Herb Burger

(Herb addition info provided by www.AncestralMedicinals.com)

NOTE: Ahead of time- you’ll need to bake a sweet potato, and cook up some quinoa: see cooking method in veganism 101 recipe below herb burger.

Ingredients:

ADD THESE FRESH HERBS TO MAKE THIS A TRUE SUPER-FOOD BURGER:

Basil: Antiseptic, warming to digestive system acts and mild digestive
Sage: Antiseptic, Antiviral, Astringent
Lambsquarter’s: Full of trace Minerals, nutritive plant: see vit. content below
Sorrel: Like Lambsquarter, also full of trace minerals, great source of Vitamin C: see more info below:

(Herb info provided by Ancestral Medicinals)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a glass dish.

Put All ingredients into the food processor and process until smooth (a few chunks are good, they will give your burger texture). So you can pulse the processor until everything folds together.

Remove and put into a bowl.

Form the mixture into desired sized burgers-this is a great recipe for sliders (or mini burgers).

Cook on 350 for 10 min or until browned on top

Serve on a soft bun with your favorite condiments!

‘ Nutraceleuticals can serve a as preventative and in health restoration from several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer. A group of compounds known as flavonoids are present in red sorrel, which are known to be anti-oxidants. The flavonoids are also what makes is a good deterrent against specific types of cancer. The immune system is also enhanced due to the flavonoids. Sorrel contains high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Here’s a wonderful recipe from Anything Vegan, using Quinoa: This recipe was featured in Anything Vegan/Whole Foods Market Tyson’s June Vegan cooking club:

Veganism 101: My Plant Based Plate

Ingredients:

• Your choice of vegan sausage (I like tofurky and Gardien brands, but any one you choose will do just fine, you can also use TVP): Sliced into ½ inch rounds
• 1 large red onion: Sliced
• 1 TSP Minced Garlic (you can you garlic powder if you like)
• 1 Cup Quinoa: Cooked (See cooking instructions below)
• ½ bunch fresh kale (chopped)
• 1 Cup shredded Carrots
• 1-2 Cups Olive oil (this will be used for both vegan sausage and quinoa)

Method:

1. Cook quinoa (see below for cooking method) stir in ¼ cup-1/2 cup of olive oil. Set aside

2. Place a large skillet or saucepan on the stove and add a small amount of fat. Heat the oil to a medium-high temperature.

We used 3 tablespoons of olive oil. vegan butter is also delicious, but it tends to burn more easily, so be sure the pan doesn’t get too hot. When the fat (healthy fat) begins to ripple, the oil is hot enough. Add the onions to the hot oil.

Stir the onions until they are coated with oil. Adding a pinch of sea salt seasons the onions at the same time it speeds up the caramelizing process. The salt will suck moisture out of the onions and eventually evaporate. Be cautious not to add too much salt. If you would like, add a pinch of ground black pepper and a very small amount of sugar.

If you feel that the onions are sticking to the bottom of the pan too much, add a very small amount of water, broth, or wine to the pan and stir vigorously; this is called “deglazing.” The water will evaporate almost immediately while loosening the onion slices.

3. Add sliced vegan sausage of your choice. Fold into onions

4. In the following order add: garlic, kale and carrots.

5. Let cook low heat for 5-7min. After cooked through in a few diced tomatoes (optional)

6. Serve over heated quinoa

Simple Cooking Method for Quinoa:

1. Measure and rinse quinoa. One cup of dried quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked. Measure desired amount, rinse with cool water, and drain. This step helps to get rid of quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can a slight bitter taste.  Some recommend soaking the quinoa but, this is optional.

2. Place quinoa in a small saucepan with liquid. Use water or vegetable broth.  The ratio of liquid to quinoa is, 2:1 ratio – 2 cups liquid to 1 cup quinoa. Remember like rice, quinoa swells once cooked.

3. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds (see image at right). At this point your quinoa should be soft, like cooked rice. If not add more liquid and reduce heat.

4. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Some people like to add olive oil, butter, salt, or pepper. Cooked quinoa can also be used as the basis for pilafs, salads, breakfast porridges, and more. I love to add olive oil to my quinoa once it’s done! Taste great!

Gourmet Mushroom Pate

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. puff pastry, frozen (app. 8-10 sheets)
• mushroom-almond pate (recipe below)

Directions:

Thaw the puff pastry.

Make the mushroom-almond pate. (recipe below)

Using a large star shaped cookie cutter, cut out star shapes. You will need 2 for each filled star.

Oil a cookie sheet or use baking paper to keep the stars from sticking to the cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on the package (220 C).

Place a star on the cookie sheet and using a spoon, place a spoonful of the mushroom pate in the center.

Take a 2nd star, put some water along the inside edges of the star and lay it carefully over the star with the mushroom pate.

Gently line up each of the points of the star to match, they will swell and close as they bake.

Do this procedure for the rest of the dough.

With the left over pieces of dough, you can put them together and roll out the dough again to cut more and thus use all of the dough.

Bake the stars for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Note: When we prepared this recipes we made 14 stars from 10 phyllo dough sheets.

Mushroom-Almond Pate

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds, ground
• 50 grams soy margarine
• 200 grams mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 tbs. salt
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/8 tbs. white pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1tso. of onoin powder

Directions:

Melt the margarine, add the herbs and olive oil and sauté the mushrooms.

Add the water and allow the mixture to season and cook off a bit.

When the liquid is about halved, remove from the heat add the ground almonds and and puree to a fine pate.

This Thanksgiving (and every day) I am thankful for the family and friends who live nearby. Travel has one of the most significant environmental impacts of all our activities. Having a local Thanksgiving is a great way to avoid stressful travel, break bread with neighbors, and add to your green life. If you are planning to go over the river and through the woods to visit family and friends this Thanksgiving though, travel smart. There is not much we can do to make traveling by plane much more efficient but if you are driving, make sure your car is tuned up and your tires are properly inflated. That’ll make your trip more economical. And don’t forget to carpool! Someone surely will be going your way.

Shopping locally? Cooking less? Decorating with natural materials? How are you making your Thanksgiving more green? Share your holiday stories at AnythingGreen@AnythingVegan.com.

Have a happy and green Thanksgiving!

The fate of the world is in our hands…or rather, on our forks. The food we choose to eat (or not eat) is a significant component of green living. One of the most effective steps you can take to a greener life is to reduce or eliminate from your diet animal-based foods like meat, eggs, and dairy. This is because raising animals for consumption uses more land and water, and produces more waste including greenhouse gases than growing plants. According to a New York Times article, raising, storing and transporting meat is responsible for almost 1/5 of greenhouse gas emissions! Even one meat-free meal per week could make a big difference in the fight against climate change. Whether you eat meat, live a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, or are somewhere in between, go green with greens and the delicious recipes from AnythingVegan.com!

What’s not for dinner tonight? Email your menus, comments and questions to AnythingGreen@AnythingVegan.com.

This article By, Marjorie R. Simon Anything Vegan, LLC. Co-Founder, was Published on eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition Certification website on May 21, 2012.

The China Study found an inverse relationship between the concentration of Vitamin C in the blood and prevalence of cancer. When levels of Vitamin C in the blood were low, families were more likely to have a high incidence of cancer. Low vitamin C was prominently associated with a higher risk for esophageal cancer, for leukemia, and cancers of the Naso-pharynx, breast, stomach, liver rectum, colon and lung. How is vitamin C able to do such amazing things? The antioxidants in these foods interfere with free radical damage to cells that can lead to cancer.

Here is a top 10 food countdown to keeping the body cancer-free:

#10: Strawberries

Strawberries are delicious and make a great addition to desserts or drinks. I think strawberry Margaritas count…

#9: Oranges and Clementine’s (Tangerines)

No surprise here. The orange industry has done much better than its fruit cousins at promoting its health benefits and high levels of vitamin C. but yes, it’s only number 9 on the list…talk about promoting well. Oranges, citrus fruits, and their zest (the shavings of their peel) are all high in vitamin Followed by clementine’s, or tangerines.

#8: Papayas (aka: Lechoza, Mamão, Pawpaw)

In addition to vitamin C, papaya is also a great source of vitamin A and foliate (vitamin B9). You are probably wondering – what do I do with a papaya? Well they make great smoothies for morning or anytime you need a quick pick-me up snack.

#7: Kiwi fruits (Chinese Gooseberries)

Kiwi fruits are tart as well as decorative; they make a great addition to any fruit salad or dessert. Discovered more than 700 years ago in the Yang-tseriver valley in China, kiwi has stood the test of time. It taste is like a combination of melon, citrus fruits, nectarines and strawberries all in one, and yes it’s supposed to be green when eaten.  You can eat the tiny black seeds on the inside of the fruit and can even eat the fuzzy skin on the outside. Talk about the perfect package! Check out the California Kiwi Commission site for recipes.

#6: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts

Broccoli provides vitamin followed by raw cauliflower, then raw brussel sprouts. Try not to dip them in cow ranch dressing like we unwittingly did as kids. Serve them on your party tray with olive oil and fresh herbs. Or you can use anon-dairy salad dressing as dipping sauces instead – it’s more common than people think…

#5: Dark Leafy Greens (Kale, Mustard Greens, Garden Cress)

Dark leafy greens are more than just a source of calcium, and are packed with other vitamins including vitamin C. Raw kale provides the most vitamin C with120mg (200% DV) per 100 gram serving. Perhaps we should take a cue from our ancient ancestors that ate up to six pounds of leaves per day, probably by walking along from one place to another, just picking and eating leaves as they went. Can you imagine eating a grocery bag full of greens each and every day? Few of us even eat the minimum USDA recommendations of 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week. And yet, these veggies deliver a bonanza of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

#4: Fresh Herbs (Thyme and Parsley)

Truly the spice of life, fresh and dried herbs are packed with vitamins and health benefits, they can be used in almost any soup, stew, or as the main ingredient to a salad. Thyme provides the most vitamin C of any herb followed by parsley. There are so many health benefits of adding fresh herbs to your meals that you’d be amazed. When you sprinkle fresh herbs on your food, you get such fabulous flavor. Your family and friends will think you are a much better chef than you really are.

#3: Bell Peppers

A staple of pasta sauce and pizza the sweet bell pepper packs a high vitamin C punch. The amount of vitamin C depends on color. Yellow peppers provide the most vitamin C and green peppers provide the least vitamin C of the bell pepper family. The prices of fresh bell (or sweet) peppers seem to coincide inversely with the level of vitamin C—green bell peppers usually are cheapest, and red, yellow/gold, and orange are more expensive. The biggest surprise is the more rare colors of bell pepper: purple, pink, blue, rainbow, aqua, violet, maroon, white, black, and brown, depending on when they are harvested and the specific cultivar. Many people say the colors also have differing tastes. So to add a rainbow of pepper taste without the hot, this is the way to go.

#2: Guavas

Depending on variety, guavas can provide as much as228mg (381% DV) of vitamin C per 100g serving. Guavas have so many uses in addition to fighting with free radicals and reducing the risk of cancer. The roots, leaves, bark and immature fruits are used for gastroenteritis as they are astringents. The fiber content in guava controls blood pressure and cholesterol. As a result it is very beneficial for heart. The potassium content and fiber in guava helps kidney in eliminating wastes. It controls diabetes and it is good for constipation. And its various parts can be used on wounds and aching places to get relief from pain, to get relief from toothache, as a remedy for cough and throat pain, to relieve swollen gums and oral ulcers, for skin diseases and it is very useful in stopping the puking sensation. In traditional medicine, the extraction of leaves is used to cure epilepsy and cholera. Convulsions in children can be treated by rubbing the stain on their spines. Are you as amazed as I am about this incredible fruit?

#1: Red and Green Hot Chili Peppers

Actually a fruit pod, hot chili peppers are an excellent way to spice up soups, curries, and sauces, green chilies and provide the most vitamin C than any other food. Despite their fiery “hotness” are very popular and have tremendous medicinal and health benefiting properties. (But be sure they are fresh because Certain chemical compounds like aflatoxin (fungal mold), found in spoiled chilies have been known to cause stomach, liver and colon cancers – so buy them and use them quickly The red hot chili peppers aren’t just good to dance to – spice up your palate and your body will benefit in huge ways!

Sources:

http://www.eCornell.com Plant-Based Nutrition lecture series

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/NJ%20Quick%20Steps/NJ_Qk_Steps_Participant/Kiwi.pdf

http://www.kiwifruit.org/

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsuperfoods/a/greensnutrition.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/512661-healthy-benefits-of-fresh-herbs/