Food

Recipe – Pineapple Squares

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2 cups canned crushed pineapple

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup plain or vanilla soy milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square baking pan. In a saucepan, combine the pineapple, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat stirring until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the soy milk and vanilla and mix until crumbly. Press about two-thirds of the dough mixture into the prepared baking pan. Mix the coconut into the remaining dough mixture and set aside. Spread the pineapple mixture evenly over the bottom crust in the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining dough mixture on top of the filling and press gently. Bake until the top is golden brown. About 30 minutes. Cool before cutting. Store in an airtight container.

Food – Vegan Recipe Substitutes

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Bring your fruit upon the table. As for preserves, they are not best for us. Some simple pies that are not injurious may be used.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 10. “It would be better not to tax the stomach with unhealthful desserts, and not to demand that the cook expend time and strength and ingenuity in preparing them. It would be much better to discard the sweet puddings, jams, and marmalade, which cause fermentation in the stomach. When these are banished from our tables, when we have sweeter stomachs, we shall have sweeter tempers, and be better enabled to live a Christian life.” The Signs of the Times, September 30, 1897.

Just as most people associate vegetarians with “no meat,” vegans extend the association to “and no eggs, dairy, or other animal products.” Everyone loves desserts, but having to ask or be asked the question, “Is it vegan?” can be a source of frustration. Learning to make your own baked goods is the best defense in the wide world of breads, cakes, and cookies, and other tasty treats where eggs and dairy have long held reign.

In traditional baking, most types of baked goods can easily be made vegan by replacing the dairy and eggs with plant-based ingredients. Some of the obvious substitutions are: soy milk or rice milk to replace dairy milk and non-hydrogenated vegan margarine or oil instead of butter.

There are also a number of ways to replace eggs in baking. Use any of these most common techniques to replace 1 egg in a baking recipe:

  • In a blender, grind 1 tablespoon flax seeds to a powder, add 2–1/2 tablespoons water, and blend until thick.
  • Combine 1–1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer with 2 tablespoons water.
  • Blend together 3 tablespoons applesauce, mashed banana, or soft tofu, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free).

A recipe is like a road map because it helps you find your way to a destination; in this case, great-tasting food. After you familiarize yourself with a recipe, you can truly make it your own by personalizing it. Whether you take the direct route (following the recipe exactly) or try some side roads (by substituting ingredients or changing the recipe in some way to suit your taste) matters little, as long as the results are pleasing to you and your family.

You’ll enjoy cooking more if you can learn to be flexible, creative, and relaxed. The exception to this, of course, is in baking, which requires precise measurements to succeed. However, even in baking, you can modify certain ingredients, such as swapping out walnuts for pecans in a brownie recipe, or leaving them out entirely.

Recipe – Broccoli Arugula Soup and Arugula/Romaine Salad

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Recipe
Broccoli Arugula Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 1/2 cups water
1 clove garlic, chopped 3/4 cup arugula
1 small yellow onion, diced 1 tsp. salt, to your taste
1 head broccoli, cut in small florets
 

Sauté onions in oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or so. Add broccoli and cook 3-4 minutes. Add water and salt and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until broccoli is tender, around 5 minutes. Pour into blender and add arugula. Blend until smooth or to consistency you would like.

 

Recipe
Arugula/Romaine Salad
2 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried  1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce A little salt to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. oil
 

Place all ingredients except avocado into bowl. Cover, and shake or stir to mix. Serve with avocado slices.

 

Food – Arugula

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Arugula is from the cruciferous family. Within the cruciferous family, in terms of conventional nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs, and fats), there is not another vegetable group that is as high in vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber as the cruciferous vegetables. Arugula is also known as rocket or Italian cress.

“Arugula is rich in vitamin K: One cup contains almost half the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin K is essential for clotting and is a key player in developing strong bones. The Framingham Heart Study, for example, found that people who consumed approximately 250 mcg of vitamin K a day had a 35 percent lower risk of hip fractures compared to those who consumed just 50 mcg a day. True, you’d have to consume 10 cups of arugula to get that much, but still, a few cups in a salad is a good start (33 mg). And besides, that’s hopefully not your only source of vitamin K.

“The arugula plant, like many others in the cruciferous family, contains glucosinolates. When you chew the plant, the glucosinolates mix with an enzyme (myrosinase) that turns them into other compounds called isothiocyanates, which have documented anticancer properties. Isothiocyanates combat carcinogens by neutralizing them, reducing their poisonous effect, and stimulating the release of other substances that help combat them. Isothiocyanates also inhibit cell proliferation. Studies have shown that they help prevent lung and esophageal cancer and can lower the risk of other cancers, including gastrointestinal cancer.

“That’s an awful lot of good stuff to pack into a cup of food that contains only 5 calories.” The 150 Healthiest Foods on earth, Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., p. 20.

 

 

Recipe

Broccoli Arugula Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 1/2 cups water
1 clove garlic, chopped 3/4 cup arugula
1 small yellow onion, diced 1 tsp. salt, to your taste
1 head broccoli, cut in small florets
Sauté onions in oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or so. Add broccoli and cook 3-4 minutes. Add water and salt and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until broccoli is tender, around 5 minutes. Pour into blender and add arugula. Blend until smooth or to consistency you would like.

 

Recipe

Arugula/Romaine Salad
2 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried  1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce A little salt to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. oil
 

Place all ingredients except avocado into bowl. Cover, and shake or stir to mix. Serve with avocado slices.

 

Recipe – Triple Sprout Salad

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TRIPLE SPROUT SALAD  
1 cup crunchy bean sprouts, such as lentils, green    peas, and adzuki beans ¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 cup mung bean sprouts ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
4 green onions, white and green parts chopped 1 cup alfalfa sprouts
½ cup sliced grape tomatoes 4 cups watercress
½ cup chopped orange bell peppers  
Toss together crunchy sprouts, mung bean sprouts, green onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, cilantro, and sesame seeds in large bowl. Add dressing of 2 Tbsp. lime juice, 2 tsp. sesame oil and 1 tspn white miso, and toss to coat. Separate alfalfa sprouts with your fingers, and stir into salad mixture. Serve on bed of watercress.  

 

Food – No Dirt Required

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Throughout the world there are seasons when fresh greens from the garden or market may not be available. Most of us in North America depend on fresh produce that is transported across half a continent. Though we may garden in the summer, winter stops all but the most dedicated, or most southern, gardeners. But there is one way to get a little homegrown veggie goodness in a matter of days: sprouts! The crisp, curly, sometimes leafy tendrils are a cinch to grow on the kitchen counter.

Home sprouting can supply delicious fresh food, without the environmental drawbacks of the Mega-farm produced fresh produce, and at a fraction of the cost. Sprouting at home takes only a few seconds a day and can produce a good part of your daily requirements of the nutrients you need from fresh produce. The hassles are minor, the costs are low, and the freshness is wonderful. If you can supply a jar, some screen or netting, and rinse the sprouts twice a day, you can grow delicious organic sprouts in four to six days.

Sprouts are very inexpensive (even when organic), always fresh (they grow until you chew them) and have the potential to help solve hunger and malnutrition problems in our communities and in developing countries, because they are so rich in nutrients, affordable, and easy to transport before sprouting. Sprouts are precious in winter, when the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables is declining as their price increases. In addition to providing the greatest amount of nutrients, sprouts deliver them in a form that is easily digested and assimilated.

Many seeds can be sprouted, but some sprouts cannot be eaten raw. The most commonly sprouted seeds include:

  • Pulses (pea family):alfalfa, fenugreek, mung bean, lentil, pea, chickpea, soybean
  • Cereals: wheat, maize (corn), rice, barley, rye, kamut and then quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat (these last three are used as cereal even if botanically they are not)
  • Oilseeds: sesame, sunflower, almond, hazelnut, linseed
  • Vegetables and herbs:broccoli, carrot, spinach, cabbage, celery, fennel, onion, parsley, radish, turnip, leek, watercress, mustard, rocket (arugula), lemon grass, lettuce, clover, mizuna (Japanese mustard), milk thistle

Sprouting 1–2–3

What you’ll need:

  • organic sprout seeds or beans
  • 1–quart canning jar
  • cheesecloth or screen
  • rubber band
  • water

Place seeds or beans in bottom of jar, filling no more than one-quarter full. Cover with water, and let stand five hours or overnight, depending on type of seed.

Drain water from seeds or beans and rinse. Cover top of jar with cheesecloth or screen secured with a rubber band. Set in a warm spot that gets indirect sunlight.

Pour cool water through the cheesecloth or screen to rinse seeds or beans twice a day. Drain off excess water through cheesecloth—the seeds or beans will begin to sprout in three to five days. Once they’ve sprouted, store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Recipe – Mixed Berry Smoothie

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2 frozen bananas

4-5 strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 Tbsp. maple syrup or sugar

1-2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds

½ cup frozen spinach (Optional)

1-2 cups ice (depending on desired thickness)

(If using frozen berries, use soy, almond or rice milk instead of ice)

Toss all ingredients together into a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

Food – Benefits of Fiber

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Have you noticed lately that there’s been more and more in the news about the importance of fiber in our diets? It seems like everywhere I look there are new high fiber foods (processed junk foods) that are hitting the grocer’s shelves or being touted on television ads as being good for you and your waistline simply because they are full of fiber. Yes, fiber is good for you and serves lots of purposes—especially if it comes naturally in whole, unprocessed foods.

Eating fiber-rich foods aids in digestion and the absorption of nutrients, and helps you to feel fuller longer after a meal (which can help curb overeating and weight gain). Eating the right amount of fiber has been shown to have a wide range of health benefits. Foods that are high in fiber can help in the treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis (the inflammation of pouches in the digestive tract) and irritable bowel syndrome. Dietary fiber may also help lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Do you think that you eat enough fiber? Does the thought of fiber-rich foods conjure up thoughts of oatmeal and sawdust-dry bread? Well, I guess that’s one way you could increase the fiber content, but I like the idea of eating whole foods a whole lot better. Whole foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains are loaded with fiber, while dairy and meat have virtually no fiber at all. So if you want to increase the amount of fiber in your diet, try the following ideas:

  1. Eat at least 2 cups of fruits and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber include:
  • Beans (cooked) such as:
    • navy (1/2 cup = 9.5 grams)
    • kidney (1/2 cup = 8.2 grams)
    • pinto (1/2 cup = 7.7 grams)
    • black (1/2 cup = 7.5 grams)
    • lima (1/2 cup = 6.6 grams)
    • white (1/2 cup = 6.3 grams)
    • great northern (1/2 cup = 6.2 grams)
  • Artichokes (1 artichoke = 6.5 grams)
  • Sweet potatoes (1 medium sweet potato = 4.8 grams)
  • Pears (1 small pear = 4.4 grams)
  • Green peas (1/2 cup = 4.4 grams)
  • Berries such as raspberries (1/2 cup = 4.0 grams) and blackberries (1/2 cup = 3.8 grams)
  • Prunes (1/2 cup = 3.8 grams)
  • Figs and dates (1/4 cup = 3.6 grams)
  • Spinach (1/2 cup = 3.5 grams)
  • Apples (1 medium apple = 3.3 grams)
  • Oranges (1 medium orange = 3.1 grams)
  1. Replace refined white bread with whole-grain breads and cereals. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Eat more of the following foods:
  • Bran muffins
  • Oatmeal
  • Bran or multiple-grain cereals, cooked or dry
  • Brown rice
  • Popcorn
  • 100% whole-wheat bread
  1. Aim for 5 grams of fiber per serving
  • Add 1/4 cup of wheat bran (miller’s bran) to foods such as cooked cereal, applesauce or meat loaf
  • Eat beans each week

Be sure to drink more fluids when you increase the amount of fiber you eat. Liquids help your body digest fiber. Drink 8 glasses of water each day.

Food for Life – Will Power

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“The power of the will! The tempted one needs to understand the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man,—the power of decision, of choice. Everything depends upon the right action of the will. Desires for goodness and purity are right, so far as they go; but if we stop here, they avail nothing. Many will go down to ruin while hoping and desiring to overcome their evil propensities. They do not yield the will to God. They do not choose to serve Him.

“God has given us the power of choice; it is ours to exercise. We can not change our hearts, we can not control our thoughts, our impulses, our affections. We can not make ourselves pure, fit for God’s service. But we can choose to serve God, we can give Him our will; then He will work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus our whole nature will be brought under the control of Christ.

“Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in the life. By yielding up the will to Christ we ally ourselves with divine power. We receive strength from above to hold us steadfast. A pure and noble life, a life of victory over appetite and lust, is possible to everyone who will unite his weak, wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering will of God.

“Those who are struggling against the power of appetite should be instructed in the principles of healthful living. They should be shown that violation of the laws of health, by creating diseased conditions and unnatural cravings, lays the foundation for the liquor habit. Only by living in obedience to the principles of health can they hope to be freed from the unnatural stimulants. While they depend upon divine strength to break the bonds of appetite, they are to co-operate with God by obedience to His laws, both moral and physical.” Ministry of Healing, 176, 177.

“The power of the will is not valued as it should be. Let the will be kept awake and rightly directed, and it will impart energy to the whole being, and will be a wonderful aid in the maintenance of health. It is a power also in dealing with disease. Exercised in the right direction, it would control the imagination, and be a potent means of resisting and overcoming disease of both mind and body. By the exercise of the will power in placing themselves in right relation to life, patients can do much to co-operate with the physician’s efforts for their recovery. There are thousands who can recover health if they will. The Lord does not want them to be sick. He desires them to be well and happy, and they should make up their minds to be well. Often invalids can resist disease simply by refusing to yield to ailments and settle down in a state of inactivity. Rising above their aches and pains, let them engage in useful employment suited to their strength. By such employment and the free use of air and sunlight, many an emaciated invalid might recover health and strength.” Counsels on Health, 94.

“If Christians will keep the body in subjection, and bring all their appetites and passions under the control of enlightened conscience, feeling it a duty that they owe to God and to their neighbors to obey the laws which govern health and life, they will have the blessing of physical and mental vigor. They will have moral power to engage in the warfare against Satan; and in the name of Him who conquered appetite in their behalf, they may be more than conquerors on their own account. This warfare is open to all who will engage in it.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 65.

“The will is the governing power in the nature of man, bringing all the other faculties under its sway. The will is not the taste or the inclination, but it is the deciding power, which works in the children of men unto obedience to God, or unto disobedience.” Child Guidance, 209.

August Recipe:

Blueberry Ice Cream

2 cups Water

1 cup Cashews

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 Bananas

1 cup Crust pineapple

1 cup Date pieces

1/2 tsp. Sea salt

Whiz until thoroughly blended, then add:

1 Box Frozen Blueberries.

Continue blending until smooth. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. When ready to serve, place cubes in Champion Juicer with Solid plate in place. Enjoy delicious, smooth, and healthful ice cream!

Recipe – Brownies

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¼ cup canola oil (or soy butter)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup raw sugar or date sugar

1 egg (or substitute)

3 Tbsp. milk (soy or nut)

½ tsp. sea salt

1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla

1 tsp. ground coriander, optional

½ cup carob powder

1 ½ tsp. Rumford baking powder (or 1 Tbsp. EnerG®)

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream first three ingredients until smooth. Add next six ingredients. Beat well. Sift baking powder and flour; stir flour and nuts into mixture. Spread batter in 9″ x 9″ pan coated with non-stick spray. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Adapted from: A Good Cook … by Rosalie Hurd, B.S. and Frank J. Hurd, D.C., M.D., College Press, Collegedale, Tennessee, 2008, 624.