Caulifredo Sauce

Chef Del Sroufe is a chef in Columbus, OH.  He has written several cookbooks, including The Forks Over Knives Cookbook and Better Than Vegan.  It was in the later that I learned about Cauliflower Puree.  Now it seems to be popping up everywhere, including in a recent issue of Wegman's Menu. It's a great way to make creamy foods in a healthier way.  Cauliflower is an incredible source of Vitamin C and a great source of fiber, folate, choline, B6, and Vitamin K.  It's low in calories and has a low glycemic load.  One of my favorite dishes used to be fettuccine alfredo, but it is so loaded with fat from cream and butter that I no longer believe eating it is worth the sacrifices to my health.  After seeing Chef Sroufe's Cauliflower Puree and several recipes using it to make alfredo sauce, I tried it for myself.  Most recipes I found didn't look like the traditional alfredo sauce that I was used to, so I adapted this recipe from The Joy of Cooking.  Here it is...

Caulifredo Sauce

1/4 cup raw cashews
3 garlic cloves
8 cups steamed cauliflower (steam until very soft)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place cashews and garlic into food processor and process until crumbly.  Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.  Add water (from steaming cauliflower, if you have it) as needed.  Serve over pasta.  Mix with equal amounts of your favorite marinara sauce for a yummy pink sauce.

Lentil Spinach Soup

I love simple recipes, especially simple soups.  Some days are so busy, that I truly appreciate a meal where I can just dump a few ingredients into my crockpot and walk away, knowing that dinner will be ready when it's time to eat.  Lentil Spinach Soup is one of those recipes.  It's also warm and happy on a cold, dreary day.  These are all ingredients that are fairly easy to keep on hand for when you need to just throw a meal together.  This recipe is also great for potlucks/lunch meetings.  Last year I took this to church for a meeting after worship.  I took all the ingredients with me and put them in the crockpot first thing.  It was ready by lunch.

Lentil Spinach Soup

1 lb. green lentils
12 oz mirepoix (soup starter: onions, celery, & carrots)
12 oz spinach
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
6-8 cups water

Sort and rinse dry lentils and place in crockpot.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low all day or on high for half the day.  Serve with whole wheat bread, if desired.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Letchworth State Park, Upper Falls

Many thanks to our Veteran's on this Veteran's Day and every day!

Chocolate-Raspberry Crepes

Enjoyed chocolate-raspberry crepes for breakfast this weekend!

The crepe recipe is from The China Study Cookbook by LeAnne Campbell.  They were so quick and easy to make.  I'm looking forward to trying some other fillings, although I have a traditionalist in the house who wants me to make them with just some fresh lemon juice and a dusting of sugar.

The chocolate is Chocolate Hummus from Jenny Sugar, of POPSUGAR Fitness.  This is one of my favorite recipes.  It makes a great filling, dip, and frosting for cakes/cupcakes.  It can also be made with black beans instead of chick peas.  If you don't have almonds, but have almond butter, just use 2 tbsp almond butter instead.

Chili

This chili is great on a cool night, on a camp out, or for feeding a crowd.  The black lentils are a great substitute for ground meat. I made it for a soup pot-luck at church once and no one realized that it was meat-free, until I told them. 


Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup dry or 1 (15 oz) can black lentils*
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
10 oz frozen corn
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp dried basil
2 1/2 cups water*

*Reduce water to 1 1/4 cup if using canned lentils.

If using dry lentils, rinse lentils and remove any tag-alongs from the field (small rocks, etc).  Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high (I set it for 300) for about 4 hours.  It can also be cooked on a stove, camp stove or over the fire.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for about an hour for dry lentils or 1/2 hour for canned lentils.  Serve with rice and/or corn bread, guacamole, Bean Queso, etc.

In The News

Vitamins don’t prevent heart disease or cancer, experts find

Bill Clinton - Vegan

Did you know that Bill Clinton follows a whole foods/plant-based diet?

Bill Clinton: Fan of Caldwell Esselstyn Jr MD

Bill Clinton Explains Why He Became a Vegan

I particularly like the last two paragraphs (emphasis mine):

"If you don't have the willpower to do it for yourself, he adds, do it for your loved ones. "A lot of people who are busy and stressed feel that eating and being comfortable is their reward," he says. But particularly for those who, like him, have children, he says "you have a responsibility to try to be as healthy as possible."

Sounding the themes that still drive him every day, Clinton wraps up our meeting with a message, reminding me that "the way we consume food and what we consume" are driving the unsustainable level of health care spending in America. To truly change the conditions that lead to bad habits and poor health, he warns, "we have to demand it by changing the way we live. You have to make a conscious decision to change for your own well-being, and that of your family and your country.""

Good Scouting News

I just have to share some positive Scouting news (although I think the way the AP handled the weight guidelines for the Jamboree left a lot to be desired - they could have used this as a headline:  "Boy Scouts of America Encourages and Helps Scouts and Leaders Become Healthier for the National Jamboree", but that doesn't get as many "clicks").  Anyway, here are some wonderful articles about National Jamboree this year.

Unexpected Day of Service: Scouts Save Flooding School

From the Longhouse Council Facebook page:

"2013 National Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Family Scout Reserve by the numbers:

Scouts: 24,682
Scout Adult Leaders: 2,782
Venturers: 2,118
Venturing Adult Leaders: 455
Foreign Scouts: 326
Representing how many nations?: 18
Volunteer Staff: 6,224
Daily Visitors: 12,192
Service Hours Given to Surrounding Communities: 148,800

That's a good start to this brand-new facility!"

In The News

Mindfulness in Everyday Life: A Walk in the Woods and Return to Essential Nature

6 Things You Don't Know About Kale

10 Things You Don't Know About Sugar (And What You Don't Know Could Hurt You) 

What Does Biotech Have to Say About the GMO Debate?

More Red Meat = More Diabetes

In The News

Eat More Legumes for Better Diabetes Control

Baked Corn Chips

These are so much healthier than the store-bought fried corn chips.  Also, you can custom flavor them!  They are quick and easy.

Take corn tortillas, brush with water, lemon or lime juice.  Sprinkle with salt or other desired seasoning. 

 

Cut tortillas into 6ths or 8ths.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Cool and enjoy.

In The News

Salty snacks, extra pounds send blood pressure soaring in U.S. kids

Did You Know...

Popcorn

Did you know that 3 tablespoons of unpopped popcorn (4.5 cups popped) has 140 calories, 5g fiber (20% RDA!), 4g protein (it's everywhere - more on that later), and 6% of the RDA of iron.

Snack away!

Just be careful what you put on it...  (smile).

Black Bean Dip

This is one of my favorite recipes from The Feast of Santa Fe.

Black Bean Dip

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional - we omit this)
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Put all ingredients into food processor and process until smooth, leaving a little texture if desired.  Top with salsa and chopped cilantro.  Serve in quesadillas, burritos, tacos, or with chips. 

Black beans are an excellent source of many nutrients including protein, fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, and more.

In The News

News from the American Institute for Cancer Research:

AICR, the China Study, and Forks Over Knives

Recommendations for Cancer Prevention from the WCRF/AICR (World Cancer Research Fund)

News from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute:

Fish oils may raise prostate cancer risks, study confirms

Lawns, Pesticides, and Us

A very moving blog from the Children and Nature Network:

CHILD-FRIENDLY LAWNS AND GARDENS: Ten Things You Can Do to Reduce Hidden Chemical Risks

I especially appreciated the following quote, since I am currently reading Silent Spring:

"People in the children and nature movement often cite Rachel Carson because she eloquently advocated introducing children to nature in her book A Sense of Wonder.  We must not forget that she also wrote Silent Spring, courageously researching and speaking out against the dangers of pesticides. For the sake of our children and all other living things on our planet, we need to spread both parts of her message."

Did you know...?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics supports a vegetarian/vegan diet.  You can read more about it on their website.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Cucumbers on the way!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is a great snack or part of a meal.  With veggie sticks or healthy crackers, it's a guilt free snack.  Since it's made with chick peas, it's a great source of protein, fiber, folate, iron, and other nutrients.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (no oil added)

3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans, drained)
1 roasted red pepper, peeled
3/4 tsp salt (or to taste, especially with commercially canned chickpeas)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp smoky paprika
1/2 cup cooking liquid, low/no sodium veggie broth, or water

Place in food processor and process until smooth.  Serve as a cracker/veggie dip or sandwich bread.

Roasted Red Peppers

Cut stems off red peppers and clean out seeds.  Place on grill and cooked until blackened on each side, rotating as necessary.  Peel off blackened skins and eat or use in recipes.

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Chickpeas, or Garbanzo Beans, are one of our favorite beans.  Traditionally, they are the main ingredient in hummus (see tomorrow's post!).  We also use them on tossed salad, in falafel, in bean salads, in grain salads with other fresh veggies, and as a replacement in chicken/tuna salad (just mash them up a bit).  You can sprout them to add sprouts to your salads or roast them for a crunchy snack.

Research shows that chick peas are great for decreasing your cardiovascular risk, increasing digestive health, and regulating blood sugar.  For more information on the health benefits of chickpeas, click here.

Chickpeas are an excellent source of many important nutrients.  In just one cup of cooked chick peas, you get 14.53g protein (that's a whopping 29% of the RDA), 12.46g fiber (50% RDA), 71% RDA folate, 8% RDA calcium (not found in just dairy), 26% RDA iron, 20% RDA magnesium, a high percentage of 11 amino acids, and much more.

Chickpeas are also great for the grocery budget.  Where we live, I can find a pound of dried, organic chickpeas for just under $3.00.  Once hydrated and cooked, there will be 3 pounds of chickpeas.  That's $1.00 per pound!  Talk about a great nutritional value for your dollar (literally)!

Tomorrow I'll be posting our homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.  Until then, check out one of my favorite chickpea recipes:  Teriyaki Chickpeas from Happy Herbivore!