Vegetables: the Fourth Food Group.
Think about it: Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates, and Vegetables
vegetables aren’t really a starch (except for root veggies)
seeds aren’t plants yet—so they aren’t vegetables (and are starches / carbohydrates)
vegetables are super low in fat
…and not really a good source of protein either
What are vegetables good for?
vitamins: From beta-carotene to vitamin C to folic acid… whenever possible, nutrients should come from natural sources not test tube vitamins. Why? Because the natural forms are those your body has evolved over centuries to absorb and use. Test tube versions in synthetic vitamins aren’t as effective—which is why you have to take them in much higher amounts than RDA once you become deficient. And… being not identical to the plant or animal source, synthetic vitamins can create other and often unwanted effects and imbalances.
minerals: Calcium for bones and alkalinity, potassium for blood pressure and nerve function, iron to help blood carry oxygen… not to mention the need for copper, manganese, magnesium and many more in minute quantities. But more importantly, in the right form. A synthetic copper can be toxic while the plant-based source from healthy soils is a health and hormone forming boon.
enzymes: Locked into the walls of all those plant cells are enzymes that, when released by chewing, help you digest your meal.
soft fiber: for digestive health and to take care of your probiotic friends
Get creative with these recipes
Apple Baked Beans
Yum. Naturally sweet with apples, what could be a better addition to a summer BBQ, or fall pot-luck, or winter anytime warmth, or... ? Makes 4 cups Ingredients: 2 cups organic dried beans 1 teaspoon salt 1½ tablespoon ground mustard seed spice 2 Tablespoon grass fed butter or olive oil 1 diced onion 2 cup...
Alaska Rainbow Chard
What could be more delicious than locally-grown vegetables, especially green leafies that are available even in the heart of the Alaska winter? We're not sure, but we sure love the taste of nutrient-rich chard. A member of the beet family, chard has a certain sweetness to it while rich in iron, calcium, magnesium and those...
Original Rice Stuffing
This incredible blend of natural rice and fruit makes the most incredible and festive stuffing. You can use wild rice instead of forbidden rice; after all, it is more traditional. Wild rice also takes a bit longer to cook and perhaps more water. Forbidden rice is dark, short-grained and wonderfully delicious; especially when combined with...
Baked Fennel
Fennel aids digestion and tastes amazing. Buy a bulb of fennel with a generous amount of the feathery leaves. Use the leaves to flavor a soup or other dish. Serves 4 — Ingredients 2 fennel bulbs 1 clove of garlic, minced Olive oil A few pieces of butter, chopped ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth...
Roasted Root Vegetables
This colorful assortment of vegetables is simple and perfectly balanced by the exact subtle spices and herbs needed for festive fare. Serves 8 Ingredients: 2 Yams 3 Red potatoes 4 Yellow beets salted water for boiling 1 Yellow onion ¼ Cup Olive oil 3 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 Tbs Tarragon 1 Tbs Rosemary 1 Tsp
Originally-Italian Rice Stuffing
Growing up with an Italian last name and an Irish mom, we always seemed to have a culinary mix of cultures. Although the original (presumably authentic?) use of this stuffing was for stuffed aubergines (sounds so much tastier than calling them eggplant) or baked stuffed peppers, our traditional holiday turkey had a different stuffing each...
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
These spicy treats are a fun change from more traditional thoughts on yams and/or sweet potatoes. Baked, not deep fried, they still cook up crispy and children love them. Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1 large yam (or sweet potato), washed and peeled 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder...
Caramelized Sweet Onions
These caramelized onions are deeply flavored and sweet without sugar. Be patient while cooking them. Long, slow cooking renders them sweet with a lasting flavor. You can prepare them ahead or you can spend just 15 minutes slow-cooking them and serve them freshly warm. The important piece is to use your best balsamic vinegar, but...
Wild Mushroom & Ginger String Beans
Elegant flavor; simple recipe Serves 4 Ingredients 1 cup sliced wild mushrooms (shitake or oyster, for example) ½ onion sliced 1½ lbs fresh string beans, cleaned and ends removed 4 cloves garlic egg-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled 3 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons butter Preparation Puree the garlic, ginger and olive oil in a...
A Dandelion Greens Recipe Adventure
You might think I'm joking! Not. Ayurvedic theory holds that different tastes are helpful to different organ systems. Lately I've been all things detox: launched a new cleanse, submitted a medical paper evaluating a regimen that helps with chemical exposures as a way to heal physical aspects of substance abuse... I keep coming across one amazing plant. Sure,...
Bok Choy with Chili Oil and Garlic
Get plenty of health benefits in this easy, weight-loss friendly, and delicious stir fry. Serve alone or add a protein for a complete meal. Bok Choy A member of the anti-cancer, liver-loving and detoxification-promoting cruciferous family, just one cup of shredded bok choy has half your RDA of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K...
Mixed Greens, Olives & Peppers
An unusual but fun flavor combination awaits you with this unique dish inspired by an end-of-summer Alaska garden. Choose your olives—the strong Peruvian Botija olives or the milder but rich Kalamata olives are both amazing. Add pungent and colorful peppers like yellow Hungarian wax peppers, or Annaheim peppers. And then choose whatever greens you have; this...
“Cecchini” Pasta with Pesto
Zucchini: The UnPasta Great for on-the-go lunches to dinner parties, this recipe even keeps well in the fridge for a few days if you keep the ingredients separate (sauce from the veggies). And oh-so-colorful and tasty, who would guess it does double duty as a heavy metals detox, a therapeutic benefit of either cilantro or...
Balsamic Baked Brussels Sprouts with Probiotic Pomegranite Tahini sauce
Brussels sprouts are at the top of my liver-supporting rainbow of foods yet hardly ever make them for fear of noses turned upward—especially from #1 son—until this recipe that is. To me, Brussels sprouts have a unique cabbage-esque flavor that goes with my favorite foods. But to many, Brussels sprouts are the butt of numerous jokes;...
Greens with beans
Beet greens are a great source of iron, essential for oxygen transport and muscle strength when most of us want more energy; rich in carotenoids for eye health and anti-oxidants. Plus, they taste great in this one-pot meal which can be made vegetarian. Continue reading
Balsamic grilled vegetables
I'm a simple gal. Nothing pleases me more than finding a way to prepare vegetables that is fast, delicious, eye pleasing, and doesn't involve cleaning pans 😉 This grilled vegetables recipe is tasty hot off the grill or cold straight from the fridge 3 days later. Any firm vegetables work: Slices of Zucchini, bell pepper,...
