Guacamole stuffed cherry tomatoes

This Recipe was inspired by Supermarket Vegan cookbook by Donna Klein (and is very simple.

Ingredients:

• cherry tomatoes
• guacamole (home-made or store-made)

Directions:

1. Cut about 1/4 inch top off each tomato
2. use small spoon or knife to scoop out seeds and juice of each tomato (gently or they will break)
3. put guacamole into a pastry bag (or plastic bag with corner cut off) and fill each tomato until overflowing.

Easy and Delicious!!

Forks Over Knives

Sorry, no reference for this - got it from Facebook

I saw this comic on Facebook today and it fit perfectly with my post for the day It brought me a smile and also made me feel a bit sad, 1. because providers rarely offer (as a true solution) this type of regiment and instead are quick to write a script and 2. because American  patients are often looking for a "quick fix" and are not receptive to lifestyle change as a solution.

In any case, this post is about a documentary I watched today.

Early in my journey towards becoming vegan, I was influenced by my father who became vegan after reading Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.'s book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition Based Cure in response to some of his own health challenges. This amazing MD after various life influences and research conducted his own study working with 20 patients affected with severe heart disease - and was able to stop and/or reverse the disease in ALL participants who finished the study with JUST whole plant based diet! I haven't read this book yet (though it is on my list) but I have been fascinated by this research.

Forks Over Knives

Recently, I came across this documentary - knowing it was about the health benefits of being vegan, but not aware that it really dug into Dr.Esselstyn's research along with Dr. T. Colin Campbell's research (he's the author of the China Study)


Wow!

This is an incredible account of both Campbell and Esselstyn's life journeys and research as well as accounts of current on-going medical treatment for diabetes and heart disease by these doctors, and others, using only a whole-food, plant-based diet.

I strongly encourage you to check out this documentary if you are struggling with
high blood pressure
elevated cholesterol
heart disease (even advanced)
type two diabetes  


OR if you are vegan and interested to know the medical side of this type of eating!

Forks Over Knives is available on Netflix or on Amazon.com.

First Vegan Party - a success!

My husband and I had a housewarming party last weekend and I was both excited and nervous to prepare a spread of vegan food for herbivores and carnivores alike. I decided to go primarily with finger foods - for easier grazing and since there was no table at which to sit and eat for the 20 or so guests we were expecting. I made a peach cobbler (non-finger food) the day before along with some apple chips and apple butter. But, everything else I made the day of (finishing just barely in time!)

Here's the table filled with the delicious treats:





















Here was the menu :
(Please click on an item to be taken to the post for the recipe)

• Cherry tomatoes stuffed with guacamole
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Bruchetta
• Polenta with mushroom ragout
• Chickpea, artichoke, spinach dip
• Quinoa and Beet salad
• Fresh Veggies / Pita Chips with Hummus (store bought)
• Crackers
• Stuffed Grape Leaves (store bought - no meat!)
• "Texas Caviar" - bean salad (store bought)
• Chocolate covered (dried) apricots
• Peach Cobbler
• Mint Lemonade
• Apple water

(Guests were asked to bring a beverage - most brought wine)


Things I bought pre-made to make things a bit easier on myself: guacamole, pita chips, crackers, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, "Texas Caviar". COSTCO actually had all of these things and most were organic. I have been impressed at how many more organic/vegetarian/vegan options COSTCO is now offering. Maybe it is because I live in Portland, but I do feel like I saw more variety even before I left Texas.

So, I guess you may want to know some of these recipes.  For the  most part, I either created the recipe or used the following cook books:

1. The Supermarket Vegan By: Donna Klein
2. Quick-Fix Vegan  By: Robin Robertson
3. The Kind Diet By: Alicia Silverstone

 (For complete citation, please see footnotes)

 I think I will do each recipe in a separate post in order for more easy searching/filing. Links to each post are (will soon be) active in the menu list above.

The party was a GREAT SUCCESS and there were many compliments on the food - from vegans, vegetarians AND carnivores! Now, I don't think you can do better than that!


References:
Klein, Donna. (2010). The Supermarket Vegan. New York: Penguin Group.
Robertson, Robin. (2011). Quick-fix Vegan. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.
Silverstone, Alicia. (2009). The Kind Diet. . New York: Rodale.