Stay Healthy Rant

Hi, Sorry for the bit of a hiatus in posts.  Busy week for us.  So, I just have to get this off my chest.  Read this article in the New York Times.  Now, I'm a dyed in the wool liberal, but really, this is no way for our government to be spending its time and our money.  I love milk and cheese and I support well operated, sustainable, humane dairies, but clearly, when an industry is being subsidized by government purchases of "excess" dairy and at the same time uses hormones to increase production, the case for continuing subsidies and market interference falls apart.  Not only that, but when the USDA can't keep up with testing foods for safety, the diversion of resources to promote cheese strikes me as the definition of bloated, self-perpetuating bureaucracy.    Check out the stats on the pizza in the image above (from the NYT).

In past posts, we blogged about making healthy and quick roti pizza.  Here is a recipe for a Matzah Pizza that has less than 200 calories and 4 grams of satfat and is even faster to make in the microwave. Add in a cup or two of easy and quick vegetable soup and a piece of fruit for dessert (heck, you can even add one of my vegan sesame cashew cookies and still be healthier than a slice of the store bought pizza).

Healthy One-Minute Matzah Pizza and Soup

for one serving
1 Whole Wheat Bran Matzah (80 cal)
2T organic fat free pizza sauce (I use Trader Joe's brand, but whatever you like) (20 cal)
1 oz shredded organic Mozzarella (80 - 100 cal depending on the brand)

put the Matzah on a large plate.  Spread the sauce and sprinkle the cheese.  Microwave for one minute or cook in a toaster or regular oven until the cheese melts and bubbles.

Soup, So Easy
chop your choice of carrots, celery, summer squash, eggplant, bell pepper, peas, corn, potatoes, sweet potatotes to equal about 1 1/2 cups of veggies and put in a pot.  Add water just to cover.  Add 1/4 t. iodized sea salt (or uniodized and add a bit of wakame or other sea vegetable).  Add 1/2 t. of salt free seasoning such as Spike or Bragg.  Simmer until the veggies are tender.

Speaking of healthy, I am in love with this healthy, protein packed salad.   This features soaked split mung dal, thinly sliced cucumers, and a bit of shredded fresh coconut.  I made this for dinner a couple weeks ago.  I made two servings hoping to have leftovers, but ended up eating it all at dinner!  Guilt-free because this is so nutritious.

Here is the recipe, again with credit to Lord Krishna's Cuisine

Mung Dal, Coconut, and Cucumber Salad

1/2c split mung dal
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 c grated fresh coconut
1/4 cup or more of thinly sliced cucumber
1-2 hot green chilis
1T lime juice
1/2 t sea salt
1T ghee, oil, or coconut oil
1t black mustard seeds
1/8 t hing (asafetida)

Soak the dal in the water for 4 hours or overnight.  Drain.  Combine the dal, coconut, cucumber, chilis, lime juice and salt in a bowl.  Heat the ghee or oil in a pan and add the seeds.  Fry until  they pop.  Then add the asafetida and immediately pour into the salad.  Mix and Eat!