Which food we should buy organically to avoid pesticide exposure? : " Dirty 12"

We live in the era of convenience with technology. And toxic chemicals creating convenience does a lot to our health problems. Fruits and vegetable (non-organic) grows with pesticides. And we also eat them (with food). Pesticide will increase risk of:

• leukemia
• cancers (brain, lung, lymphoma, kidney)
• generic damage
• decreased fertility
• asthma and allergies
• liver and pancreatic damage
• Nerve damage
• disrupt hormone function
• birth defects
  

Even the amount is small, it's still there. It is said that washing them does not wash pesticide away. We won't see any sadden difference in health by eating them, but in the long period of our life time, it's better not consuming them now for our better future especially children.

We can reduce the risk by eating organic food. "Organically grown" food uses no synthetic fertilizer or pesticide. Environmental working group (EWG) has a list called "dirty dozen". This data is based on USDA pesticide data program(PDP) tested between 2000-2008. This test is done with food already washed or peeled. It is estimated that if we eat these "dirty dozen" food organically, pesticide exposure can be reduced up to 80%. It's ideal we eat all food organically, but given the economical reason, buy at least these12 top (most pesticide contaminated) food on the list organically.

"Dirty 12" (most toxic)

1. celery
2. peaches
3. strawberries
4. apples
5. blueberries
6. nectarines
7. sweet bell pepper
8. spinach
9. kale
10. cherries
11. potatoes
12. grapes (imported)
    

See full list of 49 fruit and vegetables here:
The Full List | Environmental Working Group

Papaya shake I am very proud !

This is the beginning of the day. Papaya(+) shake. More accurately, papaya w/ banana + orange shake. I tried adding bunch of other fruit, but so far, this is my favorite combination.

Papaya
Banana
Orange
Non fat yogurt
Orange Juice
Low fat Milk (or soy milk)

Abs exercise

This may be the note to myself. Tummy exercise !! Summer is coming !!
http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/slim-down-for-summer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100257661&gt1=31048

Sake Poached New Zealand Red Snapper

I got wild caught New Zealand red snapper (whole) from the market.
Cook with sake and eat with little bit of ginger soy is my favorite way to eat them...... >^_^<
It's so tender and tasty.

Tonight's dinner: Sake poached red snapper w/ shiitake mushroom, Green mix (broccoli, cauliflower, green bean, romanesco: I love this Italian vegetable!), Grape tomato, Israeli couscous w/ garbanzo bean, Snapper egg drop soup.

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SAKE POACHED NEW ZEALAND RED SNAPPER W/ SHIITAKE MUSHROOM
(Serving: 2, Prep time: 5 min., Cooking time: 15 min.)

Ingredients:

1. 1 wild caught New Zealand red snapper (1 - 1 1/2 lb)
   
2. 4 large shiitake mushroom, sliced
   
3. 1 green onion, sliced in 1/2"
   
4. 1/2" ginger root, sliced
   
5. 4 tablespoons sake
   
6. salt / pepper

Direction:

1. Rinse red snapper and put in a roasting pan. Lightly salt and pepper both side.
2. Pour sake in the pan.
3. Put sliced shiitake mushroom, ginger, green onion on top of red snapper.
4. Cover and put in the oven. Bake about 15 min.
   
5. Take pan out of the oven, set aside to cool off about 3 min.

* Eat with little bit of low sodium soy sauce with grated ginger.
* If you get red snapper in the fish market and when they clean the fish for you , ask to take fish head ( if you are ok with fish head) and use it for snapper soup. It will make great soup stock. Put the head into dashi water, add sake, ginger block, green onion. Cook for few minutes, and slowly pour lightly beaten egg, cook till egg forms for 20 seconds.

My shopping cart: Wild caught New Zealand red snapper (1 lb +) $7.20
Where: 99 Ranch Market

Hirame (halibut, flounder) vs. Karei (turbot, sole or righteye flounder)

If you know about fish, both hirame (ヒラメ）and karei （カレイ）are flatfish and look similar. But there are few differences between them. Hirame has head in left side (left-eyed) and karei has it in right side (right-eyed) with few exception in some species. (You probably don't need to know the anatomy of fish.... I know) Hirame swims around and catches fish to eat, so it has tighter body. Hirame is good for sashimi for that reason. Of course you find all sorts of cooking method from baking to saute. Karei in the other hand, catches and eat food on the sea ground in the sand. It has smoother texture than hirame because of  their activity level.

Both hirame and karei are high in protein, low in fat and contains taurin and good source of vitamin B. Taurin is known to prevent liver disease, energy-giving, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. It contains collagen especially around fin. Collagen supports body tissues such as skin, bone, tendons, muscles, and cartilage.

You will see more halibut in the store as an expensive fish, but karei is cheaper and taste as good as hirame. Karei tend to be lower in mercury contamination becuase it's from deep ocean.

Flounder you will find in the store also has similar habitat to karei (turbot), so it has smooth texture. But it's almost too soft and mushy for me. It almost melts down and breaks it when cooked.


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SIMMERED KAREI (KAREI NO NITSUKE)
(serving 3-4, Cooking time 15 min)


Ingredient:

1. 4 Karei (turbot or sole) pieces
2. 3 green onion
3. Ginger sliced make 1/2 tablespoons
   
4. 3 tablespoons cooking sake
5. 1 tablespoon Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
6. 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
7. 3/4 cup water

Direction:

1. Pour hot water on the karei to clean the skin. Quickly wash with cold water and put aside.
   
2. Cut green onion in 1 inch piece. Put in the toaster oven and grill for few minutes till it starts to get brown. (but don't burn)
3. In the pan, put cooking sake, mirin, soy sauce and water. Cook till it boils.
4. Add karei and ginger in the pan, cover and simmer for 5 min with medium heat.
   
5. Add grilled green onion in the pan and cook additional 3 min.
   

My Shopping List: Turbot fillet (4 in pack) $5.00
Where: Seafood City
If you don't have Mirin, you can substitute with organic maple syrup and extra sake.

Is chicken darkmeat bad to eat?

Usually people think dark meat is a nasty thing to eat. Not really true. Only bad thing is that it contains saturated fat. Dark meat actually contains more nutrition than white meat. Dark meat has more iron, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and amino acid than white meat. Chichen dark meat has high in vitamin A, K, B6, B12, niacin, selenium and zinc. Of course it has great source of protein. Just take off ALL skin BEFORE cooking to reduce saturated fat. Here is my favorite easy drumstick recipe.

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PAPRIKA CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
(serving: 3-4, Cooking time: 2omin.)

Ingredients:

1. 8 chicken drumsticks, skin off
2. 1/2 onion sliced
3. 3/4 tablespoons hungarian sweet paprika
4. Extra virgin olive oil little bit
5. 1 tablespoon Butter
6. 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
7. 2 tablespoons Red wine
8. 1 tablespoon organic ketchup
9. 1 tablespoon half and half (optional)
10. salt / pepper
    

Direction:

1. Put lemon juice over skin- offed chicken drumsticks.
2. In the pan, put butter and olive and saute chicken 2 min. both side.
3. Saute onin for 2 min.
4. Add 1/2 cup water and pinch of salt and pepper
5. Add paprika, red wine and ketchup, cover and cook for 10 min.
   
6. Take off from heat. Add half and half. Don't put it for lower fat option!
   

Easy yummy meal less than $5 per person !

These days you just can't spent fancy $ to buy food nor spend $ in the restaurant, but you don't want to buy dinner from fast food restaurant to fill our stomach. No worries. Here are the few recipes that I love. I can run to Trader Joe's and spend less than $5 per serving to cook nice meal. It's so easy and so yummy. AND it's quite filling as well

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WILD ALASKAN SALMON WITH KALE
(serving : 2, Cooking time: less than 30 min)


Ingredient:

1. Wild Alaskan salmon (frozen) 1 pack of 2 fillet
2. 4 cups chopped Kale
   
3. 3 tablespoons butter
4. Sea salt / freshly grounded pepper

Direction:

1. Pre heat oven 325 degree
2. Saute chopped kale with 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan for 2 min till kale's volume get smaller and softer. Remove from heat and set aside.
   
3. Season thawed salmon fillet with pinch of sea salt and pepper both side
4. Slice 1 tablespoon butter into 4 and place in the bottom of roasting pan
5. Place 1 fillet of salmon (skin bottom) in the roasting pan.
6. Place sauteed kale on top of the salmon and place other fillet of salmon (skin top).
7. Place remaining 1 tablespoon butter on top of 'salmon sandwich'
   
8. Cover with foil and bake in the pre- heated oven for 15 min till salmon' s inside color just get changed from dark coral color to lighter. Don't over cook. Salmon will get dry and harder.
   
9. Take out from oven, sit for 3 min. with cover before serve.

Eat with brown rice or your favorite pasta.
You can substitute kale with baby spinach if you can't get kale.
Shopping List: Frozen Alaskan salmon ($7-8 for 2 in 1 package), Kale ($1.29) or Baby spinach bag ($1.99)
Where: Trader Joe's / Whole foods for kale

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CHICKEN SHNITZEL
(serving 2 -4, Prep time: 20 min , Cooking time: less than 10 min)


Ingredients:

1. 4 chicken breast
2. 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
3. 1 egg beaten
4. 3 tablespoons whole wheat  flour
5. 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6. 1/8 teaspoon sea salt / pepper
7. Slice of lemon and basil leaves
   

Directions:

1. Dry chicken with paper towel. Place chicken breast between cooking sheet. Pound chicken with heavy rolling pin to flatten evenly to 1/4" thickness
2. Mix Flour, salt and pepper and coat chicken
3. Dip in beaten egg to coat, allow the excess to drip off and roll in the panko bread crumbs.
   
4. Heat olive oil in the pan with medium heat. Wait till heated (drop few panko into oil. If panko start to fry immediately, it's ready to cook) about 30 sec.
   
5. Place chicken and cook 2 1/2 min. each side.
6. Take out of pan and garnish with sliced lemon and fried basil leave

Best way to eat this is just to eat as is with little bit of squeezed lemon and basil for flavor if you like. No additional sauce to dip please. We really don't need to add lots of things (usually high calorie, fat and sodium or sugar) to basically kill the taste of food itself. I use just 1 tablespoon of olive oil per chicken to cook instead of the traditional way of deep frying. It tastes as good as "deep-frying". This way, you don't need to waste a bottle of good oil and chicken doesn't get too greasy and fatty.

ShoppingList: Frozen Boneless Chicken Breast Meat with Rib Meat ( 40 oz pack ) $6. --
Where: Trader Joe's