Food Methodology Over the Last Year

A good friend of mine that I met in Beijing was following the principles of JJ Smith and her 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse.  I have since read JJ's books and joined her Facebook group to stay motivated.  The basic premise is clean eating when you are not doing her 10 day smoothie cleanse. You eliminate all white starches, sugar, and processed foods and drink at least two green smoothies a day for continued weight loss.  This has worked pretty well for me - I have essentially lost about 20 pounds between October 2015 and January 2017.  I have yet to definitively pinpoint my trigger foods (food that cause me to gain weight), although I believe it centers around salt, alcohol, meats, and starchy items such as rice and breads.  I will see how it goes over the next six months as I try to fine tune my regimen and get back into sustained morning exercise at least 5 days a week.

Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Stew

This recipe was adapted from Dreena Burton's Moroccan Bean Stew.  We have eliminated sweet potatoes and beans (except lentils) from our diet for the time being so I modified this recipe to account for this change in our diet.   The original recipe can be found here:  http://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/moroccan-bean-stew-with-sweet-potatoes/

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 tablespoon coconut oil (or cooking oil of choice)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• Few pinches cayenne pepper (optional; kids may find it too hot)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cup onion, diced
• 3 medium-large cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 large zucchini chopped into small chunks
• 1 can (19 ounce) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1.5 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
• 1.5 cups frozen green peas
• 3-4 cups of swiss chard, spinach, kale leaves (stems removed if preferred)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 ½ cups water
• Instructions:
  In a large pot over medium heat, add the coconut oil with the spices and salt.
  Cook for a couple of minutes, and then add the onion and garlic.
  Stir through, cover, and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have started to soften.
  Add all remaining ingredients except ginger, peas, and zucchini and increase heat to high to bring to boil.
  Once at a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes.  Add in the zucchini and green peas and cook for another 12-15 minutes, until lentils are fully dissolved.
  Chef’s Notes:
  If you are not using the stems of the leafy greens, you could stir in several cups of baby spinach or chopped chard until just wilted (about 5 minutes before the cooking time is finished).  I have also substituted butternut squash for the sweet potatoes in the original recipe with good results.

Moroccan spiced tofu and root veggies

Found this recipe back in May 2012 and really liked the flavors in the dish.  The first time I made this, I used tofu, onion, sweet potato, carrot, and parsnips.  I made it again last night with tofu, onion, sweet potato, and carrots. I still enjoyed the dish, even though I am not a lover of tofu!  The spices really make the dish taste great.  One note:  I always find that the tofu and veggies require more of the seasoning blend/mixture than the recipe calls for so I would double this portion of the recipe.  Once you toss it all together you will know if you need more to coat everything properly.  I also left out the raisins, parsley, and red pepper and it still was good.  You can pair this with rice, quinoa, or just more veggies of your choice.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped roughly

1 bunch (about 6 medium) carrots, chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, chopped into small cubes

1 block tofu, pressed and cut into cubes

Seasoning (get this ready first)

1 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp each salt, black pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp red pepper

Garnish

1/3 cup fresh parsley 
1/4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat baking dish in oven to 450F. 

2. In a medium bowl mix seasoning mix with a whisk.  Add onion, carrot and tofu; toss to coat.

3. Remove heated dish from oven and spray with cooking spray; spoon carrot mixture over evenly.  Bake 45 minutes or until veggies are browned and tender; tossing halfway through.

4. Divide mixture over four plates, top with raisins and fresh parsley.

Curried Butternut Squash and Kale Soup

I orginally saw this recipe on the web at http://vegtastic.net/ around Thanksgiving and opted not to make it for the holiday.  I needed a soup recipe this week to go with our salads and I ran across this recipe again.  I tweaked the ingredients a bit to cut down on the preparation time, but the result was a delicious, flavorful soup.  I will definitely be making this one again....and it works for any season, not just the fall and winter.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced (I used frozen butternut squash)
• 1 bunch small carrots (or a couple large ones), peeled and diced
• 6 cups water + 1 TBS un-beef broth (or 6 cups broth)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used 365 brand canned lite coconut milk from Whole Foods) 
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 12-16 oz of frozen chopped kale greens

• 
  
• Instructions:

1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until browned. (Since I used minced garlic from a jar, I added the garlic once the onions were almost ready).
2. Add sweet potato, squash, and carrots and saute for a few minutes.  (I microwaved my frozen butternut squash, and  set it aside for a later step).
3. Add broth, coconut milk, curry powder and salt and pepper (to taste). Cook until veggies are soft.
4. If using frozen greens and squash, wait until the carrot and sweet potato softens a bit, then add the frozen kale greens and the microwaved squash to the pot and continue to simmer until the greens are tender and the sweet potato and carrot can be easily pierced with a fork.
5. Puree about 3/4 of the mixture with an immersion blender or in a regular blender; return to pot, if using regular blender.
6. If using fresh kale, add kale and cook for a minute or two longer.
7. Serve immediately.

Winter Squash and Sun Dried Tomato Lasagna

As usual I have not been blogging about food lately, but I ordered some new vegan cookbooks pre-Thanksgiving and I tried this recipe for a not-so-traditional lasagna.  When I cook, I am always tasting so I can adjust seasonings if necessary.  This recipe needed some salt, so I added some Creole Seasoning to taste.  I used Whole Foods no-cook lasagna noodles and butternut squash for this recipe and I enjoyed the finished product.  It was slightly sweet from the squash and very creamy or cheese-like.  One of my best friends tried the recipe and didn't seem to care for it, but I encourage you to try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. kabocha or other winter squash (I used Butternut Squash)

1/2- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes (depending on your preference)

2 cups chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour

6 cups almond, rice or soy milk

1 tsp salt

12 no-cook dried lasagna noodles

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

serves 8-10

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Soak the dried tomatoes in hot water, then drain and squeeze them out. Chop the tomatoes and reserve.

2. In a large frying pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the squash cubes and cook for a few minutes. Add the sage, garlic, and thyme and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cover for about 5 minutes, or until the squash is just tender.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the squash in the pan and coat. Cook, stirring gently, until the flour is smooth and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, bringing it to a simmer. Add the salt and cook until the mixture is thick. Remove it from the heat.

4. Lightly oil a 9 x 13" baking pan, then cover the bottom of the pan with a light layer of the squash mixture, then add a layer of the lasagna noodles. Add another layer of the squash mixture and half of the sun-dried tomatoes. Cover with another layer of noodles, half of the remaining squash sauce and the remaining tomatoes. Top with the noodles to cover and finish off with the remaining squash sauce.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake until the lasagna is bubbly and golden on top, 20 minutes more. Remove it from the oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Vegan Cholent from Veganomicon (almost)

This is the second time I have made this stew and I liked it a lot both times.  It is very hearty and filling.  I only substituted 1 cup vegan veggie burger crumbles for the TVP (textured vegetable protein) and added some extra seasonings at the end.  Added the frozen veggie burger crumbles at the same time as the potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, etc.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 large onion, cut into medium-dice
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used pre-minced garlic in the jar)
1/2 tsp of tarragon
1 tsp of caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used sherry cooking wine to deglaze, but this works well too)
2 bay leaves
1 cup peeled, sliced carrots (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 cup french lentils, rinsed and drained
2 medium sized white potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1 (15-ounce can) tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP) chunks (used Boca brand veggie burger crumbles here)
1 cup canned and drained lima beans or green peas (I used frozen)
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:
Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, tarragon, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute more.

Deglaze the pot with the veggie broth. Add the bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, water, and TVP. Mix together. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes and carrot are tender (it took about 45 mins to an hour for my veggies to get tender). Add the lima and kidney beans and cook until heated through. I tasted for seasonings and added some garlic pepper and garlic and onion seasoning (use whatever you like).  Can be served over rice, but I can eat this all by itself!  

New recipes coming soon!

I have been missing for a month, but I am trying out some new recipes this weekend.  If anything makes the cut, I will share on Monday.  Stay tuned!