Vegetarian Dishes

Szechuan Veggie Tacos Recipe

Vegetarian Tacos That'll Satisfy Even Meat Lovers

by Joi

Szechuan Veggie Tacos

Vegetarians don’t have to miss out on the fun and flavor of tacos. Far from it! Recipes such as this healthy recipe from Canola Info.org’s Street Eats Collection prove that vegetarian tacos can be as flavorful as any meat-filled taco.  Click the link for tons of other equally delicious and healthy recipes.

Daikon Salad:

  • 2 cups shredded daikon
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 tsp sugar, granulated
  • 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce

Szechuan Stuffing:

  • 1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 sweet onion, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 purple eggplant, sliced in half moons
  • 1/2 package (14 oz) firm tofu, cubed
  • 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
  • 2 Tbsp black bean paste
  • 16 tortillas (6-inch/15 cm) flour or white corn
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions:

  1. To make Daikon Salad: In medium bowl, combine all salad ingredients.
  2. To make Szechuan Stuffing: In wok, heat canola oil over high heat. Add onions and peppers and saute 2 minutes, then add eggplant and stir-fry 1 minute. Add tofu and saute 1 minute. Add chili garlic sauce and black bean paste; saute 1 minute. Remove from heat and prepare tortillas.
  3. Heat tortillas on both sides using griddle or frying pan. Remove and divide Szechuan Stuffing between each tortilla, then top with 2 tbsp Daikon Salad and cilantro. Serve.

Yield: 16 tortillas. Serving Size: 1 tortilla with 1/4 cup Szechuan Stuffing and 2 Tbsp Daikon Salad.

Healthier Cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day

With the T-Fal ActiFry Low Fat Multi-Cooker

by Joi

T-Fal ActiFry Low Fat Multi-CookerThe sweet, sassy, and sexy number above is the T-Fal FZ700251 Actifry Low-Fat Multi-Cooker, Black. I have not, personally, used this particular T-Fal creation, but I am more than familiar with just about everything else carrying the T-Fal name.  Suffice to say, I’ll familiarize myself with the ActiFry Multi-Cooker soon. Very, very soon.

Product Features

  • 2.2 -pound-capacity electric low-fat multi-cooker.
  • Cook a variety of full meals easily and quickly using little-to-no oil for meats, seafood, risotto, vegetables and many other dishes.
  • Easy 2 button operation: on/off switch and digital countdown timer with buzzer.
  • Easy to clean – dishwasher-safe lid, pan, paddle and filter; color recipe book (38 recipes) and measuring spoon included.
  • Measures 16.7 by 13.6 by 9.4 inches; weight: 8.9 lbs. power: 1400w; 1-year limited warranty

Product Description

The T-fal ActiFry is a low fat cooker that enables you to cook tasty dishes while reducing the amount of fat you are having. The ActiFry is engineered to minimize the use of oil while cooking. This revolutionary appliance allows you to enjoy great tasting a wide array of dishes but at the same time stay healthy and feel good about what you are eating.With ActiFry you can enjoy cripsy, great tasting fries that are low in fat! By using just one tablespoon of oil you can make 2 pounds of fresh French fries, enough to feed a family of four. That one spoonful is over 200 times less than a traditional 3 liter deep fat fryer, which not only means that your food is substantially more healthy, but it is also more economical. The French fries have only 3% fat per serving.Moreover, ActiFry is a versatile cooking appliance and can be use to create a variety of helathy, low-fat dishes with minimal effort. ActiFry is not just for French fries, it enables you to cook full meals such as chili, risotto, gumbos, vegetable, or meat stir frys, seafood, and even yummy desserts. ActiFry enables you to create your favorite dishes that are not only delicious but nutritious. Each recipe requires from 0 to 2 tablespoons of oil for four servings.

Below is a very healthy-sounding recipe that’s ideal for the T-Fal ActiFry Multi-Cooker, but it CAN be made in any frying pan.  I’m wild about cabbage recipes, so I can’t wait to give this one a try.

Healthy Cabbage Recipe for St. Patrick's DayHealthy Cabbage Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day

Stir-fry Cabbage with Mustard and Chives

6 cups cabbage, cut into approximately 1 inch squares (about 1/2 head)
1/4 cup water
1/2 ActiFry spoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 teaspoons chives, minced

Whisk together the water, olive oil, mustard, sugar and salt. Place the cabbage in the ActiFry and drizzle the sauce on top. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender-crisp. Top with minced chives.

T-Fal Pans and Cookware:

Good Health is Built Upon Good Decisions

Here are Delicious Building Blocks for the Process

by Joi

Dr. McDougall's Right Foods Ready to Serve Roasted Pepper Tomato SoupWhen’s the last time you got excited, really excited, about soup? Unless you’re a soup fanatic like me, your answer could lie somewhere between, “Been awhile” or “You’re kidding, right?” This health food review – a review of Dr. McDougall’s Soups – is for all of us, soup addicts and soup newbies, alike. Those of us who eat soup pretty much on a daily basis have a  deliciously healthy new soup to enjoy and those who don’t eat soup regularly are about to gain a new incentive to do so. 

This health food and soup loving junkie had reason to do a happy dance across the kitchen floor about a month ago. I was sent a box filled with Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods ready to serve soups. In fact, I had one last night for supper, the delicious Ready To Serve Black Bean Soup – Gluten Free. I heated the soup and served, filled our bowls, then topped it off with a little sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Delicious!

I built the entire meal around this healthy, hearty, and delicious soup. Make no mistake about it, it was the star of the show.  Each soup I’ve tried has been exceptional and each time I’m left thinking, “This tastes like soup you’d get in a restaurant, not one that’s waiting for you in your pantry.”  They’re that outstanding.  Even better, they’re incredibly healthy.  A bowl of one of Dr. McDougall’s soups, along with a tossed salad or bowl of cottage cheese and fruit is a beautifully healthy, filling, and delicious lunch.

Can you even imagine how much better this meal would be for you than a burger and fries?!?!

Not only is it the right way to eat for you and me… it’s the right way to feed our families. If healthy food tastes good, kids (and husbands!) will eat it.  End of story.  Our mission, if we choose to accept it, and we do, is to find the healthy foods that have as much taste going on for them as they do nutritional value.

That’s why I”m so excited about these soups, they have it all going on.  I even love that they don’t come in cans!

Prevention Magazine had this to say about the Black Bean Soup: “This hearty blend of black beans, vegetables and organic brown rice kept testers full for hours. There’s just the right amount of spice and cilantro adds great flavors” and Better Homes and Gardens called the vegetable soup “…one of the best store-bought vegetable soups we tasted.” If it was just “one of,” I’m dying to know what the others were!

About Dr. McDougall
Dr. John McDougall, M.D. is one of the founding fathers of natural wellness. A best selling author and board-certified internist, he has been writing and speaking about the effects of nutrition on health for over 30 years. His guiding principle, and ours, is that people should feel great, and enjoy the best possible health for a lifetime. As the founder and medical director of the nationally renowned McDougall Program, Dr. McDougall has helped thousands improve their health and their quality of life by teaching people about the benefits of a plant based, heart healthy diet rich in good starches like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, rice, pasta and legumes. To find out more, visit www.drmcdougall.com

Making good, healthy choices today (again, for ourselves as well as the people we love to distraction) means healthier tomorrows.   One day last week I found myself having what I thought was a “burger craving.”  I even considered running to the nearest drive through and ordering the biggest burger they had.  Instead, I walked to my pantry, and invited Dr. McDougall’s Organic Tortilla Style Soup to lunch.  I ate my bowl of DELICIOUS soup with with a green onion, a glass of iced green tea, and a smile.

That’s pretty much what better health is: Making one really good decision after the other.  Many times what we think is a craving for something unhealthy is a craving for something hearty and filling.

Where to find Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Ready to Serve Soups

Unfortunately, none of the stores near me carry Dr. McDougall’s products, but that’s not really such a problem. I happen to LOVE shopping online and all of these healthy and fantastic soups are just a click away. Not only can you buy cases of these great soups online, you can buy his other equally great food products. I’m anxious to try the Asian Entrees.

You may be in luck, though. There are many stores that do carry Dr. McDougall’s healthy foods – click HERE to see if stores near you carry these great products.

There’s nothing about these soups that I don’t love and I’m hoping you’ll click through the links I’ve given you and read more about Dr. McDougall and his products. It might just be the smartest thing you do all week!

Dr. McDougalls Right Foods Black Bean Soup Review

Honey, You’re Gonna Love These Recipes

Add Honey Flavor to Your Holiday Meals

by Joi

Holiday Recipe: Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

If you read my ramblings on my food blog or my daughter’s tea review blog, you know I’ve got it BAD for honey.  Seriously bad.  I put honey in my oatmeal, on biscuits, cornbread, in hot tea, in cold tea, in grits, on peanut butter sandwiches, on apple slices, on pears, on peaches, in yogurt… And, yes, I’ve been known to walk right up to my little bear of honey (spoon in hand) and just have honey on honey.

Not only is honey delicious, it’s good for you. It’s an amazing alternative to sugar and if you suffer from allergies, it’s somewhat of a miracle worker.  If you get local honey (that’s the kicker, it must be LOCAL), it makes your allergies better.  I have horrific seasonal allergies – I even used to be on allergy shots.  I’m thrilled to say those days are over.

Below are a few great holiday recipes starring honey. Honeydrop Beverages (which I’ve never actually tried, but would love to), the all natural line of teas and juices sweetened with a tablespoon of pure honey, has partnered with Dan Lorig, former Executive Chef of Gulf Stream – Hillstone in Los Angeles and founding team member of Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak in New York City to offer a few honey-centric recipes perfect for the holidays.

Since there is honey involved, I’m all in.  The first recipe is for Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (pictured above).   This soup would be amazing for Thanksgiving, wouldn’t it?!  It’d also be great to have after spending Black Friday shopping and fighting crowds.  It’d warm you up and make the world a wonderful place to live again.

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

12 Fl. Oz. White Wine
1 fl. Oz Vegetable Oil, as needed
2 Oz Shallot, Chopped
6 Oz Celery, Medium Dice
3 Oz Carrot, Medium Dice
1 Tbsp Garlic Clove, Chopped
2 Lbs Butternut Squash, Cooked
2 Fl Oz Olive Oil, as needed
4 Fl Oz Honey
3 Qt Vegetable Stock
8 Fl Oz Heavy Cream
Salt, to taste
White Pepper, Ground, to taste

Squash

1. Peel and seed Squash

2. Cut Squash into 1”-2” cubes

3. Place Squash in a medium bowl, mix with olive oil and honey to lightly coat

4. Spread Squash over a sheet tray and lightly season with salt and white pepper

5. Roast at 300 F for approximately 1 hr or until fork tender

Soup

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepot to low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, onion and carrot. Cook slowly until soft/translucent.

2. Add White Wine and simmer 2 minutes

3. Add cooked squash and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour

4. Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth then strain. Repeat if necessary to achieve desired consistency

5. Add Heavy Cream and return to heat; simmer 20 minutes

6. Adjust seasoning with Honey, salt and white pepper to taste

7. Serve immediately

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette recipe

 

Honey Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette

Makes Approx. 1qt

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Champagne Vinegar
2/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Shallot, Chopped
1 tbsp Thyme, Fresh, chopped
1 tbsp Parsley, Fresh, chopped
2 Tsp Honey
20 Fl Oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the oil.

2. Gradually incorporate the oil in a steady stream.

3. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. Serve immediately over mixed greens or store in refrigerator for up to one week

Honeydrop Beverages

About Honeydrop Beverages:
Honeydrop Beverages is a healthy line of teas and juices powered by honey. Each bottle of Honeydrop is made with a spoonful of pure honey, is void of all refined or artificial sweeteners and contains only 70 to 90 calories. In 2011, Honeydrop announced its “Buy a Bottle – Save a Bee” initiative where a percentage of the profits from each bottle sold are donated to local beekeepers throughout the country to help battle Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), an epidemic threatening the global bee population.

Vegetarian Dressing Recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas

With Holland House White Wine Cooking Wine

by Joi

Artichoke-Mushroom Stuffing from Holland HouseDo you have a vegetarian to consider when making your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals?  Maybe you, yourself, are cutting back on meat and are looking for flavorful vegetarian holiday recipes. Stuffing (or dressing) is one of the most important dishes on the Thanksgiving table, and my vegetarian daughter Brittany absolutely LOVES dressing. Normally, I just use a vegetarian broth (made from boiling a variety of her favorite vegetables and seasoning it with bay leaves, sage, and thyme).  However, I plan to make the following recipe for her this year, Artichoke-Mushroom Stuffing. Toasted nuts add crunch, which she’ll love and extra nutritional value, which mom loves.

I was recently sent bottles of Holland House White Cooking Wine and Holland House White Cooking Wine with Lemon Flavor to review on the food blog and I’m now officially addicted.  You know how there are certain things you refuse to run out of in your kitchen? These delicious, aromatic, and VERY flavorful White Cooking Wines  have made the list.  They’re perfect for chicken – as well as everything else.  They’re absolutely outstanding.

I’ll post a recipe for the White Cooking Wine with Lemon Flavor in an upcoming post – but look for each of these kitchen must haves at the store, and save this recipe for Thanksgiving, it sounds so amazing I think I’m going to have a trial run.  SOON.  This Thursday works for me…

Artichoke-Mushroom Stuffing

Aromatic vegetables, cooked in wine with mushrooms and artichoke hearts, make a delicious flavor combination for this stuffing. Toasted nuts—hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans—add a delightful crunch.

Although we find it easiest—and quite tasty—to bake the stuffing separately, this recipe will stuff two 3-pound chickens or a small turkey.
Approx 1 lb. sliced French or Italian sandwich bread
1 can (13-14 oz.) artichoke hearts (not marinated)
4 Tbsp. butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
8 oz. pre-sliced mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. dried rubbed sage
1 cup HOLLAND HOUSE White Cooking Wine
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth (plus more to taste)
Spread bread slices out on sheet trays for several hours to dry out a bit. Or place in a warm oven for 15 minutes. Tear bread into bite-size pieces. Measure 12 cups and place in a very large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 3-quart casserole dish (or a shallow 9×13-inch baking dish). Drain artichokes and cut into small pieces.

In a large skillet, combine butter, onion, celery and mushrooms. Cook over high heat 6-7 minutes. Stir in artichokes, poultry seasoning and sage; add cooking wine. Cook 5 minutes more; remove from heat.

Gradually spoon vegetable mixture, including liquid, over bread, tossing gently after each addition. Sprinkle in nuts. Drizzle with chicken broth and toss, using more broth if you prefer moister stuffing.

Spoon stuffing into buttered casserole dish. Cover and bake 45-50 minutes for a casserole dish (or 25-30 minutes for a shallow baking dish).

Makes 12 cups stuffing.

Holland House White Wine Vinegars

Let’s Toast a Southern Breakfast

Fried Green Tomatoes, Okra, and Eggs Over Easy

by Joi

Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Okra, and Eggs Over Easy on Toast

Every season has its own special beauty and its own personal bragging rights.  When it comes to food, summer gives us plenty of reasons to smile. Fried green tomatoes, fried okra, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, peppers, squash, and herbs more or less turn the smile into a pirate laugh.

Saturday morning, I knew what I wanted to make for breakfast before I even got out of bed. The green tomatoes and okra were calling to me from the garden.  I could, honestly, eat fried green tomatoes and fried okra every single day and never complain. Delicious, delicious, delicious.

I washed, sliced, and plunged my green tomatoes and okra into a bath of beaten egg.  Then I coated them with yellow cornmeal, seasoned with pepper.  The true secret to great fried vegetables is using yellow cornmeal.  Sometimes I use a mixture of flour and cornmeal, but I go with JUST the cornmeal most of the time.

I also change up what I fry the vegetables in. Butter flavored Crisco is a fun choice but Saturday morning I used a mixture of butter and vegetable oil.  I fried the tomatoes and okra until they were golden brown, then removed them and rained salt over the top. Then I put them on a plate on the back of the stove to keep warm.  On my griddle, I fried our eggs over easy while toasting the bread (with real butter, of course – big difference).

Then I threw them all together and we dug in as though our lives depended on it.

When frying green tomatoes, okra, squash, peppers, onions, or even cucumbers – I think it’s always best to kind of experiment. What floats my boat (egg bath + yellow cornmeal or yellow cornmeal and flour) may leave your boat docked.  What you choose to fry your vegetables in greatly affects the flavor and texture. You’d never want to fry the food in butter alone, as it gets entirely too hot and brown, however pairing it with oil makes it much more reasonable.

Another great way to enjoy fried green tomatoes and eggs is to put them together (maybe with a little ham, bacon, or Canadian bacon) on a toasted English Muffin. The sweetness of a fried green tomato is positively Heavenly

Make Ahead Olive Bruschetta Topping

And More Olive Love

by Joi

In my last post, the Italian Olive Burgers, I confessed my undying, unwavering love for olives. Olives are, of course, more than just a pizza topping (although they are THE pizza topping as far as I’m concerned). I also love olives in pasta salads, tacos,  tossed salads, spaghetti, straight from the jar, in pickle trays, omelets, and on and on.   I also love to make a Mediterranean bagel with a toasted bagel lightly slathered with Cream Cheese.  On top of the cream cheese, I layer slices of roma (or grape) tomatoes and olives.  If my herb garden is in glorious bloom, I add a little basil… just a little though, one mustn’t steal the show from the olives.

Below is another great olive recipe.  How delicious does this picture look?!

Bruschetta Recipe: Olive Bruschetta

Make Ahead Ripe Olive Bruschetta Topping

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Servings: 12
1 container (6.5 oz.) Lindsay® Re-closeables Pitted Ripe Olives, drained reserve container
1/4 cup drained finely chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
2 tablespoons shredded (not grated) Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or oil from sun dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Quarter or coarsely chop olives; place in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Return mixture to container; chill until serving time. Serve spooned over toasted French bread slices or pita or bagel chips.

Nutrients Per Serving:
Calories: 42
Calories from fat: 35
Total fat: 4g
Monounsaturated fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 1mg
Sodium: 137mg
Total Carbohydrates: 2g
Dietary fiber: 1g
Protein: 1g

My Favorite Salad: Salsa Salad

No Dressing Required!

by Joi

Salsa Salad

One of my favorite salad recipes, Salsa Salad,  is chock full of flavor. So much SO that adding dressing of any kind isn’t just unnecessary, it’s downright criminal.

INGREDIENTS

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 large can chopped green chilies (very well drained)
1 container grape tomatoes, chopped (or two large tomatoes)
1 bunch green onions chopped – the entire onion, except for the tips
cilantro, as much or as little as you want (I use a great deal)

Optional: Diced jalapeno (I usually use only a little)

I use my beloved ceramic chef’s knife and my beloved herb scissors to get all of the salad’s components nice and small.  (When you’ve finished reading this post, you can come back and click the links I just threw your way to read my reviews of two of my favorite new kitchen tools. I honestly don’t know how I ever got along without either one.) When making Salsa Salad, you can cut the vegetables as thick or as small as you like – that’s part of the beauty, there are so many alternatives!

One of the reasons I cut the vegetables for this salad so small is that we often use it in tacos, in tortilla shell bowls, and even on burgers.  When served on a Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burger, it’s so good you forget your own name.

If you like bologna sandwiches, you have to try a little of this salad on your next sandwich.  It doesn’t matter if the bologna comes to the party fresh from the refrigerator or if he comes “fried,” just put him on the guest list. It may sound kind of strange-ish, but this is honestly OUTSTANDING.  You could, of course, also invite a great slice of cheese to accompany the bologna to the meal.  Your call.

This is an amazingly beautiful and delicious salad and if you’re trying to cut calories, this is the salad for you.  It absolutely needs zero dressing. IF (and that’s a mammoth IF) you simply want a little dressing of some sort, a little freshly squeezed lime juice is divine.  (Did I just say divine?….. who says divine?)

As I said earlier, this salad is very versatile. Depending upon what you do with it, the salad can serve as a side salad or as a topping for sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.  I have used Salsa Salad as a main meal before.  Since I knew it’d be used as the main course, I chopped the vegetables a little thicker and added a can of well-drained black beans, a can of well-drained red beans, some diced grilled chicken, and a mixed cheese blend. Served with rolled up, warmed tortilla shells, it made an excellent and healthy meal.

Other Ingredients I’ve Used in Salsa Salad:

  • Baby corn
  • Diced celery
  • Vidalia Onion, or other sweet onion
  • Avocado (chopped and sprinkled with lemon or lime juice)
  • Hominy
  • Chick Peas
  • Diced Green Pepper
  • Diced Red Pepper
  • Spinach
  • Cucumbers
  • Strips of Steak
  • Shrimp

 

Why Aren’t You Eating Your Food in the Raw?

The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book

by Joi

The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book

The last book I wrote about, The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book, was one of two books I recently received to review on Get Cooking. The other is a book that has completely fascinated me, The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book (Everything Series). What’s more, it has opened up a whole new way of looking at food – something I wouldn’t have thought possible after this many years in the kitchen.

I would say how many years in the kitchen but who wants to get depressed on a Wednesday? We’ll save that for a Monday.

Increased energy. Clear, glowing skin. Decreased risk of cancer.  Reads like a self help guru’s dream come true. These are only a few of the benefits of a raw foods diet; some studies have even shown that this diet can actually slow down the aging process! Whether you’re looking to go completely raw or just incorporate some raw aspects into your diet, this book is your one-stop guide to a health lifestyle.

In The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book (Everything Series), you’ll find the information you’ll need to begin your love affair with raw foods. If you’re like me, you probably think of a raw food diet as consisting of apples, corn on the cob, and cauliflower – all piled on a plate that someone stands proudly behind and says, “Look! I made this just for you!”

A diet consisting of raw foods includes more foods, food combinations, and recipes than I ever imagined. Lots more than a plate with an apple, corn on the cob, and cauliflower not that there’s anything wrong with any of the three!).

In addition to detailed explanations of why this diet is so extraordinarily healthy, you’ll find the tools of the trade you’ll need if you’re really serious about taking up this type of eating (even if only incorporating raw foods into the food you regularly eat), and 300 recipes.

The recipes include:

  • Cherry Pomegranate Smoothie
  • Curry and Pumpkin Seed Crackers
  • Banana Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce
  • Raw Vegetable Lasagna
  • Pad Thai with Almond Sauce
  • Spicy Coleslaw with Cashew Mayonnaise
  • Fresh Vegetable Soup
  • Marinated Zucchini Strips
  • Cool Cucumber Salad Dressing
  • Peach Cream Crepes
  • Cinnamon Oatmeal
  • Tortillas
  • Zucchini Hummus
  • Garbanzo Bean Hummus
  • New Orleans Beans and Rice
  • Spinach Pie
  • And many, many more

I admit, although I’m intrigued with the recipes, the concept, and the healthy side effects of eating a raw food diet – I couldn’t even consider devoting myself to eating this way exclusively.  The great thing is, the authors completely understand that!  This book doesn’t try to convince you to take up a certain way of eating or try to convince you to leave behind your favorite foods.  It simply presents a colorful, fresh, and flavorful new option.  After all variety is the spice of life and, when it comes to such a healthy option – it isn’t just the spice of life, it’s the enhancement of life!

From Page 5: Reduced Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease

The following research bears out the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables:

  • Researchers at Harvard Medical School tracked the health of more than 22,000 physicians.  The study found those who ate at least 2-1/2 servings of vegetables a day lowered their risk of heart disease by almost 25 percent.
  • At the University of California, Berkeley, researchers found that a high intake of fruits and vegetables also reduces the risk of cancer on average by 50 percent.
  • A recent study on diabetes at the University of North Carolina reported that a vegan diet rich in vegetables reduces diabetes indicators.
  • In Stockholm at a Swedish university hospital, researchers found that a vegan diet also increases immune protection against arthritis.

The following is one of the great smoothie recipes in the book.

Vanilla Almond Milk Smoothie Recipe (page 22)

2 cups Almond Milk
2 cups pear, chopped with peel on
1 cup banana, sliced
1/2 cup cherries, pitted and chopped
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 vanilla bean, or 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Add the almond milk, pears,banana, cherries, and nutmeg to the blender.  Blend until smooth.
  • Cut the vanilla bean open.  Scoop out the inside pulp from the bean and add to blender.  Discard the vanilla bean pod.  Blend again to incorporate vanilla for another 20 seconds.

 

Learn more about The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book (Everything Series) by clicking the link or check your local bookstore.  Fascinating.  Positively fascinating.

Ultimate Guide to the Mediterranean Cooking and Eating

The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book

by Joi

The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book All You Need to Lose Weight and Stay Healthy!

I was recently sent a couple of books to review for the food blog and I’m getting a lot of mileage out of each of them:

  • The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book

In today’s post, I just want to focus on the first book.   We’ll serve up the Raw food tomorrow (trust me, you’re going to be impressed).

First of all, I have to say I LOVE The Everything… Series of books.  I’ve bought more of these books over the years than I can even begin to count.  Seriously, if there’s ever a subject you want to know more about, head to the bookstore (or to my favorite online destination, Amazon) and find The Everything book dealing with that subject.

Below are just a few of the zillions of subjects this series of books covers:

  • College Cooking
  • Fondue Party
  • Lactose-Free Cooking
  • Low-Salt Cooking
  • Health Guide to Thyroid Disease
  • Low Cholesterol Book
  • Reflexology Book
  • Stress Management Book
  • Civil War Book
  • Candlemaking Book
  • Cat Book
  • Coin Collecting
  • Cooking for Dogs
  • Green Living Book
  • Tex-Mex Cookbook (the next one I’m buying!)
  • Feng Shui
  • Guides to Writing
  • Countless Parenting Books
  • Foreign Language Guides
  • Travel Guides
  • Wedding Books
  • Writing Guides
  • Psychology Book
  • Etc, etc, etc.

I just wanted to give you a little idea of all the books in the series because I’m a “Learning Junkie” and book publishers like this make my life easier.

I have to say, I’ve always been fascinated by the Mediterranean Diet and the Mediterranean way of cooking and eating. What some people may not realize is that when we talk about the Mediterranean Diet, we aren’t talking about a stifling, 1/2 a grapefruit and 1/2 wheat toast for breakfast, broth and 1 boiled egg for lunch… type of restricted diet. No, no, a thousand times no. Believe me, I love food so much, I wouldn’t give anything like that the time of day!

The Mediterranean Diet is all about eating fresh, colorful, healthy, magnificent food. Part of my fascination with this type of eating lies in what it can do for you. I have written at length about the benefits of The Mediterranean Diet on my Self Help Blog (Self Help Daily) and my Mental Fitness Blog (Out of Bounds). The foods featured in The Mediterranean Diet are beneficial for your heart’s health, you waistline, your brain’s health, longevity, and just about every other corner of your life you can think of.

From page 3 of The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book: All you need to lose weight and stay healthy!:

Interest in the Mediterranean diet grew when scientists noted that people in the Mediterranean area had lower incidences of several diseases, but especially heart disease. Searching for the source of this lowered risk resulted in the examination of the lifestyles of those who live in the Mediterranean. Upon observation of lifestyle, the diet was an obvious point of review. The Mediterranean diet, while plant plentiful, is also rich in olive oil, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to using olive oil for cooking, the Mediterranean diet has limited intake of solid or animal fats like lard. These factors are the likely cause of the diet’s impact on reduced risk of heart disease. While the diets of people in Mediterranean countries vary, the evidence related to health promotion is consistent throughout the region. To accommodate the varying eating patterns of the different countries, a multitude of Mediterranean food pyramids exist. The pyramids all reflect a similar look, with lots of plant foods, but each has a unique twist to represent the cuisine of the country. With this variety of pyramids, what constitutes a Mediterranean diet can be confusing, but a close look makes it clear that Mediterranean diets, no matter which cuisine they represent, are built around plant foods. – Page 3

On the next page, the reader is given a detailed Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, followed by many pages devoted to telling the reader why each step of the pyramid is crucial to good health. As I said before, I’ve been fascinated with this style of cooking and eating for a lot of years but this is the most concise, detailed, and thorough guide I’ve read. The authors don’t just lay it all out, they lay it out within reach of the reader!

The Everything Mediterranean Diet Book: All you need to lose weight and stay healthy! is more of an education than just a book/cookbook. I truly hope you’ll grab a copy and devote yourself to feeding your family and yourself the healthiest foods possible.

Below is one of the many amazing recipes from the book. We always have an abundance of zucchini and squash from our garden, so we’ll be having a lot of these this summer and fall! If I can convince my husband to put out some eggplant, we’ll really be set.

Vegetable Pita with Feta Cheese (page 228)

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2″ pieces (lengthwise)
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2″ pieces (lengthwise)
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 red onion, cut into 1/3″ rings
1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste
6 whole-wheat pita bread
3 ounces feta cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Brush the sliced vegetables with oil and place on a racked baking sheet.  Sprinkle with black pepper.  Roast until tender.  (The vegetables can be prepared the night before – - – refrigerate; reheat or bring to room temperature before roasting.)
  3. Slice a 3″ opening in the pitas to gain access to the pockets.  Toast the pitas if desired.  Fill the pitas with the cooked vegetables.  Add cheese to each and serve.

Click HERE now to read more about this exceptional book. You’ll love it!

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