Cyd Notter

Nutrition Educator/ Author/ Coach

Smoky Refried Bean Soup

By

Here’s another recipe we’re adding to the “keeper” file!

Smoky Refried Bean Soup is tasty, thick, and can be served with baked tortilla chips or topped with a dollop of guacamole. It’s also wonderful as a topping over smashed potatoes. Here’s my amateur photograph:

Smoky Refried Bean Soup

Plus, this recipe by Susan Voisin at FatFree Vegan Kitchen is simple to make. Want more heat? Simply adjust the spices to your liking. One more note, the recipe calls for optional Mexican oregano, but we used regular oregano and it was great.

Enjoy!

PS: Interested in a FREE 21-day meal plan with recipes? Here it is 🙂

Chocolate Recipes to Protect Your Valentine’s Heart

By

Anyone walking through a retail store these days knows that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner!

Red, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates line the aisles because clearly, it’s going to sell. About 58 million pounds of chocolate are purchased the week of Valentine’s Day (that includes the candy that 43% of Americans buy for themselves).

Exchanging chocolate has become one of the most popular ways to commemorate the day of love.

Legend has it that the Mayans were the first people to connect love and chocolate around 500 BC when they started brewing drinks made from cocoa beans as part of their wedding rituals.

Dark chocolate has incredible health benefits (when it isn’t combined with milk, sugars and fats, that is). From improved artery function and blood flow to antioxidants which help prevent disease, dark chocolate in the form of cocoa or cacao powder is a wonderful way to indulge without sacrificing your health.

This year, how about surprising your loved ones with a home-made chocolate treat that demonstrates your affection AND protects their hearts?

Here are a few of our favorites:

Vegan Chocolate Cake – sugar free option included

Chocolate Fundue (use as a dip or a frosting)

Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf (one of our favorites!)

Easy Vegan Chocolate Mousse  (top with strawberries)

Chocolate Sauce – Drizzle over fruit or Red Velvet Sorbet (recipe below)

Red Velvet Sorbet: Combine in a food processor: 4 large, ripe frozen bananas (peeled first); 10-oz frozen raspberries; 2 TBS cacao (or cocoa) powder; 4-5 dates, chopped. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more dates if needed.

Enjoy these treats fully (but sparingly)! Proverbs 25:16(b) reminds us – eat too much chocolate and you’ll make yourself sick. (MSG)  ?

(PS: February is Heart Health month. A whole food, plant-based, no-added-oil diet not only prevents heart disease, it’s the only diet capable of unblocking arteries and reversing even advanced stages of the disease. As Dr. Esselstyn says: heart disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never exist, and if it does exist, it need never progress. That’s great news – it means we have more control over our #1 killer than we may have ever imagined!)

 Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Photo on Visualhunt

Maple Glazed Vegan Ham

By

Whether you follow a plant-based diet or are just looking for healthier recipes, here’s one that might surprise you. Maple Glazed Vegan Ham from www.shaneandsimple.com.

www.shaneandsimple.com          Maple Glazed Vegan Ham


     We made this recipe during the holidays and it did not disappoint! Having not eaten ham for over 30 years, this savory, smoky, sweet meal was a real treat. Makes great sandwiches, too!

     Does it taste exactly like pork ham? No, because it’s not a pig. But it’s definitely close enough and comes without the known cancer risks of eating processed meats. Plus it’s packed with protein!

     Further proof that following a plant-based diet does not mean sacrificing your favorite foods! Pretty much anything can be re-created into a much healthier, delicious version. Check out my YouTube channel for other easy recipes.

     If you have any questions, please contact me 🙂 

PS: Get a free copy of The 21-Day Meal Plan here
Get a free copy of “10 simple Dessert Smoothies” here
Order a signed copy of The “Plan A” Diet here – free shipping!
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.               (Romans 12:2, MSG)

Flexible Sheet Pan Dinners

By

I received an article today about one pan meals that are ready in 40 minutes. I’m interested!

I’d never heard of a Sheet Pan Dinner (or ‘tray bake’ according to the article). But I can certainly see the benefits!

By combining an uncooked grain, freshly cut veggies, a can of beans or peas, spices, and veggie broth/water on a baking tray, you can have a complete, nutrient-filled meal in 40 minutes. Add in your favorite sauces or dressings if desired, as well as optional nuts, seeds, or nutritional yeast.

Here’s the entire article (along with recipes) on the Forks over Knives website.

I was leery that my baking tray would hold 3.5 cups of liquid, so I did a test and it surely does. I typically use a silicone baking sheet liner (or at the very least, a piece of parchment paper) when roasting or baking, but that may not be necessary with this type of dish. I plan to make the “curry and rice” recipe first, but the flexibility of Sheet Pan Dinners offers countless possibilities!

Minimal effort, minimal clean-up, flexible recipes, and foods which are packed with protein, calcium, and other vital nutrients. What’s not to love?

P.S. Want to make quick, Roasted Veggie Pasta? Watch my video here on how to roast the veggies – without oil! Then serve the roasted veggies over whole grain pasta which is topped with a healthy pasta sauce (Aldi has oil-free, organic pasta sauce for under $2 a jar). Everyone loves it!

Let me know if you try the Sheet Pan Dinners (or the Roasted Veggie Pasta)!

Other helpful resources:

A free class: 3 Reasons Dieters Regain the Weight 

A free copy of The 21-Day Meal Plan

Most popular class: Inflammation & Your Diet

Dieting this January? Instead, get this course now and be ready for a permanent change.

Need a gift idea? A signed copy of The “Plan A” Diet would be a great stocking stuffer!

 

Score a Win-Win with that Leftover Halloween Candy

By

Have you heard about the national Halloween Candy Buy Back (HCBB) program? It was started back in 2005 by a dentist, Dr. Chris Kammer, with the goal of getting the surplus candy ‘off the streets’ and reducing the over consumption of sugar by children. 

Not only does the program “buy back” the candy, the collected treats are then sent to our troops abroad as a token of appreciation for serving to keep us safe.

Image by Vecteezy.com

 

 

Since the time HCBB was founded, dental offices across the nation have responded in increasing numbers, and hundreds of tons of candy have been collected over the years. HCBB has been featured by dozens of local news outlets and was even featured by Diane Sawyer on ABC News. 

Dental offices generally pay the kids $1 per pound for the candy (usually a 5 lb. limit), and then send it to Move America Forward or Operation Shoebox, organizations who sort/package/ship it to the troops abroad along with other necessities. 

Not only do the kiddos benefit from eating less sugar and getting a lesson in generosity, the troops abroad get a nice treat as well. Definitely a win-win!

To find a participating dental office near you who’ll buy back your candy, go to the HCBB website and type in your zip code. 

 

When you’re given a box of candy, don’t gulp it all down; eat too much chocolate
and you’ll make yourself sick. (Proverbs 25:16, MSG)

Find me elsewhere