Day 64 -- Berry, Berry Good For You! Part 3

One of the most ignored berries of all is the noble cranberry.  It was there at the first Thanksgiving . . . wasn't it?  And cranberries make a wonderful Cosmopolitan, when you add a little vodka.  And who doesn't prefer Craisins to raisins?  Beyond that, cranberries have struggled to gain the kind of popularity that the other berries have achieved.  It's probably because they don't taste very good when eaten plain.  But added to other things, they bring a tartness that you can't achieve with any other fruit.

Cranberries provide more anti-oxidants than every other food, except for blueberries.  In fact, cranberries come from the same genus as blueberries, a genus that also includes lingonberries and huckleberries.  Like blueberries, they grown on dwarf shrubs, but since they're a little bit more durable and they float, they're harvested by flooding the cranberry fields and beating them off the bushes.  They then float on the surface where they're scooped up.

Cranberries contain a powerful cocktail of protective phytonutrients; plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) that act as antioxidants in the body.  Cranberry extracts have been shown to inhibit the growth of oral, colon, and prostate cancer cells, in addition to battling breast cancer cells. Phytonutrients in cranberries may also be involved in inhibiting the spread of cancer cells throughout the body.

In addition to its anti-cancer properties, cranberries may also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol, inhibiting LDL oxidation (one of the first steps in the progression of coronary artery disease), lowering blood pressure and inhibiting the formation of blood clots.

This recipe for Apple-Cranberry Strudel Pie came from the Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen blogsite.  Visit that site for great hints on making this recipe!


Apple-Cranberry Strudel Pie

Have all of your ingredients mixed and ready before you remove the phyllo dough from the package. Keep it covered with a barely damp tea towel while you work, and wrap up the leftover dough and refrigerate it immediately when you’ve finished.

12 9×14-inch sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoons oatmeal
1 1/2 pounds Honeycrisp apples (or other crisp apples), peeled, cored, and diced (about 4 cups or 3-4 apples)
1/2 cup coarse sugar, such as demerara or raw sugar
2 teaspoons unbleached white flour or cornstarch
2 teaspoons molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup cranberries
2-second spray canola oil or non-stick spray
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a rectangular baking dish with oil or non-stick spray.

Place the nuts and oatmeal in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the apples, raw sugar, flour, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cranberries. Mix the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl.

Working with two phyllo sheets at a time and keeping the others covered to prevent them from drying out, place two sheets into the dish. (If sheets are too big for the dish, coax the edges into standing upright along the sides of the pan, but don’t stress about it.)

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the nuts/oatmeal. Repeat this twice, for a total of 6 sheets. Arrange the apple mixture on top of the 6th sheet.

Cover it with 2 sheets of phyllo, tuck the excess edges under, and sprinkle with a tablespoon of nuts/oatmeal. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 6 sheets on top of the apples. Spray the top sheet lightly with canola oil and lightly cut through the top layers of phyllo to form 8 equal pieces.

Sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Bake until the phyllo is golden and the apples are just tender (but not mushy) when pierced with the tip of a knife, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow baking dish to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm. Reheat leftovers in toaster oven or regular oven, not microwave, to maintain flakiness.

Day 63 -- Berry, Berry Good For You! - Part 2

My favorite time of the year isn't Christmas or Thanksgiving.  Or even the first warm days of summer.  My favorite time of the year is CHERRY TIME!  From the moment cherries first arrive in the grocery store at a reasonable price (under $4.00 a pound), I start eating them.  In large quantities.  And I don't stop until the prices drift back above $4.00 a pound.  Even then, I treat myself to a half pound.

Now, technically, cherries are not considered berries since they grow on a tree, not a bush.  But they're always in the berry section of the grocery store, so even if they are an interloper, I'm going to talk about them anyway.  It's my blog and what I say goes, right?  And I'm going to add a picture of Ranier cherries, which I recently discovered.  They are so incredibly delicious that just thinking about them makes my mouth water!  In fact, I love cherries so much that I planted a cherry tree in my back yard.  Unfortunately, the chipmunks and the birds take care of picking the fruit before I get a chance at it, but they let me sneak a few cherries every now and then.

Cherries don't just taste good, they're good for you!  Here are the top ten health benefits of eating cherries from an article on ingredientsinc.com .  I don't need ten benefits to eat cherries.  I eat them because they are the most perfectly delicious fruit in the world.  And that's my definition of a superfood!

Ten Great Health Benefits of Eating Cherries
1. Cherries, known as a “super-fruit”, are packed with antioxidants called anthocyanins which aid in the reduction of heart disease and cancer.
2. Cherries are one of the few food sources that contain melatonin, an antioxidant that helps regulate heart rhythms and the body’s sleep cycles.
3. Cherries are an excellent source of beta carotene (vitamin A). In fact they contain 19 times more beta carotene than blueberries and strawberries.
4. Cherries are rich in vitamins C, E, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and fiber.
5. Cherries are referred to as “brain food”, aiding in brain health and in the prevention of memory loss.
6. Because cherries contain anthocyanins, they can reduce inflammation and symptoms of arthritis and gout.
7. Eating cherries reduces the risk of diabetes.
8. Cherries are a good source of fiber which is important for digestive health.
9. Cherries are a great snack or dessert choice important for weight-maintenance.
10. Because of their powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, cherries are said to reduce pain and joint soreness for runners and athletes after workouts.

To celebrate the cherry, check out this recipe for "ice cream" called Chocolate Cherry Ice Dream  from the Fat-Free Vegan blog site.  And this recipe includes greens!


Chocolate-Cherry Ice Dream

If you’re used to greens in your sweets, you can use kale leaves (ribs removed) instead of spinach, but if this is the first time you’ve added greens to a dessert, stick to spinach–you won’t know it’s there.

2 cups raw spinach leaves, loosely packed (optional)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1 tablespoon ground chia seed
1 frozen banana, cut into several pieces
2 cups frozen, pitted unsweetened cherries
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
sweetener of choice, to taste (I used a little stevia)

Place ingredients into high-speed blender in the order listed (a food processor may work if you omit the spinach). Begin blending on low and gradually increase the speed until you’re on the highest setting. If your blender has a tamper, use it to push the fruit into the blades. (This will be loud, so don’t worry if it sounds like a jackhammer fighting with a chain saw.) Blend until smooth but don’t over-blend or the friction will melt your Ice Dream. If that happens, call it a smoothie and use a straw.

Day 62 -- Berry, Berry Good For You! - Part 1

This is the first part of my tribute to my favorite fruit -- the berry.  Ever since I was a kid, I've alway thought berries were the queens of the fruit kingdom.  They weren't as commonly available (at least not in my house) as apples, oranges and bananas.  They looked lusciously appetizing.  They were so easy eat.  And they were my favorite flavor -- red.

Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries.  I also consider cherries a berry since they are small and round and bite-sized.  But I'm going to start with the super-berry, the blueberry.  It has been designated by many as a superfood.  And hey, if Superman can eat them, then maybe I should, too.

Actually, they're a superfood because of their high concentration of anti-oxidants.  Anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals.  Free radicals damage cells and damaged cells are more vulnerable to diseases including cancer.   Studies show that the ellagic acid in blueberries may actually slow the growth of some cancerous tumors.  Blueberries, along with raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries, have more ellagic acid than any other fruits.  And if you eat wild blueberries, the benefits are even greater.

Eating blueberries may also help prevent and fight Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, eye disease and some forms of blindness, urinary tract infections, and other serious and potentially deadly conditions. Consuming blueberries may even slow the signs of aging and help reduce cholesterol.

For the greatest health benefit, blueberries should be eaten as whole fruit, ideally in their raw and unprocessed form. Many of the beneficial nutrients are lost when blueberries, and any other fruits, are processed. Whole blueberries have more nutrients than juices or supplements made from processed blueberries.  I eat blueberries on my morning oatmeal.  And I found this recipe for fat-free vegan muffins.  I'm going to give this a try soon.

Fat-Free Vegan Blueberry Muffins
from Fat-Free Vegan Recipes website, Recipe By :Susan Voisin
Serving Size : 12       Preparation Time :0:30

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon Ener-G Egg replacer — MIXED WITH
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup soy milk — or rice milk
3/4 cup applesauce
2/3 cup blueberries — fresh or frozen (measured then defrosted)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift the first 5 ingredients together, and then add all the wet ones. Mix just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries and then fill muffin cups (paper-lined or sprayed) full. Bake 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 141 calories, 4 calories from fat, <1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 227.5mg sodium, 59.1mg potassium, 31.6g carbohydrates, 1.1g fiber, 12.6g sugar, 2.7g protein, 2.6 points.

Day 61 -- Taste Buds? Meet Umami.

I'm a big fan of "Top Chef" and now, I've been watching "The Taste."  Occasionally, I've heard them make reference to an "umami" flavor in food and I've always been curious about what that was.  I thought it referred to an earthy flavor, something like mushrooms or root veggies, but I wasn't really sure.  So I decided to do a little research and to my surprise, I learned something new.

I've always known that the tongue can distinguish four tastes -- salty, sweet, bitter and sour.  But there's actually a fifth taste the is referred to by its Japanese name -- umami.  Roughly translated, umami means "pleasant savory taste."  And now that I know what it means, I know why I love some of the vegan soups I've been making.  And why miso has become such an important ingredient for me in soups.

There was actually an Umami International Symposium that recognized umami as an official taste.   It can be described as a pleasant "brothy" or "meaty" taste with a long lasting, mouthwatering and coating sensation over the tongue.  There is a whole chemical explanation for what umami is, but I won't get into that here.  Glutamates and stuff like that.  Foods that are full of the umami taste include fish, shellfish, and cured meats.  (Bacon anyone??)  As for vegetables, mushrooms, ripe tomatoes, Chinese cabbage, spinach, and celery are just a few.  Fermented and aged products including cheeses, soy sauce, and miso are also filled with umami flavor.

This is the taste that I really search for in my vegan dishes.  It replaces that rich, fatty flavor that comes from fried meats and it's very satisfying and comforting.  I'm not sure I completely understand the diagram above but it will give me something to think about while choosing favorite recipes.  

Day 60 -- Another New Dish!

The second of my two new recipes this weekend is from the Low Fat Vegan Chef blogsite.  I've had a butternut squash sitting around for a couple weeks and it's time to use it!  This is an unusual dish for me because it uses pasta, something I havent eaten much of lately.  But I have some whole-wheat rotini that I can use instead of the elbow macaroni.  Of course, I've removed the added oil from this recipe and I cut it in half, since pasta is always better fresh.  If you want to see the original recipe, click this link.

Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

from Comfort Foods From Around The World   Serves 6

½ medium butternut squash (or 1 2/3 cups cooked and mashed)

16 oz package elbow macaroni or spirals

1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (*optional for pasta)

1/2-3/4 cup vegetable broth (for cooking)

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp. brown rice miso (use more if using shiro/white/yellow miso)

3 cups almond milk (unsweetened original)

2 tbsp. flour or cornstarch

3/4-cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2-1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2-3/4 tsp. salt (*optional for sauce)

Topping:

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (or GF)

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1. Peel and cube the butternut squash and bring to a boil and steam just until soft. Alternatively you can cook in a pressure cooker at high pressure for 5-7 minutes. Drain well. (Tip, if your squash is hard to peel or cut, pop it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften the skin to make it easier to slice.) Measure out 1 2/3 cup of mashed squash and set aside.

2. In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil and then add salt if desired. Add pasta and cook just before tender. Generally it’s about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander and rinse in cold water. (Do not overcook the pasta.)

3. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 177 C.

4. In a large saucepan heat vegetable broth over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 5-6 minutes until tender adding broth when needed to prevent burning.

5. Add cooked onions and any remaining broth from pan into Vitamix or food processor, add mashed squash and miso and blend until combined. Set aside

6. In the same large saucepan add 1 cup of the almond milk and sprinkle 1 tbsp. of the flour or cornstarch when hot and whisk in. Add the remaining 2 cups of milk and sprinkle in another tbsp. of flour. Whisk this together fast. It’s ok if there are a few small bits of flour still.

7. Cook the sauce for a minute or two until hot and quickly add the squash mixture and whisk in. Heat through another minute or two and then add the nutritional yeast and whisk in. Turn off heat and add remaining seasonings starting with the lower amounts. Taste test and add additional seasonings to your liking.

8. Add drained pasta to sauce pot and stir to coat. Spread out in a casserole dish. (If you want to add some vegan cheese like Daiya cheese you would layer some in now and mix it in, but I don’t feel the need to add it personally.) Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over top. Sprinkle basil, oregano and paprika to cover.

9. Bake for 20-30 minutes just until pasta is tender. (20 minutes if you slightly overcooked your pasta, 30 minutes 

10. Serve with steamed broccoli or a green salad.

Additional Tips:

To save time you can use frozen cubed butternut squash and then cook it and mash it, or use canned butternut squash. Both are sold at health food stores in North America.

Smoked paprika (also called Spanish Paprika) is much more flavourful than traditional paprika, it lends a nice smokey flavor to this cheesy sauce. McCormick makes one, or you can get it at some ethnic or Indian markets.

To reheat you will want to either microwave it and then toast it in the oven or toaster oven to crisp up the breadcrumbs again, or just reheat in the oven until warm.

ETA:  Day 65:  I finally got around to making this and it was really pretty good.  The sauce has the consistency of real cheese sauce and has a very mild, cheese-like flavor.  If I didn't know it was butternut squash, I would never have known it wasn's cheese!  However, if you like your mac and cheese made with sharp cheddar cheese and heavy cream, his won't satisfy.  This would be really good with brocolli baked into it.  I added some green onion. 

Day 59 -- What A Bore

I fear I'm quickly becoming a boring vegan.  I've found a number of recipes that I really like and I just keep making them over and over and over again.  Although variety has been an important part of my vegan eating plan, it only applies to the number of dishes I have waiting in my fridge and not the dishes themselves.  So, this weekend, I am committed to cooking two new recipes.

For Saturday, I'm going to make this Cabbage "Noodle" Soup from the Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen blog.  I have a head of cabbage that's been waiting in the fridge and this has garbanzo beans in it, so it will be a nice one cup meal.

Cabbage “Noodle” Soup

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced or sliced

2 ribs celery, diced (leaves included)

8 cups water

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/4 head cabbage, thinly sliced

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)

generous grating of black pepper

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons mellow white miso

salt to taste

Preheat a large, non-stick pot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until onions soften. Add the water and all remaining ingredients except nutritional yeast, parsley, and miso. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender and broth is flavorful (at least 30 minutes).

Stir in the nutritional yeast and parsley. Place the miso in a small bowl and add some of the hot broth a little at a time, stirring, until the miso is dissolved in the broth. Add the miso broth back to the pot. Add salt to taste and serve.

Day 58 -- What A Loser

Since embarking on my vegan journey, I've become more curious about nutrition and diet -- and, to some extent, exercise.  Yes, I do at least think about exercise, though I haven't made any attempt to add it into my new lifestyle.  Some studies have shown that exercise only contributes between 10 and 30 percent to weigh loss efforts and that diet is the over-riding factor in successful weight loss.

For now, I'm just focussing on diet  And when my six month mark rolls around, I've promised myself that I'm going to think about exercise.  It will be warm and sunny by then.  And much easier to get outside.  And while I'm cooped up during the cold winter months, I've been watching episodes of "The Biggest Loser."  I'm getting my exercise by watching other people exercise.

First of all, let me say that these people are so incredibly brave to go on national television, to put themselves out there for everyone to see.  I could never do it.  And then, to put themselves through the physical challenges that the trainers give them.  Even at my most healthy weight and 30 years younger, I couldn't do what they do.  And to have those trainers yelling at you all day long would get on my very last nerve.  I don't handle authority very well and I'm sure I'd be the first one to snap.

But what I find so interesting about the show is how much weight they are able to shed in a week. Nine pounds, eleven pounds, thirteen pounds.  They're actually disappointed if they lose four pounds in a week. The trainers are disappointed.  For me, four pounds is a stellar week!  But the competitive atmosphere seems to spur them on.

I guess it only proves the point that you have to find something that really works for you. For me, it's this.  Eating vegan, no added fat, all whole grains.  Writing something in my blog every day.  Searching for new recipes.  It doesn't seem like a chore.  I'm sure I could lose more if I exercised, but right now, that doesn't work for me.  I need to shed more weight before this body will be moving at any great speed.

It's enough to say that I'm happy, I'm gradually getting healthier and I'm approaching the two month mark.  In another month I will already be a quarter of the way to my goal -- a year of eating vegan.  There won't be a big cash prize waiting for me at the end, like there is on The Biggest Loser.  And I may not have lost every pound I wanted to.  But I don't think I'll mind.  I'm just enjoying the journey.