Wonder Spread and a Giveaway of Dreena Burton's new book!

Hey lovely peeps!

I hope you're enjoying spring so far! Today, I have an extra special treat for you. The lovely Dreena Burton has shared her mouth-watering recipe for Wonder Spread with us! Plus, she's doing a giveaway of her awesome new book, Plant-Powered 15!! Winner will be announced on May 29th. To enter, please reply to this blog post and answer the question "What is your favorite thing to spread on toast?" And no, you don't get to enter twice when you change your answer to WONDER SPREAD after trying this recipe... ; ) xo and good luck!

Wonder Spread

From Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered 15

Dreena says: This recipe has such simple ingredients, that you might think it doesn’t taste particularly special. But it does! Be forewarned, this spread (or dip, sauce, mayo!) is addictive!

Tess says: As a cookbook author, I rarely get a chance to try other author's recipes. However, Imma have to make an exception for this one!! Seriously, does this not look amazing?! Plus, for those of you who follow my color-coding system in my books (and in the Get Waisted program), this is a go-go-GREEN recipe! WIN, babies. OK, enough talk. Here's the goods...

1 cup soaked cashews (soak in advance, see note)
1 1/2 tbsp chickpea miso (see note)
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 - 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
1/3 - 1/2 cup water (see note)
Salt and pepper if desired, to taste

In a blender, puree all ingredients on high speed until very smooth. Season to taste with additional salt if desired. Spread on breads, use for sandwiches, wraps, baked potatoes, veggie burgers, or to mix into grains or vegetable dishes. Many serving options with this recipe, it is delicious! Transfer to airtight containers to refrigerate. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Cashew Note: Raw cashews take about 3-4 hours to soak, so I find it helpful to soak in batches and then freeze in portions until ready to use. To soak, place nuts in a bowl of water and cover for several hours. The nuts will become larger after soaking, as they swell from absorbing some of the water. Drain the soaking water, and rinse the nuts. Then store in the fridge for a couple of days until ready to use, or in the freezer for a few months.

Miso Note: Chickpea miso is something I discovered this past year. It has such a mild, mellow flavor and a very fermented, umami essence. If you cannot find it, use a very mild miso like a brown rice - and start with just 1 tbsp as it tastes stronger than chickpea miso.

Water Note: Using just 1/3 cup of water will give you a thicker spread. However, if you don’t have a high-speed blender, you may find it difficult to get a smooth puree. If so, use the full 1/2 cup of water. The mixture will thicken slightly with refrigeration.

Recipe from “Plant-Powered 15” by Dreena Burton. Dreena is the author of vegan cookbooks including Let Them Eat Vegan. For more recipes, visit www.plantpoweredkitchen.com.
Photo credit: Nicole Axworth, www.adashofcompassion.com

Get To Know Ellen Jaffe Jones!

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing the fabulous and inspiring Ellen Jaffe Jones! I had been following her work for a while before I met her at a San Diego VegFest last fall. Ellen has always impressed me with her running accomplishments, practical vegan message (I was "amen-ing" the whole time I heard her talk at VegFest!), and warm presence. So sit back, have some tea, and get to know Ellen - you'll be glad you did!

 

 

 

How long have you been vegan, Ellen?

 

32 years...on and off. I had a few diversions when I went to work as a financial consultant at a Wall Street firm and had no control over my working lunches and dinners for 5 years.

I love your book “Eat Vegan on $4 A Day” – what was your main motivation for writing it?

 

I got tired of all the media stories saying you can’t eat well on a budget. I remember one story in particular with a woman who was morbidly obese. The reporter caught her loading her shopping cart with Twinkies and as he shoved the microphone in front of her face she said, “You just can’t eat well on food stamps.”

 

I thought, "I’ve been doing this for the better part of 32 years. It’s time to take the best of both careers - financial services and investigative/consumer reporting, crunch the numbers and write this book."

 

 

 

What do you feel are the key messages in your book?

 

1) You don’t have to shop at a health food store to eat a well-balanced vegan diet. You can find 99% of all the ingredients of recipes in my book at big box stores, if that’s the only place you can shop.

 

2) By putting an estimated price on every recipe, and providing lots of tips on how to look for bargains, I stress what you can save at the store. But I also emphasize how much money can be saved by avoiding disease. If you average the cost of a $100,000 bypass surgery over a lifetime of $5 burgers...those burgers are more like $1000 a piece, depending how many are eaten.

 

What's been the response to your message that eating well/eating vegan doesn't have to cost a fortune?

 

Excellent. I’ve been a speaker at VegFests all over the US and almost fainted when I heard both Dr. Neal Barnard and Dr. Michael Gregor mention my books in their talks. As Dr. Barnard told me, the perceived expense of eating vegan is the last holdout or excuse that people give for not going vegan.

 

Totally! I often mention your books in my classes and talks too. So, thanks for providing such a good reference!! What else do you do that we should be talking about? What other revolutionary things are you up to?

 

One of the things I do that I guess no one else out there has done, is I take pictures of food prices and boil them down to the lowest common denominator...the unit or per ounce price. And then I start comparing. I’ll show that a 4 ounce serving of beans is 7 times cheaper than the cheapest form of 30% fat hamburger meat. Or that beef tenderloin is 37 times more expensive than an equal serving of beans. I’m trying to reach people with their wallets.

 

I love it! What are some of your favorite tips for eating well on a budget?

 

Shop the circumference of the store. The more processed, boxed and expensive products are in the center. Look for bargains on top and bottom shelves. Manufacturers pay for that eye level product placement. Buy in bulk, especially beans. Store them in jars with rubber gaskets that keep the beans fresh and bug proof.

 

So, here's a subject changer, but I have to ask you about your running since I personally find it and you so inspiring! How long have you been running?

 

32 years also. Though I took many years off when my 3 daughters were young. The fancy running strollers that exist now didn’t back then. So I walked, backpacked with my girls on my back, and biked. We had a huge common ground area and I often went there with my girls running down the hills.

 

What do you love most about running?

 

I love to run on the beach with my iPod. When the seagulls, ospreys and pelicans soar overhead, it is easy to feel like you are one of them.

 

What do you like the least?

 

If I have to cut back on my training when I’m traveling heavily, it’s a struggle to get back on track when I return.

 

What are your biggest accomplishments with running?

 

When I started racing again in 2005, I really was just glad to finish a 5K. Finish without injury was always the goal. Then I joked that I started winning or placing in my age group just by showing up. But 49 5K races later when I have continued to place in my age group, I’m thinking maybe that a vegan diet does give me the edge. I did my first marathon in 2010 and was the 5th oldest female to finish the Palm Beaches Marathon.

 

And then recently, I discovered I obviously have more fast twitch muscles than slow twitch. I am currently 3rd in State (FL) in the 200, 400 and 1500 meters. 4th in the 100 meters. Finishing in the top 4 at the Senior Games qualifies me to compete in the National Senior Games in Cleveland this July. My 100 meter times are :06 slower than NCAA girls’ personal records listed in the University of Southern California 2012 Track and Field Media Guide.

 

My daughter was a pole vaulter on the team, so that’s how I got the guide. I write a monthly column for “The Running Journal” and the publisher recently encouraged me to get tested to see if I really do have more fast twitch than slow twitch muscles. He says it is unusual for anyone with my sprint times to have ever finished a marathon.

 

Wow, that is fantastic. OK, so this is one I’m personally curious about – can you give us any tips on how to overcome obstacles in running? Such as strains and knee issues? I’d love to be even half the runner you are!

 

You’re too kind. I’ve actually gotten faster in the past few years. Part of it was training with the high school cross country coach. She saw me clock an 8 minute mile and asked if I would like to volunteer coach as her assistant, which I did pre-book. I ran with the girls every day in a park with soft trails. That helped build my speed as well as keep me injury free. Any time you can run on natural surfaces, it helps to stave off joint and muscle injuries. Concrete and asphalt are fairly new inventions evolutionarily speaking.

 

Oooh, very good to know! I'll try that. Any other tips?

 

Also, get a gait analysis at a good running shoe store. That should include running on a treadmill and getting recorded on video from behind. If there is any collapsing of the ankle when you run, the video will show that. When fitted with the correct shoes, or orthotics, the video should show the correction. Knee pain is common if you don’t have correct fitting shoes and/or orthotics. The relief can often be instant. Also work on building the muscles that surround and support the knee.

 

Start with a slow program. As a certified personal trainer (AFAA) and running coach (RRCA), I work with clients structuring a program based around past injuries, and current needs and goals. If you’re just starting, I always recommend a walk/run method and build a base from that. Doing too much too fast and not listening to your body can derail you. You have to start slowly.

 

I want you to be my running coach when I'm in Florida next winter, Ellen!! Is there anything else you’d like to share with us today?

 

As the last slide in my presentation that I use at VegFests says, “Genes don’t determine destiny.” My mom, aunt and both sisters had breast cancer. And much more. Figuring out how to dodge our family’s medical history has been the investigative reporting job of my life.

 

Amen, sister!! Genes do NOT determine destiny. Couldn't agree more. And thank you so much for sharing with us today. You're a rock star! Friends, thanks for joining Ellen and me today - I hope you're inspired to get the most out of life with a plant-strong diet and just-right-for-you exercise plan. Be sure to join Ellen on her website, her Facebook page, and her Twitter page! : )

Swirly Potatoes

I had an inspiration about a week ago to make these. I wasn't sure if they'd work, honestly. I had never tried this before. But, in the spirit of trying something exciting and new, I decided to give them a whirl... and ooh la la, they worked perfectly!!

Basically, what I was going for was a crispy, very finely textured potato snack that was simultaneously low in fat and high in fun. Success! And plus, this thang is super easy to whip together - the only downside is that you do need a spiralizer. I don't really know of any other tool that would do the trick. I have a Benriner spiralizer (I think it cost me around $40) and I love it - it's great for making carrot "hair" (shown to the left of the spring roll in the picture below of a recent lunch my daughter posted on her page), zucchini "pasta," and beautifully textured beets!

OK, so how does one make these "swirly potatoes," you may be wondering?? It's super easy... Ready?? Here goes...

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Spray a large baking sheet with oil and set aside.
2. Wash any number of potatoes well and spiralize them, using a good spiralizer such as the Benriner one I have. You'll have some bits or slices of taters that don't spiralize but DO NOT PANIC. You can use these little babies elsewhere - personally, I like to dice them up and bake them for lil' cubed crunchy taters. The dimensions of potato fun just never end!!
3. Squeeze the moisture out of the spiralized potatoes. I do this using paper towels. You want those stringy taters DRY.
4. Spread the spiralized potatoes out on the oiled pan and spray them again with some oil (I use a coconut oil spray or olive oil spray). Sprinkle lightly with some seasoned salt and garlic granules. Bake until nicely browned and crisp. You may need to turn the whole thing over mid-way. The whole process really depends on your oven and your pan. For me, it took about 10 minutes on each side.
5. Remove from the oven and serve with ketchup and/or hot sauce. Hope you find them as addictively fun and delicious as I do!!

This recipe is GF/SF/Green (according to the recipe and health guidelines in my books)

Contest Winner Announced!!

Congratulations, Kimberly Neubauer!!! You've won the big daddy prize - a signed set of my books, a one-hour coaching session with me, and Dr. Mary Clifton's book (also signed), "Waist Away."

I'd sincerely like to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered the contest, both on my blog and my Facebook page. Your lovely comments always made me smile!! : )

This week, my new fantabulous assistant Stacey will be blogging here, so please let her know if you have any requests! She's amazing, talented, wise, and has lots of inspiring ideas, so I know you'll love having her around just as much as I do!!

Thanks again and congrats, Kimberly!! : )

XO
Tess

Giveaway Time!!

Hey there, friends! : ) In celebration of my Facebook page reaching 4000 (and beyond), I'm doing another giveaway! It's my way of saying THANK YOU for your support, even when I (ahem) ignore this blog during busy weeks at a time!

So, what am I giving away?? Check it!!

The winner will receive the following...

1. A set of my books (all signed!): "Radiant Health, Inner Wealth," "The Two-Week Wellness Solution," and "Radiance 4 Life"
2. A signed copy of Dr. Mary Clifton's book "Waist Away" (how to joyfully lose weight and supercharge your life)
3. A one-hour coaching session with me (via phone or skype)!

Total value?? About $250!!

How to win??
1. Reply to this post with your answer to the question "What do you love best about Spring?"
2. Check back here (and on my Facebook page) on April 2nd to see if you've won!!

Good luck...and thanks again for being awesome. Love you guys!!! : )
XO
Tess

How To Pop Amaranth

So, the first questions you may be asking yourself: "Why would I want to pop amaranth? By the way, what's amaranth??"

Good questions! So, first of all, amaranth is a grain-like food that is off-the-charts nutritious. Scientists actually had to reclassify it into its own C4 group, due to the insanely high nutrient levels! It contains twice the calcium of milk and boasts loads of iron, fiber, and protein. Plus, it's energizing and strengthening.

But why would you want to pop the stuff, you ask? Well, if you saw the look on my daughter's face when I even say the words "popped amaranth" you'd see that kids freak out over this healthy treat. (Yes, adults love it too!) Plus, it's the world's tiniest, cutest popcorn! The tiny grains pop up into miniscule popcorn-looking puffs. It's adorable. Deliciously adorable. And easy!

So without further blah-blah-blahs, here is my how-to on popping amaranth. And remember - if you have failed at this before (or fail at this again), don't give up. I'll give you the tips that will help you avoid common problems so you can be an amaranth popping pro! I do recommend that you read through all of the directions first, so that you are well prepared to rock the adventure ahead...

1. Here's what you'll need:

From left to right, you'll need amaranth. The kind you can find in most health food stores (often in the bulk section). Then, you'll need coconut oil (or olive oil) and salt. The last thing you'll need is a nice pot with a tight fitting lid. I use a stainless steel soup pot (medium-sized). Basically, something that has a slippery surface (not cast iron, for example!) so that the amaranth can easily slide around. Also, have a medium sized bowl handy.

2. The first thing that's very important: Getting your pot to the right temperature. This is where most amaranth-popping wannabes fail. I was once that person. I gave up because it seemed my amaranth always burned and never popped! So, pay attention - be sure to have your pot at the right temperature. To do this: Place it over medium-high heat and add about 3 amaranth grains to the pot. Cover and just sit back and watch. Once the amaranth grains turn dark brown, you should be ready to go. Discard the browned amaranth and get ready to rock and roll with this thing...

3. Add just enough amaranth to barely cover the bottom of the pot with a single layer. Another important step not to be missed. If you put too much amaranth in there, some will burn or pop and some won't. All of the amaranth needs to be touching the hot surface at once. For me, I use about a teaspoon of amaranth for a medium sized soup pot.

4. Another important point (Are you sick of me saying this yet? Don't be. It's because I love you.) - Shake that pan constantly as soon as those amaranth grains go in the pot! Don't stop shaking! Once the popping slows down, immediately empty them into the bowl. If you wait too long, the amaranth will burn.

5. Continue to repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have enough popped amaranth to satisfy your amaranth desires.

6. To season: Melt a little bit (you don't need much) of the oil in the pan and drizzle it over the amaranth. Season with a bit of salt and stir well. Personally, I don't like to use overpowering seasonings for the amaranth as I love to let the natural, wild, wonderful flavor of the amaranth come through!

Enjoy your uber healthy, fun, delicious treat!!! And let me know how your amaranth popping adventure goes!

Chili Lime Popcorn - Vegan and Glutenfree!

Chili Lime Popcorn

Last night, my fiance made me  chili lime popcorn and I had to ask "Where has this stuff been all of my life??!!" It has everything! Tons of flavor, nutrition, vitamin B-12, and it's even super immune-boosting! The only thing I'll warn you about is that it's very "wet." Personally, I like this as it means all of the seasonings stick perfectly without having to use tons of oil. But if you do want yours a bit more dry, simply omit the tamari and add a little sea salt instead. Enjoy!! And for more unusual and delish popcorn recipes, be sure to check out my books. I'm a popcorn addict!

 

½ cup popcorn
1 tablespoon oil (sunflower, coconut, or olive)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon minced lime zest
½ teaspoon ground cayenne powder
3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon tamari (optional)

1.       In a large pot with a tight fitting lid, heat to medium-high and add the oil and popcorn. To pop, shake very often and remove from heat immediately once the popping slows down to 1-2 seconds between pops.

2.       Remove the popcorn to a very large bowl. Sprinkle with the yeast, lime zest, cayenne, and garlic.

3.       You’ll add the liquids last—they provide a nice wet base so that all of the seasonings stick without having to use more oil. However, if you don’t want your popcorn to be overly wet, you can substitute a little sea salt for the tamari.

4.       Stir very well and serve. Enjoy your movie! ; )

Serves 2

GF/Green (according to the nutritional guidelines in my books)