Chick Tortilla Soup

This soup is based on the following recipe:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-tortilla-soup/

I swapped the chicken for butternut squash which makes an awesome base when puréed yielding a nice thick winter soup.  I swapped in no salt added options.  You can always add salt if needed.

Butternut Squash Tortilla Soup

Butternut Squash (I used a 20oz precut pack)

1-2 cups Bell Pepper - diced

½ to 1 cup Onion 

Cumin (1 Tblspn)

Garlic Powder (1 Tblspn)

Chili Powder (1 Tblspn)

Dried Cilantro (optional)

1 can Black Beans (I use no salt added)

32 oz Veggie or Chicken Broth (I use low sodium)

1-1.5 cups frozen corn

1 can diced or whole peeled tomatoes 

3 Tbls Tomato Paste

4oz can green chilies 

3-5 Tblspn corn meal

Olive Oil (about a tablespoon)

1.  Toss squash in a plastic bag with a little olive oil and about 1 teaspoon of the spices (garlic powder, cumin and chili powder) and coat.  Then roast at 350 for about 20-30 mins

2.  After squash cools,toss in a blender, adding broth until it is liquified.

3.  Sauté peppers and onions in some oil in stock pot - when soft, add remaining spices and toss for a few seconds

4.  Pour the puréed squash and remaining broth into the stock pot

Add all other ingredients except the corn meal.

5.  Bring to a boil and let simmer 20-30 mins - thickness can be adjusted by adding more broth if needed or using less squash - I like mine really thick.

6.  Take the cornmeal and stir it in some cold water (about ½ cup) and then stir that mixture into the soup.

Allow to simmer another 20 mins

That's it - awesome with a few crumbled corn chips, some diced red onion and some chunks of avocado.  For a nice hearty meal you can mix in a few more black beans and brown rice - maybe 1/4 cup each.

Oh, and don't forget to add some fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime!

Add salt at the table if you used all the no salt added products as I do.

Enjoy!

Comfort Food! Two Great Soups for Fall: Barley Vegetable, and Bean with Sage and Mustard

I love fall, and I love warm comforting soups - beef stew, chicken noodle, corn chowder.  I have been pleasantly surprised at all the amazing warm fall veggies I have been eating.  I thought when summer left was gone, I would really struggle on a mostly vegan food plan.  Boy was I wrong!  Fall veggies - and fruits - squash, potato, corn, onion and their relatives are wonderful and rich and loaded with flavor - especially when roasted!

Here are 2 I made this week.

Barley Vegetable Soup in Crock Pot
Based on Sarah Jayne's recipe at Food.com

Highlights - Amazing variety of textures and layers of flavors - This is cold rainy day comfort food heaven.

This was my first try - and I loved the way it came out.  I have a big crock pot.  This made a lot of soup.  Basically It involves broth, barley, leeks and 1 cup of as many other vegetables as I could find.

Ingredients I Used:

6 cups veggie broth (low sodium)

1 cup water

1 cup low sodium V8

¾ cup barley (Use more for thicker more calorie dense stew)

Rough Chopped Veggies:

2 cups leeks*** (I love the way these break apart and flake into a wide noodle-like texture)

2 cups mushrooms

1 cup carrots

1 cup celery

1 cup spinach (I used fresh- I would not mind more)

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup baby potatoes

1 cup of mung bean sprouts (more noodle texture)

1 bay leaf and 1 bundle soup herbs in cheesecloth

1 tbl dried parsley

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried onion flakes

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

5 cranks of salt and pepper grinder

*** If you have not worked with leeks before, chop of the end, and then split down the middle and THEN rinse them like crazy - very gritty - then proceed with your rough chop.

Just throw all this stuff in a crockpot on low and let it go for 4-7 hours - you may want to check in after 3 hours if you are worried about it getting too thick from the barley absorbing the water. Take out the bay leaf and soup herbs



Pinto Bean with Sage and Mustard Soup

Based on this white bean recipe by Patricia Wells at foodandwine.com

Highlights - Warm, and rich, and extremely simple. Initially I planned on this being a side dish but it was thin enough it made a great soup..

Ingredients:

2 cans salt free pintos
1-2 cups of veggie broth
1 onion - halved
2-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp ground sage
1 bay leaf
3 Tbls Stone Ground Mustard
Oil to Coat Pan

1. Spray pan with oil and quickly saute whole cloves of garlic...just sweat, don't brown. A little water will also help keep it from burning.
2. Add the broth and onions and bring to a boil.
3. Turn down to simmer and add beans, sage, bay leaf.
4. Allow beans to heat with onion and garlic etc for 15-25 mins.
5. Remove boiled onion and garlic, and 1 cup of beans and whirl in food processor.
6. Add the whirled mixture and the stone ground mustard back into the soup and stir. Remove bay leaf and serve.
Optional: Drizzle with high quality olive oil.

What About Exercise?

Every healthy living plan involves exercise to some degree.  I have exercised in the past, and have had the most success with varied routines such as P90x or T25.  By success I mean I felt good while doing these, and had moderate improvement over the course of the program.

However, when you are busy, something has to give.  In my case, nutrition was neglected.  The time I put into exercise was time no longer available to prepare great healthy meals and shop for fresh healthy foods - not that I was doing that beforehand - but you get the idea...

A cycle develops where I work out, and kind of get in this excuse or reward scenario, where I then grab breakfast out and pick up some prepared foods for dinner, and maybe slap a quick sandwich together for lunch.

This summer, I decided to NOT exercise. I was going to focus on food only. By the time school began, I had lost 20+ pounds and had a ton of energy.  I also decided I really had the food program pretty well under control.

2 summers back I started a walk-run program and progressed with it to the point that I actually enjoyed running.  After a long cold winter I had trouble starting up.  I have back issues when I run too much without building up to it.

In the late spring I ran a bit too aggressively and my back was sore for 3-4 days, so I just laid off it, frustrated at all the progress I had undone.  After losing weight and having more energy, I decided to attack it again, but from a very different approach.

Here's what I began to do - a simple walk run routine based on a 1 minute walking recovery period.  Unlike the food plan, which I dove into full tilt, the exercise plan I entered cautiously for fear of set backs.  Despite feeling great, I know I'm an old man :-)

My routine began with a simple 1 minute walk, 15 second run cycle.  I use bit timer to monitor my cycles and Runkeeper to chart my runs.  Each time I go out I add 5 seconds to my run cycle but keep my recovery walk at 1 minute.  I am up to 1:45 run vs 1:00 walk, and approaching 3 miles in my half hour window for exercise.  The terrain is a nice variety of dirt, stone, and paved surfaces with a variety of elevation.

I shoot to get out 3 times each week, and also try to add some walks in here and there.  Hiking, photo walks, or just wandering around local towns.

While this is certainly not a huge athletic accomplishment, I have noticed it continues to add to my overall feeling of wellness, and while my weight is close to stabilizing now that I have dropped 40-45 pounds, my belt loop was down another notch despite minimal weight loss.  Perhaps my weight is shifting a bit.

For most things in life, you just need to try it.  Commit and set yourself up for easy wins and noticeable growth.  When you don't meet the goal you set, just aim for that next benchmark.  Don't view it as a failure or cheating.  Just consider it feedback for long term progress!

Next up for me - upper body - core and more - I'm going to try to ease into a program to help me feel stronger and tone up!  

Pack on the Veggies!!

One thing I am always trying to do is eat as many veggies as I can everyday.  I do love salads, and I love beans, but I am always looking for ways to add texture to my meals, and come up with more healthy alternatives to things I love that might be a little loaded with processed foods.

I have always loved pasta salad.  Specifically noodle salad.  However, with a food plan that tries to limit processed carbs, I have a few options when making pasta salad.

1. Up the ratio of veggies to pasta - where normally I might have 2/3 pasta and 1/3 veggies, I can flip the switch and go 1/4 pasta and 3/4 veggies.  This is an ok alternative, but I have not done this because a) I really love the texture of noodles, so if I am going to overwhelm it with chunky veggies, what's the point?  b)  I would rather add a different starchy vegetable in instead, like a potato, or corn to my daily food intake, or have a decadent piece of sour dough (I like bread WAY more than pasta) with my salad.
2. Use Bean Pasta - The grocery stores in my area sell pasta made from beans and water.  Those noodles have the same nutrition as beans and some taste pretty good.  However the texture is a little dense, and if I want pasta with some chili, or bean salad, then I am doubling up on beans, and the calories from beans can add up quickly - so I would typically eat smaller portions of both things.
3. Spiralized Vegetable Pasta -  BINGO!!  I have been wanting to try this for so long, and finally got around to it.  Finally, I can eat "pasta" salad with the nutritional value of a garden salad.  I can eat HUGE quantities and still consume very few calories and MORE nutrients! 

A spiralizer cuts veggies like squash and zucchini into long spaghetti like strands.  They range in price from $5 to $99.99.

I got one like the above for $5 at TJ Maxx.  It does a great job cutting but is kind of a pain to clean.In about 5 minutes I used zuchini and yellow squash to make enough pasta for 2 lunches.

I grabbed my "pasta", some onion, carrot and cherry tomatoes and a few tablespoons of my favorite balsamic vinaigrette (Bolthouse Farms), some Apple Cider Vinegar, and let it sit.  I gotta say, it was AMAZING.  It really did feel and taste like I was eating refined carbs.  The squash was NOT too wet, and really held the dressing well, and provide a perfect al dente style base for this yummy side dish!

Here are some other spiralized veggie recipes I want to try!  Let me know if you get to them first!

Cold Pesto Salad

Vegetable Lo-Mein

Zuchini Pomodoro

There are a million on line!  Can't wait to dive in!

What Am I Going to Eat Tonight?

From Desperation Comes Inspiration

Even though I try to plan out meals or at least base foods I can doctor up in a pinch, I found myself staring into the fridge Saturday night wondering what I was going to eat.  I was playing that evening at a wonderful pub (Pour Girls), where they specialize in Wings and other meaty delights.  I had two options.  I could use this as an excuse to go hog wild (or chicken wild, or cow wild), or I could fill up on some healthy grub at home, and then enjoy maybe one or two fabulous wings at the gig.  Option 2 sounded better to me.

There was no prepared food, and we had polished off the leftovers that afternoon.  We needed to go grocery shopping, but there wasn't time for that.  My fridge looked like a boring chopped basket.  I spotted some leftover quinoa, about 1/2 a cup cooked. What am I going to do with THAT?   I had some very basic veggies as well:  Carrots, celery, onions.  The most basic of the basics.

I'm not quite sure how I got this idea, maybe it was thinking about the yummy asian style wings at pour girls, but it hit me.  Fried Rice!  Or Quinoa, as the case may be.

(This photo is from www.Jehancanckook.com , check them out!)

This was going to be my dinner, so I wanted it to be veggies with a little grain...pretty much the inverse of your typical vegetable fried rice.  When it was finished, it didn't LOOK like veggie fried rice, but I was surprised at how well it turned out.  Here's what I did, for a one person serving.

Here's What I Used

• 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
• 2 large carrots
• 2 large stalks of celery
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp or less Braggs Aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)
• 1 tbls peanut butter
• 1 tsp Olive Oil (or use a mister)

Here's What I Wish I Used In Addition

• Broccoli (fresh or frozen)
• Mushrooms (preferably a nice variety pack)
• possibly some black beans and/or bell pepper

Here's What I Did

• Dice the fresh veggies
• Heat the pan and mist with Oil
• Sweat the onions, carrots, celery until they are a bit soft (5 mins?)
• Add the garlic (I like to put mine on top of the onions etc and make sure the pan is not too hot - I HATE burnt garlic) and toss for about 30-40 seconds to sweat the garlic too.
• Add everything else, except the peanut butter, and warm through
• Once it's hot enough to eat, melt the PB into it, toss and enjoy.

The end result was really delicious.  If you are not used to eating salt free, then you may need some more soy sauce, but while not tasting exactly like fried rice, it was delicious and captured the essence, and held me over quite well.  I bummed 1 delicious Buffalo Wing off a gracious band mate and washed it down with an adult beverage, and was set for the night.

Here's a few other related recipes I found after the fact.  I will borrow a little from each to fit my taste in the future - if using as a main course I like the veggie to grain ratio be at least 1:1 veggie, but as a side dish it can be less.

Alyssa from Simply Quinoa adds egg and sesame oil.

Chungah at Damn Delicious has another take on it, also with egg.  If you try any of these or come up with your own twist, let me know how it comes out! Cheers!

Shortcuts and Basics for Healthy Eating

The following are some basic principles and shortcuts that may be helpful to those wanting to eat a nutrient dense mostly plant based diet.  My schedule is hectic, so I spent my summer vacation trying to figure out how I could continue to eat healthy in a hurry.

What works best for me is having a base recipe, and then using variations so I don't get bored.


Breakfast Base - Quick and Delicious Smoothies and Hot Cereal

There is no reason you can't have an AMAZINGLY delicious breakfast daily.

Almost everyday I make a smoothie for breakfast.  I have found the tool I use the most often in the kitchen these days is my Ninja, especially the Nutri Ninja attachment.  Any kind of blender or should work fine.

Basic Oatmeal Smoothie (300-350 cal)
Almost everyday I make a smoothie for breakfast.  I have found the tool I use the most often in the kitchen these days is my Ninja, especially the Nutri Ninja attachment.  Any kind of blender or should work fine.

*1/4 rolled oats (not instant) dry
1 banana (the more ripe, the better - this is my source of sweetness)
*1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup of coconut water
1/3 cup almond milk
*1 tbl ground Flax Seed

* I prep these into the cups the night before for a super fast and filling breakfast that can be taken on the run.

Variations:
Use Cooked Steel Cut Oats  The cooked oats add a nice thickness and it really fills you up.  If you like this version, make 2 dry cups worth...that will yield 8 full servings (but I find with the cooked oats I only use about 1/2 a serving in my smoothie) and you can keep them in the fridge for quite a while.
Vary Your Fruits I love using mixed berries, or sometimes I will go with peach or mango instead of berries.  In the summer I use as much fresh fruit as I can, but in the winter frozen is fine - I defrost it overnight in the fridge because I do not like my breakfast drink too cold and thick.
Add Some Nuts Walnuts, almonds, pecans, and cashews all add flavor and a richness to your smoothie.  Nuts can also add a lot of calories, so I typically only add nuts after a workout or if I know it may be a while until lunch.

Basic Hot Oatmeal (200-300 cal)
I actually made this from day 1, and then I realized I could just make it as a smoothie.  I usually cook 1-2 cups of dry oats at a time, and then reheat either in a pan or microwave.  It's fast, delicious, and feels decadent.

1/2 to 3/4 Serving of cooked Steel Cut Oats (2-3 tbls uncooked)
fresh or frozen fruit - typically 1-2 cups worth (a banana and blueberries, peaches etc)
cinnamon
nutmeg
almond milk or coconut water when reheating to get it to a preferred consistency when reheating

Variations:
Use Dried Fruit and Nuts  Craisins, Raisins, Apples, Dates. all can be added in small quantites. They are sweet and will plump in the heating process as they absorb liquid.  And nuts are just plain awesome in oatmeal.
Vary Your Fruits Just like with the smoothies, change it up and keep it interesting, or go with whatever is fresh and available!
Cook the Fruit with the Oats I love to make an apple oatmeal, where I chop in 2-4 small apples per cup of dried oats.  It ups the bulk, fruit, and fiber, and adds sweetness.  (I used to use apple cider instead of water - also delicious - this is my less sweet high fiber version of that.)

Lunch and Dinner Base - Quick Salads and Soups

Beans seem to be the key to nutritional success for me.  I do occasionally cook them up ahead of time (which I should do all the time because it is healthier, I control the sodium, and it is SO much cheaper).  However, I often use canned beans.  READ LABELS.  Some brands of beans are labeled low sodium but in fact have more sodium than other brands NOT labeled low sodium.  I buy no salt added when I can, but occasionally buy others so I can have a large variety at my disposal.

Basic Bean Salad (10 Servings) (approx 150 cals/cup)
This is my base.  I make it ahead of time and add to it for variety and my mood. - if this is from canned beans, then you have ALOT of bean salad - like 10 cups worth - if that is the case, simply cut it in half by mixing 3 cans of beans, and scooping off half and freezing them.

3 Cans of Different Beans (5-6 cups total)  (ie Black, Garbanzo, Kidney)
5-6 cups of chopped fresh veggies - not rocket science - just fill out your beans with veggies such as:
Carrot
Celery
Red Onion
Yellow Pepper
makes for a colorful and delicious neutral blend
*1/4C Bolthouse Balsamic Vinaigrette
2-3Tbls Red Wine Vinegar

*  This stuff is tasty and Nutritarian!  Saves me time making my own dressing - I often add good red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to it because I find it too sweet, despite all of it's sweetness coming from fruit juice.

Variations:
Now you have your base - it is pretty neutral - so you can add other stuff to it and season it as your mood suits you.  Add roasted veggies or fresh veggies Add it to a leafy green salad.  Mix in fresh salsa,  mango salsa, curry seasoning, sliced pears etc etc  Also, that vinaigrette is so low calorie I often add maybe a tbls more and a touch more vinegar - or lemon juice when I prep it for my lunch.

Basic Bean Soup

I like to cook my with some simple basic veggies - carrot, celery, onion, and maybe garlic.  This is a VERY simple and neutral combination.  If you are using dry beans just let all that stuff go and cook together - if you are using canned beans i would cook the veggies longer and/or roast them.  And always start with more veggies than you think you need - it is healthy and stretches all of it out.

Once your base is done, you can now add whatever you have around that you are in the mood for.  I freeze my soup off in bags and just pull it out to defrost.  When I cook it I add alot of fresh veggies...spinach, onion, tomato...and whatever seasonings i am in the mood for...asian spices, mexican spices, italian flavors, indian flavors.  You can put a TON of spinach into these soups since it gets so soggy when it cooks, and mushrooms too.  I have even wilted lettuce in it.  After the first few weeks when I seasoned and seasoned and seasoned everything I really came to appreciate the subtle flavors of the veggies and richness of the beans themselves

Food Fast - Shortcuts for Busy Days

Beans and Dressings
Eating canned low sodium beans is not as good for me as eating dry cooked ones, but it is better than eating full sodium beans or cold cuts.  Bolthouse dressings are probably not as good for me as home made dressings (although they are pretty darn close!) but the amount of time it saves me allows me to put my energy into other things that allow me to move forward.

Kick (up?) the Canned Goods
If you look for it, you can find somewhat healthy soups and beans at grocery or health food stores.  I always look for the lowest sodium possible and usually have the best luck in the organic section.  However, of you can't kick the canned good habit for good, kick up your food the RIGHT way.

If I have to have canned soup, I add LOTS of fresh veggies to it.  Cherry tomatoes, left over cooked veggies, leafy greens like kale or spinach, and frozen veggies all can be dumped into your canned soup to make it go further and boost the health factor.

I turned a simple minestrone into a hearty stew by adding leftover mashed cauliflower 'n' potatoes, some grape tomatoes, and Spice Hunter Seafood Seasoning (salt free) while it cooked.

Eating on the Road
This can be challenging.  In general, if I eat ONLY foods I prepare, I lose weight.  If I eat foods from elsewhere I gain weight short term.  This doesn't bother me - it is a nice reminder that I really don't know how restaurants prepare their food.  Over time, even with eating out now and then I will lose weight, but I just know from the salt alone I will gain 1-2 pounds the day immediately following even a light dinner out.  It will come off quickly after a few days of eating at home.

Some on the run options that seem to work for me:
Saladworks - I create my own with only veggies.  I get the dressing on the side or bring my own. (I am a fan of full fat dressing - I would rather eat that in limited amounts than low fat where they kick up salt and sugar or artificial sweeteners to make up for the lack of flavor) Sometimes I eat the whole wheat roll, sometimes half, sometimes none.  I drink unsweetened tea.
Pita Pit- Pretty much like Saladworks but on a pita - yum - plus they have HUMMUS!!!!!
Wawa - A few options in their fridge section for a quick healthy grab n go.
Local Cafes - Nourish and Chef-a-topia at the Market at Liberty Place , Talula's Table, Avondale Natural Foods (I treat myself to a few slices of their amazing sour dough and organic eggs once or twice a week) are all locally owned businesses with menus that allow me to choose somewhat healthy options.  In West Chester, I love Baco Juice and Taco Bar - amazing tacos (vegetable, fish or meat options), and awesome reasonable portion of beans and rice, NOT dripping in sauce or salt.

Last resorts:
Wendy's - Their small chili is not horrible for fast food and it holds me over.
Starbucks - Some healthy options - I'll do the turkey bacon breakfast sandwich in a pinch.

OK, so those are some shortcuts for anyone who wants to get started.  Anyone else have any great shortcuts to share?  Post them below!

Starting Over - Some Things I Learned In Making the Change

Start in the Kitchen

When I decided to change over to a nutritarian lifestyle, I started in the kitchen.  My wife was away on business for the week, and my teenage daughter said she would be glad to give it a try.  I told her we could keep things in the house for her, but she said, she would be fine with it.  My wife also agreed to go along with it when she got back.  Having everyone in the house on the same page is extremely helpful but not critical.  I assumed I would be doing this on my own, and was just going to claim a portion of the fridge.  Instead, we were going to need the entire fridge for the changes that were coming.

Yeah, not ours, but you get the idea :)

The first thing I did was clean out the fridge and pantry.  I basically got rid of anything that wasn't a whole food and plant based with a very few exceptions.  My daughter wanted her rye bread and a little cream cheese to go with her veggies.  I held on to a few condiments, oils and vinegars.  Things that would keep and that my wife might use for cooking for herself or others I held on to.

Once I was cleaned out, I made a grocery list and went out for supplies.  You have no idea how much 2 pounds of veggies is until you buy it, stuff your fridge with it, and wipe it out in about a day and a half.

There Will Be Initial Challenges

Here is a list of the set backs I faced during my first week:

• my first lunch literally took me 45 minutes to eat...not to prepare and eat...to EAT.  I decided eating an entire pound of raw veggies in 1 sitting is pretty challenging and I would need to spread those veggies out.
• as I relearned to cook, I felt like I spent the entire week in the kitchen or at the grocery store.  I decided cooking in bulk was the only way to go.
• I really missed salt.  This surprised me because I did not realize how much salty foods I had eaten.  I spent a lot of time searching for awesome dips and dressings I could use with my veggies.  After a week or so I no longer really needed them.
• I wondered how I could tolerate a "limited" diet.  How would I find the joy of variety.
• Sometimes it physically HURT to finish my meals because they were so filling. (The book I read recommends only 3 meals a day, contrary to many eating plans that encourage "grazing".)
• Once my wife and daughter jumped on board, space to store everything was a bit of a challenge, but we got organized and worked it out.

Interestingly, hunger, weakness, and lack of energy were never really issues.

Rapid Changes Will Take Place

I believe one important aspect of transitioning to this lifestyle is breaking food addictions.  In Eat to Live, the author indicates cravings are not due to hunger, they are addictions.  If you are truly hungry, ANYTHING will taste good.  

Following the eating guides as strictly as possible for a week or 2 will really help make the transition for the long haul easier.  You will likely break any of those food addictions and your body will begin to literally tell you what it needs.  I understand that eating this way really depends on variety, and I was worried that I should probably document everything to make sure I was getting a balanced diet with plenty of protein etc.  But unlike food addictions that make you want more and more (salt, fat sugar etc.) of the same thing, I find when my body tells me what it needs, it's something varied that I have been missing out on, like beans, fruit or spinach.

In addition to immediate weight loss (mostly initially from eliminating salt/water retention). other things began to change.  I began to truly taste some of these foods for the first time.  I couldn't believe after just a few days how rich and wonderful beans tasted.  The natural sweetness of fruits and vegetables was apparent since I was not eating really any sugars (or artificial sweeteners).  The natural saltiness of celery could be tasted when added to cooked meals.

Food Glorious Food - Healthy and Delicious is Possible

It took a little bit for me to begin to make delicious food.  Each week I seem to add more to my arsenal.  Seasonal changes bring about new challenges but also new edible joys.  Upcoming posts will focus on food strategies, tools and recipes that I have begun to refine since beginning this journey.