vegan

Recipe – Barbara’s Black Turtle Beans

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Black Beans

The black bean is a member of the legume family, the edible seeds of a plant that includes other beans, peas, and lentils. Because of their hard, shell-like appearance, they are also known as turtle beans or frijoles negros, which translates from Spanish as to black beans. Despite the name, the skin of the black bean is actually a very deep purple.

Out of all beans, black beans are the fifth most popular dry bean in the United States. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, iron, and antioxidants, and have been linked to reductions in disease risk.

Black beans are considered the healthiest of beans, having the highest antioxidant count and “potent inhibitory activity” against human colon, liver, and breast cancer cells. Not only are they high in antioxidants, but they are high in ergothioneine, an unusual amino acid that protects our DNA and acts as an intramitochondrial antioxidant.

Black beans have been shown to benefit people with type 2 diabetes due to their ability to decrease insulin resistance. The high levels of potassium in beans may lower the risk of stroke.

Black beans are especially high in a specific type of fiber called prebiotics, which are essential for optimal gut health. Prebiotics serve as food for our healthy gut bacteria, which are pivotal to the health of the entire microbiome. Gut microbiome health has been linked to the health of several body systems, from brain health to immune health, to cardiovascular health and beyond.

Black beans have a creamy, nutty, and mildly sweet flavor. Add them to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and haystacks, or mix them into soups, chili, salads, burger, smoothies—even brownies!

Sources: health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-black-beans; nutritionfacts.org/topics/black-bean; realsimple.com/health-benefits-of-black-beans-11919888

Recipe – Barbara’s Black Turtle Beans

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely sliced

2-4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp. ginger, finely grated

4 large tomatoes, peeled, chopped

2 sticks celery with leaves, finely sliced

1 large carrot, finely diced

¼ cup olive oil

2 cups cooked black beans

1 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped

2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1 Tbs. tomato paste

½ tsp. maple syrup

2 tsp. Celtic salt

Process

Lightly sauté onion over low heat until slightly golden. Add garlic, ginger, tomatoes, celery, carrot, and olive oil, and very gently simmer over very low heat, covered, until carrots are tender, about ½ hour. Add beans, herbs, tomato paste, maple syrup, and salt. Add a little water if too thick. Stir and lightly simmer another 5 minutes. Serve with brown rice or quinoa and a fresh salad.

Recipe – Mexican Quinoa

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Quinoa

Quinoa is a small, round edible seed that comes in various colors, including black, red, yellow, and white. Quinoa has only recently become popular in the United States, but it has been cultivated by native peoples in the Andes Mountains of South America for over 5,000 years.

Higher in protein than any other grain, quinoa is so nutritious that NASA has used it to feed astronauts on long-term space missions.

Unlike most plant-based foods, quinoa is a complete protein, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins that make up your muscles, bones, skin, and blood. The nine classified as “essential” must be obtained from food daily—your body cannot produce or store them—and quinoa provides all nine.

The USDA recommends that at least half of the grains you eat be whole grains like quinoa. Refined grains have been stripped of most of the fiber, iron, and vitamins present in the whole grain. Including whole grains in your diet can help lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Quinoa has a mild, slightly nutty taste that pairs well with both savory and sweet dishes, making it an extremely adaptable ingredient that can be used in a wide variety of cuisines. Swap it out for rice or pasta, use it in soups and salads, with vegetables, as a cereal, in puddings, cakes, bars. Always rinse well before using.

Source: webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-quinoa

Recipe – Mexican Quinoa

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

1-2 Tbs. water or oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cabbage, chopped, or 1 bell pepper, diced

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. oregano

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen fire roasted corn, or regular corn

1 ½ cups salsa

1 Tbs. tamari

2 ½ cups vegetable broth

“Sour Cream”

½ cup almonds, or cashews, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds

1 ½ Tbs. lemon juice, or to taste

1 tsp. dark or light miso paste

4 Tbs. water or a bit more, if necessary

Salt, to taste

Process

Sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes in water or oil. Add the garlic and cabbage or pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, stir, and replace lid to cook for another 10 minutes or until the quinoa is soft. Blend all “sour cream” ingredients until smooth. Garnish with “sour cream,” chopped cilantro, avocado slices, and jalapeño slices, if desired.

Recipe – Salted Maple Pecan Fudge

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Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is essentially dried coconut solids ground into a very fine, flour-like powder. It is made from the coconut solids that are left over after the meat has been used to produce coconut milk.

Coconut flour is high in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and manganese. It is low in sugar, digestible carbohydrates, and calories, and has a low score on the glycemic index. Coconut flour is made from coconut meat which is free from any nuts and grains, helping people with allergies.

Coconut palms are generally found thriving in the mineral-rich volcanic soils of the tropics and naturally fertilized with sea water, which contains a complete mixture of all of the trace minerals required in the human body.

Coconuts were originally cultivated on island countries in Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines and Malaysia. Although no one knows the exact history and discovery of coconut flour, it was admired in Tahiti and other parts of Polynesia. It started as a by-product of coconut milk made from the leftover pulp. Once they drained and extracted the milk, the pulp from the meat would be dried in an oven, most likely using a traditional Tahitian oven, called an Ahima’a. Presumably, the pulp would be placed in this underground oven, and once it had dried, would then be ground into flour.

Coconut works differently from wheat flour in standard recipes because it has no gluten and it is highly absorbent. Use 15-25% in place of other flours in most standard recipes. A variety of delicious recipes can also be made using 100% coconut flour.

Sources: https://be-still-farms.com/blogs/healthy-organic-living-blog/why-coconut-flour-part-1-history, www.niulife.com.au/coconut-flour-explained/

Recipe – Salted Maple Pecan Fudge

Ingredients

1 cup creamy cashew butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp. fine salt

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. and 1 tsp. coconut flour, no substitutes

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Extra pecans and salt, for sprinkling

Process

To a bowl, add the cashew butter, maple syrup, and salt, then mix well. Next, add the coconut flour, pecans, and vanilla, and mix very well. Line a small deep baking dish with cling wrap or parchment paper. Pack the fudge mixture into the dish and flatten out the top. (Dipping the spatula in water then shaking it off to smooth the fudge will prevent it from sticking to the spatula.) Sprinkle extra pecans and salt over the top and press lightly. Place the dish in the freezer for about 30 minutes, remove, lift out of the pan, and cut into pieces. Store in either the refrigerator or freezer.

Recipe – Mock Halibut Salad

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Pine Nuts

Pine nuts are not nuts, but the edible seeds of the pine family known as Pinaceae. Pine nuts form within the scales of a pine cone. Each cone contains one or two nuts tucked under each of the cones’ spiny, hard-shelled scales. They possess a thin, hard, multi-colored, seamless shell, with amber and chocolate hues, which, when peeled away, exposes the ivory-toned “nut.”

Pine nuts, typically about the size of a black-eyed pea, have a smooth surface and exhibit a firm but slightly-soft, almost rubbery texture. They have a mild, sweet, and nutty aroma with a hint of resinous pine, especially when fresh. They emit a warm, toasted, rich, buttery fragrance when roasted. Their taste is sweet and complex, with hazelnut, maple, and fig notes. When roasted, pine nuts unveil a soft, buttery taste comparable to cashews and macadamia nuts.

Pine nuts offer notable health benefits, such as boosting energy with their protein, iron, and magnesium content. They may also stabilize blood sugar and aid diabetes management by balancing fats and fiber, promoting heart health. Additionally, high in vitamins K and E, pine nuts are beneficial for bone strength, skin health, and immune function. In traditional Chinese medicine, pine nuts are used to alleviate coughs and respiratory ailments by eliminating phlegm.

  • Native Americans in the Southwest have revered the pinyon or piñon tree, a pine-nut-bearing variety of pine, and its sacred ability to sustain the population of indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
  • The pinyon jay is a bird that collects and stores up to 30,000 pine nuts for its winter eating.
  • Mongolians eat toasted, unshelled pine nuts like peanuts, cracking them open with their teeth and snacking through bags at a time.
  • Native Americans store the nuts by roasting them and burying them to preserve them.
  • The Navajo also crack open pine nuts using their teeth.

Sources: foodprint.org/realfood/pine-nuts; specialtyproduce.com/produce/Foraged_Pine_Nuts_9429

Recipe – Mock Halibut Salad

Ingredients

1 cup shelled pine nuts, soaked in water 4–6 hours

1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked in water 4–6 hours

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup purple onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tbs. dulse flakes (edible seaweed)

Sea salt, to taste

Process

Drain the soaked nuts and place in a food processor. Process until nuts become pasty. Empty into another dish. Cut the vegetables into workable pieces, add the dulse flakes and salt, and process until the vegetable pieces are small. Mix the processed vegetables with the nut mixture by hand and chill for an hour. Wrap in lettuce or collard leaves.

Recipe – Lasagna Soup

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Onions

Onions are part of the Allium family, a group of spicy, sharp root vegetables that includes garlic, leeks, and chives. They’re especially high in organosulfur compounds. These chemicals give onions their strong odor and taste.

There are many onion varieties including white, yellow, and red onions, shallots and scallions, pearl onions, Spanish onions, Vidalia onions, and others.

Onions have many health benefits. People have used onions for medicinal purposes for centuries. Studies suggest that onion health benefits, such as enhanced immunity and cancer protection, are due to its many antioxidants. These include flavonoids like quercetin and anthocyanins, the same type of protective compounds founds in berries, cherries, and eggplant, plus organosulfides and nutrients like vitamin C.

Many people enjoy sweet onion varieties best, like Vidalia onions and shallots, because they tend to have a milder taste and can even be eaten raw, but compared to white and red onions, these usually have a lower percentage of beneficial compounds.

Sweeter onions are left in the soil longer before being harvested so more of their carbohydrates have a chance to turn to sugars, hence their sweeter taste.

In general, the longer onions are left in the ground, the sweeter they taste but the lower phytonutrient count they have. Usually, the more potent the smell and taste of an onion, the more nutrients are present, and therefore is more likely to make you tear.

With hundreds of varieties, it’s easy to add onions to your meals.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-onions-good-for-you; https://draxe.com/nutrition/onions-nutrition/

Recipe – Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. onion granules

½ tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

2 Tbs. tomato paste, or more to taste

5 cups vegetable broth

1 cup marinara or any tomato-based sauce

½ cup red lentils

6 whole grain lasagna noodles, or more, broken into pieces

¼ cup nutritional yeast

½ cup canned coconut milk, shaken well

1 Tbs. lemon juice

handful of shredded spinach or kale

Process

Sauté onion and garlic in a splash of water or broth until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning, onion granules, paprika, salt, and tomato paste. Stir and sauté for 1 minute more. Pour in the broth, marinara sauce, red lentils, and broken noodles. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15-18 minutes, or until lentils and noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in nutritional yeast and coconut milk. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to heat through. Turn off the heat. Stir in lemon juice and shredded greens allowing greens to wilt before serving.

Recipe – Creamy Peach Bake

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Peaches

  • The peach is a member of the rose family and is a close relative of the almond.
  • There are over 300 varieties of peaches in the US and over 2,000 varieties worldwide.
  • California produces about 50% of the peaches in the US, but Georgia is still famous for their peaches nationwide.
  • In Japan, white peaches are highly prized and often given as luxurious gifts, sometimes even costing upwards of $10 each for the most perfect specimens.
  • There are hundreds of varieties of peaches in existence today, but all peaches are categorized into two types: freestones and clingstones. The flesh of freestone peaches separates easily from the pit, which makes them ideal for eating fresh. In clingstone varieties, the flesh of the peach clings to the pit. These varieties are best for canning.
  • It is a common misconception that a peach/plum hybrid is the nectarine. A nectarine is actually just a variety of peach with smooth rather than fuzzy skin. In this case, fuzzy skin is a dominant trait; whereas the smooth skin of a nectarine is a recessive trait. Only one gene separates peaches and nectarines and this gene variant causes peaches to have a fuzzy skin and nectarines to have a smooth skin.
  • Peach fuzz is a survival tactic, providing protection from the elements. It stops water and moisture from reaching the delicate skin, preventing premature rot, and ensuring development of a fully mature seed. It also acts as an irritant to destructive insects, preventing them from eating the fruit.

Aside from jams, tarts, pies, cobblers, crisps, cereals, and smoothies, peaches also lend themselves to savory dishes such as salads, pizzas, and soups.

https://veritablevegetable.com/just-peachy-fun-facts-about-peaches/; https://fruitguys.com/blog/ten-tasty-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-peach/

Recipe – Creamy Peach Bake

Ingredients

16 oz. canned peaches (reserve juice), thinly sliced, or 2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1½ cups rolled oats, uncooked

1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped

1 cup non-dairy vanilla milk

6 oz. firm silken tofu

1/8 tsp. cardamom

1/8 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

1/4 tsp. almond flavoring

1/2 tsp. salt

Process

Oil an 8”x 8” casserole dish and set aside. Mix peaches, oats, and dates in a bowl. Transfer to prepared dish. Combine reserved peach juice with just enough milk to make 1½ cups of liquid and blend with all remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour into the oat mixture. Cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Serve with additional non-dairy milk. (If using unsweetened non-dairy vanilla milk, add 2 Tbs. maple syrup if desired.)

Recipe – Holiday Carob Cranberry Peppermint Bark

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Cranberries

When you think of cranberries, your first thought may be of Thanksgiving. Every year 20 percent of the more than 400 million pounds of cranberries Americans use are consumed during the week of Thanksgiving. However, there are many surprising health benefits beyond enjoying them just one or two times a year.

Since the early 20th century, cranberry consumption has been recommended as a way to promote urinary tract health. A 1994 study by Harvard Medical School found that cranberry consumption made it more difficult for certain harmful bacteria to linger on the lining of the bladder. For women especially, research has shown a reduction in urinary tract infections (UTIs) when consuming dried cranberries every day. By 1998, another study conducted by Rutgers University had identified proanthocyanidins as the key component of cranberry that was making it more difficult for E. coli to attach to the urinary tract.

Because these proanthocyanidins can decrease bacteria in the urinary tract, there is some research indicating that cranberries may have a similar impact on the bacteria in your mouth. While more research will be necessary, if true, it could make a case for cranberries helping to decrease cavities.

Dried cranberries are a great source of fiber and hold a similar sugar content as other dried fruits.

Only five percent of cranberries are eaten as fresh fruit, with the remaining 95 percent processed into juices, jams, sauces, and other products. It takes about 4,400 berries to make a gallon of juice.

The majority of cranberries are generally available from September to December. Freezing allows accessibility throughout the year. All forms of cranberries are easy to incorporate into the diet such as in salads, yogurt, sandwiches, sauces, casseroles, and desserts.

https://integracareclinics.com/health-benefits-of-cranberry-why-you-should-eat-them-all-year/https://www.cranberryinstitute.org/about-cranberries

Recipe – Holiday Carob Cranberry Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

2 cups carob chips

1 cup creamy almond butter, or cashew butter

¾ cup dried cranberries, or cherries, chopped

¾ cup sliced almonds

1-1 ½ tsp. peppermint flavoring

¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, or coconut flakes, for topping

Process

Melt carob chips and nut butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in fruit, almonds, and peppermint flavoring. Spread unto parchment paper-lined baking sheet or casserole dish. Top with coconut shreds or flakes. Refrigerate or freeze for 20 minutes. Break into pieces. Store in a container in the freezer.

Recipe – Tempeh Breakfast Sausage

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Tempeh

Tempeh is basically a cousin to tofu. Although tofu and tempeh are crafted from soybeans, tempeh may very well be the antithesis of tofu. While tofu offers a smooth, creamy texture, tempeh is chewy and crumbly. Tofu has a bland, rather neutral taste out of the package, while tempeh is savory and slightly nutty.

These stark flavor and texture differences are all rooted in tempeh’s unique production process made by fermenting soaked, boiled, dehulled whole soybeans for roughly 35 hours and then compressing it into a firm, dense block.

Fermentation is the natural process by which bacteria and yeast break down sugars. This puts tempeh, and other fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut, in the category of probiotic foods which are beneficial for gut health. As one of the healthiest fermented foods one can eat, tempeh reportedly helps boost good gut flora, which can help fight inflammation and more serious health conditions like obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Type 11 diabetes.

In our bodies, the enzymes lipase, protease, and amylase convert fat into fatty acids, proteins into amino acids, and starches and carbohydrates into simple sugars respectively. This digestive process of conversion is critical for the metabolic absorption of our food. This is exactly what the beneficial bacteria are doing for us when tempeh is made. In effect, the soaking and fermenting process used to make tempeh becomes more immediately nutritious for consumption and is more easily digested by our bodies. Then key vitamins and minerals, like iron, B12, magnesium, and folic acid—that were locked up in protein complexes are freed, making them more available when we eat tempeh.

Sources: shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/tempeh-nutrition; projectumami.net/pages/health-benefits/of-tempeh

Recipe – Tempeh Breakfast Sausage

Ingredients

8 oz. tempeh, broken up

2 Tbs. whole wheat flour or any flour

2 Tbs. vegetable broth

1-2 Tbs. maple syrup, or to taste

1 Tbs. miso paste

1 tsp. dried sage or poultry seasoning

½ tsp. dried rosemary

⅛ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. salt, or to taste

Process

Place all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until well combined but still with a chewy, somewhat chunky texture, adding more herbs if desired. Shape into eight similar-sized balls, then flatten into patty size onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with tofu scramble, waffles, pancakes, or enjoy as a breakfast sandwich.

Recipe – Lentil and Kale Stew

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Lentils

When combined with a whole grain, lentils provide the same quality protein as meat. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked lentils provides about 12 grams of protein. With such high protein content, you are sure to be fueled up all day.

Just 1/2 cup of cooked green lentils packs in 32% of a day’s required amount of fiber. Lentils are an excellent source of fiber. In addition to gut mobility, a high intake of fiber is associated with lower blood cholesterol levels and protection against developing colon cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

Just 1/2 cup of cooked lentils has 366 mg of potassium. Getting enough potassium is just as important as reducing salt. Potassium can counteract the damaging effect of sodium and has been shown to lower blood pressure.

Out of all plant-based foods, lentils contain the most folate. A type of B-vitamin, folate helps support red blood cell formation and proper nerve functions. It also plays an important role in lowering artery-damaging homocysteine. It may help prevent anemia and protect against developing heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Folate is particularly important for women of childbearing age, as it is needed to support increasing maternal blood volume.

Just 1/2 cup of cooked lentils provides 15% of your daily iron needs. Iron plays an integral role in the formation of hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in the muscles, both of which carry oxygen to the cells. Regularly including lentils in the diet can help boost your iron intake.

Source: lentils.org/health-nutrition/nutritional-information

Recipe – Lentil and Kale Stew

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 ¼ cups brown or green lentils, rinsed

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium sweet potato, cubed

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, or home canned

1 ½ tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. ground rosemary

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 cups kale, chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

salt, to taste

Process

To a large pot, add olive oil, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, bay leaf, lentils, carrot, sweet potato, tomatoes, paprika, rosemary, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Add the kale, parsley, and salt. Continue cooking for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Recipe – 8-Layer Bean Dip

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Orange Pepper

Orange bell pepper, a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, belongs to the family Solanaceae but lacks capsaicin, which is the heat element present in hot peppers.

Orange bell peppers are medium to large in size and are rounded, square, and blocky in shape with 3-4 lobes and a thick green stem. The smooth skin is firm, glossy, and bright orange, and underneath the skin, the equally bright orange flesh is thick, juicy, crisp, and succulent. Orange bell peppers have an aqueous crunch and are sweet with a fruity flavor, the sweetest of the colored peppers.

An excellent source of vitamin C, one large orange bell pepper provides more than three times the vitamin C of an orange, delivering a whopping 316 mg of vitamin C vs 83 mg in a navel orange. They also have about ten times the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin than other peppers. There is strong evidence that these carotenoids are pivotal for eye health. Research by Associate Professor Tim O’Hare of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at the University of Queensland, has identified orange capsicums as the richest source of the orange pigment zeaxanthin, which is vital for central vision. He says the compound accumulates in our macula, at the back of our eyes. It protects against blue light, which is particularly damaging as it can oxidize our photoreceptors, which leads to macular degeneration.

Commonly hollowed, orange bell peppers can be used as a serving vessel for soups, dips, and stuffing. Raw, baked, or roasted, they are a great addition to stir fries, salads, sandwiches, cheeses, and more.

Sources: specialtyproduce.com/produce/Large_Orange_Bell_Peppers_5077.php; qaafi.uq.edu.au/article/2020/06/orange-capsicums-menu-long-term-eye-health; enewsletter.k-state.edu/youaskedit/2016/03/15/nutition-differences-in-colored-peppers

 

Recipe – 8-Layer Bean Dip

Ingredients

3 cups salsa, divided

2-15 oz. cans black or kidney beans, drained

2 avocados

1 Tbs. lime juice

1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 cup cashews

1 orange bell pepper, roughly chopped

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/3 cup water

1/2 cucumber, chopped

2 cups corn kernels

1/2 cup olives

2 green onions

salt, to taste

Process

In a food processor, blend one cup of salsa and the beans until smooth. Spread on the bottom of a deep dish. Combine avocados, lime juice, salt, and mash until smooth. Spread on top of the bean/salsa mixture. Blend cashews, pepper, and nutritional yeast, and add water a little at a time until smooth. Spread over the avocado layer. Spread the rest of the salsa over the cheese layer. Top with cucumbers, corn, olives, and onions, or add any veggies desired. Serve with warm tortillas or baked tortillas chips.