Mashed Potatoes Parsnips and Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic

 

Every autumn I look forward to cooking and eating late harvest vegetables. I love all the flavors. I haven't made mashed potatoes in a very long time and with the change in weather I've been anxious to experiment making them. This is my vegan take on mashed russet potatoes... and its a family approved recipe!
 
Mashed Potatoes Parsnips and Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic

Roasted Garlic

1 bulb of garlic
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb. Lay the garlic bulb on top of a piece of parchment paper with a slightly larger piece of aluminum foil underneath. Drizzle the bulb with a couple teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Close the aluminum foil  and bake for 55 minutes. The cloves should be soft when pressed. Set aside and let cool as you finish the mashed veggies.

Mashed Potatoes, Parsnips and Cauliflower

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
2 thin parsnips (or one large) peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 C cauliflower florets (heaping above the measuring cup), cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 C Vegenaise
1 whole bulb of roasted garlic
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt to taste

Begin by bringing the potatoes and parsnips to a boil in pot of cold salted water. Add the cauliflower florets as the potatoes begin to become tender (after 10 - 15 minutes). Continue to cook until all veggies are tender. Drain and put back into the pot. Add the Vegenaise, roasted garlic and parsley. Mash and season to taste.

Note: The pictures are not mine.

Breakfast Berry Smoothie

No matter how hard I try, I'm usually late getting out the door in the morning. I've tried all kinds of healthy fiber-filled breakfasts and it seems I always go back to smoothies. In an earlier post, I talked about the nutritional benefits of strawberries. Now I'd like to spend a little time on flax seed.

The following information on flaxseed is taken from the Mayo Clinic website. It explains the benefits of ground flaxseed in greater detail than I ever could.

"Most nutrition experts recommend ground flaxseed because your body is better able to digest it. Whole flaxseed may pass through your intestine undigested, which means you won't get all the health benefits.

Flaxseed is high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemicals called lignans. Flaxseed is commonly used as a laxative (to improve digestive health or relieve constipation). Both flaxseed and flaxseed oil have been used to help reduce total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels and, as a result, may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Although flaxseed oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids, it doesn't have the beneficial fiber that the seeds have."

This recipe can't be beat. It's quick, easy and halleluiah, it gets me to work on time!


Breakfast Berry Smoothie

Makes 1 large glass

1/2 C unsweetened almond milk

1 C fresh strawberries, cleaned and cut in half
1/2 C fresh raspberries

1/2 banana

1 T ground flax seed

1/2 C ice

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Cold Busting Pineapple Juice

 I've had a juicer for nearly a year. I'm not an enthusiastic user, but whenever I make fresh juice I'm reminded just how much I love having this gadget in my kitchen. Recently I had a cold and I was feeling terrible for days never really making any progress, so I decided to try juicing. I made this juice once or twice a day. I know it made a difference in how quickly I recovered. 

There are only three ingredients in this recipe and all are helpful when you're feeling under the weather. Pineapple is a good source of Vitamin C and it fights bacterial and viral infections. Navel oranges are also high in vitamin C and strawberries surprisingly have higher levels of vitamin C and potassium than oranges. All of these fruits will give your immune system a boost, and juiced together they are delicious.

Cold Busting Pineapple Juice

Makes 1 large glass   

1 pineapple  (don't juice the core)

1 navel orange, peeled but leaving some of the white pith on

1 C fresh strawberries, cleaned and cut in half

Juice the pineapple, orange and strawberries. Stir, pour into a glass and enjoy!

It's All About The Dessing... Ranch!

I have a daughter that only eats Ranch on her salads. In her world there is only one dressing and she'll go without a salad if Ranch isn't on the menu. So I set out to create something with a similar taste, texture and look, but more flavor and complexity. I don't like using soy products because they can be difficult to digest, so I turned to Vegenaise (the grape seed variety, but any Vegenaise will do) and threw in an avocado. This dressing is wonderfully creamy and perfect for people who aren't fans of vinegar and oil dressings. It can be put together quickly and gives you a nice alternative. Does my daughter like it? Yes!

Vegan Ranch Avocado Dressing 
Enough dressing for a large salad for four

1 avocado
1/2 C. Veganaise
1 t dried minced onion
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t - 1 T drained capers (optional)
pinch of white pepper
sea salt to taste

In a small bowl smash the avocado with the back of a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients combining well. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the dressing so air doesn't get to it, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Pour dressing over salad greens and toss until coated.

I'm Feeling Honored!

I am proud to be the recipient of the Liebster Award!  The word Liebster means 'Beloved' in German--and a show of love and support is what this award is all about.  The idea is to bring attention to new blogs with fewer than 200 followers. 

The rules of winning this award are the following:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment at their blog.

3. Post the Award on your blog.

4. Enjoy the love of some of the most supportive people on the Internet!

A huge THANK YOU to Tracy at Eating Smart for awarding me this honor! Please visit her amazing blog; you'll be glad you did.

Here are my picks:
Adventures in Midwestern America
A Midlife Vegan
A Cowhugger's Life
What a Healthy Family Eats 

Laura Runs a Latte

These amazing people have not only been very supportive of my blog, but they write beautiful blogs as well.  Please check them out!

Vegan Stuffed Green Peppers

Vegan Stuffed Green Peppers
Serves 4 

1-2 T olive oil
1 C chopped white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 C sliced button mushrooms
1/2 C sliced celery
1 package of Trader Joe's Beef-Less ground beef (12 oz.)
1  28oz. can of diced tomatoes
1  6oz. can of tomato paste
1 T vegan worcestershire sauce
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1 C brown rice
water for cooking rice
4 green peppers
Panko bread crumbs for topping


Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the brown rice according to the package directions. While the rice is cooking, in a saute pan heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and celery. Saute until the vegetables are tender, between 5 - 10 minutes. Add the package of "beef-less" ground beef and stir into the vegetables. Once the "beef-less" ground beef and the vegetables are well combined, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder. Gently simmer. Once the rice is cooked add it to the vegetable mixture. Cut the top off of the green peppers and fill each with the mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Lightly oil a baking dish. Place the peppers open side up on the baking dish and bake covered for 30 - 35 minutes.

You can see where I got the idea... ;-)

Read about Thrive Foods!

I was given a copy of "Thrive Foods" to review and I have nothing but good things to say about it. The book was written by Brendan Brazier, a former professional triathlete and creator of Vega Foods, a line of whole food nutritional products. This is his third book and it's full of  referenced nutritional information and recipes. 

Because I am interested in cooking, at first glance my focus was on the recipes (there are 200!). In it you'll find recipes for smoothies, salads, soups, dips, spreads, dressings, snacks, breakfasts, main courses and desserts. I've made several, one of which I've included in this post. All were fresh tasting and delicious. 

A lot of the recipes are raw or low-temperature cooked foods and all are carefully created for optimum nutrition and taste. Brendan also includes recipes created by well-known chefs whose focus is either vegetarian or vegan, such as Tal Ronnen, of Oprah fame, and recipes from well known restaurants like Candle 79 in Manhattan, New York. 

This is a picture of the Black Bean Soup from Candle 79. It's like eating a bowl of fresh.

As a cookbook Thrive Foods is well worth buying, but it's much more than that. Brendan begins his book by highlighting the benefits of a plant-based diet. He provides information on the components of good nutrition and the nutrient-dense foods that provide them. He explains why nutrient dense foods are essential for feeling and looking our best, as well as having the sustainable energy we need to make it through the day. He also demonstrates how eating a plant-based diet is good for our planet, something we should all be paying attention to.

Now for the fun part!! Go to Brendan's Facebook page  where you can download a Thrive Foods introduction and three recipes! Or... you can pre-order Thrive Foods on Amazon.com. Believe me, you'll be glad you did!

I want to thank Cierra at Vega for the opportunity to review the book and make some delicious dishes!

NOW... Here's a recipe for you to try. It's Garlic Thyme Sweet Potato Oven Fries... it's quick, easy and yummy. Enjoy!

Garlic Thyme Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 2

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 T. coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds
1 T. thyme
1 1/2 T. coconut oil
1/2 T. basil
sea salt to taste

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges or chunks. In bowl, combine the garlic, pumpkin seeds, thyme, coconut oil, basil, and sea salt.
• Add the sweet potatoes, stirring with your hands to make sure all the pieces are covered with the mixture.
• Spread the sweet potatoes on a baking tray lightly oiled with coconut oil; bake for about 35 minutes.
• If you prefer the potatoes crispier, leave in the oven for an extra 5-10 minutes.

Black Beluga Lentils with Spinach and Mushrooms

Lentils are an excellent source of protein. They have the 3rd highest level of protein by weight of any plant-based food. They are also a great source of fiber as well as being inexpensive and plentiful. I love the look of these black beluga lentils and I find the taste is more desirable than that of green or red lentils. If you add rice as a side dish, you'll end up with a tasty dinner that provides complete protein.

Black Beluga Lentils with Spinach and Mushrooms
Serves 2-4

1T olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
2T finely minced carrot
2T finely minced red onion
2T finely minced celery
1/2 C. black beluga lentils
1 1/2 C. veggie stock

In a sauce pan saute the garlic, carrot, onion and celery for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the black beluga lentils stirring to coat the lentils with the oil. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer very gently for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender. As the lentils are about half way thru cooking, begin sauteing the mushrooms.

2T olive oil
4 oz. of shittake mushrooms or wild mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 lg. packages of spinach
Sea salt to taste

In a saute pan heat 1T olive oil. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender. Set the mushrooms aside and add 1T olive oil and the sliced garlic. Saute until fragrant then add the spinach handfuls at a time as it cooks down. Season with salt to taste. Plate the dish with spinach and garlic on the bottom, black beluga lentils over the spinach and mushrooms on the top.

The Last Heart Attack

Yesterday, my uncle informed me of a program on CNN about heart disease and diet...
 "Saturday at 5 pm on CNN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta hosts a program on overcoming heart disease in America---even brings up Dr. Esselstyn, who says if America followed his program, there would be no more heart attacks. The program is an interesting summary of what we currently know about heart disease, the seriousness of heart surgery, and steps you can take to decrease your chances of being under cardiac arrest...."

I have a friend whose husband recently suffered a heart attack and I bet a lot of you have friends or family dealing with heart issues. It's worth an email or phone call to let them know about, The Last Heart Attack. I've included a link so you can see the summary of the program along with a short video of Dr. Gupta interviewing former President Clinton.

Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: The Last Heart Attack at 8p and 11p ET on Saturday, September 3rd on CNN.

Be healthy

Fresh Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad

There's little better in this world than fresh sweet corn and tomatoes at the end of the summer. This is a recipe I posted two years ago. I made it again recently and its wonderful.

Fresh Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad

Serves 4
Dressing
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 t. olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
¼ t. sea salt
¼ t. black pepper
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced


Veggies
½ C. uncooked whole wheat orzo
¼ C. red onion, diced
1 C. tomato, diced
4 ears of fresh sweet corn, kernels cut off
½ C. cucumber, diced
Italian flat-leaf parsley

Cook the orzo according to directions. While the pasta is cooking make the dressing by whisking together the ingredients. Drain the pasta and put it into a bowl. Spoon a little of the dressing over the pasta, stir to coat and set aside to cool. Prepare the vegetables. When the orzo is cool, mix the orzo, vegetables and remaining dressing together. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Forks Over Knives

 

If you follow my blog, you know that  two years ago my Uncle Gene encouraged me to read Dr. Esselstyn's book, “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.” That was the beginning for me. My uncle has often contributed important articles to this blog that have taught me a lot, but from his first recommendation alone, many things in my life have changed. I've become more conscious about what I eat and the result is I've changed my health in impressive ways, and so can you.

Today, many people are dealing with health issues unnecessarily. Young children are being diagnosed with diabetes and obesity. We hear a lot about heart disease and stoke and the operations or medications that treat them. And still, knowing we can cure obesity, "the incidence of diabetes alone has risen by a third since 1990, and treatment costs $100 billion a year." I'm thankful for modern medicine, but if we can avoid or lessen some health issues simply by changing what we eat, I'm thankful for that too.


In the documentary, Forks Over Knives, the research and practical experiences of Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn are explained. These doctors demonstrate that a whole foods, plant based diet can control and even reverse some diseases. Dr. Campbell, a nutritional scientist at Cornell University and author of "The China Study", and Dr. Esselstyn, a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, discovered that diets high in animal proteins and processed foods are detrimental to our health. Their research showed that heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some cancers could be prevented and sometimes reversed with diet alone. 

I saw Forks Over Knives with one of my beautiful daughters at a theater not too long ago, and I understand that the DVD will be available for purchase beginning August 30th. It's something you should see in addition to reading their work. You can order the DVD on Amazon, but if you would like a chance to win a copy of it along with the books, "The China Study," and "Forks Over Knives Companion Book," go to the blog post: http://beyondwillpower.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-contest-forks-over-knives-gift.html  and enter the contest. The deadline is September 2nd.

Good luck and good health.

The quote was taken from the forward of, "Eat To Live," and written by Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

Avocado Sweet Corn Salad

This is a recipe I dreamed up two summers ago. And now with the tomatoes and corn just coming in, I made it again and thought it deserved a repeat performance. The avocado dressing is wonderfully flavorful on top of the vegetables.

Avocado Sweet Corn Salad

Can be made quickly
Serves 4

Dressing
1 avocado
3 T fresh lemon juice
½ C. peeled and diced cucumber
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 t. sea salt
1/8 t. pepper

Salad
8 C. loosely pack lettuce – chopped romaine and mixed baby greens
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1 large tomato, cut into large bite size pieces
½ sweet pepper (I used an orange pepper), cut into bite size pieces
1/4 C. sweet onion, sliced and cut into bite size pieces
1 cucumber – (use the remaining cucumber from the dressing) peeled, seeded and cut into bite size pieces

To make the dressing, cut and scoop out the avocado putting it into a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until blended and smooth. Put the salad ingredients into a large bowl and pour the dressing over the salad. Gently toss to mix the dressing with the vegetables and serve.

Tomato Asparagus Pasta

I made the bruschetta recipe below, but it was just my husband and myself eating, so I ended up with about half of the tomatoes. That's how this recipe came about.

Making both the bruschetta and this pasta recipe for the same night would be perfect for two! And there's no need to double any part of it.

Tomatoes-

10 oz. of cherry tomatoes
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 t. fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/8 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. sea salt
The night before (although it doesn't need to be) mix together the olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, rosemary, crushed red pepper and sea salt in a bowl large enough to hold the oil mixture and all of the tomatoes. Slice each cherry tomato in half the length of the fruit and add them to the olive oil marinade. Cover and set aside.

Pesto -

1/8 C pine nuts

1/8 C chopped walnuts

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 C packed basil leaves

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor or blender, add nuts, chopped garlic, basil leaves (ripping them into smaller pieces) and sea salt. Pulse. Add the olive oil while the processor is running to make a smooth paste. 

Asparagus -
1 bunch fresh asparagus
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim the asparagus. Lay the spears out onto a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss coating the asparagus completely. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes.

Angel Hair Pasta -

1/2 pound whole wheat angel hair pasta

Salt and pepper
Pine nuts for garnish

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Near the end of the cook time, add two tablespoons of pasta water to the pesto sauce and stir to combine. Drain the pasta and add it to the pesto sauce. Stir in the asparagus and tomatoes. Salt and pepper the dish to taste. Serve using pine nuts as a garnish.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is an antipasto from central Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. It consists of roasted bread usually rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. But there are many variations on this starter, much more than we're used to seeing, including toppings of beans and cured meats. Mine is the more traditional bruschetta. It's a great recipe for entertaining when you don't have a lot of time because so much of it can be done in advance, and it tastes better if you do!

Bruschetta

1 baguette
10 oz. of cherry tomatoes
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 t. fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/8 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
extra basil leaves for garnish

The night before (although it doesn't need to be) mix together the olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, rosemary, crushed red pepper and sea salt in a bowl large enough to hold the oil mixture and all of the tomatoes. Slice each cherry tomato in half the length of the fruit and add them to the olive oil marinade. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.

Put the balsamic in small sauce pan and heat over a low setting until reduced to a thick syrup. This can also be done in advance.

When ready to serve, slice the baguette in to thin rounds. Grill the rounds if you can. The flavor is so much better. If you can't grill, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lay the rounds out on a cookie sheet. Toast the bread in the oven checking every few minutes so it doesn't get too dark.

Lay the grilled or toasted bread out onto a serving plate. Spoon the tomatoes and some of the olive oil over the top. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over or near the bruschetta. Add the whole basil leaves. Serve!

Pomegranate Martini

My family was in town visiting and we decided to go out for dinner. As you know, eating out can sometimes be a challenge for a vegan but when the waiter zooms in for the drink order I always know what I'm getting. I order my usual, Corona with a lime and glass. My youngest daughter commented on it calling it my "signature drink." Well, this started a discussion about "signature drinks." Apparently we all have them (or so she says) and mine is boring. And yes, I suppose it is. I would love to have some beautiful, exotic drink as my "signature," but alas, I don't.

A few weeks before that (while at a restaurant) the subject of cocktails and health came up. Can a cocktail be healthy was the question. As we sat gazing up at the waiter we all smiled, chuckled and shook our heads. Then, one of us (I won't say who) ordered a pomegranate martini commenting that maybe the goodness of the pomegranate juice would cancel out the alcohol. Well, let me tell you, when the drink came it was beautiful to look at and apparently delicious, and yes, it was enjoyed guilt free. So much for the original question...

It's these two stories that gave me direction for my most recent recipe. In all honesty, I can't drink a martini. And believe me, I've tried. There were many made before I hit on this, and I would love to have it as my "signature drink," but it will not be that. However, it's delicious and pretty to look at. And for those of you that like martinis, try away. Is it healthy? Well, that's a different post all together. For now, just enjoy.

Pomegranate Martini
Serves 1

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. Pama, a pomegranate liqueur
1 oz. pomegranate juice
1/4 t. fresh lemon juice
lemon peel twist

Begin by chilling the glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine the all the liquid ingredients with plenty of ice. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Serve.

Chickpeas and dumplins

I have a dear friend that is exceedingly conscience about what she eats... and for good reasons. She was diagnosed with asthma years ago and just recently followed the idea that food allergies may have some connection to her asthma attacks. She had allergy testing done, and as it turned out she was allergic to MANY foods. She's been vegan for about two years, but since her visit to the allergist her diet has seen even more changes and so has her health. One of the best? Her asthma has disappeared! 

I told you this story for two reasons. First, I think its interesting... I wonder how many of us suffer symptoms as a result of food allergies without any knowledge of it. Second, she has become a passionate cook with an enthusiasm for blogs!! Over the months she has sent me many recipes that she has made to rave reviews. The following recipe is one of them and I wanted to share it with you. It's really wonderful. The original posting is from the blog: Peas and Thank You. You can find it at:
http://peasandthankyou.com/2011/06/07/vegan-values-chickpeas-and-dumplings/ 
And to all of you that have health issues you're actively working on by changing your diet, I wish you the best.

Chickpeas and dumplins

Ingredients:

• Ingredients (Serves 4)
• For the chickpea stew base:
• 1 c. onion, chopped
• 1 c. celery, chopped
• 1 c. carrots, chopped
• 1 T. minced garlic
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 t. curry powder
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 3/4 t. dried rosemary
• 1/2 t. dried basil
• 4 c. vegetable stock
• One 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• For the dumplings:
• 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 c. unbleached organic flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/2 t. dried basil
• 1/2 c. non-dairy or organic milk
• 1 T. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance), melted

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 25 min.
Just like Grandma used to make. Only nobody died.

Instructions
Spritz your pan with cooking spray or oil and place over medium high heat.
Add onion, celery and carrot and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened and starting to brown.
Add garlic, salt, curry, oregano, rosemary and basil and sauté for an additional minute, until aromatic.
Carefully pour in vegetable stock, chickpeas and vinegar and bring to a low boil.
Put the cornstarch in a small bowl and remove a ladleful of the hot broth from the stew base and add it to the bowl. Whisk to remove any lumps.
Pour the slurry back into the pan, while stirring vigorously. Return to a boil and then lower heat to low.
Meanwhile for dumplings, in a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oregano and basil.
Add milk and melted margarine, and stir until a dough just forms. Do not overmix.
Plop dough by heaping spoonful on top of stew until dough is gone.
Cover with lid and allow to “bake” over low for 15-17 minutes.
As much as you may want to lift the lid to peek at these, don’t do it.
Serve while hot and slightly doughy.