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!

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

This is a slow cooker, no/low fat, vegan version of the Tuscan White Bean Soup recipe that I found on the Care2 website. I love the combination of white beans and rosemary. I have made this recipe both on the stove top and in the slow cooker and the texture and flavor are by far better when this recipe is made in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

1 pound dried white navy beans
olive oil spray or vegetable broth for sauteeing leeks
3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, washed well and chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 carrots, scrubbed and diced
5 cups water + 2 veg bullion cubes, or 5 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Pick over and rinse white beans then soak them in water over night. Drain and rinse. On the stove top, in a large skillet sprayed with olive oil or splashed with vegetable broth, cook leeks over medium-high heat until they soften. Add celery, garlic, and carrots and cook until they start to soften, stirring frequently. Transfer above items to a slow cooker. Add beans and vegetable broth. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. When done cooking, use an immersion blender to puree about half of the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, at the table.

Spinach and White Bean salad

This is a veganized, almost no-fat, version of a recipe that I found on Epicurious. For the original recipe and reviews click here. This salad is truly a one dish meal. The flavors are so wonderful that all it needs is some balsamic vinegar for dressing. Anything more tastes like overkill to me. I also baked some mini-loaves of bread to go with it, but the salad alone was plenty.

Spinach and White Bean Salad

Makes 4 main dish servings or 8 side dish servings.

1 1/2 cups dried white beans (navy or canellini)
olive oil spray
1 yellow onion, finely chopped or sliced
5 ounce bag of washed, baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes, not oil packed
15-20 garlic cloves, peeled*
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

Prior to preparing your salad, soak the beans for 8-12 hours, then cook them on low for 6-8 hours in a crockpot. (I usually do this the night before I plan to prepare my salad.) The slow cooking will allow the beans to maintain their shape and will produce a wonderful flavor that just cannot be replicated by canned beans. When the beans are done cooking, gently drain them and rinse them with cold water. Set aside to cool completely.

Heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a small oven safe covered casserole dish with olive oil spray. Place garlic cloves in dish, then cover and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool when done.

While the garlic is cooking, spray a skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden. Set aside.

In a large salad bowl, gently combine all ingredients. This salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days as long as it is covered tightly and not dressed with vinegar until served.

*To save time in last minute preparation, buy freshly peeled garlic cloves and cook garlic, onions, and/or beans a day or so in advance.