Kickstart Your Health...

Dr. Neal Barnard has a wonderful way of teaching for simple folks like me who want to know about plant-based eating. So does Dr. Fuhrman. And Dr. John McDougall. And others. I appreciate all the things they have taught me over the years, and what is great is that most of their things line up with each others', Dr. Fuhrman's topping them all (in my humble opinion) for his push to get the micronutrients into our bodies. Micronutrients are best found in greens and other veggies high in nutrients (not potatoes; they make good 'stick to the ribs' foods).

But back to Dr. Barnard. You might find his kickstart program to be a nice idea to cleanse your body of junk and to help get you started on a road of better eating habits. His idea is the 'little picture' in the hopes that you get a good start and just continue after 3 weeks of eating plant-based. I think he's on to something.

Here is what he proposes:
3 weeks of plant-based foods
as many whole foods as possible, meaning not much sugar or oil and no animal products

So what is there to eat if you take out meat, sugar and dairy? Oh, my! the possibilities are endless! Shall I give you some examples? I'd love to. I think I'll try to post a sample menu each day for the coming week. See if you won't get excited about trying a 3 week plant-based meal plan. You might decide it is doable!

So for today, here is the first menu. Recipes are below the menu.

Breakfast
1 large green smoothie
or fruit and 'yogurt' parfait (layer fresh fruit, good-for-you granola and soy or coconut yogurt)

Snack
a handful of almonds
apple

Lunch
whole grain wrap spread with hummus or avocado
layered with lettuce, onion, sprouts, shredded carrots, peppers, tomatoes and olives
drizzled with ranch dressing and 'wrapped'
eat the second wrap if you are still hungry
a piece of fruit, if desired

Dinner
Large Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing
Spaghetti and "Sausage"
My Favorite Way to Eat Green Beans

photo credit: Sunny Raw Kitchen
recipe for homemade ranch spices also can be found there

 

 

 

Ranch Dressing

 

1 cup low fat mayo

(or 1/2 c cashews blended with 1/2 c water)

1 c plant-based milk mixed with

1 T lemon juice or vinegar

2 T Penzey's buttermilk ranch seasoning mix

 

Mix together and refrigerate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spaghetti and Sausage

 

for the sausage:

(I usually have this made ahead and in the freezer)

 

1 quart lentils, drained

1/2 c whole grain flour

Toss the lentils and flour together and mash slightly.

Add

1 T Italian Sausage seasoning

1 t salt

 

Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300*

for several hours or until dry.

Cool and freeze.

 

 

Spaghetti

 

Cook 1 box whole grain spaghetti according to directions on box.

(I like Eden brand ancient grains)

Drain and toss with pasta sauce and sauteed onions, mushrooms, pepper and garlic.

 

Warm the sausage and serve alongside the spaghetti.

 

Enjoy your meal.

If you want dessert, eat some cold pineapples mixed with strawberries.

Or grapes and kiwi and melon.

Or any fruit of your choice.

Of Summer and Ice Cream...



Humidity...it happens even here in the Fingerlakes in the summer, even though most days are pleasantly cool and breezy. Summer just seems to spell 'ice cream' and although we have not bought the traditional dairy, sugar filled ice cream for several years now, we certainly know pleasant replacements for it. I thought I would share some recipes with you that we enjoy in the summer time instead of ice cream as we used to know it.

Strawberry Coconut 'Frosty'

 

Into a 4 cup measure place

1 can coconut milk (like Thai Kitchen unsweetened)

2 c. almond or other plant based milk

1 t vanilla

Whisk together.

Into a Vitamix or powerful blender place

 

4 or 5 c frozen strawberries.

Pour the milk mixture over the berries.

Add 1/4 c sugar or maple syrup, if desired.

Blend til smooth.

 

Mango Peach Frosty

 

4 c coconut milk/almond milk/vanilla mixture poured over

2 cups frozen mango chunks

(I found awesome small chunks in 2 lb bags at Aldi in the seasonal freezer)

2-3 c frozen peaches

Blend until smooth.

 

 

 

 

We enjoy these so much we don't even miss ice cream

(not that ice cream is a must-have food by any means).

I certainly do not miss the sugar headaches and hangovers I used

to have when eating ice cream.

 

What about you.

 Do you

have a

favorite ice cream replacement

 to share?

 

 

Leave a comment and tell me about it.

Black Bean Burgers...

This is our supper for tonight...and it is awesomely delish!

 

Black Bean Burgers

 

1 quart black beans (mash with fork but not completely)

2 c quick oats (I pulse my rolled oats in the food processor a few times)

1 onion, chopped fine (I use the food processor after the oats come out)

about 5 or 8 sprigs cilantro (chop with onion in food processor)

3 cloves garlic (chopped with onion)

3 T ground flax seeds mixed with 1/2 c water (set aside while you chop the veggies)

1/2 c whole kernel corn

1 t chipotle pepper, ground

1 t salt

1/2 t oregano flakes

1/4 t ground black pepper

 

 

Mix all together and shape into 1/3 c balls. Roll in whole grain flour or bread crumbs and place on greased baking sheet. Flatten balls with your palm to make burger shaped patties.

 

 

 

Bake at 400* for 20 minutes. Flip and bake another 10 minutes.

 

Enjoy with burger fixings.

 

Or cut a burger into

strips and top a

Mexican style

salad:

 

shredded red and white cabbage

onion

shredded carrots

diced tomatoes

Pico de Gallo

Almond Cream

Taco Dressing

What a treat!

Roasted Broccoli...

A recipe on my menu for this coming week: recipe and photos credit of Girl Makes Food.
 

                                          

 

I find people often feel tempted to use frozen veggies to roast.  I have tried this with broccoli, just because I was curious what would happen (a normal curiosity, no?).  It will brown, but it also gets a little soggy, so if  you can deal with that go for it.  In a pinch I say its not the worst thing, but fresh is preferable in my book.

Health highlight of broccoli:  while broccoli may seem like a common, unremarkable veggie, it is actually a powerhouse of healthy stuff.  Broccoli contains a compound that has been shown to be effective in preventing certain cancers.  The nutrients in broccoli also help to promote and regulate detoxification in the body, which is fantastic.  Broccoli is also a strongly anti-inflammatory food.

Ingredients:

2 heads Broccoli (chopped)
1 tablespoon EV Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
• On a cookie sheet lined with parchment toss the broccoli with the oil, salt and pepper
• Spread evenly in a single layer
• Roast until the broccoli has browned in some areas
• Squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli
• Serve and enjoy!!!

PS
I plan to enjoy my broccoli with an Asian sauce of some sort. My favorite right now is Sweet Chili Sauce (be sure to get it without MSG or it's 'cousins' like autolyzed yeast extract or torula yeast extract, etc).

Vitamin Water

It has been years now that our family stepped away from drinking much more than water. So many of the drinks on the market are loaded with artificial coloring, sugars, and other harmful-to-health ingredients. What a waste of money, both in the purchasing and also in the dentist/doctor bills these help to incur!

We also avoid drinking fruit juices on a regular basis because they are not a whole food. The fiber in the fruit actually slows down the absorption of sugar to the body, thus making it a better choice to eat the whole fruit rather than drinking the juice.

 

But sometimes water gets boring. Here is a fun thing I tried this afternoon (has been on my to-do list for a few weeks).

Into a gallon jar, place

4 thinly sliced lemons and 1/2 cup

chopped mint leaves. Fill with water, place a lid on the jar and store overnight in the fridge.

 

 Enjoy a flavorful, refreshing beverage for a different twist on drinking water.



Eat Your Veggies...

 

It's National Eat Your Vegetables Day.

Did you have yours today?!

Honey Roasted Chickpeas



I have been wanting to try this treat for awhile already and finally this afternoon, I gave it a whirl. Out of the many versions of roasted chickpeas there are to try, I went straight for the sweet one first. :-) It turned out to be a big success and I can't wait to use the leftovers on my salad.

Honey Roasted Chickpeas

 

Into a bowl place 1/2 c honey and the juice of 1 lime.

Add 2 T olive oil, a few shakes of chipotle pepper and salt.

 

Toss together and add 1 quart chickpeas

(rinsed and patted dry)

 

Toss the chickpeas to coat and spread evenly (in single layer)

onto a greased 9x13 baking sheet.

 

Bake in a 425* oven, shaking pan every 20 minutes or so

until chickpeas are brown and crispy on the outside

(about 45 minutes).

 

Cool and store leftovers in the fridge.

I am told that the 'crunchy' leaves in 48 hours.

 



Potato Pizza

Here is what we are having for supper tonight:

Shred 4 medium potatoes (scrubbed and unpeeled) and place them into a lightly sprayed 9x13 glass pan.
Spoon 2~3 cups (?) pasta sauce over top, stirring it down into the potatoes as well.
Saute in a bit of vegetable broth or water: 1 large red onion, 1 bell pepper, 2 cups medium chopped mushrooms. When vegetables are tender, add 3 or 4 cloves pressed garlic. Stir and spread over potatoes. Add sliced black olives, lentil sausage, chopped spinach (if desired), and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Bake in 400* oven for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

 

Serve with a large garden salad for a spectacular meal.

Pizza Bites

photo courtesy of Eating Well

These go great with that salad that is highly recommended to be 'the main dish'. "-)

In olive oil or veg broth, sauté 1 large onion and 1 bell pepper, diced. When vegetables are tender, add 3 or 4 cloves pressed garlic. Stir and sauté another minute. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix:

1 1/3 c whole grain flour (I used spelt)
4 t baking powder
1 t dried oregano flakes
1 T dried parsley flakes
1/2 t salt

In another bowl mix:

2/3 c almond milk or vegetable broth
2/3 c crumbled cheddar cheese (optional)
2 large eggs (or try the egg replacer of 2 T ground flax seed to 1/2 c water per egg)
4 T tomato paste
2 T kalamata olives (optional)

Mix all ingredients together til just mixed. Fill greased muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake at 400* for about 15 minutes or til a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes then move muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Yields about 12 to 14 regular sized muffins