Autumn Soup: Kale Shiitake Sweet Potato Soup

October 3, 2011 By Alexandra 1 Comment

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history of connecting different organs with different seasons, elements, foods, and even emotions.

According to the Five Element system, autumn is the season of the Metal element, governed by the lungs and large intestine. This sets up the conditions for flu or head cold, which comes from your body trying to expel excess mucus, toxins, and inferior fats.

Foods with a sour taste help with this detoxification process, and can be included daily as we enter into autumn. These foods include unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, lemons, limes, grapes, raw sauerkraut and pickles, and whole grain sourdough breads.

Pungent foods such as spices, ginger, and black pepper support the Metal element. These stimulate the digestion and help with the assimilation of food. Include pungent taste with seasonal fall foods such as apples, grapes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, grapes, kale, pears, persimmons, pumpkins, winter squash, and yams.

This soup has a lot of great autumn ingredients and will help keep your body strong and centered throughout the season:

Kale Shiitake Sweet Potato Soup

4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable stock

1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced

1 small sweet potato, peeled, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes

1/2 bunch fresh kale, washed and stems removed

1 teaspoon Mellow white miso, per cup

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. In a saucepan combine the water/broth, shitake mushrooms and sweet potato and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the kale into bite size pieces and add to the soup.

4. Cook until tender, another 8 minutes.

5. Dissolve a teaspoon of light miso in a bowl with a small amount of broth.

6. Ladle in the soup and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Yield: 6 servings

Filed Under: detox recipes, gluten free vegan recipe, healthy recipes for kids, Recipes

Powerful Plant-Based Protein Rich Dishes For Families

September 18, 2011 By Alexandra Leave a Comment

I just got home from Rochester, New York where I gave a cooking demonstration at the Greentopia Festival.

The festival was a smash hit, and the cooking demo was geared

towards families who want to improve their nutrition with healthy, local ingredients.

Thanks to Rochester’s Child Care Council for co-sponsoring the event, and providing excellent green resources to local families.

Alexandra Jamieson and members of Rochester's Child Care Council at Greentopia

The demo was great, and I wanted to share the plant-protein rich recipes here:

*Download the recipes here: Powerful Plant-Protein Dishes for Healthy Minded Parents

By the way, next time you’re in Rochester, take a yoga class at Open Sky, grab a delicious vegan lunch or dinner at Natural Oasis, and get some snacks at Abundance natural foods co-op!

Don’t forget to Like me on Facebook! xox

Filed Under: Amazing Events!, detox recipes, gluten free vegan recipe, healthy recipes for kids, Recipes

Cookbook Give Away: More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts

September 7, 2011 By Alexandra 25 Comments

If lower cholesterol, dairy and/or egg allergies have taken away your pastry passion, Fran Costigan’s modern classic cookbook is your new friend. Fran has taught many classes as the culinary school I attended when searching for a healthy career in cooking, The Natural Gourmet Institute.

More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts offers delicious recipes filled with natural ingredients and free of common food allergens, dairy and eggs.

I make some of the Currant Scones this weekend, and they’re perfect with a nice cup of tea, all-fruit spread and a little Earth Balance or peanut butter.

vegan scones from more great good dairy-free desserts by fran costigan

(Actually, I was out of currants so I used dried cranberries and raisins instead and it was delish! Just be sure you use a 1-for-1 swap if using other small dried fruit)

Currant Scones

Yield: 12 scones

2 tablespoons dark whole cane sugar

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached white flour, plus more for kneading

1/2 cup light natural cane sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 1 tablespoon ice-cold canola oil (place measured amount in the freezer for 45 minutes)

7 tablespoons ice-cold soy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup currants

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Blend the dark whole cane sugar in a blender for a minute until fine. Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the pastry flour, white flour, sugar, dark whole cane sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the strainer. Tap the strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients, and make a well in the center.

2. Whisk the oil, soymilk, and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended, and pour into the center of the dry mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula only until combined (any longer and the scones will be tough). Gently stir the currants into the dough. Dust the dough with flour and turn out of the bowl onto a flour-dusted counter or board.

3. Divide the dough in half with a dough scraper or sharp knife, and work with one piece at a time. Flour your hands and knead by lifting the farthest edge of the dough toward the center. Press it into the center, turn the dough a quarter turn, and repeat until the dough is no longer sticky, using only as much flour as necessary. Pat each piece into a square about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

4. While the dough is resting, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

5. Remove one pice of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and cut into four triangles. Repeat with the second piece. Place the scones 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Brush the tops lightly with maple syrup. Bake for 9-10 minutes.

These scones turned out really well! They’ve kept nicely for 3 days in an air-tight container, although they won’t make it another day – ’cause we’re gonna eat ‘em!

You can win a signed copy of Fran’s book

More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts!

Carrot Cupcakes

September 1, 2011 By Alexandra Leave a Comment

This recipe first appeared in Vegan Cooking For Dummies – enjoy with a homemade icing of coconut butter mixed with a little brown rice syrup!

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15–20 min, plus cooling
Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup whole-wheat, whole-spelt, or barley flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grapeseed, canola, or coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup brown rice syrup, real maple syrup, or agave nectar
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup plain, unsweetened rice, oat, almond, hemp, or soy milk

Easy Icing:

1 cup coconut butter, warmed over low heat until it’s easily spreadable

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well to combine.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the vanilla extract, brown rice syrup, carrot, applesauce, milk, and oil. Whisk well to thoroughly combine.
4. Pour half of the flour mixture into the carrot mixture and stir well to combine. Scrape the remaining flour into the carrot mixture and stir well.
5. Spoon into the cupcake liners, leaving about @@bf1/2 inch of space at the top of each. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before icing.

To make the icing, combine the coconut butter and brown rice syrup and stir well to combine. Spread over the cooled cupcakes.

Filed Under: Reboot Detox Program, Recipes

Energy Drink Recipe: This Isn't Your Kids' Red Bull!

August 16, 2011 By Alexandra Leave a Comment

Make your own drink at home for pennies, without the artificial colorings and preservatives!

Filed Under: detox diet, Detox Drinks, Reboot Detox Program, Recipes

Simple Summer Desserts — Shhh! They're Good For You, Too!

July 20, 2011 By Alexandra 2 Comments

Summer Smoothie-sicles

Summer Smoothie-sicles!

Everyone loves popsicles – so why not make them a little healthier and more substantial than what the ice cream truck is offering? You can take this simple recipe and add all kinds of healthy secrets: non-dairy yogurt, liquid chlorophyll, dehydrated greens powders, vitamin C powder, or even soaked nuts and seeds. Go crazy!

I also like using the new silicon popsicle molds – why have your food freezing in petroleum based plastic molds?

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh fruit juice (except citrus)
¼ cup fresh green juice (kale, cucumber, celery, etc)
1 tablespoon liquid chlorophyll
1 cup non-dairy yogurt
1 Medjool date

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients together until very smooth. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for at least 5 hours or until frozen solid.

Raw Choco-Almond Date Bars

It’s too hot to turn on the oven in summer, which is why raw desserts are so welcome – oh, and they taste amazing with almost no effort!

Using raw cacao powder provides the body with iron, protein, and antioxidants. Found online and in health food stores, raw cacao powder tastes good and is easier for many people to consume without negative effects of processed chocolate.

Note: To make the nuts easier to digest, you can soak them together covered in water overnight then drain before competing the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
½ cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup raw cacao powder or carob powder
pinch sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
1/3 cup brown rice syrup, agave nectar or real maple syrup

Directions:

1. Make sure the coconut oil is melted by measuring it into a small saucepan and heating it over low. Of course in the summer, mine is melted in the jar just sitting out at room temperature.
2. Combine the almonds and cashews in a food processor and pulse 10 to 12 times until they’re pulverized and no large pieces remain.
3. Add the remaining ingredients including the oil to the food processor and continue to pulse until the mixture is well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
4. Line a 9 inch square cake pan with parchment paper. Scoop the mixture into the baking dish and flatten with your hand or a rubber spatula. Wrap the pan with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to overnight.
5. Remove from the refrigerator and cut the hardened cake into bars about 3 inches square.

Smoothie-sicles recipe originally printed in Living Vegan For Dummies

Raw Choco Bars recipe originally printed in Vegan Cooking For Dummies

Filed Under: detox diet, detox recipes, gluten free vegan party planning, gluten free vegan recipe, healthy recipes for kids, Recipes Tagged With: healthy popsicle recipe, no-cook desserts, raw vegan dessert

Patriotic Plant Protein Patties! (AKA Veggie Burger for July 4th!)

June 30, 2011 By Alexandra 2 Comments

Click Here To ReTweet This Recipe – Thanks!

Patriotic Plant Protein Pattie! (AKA July 4th Veggie Burgers)
Celebrate our nation’s birthday with some veggie burgers that everyone can enjoy. I’ve doctored these up with extra plant protein coming from the beans and hemp seeds.

This recipe is cholesterol free, dairy free, egg free, and gluten-free (unless you add the totally optional bread crumbs – but really, you don’t need them.)

Make some extra patties, freeze them and reheat in a lightly oiled skillet any old time of year for a quick, hearty, healthy meal:

Yield: 6-8 patties

4 tablespooons flaxseeds, ground in a spice grinder

1/3 cup water

2 1/2 cups cooked beans (any will do: try black beans, pinto, kidney, chickpeas, or a combination)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/4 cup diced celery

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup finely chopped spinach

1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds

1/2 cup cooked brown rice, quinioa or millet (leftovers from the day before are great for this)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Combine the ground flaxseeds and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir often until the mixture become gooey. Set aside to cool while you do the next step.
Combine the beans, salt, pepper, parsley, onion, celery, orange zest, garlic, spinach, hemp seeds, brown rice, flax seed mixture and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a food processor. Pulse 15-18 times to combine the mixture so that it becomes thick and creamed together, with some chunks still remaining.
The mixture should be easy to handle and can be formed into 1-inch thick patties. I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup and flattened each scoop to 1-inch thick. If it feels to dry add a little water. If it feels too moist, add a few tablespoons of cooked grain or bread crumbs and mix to combine.
Heat a heavy skillet (a well-seasoned cast iron skillet is great) over medium heat and warm 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Cook the patties, about 3 at a time, for 7 minutes on each side.

Filed Under: detox recipes, diet for heart disease, Fast Healthy Cooking, gluten free vegan party planning, gluten free vegan recipe, healthy recipes for kids, Recipes Tagged With: soy free veggie burger, veggie burger

My Pesto Manifesto: Basil Benefits

June 15, 2011 By Alexandra 2 Comments

Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy, but that savory green goodness has spread around the world.

A native to India but used heavily in Italian and Vietnamese cooking, basil has a ton of benefits:

- helps build yang energy and generates warmth to improve circulation

- supports liver, kidney, stomach, spleen & large intestine function

- basil oil has antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer properties

- used in traditional medicine for mild depression, headache, constipatio, nausea, fatigue, bronchitis, gout, colds, glue and menstrual pain.

Since my basil plants are poppin’ I thought I’d dive into pesto season with a new recipe – and you can try it too! Pesto freezes very well, so fill up an ice-cube tray with left-overs to use later this winter in pasta dishes or soups.

Ingredients:

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons blond or chickpea miso paste
1/3 cup Red Star Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Instructions:

1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until they just begin to turn brown and release their delicious scent.

2. Put all of the ingredients and in the food processor and process until creamy.
3. Serve on pasta or vegetables.

Filed Under: gluten free vegan recipe, Recipes Tagged With: basil benefits, vegan pesto, vegan summer recipe

Delicious Detox Recipe: Walnut Lentil Salad

June 4, 2011 By Alexandra 4 Comments

Lentils and walnuts offer great protein, iron, and Omega-3 essential fatty acids which are necessary for brain and skin health. They also provide excellent fiber that helps the body to remove excess cholesterol and helps you feel full and satisfied. This is the kind of recipe my clients have enjoyed adding to their detox programs – it tastes so good, it’s a pleasure to eat well!

Walnut Lentil Salad

1 ½ cups cooked brown lentils, cooled and drained

¼ cup sliced green onions, green part only

1 cup packed thinly sliced baby spinach

½ cup halved cherry tomatoes

8 kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

¼ cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic or umeboshi vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lentils, green onions, spinach, tomatoes, olives, and walnuts. Mix well with a wooden spoon and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper and whisk together. Pour over the lentil salad and mix well.
Allow the salad to set at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, stirring a few times before serving. Alternatively, refrigerate in an airtight container for at least and hour hours before serving.

*Refrigerates for up to 3 days for picnics and lunch leftovers!

Filed Under: detox diet, detox recipes, Recipes

Nut-Free School? Perfect Sandwich Recipe For Kids & Parents

May 16, 2011 By Alexandra 2 Comments

Nut Free “Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich”

As a plant-based mom, I’m always looking for easy, healthy, tasty meals I can whip up for my son. As with most kids, Laken attends a peanut-free school. This year, his preschool class is completely nut-free, so I’ve had to make some adjustments with my normal lunch offerings.

Luckily, I’ve come upon the perfect solution for the busy parent: hemp & sunflower seed sandwiches! I like to use Food For Life’s Cinnamon Raisin bread, which is made from whole sprouted grains, has no added sugar, and tops out at 3 grams of protein per slice. This is great nutritional value added to the 9-11 grams of protein from the seed butters, depending on how much you use.

I also add a dose of protein, iron, iodine and other trace elements by sprinkling a bit of sea vegetable flakes in between the jam and nut butter. At this small dose, the kids won’t taste anything, but they’re getting an extra kick of minerals. My favorite brand is Sea Seasonings from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables (www.seaveg.com)

Ingredients:

2 slices whole grain bread

2 tablespoons hemp seed butter or sunflower seed butter

¼ teaspoon sea vegetable flakes

2 tablespoons 100% fruit jam

Directions:

I think we all know how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, right folks?

Filed Under: healthy recipes for kids, Hemp History Week, Recipes, school lunches Tagged With: food for life bread, Hemp History Week, hemp history week recipe, hemp seed butter recipe, maine coast sea vegetables, nut free school lunches, peanut-free sandwich recipes for kids, sea seasonings, sea vegetables recipes for kids

Autumn Soup: Kale Shiitake Sweet Potato Soup

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history of connecting different organs with different seasons, elements, foods, and even emotions.

Kale Shiitake Sweet Potato Soup

Powerful Plant-Based Protein Rich Dishes For Families

Cookbook Give Away: More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts

Currant Scones

You can win a signed copy of Fran’s book

More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts!