I know smoothies are really popular these days. I've grown to love them myself as an easy way to get a lot of fresh whole foods in your diet quickly. And once again in the heat of summer, a great option of "not" cooking.
 I love mint and try to use it frequently when it's abundantly available as a seasonal summer herb and one day when I had an extra pepper laying around I decided to try this combo and it was SO yummy! The second time I made it I added a little yogurt as the jalapeno definitely had a kick and the yogurt helped cool it down. Smoothies can be eaten anytime of day but I like them best for breakfast.

Sometimes during the summer season I have little desire to eat or cook. The Texas heat can be both oppressive and stifling. This salad is delicious, refreshing and nutrient dense plus it's 2 of its ingredients, melon and cucumber have a very high water content that will help keep you hydrated as the temperatures climb and keep your pitta in check.
The stars of the show in this recipe are bright colored plants that contain antioxidants and important vitamins. Watermelon is high in vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene while cucumbers are high in vitamin K. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron, minerals and protein while the celery is a great addition of fiber as well as crunchy texture and the mint is refreshing when it's hot. This recipe serves 2-4 people.

You will need:

• about  3 cups chopped watermelon
• 1 small or 1/2 extra large cucumber, peeled and quartered
• 3-5  ribs chopped celery
• about a handful of fresh mint sprigs
• approximately a 1/4 cup of pumpkins seeds - toasted
• 1 avocado - cubed
• about 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste if preferred

Steps:
1. Toast the pumpkin seed on medium heat. Be careful not to burn them. It can happen fast.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and douse with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix it all up.
4. Serve on top of a bed of greens.

About 6 weeks ago I cut soy out of my diet completely. It was a sad break up as soy (particularly tofu) has been a mainstay in my diet for many years now. One of my favorite breakfast staples has been tofu scramble. I love the way they do it up at Bouldin Creek Coffee House and I make a pretty yummy one at home too. But after years and years of digestion issues what I've discovered is that without soy in my diet, my digestion runs more smoothly. Sad but true.
So what to eat for breakfast then? I mean, besides the typical green smoothies or fruit/protein shakes? Yogurt or non dairy yogurt with fruit is okay and I can justify a GF waffle with nut butter too but since I can't get a fried avocado taco from Torchy's everyday (I mean, I can't right? That just can't be the best choice!) what else can be eaten that's not a total bore?
Protein is important at daybreak to start the day with stable blood sugar and  a satiated appetite. So what to do?
Thanks to my nutritionist, I've come up with a new idea for a SUPER yummy, sweet, satisfying treat: Coconut Chia Pudding! 
Coconut milk is full of MCFAs (medium chain fatty acids, i.e. the fat your body utilizes best!) and chia seed are an excellent source of Omega 3s, fiber and protein. Add some berries for antioxidant value and banana for B vitamins, fiber, minerals and vitamin C. Are you excited yet?
Here is the recipe that my nutritionist put together without measurements that I tried my best to adapt. Came out great!


You will need:

• 1 can coconut milk - the thicker the better
• 1 ripe banana (I keep over ripes on hand in the freezer).
• about a cup to a cup and a half of any berries (I used frozen mixed blue and black)
• a dash of vanilla extract
• a dash of your choice of sweetener (stevia, honey, etc....)
• bulk chia seeds on hand

1. Place all ingredients except the chia seeds into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour the mix into a glass dish or bowl. I also added just a small amount of water (optional) about a 1/4 cup.
3. Place a layer of chia seeds on top of the mixture until you can no longer see the blue color but it is now covered by seeds and looks brown.
4. Mix well.
5. Repeat step #3 adding another generous layer of chia seeds and mix again until there is one homogeneous, creamy mix.
6. Cover and leave in the fridge ideally overnight but for at least 3-4 hours. 

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Sprouting is one of the easiest and cost effective ways to add enzymes, protein and nutrients to your diet. It's so super easy even your kids could do it; and according to moms, kids enjoy snacking on them because of the crunch factor.
 Sprouts are perfect for salads and are good on top of soups or as a sandwich alternative to lettuce. They are also good all by themselves or in tacos or atop casseroles.

 Choosing which seed to sprout is no biggie. Begin experimenting with some to see what is your favorite, use what you already have in your pantry, or buy a "sprouting seed mix" from your health food store for texture, flavor, and color variety.
The sprouts pictured in the corner above are sprouted from the same mung beans I bought for the kitcheree in the previous post. So if you made kitcheree and have a bunch of mung beans hanging around your house now here's an idea of what to do with them.
 The only thing you need besides your seed(s) of choice is a large glass jar (mason jars will work) with a mesh screen top or cheese cloth on top. "Sprouting Jars" which are glass jars that already include a mesh screen are also available at many health food stores.

STEPS FOR SPROUTING SEEDS:

1. Measure your seeds. You can use anywhere from about 2tbsp to about 3/4 cup of seeds. It might take you a while to figure out how quickly you can eat what you sprout while keeping it fresh. For myself, I can eat about 2-3 tbsp of sprouted beans/seeds in a little less than a week (ideal freshness window).
2. Drop the seeds inside your jar, cover them with water and shake the jar around to rinse them off. Dump all the water out.
3. Place the lid on top and put them inside a dark, cool cabinet.
4. Now everyday twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, rinse your seeds in the same fashion as you did in step #2. That's it! Soon you will see that they will begin to sprout little tail like growths. This could take as short as 48 hours or as long as 4 days. It depends on what you are sprouting.
5. Once all of the seeds have grown a tail rinse them well and then set your bounty on a window sill so that they can receive sunlight and produce chlorophyll.
6. Eat em up yum! 

Notes: This time of year when it's cold (er, um well, cold-er) out comfort foods are prevalent. For many, comfort foods are things that are fried or creamy. This recipe is for something I consider to be comfort food. It's warm, mushy, spicy, delicious and so highly digestible and therefore cleansing to the intestines. Because kitcheree is lubricating to the intestines it's perfect during a cleanse or as a kick off to one.  Kitcheree is an ayurvedic staple and is often prescribed by Ayurvedic practicioners for helping to eliminate toxins. It's a  combo of rice, beans, vegetables, ghee and warming spices that helps to balance all 3 doshas. In 2009, I worked in the kitchen doing my karma yoga for a women's spring "cleansing" retreat. This is one  recipe we used in that kitchen. It's  easy and outstanding!

You will need:

• 9 cups of water
• 1 cup mung beans (if you can soak the beans, even better for digestion)
• 1 cup basmati rice (same story on soaking)
• 1/3 cup grated ginger
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup ghee (ghee is clarified butter. it is clearly not vegan but it is lactose free and contributes greatly to the cleansing process)
• Use any vegetables you have on hand, chopped. Greens, carrots, celery and broccoli are always good additions. Today I had yellow bell pepper, carrots,  leeks and red chard.

Spices:

• 1 heaping tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 heaping tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp crushed red chiles

Herbs:

• 1 tbsp sweet basil
• 2 bay leaves

Kitcheree is usually served with plenty of yogurt and fresh cilantro. I like to use cashews  and liquid aminos too! You  may use any non dairy or dairy plain yogurt you like but I suggest White Mountain Foods Bulgarian Yogurt as the amount of tanginess it adds seems to be spot on!

1. Bring water to boil. Rinse beans and rice and add to pot, boiling over a med-high flame.
2. While R&B are cooking, chop your veggies. Set aside onions, ginger and garlic but add the greens and other veggies to the pot.
3. Heat ghee in a large skillet. Add onions, ginger, garlic and sautee over med-high flame until they being to brown. Add spices, not herbs. 
4. When this is all cooked down add it to your big pot.
5. Now add your herbs and lower the heat.
6. Continue to cook until mushy like a stew. The ingredients should be barely discernible.
7. Serve topped with yogurt, cilantro...etc. YUM!

Notes: In the fall, hard squashes are abundant, beautiful, and scrumptious. I eat them often this time of year but I usually bake 'em up plain and simple. My friend and co-worker (Avan) inspired me to go Mexican style with this seasonal gourd. 
 I've had success making enchilada sauce from scratch but I found a line of different pre made sauces that are made with clean, simple ingredients and are so super tasty. The  brand of these sauces is Frontera. They also make good salsas by the way.
 I used spinach in this recipe simply because it's what I typically have stocked in my fridge but any green (chard, kale, collards...) would certainly work just as well! Today I have kale and beet greens I bet that'd be great in this.
 The only real effort in this recipe is waiting for the squash to bake and cool. Organic frozen cubed squash if available at stores but using fresh is worth it especially when it's in season.

You will need:

• corn tortillas
• one butternut squash
• chopped garlic
• about 2 big handfuls of roughly chopped greens
• your preference of sauce for the enchiladas (see a photo of what I used below)
• cheese if you prefer--this time around I used a very small amount of rice "cheddar"

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. make sure your tortillas are warm enough to not fall apart, maybe pop them in your toaster oven or microwave just long enough for them to be a little soft
3. Cut your squash in half. Here's a tip: If it's too hard to cut open, use a mallet or hammer to pound the knife a little. It works!
4. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff and fill a baking dish with about an inch of water. Place the squash in the dish and douse it lightly with olive oil and salt and pepper.

5. Once you can pierce the flesh of the squash it's ready. It'll take about 45 minutes or so.

6. Scoop out the flesh of the squash as best you can. You don't have to allow it to cool completely but obviosuly you don't want to burn your hands!
7.Lay out the tortillas. (This recipe will make approximately 6-10 enchiladas.) Fill each with equal amounts of squash, garlic and greens and roll them up. Place them right up next to one another so that they fit tightly into a glass dish. This will keep them from unrolling and falling apart.
8. Sprinkle with cheese if you want and cover them with the sauce.
9. Bake them until the edges start to brown.

Notes: I haven't had much success with vegan baking nor have I experimented with it enough to get good at it. My friend turned me on to a great website:  http://www.theppk.com/ with a recipe for vegan chocolate pumpkin bread. This recipe is taken directly from that site so props to those awesome people for helping out!  I tweaked the recipe just a bit to attempt a GF loaf and voila, success!!! I am no one step closer to becoming a liberated domestic goddess! This recipe is so easy and delicious and allergen free! I used the leftover pumpkin to make a pumpkin butter. That recipe is my own. 

You will need:

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup applesauce (divided into 2 half cups)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water
• 1 can pumpkin pie mix (use 1 cup of the mix for the bread and reserve the rest for the butter)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose flour (in my research I was told that "Pamela's" is a great option but I learned that it is not vegan)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (divided into two 1/2 teaspoons)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• approx 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (divided into two 1/2 tbsp)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup choc.chips
• about a tbsp of vegan "butter" (like Earth Balance)

1.  Preheat oven to 350, grease a baking pan and have some water boiling
2.  Put applesauce, coconut oil and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl.
3. In a different bowl add the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Sift them together or if you don't have a sifter do what I did and use a fork.
4. Measure 1/3 cup boiling water and add to the cocoa mixture and mix to make a chocolate sauce. Yum! Then add the pumpkin, sugar,and vanilla.
5. Dump half of the flour mix into the chocolate mix and stir. Then add 1 tbsp boiling water and stir again. Now and the rest of the flour mix, another tbsp of water and mix and add in the chocolate chips.
6. Spoon the batter into your loaf pan.
7. Set your timer for 45 minutes.
8. Now take the leftover pumpkin pie mix and put it into a pan.
9. Add 1/2 cup applesauce, a splash of water, about a tbsp of "butter", about a half tbsp grated ginger and about a half tsp. cinnamon.
10. Stir the pumpkin mixture and let it come to a boil.
11. Then simmer while the bread is baking.
12. When your timer goes off stick a knife in the center of the pan and see if it comes out clean.
13. Let the bread cool completely and serve with pumpkin butter!

Notes:  I recently came across some amazing looking organic Poblano peppers and I whipped this idea up. It's incredibly simple. Another day I did it again with bell peppers so there is always room to be creative and flexible. I created this recipe using Quorn brand crumbles as "beef" and I made half without cheese and half with Daiya brand "cheeze". The "meat" could easily be substituted for beans for added simplicity and fiber. If you're into dairy you could use a cheese of your choice. You could also add other chopped vegetables like squash or add some corn.

You will need:

• oil
• garlic - today I used chopped prepared organic garlic from a jar
• 1 cup cooked brown rice - for simplicity you could make the rice the day before 
• approx. 2 fresh chopped tomatoes
• onion - I used yellow onion and chopped about 1/2 of one
• spices: salt, cumin, chili powder
• protein filling of your choice - frozen Quorn crumbles are fast and delicious but use beans or TVP...etc.
• cheese or non dairy cheese is optional
• fresh or pickled jalapenos are optional

1. Prepare the Peppers. Slice lengthwise in half and remove the seeds and insides. You can give them a little rinse inside too. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Heat some oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic.
3. Sautee until the onions are slightly translucent
4. Add the "beef" and season with the salt, cumin, and chili powder. I consider cooking to be more of an art than a science (which is why I don't bake much!!) so season to taste. 
5. Mix to cover all ingredients with spices and then add the tomato.
6. Allow the tomato to become soft but it doesn't need to cook down all the way.
7. Set the peppers inside a baking dish and dole the mixture out evenly among the peppers. 
8. Cover with cheese if you choose. I also topped them with pickled jalapenos because that's how I roll!
9. Place them in the oven now. They will probably bake in about 30 minutes. You can tell when they're done because the pepper's skins will start to brown and soften.
10. Serve with beans of your choice and salad.

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Where should I get my protein and how much do I need? This is one of the most common questions people ask me when seeking guidance about a plant based diet. Let me start by clarifying that I am not a doctor and I have a Bachelor of Science but did not focus on Nutrition (silly me!). I have however received  training and education on nutrition and supplements, spent half of my life dedicated to a plant based diet (i.e. trial and error and experience) and maintain regular dialogue with my friend/colleague who is a Nutritionist. So feel free to take the following information as you will but please consult your doctor or another clinical expert before you decide to make any major dietary changes!
 So anyway....protein needs in my opinion vary from person to person. I’ve learned that a basic formula is your body weight divided by 2. So your weight in half is approximately the amount of protein, in grams you’d need on an average day. Added stress and/or activity? You'll probably need more. Personally I’ve found that I do well with about 40-60 grams of protein a day. I’ve also read that about 20-35% of one’s calories should come from protein. I’ve never done the math on this in my own personal diet though.
     Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. There are 22 amino acids. Of these 8(or  9?) are essential. This means they must come from food (or supplements). So basically, you need to make sure you have all of your essential aminos to get the protein you need. You could get really obsessive about food combining or you could just try your best to eat a variety of whole foods daily and supplement occasionally with, for example liquid aminos/nutritional yeast/protein powders and chances are,  you’re going to be just fine! But keep in mind that each plant food has it’s own amino acid profile. So by getting a variety/combining plant foods throughout the day, it is possible to obtain all of the amino acids.
On to protein sources:  Beans, legumes, quinoa, seeds and nuts are some of the best choices for plant based proteins. Chlorella and Spirulina (types of algae) are also good sources of protein one can supplement with. Personally, I like to supplement a few days a week with a protein shake.
    There are many high quality protein powders on the market made from sources such as quinoa, peas, rice, hemp, various sprouted grains and of course good ol’ soybeans. Which takes us to the question: To soy or not to soy?
The answer to that question is not at all the aim of what I’m writing here but I will say this: everything in moderation, fermented is best (tempeh and miso) and I’m not gonna lie, I love my tofu.  So what about meat substitutes? Meat substitutes are okay in a pinch (I always keep some in freezer for when I’m in a hurry) or for a treat but one shouldn’t rely on them as they are highly processed! Think about what a soybean looks like. Now think about what a soy hot dog looks like. Two very different things! Though of course they are yummy and certainly a reliable source of protein. One of my favorite easy soup recipes has “soysage” in it. I’m sure you’ll see that recipe eventually. Again, moderation is key.

 Here are some amounts of grams of protein found in common foods:

Beans (1 cup)  10-15 grams
Lentils (1 cup)  18 grams, yum!
Avacados     approx. 5 grams each, yes!
Tofu   (4oz)       11 grams
Tempeh(40z)   17 grams
Quinoa (1 cup) 9 grams
Oatmeal(1cup) 6 grams
Almonds (1/4 cup) 7 grams, don’t forget about almond butter!
Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup) 9 grams
And let’s not forget about nutritional yeast!! Nutritional yeast is a complete protein that has 8 grams per tablespoon and is loaded with B vitamins including B12 which is essential and is not easily found in plant foods!
    So let’s say as an example you have a protein powder supplemented smoothie for breakfast, rice and beans with avacado and salsa for lunch and a quinoa salad with greens and tempeh for dinner....that’s a whopping 50 grams of protein. That’s not including the snack you may have eaten like an apple with almond butter, a protein snack bar, a handful of nuts or seeds or raw veggies with hummus. You get the picture, right?
   Remember that maintaining this lifestyle choice is a practice. It takes intention and effort. So keep up the good work! Another recipe is coming up soon as well as some information about sprouting! So look forward to those ;)

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