To bake or not to bake... apples are the question!

Some apples are for eating, and others are destined for even more delicious adventures.  I'm doing some baking today and I usually defer to my sissy (sister) for an answer to the ever popular question of "which apples are good for baking?" I've come upon this great article on allrecipes.com. This is a great go to list of which local apples are for eat, and which are for bake! I encourage you all to print out this article and save it with the rest of your food files and recipes. You can always ask your local grocer if you have to make a quick shopping decision and want to be sure. Identifying which apples are suitable for a sauce or tart is extremely difficult since there are 7500 different type of apples around the globe. Rest assured not all of them are available for commercial consumption. If you are curious to know more about these 7500 varieties go to www.allaboutapples.com

Side dish delight - suteed brussel sprouts with red onion

A beautiful combination as a side dish or topping for a pan fried protein. Brussel sprouts are one of those love em or hate em vegetables. We just love em! They are a super veg meaning they have so many healthy properties including antioxidants and can actually prevent cancer. They are very high in fiber as well as vitamin C, A, E and K. Brussel sprouts are best enjoyed slightly cooked to bring out the most of their nutrients. This recipe is simple and delicious, you may even be able to win over some of the haters. 

INGREDIENTS: Suteed brussel sprout and red onion

brussel sprouts - large bunch about 4 cups & blanched                  

1 red onion - thinly sliced

2 small cloves garlic - minced 

red wine vinegar - 2 tbs

olive oil  or butter - 2 tbs

s&p

PREP: quickly blanch & shock your brussel sprouts ie. toss them in boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes. then immediately transfer into ice cold water to halt the cooking process. Then pat them dry and  thinly slice. 

COOK: in a medium hot pan sutee the onion in butter or olive oil add garlic s&p and cook until slightly transparent add splash of red wine vinegar allow the alcohol to cook off (about a minute or two) before adding the brussel sprouts to the mixture, cook for another minute or so and you're done!
SERVE: Over pan fried nile perch:
- for pan fried nile perch - season fish with salt and pepper then lightly dust fish with potato flour and fry in a small amount of vegetable oil, serve with lemon. 

Baby steps to eating organic

I know it can be extremely difficult to shop all organic. It is expensive and some people would rather wear fancy shoes as opposed to eat fancy fruits and vegetables. Our bodies are what get us through life so we should pay some attention to what makes us feel good and look good on the inside as well as the outside. This is a beginner list for eating and shopping organic. You will see that you don't have to take the full plunge and eat completely organic. In fact some believe that eating local is more important then eating organic. What I can confidently say is that eating a combination of local, and organic is probably the best nutritionally, sustainably and definitely economically. For the full list of why these fruits and veg are better enjoyed organic please go to everydayhealth.com.
ORGANIC:
potatoes
kale/ collard greens
cherries
spinach
bell peppers
imported grapes
nectarines
blueberries/ strawberries
apples
peaches
celery
NON ORGANIC:
kiwi
pineapple
banana
asparagus
eggplant
mushrooms
tangerines
green peas
cabbage
broccoli
cranberries
raspberries
papaya
mango
watermelon
orange
grapefruit