Vegetarian / Vegan « feedyourroots

Vegetarian / Vegan

The Exception. Not the Rule.

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

Here’s a confession you don’t often see on a health and wellness blog: I love the movie “He’s Just Not that Into You”. Chances are if you’re reading this post, you’re probably a savvy female so you’ve probably seen it too. What’s not to love? It features some of my favorite actors, who, lets face it, are also extremely easy on the eyes, like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Anniston, Scarlett Johansson, and Kevin Connolly, and the plot is generally relatable for any girl in their 20’s or 30’s.

If you’ve never seen this movie, it’s a story about a group of interconnected twenty and thirty-something’s and their relationships – which are all very similar to your average relationship clichés: the girl that’s been dating the guy for several years, but he doesn’t want to get married, the girl that comes on too strong and waits by the phone for guys to call that never do, the couple that got married too young, the shallow guy that only casually dates beautiful women and the sassy girl that can’t decide between the sexy married guy and her no-sparks standby. The movie is entertaining to watch as the characters learn to stop listening to their friends who encourage their dysfunctional relationships because “things might work out with these dipsticks because they knew someone, who knew someone, who dated a dipstick just like mine. That girl ended up getting married and living happily ever after. That’s the exception and we’re not the exception. We’re the rule.” Sounds like a good lesson to learn to me. Side note: that movie summary took up more space on a screen than I originally anticipated.

Ok, ok, so where am I going with this? The concept of “exceptions” and “rules” got me thinking about food and how what used to be considered “exceptions” in the diet not that long ago have become the “rules” today. I realize this is a pretty crazy train of thought, but hear me out.

Up until a few generations ago, which is not that long ago considering how old the US is, most meals were consumed at home in a sit-down fashion with other members of the family. Food was homemade. For various reasons including cost, sugar and meat were consumed only on holidays or infrequently each week. You could say that the number of times per week a person consumed meat, sugar or something out of a box was less than the number of times they did. And you know what? People weighed less and diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease were a lot less common. Sounds pretty appealing to me.

So when I was craving some Southern comfort food, I knew I had to make it myself. The sugar, additives and preservatives added to the prepackaged food-like-substances at the grocery store don’t make the cut for this savvy chick. These baked beans are made with all read food. The food-like-substances for sale at the grocery store can’t say that.

I’m not saying all food out of a box is bad for you or dessert should be banned. That’s not realistic and not the key to healthy living and feeling your best, in my opinion. But before you indulge – What is the quality of the ingredients? Are you checking the ingredient list? How often are you eating sugar or meat? Is it a daily thing or hardly ever?

Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

1.5 cups pinto beans, cooked or canned & strained

1 big carrot, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

16 ounces tomato paste

¼ cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon paprika

a little chili powder if you want some bite

salt and pepper to taste

optional: 2 organic bacon strips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and chop into tiny pieces.

Leave grease in pan and add garlic.

If you are not using bacon, pour a splash of grapeseed oil and add the garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and add carrots. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and stir so that tomato paste evenly coats the beans and carrots.

Turn heat on high and bring mixture to boil.

Place pan in oven and bake until most of the liquid disappears and carrots are cooked – about 25 minutes. Do not cover the pan.

Posted in Health Coaching, Meat, Quick & Easy, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Moroccan Tagine

Sunday, March 27th, 2011

My local library has a large collection of magazines that I have been checking out and flipping through. This recipe caught my eye in the April 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. I made a few tweaks – like adding more turmeric and using fingerling potatoes instead russet potatoes. I will definitely be making this again. I added a head of Swiss chard that I sautéed in water to my tagine. The entire meal took less than 30 minutes – can’t beat that!

Ingredients:

Spice Blend

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Tagine

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 large leek cut into 1 inch thick round slices

1 red pepper, chopped

8 fingerling potatoes, chopped

1.5 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned

3 cloves garlic, chopped

12 dried apricots, quartered

Directions:

To make Spice Blend: Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and mix.

To make Tagine:

Heat oil in pot on medium heat. Add leek and bell pepper, sauté for 3 minutes.

Add potatoes, chickpeas, garlic and Spice Blend.

Stir in apricots.

Add 2 cups of water. Cover pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Serve over dark leafy greens, bulgur or quinoa.

Posted in Quick & Easy, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Spring Means Greens!

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

It’s officially spring! Even better, it actually feels like spring! Bring on the flip flops and sundresses! Ok, ok, may be I am getting a little ahead of myself…but what we can talk about right now, at the start of spring, are green veggies – specifically dark leafy greens.

Mother Nature knows that we gain weight when it’s cold out; this used to be a mechanism of survival, and spring is a time to shed our coats, literally and figuratively. Leave it to Mother Nature to provide us the perfect antidote for the harshness of the winter season – spring and all of the gifts that come with it!

Spring is a time of growth and renewal. It’s time to clean out those dust-bunnies, both in our homes and bodies! Green vegetables are the foods most missing in modern diets. Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other important micronutrients and phyto-chemicals.

Benefits from eating dark leafy greens:

* Alkalizing

* Blood purification

* Cancer prevention

* Improved circulation

* Strengthened immune and respiratory systems

* Promotion of healthy intestinal flora

* Improved liver, gallbladder and kidney function

* Cleared congestion, especially in the lungs, by reducing mucus (Where are my allergy sufferers?!?)

So you get it. Greens are important. But how can you incorporate them into your daily routine? Here are my top two favorites.

Try green juice or a green smoothie. Blend raw greens with fruit and water for the perfect start to your morning or as an afternoon snack. Juicing is a great way to load up on nutrients that are easily digested and immediately absorbed into your bloodstream. This “liquid nutrition” provides an instant shot of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein and oxygen. To avoid a blood sugar spike and to maximize the benefits of juicing, use three vegetables for every piece of fruit. Drink your juice or smoothie on an empty stomach and wait at least 30 minutes before eating solid food to maximize the digestive process.

In case you’re wondering, buying a pre-packaged bottle at the store isn’t the same thing and provides very little, if any, benefit. Pasteurized juices are cooked at a minimum of 145 degrees and have a longer shelf life, but lack the enzymes needed to make any positive impact on your health. If you check the ingredient list, I bet you’ll also find lots of artificial stuff added to your juice like sweeteners, colors, flavors and preservatives.

I’m loving this recipe for my morning green smoothie.

Ingredients:

3 stalks of kale

About 4 inches of a cucumber chopped into slices

1 banana

A handful of frozen blueberries

1 cup of water

Directions:

Tear kale into big pieces and place into a blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly.

Pour into glass. Add some ice to your glass if you prefer it chilled.

Make greens the main part of your meal. Notice how much space the greens take up on the plate compared to the rice and fish. This southern-style inspired greens recipe is very flavorful and can go with just about anything. I added a spoon full of brown rice and salmon baked with garlic and lemon juice. Simple and delicious. Who says you have to be a gourmet chef to make a tasty meal?

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable broth

1 head collard greens

1 head swiss chard

1 red onion, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons paprika

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions:

Pour vegetable broth into large pot and add high heat

Chop onion and garlic. Add it to the pot.

While the broth, onion, garlic mixture is heating, get started on the greens. Remove the stems and cut the leaves into large bite size pieces.

Once the broth is boiling, turn the heat on low. Add the paprika and apple cider vinegar.

Add the greens and use a spoon to coat the greens in the broth. The greens should start to wilt.

Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Posted in Digestion, Spring, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Chickpea and Red Lentil Stew

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Have I mentioned how much I heart lentils? Sure there’s the obvious reason – they’re healthy (more on that in a minute), but what I really love is how low maintenance they are. Lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking, making them a quick and easy way to pack in the nutrients. Rich in fiber, folate and phytonutrients, these antioxidants protect against oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

Cumin is not only great for flavor, but it’s a good source of iron and is great for your digestive and immune systems. Turmeric fights inflammation so it’s a great spice to incorporate into your daily diet, because we all benefit from anti-inflammatory foods.

So just when it was starting to feel like spring Mother Nature decided to remind us that it’s only the beginning of March and threw in a few cold and dreary days. At least it wasn’t snow! A bowl of stew felt like the perfect remedy to offset the dampness. I ate this nutrient-packed stew with extra kale and brown rice and it definitely warmed me up!

Ingredients:

1 cup dried red lentils

¾ cup dried chickpeas

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

3 large carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces

5 stalks kale

Juice from 3 limes

2 teaspoons ginger

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground pepper

optional: ½ cup chopped unsalted peanuts

Directions:

Soak chickpeas for at least 6 hours or overnight

Combine chickpeas, carrots, onion, lentils, broth, spices and red pepper in slow cooker.

Cook until chickpeas are tender, approximately 6 hours.

Stir in lime juice and kale. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Or…

If you are short on time, you can use canned chickpeas. If you do this, substitute a large pot on the stove for the slow cooker. Put broth, lentils, spices, onion, peppers and carrots into the pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Add lime juice. Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. Stir them in and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in kale until it is wilted, about 2 minutes. Add peanuts and serve. Great with brown rice or quinoa!

Posted in Digestion, Nutrients, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Rice, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free, Winter | 1 Comment »

Teff Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

I’ll admit it – I am still recovering from the holiday season, and by recovering I mean trying to kick the super-sweet tooth that took over during the holidays. Even though all of my desserts and “indulgences” were homemade with only real ingredients like whole grains and natural sweeteners (read: no refined flours or sugars), I am aware that I am craving sweets more than I’d like to be; more than what is “normal” for me.

Making changes is hard, especially when it comes to sugar. Drastic changes are even harder because they don’t last. Depriving yourself of foods that you crave is not going to do you any good. Gradual changes are long lasting because they are habit-forming.

So instead of dwelling and feeling guilty, I remind myself that I am only human and that I am a work in progress. My sweet treats are made only with whole foods. These cookies, adapted from Clean Food, really do the trick. If I only have one a day then I am ok with that. One “sweet treat” every other day next week will be even better. Then I will be almost back to my good ‘ol self again.

Ingredients: (makes 20 cookies)

1.5 cups teff flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup 100% peanut butter (chunky or smooth works)

1 cup maple syrup

¾ of a 3.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate (I like Green & Black 70%) chopped into chunks and shavings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients except chocolate in one bowl and all wet ingredients in another bowl.

Pour wet ingredients over dry and blend thoroughly. Do not overmix.

Fold in chocolate with a spoon.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Drop batter by teaspoons onto cookie sheet.

Leave cookies free-form or press down in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.

Place in oven and bake 13 minutes or until lightly browned.

Do not overbake.

Remove and place on cooling rack.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Holidays, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Stew

Saturday, January 1st, 2011

Over the last two years, since I moved to North Carolina from New York, I have learned a lot about southern living. Sometimes it really feels like a different country down here, but I love it! Just a few weeks ago, my fiancé and I were shopping for Christmas presents for our angel tree child, a 17-year-old boy that enjoys hunting, at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Boy did I learn a lot about camouflage clothing (also known as “camo”), deer calls and pocketknives that day. Woah.

But I digress. Black-eyed peas (the food, not the band) is another example of something that I only heard of back north, but southerners love them down here. There is a tradition of eating black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread in the south on New Year’s.

Health, prosperity and good fortune are common wishes and hopes in the New Year. Those of you that are superstitious might want to pay attention. Black-eyed peas swell when they cook, symbolizing prosperity. Collard greens ensure plenty of greenbacks (money) in the new year and the cornbread signifies a wealth of gold.

So for the second time in my life I spent time in the kitchen with black-eyed peas. We’ll see if this year brings prosperity, greenbacks and gold. Any meal loaded with greens, vegetables and legumes is guaranteed to bring easy digestion and good health, that I know for sure.

Happy new year!

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)

1 ½ cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight

3 cups water

1 cup vegetable broth

1 head collard greens, stems removed and chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 head celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

14.5 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 ½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Optional for a little kick:

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon hot sauce

Directions:

Soak black-eyed peas in water for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and apply high heat.

Bake until beans are fully cooked, about 8 hours.

Posted in Asheville, Digestion, Eating Local, Holidays, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free, Winter | 1 Comment »

Pumpkin Cocoa Muffins

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Have you entered to win my first-ever FREE giveaway? Contest is open until Dec. 31st so get your entries in!**

I’d like to introduce you (if you don’t know them already) to 2 new ingredients that I have become rather fond of recently. I’ve known about them for a long time, but only now started cooking and baking with them. It’s all part of my conscious effort to step outside of my comfort-zone, and not just in the kitchen, as I’ve mentioned here and here.

First up is teff. While very popular in Ethiopia and India, it is not as commonly used here, although I assure you easy enough to find if you are looking. It is the smallest grain in the world and mostly consists of bran and germ. Remember, what makes a whole grain “whole” is that its bran and germ has not been lost in the refining process. This is where the nutrients are found in whole grains. Teff is very high in calcium and is also a great source of phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminum, barium and thiamin. It is high in protein, carbohydrates and fiber. Teff is gluten free, which is an added bonus if you are sensitive or intolerant to gluten, and has a sweet nutty flavor. Store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Moving onto grapeseed oil. I think the thing I love most is its very high smoke point (420 degrees), which makes it ideal for baking and cooking at high temperatures. Compare this to the smoke point of unrefined extra virgin olive oil, which is only 320 degrees.

Side note: It is important to know the smoke point of the oils you are cooking with because at that specific temperature the oil begins to break down and form free radicals. Free radicals can lead to disease.

An excellent source of vitamin E, it is not surprising that grapeseed oil is a popular ingredient in cosmetics from hair conditioners to lotions and anti-aging products. Make sure your grapeseed oil is “expeller pressed”, which means that a chemical-free mechanical method of oil extraction was used.

These two high quality products contribute to some very tasty muffins. High quality ingredients create high quality food. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (makes 12 muffins)

1 cup teff flour

1 cup Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix

¼ cup grapeseed oil

¾ cup Maple Syrup (I used organ Grade A Dark Amber. It’s a little sweeter than the light syrups so you don’t need as much)

15 oz pumpkin

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I like the Chatfield’s brand)

Dried cranberries (optional)

Dark Chocolate – 70% or higher (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.

Combine all ingredients except dried cranberries and dark chocolate in mixing bowl.

Use electric hand mixer to blend ingredients thoroughly.

I made 3 muffins with dried cranberries added and 3 muffins with chopped dark chocolate added. 3 squares of chocolate for each muffin is a good estimate or ½ cup of dried cranberries for each 3 muffins.

Fold in your toppings and fill each muffin container all the way.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until muffins are golden brown on edges.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Fall, Nutrients, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Snacking, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 3 Comments »

Vegetarian Eggplant Chili

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

**Before I forget, have you entered to win my first-ever giveaway? Contest is open until Dec. 31st so get your entries in!**

Lately it has been unusually freezing in Asheville. How about for you?

I prefer to warm up from the inside out instead of cranking up the thermostat, and this chili definitely did the trick. I ate it over a bed of quinoa and steamed green veggies (broccoli, Swiss chard and Brussels sprouts).

If eggplant were a person, it would be the equivalent of Brad Pitt or Eva Longoria (both considered attractive by both sexes, right?) Eggplant has sexy curves and the purple skin is one of a kind, not to mention a beautiful shade. The purple is more than just pretty; the color pigment is called nasunin, a phytonutrient and antioxidant that prevents oxidative damage to our body cells.

Ingredients:

1 cup pinto beans

1 cup black beans

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 small or medium eggplant, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

3 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons turmeric

Directions:

Beans should not be cooked or canned. It’s less expensive if you get them in the bulk section of your grocery store.

Add all ingredients into your slow cooker and turn on the heat. Cook until beans are tender – approximately 6 hours.

Serve over quinoa or other whole grain.

Posted in Fall, Nutrients, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

Navy Beans are not Navy

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

So it turns out these white beans got their name because they were a staple food in the US Navy in the early 20^th century. There’s a fun trivia fact for you! These little guys are a great source of fiber, folate, manganese, protein, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, iron and vitamin B1.

I threw this together from what I had in the refrigerator and have to say it came out pretty darn tasty. I ate it on top of a bed of steamed kale and mushrooms. I think next time I make this I will slice the red onions instead of finely chopping them. Oh and I’ll add sliced avocado on top. Mmmm.

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

2 ½ cups (or 2 cans) navy beans

1 large eggplant, chopped into ½ inch cubes

1 large red onion, chopped or sliced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup low sodium vegetable stock

Extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash

3 whole chilies, chopped with seeds (optional)

Directions:

Lightly steam eggplant so that is just cooked a little bit – about 8 minutes. You don’t want it to get mushy.

In large skillet, sauté onions, garlic and chilies in extra virgin olive oil or water until onions are soft.

Add carrots, eggplant and vegetable stock.

Turn heat up until stock is boiling. Reduce heat and simmer.

Add beans.

Stir and cook until vegetable stock has thickened. Add spices.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Posted in Nutrients, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Dinner In Less Than 15 Minutes

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

This afternoon I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. By the time I got home it was almost 7:00pm, and needless to say, I was pretty hungry. Since I was out of town all week and spent the day catching up on schoolwork after the long Thanksgiving weekend with family, I didn’t have anything waiting for me to heat up for dinner. Yikes!

Instead of ordering take out on the way home, I got to work as soon as I walked through the front door. To start, I poured about 30 ounces of low sodium vegetable broth into a medium pot, stirred in a can (15oz) of sweet potato puree (although pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree would have worked just as well) and cranked up the heat. While the soup was heating up, I chopped one head of broccoli, about five mushrooms and put them into a pot to steam. By the time the broccoli and mushrooms were steaming, I had chopped up a head of swiss chard and added that on top until all the vegetables were perfectly steamed. Although I didn’t plan it, I have to admit the timing was perfect, because the soup was hot and ready. I grabbed a ladle, and poured the soup into a bowl, added the veggies and dinner was ready. Dinner made with whole foods and satisfying? Double bonus!

We all are busy this time of year. Whether it’s shopping for holiday presents, putting in extra hours at the office, or cramming for exams, planning and preparing wholesome meals can be forgotten until our stomachs are already grumbling. It’s important to have a backup plan instead of resorting to take out or that leftover cake sitting on the counter from Thanksgiving to help keep our immune systems alert, energy constant and overall feeling good.

What are your favorite “back up plans” for dinner?

Posted in Fall, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 3 Comments »