The Chef and The Dietitian - Episode 38 - Cucumber Peanut Salad

Five ingredients in five minutes and you can have this spicy, yet cool, and crunchy salad!

Defining Health...

My definition of "health" and thoughts and passions on whole food, plant-based nutrition in an interview by Jeff Golfman of The Cool Vegetarian at Green festival Los Angeles 2011 with Earth Balance.

The Chef and The Dietitian - Episode 37 - Smoky Chipotle Corn Salsa

A hot and zesty salsa to bring up the temperature and color for your next fiesta! Try making your own tortilla chips for a completely home-made delicious treat!

The Everyday Happy Herbivore Book Giveaway and Recipes!

If you haven't met Lindsay S. Nixon yet, you should brace yourself...she is a phenomenally talented cookbook author extraordinaire (she is even a lawyer) who will change your culinary world forever! Her very popular website, Happy Herbivore, fabulously boasts more than 100 fat-free and low fat healthy vegan recipes! Lindsay makes whole food, plant-based simple, delicious, and exciting...

Lindsay is a genius at taking everyday ingredients and creating divine and nutritious recipes that anyone can easily whip up. Her recipes have been featured in Vegetarian Times, Women's Health Magazine, and The Huffington Post. Lindsay is also a consulting chef at La Samanna. I happened to have fallen in admiration of Lindsay when I saw her do a cooking demo of her famously fabulous Instant Cookie Dough, Baked Onion Rings, and Chocolate Zucchini Muffins at Healthy Taste of L.A. last month. Lindsay seriously makes cooking look easy and she has inspired thousands of "Herbies" to eat more healthfully and adopt a whole food, plant-based diet.

After tremendous success with her first book, The Happy Herbivore (which I highly recommend become part of your cookbook library...although you won't have time to actually store it since you will be using it too often to put it away), Lindsay's much anticipated second book, Everyday Happy Herbivore, is about to hit shelves. This new collection includes more than 175 easy recipes using wholesome, easy-to-find, fresh ingredients that you can make anytime.

Fortunately for us, Lindsay has generously offered to give one lucky reader a free copy of her new book. All you have to do to win the FREE copy is subscribe to this blog and post a comment describing your favorite whole food plant-based tip (for cooking, shopping, eating, etc.) before December 16th. The winner will be announced Monday, December 19th on my Plant-Based Dietitian facebook page.

Lindsay has also shared a sneak peak of a few of her delectable recipes from Everyday Happy Herbivore with us here...

Skillet Refried Beans 
serves 2
Sure canned refried beans are easy, but you just can't top the taste of homemade. The little effort required here is so worth it---these beans are fantastic!

1 small onion, finely diced
15-oz can pinto beans (undrained)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
paprika

Line a skillet with a thin layer of water and saute onion over high heat until translucent and most of the water has cooked off. Add cumin, chili powder and a few dashes of paprika, stirring to coat the onions. Add beans with their juices and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and mash beans well using a fork or potato masher. It will look very soupy, don't be alarmed. Crank the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. If the bans start popping and splashing, cover for a few minutes, then uncover. Stir every minute or so, scraping the bottom to lift the beans. After 10 minutes the liquid should have significantly reduced. It may still be a little soupy, that is alright, it will thicken as it cools. However, if it's really soupy, cook longer. Add salt and pepper and taste, then serve.

Per serving: 216 calories, 0.4g fat, 41.7g carbohydrate, 15.7g fiber, 4.8g sugar, 13.7g protein

Sweet Potato Dal
serves 2
This soup is Dal-icious! It's so flavorful you'll want seconds, and thirds!

1 small sweet potato, skinned
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala, plus extra
1 cup vegetable broth, plus extra
1/2 cup red lentils
4 cups spinach, or more
salt

Dice sweet potato into small 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water and saute onions and garlic for a minute. Add a pinch or two red pepper flakes and continue to cook until all the water has cooked off. Add turmeric, 1/4 tsp garam masala and stir to coat.  Add 1 cup broth, uncooked lentils, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for a few minutes, about 5. Add sweet potatoes, bring to a boil again, and reduce to low and simmer, until lentils are fully cooked (they expand and the sauce thickens), about 5 minutes more. Check periodically to see if you need additional broth (I tend to add an extra 1/2 cup but it can vary). Once lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are fork tender, taste, adding more garam masala as desired (I like to add another 1/4 tsp but some blends are stronger than others). Add spinach, continuing to stir until spinach cooks down and softens. Add salt to taste and serve.

Per serving: 232 calories, 0.9g fat, 42.2g carbohydrates, 17.7g fiber, 4.7g sugar, 15.4g protein

Quick Burgers 
makes 4
I developed these burgers in a hotel room: they're quick, easy, and require very few ingredients. (In fact, except for the beans and seasoning packet, I sourced all the ingredients from the complimentary "breakfast bar). I make these burgers any time I need a super fast meal or I'm really low on ingredients.

15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp onion powder (granulated)
1 tsp garlic powder (granulated)
1/3 cup instant oats



Per burger: 109 calories, 0.5g fat, 17.6g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 2.2g sugar, 5g protein

Spicy Orange Greens 
serves 2
The slightly spicy orange sauce in his dish is one of my favorites. You can serve it with any greens you like or have on hand, but collard greens are my favorite to use. For a complete meal, serve over or tossed with noodles.

1/3 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp orange marmalade or jam
4 cups greens (any)

Pour water, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes into a skillet. Turn heat to high and saute until the ginger is fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in marmalade and then add chopped greens. Reduce heat to medium and using tongs, turn greens into the sauce. This will help cook the greens down; stop when your greens are bright green and have softened. Serve.

Chef's Note: Coked broccoli florets may be substituted for the greens. Toss cooked broccoli  with the sauce once it's been warmed and serve.

Per serving: 156 calories, 1.5g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 8.8g fiber, 11.6g sugar, 10.1g protein

Sage Gravy 
makes 1 1/2 cups
Good over greens, mashed potatoes, faux chicken---anything really. This is my latest go-to gravy.

1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1 tbsp rubbed sage (not powdered)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder (granulated)
1/4 tsp onion powder (granulated)
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
dash paprika
1 lemon wedge (juice of)
pinch salt
black or white pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium pot, taking care to rub the sage between your fingers to break it down in smaller bits, especially if your brand is a little rustic with bigger leaves and stick pieces (pull out those sticks if you can). Squeeze the juice out of your lemon wedge completely, and discard the rind. Bring gravy to near boil over high heat but just before it boils, immediately turn off the heat and remove the pot to a non-hot burner, stirring it. Taste, adding black or white pepper and salt as desired.

Chef's Note: Brown rice flour may be substituted for a gluten-free option.

Per serving (1/4 cup): 29 calories, 0.3g fat, 4.7g carbohydrate, 1.2g fiber, 1.2g sugar, 2.6g protein

For more information, visit Lindsay's website, Happy Herbivore, and check out her books, The Happy Herbivore and Everyday Happy Herbivore. I guarantee she will make you want to immediately run to your kitchen and start experimenting with her recipes!