My One New Year's Resolution 2012

Love it or hate it, it's that time of the year again. The time when many of us make up our minds to change something about ourselves that we don't like. There are definitely pros and cons to the process. Last year I formally put out there my 11 resolutions for 2011. Did I achieve them? Some yes, some no. But this year, I learned a few things.

For resolutions to have any shot at working, they need to be really easy. They should probably be limited to a short period of time, like two weeks. You should tell another person about them and check in with that person regularly.

It all seems like too much fuss for me right now. I'm fairly content with the way things are. And I'm kind of resolved to being kinder to myself. To doing less.

But there is one thing that caught my eye.

Something fun for me.

Doable.

Organizing. Decluttering. Systematically. Beautifully.

Following this organizing and decluttering calendar.

I don't promise to do it all every day, but I do promise to print out the calendar and post it where I can see it, share it with the others in my household and to give it more than the old college try.

It seems like fun to me!

Have you made any 2012 resolutions? Why or why not? If so, what are they?

Healthy Girl's Kitchen Top 11 Plant-strong Recipes of 2011

I'm so excited to present to you the Top 11 (okay, well, actually 13) Plant-strong Recipes that were tried, tested and perfected in the HGK in 2011.

Most were created by others, sometimes tweaked by me, and some are my own creations. In my book, these are all outstanding Plant-strong recipes that you should try at least once. They are likely to become favorites of yours too!

I also want to note that something really BIG happened to me this year. I went from someone with minimal confidence in the kitchen regarding creating my own recipes (I was a big tester and tweaker) to a fully confident cook who prefers creating her own original recipes. It's very liberating for this food blogger. And it should make for an extremely exciting 2012 here on HGK. You're also likely to see a lot more from my friends, Jill and Chris-anna, who are busy dreaming up Plant-strong recipes of their own in their healthy kitchens.

So here it is, a list of my favorite 13 dishes that were prepared in HGK in 2011, in no particular order . . .

Quinny's Sri Lankan Kale with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans
This is a riff off of a Kale Mallung recipe by Susan Voisen of Fat Free Vegan, but oh my, it is so much better. (Sorry Susan, you are one of my idols, but this is the truth.) My friend Quinn thought up the changes and graciously shared them with me, which I glommed onto. Anyone who took my advice and tried it has LOVED it. I would gladly eat this everyday for a month. What are you waiting for?

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
There is no denying it, I have a sweet tooth. No matter how much I want to avoid the poison, somehow I convince myself that indulging is okay again. But I do try to find sweet things that I can eat just one of, and somehow, these Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip muffins fit the bill. They are incredibly moist and satisfying. Simply the best vegan no oil muffins I have ever tasted. Agreement from all who have tried them!

The Round Salad
This recipe, literally brought back to Cleveland from the other side of the world, has impressed everyone who has tried it. And at least 100 people have tried it just since the middle of November. But who's counting? Made with a San J brand bottled dressing, you can substitute ANY Asian flavored dressing of your choice, either bottled or home made. It won't matter. The magic is in the combination of Plant-strong ingredients.

Pumpkin Bulgar Stuffed Acorn Squash
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Of course, there's food involved! I started planning and preparing early this year and these stuffed squash are the result. You can bet I won't be waiting until next November to make them again. There's something about the hint of sweetness from the pumpkin and maple and the crunch of the onions and walnuts that sends me to the moon.

Chef Aj's Disappearing Lasagna
Quite simply, there is nothing like Chef Aj's Lasagna. Everyone who tries it loves it. It's a go-to entertaining recipe full of incredible tastes and textures.

Chris-anna's Vegetable Sugo
You don't have to lament the fact that you no longer eat meat. Not with this recipe at your finger tips. The rich depth of flavor achieved with slow cooking is what makes this tomato mushroom sauce so soul satisfying. Serve it over whole wheat spagetti for a Pasta Bolognese or sandwiched between slices of warm polenta for an impressive presentation.

Tex-Mex Quinoa with Cilantro, Lime and Apricots

What can I say? I'm a total sucker for lime and cilantro. This quinoa dish rocks. Once you taste it, it's hard to stop eating it. Just ask my friend Laura.

Mama Pea's Spicy African Peanut Stew
Yummy and made from ingredients that most of us already have in our pantry. You can even do The Healthy Librarian's faux coconut milk substitution (1 cup nut milk + 1 tsp coconut extract; to replace a can of coconut milk, double that) to cut way down on the fat.

The Healthy Librarian's Cheesy Oatmeal

Okay, this doesn't make for the prettiest picture, but don't let that fool you!  For breakfast, lunch or dinner, this savory oatmeal is incredible. Packed with flavor and nutrition, cheesy tasting from the nutritional yeast and chewy from the sun dried tomatoes and dried mushrooms. I first made these early on in 2011 and devoured them several times since. That says a lot for a person who blogs and is always trying to test new recipes.

Roasted Beets with Cocoa-Sesame Sauce
I first discovered these early in 2011 scouring other bloggers' "best of 2010" lists. I'm a big fan of roasted beets and I'm a sucker for savory food with a hint of sweetness. You could make a dinner out of this beet recipe or serve it to guests as an appetizer. So creative, so delicious.

Choosing Raw's Vegan Artichoke and Spinach Dip

"Even better than the original." That's what my SIL Janet said. It's totally plant indulgent, so I only prepared this once for our 2011 Plant-strong Superbowl Party, but it is so on the menu for the next one (can't wait!).

Mama Pea's Vegan Ceviche
I happened upon this simple, outstanding recipe over the summer and made it more than a few times. The hearts of palm, avocado, cucumber, tomato, red onion and red pepper all dressed up with lime juice, salt and pepper give me a foodgasm. Sorry if that's too graphic for you.

Appetite for Reduction's Buffalo Tempeh Wraps
Full disclosure, my business partner Chris-anna doesn't like these (it's the raw onion in the dressing). But everyone else loves them, including me! So if raw onion doesn't send you packing, and you like that Buffalo hot sauce flavor, run to the grocery store and get the ingredients for these. The combination of cool crunch from the creamy slaw and signature hot sauce heat from the Buffalo Tempeh will cause you to dream about these wraps.

Also, check out these fabulous and famous HGK 2011 posts:

The Big List of No-oil Salad Dressings

The Big List of Green Smoothies

What were some of your favorite recipes of 2011?

And the Winner of Everyday Happy Herbivore is . . .

Comment #14


Congratulations Quiltspinner!

"My four kids and spouses have mostly decided to eat plant based. It is very exciting. They all contribute plant strong dishes. When traveling we try to eat Asian, or Mexican because we can always get a meatless meal. The fat content can be high but I think flexibility not rigidity is the key to all things in life. We eat very well at home, and if while traveling, we have to eat white flour, rice, or a little extra fat a meal, oh well. Over all our diet is excellent and can take handle a diversion once in a while. When I have allowed myself a chocolate treat or piece of pie for my birthday or Thanksgiving I do not feel well. So there is no likelihood that I will revert to old ways."

Quiltspinner, please contact me at healthygirlskitchen@gmail.com to claim your prize!

And everyone, please check back here tomorrow for the posting that I have been slaving over for a week:

When in Doubt, Go to the Local Farmer's Market

If you haven't already, don't miss out on the Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbook giveaway. Contest ends tonight at 6 pm.

This year, I'm doing more home cooking than I ever have on our annual vacation. I try to make it fun for myself, planning ahead what I want to make and organizing the recipes (which was pretty easy considering I wanted to give a whole bunch of Lindsay Nixon's recipes a try). And I try to make it enjoyable for the people that I'm with, feeding them good healthy food that they have never tried before.

Last winter I saw signs on the side of the road for a Marco Island Farmer's Market. We didn't go, but the image of those signs really stuck out in my brain. So this trip, it made it onto my "must do" list. When you eat a lot of fruits and veggies, farmer's markets can become a regular and welcome part of your life. 

This market did not disappoint: plenty of vendors, a wide open space and a nice variety of products.

There were greens I had never heard of; Kumasuna and Mizuna mixed in with the Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, Dandelion Greens, Broccoli Raab and Mustard Greens.

Along with the standard Plant-weak fare. These were shocking.

Bananas at the farmer's market? Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!

Strawberries in December? Hold onto your seat belts!

Gorgeous, red, plump tomatoes everywhere, but not an apple in sight. And all of the produce was much less expensive than anything I could get at my Farmer's Market in Cleveland.

Beautiful bags of homemade pasta in a variety of flavors and grains.

I took home a fettuccine made of emmer, a whole grain that I am not familiar with, 

but looking forward to trying . . .

and some seriously great oat bars made with dried fruit and nuts. The Nut Man said they were less than 75 calories per bar, which is very low for a bar like this. I think I'd like the recipe!

Have you done anything fun, new or experimental this week? Are you working or are you chillaxing in your pjs?

Check back tomorrow for the winner of the giveaway and again on Friday for HGK's best recipes of 2011 post!

Giveaway! Travelling, Eating and the Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbook Giveaway

Greetings from Marco Island, Florida! Thanks to everyone who left holiday wishes on HGK. It really meant a lot to me.
Thanks to my genergous in-laws, my family and I are on our annual beach paradise vacation, escaping the frigid cold of Cleveland for one short week and a half.

As we all know, when it comes to eating, travelling can be quite challenging for the Plant-strong. The food on this island paradise is predominantly fried, so I've got my work cut out for me. Luckily, we stay in a condo on the beach with a full (well, pretty basic as far as the utensils and appliances go) kitchen. I can cook as much as I want, assuming I can get the ingredients that I want to cook with. And my kind in-laws even schlepped down a decent blender for me so that I wouldn't have to miss my VitaMix too much.

Last month I was contacted by Lindsay Nixon's peeps and asked to do a review and giveaway of her newest cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore. I didn't get a chance to do it before we left town because the end of the year is so crazy for me at work, so I decided that the best thing to do would be to try out Lindsay's newest recipes from Florida.

So here I am, testing recipes, taking walks on the beach, grocery shopping, fooling around on Pinterest, playing tennis, finding new and cool things to do on HGK in 2012 and otherwise enjoying my downtime.

So far, I have prepared Lindsay's Fiesta Bake, Chickpea Tikka Masala and Teriyaki Rice. All three recipes were quick, easy and very tasty, just like the book promises. My husband and the adults in the extended family all really enjoyed the Fiesta Bake for lunch on Saturday. And today for lunch, my 12 year old daughter, husband and I loved the Chickpea Tikka Masala.

My only criticism would be that they could all use more vegetables, but in a way, that's how the recipes are all prepared very quickly. There's no time spend chopping onions or garlic because Lindsay's recipes call for onion powder and garlic powder.

So if you just don't love to cook or are looking for fast and filling Vegan recipes for weeknight meals, look no further than Everyday Happy Herbivore.

And one lucky HGK reader will win a free copy. Just leave a comment here with the answer to one of the following questions:

How are you staying Plant-strong this holiday season?
or
How do you stay Plant-strong when you are on vacation/travelling?
or
What are your biggest obstacles when it comes to remaining Plant-strong when on vacation/travelling?

One winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, December 29th at 6 pm EST.

HGK's Easy Choco Pumpkin Mousse

Are you planning any more holiday entertaining this year? New Year's Eve perhaps? Looking for that perfect dessert that will wow your loved ones and keep you feeling like you didn't veer off course?

This is it. My Choco Pumpkin Mousse is a wonderful ending for a holiday meal when you don't want to overindulge, but still want to feel like you've had a sweet treat. Serve it in very small cups or shot glasses for a rockin' presentation that just might shock and amaze your guests. All the while keeping the portion reasonable both satisfy your sweet tooth while remaining guilt free.

Super easy to make. It's really a simple dessert that will keep, so making it ahead when you have so much else going on decreases your stress level.

HGK's Choco Pumpkin Mousse
makes 12 servings

Printable Recipe

6 large Medjool dates
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
2 cups vegan chocolate chips
2 12 oz. boxes Mori Nu Extra Firm Silken Tofu, water poured out
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Soak dates in unsweetened chocolate almond milk until dates are soft.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave in a microwave safe bowl. It took my microwave 2 minutes on high power to do this. Stir chocolate and transfer to a food processor or high powered blender.

Place soaked dates and all liquid, plus the rest of the ingredients, into food processor or blender. Blend until creamy. Your mousse is ready! Immediately transfer to one large bowl or individual serving cups and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cashew Cream

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup (3 large Medjool) dates, pitted
1/2 tsp vanilla

Place all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend, tamping down, until smooth.

What are your plans this week? Do they involve celebrating with food? 

{happy holidays!}

To Each and Every Reader of HGK,

In this time of celebration and relaxation, friends and family, love and light . . .

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Kwanzaa!

Happy Festivus!

My the warmth and peace of the season be yours.

We are all on this journey together.
With deep appreciation,
Wendy

What Should Have Been Cilantro Jalapeno Zucchini Pancakes with Chipotle Sour Cream

I was inspired to make this dish after posting my Links for Latkas last Friday. I wanted to see if you could take the deliciousness of a potato pancake and turn it on its head. Eliminate the frying. Up the veggie quotient. It wasn't too big of a stretch.

Plus, I happened to have a lot of zucchini in my refrigerator that I needed to use up a.s.a.p.

So as the snow fell outside, I was comfortably warm cooking up my own storm this past Saturday morning. I knew I would be serving this dish that evening to my newish next door neighbors. The neighbors where the wife is the phenomenal cook.

The pressure was on.

I thought I would do something really creative and make a casserole out of the pancake ingredients. A kugel if you will.

It worked, but while the resulting dish was delicious, I know that it could have been so much better, although more time consuming, if I had just stuck with straight up pancakes. The casserole lacked the crispiness on all sides that I was craving, so I carefully cut the entire tray into small squares and rebaked all of the pieces.

Luckily, it worked. But you don't need to go through all that hassle. Just make the pancakes from the start!

I'm not sure you'd want to attempt these without the magic of a food processor, but if you've got the muscle (or need a good workout), go right ahead.

Cilantro Jalapeno Zucchini Pancakes with Chipotle Sour Cream
adapted from this recipe

Printable Recipe

1 Tbsp EnerG Egg Replacer
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 pounds zucchini, shredded
1 pound peeled baking potato, shredded
1 small onion (mine was 7 ounces), shredded
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped chipotle chili, canned in adobo sauce
scant 2 Tbsp finely chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
2 tsp cumin
4 thinly sliced scallions (mine were on the small side)
1 tsp salt
12 Tbsp garbanzo bean flour

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together EnerG Egg Replacer and water.

In a very large bowl, place all ingredients, including egg replacer/water mixture. Stir well to combine ingredients thoroughly.
Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of the batter onto the hot skillet and press each mound into a 3-inch pancake. Cook the pancakes until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the latkes to a baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm.

Repeat with the remaining batter. Optional: serve topped with Chipotle Sour Cream.

Chipotle Sour Cream
Not exactly health food, but vegan. Outstanding.

1 12 ounce container Tofutti Sour Cream
2 Tbsp chopped chipotle chili, canned in adobo sauce
Zest of 1 large lime
Juice of 1 large lime

Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

These would also make outstanding Vegan appetizers for a party. Just use a tablespoon full of batter as you make the pancakes instead of 1/4 cup. Arrange on a platter and keep warm in the oven. Dollop a bit of the Chipotle Sour Cream on right before serving.

Braised Celery with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

I am a huge fan of capers.

Celery, not so much.

But because I am frequently participating in a CSA or organic vegetable share, I often find myself with loads of celery. I discovered this very light, yet very filling, dinner or lunch recipe that is so entirely delicious you could even serve it to guests on a holiday buffet (see how red and green it is?).

When I first started making this in March 2010, I was still using a little butter and olive oil in my cooking. But that was before I heard Dr. Esselstyn speak.

This updated version is made with no added fat, and I promise, if you don't like celery, you will become a fan after trying this.

Braised Celery with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers
serves 6

Printable Recipe

vegetable stock for sauteing
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large bunches celery (about 3.5 pounds), washed, trimmed and cut into 2" lengths
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp drained capers
1 1/2 cups pitted and sliced black olives
1 28 ounce or 2 14 ounce cans low sodium diced tomatoes
optional: 8 ounces whole wheat pasta, precooked

Place a dutch oven or stock pot onto medium high heat. Coat the bottom of the pot in vegetable broth. When broth is bubbling, add onions and stir. Let cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add celery and stir. Season with salt (or not) and pepper. Sprinkle with flour, stir, and let cook for 2 more minutes.

Add vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Add capers, olives and diced tomatoes and stir. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat a bit, and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Optional: Before serving, add cooked whole wheat pasta and stir.

This is so phenomenal, I think I'm going to be eating the leftovers for breakfast.

Portion Control, Schmortion Control

This article, by Jackie Wicks, founder of PEERtrainer, was so great, I had to share it with all of you! And thank you to our peeps at PEERtrainer for allowing their articles to be republished.

Why Portion Control May Be Keeping You Fat 

A Contrarian Take On The Most Popular Weight Loss Technique Of All Time

Decemeber 15th, 2011 


Portion control may be keeping you fat. 

If you are like most people, you are probably thinking "no, it is all the extra food I am eating that is keeping me fat." 

Well, maybe. But I want to share with you the reasons for my controversial assertion. 

First of all, it needs to be said that portion control is a critically important tool. Of course we want to keep an eye on calories, and for people just starting the weight loss process portion control is something people must learn and even master. 

However, the problem with portion control is that people most often use it as their primary weight loss strategy. Because life is busy and most of us have a limited amount of things we can focus on, it often becomes the ONLY strategy that people use. 

This is the simple reality of things. 

We may know darn well that we need to eat more vegetables and more fiber. Likely there is a whole list of things we "should" be doing. But getting to work and doing all the things you need to be doing likely trumps those "shoulds." 

So we are left with a strategy that most of us have been taught-- and one that is not working to well based on every statistic available. 

And it is getting worse. 

So why are we SO focused on something that is not working? Probably because it sounds so "reasonable" and "sensible." Arguing with portion control is like questioning cooking advice from Martha Stuart. 

It is also the advice we are likely to hear from our doctors, as well as those who teach the doctors. 

There are a lot of ways that we get programmed as individuals and as a society, and this is definitely one. 

I'd like to argue that not only is the singular focus on portion control not the answer, but it is likely a root of many of our nutrition problems. 

Not only does it promote the idea that any food is fine as long as it is eaten in limited quantities- but in my experience building and running PEERtrainer, portion control actually discourages people from eating the best foods in beneficial enough quantities. 

Vegetables are a CLASSIC example of this. I work directly with a lot of people, and one thing I have gotten very good at is troubleshooting. When people share their logs with me, I can see a pattern very quickly. 

Many people obviously do not get enough vegetables. But when I probe into this and work to identify the "why" I often see that people are eating several portions of vegetables- but that they are portion controlling the vegetables!! 

Talk about a WTF moment. It is one that I experience so often it is not funny. But the good news is that once I make this observation, and tell people to go NUTS with the vegetables, most make this adjustment with an astonishing degree of success. 

These people just need a small amount of reprogramming! 

On the flip side, people are portion controlling a lot of junk, thinking that is is a "reasonable" strategy. Foods that are high in sugar, low in micronutrients and that often create reactions which throws your system out of whack 

For some people, a small amount of wheat, dairy or eggs can have a big and negative impact. It doesn't matter what the portion of those foods are. They can cause reactions. 

Additionally, people portion control meat and animal protein. Now, based on all the available science, as well as the interpretation of the available research, we hear that we need to keep meat consumption to roughly 10% of calories. 

However, this does not take into account any difference in the quality of the meat source. Would it sound reasonable to you to suggest that a serving of poached Wild Salmon is probably better for you than a hot dog? 

Might it also sound reasonable that regardless of calorie content, you want to avoid the hot dog and that no portion is acceptable? So often it seems that we are given "rules" to follow, and that we often follow them blindly without applying a little common sense. 

Fiber and fat are great example of this. A very popular weight loss concept has been to increase fiber and reduce fat. I don't need to point out who has made that popular. Formulas are created that essentially says that all fiber is good, and all fat is bad. But a little common sense helps us quickly understand that there are certain fats that are good.

Conversely, there are certain sources of fiber which probably are not that great for you, regardless of the portion size. In conclusion, I hope to have made a fairly easy to understand argument here. For those of you who are struggling with weight loss resistance, think about some of this. 

And please share your feedback and questions. What has been your experience in this area? Please leave a comment below!


This information is provided by PEERtrainer.com, the web's leading weight loss community and resource for long term, healthy weight loss success. To sign up for free daily weight loss and motivation tips and more visit http://www.peertrainer.com.

Love, Loss and Zucchini Muffins

We had an awful night last night. Our dear pet rat Miso died unexpectedly. We loved her very much.

It's hard for me to get excited about anything right now. But I had a lot of leftover zucchini in my fridge (from a recipe for zucchini pancakes that is soon to be posted) and as soon as I saw Debby's blog posting of her family's Top Ten Holiday Weekend Dishes I knew just what I was going to do with those zucchini.

My kids have been making zucchini bread with their Great Grandma Dora and now their Great Aunt Viv since the day they were born (well, almost). So naturally, I was a little nervous wondering just how they were going to react to a veganized recipe with 100% whole wheat flour and succanat. But I had nothing to be worried about. The muffins were a major hit!

I made four dozen and the kids delivered care packages to the neighbors. Usually I am worried about gifting healthyish food like this, but I don't think I have anything to worry about with these.

Kid Tested, Kid Approved Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
adapted from a recipe from Happy Healthy Long Life

Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
 2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup soy milk (regular, not lite) or almond milk
3/4 cup applesauce + more if batter is too dry
1 cup organic organic succanat
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
2/3 cup good quality vegan chocolate chips
For egg substitute: mix 1 TBS of flax meal + 3 TBS of water--set aside
optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda & cinnamon.

In a medium bowl stir together nut milk, applesauce, succanat, vanilla, & flax/water mixture.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture & stir until just combined.

Fold in the shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, & optional walnuts.

Divide batter equally into 12 cup muffin pan lined with cupcake papers. Bake for 25 minutes.

Let cool completely and transfer to zip lock baggies to retain the moisture. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Have you veganized/healified any long standing family favorites? How did your family react?

Links for Latkas

For all of us celebrating Hannukah, and even for those of us who just have a love of potato pancakes, the internet is buzzing right now with healtier/veganized recipes of latkas. I thought I would provide you with a few links to get you started, in case you were wondering what the heck you were going to do this year while your family was chowing down on those greasy mofos.

And speaking of those greasy potato pancakes, I've got a sad story to tell you. Chris-anna, my friend, business partner and frequent contributor to HGK, decided to partake in 3 of said greasy mofos last year at a Hannukah party after having eaten mostly no-oil, vegan, nutritarian food for over a year. And this is a chick who loves her french fries.

Within 15 minutes she was laid up in her bed for the rest of the day with what we now affectionately call "the latka induced migraine."

Don't go there folks. Make these instead:

Carrot Parsnip Pancakes

Melody Pakow's Healthy Latkas

Ann Parkin's No-oil Latkas

The Shannon's Baked Latkas

Scallion Ginger Latkas

I know what you are thinking. The whole purpose of eating fried latkas on Hanukkah is to commemorate the miracle of the burning of the OIL in the temple for eight days. But you know what, I can celebrate in other ways, and I'll feel a whole lot better for it.

Traditional latkas are made with potatoes and onions, but I love a pancake made with any root vegetable and there are lots of creative combinations out there. Do you have another vegan, baked latka recipe to contribute to the list? Please leave any ideas in the comments section. Thanks!

For a complete listing of ideas for a vegan Hannukah menu, see this post from Marla Rose.

Fuhrman v. McDougall v. Esselstyn on What's The Healthiest Plant Based Diet?

This discussion is interesting and I learned so much that I just had to share it with all of you!



The main point that I understand now is that Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live recommendation of 1 cup of starchy grain, potato or squash is intended for people who want to lose weight. If weight loss is not in your plans right now, eating a nutrient rich, plant based diet with more starchy grains, potatoes and/or squashes would be fine. It's about the calorie deficit created when a person loads themselves with veggies and avoids higher calorie foods.

And, of course, the starchy plant foods are not as nutrient dense as the other plant foods like greens, so your health will ultimately benefit much more from filling your stomach with those rather than, let's say, acorn squash.

But McDougall's argument that the less starchy diet is unsustainable is a very interesting one. I really need to think about what he is saying in my own history of eating this way. I think he may have a point. I know that ideally, I would like to be able to eat as close to E2L as possible and remain at my lowest weight. But that has been impossible for me and I find myself gravitating toward eating starchy grains and squashes with every lunch and dinner. Over time, my weight has crept up a little. So this video has shed light on why this has happened to me. If I want to lose a little weight, I could go much lighter on the starches. Like that old cliche, it's not rocket science!

But it might be pointless if it's unsustainable.

What has your experience and history been with maintaining weight loss on a plant based diet?

Rich and Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Spinach and It's Official! Binge Eating Disorder Recognized by the APA

This year is the first year that I haven't stopped going to our local farmer's market as soon as the weather turned cold. A few weeks ago I picked up a gigantic butternut squash not sure what I was going to do with it.

A lot of ideas came together to inspire the soup that resulted. A butternut squash soup recipe from Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier, The Healthy Librarian's faux coconut milk, the spinach in my fridge that I wanted to use up, and my sheer love of anything with curry powder.

The results were fantastic. So rich and creamy and soul satisfying for such an easy recipe.

HGK's Rich and Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Spinach

serves 8

Printable Recipe

5 pounds whole butternut squash

6 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 Tbsp coconut extract

1 tsp curry powder

2 cups vegetable broth

fresh baby spinach

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Cut off the ends of the squash and discard. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place halved squash, cut side down, on lined tray. Roast squash in oven for about 1 hour until largest squash is soft throughout.

Let squash cool so that you can handle it. Remove  all of the flesh from the squash and place it into a large dutch oven or soup pot. Add almond milk, coconut extract, vegetable broth and curry powder. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Turn heat to low. Using an immersion blender, process soup until smooth.

Add handfuls of fresh baby spinach and stir. Add more spinach until soup reaches the proportion of soup to spinach that you like.

Taste. Add salt (or not) and more curry powder (to taste). Thin with vegetable broth if consistency us to thick for your taste.

Next up on my winter squash to experiment with list? Delicata. Got some at the Farmer's Market this week and wondering what to do with it. Do you have any ideas?

I also want to point out this very interesting article on binge eating disorder. It brings up a lot of excellent points like the linkage between "dieting" (not to be confused with healthy eating) and binge eating, which is an idea that completely rings true for me. It also points out that "The APA [American Psychiatric Association] will include BED [binge eating disorder] as a separate disorder in the fifth edition of its “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” referred to as the DSM-V.

Oh great, dieting made me crazy. Certifiably so.

Thoughts?