Vegan Under Pressure (Perfect Vegan Meals Made Quick and Easy in Your Pressure Cooker)

I am very excited to be part of the Vegan Under Pressure Blog Tour by reviewing Vegan Under Pressure, by Jill Nussinow, MS, RDN.  I created her Tapioca Berry Parfait and it was fabulous! See recipe below.

Jill Nussinow, known as The Veggie Queen,  became a Registered Dietitian because she always cared about her food, what it tasted like and that it was healthy.  She has followed a vegetarian diet, and then a vegan diet, since she was a teenager. About twenty years ago she rediscovered the age-old method of pressure cooking. She found it saved so much time when cooking whole grains and dried beans, as well as so many other foods.  The pressure cooker changed her cooking life and her health.  She could finally cook flavorful beans, vegetables, soups, stews, fillings, sauces and so much more in an hour or less.

I also love using my pressure cooker.  The foods taste amazing and I am always surprised at how quickly they cook and how fresh they taste.  Many foods cooked in a pressure cooker retain the nutrient-rich cooking liquid, so you are not throwing away any nutrients. I am all about preserving and making sure we get the nutrients from our foods. You can saute right in the pressure cooker without adding any oils, which I love!  For those of you concerned about BPA lining canned food, the ability to cook dried beans in just 12 minutes or less in the pressure cooker means avoiding this potential health hazard by not buying the cans. If you don't already have a pressure cooker, I would recommend it as an essential kitchen tool! It  will save you an enormous amount of time in the kitchen preparing healthy, fresh foods.

Vegan Under Pressure is divided up into twelve chapters.

Chapter One:  Introduction to Pressure Cooking.
Chapter Two:  Pressure Cooking Basics
Chapter Three:  Spice Blends and Other Seasonings
Chapter Four:  Grains
Chapter Five:  Beans
Chapter Six:  Vegetables
Chapter Seven:  Soups
Chapter Eight:  Main Courses
Chapter Nine:  Burgers, Patties, and Savory Cakes
Chapter Ten:  Toppers: Sauces, Fillings, and More
Chapter Eleven:  Appetizers
Chapter Twelve:  Desserts

Tapioca Berry Parfait, pg. 302 (Photo © Lauren Volo)

Tapioca Berry Parfait
Serves 4
PRINTABLE RECIPE 
 
Making dessert doesn't get much easier than this.  Be sure to use a 6-quart (or larger) cooker as this gets very foamy, which can clog the vent or cause spewing liquid in a smaller pot.  Make a double batch if you have enough room; it's that good.

½ cup small pearl (not instant) tapioca
2 cups almond or any nondairy milk
Pinch of salt, optional
¼ cup organic sugar or blonde coconut palm sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups fresh berries of your choice, sliced as needed
Fresh mint, for garnish

1. Place the tapioca pearls in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under running water for 30 seconds.

2. Add the milk to a pressure cooker.  Add the tapioca and salt, if using, and stir.  Lock the lid.  Bring to a high pressure; cook for 4 minutes.  Let the pressure come down naturally.  Quick release any remaining pressure after 20 minutes.  Open the lid carefully, tilting it away from you.

3. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest.

4. Spoon 2 tablespoons berries into the bottom of 4 pretty bowls or parfait glasses.  Add about 1/4 cup tapioca, then 3 tablespoons berries. Add another 1/4 cup tapioca and top with berries.  Garnish with mint.

Variation: If stone fruits are in season, substitute chopped stone fruit for the berries.

Love the lemon zest in this recipe!

Text excerpted from Vegan Under Pressure, © 2015 by Jill Nussinow.  Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  All rights reserved.

Learn more about Jill Nussinow,  get more recipes, and watch videos on her website below:
The Veggie Queen

Vegan-Ease (An Easy Guide to Enjoying a Plant-Based Diet) Book Review and Giveaway

I am very excited to be part of the Vegan-Ease blog tour by reviewing Vegan-Ease (An Easy Guide to Enjoying a Plant-Based Diet), by Laura Theodore. I will also be giving away an autographed copy of this book & a Pascha Vegan Chocolate Bar - YUMMY!!  (see bottom of page for instructions to win). I created her maple-raisin date truffles and they were excellent! (See pictures and recipe below). 

Laura's book has a beautiful hardcover with color pictures on almost every page. This book is a great resource for anyone wanting to eat healthy and save money.  There is a section (Page 21-24) by Julieanna Hever called, Plant Based Nutrition 101.  You will love this on nutrient know-how.  She explains and answers the most common questions, "Where do you get your nutrients such as protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D or calcium?"  Veggies (especially leafy greens)  and fruits are the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, she explains. 

There is a section on stocking your pantry and an easy eco-clean way to cleaning your kitchen using baking soda. I love all the helpful information on getting organized.

The first page of her book starts out with a quote from Thomas A. Edison " The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." 


Vegan-Ease has 3 parts-
Part I:  What do I eat and why? Why a plant-based diet? Making vegan  easy, and ease-y essential guides.

Part II: The Recipes - 
Fast appetizers and fun beverages
Good morning eye openers
Muffins, quick breads and baked delights
Simple Soups
Speedy salads, dressings and sandwiches
Pasta and pizzas, pronto!
The main dish made ease-y
Sunny sides
Easiest. Desserts. Ever.
Fancy finishes
Stress-free holiday recipes

Part III: The menu, please!
Menu planning basics
Menus for every occasion

Maples-Raisin Date Truffles (made by the Health Seeker's Kitchen) Super easy to make!!

Maple-Raisin-Date Truffles

Makes 10 to 12 Truffles / Ease Factor 1  
Printable Recipe

These tasty truffles are pretty too, making an excellent healthy dessert or snack to satisfy your sweet tooth. Bonus: Impressive to serve for a dinner party too!

9 large Medjool dates, pitted

1⁄3 cup raisins

¼ cup raw unsweetened shredded dried coconut

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Line a small baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Put the dates, raisins, coconut and maple syrup in a high-performance blending appliance and process to the consistency of soft dough. Transfer the date mixture to a medium-sized bowl. Using a cookie scoop, spoon out a heaping tablespoon of the date mixture, and roll it into a ball. Continue in this manner to form 10 to 12 truffle balls.

Put the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Roll the truffles in the cocoa powder until coated and place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, truffles will keep up to 3 days.

Watch Laura Theodore make this recipe at vegan-ease.com

Amount per serving, based on 12 servings/truffles:  100 Calories; 3g Fat; 3g Saturated fat; 1g Protein; 3mg Sodium; 20g Total Carbohydrate; 16g Sugars; 3g Fiber

Recipe © 2015 Laura Theodore, published by Jazzy Vegetarian, LLC, reprinted by permission.

__________________________________________________________________________

Autographed Copy of Vegan-Ease and Chocolate Bar Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win Laura Theodore's Cookbook, Vegan-Ease, by leaving a comment below with the answer to the following question:

“What are you doing to improve your health and well-being over the holidays?”
US residents only.

The drawing will take place on Wednesday, October 21st and the winner will be announced that day.

Best of luck!!  I can't wait to read all of your comments. We can all learn and be motivated by each other.  Thank you for sharing:)
__________________________________________________________________________ 

  THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED 

Congratulations Lois, you are the winner of Laura Theodore's cookbook, Vegan-Ease. I hope you enjoy the new book and the Pascha Vegan Chocolate Bar. Good luck with all your healthy endeavors. 

Thank you to everyone that added a comment. I loved reading your remarks and I know they not only inspired me, but many who read them. Best of health!!

Love Fed (Purely Decadent, Simply Raw, Plant-Based Desserts) Book Review & Recipe

I am very excited to be a part of the Love Fed Blog Tour by reviewing, Love Fed (Purely Decadent, Simply Raw, Plant-Based Desserts) by Christina Ross and published by BenBella Books.  Check out the links above for more exciting reviews and recipes during this awesome tour. 

Love Fed  is a beautifully illustrated book that can help you achieve better health. Christina has eliminated harmful sugars and refined ingredients to all her recipes.  I love that  they are also raw and full of flavor. Raw food is more "alive" and retains its enzymes, hormones, vitamins and minerals, that otherwise might be lost. Many dessert books claim to be healthy,  but what you are really getting is high fat, sugar loaded dessert bombs.  Not so with Love Fed! Christina's book has 80 delicious, easy recipes, without a touch of gluten, dairy, or refined sweeteners. Very little sweetener is added to her recipes. At first you may even think they need more sugar, but they don't.  It is just your taste buds that are use to very sweet treats. Sugar is an addiction that contributes to a huge collection of health problems. These health conditions are easily eliminated by just reducing or eliminating most of your sugar intake. A great goal to add to your New Years resolutions (2015)  is to eliminate these harmful sugars. Clean out your pantry and start today!!  A book like Love Fed can help all of us still enjoy treats, but achieve this goal.  

The recipe I decided to share with all of you is on page 117, Red Velvet Chia Parfait.  Doesn't that just sound scrumptious?  It was very light, delicious, satisfying and turned out beautiful (See my photo below)

Red Velvet Chia Parfait

Yield: 4 parfaits

Prep time: 15 minutes

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Parfaits provide a lot of payoff for very little effort—in 15 minutes you can have a beautiful, deliciously creamy dessert. This parfait is notable for the raw vegan cream cheese frosting on top. It’s wonderful spread on cakes and cupcakes, too. If you like a sweeter frosting, feel free to add 2 tbsp. of your favorite sweetener.

PARFAIT BASE

¼ c. chia seeds (black or white or a mix of the two)

1 tbsp. cacao powder

2 c. almond milk

2 tsp. beet juice or natural red food coloring

1 ½ tsp. coconut nectar

¼ tsp. vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract

“CREAM CHEESE” FROSTING

4 tbsp. melted coconut oil (see page 28)

2 c. chilled coconut cream

1 tbsp. Meyer lemon juice (regular lemon juice works, too)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate curls or cacao powder, for garnish

To make the parfait base: Combine the chia seeds, cacao powder, almond milk, beet juice, coconut nectar, and vanilla bean powder in a medium bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to thicken. Make the frosting.

To make the frosting: Place the melted coconut oil, coconut cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer or a large bowl. Beat on medium speed or whisk by hand until the mixture is whipped and well incorporated. Don’t overmix or the frosting will be runny.

To assemble: Divide the chia mixture among 4 parfait glasses or bowls.

Place a frosting bag (or plastic bag) inside a glass, allowing the top of the bag to fold over the outside of the glass. This will allow you to scoop frosting into the bag without the risk of it leaking. Fill the bag with the frosting, then squeeze a dollop into each parfait glass on top of the chia mixture. Add the garnish and serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

 

Health Begins in the Kitchen: Book Review and Two Fabulous Recipes!

 Health Begins in the Kitchen, by Joanne Williams, is a beautifully done eBook. I have been following Joanne for years and love her Plant-Based recipes, her gorgeous pictures, and the fact that she has a strong science and nutritional background. Joanne is driven and inspired by the belief that people can prevent and fight most diseases by the simple and joyful process of eating.  She has a PH.D. in holistic nutrition and left a successful corporate career to challenge all her creativity, culinary passion, and scientific knowledge into developing healthy and delicious recipes. It is hard to believe she just had her 65th birthday, because she looks like she is at least 20 years or more younger than that!! (see picture at bottom of post)  She weighs the same as she did in college, enjoys excellent health, and doesn't need any of the medications prescribed for most people her age. Joanne lives with her husband on their organic vineyard in California where they grow Russian River Pinot Noir grapes. 

Joanne's Ph.D. research topic was the "nutritional adequacy of a raw food vegan diet." The data continues to roll in about how eating ample amounts of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and good fats can help prevent and heal many of the serious health conditions plaguing our country today. She dedicates her blog, Foods for Long Life, and her new book to healthy raw and cooked vegan recipes. Her section of the book that provides a Raw Food Cleanse is probably one of the best I have seen. Health Begins in the Kitchen is very informative and perfect for those trying to learn how to adopt a Plant-Based Diet, as well those of us who have been eating this way for a long time. I hope you will try her recipes and consider adding this book to your collection.  I know you will love it like I do.

With permission from Joanne, I am sharing a couple of her recipes.  The first one is Grilled Rosemary Portobello Mushrooms and the second a Raw Peach - Blueberry Crisp. These two recipes are so delicious.  I tested them out on my family and they absolutely loved them.  We used the Grilled Portobello Mushrooms for our burgers just the other night. The marinade with fresh rosemary was amazing!!! If you can't find Medjool dates for the crisp, use 1 1/2 - 2 regular dates for every Medjool date the recipe calls for. Medjool dates are larger, generally softer and sweeter than a regular date.

 

Grilled Rosemary Portobello Mushrooms

Printable Recipe

Serves: 4

REQUIREMENTS: 

Indoor or outdoor barbecue grill

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine (I used rice vinegar)

2 tablespoons low-sodium, gluten-free soy sauce

1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey (not vegan)

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

4 (5-inch) portobello mushrooms 

DIRECTIONS:

Make a marinade by mixing the olive oil, red wine or vinegar, soy sauce, agave, rosemary, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl or cup.

Carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms and set aside.  Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and place them in a large casserole dish.  Brush the marinade on both sides of each mushroom.  Pour the remaining marinade over the mushroom tops and marinate for 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Heat the barbecue grill to medium hot.  Place the mushrooms on the grill, gills up, brushing them with the remaining marinade.  Cook until tender, turning several times, 10 to 12 minutes.  Alternately, you can broil them in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve on a bed of her Creamy Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes drizzled with Mushroom Gravy made with the stems of the portobellos or on top of her Creamy Polenta.

You may also serve these on a burger, on a toasted whole-grain or gluten-free bun with all of your favorite toppings.

Peach and Blueberry Crisp

Printable Recipe

Serves: 9

REQUIREMENTS

Food Processor (such as a Cuisinart)

8-inch Square Baking Pan

INGREDIENTS

For the topping:

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup raw walnuts

4 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped 

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

For the filling:

4 cups thinly sliced peeled fresh peaches

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 teaspoons Fruit Fresh produce protector or 1 tablespoon lemon juice  

1 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches

4 large Medjool dates, pitted and soaked 1 hour and drained

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Make the topping:  Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with an S blade and process until coarse.  Add the walnuts, dates, coconut, cinnamon, and salt and process until the mixture begins to stick together.  Place in a small bowl and set aside.  Wash and dry the food processor.

Make the filling:  Place the sliced peaches and blueberries in a large bowl and toss together with produce protector or lemon juice.

 Place the chopped peaches, soaked and drained dates, and nutmeg in the food processor and process until smooth, scraping the sides down when necessary.  Add to the bowl of sliced peaches and blueberries and toss gently.

To make the crisp, spread one-third of the topping on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan.  Cover with the filling.  Sprinkle the remaining topping evenly over the filling.  Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Joanne L. Mumola Williams, PhD

Follow Foods for Long Life on  FACEBOOK

Follow Joanne's Blog  FOODS FOR LONG LIFE

 

Health Begins in the Kitchen 

Now Available for only $14.99

But it Now on iTunes!

But it Now on Amazon!

The China Study Cookbook by Leanne Campbell: Review, Recipes & Giveaway

 The China Study Cookbook is a recipe book you can get excited about! It is filled with quick, flavorful meals based on a whole food, plant-based diet.  I have absolutely loved reading this book and trying out many of the recipes. Below you will find several I created and the photos I took. For the Giveaway information see bottom of page. The winner of this fabulous book will be available at the bottom of this post next Monday, July 29th. Thank you to BenBella books for providing this giveaway.

Leanne Campbell is the daughter of T. Colin Campbell who wrote the book The China Study and his newest book Whole.  Watch for my review, post and giveaway next week on the book Whole (Rethinking the Science of Nutrition). Leanne Campbell, PhD, lives in Durham, North Carolina. She has been preparing meals based on a whole-food, plant-based diet for almost 20 years. She has raised two sons—Steven and Nelson, now 18 and 17—on this diet.

One of the really nice features of The China Study Cookbook is that the recipes contain no added fat and little or no added salt.  There is also minimal use of sweetening agents.  Scientific evidence shows that we should try to avoid adding additional fat, salt and sugar to our recipes. FAT:  Keeping fat intake low is important, because fat adds a lot of extra calories making healthy weight maintenance more difficult. Also, high fat intake, especially from animal-based foods, increases your risk of high blood cholesterol, heart disease, some types of cancer, and-when it contributes to excess weight-diabetes and hypertension.  SUGAR: Reducing our intake of sugar helps us to have more room for the foods that are good for us, full of life giving properties, instead of being  life depleting.  SALT: Our bodies only need about a half teaspoon of salt daily.  For everyone, increased salt intake means an increased need for water to clean it out, an increased risk of bloating from water retention, and an increased risk of stomach and esophageal cancer.

In the introduction, Leanne talks about the mountain of empirical research supporting a whole food, plant-based diet.  She states we can obtain images of the arteries in the heart, and then show conclusively, as Drs. Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. have done, that a whole food, plant-based diet reverses heart disease. 

The Introduction has several sections that I think you will find interesting:  Leanne's Journey Toward a Plant-Based Diet, Raising Children to Consume a Plant-Based Diet, The Garden Approach (Choosing a Wide Variety of Plant Foods, Harvesting the Garden (Preparing Delicious Meals), Transitioning to a Plant-Based Diet, and Start Your Own Journey.

The recipes start on page 51 and the sections include: Breads & Muffins, Breakfast Dishes, Appetizers & Salads, Soups, Sandwiches, Entrees, Side Dishes and Desserts.
Below are recipes for Nutty Noodles with Vegetables and No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars. Both were fabulous and simple! I also added a picture of the the delicious Vegan Chocolate Cake I made and shared with family from out of town.  They loved it!  I hope you will give these recipes a try and let me know how you liked them. Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the page. Good luck! 

Nutty Noodles with Vegetables (Page 196)

Makes 4 Servings (25 minutes preparation time, 15 minutes cooking time)
PRINTABLE RECIPE
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta, cooked
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 large carrot, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup light tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, unseasoned
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons agave
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
Sea salt to taste

1)  Cook 1 pound pasta and set aside.
2)  In a large skilled, add 1/4 cup vegetable broth, onions, peppers, broccoli, and carrot.  Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are slightly cooked.
3)  Stir in pasta, basil, and sesame seeds.  Set aside.
4)  In separate saucepan, add peanut butter, tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and agave.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth.  Pour over noodles.
5)  Garnish with green onions and peanuts.  Season with salt.

TIPS: Snow peas and cauliflower are both great substitutes for broccoli.  To make beautiful and easy julienne strips of carrot, use a vegetable peeler or julienne peeler.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars (Page 265)

Makes 9 Servings (15 minutes preparation, 1 hour chilling)
PRINTABLE RECIPE
1 cup low-fat graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 cup reduced-fat, unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1 cup nondairy chocolate chips
5 tablespoons rice or almond milk

1)  Crush graham crackers in food processor.  In separate bowl, add walnuts, coconut, and peanut butter.  Stir in crushed crackers.
2) Slowly add milk and mix.  If mixture does not hold together, continue adding additional milk until all ingredients stick together.  However, don't make it too soft, and, if necessary, use your hands. 
3)  Spread mixture evenly into a 9 x 9 nonstick baking dish.
4)  In a saucepan, melt chocolate chips together with rice or almond milk over medium heat.  Stir until smooth.
5)  Spread chocolate mixture on top of peanut butter mixture.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until hardened. Cut into squares and enjoy!

TIP:  These make a great holiday treat and should be used sparingly.

Vegan Chocolate Cake (Page 268)

GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS:
(You can do all 3 of the items below to be entered into the drawing three times.  Make sure to create a new comment for each item you do.)
DEADLINE:  Giveaway will end Monday, July 29 at midnight, eastern standard time.  The winner will be drawn using a random number generator and will be announced at the bottom of this post shortly after. Good luck!!
TO ENTER: 
#1)  Leave a comment in section below this post.
#2)  Subscribe to The China Study Community Page

#3) Share this post on Pinterest.  You can share one of the pictures and mention the giveaway. 

_________________________________________________________________________

  THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED 

Congratulations Holly!

(Please contact me so I know where to send your copy of The China Study Cookbook) 

thehealthseekerskitchen@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone that added a comment. I wish I could send each one of you a book. Please watch for my next giveaway - WHOLE and try again to win:)  

The information source for the whole food, plant-based diet movement

- See more at: http://www.thechinastudy.com/#sthash.YALUApf6.dpuf

The China Study Community

The information source for the whole food, plant-based diet movement

- See more at: http://www.thechinastudy.com/#sthash.YALUApf6.dpuf