Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! I know that today is a big day for many of you in the States–I hope it’s a very happy one, filled with family, friends and other loved ones (and let’s not forget the fabulous food!).
And since we’re all here for the food, let’s get to it! Last week’s submissions certainly didn’t disappoint, with a wide range of dishes and some really innovative ingredient combinations. In keeping with the day, today’s highlights all fit in with the holiday, with foods fit to share with others:
Kamut Gingerbread Pancakes from Hol: Fit. You know I’m a pancake fiend, and these sound like they’d be great at a brunch table (but my version would have to be gluten free, of course).
Coconut Bacon from Green Gourmet Giraffe. I’m totally intrigued by this recipe, and would love to share a batch at my own holiday brunch table (maybe alongside those kamut pancakes, hmm?).
Mushroom Nut Roast from Wheat Free Meat Free. How could I leave out a nutloaf in a holiday-type roundup? A great main dish!
And the Reader’s Choice this week was:
Raw Spice Cake Truffles from The Palate Peacemaker! So many of Desi’s creations look spectacular, but these raw truffles really hit the right spot with all of you. Hope you’ll share.
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week. I always look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with!
Please join us for Wellness Weekend this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they don’t contain a link back to this post, they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
NOTE: A few of you have mentioned problems linking up in the past couple of weeks because of the backlink requirement. If the linky won’t work for you, please let me know so I can tell the Linky Tools owner and the problem can be fixed!
I’m from the generation that was raised on soap operas. In fact, I first learned to watch soaps at my mother’s knee (no, seriously: the TV was perched on her dresser at the foot of the bed; she sat on the bed, and I, on the floor. . . at her knee). When I was a child, she watched Edge of Night; then Secret Storm. As a teen, I remember my mom’s daily soap trilogy of Days of Our Lives, Another World, and General Hospital blaring as she did the ironing, folded laundry, or ate her lunch in front of the TV.
Up until it went off the air a couple of years ago, I loved watching my favorite soap as well. Since its demise, I’ve barely watched any television at all (though some might suggest that’s a good thing). My weekday evenings would go something like this: walk the dogs, prep dinner, catch up with the HH, clear up the kitchen together. Retreat upstairs to the TV room where I’d snuggle in to my favorite armchair, feet tucked under me and a steaming cup of herbal tea in my hand. Flick on the PVR and start the day’s episode. Gaze with anticipation at the screen; adjust the volume as the credits roll. Sit back and savor every one of the 42 minutes of the show.
Unless, of course, it was a day when this happened:
Voice Over Announcer: The role of Mary Montgomery will now be played by [some unknown actress's name].
Didn’t you hate when they did that? Poof!–Just like that–one of your favorite characters could become. . . somebody else!
Sometimes, the show didn’t even bother to find a successor who resembled the original actor (as when Peter Bergman replaced Terry Lester as Jack) or–the apex of “please suspend your disbelief”–when they replaced Anne Heche, who had assumed the role of identical twins Marly and Vicky, with two separate actresses who were not only different somatotypes, but also about six inches apart in height.
On the other hand, there are plenty of occasions when a stand-in might just surpass the original. Do you know the story of how Shirley Maclaine got her start on Broadway? Toiling as an unknown understudy to Carol Haney in The Pyjama Game, Maclaine leapt to fame when she replaced Haney at the last minute after the star broke her ankle. The rest, as they say, is history. (And have any of you heard of Carol Haney since then? I didn’t think so). Similarly, I’d say that the unnamed actor’s moves in Flashdance (that eye-popping finale in front of the dance academy judges at the end of the film) certainly outshone anything Beals herself could have done. And who didn’t think that the body double for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman was infinitely more appealing in those thigh-high boots than the somewhat equine Ms. Roberts herself?
Well, this past weekend was a bit of a whirlwind for the HH and me, one that involved its own stand-in of sorts. After a final celebratory brunch at Fresh in honor of my birthday (don’t you just love a birthday that lasts almost a month?), I threw a little dinner for my office mate, who married his long-time sweetheart a couple of months back. Interestingly, while the number of couples opting for cohabitation continues to increase yearly, Mr. Mate is the second person over 40 that I know who tied the knot recently. (Is there some tax loophole for “legally married in middle age” that the HH and I should know about?).
Our dinner party menu was a truly eclectic affair, with food geared both toward the omnis among us (ie, everyone except me) and a few choice morsels from my vegan repertoire, selected specifically to wow the guests (I didn’t want to overwhelm those folks with a full-on ACD menu; we do want them to come back, after all). So I served these sushi rolls as appetizers, which everyone gobbled up with glee.
Now, I’ve mentioned before that the HH and I used to enjoy a weekly lunch date, which began after I switched my diet from the SAD to the NAG (luckily, those acronyms apply to my eating habits rather than describing me in general). Every Tuesday, we’d meet for sushi: the HH savored his chunks o’ raw seafood, while I relished my beloved veggie maki. For several years, all was well with the Ricki-HH world. (“And our world, too, Mum! Except we weren’t crazy about you leaving us for two whole hours once a week. What’s up with that?“).
Once I reverted to the strict ACD in March, 2009, sushi was off the table–literally. I wasn’t permitted even a minute amount of sugar (used to season sushi rice), and of course the (white, refined) sushi rice was also forbidden. Wahhhh! Instead, I frequently turned to one of my favorite substitutes, raw nori rolls, which I could make at home whenever I craved sushi. Unfortunately, this dietary change also means that my lunch dates with the HH have been put on hold indefinitely since then. (“But Mum, now you have more time with us! How’s that for a bonus??”).
When I came upon Gena’s recipe for raw sushi “rice,” I knew I’d have to give it a try in lieu of my usual rolls. And a bonus for me (besides all that extra time with The Girls) is that it’s made from parsnips–this month’s SOS ingredient! Knowing I could depend on Gena for a recipe that was both reliable and delicious, I went ahead and rolled up a huge batch.
Incredibly easy to make, this sushi rice evokes a distinct Asian palate with a novel combination of ingredients. When raw, parsnips are mildly flavored and don’t overpower the other seasonings; they provide the perfect foil for any vegetables you choose to surround with ”rice,” all wrapped in a glossy, chewy, umami nori sheet. The beauty of this recipe is that you can pair the “rice” with any filling you fancy. The HH and I first enjoyed some simple rolls with just “rice,” avocado and tomato on the first night we tried them. For my guests, I added cucumber, carrot and green onion to the mix. I also drizzled a little sriracha over the top of the veggies before rolling–a great way to provide the “oomph” of wasabi paste when you don’t have the actual wasabi at home (though I’m definitely going to try these again using pickled ginger and wasabi for a more traditional “sushi” experience). I’d even try the “rice” on its own or with other toppings as part of a dinner bowl rather than rolled in sushi–I think it could stand up well on its own.
My office mate and his new bride adored these little bites, as do the HH and I. They had no idea what was in them, except that it wasn’t rice; and they certainly didn’t realize that our appetizers were both ACD friendly and vegan. In fact, I’m already planning for the plant-based replacement I’ll use in our main course, next time.
Raw Sushi with Parsnip “Rice” (adapted from Choosing Raw)
This month’s featured ingredient is one that Kim and I both adore. Although they’re a bit of a paleface compared to many other antioxidant-rich vegetables, they offer lots of great nutritional value as well as deep, succulent flavor. They may at first appear like off-white carrots, but this month’s veggie offers its own unique, healthy and delicious properties. We’re talking about–
They may look like albino carrots, but the gnarly parsnip, native to Asia and Europe, provides many health benefits. One of the less-lauded root veggies, parsnips appear to be paler carrots with somewhat bumpy exteriors and a light yellow or off-white flesh inside. Their flavor has been described as alternately nutty, sweet, or peppery; I also find them somewhat earthy. Because of their high starch content, they brown and caramelize well when roasted, releasing natural sugars for a mild, sweet flavor.
Known as a biannual plant, the flowers blossom from June until August, though only the roots are consumed (unlike carrots, the tops of which can be eaten). [source] Interestingly, parsnips aren’t grown in warmer climates because they require frost to develop their flavor (one reason they’re so abundant where Kim and I live, I guess!) [source]
Health Benefits of Parsnips
While parsnips are a white root vegetable like potatoes, there are some significant differences between the two. Parsnips contain lower levels of protein and vitamin C than spuds, but they do provide more fiber. And parsnips contain a host of nutrients, offering an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, pantothenic acid, copper, and manganese. They also contain good amounts of niacin, thiamine, magnesium, and potassium. [source]
In fact, some sources suggest that parsnips can be used to help regulate bowel movements and to keep the liver healthy. [source]
When choosing your parsnips, look for cream or lightly tan exteriors, with a skin as smooth as possible. The smaller roots are the more tender ones; the larger roots tend to become woody.
Parsnips should be peeled unless they’re organic (in which case, wash well and scrub away any visible dirt before cutting and cooking). Some sources suggest that parsnips should never be eaten raw, but this is a fallacy; it’s just fine to eat them that way! Use them to replace some or all of your potatoes in a mash; chop or grate and include in soups, stews or pasta sauces; roast on their own or in root vegetable fries; or mix up with your favorite carrot cake recipe, substituting parsnips for some or all of the carrot. The possibilites are endless!
Now, it’s time for you to show us what YOU can do with parsnips! You have until the end of the month to link up your favorite parsnip-based recipes.
To participate, please adhere to the following guidelines. We hate to remove entries, so PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!
Cook up a recipe–whether yours or someone else’s with credit to them–using parsnips.
Your recipe must be made for this event, within the month of the challenge–sorry, no old posts are accepted. Then, post the recipe to your blog (if you don’t have a blog, see instructions below).
Be sure to mention the event on your post and link to the current SOS page so that everyone can find the collection of recipes. Then, link up the recipe using the linky tool below.
As a general rule, please use mostly whole foods ingredients (minimally processed with no artificial flavors, colors, prepackaged sauces, etc.). For example, whole grains and whole grain flours; no refined white flours or sugar (but either glutenous OR gluten-free flours are fine).
Please ensure that recipes are veganor include a vegan alternative (no animal products such as meat, fish, chicken, milk, yogurt, eggs, honey).
Please use natural sweeteners (no white sugar, nothing that requires a laboratory to create–such as splenda, aspartame, xylitol, etc.). Instead, try maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, dates, yacon syrup, Sucanat, stevia, etc.
Feel free to use the event logo on your blog to help promote the event!
Have fun and let your creativity shine!
You may enter as many times as you like, but please submit a separate entry for each recipe, and submit only one entry per blog post.
If you don’t have a blog, you can still participate! Simply email your recipe, or recipe and a photo, to soskitchenchallenge@gmail.com. We’ll post it for you.
For all the details (and to view past challenges), check out the SOS Kitchen Challenge page. Deadline for submission is Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Kim and I look forward to seeing all your culinary creations using parsnips!
This weekend marks Canadian Thanksgiving (October 10), and, therefore, a very special Wellness Weekend! I’m looking forward to all your submissions, of course, but am really curious to see what my fellow Canadians are cooking up for the holiday (and if you need some suggestions, see today’s earlier post).
As usual, last week brought a huge array of fabulous recipes and my “to-try” list is near bursting! Some of the highlights from last week’s event were:
Raw Lavender Blueberry Bars from Hunter’s Lyonesse. I may not be a lavender fan, but these bars looked stupendous–and they’re raw, a bonus!
AND. . .Since the top two were so close this week, I decided to mention the runner up as well:
Carrot Cake Pancakes from The Healing Kitchen! Pancakes with cream cheese frosting/topping? My kinda breakfast!
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week.
Please join us this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.)
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey)
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
Have you been keeping up with Vegan MoFo? Now that I've backed out of the festivities because I knew I couldn't keep up--well, here I am, posting virtually every day in October thus far! With our Ontario elections today (go out and vote, people!) and our Thanksgiving coming up (stay home and eat, people!), I'm pretty sure this bombarding-you-with-a-blog-post-a-day foolishness will come to an end asap (though don't forget to come back tonight for this week's Wellness Weekend, of course!)
In any case, I couldn't let the weekend arrive without offering my picks for Thanksgiving-appropriate recipes for the big weekend. My own feast menu is almost crystallized, but sadly, I won't get the recipes posted until after the holiday--but hey, you can always use those for the next celebration (and believe me, you will want to save that dessert recipe for just that purpose. Swoon.).
For those of you who haven't yet finalized all your dishes, welcome to my world here are some suggestions for what might work at your Thanksgiving table. And don't forget there are more anti-candida friendly recipes in my Anti-Candida Feast ebook (specifically holiday-themed), Desserts without Compromise and Good Morning! Breakfasts.
And to all my Canadian brethren, hope you have a fantastic long weekend. And if you've got a favorite Thanksgiving recipe to share, please leave a link in the comments section!
Happy Thanksgiving, all!
[NOTE: Not all recipes below are anti-candida friendly and/or gluten free. Where I've added "A," it indicates ACD-friendly; "GF" indicates gluten free. Other recipes contain spelt or barley flour, or other natural sweeteners (maple syrup, Sucanat, etc.). You can replace Sucanat with coconut sugar to render many of these ACD-friendly. ]
In other news. . . my Meaty Vegan Lasagna recipe is one of eleven featured today on The Huffington Post Canada–yahoo! Hope you’ll check it out (and click on the “Rate It!” button to the right of the recipe to vote for me!)
“Happy Thanksgiving! To us that just means more time to play with our humans! (And more treat, of course!).”
For those of us in North America, October is the kickoff to the holiday season, what with Halloween and Canadian Thanksgiving (next Monday! Thanksgiving recipe roundup coming tomorrow!). In our house, the celebrations continue through mid-November and include my birthday, the HH’s birthday and Elsie’s birthday (in that order). Par-tay!
Well, last week many of my friends celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I noticed a flurry of tweets from Emily about her new ebook, The Triumph Wellness Vegan Jewish Holiday Ebook and commented on how interesting the recipes sounded to me–and Emily generously offered to send me a copy of the ebook for review! (Thanks, Emily).
I was immediately keen to try out her version of vegan chopped liver, since I’d fallen in love with a different recipe earlier in the year. I had fully intended to try, and post about, several of the recipes in the book so that anyone celebrating the Jewish New Year could possibly include them in their own celebrations, but sadly wasn’t able to get to them in time (where DO the days go these days??). But here’s the good news: as Emily notes on the ebook page, the recipes are suitable for other holidays besides Rosh Hashanah, so it’s not too late! And personally, I wouldn’t wait for a holiday to enjoy most of the recipes in this ebook.
I was surprised at how many of the recipes were actually ACD-friendly (or very easily adaptable). Apart from two dishes and one dessert, all the recipes are all gluten free and mostly sugar free (with lots that include stevia in the ingredient list). The ebook contains twelve recipes, including appetizer (this “chopped liver”), soup, main course and sides, salads, plus two desserts–all vegan. An entire holiday meal at the ready!
I couldn’t wait to try the chopped liver right off the bat. The cooking method (roasting the vegetables before puréeing them, rather than using steamed or canned beans, as I did with the last version) intrigued me, as did the addition of lentils in this recipe. The pâté came together very easily and looked eerily like real chopped liver. With the HH out running errands, I set up my photo and decided to wait for his return to have lunch together. Of course, I couldn’t resist trying just a wee nibble. . . it was rich, savory and slightly smoky, with a subtle sweetness from the roasted veggies and caramelized onions. I absolutely adored it, and literally had to restrain myself from finishing it before the HH returned home.
[Doesn't this look delicious? No wonder the HH stole half my sandwich.]
I assembled a sandwich on quinoa sourdough, with a slather of dijon, some romaine and a drizzle of sriracha over top, assuming that the HH would rustle up his own meal (normally something like ham and cheese or salami on rye). As I munched away ( smacking my lips all the while), the HH asked if he could try a bite. Needless to say, he was smitten, too, and before I knew it, that bite turned into half my sandwich! “That was really good,” he mused. “You know, you could make this again.” (that’s HH code for, “I love the taste of this. Please do make this again.”).
Whether you celebrate the Jewish holidays or not, there’s a wealth of great recipes for you to try in this collection. Next up on my list are the rice-stuffed globe zucchini, black-eyed peas and pumpkin in tomato-curry sauce, spicy carrots with sweet silan (date syrup) glaze, marinated beets, and marzipan apple pie. In fact, I’m sure I’ll sneak in at least a few of these dishes at our own Thanksgiving feast this year–or, who knows?–maybe for Elsie’s birthday.
Mock Chopped Liver (adapted slightly from The Triumph Vegan Jewish Holiday Ebook, reprinted with the author’s permission)
This is a fabulous vegan pâté, whether or not you like chopped liver. It’s hearty and substantial yet not overly heavy or dense, and the smoky, savory flavors work beautifully in a sandwich or on crackers.I’ve added my own notes about the recipe in square brackets.
1 cup dry brown lentils
1 bay leaf
1 cube of mushroom bouillon OR 1 Tbsp dark miso
500 g (1 lb ) green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup walnuts
2 large onions, thinly sliced (3 cups)
Rinse lentils and pick to make sure there are no rocks or dirt clumps masquerading as lentils. Bring lentils, bay leaf, 4 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan [NOTE: I omitted the bouillon and miso, and used 4 cups/1 liter of vegetable broth instead of the water]. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender. If using the miso, stir it in at the end of the cooking period in order to preserve its taste and nutritional benefits. Drain, and remove bay leaf. Transfer to food processor.
Preheat oven to 220C (400F). Toss green beans and onion slices with the oil on a baking sheet and season with remaining salt. Roast 10 minutes. Stir, then roast 15 minutes more, or until browned and soft. [NOTE: my veggies took a lot longer to brown, upwards of 30 minutes.] Leave the oven on to toast the nuts. Transfer the veggies to food processor. In the same pan you roasted the veggies, spread the walnuts and return to oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or
until browned and fragrant. Watch carefully that they do not burn! Transfer to food processor.
Process pâté mixture until coarsely chopped. [NOTE: I processed until smooth, as I prefer my spreads to be smooth, and didn't want any detectable pieces of green bean in mine!] Season with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer to serving bowl. Chill 2 hours or overnight before serving. This can be made up to 2 days ahead and actually gets better as it sits in the fridge.
“Mum, I think this mock chopped liver looks good and all, but if you’re going to sneak something in for my birthday, can’t it be the real stuff this year?”
Last Year at this Time: Flash in the Pan: Chocolate Almond Mousse (gluten-free; ACD all stages)
I hope everyone has been having a great week! After my excitement last weekend, the rest of the week seems to have zipped by. . . and now it’s time for another Wellness Weekend! I loved all the entries from last week–your creativity in the kitchen is always so impressive! From upside down cakes to tempeh Reubens to two (two!) types of fried okra, I want to try every single recipe. But since I *have* to choose four to highlight this week, here are my four choices this time round:
Empty Fridge Slaw from My Munchable Musings. I loved this combination of grated roots (and I’m a beet lover from way back!).
Skinny Fudgesicles from Misadventures of Fat Free Baking. Because fudgesicles are classic.
Beans to the Rescue Cheeze Sauce from Veggie V’s Vegan Adventure. A great way to top pasta, nachos, tacos, etc.–and add some extra protein and fiber at the same time!
Creamy Asparagus Soup from the Vegan Cookbook Aficionado. I loved the luxurious texture of this soup (and who doesn’t love asparagus?).
Thank you to every one of you who’s played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week.
Please join us this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page.
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.)
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey)
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The major reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines: either they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
Hope y’all had a great Labor Day weekend (or Saturday and Sunday, as the case may be). The HH, Girls and I had a lovely weekend despite my need to do some school work. We brunched, enjoyed a couple of sun-kissed walks (and the Girls even had a swim), I supped with a couple of nutrition school friends, the HH and I watched another of our newly-purchased DVDS and then I saw The Helpwith my buddy Eternal Optimist yesterday evening (loved it–so many fine performances!). And smack in the middle of the weekend, we were visited out of the blue by an old friend of the HH’s as he drove from Calgary to Kingston and opted for a pit stop at our house.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for summer to be over just yet! *Sigh.* Yet somehow, the weather here in Toronto has co-opted my favorite season and set the perfect backdrop for back-to-school today with chilly, 12 C (54F) temperatures.
In an attempt to prolong that good summer vibe as long as possible, I thought I’d revisit a series that I ran last year called Back to School Swag (ha ha on you, TIFF–you’re not the only one giving out swag this week!). I received a few products and books for review over the summer months, and I’ll be giving away some of them (just the ones I liked!) over the next month or so. Today’s inaugural giveaway features a cookbook that impressed me quite a bit.
Some of you may recall the Crazy Simple Kale Salad I posted last winter. It’s a simple salad with a quick and stellar dressing that really elevates it to something spectacular. The HH and I adored it and I often make it as a way to enjoy raw kale.
As soon as I opened the book, I knew immediately which recipe I wanted to try: the Hemp Seed Lime Dressing. I know, a dressing, of all the possibilities! But raw kale salads are such a staple in our house now that I’m always looking for new and interesting toppers. I whipped it up that evening–so quick and simple–and we devoured it before I could even snap a photo. Luckily, I used the leftover dressing the following day on my Baked Sweet Potato Falafel:
[A perfect rich and creamy foil for the falafel!]
Once I’d scoured the book for recipes and filled it with my trademark sticky-note bookmarks, I sat down to really read the intro chapters. In the author’s own no-nonsense, engaging and humorous voice, the book’s first five chapters introduce the concept of “unprocessed” (the basic criterion is, “can you make it in your kitchen?”); explain the “evil trinity” of sugar, fat and salt, and why she never includes them in her recipes; relate Chef AJ’s own story and how she came to follow a vegan, high-raw, unprocessed diet; and provide pointers, tips, and questions for the reader to determine whether s/he wants to attempt the same type of diet, or perhaps move in a more unprocessed culinary direction.
I found AJ’s personal story to be both touching and compelling and gained a great deal of respect and admiration for her both as a person and a chef after reading it (without revealing too much, let me just say that she experienced illness, eating disorders, personal and family tragedy and a variety of other crises in her life–and came through it with a renewed determination, vibrancy, and, ultimately, health and energy).
The book will make you laugh (“Kosher salami, for those of you taking notes, differs from regular salami in that one kills you and the other is blessed by a rabbi before it kills you”); will motivate you (“The fact that you are even reading this book tells me that you are the kind of person who can see the possibility of something wonderful for your life, for your health and the health of your family. I’m guessing you already have done many difficult things in your life and have succeeded at them, so why should this be any different?); and will inspire you. Most importantly, it will provide you with over 100 easy, quick, unprocessed and delicious recipes to help you achieve better health.
After delving more deeply into the book, I turned to a couple more substantial recipes. First up was the raw Spanish “Rice” (made from cauliflower). This was a flavorful mix of veggies and creamy avocado with a spicy kick. I could have eaten the entire bowl myself (oh, wait, except for the HH’s sampling, I did!):
[Tangy, spicy, filling raw Spanish "Rice".]
Finally, in honor of fall (I may wish it weren’t here, but there’s no denying that chill in the morning air), I blended up the Cream of Zucchini Soup (also raw). This lovely, full-bodied and velvety soup combines a protein boost from hemp seeds with a subtle sweetness of fresh basil and dates (I used stevia instead). Filled with rich flavor and the luxurious silkiness from the hemp, it was a perfect lunch before moving on to a productive afternoon. (For the recipe, see below.)
[A bowlful of whole-foods, raw, creamy goodness.]
I loved all three recipes that I tried. Overall, the book offers dishes that are quick to prepare, made from simple, whole ingredients without added fat, sugars (of any kind) or salt–yet Chef AJ excels at creating interesting and satisfying flavor combinations that will please all types of eaters.
If you’re curious about how to create tasty whole foods recipes without sugar, fat or salt; if you’ve been leaning toward more raw foods; or if you’re simply seeking out healthier recipes, you’ll want to get yourself a copy of this book and begin enjoying flavorful, simple, unprocessed foods. And you can also enter to win a copy!
GIVEAWAY: Chef AJ has offered to give a copy of the book to one lucky DDD reader! (open to Canada and US only).
Here’s how to enter:
It’s simple: just leave a comment on this page telling me what your favorite whole food is.
For extra entries, do any or all of the following:
Subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs, follow me on twitter, or “like” the DDD Facebook page; then come back here and leave a comment telling me you did so (a separate comment for each one, please);
tweet about the giveaway and use @rickiheller in your tweet so I’ll see it, then come back here and leave a comment telling me you did so;
post about the giveaway on your own blog or Facebook page, tagging or linking to Diet, Dessert and Dogs so I’ll see it; then come back here and leave a comment telling me you did so.
The giveaway will remain open until midnight on Monday, September 12th my time. Then I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the winner the following day.
Good luck, everyone!
Cream of Zucchini Soup (adapted from Unprocessed by Chef AJ)
This rich and creamy soup is a great way to use the bounty of zucchini you’ll find around this time of year. If the weather is chilly, I bet it would be just as good warmed a bit as well.
2 small zucchini, washed and trimmed, cut into chunks
3/4 cup (180 ml) unsweetened plain almond, soy or hemp milk
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until silky smooth. Garnish with more basil, if desired. Serve immediately, or warm and then serve. Makes 2-3 servings.
Today I’m delighted to be a featured guest blogger on Sunny’s lovable blog, And Love It, Too. Her theme this month is lunchbox lunches, and I’ve contributed one of my favorites, raw collard wraps. They’re not only sugar free and gluten-free, but grain-free, too! They make a perfect lunch for anyone on the anti-candida diet, at any stage of the diet (and of course they’re great for anyone who simply wants to eat healthier!).
For the recipe and a little info about the wraps, check out my post on her blog, here.
And be sure to come back later today for another raw recipe–this time, dessert!
Do you believe in sharing your food? I don’t mean “sharing” in the (laudable) sense of offering your excess tomatoes to an elderly neighbor who can’t grow her own any more, or asking your single, cash-strapped nephew to your holiday feast, or donating part of your groceries to the local shelter; when I say “sharing,” what I mean is this: do you permit your book-club buddy to use the same spoon as you to taste your cherry cheesecake? Do you offer your yoga partner a sip from your Starbucks chai latte, thereby risking some backwash into your cup? Would you offer your friendly office mate a nibble of your glazed tofu even though her fork had already delivered some pasta salad to her own mouth a moment before?
So what I’m really wondering is this: what is your stance on double dipping?
Okay, maybe I’m being too anal about it all. But I just don’t feel comfortable sharing utensils, drinking vessels, or plates of already-sampled food. I recall once seeing a commercial featuring a quintessentially cute kid–blonde curls, sapphire eyes, impossibly chubby cheeks–seated on a curb while clutching a huge, melty ice cream cone, her loyal Golden Retriever by her side. Without warning, the dog leaned in and swiped a copious slurp of the ice cream–just like that! The little Cutie Patootie simply giggled and continued to lick–right over the exact spot where the dog’s tongue had just landed. Ewwwww! I still have no idea what the commercial was advertising–I’ve been frozen at “she’s licking where the dog’s tongue just licked! Ewww! Ewww!” ever since.
Then, of course, there are the couples for whom sharing restaurant meals is a regular ritual. Mr. Bon Vivant might order one dish, Ms. Bonne Vivante another, and they switch halfway through. Or perhaps Ms BV doth protest too much about not wanting dessert, but then proceeds to consume half of Mr BV’s order (though really, Ms BV can blame it on the wait-person, that fellow who so thoughtfully brought along two spoons with that White Chocolate-Mango-Persimmon Profiterole).
When my friend Sterlin and I went on our epic California vacation back in the 70s, we ended up at dinner one night with two Parisians whom we’d met because we overheard them speaking French and (hailing from Montreal ourselves and everything), we actually understood what they were saying and struck up a conversation. Next thing we knew, we were at a restaurant in San Diego, entirely smitten by the two young men (who professed to be medical interns visiting the US as part of a work term to learn about other cultures and increase their ability to help more people in their unending quest to heal the world . . . entirely altruistic, you understand).
Well, when it came time to order dinner, Jean-Marc (the nerdy one, who, as it turned out, liked Sterlin better) insisted he wasn’t hungry, ordering just a coffee. Phillippe (the suave and sexy one, who, as it turned out, liked me–whoopee!) ordered a full meal. About halfway through, the waitress came by to top up Jean-Marc’s coffee cup. The moment her back was turned, Jean-Marc slid the cup across to Phillippe, who simultaneously pushed his own half-eaten meal over to Jean-Marc. Then J-M proceeded to wolf down his (shared) dinner, while Phillippe sipped on his (shared–and from the same cup, yet!) coffee. Needless to say, that put the kibosh on any chance of romance for me and the suave Frenchman.
The HH has his own idiosyncratic twist on the “couples sharing” concept. If you were to ask him, he’d insist that he’s opposed to sharing. When we head to our favorite (read: the only one where I can actually get food I can eat on my wacky diet) Middle Eastern restaurant, I almost always order the same thing: hummus and Israeli Salad (chopped cucumber, tomato, onion in oil/lemon dressing). The HH orders whatever he darned well pleases, which usually involves a skewer and paschal undertones. But then my dinner arrives first, and the HH invariably ends up dipping his pita in my hummus (which sounds vaguely naughty for some reason, doesn’t it?). Last time we dined there, I opted for the falafel balls (again, naughty!) and, as usual, the HH asked if he could try a little sample.
“Hey! Stick to your own balls!” I snapped (the naughtiness never ends), but of course, his plate was full of greasy, stringy cubes of meat, and my balls looked infinitely more appealing (I won’t even say it). So he ended up sharing my meal as well as eating his own.
Sadly, it turned out that the restaurant’s falafel was (despite their promise to the contrary) plumped up with some wheat flour-filler, and I suffered the rest of the evening and into the next day for it. I don’t have celiac disease, but I do react pretty badly to wheat, usually feeling as if my intestines are a car tire that’s been over-inflated. I promptly decided to make my own falafel, at home.
This recipe is based on one by one of my favorite health gurus, Dr. Ben Kim. What I loved was that the falafel contains no grains whatsoever–the “filler” added to the chickpeas is potato (Dr. Kim used a white potato, but I decided to stretch the idea further with a sweet potato, and I’m glad I did). While the final result is a bit moister in the middle than conventional falafel, the flavor is outstanding. Not too spicy yet rife with exotic aromas of cumin and turmeric, these little balls are a perfect base for a light dinner or take-along lunch. And since they maintain their shape rather well once baked, they transport easily for packed lunches. In fact, the distinct orbs are perfect for sharing–no utensils or double dipping required.
Of course, once you taste them, you may decide you don’t want to share after all.
“Mum, I think you’re right, that dog should never have licked that little girls’s ice cream. He should have just eaten the entire thing–forget about sharing!”
[Here served with some amazing Hemp-Lime Dressing from my newly acquired cookbook, Unprocessed by Chef AJ. Stay tuned--review and giveaway coming up!]
1 medium sweet potato, baked (8-9.5 oz or 225-270 g when raw, with skin)
2 cups (480 ml) cooked chickpeas, or 1 can (19 oz or 540 ml), well rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, cut in chunks
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh cilantro or parsley (I used cilantro)
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 heaping Tbsp (20 ml) tahini (sesame paste)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) turmeric
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) coriander
1 tsp (5 ml) cumin
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
more tahini or another creamy sauce, for serving
Garnishes, for serving (sliced tomato, onion, cucumber, radish, black olives etc)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
Once the potato is cool, cut in half, scoop out the flesh, and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients except for extra tahini and garnishes, and process until almost smooth (it’s okay if there’s still a bit of texture and you can see flecks of the cilantro–this is actually better).
Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop out bits of the mixture and roll into balls. Place the balls on the cookie sheet and flatten slightly on top if desired (I flatten the top so that they are easier to turn over halfway through–the flat top becomes a solid bottom at that point that prevents them from rolling around on the cookie sheet).
Bake for 25 minutes, until the tops are dry. Flip the falafel over and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes, until browned. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with tahini or other sauce and garnishes of choice. Makes 15-20 falafel balls. May be frozen.
