Health for Life Cooking

Health for Life Cooking in February

2012-02-02T21:19:00.007-07:00

Egg Plant Roll Ups
All the flavors of lasagna but no noodles. The eggplant is baked to perfect tenderness and rolled up around a delicious mixture of onion, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, tofu and spinach. Topped with a home made spaghetti sauce.

Greens and Grains

This original recipe, called "Pasta with Greens" from Andrew Weil, used a whole grain pasta. This was one of my husbands favorite dishes. In my quest to use only whole, intact grains, I'm using quinoa, which is a very light high protein grain that works perfect in place of pasta. It is mixed with a tasty combination of sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, olives, and capers.

Basic Spinach Salad with a Citrus Balsamic Vinegarette
(Not pictured)

Nutty Chocolate Cookies

Chunkey chewey and delicious! Rich in omega 3 fatty acids from flax seed, anti-oxidant rich cocoa powder and sweetened exclusively with fruit.
Dairy free and gluten free.

Health for Life Cooking to Start the New Year

2011-12-28T11:15:00.008-07:00

Happy New Year! What a great time to recommit to excellent health! Commit to high nutrient plant based meals that will add health to your life. Let Health for Life cooking teach you how.

The menu for January classes will include:

Chick Pea Noodle Soup

A delicious alternative to traditional Chicken Noodle Soup that is loaded with fiber and micro-nutrients from chick peas and a lot of veggies. It is also gluten free because the noodles are made from zucchini! I'm really excited about his one! The strips of zucchini , when cooked just right, take on a soft texture that make perfect noodles. The broth is flavored with a chicken style seasoning that gives it a chicken noodle soup flavor. It's hot and satisfying on a cold winter night.

Chick Pea Rice & Broccoli Casserole

One of my favorite dishes as a kid was my grandma's chicken and rice casserole. If you can make chicken noodle soup with chick peas, why couldn't you make chicken and rice casserole with chick peas? Well, you can! I was very excited when this dish came together quite nicely and my husband announced, "I like this stuff!" That's pretty good coming from him without me even asking "What do you think?" With a creamy white sauce that is dairy, soy and gluten free, this dish is at the top of my comfort food list. It's also high in nutrients with GOMBS: greens, onions, mushrooms, beans, and seeds. GOMBS are Dr. Furhmans top 5 super foods. He says that they "fight cancer with every bite!" If you get all of them in one meal, I consider it a 5 star meal.

Purple Power Smoothie

One of the best ways to get a lot of nutrients from green vegetables into a quick and easy meal is with a green smoothie. In other words, a fruit smoothie that includes green leafy vegetables.

Blending greens, as oppose to eating a salad, breaks down the plant fibers so small that you dramatically increase the amount of nutrients that get absorbed into your cells. When I started drinking daily smoothies in 2006, my nails and teeth got stronger, my hair didn't come out as much, and they just tasted and felt so good to me. It felt lke my cells were soaking up thousands of powerful disease protective nutrients. Green smoothies are also a great way to help clean out the holiday gunk!

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking to start the new year. Class dates are Tuesday January 10 and Wednesday January 18. Hope to see you in class!

To register, contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com.

My Holiday Challenge - Be Sugar Free!

2011-12-09T13:38:00.008-07:00

There is just something about the sight of a tin of chocolates or a plate of home baked cookies during the holidays that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They look so appealing and taste so delicious! But unfortunately, after I've eaten 5 or 6 (or even just one for that matter) I don't feel so well. A head ache quickly comes on, and if I've eaten too many, my back starts to ache. Oh yes, and the instant sugar buzz! Then the voices in my head start saying "you really shouldn't have eaten that." I begin to think about what all that sugar is doing to my body including weakened immune system, calcium depletion, increased acid, and oh my poor pancreas has to work over time to get that sugar out of my blood stream and into the cells which eventually give me too much energy.....and it's usually at 2 am. Funny how all those things didn't matter BEFORE I partook of the forbidden goodies!

So is all of that really worth the 30 seconds of pleasure? Absolutely not! That is why this year I'm committing to staying processed sugar free through out the holidays, until 2012! I'm also including all so-called "healthy" sugars including agave, maple syrup, honey, and any type of granulated sugar. Click here to find out why.

As the years have gone by and my diet has gotten healthier, I've lost the desire for sugary foods for the most part. It's just this time of year, when well meaning neighbors bring treats and the front desk at work is cluttered with an assortment of cookies and chocolates, that I feel this little tug and a voice inside me that says "It's the holidays! Have a little fun!" Well, I have plenty of fun through out the holidays eating great food, feeling great and enjoying some of my healthy whole food date/nut candies and cookies that don't make me feel horrible and keep me up all night.

This past week I committed to both my Health for Life class and my Bosch class and now I'm telling the world! I would love to have some company! Feel free to post your commitment. To help you out, I've posted a great recipes for Christmas Truffles here.

Happy Holidays and best of health to all in 2012!

April

Health for Life Holiday Treats

2011-11-24T11:19:00.003-07:00

Christmas without yummy treats would be like Christmas without Santa Clause. Luckily you don't have to gain 10 pounds over the holidays because of these sinful pleasures. There are tasty alternatives!

For the third year in a row, I am offering Health for Life Holiday Treat Class on Wednesday December 7, at 6:00 pm.

The treats that I will be demonstrating are:

Simple Date Sugar Cookies, Christmas Truffles, "They taste like Christmas" Nut Balls, Sprouted Cinnamon Almonds, and Raw Sesame Carob Fudge.

Those attending will get samples in class and then will go home with a decorative Christmas tin full of these tasty treats!

This is the tastiest class of the year! Space is unlimited! Must pre-register by contacting April at health4life07@yahoo.com.

Hope to see you in class!

April

Health for Life Cooking for the Holidays

2011-10-22T21:22:00.013-06:00

Holiday Lentil Loaf w/ Mushroom Gravy

This lentil loaf is the perfect replacement for the traditional turkey or ham that most always adorns the holiday table.
Lentils and mushrooms not only provide great nutrition but also provide an earthy rich flavor along with the wonderful holiday herbs of sage, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme. Topped with a mushroom gravy, this loaf is delicious and very filling!

Creamy Cashew Kale
Please remember that the worst looking dishes are sometimes the best! My mouth waters when I think about this dish. The original recipe comes from Dr.Fuhrman but I have tweaked it just a bit to lower the fat content. It's one of the favorites in his archive of recipes. The cashew sauce makes it rich and creamy and so delicious! I'm not sure if you'll get your kids to even try this but
once they do, they will be hooked.

Cranapple Relish Salad
I loved traditional canned cranberry sauce as a kid but these days it would make my head spin from all the sugar! This Cranapple Relish Salad is sweetened completely with apples and dates. It's so delicious I start making it and eating it for breakfast as soon as cranberries are available. Cranberries are high in anti-oxidants so are great for warding off the winter cold.

Pumpkin Pie w/ Non-Dairy Cream
I've made this pumpkin pie for years from canned pumpkin and I'm finally venturing out and using home cooked pumpkin. Sweetened 100% with dates, this pie is wholesome, low fat and delicious!

And there you have it! Health for Life Cooking for the holidays! November classes are Wednesday November 2 and Tuesday November 8. Hope to see you in class! April

Health For Life Cooking in October

2011-09-26T18:44:00.012-06:00

Fabulous Fall Favorites

The menu for October classes will include:

Butternut and White Bean Stew

This is a rich and creamy comfort stew that is so delicious and nutritious! The butternut squash gives it this beautiful yellow color which adds important carotenoids, powerful anti-oxidants found primarily in winter squash. White beans and kale are also added to make this stew very satisfying and delicious!

Sweet Basmati Rice w/ Slivered Almonds and Kale
Basmati rice is wonderfully aromatic and smells like popcorn when you cook it. It has a mild sweetness that goes perfect with toasted almonds, shredded carrots, and plump raisins. And believe it or not, kale is a great addition to this dish as well.

Demonstrated with this meal will also be Dijon Pecan Dressing which will be served with a mixed green salad.

Chunky Monkey Pumpkin Cookies

"These are the best cookies I've had" was the comment from one of my taste testers! They also got my 5 year old grandsons approval!

These cookies are loaded with pecans, coconut, raisins, oats, dates, and a small amount of simi-sweet non dairy chocolate chips just to take them over the top!
These contain NO wheat, dairy, or extracted oils. Chocolate chips contain processed sugars.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking classes in October. Class dates are Wednesday October 5 and Tuesday October 18.

Hope to see you in class.
April

For more information, contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com.

Health for Life Cooking in September

2011-08-22T12:47:00.009-06:00

September, Labor Day, starting another school year all reminds me of end of summer family get-to-gathers in the park or at my grandparents which always included good food. And many times it included burgers, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and peach cobbler. So this month we are celebrating the end of summer.... as if there is something to celebrate when summer comes to an end. Oh yes, I remember, cooler days and more hiking and getting outdoors. Yes!! Just what I need!

"Better then a Big Mac" Burger

I have wanted to create a veggie patty that looks like a "regular" burger and had the mouth feel and taste of one. Well, this one may look the part but without all the fat, it's hard to have that greasy mouth feel. Besides that, do we really want it? As for taste.....well, I'm not so sure I want it to taste like a "real" hamburger either. So this is a burger that just tastes gosh darn good!! Way better than a Big Mac! This patty is lentil and oat based and seasoned just right. It will be served with all the trimmings on sprouted sesame seed bread.

Colorful Kohlrabi Cole Slaw
Kohlrabi is a new vegetable (new to me that is) that has adorned my refrigerator lately, and I thought it would be fun to include it in the menu this month. I have been buying it local and have found it to be a nice addition to coleslaw. It's a cruciferous vegetable and reminds me of cabbage but has a bit of a turnip taste. Mixed in with some green and purple cabbage, shredded carrot, just a little bit on onion and dressed with a light creamy dressing, this salad is a nice addition to any meal.

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
(sorry no picture yet)
A simple salad of just what is says. Corn, vine ripe tomatoes, and diced avocado with a little red onion and a zesty lemon and lime dressing.

Raw Peach Crumble

My grandma made the best peach cobbler ever!! I remember her taking it out of the oven and setting it out on the back patio to cool. I couldn't wait to dig in! Needless to say, peach cobbler is one of my favorite desserts. However, in my study of nutrition, I have come to firmly believe that fruit is best eaten raw. So I wanted to come up with a raw version of this most delicious dessert. And this is it! Fresh, in season peaches, dates to sweeten just a bit, and a oat, nut crumble on top. I set this out in the sun for an hour or so and it's warm and juicy! Almost as good as grandmas! This is one of those desserts that is so healthy, you can eat it for breakfast!

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking in September. Class dates are Tuesday September 6 and Wednesday September 14. Additonal class may be added on request.

*Burger and cobbler will be demonstrated at my Bosch Kitchen Center class on Thursday September 8th. See "At The Bosch" page for details.

Health for Life cooking in August

2011-07-21T15:05:00.014-06:00

The heat is in full force so we are going to keep it cool for August with a cool summer salad, oven baked chips and bean dip and then we'll cool it way down with some delicious non-dairy ice cream.

Mexicali Rice and Black Bean Salad

A cool, spicy Mexican style salad with black beans, corn, brown rice, vine ripe tomatoes, peppers, onion, avocoado and seasonings.

Best of the Boarder Bean Dip w/ Tofu Sour Cream
A blend of 3 kinds of beans, onions, chilis, and tomatoes, layered with Tofu Sour Cream (will be demonstrated) and freshly made Simple Guacamole, topped with vine ripe tomatoes and olives. This will be served with Home Baked Seasoned Corn Chips. I've served this at many "SAD" family function and is always very well received.

Maple Pecan Ice Cream
Most kids LOVE ice cream! Unfortunately, traditional ice cream is loaded with saturated fat, cholesterol, processed sugars, oils, and often artificial colors and flavors. It's not a very good choice for growing kids.
This Maple Pecan Ice Cream is a nut based ice cream sweetened mostly with dates, which is the healthiest sweetener to use. It has pecans for their unique flavor and a touch of maple syrup to give it that special touch. Nothing artificial here! This is so far my kids and grandkids favorite home made, nut based ice cream.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking in August. Class dates are Wednesday August 3rd and Tuesday August 9th. I hope to see you in class. *

April

Contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com

*I will be demonstrating the Mexicali Rice and Black Bean Salad at my Bosch class on Thursday August 11, along with No-Key Lime Pie.

Health for Life Cooking in July

2011-06-16T19:43:00.013-06:00

Cool Summer Salads and Wraps

Egg-less Salad Lettuce and/or Tortilla Wraps
This is a tofu based filling loaded with lots of veggies and dressed with my no-oil mayo, which I will also be demonstrating. These are quick and easy and are perfect for picnics or a cool summer supper when you don't want to cook. You can enjoy this salad in a sprouted wheat tortilla or in a fresh lettuce leaf. Or you can try it both ways. They are equally delicious!

Mediterranean Kale and Millet Salad

This dish has all the flavors of a pasta salad with no pasta. It's made with whole grain millet and accompanied by fresh and tender marinated kale, white beans, corn, red peppers, fresh from the garden tomatoes, red onion, and olives. This dish is amazingly fresh and so delicious!

Tomato and Cumber Salad

This is a pretty traditional summer time salad that I had never tried until my friend David gave me some tomatoes out of his garden and said "you have to try this salad" and proceeded to tell me how to make it. I love this salad! Talk about fresh!! Wow! With red ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers, red onion and a sweet red wine vinegar dressing it's the perfect companion to sandwiches, your favorite veggie burger or you can enjoy it all by itself.

Red White and Blueberry Parfait
Perfect for your Independence Day celebration! This is a very lite dessert using fresh seasonal fruits. It's low calorie and has very little fat. There are no processed sugars or extracted oils used and free of dairy, gluten and soy. Contains a small amount of nuts.

And there you have it! Health for Life meals for the hot days of summer!
Class dates are Wednesday July 6 and Tuesday July 12. Hope to see you in class!

April
health4life07@yahoo.com

**Egg-less Salad Wraps and Red White and Blueberry Parfait will be demonstrated at my Bosch class on July 14th. See "At the Bosch" page for details.

Health for Life Cooking in June

2011-05-26T10:08:00.015-06:00

Lentil Sloppy Jo's - An old-time childhood favorite that everyone loves! I've made these for several friends, including my husband, and they have been a huge hit! These Sloppy Jo's are nutrient rich with high protein brown lentils, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, onions, garlic and a succulent Sloppy Jo sauce to cover it all up and make it look just like the real thing! Served open face on a sprouted wheat bun for a tasty, fun summer time meal.

Roasted Summer Squash - There aren't many vegetables that I don't like, but summer squash is one that just doesn't do much for me. It's about as flavorful as water. But when you take some of the water out with grilling or roasting, you concentrate the sweet flavors and it's delicious. Unfortunately it's hard to grill without using oil so I roast them in the oven to get those concentrated flavors. With a sprinkling of your favorite seasoning, they are the perfect companion to any meal.

Chickpea Napa Rice Salad - This "Rice Salad" recipe, which is what it was originally called, contained chicken. The combination of vegetables, however, sounded good to me and I decided that chick peas would be a good substitute for the chicken. Sure enough, they work beautifully! This salad is a combination of long grain brown rice, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), peppers, peas and a sweet vinegar dressing with just a touch of mustard. I've changed the original dressing recipe to one that contains no processed sugars or oils and I've added some shredded napa cabbage to the salad which is a tender mild flavored cabbage that will add anti-cancer phyto-chemicals.

Cherry Cheese Cake

For dessert, we will top it all off with a dairy free Cherry Cheese Cake. This cheese cake is rich and creamy and so delicious!

Contains nuts and soy.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking for summer fun! Class dates are Tuesday June 7 and Wednesday June 15. We will begin at 6:00 pm. Hope to see you in class!

To register, contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com.

Health for Life Picnic in May

2011-04-28T21:37:00.016-06:00

Black Bean Burgers It's picnic and bar-b-q season and just because you choose to eat healthy doesn't mean you have to feel left out at family gatherings. Pack your own Black Bean Burger to the party and no one will know the difference. I've always loved burgers and switching to bean burgers was virtually painless. With all the condiments you can hardly tell a difference. OK, maybe that's an overstatement for your die-hard carnivore but they really are delicious! These burgers will be served on a sprouted wheat bun with home-made ketchup, mustard, French Onion Dip, avocado, fresh from the garden lettuce, and organic tomatoes.

Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries

These little orange gems are superior to my french fries of yesterday. Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta carotene which supplies you double the RDA of vitamin A. But don't worry! Vitamin A in its whole food form is not toxic when excess is taken in. Your body knows exactly what to do with that excess. However, when taken in supplemental form, too much Vitamin A is toxic and increases your risk of liver cancer. Sweet potatoes also supply a good amount of fiber, vitamin C and iron.
These "fries" are oven baked with a touch of spice and no oil is used!

French Onion Dip w/ Raw Vegetables
We Americans love to dip and I'm no exception. Unfortunately most dips are loaded with saturated fat, cholesterol and way too much sodium. The main ingredient in the original recipe for this French Onion Dip was nuts. Since this stuff is very addicting,
I wanted to cut the fat so I've added some white beans. The beans add another nutritional dimension to this dip and if you replace some of the nuts with seeds and dunk some raw broccoli, you've got your "beans, seeds, and greens" which Dr. Fuhrman says is a excellent nutritional combination.

Strawberry Ice Cream
Summer time is ice cream time! And this is the season for strawberries, which just happen to go perfect with ice cream!
My ice creams are dairy free, cholesterol free, and are low in saturated fat. No extracted oils or processed sugar are ever used. Strawberries are one of the dirty dozen so I always use organic!
This ice cream is the perfect dessert to top off any picnic or bar-b-q. Contain nuts.

And there you have it! Health for Life Picnic for May! Class dates are Wednesday May 18 and Tuesday May 24 and we begin at 6:00 pm. If the weather is nice, we will dine on the patio!
Hope to see you in class.

Must pre-register by contacting April at health4life07@yahoo.com

Health for Life Cooking in April

2011-03-23T20:23:00.017-06:00

Green Salad w/Russian Dressing

We'll start off with a fresh mixed green salad with a Russian Dressing. All my dressings are free from extracted oils and processed sugars. The base of most of my dressings is 1/2 cup of dates, 1/2 cup unsweetened vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water. Then I add what ever flavors I like such as berry's, tomatoes, mustard and/or other seasonings. I also add a few tablespoons of nuts or seeds to add fat to my dressing. The fat increases the absorption of some of the phyto-nutrients in your salad or other vegetable dish.

Asparagus Soup

With the arrival and spring and warmer weather on it's way, I wanted to take advantage of the seasons abundance of asparagus. I love fresh asparagus lightly steamed with nothing on it! The young tender spears are so delicious the way nature provides them. But since most people know how to steam vegetables I needed to turn it into something fun for class. So soup it will be. My daughter was visiting when I tested this new creation and cringed watching me put the delicious freshly steamed spears into my VitaMix. However, she was pleasantly surprised when we both tasted the end result. It was fresh, light, and flavorful! A perfect soup for spring dining.

Mushroom Lentil Stroganoff

My memories of Beef Stroganoff are of a Wednesday night family activity at my church in Southern California where I grew up. The creamy beef filled mushroom soup type sauce was served over noodles and I loved it! I don't think I've eaten stroganoff since those days or even thought about it, so when I put together this dish by accident, using up some aging mushrooms and spinach in my fridge, I was really excited! This dish contains Dr. Fuhrmans "GOMBS" which are his 5 super foods: greens (spinach), onions, mushrooms, beans (lentils), and seeds (sunflower). Served over brown rice, this dish is a powerhouse of nutrition!

Beet Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Sauce
If Mushroom Lentil Stroganoff or Asparagus Soup doesn't tickle your fancy, hopefully this Chocolate Cake will! This cake has NO processed sugar and NO extracted oils! And it's so good!! It's rich and moist and very chocolaty. And between the beets (yes, that red root vegetable!), cocoa, and the secret sweetener, this cake is high in anti-oxidents.
Warning: Contains walnuts.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking in April. Class dates are Wednesday April 6 and Tuesday April 12. An April 19th or 20th class will be added depending on demand.
All classes begin at 6:00 pm.

**The Mushroom Lentil Stroganoff and Beet Chocolate Cake will be demonstrated at my Bosch Kitchen Center class on Thursday April 14. See my "Bosch" page for more details.

Hope to see you in class!
April

Contact me at health4life07@yahoo.com

Health for Life cooking in March

2011-02-19T21:40:00.015-07:00

Pear Spinach Salad w/ Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

I've decided that a good way to get your greens in is to mix them with fruit. Whether it's blended in a smoothie or tossed in a salad, it tastes delicious!

This spinach salad is pretty basic with some sliced red onion, chopped walnuts or pecans and a tangy sweet no-oil vinaigrette. Top it with some sweet red d'Anjou pairs and it's almost like eating dessert!

Garden Shepherd's Pie
My husbands friend Troy, who lives in Fillmore and commutes each week to St. George for his 4 day work week, has been staying in our guest room while he is in town, and has welcomed the opportunity to give vegan dining a try. And to my surprise, and his as well, this 6' 5" 235 pound "meat and potatoes" guy loves the food!! And not only that, he says he feels better and wants to make some big changes in the way his family eats! This last trip I sent him home with my copy of The China Study http://www.thechinastudy.com/ and Dr. Fuhrman's (http://www.DrFuhrman.com) Eat to Live DVD. Knowledge is key to success! Anyway, back to the menu, out of all the dishes he has tried, this Garden Shepherds Pie has been his favorite. It's loaded with whole food goodness, including *collard greens, mushrooms, and kidney beans. The topping is a combination of mashed yellow potatoes and cauliflower. This dish is a nutrition powerhouse!
*Research from 2010 reported by Joel Fuhrman, MD states that women who consume 10 grams of mushrooms a day (equivalent to just 1 white button mushroom) along with green vegetables, reduce their risk of breast cancer by 89%!! WOW!! Why isn't that on the cover of the New York Times?

Split Pea Vegetable Soup

I have always loved split pea soup! And I especially love it with a lot of vegetables, like this one which includes the traditional onions, carrots, and celery, and not so traditional cauliflower. Gotta get those cruciferous veggies in! I usually like bread with soup but since I try to limit my bread consumption I add a whole grain such as steamed brown rice, barley, or sprouted wheat berries. Grains are much healthier in their whole intact form and helps fill that need for bread. This soup alone feels like a complete satisfying meal.

Apple Cookie Crumble With apples still plentiful, I wanted to make a really healthy dessert that included this winter time fruit. So I had the idea to make a crust with a raw oat meal cookie recipe and use an apple/date combination for the fruit filling. This dessert is so healthy you could eat it for breakfast. And it's so quick and easy! It only takes me 10 - 15 minutes to make, and no baking is involved!

And there you have it! Health for Life Cooking for the month of March. Class dates are Tuesday March 8, Wednesday March 16 and Tuesday March 29. Hope to see you in class! Contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com

Health for Life Cooking in February

2011-01-19T15:05:00.016-07:00

Before I introduce the menu for the February Health for Life cooking classes, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for those who have given me this great opportunity to teach what I love so much! I have been so blessed over the last 4 years to get to know so many who want to gain greater health through plant based nutrition. At the end of each class as we sit around the table enjoying good healthy food and great conversation, I realize that you aren't just here learning from me, we are all here, with a common goal learning from each other. We all have our own unique circumstances, gifts and talents to share and we all gain so much from one another. I'm excited to be associated with you and proud of your dedication and strength in moving forward to improve the health of you and your families.

On with your Valentine meal for February!

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

Spinach, mushrooms and onions drenched in a creamy low-fat non-dairy sauce, layered between brown rice noodles and strips of egg plant with a home made marinara sauce. This recipe is a bit labor intense but well worth the effort for that special occasion with you and your sweetheart or the entire family.

Greek Salad w/Tofu Feta

This salad is fresh and light and is the perfect companion to the Spinach Mushroom Lasagna. The Tofu Feta with all it's seasonings mixed with crisp romaine lettuce red onion, cucumber tomato and Kalamata Olives makes this salad taste like a true Greek salad.

Thick and Hearty Vegetable Soup

This soup is loaded with a ton of vegetables including broccoli and cauliflower which are the mighty cruciferous vegetables that are loaded with anti-cancer compounds. If we want maximum protection from cancer and other diseases, we need to include these into our diet every day and this is a great way to do it! This makes a huge pot so you can feed a large crowd or store it in freezer safe containers for a ready made lunch or dinner.

Decadent Chocolate Ice Cream

Valentines Day and chocolate goes hand in hand. And this chocolate ice cream is rich, creamy smooth and so delicious! I love ice cream and it was the last dairy product to go after I moved to a plant based diet in 1991. Once I discovered how to make ice cream with nuts and dates, I haven't had a desire to eat the dairy based ice cream since. The only thing missing from this decadent dessert is the guilt, the bloat, and the weight gain....not to mention the hours of exercise it takes to work off a bowl of the dairy based variety. No thank you to all of those!

And there you have it! Health for Life Valentine meal for February.
Class dates are Wednesday February 2, Tuesday February 8, and Wednesday February 16. Class begins at 6:00 pm.

Hope to see you in class!
April

Check out this interview from one of my favorite professors of plant based nutrition, T. Collin Campbell, PhD (author of The China Study) in an interview that was published in the New York Times wellness blog.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/nutrition-advice-from-the-china-study/?utm_source=Master+List&utm_campaign=bbbcc6dd9a-Newsletter_January_2011_tracking&utm_medium=email#more-42139

I made this soup last night for dinner and it was wonderful! It comes from Mary McDougall at http://www.drmcdougall.com/. I made a few changes as noted. Enjoy!

Hearty Garbanzo Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
4 cups vegetable broth (I used the broth from my cooked garbanzo beans)
1 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans (I used 3 cups of home cooked - so much better!!)
2 Tbsp tahini
1 large roasted red bell pepper, sliced into strips (I used raw, chopped)
1-2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup each: chopped fresh cilantro, dill, and chives (I did not have dill or chives)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
dash of sea salt
(I used a little Real Salt. I'm finding that using bean broth in soups makes a very flavorful stock!)

Place the onion and garlic in a large soup pot with about 1 tbsp of the vegetable broth. Cook stirring frequently until onion softens and turns translucent. Add the remaining vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, cumin and coriander. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour 1 can of the garbanzos with its juice into a blender jar. Add the tahini and process until smooth. Drain and rinse the other can of beans. Add the processed beans and the whole beans to the soup pot, as well as the roasted red pepper and the chili-garlic sauce. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and lemon juice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Season with a bit of sea salt before serving, if desired.

Hint: Bottled roasted red peppers work well in this dish. You should have about 3/4 cup.

Health for Life Cooking to Start the New Year!

2010-12-25T14:11:00.017-07:00

Lemon Ginger Blast Green Smoothie

All of those holiday treats, even though they were quite healthy, finally took their tole on my body and I was in need of a good cleansing smoothie to help get rid of what ever was trying to take over my body and make me feel a little sickly right before Christmas. This green smoothie that I came up with really hit the spot and put be back on track. I'm excited to share it with you to start off the new year. The combination of apple, lemon, dates, (all in season) your favorite greens and a splash of ginger and cayenne pepper really rev up your immune system and increase detoxifacation. And what a blast of fresh, crisp, and sweet taste to wake you up in the morning. I love this smoothie! I think it's my new favorite for the winter.

Vegetable Bean Burritos w/home made chili sauce

This recipe is from Doctor Fuhrman (http://www.drfuhrman.com/) and is a favorite that I've made for years! It's loaded with vegetables, some pinto beans and a white cheez sauce that makes this burrito so unique and unlike any burrito you've ever tasted! Top it with a delicious home made chili sauce to add a little extra spice and extra flavor!

Black Bean Dip - I remember as a kid my dad bought bean dip in a can to go with chips and salsa. I loved anything with beans including my dad's dip. This recipes for Black Bean Dip reminds me of the dip my dad bought. It originally comes from a Dr. McDougall newsletter in 2009 (http://www.drmcdougall.com/). Both my husband and I thought it needed a little more zip so I've added a few more ingredients to spice up the flavor and make it more like the bean dip I loved as a kid. This is perfect with home made oven baked tortilla chips.

Spicy Tomato and White Bean Soup - I found the recipe for this soup at http://www.myrecipes.com/. In the original recipe there wasn't enough vegetables and the soup turn out a little bland for my liking. I've turned it upside down, switched it all around, added more seasonings and vegetables and made it my own. This soup is full of flavor and nutrients and is a meal all by itself.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking to start off the new year. Class dates are Wednesday January 5, Tuesday January 11 and Tuesday January 18 and begin at 6pm.

Hope to see you in class! For more information or to register, contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com.

2010-12-10T05:51:00.008-07:00

Luscious Lentil Soup

Collards and Black Eyed Peas

Tortilla Soup and Mediterranean Rice Salad

I'm excited to introduce Whole Food Goodness!

Whole Food Goodness is a collection of my favorite recipes that I have modified to meet my standard of using as much whole unprocessed plant foods as possible. My recipes are unique in that they contain no extracted oils, very few processed sugars, and limited processed grains. The processed grain that I most often use is 100% whole wheat, preferably freshly ground.

Another important aspect of my recipes is the inclusion of leafy green vegetables. Leafy greens are the healthiest foods on the planet and we need to eat them every single day. According to my favorite health guru, Joel Fuhrman, MD, we need to eat a lot of them, at least a pound a day. So I put them in any time I can get away with it. And what I have discovered is that they only make the dish better; tastier and more colorful.

Along with the recipes, you will find documented research studies that will tell you why it's important to eat a plant based diet. Knowledge is power and it is my hope and prayer that this book will help you gain the strength and determination to make the changes necessary that will bring you excellent health throughout your entire life!

If you are interested in getting a copy of Whole Food Goodness, contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com.

Healthy Holiday Treats

2010-11-20T11:39:00.006-07:00

Give some treats that you can feel good about and enjoy some treats that you don't feel guilty about!

Health for Life cooking in December will teach you how to make delicious healthy holiday treats that you and your family and friends will love.

Going clockwise from 12:00:

Walnut Cranberry Cookies

Peppermint Patties

Gingerbread Man Cookies

Fruity Nut Balls

Peanut Butter Dips

All of these treats contain nuts and the gingerbread men contain wheat.

Only one class is being offered on Wednesday December 1. All class participants will go home with a decorative Christmas tin full of an assortment of goodies!

*Hope to see you in class! April

*Must pre-register at health4life07@yahoo.com.

Health for Life cooking in November

2010-10-30T20:48:00.011-06:00

Cornbread Stuffing

This stuffing is made with home made no oil cornbread and is loaded with onions, celery, and carrots along with just the right holiday seasonings. My Uncle Ron, who is the only member of my family who really gives me grief about my eating habits, actually complimented me on this dish a couple of years ago when I had the family over for Christmas dinner. It's also been well received in my holiday cooking classes for the past two years.

Festive Mashed Potatoes w/No-Chicken Cashew Gravy

Winter squash is what gives this dish of mashed potatoes it's orange glow. Because of the color, it turns an other wise low micro-nutrient food, such as a white potato, into a more festive and nutritious one. Top it off with No-Chicken Cashew Gravy and YUM! So creamy and delicious!

Steamed Brussel Sprouts w/Avocado Dip

I know very few people who like brussel sprouts. But I'm convinced that it's because of the way they are cooked. When these little gems are steamed to perfection they are tender and delicious and are one of my most favorite vegetables. I have to admit however, that I prefer them much better with this avocado dip than by themselves. And that's a good thing because when you add a fat, such as avocado, to your vegetables it can increase the absorption of those fat soluble phyto-nutrients by up to 10 times!

Cranapple Salad

As soon as cranberries are available, I start having this delicious salad for breakfast. Cranberries are high in anti-oxidants and phyto-chemicals but are very bitter and hard to eat on their own so I've added some sweet apples and a few dates to sweeten. Then a few fresh spinach leaves to add a festive look and increase the nutrients even more. Then some chopped walnuts to increase the nutrient absorption and add some omego 3 fatty acids. Once you try this salad, you'll be hooked too!

Non-Dairy Pumpkin Pie w/Whip Cream

MMMMM! I love pumpkin pie. And I don't feel a bit of guilt when I dig into a slice of this very healthy vegan version. This pie is sweetened 100% with dates and there is no tofu, no eggs, and no fuss. The thickening component of the dates is what give this pie it's firm structure. Top it off with a non-dairy whip cream and you will never miss your old time favorite.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking for the holidays. The dates for this months classes are Wednesday November 3 and Tuesday November 9. Hope to see you in class.

April

Health for Life Cooking in October

2010-09-17T15:09:00.008-06:00

Autumn Stew

As much as I hate to see summer come to an end, there is something inside of me that looks forward to the comforts of fall.....long sleeve shirts, comfy sweaters, warming up to the fire place on a cold night, and soup! I love a good hearty stew on a cool night. And this one really hits the spot! This could be called Three Sisters Stew because it contains the three sisters: squash, beans, and corn. And of course I have to throw in some greens! This soup would be a great addition to your holiday feast. Served in a hollowed out, lightly cooked pumpkin, it would make a great looking center piece. Much prettier than a dead bird!

Lentil Loaf w/ Mushroom Gravy

I love lentils and I love rice! Put them together, add some onion, garlic, mushrooms, just the right seasonings and top it with a delicious mushroom gravy and you have a very tasty, filling and satisfying dish that's fit for a king! I made this for a potluck with a mixed crowd of veggies and meat eaters, and those who tried it seemed to really like it.

Pumpkin Bread

I don't do a lot of baking because I can't seem to leave the stuff alone if it sits on the counter for more than 5 minutes! I do love to bake though, especially in the winter, and some of my favorite baked goods have pumpkin in them. That's a good thing because pumpkin will increase the nutrient value significantly because of the beta carotene......that orange color in the pumpkin. This pumpkin bread is made with freshly ground 100% whole wheat flour. It has no extracted oils but does have some minimally processed organic cane sugar that has a hint of molasses flavor that really adds to the rich flavor of this bread. It also contains walnuts, but you could leave the walnuts out. However, the oils from the nuts help to make this bread just a little bit lighter.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking for the month of October. Class dates are Wednesday October 6th, Tuesday October 12th, and Tuesday October 19th. Hope to see you in class!

April

Health for Life Cooking in September

2010-08-19T09:24:00.009-06:00

Scrambled Hash and Vegan French Toast

As a kid I loved scramble eggs. So I was happy to know that I could enjoy this tasty breakfast food without the fat, cholesterol, and animal protein that comes with egg consumption. Not to mention the cruel conditions these egg producing feathered friends live under. This Hash Scramble is a step above ordinary Tofu Scramble which I have done in the past. With the added potato and kale, this scramble becomes a hearty load of protein, carbs
(fuel for your body) and phyto-nutrients that will fill your growing kids or the hungry man (or woman) in your life.

Second on the menu is Vegan French Toast and I never even liked french toast until I started making it vegan. Now I love it. Especially made with Ezekiel 4:9 bread. You will have your choice of a regular whole wheat "Great Harvest" style bread or Ezekiel Sprouted Wheat bread. You can top this with either almond butter and real maple syrup or .................

Peaches and Cream - This is the season for peaches and what goes better with peaches then fresh cream!.........made with walnuts! Put this on top of your french toast or enjoy it as a side dish.

Chocolaty Sesame Milk - I've told the story many times about my experience in healing my tooth pain with a sesame seed milk shake. This Chocolaty Sesame Milk Shake is the concoction that took my tooth pain completely away in less than a week. And I've never had the root canal that my dentist told me I needed over 5 years ago! I've wanted to share this recipe for a long time so I figured breakfast was a good place to do it! I don't know that others would have the same experience as I did, but I do know that sesame seeds are one of the riches sources of calcium.

And there you have it! Health for Life Cooking in September. Class dates are Wednesday September 1st, Tuesday September 7th and Tuesday September 14th. Hope to see you in class! April

Health for Life Cooking in August

2010-07-22T20:38:00.011-06:00

Southwest Humus Wrap - This wrap comes from Rip Essylstyn (http://www.engine2diet.com/) tri-athlete, fire fighter, author of the Engine 2 Diet, and now educator of a "plant strong" diet. Who would ever think you could put humus, a Mediterranean bean spread, into a black bean Mexican style wrap! He did it and it's delicious!! I've added some avocado and salsa, and I'm using basic home made humus instead of roasted red pepper humus.

Basic Low Fat Humus - For those of you who love humus but have never made it, I highly recommend saving your $$ and making it at home. It's so quick and easy and you control what goes in it! All you need is a food processor, garbanzo beans, tahini (sesame seed paste) lemon juice, garlic and a little salt and then add what ever herbs and seasonings you want. That's it! It's so easy! For some reason I get a lot of compliments on this humus, but honestly, it's just your basic recipe found all over the Internet. I've decided that the secret is using home cooked garbanzo beans.

Mexico Chop w/ Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing and Crispy Tortilla Strips - This recipe originates from Real Food Daily, a great restaurant in southern California that I love to visit when I'm in the area. I've changed the dressing ingredients to eliminate the oil and up the flavor just a tad. Top it off with Crispy Tortilla Strips that I've seasoned and baked in the oven and you have a complete meal. This salad is cool, crisp, and perfect for a hot summer day!

Key Lime Pie - I've heard that Key Limes are in season in July but have yet to run on to any, so this pie will most likely be made with regular limes which work just fine! This pie may look a little odd (many vegan foods do!) but the tarty sweet taste with the ultra creamy texture will knock your socks off!! It's the perfect way to top off a mildly spicy Mexican meal. And NO, there are no green leafys used in this recipe!....but that's not such a bad idea!

And there you have it! Health for Life Cooking in August! Class dates are Wednesday August 4th, Tuesday August 10th, & Tuesday August 17th.

Hope to see you in class!
April

Health for Life Cooking in July

2010-06-26T17:47:00.012-06:00

Creamy Tomato Soup - As a kid I loved Campbell's Tomato Soup, but it had to include an entire package of saltine crackers! So I had a little bit of soup with my crackers! That wasn't very healthy for a growing girl but luckily my tastes have changed and I have ditched the saltines and have rediscovered my love for tomato soup. When I found a tomato soup recipe on-line and tried it, I decided that with fresh tomatoes coming in season, it would be the perfect time to make it for my July cooking class! This soup is a bit different then Campbell's but much better because it's fresh and much healthier. And with just a little bit of processing in my Vita Mix (not necessary to make this soup) it's almost just as quick as opening up a can and cooking on the stove. With fresh basil, a tiny bit of chipotle chili and a small amount of cashews, this soup is flavorful, creamy and mmm mmm Good!!

Mediterranean Rice Salad w/ Tofu Feta - I had thoughts of making a pasta salad sometime during my summer classes but using pasta goes against my commitment to stick with whole grains as much as possible. I just don't feel that pasta is a very healthy food, whole grain or white. Whole unprocessed foods are always better!! So when I found a recipe for Mediterranean Rice Salad I got excited. And then when I made it, tweaked it to make it better and tried it.......who needs pasta salad!! This salad is great!! It's loaded with all the things you would find in a pasta salad such as tomato, cucumber, peppers, basil, and feta cheese.......except my feta is tofu feta! Oh yes, and we can't forget the spinach! Gotta get those greens in!

Lentil Salad - This salad comes from May All Be Fed by one of my favorite health guru authors, John Robbins. I liked this recipe the way it was so I didn't have to change it much other then replacing the olive oil with half of an avocado. It adds a nice thickness to the dressing that sticks to the salad well and unlike the olive, all of the parts of the avocado are intact for perfect balance. Nothing added, nothing taken away. Just the way nature provided. You can find this recipe at http://www.cs.utk.edu/~plank/plank/recs/lent_salad.html

Summer Fruit Parfait - One of my favorite things about summer is the wonderful fruits that are in season! I could live on it, and I practically do. This idea came from a fruit pie recipe that I got off Dr. Fuhrman's web site (http://www.drfurhman.com/). The parfait in this picture includes strawberries, kiwi's, black berries, layered with an apricot puree and a nut crumble. By the time classes roll around, I may need to change the fruits a bit because I want to include some fresh, locally grown fruits as much as I can. Whatever fruits are used in this parfait, it's sure to be a hit!

And there you have it! Health for Life Cooking in July. Class dates for July are Tuesday July 6th , Wednesday July 14th and Tuesday July 20th.

I hope to see you in class!

April

Health for Life Cooking in June

2010-05-29T21:08:00.001-06:00

Health for Life Cooking is gearing up for the warmer whether with some great ideas for those days when you want to eat a little lighter and don't want to spend much time in the kitchen.

California Goodwich - This BBQ wrap idea comes from the book that changed my life...Fit for Life! I've taken the New York Goodwich from their recipe section and changed it to suit my liking, and since I'm from California, I wanted to call it the California Goodwich. It contains sauted mushrooms and onions smothered in my home made BBQ sauce, layered with steamed broccoli that has been dressed with my Creamy Tahini Dressing.
With a little avocado and mustard added, this wrap is surprisingly delicious!

Zucchini Soup - Zucchini is my least favorite vegetable. I think it's tasteless! But I do try to eat it because according to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, (http://www.drfuhrman.com/) it's one of the super foods that we need to eat often. So I decided to turn this otherwise bland food into a creamy delicious low fat soup that I could eat 3 bowls of....which I just did!!

Spinach and Potato Salad - For those of you that know me, you know I love my greens! So I was excited to run onto this potato salad recipe with spinach in it! What a great idea! It's a little different then my more traditional potato salad recipe that I have demonstrated in some previous classes. This one has red pepper, red onion, and spinach topped with my Sweet Mustard Dressing that also goes perfect with a basic green salad. You're going to love it!!

Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream - With temperatures rising and cherry season right around the corner, I thought it was a good time for Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream! I use frozen organic cherries, since cherries are one of the dirty dozen fruits, and blend them with freshly made almond milk and add a touch of cocoa powder. This is quick and easy to whip up with a heavy duty blender such as a Vita Mix, but could also be made with a regular blender and fresh non frozen cherries. Just freeze it in an ice cream freezer. Heavenly!!

And there you have it! Health for Life Cooking in June. I hope to see you in class!

Health for Life Cooking in May

2010-04-27T20:57:00.008-06:00

Chipotle Burgers - These patties are slightly smoky, slightly spicy and are a delicious healthy alternative to the high fat standard American burger. The base of these burgers is made with kidney beans and oats. They are served on your choice of Ezekiel 4:9 bread or a whole wheat bun, with all the trimmings including some romaine lettuce fresh from my garden.

Tangy Sweet Cole Slaw - This cool crisp cabbage salad is the perfect companion to the Chipotle Burgers. It's made with green and red cabbage, carrots, apples and a delicious lime dressing.

Cream of Broccoli Soup - Broccoli is one of the healthiest foods on the planet! It's a cruciferous vegetable so it's loaded with thousands of phyto-chemicals that are absolutely critical for excellent health. I love it and try to eat it every day! This broccoli soup is creamy and delicious and is a quick and easy way to get this super green into your diet.

Raw Strawberry Pie - Tis the season for strawberries!! And you are going to LOVE this pie!! Because strawberries are at the top of the "dirty dozen" list (very high in pesticide residue) I'll be using organic berries that taste almost as good as the ones we grew when I was a kid! Nothing like those huge flavorless Costco variety that must be pumped up with something unnatural!! This pie is sweetened with only dates so there is no refined sweeteners used! And the crust is made with only nuts and dates.

And there you have it. Health for Life Cooking in May. Hope to see you in class!

April

Contact me at health4life07@yahoo.com

Health for Life Cooking in April

2010-03-26T14:24:00.009-06:00

No-Chicken Pot Pie

A combination of my favorite pot pie ingredients, peas, carrots, potatoes, and broccoli, covered in a creamy cauliflower sauce, covered with a whole wheat no-oil biscuit crust. Talk about comfort food that is healthy.....this is it!!

Garden Fresh Collards and Black-Eyed Peas

Fresh from my garden collards steamed to perfect tenderness with some garlic, onion, and celery and then mixed with home cooked black-eyed peas. This is a lot like my Kale and Black Bean recipe but the flavor is very different. This is so amazingly delicious and it's one of the healthiest dishes you could eat.

Tapioca Pudding Parfait

Simple, delicious, and beautiful!! My extremely easy, no cook Tapioca Pudding recipe layered with berries is a delicious way to top off a meal.

This dessert has zero fat and no processed sugars!

There you have it! Health for Life Cooking in the month of April. Hope to have you for dinner!

April

Health for Life Cooking in March - Whole Food Goodness

2010-02-17T05:45:00.016-07:00

Orange Spinach Salad w/Orange Vinaigrette

With navel oranges in peek season, I wanted to come up with a salad that included this delicious winter time fruit. I literally dreamed about this salad one night so I put it together the next day and was very excited. Sweet Navel oranges together with an orange vinaigrette is the perfect topping for a simple spinach salad. Sprinkle on a few chopped walnuts and this salad is like dessert!
The kids might even try it!

Luscious Lentil Soup
My husband isn't a huge fan of lentils so I've been trying to come up with some lentil recipes that he would enjoy. This Luscious Lentil Soup is packed full of high nutrient veggies and protein packed lentils. At 31%, they have the highest percentage of protein of the most common legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. However, it's not as high as broccoli or spinach at 45%! Never the less, this soup is a perfect and complete meal all by itself!

Vegetable & Red Rice Pilaf

I love rice dishes but it seems I have to add a lot of sodium to make it taste good. So I decided to cut back on the rice in this recipe, which I got out of Vegetarian Times magazine over 10 years ago, and use more corn which is a more flavorful grain. I kept a small amount of rice and used red rice instead, which has 10 times more anti-oxidants then brown rice. Mix in some young asparagus, zucchini, peas, and carrots, season with your favorite herbs and spices and you have a very filling nutrient packed meal.

Lemon Pie w/ Oat Nut Crust

I have fond memories of my moms Lemon Meringue Pie. I'll never forget the one that ended up on the ground outside the kitchen window where she had set it to cool. Lemon Meringue was one of my dad's favorite pies and is one of mine. So for years I've been wanting to come up with a healthy vegan version. It's pretty hard to mimic meringue without egg whites so I decided to just leave it off. The lemon part is the best part anyway. I have to admit this tofu based pie is a bit different then the Lemon Meringue Pie of my youth, but it's still tangy sweet and delicious!

And there you have it! Health for Life Cooking in March. I hope to see you in class!
April

Health for Life Cooking goes Mexican!

2010-01-16T09:16:00.022-07:00

My absolute favorite food is Mexican! So I love to do Mexican cooking classes. The dishes I will be demonstrating for the month of February are, as usual, high nutrient and low in fat. Nothing like their traditional counterparts.

Because green smoothies are such an important addition to any diet, I feel it's important to occasionally demonstrate how to make them, no matter what the menu for class will be. So we will start off with an appetizer of one of my favorite winter time smoothies, the Green Navel. This is packed with vitamin C, calcium, protein, and thousands of other phyto nutrients to boost your immune system and fight off the winter cold.

The main dish for the evening will be this easy to prepare Deep Dish Tortilla Pie. This pie is chock full of veggies that will provide a ton of nutrients, but is also full of that spicy (but not too spicy) Mexican flavor. Between each layer of filling is an Ezekiel Sprouted Wheat Tortilla. Sprouted grains are much more nutritious and easier to digest. I top the pie off with a tofu/cashew "cheez" sauce that is creamy, cheezy and delicious!

My all time most favorite quick and easy Mexican dish is on the menu as well. I feel like I'm going out on a limb with this one because it doesn't look very good but taste? I can't get enough of it! I make these Kale and Black Bean Tacos every chance I get. When cooked enough, the kale becomes very soft and combines so well with the black beans. Also, when the kale is cooked, more of the phyto nutrients are made available for absorption. Beans and greens together make a perfect high calcium, high protein meal. Serve this in some sprouted corn tortillas and top with some left- over cheese sauce from the pie and it's truly heaven!!

Kenny's Famous Salsa is a family favorite. Kenny is my brother and when ever he comes to visit his Utah family, they ask him to make salsa. While he was here over Christmas, he made bottles of it to give as Christmas gifts, so I had the opportunity to observe. And it's very easy to make. It's a cooked salsa, so it goes against my belief that we need to eat as much food as we can raw, but during the winter when their are no good tomatoes available, this is a nice change. I'll add some fresh avocado, green onions, and cilantro to make it chunky and oh so good! I'll serve it with baked corn tortillas.

I'm not sure if they eat brownies in Mexico but because of Valentines Day, we must have chocolate! So Brownies it will be for dessert. These are moist, rich, and chocolaty!....and, believe it or not, they are a good source of nutrients.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking for February. I hope to see you at class.

For more information or to register, contact April at health4life07@yahoo.com.

Health for Life cooking in January 2010: Quick & Easy, Low in Fat, and High in Nutrients

2009-12-25T05:13:00.016-07:00

I consider myself extremely diligent when it comes to my diet, and since I've been eating a plant based diet for so long, I'm really not even tempted by the unhealthy foods that come before me every now and again. However, it seems that I'm weakened just a bit during the holidays, so I'm always glad when it's all over and I can get back to my normal routine and be done with all the unhealthy goodies. And I'm sure that many feel the same way, thus, New Years resolutions are in full swing.

That is why the theme for my January Health for Life cooking classes is "Quick & Easy, Low in Fat, and High in Nutrients." Quick & Easy" because most people just starting out on a plant based diet don't want complicated recipes calling for unfamiliar ingredients that are hard to find. "Low in fat" because at the beginning of a new year, everyone seems to be interested in losing a few pounds. And "high in nutrients" because high nutrient foods increase your body's ability to remove toxins (and the holiday "gunk") which will assist in the weight loss.

So the menu for January will include 4 quick and easy, low fat, high nutrients dishes. Creamy Butternut Bisque, Lemony Quinuo, Spicy Spinach and Chic Peas over brown rice, and to satisfy the kid in all of us, Eazy Cheezy Potatoes. I decided to by-pass the dessert this month since we've all probably had plenty of them over the last few weeks.

I've been excited to do the Butternut Bisque ever since I visited a vegetarian restaurant in Canoga Park California during the Healthy Lifestyle Expo which I attended with my friends from the Vegetarian Society of Utah last October. (http://www.healthylifestyleexpo.com/) The restaurant is called Follow Your Heart (http://www.followyourheart.com/marketandcafe.php) and the food was fabulous! I ordered their Pumpkin Bisque and it was so good I had to see if I could come up with something similar. The recipe I came up with is made with butternut squash, which I like better then pumpkin, and it's a little bit easier to work with. Baking the squash at a low temperature until very soft intensifies the delicious sweet flavors of the squash, and blending it with some soy milk and the right amount of seasonings makes this soup heavenly! It's creamy, delicious, and very satisfying on it's own!

If you need a little something to go along with the soup, a nice companion to the Butternut Bisque is Lemony Quinoa. I made the soup and the quinoa while my brother was visiting for Christmas and he mixed the quinoa right in with the soup. Quinoa is considered a "pseudo grain" because it is actually a seed. Pseudo grains don't contain gluten, which makes them easily digestible, alkaline-forming, and suitable for those with an intolerance to gluten. It's 20% protein, high in lysine and is a good source of iron, potassium and B vitamins. It has a light, fluffy texture and a mild earthy taste. It can be cooked like you would cook rice or sprouted and eaten raw. It takes about 20 minutes to cook which is just enough time to chop up the veggies and toss the remaining ingredients together. For class, I'll be serving this dish warm but it would be delicious cold as well.

The Spicy Spinach and Chic Pea recipe comes from Dr. Joel Fuhrmans web site (http://www.drfuhrman.com/an.com/) and it had many great reviews. The recipe calls for garam masala which is a spice combination popular in India that can be found at any grocery store. This plus a small amount of green chilies added to the tomatoes, chick-peas, and spinach brings great flavor and an excellent combination and large amount of phyto nutrients. Serve it over brown rice and you have a perfect quick and easy meal.

Your kids are going the love the Eazy Cheezy Potatoes! The "cheez" sauce is made with cauliflower and carrots which will up the nutrient level of the other wise low nutrient potatoes. Add frozen peas and carrots to increase the nutritional level higher and/or add steamed broccoli to increase it even higher! Or for the really picky eater who wont eat any vegetables, leave the visible veggies out and the cauliflower and carrot based sauce will still provide a healthy meal. For my Christmas dinner, I served broccoli with this "cheez" sauce, and my 28 yo daughter, who lives on burgers, burritos, and mac-n-cheese, said "the cheese sauce is pretty good!" That's a great accomplishment if I can get her to eat anything healthy.

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking to start the year off right! Hope to see you at class! For more information, contact April at www.health4life07@yahoo.com.

Health for Life cooking in November

2009-11-04T17:01:00.011-07:00

Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread Stuffing, Broccoli w/Red Lentil Cheez Sauce & Cranapple Relish

Tis the season for holiday cooking! And for the standard American this means lots of processed white flour, sugar, and fat which equals weight gain. OK, so what's the big deal? You can just work it off in January right? If that was all there was to worry about I would say "tank up!" That's what I used to do! Unfortunately with that holiday splurging comes weakened immune systems which brings on colds and flues (as in the dreaded "swine flu"), re-visiting past addictions that are easily triggered, and my most dreaded one....lowered energy levels and just feeling lousy! No way, no thank you!!

Fortunately, when you are eating a nutrient dense diet, you lose the desire for those unhealthy high fat foods. However, because family traditions are important and you don't want to be a total party pooper, go ahead and fix your family favorites but just make sure they are Health for Life style.

In this months Health for Life cooking class I will show you how to do just that. I'm going to start off with my favorite stuffing recipe that I've made for my family for several years. Last Christmas my very picky hard-to-please Italian uncle who always has something to say about the way I eat, complimented me on it. I was excited! I think that was a first from him. Anyway, this stuffing recipe comes from one of my favorite restaurant cookbooks, Real Food Daily. It is made with home made corn bread which is what really makes it great. Added to the cornbread is a mixture of onion, carrots, and celery in a tasty broth seasoned with a Holiday Seasoning mix that you can make yourself. Then it's baked to perfection......at least that's always my hope. Cooking stuffing is a lot like cooking a turkey in that you are always a little concerned whether it will be too moist or too dry.

The potatoes for the Mashed Potatoes are mashed with a gravy made with cashews and a chicken style broth seasoning that makes them a crowd pleaser. They always disappear at my house!

With these two high starch dishes I have to include a high nutrient side dish of steamed broccoli topped with my favorite red lentil cheez sauce. (gotta get in those beans and greens!) I included this dish in my Christmas dinner last year and even the kids ate it.

I'm very excited about my new addition to the holiday meal; Cranapple Relish. This is a very healthy alternative to traditional cranberry sauce that is very high in sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup. This salad/relish is a perfect combination of apples, cranberries, dates, and walnuts that taste like a dessert. I've had it every morning for breakfast since I came up with it a week ago. It's simply delicious! And simple to make!

And then what's Thanksgiving (or Christmas) without Pumpkin Pie. (Sorry, not pictured) There is no milk, eggs, or tofu in this Pumpkin Pie. And there are no processed sugars! And the crust is not the traditional flour and oil crust. It's made with oats and is flaky and delicious. Top it with Cashew or Walnut Cream and you have the perfect dessert to top off your Thanksgiving Feast!

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking for your holiday feast! I look forward to seeing you in class!

Health for Life Cooking in October

2009-10-08T10:04:00.021-06:00

Veggie Pizza, Caesars Salad, Rustic Italian Soup & Vanilla Ice Cream w/ chocolate syrup

With fall settling in, it's time to crank up the oven. I try to keep the oven off during the hot summer months to save on electricity, so when it starts getting cool, I'm ready for some oven baked goodness. And one of my favorites is pizza! In fact it's usually what's for dinner on Halloween. Not that I'm a Halloween fan and need a reason to "party." To be honest, I really don't like this so called "holiday" where kids get dressed up in scary costumes and go door to door asking for candy, which in my opinion, they get for breakfast, lunch, and dinner these days. But I guess I'm not a complete scrooge when I still have an urge to do something fun. So home made pizza it is!

Since my days of downing a whole small little Caesars Pizza in one meal are gone, thank goodness (!!!) I've discovered that pizza really can be a healthy food and when you make it Health for Life style and include a big green salad and healthy soup, you fill up pretty quick and couldn't possibly eat the whole thing! I start off with a 100% freshly ground whole wheat flour for the crust. This crust is so fast and simple to make and has no oil! I top the crust with a quick and easy home made tomato sauce, and than add toppings of choice. I'm pretty traditional and usually stick with onion, peppers, mushrooms and olives, but for class I'm going to add some sun-dried tomatoes and spinach to make it extra tasty and nutritious. Top it all with sesame parmesan and you have a pizza fit for a vegan king!

Even though my pizza is quite healthy, it's still low on the anti-oxidant scale. Therefore, I always include a nice big green salad with the meal. For class it's going to be a Caesars Salad made with a creamy Caesar's type dressing. This dressing does contain cashews but could easily be made with sunflower seeds or other seeds which are less allergenic.

Along with the salad comes a nice warm Rustic Italian Soup. This recipe comes from my favorite southern California restaurant cook book, Real Food Daily. It's a tomato based soup with kale, white beans, and lots of garlic to keep the vampires away!! (and, unfortunately, my hubby) It's perfect for a cold Halloween evening.

And for dessert.....is it ever to cold for ice cream? I don't think so. What better way to top off a pizza party then with ice cream! I'll be demonstrating the basic vanilla cashew ice cream that I've done for years that many of you have seen and tasted, but many have not. Maybe I'll add on a topping of some sort. The possibilities are endless!!

And there you have it! Health for Life cooking in October! I hope you will join me for dinner!

Dr. Fuhrmans wife Lisa shared her healthy Halloween tips on Dr. Fuhrmans blog. I thought it was worth sharing.

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/events-spooktacular-ideas-for-a-healthy-halloween.html#emailForm

Health for Life Cooking in September

2009-09-08T07:32:00.005-06:00

As much as I love summer, I also love to see the signs of fall coming. It's great when it cools down just enough to where you can really enjoy a picnic in the park....or in your back yard which is where I often go. I have fond memories of family picnics at a local park in California where I grew up. We would get together with my favorite cousin and her family and it was always a great time! One of the best parts of the outing was the food! Kentucky Fried Chicken (and my favorite part was that "extra crispy" greasy skin) potato salad, pork and beans, chips, and what ever dessert there was. I didn't care. As long as there was sugar involved.

Those days of fried chicken and sugar are long gone since switching to a whole foods plant based diet almost 20 years ago. But the picnic with the family doesn't have to be. And you can enjoy some delicious picnic foods that aren't loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol.

And that is what Health for Life cooking will be focused on for the month of September. I'm going to set aside my high nutrient focus, just this once, to share with you 3 of my favorite picnic dishes; Potato Salad, BBQ'd Lentils, and Chic'n Strips w/Sweet Mustard Dip. To make up for the lack of high nutrients foods in our picnic meal, it would be good to start your day off with a high nutrient smoothie. Since peaches are in season, I have been making a Peaches and Greens smoothie that is fabulous and I'm very excited to share it with you! (Smoothie is not pictured)

My potato salad that I will be demonstrating is made with red potatoes, which are higher in nutritional value then the white russets. The dressing is made with cashews and sunflower seeds, blended with some lemon juice, vinegar, and seasonings for a delicious creamy almost like mayo dressing. The BBQ sauce for the lentils will be made in my Vita Mix in just minutes, with two of the best, most nutritious sweeteners. And the Chic'n strips...well these are going to be a surprise! There's no chicken in these little guys and they are really delicious dipped in this simple sweet mustard sauce that would also be great for a salad dressing. (For those with nut allergies, the Chic'n Strips have walnuts which you can omit from this recipe). And I'm sure you can guess what the Peaches and Greens smoothie is made with. I add a couple extra goodies to make this creamy and delicious. It's a great way to start your day.

And that's Health for Life in September. If the weather is nice, we just might make it a real picnic and take it to my back yard. Hope to see YOU at one of my classes!

Health for Life Cooking in August

2009-07-29T16:07:00.041-06:00

Raw Zucchini Pasta w/ Almost Raw Marinara

Hoppin' John Salad

Jicama & Pepper Salad
w/ Snap Peas & Corn

I'm excited to be back in the kitchen! And I'm excited to share with you some of my most favorite summer time dishes. With the temperatures up in the triple digits, I prefer to keep my meals simple and use a lot of raw vegetables. Not only do raw fruits and vegetables contain live enzymes, they also have a high water content. Because of this, these foods are very easy to digest and they help keep our body well hydrated during these hot summer months. In his lecture on the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii web site (www.vsh.org) John Westerdahl Ph.D indicates that the water in the cells of plant foods is a great source of water for us because it gets absorbed into our cells more efficiently. That makes a lot of sense! Plant foods in general are what our body craves!

One dish that I'm really excited about is a Raw Zucchini Pasta (picture above) made with my favorite new kitchen gadget, the *Spiral Slicer. I top this with an almost Raw Marinara made with garden fresh tomatoes and spices. The reason it's not completely raw is because I can't find sun dried tomatoes, at a reasonable cost, that aren't packed in oil or that don't have sulfur dioxide as a preservative.

See http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/77.html)

I find tomato paste works very well in giving this sauce a rich flavor like the sun dried tomatoes would. And, if you heat the sauce just a bit, you hardly know it's not real spaghetti. One of the reasons I'm so excited about this dish is because I don't normally like zucchini. But because it's so nutritious, I've tried and tried to find ways to make it good. And this so far is the best!!

Another dish that I'll be demonstrating is a Hopin' John salad (pictured above). This is NOT a raw salad but more of a grain based salad using cooked brown rice and black eyed peas. The grains and beans together make a great hearty meal for the finicky man in your life, and when you pile this on a bed of romaine lettuce and garnish with garden fresh tomatoes, it adds the powerful anti-oxidants and phyochemicals that would normally be missing from this salad alone.

The third dish that I will be demonstrating is a Jicama & Sweet Pepper Salad w/Snap Peas and Corn (picture above). I've been making different versions of this salad for years and just love it! Because it's completely raw and contains a lot of high water content veggies, it's perfect for lunch when you don't want to eat something heavy that will take a lot of energy to digest. I need my energy for work during the day, not for digesting a heavy meal. With all the sweet veggies in this salad and the sweet vinegar dressing, you're sweet tooth will be satisfied and you wont want (or need) that late afternoon high sugar snack.

Are your kids asking for money for the ice cream truck or are they begging you to stop for a Shaved Ice after swimming? Instead, offer to make them a home made icy cool refreshing treat. Frozen Cherry's will be the fruit in this Lemon Cherry Slush (no picture yet) but any frozen fruit will work.

So there you have it! Whether you are into raw foods or not, this class will teach you how to make three delicious summertime dishes and will also give you ideas to incorporate into other traditional favorites that will help make the transition to a plant based diet satisfying and enjoyable. I look forward to seeing you at class!

*When I purchased my Spiral Slicer I bought 3 of them to get free shipping. The two remaining are available for purchase at my cost of $20. First come first serve!!

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

2009-07-05T18:54:00.005-06:00

I love ice cream!!! And it was the last to go when I eliminated dairy products from my diet. Once I discovered vegan ice cream options though, there was no turning back. There are several excellent options on the market, including one of my favorites, Soy Delicious. However, even though they are healthier then their dairy based counterparts, they are far from health promoting. They are high in processed sugars and extracted oils, which I have eliminated from my diet, other then the occasional treat or dinner out.

This home made ice cream treat that I came up with years ago has long been a favorite of mine and my husbands, as well as my, at that time, teenage daughter. And I recently made it for my 8 year old cub scouts and one of them liked it so much that he told about it at the next pack meeting.

If you have the frozen bananas on hand, it is so quick and easy. You can have soft serve ice cream in minutes. Here is how to make it:

Peel and slice spotted bananas and freeze in zip lock bags for at least 24 hours. I like to keep these on hand for smoothies as well. Add desired amount of frozen banana slices to a food processor and process with a bit of water, soy, or almond milk until smooth and creamy. You will need to stop the food processor a few times and use a fork to break up the chunks. Add cocoa powder to taste and serve. If you would like it sweeter, add a bit of agave nectar or other liquid sweetener in stead of the water.

There is another great home made ice cream option that I love to make but it takes a bit longer and it's best if you have an ice cream maker. It's called Cashew Ice Cream and the recipe can be found on the Vegetarian Society of Utah web site at www.vsutah.org. Go to the recipe link and find many more recipes as well.

Best of health to you! April

Vegetarian Society of Utah Food Demo

2009-06-13T18:07:00.005-06:00

Myself and two friends from the Vegetarian Society of Utah (http://www.vsutah.org/) did a food demo for the VSU library program this month. The event was a huge success! It was standing room only with 90+ in attendance. It was a lot of fun and everyone seemed to really enjoy the demo along with the free samples.

Here is the recipe that I demonstrated along with a picture. This is one of my favorite summer time salads served with some home made corn tortillas. The chips are made with my favorite corn tortillas, Food For Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas. They make great chips as well as soft tacos. Cut each round into 8 wedges and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until crisp.

Texas Caviar

2 cups raw corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 - 3 tomatillos chopped (optional)
1 small red onion, chopped
4 jalepenos seeded and chopped
4 or 5 roma tomatoes chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 - 3 limes juiced
½ - 1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1 - 2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup rice vinegar w/ 1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 large avocado diced
2 cups (or 2 cans drained and rinsed) black beans
Combine everything but the beans and mix well. Gently fold in beans. Gently mix. Let chill before serving.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Best of health to you! April

International Quinoa Salad

2009-05-17T18:59:00.005-06:00

I've really missed doing cooking classes this month and sharing with you the fun of plant based nutrition, so I decided to post one of my favorite summer time recipes.

International Quinoa Salad is a cool and light, easy to prepare one dish meal that is low in fat and high in protein. I've been educating myself lately about the best quality plant based protein sources and quinoa is one of them with 20 percent protein. Quinoa is considered a "pseudo grain" because it is actually a seed. Pseudo grains don't contain gluten, which makes them easily digestible, alkaline-forming, and suitable for those with an intolerance to gluten. It's high in lysine and is a good source of iron, potassium and B vitamins. It has a light, fluffy texture and a mild earthy taste. It can be cooked like you would cook rice or sprouted and eaten raw. It takes about 20 minutes to cook which is just enough time to chop up the veggies and toss the remaining ingredients together.

Originally this recipe called for a tablespoon or two of olive oil but because any kind of oil will damage the inner lining of your arteries, I leave it out and instead add the avocado in its place. That way, not only are you getting the oil from the avocado, but you are also getting all the vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, photochemicals that nature provided in that whole plant food. Besides, I LOVE avocado and as far as I'm concerned, it can go with anything! I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do!

International Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 - 2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
1 clove garlic minced
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 small cucumber chopped
1 cup corn
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion (I like using red onion)
1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans (if using canned, drain and rinse well)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup lime juice
1 avocado diced
salt to taste

Bring water to boil over high heat. Turn down to low and add quinoa. Cook about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove lid and fluff with fork and let cool.
While quinoa is cooking, combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Mix in cooled quinoa with vegetables, and mix lightly.
If there is no time to cool, mix in the quinoa while it's still warm. This makes a nice warm salad as well.

I'm hoping to resume my cooking classes the latter part of June so I hope to see you there!
Best of health,
April

Health for Life Cooking in April

2009-03-22T17:54:00.013-06:00

Spring into summer healthier and leaner with Health for Life Cooking! Plant foods are your greatest tool to achieve optimal health and your ideal weight! They are naturally low in calorie, high in fiber, and rich in the essential nutrients that are critical for optimal health.

On the menu for this month is Not Meat Loaf, Steamed Asparagus w/ Roasted Garlic Sauce, White Bean Potato Soup, and Raw Berry Pie w/a nut crust. The Not Meat Loaf is a favorite of mine that reminds me of the traditional meat loaf that many of us grew up with. I love it the way I loved meat loaf as a kid....with ketchup. And I will have some home-made ketchup for you to try along with the recipe. It is simple to through together but takes about 45 minutes to cook. The foundation of this loaf is tofu and oats with some veggies, seasonings and sauces added to make it tasty. The garlic sauce on the asparagus (which is in season this time of year) is made with pine nuts and roasted garlic with just a touch of lemon juice. The White Bean Potato soup is a rich creamy hearty soup that could be classified as one of those "comfort foods." And to top off the meal.....Raw Berry Pie. This pie is so healthy, you could eat it for breakfast! No processed sugars are used and the crust in this picture was made with almonds but could be made with pecans, walnuts, or even seeds for those who have allergies to tree nuts. And there you have it! I look forward to having you for dinner!

Best of health,

April

Nutrient Rich and Delicious!

2009-03-08T17:43:00.005-06:00

I had a VSU friend and one of my cooking class attendees e-mail me about the abundance of kale that she had growing in her green house, and she asked for some recipes using kale. I don't have a lot of recipes but I DO use it a lot. Mainly in my morning smoothie and I'll add it to soups and other dishes when I can. It's one of the most nutrient rich foods on the planet! High in protein, calcium and many cancer fighting phytochemicals! And it's delicious! AND it grows good here in St. George. In fact my fall crop lasted through the winter. There were only a couple of months where I didn't cut it because it just wasn't growing. But as soon as it warmed up a bit, it came out of dormancy and I think the freeze made it sweeter. It was so delicious! Anyway, back to the reason for this post. I've recently discovered beans and greens! And this dish that I made tonight for dinner was so yummy I just had to post the recipe. Besides the sweet potato that baked for an hour, it took only 10 minutes to make this meal. In the past I've used garbanzo beans and kale together but I had some left over black beans from last nights "Oscars Tacos" so I used them with the kale instead. Black beans are one of the most nutrient rich beans, and along with this kale, and then the sweet potato....wow! Oh yes, and the avocado mixed in increased the uptake of nutrients into your body. As for nutrients, it doesn't get a whole lot better then this. So, for Marilee, and anyone else who is interested, here is the recipe.

Kale w/Black Beans and Avocado

1/2 cup water w/ 2 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos - love this stuff!
1 large clove garlic
1/2 bunch of kale chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (next time I'll use 1 tsp)
1 cup black beans
1/4 avocado mashed

Cook garlic in water over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add kale, cover and cook for 3 - 5 minutes. Check for tenderness. Add seasonings and black beans and cook another minute. Mix in mashed avocado and serve. (the sweet potato has some avocado mixed in as well)

I just fed myself tonight but if I was feeding my husband, I would have doubled the recipe. However, I've cooked a whole bunch of kale and have eaten it all myself so the amount you make just depends on how weird you are!

BTW, when I use garbanzo beans, the seasonings are cumin, coriander, garam masala, and I use about 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds that have been ground to powder instead of the avocado.

If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think.

Best of health to you!
April

Cancer and the wonderful world of cruciferous vegetables

2009-03-04T10:22:00.007-07:00

Cancer is a killer! It took both of my parents and so I guess that's why I have a huge interest in the research on cancer and a plant based diet. The incredible evidence on the power of plant foods, especially green cruciferous vegetables, on cancer is amazing to me! And more research continues to surface all the time. Like this one published in Reuters on the benefits of broccoli. http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL0165700420080702?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&sp=true The article states "What broccoli seems to be doing is switching on genes which prevent cancer developing and switching off other ones that help it spread." BROCCOLI! Who would imagine! This should be on the front page of every news paper in this country and announced on every news broadcast. Unless you are interested in the subject and looking for it, you probably aren't going to hear it. I get a lot of this kind of information from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's blog. Those of you that know me and have come to my cooking classes, know that I'm a huge fan of Dr. Joel Fuhrman and his Eat to Live/ Eat for Health diet style which is a diet loaded with these high nutrient anti-cancer foods. He seems to be right up to date of all the latest research and he has helped thousands of his patients over come major illnesses with nutrition alone. And I've met some of them. Here are a couple of his posts that have to do with cancer and cruciferous vegetables.
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cancer-diet-chemotherapy-and-the-truth-how-to-win-the-war-on-cancer.html
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cancer-a-symphony-of-phytonutrients-from-cruciferous-vegetables.html

In this second link it states that cruciferous vegetables "halt the growth of breast cancer cells."
That means they stop the growth. Wouldn't every women with cancer want to know this? If I had cancer I would be eating the stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Come to think of it, I do eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Fruit smoothie with 3 oz of kale for breakfast, big green salad for lunch with about a cup of steamed either broccoli, cauliflower, or brussel sprouts, and I usually try to have some with dinner. I feel protected! Not only that but I'm slowing down the aging process. Fruits and veggies are great for complexion, nails, hair, eyes, and everything!! If I could only get it to change the silver colored stuff in my hair. Oh, you mean I can do that myself? Nah! Too much stress, money, and time involved.

OK, so here is the recipe I'm using right now for my fruit smoothie:

2 Oranges (oranges are in peak season and wonderful!)
1/2 cup water
3 - 4 ounces of kale, collards, or bok choy (all cruciferous veggies)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen mixed berries (buy from Costco)
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds

Blend this up in a high powered Vita Mix or Blend Tec until smooth. When you blend these vegetables the beneficial chemical compounds in the plant are so much more absorbable then when you chew because most of us really don't chew very well. Your body will absorb 90% of these incredible cancer fighting nutrients. So load up on these nutrient packed foods and take control of your health! No one else can.
Best of health to you!!

Health for Life in March

2009-02-23T19:43:00.003-07:00

Increasing the consumption of whole plant foods including vegetables, legumes, fruits, raw nuts and seeds and whole grains, and decreasing the consumption of animal products, offers a profound increase in longevity due to the life-extending phyto-chemicals that a plant-based diet offers!

Here is what's cookin' at Health for Life cooking for the month of March. Vegetable Tacos w/ fresh guacamole, Spicy Southwest Corn, Wheat Berry Chili, and Citrus Delight. While visiting my home town of Redlands California, my cousin and I had dinner at a great place called Oscars Cafe'. Any place that makes an effort to cater to the growing veggie crowd, and especially if they provide a healthy vegan entree, is a "great place" in my opinion. These veggie tacos stuffed with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and black beans were not only high in nutrients but also very delicious. After thoroughly enjoying this meal I knew I needed to take it home to my kitchen and give it a try! The Spicy Southwest Corn is a simple dish that I've been making for years. My teenage daughter loved it served with black bean enchiladas. The Wheat Berry Chili has got to be my favorite chili. Wanting to incorporate more whole wheat berries into my diet, I decided to add them to chili to provide a hearty meaty texture. And that it does! With Oranges in peek season, I wanted to make a citrus fruit drink to top off the meal. This smooth and creamy Orange Delight is a perfect way to cool down the palate after a spicy (but not too spicy) meal.

Here is a great article that tells us why it's so important to Eat for Health instead of depending on multi vitamins to keep us healthy. See you in March!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/10/multivitamins.cancer/index.html?eref=rss_health

February 18th Health for Life cooking class

2009-02-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

The theme for my Health for Life cooking class for the month of February was "Keep Your Heart Healthy for Life." Studies show that a plant based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds is the most effective cholesterol-lowering dietary approach in medical history! Wow! That is exciting news since heart disease is the #1 killer in our country. It just doesn't have to happen. We can dramatically reduce our risk! That is why I'm so excited to teach others how to prepare delicious meals that will help you to become heart attack proof! Speaking of "Heart Attack Proof," be sure and visit http://www.heartattackproof.com/ and learn more about this from Dr. Caldwell Essylstine, the director of preventive cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic.

OK, back to my class....I was excited about the menu for this months class. I prepared a special menu in honor of Valentines Day which included Eggplant Lasagna Roll-Up w/ a home made marinara sauce, Stuffed Mushrooms, Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette w/ a basic romaine salad, and Raw Fudge made with both carob and cocoa powder.

My first class was Tuesday February 3rd with four in attendance and my second class was last night, February 18th, with 3 in attendance. It took me about 70 minutes to prepare the four menu items and then we all sat down for a feast! It was very yummy if I do say so myself and the three wonderful ladies who attended seemed to enjoy it as well. They all took left-overs home. That is always a good sign! Thanks so much for coming Kathleen, Kim, and Lisa.

Stay tuned for next months menu that I will be posting soon. I'm hoping to include some pictures to entice you just a bit!

Best of Health! April