Welcome to the GMO-Free Prescott Blog!
We at GMO-Free Prescott, in keeping with our mission statement to provide concise and useful information about genetically modified foods, have created this blog as means to provide hands on tools for avoiding GMOs.
You will find GMO-free recipes and shopping tips to help you make more healthy meals for you and your family.
Thai Fresh Spring Rolls
Ingredients
For Spring Rolls
1 pack spring roll wrappers
2-3 cups of warm water
1 1/2 cups cabbage
1 bunch basil
1 bunch mint
1 bunch cilantro
1 carrot
1 cucumber
For Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup organic Hoisin Sauce
1 cup of ground peanuts
1 cup water (for peanut sauce)
Preparation
Grind or finely chop the peanuts
Slice the cucumber into thin strips
Shred the carrot
Shred the cabbage
Cooking
Making the Peanut Sauce
Stir Hoisin sauce, ground peanuts and water in a pot.
Turn on the stove to medium heat.
When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and stir for two minutes.
Making the Spring Rolls
Soak the wrapper in the warm water for about 10 seconds.
Put it down on the cutting board.
Add two pinches of cilantro and mint.
Add two pinches of basil and cabbage.
Add one cucumber slice and two pinches of carrot.
Roll the wrapper forward half way.
Fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper.
Roll the wrapper the rest of the way.
Cut spring rolls in half.
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Ingredients
1 small spaghetti squash (1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
1/2 cup water
pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place with cut side down in a baking dish; add water.
over and bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes or until it is easily pierced with a fork. When cool enough to handle,
coop out squash, separating the strands with a fork. In a skillet, cook beef, onion, red pepper and garlic until
eat is browned and the vegetables are tender. Drain; add tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and squash. Cook
nd stir for 1-2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Transfer to an ungreased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered,
t 350° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and parsley; let stand a few minutes. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 45 min.
ield: 6-8 Servings
Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 each) equals 160 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 39 mg cholesterol,
26 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g ber, 14 g protein.
Athenian Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 medium organic zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound whole-wheat penne
1 1/2 cups baby peas, (if frozen, rinse under warm water and drain)
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, (4 ounces)
Preparation
Put a large pot of water on to boil.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add bell pepper and zucchini to the onion. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just beginning to soften, 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in wine and pepper; simmer until most of the wine has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook penne in the boiling water according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the pot.
Stir the reserved cooking liquid and the vegetables into the pasta along with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, peas, mint and feta.
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Shopping Tips: Buying GMO-Free
Buying GMO-free is not as hard as it sounds. Choosing fresh organic produce (local if possible) is the best way to ensure your food is non-gmo.
Steer clear of foods with all of these ingredients unless they are labeled:
USDA Organic
Non-GMO Project Verified.
IT'S EASY! Remember the C's & S's
1. Corn - Most corn in the stores is genetically modified. Avoid derivatives such as corn oil, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn meal, corn masa (as in tamales), and maize starch.
Note* White corn, white popcorn and blue corn are NOT genetically modified
2. Soy - Soy is one of the most common GMO's, look for "Contains Soy" Common examples of soy-based ingredients include: soy protein, soy flour, soy sauce, soybean oil, soy milk, and soy lecithin. Tofu, tempeh, and miso are other sources of soy.
3. Canola - Canola oil is found in a wide range of products, including pasta sauces, salad dressings, mayonnaise, snack foods, prepared foods, and frozen entrees. It is also the main oil used in restaurants for frying and preparing foods.
4. Sugar (Sugar Beet) - When not specified as sugar from sugar cane, “Sugar” in a list of ingredients almost always means a combination of sugar from sugar cane (which isn’t genetically modified) and sugar from sugar beets (which is genetically modified). Look for "Pure Cane Sugar".
*Even better, ditch plain sugar in baking, and use honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, stevia, unrefined cane sugar, coconut sugar or coconut nectar instead. These sweeteners don’t contain GMOs.
5. Soft Drinks - Regular soft drinks are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or sugar, both of which are derived from common GM crops (corn and sugar beets). Other soft drinks and sweetened waters are sweetened with fructose- derived from corn. “Diet” or artificially sweetened soft drinks are sweetened with aspartame (also known as Equal, Nutrasweet, Spoonful, or AminoSweet) all genetically modified product.
* Again look for sodas sweetened with cane sugar or stevia
6. Cottonseed Oil - Cottonseed oil is sometimes used in roasted nuts, snack foods, bread, and certain canned fish items.
Cooking Oils
Changing your cooking oil is one of the easiest ways to avoid many GMO's.
Coconut Oil : The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure,diabetes, HIV, cancer, dental care, and bone strength.
Sunflower Oil -Sunflower oil is high in the essential vitamin E and low in saturated fat. It is also excellent for high tempurature cooking.
Safflower Oil - Nutritionally similar olive oil, the properties of safflower oil may help with weight loss, improving heart health, and maintaining healthy skin and hair.
Olive Oil - Buy this old-stand organic and mix with any of the oils above for a subtle and interesting taste.