Vegan Pumpkin Dessert

Here is a quick tasty dessert that has no animal products in the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

One 15 ounce can of Pure Pumpkin

One cup of no sugar added Apple Sauce

One teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice ( see how to make your own spice below )

Two Tablespoons of Creamy Peanut Butter or Almond Butter

Handful of Dry Cranberries

Just add all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Serve at room temperature or chilled if you prefer. I refrigerate mine since I live in a warmer climate.

Pumpkin Pie Spice from Scratch:

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ginger

1/8 teaspoon of cloves

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

Potato Boats with Spinach Stuffing

This recipe offers a creative way to put a new twist on last night’s leftover baked or steamed potatoes.

Ingredients

Makes 8 halves (8 servings)

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained, or 2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped and steamed

1/4 cup dry millet, rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

4 medium russet potatoes

2 tablespoons cashews

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Directions

If using frozen spinach, remove from the freezer to thaw.

Place millet in a small saucepan with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until all water is absorbed, about 1 hour. Set aside.

Bake, microwave, or steam potatoes until tender when pierced with a knife. When cool enough to handle, carefully cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell. Set flesh and shells aside.

Steam fresh or frozen spinach.

Combine cooked millet, cashews, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt in a blender with remaining 1/2 cup water. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping blender occasionally to scrape down sides with a rubber spatula.

Transfer potato flesh to a skillet. Use a spoon to break into bite-size chunks. Add spinach and warm over medium heat, stirring often. When hot, stir in millet mixture. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through and thicken slightly. Scoop into reserved shells and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, before serving.

Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, leftover Potato Boats with Spinach Stuffing will keep for up to two days. Reheat them using an oven or microwave.

Per serving (1 half): 124 calories; 1.5 g fat; 0.3 g saturated fat; 10.8% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.1 g protein; 24.8 g carbohydrates; 1.3 g sugar; 3.4 g fiber; 327 mg sodium; 51 mg calcium; 1.7 mg iron; 8.8 mg vitamin C; 1700 mcg beta carotene; vitamin E 0.9 mg

Source: The Survivor’s Handbook: Eating Right for Cancer Survival by Neal D. Barnard, M.D., and Jennifer Reilly, R.D.

Lemon Creme

This zesty crème is perfect as a guilt-free dessert. It can be served as a pudding or a topping on fruit, cake, or pie.

Ingredients

Makes 1 cup (4 servings)

1 12.3-ounce package reduced-fat, extra-firm silken tofu, crumbled

1/3 cup Grade A (light) maple syrup or agave nectar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon peel, grated

Directions

Blend tofu, maple syrup or agave nectar, lemon juice, and lemon peel until very smooth in a blender or food processor (or place in a bowl and use a handheld blender). Refrigerate in a covered container until chilled.

Per serving (1/4 recipe): 105 calories; 0.8 g fat; 0.1 g saturated fat; 6.7% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 5.6 g protein; 19.9 g carbohydrates; 16.7 g sugar; 0.2 g fiber; 79 mg sodium; 53 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 4.8 mg vitamin C; 0 mcg beta carotene; 0.1 mg vitamin E

Source: Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan

Asian Stir-Fry with Apricot Teriyaki Sauce

Serve this sweet and savory stir-fry over a bed of brown rice or quinoa for a wholesome lunch or dinner!

Ingredients

Serves 4

1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup all-fruit apricot preserves

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup onion, sliced into half-moons

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups button mushrooms, halved

1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 cup green cabbage, shredded

2 cups broccoli spears

1 yellow summer squash, sliced into half-moons

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, preserves, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch. Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons water over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the carrots and cabbage and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and squash and cook just until they are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and gently stir; cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve immediately.

*Time-saving tip: Use 1 16-ounce package frozen stir-fry vegetable blend in place of fresh vegetables.

Instead of soy sauce, I substitute Braggs All Natural Liquid Aminos.

Per serving (1/4 recipe): 162 calories; 5 g protein; 38 g carbohydrate; 23 g sugar; 0.7 g total fat; 4% calories from fat; 7 g fiber; 315 mg sodium

Source: Recipe by Christine Waltermyer from Power Foods for the Brain by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.

Bulgur and Orange Salad

This wholesome salad is packed with fiber from its beans, grains, vegetables, and fruit. Serve it as either a side dish or a complete meal.

Ingredients

Makes about 6 cups (6 servings)

1 cup dry bulgur
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 orange, peeled and chopped
2 cups boiling water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Place bulgur in a large bowl and mix with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add boiling water and stir just to mix, then cover and let stand until bulgur is tender, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

When bulgur is cool, add orange, bell pepper, green onions, and beans.

In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, orange juice concentrate, cumin, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add to salad and toss to mix. If possible, chill before serving.

This salad is very flavorful the next day. Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, leftover Bulgur and Orange Salad will keep for up to 3 days.

Per Serving (1 cup): 174 calories; 0.7 g fat; 0.1 g saturated fat; 3.5% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 7.5 g protein; 37 g carbohydrates; 6.9 g sugar; 8.2 g fiber; 473 mg sodium; 59 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 33.9 mg vitamin C; 258 mcg beta carotene; 0.3 mg vitamin E

Source: The Survivor’s Handbook: Eating Right for Cancer Survival by Neal D. Barnard. M.D., and Jennifer Reilly, R.D.

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Vegetarian Bacon

Enjoy the added richness of “bacon” flavoring without the guilt of high sodium, fat, and cholesterol.

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

3 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved vertically

1 cup vegetarian bacon (about 8 slices), such as Yves Veggie Canadian Bacon or Lightlife Fakin’ Bacon, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Add Brussels sprouts to a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. When they are cold, drain well.

Heat a large nonstick skillet, wok, or stir-fry pan over high heat. Add vegetarian bacon and green onions and steam-fry until green onions are soft, adding very small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking and burning. Add sprouts and broth and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Season with the salt and black pepper and drizzle with lemon juice. Toss and serve immediately.

Per serving (1/8 of recipe): 88 calories; 1 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 9.7% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 10.2 g protein; 13.2 g carbohydrates; 5.3 g sugar; 4.6 g fiber; 194 mg sodium; 76 mg calcium; 2.6 mg iron; 104.9 mg vitamin C; 818 mcg beta carotene; 0.8 mg vitamin E

Source: Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan

Savory Vegetable Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:

Green cabbage leaves:

Steamed or boiled until tender, but not falling apart

Filling

2 cups cooked rice

3 Tbsp vegan margarine

1 medium onion – diced

1 bell pepper diced, red or yellow

2 ribs celery, chopped fine

4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp salt

Sauce

1 14.5oz can tomato sauce

2 cups vegetable stock

½ tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

Good Directions for Any Cabbage Rolls

Cooking the rice: Generally the ratio will be one part rice and two parts water. I like to do this process as a one pot step by adding all the vegetables, peppers and onions, and spices to the same pot. There is really no reason to take the extra steps of dirtying up a bunch of other pots. You can sauté some onions, to a dark brown flavor, which is really great for cabbage rolls.

Place all the ingredients into a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, until tender.

Add any additional ingredients like textured vegetable protein, nuts, craisins, or whole beans. Stir in well and your stuffing is ready to go. I will often stir in a little tomato sauce, or juice for a flavor blast and get the rice to a consistency that I’m looking for.

Cooking the cabbage: It only takes about 5 minutes in boiling water. You can add flavor to the water, but it’s really not necessary. I do put the leaves in the pot separately and not the whole cabbage, this will make your product much more consistent and easier to handle. Just core out the cabbage and peel the outer leaves. I will use the inside cabbage for salads.

Drain the cabbage and run cold water over the leaves. This will help the leaves have a more vibrant color. The leaves should be flexible enough to roll, but not overcooked to be falling apart. Once they’re cool and drained, they are ready to be stuffed.

Filling the Cabbage: Now that the rice is a little cooler and the cabbage is cooled down, they are ready to stuff. We are going to start at the rib, or thick side of the cabbage, and place a couple heaping tablespoons of filling as desired size. We are going to roll the cabbage, like a burrito, folding in the sides as we go. At the end, the thinner part of the leaf should be the last fold.

Sauce Topping: The sauce can go in a thousand directions, I try to have sauces that I can just mix and pour over the top, not needing to stove-top cook. Make your job easy.

Baking the cabbage rolls: I like to lace the bottom of the pan with sauce before placing the cabbage rolls in the pan. If you want to spray the pans to help clean up that’s fine too.

When placing the cabbage rolls into the pan, we want to place the last fold to the bottom of the pan, this will help the sealing. Cover the cabbage with the remaining sauce and ingredients and then bake in the oven, covered, for about 30 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. You can always remove the cover and return to the oven for the last 10 minutes to brown the top if you like.

Ingredients:

Green cabbage leaves:

Steamed or boiled until tender, but not falling apart

Filling

2 cups cooked rice

3 Tbsp vegan margarine

1 medium onion – diced

1 bell pepper diced, red or yellow

2 ribs celery, chopped fine

4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp salt

Sauce

1 14.5oz can tomato sauce

2 cups vegetable stock

½ tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

Good Directions for Any Cabbage Rolls

Cooking the rice: Generally the ratio will be one part rice and two parts water. I like to do this process as a one pot step by adding all the vegetables, peppers and onions, and spices to the same pot. There is really no reason to take the extra steps of dirtying up a bunch of other pots. You can sauté some onions, to a dark brown flavor, which is really great for cabbage rolls.

Place all the ingredie
nts into a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, until tender.

Add any additional ingredients like textured vegetable protein, nuts, craisins, or whole beans. Stir in well and your stuffing is ready to go. I will often stir in a little tomato sauce, or juice for a flavor blast and get the rice to a consistency that I’m looking for.

Cooking the cabbage: It only takes about 5 minutes in boiling water. You can add flavor to the water, but it’s really not necessary. I do put the leaves in the pot separately and not the whole cabbage, this will make your product much more consistent and easier to handle. Just core out the cabbage and peel the outer leaves. I will use the inside cabbage for salads.

Drain the cabbage and run cold water over the leaves. This will help the leaves have a more vibrant color. The leaves should be flexible enough to roll, but not overcooked to be falling apart. Once they’re cool and drained, they are ready to be stuffed.

Filling the Cabbage: Now that the rice is a little cooler and the cabbage is cooled down, they are ready to stuff. We are going to start at the rib, or thick side of the cabbage, and place a couple heaping tablespoons of filling as desired size. We are going to roll the cabbage, like a burrito, folding in the sides as we go. At the end, the thinner part of the leaf should be the last fold.

Sauce Topping: The sauce can go in a thousand directions, I try to have sauces that I can just mix and pour over the top, not needing to stove-top cook. Make your job easy.

Baking the cabbage rolls: I like to lace the bottom of the pan with sauce before placing the cabbage rolls in the pan. if you want to spray the pans to help clean up that’s fine too.

When placing the cabbage rolls into the pan, we want to place the last fold to the bottom of the pan, this will help the sealing. Cover the cabbage with the remaining sauce and ingredients and then bake in the oven, covered, for about 30 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. You can always remove the cover and return to the oven for the last 10 minutes to brown the top if you like.

Recipe by Chef Mark Anthony

Sweet Potato Pudding

For a quick and nutritious breakfast, this sweet potato pudding is the perfect choice. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fiber, which will keep you full throughout the morning.

Ingredients

Makes about 3, 1/2-cup servings

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup soy- or rice milk

1 cup cooked sweet potato or yam

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth.

Per serving (1/2 cup): 151 calories; 1.4 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 8.2% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.6 g protein; 31.1 g carbohydrates; 12.4 g sugar; 4.2 g fiber; 55 mg sodium; 94 mg calcium; 1.5 mg iron; 16.8 mg vitamin C; 9783 mcg beta-carotene; 0.8 mg vitamin E

Source: Turn Off the Fat Genes by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond M.S., R.D.

Steamed Asparagus with Raspberry Sauce

Spring has arrived and asparagus is back in season! This recipe features a unique way to enjoy asparagus with a sweet and tangy sauce.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

1 cup frozen raspberries

Juice of 1/2 orange, or one teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate

1 pound fresh asparagus

1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)

Directions

Put raspberries in a saucepan with orange juice or orange juice concentrate. Simmer, stirring often, until raspberries have fallen apart and the mixture looks like a sauce, about five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Steam asparagus over hot water until bright green and soft, but not mushy. Place asparagus in a serving dish and top with sauce. Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with orange zest, if using.

Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 49 calories; 0.7 g fat; 0.1 g saturated fat; 12.2% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g protein; 10.1 g carbohydrates; 4.9 g sugar; 5 g fiber; 3 mg sodium; 27 mg calcium; 0.8 mg iron; 35.4 mg vitamin C; 282 mcg beta carotene; 1.3 mg vitamin E

Source: Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D.

Speedy Pear Crisp

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Plus 1 Tablespoon Apricot Preserves or Sweetened Fruit Spread
4 Pears ( about 2 pounds ) Peeled, Cored and Thinly Sliced
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Sea Salt
2 Cups Granola ( you can reference my home made recipe in Healthy Living Category of this blog )

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a shallow 6-cup baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat the preserves until melted and easily stirred. Set the sliced pears in a large bowl, then drizzle the preserves over them. Add the lemon juice and salt then toss well. Spread the pears evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the granola evenly over the pears, then cover the dishs loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until the pears are tender. Serve hot or cold.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
210 calories
25 calories from fat ( 12 percent of total calories )
2.5 g fat ( 0.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats )
0 mg cholesterol
50 g carbohydrate
5 g fiber
27 g sugar
3 g protein
55 mg sodium

Yield: 8 servings
Recipe appeared in Santa Barbara, California News Press Daily Paper and is written by Sara Moulton from the Associated Press.

Curried Lentil and Tomato Stew

This is a wonderfully warm and filling dish to serve during the winter months. For some added heat, try adding diced jalapeno peppers after you’ve added the onion.

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup green or brown lentils
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in water until browned. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot, ginger, garlic, curry powder, fenugreek, and tomatoes, sautéing for about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth and tomato paste, stirring until the tomato paste is thoroughly combined with the broth. Bring the stew to a simmer.

Add the lentils and stir. Once the stew comes back to a simmer, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook the soup for 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Serve over basmati rice.

Per serving (1/3 recipe): 276 calories; 1.2 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 3.7% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 18.3 g protein; 52.1 g carbohydrates; 10.9 g sugar; 13.5 g fiber; 1015 mg sodium; 79 mg calcium; 7.3 mg iron; 21.6 mg vitamin C; 2698 mcg beta-carotene; 2.3 mg vitamin E

Recipe adapted from 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, M.D.; original recipe by Jason Wyrick of Vegan Culinary Experience

Creamy Carrot Soup

This simple soup is a rich source of protective beta-carotene.

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

1 onion, coarsely chopped
6 carrots, sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups fortified soy- or rice milk, divided
1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Combine onion and carrots in a pot with broth and curry powder. Cover and simmer until carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Transfer 2 to 3 cups of carrots with their liquid to a blender; add some of the non-dairy milk, and purée until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining carrots.

Return to pot, add more non-dairy milk if a thinner soup is desired, and heat gently until very hot and steamy.

Per serving (1 cup): 72 calories; 1.4 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 17.4% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.5 g protein; 12.2 g carbohydrates; 4 g sugar; 2.9 g fiber; 260 mg sodium; 100 mg calcium; 1.2 mg iron; 3.4 mg vitamin C; 3677 mcg beta-carotene; 1.4 mg vitamin E

Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Beefless Veggie Stew

1 cup dry “beef” style textured
vegetable protein chunks

1 cup boiling
water

1 tsp. lemon
juice

1
medium-sized onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp.
olive oil
2 Tbsp Vegan Beef Base

4 cups
water
1 – 14oz. can diced tomatoes
1
Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 small bay
leaves
2 tsp. salt
1/2
tsp. pepper
1 vegetable bouillon
cube
1 tsp. sugar
6 carrots,
chopped
3 potatoes, cut into bite-sized
pieces
1 – 10oz. pkg. frozen peas
2
Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of water
slurry

Reconstitute the beef-style chunks in the boiling water and lemon
juice. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Brown the onion and garlic in the oil, add
the chunks, and continue browning. Add the water, tomatoes, Worcestershire
sauce, beef base, bay leaves, salt, pepper, bouillon cube, and sugar and simmer
for 1 hour. Add the carrots and potatoes. Cook another 30 minutes. Thicken with
the slurry. Add the peas right before serving.

Makes 6 servings

NOTE: When using the bread bowls, you want to cut off the tops and
hollow out the bowl, making sure to keep the walls thick enough to hold up. A
good 1/2 inch or better. Also the key secret is to let the bread bowls dry in
open air overnight. This will help keep the stew from soaking through and
creating a big mess.

Ginger Noodles

These exotic-tasting noodles are surprisingly easy to prepare. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour and are sold in natural food stores and Asian markets.

Ingredients

Makes about 4 1-cup servings

1 eight-ounce package soba noodles
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 – 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped, including tops
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

Cook noodles in boiling water according to package directions. When tender, drain and rinse. Mix vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, jalapeno pepper, green onions, and cilantro, if using, then pour over cooked noodles and toss to mix.

Per serving (1 cup): 211 calories; 0.8 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 3.6% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 8.8 g protein; 45.2 g carbohydrates; 5.2 g sugar; 4.5 g fiber; 581 mg sodium; 32 mg calcium; 1.9 mg iron; 3.5 mg vitamin C; 48 mcg beta-carotene; 0.5 mg vitamin E

Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D

Lentil Soup – Crockpot Style

This weekend, put together the fastest, easiest lentil soup you could ever make, with perfect flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups lentils

12 cups water

1 cup celery chopped

1 cup onion chopped

3 carrots sliced (added later)

2 Tbsp Chickenless Base

Directions

Put all these ingredients into the crockpot and about an hour before you are ready to eat, add the sliced carrots. That way they are not all mushy and still hold together.

You will want to have your crockpot on high for about 4 hours. If you have one of the good SaladMaster OilCore Crockpots, you can set it at 200 degrees for 5 hours.

Right before serving, take a ladle and mash some of the beans to give it a more saucy appeal.

This serves about 6 to 8 good size portions.

Note: You can also add instant mashed potatoes to a lentil soup to thicken it up. It only takes a little sprinkling and it will take a couple minutes to thicken, so don’t add too much or you will over thicken it. If you do, just add a little water.

Recipe is from Mark Anthony. He travels and teaches healthy cooking classes all over the United States.