So if you really knew me, you would know that I have considered myself vegan for 8+ years and I LOVE SEAFOOD. I grew up north of Boston where lobster rolls, clam chowdah, tuna melts, cod, haddock, salmon, scallops, muscles.. all of it. Were what I grew up on and 😛 I’m obsessed with. AND I chose not to purchase those foods anymore because of many reasons, a few I mentioned in the video. My mom’s birthday was Sunday May 19th and I know one of her favorite meals is a simply divine tuna melt. So I made, in honor of her, the best damn vegan tuna melt everr.
!! TuNa MeLt !!
Chickpea “Tuna”Adapted from the amazing forks over knives website
1 can chickpeas, drained and mashed
3 Tbsp tahini
1-2 tsp mustard
¼ cup onion
¼ cup celery
¼ cup pickle
kelp
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper
Mix well!
Ooey Gooey Melty Cheez:
2 C. potatoes, diced large
1 C. carrots, diced large
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. olive oil (or just use 1/4 an avocado)
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best!)
1/2 C. nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 garlic clove (or 1/4 tsp powder)
Dash of cayenne
Boil the potatoes and carrots until soft.
Blend potatoes and carrots with the rest of the ingredients on high in blender until the cheese is extremely smooth. I use my high-powered VitaMix blender.
These enchiladas are by no means at all traditional. Traditional as in white flour tortillas and cheese and meat… blegh! Sounds like a mess of weight gain, and heart disease! Time for a neeeeeew recipe. This recipe has got kale, shrooms, quinoa, and all simple wholesome ingredients. Mmm what could possibly be more deliciously satisfying and nourishing.
Completing my master’s and dietetic internship in South Texas where cola, taki’s, breakfast tacos, and bacon fat laden pinto beans are unfortunately staples, the statistic that 3/4 of Americans are overweight or obese made sense to me. What’s crazy is that, a calorie dense, nutrient poor diet is actually quite common. Even where I live now in Los Angeles, California. I have a couple of clients who, prior to working with me, had never chopped a vegetable before. Gawd. I love my job. And these enchiladas. They’re not insanely overly stimulatingly like oh my gawd so f***ing good (if you’re comparing to something thats been salted, oiled, idk.. fried and oober processed) . Recalibrate your taste buds. And these will knock your socks off. 😛
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I like the Fire Roasted diced tomatoes from Muir Glen – no salt added)
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
The Enchiladas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3/4 pound baby bella or button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup diced jalapeño peppers (or for V mild version, use poblanos)
3 cups kale, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
10 6-inch organic corn tortillas (I used masienda brand – just corn, lime, water)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
avocado on avocado on avocado
Steps:
To make the enchilada sauce, heat water in a medium skillet or pot. Saute onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes
Add the chili powder, cumin, thyme, tomatoes, and maple syrup
Transfer sauce to a blender or food processor, and blend till smooth. Add a little water to adjust the consistency as you wish. Set sauce aside till you’re ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp water (have some handy to add if burns off). Saute onion and garlic till onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has been released and evaporated.
Add the chilis to the pot and give them a stir. Add the kale and allow it to wilt slightly. Add the cumin, sea salt (optional), black beans, corn, and quinoa. Continue heating mixture until it’s completely warm and well mixed.
In the bottom of a casserole dish, spread a thin layer of the enchilada sauce. Place about a quarter cup mushroom and quinoa mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and place it into the dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Cover them all with a layer of enchilada sauce and bake for 25 minutes. Top the enchiladas with chopped cilantro, avocado, and pumpkin seeds, and idk. More corn because noooom!!!
Also, squeeze a lime on there and, call me crazy, but I put a little cinnamon on mine and it was off the charts
So.. why is this recipe so generally disease reversing?
No Salt: although 0 calories, it is a super processed white powder (aka crack cocaine) that causes responses in the brain to make us not only want to eat more, but that makes wholesome food taste less flavorful. Cut the salt, and all of a sudden, celery, cilantro, avocado and lime dance on your tongue like a tap dancer in times square. Flavors so very exciting, no white powder added. Plus plus, high sodium intake has been shown to decrease calcium absorption / utilization. That ain’t good!!! Also also. Sodium is important. This is different than salt. Naturally occurring sodium is sufficiently found in wholesome plant foods like the veggies I mentioned a second ago. No stimulants needed. Excess sodium causes water retention, causing blood volume to increase, leading to high blood pressure, strokes, heart disease, etc.
No Oil: Talk about caloric density. Not many foods are more calories per pound than oil… are any foods more calorie per pound?? Just a tiny bit of oil adds a lot of calories with not much benefit. All it really does is make you eat more calories than you’re designed to eat plus make you want to eat more. The fat from the avocado and pumpkin seeds is fantastic. You got fiber and zinc and fresh phytochemicals and antioxidants. Avocado oil and pumpkin oil?? Mmm I’ll pass.
Nutrient Dense: Self explanatory. Every calorie is full of nutrition. Helping you to feel calm, balanced, satisfied, energized, clear headed.. not to mention beautiful bowel movements. Which is actually a huge fricken deal these days. If there’s a magazine rack in your bathroom… call me!!! You need help!!!
Intact Grains: Ok, obvi the tortillas are made of corn flour, which is not intact. The quinoa tho- that’s good stuff. And the tortillas I used were just 3 ingredients: non-gmo corn, lime, and water. That’s all you need. No gums, oils, preservatives, or fortified etc etc. Keep it simple. The more whole the better.
Beans: Resistant starch is liiife. Did you know that resistant starch in beans actually decreases the glycemic load of your next meal? Also, beans are such great sources of protein, iron, fiber. Eating them has been shown to help decrease risk of so many diseases and cancers. If you’re afraid of fartiness. Don’t fret. The resistant starches may take a couple of weeks for your gut to adjust to. Start with a little bit like 1/4 cup a day for a week and work your way up to ~1-3 cups or so / day. A healthy gut can process beans just fine. Little to no fartiness. If you’re used to eating a V low fiber diet. Warn your friends and family your increasing ahead of time hahaha.
Greens: The most nutrition per pound possible. Everything you need. Just amazingness.
Mushrooms: Should be eaten cooked. Mushrooms help decrease excess estrogen that may cause breast cancer- very well targeted, doesn’t cause low estrogen if you are healthy. Also, mushrooms contain lectins (ABLs) that recognize cancer cells and prevent them from growing and dividing. Also also, mushrooms upregulate IgA antibody secretion, helping the immune system. Also also also, they have beta glucans which also boost immune function. PLUS they make their own vitamin D if exposed to the sun!! Honestly. All plants are amazing. I just don’t have all day to tell you every magical component of everything gawd!
Onions: Eaten raw the allinaise enzyme is active and is potent cancer fighter. Onions also help to blunt blood sugar spikes. Onions and garlic are antimicrobial and help the immune system to fight viruses and fend against cancers. Scallions are great too.
Healthy Fat: Includes fiber 🙂 Necessary for healthy hormones, satiety, clarity, and overall optimal health. It doesn’t take much though. A little dab will do you.
Peace of mind: Honestly, of course. A favorable health destiny is priceless. HOWEVER I say “generally” disease reversing because I do have clients with eating disorders, amenorrhea, and anemia, and athletes who aren’t getting in enough calories and wasting away, or frail adults, etc. Who, it is healthier for them to eat more refined foods. More calorically dense foods. More stimulating foods. These recommendations are for the general average American looking to lose weight, lower their cholesterol, blood pressure, have regular bowel movements, and reverse type 2 diabetes. Have your healthy AF enchiladas, and your vegan cookies too maybe. Ok? All depends on your goals and what you, you beautiful individual, need.
Fact: The way we prepare our food changes its nutrient content. So, if you’re going to cook your food, in a soup is the best way! Cooking in water means the food can’t go over 212*F. This is a plus because the higher the heat, the more nutrients are denatured and destroyed and the more carcinogenic properties begin to form. With moist heat, there is now browning or charring occurring. Also, in a soup all of the nutrients are cooked into the broth instead of drained out. So you’re eating all of those incredible vitamins and minerals instead of pouring them down the drain with the water.
Medicinal Ingredients
Is it possible to make a whole foods plant based soup that isn’t medicinal magic? Flavor it up with ginger, garlic, and onion, Throw in that turmeric and black pepper and make a curry. Use all those veggies you never heard of like romanesco, leek, and lion’s mane mushroom. The ingredients in hearty wholesome soups and stews are powerful disease prevention and reversal medicine for a calm mind and a happy healthy and long beautiful life!
Variety on Variety
Vegetable soups, bean stews, creamy squash, chili, bisque, even chilled raw soups! The possibilities are endless. Thickening up by blending with cashews, chopping some veggies chunky, blending others, using vegetable juices for a base, maybe even coconut milk, garnishing with pumpkin seeds, or even avocado. There are so many kinds of soups. I eat them almost daily and don’t think I’ll ever get sick of them.
Easy Peasy
Feeling lazy? Me too. I’m down to heat up some water and throw in all my favorite veggies and spices any day. ( me everyday ) Yay soup!
Underrated AF
Soup is a great option. Sure, if you get it in a can it can have some extra sodium look for less than 300mg of sodium per serving or find “no salt added” or “low sodium” options and maybe if you get them at a restaurant they’ll have some oil, but overall, whole foods plant based soups and soups are an incredible option not to be overlooked. Please try making at LEAST one of these recipes this winter!
3 cups carrot juice (3 pounds of carrots, juiced, or put 2-4 carrots chopped in a blender with enough water to reach 3 cups and blend until smooth) (they sell carrot juice at whole foods and trader joe’s)
2 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes (Muir Glen Fire Roasted – No Salt Added)
3 cups canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth/stock
diced avocado and chopped green onion, garnish
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes.
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and adjust seasoning to taste.
3. THE HERO POT
A large pot
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1 small chunk of ginger
1 tbsp ground or fresh turmeric
1 sweet potato
1 cup red lentils
~6 cups filtered water
~1/2 cup broccoli
~1/2 cup celery
~1/2 cup mushrooms
~1/2 cup peas
Lime and avocado to garnish
Prep ingredients: chop vegetables, mince garlic + ginger
Sautee onions and garlic in pot in 1/3 cup of water (keep a jug of water nearby to add as needed)
Add turmeric, lentils, sweet potato, and 5 cups of water and bring to boil for about 10 minutes
Turn down heat to simmer and add in rest of ingredients to simmer for about 15 minutes
So you wanna be a superhero? Me too. Let’s start with endurance. I’ve got the research, now all you have to do is put in the effort. Here’s my 11 tips:
1. Train
Think you have to keel over to improve your endurance? Think again. According to the ACE Personal Trainer Manual 5th edition, studies have shown that endurance improvement favored those who had performed more zone 1 training.
80% of training should be done at intensities where speech is comfortable (zone 1) and only about 10% of training should be performed at intensities above VT2 (zone 3, where blood lactate increases significantly).
It would make sense that this 80% zone 1 training should, for the most part, be performed relatively high in zone 1. So, if you are just getting into endurance activities like running, just getting started will improve your endurance. However, to really get your speed up and improve, get a little uncomfortable with the “talk test.” Can you sing comfortably while you are running? If you can, then you can definitely try to go a little faster. Get on those hills, and laugh fearlessly at your struggles!
2. Hydrate
Did you know that muscles are 70-75% water? That’s right! According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, muscle is only 15-20% protein, 5-7% fat, glycogen, and minerals.
Why is hydration important?
Temperature regulation
Blood volume + blood pressure
Keep organs, kidneys, cells, working optimally
Prevent dehydration
Things to consider:
Weather
Clothing
Your personal sweaty-ness
According to the American Counsel on Exercise (ACE):
~4 hours before the event, drink 3-4 cups of water + weigh yourself
> during the event: definitely varies, but drink about ½ cup water every 20 minute
after event drink about 2 cups of water for every pound that you lost during the event
IMPORTANT: Prevent depletion in electrolytes like sodium and potassium as those are necessary for muscle contraction and blood pressure regulation which, if low can cause cramping, twitching and even heart issues. These electrolytes may be excreted with sweat
In general, water alone should be fine to rehydrate, but if it is extra humid or you lose 3% or more body weight during the event I recommend a natural electrolyte beverage like coconut water and / or datorade.
Dateorade:
2 cups water
½ lime or lemon, juiced
2-3 dates
maybe a pinch of Himalayan salt or dulse flakes
Blend for about 1 minute. This provides natural sources of electrolytes, antioxidants and nutrients without the added colors, flavors, or refined sugars and is a great go-to beverage before, during, and after an event.
3. Carb Load Correctly
FACT: Activity that lasts longer than several hours depletes glycogen stores. Carbohydrates consumed during exercise helps endurance athletes maintain a fast pace; fat is used more efficiently for fuel as exercise continues. Protein is a very minor fuel source during endurance exercise.
PROTEIN: it is important for repairing tissues, making enzymes + hormones, transporting nutrients, making muscles contract, regulating water balance. However, if you don’t consume enough carbs for your high energy demands, the body will use protein for energy instead which is EXTREMELY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO YOUR PHYSICAL GOALS! Although protein may supply energy, extra amounts are not your best fuel. While carbs are stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen to be used for quick energy, excess protein is stored as fat, and not used for energy if you already consume enough calories. In general, protein should supply 10-35% of overall calorie intake which is met easily without powders or supplements in a balanced whole foods plant based diet. Since athletes usually eat more with a good appetite, they easily get the protein and nutrients they need. Protein requires more fluid in order to be metabolized because we need to excrete the toxic nitrogenous waste as urea so can lead to kidney issues, dehydration, cramping, and fatigue.
Energy need for endurance sports depends on body size, duration of activity, and overall effort. An elite athlete may need 4000-6000 calories daily, chosen from a high carbohydrate diet. Don’t worry about calculating your protein because if you are eating a balanced diet of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, and are eating enough calories, the protein in these foods will add up to be enough protein.
7 days before the event:
Days 1-3 Moderate-CHO diet of around 55% of calories, in general, recommendations are 45-65% of calories should come from carbohydrates
Days 4-6 Increase to high carbohydrate diet of about 80% of calories
Dinner before the event: >80% calories from carbohydrates
4. Four Hours Out:
Simple balanced meal should be fine. Try to keep it around 500 calories and under to prevent fatigue and slow gastric emptying. If you are nervous it is ok to eat less and eat more simple carbs like fruit or fruit juice 1-2 hours before the event
5. Pre Workout
While what you eat pre-workout is very important, it is essential that the previous workout was properly recovered from and that we eat a healthy balanced diet with adequate calories and nutrients on a daily basis.
Day of the event: If in the morning, I recommend staying light with datorade or fruit juice beverage. Within 1-2 hours of event, The food eaten should be around 200-300 calories, high in carbohydrate to maximize blood glucose availability, and low in fat and fiber to minimize GI distress and facilitate gastric emptying, it should be moderate to low in protein, and known to be well tolerated by you. A go to for before, during, and after workouts.
6. During Event
During extended training sessions, lasting longer than 1 hour, and especially in extreme heat, cold or high altitude, exercisers should consume 30-60g CHO / hr of training to maintain blood glucose levels.
30-60 grams of carbs looks like:
1 large ripe banana
¼ cup raisins
5-6 dates.
7. Post Workout
Eat in abundance! It is counterproductive for endurance athletes to restrict. The best meals post workout include an abundance of carbohydrates accompanied by some protein. ACE recommends about 2.2 grams of carbs for each pound of body weight to be eaten within the first 30 minutes after exercise and then every 2 hours for 4-6 hours. A diet of whole plant foods consisting of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fruit that is sufficient in calories should provide adequate post-workout carbohydrates and protein.
8. Prevent Pain
Prevent oxidative stress and reduce cell damage and muscle pain with: Antioxidants
Antioxidant power aka the power to protect our cells from damage was significantly increased with banana beverage versus plain carbohydrate beverage
Cherry juice was shown to decrease perceived pain significantly in runners versus placebo cherry flavored drink
There are lots of studies out there on various plant foods, when choosing fuel to prevent pain, recover quickly I recommend whole plant foods
9. Improve Oxygen Utilization
Yes, Nitrates are components in plant foods like beets, spinach, celery, and arugula that can cause athletes to perform intensely with less oxygen needed. Crazy!
In a study with cyclists, beet juice compared to current juice improved oxygen utilization by a whopping 20% which is quite significant. Drinking beet juice is so powerful that it can bring someones high blood pressure down within 3 hours. Also, pharmaceutical companies use this concept for patients with chest pain to help with blood flow. These drugs are called nitroglycerines. You know another nitrate drug? It’s called Viagra and it certainly improves blood flow but you might as well just eat your vegetables.
How do nitrates work? Bacteria in our saliva convert it to nitric oxide. HOWEVER be sure to not use antibacterial mouth wash because this has been shown to deplete healthy mouth bacteria and therefore inhibit the conversion of nitrate to nitric oxide to allow us to oxygenate our blood.
10. Build Blood
Think you don’t need to eat your greens? Ever been to a smoothie joint that sold wheatgrass shots? One thing that wheatgrass juice is dense in is that dark green pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been shown to increase hemoglobin in anemic rabbits. Hemoglobin is the component of blood that carries oxygen and as you can see is very similar to chlorophyll in dark leafy green vegetables. I recommend eating about 5 cups of leafy greens daily.
11. Adequate REST
Symptoms can be both physiological and emotional and are highly individualized.
Signs/ symptoms of overtraining:
decline in performance with continued training
sleep disturbances
weight loss
multiple colds / frequent sickness
irritability, restlessness, anxiousness
loss of motivation / vigor
lack of mental concentration / focus
lack of appreciation for things that are normally enjoyable
Best way to prevent overtraining is with periodization: alternate easy, moderate, and hard periods of training. Generally, one or two days of intense training should be followed by an equal number of easy training days. A week or two of hard training should be followed by a week or two of easier effort.
Today you learned
about hydration, the talk test, carbohydrate loading, what to eat pre, during, and post workout, how to prevent muscle soreness, how to increase oxygen utilization and how to build blood and prevent overtraining. Get out there and awaken your inner athlete! Give this video a thumbs up, leave your comments below, and remember. Deep down, you truly are a morning person. Wake up and live, Reines and shine!
Cherry Juice Study: G. Howatson, M. P. McHugh, J. A. Hill, J. Brouner, A. P. Jewell, K. A. van Someren, R. E. Shave, S. A. Howatson. Influence of tart cherry juice on indices of recovery following marathon running. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010 20(6):843 – 852.
Beet Juice Study: Bailey SJ, Winyard P, Vanhatalo A, et al. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology. August 6, 2009. 107: 1144-1155.
Antibacterial Mouthwash and Nitric Oxide: Goconi M, Janasson E, Weitzberg E, et al. The increase in plasma nitrite after a dietary nitrate load is markedly attenuated by an antibacterial mouthwash. Elsevier. 2008. 2: 171-177.
Anemic Rabbits Study: Hughes JH, Latner AL. Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin Regeneration after Hemorrhage. Journal of Physiology. 1936. 612 (119) :338-395
Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin: Hughes JH, Latner AL. Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin Regeneration after Hemorrhage. Journal of Physiology. 1936. 612 (119) :338-395
RL Duyff. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006. Print.
Last week I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Washington DC for a plant based dietitian job interview at the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine. They had me stay at their guest house, The Baker House, with interns who are occupants there for the summer. If you haven’t already heard of the PCRM, it is an organization whose mission is ultimately to provide evidence based expertise to save the world. You can imagine how nervous/excited this wanna-be superhero was for this interview!!!
Back to the ziti- The ladies residing at The Baker House, Sofie and Catherine, are two brilliant, friendly, open minded vegans that became my close friends insanely quickly. Catherine has made this dish a bunch of times and raved how it is always a win. Girl- you got that right! Pool money to make dinner and eat it together!? Of course!!! Which lead me to enjoy the dish that I am sure will get anyone to give more vegan meals a try. Thank you ladies!
1 24oz jar marinara sauce (we used an organic fat-free option plus some that was already open in the fridge)
1 1/2 cups vegan mozzarella shreds (we used 1 bag of daiya shredded mozzarella)
1 lb firm tofu, drained
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast or vegan grated parmesan
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (we used 1/2 of a container of tofutti)
Steps
Boil water and cook ziti to manufacturer’s instructions and preheat oven to 425*F
For ‘ricotta’: crumble tofu in a large bowl and add in nutritional yeast (or parmesan), salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and cream cheese. Mix fully with a fork or large spoon.
Mix the cooked pasta, most of the marinara sauce, and ricotta in a large bowl
In a large baking pan, add some marinara to line the bottom, transfer the mixture in, and spread it out evenly.
Top with the rest of the marinara and finally the layer of mozzarella shreds
Cover the dish with foil and bake ~20 minutes, uncover, and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Eat with a side of greens and those people who actually get you and still like you! 😉 xo
Catherine, Sofie, and I eating takeout from ‘Hip City Veg’ on the Smithsonian Steps
Hope you had a lovely fourth! Unfortunately, after the stress of the RD (registered dietitian) exam (yes! I passed! 😀), I have not given myself a break and managed to get a pretty nasty cold. My 4th consisted of a couch, good books, and the most hydrating foods I could get my hands on. I drank lots of boxed coconut water, ate an entire watermelon, and had a few oranges, cherries, and fresh picked raspberries here and there; that is all that sounded good to me.
This is what I made myself for breakfast today:
Thai coconut curry veg amazingness.
Was going to make a green smoothie bowl of some sort, but was craving something hot and savory. Holy **** it hit the spot. It would be a disservice not to blog about it.
Thai Coconut Curry Soup
Serves ~6 people. 2 ladles per serving.
Ingredients:
Keep in mind I did not measure anything. I am amazed at myself- this is truly a special moment. Perseverance and practice make progress. ! Feel it out, use what you’ve got in the fridge, and at first tread lightly with the spices and continue to add until you’ve got the mastermind punch of spice that you desire. 🙂 Throw some fun in too. Makes it taste better.
2/3 box of low sodium vegetable broth
half of a 1lb bag of baby carrots
2 cloves of garlic (used the tiny holes on the cheese grater to finely mince)
1 large marble sized chunk of fresh ginger, peeled (used the tiny holes on the cheese grater to finely mince)
1 can of coconut milk
~1/2 tsp cayenne (you can always add more if needed)
~2/3 tsp turmeric
~2/3 tsp chili powder
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 large stalk of celery, roughly chopped
1 boiled potato, peeled and cubed (I always have boiled potatoes in the fridge, yum!)
1/4 head cauliflower, rough chop
1/4 can of Eden’s black soy beans (mom meant to get black beans, w.e)
4 handfuls of baby kale, roughly chopped (I am so lazy I just ripped it up with my hands)
fresh mint and lime to top / garnish
The products I used
Steps: this is how I made it, I am sure there are better ways…
Pour the veg broth in a med/large pot and bring to a boil with the carrots. (If you decide to substitute winter squash or sweet potato for carrot, I still recommend putting these in first to boil, as well as maybe your cubed potato if it is not pre-boiled already). This allows the carrots to cook and get soft and sweet, as well as add some flavor to the broth.
While waiting for the boil, with the smallest setting on a cheese grater (or just mince), grate the garlic and ginger into the pot. Add in onions, coconut milk, and spices. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes, and turn down heat to simmer.
Add in the celery, boiled potato, cauliflower, and black beans. Let simmer about 2-5 minutes.
I actually put the chopped kale in my serving dish and ladled the soup on top of the kale. I don’t want my kale to lose its beautiful green color or nutrients. Definitely add that in last, after you turn off the heat.
Enjoy with fresh mint and a generous squeeze of lime! Yum!
Make it your own!
I did not plan on making soup today, I simply used the random veggies I had in the fridge and things I happen to find in the cupboard. Play with different vegetables that you might have like bell peppers, zucchini, basil, idk, mm brown rice? Go crazy with it! Nom nom! xoxo much love and good health to you and to me!!
The thought of grilling gatherings used to give me the heebie jeebies! As a vegetarian / vegan / high raw / w.e., I try to stay away from the classic American foods. These recipes are absolutely perfect for meat heads and vegan, gluten-free, even nut-free health nuts alike 😉 . Last year I made my favorite Watermelon Mint Salad. Check out the recipe video honoring my Grampa here.
1. BBQ Black Bean Burger
This is my favorite black bean burger that I have made so far – adapted from Minimalist Baker’s Easy Grillable Veggie Burgers. My adapted version of the recipe is here. I love it served with cucumber and avocado because the burger has so much flavor! The cooling veggies help to balance it out perfectly. These babies are:
Easy
Cheap
Quick
Healthy*
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked brown rice (I have learned in my nutrition classes that vitamins are lost when cooked in excess water or when water is drained off. Thiamin, (aka vitamin B1) is lost as temperature or pH rises but it is more heat stable in acid, so it would be a good idea to cook rice with some lemon or lime juice, adding acidity to help retain nutrient content. Cook in amount of water that will be absorbed during cooking : 1 cup rice, use 2 cups of water.)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1/3 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp each: chili powder, cumin, and paprika
1/2 tsp each: salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, well rinsed, and drained
1/3 cup ground rolled oats (throw some oatmeal in the blender)
3-4 Tbsp vegan BBQ sauce*(Look for a BBQ sauce that is free of high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, >300mg sodium / serving. I used Annie’s Organic Original BBQ Sauce. I also really liked Sprout’s brand Pumpkin BBQ sauce that I got in the fall. Check out http://www.fooducate.com to compare BBQ sauce products to find a healthier option.)
Steps:
Preheat oven to 350*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (These also work well cooked on skillet or grill)
Heat a skillet over medium with 1/2 Tbsp oil, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
To a high speed blender or food processor, add walnuts, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and blend until smooth, but not butter.
Either mash black beans with fork/mashed potato masher in a large mixing bowl or pulse them in blender or food processor. It is nice to leave some whole beans for good texture
Add cooked rice, spice-walnut mixture, sauteed onion mushroom garlic mix, maple syrup, ground oats, BBQ sauce, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until moldable dough forms. If too dry, add a tad more BBQ sauce, if too moist, add more ground oats. Taste and adjust seasoning as you’d like.
For larger burgers, divide into 5 patties (~1/2 cup in size) or form 10 smaller burgers (~1/4 cup in size). To help form the patties, line your 1/2 or 1/4 measuing cup with plastic wrap and pack with burger mix. Press down to pack firmly, then lift out by the plastic wrap’s edge, and use hands to flatten slightly on the parchment paper, forming a 3/4 inch thick patty.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes on each side for a total of 30-40 minutes cooking time.
Serve over a toasted bun with all the fixin’s like thin cucumber, avocado, tomato, and red onion 😛
2. Creamy Macaroni and Peas
This is adapted from the star item special at my home base Organic Garden Cafe ❤ It is unbelievable. My sister, (the cheese hound who without shame scrolls through #macncheese on IG on the reg), asked me to make this for her the very day I got back from my 10 day road trip from grad school in Texas. Yup it’s that good. And it happens to be gluten free, nut free, low fat, high fiber, cheap, and effortless!
Serves about 6:
1 cauliflower, roughly chop into large florets
1 yellow onion, discard outer layer and chop into quarters
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1/4 lemon
12 oz dry elbow macaroni pasta (I like using brown rice pasta!)
2/3 cup frozen peas
Steam onion and cauliflower until super tender (about 30 minutes) and boil elbow macaroni to manufacturer’s instructions
Combine steamed vegetables with salt, pepper, olive oil, and nutritional yeast, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor S blade or high speed blender and blend until creamy creamy baby
Pour sauce over macaroni and peas and mix well. Transfer to casserole dish for serving.
Garnish with paprika, parsley, and serve to the cheese lovers in your life!
In the photo above, I used 12oz bag bionaturae brand elbows for the gluten free pasta, I thought it was pretty good! I always try new brands, what is your favorite??
3. Blueberry Corn Bread
My mother adapted this recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen’s Sunny Corn Muffins and she usually serves it with chili as in the recipe here. My mom puts in less sugar and apple sauce instead of yogurt.
Yield: 24 mini muffins
1 C gluten free all purpose flour (I used a brown rice GF mix)
1 C corn flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C oil
3/4 C non-dairy milk
2 Tbls apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 C blueberries
fine grated lemon zest of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 400*F and grease 2 mini muffin tins with coconut oil
Combine dry ingredients (except blueberries) and wet ingredients in separate bowls and whisk separately. Fold into dry and halfway through mixing, add in blueberries and distribute well.
Pour in 8 inch pan and sprinkle a little sugar on top.
Bake for ~18-20 minutes. Mmm sweet cornbread perfection
4. Sweet Potato Fries
The image above is one sweet potato and one purple potato.
Cut into fries.
Thrown in a bowl
Tossed with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and a few dashes of cinnamon
Baked on parchment paper at 410* F for mm 30-40 mins? Nope, didn’t even time it. Just make sure they’re soft to perfection.
It is that easy. I LOVE cinnamon on my sweet potatoes but you can certainly get creative and use paprika, or herbs.. spice it up to match your flavah. Ginger powder would have been bomb too.
5. Grilled Vegetables
I have never and will never operate an actual giant grill. These were made in the panini press at 375*F. (Thank you college life #necessity=invention). Just greased the press lightly with coconut oil, and threw on some sliced mushroom, eggplant, and peeled asparagus, and BOOM! Nope, didn’t put any spices. Feel free to show me up and let me know what you did! If you are capable of operating an actual grill, my favorite veggies on a skewer are onions, red bell pepper, and zucchini. Yumm. !
Well, there you have it! Let me know how your memorial day weekend festivities go. Feel free to comment below, follow me @reinesandshine on instagram / twitter, and contact me anytime at reinesandshine@gmail.com. Cheers to life in good health! Enjoy!
I made these the weekend my beautiful friend Ally came to visit. She LOVED them! These rolls are STUFFED with nothing but veggies and whole plant foods in all their glory. I love this peanut sauce recipe because it tastes BETTER than the processed ish without all the preservatives, colors, oils, salt, sugar, or anything that might make me, you know, depressed! Only happiness fuel for every cell here ladies and gentlemen!
It’s funny- I really don’t like foods that are too spicy. Currently giving myself a lil pat on the back for successfully making a dish with some definite kick, that I can eat without, you know, crying. This is one you’ve got to share with friends. Have fun, sizzle sizzleee
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas
Makes about 4 quesadillas
Ingredients
8 whole grain tortillas, 9 inch (I used these gluten free brown rice ones)
1 medium sized sweet potato, boiled and skin removed (save the skin to eat later)
3/4 cup no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (no salt added if using canned)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 – 1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced tiny
1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
oil for cooking (like unrefined coconut or olive oil)
Steps:
Using a large frying pan, heat ~1 tsp. oil over medium and sauté onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms and red bell pepper and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl when finished cooking
In the meantime, using a large bowl, mash boiled skinless sweet potato with a fork with diced tomatos and add in nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder and mix well to combine. Stir in black beans, jalapeno, and cilantro.
Using the same frying pan as before, heat and spread ~1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Place a tortilla flat on the frying pan and spread ~1/2 cup of sweet potato mixture evenly over the tortilla, then spread ~1/4-1/3 cup of sauteed onion vegetable mix on top of that so it looks kinda like this:
Place another tortilla on top, flip after ~3 minutes of cooking (to flip I placed my plate on top of the second tortilla and flipped it into my plate and slid it from the plate back onto the frying pan)
Using a pizza cutter, cut into 4 sections. Serve with salsa and guacamole. I made avocado cream with 1 mashed avocado and the juice from 2 limes, mixed well. So good! Go pats!
I know, eating heart healthy is hard. You just. You love meat way too much, you can’t give it up. I know the feeling. Like a meatless meal is a deprived, sad, flavorless, unsatisfying sounding situation, right? Well- these burgers and fries.. you’ll never look back. Welcome to the earth shattering world of f*ing BOMB healthy food!!
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, well rinsed, and drained
1/3 cup ground rolled oats (throw some oatmeal in the blender)
3-4 Tbsp vegan BBQ sauce (reach for one without high fructose corn syrup that has <140 mg sodium per serving)
Steps:
Preheat oven to 350*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (These also work well cooked on skillet or grill)
If your brown rice isn’t cooked yet, I have learned in my nutrition classes that vitamins are lost when cooked in excess water or when water is drained off. Thiamin, (aka vitamin B1) is lost as temperature or pH rises but it is more heat stable in acid, so it would be a good idea to cook rice with some lemon or lime juice, adding acidity to help retain nutrient content. Cook in amount of water that will be absorbed during cooking : 1 cup rice, use 2 cups of water.
Heat a skillet over medium with 1/2 Tbsp oil, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
To a high speed blender or food processor, add walnuts, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and blend until smooth, but not butter.
To a large mixing bowl, add drained black beans and mash well with a fork (nice work out, takes about 3-5 minutes, if you don’t feel the burn, you ain’t doing it right! Gotta love it.) Leave some whole beans for good texture though.
Add cooked rice, spice-walnut mixture, sauteed onion mushroom garlic mix, maple syrup, ground oats, BBQ sauce, and mix thoroughally with a wooden spoon until moldable dough forms. If too dry, add a tad more BBQ sauce, if too moist, add more ground oats. Taste and adjust seasoning as you’d like.
For larger burgers, divide into 5 patties (~1/2 cup in size) or form 10 smaller burgers (~1/4 cup in size). To help form the patties, line your 1/2 or 1/4 measuing cup with plastic wrap and pack with burger mix. Press down to pack firmly, then lift out by the plastic wrap’s edge, and use hands to flatten slightly on the parchment paper, forming a 3/4 inch thick patty.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes on each side for a total of 30-40 minutes cooking time.
Serve over a toasted bun with kale, super thinly sliced cucumber and red onion, avocado, and another drizzle of BBQ sauce. The cooling cucumber and avocado complement the heat from the BBQ sauce deliciously.
VITAMIN KATIE 