Saturday, April 10, 2010

I love this curry sauce!!!!

Spicy Curry over steamed vegetables 
6-8 servings
2 (15 oz) cans of coconut milk
1-1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 package of golden curry sauce mix
2 tbsp lemongrass, pureed
2 tbsp ginger, pureed
2 tbsp garlic chili paste
1-2 tsp crushed pepper flakes, to your taste

Steamed vegetables over brown rice
1 green or red bell pepper, diced
2 cup of fresh broccoli florets
1 cup of carrots, thinly sliced
1(8 oz) can sliced bamboo
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts
1 cup of brown rice

Cook your brown rice coordinately to the package instruction.  Brown rice takes about 30-45 minutes to cook and get tender.

In a large pan heat the coconut milk and vegetable broth to a boil.  Add  the package of curry sauce mix, reducing heat to med-low, whisking frequently. About 5 minutes.  Meanwhile  puree lemongrass and ginger in 1/4 cup of vegetable broth until smooth.  Add  puree mixture, chili paste and crushed pepper flakes to curry mixture.  Simmer on Med-low heat for 20-30 minutes, whisk or stir frequently.

15 minutes before serving steam all your vegetables.  Make sure your veggies are cooked but still crisp.  Over cooked brown rice, add your veggies and pour sauce on top. Enjoy!!!!




Thursday, March 25, 2010

Yummy Falafel's

Falafel's
Serving 4-6
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs 
2 tbsp Italian parsley
1 tbsp cumin, ground coriander & black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
¾ tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 lemon, juiced 
6 tbsp tahini sauce
¼ cup water
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp paprika
¼ lettuce of your choice, shredded
1 tomato, diced
½ cucumber, sliced thin
6 whole wheat pita wraps

Pre-heat oven to 350.  In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, onion bread crumbs, flour, parsley, cumin, coriander, pepper, garlic and ½ tsp of salt.  Stir and scrap the sides of the bowl, forming a coarse paste.  Shape
 into 12 to 14 golf ball-sized rounds.  Brush both sides of each ball with the coconut oil and bake for 45 minutes, turning halfway through, until browned.  Set aside to cool.

Tahini sauce
In a small bowl, add the juiced lemon and whisk together with the tahini, water, olive oil, paprika & ½ sea salt.  Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves, minced, whisking into the tahini sauce.  Set aside until ready to serve, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Falafel Pita Wrap 
Cut Pita’s in half forming a pocket.  Add falafel, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pickle.  Drizzle each pita with 1 tbsp of tahini sauce

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Wonderful juicing recipes

Carrot Juice is the CHAMPION of all vegetables
 My favorite recipe is 4 carrots and 1 apple for daily health!  Carrot juice supplies a high amount of pro-vitamin A, which the body converts to Vitamin A; vitamins B,C,D,E, and K, minerals, calcium, phosphorous, sodium, and trace minerals. This juice benefits intestinal walls, bones, teeth, skin, hair, nails and with regular use, cleanses the liver by helping to release stale bile and excess fats.
Vegetable juicing is critical to good health because it is an important source of raw food.  The majority of individuals  do not eat enough raw vegetables in their daily diet.  We all need raw foods every day, and juicing is an excellent way to make certain you receive large quantities of such raw foods.
Vegetable and fruit juicing is also well suited for the fast moving lifestyle.  It makes it possible for busy people to add more healing foods into their diets with minimal effort.
 Make vegetable juice in the morning and drink it later on through out the day.  Double your recipe to make enough juice for 2 servings. Ultimately juice is best drank freshly juiced. Vegetable juice is one of the most perishable foods there is and ideally it would be best to drink all of your juice immediately. However, if you are careful you can store your vegetable juice for up to 24 hours with only a moderate nutritional decline. You can do this by putting the vegetable juice in a glass jar with an airtight lid and filling it to the very top. There should be as little air in the jar as possible because it is the OXYGEN in air that will "oxidize" and damage the juice. Think of a cut apple turning brown when exposed to air.
Green LEAFY vegetables are the best to use in your vegetable juicing program. All green leafy vegetables work well. The easiest ones to use are: 
Red leaf lettuce
Green Leaf lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Escarole lettuce
Spinach
Kale
Cabbage

Cabbage juice is one of the most healing juices when it comes to repairing an ulcer as it is a huge source of vitamin U. If your worried about the taste of vegetable juice add a few seedless grapes or an apple to your greens
Juicing as a way of fasting!!
Consuming nothing but fresh, diluted juices from various fruits and vegetables for a day or more is a safe and helpful form of fasting.  I believe that juice fasting actually works better than a straight water fast, because it helps to eliminate wastes, old or dead cells while building new tissues with the easily accessible nutrients from the juices. 
Here are some "Good for you" juicing recipes to try:
Alkaline Veggie Juice
        1 cup of spinach
  1/2 cucumber
  2 stalks of celery including leaves
  3 carrots
  1 apple
Juicing Tip: Juice cucumbers with their skins on. The dark green skin is a great source of chlorophyll, a phytochemical that can help build red blood cells. Make sure to wash them before juicing.
Plain O’ O.J
4 medium size oranges
Juicing Tip: When juicing oranges (or any kind of citrus fruit in your recipes for juicers) it is a good idea to juice the white membranes at the center of the orange. The majority of the bio-flavonoids in citrus fruits are found in the white membranes. Scrape off some of the white membranes inside the peel and include them in the juice. We don’t recommend juicing the whole peel, this will produce a very sour unpleasant juice.
A Very Berry Medley

2 cups of strawberries
2 cups of blueberries
1 1/2 cups of raspberries

Berries are among the quickest and easiest of fruits to juice. The only prepping they need is a quick rinse. Strawberries are a small exception as they will need to be topped before juicing.

Simply Green Juice
     1 cup of spinach
         2 cups of kale
 2 cups of parsley
 1 cucumber
 3 celery stalks

Apple and Cucumber Zipper

2 1/2 organic apples
1/2 organic cucumber
1″ of ginger
Remove apple stems and juice everything together. 

The Cucapple
        1/2 organic cucumber
2 organic apples
Remove stems from apples, cut a cucumber in half and juice.
The nice thing with apples and especially cucumbers, is you get a lot of juice out of them. This is a great when you just need something quick.

Sweet Green Juice
1 cucumber
1 carrot
1 green apple
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup mint
1 stalk of celery
½ inch of fresh ginger
½ lemon (peeled)

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Potato Salad


Sweet Potato Salad
4 Servings

2 large sweet potatoes 
2-3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (follow your heart Vegannise)
1 tbsp dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely grounded black pepper
2 large celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced rep pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/4 cup pecans, toasted & chopped
1 small green onion, thinly chopped
Chopped chives for garnish 

Using a fork, prick the sweet potato in several places.  Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes. (Turning midway through cooking).  Cool potatoes until easy to handle, then peel the skins off and cut into 3/4 inch chunks.

In a large bowl mix the vegan mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper until well blended.  Add the sweet potato chunks, celery, red pepper, pineapples, pecans and the green onion to the mayonnaise mixture.  Toss until everything is evenly coated.  Sprinkle with chopped chives for garnish.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes
4-6 servings


2 tbsp coconut oil
2 onions, dices
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1 stalk celery, halved and diced
2 cups of white or brown mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp chili pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cup vegetable broth or water
1-15oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) 
4-6 whole wheat hamburger buns (toasted optional)


Heat coconut oil over medium high heat.  Saute onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno (optional), and celery.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms, chili pepper and black pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.


Reduce heat to medium low and add vegetable broth or water, tomato sauce, tamari or soy sauce and ketchup.  Stir in the TVP and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.


Toast whole wheat buns and serve face up with sloppy joe mix on top of each open faced bun. 
Great with dill pickle slices and vegan sweet potato salad. (recipe follows)



Monday, March 15, 2010

V'lishious Carrot Cake

Incredible Vegan Carrot Cake

    2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    2 teaspoons cinnamon
    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or allspice
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup light brown cane sugar
    3/4 cup cane sugar
    3/4 cup apple sauce
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 cup vegetable oil
    2 cups finely grated carrots
    1 can (about 14 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
    1 cup shredded coconut
    1 cup nuts and raisins

    Faux Cream Cheese Frosting:
    1 8 oz package of vegan cream cheese
    1/3 cup vegan soy margarine (like Earth Balance), softened.  
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    2 cups vegan confectioners sugar


Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, spice, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix sugar and apple sauce until creamy (works best with an electric mixer) - add vanilla, then add vegetable oil. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and add carrots, pineapple, and coconut.

In a 9x9 greased glass pan smooth batter into pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to let the cake completely cool before frosting.

Faux Cream Cheese Frosting recipe:

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and margarine. Add vanilla, then add sugar.
Spread evenly on top of the carrot cake.  Store in the fridge for a couple hours before serving allowing the frosting to harden.  

Friday, March 12, 2010

What you need to know about eating fruit


EATING FRUIT

This is informative!


We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit. 


What's the correct way to eat fruit? 


IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL!  FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. 


Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. 


FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.
Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so. 


In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil. 


Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat! 



There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.
When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT the concentrated juice from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins. 


Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body. Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look! 


KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange! 


AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke. 


STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals. 


EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer. 


WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of  92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium.


GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes. 


Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!
Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal. 


Thursday, February 25, 2010

V'lishious Deserts

Banana Bread

1/2 cup unsweetened milk alternative of choice, Almond milk or Soy are my favorites
2 tbsp  flaxseed
2 cups whole grain spelt or whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1- 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
3-4 mashed ripe banana's
1/2 cup chopped nuts or dried fruit

Preheat oven at 350, grease a 9x5 loaf pan.  Set a side

In a large mixing bowl combine the milk and ground flaxseed and set a side.

In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.

Returning to the large bowl, blend oil, vanilla and banana's until mixed well.  Stir in the dry ingredients by hand, don't over mix, some lumps are okay.

Gently fold in the nuts or dried fruit, if using.  Spread the batter in your greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top is browned.  Allow bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing it to a wire cool rack.


Quick Baked Pears
4 Servings
2 large pears
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup dried cranberries or any dried fruit
1/4 cup granola
1/4 cup apple juice

Peel pears, cut in half lengthwise.  Hollow out the middle, use a melon baller or grapefruit spoon to remove core and seeds.

Place Pear halves, with sides up, in a glass pie plate.  Combine sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle evenly over pears.

Add cranberries and granola, mound into the center of the hollowed pear halves.
Cover dish loosely with wax paper.

Cook in microwave for 4-6 minutes or until the pears are tender.  Let stand in the dish for 5 minutes.  Before serving drizzle juices from pie plate over the pears.

Enjoy this healthy warm snack with a slice of warm banana bread!!!



Thursday, January 28, 2010

7 Layer Supreme Burrito Pie

Simply Beautiful 7-layer Supreme Burrito Pie
4-6 Servings

    2 (15-oz) cans of Vegetarian refried beans
    2 (15-oz) of your favorite salsa (or Homemade)
    1-2 tomatoes, diced
    2 Avocados, piled, pitted and diced
    2 cups slice romaine heart lettuce (or your favorite lettuce)
    2 oz of black olives
    Tofutti Sour cream 
    4 tortillas (flour or wheat)

Place one tortilla on the bottom of a 7 to 9 inch round casserole dish.  This will help keep all the ingredients together when serving.  Use about 3/8 of the refried beans on this bottom layer.

Place another tortilla on top of that. Mix the rest of your refried beans with an equal or larger amount of salsa, depending on the size of your pan and how thick you want it.  Spread just enough to cover the tortilla.  Continue process to the fourth tortilla(which also has the beans/salsa on it).

Now slice the romaine hearts into thin slices by pulling the knife back over them horizontally.  Garnish the top layer with the lettuce first in a circle around the edge. (You may want to wait for this until after you bake, as the lettuce may burn)

Spread Tofutti sour cream on the top follow with dice tomatoes, dice avocado's and finally in the very center, add a large amount of black olives.  Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.


Saturday, January 9, 2010

Easy Vegan Substitutes

Before your begin your new journey on finding vegan substitutes, it's important to manage your expectations. Just as you would not expect a banana to taste like a lentil, you should not expect vegan foods, like soy milk, for example, to taste like cow's milk. All foods are their own separate entities with their own special tastes. It's important to learn to appreciate them for what they are. Have a open mind as you sample new tastes, textures and flavors. Before you know it your vegan substitutes become your favorite!


To substitute milk, simply replace cow's milk with soy milk, rice milk or almond milk. Try several different brands until you find one you like. Vanilla soy and rice milk tend to taste more like cow's milk than the plain varieties. Soy milk now comes in an variety of flavors including eggnog, chai and chocolate. Many egg substitutes exist. The easiest, when baking, is to substitute 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water for each egg. Soy flour infuses baked goods with a moist, dense texture. Other substitutes for 1 egg include 1/2 banana; 1/4 cup soy yogurt or soy sour cream; 1/4 cup of silken tofu, blended well; and 1 tablespoon of flax seeds plus 3 tablespoons of water. You can also purchase a ready-made egg replacer called Ener-G is in most health food stores.


Here is a list of  basic " Vegan Substitutes" and a few of my favorite things I can't live without!
  • Earth Balance- Non Diary, Vegan margarine 
  • Tofutti makes a great cream cheese, sour cream and ice cream in variety of flavors
  • So Delicious ice creams and ice cream cookies
  • Silk Yogurt in a variety of flavors
  • Veganese "follow your heart" mayo and dressing replacement
  • Rice Milk- Original and vanilla flavor.  Chocolate Hemp and Almond is amazing too
  • Agar Nectar- honey and sweetener replacement
  • Meat replacements- Tofu, Seitan, Tempeh, or Textured soy protein (T.V.P)
  • Yves meatless beef grounds and burgers
  • Boca Burgers- Vegan original , roasted garlic or roasted onion
  • Boca Chik'n Patties- original, spicy or nuggets
  • Amy's Kitchen- All American burger, Bistro burger, California veggie burger, Quarter-pond veggie burger and Texas burger
Got a sweet tooth, not to worry you can have the following treats:
  • Any Dark Chocolate
  • Dots, Jujubees, smarties, gummy bears, skittles, Big League Chew Gum and Blow pops just to name a few.