber your body needs. I make some thick and blended, like gravies, and some chunky like chowders. I love them alone or over rice. I even like them cold with chopped onion and hot sauce.
More Superfoods
Top Superfoods Offering Super Health Protection: Beans, Blueberries, Broccoli, Garlic, Oats, Oranges, Pumpkin, Salmon, Soy, Spinach, Tea, Tomatoes, Turkey, Walnuts, Yogurt. Easy-to-find ‘superfoods’ can help ward off heart disease, cancer, cholesterol, and more. Imagine a superfood — not a drug — powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and, for an added bonus, put you in a better mood. Did we mention that there are no side effects? You’d surely stock up on a lifetime supply. Guess what? These life-altering superfoods are available right now in your local supermarket.
On The Road
It’s absolutely possible to eat healthy on the road, and it’s not a hassle if I’m prepared for it. One thing I do is keep a small ice chest in the car. Then I can easily carry road food from home, or stop at a regular market and get ice and snacks while I’m out, especially if it’s an unexpected trip. If I’m going to be on the road for more than 8 hours, I pack a snack bag. Even if I think I don’t want them, I’ve learned to buy or pack them anyway:
Snacks
The best idea I ever had was keeping healthy snacks in a bowl where I sit at night. I learned to buy apples, pears, mandarin oranges, grapes, baby carrots and celery stalks whether I wanted them or not. And to put them near my evening chair whether I want them or not. Because at midnight when I’m thinking about wandering into the kitchen, I’ll be glad they are there. I’ve learned my lesson.
Parsley
Parsley for youth? Parsley? Who eats parsley? That’s what I used to think until 2001. After an accident in 2000 that caused some nerve damage in my hands, I began researching what natural foods helped repair nerve damage. Parsley was high on the list. Parsley is the richest vegetable-herb source of Potassium – the muscle mineral, as well as mineral iron and vitamin C. Parsley is also an excellent source of many other essential nutrients. Daily use of parsley is one of the best nerve medicines. Regular use of parsley is one of the best ways to restore the body to a state of physical and mental strength and positive resistance to numerous degenerative disorders.
Fried Rice
Put 1 cup jasmine brown rice and 1 cup of water in rice cooker with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
While that cooks, I chop up and saute in 1 tsp olive oil in a large frypan:
one chopped onion
8 chopped mushrooms
1/2 chopped carrot
1/2 chopped celery stalk
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 cup chopped parsley
Pitas and Sandwiches
SANDWICHES
Serve sandwiches on whole grain sprouted Ezekial bread or whole grain rye pita, with fresh romaine, organic tomato, and sliced red onion or alfalfa sprouts.
Alfalfa sprouts are a low-cost, green superfood, rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, along with calcium, iron and zinc and chlorophyll.