Tomatoes and Apples and Carrots, Oh My!

My family doctor suggested I go home and consume a steak and a beer.

Before you all call to ask for my doctor’s name so you can book your appointment and receive similar advice, I should clarify. Maybe it wasn’t exactly a suggestion. He said it was the quickest way to gain weight, implying I should be careful not to lose any.

It takes diligent munching to keep your weight up while on a gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan diet. And don’t be fooled, I compromise a little every day: a slice of “real” whole-wheat for a toasted tomato sandwich; a cookie at the staff meeting; a little chicken in my stir-fry. Overall, though, I’m still finding this a wonderful way to live, eat, and avoid that overloaded, comatose feeling after a typical meal. Gifts of fresh produce, such as the gorgeous acorn and spaghetti squashes from our friend Percy Phillips, help keep me steadfast.

Is it just me and my new garden plot, or has this been an exceptional year? I’ve somehow grown the biggest carrots and the healthiest tomatoes in the history of my horticulturally-challenged life. Even as I write, a bag of large carrots and a bowl of smaller ones, soaking in water, wait in our fridge. Another couple dozen await digging. Three large bowls of tomatoes sit on the kitchen counter: ripe, ripening, and slightly damaged. If only I enjoyed the digging, washing, picking, canning, and freezing as much as I enjoy the eating. I look forward to some great servings of chili and soup in the months ahead.

We don’t have an apple tree, but our friends Tim and Alison gave us a massive batch of applesauce and a bunch of apples from theirs. I tried a new apple crisp recipe and once I tasted it, I knew I must share the recipe. This may be the most delicious apple crisp I’ve ever eaten, although the inviting aroma alone would have been worth it. This comforting, cinnamony, juicy apple dessert with a crisp oaty topping is perfect for a fall evening. Best of all, if you can believe this, it contains no sugar, no gluten, and no fat. Yes, it’s a little more work than the unhealthy kind I used to throw together. But it’s worth it and we can pig out guilt-free. It’s from the Forks Over Knives cookbook, with a few modifications of my own. This recipe will make six to eight servings. Or possibly only two, once you start in.

No steak or beer was consumed in the writing of this column.

Apple Crisp

For the filling:

8-10 apples, peeled, cored, sliced thin. (Home grown tend to be smaller. I used ten.)

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

½ cup 100% pure maple syrup

For the topping:

¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup

3 Tbsp. almond butter (best if room temperature for spreadability)

2 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups rolled oats (I prefer the smaller flakes for this)

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

• 1.      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper or use a non-stick pan.
• 2.      For filling, place the sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and toss to coat well. Pour the maple syrup over and stir. Place the mixture in your prepared pan.
• 3.      For the topping, use a fork or small whisk to stir together the syrup, almond butter, applesauce, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add the oats and toss to coat.
• 4.      Spread the topping over the apple mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F and bake for another 20 minutes or until topping is golden and filling bubbly.
• 5.      Remove from oven and serve warm.

It's Not Weird Anymore

While grocery shopping recently, I ran into my friend Lee. “Are you still sticking to your diet?” she wanted to know, glancing into my cart. “And is it working for you?”

She’s not the only one asking lately.

“But what on earth do you EAT?” is a common question.

“Share more recipes,” readers have requested.

“How are you REALLY feeling?” my friend Vicki asked.

“Have you lost weight?” Peggy, who hadn’t seen me in months, said.

“Sucks to be you,” another friend responded when I mentioned I basically drink only water and herbal tea. Seems almost everything else contains sugar, caffeine, or chemicals.

I suppose all these honest questions mean it’s time for an update. If you are new to my blog, you might not know that last summer I embarked on a journey with local naturopath Dr. Lisa Graham in hopes of fighting a lung disease and obtaining better overall health. That I had contracted MAC Disease at all spoke of a weakened immune system, making me vulnerable to other issues as well. One of the first things she did was put me on a vegan and gluten-free diet.

And yes, I am still on it. But after nearly a year, I no longer think of it as a “diet.” It’s become normal--until I’m eating somewhere outside my own home. Then I usually eat whatever’s offered and sometimes pay for it later, in ways unrelated to my lungs.

And yes, it’s working for me. Last month, I joyfully participated in the annual ACT Festival. Two years ago, I coughed and slept my way through that event and last year I missed it entirely due to fatigue. Though no one’s declaring me cured, my coughing is all but gone, my energy up. They’ll take more scans soon, giving a clearer picture of what’s what.

And yes, I initially lost weight but have held steady for eight months or more. I’m convinced anybody, no matter what body type, could eat truckloads of what I eat and still maintain their ideal body weight. Prove me wrong if you dare.

And what is left, you ask, after eliminating meat, eggs, dairy, bread, sugar, and caffeine? Plenty! Vegetables, fruits, rice, oatmeal, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds—all in unlimited quantities and infinite, mouthwatering combinations. You don’t need special shakes, pre-measured dinners, or point systems. I challenge anyone to eat this way for two weeks just as an experiment. You can do anything for two weeks. Let me know if you don’t start feeling better in some way.

As for recipes, you can find some great ones in the Forks Over Knives cookbook or on their website Here’s one I’ve adapted that has become a staple at our house and everyone can enjoy:

Vegetarian Chili
1 tbsp. olive oil
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
8-10 mushrooms, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 Tbsp. cumin
 ½ - 1 Tbsp. chili powder
 pinch cayenne
1 can each: black beans, white kidney beans, red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
1 lg. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 lg. can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp Chia seeds (optional, but jam-packed with nutrition!)
Directions: In a large pot, saute garlic, peppers, onion, carrots, mushrooms and celery until everything is soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover, and cook for about 30-40 minutes on low to medium heat. Add water if you like a soupier chili.

Overall, I’m learning to see food differently. It has power to heal or to destroy. Nothing that goes into my mouth is powerless, but only I possess the power to decide what goes in. Why would I choose things my body has to fight against? Why would you?

Food, Glorious Food

My penance for the mean Halloween trick I played on Dr. Lisa in last week’s column was a day on the food-free plan. But that’s okay. Fasting all day Sunday is a sure-fire cure for dreading Monday. I was like a little kid the night before Christmas, waiting for morning to come.

Although this was never intended to be a food column, I’ve had enough requests for recipes that I decided to share just a few. I’m finding so many interesting vegan, gluten-free recipes on-line and in my new cookbook, Forks Over Knives, there aren’t enough meals in a day to try them all. If you want to start eating healthier but you’re not ready to take the whole plunge, there are little things you can do to provide nutrition-packed treats for yourself and your family.

Here are a few things for awesome snacking. I didn’t invent any of these, but I have modified them all slightly.

Banana Oat Bars

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup finely chopped apple (or unsweetened applesauce)

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Press into a 9-by-9-inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cool, cut into squares or bars. Store in fridge. These freeze well.

Hummus Dip

1 ½ cups canned garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed

1/3 cup sesame paste (also called tahini, it’s by the peanut butter in the store)

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (2-3 cloves)

Juice of one fresh lime (1/3 cup)

2 Tbsp. water

Mix all in a food processor or blender until smooth. I use a little Star Frit chopper, which works great if you like yours on the chunky side. Use for dipping fresh veggies or unsalted tortilla chips, or as an on-the-side salad dressing.

Golden Granola

5 cups large-flake oatmeal

½ cup raw cashews, halved

½ cup whole almonds

½ cup sliced dried apricots

½ cup banana chips

1/3 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds

¼ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

½ cup raisins

1/3 cup liquid honey

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

Toss together first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Stir together honey and applesauce; pour over oat mixture and toss. Spread on two baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Stir in raisins, bake another 15 minutes. Cool. Store in airtight container.

Spinach/Grape Salad

Cut about 10 seedless grapes in half. Mix together with two generous tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce. Spread over a bed of fresh spinach. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Delish!

Green Smoothies

Green Smoothies: 1000 times better than they look!

Your basic smoothie is to throw two handfuls of fresh spinach, a cup of cold water, and one frozen banana into the blender. Blend on high until smooth. It’s like getting an extra salad into your body while enjoying a nice drink (you only taste the banana). Once you’ve mastered the basic smoothie, experiment with different fruits. So good.

Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all and store in an airtight container.

Hot Bean Dip

1 can refried beans (check the label. Co-op brand lists only beans, water, and salt under ingredients. You don’t want all that other stuff.)

2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (above)

Mix together and heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes. Lovely with unsalted tortilla chips.

Guacamole:

Peel one avocado and mash it with a fork. Add one minced garlic clove and a squeeze of lime juice. Eat with unsalted tortilla chips. Serves one. Best. Snack. Ever!