This simple salad  is naturally low in sodium and high in potassium which is the exact balance of minerals needed in any diet to help lower blood pressure. The perfect sodium-potassium ratio is found in fruits and vegetables. This is why these foods must build the foundation of an effective blood pressure lowering diet.

Ingredients

1 cup almonds, blanched, shredded

2 cups beets, raw, peeled and grated

3 cups carrots shredded

Directions

Mix all together. Toss with your favorite salad dressing.

To your best health,

Dr Kathy

Recipe adapted from the book Ten Talents by Rosalie Hurd, BS.

Tis the season for cookies and here’s one of our favorites.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup applesauce

1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer powder (dissolved in 2 tbsp. water)

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

1 cup spelt or unbeached white flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg or cardamon

1 1/2 cups quick oats

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup coconut, unsweetened shredded

 

Directions:

Mix together wet ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, then mix all together well.

Drop by tablespoons onto a lightly oil-sprayed cookie sheet

Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 15 cookies

Enjoy!

( Recipe adapted from The Optimal Diet by Darlene Blaney, MSc, NCP and Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN)

This homemade cranberry sauce is absolutely refreshing.  It’s wonderful to be able to control the type and amount of sweetener added. I try to use liquid sweeteners instead of crystalized sugars as the nutritive properties tend to be higher. In this sauce you can us honey, agave or even maple syrup as your sweetener.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Cranberries (Frozen or fresh)
• 1 Cup Apple (Shredded)
• 1 Cup Apple juice
• 1 tsp  Cornstarch
• 3tbsp Apple juice
• 1/2 cup Agave (if desired)

 

Directions

1. Combine cranberries, shredded apple, and 1 cup of apple  juice in a medium sized pot. Cook over a medium temperature while stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and berries have softened.
2. Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons apple juice. Add to the hot cranberry.
3. Next add the liquid sweetener
4. Stir  constantly and cook over a medium heat until mixture returns to a boil. Simmer for about 1 minute or until  cranberry sauce has thickened  and turned to a clear red color.
5. Place cranberry sauce in a bowl and chill.
6. Enjoy

Dr Kathy

Adapted from The Optimal Diet by Dr. Hans Diehl ( Pro Tip – Every plant based foodie should have a copy of this book)

 

This is a wonderfully satisfying soup. Chowder soups usually have a milk base.  When you’re plant based you can easily make any recipe by using a plant milk instead of using milk from cows.

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, chopped

2 Tbs water ( for sautéing)

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup parsley, chopped

2 cups sweet corn

2 cups water

2 cups plant based milk ( I use my home made cashew milk)

1 potato chopped

3 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Sauté onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons water, over medium – high heat until soft. (Note: Sautéing in water is more healthful than oil and tastes the same.) Add 2 cups water, chopped celery and carrots. Cook 10 minutes. Add sweet corn, plant milk, chopped potato, parsley and spices. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Sever hot.

Enjoy this whole food, hearty soup.

Dr. Kathy

 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Here is a wonderfully simple pumpkin pie recipe for the holidays. This one is easy, delish and its dairy free!!

Ingredients

• 15 ounce can pumpkin (1 3/4 cup cooked pumpkin)
• 13.5 ounce coconut milk (1 can)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (non gmo)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

• Set oven to 350°
• Blend all indigents together in the blender
• Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour
• Cool and enjoy

Dr. Kathy

 

This is my my standard green smoothie. Green smoothies are a great way to flood your body with healing foods. This one is heavy on the greens for more fighting power. When I’m making it for the kids I swap one cup of greens for an extra cup of berries. They can’t resist that.

Ingredients

4 cups kale

2 cups frozen blueberries

1 apple

1 pear

1 Tbs flaxseed

4 pitted dates (if desired for sweetener, goes well with the kids)

4 cups almond milk

Blend all in high speed blender for 2 minutes.

 

Always tear the leaf off the kale stalk because the stalk will give a bitter taste.  You can change up the green leafy veggie and fruits. For example, I might swap out the kale for spinach or change the blueberries to strawberries. The liquid is also flexible. You can use soymilk, coconut water or just plain water. Adjust the consistency by adding more or less liquid. Give it a try.

To your healthier family,

Dr Kathy

 

 

On these cold winter days, a cup of caffe mocha really hits the spot!  It’s a real treat to get cozy and sip this warm delight. Our vegan version is amazing with no cows or coffee beans involved.

Ingredients:

4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any nut milk)

1 Tbs carob powder (replaces chocolate in any recipe)

1 Tbs Kaffree Roma (this roasted grain beverage replaces coffee in any recipe)

4 Tbs maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat on stove.

The kids’ eyes pop with glee whenever I add vegan marshmallows on top 🙂

With a few months left of winter this can be your warm cup of sweet goodness that’s good for you.

 

Here’s to you and your health,

Dr. Kathy

 

A great dressing to pour over your rainbow can make a huge difference in the whole “eat your veggies experience”.

This dressing is one of my favorites.

You can make it ahead of time and use it every day. It stores great in the refrigerator for a whole week.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews

1 large cucumber, peeled

1/2 cup lemon juice (or one medium size lemon peeled)

1/2 cup honey

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoons salt (optional)

1 cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate to store.

Adapted from the Real Food Recipes by Jurea Dawson

I have been eating rice ever since I can remember. For most of my life I only ate white rice. That was the only kind I knew. When I was introduced to brown rice it took me a while to get use to it. I found it kind of heavy and chewy and always messed it up when trying to cook it. Now, it is my go to rice. I choose brown rice over white because it has double the fiber. It also has vitamin B and E which white rice does not have. Brown rice also gives me more of a full feeling than white rice, mainly because it has more fiber. I like the short grain kind which is sticky and chewier. If you prefer a more fluffy rice then you would go for the long grain type. Cooking it is not that hard once you stick to the ratio of 1:2. One cup of brown rice to 2 cups of water. White rice is more of a one to one ratio but because the brown stuff has double the fiber it needs double the water and takes twice as long to cook – about 40 minutes. These days I just use a rice cooker. It makes it much easier to juggle everything in our busy home when the rice cooker helps out. In this recipe I had left over rice in the cooker and wanted to jazz it up a bit. So it became a stir fry dish.

For this recipe you need:

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup strips of gluten (can substitute with any bean instead)

2 cups chopped bok choy (any green leafy veg will work)

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 chopped parsley

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 Tbs no salt seasoning

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1 Tbs braggs amino

Directions : Start by sautéing the seasonings – garlic, parsley, oregano, onion and garlic powder, Braggs amino and no salt seasoning. Next add the spices – turmeric and cumin.  Sautee the  seasonings in about 1/2 cup water. I don’t sauté in oil anymore because heating oil to high temperatures creates harmful toxic compounds that damage the lining of our blood vessels. If I want to add oil to a recipe I do so at the end usually after turning the stove off. After about 2 – 3 minutes of sautéing I add the bok choy. You never want to over cook greens because they loose nutritional quality and they don’t taste as good. So give the bok choy about a minute to steam then add your brown rice. In this recipe I add home made gluten to increase the protein content and make it a one pot meal. You can substitute that with black beans or garbanzo beans easily. Last add the bell peppers and stir everything well. The flavor should be bursting out right about now. Oil is not necessary in this recipe. If you want to change the flavor a bit and increase the calories you can add oil. I did add 1 Tbs coconut oil, after I turned off the stove. Remember that oil is calorie dense. If you are struggling with extra pounds or diabetes it’s better to skip the oil.

This is a very filling and tasty meal. It has complete protein, loads of fiber and vitamins. It’s also a great way to use up left over brown rice.

I hope you enjoy this dish!

Bon Appetit!

Dr. Kathy