Seeking Quality Ingredients Shouldn't Be a Chore

Seeking Quality Ingredients Shouldn't Be a Chore

Rule number one when preparing food to eat: always start with the best ingredients you can get. It's up to you to find and decide upon (or me to steer you to) what 'raw' ingredients to purchase for the desired outcome. After all, like your mother told you, if it's worth doing, do it right.
Learn what defines best ingredient. Learn about what qualities organic food have and the impact of GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms). Become an informed consumer. If you are going to decide what meal to prepare, you will have to decide upon what ingredients to buy as well as what constitutes as optimal ingredients.
It shouldn't be a challenge to seek answers to your food queries or to buy your choice ingredients, either. However, increasingly, it has become a chore, if non-geneteically modified food  is what you want. That's true whether you're buying for yourself or for a large food manufacturer. Why?
Because American consumers are catching on, pressuring food manufactures to use and grow non-GMO food.  This is reversing the trend, created by food giant Monsanto, and it has made going back difficult and more expensive. The responsibility belongs to the ones doing the engineering, not the other way around. When did 'wrong' become 'right', anyway.

Read what the business section of the New York Times says about the increasing demand for non-GMO

GoodBars

Ingredients (makes 6 satisfying good bars)

• 1 1/4 cup pitted dates (about 10 -11 dates)
• 1 cup combined almonds and peanuts
• 3 T hemp seeds
• 3 T unsweetened coconut flakes
• a pinch of sea salt

Instructions

• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, blend the almonds and peanuts until they are  chopped. Add the coconut and process again. Nuts should be finely chopped. Pour the nut mixture into a small bowl. Add hemp seeds and salt and set aside.
• Add the dates to the food processor and process until they start to smooth out and form a paste. Add the chopped nut mixture and and continue blending until evenly combined. It should look similar to a fresh batch of cookie dough.
• To form the bars, take a large sheet of plastic wrap (or parchment paper) and lay it flat on the counter. Pour the dough mixture out onto the plastic wrap, form it into a ball using your hands, then fold the sides of the cling wrap over the dough so it is covered.
• Begin to flatten it out using your hands or a rolling pin, shaping the edges to form a rectangle or square about 1/2" inch thick. Then slice into bars.
• Wrap and refrigerate to keep them their freshest.

(Gratefully adapted from Jennifer at http://www.ediblesoundbites.com/home/?currentPage=2)

Thai Quinoa Salad

My, how I love a good quinoa recipe. Not only is it healthy and a much better alternative to rice or pasta, I think it’s absolutely delicious. And when combined with fresh, crunchy vegetables then dressed in a sweet and tangy ginger peanut dressing for just 4 Points + per serving, well, it’s downright FABULOUS. I came across the original version of this recipe at Ambitious Kitchen, and knew I had to try it. But I made some alterations in order to make it more Weight Watchers friendly and to enhance the flavor a bit. My version uses a fantastic, low calorie peanut butter substitute called Better’n Peanut Butter. If you haven’t tried it yet, so yourself a favor and get some! It’s a LOT lower in fat than regular peanut better and the taste is pretty close. If you don’t have the Better’n Peanut Butter, or don’t want to use it, you can absolutely use regular peanut butter, though it will probably tack on an extra Point or two. Regardless, this Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad is a must try.

Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

This delicious Thai flavored quinoa salad is full of savory tastes and textures. The ginger peanut dressing is absolutely decadent and adds the perfect amount of zest to the quinoa and vegetables. Serve as a side or a main course.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, prepared according to package directions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• 1 cup green onions, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup Better’n Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice from 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together Better’n Peanut Butter, sesame oil, lime juice, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and salt and pepper.
3. Once quinoa has come to room temperature, add all the vegetables. Pour dressing over top and toss to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Serving size is ¾ cup

PER SERVING: 177 calories; 4.5g fat; 24g carbohydrates; 8g protein; 4g protein

Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/05/16/crunchy-thai-quinoa-recipe/#ixzz2UXx9WeDZ

Vietnamese Summer Roll Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1 T high-heat organic Canola or Safflower Oil
1 T minced garlic
5 T Hoisin Sauce
5 T white distilled vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1/2 C fish broth or water

Directions:
1) Heat oil in pan. Saute garlic quickly. Add vinegar, hoisin sauce and brown sugar. Stir in broth.

2) Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Garnish with sliced scallions.