Tag: food

Holiday Dinner…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn color, nutrition, plants, vegetables4 Comments

It is autumn in November. Sunny and warm on the California Central Coast in Morro Bay. It’s time for a special focus on a plant-based celebration. Here are the beginnings of my Thanksgiving Day dinner that I have assembled. A kabocha squash bought at the Baywood Farmers’ Market along with herbs and poultry seasonings was the centerpiece. More would be added as the assembly continued.

Color is always attracting my eye. The kabocha squash is brilliant orange, complemented by the still-life of red orange roses, Red Anjou pears, avocados and yellow Bearss limes.

Looking up a kabocha squash directed me to a recipe which I adjusted to make totally plant-based, no oil, no meat or dairy. After hollowing out the squash, I roasted it for an hour until it easily stuck done. The day before I had made seasoned farro, celery, carrots and onions. My latest assembly of mushrooms included my new favorite long steamed Beech mushrooms along with the familiar white button mushrooms. All I had to do was to assemble and season my stuffing. Roasted carrots were cooked with the squash during the last 20 minutes and arranged with the squash and surrounded with young spinach leaves.

I had made my cranberry sauce the day before. Look carefully for it in my dish at the lower left.

It was so delicious and fun to make! Everyone who saw it was ready to eat at my house!

Remember to eat well and healthfully through the winter weather and during the upsetting political times that stress us.

Until my next personal sketch, PEACE and HEALTH, Heather

A possible recipe for the White House…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn lifestyle, nutrition, plants, vegetables2 Comments
Singapore Dal

Lately, our choices of food have been gravitating towards more plants, especially unprocessed plants. We call it a whole foods plant-based diet. The first book I read about this way of eating was “The China Study” written by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and his son, Thomas M. Campbell ll, MD. Eating this way is done to lessen the chances of succumbing to the chronic diseases we might experience as we grow through our baby, teen, young adult, middle age, senior and oldest years.

The most recent young medical doctors are now realizing that the study of nutrition is vital to good health. They are often interested in studying the combination of nutrition and lifestyle style. The combined effects are powerful.

In the previous post, I mentioned a recipe that I thought would be a good example of something Kamala might prepare from the “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook” by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn. Dal is as the New York Times said in their March 28, 2024 issue a South Asian comfort food. Dal is made of split pulses which are lentils, peas and beans. They may be cooked quickly and are good sources of potassium and magnesium which contribute to a healthy heart and normal blood pressure levels. The fiber in them contribute to healthy cholesterol levels.

I gathered together everything I’d need to make a Singapore Dal dinner. If you make it, please let me know how you enjoyed it.

Onions, garlic and ginger
Spices-Garam Masala, Coriander and Cumin
Onions, garlic and ginger were sautéed
Beans, peppers and tomatoes added.

All ingredients were chopped, measured, sautéed, stirred and carefully watched at the proper stove temperature. The pleasure of combining all ingredients to make a fragrant recipe was a way to create a delicious meal.

Many Indian recipes create the health we all desire with an ample amount of protein with nutritional sources of vitamins, minerals and combined phytonutrients that I cannot begin to name. Notice no animal had to die to create this fine dinner which I served with quinoa and garnished with cilantro (or parsley if you prefer).

Every time I see a new President in the White House, I wonder what might be the requested breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Years ago I recall the White House posted the meals served. Every Presidential family has their own favorite breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I did find a post that showed the White House Chefs cookbooks which give us an idea of what they had prepared. I’ll keep an eye open to what might be the next possible choices. Hopefully more plant-based wouldn’t you think?

Until my next personal sketch, PEACE and HEALTH, Heather

Kamala’s South Indian ancestry…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn cookbook, nutrition, vegetablesLeave a comment

While I do not know what Kamala Harris is eating now, I guess her ancestry steers her appetite towards a plant-based way of eating. She grew up as a daughter of a South Indian mother from Chennai, who was a biomedical scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and a Jamaican father, a Jamaican-American economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University.

In the past, she shared her love of cooking with her friend, Mindy Kaling, who you may recall was at the Democratic National Convention endorsing Kamala Harris. Here is the video to meet them cooking four years ago when Kamala was a Senator.

From Kamala’s mother in Tamil Nadu, India there would be specialties. Indian food bursts with fragrance and spicy flavors. Many of the recipes from India are plant-based naturally. Below is a recipe from page 215 in one of my favorite sources, The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn.

SINGAPORE DAL SERVES 2 TO 4
We first had this dal in Singapore. I stood right beside the chef so I wouldn’t miss any of her secrets. The colors and the spices and the smells are embedded in my head. Putting the chiles in whole gives just the right amount of heat. This is delicious and thick over brown rice or potatoes. Serve it with a huge green salad or add Corn Tortilla Taco Shells and Tostados (page 32) instead of rice – or along with the rice! Fresh mango adds that last just-right touch.
INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas or any white bean, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock or water
3 small skinny green chiles (also called finger chiles; serrano chiles will work, too)
Chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice for serving
1 mango, chopped, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a saucepan, cook the onions over medium heat until they begin to soften; then add the
garlic and ginger and continue to cook, stirring, for a few more minutes. Add drops of water as necessary if the pan gets dry. Add the coriander, cumin, and garam masala, and cook for 2 minutes more for flavors to mingle. Again, add a few drops of water if the pan gets dry. Add the tomatoes, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, vegetable stock, and whole green chiles! Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the dal has thickened to a gravy-like consistency, about 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and lots of cilantro. Before serving, remove the chiles, or if you want more heat, break up the chiles and add them to the dish to suit your taste. Serve with chopped fresh mango in every bite. Perfection!

Next week I plan to make this recipe, thinking of Kamala during the preparation. She already has my VOTE ! Is there anyone you would like to share this with? DO IT !

Until my next personal sketch, PEACE and HEALTH, Heather