Look for the bright orange-red boxes in your
grocer’s freezer case. Photo courtesy
Tandoor Chef.

The family-run company produces authentic, restaurant quality, all natural frozen Indian cuisine. All the traditional favorites are available, as well as modern creations like naan pizza and vegetarian masala burgers.

The choices include meat plus vegetarian and certified vegan options, along with a line that is gluten free.

If you haven’t been exposed to Indian food (or good Indian food), here’s a chance to get to know it, in a most convenient way.

Depending on what your retailer carries, you can feast on:

We didn’t get to try the pizzas, but everything we did try was impeccably spiced for American palates. We’ll certainly keep a supply in our freezer, for when we crave crunchy samosas or palak paneer, one of our favorite spinach dishes.

Learn more at TandoorChef.com.

While not all Tandoor Chef products are cooked tandoori-style, here’s an overview of this famous Indian cooking technique.

A tandoor is a cylindrical clay or metal oven (it can be as simple as a large pot) used in cooking and baking—not only in India but elsewhere in central, southern and western Asia. It is typically dug into the ground or built into an enclosure to keep anyone from coming into contact with the extremely hot surface.

The tandoor ia used to cook meats or vegetables (and sometimes breads) over an intense charcoal fire, which is built inside the oven. The meats or vegetables are marinated and lowered into the oven on long metal skewers. Cooking in a smoky and extremely hot environment (often 500°F), they take on a special flavor.

Tandoori-style foods are first marinated in yogurt, a medium with natural acidity (required in a marinade) and a thickness that helps to adhere the herbs and spices to the food.

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If you’ve ever had tandoori chicken and wondered why it is bright red or yellow, the answer is spice. The red color is provided by ground annatto seeds; the yellow comes from saffron (pricey!) or turmeric.
  

The world over, what people eat for breakfast varies widely.

 
So what’s wrong with a breakfast salad? Why not tortilla chips instead of bread?

This recipe, from Amanda Paa of HeartbeetKitchen.com, is a salad with bacon and eggs. Food Should Taste Good’s “The Works” tortilla chips standn in for a bagel.

If you don’t want a salad, there’s a breakfast sausage and cheese dip to enjoy with tortilla chips, below.

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. EQUALLY DIVIDE the salad greens, bacon (1 slice crumbled and 1 slice whole per plate) tomatoes and olives between two plates.

2. POACH the eggs: Fill a medium saucepan 2 inches deep with water and set over medium-high heat. When the water boils, turn the heat down so that the water is just simmering. Crack one egg into a small dish and slide it into the water. Quickly do the same with the second egg. Set the timer for 3-1/2 minutes (if you like a firmer yolk, cook for 4-1/2 minutes). Make sure the water stays at a simmer. When the timer goes off…

3. USE a slotted spoon to scoop one egg out of the water. Tilt the spoon so the liquid drains completely, then place the egg on top of one of the salads. Repeat with the second egg.

4. TOP the eggs with a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, then drizzle each salad with dressing (we made a balsamic vinaigrette but some people may prefer a creamy dressing).
 

RECIPE #2: ROSEMARY & CHEDDAR BREAKFAST SAUSAGE DIP

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COOK the sausage in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently and breaking it up into crumbles. When sausage has just a little pink remaining, add the onion and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Using a colander, drain the meat and set it aside.

3. TOSS together the cheese, cornstarch, and rosemary in a bowl. Add this to warm milk and turn the heat up slightly, constantly stirring to melt the cheese evenly.

4. COOK for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in the salt and garlic powder, then add the sausage. Mix well and serve immediately.
 
 

Fresh fava beans. Photo courtesy
TheDeliciousLife.com. Check out their
recipe for a charming appetizer or hors
d’oeuvre, Fava Bean Purée with Feta and
Garlic Toasts.

Also known as the broad bean, faba bean, field bean and other names, Vicia faba is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae) that is native to North Africa, possibly Egypt.

Fava is the Italian word for broad bean, and is the term most commonly used in the U.S. In the U.K. and Australia, broad bean is the common term.

According to Wikipedia, fava beans are “among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow.” As such, they are cultivated extensively worldwide.

Along with lentils, peas and chickpeas, they are believed to have become part of the eastern Mediterranean diet around 6000 B.C.E. or earlier. They were popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans.

The beans, which resemble edamame and lima beans, are green with a buttery texture and an earthy flavor.

WAYS TO ENJOY FAVA BEANS

Fava beans are a wonderful addition to any meal, hot or cold. If you search online for “fava bean recipes,” you’ll find lots from which to choose. Here are some ideas for starters:

 
Another idea: Egypt’s national dish, ful medames, is a stew of fava beans with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, usually eaten for breakfast (but you can serve it with any meal). It is a staple throughout the Middle East.

We keep tuna pouches at the office as better-for-you options for lunch and snacking. Photo courtesy Starkist.

We’ve been enjoying tuna pouches since they first appeared. Especially at the office, they provide a convenient, better-for-you option for lunch or snacking.

We especially like the flavored tuna pouches, which are tasty enough to require no mayonnaise. We just add the contents to a piece of toast, or onto leafy greens.

StarKist has expanded the flavored tuna options with a new product line, StarKist Gourmet Selects Pouches, that includes real veggies in each pouch. We received samples of the three internationally-inspired flavors:

 
There are recipes for cooked dishes using the tuna on the back of each pouch.

The new Gourmet Selects pouches are in a much smaller size: 2.6 ounces, good for kids but not enough for this not-so-delicate eater. Still, we’d be happy to have a carton of them delivered to the office to take the place of our often less-good-for-you snacks.
 
NEWS FOR EXPECTANT & NEW MOMS

Some pregnant women have limited their fish and seafood intake, due to past studies concerned about the amount of mercury in some fish.

A new report from the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee encourages women who are pregnant, may become pregnant or are breastfeeding to eat at least 8 to 12 ounces (2 to 3 servings) of fish each week.

According to 2014 FDA research, women can safely consume up to 67 ounces—33 servings—of canned albacore tuna each week.

The advice, expected to be adopted and included in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, comes at a time when seafood consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time low, especially among moms and moms-to-be.

Thanks to Bumble Bee for spreading the word about the new recommendations.

The “dirty dozen” of produce refers to those fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticide residues. If you’re going to buy organic versus conventional produce, these are the foods to buy.

Since agricultural practices change, The Environmental Working Group (EWG) creates an annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides to reduce your exposure to chemical pesticides.

It ranks 48 popular fruits and vegetables by their pesticide loads. The rankings are based on lab tests done [mostly] by the USDA, which tests more than 34,000 samples of common food crops for pesticide residue.

Rinsing and peeling conventional produce does not remove all of the chemical residue. Some plants absorb pesticides through the peel.

Nor does washing and peeling change a food’s ranking, because the USDA lab tests produce as it is typically eaten: washed and, when applicable, peeled.

But the EWG underscores that the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks from pesticide exposure. In other words, eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating enough fruits and vegetables at all.
 
WHY SOME PRODUCE HAS TO BE “DIRTY”

Crops differ in their hardiness—whether they’re more or less susceptible to intense heat, cold, rainfall, drought, fungus or other disease, etc.

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it also has the highest amount of pesticide residue. The solution: Buy organic! Photo courtesy US Apples.

Organic farmers use natural pesticides and fertilizers—no chemicals. The expense of growing crops this way leads to the higher cost of organic produce.

Some shocking statistics:

Eat all the asparagus you like: They’re one of the most pesticide-free veggies. Photo courtesy California Asparagus Commission.

THE 2015 “DIRTY DOZEN” FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Ranked from highest (dirtiest) to lowest (cleanest of the Dirty Dozen) are some of our favorite fruits and vegetables:

 
Wow!

We’ll also buy more of the Clean Fifteen, produce with the least amount of pesticide residue.
 
THE “CLEAN FIFTEEN” FRUITS & VEGETABLES

 
As an American consumer, the choice is yours!