The Raw Foods Diet Plan

Many people cringe at the though of trying a fad diet or always hearing about the "diet" word. However, eating only raw foods is much more than a fad and is a very healthy way thousands of people are losing weight and being much more healthy generally.

There are only three basic rules to the raw foods diet. The first rule is to simply eat only naturally made foods. The most popular list of all natural foods are fruits. Cut up fruits can be a perfect breakfast or mid day snack, including pineapple, mangoes, and apples. Vegetables are a great side for lunch and diner, and many people who enjoy eating raw foods prepare red bell peppers as a side, as they are a great source of vitamins. Another great snack are almonds or other natural nuts as they are absolutely loaded with protein and can provide natural energy. For a great lunch idea, eating beef jerky and a side salad is a small but filling lunch. For dinner, some of the main staples are chicken and beef. It is important to eat plenty of fish and chicken as they dishes are loaded with protein and will keep you full and energized throughout the day. Do not feel limited or stuck on what your options are for making your lunch and dinner, as the internet is loaded with resources that can help you find plenty of delicious options.

The second rule of the raw foods diet is extremely important. The rule is that you can not eat any foods that are not raw. This includes fast food, no exceptions. Even if it your birthday, if you want to lose weight fast you can not enjoy that piece of birthday cake or that side of ice cream.

Finally, the last rule of eating only raw foods is to be creative! There are a lot of variations you can use to make recipes that may not have even been discovered yet.

If you have tried different diets in the past and have not had success, try eating only natural raw foods for a month and see where you are. If you are strict and follow through on your diet, you will start shedding pounds very quickly. You will feel fully energized throughout the day and not only will you be able to enjoy delicious food, but you will feel filled up after your meal.

For more information on Raw Foods, please visit our website at http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com/


Original article

Useful Tips for Vegan Cooking Substitutes

Everyone wishes to eat perfect and have a nutritious diet that is healthy for the mind as well as for the body. When one shifts to a vegan diet, it means ceasing the eating of meat or any other animal-derived products. This also includes eggs as well as cheese. While the eating habits require some time to adjust, cooking vegan is a tricky part, and one needs to learn relatively new ways of cooking using ingredients that are not in any way derived from animals.

One of the important things after adopting a vegan diet is transforming your favorite recipes into vegan ones so you can enjoy them even after becoming a vegan. There are some tips that can be helpful for the people who are new at cooking vegan food.
If you are Cooking Vegan and making something that requires milk, you can use one of the many milk alternatives available in the market. You can try out different vegan milk brands and then settle for the one you think tastes best.
If your new Vegan Cooking involves the use of butter in a recipe, there is also a substitute for that. You can make use of extra virgin olive oil or alternatively use vegetable oil to fill in for the butter. In case your recipe involves baking and use of butter, you should try coconut oil.
Vegan Cooking also means substituting eggs in recipes. In egg recipes, wherever you want it to be eggless, you can use tofu.
In your vegan food recipes, incorporate as much of the vegan food elements as you can so that you can get used to the fabulous taste of those foods. These majorly include nuts, vegetables, whole grain foods and fruits.
You should avoid the use of processed foods in your recipes while cooking vegan. This will give you the true taste of vegan diet.
You should make soy milk and water the main ingredients of your vegan diet when cooking. These elements boost the effectiveness of the vegan diet.
Make yourself used to using fresh ingredients in your vegan cooking. This involves fresh fruits and vegetables and also fresh spices.

For the first few days, it might be difficult to adjust with the taste of vegan recipes and cooking Vegan food can be a little hard. However, as the time progress, you will definitely get used to it and also begin to enjoy your new vegan diet.

Would you like to have detailed book on cooking vegan? Find out how you could benefit from vegan cooking.


Original article

A Carnivores Guide to Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes - Tips on Cooking for Your Vegetarian Friends

What do you cook your vegetarian guest for breakfast? With the proliferation of people choosing this lifestyle, it's a question many wrestle with these days.

Use these 5 tips and pleasantly surprise your house guest with delicious vegetarian breakfast recipes that show how much you care.

1. Have your guest define what kind of vegetarian they are. There is more than one type? Indeed there is. For example, I eat fish, seafood and a little dairy. Some of my friends assume I don't eat fish because I define myself as vegetarian.

Here are some of the common types of vegetarian diets

Lacto vegetarians eat non-meat animal products. They will eat dairy, honey and cheese.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs in addition to dairy products, but no fish or meat.

Vegans avoid anything that is produced by an animal. That means no eggs, dairy products, honey, meat, and gelatin.

Pescetarians eat a vegetarian diet with a bit of fish or seafood thrown in.

Don't assume you know what the person's dietary needs are without checking first.

2. If using packaged foods as part of the meal, it is important to check the ingredient list. Be sure to look for hidden animal ingredients such as meat or chicken broth (flavoring), gelatin (thickener derived from animal by-products), casein (a protein in milk), whey (byproduct of cheese production used as a food additive), as well as lactose (milk sugar).

3. Don't just leave out the sausage and bacon. Although not a such a problem at breakfast where eggs can be used for the ovo-vegetarian, be sure to include a source of protein for your guest. Beans or tofu can be substituted as well as one of the many meat substitutes found in most grocery stores.

4. Remember not to cook the veggie part of the meal with the same pan and utensils used in preparing meat. Be sure not to undo your hard work by cooking your Tofu Scramble in the same skillet you just used to fry up the bacon.

5. The most important tip, don't be intimidated by the prospect of coming up with a vegetarian breakfast recipe simple enough for you to prepare but tasty enough to wow the vegetarian in your life. There are tons of amazing meatless dishes out there.

Whether you decide to create something from scratch or pick up one of the many easy to prepare options are available in most local supermarkets your vegetarian friend will thank you.

Choosing a vegetarian lifestyle isn't about eliminating foods from your diet, rather it's about opening up a whole new culinary experince.

If you would like to learn more and pick some great vegetarian breakfast recipes visit us here:

http://www.vegetarianbreakfastrecipes.net/
http://www.vegetarianbreakfastrecipes.net/pancakes/vegetarian-breakfast-recipes


Original article

Raw White and Dark Chocolate Layer Torte

This raw cake is incredibly quick and easy to make. One can use any type of nuts and dried fruit as sweetener. The cacao flavour of this cake can also be changed into a more fruity one, by blending in frozen or fresh fruit and the cake will still set perfectly.

Crust

3/4 cup raw almonds (not soaked; but if soaked already, dehydrate first until dry)

1/2 cup coconut chips

3 Tbsp carob powder

1 tsp vanilla powder

pinch of Himalayan salt

5 fresh dates, chopped

2 - 3 Tbsp apple juice/water

Method for crust

1. Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with an S-blade and process until coarsely chopped.

2. Add the coconut chips, carob powder, vanilla and salt. Process to coarse-fine.

3. Add the dates and apple juice or water. Blend briefly. Add more liquid if the mixture is too crumbly.

4. Press the mixture into the bottom only of a cake tin with a removable bottom (spring-form).

5. Place in the freezer while you make the dark chocolate filling.

Dark chocolate layer

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked 2 - 3 hours and drained

1/2 cup thick home-made almond milk

4 Tbsp apple juice

4 Tbsp raw cacao powder

3 Tbsp Irish moss blend *

1 tsp vanilla powder

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Method for dark chocolate layer

1. Place all the ingredients in a strong liquidizer. Use the plunger to make it easier on the blades.

2. Pour the smooth mixture onto the crust in the cake tin. Keep about 2 Tbsp back to decorate the torte with later.

3. Level the surface as best you can. Wipe off any spills on the sides of the cake tin with a damp piece of kitchen paper. The torte displays more beautifully if the layers are level and clear with no smears.

4. Place in the freezer for the chocolate layer to set quicker.

White chocolate layer

1 cup cashew nuts, soaked 2 - 3 hours and drained

1 cup thick home-made almond milk

1 ripe banana

4 Tbsp raw white coloured honey OR 4 Tbsp light agave syrup (not a raw product though)

2 Tbsp Irish moss blend

pinch of Himalayan salt

Method for white chocolate layer

1. Place all the ingredients in a strong blender. Use the plunger again to assist the blades.

2. Pour carefully on top of the dark chocolate layer.

3. Drop half teaspoonfuls of the dark chocolate filling on top of the white layer and with a chopstick draw curly-tails beyond the circles onto the white layer for decorative effect.

4. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to set.

Makes 1 medium large torte, enough for 12 - 16 slices.

* Make your Irish moss blend by soaking a handful of dried Irish moss in a bowl of water for 2 hours. Rinse well. Place in blender with about 1/4 cup of filtered water. Blend until smooth and thick. Add a little more water if the mixture seems too thick. Store what you don't need for this recipe in the refrigerator.

Hint: If you don't have a strong blender such as the Vitamix or Blendtec, crush the nuts first with a mortar and pestle until soft crumbs form (not a butter). Blend then with the liquids until as smooth as you can manage.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers and with vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and her book can be viewed at http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.


Original article

High Protein Vegetarian Food Items in Indian Cuisine

Most people who are into fitness and weight loss know that neither of the two can be achieved effectively without a high protein diet. Protein is the diet-component that builds and maintains muscle mass, and muscle mass is vital for weight loss and a great physique. Fortunately, there are a lot of protein sources in Indian vegetarian food,in cuisines from all over the country. Here are some of the most significant ones.

Paneer - Cottage Cheese

It will be hard for you to travel to North and Central India and miss paneer. Better known as cottage cheese in the West, paneer is the finest vegetarian delicacy in several states of India. Naturally, since it is a dairy product, it is protein intensive, and depending on what kind of milk it is prepared from, it may also have high fat content. The protein that paneer contains is qualitatively excellent, with the right proportion of all the essential amino acids. A 12-oz serving of paneer contains nearly 14 grams of protein.

Paneer's soft consistency and cheesy taste make it amenable to virtually every cooking style in India, and there are countless dishes in the country made from it. It may be cooked dry, in gravy form, or it may be added as a stuffing in local Indian breads, such as naan and paranthas. People commonly make a sandwich filling out of paneer as well.

Lentils

Lentils, locally known as daal, are a great vegetarian source of protein, and they are commonly cooked in every region of the country. There are many varieties of daal available in India and over a 100 different recipes to cook them. Typically served in curry form, sometimes with the consistency of soup, daal is a common daily dish for almost every class of people in the country.

Apart from their significant protein content, daals are rich in fiber and they are great sources of several vital micronutrients, including magnesium, iron and potassium. They are also cholesterol free. Daal is a perfect food item for someone who wants to lose weight.

Chickpeas and Kidney Beans

Like lentils, these too are from the legume family and have similar nutritional benefits. Red kidney beans are commonly known as rajma and chickpeas as channa, and both feature prominently in the cuisines of North and West India. Amongst most Indian households familiar with both these legumes, channa is considered healthier. However, rajma is the more sought after delicacy, and is a common feature during special occasions.

Bear in mind that rajma and channa are not the easiest dishes to prepare for beginners, since they require some experience with Indian cooking, seasoning and spices.

Nuts

It is widely known that nuts are a great source of proteins in a vegetarian diet. However the way they are generally used in Indian cooking, they would hardly appeal to someone really health conscious. Since almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts are very expensive, they are generally used as ingredients in exquisite desserts and rich festive dishes, both of which are loaded with calories!

Gram Flour

Better known as besan in India, gram flour has much higher protein content than whole wheat or refined flour, and it is also lighter in terms of calories. It is a vital ingredient in several Indian main dishes, cereal staples, sweets and snacks, and features significantly in North and West Indian cuisines.

At the end of the day, whichever Indian cuisine it is that interests you, you are bound to find high protein vegetarian dishes that are easy to cook, healthy and great in terms of taste!

You have permission to publish this article without any change what so ever electronically, in print, in your e-book, or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author by-lines are included.

To learn more about Indian Vegetarian cuisine, visit Meera's Kitchen or go to http://www.indiancookingmadeeasy.com/


Original article

Vegan (Sugar-Free) Cantucci Dipped in Apple Nectar

In Italy, when visitors drop in at one's house in the afternoon they are welcomed with a glass of Vin Santo and sweet biscuits that resemble biscotti but which are smaller. This makes it easier to dip them into the wine glass. However for people who do not drink alcohol, this is a recipe of delicious sugar-free Cantucci served with pure apple juice simmered with raisins. It still tastes wickedly sweet, but is more wholesome and a lovely treat to have with guests.

Ingredients

apple nectar:

3 cups good quality, clear apple juice (preferably home-juiced)

½ cup raisins

2 tbsp apple syrup

'Cantucci:'

2 tbsp wholemeal spelt flour

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp ground linseeds (flaxseeds)

1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

4 tbsp apple syrup

2 tbsp soy milk

2 tsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil

2 tsp almond butter

1 tsp almond essence

2 tbsp natural almonds

Method:

1. For the apple nectar: Simmer 1½ cups of the apple juice with the raisins and apple syrup for 5 minutes. Cool completely. Strain off the raisins and add the reduced apple juice to the remaining 1½ cups of apple juice. Refrigerate.

2. Make the starter dough: stir the 2 tbsp of spelt flour and 2 tbsp of water together. Leave for a day on the kitchen counter covered with a damp piece of absorbent kitchen towel. Stir a few times.

3. When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 190°C (370°F). Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.

4. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

5. Mix the liquid ingredients together in a cup. Add the starter, mix and pour into the dry ingredients. Fold the ingredients together to incorporate as much air as possible.

6. Pat the dough into a log. Make a shallow cut in the centre down the length of the log. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Lower the oven's temperature to 150°C (300°F).

8. Cut the log into 1.5 cm thick slices. Dry the 'Cantucci' in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

9. To serve, place the 'Cantucci' on a serving plate. Pour a glass of apple nectar for each person in which to dip the 'Cantucci'.

Serves 4.

Cook's tip:

Resting the cooled log in the refrigerator overnight makes it easier to cut into slices.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers with accompanied vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.


Original article

Vegan Nachos and Home-Made Savoury Crackers

This much healthier version of a traditional Mexican dish is really authentic in taste. Make it for a light lunch or triple the recipe and serve it at a party. Home-made nachos are very quick and easy to make. They are accompanied by soy yoghurt (soured with lemon juice), home-made guacamole dip, a lentil and bean tomato mix scattered with grated fried tofu. Enjoy!

Ingredients
home-made Nachos savoury crackers* (see recipe below)
1 cup cooked Puy / brown lentils
1 cup cooked red kidney beans
4 tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp tomato paste, thinned with 4 tbsp water
1 - 2 tsp chopped fresh red chilli (to taste)
2 tsp peanut oil
¾ cup grated firm tofu
4 ml turmeric
3 ml paprika
2 tsp fine savoury yeast flakes
avocado guacamole dip (home-made)
½ cup soy yoghurt / silken tofu mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice

Method
Place the lentils, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste mix and chilli in a saucepan and heat gently.Heat the peanut oil in a small pan and fry the tofu on fairly high heat to remove most of the moisture.Add the turmeric, paprika and savoury yeast to the tofu and stir for a minute. Remove from the heat.To assemble the nachos dish: spoon the lentil-tomato mixture into the middle of a large serving platter. Push the savoury crackers into the mixture from the sides. Scatter the fried tofu on top.Serve the avocado (guacamole) dip and soured soy yoghurt or silken tofu on the side, so everyone can help themselves.

Serves 4.

* Nachos savoury crackers

These crackers taste wonderfully authentic, yet are baked in the oven rather than fried. You can add all sorts of interesting herbs to the dough if you wish. Cooked couscous adds an interesting texture, although you can substitute cooked quinoa to make gluten-free crackers. Nut butters effectively bind all the ingredients together to make crispy, black pepper studded nachos.

Ingredients
4 tbsp dry couscous / quinoa for gluten-free
1 cup yellow corn meal
½ tsp herbal salt
2 tbsp cashew nut butter / smooth peanut butter
2 tsp cracked black pepper
½ cup brewed lukewarm camomile tea / lukewarm water
2 tsp savoury yeast powder
olive oil cooking spray

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Place a baking (pizza) stone or heavy duty baking tray in the oven to heat up at the same time.Pour boiling water over the couscous and leave for 5 minutes (or cook the quinoa). Drain and fluff with a fork. Make the camomile tea.Place the corn meal and salt in a mixing bowl and combine. Rub in the nut butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir the black pepper and cooked couscous or quinoa into the flour mixture.Pour the tea (or water) over the flour mixture and stir until combined. Add the savoury yeast and stir to mix in.Dust a sheet of non-stick baking parchment with corn meal. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for half a minute. It will be a stiff dough.Roll the dough into a thick pipe, then transfer it to the parchment. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a thin rectangular shape, flour the dough well so as not to stick. Take a knife and deeply score the dough into squares, then into triangles. Spray them with olive oil.Working quickly, remove the baking stone or tray from the oven and slide the parchment onto it together with the scored dough. Bake on the middle shelf for 10 minutes.Reduce the oven's temperature to 190°C (370°). Turn the crackers over and bake for a further 3 minutes. Make sure the crackers are dry and crispy.Remove from the oven, break the crackers free from each other and cool thoroughly on wire racks. When the nachos are cold, store them in an airtight container (for up to a week).

Makes enough for 4 people.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book, see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.


Original article

Portobello Mushroom Recipe and More

Portobello mushrooms contain potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and antioxidants important to the body. A Portobello mushroom is actually just a brown crimini mushroom that has grown to 4"-6" and diameter. This is the point that a crimini mushroom is named a Portobello. Always select firm, plump, solid mushrooms when shopping and avoid the dried looking ones because that is usually a sign of decomposition. The mushrooms should keep fresh about 5-6 days and if cooked, can be stored and frozen for several months. You can grill, oven roast, or sauté the mushrooms and can be prepared as a dish in themselves or cut up and added to sauces, salads, or used in place of meat dishes due to its heavy, earthy nature (similar to eggplant in that way).

There are some wonderful health benefits to adding mushrooms to your diet. A study has even showed that women who consumed fresh mushrooms daily were 64% less likely to develop breast cancer, and those that combined a mushroom diet with regular green tea consumption actually reduced their risk of breast cancer by nearly 90%... Talk about some serious health benefits!

One of the most popular appetizers at my restaurant is a baked Portobello mushroom with roasted peppers, chopped tomato, and goat cheese. I am glad to share this simple yet deliciously wonderful mushroom recipe with you!

Portobello Mushroom Dish
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 20 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

- Portobello Mushroom
-Olive Oil to drizzle
-1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
-1 medium sized ripened tomato, chopped
-Goat or Feta cheese to sprinkle
-3 Cloves garlic, chopped
-2 tbsp basil pesto

Directions:
Drizzle the mushroom caps with olive oil. Spoon the roasted peppers, tomato, goat/feta cheese, and garlic into the center of the mushroom. Drizzle with pesto. Bake in preheated oven at 300 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Serve hot as an appetizer or on top of mixed greens as an entrée.

Note: Artichoke hearts may be added for a heartier appetizer or meal. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar adds a tasty and flavorful dimension to the dish. Grill jumbo shrimp and place on top of the mushroom with lemon wedges and in the center of the plate for an impressive look.

Nutritional Information:
Serving size: 1/6 recipe, Calories 96, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 8mg, Sodium 90mg, Total Carbohydrates 6g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 4g

Shaw H. Rabadi, restaurant owner/chef/author, invites you to Eat, Drink, and Be Mediterranean with him for a happier, healthier life!

Visit http://www.themediterraneandigest.com/ for information on his newly released story-cookbook, "Savor the Spices of Life" and more info on eating, cooking, and living a heart healthier life.

Eat Better, Fresher, Smarter!


Original article

Eating Raw Foods To Lose Weight and Live Better

More and more people are hearing about the many health benefits of eating raw foods. Raw foods are foods that have not been cooked and are natural, some examples are fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and other delicious foods. While this may seem like it is limiting your eating options, there are several great foods that taste great and are great for you. If you are interested in losing weight and living much better, than eating all natural foods should be considered.

The first benefit to eating whole grown foods is the natural energy you get throughout the day. Before eating only raw foods, I would need to drink a couple of coffee in the morning or I could not function at all and would drink several cups throughout the day. However, by eating many fruits, vegetables, and meats the natural sugar and energy keeps me satisfied and more alert and awake then I ever had. Also, you will never feel bloated after eating raw foods and everything you consume will be converted into energy and be used to power your body. You should treat your body like a engine and you must use the right fuel.

Another benefit to enjoying natural foods is the most popular and that is losing weight. You body was not meant to consume so many preservatives that are in popular food and eating only foods that are natural is the way are body were supposed to be used. I have tried many different exercise and weight loss routines and healthy foods and exercising once a day works wonders. Another great benefit is that you will start seeing weight loss immediately as long as you stick to only eating raw foods. This can not be stressed enough, the raw foods weight loss system will only work if you only eat all healthy foods! So many people try to cheat by eating fast food and this can be detrimental to the process.

The third benefit to eating all natural foods is how easy your digestion system works once consuming natural foods. If you have had stomach and digestion issues in the past, eating healthy foods will clear this up and make it much easier to go to the bathroom.

While many people may be skeptical, I challenge you to partake on the eating healthy foods diet for 30 days and see how it works. You will not only have more energy, but lose a ton of weight and also have a much healthier digestion system.

For more information on the raw foods diet weight loss program please visit our website at http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com/.


Original article

Vegan Cheesecake - Baked New York Style

Baking without eggs, butter (or margarine) and sugar can sometimes be a real challenge. However, tofu makes a great substitute for heavy, set cream and tapioca flour binds the ingredients together the way eggs would. Sugar can be replaced with a fruit syrup, or sometimes just fruit pulp which in most cases would be sweet enough.

Before I became vegan, I made my usual baked cheesecake recipe fairly often and got used (of course) to that taste. However, when I re-wrote the recipe with healthier vegan alternatives, my family and I could not believe how exactly similar in taste and texture it was. The tofu creates the same slightly dry, crumbly baked result as the traditional version, but still with the same creamy mouth-feel, sweetness and lemon flavour. I now sometimes make use of the same basic recipe, but change it into a chocolate or even strawberry version. Have fun experimenting!

Pastry base:

5 tbsp finely ground toasted, unsalted cashew nuts
1 tbsp whole meal spelt flour / oat flour / buckwheat flour
2 tsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
1 tsp light agave syrup

Filling:

1 cup soy milk
2 tsp lemon juice / orange juice / apple cider vinegar
1 lemon, juice
2 cups firm tofu, drained and patted (very) dry, chopped
1 tbsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
6 tbsp light agave syrup
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp tapioca flour
20 ml corn starch

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (360°F).Make the pastry by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. It will be a firm, heavy mixture. Line the bottom of a 1 L round pie dish with the pastry and then oil the sides (or use a silicone baking dish). Press the pastry down firmly. Leave to rest in the refrigerator.Thicken the soy milk by stirring in the juice (or vinegar). It will thicken immediately. Set aside.If you have a food processor, fit the juicing part and squeeze out the lemon juice; or use a fork. Change to the plastic S-blade. Add the tofu, oil, syrup, zest and vanilla essence. Process until floppy. Sprinkle over the flours and pour over the thickened soy milk. Process until completely smooth. Pour the tofu mixture into the baking dish onto the pastry.Place on a shelf just below the middle in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered. Reduce the temperature to 160°C (320°F)and bake a further 15 minutes. Lightly drape a sheet of tin foil over the top if the cheesecake browns too much.Remove from the oven and cool completely. The filling will become firmer.Decorate with lemon and lime zest. Cut into slices, or lift the cake from the mould before cutting.

Serves 8.

Cook's tip:

A cheesecake forms large cracks when the outside of the batter has firmed into a thin skin and the inner filling continues to expand with the heat. One can decrease this effect by placing a bowl of water on a lower shelf to create steam in the oven. The cracks can always be concealed by serving the cheesecake with slices of fruit on top. Or, simply don't worry about it - it still tastes delicious!

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. See her tips for vegan travellers and vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/. http://www.veganwellbeing.net/


Original article

Tapioca Shoots (Leaves) - A Good Source of Fibre for Weight Loss?

Tapioca is cultivated in many regions around the world. It is rather easy to cultivate this plant which has many uses especially as a food source. The tree can grow from mature woody stems and one just need to plant these on the ground. New leaves would start to grow on these mature stems after a few days. Once the tapioca plant is old enough and the tubers are ready for harvest, they are normally pulled out from the ground. The whole bunch of tubers would stick together when they are pulled out.

For some society, tapioca is a stable food and can be prepared in many different ways. Dry powdered tapioca tubers are often used as thickening agent. These inexpensive powdered tapioca tubers are easily available in most hypermarkets and convenient shops. The starch from the root extract of the plant is very suitable for making many types of cakes (kuih). It is also gluten free. Therefore, by products from this plant are often used in Vegan or Vegetarian food preparation. Tapioca can be deep fried, made into soups, stew, dumplings and cooked with meat. Crispy chips made from the tapioca roots are tasty. Apart from that tapioca can also be made into alcoholic beverages like Sakura or nijimanche (sweet beer).

However, tapioca tubers and leaves contain cynogenic glycosides which can cause acute cyanide poisoning if not prepared properly. Raw tapioca should not be eaten. The toxin found in red branched variety is less harmful than the green branched ones. The toxin levels are high during drought. If there is too much rain during harvesting, the tubers could have a tinge of stagnant pond water smell.

China is exploring the potential of cassava as biofuel. The largest cassava ethanol fuel plant started operation in Beihai, China in 2007. Cassava biofuel can in future replace our usual petroleum fuel. If this happens, then we would have a much environmental friendly alternative to the traditional petroleum fuel.

In Indonesia, dishes made from tapioca young shoots are quite popular. Since the leaves contain toxin, they should be boiled in water first before consumption. Tapioca leaves taste delicious with spicy fresh chillies. The leaves contain very little protein but have high fibre composition. The toxin effect of eating the leaves has not been thoroughly investigated by scientist. The leaves might hold the key prevent world food shortage crisis or might be effective for weight loss.


Original article

19 Reasons To Turn Vegan

Many of your friends out there must have given you a million reasons why you shouldn't turn vegan. The lustrous meat and all those lovely dishes that your Mom prepares in her kitchen must be so difficult to give up on. But it is not at all impossible. Here we come up with 19 good reasons to turn vegan and to give a permanent farewell to that rapacious diet you had been following. The top of the top reasons to turn vegan are here. So go on reading and strengthen your morale.

(1) The U. S. Food and Drug Administration considers vegan diet as the healthiest diet ever.

(2) Meat that is charred contains substances that cause cancer.

(3) Cows have a life span of at least 20 years or more. But are slaughtered at the age of 5 or 6 years.

(4) Veganism is against smoking and smoking is injurious to health.

(5) People who are vegans don't have to face any cholesterol issues whatsoever.

(6) Vegans tend to live for at least 7 years more than an average non-vegan.

(7) Only 2% of the total vegan population in America are obese.

(8) Fast foods like burgers and pizzas not only make you gain weight, but hardly give you any energy. They also contain substances that cause addiction towards them.

(9) The leather made to furnish the interior of a Mercedes-Benz is prepared after slaughtering at least 7 cows.

(10) Vegans abstain from products that are tested on animals.

(11) No one can justify animal slaughtering by using a term called "ethical killing"? Animal slaughtering is just inhuman and can't be justified.

(12) 25% of global warming is due to deforestation for excessive farming.

(13) We humans are the only animals in the world who drink milk even after infancy. Although, we don't really require it.

(14) Beekeepers take all the honey away after destroying a honeycomb. Bees require at least some honey to survive. As a result, they die.

(15) The pork you eat comes from pigs. These pigs are more intelligent than even a dog, yet are used for food.

(16) Compare the prices of steak and tofu. Tofu is not just more reasonable, but also it's a lot more healthier.

(17) The milk we consume can cause asthma and other such respiratory diseases. In addition, it also causes acne and promotes excessively oily skin.

(18) Non-organic food increases the amount of cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol, in the long run, can result in impotence.

(19) Calves are taken away from their own mothers soon after birth so that they don't drink their milk.

Show these to the next person who tries to tempt you towards non-vegan food.

The author writes on diet at mag for women. This is a new online website for women to get all their problems solved.


Original article

Organic Vegan Raw Spaghetti

Did you know it is possible to make healthy comfort food? Spaghetti has always been one of my favorite meals to prepare for dinner or lunch, and I am so excited to share with you a recipe that will satisfy your hunger for a tasty and complete meal! Organic raw vegetables and fruits add numerous vitamins and minerals into the diet, which provide lasting energy to keep you going throughout your day.

I recently discovered a kitchen tool called a spiral slicer. This manual hand turn crank device is actually quite fun to use, and once you practice a couple of times it is super easy to make raw noodles from several different types of vegetables. I purchased my spiral slicer online for around twenty dollars and have found it to be very durable throughout the past few years I've used it. My family and I have really enjoyed using this creative kitchen device. Its durability has also proven to be cost efficient. My favorite vegetables to spiral slice into raw pasta noodles are zucchini and yellow squash because they have a slightly neutral flavor that easily absorb flavors from other added ingredients, herbs, and spices when combined together. If you do not have a spiral slicer, you may use a cheese grater to create a shredded noodle that is also enjoyable to prepare.

You will need the following ingredients and items on hand to complete the preparation of this recipe.

Spiral vegetable slicer or cheese grater.

Food processor.

Two large evenly round organic zucchini or yellow squash.

Ten sun-dried tomatoes soaked for twenty minutes until soft.

Half cup organic pine nuts.

Four medium organic tomatoes.

Four organic basil leaves.

One clove organic garlic.

One tablespoon fresh chopped organic oregano.

One teaspoon sea salt.

One teaspoon organic freshly cracked black pepper.

Half teaspoon organic chili powder.

Half cup organic extra virgin olive oil.

One cup purified water.

Once you have all your ingredients, you may begin the preparation of this delicious meal. First, use the spiral slicer to make spiral pasta noodles from the zucchini or yellow squash and set aside. Next, place the remaining ingredients, except pine nuts, into your food processor. Pulse until smooth, but slightly chunky. Be sure not to over process, unless you desire a completely liquified sauce. I prefer a slightly chunky texture in my spaghetti sauces, as I find it adds to the enjoyment of all the distinct flavors in this gourmet meal. Then, place desired amount of zucchini or yellow squash noodle pasta into separate serving bowls. Now, pour the processed sauce over the servings of noodles. Finally, sprinkle the raw organic pine nuts on top of each bowl. The pine nuts add delicious flavor and make a beautiful and edible garnish. Now you can satisfy even the biggest of appetites as you enjoy devouring this tasty and healthy recipe! Making healthy dietary choices has never been this easy before, and it starts with one healthy choice! I love preparing delectable organic raw vegan meals for people, and I know you will too! Now you can create a whole new experience in your kitchen, and even enroll children in the process as well. Kids have so much fun knowing they are helping make this delicious meal the entire family will love!

Visit http://rawesomeway.com/ for more information on organic raw vegan foods and raw kitchen product reviews!


Original article

Simple Chickpea Recipe

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are held in very high regard throughout the Mediterranean basin. They are a main source of protein for the people in the Mediterranean region and are one of the earliest cultivated vegetables. Garbanzos have been eaten raw as a snack, added into main dishes or salads, and have even been included in some dessert dishes. Although a staple throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean, chickpea production (with the exception of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq) is surprisingly low in these countries. India is by far the largest chick pea producing country in the world, with Pakistan at a very distant second.

Chickpeas are a good source of zinc, folate and protein and contain high levels of dietary fiber which make them a very healthy source of carbohydrates. They are very low in fat, and the fat that they do contain is polyunsaturated. According to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, chickpeas contain on average: 23% protein, 64% carbohydrates, 5% fat, and 6% fiber.

There are many dishes that include chickpeas as a main ingredient, including Hummus which is a very healthy, blended dip made of primarily chickpeas, tahini (made from sesame seeds), olive oil, and garlic with many other varying ingredients. However to keep it simple at first, I am sharing with you a staple dish in its own right at my restaurant; a delicious, healthy, light, and easy to prepare dish with the simple name of "Chickpea Salad." Share with your loved ones and enjoy!

Chickpea Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 20 Minutes
Serves: 10

Ingredients:

- 4 cups cooked, drained and rinsed chickpeas
- ½ cup diced red pepper
- ½ cup diced green pepper
- ½ cup sliced black olives (drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- 3 tbsp each extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice
- 3 pinches kosher salt
- 4 pinches pepper
- 4 pinches of dry mint

Directions:

Combine all vegetables and parsley in a large bowl and toss. Add olive oil and lemon juice mix. Add salt, pepper, and mint. Toss all ingredients and until mixed thoroughly. You may serve as a side dish or as the first course.

Note: You may try adding feta cheese or freshly grated cheese as a garnish or to your own taste. I have added fried fruit (like raisins) to this salad for a wonderful twist on a familiar Mediterranean salad.

Shaw H. Rabadi, restaurant owner/chef/author, invites you to Eat, Drink, and Be Mediterranean with him for a happier, healthier life!

Visit http://www.themediterraneandigest.com/ for information on his newly released story-cookbook, "Savor the Spices of Life" and more info on eating, cooking, and living a heart healthier life.

Eat Better, Fresher, Smarter!


Original article

Eggplant Parmigiana + Potato Gnocchi With Tomato Sauce

Eggplant parmigiana (parmigiana di melanzane):
2 large (1kg) eggplants coarse cooking salt
1/2 cu (125ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons olive oil, extra
1 medium (150g) onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 * 425g cans tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
400gmozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (25g) grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Cut eggplants into 1 cm slices, place on wire racks over oven trays, sprinkle with salt; stand 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain on absorbent paper.

2. Place eggplant slices in single layer on lightly greased oven trays. Brush with oil. grill on both sides until lightly browned; drain on absorbent paper.

3. Heat extra oil in pan, add onion and garlic, cook, stirning, until onion is soft. Add undrained crushed tomatoes. paste and sugar, simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until mixture is thickened slightly Stir in basil.

4. Grease shallow ovenproof dish (2 litre / 8 cup capacity). Pour half the tomato mixture into dish, top with half the eggplant slices, then half the mozzarella slices; sprinkle with parmesan. Repeat with remaining tomato mixture, eggplant slices, mozzarella slices and parmesan. Bake, uncovered, in moderately hot oven about 40 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves 6.

* Recipe can be made a day ahead.
* Storage: Covered, in refrigerator.
* Freeze: Suitable.
* Microwave: Not suitable.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO SAUCE (Gnocchi di Patata alla Salsa di Pomodororo)

5 medium (1kg) old potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup (25g) grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
TOMATO SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
12 medium (900g) egg tomatoes, pleed, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until just tender, drain well, cool 10 minutes; mash. Combine mashed potatoes, egg yolk and cheese. Gradually add flour, mix well.

2. Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion on lightly floured surface to from a sausage 2cm in diameter. Cut diagonally into 2. 5cm slices.

3. Just before serving, add gnocchi to large pan of boiling water, boil, uncovered, about 2 minutes or until gnocchi float to the surface; drain well. Serve gnocchi with tomato sauce.

Tomato Sauce: Heat oil in pan, add garlic, cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in herbs.

Serves 4.

+ Gnocchi can be prepared several hours ahead. Tomato sauce can be made a day ahead.
+ Storage: Gnocchi in a single layer on tray covered with baking paper, dusted with plain flour. Tomato sauce, covered, in refrigerator.
+ Freeze: Sauce suitable.


Original article

7 Easy Ways to Use Up That Zucchini!

Do you find your refrigerator overrun with zucchini each summer? I just can't bring myself to throw any away (I have serious feelings of guilt and remorse if any fresh veggies don't get used in a timely fashion)- so over the years my son John and I have come up with quite a range of zucchini recipes.

Zucchini is a great veggie. It's fairly neutral in flavor and can be crisp, tender or soft in preparation. It is low in calories (about 35 calories per cup) and is entirely fat-free. One cup contains 340 mg. of potassium, 530 IUs of vitamin A and 70 mg. of phosphorus. It's also a good source of fiber if consumed with the skin intact (4 grams per cup).

So how do we use up our overabundance of zucchini?

Here are some really simple recipes:

Broiled Zucchini Cut off ends and slice, end to end, in half. Lay halves on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or dot with organic butter/coconut butter and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and oregano. Broil on the top rack until the tops are lightly browned. A great easy side dish.

Veggie Dippers Slice zucchini into sticks or rounds for serving with hummus or other veggie dips.

Fresh Veggie Dip Who said veggies can't be a main ingredient in the dip as well as serve as a "dipper"?! Puree the following ingredients together in a food processor: 2 zucchini, 1/8 cup red/sweet onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup), 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste), 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, opt: 1 tsp. dill weed. Dip away!

Zucchini Fritters Combine 3/4 cup water with 1 cup bean flour (gram or besan flour, made from channa dal and available from Indian groceries, is an excellent choice), 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. sea salt and a pinch of cayenne. Mix in 1 grated zucchini and cook for a couple of minutes on each side on a hot oiled skillet.

Sauteed Zucchini Saute 1 sliced onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Thinly slice 2-3 zucchinis and add to saute pan with 1/4 tsp. sea salt and 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning. Another great side.

Zucchini on the Grill Slice large zucchini into long 1/2" diagonal slices. Toss in a ziploc bag with an oil-and-vinegar-based dressing plus a pinch of sea salt. Grill on each side for a couple of minutes. Tender and tasty!

Zucchini Pasta Many people are surprised by how easy and tasty this recipe is. The trickiest part is finding a spiral slicer (Joyce Chen has a Saladacdo Spiral Slicer that is excellent and inexpensive). It's really worth buying this tool. You could alternatively use a vegetable peeler and make fettucini-style noodles instead of spaghetti-style noodles. In any case, slice raw zucchini into pasta noodles and then top with raw or cooked pasta sauce. The "noodles" are nice and light and a little "al dente". My husband was really surprised by how good this is! You don't feel "weighed down" by it like with traditional pasta.

... oh, and of course there's zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, zucchini cookies and on and on. But this is a good simple sampling. I hope you enjoy trying a couple!

My son and I collaborated on a zucchini recipe booklet, John's Zucchini Book, a number of summers ago. You'll find about 30 other great zucchini recipes in its pages (28 of which happen to be gluten-free). Visit my website to learn more about it. You can also find more zucchini recipes at my blog (information below).

Kim Wilson has spent over 12 years working exclusively with whole foods to develop recipes that satisfy a variety of needs (for those just beginning to eat healthy to serious raw-fooders to those with extensive food allergies and health conditions like candida)- all in a tasty, enjoyable and affordable way. Her recipes are free of animal products, wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, yeast, sugar and other problematic foods. What's left, you might ask? Only the good stuff! For more information and recipes visit her website at http://www.simplynaturalhealth.com/ or her WHOLEmade recipe blog at http://www.simplynaturalhealth.com/recipeblog/.


Original article

Why Vegetarian Food Recipes Are The Only Real Dietary Choice For Some

Meat is everywhere these days. There's an almost limitless variety of it in the supermarkets, it's served in almost every fast food restaurant around today, and it's even served in the most basic of school cafeterias. You almost can't escape it if you're living in the west, and many ask the vegetarians "why would you want to?" With meat being such a staple in most of our diets and it tasting so delicious, why do some choose to avoid meat and cook and serve vegetarian food recipes, exclusively?

It turns out their reasons are many, but some of the common reasons I hear vegetarians giving for "going vegetarian" include the growing belief that the meat many of us are eating today is becoming less and less healthy; the research that is showing our "mass production" approach to farming is taking a serious toll on the environment; and the increasing awareness we have of animals, of the emotions and experience they're living, and the connection we share with them.

In terms of how meat is becoming less healthy to eat, the growing concerns mostly have to do with the growth hormones that are used to fatten the animals up and have them produce more. With all the chemicals we pump into farm animals today, those make their way into our system too when we eat the animals after they've been slaughtered and packaged and placed in the grocery store freezer. Also, keeping the animals cooped up on smaller patches of land with little or no room to roam means they end up getting less exercise, which results in animals with more body fat, which we consume and is not as healthy. Some also believe that the severely negative emotions of fear the animals experience in their final moments that are flowing flood through their blood and into the tissue of the meat as they take their last breaths, results in chemical toxins from this process that are harmful to eat. This alone is reason enough for many vegetarians to dine exclusively on plants and use vegetarian recipes to make their meals.

The negative environmental impact of mass producing farm animals is another reason many are turning to vegetarian food recipes. When we use the chemicals that we do on so many "farm" animals, those animals pass the chemicals back into the earth and the planet's water when they expel. Also related is the negative impact all their manure is having on the local water supply in these areas as the huge quantities of it get absorbed into the earth. And then there's all of the toxic fluids these animals release when they meet their end at our hands: all of that chemically-laced, fear-filled toxic blood is also absorbed into the ground, into the water, and is also polluting our planet.

And then, many are refusing to eat today because they're developing an increased awareness of animals and the fact that animals experience emotions and have a perceptual experience similar to our own in many ways. When thinking of eating a hamburger, as an example, a lot of vegetarians have pictures come up for them of the mistreated animals that were sacrificed in order to make that burger, and it turns them off of the meat and onto alternative options for getting protein and nutrients, like using vegetarian dinner recipes to make healthy meals.

Of course, there are some good arguments that can be made in favor of eating meat, too. The point of this little article was to simply raise awareness for vegetarianism, of the reasons people have for turning to it, and why many today are using vegetarian food recipes to lead their lives in a consciously different way. Some people love to eat meat, and they have their reasons for it; and some people love to live the vegetarian life, and they have their reasons for.

Lissette V. is a self-proclaimed super chef who is passionate about vegetarian food recipes. Check out here blog with quick and easy vegetarian dinner recipes that you can often cook in less that 30 minutes.


Original article

What Led to Use Of Hydroponics Systems in Green Houses

Did you ever notice that the market nearest to your house has equal number of racks dedicated to tinned food and fresh vegetables? Yes, this is the outcome of an age where no one has the time to stop and think. Therefore, no one seems to notice that fresh vegetables and fruits are the outcome of synthetic additives being extensively used in farming practices. In the past decade, the age old practice of growing vegetables in private kitchen gardens had lost its popularity. This was due to an increase in the number of high rise buildings.

More and more people started living in apartments or flats that did not provide the space required for gardening. Fast lives and busy schedules slowly converted the lifestyle of urban masses and therefore today, the harmful effects of fertilizers and chemical pesticides have come as an eye opener for everyone. Yes, people have been forced to stop and take note of the various effects of fertilizer residues found in the so called 'fresh' vegetables and fruits.

The Crisis and Its Solution: Green Revolution

Scientists and food experts claim that nitrate compounds found in these fruits and vegetables have been found to cause cancer and other disorders like the Blue Baby Syndrome. They immediately suggested the many advantages of using organic vegetables. To be very precise, organic vegetables are developed under controlled natural conditions and do not use any fertilizer or pesticides to promote plant growth. This advancement came as a great boon for the common man.

It brought back the popularity of vegetables and fruits grown in private gardens, as organic vegetables are essentially produced in a similar manner. The only difference between kitchen gardening and present day organic food production practice lies in the fact that natural conditions are created in the latter. Yes, organic vegetables are produced in green houses, that optimize all natural conditions required for plant growth.

Sunlight is trapped to enhance the warmth inside the green house and moisture is provided to the plants using humidifiers or hydroponics systems. In America, home green house kits are made available to families who want to build their own green house, and produce fruits and vegetables in them. These kits come with the necessary requirements to set up hydroponics systems in your green house. You only need to make sure that you install the green house according to the steps mentioned in the guidelines.

Hydroponics systems are easy to maintain and highly used in most green house systems in America. It uses a gutter-rack system that channelizes the water to the roots of the plants in those racks. So if you are planning to go green, the right way, then fetch yourself a green house kit, that is updated with an easy to use hydroponics system.

If you are looking to purchase a well planned green house kit that incorporates hydroponics systems, then UrbanFoodFarms.com may be the right solution for all your needs.


Original article

Hidden Animal Products Vegetarians Need To Be Aware Of

If you are a vegetarian or a vegan the chances are that you automatically know when something presented to you as vegetarian is no such thing. For example if someone gave you a chicken stew claiming it was made with Tofu you would be able to tell from the smell and texture that it was meat rather than Tofu you were being asked to eat. However, if you were presented with a Tofu stew that had been flavoured with chicken stock the chances are you would not realise this and would inadvertently end up eating hidden meat. Luckily, this kind of deceit is something you will rarely if ever come across these days.

If you are eating out, especially in countries where Vegetarianism is not common, it pays to check that the vegetarian dish you are ordering really does not contain meat products. Inadvertently ordering meat has happened to me in Spain on several occasions. On each occasion it was down to a lack of thought or understanding on the part of the waiter serving me rather than a deliberate attempt to mislead me. Once when I ordered vegetarian paella I thought twice and asked the waiter how the paella was flavoured only to find out it was flavoured with fresh chicken stock. When I explained the problem to the waiter he was nonplussed, and it was not because of my bad Spanish, he genuinely could not understand why I would consider chicken stock a meat product. From that story you can see why when eating out in restaurants it is always wise to ask a bit more about vegetarian dishes.

Flavourings and additives are another place you can find hidden animal products. Practically every vegetarian knows that Gelatine is made from animal bones, but there are other flavourings and additives that are less obviously not for vegetarians. For example did you know that Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies?, which is fine if you are a fish eating vegetarian, but not if you are vegan. Lutein that is used as a food colouring does not sound like egg, but that is what it is. Albumin which is used to thicken foods is also an animal product that either comes from egg whites or animal blood. However, there are also plant sources for albumin, so if you see albumin on a list of ingredients it does not always mean it is not suitable for vegetarians.

Vitamins, minerals and supplements present another challenge for vegetarians because they are another source of hidden animal products. Again most vegetarians know to avoid capsule tablets and supplements because the capsule is likely to contain gelatine made from bones. However how many know that some forms of Vitamin D such as vitamin D3 are made from liver or fish oils?. If you are buying vitamins and minerals or other supplements it is worth looking for those that are suitable for Vegans. If you are not sure write to the manufacturer and ask them how vegetarian friendly their products are.

Being vegetarian has got a lot easier over the years because labelling has improved, but as you can see there are still some hidden animal products in food and other products. To be completely safe stick to products which are labelled as suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Visit Yorkshire Pantry for vegetarian recipes. If you love cupcakes you will find plenty of cupcake designs and recipes that are suitable for vegetarians at Yorkshire Pantry too.


Original article

Chestnut Vegan Cake With Cherry Salsa

This is a slight variation on the traditional Italian chestnut cake which is made with olive oil and rosemary. Using chestnut flour and adding carob to the ingredients, make this cake tastes like an incredibly rich chocolate cake. Keep in mind that when mixing chestnut flour, the batter might seem very runny. The chestnut flour will very quickly absorb the liquids ingredients. Chestnuts are traditionally dried out in Italy above the hot kitchen on thin slats for 8 months which make the nuts incredibly dry. They are then ground into a fine powdery flour.

The dried cherries in the recipe go very well with the earthy flavours of the chestnut, carob, walnuts and vanilla, while the fresh cherries in the salsa give the cake a fresh fruity finish. The fruit part of the recipe can be changed to pineapple (dried and fresh); apricots and even prunes with fresh plums for the salsa.

20 dried cherries, halved / ½ cup dried cranberries

4 tbsp good quality dark red grape juice

1½ cups (240 g) chestnut flour

1 tbsp corn starch

3 tbsp vegan carob chips

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

½ cup walnuts, chopped, toasted in the oven, then ground finely

1 tbsp hazelnut / macadamia nut butter

2 tsp + 5 tsp walnut oil

2 - 3 tbsp maple syrup, warmed

1¼ cups apple juice

12 walnut halves

1½ cups chopped fresh black cherries

Pre-heat the oven to a hot 220°C (430°F). Brush a heatproof ceramic pie dish (square or round) with walnut oil, or use a silicone baking dish.
Soak the dried cherries or cranberries in the grape juice for an hour, or preferably overnight.
Place the chestnut flour, corn starch, carob chips, baking soda and salt in a bowl and stir to mix. Add the fine walnuts.
Add the nut butter and 2 tsp of walnut oil and the apple juice to the flour and stir until combined. This is a runny, cream-like dough.
Drain the dried fruit and discard the soaking liquid (or drink it). Stir the dried fruit into the batter. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Place the walnut halves on the cake and pour the remaining 5 tsp of walnut oil over the batter.
Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 25 - 27 minutes until firm. It is normal for the cake to crack all over the surface. Place a sheet of tin foil over the cake for the last 10 minutes if it is becoming too dark.
Remove the cake from the oven. Pour the warm maple syrup over the cake so that it can be absorbed.
For the salsa: Blend ½ cup of the cherries in a liquidizer to a purée. Stir in the rest of the cherries.
Serve the cake warm, or at room temperature. Cut the cake into slices or squares and serve with the cherry salsa on the side.

Makes enough for 8 generous portions.

Hint: By changing the dried fruit and fruit juice in the recipe, one achieves a completely different taste to this versatile cake recipe. Try for instance chopped fresh pineapple with cinnamon and coconut milk; or white grape juice with halved black grapes and vanilla powder.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.


Original article

Raw Vegan Spicy Biscuits

This is a fun and easy recipe that even toddlers can help their mothers make! The ingredients are flexible and are basic muesli ingredients that most of us have in the cupboard anyway. Different nuts and dried fruit can be used in the recipe to create different flavours, textures etc. Due to the sticky dates, the ingredients stay firmly together without crumbling.

To make the biscuits look more refined, the nuts can be ground or chopped into various textures in order to give the biscuits a smoother, less chunky look. For instance: grind the brazil nuts to a coarse flour and finely chop the pumpkin seeds. Keep the sunflower seeds whole, since they are small, but chop the almonds with a knife into fairly even pieces. The dried apricots can also be added to the dates, water and oil when blending into the liquid part of the recipe - the apricots will simply aid the dates to hold the biscuits together.

Ingredients

½ cup (130 g) chopped dates

½ cup water

1 Tbsp walnut / hazelnut / rice bran oil

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup (100 g) finely chopped dried (moist) apricots

½ cup (100 g) almonds, chopped

½ cup (100 g) brazil nuts, chopped

½ cup (90 g) pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped

4 Tbsp (45 g) sunflower seeds

4 Tbsp buckwheat seeds, crushed

2 Tbsp goji berries

1 Tbsp finely ground flax seeds

1 Tbsp finely grated zest of mandarin / orange

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

Method

1. Place the dates, water, oil and lemon juice in a mixer and blend until smooth. This mixture will hold the ingredients together to make a batter.

2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix well.

3. Pour the date mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until mixed.

4. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up a little and to give the flax seeds and buckwheat seeds the chance to form a sticky substance with the moisture in the batter.

5. Tip the batter onto a sheet of unbleached wax baking paper. With the back of a large spoon, press the mixture firmly down to a thickness of about 2 cm.

6. Take a biscuit (cookie) cutter and press shapes from the batter. Press the mixture firmly into the biscuit cutter before transferring to another sheet of baking paper (or Paraflexx sheet for the dehydrator). Carefully push the shaped biscuit free from the cutter. Continue making shapes until all the batter is used up - simply spoon the last bit of batter into the cutter, press into shape and transfer to the sheet with the other biscuits.

7. Dry the biscuits out. If you use a dehydrator, dry out for about 4 hours until the biscuits are firm but still retain the moisture from the dried fruit. If you use an oven, set the baking temperature to 40º C (104º F), and dry out for about 2 hours until firm.

Makes about 23 biscuits.

Extra ideas:

You can change the dried fruit in the recipe to give the biscuits different flavours. Try making berry biscuits by using dried cherries, blueberries, cranberries and goji berries. A Caribbean flavour can be achieved by using dried pineapple, paw-paw, coconut and for the spices, add vanilla instead of the spices above.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers and vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.


Original article

What Is Greek Yogurt - How to Make Greek Yogurt At Home

We know that there are several types of yogurts which come in different tastes and flavors. But what is Greek Yogurt and how does it differ from regular yogurt? Well, Greek Yogurt is made by straining plain yogurt in a muslin cloth or paper filter to remove the whey from the yogurt. This type of yogurt therefore has a thicker consistency between that of regular yogurt and cheese, although it retains the distinct sour taste of plain yogurt.

The milk from which the yogurt is prepared is normally boiled thoroughly to extract some of the water. The milk is also made thicker by adding thickening agents if required. This yogurt normally has a higher content of live and active culture present in it than regular yogurt.

How to Make Greek Yogurt At Home

You can prepare Greek Yogurt at home with the normal ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

1. Take two cups of low-fat, plain yogurt.

2. Strain the yogurt using cheese cloth or paper towels for about two to three hours.

3. After straining, add vanilla and sweetener to the mix. Use maple syrup or honey as sweetener.

4. Store in a refrigerator. It stays fresh for several days.

5. Serve the yogurt as topping for fresh fruit. Add cocoa or cinnamon for flavor.

Starting with two cups of yogurt, you can have about 8 servings. This is a much healthier alternative as a tasty topping when compared to whipped cream. If you want a swirly topping, add chocolate or strawberry sauce and mix it a little.

If you wish to have a good energy breakfast, granola and Greek Yogurt are a great combination. If you want a tasty dipping sauce for citrus fruits, strawberries or your chocolate cookies, you can again use homemade yogurt. Another great morning or evening meal is yogurt mixed with three pairs of walnut halves and one tablespoon of natural honey.

For people on a weight loss regimen, Greek Yogurt is a great choice. It comes packed with proteins and keeps you feeling full, helping you cut down on the quantity of food intake. It also has a lower fat content, which again helps greatly in cutting down weight.

Making Greek Yogurt a regular part of your diet can make you stay healthy and lose excess weight. It also provides you with a long list of tasty dishes to add to your repertoire.


Original article

The Easy Way to Make Raw Organic Almond Milk at Home

Raw Organic Almond Milk Made Easy

Have you ever woken up in the morning only to discover that when you went to your refrigerator your milk container was empty? I want to share with you how incredibly easy it is to make your own milk at home using raw organic almonds. Almond milk has no cholesterol and is free of sodium which both contribute to excellent heart health! Raw organic almond milk contains fifty percent of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin E which promotes healthy skin complexion, as well as supporting normal brain function.

The following is an easy step by step process that will help you learn how convenient it is to make raw organic almond milk from the comfort of home. Raw organic almond milk is so easy to make and adds vital nutrients to anyone's diet, providing you with energy and whole food nutrition to sustain your energy levels throughout the day!

You will need to go to a grocery store which carries raw organic almonds. Many health food stores carry a wide variety of organic foods. In my experience it is always a good idea to purchase a few pounds of raw organic almonds to keep in your cupboard. This will cut down on the amount of shopping trips to the grocery stores. It is nice to be well stocked with almonds for several weeks, depending on how much milk you and your family consume.

For the process of making almond milk at home, you only need five items. Raw organic almonds, a blender, a mixing bowl, one liter of purified water, and a nylon mesh bag that will be used to pour the blended almond milk through to strain out the almond pulp at the very end.

The first thing to do is take a cup and a half of raw organic almonds and place them into a bowl to soak. I prefer to start soaking my almonds right before I go to bed at night because they take up to eight hours to soak until they are ready to be blended into milk. The next morning when you go into your kitchen you will need to drain the soaking water out of the almonds and then be sure to rinse them with water a couple of times. The next step is to take the soaked, drained and rinsed almonds and place them into a blender. Once they are in the blender you then add one liter of purified water and blend until the mixture appears creamy in color, like milk! The last step in making raw organic almond milk at home is to place your nylon mesh bag into a mixing bowl and then slowly pour the almond and water mixture inside of the mesh bag. In order to prevent the almond pulp from getting into the strained milk you need to be careful as you are pouring the mixture through the nylon mesh bag so that it will not spill over the edges of the mesh bag as the almond pulp is being strained from the milk. This will ensure you have creamy almond milk, without granules of almond pulp. Then when the entire blend has been poured into the nylon mesh bag as it rests inside the mixing bowl, you can now carefully, holding from the top of the mesh bag, start to gently lift up the bag of milk. As you start lifting the bag up you will need to use your other hand to start slowly and gently squeezing while straining the milk through the bag while the almond pulp is being separated from the milk. Sometimes I will rotate sides of the mesh bag as I am squeezing the milk through. This will ensure you get the most milk for your money! Finally, once you have strained the milk from the pulp, you are ready to pour the raw organic almond milk into a pitcher and enjoy!

Raw organic almond milk has many health benefits. From being loaded with fifty percent of your daily value of vitamin E; supporting normal brain function and promoting healthy skin complexion, to being cholesterol and sodium free for a healthy heart! Making your own in the comfort of your home is so easy and convenient! By following these simple instructions, you are sure to wake up in the mornings with only a few easy steps that are simple, quick and make certain you've got healthy raw organic almond milk in your refrigerator for your enjoyment. Once you do you will feel wonderful knowing you are consciously choosing to support you and your family's health and nutritional needs!


Original article

Dairy-Free and Vegan Potato Salad Recipe With A Kick of An Unexpected Spice

This meat-free & dairy-free potato salad will have you getting rid of the usual & predictable conventional potato salad for sure. In the event your family holiday gatherings are anything like mine, people are asking "where is the potato salad" as soon as they hit the door. This dairy-free, Curried Potato dish is a far cry from the everyday "yellow" or "southern style" potato salad that you've been served year-end and year out. Add a little spice and a unique flavor to your holiday menu. Your guests will welcome the change!

Dairy-Free Curried Potato Salad Recipe:

Potato Salad Dressing:

Ingredients:

·Vegetable or Olive Oil for sautee

·Small chopped red onion

·1 chopped red bell pepper

·1/2 small finely chopped jalapeño pepper

·1 teaspoon celery salt

·1 teaspoon ground cumin

·1 teaspoon ground coriander

·1 teaspoon turmeric

·2 tablespoons of curry powder

·1 cup of raisins (make sure you soak them first in hot water)

·Fresh juice of 1 lime or lemon

·1 cup of Veganise

·2 teaspoons of chopped cilantro

Dressing Directions:

1. In a small skillet, drizzle oil, over medium heat, and allow to get warm. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapeño peppers. Cook vegetables until they are soft. Next, add the celery salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and curry powder. Cook for about 5 minutes. To de-glaze the pan and get the spices from the bottom of the pan, drizzle some lemon juice in the pan.

2. In a food processor or blender, add the vegetable mixture and raisins. Pulse until chopped and smooth. Add half of the lime or lemon juice and the veganaise and cilantro and continue to pulse. Next add the dressing to a bowl and add the remainder of the lime or lemon juice. Stir well and refrigerate.

Salad Ingredients:

·1 pound of cooked and cubed red skinned potatoes

·1/2 pkg of drained extra firm tofu

·1/2 cup of raisins (make sure these have been soaked in hot water)

·Chopped cilantro (optional)

Salad Directions:

1. In a large bowl, crumble the extra firm tofu (with your hands). Next, add the cubed potatoes, raisins and cilantro and toss well.

2. Next, add the dressing to the salad and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Which dishes do you "traditionally" serve during the holidays? Is potato salad among them? What are a few of your favorite potato based meals?

Want to watch EJ as she prepares this delicious recipe? Watch this vegan curried potato salad video recipe. Ebony Johnson is a vegetarian and a vegetarian cooking enthusiast and the creator of Vegetarian Like Me. She invites you to visit Vegetarian Like Me at http://www.vegetarianlikeme.com/ to help you become a healthier and more informed vegetarian. Get access to vegetarian and vegan articles, tips, and vegetarian video recipes. To receive your 5 Free Vegetarian Video Recipes, visit today to join the vegetarian revolution.


Original article

Vegetarian Baked Kibbee - A Must Try!

This dish is simply amazing for vegetarians. Period. It is tasty, flavorful, full of nutrient rich ingredients, and doesn't sacrifice that "hearty meal feel" whatsoever. This is a dish that you can play around with once you are comfortable with this recipe. Add or take away to suit your specific tastes and/or needs and make a dish to call your own.

Vegetarian Baked Kibbee BiSanieh
Ingredients:
- 2 cups minced onion
- 1 ½ cups chopped onions
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ cups fine bulghur wheat
- 1 medium eggplant
- 3 lbs. potatoes
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp allspice
- ½ tsp sumac
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- ¼ cup cooked chick peas
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup pine nuts
- Salt to taste

Method:

Stuffing:
- Sauté 1 ½ cups chopped onions into 3 tbsp olive oil until tender.
- Add pine nuts until they turn light golden color.
- Add allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper...mix well, remove from heat
- Add chickpeas and parsley to the sautéed onions and spices mixture, stirring well; set aside to cool.
- Peel eggplant and cut into long slices (¼ inch thick).
- Oil the base of a baking sheet and add a layer of eggplant brushed with olive oil and bake until soft and tender (8-10 minutes in 350° oven).
- Repeat this step to bake all of the remaining eggplant.
- Boil potatoes until firm yet tender.
- Peel and cut ½ of the cooked potatoes in to very small pieces.

Kibbe:
- Peel remaining potatoes and mash in processor.
- Add 1 tsp of oil and a splash of water to the potatoes to moisten.
- In a mixing bowl, soak bulgur wheat with enough water to dampen and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Mix mashed potatoes with minced onions, then combine with the new softened bulghur wheat and mix thoroughly.
- Work the mixture with your hands (clean hands of course) and then add the remaining spices and knead into a soft doughy mixture.
- Divide the mixture in half.
- Oil the bottom and sides of a 9 by 12 inch baking pan, spreading half the potato and bulgur mixture on the bottom.
- Place one or two layers (your preference) of baked eggplant over the mixture and sprinkle with sumac.
- Add the stuffing mixture, spreading evenly over the eggplant.
- Add the rest of the potato bulgur mixture, smoothing the top using a few drops of water.
- Score the top by cutting the layers into square or diamond shapes.
- Sprinkle with pine nuts.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 25 minutes.

Shaw H. Rabadi, restaurant owner/chef/author, invites you to Eat, Drink, and Be Mediterranean with him for a happier, healthier life!

Visit http://www.themediterraneandigest.com/ for information on his newly released story-cookbook, "Savor the Spices of Life" and more info on eating, cooking, and living a heart healthier life.

Eat Better, Fresher, Smarter!


Original article

The Easy Way to Impress Your Guests - Basil Pesto and Tomato Tart

Make sure you use the best quality tomatoes possible for this recipe. The UK tomato season is from around June to October so even though tomatoes are widely available all year round, I think they are a little bit firmer and a little bit tastier during the summer. You can also get a much wider variety of tomatoes during the summer, I used sugardrop tomatoes for this recipe, which are sweeter than your regular tomatoes and when roasted for the 15 minutes that this recipe needs taste amazing. Some recipes tell you to remove the seeds to stop it getting all soggy, but using small cherry tomatoes means that they don't give off too much liquid.

You can use a jar of pesto but I think a good homemade one is a hundred times better (that's right, 100 times!). If the pesto was for a pasta sauce I would make it a bit chunkier and chop everything by hand or use a pestle and mortar, but for this tart a smooth pesto works better so using a food processor is fine (and much easier!)

Serve the tart with a simple side salad, topped with a few shavings of parmesan and serve as soon as you take it out the oven to keep the pastry nice and crispy. I haven't given exact amounts of each ingredient as it doesn't make too much of a difference whether you have 10 extra basil leaves or an extra pine nut or two, just make sure it has the taste and consistency that you are looking for.

For the Pesto:
1 Clove of Garlic
3 Large Handfuls of Fresh Basil Leaves
1 Large Handful of Pine Nuts
1 Large Handful of Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Half a Small Lemon
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Tart:
Homemade Pesto
Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
A Handful of Best Quality Cherry Tomatoes

For the Side Salad:
Mixed Salad Leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Best Quality Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt

1. For the pesto, place all of the ingredients in a food processor (like i said before, if this is for a pasta sauce take the time and chop everything by hand) and pulse until everything has combined but before it turns into a puree. If it is all still looking a bit dry add another splash of olive oil.

2. Cut out the puff pastry into a rough circle (I prefer the slightly rough-round-the-edges look to a perfect circle) and prick with a fork leaving a 1cm edge all the way round.

3. Put a generous dollop (I think that's the technical term for a measurement of pesto) on the pastry and spread it round, leaving the 1cm border free. Then, cut the tomatoes into 3-4mm slices and layer them on top of the pesto. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on top of the tart and place it on a baking tray in the middle of an oven at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

4. Whilst the tart is cooking, dress your salad leaves with the oil, lemon juice, balsamic, salt and pepper.

5. When the edge of the pastry is a beautiful golden colour and the tomatoes have that slightly dried out look, take the tart out of the oven and serve straight away along with the side salad.

This recipe is from my blog dedicated to all things food. If you would like to see this recipe and ones like it, including the vibrant photos that look as good as the food tastes please visit:

http://lemonandlime.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Adam


Original article

The Best Vegetable Juice Recipes

If you're wondering how on earth you're ever going to eat your "Minimum Daily Requirement" of fruits and vegetables each day, here's a quick and easy solution. Juicing!

The "MDR" varies according to your age, but to simplify it's about 2-3 cups each of fruits and vegetables for adult men and a half cup less of each for women. But remember that the "M" in MDR stands for the minimum amount needed to maintain a healthy body as determined by the US Department of Agriculture nutritional research, not the optimum amount that makes you feel your best!

Whether your goal is minimum or optimum, juicing is the fastest way to ingest and absorb all the nutrients in fruits and vegetables. One pound of produce makes just one cup of fresh juice, so a glass or two a day will do it! And because juicing separates the juice from the fiber, your body absorbs more nutrients faster than if you had eaten the fruit or vegetable whole. And keep in mind that store-bought juice must be pasteurized. This process destroys many good nutrients such as enzymes. And commercially made juice is not fresh or chemical-free.

Juicing is also the best way to ingest green vegetables. These are considered "superfoods" because they are packed with minerals, protein, and alkalizing nutrients, but they are not very tasty. You can simply eliminate their bitter taste by juicing them with other more flavorful foods such as carrots, apples, berries, and bananas.

You can use your creative juices and experiment with fruit and vegetable combinations that suit your taste. If you're worried about wasting time and expensive produce on combos that might taste terrible, just pick up a juicing recipe book to guide you. It will also provide combinations that prevent and even fight a wide variety of illnesses.

Here are my absolute favorite vegetable juice recipes - one for the sweet tooth and one that's spicy:

Sweet Veggie Juice

6 carrots - only peel half the surface!

2 stalks celery - with the greens!

2 sprigs mint or 1"ginger

Spicy Veggie Juice

2 tomatoes - skin and all!

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

½ beet

1 leaf spinach

½ handful fresh parsley

4 sprigs watercress

sea salt and pepper to taste

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Horseradish to taste

Remember to wash your produce to reduce pesticides. Better yet use your own garden grown or farmers' market organic produce to eliminate chemicals altogether. Even large grocery stores now have organic lines of fruits and vegetables - they cost a bit more, but your health is well worth it!

Most juicing appliances are made to be durable so you can juice stems and seeds without harming the appliance. Pits and large seeds should be removed as well as hard husks and skins. Most juicers will clog if you throw in a banana or avocado, so place these in a blender and then combine it with your juiced produce. If you don't want to buy a juicer, you can use a blender but you have to strain the juice or it tastes sandy!

Some people juice entire citrus fruits, rind and all, such as lemons, limes, oranges, and even grapefruit! I'm not one of them. I discard the peel, but I do juice that white pith which is packed with nutrients. Melons also can be juiced in their entire, just beware that the skin adds bitterness to the flavor.

And one more quick tip, don't bother to store your juice by refrigerating or freezing - most of the nutrients value is lost after 24 hours. Some foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, and melon, start losing their nutrients right after you juice them. So it's best to drink your fresh juice right away. If you must store something, freeze the produce, not the juice.

Absolutely nothing is more thirst quenching and good for you - and your children! - than a quick glass of home-made juice. And with juicing, there's no cooking and no pans to clean. So start juicing today!

Jan Gilbert is dedicated to promoting the amazing benefits of freshly juiced, organic fruits and vegetables. Click here for more juicing tips, recipes, and recipe books.


Original article

Raw Foodist's Holiday Survival Guide!

Friends, Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and Christmas will be arriving shortly thereafter! I don't know about you, but this is the always the busiest time of year for me! When I first started eating raw foods nearly 12 years ago, I panicked at the thought of how I would make it through all those holiday food affairs. Parties, snacking, nibbling, cooking, entertaining, food gifts, weight gain worries, my carnivorous family and friends... Oh my goodness how the holiday food pressures got me into such a frenzy! Sound familiar?

Well, thankfully, I have learned a thing or two over the years; especially not to worry about staying raw but true to myself during the holiday season.

Whether you're new to raw vegan foods or a seasoned expert, this is not the time of year to be fretting about that nibble of stuffing, sweet potatoes or cookie you just ate. A healthy mind begins with a healthy body and a healthy body begins with a healthy mind. The gratitude and intention you ingest with your food is just as important as the food itself. If you have a little slip up this Holiday season, it's okay! Forget about it and move on. Know that you do the best for your body so giving yourself a little holiday treat, whether it be a cookie or cooked potatoes, is no big deal. Just eat that cookie with gratitude and love and move on! The guilt you create with bad self-talk is a whole lot worse than the darn cookie!

If it makes you feel good, do it. This is no time to worry or criticize yourself; it's a time to celebrate and give thanks for blessings received and given. So embrace Aunt Susie's mashed potatoes and have a few bites if you must. As the New Year approaches you have plenty of opportunity to grow stronger in your convictions about your loving path toward optimal health with a raw vegan lifestyle all year long.

Here are some tips to help you get through this festive time of year while maintaining balance and harmony and enjoying all the holidays have to offer.

Stop the bad self-talk. Now is not the time to lecture yourself over any past misgivings; diet slip-ups or otherwise. Love yourself completely and abundantly. Enjoy food offerings in whatever form they take. You need not indulge. Temptations will be everywhere; just remember moderation is the key. Your cooked food cravings aren't going to go away unless you've been raw for many years and, even then, it can still be challenging. Staying consistently raw is not easy during this season, especially if you've just begun a raw diet - so think about it as making individual healthy decisions, one situation at a time. Don't sweat it, tomorrow is another day.

Meditate. Do this while standing in front of that table full of cooked food. Take a long deep breath. Walk away. Stay calm and remember why you went raw in the first place. Reconnect with those reasons as you turn your back to that table and walk away. Concentrate on focusing your full attention on talking to someone that is far away from the food. Being mindful and present in your conversations with others helps the voice chattering about food in your head disappear. So engage, listen and enjoy yourself!

Educate yourself during the holidays with all the raw food literature you can find. This way you can intelligently inform your friends and family of all the reasons you are committed to staying raw and maybe interest them to join you on your raw journey.

Start new raw traditions. Here's your chance to show your friends and family that your raw food diet is more than just grazing on a plate of fruit. Bring out those recipes that will leave them breathless and begging for more. Take your beautifully wrapped cakes or pies, like my Coconut Ginger Pumpkin Pie with Sweet Whipped Cream (or other traditional converted holiday dishes like Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecan Topping) to your relatives house, serve up some decadent sweet raw peanut butterscotch fudge at your party, pass it around and let everyone savor its goodness. Make it a point to share your raw food delicacies with your family and friends now and everywhere you go during the holidays and forever! Don't be shy, or embarrassed, don't be afraid to let it all hang out. You care deeply about your health and your future, so let everyone know it. Maybe your healthy passions will catch on.

Eat beforehand. Before attending a party, fill up your belly with as much raw goodness as you possibly can. If it's a work party, bring your own food and take a break to eat before facing the cooked temptations. Indulge in your all-time favorite refreshing green smoothie, juice or power snack bar, right before you go. Have plenty of fresh water on hand at ALL times. Never be without it. Buy yourself the prettiest portable water bottle possible, which helps you savor your water all the more. Wear that bottle like a diamond ring.

Try attending all Raw Potluck Holiday Parties. I know this is not always practical, but here you will find fellowship with like-minded individuals who fully support and understand your lifestyle without SAD food temptations. You'll meet new friends who will help you stay on track throughout the rest of your raw food journey. You'll also learn new recipes which is always fun no matter how long you've been raw!

Happy Holidays!

Make Life Delicious,

Chef Tina Jo

Chef Tina Jo is a highly respected Gourmet Raw Vegan Chef, Author, Speaker, and Coach known internationally for her humor and down-to-earth approach to raw veganism. Chef Tina Jo, along with her TV show Splendor in the Raw, has been awarded Top 10 Best Show, Best Chef, and Best Website in the Best of Raw 2009 Awards and Top 6 Best Show and Best Chef in the 2010 awards. She has made it her life's mission to bring super delicious, fresh, simple, fun, affordable raw vegan food to the mainstream.

Through her books, DVDs, and programs, Tina Jo is teaching Americans how to make healthy lifestyles DELICIOUS, bringing live whole foods back to the dinner table one dinner plate at a time.

Make your own delicious, easy to prepare holiday foods with Chef Tina Jo's latest book: http://www.cheftinajo.com/holidayfoods


Original article

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