Chepooka

Organic Farming, Global Warming and Bonus Crazy Vegan Recipe

Warning - I’m going to get all political and preachy, this is a longish post. A bonus recipe to thank you for reading is in the extended entry.

A very good friend of mine sent me a link to this video about how conventional farming methods contribute to global warming, and how organic/sustainable methods offer hope for a solution. It’s excellent, and I implore you to take 10 minutes to watch if this is a “new” idea for you.

If you don’t have 10 minutes, I’ll touch on three key points.

-- Soil from organic farms HOLD 30% more carbon than conventional farming. In other words, it takes carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) out of the atmosphere. It’s not a temporary thing either, it builds year after year.
-- Soil from organic farming methods improve the nutrient density of our food. Consider that in the US, over 20% of the GNP is lost to the medicalization of people. Many of the most serious problems are related to poor diet. Improving our diets could save 71 billion dollars a year in medical costs and lost productivity (not to mention lives).
-- In the United States, agricultural subsidies amount to 15 billion dollars per year. We can ask the president and congress to redirect agriculture subsidies to support sustainable farming. Give farmers the ability, the incentive, to switch to organic methods.

Makes sense to me.

I totally and completely believe in the interconnectedness of health and nutrition and food production and global warming. The government is not on our side on this, and I have to admit, anger is a huge motivator for me. I loves me to get pissed off at the government and big business, especially when it’s in their best interest for me to be SICK.

Ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils ("trans fats") are introduced into our diets to save costs and increase profits in the food industry, but they’re doing serious damage to our bodies. Look around at how fat and ill we’ve become. But we hold all the power if we choose to use it: We can vote, we can create change, with our dollars.

My veggie neighbor said to me, “I’m so glad you’ve become a veggie, the more people that do, the more pressure you put on food producers and restaurants to provide good options.” I’m not saying you need to become a veggie, or that I’m anywhere near perfect on this (I’m learning. I’ve spent a lifetime doing so much harm to my body and I’m trying to reverse the damage as best I can), but we can cut down on buying crap that isn’t doing us any good and buy some organic apples instead of oreo cookies once in awhile. If we do that, we’ve voted with our dollars and done something really good for ourselves and the planet. As my mother always says, “It all adds up.” (Usually in reference to my teenage-self wasting her hard-earned money at Taco Bell but that’s another story ...)

People say, “I can’t buy organic, it’s SO EXPENSIVE.” There’s a line in the book Skinny Bitch that says, “Don’t be a cheap asshole” and the authors are right. If you’ve ever stared at a heap of medical bills, you know that it ain’t cheap to be sick. Good nutrition is an investment in your health, and you’re worth it. Save money someplace else, but spend the extra few cents on quality food, plan your shopping lists and your meals and it won’t cost you anything more than a little more time. Think of how annoying it is to wait in a doctor’s office, you have the time.

If you’re so inclined, you can sign this petition.

A bonus recipe and the benefits of the main ingredients is in the extended entry (because I loves yous!). Learning about the benefits of good foods makes it much more exciting to eat I think. Anyway, I gave some to my neighbors this weekend and the feedback was, “Amazing. Probably the best meal I’ve had all year.” Enjoyeth.

Watch more videos like this at http://www.quantumshift.tv

Black Bean, Mushroom and Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Original Recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance (amazing book!) with my changes in parenthesis.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium size onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms (I used about three cups, you can definitely improv on this recipe)
1 tablespoon chile powder (if you want more kick, crank it up a notch)
1 teaspoon salt
1 can tomato sauce (I used two cans, I love “lots of sauce” and think this made the meal)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa (if you’ve not tried this before, it’s fantastic! you’ll find this in the “bulk grain” section of the grocery or health food store, it takes the place of the beef in the traditional recipe, the texture is perfect. even my greasy-cheeseburger and doritoes-loving boyfriend was impressed!)
4 large red bell peppers (I used 2 reds, one yellow and one orange. Use your favorite, they were all good!)
1 (15oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (I bought the cheapest brand, worked fab)
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (I used quite a bit more heehee)
Fresh cilantro for garnish (I skipped this, I wasn’t going to buy something for GARNISH hello?! But if you’re fancy, be my guest heehee)

In a saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in the olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms; saute about 5 minutes until the mushrooms have released their moisture. Stir in the chile powder and salt. Add the quinoa and 1 cup of the tomato sauce (reserve the rest) and the water, lower the heat and cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the peppers: boil a pot of water. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Boil the peppers for five minutes and then drain them.

Combine the beans and maple syrup with the cooked quinoa mixture. Stuff each pepper with filling and stand them upright in a baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce (in my case, 1.5 cans) over the peppers and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with cilantro and serve.

(I had added quite a bit more tomato sauce so I scooped that out of the pan and poured over them after they came out the oven.)

The skinny on the nutritional value of this meal:

Bell Peppers

Brightly colored bell peppers, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. To start, peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), two very powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint pain and damage seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and the wheezing and airway tightening of asthma. By providing these two potent free radical destroyers, bell peppers may help prevent or reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions by shutting down the source of the problem.

Quinoa

Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa’s amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous, this “grain” may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Tomato

In the area of food and phytonutrient research, nothing has been hotter in the last several years than studies on the lycopene in tomatoes. This carotenoid found in tomatoes (and everything made from them) has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. The antioxidant function of lycopene-its ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage-has been linked in human research to the protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white blood cells. Prevention of heart disease has been shown to be another antioxidant role played by lycopene.

In contrast to many other food phytonutrients, whose effects have only been studied in animals, lycopene from tomatoes has been repeatedly studied in humans and found to be protective against a growing list of cancers. These cancers now include colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. While lycopene may play an important role in tomatoes’ health benefits, it seems that it is not the only nutritional star integral for giving this food a red-hot reputation for health promotion; recent research discussed below in the section “Protection Due to Synergy of Tomato’s Nutrients, Not Just Lycopene” describes how scientists are finding out that it is the array of nutrients included in tomatoes, including, but not limited to lycopene, that confers it with so much health value. All the while, it’s still important to understand the many benefits that lycopene provides.

Posted by chepooka on 07/03 at 08:20 AM