Turnip or Rhutabaga Puree

I was reading back issues of Dr. Fuhrman's Healthy Times newsletter and came across the July 2007 issue on Cruciferous Vegetables. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that both turnip roots and rutabaga are cruciferous - I always thought they were starches. Evidently, it is the presence of glucosinolates, sulfur containing compounds, which determines whether or not a vegetable is cruciferous. Since he recommends eating at least one cooked and one raw cruciferous vegetable a day, I have been thinking of ways to do that while adding more variety into my diet. I love kale, collards, broccoli, and cauliflower but was feeling the need to branch out bit, so decided to try turnips and rutabaga steamed and pureed. Pictured below are the turnips. Rutabaga has a yellowish color.

Turnip or Rutabaga Puree*
2 servings

4 medium turnip roots or 1 large rutabaga, scrubbed, peeled
1/2 cup unsweetened organic soy milk, room temperature

Cut turnip roots or rutabaga into 3/4 inch dice and let sit for at least 5 - 10 minutes to release the enzyme myrosinase (click here to learn more). Steam turnips for 20 minutes then immediately place in a food processor with soy milk. Process until smooth. This is the ultimate comfort food!

*If you are trying to decide which root to try, rutabaga are a bit sweeter than turnips.

Happy New Year

I'm not much for New Year's Resolutions, unless of course they turn into permanent resolutions, which usually they do not. But I do think that the start of a new year is a great time for reminding ourselves of what we are committed to in all areas of our life.

Two years ago I read Eat to Live by Joe Furhrman, MD and absolutely loved the book. Several months later I took the plunge and started his 6 week plan and within a couple of weeks noticed excess pounds drop away. I stopped having headaches and fatigue in the afternoon, and my summer allergies greatly improved. Over this past summer I fell off the wagon here and there. Salt, dark chocolate, and vegan desserts are my worst enemies. I realized a few months ago that I had added on about 7 pounds in the past year and last month I decided to recommit to healthy eating. Simply by cutting out excess salt and my weekly organic dark chocolate bar, I dropped 4 pounds in a week - mostly water I am sure as I was eating salt at every meal.

So in order to stay motivated I plan on trying some new Eat to Live recipes and posting photos of them here along with recipes that are easily adaptable to ETL. Enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

Golden Austrian Cauliflower Cream Soup from
Dr. Fuhrman.com Member's Recipe Guide
Absolutely delicious. I made this for Christmas dinner.

Asparagus Spinach Dip
from Veganomicon
Popular with omnis and vegans, I omitted the oil and salt and this dip turned out absolutely delicious. The small amount of capers provided more than enough salty taste. Expensive to make if you use organic spinach, but absolutely worth it for a special occasion!


Sun Dried Tomato Dip
from Veganomicon
Another crowd pleaser and literally comes together in minutes. This was an enormous hit when I took it to a potluck. I love the fact that is is made with white beans. Be sure to use unsalted sun dried tomatoes if you are following ETL.

White Bean and Escarole Soup
from Vegan Express
I simply omitted the olive oil called for and sauteed my onions in water. I used organic canned beans which had no added salt. Easy and delicious for a busy winter evening!