Steamed, boiled, sauteed, roasted, fresh- I love asparagus any which way. Funny, because I had never tried it until last year. I kind of thought of it as somewhat of a delicacy as it was only in the stores during certain times of the year and most of the time it was far more expensive than I could afford. What?? $7.99 a pound? You can imagine the sheer excitement I felt when I learned that asparagus grows wild in Colorado (among other places). I was in awe for days. All fall and winter I have been waiting for asparagus season… for when the asparagus shoots out of the ground it means spring has come! For weeks, I’ve been combing the roadsides looking for the green and purple shoots with not much luck. I plucked 3 stalks a few weeks ago and was quite disappointed that there wasn’t more.

Today, however, was a different story. I strapped Connor into the stroller for a walk in the beautiful weather this morning and there were shoots EVERYWHERE! I probably picked 2 lbs of asparagus this morning- for free!

Did you know asparagus is a member of the lily family?

The word asparagus originates from the Greek language meaning “sprout” or “shoot”.

During the Renaissance age, asparagus was a dubbed an aphrodisiac and was later banned from the dining tables of most convents.

And because babies make everything cuter, here is Connor noshing on some fresh asparagus.

This kid loves his vegetables and I attribute it to the fact that his momma makes sure to eat a variety of veggies that he gets via breast-milk and also from us exposing him to vegetables from a very early age. This kid doesn’t eat any added oil, sugar or salt. When one’s taste buds haven’t acquired such a taste fruit is as good as candy and kale can be eaten by the hand-full.

Here are a few:

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ingredients

1 pkg of Active Dry yest

2/3 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 Tbs honey or agave

1 tbs olive oil

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

In a small bowl combine yeast and water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbs honey or agave and 1 Tbs Olive oil. In a large bowl combine 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal and 1/4 tsp salt.stir in yeast mixture. Stir in as much of 3/4 to 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour as you can with a wooden spoon.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough thath is smooth and elastic (about 8 min total). Shape dough into a ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place** until nearly double in size (30-45 min). Makes enough for 1 pizza

** if your house is comfortably warm leaving the dough on the counter is good enough. if your home is fairly cool, turn the oven on warm for about ten minutes, turn off and then put the (oven-safe) bowl, covered in the warmed oven.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cloves of garlic

1 tbs olive oil

fresh ground salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes until tomatoes have softened and broken down.

Tofu Pesto

Ingredients

3 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup pine nuts

9 cloves of garlic

12 ounces of soft or firm tofu (not silken)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

In a food processor, pulse the basil, nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the tofu, olive oil and salt and mix well.

**************************

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. I you dont have a pizza stone, sprinkle some cornmeal on a baking sheet . Place rolled out dough onto pizza stone (or baking sheet). Drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil over the dough round and spread with the back of a spoon. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and evenly spread the tofu pesto, then the roasted tomato sauce over it. Add caramelized onions, then a light sprinkling of Daiya mozzarella shreds. Top with pine nuts. Bake the pizza until the crust is browned in spots and the pizza is heated through.

I ate breakfast on Ocean Ave at News Cafe. Gianni Versace frequented the cafe almost daily before he was shot outside of his mansion just down the street. But that is morbid, so we’ll move on. The atmosphere was quite pleasant. Ocean Ave is the last street before you get to the beach and you could feel the breeze from the courtyard at the cafe.

The News Cafe is not, however, vegan-friendly. For breakfast  I had the choice of a $10 fruit plate or a bowl of oatmeal.

The photo on the left is Versace Mansion

The epitome of art deco….

The Delano Hotel

Shopping at high end stores and trying on clothes I’ll never buy. The dress on the right was heavenly. It floated as I walked and twirled all around as I moved. If I had $500 it would have been in my bag immediately.

I ate lunch at The Cafe at Books and Books. Not only did the bookstore have a whole section of vegan cookbooks, the cafe had a vegan section on the menu. The food was fantastic.

The dessert of the day was carrot cake that also happened to be vegan. I got it with vegan ice cream. The main dish was a corn salad, black bean hummus, bagel chips, grilled tofu and salad. The black bean soup was also very yummy!

The morning after I got to Key West, I rented a bright yellow beach cruiser and set out to explore the 4 mile long island. My first stop was the cutest little cafe called “Help Yourself“. They seem to focus on sustainable business practices and organic food. I’d like to share a bit of information I found on their website:

• We use all natural sweeteners such as maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup and sucanat (evaporated cane juice)
• We only use whole grains in what we make – a whole grain means it still contains all the essential and natural nutrients of the entire seed
• We use no white sugar, no white rice and no white flour – the white stuff has been refined and is no longer a whole food, all the beneficial nutrients have been removed
• We use no dairy in our prepared foods – do you see any cows in Key West?
• Nothing we use has preservatives, additives or anything artificial – we’re 100% natural
• Everything we make is prepared from scratch - we even make our own coconut milk from local coconuts (the canned version has preservatives)
• We make fresh juices everyday and bottle them for your convenience – did you know drinking a fresh juice is better than taking a vitamin pill? The nutrients get absorbed into your blood stream and start working immediately giving you instant energy
• We use coconuts as a dairy alternative, there are lots of them around here – you should check out our ice cream it tastes great and it’s good for you!
• Have you ever drank fresh coconut water? – it’s natures super-potent energy drink, full of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals. We crack fresh coconuts daily and bottle the water so you can grab and go!
• We use local eggs from a farm in Ramrod Key, they are never more than a week old (most eggs in a store have been sitting around for 30 days or more)
• We use 100% fruit in our smoothies, mixed with either coconut water or coconut milk. It’s a great way to increase your daily intake of fruit.

If I lived near this place I would be broke-but happy!

The vegan french toast I ordered was drool-worthy. I can say, without a doubt, that it was the best french toast I  have ever eaten (vegan or not).

Why did the chicken cross the road? Probably to get to the tourists on the side who feed them ice cream sandwiches. No joke!

I stopped for a liquid lunch at the smoothie shop connected to The Sugar Apple health food store. I’ve never felt so good about drinking a smoothie- all of the tropical fruits I drank were local and not shipped thousands of miles to get to me.

“The Face on Your Plate” was one of the first books I read when exploring my new lifestyle. A must-read.

Here is the local guy (it has been so long since the actual trip that I forgot his name!) who fed me fresh coconut water and entertained me for over an hour. This is where the fresh coconut product from Help Yourself comes from.

The coconut is actually not a nut. It is a drupe and is the largest known seed. Coconut water is very similar to human blood plasma (chemical analysis indicates it’s closer in makeup to intracellular fluid).

The meat of young coconuts is often called coconut jelly. Coconut jelly has a lot of the same nutritional components of breast milk- like lauric acid.

For dinner, I ate at The Cafe. The atmosphere was comfortable and relaxing and the food was top notch. I had the seitan peppersteak sandwich and THE BEST chocolate desert of my life.

Lentils and tofu and beer…OH MY!

Two unrelated photos from the morning before I left. The photo on the right was from Help Yourself. I went back to try their house-cultured coconut milk yogurt parfait. MMMM!

Such is the case with this risotto. I do not love mushrooms, but I am in love with this dish. It is filling and comforting and FULL of flavor. The recipe calls for dried porcini mushrooms. If you cannot find these, any dried wild mushroom mix will work, but the porcini mushroom is prized for its full flavor. I have mentioned it before, but for vegetable bouillon there is only one brand that I will use- Edward and Sons vegan chicken and beef broth are incredible.

Ingredients

8 cups vegetable broth
1/2-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup Earth Balance
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
10 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1-1 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Directions

Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.  Melt the Earth Balance in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

-Max Ehrmann (a selection from Desiderata)

]]> http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1340/feed 10 http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1337 http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1337#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 01:31:34 +0000 Katelyn http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/?p=1337 I KNOW I need to eat more green leafy vegetables-they’re like a miracle food. But the truth is, I just don’t like them very well. I blend kale in smoothies to cover up the taste- but you can only down so many smoothies in a day before you go crazy for need to chew actual food.

If you don’t think you like greens- this recipe is for you. I made this recipe in an effort to TRY to eat some greens and it is now one of my favorites- and I am not even a huge fan of cauliflower or Swiss chard (though I guess now I may be able to consider myself one- because it is so good!) Everyone in my household agrees on the tasty-ness of this dish. Leave me a comment and let me know if you like this (or any of the other) recipes!

Cauliflower and Swiss Chard Salad

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or other oil with a high flashpoint)

1 head of  cauliflower, separated into florets

1 tsp cumin

6 large Swiss chard leaves, cut into strips (the second time I made this I added more and it was still great!)

1 large red onion, cut into wedges

2 garlic cloves, chopped

14-oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or cook your own)

1/4 cup tahini

2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp white pepper

salt

DIRECTIONS

Combine the tahini, lemon juice and white pepper in a small bowl and add a little salt to taste. Whisk to combine. You may need to add a little water to thin it out. Set aside.

Put the oil in a large skillet set over high heat, add cauliflower florets and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning often, until they are dark, golden brown. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic and let cook for a minute or two more. Then add the chard and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chickpeas and stir.

Transfer vegetables to a bowl and drizzle the dressing over the top to serve.

By Airplane

If you are lucky enough to be on a flight where food is served, it will be mediocre at best- IF they remember to include the vegan option you requested. The best bet is to bring your own. While most countries will not allow any food, especially fruits and vegetables to enter their country, you are allowed to bring these items on the plane to eat. You can cut up some fresh fruits and vegetables to eat on the plane. You can bring some nuts and seeds. You can even bring some kind of a veggie wrap or sandwich. Finally and perhaps one of the easiest things, and ones that you can bring into other countries with you, are closed bars, like the various all natural fruit and nut energy bars.

I wouldn’t count on for certain, but you can generally find something at most airport restaurants. Moe’s Southwestern Grill has a couple of vegan options that are delicious and Panda Express (or other chinese restaurants) you can order their veggies in garlic sauce and lo mein noodles. Here is a report from PCRM about vegan options at airports. They list the top ten most veg-friendly airports and what you can order. http://www.pcrm.org/health/reports/airport_food_review_09.html

By Car and On Location

This is perhaps the easiest to take care of as you have several options.

You can:

• Bring your own food
  • Granola (my favorite recipe at the end of the post), muffins, fruit (if necessary, peeled and sliced), nuts and seeds, trail mix, bars (Cliff and RAWvolution are amazing), ascpetic and individually packaged containers of soymilk and packages of beans, rice and spices (just add hot water from the coffee maker)
• Stop at a grocery store along the way- scope out local health food stores, food co-ops and farmer’s markets ahead of time
  • Bring a can opener with you.  If you can’t find anything else, you can always buy soup (black bean, vegetable, etc) at a local grocery store (and salad…) and you’ve got a reasonable meal.
  • I also like to buy tortillas to make wraps.  If you can’t find vegan mock meats, you can usually get grilled veggies at the supermarket salad bar and hummus or canned beans. Example:  tortilla, lettuce, black beans, roasted red pepper, avocado slices.  It’s delicious and you can find the ingredients anywhere
  • Salad, along with a vinaigrette dressing that doesn’t require refrigeration, can easily be found.  You can supplement that with some hummus and a loaf of bread or pita and some fruit and you have a delicious meal.
• Stop at a restaurant- It really isn’t difficult to eat out. Help yourself out by doing some research ahead of time.
  • Find your emergency food. For me, it tends to be Taco Bell. I know I can always get a bean burrito, al fresco style to tide me over.
  • Websites like www.vegdining.com and www.vegguide.org are excellent sources of information for dining worldwide. my favorite place to look is www.happycow.net (it has saved my life many times).
  • If the menu only lists a steamed vegetable plate, don’t panic! Many restaurant chefs welcome the opportunity to show off their culinary skills to whip up an animal-friendly entrée for you…so just ask. Many dishes can be “veganized” with minimal effort, so put the chef to the challenge and enjoy the creation!
  • Most ethnic food includes more legumes, vegetables, and beans than traditional Western foods. So visit  Indian, Middle Eastern, or Thai restaurants and savor the delicious spices surrounding such staples as tofu, lentils, and chickpeas. Try falafel, spicy tofu curry, mung bean or scallion pancakes, or hearty lentil dal.
  • In the mood for an All-American meal? Veggie burgers and veggie dogs are on menus across the country from national restaurant chains to mom ’n pop diners (see the fast food/chain links below)
  • Replace cheese or sour cream in Mexcian fare with an extra dollop of guacamole or some light and refreshing pico de gallo
  • Want some mock meat? Many Asian restaurants—particularly Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese ones—feature great soy- and wheat gluten-based meat alternatives. Enjoy scrumptious kung pao veggie chicken, spicy Hunan veggie beef, or tofu pad thai (make sure they don’t use fish paste)
  • You can find more options for fast food and chain restaurants at these sites http://www.vegcooking.com/VegFastFood.asp and http://www.vegcooking.com/ChainRestaurants.asp

Best of luck!

**If you have tips that I haven’t listed, I would love to hear about them! Leave your suggestions in the comment area

Katelyn’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oats (you can make this recipe gluten free by using certified gluten free oats)

2 Tbs ground flax

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup semi-sweet (vegan) chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup organic natural crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

5 Tbs Coconut Butter ( you can use Earth Balance if you like- but the Coconut Butter makes for a longer shelf life and is tastier!)

Directions

Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, Earth Balance (coconut oil), and vanilla. Once the peanut butter mixture is combined, mix it with the dry ingredients until the oat mixture is moistened. Press the granola in a shallow pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Watch it carefully, and mix a few times throughout as it can burn very quickly.

*The granola will get crispier and crunchier as it cools.

Cool for at least 20 minutes and store in a sealed container.

* I love to eat mine with almond milk and slightly (or fully if I forget about them!) frozen blueberries and strawberries

Enjoy!

VEGNEWS MAC ‘N’ CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

4 quarts water

1 tablespoon sea salt

8 ounces macaroni ( for gluten-free we used Tinkayada pasta joy brown rice pasta shells with rice bran)

4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces (for gluten-free use kinnikinnick foods white sandwich bread)

2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)

2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped

1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/4 (plus a little) cup carrots, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped

1 cup water

1/4 cup raw cashews

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4-ish cup of cheddar style Daiya cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons margarine to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.

In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth. (if using Daiya cheese, add now)

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs, and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.

VEGAN WORCESTERCHIRE SAUCE

(Regular worcestershire sauce is not vegan, so shop carefully, or make your own using this recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 1 minute. Cool.

Store in the refrigerator.

SWEET AND STICKY BBQ SAUCE

INGEDIENTS

1/4 cup margarine

1 sweet onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup water

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp mustard

few dashes of hot sauce

DIRECTIONS

Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 15 mins, until onions have cooked down and are nicely browned

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to bubbling. Simmer for 15-20 mins, until sauce thickens and gets a nice deep red color.

Strain sauce to remove onions and spoon over wings.

BBQ TEMPEH “RIBS”

INGREDIENTS

2 recipes of sweet and sticky bbq sauce

2 pkgs tempeh, sliced (westsoy original doesn’t have any barley in it, like most)

DIRECTIONS

Make the BBQ sauce. Transfer 2/3rds of the sauce to a large skillet and add sliced tempeh. Place on medium heat and bring to bubbling. Cook for 15-20 mins, or until sauce has thickened and mostly reduced. Baste regularly.

Add remaining sauce to pan and cook a few more minutes. Serve.

]]> http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1297/feed 0 http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1278 http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1278#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:05:36 +0000 Katelyn http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/?p=1278

I’ve been receiving so many emails in the last few months from friends who have been observing my transformation. Some want to know why I became a vegan, some want to know how to make the leap and some just want help eating healthier. I’m breaking my posts into two parts- my story and food. In this post, I will briefly cover how I eat, my suggestions, places to find recipes, websites for further reading and books I have read and have found extremely helpful.

I eat a strict vegetarian/vegan diet that is largely whole foods based. I do not eat beef, poultry (including their eggs), fish or dairy products. I don’t count calories, watch my carbs or worry about protein. I do eat fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. For the most part, I stay away from processed foods- when I go to the grocery store, 80% of my basket comes from the produce department. I rarely drink alcohol or caffeine and greatly limit my use of white flour and sugar. This might seem like self-deprivation and torture, but I assure you it isn’t. This is coming from a Kansas raised girl who used to love cheeseburgers and fried chicken and who (still) enjoys baking.

***

Whether you want to make the leap to being a vegan or just flirt with the idea of eating healthier, here are some of my tips to you:

-Choose your foods intelligently: know where it comes from and be able to pronounce all the ingredients on the food label.

-Let go of the idea that carbs are bad. Yes, white flour is bad for you. But if you are eating WHOLE grains (aka 100% whole grain) you do not need to worry.

-Do not worry about getting enough protein. I guarantee you already consume way more than you need and consuming extra protein increases your risk for Osteoporosis.

-Try replacing the milk you put in your cereal, coffee, baking, etc with almond or soymilk. Try both, try different brands. They are all different.

-Eat your vegetables (and fruit)- lots of them. I eat between 10 and 15 servings most days (I fast-track this by drinking 1-2 smoothies a day)

-Engage in some sort of physical activity.

-Educate yourself.

***

Places to find yummy recipes:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/recipes/index.html

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php

http://www.vegalicious.org/

http://havecakewilltravel.com/

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

http://happyherbivore.com/

http://cafevegnews.blogspot.com/

http://littlehouseofveggies.blogspot.com/

***

Links where you can read more:

http://www.goveg.com/vegetarian101.asp

http://www.vegan.com/articles/faq/

http://veganhealth.org/

http://www.vegan.com/articles/oprahs-21-day-vegan-challenge-support-page/

http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/index.html

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/index.html

***

Onto the books. I did not write the reviews that are in italics. To save us both time, I compiled the ones that express how I feel about these particular books. The first three books are pretty mild and I would recommend them to anyone wanting to know more about being healthy and making better food choices. If you are curious and want to know more about  veganism or if you are sincerely interested in trying a vegan diet and making it a lifestyle, I definitely recommend the last two books.

“Eat less of certain foods, specifically animal products, refined carbs, and junk food; and more of others, specifically plants, in close to their natural state.”

Mark Bittman’s Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating is a guidebook for the typical American eating the typical American diet–heavy laden with meat, animal products, and processed foods. This typical American diet, Bittman points out, is calorie-dense, harmful to the atmosphere, taxing on global resources, and unhealthy. Bittman easily mixes scientific research with his own personal account of needing to lose weight due to high cholesterol and sleep apnea and shows that shifting his diet by emphasizing vegetables, legumes, and beans over meats and processed food helped him reach his weight and health goals without resorting to rigid dieting and calorie-counting. Let me make it clear here that Bittman is not advocating vegetarianism. He allows himself a little meat during his dinner meal and incorporates some meat in the recipe section of his book.

A food journalist and cook book writer (his How to Cook Everything Vegetarian has been praised by icon Mario Batali) divides his book into two sections. The first section, Food Matters, lays down the reasons we need to shift from meat and processed foods to vegetables, fresh produce, legumes and beans. If you’ve already read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma or In Defense of Food, this information won’t be new to you. But it is a good recap of the incremental way the typical American diet has become unhealthy, burdensome to the environment, and “insane.”

The second section of Bittman’s book, the recipe section, is excellent, not just for the 75 recipes and suggested menus, but for the basic foods he says you should always keep stocked in your kitchen and the secrets for adding bold flavors to your meals.

The title: The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet, by Alicia Silverstone, says it all. The plant-based diet, according to Silverstone (and a few doctors quoted) will improve your health, help prevent disease, improve the environment and help you lose weight.

The book begins with Silverstone’s personal story. It includes her early attempts at not eating meat, and an unhealthy period when she ate only raw foods.

Then the book discusses the “nasty foods”–meat, dairy, white sugar and processed foods. We learn the many reasons these foods are unhealthy, bad for the planet and bad for animal’s welfare.

Next, we learn what the “kind foods” are–notably, whole grains, new proteins, veggies and healthy desserts.

There is a chapter on nutritional FAQ’s.

Silverstone gets we are not all ready for a vegan diet, especially if we are used to a diet heavy in meats, dairy and processed foods. So, she presents three levels: flirting, vegan and superhero.

In flirting, she makes recommendations like: go to a vegetarian restaurant and order a dish, buy some vegan products from her “Transitional food chart”, and simply recommends we start adding vegan meals into our diets.

In vegan, she presents a plan on how to build a meal and a vegan meal plan.

Finally, the superhero level is loosely based on the macrobiotic diet (minus fish,) and features fresh, local and seasonal fare.

Silverstone adds helpful tips, like chew your food really well, what to do about detoxing and cravings and more.

There is a chapter on tips when away from home.

The book concludes with fantastic looking recipes (I’m a pretty good cook, I can always tell.) They recipes are divided into vegan and superhero.

Even if you are not committed to a full time vegan diet, I highly recommend this book–just start with the flirting and see where it takes you. If you do get into the vegan lifestyle, know that there are lots of good cookbooks out there to help.

***

….The introductory phase of the Kind Diet is known as the flirt phase. During the flirt phase, participants are guided into gradually substituting the meat and other animal products out of their diets. By slowly reducing the amounts of animal-based products, participants can ease into a stricter diet or they can choose to remain at the flirt phase. Silverstone claims in her book that those at this level will generally see quick changes in their weight, appearance, and feeling of well-being and may be more motivated to maintain the diet.

T. Colin Campbell, PhD, is the project director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and HealthProject (the China Study), a 20-year study of nutrition and health. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University. In more than 40 years of research he has received more than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and authored more than 300 research papers.

The main point of this book is that most nutritional studies that we hear about in the media are poorly constructed because of what the author terms “scientific reductionism.” That is, they attempt to pin down the effects of a single nutrient in isolation from all other aspects of diet and lifestyle.

While this is the “gold standard” for clinical trials in the pharmaceutical world, it just doesn’t work when it comes to nutrition. Given that the Western diet is extremely high fat and high protein compared to most of the rest of the world, studies that examine slight variations in this diet (i.e., adding a few grams of fiber or substituting skim milk for full fat milk) are like comparing the mortality rates of people who smoke five packs of cigarettes a day vs. people who smoke only 97 cigarettes a day.

Campbell’s research, which he describes in a very accessible and engaging fashion, has two tremendous advantages over the typical nutritional study. First, there is the China Study itself – a massive series of snapshots of the relationship between diet and disease in over 100 villages all over China. The rates of disease differ greatly from region to region, and Campbell and his research partners (including some of the most distinguished scholars and epidemiologists in the world) carefully correlated these differences with the varying diets of the communities.

It’s not lazy “survey research” either – the researchers don’t rely on their subjects’ memory to determine what they ate and drank. The researchers also observed shopping patterns and took blood samples to cross-validate all the data.

The second amazing part of Campbell’s research method is his refusal to accept any finding without taking it back to his lab and finding out how exactly it works. In other words, we discover in The China Study not only in what way, but precisely how, the foods we eat can either promote or compromise our health.

The book is part intellectual biography / hero’s journey (although Campbell is always wonderfully humble – there’s no trace of self-congratulation, just a deep gratitude for what he has experienced), part nutrition guide (the most honest and unflinching one you’ll ever read), and part expose.

I can honestly say that no book has shaken my world view like this one. Anyone interested in health – their own, or that of their family, friends, or community – must read this book and share it. Campbell has started a revolution. Skip this work at your own peril.

***

The China study is the most life-changing book I have ever read. Colin Campbell clearly and concisely presents rock solid evidence guaranteed to change your mind about the way you eat and the way you view your health.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. It contains no diet plans or recipes. It does contain highly readable, extremely interesting insights of one of the nation’s top scientists, his work with humans and animals, and his astonishing discoveries.

You should order this book, read it immediately, and send everyone you care about a copy as well.

***

This is a fantastic book that’s loaded with so much eye opening information, it’s the kind of book that I’ll read again. I feel if you don’t convert to a whole food plant based diet after reading this book, I don’t think anything in the world will convince you….the evidence is just overwhelming.

I turned vegan the minute I finished this book (I didn’t even try being a vegetarian first). Not only have I lost weight but I also feel really good. This book punched me right in the face and woke me up to all the crap that I had been eating. This is for anyone who needs that kick in the butt to motivate them. This will not only boost you into a healthy diet, but a healthy lifestyle.

***

I have never read a book like this. Ever! Since I read this book I’ve gone from a meat and potatoes girl to a committed vegan. I always knew I was eating the wrong way but somehow couldn’t bring myself to put my money where my mouth was. Skinny Bitch spoke to me in such a straight shooting manner that the choice no longer felt difficult – I just knew what I needed to do.

If you want to lose weight, feel healthy, and do the planet and animals a big favor – read this book and take it on. I owe a big thank you to Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman for writing a book that finally gets people like me to act!!

***

If you are uptight and cringe at vulgar language, don’t get this book. For the rest of you who love a good laugh while actually learning a thing or two, you’ll enjoy it! This book gives you a push to get healthy. It summarizes the food industy’s corruptness and what are all the toxins and chemicals put in foods and how to read through the misleading food labels on packaging. How to take care of yourself and turn things around. The authors also give you healty alternatives and brands to try. I have purchased many of them already and they are all very tasty! I loved this book and have ordered it for some friends.

***

If you can’t take one more day of self-loathing, you’re ready to hear the truth: You cannot keep shoveling the same crap into your mouth every day and expect to lose weight.

While Socrates claimed that the unexamined life is not worth living, Jeffrey Masson’s message in The Face on Your Plate is that the unexamined meal is not worth consuming. The sad reality is that most people know little or nothing about the lives of the animals who arrive on their dinner plates; nor do they know about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment or the harmful effect of animal products on human health. The Face on Your Plate provides readers with the information they need to make fully informed ethical choices about their meals. Masson takes us on a behind the scenes tour of animal agriculture and lets the facts speak for themselves. He reaches the overwhelming conclusion that veganism is the ideal diet in every respect.

The Face on Your Plate arrives at a propitious time, given the increasing number of organic food advocates. But Masson goes one step further. He is not a proponent of “sustainably” raised meat. Drawing on his previous research on the emotional lives of animals, he encourages us to tap into our capacity for empathy, recognizing that other-than-human animals value their lives just as much as we do ours. While vegetarians and vegans are accustomed to responding to queries about why they eat as they do, Masson poses the more interesting question: Why do people eat meat (or other animal products)? His overriding thesis is that the consumption of animal products exists because of a systematic denial of the suffering that underlies the production of animal products.

Masson’s book has something for everyone. He offers a plethora of little-known facts and astute observations about the impact of animal agriculture that will be new to many, even the well-informed vegan/animal advocate. How many people know, for example, that the level of stress that pigs endure on factory farms is so intense that sows are becoming increasingly anorexic? His discussion of fish is the best I have seen and worth the price of the book alone. Among the many mind-boggling facts he presents is that a pesticide used in the 80′s and 90′s to control the common problem of lice infestation on ranch-farmed fish contained a nerve toxin considered to be one of the most toxic chemicals in the world.

For those who hear the “v” word and immediately want to run, I encourage you to hear Masson out. He is not out to castigate meat eaters. His mission is one of opening doors so that people can understand the larger story behind the food on their plates. Lest you anticipate a dry set of statistics that lull you to sleep, or send you into despair, I can assure you that you will not be bored or depressed. Masson is a terrific writer with a gift for weaving factual information together with anecdotes drawn from his own life. In addition to sharing his personal trajectory toward veganism, he gives practical tips to help those who feel daunted about how to make the transition to veganism. His ultimate message is one of hope, leading us on a path toward better health and wellbeing for all. The Face on Your Plate is a superb book that deserves to be widely read.

Masson writes beautifully and with heart. He writes in a way that does not preach, does not judge and does not bore. His combination of facts and figures with personal anecdotes and emotion is for me, the perfect balance.

]]> http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1278/feed 2 http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1270 http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/archives/1270#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 23:42:45 +0000 Katelyn http://katelynvonfeldt.com/blog/?p=1270 My taste buds have exploded! OH MY- I will now get down on my knees and praise gardein and Daiya products! I RARELY buy foods from the freezer section anymore. When I do, it is frozen vegetables or my Ezekiel bread. But, every once in a while I let myself splurge on a gardein dinner (not that it is REALLY even spluring). Gardein “meats” are made from a combination of soy protein, vital wheat gluten and ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut). I let a friend from work (who is not vegan) taste my lunch one day and she thought it tasted just like chicken. They’ve got the texture down pat! Tonight I tried the marinara chick/’n good stuff. After taking my first bite, I panicked. I tasted cheese.. I frantically pulled out the package to see what I had done, and COULD NOT BELIEVE that the vegan cheese in my dinner tasted SO much like regular cheese. Daiya, is a life saver as far as I am concerned. I could go on and on, but I will leave you with some pictures to drool over instead. If someone had blind-folded me and fed me this- I promise you, I would have guessed it to be the real thing. I dare my meat-eating friends to try it.. just once.. and tell me what you think!

“This is one of my favorite recipes in the book. ..It’s the perfect creamy pasta sauce when you’re feeling like alfredo. It’s also a great sauce for casseroles, over steamed veggies, on top of lasagna — wherever you want a basic creamy sauce. So not only is it really versatile, but it’s also really quick! The whole sauce is made in a blender, so the faster you can toss ingredients into a blender, the faster it’s done.”

Hurry Up Alfredo

1 Cup plain soymilk/almond milk
1/3 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
3 Tbs Low-Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce (I’d prefer about half as much)
2 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 Tbs Tahini
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Paprika (smoked is awesome)
1 Pinch Nutmeg
2-4 Cloves of Garlic, optional (I used 4 big cloves)
Black pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This may work best in a high-speed blender (like a Vita-Mix), but you can definitely make it in a regular blender. Just blend extra-long, or perhaps strain if if you want it perfectly smooth. Tiny bits of cashews won’t hurt anyone though!

“If you’re making this sauce for pasta (I used whole wheat/milled flax seed fettucini noodles), drain the pasta and return it to the hot empty pan. Pour the sauce over, place on medium heat, and stir until heated through. Serve with lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I love it with steamed broccoli added in!”

The idea for making a basil sorbet came yesterday. First, I went to the Beaches Green Market where I got al the basil I wanted for $1 (Really??). Then, later in the evening, I went to the new restaurant in Avondale called Town. I couldn’t try most of the things on their menu, but there were probably 3 or 4 items that were vegan- one of which was a basil sorbet.

I woke up this morning, only to open my refrigerator and see that my basil had frozen because the setting was too cool. Most of it wilted too a dark, ugly color- but there were still some of the smaller green leaves that survived. I didn’t want any of my precious basil to go to waste so I compiled all the recipes I could think of that could use basil and spent the whole afternoon cooking. This light dessert is only one of the fruits (pardon the pun) of my labor.

I  believe that once you have a taste you will be whisked away into a dream where sun shines on berries bigger than butterflies and fluffy little bunnies dance in the grass where you lay, begging you for a taste of your sweet treat..

With frozen fruit and simple syrup you can create an endless variety of satisfying and chill-inducing treats. The recipe I found called for peaches, but I decided that strawberry would be better with basil (I think I was right, but you must try for yourself)-so I made both.

(insert your favorite fruit) Basil Sorbet

approx. 1 1/2 cups frozen peaches or strawberries (or whatever other fruit you heart desires)

splash of Riesling (WHAT? I didn’t have any juice and needed to thin out the mixture a bit)

1/4 cup basil simple syrup (recipe below)

In a blender combine ingredients and process until smooth. You can adjust the amount of simple syrup based on your desired sweetness. The resulting product will be quite soft. Place in an airtight container then put in the freezer until firm.

Simple Syrup for Peach Sorbet
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 large Basil leaves

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Refrigerate until cold. Keep the basil leaves in the syrup.

Stir-Fried Beans with Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 lb broccoli, cut into florets

3 Tbs olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 Tbs minced garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup low sodium vegetable stock

1 cup edamame, fresh or thawed frozen

Directions:

Put the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. when the oil is hot, ass the broccoli, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until coated in oil and just beginning to soften- about 1-2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the cumin and tomatoes and give a good stir, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes plump up a bit, the liquid has reduced and the vegetables are crisp-tender- about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.

****

If I had a quarter for every time someone asks “but where do you get your protein?”, I would be a filthy rich broad. Most people don’t even realize that you can get protein from other sources. Some GREAT sources of protein are: sprouts, spinach, kale, broccoli, parsley, quinoa, couscous barley and other whole grains, hemp seeds, almonds, all types of beans, peas, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, etc. It hard NOT to get enough protein with so many options- and I didn’t even include all the soy sources of protein!

1/4 of this recipe provides almost 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. The % of the RDA for various vitamins and minerals are as follows: Vitamin A-37%, Vitamin B-6 12%, Vitamin C- 103%, Calcium-8%, Folate-26%, Iron- 9%, etc..Ok, enough with the nutrition blab. If you’ve tried any of the recipes I’ve posted and liked them, leave me a comment and let me know!