New You Nutrition

Kale Pear Lime Salad

2012-01-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

Lacinto Kale

Kale Pear Lime Salad

Lacinto Kale (or Dinosaur Kale) is one variety of that dark green vegetable that everyone is talking about and you know you're supposed to eat more of. Lacinto kale is a slightly sweeter taste than the curly kale variety. I decided to make a kale salad with a sweet taste and experimented with adding lime zest for a strong lime flavor. This is the ultimate detox-your-liver salad with kale, daikon, lime, red cabbage, juice-sweetened dried cranberries, nuts and pears.

Start with 1 bunch Lacinto kale. Wash well, slice into bite-sized pieces and place in large bowl.
Slice 5 Seckel pears and toss with 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 tsp umeboshi vinegar, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp agave nectar, 1 Tbsp olive oil and lime zest of 1 lime. Set aside.
Toast 2 Tbsp pine nuts or pecans and add to kale along with 1 cup red cabbage ribbons, 1 cup daikon radish julienne and 2 Tbsp juice-sweetened dried cranberries. Add the pear-lime dressing mixture. Let the salad sit for 30 min before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Mmmmm.

Vegan Thanksgiving 2011 Menu

2011-11-21T15:33:00.000-05:00

Here is my final menu for this year's vegan Thanksgiving:

Gingered Carrot Soup
Pumpkin Stuffed with Quinoa, Wild Rice & Lentils (recipe posted on this blog)
Kale Salad with Pear, Daikon and Lime (recipe to be posted on this blog)
Roasted Brussels sprouts and shallots (see Marvelous Meatless Meals FB page)
Cranberry Conserve & Chutney (recipe posted on this blog)
Quinoa-quinoa corn bread (recipe by Bryant Terry in his book Vegan Soul Kitchen)
Ginger Dusted Pumpkin Cheezecake (recipe by Robin Robertson)

Cranberry Chutney and Conserve

2011-11-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

Cranberry Conserve

Here are two recipes using fresh cranberries. They are recipes that my family has been making for years but had quite a bit of sugar. Of course, cranberries don't have much in the way of natural sugar so you do need to add some, but I wanted to see if I could make them with a less refined sweetener like brown rice syrup. I like my cranberries a little on the tart side; add more sweetener if you like your cranberries sweeter.

Cranberry Conserve
4 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup Sucanat
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 large orange, juiced and zest of rind
1 lemon, juiced and zest of rind
1 cup chopped nuts ***would be great with walnuts or pecans; I make it with almonds as we have allergies in my family to the others
1 cup raisins or juice-sweetened cranberries or half of each
1/2 cup water

NOTE on the sugar:this amount of sweetener will make the conserve slightly tart. Taste it after you add the sugars and if it isn't sweet enough for your taste then add additional Sucanat. You may substitute any dry sugar for the Sucanat such as maple sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, Rapadura sugar.

Place cranberries and water in saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cranberries begin to burst. Add the Sucanat and brown rice syrup, the juice from the orange and lemon, the zest from the orange and lemon, and the raisins.
Cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the nuts.
Pour into a mold or bowl to set.
It usually sets well enough to be unmolded onto a decorative plate.

Cranberry Chutney
In a saucepan simmer 1/2 cup sliced onions with 1/2 cup brown rice syrup, 2 Tbsp agave, and 2 Tbsp water, for about 10 min.
Add 1/4 c apple cider vinegar, 2 small apples (peeled, seeded & diced), pinch sea salt, 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger, 1/4 tsp each mace & curry, and grated rind of 1 orange.Simmer another 10 min.
Add 2 cups fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup currants, and the juice of 1 orange.
Taste for sweetness and add any additional sweetener now. Remember it is a savory flavor, not as sweet as cranberry sauce.
Simmer slowly for about 10 min until all the cranberries have burst.

Cranberry Chutney

Vegan Thanksgiving 2011: Quinoa-Wild Rice-Lentil Stuffed Squash

2011-11-13T17:16:00.000-05:00

Last year was my family's 3rd annual vegan Thanksgiving. Each year we try a new dish or two and also make some family favorites. The sides are never an issue, but deciding on a main dish has had me stumped. We are definitely NOT fake turkey people, and since my husband can't eat any gluten we are not able to consider anything with seitan or any pot pie type dishes. My goal with the main dish, and the whole meal for that matter,is to present food that is festive,which highlights the flavors of autumn and celebrates the bounty of the harvest season. Last year I stuffed two kabocha squashes with a mixture of quinoa, wild rice and lentils, with leeks and mushrooms. It was delicious and festive and we are making it again this year.

Start by cooking the pumpkin.Cut the top out the way you would if you were making a Jack-O-Lantern. Scoop out the seeds and rub the inside with olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt and a smashed garlic clove. Place the squash in a large roasting pan with about 1/2 inch water in the bottom and cover with foil. Bake 375 for about 45 min or until it can be pierced with a fork.

The filling (enough to fill 2 kabocha squashes or small pumpkins):
Cook 1/2 c wild rice in 1½ cups water.
In a separate pot cook 1/2 c quinoa in 1 cup water or broth.
In a separate pot cook 1/2 c French lentils (black beluga lentils can be substituted) in 1½ cups water or broth, until tender.Drain any extra liquid.
In 1-2 Tbsp olive oil saute 1 cup thinly sliced leek (or onion), 1 stalk chopped celery, 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms, 1 clove minced garlic, and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage until vegetables are softened.
Toast 2 Tbsp pine nuts (or more if you love them and can afford them at about $16/lb).
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, cooked wild rice, cooked lentils, sauteed vegetables and toasted pine nuts.

Stuff this mixture into the baked kabocha shell, place in a roasting pan,cover with foil so it doesn't burn, and bake 1/2 hour or longer. Bake with the squash top NEXT to the shell, not on top....the squash will change shape as it bakes and you may lose your top inside the pumpkin. Any extra stuffing can be baked in a separate dish.

stuffed squash sliced for serving

Roasted Butternut or Tomato Soup (or both!)??

2011-11-09T12:37:00.001-05:00

Sometime in early October the shadows fall over my vegetable garden and I know that any tomatoes still on the vine will never turn red. A friend taught me to put the unripe tomatoes in a brown bag and wait. Eventually most of them will turn reddish; nothing like a ripe summer tomato but good enough to turn into salsa or roasted tomato soup.

I ended up with a bunch of ugly, blemished, not-so-ripe tomatoes from the garden and was thinking of making the roasted tomato soup. But then I also had a lovely butternut squash and kind of felt like making that into soup. So I decided to roast both together and make a roasted tomato-butternut soup. The result was delicious.

Peel and cube a butternut squash; place in roasting pan.
Quarter a bunch of plum tomatoes or any tomato you have that is blemished, ugly, or about to become compost; place in roasting pan.
Add garlic cloves, shallots or onions, or any combination.
Add a fresh herb; basil or rosemary or sage.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and a few pinches sea salt.
Roast at 400 degrees for 20 min, stir and roast another 20 min or until squash is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Once the vegetables are cool, puree in blender then add to soup pot. At this point you can thin the thick puree with veg broth or water or add some coconut milk. Season further with additional herbs. Add some white wine if desired. Reheat until desired temp is reached. Serve garnished with freshly chopped herbs if you have them (parsley, basil, cilantro etc).

Last Call for Corn Chowder!

2011-10-17T19:24:00.001-04:00

This is our lovely campsite

and our delicious meal of vegan corn chowder and salads of veggies from the garden.

Every year we make a trek to the Adirondacks for some R&R and getting back to nature. We have been enjoying the Long Lake area for many years, mostly camping with our tent, occasionally being forced in to the Adirondack Hotel when it was pouring, and once we rented a place on the lake and pretended we lived there.

The Adirondacks is a wonderful place to hike, canoe and kayak. There just isn't very much in the way of vegetarian food in the restaurants, although you can now find tofu, hummus, soy milk, frozen veggie burgers, frozen Ezekiel breads and lots of Bob's Red Mill products at the Northern Borne grocery in Long Lake. Further north in Saranac Lake is Nori's Village Market where you can stock up on all kinds of natural foods. In recent years there have been more and more places to purchase veg foods throughout the 'Dacks but still not much of it in Long Lake. So we bring our own, and enjoy gourmet camping meals by the side of the lake with the loons crying their mournful call.

And don't forget the Pinot Grigio.

Following is the recipe for the chowder. If you can still get a half-dozen ears of corn from your farmer's market, you can make the soup. All of the other ingredients are available year-round. Coconut milk makes the chowder very rich and creamy, you won't miss the dairy at all. Although the chowder is pureed, I like to keep a couple cups of the soup chunky which adds a great texture. Set your outside table and pretend you're camping.....enjoy.

Corn Chowder
6 ears fresh corn
2 onions, chopped
1 large clove garlic

2 fist-sized potatoes, diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 small can chopped green chilis
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
1 cup chopped cilantro
Cut the corn off the cobs (reserve the corn) and place the cobs in a large stock pot with 8 cups water (to cover). Boil until you get a corn stock and the liquid is reduced by about half. Remove the cobs and set the stock aside.
In a large soup pot saute the onions in 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil over medium heat.
Add carrots, potatoes, celery, garlic and saute a few minutes more.
Add the corn stock (about 4 cups) and the corn and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until potato can be pierced with a fork.
Cool the soup and then blend (you may need to do this in batches), but leave some of the vegetables unblended. Add the puree back to the pot and add to this the green chilis, coconut milk and cilantro. Cook over low flame until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper.

Lentils with Swiss Chard

2011-08-17T10:28:00.002-04:00

This is the time of year when there are so many vegetables available from my garden (or the farmer's market) all at the same time. It is so much fun to take whatever there is and create something without taking out a cookbook and using a recipe. I made this lentil-chard stew one evening when I had to put something together quickly before everyone went in separate directions. It turned out really tasty but lends itself well to your additions and changes.

Cook 1 cup brown lentils, 1 large carrot cut into chunks, and a small chopped onion in 2 1/2 c water until lentils are soft.

Meanwhile, in a skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil saute 1 medium chopped onion and 1 large minced clove garlic until soft. Add 2 chopped plum tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes have released their juices and no longer hold their shape. Add 1 tsp curry powder and cook for another minute. Add Swiss chard leaves that have been sliced into ribbons. Cook this until the chard has wilted.

When the lentils are done, add the chard mixture and stir to fully incorporate. Season with a pinch of sea salt if desired.

I served this stew over Lundberg Brown Rice Couscous but it would also go well over quinoa or millet or any kind of rice.I think it is also delicious on its own for a lower carb, high protein meal. Serve with lemon wedges (don't omit this part,the lemon adds great flavor to the dish).

Enjoy!

Morning Porridge

2011-07-13T09:24:00.017-04:00

Maybe it's not new, but I just found these Bob's Red Mill Millet Grits for the first time. The grits make a breakfast porridge that is gluten-free, creamy and satisfying, and a nice change from brown rice hot cereal for those who don't tolerate gluten-free oats.The millet has 5g protein per serving, almost as much as oatmeal, and 3g fiber. The porridge cooks up quickly in about 10 minutes or less. Since the millet is pretty bland, you can dress it up with fresh fruits, vanilla extract, spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, nuts or seeds. Add some lemon zest or orange zest for a bright zing. Kitchen Tip: save lemon rinds from juicing; they keep for a few days in the refrigerator and can be used for adding zest to porridge, salads or baking. Or try a more savory approach by adding some finely chopped carrot, onion and corn to the pot with the millet.

Whether you are going with a sweet fruit topping or a savory taste, add 1/2 tsp white miso to promote good digestion; the miso has a salty slightly fermented flavor that you really don't notice with such a small amount. Just before the millet is ready, dissolve 1/2 tsp miso (my favorite is Mellow White Miso, and the Miso Master brand is gluten-free according to the company) in one or two tablespoons of hot water, add to the porridge and cook for one more minute.You can add the miso to any other porridge using the same technique. What an easy, non-dairy way to get your daily probiotic.

Lastly, I want to share some flavor combinations that will work for any porridge:

Dried cherries, orange zest, sliced almonds

Fresh blueberries, vanilla extract, dash cinnamon

Fresh peach, lemon zest

Grated apple, raisins, cinnamon, pinch nutmeg

Crushed pineapple, toasted coconut

Banana & PB or almond butter

Pear, pinch allspice, pecans

Fresh raspberries, lemon zest

Add 1 Tbsp ground flax to any of the above

Add sunflower, hemp or pumpkin seeds to any of the above or sub for nuts

Raw Banana Cannoli with Choco-cado Filling

2011-06-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you've had the problem of too many bananas ripening all at the same time. It happens more during warm months. Often I freeze peeled ripe bananas for later use in smoothies or baked goodies. But last week I had 6 ripe bananas and decided to try this raw treat using my dehydrator. Here are the steps and ingredients with photos.

1. puree 6 ripe bananas and spread on a dehydrator screen covered with non-stick sheet.You may want to oil this with some melted coconut oil

2. Dehydrate at 95 degrees for about 18 hrs until it can be peeled from the non-stick sheet. It should be the consistency of a fruit leather

3. Score the banana leather into 6 pieces

4. For the filling, process 1 ripe avocado, 1/3c Medjool dates, 1-2 Tbsp agave, 1/3 c raw cacao powder, pinch sea salt, small splash vanilla. Process until smooth.

5. Divide the filling evenly between the 6 cannolis.

6. Fold the sides of the cannoli.

7. Cashew cream: process or blend 1/2 cup raw cashews that have been soaked for 2-3 hrs. Add water to create a creamy consistency. Add a splash vanilla and 1 tsp lemon juice. Add 1-2 Tbsp agave to taste.

8. Pipe the cashew cream on the cannolis.

9. Enjoy!

10. Store leftovers for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Gluten Free and Vegan in New Haven

2011-06-07T09:28:00.000-04:00

On a recent trip to New Haven to spend time with a friend (it is somewhat halfway between our two towns) I had a chance to explore some veg and gluten-free menus. We had lunch at Claire's Corner Copia, a vegetarian cafe right across from the Yale campus which caters to vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diets. The menu is posted on an enormous blackboard with everything clearly labeled and options for making your dish vegan and/or GF. There were so many choices it was actually hard to decide. I had the Avocado Plus Salad with spicy buffalo soy chicken which seemed to be a homemade seitan (not GF) deliciously spiced. Their bakery case displayed yummy-looking vegan cupcakes and other treats, unfortunately not vegan and GF. There is a cookbook, Claires Corner Copia Cookbook, which I had never heard of but my friend tells me has been around for a long time.

In my quest for vegan-GF eats in New Haven I also came across a pizza placeCafe Romeo which offers vegan cheese and a personal-sized GF pizza; check out their menu.

And we walked by Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant offering vegan and vegetarian menu items. Be aware that injera, the Ethiopian sourdough bread served with the meal instead of utensils, is made from teff (gluten-free) but can have other non-GF flours as well.

My husband the architect gave us a lovely walking tour of Yale architecture, including the three on-campus museums designed by famous architects like Louis Kahn, and we enjoyed walking through the many Georgian courtyards. Definitely worth a day trip, easily accessed from Route 95, and not very far off the highway to parking which is only blocks away from the Yale campus (and Claire's!!!).

Chopped Salad

2011-05-31T13:01:00.000-04:00

"Everything Salads" have a way of evolving out of whatever is available in the refrigerator and pantry. This one was especially delicious. All the vegetables are chopped to bite-size.

Ingredients: arugula, romaine, red cabbage, Belgian endive, baby carrot, red radish, tomato, fresh dill, chickpeas, artichoke hearts (packed in water), really good olives (Kalamata, oil-cured, Nicoise...).

Dressing: 1-2 tsp EV olive oil, 1-2 Tbsp red wine or champagne vinegar, 1 tsp umeboshi plum vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard.

Flourless (Raw) Brownies

2011-05-27T11:42:00.002-04:00

Raw Brownies

Temperature's rising outside, it's a good time for raw desserts which don't require turning on the oven. I've explored raw food desserts as a way to eat a healthy and delicious treat without flour, butter, sugar, or eggs. Technically, nothing on a raw food diet is heated above 118 degrees; foods are either raw, dried without preservatives, sprouted or dehydrated.If you don't have a dehydrator, don't worry, you can "dry" foods by placing them on a piece of clean screen in your oven set to a low temp (no more than 200 degrees)and leave the door open a crack. Of course this requires turning on the oven which is what we are trying to avoid. This recipe can be eaten without dehydrating, the brownies will just be more moist.

In your food processor pulse 1 cup pecans or walnuts (raw unsalted) into a meal. Add 1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates* and pulse until dates are pulverized and mixed into the nuts. Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder), 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt. Process until the mixture starts forming a ball (dough).

Gather the dough and press into a square on a piece of waxed paper or parchment. It should be about 1/2 inch thick. Score the dough into 16 small brownies; I use a pizza wheel for this. Press a piece of pecan or walnut into each brownie. Dehydrate for several hours until desired dryness is reached OR refrigerate until firm. Eat!

*Medjool dates are soft dates and work better for raw desserts than the smaller, harder types.

Variations

Add shredded unsweetened coconut.

Add chopped dried cherries.

Add 1/4 tsp chili powder.

Add 1/4 tsp cinnamon.

Frost with a puree of avocado, agave, cocoa powder.

Nori Wraps

2011-04-26T08:34:00.000-04:00

Nori Wrap

Want a really simple way to get raw stuff and sea vegetables in your day? Nori Wraps are a quick, delicious, high nutrient-low fat meal that can be made with whatever you have on hand. The one pictured here was my dinner from last night and had cucumber, tomato, apple slices, romaine, avocado, 1/4 cup brown rice, hemp seeds, a torn basil leaf and a piece of umeboshi plum . Lay the full piece of nori on a plate, place the rice in the center and add slices of each veg, basil, hemp seeds. Roll into a cone, dab a little water on the edges of the cone to "glue" it down. Voila! So much easier than making sushi!!! Seriously, sushi is fun to make but is so involved, it is something I only do once in a while. Nori wraps could be an every-week meal!

Here are some other ideas for what to stuff in your nori wrap: any combination of pea shoots, cilantro, fresh mint, apple or mango, brown rice or quinoa, cucumber, radish, tomato, avocado, hemp seeds, kimchi , leftover 100% buckwheat soba noodles, baby spinach, julienne carrot, baked tofu. I'm sure you'll come up with even more ideas (let me know!!). The main idea here is to keep it simple and use what you have on hand.

For those of you who are interested in the nutrition info as well as the tastiness of your food, each sheet of nori provides 1g fiber, 1g protein, 0g fat, 5 calories, and 70% of your daily iodine requirement.

Nori and other sea vegetables keep for a long time in the cabinet so its easy to have some on hand.Make some today and don't forget to let me know what's your fav filling! Happy wrapping!

One Lucky Duck Raw Vegan

2011-04-15T09:18:00.001-04:00

We ate lunch at One Lucky Duck Chelsea Market on Sunday. Had the Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps (delish!) & Spicy Sesame Salad (YUM!), chocolate ganache tart & a raw lemon bar. All food is raw, organic, vegan. The desserts are very rich and the prices are very very rich too but all was incredibly delicious and held our appetites for hours. The main restaurant is Pure Food and Wine , also raw organic vegan. Looking forward to eating there some day.

Chia: It's Not Just for Pets Anymore

2011-04-04T17:52:00.002-04:00

Remember Chia Pets, those little clay pots with seeds that you watered and then became "hair" on the "pet"? Well, now you can skip the clay pot, the water and the pet and just eat the chia seeds directly. Known botanically as Salvia Hispanica L., chia seeds pack a lot of nutrition in a small portion. 2 Tbsp chia provides about 6.6g fat, 9g carbohydrate, 8g fiber (wow!!!) & 3.3g protein. Each Tbsp boasts about 70mg calcium! and over 4000 mg of Omega-3 fatty acid. Just to get an idea of how amazing those little seeds are, 25-40 g fiber is recommended for good health so 2 Tbsp chia gets you about a third of the way there, and 140mg calcium in 2 Tbsp chia represents approximately 14% of the recommended 1000mgs calcium per day without dairy products! Chia seeds are sold whole such as this Shiloh Farms package, or under the brand name Salba (hulled chia seeds).

Another way to eat chia is in this raw, gluten-free cereal called Ruth's Chia Goodness, a combination of hemp seed, chia seed, and raw sprouted buckwheat. Chia seeds absorb twice their weight in water, forming a gel which can be used to replace eggs in recipes (used as a binder, not as a leavening). Sprinkle chia on salads, in your morning hot cereal, over yogurt or fruit, add to smoothies, or make this chia pudding.

Chia Pudding

Place 3 Tbsp chia seeds in a bowl and cover with 1/3-1/2 cup almond milk. Stir in 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract and stevia or agave to taste. Use a small whisk to mix in the cocoa, and be patient as it doesn't take to the cold liquid very well. Once fully mixed, wait 10-15 min until it is pudding-like in texture. Enjoy!

Chia Seeds

Thanksgiving Wild Rice and French Lentil Stuffed Kabocha Squash

2010-11-23T10:04:00.002-05:00

My family is very excited to celebrate another vegan Thanksgiving this year. Coming up with a menu is lots of fun and we've got our favorite sides like everyone else. The main dish is what seems to change every year. Having a stuffed something seems an appropriate idea so we are going to try a wild rice and lentil stuffed kabocha squash. Kabocha squash is actually a pumpkin (eaten in Japan)so if you can't find the kabocha, a cooking pumpkin would work too.

Many of you have asked me to post the recipe for this dish, but the truth is I'm going to be "winging" it (pun intended). I've never made it before but I am happy to tell you what I'm going to do.

Starting with cooking the pumpkin.Cut the top out the way you would if you were making a Jack-O-Lantern. Scoop out the seeds and rub the inside with olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt and a smashed garlic clove. Place the squash in a large roasting pan with about 1/2 inch water in the bottom and cover with foil. Bake 375 for about 45 min or until it can be pierced with a fork.

The filling: I'm going to combine cooked wild rice (1/2 c dry), cooked quinoa (1/2 c dry) and cooked French lentils (1/2 c dry) with sauteed onion or leek, celery, garlic, herbs like sage or rosemary, toasted pine nuts, and probably mushrooms. If it doesn't hold together I'll put some in the food processor and pulse to get it to stick together and then add this back to the bowl. If I must, I may add some gluten-free bread crumbs or bread but I want to try to make this without bread.

The plan will then be to stuff this mixture into my baked kabocha shells, cover with foil so it doesn't burn, and bake 1/2 hour or longer. Bake with the squash top NEXT to the shell, not on top....the squash will change shape as it bakes and you may lose your top inside the pumpkin. Any extra stuffing can be baked in a separate dish.

I plan to make the stuffing either today or tomorrow, prebake the squash tomorrow and then on Thanksgiving I just have to stuff the filling into the squash and bake the last 1/2 hr.

Wishing everyone a joyful day surrounded by loving friends and family.
Melissa

Salad of the Week 1

2010-03-28T11:06:00.001-04:00

I love to have a big salad for lunch most days but my salads have to be hearty enough to fill me and keep me going. Often the ingredients include items that need to be used up combined with items from the pantry. This week's salad used up some green cabbage I had, and satisfied my craving for artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes.
Sorry no picture, I ate it up before realizing I didn't photograph it. :)

Slice half a small green cabbage into ribbons. Saute cabbage ribbons in olive oil until wilted, sprinkling with a pinch of sea salt.
Place cabbage in a bowl and add: 1 can drained and rinsed white beans, 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (not marinated in oil), 1/2 can artichoke hearts cut into 1/8's, a few Kalamata olives sliced.
Dressing is 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, a small garlic clove crushed, pinch of sea salt. Toss with salad.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2010-03-28T10:57:00.001-04:00

These are delicious gluten and dairy free sweet potato biscuits.
Start with a 16 oz can of pureed sweet potato (2 cups). Add 3 Tbsp melted Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and 1 Tbsp brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, and 1/2 cup sorghum flour. Stir with a wire whisk. Add 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder.
Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined.
Grease a baking sheet and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Scoop about 2-3 Tbsp of dough into your hand and shape into a small disk, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Place on baking sheet. Should make about 15.
Melt another 1-2 Tbsp Earth Balance and brush this over the biscuits before baking.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

La Riviera Trattoria

2010-03-25T11:26:00.003-04:00

This is Maria. I had the pleasure of meeting Maria recently at a Celiac Support Group meeting at the Kogan Celiac Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ. Maria was diagnosed with celiac a year ago and told the group her story. Maria's father is the chef-owner at La Riviera Trattoria in Clifton. Being the daughter of the chef, she of course began to mourn the loss of her delicious Italian foods. This led her to remake many of the family's recipes in ways that would allow her to continue to enjoy them. Thus, a gluten-free menu was developed for the restaurant which her family now shares with us.

You can imagine how excited I was to try her dad's place. My husband has been gluten and dairy free for over 4 years and has never been able to order pasta in a restaurant. Additionally, Maria assured me they would be able to accommodate the dairy restriction and make something for us that was vegetarian.

We went there to celebrate my husband's and niece's birthdays. Maria set up the whole menu for us and everything was ready to go when we got there. We started with bruschetta on GF crackers, followed by stuffed artichokes which were quite a treat, a salad, and then GF penne with a truffle oil that was spectacular!

Here is Maria's papa, Franco, the chef at La Riviera Trattoria. We had a lovely evening, stress free due to the wonderful care we were given at the restaurant. We plan to go back soon with friends.

If you go: call ahead and ask for Maria. She will put together a menu for you if you need other restrictions besides the GF menu.

Buono Appetito!

Oatmeal of the Week 1

2010-03-22T13:07:00.000-04:00

I love oatmeal for breakfast. My favorite is Bob's Red Mill Thick-Cut Rolled Oats, but these are not guaranteed gluten-free. If you have celiac, you will want to get Bob's Red Mill (or other brand) gluten-free rolled oats or steel-cut oats. Each batch is tested for gluten before labeling. The steel-cut oats are whole oats that have been pulverized; they take about 15-20 min to cook. Use 1 cup steel-cut oats to 3 cups water. For rolled oats, use 1/2 dry oats with 1 cup water. Now, to make it exciting, come back and check out my different posts on oatmeal of the week. Or post your favorite!

Oatmeal of the Week 1
1/2 cup dry rolled oats, 1/2 cup water & 1/2 cup favorite non-dairy milk, 1 Tbsp chopped dried cherries, grated rind of 1/2 orange, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.
Bring water and milk to a boil, add rest of ingredients and cook until liquid is absorbed.
Serve with sliced almonds if desired. YUM

Larabar Fan of the Day!

2010-03-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

http://www.larabar.com/fun/blog
Hey, I'm the Larabar fan of the day!! Check it out!

Valentine's Day Linzer Tarts

2010-02-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

We have made these raspberry-filled linzer tarts for years on Valentine's Day. When we went gluten and dairy free, the recipe was reworked to fit our new nutritional needs. Over our gluten-free years I have played with the flours used in the dough and think this combination works quite well.Follow the flour recommendations and proportions closely for the best results.
1 cup tapioca flour
3/4 c brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3 Tbsp each quinoa flour and garbanzo flour
2 Tbsp sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum1 cup Earth Balance non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1 egg
1 tbsp lemon zest

12 oz all-fruit seedless raspberry jam
Organic confectioner's sugar

Combine all flours, baking powder, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl and whisk together.
In a separate bowl, beat margarine until creamy. Add sugar and beat until combined. Add egg and beat until creamy. Add flour mixture a little at a time and beat until combined. When flour is fully incorporated, add lemon zest and stir to distribute through dough.
Wrap the dough in waxed paper and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Unwrap dough and roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut heart shapes and place on lightly greased cookie sheets.Using a small circle cutter (I use the small circle from the biscuit cutter), cut out the center of every other cookie. You want an even number of whole hearts and hearts with a hole in the center.
Bake 350 for 10 min until lightly browned at the edges. Leave on sheets 3 min before removing with thin metal spatula to cooling racks.
Warm the jam over low heat in a small saucepan (do not burn).
Use a spoon to spread the jam over the bottom hearts. Top with hearts that have the holes.
Continue making these sandwiches until all the cookies are used.
Use a sifter to sprinkle the tarts with confectioner's sugar. Then use remaining jam to fill the holes.
The tarts freeze well in flat containers with waxed paper separating layers of cookies.

Tofu Cashew Creme

2009-12-22T10:08:00.000-05:00

Use this rich, non-dairy creme for topping broiled peaches, berries or other fresh fruit, pancakes and waffles.

1/2 lb firm tofu
1 Tbsp cashew butter
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or more to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp vanilla & 1/4 tsp almond

Mix all in food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides once or twice.

Holiday Spinach Spread

2009-12-22T10:04:00.000-05:00

This spinach spread is good for any time of the year and is easily made with frozen spinach and other ingredients you probably have on hand. Bring it to your next holiday party; your friends will never know it's dairy-free and healthy!
1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and the water squeezed out
1 lg clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp miso
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp Vegenaise (or regular mayo)
2 Tbsp plain soy yogurt
1/4 cup mashed firm tofu

Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse several times to mix. Continue to pulse until a spreadable consistency is reached.
Enjoy on flax or rice crackers.

Buckwheat Nutmeg Waffles

2009-12-22T09:53:00.000-05:00

Mmm. These buckwheat waffles smell so good when they're baking! This recipe didn't make it in time for the printing of Melissa's Marvelous Meatless Meals so I want to share it with you here.

1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 Tbsp garbanzo flour
1 Tbsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp rapadura or Sucanat sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum

2 Tbsp ground flax
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 cups non-dairy milk
1/4 cup canola oil

mix 2 Tbsp flax with 1/2 cup warm water and set aside.
Mix all other dry ingredients together in large bowl
Mix applesauce, oil, and non-dairy milk together in a separate bowl and then add to dry ingredients. Add flax mixture to batter. Mix all together.
Make waffles according to your wafflemaker instructions.
Enjoy with applesauce, apple butter, or sauteed fruit.

Nut Butter and Fruit Toast

2009-10-08T14:31:00.000-04:00

Try this for an after school snack or a mid-morning munch.
Start with your favorite gluten-free bread. Toast the bread.
Top with 1 Tbsp of your favorite nut butter and then some fresh fruit instead of jam. Vary the combinations.
Some delicious favorites:
almond butter with sliced apple or pear
cashew butter with sliced strawberries or raspberries
peanut butter with sliced strawberries or banana

Make Your Own Chocolate for One

2009-10-08T14:25:00.000-04:00

Ok. I admit it. Sometimes I like a little bit of dessert. Here is a quick little dessert idea that makes enough for 1 person (me!). You make your own chocolate dip from coconut oil, agave nectar, and cacao powder (or cocoa powder), then dip a few strawberries. Like I said, it only makes enough to dip a few strawberries but it is sweet and delicious and won't put your calories over the edge.

Mix together: 1 tsp melted coconut oil, 1 tsp agave nectar, 1/2 tsp cacao powder or cocoa powder. Mix. Spread on a few organic strawberries. Mmmmm. Enjoy!!

New LaraBar Flavors!

2009-10-06T09:11:00.000-04:00

If you haven't tried it yet, the new Peanut Butter & Jelly LaraBar tastes amazingly like PB & J!! There is also a Peanut Butter Cookie flavor which we have not yet tried (it is in the snack drawer!) but will let you know our review soon.

Eat Your Greens!

2009-09-16T17:04:00.000-04:00

Now is the season for some wonderful greens like kale, swiss chard, beet greens, collard greens. Try this easy and low fat way to prepare greens.
1 bunch of greens or mixed greens (kale, swiss chard, beet greens, collard greens)
1-2 leeks or a large onion
2 carrots

Wash and chop the greens.
Slice the leeks or slice the onions into half moons
wash the carrots and slice into half moons

Place the leeks or onions on the bottom of a large soup pot.
Cover with the carrots and then the greens on top.
Add about 1/2 inch water, cover and simmer 5-8 minutes until carrots are tender. Check often to make sure the greens are still bright green.
Once cooked, add 1 tsp wheat-free soy sauce and mix all vegetables together.
Serve with a miso-nut butter gravy: mix together 1 Tbsp miso and 1 Tbsp tahini or almond butter. Add warm water until smooth and creamy. Add enough water until desired consistency of gravy is reached.
Drizzle gravy over the greens.

Zucchini Overload!

2009-09-15T16:56:00.001-04:00

Are you still getting zucchini from your garden? Or maybe you keep buying it from the nearest farm stand. Here is something you can do with all that summer squash....a lasagne that uses zucchini slices in place of the noodles, a delicious tofu ricotta, and your favorite sauce. Very simple. Sorry my picture isn't too pretty, I'm not a great photographer but the lasagne was easy and delicious.

3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (1/4") lengthwise

then bake on oiled baking sheet for 30 min at 350 degrees.

3 cups cooked brown rice combined with 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

2 cups your favorite GF tomato sauce

1 recipe tofu ricotta, add 1/4 c fresh basil if you have

Layer in a 9x13 baking dish:

all rice/sesame on bottom

top with 1/2 zucchini slices laid next to each other, cover all the rice

top with 1 cup tomato sauce, spread over the slices

top with all tofu ricotta

top with remaining zucchini slices

top with remaining cup tomato sauce

Bake 350 x 30 min uncovered. Top with vegan cheese if desired.

Tofu ricotta: 1 package tofu, 1 Tbsp mellow white miso, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 large clove garlic, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp basil (or 1/4 cup fresh), 2 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp salt. Blend all in food processor.

On the Road in Boulder, CO

2009-09-07T17:10:00.001-04:00

Well, we 've been home now a couple of weeks but while it is still fresh in my mind I wanted to tell you about some of our eating experiences in Boulder and Denver. For us, it was a wonderful area to vacation with lots of dining options and at least one Whole Foods in Boulder to help with our picnics and breakfasts.

Some of our hiking days were very long and there was no time to prepare any dinner much less feel like going out after a long day on the trails. Whole Foods provided lots of options from their prepared deli to the salad bar and even just picking up raw salad material and delicious hummus for a simple meal.

On days when we had more time, we enjoyed a meal on the town. Our first restaurant meal was the day we flew in....we walked from where we were staying to a Vietnamese restaurant called Chez Thuy . There was not a specific gluten free menu but many dishes with no gluten ingredients. They have a very extensive vegetarian menu and will make any of those entrees vegan. There was enough food on each entree for at least two meals. We took our leftovers home and had them for dinner on one of our long trail days.

Another night we had dinner at Leaf vegetarian restaurant which I was excited about b/c I had seen the menu on line and they had some raw food choices that I was interested in trying. It is a funky atmosphere and we were a family of four without funky clothes.....so we were seated in a dark corner away from anyone in the street passing by to look in. The food was good, a variety of options for vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, etc. but a bit overpriced I thought. I ate the raw food special which was a raw zucchini pasta with a cashew Alfredo sauce....tasty.

We did a little overnight to the Manitou Springs area south of Denver and ate in a Greek restaurant called Jake and Telly's. We were excited that they had some felafel sandwiches on gluten free bread and then after we were seated learned that those were only lunch items. They did not seem very comfortable with answering the typical gluten free dairy free questions about menu items but the food was good.

In Denver we had a WONDERFUL time at City O' City, a vegetarian restaurant right next to the WaterCourse Foods Bakery, specializing in gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free desserts.You can create your own pizza with your choice of crust, toppings including a non-GF vegan cheese and a gluten free raw cashew cheddar, lots of vegetables, and tempeh bacon, veg pepperoni etc. Some of these toppings are not GF but there were plenty of toppings that worked. The crust was homemade and delicious!!! It was a very exciting meal to be able to get pizza with a gluten free crust AND vegan cheese. YUM. And then to top it off Chris got a gluten free cookie sold in the restaurant but baked next door at WaterCourse. They called it Scout and it tasted a lot like those Girl Scout cookies called Samoa. A total treat.

Ok. Then back to Boulder. A lovely meal at Sunflower with some friends we were meeting. Something there for everyone!! Menu items are listed with a GF for gluten free and V for vegan. Makes ordering so easy. My children and I enjoyed the Bamboo Steamer which came with an array of steamed veggies and your choice of brown rice or noodles, and an optional protein of tofu, tempeh or seitan. A delicious change when you've been eating out so much; very nice to be able to get a simple meal of veggies and rice.

We also "discovered" the Mediterranean Deli (also known as Caspian Deli and Grocery) which makes delicious hummus and felafel (no wheat). Eat in or take out. Located at 2607 Pearl St., Boulder, CO.

Lastly, I should mention the Boulder Farmer's Market, Wed. and Sat., which had many gluten free businesses including 2 Moms in the Raw, and some gluten free breads and fresh pastas. Udi's Bakery offers a white and a multi-grain gluten free bread that is delicious if not expensive (name a gluten free food that is NOT expensive), very much like real sandwich bread. The bakery is located in Denver and has a booth at the farmer's market and is also selling in Whole Foods.

We breakfasted once at Walnut Cafe in Boulder. No gluten free menu but certainly some GF options and they did know what we were talking about. Plenty of vegan options as well. Delicious food, and plenty of it.

I've been talking about food but I would also like to mention the FIT people we saw out there. Hardly a woman with jiggly arms!! Not surprising with the great dry weather and plenty of nearby opportunities for activities like rock climbing, strenuous hiking, bike lanes all over Boulder, etc. Rocky Mountain National Park is about a 1 hour drive from Boulder, easy enough to be able to get in a very long day hike. Would love to see it in winter!!!

Post Workout Pancakes (no flour, gluten, dairy)

2009-09-05T09:27:00.002-04:00

Need protein? Try these high protein pancakes for your post-workout meal.
Mix in the food processor:
1/2 cup good quality rolled oats
1/2 cup mashed tofu
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp your favorite protein powder (we use a non-soy powder made of pea and rice protein)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
dash cinnamon
non-dairy milk, enough to make a batter (approx 1/2 cup)

Mix the batter in the food processor and make the pancakes the usual way. Serve with sliced bananas, apple butter, or pure maple syrup.

Sports Nutrition Tips:
Your body uses carbohydrate for energy so make sure you fuel your workout with high quality carbs like fruits and whole grains. Post workout add some protein to your meal/snack to help repair "damaged" tissue which occurs during the workout.

Raw Low Carb Lunch Idea

2009-09-04T13:26:00.003-04:00

Try this:
Take a large romaine lettuce leaf and spread it with 1 teaspoon cashew butter, top with 3 thin slices cucumber, 4 thin slices of fresh peach, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp hemp seeds. Roll up and eat!
Repeat as many times as it takes to fill you up or serve everyone. Increase cashew butter and hemp seed portions if you are not watching your weight or fat intake.

New Chips and Crisps!!

2009-08-31T07:59:00.005-04:00

Just back from vacationing in Colorado, Boulder area. Lots of great restaurants that are veggie-friendly if not completely veg. More on eating out in Boulder in another post. Wanted to tell you about two new delicious gluten free dairy free chip-like crackers. Myrna's Skinny Crisps which are baked in Boulder, Colorado, are wonderful crackers made from almonds, chickpea flour, flax, and spices. We tried the seeded ones which have fennel seeds in addition to white and black sesame, and the cinnamon crisps taste like cinnamon grahams!!! If you live in Boulder, you're lucky, they are in lots of stores. If you are somewhere else, ask your local market to get these in....they won't be able to keep them on the shelves.

Brads Raw Chips is another new cracker I've found recently. They come in many flavors and are gluten and dairy free with very simple ingredients: flax seeds, sprouted buckwheat groats, vegetables, and other flavors. 100% raw. They are local to the Philadelphia area and are showing up at farmer's markets and natural foods markets. Very tasty.

More on eating in Boulder and Denver soon!

3 to 5 Bean Salad

2009-08-09T13:49:00.005-04:00

With fresh green beans and corn at your local farmer's market (or from your own garden!!) this is a great time of year to make a 3-to-5 bean salad.
1 can kidney beans
1 can blackeyed peas
1 can chickpeas
2 ears fresh corn, cooked and kernels removed
1 lb fresh green beans, lightly steamed, then cut into 1-inch segments
1/2 a large red onion, diced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
sea salt and pepper to taste
Drain and rinse the canned beans in a colander. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Season to taste. Add any fresh herbs that you have in your garden or patio pots.Vary the beans to whatever you have on hand. White beans and black beans taste great too.

PIZZA!

2009-08-07T17:00:00.004-04:00

Many people with gluten and dairy restrictions feel they might as well give up pizza. I am frequently asked how you can eat pizza when you can't have crust or cheese! The answer is to have lots of other yummy toppings so you won't miss the cheese, and the crust becomes just a vehicle for these delicious toppings. Honestly, I have not found a great recipe for pizza crust or a great mix, or a great frozen crust. Once in a great while we have picked up a crust from Jules Thin Crust (www.julesthincrust.com) in Pennsylvania and it is really really crispy and tasty, but most of the time we get along with the frozen crusts (Glutino). We use Follow Your Heart vegan cheese which comes in a few flavors including mozzarella.

Here are some ideas for pizza toppings (have as many of them as you can fit on the pizza!). Please leave a comment with your great ideas for more toppings!
sauteed spinach and mushrooms with garlic
sundried tomatoes
fresh tomatoes
sliced onion
lightly steamed broccoli
chopped Kalamata olives
dairy-free pesto
tempeh sausage crumbles (Vegan with a Vengeance)
roasted red peppers
cooked and sliced potatoes
peppers, mushrooms, onions
tofu ricotta (Melissa's Marvelous Meatless Meals)
lightly steamed zucchini
grilled vegetables
roasted butternut squash cubes
crumbled fresh basil
crushed garlic

Welcome to New You Nutrition

2009-08-06T17:08:00.009-04:00

Welcome to New You Nutrition. My name is Melissa Pickell and I am a registered dietitian and author of the cookbook Melissa's Marvelous Meatless Meals...everyday recipes that are free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar.

I run a private nutrition counseling practice in Stockton, NJ, one of the beautiful river towns along the Delaware. In addition to weight loss coaching, I work with clients who have various ingredient restrictions and intolerances which result in gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free diets. These restrictions add many other dimensions and complications to a person's daily lifestyle and become acute when traveling and during family celebrations and holidays.

Years ago when I decided that one day I would write a cookbook, I had a very different vision of what that book would be. As a registered dietitian I have a passion for helping my clients find wonderful foods that work within their particular diet restrictions. Although I have provided excellent, healthy, and tasty vegetarian meals for my family for years, we never had to contend with food allergies, or any dietary restrictions for health reasons. Over the years of raising my children I have grown many of the vegetables I have cooked, baked many types of bread, and experimented with all sorts of whole grains and other foods not commonly found on the typical American table.

Some of these restrictions hit my own household when my husband, who was living with a chronic intestinal disorder, became frustrated with the lack of results from pharmaceutical medication and no particular diet. After seeking help from a wonderful holistic medical doctor, my husband began to follow a very restricted diet of no gluten, no dairy, no refined sugar, and for the first six months, no corn in any form. And did I mention that we are vegetarian? I remember sitting in the doctor's office and thinking, "OK, this is my profession, I can understand what all of these restrictions require, and I know how to research what to do". And then I went to the grocery store. I admit that I stood there and cried. In the health food section of the store, every package I picked up contained one or more of the ingredients that he wasn't allowed.

A gluten-free diet is complicated enough, but being vegetarian added some extra challenges. For gluten-free vegetarians, meal planning can be additionally complicated since almost all of the commercially available alternative protein sources contain wheat gluten and/or soy sauce which have wheat. No more veggie crumbles, veggie burgers or hot dogs, or seitan. Even certain types of tempeh are made with grains that have gluten.

I realized that I would need to prepare almost everything from scratch (which I was mostly doing already anyway) and I would have to be vigilant in label reading. Having been a bread baker most of my life, I tried my hand at gluten-free bread, very unsuccessfully. I needed a book on gluten-free baking. I purchased two cookbooks which were helpful in teaching me some of the principles of gluten-free baking, but I found that the available books included a lot of dairy and meat, the baked goods contained lots of refined sugar, and there were no recipes for some of the gluten-free whole grains that we were already using, like millet and buckwheat.

I combed the library shelves looking for books that suited our new nutritional lifestyle and found books that were vegetarian but not gluten-free, gluten-free but not dairy-free, sugar-free but not gluten- or dairy-free. An internet search for cookbooks containing recipes with no gluten, dairy, or refined sugar turned up one solution; however, one review of the book was by a frustrated person who complained that most of the recipes use brown sugar. Brown sugar is considered a refined sugar and my recipes do not contain this ingredient. My recipes use mostly gluten-free brown rice syrup, and pure maple syrup as sweeteners, and occasionally honey, date puree, or blackstrap molasses. Getting the texture, consistency, and taste right in a food that has no gluten, dairy, or granulated sugar is complicated and it is not surprising that people are overwhelmed by this.

Over many months I began to develop my own recipes, making adjustments to old family favorites, and creating new ones. I have since met many people, friends and clients, who follow a vegetarian lifestyle and are also trying to avoid processed sugars. I have received calls from potential clients who are overwhelmed by having many restrictions (and it seems the sugar restriction creates the greatest disturbance since sugar is in absolutely everything!) and not knowing how to eat anymore. I hope that my recipes are in keeping with the philosophy which I describe below: of eating healthfully and well, enjoying food, and promoting wholesome and home-prepared food. My recipes are not time consuming since I too have a busy family schedule. I hope my recipes will reach an audience of those who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle by cooking more, eating less meat, less wheat, and less sugar. In my home, we aim to cook a meal that works for everyone, regardless of their food restrictions. I have tried to take the recipes that we have enjoyed as a vegetarian family and find ways to make them dairy, gluten, and sugar free. I hope that my recipes will take some of the difficult thinking out of gluten-free vegetarian meal planning and put back some of the joy of eating.
Melissa's Marvelous Meatless Meals is available on my web site www.pickellnutrition.com or from Amazon.com .
Photo by Deborah Gichan Photography