Two Indian dishes and a Great Breakfast Waffle recipe.

Dear Heavenly Bodies,

Hope you are finding "our people" out there or on the Internet. It is ultra important to have people who are on our teams for a healthier life and are following similar eating plans, some vegetarians, some vegans, some Essy buddies like me or VNO', vegan-no-oil.

I work at a B&B.  I recently served another Dr. Esselstyn follower who took this path after a quad bypass. In comparing notes, we had both lost the same hugh amount of weight.  The breakfast at the B&B was watermelon, cantaloupe with fresh mint from the garden for the first course (you can also try zesting some lime for an exciting twist on melons ) so back to Breakfast.  Then for the Essy buddy, toast points with hummus spread and cute designs as follows: With pumpkin seeds in a wheat design with a goji berry for color NEXT:  With sunflower seeds and a scant slice of olive and ANOTHER: with sesame seeds.  

The main plate for our sweet breakfast was waffles with homemade berry sauce. Delicious.

Marion's Waffle Recipe (amended for VNO's)  takes 2 days...  Just kidding

The first part is placed in a bowl overnight.

2-1/2  cups soy milk (plain or with vanilla) or other milk substitutes

2-1/2 tsp. dry yeast ( packets are approx2-1/2)

2 cups whole wheat flour.

2 tsp sugar (or your choice of sweetener )

3/4 tsp salt.

In the morning......

2 E-nergy egg replacements with water.  Prepare as directed for 2 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

Powered sugar

1 lemon for zest.

Night before......

Warm milk to take off the chill but not to boiling. Add dry yeast to milk. 

Sift flour into a large bowl. (mixture will grow) 

Add sugar and salt and mix.

Whisk in milk mixture. 

Wet the rim of the bowl with water and seal with plastic wrap (you can also use a big bowl with a plastic lid) 

Let sit over night. 

In the morning the yeast will have worked and your mixture will have grown.

Add the (2) E-nergy eggs and water mixture

Add the baking soda (be sure to sift it in so there is no lumps).

Waffle time.

Heat non-stick waffle iron

Pour batter on iron (if the batter is too thick, thin with soy milk) 

Cooking time is different with each waffle iron.  We use 3 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. 

Sue's Berry Sauce

4 cups fresh mixed berries.  (can also use frozen mixed berries)

1/2 cup sugar. (1/4 cup or none if berries are sweet)

1/4 cup corn starch.

Zest of one lemon. Added at the end 

 

Put berries, sugar, and corn starch in a big pot. Bring to boil then turn down.

Take off stove and grate lemon zest. (don't miss this step it really pops the flavors of the berries. 

Stir for a few minutes.  

For serving you can use some fresh berries.  Enjoy..........

A HELPING HAND.  

After breakfast my Essy buddy and I were talking and I mentioned as you have read before, that tahini is my go-to peanut butter.  He commented that Dr. Esselstyn doesn't use it .... What?  I was so hoping that it wasn't true.  Went back to my "How To Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.". 

Yes, Elin, read it and weep... Actually I will get over it and adjust........  

Page 157. Second sentence.

What I need to do is have a refresher course by reading Dr. Esselstyn's book again. I did miss a part in Anne's recipes about "no tahini." It is because of the fat content.  Also I reread, but listened this time , that seeds are in the "special treat" column not the "dinner" or "hand-full" one.   

VIRTUAL TOUR TO AN INDIAN KITCHEN WITH MANJALA

Now to my new find.  An Indian dish and a great website.  It is Manjala's Kitchen Vegetarian Indian Cooking.

I like cookbooks but do a lot better with hands-on experiences.  I guide tours to Turkey, France and Italy and we always offer the group the opportunity to know the country through a cooking class... From Rome to Paris and Istanbul, we have learned about spices and methods of preparing and cooking that are unique and exotic.  What memories!  

Now my new virtual journey.. If I can't go to India, I have Manjula.  Her site has  recipes and instructions but she also shows me how to make the dishes in her videos....  How cool.  

I listened very closely to how Manjula pronounces the dish for I am just beginning my Indian cooking adventure.  The two recipes I choose for my first step was Baingan Bharta and the Lacha Paratha to go with it, of course, of course!  

Baingan Bharta is an eggplant dish which is so delicious.  I only bought one eggplant as the dish calls for - a big fat one and mine seemed like the size of a football. (American not a soccer ball) 

The recipe suggests cooking it in the oven for 45 minutes or the microwave for 8-to-10.  I chose the microwave and it took the 10 minutes.  When the final dish was ready to enjoy, I wished I had bought 3 eggplants and made a triple batch. ... we shared the dish with some of "our people" and everyone loved it.  No one asked for the receipe, they just said, "oh, you can make that again. We love it.".  I'll take that as an endorsement.

Here is the recipe  site and below and after I will put my Essy adjustments 

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2009/10/09/baingan-bharta-eggplant/

ADJUSTMENTS

green peppers are unripened red, yellow, or orange, peppers and for me do not digest well so I used the red ones.  Out with the oil of course.  No one missed it. I used vegetable stock to soften the peppers.  I heated the seasonings in a dry frying pan until I could smell the flavors but was careful not to burn the spices.... Fine line...  Then poured in the blended tomato-ginger mixture. 

Oh and I am still in search for asafetida.  

Lacha Paratha is a layered flat bread.  I loved watching this video. Manjula will astonish you with her spiral method.  Just plain fun....  I want a rolling pin like hers.  

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2013/02/03/lacha-paratha-layered-flat-bread/

Adjustments- Well we all know what I adjusted here..... No oil.  Basically it was whole wheat flower, salt and water.  I think the next time I might add some spices or herbs but it turned out well.  

Also since I did not have a frying pan as big as my bread circles, I cut it in fourths.  Odd experiment.. each piece puffed up like a pillow and only rested on a tiny spot on the pan not giving it a browning look like the video.  I tried another circle in the oven at 400f and that turned out more like a crustini.   They were still good but not Manjula quality.  

Hope you enjoy the adventure in Indian cooking.   Best to your journey.   Elin. 

Disclaimer: all spelling mistakes are the fault of the spell checker, I'm sure!!!  

Protein questions and the Magic Bullet

Have been wondering about the questions I am always asked about my intake of protein and calcium.  Did find out that if one consumes more protein than is needed by the body, it turns to ??
You guessed it, fat.  One source recommended that the healthy range is as follows:
Kids 4-8 years 19g to 38g.   / 9-13 years 34g to 64g / males  56g to 120 / females. 46g to 110

On my previous eating plan or non-plan, I had no clue as to how much protein  I was eating and thought that the only place to get protein was from beef.  Now I do not eat anything with a face or a mother and am on the pursuit of a touch more knowledge.

Great free, online check as to all the food counts of things like protein, calories, etc. is The Calorie King.  Awhile back before changing to the Dr. Esselstyn's eating plan, I was shocked when I started recording what I ate and what it added up to on the Calorie King counter.  Some foods are super and others are empty waste of space except on the hips.

Article : This article talks about the good and bad Omegas. 3 is good and 6 is bad. I do not eat nuts but do get the rest of the Omega 3 into the eating plan. There is more to the article so I put the website contact below.
EXCERPT: Let's talk about Omega-3
When we eat the right amount of Omega-3...our bodies produces DHA.  Our body manufactures sufficient amounts if adequate omega-3 fats are consumed (flax, walnuts, soybeans, leafy green vegetables).
We all hear about DHA and how wonderful it is for our bodies.  Without enoughDHA- we are at risk for Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Autoimmune diseases, and CANCER.
Because DHA is so good for us...we need to make eating OMEGA-3 FATS a priority.  We should all try to eat 1 - 2 grams of omega-3 daily!

Flaxseed.      1 TBS.              1.7 grams
Tofu.              1 1/2 cup.         2 grams
Soybeans.     1 1/2 cup.         2 grams

Most of the time when you hear information about consuming DHA- you also hear FISH OIL.  In short, one problem with fish oil is that much of the fat has already turned rancid.  If you do take a FISH OIL supplement, try cutting open the capsule and tasting it.  There is a good chance it will taste rancid (I have tried this and it was gross!).  It is very hard to keep FISH oil fresh after it has been processed.  Also- Fish these days are full of toxins like mercury.  I prefer to use a Vegan-DHA supplement a couple times a week for me and my family.  It is made from microalgae and it provides a pure form of DHA without rancidity, mercury or other toxins. It actually tastes pretty good.  I also like that you don't need very much (100 mg a day) when most FISH OIL supplements provide 1000 mg a day.  (Check our www.Dr.Fuhrman.com for his DHA product).

http://www.wholefoodmommies.com/Home/BlogByID?cuk=LBLF7IH4rXP1rlCMkW4dOQ==&bid=c6902d0e-572d-47fc-96b3-1bd6b9dd9223

Kitchen appliances.   We bought a Magic Bullet which comes with the motor, two sizes of "bullets" and lots of other items.   We use the small size and grind flax and sunflower seeds. And to make Anne Esselstyn's banana ice cream. Yummy (will add the recipe below)

Coffee grinders work for seeds too but is harder to clean.

Seed Recipe:  Put pumpkin seeds in a frypan with sugar heat until sugar melts and coats the seeds. Option: Add cayenne for a little hear. Caution: seeds can burn if too hot or cooked too long. Then pour the mixture on parchment paper.  Delicious treat even though I would like to make it a main course.

SUPER FIND:  this is a site for those on Dr. Esselstyn's plan.  The page I am on is Ann, his wife and recipe maker's, list of safe products.   I also noticed that there is a group to join as well as one to start.  Will read it after I get this off.

http://www.meetup.com/Dr-Es-Vegan-No-Oil-Diet-Cleveland-Akron-Ohio/pages/SAFE_FOOD_List_by_Ann_Crile_Esselstyn/

Ice Cream: Ann's magic banana ice cream.  1 ripe Banana.  The riper the sweeter ice cream. Peel and slice banana up into pieces, place on a baking sheet and put into the freezer. ( The sheet takes too much room in the freezer -I use a piece of  aluminum)
Remove and let thaw slightly ( enough so that the pieces will come off the baking sheet. )
Put in a Magic Bullet, if you have one, or let the pieces thaw a little more if using a blender to avoid overtaxing the motor.

Choices sprinkle with ground nutmeg or cinnamon. Add a little vanilla extract, a few Grape-nuts, berries (best if they are frozen, too. Love peaches) maple syrup.... Or all of the above, why not?.........

Chocolate Syrup Sauce makes about 1/2 cup
3 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, agar nectar or sugar
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder.  (I buy the best I can find.. Bulk in the local health food markers.)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix well and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  Use for dipping fruit. Delicious over broiled bananas. (Ann's comment)

Product: Ener-G is an egg replacement for baking.  It will not make an omelette .... Drats!!!

So, take care and happy eating.

Best to all of you.   Elin

Wisdom from a 3 year old.

A dear friend and fellow vegetarian sent this link about explaining the food chain to a child. It is in Portuguese with English subtitles but the message and the child's expressions are priceless. Enjoy.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/01/187801178/the-case-for-vegetarianism-delivered-by-a-toddler?ft=3&f=111787346&sc=nl&cc=es-20130602

Scalloped potatoes.

These were my Dad's favorite potatoes with scalded milk and a bit of cheese, salt and pepper and put together it made a memory.  I fixed a vegan version and it was satisfying.

I used Yukon Gold potatoes with skin on, slicing them very thin on the mandolin. I layered them, covering the bottom of the pan then poured a mixture of Gray Poupon mustard, plain soy milk, salt and pepper and a generous amount of nutritional yeast. Then another layer and another pour of the sauce.  Put them in a 400 degree oven covered. The time depends on the thickness of the potatoes and the layering. Mine was 30 minutes with the foil and 10 without.  I layered them in a glass pan,  I served them with a sprinkling of chives.  The Nutritional yeast gives the potatoes a taste similar to cheese.   The mixture is to your taste.  Happy eating.  

The  email comments don't seem to be working so if you have comments or recipies please send them to me at parisiantour@gmail.com.   Elin. 

Where's Elin?

It has been too, too long since I sat down and conversed with you. February to be specific.  Life is speeding up to turbo boosting speed.  And, Elin, who is setting that pace?   Me, me, me.
So the quick message is to myself first and also to those Heavenly Bodies who can relate. Advise to me. Listen to your needs and heart and adjust or your body will do it for you.  If you have read my history, you know that I had two of those eye openers,   The underlying human "doing" instead of human "being" attitude is that I have a perception that just "being" is not very valuable to those judging "others" whoever they are. They can have a hold on me if I am not diligent.  These "others" are the same people who I did not want to hurt by saying, "no thank you" to anything edible.  And seconds, and  finishing my plate without remembering I even ate the food.  those were the days. Bye bye.

So happily I can report that on my Paris trip, I worked a private tour with a wonderful woman who just happened to be a vegetarian and was up to trying the many vegan and vegetarian
 restaurants on my Paris list.  She was familiar with Indian food and she picked out dishes she felt I would like and that fit into my VNO eating plan. (vegan-no-oil)  We had a lot of fun and it was so relaxing not to feel like the spokesperson for once.   If you would like my Parisian Vegetarian Restaurant list, email me.

Then off to work the Tirkish Delight tour. 13 people, 13 days 2013. All meant a joyfully lucky time. We guides came in a week early and rented apartments. This makes the eating plan so much easier as I could stock the frig with delicious produce and could even make some stock with the pealings and skins. I also collected a list of vegan restaurants in Istanbul which we were able to enjoy.
Now the challenge.  We moved to the hotel. The group was collected and we had a welcome reception then dinner.  I had already talked with the restaurant and had a great special while others were introduced to many tasting bowls.  Hotel Breakfasts were abundant and I was able to have fruit.  We had frigs in our rooms so I could still have tea with soy.  We do not  do dinners as a group but there were lunches included in the tour itinerary which presented a continued clarification and explanation.  It all worked out and since I had everything written out in Turkish, the card could go to the kitchen instead of being discussed at the table with the group.
There were a lot of salads and with my emergency kit of sauces and spices, I enjoyed it all even opening the pocket bread to make a pita type fare. Yum.  Now the reality check.  When I am at home, we make sure that the balance is kept especially when it comes protein.  When traveling I lost that balance because I wasn't thinking about protein but just getting through the meal without too much bother.   My energy level was dipping and I learned that lesson especially when looking at photos that showed a tired looking Elin.   I have been checking out the No Meat Athlete site because the athletes  really have to maintain that level of protein .  Back home and back on track.

Apart from travel I did hit a low point in March unexpectedly.  It was after hitting my goal weight.  Now wouldn't you think that would be met with celebration and happiness and yes, on some level it was. The big BUT was a time of depression.  I was tired of all.....all the food we were making but I was not into making new avenues into alternate recipes.  I hit some kind of crisis of faith and doubt....  About the whole program and thought, "what if this is just a fad? A gimic, a phase? Today, no way would I choose another lifestyle because of all the awesome benifits I have enjoyed.  And the big PLUS is that many people out there, friends, family and Heavenly Bodies followers are so supportive.  southern Oregon has a vegan meet-up group. When I get back to normal, I will go to one of their gatherings.

Wanted to pass on a great article as how to eat well when you have no time...  Enjoy
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/eat-healthy-no-time/.

Blessings on your journy

All About Quinoa. February.

Great article and photos from Cathy at Straight Up Food

Site:  http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/

Quinoa Holiday Dressing

december 12, 2012 by cathy 7 comments

Quinoa makes an excellent whole-grain alternative to bread or rice in holiday dressing. This recipe is traditionally flavored with fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary, with the addition of mushrooms, greens and almonds.

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1-1/2 cups dry quinoa

1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, sliced
10-12 mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 ½ teaspoons salt-free poultry seasoning
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 to 1 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 head of greens (kale, chard, collards, spinach), chopped into very small pieces
½ cup raisins

½ cup sliced or slivered almonds, or chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Cook the quinoa in a saucepan by bringing the quinoa and water to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to very low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lid and set aside.

2. Heat up a large skillet or soup pot, add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, adding just a tablespoon of water at a time if the onions stick, stirring frequently. Add the celery, mushrooms, granulated onion and garlic, poultry seasoning and dried basil, and sauté for 5 minutes.

3. Next, add in about a 1/2 cup of the water, fresh herbs, greens and raisins, and cook for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed to end up with a thin layer of liquid in the bottom of the pan.

4. In a large bowl (or in your soup pot), mix the cooked quinoa and almonds with the vegetables/spices. Spoon into a 9”x13” baking dish (no pan treatment is needed). Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees uncovered.

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8

NOTES

Quinoa: Quinoa comes in yellow/white, red, and black (see photo below). Feel free to use any color, or a mixture. You can also use 3 cups cooked wild rice in the place of the cooked quinoa. The addition of 1/4 cup cooked barley would also be a nice complement to any version.

Mushrooms: Any kind of mushroom can be used here. I used white, crimini and shiitake. If the mushrooms are large, use a few less; if they are very small, use a few more. You can read more about mushroom types (with photos) in myCreamy Mushroom Soup post.

Raisin alternative: I know not everyone likes raisins in their stuffing, so feel free to leave them out or replace them with dried cranberries or cherries (diced first). While dried cranberries are usually pre-sweetened, be sure they don’t have oil on them (I see this in the bulk section a lot).

WHAT IS QUINOA? Quinoa is usually categorized as a whole grain but it is actually a seed. It is often used in place of other whole grains, such as rice or barley. I like it as a breakfast cereal instead of oatmeal. Quinoa is great because it takes less time to cook than other whole grains, just 15 to 20 minutes, compared to rice or barley at 45 minutes. Quinoa is gluten-free and high in protein, and was a staple food for thousands of years in the Andes region of South America.

2013 is being recognized as the “International Year of the Quinoa” by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), who say, “We realize that quinoa remains unfamiliar to many people, especially in the practical sense of cooking and recipes. But we hope that situation will change, given the remarkable nature of this easily-prepared, nutrient-rich food.”

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Super Bowl Sunday.

Super Bowl Sunday Ideas
I am rooting for my team which gets me hungry especially with all those food ads. Actually I feel like I play the game more than watch it. It takes a lot out of a "participational viewer" and here is a wonderful solution to the food component for the big event from Healthy Girl's Kitchen.

Enjoy.   Happiness and health.    Elin.

http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/our-plant-strong-super-bowl-party-recap.html?m=1

Our Plant Strong Super Bowl Party--The Recap

What can I say? Our Plant-Strong Super Bowl Party was a smashing success. Everyone in attendance was really happy--probably because they didn't leave the party with regret and a stomach ache! Here are my opinions on all of the things that I prepared for the party:

Three of the dips, from front to back: Dr. Fuhrman's Eggplant Hummus was a great idea in theory--cut out lots of the calories in hummus by using roasted eggplant as the main ingredient. For my taste buds, there was too much raw garlic for a dip and it was a little too thin. It would probably be great as a spread on a sandwich or in a collard wrap.

Isa Moskowitz's Guacamame from Appetite for Reduction. I also did not love the consistency of this dip as a dip. It used cooked and pureed edamame as the base of a traditional guacamole. However, when I dolloped it over leftover brown rice and beans for dinner tonight, it turned an otherwise ordinary dish into something extraordinary, so I give it props for that. I think I have to give this one another try and puree the edamame longer.

Terry Walter's Carrot Cashew Miso Spread from Clean Start. A complete hit it out of the ballpark home run. All of the guests agreed. It will be a staple in my entertaining arsenal.

Beautiful, colorful, perfectly plant-strong.

My plant-strong 11 year old daughter Sophia. Yes, it is possible!

Be afraid, be very afraid . . . there is a room in my house that looks just like a barn. Must have been the style in the late 60s.

I changed plans at the last minute and added Gena's Vegan Spinach and Artichoke dip (you'll want that recipe so click here) to the menu for my plant-strong super bowl party. My husband's family had been making and serving the traditional version long before I entered the scene 16 years ago. Well, no one missed the traditional version, not even one bit. Everyone was raving about the vegan version. Gena is some kind of miracle worker. This is going to be a new family tradition for those special holidays when we want to indulge!

The Healthy Librarian's All-American Chili was perfect for this crowd. It had depth of flavor without being spicy. If I made it for a different crowd, I would have added the red pepper flakes that Debby suggested, but I was very careful knowing who I was serving. And Debby was right, this is a definite make ahead dish. In this case, I made it 4 days in advance and the flavors were perfect on game day!

Not overly sweet, the Engine 2 Dark Chocolate Brownies were enjoyed by everyone, both young and old. I recommend making these at least one day before you want to serve them as the flavor definitely improved the day after they were baked.

The crowd went wild for Jane Esselstyn's Incredible Unnamed Dessert. There is just no disputing it, this is one awesome dessert.

So there you have it folks, one very successful vegan bash. No carnivores were disappointed by this meal!

Thoughts? Comments on how the meal was if you were at our party . . . or how your own Super Bowl Party food went down!