Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Newstand Alert: Clean Eating Magazine August / September 2012


I got the current issue of Clean Eating magazine a little late this month, so this is less a newsstand alert and more of a wrap up of this month's issue.

I read with interest the short letter to the editor on page 10 - how CE magazine clean up tradition recipes. They look for natural healthy ingredients that can provide a similar flavor, texture, or richness to the ingredients of the original recipe. They list a few examples in the response. There's a companion list of common food substitutions Chef Jo prepared for readers on page 22.

Best article of the month is hands down the Vinaigrette lesson starting on page 30. Many Clean Eaters struggle to find a salad dressing that is an acceptable alternative to convenient bottled ( and salty / fatty / sugar ) dressings. The vinaigrette lesson shows how easy it is to develop your own signature vinaigrette. The grilled vegetable recipe on page 32 looks delicious, too!

I like the concept of a meal in a jar...but I think in practice it is a bit un-doable for the average person. See the article starting on page 40. In order to make a jarred salad stay fresh, you've got to have a vacuum sealer- something most of us don't have. So take the recipes and perhaps use them to make a large batch or two of food to divvy up. But leave the jar concept for the pages of a magazine.

The one recipe to definitely try in this month's issue is the Peruvian ceviche recipe on page 86-87. If you've never had ceviche ( seafood "cooked" in an acidic lemon/lime juice mixture ) is refreshing, bright, and delicious.