Tomatoes & Herbs with Artichoke Garlic Bread

Tomatoes & Herb with Artichoke Garlic Bread 

These are two delicious recipes from two of are favorite chefs: Chef Chloe Coscarelli and Kris Carr.  Kris Carr is a New York Times best-selling author, wellness activist.  Her Tomato & Herb recipe was changed a little by switching the olive oil with Balsamic Glaze.  Chef Chloe Coscarelli is a vegan chef and author of numerous cookbooks of which we have probably created each recipe.  To learn more about Kris go here: Meet Kris and for Chloe, the first vegan chef to win "Cupcake Wars" : Meet Chloe.

Artichoke Garlic Bread From "Chloe Flavor"

12-16oz. jar or can Artichoke hearts, drained.

1/2 cup vegan butter.

2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast.

3-6 garlic cloves.

1/2 tsp sea salt.

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil.

1 baguette.

vegan parmesan

Preheat oven to 425'

Combine all ingredients in food processor, pulse until mixture is combined but with texture.

Slice baguette in half horizontally and place cut-side up, spreading an even layer of mixture.

Sprinkle with "parmesan" cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes, then broil for 1-2 minutes, making sure not to burn!

Tomatoes & Herbs

4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced in 1/4" sections.

3 Tablespoons of coarsely chopped fresh basil.

Sea salt and ground black pepper.

3-4 tablespoons of Balsamic Glaze.

Arrange sliced tomatoes on a plate and sprinkle basil, salt/pepper and glaze.

Enjoy!

This is a meal in itself , but if making for several people, try some delicious 1 Pot Lentil Soup

You will truly enjoy this meal.

The Power of Potatoes

September is National Potato Month.

Potatoes are one of the most beloved and most produced foods on the planet.  The humble healthful potato is popular for a number of reasons. They are relatively inexpensive to grow, available year round and are rich in nutrients.  You can easily grow them at home!   Potatoes are tubers that belong to the nightshade family which strangely include tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers.  With over a hundred edible varieties, they come in an array of colors, sizes, shapes and flavors.  Potatoes are classified as either 'mature' or 'new'.  New potatoes are harvested before fully grown, obviously smaller in size.( New Red potatoes or Purple potatoes)

The History of the Potato

Potatoes originated in the Andean Mountain area of South America where historians believe they have been cultivated for over 7000 years.  They were one of the few crops that could survive the harsh climate.  The Spanish brought them to Europe in the 16th century, but were not widely consumed until farmers discovered they were much easier to grow than wheat and oats.  They also found them to be vitamin-rich and produced more yield per acre.  Potatoes' popularity was greatly aided by Antoine-Augustin Paramentier, a pharmacist by training was imprisoned during the Seven Years War.  He was forced to eat only potatoes and was surprised how he emerged with excellent  health.  He launched a public relations campaign on their benefits, organizing an all-potato dinner for some high society guests, which included Thomas Jefferson.  He was so excited, he brought the "French Fry" back to America.  Now you know!  

Paramentier also persuaded Marie Antoinette and husband Louis XVI to wear potato flowers in her hair and him to adorn his suits.  Finally, he planted acres of potatoes outside Paris so that starving peasants would steal them.

By the 18th century potatoes had become a staple around the world, but in 1845 a potato blight virtually wiped out the entire crop overnight.  The Potato Famine in Ireland was the worst, where 40% of the Irish ate only ate potatoes as their solid food.  Millions died and millions more migrated to America to escape the famine.  America was the last country to adopt it to its cuisine.  We now grow more then 17.1 million pounds per year and consume as much as 126 pounds per person.  

Potatoes are naturally fat-free, cholesterol-free, high in fiber,low in sodium and packed full of vitamins and nutrients.  Andrew "Spud" Taylor  lost 114 lbs eating only potatoes for a year. 

Here's an easy recipe any time of the day:

Fall Breakfast Bowl

1 sweet potato

1 white potato

Cube in 1/2" bite-size pieces.

Lightly cook-until tender- in olive oil with fresh rosemary and sage.

Top with pepitas and dried cranberries or raisins.

The affordable potato(even organic) should always be on your list of healthy food choices.

BELIEVE IN

KINDNESS

Have a great week.

Judd

The New Comfort Foods

All over the world when people are going through a stressful period or feeling nostalgic we reach for comfort food.  Something that maybe our parents or grandparents would feed us when we were feeling down.  The only problem is most comfort foods are characterized by its high caloric, high carbohydrate level and its simple preparation.  Which means its probably not the best thing to eat when you are feeling down.  

According to experts at Pinterest they see comfort foods moving in a lighter direction.  And with more than 4 billion food and drink "pins" they should know.  Things like lettuce instead of bread on sandwiches, cauliflower "rice", spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash instead of pastas.  Even Jackfruit in place of pork, beef and chicken.  One of the fastest growing comfort foods is the Buddha Bowls, which are healthful, colorful, nutritious and easy to make.  Buddha bowl pins shot up more than 200% last year, making it one of 2017's top food trends.

Here are a few "comfort food" recipes we have listed on the blog:

The most requested is Baked Mac-n-"Cheese".

Vegan Cream of Wild Rice and "Chickin" Soup.

Butternut Squash Soup.

For breakfast:  Vegan Hash Brown Casserole.

For treats:  Banana Raspberry "Nice" Cream.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies  (Don't eat too many! A lot of sugar).

 If you are looking for comfort food because you are stressed out there are other options than pigging out on food.  Go for a walk, get outside, exercise, meditate.  Here are 2 articles which might help: 

Meditation and Heart Health

10 Natural Tips To Beat Chronic Stress

Are These 5 Eating Habits Sabotaging Your Healthy Relationship With Food?

It is very easy to become overwhelmed with all the crazy things going on in the world today.  

"Receive hope and courage when a great dilemma is present, for the solution must also be... commit to being the solution."  Guru Singh

Have a great week. 

Be kind. 

Judd