Marrow Beans With Lemon And RosemaryFast Cooking And Creamy!

Marrow beans are so creamy and they cook very quickly.

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My eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen,
available on Amazon and iTunes.

Marrow Beans
My friend Margarite loves beans. Actually, I'd have to say she is obsessed with them. Just last week she bought 80 pounds of various beans from Purcell Mountain Farms (a great internet shop that offers exotic beans). 

She's always introducing me to new foods. Last week she came over and presented me with a little bag of dried marrow beans that she picked up at Tierra Vegetables farm stand in Santa Rosa. I had never heard of them before but was excited to try a new bean!

These plump white beans look a lot like cannellinis but they are softer, creamier and cook faster. In fact, they cook so quickly you have to really watch them so that they don't get too soft. That's good news for those of us who don't have hours and hours to cook dried beans. 

Some say marrow beans have a bacon-like flavor but I didn't detect that. Perhaps that's because I haven't eaten a piece of bacon over 30 years! 

Why Dried Beans are Superior
Having a quick cooking dried bean is a wonderful thing. Although it's very convenient to pick up a can of beans, it's hard to find one that isn't lined with bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is an industrial chemical that can be an endocrine disruptor, interfere with the bodies hormones, and is linked to an increased risk of infertility, obesity, breast and reproductive system cancer, and more. Cooking your own beans from scratch avoids this issue. It's also a lot cheaper! 

Buy marrow beans online at Purcell Mountain Farms or on Amazon.

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Marrow Beans with Lemon and Rosemary
Vegan, Gluten Free
[Eight servings]

2 cups dried marrow beans
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 packed tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pick over beans and rinse thoroughly in cold water.

Two methods to soak beans: 
Place the beans in a bowl of fresh water and soak, covered, for 3 to 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse well. 
Or, place the beans in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and soak for 1 1/2 hours, drain and rinse well.

Heat the oil in a medium pan (I use my 5-quart Dutch oven) and cook the onion, rosemary, garlic, and carrot for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the soaked and rinsed beans, bay leaf, and 4 cups of water.  Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are cooked to the desired texture, 30 to 45 minutes. Add more water if needed. 

After about 35 minutes of cooking

Remove the bay leaf and add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or pasta or by serve by itself as a stew.

Per serving: 165 calories, 2 g total fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 82 mg omega-3 and 263 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, and 303 mg sodium.

Fat Free Vegan Lentil And Barley Soup Easy To Make - One Step, One Pot Great For "Between Holiday" Weight Loss!

Lentil and barley soup is rich in protein and fiber
and has less than 160 calories per serving!

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Watching your Weight Between Holidays
If you are trying to lose a few Thanksgiving pounds before your diet is once again challenged at Christmas and New Years, this fat-free vegan lentil and barley soup can help you out. It's rich is protein and fiber which really satisfies your appetite for only 157 calories per serving. If you're too busy Christmas shopping to cook, don't worry. This one step, one pot meal is easy to prepare. Make it on the weekend and heat it up for lunch or dinner during the week.

Transitioning to a Plant-Rich Diet
A hearty soup with lots of fiber and protein can be very satisfying for people transitioning to a more plant-rich diet. Protein from plant sources is just as beneficial as protein from meat and dairy and doesn't contain the cholesterol and saturated fat. And meat doesn't contain any fiber, one of the most critical components of any diet. 

Barley: High in fiber, selenium, and manganese.
(not gluten free)

Lentils: Hi in protein, iron, phosphorus, copper,
as well as fiber, folate and manganese.

  
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Fat Free Lentil and Barley Soup
Vegan
[makes 6 servings]

4 cups vegetable broth*
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1/2 cup dried green lentils
1/3 cup pearl barley
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 bay leaf

* or 4 cups water with bouillon cube

Place all of the ingredients in a 5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Bring to a boil on high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, tightly covered, and stirring occasionally, until the lentils and barley are cooked, about 45 minutes. 

Add all ingredients at once.
No need to sauté veggies in oil.

Always remember to remove the bay leaf.

Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Each serving is only 157 calories and has
7 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber!

Per serving: 157 calories, <1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 28 mg omega-3 and 216 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 g cholesterol, 7 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 9 g dietary fiber, and 228 mg sodium.

Vegan Bell Peppers Stuffed With Orzo, Mushrooms, and Kalamata Olives

Whole wheat orzo makes a nice stuffing for these bell peppers.
There are several gluten-free brands of orzo too.

Check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen!

It's been a busy 2 days for Doug and I. We harvested over two and a half tons of Pinot noir on our organic vineyard here in Sebastopol. Knowing how little time and energy I'd have to cook after picking all these grapes, I made these stuffed peppers ahead of time for our meals. So if you're looking for a dish to make on Sunday and cook during the work week, try this one out!

Make-ahead meals are important when you
have a busy work week ahead of you!

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Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers
Vegan, gluten free (with gluten free orzo)
[makes 4 servings]
Requires an 8" x 8" x 4" casserole dish with cover

4 large red bell peppers (4 lobes, 1/2 pound each)
1/2 pound whole wheat or gluten-free orzo
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 pound crimini mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
3 medium tomatoes, diced or one (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 packed cup chopped fresh basil
8 pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Daiya mozzarella shreds*
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

* non-vegans can substitute low-fat mozzarella


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the peppers. Select big, square peppers with 4 lobes on the bottom so that they will stand up nicely in the casserole dish. 

Square peppers with 4 lobes.

Fill a medium size pot with water and bring to a boil. You will be using this same pot for blanching the peppers, cooking the pasta, and preparing the filling. I hate dirtying too many pots!

Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Boil, two at a time, for 2 minutes. Remove the peppers, leaving the boiling water in the pot. Drain the peppers well, and place in the deep casserole dish.

Place hollow, blanched peppers in deep casserole dish.

Bring the water back to a boil, add salt, and cook orzo according to directions. Make al dente.

Drain the orzo, rinse, and set aside. Dry the pot with a towel.

Heat olive oil in the pot and cook the onions for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and release moisture, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper to taste.

Add tomatoes, basil, and kalamata olives to the pot with 1/4 cup of water and stir. If you are using a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes, you do not need to add water. Cook   for a few minutes.

Stir in orzo and mozzarella "cheese." Add salt if needed.

Stuff the peppers with the orzo mixture. You may cover and refrigerate at this point or add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the casserole dish, cover and bake in preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and serve.

Each stuffed pepper provides 11 grams of protein
and 12 grams of dietary fiber!

Per serving: 375 calories, 9 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 101 mg omega-3 and 892 mg omega-6 fatty acids*, 0 mg cholesterol, 11 g protein, 103 g carbohydrates, 12 g dietary fiber, and 425 mg sodium.

* Essential fatty acids do not include any contribution from Daiya mozzarella shreds since that information is not available from the manufacturer.


For more delicious recipes, peek inside my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

My New eBook, Health Begins In The Kitchen: Delicious And Easy Vegan Recipes And Seasonal Food Plan - Now Available On iTunes and Amazon!

160 vegan recipes (most are gluten free)
145 beautiful photographs
Start the New Year Right!

Change your diet, change your life!

If you have been following my blog over the years, you know that I believe strongly that your health is greatly influenced by your diet and lifestyle. This is great news because you can control these things whereas you can't control your genes.

If you have been enjoying my recipes and nutritional articles, you'll love this book. I have perfected some blog favorites along with many recipes you've never seen before. So if you want to take control of your health and your life, download my eBook today!

 Buy it Now on iTunes!
Buy it Now on Amazon!

Don't have an iPad or Kindle??

You can buy the Kindle version on Amazon and download Free Kindle Reading Apps to read it on Smartphones (Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry), your Computer (Mac, Windows 8, and Windows 7, XP & Vista) or on your Tablets (iPad, Android Tablet and Windows 8). 

HERE'S A PREVIEW!

Many people have shelves full of “healthy” cookbooks created by chefs with little or no nutritional expertise or home-cooking experience. The recipes are either too fussy or impractical and leave out a key ingredient—taste! 

Party Wraps with Ginger-Tahini Sauce
Raw Vegan and Gluten Free

Health Begins in the Kitchen combines the know-how of a foodie and avid cook with a PhD in nutrition to create a practical and seasonal approach to good eating. Healthy has never been so easy or so delicious!

Make the Ultimate Vegetarian Lasagna
Vegan and Gluten Free

In this cookbook, I will show you how to have a guilt-free, joyful and healthy relationship with food. Health Begins in the Kitchen demonstrates the possibility of avoiding disease and achieving remarkable health by the simple process of eating delicious food. 

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with
Vegan Chocolate Chips and Raspberries

Selecting a Diet that Works for You
There are significant health benefits when you eat less meat and dairy while increasing your consumption of plant-rich meals. My book will show you how to easily incorporated more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds into your family's diet. 

Switching to a completely a plant-based diet requires some knowledge. I discuss the important benefits and shortcomings of different types of vegetarian diets (from raw vegan to semi-vegetarian), dispelling dietary myths along the way.

Besides the wide variety of healthy recipe ideas (from learning how to build the ultimate vegetarian lasagna to preparing guilt-free desserts), lots of tips are given on how to remake your own family favorites. For example: how to cook with less oil and sugar, how to replace eggs in cakes and other baked items, how to make fettuccine Alfredo or mac and “cheese” without dairy, and more. 

This delicious fettuccine Alfredo is dairy free!

Most people believe that their health and longevity depend on their genes and feel powerless to change their “destiny.” But actually, the diseases they will suffer from or the health they will enjoy depends more on the family recipes, rather than the genes that have been passed down to them from past generations. 

Health Begins in the Kitchen provides 160 delicious, vegan recipes (most are gluten free), 145 beautiful photographs, and an abundance of critical nutritional information that will inspire you to get into your kitchen and take control of your health. 

This "Parmesan" Topping is downright addictive!
Vegan and Gluten Free

This book introduces the Seasonally Raw Food Plan (with sample menus), emphasizing the importance of including raw, plant-rich foods in the diet. Unlike raw food diets that promote a high consumption of uncooked food all year round, I encourage a balance of cooked and raw foods that changes with each season. 

Tuscan Bean Soup
Vegan and Gluten Free

Cleansing the body of accumulated toxins is also important for one’s health and well-being, and many people find it helpful to do this periodically. An unsupervised water or juice fast can be dangerous and very difficult to complete; a safer and easier way to cleanse the body is by simply eating a diet of raw food for a period of time. Health Begins in the Kitchen offers instructions and sample menus for a gentle Raw Food Cleanse that will never leave you hungry. 

This pomegranate salad has only 3 ingredients!
Raw Vegan and Gluten Free

This book is not just for vegans or vegetarians. It’s for anyone struggling to obtain the number of daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables needed for good health.  

Drawing from the book’s recipes, a variety of sample menus are provided from a casual burger night to Thanksgiving dinner. I also share tips for easy and enjoyable entertaining.  

I hope this book will become your favorite addition or a wonderful first introduction to a plant-rich recipe collection!

Now, only $9.99

But it Now on iTunes !
Buy it Now on Amazon!

 IT’S NOT JUST A COOKBOOK!

Health Begins in the Kitchen also provides:

• ways to improve your diet with healthy and delicious, plant-rich, vegan recipes that will delight any palate whether you are a vegan, vegetarian, or an occasional meat-eater.

Enjoy a meat-free meal like Ratatouille on Creamy Polenta!
Vegan and Gluten Free 

• a Seasonally Raw Food Plan that optimally balances raw and cooked foods in your diet.

Veggie Sushi
Dip in Ginger Tahini Sauce
Raw Vegan and Gluten Free

• ways to make healthy jam and jelly using agave, honey, concentrated fruit juice, stevia, small amounts of sugar or no sugar at all.

Learn how to make healthy jam and jelly

• ideas and menus for easy entertaining.

Grilled Portobellos - Perfect for Burger Night!
Vegan and Gluten Free

• instructions on how to gently detoxify your system with a Raw Food Cleanse 

Raw Food Cleanse menus using recipes from the book.

• simple ingredient substitutions so you can make your own favorite recipes healthier without compromising taste

Learn to bake with less sugar and oil and without dairy.

• and tons of truthful nutritional information and answers to important questions you may have on how to get adequate protein, vitamins, minerals and omega-3, whether you should avoid gluten, or buy everything organic and much more. 

Readers

Buy it on iTunes if you have an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.

Or buy the Kindle version on Amazon and just download Free Kindle Reading Apps to read it on Smartphones (Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry), your Computer (Mac, Windows 8, and Windows 7, XP & Vista) or on your Tablets (iPad, Android Tablet and Windows 8). 

Only $9.99

But it Now on iTunes!
But it Now on Amazon!

Press Release: 

Vegan eBook Helps You Eat Your Way to Remarkable Health: Introducing Health Begins in the Kitchen
New eBook Helps People Overcome and Prevent Disease Through Life-Changing Recipes.

Take A Fresh Look At Peas And Carrots - Young English Peas Make All The Difference!

Fresh English peas and tender young carrots on quinoa.

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It's Time For English Peas
Fresh English peas are starting to appear in the markets here in Northern California. And if you planted your garden early enough, there may be some in your backyard. 

While shucking peas, I always ask myself if it's worth the trouble or if I should bother my blog followers with such a time consuming task. But then I see that small but beautiful pile of bright green peas and I immediately have the answer.

Perfection inside a pea pod.

Peas and Carrots
I was looking for something to cook for dinner last night. All I had in the house was a pound of fresh English peas and some carrots. I thought to myself, hmmmm, peas and carrots. How simple, how cliché. But sometimes the simplest dishes can surprise and delight us. 

When you think of peas and carrots, a frozen box of vegetables comes to mind - not a pretty picture. But when you shuck a pound of fresh English peas and chop tender young carrots into pea-size pieces, it is a beautiful thing to behold!

Shucked English peas and small diced carrots.

So here is a very simple dish of fresh peas, chopped carrots and some seasoning and a squeeze of lemon that when put on a bed of fluffy cooked quinoa, will make a surprisingly tasty meal rich in protein and dietary fiber.

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Fresh Peas and Carrots with Quinoa
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 vegan bouillon cube*
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup small diced onions
1 pound fresh English peas (about 1 to 1 1/3 cups)
1 full cup small diced carrots
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* I use 1 serving (half a large cube) of Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with sea salt and herbs

Prepare the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse in cold water for several minutes. Place in a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until all of the water is fully absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered.

Meanwhile, prepare the peas and carrots.
Make broth in a small cup by dissolving the bouillon cube in the boiling water. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan that has a lid. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the peas, carrots, parsley and the broth. Bring to a boil. Lower  to a low boil, cover, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Cook fresh peas, carrots, onions and seasoning
in a small amount of broth

When tender, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the peas and carrots. Season with salt if needed (remember, the bouillon cube already has some salt) and freshly ground black pepper.

Fluff up the quinoa. Serve the peas and carrots over the quinoa.

Per serving: 162 calories, 4.5 g total fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 114 mg omega-3 and 1,126 mg omega-6, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 187 mg sodium (from bouillon cube only, no added salt). 

Quick And Easy White Bean Salad With Radishes - Vegan And Gluten Free

Use Cannellini, Great Northern or White Kidney for this
simple-to-make White Bean Salad with Radishes.

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Beans - the Perfect Meat Substitute
I attended a beautiful luncheon this weekend at Hafner Vineyard in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California. They are a family owned and operated vineyard and winery. And when I say family owned and operated, I mean it. We were wined and dined by the 87 year old patriarch who founded the winery. Every key job is filled by a family member including the winemaker and head of sales. Even their granddaughter, who recently joined the staff, was pouring wine.  The entire family is so passionate about their business that each of them choked up as they gave their welcome speeches.  They truly love growing and making wine and really show their customers their gratitude. Something that is quite rare these days.

Besides their incredible hospitality, I was very impressed with their menu. When you go to lunch in wine country, you can pretty much expect it to be meat and cheese heavy but I was shocked and delighted that their was so much on the menu that I could enjoy. Yes, there was meat and cheese, but they also served a delicious green salad, grilled asparagus and a large platter of white beans! This white bean salad inspired me to create a recipe as soon as I got home. I thought it would be a wonderful dish for anyone to serve, especially if they happen to be entertaining vegans for lunch. White beans are a wonderful source of protein and are a great substitution for meat. Today I will share my quick and easy version of white bean salad that gets some extra crunch and spice from fresh radishes.

Canned Beans and BPA
I often use canned beans when I'm in a hurry. They are a great convenience. Not many of us have the extra hours in the day to cook beans. But besides being careful to select canned beans with low sodium, there is another thing to look for - BPA.

BPA, or bisphenol-A, is an industrial chemical used in food and drink containers.  It mimics estrogen and is an endocrine disruptor because it can act like the body's hormones. It is linked to an increased risk of infertility, obesity, breast and reproductive system cancer and more.  Much of the focus has been on BPA in plastic bottles and, in fact, it is now banned in baby bottles and children's cups. But the FDA still allows its use in cans and their testing indicates that 90% of popular canned foods show the presence of BPA.

Surveys by the CDC found BPA in the bodies of every person over 6 years of age - and in 90% of babies in the womb!

So if you are buying canned beans and want to avoid BPA, look for "BPA-Free" on the label. Eden Foods has been the trail blazer with respect to providing BPA-free cans. 

Look for BPA Free Lining when buying canned food.

Eden Foods has been a pioneer in this area.

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White Bean Salad with Radishes
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

2 (15 oz) cans Eden Cannellini beans, drained
1/4 cup diced red onion
6 radishes, cut in half, thinly sliced
2 packed teaspoons fresh thyme (see Note)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed hemp oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Greens (optional)

Mix beans, onion, radishes and fresh thyme in a bowl.

Mix lemon juice and oil in a cup and stir to combine. Pour over the bean mixture.

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over greens.

Per serving: 162 calories, 6 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 423 mg omega-3 and 1,646 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber and 243 mg sodium.

Note: Fresh thyme is far better than dried thyme in this recipe. But if you have to use dried thyme, use it very sparingly (maybe 1/4 teaspoon to start) and rehydrate it in the dressing before putting it on the salad.

Artichokes With Creamy Garlic Lemon-Pepper Dill Sauce - Low Calorie, High Fiber, Vegan and Gluten Free

Dip steamed artichokes in this delicious, creamy dill sauce.
Serve as an appetizer or in place of the salad course.

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Artichokes
I treasure the artichoke. Had I not grown up eating them, I probably would have no idea what to do with this thorny vegetable. But thankfully, artichokes have been a part of my life since I had enough teeth in my mouth to bite the delicious meat off of each succulent leaf. 

They are not only delicious but they are a very healthy food. One medium artichoke is only 64 calories yet has a whopping 10 grams of fiber! Artichokes have been shown to reduce cholesterol and stimulate the production of bile which helps in the digestion of fats. This wonderful vegetable also contains the flavonoid silymarin which protects the liver (and is also great for hangovers). Artichoke leaves also contain the phynutrients rutin, quercetin and gallic acid which all have powerful antioxidant properties.

Dill Weed
Fresh dill pairs perfectly with garlic, lemon and black pepper in this flavorful dip. By using a silken or soft tofu as a base, this creamy dill sauce is dairy and gluten free.

Fresh dill weed

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Artichokes with Garlic Lemon-Pepper Dill Sauce

Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 4 servings]

4 medium artichokes

14 oz package silken or soft organic tofu

2 teaspoons chopped garlic, (2 small cloves)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh, dill weed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepare the artichokes. Pull off any small leaves near the base of the artichoke. 

With a sharp knife, cut off the tops (about an inch or so). 

With a pair of scissors, cut off the thorny tips of the leaves. 

Trim thorny tips of leaves.

If the artichokes are really big, (they seem to be growing them larger and larger lately) you can cut them in half, vertically. Most artichokes can be left whole.

Trim the bottom of the stem or remove it, peel it, and cook it with the artichokes.

Clean the artichokes by rinsing them under cold water.

Place artichokes in a large pot with about 2 to 3 inches of water and a steamer basket.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the outer leaves are tender and easy to remove. Add more hot water to the pot as needed as the cooking time could be as long as 45 minutes to an hour.  Start testing outer leaves after 30 minutes.

While the artichokes are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce.

Place the remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

This also makes a great salad dressing if you add a touch of extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed hempseed oil or, for a low fat dressing, use as is.

Divide the sauce into 4 ramekins. Place each ramekin on a plate with one cooked artichoke and serve.

For another presentation idea, remove all the cooked leaves and place them in a circle. Clean the artichoke bottom and place in the bottom of the ramekin. Place the ramekin in the center of the plate.

Place the sauce over the artichoke bottom in the ramekin. When you are finished dipping the leaves, eat the bottom (which I consider the BEST part of the artichoke).

A presentation idea

Per serving: 128 calories, 4 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 288 mg omega-3 and 1,930 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber and 371 mg sodium.