So I’m a huge lover of meat, but recently I’ve been taking somewhat of a meat vacation. For no reason other than I love the way I feel. I’ll still eat it every now and then, but I find that four to five days a week of a vegan lifestyle is pretty earth shattering in terms of general wellness, energy and ability to work long hours.

So how do I do it? Lots of dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains such as quinoa, lentil sprouts – I love these – I’ll eat them as a protein – as a snack. They’re really awesome!

Sometimes I feel my meat vacation is out of boredom, sometimes out of convenience – most vegan foods are raw with the exception of the whole grains that take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to cook. Sometimes in the last 2-5 minutes of the grains cooking, I’ll throw in the dark green leafy veg to steam on top and then I’ll add some sort of homemade dressing – lemon juice, olive or sesame oil, peanut or butter (because I eat it in everything!) or tahini and a mess of fresh herbs – whatever I have available – chopped basil, tarragon or cilantro. Done – dinner, lunch, snack. Its that easy. Delicious!

Recipe:

Sprouty Quinoa Salad (serves 2-3)

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp tamari
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 cups sunflower sprouts
• 1/2 cup lentil crunchy sprouts
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Handful of fresh mint, rough chopped
• 10 yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 persian cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 C red bell pepper, chopped

Cook quinoa in 2 cups boiling water/broth for 10-12 minutes until water is absorbed (cook covered on low – adding quinoa after water boils)

Add cooked quinoa to a large bowl. Add olive oil, tamari, ginger, and lime juice. Add mint, tomatoes, lentil sprouts, bell pepper, cucumber and toss. Serve on a bed of sunflower sprouts.

Soy is one of the few plants that provides a complete protein, containing all eight amino acids.  Soy also contains fiber and isoflavones.  It’s these isofavlones that are the culprit behind most of the negative press surrounding soy.  Isoflavones resemble the hormone estrogen, binding to estrogen receptors in the body.  Because the endocrine system is so complex, exactly how these phyto-estrogens affect the body is unclear.  Some studies have linked the consumption of soy to the reduction of certain cancers, while others literally say the opposite.  One of the most important things to keep in mind about soy is that it comes in many forms, and can be highly processed.  Soybean oil, for example, is relatively cheap to produce and keeps for a long time, meaning it ends up in a variety of processed foods (usually under the moniker “vegetable oil”).  Soybean oil may be hydrogenated, a process that makes it easy to store and transport, but that has also been linked to heart disease.

As with any food, it’s probably good to keep soy intake in moderation.  Consider how soy is consumed in Asia: primarily as a condiment, not the main attraction of the meal.  Be aware of consuming soy you may not even be aware of, such as via “vegetable oil.”  Also, fermented and sprouted soy products such as tempeh and miso tend to be less processed, and more similar to how soy is traditionally prepared.  When it doubt, it doesn’t hurt to revert back to 5,000 years of tradition.       For some interesting soy based recipes, check out Mark Bittman’s latest blogs on miso.

Ok, so I love vegetables, so maybe its not a stretch for me, but what I do love more than anything is food that is crunchy. Granted I love carrots and celery, but they can get boring, so sprouts have been my mainstay over the past few months.

I make all sorts of concoctions with sprouts. The latest that I have tried are sunflower sprouts, quinoa and lentil/azuki sprouts. The lentil/azuki sprouts pack a lot of protein. I usually just boil up some quinoa (takes less than 10 minutes) and throw in the sunflower sprouts and lenti/azuki sprouts with some tahini and lemon juice. Simple, quick, tasty and most of all gives me three to four hours (sometimes more) of complete fullness that doesn’t send me to the snack cabinet.

Happy sprouting!

Until then I am always cooking and teaching. This week I started thinking about sustainability, meat production and tastier vegetarian meals. While I am a huge fan of turkey chili and grass fed beef stew, I find that taking a
“meat vacation” is sometimes important for my health, energy levels, training and the earth. I’ve seen some research that if we all just laid off the meat one day a week we’d be doing so much good for the planet.

I tend to believe that the sustainable sources of beef, chicken and fish I usually buy isn’t hurting anyone, but for cost reasons, I can’t always get that stuff, so I’d rather lay off than touch the industrial stuff. Just like we are what we eat, so are the animals we eat. The thought of eating a sick animal that can’t turn around in its pen and is therefore loaded with saturated fat (think about if you were confined to a small space and couldn’t move around) doesn’t sound all that appetizing. Instead, I’m willing to pay a bit more for an animal that roams free on pasture and isn’t fed a diet that makes it sick.

So, perhaps all of us can learn something here. Eat a healthy diet, feel better? It just seems like a no brainer. Today, I’m feasting on a curried quinoa with chick peas, kale and lemon/tahini. Its super simple to make. Just boil the quinoa for ten minutes in a bit of vegetable broth (2:1 ratio – broth to quinoa). In the last few minutes of cooking, toss in chopped or hand torn kale. Let is steam up in the last bit of cooking. Add canned (organic of course) or cooked from dry chick peas. I seasoned with a bit of sea salt and I made a lemon tahini tressing – lemons, tahini and water – real simple). I love cilantro, so I chopped some up and added it to the top. Delicious. I’ve got some sockeye salmon to make tonight.

Keep it real, keep it healthy. Let me know if you need some nutrition counseling.

Well for starters…you can be equipped. The first thing you want to do is never go to any kind of party hungry. Always carry a snack in your bag. My favorite pre-party snack is a handful of almonds and a small apple or pear. I fill up on these two items so when I go to the party I am not tempted by all the yummy delights. So what do you do when you get to the party. First things first, drinks!

At a party with an open bar, we all tend to go a bit overboard. Here are some tips to stay true to your waistline.

1) Avoid eggnog – its basically heavy cream, eggs and rum. Yes, its delicious, but would you ever consume those ingredients on their own. Just say no. Taste it – maybe a teaspoon full and then say no.

2) Do have a mineral water, Pellegrino, Perrier or something clear and fizzy. Ask for a lime so you feel like you are having a gin and tonic – but no one has to know.

3) A glass of red or white wine usually has about 45 calories. Stick to one if you must.

Appetizers:

1) Avoid anything fried, creamy or in a blanket

2) Go with fruit, vegetables (with just a little dip!) and 1 square of cheese. If there’s a veggie tray feel free to load up on the veggies and stick to healthy dips like hummus.

Meals:

1) Avoid fried foods at all costs. Especially deep fried foods.

2) Grilled meats or fish are still going to have way more oil that you would use at home but are better than the fried stuff. Stick with a small portion and see that your plate is 1/2 salad or vegetables if you are at a buffet.

Desserts:

1) Feel free to have dessert – but make it small and share it. Make sure dessert is really really worth it. If you love chocolate cheesecake – then go ahead…but if its a boring, somewhat stale cookies – save yourself and order fruit instead.

Stay away from that chocolate fountain!

Check back for new holiday recipes and information about Sobel Wellness in home party planning services for your holiday party needs.