Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Salmon Spread

Ingredients:

1 can Pink Salmon, drained
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons Organic Onion Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Ground Peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Organic Dill
1/8 teaspoon Organic Paprika


Directions:

Flake (pull apart) salmon and put it into a bowl.
Add remaining ingredients to the bowl.
Gently blend by hand until mixed well.

Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Makes 16 servings.
Serving size 1 tablespoon.

~Adapted from Swanson Health Recipes

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Lentil Soup with Rice and Apricots

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup raw brown rice
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, optional
2 cups dried lentils
10 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Gently warm olive oil in a soup kettle.
Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
Add rice and pepper.
Stir until rice is coated with oil.
Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and simmer, covered, until lentils and rice are cooked, about 1 hour.

Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Serves 8–10

~ Recipe excerpted from “If Kallimos Had a Chef” by Debra Stark

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Baked Breaded Tempeh Cutlets

Ingredients:

3 - 8 oz. pkgs. tempeh

safflower oil, for oiling pans


Marinade:

1/2 cup tamari, soy sauce, or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

3 T. olive oil

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper


Breading:

1/3 cup unbleached flour

3/4 cup soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice

1 1/2 t. lemon juice

1 t. tamari, soy sauce, or Bragg Liquid Aminos

2/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/4 cup cornmeal

3 T. freshly chopped parsley

1 T. freshly chopped thyme

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 t. cayenne pepper



Directions:

Begin by cutting each block of tempeh into pieces that are 2 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick.

Using a little safflower oil, lightly oil (or mist with oil) a casserole dish that is large enough to hold the pieces of tempeh in a single layer, and then place the pieces of tempeh in the dish. In a small bowl, stir together all of the marinade ingredients, and then pour it over the tempeh pieces.

Place the casserole dish in the refrigerator and leave the tempeh to marinate for 20 minutes.


Remove the casserole dish from the refrigerator, carefully flip over each piece of tempeh, return the casserole dish to the refrigerator, and continue to marinate the tempeh for 20 additional minutes or more. Remove the casserole dish from the refrigerator and bake the tempeh in the marinade at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove the casserole dish from the oven, carefully flip over the pieces of tempeh, return the casserole dish to the oven, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and set aside to cool.


Meanwhile, prepare the breading setup for the tempeh. Place the flour on a large plate and set aside. In a shallow bowl or pie pan, place the soy milk, lemon juice, and tamari, stir well to combine, and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken slightly. On a large plate, place the remaining ingredients, stir well to combine and set aside. Using a little safflower oil, lightly oil (or mist with oil) two non-stick cookie sheets, and set aside.


When the tempeh pieces are completely cool, carefully dip each piece of tempeh in the flour, coating each evenly on all sides, and place them on large plates. Add any remaining flour to the breadcrumb mixture and stir well to combine. Carefully and quickly dip each piece of floured tempeh into the soy milk mixture, coating the pieces evenly on all sides, and then return them to the large plates. Then dip the coated tempeh pieces into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing evenly to coat on all sides, and return them to the large plates. After all of the pieces have been coated with the breadcrumb mixture once, return each cutlet to the breadcrumb mixture and press firmly to give each of them a second coating.


Place the breaded cutlets on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a little safflower oil, drizzle the top of each tempeh cutlet lightly with oil (or mist with oil). Bake the cutlets at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the breading is crispy and golden brown. Transfer the cutlets to a large platter for service. Leftovers make excellent fillings for sandwiches or wraps, or cut into cubes and add to salads, grains, or side dishes.


Yield: 24 - 2-inch wide and 1/4-inch thick cutlets


~ Adapted from http://veganchef.com

Friday, October 23, 2009

Almond French Toast

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 1/3 cups water, divided
2 T. brown rice syrup or maple syrup
2 t. unbleached cane sugar (or white sugar from sugar beets)
3/4 t. almond extract
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
8 slices of whole grain bread or other bread of choice
safflower oil, for oiling pan

Directions:
Begin by blanching the almonds.
In a small saucepan, place 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil.
Add the almonds and cook for 1 minute to blanch them.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside for 3 minutes to cool.
Remove the almonds from the water, squeeze each almond between your thumb and forefinger to remove their skins, and set them aside for 5 minutes to dry and cool.
Place the almonds in a blender or food processor and process for 1-2 minutes to finely grind them.
Add 1/3 cup of the water and the brown rice syrup and process for 1 minute or until smooth. Add the remaining water, sugar, almond extract, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and process the mixture an additional 2 minutes or until very smooth and creamy.

Transfer the mixture to a large casserole dish.
Place 4 slices of the bread in the almond mixture, flip them over to coat the other side, and then let the slices of bread soak in the liquid mixture for 2 minutes.
Using a little safflower oil, lightly oil a large non-stick skillet (or griddle), and place it over medium heat.
Using a fork, carefully remove the slices of bread from the almond mixture, and place them in the hot skillet.
Cook the bread slices for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, carefully flip the slices over, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
While cooking the first batch, repeat the soaking procedure for the remaining 4 slices of bread. Transfer the French toast to a large plate.
Lightly oil the skillet again with a little safflower oil and repeat the cooking procedure for the remaining slices of bread.

*Serve the French toast with your choice of jams, preserves, syrups, or fresh fruit.


~ Adapted from www.VeganChef.com

Monday, October 19, 2009

VEGAN RECIPE: Black Bean Chili-Topped Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes, washed well (do not peel)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 t. olive oil
1/2 cup green pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
2 t. garlic, minced
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed, and drained
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce hot pepper sauce, to taste

Directions:
Using a fork, pierce the skins of the sweet potatoes in several places.
Place an oven-proof rack on a cookie sheet and place the sweet potatoes on the rack.
Bake at 400 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until the sweet potatoes feel soft when gently squeezed.
While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the black bean chili.
In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften.
Add the green pepper and saute an additional 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings, and saute an additional 2 minutes.
Add the black beans, tomato sauce, and season to taste with hot pepper sauce, stir well to combine, and simmer the chili for 10 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings, to taste.
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and leave the sweet potatoes on the rack to cool for 5 minutes.

*For each serving, place one sweet potato on a plate or in a bowl, split it open, ladle some of the black bean chili over the top, and serve.

Adapted from www.VeganChef.com

Friday, October 16, 2009

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen or fresh Blueberries
3 tbsp Agave
2 tbsp Grape Seed Oil
2 tbsp Erythritol
1/3 cup Coconut, finely shredded
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
1. Mix above ingredients.
2. Fold in: 1 cup Gluten-Free Bake Mix
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
*Makes 6 medium size muffins.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Cheers to Red Wine and Resveratrol

Small amounts of this red wine may provide numerous cancer-preventative effects but red wine may also enhance fat metabolism. You can get also get some resveratrol from pomegranates, blueberries, grapes and supplements.

One of the biggest discoveries in nutritional science is the identification of resveratrol, the active ingredient in red wine. This compound has been shown to dramatically increase the rate at which cells metabolize fat. Resveratrol stimulates the SIRT1 gene to produce a protein called sirtuin-1 which blocks a receptor on fat cells. When this receptor is blocked, the breakdown of fat is increased and the formation of new fat is decreased.

red-wine

Other studies have shown that the stimulation of this protein by resveratrol also activates the genes that promote a longer, healthier lifespan. Resveratrol comes from the skin of grapes but since it oxidizes quickly (losing its metabolic effect in the process) fresh grapes and white wine are less effective sources. Red wine is a unique source of resveratrol as it retains the same amount as was in the grape at the time of fermentation.

Doctors are excited about resveratrol as a substance that seems to mimic the life-lengthening effects of calorie restriction without dieting. So there will definitely be more research and news about the effects of resveratrol in the near future.

Natural Colon Cleanse Digestive System Cleansing Remedy

Most illnesses stem from immune system problems. Our immune system needs to remain free of toxins and build up in order to function properly and ward off illness and infections. The waste our bodies produce is eliminated through our digestive track, intestines and colon.


Detoxify your body and build up your body’s natural resistance in just 5 days with this all natural colon cleanse recipe.


DAY 1


Put 6 Prunes & a Handful of Raw Aloe Vera or 2oz of Organic Aloe Vera Concentrate in the blender to make a PASTE. Divide the PASTE into 3 portions.


Morning – Drink Green Tea or Water


Breakfast – Add the 1st portion of PASTE to water or juice that is low in Acid (orange (no pulp) apple juice, peach, or carrot etc.) Eat only fruits or vegetables


AM Snack – plain yogurt with fruit


Lunch – Add the 2nd portion of PASTE to water or juice that is low in Acid (orange (no pulp) apple juice, peach, or carrot etc.) Eat steamed vegetables and an orange (sliced or whole)


Afternoon Snack – plain yogurt with fruit, carrots, other veggies, or plain popcorn no salt or butter added


Dinner – Add the 3rd portion of PASTE to water or juice that is low in Acid (orange (no pulp) apple juice, peach, or carrot etc.) Eat salad with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, carrots etc. top with fruit or have fruit on the side, use lemon or lime juice, olive oil (NO Prepared Salad dressing)


PM Snack – Green Tea or Chamomile Tea and or plain popcorn no salt or butter added


*Drink 8 glasses of water per day.

*Refrain from caffeine, sugar, processed flour and meats for the first 4 days.


DAY 2 – REPEAT DAY 1


DAY 3 – REPEAT DAY 1


DAY 4 – Add 8 Prunes to paste instead of 6 and REPEAT DAY 1 steps. You will want to start adding in other foods slowly today.


Breakfast – ADD in granola, cereal, or wheat toast


Lunch – ADD in fish, tuna, beans


Dinner – ADD in fish, tuna, beans, grilled chicken etc.


DAY 5 – Eat as normal. You will be cleansed, energized and feeling refreshed.


It is recommended that you start a cycle of Probiotics for added support and cleansing.