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Garlic Rocks

Oct 15th, 2008 | By Food Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

garlic4 Garlic RocksGarlic is a very pungent ingredient for many dishes and has many health benefits. I, being a lover of cooking and trying new recipes, use garlic regularly in my meals. It is truly good for you, though maybe not for your breath. Garlic, according to Wikipedia, is claimed to help prevent heart disease including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It even helps to regulate blood sugar levels and decrease complications of diabetes. You can throw them in soups, roast them with vegetables, marinate them for meats, and add them to mashed potatoes. Here are two recipes that I love that use garlic as a central ingredient. Enjoy!

Balsamic Vinegar Infused Garlic Dip

3-4 bulbs of garlic
2 Tbsp dried basil leaves
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Peel garlic into cloves and finely chop.
Heat up a non-stick frying pan on high. Pour the olive oil into the pan and let it heat up. Turn the heat down to medium high. Add the garlic and let it slowly turn golden brown. Stir constantly. This will take about 4-6 minutes.
Remove garlic and oil from the heat and pour into a bowl/container.
Add the basil and stir around.
Add the balsamic vinegar.
Enjoy w/ bread or on a salad!

Seasoned Red Potatoes with Garlic Cloves

1 large bulb of garlic, peeled into individual cloves, then halved
10 small red russet potatoes, cut into quarters with skin intact
1 Tbsp Italian herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
¼ Tbsp salt
¼ Tbsp pepper
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and put into an oven-safe glass dish. Place dish into oven and cook for 45 minutes, uncovered, stirring contents with a wooden spoon once or twice. Remove after 45 minutes and let sit for 2 minutes. Enjoy as a delicious side dish.

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Is Seafood Sustainable?

Sep 24th, 2008 | By Food Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

We love us some sushi.  Seafood is delicious and can provide a lot of nutritious benefits to our health, such as providing omega-3 fatty acids.  These fatty acids have been proven to demonstrate a decrease in cholesterol levels in people who consumed it regularly, which prevents heart disease.  There are also indications that it can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease as well.  However, don’t just run to the market and pick up just any old fish.  Nor should you just order the most expensive seafood dish at your favorite restaurant.



Not all fish are equal. Some are less environmentally friendly based on how they are caught, how much seafood is available and how the fisheries are managed.  It’s better to consume selections from healthy and abundant sources than consuming seafood that will lead to the extinction of some species.

Audubon is an organization focused on conserving and restoring natural ecosystems, wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. They created a wonderful list of sustainable seafood and not so sustainable seafood. They indicate that anchovies, crawfish, halibut, Pacific-farmed oysters, Wild Alaskan salmon and other seafoods are great to enjoy, but they also warn us to avoid caviar, Chilean sea bass, farmed salmon and imported shrimp. To print your own list for your wallet, check it out here.

tuna-tartare4 Is Seafood Sustainable?

Here is a fabulous recipe for Ahi Tartare. Ahi is also known as yellowfin tuna, and has been listed as safe to consume.  The yellowfin tuna that has been troll-caught is okay, but the long-line catching techniques are listed as “Be Careful” by the Audubon’s Seafood guide for what types of marine food products are eco-friendly.



Ahi Tartare
Makes 6 servings

1 pound very fresh ahi
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated horseradish/wasabi
Salt and pepper to taste

For a chunky texture, cut ahi tuna into 1/2 inch cubes and mix with all the other ingredients. Serve immediately.

For a smoother texture, combine the tuna and rest of the ingredients and the sliced ahi into a food processor and pulse until your desired texture is reached. Usually 4-6 times provides a great texture. Avoid pureeing.

Serve with crackers, toasted bread and even on a salad of greens!

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Do You Know What You’re Eating?

Jul 24th, 2008 | By Food Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

What You're Eating There are a lot of foods out there that we consume. Do you know what the nutritional contents are? Knowing what we’re eating enables us to make better choices for our health. A great resource is Nutrition Data . This website has the most detailed breakdown of all foods. From apples to apple pies, you can find the good and the bad about what you eat.

Nutrition Data offers other great tools and features that include a body mass index calculator, weight loss tips, as well as a breakdown of the amount of calories your body needs in order to reach or maintain a certain weight. It also has current information pertaining to health and a ton of delicious recipes to try at home. Sign up for their newsletter for the latest information about nutrition and health. Remember, knowledge is power.


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Life Starts With Nutrition

Jun 26th, 2008 | By Food Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 4.00 out of 5

nutritionHow many meals do you eat a day? The answer should be at least 3. That’s right, at least. Personally, I shoot for 5 small meals each day. Your body needs to continually refuel itself, and that means putting food in your mouth. Don’t be afraid of food. Love food. Indulge. Just be conscious about it and have moderation. Your nutrition is a huge factor to your quality of life, so start making better choices in what you eat.

If you are hungry, shoot for the fruit and healthy snacks. The healthy snacks are those that have never been packaged with an ingredient list longer than your makeup ingredient list. Apples, carrots, peaches, strawberries, almonds, and cashews are amazing snacks that fill you up.

Take a multivitamin as an insurance plan. It’s pretty likely that even though you try your best to eat healthy, you may not be getting all that recommended vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

Start tracking what you eat, and you will be surprised at what you are putting into your body. By writing them down, you become more aware of your consumption. Try FitDay for free food journal tracking. It takes some initial time to set-up and input specific foods, but once you get started, it’s easy to keep track of your food, caloric intake, and fitness activities.

Nutrition is about conscious choices, not deprivation. Eat sensibly, and allow yourself treats about twice a week. It can be a small slice of cheesecake or an ice cream night out. Keep in mind: deprivation leads to failure, and it’s all about establishing good lifestyle habits. Take a bite towards better health today.