Profile: Fresh Choices David Joachim is the co-author of Generation Green's upcoming Healthy Choices cookbook, which is scheduled for publication in Spring 2004. Here we feature a few of his favorite recipes from the book, as well as a bit more information on the book and David himself.
Profile: Fresh Choices
More Than a Simple Cookbook
Generation Green's cookbook, Fresh Choices, is not simply a collection of recipes. It is a guide to food choices that are environmentally responsible and heatlhy, and a primer to help you understand what goes into the making and marketing of our food, so that you won't get any nasty surprises. Within that framework of heatlhy eating, the cookbook features many profiles of people (celebrities, entrepreneurs, chefs, activists and others) who help keep our environment and our food supply safe and sound.
Along with those profiles are many recipes, the bulk of them either favorites of the profiled individuals or recipes that highlight favorite foods or favorite ingredients of those profiled people. Amidst the wealth of other information in the book are also resource lists to help you find heathier foods and tips to help you choose food for your family's meals. To make things easier to "digest," the book is broken up into different sections based on the types of food: fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry, beef and pork, grains and bean, and pasta and flour.
The book, which is being published by Rodale Press, the same people who bring us Prevention and Men's Health magazines, is co-authored by Rochelle Davis, the executive director of Generation Green, and David Joachim. David, whose favorite recipes from the book are listed below, has written and/or edited more than 20 family-oriented cookbooks and health books, including Prevention’s The Healthy Cook and More Healthy Homestyle Cooking. He is a former editor of Vegetarian Gourmet magazine and has appeared widely on national television and radio, including ABC, Fox, Food Network, Discovery Channel, QVC, and National Public Radio. He edited Steven Raichlen’s Healthy Latin Cooking, which won a James Beard Award and was a finalist for a Julia Child Award. He cooks and gardens in Pennsylvania with his wife and son.
Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
4 ounces organic reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
6 ounces ladyfingers (about 24), split
1 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee, at room temperature
1/4 cup Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions:
Put the mascarpone and cream cheese in a big bowl. Using the same mixer, beat on medium
speed until blended and creamy. Remove about one-third of the cream cheese mixture to a medium
bowl. Beat the hazelnut spread into that bowl. Gradually beat about one-third of the egg white
mixture into the same bowl, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Clean the beaters, then
beat the remaining two-thirds of the egg white mixture into the other bowl of cream cheese
mixture.
Line the bottom of an 8” x 8”baking dish with a double-layer of foil, leaving enough
foil to hang over opposite sides. Combine the espresso and Frangelico in a cup.
Put a few of the split ladyfingers in your hand and brush with the espresso mixture.
Invert into the pan and brush the top sides thoroughly with the espresso. Repeat to make a layer
of soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the white filling evenly over the
layer of ladyfingers. Put 1/2 teaspoon of the cocoa into a sifter or small strainer and sift or
shake evenly over the filling. Use the espresso and ladyfingers to make another layer. Spread all
of the dark filling evenly over the layer. Sprinkle with another 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa. Repeat
the layering one more time, using all of the ladyfingers, espresso, and remaining white filling.
Sprinkle with the remaining cocoa.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days before serving. To serve,
carefully lift the entire dessert out of the pan using the foil as a sling. Cut into 9 squares
and serve.
Makes 9 servings.
HELPING HANDS:
If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, pick up an extra-large espresso at the
local gourmet coffee shop. Or, if all else fails, mix 1 cup boiling water with 2 tablespoons
instant espresso powder, which many grocery stores carry in the coffee or baking aisle.
Nutella is a hazelnut spread made with skim milk, cocoa, and ground hazelnuts. Most
supermarkets carry it near the peanut butter. Or look for it in an Italian market.
Ladyfingers, a delicate type of sponge-cake in the shape of long, thick fingers, are
traditional here. But you can use thinly sliced pieces of sponge cake instead.
Why are the egg whites partially cooked here? Traditional versions of this dish use
raw eggs in the custard. But I like to play it safe. The egg white mixture is heated over simmering
water long enough for it to reach at least 160ºF. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
this brief heating eliminates any harmful bacteria and makes the eggs safe to eat. Hot Greens with Ginger, Soy and Sesame
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Directions:
Heat the oil in a deep, wide sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the stems and
cook, stirring now and then, until they are just beginning to get tender yet still have good
crunch, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the greens, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir
until the greens just begin to wilt, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the tamari
or soy sauce and sesame oil. When thoroughly incorporated, divide the greens among plates and
top with the sesame seeds.
Makes 4 small servings.
HELPING HANDS:
To easily toast the sesame seeds, put them in the pan you’ll be using and toast over
medium heat until they smell fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the seeds into a bowl then heat the
oil in the pan and continue with the recipe.
Use beet greens, mustard greens, spinach, or any other of your favorite cooking greens.
This makes a fantastic side dish for any Asian-flavored entrée. Or just enjoy it as a light snack
with some steaming rice. Watermelon Gazpacho
Ingredients
1/2 peeled and chopped seedless cucumber
1/2 organic yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 cup cold raspberry-cranberry juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Directions:
Add the remaining watermelon, raspberry-cranberry juice, and mint. Process with pulses until
just finely chopped.
Makes 8 servings
HELPING HANDS:
If you use a whole watermelon to make this recipe, cut the melon into a basket shape by
removing two large quarter-wedges from the top half, leaving a 2”-wide handle over the middle.
Scoop out the watermelon with an ice cream scoop, leaving a shell about 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick.
Fill the watermelon basket with the gazpacho and serve with a ladle.
This recipe comes together pretty easily. Just be sure not to puree the ingredients or
you’ll have to serve this as a smoothie instead! Use short “pulses” to finely chop the ingredients
in the processor. If your processor holds less than 3 cups liquid at the fill line, make this entire
recipe in two batches to avoid any spills. Vegetarian Sausage and Chard Lasagne
Ingredients
2 large onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch green chard (about 1 1/2 pounds), stems removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound frozen vegetarian sausage links (such as Boca Italian)
2 small carrots, finely chopped
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes, drained
12 dried lasagna noodles
12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Return the pan to medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons water , cover and cook until the sausage
is defrosted, 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover and add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil, turning to coat
the sausage. Cook, turning the sausage occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer
to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, finely chop.
Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add the carrots
and the remaining onion and garlic to the pan. Cook just until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Add
the tomatoes, crushing them with the back of a spoon. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon
pepper. Simmer, crushing any large chunks with the spoon, until thick, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the
remaining parsley.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil a 13” x 9” baking dish.
Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender yet fairly firm
in the center, about 10 minutes (the noodles will get more tender in the oven). Spread a thin layer of
the tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of 3 noodles arranged lengthwise in the
dish. Spread with one-third of the ricotta and one-quarter of the mozzarella. Top with about 1 cup of
the tomato sauce and one-third of the sausage. Add another layer of noodles. Continue layering in the
same manner until all the ingredients are used, ending with a top layer of noodles, tomato sauce, the
remaining mozzarella and remaining Parmesan (there should be a total of 4 layers of noodles).
Bake until the top is browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before
serving.
Makes about 10 servings.
3 pasture-raised or organic egg whites, at room temperature
Bring about 2”of water to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. In a medium
heatproof bowl that will rest over the saucepan, combine the egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of
tartar. Put the bowl over the saucepan. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low speed for
5 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture begins to thicken, about 3
minutes more. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and beat on high until the mixture is thick and
fluffy, another 4 to 5 minutes.
1 bunch (about 1 pound) beet greens or other cooking greens
Cut the whole bunch of greens crosswise into three-inch
lengths. If using beet greens or another green with sturdy stems, set the stems aside.
6 cups seedless watermelon cubes (6 pounds whole watermelon)
In a large food processor, combine 3 cups of the watermelon, the cucumber, bell pepper, scallions,
garlic, lime or lemon juice, oil, and hot pepper sauce. Process with short pulses until the mixture is
just finely chopped.
3 tablespoons olive oil
Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1
cup of the onion and 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the onion is soft,
about 4 minutes. Add the chard and cook just until the chard is barely wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in
the wine, cover, and cook until the chard is wilted, 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until the chard is
soft and the liquid is mostly evaporated, 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let
cool slightly. Stir in the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the parsley,
1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.