Outta The Park BBQ Chicken

1 whole chicken, butterfly

1 cup Outta The Park BBQ sauce (hot and spicy)

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 tablespoons raw brown sugar

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven

Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Season with sea salt and black pepper and blend to combine.

Brush chicken with a thick coating of the paste.  Place chicken on a roasting pan, skin side up. Baste chicken constantly during cooking until the juice runs clear and skin crispy (about 1 hour). 

Serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Another Good Reason to Choose Organic Sweet Corn

www.pressherald.com - July 4th, 2012

Corn is a traditional Fourth of July treat, whether roasted on the grill, steamed in a large pot or layered into a lobster bake. Yet this all-American food is increasingly raising red flags among independent scientists and farmers.

This summer marks the first time that Monsanto's Bt sweet corn has been approved for planting in Maine. Unlike genetically modified field corn, which farmers in Maine and across the country have been growing for years as livestock feed, sweet corn is intended for human consumption.

Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring soil bacteria that organic farmers have used for years as a diluted spray to fend off pests. Chemical companies such as Monsanto are now inserting patented strains of the toxins produced by Bt directly into the DNA of various plants. Bt sweet corn is the latest example.

Two recent studies illustrate the potential harm posed by these genetically modified Bt crops, which have never been independently tested for safety.

In February, the Journal of Applied Toxicology published the results of a study carried out at the University of Caen in France. In this study, researchers found that the toxins produced by genetically modified Bt plants can break open and destroy human cells.

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Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

1 1/2 cups egg whites

1 1/4 cups powdered/icing sugar

1 cup tapioca flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F

Sift all the dry ingredients twice (except for the sugar). Add salt, cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on high speed gradually adding in the sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Clean a 10" cake pan or cake tube with vinegar and gently spoon in the mixture. Cut through mixture with a knife to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until it springs back when touched.  Immediately turn pan over on a cake plate.  Leave to cool completely before removing the pan.

Decorate with whipped cream and fresh berries to serve. 

Are Common Chemicals Making Us Fat?

www.heraldsun.com.au - June 30th, 2012

A RECENT study questioned the use of some everyday chemicals. So should we be worried? Fiona Baker presents both sides of the debate.

Yet another report has linked some everyday chemicals with increases in cancers, diabetes, obesity, falling male fertility and a number of neurological problems in both humans and animals.

In May, the European Environment Agency (EEA) released a review which made a direct connection between endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and health problems. EDCs are chemicals that interfere with the body's endocrine system, which regulates the hormones needed for all biological processes.

EDCs exist in both natural and synthetic forms. Some are used in medications such as the birth control pill, while EDCs such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are used in food packaging and plastic containers, and others are used in agricultural pesticides, lubricants and solvents.

"Scientific research gathered over the past few decades shows us that endocrine disruption is a real problem, with serious effects on wildlife and possibly people," EEA executive director Jacqueline McGlade says. "It would be prudent to take a precautionary approach to many of these chemicals until their effects are more fully understood."

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