For a great tasting yogurt go Greek! Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, and the plain versions have significantly lower sugar. Try Fage Brand Greek Yogurt. They even have great recipes on their website. And, if you’re still not convinced, the show, Iron Chef America recently had yogurt as it’s secret ingredient. You should have seen the amazing things they cooked up. Yogurt–it’s not just for breakfast!
Kev’s Birthday Breakfast – Cereal French Toast August 7, 2010
2 eggs (omit for vegan version)
1/2 cup egg whites (or 1 cup soy cream and 1/2 tsp egg replacer for vegan version)
splash of vanilla soy cream (or milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Whisk up above ingredients to create the egg wash mixture.
Pre-heat a griddle to about 350 degrees (medium to medium high on a stove top)
Select a sliced bread, preferably a seedy, high fiber option and submerge each side of the sliced bread in the whisked egg wash mixture. Then, carefully move the bread slice into a shallow dish filled with crushed cereal. I use Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds. Flip the bread so that each sides gets some of the cereal coated on it.
Add a dollop of butter or a tablespoon of peanut oil to the cooking surface and place the coated bread directly on the butter or oil. Watch carefully so that you don’t burn the oil or the coated bread. Flip and cook evenly on both sides until the outside is a golden brown. This recipe yields about 6 slices.
The Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook August 6, 2010
I was lucky enough to get this cookbook as a gift and let me tell you, this cookbook has it all –information about vegetarianism, nutrition, disease prevention & management, not-to-mention over 600 mouth-watering recipes! If you can’t find a recipe you like in this cookbook, you’ll never find one! For all the information you need from the editors of the Vegetarian Times Magazine.
My first tomato! August 6, 2010
When you live in a big city, space is often a luxury, and garden space is out of the question. So what’s a city dweller to do when they want to reap the benefits of fresh tomatoes? I was thrilled to discover the Totem variety of tomatoes at my local Pasadena Farmers’ Market. This little guy will grow 12-18 inches and is perfect for my not-so-spacious patio. It’s important to note that this is a determinant tomato plant, meaning you’ll have one good harvest. Indeterminate plants will produce tomatoes again and again, throughout the growing season. For an indeterminate plant, try the Better Bush variety. It’ll get 2-4 feet tall, so it’s still a space-saver.
Great Granola! July 22, 2010
I love FEED’s Blueberry Whole Grain Granola. It’s super nutritious and one of the lowest in sugar without sacrificing any of the taste!
Surrender to Stevia! July 22, 2010
I love to wake up to a warm, rich cup of coffee. And, I loved using those flavored creamers to really kick it up a notch. Eventually, I got worried about the sugar in those flavored creamers, so I switched to the sugar-free versions. I was happy for a while, until I really thought about the artificial sweeteners used in my daily cup of hazelnut heaven.
Since I aim to make healthy food choices, I realized I had to cut out the fake sugar and focus back on natural food solutions to my sweetener setback. Here’s the part where Stevia saves the day. I picked up a small jar of organic stevia extract at Trader Joe’s. I use one scoop of the super small spoon it came with and my coffee is sufficiently sweetened and my guilt is sufficiently assuaged!
To make it creamy, I use Trader Joe’s or Silk Brand Soy Creamer. I have to use a little more than I would with regular cream or half & half, but I don’t mind. My coffee is good and my conscious is clear! Try some stevia today!
Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup July 15, 2010
Sometime in June Kevin got a real craving for greens. So that next Saturday morning we came home from the Pasadena Farmers Market with a beautiful bunch of asparagus, a bag of spinach, and a bag of baby arugula. I wondered, what could I create with these ingredients to make a delicious and filling meal? It had to be something that could be enjoyed by almost any palette. And then it hit me, soup! The best soup recipe for these ingredients already exists. It’s in the cookbook, the Conscious Cook by Tal Rannen. I’m passing along his recipe and a strong recommendation that you run out and get this super cookbook.
And, to really top things off, I made a giant crouton to accompany this deliciously healthy green soup. I promise, even your pickiest eater will love it! You can also make this soup with broccoli instead of asparagus. I imagine the broccoli version would be great over pasta.
Ingredients
sea salt
3 tbs olive oil
1 large bunch asparagus (ends trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup cashew cream
fresh ground pepper
2 cups baby spinach
(1) Place stock pot over medium heat and sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add oil and head for 30 seconds to give a nonstick effect to you pot.
(2) Add asparagus, celery, and onion and sauté for 6-10 minutes. Add broth and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cashew cream and simmer for 10 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf, salt & pepper to taste.
To make the cashew cream, Tal Rannen instruct you to soak cashews in water overnight in the refrigerator. I soaked about a cup of cashews. Due to lack of planning, I soaked mine for about an hour and it seemed to turn out just fine. After soaking in cold water, rinse then pour cold water over them until the water line is about 1/2 inch over the cashews. Blend on high in a blender until smooth. Use less water to make thicker cashew cream.
(3) Working in batches, pour soup into a blender (cover the lid with a towel to prevent burns) and blend
on high. Add spinach to the last batch and blend until smooth.
Garnish with greens like baby arugula or my giant, homemade crouton. To make the crouton simple cut the crust off a slice of bread. Put it in a ziplock bag and add olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme and seal the bag. Shake until the bread is evenly covered. Then toast in a toaster oven and voile!
South of the Border Orzo Summer Salad June 29, 2010
This is a refreshing twist on traditional pasta salad and it’s super easy to throw together! First cook 1/2 a pound of orzo pasta and set it aside to cool. Prep your veggies. I cook up corn on the cob when it’s in season. I use the kernel cut from 3 ears of corn. If it’s not in season, feel free to substitute frozen corn.
1/2 pound of orzo, cooked and cooled
2 tomatoes, diced
corn kernels from 3 ears of corn, cooked
1 pound black beans
1/2 bunch of cilantro, stems removed and chopped
4-8 oz of crumbed goat cheese (exclude to make a vegan version)
Mix above ingredients. Prepare dressing. See below.
1/2 an avocado, ripe
2/3 cup of your favorite salsa
1/4 cup of olive oil vinaigrette
In blender, mix the above 3 ingredients. If you’re not a vegan, you can also add 1/2 cup sour cream to the mix. Blend together the orzo veggie mix and blended dressing. Add more or less dressing, depending on your preference. Garnish with avocado and fresh cilantro.
Beer Corn on the Cob? June 29, 2010
Yes, it’s true – to make the best corn on the grill cook it with salt, pepper, garlic, and beer! Make a little aluminum foil “boat” being careful not to have any leaks. Add to taste salt, pepper, minced garlic, and paprika. Then, pour in about 1/4 cup of your favorite beer, and a tablespoon of butter or your favorite butter substitute. Finally, seal up your foil. Grill for about 30 minutes and enjoy the most flavorful and creative corn you’ve ever had!
Independence Day Salad June 29, 2010
Show your US Pride this Fourth of July with a Strawberry, Blueberry, Goat Cheese and Mixed Baby Greens salad!! Top it with a cranberry vinaigrette and chopped walnuts!!! Delicious, nutritious, and patriotic!
