Vegetarian Chili

It's chilly outside-and you want something warm to eat for dinner tonight (and tomorrow night).  How about Chili when it's chilly?! This healthy and satisfying meal will serve your family for 2 days-who doesn't love left overs? This recipe makes a big batch-feel free to cut it in half if you don't want it for more than 1 night.

Serves 10. Prep time: 20 minutes   Cook time (hands off): 40 minutes if using a pressure cooker, 1 hr 20 minutes if using traditional pot
Ingredients:

• 8 c beans-we used kidney and black beans (we did half and half)
• 2 c chopped carrots (unpeeled)
• 2 c chopped/peeled sweet potatoes
• 3 c onions
• 1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes (or whole and cut up)
• 1 16 oz can tomatoes
• 3/4 c barley 
• 1/2 c banana peppers (or 1 c of green peppers to reduce your spice)
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 dark beer (optional)-if omiting, add more liquid
• 1-2 c water (depending on how much liquid is in your tomatoes)
• 4 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients into a pot except barley (save for later or see step 4)
2. If using a pressure cooker-bring up to boil and reduce heat once detector pop, cook for 20 minutes
   
3. If using a traditional pot, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 50 minutes-1 hour
4. Add in barley and bring back up to a boil (we did this because we didn't want the barley to expand too much but you could add it in with everything in the beginning)
5. Cook for another 20 minutes, until barley has softened (without pressurizing if using the pressure cooker)
6. Serve over brown rice or with these awesome molasses corn muffins, top with low fat cheese. Even better the next day!
   
   
   
   

Nutritional Benefits:

• High in Protein: awesome for healing and repairing damaged tissues-1c of kidney beans=15g of protein
• High in Fiber, 1c of kidney beans=13g of fiber in just the beans, Barley= 6g of fiber in 1 cup cooked: barley expands about 3-4xs (veggies are high in fiber too): essential for eliminating toxins from the body, aiding in digestion, and helping to maintain proper blood sugar levels
• Anti-inflammatory
• Low in Fat (almost no fat, less than 1g/1c of beans)-heart healthy
• High in Vitamin A (carrots & sweet potatoes): great for bone, teeth, and eye health
• High in Potassium-840 mg in 1 cup of beans
• High in Iron-about 20% of daily needs in 1 cup of beans: essential for oxygenating your muscles and improving circulation 
• Barley: high in fiber 54% of daily needs in 1 cup of cooked barley, great for diabetics in controlling blood sugar levels, high in magnesium, helps lower cholesterol

Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl

OMG! I have been experimenting with cauliflower in shredded form, and it's amazingly versatile.  I served this to our daughter and told her it was cauliflower.  I wish I hadn't, because she told me, "Oh I thought it was rice! I like it." My son said, "it's ok" (which translates to, had I not know it was cauliflower I would have loved it).  Both of these may not sound like compliments, but trust me, they are.  The recipe below can really be adjusted to have the flavoring of any rice dish you'd be interested in making.  The base tastes like a rice pilaf, and feel free to stop there, because it was awesome as a pilaf (even top it with some slivered almonds and you'll fool everyone!). The recipe makes enough for 6 servings as a side dish or 2-3 large main dish portions.

Cauliflower Rice Pilaf Base:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup of red onions-about 1 large (could use regular onions too)
• 2 1/2 cups (or more) of mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups of cubed eggplant (could omit if you don't have any)
• 6 cups of shredded cauliflower (this is half of a head of cauliflower-left over from making cauliflower pizza crust)
• 1-2 cups of water or broth 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Shred the cauliflower in a food processor using the shredding attachment
   
2. Saute onions until translucent, then add eggplant and mushrooms
   
3. Add in cauliflower
   
4. Saute until cauliflower softens, adding in broth/water as needed to prevent sticking
5. Add salt/pepper to taste
6. *top with slivered almonds or toasted pinenuts

Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Do you love 1 dish dinners? We do! Snap to eat, take to kids games, and less dishes! Who doesn't love less dishes?

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower rice base (above)
• 1 cup of beans (we used a mix of chick peas and black beans-use whatever you have on hand)
• 2 cups of greens (again it can be any kind, we used kale and collard greens)
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 garlic cloves-minced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Instructions

1. After making the cauliflower rice pilaf, add in remaining ingredients listed above
   
   
   
2. Saute until greens are wilted (adding more water/broth if needed)
   
3. Serve and top with slivered almonds, pumpkins seeds (what we used), or toasted pine nuts
   

Enjoy!

Nutritional Benefits:

• Low in carbs! Great for those on a gluten free, or low carb diet
• Low in fat-only 17 g in entire dish (could even be omitted if you wish to saute onions in a little water)
• High in anti-oxidants (vitmain C)
• Heart Healthy
• Diabetic Friendly!
• High in Fiber
• High in Calcium
• High In Vitamin C

Nutritional Information for 1 cup of raw cauliflower:
Vitamin C-86% of your daily needs (DN)
Vitamin K-21% (an anti-inflammatory vitamin)
Folate-15% (linked to brain and neurological function and formation for developing brains)
Fiber-2g
Protein: 2g
Calories: 27
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13

Chick Peas:

Serving Size 1 cup (240 g)

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 286

Calories from Fat 25

Total Fat 2.7g4%

Saturated Fat 0.3g1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.6g

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Carbohydrates 54.3g18%

Dietary Fiber 10.6g42%

Sugars 0.0g

Protein 11.9g

Vitamin A 1% · Vitamin C 15%

Calcium 8% · Iron 18%

Read more: Calories in Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans, Bengal Gram), Mature Seeds, Canned | Nutrition and Health Facts http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-chickpeas-garbanzo-beans-bengal-gram-i16058#ixzz2i2LbcePx

Coleslaw

Cabbage: Yes it's good! Try it!

 Most of us don't eat enough of the cruciferous vegetables, which are essential for heart health, and therefore improve our dental health.  Cabbage belongs to the same family as brocolli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, and kale.  Cabbage is a food high in fiber and anti-oxidants, preventing many forms of illness.

Often people have no idea how to prepare it.  Cabbage is very inexpensive and 1 head goes a long way.  Cabbage is in season in the fall and can easily be chopped and frozen (no need to buy it pre-chopped, it's so easy, especially if you have a food processor!).  You'll pay a lot more if you purchase pre-shredded cabbage and it won't taste as sweet and crisp.

Coleslaw is usually loaded with fat, in the form of oils or mayonaise.  The recipe below has very little fat, and no calories.

Asian Coleslaw: 

• Half head chopped of both green and purple cabbage (you'll need about 4-5 cups of each kind-shred remaining cabbage and put into fridge for use later in the week for a stir-fry or the freezer to be used in soups)
• 5 tbsp brown rice vinegar (any mild vingar will do)
• 5 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tbsp agave nectar or honey

Directions:

Mix above ingredients in a bowl.  Slaw will keep for about 2-3 days before getting soggy

Note: make smaller amounts of this each day if you prefer slaw to be crunchy.  1 tbsp of soy sauce/vinegar: cabbage.  Left over slaw is great on top of sandwiches, burgers, or on top of a salad

Fresh, undressed cabbage is great thrown as added crunch into a traditional salad.

Nutritional Benefits:
1 cup cabbage contains: 67% of daily Vitamin K and 43% of Vitamin K
High in anti-oxidants, cabbage helps to decrease inflammation
Red cabbage is much high in anti-oxidants than green cabbage (so if you want to replace all the cabbage with red, feel free!)

Quinoa Salad with pistachios, artichokes, and avocado

Looking for a different kind of side dish? High in protein, gluten free, and delicious, this food will help you to repair and heal.  Easy to eat after any dental procedure and can be eaten cold or hot (we like it cold).

Quinoa Salad: Pistachios, Artichokes, Avocado:

Ingredients:

• 3 c cooked quinoa (or 1 cup dry and then cook)-click here for directions on how to prepare quinoa
• 1 can artichokes coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c chopped pistachios
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1/4 c craisins or dried cherries (unsweetened)
• 1 avocado
• pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa and let cool if you'd like the dish to be cold (it can be made several days in advance)
2. Mix above ingredients together and enjoy! (how easy is that?)

Nutritional Benefits:

Quinoa: 1 cup cooked quinoa provides the following:

• 5 g fiber
• 8 g protein
• 4 g fat
• 39 g carbohydrates
• 222 calories (when cooked in water)

Avocado: High in Vitmains C (20% DV), K, B5, Potassium (20%), and folate (25%),fiber 9g!, and omega-3 fatty acids, avocados are a power food that helps to reduce inflammation, support heart health, and supports blood sugar regulation

Lemon: high in Vitamin C, provides antioxidants to fight infection

Artichokes:Very high in fiber (more than prunes!) 1/2 c provides 4g fiber and 2 g protein with 0g fat, helps lower bad cholesterol, cancer fighting antioxidants, and aids in digestion
Pistachios: high in protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients: copper, Vitamin B6, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Thiamin

Beets-how to enjoy them

Can’t Beat It!  Looking for a way to enjoy these amazing beauties in season right now?

Here is an easy way to do it!

How to prepare the greens:

1. Cut off greens right after you pick them or purchase them.  The greens loose a lot of water through them, and are best used right away-or washed and kept in a storage container. DO NOT WASTE THESE! 
2. Methods of preparation for greens:

• chop and saute with a little water and add fresh herbs like basil or dill towards the end of cooking.  After the greens wilt, you can season with a little salt and pepper.  Greens also are great with a little acidity added at the end.  Great choices are: fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or a white balsamic vinegar
• Throw into a smoothie-raw
• Chop and mix in with other greens to make a salad, or eat on their own in place of lettuce

How to prepare the beets:

1. Roasting: chop off tops and roots and wash.  Place into foil, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or water if you don’t like vinegar).  Roast at 375 or 400 until a knife inserted goes in easy-you will smell them when they’re ready.  Let cool and rub skins off.  They will peal right off when complete.  You might want to wear gloves (I have looked like a murderer after peeling before!).
2. Shredding raw: grate beets and carrots for a great salad.  Add some sunflower seeds for a added crunch and protein.  Drizzle with a little vinegar and add a little freshly ground pepper.
3. Stovetop: peel beets and place into a pan.  Cover with balsamic vinegar and boil on stove until fork tender

Nutritional Information on Beets: High in calcium and iron-beets can be found locally almost year round (they’re super easy to grow also!). Calcium is needed for healing and building strong bones and teeth.  Iron aids in oxygen binding, and therefore helps with proper circulation which helps in healing. www.altmandental.com

Grilled Broccoli

Broccoli-fresh from the garden. Amazing on the grill! Lightly drizzle w/evoo, sprinkle w/salt and fresh pepper. Place directly on grill until just slightly cooked (don’t over cook or you cook out nutritional benefits). Amazing! 
Health benefits of broccoli: high in vitamin A and K, broccoli can aid in absorption of vitamin D, and is anti-inflammatory.
www.altmandental.com

Vegan stir fry

Vegan stir fry: use all those fresh in-season veggies! Use organic if possible-but go local and fresh!

1) Container of organic tofu-we used silken firm for this, but others work fine

2) 2 cups of zucchini

3) 1 cup fresh green beans

4) 1 cup fresh broccoli 

5) 1 onion<br/>

6) 2 c beets greens (or any greens you have on hand)

7) 2 cloves garlic 

8) 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

9) sesame oil, soy sauce, and brown rice vinegar (or regular rice vinegar) to taste

10) siracha-to taste

-sauté onion in a little sesame oil

-add tofu and zucchini 

-splash in vinegar (around 1 tbsp) and soy sauce to taste (around 2 tbsps)

-add remaining veggies, ginger, &amp; garlic until just cooked (greens wilt and broccoli becomes vibrant green) 

-add siracha to taste (if wanted) 

-serve on top of brown rice or organic buckwheat noodles

*stir- fry is a fast &amp; easy dinner. This recipe can incorporate any in-season vegetable assortment. Enjoy!

*Nutritional information: Tofu is high in protein and a great vegetarian food for healing and repairing. Broccoli, greens, and green beans are high in calcium and Vitamin A- both essential for health bone and teeth formation and the healing of wounds. Ginger and garlic stimulate blood circulation which will aid in healing and overall wellness. They are also known to fight infection and ward off bacteria. http://www.altmandental.com

Recipe: Greens and Beans

Greens and Beans-looking for an easy dinner? This one was thrown together in a flash.  

Place the following into a bowl per person:

• Bowl full of fresh organic greens (kale was used in this bowl)
• 1/2 small organic (in season) tomato
• 1/2-3/4 c of organic chick peas/garbanzo (so easy to make your own or buy canned)

1. Heat above in microwave about 2 minutes, and stir (greens will wilt)
2. Add fresh herbs if you choose-we added some left over grilled zucchini and stir (cook until desired temp)
3. Add some salt and pepper
4. We added a little parmesan cheese-can go cheese-less if vegan
5. Voila! Meal in an instant and nothing came prepared-with no added fat (if parm is omitted), high in protein and vitamins

Nutritional info: chick peas are high in protein-essential for healing and re-building tissues.  Greens provide calcium and iron-also important in the proper formation of bones, teeth, and gums, as well as aiding in the healing process.  Tomatoes are high in lycopene-which is a carotenoid linked to improving cardiovascular health, combating diabetes, and cancer.