Vegenaise

Vegenaaaaaaaaise! This staple of mine is a Follow Your Heart product that I simply will not even attempt to sell you on because there is no way to do so unless you just go out and abandon your Best Foods mayo and just try some. One taste and I am certain you will be hooked.
Egg free. Dairy free. Cholesterol free. Preservative free. Vegan. DELICIOUS.

Mostly, I use it in sandwiches or as a base for dips or, if I am feeling fancy, I might make some lemon-basil aioli. If you need 50 more ideas for various uses, check out this blogger who is a vegenaise fan.

The ingredients to this yummy sandwich moistener: grapeseed oil, filtered water, brown rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, soy protein, sea salt, mustard flour, and lemon juice concentrate.

Pure and simple. Get some.

Note: They also now have a reduced-fat version, which I have yet to get my hands on.

And while I'm at it, if you need a vegetarian bacon option for your sandwich: try Baconnaise. It makes the best vegetarian BLT!

Apricot Almond Bran Muffins!

Sometimes I wake up craving a fresh batch of muffins for breakfast, but, let's face it, I generally only have time for baking on the weekends because I can barely manage to eat my oatmeal, get dressed and get to work on time! But I came across the most amazing healthy line of muffins mixes that allow me to whip up some awesome muffins in less than 20 minutes! Hodgson Mills makes lots of great whole wheat pastas (including whole wheat cous cous!), flax seed products, organic flours, breads and soy products! You should be able to find this stuff in your local grocery store, but if not, it is worth it to order some online!

I particularly fell in love with the Hodgson Mills Bran Muffin Mix because it is low in fat and sugar and uses whole grain stone-ground whole wheat flour and wheat bran and it is absolutely delicious! It is also such a reliable and versatile base mix for making all sorts of variations...and one box only costs $1.10 for 6 amazingly yummy and healthy muffins!


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 box Hodgson Mills Bran Muffin Mix
* 1/4 cup applesauce
* 1/2 cup soymilk
* 1 egg (I used 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute)
* 1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey (optional)
* 1 Tbsp. milled flax seed
* 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
* 1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

* Mix all ingredients in a bowl except for the nuts (those are reserved for the topping!)
* Divide into 6 greased muffin cups.
* Top each muffin with some chopped almonds.
* Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean)

Suggested Variations:

* blueberries and honey
* chopped apples and walnuts
* grated carrots and orange zest
* raisins and walnuts
* pumpkin and pecans
* dates and honey
* bananas and cinnamon
* oats and honey

Trust me, as far as ready-made mixes go, these are a *winner*!!!

Flax. Flax. Flax.

Welcome to the wonderful world of flax! One of the best plant-based sources of Omega 3 fatty acids (aka:alpha-linolenic acids...the good fats!) can be found in flax seeds. They are a great source of lignans (which are a natural anti-oxidant for the body), rich in protein and help with digestive systems by providing soluble fiber.

THE SECRET:

I think most people make the mistake of eating flax seeds whole. You see them in granola and figure it must be good for you. NOPE! While they have a better shelf life, whole flax seeds are really difficult to digest and your body cannot absorb the benefits unless they are milled or ground. If you buy them whole, use a coffee grinder or mortar/pestle to grind them up!

To make things easy, I buy Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal (gluten-free!). I *love* all Bob's Red Mill products and encourage you to seek them out and try something new!

HOW TO STORE:

Flax is highly perishable. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. I freeze mine.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

I try to put flax in everything I can: oatmeal, yogurt, muffins, cookies, breads, smoothies, waffles, pancakes...you can even buy flax pasta!!

Oils

I am sure you've heard that there are "good fats" and "bad fats", but maybe wonder "what does that mean?!". Good fats are generally monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that lower cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Bad fats are generally saturated and trans fats that raise cholesterol levels--they are pure evil. So evil, in fact, that there are motivated people who have started a Campaign to ban the use of trans fats!

Now, a word about trans fat--you would be surprised and horrified at how many products and processed foods have trans fat. Avoid purchasing anything that has the words "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredient list, which means that it is made with partially hydrogenated oils. No good can come of this. Go look at stuff in your kitchen!! Also, any product that is so sneaky as to advertise as having "No Trans Fat PER SERVING" is misleading because it contains trace amounts of trans fat that are below the FDA approved threshold for reporting but, in the aggregate, can contain significant amounts of trans fat and should be avoided. For example, take a look at peanut butter. Your average jar of Skippy advertises "No trans fat per serving", is made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed), and adds sugar. Ideally, what you want in a nut butter is the good fats that some nuts provide, so what you want to look for is 100% nut butters that have ONE ingredient: Nuts! (I am in love with almond butter and other raw nut butters, which I will save for another post).



It is best to use fats and oils sparingly, and when you do use oil--pick a good one. Use olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, walnut oil--these oils have low amounts of saturated fats and higher amounts of polyunsaturated and monounstaurated fats. There has also been a controversial debate about coconut oil. Personally, I adore all oils made by La Tourangelle because they are good quality oils that are packed with Omega 3, 6 and 9.

On another note, I once told my mom to think of your body like a machine--if you dont give it the right kind of superior energy (read: foods) then how can you expect it to function on a superior level?! It's true--your body has the potential to be a well-oiled machine!!! I also tried to convince my mother to throw out all items in her cabinet that have "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredient list and she says to me (on the phone): "Since WHEN did you become a crazy health nut???!!". I explained that I am not a "crazy health nut"...I am more like the average health-conscious person who still splurges sometimes but who likes to be aware of what I put in my body....and I love nuts.

Herbamare

Herbamare is one of my absolute *favorite* condiments!



It's a natural sea salt blend that contains:

* sea salt
* organic celery leaves
* organic leek
* organic cress*(water and garden)
* organic onion
* organic chive
* organic parsley
* organic lovage
* organic garlic
* organic basil
* organic marjoram
* organic rosemary
* organic thyme
* kelp (with trace iodine).

All of these magical ingredients combine to make a flavorful salt that adds a delicious flavor to everything and anything! You will be able to find this wonderful product in most health food stores.

(and if you like a kick, they made a spicy version)

Penzey's Spices

I went to visit a friend in St. Paul, Minnesota and came across a culinary haven called Penzeys Spices.


It's an entire store dedicated to high-quality spices, herbs, and seasonings! I spent more $$$ than you (and my friend) would believe on spices. They had over 5 kinds of CINNAMON!!! I didn't even know so many types of cinnamon existed beyond McCormick's.


Luckily, they have an online store, so you can order all sorts of things from them, including their amazing Salt Free Selections! I cannot emphasize enough the use of quality spices, herbs and seasonings in healthy, low-fat cooking (provided you watch the sodium intake)!

I went home with:


* Bangkok Blend (Salt Free blend of: sweet peppers, garlic, ginger, black pepper, galangal, hot peppers, lemon grass, basil, and cilantro)

* Chesapeake Bay Seasoning

* Galangal

* Herbes de Provence

* Mural of Flavor (Salt Free blend of: shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, citric acid, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel)

* Ozark Style Seasoning (salt, black pepper, sage, garlic, thyme, Hungarian papika, regular mustard, ancho chili, celery seed, cayenne, dillweed, dillseed, caraway seed, allspice, ginger, cardamom, bay leaves, mace, china cinnamon, savory and cloves)

* Seasoned Salt (coarse Sea Salt, Smoked Paprika, Sugar, Special Extra Bold Black Pepper, Turmeric, Onion, Garlic, Spice Extractives (including oleoresin of paprika, black pepper, celery, rosemary and thyme)

* Shallot Salt

* Sweet Curry

* Trinidad Lemon-Garlic Marinade (coarse salt, lemon peel, garlic, clove and ginger)

* Vindaloo Seasoning

* Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon

...and I wanted so much more!!

What are you going to pick?!

Activia Yogurt by Dannon

I have always known that yogurt has "bacteria" in it, but I never understood what that really meant until a year ago when I got really sick from a really evil bacteria, which landed me in the hospital for a week. I will spare you the hospital details and just say that a large part of my post-hospital treatment was reintroducing "good bacteria" into my digestive system and colon by taking probiotics.

In addition to probiotics, I also found Activia yogurt, which contains a probiotic culture called Bifidus Regularis to help regulate the digestive system (its really a "live" culture" that makes its way to the colon and helps with intestinal transit). Supposedly, eating one serving a day for two weeks will introduce enough of the good bacteria into your digestive system to maintain a healthy digestive tract.

If you have IBS, a sensitive stomach or other digestive problems, then it is crucial to learn more and pick foods that are easy on the digestive tract and especially foods that have soluble fiber. I use this helpful Fiber Blog and this amazing Food Chart.

I have found Activia in most grocery stores. It comes in a variety of flavors, but I particularly love the BLUEBERRY flavor. It is one of the best berry yogurts I have ever tasted...

*YUM*

Chilled Jasmine White tea

Dr. Andrew Weil teamed up with Ito En to make this line of brewed teas. Now, I usually make my own tea--hot or iced because tea is generally inexpensive...but I tried one of these teas at the SF Green Festival and looooved it. 0 calories, 0 sugar. YES!

My favorite (complete with amusing description):

Jasmine White: "Creating the taste of balance, this tea perfectly blends the softness of white tea with lush, fragrant jasmine green tea. Both have been treasured in China for centuries for their calming properties."

These teas retail for about $1.99, but I found a sale on Amazon--you can get a case of 30 for just under $20 and FREE SHIPPING if you order it by December 30. yes, a case is on its way to my apartment...

*try it*

Ginger Sugar

A delicious company called The Ginger People makes this amazing ginger spread that has two simple ingredients: ginger and cane sugar syrup. Seemed to me like I could make it myself...until I tried it and realized there was something magical about the proportions, texture and flavor that I could not recreate myself. So I did what any ginger freak would do. I bought 8 jars.

My recommendations for use:

* stir-fry
* marinades & sauces
* add to soups
* use on muffins, toast, or carrot bread!

Soyaki Sauce

This Soyaki sauce may very well be my favorite product of Trader Joe's...and I am amused that they change their name to reflect an ethnic background (ie: Trader Ming's for Soyaki, Trader Jose for enchiladas, Trader Giotto's for italian items...). If you live in a place where there is no Trader Joe's (gasp!), a company called Soy Vay makes a similar product called Veri Veri Teriyaki (which I would guess TJ's copied but I prefer the Trader Joe's version anyway).



This sauce is a *huge* time saver because it has everything you would want in a stir-fry sauce, ready to use: soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, ginger, sesame oil, onions, and onion powder. It claims to be a great marinade for meat, poultry, fish, tofu and vegetables. Personally, I use it with tofu.

One of my easiest, healthiest and quickest meals: Tofu Steaks with Soyaki glaze over steamed brown rice with steamed green beans or broccoli.

* Press the excess water out of the tofu and cut block into smaller pieces.
* Grill tofu in pan over medium heat until lightly browned.
* Pour Soyaki sauce over tofu.
* Lower heat and let simmer till sauce thickens to a glaze.
* Serve with steamed brown rice and steamed vegetables.

Yogurt Butter

Discovering Brummel & Brown's yogurt butter changed everything. The taste is so unique and yummy that I promptly proceeded to get everyone I know hooked on it. I put yogurt butter on everything: breads, muffins, oatmeal, rice, vegetables, sandwiches....

it truly improves the quality of my life.

go get some. the end.

Artisana Raw Organic Nut Butters

This is an organic, raw, vegan spread made with coconut and goji berries. I like to put a small amount on fresh raspberries...

Thai Iced Tea

I purchased this product at a grocery store in Thailand, but it is made by Nestle so I have been looking for it in the United States...It is individual servings of Thai Iced Tea--you just add water...It is the best brand that I have tried. and i desperately want to find more...