CHRISTINA COOKS: BACK TO THE CUTTING BOARD Season 2



#201 "Eating Well on a Budget"
If you’re one of the many people who think eating well is the province of elitists, hippies, liberals and environmental activists, think again. Clean air, pure water, rich soil along with fresh food is our birthright. We’ll explore budget-friendly options to eating well, as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Simmered tofu and vegetables
Sweet corn fritters
Apple cranberry crisp

At the Cutting Board
Discuss and show various sea vegetables, how to use them and impact on wellness

I’m So Confused
Questions on convenience foods; organic vs non-organic for cost; frozen veggies

#202 "The Skinny On Fat"
Is fat healthy for us? What kind of fat should we cook with? What are good fats? Should we skip added fats? It seems so confusing, right? To fat or not to fat. Actually the answer is simple…and delicious. Let’s get the lowdown on fat, as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Tempura vegetables over soba noodles in broth
Chickpeas with sage and olive oil
Spicy sautéed collard greens

At the Cutting Board
Soaking chickpeas with baking soda as well as to soak or not to soak beans

I’m So Confused
Questions on olive oil (the real thing), other added oils ands fats, nuts and seeds (do they give us enough fat)

#203 "Does This Make Me Look Fat?"
If you’ve ever asked if this “makes me look fat”, you probably knew the answer already. Look, you’ll find no body shaming here, but like it or not, unhealthy obesity takes a toll on wellness. It’s not about stick thin either. Let’s find our way to a healthy weight for you and your body, as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Tempeh with lotus root and sauerkraut
Watercress, pear and pecan salad
Cocoa Madeleines

At the Cutting Board
Look at various nuts and their benefits to wellness and which are the healthiest for us

I’m So Confused
Question about cleanses and intermittent fasting

#204 "You and Your Stress"
Modern life…Work, family obligations, the news, climate change, and daily life stress has left us feeling completely frazzled and takes a big toll on our wellness. Can you cook to eliminate stress? Nope. But you can cook to manage it, and come out the other side feeling calm and serene. I’ll show you as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Creamy millet chowder
Tofu Vegetable Rolls
Apple streusel tart

At the Cutting Board
Rinsing and soaking grains and the impact of various grains on our wellness

I’m So Confused
Question on drinking wine for stress; what can we do to sleep better with stress in life?

#205 "Age Like a Movie Star"
We have become youth-obsessed, with injections, surgery, potions and fillers to desperately hang onto our younger selves. We can end up looking like caricatures of our young faces. Truth is, beauty comes from the inside. It’s time to age gracefully…and naturally, as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Creamy white bean soup with escarole
Tomato tarte tatin
Sweet fruit pizza

At the Cutting Board
How to season a cast iron skillet

I’m So Confused
Question on taking care of skin naturally; sunscreen, body scrub

#206 "Breakfast of Champions"
Your mother was right, at least about breakfast. It truly sets the tone of your day. Breakfast can slow your roll or get you in the groove to handle life’s little adventures. What’s a true breakfast of champions? I can assure you it doesn’t come in a box. Let’s start our day right as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Breakfast scramble
English muffins
Good For What Ails You Stew

At the Cutting Board
Discuss a breakfast of whole grain porridge, miso soup, greens, veggies

I’m So Confused
Question on skipping breakfast; sweets for breakfast; juice in the morning

#207 "What a Gutsy Move"
You’re either tough or you’re not. And by tough I don’t mean…mean. I mean resilient tough. Come from deep in your gut tough. Your gut. Remember that? Taking care of digestion will have you taking care of business. Let me show you just how gutsy you can be as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks

RECIPES
Carrot parsnip tatin
Burdock kinpira
Winter vegetable salad

At the Cutting Board
Discuss miso varieties and their impact on digestion and how to use them

I’m So Confused
Question about pre and probiotics, fermented foods

#208 "The 3 C’s of Health-Carrots, Cauliflower and Cabbage"
There are three veggies that create wellness like no others. Lucky for us, they’re delicious, familiar and so easy to add to our diet. No special shops; no fancy ingredients…just food as Mother Nature intended. Let’s create day to day wellness…deliciously as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Split pea cauliflower bisque
Carrots Osso Buco
Spicy Asian Cole slaw

At the Cutting Board
Making brine pickles of carrots, cabbage and cauliflower

I’m So Confused
Question on nightshade vegetables and health

#209 "Rules of the Kitchen"
I love structure. My home is orderly and my kitchen is immaculate. I think of it as a sacred space. There are rules of the kitchen that you must abide by if you want to nourish with love and serenity. Sounds like a lot to ask of the kitchen, right? We’ll talk about how to ‘be’ in the kitchen as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Sweet onion galette
Sesame noodle salad
Mocha cake with chocolate ganache

At the Cutting Board
Discuss cookware and utensils and what’s best to have in the kitchen.

I’m So Confused
Question on menu planning and what a balanced diet looks like throughout the day

#210 "Cook Your Way to the Life You Want"
Can your food choices help put you on the path to the life you want to lead? It sure can. Food has both a physical and an energetic quality and can enhance or impede your growth as a person. How? You’ll find out as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Wise guy chili
Brown rice and millet croquettes
Cannoli napoleon

At the Cutting Board
Show whole grains and talk about why we need each one

I’m So Confused
Discussion of all the ways we mask the name of sugar in products; snack ideas

#211 "Essential Plant Proteins"
We are obsessed with protein. The question is, do we need as much as we think we need and do we need to eat animals to get it? Hint: cows eat grass. We’ll talk plant proteins and how to cook them deliciously as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Soba noodles with crispy seitan
Fried Tofu with Black Bean Sauce on Scallion Pancakes
Orange-Balsamic Tempeh over Greens

At the Cutting Board
Discuss salts, miso and soy sauce, types and qualities

I’m So Confused
Question on beans as protein source and how to cook to digest easily

#212 "Fear and Loathing in the Kitchen"
I’ll give it to healthy eating. We can suck the joy out of food like no one else. And fear? Yikes! Everything will kill us! Breathe, kids. It’s time to talk about the reality of healthy eating. It’s delicious, simple and nourishes you like nothing else. So stay tuned for some yummy food and serious myth busting as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Squash gnocchi with basil oil
Tofu and Root Vegetable Stew
Hamantaschen

At the Cutting Board
Show and discuss the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen and discuss organic versus non-organic

I’m So Confused
Question on difference between celiac and gluten sensitivity

#213 "It’s the Food Silly"
In our beloved country of more than 350 million people, more of us are sick than not. What a sad and terrifying thought! Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer are so commonplace, we have given them the warm, fuzzy name of lifestyle diseases. Let’s kick unhealthy habits to the curb and turn the tide on disease as we go back to the cutting board today on Christina Cooks.

RECIPES
Wild mushroom and black olive pizza
Candied sweet potatoes and parsnips with bitter greens
Chocolate brownie cupcakes

At the Cutting Board
Show and discuss shiitake, maitake and reishi mushrooms and their impact on wellness

I’m So Confused
Question on what to eat daily to create wellness and what to skip