Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Monday, March 9, 2015
Sugar Free Wheat Free Gluten free Vegan flapjack Recipe
Whisking round the supermarket I felt like I needed a sugar fix post workout. I found myself dawdling down the wheat aisle...bad move! I knew I was off sugar and yet I needed to sort my blood sugar level out without the normal options. So I miraculously used what little energy I felt I had and came up with a recipe pronto that is Sugar Free; Wheat Free; Gluten free, Vegan with no cooking! Note to self: THIS IS A VERY SWEET RECIPE! Therefore for occasional use only!
Prep time 5 mins
Freezer time 20 mins
Total recipe ready in 25 minutes
Ingredients needed:
1 cup Mixed dried fruit (cranberries; Cherries; Blueberries; Raisins)
2-3 cups of Gluten Free Oats
3 tbs Canadian Maple Syrup
1 pinch of Himalayan sea salt
2 tsp Arriba Nacionale Heirloom cacao
4-5 tbs Coconut oil
1 handful ground pumpkin seeds or...
1 handful of mixed ground seeds including Goji; pumpkin; Chia; lindseeds; Chia
Directions
1. Mix the oats; fruit and ground seeds in a bowl.
2. Add the salt and maple syrup. Stirring until all ingredients covered with the maple syrup.
3. Melt coconut in a bowl over the stove until liquefied and then add two teaspoons to cacao powder in a cup, mix and leave for a minute.
4. Add the rest of coconut oil to the ingredients and stir until completely mixed.
5. Put all the ingredients (apart from the cacao) into your preferred container. Pat down with spoon.
6.Now drizzle the cacao over the top.
7. Put the container in the freezer until cooled, then serve!
Read more »
Prep time 5 mins
Freezer time 20 mins
Total recipe ready in 25 minutes
Ingredients needed:
1 cup Mixed dried fruit (cranberries; Cherries; Blueberries; Raisins)
2-3 cups of Gluten Free Oats
3 tbs Canadian Maple Syrup
1 pinch of Himalayan sea salt
2 tsp Arriba Nacionale Heirloom cacao
4-5 tbs Coconut oil
1 handful ground pumpkin seeds or...
1 handful of mixed ground seeds including Goji; pumpkin; Chia; lindseeds; Chia
Directions
1. Mix the oats; fruit and ground seeds in a bowl.
2. Add the salt and maple syrup. Stirring until all ingredients covered with the maple syrup.
3. Melt coconut in a bowl over the stove until liquefied and then add two teaspoons to cacao powder in a cup, mix and leave for a minute.
4. Add the rest of coconut oil to the ingredients and stir until completely mixed.
5. Put all the ingredients (apart from the cacao) into your preferred container. Pat down with spoon.
6.Now drizzle the cacao over the top.
7. Put the container in the freezer until cooled, then serve!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob—For Your Vegan Friendly BBQ
Happy 4th of July!
Corn on the cob is a favorite this time of year, especially as a side dish for your 4th of July BBQ. Unfortunately, it is usually drowning in butter. For a healthier and vegan friendly way to serve this popular food, try this easy recipe.
Instead of butter, the fat used in this recipe comes from virgin, expeller pressed, unrefined, organic coconut oil. This type of coconut oil has been extracted by methods that do not use harmful chemicals or high heat and is readily available at Whole Foods, Trader Joes or your local health food store.
There is much debate and even more confusion as to the health benefits of tropical oils. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat but has no cholesterol. Being saturated, it is a stable fat which makes it less likely to form harmful trans-fats when heated. Although there has been much negative press in the past about tropical oils, (much of it sponsored by the American Soybean Association and the Corn Products Company), the places in which coconut and other tropical oils are consumed on a daily basis do not have a high incidence of heart disease. Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid which the body converts into monolaurin. Monolaurin has antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoan properties.
That being said, coconut oil is high in calories and should be eaten in moderation. I get a bit concerned when I see the quantity of coconut oil used in raw food dessert recipes. In a recipe like this, however, a few tablespoons is a good alternative to butter.
***
Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob [serves 4]
4 medium ears of corn, each cut into 4 equal pieces
2 tablespoons virgin, unrefined, organic coconut oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, room temperature
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
Gently melt coconut oil (put on low power in microwave for 10 seconds or more). Mix with lime juice and salt. Put all 16 pieces of corn in a large bowl. Pour the lime, coconut mixture over the corn and with your hands, thoroughly coat each piece. Sprinkle the chili powder evenly over the corn and place on a BBQ grill at low heat. Cook on all sides for a total of 10 to 15 minutes.
Per 4 piece serving: 139 calories, 8 g fat, 6.5 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 3 g protein, 17.6 g carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber.
Easy Black Bean Corn And Quinoa Stuffed Peppers With Enchilada Sauce Vegan And Gluten Free Perfect For Your Super Bowl Buffet
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| Stuffed bell pepper halves are perfect for a casual buffet. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Easy Entertaining
Its football season and friends and family may be gathering around the big screen, especially on super bowl weekend. Heres a simple crowd pleaser that can be made early in the day and baked right before half time.
Diet Friendly
No need to abandon our Vegan, High Fiber Diet. Each stuffed pepper half is less than 200 calories and provides a healthy 7 grams of dietary fiber. Quinoa and beans deliver high quality protein with all of the essential amino acids.
And if you select a gluten free enchilada sauce, such as La Victoria, this dish is completely gluten free!
* * * *
Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Sauce
Vegan, Gluten Free
Requires a 9" x 13" casserole dish
[makes 8 servings]
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
4 large green or red bell peppers
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounce can (no salt added) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
3/4 cups Daiya cheddar style shreds
1 3/4 cups gluten free enchilada sauce, medium spice
Rinse the quinoa in cold water for several minutes. Place in a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Carefully cut the peppers in half vertically. Remove the seeds and rinse. Steam or boil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain.
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| Partially cook the peppers until they begin to soften |
Heat the oil in a medium fry pan and cook the onions on medium low heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
Mix in the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, cumin, black pepper, salt (if desired), Daiya cheddar style shreds and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir until well combined.
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| Combine the rest of the filling ingredients with cooked onions |
Place 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 13" casserole dish.
Fill each half pepper with the filling and place in the casserole dish.
Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce over the peppers.
Cover with foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve.
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| Bake in the oven covered with foil until hot. |
Per serving (8): 195 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 90 mg omega-3 and 603 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.5 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber and 540 mg sodium.
For a complete meal, serve with Mango Avocado Salad with Lime Chia Dressing. This salad recipe can serve at least 4 people as a side salad. Double it to serve 8.
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| Mango avocado salad with lime chia dressing |
Artichokes With Creamy Garlic Lemon Pepper Dill Sauce Low Calorie High Fiber Vegan and Gluten Free
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| Dip steamed artichokes in this delicious, creamy dill sauce. Serve as an appetizer or in place of the salad course. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Artichokes
I treasure the artichoke. Had I not grown up eating them, I probably would have no idea what to do with this thorny vegetable. But thankfully, artichokes have been a part of my life since I had enough teeth in my mouth to bite the delicious meat off of each succulent leaf.
They are not only delicious but they are a very healthy food. One medium artichoke is only 64 calories yet has a whopping 10 grams of fiber! Artichokes have been shown to reduce cholesterol and stimulate the production of bile which helps in the digestion of fats. This wonderful vegetable also contains the flavonoid silymarin which protects the liver (and is also great for hangovers). Artichoke leaves also contain the phynutrients rutin, quercetin and gallic acid which all have powerful antioxidant properties.
Dill Weed
Fresh dill pairs perfectly with garlic, lemon and black pepper in this flavorful dip. By using a silken or soft tofu as a base, this creamy dill sauce is dairy and gluten free.
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| Fresh dill weed |
* * * *
Artichokes with Garlic Lemon-Pepper Dill Sauce
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
4 medium artichokes
14 oz package silken or soft organic tofu
2 teaspoons chopped garlic, (2 small cloves)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh, dill weed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Prepare the artichokes. Pull off any small leaves near the base of the artichoke.
With a sharp knife, cut off the tops (about an inch or so).
With a pair of scissors, cut off the thorny tips of the leaves.
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| Trim thorny tips of leaves. |
If the artichokes are really big, (they seem to be growing them larger and larger lately) you can cut them in half, vertically. Most artichokes can be left whole.
Trim the bottom of the stem or remove it, peel it, and cook it with the artichokes.
Clean the artichokes by rinsing them under cold water.
Place artichokes in a large pot with about 2 to 3 inches of water and a steamer basket. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the outer leaves are tender and easy to remove. Add more hot water to the pot as needed as the cooking time could be as long as 45 minutes to an hour. Start testing outer leaves after 30 minutes.
While the artichokes are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce.
Place the remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
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| This also makes a great salad dressing if you add a touch of extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed hempseed oil or, for a low fat dressing, use as is. |
Divide the sauce into 4 ramekins. Place each ramekin on a plate with one cooked artichoke and serve.
For another presentation idea, remove all the cooked leaves and place them in a circle. Clean the artichoke bottom and place in the bottom of the ramekin. Place the ramekin in the center of the plate.
Place the sauce over the artichoke bottom in the ramekin. When you are finished dipping the leaves, eat the bottom (which I consider the BEST part of the artichoke).
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| A presentation idea |
Per serving: 128 calories, 4 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 288 mg omega-3 and 1,930 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber and 371 mg sodium.
Rachels Powerballs A Healthful Raw Food Vegan Dessert Or Lunchbox Snack
Use large, unsweetened coconut ribbons or flakes, not shredded
Process dates, cashews and coconut until mixture sticks together
Rachels company Jonny Sport makes high-quality vegan bags
About This Recipe
While dinning at a Portland restaurant, (See my Review of Portlands Blossoming Lotus), I met a very lovely woman named Rachel Elizabeth who was sitting at the next table. Since I wanted to take as many pictures of their dishes as possible without ordering everything on the menu, I asked Rachel if I could photograph her food also. We ended up having a very nice visit during our lunch. We shared raw food and other vegan recipes and talked about my blog and her company. She runs a local business in Portland that makes very high quality vegan bags. The name of her company is Jonny Sport and everything they make is manufactured in Portland. It is refreshing to see someone creating local jobs while providing an alternative high end bag for people who avoid using any animal products.
Long story short, this is one of the recipes that Rachel shared with me. Its a little dessert ball made from raw cashews, Medjool dates and dried flakes of coconut. What gives them a burst of flavor is a sprinkling of course salt on top of each ball. Rachel calls them "Powerballs". They make a great dessert or mid-day snack for the whole family. They are delicious and so easy to make.
Thank you Rachel for this wonderful recipe!
***
Raw Vegan Powerballs
[makes 2 dozen]
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and quartered (about 15)
1 cup raw cashew nuts
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut ribbons or flakes
1/2 teaspoon brown rice syrup or agave nectar
Some course salt for topping
Place dates in a food processor with an S blade. Process dates briefly until they are chopped. Add cashews, coconut flakes and brown rice syrup or agave nectar. Process until the mixture sticks together. Roll the mixture into 24 balls. Put some course salt in a bowl and push the top of each ball into the salt until a little sticks on top (you dont need much). The salt really brings out the flavor so dont omit it. Refrigerate the balls for several hours before serving.
Per serving: 84.2 calories, 3.7 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 13.5 g carbohydrates and 1.8 g of fiber.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Eggless Egg Salad Sandwich A Delicious Low Calorie Vegan Lunch
Extra firm sprouted tofu crumbled with a dough blender.
Follow your heart flaxseed and olive oil, reduced fat vegenaise.
Reduced fat vegenaise mixed with turmeric and relish juice.
Crumbled tofu with celery, dill, sweet relish and vegenaise.
Vegan egg salad sandwich on toasted multigrain bread.
Whats for Lunch?
Sandwiches can be a challenge for new vegans. Once you take common sandwich ingredients like tuna fish, turkey and cheese off the table, you may feel inclined to head for the fake, overly processed vegan meats and cheeses. Ive never been a big fan of these and many of them dont taste very good. Some also are packed with way too much salt.
Nut butters with low sugar jam or hummus with roasted red peppers and other veggies are two good options for lunch. Heres another: egg salad without the eggs!
Takes Minutes to Make
Just crumble the tofu (I like to use a dough blender but you can use a fork or knife or just crumble it with your hands). Mix is a few ingredients like minced celery, dill and sweet pickle relish and stir in a low fat vegenaise mixed with turmeric. Season to taste and youre eggless egg salad is done!
Get creative and add chopped olives, chives or red onion or minced red bell pepper. The combinations are endless. Without the bread, each serving is just a bit over 100 calories!
Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK !
***
Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
[makes 3 sandwiches]
1/2 package of extra firm tofu * (about 8 ounces)
1 stalk celery, minced (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons reduced fat vegenaise **
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon pickle relish juice
1 teaspoon dried dill
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
6 slices multigrain bread, lightly toasted
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
Dijon mustard for the bread (optional)
* I prefer Wildwood Sproutofu made from sprouted soybeans
** I like Follow your heart flaxseed and olive oil reduced fat vegenaise
Dry the extra firm tofu and crumble into a medium bowl using a dough blender, fork or just crumble with your hands.
Add celery and sweet pickle relish and set aside.
In a small bowl or cup, mix together the vegenaise, turmeric and sweet pickle juice.
Add the vegenaise mixture to the crumbled tofu and gently mix until combined.
Mix in dill and salt and pepper to taste.
Lightly toast the bread.
Spread some dijon mustard on three slices of toast, if desired.
Divide the egg salad and spread evenly over the 3 slices and add tomatoes.
Cover with the remaining 3 pieces of toast and serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and put in your lunchbox.
Per sandwich: 263.9 calories, 9.6 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 16.6 g protein, 31.7 g carbohydrates and 5.9 g dietary fiber.
Without the bread, 3 servings: 114.9 calories, 7.6 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.9 g protein, 5.4 g carbohydrates and 1.2 g dietary fiber.
A Simple Vegan Ambrosia Salad
Day 6 of our “One Month Raw Food Cleanse”
I got on the scale this morning and was surprised to see that I’ve already lost 1 ½ pounds! That’s about 1.3% of my body weight in only 5 days. And, I’ve been eating three delicious meals, several snacks and dessert every night. What a fun way to cleanse!
Cleansing on an all raw food diet is so much easier than doing a juice fast. I have always had low blood sugar so if I tried to do a fast of any kind, I would get shaky and very irritable (just ask my husband!). But on a raw food diet, you will be satisfied and the dishes can be interesting and delicious. For one entire month, you avoid processed foods and nourish your body with ones that are fresh, alive and full of enzymes. A cleanse like this will also lessen the severity of the cleansing reactions. These reactions occur when the body starts to release toxins that have accumulated from eating processed and unhealthy foods. You may have headaches, flu-like symptoms, or just feel tired. You may still experience these on a raw food cleanse but the symptoms can be much milder. These symptoms are a normal part of detoxification. Hopefully, over the one month time you are on raw food, it will happen gradually and gently.
Today’s recipe is an old favorite—Ambrosia salad. This salad, however, will omit the processed sugar, marshmallows, sour cream, cool whip and other unsavory things people tend to put into it. This recipe is quick and easy to prepare and is very high is vitamin C.
***
Vegan Ambrosia Salad [2 lunch servings or 4 desserts]
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1 large banana, sliced
1 1/2 cups organic red grapes, cup in half
1 1/2 cups honeydew melon, diced
1/3 cup shredded raw coconut
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
Combine fruit and coconut with orange juice and zest. Gently toss and serve.
Per dessert size serving (4): 151 calories, 2.2 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, zero g cholesterol, 1.6 g protein, 33.8 g carbohydrates and 3.1 g fiber.
Menu for Day 6
Today I had a strawberry smoothie for breakfast (when using strawberries in a smoothie, wash the strawberries well but don’t remove the green tops as they also provide important nutrients). For lunch I had a double serving of today’s featured “vegan ambrosia salad”. I’ll be snacking today on nuts and raw crackers as well as red bell pepper and jicama slices with raw hummus. And for dinner I will have a large serving of my friend Bernadette’s recipe, “Everything in the Garden” dinner salad. I’ll share that recipe with you soon. Tonight we’ll make some raw tropical chocolate truffles for dessert—see February 12, 2009 posting).
Blackberry Lemon Ginger Muffins Vegan And Gluten Free
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| Blackberries blend beautifully with lemon and crystallized ginger. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
Blackberries Everywhere!
If you live anywhere near blackberries, you know that they grow like weeds and around this time of year, they are everywhere! We have some growing all along a trail near our house which we occasionally nibble on but this year Doug discovered blackberries growing through our back fence. How exciting to have these healthful little berries right there for the picking!
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| Blackberries growing through our backyard fence! |
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One cup of these little jewels are only 62 calories. They provide half the RDA of vitamin C and manganese and have 8 grams of fiber! Blackberries are rich in polyphenols and anthocyanins and are very high on the ORAC scale which measures antioxidant properties. |
Gluten Free Baking
After learning a lot about the effects of gluten on the body from Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzos lecture at the Raw Health Expo, I started to develop more gluten free recipes. Since we love making fresh muffins and other baked goods, I quickly had to find a substitute for wheat flour. Its hard enough to make vegan baked goods without butter or eggs, so I thought this was going to be an even greater challenge. But luckily, I found Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour . It works much better when you add Xanthan gum to the recipe. If you dont want to make the muffins gluten free, you can substitute your normal flour in this recipe (I suggest white whole wheat) and eliminate the xanthan gum.
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| For best results, add xanthan gum to gluten free flour. For cookies, add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum per cup of GF flour. For cakes, add 1/2 tsp per cup of GF flour. For muffins/quick breads, add 3/4 tsp per cup of GF flour. For breads, add 1 to 1 1/2 tsp per cup of GF flour. For pizza crust, use 2 tsp per cup of GF flour. |
Blackberries, Lemon and Ginger
I love crystallized ginger. I pop a few pieces in my mouth, from time to time, like they were candy. So I thought theyd match well with the tartness of blackberries. In this recipe, I also add a little lemon zest to bring out the flavors even more.
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| Penseys is my favorite crystallized ginger. Its minced into tiny pieces, each delicately coated in sugar. |
Blackberry Lemon Ginger Muffins
[Vegan, Gluten Free]
makes 12 muffins
Earth balance for greasing muffin pan
2 cups Bobs Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour *
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum *
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup organic cane sugar or Sucanat
zest from one lemon
2/3 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup gluten free soy milk
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh blackberries
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, minced
* For non-gluten free muffins, substitute either white whole wheat or regular multi-purpose flour for the gluten free flour and eliminate the xanthan gum.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously grease a muffin tin with a vegan buttery spread like Earth Balance and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, flaxseeds, baking powder, salt and sugar and stir until combined.
In another bowl, mix lemon zest, apple sauce, soy milk, vanilla extract and olive oil. Blend with a fork, whisk or hand beater until combined.
Add to the flour mixture and stir until well blended.
Gently fold in the blackberries and crystallized ginger until they are uniformly distributed.
Scoop batter into muffin tins with a spoon and bake for 24 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean when placing it in the middle of the muffins.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes.
Take a butter knife and gently go around the edge of each muffin. Remove muffins from pan.
Serve warm or place on rack until cool before storing them.
Per muffin: 163.1 calories, 5.8 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 2.8 g protein, 27.9 g carbohydrates and 3.5 g dietary fiber.
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| Gently fold blackberries and crystallized ginger into the batter. |
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| Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm! |
Vegan Chia Seed Kheer Dairy And Gluten Free!
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| Vegan Kheer made with chia seeds. Each serving provides over 1 g of omega-3 and 4 g of fiber! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Kheer
My absolute favorite way to finish an Indian meal is to eat kheer, a rice pudding flavored with cardamom, saffron and garnished with nuts and raisins. But kheer is made with dairy, which I can no longer tolerate. White rice is also featured in traditional kheer, which doesnt add much nutritional value. I wanted to create a healthy version of this wonderful dish that I can enjoy and feel good about eating. I think I did it!
This recipe uses chia seeds and cashew milk to create the creamy pudding. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and are a good source of fiber and calcium. Dates and a little stevia are used to naturally sweeten this dessert without using processed sugar. Feel free to adjust the amount of cardamom and saffron to suit your taste .
Serve with Vegan Saag Aloo or any of your favorite Indian food recipes.
* * * *
Chia Seed Kheer
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free, Suitable for a Raw Food Cleanse
[makes six (1/2-cup) servings]
Requires high speed blender
Allow 1 1/2 days for soaking and thickening
1/2 cup raw cashews
Water to soak cashews
3 medjool dates
2 1/4 cups water
pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or to taste)
2 packets stevia powder
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tablespoon slightly crushed pistachios
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons seedless raisins
Soak the cashews in water for 6 hours or overnight.
In a separate bowl, soak the dates in 2 1/4 cups of water with a pinch of saffron for 6 hours or overnight.
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| Soak cashews |
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| Soak dates and saffron threads in water |
Drain the cashews and rinse. Place them in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec.
Place the dates and all of their soak water with saffron threads in the blender.
Add vanilla, cardamom and stevia and process until it forms a smooth cashew milk.
Taste the cashew milk and add additional cardamom or stevia if desired.
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| Process to make sweetened cashew milk |
Pour the cashew milk in a 1-quart container and stir in the chia seeds. Stir vigorously with a fork for 1 minute.
Let the mixture sit for another 15 minutes and stir again until the chia seeds are well blended and separated.
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| Keep stirring until chia seeds are separated |
Refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the chia seeds to absorb the cashew milk and the pudding to thicken.
To serve, place pudding in small bowls and top with pistachios, almonds and raisins.
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| Top with nuts and raisins and serve! |
Per serving: 155 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1.1 g omega-3 and 1.7 g omega-6 fatty acids, 4 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 3 mg of sodium.
Vegan And Gluten Free Antipasto Salad The Perfect Start To A Holiday Dinner
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| Everyone loves antipasto salad- A real holiday pleaser! Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook. Preview Health Begins in the Kitchen. Follow me on Pinterest. |
Antipasto Salad
You know its Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter when my cousins all post pictures of their gorgeous antipastos. But this year, Im leaning towards an antipasto salad. Whats the difference you might ask? Well, an antipasto is usually a large platter with ingredients such as olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, etc., all laid out in a beautiful and creative fashion. If youre not vegan, youll see provolone, bocconcini (small mozzarella balls) or chunks of salami on the platter as well. An antipasto salad has many of the same components but also has more raw salad ingredients such as cucumber, romaine lettuce, raw onions, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and more, in a Italian dressing. I find the antipasto salad a little easier to serve and you dont have your guests picking out their favorite ingredients :-)
So for those of you coming to my Thanksgiving feast this year, expect to see a huge platter of this delicious vegan and gluten free antipasto salad!
Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh salad or olive bar ingredients for the ones listed in this recipe. Or just add more ingredients. At dinner last night, while consuming (and testing!) an entire platter of this salad, my husband mentioned that I left out radishes, his favorite. So we quickly cut up a bunch of them and threw them on! So if I left out something you love, please dont hesitate to make modifications.
Box Beans - A Healthy Alternative to Most Canned Beans
My fathers favorite antipasto ingredient was garbanzo beans. Even though he is no longer with us, I always include garbanzos in my holiday salad to make me feel like hes at the table.
When shopping for garbanzos this week, I was very excited to discover that Whole Foods now sells them and other beans in little boxes that are BPA free! BPA, or bisphenol-A, is an industrial chemical that is commonly found in the lining of cans. Beans are one of the only things that I still buy in cans so it is worrisome. There are companies, like Eden Foods, that make cans without a BPA lining but these companies are few and far between. BPA is an endocrine disruptor because it mimics the bodys hormones and is linked to an increased risk of infertility, obesity, breast and other cancers. So if you can find these cute boxes of BPA-free beans, they are a better choice than canned beans that have BPA linings.
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| Whole Foods sells beans in boxes. A great option when trying to avoid BPA linings in canned goods. |
* * *
Antipasto Salad
Vegan and Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive or cold-pressed hemp oil (or a mixture of both)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 large clove pressed or finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup peeled, halved and sliced English cucumbers
1 cup seeded and sliced red bell pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup mixed, pitted marinated olives
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup marinated button mushrooms
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (15 oz can or 13 oz box)
1 large head of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped
Mix the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Stir in the onions and let them marinate while you are preparing the remaining ingredients.
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| Let the onions marinate in the dressing while you prepare the remaining ingredients. |
Add the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined.
Spoon onto a large, shallow platter and serve.
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| A large shallow platter makes a nicer presentation than a tall salad bowl. |
Check out other healthy and delicious vegan and gluten-free Thanksgiving and holiday favorites.
Crispy Raw Vegan And Gluten Free Zucchini Onion Crackers High In Omega 3 Fatty Acid
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| Zucchini and onion crackers packed with omega-3. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Its Zucchini Season
About this time each year I search for ways to use up my zucchini. This crispy cracker does the trick! Besides using 2 1/2 pounds of zucchini per batch, these delicious gluten-free crackers deliver 626 mg of omega-3 fatty acid per cracker! Heres how to make them.
Zucchini Onion Crackers
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 40 crackers]
Requires a Dehydrator & a tool to grind walnuts
2 1/2 pounds zucchini
1 small onion (6 ounce)
3/4 cups ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup ground English walnuts
2 tablespoons gluten free tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grate the zucchini on a large grate. You should have about 7 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini.
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| Grate the zucchini using the medium grates. |
Cut the onion in half or quarters and thinly slice.
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| Slice the onion as thinly as possible. |
Place the zucchini and onions in a large bowl.
If you are grinding your own flaxseeds, start with 1/2 cup of whole flaxseeds to yield the needed 3/4 cups of ground flaxseeds.
Grind the walnuts in a Vitamix, food processor or coffee grinder (reserved for nuts and seeds). You will need 1/2 cup of walnut pieces to yield the needed 1/2 cup of ground walnuts.
Add the ground flaxseeds and walnuts to the bowl of zucchini and onion.
Add the soy sauce and lemon juice to the zucchini onion mixture.
Mix thoroughly until well blended.
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| Mix all ingredients thoroughly. |
Divide the mixture between two 14" x 14" inch non-stick dehydrator sheets.
Spread it out into 11" x 11" squares. The mixture will look thick but it will thin out significantly after dehydrating.
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| Spread mixture on to 2 dehydrator sheets. |
Dehydrate for 24 hours at 115 degrees F.
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| After dehydrating, the mixture will thin significantly. |
After 24 hours, flip over onto mesh dehydrator sheets. Slowly peel off the non-stick dehydrator sheets.
Place back in the dehydrator for another 6 to 10 hours.
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| Peel off the non-stick dehydrator sheets slowly. |
Place on a cutting board and cut into crackers with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Cut one side into 4 equal pieces and the other side into 5 equal pieces. Each sheet will yield 20 crackers.
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| Cut into desired cracker sizes. |
If the crackers are not crisp enough, place individual crackers on the mesh sheet and dehydrate until they reach the desired crispness. (If they still bend, they are not crisp enough).
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| Dehydrate until crisp. |
Store in an air tight container and refrigerate.
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| Serve with soup, along with dips, or just enjoy as is! |
Per cracker: 26.1 calories, 2 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 625 mg omega-3 and 690 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber and 52.5 mg sodium.
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