Organic or Nonorganic?

There are few subjects more noticable in the food world these days than the push toward organic food. Why are so many people paying 10-40% higher prices for organic food? Is organic food better for you? Should you go organic? Well, in my own research on the subject, this is what I have found and what I believe.

There are several reasons why people choose to buy organic food. Many people believe that organic food tastes better and the farming of organic food is less harsh on the environment than traditional farming methods. As far as taste, this is strictly a personal decision. In blind taste tests of organic and nonorganic produce, such as tomatoes and bananas, more people prefered the taste of the nonorganic food. When asked what they based their decisions on, they stated that the food they choose had a sweeter, better flavor. Personally, I have purchased both organic and nonorganic bananas and could not tell much of a difference, so you will just have to compare on your own and see what you prefer. When it comes to the environment, yes, organic is better. There are less pesticides and chemicals being sprayed into the air, as well as less pollution spreading to the soil and water, all of which are obviously good things. However, as a planet of 7 billion+ people, if we were to switch entirely to organic farming methods, we would not be able to produce enough food to feed everyone. In fact, more than 1/3 of Earth's population would starve to death because organic farming requires more space and time.

Other reasons why people choose to purchase organic food is that it is often believed to be more nutritious and contain less chemicals and toxins than nonorganic food. Studies have been conducted over the last 50 years and are still being done today, on the nutritional value of organic food. The truth is, that it has yet to be proven that eating organic food has any nutritional benefit. There is simply no proof that organic beats nonorganic when it comes to nutritional value. Now we come to toxins and chemicals... Yes, the USDA has stated that organic food carries significantly less residue from pesticides, and legally it must contain less preservatives, additives and processing aids. However, the government has regulations on what amount of chemical residue can be left on the nonorganic food that you consume, based on what is and is not a safe amount. Nonorganic producers must comply with these regulations, just as organic producers must comply with their regulations regarding additives, etc..

Lets not forget where the organic movement largely began - back in the day (50+ years ago) farmers were using "moderatly toxic" chemicals such as DDT as pesticides on the crops they were growing for the public. Before these chemicals where proven to cause things such as diabetes and cancer, some people became concerned that there were health and environmental risks associated with these chemicals and wanted no part of it. Thus, the environmental and organic movements picked up speed and have continued to do so until today. However, while these movements were growing, the government cracked down on the use of chemicals like DDT and based on years of testing and research, there are strict guidelines on chemicals used/left on our food.

So what should you do? Do your own research. Decide what is important to you and what is best for you and your family. Personally, I place more stock in "fresh" than "organic". Anything overprocessed loses nutrients and is most likely packed with preservatives. I love fresh fruit, fresh veggies and fresh seafood; sometimes that means buying organic, sometimes not. It doesn't have to be expensive and organic to be fresh and healthy.

Easy Chicken

Anyone who has ever tried to cook chicken breasts probably knows how hard it can be to keep the chicken moist.  Here are a couple of ideas on how to keep that chicken from drying out and make a super yummy dinner!

Crusted Baked Chicken

(this is probably the most moist baked chicken I have ever made; based on a recipe by Sandra Lee)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups French's fried onions (ground up)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp mayo

1tbsp dijon/grainy mustard

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  In a shallow bowl, combine ground french-fried onions, parmesan and seasoning.  In another shallow bowl, combine mayo and mustard.  Coat chicken in mayo mixture, then in onion mixture.  Place chicken breasts on prepared baking sheet and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Internal temp should be 180 and there should be no pink left in the center. 

Italian Chicken & Dumplings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup stock (any kind you have)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 package gnocchi

parmesan or Romano

Place chicken, soup, stock (if you don't have stock of any kind, just use a little water) and seasoning in a slow cooker on low or medium heat.  Cook for 3-4 hours until chicken is done and easily pulls apart.  Using two forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.  Cook gnocchi according to package directions (gnocchi is a thick dumpling-like pasta usually made with pototato).  Serve chicken and sauce over gnocchi and top with a little Romano or parmesan.

Chicken Tacos

boneless skinless chicken breasts

taco sauce, or a spicy-citrusy marinade

1 tbsp butter

tortillas (whatever kind you prefer)

shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar)

fresh avocado, lettuce, tomato, or any other toppings you like

sour cream

salsa

Cut chicken into 1/2 inch slices and place in a shallow bowl or Ziploc bag.  Add enough sauce or marinade to cover the chicken.  Cover bowl, place in the fridge and allow to marinate for 2-12 hours.  Heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat.  Drain liquid from bowl and add chicken to the hot pan.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until all pieces are cooked through.  Assemble tacos as desired and enjoy.  Store leftovers in the fridge for easy snack, or meal.



Fun With Veggies

If you need some ideas to make your veggies a bit more exciting, but keep them reasonably healthy, hopefully this will help!  These recipes have mininal ingredients and can be made by anyone!

Roasted Green Beans

fresh green beans

olive oil

lemon juice

ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450.  Wash and trim the beans, then lay out on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 7-10 minutes until tender, turning once or twice.  When done, drizzle with lemon juice (preferably fresh) and sprinkle with black pepper.  Serve immediatly and store leftovers in the fridge for a cold snack :)

Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

(from "Everyday Italian" by Giada DeLaurentiis)

1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

very thinly sliced prosciutto (at least 6 slices)

Preheat oven to 450 and peel bottom half of each asparagus stalk.

Toss asparagus with oil, salt and pepper on a heavy baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Cut each slice of prosciutto lengthwise.  Wrap each asparagus stalk with one piece of prosciutto, leaving the tips of stalks exposed.

(Make this a vegetarian dish by adding an extra pinch of salt and maybe some garlic powder before baking and leaving off the prosciutto)

Grilled Vegetables

large mushrooms

fresh asparagus

yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2" thick slices

(any other veggies you want to grill - peppers, eggplant, etc.)

olive oil

salt

ground black pepper

garlic powder (optional)

fresh basil (optional)

Heat grill to medium-high and generously brush veggies with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder (if using it).  Place veggies on the grill for about 5-7 minutes per side, turning once.  When vegetables are tender and lightly browned, remove from grill and garnish with fresh chopped basil.

(This can also be done on a gas stove, just lower the range temp to low, place veggies directly on burner grate and keep an eye on them.)

Angel Hair & Veggies with Scampi Sauce

(minus the shrimp...)

angel hair pasta

2 tbsp butter

1+ tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

cherry tomatoes, halved

zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices, then halved

small mushrooms, halved

1/3 - 1/2 cup white wine

juice of 1 lemon

parsley (preferably fresh)

Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  While water boils and pasta cooks, melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add veggies and saute for about 3 minutes until somewhat tender.  Stir in wine, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes until wine has reduced.  Add lemon juice and about 1 cup of the cooking water from pasta pot.  Reduce heat to low, add cooked pasta to sauce, simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.  (This dish is nice because if you have leftovers, you can quickly reheat everything together on the stove in a covered pan, or just eat it cold out of the fridge!) 





An Easy Lunch

Some friends have recently asked me about ideas for lunch recipes that are light and easy to make.  These are a few of my favorites that can be made with common ingredients and items that you can pick up next time you're at the store and keep in the pantry until you're ready to use them...

Cheese & Apple Wrap

(this one might sound odd, but I swear it's a winner!)

large tortilla wraps

sliced cheddar or gouda cheese

thinly sliced apple (I like Granny Smith)

optional: peanut butter OR ham & mustard



If using mustard or peanut butter, spread on the tortilla, then add your apple, cheese and ham if desired.  Roll up and enjoy - this is a good one to make in the morning and wrap up to take to work for lunch!

Pasta with Clam Sauce

1 can white or red clam sauce (such as Progresso or Pastene)

3 tbsp olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

white wine

linguine or angel hair (you can use any long pasta, but I recommend one of these if you have it)

Put a pot of water on to boil for your pasta.  Heat oil in a medium or large pan over medium-high heat.  If you want a strong garlic flavor, mince the garlic cloves; for a more mild garlic flavor, slice or crush cloves.  Add garlic and parsley to hot oil and saute for 2-3 minutes (if you don't have fresh parsley, you can use dried parsley or Italian seasoning, but only use a couple tablespoons as dried herbs are stronger than fresh ones).  Add clams and sauce from the can, 1/4 - 1/2 cup white wine depending on your preference (I like to add more), and any other spices that you would like.  Reduce heat and simmer until wine has reduced, at least 10 minutes.  While sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions.  When sauce is reduced, serve over cooked pasta.  It's light, fast and easy!

The Versatile BLT

(all of these ingredients are NOT required - pick and choose what you like or what you have on hand)

sliced bread

cooked bacon

fresh lettuce or baby spinach

 fresh sliced tomato or sun-dried tomatoes

sliced avocado

fried egg

mayonaise

Italian seasoning

salt & pepper

This one is not so much a recipe, but more of a rough idea for a delicious and super easy lunch.  As long as you have at least a couple of the ingredients, you can do it!

Toast your bread, then add mayo to one or both slices.  If using fresh sliced tomato, season slices with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning before adding slices to the sandwich.  Assemble as desired, cut in half and dig in!