Blender/Food Processor Dilema

One thing I've noticed about a great deal of WF recipes is that they require the use of either a blender or food processor (or both). Although I had a blender, it wasn't a good one and I found myself getting frustrated by what it couldn't do. After some research, I found something out (that perhaps I should have already known, but didn't).

Blenders are for wet food, such as shakes and smoothies. They don't work for dry ingredients, chopping or dicing, or for doughs. I tried to make a spinach dip using my blender and it was a horrible failure. The blades spun around, pushing the ingredients to the sides, and then just spun in that empty space, not mixing or blending anything. 

So, for my anniversary, my husband bought me a Ninja blender/food processor. It's supposed to work for both wet and 'dry' ingredients and I'm very excited to use it to make some of the WF recipes that I haven't had success with previously. My old blender will get donated to Goodwill.

Anyway, I haven't had a chance to try these out yet, but here's a few of the soup recipes I plan to try using my Ninja. They ought to work, since they come from the Ninja cookbook. Some of the recipes will need substitutions to fit within WFPB guidelines, so I'll post my ideas for substitutions beside the original ingredients. If you try any of these recipes before I have a chance, be sure to let me know how they work out!

Island Butternut Squash Soup

3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TBSP fresh ginger, peeled
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 Medium yellow onion, peeled, roughly cut
4 LBS. butternut squash, cooked, cubed and cooled
3 cups vegetable broth (sodium reduced is recomended)
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 TBSP brown sugar (optional)

Place the garlic, ginger, pepper and onion in processor until finely chopped. Set aside.

Working in batches (if necessary), place the butternut squash in food processor and add broth, creating a pourable puree. Pour the pureed squash into a large saucepan and add the chopped vegetables, whisking until combined. Continue until all squash and vegetable broth has been used. Season with salt and sugar if desired. Heat on medium until simmering, about 8 minutes. Top with whole wheat croutons, if desired. Serves 4.

Cal 40, Fat 0g, Chol Omg, Sodium 999mg, Carbs 15g, Protein 3g, Fiber 3g, Calcium 65mg, potassium 518 mg.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

2 14 oz cans black beans, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, roughly cut
1 ripe tomato, roughly cut
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 white onion, peeled, roughly cut
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 red pepper, seeded, roughly cut
1/4 fresh cilantro, loosely packed
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth. Heat briefly or serve at room temperature. Serves 4

(Picture shoes soup slightly chunky rather than smooth. This would be left up to your personal preference). Would be great topped with my home-made chips!!

Cal 184, fat 1g, sat fat 0g, chol 0mg, sodium 696 mg, carbs 37g, protein 13g, calcium 98 mg, potassium 67mg

Hearty Vegetable Soup

1 Medium yellow onion, peeled, roughly cut
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil  (*used for sauteing onion--reduce or omit)
2 cups kale leaves (optional)
1 lb broccoli florets
3 cups vegetable broth
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup corn kernals
1 cup canned kidney beans
1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta (bows or cork screws, etc.)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (I suggest reducing this to 1/8 tsp. Very spicy)


Chop onion (or chop with food processor), then saute in saucepan over medium heat until soft. Add kale leaves, broccoli and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Working in batches if necessary, place the cooled mixture into the food processor and blend until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add carrots and let boil until carrots are tender. Then add corn, kidney beans, and cooked pasta.  Adjust the seasonings to taste and heat thoroughly on medium heat before serving. Makes 4 large servings.

*I think a variety of vegetables could be used in this recipe, including green beans or peas, cauliflower, etc. Kidney beans or pasta could be substituted or omitted, as well (just reduce vegetable broth). Would be great with potatoes!

Cal 213, Fat 6g, Sat fat 2g, Chol 5mg, sodium 1332 mg, carbs 31g, 
protein 12 g, fiber 5g, calcium 151 mg, potassium 602 mg

Caloric Intake

Every time I try to lose weight--and believe me, I've tried hundreds of times--I am shocked at how little food the human body needs.

I continue to be surprised at how little wiggle room I have in my dietary choices.

If I eat small helpings of low-fat healthy foods, don't take seconds, and avoid between-meal snacks, I can lose weight. But if I take larger helpings, or take seconds, or snack too much between meals (even with healthy fruit or nuts), I stay the same weight for even gain.

It just isn't fair.

Comments People Make When You've Lost 40 Pounds

Now that I have lost 40 pounds since arriving in Spain, I get lots of comments. You'd think, therefore, that someone would say, "Congratulations for getting healthier," or maybe even "Congratulations. You look great!"

Nope.

Here are the most common comments, almost all from overweight Americans:

• "I hope you're not going to lose any more weight."
• "You're not going to lose any more weight, are you?"
• "Are you still on that diet of yours? You're looking a little sallow."
• "Hey, Skinny Zimmerman." (A fellow missionary says this every time he sees me.)
• "Your weight loss has made you look, well, different." (Oh, really?)
• "I'm just not willing to give up good food." (Stated outright twice, but hinted at several other times.)
• "You're not going to lose any more weight, are you?" (I repeat this one because a half dozen people have said that to me, and not in a positive or jovial manner. I feel like asking them, "And what weight do you think is optimal for my good health?")
• "I need to lose some weight." (A half dozen people made this type of comment.)

Some comments have been a little more positive. For example, some ask, "How do you feel?" I tell them I feel great.

The most clever comment was from President Tenney, our temple president, after he'd been away for three weeks. When he first saw me after his return, he said,

• "Hi, I'm Pres. Tenney. You must be the half brother of the guy I picked up at the airport six months ago!"

Very clever.

Thanksgiving Report Part I

On Thanksgiving Day here in Spain, we had almost no type of celebration because it was not a holiday. We had to put in our normal 7 to 8 hours at the temple. We did, however, have a (potentially) big Thanksgiving dinner at the temple cafeteria, prepared by brother Núñez, the director and chef of the cafeteria. I ate the turkey and some of the potatoes and gravy. I also had a few vegetables and a little bit of sweet potato. But I passed up the rolls, the drink, and the dessert, and I kept my portions within reasonable limits. So I'll give myself an A- for controlling my caloric intake while deviating a little from my strict plant-based nutritional program.

I am happy to report that the day after Thanksgiving my weight was down 0.4 pound from the previous day and the lowest I have ever weighed here in Spain! When was the previous time in my life that I lost weight on Thanksgiving? The answer to that question is easy: NEVER.

The next big challenge will be on Monday, when we have our Temple Missionary Conference and another Thanksgiving dinner. I'll report back on how that goes.

Mashed Cauliflower (Mock-Potatoes) Update

Today I made the mock-potatoes recipe listed below. Here are a few important notes I want to add for anyone who has yet to make them.

1. BE SURE TO BLOT! So, I admit I'm impatient. I blotted the cooked cauliflower a few times and called it good. Nope. It wasn't. In fact, next time, I think I may actually let the cauliflower sit on the counter a while for some of the moisture to evaporate. Be sure to get out as much moisture as you can before you make these or they will be RUNNY!

2. Vegetable broth added great flavor, but even though I used the concentrate, it added enough moisture to make my already runny 'potatoes' TOO RUNNY. And, if you don't love the taste of vegetables (if you want it to taste more like real potatoes) skip the vege broth altogether. 

3. So, I smashed them with a masher first and didn't like the consistency so I put them in my blender. That was an epic fail. Unless you have a Blendtec or a Vegematic or whatever (something better than my 10 dollar Walmart blender), then trying to blend them is useless. The blades spin and nothing happens. 

4. I decided that, in order to thicken the mixture, I'd add tofu. I added about 6 oz of super firm tofu, WELL DRAINED. That helped and didn't change the flavor (plus added protein). I plan to use tofu with mine from now on. 

5. The mixture was STILL too runny so I gently spooned it into a small rectangular baking dish and put it in the oven on 200 degrees for about an hour, hour and a half, stirring gently every 30 minutes. I kept the temperature low because I was worried I'd over-cook them, when really, all I was trying to do was get out extra moisture.

Guess what? That seemed to do the trick. The final product was similar in color and texture to instant mashed potatoes, although it wouldn't fool anyone, especially once they tasted them. It still tasted really good, actually. Now that I've made them once (and made mistakes), I think I can do a much better job next time. Just remember to BLOT BLOT BLOT. And try adding tofu--I'm glad I did, and like I said, I'll do that from now on. 

I tried to load a photo of my dish, but my phone is being dumb...so I'll try to post it later.

The China Study

On of the most life-changing books I have ever read (apart from the scriptures) is The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Cambell. I will try to summarize this amazing study and it's findings.

Campbell (the father, who was a Cornell professor of nutrition) was given an amazing opportunity to study the relationship between diet and disease in China. He had seen data that showed huge differences in cancer rates from one county to the next in China, even though 87% of the population was of the same ethnic group, the Han people, and therefore would be genetically similar. He was invited to head a team to answer these questions: Why was cancer so high in some rural Chinese counties and not in others? Why were these differences so incredibly large? (For example, the range of age-adjusted death rates from all cancers varied from 35 deaths per 100,000 people per year in some counties to 721 deaths per 100,000 people per year in other counties!) And Why was the overall cancer rate in China less than in the U.S.?

The team gathered data on 37 variables, administered questionnaires and took blood samples of 6,500 adults, took urine samples, and actually observed everything families ate over a three-day period of people around the country. It is to date the most massive nutritional study ever undertaking and involved some 20,000 Chinese workers to assist in the study.

Effects of Blood Cholesterol on Cancer

As blood cholesterol levers drop from 170 (mg/dL) to 90, the following cancers decreased (with a statistical certainty of a correlation given in parentheses): liver (95%), rectum (99.9%), colon (99%), male lung (95%), adult leukemia (95%), adult brain (95%). There was also a strong correlation (but less than 95%) for cancers of the breast, lung, childhood leukemia, chidhood brain, stomach and esophagus.

These results do NOT mean that the cholesterol itself is causing the cancer but that those who eat a diet that leads to low cholesterol have much less probability of getting cancer.

For example, as the intake of meat (95%), milk, eggs, fish (95-99%), fat (95%) goes up, blood cholesterol goes up. And as the intake of plant protein (95%), soluble fiber (95-99.9%), plant carotenes, fruit, potatoes, and cereal grains go up, blood cholesterol goes down.

Effects of Blood Cholesterol on Heart Disease

The average level of blood cholesterol among rural Chinese was 127, compared to the average of 217 for Americans. Overall, the death rate from heart disease was 17 times higher among American men that rural Chinese men. (The American death rate from breast cancer was 5 times higher than the rural Chinese rates.)
In southwestern Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Guizhou counties, where cholesterol levels of below 150, during a three-year period (1973-1975), not one single perons died of heard disease before the age of 65.

In summary, those Chinese counties where the diet was almost exclusively plant based, the incidence of cancer and heart disease were extremely low, where as those counties that consumed more animal products was much higher--but not as high as the meat-eating Americans.

Fat Intake and Breast Cancer

Though not part of the China Study itself, the follow chart was published in The China Study the book. Look at the strong correlation between fat intake and breast cancer among countries of the world.

The lesson is clear: A low-fat diet is strongly correlated with lower breast cancer.

I know I haven't done The China Study justice, but I wanted to point out a few good reasons for us to stick to our whole-food plant-based nutritional program.

Sue's Easiest Chips-n-Chili EVER!

In an effort to help Dad achieve his goal of making 5 new recipes before the end of the year, I'm posting some of the dishes I love. Here's one.

I was looking for an easy meatless chili recipe, but couldn't find one so I made my own. You may not have access to the ingredients I used, but might be able to find good substitutes where you live. 

These photos are taken with my phone, so they aren't very good. Sorry.

Anyway, for the "chili", I used only two things. 

1. Blue Runner Chili Starter
2. Taco Bell Mexican Rice

The Chili Starter is meatless (you're supposed to add your own meat), so alone, it's quite runny. I decided to add rice to give it some substance, and in this case, added flavor. First, I cooked the rice according to the package directions (90 seconds in the microwave) then added it to the chili starter and then heated them both together until hot. That's it! Delicious with my home-made chips.

The Chili Starter contains the following ingredients:
 
Red Kidney Beans, Water, Onions, Celery, Green Bell Pepper, Tomato Puree (Tomato Concentrate, [Water, And Tomato Paste), Citric Acid), Minced Garlic, Salt, Cotton Seed Oil, Minced Onion, Ground Chili Peppers, Black Pepper, Red Pepper.

There are several versions of Blue Runner Chili Starter available, the one shown as well as one made with four or five different types of beans. I've used both and love them equally. I found this chili starter at my local Walmart, but it may be regional, in which case, you'll have to improvise (or order it online). I'm sure other brands are available, and it can be bought in 'dry' form, too (dehydrated, in a box).

The Mexican Rice contains the following ingredients:

Long grain rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers 

Other versions of Mexican rice could be used. Brown rice and salsa would be a great tasting, easy alternative as well.  


I miss chips!! So...here's how I made my own. Super easy!

You'll need:

Soft corn tortillas
Pam or other cooking spray (optional)
salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Yes, only 150 degrees. 

2. Cut tortillas into wedges or strips 

2. Spray Pam onto cookie sheet (or use no-stick cookie sheet) and place wedges or strips onto pan. Spread evenly (although strips can be more than a single layer deep)

3. Bake at 150 degrees for 45 minutes to 2 hours (depends on the degree of crispness you want). Check after the first 30 minutes, using tongs to 'stir' chips around. Check again every 15 to 30 minutes, stirring chips until all the chips are crunchy. Do not over bake or chips will turn brown. 

4. While chips are still warm, lightly spray with Pam and dust with salt, if desired. 

These chips are okay alone, but much better when eaten with chili or used in a meatless taco salad. Enjoy!!