Living Whole Food, Plant Based!
I have always believed that the Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) lifestyle is a journey full of obstacles. Choices abound, right or wrong, compliant or non-compliant, and what do you do when the world is turned upside-down? In full transparency, I fell off the wagon. I’m …
One of my favorite meals as a kid was Shepherd’s Pie. In our house, it was how my mother would empty the refrigerator of the week’s leftovers. She would turn these leftovers into a warming comfort food, perfect for the cold Vermont evenings. As I …
Are you like me? As I live this Whole Food, Plant-Based lifestyle, I look at other aspects of my life and how they impact my health. For example, alcohol. Empty calories, poor food and dietary decisions, etc. are just some of the negative aspects of drinking alcohol. I’m not judging…trust me!
Anyways, I am taking January off from drinking. Dry January, so they call it. But it won’t stop in January. As part of my overall health plan for 2020, I am going to significantly reduce my alcohol consumption.
But we are creatures of habit. It feels odd to end my workday without a beer, cocktail, or glass of wine. So my wife and I have been making mocktails (a cocktail without alcohol), experimenting like chemists trying to mix the perfect drink that can take the place of our “typical” drink of choice.
I came up with this concoction with memories of cold winters and the holiday season in Vermont. After tinkering with the ratios, I think I’ve perfected it!
Ingredients
Directions
In a cocktail shaker, add four or five ice cubes, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, nutmeg, and the ginger. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds or so. Using a strainer (my cocktail shaker has a wide strainer at top which I like so the nutmeg and ginger are not strained out of the cocktail), pour the contents into the martini glass. Add the mineral water and garnish with the sprig of rosemary.
You can make it more or less sweet by adjusting the amount of maple syrup or adding a little more mineral water. Honestly, after enough attempts, I really enjoy the ratios of ingredients as listed in the recipe. Not overly strong or sweet, slightly warming with the nutmeg and ginger…overall, it tastes and feels like an adult drink.
I will be posting at least one Mocktail of the Month this year. If you have any suggestions or questions, please leave them below.
Cheers!
Stephen
Welcome 2020! As one year closes and another begins, possibilities abound. We spend time making (then breaking) resolutions. We want to make changes in our life, but life is funny. Old habits are so hard to change. It is so easy to fall into our …
Here’s the concept. Grocers have standards for the produce they display in stores. The produce that doesn’t meet those standards is rejected by the grocer (or buyer, distributor, etc.). As the produce cannot be sold, it is either destroyed or goes unused or not consumed. …
Does this sound familiar?
You are out with the family and everyone is hungry (and getting hangry). No one else has adopted this way of eating and their choices for restaurants proves they are not interested in helping you maintain this Whole Food, Plant Based (WFPB) lifestyle. You are the one making the ultimate sacrifice, agreeing to go to a fast food restaurant serving the staples of the SAD (standard American diet). Burgers, fries, and soda. You get the side salad (way over paying for the amount of lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes you get) and water. They are happy, though they don’t understand their body is not happy with their choices. You are left unsatisfied, but proud that you resisted temptation.
I can’t be alone in that situation. In my life, this is an all too common occurrence.
My adult children introduced me to a restaurant while visiting them in Maryland that is a game changer! It’s fast food that meets the needs of us WFPB adopters while providing choices to satisfy the tastes of non-adopters! The name of the restaurant chain is Cava and it serves Mediterranean food in a manner similar to Chipotle, but with more choices, fresher ingredients, and larger portions (of healthy food)!
The menu is packed with information that allows you to make WFPB-compliant choices. Every menu option is identified as Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Soy Free. Essentially, you can look right down the list of Vegan-compliant options to create your dish.
Your dish is created in 5 steps.
Every component has the caloric content and spice level identified.
Prices are extremely reasonable. With tax, it works out to about $10 per meal. The mini pita options are less expensive, but more restrictive in options.
I had the Greens and Grains with Super Greens and Black Lentils. My dips / spreads were the hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, and harissa. I had the seasonal roasted vegetables for my protein and topped it with every vegan topping. I chose the lemon herb tahini and green harissa as my dressing.
Result? Heaven! It was the most delicious fast food dish I have ever had. I remember when I first discovered Chipotle and thought it was the best thing ever. Cava’s options and how they prepare and deliver your creation is far superior to anything else I have seen.
But I do have a problem. Cava is only in eleven states and Georgia is not one of them! How am I supposed to get my fix on a regular basis?
So if you live near a Cava location, I highly recommend you try it out! You can visit www.cava.com to find their locations and a full description of their concept and menu.
Wishing you the best of health…
Stephen
So many people confuse a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle with eating bland and boring foods. Essentially, a diet lacking in flavor or substance. Nothing could be further from the truth! Food does not have to be bland, especially when you learn to incorporate spices …
I was so blessed to have grown up in Vermont. The Green Mountains and Lake Champlain were the perfect setting for outdoor activities. But as summer is relatively short, most of my memories are of fall and winter activities. What is Vermont if not maple …
I have a few recipes that I like to go to frequently. One of my favorites in my Fresh Mango Salsa. The beauty of this recipe is how versatile it is. Whether you are vegan or not, this salsa goes as well on tortilla chips and tacos as it does on chicken and fish (for those non-vegan family and friends).
Personally, I usually wait for mangoes to go on sale when I make this. It’s February as I write this post and all our markets have fresh mangoes for under $1.00. Honestly, I rarely see mangoes for more than $3.00, but one of the keys I find to be successful in the whole food plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle is to buy produce when it is in season and on sale. Pay less and the produce is fresher. I should note that I have tried and failed miserably using frozen mango, so I recommend sticking to fresh when making this salsa.
Mangoes and avocados have always challenged me when it comes to ripeness. There is a short window that if you cut too early, you have unripe fruit, but a day too late, the fruit has gone bad. This time, I purchased the mango about seven days ago. It was pretty green and hard. After leaving the mango on the counter for six days, the color started to turn yellow and red. The fruit was also softer when squeezed gently. I threw it in the refrigerator to stop the ripening process and scheduled time the next day to use the mango for this recipe. I got lucky, the mango was perfect! Ripe, sweet, and juicy!
Seriously, timing the ripeness of the mango is the most difficult part of this recipe! Everything else is essentially chopping and mixing.
The ingredients are simple.
1 ripe mango (I use the common Red Mando or two or three small Honey Mangoes)
1 jalapeno
½ red onion
½ cup of black beans, rinsed
Juice from ½ of a lime
Cilantro
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of sea salt
That is it! Dice the mango and red onion. Finely chop the jalapeno. In a bowl combine the mango, jalapeno, red onion, rinsed black beans, cilantro, lime juice, ground cumin, and salt and mix.
Word of caution! Wash your hands after chopping the jalapeno and definitely do not touch your eyes (or private parts) until you’ve thoroughly washed your hands (and don’t forget under your fingernails).
As I mentioned, this salsa is great with tortilla chips. For dinner, I’ll make vegan tacos for myself with vegan refried beans, avocado, and arugula…this salsa would rock the top of the vegan tacos. For my wife, I’ll make shrimp tacos for her that will also pair perfectly!
This salsa has a nice Mexican or Tex-Mex vibe…but I have a twist to this recipe that will take you to the other side of the world!
With the addition of one simple ingredient, this salsa is turned into an Indian Chutney!
By adding 1 teaspoon of Chaat Masala (which can be easily found in an Indian or Asian market or on Amazon where everything in the world can be found), this salsa is transformed into the exotic flavors of an Indian Mango chutney! Although the black beans are not traditional to Indian cooking, all the other ingredients can be found in traditional Indian recipes. Substitute the black beans with mung beans or black-eyed peas if you want a more traditional Indian legume, but I promise you, nobody will complain about the black beans in this chutney with the unmistakable Indian flavors.
I hope you give this recipe a try. Inexpensive, flavorful, versatile, and yummy!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them and I will respond as soon as possible!
To your health!
Stephen
One comment I hear repeatedly when I talk about living a whole food plant based (WFPB) life is “I could never do that, it would be too hard.” I typically respond with “Why do you think that?” Then I will get a litany of responses …