Kudos to Sous Chef Matt Beverley at SEASONS52 in Tysons Corner Center

What's a chef to do when customers drop in out of the blue requesting a Plant-Based oil-free meal? Sous Chef Matt Beverley didn't hesitate for a moment when our accomodating waiter brought him to our table.  After informing us that the black bean soup we were hungry for was not oil-free, he suggested a melange of roasted vegetables accompanied by a delicate vegetable broth and topped off with the sweetness of a roasted pear. The beautiful and tasty result is pictured above. Had we called ahead, perhaps he could have also prepared, oil-free, that cup of spicey black bean soup served with crusty whole grain bread.

Preventing Breast Cancer By Any Greens Necessary | NutritionFacts.org

Preventing Breast Cancer By Any Greens Necessary | NutritionFacts.org

Time to exercise your Critical Thinking Skills

We've all learned so much this year about the dramatic impact of diet on health.  As the year comes to a close, I invite you to exercise your considerable knowledge by offering a critique of the following article and its 215 commentaries (5 of mine are included).  Consider sending in your commentary to the NYT and let us know at dgreet@aya.yale.edu. 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/too-young-to-have-a-heart-attack/?emc=eta1

Wishing you OPTIMUM HEALTH in the New Year!

S.A.D. SANTA

Santa and I sat down for a frank little talk today.  He confessed that his suit was too tight, his meds cost too much and he wasn't feeling all that jolly.  He had no energy and ached all over. How in the world could he make his rounds this year? He worried about his "bowl full of jelly", afraid that he just might get stuck in someone's chimney Christmas Eve. 

Poor Santa!  I hated to see him so S.A.D.* so I whispered in his ear "Skip the cookies and eat carrots instead."

"HO, HO HO", he laughed with a twinkle in his eye! 

So when that jolly old elf drops by your place very soon, give him a loving "kick in the pants".  Leave him a bunch of carrots and a bowl full of peas for good measure. Then sit down with him and enjoy a plate of FROZEN CHOCOLATE BANANA BALLS (April 1, 2012 in the Blog Archive).

* S.A.D.=Standard American Diet responsible for the Obesity and Chronic Disease crisis.

HAVE A MERRY PLANT-BASED

CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

DATE SUGAR, the whole food sweetner

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-healthiest-sweetener/

PESTICIDES NOW MORE THAN EVER

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/pesticides-now-more-than-ever/?nl=opinion&emc=edit_ty_20121212

The Book that Changed the World

Celebrate 25 years of changing lives with this 25th anniversary edition from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Unsweetening the Diet | NutritionFacts.org

Unsweetening the Diet | NutritionFacts.org

McDougall Newsletter: November 2012 - Obama's Nutritional Knowledge Will Heal America

McDougall Newsletter: November 2012 - Obama's Nutritional Knowledge Will Heal America

Tortilla Bowl for Supper

We just got ourselves a set of those nifty TORTILLA PAN SETS and had to use them right away.

Press whole grain (no oil) flour tortilla into pan to create bowl and toast in oven at 400 for 5 mins.  Fill toasted bowl with heated fat free refried beans, black beans, corn,and brown rice. Mix greens, chopped onions & cilantro with salsa and lime juice.  Enjoy...bowl and all! 

Whole Food Sweetner

Homemade DATE SYRUP Recipe

Soak dates in water over night.
Pit dates.
Add pitted dates to food processor with soaking water.
Process as smooth as possible (add more water depending on consistency you like).
You can leave some in the fridge for immediate use in smoothies, baking, dressings, etc. Or, you can freeze in an ice cube tray for future use.

You can also make RAISIN SYRUP, APRICOT SYRUP, etc. by substituting these and other dried fruits in the above recipe.

Hope you're having a sweet, plant-based holiday season!

You are what you eat!

Kids, teach yourself to cook!

With Apples, Bean Dip, and Carrot Cake (ABC), Anne and Freya Dinshah have created a fun and practical cookbook for kids. It comes complete with photos of bright-eyed, enthusiastic children making easy plant-based recipes.

This cookbook will have kids feeling like prize-winning chefs in no time, teaching them how to:
• Make healthy snacks and meals
• Safely use knives, stove, oven, and blender
• Learn easy cleanup techniques
• Earn certificates of accomplishment
• Have fun!

“Kids think of cooking as what parents do. This book can open an exciting new window. Cooking is a fun at-home activity. I really got into it!” - Emily (who explored ABC when she was 10 years old)

Apples, Bean Dip, and Carrot Cake makes a great holiday gift that keeps on giving!

For more information and to order ABC, visit AmericanVegan.org.

---

Physician Trades Her Scalpel for a Spatula

http://www.jewishjournal.org/ee/jewishjournal/index.php/component/fullstory/20120913_A05_art_0/physician-trades-her-scalpel-for-a-spatula



Congratulations to Gull House Plant-Based Class!

13 health-care givers (yes, even Oreo, the Plant-Based Pooch) at Beebe Medical Center's Gull House Adult Activity Center in Rehoboth Beach have just completed a crash course in Plant-Based Eating. In 3 weeks they learned about the extraordinary health benefits of Plant-Based eating, watched the documentary film FORKS OVER KNIVES, and made and tasted their own dishes from whole food Plant-Based ingredients readily available at local grocery stores. Some even incorporated dietary changes into their Thanksgiving celebrations and are discovering ways to make Plant-Based eating a part of daily living.

Congratulations! 

   

3 Great Plant-Based Cookbook Gifts for Yourself or Others

 

Happy Plant-Based Thanksgiving

http://www.forksoverknives.com/forks-over-knives-recipes-for-a-plant-based-thanksgiving/

Another good reason to go PLANT-BASED

http://www.butterballabuse.com/

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes - Mercy For Animals

Great ideas for a Plant-Based Thanksgiving feast, just watch out for the oil.  Use broth, water or wine in place of oil where possible!  Enjoy...

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes - Mercy For Animals

FINE PLANT-BASED DINING

Osher Plant-Based diners gather at Nage in Rehoboth on Wednesday evening November 14, 2012.

PCRM | Thanksgiving Menu

PCRM | Thanksgiving Menu

INTRODUCING THE FOOD REVOLUTION NETWORK

Some of the luminaries joining YOU to heal your body and the world with food.  Hear what they have to say by clicking the link below:




http://www.foodrevolution.org/nextstep

PRESIDENTIAL PICADILLO PIE

Red Bean Picadillo in a Polenta Crust

 

Polenta

Add 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits Polenta to 3 cups boiling water. Simmer until thickened and spread in pie plate.

Picadillo

Chop and simmer in broth or water 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, 1 eggplant or zucchini.  Add 2 cans rinsed red kidney beans and 8 oz tomato sauce. 

Season with 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and cayenne pepper .  Stir in 1/4 cup pimento stuffed olives and 1/4 cup raisins. 

Spoon hot spicy bean sauce into Polenta crust and serve with steamed greens. 

KALE-WICH RECOMMENDED BY GAIL

Just received this note from Gail, a NEW PLANT-BASED EATER:

 "I attended your presentation in September at the Retreat of Love Creek.  I have given up the dairy (already had given up meat) since then and have lost 11.5 pounds!  Thank you so much for sharing your story, ideas, and the motivation.  I will say the first few weeks of no dairy was pretty rough.  My husband and I nicknamed it "Dairy Rage"! 

 

I wanted to share a sandwich we just stumbled on that is very good.  It is steamed kale, on bread with hummus (sprinkled with cilantro) and a slice of tomato [and a squeeze of lemon].  I love kale - not my husband's favorite but he loves this combination." 

 

Gail adds that her husband has lost 9.5 lbs since September, as well. 

 

********

 

Love to hear from other Plant-Based Readers & Eaters!  Send your triumphs & trials, your recipes & recommendations to dgreet@aya.yale.edu.

  

 

MAKE A DIFFERENCE 3 MEALS A DAY

http://www.earthsave.org/support/hamburgerSMALL.pdf



Eat Plant-Based or DIE..........

Courtesy Robb Hunter Williams, a Plant-Based Eater, at  www.preferredarms.com.

Power your Life with the Power Plate

 
Go to the link below for *PCRM's interactive power plate:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/pplate/power-plate

*Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Substitutes & Alternatives

Looking for a substitute for dairy? for meat? for oil?  The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has created a chart just for you.  Click on the link below for a downloadable SUBSTITUTIONS CHART for all of your cooking and eating needs.

http://support.pcrm.org/site/DocServer/sustitution_chart_PCRM__3.pdf?docID=1301&autologin=true&AddInterest=1401

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Autumn is a wonderful time to eat in season. Your local farmers' market might be winding down, but if it's still in swing, there are sure to be piles of cute little acorn squash. You'll also start to see them piled high in your local grocery store around this time of year. Great, but what do you do with them? Well, now you know. Easy to prepare, wonderfully aromatic, and fun to serve and devour, this healthy recipe will warm your house and delight your tummy. Ingredients: 1 medium acorn squash 1 cup vegetable broth or water ½ cup uncooked quinoa 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ medium onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped ½ large bell pepper (preferably red), chopped 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans 1 cup fresh spinach ¼ cup raisins 2 ¼ teaspoons cumin ½ teaspoon salt

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. Cut squash in half, remove pulp, place squash face down on a large baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until done. Squash should be tender all the way through. 3. In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, add the broth and quinoa, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes. 4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic, onions, carrot and bell peppers. Water sauté for about 5 minutes until the carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. 5. Add garbanzo beans, raisins, spinach, cumin and salt to the mix and continue cooking for a few minutes. 6. Add the quinoa to the skillet, stir well and remove from heat. 7. Stuff each half of the squash with half of the quinoa stuffing mixture and serve. This recipe is adapted from Meat Out Mondays for October 15, 2012.

http://www.meatoutmondays.org/index.php

Magic Mushrooms

http://nutritionfacts.org/2012/08/30/the-most-anti-inflammatory-mushroom/

Plant-Based Eaters at Cape Henlopen State Park

Act Local, Think Global

http://bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/a-cardiologist-makes-the-case-for-taxing-soda/

Soup's On!

Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup

Peel, dice and cook the following vegetables for about 5 minutes in a little liquid: 

1 medium squash, 3 parsnips, 2 carrots, 1 onion.

Add the following spices and 6 cups of vegetable stock or water:

1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 bay leaf.

Cook till vegetables are soft (about 20 minutes), puree until smooth.

Add 2 tbls of vinegar and salt to taste.

NO OIL, NO DAIRY, NO PROBLEM!

ENJOY!!

THE EPITOME OF PLANT-BASED DINING!

LUNCH AT THE CASCADE CAFE

Looking

 for a Plant-Based feast in D.C.? Try the Cascade Cafe in the National Gallery. 

Looking for good Plant-Based eating anywhere?  Find a salad bar with greens & beans, roots & fruits, seeds & weeds, and no added oil.