Kale Does Cake!

Disguising veggies in favorite foods (aka "health by stealth") is a tactic successfully used by moms of finicky eaters, and spouses married to same. Even if you love your veggies, sometimes you might want to lessen the guilt of indulging in a favorite food--like chocolate cake--so you grate some zucchini or carrot or other veggie into the batter. Here's a winner using kale that'll make your good eating halo sparkle, and will be enjoyed by all. Happy Summer Solstice days!

ChoKALEt Cake
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use 1 cup all-purpose and 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 large kale leaves, stems removed (chop up the stems & add them to soup or stir fry)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
Put kale and other wet ingredients, minus the vinegar,  in a blender and blend until smooth.
Sift dry ingredients together. Stir in contents of blender, and vinegar.
Pour batter into prepared dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake sit 10 minutes before dusting with 1 Tbs powdered sugar sifted through a fine sieve.

Recipe source: Cooking with Trader Joe's Skinny Dish! by Jennifer K. Reilly, RD

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Warm Up with Gingerbread and Cashew Cream!

This is a moist, delectable treat that's lower in fat than most, and that's WITH the Cashew Cream on top! Choose instead to top it with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a spreading of fruit-only jam thinned with a little water, and it's virtually fat-free. Your immune system will thank you for it!

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cups flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1/3 cup almond meal, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 Tbs nondairy milk or water

Directions:

1. Combine water, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cool completely: 45 minutes in fridge, or 15 minutes in freezer. (I put a lid on the pan and stuck it outside for 15 minutes--thanks for the natural freezer, February!)
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly mist a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the cooled raisin mixture along with the molasses and nondairy milk or water. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe Source: The Cancer Survivor's Guide, Neal Barnard, MD & Jen Reilly, RD

Vanilla Creme Sauce (Cashew Cream)
1 cup soaked whole raw cashews, drained (soak at least 2 hours)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs water
2 Tbs pure maple syrup (agave is okay, too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until smooth. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Source: Raw Food Made Easy, Jennifer Cornbleet

To serve: Cut gingerbread into squares and top with a dollop of cream, then sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. (I like a lot of cinnamon!)

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Healthy Brownies!

What's great about these delicious brownies is getting your chocolate craving satisfied without the risk of getting carried away and eating too many--thanks to the heft of all the black beans (and dates) they contain! Yep--black beans are the super stars in "Super Raspberry Protein Brownies" from Dr. Neal Barnard's newest book, Power Foods for the Brain.

1/4 teaspoon safflower oil
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup all-fruit raspberry jam (strawberry works, too!)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease 8 or 9-inch square pan with oil. Combine beans, dates, jam, and vanilla in food processor and process until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt and process again. Scoop batter (it's thick!) into pan, smoothing top with spatula. Bake 30 minutes or until the top looks set. Remove from oven and cool completely, then cut into 16 squares. They'll keep, refrigerated in a covered container, up to 1 week.

Per brownie: 5 g protein, 1 g total fat, 8 g fiber

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Home-Grown Shiitake Mushrooms!

All edible mushrooms are right up there with dark leafy greens and berries for packing nutritional punch, and shiitakes are true champions! They have great flavor, texture, and antiviral and immunity-boosting properties. Make mushrooms a regular addition to your soups, stews, and stir-fries!

Here's a "log" of shiitake mushrooms we're growing from a kit:

Shiitakes freshly cut from the log. They are delicious! (If you want some recipes, lmk and I'll email you my two favorites.)

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Garden to Plate!

Produce fresh from the garden--or grocery store, farmers market, freezer--just get those greens and veggies onto your plate!  You don't have to wash and slice and dice: ladling heated chili from a can (Trader Joe's has some fabulous vegan selections) over a bed of pre-washed greens from a bag does the trick. Those greens came from a garden... and are now on your plate! For delicious holiday recipes (requiring a bit more effort but still quick and easy!) click here.

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9 Servings a Day!

We know we're supposed to eat fruits and vegetables every day--the Center for Disease  Control recommends 9 servings minimum: 4 fruit and 5 vegetable. But what does that actually look like on your plate? Here's a photo of 4 servings of fruit (a large apple is 2 servings!):

and a photo of 5 servings of vegetables. (btw: when I got done photographing the vegetables, I ate them all for lunch!)

If you're finding it a challenge to fit all those health-boosting foods into your daily fare, round them all up in the morning and build your meals and snacks around them. It'll take away the guesswork and free your mind (and conscience)!

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Joy of Indian Cuisine!

Ready for another vegan-friendly restaurant adventure? Parma's Cuisine of India is a great spot for an abundant and well-priced lunch buffet, or more leisurely evening dinner. The staff are attentive and familiar with vegan requests -- and will whip up a batch of vegan naan for you! Before the lunch buffet, I  perused the well-stocked shelves of the India Grocer next door -- great prices, fabulous selections of authentic Indian ingredients, and vegetables I'd never seen before! I'll be going again this week to get the ingredients for all the tantalizing Indian recipes now featuring on PCRM's 21-Day Kickstart India.

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My first pass through the lunch buffet with all vegan selections!

Gorgeous long beans at the India Grocer next door.

Allow time to check out the myriad fresh and prepared selections. This is just a sampling!

Local Vegan/Vegan-Friendly Eats!

Two fabulous spots in Cleveland to enjoy someone else's cooking and a change of scene: Flaming Ice Cube, and The Root Cafe. Both provide a comfortably casual atmosphere, friendly service, and delicious vegan food! The Flaming Ice Cube is near Old  Stone Church, so you can visit a beautiful historic Cleveland landmark and spiritual oasis right in the hub of downtown. Sitting at one of the huge windows of The Root Cafe, in Lakewood, was a great spot for people watching -- like sitting at an outdoor French cafe! Here's what we ate at a recent visit to The Root, from top to bottom: House Beans and Rice with Broccoli and a ring of dressed kale; Wet Burrito with house made enchilada sauce; Raw Kale Chips; and the day's Special salad of Spinach, Blueberries and Bananas with Hemp Seeds (great combo!). Delish!
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Valentine's Day = Pecan Pie!

If you want to WOW your Significant Other, make them this pie! That's my SO's Victory hand signal in front of the pie I made for him over Christmas. A born pecan pie lover -- and later, a true plant-based eater -- he thought his pecan pie-eating days were over. Not so, thanks to Isa Moskowitz, who has once again come up with food perfection in her veganized version: Maple Pecan Pie!  Make it even easier by using, like I did, a frozen vegan pie shell. Happy "V" day!

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Who Loves Hummus?

Jennifer Reilly, RD, co-author of The Cancer Survivor's Guide (see sidebar), has partnered with Trader Joe's and now has her own cookbook -- Skinny Dish! -- with the tag line: Lip-smacking, pound-shedding food you'll crave like a shipwrecked sailor! which totally captures her way of making healthy plant-based nutrition the most fun since... you name it! I demo'd her "I (Heart) Hummus" recipe for a recent Lunch-n-Learn and it was fabulous -- even better the next day! You can use hummus in so many ways: a dip for raw veggies or whole wheat pita bread; spread on a tortilla, covered with any amount or combination of chopped veggies, spinach, sprouts, seeds, and salsa, wrap it up (if you can!) and you've got lunch; or lose the high-fat mayo and slather in sandwiches and on veggie burgers. Low-fat, high-fiber, excellent protein -- what's not to love? You'll love her blog, too!



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Sunchokes

My friend Rosemary took me out to her garden and showed me where she'd just dug up some Jerusalem artichokes, also called Sunchokes. Her neighbor had given her a root and she stuck it in the ground and forgot about it -- and while she wasn't looking, it grew, and grew -- and grew! I'd never had one before, and as I'm always encouraging my students to try something new, I followed my own advice and now have a new favorite vegetable!
My favorite way to eat them is to chop the root in chunks, and braise in a small amount of water with other veggies. They are creamy, rich, and delicious with a delicate flavor reminiscent of artichokes!

Mushrooms -- the new legume!

Mushrooms are high in protein, fiber, and several important vitamins and minerals -- plus, they taste great and have a meaty, juicy mouthfeel. Joel Fuhrman, MD, recommends eating some every day! Try a Portobello Burger by sauteing a portobello mushroom in a balsamic vinegar-soy sauce-veggie broth mixture and serve in your favorite whole wheat bun with all the fixin's. Each variety has countless nutritional benefits, even the basic white button. Have fun exploring different varieties in your local food stores and discovering new -- and old -- fungi friends!

The nature mushroom photos above show how mushrooms grow in the great outdoors.  However, many mushrooms are poisonous, even fatal, so you should only buy your mushrooms from a grocer.

New Flyer!

Yummy in the Tummy Kids Cooking Class at Whole Foods

Have you about given up on having your kid eat better at school?  We haven't.  Our idea is to teach your kids how yummy vegan foods are by making it with them and having them take it for lunch.  Maybe you won't do this every day but what a relief it will be to know that a few days a week your kids are developing a healthier food appreciatioon while enjoying their lunches.  This picture is from my training session as I get ready to teach the kids this Fall.

Pictured above is what the kids made: mini pizzas with jarred pasta sauce, vegan Daiya mozzarella cheese shreds, carrot sticks and applesauce.

Field Trip to Ms. Julie's Kitchen in Akron

My intrepid friend Carol and I did another of our Lewis & Clark forays into the wilderness to explore further afield in vegan cuisine.  Carol maps out the route for its scenic and low traffic best, this time through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, while I am the driver. If you haven't driven through our local gem of a national park, you are missing quite a scenic event.  We live atop it and use it as a cut through every chance we get.  To get the general info about Ms. Julie's go to her facebook page.

On to the particulars of what I discovered!

The sandwich, on the plate above, was delicious! The best part --besides everything in between -- was the freshly-baked 7-Grain Sunflower Seed bread featuring locally grown spelt flour giving it lightness and a depth of flavor that was outstanding. Carol got the zucchini feta pattywich (vegetarian) while I got the Hemp pattywich (see the blackboard menu in the below collage).  Even though Carol's neither a vegetarian nor a vegan, she wolfed down her sandwich at twice the speed I did plus bought two big containers of the Kale chips to take home!  Ms. Julie's can take that as quite the compliment. (The Kale chips are to the left of Ms. Julie in the above collage.)

Ms. Julie is pictured to the upper right. She was delighted to discover my brother and sister-in-law had hired her to cater my surprise birthday party some months ago.

Not only does Ms Julie's buy as much produce as possible from local farms, but .50 of every fudge brownie sold goes to a local women's shelter.  Carol and I ate some of the brownies along with the zucchini chocolate cake (after the kale chips) for a glorious late afternoon vegan feast. This was a very fun field trip and goes a long way towards proving my belief that vegan food can be both fun and delicious, not a grim health mandated duty.

Art and Photography work in this entry by Carol Irvin.  

All text by Rebecca Dingle.

21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart at Whole Foods Woodmere

Last month Whole Foods in Woodmere sponsored a 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart program based on the eponymous new book by Neal Barnard, MD, president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. It's a healthy whole food plant based program that's far more effective than traditional diets for shedding unwanted pounds. Participants raved about Ellen's (WF's Healthy Eating Specialist pictured with me here) favorite breakfast of steel cut oatmeal with tons of healthy toppings like dried fruit, maple syrup, nuts and seeds; and the fat-free dressing I demo'd with the loaded salad was a big hit!

To make Steel Cut Oatmeal a la Ellen: boil 1 1/3 cups water and add 1/3 cup steel cut oats, simmer 20 minutes, then remove from heat and add fresh or frozen fruit -- raspberries or blueberries are her favorites -- then add a heaping teaspoon of natural peanut or almond butter, 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, and 6 almonds. Voila!

Vegan Sweet Tooth Bakery

My friend Carol and I went to the Vegan Sweet Tooth Bakery where we had a glorious eating experience.  At this time, the main sweet is little cupcakes but it is almost as if they should be renamed as cupcake is too plain a word for these confections.  Carol is not a vegan but when she bit into the lavender cupcake, she immediately said, "This is the best thing I've ever tasted."  I had a chance to talk with the owner to find out a little more about what she uses instead of the traditional dairy products used in baking.  To make her luscious frostings, for example, she replaces the usual butter with Earth Balance, a non-hydrogenated margarine.  

The bakery is located inside the Eaton Collection in Woodmere, just East of Brainard and Chagrin Boulevard.  Exit onto Chagrin Blvd from I271 to get there and head east.

Art and Photography work in this entry by Carol Irvin.  
All text by Rebecca Dingle.

Dr. Esselstyn's Wellness Clinic

 

I was a guest at Dr. E's Wellness Clinic today. Fabulous information about plant-based diet for reversing heart disease, and a delicious plant-strong meal with an assist from Austin firefighter son Rip's bestselling Engine 2 cookbook!

4th Class at Parma for Project Cancer

1  For the final class, I showed how to make super-easy, delicious chili by heating together canned black beans, frozen corn, and prepared salsa -- then serving it over baked sweet potatoes. This was a new taste combination for many, and the class loved it.  To make the chili flavors really stand out, cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice were added just before serving. I'm holding up a citrus reamer used for squeezing juice right into the skillet.

2  Next I made a Green Smoothie with kale -- a great way to get a quick, healthy dose of nutrient-dense dark leafy greens. Apple adds sweetness and adding banana neutralizes the greens' intense chlorophyl smell and taste. A few pieces of fresh ginger gives a pleasant kick -- and can help calm joint inflammations.

3  Collard Greens with Almonds came next. After removing the thick spines by holding onto the stem end and pulling the leaf off with the other hand, stack several leaves on top of each other, roll like a cigar, and slice crosswise into thin strips. This is called a chiffonade cut. Using an inch of water, braise in a covered skillet until tender, drain, and toss with a pressed clove of garlic stirred into a tablespoon of brown rice vinegar. Sprinkle with pan-toasted sliced almonds and serve!

4  The salad was a big hit: baby spinach, fresh pink grapefruit, red grapes, and raw sunflower seeds and chopped Brazil nuts tossed together with Annie's Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette. Because we use low- or non-fat salad dressings, adding a small amount of high-fat foods like nuts, seeds, olives, or avocado helps the body absorb the vitamins and minerals in raw salads.

Art and Photography work in this entry by Carol Irvin.  
All text by Rebecca Dingle.

Poster About Vegan Food For Life

Art and Photography work in this entry by Carol Irvin.