pumpkin bread!

Perfect Pumpkin Bread [vegan]

33333 5(1)

6

Recipe by

Food.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 12 tsp ground ginger
• 14 tsp ground allspice
• 18 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups pumpkin (canned)  - I use the real stuff!! 
• 12 cup maple syrup (pure)
• 14 cup apple butter
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins (golden seedless

crazy cake

Yield :1 Cake

Prep Time :5m

Cook Time :30m

Ready In :35m

I’m not joking – you can prep this amazingly moist chocolate cake in less than five minutes. You don’t even use a bowl.
I know what you all are thinking – healthy eating with a cup of sugar?! I hear you. (And I need to preface this by saying I’m not a nutritionalist – none of us are) But I believe in burnout. One can become exhausted by over doing anything. So to avoid it, you need to pace yourself. Eating healthy is paramount, obviously, but every once and awhile you need to treat yourself! So why not do it with some crazy cake? Ok, so this sounds like a justification, and it is, but I have a huge sweet tooth and I have to feel OK about posting this recipe to this particular forum.
This cake, however, isn’t my recipe. It’s my Mom’s. She found it over 30 years ago, as she said “when you were only a small boy and had never even heard of veganism, nor had I for that matter.” Whenever I’m home visiting, I can be sure a crazy cake is waiting for me.
So on to the recipe. Its super easy, really moist, I would bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry all ready and its a great recipe to do with the kids in your life!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups of Flour
• 1 Cup of Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 3 Tablespoons of Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
• 5 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cup of Lukewarm Water

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350

Step 2

Sift all the dry ingredients into an ungreased 8" cake pan and spread.

Step 3

Use your finger to make three holes in the dry ingredients. Put the vanilla in one hole, the vinegar in the second hole and vegetable oil in the third hole. Pour the water over everything and stir until the batter is smooth. Make sure to get the corners of the pan!

Step 4

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the cake starts to shrink in from the sides.

Step 5

Top it with whatever, but I like powdered sugar and fruit. You know, to keep it healthy.

Ayurvedic insights...

yurvedic Insights: Knowing the Energies of Vegetables

By Akanksha | Oct 12, 2012 | 25

Everyone of the holistic healing processes work on the concept of energy. According to physics, even solid things are nothing but energy. If you read or watch the movie of The Secret, you will clearly know what I am talking about here. The entire universe is nothing but energy.
Anyways, leaving the spiritual perception aside, here is some practical information. We all make recipes and often mix ingredients together without any fixed protocols. We just try and see how it goes, and it usually goes well.
Ayurveda obviously does not only emphasize on the taste of a dish but also how successful it is in its purpose. The purpose is to provide you with positive energy that helps us to carry on throughout the day.
Is your food giving you the energy that you need? How do you feel after taking a meal? For once, just move your attention from the tongue and try to catch up on how you feel otherwise. Motivated or dull? Enthusiastic or lethargic? That is something to ponder on.

What I learned recently is the types of energies our vegetables carry. All vegetables that grow above the ground carry positive energy. All vegetables that grow below the ground carry neutral energy. There are certain exceptions to this. Eggplant/brinjal and mushrooms carry negative energy in spite of growing above the ground. Tomato is another exception that carries neutral energy. Onion and garlic are two other vegetables that are known to have negative energies.
Now, it is not that we need to give up all those with negative energies but we can mix them accordingly. For example, adding an onion to lot of green vegetables is better than adding it to potato (which is neutral). We can keep this information in mind while mixing ingredients.
Happy cooking!

apple cinnamon pancakes

Apple & Cinnamon Pancakes
These were left over from Sunday’s breakfast. They are soooo delicious… even when a day old and heated up in the microwave! I ate them for breakfast, and Lil’ L ate them for supper at 8.30pm after he came back from cubs. They’d be running around Bannerdown Common in the pitch black, with torches and glo sticks. It was freezing cold, so he said that the pancakes were the perfect supper

Another thing I love about these pancakes is that they contain a whole cup’s worth of apple sauce. I made my own sauce this Sunday using the over-wintered apples from our orchard. I was quite amazed at how many apples it takes to make just one cup of sauce. It’s a great way to get kids who aren’t big fruit fans (like Lil’ L) to eat a good portion of fruit and to enjoy eating it, rather than just enduring it because it’s ‘good for you’.
It was really simple to make the apple sauce. I simply chopped up the apples, added a little water and a dash of cinnamon, then allowed them to gently simmer for about 1/4 hour (while this was happening I went back to bed and read my book ). I then quickly whizzed it with the hand blender to make the sauce nice and smooth. At some point in the near future, I’m intending to make a large batch of apple sauce and freeze it in portions, which can then defrost the night before we make pancakes.
I don’t do anything special to make these pancakes. I simply throw all the ingredients in the blender. Here’s the recipe:

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Makes 10 medium-size pancakes (5” in diameter)
Preparation: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Batter:
140g / 5oz / 1 cup wholemeal (wholewheat) flour
75g / 2½oz / ¾ cup rolled oats
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
240g / 8½ / 1 cup apple puree (apple sauce) (I make this by blending 2 cored apples with my stick blender)
1 tsp vanilla extract
425ml / 15 fl oz / 1¾ cups fortified soya milk (or other non dairy milk)
olive oil, for cooking
Suggested toppings:
Chopped pecans
Ground linseed (flaxseed)
Agave Syrup
Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender, and pulse until smooth and fully blended. Transfer the batter to a jug and allow to rest while the pans are heating. If the batter seems a little thick, whisk in a drop more milk.
2. If possible, use two non stick frying pans (skillets) to cut down the cooking time. Brush the bottom of the pans with a little olive oil and heat on a medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan (my ladle is equivalent to a ¼ cup). Once the pancakes starts to firm up at the edges, carefully flip them over using a thin spatula. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the underneath is lightly browned.
3. These pancakes are delicious served with a sprinkling of chopped pecan nuts and ground linseed, and a drizzle of agave syrup.

how to freeze "greens"

How To Freeze Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard and More)

Written by Amanda Rose in Food Preservation

Until this spring, we never had the need to preserve garden greens in this household. We easily ate the bit of greens coming out of our garden. We typically consume store-bought greens immediately or end up composting the green slime they turn into. (I am sure we are the only household that does not finish their greens….)
However, this year we harvested a bumper crop of greens from the spring garden and, around the same time, foraged nearly one hundred pounds of lambs quarters. My fingers are green as I type from plucking the leaves off about 42,000 lambs quarters stems. There were thousands of pounds we left in the field — you can see my mother lost in a sea of these wild greens.
After eating gallons of very green soup, we decided that such abundance would
require a mixed-strategy. There was no way we could eat it all.
We froze about half of our greens collection, part of which was frozen raw and part boiled. The best freezing solution for your greens will depend on your own kitchen management and how you plan to use the greens.

Freezing Raw Versus Boiled: Oxalic Acid Considerations

Freezing greens raw is by far the quicker solution. The raw greens are easy to pop into a soup or stir fry later and will cook quickly. This strategy would be ideal if it were not for the oxalic acid in the greens themselves.
Oxalic acid is a mineral inhibitor found in leafy greens, in particular in spinach, collards, lambs quarters, and chard. Oxalic acid will also cause kidney stones, particularly in people prone to kidney stones. If you are using the greens as we do in our extremely green soup, you will want to take measures to reduce the oxalic acid content.
Boiling the greens and discarding the boiling water is by far the best strategy to reduce oxalic acid. (I detail the research on calcium and oxalic acid here.)
If I am freezing greens high in oxalic acid, I freeze them already boiled so that I can just pop them in a soup later. If the greens are just going to add a bit of flavor and texture to a dish, frozen raw greens win for their ease of freezing and convenience in defrosting.

Freezing Greens Raw

Freezing greens raw is extremely simple. If you fear that your store-bought greens are headed to
green mush and you are pressed for time, this is a great strategy. Simply do the following:

1. Tear the greens into usable cooking sizes if they are large.
   
2. Wash the leaves well and allow them to drain and dry.
3. Drain the leaves overnight or towel-dry them if you need to turn the
   project around quickly.
   
4. Oil a cookie sheet with coconut oil or use your dehydrator sheets as
   Adrienne at Whole New Mom does in her article on freezing herbs.
   
5. Pile leaves onto the sheet, up to about three inches in height.
6. Place the sheet in the freezer.
7. Once frozen, use a spatula to remove them from the sheet, working quickly as the leaves will defrost almost instantly.
8. Place the leaves in a gallon-sized freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.

With this method some of your leaves will stick together, but you will be able to pull out a handful pretty easily as you need them.

Freezing Greens Boiled

This is actually my preferred method for high oxalate greens because I end up with quart-sized baggies of cooked greens, enough to add great nutrition to soup, already boiled and ready to use.

1. Put on a large pot of water to boil.
   
2. Tear the greens into usable cooking sizes if they are large.
3. Wash the leaves well.
4. Add the leaves to boiling water. Allow them to boil for at least five minutes.
5. Discard the boiling water through a strainer or colander.
6. Run cool water over the leaves to cool them quickly. Swish them around under cold water for best results.
7. Once the leaves are cool, grab a handful, squeeze out the water, and place the leaves in a quart-sized freezer bag.

With this method, your leaves will freeze in one quart-sized lump. Depending on how you use your greens, consider measuring quantities you typically use into each bag. For instance, fill each bag with two cups of cooked greens.
Of course, you could just make a giant batch of extra green soup and gobble it up. That was our first course of action with our foraging bounty.

Something a little different with sweet potatos

I am going to try this tomorrow - l'll let you know what I think!

Oasis Advanced Wellness

Like This PageLiked · 15 hours ago

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

Oatmeal Ingredients
...

1/2 cup regular oats
2 cups organic nut milk
1 small sweet potato, peeled, chopped (made 2 cups raw or 1.5 cups cooked)
1 ripe large banana
1 tbsp chia seeds (if you omit, you may have to reduce the milk)
1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/8th tsp nutmeg + 1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Crunchy Pecan Topping

1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp healthy flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in the peeled and chopped sweet potato. Cook over medium heat, for about 5 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Give the pot a quick rinse and then add in the oats, milk, and chia seeds. Whisk well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. With a potato masher, mash in the cooked sweet potato and the banana into the pot. I left some chunks for texture. Now stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg, and salt to taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook on low for another few minutes.
4. Make the crunchy pecan topping by mixing together the pecans, flour, butter, and brown sugar with a fork. until very clumpy. Pour the oatmeal into a baker dish (I used a 4 cup/8 inch casserole dish) and spread out evenly. Now sprinkle on the pecan topping.
5. Transfer the oats to a casserole dish (8inch/4cup or whatever you have!) and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, at 350F. After 20 minutes, set oven to BROIL and broil on low for a couple minutes, watching very closely so you do not burn the topping. Remove from oven and serve. makes 3-4 servings.

Nutritonal Info (based on 4 servings with soy milk, without topping): 217kcal, 4 grams fat, 7 grams protein, 6 grams fiber.

Pumpkin seed brittle

, pumpkin seeds are absolutely loaded with fat-burning nutrients,
including:
- Protein (100 g of seeds contain 30 g protein)
- A variety of minerals (phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper)
- Vitamins A and E
- B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6,
and folates)
- Tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin and niacin
- Phytosterols, which reduces LDL ("bad") cholesterol
------------------------------------------Pumpkin Seed Brittle Recipe
------------------------------------------
Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 ounce
Prep Time: <10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:
* 1 cup granulated Stevia
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the stevia, sugar, cream of tartar and water.
Stir over medium-low heat for several minutes, or until the mixture becomes
transparent. With a dampened pastry brush, brush the inside of the saucepan
just above the level of the sugar mixture to remove any sugar crystals.

2. Without stirring further, continue to cook the mixture over medium-low heat ,
or just high enough that bubbles are breaking all over the surface for 20 to 25
minutes. When ready, the mixture should be a deep golden color. Watch
carefully the last few minutes, as it can burn very quickly.

3. Meanwhile, spray a baking sheet generously with no-stick spray. Also set
out the measured baking soda and the pumpkin seeds.

4. As soon as the mixture reaches the correct temperature, remove the pan
from the heat. Working quickly, stir in the baking soda and pumpkin seeds.
(The mixture will foam up). Quickly transfer the mixture to the prepared pan,
using the back of a spoon to spread the mixture into a thin, even layer about
1/4 to 1/3-inch thick.

5. Place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or until the brittle
has completely hardened. Break into irregularly shaped pieces. Refrigerate
in an airtight container.

Nutrition Profile:
Calories: 121
Fat: 7g
Protein: 6g
Total Carbohydrates: 10g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 149 mg

oh so sweet potato fries!

Oh So Sweet Potato Fries
October 25, 2012 • Posted by Christina Fong

If you’re stocking up on Fall produce, then sweet potatoes should definitely be in your pantry. They’re high in nutrition and deliciousness, making them perfect for all kinds of eaters. And when you transform them into oh-so-yummy fries, these potatoes will be on the short list of veggies your child loves!
Sweet potatoes are abundant in Vitamin A and C, calcium and potassium but shhh! No one has to know that. In the case of these fries, we want to bake them over frying them in order to retain a majority of all these nutrients. In fact, a lot of them can be found in their skin so when you’re peeling your potatoes, leave them alone! The recipe below is a basic, kid-friendly one but if you want to add more flavor, throw in some of your favorite spices. And of course, don’t forget about the dip. A few personal favorites are pesto and honey mustard. What are yours?

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Makes 4 servings
2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle of corn starch (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes however you want to (i.e. wedges, french fries or chips).
3. Mix them in a bowl with oil, sugar and salt, and then spread them onto a preheated baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure none of them are on top of each other. Sprinkle a bit of corn starch to achieve extra crispiness.
4. Bake them for 15 minutes, rotate potatoes, and then bake them for another 15 minutes or until slightly brown and crispy

another quinoa

1 cupquinoa

1/8 teaspoonsalt

1 3/4 cupswater

1 cupcanned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1tomato, chopped

1 clovegarlic, minced

• 3 tablespoonslime juice
• 4 teaspoonsolive oil
• 1/2 teaspoonground cumin
• 1 pinchsalt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoonchopped fresh parsley

Check AllAdd to Shopping List

Directions

1. Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, and rinse under cold, running water until the water no longer foams. Bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Once done, stir in the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley to serve.

Quinoa

Original recipe makes 6 servings

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• sea salt to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4red onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat. This will take about 5 minutes, and stir constantly as they will burn easily. Set aside to cool.
2. In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork.
3. Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and stir in the pine nuts, lemon juice, celery, onion, cayenne pepper, cumin and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper if needed before serving.

ayurvedic thinking

When it comes to Ayurveda and health, there is absolutely no mention of non-vegetarian food. Ayurveda is known to be laying equal emphasis on preventing diseases and on curing them. What kind of diet can prevent diseases? We tend to believe that diseases are unforeseen and almost all of us have examples of people who were health conscious but still suffered from a disease.
I recently read a quote that said that the only person you need to be better than is you. You cannot compare your health with someone else. We need to be healthier that what we were and what we could have been if we were not aware. Ayurveda defines the physical constitution of human body into 7 types. 3 major types are Vata, Pitta and Kapha and others are a combination of any two and all 3.
How the food that we eat affects us depends on our body constitution. We all have noticed that two people having the same diet and same lifestyle (and same genes, sometimes) also turn out to be different in terms of health. Some remain skinny no matter what and how much they eat. These are usually the people with 'Vata' constitution. Other characteristics of vata type are dry skin, restless behavior, small body frame etc. Pitta people are perfectionists and get irritated easily. People with Kapha constitution are relatively calm and have a tendency to get lazy.

There are questionnaires available on the net too that help you identify your constitution (or Prakruti) but it is best to contact an Ayurvedic doctor. They are able to detect your constitution through your pulse. They recommend a diet based on your constitution and the imbalances currently present in your body.
Once you know your constitution, you will realize that you need not eat anything just because your friend or family member does. You eat what is good for you. You get diet charts consisting of foods that are good for your body type. Most people avoid and cure diseases just by a little change in lifestyle and diet.

spiced apple fritters

Spiced Apple Fritters

Ok seriously, once in a while you just have to indulge in some deep fried fare - It’s good for the soul! I never really ate fried foods when I was growing up and I seldom eat fried foods now, probably less than a handful of times a year. So what I’m trying to say is, eating fried food a few times a year is ok!

I’ve never actually eaten an apple fritter before so I thought I’d give it a shot, and the result is oh so tasty. When eaten fresh and hot, these are crispy on the outside and filled with creamy, apple-y goodness on the inside. Once they cool to room temperature the texture becomes more like donut holes, fluffy and cake like, delicious. The spice in here isn’t overwhelming, it's more of a hint and, as all my desserts, these aren’t overly sweet.

From what I understand, most people eat fritters with powdered sugar. Since we don’t eat refined sugar, we ate half of them plain which was very delicious, and ate the other half with a vanilla cashew dipping sauce which was equally as delicious! You may serve them as you like :)

Spiced Apple Fritters

-Makes about 30

Twist on Brussels spouts

Ingredients

• 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs non-dairy butter
• salt, to taste

Method

Step 1

Wash brussels sprout and cut them in half.

Step 2

In a large pan and on medium heat, add butter, brown sugar and mix together when butter melts.

Step 3

Add brussels sprouts face down until they turn light brown (2-3 minutes). Sprinkle salt lightly on back side.

Step 4

After brussels sprouts are a golden brown (as photographed), flip and do the same to the other side.

Spiced lentil rolls

Spiced Lentil Rolls

I love Indian flavors and I wanted to incorporate them into some of my cooking – that’s how these little gems came about! Flavorful, hearty lentils are wrapped in a pillowy coconut and curry scented dough. The lentils are spiced but not spicy, there’s a little hint of spice from the red chili powder, but not enough to make your nose run or anything. These are a seriously perfect lunch to bring to work/school because they are full of protein and they taste great at room temperature! I like to make a big batch of these and freeze half, that way if I need a meal or snack in a pinch all I have to do is just pop one out of the freezer!

Spiced Lentil Rolls

-Makes one dozen

Dough:

• 1 ¼  cup warm Coconut milk
• 2 ½ tsp Active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp Agave
• 2 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 ½ cup + 1 tbsp Unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cup + 1 tbsp Whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp Curry powder
• ½ tsp Sea salt

Filling:

• 2 cups cooked Brown lentils
• 3 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 large Garlic clove, pressed
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• ¼ tsp Mustard powder
• ¼ tsp Red chili powder (or more if you like it spicy!)
• 3/4 tsp Coriander seeds, crushed
• 3/4 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste, if desired
• 3 tbsp Coconut milk

• 1 tbsp Olive oil, for brushing

-To prepare the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, dissolve yeast and agave in the warm coconut milk. Set aside for several minutes until the mixture looks foamy.

 -Add flours, curry and salt and mix on low for 6 minutes.

-Place dough in a large oiled bowl, and turn it around once so that the top gets nice and oiled too. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.

-While the dough is rising, mix together your filling: In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well with a spoon or clean hands. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

-Preheat oven to 375 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

-Once dough has risen, punch it down and divide it in half. Roll out one half into a rectangle about 11 inches by 10 inches. Spread 1 cup of the filling evenly over the rectangle, all the way to the edges. With the long side facing you, roll it up into a log. Cut the log in half and cut each half into 3 pieces.

-Transfer the rolls to the prepared baking pan and flatten the tops slightly. Repeat with remaining dough and filling until you have 12 rolls all together. Cover and let them rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

-Right before you bake them, brush the tops with the tbsp of olive oil. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until tops are firm and bottoms are golden brown. Let cool at least 5 minutes before eating. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 © 2012 Roxane McNulty

raw wraps

Raw Vegan wraps are so easy to make. You can get really creative with colorful vegetables and sprouts. They are really healthy, low fat and loaded with antioxidants, enzymes, protein and calcium.......

My favorite is to flatten out a collard green or purple red cabbage. I add organic mashed avocado, carrots, pea and sunflower sprouts, cucumber, red bell peppers, sprouted garbanzo beans and ground walnuts. Squeeze a little organic lime juice and then just wrap......

You can also add hummus or almond and sunflower pate....Try adding quinoa too. .
...

Serve with a side of fresh organic mangoes and fresh organic watermelon juice.

Great to serve for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your friends and family will thank you..

See More

zucchini and tomatoes

Veganism

Recipe for LIFE....That is what I call this spiritual and health awakening formula to live healthy. I went to the Tahoe Farmer's Market and bought these amazing organic zucchinis and tomatoes from Four Frog Farms. The owners of Four Frog Farm are young, passionate and vibrant environmental organic farmers.

ingredients:

two beautiful organic zucchinis, preferably one yellow and one green
...

three beautiful ripe organic red tomatoes
seasoning:
turmeric
fresh ground peppers
cumin
fresh organic basil
organic walnut oil
fresh organic parsley
one organic lemon

Cut the zucchinis and tomatoes in half. Place them on a baking sheet. Brush the zucchinis with a little walnut oil, sprinkle the seasonings on and cut up the basil and place that on the zucchinis and tomatoes a well.

Place the baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for about twenty to twenty five minutes until the zucchini is soft to the touch with a fork. Place the zucchinis and tomatoes on a plate and sprinkle the parsley and lemon.

You can also add a side dish of quinoa and place one of the baked tomatoes on top, very delicious. The baked tomato without any additives is an amazing natural sauce.

Add a half of an avocado and you have one of the most beautiful, healthy and natural gourmet vegan meals ever.

There you have it, fresh, organic, no fat and amazingly nutritional...

GMO's

Veganism

Americans are part of a grand science experiment, one that may take generations to complete and one where the outcome is anything but assured.

I'm talking about the long-term effect on humans from being fed genetically modified organisms. People that eat chips, beef, pork, chicken, soda, salad dressing, breakfast cereal, infant formula, fast food or just about any food in America, they are eating...

organisms with genes from completely different species forced together. GMOs are in virtually all of the commodity soy, corn, canola and cotton in America, and none of it is labeled.

For example, practically all of the corn grown in the United States now has DNA from a soil bacteria called BT that produces an insecticide. That corn now has the same toxin built into every cell. Recent studies have shown BT is now ubiquitous in breast milk in America. OK, BT doesn't rip our stomachs open like it does in bugs, but what does it do to humans who are fed it for decades? We don't know, but we will find out.

The FDA does not require the GMO industry to do testing before introducing a new product the way they do pharmaceuticals. But animal tests show laboratory rats and rabbits fed genetically modified corn develop serious liver problems in their lifetimes. Mice fed genetically modified corn had major problems, including infertility, after the third generation. Humans are still on their first generation of being fed genetically modified corn.

Why doesn't the government require testing and why doesn't the FDA support the labeling of foods containing GMOs? The FDA gives two reasons for this. The first, according to the FDA, is that genetically modified food is no different from natural food — tomatoes with fish genes are the same as tomatoes with only tomato genes, pigs with human genes are no different from pigs with pig genes, etc. But according to the FDA, the main reason they don't support labeling is if people knew GMOs were in a food product, they wouldn't buy it. I'm not kidding.

So what? Genetic modification is a miracle of modern technology. We're told it will solve the problem of famine and extend the lives of millions of people. Pigs with human genes will have organs that can be transplanted into humans. Goats with spider genes make milk that can be spun into bullet-proof vests. Primates with human genes can be trained to do menial tasks humans don't want to do.

But genetically engineered DNA gets passed into the environment. Genes from rapeseed (canola), modified to resist Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, passed this trait to its "weed" cousins, and now we have super-weeds resistant to Roundup. Studies show BT genes get passed to your gut bacteria when you're fed genetically modified food. When pollen from farmer A's GM crop is blown into farmer B's organic field, the contamination can cause the latter to lose his FDA certification. Not only that, Monsanto considers cross-breeding a violation of its patents and has filed hundreds of lawsuits against farmers whose fields turned up with traces of Monsanto's patented genes.

Most countries with genetically modified foods require them to be labeled. And it's high time GMOs were labeled in this country. A lot of Americans feel this way and they plan to march on Washington from Oct. 1-16. They're going to walk from the United Nations building in New York to the White House. The goal is to get GMOs labeled. Maybe someone in government will listen if enough people demand it.

See More

—

recipe for raw hummus

eggplant and walnut pate

 

Veganism

 

This is my vegan eggplant and walnut pate. The flavor is a complete surprise. Creamy, nutty and well-seasoned, it will please vegans and non-vegans alike.

Once you roast the eggplant, this dish can be whipped up in a snap. It makes a fantastic appetizer and can be made in advance. Serve it with fresh veggies like radishes, carrot and celery sticks, cucumber and zucchini rounds, and strips of bell...

pepper.

Leave the peel of the eggplant intact, as most of the antioxidants reside there. One antioxidant in particular, nasunin, is being studied for its anti-cancer properties. Researchers in Japan found that nasunin in eggplant peel blocks angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels necessary for cancer cells to proliferate and metastasize.

Eggplant is a also good source of B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and trace minerals like copper and manganese. And it's full of fiber, which is essential for digestive and cardiovascular health.

Raw walnuts are an excellent source of essential omega-3 fatty acids, which play important roles in neurological and heart health. Walnuts also contain protein, fiber, vitamin E, minerals and plant sterols (good for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels).

1 medium eggplant
Heaping 1/2 cup raw walnuts
2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
1 lemon

Preheat oven to 450F. Place eggplant on a baking sheet and roast until soft, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.

Remove the stem from the eggplant and roughly chop it. Add it to a food processor along with the walnuts, garlic, ginger, olive oil and sea salt. Squeeze 1 tbsp fresh juice from the lemon and add it to the food processor as well. Pureé until smooth and taste for seasoning. If desired, add more sea salt or lemon juice.

Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

garbanzo bean treats!

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are a very good source of folic acid, fiber, and manganese. They are also a good source of protein, as well as minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium. As a good source of fiber, garbanzo beans can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. Garbanzo beans are an extremely-low-fat, complete protein food.

This is my favorite snack and I'll share the recipe......I take several pounds of organic dry chickpeas (garbanzos) and soak them overnight in fresh spring water. I then rinse them thoroughly and spread them on a cookie sheet. I splash Bragg Amino Acid all over them, toss them around a little so they are even on the cookie sheet and place them in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until they are crispy and delicious. I take them out periodically to move them around a little so they don't stick to the cookie sheet.

Try them, they are really amazing and fat free. Don't salt or oil them, the Bragg Amino Acid is all you need for flavor besides the garbanzo beans are favorable on their own.

Roasted pumpkin/apple soup

Ingredients

• 4 pounds pie pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks (see Tip)
• 4 large sweet-tart apples, such as Empire, Cameo or Braeburn, unpeeled, cored and cut into eighths
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted (see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil  (or almonds!, I don't like hazelnuts)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss pumpkin (or squash), apples, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes. Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
3. Transfer about one-third of the pumpkin (or squash) and apples to a blender along with 2 cups broth. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a Dutch oven and repeat for two more batches. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and heat through over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent splattering, for about 6 minutes. Serve each portion topped with hazelnuts and a drizzle of hazelnut oil.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on High, covered, stirring frequently, or on the stovetop over medium heat.

• Tips: Make it easier to cut a pumpkin, acorn squash or other winter squash: pierce in several places with a fork; microwave on High for 45 to 60 seconds. Use a large sharp knife to cut in half. Remove the seeds and stringy fibers with a spoon.
• To toast chopped nuts, small nuts and seeds, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

180 calories; 9 g fat ( 1 g sat , 7 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 6 g fiber; 525 mg sodium; 569 mg potassium.

Butternut squash soup

Betternut squash soup

Original recipe makes 4 servings

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 2 tablespoonsbutter
• 1 smallonion, chopped
• 1 stalkcelery, chopped
• 1 mediumcarrot, chopped

• 2 mediumpotatoes, cubed
• 1 mediumbutternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) containerchicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

I plan to add some allspice, nutmeg and ginger after cooking!