There are many issues when it comes to protein sources.  Organic, grass fed, sustainable, wild, cage free and pasteurized are all terms that have come into question.  Label reading and questioning your fish monger or butcher has never been more important.  If you are not interested in supporting the inhumane, unhealthy processing plants where animals are treated as simply “product”, then you must know where your food comes from and how it was treated and fed.

The natural diet for a chicken is bugs, worms and some grains, seeds, and greens. When birds eat this food they produce eggs with golden-orange yolk and are naturally rich in omega-3 with viscous whites that aren’t runny.  Chickens that are raised in factory farms, produce conventional eggs, are put into two foot square wire cages with two to four other chickens and given feed containing antibiotics made mostly of bioengineered corn.  This type of caging has been banned in some places in Europe due to the fact that it’s so inhumane.

While we’re on the topic of chicken, let’s talk about eggs.  There are so many different claims on the cartons – cage free, free range, good source of omega 3, organic, certified humane – that it’s difficult to figure out which are the best.

Here’s a few things you should know:

• Cage free simply means that the hens aren’t stuck in little cages; instead, they’re packed into barns where they’re crowded but unconfined.
• Free ranges means that the hens are allowed to roam outdoors on occasion.
• Certified organic eggs come from uncaged hens that are given outdoor access and fed and organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides.

When it comes to fish, the best quality is wild, line-caught.  This means that the fish lived a relatively normal life, ate a natural diet, and was caught in a sustainable ways.  On the other hand we have farmed fish.  These fish are kept in huge pools where disease spreads rapidly and antibiotics must be used.  The PCB levels are higher because the fish live in their own waste in a limited area.  Farmed salmon are fed pellets that have color added to get the red color in the flesh.  Much of our farm-raised fish, especially Atlantic, are genetically modified which will be discussed later.

The natural diet of cows is grass.  Their whole anatomy and physiology is set up to graze and digest grass.  Cows that are allowed to be raised and finished on grass have more omega-3 fatty acids in their fat.  If cattle are corn or soy meal fed, they are not as health, often requiring antibiotics.

When it comes to protein, it’s not “you are what you eat”, it’s “you are what they eat”.  Ask questions about how the animal was raised and what it was fed. Was it given access to pasture, was it caught in the wild?  Answers to these questions tell you more about what you are eating then reading any label.

When speaking of protein, we must also talk about iron.  Iron is essential to a healthy pregnancy and is the most widespread type of vitamin or mineral deficiency in the world. It plays the central role in the transportation of oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues and muscles and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. The bottom line is too little iron in the body, too little oxygen.  In addition, iron functions in several key enzymes in energy production and metabolism, including DNA synthesis.

There are 2 forms of iron, “home” iron and “non-heme” iron.  Heme iron is found in animal sources of protein and is the most efficiently absorbed.  Non-heme iron is found in plant sources of protein.

When it comes to getting enough protein the main thing to consider is the protein “package”.  Proteins from animal products come along with saturated fats and don’t come with much, if any, fiber.  Plant proteins, on the other hand, are lower in saturated fat and high in fiber as well as other nutrients. Research shows that women who had the highest intake of animal protein had thirty nine percent more chance of ovulatory infertility and the women with the lowest intake of animal protein were substantially less likely to have ovulatory infertility. Adding just one serving per day of beans, peas, tofu or soybeans or nuts shows a modest amount of protection against ovulatory infertility.

When we speak of protein we absolutely must address the issue of soy.  There is so much controversy in the media about the fortunes, and misfortunes, of soy that a person can get be mislead.  Headlines tell us that eating soy based foods lowers cholesterol, chills hot flashes, prevents breast and prostate cancer, aids in weight loss and ward off osteoporosis.  Soy products have flooded the market; from tofu to soymilk, tempeh and soy ice cream.  The problem is the claims for soy exceed the evidence and some studies warn that too much soy may increase the risk of breast cancer in some women or promote memory lose.

Soy is as excellent source of protein, calcium and other healthful nutrients and eating it in place of red meat once in a while is definitely a better choice.  For me, I believe the jury is still out and wouldn’t consume soy more than once a week.  Something to keep in mind where soy is concerned, most of our soy crop is genetically modified (discussed later), which may not be good for our health.  Most manufacturers will go out of their way to label their products when they don’t use GMO soy.  If you’re going to consume soy, please make sure it is not genetically modified.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that specializes in helping busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services

Protein is necessary to the structure of almost every molecule in the body, especially to hormones, neurotransmitters, genes and all enzymes. It is necessary for the secretion of a hormone called PYY. This is the hormone that goes from the gut to the brain that tells us to stop eating (obviously a very important hormone!). Proteins are the building blocks of the body; they are manufactured in the body to make up our hair, muscles, nails, tendons and ligaments. The human body contains somewhere between thirty thousand and fifty thousand unique proteins. The building blocks of all proteins are molecules are known as amino acids.

On any given day, the body breaks down about one pound of protein into amino acids and reassembles them into new proteins. This protein turnover allows us to grow, heal and internally defend ourselves on a constant basis. Although the body can manufacture some amino acids, it can’t manufacture all of them so adequate dietary protein intake is essential to providing us with the nine amino acids that our bodies can’t produce. These are called essential amino acids.

The body does not need or use excess protein and an excess can become a burden for the kidneys and liver, two organs that are in charge of getting rid of wastes. Excess protein intake increases the use of amino acids as a daily energy source, which decreases the breakdown of glucose stored in our fat cells, thereby promoting increased body fat. Also, when animal protein intake is high, animal fat intake is typically also high, which is linked to several chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and kidney disease as well as decreased fertility. When choosing a protein, it’s important to keep in mind what comes along with those amino acids which will be discussed shortly.

We get protein from anything that once moved around; from their meat, organs and the products produced by their milk. These foods are a complete protein. A complete protein source is one that provides all the nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Animal products such as meat, fish, dairy and poultry are examples of complete proteins.

There are other sources of proteins from plant products, such as grains and legumes (beans, peas, lentils, and soy products), referred to as incomplete proteins due to the fact that they are missing one or more essential amino acids (quinoa is the only plant product that has all nine amino acids). By combining incomplete proteins we can turn them into complete proteins. With a varied vegetarian diet of grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, a person is almost assured complete proteins, as well as healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals; nuts are a great source of healthy fat as well as protein. Grains and beans or legumes do not need to be combined at the same meal in order to reap the benefits of complementary amino acids. We carry an amino acid pool of about 80-90 grams of complete protein in our bodies that can be called upon to fill any gaps.

Many cultures understood this need for complete proteins and we see it in the foods they still eat today. In Mexico they eat many dishes that combine beans and tortillas, as well as beans with rice; in the Middle East they eat hummus (ground chickpeas and sesame seeds) and pita,

Tabouli (bulgur and tomatoes), in Italy pasta and tomato sauce, in Africa they prepare stews with vegetables, grains and peanuts, Asia is known for its vegetable stir fries with rice and even here in the US we have peanut butter and jelly on bread.

There are many issues when it comes to protein sources. Organic, grass fed, sustainable, wild, cage free and pasteurized are all terms that have come into question. Label reading and questioning your fish monger or butcher has never been more important. If you are not interested in supporting the inhumane, unhealthy processing plants where animals are treated as simply “product”, then you must know where your food comes from and how it was treated and fed.

To Be Continued…

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that specializes in helping busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services

People always ask me how I get meals on the table quickly and I tell them it’s because I always have some basic ingredients on hand so that I don’t have to give cooking all that much thought.  And, if I need to run to the store it’s usually for chicken or fish.  Since I love helping people prepare healthy meals I thought I’d share my list of pantry items with you.

Olive oil – There are an astonishing number of different olive oisl that fall into a huge range of prices, but a simple understanding of the terms on the label can help.  There are two categories of olive oil defined by how they are processed, virgin oil and refined oil.  Virgin oil is pressed and filtered without heat or chemical processing with extra virgin being the highest grade with the best flavor and lowest acidity level.  Virgin oil has a more mild flavor and a higher acidity level.  Refined oils have gone through a chemical process to neutralize strong flavors or defects in the oil.

Olive oils are comparable to grapes and wine in that many factors determine their quality and taste, such as the variety of olive used, the climate and soil in which the olive was grown, its ripeness at harvest time and its age. All these factors add to the flavor of the oil, whether it is hot and spicy or grassy and herbaceous or soft and buttery.

Extra virgin olive oil has the most intense flavor of all the oils.  I use extra virgin olive oil for both cooking and finishing.  I use a cheaper, lesser quality organic olive oil for heating and then I have a good, fruity olive oil that I use for finishing and for dressings.  I never heat my finishing oil.

Just because an oil is expensive, doesn’t mean it’s good.  There are some extremely expensive oils in fancy bottles from boutique producers that don’t live up to their cost.  When purchasing a good, more costly finishing oil, shop in a boutique or high end store that will allow you to taste the oils.  If you can’t taste them, try to purchase small quantities.  If you’re in a restaurant that serves a really good oil, you can always ask the waiter what oil they use.

Nut and seed oils, such as walnut, hazelnut and sesame, are intensely nutty and great for use in salad dressings and as finishing oils.  They are quite perishable and should never be heated.  After opening they should be stored in the refrigerator and used within one to two months.

There are a couple of occasions that I use oils other then olive.  If I’m breading something, such as a piece of chicken, and want a crispy crust, I will use canola oil and get the oil very hot before adding the chicken.  For a stir fry, which also needs higher temperatures, I will use peanut oil.

Vinegars – I keep a few different vinegars on hand, red and white wine vinegars, sherry vinegar, balsamic and white balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar and rice vinegar.  As with olive oil quality varies and inexpensive wine vinegars are often made from bad wine and taste like it.  Again, as with olive oil, try to taste vinegar before purchasing or buy in small quantities.

Salt – In culinary school I was taught to cook only with kosher salt.  Then when I studied nutrition I learned about the health benefits of sea salt and added this to my cooking repertoire.  Sea salt contains more than 100 minerals that the body needs to stay healthy.

Sea salt is milder and more flavorful than table salt.  It can be gray or pink or even black due to the minerals at the source.  If you’re going to use sea salt, which comes in fine and coarse and I suggest you use the fine ground and always use your fingers when seasoning with salt, this gives you a more accurate sense of how much you are using than shaking from a container.

Black pepper – There are so many different varieties of black pepper grown all over the world.  Their names are taken from the areas where they are grown and they differ in color, shape, chemical characteristic and flavor.  Some of the more well known varieties of black pepper are:

• Tellicherry – A high quality gourmet pepper with large and tasty berries. It’s very big in size and does not take much time to mature. It is known for its strong aroma and pungent smell.
• Malabar - Grown on the coast of Malabar in Kerala, its flavor is the same as Tellicherry black pepper. Its aroma is sweet and fruity.
• Lampong: Originating from Indonesia, it is thought to be one of the best black peppers in the world. Its taste is extremely spicy and is has a very strong aroma.
• Sarawak - Produced in the north east part of Bornea in Indonesia, it is considered to be one of the best black peppers in the world. It is extremely fresh, with sharp, pungent taste to it

Herbs and spices – I always have herbs and spices on hand.  They can easily change a dish from boring to exciting.  Herbs and spices don’t last very long so buy in small quantities.

Fresh herbs – Add fresh herbs at the end of cooking time, never heat them.

Spices – The best thing to do is buy small quantities of whole spices and grind them yourself.  I have a coffee grinder that I use only for spices.

Dried herbs – Dried herbs will last about three to six months.  Store them in a cool place to get the most out of them.  Don’t keep your dried herbs over the stove or in direct sunlight.

• To use dried herbs properly place in the palm of your hand first and rub your hands together to break up the herbs and release the oils, then add them to your skillet.

Grains – I always have an assortment of grains on hand because I throw them into everything.  If you’re not familiar with cooking grains, please see the grain cooking chart in the grain section.

Wine – I always have a bottle of red and white wine on hand to add to sauces.

Stock – You will always find a container of vegetable and chicken stocks in my cabinet.  I will sometimes have beef stock, but since I rarely eat red meat, beef stock isn’t something I will always have on hand.

Nuts & seeds – I sprinkle nuts and seeds on just about everything from grains to veggies.

Beans – Although I will sometimes cook beans from scratch, it’s not a weekly occurrence so I will always have cans of a few different types of beans in my cabinet. You can usually fine chickpeas, cannellini beans and black beans.

Here is a list of the perishables I always have on hand:

Garlic – I love garlic and will add it to just about anything.

Onion – There will always be an onion in my refrigerator.

Shallot – This mild member of the onion family is great for sauces or pilafs.

Carrot and celery – Along with onion complete the “mirepoix”, the aromatics that can be found as the start of most soups, stews and some pilafs and sauces.

Nut butters – I love nut butters, especially peanut and cashew but I’ve been known to use sunflower seed butter too.

Eggs – To scramble, poach, hard boil or hold together salmon or tuna burgers, I love eggs.

With this list of less than 20 items and a quick trip to the grocery store for protein and fresh vegetables I can create a meal in just minutes.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules.  She specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

If you “like” the Basil & Barbells page on Facebook you know I always talk about getting my meals on the table in less then 10 minutes. Last time I did this someone emailed me and said this was only because I was a chef and was organized. Well, those who know me personally know I’m not that organized and I can ruin a great piece of Filet Mignon as fast as the next person. The reason I get my meals on the table quick is because I have what I call “go to meals”. These are recipes that I always have the ingredients for and the way I do that is something I learned from working in a restaurant called “par”.

Par is the amount of a certain item that a restaurant will always have on hand, when they go below the par then more is ordered. I use this system in my own kitchen. I always have at least 2 containers of broth, when I use one it goes on my shopping list. Other items I always have are canned beans, canned tomatoes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, leafy greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, cilantro, parlsey, whole grain or tofu pasta, whole wheat tortillas, eggs and Daiya dairy free mozzarella cheese. This isn’t a long list but I can prepare a multitude of meals by having just these few ingredients. The other night I threw together a spinach and mushroom quesadilla with fresh salsa, today I threw together an easy curry, I can prepare an omlette or a yummy dessert with dried fruit and nuts. All you need are a few recipes and your par and you’ll be good to go.

Here are a couple of my favorite go to meals. Maybe they’ll be yours too.

My favorite dessert: Cinnamon Roasted Pears and Cranberries

 My favorite vegetarian curry: Chickpea Curry

My favorite pasta: Garlic Rosemary Mushroom Pasta

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services

Basil has a complex armoa that is sweet and spicy with hints of clove and licorice.  The flavor is warm and peppery.  There are many different types of basil and all have an underlying sweet, warm licorice aroma, but with different dominant aspects.  The most popular is sweet basil.

Basil combines well with these foods: corn, eggplant, eggs, lemon, olives, peas, rice, tomatoes, white beans and zucchini

Basil combines well with these herbs and spices: chives, cilantro, garlic, majoram, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary and thyme

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

It’s cold here in New York and when it’s cold I crave comfort foods and this beef stew recipe is one of my favorites.

Beef Stew

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2  pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of surface fat and cut into 1 to 1 ½” cubes
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 large onions, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2” thick chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2” chunks
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Heat the oil in a large, Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the meat to the pot a few at a time, turning to brown on all sides.  Do not crowd or they will not brown properly; cook them in batches if necessary. 
Season with salt and pepper as it cooks.
When the meat is brown, remove it with a slotted spoon.

When all the meat has been browned pour or spoon off most of the fat and turn the heat to medium. 
Add the onions and garlic
Cook, stirring until they soften, about 10 minutes.
Add the flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. 
Add the stock, bay leaf, thyme, and meat, and bring to a boil. 
Turn the heat to low and cover. 
Cook, undisturbed for 30 minutes.
Uncover the pan; the mixture should be quite soupy (if not, add a little more liquid). 
Add the potatoes and carrots, turn the heat up for a minutes or so to bring it back to a boil, then lower the heat and cover again. 
Cook 30-60 minutes until the meat and vegetables are tender.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and/or thyme if necessary
Add the peas; leaving the cover off cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services

Bell peppers come in green, red, yellow and purple.  They are available all year long.

Choose peppers that are heavy for their size and have bright, tight, smooth, glossy skin with no wrinkly, soft pataches

Store peppers in a ventilated bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

As with measuring cups, when you first begin cooking it’s important to use measuring spoons.  They come in a set, usually of 4 to measure 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon.  Larger sets may come with 1/8 teaspoon and 3/4 teaspoon.  You can even get spoons that will measure a dash, a pinch, a smidgen and a tad.

When using spoons, as with cups, fill your spoon to the top and level off dry ingredients with a knife or spatula.  Spoons can also be used to measure wet ingredients.  Never pour wet ingredients into the spoon while over the bowl or skillet you will be adding the ingredient to, as you can overpour into the bowl or skillet and ruin your dish.

When baking, it is essential to always measure ingredients with your cups and spoons at all times, don’t try to eyeball measurements as baking is based on the interaction of the ingredients in their proper protions.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Reading ingredient lists on food labels can be a daunting exerperience. The lists are usually very long with words that we can’t pronounce which are usually preservative, additives and fillers. Here are a few things to keep in mind when reading ingredient lists:

• The ingredients are listed in descending order, so the first item on the list is the most abundant, the second a bit less and so on.
• Any word ending in “ose”or “ides” is a sugar as well as “from concentrate”.
• Sugar may not be the first ingredients, but if you read the label and see many words ending in “ose” and “ides”, sugar may actually be the most abundant ingredient
• If something is a true whole grai.n, the first ingredient should read “whole grain”.
• If you can’t pronounce the ingredient, should you be eating it??
• Keep it simple by choosing foods with short ingredient lists.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.