Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Curried vegetable

The recipe Five vegetable curry from India is from zliving


This healthy dish can be had on its own, or topped with almond yogurt and brown rice. We served it over brown rice.
You’ll need
  • 4 Finely chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 thumb knuckle of Grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 TBS broth for sauteing 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons sugar (we omitted)
  • 1 cup broth
  • 1-2 squash cubed
  • 3 sweet potatoes peeled and cut
  • 3 potatoes peeled and cut
  • 3 cups Green beans cut into small pieces
  • 1 quart of Tomatoes – seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons almond powder
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala – you can make this by roasting cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, cloves, coriander seeds and cumin and blending it in a powder mix
How to
  • Heat broth over medium heat till very hot. Add the garlic and ginger till both turn golden
  • Add the cumin, jalapeno and turmeric. Stir a little
  • Now add the broth. Let the mix come to a boil
  • Next, add the squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green beans and tomatoes and let it cook on simmer with the lid placed on. Using a big ladle, mash the potatoes and sweet potatoes slightly. This will give the curry a nice consistency. Now add the almond powder and the garam masala
  • Remove the curry from the heat and let it wait for about 10 minutes with the lid closed – this will help seal in all the flavors


Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Cindy's Oil Free Salad Dressing


Cindy's Oil Free Salad Dressing

ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
6 pitted mejool dates
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1/8 cup miso
½ TBS cumin
½ tsp salt
1 cup water
¼ cup pinenuts
3/8 cup lemon juice
¼ tsp turmeric

Put everything in the blender. Blend until smooth

Friday, January 19, 2018

lentil millet cakes

We altered this red-lentil-quinoa-cakes-with-basil-cream recipe to a vegan version fitting our needs. We served this with a salad and roasted purple sweet potatoes. The basil creme makes the cakes delicious.

Makes 12 patties
Ingredients:
salt to taste
1 cup uncooked millet
1 2/3 cups broth  for instant pot (2 cups if using a stove and  pot)

1 cup red lentils, rinsed and soaked at least 30 minutes, drain water prior to cooking
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 cups of broth

2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves minced

3 TBS gluten free flour
1/2 cup aquafaba

For the basil cream:
1/2 cup almond yogurt
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBS almond milk
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. place millet and broth in instant pot, set manual setting for 10 minutes. Allow natural release and allow to cool
2. In a saucepan, combine the lentils, and spices with 3 cups of broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool
3. Add 1-2 TBS broth to saute pan over medium heat to saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Allow to cool.
4. Make Basil cream: Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.
5. Add the cooked millet, lentils, onion and garlic to a large bowl. Combine with flour and aquafaba.
6. Preheat oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
7. place a 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the parchment paper, flattening to patty shape. Cook 20 minutes, flip and cook another 15 minutes.
8. To serve 2 cakes per person topped with 1 TBS of the basil cream.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Butternut Lentil Stew over Rice


The original recipe is from Choosing Raw. We altered this to meet our dietary needs, as well as, what was in our home. We made it more as a curry stew to serve over rice. We didn't blend it. The original recipe was somewhat bland, so we added cayenne, thyme, garlic and tomatoes to give it more flavor.



Curried Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Stew with Kale 
Serving Size: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup red lentils (dry)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
  • 1 cup white or yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (low sodium if possible)
  • 1 pint canned tomatoes
  • 4 cups kale, washed, dried, and chopped
  • Sea salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste

Instructions
  1. If you wish to, soak the lentils overnight (or for 6-8 hours) in enough water to submerge them completely. Rinse and drain them. This will make them cook super quickly, and it will also help to release phytates, which can impact mineral absorption. However, it's not a necessary step, and red lentils will cook quickly whether you soak them or not. If you don't soak them, simply add them dry, as instructed in step 3!
  2. Heat the broth over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute until it's soft and golden (5-8 minutes). Add the tomatoes, thyme, ginger, curry, and turmeric, and mix the spices in.
  3. Add the lentils and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring the lentils to a boil and reduce them to a simmer. Add the butternut squash and simmer until the pieces are fork tender and the lentils are soft (20 minutes or so).
  4. Stir the kale into the warm stew and allow it to wilt down (you can add extra kale if you like things extra green!). Season soup to taste.
  5. Transfer stew to bowls to top rice. Serve.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

sweet potato crust quiche


We altered the recipe for this Lentil Quiche recipe to fit our needs. Our son still needs a low protein diet so we substituted purple Japanese sweet potatoes for the lentils. This was delicious, even the picky hubby liked it!!!

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

    1/2 cup dried green/brown lentils (2 cups baked or steamed sweet potatoes)
    1 tbsp vegetable broth
    1 medium onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 tbsp lemon juice
    freshly ground pepper
    1 cup aquafaba
    1 cup vegetable broth
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 tsp each dried basil, parsley, oregano    
    1/2 cup gluten free flour
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1 cup aquafaba cheddar
    2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
    2 tbsp pinenut parmesan cheese

Directions

wash and then bake or steam the sweet potatoes

In skillet, saute onions and garlic in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and black pepper to taste.

In bowl, beat together aquafaba, broth, salt and herbs. Stir in flour and aquafaba cheese, but don't overmix.

Combine sweet potatoes with cooked onion mixture. Stir into batter. Line pie pan with parchment paper. Bake the "pie" shell at 425 for 20-30 minutes.

Pour the aquafaba mixture into the baked pie shell

Top with tomato slices, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 425 F (220 C) or until center is firm when pressed.

Serves 6 for lunch or 4 for dinner.

Number of Servings: 6

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Tuscan Soup

We saw the recipe for Tuscan Soup recipe from Clean Plates and altered to fit our needs, tastebuds, refrigerator, and pantry. We omitted the beans this time due to our son having a tough time with his apnea and cyanosis issues. We need to reduce his protein intake for a few days.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp  broth for sauteing vegetables
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 1 small celery stalk, diced
  • 1 zucchini
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large clove of garlic, sliced
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 to 2 quarts (1 to 2 L) vegetable stock, plus more as needed
  • 4 small Yukon Gold or Red Bliss potatoes, diced
  • 4-5 cups Tuscan kale, shredded
  • 1 TBS 10 Spice Blend from Oh She Glows
  • Vegan Bread
  • 1 garlic clove, halved
  • Extra celery leaves (optional)
  • Pinenut Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions

  1. In a large, heavy-bottom pot, warm the broth over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and zuccchini, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
  2. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Pour in 1 quart (1 L) of vegetable stock. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then add the potatoes and kale. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, with the lid tilted, until the vegetables are cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Add more broth   as needed or to your liking. 
  3. About 10 minutes before serving, toast or grill the bread, or simply cut into slices. Drizzle with olive oil (if wanted) and rub with a cut clove of garlic while still warm. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. Ladle your soup into bowls and top with extra celery leaves and Parmesan cheese. Serve piping hot with your delicious bread for dunking.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Fuhrman's Szechuan Sesame Pasta

This recipe is from Dr. Fuhrman for Szechuan Sesame Pasta. Our son can't have that many legumes, so we had it with rice Pad Thai noodles. Following his directions, it is somewhat spicy due to the ginger. We loved it but it was a little too spicy for our son.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces bean pasta (see note), cooked according to package directions, rinsed under cold water and drained
2 pounds fresh or frozen broccoli florets, steamed
1 large red bell pepper, or 2 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
6 scallions, thinly sliced
black (or brown) sesame seeds for garnish
FOR THE SAUCE:
1/4 cup unhulled (brown) sesame seeds, lightly pan toasted
1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
6 Medjool or 12 regular dates, pitted
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
3 tablespoons rice vineg








Instructions:

In a high-powered blender, puree all of the sauce ingredients until smooth.

In a large bowl, toss the noodles, broccoli, red pepper and scallions with the sesame sauce until thoroughly coated. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve, divide among 6 plates and sprinkle with the sesame seeds

Note: Several varieties of bean pasta are available at www.drfuhrman.com.
Calories 285; Protein 17 g; Carbohydrates 47 g; Sugars 10 g; Total Fat 5 g; Saturated Fat 0.6 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 71 mg; Fiber 13.1 g; Beta-Carotene 1097 ug; Vitamin C 173 mg; Calcium 313 mg; Iron 6.3 mg; Folate 143 ug; Magnesium 71 mg; Potassium 719 mg; Zinc 3.1 mg; Selenium 6.4 ug

Millet Black Bean Loaf

We modified Dr Greger's recipe for Red  Quinoa Loaf from his How Not to Die Cookbook, p 156 to fit our needs. Quinoa has too much protein for our son to eat with beans. We also substituted the,kidney beans (son's allergic to kidney beans) for black beans. This is the BEST meat substitute loaf my husband has ever eaten

Ingredients:
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup crispie walnuts (soaked and dehydrated)
1 cup mushrooms, quarter
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked millet
1/2 cup organic gluten free rolled oats
2 TBS tahini
2 TBS nutritional yeast
2 TBS ground flax seeds
1 tsp dried parsley
1 TBS chickpea miso
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line loaf pan with parchment paper.
Combine all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until finely mixed.
Transfer to lined loaf pan
Bake for 50-60 minutes

We used the vegan mushroom gravy from Wholefoods (our favorite gravy recipe) and served with vegan mashed potatoes


Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Allergen Free Date Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe from Whole Foods has been altered to fit our needs. I made these for Donna's annual cookie exchange. The taste is amazing, in the future I may add a 1/3 of a cup of aquafaba instead of a 1/4.

Vegan Everything Cookies

Makes about 42 cookies

Ingredients
4 tablespoons earth balance soy-free
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup maple or date sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup aquafaba
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup all-purpose gf flour
1 1/2 cups GF rolled oats
3/4 cup enjoy life chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped dates

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat together the butter, applesauce, sugar and agave nectar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vinegar until fairly smooth. Then beat in the aquafaba until smooth. Add the baking soda and flour and mix well. Add the oats, dates, and chips, stirring to combine. Drop dough balls of about one level tablespoons (using a tablespoon measure, not a dinner spoon) onto cookie sheets.

Space the cookies two inches apart — they spread for sure! Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, reversing the pans halfway through (top rack to bottom, bottom to top). For softer cookies, bake for the shorter amount of time; for crunchier, the longer. Cool the cookies on the pan for two minutes, then transfer them with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

Monday, January 8, 2018

sweet potato rounds

We have altered the litehouse foods recipe to fit our needs. These are awesome!!!!

Sweet Potato Rounds
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, sliced into rounds
ground cinnamon
salt

Herbed Vegan Ricotti cheese

1 cup chopped hazelnuts
3/4 cup apple sweetened cranberries
honey

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato slices into a large bowl and sprinkle with sea salt and cinnamon and mix around to coat the potato slices. Arrange the rounds on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the rounds and bake for an additional 17-20 minutes, until they are cooked through and crispy on the edges.
Place the oven onto high broil. Place a dollop of herbed ricotta onto each sweet potato round and return to the oven for an additional 2-4 minutes.
Sprinkle the rounds with the chopped hazelnuts, dried cranberries and honey before serving warm.










Saturday, January 6, 2018

January 2018 Potluck

This month's theme is soup and salad. Everything was so amazing!!! What a blessing each month brings, sharing wonderful recipes and socializing with similar minded people!!!
Next month's theme is Super Bowl Snacks

Lentil Soup Using 3 cups cooked lentils instead of 1 and only 1 tsp of oil











Mushroom soup

White Bean and Kale Soup The How Not to Die Cookbook by Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM
From
Makes: 4 (1 ½-Cup) Servings

6 cups Vegetable Broth
1 large red onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½-inch dice
5 cups chopped fresh red kale
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 ½ cups cooked or 1-15.5 ounce BPA-free can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon white miso paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram or oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons Savory Spice Blend (recipe below)

Heat 1 cup of the broth in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato, kale, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and the remaining 5 cups of broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, add the beans and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 3- minutes. Ladle about 1/3 cup of the broth into a small bowl or cup. Add the miso paste and stir to blend. Pour the miso mixture into the soup and stir in the nutritional yeast, parsley, marjoram, and the Savory Spice Blend. Serve hot.

SAVORY SPICE BLEND
Makes: About ½ cup

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard (mustard powder)
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon celery seed


Combine all the ingredients in a spice grinder to blender to mix well and pulverize the dried herbs and spices. Transfer the blend to a shaker bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dry place.

Cauliflower soup












Red Lentil Coconut Soup


Quinoa Salad
craisins, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, quinoa, almonds, seasoned with Penzeys Spices Tuscan Sunset and Fox Point









Salad











Vegan Garlic Bread


Mangoes and Dates soaked in mango and apple juice, coated with carob and almonds











Kiwi Cheesecake

with this version there is no crust, kiwi instead of peaches and no blueberry sauce

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

amaranth tortillas

This recipe is from Bojon Gourmet. These are so easy to make!!!

Ingredients
Tortillas:
  • ½ cup amaranth flour 
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons millet flour, plus more for rolling the tortillas
  • ½ cup all-purpose gluten free flour (or 1/4 cup tapioca starch and 1/4 cup brown rice flour)
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup  cool water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Make the tortillas:
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the amaranth, millet, gluten free flour, salt, and baking powder. Pour in the water and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in a ball; the dough will be fairly soft. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  2. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Generously flour your work surface with millet flour and divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each ball of dough out into a thin round, using a metal bench scraper to move the dough around, dusting with more millet flour to prevent sticking, into a 5-inch round about ⅛-inch thick. Use the bench scraper to transfer the tortilla to the griddle and cook on each side until lightly golden and forming air pockets, 1-2 minutes per side. Take care not to overcook or the tortillas will become too brittle. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. As you work, stack the tortillas in a clean, damp kitchen towel to keep them soft and pliant.

Monday, January 1, 2018

Reboot Daily Guide from Joe Cross

We usually do a 10-day fast of some sort each year, but this year I want to do something different. I decided to try Joe Cross's reboot. Because I need to prepare dinner every night for the rest of us, I am following his Daily Guide but not his plan exactly. I can add cooked sweet potatoes or potatoes for dinner for the guys, leftovers and a salad for our son's lunch. The hubby eats whatever he wants for breakfast and lunch.

Wake up: 8 oz (250 ml) hot water with lemon and/or ginger
Breakfast : Plant-based juice, smoothie or snack (smoothie)
Mid-Morning: Green, orange or red juice
Lunch: Reboot soup or salad 
Afternoon snack: Green, orange or red juice
Dinner: Reboot plant-based meal (wholefood, plant-based soup)
Bedtime: Herbal tea (add pure stevia for sweetness if desired)
All day: Drink lots of water (divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water each day)