Sprouted Tofu

There has been some controversy on the benefits of eating soy because soybeans contain phytic acid, which keeps your body from absorbing the minerals like calcium and iron. Sprouting the beans, however, decreases the phytic acid. So when I saw sprouted tofu at Trader Joe's, I was excited to try it. It actually tastes and works just like regular tofu so it will work for any tofu recipe you have. I made this tofu vegetable scramble and it was delicious.

Tofu-Veggie Scramble
This easy scramble is delicious not only for breakfast but also for a quick lunch or dinner. It’s great filling for a breakfast burrito too.

Olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 yukon gold potato, diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
8 ounces sprouted (or regular) tofu
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 tablespoon water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a skillet, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and place over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook a couple of minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, potato, and broccoli. Cover pan and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Crumble the tofu and spread over the vegetables. Add the thyme, tumeric, and water and cook and stir until everything is combined and the tofu is heated through. Season to taste with the sea salt and black pepper.

Serves 2 to 4

10 Scary Reasons to Avoid GMOs (or at least require labeling)

This is from the Organic Consumers Organization newsletter--10 Scary Reasons to Avoid GMOs (based on this article):

#1 Monsanto's Bt-toxin, in its Bt-producing GMO corn and cotton (used in food in the form of cottonseed oil), was found by Canadian doctors in the blood of 93% of pregnant women and 80% of the umbilical blood of their babies.

#2 The authors of the Canadian study conclude that the women and their babies were exposed to Monsanto's GMO Bt-toxin through a "normal" non-organic Canadian diet, including non-organic (so-called "natural" and "conventional") meat, egg, and dairy products from animals fed Bt corn.

#3 Monsanto's GMO "Bt" corn and cotton plants are engineered to produce a insecticide in every cell of the plant that kills insects by breaking open their stomachs.

#4 Mice fed Monsanto's Bt corn had elevated levels of immune system substances that are also higher in humans who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, cancer, allergies, Lou Gehrig's disease, autoimmune disease, and colitis.

#5 Young mice in the same study had elevated T-cells, which are increased in people with asthma, and in children with food allergies, juvenile arthritis, and connective tissue diseases.

#6 Monsanto's GMO Bt-toxin has properties of known allergens - it actually fails the World Health Organization's allergen screening tests.

#7 Monsanto's GMO Bt-toxin has been found to bind with the small intestines in mice and with intestinal tissue in rhesus monkeys.

#8 In addition to its GMO "Bt" crops which are engineered to produce insecticide, Monsanto also produces GMO "RoundUp Ready" crops, engineered with a bacterial DNA that allows it to survive otherwise deadly doses of its herbicide RoundUp.

#9 In the only human feeding study ever published on GMOs, Monsanto's GMO "RoundUp Ready" soybeans were found to transfer Monsanto's "RoundUp Ready" DNA to the bacteria living inside human intestines.

#10 According to Jeffrey Smith of the Institute for Responsible Technology, the transfer of Monsanto's GMO Bt DNA to human digestive bacteria could create a "living pesticide factory" that could be responsible for the "increase in gastrointestinal problems, autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and childhood learning disorders - since 1996 when Bt crops came on the market."

If you are concerned, there are ways to take action here.

Help get GMOs out of Trader Joes

According to Trader Joes website, "Our customers can be assured that all products in Trader Joe's private label are sourced from non-genetically modified ingredients. Our efforts began in 2001, when we determined that, given a choice, our customers would prefer to eat foods and beverages made without the use of genetically engineered ingredients. Our process has been to identify any product containing ingredients that could potentially be derived from genetically engineered crops and work with our suppliers to replace offending ingredients with acceptable alternatives."

So that's good, you can feel pretty sure if you buy their private label you are not getting GMOs--but other products in their store contain genetically engineered ingredients, like Morningstar Farms, which admits that all but one of their products (the Breakfast Patties Made with Organic Soy) contain genetically modified organisms, and Tofutti, which uses non-GMO soy protein, but admits that other ingredients, like the partially hydrogenated (trans fat) soybean oil in their Better Than Cream Cheese, are genetically modified.

If you want to take action and ask Trader Joes to make their store GE free--or at least label products containing GMOs, send a message to them here.

BOCA Burgers made with GE soy

If you are avoid genetically-engineered foods, you may want to stay away from BOCA burgers. The BOCA website's FAQ page says:

"We're committed to providing you with great-tasting products made with the highest-quality soy. It's a fact that much of the high-quality soy grown in the U.S. has been genetically engineered, so the traditional BOCA line of soy-based products may contain ingredients derived from these crops."

They go on to say that BOCA has a non-GMO line as well, but according to the Organic Consumers Association, "these products are neither certified organic (organic prohibits GMOs) nor monitored by the Non-GMO Project, so it's impossible to verify BOCA's non-GMO claims."

I recommend avoiding any soy products that are not certified organic. If you really want a quick veggie burger, try my 15-minute veggie burger. It's so nice to know exactly what's in your burger.

Tempeh Stuffed Peppers

Today is not only New Year's Day, but also my wedding anniversary. Thirteen wonderful years with my husband, Gary!

I wanted to make a special dinner and since Gary has been yearning for stuffed peppers lately, I created this vegetarian version using tempeh. Tempeh is a cultured soy product that is made from whole soy beans--even the anti-soy contingent deem tempeh as a healthful food. It's high in protein, calcium, and iron. It does have a strong taste, however, that my family is not crazy about -- this recipe, however, was a big hit as the flavors of the sauce really toned down the tempeh flavor and the texture came out perfect.

Tempeh Stuffed Peppers
This is a great way to introduce your family and friends to tempeh—also a good way to use up leftover brown rice. If you are only serving four, you can halve the recipe but I like to make the whole batch so I can take the leftovers for lunch or maybe even have enough for another dinner.

4 bell peppers, preferably of assorted colors (red, yellow, orange, green)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
16 ounces tempeh
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cups marinara sauce
red pepper flakes
1/2 to 1 cup shredded dairy or nondairy cheese (optional)
extra olive oil for drizzling

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Remove stem and seeds. When water is at a full boil, add the peppers. Cook five minutes. Place peppers in a colander to drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and onions. Cook give minutes. Dice the tempeh into very small pieces. Add the tempeh to the onions. Cover and cook ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Stir in the rice, corn, and marinara sauce. Add a tablespoon or two of water if they mixture is too dry. Stir in red pepper flakes to taste. Remove from heat.

Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in the oiled baking pan. Scoop stuffing mixture into the halves. Cover the pan and bake 20 minutes. Remove cover and top with a tablespoon or two of optional cheese. Whether using cheese or not, drizzle peppers with a little olive oil. Bake uncovered 20 – 25 minutes, until tops are browned.

Makes 8 servings

NEW True Food Shoppers' Guide

Here's a helpful guide I found that you might like: The True Food Shoppers' Guide to Avoiding GMOs--just updated for 2011. Go HERE to download a free PDF and there are also instructions to getting it as an APP for your iPhone or Android.

Here's a small excerpt:

GRAINS, BEANS & PASTA

Other than corn, no GM grains are sold on the market. Look for 100-percent wheat pasta, couscous, rice, quinoa, oats, barley, sorghum, and dried beans (except soybeans).

Non-GMO

Amy's
Annie's
Bob's Red Mill, organic line
Casbah (Hain-Celestial)
Dr. McDougall's Right Foods
Eden certified organic grains
Fantastic Foods
Field Day
Ian's Natural Foods
Kamut
Lotus Foods
Lundberg Family Farms
Organic Planet
Rising Moon
Seeds of Change (organic meals)
Sensations
Sunridge Farms
Trader Joe's store brand
Vita-Spelt pasta
Whole Foods 365

May Contain GMO Ingredients

Betty Crocker meals (General Mills)
Knorr (Unilever)
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese meals
Near East (Quaker Oats Company / Pepsico)
Pasta Roni and Rice-A-Roni meals (Quaker Oats Company/Pepsico)

Soy: Good or EVIL . . .

A couple of interesting commentaries on the debate about whether soy is the EVIL FOOD that Westin A. Price organization makes it out to be or is soy good for you. Check out this article in the Guardian and this Care to Causes article.

GE Crops and Pesticides

Contrary to what the biotech companies would like us to believe, genetically engineered crops do NOT reduce pesticide use. According to a Rueters article based on a recently released report, GE corn, soy, and cotton has "promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods"--in fact, herbicide use has grown by 383,000,000 pounds since 1996 and 46% of that was between 2007 and 2008!

Check out the article here. And remember you can avoid genetically engineered foods by buying organic.

Horizon going "natural"

Seems that Horizon is following a similar pattern to Silk soy milks who recently began dropping its organic soy milks and began calling them "natural" which means they use conventional soybeans grown with pesticides, herbicides and possibly genetically engineered soy beans--how natural is that? 

Now Horizon--whose organic line is already very controversial because they were not using cows that have access to pasture which is in violation of the organic standards--is introducing "natural" (meaning conventional) dairy products.

The deception is that people are used to buying these products thinking they are organic. The labels on Silk products are so similar you wouldn't notice the word organic missing. Also, many people think natural means organic.

The worst part is for the organic dairy farmers who are in a financial crisis right now because there is a glut of milk.

See the OCA site for more info.

Organic Soy Brands Importing soy beans from China

The Organic Consumers Association just reported on a study done by the Cornucopia Institute. It seems like many organic soy brands when bought up by bigger corporations are switching from soybeans grown by American farmers to cheaper beans from China. Not only does this discourage our US farmers from growing their soy organically, but when the USDA sent auditors to inspect Chinese sites, they found multiple noncompliances and found that certifying agents did not always even have a translated copy of the US organic certification standards. 

Even worse, some companies that have been know to be organic are now dropping switching to nonorganic beans. Why is this a problem? Well besides the fact that soy is often genetically engineered and grown with toxic herbicides, it is also usually processed with the chemical solvent 'hexane' which is a neurotoxic chemical. Despite the fact that hexane residue can end up in the soy product, according to the OCA the government does not require testing before selling food to consumers -- even for soy-based infant formula.

Dean Foods who now owns the Silk soymilk line, has quit using organic soybeans and switched to cheaper conventionally grown varieties in most of the Silk products--without changing the UPC codes or LOWERING PRICES. I just went and checked my carton of Silk creamer -- it still says 'organic soybeans' in the ingredients, but do I want to continue to support this company?

According to the article, Eden Foods, Small Planet Tofu, and Vermont Soy work directly with North American organic farmers. Here's the OCA article. Here's the full Cornucopia study.

 

Junk Food, GE corn and soy, and rats

This is a VERY interesting article about an experiment done by Appleton, Wisconson high school students. As well as some interesting information about animals and GE foods, written by Jeffrey M. Smith, author of "Seeds of Deception".

http://www.comanchecountychronicle.com/viewarticle.php?id=397