Dear Marci,
I want to spend more time cooking at home with my family. We have been extra stressed this year and I think if we eat healthier it could help us feel better and even get along better.
Does it really matter?
Dear Hoping for Harmony,
I
may be biased, but the kitchen is my favorite room in the house, so yes, of course it matters! Actually when I was a little girl my mother used to tell everyone she couldn’t keep me out of the kitchen; I just loved being there, with all the
people, all the celebrations, and, of course, all the food.
But when you grow up in a big Italian family you figure out
really quickly the kitchen is where all the excitement is, and our kitchen was the hub of everything wonderful. It is where we shared meals, and secrets, and yes, even where we sometimes fought, but it was always the place we connected, nurtured and loved.
So today when people ask me what’s so special about the kitchen, I tell them, “the kitchen is where all the power is,” and the science backs me up on this one too.
Much of the latest research points to more time in the kitchen, cooking with family and friends, results in improved relationships, better mental health, and even less depression and anxiety.
Cooking is the kitchen is one of the best ways to improve emotional well-being, feel connected, and find a sense of belonging and purpose. Cooking with others, and for others, really does matter. And when the foods we choose to cook is of better nutritional quality we find the perfect harmony of body and mind. I know about this all too well.
When my daughter, Rachel, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at only two years old, I brought all my children into the kitchen, quite literally. Because Rachel’s treatment required a bone marrow transplant, her immune system was weakened, and she needed to be kept away from social situations with large groups of people and a myriad of germs. Confined to our home, with three small children, the only safe place for us to go, was the kitchen.
As I was keeping Rachel away from the germs that could make her sick, I also knew I needed to make her stronger to fight the ones that might find the way into her little body anyway, and then I turned to healthier foods. I started doing research to find out which foods would make all of us stronger, healthier, and even help us recover from all the stress and trauma.
I soon discovered there are some foods that are better than others for this. Foods that are clean, whole, and unprocessed should be the foundation of our daily intake, and healthy fats, plant based, and protein are all super important when it comes to healing, recovery, and overall power. Organic foods with no pesticides, chemicals
and additives, and foods with more phytonutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties work best for immune health, gut health, and physical and mental health.
So the girls and I started creating recipes using some of the most powerful foods, in the most powerful room in the house, and we got healthier, and happier, and we survived. We also had a lot of amazing dinners. One of our favorite recipes to make was this Super Veggie Bolognese.
The synergistic effects of these ingredients work together to enhance the flavors and health benefits and make the old saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” ring true.
By combining ingredients like tomatoes, carrots, and olive oil we are able to absorb more of the vitamin A and lycopene. Or when we combine the turmeric in my superpower mirepoix with the black pepper and olive oil, the piperine, a phytonutrient in black pepper, and the healthy fats in olive oil, enhance the uptake of the curcumin.
And when all of this combines with the experience of cooking in the kitchen, well that’s where the real magic happens. The benefits become immeasurable and I can guarantee, you and your family will feel better, get along better, and very soon notice a significant improvement in the quality of your lives. After all, the most dramat- ic transformations happen in the kitchen. So get in there with your family and friends and start cooking up more health and happiness.
This recipe is enough for a crowd so be sure to invite everyone you love.
• • • • • •
•
1⁄4 cup olive oil
3 cups, baby spinach
3 cups mushrooms, diced
2 cups butternut squash, diced in small chunks
2 cups brussel sprouts, shaved
2 cups broccoli, chopped
3 carrots diced small
3 shallots, diced
1/4 cup superpower mirepoix (see recipe below) 1/2 cup parsley, minced or I like to cut herbs with herb scissors
3 cups veggie broth
• 3 cups red wine
• 4 16 ounces of San Marzano tomatoes (whole
peeled with juice)
• 3 TBS. tomato paste
• 1 cup pasta water (or as needed)
• 1 TBS. fresh thyme, tender leaves stripped from
woody stalks
• 1 TBS. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 TBS. fresh oregano, chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
SUPER VEGGIE BOLOGNESE
Season all the veggies, including my superpower mirepoix, with salt and pepper and a little olive oil and mix
in a large bowl. I use a large sauce pan and sauté the veggies until semi soft and onions are translucent. Add the canned whole tomatoes; crushing the whole tomatoes with your fingers or if that is too gross for you, use a utensil. Then add spices, tomato paste, veggie broth and salt and pepper. Cook on a slow simmer for about 30 minutes until veggies are tender.
The sauce is intended to be thick yet if it is too thick save some of the pasta water when you cook the pasta and add a little pasta water to thin it out, as needed. Remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta although because it is a hearty sauce please use a sturdy pasta; I like rigatoni best. Sprinkle with freshly grated parm and crushed red pepper flakes, as desired.
This is a makes a large batch of sauce so don’t forget to invite me over for dinner! I will bring the wine and more power.
SMALL BATCH OF MY SUPERPOWER MIREPOIX
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 1⁄2 of a large root of ginger • 2 large roots turmeric
Peel the garlic, and ginger root, you don’t need to peel the turmeric root. Most of the benefits come from breaking down the cell wall of these ingredients so feel free to use a garlic press for the garlic and then chop the ginger root and turmeric root by hand, or throw everything in a food processor and pulse until finely diced. This will make a small batch and you can store it in the refrigerator up to 5 days to use in sauce, soups, salad dressing, or anything and everything!
