When shoppers enter into their supermarket or grocery store, they will see shelves and refrigerator cases filled with countless items, ranging from dairy products, baked goods, produce, meats and seafood, baking products, canned goods, assorted condiments, processed foods, and countless other items. All these food temptations can often lead the shopper to indulge, and indulging—or overeating—can lead to obesity and other health issues such as diabetes, heart burn, and digestive issues.
Thinking about these issues should inspire people to consider the healthy way of eating back in Jesus Christ’s time when people ate a very straightforward and simple diet that consisted basically of locally available grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, and occasionally, meat. In fact, the special feature of most meals for the lower class was barley bread and for the wealthier, wheat bread broken into pieces and dipped in olive oil.
Mankind should understand and appreciate that God gave us food to survive and to keep in good health. As 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 reminds us, “Do not treat your body as an instrument of sin, but as of the Holy One who inhabits it.” It is very important that consuming God’s food, not the man-made items that flood markets, can stabilize people’s health and energy. Shoppers and home cooks should keep the following items on their lists: grains such as barley and wheat; legumes such as lentils and chickpeas; a variety of fruits and vegetables, including figs, dates, onions and leeks; protein from fish, chicken, and eggs; and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Another must-have staple is olive oil, used commonly in Christ’s time for cooking and use with food.
Scripture states that God’s food sustains and heals human life In Genesis 1:29, God gave us “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth” and “every tree that has fruit with seed in it”. Thus, it is imperative that people understand that God’s food surpasses any man-made edible dish.
Lentil Soup
Serves 4 to 6
1 cup orange or red lentils
1/2 cup raw rice
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups chopped carrot
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chopped parsley for garnish
Cut lemons for fresh juice
In a large saucepan, add 10 cups of water, the lentils, rice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over low heat for 40 minutes.
In a separate saucepan, add the olive oil and chopped onions and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onions become golden. Add the carrots and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the onion-carrot mix to the lentils, and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper and cook for 15 minutes more. Serve the soup, garnish with chopped parsley, and add a few squeezes of lemon juice.
Gluten Free Wild Caught Coho or Sockeye Salmon Cakes
Note: The cook time varies, depending on whether you bake or fry the cakes in a skillet. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for a couple of weeks.
(Recipe credit: G. Shepard)
Yield 8 fish cakes
Two 6-ounce portions of wild-caught Coho or Sockeye Salmon, cooked
1 large egg
2-3 medium size cloves of previously roasted garlic, smushed (can substitute fresh minced garlic)
1/4 cup very finely chopped celery stalk
1/4 cup very finely chopped roasted red pepper
1/4 cup very finely chopped fresh green onions/scallions
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or a vegan substitute
2 tablespoons washed, dried, and finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup tapioca or rice flour, or more as needed to make the mixture firm enough to mold into cakes
Splash of lemon or lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 F if you intend to bake the cakes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper before baking. If you want to pan-fry them instead, set out a plate or platter big enough to hold 8 fish cakes.
In a large bowl, flake the fish with a fork to the desired consistency. (Clean hands work really well too.) Add the remaining ingredients, except the flour, and mix well. Then mix in the flour. Let rest 5 minutes.
Using a spoon or clean hands, form palm-sized scoops into patties and place them on the prepared baking sheet or platter.
Bake in the oven about 18 minutes or until lightly browned or fry over medium heat in butter or olive oil until lightly browned.
