Transitioning to a Healthier Diet

No way can we say that healthier eating or better diet information isn’t out and talking to us loud and clear. You’ve got Dr. Hyman, Dr. Weil, and the First Lady. So how does one really know which diet is the best? Although this can be confusing for many people who aren’t trained in nutrition or understanding scientific research, simple steps can help get you on your way. I’ve written about some of these steps and foods in past articles, but I want to reiterate a few points, as you might find yourself occasionally becoming frustrated not knowing which diet to do: Paleo/Caveman, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, gluten-free, etc.

            Of all the scientific studies and research available, most agree on the following:

            • Refined processed sugar is bad

            • Processed, refined, unnatural foods are bad

            • Pesticides, additives, preservatives are bad

            • Non-pastured, processed soy and grain-fed animal meat is bad

            • High mercury levels in fish are bad

            • Cow milk/dairy is bad (with the exception of organic/fermented yogurts and cheese for some)

            • Wheat—the gliadin and glutenin in today’s form of wheat is bad

You can start to better your nutrition by first thinking—whole foods.  Here are some more tips to get you on your way:

            • Eat more fresh, green leafy vegetables (or just more vegetables in general) to help change your brain chemistry to stop your sugar cravings

            • Don’t buy any white sugar, brown sugar, Agave (yes Agave!) but buy raw, organic honey and use sparingly. I have many other tips for getting off sugar, but that’s an entirely huge topic to include in this short column

            • Try your best to not buy anything in a can, frozen (except vegetables/preferably organic), or box.

            • Buy organic, pasture-raised and finished meats (and eat less—way less/eat more vegetables)

            • Buy only Wild Alaskan Salmon or Copper River Salmon (to try best to avoid mercury levels)

            • Try almond milk instead of cow milk (make sure it does not have carrageenan in it)

            • Try a variety of organic rice cakes in place of bread (make sure they aren’t loaded with sugars)

           

I realize that the above tips will not come easy for everyone. Tackle one at a time. Keep a diet diary and write everything down that you eat. Also write down how you feel—physical and emotional symptoms. You will find, over time, that your brain and body will be experiencing changes. You may start to detox and have flu-like symptoms, or you may just start feeling better right away. Changing the way we eat takes time. So take time, and enjoy the journey to better health.

           

                               

Bonnie Crutcher is board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners as a holistic health coach. Bonnie has created a weekly weight-loss program for women called, “A Regular Gal,” the Smart & Healthy Families Challenge, conducts workshops on health, and coaches clients one-on-one with her six-month program. Visit www.bonniecrutcher.com.

Disclaimer: The content of this column is not intended to be medical advice. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor before engaging in any diet program or exercise routine.

Homemade Fun Making Cultured Vegetables

Veganishta has been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to make homemade cultured vegetables. As a health coach, teaching my clients about the importance of a healthy gut is a main priority for a healthy lifestyle, if not the very main priority!


During my "A Regular Gal" Healthy Weight Loss Group session this evening, we made a batch of cultured vegetables. I decided on bok choy versus green cabbage because I follow the Blood Type Diet and cabbage is a no-no for As. However, bok choy is okay! Yay, on our way. So, in addition to the bok choy, we added carrots, a sweet onion, and baby kale. For the brine, we used Body Ecology Culture Starter and mixed it in with fresh, organic cucumber puree and a little water. The colors were gorgeous; it smelled terrific, even with the onion. At the last minute, we decided to add our German and Swedish touch to it, so we added one gala apple. That will provide a lot of love for those hungry bacteria, and we will enjoy the taste as well. We are looking forward to it.

We were able to make 4 20-oz jars and one much larger jar, for a total of 5 jars. We'll keep an eye on it in the warm cabinet and can't wait to try it after 7 days!

Chocolate Married My Coffee Today

While working hard on my new "back-to-school" group health program, which is so exciting by the way, I decided I needed a little break and something sweet and cool. Nutrasumma Chocolate Pea Protein and Kava instant coffee along with some almond milk and ice came to my rescue. Easy recipe and so delicious:

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop of chocolate pea protein
3 tbsp of instant coffee
1/2 cup ice

Blend all until frothy and smooth, and enjoy 23g of protein. Who needs Starbucks?

I'm diggin' it!

Date with a Green Bean!

If you like fresh dates and figs and want to try something new with a green bean, how about this for a cool spring/summer salad. Keep that snickering to yourself.

6-7 cups fresh or frozen (thawed but still cold) organic green beans
1/2 large purple onion sliced/chopped
1 large avocado sliced/chopped near bite-size
1 large carrot thinly sliced on an angle
2 fresh figs or 2 dates or 1 of each finely chopped
1/4 cup of hemp seeds
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (seasoned if you like)
1/4 cup organic olive oil
2 tblsp brown rice syrup

Mix all in bowl, toss, chill in refrigerator, then serve at your place of choice. Now that's some date!
To find out more about the mighty green bean, or the other ingredients' nutritional value, visit this page.

King What? . . .

That's "Quinoa," and it was king of the hill in my saute pan this morning for breakfast. I have been cooking and eating quinoa over the last two years and still a breakfast scramble with this little seed is one of my favorites. Here's what's in the mix:

1/2 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed in fine mesh strainer; (cook in 1-1/2 cups of water until curly tails pop out—15-20 min. or so, then set aside).

1/4 of large purple onion, chopped
One 1/4" snub of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/8 of a large red bell pepper, chopped
Dash of red chili pepper flakes
1 tbsp. cumin seeds ground with pestle and mortar
2 tsp. turmeric
Sea salt to taste
1 tsp. unrefined coconut oil
Frozen organic spinach

Bring coconut oil to med-high heat; add onions and ginger; sprinkle with salt and saute lightly for a minute.
Add cumin, turmeric,and  chili pepper flakes and saute on med heat another minute or two.
Add frozen spinach and bell pepper; sprinkle with more sea salt, and saute until spinach is defrosted and lightly warmed through. Add the quinoa and mix all together, sauteing for just another half minute.

Serve with a slice of Ezekiel toast with Really Raw Honey, Ghee, or your topping of choice.

To learn more about how this little seed "packs a punch," visit this Whole Foods information page.

Be brave for breakfast and you'll feel like king of the hill!
Veganishta

Sweet Greens Alive!

Happy New Year everyone, and here's what's new and good with me today. I am excited to announce that I have found the perfect school and study program that will enable me to live my dream as a holistic health coach. I've always been interested in healthy eating and natural remedies, not to mention the joy of cooking. Having studied at the largest nutrition school in the world, Institute for Integrative Nutrition® , I am looking forward to working with clients beginning in April. If anyone would like to know more about the program and what I'm learning as well as how I can help you reach your goals for the new year, take a look at my website at www.bonniecrutcher.com

Now for the new food I'm going to talk about today. I experimented the other day with some great organic collards I bought at Whole Foods Market. Instead of boiling them in veggie broth or adding them to beans as I normally have, I decided to cut them up quickly and saute them with a few extra ingredients. Incredible turnout! My mother and I cleaned up the pan that evening. Here is the recipe along with some photos. If you want to try it yourself, you won't be disappointed. The very strange and interesting thing was, that they actually kind of had a "bacony" taste. They were sweet from the delicious dates yet had that tad-bit collard tang of the good 'ol green along with the sweet onion flavor. Happy healthy eating!

Sweet Greens Alive
1 large bunch of collards (organic, of course)
1/2 of a large onion, sliced thinly
6-8 very ripe dates sliced into small pieces (pits out, of course)
3 tbsp. coconut oil for sauteing
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Place 3 tbsp. of coconut oil into hot skillet or wok; add the onions and saute a few minutes until clear and beginning to brown; add the collards and saute quickly a few more minutes; then add the dates and saute for another minute to two. Toss in the pan; serve hot and enjoy.

Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage

Just had to take a couple bites and a pic!

I know it's been quite a while since The Veganishta has posted anything. Luckily today, the "lab bug" struck, and Veganishta went to work in the kitchen.

I had a taste for breakfast sausage, first time in eighteen months, so I set out on the excursion through my fridge. I gathered the leftover roasted carrots, shitake mushrooms, and yellow onions I made last night, along with some black beans and corn. I threw it all in the food processor then boiled some tofu for five minutes then threw that in.

I blended the heck out of it and then added some thyme and fresh ground fennel seed. I thought the fennel would give it that sausage flavor. It worked! A laboratory success in the kitchen this morning allowed me to eat my large breakfast sausage patty on a slice of Ezekiel toast.

I simply love experimenting with veggies, beans, legumes, and grains. I am just so very excited that I had to share this quickly today. I used my phone camera, so lighting and setup is not very professional looking, but you can see how it turned out here.

This sausage patty is now on my list to document the ingredients and recipe that I'll share later on.

I'm Such a Green Goddess

BRING ON THE GREEN
One of my favorite dressings for salads, spinach and vegetables, sometimes pasta too, is Green Goddess. Since becoming veganish, I have not been able to have any but have occasionally bought a bottle for my mother, because she loves it too, and told me so did my grandmother.

Anyway, I finally got down to business and researched a few recipes online. I then attempted to create my own Veganishta version, and I like it a lot. I am going to try experimenting with some different fresh herbs, however, as time goes on. I think I have a pretty good basic recipe down nonetheless.

I've been eating this all week. Here's how I made it:

1 carton silken tofu
3 handfuls of fresh, flat-leaf parsley
1 handful of fresh basil leaves
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil (to desired consistency)
1/8 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 small yellow sweet onion
1 large clove garlic
Sea salt to taste
1/8-1/4 cup brown rice syrup (to desired sweetness and consistency)

Blend all ingredients in food processor, except olive oil and brown rice syrup, until well blended and smooth. Then slowly add the olive oil and brown rice syrup while blending again. Taste, add a little more sea salt if desired. There you have it.

This is my first recipe at this type of dressing. As I said, I am going to experiment with some variations of herbs, etc. I will post again what turns out. Until then, enjoy some greener, very greenish greens loaded with protein!

Getting in the Greens for Lunch

After reading Dr. Joel Furhman's book, Eat to Live, I've committed to eating yet more greens in my diet. I already eat a lot of spinach, romaine, collards, turnip greens, and more, but thought I'd attempt the recommended one pound fresh, one pound cooked. That seems like a lot, but I don't mind the challenge. The only real challenge for me is the additional or longer food prep time. So far, so good for as best as I'm trying. And I do like my green smoothies as well. That helps.

In addition, I have been cutting way back on my olive oil and Earth Balance Butter. I use the butter maybe only once or twice a week and much less of it on toast, etc. I am sauteing most of my recipes now with water, and that has worked out well.

Here's a picture of my lunch bowl (10" diameter; 3" deep) filled with fresh organic romaine lettuce, Tuscan kale, carrot sticks, and topped with one apple chopped. No dressing! The apple took the place of the dressing, as I am also trying to eat more fruit. It is costing a little bit more and a few more trips to the grocery store, but it is worth it. I noticed my fingernails look as though I had a "french manicure" polish done. The tips are very white, and I believe that is a good sign.

Think Green
Veganishta

To Tuscantucky for Lunch

Being stuck in "design world" for hours left me famished. The good thing is, I arrived at a final book cover concept that the client likes. Just had to take a break, however, and put my Veganishta hat on for lunch.

Yesterday, I cooked some pinto beans in the crock pot as usual, with some Nori sea vegetable and a little olive oil in the water. Just love those beans! For lunch today I decided to stir-fry a few extra goodies to mix in with some of those great beans. I had some flat-leaf kale that needed to be consumed, so here is what's for lunch today.

Gingered Carrots and Kale with Pintos

10-12 large leaves of Cavolo Nero (Tuscan Kale); center stems cut out and each leaf cut into two sections
2 carrots sliced
1/4 of a large purple onion sliced thinly
1 very large clove of garlic minced
1-inch nub of fresh ginger; diced or sliced thinly
Tamari sauce (2 tbsp)
Olive oil for sauteing
Sea salt
Brown rice syrup
Cooked pintos

Pour olive oil into wok and saute garlic, red onion, and ginger until clear and tender, and top with sea salt to bring out the flavor (thanks Christina Pirello); next add the sliced carrots and saute just a few minutes longer; then add the kale on top and the Tamari on top of the kale; let set in wok for about 10 seconds and then start mixing everything together for just another last minute or two until the kale is wilted and the color comes out brightly. Place kale mixture on top of pintos; top with a few drizzles of brown rice syrup and enjoy.

Spaghetti and Meatballs--Don't Worry

My sister came to visit last week. She is an excellent cook and entertainer, actually, the Martha Stewart of the family. She and  my daughter wanted to cook Italian dinner for everyone. My daughter made homemade meatballs and spaghetti sauce, and my sister made a lasagna recipe with a white, lemony sauce and sausage. Of course, it had  lots of cheese in it. So what did The Veganishta do? I decided to create a new meatball recipe, and this time I was very pleased. I had tried a couple recipes from two of my vegan cookbooks in the past, but did not like how they turned out. I invented my new "meaty-balls" as I went along throwing in this and that and blending this and the other thing, and this time, everyone was pleased. My other sister was next door helping at my daughter's house and came over to borrow something, and she said, "Oh, no, you're winning! You're house smells so good." So my new meaty-balls made the house smell wonderful, and they were a nice complement to some pasta with marinara sauce, which my daughter made for me. Here's the recipe. Keep in mind, I don't measure while cooking and had to guesstimate on the ingredient amounts, but I think I'm pretty close. Cooking should always leave room for flexibility in adding a little more or taking away a little here and there by the cook. Hope they turn out nicely for you too.

Veganishta Meaty-Balls

1 cup dry brown rice (steam cook to slightly starchy consistency)
1 cup dry, organic rolled oats (cover with water to about 1/4 inch over oats; cook in microwave three minutes)
1/2 block of extra firm tofu ground and softened by hand with fork, or blend in food processor
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 tbsp ground flax seed soaked in 1/2 cup boiling water
1 tbsp vegetable bullion base (add to flax seed mixture)
1 tbsp black strap molasses (add to flax seed mixture)
1 half of very large white onion chopped finely
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp thyme leaves
4-5 tbsp oregano
2-3 tbsp basil
Sea salt to taste


1. Combine chopped onion and garlic and saute in 3-4 counts of poured olive oil on medium heat for three minutes
2. Add all dry seasonings and tofu to onion and garlic mixture (except bread crumbs) and continue to cook on medium heat for another three minutes, stirring and tossing regularly
3. Mix cooked brown rice and cooked oats in large mixing bowl
4. Add bread crumbs and sea salt
5. Add the onion mixture
5. Add flax seed/veggie bullion/molasses mixture
6. Mix all together
7. Add more oregano, basil, sea salt to your liking, if needed
8. Form into balls and place in baking pan spread on bottom with olive oil
9. Bake for 40 minutes

Couscous Spinach Apple Lunch

Here's what's for lunch today. Leftover mushroom couscous with spinach added, and apples, raisins, and walnuts sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon.


This was really delicious.

Vegetable Pot Pie

Okay, by now everyone knows about the "cold spell" we've been having here in AZ. Actually, I believe it's been a fairly standard winter for the valley, other than those few days of upper 20s and 30s temps at night, which killed a lot of our trees. Enough about the weather.

Since it was cold the other day, I decided to create a warm comforting meal for the family. I always used to love chicken or turkey pot pie, so I thought, I'll make a veggie pot pie! This time I jotted down on a piece of paper all the ingredients I used. For the seasonings, I will have to guesstimate here in the recipe; I will have to remember next time to measure it all out in measuring spoons. We have two family members visiting as guests, and they are not vegetarian. Actually, I'm the only one in this household who is vegetarian, so the look on their faces was that of "okay, well, I guess we'll just wait and see what's set before us . . . ."

I took my time and the result was well worth it. Every member of the family went back for seconds. The Veganishta was laughing with joy and wonder. I just had to take a picture of the "empty" pan when we all were finished filling our bellies and warming up on a chilly evening. Here is the recipe.


Veganishta Veggie-Power Pot Pie
5 small-med carrots sliced thinly at a 45 degree angle (just to add some flair and be different)
5 stalks of celery sliced semi-thinly
1/2 of a large onion chopped
1 large garlic clove--pressed
7 small potatoes sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 c. dry organic quinoa
1 cup gourmet variety mushrooms chopped (I have some from Costco--freeze dried that are good)
3 cups vegetable broth
2/3-1 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk (plain, unsweetened)
1/4 cup white flour
4 tbsp marjoram
Sea salt to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp white pepper (to taste)
3 tbsp Earth Balance Butter
2-3 counts poured olive oil
Filo dough sheets

1. Wash and cut all vegetables (even add the garlic) and set aside in large bowl; cook quinoa and set aside; pour hot vegetable broth over freeze-dried mushrooms and let sit for five minutes;

2. Saute for 5 minutes the vegetables in a mixture of the Earth Balance butter and olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or wok on medium-high heat

3. Drain (if needed) the quinoa and add it to the mushrooms and broth; simmer for a minute or two

4. Pour the mushroom quinoa broth into the vegetables in the big pan

5. Bring to a slight boil and then just simmer on a low heat;

6. Add the seasoning and stir occasionally; then add the flour by sprinkling a little at a time while stirring so as to thicken the sauce; add the coconut milk also. Add a little more flour if need to the consistency you like for the sauce and color.

7. Lightly oil with olive oil your pan and add several sheets of filo dough to the bottom and sides; pour in the veggie mixture

8. Layer several more sheets of filo dough over the mixture; then brush the top of all the filo with a combo of Earth Balance Butter and olive oil; place in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the filo is golden brown.

Hope it turns out as well for you as it did for The Veganishta! Enjoy.

Warm Winter Foods

Okay, folks, I'm just going by my memory here. If you'd like to try these, I know that you may alter some of the ingredients to your liking. That's how I cook, so of course, go ahead. Well, earlier in the week, I bought a large butternut squash, and it sat in my basket on the kitchen counter for a couple of days. Then on Wednesday, I got the urge to cook something in the crock pot and decided to make a squash stew. I peeled and cubed the squash, then decided to add some celery, onion, corn, great northern beans, and a variety of seasonings. I cooked all the ingredients in a light veggie broth. I added the corn and beans (which were precooked) during the last 20 minutes. The result was a delicious soup.

What's soup without bread? Well, since I had some pumpkin and some cornmeal in the pantry, I searched the web for recipes for pumpkin cornbread muffins. I came across several, but was not satisfied with any. So, I just took a few ideas from each and created my own recipe. I baked the batter in a glass, 9" x 9" cake pan. It turned out well.

Mom, my sister, and I each had two helpings. I don't think the men in the house cared for it. I ate some again tonight and still have some left over. I'm going to remember this meal and add it to my Veganishta Creations collection. This would be a warm and hearty meal for anyone on a cold winter's eve.

Veganishta Squash & White Bean Soup
1 large butternut squash
1/3-1/2 of a large, white onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 large celery stalks, chopped
1-1/2 cups corn kernels
2 cups white beans (pre-cooked)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
Sea salt to taste
1/8 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. marjoram leaves
2 tbsp. veggie bouillon base
6 cups of water, or enough to cover the ingredients

Place all in crock pot (except corn and beans) and cook on high for three hours; then on low for one to two hours; add the corn and beans the last 15 minutes or half hour.

Veganishta Pumpkin Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (you can substitute your preferred sweetener)
1 tbsp cinnamon
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/4 cup almond milk

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into 9" x 9" cake pan or muffin pans of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve with Earth Balance butter--that's what I did!

A Very "Green" Salad

No recipe here, exactly. Made a very green salad for dinner last night. After I had broken my food processor the night before, I labored at the cutting board with knife and cut and sliced away at: romaine lettuce, fresh kale, savoy cabbage, green zucchini, cucumber, celery, shallots, and then a little color with carrots and tomatoes. I made an olive oil, rice vinegar, apple juice, and brown rice syrup dressing on the side. Little bowls containing sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, diced fresh figs, and calamata olives for the taking provided some added nutritional complements. I had two helpings of the salad and the rest of the family enjoyed it as well.

No salad pictures, but here is a photo of why we are wearing our coats this week in Phoenix.  This is a photo of our icicle-laden fountain by our church.

We're off to Old West Cave Creek today for some flea marketing. At least the sun is shining, but we will still need our coats today.

Veganishta

A Trip to Whole Foods Market Wearing a Coat in Phoenix!

Okay, well, The Veganishta broke down this morning and put on the winter jacket, you know, the one appropriate for a winter visit to Flagstaff, etc.?  Back home in Chicago where I grew up, they are experiencing a near-like 1967 snow storm, as well as many other states across the country. I just received some Picasa photos from my son-in-law. Everyone is off for a "snow day." The snow, folks, was up to his hips, and he is at least 6'1" or maybe 6'2".

We are not without the effects here in AZ. It's pretty darn cold here today. The high will be 48. After living here for about eleven years now, it has been rare for a high temp during the day such as this. And since my blood is thinned out, as they say, I had to wear my coat. My sister and I drove to the Whole Foods Market to pick up some staples and fresh produce. We lingered inside for two hours! A Vita Mix blender demo was taking place, and we stayed until we sampled: a fruit smoothie, a green veggie smoothie, hot veggie soup, and a raspberry sorbet! LOL It was our "brunch."

We loaded up the goodies in our cart—fresh kale, broccoli, kale salad, a variety of organic grains, some good olive oil, some nuts, etc. The kale salad from the deli was very good. We enjoyed it for lunch with some of my lentil and brown rice warm side dish. In my steamer yesterday, I made brown rice and lentils and used some for my veggie loaf, but then decided to add some sauteed onions, fresh cumin, turmeric, and some canned tomatoes with basil and garlic. This mix will provide a protein side dish for lunches for the rest of the week. We ate some of it along with some of the kale salad for lunch. It was very good for a cold, blustery day in sunny Phoenix.

Now, thanks to the inspiration Whole Foods Market, The Veganishta will create her own rendition of a good, cold, kale salad. I'm sure she will post the recipe when it happens!

Stay warm and cozy,
Veganishta

Oats and Barley Scramble to the Rescue

For the last week, mom and I have been rearranging furniture, organizing, and cleaning. In the midst of all this new-year readying around the house, The Veganishta managed to whip up two delicious breakfasts.

I got to thinking, for the last ten months, I've actually also been "rearranging, organizing, and cleaning up" my insides. LOL Yeah, I'm laughing but really, I'm serious. Since making my green smoothies, I have more energy and my vegan diet has aided my detoxification process along. I'm thoroughly blessed by the wonderful food God provided for us and try my best daily to nourish my body as He would see fit.

Having always loved oatmeal since a child, and still do, I now just leave out the white sugar and add some extra goodies—diced apple, cinnamon, and walnuts. A little Stevia, if needed, adds to the tastiness. I have really grown to live okay without sugar. Really, folks, it is possible. I just had to take a picture of my breakfast the other morning, as you will see here—Veganishta Morning Oatmeal. I realize this oatmeal dish is nothing new and unique, but just wanted to share. It makes me feel good.

Since I'm out of tofu and trying to limit that a bit, I made another great morning scramble. My daughter calls me the "Queen of Stir-Fry," 'cause it seems I do a lot of it. So, instead of tofu or quinoa, I decided to cook some barley. I added some of my usual ingredients and dished up some good scramble. I shoved some in the face of the Mister, who immediately poured barbecue sauce on it (to disguise the taste of the spinach), but he ate it all and was strengthened plenty for his mountain hike. I had learned that the Roman gladiators ate barley before a contest. The Veganishta Barley Scramble fed us plenty of protein and other needed nutrients to get our day going.

Veganishta Barley Scramble
1/2 cup uncooked barley (makes 1-1/2 cups cooked)
1/4 of a large yellow bell pepper sliced or diced
1/4 of a large red bell pepper sliced or diced
1/4 cup of sliced or diced red onion
2 tsp. fresh cumin, ground with the mortar and pestle
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
sea salt to taste
2 cups fresh or frozen leaf spinach

Saute red onion for one minute in olive oil; add bell peppers and saute all for two minutes (medium heat); add the seasonings, stir, continue sauteing on low-med heat; add the spinach for the last minute. Then turn heat off; add the barley and scramble it all together. Serve with toast (Ezekiel bread is good). I use Earth Balance (soy free) butter. Be strong for the day!

The Veganishta

Smooth Going to Green Smoothie

This morning, I finally developed a system to make green smoothies with my regular Oster blender. It's not a fancy blender, although I intend to get one of those monsters sometime soon. Trick is to put in the liquids first, then cut up your fresh kale and spinach in little shreds or pieces. This worked for me. I bought organic baby spinach leaves and just tossed them in as they were, but I did cut up the kale. Here's what I made and it was smooth and tasty.

Veganishta Morning Green Drink
1 large leaf fresh curly kale
3 large handfuls of fresh, baby spinach leaves
6 oz. orange/pineapple juice
6 oz. cherry juice
1 radish
1 tsp. sushi ginger slices (pickled, from the jar, 'cause I ran out of fresh)
2 scoops "Life Greens" plant protein mix

Pour in your juices first; then add the other ingredients one at a time and blend; add the protein powder last and blend all again to your desire of "smoothiness."

Enjoy and be healthy!

Hate Grocery Shopping

Well, I am sitting here preparing a grocery list. This is the part I absolutely hate about food and cooking. The cost of groceries is so unbelievably high, and I wish I were in an environment where I could grow my own veggies. I suppose I could grow them here, but it would be a whole new way of learning how to do it. I think I will try to grow some in large pots out on the patio. It may be time to start growing greens and herbs. I've got a crock pot of great northern beans cooking with some wakame seaweed and a touch of olive oil. Since discovering how to make good beans in the crock pot two weeks ago, I am now planning on doing this and freezing a supply so they'll always be on hand for cooking up interesting recipes and meals.

With colds and flues and the like going around this time of year, I also am amazed at a new remedy I discovered that knocked out my sinus infection/cold in one day. I put some honey in one teaspoon and sprinkle 3-4 shakes of cayenne pepper onto it (about 1/8 tsp.) and then just swallow it down with one swallow. Wham bam, slam, next day no runny nose, no stuffy nose, and no runny eyes. It's marvelous friends. I am doing this a few times a day to keep germs away. I think it's actually helping with inflammation and arthritis as well.

Okay, on to the grocery list now. Wish me luck!

The Veganishta

Soup's Up

What to make for dinner tonight turned into a "toss it in the pot" and "serve it hot" meal.

A Veganishta version of pasta e fagiole was born. Water, vegetable stock base, small shell pasta, white cannellini beans, canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and onion made its way into the pot. Sauteed diced yellow onion and fresh ginger also jumped into the mix. Several shakes of some sweet basil and some white pepper along with a few pinches of sea salt topped it all off. Then the asparagus made its way in, and the meal was complete. Simmered for only 20 minutes and served hot, this fast soup creation had a nice light broth, but proved tasty and satisfying for both The Veganishta and her Veganishter.

Not always so unique, but easy and quick, The Veganishta likes to share how delicious meals can be created from food stuffs on hand.

Until next thyme,
The Veganishta