Tag: no oil

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Bread

There’s nothing better then warming up a cool late October day with a healthy home baked creation. This is the season for all things pumpkin and when I woke up this morning wanted the sweet smell of pumpkin and spices permeating throughout the house. Immediately I thought of pumpkin bread and I just so happened to have the most amazing plant based recipe. So at 10 o’clock in the morning I swung into pumpkin spice bread mode and before you know it that little loaf was in the oven baking.

That’s about when hubby came in the kitchen and told me to get dressed we’re going on an autumn hike. Well – so much for the smell of pumpkin and spices permeating throughout the house. In the 50 minutes that it took to bake my bread I managed to take a shower, get dressed, throw a little make-up on and by the time I laced up my hiking boots my little loaf of pumpkin spice bread was ready to come out of the oven.

It’s peak fall foliage season here in NE Ohio so the hike at Chapin Forest was like one out of a story book. The brilliant crimsons, yellow ochres and sienna oranges were somewhat of a visual overload. It was quite windy so the entire area was snowing “leaves.” We stopped at a viewpoint which overlooked a valley draped in the most magnificent colors and ominous Lake Erie in the background. Absolutely drop dead gorgeous!

The drive back home through scenic country roads was equally spectacular. I love the look of modest little country homes decorated with pumpkins, scarecrows and little homemade ghosts swaying from trees. I started thinking of toasty fireplaces, hot apple cider and then just as we pulled up in the driveway I started thinking about my freshly made pumpkin spice bread. As we opened the door it was just as I imagined in the morning – the sweet smell of pumpkin and spices permeating throughout the house. The bread was still warm and how delicious it tasted after our robust autumn hike!

Chapin Forest at one of the best scenic overlooks, quarry pond ledges, from which Cleveland and Lake Erie are visible on a clear day.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinammon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup date syrup
  • 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

  1. Sift together the first seven ingredients in a large bowl
  2. In another bowl stir together the pumpkin, date syrup and vanilla
  3. Add the flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are mixed. The batter will be firm. Fold in the raisins and walnuts.
  4. Pour the batter into an 8 x 4 parchment lined or silicone loaf pan
  5. Bake 50-60 minutes (or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean) in a preheated 350 degree oven.
Slices so nicely and super moist. Everything about this bread is healthy (no refined sugar, butter or oil) but it tastes sinfully delicious – like cake!

Ratatouille Fusilli

Ratatouille Fusilli

It all started with a bumper crop of eggplant. The old me would have whipped up a batch of eggplant parmesan with all the fried breading, mozzarella cheese, saturated fat and oodles of calories . The healthy me researched whole food plant based eggplant recipes. I found several on Forks Over Knives plant based nutrition site and decided to give Ratatouille Fusilli a try. I’m glad I did. What I like best about this dish is how simple it is to put together and how flavorful it is.

Eggplant, also known as aubergines, are often considered a vegetable but is really a fruit because they grow from a flowering plant and have seeds. We typically think of eggplant as purple in color but they can also be red, green or black. Eggplants are nutrient dense and packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber but very low in calories. Eggplants are high in anthocyanins which is a pigment responsible for their vibrant color but also a very potent antioxidant. Eggplants contain solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides (SRGs) which protect against certain types of cancers. There has been research to support SRGs effectiveness against skin cancer when applied directly to the skin. With all these health benefits, I’m going to make it a yearly tradition to add eggplant to my garden!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup green lentils washed and soaked
  • 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped leeks, both white and light green parts
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 unpeeled eggplant cut into 1″ pieces
  • 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
green lentils, canned diced tomatoes, leek, garlic, Italian seasoning, eggplant, white wine vinegar
My eggplant! Aren’t they beautiful??!!

Directions

  1. Place the lentils in a saucepan and fill with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to boil then simmer until cooked, about 10 – 15 minutes. Set aside but do not drain.
  2. Cook pasta, drain and set aside.
  3. In a skillet over medium heat combine tomatoes with the juice, leeks, garlic and Italian seasonings and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggplant and cook for 15 – 20 minutes stirring occasionally until soft.
  4. Add the pasta, lentils with their liquid and vinegar to the skillet and stir everything together until well combined.
  5. Cook until heated. Add 1/4 cup water if the mixture seems too dry. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  6. Add the basil and serve immediately.
Served with toasted pita bread

Quinoa-Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes

Quinoa-Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes

I recently read that quinoa (keen-waa), soy and buckwheat are perfect proteins. Unlike some plant based proteins, quinoa, soy and buckwheat are complete in that they contain all 9 essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own. These 9 essential amino acids are critical to tissue growth, nutrient absorption, immune function and energy production.

While I eat soy on a regular basis, I am embarrassed to say quinoa and buckwheat have never made it on my dinner plate – at least that I’m aware. Quinoa had my interest. In my research I found that it is a flowering plant in the amaranth family grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is high in protein, fiber, B vitamins and minerals which exceed that of many grains. Quinoa is actually considered one of the 12 ancient grains which means it has been grown the same way for thousands of years without being genetically modified.

Of the four main varieties of quinoa (white, black, tri-color and red) red is considered the healthiest due to having the highest level of antioxidants.

White, black, tri-color and red quinoa

Okay – so with all that said – I was itching to find a healthy recipe in which quinoa took center stage. I found a nice little recipe in the Fall 2022 edition of Forks over Knives for Quinoa-Orzo Stuffing and used it to make my remarkably delicious stuffed baked tomatoes.

Would you look at that!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1/4 cup dried quinoa rinsed
  • 3 cloves finely minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup dry whole wheat orzo

Note: It is very important that quinoa is thoroughly rinsed. Rinsing removes the natural coating called saponin which can make it taste bitter or soapy.

My quinoa was bought bulk so rinsing was super essential. I am in mad rinse mode here! In my reading it is recommended to rinse packaged quinoa even if is says it was pre-rinsed.
Look at how dirty the rinse water got!
  • 5 beefsteak tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup scallions cut in small pieces (use the green ends)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 lemon
  • Black pepper
  • Avocado slices
I did not scoop the entire tomato guts out. Just enough to get a decent amount of stuffing in. And … don’t throw out the guts. Use it in a smoothy or save it for homemade veggie broth. Tomatoes contain lycopene- one of the most potent antioxidants.

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan combine the onion, quinoa, garlic and 1 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in the orzo. Cover and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes stirring occasionally until orzo is soft. If the mixture is too watery uncover the pan and cook 1 or 2 minutes longer until water is nearly gone. Remove from heat then cover and let stand for a few minutes.
  3. Add the scallions, parsley, black pepper, lemon juice and stir
  4. Scoop out the insides of the tomatoes and fill with the stuffing
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes
The quinoa-orzo stuffing tastes so nutty, creamy and simply satisfying
And then add the lemon, scallions, parsley and black pepper – and OMG!
An excellent side to accompany a chickpea wrap or vine tomato soup
Extra stuffing then you need? No problem. Spread it on the bottom of your parchment paper lined baking dish.

Winter Vegetarian Borscht

The inspiration behind this soup was a beautiful Le Creuset cast iron dutch oven given to me recently by my son and daughter in law. What a perfect gift, I must say, for the soup nazi that I am! Well – I wanted to make a soup that was bold and also a complimentary color to my new pea green pot. So I’m at Rainbow Farms, my new favorite hang out market in Madison, and happened across the most beautiful bunch of red beets. That’s it! Beet soup. But it’s in the 20’s and snowy here in NE Ohio so I wanted something really hearty. Then it came to me – hearty, piping hot winter Borscht!

My gorgeous bunch of red beets

There are innumerable versions of this soup which is of Eastern European origin. I sieved through many recipes and ended up using Carole Clements recipe from What’s Cooking: Soups. I did tweak it up a bit – sorry Carole. Many recipes use potatoes but I ommited this only because I wanted it on the lighter side. I also debated whether or not to keep it chunky or pureed. I really agonized over this but in the end opted to puree. Maybe next time I will do a chunky / puree combination. To season borscht you absolutely have to have dill – fresh dill – and lots of it. There is something quite amazing about the pairing of beets with dill. Something I never knew, quite honestly, until making this soup.

Borscht is a sour soup. To achieve the sourness I used lemon juice but red wine vinegar works too. I tried a small sample using both and ended up going with the lemon juice which I felt was less harsh. I also noticed something interesting about the taste – sort of sweet and sour. Then it came to me. This was because of the sweetness of the carrots.

Traditionally Borsch is served with a dollop of sour cream. To maintain compliance with the plant based theme of this website, I substituted with Silk plain almond milk dairy-free yogurt.

There are so many reasons to love the star ingredient in this soup – beetroots. Beets are low in calories but super rich in nutrients. They are loaded with fiber, potassium, magnesium and vitamins B and C. They also contain folate which is good for heart health and manganese which is good for brain function and metabolism. According to Healthline, beets have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and blood pressure (although this effect is temporary) but a good reason to make plenty of Borscht.

Now if you’ll excuse me I am going to curl up on the couch with a nice big bowl of my Winter Vegetarian Borscht and watch the snow fall!

My pea green (the actual color is called avocado) Le Creuset dutch oven proudly showcasing the hearty ruby red Borscht!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 large green cabbage coarsley chopped
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 carrots thinly sliced
  • 3-4 beets peeled and cubed
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 14 oz. can peeled tomatoes in juice
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Non-dairy yogurt
Green cabbage, onion, carrots, beets, peeled tomatoes in juice, vegetable stock, bay leaves, fresh dill, lemon, black pepper, non-dairy yogurt

Directions:

  1. Cover the cabbage with cold water in a pan. Boil for 3 minutes then drain.
  2. Saute the onion in a small amount of water in a cooking pot.
  3. Add the broth, tomatoes, carrots, bay leaf and blanched cabbage. Stir. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hr 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves.
  4. Allow the soup to cool slightly then transfer, small batches at a time, to a high speed blender and puree.
  5. Return to the soup pot, add the dill, black pepper and lemon juice and stir. Add more broth or water to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve piping hot with a dollop of non-dairy yogurt.
Blanched cabbage
Adding all the vegetables
After simmering for 1’15”
And then the dill!
Would you just look at those complimentary colors!
To get the cool ribboned look of the yogurt I used a frosting decorator bottle with tip

Miso Soup with Baby Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

Miso Soup with Baby Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

Well I was up at good ‘ole Lucky’s Market over the weekend and saw some baby bok choy (Chinese White Cabbage). It is not always the easiest to find. Regular bok choy is readily available but not baby. While they are basically the same, baby bok choy leaves are small, tender, sweeter and can be eaten uncooked in a salad. I remember the first time I discovered bok choy was back in my January post Baby Bok Choy with Tahini-Ginger Sauce. That guy in the produce aisle holding the bok choy like it was a prize trophy or fish or something, admiring it, smiling and telling me how beautiful it looks. And then his words of advice “it has to be baby bok choy – not mature stalks!” Some things you never forget. That is one of them.

So I’ve been thinking about miso soup for a few weeks now. It’s been quite awhile since we had it and I really appreciate the simplicity of this soup. For those of you unfamiliar, miso is a traditional Japanese soup with the core ingredients: stock and miso paste. Miso paste is a mixture of fermented soybeans, sea salt and koji (Japanese mold). You can find it in just about any grocery store usually in the produce or tofu section. I know what you are thinking. This is a no salt website and miso paste clearly contains sea salt. Well apparently the positive effects of soybeans cancel out the hypertensive and gastric cancer effects of sodium. That being said, miso paste is the only sodium containing product that is considered green light. Here is some supporting research.

In addition to the stock and miso paste anything else you want to put in is completely up to you. Some typical add-ins are seaweed, kelp, tofu, mushrooms, scallions and bok choy. If you like you can serve miso soup with rice noodles(very thin), udon noodles (thick) or ramen noodles.

Ingredients

  • 6-7 ribs of baby bok choy (cut in pieces)
  • 3 scallions (cut in small pieces)
  • 10 shiitake mushrooms cut in pieces (remove stems)
  • 1 block extra firm and pressed tofu (cut in small cubes)
  • 6 cups vegetable or mushroom broth
  • 4 tbsp. miso paste
  • 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • Rice, udon or ramen noodles
Baby Bok Choy, Ginger, Scallions, Shiitake Mushrooms, Extra Firm Tofu, Miso Paste, Vegetable or Mushroom Broth
Cooked Rice Noodles

Directions

  1. Place broth and ginger in a pot over medium heat.
  2. Add mushrooms, bok choy, white tips of scallions and black pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Note: I remove the shiitake stems because to me they are too tough and chewy. I save them for mushroom or veggie broth.
  3. Add the tofu and simmer for a few minutes until warm.
  4. Turn off the heat and stir in the miso paste. Note: never add miso when soup is simmering or too hot because it will kill off the gut healthy probiotics.
  5. Serve over rice noodles and garnish with cut up green scallions.
Umani is another term for savoriness and is considered one of the 5 basic tastes. In Japan it means “the essence of deliciousness” and is the perfect description of miso soup.
Miso soup with noodles is rich enough to eat alone but tonight we paired it with sushi. I wish I can take credit for making the sushi. That’s on my bucket list of things to learn.

Avocado Butter with Roasted Grape Tomatoes on Toasted Bun

Avocado Butter with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on Toasted Bun

I found a package of grape tomatoes tucked in the back of my refrigerator that had seen its better days. They were shriveled but not yet moldy. Hubby told me to throw them away. “We don’t waste food Dennis,” I said. So I cut them in half, roasted them in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, and Oh My God! Sweet like candy.

I also had a few over-ripe avacados that weren’t looking so great either. I pureed them with a tablespoon of unsweetend almond milk and a little black pepper until they got nice and creamy. I spread the avocado over a toasted whole wheat bun then smothered it with the roasted tomatoes. If you’ve never had pureed avocado on warm toast or bun try it. It tastes so buttery. Anyway, this was the birth of my Avocado Butter with Roasted Grape Tomatoes on Toasted Bun creation!

Place on parchment paper or a silicone pad to eliminate the need for oil. 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Over-ripe avocados, grape tomatoes, a little almond milk and a bun. That’s all it takes to make this mouthwatering and super healthy sandwich.
The bun is Dave’s Market Killer Organic 21 Whole Grain and Seeds

Chili without the Con Carne

I’ve been making this chili all my married life. Well – the Chili con Carne version anyhow. It’s one of my father-in-law’s signature recipes that I turned vegan (sorry dad) by omitting the ground beef and adding tofu for the protein. I throw in some fresh spinach and wallah – both delish and nutrish!!

Chili without the Con Carne

Ingredients

  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/3 fresh jalapeno finely chopped (wear gloves)
  • 1 can reduced sodium tomato soup
  • 1 large can diced tomatos
  • 1 can red kidney beans drained
  • 1/2 can black beans drained
  • 6 oz. firm and pressed tofu
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. cumin
  • 3 bay leaves

Directions

Add all the ingredients, except spinach and tofu, in a large pot. Simmer on low while stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Add spinach and tofu and simmer for 15 more minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve with Wasa multi-grain crisp breads (I buy them at Giant Eagle) or my Pepita, Sesame and Flaxseed Crisp Crackers.

Garlic Caeser Salad Dressing

This is one of my favorite salad dressings. The recipe came from Dr. Greger’s “How Not to Die” cookbook. It is rich, creamy, flavorful and super easy to make. If refrigerated in a sealed container it will last up to one week.

The recipe calls for Dr. Greger’s “Savory Spice Blend” which is a mix of 10 spices. If you open up the link and follow the recipe it makes 1/2 cup. The blend can be stored in a covered jar and is an excellent medley of spices which can be used for just about any recipe. Dr. Greger advocates the use of a variety of spices on a daily basis. In addition to flavoring foods, each spice has their own powerful health benefits. If you don’t have the savory spice blend on hand – no problem – this salad dressing will still taste delicious. I do add black pepper to this dressing in order to reap the benefits of the tumeric. If you recall from my Healing Tumeric Banana Date Smoothie post, the piperine in the black pepper enhances the absorption of the curcumin in the tumeric.

For the blended peeled lemon, I learned a really cool tip a few weeks ago. Cut off the ends of a few lemons, remove the peels and place in blender. Put the juice and pulp in ice cube containers and freeze. Remove the frozen juice / pulp and place in freezer bags. Pop them out of the freezer when you need lemon. Simply genius.

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp. almond butter
  • 1 tbsp. blended peeled lemon
  • 1 tbsp. miso paste
  • 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp. salt free stone-ground mustard
  • 1/4 inch grated tumeric or 1/4 tsp. ground powder
  • 1 tsp. savory spice blend

Directions

In a blender combine 1/2 cup of water with all the dressing ingredients and blend until smoothe.

Vegan Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Vegan Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Yesterday was a freaky. During the day it was a sunny 65 degrees and I was out at the beehive watching the girls flying around and having fun. By late afternoon the temperatures dropped to 38 degrees and the wind brought gusts up to 60 mph all night long. One of the things I like best about NE OH is the unpredictable, dramatic and extreme weather that mother nature brings our way. So with the drama of the storm I went right into soup making mode. Piping hot soup seemed to pair perfectly with the sleety rain and horrific winds. I took an inventory of what I had in the fridge and pantry and, before you know it, the kitchen permeated with the smell of Vegan Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup.

This was the first time I made this soup. I wouldn’t change anything at all. It was hearty and very filling. The cashew, cannellini and broth mixture provides the cream base for the soup and wow is it delicious. It is hard to believe it is dairy, fat, oil and salt free.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans
  • 4 large carrots (cut in coins)
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 6 garlic toes chopped
  • 1 cup dry wild rice (thoroughly rinsed)
  • 8 oz. fresh white mushrooms (cut in pieces)
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh (preferred) or dried parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp. miso paste

What is Miso Paste? Miso paste is made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji (a mold that is also used to make saki). Miso paste is considered a green light substitute for salt. Although it has sodium in it the soy seems to counteract the hypertensive effects. An article published in Hypertension Research, “Long-Term Intake Miso Soup Decreases Nighttime Blood Pressure in Subjects of High-Normal Pressure or Stage 1 Hypertension” concludes by saying long term use of miso does not influence daytime blood pressure but does reduce nighttime blood pressure by promoting diuresis. Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM, an internationally recognized researcher and speaker on nutrition, states in his best selling book How Not to Die that miso paste is safe to use as a substitute for salt. Despite the research, I am still on the fence and use it only occasionally.

Why rinse the long grained rice? Arsenic in rice is a real concern. The FDA suggests thoroughly rinsing rice 6-8 times (until the water rinses clear) in order to reduce arsenic levels by 30-40 percent. I have read articles that recommend overnight soaking in order to reduce levels by 80 percent. Rinsing rice is also a great way to remove surface starch thereby lowering the carbohydrate content. This is a useful tip for individuals with diabetes.

Cannellini beans, raw cashews, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, vegetable broth, miso paste, black pepper, thyme, parlsey, bay leaves, garlic (not pictured)

Directions

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pour in the cashews and cover the pot. Let cashews soak for 30 minutes (minimum) to 1 hour. Drain the water. Note: Soaking pulls the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors out of the cashews making the cream tastier and easier to digest. The longer you soak the cashews the softer they become and the smoother and silkier your cream will be.
  2. In a large soup pot saute the onions, garlic and celery in some vegetable broth until onions become translucent.
  3. Add 7 cups of the vegetable broth, carrots, wild rice, mushrooms, thyme, black pepper, parsely, bay leaves and miso paste. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 40 minutes stirring occasionally.
  4. In a high speed blender add the cashews, cannellini beans and the remaining 1 cup vegetable broth. Puree for approximately 1 minute until mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
  5. Pour the cashew cream into the soup, stir and simmer for 15 more minutes. The soup is done when the carrots are soft and the rice is completely cooked. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with your favorite. bread.
Silky smooth cashew cream

This soup is very filling and hearty. It is good alone or paired with your favorite vegan bread.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-019-0304-9#publish-with-us

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 4 Ways

After finishing my Roasted Pumpkin and Apple Soup with Toasties recipe I went into roasted pumpkin seed mode. It was great activity to do on a gloomy rainy Sunday. They made great little snacks for the football game.

The above picture is pretty expanatory for what I did. I laid my rinsed pumpkin seeds on the silicone matt which I placed on a cookie sheet. For the black pepper and cayenne/garlic powder seeds I simply sprinkled on the seasonings. For the miso brine I soaked the seeds in miso paste mixed with a little water. I Roasted the seeds in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes until browned. I flipped them over half way through, sprayed with a litte water and added a little more seasoning. Easie peasey! If you have a favorite no salt, oil or sugar recipe for roasted pumpkins seeds let me know.