Episodes
Friday Aug 28, 2015
Interview with Patrick O’Neill, CEO of Amp Your Good – 08.27.15
Friday Aug 28, 2015
Friday Aug 28, 2015
Patrick O’Neill is the Founder and CEO of Amp Your Good. After graduating from West Point and serving on active duty in the US Army, he began a private sector career focusing upon real estate, energy, technology and social enterprise. He has founded, co-founded and led several companies and has served on the board of directors of for profit, not for profit, public and private companies. He is married and has four children and lives in NJ (the Garden State!) He enjoys skiing, science fiction, youth sports and cooking.
Current projects
- The REAL food drive campaign - a national campaign - see www.realfooddrive.org -
- Chefs Community Table - restaurant quality meals to help those facing hunger - Bhavani - if you get a chance - watch this video before the interview -
- Curbing Hunger campaign
Vegan,GF, Eggplant Rollatini with Cashew Pesto Cream and Plum Tomatoes in White Wine
Ingredients
EGGPLANT PLUM TOMATO SAUCE
2 large eggplants (or 3 medium), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup almond milk 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
extra-virgin olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced
salt for eggplant Salt and Freshly ground pepper
3 cups GF Bread crumbs 15 organic plum tomatoes- cut in half
1 t. oregano. 3 t. Basil, 2 t. garlic powder, S & P 1 cup white organic wine
1- 32 oz Jar Organic Marinara Sauce
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
PESTO CASHEW CREAM
3 cups cashews- soaked for 3 hours in water TOPPING
2 cups water 1 package Rice Mozzarella
1 t. sea salt
1 ½ cups Vegan Pesto
Directions
Lay the eggplant slices out on a large cookie sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes, then, with paper towel, wipe off salt and extracted water from eggplant. Using 2 glass pie pans, make a mixture with the GF Bread Crumbs and the spices in one, and the almond milk in the other. Dip the eggplant slices into the almond milk, and then into the bread crumbs. Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil. Bring to medium high heat, and then add the slices of eggplant. Cook until golden brown, then turn over and repeat on the other side. You will need to work in batches, wiping out the pan in between each round, and adding more olive oil, until all of the eggplant is cooked. Remove the finished pieces of eggplant onto a cookie sheet, lined with paper towel, to absorb any extra oil.
Make the Cashew Pesto Cream;
While the eggplant is cooking, make the cashew pesto cream. Drain the cashews and put into a food processor. Pulse the cashews until chopped. Add the water and continue pulsating until smooth. Scrape down the edges, and turn the processor on, and puree until very smooth. Add the pesto and salt, and puree again. Taste the mixture, and add more salt, if desired.
Plum Tomato Sauce;
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes and continue cooking for another few minutes. Add the white wine and cook it down for 5 minutes. Add the remaining half of the marinara sauce, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley.
Assemble the Eggplant.
Cover the bottom of a glass casserole pan with ½ of the marinara sauce. Holding one piece of eggplant in your hand at a time, add 2 Tbs. of the cashew mixture onto the bottom third of the eggplant slice. Then roll it up and place it, seam down, into the casserole pan. Continue in this manner, until all of the eggplant is rolled up, lining each piece next to the other.
Top eggplant with tomato sauce and rice mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes.
Vegan Pesto
Ingredients
4 cups Basil leaves
8 cloves garlic
¾ cups raw pine nuts
1 cup Cold Pressed Olive Oil
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ t. pepper
In a food processor, pulse the basil until finely chopped. Add garlic cloves, salt, pepper and pine nuts. Pulse some more, scrapping down sides to incorporate all of the mixture. When fully pureed, add the olive oil while the food processor is running. The mixture will become thick.
Monday Aug 24, 2015
Monday Aug 24, 2015
Elizabeth Henderson farmed at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, New York, producing organically grown vegetables for the fresh market for over 30 years. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), co-chairs the Policy Committee, and represents the NOFA Interstate Council on the Board of the Agricultural Justice Project. For 20 years, from 1993 – 2013, she chaired the Agricultural Development Board in Wayne County and took an active role in creating the Farming and Farmland Protection Plan for the county. In 2001, the organic industry honored her with one of the first “Spirit of Organic awards, in 2007, Abundance Co-op honored her with the “Cooperating for Communities” award and in 2009 NOFA-NY honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award and then a Golden Carrot in 2013. In 2014 Eco-Farm presented her with their “Advocate of Social Justice Award, the Justie.” Her writings on organic agriculture appear in The Natural Farmer and other publications, and she is the lead author of Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture (Chelsea Green, 2007). She also wrote A Food Book for a Sustainable Harvest for the members of Peacework Organic Community Supported Agriculture (aka GVOCSA) in its twenty seventh year in 2015.
Thursday Aug 13, 2015
Thursday Aug 13, 2015
Marco Borges is an exercise physiologist, founder of 22 Days Nutrition, author and plant-based living advocate. Passionate about guiding people to develop healthier lifestyles, he has spent the last 20 years as a lifestyle coach and touring the world empowering others with tools for ultimate wellness. He is also the author of Power Moves: The Four Motions To Transform Your Body For Life. He lives in Miami with his wife and their three sons.
Thursday Aug 06, 2015
Thursday Aug 06, 2015
Michel Nischan is a three-time James Beard Foundation award winning celebrity chef with over 30 years of leadership experience advocating for a more healthful, sustainable food system. He is Founder, President and CEO of Wholesome Wave, Co-Founder of the Chefs Action Network, as well as Founder and Partner with the late actor Paul Newman of the former Dressing Room Restaurant. He and his Wholesome Wave team were successful at influencing legislative language for the recently passed Federal Farm Bill, supporting affordable access to healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables for low income consumers. He's also the author of three cookbooks and a variety of articles focused on sustainable food systems and social equity through food. A lifetime Ashoka fellow, Nischan serves on the board of the Amazon Conservation Team, and The National Young Farmers Coalition.
Recipe for the Week -
Baked Stuffed Baby Eggplant
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Ingredients
6 baby eggplant
1 can Aduki beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 Tbs. dill
¼ t. dried thyme
1 cup broccoli, small florets
1 cup cauliflower, small florets
4 white mushrooms, chopped
1 portobello mushroom, chopped
Olive oil
3 Tb. tamari
1 t. salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
¾ cup walnuts, chopped
- Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Brush with olive oil. Lay face down and roast in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. When soft, remove from oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, sauté onions in olive oil till translucent. Add carrots. Then add broccoli and cauliflower. Cook for 5 more minutes.
- Add Aduki beans, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.
- Hollow out eggplants, cut into pieces and add to vegetable mixture.
- Add dill, thyme, tamari, salt, and balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
- Add parsley and walnuts and season to taste.
- Fill eggplants with vegetable mixture.
- Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
- Serve over Saffron Quinoa or Rice Pilaf.