Food Rules

Nutrition has been a interest of mine for about 4 years now and I've spent the last year enrolled in a holistic nutrition program from which I graduated in June with flying colours. But, I must admit I've been in a bit of a slump for the past 4 months. I know that it was mostly due to the time pressures of my program, but there really is no excuse for eating crap, especially because that's what you end up feeling like, eventually. Over the holidays J and I were discussing how it can also be easy to lose sight of your interests if you have no one to share them with or do not get regular inspiration. Which is what I think happened to me in this case. Since I've rediscovered my passion for nutritious foods after receiving an excellent cookbook as a gift, I have resolved not to lose it again! So today I went to Chapters to spend some Christmas money and bought 2 things: Food Rules by Michael Pollan and Moosewood Classics by the Moosewood Collective.

Michael Pollan is an excellent author with many books to his name, but there are three specifically about food that I would recommend to anyone who eats. The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and now, Food Rules. Food Rules basically boils down what he has been saying in his last two books: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." and is literally a list of rules to help a person do those things. Since I actually just finished it (it was fairly short) I can safely say that it is well worth reading, although I would recommend reading In Defense of Food first so you'll understand why it's a good idea to follow all these rules!

The Moosewood Collective is a group of people who operate the vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant in New York state and also write cookbooks. I have one of their other cookbooks and everything I've made from it so far has been delicious, so I felt that I couldn't go wrong with another! See below for my first Recipe of the Week!

To top it all off, I also watched the documentary Food Inc. today. It reveals a lot about the industrial food system in the United States (Canada's is very similar), and while I was aware of most of the information already having read several books on the subject, it was much more upsetting to see actual images of CAFOs and the faces of the farmers who are being slowly crushed under the weight of the multinational corporations controlling their (and our) lives. Depressing stuff.

So, because I'm in a frenzy trying to find ways to stay inspired I've decided to do a Recipe of the Week each week. I'll try to keep it to Fridays but no guarantees. These recipes will be vegetarian and feature whole, nourishing, non-complicated and delicious foods! (I will personally taste test each one before posting, no exceptions!) So without further ado:

Eastern European Red Lentil Soup

~Vegetarian Times magazine

Serves 8/Gluten Free/30 minutes or fewer

1 large red onion, finely chopped (2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs)

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 1/2 cups red lentils

2 Tbs. ground cumin

1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes with liquid

1 Tbs. honey

3 bay leaves

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1/2 cup plain yoghurt (optional)

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil in large saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in lentils and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and liquid, honey, bay leaves, 7 cups water, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

2. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 20 minutes, or until lentils fall apart, and soup is thick. Add water to thin if needed. Remove bay leaves; stir in vinegar. Serve with dollops of yoghurt.

The lentils in this soup are balanced in carbohydrates and protein, while providing plenty of fiber to keep you full longer. The sulfur in the garlic and onions has a cleansing effect while the garlic and honey both have antibacterial and immune boosting properties.

Enjoy!!