The Great Vegan Bean Book Tour – Vaquero Bean Tempeh Chili

If you know me, you know that I am pretty crazy about beans of all kinds. So when Kathy Hester first told me about her bean book last year, I got excited. I am still excited because The Great Vegan Bean Book has just been released and it covers everything that you need to know about beans, choosing them and cooking them. Kathy is an incredible recipe developer who manages to use beans in a huge variety of ways in very inventive recipes from breakfast... [Read More...]

A Non-Food Giveaway: Ellovi Butter for Your Skin

This might be the only time that you’ll find me talking about butter. I met Kelly Winterhalter of Ellovi at Berkeley Vegan Earth Day and tried a dab of this all natural body and face butter on my hand- and also in my mouth (yes, it;s so pure that you can eat it but, of course, I won’t).  It felt great on my skin so I bought a jar, thinking that my husband would like this all natural product made from only six ingredients ethically sourced... [Read More...]

Virtual Vegan Potluck: Saffron Quinoa with Spring Vegetables

Welcome to the May 2013 Virtual Vegan Potluck!   169 bloggers from around the world sharing vegan recipes. For me, no potluck is complete without some kind of hearty grainy side with plenty of seasonal vegetables. This is my first foray into a potluck like this and I am happy to share. I hope that you enjoy this recipe. I love quinoa and have since the first time that I tasted it which was at least 15 years ago. At that time there were very few recipes... [Read More...]

In Memorian for Brad Larsen – Are You a Self-Righteous Vegan?

Brad Larsen when he was well On March 21st, I had the chance to spend about an hour with Brad Larsen who at that point had an advanced brain tumor.  A good portion of this is what I wrote as soon as I got home from seeing Brad. It’s kind of strange when the best part of your day is spent with someone who is dying, or as he called it “circling the drain”. He said that he liked that better than the word dying. I have to honor that. I wasn’t... [Read More...]

Make Food, Not Bombs: Using a Pressure Cooker the Right Way

I hate tragedy.  It brings out the worst in me. I get melancholy and morose, go inward and want to hide. And this time is no different except that the people responsible  for the bombings in Boston not only attacked other human beings who were out running for their health and life, but have now put a crimp in what I do: teach people how to use a pressure cooker responsibly to make great tasting food fast. I have been teaching people for 17 years... [Read More...]

Sara’ Cooks Artichokes Because It’s Spring

Sara Turnasella is my “virtual intern” who has been working behind the scenes doing research for my next book, Nutrition CHAMPS: The Veggie Queen’s Guide to Eating and Cooking for Health, Energy and Vitality. To give Sara a more public face, I asked her to write about her favorite spring vegetable. Here in California, artichokes might be a regular part of our diet but on the east coast where Sara lives, cooking them often seems more foreign.... [Read More...]

The Next Big Thing; Nutrition CHAMPS

My friend, and fellow cookbook author, Robin Asbell, asked me if I would participate in a bloghop. I had never heard of it before and neither had she. I am a bit late posting but here I am, at her insistence. I guess that this is a good way for we authors to help each other. Only problem for me is that the week whooshed by and I didn’t have time to ask anyone else to do this. Oh well. Maybe next time. This is not about promoting myself. Here’s... [Read More...]

Pressure Cooker Curried Winter Pear and Squash Soup

I have been making this soup for a very long time. I used to make it without the pressure cooker, which is easy to do. When I did that, I would roast or bake the squash first and then scoop it out into the soup. With the pressure cooker, I can just cut the squash up and add it to the soup. Either way, it’s very tasty. Pressure cooked, it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, not including the time that it takes to make the stock (which... [Read More...]

You and Your Pressure Cooker: It’s a Relationship

Fellow Registered Dietitian, Dina Aronson, MS, RD, saw me this past summer at Vegetarian Summerfest in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She walked up and said (and I am paraphrasing here), “I want to thank you for encouraging me to get a pressure cooker. It took me a little while to develop a relationship with it but now things are great. It has really changed my life.” I cannot explain this any better than Dina did. In my book The New Fast Food:... [Read More...]

Super Spinach Dip: Vegan Lemon Scented Spinach Spread

I developed this recipe years ago because I cannot stand fatty dips. I love spinach and lemon and this is a great time of year for them. Lemon Scented Spinach Spread Makes 1 1/2 cups This is a tasty way to get people to eat more vegetables. It is far healthier than the spinach dip that many have gotten used to that is based on mayonnaise (or even vegenaise). You can use this to make wrap sandwiches as well as putting it in a traditional “bread... [Read More...]