Coconut Curry Vegetable Wrap

   Every time I go to P.F. Chang's, I get the same thing:  the coconut curry vegetables.  We actually stopped there last Sunday on our drive home, but I couldn't really enjoy my dinner as Meghan was at the end of her rope by this point (we'd been driving in the car ALL DAY).  Since then, the flavors have been lingering, tempting me to visit the local Chang's establishment to get another coconut curry fix. Instead, I decided to try to recreate the flavors in my kitchen.  I switched things up a bit and went for a lunch dish.  The dish at P.F. Chang's is a medley of cooked vegetables and stir-fried tofu in a delicious coconut milk based curry sauce.  I wanted raw veggies for my lunch, so I thought of a wrap.   I think this is a great way for me to satisfy my Chang's cravings and can save us a ton of $$!

Coconut Curry Vegetable Wrap 


1/4 large cucumber, sliced and then quartered
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into small squares
7 baby carrots, sliced
romaine lettuce
1/4 cup whole cashews
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp. reduced sodium tamari
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground celery seed
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. mild curry powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 whole grain tortillas (I used Smart & Delicious Low Carb High Fiber tortillas)


Prepare your vegetables and place them in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut milk, tamari, lemon juice, celery seed, cumin, and curry.  Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Drizzle the sauce over the vegetables and stir until all the veggies are coated.  Stir in the cashews.  

Place two pieces of the romaine lettuce on a tortilla.  

Top with half of the vegetable mixture.  

Roll the wrap and cut in half.  If you have a lunch buddy, repeat the process with the second tortilla.  Or, if you are like me, put the other half of the mixture in the fridge and you have a quick lunch ready for tomorrow!  

I know what some of you are thinking.  I can't eat something with coconut milk and cashews--too many calories!  Too much fat!  You know who you are.  Please stop.  Let me remind you that our bodies need fat.  And the fat that comes from plant sources is the good kind.  Yes, coconut milk and cashews are calorie-dense foods.  But paired with low-calorie vegetables,  you have a perfectly balanced lunch.  For the curious, I punched this recipe into my handy-dandy Mac Gourmet program and got the following nutritional profile:

Serving size:  One wrap

Calories:  242

Fat:  17 grams

Carbs:  16 grams

Sugars:  5 grams  

Protein:  7 grams

Fiber:  14 grams  

Sodium:  202 mg 

For dessert I had three slices of watermelon.  Mmmmm--a perfect lunch!  

Toddler Tuesday: I'm in Love

    As far as almost-2-year-olds go, I guess Meghan is exhibiting normal toddler behavior when it comes to eating.  But that doesn't make it any easier.  Last night for dinner, she had a variety of foods to choose from, many that at one time or another have been her favorites:  cheese, rice, avocado, beans, and red peppers.  She ate some of the cheese and declared she was "All done".

Me:  Are you sure?
Meghan:  All done.
Me:  You don't even want to finish your cheese?
Meghan:  All done.
Me:  What about the beans?
Meghan:  ALL DONE!

   Okay, I got it.    I usually wait to offer her fruit until she's finished with all the other foods to discourage her from filling up on the fruit.  I think if she had her way she'd eat only fruit.  Isn't there such a thing as a fruitarian? So even though she adamantly told me she was finished with her dinner, she was happy to eat a bowl of grapes as dessert to her not-eatten dinner.
    We are visiting my in-laws right now and her Poppy nervously asked, "Does she often not eat anything for a meal?"  I guess that depends on how you define often.  More than once a week?  Probably.  What's a mom to do?  Just grin and hope that her child doesn't grow up to be a meal-skipping anorexic.  I can't force the kid to eat and I'm not going to resort to offering her unhealthy foods so she'll get more calories in.  Quality is much more important than quanity in my eyes.  She's growing and happy so I think we're doing okay. 
  That doesn't mean that I don't get incredibly happy when I find something that she loves and will happily eat.  That brings me to the topic of today's post.  (Sorry about that drawn-out intro.)  I am completely, head-over-heels in love with Gena's Avocado, Chocolate, and Sweet Potato Pudding. 
  
Side Note:  If you haven't checked out her raw food blog, you need to.  I am not a raw foodist, but know that it can be extremely beneficial to incorporate raw food into our diets.  And everything I've tried from her site has been delicious.

   Remember how I told you Meghan's not so big into orange veggies?  It's difficult to get her to eat them at all.  This was not difficult to get her to eat.  She loved every bite and immediately asked for more when she finished her first bowl.  I totally admit that while pudding is usually thought of as a dessert, this was more like her main course for lunch.  She wasn't eating much of the other things I offered her, so I decided to go ahead and let her try the pudding I made earlier.   She gobbled it up so quickly and enthusiasticly that I knew this would be a new go-to dish.  A bonus is that I love it, too.  With the simple sugars that come from the dates, I think I'll use it more as a dessert than a main course, but won't feel bad if it's the main course once in a while. 

   As I mentioned before I am at my in-laws so don't have access to my regular picture-editing software, so these pictures might not be the greatest, but I still want to share Meghan eating her pudding. 

Let me try this stuff....

Woah, this is good.

The enthusiastic bite!

Messy baby. :-)

Hoppin' John Salad for Lunch

     Hoppin' John is a beans and rice dish from the south that is traditionally made on New Year's Day for good luck.  I don't know about you, but I need good luck all throughout the year, so I have no problem making this salad right smack in the middle of summer.  The best thing about it is that you can make it one day (or night) and have a healthy, convenient lunch ready for the next 3-4 days.  The original Hoppin' John dish is made with bacon and who knows what else--I'm not from the south--but this salad version is much healthier.

   I originally encountered this recipe when my mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and I started my nutrition mission.  Cancerproject.org is home to a group that promotes a plant-based diet for cancer survival  and they have a free cook book that I downloaded, The Survivor's Handbook:  Eating Right for Cancer Survival.  Even for someone without cancer, this is a great resource for transitioning to a plant-based diet and has a ton of great recipes!  They have a Hoppin' John Salad recipe that was the inspiration for my salad.  I made a few changes to make it more colorful and crunchy, but you should check out the book because the original recipe is great, too.

Hoppin' John Salad
Adapted from The Survivor's Handbook:  Eating Right for Cancer Survival


For the salad: 
1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
1 large carrot, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, olive oil, and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, mix together the salad ingredients.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and mix gently.  If you have time, refrigerate for a few hours.  If you need it now, eat it right away!  Serve alone or over a bed of spinach or your favorite lettuce/greens.

Yield:  4 large servings (main course) or 8 small servings (side dish)

Red beans and rice did miss her!

    When I told Tim we were having 'beans and rice' for dinner, he busted out with some Baby Got Back lyrics, so I couldn't resist using them as my title.  Black beans and rice would be more accurate, however.  This is a recipe adapted from Vegan Yum Yum, which is a fantastic vegan cook book.  Not one recipe has yet to let me down from this book.
   The best part about this dinner is that it has kale--and I still like it.  There seem to be an abundant number of vegan and vegetarian bloggers out there who claim to love kale.  I wish I could say I fell in this camp but then I would just be a poser.  Kale, in my very humble opinion, does not taste good.  At all.  Unless it's in the form of kale chips, I'm never too impressed with this particular leafy green.  That being said, I know I should try to sneak it into my diet every now and then since it has super nutritional properties and those super green veggies are the ones we should be striving to get the most of in our diets.
    And here is where Tahini Lemon Rice and Beans comes in to save me from my kale-hating ways.  Now, I had to adjust this recipe some because in addition to the kale, black beans, and brown rice it calls for, it also includes seitan.  I have only had one seitan experience.  I tried to make it homemade using the recipe from Veganomicon , and the results were not pretty.  I can usually choke down my cooking disasters even when I know it isn't the most delicious thing I've ever tasted, but this--this was completely inedible.  So right off the bat seitan was eliminated from the ingredient list.  I can't say what it would be like with the seitan, but without it, it was delicious.  So good that as I am writing this I wish I had a plate in front of me even though I just had lunch.  The kale blends right in with the dish and I couldn't taste any of its normal bitterness. The sauce is incredibly rich and creamy.  I'm pretty sure I'll be making this dish again very soon as I am salivating just from writing this description.
   Let me warn you before I get to the recipe:  it isn't a pretty meal.  Tim suggested I not photograph this one.  I went ahead and took the picture because I know I like seeing what something is supposed to look like before I make it.  Cook books with color photos are my favorite.  :)

Tahini Lemon Rice and Beans
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum 


1 cup brown rice
Tahini Lemon Sauce (recipe below)
Coconut oil for sauteing
1/2 bunch kale, deveined and chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or one 15.5 ounce can, rinsed and drained

Tahini Lemon Sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium Tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup tahini
Juice from 1 large lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (I use regular rather than vegan varieties since I'm not a vegan and don't necessarily need my meals to be completely animal-free)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Step 1:  Start cooking the rice according to the package directions or however you normally cook your rice.

Step 2:  Make your sauce.  Simply whisk all the ingredients together (see my lovely ingredients picture above?)  in a bowl and set aside.

Once your rice is getting close to being done, start the next step.

Step 3:  Heat a small amount of oil in a saute pan and add the kale.  Once the kale starts to wilt, add the beans and heat through.

So happy all this kale was part of the meal!!  

Step 4:  Stir in the sauce and turn off the heat.   Cover until the rice is finished.  Once the rice is finished cooking, add it to the pan and toss to coat.  

                                         

I told you it wasn't pretty, but remember it is oh so good!

Meghan took one look at this dish and said, "Oooh! Oooh!", which, by the way, is her way of saying, "Noooo!  Noooo!" because she doesn't pronounce her n's yet.  This was frustrating because I know this is one meal she would like if she would just taste it!  She hasn't yet learned the value of not judging a meal by its looks and I don't think she's quite old enough for me to apply the "you must at least taste everything" rule.  She did eat some black beans once they were removed from the other offending ingredients and made to look completely plain.  Secretly, I think Tim and I weren't too upset that she didn't eat any because that meant there was more for us. 

Another Quinoa Side Dish

      I've been on a bit of a quinoa kick lately.  You can't get too much of a good thing, right?  Quinoa is a versatile and delicious whole grain; I especially love it because it's a great protein source.  That's the first question people ask when they learn I limit my animal products:  But where do you get your protein?  As if animal foods are the only foods on the planet to provide protein.  Trust me, if you eat a variety of whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes, you will probably easily get more protein than you need. But I digress.  Here's  a simple little quinoa side dish that can compliment a variety of meals.  Think of the meals you'd usually have a rice side dish and swap in this one.  It's tasty, filling, and relatively easy to make.

Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf
adapted from Veganomicon


2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons  ground coriander
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup quinoa
2 cups cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth

Step 1:  In a small stockpot over medium heat, let the coconut oil melt.  Add the onions and saute for about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.

Step 2:  Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt and saute for another minute.

Step 3:  Add the quinoa to the pot and saute for 2 minutes.

Step 4:  Add the chickpeas and broth; cover and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

There was plenty left over so I could have it for lunch today.  Paired with a small salad of arugula+one small sliced carrot+sliced celery+a few slices avocado+sesame seeds+sliced almonds+drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette dressing and it was an immensely satisfying lunch.

A Healthified Mexican Meal

     I love Mexican food, but don't make it that often because Tim is just not that big of a fan.  He says he just tolerates it, but I think he does secretly enjoy the flavors of good Mexican food.  He likes Chipotle, does that count?
    Unfortunately my favorite Mexican meals are not all that healthy--especially heavy on the cheese.  And what is it about Mexican restaurants?  The portions are gargantuan! So my mission was to create a healthy Mexican meal that kept portion sizes in check.  I've been on a Veganomicon kick lately, so I started there.  I found a tasty-sounding recipe called Mexican Millet.  Many of the ingredients I had on hand.  Good start.
   If you aren't familiar with millet, it is a healthy whole grain that actually looks a lot like quinoa.  You already know that whole grains are good for your heart, but millet is also a good source of important nutrients likes phosphorus and magnesium.  It's always good to mix it up and get a variety of whole grains in your diet--not just the standard whole wheat pasta and brown rice. You can pick it up in the grain section of most supermarkets.  Tangent over.
    After deciding on the Mexican Millet from  Veganomicon, I continued my menu planning.  There's a bean and corn salad that I often make.  The original recipe is from allrecipes.com , but it uses canned corn.  It's a shame to use canned corn when the fresh corn is ripe for the pickin'! So I decided to switch it up a bit and use fresh corn.  Usually we use this recipe as a dip for our tortilla chips, but thought it would make a scrumptious filling for some whole wheat tortillas I had in the pantry.
    The result was a stand-up-and-clap meal.  Okay, maybe it wasn't really worth standing up and cheering, but it was darn good.

Mexican Millet 
adapted from Veganomicon 


2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup millet
1 small yellow onion, diced finely
1 jalepeno, seeded and minced
2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Freshly squeezed lime juice

Step 1:  Heat the oil and garlic in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  Let the garlic start to sizzle, and then add the onion and jalapeno.  Stir-fry until the onion gets soft and starts to turn golden, about 6-8 minutes.

Step 2:  Add the millet, stir, and saute for 4-6 minutes, until the millet turns lightly golden.

Step 3:  Pour in the vegetable broth, tomato paste, salt, and cumin.

Step 4:  Bring the mixture to a boil, stir once, and cover.  Lower the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
 
Step 5:  Once the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and allow to sit, covered for about 10 minutes.

Step 6:  Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and fluff the millet with a fork.  Squeeze fresh lime juice over each serving.

Sorry I have no pictures of this process.  I was stressing to get dinner ready and didn't think to stop and take pictures.  I do have a picture of the final plate--see below.

Black Bean and Fresh Corn Salad
adapted from allrecipes.com 


1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Sucanat (or you can use regular old refined white sugar)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 (15 ounce) can, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups fresh corn, cut from the cob (I used 2 cobs.  If you don't have any fresh, go ahead and use canned sweet corn)

Step 1:  Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  ~Meanwhile~In a small bowl, whisk together the first eight ingredients.  Set aside.

Step 2:  Cut the corn from the cob.  (I used my chef's knife to do this--it's really easy)

Step 3:  Once the water is boiling, put the corn in the water and let it boil for about 2-3 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

Step 4:  In a medium bowl, stir together black beans and corn.  Toss with vinegar and oil dressing.

   This salad is best if you can make it the night before and refrigerate overnight.  If you can't do that, do it at least an hour ahead of time to give the flavors a chance to meld.  Just think, if you do it overnight, dinner will come together in a snap!  This salad is amazingly good and very versatile.  Besides the two uses I described above, it can also be used as a topping for a lettuce salad.  Be happy if you have leftovers.

   Here's the final plate.

  
 
The picture doesn't do the tortillas justice.  I used small whole wheat tortillas that I had warmed in the oven and filled them with the corn and bean salad. (I warmed up the salad in the oven as well because I wanted a warm tortilla--I'm sure it would be good cold, too)  That's it!  You could add cheese or whatever, but I don't think it's necessary.  The salad has plenty of flavor and texture.

The millet was spicy.  Now my palette is somewhat weak in the spice area, so some of you might think this dish doesn't bring much heat, but both Tim and I thought it was hot.  In a good way.  I put some on Meghan's plate, not sure if it would be too hot for her or not.  She tried a few bites and when I asked if she liked it she shook her head yes.  There were no complaints about its hotness, so I guess she handled it just fine.  She didn't eat that much of it, though.

Tim thought the meal would be better if the millet was mixed in with the corn and bean salad, so that's what he did.  I tried it for lunch today (gotta love leftovers!) and he was right.  The salad has a sweetness about it that paired nicely with the spice of the millet.

 I mixed in a little guac with my lunch.  Another great addition.  There are still leftovers in the fridge, so this recipe makes a good amount of food.  If you have a big family, you'll feed 'em all, if not you can have this for dinner a few nights in a row or have your lunches covered for a few days.  :-)

Roasted Yellow Pepper and Corn Bisque with Corn and Edamame-Sesame Salad

   I know what you're thinking.  Soup?  In the summer?  Yes!  I was super excited to see fresh sweet corn from the local farm make its way into my beloved Dorothy Lane Market this week.  Fresh corn on the cob in the summer time conjures up memories of carefree summers on the lake and I can be brought back by eating it, even if I'm not in Northern Michigan and nowhere near a lake.  Despite my love of corn on the cob, I thought it would be interesting to find some different ways to use the fresh corn.  (We'll still be eating plenty of it on the cob, make no mistake about that.)  My search brought me to these two recipes, both from  Veganomicon.  Yep, this is a completely vegan meal.  A vegan meal that got no complaints from my meat-eating husband. (Those are hard to come by) Let me tell you, the salad was good.  Definitely worth trying.  But the soup?  The soup was to. die. for.  I love, love, LOVED this soup.  So did Tim.  Meghan thought it was just okay, but for her I think it was more of a frustration-with-trying-to-get-this-runny-soup-into-my-mouth issue.  She's only 21 months and hasn't completely mastered the art of eating soupy things.  Please try this soup.  You will be happy you did.

Roasted Yellow Pepper and Corn Bisque 
adapted from Veganomicon


4 yellow bell peppers
3 cups fresh corn, cut from the cobs (from 3-4 cobs, depending on the size)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium-size Vidalia onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 hot red chiles, seeded and sliced thinly
1 yellow summer squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly (about 3 cups)
3-4 cups vegetable broth (I used 4)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (lite is fine; I used regular.  I also had a 13.5 ounce can instead of 14)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Juice of one lime
good pinch nutmeg

Step 1:  Roast the peppers.  I did this during Meghan's nap time to cut down on the dinner-time crunch.  It can be done up to a day ahead.  Here's how you do it:
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the stems off and pull out the seeds.  Place them on a rimmed baking sheet, covered with parchment paper if you prefer. (Makes for easier clean up)  Bake for 40 minutes, turning them once.  The peppers should be very soft and collapsed*.  Carefully place them in a plastic bag and let them sit for about 30 minutes.  This will allow them to steam and make peeling away the skin easy.  Remove them from the bag, peel, and roughly chop.  If you aren't making the rest of the recipe now, put them in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to use.  
*I didn't let mine roast long enough AND I forgot to turn them during the cooking time.  I've roasted peppers before and it's never been difficult to remove the skins, but this time it was.  Make sure they are ready and you remember to turn them!  Here are my before and after pics, but remember, they weren't actually ready. :-)

And here they are in the bag:

                                    

Step 2:  Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt.  (Or if you are using olive oil, as I'm sure some of you are, let it heat a bit)  Saute the onion until it is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add your garlic and chiles and saute about another minute.  Then add your corn and squash.  Keep sauteing, about 5 more minutes, until you see the moisture coming from the squash.  

                                     

Step 3:  Add the roasted peppers, vegetable broth, and salt.  Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.  Then, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for another 20 minutes.  

Step 4:  Add the coconut milk and puree the soup.  It is handy-dandy if you have an immersion blender.  I do, however, when it was time for this step I discovered the battery needed charging.  Booo!  Instead, I had to transfer to the big blender and puree in batches.  Oh, well.  

Step 5: Allow the soup to heat through again.  Add the lime juice, maple syrup, and nutmeg, stir, and it's ready to serve!  

Here's the lame picture that doesn't do it justice.  I need to work on my photography skills.  A bowl that doesn't match the color of the soup would have helped, too.  

                                   

Corn and Edamame-Sesame Salad

adapted from Veganomicon

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoon low-sodium tamari or soy sauce

2 cups frozen, shelled edamame

1 cup fresh corn, cut from the cob

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 

   Bring a pot of water to a boil.  While you are waiting for the water to boil, whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, and tamari in a medium bowl and set aside. 

    Boil the edamame for 3 minutes, then add the corn and boil for another 2 minutes.  Drain into a colander and run under cold water.  When it is cool enough to touch, add the edamame and corn to the dressing and toss to combine.  Add the toasted sesame seeds and toss again.  (To toast sesame seeds, place in a small pan over medium heat.  Gently toss in the pan until they turn golden brown.  Watch carefully as they can go from white to burnt quickly!)  

At this point, the recipe says to chill for at least 15 minutes.  I did this, but Tim and I both agreed it would be better as a warm side dish.  We tried it this way the next night, and it was better.  Try it both ways and see what you think!  

                                

Here is a picture of Meghan's dinner:

                                

She at all of the avocado, a little of the soup, and none of the salad.  Even though she usually loves edamame, she wouldn't try it.  Not sure if that's because it looks different in this salad form (she usually has it plain) or if she was just not in the mood.  I don't stress about these things too much.  She ate a ton of blueberries for dessert, as usual.  The girl loves her fruit.  

   

The Health Benefits of Coconut

   If you've been reading my blog and paying attention to the recipe ingredients, you have probably noticed that I use coconut oil a lot in my recipes.  I first encountered coconut oil when I bought the cookbook Skinny Bitch in the Kitch.  All of their recipes called for coconut oil.  According to the authors, they preferred to use coconut oil in recipes because "when you heat most oils at high temperatures, you change their molecular structures, [and cause] free radicals" (page 14).  I took the skinny bitch's word for it and used coconut oil in their recipes, but didn't really start substituting yet. 

   The next cookbook that I came across coconut oil was babycakes, a vegan, gluten-free, and (mostly) sugar-free book that features recipes from a New York bakery.  Here's what its author had to say about coconut oil:  "Our favored fat in the bakery, coconut oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids (these are healthy!), is packed with lauric acid, stores in your body as energy and not fat, and supports the proper function of your thyroid, thus stimulating the metabolism" (page 21).  This bit of information stimulated my curiosity and caused me to do some further research on coconut oil.  I am definitely not a scientist, but will do my best to explain the health benefits of coconut oil as I have come to understand it.  

   Back in the day coconut oil was given a bad rap because its fat content is 92% saturated fat, which as we all know has been linked to high cholesterol and heart disease.  What wasn't taken into consideration, however, was the type of fatty acid.  Most saturated fats, and all fats for that matter, are comprised of long-chain fatty acids.  The fat in coconut oil is made up of medium-chain fatty acids.  Our bodies are better able to metabolize these types of fatty acids, which is why they are used as energy more readily rather than stored as fat.  Animal studies have shown that animals with diets consisting of primarily medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) rather than long-chain fatty acids (which are found in all animal fats) had less fat cells, smaller fat cells, and lower body weights.  

    Half of the MCFA found in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is the most essential fatty acid that helps boost our immunity.  Lauric acid is anti-viral, anti-microbal, and anti-fungul.  Talk about amazing health benefits!   The only natural sources with high concentrates of lauric acid are tropical oils and breast milk.  No one can argue the healthiness of breast milk, right?  If it's in breast milk, it's safe to assume it's good for you.  

   You can also reap the benefits of coconuts through consumption of its water or milk.  As with anything, you don't want to overdo it.  Because coconut oil and milk are high in fat, you want to make sure they replace other fats in your diet, not add more.  

    Unfortunately, there is a down side to coconut oil.  This stuff is expensive.  Good health ain't cheap, that's for sure.  When I was at the farmer's market this weekend, one of the farmers had this sign on his stand:  "Pay the farm now or the pharmacy later!"  I have embraced this philosophy for a while now.  Eating well isn't going to save me any money.  I've had to make sacrifices in other areas in my life in order to accommodate an increased budget for healthy food.  It is totally worth it for me and my family's health.  You can't put a price on that.  

Toddler Tuesday: A Healthy Dessert without Sugar

  Hello friends---toddler Tuesday is back!  We had a fabulous weekend with my brother, sister-in-law and niece in Chicago.  Now after a hectic month of traveling we have a few weeks off.  This has been one busy summer, but I love it.  

     On my mind today is sugar.  I didn't think very much about how much sugar I was eating until 2005.  Before then, I may have looked at nutritional labels for a calorie count or fat content, but really thought the most detrimental thing about sugar was that it gave you cavities.  I figured if I was diligent enough about brushing my teeth, I'd be okay.  Then in fall of 2005 my face was breaking out more than usual.  I went on a trip to my brother's house to spend a week babysitting while they went on a vacation.  My sister-in-law left food and recipes for me to follow--we even had fun desserts.  On this trip, my skin, which was already bad, got even worse.  

     When I got home I started doing research trying to figure out what I could do to calm the breakouts.  I found a book called Acne Messages that taught me to take a look at my lifestyle, the type and placement of my breakouts, to figure out the cause.  Treatments are useless until you find the cause.  I was surprised that the author suggested diet can be linked to breakouts. Everything I'd heard prior to reading this book was that studies have shown no correlation between diet and acne.  The author pointed out, however, that the reason it is difficult to show such a correlation is that the same foods don't cause the same reactions in everyone.  This made sense to me. 

     After looking at the lists of foods the author suggested can trigger acne in certain individuals, I thought about my diet.  Sugar was one of the listed offenders, and I realized I had a lot of sugar in my diet.  I also realized that on my trip to my brother's, I ate even more sugar than usual.  Many of my sister-in-law's dinner recipes included sugar, and we had sugary desserts nearly every night I was there.  

    The only way to be sure if it was sugar causing my breakouts, however, was to try an elimination diet.  I decided to cut sugar out of my diet completely.  I read labels and didn't eat anything that had added sugar for the next week.  No breakfast cereals, salad dressings, etc.  You'd be surprised how many things have sugar once you start looking.  By the end of the week, my face was noticeably clearer.  I continued the no-sugar for the next week, and my face was completely clear.  I was shocked and elated to have found the cause for the break-outs!  

   After this I was much more cautious about how much sugar I ate, and while I didn't completely eliminate it from my diet, I ate substantially less. Then in 2007 my mom got cancer.  Through my nutritional research, I discovered more and more about the detrimental effects of sugar.  It turns out that excess sugar consumption is linked to several major diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and adult-onset diabetes.   Sugar is also an immunosuppressant, meaning it weakens our immune system.       

    After learning more about the horrible effects sugar can have on our body, I decided that it just wasn't worth it.  Since then I have been on a quest to find ways to curb my intense sugar cravings without refined sugar.  

     When Meghan was born, I knew I wanted to give her every nutritional advantage I could.  That has included limiting her sugar consumption.  At 21 months old, she's yet to have a piece of candy.  Her sugar consumption has been limited to a  few tastes of my ice cream that I was eating during a weak moment and a few bites of an oatmeal raisin cookie.  I don't give her the commercial fruit yogurt that's been sweetened with sugar; she gets plain that I sweeten with fresh fruit.  Instead of the regular sweetened applesauce, I buy her unsweetened and put some cinnamon in it for her.  Her first birthday cake was sweetened with pure maple syrup.  She doesn't know the difference and has learned to appreciate the natural sweetness of things like fruit and honey.  

   I have recently discovered a lovely blog, Choosing Raw, and found the most wonderful dessert recipe I have tried in quite a while.  I am seriously excited about this discovery.  She calls this fantastic treat "Banana Soft Serve".  This is a great name as it does resemble soft serve ice cream.  But get this:  it only has ONE ingredient.  How's that for whole food eating?  Just ONE simple, lovely ingredient.  A frozen banana.  All you have to do is freeze a banana (or two or three...) and put it in your food processor.  (Don't have a food processor?  Get one!  Even if it's just for this recipe.  Get one.)   

                                          

Let the processor run for about 5 minutes (or less), until you get a creamy, ice cream-looking substance.  

                                        

That's it.  You have a delicious dessert, without any added sugar or other yucky ingredients, in 5 minutes!  I have had this three times now; twice I ate it plain. like so:  

                                        

It is also good with a little chocolate topping.  I made the chocolate topping with 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 T. agave nectar.  Very yummy.  We made this at my brother's this weekend and my sister-in-law and I both agreed that it would also be delish with a crunchy topping, such as nuts or granola.  

                                      

This is a dessert that I can feel good about serving to Meghan.  I don't want her to ever feel deprived of good food; my goal is for her to develop a palette that can appreciate and enjoy naturally sweet foods. We shared a bowl of this last week and she loved it.  I know she doesn't feel deprived so far.  :-)  

Meatless Main Dish: Millet and Black Bean Patties with Corn

Sometimes finding meatless main dishes can be difficult.  I find a lot of my meatless meals end up being casseroles or one-dish meals.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but I like to have meals where I can prepare some side dishes sometimes, as well.  I was excited to try these Millet and Black Bean Patties with Corn when I saw the recipe on another blog I like to read, No Meat Athlete. The recipe is from a vegan cook book he is featuring this month, Clean Food.  I don't have this cook book, but think I will seek it out after trying this recipe as I really enjoyed it.  Even better, Tim liked the patties and Meghan ate them, too.  That is always a bonus.  These patties make a great base for a southwest-themed meal.  They were easy to prepare and the recipe yielded a lot so we have leftovers.  In case you missed the link to the recipe earlier, here it is again:  http://www.nomeatathlete.com/clean-food/  Happy meatless cooking!

Whole Wheat Penne with Baby Bellas, Spinach, and Tomatoes

     Baby bellas were on sale at Trader Joe's this week and my thoughts immediately went to a light spring time pasta dish.  My food cravings really change with the seasons.  During the cold, winter months I inevitably crave heavy, comfort foods.  Come spring and summer, though, my body tells me to lighten it up and I usually do.  This is a simple dish that is a snap to put together.

Whole Wheat Penne with Baby Bellas, 
Spinach, and Tomatoes
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/3 cup dry white wine
10 oz. sliced baby bellas, rinsed and lightly patted dry
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
1- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice


Step 1
Heat the oil in a large skillet. When the oil is plenty hot, add 
the garlic and shallot and cook 2-3 minutes until the shallot 
is soft and translucent.

Step 2

Add the wine and allow it to simmer about 2 minutes.  

*Tip:  My husband and I are not big drinkers, so buying a full bottle of wine for a recipe is usually a waste.  Instead, I buy a small bottle like this:

This bottle was only $2.00. 

Step 3

Add the mushrooms and herbs to the skillet.  Mix so that the herbs are evenly distributed among the mushrooms.  Allow to cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender and reduced in size, about 6-8 minutes.  

Meanwhile, start boiling your water and cook the pasta according to package directions.  

Step 4

Add the tomatoes with their juice and partially cover the skillet.  Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.  The sauce should reduce slightly.  

Step 5

Add the spinach and stir until it begins to wilt, about 2-3 minutes.  

Step 6

Add the cooked penne to the skillet and stir to mix with the other ingredients.  

Step 7

Plate and serve!  

Yield: 6-8 servings
We had a ton of leftovers. It was great to heat up 
for lunch the next day.  I especially love this meal 
because it can get it on the table in about 35 minutes!

Snack Attack: Healthy Vegan Carrot Spread

   I have an affinity for snacking. When my body is telling me it's hungry, I'm just not good at saying, "So sorry my friend, you must wait until the next scheduled meal".  So I don't.  When I'm hungry, I eat.  (And sometimes when I'm bored, too, but I'm working on that.)  The problems lies with the crazy over-processed convenient snack foods that line our grocery store shelves.  When I'm hungry for a snack, I want it now, not in the twenty or thirty minutes it would take me to prepare something fresh.  But I don't want to put all the crap ingredients into my body that come with those quick-and-easy pre-packaged snack foods.  My solution is to prepare fresh foods ahead of time, so when hunger strikes my snack is ready.  I especially love dips and spreads.  They are perfect for munching on fresh vegetables (pre-cut, of course) or spreading on crackers.  I often prepare a large enough portion of a dip or spread so that it will last me a week.  If you're really sharp you are probably thinking, "Hey, aren't crackers full of junk ingredients?".  Good work. Yes, they often are.  You can find crackers that are more healthy than the standard ones, however.  The brand that I have found to have the best ingredients is Kashi.  You want to look for crackers that use whole grain flours only and don't have hydrogenated oils.

    The snack I'm highlighting today is called Curried Carrot Dip and it is slightly modified from Veganomicon.  Veganomicon is full of great recipes, but my favorites are the dips, spreads, salad dressings, and sauces.  They are always relatively simple and really delicious.  Now, in the title I call this a spread rather than a dip.  I use it more as a spread, but it can be used as a dip as well.  It's versatile!  An added bonus is that Meghan, who prefers green vegetables to orange, will eat this dip if I spread it on a cracker.  So this is one way I get some carrots in her.  Isn't that strange? Most toddlers I know love the orange veggies.  Nonetheless, this can be a healthy snack for your toddlers or older children, as well. 

Curried Carrot Dip

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 c. roasted sunflower seeds (salted)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil of your choice (I use grapeseed oil as that is what the original recipe suggests)

1 clove garlic, minced

1  tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
dash cinnamon 

Cook the carrots by steaming them, about 10 minutes or until soft.  Allow them to cool.  

In a blender or food processor, pulse the sunflower seeds until they are crumbs.  Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to process until the mixture is smooth.  You may need to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.  Allow to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and then serve.  If you can't wait, go ahead and dig in!  

This dip is great on crackers, as a sandwich spread, or with fresh veggies.  This is a quick (especially once prepared), healthy snack you can feel great about eating.  

A Tasty Way to Eat Your Greens

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, albeit a day late, I thought a post about eating greens would be appropriate.  But I have a confession to make.  I don't always love the ever-so-healthy leafy greens.  I like the basics:  spinach, romaine, broccoli.  When it comes to the more obscure greens, like collards, kale, or chard, I have a hard time stomaching them.  I have tried to hide them in soups, and that works, but anytime I try them in a regular dish I find them bitter and not at all tasty.  So I was quite skeptical when my friend Laurie told me about a way to eat kale that in her words, "tastes like popcorn".  After trying it myself I'm not sure if the popcorn description is completely accurate, but it does turn kale into a tasty snack or side dish.  How much more healthy snack can you get than munching on a bowl of KALE?  Believe me, it is totally delicious and satisfying; I urge you to try it.   Even my husband, who routinely informs me that he "doesn't really like leafy green things" loved this.

Crispy Oven-Baked Kale

1 medium bunch kale

1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly oil.  Wash and thoroughly dry the kale, then use a knife to devein it.  Then use your hands to tear the kale into bite-sized pieces.  Place the kale on the baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and toss to coat.  Cook in the oven 5-10 minutes until kale is crispy.  Watch closely--do not burn.  

Here is the kale before being baked.  As you can see it cooks down a lot.  The amount of salt you use really depends on your taste; you may have to try this recipe a few times to see what suits you.  

Behold: The Avocado

     If there is a food that you should hold on a pedestal, it is the avocado.  This poor fruit has taken a beating and suffers a bad reputation, mostly because of its high fat content.  It's a shame, really.  Here's a news flash:  our bodies need fat.  Truly.  In fact, according to the USDA, the average adults needs 65 grams of fat per day.  The reality is we need to get this fat from somewhere, and the best place ain't french fries, folks.
     Avocados are notably higher in fat than most fruits and vegetables.  The type of fat in avocados, however, is the healthy variety.  The majority of the approximately 27 grams of fat in a medium avocado is monounsaturated.  This is the type of fat that can lower bad cholesterol levels when it is eaten in place of the bad fats.  Just to be clear, the bad fats come almost exclusively from animal foods.  In addition, the fat in avocado can help the absorption of certain nutrients and aid the digestion of carbohydrates.
   Another reason avocados are often snubbed is their high caloric content.  Compared to other fruits and vegetables, avocados are quite dense with a medium avocado providing approximately 320 calories.  Rarely does a person eat a whole avocado in one sitting, however, and with all the nutrition, in my book those are some well-spent calories.  Besides, if you are following a primarily plant-based diet, the amount of calories you consume becomes much less relevant.
   Now that I have defended the avocado's supposed vices, I can get to the good stuff.  Avocados are a nutritional powerhouse.  Ounce per ounce, avocados have more protein, magnesium, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E, and vitamin K than any other fruit.  In all, the magnificent avocado contains 20 different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.  This is why the avocado has been coined a "super food".
   Most Americans enjoy avocados in one way:  as a dip known as guacamole.  I love a good guac as much as the next person, but avocados have so much to offer it is so worth expanding its culinary uses.  Avocados can be sliced and put on sandwiches or salads, used to create healthful spreads or dips, or as a star ingredient in a delicious smoothie.  One of my daughter's first foods around 6 months of age was mashed avocado, and as a toddler she enjoys plain avocado chunks as one of her staple foods.  Don't be afraid to get your children eating avocados at a young age.

    My favorite sandwich in the whole world is one that includes avocado.  I found the recipe for this sandwich years ago in a book called Food for Life.  It includes 1/2 an avocado, a few slices of a tomato, 3-4 slices of cucumber, a little romaine lettuce, and some vegan mayo on toasted whole wheat bread.  So good.

 Another great way to use avocados is in a fruit smoothie.  It's a quick breakfast you can take on the go or a filling snack.  Here's a recipe that makes a nice, creamy smoothie:

1/2 cup plain yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)

1/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

1/2 avocado, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon agave nectar 

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  If you don't have agave nectar on hand, try honey or pure maple syrup.  

  Rarely do I make a food shopping trip when I don't pick up an avocado or two. When shopping for avocados, keep in mind when they will be used as you choose.  If it will be used right away, look for one that is firm, yet gives a little when you squeeze it.  If you have a few days before you'll use it, then find one that is hard without much give.  If you have an avocado that you want to ripen quicker, keep it at room temperature on your counter.  Avocados quickly go from ripe to overripe, so if you have one that seems ready to eat but you aren't going to consume it right away, keep it in the refrigerator to preserve it longer.  When you eat half of an avocado, you can save the other half by preserving the pit and keeping the unused portion, with pit in tact, in an air-tight container in the fridge.  The second half usually needs to be eaten within 24 hours.  If you notice it is a little brown when you go to eat it, you can usually scrape off the top layer of brown and reveal the nice, green flesh underneath.