Rachel's Powerballs - A Healthful Raw Food Vegan Dessert Or Lunchbox Snack

Use large, unsweetened coconut ribbons or flakes, not shredded

Process dates, cashews and coconut until mixture sticks together

Rachel's company Jonny Sport makes high-quality vegan bags

About This Recipe

While dinning at a Portland restaurant, (See my Review of Portland's Blossoming Lotus), I met a very lovely woman named Rachel Elizabeth who was sitting at the next table. Since I wanted to take as many pictures of their dishes as possible without ordering everything on the menu, I asked Rachel if I could photograph her food also. We ended up having a very nice visit during our lunch. We shared raw food and other vegan recipes and talked about my blog and her company. She runs a local business in Portland that makes very high quality vegan bags. The name of her company is Jonny Sport and everything they make is manufactured in Portland. It is refreshing to see someone creating local jobs while providing an alternative high end bag for people who avoid using any animal products.

Long story short, this is one of the recipes that Rachel shared with me. It's a little dessert ball made from raw cashews, Medjool dates and dried flakes of coconut. What gives them a burst of flavor is a sprinkling of course salt on top of each ball. Rachel calls them "Powerballs". They make a great dessert or mid-day snack for the whole family. They are delicious and so easy to make.

Thank you Rachel for this wonderful recipe!

***

Raw Vegan Powerballs

[makes 2 dozen]

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and quartered (about 15)

1 cup raw cashew nuts

1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut ribbons or flakes

1/2 teaspoon brown rice syrup or agave nectar

Some course salt for topping

Place dates in a food processor with an S blade. Process dates briefly until they are chopped. Add cashews, coconut flakes and brown rice syrup or agave nectar. Process until the mixture sticks together. Roll the mixture into 24 balls. Put some course salt in a bowl and push the top of each ball into the salt until a little sticks on top (you don't need much). The salt really brings out the flavor so don't omit it. Refrigerate the balls for several hours before serving.

Per serving: 84.2 calories, 3.7 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 13.5 g carbohydrates and 1.8 g of fiber.

How To Make Low Sugar Blueberry Jam

Remove stems and wash blueberries.

I mash my blueberries by pulsing them in a food processor.

Bring fruit with calcium water to a boil. Then add pectin-sugar.

Submerge filled jars in boiling water.

Fresh Blueberry Jam Without All the Sugar

I was so excited to finally see blueberries being sold in large baskets for a very reasonable price. Usually they are so expensive I would never even considering buying enough of them to make jam. But last week I found big, plump blueberries begging to be canned!

By now you have probably seen my low sugar recipes using Pomona's Universal Pectin. This is the only pectin I've ever found that allows you to make jam using as little as 3/4 cups of sugar to 4 cups of mashed fruit which is about 1/4th of the sugar used in the "low sugar" Sure-Jell recipes. By being able to use a small amount of sugar, you can really taste the fruit. Sure-Jell is so sweet you can't really tell what kind of fruit you are using. You can probably make jam out of your old sneakers and it would taste the same.

See my Sugar Free Apricot Jam, Low Sugar Plum Jam, and Low Sugar Strawberry Jam recipes, all using Pomona Universal Pectin.

Best PB&J Ever!

You and your kids will love this fresh and healthful blueberry jam on peanut or almond butter sandwiches. Doug and I had almond butter and blueberry jam sandwiches for lunch today and they was amazing! Home made blueberry jam is also excellent on pancakes, muffins and even as a topping for ice cream.

***

Low Sugar Blueberry Jam

[makes 3 pints or 6 cups]

6 cups of mashed blueberries (about 9 cups of blueberries)

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/4 cups organic cane sugar

1 package Pomona's Universal Pectin

The package of Pomona's Universal Pectin contains pectin and calcium powder. You will make calcium water from the calcium powder. For the above recipe you will use:

3 teaspoons pectin powder

3 teaspoons calcium water

The following recipe was derived from the Pomono package.

Before starting, make calcium water:

1. Put 1/2 t white calcium powder and 1/2 cup water in a small, clear jar with lid.

2. Store in refrigerator between uses. Lasts a number of months – discard if settled white powder discolors.

3. Shake well before using.

Instructions for making low sugar blueberry jam:

1. Wash and rinse jars. Bring lids and rings to a boil; turn down heat and let stand in hot water.

2. Prepare blueberries. Remove stems, wash well, rinse and mash. You can pulse in a food processor if you have one. Measure 6 cups of mashed blueberries and put into a pan along with the lemon juice.

3. Add 3 teaspoons of calcium water into the pan and stir well.

4. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix 1 1/4 cups sugar with 3 teaspoons of pectin powder.

5. Bring fruit to a boil. Add pectin-sugar mixture: stir vigorously 1 to 2 minutes while cooking to dissolve pectin. Return to boil and remove from heat.

6. Fill jars to 1/4 inch of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2 piece lids and put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 feet about sea level). Remove from water and let jars cool. As they cool, the seals-lids should be sucked down (you'll hear them pop). Lasts about 3 weeks once opened.

Per tablespoon: 18 calories, 0 g fat and cholesterol, 0.1 g protein, 4.6 g carbohydrates and 0.4 g of fiber.

Did You Know That Cherries Can Help Cure Gout? - Natural Remedies For Gout

What is Gout?

Gout is an condition that results from having too much uric acid in the blood. It's actually a form of arthritis. When the uric acid crystallizes in the joints, it can cause severe pain, usually in the big toe. People who have gout are often males (90% are men) who eat and drink too much and are overweight but this is not always the case. Several years ago I was shocked to find that the excruciating pain in my husband's toe was diagnosed as gout. At 49 years old, trim and eating a balance "plant centric" diet, he did not exactly fit the profile of someone with gout. But he had it, none the less. We went into "overdrive" trying to find a natural way to cure this painful condition.

How do you get Gout?

Uric acid build up is a result of eating certain "purine" rich foods and your body's inability to adequately remove the uric acid. Some of the foods high in purines include:

Meat: Beef, pork, lamb, meat-based gravies, poultry and organ meats.

Seafood: Anchovies, codfish, haddock, herring, mussels, sardines, scallops, trout and fish eggs.

Beverages: Alcohol, especially beer.

Vegetables/Legumes: Asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, peas, lentils dried beans.

Other: Oatmeal, breads with yeast,

Other things cause cause a rise of uric acid which can lead to gout. These include stress, injury, chemotherapy, obesity, kidney failure and potassium deficiency.

What You Can Do

Eat Cherries

Fresh or frozen cherries can neutralize uric acid. Cherries are in season right now so eat plenty of them. You can also drink unsweetened cherry juice. Strawberries are also beneficial.

Other Dietary Measures

* Avoid the high purine foods listed above, especially meat. Avoid sugars, saturated fats and rich foods like cakes and gravies. Reduce diuretic foods, coffee, sodas, tea with caffeine, and alcohol.

* Eat lots of raw fruits and veggies along with some grains, nuts and seeds.

* Drink lots of pure water. Many recommend distilled. I've also seen some recommend alkaline water.

* Eat foods high in potassium. The RDI of potassium is 3,500 mg and it's safe to take more. Foods high in potassium include baked potatoes with their skins, yams, bananas, avocados and dried apricots, to name a few. Drink high potassium Potato Skin broth. See recipe below.

Natural Supplements

While researching this topic, I found a number of natural supplements that support the immune system and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Many of them contain cherry extract, turmeric (a powerful antioxidant) and rutin (a citrus bioflavonoid). Check out the Gout Treatment association for a review of Top Natural Gout Treatment Options. Their top pick is Uricelax. Uricelax contains tart cherry extract along with natural COX-2 inhibitors that relieve inflammation. Other ingredients are said to "minimize uric acid accumulation in joints, decrease water retention, promote healthy kidney function and promote healthy immune system function".

Weigh Loss and Risk of Gout

In a 12 year study of 47,000 middle age men, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers found a strong connection between weight loss and a substantial reduced risk of gout. They noticed that men who had gained 30 or more pounds in adulthood doubled their risk of getting gout. But men who had lost at least 10 pounds cut their risk of gout by 40%. They also found that gout risk increases with high blood pressure and the use of water pills (diuretics).

Although losing weight is important for gout management, it is not healthy to go on a crash diet since that could result in an increase of uric acid levels in the blood.

A Caution with Pain Killers

Avoid aspirin as it can raise the level of uric acid in your blood. Ibuprofen does not do this so if you are going to take pain killers, only use ones with ibuprofen.

***

High Potassium Potato Skin Broth

(To restore your potassium levels)

Peels from 5 large scrubbed potatoes (keep about 1/2 inch of the potato)

1 large carrot, sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

5 cups water

1/2 small onion, peeled and cut in 4 pieces

Combine ingredients and simmer covered for 1 hour. Cool, strain and drink.

Foods That Cool You Down In The Hot Summer - Cool Off With Tabouli With Sweet Corn

Record Breaking Temperatures Throughout the U.S.

Although it's been an unusually cool summer here in Northern California, the rest of the country seems to be enduring extreme heat. This weekend, a number of cities reached triple digits. This kind of heat can be dangerous and it's important to do everything you can to cool off. One method people sometimes miss is their diet.

The heating and cooling properties of food are very important qualities used in Chinese medicine. The type of food as well as the method it is cooked, or not cooked, all contribute to these properties.

Foods that Cool You

You've probably heard the expression, "cool as a cucumber". Cucumbers are one of the vegetables that can cool the body. Here are some others:

Fruits: Apples, bananas, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, watermelon and tomatoes

Beans and bean products: Alfalfa sprouts, soy milk, tofu, tempeh

Grains: Amaranth, barley, millet and wheat

Herbs: Cilantro, dandelion, lemon balm, mint and marjoram

Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, radish, sweet corn, Swiss chard, summer squash and zucchini

Cooking Methods

Foods eaten raw are more cooling that those that are cooked. Cooking foods over a long period of time at high temperatures will add warming qualities to your food. To protect the cooling nature of the food during cooking, it is better to steam or sauté and avoid deep frying and baking.

Avoid Warming Foods:

To stay cool, avoid foods such as butter, ginger root, anchovies and oats, to name a few, as they all have warming qualities.

Try this "Cool" Recipe

Looking at the list of cooling foods, I thought that tabouli would incorporate quite a few of them like; wheat, tomato, cucumber, mint and lemon juice (citrus). I even added sweet corn to the recipe which is not in traditional tabouli but is an additional cooling food that goes well with the other ingredients. Except for the cracked wheat which is just soaked in hot water, the rest of the ingredients are raw which also optimizes their cooling nature. For a completely raw recipe, check out my Raw Tabouli recipe.

***

Tabouli With Sweet Corn

[8 servings]

For the salad:

1 1/4 cups cracked wheat (bulgur)

1 1/4 cups very hot water

1 1/2 cups diced cucumber, (1 medium)

2 cups diced fresh tomato, (2 medium)

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, both white and green parts

2 cups sweet corn kernels, (2 ears)

1 cup fresh mint, chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

For the dressing;

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, (or to taste)

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, (or to taste)

Mix hot water and cracked wheat (bulgur) in a bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally. After it has absorbed all it's going to, drain any excess water. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients then add cucumber, tomato, green onions, corn, mint and parsley and toss together. Add the soaked bulgur and combine.

(For an easy method of cutting corn kernels from the cob, check out my post, Fresh Corn Salad.)

Adjust the salt and pepper and refrigerate covered for an hour so all of the flavors combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Per serving: 191.4 calories, 7.8 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.0 g protein, 29.3 g carbohydrates and 7.1 g of fiber.

Fresh Vegetarian Garlic Soup - A Good Recipe To Use Up Your Garlic And Zucchini Harvest, Plus Raw Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Sauté smashed garlic cloves and chopped onion.

Peel and chop the zucchini.

Don't throw out your zucchini peels. Make this raw salad!

It's Harvest Time - What to do with Fresh Garlic

Every year I grow way too much garlic. My peak crop was almost 400 heads. This year I controlled myself a bit and only grew about 100 heads. See how easy it is to grow your own garlic in my posts, Growing Garlic In Your Home Garden and Harvesting and Curing Garlic. So what do you do with a bumper crop of garlic? One idea is to make this healthful garlic soup. There is no need to wait until your garlic is cured to make this recipe. It tastes great when you use "fresh", uncured garlic. (Garlic from the store works just fine also). If you simply have too much garlic from your garden to use up, try making your own Garlic Powder.

Why is there Zucchini in this Garlic Soup?

As I was experimenting with different ways to make a garlic soup, I happened to be at my friend Ray's house. He is a gardener extraordinaire and always plants way more veggies than one family can possibly consume. This year he exceeded the legal limit of zucchini. One plant is enough for a family, two for the neighborhood but he has over a dozen. Seriously - an entire city can be fed with the amount of zucchini he has coming out of his garden. Lucky for me, I got to go home with an entire bag of it. Hence the 8 cups of chopped zucchini in this recipe. I also added cannellini beans to thicken the soup and provide an extra shot of protein and cholesterol lowering qualities.

Don't Throw Out the Zucchini Peels

Because I wanted a white garlic soup, I peeled the zucchini. As I was peeling them, however, I felt a tug at my heart as the beautiful fresh peels were landing in the sink. I quickly scooped them up, rinsed them off and decided to make a nice raw salad. I just placed them in a bowl, tossed them with my Home made Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing and topped the zucchini ribbons with a few fresh blueberries and chopped walnuts. Using the peels left over from this garlic soup recipe mades about two servings and Doug and I munched the salad while we were waiting for the garlic soup to simmer.

For other raw zucchini recipes, see Raw Zucchini Spaghetti with Walnut Meatballs or Raw Vegan Lemon Basil Pesto on Raw Zucchini Spaghetti. For a raw zucchini soup try Creamy Raw Vegan Zucchini Soup with Crushed Pistachios or Raw Zucchini Soup topped with Raw Goat Milk Feta.

The Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is a true power food. It's phytochemicals include saponins, quercetin and organosulfurs like allicin. To get the most health benefits from garlic, make sure you chop or smash it and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before cooking. Garlic has associated with health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, lowering cancer risk, having antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal qualities. It has also been said to have a blood cleansing properties and also the ability to bolster immunity. It's a component of the healthy Mediterranean diet.

Vegetarian Garlic Soup with Zucchini and Cannellini Beans

[serves 4]

1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves, smashed (1 large or 2 small heads)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

4 cups veggie broth (home made is better)

8 cups zucchini, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese (omit for vegan recipe)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Peel and smash garlic cloves and set aside for 15 minutes while the beneficial phytochemicals in the garlic are developing their healthful qualities.

Sauté the garlic and onions slowly in olive oil over a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. They will become clear - do not brown. Add broth, zucchini, bay leaf, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and cannellini beans. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove bay leaf. Blend the soup until smooth by putting it into a blender or using a hand blender in the soup pot. Stir in the lemon juice, adjust salt and serve topped with fresh parsley, parmesan and some additional freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Per serving: 222.5 calories, 4.8 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 11.4 g protein, 36.7 g carbohydrates and 14.8 g fiber.

Quick And Easy Shrimp And Artichoke Salad With Black Olives, Avocado And Fresh Basil

A Quick and Easy Seafood Salad

I made this salad for the seafood lovers at our annual family summer solstice party. It's quick and easy and the shrimp, marinated artichoke hearts, avocado and olives blend together perfectly. It is tossed in the marinade of the artichoke hearts and mixed together with fresh basil. What can be more simple?

Shrimp - Low in Saturated Fat

Shrimp are a good source of protein while being low in calories and saturated fat. They are also an excellent source of the important trace mineral selenium. Since raw food vegan diets are missing vitamins D and B12 as well as the important EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids, shrimp are a good occasional diversion in order to obtain these critical nutrients. They are also a good source of iron, phosphorus, niacin and zinc.

Seafood also is a good source of iodine which the body needs for the production of thyroid hormone. Because the consumption of iodized salt is down, there has been a dramatic decline in iodine consumption over the past few decades. Besides thyroid problems, iodine deficiency can lead to birth defects.

***

Shrimp and Artichoke Salad

[serves 6, as a side dish]

1 pound frozen (or fresh) peeled and cleaned raw shrimp

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

several pinches of salt and black or cayenne pepper

One 15 oz can pitted black olives, drained (net weight 6 oz)

One 15 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts

1 medium avocado (ripe but firm), cut into chunks

2 packed tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced, plus some for garnish

3 to 4 tablespoons of marinade from the artichoke hearts

Defrost the shrimp according to package instructions. Rinse shrimp and drain well. Remove tails if they are still on the shrimp. In a small fry pan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic for a minute or two. Add shrimp to the pan and top with several pinches of salt and pepper. Cook until pink, stirring frequently. This will only take 3 to 5 minutes. Do not over cook. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.

Drain artichoke hearts saving the marinade. If the artichoke hearts are large, slice them in half. Place sliced artichoke hearts in a bowl, add the drained black olives, shrimp, avocado, fresh basil and 3 to 4 tablespoons of reserved marinade. Gently toss until combined. Adjust seasoning for salt. Top with more fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Per serving: 180 calories, 11.3 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 12.7 g protein, 9.3 g protein, 4.2 g fiber and 322 mg omega 3 fatty acid.

A Review Of Portland's Blossoming Lotus - A Great Vegan Restaurant With Many Raw Food Offerings

Raw cucumber avocado dill soup.

Garden of Eden salad with creamy ginger dressing.

Live wrap with cashew sour cream.

Green Goddess bowl.

Crispy Thai BBQ wrap.

Raw vegan lemon cheesecake with raspberry topping.

Chocolate chai vegan soft serve.

Portland Oregon - No Shortage of Great Restaurants

When my son and his family moved from Seattle to Portland, Oregon I was pretty happy because they were moving within what I consider reasonable driving distance from where we live in Northern California. What I didn't know at the time is that I would become even happier when I realized that this town has a plethora of amazing restaurants.

Doug and I drove to Portland this week to bring our 7 year old grandson home who had been staying with us. It was a very short visit (one day up, one day there and one day back) but we still managed to try 2 new restaurants and one old favorite while in this great town. On this visit, I would say the most memorable one was the Blossoming Lotus.

Blossoming Lotus

Portland, Oregon is an extremely vegetarian friendly town with plenty of delicious vegetarian restaurants to choose from. Blossoming Lotus, on Broadway and NE 15th street, is certainly one of them. We decided to have lunch there on Wednesday.

They offered an all vegan menu with many "Live" or raw food appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts as well as a good assortment of raw juices, smoothies and specialty drinks.

Walking in, it had a warm feeling and good energy. There was a diverse crowd from young people to baby boomers. For lunch, we ordered at the counter and they delivered our food to the table.

We tried a medley of both raw and cooked vegan food. We also got some input from the lovely women sitting next to us who described the dishes that she ordered and let me photograph them. (Wouldn't you love to sit next to me at a restaurant?)

For Starters

We started the meal with the raw cucumber and avocado dill soup. It was light with wonderful crisp flavors. Our "neighbor" ordered a Garden of Eden side salad with creamy ginger dressing. Although we didn't eat it, it looked extremely fresh as you can see from the photo.

Lunch Entrees

For entrees, we had a Live Wrap and the Green Goddess Bowl. Both were good sized portions.

The Live Wrap was filled with cucumber, sprouts and carrots. It also had a tasty tahini-cilantro pate inside and was flavored with an avocado goddess sauce. The wrap itself was a tender collard green and it was served with an amazing cashew sour cream. The dish was $10, plentiful and worth ever penny.

The Green Goddess bowl was my favorite. This hearty bowl was a combination of steamed kale, mixed raw greens, sprouts and brown rice (you can also get quinoa). It was served with avocado goddess sauce and roasted garlic balsamic vinaigrette and topped with regular and black sesame seeds. It was a truly wonderful dish and my only regret is that I'll probably order this every time I return and may miss out on ordering something new. It was a large amount of food and a bargain at $9.

Our neighbor ordered the Crispy Thai BBQ wrap for $8. It had these interesting "soy curls" inside. In addition to soy curls, it was filled with crispy rice sticks, carrots, cucumber, red cabbage and romaine lettuce. It was flavored with a sweet ginger sauce and wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. It looked amazing and I'll have to try it next time if I can resist ordering the Goddess bowl again.

Leave Room for Dessert

By now, you must think we eat like pigs because this was a lot of food to try. But since I wanted to do a good job with this review, we made the sacrifice of trying two desserts.

The raw pie was good but not unusual for a raw restaurant. If you've never eaten a raw cheese cake, you're in for a wonderful treat but I've tried quite a few at different raw restaurants and this one was very good but not memorable.

The soft serve, on the other hand, was to die for. I do not eat dairy since I'm lactose intolerant so I dearly miss soft serve ice cream. The chocolate chai was delicious. Unfortunately, they only serve one flavor at a time so if you don't like their daily selection, you're out of luck.

Although we didn't try them (there is actually a limit to what we can consume), they had a big bowl of lovely vegan cookies and brownies at the counter.

So if you're in Portland you might want to give this place a try. They are open for lunch and dinner and offer a Sunday Brunch. Check out their Location and Hours and their Lunch, Dinner and Brunch Menus. They also have an interesting Cocktail Menu.

Have A Vegan Friendly 4th Of July - Potato Salad, Grilled Corn On The Cob And Baked Bean Recipes

Vegan Potato Salad with Avocado

Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

Sweet and Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans

Have A Vegan Friendly 4th of July BBQ

Whether you are BBQ'ing tofu burgers or pork spare ribs this 4th of July, why not enjoy healthful, meatless side dishes? The most popular side dishes on the 4th are potato salad, corn on the cob and baked beans. Here are a few recipes that will please all of your guests, especially your vegetarian friends.

This Vegan Potato Salad is made with a fresh and light lemon and oil dressing and a touch of inflammation reducing, cancer fighting turmeric. The turmeric gives the potato salad the color of "egg" potato salad without the cholesterol and the avocado provides the creamy texture without the mayo.

While the grill is hot, try making Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob. Instead of butter, the corn is rubbed with expeller pressed, unrefined, organic coconut oil and freshly squeezed lime juice. Then it is topped with a touch of salt and chili powder.

No 4th of July BBQ is complete without a big pot of baked beans. Sweet and Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans with Green Chilies and Jalapenos have a nice combination of brown sugar sweetness with the contrasting heat from the chilies and jalapenos. Starting with ready made Bush's vegetarian baked beans, this recipe is easy to throw together. I slow bake the beans in my crock pot all day not only for the flavor but also for the joy of filling my house with their wonderful aroma!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July and thanks to Webweaver's for the free 4th of July clipart!

Sweet And Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans With Green Chilies And Jalapenos

One of my favorite brands of ready-made vegetarian baked beans.

Very Easy Vegetarian Baked Beans for a Crowd

When throwing a summer party, baked beans are always a favorite. They obviously aren't as healthy as having plain beans because of the added sugar, but once in a while it's worth the indulgence. Beans are high in fiber which helps you lower your cholesterol and stabilize your blood sugar levels.

This is one of the dishes on my Summer Solstice Party menu that we served at our family gathering last week. When you are feeding a crowd, it's nice to have a dish that goes together quickly. I've made baked beans from scratch but it's a lot of work and I've never been able to duplicate the taste of using Bush's beans in this recipe. After adding just a few additional ingredients I generally let the beans simmer in a crock pot all day but you can also make them on the stove. If you are feeding fewer people, cut the recipe in half. If you are feeding a larger crowd, double the recipe. Baked beans make great leftovers. My daughter loves to eat them along side scrambled eggs.

Are Canned Vegetarian Baked Beans Considered Vegan?

Some products, like Amy's organic vegetarian beans, state that they are vegan on the label. Although Bush's does not, they replied to this question by stating that they are "free of meat and meat by-products" and that all of their products are "dairy and casein free". Their ingredients do however include "sugar" (although most of the sweetness is from brown sugar) and they do not specify whether it's cane or beet. Some cane sugar refineries use bone char in the filtering process which discourages many vegans from using cane sugar but many refineries do not. Brown and beet sugar does not go through this process.

***

Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans with Green Chilies and Jalapenos

[makes 12 servings]

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Two 28 ounce cans of vegetarian or vegan baked beans

2 ounces mild diced green chilies (1/2 of a 4 oz. can)

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno (fresh or canned, more or less to taste)

2 tablespoons unpacked brown sugar

Crock pot recipe:

Sauté the onion in oil for 5 minutes. Drain most of the juice from one can of beans and use all of the juice from the other. Put the onion, the beans and the rest of the ingredients in a crock pot and simmer on low all day or on high for 4 hours or more. Get a big slotted spoon and serve your guests from the crock pot.

Stove top recipe:

Using a 5 quart Dutch oven, sauté the onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until the beans are thick and bubbly. Serve.

Per serving: 151.3 calories, 1.2 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.1 g protein, 31.8 g carbohydrates and 5.3 g of fiber.

Orzo Salad With Raw Kale, Kalamata Olives, Heirloom Tomatoes And Hazelnuts In A Lemon Dill Dressing - Vegan And Vegetarian Recipe Options

Our Annual Summer Solstice Party

Our family started a tradition last year to gather at our home in Sebastopol, California to celebrate the Summer Solstice. This was our second celebration and I definitely think this tradition is going to stick! The kids, grandkids and extended family traveled here from Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco and New York. A week of swimming, game playing, movie watching, cooking, visiting local attractions and soaking up the California sun culminated in a big party on Saturday evening.

With 29 adults and children, all with different eating habits, the menu becomes quite a challenge. So we typically have a combination of raw, vegan, vegetarian, seafood and BBQ'd turkey tenderloins so that everyone can find something they can enjoy. And of course, lots of Sonoma wines.

This year, everyone pitched in to prepare our feast. My daughter-in-law Karina brought tons of organic lettuce and other veggies from her garden in Portland and made a giant raw salad. She has now converted her entire yard to raised bed gardens (You can see her garden in my post, 10 Good Reasons to Plant a Garden). Another dish we served was an orzo salad that my daughter Linda prepared. It's a nice combination of organic pasta with lots of raw veggies and was inspired by our Garbanzo and Raw Kale Salad. I thought you would enjoy this fresh and healthful recipe. My Sweet and Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans and Shrimp and Artichoke Salad were also well received.

***

Orzo Salad with Kale, Kalamata Olives, Tomatoes and Hazelnuts

[serves 6 to 8]

For the lemon-dill salad dressing

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons brine from olives

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

For the salad

1/2 bunch kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced (3 cups)

1/2 pound organic orzo, cooked according to directions and drained

2 medium heirloom tomatoes, diced

12 pitted kalamata olives, sliced

2 tablespoons grated parmesan OR nutritional yeast (vegan alternative)

3 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts

Combine and mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, massage the kale with a few tablespoons of the dressing and let sit while you cook the orzo. Let the orzo cool a bit and mix in with the kale. Add the tomatoes, kalamata olives and either the parmesan or nutritional yeast. If you are going to serve immediately, mix in enough dressing so that it is well dressed but not over dressed. If you are going to serve the salad later, add more or all of the dressing as the pasta will absorb it. Top with hazelnuts.

Per serving (8 servings with parmesan): 196.8 calories, 9.8 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 1.4 mg cholesterol, 5.5 g protein, 26.3 g carbohydrates and 1.9 g of fiber.

Per serving (8 servings with nutritional yeast): 200.1 calories, 9.5 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.2 g protein, 27.4 g carbohydrates and 2.5 g of fiber.

Fresh Corn Salad With Red Bell Pepper And Basil

Break corn in half, lay down horizontally and cut off kernels.

Fresh Corn - A True Sign of Summer

You know it's summer when beautiful ears of white or yellow corn are available at very reasonable prices. And although corn is getting a bad name because of its overuse in our society (for example, being made into unhealthful foods like high fructose corn syrup) fresh organic corn is a good source of important nutrients. Besides being high in fiber, corn provides significant amounts of vitamins B1 and B5 (thiamin and pantothenic acid), folate, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. It's also high in fiber. Buying "organic" corn ensures you that it's not genetically modified.

It's Light, Refreshing and Raw

This salad is simple to make as well as light and refreshing. And I get to use my newly planted fresh basil from my Herb Garden in Recycled Plastic Tubs. It's funny that people eat raw corn in salads and salsas all the time but rarely pick up a raw corn on the cob. Raw corn on the cob is one of my favorite things to eat in the summer. It certainly is simple to make and you avoid all that high calorie butter, margarine and salt.

How to Cut Kernels off the Cob

Cutting corn kernels off the cob for a salad can be challenging. Corn can fly all over your kitchen and you can spend more time cleaning up than preparing the dish. One way to make this process easier is to first snap the corn cob in half and then lay it down and cut the corn off horizontally instead of vertically. Give it a try!

***

Fresh Corn Salad with Red Bell Pepper and Basil

[makes 8 servings]

4 ears of corn, kernels removed (4 cups of kernels)

1 medium bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

1/4 cup of diced red onion

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper (more or less to taste)

Combine corn kernels, red bell pepper, red onion and basil in a large bowl. In a small cup or bowl, mix lime juice, olive oil , salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the corn mixture and toss until combined. Serve with a sprig of basil for garnish.

Per serving: 102.7 calories, 2.8 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.6 g protein, 16.5 g carbohydrate and 2.4 g of fiber.

Beware Of Pine Nuts From China!

My Unusual Experience with Pine Nuts

This week I posted a Raw Dolmas Recipe using sprouted garbanzo beans and pine nuts. I was a little reluctant to use pine nuts since they were very expensive but they are one of my favorite nuts so I splurged. I have very fond childhood memories of eating Italian pignoli cookies, a soft chewy cookie that is completely covered with pine nuts.

A few days after eating my raw dolmas, I ate a piece of watermelon. It tasted very bitter and metallic. I assumed it was bad. The next thing I ate was some fresh strawberries I bought from my favorite road side stand in Sebastopol. They tasted terrible. I soon realized that EVERYTHING I ate tasted bitter and metallic. I thought maybe one of my vitamins was just leaving a metallic taste in my mouth. It was a complete mystery and extremely annoying. After several days of this, I started to really worry. I googled "bitter taste in my mouth" and immediately found countless articles on pine nuts!

Pine Nuts - Know Your Source

The articles described a rare condition triggered by consuming certain pine nuts that causes food to taste bitter and metallic. Although most articles would not pin this on China, this condition is a recent phenomenon and began when Chinese pine nuts started flooding the market.

I called Whole Foods, where I purchased these pine nuts for $26 a pound, and asked them the source of the nuts. The answer was CHINA! This confirmed what many of the articles inferred, that the pine nuts that ruin your taste buds could be from China. According to pinenut.com, in 2001 the U.S. purchased 45% of China's pine nut crop. Pine nuts are also produced in Spain, Turkey, Italy, Portugal, Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It Eventually Goes Away

This bitter mouth condition begins 1 to 3 days after eating the bad nuts. For me, it is starting to go away after a week but I've read that it could last for weeks. So if you make my Raw Dolmas recipe, look for Italian pine nuts. If you can't find anything but Chinese pine nuts, try substituting English walnuts.

Raw Vegan Dolmas - Great As An Appetizer Or For Lunch

Select nice, large leaves of organic chard.

Gently clean chard leaves, remove stem, and marinate.

Place mixture on a strip of chard and roll up dolmas.

What Are Dolmas?

Traditionally, dolmas are stuffed grape leaves. Known as a Greek delicacy, they are also made all over the Middle East and other parts of the Mediterranean. Dolmas are typically made by stuffing cooked grape leaves with various combinations of rice, lamb, currants, pine nuts, lemon zest, onions, herbs and spices. The traditional version is very time consuming to make. This "raw vegan" recipe is quite simple to assemble but does require a few days to sprout the garbanzo beans. They make a wonderful appetizer or snack (I've been snacking on these for the past few days!). Dolmas would also be a good thing to eat for lunch. You can add this to your menus when you do your Raw Food Cleanse.

Nutritional Benefits

I made quite a few changes to the typical ingredients for dolmas. I substituted sprouted garbanzos for the cooked rice and used raw chard instead of the grape leaves.

Garbanzo beans are one of my favorite "long life" foods. They are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Their high fiber content helps lower cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels. They are a complete protein, containing all essential amino acids, and are an excellent source of molybdenum and manganese. They are also a good source of copper, phosphorus and iron. Try making Raw Hummus with Sprouted Garbanzo Beans or Garbanzo Bean and Raw Kale Salad with Lemon-Turmeric Dressing.

Swiss chard is also an exceptionally healthful food. One cup of raw chard has only 7 calories yet it provides more than 3 times the daily requirement of vitamin K. It's also an excellent source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron.

Experiment

Try different ingredients in your dolmas. Add currants or substitute some or all of the parsley with mint. Instead of garlic, try thinly slices green onions. Add some of your favorite spices.

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Raw Vegan Dolmas

[makes 14 pieces]

For The Marinade

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the Dolmas

1/3 cup dried organic garbanzo beans for sprouting (or 1 cup of sprouted garbanzo beans)

4 large chard leaves

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 packed tablespoon fresh lemon zest

1/2 cup raw pine nuts (unsoaked)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

To sprout garbanzo beans, soak 1/3 cup of dried, organic garbanzo beans overnight in a sprouting jar. Rinse gently the next morning, put on the sprouting lid and turn the jar over to drain the water. Let the jar sit upside down and tilted (so oxygen can get to the sprouts) and not in direct sunlight. Rinse them 3 times a day in cool water for 3 days until sprouted.

Once the garbanzo beans are sprouted, you can prepare the dolmas.

Gently wash the chard leaves, being careful not to tear the leaves. Remove the stems and place the leaves in a large bowl with the marinade of lemon juice, olive oil and salt, making sure each leaf is covered in the mixture. Set aside.

Drop the garlic through the shoot of a running food processor with an S blade and process until it is minced. Add the sprouted garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and lemon zest and process until fairly smooth. Add the pine nuts and continue to process until they are well chopped. Add the parsley and pulse a few times until combined.

Cut the marinated chard into 2" by 4" strips. Place a spoonful of the garbanzo mixture onto the inside of the chard strip and roll up. This should make about 14 rolls.

Per dolmas (not counting the marinade): 62 calories, 4.6 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.8 g protein, 4.4 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g of fiber.

Plant Your Own Herb Garden In Recycled Plastic Tubs

Fresh Herbs

Some herbs taste significantly different when dried and some don't. For example, I think dried dill tastes pretty good so when I grew fresh dill last year, I didn't think it was really worth all the garden space it took. But herbs like sweet basil, parsley and cilantro, to name a few, taste completely different when they are fresh. So if you want to use fresh herbs in your cuisine, you have two choices. Buy them or grow them.

Buying herbs presents several problems. You usually need a very small amount but must buy a lot more than you need and certainly more than you want to pay for (especially when they are organic). It's also very inconvenient to have to run to the store every time you need a sprig of parsley or a tablespoon of fresh cilantro. So I like to grow my own.

Grow Your Own Herbs

I have plenty of room for vegetable gardens but this year I decided to plant my herbs in plastic tubs. The biggest reason was convenience. My gardens are in the back yard, down a flight of stairs and a ways from the kitchen. I really like to have my herbs close to where I prepare food. So this year I took a bunch of plastic tubs I've been saving (the ones you get when you buy organic spinach and salad greens), stabbed a few holes in them with a knife, filled them with organic potting soil and planted my favorite herbs. Best of all, they are a few feet from my kitchen door!

Another advantage of tubs is that it keeps some pervasive herbs, like mint, from taking over the entire garden.

Plant What You Actually Use

When I pick out herbs, I am always tempted to buy seeds or starts of every herb on the planet. And without fail, I use the basil, rosemary, parsley, mint, cilantro and thyme and watch the other herbs bolt. So now I try to control myself and only plant what I actually use.