Stuffed Acorn Squash with Black Rice, Roasted Carrots, and Dried Cherries

With Thanksgiving quickly knocking at our door, it's important to maintain balance in our lives. We need to remember that "The Holiday's" are not an excuse to treat our bodies any different than we would on any given day throughout the year. With that being said, there are plenty of delicious recipes available to showcase a vegan diet, without giving up the seasonal flavors.

I wanted to post a recipe that I made last year, and plan on making again this year to bring to my parent's house. Stuffed acorn squash, a staple on an autumn dinner table, filled with hearty black rice, earthy carrots, sweet dried cherries, ginger, maple syrup and cinnamon will bring warmth and comfort to your holiday meal.

A nice accompaniment would be the "Autumn Mushroom Stew with Rosemary Mashed Potatoes" along with some Corn Bread Muffins and Miso -Glazed Green Beans and Mushrooms (which I also made last year) And for a vegan pumpkin pie recipe that is absolutely delish, go here.

Yummy food aside, and more importantly, take the time to count your blessings and spend it with the people you love. It's easy to get lost in what the season has become, but remember that these times are not about acquiring "things" but more about helping others, and being grateful for what you already have. There's a lot to say about living simply, because the greatest things in life are in fact, free.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Black Rice, Roasted Carrots, and Dried Cherries.
Serves 8
These can be made one day ahead; cover (so the rice doesn't dry out) and reheat in a 350 degree oven.
Prep tip: If you'd like additional protein, add 8 oz extra-firm tofu, drained, dried, and cubed, on top of the carrot mixture before roasting (don't stir as it will stick to the pan)

4 acorn squashes
8 tsp canola oil, divided
1 tsp sea salt, divided
2 tsp ground coriander, divided
1/2 scant tsp ground nutmeg, divided
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
10 large sage leaves, chopped
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup finely diced onion
1 cup Chinese black rice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut squashes in half, lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush interiors with 4 tsp oil, then sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp coriander, and scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Arrange halves on a baking sheet, cut-side down. Roast 40-50 minutes on the upper middle rack, until tender when pierced.
2. Combine remaining 4 tsps oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsps coriander, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg with carrots, pecans and ginger in an 8-inch baking dish; toss to combine. Roast at 375 for 30-40 minutes on the bottom middle rack, stirring every 10 minutes. When carrots are tender, stir in chopped sage, dried cherries, and maple syrup. Roast for an additional 10 minutes, then remove from oven.
3. While veggies are roasting, place a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add 1 Tbsp canola oil. Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Stir in rice and cinnamon, then add broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Combine rice with carrot mixture. Arrange squash halves, cut side up, on a serving platter; fill with rice mixture, pressing gently to secure.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Sweet Potato Croutons

Yeah, I know..."Again with the Soup?"

This time of year, I just can't help myself. There's nothing better than curling up with a nice bowl of soup on a cold autumn evening. Especially one that has comforting ingredients like wild rice, sweet potatoes, coconut milk all mixed in with a nice smooth sweet curry flavor. Yum.

This recipe came from Heidi Swanson's "Super Natural Cooking." If you click on the link, you'll notice that it will take you to "Google Books" where you can view the entire book online. Huh! Who woulda' thought?

I love this book because the photography is beautiful, the recipes are simple, and it is chalk full of information on superfoods and recipes for vegan substitutions like "Egg Free Mayonaise" and "Cashew Cream." With that being said, if you can add this one to your library, you won't regret the purchase.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Sweet Potato Croutons
Serves 4 to 6

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp red curry paste (I use 1 tsp green curry and 1/2 tsp red chili paste)
1 large glove garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup wild rice, rinsed
4 cups water
1 orange-fleshed sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Fine grain sea salt
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp natural cane sugar
1 Tbsp shoyu sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce, tamari)
1 (14-oz) can coconut milk
Squeeze of lime juice

Heat 1 Tbsp of the coconut oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the curry paste (and chili paste if using), garlic, shallot, and onion and saute for 3 or 4 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Make sure the curry paste is evenly distributed before moving on the the next step.

Stir in the wild rice and 3 sups of the water. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat a bit, and cook, covered, for about 40 mintues, or until the rice starts to soften, split and show it's fluffy insides. That being said, a surefire way to know when the rice is tender is to taste it.

Meanwhile, prepare the sweet potato croutons. Warm the remaining 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the cubed potatoes and a few pinches of salt. Toss to coat the potatoes, then cook a few minutes longer, until they start to get some color on the bottom. Give them another toss to brown the other side, and continue tossing every few minutes to get more color and crispiness. If the pan dries out, add a bit more oil. When the sweet potatoes are cooked throug and pleasantly crunchy, season to taste with salt, then scoop them out onto a paper towel.

When the rice is tender, stir in the turmeric, sugar, shoyu, coconut milk, the remaining 1 cup water, and 1 tsp salt. Stir, return to a simmer, and cool for another 5 minutes to meld the flavors. Remove from the heat and finish with a generous squeeze of lime juice. Season to taste.

When serving, ladle form the bottom of the pot to make sure each person gets plenty of rice, and top with a generous sprinkling of sweet potato croutons.

Q&A

I am frequently asked questions by people regarding my diet, how I decided to make those changes, and how I stick with them so religiously. Interestingly enough, many of those questions come from people who although don't have RA, but have other issues that can be brought under control by a diet similar to my own.

What amazes me about this whole thing is how your body has the ability to heal itself when given the proper nutrition and care.

I received this question from a woman who was recently diagnosed with RA.

Hi Jenni,
Congrats on your success at changing your diet and getting your RA under control.
I got diagnosed this past summer so i haven't decided what to do with my diet. I am very interested in trying to make changes though. I was thinking of starting with going gluten free.
I would love to hear more about how you decided what foods to eliminate and how you've managed to stick with it. After all, the comfort foods are soooo easy to grab on days when ya feel bad.
Thanks,
Laura

Hi Laura!
It's kind of a long story, I have a blog centered around my story and the changes I have made, here is the link to "My Story"

http://thehealingplate.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-it-all- began.html

As far as starting to experiment with your own dietary changes, I suggest keeping a food journal. First, eliminate the most common "allergens" wheat, yeast, dairy, soy, eggs, as well as ALL processed foods and red meats (as they produce inflammation) and stay away from refined sugar.

Eat a completely whole foods diet including lots of [fresh] fruits, veggies, leafy greens, whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa (which is very high in protien) as well as beans, nuts (almonds and walnuts are great) and seeds. If you choose to continue to eat meat, eat lean meats such as fish and organic free-range chicken. You want to continue on this diet for at least a few weeks to get some effect of the changes.

Make sure to write down how you feel everyday and then if you want to start reintroducing some of these eliminated foods in your diet, introduce them one at a time (at least five or more days apart) and again write down how you feel on a daily basis.

The good thing about going gluten free these days is that there are OODLES of options available, much more so than when I started out 5 years ago. Also, reading your food labels is VERY important. Thankfully, over the past few years legislation has been passed requiring food companies to list these common allergens on their packaging, so you don't have to carry around a list of undecipherable words for "wheat."

Shop the periphery of the grocery store, that's where all the whole foods hang out. Avoid buying food that have more than five ingredients and make sure that those ingredients could be recognized by your great grandmother as actually being food. Stay far far away from diet soda or foods containing aspartame, that suff will kill ya!

Honestly, one of the most detrimental foods is dairy. There are a whole host of reasons why we shouldn't be eating (or drinking) the stuff, many of which goes way back to ancient chinese research. Simply put, we can't digest it and we're not meant to. Our society puts far too much emphasis on it's consumption and interestingly enough, not only are we the largest consumers of dairy, we also have the highest instance of osteoperosis. Coincidence?

Also, so you know, if you're thinking of getting tested to see if you are "allergic" to any of these foods, those tests are not always accurate. Just because you test out of an allergy doesn't mean you're not intolerant to it. Makes sense?

I know this all may seem a bit daunting at first, but for me it was worth every single bit of it. If you think about it, it's simply going back to the way we should be eating, and once you're on track you won't even think twice about any of it! In order to stay healthy you need to invest the time in yourself, and once you start doing so you will realize that it's time well spent.

One of my favorite books that I recommend reading is "Skinny Bitch" it's an easy read and it also answers some of the questions you may be having regarding why you shouldn't eat certain foods. I read it in one night, it's light, informative and entertaining. For a heavier read, check out The Blue Zone. The author travels the world to explore groups of people who live the longest and are the healthiest, his findings are interesting and support this very diet.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any more questions...I'd be happy to help!

Vita Mix; A Love Story About A Woman And Her Blender.

I never thought a blender could bring this much joy to my life. That is, until, about three years ago when my husband bought me a Vita-Mix for my birthday. Some of you may be thinking, a BLENDER? For you BIRTHDAY?

Yes. A blender for my birthday.

I use it pretty much every single day to make my morning smoothie, to puree soups, make sauces, cashew cream ...The list is endless (If you really want a longer list, go here.)

I strongly believe that having nice appliances in your kitchen makes for a much more enjoyable cooking experience. The same goes for a nice set of sharp knives. Have you ever tried to dice an onion with a dull knife? Not fun.

Anyway, back to the blender. It's easy to clean, is dishwasher safe and most importantly, it has enough horsepower to effectively grind avocado pits...At 250mph. Now that's a serious blender.

Does anyone else have any kitchen appliances that they can't live without? Share them in the comments!

Healing Thoughts

You can find inspiration in others, but the motivation to make that change can come only from within.

An important thought, especially when you're at a point in your life where change needs to be made, but taking that first step seems especially daunting.

I've been there. I remember sitting on the sofa, trying to figure out how I was going to get up . The joints in me knees were painful and swollen to the size of large grapefruits, my wrists and my hands were throbbing, my shoulders were not functioning, and I was stuck. At that moment I thought; "How am I going to live the rest of my life like this?"

And that was it, that was the breaking point. My inability to get off the sofa was the spark that motivated the change.

I wasn't about to give up on myself, and I didn't.

An important lesson learned: You have the power to take your life back. You have the ability to make the necessary changes in your life to live it how you want it to be lived. For me, rheumatoid arthritis was a bump in the road, but I didn't let it throw me off course. I acknowledged it, and through changes in my diet and exercise I was able to overcome it.

Ultimately what I want from this blog is to take my experience and help others find the positive inspiration that can motivate their change, provide some tried and true recipes, and hopefully get a few laughs. Remember: Laughter is a healer and we could all use a little more of it in our lives!

~jenni

Say Hello to the Soup Floozie!

I'm a self-proclaimed soup floozie, and I'll say it proudly because...Well...I love soup. I walk the streets searching for the next great soup and once I find it, I tell it how much I love it, how nothing compares to it, and how it's the only soup for me...Until the next soup comes along, then I say how it's not the soup, it's me, things get awkward, we see each other every once in a while, but it's not the same, not like it was in the beginning...

I don't discriminate when it come to soup, I love creamy soups, broths, chilis, stews, chowders, bisques, hot, cold, lukewarm...I'm a equal opportunity soup lover.

The thing about soup is that it's easy to make, isn't fussy, and requires very little measuring. Plus, you can add pretty much anything to soup and it's going to taste good. It's also easy to get that down-home creamy taste and texture without adding the ingredients that clog your arteries, cause inflammation, and make you fat.

You may be asking yourself, how do you make creamy soup without cream? Well, sit back and let me tell you about the cashew, or more importantly, cashew cream because a) It's easy to make and b) acts as a healthy replacement for cream in your soups.

Cashews provide essential fatty acids, B vitamins, fiber, protein, potassium, iron, and zinc...That's right, they're good for you, and although they do contain a small percentage of saturated fat, it's a healthy fat. So, just don't go scarfing down an entire bowl of the little guys on your own and you'll be fine.

Here is a simple recipe for cashew cream that I snagged out of "Super Natural Cooking" by Heidi Swanson (GREAT book)

Cashew Cream
Makes about 2 cups.

1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed
2 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
Squeeze of lemon juice

Soak the cashews in a small bowl of warm water for 20 or 30 minutes to soften them up, making a smoother, silkier cream. Drain and add the water, nutritional yeast and salt. Puree with a blender or food processor until smooth and of a cream-like consistency. (You may need to add additional water to achieve the right consistency.) Season with a squeeze of lemon juice, stir, taste, and add a bit of additional salt if needed.

If you don't believe me and want to see the awesomeness of the cashew for yourself, try this recipe from the February 2009 issue of VegNews Magazine...It'll make your toes curl.

Clam-free Chowdah!
Serves 4

2 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan margarine
1/4 lb oyster mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into large pieces
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme, dried
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp natural smoke flavor
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced

In a skillet over medium-low heat, saute 1 Tbsp margarine and oyster mushrooms for 7 mintues, set aside.

In a blender, grind the cashews to a fine powder then add 1 cup veggie broth. Blend until completely smooth.

In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp margarine, onion, cauliflower, and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, then add bay leaves, thyme, white pepper, remaining veggie broth, cashew mixture and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat and cook for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

Using either an immersion blender or regular blender, blend until completely smooth. Add potatoes and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Stir in the smoke flavor and add the mushrooms. Serve hot, garnished with sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and fresh parsley.

Stay tuned for more ways to get your soup fix!

A Big Bite of Nostalgia: Vegan Tater Tot Hotdish

WARNING: THIS RECIPE (as it is written, substitutions given) IS NOT GLUTEN FREE!

First of all, you may be asking yourself, why is she posting a non-gluten free recipe on a gluten free blog ? My answer is simply that sometimes I throw caution to the wind and have a little gluten, but it has to be for the right recipe (See UPDATE at the bottom). Incidentally, it would be gluten free if I could find an acceptable substitution for ground beef that doesn't contain TVP (textured vegetable protien.) With that being said it was either the cow or the TVP, and when it comes down to that, the TVP wins...Hands down.

(I suppose if you had the time you could take a few thawed gluten free veggie burgers, run them through the food processor and cross your fingers that the end result resembles ground beef...I'll give that a try next time and let you all know how that goes. Or, you could always substitute pinto beans as well.)

On to the recipe at hand. Being from the midwest, the "Land of the Hotdish" I grew up on this stuff. LOVED, L-O-V-E-D it. There's something comforting about hotdish, something indescribable. Sure, many mock the hotdish, but you know they're all closet caserole lovers deep inside.

The classic makings of a hotdish are simple; Just throw together whatever is in a can in your cupboard at the time, mix it with ground beef or turkey and top with something crunchy and then bake it in the oven for about an hour, and *Voila!

I came up with this vegan recipe for Tater Tot Hotdish on my own, with a little consultation from my mom (the hotdish queen) on the key ingredients. The sauce that replaces the cream of mushroom soup may look familiar. It's actually the "cheese sauce" from the infamous Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Interestingly enough, it tastes completely different in this recipe, very authentic, and very creamy.

So call your Grandma, have her bring over the lime green jello with the shreded carrots (you know, the kind that looks like your fish tank froze over?) and have your mom bring a pan of "bars" (pronounced "bahrs") and enjoy this recipe the way it was meant to be enjoyed...With family and friends!

Vegan Tater Tot Hotdish

1package Boca meatless crumbles (thawed) (NOT gluten free, but dairy free)
1 package baby bella's, sliced
1/2 red onion chopped
1 package frozen mixed veggies (thawed) (I used frozen peas, carrots, and corn)
1 package frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the onions for a few minutes until nearly translucent, then add the mushrooms and cook for an additional few minutes. Combine the mushrooms, onions, Boca crumbles, and mixed veggies in a large bowl and pour in the sauce from the following recipe. Combine well. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Add the tater tots to the top until it is mostly covered. Bake for one hour or until the tots are crispy and the sauce begins to bubble.

Sauce:
2 Tbsp + 1/3 cup Earth Balance non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
2 Tbsp shallots, peeled and chopped
1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup water reserved from the cooked vegetables
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne

To make the sauce:
In a saucepan add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the veggies are very soft.

3. In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened veggies and 1 cup cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.

*Fancy French words not necessary when preparing, serving or eating hotdish.

UPDATE:
I made this hotdish again and instead substituted pinto beans for the Boca crumbles, which in my opinion is just as good, and I didn't have to spend a week dealing with troublesome joints. Sometimes throwing caution to the wind just isn't worth it!