Bob's Red Mill

Today, Joy and I picked up my mom from work and went to lunch at Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store. They have a small store which sells grains, breads, baked goods, dried fruit, and a variety of organic and all-natural items from local companies. They also have a restaurant where they use these products. They have a great selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals. Joy ate whole grain pancakes that were served with real maple syrup and a fruit cup (they serve breakfast until 3 pm). I had a really good garden burger sandwich, and my mom had a grilled tomato and cheese sandwich with a cup of broccoli cheddar soup. We were all very satisfied. Everything was made with whole grains and was all natural. No artificial ingredients or additives. And reasonably priced! So if you're in the Milwaukie, Oregon area, I highly recommend checking it out for a casual meal or to pick up a couple grocery items. And if not, their products are sold at most major grocery stores all over the country. And if you're out of the country, you can order their products online. I've had to order stuff that my local store didn't carry, too. They have over 400 products, including a whole line of gluten free items. We bought a package of the Vegi Soup Mix, which has green split peas, yellow split peas, barley, lentils and vegetable pasta. I will post a recipe later if it turns out well!

Now, not only was it a great experience at the restaurant and store, but we actually met Bob! Bob, the founder and owner of Bob's Red Mill! Now that might not seem too exciting to the average American, but to a health fanatic like me, he's famous. He was eating lunch two tables away, and when he got up, he stopped and talked to Joy and gave her a token for a free cookie. We talked for a few minutes and he told us we should do a mill tour one day. He was very friendly and personable. He has actually turned the company over to be employee owned. He teaches cooking classes, too, along with other chefs. Good guy. So that was kind of exciting!

You can look up information on the company, products, classes, recipes and menus online.
http://www.bobsredmill.com/
Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store, 5000 SE International Way, Milwaukie , OR 97222

Garden Burger Sandwich:
2 slices whole grain bread, toasted
1 garden burger patty
guacamole or avocado
sauteed mushrooms
1 slice Swiss cheese
lettuce
tomato

Minestrone Soup

I love soup. There are so many different soups that I love so much, I could eat soup every day. But I have a hard time finding a variety of soup in a can that meets all my nutritional guidelines. For starters, many soups have a chicken or beef broth base, and being vegetarian, it's a no go. Then I have to filter out anything with MSG (monosodium glutamate), corn syrups and hydrogenated oils. Not to mention trying to find something that is nutrient dense and tastes good. So my solution is to make my own soup. I like to make large batches and freeze it in single portions for convenience. Most of us don't have the extra time each day to spend hours in the kitchen, so having a quick, easy, nutritious meal in the freezer leaves no excuse for you to even be tempted by the drive-thru.
Here is a recipe for the minestrone soup I made today. The original recipe is from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook (which I got at Borders for around $6!), but as usual, I didn't follow it exactly. So here is what I did.

Minestrone
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: about 1 hour

1 can kidney beans
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tomatoes, peeled* and chopped
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
9 cups vegetable stock
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 turnip, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup sliced green beans (I used frozen)
1 cup macaroni elbows
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft.
2. Add the tomatoes, parsley, beans and stock. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes. (The original recipe said to simmer for 2 hours, but I didn't have that much time!)
3. Add the carrot, turnip, potatoes, celery and tomato paste. Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
4. Add zucchini, green beans and macaroni elbows. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with shavings of Parmesan cheese.

*To peel tomatoes: Cut a cross in the bottom; put into boiling water for 2 minutes. Plunge into cold water, remove and peel.

Helpful Tip: When I find a recipe that sounds good, I will make a little shopping list of all the ingredients I need. That way, when I decide to try it, I am ready to grab it and hit the store. If you have little ones, you know that when it's time for grocery shopping, it's a get in, get out event. You don't want to waste time looking up recipes or racking your brain to figure out what you need.