Yep, you read that right. Coconut bacon. It’s a thing–a very good thing! I have continued to be amazed at the genius recipes I find in the vegan world. Although I am no longer vegan, I still try to eat a ton of plants and use meat as a type of garnish or side dish. As far as meat goes, we really only eat fish, organic chicken and organic grass-fed beef. I will also buy organic, nitrate-free sliced turkey for my girls lunches on occasion.
Bacon
It had been ages since I have bought bacon, but I recently bought some from Trader Joes that was nitrate-free & really enjoyed it on my salads. What I didn’t enjoy was the added cost to our grocery budget, and I really don’t want to get into the habit of buying bacon again.
I was recently scrolling through Bloglovin’ & came upon a recipe for Coconut bacon that stopped me dead in my tracks. I love coconut. I love bacon. I love anything salty-sweet, and I knew I would be making Coconut Bacon as soon as I possibly could.
I had 2 weeks worth of delicious meal brought to our home while I was We were so spoiled with great food, and these Amazing Apple Pie Bites were one of my favorite food items brought.
My friend Andrea brought a great meal for us. She made us Rachel Rays Italian Sub Stoup. The flavor of this stoup was SO good. It has been forever since I have had an Italian Sub, and this soup tasted just like one. Andrea used ground beef instead of sausage, and did not use as much meat as Rachel does in the recipe. She also skipped the garlic toast floaters and brought us some Beer Bread instead. She brought the soup in a crockpot and cooked/kept the pasta separate until ready to serve. She also brought us a simple cinnamon apple salad, which I will write about soon. It was all so yummy.
On to the Apple Pie Bites! They are so healthy, a nice protein snack, and really, really good. I froze half of them and let another girlfriend of mine taste them when she came over. She LOVED them and could not believe they were sugar free. The dates make them a nice sweet treat, and the dried apple gives them a great texture and amazing REAL apple flavor. There is just the perfect amount of cinnamon added. They are truly the perfect treat.
I was sound asleep when Andrea delivered the meal, but my 3 girls couldn’t stop talking about this little cutie, Andrea’s little helper/delivery boy. How cute us he? He melts me every time I see him, and the way my girls were gushing about him, I know he had that affect on them, too!
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup almonds
1-1 1/2 medjool dates, pitted (about 10-12 dates)
3/4 cup dried apple slices (not apple chips) (no sugar added)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1. Combine all ingredients in the order listed, in a food processor.
2. Process until mixture resembles coarse gravel.
3. While the processor is running, add a thin stream of water, about 1 tsp, maybe less depending on the moistness of your dates.
4. Stop the processor and check the consistency of the mixture. If it sticks together when you smush it, then you’ve got the right consistency. If it’s still crumbly, add more water. You don’t want to add too much water because the bites will be too sticky.
5. When you’ve go the right consistency, roll mixture into tablespoon-size balls.
6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or so. Can also freeze them.
I’m always looking for ways to get my greens in, especially kale. Kale is an amazing, nutrient rich food. On Dr. Furhman’s Nutrient Density Score, Kale gets a whopping 100%. This means Kale is an incredible “nutrients per calorie” food.
This Kale Slaw with Curried Almond Dressing was such a refreshing way to eat kale. I usually put kale in my green smoothies or make kale chips, but I wanted delicious way to eat it raw. I certainly found it!
What makes this slaw so special is the dressing. It really brings this slaw to life–DON’T SKIP IT!
The dressing recipe caught my eye because it does not use oil. Love that! It uses the natural oils in the nuts as an emulsifier. I’m getting more and more into homemade salad dressings that use nuts in place of oil, especially now that I have a Vitamix blender that can pulverize those nuts into the smoothest of dressings.
The dressing is a snap to whip up. It takes just minutes. So creamy!
I had quite a bit of dressing left over, and used it as an awesome vegetable dip.
Isn’t that that salad so pretty? I used my favorite mandolin slicer for the apples and carrots. It is one of my most used kitchen utensils because it is so fast!
I changed the original recipe up a bit, using the fruits I had on hand. The apples & dried apricots make this a nice, hearty fall salad. It would be a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving menu.
The dressing is luxurious. No one would ever know that the only fats are healthy ones from the nuts. It does not a strong curry taste, so even those who are not big curry fans just might like this dressing.
Something I love so much about kale is how it holds up to dressing. You can store this for days and the leaves will not get soggy. It makes a big batch, and after we had it with a pasta dinner, I ate the leftovers for lunch for several days.
1 apple sliced & tossed in 1 tsp of lemon juice 2 1/2-3 cups julienned kale (leaves cut/torn from stems and stems discarded) 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes 1 1/2 cups sliced or grated carrot 1 apple sliced & tossed in 1 tsp of lemon juice (could use clementines instead) 1/3 cup dried apricots, cut into bite-sized pieces (could use dried cranberries instead) 1/3 cup sliced almonds Extra salt & pepper
Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add Curried Almond Dressing. Toss to coat well, then let sit for 5 minutes or more to allow the kale leaves to soften slightly in the dressing. Serve, garnishing with a light sprinkling of almonds and extra salt and pepper, if desired.
Curried Almond Dressing 1/2 cup raw almonds 2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectar 2/3 cup water (or more to thin as needed…see note.) 1 very small clove garlic 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Freshly ground black pepper (optional) 1/8 teaspoon curry powder, or more to taste (see note)
Using a standing blender or an immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all the ingredients (starting with 1/2 cup of the water) until very smooth. (A high-powered blender such as a Vitamix works best to smooth out the dressing; using an immersion blender or regular blender will leave a little more texture and take a little longer. ) Add additional curry to taste, and additional water to thin as desired.
Note: 1/8 rounded teaspoon of curry powder in this dressing makes for a very muted flavor, but if you love curry, use more.
Note: Adjust water according to you tastes. If making this as a vegetable dip, use less water.
Sometimes reaching my goal of getting leafy greens into my body everyday can get boring. Especially in a salad form! I have made it my mission to find ways to motivate myself to keep up the salads and buy ingredients to take them from boring to delicious!
Here are 2 key ways I do this:
1. I use a mandolin to slice my veggies, then store them in mason jars. Cut em’ once, store them for the week.
2. Splurge on ingredients that make compliment greens and make them delicious. A couple ways I do this with seasoned/ glazed nuts & sesame sticks. I have even been known to crush wheat crackers and sprinkle on top for a little bit of crunch. I also like to do it with fruit, from dried cranberries to sliced apples & clementines.
A mandolin is the best and fastest way I have found to slice veggies.
Add beans for protein…or hard-boiled eggs.
Splurge on the extras. These Sweet & Spicy Pecans from Trader Joes are amazing, and I also love their sesame sticks. It may add a few extra calories, but to me it is so worth it when I think of all those flavonoids, anti-oxidants & vitamins I am getting from the veggies.
Coming soon—>How to make your own salad dressing using no oils, only the natural oils from nuts!
Anytime I can get all 3 of my girls to happily eat a green vegetable is a very exciting time for me. I know you Moms know what I mean. Just getting them to eat vegetables is hard, but GREEN vegetables? AND a green vegetable they all 3 like? Impossible.
Until…
I discovered their love of fresh green beans. They don’t like soggy canned beans…and I don’t blame them! They are ok with frozen. But they all LOVE fresh and eat them like a snack.
This recipe is very simple. It just uses beans, garlic, butter (I use Earth Balance), salt, pepper & sliced honey roasted almonds from Trader Joes. These almonds are a dream in this recipe and add just a hint of sweetness. I’ve even cooked up a batch and put a big bowl out on the table as an after school snack.
Enjoy!
Sauteed Green Beans With Honey Almonds
1 lb. fresh green beans, ends popped or sliced off
2 tsp butter (or olive oil, or Earth Balance for vegans)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, honey roasted preferably
salt and pepper to taste
Heat a sauce pan or skillet on medium heat with olive oil or butter. Add garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Add green beans and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until crisp tender. Do not overcook! Add almonds. Season with salt & pepper.
Fresh green beans are very low in calories (31 kcal per 100 g of raw beans) and contain no saturated fat. Nevertheless, the lean vegetables are a very good source of vitamins, minerals, and plant derived micronutrients.
They are very rich source of dietary fiber (9% per100g RDA) which acts as a bulk laxative that helps to protect the mucous membrane of the colon by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon. Adequate amount of fiber has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing reabsorption of cholesterol-binding bile acids in the colon.
Green beans contain excellent levels of vitamin A, and health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and ß-carotene in good amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid in the beans, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective UV light filtering functions. It is, therefore, green beans offer some protection in preventing age-related macular disease (ARMD) in the elderly.
Snap beans are a good source of folates. 100 g fresh beans provide 37 µg or 9% of folates. Folate along with vitamin B-12 is one of the essential components of DNA synthesis and cell division. Good folate diet when given during preconception periods and during pregnancy helps prevent neural-tube defects among the offspring.
They also contain good amounts of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), and vitamin-C. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
In addition, beans contain healthy amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, which are very essential for body metabolism. Manganese is a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
1/2 small frozen avocado- does not need to be frozen.
1 can of BPA free organic coconut cream
pinch of good quality salt (never use table salt)
small capful of vanilla
1 heaped tbs of raw cacao powder ( add more if you prefer a stronger taste )
2 tbs of raw honey (this can be replaced with coconut nectar or maple syrup if you prefer and will make it vegan)
You will need to plan ahead when making this by freezing your ice cream bowl overnight. Unless you have a fancy ice cream machine that does not require this step. Also pop your peeled 1/2 avocado in the freezer to freeze.
MAKE IT:
Pop all your ingredients into a high speed blender and mix till creamy and all incorporated.
Have a taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Try not to eat it all now because it is delicious just like this!
Then simply pour your liquid chocolate mix into the ice cream maker as per your ice cream maker instructions and turn on. Mine takes 20 minutes. It then can be eaten straight away or if you prefer pop it into the freezer to firm up even more.
A question I get asked often as a plant- based eater, is “Where do you get your protein?” Thanks to the meat and dairy industry, we Americans have it drilled into our brains that we need huge amounts of protein, so getting enough protein the first thing on every one’s mind when considering eating less animal foods.
I will answer that question in this post and with the help of Dr. Fuhrman’s words below.
In North America, about 70 percent of dietary protein comes from animal foods. Worldwide, plant foods provide 84 percent of calories. The first scientific studies to determine human protein requirements were conducted in the 1950s. These studies demonstrated that adults require 20-35 grams of protein per day.[1] Today, the average American consumes 100-120 grams of protein per day, mostly in the form of animal products. People who eat a vegetable- based diet (vegan) have been found to consume 60-80 grams of protein per day,well above the minimum requirement.[2] More importantly, eating more plant protein is the key to increasing our micronutrient intake.
It is interesting to note that foods such as peas, green vegetables, and beans have more protein per calorie than meat. But what is not generally considered is that the foods richest in plant protein also are the foods richest in micronutrients-vitamins, minerals, fibers, bioflavonoids, & antioxidants. By eating more of these high-nutrient, low-calorie foods, you get plenty of protein and your body gets flooded with protective micronutrients at the same time. Animal protein does not contain antioxidants or phytochemicals and is filled with saturated fat – the most dangerous type of fat. Even a professional bodybuilder desiring to build half a pound of extra muscle per week only needs about seven extra grams of protein per day over normal intake. No complicated formulas or protein supplements are needed to get sufficient protein for growth, even in the serious athlete. Since exercise results in increased hunger, athletes consume more food (calories), which provides more protein.
………………..
I love the idea of eating foods with the MOST micronutrients. This is why my husband and I have really jived with the Nutritarian lifestyle. What is a Nutritarian? It is a person who chooses their foods based on micronutrient content.
Let’s go through the above foods and I will share with you how we incorporate them into our diet.
1. Almonds
This one is easy. I love buying them sliced thin to use on salads. Trader Joes has amazing Honey Roasted sliced almonds that make a salad taste like a treat. We will eat whole, raw & unsalted, just plain as a snack, or grind them into almond butter in the food processor. I use them in our Raw Taco “Meat” and will throw them into the base of Raw Raspberry Bliss Bars along with the walnuts. Trader Joes also has Dark Chocolate & Salted Covered Almonds. I eat a couple of these. At night. In bed. While reading. It makes me VERY happy!
Guacamole of course. These are great thrown in smoothies instead of yogurt. It makes the most creamy smoothies ever! They are amazing in my Chocolate-Avocado Mousse with Raspberries recipe. They are good sliced thin on toast or thrown onto a sandwich or salad.
Oh I love my black beans! I eat some sort of bean daily and black beans are one of my favs. They are great in wraps, on nachos, on salads. I love them simply seasoned and on top of brown rice.
We eat our broccoli raw, steamed and roasted. Raw broccoli dipped in hummus is a double- whammy for protein. I love to steam it and season with salt, pepper & finely grated lemon peel. Roasted is also a delicious way to eat broccoli.
Hummus makes me happy. I’ve been using it as a salad dressing. Make a big green salad, add veggies, apples, dried cranberries & slivered almonds. Top with a big blob of hummus. YUM! Hummus is great as a sandwich spread. I use it to make my most favorite Hummus Sandwich Heaven. Trader Joes has flat pretzel chips that go great with hummus. Also makes a very healthy veggie dip.
I have yet to post one of my favorite lentil recipes here on the blog–coming soon! Another favorite lentil recipe of ours is French Lentil Soup. I could eat this soup almost daily, it is THAT good. I make it every couple weeks. Lentils are a quick cooking bean, and super easy to make! We use them to make Red Lentil Sloppy Joes. Mmmm…
We use it as a dip for apples. We use on sandwiches, toast, or a dip for dark chocolate. We often top our bananas with it–slice banana lengthwise and smear with peanut butter–this is great way to add some protein to breakfast!
I need to experiment more with these. I have used them in this granola recipe and it was yummy. I also like them thrown on a spinach salad with along with chickpeas. Spinach, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds all contain protein so it is a great way to put protein on your salad without meat. What are ways YOU use pumpkin seeds?
If you can make rice, you can make quinoa. It is one part water to one part grain, just like rice. Quinoa is a STAPLE in our home. It is a grain that is full of protein. You can eat it hot or cold. It has a bit of a nutty flavor, and takes on whatever flavor you add to it. I love making cold quinoa vegetable salads in the summer, and eating it like you would a warm bowl of oats in the winter.
Tempah is a soy product, and with my breast cancer history I stay away from soy, so we do not eat much of it. Honestly, I don’t trust many of the soy products in the United States since a huge percentage of it is GM. BUT, if I do choose to eat soy, organic tempah is a product that I feel most comfortable with as it goes through a fermentation process which makes it extra healthy. Tempah is a great way to add the “texture” of meat in dishes like vegetarian chili. My local health food store makes an amazing Jamaican Jerked Tempah, and served over rice it gives on the feel of eating meat. They also do a BBQ Tempah, and when slapped on a bun, even my meat-eating friends love it & comment that it feels and tasted like a BBQ beef sandwich.
12. Tofu
Not a fan, due to the reasons above. I don’t buy it and I don’t use it.
{to learn more, see Dr. Fuhrman‘s Eat To Live book. One of my favorites!}
In the chart below, an equal caloric amount (100 calories) of porterhouse steak is compared to broccoli, romaine lettuce and kale. Broccoli provides the greatest amount of protein per calorie.
Green vegetables are all rich in protein, and relatively low in calories. They provide generous amounts of most micronutrients with no cholesterol and virtually no fat. Meat on the other hand, is relatively low in micronutrients. Remember whole grains, beans and seeds are also high in protein and should be utilized to achieve adequate protein on a diet with no or minimal animal products. But the point in this example was to illustrate how weight-loss favorable green vegetables are and that no matter how many green vegetables you eat, you still cannot take in too many calories. If you fill up on greens, they will reduce your desire and ability to overeat.
Source: Data was obtained from Nutritionist Pro Nutritional Analysis Software, Version 4.7, Axxya Systems , Stafford TX, 2012.
Please note that 100 calories of steak is only about one ounce, which is not much meat to fill you up. More typically, 4 – 8 ounces is eaten, supplying too many calories and too much animal protein without the lifespan enhancing micronutrients. Bottom line—eat more greens and less meat to get more micronutrient bang per caloric buck and to suppress your calorie intake.
………………..
The video below is one of the catchiest tunes about getting protein from plants. BEWARE if you watch it once, you will be singing it forever. My kids and I have fun with this one, singing “Where do you get your iron? PLANTS! Where do you get your calcium? PLANTS!” It is cute and fun.
……………….
Last but not least, both my daughter and I had some blood work done recently. I was very curious how her iron, B-12, calcium etc levels were since she is eating Nutritarian.
Both of our levels came back perfect, and BOTH of us were high in calcium, despite the fact that we eat very, VERY little dairy.
1.Rose W. The amino acid requirements of adult man.
Nutritional Abstracts and Reviews 1957;27:631.2.Hardage M.Nutritional studies of vegetarians.Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1966;48:25.
