Plant Based Nation Spring 2013 Conference

Since I was pretty young, I strongly believed in the correlation of a healthy diet and a healthy body. Like many people, I find that I am often tempted by unhealthy food options: fried foods, processed foods, refined sugar, saturated fats, etc. The standard American diet (SAD) is truly sad for our collective health and the health of our planet.

I've been slipping back into some of my not so healthy eating habits over time. I've been hitting the chips and fried foods far too often. As my diet has gotten less clean, I find I'm dealing with more inflammation issues, lack of energy, concentration and feeling generally yucky. I needed something to motivate me to get back on track. The Plant Based Nation Spring 2013 Conference could not have come at a more perfect time for me personally. Plant Based Nation is a grassroots organization that helps educate and provide resources for people seeking to live a more plant based lifestyle.

This was the first time the conference has been held in the Phoenix area. It was a perfect venue to learn about the benefits of a whole food vegan diet with compassion, not guilt. The presenters and the attendees were extremely positive and full of knowledge and information they were happy to share with anyone regardless of their diet. I learned as much from the new friends I made in the audience as I did from the speakers.

The all-day event was held this weekend at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, AZ. The conference featured fantastic food, incredible speakers and live entertainment. I got to the conference a little late, so I missed the breakfast provided by 24 Carrots. I heard it was excellent. Luckily I live very close to them and can eat Chef Sasha's treats whenever I please.

There were 10 options for different topics and speakers. It was hard to pick which one to attend. I was a bit late to the first presentation and caught the second speaker; Chef Sara from Chef Sara's Raw Vegan Academy and Cafe. Her inspiring story of how she cured herself of cervical cancer by using raw foods and good nutrition kept me riveted as it is a stark contrast to all of the very sick people I saw when going through chemo. She was crazy energetic. At 60 years old, she runs her academy and cafe single-handedly. Yep, that's how I want to feel at 60 and beyond.

The second presentation I attended was one given by the spunky Haley Cloud of Living Raw by Grace. Her chat featured easy ways to juice and blend (smoothies). She was hilarious and fun. She let all of us know how very easy it is to whip up a very healthy and tasty meal in a glass. For you moms and busy people out there, this is a great way to get your loved ones to eat their fruits and veggies on the run. Haley offers personal coaching, (un) cooking classes and in-home parties. I love the idea of having a party! The picture is a bit blurry, because she doesn't stand still for very long! Healthy and energetic...are you starting to see a theme here?

It was hard to decide what my favorite part of the day was. Oh, who am I kidding? I am a food lover at heart. Lunch was my favorite part! The lunch was provided by The Pomegranate Cafe in Ahwatukee. I've long loved Pomegranate for their organic, local and healthy focus on food. Yeah, that and their food is off the hook delicious too. I don't know what the official names of all of the dishes were but everything was crazy delicious. I was so fortunate to meet some lovely ladies (one from Canada and one from Illinios) and chat with them during lunch. Such great energy.

Veggie Wraps

Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches

This was one dish I didn't get for some reason, so I am not sure what it is.

Raw Walnut Cilantro "Sour Cream" Cabbage Wraps

Black Bean Salad with Mangos

Pesto Pasta Salad

Raw Beet and Greens Salad

Decadent Chocolate Yumminess

The third speaker was probably my favorite of the day: Dr. Jameth Sheridan. His intense passion and scientific knowledge were a great combination. He was able to share an incredible amount of scientific evidence and knowledge in an easy to understand and entertaining way. His years of research (with evidence of results not just rhetoric) debunk a lot of the nutritional information that we have been taught in our schools and medical practices. One thing I think is important to share is that the theory of "complete proteins" where it has been assumed that you are supposed to have all the essential fatty acids requirements in one meal or food. All fruits and vegetables contain all eight of them in varying degrees. The key is to eat a great variety of whole foods everyday. Don't eat the same foods all of the time. Mix it up and you will get all you need. Dr. Sheridan has been vegan for 26 years and eats mostly raw. Ladies, he flexed for us and um yeah, lets just say he was anything but wimpy and weak. Men, be inspired. You can eat your veggies and be a stud-muffin too. I loved the fact that he sells his own line of superfood and nutritional products, but he wasn't hard selling them at all. To me, this gave him even more credibility.

The final presentation I attended was given by Dr. Jonathan Murphy, an integrative oncologist from An Oasis of Healing in Mesa, Arizona. The news anchor format he used to present his information was kind of cute and refreshing. Their philosophy of using integrative natural and traditional therapies together is so different than what is offered in most oncology practices. I wish I would have had this option when I went through my breast cancer treatment. Not one of my doctors discussed the role of nutrition in healing, recovering and thriving after cancer. I am so incredibly thankful that this type of treatment is now available here in the valley and beyond. Dr. Murphy (and his wonderful assistant) discussed different raw whole foods ingredients and how their nutritional components provided support and healing for the body. I wasn't able to stay for the entire presentation, but I certainly hope they will be back for the fall conference as I'd like to learn more from them.

I left the conference feeling peaceful, excited, educated, entertained and hopeful for a very healthy future. So much so, that when I got home, I signed up for another meet up group for Raw Foods. I was excited to learn that there will be future conferences held here in the Phoenix area. They are planning to hold 3 a year. So if you miss a speaker at one, you can hear them at the next conference. Sign me up!!!

Hackett House Cooking Class - Peruvian Night!

I am quite late in posting this. The class was over a month ago. But what a time we had.  I was first introduced to Peruvian food when I was testing for Viva Vegan for Terry Hope Romero. It was then I first experienced the incredible flavor of Aji Amarillo paste. Aji Amarillo is a yellow pepper that gives a fantastic heat and flavor to dishes. If you are lucky enough to have a Hispanic or International market close to you. See if you can get a jar and change your life...well at least make your taste buds happy.

The class was a blast as usual. There is always such a great audience. This is the third class I've done. It was awesome to see some familiar faces from some of my other classes. As an added bonus, one of my very best friends came in from Illinois for the class.

We started off the evening with a combo that included a traditional Peruvian dish called Papa a la Huanciana. It is normally made with cheese and aji amarillo sauce. This version was super easy to make and so creamy and tasty. It was paired with a fabulous vegan ceviche.

The entree, while not super photogenic was the most popular among the guests. I created a vegan version of Seco de Carne. This is one of the most popular dishes in Peru. As the name indicates, it is traditionally made with meat. This version made great use of Butler Soy Curls and Portobello mushrooms. The mushrooms added a deep rich flavor. Last minute I squeezed in a touch of lime juice to brighten the flavor. I'm going to share the recipe here with you, so you can enjoy a bit of Peru in your own home.

Seco de Portobello

Makes 6 Servings

1 – 8 oz package Butler Soy Curls

3 cups boiling water

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped small

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 portobello mushrooms, fins removed, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon aji Amarillo paste

3 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves

2 cups lightly packed spinach, stems remove

4 cups vegetable broth, separated

2 medium red or Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, diced into 1” cubes

1 scant cup carrots, peeled and diced small

1 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice

¾ cup green peas, thawed if frozen

Rehydrate Soy Curls in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain well, squeezing out any excess water.

Add cilantro, spinach and 1 cup vegetable broth to blender and blend until well combined but not totally smooth.

In a heavy bottomed stockpot, add 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat, add drained Soy Curls. Saute until browned and dry, stirring often being careful not to burn bottom of pan, about 5-8 minutes. If needed, add a touch of water if they start to stick to the pan.

Add 1 table olive oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms and aji Amarillo paste, sauté, stirring frequently until onions are translucent and mushrooms start to release their moisture, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, salt and a dash of black pepper and sauté for about 1 minute until cumin is fragrant.

Add remaining 3 cups vegetable broth, carrots and potatoes. Simmer on low until potatoes are tender and stew is thickened, about 45 minutes to an hour. (This would be the perfect time to start your rice). Add green peas and continue to simmer until peas are heated through. Add just a touch of fresh lime juice. Serve with rice and beans.

My kitchen team said to me in no uncertain terms that if I ever made them bust out "donuts" for 30+ people they would ride me out on a rail. The Picarones were a homage to Peruvian street food. They were fun, different and yes, a little challenging to make. The street vendors serve them with a warmly spiced chancaca syrup. This night we added a little drizzle of chocolate ganache as well.

I have to thank my kitchen crew who worked their tails off to make the food look and taste amazing! The Hackett House volunteers are second to none. They make the evening awesome for all of the guests. If you haven't experienced one of the cooking classes at Hackett House, I hope you get a chance to join me. I'm already scheduled for May 1, 2014. I'll be featuring a exciting Cinco de Mayo menu! Hope you can join us!!

Greens for Breakfast!

Our garden just keeps exploding with greens. I'm feeling particularly blessed with the abundance and don't want to waste any of it. Two meals a day doesn't seem to be enough to use up this green bounty. I'm going to be eating them in my sleep soon. This is a healthy happy issue to have!

Today for breakfast, I decided to whip out one of my very favorite greens recipes: Dark Leafy Greens with Sesame Miso Dressing (Vegan Table, Page 37). Click here for a link to the recipe. It is a bit fussy for a greens recipe as the recipes calls for steaming then throwing the greens in an ice bath. I find if I mix the dressing ingredients and toast the sesame seeds before I start, I can eliminate this step and save washing another bowl. I also find this a tad salty as written, so I recommend eliminating the soy altogether. If you are watching your fat/calorie intake, you may consider cutting back on the sesame oil and/or sesame seeds. Today I ate this as is, but I love this on top of soba noodles with marinated baked tofu as well. It is a delicious way to get your greens.

Look at that beautiful emerald color. Mmmmmm!

Spinach Salad with Fakin' Bakin' and Carmelized Onion-Dijon Vinaigrette

Finally we got some curly spinach to grow in our garden. I don't know what it is about curly spinach, but it has always held a special place in my heart. For some reason, I rarely find it in the stores or farmers markets here in AZ. We didn't get a whole lot and what did grow was kind of hidden under our crazy prolific arugula.

Look at how dark and gorgeous those leaves are. The crevices are custom made to hold yummy dressings and lots of great nutrients.

A very long time ago, I worked as one of the head line cooks for this crazy Italian guy from the east coast. He was generally a disaster in the kitchen. He once got me so aggravated, I walked off of the line during a rush with all intentions of never returning. He had no business sense and no qualms about sending out sub par crap. I just wouldn't have it. He got the hint and left me and my buddy Matt to crank out some awesome eats.

Even with his many failings in the quality and personality departments, he had a few recipes that really worked. I wish I would have written some of those down. This salad was similar to one he had on the menu. I honestly can't remember what veggies were in the salad, but distinctly remember the awesome curly spinach (that I had to wash tubs full of every day) and the caramelized onion dressing. This isn't the exact same recipe, but it tastes pretty darn close. You can make your own tempeh bacon, but I find this product: Lite Life Fakin' Bacon (at Sprouts and Whole Foods) comes in very handy when you don't plan ahead.

This is quick to throw together on those busy days and very filling!

Spinach Salad with Fakin' Bakin' and Carmelized Onion-Dijon Vinaigrette

9 slices - (6 oz package) Fakion Bakin' or you favorite vegan bacon
spray oil for cooking bakin'
9 cups lightly packed curly spinach (or regular if you can't find it), washed and torn into bite sized pieces (measure after tearing)
3 medium ripe red tomatoes cut into 1" chunks
3 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted is a yummy option)

1 recipe Caramelized Onion-Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

 Spray 10" non-stick or iron skillet with a generous portion of spray oil. Place "bacon" strips in pan and saute over medium heat for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Carefully flip over and cook for 3-4 more minutes until golden on the other side.

While the bacon is cooking, toss spinach and tomatoes in dressing. When "bacon" is cooked, remove from heat. You can leave it in long strips, but I prefer to cut each slice into 3 pieces. Divide spinach mixture between 3 large salad bowls or plates. Divide "bacon" evenly over each salad. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon pine nuts.

Caramelized Onion-Dijon Vinaigrette

Makes a little over 1/2 cup

1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a small saute pan over med heat, saute onions in 2 teaspoons olive oil until golden and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Place cooked onions and all other ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Dressing is best served at room temperature or slightly warmed. It will keep in the fridge for about a week, but it should be warmed before using.

As a side note - 1 serving of Lite Life Fakin' Bacon has 8 grams of protein with only 3 grams of fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol!

Love Those Hot Wingz

Going veg wasn't really super hard for me, except for the haunting smell of wings. In the first few months after I stopped eating meat, I would get this crazy intense craving for wings. It was the one dish that almost made me revert back to the meaty side. It only took me a short time to realize, that I could indeed have my wingz and eat them too.

This version can be made with either tempeh or seitan. Honestly, I prefer seitan, but if I don't have any made up, it is super easy to pick up a package of tempeh at the store when I just can't wait to have me some spicy goodness. It may look like a lot of ingredients, but most of the ingredients are spices.  These are really pretty simple to throw together. The bulk of the time is inactive marinating the "wings". These are gluten free if you use tempeh.

Wingz of Fire

Makes 8 Wingz

1 - 8 oz package tempeh, torn into 8 rectangular pieces
(can also substitute 8 oz seitan)
1 recipe marinade (see below)
1/4 cup tapioca or corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoon Earth Balance vegan butter (from the sticks), melted
2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce (or your favorite)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for those who like 'em suicide hot)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying

Marinade

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Place tempeh pieces in steamer and steam for 10 minutes. While they are steaming, mix together marinade ingredients in an 8 x 8 or smaller non-reactive pan, large enough to fit tempeh or seitan in a single layer. This doesn't make a lot of marinade, just enough to get soaked up by the protein. Add tempeh while it is still hot or seitan and turn to coat both sides. Marinate for a minimum of 2 hours*.

In a shallow bowl, combine the tapioca starch, salt and smoked paprika.

In a small saute pan, melt vegan butter and stir in hot sauce. Keep warm.

Heat enough oil to come 1/2 inch up the side of a 10-inch iron skillet (or other skillet but make sure it is not a non-stick type) to 350 degrees. Dredge marinated tempeh or seitan in tapioca starch mixture. Carefully slide into hot oil. Cook for about 3 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towel.


In a bowl big enough to toss all of the wings, combine the melted vegan butter, hot sauce and peppers (if using). Toss fried wingz in sauce and serve immediately with vegan blue cheese or ranch dressing (recipe below), carrots and celery.

*If you are pressed for time, you can shorten the marinating time, but they are much more flavorful if they get some time to soak up all of that flavor.


Ranch Dressing

Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup  plus 2 tablespoons vegan mayonaise (I like Veganaise brand)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with a fork or wire whisk until completely combined. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

Ani's Fat Blast Revisted

Back in October, I did a review and a giveaway of Ani's Fat Blast. After the New Year and some minor health issues, I decided it might be worth putting Ani's book to the test. Five friends and I decided to embark on a 28 day clean vegan eating program. I am the only veg in the group, so I was excited they agreed to go totally vegan for the duration.

Sadly, one person dropped out after only 3 days. I was bummed because I felt he could benefit the most. But on we went! The first 15 days, four of us decided to put Ani's book to the test and try to go raw for at least the first week. Two of the four had a very hard time with having mostly smoothies and soups the first week. They decided to forgo Ani's plan, but did stay vegan for the first 15 days. Yay! Two of us decided to do the full 15 day fat blast!

Each Sunday I would prep the weekly meals for everyone who was doing raw. As I was prepping my weekly meals, I found myself wishing the page numbers were listed on the menu pages. It was kind of a pain to have to keep looking for the recipes as I was doing the prep. It's not a deal breaker on buying the book, but a suggestion on how to improve future editions perhaps?

Admittedly, the first week was a little challenging for me as well. The first few days, I could really feel the detox happening. My stomach was a little yucky and I felt a little toxic to be honest. After the first couple of days, I started to feel really energetic. Almost too much so. I was having a little trouble sleeping. That soon passed and I just felt good. I didn't realize how very sluggish I had gotten over the past few years as my weight climbed up. My co-worker started feeling a lot better too. You eat 5 small meals a day, so not once did I feel hungry. I have to admit, I was very excited to be chewing instead of drinking during week two.

Week two brought chewing and happy tummies. We both found some of the recipes very tasty and plan on making them often in the future. I fell in love with the Thermo Dressing (pg. 138). It is addicting. A lot of the smoothies were really good! There were a couple of soups I had to choke down, but most were pretty darn good. I particularly liked the Zucchini Noodles and Raw Marinara Sauce (pg. 160). The Pesto Wraps (pg. 156) were filling and delicious. We had some gorgeous chard coming out of the garden. They made the perfect wrapper!

The raw brownies with fresh raspberries were a great treat. Oh, and the simple blueberries, strawberries, cacao nibs and flax snack were awesome.

The recipes are super easy and quick. It makes it really convenient to be raw and easy to stay on the program. We both decided we would keep doing a lot of raw. She decided to order her own copy of the book. I bet you are probably wondering how much fat we blasted? In 15 days, I lost 7 pounds and my friend lost 6 pounds. While that may not be Biggest Loser numbers, we were thrilled. I have gone down a pants size too! I still have about 20-25 pounds to lose to get back down to my "runner's" weight. I plan on using this plan and the recipes to help me get there! If you were ever considering trying raw, I'd recommend trying out Ani's 15-Day Fat Blast. It is a good starting point and I can tell you it does make your body feel much better!

Winner of the Vitacost Giveaway!

I humbly apologize for the delay in announcing the winner. I have no excuse except that I totally forgot! What the heck?

Thanks to all of you who commented. Even if you didn't win the giveaway, hopefully you learned how to save some $$ on things you need.

So without further delay, the winner of the $25.00 free stuff from Vitacost is...

#4 Elizabeth! Congrats and happy shopping!

Please make sure to email me for your coupon code! vegintraining at g mail dot com.