Meatless Dinner #1

Since my husband, Sean, made his pledge last Sunday to go meat free for the month of October, I made a pledge to cook good vegetarian alternatives for dinner. On Sunday night I made a list of meals for the week that I thought Sean would like and went to the grocery store after work on Monday to get all of the ingredients.  I may have gone a little bit overboard because I got so much food that Sean had to come meet me at Whole Foods to help me carry it all home.  Unfortunately, I worked so late that by the time we got home from the grocery store it was too late to cook a big meal. Sean ended up having a bowl of cereal and I had rice and beans. Monday was meatless but I would hardly call it a success.

Tuesday afternoon I got an email from Sean saying he had meat for lunch.... well that sure didn't last long. He promised to re-commit himself starting with dinner. So, on Tuesday night I made stuffed Portobello mushrooms with Brussels sprouts.

Sean's comment after his first bite was "it's interesting" followed by "it's good".  He said he would eat the stuffed mushroom again as is but I personally thought the stuffing had too much lemon juice and needed a bit more spinach. They were certainly a good alternative to meat though and were very filling. I thought the brussel sprouts were OK... not sure I would make them again with so many other recipes out there to try.  They weren't Sean's favorite either but then he doesn't love brussel sprouts in general. I thought maybe the sauce would win him over but he said he would have preferred green beans.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
*I initially was going to make the stuffed mushroom recipe from Forks Over Knives but I ended up making so many substitutions and adjustments that I don't even want to say it's adapted from that recipe... so I will just say that it was the inspiration for my recipe.  I would like to try the recipe in the book in the future.  I will let you know how it turns out.
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
5 white mushrooms (caps and stems)
handful of basil leaves
1 cup of spinach
1 clove of garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon (I used juice of 1 lemon but I think it was too much)
4 TBSP fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 TBSP panko bread crumbs
1 tsp olive oil
Clean mushroom and de-stem.
Combine first 7 ingredients and 2 TBSP of parmesan cheese in Cuisinart.
Sauté panko bread crumbs in olive until golden brown.
Stuff mushroom caps and then top with panko bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour (or until mushroom is tender).
Top with remaining parmesan cheese.
Serve hot.


Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts
By Chef AJ
Page 165 of Forks Over Knives- The How-To Companion to the Feature Documentary Forks Over Knives
1 1/2 pound brussel sprouts
1/4 cup finely minced shallots
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP tamari
1 TBSP arrowroot powder
Finely diced bell peppers, optional (I omitted this)
Chopped walnuts or pecans, optional (I omitted this)
Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Cut the stems off the Brussel sprouts and discard, then cut the sprouts in half. Cook the sprouts in the boiling water for 2 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water.
In heavy nonstick sauce pan, sauté the shallots in a small amount of water or vegetable stock for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the boiled brussel sprouts and saute for 4 more minutes. Whisk together the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, tamari and arrowroot powder in a small bowl. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the Brussel sprouts and cook for about 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Garnish with bell pepper or nuts if desired.

TIP: the first step of cooking and cooling the brussel sprouts can be done in advance.

Stay tuned for more updates and vegetarian recipes!

Forks Over Knives

Since I started studying at IIN™, I have watched a lot of interesting films and video clips about nutrition.  Last night, I watched Forks Over Knives.  The film documents the stories of Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, JR, MD and T. Colin Campbell, PhD.  These are two men, who, through separate research and studies, came to the same conclusion:  "degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even several forms of cancer can almost always be prevented- and in some cases reversed- by adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet".  Forks Over Knives not only tells the stories of Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn, but it also intertwines several sub stories about people they have helped and other doctors that share the same philosophy.  The film shows first hand how your health can be dramatically transformed through food alone.  Although Forks Over Knives contains quite a bit of data and research to support the theory that a plant-based diet is best, it moves quickly and manages to stay entertaining. 

 I personally made the choice to stop eating meat 9 months ago.  I have also given up most dairy products and am working towards a primarily vegan diet.  Since I have made these changes, I have lost 25lbs and my cholesterol has dropped 57 points.  While this has been the right decision for me, I am a firm believer that we are all different and that nobody can tell you what you should and shouldn't eat.  Only you know what is right for your body.  That being said, while we should all make our own choices as to what is best, I think Forks Over Knives makes a pretty compelling case as to why a whole-foods, plant-based diet could be the right decision for most people.  Or, at the very least, why it is important to incorporate more whole foods and plants into your diet and less meat and dairy.  Watch it and let me know what you think.

After seeing the movie, my husband, who is a meat eater, has committed to trying to be meat-free for the month of October.  In support, I'm going to prepare some new vegetarian recipes for dinner this week, including some from Forks Over Knives- The Plant-Based Way to Health.  Hopefully they will be good enough that he will be encouraged to eat meat less often in the future... we'll see.  I will post the recipes and his review of each one next week. Stay tuned.

Being healthy is always in style!

Loving Lonny's blog post from Monday, Sept. 26th.  They share 10 tips for healthy living from Dr. Penelope McDonnell, a naturopathic physician.  I applaud Lonny for believing that being healthy is always in style!

See the blog post below or click here to go directly to Lonny's blog.  While you're there, make sure to subscribe to get email updates each time a new Lonny issue is released!

Green Report: 10 Tips for Healthy Living
September 26th 2011

Summer is a time of excess (read: heat, lethargy, and ice cream). So, just in time for the transition to fall, we spoke to Dr. Penelope McDonnell, a naturopathic physician, who shared her tips for healthy living throughout the seasons. Naturopathic physicians attend a four-year medical school that follows the standard medical school curriculum but also includes acupuncture, herbology, counseling, chiropractic manipulation, and hydrotherapy. Naturopathy strives to provide a holistic approach to health, focusing on the cause of illness rather than treating the manifested symptoms. Click through for McDonnell’s advice, which is simple to follow and widely applicable. Here’s to a healthy and happy fall.

Dr. McDonnell works in New York City and Connecticut. If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with her, please e-mail her at drmcdonnell@naturopathicpartners.com

Scarlet Quinoa Salad

Last week, I got beets, radishes, cilantro and an onion from my CSA.  I really didn't think about using them all together until I found a recipe for quinoa salad that did just that.  As you know, I'm not so great at following recipes exactly as they're written but I used it as a guideline and made a few adjustments to suit my taste.

Scarlet Quinoa Salad

(Adapted from Eden Organic Red Quinoa recipe)

1 cup organic red quinoa, washed and rinsed

1 1/4 cups water (to cook quinoa)

2 medium beets, cooked, peeled and diced

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP fresh lime juice

6 red radishes, sliced into half-moons

1/2 minced red onion

1/4 cup organic dried cranberries

1/8 cup crushed almonds

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (adjust to taste)

sprinkle with pepper & sea salt to taste

Cook quinoa according to directions.  Boil or roast beets until tender (approx 45 minutes).  Once beets are cool, peel and dice.  Toss all ingredients in a bowl.  Serve and enjoy!  Makes approximately 6 1-cup servings.

Tip: This is great to make in advance and keep in the fridge as an easy option for lunches and dinners during the week.

~Have a Healthy Day~



New York City Wedding

My sister, Bryn, recently coordinated a wedding in NYC.  She posted the pictures on her blog today...  check it out!  If you need help styling your big day or with day of coordination, keep her in mind. ♥

http://byrd-ie.blogspot.com/