Summer is almost over...

This summer has had us super busy. Between our overflowing garden, coop full of chickens, endless entertaining and get-togethers, and rarely gorgeous Oregon summer weather we have had little time for things like emails and blogging.

Case-in-point: This weekend my husband went fishing with some co-workers, a trip he has been talking about for weeks. He came home with six lovely fish and six yummy crabs, all which needed to be cleaned and prepared for long term storage. This is a lot of work. So are fruit trees, even with our new food dehydrator.

Hopefully, as the weather cools, the garden slows down, and we fall into a fall routine, blogging will continue with some regularity.

So keep posted...

Until next time...

- Melissa

Summer Green Smoothie

This morning was a treat. I didn't have to go in to work, so the husband and I got to make breakfast together. Somehow, between Swiss-German lessons and feeding the animals, we managed to whip up a Summer Green Smoothie. Smooth, fruity and packed with good things (some of which came out of our budding garden). Below is today's seasonal version:

Summer Green Smoothie
Serves 2

1 Banana
1/4 Melon
1 Nectarine
4-5 Strawberries
1 small Avocado
2 cups Salad Mix
2 sprigs Fresh Mint
1 cup Water

1. Peel and seed, if necessary.
    Rough chop all fruits.
2. Add everything to the blender.
3. Blend until smooth and serve.

We enjoy some version of this twice a week, and its good to have these raw mornings (which also include a salad on Sunday mornings). It is an easy way to get quite a few different fruits and veggies in at one sitting. We do not eat anything else on these mornings, so its easy on the digestion as well.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Seasonal Eating

As the title of my blog says, it is all about local, in season food. I will have to admit though, up until a week ago I didn't have the first clue as to what was really in season in my part of the world. I figured that if it wasn't in season, like Hood Strawberries, you just couldn't get it. This, my friends, is not the case. 

As my husband and I were peering over our grocery receipt last Friday, we were wondering how on earth we could have spent what we did. "It's only vegetables!" I exclaimed. "Well, the asparagus was $10," he said, much too calmly for my liking. "But it is in season... isn't it?" I asked. This conversation, like so many in our house, sparked a wave of research. Yes, asparagus was in season, two weeks ago. The season is now over and it is time for local strawberries. 

So, you may be asking, what does this have to do with eating clean and green? Well, quite a number of things:

1. Eating seasonally is good for your health. Fresh, local produce is the way nature intended us to eat. Cold storage, shipping, and processing takes out nutrients we can never put back.
2. Eating seasonally is good for the environment. Less shipping = Less pollution.  
3. Eating seasonally is good for the local economy. Supporting local agriculture helps put money back in other local businesses, not giant corporations.
4. Eating seasonally is good for your bank account. Local, in season produce is generally cheaper than its hot-house grown, shipped around world counterpart. 

Below is a list of what is in season for the Pacific Northwest. If you aren't in Oregon or Washington, you can Google what is in season for you.

As we move forward, a lot of recipes will be tailored to the season, or have sections that say "Choose whatever fruits and vegetables are in season." Our Muesli Oatmeal is this way. Today it was nectarines, plums, strawberries, and banana. In a month it will be totally different. So enjoy the seasons! Eat what is fresh and eat what is local.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Spicy Chilpotle Stew

I recently made this little soup for my husband's birthday party. Everyone said it was "very good, but very spicy", and they are not at all wrong. After weeks of eating bland vegetable and mild minestrone soups, I needed a change. This was just the change I needed. It is based off of Whole Food's Chipotle Veggie Stew recipe, but I simplified it somewhat.

I have made this soup several times now, and have learned to respect chilpotles, especially in adobo sauce. At first they are smokey and delicious, but they have a heat that builds over time. So be careful of this little devil. I hope maybe this soup is just the change you need in your menu plan too.

Spicy Chilpotle Stew

1 cup black beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 zucchini
1 crookneck
1 cup corn
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp Fiesta Seasoning
(chili powder, garlic, cumin)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 chilpotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice

1. Prepare black beans. Soak overnight, rinse, bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. 
2. Rough chop all the vegetables, and cilantro. 
3. In a large pot, heat oil and sauté onion, celery and carrots until onions are translucent. Add garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper and spices. Stir and cook about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, squash, and corn. Stir and cook about 2 minutes. Add chilpotle peppers and the cooked black beans. Stir to combine.
4. Add vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 30 minutes, uncovered.
5. Add cilantro and lime juice and serve hot.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Vegan Taco Salad

I promise, up front, that you will never miss the meat/dairy in this dish. Now, growing up I loved taco night. The bright colors and flavors and the nearly endless possibilities. I would mix and match the ingredients until I couldn't eat another bite. When cleaning up our diet we came up with variation after variation on the theme: Fajita pockets (chicken, veggies and whole wheat pita pockets), Veggie Burritos (veggies and beans in a whole-wheat tortilla, which turned into "Flop-o's" because you couldn't roll them, just flop them over), and finally Taco Salad.


This is one of my favorite Green eating make-overs. I added the recipes for some of the pieces I make from scratch. (Note: 1 cup dried beans = 1 can, but the can lining may contain BPA, so really read the labels.) Fiesta Seasoning is a staple in our kitchen, and is in all three recipes below. You can buy it, in bulk, in Fred Meyer's natural section, or at New Seasons. I love this dish, and  I hope you fall in love with it too.

Taco Salad
Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
4 mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1/2 bell pepper
1 zucchini
2 tsp Fiesta Seasoning
(chili powder, garlic, cumin)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Bean Paste*

1/2 head lettuce
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup olives
1 tomato
Guacamole**
salsa
corn chips

1. In a skillet, heat oil. Add in onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute until caramelized. Toss in bell pepper, zucchini, salt and spices. Cook until tender.  Stir in bean paste. Set aside
2. Wash and rough chop the lettuce, spinach and cilantro. Place on serving plates. Slice olives and tomatoes and set aside. 
3. Layer over the salad the vegetable mixture, guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, olives and corn chips. Serve.

*Homemade Bean Paste

1 cup of mixed dried beans

(black, kidney and pinto)

2 cloves garlic

3 tsp Fiesta Seasoning

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Fresh Cilantro

1. Soak beans overnight. Rinse and place in a sauce pan. Cover with water, and add in garlic and half the spices and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. In a blender, place the cooked beans and garlic. Add in the olive oil, remaining spices and cilantro. Blend until smooth. Serve, or refrigerate for up to a week.

**Homemade Guacamole

1 avocado

1 tsp Fiesta Seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh lemon or line juice

1. In a bowl, mash up avocado. Season and squeeze in juice. Stir until combined. Serve.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Are you getting enough protein?

When I tell people I don't eat meat, pretty much the first thing that comes out of their mouths is, "Then how do you get enough protein?" It is like we are all brainwashed by the ranchers and dairy farmers that the only way anyone is going to get enough protein to survive is to eat a steak every other night, and a chicken breast on the days in between. Yet, the western diet isn't lacking in protein. In fact, most doctors would tell you that most Americans are getting way too much protein. Yes, there is such a thing.

So, now you are asking yourself, "Well, how much protein do I need?"

According to the USDA, most adults should be getting 10% to 35% of their daily calories from protein. So lets do the math, 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, based on a 2,000 calorie diet, the average adult needs 50 - 175g of protein.

Personally, I believe we really only need about 25-90 grams of protein, or about 5-8% of your daily calories. This does depend on how active you are, your age, and how healthy you are. If you feel good, and are full of energy, you are probably getting enough. If not, I would talk to your healthcare professional or nutritionist about exactly how much you should be getting.

So, now you are asking, "So, where do I get this protein from?"

Here are my Top 10 Green & Clean protein sources:

1. Beans (dried or fresh). 1 cup, cooked, has up to 20 grams. I try to incorporate as many beans in our diet as possible. I even make our own hummus and bean paste. 
2. Seed grains such as Millet and Quinoa. 1 cup, cooked, has up to 10 grams of protein. 
3. Whole Raw Nuts. 32 grams has up to 10 grams. 
4. Peas and lentils. 1 cup has 8 grams. 
5. Rice. 1 cup, cooked, has 5 grams.
6. Hemp seeds or powder. 1 cup has 4 grams of protein containing all 10 essential amino acids! Bonus, it is full of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. We take 1/8 cup daily. 
7. Avocados. 1 avacado has 4 grams. Avocados do not last long in our house. They go into salads, smoothies, wraps, and, of course, guacamole.
8. Kale, chard, and spinach. 1 cup, cooked, has 3 grams. 
9. Organic, cage-free, local eggs. 1 egg is 6 grams of protein. We tend to eat eggs for breakfast about twice a week, plus one or two used in a recipe.* 
10. Grass-fed, organic, whole pieces of meat and wild-caught seafood. Yes, I said meat. Once, or maybe twice, a week we have a nice piece of meat. It is usually lamb, which we bought from a farm near Vancouver, WA, or wild-caught salmon.*

*Animal protein (from meat, fish, dairy, eggs, etc.) should never make up more than 10% of your daily protein requirement. Consuming more than that has been shown to increase your risk of cancer. 

Your best bet for getting enough protein is to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans, nuts, and other plant sources. You can also supplement with plant based protein powders like Hemp and Spirulina. Hopefully, this answered all your questions about protein. If not, leave a comment.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Navigating Restaurant Menus

I love to go out for dinner. I love socializing and having a great time, enjoying food I didn't have to think about or prepare. My husband barely tolerates the activity. I understand his view though, as it can be downright horrid to try to cobble something we feel we can eat from most restaurant menus. Case in point: Last night my Mother organized a family dinner. I, of course, agreed to go immediately. It has been months since I've seen everyone all together. The restaurant of choice: Red Robin. Not my favorite, for sure, but I knew it would please everyone.

So what did I do? Red Robin is a burger joint. I know that, heck, everyone knows that. Burgers = Gluten + Dairy + Meat. So how did I eat green and clean there? How do you?

1. Let go. Do the best you can, knowing you won't ever know everything that was put into each item. 
2. Do your homework. Look up their menu online, and took a look at their allergen information. You can do this for most big, chain restaurants. For smaller ones, take a look at their online menu anyway.
3. Watch for key words. For me they are: Buttery, creamy, cheesy, or the item description has ingredient that is meat, wheat, or dairy. 
4. Pick your best option. This will be different for everyone. Pick what sounds healthiest and tastiest to you. Stay away from your key words as best you can, but make it something you like to eat.
5. Order it how you want it. While you may get more than one funny look, order the item your way. Most restaurants are happy to make you happy. 

Use these 5 simple steps and you'll navigate most restaurant menus. Granted, some will be easier than others. Last night, I ended up with a Garden Fresh Hummus Plate (no bread) and a Avo-Cobb-o Salad (No meat or cheese) which I used salsa for the dressing. Yes, I ate fries, dipped in BBQ Sauce (probably not gluten-free), ketchup, salsa, balsamic dressing, or hummus (we had a whole sauce station going). Did I get some gluten, probably. Did I get some weird additives, HFCS's, and other junk, definitely. Did I have a good time, oh yes. Though next time, we are grilling in our backyard.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Coconut Oil is, well, Magical.

My mother, bless her, is always having some issue with something. I, like any good daughter, try my best to help her. This week, it was was a bruise she didn't know how she came upon. I suggested to put Coconut Oil on it. She looked at me funny, of course. So I went into detail about how I use the stuff. "It's magical", she said. That's how this post was born.

Coconut Oil is magical. It is Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antifungal, Antiviral, and Improves nutrient absorption. You can use it for just about anything. To see hundreds of uses for Coconut Oil click here.

We use it to pan fry fish, as it doesn't change even in high heat, and in our oatmeal. We use it in baking, and next week I'm going to try it out in a pie crust. It pretty much replaces butter and oil. It is vegan and gluten-free.

Besides cooking, I use it for as a facial moisturizer, hair conditioner, and lotion. It is also great on cuts, scraps, and burns to help condition skin and prevent infection. My husband uses it to prevent nose bleeds. I love it for the occasional zit to take out any redness or infection and prevent scaring.

We use Dr. Bronner's Magic Certified Fair Trade & Organic Fresh Pressed Virgin Whole Kernel Coconut Oil. You can find it at New Seasons, Fred Meyer's, Thriftway, Whole Foods, Food Front, and even on Amazon.com. So, I'd suggest going out and buying a jar, or two, today.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Top 3

Okay, this one is just for fun.

My Top 3 Reasons I could never go 100% Vegan:
1. Seafood
2. Parmesan
3. Eggs

My Top 3 Kitchen Essentials:
1. Microplane Zester
2. Zyliss Garlic Press
3. Victorinox 4.5" Steak Knife

My Top 3 Recipes (right now):
1. Taco Salad
2. Oatmeal
3. Veggie Spaghetti
(recipes to come)

My Top 3 Food Blogs:
1. My New Roots
2. Sketch-Free Vegan Eating
3. Enlightened Cooking

My Top 3 Favorite Things (You can find in the Kitchen):
1. Swiss Chocolate (Frey in Switzerland, Rapunzel in the US)
2. Dried Pineapple
3. Stash Teas

My Top 3 Biggest Food Fears:
1. GMO Ingredients (Soy, Corn, Canola) and scary additives
2. Processed Foods taking over the Western Diet
3. The public being lied to by Industry Giants on how to feed themselves

Until next time...

- Melissa

Breakfast

This morning just so happened to be Oatmeal morning. (These happen every Monday and Thursday). Which is my husband and my favorite morning. It's quick, easy, healthy, and just plain tasty. Now, let me be honest, I used to hate oatmeal with a passion. I would go out of my way to avoid eating it. So how did it become my favorite you ask. One word: Muesli.

Wikipedia has this to say about Muesli: ('mju:zlɪ/ or /'mu:zlɪ/; Swiss German: Müesli [ˈmyəz̥li], Standard German: Müsli) is a popular breakfast meal based on uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts.

If you ever read my "Cooking Swiss" blog, you'll know that up until a year ago we pretty much lived for our version of this dish. It was yogurt with fresh fruit mixed in, topped with granola. In Switzerland, it was flavored yogurt, fruit and granola. Once I got back home, it was plain, whole yogurt with jam, fruit and granola. Then we moved to Non-fat, yogurt. Then we started making our own jam and granola. Then we omitted most dairy from our life. I swore our Muesli days were over for good.

Not so. After getting tired of smoothies and salads for breakfast (yes, you heard me, salads). I did the unthinkable. I asked my husband to make oatmeal. I ate it, but even with all the honey in the world, I wasn't in love. Then, one morning, epiphany! I placed a spoonful of wonderful, seasonal, fresh fruit salad on top. Love was born. Here is the result:

Muesli Oatmeal
Serves 2

1 cup water
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (we use Gluten-Free)
2 tsps cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsps raisins
1 tsps coconut oil (Raw is best)

2-3 cups seasonal, fresh fruit salad
(Shown above is 1 banana, 1 kiwi, 1/4 cantaloupe, 3 strawberries)

Preparation
1. Bring water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add in oats, cinnamon and salt, and reduce heat. After a minute stir in raisins.
2. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, or until done, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the oil.
3. Serve and top with fruit salad.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Hello World

This is my first post on Eating Green, Eating Clean. So let me introduce the blog and myself. This blog is dedicated to eating good, local, in season, healthy food, put together with love. If I can do it, pretty much anyone can.

I am a working graphic designer with a busy house to keep together. A year ago I found out that I had gallstones. I had a choice to make, either take out my gallbladder or change my diet. Hmmm ... surgery or a lifestyle change. I picked the lifestyle change. This meant cutting out dairy, pork, and saturated animal fats pretty much right away. As time went on I started cutting out gluten, cutting back on salt and refined sugars. It also meant a lot of research, which I'm hoping to share with you, along with a lot of recipes and tips.

If you are reading this, I want to say one thing: Getting to a healthy place takes one step at a time. I'm still taking each one as it comes. The thing you can start doing today is start reading labels. If it looks like a short story, or like it is written in Latin, very slowly put it down and walk away. It is just that simple, and just that hard.

Life is all about the journey. Let's take one of healthy eating together.

Until next time...

- Melissa