FOOD | HEALTH | SPIRITUALITY - Page 4 of 13

Recipes Tags: Peanut Butter, Summer soups, Vegan & Gluten-Free

By Lisa, June 14, 2022 Posted in Appetizers, Soups, Summer soups

Balancing Summer Heat with Cooling Foods

Today’s recipe for Peanut Butter and Cucumber Soup is the perfect remedy for this week’s heat wave hitting the South. It’s going to be 100ºF today in Raleigh, North Carolina, and with the humidity heat index factored in, forecasters promise it will feel like a blazing 109º—too darn hot for June! This is an ideal time to make some fun dishes that satisfy your hunger without ever turning on a stove.

The central ingredient in this delicious soup is, of course, peanut butter—which is a bit heating to the metabolism, according to Ayurveda. For this reason, I balance the recipe with cooling foods: a seeded cucumber, cilantro, and mint. (Cilantro haters can just use more mint!)

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Recipes Tags: Always gluten-free, Cucumbers, Red Lentils, Sweet potatoes, vegan

By Lisa, May 24, 2022 Posted in Soups, Summer soups, Vegan Recipes

A Fresh Twist on Summer Soups

Get ready to try a unique summer recipe: Summer Sweet Potato Soup with red lentils and cucumbers. It may be a little difficult to imagine what this will taste like, but it’s received some good reviews in my neighborhood! Like the best summer soups, you can serve this dish slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Yes, I love watermelon soup and gazpacho, but Tom and I want a heartier meal at dinnertime so we can sleep through the night without waking up hungry at 3 a.m. So many summer soup recipes you find online look lovely and delicious—but read a list of the ingredients and you instantly know that they may be pretty to look at and quite tasty, but they’re not especially filling. From a culinary perspective, watermelon soup and gazpacho are like ’90s cliches, right alongside the movies Forrest Gump and Groundhog Day. Sweet but no longer intriguing!

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Recipes Tags: Always gluten-free, Tofu, vegan

By Lisa, April 26, 2022 Posted in Side Dishes, Tofu

Tofu for Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner

Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or a flexitarian who wants to eat less meat to do your part for the environment, tofu can be surprisingly delicious—as you will learn when you make this recipe for Savory Scrambled Tofu. It’s a perfect dish for any late-morning brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Because tofu is especially easy to work with, I will often add it as the protein alongside a simple vegetable soup, such as my now-famous Asparagus Soup or Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk (Sacred & Delicious page 99). But’s this scrambled tofu is also a lovely brunch centerpiece with a little avocado toast on the side.

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Recipes Tags: Always gluten-free, Beets, Pistaschios, vegan

By Lisa, April 12, 2022 Posted in Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes

Transition Dishes from Winter to Summer

Although beets and other root vegetables are often associated with winter meals, beets are also a perfect vegetable for springtime—which inspired me to offer today’s new recipe for Beet Salad with Roasted Pistachios.

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Recipes Tags: Always gluten-free, Green Beans, Olives, Sides & Salads, vegan

By Lisa, March 14, 2022 Posted in Green Beans, Salads, Side Dishes

Update a Favorite Recipe with Vegan Tapenade

After cooking my Elegant Green Beans recipe every week for more than a decade, I thought it might be fun to try something a little different this week. Imagine that! And so, my friends, I present you with Green Beans with Vegan Tapenade, a warm zesty side dish that can double as a salad come spring and summer.

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By Lisa, February 18, 2022 Posted in Detox

Nature’s Tune-Up

I have an important question for you today.

Would you let your car go for years on end without taking it in for service? Probably not! When it runs on old dirty oil, the engine becomes less effective—your car can break down.

The truth is, it’s no different for your body.

That’s why we created the 21-Day Delicious Detox Challenge! And you’re invited to participate in this spring 2022 online home detox course, which begins on March 22.

Did I hear you say “ugh”? I get it! I used to feel that way about the word myself.

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By Lisa, February 6, 2022 Posted in Chocolate, Desserts

Chocolate Decadence for Special Occasions

As my regular readers know, I always make space in my healthy and delicious life for special occasion decadence, which is why I’m excited to share a recipe for Gino’s Flourless Chocolate Cake. What could be more perfect for Valentine’s Day!

This recipe was inspired by the most delicious flourless chocolate cake I ever tasted, which was at a restaurant whose chef, the late Gino Izetta, was my friend and cooking mentor. Although this was many years ago, I still remember the euphoria that accompanied each bite! The cake featured wonderfully rich dark chocolate, just sweet enough but not overly sweet. It was perfectly smooth and creamy, and it melted in my mouth.

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By Lisa, February 1, 2022 Posted in Soups, Sweet potato recipes

Easy Elegance for Valentine’s Day

This Sweet Potato Soup with Pecan Butter may be the easiest soup recipe I’ve ever created with the inspiration of Goddess Annapurna—and it may also be the most delicious! You can make it in about 20 minutes if you’re handy with a knife and have Easy Vegetable Soup Stock on hand. If not, you may want to plan to make the stock over the weekend before a Valentine’s dinner…or before any meal when you want to savor something a little different and quite exquisite.

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Recipes Tags: Always gluten-free, Beans, Cabbage, Vegan Soups

By Lisa, January 17, 2022 Posted in Cabbage recipes, Legumes, Soups

Reviving Low-Budget Meals

Saturday’s warning of snow and ice overnight in central North Carolina prompted me to create a new hearty winter soup—Cannellini Cabbage Soup—for all of us to enjoy during the cold months of January and February. It’s substantial enough to serve as a one-pot meal, although it would be happy to be served over a favorite grain and to share the stage with some warm cornbread just out of the oven.

As the price of food has risen precipitously over the past year, eating vegan and vegetarian meals is not only a healthy choice but also great for your family budget.

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Recipes Tags: Always gluten-free, Lentils, Soups & Stews, vegan

By Lisa, December 24, 2021 Posted in Easy Vegan Meals, Instant Pot Recipes, Soups, Stews

Start a Fresh New Year with Delicious Vegan Food—Even if You’re an Omnivore!

Have you been eating a lot of heavy foods throughout the holidays? It’s no surprise if you’ve been cooking traditional roasted meats, cheesy comfort foods, and artisanal breads for your family. Oh, and we haven’t even gotten to all those sugary cookies you ate while making batches of baked goods for colleagues, teachers, and friends! Even vegans and vegetarians may suffer after a long season of overeating favorite comfort foods.

If you’re feeling lethargic or bloated after New Year’s Eve, it’s no wonder! Your body is likely signaling it’s ready for a break. May I suggest that you make a fresh start on New Year’s Day with a lighter, yet totally satisfying, dish for your family—Hearty Lentil Stew.

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