Garden Vegetable Soup - A Fast, Healthy and Delicious Raw Food Recipe

Visit www.learnrawfood.com to see more raw food recipes. Raw food author and chef Jennifer Cornbleet shares how to prepare garden vegetable soup, especially good for lunch. From her DVD, Raw Food Made Easy. In this video, Jennifer Cornbleet shows how to use your knife and blender to create...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu4taVitkTM&hl=en

5 Simple & Delicious Alkaline Recipes

It is essential for us to consume large amounts of alkalizing foods. These foods help keep the ph level of the body balanced and so the body stays disease free. The general idea is to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables as opposed to meats and oils. Here are 5 simple alkaline recipes to take note of. They are simple and nutritious.

The first of the various alkaline and beneficial recipes that we shall discuss is gluten free pumpkin bread. Take a small pumpkin and bake it whole in the oven till it is completely soft. Cool, peel and mash the pumpkin and add it to 300 gm of gluten free flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Knead adding a little water if necessary. Make small cakes and bake for half an hour. This recipe will do wonders for your health. Moreover it tastes good too.

The list of recipes that are alkaline continues and now we have a great one which doubles as a liver cleanser. Take two large grape fruits and 4 lemons. Squeeze their juice. Add water, some garlic and ginger grated juice, two tablespoons of UDO's choice and one of acidophilus. Mix and have as a refreshing drink. This is one of the simplest of the alkaline recipes and is great to have after a good work out.

The list of alkaline recipes continues with a lovely alkaline vegetable broth. Take two carrots, two celery tops, two beetroots, two cups water, three cups celery stock, one zucchini and 2 cups of peeled red potatoes. Wash thoroughly and boil and then simmer for about half an hour. The best of these recipes is ready to consume right after straining it.

The miso soup is an ideal way to have miso, which is a highly alkalizing food. Alkaline recipes are all healthy and low of fat. So having them means you kill two birds with one stone. Not only does one shed those unwanted pounds but also gain good health. Take 2 tsp of Miso and add it to some water. Bring to a boil adding iodine sea salt to taste. This one of the alkaline recipes is ideal for a cold winter day.

Another great pick from the basket of alkaline recipes is the green salad. Take a few salad leaves, some chopped cabbage, a small chopped onion and a large tomatoes. Mix all the vegetables adding a bit of vinegar for taste and throwing in some oregano and some tofu or boiled chicken breast pieces. Of all the alkaline recipes this one is definitely my favorite. Not only is it a nice tasting filling meal but also keeps my energy level high though the day.

There are many alkaline recipes to be found in various books and on the net. Just take your pick of a few and incorporate them in your diet plan. You will see the wonders it does for your health and your skin and hair shall have a shining glow on them.

Recipe For Delicious Chicken Broccoli Cheese Soup and It's Diabetic Friendly Too!

Soup is good for soul no matter the weather. But during this current deep freeze we are in, it seems even more appropriate. Personally, I am sure I could live just on soup while I know others may not agree that soup is that great. So whether you want a cup of soup with a salad or sandwich or a huge bowl like I do, here is a great recipe for you to try. For those like me, who like a lot of vegetables, broccoli is prominent in this soup. For diabetics, meat eaters, etc, you also have chicken. And cheese is a universally loved ingredient. So you have the perfect makings for a yummy cup or bowl of soup. Give it a try soon!

CHICKEN BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli

1 small can chicken breast meat, drained

2 1/2 cups water

1 pint half & half cream

1 lb Velveeta-type cheese

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup cornstarch mixed with 1 cup water

Wash broccoli and steam until crisp tender. While broccoli steams, place the half & half and the water in the top of a double boiler. Add the cheese, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture with a whisk while cooking until all the cheese is melted; add the cubed or shredded chicken. Chop the steamed broccoli and add to the cheese mixture. Stir the cornstarch water to blend well; add to the soup mixture, stirring constantly. Heat over simmering water until the soup reaches the desired thickness. Serve with a sandwich, salad, or fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

"Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" - Innovative, Healthy, & Delicious Recipes From Plant-Based Ingredients

Joe Stepaniak's "Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" was among the first cookbooks I bought after deciding to adopt a vegan diet 3 years ago. For those not familiar with the term "uncheese",  Stepaniak uses it to describe rich-tasting spreads, dips, sauces and blocks produced with dairy-free whole foods (primarily beans, nuts, or grains).

Cheese lovers be forewarned: you may be in for some disappointment if you're expecting tofu to taste like Feta cheese or chickpeas like Havarti. The book's introduction even acknowledges that "uncheeses are not going to be like dairy cheeses, so please adjust your expectations accordingly. "

Unfortunately I skipped Stepaniak's well-intentioned introduction and plowed in to the recipes, attempting Tofu Ricotta, Chick Cheez, Swizz Cheez, Buffalo Mostarella, Brie, Betta Feta, White Bean Boursin, Monterey Jack and Port Wine uncheeses. And while all were tasty (my favorite is the sharp Chick Cheez spread--made from Garbanzo Beans) they left me somewhat disillusioned and wondering whether I could actually live without real cheese.

As a result of not immediately finding perfect non-dairy replacements for my most beloved cheeses, "The Uncheese Cookbook" sat dormant on my shelf for some time. Little did I realize that I would come back to Stepaniak's book later (many times), finding it had improved with age.  Its most valuable lesson is that it introduces unfamiliar ingredients, and uses them as well as more commonplace items--including raw nuts--in groundbreaking fashion.

For example, I had never heard of nutritional yeast, an ingredient employed in many of the book's recipes. Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamins and minerals that has a pungent cheesy taste, too. I later learned that Stepaniak is somewhat of an aficionado on the subject of nutritional yeast, having authored "The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook."

Among other new ingredients (and somewhat challenging to obtain) were agar and kuzu (both plant-based thickening agents used in place of gelatin), and umeboshi plum paste, used for adding saltiness. Chickpea flour (a.k.a. Chana Besan) while common in Indian cuisine, is also employed in many uncheese dishes.

The introduction to Uncheese Cookbook provides a detailed and useful reference to all the aforementioned ingredients as well as others. It also contains a well-documented background of how the dairy industry has influenced the evolution of the American diet (echoing T. Scott Campbell's "The China Study"), and provides detailed nutritional data on the benefits of  non-dairy sources of calcium, protein, fat, and carbohydrates vs. dairy products.

Moving on to the recipes, I found many of the "Uncheese Dishes" to be superb. Among my favorites are:

Chocolate Almond Cheeze Cake (p170*) with Granola Nut Crust--Everyone who's tasted it are astounded it tastes more delicious than real cheesecake, without using eggs or dairy products (maple syrup is the secret).
"Besto Pesto" (which imperceptibly substitutes cheese with miso)--How can a vegan diet be considered sacrifice when you can still enjoy a dish of linguine with Genevose pesto sauce?
Chickpea Flour Pizza (p128), eaten alongside vegetable curries--It takes all of about 5 minutes to prepare, so it's very convenient, too!
Beannaise (p150)--Used as mayonnaise substitute within other recipes, and also by itself, as a dip for vegetables or salad dressing.
*Note: page numbers refer to the 10th edition of the book.

Other recipes I would recommend include: Parmezano Sprinkles (p50), Eggplant Parmagiano Stew (p80), Spinach-Tofu Manicotti (p117), Zucchini Chedda Soup (p77).

Upon re-perusing "The Uncheese Cookbook", there are still many dishes I plan to sample, including: Classic Quiche (p102), Lemon Teasecake (p169)-the "Key Lime" variation, Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce (p63), Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip (p49), and Curried Cauliflower Cheez Soup (p76).

Other features of the book you will appreciate are the charts of nutritional values for each of the recipes, and the listings of food allergens (gluten, soy, nuts, corn). On the other hand, the book contains only 4 pages of photographs, and certainly could benefit from more.

If you already own "The Uncheese Cookbook" but haven't picked it up for a while, I suggest it's worth another look. If you don't, please get a hold of a copy and try its innovative and healthy recipes based on plant-based ingredients. Just remember to put aside your expectations of dairy-cheese taste, and you won't be disappointed!