Saturday, November 13, 2010

1. Food For Thought:Eating Your Way to a Healthier YOUPresented by: Michi Harris, Cooking Fresh For Youand Somphet Chanhpheng6th Annual Survivors’ Conference Saturday, November 13, 2010

2. Intro • Background – Michi’s Cooking Fresh For You • Founded Cooking Fresh For You 3 years ago • Healthy School Lunches – now serving five private schools • Catering for Private Functions, Take home dinner program • Somphet experience/bio • Our Cooking Philosophy • Fresh, real, “natural” • avoid processed food • use herbs/seasoning rather than fat/butter for flavor • trim fats/skin from protein, use more chicken/turkey, less red meat • If the kids can eat healthier and enjoy it - you can too! • CHECK FOR REPEAT ATTENDEES – SUCCESS?

3. Wake Up!!You are what you eat • Tough Love – • Over 18? You’re an adult now – no childish behavior allowed at the dinner table • Wake up – you are what you eat - it’s time to take ownership of your eating habits • How important is the food I put into my body? • Diseases like cancer, heart disease, arthritis and osteoporosis are direct by-products of our food industry • Experts even suggest that up to one-third of all cancers are related to diet • The foods you choose affect your hormones and your weight - two factors linked to breast cancer • Fat cells can produce and store estrogen, since an estrogen surplus can stimulate the growth of breast cells, decreasing body weight (and fat) can decrease the risk of re-occurrence

4. Cheap, unhealthy food is everywhere….. Look around you….. • SUPERMARKETS/WAREHOUSES --prepared meals - are they better for you? Read the labels! More than 5 or words you can’t pronounce, don’t buy it! • PACKAGED SNACKS - just because they count the calories doesn’t mean they are good for you – EMPTY CALORIES • FAST FOOD - sodium, sugar & fat content (eg. French fries) • “CHEAP FOOD” -- basically fillers and sugars (ie. fructose) – natural products that are processed so heavily that they have no nutritional value - What exactly is a “Cheeto”? • Face it, we’re a nation of unhealthy individuals • Obesity is on the rise, not a decline (how can this be?) • We know the facts, but we’re so busy working and striving……with all our “convenience” foods/electronics, life has gotten faster and faster…….we’ve forgotten the real basics of enjoying family and life in general (cooking together, sitting down to eat together, eating natural foods) • STOP THE MADNESS!!!!

5. Eat Your Way to a Healthier YOU5 things you can do right away • (1) Eat Local • Reduces your carbon footprint (less fuel burned) • Produce is fresher (pass pineapple – exercise: mindful eating) • When eating, give it your whole attention and stay in the moment – avoid mindless eating/snacking • Supports local farmers/businesses • Visit your local farmer’s market • Buy produce, not prepared food! • (2) PREPARE to eat healthy snacks and meals • Eat more fruit! Eat more veggies (pack them, eat them) GRAB • Yogurt, nuts, trail mix, healthy granola bars (beware of hydrogenated oils) • Fill your pantry and refrigerator with “good things” • Whole grain products (brown rice, quinoa, whole grain breads/crackers) • Canned goods and frozen foods (single ingredients are best) • Use “convenience” veggies - ready to eat salad greens, cut veggies, etc, fill the bin w/fruit

6. Eat Your Way to a Healthier YOU5 things you can do right away • (3) Eat SMART • Eat foods that are NUTRIENT DENSE, flavor intensive and low in fat (sample quinoa salad) • Handful of almonds or a whole fruit OR a bag of 100 calorie pretzels?! Choose quality/real food rather than processed • Go vegetarian 1x a week or more if you can • Rule of thumb – go as NATURAL AS POSSIBLE • (4) Eat food prepared in a healthful manner • Restaurants: avoid creamy sauces, fried, dressings on the side. Go for grilled, steamed, poached (poached chicken recipe) • Trim and Skim fat wherever possible (cut off fats, buy a fat skimmer) • Bake rather than fry - “my best friend Pam” • Use herbs to flavor your food rather than relying on butter/fat (PESTO) • Make your own dressings using healthy ingredients (recipe provided) • SALT – use minimally during cooking, use as a finish

7. Eat Your Way to a Healthier YOU5 things you can do right away • (5) Eat to LIVE • We eat to live, not live to eat……. • Enjoy the process of cooking or if buying food, enjoy who you’re eating with – SLOW DOWN • Don’t stuff yourself for the sake of it • Think of food as fuel for your body – you want to put in GOOD THINGS, not EMPTY calories • COMMIT YOURSELF TO EATING HEALTHY - go out of your way to get what you need - stop relying on convenience foods - be good to your body and feed it right • Be picky about what you eat - it’s YOUR body, your life!! Keep in touch! Email Michi cookingfreshforyou@gmail.com or visit www.cookingfreshforyou.com

8. Recipes Low Cal Basil Pesto 2 cups packed basil leaves 1/3 part olive oil 2/3 part warm water ¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese Salt to taste ¼ cup nuts (pinenut, macadamia, walnut – basically whatever you have on hand) Blend all ingredients in a processor or blender until smooth. Use this pesto in all sorts of way, tossed with pasta or as a rub for chicken or fish (saute’ or grill ….)

9. Recipes Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad Quinoa (keen-wah) is a grain that contains the same amount of protein as a dairy product! Similar to couscous, it’s quick to cook, light in flavor and very versatile. 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup diced mixed color bell pepper, diced (red, orange, green) 1 cup frozen corn, run under hot water to defrost 1 cup slice black olives 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese dressing 1 cup orange juice, 2/3 cup tomato sauce, 1 6 oz can tomato paste 1 cup packed fresh basil, 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon garlic salt ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste Boil water in a small pan and add quinoa. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed, then fluff quinoa to loosen grains. Let cool to room temperature. Fold in all other ingredients and season. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves tossed lightly with your favorite dressing or by itself. Try other variations of this salad by combining chickpeas, tomato and cucumber with feta cheese or create a South-East Asian salad with fresh mint, cilantro, lime juice, cucumber and tomato.

10. Recipes Healthy Caesar Dressing 3 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 block firm or medium-firm tofu 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnishing salad) 2 tablespoons low-cal mayonnaise 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (or 3 anchovy filets) ½ teaspoon pepper Blend all ingredients together in a blender or processor. Keeps for a week in your refrigerator. Ranch Dressing 1 pint low fat buttermilk (can substitute regular milk mixed with several teaspoons of lemon juice and a little non-fat plain yogurt to thicken) juice of one lemon 1 cup non-fat plain yogurt ½ cup fat free sour cream ¼ cup light mayo 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon garlic granules 1 teaspoon garlic salt (Lawrey’s” 1 tablespoon dried chives 2 teaspoons dried parsley *if you can find a garlic herb or garlic pepper mix, add 1 tablespoon OR add 1 teaspoon salt Mix together all ingredients with a whisk or fork – taste and add additional spices if needed.

11. Recipes Poached Whole Chicken with Shoyu-ginger Dipping Sauce This is one of those dishes where you can get things going and then simply walk away (my favorite kind!). The end results are a moist and succulent chicken with a soothing broth that takes on the nuances of the dipping sauce and provides you with the perfect bowl of soup to finish off with. 1 whole chicken 2” piece of fresh ginger, sliced into medallions (no need to remove the skin) 1 large bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon for the sauce and a bit for garnish) 1 large bunch of mustard greens, washed and sliced 1” crosswise water salt & black pepper to taste shoyu-ginger dipping sauce ¼ cup low sodium shoyu 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice small splash of sesame oil (about 1/2 teaspoon) 1 tablespoon finely sliced green onion 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro dash of black pepper

12.  Poached chicken, continued……. Use a large pot or dutch oven pot that will fit the whole chicken, along with enough water to fully immerse the chicken. Fill with cold water. Prep the chicken by removing the organ meats from the carcass, trim any excess fat and skin from the opening, and stuffing with the sliced ginger and chopped cilantro. Carefully place into the cold water, then heat on the stovetop at medium high heat, cover and leave alone for 20 minutes. Remove cover and skim off any foam that may have developed. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook uncovered for another 30-40 minutes. To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or sauce cup. Add ½ cup of the stewing liquid and stir to combine. Place a bit of sauce into individual sauce holders and et aside. Move the chicken pot from the heat and take the chicken out of the broth and onto a cutting board. Add the sliced mustard greens to the broth. Remove all the skin from the chicken, then cut into appropriate size portions. To serve, place a piece of chicken into a shallow bowl, then ladle broth (with mustard greens) into the bowl and sprinkle with cilantro. Everyone can dip their chicken into the dipping sauce. A little of the sauce will inevitably drip into the broth, which will become a flavorful and delicious soup to be enjoyed while eating the chicken or after. Serves: 4 Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes (largely unattended)

13. The dirty dozen/the clean fifteen • High use of pesticides • Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes, pears, carrots • Okay to purchase w/out being organic • Asparagus, avocados, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi, mangoes, onions, papaya, pineapple, sweet peas, corn, watermelon, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet potato