Watch the critically-acclaimed, award-winning first episode of The Meatrix Trilogy.

Take the red pill and watch the critically-acclaimed, award-winning first episode of The Meatrix Trilogy.The Meatrix Movie here!

Strawberries on Salad...yum!!

Strawberries add a sweet contrast to salads.  They are high in Anti-oxidants and Vitamin C. 1 cup only has 49 calories.  I would highly suggest that you purchase Organic Strawberries, they are on the "Dirty Dozen" list for pesticide residue. Give it a try!

BBQ Beans with Tempeh over Brown Rice

BBQ Beans with Tempeh over Brown Rice

-Brown Rice

-Beans, I used Adzuki (small red) but you could use any bean or combination of beans

-Onion, sautéed

-Tempeh, pre-cooked and chopped

BBQ Sauce- combine Tomato paste, Vinegar, Braggs Aminos, Pineapple juice (or other sweetener), Horseradish sauce (or any hot sauce/ red pepper flakes), garlic, liquid smoke

Add Beans and Tempeh to onions in pan, pour in BBQ sauce, stir and heat until bubbly and sauce has thickened.  Serve over Brown Rice

Big Salads- The main course

 So after all of the recipes I've been posting I've decided I need to clarify something.  All of those dishes are what I would call a side dish and the main course of the meal is a Big Salad every night.  When I say "Big" salad, I mean in a serving bowl size, not a cereal bowl size.  It is an easy way to get an amazing amount of nutrients into your diet.  It is easy and very satisfying.

Here are some tips on what I keep on hand on a regular basis to throw these together.

:

These are the staples:
**The base for the salad- Dark leafy greens- (these are the most nutrient dense foods you can eat).  In the past I have bought the Organic Baby Spring Mix from Sam's Club or Costco or the Organic Spinach.  Now I am buying various greens from the Farmers Market like Romaine, Red and Green Leafy Lettuce and Spinach.  I also buy Kale, Collard Greens andSwiss Chard but I tend to use those in my Green Smoothies or to saute them because they have a stronger flavor.

*Cabbage- If you have access to Sam's Club they sell Coleslaw mix in a large bag for about $2.50.  I am currently buying purple cabbage and Napa cabbage and shredding it in my food processor for the whole week.  It gives the salad a nice crunch.
*Sprouts- I make my own Mung bean sprouts- they are easy to make and full of nutrients.  They will keep in the fridge for a week.  To make, rinse mung beans in strainer, place in glass quart jar and fill with water, at least double the amount of beans.  I stretch cheese cloth over the top and use the ring from the lid to screw it on.  Let soak over night, drain in the morning by tipping upside down in sink, let drain for at least an hour or all day.  Place jar on it's side on counter out of direct sunlight.  Turn the jar occasionally.  They are ready once it has a small sprout or tail.  About 2 days.  Place in ziploc bag and keep in fridge to add to salads.  I also buy Alfalfa or Sweet Clover Sprouts from the store as well.
*Frozen Green Peas- I love these on salads.  Place the amount of peas you need in a strainer and run warm water over for a minute to defrost, they taste very fresh this way.
*Sunflower seeds- keep in freezer
*Red Onions- sliced and soaked in balsamic vinegar in the fridge- this is my latest favorite.  The vinegar takes the bite out of the onion and makes it sweet.
*Cilantro- tear off leaves and shred with fingers over salad, no need to chop on a board.  See my Cilantro tip post.  

Some of my other favorites depending if I have them on hand are Avocados, Beets- slightly steamed and shredded, fresh corn cut off the cob or any of your favorite chopped veggies.

You can make it a full meal by adding beans or chopped Tempeh.

And finally the dressing....this is where most salads are ruined by putting high fat, high calorie commerial dressings on it.  My favorite, easy dressing is to mix equal parts Balsamic Vinegar and Dijon or spicy mustard.  It has a thicker consistancy so it sticks to the salad and doesn't end up in the bottom of the bowl.  Most dressing recipes use Olive Oil as the base, I would caution against this due to the calories.  1 Tbls of Olive Oil has 120 calories, most people would use the equivilant of 2 Tbls or 240 calories.  I would rather save those calories and have a piece of fruit for dessert.

Curried Brown Rice with Sauted Onions and Zucchini

Curried Brown Rice with Sauted Onion and Zucchini 

For Curry Sauce blend together:

Silken Tofu

Coconut milk or any milk alternative (Soy, Almond or Rice)

Garam Masala (found in bulk spices at Health Food store or Indian store)

Curry powder

Sri Racha sauce or Red Pepper flakes- to taste

Saute thin sliced Onions and Zucchini.  Mix together Brown Rice, Veggies, Curry Sauce and Pre-Cooked Tempeh (optional)

It’s official, I’m a student!

I am now enrolled in The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). I will be doing their distance learning program, you can also attend their campus in New York. I will be studying online, through webinars, with lectures that are loaded on an IPod that they are sending me as well as some books.

I have been dreaming about this for a while and so excited that it’s coming true. I will graduate in September 2012 as a certified Holistic Health Coach as well as an affiliation with the American Association of Drug-Free Practitioners. I am so excited to be a part of the change I want to see in the world and hope to share what I am learning and my journey with you

Easy Marinated, Browned Tempeh

Make this ahead of time and keep in fridge to chop and add to any recipe.  I think it's also a yummy snack to munch on and dip in any sauce or salsa.  Or, occasionally I will get a craving for Ketchup and Mustard and dip it in (make sure Ketchup does not contain HFCS)

Marinade in equal parts Balsamic Vinegar and Bragg's Aminos with minced garlic, the longer, the stronger the flavor will be, you choose.  Or, use any marinade flavor that you love.

I browned this in my Rice Cooker by pressing "Steam" function, wait until inner pot is hot and place Tempeh in and close lid.  Wait 3-5 minues and turn when brown on one side, do the same on the other side.  Let cool and keep in fridge.  You could also do this under the broiler in your oven or in a pan on the stove.

Rice Cooker- more than just Rice.....

When I moved to Hawaii, I basically had to fit everything into 2 suit cases.  So I got rid of alot of my stuff.  The only thing I brought with me is my Vitamix, which is one of the best investments I've made (more to come in another post).

I just purchased a new Rice Cooker, which I highly recommend.  I bought it at Costco for $31.99, well worth it.  It has a slow cooker feature which replaces a crockpot, nice!  It will also steam and has a delay feature so you can put everything in the morning and time it to be done at any time.

It will do way more than just Rice. I will be giving you lots of recipe ideas since most of my recipes will now be done in this.  See my Marinated, Browned Tempeh post.  However if you don't have one, you can still cook everything on the stove.

Here are some things that I will be doing in it:

*Dried Beans, no need to pre-soak, just add extra water and set slow cooker for 6 hours, checking occasionally, when done, drain extra water. I will experiment with this, I think you could also pre-soak beans and set on "Brown Rice" setting which would only take about 2 hours.  tip- I always add a few pieces of dried seaweed to cut down on the gassy-ness (is that a word?), any variety will work, purchase from Asian section at store. 

*Lentils, rinse first, add 1 to 3 ratio of water and set on "White Rice", it will take about 30- 45 mins.  You could use veg broth or any seasoning as well.

*Quinoa, rinse first, add 1 to 2 ratio water, set on "White Rice", will take about 15- 20 mins. You could use veg broth or any seasoning as well.

*Sauted Vegetables, start on "Steam" function and let inner pot get hot, add veggies, close lid for a few minutes then open and stir, adding liquid if needed until done.

*Steamed Vegetables, add water in pot, place veggies in steam basket, press "Steam" button and walk away, it will shut off when done.  The only bad thing about steaming is the juices that drip down into the pan are full of nutrients. I usually save the liquid, let it cool and use it as a broth for other cooking or in my Green Smoothies.

*Browning Tempeh, start on "Steam" function and let inner pot get hot, add marinate Tempeh, close lid for a few minutes, open and turn once browned on one side, about 3- 5 minutes.  Do the same on the other side. Easy!

*Soups, add all ingrediets and either set on "Slow Cook" or on "White Rice" depending on how long you want to cook or how long the ingredients will take.

I have an idea to do a layered Vegan Lasagna that I will experiment with and do a post if it works, stay tuned for more ideas!