Zucchini Orange Bread Or MuffinsThey Are Great For Breakfast With300 Grams Of Omega-3 Per Serving

Orange zest is the key ingredient in this zucchini recipe.
Each serving provides over 300 mg of omega-3!

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And the Zucchini Keeps Coming
Believe it or not, I'm still enjoying my zucchini. Especially the kind that I'm growing this year. It's an heirloom Italian zucchini with light green ridges. If I pick them when they are 6 to 8 inches long, they are the best I've ever eaten. Unfortunately the plant has enormous leaves that are good at hiding the zucchini until they get way too big. My grandson loves to hunt for veggies and uncovered this one that was successfully hiding.

Matisse, the veggie hunter!

I was about to make banana bread when Matisse reminded me that he was allergic to bananas which are unfortunately one of his favorite foods. But he suggested that we make zucchini bread instead. Then my daughter gave me the idea of adding some grated orange peel to the recipe. The results were wonderful! (By the way, I didn't use the monster zucchini. I used a much smaller one otherwise the zucchini would have been far too watery.)

Omega 3
Because this is a vegan recipe which substitutes flax eggs for chicken eggs, it supplies a nice shot of omega-3 fatty acid. And did you know that zucchini have a higher omega-3 content than omega-6 providing 58 mg of omega-3 and 35 mg of omega-6 in each chopped cup. 

Great for Breakfast
This zucchini bread or muffin recipe is great for breakfast, dessert, or for a nice snack. 

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Zucchini Orange Bread or Muffins
Vegan
[makes 12 servings]
Requires loaf pan or 12 muffin tins
Best with an electric hand beater

Earth Balance to grease pan
2 tablespoons finely ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons water
2 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon powdered stevia extract 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan or muffin tins.

Prepare the flax eggs by mixing the flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water. Beat well until gooey and set aside. 

In a large bowl, mix the flour, powdered stevia, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Squeeze the water out of the grated zucchini and place in the bowl. Using an electric hand beater, mix the zucchini into the flour mixture.

After grating the zucchini, squeeze the water out of it.

In a smaller bowl, blend the olive oil, sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and orange zest. Add the flax egg and blend until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend with the beater until combined. 

Place in the loaf pan or muffin tins. Bake until golden and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes for the bread and 20 to 25 minutes for the muffins. 

Zucchini Orange Bread

Zucchini Orange Muffins

Cool the bread for 15 minutes (the muffins for 10) and remove from the pan. Serve the muffins warm but let the bread cool a bit so that it is easier to slice. Serve and enjoy!

Per serving: 143 calories, 5.5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 316 mg omega-3 and 661 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 19.5 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 188 mg sodium.

Whole Wheat Vegan Pancakes Fruit - A Nice Alternative to Syrup

Light and healthy whole wheat pancakes.

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Pancakes
Pancakes always seem like a special meal to me. Maybe because they are generally served on weekends when we have a bit more time. I used to love making little silver dollar-sized ones when the kids were little. And I'll admit that I occasionally still make the little guys for myself. 

Pancakes themselves can make a light and healthy meal. But when weighed down with butter on every layer and drowned in sugary syrup, not so much. A great alternative to that is to smother the pancakes in fresh berries and fruit. One of my favorite combinations is raspberries and chopped mangos. Bananas and strawberries or peaches and blueberries also make great toppings - the combinations are endless!  

A touch of powdered sugar goes a long way and makes a nice presentation. Place one half teaspoon of powdered sugar in a fine mesh strainer and shake over each serving of pancakes. One half teaspoon of powdered sugar only adds 5 calories.

Low sugar jam is another good alternative to butter and syrup. Low Sugar Strawberry Jam is delicious on pancakes or French toast. My eBook has an entire chapter dedicated to making healthy jam. 

But if you do use butter (or a vegan buttery spread) and syrup, use it sparingly. A little will give you the flavor you need. This stack of pancakes has only a single tablespoon of maple syrup over the top. 

Pancakes also make a great dinner when served with vegan sausage!

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Whole Wheat Pancakes
Vegan
[makes 4 servings]

1 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus some for griddle
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar

Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a 1-quart pyrex pourable glass container. Stir to combine.

Mix the milk, oil, and maple syrup (or agave) in a 1-pint container.

Heat a large, lightly oiled griddle on medium heat.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour pancakes onto the griddle using about 1/4 cup for each pancake.

Cook until you see bubbles on top, about 3 minutes or so. Flip over.

Cook another few minutes until done and brown on both sides.

Serve immediately. Top with fruit, low-sugar jam, or syrup.

Per serving (pancakes only): 153 calories, 5 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 597 mg sodium.

Enjoy Persimmons, Oranges And Pears In A Simple Smoothie Or Fruit Salad

Persimmon, orange & pear smoothie - deliciously high in fiber!

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Persimmons
I really love persimmons - all kinds. The Fuyu persimmons that are meant to be eaten like an apple - crisp and firm and the Hachiya persimmons that must be very soft and ripe before eating. Both are high in vitamins A and C as well as manganese. 

The hachiya persimmon is tall and long (on left). Eat when soft.
The fuyu is short and squatty (on right). Eat when firm & crisp.

Importance of Autumn and Winter Fruit
Fruit not only plays a critical role in providing vitamin C, but also in providing dietary fiber. In colder months our consumption of raw foods naturally decreases and with it, many times, our intake of fiber. So eating high fiber fruits, such as persimmons and pears, becomes very important. Here are two simple recipes that incorporate pears, persimmons and oranges. both recipes are suitable for a raw food cleanse. 

Persimmon, pear and orange smoothie
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings]

1 orange, peeled, seeds removed and sliced
1 very ripe hachiya persimmon, peeled and sliced
1 large pear, quartered, seeds removed (leave skin on)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk*
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup shaved ice
4 drops stevia or to taste
2 teaspoons cold-pressed flaxseed oil

Place all ingredients, except the flaxseed oil, in a blender and process until smooth. 
Add the flaxseed oil and process briefly until combined.
Serve immediately.

* For a raw smoothie, use home-made almond milk.

Per serving: 247 calories, 6.7 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 2.4 g omega-3 and 0.7 g omega-6 fatty acids**, 2.3 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, 10.5 g dietary fiber and 93 mg of sodium.
** The amount of fatty acids does not include any contribution from the almond milk since that information is not provided from the manufacturer.

Fruit - a critical part of our diets in the autumn & winter months

Persimmon, pear and orange fruit salad 
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes four (2/3-cup) servings or two (1 1/3-cup) servings

1 or 2 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and diced
1 large orange, skin and seeds removed, diced
1 large pear, quartered, seeds removed, diced
1/4 cup raw English walnut pieces

Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss. Serve immediately.

Per small side serving (4): 126 calories, 5 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 668 mg omega-3 and 2.8 g omega-6 fatty acids, 2 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 4.6 g dietary fiber and 1 mg sodium.

Per large serving (2): 252 calories, 10 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1.3 g omega-3 and 5.6 g omega-6 fatty acids, 4 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 9 g dietary fiber and 2 mg sodium.

Whole Grain Weetabix Turns Your Morning Fruit Salad Into A Hearty Vegan Breakfast!

Weetabix turns your fruit salad into a hearty, vegan breakfast!

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Have you tried Weetabix?
I discovered and enjoyed Weetabix breakfast cereal a while back while visiting London. I was thrilled to find it when I got back to the U.S. 
Two of these delicate whole grain treats have only two grams of sugar while providing 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. If you can eat wheat (these are not for those of you who are gluten intolerant), they can make a very healthy addition to your breakfast repertoire. 


The Weetabix company began as the British and African Cereal Company in 1932 and became available in the US in 1968. Today their products are offered in over 80 countries.


My New Favorite Way to Eat Weetabix
The other night I had a dream that I was layering fresh fruit with crumbled Weetabix biscuits. (I know, a compressed biscuit of wheat isn't as sexy as dreaming of Brad Pitt but hey, that's just who I am). That next morning, as soon as I woke up, I gave it a try. (The recipe, not Brad Pitt - just to clear that up). The result was a delicious, hearty breakfast with 3 servings of fruit layered with wholesome whole wheat goodness topped with heart-healthy, non-dairy, organic soy milk. The first day I made this, I just topped it with a few more blueberries but today I made it even more hearty by topping it with some raw English walnuts and hemp seeds. Here's what I did:

To make 2 servings you'll need:
 4 Weetabix biscuits
2 cereal bowls
 1 large peach, thinly sliced and chopped
1/2 cup of fresh blueberries (or strawberries)
 1 banana, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons or more of chopped, raw English walnuts
2 tablespoons raw hemp seeds
Your favorite non-dairy milk

Cover the bottom of each bowl with 1/4 of the sliced peach.
Crumble 1/2 Weetabix biscuit over each bowl of peaches. 

Add half of the blueberries to each bowl.
Crumble another 1/2 biscuit over each bowl of blueberries.

Add half of the sliced banana to each bowl.

Crumble another 1/2 biscuit over each bowl of sliced bananas.

Divide the remaining peach slices among the 2 bowls.

Crumble another 1/2 biscuit over the peaches in each bowl.
Top with English walnuts and hemp seeds or just a few more blueberries.

Right before eating, add desired amount of non-dairy milk.
Weetabix gets soggy so don't add it until you're ready to eat.

If possible, eat your breakfast in the sunshine!
Enjoy!

Vegan Tart Cherry And Almond Scones

These vegan scones are quick and easy to make.
They are just 127 calories and less than 1g of saturated fat!

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Perfecting the Healthy Scone
I love scones but they are usually made with cream, butter and white flour, all of which I avoid. For some time now I've been trying to perfect a "healthy" scone. Well, I wouldn't regard this recipe as "health food" but, for a scone, it comes pretty darn close.


This recipe features King Arthur's white whole wheat flour which gives the whole grain goodness of wheat with the lightness of white flour. They also contain tart cherries which are high up there on the ORAC scale (6800 per 100 grams), a measurement of the antioxidant capacity of food. Almonds not only give a nice crunch but also contribute manganese and vitamin E. Soy creamer and Earth Balance replace the cream and butter so the scones are free of cholesterol and have only 0.7 grams of saturated fat. These are also low in sugar with only a little over one teaspoon per scone. Bottom line, these delicious breakfast treats weigh in at only 127 calories and provide 2.6 grams of fiber per serving.


Tart Cherry and Almond Whole Wheat Scones
Vegan
[makes 8 scones]


1 cup King Arthur's white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons organic cane sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon for sprinkling
2 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan buttery spread
1/2 cup Silk soy creamer
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
3 tablespoons slivered almonds


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a cookie sheet.


Combines flour, baking powder, baking soda and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a medium size mixing bowl.


Using a pastry blender, mix the Earth Balance into the flour mixture.

Mix in until the flour resembles course meal.

Add soy creamer and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until flour mixture is moistened. 
Stir in the dried cherries and almonds.

Stir dried cherries and almonds into moistened flour mixture.

Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop 8 scones onto the lightly oiled cookie sheet. 
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar evenly over the scones. (That's 1/2 teaspoon for all 8 scones - it doesn't take much).

Using an ice cream scoop makes this so easy.

Bake until golden brown and tops are firm when gently pressed, about 12 to 15 minutes. 


Remove from oven and serve immediately with vegan cream cheese or low sugar strawberry jam. 


NOTE: The baking time is perhaps the trickiest thing in this recipe. If you bake them for too short a period of time they are doughy but even a minute too long will make them too brown so play around with it until you figure out your oven. It may take a few tries but you'll enjoy each attempt!

Experiment with other dried fruits and nuts.

VARIATION: You can also make these with other dried fruits such as raisins, dried cranberries, apricots or prunes. Try other nuts too such as English walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or cashews. 
I've nearly perfected the gluten free version of this so stand by!

Raw Vegan Pineapple Papaya Salad With Macadamia Nuts And Coconut - A Taste Of Hawaii

This gluten free salad is made with Hawaiian fruit and nuts.

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Our Favorite Place
Doug and I have always loved Hawaii. It was the destination of our very first vacation together. We just got back from Maui 2 weeks ago and agree, it's still our absolute favorite place on the planet. 


One of the reasons I love Hawaii is I get to eat all the pineapple and papaya I want. And those wonderful macadamia nuts! What can I say. So when we got home I decided that I had not gotten enough of these wonderful foods so I headed out to the grocery store. I was lucky enough to find Hawaiian papaya and pineapple and decided to make this simple salad which immediately took me back to Maui. I bought  some macadamia nuts while we were there and brought them home. These, along with some coconut, were added to the fruit salad. Given the cost of imported papayas, pineapple and macadamia nuts, this salad is pretty pricy but it's quite a bit cheaper than a trip to Hawaii!

Me sitting at the 5 Palms Restaurant in Maui

A beautiful Hawaiian Sunset

Our friend the whale, showing off a bit

Pineapple Papaya Salad with Macadamia Nuts and Coconut

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 4 (1 cup) servings]

2 cups diced papaya

2 cups diced fresh pineapple

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

1/4 cup crushed macadamia nuts

Place all fruit in a bowl  with 3/4 of the coconut and gently toss to combine.

Top with macadamia nuts and remaining coconut and serve.

To crush macadamia nuts, place in zip lock bag and hit with mallet

Per serving: 297.3 calories, 16.4 g fat, 5.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 98 mg omega-3 and 264 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3.7 g protein, 39.7 g carbohydrates, 7.2 g dietary fiber and 8 mg sodium.

Fresh Cranberry And Pear Oatmeal With Pecans - A Simple And Delicious Thanksgiving Morning Vegan Breakfast

Just for fun, this was posted at 1:11 on 11/11/11

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Thanksgiving Morning
Picture that it's Thanksgiving morning and you already have a house full of guests. You have a busy day of chopping and cooking ahead of you so you don't really have time to prepare a big and complicated breakfast. So start the day off right with a festive bowl of oatmeal bursting with fresh cranberries and pears and a sprinkling of chopped, raw, Texas pecans! It will only take a few minutes and this hearty breakfast will carry you through the morning.
What's different about this oatmeal is the wonderful flavor of fresh fruit. Unlike dried cranberries, raw ones burst in the oatmeal giving a fresh and slightly tart flavor. This tartness is offset by a nice, ripe pear and a touch of stevia. 


Cranberries
Nothing says Thanksgiving more than fresh cranberries. Besides their wonderful flavor, they are a "phytonutrient stew" containing 5 different categories of healthful plant chemicals: anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins and triterpenoids. Although many have flocked to supplements of cranberry extracts or cranberry juice, the "whole" cranberry provides the most health benefits. Just about every woman knows that cranberries protect against urinary tract infections, but their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties also play a role in lowering the risk of heart disease, periodontal disease, stomach ulcers, colon cancer and more. 
Check out my recipes for Raw Cranberry Relish and Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce.

Purchase bags of cranberries when in season and throw them in the freezer for use all year long!

Use a juicy, soft, sweet pear for this recipe. A Comice pear is shown above but you can also use Anjous, Bartlett or Bosc

Fresh Cranberry Pear Oatmeal with Pecans
Vegan, Gluten Free (when certified gluten free oatmeal and oat bran is used)
[makes 4 (1 cup) servings]


3 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup rolled 5 minute oats (thick cut)
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet stevia extract
1 medium, ripe pear, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons chopped, raw pecans


In a saucepan, bring water, vanilla extract and cranberries to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Mix oatmeal, oat bran, salt, cinnamon and stevia in a bowl.
Bring water back to a boil and add oatmeal mixture. Cook uncovered on medium low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in diced pears and cook for another 2 minutes or until oatmeal thickens. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 2 minutes.


Stir well and pour into 4 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans and serve immediately.


Per serving: 188.7 calories, 7 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0.1 g omega-3 and 2.2 g omega-6 fatty acid, 5.6 g protein, 31.9 g carbohydrates, 6.8 g dietary fiber and 148 mg sodium.