iEat Green with Bhavani

iEat Green - Mitch Gruber- Chief Strategy Officer at Foodlink

Mitch Gruber is a member of the Rochester City Council and the Chief Strategy Officer for Foodlink. Foodlink is the regional food bank of the Finger Lakes Region, who’s mission is to end hunger and build healthier communities through the power of food. Mitch is also a historian of urban food systems, and all of his work aims to build healthier, more equitable food systems.

 

iEat Green - Patty Gentry- Early Girl Farm -04.02.20

Patty Gentry is a professional cook and farmer. As a cook, she had a rich and rewarding experience working under the tutelage of Anne Rosenzweig of Acadia and The Lobster Club in NYC, and Lidia Shire of Biba in Boston. She partnered with Gary and Isabel MacGurn to open The Hampton Chutney Company in Soho, NY and has had the good fortune to work with Ben Schneider and Sohui Kim at the Good Fork in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Before trading in her apron for a hoe six years ago, she was lucky enough to spend four years in the kitchen at the Ross School in East Hampton.

Early Girl Farm was started to bring highly diversified, lovingly raised produce, to hard working chefs.

 

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Chocolate Chip-Pecan 

Lace Cookies

Preheat oven to 350*

 

Ingredients

1 cup coconut oil

1  cup organic brown sugar

1  cup organic white sugar

1 Tbs. apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbs. ground flax seed

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ cup organic apple sauce

2 cups gluten-free, vegan flour mix

1 cup organic gluten-free oats, 

1  t. salt

1  t. baking soda

1  t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1- 10 oz. bag vegan choc chips

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

 

• Pulse and Cream coconut oil, brown sugar and white sugar in food processor for 5 minutes. . 
• In separate small bowl, mix the flax seeds with the 1 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar. Mix and let sit for 5 minutes
• Add apple sauce and vanilla to the flax seed mixture and then add it to the food processor and pulse. 
• In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together. 
• Add the wet mixture from the food processor to the dry ingredients, and mix well.
• When thoroughly mixed, add the choc chips and pecans
• Drop cookies onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Turn pan halfway thru if your oven is hotter in the back.
• The cookies will spread out and become very lacey and thin. 
• Let cool before transferring to cookie platter.

 

iEat Green -Will Tuttle-Author- “World Peace Diet”

Dr. Will Tuttle’s writings, presentations, and  music focus on compassion, creativity, intuition, and the intersection of social justice, animal liberation, and environmental, health, spiritual, and peace issues. A visionary speaker, educator, author, and musician, he’s a former Zen monk with a Ph.D. from U.C., Berkeley, and a vegan since 1980. He is the editor of Circles of Compassion  and Buddhism and Veganism, author of Your Inner Islands, and other books, and recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and the Empty Cages Prize. He has appeared in many radio, television, print, and online interviews, as well as documentary films, including Cowspiracy; Prayer for Compassion; HOPE: What You Eat Matters; Vegan: Everyday Stories; and Animals and the Buddha.

 

The World Peace Diet offers an expanded understanding of our culture and our health. It has been called one of the most important books of the 21st century: the foundation of a new society honoring the interconnectedness of life. The World Peace Diet is one of the first books to make explicit the hidden connections between our culture, our food, and the source of our broad range of problems—and the way to a positive transformation in our individual and collective lives.

Sautéed Broccoli with Cherry Tomatoes and Cannelloni Beans in Garlic and Oil 

over Penne

 

1 package of W.W. penne- cooked in salted water, al dente, (reserve water)

1 onion, diced

2 heads of broccoli , cut into florets

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

½ cup olive oil

¼ white wine

3 Tbs minced garlic cloves

1 can Cannelloni Beans

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

Salt and pepper to taste (red pepper flakes optional)

¼ cup chopped parsley

 

Directions;

1. In large pan or wok, sauté onions in olive oil with half of the garlic, until translucent. 
2. Add the broccoli and remaining garlic and cook until the broccoli starts to soften.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes, beans, white wine and seasonings.
4. Let cook down for 5-10 minutes until the cherry tomatoes are soft and the beans are hot.
5. Add the pasta into the wok, with ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.
6. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
7. Garnish with the fresh parsley

iEat Green -Philip-Ackerman-Leist Author- A Precautionary Tale, Rebuilding the Foodshed- 03.19.20

Philip is a farmer, author, and educator with decades of experience and expertise in founding and in leading sustainable agriculture and food systems programs for undergraduate and graduate students.

As an educator, Philip is intrigued by innovative approaches in helping students and communities develop more complex understandings of sustainable agriculture, food systems, and social change. Having founded a 23 acre organic college farm and also the first online graduate program in food systems in the US, he is an advocate of hands-on experiential education and the best of what online education can offer — and revels in the tension between those two radically different approaches. As a farmer, he is particularly interested in grass-based agriculture and livestock conservation. As an author, he is driven by digging into cutting edge issues and revealing the complexities of their lessons for a broad audience.

 

Philip is the author of A Precautionary Tale, Rebuilding the Foodshed, and UpTunket Road, published by Chelsea Green Publishing. Most recently, he has served as Professor of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems and Sustainable Food Solutions Initiative Director at Green Mountain College, where he was instrumental to that college’s sustainability initiatives.

Philip teaches in and leads Sterling’s continuing education program, The School of the New American Farmstead, with its leading-edge short courses that inspire lifelong environmental stewardship for residential and non-residential adult students of all ages.

He and his wife Erin live in Pawlett, Vermont on UpTunket Farm, where they manage a grass-based herd of approximately 30-60 rare breed cattle, American Milking Devons.

iEat Green - Joel Fuhrman- MD & author-03.12.20

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, six-time New York Times best-selling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing, who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. He is the President of the Nutritional Research Foundation and on the faculty of Northern Arizona University, Health Sciences division. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe a nutrient-dense eating style, designed to prevent cancer, slow aging, and extend lifespan.

 

For over 25 years, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his medical practice, and through his books and television specials, he continues to bring this life-saving message to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Dr. Joel Fuhrman is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (Pearlman) School of Medicine (1988) and has received the St. Joseph’s Family Practice Resident’s Teaching Award for his contribution to the education of family practice residents; and a C3 Cardiology Global Health Award for teaching cardiologists nutritional science.

 

In addition to the Dr. Fuhrman Wellness Center in New Jersey, Dr. Fuhrman also operates his Eat To Live Retreat in San Diego where overweight people from all over the world come to stay for 4-12 weeks to conquer food addiction and recover their health.

 

Dr. Fuhrman is a former world-class figure skater, who placed second in the United States National Pairs Championships in 1973 and third in the World Professional Pairs Skating Championship . Along with his nutritional expertise, Dr. Fuhrman has been involved professionally with sports medical committees, advised professional and Olympic athletes, and instructed athletic trainers and world-class athletes about maximizing performance as they age and preventing injury.

 

Szechuan Vegetable Delight

 

Ingredients

1 onion, cut in half, then sliced into crescent moons 

3 carrots, cut into small chunks   

1 head broccoli

3 small Japanese eggplants

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms

Napa Cabbage- 2 cups  shredded

1 baby bok choy

1 orange pepper, large diced

2 Tbs. grated ginger

2 Tbs. minced garlic

olive oil 

3 Tbs. tamari (to taste)

1 t. Dark sesame oil

1 t. hot sesame oil

2 Tbs. Aji Marin

1 t. corn starch

cilantro

 

 

1. Cover bottom of wok with oil. When oil is hot, add the onions, and carrots. Add half the ginger and garlic. Cook for 7-10 minutes until vegetables are soft. 
2. Meanwhile, in another pot, steam the eggplant until soft- (10 min)
3. Add the mushrooms to the wok and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the broccoli and remaining garlic and ginger. 
4. Continue cooking at med. high heat, stirring as needed for 5 minutes. Then add the peppers, napa cabbage and bok choy. Add a little water if needed to deglaze the wok.  
5. In a small bowl, make a mixture of the cornstarch, tamari, sesame oil and mirin, and pour over vegetables. Cook for a few minutes more, allowing the sauce to thicken. 
6. Add the dark sesame oil and hot sesame oil.
7. Taste and adjust according to your preference. Add more Tamari  or hot sesame oil if desired
8. Garnish with cilantro (or parsley)
9. Serve with Vegetable Fried Brown Rice

iEat Green - Jerusha Klemperer- Director of FoodPrint - 03.05.20

Jerusha Klemperer is the Director of FoodPrint.  “FoodPrint” is a non-profit organization dedicated to research and education on food production practices. Their aim is to pull back the curtain on the impacts of industrial food production practices and explain the benefits of more sustainable approaches to food production and consumption. They work to mobilize people to raise their collective voices and take action to make real change in the food system.

For about a decade, Jerusha has been a communications strategist working towards a more sustainable, healthy and delicious food system. Prior to FoodPrint she was the co-founder and communications director at FoodCorps, an AmeriCorps service organization, and worked with Slow Food USA.

Veggie Pancakes- GF & Dairy Free

 

Preheat oven to 450° degrees

 

Ingredients

½ cup GF Flour

½ Cup Besan Flour – (chick pea flour)

½ t. baking powder

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

¾ cup water

1/3 cup thinly sliced asparagus

3 baby bella mushrooms

½ onion- thinly sliced into crescent moons

1 medium potato-grated

¾ cup broccoli

canola oil

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the GF flour, besan flour, baking powder and S & P with the water, to make a smooth batter. 
2. Add the veggies, and mix well.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and oil well.
4. Drop spoonfuls of the pancake batter onto the cookie sheet. 
5. Bake for 10 minutes until bottom of pancakes are golden brown, turn over and cook another 5 minutes until golden brown.

 

Serve with Apple Sauce, maple syrup, or  Jam. 

For a savory dish, serve with Zhoug Sauce, or  Cilantro chutney

iEat Green - Nellie-Thompson-Kapur, Executive Director of Green Beetz. - 02.27.20

Nellie Thompson Kapur is the Executive Director of Green Beetz. Green Beetz is a non-profit organization that empowers elementary and middle school students to navigate the modern food system, and to make healthy and sustainable food choices. Nellie is deeply passionate about improving our food systems and increasing knowledge about healthy eating and sustainability, all through a health equity lens. She has her masters in Public Health and Nutrition and 10+ years of experience in the non-profit, government, and foundation spaces. Working for Green Beetz is her dream job!

Braised Seitan with Broccoli, Shitake and Portobello Mushroom Medley

 

1 package of your favorite seitan, drained and laid out on a dish towel to dry

1 onion, cut in half, then sliced into crescent moons 

2-3 carrots, cut into chunks        

1 head broccoli, cur into florets

3 Portobello mushrooms, sliced

6-8 Shitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

2 Tbs. grated ginger

2 Tbs. chopped garlic, 

Olive oil 

4 Tbs. tamari (to taste)

¼ t. smoked paprika

1 Tbs. Dark sesame oil

2 Tbs. Aji Mirin cooking wine

1 t. hot sesame oil (optional)

2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Cover the bottom of wok with oil. When oil is hot, add the onions. 

Add 1 Tbs. garlic, 1 Tbs. ginger and carrots.

Continue cooking at medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Then add the broccoli, and add more oil or a little water if needed. 

Cook for a few minutes more, than add the mushrooms, and let those cook down for a few minutes. When the mushrooms are soft, remove the vegetables from the wok and transfer to bowl, set aside. 

Add more oil to the bottom of the wok. Add the remaining ginger and garlic to the wok and cook for 30 seconds. Add the seitan, and sear that for 5 minutes. 

Add smoked paprika, and cook for 2 more minutes. 

Add 2 Tbs. tamari and sear for another few minutes. 

Return the vegetables to the wok and add aji mirin and another 2 Tbs. tamari. 

Cook the vegetables with the seitan for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. 

Add the dark sesame oil for taste and the hot sesame oil, if using. Taste. Add more tamari if desired. 

Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. of toasted sesame seeds and serve!

iEat Green - Guest Mitchel Cohen and Robin T. Falk Esser, Ph.D

Mitchel Cohen coordinates the No Spray Coalition in New York City, which successfully sued the City government over its indiscriminate spraying of toxic pesticides. In 1997, he organized the campaign to rid NYC public schools of milk from cows injected with genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone, and in 2001, he ran for Mayor of NYC as one of five Green Party candidates. He was editor of the national newspaper Green Politix, and of the NY State Green Party newspaper. Mitchel edited Red Balloon, the journal of the Red Balloon Collective that he co-founded at SUNY Stony Brook, and chaired WBAI radio’s Local Board. His writings include:

 

• The Social Construction of Neurosis, and numerous other pamphlets under the rubric of Zen-Marxism
• What is Direct Action?, a book that draws on personal experiences as well as lessons from Occupy Wall Street
• An American in Revolutionary Nicaragua
• Listen Bookchin!

and two books of poetry, 

• One-Eyed Cat Takes Flight and
• The Permanent Carnival

 

Bio

Robin T. Falk Esser, Ph.D. earned her Ph.D. in Physiology & Biophysics at SUNY Stony Brook Health Sciences Center Medical School and has published papers in the journals: Science, Nature, Journal of Physiology, Journal of General Physiology, and the Biophysical Journal. She worked as a New York City high school science teacher for 30 years, teaching Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science, AP Bio, and Chemistry, among other courses. She was a recipient of the Siemens AP Science Award for excellence in teaching. She was also the subject of two NY Times articles and was interviewed by Tom Brokaw NBC Nightly News for exemplary teaching. She is a life-long political activist, having been involved, as a teenager, in the 1965 anti-apartheid mobilization, 1968 Poor People's Campaign with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., against the Vietnam War, in the draft resistance movement, anti-nuclear power movement, and with the Red Balloon Collective at SUNY at Stony Brook. 

 

Vegetable Lasagna with Cashew and Tofu Ricotta (GF)

Preheat oven to 350°

 

Ingredients

1 lb Miyoko’s Cashew Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 & 1/2  box GF rice lasagna noodles

 

Cashew Ricotta Filling

1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours or more

1 Tbs. Nutritional yeast

1 t. chopped garlic

½ t. salt, ¼ t. white pepper

1 cup water

 

Tofu Filling

1 block firm tofu

½ cup vegan pesto (recipe on my website) 

1 cup coconut milk 

1 Tbs. Nutritional yeast

Spinach Sauté

2 lb. pk org. froz. chopped spinach, 

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

 

Mushroom Sauté

1- 8 oz. box Baby Bella mushrooms

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

2 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. Tamari

4 cloves garlic

 

Sauce

Olive oil

2 Tbs. minced garlic

1 onion, diced

1 yellow or orange organic pepper, diced

¼ cup white wine

2-  32 oz. Jar  Organic Marinara Sauce 

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes

½ cup chopped parsley

1 Tbs. dried oregano

 

Directions

For sauce, sauté onion, garlic and pepper in olive oil in stock pot. When soft, add ¼ cup white wine. Cook for 5 minutes, then add marinara sauce, can of diced tomatoes and ¼ cup chopped parsley.

Meanwhile, drain the cashews and pulse in food processor with 1 cup of water, nutritional yeast, garlic,

salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust S & P. Scrape out cashew ricotta into a bowl and set aside. 

Using the same bowl of the food processor, puree the tofu with the coconut milk, garlic and pesto. Pulse until very smooth.

Cover the bottom of cast iron pan with olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms until they start to sweat. Add the garlic and continue to cook for five minutes until the liquid evaporates. Add the red wine and cook until the wine is absorbed. Then sear it with the splash of tamari. Remove from pan. 

Defrost the spinach in hot water and drain. Squeeze out all excess water from spinach. Cover the bottom of cast iron pan with olive oil. Sauté the spinach with garlic for a few minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Assemble the Lasagna

Use a deep lasagna pan. Cover bottom of lasagna pan with sauce, Then add a single layer of dry lasagna noodles, right out of box. Spread ½ of  the tofu ricotta filling over noodles. Add ½ of the spinach mixture and one half of the mushroom mixture over the tofu ricotta. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining tofu ricotta, the remaining spinach and remaining mushrooms. Add another layer of sauce. Cover with a final layer of noodles, the cashew ricotta and then the sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and  sprinkle with grated Miyoko’s mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. 

Garnish with remaining ¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley.

iEat Green - Guest Wes Gillingham- Co-founder of Catskill Mountainkeeper

My guest this week on the Progressive Radio Network is Wes Gillingham,

Wes is co-founder and Associate Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, Dedicated to pushing New York into a Just Transition away from fossil fuels and protecting the ecological integrity of the region. He has lived off the electric grid for over 35 years, serves on the advisory board of the Center for Earth Ethics and the New York State Forest Preserve Advisory Committee and just recently returned to the board of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. From 1996 to 2007, Wes and his wife Amy, ran a 150 Family Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetable operation. After a catastrophic flood ruined their business, he co-founded Catskill Mountainkeeper and has helped lead the fracking fight and extreme energy campaigns in New York and across the country. Catskill Mountainkeeper works on educating the importance of small diversified farms as a major component in the future of our region.

 

As Mountainkeeper’s co-founder and Associate Director, Wes helps develop the strategic thrust of their programs and coordinates collaborative efforts working with regional, state, and national partners on Extreme Energy Extraction and fossil fuel infrastructure fights. Dedicated to pushing New York into a Just Transition away from fossil fuels, Wes serves on the advisory board of the Center for Earth Ethics. Wes served as an Acting Director of Field Programs for the National Audubon Society Expedition Institute. He taught graduate and undergraduate environmental education programs throughout North America and worked as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service. Wes graduated from the University of Maine, but his real education comes from his extensive experiences in rural and wilderness America. Growing up in the Catskills, Wes observed the interaction that humans have on the natural world, and enjoys leading educational trips throughout the U.S, sharing his knowledge and passion.

Chipotle Tempeh with Black Beans and Vegetable Burrito

 

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 block of tempeh, 8 oz.

1 organic onion, chopped

1 organic orange pepper, chopped

1- 8 oz pack of Baby Bella mushrooms

1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 Tbs. Tamari

½ t. salt

½ t. chili powder

½ t. chipotle chili powder

1 can organic, diced, fire roasted tomatoes (with chili peppers optional)

1 can organic black beans, drained

½ cup frozen organic corn

cilanto for garnish

chopped red onion, for garnish

 

Flour tortilla (or corn tortilla, rice tortilla or taco shells)

Preparation

Begin by cutting the tempeh block into quarters. Then cut each quarter piece in half, lengthwise, so that you now have 8 pieces. Then cut each quarter into thirds, and then into little cubes.

Sauté the tempeh cubes in olive oil for 5 minutes, turning them constantly  until they become golden brown on all sides. 

Add the onions and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.. 

Add the mushrooms and peppers .

Add the chili powder, chipolte powder, and tamari

Add the broccoli and can of fire roasted tomatoes.

Add the black beans and frozen corn.

Let simmer for another 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld

 

Serve inside of a whole grain flour tortilla, corn tortilla, rice tortilla or taco shells

Serve with organic brown rice and lime wedges

Garnish with cilantro, salsa, and red onion.

iEat Green - Guest Dr. Sunil Pai- Author of; An Inflammation Nation:

Sunil Pai, MD is internationally recognized as an expert in Integrative Medicine, author, health activist/influence and thought leader in the wellness industry. Dr. Pai is board certified holistic integrative medicine physician for over 20 years. He is certified in Ayurvedic medicine, functional medicine, physiological regulating medicine, medical and neuro-acupuncture, plant-based nutrition and yoga. Dr. Pai is founder of Sanjevani Integrative Medicine Health and Lifestyle Center in Albuquerque, NM, and author of the critically acclaimed book An Inflammation Nation: The Definitive 10-step Guide to Preventing, Treating, and Reversing All Diseases Through Diet, Lifestyle, and the Use of Natural Anti-Inflammatories 

 

Youtube channel - House of Sanjevani