Food for Thought: The Top 100 from the Environmental Working Group

The Environmental Working Group's latest effort is a nice visual presentation of the "Top 100 Foods" which combine the qualities of being affordable, highly nutritious, and less likely to be contaminated with pesticides, toxins, or additives. When considering that daily "What's for dinner?" question, this is a great source of inspiration to get the ball rolling. The proteins were my favorite category, where I personally tend to get into a rut with meal ideas.

http://ewg.org/goodfood/protein.php

When in doubt, my personal rule of thumb is- shop seasonal, shop local, shop colorful, shop organic where you can (when prices are close, when cooking for young kids or pregnant women, or when the food is highly likely to have pesticides which are difficult to remove even with washing, such as those on the "dirty dozen list").  When I follow these rules I always have fresh ingredients and variety in my cooking and don't spend too much.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek egg-lemon soup with chicken and orzo)

This is a tangy, Greek soup, which is thickened using eggs, and is a fall and winter favorite. The lemon/citrus flavor is unique compared to the other soups I make in the winter. The use of eggs as a thickener is also different- many other soups are thickened by pureeing the ingredients, adding thickening agents such as cream or potatoes, etc. After ordering it every time we visited our favorite Greek restaurant, I decided to learn how to make it myself. I adjusted the recipe each time, and this has been my favorite version so far:

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Quarts Chicken Stock

1/2 Roast Chicken, shredded 

(or equivalent in chicken breasts/pieces, cooked and shredded)

1 teaspoon dried parsley 

1 bunch oregano, chopped finely

1 1/4 Cup orzo pasta (substitute rice if preferred)

Juice from 4-6 Lemons (~ 1/2 Cup)

5 eggs

Salt and Pepper/Lemon Pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. As butter starts to foam, add celery, garlic, and onions. Cook gently until just translucent/tender. 

2) Add chicken stock, bring to a boil. Add chicken, oregano, and parsley. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing chicken to further tenderize and separate.

3) Add orzo pasta, cook until "al dente" for time specified on package (~9 minutes), then reduce heat to low.

4) In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in lemon juice, and 1 C broth from the hot soup. 

5) Turn the heat off  on the soup. Stir egg-lemon mixture into the soup pot. (If soup is boiling when egg is added, it will curdle and chunks of egg white will cook and float in soup). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with bread and a Greek salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, onions, chopped celery, and mixed greens, in oil and vinegar with Mediterranean herbs)