K/RAIL’S CULINARY KITCHEN-2012

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Confusion over what food to make and how to prepare it is a common deal breaker when it comes to healthy eating. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Once you know the nuts and seeds, you can live a highly organic, healthy, affordable lifestyle, and do it when time is not on your side. –Kevin Rail, The Lean Berets

!For complete recipe details and more, look for Kevin Rail’s upcoming e-Book, “Act of Nutrition” coming to a kitchen near you and available on The Lean Berets website soon!!!

ACT OF NUTRITION: “RAIL FAGIOLI”

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Courtesy of Kevin Rail’s upcoming “Act of Nutrition” workbook available soon @ TheLeanBerets.com!

8 oz. Box Quinoa Elbows 1 Head of Steamed Cauliflower 1 Can Garbanzo Beans 1 Can Pizza Pasta Sauce ! c Hemp Seeds

Behind the Lines: The exact date slips my mind right now, but I’m pretty sure it was early April of 2009. Let me set the stage for you. I was about to attend a dinner party with an Italian theme at my friend Jess’ house. It just so happens that I am half Italian so my interest was piqued. I went into my kitchen a couple hours before mealtime and created what turned out to be one of my favorite dishes of all time. I call it “Rail Fagioli.” Although it is spelled “fagioli,” it is actually pronounced “fah-zool.” If you have any disagreements with that, bring them up with my late grandfather who was full-blooded Italian and made this stuff all the time. My title is a spinoff of the popular Italian favorite known as “Pasta”

fagioli. Fagioli actually has quite an interesting past. Evidently, the English translation of pasta fagioli is pasta and beans. Being that the ingredients were cheap, this dish was favored by the peasants. Over the course of time however, it gained popularity across all demographics and was embraced at dinner tables worldwide. There’s your history lesson for the day. The main ingredient in quinoa pasta is quinoa. Go figure. As for the elbows, I held auditions for what macaroni I wanted to use and they beat out all the others. I’ve got nothing against other forms of macaroni, but elbows are my favorites. It might be because they are easiest to eat with a spoon.

ACT OF NUTRITION: “RAIL FAGIOLI”

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PREPARATION! • Fill large pot with about 4 c of water and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. This helps reduce

the chances of your pasta sticking together. Place on stove and turn the heat up to high.

• While you are waiting for it to come to a boil, chop up your cauliflower, place it in a pot and start to steam.

• Once the pasta water starts to boil, carefully add your elbows and stir them around. Turn the heat down to about medium-high as you wait for your cauliflower to steam. Check your pasta after about seven minutes. Do the same with your cauliflower. You are probably looking at about 10 minutes for both the pasta and cauliflower. Once they are both al dente, (cooked to be firm but not hard or “tender crisp”) drain them and place them in a large bowl.

• Add the garbanzo beans, hemp seeds and Pizza-Pasta Sauce. • Stir everything together with a spoon and you’re ready for action.

Tips and Hints: Ancient Harvest is your hookup for quinoa elbows. They have a whole line of delicious pastas that are all gluten-free. You are looking at about $2.99 a box or less. And remember, quinoa is a seed. A nice compliment to this dish is diced tomatoes. The Muir Glen Company has your back on this one, while Eden offers Pizza Pasta Sauce. They offer regular, no-salt and fire-roasted varieties. If you want a change of pace, substitute the garbanzo beans with edamame; which are soy beans. Make sure to go organic to avoid GMOs and look in the frozen section of your local health food store. My personal recommendation is Cascadian Farm. They have a whole line of organic frozen vegetables. *Side Note: To prepare edamame, simply place them in a pot with a little bit of water on the bottom, and heat them up until they are al dente. Benefits: You’ve got yourself a good balance of protein and carbs with Rail Fagioli! This dish is also high in fiber, iron, vitamin C and essential fatty acids. And remember, products derived from tomatoes, such as ketchup, salsa, pasta sauce and diced tomatoes, are high in lycopene.

Enjoy this and more from my upcoming “Act of Nutrition” workbook coming soon! --Kevin Rail, The Lean Berets

ACT OF NUTRITION: “INERTIA”

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Courtesy of Kevin Rail’s upcoming “Act of Nutrition” workbook available soon @ TheLeanBerets.com!

16 oz. Dark Meat Ground Turkey 2 c Hulled Barley 1 c Garbanzo Beans 1 c Salsa

Behind the Lines: As defined by Webster’s trusty dictionary, inertia means an object in motion stays in motion or at rest until acted upon by an outside force. Once you whip up a batch of inertia and sample it to your family and friends, you better get ready for objects to be in motion! Or should I say people in motion. They will be running back for seconds, and maybe thirds if you prepare enough. This delectable collection of ingredients sends off a delicious flavor and is chocked full of nutrients. I use dark meat ground turkey because it is higher in iron than turkey breast and it cooks up nicer. If you are watching your fat intake though, the breast might be your better option.

If you have gluten intolerance or have full blown celiac disease, substitute the barley with quinoa or millet. In case you didn’t know, millet is an underrated grain that contains no gluten and can be substituted for other grains. Regardless of what grain you use, Inertia will still take place and you will still have a great tasting dish. As for the salsa, I like to use one that is sweet. Your goal in choosing a salsa is the same with anything else. Pick one that is free of contaminants and gunk. If you want to get crazy, and you have a lot of free time on your hands--which I don’t—you also have the option of making your own from scratch. Good luck with that. If you are successful, let me know. I’d really like to try it. Otherwise, here are a few brands and types you can trust!Walnut Acres Sweet Southwestern Peach, Organicville Pineapple and Desert Pepper Trading Peach Mango. I would have to say my favorite out of this group is Organicville Pineapple.

ACT OF NUTRITION: “INERTIA”

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PREPARATION! Hulled barely is barely that has been stripped of its outermost layer. This leaves you with the wonderfulness of the center portion called the bran. Barely is similar to lentils in the fact that it takes a while to prepare. It is recommended to soak barley overnight in the refrigerator. However, I don’t feel this is mandatory. I’ve had good results by placing it in a container of water and refrigerating it for a few hours. • After soaking in refrigerator, strain, rinse and place in a large pot with water. Follow a 3-to-1

ratio of water to barely. In this case use 6 c of water with 2 c of barley. • Cook on high until you achieve a boil, stir, cover and turn the heat down to low. • While you’re waiting for barely to cook, fry ground turkey in skillet. Resist the urge to use

high heat here. You are in no rush. You actually don’t even need to get your turkey started until about 30 minutes have elapsed. Once you do this, check the barely. It should be chewy and even slightly crunchy.

• After your barley is done, drain it in a small hole strainer place it back in your pot. • Finish browning the turkey and throw it in. Add a can of garbanzo beans and 1 c of salsa,

and mix the batch thoroughly.

Tips and Hints: Inertia pairs well with steamed broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. You know me. I take every chance I can to get more vegetables in my diet; especially when they are cruciferous. This might sound crazy, but I love ketchup on my Brussels sprouts. Try it before you judge me hombre! • The amounts of ingredients I suggest will yield you a sizable vat of this concoction. Take it

from a busy guy; there is nothing wrong with leftovers. In fact, I like to call this strategic planning. This gives you plenty of excess to nosh on throughout the week.

• I also want to allude to wheat berries which look and taste similar to barely. Feel free to use these instead for a change of pace. As far as nutrient profiles go, they are about identical.

• In case you are not up on the metric system, 16 oz. translates to 1 lb. for simplicity’s sake. All the guesswork is done if you go with a package of ground turkey by Organic Valley which is 16 oz. on the dot. If you have access to a Whole Foods or a health food store with a deli, you can also opt for fresh ground turkey. This will end up being cheaper than packaged turkey too, which is always nice. For a change of pace, experiment with ground chicken.

Benefits: Barley is a lesser known super food in my opinion. Not only is it high in fiber and protein, but it is also a complex carb for extended energy, and it boasts a generous amount of selenium, copper and tryptophan. Garbanzo beans give you even more fiber and an additional shot of protein. Salsa actually lends you a few nutrients too believe it or not. One of the most notable is lycopene. This is a carotenoid that has antioxidant properties. According to the Mayo Clinic, this substance found in red-pigmented fruits and vegetables helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration, cancer and cardiovascular disease. That is great news my friend!

Enjoy this and more from my upcoming “Act of Nutrition” workbook coming soon! --Kevin Rail, The Lean Berets