iEat Green with Bhavani

Interview with Pam Koch from the Tisch Food Center– 02.11.16

Pam Koch is the Executive Director and Research Associate Professor of Nutrition Education at the Tisch Food Center. She conducts research about the connections between a just, sustainable food system and healthy eating, and she translates her findings into useful resources for educators and policy makers. 

Pam is the primary author of the three Linking Food and the Environment (LiFE) curriculum series books: Growing Food; Farm to Table & Beyond, and Choice, Control & Change. Pam speaks about nutrition education and sustainable food systems at meetings and conferences across the country. She also collaborates with several groups that are working to increase access to healthy, sustainable food around New York City, including Wellness in the Schools, Edible Schoolyard, and Food Corps. She completed her BS and MS degrees in nutrition at Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, and her EdD and RD from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Multi Grain Pancakes

Ingredients- makes 12-14 pancakes

½ cup unbleached white flour

¼ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup oats- ground

¼ cup corn meal

½ cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 Tbs. Sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs
1 ¼ cup buttermilk,

(or 1 ¼ cup regular milk with 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar added to it.)

3 Tbs melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Bananas – optional (or other fruit or berries)

Directions
If using regular milk, add the Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to it and let stand for 10 minutes. This is a substitute for buttermilk.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.

In separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together (except for bananas). Add to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined, but don’t over mix.

Spray griddle with oil. Pour out round pancakes on hot griddle (cast iron is ideal) and cook on medium heat until bubbles appear and edges look cooked. Flip pancakes over and cover with banana slices. Let the pancakes heat the banana. Remove pancakes after 1-2 minutes on second side. Serve with Real Maple Syrup and butter!

Interview with Earl Fultz – 01.28.16

Earl Fultz is the 92 year old Founder and CEO of cHarissa, a small, artisanal food company on the North Fork of Long Island, rocking the food world and winning awards. His business is a love story, a tribute to his late wife Gloria, who transformed an old family recipe, to appeal to her American family and friends. The cHarissa rub and spice is an all natural condiment, which is free of sugar, gluten and any chemical additives, using cumin, lemon, sea salt and olive oil.

In order to help make his dream come true, Earl partnered with Jeri Woodhouse, from a Taste of the North Fork, to help market and grow the business.

The Best Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350*

3 cups gluten-free Flour

1 cup ground oat flour

1 cup ground coconut

4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbs baking soda

1 Tbs baking powder

1 ½ t. salt

1 cup raisins

2 cups walnuts

½ cup potato starch

½ t. nutmeg

1 cup puffed millet or rice

4 cups shredded carrots

2 cups apple sauce

1 ½ cup maple syrup or Agave

4 Tbs flax seed dissolved in ¼ cup warm water

6 t. vanilla

1 ½ cup oil

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 can organic crushed pineapple, drained

Mix the first twelve ingredients into a bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients, except for the carrots, into a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix in the carrots.

Bake at 350 for 40 min. or until a knife comes out dry.

Interview with Josh Cooks from Nextdoorganics – 01.21.16

Josh helped found Nextdoorganics in 2011 and spent its first season on a rural farm outside Providence, RI. He now helps with strategic planning, design & technology, and operations logistics.

He WWOOFed on three farms in Europe and helped start a school garden at a democratic school in rural West Virginia, the state he is from. He previously worked at the Alternative Education Resource Organization.

He is also the co-founder of Sangha.is, a new online platform to facilitate the creation of residencies in learning communities around the world.

He graduated with a major in Culture & Politics from Georgetown University and earned a master’s in the Anthropology of Learning and Cognition from the London School of Economics.

Moroccan Tofu with Hot Sweet Peppers, Raisins and Pistachio Nuts

Ingredients

1- 20oz. block of super firm sprouted org. tofu

2 t. chopped garlic

2 t. ginger

olive oil

3 t. Ras el Hanout (North African spice mixture), available at Whole Foods and other spice stores)

1 t. Salt

¼ t. Pepper

2 Tbs. Tamari

¼ cup raisins, softened in ¼ cup boiling water

1 onion, cut in quarters and slivered

2 cups broccoli florets

½ cup of hot sweet peppers, cut into small pieces.

½ cup pistachio nuts

juice of ½ lemon

1 Tbs. Italian parsley

Directions

Cut the tofu block into thirds, lengthwise, and lay out on clean dish towel. Pat dry with other towel. Cut into cubes. Cover bottom of heavy sauté pan with olive oil. Saute tofu cubes until golden brown, turning on all sides. Add the garlic and ginger. Then add the Ras el Hanout. Add the Tamarii, salt and pepper. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the broccoli and continue cooking until soft. Add the raisins with their juice, the hot, sweet peppers, and the pistachio nuts. Right before serving, squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the tofu and garnish with the parsley.

Serve with rice.

Interview with Parvati Markus, author of Love Everyone – 01.14.16

PARVATI MARKUS is a developmental editor and writer of spiritually oriented nonfiction books and memoirs. She has worked on books by various members of the satsang, from Ram Dass’s classic Be Here Now (before she went to India) to those since her time in India with Maharajji (1971–1972)—from Dada Mukerjee’s By His Grace and The Near and the Dear to Krishna Das’s recent Chants of a Lifetime. She is a former president of the board of the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram and Temple and a former development con-sultant for the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders, held at the U.N. in Geneva, Switzerland. She lives in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Lentil Miso Soup

For 12 people

olive oil

2 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 Tbs. chopped garlic

1 cup French lentils, rinsed

2 cups shredded cabbage

12 cups boiling water

2 Bay leaves

2 t. thyme

2 Tbs. chopped dill

¼ cup chopped parsley

6 Tbs. Red Miso

1-½ teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoons pepper

In large pot, sauté onions and carrots in olive oil for 5 min. Add celery, cabbage, and garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add lentils and boiling water. Add Bay leaves and herbs. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 40 minutes until lentils are soft. Remove 1 cup of broth into small bowl. Dissolve the miso, and then add back into larger pot. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL, ONCE MISO IS ADDED! Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot pepper if desired.

Interview with Joel Berg of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger – 01.07.16

Joel Berg is a nationally recognized leader, and media spokesperson in the fields of domestic hunger, food insecurity, obesity, poverty, food-related economic development, national service, and volunteerism. He is executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and a former Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. He is also author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry Is America?, the definitive and most well-reviewed book on American hunger of the last decade.  He is also author of the forthcoming book America We Need to Talk: A Self-Help Book for the Nation, due out in fall 2016.

Spaghetti Carbonara ala Portobello Mushrooms

1 Ib. Whole Wheat Spaghetti

2 medium organic onions or 1 large, diced

4 portobello mushrooms

½ cup (+/-) extra virgin olive oil

¼ t. red pepper flakes

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

10 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 organic eggs

2 t. tamari

¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Truffle oil for drizzle (if desired)

Cook pasta according to directions, 8-10 minutes till firm (al dente)

Time it, so that the pasta just comes out of the water, when you are ready to mix it with the eggs and cheese, so the hot pasta will cook the egg.

Meanwhile, coat bottom of cast iron pan with olive oil. Sauté onions for a few minutes, then add garlic and cook until golden brown. Add the mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until they begin to get crisp. Add the 2 t. of Tamari and sear the mushrooms, coating well with the Tamari. Add the red pepper flakes. In a bowl, beat the eggs and mix with the cheese. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan and coat well with the mushrooms and onions. Remove from heat, and add the egg/cheese mixture, tossing well to cook the egg on the hot pasta. Add the parsley and toss again. Add a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid until the desired consistency is reached. (I used 3 TBs.) Drizzle with truffle oil (if desired) and garnish with parsley and more cheese.

Interview with Eric Weltman from Food and Water Watch – 12.24.15

Eric Weltman is Senior Organizer for Food & Water Watch in New York. He has over 20 years of experience leading social justice campaigns and building progressive power. Eric has helped direct ground-breaking coalitions, organize high-visibility media events, write influential publications, and manage successful initiatives to pass legislation, fund programs, and elect candidates. Eric also has extensive experience conducting trainings on media outreach, advocacy, organizing, and public speaking. He has taught urban politics at Suffolk University, and written for such publications as The American Prospect, In These Times, and Dollars & Sense. A native of New Jersey, Eric graduated from the University of Michigan and earned an M.A. in Urban & Environmental Policy from Tufts University. When he’s not changing the world, Eric enjoys being with his wife, Sarah, and son, Zach, reading history books, taking walks around New York City, watching “Burn Notice” and “House,” juggling, and eating Thai food.

Gluten Free Vegetable Cheese Lasagna

Preheat oven to 350°

Tomato Sauce

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups canned tomatoes

1 jar org tomato sauce

1/2 cup dry white wine

½ cup fresh basil (or 2 Tbs. dried basil)

1 bell pepper, diced

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Filling

1 cup ½ and ½

2 lb Ricotta Cheese

1 lb shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 eggs

¼ cup Romano and Parmesan mix

1-5 oz. box of baby arugula

1-box rice lasagna noodles, uncooked

Directions

Sauté the olive oil, onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Add the mushrooms. Add the white wine and cook until reduced. Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, fresh basil and bay leaf. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf from sauce.

In the meantime, mix the eggs with the ½ and ½ and Ricotta Cheese and Parmesan Romano mix.

Reserve 2 cups of shredded mozzarella for top.

Layering

Sauce, noodles, ½ of filling, arugula, mozzarella, sauce, noodles, filling, arugula, mozzarella, and top with sauce. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Uncover lasagna and with a spatula or fork smooth down the noodles and tuck in to pan. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and return to oven for 10 more minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley

Interview with Robert Clancy – Author, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Soul – 12.17.15

Robert Clancy is a gifted entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, author and minister. At 19, Robert had a divine spiritual experience that greatly altered his life. In 2012 he started “Robert Clancy – Guide to the Soul” Facebook fan page where he shares his divinely inspired thoughts, now followed by over 250,000 people worldwide. Robert is the author of the acclaimed book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Soul. Robert supports ongoing volunteerism within his business and everyday life, he inspires his team and encourages professional leaders to step up and give back.

Apple Cobbler Crisp

Preheat oven to 425*

To make a large pie or oblong casserole dish

For 10-12 people

Filling-

Approx. 10-12 organic apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

½ cup honey

1 tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. organic corn starch

1 Tbs. cinnamon

Topping

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 cup puffed millet

1-1/2 cups organic brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1   cup safflower or org. canola oil

For Filling:

Peel, core and slice the apples, and put in large mixing bowl. Dissolve the 1 Tbs. of corn starch in a small bowl with the 1 Tbs. of lemon juice. Pour over apples. Add the honey and cinnamon, and mix well.. Spray bottom of pan with oil. Pour apples into pie pan or casserole dish

To make Cobbler topping

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and Sprinkle on top

To Finish:

Bake at 375* for 50 minutes , or until juices bubble thru top and apples are soft. (check by inserting a fork into the apples)

Interview with Edward Mukiibi- Slow Food International Vice-President Ugandan Agronomist – 12.10.15

Edward Mukiibi was born and raised in the rural parts of Mukono District in Central Uganda. He attended a nearby rural school for his primary and secondary education. Agriculture was used as a form of punishment in both schools: experiencing firsthand the practice of shaping a young person’s attitude towards agriculture. Mukiibi graduated from Makerere University with honors in Agricultural Land Use Management in 2009, where he has also worked as a teaching assistant in the Soil Science Department. In 2006, Mukiibi founded Developing Innovations in School and Community Gardens (DISC), a project aimed at promoting community engagement and agricultural sustainability among the youth. Mukiibi’s involvement with Slow Food began in 2008. It was stimulated by a drought in Uganda whose destabilizing impacts were made far worse by the widespread mono-crop planting of a maize hybrid. By contrast, he argues, traditional agricultural practices provide stability: “If one takes a classic African farm, one finds there are fruit trees, vegetables…it’s thanks to this model that, over the years, Uganda has never known famine.” In 2014, at the age of 28, he was named Vice President of Slow Food International. With this recent appointment, Mukiibi helps to steer the work of the global network and to grow Slow Food’s 10,000 Gardens in Africa project.

Sweet Potato Latkes

½ cup Besan (chick pea flour) or other gluten free flour

¼ t. baking soda

5 Tbs cold water

1 small onion, cut into slivers

1 potato, grated and water squeezed out

1 sweet potato, grated

1 carrot, grated

1 t. salt

1 t. chopped parsley (optional)

Oil for frying

In large bowl, make a batter with the chick pea flour, baking soda and water. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls into deep fryer or skillet with hot oil. When brown, remove and drain. (I usually try one first, to adjust salt to taste.)

This recipe also does well with baking.

To Bake:

Preheat oven to 450*

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with oil. Drop spoonfuls of potato mixture onto baking sheet, 2” inches apart. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake for 5 more minutes or until golden brown.

Potato Latkes

1 cup unbleached white flour

4 organic onions, cut into slivers

12 organic potatoes, grated and water squeezed out

4 organic eggs

1 Tbs. salt

Oil for frying

In large bowl, make a batter with the eggs, flour and salt. Then add the onions and potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls into deep fryer or skillet with hot oil. Do not form into patties. Let them be free formed, with slivers of potatoes and onions sticking out. When brown and crisp, remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Serve with apple sauce or organic sour cream.

*I usually make one first, and taste it, to decide if it needs more salt.

Interview with Chris Hunt from GRACE – 12.03.15

Special Advisor on Food and Agriculture

Chris Hunt serves as special advisor on food and agriculture at GRACE, where he provides strategic input on the organization's efforts to build a sustainable food future. Chris has written extensively about food and agriculture issues; his work has appeared in Civil Eats, Huffington Post, AlterNet and Ecocentric. His areas of interest and expertise include industrial livestock production, food waste, urban agriculture and food systems advocacy. Before GRACE, Chris worked as an Alumni Memorial Scholar research fellow at Colgate University, and has served two terms on the board of directors of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Chris earned a BA in environmental economics from Colgate University. He's an ardent proponent of bicycling, composting, accepting peculiar travel suggestions and walking up mountains.

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust ingredients:

1 cups macadamia nuts                                                                                                              

1 cup raw almonds                                                                                     

1 cup dates

½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut

1 pinch sea salt

¾ t. ground ginger

Filling:

3 cups cashews, soaked in water for 3 hours

¼ cup lemon juice

3 cup steamed pumpkin

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. ginger powder

¼ t. ground cloves

1/8 t. allspice

1/8 t. nutmeg

¼ t. salt

3/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ cup of water

Topping

1 cup pecans- chopped fine

¼ cup maple syrup

Directions

1. Pulse the macadamia nuts and almonds in the food processor until finely chopped. Add dates and coconut and process until the mixture sticks together. Add salt and ginger powder
2. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a fluted tart pan with removable bottom, and press up along the sides, creating a nice edge
3. Blend all of the filling ingredients in the food processor. Make sure to scrape down the sides and continue blending until smooth.
4. Pour filling mixture into tart pan crust and put into freezer for 1 hour before adding the pecan topping.
5. Pulse the pecans into small pieces, but do not over pulse into a flour. Add the maple syrup and pulse again until mixed. Sprinkle on top of the cheesecake. Replace the cheesecake into the freezer.

6. Remove the cheesecake from freezer 15 minutes before serving

Interview with Peter Henry from Consider Bardwell Farm – 11.19.15

Peter Henry is the sales and Marketing Manager for Consider Bardwell Farm, a three hundred acre dairy farm in West Pawlet, Vermont. Peter is responsible for running and staffing nine weekly farmers market stands, as well as the distribution of their artisanal cheeses throughout the country.

Consider Bardwell Farm is committed to sustainability and delicious raw milk, handcrafted cow and goat cheeses.  Consider Bardwell was also a man, who founded Vermont's first dairy coop along with a cheesemaking operation on the same spot in 1864.  The farm chose to keep the name and continue the tradition!

Peter is also a veteran of Blue Hill in New York City, along with more restaurants than he cares to remember.  

Thanksgiving Stuffed Baby Kaboucha Squash

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 Block, extra firm Tofu, cut into cubes

4 small kaboucha squash, cut in half, lengthwise and seeds removed

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, cut into chunks on an angle

3 parsnip, cut into chunks on an angle

3 celery stalks, diced

4 cups of Greens, (swiss chard, collards, kale, etc) cut into thin strips

½ head broccoli, small florets

2 Tbs. minced garlic

1 Tbs. minced ginger

Olive oil

3 Tbs. tamari

2 Tbs. aji mirin

¼ cup nutritional yeast

¾ cup water

2 Tbs. umeboshi vinegar

¼ cup Tahini

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 Tbs. chopped fresh Tarragon

1 cup roasted cashews

1. Cut kaboucha squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Cut bottom so squash can stand up even

2. Place squash in pyrex pan and pour a little water around the squash to help it cook, and roast in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. When soft, remove from oven and let cool.

3. Meanwhile, sauté tofu in Olive oil with half of the garlic and ginger. When golden brown, turn over and continue cooking until the cube of tofu is golden brown on other side. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots, celery and parsnips and cook another 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and ginger. Then add the greens and broccoli. Cook for 5 more minutes.

4. Add the Tamari and Aji Mirin

5. Add the nutritional yeast, water and umeboshi vinegar

6. Add tahini, cashews, parsley and tarragon and mix well. Let cook for a few minutes to allow flavors to meld.

7. Fill squash with vegetable mixture.

8. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

9. Serve with Stuffing for the Holidays