Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts

I eat lots of veggies. I try to eat plenty of them raw, because you don't lose any vitamins or enzymes that way. I know how good my body feels when I eat lots of raw foods. But sometimes I just have to roast them. They caramelize into such delectable goodness! Broccoli is no exception. It's great with just olive oil and garlic, but I have tons of fresh basil in my garden, so this is another good way to use it. And pine nuts pair very well with this.

Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts

Preheat oven to 425. On cookie sheet place:

2 large bunches broccoli, washed, dried, and cut into florets, cut stems into 1" pieces

Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, sprinkle

2 cloves of garlic, minced

over broccoli. Bake 25 min. till crisp-tender. Toss with:

2 T. pine nuts

3-4 fresh basil leaves, diced

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Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna

First of all I want to thank my readers for the kind comments and emails while my hubby was in the hospital. I really appreciate your caring words, thoughts, and prayers. I have the nicest readers!!!

He is home now and back at work, so things are finally back to normal.

My mom brought me a zucchini from her garden that was bigger than my lasagna pan, she had somehow missed it when picking them and it grew into a monster. So she gave it to me to see what I could do with it. I decided to make lasagna. While it was baking this morning, I had the news on and learned that today is National Lasagna Day! Who knew? I guess there is a day for everything.

This vegetarian lasagna uses strips of zucchini instead of noodles. I cut the zucchini into 1/4 " strips the long way, boiled them for about 3 minutes to soften them, and let them drain on paper towel. It is a great way to use up some of that overwhelming zucchini harvest. I used my homemade spaghetti sauce which I canned last summer, you can use any sauce you like.

Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna

ingredients:

2-3 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4" strips, par-boiled for 3 min., let drain on paper towels

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. olive oil

8 oz. mini-bella mushrooms, chopped

2 c. spaghetti sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. cottage cheese

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

additional 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1 T. flour

2 large handfuls spinach, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375.

In saucepan cook onion and garlic in olive oil about 4 min., add mushrooms and cook additional 4-5 min. till tender. Add spaghetti sauce and tomato paste, heat through.

In small bowl mix eggs, cottage cheese, 1/2 c. mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and flour.

In lasagna pan place about 1/2 c. sauce on bottom of pan. Next place spinach in pan, then a layer of zucchini strips. Spoon cheese mixture over this, spoon about 1/2 c. of sauce, then the remaining zucchini, and the rest of the sauce. Bake Uncovered 30-40 min., top with the other 1 c. of shredded mozzarella and bake 10 min. longer. Let stand 10-15 min. before serving.

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Raw Beet Pasta

My hubby is home from the hospital and things are starting to get back to normal now. I was looking for a quick dinner recipe and I remembered that I found this recipe for raw beet pasta with a mock alfredo sauce a while back at http://purejeevan.com/blog/?p=346 . (Their site is a great resource for raw recipes.) It looked like a great quick meal and I had fresh beets from the farmers' market.

I enjoyed the raw beets, but there are a few things I would change if I made this again. I adore garlic, but this was a bit too much for me so I would cut it back to one clove. Since it isn't cooked it remains very strong.

I would shred the beets in the food processor to save time and keep my hands from getting stained, and I would use my regular hummus instead of this sauce, since I've never been much of a fan of nutmeg or cayenne.

This was very filling and the texture was good. My son and I also had alot of energy after eating this raw meal.

Beet Pasta with Alfredo Sauce

For pasta:

3 large raw beets, shredded with a veggie peeler

Sprinkle with salt and massage it into beets, let sit while you prepare sauce. It will become softer, like al dente pasta.

For Sauce

In food processor place:

1/2 c. water

1 c. raw cashews

1/3 c. raw pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. sea salt

juice of 1 large lemon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/16 tsp. cayenne

process till smooth.

Place beet pasta on 2 plates, top with sauce and garnish with parsley.

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Hospital Food

To all of my dear readers, I am sorry I have not been able to post all week. We had a family emergency and I've been spending most of my time at the hospital. My hubby has been in there with atrial fibrillation, trying various meds to get his heart back into proper rhythm and speed.

I found it shocking that in the heart ward on the "cardiac diet", he gets served a nutrient deficient, disease causing diet. The heart association as well as the hospital itself recommend at least 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Yet patients are never served this. They are not educated about the importance of diet. Instead they are served things like jello, which has zero nutrition; it is a dish of chemically colored and flavored sugar. Unless you live under a rock, you know that meat is strongly linked to heart disease. Yet numerous servings of meat and highly processed foods make up most of the remainder of the diet. People do not like to change their habits. Patients prefer to think they are eating healthy because the hospital is serving them this food.

Breakfast one day was a box of rice krispies cereal and milk, a banana, a slice of french toast made from white bread, a packet of chemical pancake syrup, and diet lemon-lime soda.
Lunch was beef and white-noodle soup, beef tips over white pasta, about 4 mushy looking green beans on the side, jello, a white roll, and diet lemon-lime soda.
Dinner was a cheeseburger on a white bun, about 1/2 c. of lettuce salad, chicken soup(again with white noodles), more jello, lemon pudding, and diet lemon-lime soda.
My hubby is underweight, so I asked why the diet soda, and was told it was because it did not contain caffeine. Caffeine is not allowed on the cardiac diet.
He was still hungry, so for a snack they brought him a roast beef sandwich and additive-laden ice cream.

One of the saddest things about this is that a dietitian oversees the "cardiac diet". Our professionals think this is healthy. So the patients have no incentive to change. We need health care reform in this country, and it needs to begin with education and with people taking responsibility for their own health.

I hope I never have to spend time in the hospital, because I would starve to death. They offer next to nothing that I would eat. Patients that are trying to heal need nutrient-dense foods.

My hubby should be coming home early in the week, and hopefully things will get back to normal. Then I can resume posting regularly. Thanks for bearing with me.

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Herbed Baby Redskin Potatoes

I found these fabulous baby redskin potatoes at the farmers' market. What a treat!
So creamy and delicious, and loaded with nutrition.

Unfortunately, because potatoes are usually white inside, and they are a starchy vegetable, they have gotten a bad rap from the low-carb group. But they certainly do not belong in the "avoid white food" category that contains refined white flour, sugar and white rice. Unless you are deep frying them in oil as french fries, potatoes are a very healthy food.

Potatoes contain vitamins c and b6, potassium, fiber, and rival broccoli for their phytonutrient content.

Good potatoes do not require a lot of fussing. Prepared simply they are very satisfying. I used the green tops of red onions, but you can substitute chives, dill, rosemary, or any other herbs you like.

Herbed Baby Redskin Potatoes

Boil 2 lbs. baby redskin potatoes for 10-15 min. till tender, drain. Add:

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

2 T. chopped fresh herbs of your choice.

sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook and stir over med. heat 2-3 min. to release herb flavors.

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Salsa Cornbread

Cooking in cast iron pots helps to ensure that vegetarians get enough iron. Consuming foods that contain vitamin c at the same time as iron rich foods helps with absorption.

Cornbread is a great choice for vegetarians because it's cooked in cast iron. I was in the mood for something with a little kick to it, so I made this tasty salsa cornbread. My recipe uses mild salsa and half of a jalapeno pepper, feel free to turn up the heat.

Salsa Cornbread

Preheat oven to 400. Combine:
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. white whole wheat flour
3/4 c. organic cornmeal
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Mix well, then add:
1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, minced fine
1 c. cooked corn, cut off the cob ( can sub frozen)
3/4 c. skim milk
1/2 c. mild salsa
3 T. olive oil
1 egg
Stir until just combined. Spoon into greased 9" cast iron skillet. Bake 18-20 min. until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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Roasted Green Beans

Fresh green beans are a summer staple. They are easy to grow yourself, provided you can keep the neighborhood critters out of them. Mine were eaten by the local rabbit family. I replanted twice, and for now they seem to be staying out of them. Instead they are eating my swiss chard, beet greens and carrot tops. Thank goodness for the farmers' market!

Green beans are fun because there are lots of tasty ways to prepare them. It has been unseasonably cool here, so this time I tried roasting them for a change of pace.

Roasted Green Beans

Preheat oven to 400. On a cookie sheet place:

1 1/2 lbs. green beans, washed and ends trimmed

Drizzle with olive oil,

sprinkle with:

sea salt

pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

splash of balsamic vinegar

Roast in oven about 30 min., stirring once or twice, until beans are browned, shriveled, and slightly crispy.

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Raspberry and Almond Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Summer is the best time of year for vegetarians. There is so much fresh produce available and so many choices for adding to salads.
Fresh raspberries are starting to come in now! Like most berries, they do not keep well. Store them in the fridge for no more than a day or two and do not wash them until you are ready to eat them.
While they are great in cobblers and other desserts, the way to get the most nutritional benefit from them is raw. They are great sprinkled on cereal, in salad, or just eaten by the handful. They take me back to my childhood when we picked wild raspberries. We ate as many or more than we brought home with us.
Raspberries are a superfood. They are packed with antioxidants, containing almost 50% more of them than strawberries. They also contains lots of vitamin c, folate, magnesium and potassium.


For this salad I used baby spinach and red and green leaf lettuces. I sprinkled sliced almonds and raspberries over it and used the following vinaigrette.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Combine:

3 T. raspberry balsamic vinegar

2 T. olive oil

1 T. honey

pinch of sea salt

Mix well, refridgerate any leftover dressing.

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Needless Breast Cancer Treatment

A new study in the British Medical Journal shows that one in three breast cancers detected by screening are over-diagnosed. Let's repeat this so it sinks in. One-third of the breast cancers that are diagnosed are harmless and will not cause symptoms or death.

This means that millions of women are having unnecessary surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1198711/Third-women-breast-cancer-dont-need-treatment.html -
"The study showed that in more than a third of cases, lumps which were flagged up as a cause for alarm were harmless - either because the tumour was growing so slowly that the patient would have died of other causes before it produced any symptoms, or because the cancer remained dormant or even regressed."

Breast cancer treatment is a highly profitable industry. So it's not surprising that the industry is downplaying the study. The industry has always pushed mammography as "prevention", because that is where the money is. Yet subjecting your body to the ionizing radiation used in mammography in no way prevents cancer.

It amazes me that intelligent women will spend a small fortune and do everything in their power to detect and treat cancer, yet do nothing to prevent it.

It is time for us to wake up and take responsibility for our own health. We need to make the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent cancer. Studies have shown that lifestyle factors play a huge roll in activating and de-activating those genes which cause disease and help protect us from disease.

Eat a nutrient dense, whole-foods plant based diet, avoid cigarettes and alcohol, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy weight.

News articles on the study can be found here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1198711/Third-women-breast-cancer-dont-need-treatment.html

http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2009/07/10/too-many-breast-cancers-diagnosed-by-mammograms.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/2009/jul/10/breast-cancer-screening-leads-to-unnecessary-treatment-for-one-in

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Fresh Strawberry Pie

My youngest teen daughter just came home after taking an intense 2-week college course out of state. In honor of her homecoming, I made this dessert. It's loaded with fresh strawberries, one of her favorite things.

A study published in the Archives of Opthalmology showed that eating at least 3 servings of fruit a day reduced the risk of age-related macular degeneration by more than one third. A slice of celebratory pie is not such a bad way to get one of those servings.

For this pie I used meijer organic graham crackers. They contain none of the genetically modified beet sugar, canola oil, high fructose corn syrup or soy lecithin found in regular graham crackers. They also do not contain the trans-fat or chemical preservatives found in the regular crackers.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

For crust:

Preheat oven to 350.

1 sleeve organic graham crackers

2 T. cane sugar

1/4 c. melted unsalted organic butter

Crush graham crackers, mix with sugar and butter. Press into an 8" pie plate. Bake 10 min., cool.

For Filling:

2 qts. strawberries, washed, and stemmed

1 c. cane sugar

3 T. organic cornstarch

1/2 c. water

Chop enough strawberries to equal 1 cup. In saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch, stir in water, then add chopped strawberries. Bring to a boil, stir and boil 1 min., let cool.

Place strawberries in pie shell, pour cooked strawberry mixture over them , and chill for 2-3 hours.

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Say No To GMO

The Institute for Responsible Technology along with Real Food Media are urging people to take the no GMO challenge. They want to make 2009 the year of the no gmo tipping point. Avoid the five main genetically modified food crops for 30 days: corn, soy, canola, cottonseed and sugar beets.

Go here for info. on how to join and to grab a button for your blog:

http://realfoodmedia.com/no-gmo-challenge/about/

Go here for a no gmo shopping guide.

Here are five reasons to say no to gmo:

1. Genetically modified foods have never been adequately tested for health risks. We are the guinea pigs they are being tested on.

2. They are in virtually all processed foods and are unlabeled.

3. They cross-contaminate regular crops. This threatens organic farming, as well as wild plants. Canadian organic farmers can no longer grow canola and soybean crops organically. The seed stock of those crops have been totally contaminated by gmos.

4. The seeds can not be saved for planting the next year, as farmers throughout history have done. Each year new seed must be purchased- giving Monsanto a global monopoly on the food supply and keeping farmers in debt. This also threatens plant diversity.

5. GMO Roundup-ready crops have caused the creation of superweeds, which has increased the use of pesticides that are harmful to the environment and our health.

I have been avoiding gmos for 2 1/2 years now, and will continue. If you already avoid them, or are willing to take the challenge to avoid them for the next 30 days, I would love to hear about it. Please leave a comment.

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Almond Cherry Oatmeal

Oats are a nutritional powerhouse. The fiber and antioxidants they contain help lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, prevent heart disease, boost the immune system and stabilize blood sugar.

When paired with fruit, they offer significant protection against breast cancer according to the UK Women's Cohort Study. In this study, women who consumed the most fiber from whole grain oats and fruit lowered their breast cancer risk by up to 52%.

Since this is cherry week at meatlessmama's house, what better way to start the day than cherry oatmeal.

Steel cut oats are my first choice because they are not processed. Old fashioned oats are next, they have been steamed and rolled flat. Quick oats have been steamed, finely cut and rolled. I use them occasionally in the interest of time. Instant oats are the most processed and least nutritious choice. They have been steamed, cut, rolled, and partially cooked, and usually have added ingredients. I avoid them.

I used 100 % cherry juice, but you could use water or any juice you like.

Almond Cherry Oatmeal

In a medium pan combine:

1 c. quick oats

2 c. 100% cherry juice

Cook over medium heat about 5 min. till creamy. Stir in:

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Top with

a large handful of pitted bing cherries

Makes 2 servings.

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Bing Cherry Salsa

If you've been following me this last week, you know how crazy I am for cherries. This salsa is one of my favorite things to make with fresh bing cherries. It is loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients. It's colorful and pretty. Best of all, it tastes fabulous.

My recipe uses only 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, because I do not like too much heat. Feel free to crank it up and add more if you like. Serve with tortilla chips, whole wheat pita bread, or add to a salad.

Bing Cherry Salsa

In a bowl combine:

1 1/2 c. pitted, quartered bing cherries

1/4 c. diced red onion

1/4 c. diced red pepper

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced fine

1/2 T. lime juice

1/2 T. balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. sea salt

sprinkle of black pepper

Here's another cherry recipe you may have missed.

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Guest Post Day

Today I am guest posting over at
http://familyfoodies.com/2009/get-them-while-you-can/
come on over and check it out!
Be sure and come back here tommorrow for my yummy cherry salsa recipe!

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Bing Cherry Salad with Almonds

First of all, some exciting news! I want to let you know that tommorrow I will be guest posting over at http://familyfoodies.com/

My thanks to the wonderful Debbie for the opportunity to do it!

Now on to the salad. I tend to eat as many cherries as I can when they are in season, because they are my favorite thing in the world, and the season is so short. I eat tons of them out of hand, but I also use them in lots of recipes. This simple salad is one great way to use them. The crunch of the pea pods and the slivered almonds, the sweetness of the cherries and the tang of the lime dressing are perfect together.

Bing Cherry Salad with Almonds

Combine:

a variety of fresh greens

handfull of snow pea pods

handful of slivered almonds

handful of pitted bing cherries

for dressing mix:

juice of 1 lime

2 T. honey

1 T. olive oil

pinch sea salt

Be sure to head over to http://familyfoodies.com/ tommorrow to read my guest post, then come back here on monday for my amazing cherry salsa recipe!

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American Dietetic Association on Vegetarian Diets

A new paper released by the American Dietetic Association states that
" It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes."
ADA’s position and accompanying paper were written by Winston Craig, PhD, MPH, RD, professor and chair of the department of nutrition and wellness at Andrews University; and Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, nutrition advisor at the Vegetarian Resource Group, Baltimore, Md.
It goes on to state that
"Vegetarian diets are often associated with health advantages including lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, according to ADA’s position. “Vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. These nutritional differences may explain some of the health advantages of those following a varied, balanced vegetarian diet.”
For the complete release and more info. go here:

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/media_22003_ENU_HTML.htm

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Homemade Herbed Croutons

Homemade croutons are a great way to use up dry, staling bread. Since you control the ingredients, you also avoid all of the additives and preservatives found in most store bought croutons. You can vary the flavor by changing the herbs you use as well as the bread you use. I sometimes use my homemade wheat bread, this time I used caraway rye.

Homemade Herbed Croutons

Preheat oven to 350. Butter both sides of all slices of bread. Cut into cubes, place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with herbs of your choice; I used sea salt, garlic, onion powder, basil and parmesian cheese. Toss to coat evenly with seasonings. Bake 10-12 min. till golden and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

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Salsa Salad Dressing

I got some gorgeous red leaf lettuce at the farmers' market and couldn't wait to make this salad. It has red leaf, romaine, and oakleaf lettuces, avacado, and yellow cherry tomatoes-which for some reason look red in the photo. I never use bottled dressings, it is so simple to make your own fresh and avoid all the additives. Plus they taste so much better. This time I wanted a creamy salsa flavor for the salad, so I used some home canned salsa that I made last summer, but you could use fresh salsa or store bought too. This dressing took less than one minute to make, it doesn't get any easier. It was very creamy and satisfying.

Salsa Salad Dressing

Combine:

2 T. salsa

1 tsp. sour cream

Mix well and pour on salad. Yum!

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