Smoked Eggplant Sandwiches

Smoked Eggplant Sandwiches 

INGREDIENTS

1 medium eggplant

2 tbsp. soy/tamari sauce (low sodium)

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Cut eggplant in quarters, lengthwise. Slice each quarter into long, thin strips.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, paprika, liquid smoke. Pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

Place eggplant slices onto baking sheets and brush both sides with sauce. Or marinate eggplant slices in sauce using 9 x 12 dish.  Then, place onto baking sheets, brush with remaining sauce (which is how I did).

Bake until eggplant is cooked through and beginning to get crisp, 45-50 minutes.  May turn slices after 30 min if desired.  Slices are best crispy.

Make Sandwiches using your choice of vegetables.  I used vegan mayo, lettuce and tomatoes on whole wheat bread.  

Daily Dozen

Ok, today, lets discuss Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen. If you think of food being your medicine and medicine being your food as Hippocrates stated, then you must think of taking all of your medicine. When you are prescribed medicine, you are advised by your physician to take all your meds. He means each prescription he advised, leaving nothing out and also all the meds until you have an empty bottle and with possible refills. Dr. Greger is basically advising you to do the same. You should eat certain foods everyday, a variety. If you don't, its like not taking all your meds. It is important not only to eat the right foods but to eat a well balanced meal in order to obtain full benefits for your health. Please download the app, discussed in the video and use it as a guide to help you start and keep you in the right direction. 

Open Faced Sandwich - Quick Lunch

Looking for a quick snack to make or perhaps it’s lunch time?  This is an easy quick nutritious filling recipe.

Recipe - Open Face Hummus Vegetable Sandwich

2 slices Whole Wheat bread

Hummus (your favorite, I prefer homemade)

Onion, thinly sliced

Tomato, thinly sliced 

Avocado

Smoked Paprika

Simply toast the bread.  Spread your favorite hummus 
on both slices of toast.  Top off with a couple of slices of onion, tomato and avocado.  Final touch, lightly sprinkle on smoked paprika.  Maybe a little salt & pepper.  There, now you have a tasty lunch.  Eat it like a tostado or fancy like with a fork.  Whatever suits you.  Enjoy!

**You can change up by adding any thinly sliced vegetables you desire.  Such as, spinach, cucumbers, red bell pepper, zucchini, etc.

Almond Milk Recipe

Make Your Own Fresh Almond Milk

I Love making my own Almond Milk.  It’s So Easy to do & tasty.  Store bought stuff tastes like crap in my opinion and I think you will agree once you have tasted your own.

Recipe

1 cup raw almonds soaked (cover with water and soak overnight or for faster soak, cover with boiling water and soak 2 hours; then drain)

4 cups filtered water

2 Medjool dates (remove seed)

Cover almonds with water and soak overnight in refrigerator.  Next day, drain & rinse.  Then, Add almonds, 4 cups filtered water, & 2 Medjool Dates (I keep mine in freezer) in blender.   Adds just a touch of sweetness. Blend well on high speed; I use liquify setting.  Strain milk & store in quart mason jar. I use my banana stand since my nut milk bag is torn.  Nut milk bag would be better. 

Milk stores well refrigerated for about 3 to 4 days.  I usually make mine every three days.  
 
After storing, you may notice how the milk separates. Give the milk a good shake each time before using.

Yep, it is that easy! 

Save almond pulp, spread on cookie sheet, place in oven 150 to 200 degrees for a few hours until dried.  Makes good nutty crusts for deserts like cheesecake type pies or add to bread recipes.  You can use coffee grinder to create almond flour for many recipes.  No waste.

*You make substitute cashews for almonds and make cashew milk. 

*For a faster soak of almonds - cover almonds with boiling water and let stand to soak for 2-4 hours.

I buy my milk bags from Amazon, click the link below to get yours.  Amazon has the best deals.  I had to order another set, seems my dog decided to chew my other ones...lol  This is an affiliate purchase, which does not cost you one cent more, but I do get a commission.  So, if you do buy, thank you. 

Organic Meat - Less Carcinogenic?

Is Organic Meat Less Carcinogenic?  Thanks to family doctor, Dr. Morris for sharing this today on Facebook, I am able to share with you.
 
He stated:  "This video explains....You should not feed your children meat at all but if you do try limiting it to 5 times per month. Cheese and dairy is also very unhealthy for our children. Food pollution is part of the problem. Chicken seems to be the worse. Organic meat not much better or minimal at best and even worse in some cases."

 
The video was produced and researched by Dr. Michael Greger and his team and available at his website along with many more that are as equally educational.  Dr. Michael Greger, is an internationally-recognized lecturer, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, (his website which is filled with great information) examines the fifteen top causes of death in America—heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and more—and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives. 

Black Bean Burgers

Made awesome black bean burgers with whoopie pan (see link below to get yours at Amazon).  It helps hold them together, came out perfect.  No more falling apart.  I found out also, the more vegetables (finely chopped) and less mashed beans, the better taste and not mushy.

Black Bean Burgers

1 can black beans mashed

1 small onion finely chopped

1 red bell pepper finely chopped

1 cup shredded carrots 

1 can diced tomatoes (well drained)

1 cup corn (whole kernel or frozen)

2 Tbsp Chia seeds (soaked-equal amount of water)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 - 1 cup wheat Breadcrumbs 

I found some refried black beans at Big Lots but you can use canned black beans mashed.  Organic..no extra junk..lol.  I added; chopped onion, red bell pepper, canned tomatoes, corn and shredded carrots.  Also, about 2 Tablespoons of soaked chia seeds for egg replacement (you can use ground flaxseed).  Spices were garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, turmeric, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.  Also added ground wheat crackers I did in food processor to make them thick enough to hold together. I kept my hands wet while shaping patties.  Placed on nonstick whoopie pan.  I did do a quick spray of oil to make sure they did not stick.  Baked at 350-375 until light brown.  I cooked 20 min at 350 degrees...flipped them over with spatula...cooked 20 min more.  Came out nice and crispy. Found the thinner ones were better.  Didn't want them too dry, so I did use broiler to get darker brown and a little crunchy.  It made about 12 medium patties.  They were even better next day.  It has consistency of salmon patties.  

Feel free to adjust vegetables or spices to suit your own tastes.  Place burger on whole wheat bun topped off with vegan mayo or mustard; choice of veggies, e.g. lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, onions, salsa, Avocado...etc.

** Instead of crackers, sometimes I use the ground almond meal that I have left over from making my own almond milk.  I will post that Almond Milk recipe later.  It is so easy and tastes so much better than store bought.

***Update:  I did make them again using parchment paper instead of spraying whoopie pan with oil.  It was a bit more trouble, but well worth the effort if you are doing "No Oil".  Much better for health reasons.  

Get your Whoopie Pan from Amazon.  Great Price.  Yes, this is an affiliate buy, which does not cost you one cent more, but I do get a small commission if you do.  Thanks!  I won't get rich, but I like the spending money.  

Drugs In Your Meat

Yep, there are drugs in the meat you eat.  So much so, I think you could become an addict...lol.  Well, at least antibiotic resistant. 

So, that we know of, there are at least 450 different drugs that are administered to animals, either alone or, in combination.  These drugs are given to animals for a variety of reasons, very, very few of which are actually beneficial to consumer health.  We've got drug companies that work real hard to make sure they can sell lots of drugs to people raising cows, pigs, and chickens.  The pharmaceutical industry sells 80% of all the antibiotics that it makes in the United States to animal agriculture.  Antibiotic residues are found in the meat, other antimicrobials are found in meat.  There has been ractopamine found in meat, there has been hormones found in meat, so right there, you're talking

about four different drugs that could be in the same piece of meat.

The pharmaceutical company is supposed to show the safety of animal drugs.  They're not really testing to see what the impacts of these drugs are on humans.  They're really looking to see what the impacts of these drugs are on animals.  When we try to get information on some of the health studies and the environmental studies from federal agencies, we get back page after page of blacked out information because the company claimed confidential business information.  Consumers have no idea what is in the products that they consume.  So, how sick something makes me and how bad it pollutes the environment is a secret for a company.  In the animal agriculture industry, as in the tobacco industry, these companies really have a vested interest in making sure that the public doesn't have information about their effects and what risks are really posed to consuming them.  You have this system where animals are living in their own waste, they're living next to animals that are sick or, even dead, and they're stuck in cages with these animals, that bacteria tends to spread, that the pathogens that are being created in these filthy conditions are breeding resistance to antibiotics and the public are becoming exposed to those.  We already have people dying.  From salmonella and other things that you eat, we have about 3,000 people die every year in the United States.  That's more than the number of people that were killed in 9/11 in the Twin Towers in New York.  If we had some terrorist organization killing 3,000 people a year, we would be all over it.  So, why aren't we?

Disclaimer:  Most if not all of this is copied from "What The Health" video.  You guys really need to watch these videos if you haven't already.  

Lentil Quinoa Loaf

Lentil Quinoa Loaf

Ingredients

Loaf:

• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup millet (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/4 cups of water or vegetable broth

• 2 tsp oil (vegetable broth for those watching oils)
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots finely chopped or grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder 
• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 cup raisins (add less for less sweet)
• 2 tbsp flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)
• 1 tbsp chia seed (optional)
• 2 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce, 
• 1 Tbsp of maple syrup (1 tsp for less sweet)
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard or 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 2 to 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 to 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2-1 cup coarsely ground rolled oats (pulsed in blender)

Glaze

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp or more hot sauce to taste
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Combine lentils, bay leaf and water in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Wash the quinoa & millet, add to the pan, partially cover and continue to cook until both are very tender and easily mashed (You want to slightly over cook the lentils). Stir after 10 minutes so they don't stick to the pan. Total 10 to 15 mins .  Remove bay leaf and transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat oil (or broth) in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions & and cook for 5 minutes or until translucent
3. Add celery, carrots, red bell pepper, thyme, oregano, onion & garlic powder and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add in the raisins and mix.  Cook for 2 minutes. Take off heat.
4. Add the cooked veggies, flaxmeal & chia seeds to the bowl and mix in. Mash the mixture using potato masher or hands, so that at least half the lentils and quinoa get well mashed. (you still want some whole lentils)
5. Add in the sauces, nutritional yeast, and mix well. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more sauces, herbs and salt if needed.
6. Add coarsely ground oats and mix in. (To check if the mixture is the right consistency, make a burger patty. If the mixture is too sticky or pasty, add more oats. If it is too crumbly and doesn't stick easily, add some wet ingredients or a flax egg) Flax egg is 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed with 2 Tablespoons of water or broth.  
7. Prepare the loaf pan with parchment paper - line it with parchment paper edges folded over the pan. Medium bread loaf pan(8.5 by 4.75 inch)
8. Press the mixture into the pan. Pack well and even it out.
9. Make the glaze and spread over the top of the loaf.
10. Cover the loaf with foil and bake at 375 degrees / 190ºc for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Then let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Get your parchment paper form Amazon.  If you buy from them, you can get bulk, its cheaper and I get a few pennies for your purchase, yet it does not cost you one cent more.  Thanks!