Healthy For The Hollidays: Cut Down The Oil !

With the holidays around the corner, we know we will be eating many rich holiday foods before we know it. I'm beginning to think of ways I can start cutting down on calories now. 

One of the simplest ways to reduce calories is to start being aware of how much oil you are consuming. 

Consumer Beware #1- Need To Know

 I received this email from Vani who is a mother and an advocate who publishes a blog called, Food Babe! 

This is not the first time that I heard about high concentration of Roundup weed killer showing up in our packaged foods such as cheerios and many others.  I decided to share 

Elevate Your Dishes with Homemade Tofu Ricotta Cheese: A Versatile Vegan Delight

Elevate Your Dishes with Homemade Tofu Ricotta Cheese: A Versatile Vegan Delight

Do you love cheese but are trying to cut back on high fat foods and inflammatory dairy? Try this 2 ingredient, easy, delicious alternative.

Antipasto Pasta Salad With Olives and Artichokes

 You are going to love this easy to make simple Italian pasta salad, especially if you love olives like I do!

What could be easier or tastier than assembling an antipasto pasta salad using the fixings from a salad bar or your own fixings bar? 

It simply involves cooking up a little pasta, mixing it up with fixings, and enjoying. It's easy, yet very tasty. 

In fact, it is so tasty and appealing, it's good enough to serve to company! 

My favorite add-ins are the marinated artichokes, olives, chickpeas and cherry tomatoes and then an oil-free Italian dressing.

The concept is easy. Make your pasta and then mix it with whatever you find on the salad bar. Then add Italian dressing ! 

I love pasta and often make it on the spur of the moment. 

Once cooked, these simple additions make the pasta dish into something special.

The pastabilities are endless for this wonderful plant-based gluten-free meal!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of my followers a wonderful happy new year! May all your wishes come true!

Notes: 

1. I use gluten-free pasta

2. This is delicious for a party

3. I toss it in Italian dressing ( I use a oil-free dressing, but use what you like)- this makes it!!

Pompeii Pasta Ala Tina

I'm really excited about this incredible Pompeii pasta recipe that is made with artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, garlic and white wine--all ingredients that I need to use up before Wednesday. Why? 

Hearts of Palm Angel Hair Pasta with Hummus Dressing

Pasta is one of my favorite foods, and there are so many "new" types of pasta available. 

The newest "pasta" that I found is "hearts of palm" angel hair pasta. It is made from 100 % hearts of palm and shredded to look like angel hair pasta. There are quite a few companies making it, and I believe Trader Joe sells one!

Creamy Basil Pesto - Vegan, Low-fat Version

Got Lots of basil ? Enjoy a low fat basil pesto. 

Do you love the taste of fresh basil pesto? 

This is a tasty low-fat alternative that is a great substitute for those needing or wanting to reduce or restrict fat in their diet.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera

Looking for a delicious, light, and healthy pasta entree that is loaded with flavorful roasted summer vegetables, tasty olives, capers, and artichoke hearts? This easy vegan pasta primavera is it!!

Black Bean Eggplant Sauce for Pasta, Rice, or Polenta

Looking for an easy homemade marinara sauce to eat over pasta, rice, polenta, baked potato, or even cooked vegetables? This delicious sauce that will perk up any meal, meets oil-free, gluten-free, and vegan standards too. read more

Quick and Easy Eggplant Marinara Sauce for Pasta, Rice, or Quinoa

This is no ordinary tasting marinara sauce. 

Cooked eggplant in a simple sauce brings it to a whole new level. Do you ever feel like you want to find more ways to use eggplant?

This thick and rich eggplant sauce is quick and easy to make and tastes hearty and delicious. Perfect over your favorite pasta (I use GF chickpea pasta), rice, quinoa or any kind of grain. Or I've even used it as a cold dip with chips!

 

read more

Mushroom and Herbs Pasta Stir Fry- Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Oil-Free

Do you like pasta? I do, and I love eating this interesting medley made with mushrooms and herbs. It's easy to make and can be thrown together for a quick weeknight dinner. 

I used penne pasta (gluten-free), tossed it with a sauté of mushrooms, onions, and herbs de Provence. Before serving I added some fresh spinach which wilted in the pot. It was a balanced healthy very tasty entree.

Mushrooms cook up quickly, are light and tasty, and add a delightful flavor to just about any recipe. In addition, they are low in calories, fat, and carbs and provide a decent amount of B Vitamins which are important for energy and they also contain vitamin D which is important for immunity. 

I purchased a giant size container of baby portobello mushrooms at Costco. I find that mushrooms don't usually stay firm too long, so I like to cook them within a few days of buying them. I had to use a lot of them. This recipe allows the flavor of the mushroom to dominate. This recipe only used half the container or mushrooms so I'll be making another mushroom recipe too for another day.

Easy To Make 

First I boiled some water for pasta. While the pasta was cooking, I chopped an onion and cleaned and sliced the mushrooms. Next, I sautéed the onions for about 5 minutes. When the onions started to stick to the skillet, I added 2 tablespoons of water and then added the mushrooms. The juices from the mushrooms provided enough liquid to continue sautéing for another 5 minutes while I stirred frequently. When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the pan with the sauté, added herbs de Provence  and stirred until everything was mixed well. I then decided to add fresh spinach which wilted nicely into the dish, but you could leave it out.

We really enjoyed this simple yet healthy pasta dish which could be served for any weeknight dinner or even served to guests for a special occasion. 

There are many kinds of high protein pastas available- see my post on variety of pasta . 

If you prefer a tomato based sauce on your pasta, you might enjoy my chunky eggplant sauce which is one of our favorite sauces for  pasta.

Ingredients: 

8 ounces of penne pasta ( I used a chickpea pasta that is gluten-free and high in protein), cooked 

1 and 1/2 cups of chopped onion

5 cups of sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence ( or substitute an Italian seasoning blend) 

2 cups of fresh spinach, sliced ribbon style

Optional: 1 and 1/2 cups of marinara sauce 

Directions: 

While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet to sauté vegetables. Add the chopped onions and begin to sauté for 3-4 minutes-stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons of water, stir, and then add mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Turn off and set aside. When pasta is cooked, drain, and add the hot pasta to the skillet with the mushrooms and stir. Add the chopped spinach and enjoy. 

My Notes: 

1. As an alternative,  I like to top my bowl with some heated marinara sauce. 

2. I used a chickpea pasta which provides a significant amount of protein. If you use regular pasta and want to add more protein, add chickpeas to the mix. 

3. This is a plant-based, oil-free vegan entree. 

4. You may notice that I do not sauté with oil anymore. Why? Well, it saves a ton of calories which helps me keep my weight down, I find I am perfectly happy with the taste of my dishes without added oil. 

However, it goes deeper- I have been reading cutting edge information by prominent and well respected doctors. See my previous posts and read  18 doctors that drive the Whole Food Plant-Based Food Movement. The information is eye opening. 

 

Perfect Spaghetti In The Instant Pot

You will love making spaghetti in the Instant Pot. It's so easy and no draining necessary.

Easy Vegan Parmesan "Cheese"

I'm excited about this easy 4 ingredient plant-based vegan Parmesan "cheese".  It's delicious and has the look and texture of the real thing. 

Great for anyone who is vegan, dairy-free, kosher or if you are looking to cut down on sources of unwanted animal fat.

Easy Pasta Salad -Healthy, Vegan and Gluten Free

Eating pasta just got healthier and it's pasta salad time in our house! 

Mixed with any kind of vegetable, the new high protein pastas, which are on all the supermarket shelves, are a great base for a quick and easy healthy meal, and you can be as creative as you like with the variety of vegetables that you add to the salad.

Delicious High Protein Pastas and Vegan Sauces

Pasta made from red lentils, mung beans, fava beans, and edamame??? Yes - and they are delicious. 

I want to share some of the wonderful high protein pastas that I received from a company called Explore Cuisine. 

 

Don't they look amazing?  AND they are!! 

Part of the fun of being a blogger is being asked to review books and products. I received 5 boxes of this new high protein pasta. 

I tried the fava bean fusilli and the red lentil pasta first. I enjoyed them both. 

I have always loved pasta (who hasn't? ) but as an adult, I usually have avoided it because it is low in protein and low in fiber. In addition, many pastas that are gluten -free often get gooey and gummy. That was not my experience with these pastas. 

I was pleased to see the high amount of both fiber and protein in each of these Explore Cuisine boxes. In addition, these pastas are organic and gluten-free -another big plus for me!

After trying all five boxes that they sent me, I decided that fava bean fusilli tastes and looks like most like regular pasta. This is good news because I often make pasta for my grandkids and they are FUSSY. The fava been fusilli meets my grandkid's taste standards and my standards for both taste, fiber, protein, and nutrients.

The fava bean fusilli provides 25 grams of protein per 3.5 ounce serving. That is amazing! Certainly enough protein for any meal. The red lentil pasta has the least protein with 12 grams which is still a significant amount of protein considering the following guidelines (always check with your doctor to be sure of your own needs)

General Protein Needs

1-3 year olds need about 13 grams of protein per day

4-5 year olds need about 19 grams of protein per day

6-13 year olds need about 20-35 grams of protein per day depending on their weight and height

Adult females need about 46 grams of protein per day depending on their weight and height

Adult males need about 56 grams of protein per day depending on their weight and height.

I know that my daughter-in-laws are always concerned about the grandkids eating enough protein. These delicious pastas are a mother's dream come true. 

Perhaps you are trying to cut back on meat and other animal products. High protein pasta is a great choice! 

I'm really enjoying these Explore Cuisine healthy high protein bean pastas. 

I live in South Florida and I haven't seen them in my local markets, but I have seen them in my local Costco. 

Creamy Almond Tomato Sauce 

Ingredients : 

2 cups of red lentil penne pasta, cooked according to the directions on the box and set aside.

1 clove of fresh garlic

1/2 cup of basil

3/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, all liquid drained

2/3 cup of blanched almonds

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 and half cups of nut milk

 

Directions: 

Add garlic and fresh basil to a food processor and process until chopped ( adding a tablespoon of water if needed). Add sun dried tomatoes, almonds, tomato paste and continue to process adding small amounts of nut milk to begin to get a saucy consistency. Toss into the pasta for a wonderful plant-based dinner.

Try some of my other delicious sauces

Eggplant Sauce for Pasta

Marinated Cherry Tomato Sauce for Pasta 

Cashew Basil Cream Sauce 

Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Disclaimer: Although I was provided with the products all thoughts in the review are my own.

NOTES: 

The 5 pastas that I reviewed meet gluten-free standards

Cashew Basil Cream

I am excited about this simple cashew creamy sauce that not only can be made using a variety of ingredients, it also can be used on a variety of different dishes! I'm sharing my favorite way to prepare it which is the basic cashew basil cream. 

Kasha Varnishkes Like Bubbie Made

Have you ever heard of Kasha Varnishkes? No one made Kasha Varnishkes like my "Bubbie" (grandmother) who emigrated from Russia solo to the USA in the early 1900's. At the age of 16, she brought little with her except her courage and her mother's recipes.

One of my favorites was her hearty and savory recipe for kasha varnishkas which is a mix of pasta, sautéed onions, and buckwheat groats (kasha). 

Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce

If you love Alfredo sauce but don't love the heavy fat content from the cream and butter, this healthy vegan Alfredo recipe is for you! It is very easy to make, smooth and creamy, tasty and the perfect dairy free, nut free, parve and gluten free substitute for the traditional high fat and caloric Alfredo sauce. I'm excited about it and the possibilities. Weight Watchers are you listening?

Eat Pasta; Lose Weight

Book Review: The Mamma Mia! Diet

Can you eat pasta and lose weight?
Anything is possible and the authors say yes!

The Mamma Mia! Diet is a book and cookbook which explains how you can eat pasta, enjoy wine, and still lose weight. 

Shirataki Noodles- no calories and tastes great

If you haven't tried Shirataki noodles, run don't walk to your nearest supermarket for a package of these delicious no or low calorie noodles! 

They are found in the refrigerator case next to the tofu. That is because some of these packages are made from tofu and some are made from white yams!