iEat Green with Bhavani

Interview with Patrick O’Neill, CEO of Amp Your Good – 08.27.15

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

1. The REAL food drive campaign - a national campaign - see www.realfooddrive.org -
2. Chefs Community Table - restaurant quality meals to help those facing hunger - Bhavani - if you get a chance - watch this video before the interview -
3. 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.

 

Interview with Elizabeth Henderson – Author, Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen's Guide to Community Supported Agriculture – 08.20.15

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.  

Interview with Marco Borges - Author, Power Moves: The Four Motions To Transform Your Body For Life, and The 22 Day Revolution - 08.13.15

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.

iEat Green – Interview with Michel Nischan, Chef, Author and Food Equity Advocate – 08.06.15

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 

1. 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.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onions in olive oil till translucent. Add carrots. Then add broccoli and cauliflower. Cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Add Aduki beans, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.
4. Hollow out eggplants, cut into pieces and add to vegetable mixture.
5. Add dill, thyme, tamari, salt, and balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
6. Add parsley and walnuts and season to taste.
7. Fill eggplants with vegetable mixture.
8. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
9. Serve over Saffron Quinoa or Rice Pilaf.

iEat Green – Interview with Diane Hatz, Founder of Change Food – 07.30.15

This week, my guest on the Progressive Radio Network is Diane Hatz, the Founder and Executive Director of Change Food, a company who’s mission is to help individuals change the way they eat by raising public awareness, educating consumers and motivating behavior change around today’s problems with food. Diane uses her expertise to develop creative projects to help people make the changes necessary to improve our food system.  One way she did this was by Founding the TEDxManhattan talks, “Changing the Way We Eat”, which she organized from 2010-2015. TEDxManhattan was an annual event that brought together key experts in the food and farming movement to discuss issues with the U.S. food system. Diane is currently launching the Change Food Video Library at http://changefoodlibrary.org/.

Interview with Megan Miller of Bitty Foods - 07.23.15

My guest is Megan Miller, the founder of Bitty Foods, a company that makes desserts out of cricket flour. Megan’s prior work in Global Media had her traveling to different parts of Asia and Latin America, where eating insects is a regular part of the diet. The idea of introducing edible insects to the Western culture came out of that experience, and her time in a pastry kitchen of a fine-dining restaurant informed her decision to use desserts as the medium. Cricket flour is high in protein, free of grains, and is packed with healthy fats and micro-nutrients. Are edible insects a part of our future? Listen to my interview with Megan Miller to find out!

Miso Glazed Tofu with Shitake Mushrooms and Bok Choy Marinade

3 Tbs. red miso

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Tbs. sake

1 Tbs. mirin

1- 20 oz. firm cake of Tofu, cut into 15 slices, approx. ¼” thick

1 onion, sliced into crescent moons

2 carrots, julienned

1 leek, washed well, dark green tops removed, then sliced

14 large shitake Mushrooms. sliced

1 head Bok Choy, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1- 2” piece of ginger, grated

Olive Oil

1-2 t. dark sesame oil

1 cup Panko flakes or Bread Crumbs (can use GF bread crumbs)

Blend the ingredients for the marinade in a small mini food processor. Set aside 2 Tbs. of the marinade for later. Lay the slices of tofu out on a clean dish towel, cover with another towel and gently press down, removing any excess water. Then spread ½ of the remaining marinade on the top of each slice, and lay marinade side down on large platter or cookie sheet, and spread the remaining ½ of marinade on the tops of tofu slices. Let the tofu stand for at least 30 minutes, while prepping the other ingredients.

Sauté the onion in olive oil, with the garlic and ginger and cook until translucent. Add the carrots, cook a few minutes and then add the leeks. Let that cook for 5 minutes, then add the shitake mushrooms. When the mushrooms begin to soften, add the Bok Choy, reserved marinade and Sesame Oil to taste. Remove from heat.

Place the bread crumbs into a pie pan and dip each slice of the tofu into the bread crumbs. Saute them in olive oil until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towel and then serve with the vegetables on top.

Interview with Megan Kimble - 07.16.15

Megan Kimble is a food writer living in Tucson, Arizona, where she works as the managing editor of Edible Baja Arizona, a local-foods magazine serving Tucson and the borderlands. She is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and serves on the leadership council of the Pima County Food Alliance. She earned her MFA from the University of Arizona and works with the university's Southwest Center to promote food access and justice.

Her new book, Unprocessed, is a memoir of her experience of going an entire year without eating processed foods. In January of 2012, Megan Kimble decided she wanted to know where her food came from, how it was made, and what it did to her body: so she took a moratorium of eating processed foods, and started exploring the world of REAL food, by milling her own wheat, extracting salt from the sea, trying her hand in milking a goat, and she even slaughtered a sheep! However, Megan also discovered that Processed Foods went far deeper than just snacks and soda, it was the entire American food system of cheap foods, the globalization of produce and the raising of animals in factory farms, and of course, it was also tied to one’s socio economic reality, to gender, politics and money.

Pecan, Coconut and Corn Encrusted Tofu with Coconut Curry

Pre-heat oven to 400*

For Tofu Coating 1 cake extra firm organic tofu, sliced ¼” 1 cup organic shredded coconut 1 cup ground organic corn flakes 1 cup Pecans ½ t. cardamom ½ t. turmeric ½ t. salt 1 egg, beaten For Curry 2 Tbs. Coconut Oil 1 Onion, slivers 5 Carrots, cut into angle chunks 1 broccoli, cut into flowerets

1 can coconut milk 1 cup greens, chopped 2 Tbs. grated ginger 1 Tbs. chopped garlic 1 t. cumin 1 t. dried coriander ¼ t. ground cloves ¼ t. nutmeg 1/8 t. cayenne 1 t. turmeric 1 t. salt 1-2 Tbs chopped cilantro toasted almonds for garnish 1 TB chopped cilantro for garnish

Lay out tofu chunks on a dry towel, cover with another towel, and press lightly to dry.

Combine pecans, coconut, and corn flakes and pulse in a food processor until the consistency of course bread crumbs. Add cardamom, turmeric and salt. Using 2 pie plates, put ½ of crumb mixture in one pie plate, and the beaten egg in the other. Dip tofu in egg (or rice milk for vegans) and then in crumb mixture. Bread all four sides of the tofu with mixture.

Lay tofu cubes out on a cookie sheet covered with oiled parchment paper. Spray the top of tofu cubes with olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turn and bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown on all sides.

Meanwhile, cover bottom of wok with coconut oil. When hot, sauté onions on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add carrots and cook for a few more minutes. Then, add ginger, garlic and spices and cook for another 5 minutes until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes, then add the greens and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the coconut milk. Add more spice if desired.

Place Coconut Curry Vegetables on Platter and top with Crispy Encrusted Tofu. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and almonds.

iEat Green - Elena Mihaly from the Conservation Law Foundation, and Priya Morganstern from the Pro Bono Partnership, Inc. - 07.09.15

I have the pleasure of interviewing 2 very special matchmakers. They are not your typical matchmakers, trying to set up that perfect date. They are lawyers, working for organizations that match the perfect lawyer with the perfect project. My first guest is Elena Mihaly. She is a Legal Fellow, funded through the Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation, to work in the Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice Program at the Conservation Law Foundation. She works primarily on policy development for Conservation Law Foundation’s (CLF) Farm & Food Initiative, but is also involved with CLF’s transportation policy work and climate change litigation. Elena helped launch and is now the Coordinator of CLF’s Legal Services Food Hub – a pro bono legal services clearinghouse for farmers and food entrepreneurs. My second guest, Priya Morganstern, is Program Director of the Hartford Program of the Pro Bono Partnership, Inc.  She has been with the Partnership for over 7 years, and has been engaged in public interest law for over 10.  Both Elena and Priya love their work. They are lawyers doing the right thing! They get to spend their time finding lawyers who want to give back to their communities by doing pro bono work, while at the same time, finding clients who need legal council, yet are short on funds to be able to pay for it. It is a win-win situation, and everyone comes away feeling good about the work. Please join me on Thursday, and listen to these two dynamic women.

Tempeh Tamales- GF, Vegan

 

Makes 34 small tamales

1- 6 oz. package of dried corn husks, soaked in hot water for 40 minutes

 

For the Dough

5 cups masa harina

3 cups hot water

2 cup cold coconut oil

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 Tbs. sea salt

2 cups cold vegetable broth

 

In a large bowl, stir the masa harina with the hot water until moistened; let cool. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, using the paddle blade, mix the coconut oil with the baking powder and salt at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine on, add the corn masa mix, in golf-ball-size lumps, then drizzle in the vegetable stock and beat the masa until completely smooth. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes; the texture should resemble mashed potatoes. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use.

 

For the Tempeh Filling:

Olive oil

2 large onions, (or 4 small onions)

4 cups chopped assorted bell peppers

1 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. chopped garlic
½  teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup organic fire roasted corn
1 teaspoon cumin

4 Serrano chilies, seeded and roasted under the broiler until lightly charred

 

3- 8 oz. packages of Tempeh (I use GF, 5 grain tempeh), chopped fine

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 can organic pinto beans

1 can organic kidney beans

¼ cup chopped cilantro

 

Using a large heavy skillet (I use my cast iron pan) sauté the onion in olive oil, until translucent. Add the peppers and garlic and continue cooking until soft. Add all of the spices, the Serrano peppers and the corn, and cook for 10 minutes, until all of the flavors come together. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside for a few minutes. Add a little more oil to the pan, and sauté the tempeh, along with the extra cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika, until golden brown, adding a little more oil as needed to keep the tempeh from sticking. When golden brown, return the vegetables to the pan and add the beans and cilantro. Cook for 10 more minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Adjust spices to your taste.

For the Sauce:

12 Tomatillos, husked, halved, and roasted under broiler until lightly charred

5 Serrano chilies, seeded and roasted under broiler until lightly charred

¼ cup salsa

½ cup cilantro

1 cup water

½ t. cumin

½ t. salt

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Place all sauce ingredients into the blender, and blend on high until smooth.

To Assemble the Tamales:

Remove a corn husks from the water and pat dry. Working in batches of 4, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk, creating a rectangle of dough. Leave about 1/2-inch border on the edges. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the tempeh mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the tempeh, then fold the bottom under.  Use 2 corn husks and rip them into thin strands, creating pieces of corn twine, to use to tie up the tamales. Tie the tamales, around the center, using the thin strips of a corn husk. Repeat until all husks, dough and filling are used.

To Cook the Tamales:

Using a deep stock pot, with a steamer in the bottom, fill the pot with water, just coming up to the bottom of the steamer. Make balls of tin foil to fill in the side gaps. Cover the steamer and the tin foil balls with a thin layer of corn husks. Stand the tamales upright on their folded ends, tightly packed together, securing them with more tin foil balls on the sides to prop them up. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Steam for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat, partially remove the lid, and simmer for 1 ½  hours. Serve the tamales warm with the sauce on the side.

iEat Green - n Interview with Catherine Jones, CEO of Werbie, a Startup Catering to Women’s Health, Nutrition, and Wellness - 07.02.15

This week, my guest is Catherine Jones, the co-founder and CEO of Werbie, LLC, a startup catering to women’s health, nutrition and wellness in the digital world. I first met Catherine this past winter, when we both ventured west, to participate in the Food Hackathon and Forum in San Fransisco. Catherine is passionate about food and nutrition, and we found ourselves on the same team, working for a common goal. We quickly became friends, and I knew I wanted to invite her on my show, to talk about her work, and her most recent book, Calories In, Calories Out.Please join us, as we talk about her award winning books, and the work of Werbie, LLC!

Thai Tofu and Vegetable Curry

 

To serve 10 to 12

 

2 cakes extra firm organic Tofu

olive oil or coconut oil

2 tablespoon scraped, finely chopped fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1-1/2 onion, chopped or sliced

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

3 carrots, cut in bite size pieces

1 head broccoli, cut up into bite size pieces

2 cups string beans, (or 1 bag frozen organic green beans)

1 zucchini

1 can chick peas, drained

1 pepper, cut into strips

4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste

1 can coconut milk

1 Tbs. honey

1 lime, juice

 

For Tofu Sauté

1 teaspoon of the following; ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, curry

1 TBS, of Tamari

 

In a heavy cast iron frying pan, fry the tofu cubes in olive oil or coconut oil, until golden brown. Remove from pan and lay out on paper towel to remove the excess oil. Wipe out pan.

Meanwhile, cover bottom of wok with oil and heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add the carrots, ginger, garlic, and salt. Lower the heat and stir constantly, frying the onions and carrots for 7 to 8 minutes, until they are soft. Add the curry powder, stir in the broccoli and string beans and cook for another 5 minutes, until the broccoli is soft. Then add the zucchini and chick peas. In small bowl, combine the can of coconut milk with the Thai Red Curry Paste and honey, mix well and then add it to the wok. Stir well. Let simmer for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, add 1 Tbs. coconut oil to the cast iron pan. Add all of the tofu spices, except for the Tamari, and cook the spices for a few minutes, until they are aromatic. Add the tofu and stir well, covering all of the tofu with the spices. Add the tamari and sauté the tofu for 5 more minutes. Add the tofu into the wok of vegetables and squeeze the juice of 1 lime into the wok. Mix well. Serve over Quinoa Pasta or Basmati Rice.

Mike Curtin from DC Central Kitchen - 05.21.15

I will be interviewing Mike Curtin, the CEO of DC Central Kitchen, a non profit, social enterprise, that runs a Culinary Training Program, and distributes food to local shelters. Mike has expanded DC Central Kitchen’s revenue generating, social enterprise catering, to include locally sourced, cooking from scratch meals, at ten DC schools and Healthy Corners, which delivers fruits and vegetables to corner stores in DC’s food deserts. They employ over 150 people, with 40% from their own Culinary Training Program. Please join me on Thursday, and learn more about DC Central Kitchen and the great work that Mike is doing there. 

Dandelion Nori Rolls

Makes 8 Rolls

Ingredients

1 package of pre-toasted Nori (seaweed sheets)

8 cups of cooked organic, short grain brown rice

2 onions, cut in half, and sliced into thin slivers

5 carrots, grated

8 cups chopped dandelion greens, washed

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp of fresh grated ginger

2 Tbsp organic Tamari (Gluten Free)

2 Tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)

1 Tbsp dark sesame oil

Tahini and toasted sesame seeds- optional

Tofu strips- optional

Pickled Ginger as garnish

Procedure

Sauté onion in olive oil, for 5 minutes. Add carrots, garlic and grated ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes longer. Add dandelion greens and sauté until wilted. Add tamari and aji mirin. Simmer till soft. Add dark sesame oil. Spread 1 cup of cooked rice out evenly over 3/4ths of the sheet of Nori. Be sure to spread the rice all the way out to the edges of the nori. Add ½ cup of the sautéed dandelion green mixture in the center of the rice, and spread across rice in a 1 ½ “ wide strip. Add a thin strip of tofu across the middle of the dandelion greens, if using. Sprinkle sesame seed on top, if desired. Begin to roll from front edge. Use water or tamari, or tahini to seal nori. Cut into eight even pieces.

To make Dip

Combine equal parts of water and tamari in small dipping bowl. Add a drop of Aji Mirin to sweeten. Serve with pickled ginger.