Join me on my whole food plant based eating adventure
I can’t take credit for this recipe. I found it in Dr. Gregor’s “How Not to Die” cookbook. I have been making these all summer long but they are especially tasty this time of year. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have.
Combine all ingredients with 1/2 cup water and blenderize until smooth.
Everyone has at least one food weakness. Like if you were on death row and given your choice for one last thing to eat what would it be? Well for me that would be cheese. I am a cheese-aholic. Well, I should say, a reformed cheese-aholic. That’s right. I’ve been 3 years sober from cheese! Except for the occasional off the wagon for a party or something. But even then it is just a sliver or two.
The reason why cheese is so good is that it is loaded with fat. Saturated fat. The artery clogging kind of fat. And that is exactly the reason why it is a bad thing to indulge in.
So for the purpose of making a point I conducted a little food experiment. I melted 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese in the microwave allowing the fat to “oil off” from the protein mass. The result was pretty doggone disgusting.
Check out the first picture of the separated liquid saturated oil. Then the second picture of the oil that solidified at room temperature. Diets high in saturated fats drive up harmful LDL cholesterol which prompts blockages in the arteries.
Let’s face it, we all probably have some degree of plaque in our arteries. But switching over to plant-based eating can put the brakes on continued plaque formation and possibly even reverse the process.
If I were to add another category to this blog called comfort food this recipe would definitely be in it. It is the perfect meal to make on a cold autumn day. When I dreamed this little baby up it happened to be a cold rainy day in September. The aroma of sautéed garlic and tomatoes permeated throughout the kitchen and then bam – once the red wine vinegar, black strap molasses and cinnamon were added that’s when the explosion of flavor happened! The smell of my veggie cabbage rolls baking in the oven literally drove me crazy. Finally, once pulled out of the oven and dished on my plate, I was able to enjoy this comfort meal while listening to the pouring rain and bolts of thunder. It is impossible to eat just one cabbage roll but you know what? The more you eat of this completely whole food, plant based, no salt, oil or sugar recipe the healthier you are. So second and thirds please!!
This meal works well alone or can be served with mashed potatoes. I mash up my potatoes with unsweetened almond milk and add nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Yes, it is possible to make dairy-free mashed potatoes that are creamy and flavorful. Want a little extra flavor? Mix in little snippets of fresh chives.
The ingredient that takes center stage in this recipe is cabbage. Cabbage belongs to a family of vegetables referred to as cruciferous. Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussel sprouts) have a pretty interesting sulfur rich compound in them called sulforaphane. This compound has anti-cancer abilities. There are some pretty compelling evidenced based studies suggesting sulforaphane can protect chromosomes against damage and stop the metastasis (spread) of cancer.
There has also been some fairly recent studies on the effect of cruciferous vegetables on autism. A placebo controlled, double blind, randomized study of boys with autism found that eating 2 – 3 servings of cruciferous vegetables a day improved social interaction, behavior and communication within a few weeks. The medicinal properties of foods is rather intriguing isn’t it?
At the end of each chromosome is a cap called a telomere which keeps DNA from fraying. As we age telomeres get shorter which causes biological aging and age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and cancer. I was shocked when I read that forensic scientists can actually look at DNA under a microscope to determine how old someone is based on telomere length.
Did you know cigarette smoking accelerates the rate of telomere loss threefold? Did you know that diets high in antioxidant rich foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and spices are associated with longer protective telomeres? Did you know that diets high in refined grains (white flour, white rice and white bread), processed foods, meat, sweets and soda are linked with shortened telomeres? This has been scientifically studied. In fact, endorsing a healthy lifestyle causes telomeres to shrink less and actually grow more. This suggests it really is possible to reverse aging. Heck I’d be happy with just slowing things down a bit. So we do have control over how quickly we age and it’s never too late to get started!
This recipe circles back to my childhood. I remember the distinctive smell in my moms kitchen most notably during the autumn months. I remember the dark green shell set against the bright orange inner flesh and how pumped up, energized and happy those colors made me feel. I remember the sweet earthy aroma throughout the house. I also remember the delicious buttery nutty flavor of this amazing squash. As a kid I would eat acorn squash outer skin and all and that hasn’t changed as an adult! By the way, the outer skin is perfectly edible but if you aren’t keen on eating it, it separates away from the flesh quite easily when cooked.
I always thought all acorn squash was dark green. Well that by far is the most popular color but there are also white, pale yellow, tan and bright orange varieties. In my opinion they all taste pretty similar but white and pale yellow seem to have a smoother texture whereas the green are firmer.
For the applesauce peel and dice 3 apples. Place them in a pan, add enough water to cover the apples and boil until soft (just like boiling potatoes). Drain the water and pulse in food processor. If you don’t have a food processor use a blender or mash by hand.
There are many varieties of winter squash – butternut, acorn, hubbard, spaghetti, sugar pumpkin, buttercup and kabocha. Hands down all these varieties deliver on the nutrition front but there is one that is the absolute champion of them all. You guessed it – acorn squash!
Acorn squash is packed with soluble fiber. Soluble means dissolves in water. So the fiber dissolves in water to form a gel. The gel binds to cholesterol in the small intestine and exits the body in the stool. This prevents it from entering the blood stream. So how about that? Acorn squash can control cholesterol. Another serving please! Soluble fiber also help regulate blood sugar.
Acorn squash is an amazing source of potassium. Adults need 4,700 mg. of potassium each day. One cup of cooked acorn squash is packed with 896 mg. of potassium. Most people associate bananas with potassium but one banana has only 422 mg. of potassium. Additionally one cup is packed with one-third the daily requirement of calcium, magnesium and folate.
Now even though acorn squash is the star performer give other squashes a try. Butternut squash comes in second place and excels in Vitamin C, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene which helps protect against cancer.
Spaghetti squash has the lowest overall nutrition score but it is a low calorie and low carbohydrate alternative to traditional pasta noodles.
I have always been a fan of Mexican food. It’s fun, colorful and happy. But the high sodium and high fat cheeses, sauces and meats I can do without. We took a trip to Tucson in September and hubby was looking forward to eating Sonoran-style Mexican food. I, on the other hand, was simply hoping there would be some vegetarian options on the menus. To my delight, every restaurant we ate at had a few honest to goodness whole food plant based entrees! One of the restaurants at Hacienda Del Sol resort where we stayed, had two delicioso plant based meals. This post will feature one of them which was a stuffed pepper dish. Now while I didn’t exactly ask for the recipe, I payed close attention to what it was I was eating and came up with a pretty close match. Because I cannot recall the exact name of the entrée I am calling it Couscous Stuffed Chili Poblano Peppers.
Note: If using fat free cheese keep in mind it is not whole food or plant based. It has a fair amount of sodium (280 mg. sodium / 1/4 cup). Because the fat is removed it is resistant to melting and tends to scorch in the oven.
Tip: Thoroughly rinsing canned goods removes 50% of the added salt.
Everything about this meal speaks health. But lets take a closer look at the star ingredient – poblano pepper. Poblano peppers are a great source of insoluble fiber which supports gut health by promoting easier passage of stool. But they are an excellent source of soluble fiber as well. Soluble means dissolves in water. So the fiber dissolves in water to form a gel. The gel binds to cholesterol in the small intestine and exits the body in the stool. This prevents it from entering the blood stream. So how about that? A poblano pepper can control cholesterol. Another serving please!
Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, has anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to fight off cancer cells. Yes, you read that correctly. Capsaicin has been shown to alter the expression of several genes involved in cancer cell survival, growth and metastasis. 1 Poblano peppers are mild and therefore have much less capsaicin then, say a habanero or ghost pepper, but there is still enough to make a difference.
Poblano peppers are stocked with vitamins A and C. They are very rich in potassium which is important in the regulation of blood pressure. They are very low in carbohydrates and have zero cholesterol. And if that wasn’t enough they are also rich in antioxidants.
I really hope you try and enjoy this recipe. I love comments. To the best of health – Diana
1 Anticancer Properties of Capsaicin Against Human Cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26976969/