Our brand new grandson was born into our family this past week, after which my son-in-law named it “Birthday Week,” not only for the fact of his own birthday and that of his newborn son, but also because we celebrated the first birthday of the infant’s newly promoted big sister! Birthday week!! In celebration of this newly expanded family, the week basically consisted of one wonderful meal after the next, all of which reminded me of a post that I wrote once upon a time about the meals at my parents’ small farm in the Watchung Mountains of New Jersey. The years have passed, and my own parents are gone now, but all our beautiful babies have been named in memory of my mother and father, and that has been a gift of its own. Continue reading
Category Archives: Vegetables
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Rainbow Peanut Noodles
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, and I thought you might like to know how to make it. It makes a fantastic dinner, and superb leftovers for lunch the next day, or even breakfast!. A forkful twirl from the fridge for a yummy snack is also a reasonable option. If you want, you can get the cabbage, peppers, and carrots ready the night (or weekend) before to cut down on worknight evening prep time. This recipe is perfect with any kind of noodles, including gluten-free ones. The reason it is so filling is because it is full of all kinds of different phytonutrients, which you can tell by how many colors it contains, as well as all the super-nourishing fats in the form of peanut butter, sesame oil, and fresh soybeans. Continue reading
The Illusion of Variety
Like many people who have been holed up in their homes for the past 15 months or so, this past week I entered a supermarket for the first time in more than a year. Omg. I left with one package of granola bites (treat), one cabbage (food), two kinds of beer (treat), and tonic water (treat–Fever Tree, the best!). Hopefully, I’ll do better next time. The whole experience got me thinking once again about what a supermarket really is, and I decided to share something I first posted a very long time ago. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Beet Hummus
The thing I love most about this recipe is the color. Remember the magenta crayon in the big Crayola box? That’s it. Continue reading
Real Food and the End of the Pandemic
For all the years I’ve written this blog I’ve talked a lot about real food, the kind our great-grandparents ate. Food that comes from the ground (or air or water). Unadulterated food, as opposed to “manufactured calories,” or “food-style products.” I’ve heard this idea expressed in different ways, like:
“Eat close to the garden.”
“Eat food that’s been through as few machines as possible.”
“Eat nothing that contains more than four ingredients.”
“Don’t eat anything your great-grandparents wouldn’t have recognized as food.”
“Be wary of foods that never go bad; if the bugs won’t eat it, it’s not food.”
I didn’t actually eat any differently this year, but talking about it on the blog felt like preaching. It’s not that the message was no longer relevant, but that it just didn’t feel nearly as important as usual. The most important message this year was to be kind to yourself, to do whatever it takes to get through the day. The worst part of all was that we didn’t know how long it would going to be that way. But this week I am feeling hopeful. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Purple Soup
In Jerusalem, “Orange Soup” (Marak Katom, or מרק כתום), made with a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash, is very popular at this time of year. When I was at the market last week buying ingredients for orange soup, I also noticed some beautiful purple potatoes and, nearby, packages of carrots like jewels, ranging from butter yellow to crimson to dark purple. Prior to the vendor realizing I was buying the ingredients for orange soup, he tried to convince me to buy the purple potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes. He had a recipe in mind, too, and suggested that I consider making mashed purple potatoes. A nearby customer even joined in to say that they are delicious with a little bit of thyme and date syrup. “You won’t regret it!” she said. Once the vendor realized my intention for the sweet potatoes, however, he raised his palms toward me, tipped his head slightly, and said something to the effect of “Oh, well, okay, in that case!” Orange soup is the kind of recipe that everyone makes in their own slightly different way but, at the end of the day, orange soup is orange soup and it’s not to be messed with. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: White Bean + Celery Salad with Bonus Recipe for Potato-Celery Soup
You know that feeling when you have no idea what to make, and you look in the refrigerator hoping to be inspired by what you see? This past week I found a huge bunch of celery* from my kids’ weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) box, which they receive year-round in Jerusalem. Celery is in season right now, so I decided that this salad would be a good choice. Notice all the colors and textures that make this dish so pretty and so crunchy. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: A Week of Menus and Recipes
I suppose it was inevitable, but last week I entered quarantine in a small apartment in Jerusalem for up to two weeks. Purely a precaution, no worries. Plus, there’s a balcony. And sunshine and wifi, so I am totally fine. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Avocado Soup
In honor of the new Vitamix recently delivered to the home of my son-in-law and daughter, I decided to post one of the most inspired and creative cold soup recipes that I’ve ever seen. I’ve been holding onto this one for a long while for just such an occasion as this.
If you’re bummed because you have most, but not all, of the ingredients in this recipe, as long as you have a ripe avocado I would just go for it. And the garnishes are strictly optional. Avocado soup is total delicious goodness. And if, after recent months, you’re looking for something really satisfying in a cozy, winter lockdown kind of way, but that doesn’t include sugar in the ingredient list, this is a great choice. Maybe it’s the nourishing fats from the avocado, or the heat from the jalapeño, but it’s gonna warm you from the inside out and you’ll be really glad you made it.
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Vegan Eggplant Bacon
If, for any reason, absolutely any reason of all, you are not an eater of conventional bacon, then you may want to try this. Something new and different and delicious. Continue reading