Eating 2010

Michael Pollan has written several books on food and one of the most important in the series has to be "In Defense of Food." The basic premise is the food experts are focusing on single nutrients in a food rather than a the whole food. He also points out what a mistake it is allowing the government, influenced heavily by the food business to dictate what we eat. He also dispels the nutrition hype pushed by the processed food companies.

One can see the hype splashed across packages of processed food professing  to contain lots of  the current fad nutrient. Whether whole grains, omega oils, or whatever the larger the print the less benefit that product will have in one's diet. The best advice, according to Pollan, is the same your mother gave you - eat your vegetables. Make meat a side dish and the vegetables the star. Moderate the intake of dairy, and as the cook close the gates to junk food and processed food.

Achoy Stir Fry

This recipe was adapted from one I had at temple. The cook was unable to tell me what greens were used, so I used my best guess and settled on Achoy. Bok Choy could be used as well.

1 bunch Achoy or Bok Choy

1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms (I used a combination of fresh shitake and baby bellas)

1 slice ginger

2Tbs sliced almonds

1Tbs olive or canola oil

Sauce:

1 cup vegetable stock

1 Tsp Oyster flavor sauce

1 Tbs soy sauce

1/4 Tsp sesame oil

1Tsp of cornstarch dissolved in 1Tsp of water

Wash and coarsely chop ahcoy.  Heat pan and add oil saute chopped mushrooms in oil on med high. Place all sauce ingredients save cornstarch solution in sauce pan, heat on medium. Add greens to pan with mushrooms and toss until greens are wilted, add cornstarch solution to sauce, turn up heat and stir until sauce thickens. Pour sauce of greens, add almonds and stir everything together. Serve immediately.

Spinach Stir Fry

1 Bunch spinach washed and dried

2 Tbs Pecans

1 Tbs Olive oil

Place oil in pan, heat on medium. When oil is hot dorp in leaves and pecans, stir until leaves wilt, serve immediately.