I'm very excited to share that starting today I will begin an online plant-based nutrition certificate program through Cornell University. 

It's a two month commitment that consists of three course series. This certificate will help me better understand the role of nutrition in degenerative diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. It will also help me better articulate ​the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet that will hopefully translate into more knowledgeable blog posts and exciting meal creations.  

If I don't have as many blog posts in the coming weeks it's because I'm filling my brain with new and exciting information! The course is fairly pricey but I have decided to sell my wedding dress (yes, just after 6 months) to help pay for it. I figured there is no use in my dress collecting dust and hogging up the limited closet space I have. I really don't have any emotional attachment to it and I would be great to see another bride enjoy it as much as I did. 

Whoever says salads are boring hasn't tried a buddha bowl. A buddha bowl, according to the urban dictionary, is a bowl packed so full that it has a rounded "belly" appearance on the top much like the belly of a buddha.  Based on that definition, I've been making buddha bowls for years and didn't even know it!

Buddha bowls are low in carbohydrates, high in protein, high in fiber, and low fat. They are simple to make, flavorful, colorful, and packed with nutrients. 

Added bonus: they require little to no cooking, depending on what you include in yours. Really, there is no reason you shouldn't make your next meal a buddha bowl. 

This particular recipe will require about 30 minutes of preparation from cutting the vegetables. You can vary your buddha bowl to your liking. This recipe, which I call the "KuKu Bowl" named for my husband, makes enough for two overflowing bowls. 

Ingredients:

Buddha Bowl
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 small red onion, diced
3/4 cup cooked bulgur (dry cracked wheat) 
6 tablespoons black beans
1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
1 package Nasoya chipotle flavored tofu, cubed
1 can whole kernel corn
1 sweet potato, cubed
6 tablespoons garbanzo beans
1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 teaspoon Melt or Earth Balance vegan butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Cilantro Cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado
1 freshly squeezed lime
2 teaspoons Follow Your Heart Vegenaise 
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cold water


Instructions. 
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray. Place sweet potato cubes onto baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. 

2. While the sweet potato is baking, heat 1 1/2 cups water in a medium size pan. Once the water comes to a boil, add 3/4 cup bulgar, 1 teaspoon vegan butter, and salt to taste. Cook covered on medium heat for 20 minutes then turn heat down to a simmer for another 10 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. 

3. While the sweet potato and bulgur are cooking, you can chop and prepare the remaining vegetables. Evenly divide one half of the vegetables in each of the bowls, starting with the lettuce and filling in the bowl with each of the ingredients. 

4. To make the avocado cilantro cream, simply place all of the ingredients in a food processor or even a small ninja will do (which is what I currently have) and blend until creamy. You may need to add 2 tablespoons cold water to the mixture.


​
Nutrition Facts
Serving size:  2

Calories 609
Total Fat 29 g
Saturated Fat 4 g 
Cholesterol 0 mg 
Sodium 2433 mg
Total Carbohydrate 82 g 
Dietary Fiber 16 g
Sugars 17 g
Protein 14 g 

If you've ever tried an Asian curry dish, you've probably eaten turmeric. Many curries include the bright yellow Asian spice. But what you may not know is how beneficial turmeric can be for your health. 

The turmeric spice originates from the Curcuma longa plant and it's bright yellow color stems from curcumin, which is an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties. It's anti-inflammatory properties have been helpful in reducing pain from arthritis, muscle sprains, injuries, and Chrohn's disease. Studies have also suggested it can help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and could help prevent the build up of plaque which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.  

Ready to include more of this amazing spice into your diet? Here are a five suggestions to eat and drink turmeric. You can buy turmeric powder for a few bucks at a local Asian market or on Amazon. 

1. "Golden milk"
​ A very easy and straight forward way to consume turmeric is in drink form. Boil 1 cup of hot water. Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 cup milk or your choice of dairy-free drinks such as almond milk or coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and honey or agave to sweeten. This warm and spicy drink is comforting and will warm your entire soul. 

2. Scrambled eggs
Add a dash of turmeric to scrambled eggs or a tofu scramble with onion, tomato, and dairy-free cheese. 

3. Sprinkle onto vegetables
Turmeric's warm flavor tastes best with roasted root vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and beets. 

4. Spice up your rice
Add 1 teaspoon turmeric to a 1 cup cooked plain white rice to brighten an ordinary side dish. 

5. Make a paste
You can also directly apply turmeric onto sore or swollen uncut skin in a paste form. Mix 1 teaspoon turmeric and slowly add warm water until it turns into a paste. 

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you had a wonderful meal shared with friends and family today.

One question many people ask me when I tell them I am vegan is, what the hell do you eat? A lot of people couldn't imagine eating weeknight meals that don't include dairy, eggs, and meat let alone an actual holiday meal. Well friends, I'm here to show you that it CAN be done and it really isn't all that difficult or expensive. And no, you won't be eating rabbit food. I hope this post and all of my posts will show that you can take a vegan diet "out of cuckooland and bring it down to where everyone is," as Julia Child would say. 

This Easter brunch I was so stuffed, you might as well have rolled me out in a wheelbarrow I was in such a food coma. (And I didn't just carbo overload, I ate real food packed with nutrients and protein.)

Brunch was by no means traditional and a bit of a smorgasbord, but delicious nonetheless. These are also simple, easy, and delicious standalone week night meal ideas you can try at home. 

Appetizer: 
We munched on freshly made Indian samosas that we purchased from a nearby Indian market. For those of you who have never heard of or tasted a samosa, it's a fried spiced potato-stuffed pastry. It's typically filled with potatoes, peas, and spices. (You can pick up a frozen package at Trader Joe's to sample.) We also had sliced celery sticks, carrots, and blue corn tortilla chips with Cedar's roasted red pepper hummus. I do however, prefer making hummus from scratch, where it's much cheaper and fresher than anything store bought. 

Main:
We started with a homemade vegan asparagus pea soup inspired by Minimalist Kitchen's recipe. (If you haven't made it yet, go buy a bunch of asparagus and try it this week, it's that good and perfect for Spring.) The soup was topped off with homemade olive bread croutons. Side note: instead of throwing away bread, repurpose it and make croutons out of it for your soup or salad. It's super easy to make your own croutons. Just cut up the stale/dry bread into small chunks, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 250F for about 25 minutes or until crispy. 

We devoured Kite Hill's spinach ricotta raviolis topped with vegan pesto. These soy and dairy free raviolis with a side salad would make for an easy and cheap weeknight meal.

Finally, we tasted the rainbow with Tofurky Italian sausage sautéed with an onion, three bell peppers (red, yellow, and green) and celery. The vegetables were sautéed in Trader Joe's rosemary infused olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large frying pan for about 25 to 30 minutes. You only need to add the Italian sausage to the frying pan about 5 minutes before the vegetables are done cooking. Again, this is another easy standalone weeknight dish that would be delicious with a side salad or fresh bread. 

Dessert:
We cheated a bit and bought our vegan desserts instead of baking it them at home. But sometimes you can't do it all right? Also, baking is a true art and I've yet to come close to mastering it. For now, I'll leave the delicious baked goods to the professionally trained bakers. Whole Foods pulled through and we had mouth watering apple pie, whole strawberries, and brownie bites. Oh and of course peeps, because Easter really isn't Easter without some peeps around even though I hate them as much as candy corn. Surprisingly, peeps are vegan. But it really shouldn't come as a surprise because the ingredients are just sugar and artificial flavors.  

If humans all over the globe transitioned towards more plant-based diets, together we could reduce mortality rates by up to 10 percent and food-related greenhouse gases by up to 70 percent in 2050, a new study found.

Researchers published a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that examined for the first time health and climate change benefits of global dietary changes in major regions of the world. 

"We project that health and climate change benefits will both be greater the lower the fraction of animal-sourced foods in our diets," the study said. 

By adopting a Vegan diet, 8.1 million deaths could be averted per year by 2050, researchers found. Just adopting a diet that is in line with the global dietary guidelines of healthier eating and lower energy intake could save 5.1 million lives. The equivalent for a vegetarian diet translates to 7.3 million lives saved. 

​The economic benefits of improving diets could translate up to $31 trillion in U.S. dollars or the equivalent of up to 13 percent of global domestic product (GDP) in 2050, the Oxford University researchers said. That's real money, even in Trump's world! 

Clam chowder, baked bean lovers, watch out! A new restaurant is coming to town and it will turn your world upside down.  

Today, by CHLOE, the NYC-based Vegan fast casual restaurant announced that it would open a second 48-seat location in Boston's Seaport District. by CHLOE is 100 percent Vegan and plant-based that launched in 2015 and has had an overwhelming following. 

The new location at 101 Seaport Boulevard will serve fresh salads, pasta, soups, cold-pressed juices, and on-the-go items, according to The Boston Globe. As a native New Englander, I am over the moon with this announcement! 

Asparagus' arrival on the farmer's market scene truly signals that Spring is here to stay. While much of the East coast has experienced snow in the first few days of Spring, I'm confident that warmer weather is around the corner. 

If you are in need of a side dish, Asparagus is a fabulous & easy way to brighten your plate. I love a crunch, so I personally love Asparagus blanched with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Another easy and quick way to prepare it is to bake the Asparagus for 20 minutes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. It's a great addition to any salad, or to be used as a replacement to chips with any dip. 

Asparagus is a great source of fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. It's also packed with antioxidants and has the ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. 

I recently made Minamalist Baker's Vegan Asparagus pea soup. It took less than 30 minutes to make and will cost you under $10. In my case, I already had everything at home, so it was super convenient. I substituted coconut milk for the almond milk. It's makes for a fabulous weeknight dish. 

Today is the first day of Spring! Hooray! The days are already longer, brighter, and for the most part warmer. 

Summer is just around the corner. I'm already dreaming of lounging on the beach or boating on Cape Cod with my favorite guy aka my husband. But before I drift away into fantasy land, I want to share with you a super easy, delicious, and light vegan appetizer (that could serve as a meal if you aren't very hungry) that is perfect for Spring. 

Oh and did I mention, no cooking is required?! Score!

Spring rolls are fantastic to serve at a party, to fill up on before dinner, or just to have as a snack whenever. They are low fat, low in calories, gluten-free, and filling. This recipe was inspired (and slightly adapted) from Chef Roberto Martin's cookbook "Vegan Cooking for Carnivores."

Ingredients:
(Makes about 16 Spring Rolls) 
​
Spring Rolls: (You can play around with the filling depending on what you have/enjoy most) 

1/2 head red cabbage, julienned
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
20 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 fat carrot, peeled, grated, and squeezed dry in a paper towel
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1 geen pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
2 packages spring roll wrappers (rice papers can be ordered on Amazon or bought in a local Asian market)
1 package Trader Joe's marinated tofu , chopped into small cubes 

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I prefer chunky)
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons white or yellow Miso 
2 tablespoons minced fresh (or powder) Ginger


Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.

Assemble the Spring Rolls: 

1. Mix all of the vegetables in a large bowl and set aside. 
2. Select a dish or pan that is large enough for the rice paper to lie flat inside. Add about two cups warm water to the dish and soak rice paper for about 20 seconds, or until the paper has softened but not become too gummy.
3. Place the rice paper on a cutting board and rub it gently to help spread water out evenly on the paper. 
4. Place about 1/2 cup of the vegetable/tofu mixture on the rice paper, slightly below the center.
5. Picking up the edge closest to you, fold over the rice paper onto the vegetable/tofu mound. Fold the right and left sides towards the center. Roll the rice paper gently as if making a burrito. 
6. Place Spring Rolls on a baking sheet covered with a moist piece of wax paper to prevent from sticking to each other and the baking sheet. 
7. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour before serving. Cut each Spring Roll in half at a slight angle just before serving. Enjoy! 




Nutrition Facts
Servings 16.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 149
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 208 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 6 g

It's great to experiment in the kitchen to try new recipes and learn about health food tips, but what's most important is why I do it.

I was a Vegetarian for 25 of my 30 years on this planet and recently decided I should take it a step further and try a Vegan diet again after a failed attempt several years ago.

So, why have I chosen a plant-based diet that limits highly processed foods? It's more than just lower food costs and the ability to keep foods longer in my fridge without spoiling that is fueling me. Let me describe in what will hopefully be a clear and concise explanation. Perhaps, somewhere along the way, what I say will resonate and you might join me. 

If, after you've read my description and are not completely convinced that you should make some change to your diet, I suggest you watch several compelling documentaries that can found on Netflix and Amazon. These include but are not limited to: Forks Over Knives, Fed Up, Vegucated, and Hungry for Change.

Health Benefits:

• Increased Energy (not having to rely on caffeinated drinks is good for your healthy & wallet)
• Decreased bloating (however you may have increased gas because of all of the fiber)
• Reduced risks of Cancer, Heart Disease, Obesity, and Diabetes
• Clearer, brighter skin
• I hate taking any medicine if I don't have to. By eating animals and animal byproducts (dairy, eggs, etc) you will be consuming some trace of the hormones and antibiotics found in factory farmed animals. Even if you buy organic "hormone-free" meat or dairy products,  they can still contain high levels of estrogen or progesterone, found in commercial cow's milk.
• Deeper, more restful night sleep 

Animals:

• I love all animals. Always have, always will. Many people have no connection with what is on their plate to where it came from -- plant-based foods as well as meats. Some people just eat meat with inadequate consideration for the life that was once in the animal. 
• Factory farmed and commercially raised animals and dairy products are highly susceptible to food borne outbreaks such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.  I'm not saying commercially grown vegetables or soybeans are never tainted with some type of food borne outbreak, but it's a lot less infrequent.  Whenever there is such an outbreak, it breaks my heart to read in the news about hundreds of thousands of animals slaughtered for fear that they might have been affected.
• I believe all animals are highly intelligent and have more feelings than they sometimes get credited. We all know that Fido has moods, emotions, and great social skills. But did you know that Pigs, for example, are actually some of the most intelligent animals on this planet?

Environment:

• Eating meat reduces massive amounts of natural resources, such as water, which is essential for livestock production. It takes 518 gallons of water to produce just one pound of Chicken and more than 1,800 gallons of water to produce just one pound of Beef. 
• Giving up meat will reduce your carbon footprint more than if you give up using a car. Meat-rich diets result in 7.2kg of carbon dioxide emissions, while a vegan diet only results in 2.9kg of carbon dioxide emissions. 
• Do you volunteer or donate to a charity for environmental reasons? Try "donating" to the environment without actually writing an organization a check and do it by giving up meat and dairy products. You help maintain food security and alleviate poverty without further reducing water resources by not consuming meat and dairy products.