I hear quite often that people feel as if they don’t have the time to cook proper meals and that is why they are caught in the snacking, fast food or always eating out syndrom, even when they know that what they are eating is not good for them….But I think most of these people do not really know the extent of the danger of what they are eating, what is really in it and where it comes from.
I have posted a few of my own recipes before and some from chefs at restaurants I have visited but I see that this could be a helpful addition for people wanting to create SmartLifeways for themselves. With this in mind, I will start posting recipes regularly, usually from my own kitchen and whenever possible from chefs who are committed to clean, healthy food.
Many people also argue that organic food is too expensive and that is why they do not buy it regularly or for most of what they eat. But if you cook your own food it is affordable and who can really afford being sick?…and that is often what comes from eating commercially produced food. A great new book, Organic Manifesto, was just released this week and it really provides a great education of what we get with commercial agriculture and how switching to organic farming will save not just our farmlands and farmers, the environment but also us! If you are interested in buying a copy here is a link that will help you find your nearest Independent book store or you can order online.
But this post is about eating good food so here is the first of what will be regular recipe postings….
I made this for breakfast but it could be for brunch, lunch or a light dinner (and it is best that dinner be light unless eaten really early and the rest of the evening not spent on the couch). It can be easily adapted for vegetarians who don’t eat eggs or vegans by substituting tofu-organic only please- or another sort of “meat” substitute.
Chard and Poached Eggs
Ingredients:
Half yellow onion, sliced thin-This could be any sort of onion or even a leek. If you are into garlic you can also add some chopped garlic.
Bunch of chard washed well and chopped. For this recipe to save time I don’t use the stems since they require more cooking time, but keep them for another time.
Eggs
Chopped herbs-parsley, cilantro, dill or almost any other herb that you like can be used
Olive oil
Salt-sea salt or other non-iodized variety
Pepper
Grated cheese-parmesan, cheddar, feta, goat…whatever you like and have on hand.
Saute the onions in olive oil till beginning to color. I wash and chop the chard while the onions cook to save time.
Add the chard, salt and pepper to your taste and give it a stir. While this is cooking you can chop the herbs that you will use. You can also put up the water to boil that you will use for poaching the eggs.
The chard cooks in about 5-10 minutes depending on freshness. When just about cooked completely add the herbs and if using garlic add now as well, stir and after a minute or two turn off the heat.
When the water boils crack eggs into boiling water, turn down the heat a bit and cook about three minutes…longer if you don’t like a soft yolk.
On a plate put some of the chard. When the eggs are cooked remove from water with a slotted spoon and put them on top the chard. Add some of the cheese (you don’t need much) and salt and pepper to taste and a sprinkling of herbs.
As you will see in the photo I had this with some blue-corn bread, the recipe is here, but you could have toast or fresh bread if you wanted. Try it topped with olive oil, salt and a sprinkling of the cheese.
As you see from these photos you don’t need a lot of kitchen space to make this. Do one step at a time and it goes really fast and easy, or prep it all ahead and have everything ready to go. You will have a delicious, healthy meal at a very low cost. Try to use organic, local ingredients whenever you can and you will support a healthier you and your family, sustainable farming and a cleaner environment.
Bon Appetite ……..
