Blueberry Muffins

Nothing like a piping hot blueberry muffin for a leisurely weekend breakfast. These are so easy to throw together. They are a dense, heavy muffin, not light and fluffy like the cakey muffins you find in stores. They are more like the muffins I remember eating as a child, back when things were made from scratch.

To keep them from sticking and still avoid using oils, I bake mine in silicone muffin tins. They pop out so easily after cooling for about ten minutes. If you try to do it right away, they will break apart. Allowing them to cool will make it easy to take them out whole. Just turn upside down and push on the bottoms. You could also use parchment cupcake liners, but I haven’t tried those, so I don’t know how well they work.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Mix these first in two separate containers
1 cup plant milk + 1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T ground flax seed + 2 T water

Then mix the dry ingredients in large mixing bowl
1 cup corn meal
1 cup whole wheat or oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Then add the plant milk and flax mix plus the following to the dry ingredients
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 T maple or date syrup

Stir until mixed, then fold in 1 cup blueberries

Pour into muffin cups (I use silicone bakeware for no stick without oil)
Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes
Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before popping out of bakeware. They will still be warm and delicious, but will hold together. They tend to break apart if you try to take them out too soon.

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Five Tacos

This morning I was talking to a friend who is trying out plant-based eating. She told me it was difficult because it left her hungry. I told her the solution was simple: Eat more food. When I explained what I eat and told her I eat five tacos for dinner on a regular basis, she said, “Oh, I only ate two. No wonder.”

This is not a deprivation diet where you punish yourself by eating tiny little plates of food. I can eat more because the food I eat has little fat, is naturally high in nutritients, but lower in calories. Just look at my dinner here. The taco shells are only made of corn, water, and lime. I use a taco saddle in my microwave to create crunchy tacos without frying. The filling is beans with taco seasoning (recipe below), thin slices of avocado, lettuce, tomato, and cilantro.

The secret to losing weight and maintaining it is so simple. Eat lots of highly nutritious foods that are low in calories. To stay satisfied, make sure that half of your plate is filled with starches, such as potatoes (white or sweet), corn, rice, oats, or whole grain pastas. Even bread is okay. But aren’t all those carbs bad? No. These are foods loaded with vitamins and minerals that your body needs. The problem isn’t the carbs, it’s the oil. See why oil is bad here. Most of the carbs people eat are drowned in butter, or fried/roasted with oil. So don’t ruin a perfectly good ear of corn with butter. Try tasting the actual food. Put salsa or fat free gravy on your potatoes. Bake slices of potatoes on parchment to create oven fries. It takes a little time to get used to it, but after about six weeks (that’s about how long it takes to break the addiction), you will not miss oils and added fats one bit.

So what goes on the other half of the plate? Fruits and vegetables, and some legumes if you like. There are so many good foods out there to choose from. If you think about it, eliminating oil, highly processed food, and animal products will only take away a tiny percentage of all the available things there are to eat in this world. You will be left with a bounty of flavors and textures. This way of eating becomes so easy after a while. I’m a foodie, and I like to eat a lot. Changing what I eat made all the difference in the world.

Taco Filling

2 cans Garbanzo or other beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/2 T soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 T salt-free chili powder
1 T Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Loosely mash beans, then add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fill prepared taco shells with about two to three tablespoons of bean mixture, then add veggies and salsa. I filled eleven taco shells with this recipe. I ate five and my husband ate six.

How to Use the Microwave Taco Saddle

Place taco saddle in the microwave, and balance one corn tortilla horizontally on top of it (Like a T). Heat one minute. It will drape itself down over the saddle as it gets warm. Because moisture from heating collects under the shell, I take it off and wipe down the saddle. Then I put it back on and heat for another 30 seconds. The kit comes with two, so when it’s done, I hang it on the other saddle to cool and stay in the folded, but open form. As I make more shells, I remove the cooled shell and replace it with the next one, setting them aside for filling.

 

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Note: This is a free blog site. I do not have control over which advertisements are posted on my pages, and they may represent views opposite of what I believe.

Satisfying Sandwiches

 

There is nothing that provides more bang for the buck than a delicious sandwich. What? You can eat bread? Of course, as long as it has no oil and is made from whole grain flour. I use a healthy whole grain bread like Ezekiel Sprouted Grain, or Silver Hills burger or hotdog buns. Occasionally I’ll go for a sourdough. Trader Joe’s has a good whole wheat pita if you like to pocket your filling. Most store bought breads contain oil and lots of other unnecessary ingredients, so I always read labels. Bread shouldn’t be made of much more than whole grain flour, water, yeast, and salt. If you make it yourself you can leave out the salt.

What do I Put in a Sandwich if I don’t Eat Meat or Cheese?

First I’ll start with some mayonnaise replacements, because commercial mayo is full of oil. I like this white bean-based dressing by Brand New Vegan. It’s in his potato salad recipe, which is also terrific, and goes great with any sandwich. I also like his tofu mayo. Other great spread options are mashed avocado, or hummus (see below).

Here are a few of my favorite sandwich fillings:

BLT (or BST if using sprouts)

I use the Lightlife Fakin’ Bacon Strips. These are the best tasting and the least processed. It’s made from tempeh, which is a cultured soy bean product. The sodium content is kind of high though, so I try to limit how often I eat it. I use half a serving to make my sandwich. It crisps up nicely in the microwave. I cook it on parchment, on the rack, for about nine minutes, turning the slices over every three minutes.

Hummus

Hummus with a variety of veggies is filling and satisfying. I like to add tomatoes, sprouts, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced cucumber. I make my own hummus because I don’t use oil or tahini, and most commercially made brands do, except Rip Esselstyn’s Engine 2 Brand, which is exclusively sold at Whole Foods. Here is my recipe. Feel free to modify it to your taste. That’s how I ended up with this one. I could eat this with a spoon, and sometimes I do.

Combine the following in a food processor:

3 cups of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 12-oz jar of NO OIL roasted red peppers, including the liquid
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin (I like the roasted kind)
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Using the S-Blade, process until smooth.

Portobello Burgers

This is a quick and easy burger. My version of fast food. Just wash and remove the stem of a large portobello mushroom. Put it spore side up in a glass bowl and sprinkle it with your favorite spices. I like to use Mrs. Dash Onion and some smoked torula yeast or nutritional yeast with smoked paprika. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Place on whole grain burger bun (Silver Hills is oil free. I get them at M.O.M.’s market). You could also use Ezekiel burger buns or English muffins, which is what I used before I found Silver Hills, which is more like a soft sesame burger bun. Ezekiel is more dense, but still good. Dress it up however you like a burger (no cheese, unless you make some vegan cheese.) I like the traditional ketchup, mustard, and pickles combo.

Mozzarella Tomato Basil on Ciabatta (or Sourdough)

Make this vegan mozzarella recipe. It’s enough for two sandwiches.
Slice two ciabatta rolls in half (or use slices of sourdough) and spread the cheese on both rolls. Add fresh sliced tomatoes, basil leaves, and a drizzle of Napa Valley Grand Reserve. I get it at Roots Market. You can also order it online.

Veggie Apple Pita Pockets

Mix together:
1 chopped apple
1 chopped carrot
1 rib celery, chopped
1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
3 scallions finely chopped
2 walnuts finely chopped
Enough dressing to wet the mixture (See Mayo recipes at top of page)

Stuff in pita. Makes one sandwich

Gyros

You could use any thinly sliced seitan, but I love Susan Voisin’s mushroom seitan roast. It’s is a bit more time consuming, but if you make the roast ahead of time, you can keep it in the fridge and slice off whatever you need. It’s also GREAT in a sandwich by itself, is super easy to make, and is far superior to store bought seitan. If you’re looking for a meaty, chewy texture, cook this up ahead of time, and thinly slice it for a hearty and satisfying treat.

Use this marinade to make the gyros.

Gyro Marinade
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Mix together and marinate thinly sliced seitan for several hours. Place in pita and top with soy yogurt tzatziki sauce, lettuce, onion, and tomato.

Tzatziki Sauce

Make this yogurt recipe in your Instant Pot or buy unsweetened soy yogurt. If you make the yogurt recipe, just leave out the fruit on the bottom to make it plain. It’s ridiculously easy! If you have an Instant Pot, you’ll never need to buy commercially prepared yogurt again.

Mix together
2 cups of plain soy yogurt
1/2 a cucumber, deseeded and very finely chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

 

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Social Support is Essential

This evening I attended a plant-based potluck, where people bring a vegan dish to share, cooked with no oil and minimal to no salt or sugar. On or about the first Sunday of the month, around 70 people who are seeking better health through nutrition meet up to share a delicious, healthy meal. I have been attending these potlucks for a year now. I first heard about the Columbia MD Forks Over Knives Meetup Group from an article in the Baltimore Sun last August. It couldn’t have come at a better time, as I had just made the decision to commit to a plant-based way of eating.

It can be a bit intimidating to just show up to a dinner where you don’t know anyone. But I’m fairly social and don’t mind talking to strangers. I have found it easy to talk to the people I’ve met, mainly because we often begin our discussions with why we are there, how long we have been eating plant-based, and how we’re doing with it, which then sparks a variety of topics. I’ve been eating this way for a year, and talking to people who are like-minded is one of the ways I stay interested and get great ideas that make sticking with this lifestyle fun and easy.

Social support is an important component of overall wellbeing. Years ago, I took a college course that taught me how to be a successful student. One piece of advice I will never forget was: Hang around with people who support your success. This guidance has served me well over the years, and I make sure to use it to achieve my goal of healthy living. Making connections with people who live a plant-based lifestyle energizes and inspires me to try new foods and recipes, and I’m encouraged to go to the next level, such as incorporating exercise into my days. I have met some incredibly nice people and connect with them more frequently than just the monthly potluck. I am inspired by the journeys of members who have overcome illnesses, gotten off medications, and lost major amounts of weight—all by changing what they eat.

So stick with the winners, and hang out with people who will support your goals. Seek the encouragement you need for success. If you don’t live in the DC-Baltimore area, try searching for a plant-based potluck in MeetUp.com or start one of your own.

If you can’t get to a potluck, try a Facebook group like the Columbia MD Forks Over Knives Meetup Group, McDougall Friends or any other group that promotes a whole food plant-based way of eating.

 

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Note: This is a free blog site. I do not have control over which advertisements are posted on my pages, and they may represent views opposite of what I believe.

Sweet Potato Fudgesicle

I made this yesterday, and just ate one for the first time. Eating plant-based does not mean you will be resigned to munching on raw carrots and kale salads (although it’s a good idea to eat those foods frequently). This fudgy treat is surprisingly much like what you get from the ice cream truck, but it’s made from nutritious whole foods. Take it from me, I am not a lover of orange sweet potatoes. I tolerate them at best. But, I eat them several times a week. Everything’s better with chocolate, right?! I bought these groovy little popsicle molds from Bed Bath and Beyond which are perfect for making frozen treats. I have previously made strawberry popsicles, which were also terrific. For the fruity ones, just puree some fresh or frozen fruit, adding just a little water to make it blend, put it in the molds, and freeze. I have some mango in the freezer that I’m dying to try.

So, how did I make these luscious chocolate beauties? First I made a batch of Sharon McRae‘s chocolate sweet potato pudding, which is a delight unto itself. She adapted it from a recipe on the Fo Reals Life website. This is what Sharon (and now I) put in it:

4 cups sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
2 cups plant based milk
1 t cinnamon (I left this out to make the fudgesicles, but it’s delicious either way)
2 tsp vanilla or vanilla powder
1/2 cup plus 1 T cocoa powder
14 pitted medjool dates.

Blend together until smooth. I like it best after it’s been refrigerated for a few hours. My husband wants me to make it every day! You can enjoy it as pudding, and there is enough to make the fudgesicles too! Just put some in the molds and freeze.

 

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Note: This is a free blog site. I do not have control over which advertisements are posted on my pages, and they may represent views opposite of what I believe.