All posts tagged: vegan

Roasted Root Vegetables

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Now that it is autumn, nothing is in season more than root vegetables.  They are a GREAT accompaniment to any meat/fish or poultry. Roasted Root Vegetables are easy to make, healthy to eat, and flexible, in that you can use almost any root vegetable.  Here’s how I make them, and people can’t believe they’re eating something so healthy! Take any favorite root vegetables: Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Turnips Parsnips Carrots Beets (if you do beets, keep them in a separate bag or you’ll have pink veggies!  LOL) add other favorites:  small halved Brussels sprouts, diced onion, rutabaga I use a chopper that makes small squares.  They are available online and most kitchen stores.  Here’s an example of one. I use the larger setting to make even sized squares.  I put them all in a ziploc bag with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Shake it up.  Thyme is another spice that works really well with these combos.  Use paprika or pepper if you want.  Add garlic.  There is no wrong way to season, use what you …

10 Days, 10 Ways to lower carbs: Day 1

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The secret to staying healthy is lowering your carbohydrate intake. And I don’t just mean losing weight, I’m talking about lowering your cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammation.  The stuff that makes us chronically sick. I’m going to post 10 days/10 ways you can lower your carbohydrate intake. DAY ONE: Ditch Dairy, specifically Milk MILK is nutritious, but it’s also fairly high in carbs because it contains a type of sugar called lactose. (Remember, its purpose in life was to GROW baby cows!). An 8-ounce (240 ml) glass of full-fat or low-fat milk contains 12–13 grams of carbs. This is especially important if you drink milk by the glassful or in lattes or shakes. SWITCH TO: coconut, almond milk, hemp milk. (Again, this isn’t about dairy, it’s about CARBS:  case in point?  Rice milk is a dairy alternative, but is FULL of carbs, and isn’t any better than milk, in fact it is the highest in carbs.). Look for unsweetened varieties that have less than 2 carbs per serving (carbs minus fiber = total carbs).  Look at …

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 …