Favorite Kitchen Essentials

Ignore the big 80s power suit….how about a salt and pepper grinder!

 

Welcome to the 20s my fellow foodies. As we enter the new decade, I can’t help but think about how far I’ve come in the kitchen in the past 30 years. Bridal showers have cetainly changed and so have the gifts! Who else remembers dressing up on a Saturday afternoon and opening beautifully wrapped gifts with elaborate ribbons? A lot more than my big 80s hair and power suits have changed. Amazingly, though, I still have a few of those handy items and I’ve certainly added my share of new and improved gadgets along the way. Here’s a few of what I think are must-haves in the kitchen.

I don’t think I have this EXACT pizza stone, but I do still have A pizza stone

The immersion blender. I use this handy tool at least once a week. It can puree a soup right in the pot so there’s no need to use a blender. Definitely a must have for my kitchen.

The Air Fryer. I have the Gourmia air fryer. It’s my second air fryer. I probably use this 4 times a week (maybe more). Air fryers have become so popular these days. They are a must have when you want to cook without oil and still get that crispy “fried” food. It’s a healthy way to enjoy so many foods.

My high speed mini blender, aka, The Nutri Ninja is probably my most used gadget in my kitchen. It’s small profile means it takes up little space and it is just as powerful as a blender. I use it to make dressings, like my peanut sauce. It’s also great at grinding up whole oats to make oat flour for baking. I can easily grind up nuts and nutritional yeast to make my own dairy free parmesan. I could go on, but I think you get it!

The Cuisinart Food Processor is another fantastic appliance for your kitchen. I have the 11- cup model, which is just the right size for me. I can’t say that I use it everyday, but my guess is that it’s used at least twice a week in my kitchen. My go-to recipes of Basil Pesto and No-Tuna Salad are made in no time with my handy Cuisinart.

Yep…I’ve still got that immersion blender circa 1990!

If you’ve got limited space and maybe you just want to start gradually, I recommend a waffle iron. I never had one until about a year ago, and I thought, “what took me so long?” The Cuisinart waffle iron that I have is not expensive, so you’re not making a huge investment. I use mine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just take a look at my post for potato waffles or this one for falafel waffles. A few weeks ago, I experimented with a sweet potato/yukon gold mashup waffle. Stay tuned for that recipe soon!

Waffles aren’t just for breakfast!

You can’t go wrong with any of these on your shelf

I can’t finish this post without adding my favorite cookbooks. The Engine 2 Diet Cookbook is still at the top of my list. If you’ve already got that one, then I suggest adding the following: Oh She Glows, The Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook and The Prevent and Heart Disease Cookbook. I know that last one doesn’t sound very sexy, but it is full of east to follow and very delicious recipes.

Thanks for taking some time today to read about a few more of my favorite things. Maybe you can add to your collection or leave me a comment and tell me what you think I should add to my kitchen. I’d love to hear from you!

See you in the kitchen soon,

Heidi

 

Hmmmm, I wonder what’s inside this beautiful gift???

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My go-to Cookbooks

I say you can never have too many cookbooks. My fascination with cookbooks began many years ago when I discovered Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I have to credit Ina  for helping me pretty much learn how to cook. It all started with her very first cookbook,   The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. From that point on, I was hooked. I continued to collect her cookbooks: Barefoot Contessa at home, Barefoot Contessa Family Style and Barefoot Contessa Parties. She has many more books, but these are my favorites. Even as a whole food, plant based cook, I am still able to reference many of her recipes and “veganize” them with my own modifications. And Ina, if you’re reading this, I’d love to collaborate so we can say “The Barefoot Contessa goes Plant Based.”  How easy is that?

As my plant based journey evolved, I knew that I had to expand my cookbook collection to include books that reflected what I eat on a daily basis. There are hundreds of cookbooks that I could fill my shelves with, but I have narrowed down my all time faves to just 5 books. I think that’s a pretty fair number. I’m listing these in order of acqusition.

 

1. The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone. This was my very first book years before I ever went plant based. Silverstone is a strong advocate for a vegan lifestyle and this book has lovely photos and recipes for all levels of cooks.
2. Oh She Glows, by Angela Liddon. A fantastic started vegan cookbook. Liddon began as a food blogger and I have used this book again and again. You will not be disappointed with her recipes!
3. The Engine 2 Diet Cookbook, by Rip Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn. Rip is the founder of the Engine 2 Diet. He’s a former firefighter and endurance athlete who has made Plant Based his mission. This book is essential for anyone who is embarking on a whole foods, plants based lifestyle.
4. How Not To Die Cookbook, by Dr. Michael Greger. Dr. Greger maintains the popular website, nutritionfacts.org He is the energizer bunny of plant based living. This cookbook is a companion to his popular book, How Not To Die. He is the real deal, with profits from his books supporting his website which receives no funding from any advertising. He runs everything on donations and profit from book sales.
5. The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, by Jane and Ann Esselstyn. Fantastic resource with easy to follow recipes from this amazing mother-daughter duo. You’ll love their easy to follow recipes that are low fat, oil free and completely plant based.

Of course, there are so many more great books out there, but if you’re just starting out, these are the ones I would choose.

Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll clue you in on how I get my kitchen set up with my favorite gadgets. Having the right equipment sets you up for success and can make all the difference when you are changing the way you eat.

Let me know what your favorite cookbooks are. I’ve always got space on my shelf foor one more!

See you in the kitchen soon,

Heidi

 

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Why should you go plant based?

Earlier this month, I gave a presentation to a group of men and women at a local senior center. It was my first time speaking to a group such as this and I wasn’t sure what to expect or even how I would be received. The organizer from the Meals on Wheels program told me that they like to have a snack, preferably sweets, and suggested I bring something for them to sample and incorporate that into my talk.

I had about a month’s notice to prepare for the talk which was going to be with “The Lunch Club” at the center. I had my keynote (Power Point) all set up and rehearsed and my speech notes were all ready to go. I wasn’t nervous, well, maybe just a little. Why would they want to listen to a talk about plant based eating?

Yukon Gold “waffles”-side of chickpeas and roasted asparagus drizzled with balsamic glaze

I started talking, and a few latecomers walked in, and one woman said that I should start over. I had only gone through one slide, so she said..”oh, go ahead and start again”. I though to myself…Hmmm, they’re actually listening––and they’re interested!! In all honestly, I did offer the chocolate chip banana cake FIRST!

My talk progressed, and I had a few questions along the way. And everyone took an interest in what I had to say. We had a really great discussion afterwards. Only one or two people left when I finished talking, but the rest sat around and had another piece or two of cake. These men and women had at least 20 years on me. A few ladies had just come from the chair yoga class. One woman proudly announced that she is in her 70s and she does not take one single pill. She said she only eats organic (but she is not vegan). We had a great discussion on my why.

I am asked almost daily “why” I eat this way––vegan, plant-based, whole food––whatever you want to call it. My simple answer is that my body feels better when I eat this way. After more than 2 years of eating this way it has become my lifestyle. Although my motivation to begin this was purely for my health, I am definitely more conscious of the toll that animal farming is taking on the environment. After watching documentaries such as Food, Inc , Eating You Alive and Forks Over Knives, I believe many of you would think very differently about what you put on your plate.

Just yesterday, the Canadian government issued their 2019 health guidelines. And what do you know….their new food guidelines eliminates dairy as a food group and features fruits and vegetables on half your plate! Water is also encouraged as the beverage of choice and protein includes plant protein choices. I wonder how long until the US catches up??

“Clean out the fridge” salad–tons of colors and flavor!

In our country, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are all preventable lifestyle diseases that can be reversed and prevented through a plant based, whole foods diet. The scientific evidence is out there. It’s as simple as changing what’s on the end of your fork. I know that I will continue to choose plants over pills, how about you?

Do you like my food photos? Stay tuned for my next post and I’ll show you how I made those waffle fries and how I cook with no oil.

See you in the kitchen soon,

Heidi

“This post is part of the wellpreneur blog challenge.”

http://learn.wellpreneuronline.com/blog-challenge/

 

Make it a Revolution, not a Resolution

The New Year is right around the corner and who hasn’t already thought about those dreaded “resolutions”?  You know, “I’m going to lose 50 pounds” “I’m never eating fried foods” “I’m going to the gym every day” and on and on they go.

Two years ago, what started as a resolution for me became a revolution. A close friend suggested that we sign up for Veganuary.  According to their website, “Veganuary is a charity inspiring people to try vegan for January and throughout the rest of the year.” I signed up and at the same time, I also joined a new group on Facebook called the Engine 2 Seven Day Rescue, which is a plant based lifestyle program. So, between the two groups, I was committing myself to some pretty significant changes.

I had thought I was a pretty healthy eater until I began following these programs. At first, I felt that I was giving up so many of the foods that I enjoyed-and I did struggle initially. They say your tastebuds will change when you give up all the processed foods, and it’s true. Simple, unprocessed foods really do taste better. Fruits and vegetables and whole grains are delicious when they are prepared without oil and extra salt. I’ve learned to cook in a completely new way. I have found friends online and in real life who eat and cook this way and it is exciting to have people to share this with.

So, I’m going to throw a little challenge your way. How about starting with some small changes. And here’s the twist-start now! Don’t wait for January 1-you CAN do this now. When you’re done reading this, go for a walk. If you’re up north where the weather is frigid, walk in place while you’re watching tv. Start with 10 minutes, if you’re not used to exercising. The goal is to just get moving.

Next, I want you to stop using oil. Yes, even olive oil, which is not the health food that it claims to be. The olive itself is healthy, but the oil is stripped of all the nutrients and is a processed food. Did you know that you can sauté pretty much anything with just water or vegetable broth? I am not kidding-give it a try and you will be as surprised as I was the first time. Vegetables like onions just need a tablespoon, and mushrooms give off their own juice, so water isn’t even necessary. Use balsamic vinegar glaze as a salad dressing or just a few squeezes of fresh lemon on your greens. Thin out some hummus with a little water-it makes a great salad dressing too.

Roasted Brussels sprouts and Sweet Potatoes-NO OIL

Start your week with “Meatless Monday.” Take a look at Pinterest or scroll through my blog to get some ideas. My son is a total carnivore, but I showed him how to make an easy rice and beans dish and now he cooks that on a regular basis. Once you repeat these small changes, they’ll become a habit and you’ll be on your way to better health.

Find foods and flavors that you love and look for recipes that are easy. If it’s simple, you’ll go back to it over and over. I love basil and I found a fabulous oil free basil pesto recipe from Oh She Glows. I make it at least once a week and use it as a vegetable dip, a spread on pita or even thinned out a little to serve over pasta.

Oil Free Basil Pesto

The Engine 2 group that I mentioned earlier started on Facebook as a support for the Engine 2 Seven Day Rescue book. When I joined the closed facebook group two years ago, I think there were a few hundred members. Today, there are over 31,000 members! Clearly, people are joining this revolution!

If you’re interested in individual help and guidance, I am available for one-on-one consultations. I want this to be YOUR year of revolution, not just a resolution.

See you in the kitchen soon,

Heidi

Living in a (non)plant based world

Ahhh…imagine walking into any restaurant and seeing so many choices that you couldn’t possibly make up your mind. The appetizer section has whole wheat crostini topped with a dairy free pesto and brown rice paper spring rolls filled with just veggies. For the entrees there’s bbq tempeh and seitan piccata, or your choice of stir fry with tofu. The dessert list has sorbet and fresh fruit and not a single buttercream topped cupcake or death by chocolate brownie sundae. Have you seen this place? Yeah, neither have I. This is the restaurant in my dreams! But, the tide is turning.

Last week, I was a guest at the Empty Bowls at Lakewood Ranch- a fundraising event to benefit Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee County. It was billed as the “longest lunch table” It’s mission is to unite one table to envision hunger relief together in Manatee County.  When attendees arrived  at the event (for a $30 ticket), they were given an envelope with several tickets and 3 small tasting cups. The first ticket was to pick out their bowl. Beneath a massive tent were hundreds of hand painted ceramic bowls that volunteers and board members created for the event. After choosing the bowl, you then moved on to a long table filled with soup pots from more than a dozen local restaurants. You were able to sample 3 soups with your mini cup and when you decided on your “bowl”, you turned in your ticket for your soup. In addition, there were bread slices and water to compliment the soup as well as some dessert options. Once you had your soup, it was time to join a large community table and enjoy!

This was my first time attending an event like this and I was very impressed. Initially, I was worried that there wouldn’t be any soup for me. ( I could hear the soup Nazi in my head saying “No Soup for YOU”). But, I was pleasantly surprised that I had 3 really great options in that pool of restaurants. I spoke to the man from Spacco Italian Grill who was serving Pasta Faglioli-which he promised me had no meat and no dairy and was cooked in vegetable broth. It was delicious and he also assured me that when I come to his restaurant, there are vegan options on his menu. There were two other vendors who provided plant based soup choice. There was a roasted garlic bisque from Ortygia and a healing vegetable soup from Jubilee Organics. The Pasta Faglioli was definitely my favorite!

And all of this gives me a positive feeling that restaurants are starting to take notice and offering healthier options for their guests. There is definitely a need for more fully plant based restaurants.  Let’s hope that this trend continues. If you’ve had a positive experience at a restaurant, let them know they are doing a great job. When I have a great meal and the staff is accommodating to my needs, I tell them. Let’s keep this going and hopefully someday we will see plant based foods as mainstream menu items.

See you in the kitchen (or restaurant) soon,

Heidi

Intermittent Fasting

Have you heard of this? I was waiting for Barre class to start this morning, and I overheard two women discussing intermittent fasting and one of the women explained that’s why she looked like she had lost some weight. I apologized to them for eavesdropping, but I was curious and wanted to know more. Just last week, I had a been asked by a friend if I knew anything about intermittent fasting.

I recently completed my training and certification in Nutrition and Wellness Counseling, and I learned the nutrition basics and all about how our digestion system works and the mechanics of our body’s processing of carbohydrates into energy. My textbooks did not address intermittent fasting, so I turned to the world wide web to learn more.

Apparently, Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a new-ish thing that is becoming more popular and has, of course, spawned diet plans and books with detailed instructions. The basic premise is that by putting your body in a state of “fasting”, you allow your fat cells to release their stored sugar to use for energy. The way IF works is that it allows the insulin levels to go down far enough and for long enough that we burn off our fat.

The evidence is varied regarding how many hours you need to fast. Most experts agree that anything less that 13 hours is ineffective. Some fasting plans say you need a ratio of 16:8–meaning you must fast for 16 hours and can only eat during an 8 hour window. That seems quite restrictive, and it should be noted that during that 8 hours, you have to make sure you are fueling your body with whole foods–fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains (brown rice, whole wheat breads) and that you are not exceeding a reasonable caloric limit. In other words, if you consume 4,000 calories in 8 hours, you most likely won’t lose weight (unless you’re a high performance athlete).

Several other questions come to mind with such a plan. Can you have anything to drink during the fasting hours? One study that I read stated that as long as the beverage is under 50 calories, then it’s ok. So, if you add a splash of milk to your morning coffee, it shouldn’t “break” the fasting state. I then came across this YouTube video that discusses acceptable beverages that you can drink during your fast, and according to this video, milk is NOT allowed. And if you are a morning exerciser-it’s recommended to do your workout just before you are scheduled to eat.

And now back to the woman at Barre class today. The “faster” that I spoke with said she has been working up to a longer fast-16 hours and that she can’t say that she has lost any weight, but she (and her friends) have commented that she looks more toned and fit. She did admit to me that she actually “cheats” her fast by drinking an airborne drink, which she says gives her some energy. After hearing that, I can’t say I’m exactly sold on the whole IF phenomenon.

After reading a few studies on IF, I’m not sure if it is the right choice for me. My goal is to not eat after dinner, which enables me to have (most days) a12 hour fast.  I agree that there can be some benefits of keeping your insulin levels low throughout the day by not snacking between meals. Of course, none of this should be done without first consulting your doctor; especially if you have any medical conditions or take any medications.

The truth is that striving to eat a balanced diet-full of fruits, vegetables and whole unprocessed foods should be the standard for all of us. In the long run, it’s important to find what works for you but keep in mind that you should eat in a way that is sustainable in the long run. There’s no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to your health and well being.

See you in the produce aisle!

Heidi

Move over, Ina Garten (and I mean that in the nicest possible way)

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (from Florida) lived an inexperienced cook who was introduced to the cookbooks of the Barefoot Contessa. For years and years, this stay at home mom started all her recipes with many sticks of butter, the glug glug glug of olive oils and of course, “good” vanilla in all her baked goods. Her bookshelves proudly displayed almost every one of Ina’s wonderful cookbooks. She spent her children’s nap time engrossed in every episode of Ina’s food network show. Would Jeffrey make an appearance in today’s episode? Who will her special guests be for dinner tonight?

Fast forward to a new age. There’s a new sheriff in town. His name is Rip Esselstyn. He created the Engine 2 diet. It’s a whole food, plant based way of eating. Did I scare you? Plants…yes. No meat…yes. No dairy…yes. Delicious and filling food..yes and yes.

This past January, I was introduced to a Facebook group called the Engine 2 seven day rescue. Rip had written an update to his original diet and I joined this group to see what it was about. Anyone can do something for seven days, right?? So…I tried it and I’m happy to say I’m still following the rules for this way of eating. It is that good. It really works for me and it really is easy. If, you are willing to make the changes and I won’t lie, there is some advance food prep required if you want to make it work.

I won’t bog you down with all the details of the way I eat now. But I’m having a lot of fun with it and I just started an instagram account to show the world what I eat and cook now.  It’s has been a lot of fun and I’m meeting all kinds of fellow plant based people out there who share this journey.

Here are a few of my most recent kitchen creations. Carrot Dogs in the first picture and Chili Cheese fries in the second picture. No animal products whatsoever in either meal!

I feel great eating this way and if you are interested in learning more, I’m happy to answer any questions. You can follow more of my food adventures on instagram  @heidicooksplants

Oh, and if anyone’s interested in some bargain Barefoot Contessa cookbooks…😉😉😂😂