All posts filed under: Vegetarian

Black Bean and Corn Salad

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I love this salad for a few reasons:  it uses all that is summer, it provides protein, and it can be made ahead.  In fact, it is BETTER if you let it sit for a few hours in the frig.  We can make a batch of this and it keeps a few days in frig. Not to mention it is really pretty! If you are staying away from all carbs, omit or halve the corn and add some diced jicama. Printable recipe here. Ingredients 1 cup fresh cooked corn (I used two cobs), cooled and cut (can use frozen organic corn also) 4 green onions or scallions (white parts only) chopped fine OR ¼ cup finely diced red onion 1 can (16 ounces) organic black beans 1 small handful (½ small bunch) of chopped fresh cilantro (or basil if you don’t like cilantro) 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half or quarters (cut large cherry tomatoes into quarters) ~ 20-30 green olives, sliced in half Optional:  add diced avocado for a burst of fiber and …

Eileen’s “Tastes Like Summer” Salad

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I threw together this salad today that was inspired by a salad we created in the cooking class at Food As Medicine recently.  Using what’s fresh, I gave it a new spin.  Similar to tabbouleh, it makes a great side dish, we had it with lamburgers one night and local wild rice brats on July 4th.  Yes, this does have a few carbs, but good ones. As you make this, keep in mind that any ingredient can be modified.  If you hate cilantro, leave it out, if you adore basil, add more.  If you are addicted to spicy, add some.  You cannot screw this up!  Just go slow and keep tasting it until you like it. Summer Quinoa Salad ½ cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked (I used white quinoa variety) 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved 1 handful parsley, stemmed and chopped 1 handful cilantro, chopped (stems are ok, they have same flavor as the leaf!) 1 small bunch of basil 1 handful mint, stemmed and chopped ¼ Cup Olive Oil (up to ¹/3 cup …

What are Garlic Scapes?

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We went to the farmers market this morning, and my husband was intrigued by what looked like a bunch of long curly green onions.  But we knew they were not onions! We asked and were informed they were “garlic flowers”.  We got home, looked it up, and found out they were Garlic Scapes!  What the heck is a garlic scape?  We asked the same question.  And so we investigated and purchased some and went home and made scrambled eggs with sauteed garlic scapes and baby asparagus.  Yum.   Garlic scapes are the soft, lime-green-colored stems and unopened flower buds of hard-neck garlic varieties. Scapes have a mild garlic flavor and a slight sweetness, which makes them a prized addition in the kitchen. You can find them in the early summer and mid-fall at farmers’ markets. What to do with them? There are some great links at the bottom of this page.  Also: Roast them! Place the scapes in a hot pan with olive oil and pan-roast them for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Add …

The Better Pasta

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Recently I had an appointment with my Nutritionist, who is responsible for millions of people getting healthy.  Kathie Swift, MS, RD, LDN is the practitioner who introduced Mark Hyman, M.D. to both functional medicine and food as an avenue to health.  She was the person who taught half of my week long workshop in 2008 when I began my wellness odyssey and I am eternally grateful to her for her wisdom and guidance. She is the person I turn to when I get stuck in my weight loss journey, and she is brilliant and up to date on all things regarding food and medicine.  We were recently talking about the “holes” in eating gluten free (things we miss) and I mentioned that my husband and I occasionally ate Einkhorn pasta (a wheat pasta using the original wheat from Italy that hasn’t been hybridized and modified the way our wheat has, thereby making it much less reactive).  She suggested we try some of the low carb pastas made from alternative beans (black bean and mung bean). …

Artichoke Lemon Hummus

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Eileen’s Artichoke Lemon Hummus I made this recipe up on the fly one summer day when I was having friends over.  Many hummus recipes are too thick and pasty for me, almost so thick you couldn’t dip with them.  I wanted something a bit more refreshing for the summer.  This has been such a hit with my kids I make it almost all the time instead of regular hummus. Makes 20+ portions.  You can easily cut this in half if you have a smaller family… or don’t want to eat hummus for every meal! 😉 Two 15 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained 1 cup tahini (sesame paste) ½ cup olive oil 1 lemon, juiced 4 cloves garlic 1 can drained artichoke hearts– NOT the kind in oil, the canned kind 1 pinch red pepper flakes or Aleppo Pepper sea salt ground black pepper Put all in food processor.  This is a recipe that the amounts aren’t crucial; add more garbanzos, less artichokes, whatever.  Add more ground red pepper flakes to make it spicier. …

Cashew Cream

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What the heck is cashew cream?  It’s a great dairy free alternative to cream in recipes, and it can take on many flavors, making it versatile for both savory and sweet recipes.  Yes, it has fat, but it is the good kind of fat.  I’ll put the recipe to make it below, and then give you some serving suggestions for using it in cooking.  It requires NO cooking and all you need is a good blender. To make Cashew Cream: Cashew cream is an amazing “Blank Slate” that makes whatever you add to it creamier and richer.  I use it as a base to convert many recipes to  dairy-free.  It’s much richer and thicker than soy or almond milk. Here’s how to make a homemade vegan cashew cream. As long as you use raw cashews, this even looks similar to sour cream. (Just a bit more beige).  If you want to replicate cream cheese, use less water when you “blenderize” the soaked nuts. Now, if you’re reading this fast, I will say it again: “If …

Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse

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Who didn’t eat instant or boxed Chocolate Pudding when they were young?  Now that I know what’s in it (read the label sometime…  ugh), I stay clear.  Besides, there are lots of reasons to not eat heavy cream and milk.  I do not eat dairy at all.  I would recommend, if you are trying to lose weight, that you avoid all dairy for the first two months.  Then, re-introduce it slowly ONLY if you can’t live without it.  I’ve found my body feels much better when I do not eat any. Today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite “legal” desserts.  This is a healthy alternative to chocolate pudding/mousse.  The avocado, if soft and not over-ripe, has an almost neutral flavor, can be mashed and mixed with cocoa, and you can use Agave, or if you want it to be completely sugar free use Stevia!  I recommend using a food processor for this, it makes it much easier.  Experiment with it, and add a bit of water or almond or rice milk if it’s …

New Age Waldorf Salad

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Waldorf Salad got its name from the Waldorf  Hotel in NYC.  It was very famous in the early 20th century when salad was a block of iceberg lettuce with Thousand Island (Russian) dressing and maybe a tomato garnish.  I’ve created, based on recipes in the Ultrametabolism Cookbook, and others I’ve seen, a mayo-less and somewhat healthier Waldorf salad.  You can experiment with fresh herbs, I especially like tarragon in this one, it goes very well with the fennel, which gives it a sweet flavor, with a crunch similar to celery. Ingredients: 3 apples, diced – I use gala, but you can use any firm fleshed apple, I don’t peel 1 bulb fennel, diced 3 stalks celery hearts, diced (the lighter, less bitter inside stalks of a celery bunch) 1 cup toasted walnut pieces (just pop in a pan and toast until they begin to brown, set aside) ½ cucumber, preferably english, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 Shallots, grated or diced very, very fine 2 handfuls of golden raisins (optional) Dressing: ¼ cup walnut oil* ~ …