Community Corner

Community Center Lecture Demonstrates Recipes for Longevity, Wellness

Sonoma Homecare Owner Genevieve Ladha showcases healthy food for seniors on Thursday.

It's hard enough for most of us to eat well, but as we age the problems become more complex.

A decreased appetite, alongside increased nutritional needs, means that every bite a senior takes has to count.

Enter Genevieve Ladha, a Certified Senior Adviser and Owner of Sonoma Homecare. For the past three years Ladha's taught "Food After 50," a workshop helping area seniors determine the best things for their diet.

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"Some people just get tired of cooking  so they go to Ensure, Lean Cuisine and frozen food, because there’s just one person in the house, so it gets hard to cook for themselves," Ladha said.

The free class, which kicks off Thursday in the Sonoma Community Center kitchen, will present tips for crafting healthy seasonal dishes--made with local ingredients--with a nutritional boost.

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Ladha often crafts dishes that combat particular needs of seniors, such as her carrot hummus. As people age, they lose taste-buds and often crave salty and sweet food. Her carrot hummus provides sweetness, without any added sugar.

Other tips: eat olives, they're good for retaining memory. Also, stay hydrated and eat fiber and protein at every meal.

"What [seniors] eat needs to be more of an energy or a fuel," said Ladha "so they have to think about it strategically since their appetite may have dropped."

But, in the end, the workshop will focus on the epicurean bottom line: creating tasty food.

"I feel like everyone is telling seniors what they should eat, but sometimes it has to be about joy--like, does this taste good," Ladha said.

Catch "Food After 50" at the Sonoma Community Center, Thursday, March 3 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Workshop is free and includes lunch.

Genevieve Ladha's French Lentil Quinoa Salad

1 cup of Lentils  (French Green)
1 cup of Quinoa  (Yellow, red or white)
4-6 oz Feta Cheese (Sheep is mild and Goat is stronger)
2 Cups Greens (Baby Spinach and/or Argula)
Chopped Tomatoes (1 basket of Cherry tomatoes or 2 medium roma tomatoes)
½- 1 Cup Herbs: Mint and Basil
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 1/2 tablespoon Vinegar Balsamic
Salt
Pepper

Soak Lentils overnight for 8 hours. Cook in 5 cups of water – add bay leaf with Rosemary. Simmer for 20 minutes, until somewhat firm and not overcooked.
Drain lentils in a colander and put beans in a large salad bowl

Scrub the Quinoa and rinse 5 times to get rid of soap. Cook in a 2 qt. saucepan with 1 cup Quinoa, 2 cups of water and salt. Add Quinoa to Lentils in large salad bowl and let cool in fridge.

Add tomato, feta, greens, herbs and olive and vinegar to Quinoa and Lentil salad. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve at room temprature.

Best enjoyed within three days.


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