FitFeat

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Pretty in Pink: Gingered Pear Cooler

Oct 3

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature, Lose Weight, Recipes, vegan | 3 Comments

Hi friends!

I hope you had a marvelous weekend.  The Colorado weather was absolutely STUNNING:  mid-eighties with blue skies.  Just perfect!

I made a simple, tasty concoction over the weekend that I thought you might enjoy.  It was thoroughly refreshing, very hydrating and quick.

Gingered Pear Cooler:

Serves 1

To a blender, add the following:

8 oz plain coconut water

1 organic red pear* (stem removed and cored, skin on)

1 teaspoon minced ginger** (for this I used a pre-minced ginger by The Ginger People)

3 or 4 ice cubes

Blend until smooth.  Pour into a pretty glass and enjoy!

*choosing an organic red skin pear allows you to keep the skin on and that’s what gives this drink it’s pretty pink color.  If you are not using an organic pear, please peel off the skin.

**the pre-minced ginger I use is lightly sweetened with cane sugar so if you use FRESH ginger (which is an awesome choice!) you may want to add just a touch of stevia to your blender if you feel you could use a bit more ‘sweet’.

 

Pears are GOOD for you!

The Mayo Clinic recommends pears for their high-fiber cholesterol fighting properties.  Pears contain pectin (in even higher levels than apples) which is known for the ability to bind to and remove cholesterol from the body.  The fiber in pears (and some other high-fiber foods) is also thought to bind to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon, making it beneficial for colon health.

For even more great info about pears and their health benefits, check out this link.

Have a great week friends!

– Shari B. =)

 

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Why You Only Want to Eat ONE of These

Jun 15

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature, vegan | 3 Comments

Remember way back when I first started the blog and I used to do “FitFeatures”?  It’s been awhile!  So here’s one for you today!

A Brazil Nut a Day Brings Selenium Your Way!

Brazil nuts are a very rich source of the essential trace mineral selenium – one of the highest selenium-containing foods around.  Just 1/2 an ounce of Brazil nuts may provide 272 mcg of selenium (the RDA for adults is 55 mcg) (1).

According to PubMed (2), selenium is important in many roles in the body:

  • antioxidant activity
  • catalyst for the production of thyroid hormone activity
  • proper functioning of the immune system
  • possibly helpful in reducing cancer risk

However this is definitely a situation where less is more.  Just because something is good for you doesn’t mean you should eat a lot of it.  Excessive accumulation of selenium can be toxic when you near the 2000 mcg mark (3) and since you’ll be getting some selenium here and there from other foods like Swiss Chard, oats, brown rice and tuna, you should limit your intake of Brazil nuts to 1 or 2 per day and no more.

So for those of you who are fans of making soaked nuts into dairy-free nut cheeses or other fun nut-based recipes (like I do), this is a heads up to enjoy a different nut for those uses and save Brazil nuts for a one-bite snack.

– Shari B. =)

 

References:

(1) NIH Dietary Fact Sheet http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium/

(2) PubMed The Importance of Selenium to Human Health http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10963212

(3) Murray, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2005

 

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Juicehead

Apr 16

Posted by Shari B. in Handy Kitchen Tools, vegan | 8 Comments

High-Dee-Hoe friends!  Any Jersey Shore fans out there?  If so, let me assure you the title of this post is not “juicehead” in the same meaning used on the show, LOL!  ;) (But I must admit my Thursday TV line-up feels a little blah now that Season 3 is over!)

Anyhoooo – I think I may actually have (partially) rejoined the land of the living.  This “cold” or whatever it is has really wreaked a little havoc on things around here.  Primarily my SCHEDULE!!  Oh yeah, and any thoughts of wanting to exercise.

I feel like my poor liver is going to be a toxic wasteland after all this, because I’ve resorted taking Advil, Nyquil, Mucinex, Jack Daniels, Ambien, you name it, if it might make me feel better, I was ready to pop it (and just to be clear, I am not taking these at the same time.  Well, except for the one night that I did have Nyquil and a cup of hot toddy which does have whiskey in it ;D ).

This bug is very stealth.  It likes to trick you into thinking you are getting better because during the daytime you feel physically OK for the most part.  But then evening hits, and BAM, it takes you DOWN in a hurry (and steals your sleep with it)!  Hence trying anything each day to see if I could get a few zzzzzzz’s.

I feel the need to do a little “cleansing” because of all this so I actually caved and got a juicer.

I’ve always been a bit “anti-juice”.  I think this comes from way back in my “Zone Diet days”.  Juice was the devil because you were getting all of the sugar and none of the fiber, which would in turn cause your blood sugar to spike.  This is partly why I prefer “blended” juices (like green smoothies) where the fiber remains for consumption.

Let me state for the record that I still feel this way about most fruit juices.

However, I think I’ve been sold on green juice.  On a recent trip, I had the good fortune of being treated to an organic, fresh, all-green juice.  It was fabulous and I literally felt a sense of ‘energetics’ in my body shortly after drinking it, almost like a caffeine buzz.

So I searched high and low for a place around where I live that makes fresh ORGANIC green juice.  I found two places about 15 miles away, but neither is using organic veggies.  Which just wigs me out when it comes to juice.  I do not want a glass of concentrated pesticides, thankyouverymuch.

The next nearest place was 30 miles – but a 60 mile round trip for juice is just a little silly.

Enter the “20% off” coupon from Bed, Bath and Beyond and I’m now the new owner of a Breville JuiceFountain.

For my first few batches I used celery, cucumber, parsley, ginger, and a little lemon.

Then this morning I got a little more brave.  This combo sounds like it should be gross but it was so good! Don’t let the red fool you though, this juice was mostly from greens.

  • 1/2 raw beet
  • 2 large stalks from heads of broccoli
  • about 1 head of romaine
  • large handful of parsley
  • about 2″ of ginger root
  • 1/4 fuji apple
  • 1 english cucumber
  • juice from half a lemon (which I just squeezed in at the end)

It made about a glass and a half of the one pictured above.  I forced encouraged MSP to take a sip, which he finally did.  Let’s just say he’ll be sticking to carrot apple juice for now.  :)

I’ll never replace my green smoothies, that’s for sure.  But I like having the option to add even a little more “green” to my day, especially while I clean all the ‘junk’ from my system over the next few weeks.

Are you a fan or foe of juicing?  If you juice, do you have a favorite veggie? My great friend Keri (owner of Om of the Rockies yoga) shared with me that she likes to include daikon radish in hers.  I thought that was genius and I can’t wait to give it a try!

Have a SPLENDID Saturday!

– Shari B. =)

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Stuffed Kabocha Squash

Mar 19

Posted by Shari B. in Cooking, Recipes, vegan, Vegetarian | 6 Comments

Good morning friends!

I was a busy bee in the kitchen yesterday, trying some recipes that I want to freeze for later use.  One of the things I made I just couldn’t resist eating for dinner.

I roasted a kabocha squash then stuffed it with a revised version of my Indian Spiced Quinoa.  Because I was using what I had on hand, I substituted dried plums and basil for the dates and mint in the original version.

Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Indian Spiced Quinoa

Makes 2-4 servings (2 as a meal, 4 as a side dish)

  • 1/2 cup quinoa (measured dry)
  • 1 kabocha squash, halved and seeds removed
  • 3/4 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 yellow pepper, chopped and seeds removed
  • 1 small finger of ginger, peeled and minced
  • ½  teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • sprinkle of sea salt
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 3 dried plums, finely chopped
  • 3-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • ½  teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

Soak quinoa for 30-60 minutes prior to cooking.  Rinse well, drain and set aside.

After quinoa is done soaking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place halved, deseeded kabocha squash face down on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Roast for 30-35 minutes or until flesh is fork tender.

While kabocha is roasting, melt coconut oil over medium heat.  Add shallots, pepper, garlic, ginger, garam masala and a pinch of sea salt, stirring often until peppers soften, about 5 minutes.

Add quinoa and stir well to coat with spice mixture.

Add vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa begins to look fluffy and liquid has absorbed into the grains.

Allow quinoa to sit uncovered for 3-5 minutes.  Using a fork, mix in plums and basil leaves.  Divide mixture in two and stuff into the kabocha cavities.  Drizzle each very lightly with balsamic vinegar to finish.

If you are serving the squash as the entree, serve the full half like this:

If you are using it as a side dish you can serve cut into quarters (or even slice through into half-circles):

I did put half in the freezer because I’m curious how the textures and flavors will react with freezing and thawing.  I’ll come back out and update this post when I take that one out of the freezer.

Enjoy your Saturday and the LAST DAY of WINTER!  It’s definitely going to feel like spring here this weekend!  In the 70s!  Nice!

– Shari B. =)

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Veggie & Tempeh Stuffed Tomatoes

Feb 27

Posted by Shari B. in Cooking, Recipes, vegan, Vegetarian | 2 Comments

Hi friends!  Wow, Sunday got away from me!  Here is the second recipe from my final presentation for you.  Let me know if you try it!

Vegetable and Tempeh Stuffed Tomatoes with New Mexico Chile & Chipotle Sauce


A protein-rich meal that packs heat and flavor!  A great way to incorporate some vegetarian/vegan friendly meals into an omnivore’s menu rotation, while keeping the body’s pH in balance.
Serves 4 to 6

For the stuffed tomatoes

  • 4 to 6 large tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • sea salt to taste
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoky paprika
  • 16 oz tempeh (2 lightlife at 8 oz each)
  • 4-5 medium kale leaves, woody stems removed, leaves cut in chiffonade (tiny ribbons)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons dulse flakes
  • ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped (woody lower portions of stems removed and discarded)
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges

For the sauce

  • ¾ cup vegetable stock
  • 3 to 4 large dried New Mexico (Anaheim) chiles, stems and seeds removed and discarded
  • ½ to 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (depending on level of heat desired)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

Slice tops off tomatoes.  Scoop out the insides to make a bowl-like vessel to stuff.  Reserve the inside of the tomatoes to use in the stuffing.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat coconut oil in a medium pan over medium heat.  Sauté onion and celery sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt until the onions begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, as the onions are sautéing, bring stock and chiles to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender. Add vinegar, maple syrup and cumin. Blend until smooth, thinning with additional stock as needed for desired sauce thickness.  Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

To the sautéed onions and celery, add in garlic and spices and sauté for another minute or two to allow the flavors to bloom.  Transfer the crumbled tempeh to the pan and add the kale.  Heat over medium heat just until the tempeh is warmed through and the kale is wilted, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in nutritional yeast, dulse and cilantro.  Pour the sauce into the mixture and stir well, then fill the tomatoes with the mixture.  If the tomatoes don’t hold all of the filling (this can happen sometimes if the tomatoes are small), place the extra filling in the oven proof dish with the tomatoes.

Replace the tomato tops onto the tomatoes.  Cover loosely with foil to keep the tomato tops from burning.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

When ready to serve, transfer tomatoes to a serving platter (spreading any extra filling on the platter first), garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro and set out some lime wedges for squeezing.

***

Have a GREAT start to your week!

– Shari B. =)

Ginger Pineapple Acai Smoothie

Feb 26

Posted by Shari B. in Recipes, vegan | 7 Comments

Hey friends!  Happy Saturday!

The sun is shining here which always energizes me!  I got up early, got in a quick but effective strength workout and then played around with a new green smoothie.  It was so refreshing I had to share it with you.  (And yes I promise my two recipes from my final will still be posted this weekend!)

Ginger Pineapple Acai Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 10-12 oz water
  • 1 Sambazon Açai (pure unsweeened) frozen smoothie pack
  • 1 rounded tsp minced ginger (I love the pre-minced jarred one from The Ginger People)
  • 1/2 peeled cucumber, chunked
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1 scoop raw sprouted grain protein powder
  • 1 cup frozen spinach
  • juice of 1/4 lemon (optional)

Place all of your ingredients in your blender (my Blendtec is well worn!):

Blend until everything is smooth!

Pour, garnish and enjoy!

It may not be the most beautiful color, but the flavor was wonderful!

Here are some of the health benefits of this smoothie:

  • GINGER is a warming food, which is handy to add to a very cooling drink like this, especially in winter months.  It is beneficial for good digestion and has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
  • PINEAPPLE is a great food to add to your post-workout smoothies.  One, because it is a high-glycemic fruit which is helpful in getting fuel quickly to your muscles to replenish glycogen stores after a workout but also because it contains BROMELAIN, which is a natural anti-inflammatory to help speed recovery and reduce soreness.
  • The SPINACH and CUCUMBER are green foods which are highly alkalizing and assist in maintaining alkalinity in the blood.  CUCUMBER promotes healthy connective tissue (and isn’t that part of why we exercise our bodies?) and is extremely hydrating.

And for those of you who like to know the calorie/macronutrient breakdown, it’s really balanced:

Are you guys still drinking your green smoothies?  What fun things have you been adding to yours?

***

As I was taking pictures for this post, I also figured this would be a great time to mention that I am a Blendtec affiliate now!  I absolutely LOVE my Blendtec and when I saw that I could apply to become an affiliate, I was psyched because I think they have the best blender.  (For some reason that *other* blender company that starts with a “V” and ends with “MIX” seems to get so much of the publicity.)  I’ve used the other brand in school, and I still far prefer my Blendtec.  They have a new WildSide jar (a five sided blender!) that I’ve had my eye on.  Maybe someday soon I’ll get one.  My smoothies are LARGE and the WildSide holds 3 quarts!  (I could make green smoothies for my whole neighborhood!  :) )  So if you ever decide to check out blenders in the future, I’d be super grateful if you check them out through my link (there’s a banner on the right side of the screen) – this girl’s gotta pay back her culinary school loan somehow and every penny helps, right?  ;)

Have a GREAT day and I’ll be back again soon with my recipes from class.

– Shari B. =)

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Indian Spiced Quinoa

Oct 12

Posted by Shari B. in Natural Chef Culinary School, Recipes, vegan | 12 Comments

Here is the recipe for the Indian Spiced Quinoa from my homework assignment that I promised to share with you.  I’d love to know what you think if you try it!

This is a super easy recipe that provides a lot of flavor punch for the small amount of effort involved.  You will definitely want to use the dates and FRESH mint leaves (as opposed to dry) – the power of the fresh flavors in those two ingredients makes all the difference in this recipe.

  • 1 cup quinoa (measured dry)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 orange pepper, chopped (feel free to use red or yellow)
  • 1 finger of ginger, peeled and minced
  • ½  teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 medjool dates, pitted and minced
  • Mint leaves from 3-4 sprigs, finely chopped

Directions
Soak quinoa for 30-60 minutes prior to cooking.  Rinse well, drain and set aside.

Melt coconut oil over medium heat.  Add shallots, orange pepper, garlic, ginger and garam masala, stirring often until peppers soften, about 5 minutes.

Add quinoa and stir well to coat with spice mixture.

Add vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa begins to look fluffy and liquid has absorbed into the grains.

Allow to sit uncovered for 3-5 minutes.  Using a fork, mix in dates and mint leaves.  Serve immediately.

Adapted from ‘Carla’ at www.food.com (Garam Masala Basmati Rice)

Health Benefits

Quinoa:  Often thought of as a grain, but actually a seed, one ½ cup serving of quinoa provides 251 mg of potassium, as well as 4.5 grams of complete protein (www.calorieking.com).  Quinoa has a macronutrient breakdown of 71% carbohydrate, 14% fat and 15% protein (www.nutritiondata.self.com).  It is also an excellent source of manganese, magnesium and iron.  Originally a South American crop, it has an interesting Colorado connection, as it was brought here in the 1980s for cultivation by two Americans (Murray 2005, 348-349).

Dates: Dates are a delightfully sweet treat that should be a part of any diet, especially for individuals looking for whole, natural solutions for fueling their endurance exercise. This glucose-rich fruit is easily digestible and highly alkaline (Brazier 2007, 142) providing an astonishing 262% more potassium than an orange per ounce yet providing a relatively low caloric count of 23 calories per pitted date (Murray 2005, 272).  Studies have shown dates to be rich in both antioxidant and anticancer compounds, bringing new meaning to the coined term “The Tree of Life” for the date palm that bears this fruit (Murray 2005, 273).

Sweet Red Bell Pepper: Bell peppers are considered one of the highest nutrient-dense foods based on the ratio of their nutrient level to calories, at only 20 calories per 3.5 ounce pepper.  A one cup serving of bell pepper will provide you with 291% of the RDA for Vitamin C and 105% for Vitamin A (www.whfoods.com).  The red pepper is superior to green from a nutrient standpoint.  Eating bell peppers is thought to be protective against cancer, heart disease, strokes, cataracts and cholesterol levels.  Because bell peppers are members of the nightshade family (which have been thought to worsen the symptoms of arthritis), people suffering from arthritis may choose to reduce or eliminate their consumption of these particular vegetables.  (Murray 2005, 167).

Bibliography

Bauman, Edward. Eating for Health: Your Guide to Vitality and Optimal Health. Pengrove, CA:  Bauman College, 2008

Brazier, Brendan. The Thrive Diet: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. Philadelphia, PA: DeCapo Press, 2007

CalorieKing’s www address www.calorieking.com.

Livestrong’s www address www.livestrong.com

Murray, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2005

SELF NutritionData’s www address www.nutritiondata.self.com

The World’s Healthiest Foods’ www address www.whfoods.com

***

Shari Becht is a Fit Living Coach and ACE Certified Personal Trainer.  She is extremely passionate about teaching people how they can take the steps to fit healthy living into their busy lives.  She has decided to take her love of nutrition one step further by enrolling in the Natural Chef Culinary Program at Bauman College and will graduate in Spring 2011.

If you or someone you know could use some help learning how to fit more “FIT” into life, please feel free to email her at shari [at] fitfeat  [dot] com.  For more information, click here.

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Easy Vegan Butter

Oct 6

Posted by Shari B. in Recipes, vegan | 6 Comments

Hi there blog buds!

So yesterday’s post about making a better “butter” had to be removed because it was causing some technical difficulties.   I’m going to try to paste it below with hope that it works this time.  Ironically, while I was spending a couple of hours trying to figure out what the problem was (and grumbling about why I ever chose to go self-hosted with my blog) my credit card was being charged at that time for the next full year of hosting!  Ha! 

***

The other day when I ran out of Earth Balance vegan ‘butter’, I was getting ready to write it down on my grocery list when I recalled seeing a “better butter” recipe in The Ultimate pH Solution by Michelle Schoffro Cook, DNM, DAc.  I thought this would be the perfect time to give it a try.

It’s incredibly simple and things made at home are always better for you than something that’s been sitting on a shelf at the store.  ;)

This “butter” is made using equal parts coconut oil (extra virgin unrefined) and flaxseed oil.  To a small sauce pan add your coconut oil only (never heat flaxseed oil) and use a very low heat to melt your coconut oil to liquid.  Remove from the heat, then stir in the flax oil, place in a container and refrigerate.  The cooling of the coconut oil will cause the whole mixture to harden like butter.

Michelle also recommends adding fresh minced herbs to this mixture while it’s still liquid, for a flavored ‘butter’.

If you find that you avoid eating flaxseed oil because you don’t care for its strong taste, try using this recipe on some toasted Ezekial bread, then top it with some paste from a roasted garlic.  You’ll never even know the flax it there!  It’s a great way to get in your daily Omega 3s from the flax and the coconut oil is a terrific energy source, thanks to the medium chain triglycerides.  (Click HERE for some further reading you might find interesting about the benefits of coconut oil.)

You won’t want to use this spread in place of butter for any kind of cooking (or baking) though because of the flax – so use it as a finishing product to top onto your warm food.  How about putting a pat over your freshly steamed veggies and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice as they are being served at the table?

Once this batch is gone, I’ll be experimenting with other oils in place of the flax that CAN be used for heating, like macadamia nut oil, to see how it works in cooking recipes.

– Shari B. =)

- – -

Reference:
Schoffro Cook, Michelle. The Ultimate pH Solution. New York: Harper Collins, 2008

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Spicy Chipotle Cheeseless But Cheesy Enchiladas

Sep 14

Posted by Shari B. in Recipes, vegan | 4 Comments

Recently I was on a kick of craving cheese – not sure if I saw some queso dip somewhere or something, but it just kept sounding good (which is why I had to try out some vegan mac-n-cheese).  I was going to be making chicken enchiladas for MSP anyway, so I figured I’d play around in the kitchen to come up with some enchiladas for me that gave me the impression of cheese without actually USING cheese.  I was inspired by the tofu ricotta that I used for vegetarian lasagna a while back and figured if I could be made to taste Italian, there’s no reason it can’t be given a Mexican flair.  This is what I came up with and I have to say I really enjoyed them, and especially enjoyed having a few days of packable leftovers to take to work for lunch.

Shari’s Spicy Chipotle Cheeseless Cheesy Enchiladas

(preheat oven to 350 degrees while making the filling so that it will be ready to soften the tortillas. The enchiladas themselves will cook at 450.)

First for the enchilada “filling”

  • 14 oz package tofu, drained & pressed
  • 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Blend all ingredients in a food processor.  Scoop out about 1/2 cup and set aside for use as ‘tofu ricotta’ in a separate recipe.  (I didn’t need more than one batch of enchiladas, so I had to take some out because 14 oz of tofu makes a LOT of ‘cheese’.  If you want a larger batch, you can skip this step and just add 50% more of the ingredients below).

Next, to the remaining ‘cheese’ in the food processor add:

  • 3/4 tsp Taco Seasoning
  • Leaves of fresh cilantro from 6 sprigs
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (one was SPICY.  If you want your eyes to water and face to sweat, you can try 2)
  • 1/2 tsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil

Continue blending. Then add in:

  • 1-2 handfuls of fresh spinach.  Pulse processor just until folded in.

Next you will need:

  • small corn tortillas (I used 9)
  • cooking spray (I like to use an olive oil mister)
  • a jar of salsa verda he (I went with salsa verde in lieu of any of the enchilada sauces, because it had the best list of ingredients, without any chemical additives.)
  • zucchini
  • carrot
  • a few more leaves of cilantro if you’d like some tucked into your enchilada

Lightly spray each side of a corn tortilla with the cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.  Place in the preheated 350 degree oven for 2 to 4 minutes (just until the tortillas become pliable, so they won’t break when you roll them).

During this time, using a vegetable peeler, make some ribbons out of your carrot and zucchini if you like and keep handy to stuff inside the tortillas.

Pour enough of the salsa verde into a 9×13 pan to lightly cover the bottom.  After the tortillas are soft and out of the oven you’ll want to preheat it now to 450 degrees.

It’s time to start stuffing the tortillas!  Smear some of your tofu ‘cheese’ into the middle:

Sprinkle on some of your carrot and zucchini ribbons (and cilantro leaves if you choose to use them):

Roll the enchilada:

And then tuck it into bed next to it’s buddies:

Continue until your pan is full or you run out of stuffing ;) then pour more of the salsa verde over the top, making sure each one is well-coated.  You may not need to used the whole jar.  Then if you’d like, sprinkle the top with some nutritional yeast to give it a cheese-topped look.

Bake in the 450 oven for 15-20 minutes, covered with foil.  If you like them crispier, you could remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Serve and enjoy!

Just a note:  When writing all of the steps into the blog post and adding pictures, it looks like a long and involved recipe, but I promise you this is super simple.  (If it wasn’t I wouldn’t be making it!)

Have a GREAT day!

– Shari B. =)

Vegan Mac-n-Cheese

Sep 13

Posted by Shari B. in Recipes, vegan | 2 Comments

Hi again friends!  Wow, two posts in one day!  That never happens here!  :)   If you missed it, check out the first post today about how time flies when you are unplugged, recapping the great time we had while MSP’s mom was visiting.

So as I’d mentioned previously, I finally tried making some Vegan Mac-n-Cheese.  In case you are new to FitFeat, I am not a vegan but I try to minimize (and completely avoid whenever possible) anything made from cow’s dairy.

I love a little comfort food every now and then, and one of my favorites is macaroni and cheese.  Most people these days know that eating a pasta made from refined white flour isn’t our best option, and we also know that boxed, processed food (like my old childhood favorite Kraft M & C in the blue box) is especially not a smart thing for our bodies.

I own a copy of The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, love her book and her message, so I chose to head over to her site to look for a recipe to start with as my inspiration for a vegan mac-n-cheese.  You can click over to the original recipe if you’d like to try it as it’s written.  Because it is readily available on the internet, as opposed to in a book for purchase, I’ll list here the ingredients I used and how I went about making it since it’s a little different.

THE NOODLES:

  • 16 oz package brown rice elbow pasta (I use Tinkyada)
  • 1/8 to 1/4 cup Earth Balance soy free buttery spread (for use after noodles are cooked)

Brown rice pasta takes longer to cook than traditional pasta, around 17 minutes.  So start your noodles cooking, then go back to make your “cheese” sauce:

THE SAUCE:

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce
  • 1 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 clove minced garlic (I used pre-minced jarred garlic)
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

The original recipe called for 2/3 cup of canola oil and I just could NOT bring myself to put that much into the sauce.  Yes, healthy fats are good for you, but in limited amounts.  So I switched to olive oil and only used 1/3 cup.

Add the sauce ingredients in a blender, with the exception of the oil.  Blend them all together, then with the blender running on low, carefully open the lid and slowly drizzle in the oil.  Then replace the lid on your blender and increase the speed to blend a bit longer.

Once your brown rice noodles are done, drain them and then add the 1/8 to 1/4 cup Earth Balance to your hot pan, melt it around inside, then add your noodles back to the pan.  I like to do this so my noodles don’t stick to the hot pan and also because I was aiming for a little ‘buttery’ flavor in the mac-n-cheese.

Start to pour in your cheese sauce and stir, using only as much of the sauce you need to coat the noodles to your liking.  Put the rest in a container to use when you reheat your mac-n-cheese leftovers (or try adding some to warm veggies – very good!)

Add some salt and pepper to your taste:

And then dish a little serving to enjoy for yourself.

Keep in mind the while the brown rice noodles are much healthier than refined white flour pasta noodles, they are still high in carbs and calories.  I like to keep my serving to less than 3/4 cup and use it as a side dish, or boost the volume & nutrients of it by stirring in some leftover roasted veggies, like mushrooms and zucchini.

THE VERDICT:

I loved it.  It’s certainly not what you might expect a mac-n-cheese to taste like, but it fit the bill of comfort food to me.  MSP wasn’t a fan, and could taste the paprika right away.  His mom wasn’t a big fan either.  But for ME, I’ll make it again.  I had this as leftovers 5 times from the first batch, because I liked it a lot.  I love having something creamy and warm to eat, while knowing that I’m still making a smart choice with the ingredient selection.  Next time around, I think I’ll back off the paprika and back off the soy sauce a bit, and see if MSP likes it better that way.

If you have any thoughts as to what you think you’d do to tweak it, please share!  I always love your input!

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The countdown is on!  Only one week left till school starts!  I hope this week flies by like the last one did, because I cannot WAIT to get started!

– Shari B. =)