The Chef and The Dietitian - Episode #44 - Spicy Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Spread

Here is a spicy, pungent alternative to plain hummus from my latest book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking, which I co-wrote with Chef Beverly Lynn Bennett. Instead of chickpeas, the base is black beans and the flavor profile is smoky, citrus-y, and fresh. It pairs nicely with Latino cuisine or simply on whole-grain tortillas or crackers, or in Noritos.

The delicious Sundried Tomato Flax Crackers seen in this video were provided by a fabulous raw food company called Rawbundant.

TEDxCONEJO

Tomorrow, Saturday, March 31st, I am speaking at my first TED Talk...it is at TEDxCONEJO and I am absolutely thrilled about it. I am speaking amongst some amazingly passionate people and the day should be memorable and full of inspiration. Here is the program of speakers.

Although the event has been sold out with a huge waiting list since almost two weeks ago, I am thrilled to announce that the event will be livestreamed! Thus, if you click this link, you can watch the entire day from the comfort of you home and all over the world! OR...you can watch right here via this feed below....

I am scheduled to give my talk, Breaking Bread, at 4:35 pm PT, but the timing is imperfect, so check in earlier and stay longer if you want to hear me. I am very excited because this is the first time I am speaking about the global and personal impact of a plant-based diet and how every single bite matters for you and the rest of the world...I am extremely passionate about this topic as it drives every moment of my life. The theme is togetherness so my talk will tie in our diet to our interconnectivity with others. I hope you will stay tuned. I will also be posting the You Tube video of my talk as soon as it is available.

Thank you for your support...


Live Video streaming by Ustream

Shifting to a Plant-Based Diet

My interview with Heather Nauta on the Better Health Summit, a series of interviews with plant-based experts which aired live on March 17th and 18th:

The Chef and The Dietitian - Episode 43 - Take 5 Salad Dressing

People are always asking me and Chef AJ for oil-free easy salad dressings. Well, this one's for you. Take 5 Salad Dressing is 5 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make. Enjoy this fat-free dressing on salads, baked potatoes, steamed veggies, cooked whole grains and legumes, or anything else that needs a little pizzazz.

2 TB. Water
2 TB. Lemon Juice
2 TB. Low-Sodium Miso
2 TB. Date Syrup (or Maple Syrup)
1 TB. Low-Sodium Dijon

The Chef and The Dietitian - Episode 42 - Banana Ice Cream with Raspberry Coulis

Two-ingredient raspberry coulis as a topper to banana ice cream...yes, seriously...could it get any easier? You can have almost the identical resulting texture with a blender and frozen bananas...

The Chef and The Dietitian - Episode 41 - Disappearing Lasagna

TA DAAA!!! I am honored to bring to you...Chef AJ's very famous "Disappearing Lasagna"! And, indeed, the reason it is called by this name is because it is impossible to keep this recipe around for too long...people nearby just want to gobble it up...including me! We also discuss the facts about "gluten-free" in this episode.

You can find this recipe in her book, Unprocessed, and other gluten-free, whole food, plant-based recipes in my new book that I co-authored with Chef Beverly Lynn Bennett, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking.

The Chef and The Dietitian - Episode 50 - House Dressing

This is literally my favorite dressing and I could eat this on everything. It is oil-free and flavor-filled...and what a perfect excuse to eat more salad!!! Watch how quickly Chef AJ and I whip up this delectable dressing!

Robin Robertson's New Book Giveaway and *Sweet Potato-Spinach Soup* Recipe!

I consider Robin Robertson the Queen of Vegan Cookbooks because she is amazingly productive and is constantly coming out with new books. Each one is filled to the brim with easy, delicious recipes which makes healthful vegan cooking accessible and tasty for everyone. She has written nearly 20 cookbooks (yes....20!!!), including 1000 Vegan Recipes, Party Vegan, Vegan Fire and Spice, and Vegan Planet. Her latest book, Quick Fix Vegan, just hit the shelves and she is giving one of you lucky readers a FREE copy!

This book, like all of Robin's books, contains a wide array of selections, using healthy and fresh ingredients. Along with her easy-to-use instructions, Robin makes cooking un-intimidating and exciting, and her books offer limitless healthy options .

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment at the end of this post telling me why you'd like to win a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan.

To increase your chances of winning you can also do any or all of the following, and leave a separate comment for each that you do:

1. Follow me on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/PlantDietitian
2. Follow Robin on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/GlobalVegan
3. Spread the word about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, and/or your blog
4. Subscribe to this blog (to the left, scroll down and click on "Subscribe via Email")
5. Subscribe to Robin's blog: http://veganplanet.blogspot.com/ 
6. "Like" my Plant-Based Dietitian Facebook page to find out the winner (see below):  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Plant-Based-Dietitian/378985915313?ref=ts

The contest closes on Friday, January 13th. One lucky winner will be selected at random. The winner will be announced on my Twitter page and on my Plant-Based Dietitian Facebook page.

The first recipe I tried and loved from this latest gem was Sweet Potato-Spinach Soup. It is the perfect blend of spicy and sweet, hearty and light. I ate the entire recipe in less than 24 hours...yes, it is that fabulous...and I am going to share it here with you...


Serves 4 


Ingredients:
2 tsp. neutral vegetable oil (I omitted this, as per Robin's suggestion, and just brought in some of the broth earlier to saute with)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 TB. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 TB. soy sauce
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped peanuts


Heat the oil (or broth) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sweet potato. Cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or to taste. Add the tomatoes and soy sauce.

In a small bowl, combine, the peanut butter with 1 cup of the broth, stirring until smooth. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the soup, then add the remaining broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes,

Stir in the nondairy milk and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with the chopped peanuts.

Enjoy!