Nutty Granola & Coconut Milk

I love crunchy nutty granola and I've finally nailed down a great recipe that is loaded with nuts and seeds. I've replaced the butter with extra virgin coconut oil and added a few spices to give it a really great depth of flavor.

This granola is great to dip bananas in as a snack, top your pancakes in the morning or simply eat with coconut milk. Turtle Mountain makes incredible dairy free milk and ice cream using coconut milk. I love it more than regular milk and it's loaded with vitamins and oh so good for you! No cholesterol, excellent source of B12, Vegan, no trans fats, gluten free, rich in medium chain fatty acids, soy free and dairy free. The ice cream is to die for which I was sad to think I would have to give up ice cream until I discovered this little gem. The chocolate is my favorite!

Nutty Granola

4 1/2 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 Cup Almonds, Slivered

1 Cup Sunflower Seeds

1 Cup Walnuts

1/2 Cup Flax Seeds

1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds

2/3 Cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Melted

1/2 Cup Whole Cane Sugar, Organic

1/2 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon, Fresh Ground

1/2 Teaspoon Allspice, Fresh Ground

1/4 Teaspoon Cloves, Fresh Ground

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt, Course Ground

Mix all ingredients together making sure that all is incorporated and the coconut oil coats the pieces. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then bake in a 300 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes. Watch it to make sure the nuts do not burn. Let the granola cool completely and put in an airtight container.

Healing Properties:

Cinnamon - Helps blood sugar levels

Allspice - Effective digestive aid

Cloves - Helps to prevent digestive tract cancers and treat joint inflamation

Sunflower Seeds - Excellent Source of Vitamin E

Flax Seeds - High in Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Fiber

Walnuts - Fiber, Vitamin B and E, Magnesium, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and helps lower LDL cholesterol

Oats - High in fiber, helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar

This kind of morning cereal is so much more powerful to your system than a boxed variety. Make a big batch and watch what happens to your body!

Mexican Fruit Salad & Flaxseed Toast Breakfast

Eating healthy in the morning doesn't have to consist of oatmeal and juice. Since I'm trying to get my thyroid regulated naturally, I'm trying to consume more extra virgin coconut oil which is a miracle food. Check out this website for more information

http://www.coconutdiet.com/thyroid_health.htm

So the best way is to consume at least 3 tablespoons of coconut oil daily by using it as a cooking oil and simply adding to your food instead of using butter. Which now that I am trying to be vegan these days it's a wonderful addition to my pantry and since it helps regulate the metabolism I'm excited to see that is starting to work. It's also a relief to be able to have healthy fats in my diet without feeling deprived.

I really enjoy toasting some flax seed bread that is loaded with Omega 3. Spread on some coconut oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt. My favorite way to eat fruit is to dice it up and squeeze fresh lime juice on it with a sprinkle of chili pepper. The sweet and sour notes are so satisfying and much more fun that peeling an apple or orange. I usually use fresh mango, nectarines, pineapple, strawberry or kiwi. It really depends on what is fresh at the market that week.

Cremini Mushroom, Caramelized Shallots and Goat Cheese Pizza

Cremini Mushrooms (baby portabellas) are an excellent source of selenium. Selenium is a powerful anti-cancer fighting ingredient. Especially lowering the risk of prostate cancer.

Mushrooms are also an unrecognized source of potassium which is an element that helps lower blood pressure. Did you know that a 3 oz portion of portabella mushrooms provide more potassium than an orange or banana? Here's a simple recipe that is fulfilling and a snap to prepare:

1 lb Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced

1 Small Shallot, Sliced Thin

2 Tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil

Pinch of Dried Thyme

1/4 Cup Sherry Wine

1/8 Tsp Sea Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Whole Wheat Flat Bread

Olive Oil Spray

1 oz Goat Cheese

4 oz Fresh Baby Arugula

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar

In a saute pan, melt coconut oil and saute sliced shallots until softend. Add cremini mushrooms and dried thyme and saute until wilted and tender.

Add the sherry wine and cook the liquid out. Add sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Spray Olive Oil on the top of the whole wheat flatbread and sprinkle a little sea salt and cracked black pepper on top. In a 375 degree oven or on the gas grill warm the flatbread for about 5 minutes.

Then add the mushrooms and shallots on top of the flatbread and crumble goat cheese on top. Heat in oven until goat cheese begins to melt and flat bread is crisp.

In a small bowl add the baby arugula and toss with extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Slice pizza and serve with arugula salad.

Arugula - There are a number of nutrients in arugula - arugula greens provide an absorbable source of calcium, iron, manganese, copper and potassium. Good source of vitamin A, C and K and folic acid. Folic Acid helps form red blood cells just like B12. Folic Acid helps play the role in cardiovascular health which may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Hearty Fast Vegan Dinner

Some nights you just want to get home, kick off your shoes and chill without having to hassle with too much prep for dinner while trying to remain on a vegan or vegetarian diet. Tonight was one of those nights and if you pick up these 3 items and have them ready for that kind of night, your in for a treat!

Deboles makes a nice organic handmade pasta that is made from artichoke flour and whole wheat. It is a rich source of protein and dietary fiber as compared to traditional pasta, Jerusalem artichoke flour naturally contains inulin, a prebiotic that stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system track that aids in digestion and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

Mezzetta makes a great line of pasta sauces that are all natural and are a great trick when you are in pinch and need a sauce without the hassle and preservatives. I love the Artichoke Marinara. Add some to a pot, add a little pinch of dried thyme and dump in some soy meatballs. Simmer for 20 minutes on low and serve with the whole wheat artichoke flour pasta.

These meatballs are so good, my son likes them better than real meat and it's good for you without adding animal products to your meal. You can even use the left overs as a meatball sandwich in a whole wheat hoagie and soy cheese!

These soy meatballs are 13g of protein, no MSG, no cholesterol, no trans fat, excellent source of fiber and calcium. Give them a try, you won't be disapointed.

Purple Taco & Nut Meat?

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm trying to fall into this vegetarian lifestyle with ease. So when I got a craving for lunch and didn't want the normal salad or stir fry, I turned to a raw vegan recipe that hits the spot and is packed with nutrients. Purple cabbage leaves filled with baby spinach, chopped green onions, cilantro and nut meat.

Nut meat? I'm sure some of you are wondering what nut meat is and I'm here to tell you that this is a fantastic alternative to soy and meat. Chopped raw almonds and walnuts are combined with spices to make a faux meat filling. It has a wonderful flavor packed punch and gives you the filling of something substantial when consuming raw vegetables which sometimes seem to leave you feeling hungry right after you ate.

Combine

1/2 Cup Whole Almonds, Raw

1/2 Cup Whole Walnuts, Raw

1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder

1/8 Teaspoon Chayenne Pepper

2 Tablepsoon Sundried Tomatoes (packed in oil)

1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (not OVOO)

1 Teaspoon Braggs Amino (Soy Sauce Alternative)

Put all ingredients in the food processor and give it a whirl. Process until then nuts form a course paste.

To assemble the cabbage tacos:

Remove the leaves from a red cabbage head

Cut out the touch pieces in the middle if it's too difficult to fold

Add baby spinach, chopped green onions and fresh cilantro. Fill with nut meat and enjoy!

Super Power Packed Lunch - No Carbs and full of flavor!

Healing Properties:

Purple Cabbage - 36 Cancer Fighting properties and loaded with Vitamin C

Spinach - Fiber rich, Vitaman A, B and C, Potassium and Calcium

Cilantro - Lowers Cholesterol, when mixed with Omega 3's like nuts it magnifies the power to heal viral and bacterial infections

Almonds - Vitamin E, magnesium, calcium and potassium

Walnuts - Mineral rich in maganese that helps support brain function, support liver function and cure heart disease.

Cumin - Helps the digestive system, eliminate urinary track issues and support the immune system.

Becoming a Vegetarian

This blog was a brain child of someone who loves to eat wonderful food and over the past 10 years my weight and health has been compromised in the process. Four years ago my father suffered a terrible battle with throat cancer and watching the recent stories flooding the airways on Michael Douglas brought back a whale of tears and sadness for him as I know he will be fighting for his life to recover from this terrible sickness.

Recently I was hospitalized for high blood pressure and a rapid heart beat that made me feel like passing out. Although five years ago I experienced a similar episode and was put into intenstive care for a pace maker installation, I still hadn't made the change to a completely healthier lifestyle. It was really crazy to think that someone who had always had a very healthy life developed a heart disease in just a few years. Over the past five years I still didn't do much about making a change to my diet and still consumed meats, alcohol and a variety of high fat and calorie meals. See my problem is that I love food and I don't mean eating, I love all kinds of food, how to cook it, how to combine flavors together, dining with friends, everything that has to do with food, I love. I'm an operations manger for a successful catering and gourmet to go retailer and I am around food 24/7. So going on a diet and depriving myself has been something that I didn't want to experience. I've had enough deprivation through failed relationships and I found comfort in great food. However I didn't realize that I had issues... for lack of a better word, abandonment issues.

So now I need a new lease on life and I have been researching the raw food diet, vegan diets and vegetarian lifestyles for a while now and have been facinated with how food is prepared with raw ingredients and how more and more people are jumping on this food revolution. For some reason I am at a place where I feel the need to make the change, finally. It was strange, it was like a light went off and I decided that eating meat wasn't appealing to me. It's not a political view and I'm not going around saying that I don't eat anyting with eyes, it's just that I don't feel like my body is processing flesh from animals too well. Plus that sounds like of gross when you think about it. So I have slowly vowed to start eliminating animal flesh from my diet. And I have to say, I feel really good, more alert, and a little spring in my step that I haven't had in a long while. I'm staying up later and sleeping really well, which is something I have been fighting for a few years.

Not eating meat is kind of strange for girl whose family owned a meat packing plant. I remember going to the plant with my father while he worked on Saturdays and it was normal to see cows being slaughtered. I grew up on red meat and it wasn't until my parents divorced that I started eating a lot of chicken and processed foods from a box. But now days it's all over the news how organic is better and eating foods more in their whole form is the best way to gain back your health. I recently did some cookbook testing for Carrie Vitt who is putting out a really nice cookbook on organic cooking. It really made me think, how easy it is to transition to more organic ingredients and also shift to more vegetables. So, I am going to go vegetarian for 3o days to see how my body responds and then after that time if I feel that I want to take the plung into the world of a vegan, I will do it. Cutting all dairy such as cheese and yogurt is a little hard for me to process but I have a feeling after these 30 days I just might change my mind.

This blog was intended to be a blog of information about food, how each natural form of food has a specific purpose to nourish our bodies. So I guess now this blog will have a deeper meaning and will speak as a journal on my quest for a better life. A twist of life....

Sweet Mango

Its the end of summer and the heat is starting to lighten up a bit this weekend. The windows are open and my son and the dogs are finally enjoying the outdoors again.

Its a perfect evening for something light and refreshing for dinner tonight. The grill is heating up and I'm making the perfect summer salad to go with my Teriyaki Portabella Burger.

I've been trying to lower my blood pressure and have vowed to only eat meat once a week and incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet daily. So this week has been a complete transformation with the way that usually eat...and I have to say, I feel great this week.

Since I wanted a light menu. I marinated a portabella mushroom in sesame oil, pineapple juice, lemongrass, ginger, soy sauce and scallions. I then reserved some of the juice to baste the portabella with during the grilling process. Grilled a fresh pineapple ring to garnish and viola. Teriyaki Portabella Burgers. Making my own sauce teryaki sauce helps control the amount of salt and the preservatives which is really important when watching the amount of sodium and additives in bottled varieties.

The other day I picked up some mangos at the market and they were still a little firm, so I put them in a basket on the counter for a few days and today they are perfectly ripe and sweet. So I decided to make a summer evening salad with avocado, mango, cilantro, chili and lime. It's so incredible and the flavors pop with the chili and lime. Give it a try....it's really a treat.

Mangos are packed with vitamins...Here's the rundown of these juicy jewels:

Mangoes contain phenols, this phenolic compound has powerful antioxidant and anticancer abilities.

They are high in iron, pregnant women and people with anemia are encouraged to eat mangos regularly.

Mangos are effective in relieving clogged pours of the skin, combat acidity and poor digestion.

They are high in antioxidants and low in carbohydrates.

Mangos are a rich source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), E and Selenium which will help to protect against heart disease and other ailments.

So you can see, incorporating mangos in your diet is essential in many ways.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend...Enjoy the outdoors.