Eat To Live

Dr. Fuhrman’s Nutritarian Cinnamon Fruit Oatmeal (Eat To Live Recipe)

September 14, 2014 by Veronica Grace 3 Comments

FTC Notice: This blog post contains affiliate links that go towards supporting the blog.

Now that’s it’s cooling down, you may be craving something warm and comforting for breakfast these days instead of smoothies or cold cereal. So I decided to make up one of Dr. Fuhrman’s (author of Eat To Live and Super Immunity) ultra healthy nutritarian breakfast oatmeal recipes.

This is ultra healthy because it contains zero processed ingredients and zero sugar or sweetener. It relies on whole foods for fibre and nutrition and naturally sweet fruit for flavor. It’s got healthy omega 3’s in the form of walnuts and fresh ground flax seed (which I use my coffee grinder for) .

I whipped this up and it was a nice change from the same old oatmeal. If you prefer steel cut oats instead you can definitely use those for the base and then just add the fruit and nut toppings to it. (I often make steel cut oats in my rice cooker for a no fuss breakfast.)

I used a little more cinnamon than in the recipe because I just love my ceylon cinnamon. It’s a delicious sweet variety that tastes almost like candied cinnamon. You should try it, it makes oatmeal and baked goods taste even better!

I also like that this is a high raw recipe, in that a lot of the ingredients are raw and not cooked, such as the apples, flax and walnuts.

My oatmeal turned purple because I only had frozen mixed berries, so if you use fresh yours will look a little less colorful! 🙂

Dr. Fuhrman’s Cinnamon Fruit Oatmeal

Serves 2 (Prep time 15 minutes) (Mandi/Andi score 7)

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not instant/quick/flaked oats)
1/2 cup blueberries or mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan add the water, vanilla and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.

2. Add oats and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.

3. When the oats are soft add the berries and stir in. Continue cooking until heated through.

4. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes until thick.

5. Mix in the apples, walnuts, flax and raisins.

6. Serve.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving 240.7 Calories 12.7 g Protein 40.8 g Carbohydrates 8.1 g Total Fat 6.8 mg Sodium

The Mandi/Andi score refers to a nutrient dense value of the recipe that Dr. Fuhrman uses in his program. He now recommends that you aim for 100+ in Mandi points a day for nutrient dense foods. One serving of this recipe will give you 7 points.

Have you ever tried one of Dr. Fuhrman’s recipes before? What’s your favorite healthy breakfast?

Eat To Live Program By Dr. Fuhrman Overview

August 12, 2013 by Veronica Grace 7 Comments

FTC Notice: This post contains affiliate links that go towards supporting the blog.

Eat To Live on Amazon

guest post by one of my readers Cynthia P. Colby

So you’ve heard about the Eat to Live program created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and wonder what it’s all about – if it’s really as good as promoted. In a word – YES. I personally believe it’s the best way on the planet to eat. It’s a great way to lose weight – AND a whole lot of major and minor health problems – making your life a whole lot better and much more enjoyable no matter what age you’re at! It will also save you a pile of grocery money and money for medicines in the long term. That said, it’s not for everyone. Let me tell you what it’s about and you can see if it’s for you.

The Eat to Live program is actually pretty simple. Health equals nutrients divided by calories. If nutrients (nutrient-rich foods) are higher than calories you’re doing it correctly! What it boils down to is a focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables with limited amounts of whole grain foods. It does not include animal products like butter and meat – well, there is an option to include some lean fish and an egg white omelet, but it’s preferred that you don’t – and suggests you avoid caffeine and alcohol as well. The easiest part of all is that there are no complicated calculations or calorie counting – what you eat and can’t eat are clearly laid out.

Still sounds tough, considering that we’re enmeshed in a ‘take-out’ and ‘packaged up’ society of calorie-filled, salt and sugar saturated food. Just think about what you’ve eaten in the past week! It’s actually rather shocking when you see how badly we fuel our bodies. What you need to do with this way of eating is make yourself important enough to take the time to prepare your own food – from food that you can actually grow, or at least pick up in the fresh fruit and vegetable section of your grocery store.

One main shift is that the main dish of every meal is the salad, not a piece of meat or pile of starch. Here’s what you can look forward to eating: an unlimited amount of raw vegetables; cooked green vegetables, along with eggplant, a rainbow of peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes; 1 cup or more of beans – and there are so many types and flavors and delightful textures of beans! – bean sprouts and tofu every day; and at least 4 servings of fresh fruit a day. You can have starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn 1 cup daily, whole grains are one cup daily, an ounce of raw nuts every day, and 2 ounces of avocado each day as well. To top that off, you get 1 tablespoon of ground flax a day and a teaspoon of oil every day as well. If you’re trying to lose weight, you should eat at least 1 pound of raw vegetables and 1 pound of cooked vegetables per day – that will fill you up! What you’ll be avoiding, as you may have noticed, is all refined carbohydrates such as: bread, pasta, white rice, fruit juice, and sugar. If you feel this change is too drastic, there’s even a transition program you can start on which includes a weekly shopping list, menus, and recipes. Mmm!

Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live program is not a diet, it’s a way to eat for the rest of your life, based on sound nutritional information – it makes good sense. Many renowned studies have proven its positive effects – losing weight is only one of them. Hundreds of thousands of people have reversed diabetes, heart disease, cancer and cardiovascular and autoimmune disease following this style of eating! Now, it’s your choice!

Find out how easy, tasty and satisfying eating on this program can be and get the book here!

For Dr. Fuhrman style recipes check out this section of the blog.

Must Read Vegan and Plant Based Books

July 29, 2013 by Veronica Grace 22 Comments

It is just amazing how many books there are available these days on vegan, vegetarian and plant based diets. It definitely wasn’t the case 20 years ago. One of the first books to come out about a plant based diet was Fit For Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. (It came out in 1985, the year I was born! lol) Then in 1987 Diet For a New Americ a came out which focused more on the cruelty behind mass animal raising in North America and the health implications of a heavy meat based diet. These were the two major books that empowered many people to turn to vegetarianism in the 90’s.

But now we have even more books to learn from, with more being written each year. We are so lucky to have more doctors, researchers and nutritionists behind the plant based movement. So I wanted to make a list of recommended books for you, should you need some more information guiding you what to eat and what not to eat as well as helpful tips and encouragement for you and your loved ones.

This is in no particular order, just fyi. And at the bottom I’ve provided a list of other plant based recipe books that are oil free and useful if you’re looking for more recipes!

Must Read Vegan and Plant Based Books

The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall

Description: From Atkins to Dukan, fear of the almighty carb has taken over the diet industry for the past few decades—even the mere mention of a starch-heavy food is enough to trigger an avalanche of shame and longing. But the truth is, carbs are not the enemy. Now, bestselling author John A. McDougall, MD, and his kitchen-savvy wife, Mary, prove that a starch-rich diet can actually help readers lose weight, prevent a variety of ills, and even cure common diseases. By fueling the body primarily with carbohydrates rather than proteins and fats, readers will feel satisfied, boost energy, and look and feel their best. Including a 7-Day Sure-Start Plan, helpful weekly menu planner, and nearly 100 delicious, affordable recipes, The Starch Solution is a groundbreaking program that will help readers shed pounds, improve their health, save money, and change their lives.

Super Immunity by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Description: In Super Immunity, world-renowned health expert and New York Times bestselling author of Eat to Live Dr. Joel Fuhrman offers a nutritional guide to help you live longer, stronger, and disease free. Dr. Fuhrman doesn’t believe the secret to staying healthy lies in medical care—rather, the solution is to change the way we eat. With more than 85 plant-based recipes, a two-week menu plan, and lists of super foods that boost immunity, Dr. Fuhrman’s proven strategies combine the latest data from clinical tests, nutritional research, and results from thousands of patients . Fans of Alejandro Junger’s Clean, Mark Hyman’s Ultraprevention, and T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study will appreciate Dr. Fuhrman’s practical plan to prevent and reverse disease—no shots, drugs or sick days required.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

Description: Based on the groundbreaking results of his twenty-year nutritional study, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn illustrates that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent the progression of heart disease but can also reverse its effects. Dr. Esselstyn is an internationally known surgeon, researcher and former clinician at the Cleveland Clinic and a featured expert in the acclaimed documentary Forks Over Knives. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease has helped thousands across the country, and is the book behind Bill Clinton’s life-changing vegan diet.The proof lies in the incredible outcomes for patients who have followed Dr. Esselstyn’s program, including a number of patients in his original study who had been told by their cardiologists that they had less than a year to live. Within months of starting the program, all Dr. Esselstyn’s patients began to improve dramatically, and twenty years later, they remain free of symptoms.Complete with more than 150 delicious recipes perfect for a plant-based diet, the national bestseller Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease explains the science behind the simple plan that has drastically changed the lives of heart disease patients forever. It will empower readers and give them the tools to take control of their heart health.

My Beef With Meat by Rip Esselstyn

Description: For the millions who are following a plant-based diet, as well as those meat-eaters who are considering it, MY BEEF WITH MEAT is the definitive guide to convincing all that it’s truly the best way to eat! New York Times Bestelling author of The Engine 2 Diet and nutrition lecturer Rip Esselstyn, is back and ready to arm readers with the knowledge they need to win any argument with those who doubt the health benefits of a plant-based diet–and convince curious carnivores to change their diets once and for all. Esselstyn reveals information on the foods that most people believe are healthy, yet that scientific research shows are not. Some foods, in fact, he deems so destructive they deserve a warning label. Want to prevent heart attacks, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s? Then learn the facts and gain the knowledge to convince those skeptics that they are misinformed about plant-base diets, for instance:
You don’t need meat and dairy to have strong bones or get enough protein
You get enough calcium and iron in plants
The myth of the Mediterranean diet
There is a serious problem with the Paleo diet
If you eat plants, you lose weight and feel great

Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Description: The Eat To Live 2011 revised edition includes updated scientific research supporting Dr. Fuhrman’s revolutionary six-week plan and a brand new chapter highlighting Dr. Fuhrman’s discovery of toxic hunger and the role of food addiction in weight issues. This new chapter provides novel and important insights into weight gain. It explains how and why eating the wrong foods causes toxic hunger and the desire to over consume calories; whereas a diet of high micronutrient quality causes true hunger which decreases the sensations leading to food cravings and overeating behaviors. It instructs readers on how to leave behind the discomfort of toxic hunger, cravings, and addictions to unhealthy foods. New recipes and menus are included as well as new and updated Frequently Asked Questions. This is a book that will let you live longer, reduce your need for medications, and improve your health dramatically. It is a book that will change the way you want to eat. Most importantly, if you follow the Eat To Live™ diet, you will lose weight faster than you ever thought possible.

Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program For Reversing Heart Disease by Dr. Dean Ornish

Description: Dr. Dean Ornish is the first clinician to offer documented proof that heart disease can be halted, or even reversed, simply by changing your lifestyle. Based on his internationally acclaimed scientific study, which has now been ongoing for years, Dr. Ornish’s program has yielded amazing results. Participants reduced or discontinued medications; their chest pain diminished or disappeared; they felt more energetic, happy, and calm; they lost weight while eating more; and blockages in coronary arteries were actually reduced.
In his breakthrough book, Dr. Ornish presents this and other dramatic evidence and guides you, step-by-step, through the extraordinary Opening Your Heart program, which is winning landmark approval from America’s health insurers. The program takes you beyond the purely physical side of health care to include the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects so vital to healing. This book represents the best modern medicine has to offer. It can inspire you to open your heart to a longer, better, happier life.

The China Study by Dr. T Colin Campbell

Description: Even today, as trendy diets and a weight-loss frenzy sweep the nation, two-thirds of adults are still obese and children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, typically an “adult” disease, at an alarming rate. If we’re obsessed with being thin more so than ever before, why are Americans stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago?
In The China Study, Dr. T. Colin Campbell details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The report also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and opportunistic scientists. The New York Times has recognized the study as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” and the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”
The China Study is not a diet book. Dr. Campbell cuts through the haze of misinformation and delivers an insightful message to anyone living with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and those concerned with the effects of aging.

Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn

Description: Lose weight, lower cholesterol, significantly reduce the risk of disease, and become physically fit–in just 4 weeks.
Professional athlete-turned-firefighter Rip Esselstyn is used to responding to emergencies. So, when he learned that some of his fellow Engine 2 firefighters in Austin, TX, were in dire physical condition-several had dangerously high cholesterol levels (the highest was 344!)-he sprang into action and created a life-saving plan for the firehouse. By following Rip’s program, everyone lost weight (some more than 20 lbs.), lowered their cholesterol (Mr. 344’s dropped to 196), and improved their overall health. Now, Rip outlines his proven plan in this book. With Rip as your expert coach and motivator, you’ll transform your body and lifestyle in a month. His plant-powered eating plan is based on a diet of whole foods, including whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This invaluable guide features: **Dozens of easy, mouthwatering recipes-from pancakes to pizza, Tex-Mex favorites to knockout chocolate desserts-that will keep you looking forward to every bite **Pantry-stocking tips will take the panic out of inevitable cravings and on-the-fly meals **Guidelines on menu choices that will allow you to eat out, wherever and whenever you want **Rip’s simple, firefighter-inspired exercise program that will boost your metabolism and melt your fat away.

The McDougall Program For Maximum Weight Loss by Dr. John McDougall

Description: Drawing on the latest evidence about nutrition, metabolism, and hunger, an easy-to-follow weight loss plan places emphasis on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet while explaining how weight is lost and gained.

Eat For Health: Lose Weight and Keep It Off by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Description: Dr. Fuhrman’s scientifically proven system enables you to finally conquer your cravings and food addictions, while steering your taste buds toward healthier food choices. But be aware of the side effects….you may experience reversal of diseases such as heart disease, headaches, allergies, high blood pressure and diabetes, and you will feel better than ever before! This book includes Dr. Fuhrman’s ANDI food scoring system, with three phases of meal plans and 150 fantastic recipes. Start where you are comfortable and progress at your own pace or jump right into phase three to maximize weight loss and optimize the therapeutic effects for disease reversal.

The McDougall Program: 12 Days To Dynamic Health by Dr. John McDougall

Description: In this ground-breaking book, Dr. John McDougall, bestselling author and creator of the nationally renowned diet and exercise program at the St. Helena Hospital in Deer Park, California, introduces his remarkable twelve-day plan. Building on the idea that the traditional meat-rich American diet is hazardous to our health, Dr. McDougall has developed a medically sound, low-fat, starch-based diet that not only facilitates weight loss but also reverses serious illness, without drugs, and provides a broad range of dramatic and lasting health benefits. Step-by-step, he takes you through his revolutionary new program, providing:

Over 130 easy-to-prepare recipes
Delicious day-by-day menus
Suggestions for healthful dining out

Plus a comprehensive listing of health problems from arthritis to ulcer disease, comparing the traditional, often drastic medical approach and The McDougall Program‘s nutritionally based alternative. As featured in the book and movie Forks and Knives, John A McDougall delivers a powerful and effective food regiment.

Oil-Free and Low Fat Vegan/Plant Based Recipe Books

The following are cookbooks you can use as part of your oil-free/low fat vegan or plant based diet. All based on whole foods and easy to find ingredients with tons of recipes for you and your family to enjoy.

Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World by Veronica Grace

Description: Learn how to cook the oil-free and low fat vegan way with 60+ recipes with full color photos for EVERY recipe! Recipes are designed to be Dr. McDougall, Forks Over Knives, Dr. Esselstyn, Engine2 and Eat To Live “friendly” and are based on oil-free, whole minimally processed plant foods.

Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm by Veronica Grace

Description: These recipes are Dr. McDougall, Forks Over Knives, Engine2 and Eat To Live “friendly”. Designed to be 100% oil free, low in fat and full of flavor without processed ingredients. 30 delicious oil-free soup recipes to choose from. Whether you’re craving something familiar and cozy or something exotic and new you’ll find something to tickle your tastebuds. Learn how to make any vegan soup from scratch, make your own homemade vegetable broth and how to cook the best soup you’ve ever had in your life!

The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook by Mary and Dr. John McDougall

Description: By greatly simplifying the work involved in preparing healthy, exciting meals, bestselling authors Dr. John McDougall and Mary McDougall continue to build upon the success of their acclaimed, low-fat McDougall Program books. In this latest edition, they share their secrets for lowering cholesterol, alleviating allergies, and dramatically reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes with food that is irresistible to the whole family. Featuring over 300 recipes (including healthy Mediterranean diet recipes) that can be prepared in fifteen minutes or less, The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook is the busy person’s answer to eating right. Discover shopping tips and cooking hints to save time, reduce fat, and make great-tasting meals. Learn the viable egg and dairy replacements to eliminate fat, cholesterol, and animal protein from your diet. And refer to the updated “McDougall-Okayed Packaged and Canned Products” list. The economical, fast, and innovative recipes in The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook help make good health and longer life easier than ever to achieve.

Eat To Live Cookbook by Dr. Joel Fuhrman (will be release Oct 2013)

Description: Joel Fuhrman, M.D.’s #1 New York Times bestseller Eat to Live has helped millions of readers worldwide discover the most effective and proven path to long-term weight loss and life-long health.Now, for the first time, the Eat to Live Cookbook makes it effortless to bring this revolutionary approach into your kitchen and life. With over 185 delicious and easy to prepare plant-based recipes for any time, any day, any occasion; an information-packed introduction that has everything you need to know about Dr. Fuhrman’s approach; and an invaluable guide to choosing the best ingredients, the Eat to Live Cookbook is the ultimate kitchen resource. Eat the foods you love while losing weight and staying healthy.

Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook

Description: A whole-foods, plant-based diet has never been easier or tastier—300 brand-new recipes for cooking the Forks Over Knives way, every day! Forks Over Knives—the book, the film, the movement—is back again in a Cookbook. The secret is out: If you want to lose weight, lower your cholesterol, and prevent (or even reverse!) chronic conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the right food is your best medicine. Thousands of people have cut out meat, dairy, and oils and seen amazing results. If you’re among them—or you’d like to be—you need this cookbook.Del Sroufe, the man behind some of the mouthwatering meals in the film, proves that the Forks Over Knives philosophy is not about what you can’t eat, but what you can. Chef Del and his collaborators Julieanna Hever, Judy Micklewright, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and Darshana Thacker transform wholesome fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes into 300 recipes—classic and unexpected, globally and seasonally inspired, and for every meal of the day, all through the year.

The China Study Cookbook: Over 120 Recipes by LeAnne Campbell

Description: The China Study, with 850,000 copies sold, has been hailed as one of the most important health and nutrition books ever published. It revealed that the traditional Western diet has led to our modern health crisis and the widespread growth of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Based on the most comprehensive nutrition study ever conducted, the book reveals that a plant-based diet leads to optimal health with the power to halt or reverse many diseases.
The China Study Cookbook takes these scientific findings and puts them to action. Written by LeAnne Campbell, daughter of The China Study author T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and mother of two hungry teenagers, The China Study Cookbook features delicious, easily prepared plant-based recipes with no added fat and minimal sugar and salt that promote optimal health.

The Happy Herbivore by Lindsey Nixon

Description: This book will save you money by using “everyday” inexpensive ingredients, save you time with easy, no fuss recipes and improve your health with each nutritional bite.
Vegan chef of one of the top 50 food blogs on the Web, HappyHerbivore.com, Lindsay S. Nixon, creates recipes that show eating a low fat vegan diet is not only healthy but delicious, too.
Now, Nixon combines some of her tastiest recipes in The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, each made with no added fats, using only whole, unprocessed plant-based foods. With Nixon’s help its easy to make healthy food at home in minutes using inexpensive, “everyday” ingredients and tools.

How many of these books do you own or have you read?

Pre Order Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World Now!

April 30, 2013 by Veronica Grace 2 Comments

Hi Everyone!

I’m now accepting pre orders for Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World.

Just click here to go to the sales page.

I have had this available as a recipe ebook since October 2012, but now I’ve turned your favorite recipes into an all new, totally redesigned printed book you can bring into the kitchen with you!

Thank you so much for your support and all the positive feedback I’ve received from you guys. I could not do this without you!

This book has recipes for everyone in it. All of them are low fat, oil-free and contain absolutely no fake vegetarian cheeses or meats. There’s also tons of recipes for those following a gluten free, nut free or soy free diet.

Enjoy my little chefs! 🙂

Veronica

The Best Low Fat Vegan Chef Recipes of 2012

January 2, 2013 by Veronica Grace 19 Comments

A little bit of a prelude:

2012 was an incredibly crazy year for me.

Here’s the short versionof it: My website really started growing back in January 2012. I went to Dr. John McDougall’s 3 Day Advanced Study Weekend in February and started promoting my site to the McDougalls and others I met there. I released my first solo recipe ebook in March, Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm. I moved into a new house just outside of Vancouver at the end of May. By July I was on my own and working full time to support myself with this website. (I haven’t really told you everything that happened, but I was left by myself outside Vancouver, BC with zero notice from my husband and no money.) In August divorce papers were filed against me. At the end of September I moved back to my home town in Calgary, AB. to be near my friends and family and start over. In October I launched my second major ebook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World and sold over 300 copies myself in the first few weeks. (I had never felt so loved by you guys, seriously you made my year!) In December I moved all my products (twice) to test out different systems and streamlined everything so it was much easier for you guys to access my ebooks. And here we are in January of a New Year!

Now I know this is all a condensed version and filled with lots of ups and downs, and I’m sure I surprised many of you. Maybe I will talk about some of what happened last summer later but I’m really not sure what to say about that right now. It’s a very shocking story and might be hard for you to believe.

Well push came to shove, and I needed my own actual income (I didn’t have any personal income for a few years, I worked for free essentially) and to be able to support myself immediately, so I started promoting my recipe ebooks along with giving free recipes each week and thanks to you I have made it so far (and not crashed and burned!)

I have to say a really heartfelt thank you because I honestly don’t know what I would be doing without your support and kind words. Probably waitressing or something before I figured out what else I wanted to do, but being a health minded vegan you can see how unappealing that line of work would be!

But I wanted to highlight my top favorite recipes on the blog to celebrate all the delicious food we’ve made together and to remind you that we’re just getting started. We’re really just into the second year of this blog (as there wasn’t much happening back in 2011.) And this was something that I thought I would just poke away at and it’s really taken off!

Chef’s Pick of The Best Low Fat Vegan Recipes of 2012

From January:

Low Fat Vegan Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble With Veggies

Over the holidays I had made a few vegan breakfasts for my family while visiting in Texas. (They are Canadian, they just have a winter home in Texas) and it was my mom’s first season eating plant based so I did most of the cooking. This recipe is inspired by a recipe I tried by another vegan chef I met in Vancouver from VeganMischief. It is still my favorite tofu scramble and I really wish that more vegetarian restaurants would season their tofu as most of the time it’s so bland and not tasty! Tofu needs seasonings if it’s going to be in breakfast foods. 🙂

How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly Every Time

Quinoa is something that often eludes newbies as to how to cook it properly. I did some research and testing found out the reason most people don’t like or overcook quinoa is that they add a 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa. This mistake is perpetuated by grocery stores and manufacturers as instructions often say use a 2:1 ratio. It just yields mushy overcooked quinoa people! So I show you exactly how to cook quinoa perfectly and by using a 1:1 ratio of water to quinoa. Even today this is still one of my number one searched for blog posts. So spread the word!

From February:

Fat Free Vegan Eggplant Chickpea Indian Curry With Fire Roasted Tomatoes

This is a variation on one of Susan V’s (from Fat Free Vegan) recipes I made as I had previous created a chickpea curry and an eggplant curry for Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World and I was curious what it would taste like to put both ingredients together. The result is absolutely delicious and quite stunning when you garnish it with fresh cilantro. 🙂

Fat Free Vegan “Clean Out The Refrigerator” Fuhrman Style Soup

I had spent most of December and January at my mom’s place in Texas working on recipes for both Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm and Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World, so I hadn’t been blogging much. Just cooking like crazy! I was finishing up a few more recipes and photos to put in Comfort Soups and this was one of them!

From March:

The Best Low Fat Vegan Tofu Omelette

Omelettes are something you may miss at first on a vegan diet, so I wanted to make a delicious alternative. I have made this recipe for my family many times and it tastes very much like an omelette. The secret is using silken tofu, because it can be blended and poured just like beaten eggs or pancake batter, so you can make them as big or small as you like. These tend to work best if you make them small to medium sized. The bigger they are the longer they take to cook, so you have to be patient. The possibilities for filling your omelette are endless so give it a try!

Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup

In March I launched Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm, with over 30 homemade soup recipes. It was my first solo recipe ebook and I had a lot of fun making it. I still make soup regularly because it’s so much tastier than what comes out of a box or a can (not to mention healthier too) and it’s easy to freeze and keep for later. My mom makes these soup recipes all the time as well as she’s on the go and needs quick and healthy meals.

Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup is one of my favorites from the ebook, so definitely check it out. This recipe is also featured on the Forks Over Knives website!

From April:

Low Fat Vegan Apple Strawberry Giant Strudel Pie in Phyllo Pastry

This recipe has gotten rave reviews from everyone and is a great alternative to apple pie. Phyllo pastry is lighter and lower in fat than traditional crusts and this can be a better for you dessert if you’re trying to watch your fat and calories. Don’t be intimidated by working with phyllo, I’ve got excellent instructions for you to make assembling this strudel pie very easy. This is one of my favorite desserts and adding strawberries or another berry really makes this a beautiful dish.

Oil Free Low Fat Vegan Chickpea Hummus

This hummus recipe is from my new recipe ebook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World, which is full of comforting entrees, snacks, dips, spreads, sauces and gravies to help spice up your menu repertoire. Hummus is quite popular nowadays, but most recipes contain a lot of oil, so I wanted to show you how to make your own low fat recipe at home and then you can season it to taste with lemon, garlic, salt and seasonings.

From May:

Quick Lower Fat Vegan Pad Thai Recipe

Pad Thai can be quite delicious, but it’s usually really greasy and contains far too much oil. In this recipe I’ll teach you how to quickly “fry” your rice stick noodles without any oil and serve them with vegetables in a tangy Thai-like sauce.

Oil Free Vegan Fudgey BlackBerry Brownies

These brownies are a real treat. The blackberries add a natural sweetness to it, so they don’t even need to be iced and they still look really delicious. The secret to having them turn out fudgey is to not over-bake them and let them set in the refrigerator until they have firmed up in the middle. When served they are nice and fudgey in the center.

From June:

Fat Free Vegan Indian Tarka Chana Dal Curry

This is a deliciously spiced and thick dal curry that is really easy to make and is great served with fresh basmati rice or Indian flat bread. There are a million different ways to make dal and I think you’ll enjoy my version.

Fat Free Vegan Slow Cooker Indian Dal With Mixed Vegetables

This is a really easy recipe to make using the slow cooker or crock pot. Some lentils such as chana dal and split peas can take longer to cook, so this is an easy set it and forget it recipe you can make early in the day to have a warm dinner to come home to. It’s inspired from a thick dal soup from one of my favorite Indian places in Vancouver.

From July:

Super Protein Packed Spinach Salad With Quinoa, Chickpeas and Creamy Orange Hemp Seed Dressing

This is one of my favorite salad recipes, it’s hearty and filling and packed with lots of different textures and flavors. If you find salads a little unappetizing or boring to eat, you should definitely try this recipe. I especially love the creamy homemade dressing, which is quite easy to whip up in the blender too.

From August:

The Best Raw Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

This is probably my most popular salad dressing recipe. I have made it many times and it’s always a hit no matter who I’m serving. It’s a great alternative to bottled dressing and it can also be used as a dip for veggies or pita chips. The seasonings are really what take this recipe from ordinary to extraordinary. I know you’re going to love it!

From September:

Low Fat Vegan Easy Mini Lasagna Casserole

I love homemade vegan lasagna, but it can take quite a while to prep and put together. So i designed this recipe to be much faster and go together like a casserole instead. You still get all that delicious lasagna flavor in less than half the work and time. If you can find mini lasagna noodles, use them, but you can easily substitute any other shape of noodle you desire.

How To Cook Dried Chickpeas From Scratch

Fresh chickpeas are incredibly tasty and much better for you than canned ones. I try to make fresh chickpeas as often as I can and have created instructions for cooking them in a pressure cooker or on the stove top. You can use fresh cooked chickpeas to make your own hummus, add to soups, add to curries, salads and many more dishes. Chickpeas are so versatile you can add them to almost any meal. If you’ve never had fresh chickpeas, you’re missing out so definitely check out this recipe.

From October:

Low Fat Vegan Greek Stuffed Eggplant

I love eggplant in any recipe. It was once a vegetable I was apprehensive about and didn’t think I would like. But the key to enjoying eggplant is cooking it properly. I loved having Greek stuffed eggplant in Greece so I designed this recipe as a fat free version with lots of flavor.

Low Fat Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

This is one of my favorite recipes, and I often make it for guests unfamiliar with vegan food. The butternut squash helps add color, flavor and thickens the cheesy sauce and baking it with panko bread crumbs on top makes it have a nice crunch. You can easily make this recipe gluten free as well and it’s a delicious healthier version of an old classic.

Low Fat Vegan Stuffed Quinoa Zucchini Boats

I made this recipe for Canadian Thanksgiving and it was so good I wanted to share it. I really love making stuffed vegetables for entrees as they are quite pretty and it’s a good way to show omnivores how to make an actual entree instead of just having vegetable sides served together on one plate for holiday meals. This recipe can easilly be made in advance and reheated the next day for a quick lunch or dinner.

Red Lentil Indian Tarka Dal Curry

Red Lentil Ta rka Dal Curry

This is a different spin on lentil curry, this time using red lentils (the fastest cooking split lentil). I often make this when I’m looking for a quick meal and serve it along with basmati rice. It’s very colorful and flavorful and you can make it as mild or spicy as you like.

From November:

Low Fat Vegan Carrot Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I love both pumpkin and carrot muffins, so I decided to combine this into a delicious new recipe. It’s very low in fat, high in fibre and packed full of vegetables. Who knew you could have a healthy muffin that tasted just as great? These are easy to make and can be frozen individually for quick snacks or a light breakfast on the go.

Quinoa Chickpea Pil aff

Quinoa is great to use for variety instead of rice and cooks very quickly. Most people don’t cook quinoa properly and it can become too soft and mushy. I’ll show you how to cook it perfectly and then use it in a variety of ways such as a side dish or cold salads.

From December:

Fat Free Vegan Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Banana bread was one of my favorite treats as a kid, so in this recipe I show you how to make it much healthier and completely oil free. This recipe yields a moist dense loaf and is very tasty.

Pomegranate Apple Green Salad With Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

I love making colorful salads and pomegranates are a nice addition to many holiday recipes. You can buy them whole or get them pre-peeled to make things easier. I love the accompanying dressing for this recipe too as it’s very bright and flavorful.

Well those are my top recommended recipes from the blog for 2012. I hope I listed some of your favorites and some you’ll want to try out. We did a lot in 2012 and I’m looking forward to creating many more delicious recipes to share with you for 2013!

Which ones have you tried or want to try this year?

Gluten Free Vegan (Flourless) Black Bean Brownies

December 19, 2012 by Veronica Grace 66 Comments

Ooh black bean brownies… Have you ever heard of them before? They’re gaining popularity in the vegan, gluten free and health food movement. It’s a completely flourless brownie and has very few ingredients.

This is my take on the black bean brownie inspired by Dr. Fuhrman’s recipe. If you’re looking for something that is vegan and gluten free and a “better for you” treat, check these out.

I promise you will not taste beans in this recipe! When they are pureed they act as the batter in brownies and plain unsalted black beans have little flavor anyway. This recipe is also sugar free! It gets its sweetness from whole pitted dates, so it has natural fibre and vitamins in it instead of plain old sugar.

The only thing really essential to making this recipe is having a food processor or a high powered blender with a tamper such as a Vita-Mix. You need to get these ingredients pureed into a batter/dough to press into the pan.

If you’re craving brownies you should give these a try!

Gluten Free Vegan Black Bean Brownies

(Inspired by Dr. Fuhrman’s Black Bean brownies)

Makes 12 brownies

Ingredients:

1 19 oz./793 g can black beans (salt free) or 2 cups fresh cooked black beans, drained
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp almond butter or peanut butter
12 large medjool dates, pitted (18-24 if using smaller dates)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp ceylon (sweet) cinnamon
2 tbsp quick/instant oats (optional, use only if mixture is too wet)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 177 C.

2. Chop the dates into small pieces. Combine black beans, dates, vanilla and almond butter in a food processor or Vita-Mix and blend until smooth. (Food processor preferred.)

3. Add cocoa and cinnamon and blend again. (Do NOT add cocoa until the previous ingredients are blended or it will be virtually impossible to mix)

4. If mixture is too dry, add another tablespoon of peanut butter. If mixture is too wet, add oats and process again.

5. Line a square baking pan with parchment paper leaving enough to fold up the sides.

6. Spoon mixture into pan and spread out with spatula or hands.

7. Bake for 30 minutes.

8. Allow to cool and then cool in the freezer for 2 hours to set up before slicing.

9. Top with frosting or fruit if desired and serve.

Nutritional Info: 12 Servings Amount Per Serving: Calories 134.0 Total Fat 2.3 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 10.1 mg Potassium 349.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 28.3 g Dietary Fiber 5.8 g Sugars 16.0 g Protein 4.2 g

Have you ever had black bean brownies before? What’s your favorite way to use black beans?

Dr. Fuhrman’s Cinnamon Fruit Oatmeal Recipe

November 7, 2012 by Veronica Grace 19 Comments

I also like that this is a high raw recipe, in that a lot of the ingredients are raw and not cooked, such as the apples, flax and walnuts.

My oatmeal turned purple because I only had frozen mixed berries, so if you use fresh yours will look a little less colorful! 🙂

Dr. Fuhrman’s Cinnamon Fruit Oatmeal

Serves 2 (Prep time 15 minutes) (Mandi/Andi score 7)

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not instant/quick oats)
1/2 cup blueberries or mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan add the water, vanilla and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.

2. Add oats and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.

3. When the oats are soft add the berries and stir in. Continue cooking until heated through.

4. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes until thick.

5. Mix in the apples, walnuts, flax and raisins.

6. Serve.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving 240.7 Calories 12.7 g Protein 40.8 g Carbohydrates 8.1 g Total Fat 6.8 mg Sodium

Have you ever tried one of Dr. Fuhrman’s recipes before? What’s your favorite healthy breakfast?

Fat Free Vegan Red Lentil Tarka Dal Curry (Indian Lentil Curry)

October 31, 2012 by Veronica Grace 6 Comments

Now that the weather is cooling down, how about some delicious dal curries to warm things up?

This is another version of tarka (meaning tempered spices) dal using split red lentils. It is really simple to make, totally vegan and contains only a few ingredients. I make this recipe often when I’m looking for a quick dish and I always keep onions, tomatoes and red lentils on hand for just such an occasion. What’s nice about this dish is you can take this basic recipe and change it up with different spices, add more or omit the chilies depending how spicy you like it and use it as a thick stew as it is or a curry to serve over rice.

The dal is cooked separately and then the tarka seasonings are fried on their own and added after so they retain more of their flavor. If you’re short on time you can throw everything in together, but it might be a little blander so you’ll want to adjust the seasonings. Normally the spices are tempered in ghee or oil, but since I don’t use oil in my recipes I’ve added slightly more whole dried spices to this recipe and used some water instead.

This is a beautiful dish that is great for entertaining and also a nice way to introduce lentils to your friends and family that may be skeptical of them. Red lentils are very mild and don’t have any flavor when they are cooked so they absorb the flavors they are cooked in very well. I prefer using split red lentils over regular whole brown lentils for this recipe as they are lighter and smoother tasting.

Feel free to try using other lentils, but you will need to cook your dal much longer as whole lentils will take twice as long to cook.

Fat Free Vegan Red Lentil Tarka Dal (Indian Lentil Curry)

Serves 4

Dal Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils (split)
1 large onion, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced (or 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 – 3/4 tsp Herbamare or salt to taste
3 cups of water or vegetable broth (low sodium)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp roasted ground cumin
1/2 tsp roasted ground coriander
1 handful cilantro/coriander, chopped for garnish

Tarka Tempering:

2-3 inches of ginger peeled and sliced in long strips
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds (black)
1 dried red chilli, chopped (more if desired)
4-6 curry leaves *optional

Directions:

1. Place lentils into a mesh metal strainer and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. *To cook your lentils faster you can soak in warm water while you prep the rest of your vegetables.

2. Heat a medium saucepan or wok over medium heat and add the onions, garlic and turmeric. Sprinkle a little salt on the onions to get them to sweat. Saute for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes are soft.

3. Add drained lentils and 3 cups of water or vegetable broth. Stir and bring to a boil uncovered. Turn heat down to medium low and and cover with a vented lid (or leave lid cracked to let steam escape) cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are soft and to desired tenderness.

4. In another pan, add a little water and fry the slices of ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Stir the ginger. When the water dissipates, add the mustard seeds and toast until they pop. Then add the cumin seeds and toast for a minute or two.

5. Add the tarka seasonings, lemon juice, cumin and coriander powder to the dal and stir in. Add Herbamare or salt to taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

6. Serve and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Additional Tips:

If you like you can use different lentils, but keep in mind that whole lentils will take longer to cook, so you may need to cook this dal for around an hour until they are soft.

What’s your favorite way to use lentils?

Low Fat Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

October 24, 2012 by Veronica Grace 17 Comments

These vegan quinoa stuffed zucchini boats would make a delicious entree for a special dinner or any holiday occasion. I really think it’s important to have a nice entree when serving a holiday meal without meat so those who are not used to eating vegan feel more comfortable eating something more eye catching and filling than a plate full of vegetable sides.

Honestly I think that’s the major problem with people’s perception of a vegan diet. When you take away the meat, they assume they are supposed to just eat salad, a side of steamed vegetables and maybe some rice or a potato and this can get rather mundane day after day. I find that most traditional restaurants have no clue how to make a vegan plate and often just take take take without giving anything back. No meat, no cheese, no creamy sauce/dressing and you’re left with a tiny plate of vegetables with little calories (so you’re starving 30 minutes later).

Don’t let this happen to your family or dinner guests! If you want to serve them a delicious vegan dinner, why not have a beautiful entree like a stuffed vegetable? I have made Greek Stuffed Eggplant on the blog here, Greek Stuffed Peppers and Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash in my new ebook here. All of them contain rice, so let’s switch it up and try quinoa instead of rice for a change?

Now quinoa can be quite bland on it’s own so it’s nice to serve with saucy vegetables, or season it while it cooks (which is what I did in this recipe.) Then I sautéed it with cooked vegetables to let the flavors meld and then tossed in some chopped pecans and cranberries for good measure to add some more flavor and texture to it.

Most recipes I’ve seen on the internet for zucchini boats are based on ground beef and then topped with cheese and let’s face it, zucchini doesn’t have to be completely hidden by overpowering flavors for people to enjoy it! Zucchini lovers unite! Show everyone how delicious it can be on it’s own without being covered in meat and cheese. 🙂

Check out my recipe below:

(Vegan) Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Quinoa:

1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup vegetable broth low sodium or homemade
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper (as desired)

Zucchini Boats:

4 medium zucchini, washed
1 medium sweet onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 handful of greens like spinach, chard, beet greens etc. chopped
1/2-1 cup vegetable broth low sodium or homemade (to cook with)
2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp cranberries (apple juice sweetened)
1/4 tsp Herbamare or salt (or as desired)
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Soak the quinoa in a bowl of cool water for 15 minutes.

2. Fill a large 6 quart/litre pot with water and bring to a boil.

3. While waiting for pot to boil, drain quinoa, add vegetable broth 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt and pepper to a small pot. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 375 F / 191 C and add zucchinis whole to the large pot of water and boil for 15 minutes until tender. Set aside on racks to cool.

5. Slice zucchinis in half and scoop out the middle seeds, leaving enough flesh to hold the zucchini together. Chop the flesh and set aside. (You can use or discard the seeds if you wish. I discard most of them in favor of the other diced vegetables I’m using)

6. Meanwhile in a large skillet or wok add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and heat over medium high heat. When hot, add onions carrots and thyme. Sauté for 2 or 3 minutes and then add celery, some of the zucchini pulp, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Continue cooking until tender. Add more broth if needed to prevent sticking. Toss in pecans, cranberries, and quinoa and season with salt and pepper as desired.

7. If desired sprinkle some balsamic vinegar and/or salt lightly on the inside of the zucchini boats. Stuff the zucchini with filling mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender.

8. Serve warm.

Please note: you will not have room for all the other vegetables and quinoa if you use all of the zucchini pulp and seeds. So i just use the pulp and chop it and discard the heavily seeded parts.

I served these with traditional Thanksgiving sides like Garlic Mashed Potatoes and stuffing. For more Thanksgiving and other delicious entree recipes check out my new recipe ebook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World. (Some favorite holiday recipes include Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash, Garlic Mashed Potatoes With Mushrooms and Onions, Cranberry Pecan Holiday Stuffing, Holiday Yam Pecan Casserole, The Best Cabbage Rolls and more.)

Have you ever had stuffed zucchini before or any other stuffed vegetable?

Low Fat Vegan Greek Stuffed Eggplant With Brown Rice

October 1, 2012 by Veronica Grace 22 Comments

This summer I had some girl friends over for an end of summer vegan dinner party. I wanted to make something special and I decided on stuffed eggplant. Many people have tried stuffed peppers, but few have had stuffed eggplant, let alone delicious succulent Greek stuffed eggplant.

When I was traveling around the world I fell in love with rustic Greek cuisine. It’s nothing like you find in North America and it’s not all about souvlaki and rack of lamb. Many classic Greek dishes are vegan or vegetarian in nature, so it was a pleasant surprise to find delicious homemade dishes at local tavernas. These are called Melitzanes Papoutsakia or “Little Shoes”. They are often served luke warm or room temperature as is customary in Greece. They believe that room temperature food is the best for health and this may be why their mezze platters are so popular, where a variety of items can be eaten together at the same temperature.

This is my vegan spin on Greek Little Shoes and you can find it with and without rice. Since this was a main entree I decided to add rice to it and I had some delicious pre cooked brown rice from Hinode in the cupboard so this was pretty easy to throw together.

I have found that it makes a difference in cooking time to precook the eggplant before baking and this way the flesh can soften without having to be cooked with oil. It’s got all the flavor you need by adding fresh herbs without any of the fat.

I served this with salad and my Tuscan Roasted Tomato Chickpea Soup that’s featured in my Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm recipe ebook.

Greek Stuffed Eggplant (Little Shoes)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 medium eggplants/aubergine
1 cup vegetable broth (low sodium or homemade)
1 large red onion, diced small
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of fresh tomatoes, diced small
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (I used Hinode)
3 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 cup of fresh dill or parsley, chopped
2 -3 tsp of honey/maple syrup or pureed dates
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
olive oil for greasing pan and sprinkling on eggplant

Directions:

Step #1: Cut tops off of eggplant and slice in half. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil eggplant skin side down for 15 minutes. Depending on how large your pot mouth is and your eggplant you may have to boil 4 halves at a time.

Step #2: Once done, take out eggplant and set aside to cool before handling.

Step #3: Preheat oven to 350 F/177 C. Scoop eggplant out of shell carefully and leave a small layer of flesh inside to prevent skin from tearing.

Step #4: Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium heat and add the vegetable broth. Add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.

Step #5: Cut the chunks of eggplant into smaller pieces or mash them. Add to tomatoes and onions and continue cooking.

Step #6: Meanwhile, chop the dill or parsley into small pieces.

Step #7: Add cooked rice, dill/parsley, oregano, lemon juice and salt and pepper to eggplant and tomatoes. If your tomatoes are a little acidic, add honey or sweetener to balance the taste as desired.

Step #8: Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and place the eggplant shells skin side down. Fill with tomato eggplant mixture evenly.
Bake eggplant in oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm with salad, potatoes, or pita and hummus.

Have you ever had eggplant before? What’s your favorite eggplant recipe?