Pomodoro Sauce

Pomodoro (tomato) sauce is a type of Italian red sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil.  It is so fresh and flavorful, much more authentic and delicious than anything bought in a jar.  Plus it is extremely easy to make, anyone can do it!   I use whole wheat spaghetti and "meatless" meatballs, which makes for the perfect, healthful, vegetarian pasta dinner my family loves!  Complex carbs, protein and fiber. Boo-ya!  (This is Joe Bastianich's recipe found in Runner's World magazine)  Enjoy!

The key is in the tomatoes, do not deviate!

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2- 28 oz. cans of peeled, whole Italian plum tomatoes (such as San Marzano or Muir Glen)
1 tsp. dried oregano or Italian seasoning
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
fresh basil for garnish

Directions:
Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium.  Add garlic and saute about 3 minutes.  Pour tomatoes in separate bowl and squeeze them with your hands to break them up.  (If you don't like big chunks, then blend tomatoes in blender.)  Add tomatoes and juice to sauce pan.  Add oregano, salt and pepper.   Simmer on low 45 minutes.   Use one pound of pasta.   Two minutes before pasta is done, drain and add to sauce, cooking a few more minutes allowing pastas to absorb some of the sauce.  Garnish with fresh diced basil and serve with a garden salad.  YUM.

*You can also make this sauce ahead and freeze for up to two months.

Banana Oatmeal Chip Cookies w/ Flax

These little gems are a cross between a cookie, muffin and scone.  They are packed with nutrients, fiber and protein~a perfect energy snack!  I used whole wheat flour, but you could use spelt or any non-wheat flour.  I like to eat two for breakfast with my tea or coffee.   They contain ground flax seeds.  I like to include ground flax seeds in my diet as much as possible~in baking recipes, on top of my cereal or oatmeal, in a smoothie and in pasta dishes.  Flax is full of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemicals called lignans.   Lignans may help prevent Type 2 diabetes, reduce peri-menopausal symptoms, and prevent breast cancer.  Flax seeds are very low in carbohydrates and help lower blood cholesterol.  Ground flax seeds are more easily digested compared to the whole seed.  If you don't have any in your pantry, pick some up at the supermarket as soon as possible!   This recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour (or spelt, or soy flour)

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt, optional

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

1/4 cup organic soy milk

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp expeller pressed canola oil

1/2 banana

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Next, add in the liquid ingredients and stir well.

3. In a small bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the mashed banana, chocolate chips, and walnuts into cookie mixture.

4. Spoon onto prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches apart.  Bake 12-15 minutes.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 1 dozen.

Katy's Chicken and Cheese Pitas

I have to give credit to my daughter, Katy, for coming up with this recipe all by herself.  She likes to try new foods and quite often helps me cook vegetarian meals for the family.  Before I get to this delightful chicken recipe, I'd like to let you in on something I've learned about chicken.  Americans think they are being 'good' because they eat more chicken and less red meat.  I used to eat loads of chicken too, but I can tell you I will never eat it again, and I'm not to keen on serving it to my family.  Why so radical you ask?  Before you put me on your list of friends who are 'total freaks' consider these facts:

*Chicken (while lower in saturated fat) has almost the same amount of cholesterol per serving as red meat.  

*Chicken has more animal proteins than red meat, therefore, more carcinogenic

*Grilled chicken is the largest source of PhIP, a potent carcinogen, (the highest risk is for cancers of the prostate, colon/rectum, and breast).  Fast food places like KFC and others offering 'grilled' chicken, all found to be laced with PhIP!

*Even though high temperatures kill E.coli, people constantly get food poisoning from cross-contamination

*Raw chicken you bring home is covered in bacteria

*Researches from the UofA found more fecal bacteria in the kitchen (from sponges, dish towels, sink drains) than they found swabbing the toilet 

*Chicken 'juice' is pretty much E.coli-fecal soup, ewww, gross!

*Why are there such large chicken breasts at the grocery store?  Hormones and unnatural feed, Ugh.

There are chicken alternatives.  Morning Star makes "chicken" strips and "chicken" nuggets; and Gardein  makes "chicken breasts" made from soy and vital wheat gluten. Gardein "chicken" has 20 grams of protein per serving.  Because it's not animal protein, it has virtually no saturated fat and zero cholesterol. Gardein products are vegan and use non-GMO soy beans.  You season up this "chicken" the exact same way you would season animal chicken: rubs, spices, salt, sauces, bbq... it's all the same, yet very different.

Recipe below:

Leek & Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Ahhh, comfort food.  Okay, so this isn't traditional Shepherd's Pie, but not lacking in flavor!  It's my own delicious, savory version, using lentils for protein instead of lamb or beef.   Of course, there are mashed potatoes on top to give it the "pie."   I thought I would throw in some leeks, a good source of dietary fiber, folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.  Leeks are easier to digest than standard onions, and have antiseptic, diuretic, and anti-arthritic properties.  Using left-over mashed potatoes is great.  You'll need about 6 cups.  Whether making homemade mashed potatoes or a box mix, please refrain from using cow's milk and butter.  This will make the recipe completely fattening and unhealthy.  I'm trying to help you lower your LDL.  Help me, help you!   *When I make mashed potatoes, I use unsweetened soy milk, Earth Balance butter, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.  All in all, it's a healthy meal your family will love.  Just make it.

Ingredients:

6 cups vegan mashed potatoes (about 3-4 large russets)
3 cups cooked lentils (I cheated and used already cooked lentils.  Otherwise, simmer 1 1/2 cups of dried lentils with 3 cups of water or veggie stock about 40 minutes)
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 Roma tomatoes, washed and diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 leeks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons canola or safflower oil
1/4 cup of red wine, optional

Open-faced Grilled Italian Sandwich

This open-faced sandwich is similar to your average meatball sub, only ten times better!  I couldn't believe how delicious this turned out; I just had to blog about it.  I didn't use a recipe, just what I had on hand.   I bought some tomato-basil bruschetta in a jar, but regular spaghetti sauce would work just fine.  Promise me you won't use meat or cheese in this meal.  I want you to know how amazing it is without animal protein!

click photo to enlarge

Here's what I used:

Earth Balance butter
2 pieces of whole grain, whole wheat bread
Bruschetta in a jar, or regular spaghetti sauce, whatever you have!
Extra firm tofu (I used teriyaki flavored baked tofu from Trader Joe's cuz it tastes like chicken)
Pesto sauce
Italian seasoning
Vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast

Grill both sides of the buttered bread and 6 tofu slices
Instead of mayo, use pesto sauce to spread on the toast
Layer the grilled tofu slices and bruschetta on top
Sprinkled with Italian seasoning and nutritional yeast

This was so bomb, I had to pour myself a glass of wine to drink it with!  I didn't use a fork, either.  Trust me, you'll love it!

Sweet Cornbread

You know what's great about cornbread?  It's delicious with any meal, any time of day.   I like making my own cornbread because the ingredient list in store-bought mix cornbread is atrocious (lard, which is fat from pig intestines-gross!).  I have two very good recipes I make all the time.  One of them uses silken tofu, the other ground flax seeds.  Now, while I like these things and have them on hand, I didn't want to scare you away from making decent cornbread. So I combined and tweaked both recipes and came up with my very own version.  All ingredients can be found in your normal grocery store. Plus, you probably already have some of these items on hand.  This cornbread is deliciously sweet with with your savory dishes, or for breakfast, or a late night snack.  It's hearty and rich and full of fiber.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups of non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened soy milk)
1/4 cup unsweetened natural apple sauce
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon of canola or safflower oil

Preheat oven to 425°

First, mix the apple cider vinegar with the soy milk and set a aside to let thicken and turn to "buttermilk."  Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly.   Add the milk mixture, apple sauce, and oil to the dry ingredients and stir well. Oil or spray 13x9 pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Serve plain or with pure maple syrup.

Are you addicted?

When I was a kid, I drank about 3 glasses of milk a day, or more.  I've always eaten cheese too.  Love cheese, yogurt, sauces, and a huge fan of ice cream.  I ate a bowl of ice cream almost every night until I was 40.  I didn't know how on earth I was going to give it up.  Turned out it was easy when I researched the effects of dairy for myself.  I have had so many people say to me, "I could never give up diary, I love my cheese!"  Guess why?  Because dairy is addictive.  No, for real.  When you eat dairy, there are compounds produced in your digestive tract called casomorphins.  Did you notice the word morphine in there?

Of course cheese and dairy are 'addictive' because they are so yummy and creamy and fatty.  But did you know that diary is truly addictive?  When milk protein breaks down in your digestive tract it's converted to something chemically similar to morphine.  Fat from certain foods makes it way to the brain and fat molecules trick the brain into saying "Oh that is so good, don't stop eating it!"  They also signal the body to ignore appetite-suppressing hormones.  Wonderful.  Fat, salt and sugar do the same darn thing!   It's completely addictive like drugs or alcohol.  But good news!  It's not too late to get healthier and reverse some things that may be going on with you!

**Dairy (casein) has been linked to a host of problems and diseases including allergies, acne, breast and prostate cancer~as well as autism and attention deficit disorder in children. Hmmmm.  You will lose weight giving up diary, it's true.  But for me, it's also health issue.