Happy humpday! Having just spent a solid two hours working on impossible dilution problems with my fellow post-baccs, I can officially say that I’m glad the week is drawing to a close.

Today’s recipe—a scrumptious and filling brown rice salad with edamame, broccoli, and a citrus miso dressing—was mostly an accident. I made rice this weekend, as is my custom: every Saturday or Sunday, I use my rice cooker to whip up a few batches of whole grain, which I then go on to use in salads, grain salads, or on their own throughout the week. As the rice was cooking, I also made some freshly squeezed OJ for a salad dressing that I had been thinking about:

As soon as I had the dressing in hand, it occurred to me that it might be good with the rice. And since no meal in my home is complete without a preposterous number of vegetables, I began rummaging through my fridge for some color and crunch.

By the time this salad was done, it occurred to me that the best and easiest vegan dinners come together precisely this way: make a whole grain. Add flavor in the form of dressing or seasoning. Consider a protein source—in this case, edamame. Add vegetables. Lots of them. It’s really that simple. I’ve been cooking vegan for so long that I forget how hard it is to for people who are accustomed to structuring dinners around animal proteins to begin constructing vegan meals instead. If you’re in that boat, consider the steps above my super-speedy primer!

And consider this meal as a contender for your next dinner.

Brown Rice, Edamame, and Broccoli Salad with Citrus Miso Dressing (vegan, gluten free)

Serves 4 generously

For the dressing:

2/3 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed if you can)
3 T mellow white miso (or any miso)
2 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 T agave or maple syrup
1 T tahini

For the salad:

1 cup brown rice (dry)
1 1/2 cups edamame, frozen and shelled
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
Orange slices (optional)

1) Cook the rice according to stovetop or rice cooker instructions. Fluff and set aside.

2) While rice cooks, blend all dressing ingredients together till smooth.

3) Put a steamer insert into a medium pot of water, and bring to a boil. Steam the edamame till tender, then add broccoli and cabbage. Steam just until crisp-tender.

4) Add steamed vegetables to the rice. Pour at least 1/2 cup dressing over salad, and more to taste (I used most of it). Mix well. Serve warm or cold, and garnish with fresh orange pieces!

Check out the fantastic, bright colors of this dish!

A dinner bowl to savor. Along with a little fresh salad, of course!

This meal is quick, easy, and full of vibrant flavor, color, and nutrition. Rice provides hearty whole grain sustenance, while edamame delivers a protein boost. The cabbage and broccoli both provide vitamin C, along with powerful antioxidants.

Before I go, a HUGE thanks to all who participated in last night’s fabulous VegNews twitter chat. It was inspiring and a lot of fun. The transcript, for those of you who couldn’t join in, will be up soon, and I’ll share the link so that you can see what you missed!

xo

Thank you for such a wonderful and warm response to Heather’s Green Recovery story! I thought it was so enthusiastic and inspiring. I’m also glad that it prompted so many thoughtful comments on how important it is to be careful when commenting upon another person’s appearance. I personally try to comment on appearances as little as possible; if a friend seems particularly radiant or well, I’m far more likely to exclaim “you seem so energetic and positive!” than say “you look great!” Some might find this aversion to physical commentary a little extreme, but I’ve experienced firsthand how discomfiting aesthetic criticisms and compliments can be, and I file it under the category of doing unto others as I would have them do to me.

Here, as a community, we’ve all applauded each other’s recovery efforts and triumphs. But let’s also remember that we can contribute to a cultural dialog that is less likely to instigate and fuel eating disorders by avoiding “fat talk,” physical commentary, offhand remarks about weight loss, and judgments of how much other people eat.

Weeks ago, before returning home for my winter break, I mentioned that I’d be without a food processor or high speed blender. As terrifying as life without a Cuisinart may have seemed at the time, I can’t say it’s been too much of a problem. I’ve been eating out a lot, first of all. Second, I don’t give myself enough credit for creativity: I did, after all, “go raw” with only a decade old processor and a few sharp knives. I’m good at making simple soups, salads, and slaws the cornerstone of my diet. I always have been. These foods satisfy me profoundly, and they’re simple to make.

This recipe is a perfect example of the sort of raw food dish that anyone can make. It does not matter how big your kitchen is, or how much experience you have with raw: this recipe is as siple as shredded cabbage and whisking together a dressing. I personally like to marinade the collard leaves for this recipe, as I think it softens them nicely, but you could also flash steam them or leave them as they are.

If you do choose to marinade the collard leaves, you’ll want to do it about 3-4 hours (or more) before you make this dish. The marinade itself should be about 2 teaspoons olive oil, the juice of a large lemon, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Before I get a collective freakout for the oil, let me ‘splain: the leaves won’t remain covered in marinade! You’ll be wiping them off before serving. The idea is simply to soften them and to give them just a tiny bit of flavor. Again, you can skip this step if you want. I think the marinade enriches this recipe, but you could of course do as I do in my raw collard wraps, and leave them plain.

So: mix together 2 tsps olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt. Pour marinade on a plate. Cover with about 3-4 collard leaves (washed and dried), and flip the leaves around to coat them all. Leave on the marinade plate for about 3-4 hours.

When it comes time to make your wraps, lay a paper towel on your prep surface. Place a marinated leaf over it, and mop up excess marinade with a second paper towel.

And now, you’re ready to roll. Literally.

Peanut Cabbage Roll Ups (high raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Serves 1-2

3 large collard leaves, marinated and removed of excess marinade (per above)
1 1/4 cup white cabbage, shredded
1 1/4 cup red cabbage, shredded
Generous handful cilantro, chopped
3-4 tbsp quick and easy peanut sauce

1) Cut each collard leaf in half

2) Mix the cabbages, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl with about 3-4 tbsp of the peanut sauce. You can vary how much you use depending on how “saucy” you want the filling to be (he he).

4) Layer about 1/3 cup filling on one end of a half leaf. Roll the leaf up with the filling inside; you don’t have to bother with the normal collard wrap process. The point of this recipe is ease!

5) Serve with a nutrient dense salad, a side of steamed vegetables and beans, or a whole grain!

Who knew that raw, vegan food could be so quick, so simple, and so tasty?!

Hope you guys try this recipe! It would also make for a very easy high-raw, vegan appetizer or party food.

Today is the week anniversary of 2012’s arrival. Doesn’t time fly? This year, I shared some cautionary thoughts about unrealistic dietary resolutions. In your comments, many of you pointed out that, while crash diets are no good, there are certain kinds of resolutions and commitments that can feel really inspiring at this time of year. In keeping with that sentiment, I’d like to share three approaches to resolutions and greeting a new year that really impressed me this week.

1) The Year I Stopped Chasing Skinny, by the sassy, sexy, and stupendous JL of JL Goes Vegan.

In this brave post, JL opens up about how 2011 was the year in which she stopped dieting, accepted a weight at which her body is comfortable and healthy, and learned to fall in love with her most authentic shape. Many of my readers have expressed to me that they have spent years and years pursuing a weight that is just below what their body can maintain naturally and effortlessly. If it seems to you that the weight your body seems to maintain on its own is always five or ten pounds more than the weight you want, and if you’ve been dieting, restricting, or over-exercising as a result, I urge you to please read JL’s words.

We’re all socialized to think “thinner is better”: this year, accept that all of us have a spectrum of healthy weights, and that the lowest number is not always the healthiest or most honest.

2) 10 Questions Animal Activists Should Ask Themselves, by Jasmin Singer of Our Hen House

An essential post for early 2012. Jasmin, one of the two energetic and innovative co-founders of Our Hen House, encourages all activists to question whether or not they’re doing everything possible to help animals this year (and in general). What I’ve learned from Jasmin and Mariann is that we all have the power to be activists, so I believe this post is relevant to everyone who cares about animal rights (or another important personal cause). Aside from the big, leading question—Am I effectively doing what I can in my life to change the world for animals?—Jasmin also asks more subtle and thought-provoking questions, like “Do I have a safe space around me — through my romantic relationship or my social circles, or even online — in which to express my fears and desires as they pertain to my animal activism?”

3) Resolutions (and Chocolate Rice Pudding) by Alyson Kramer of Manifest Vegan

The brilliance of this characteristically aesthetic and articulate post (Alyson, if you don’t know her already, is a fabulous vegan chef) is its effortless avoidance of superficiality. Rather than launching into a laundry list of ways in which she intends to shed pounds or tone up, Alyson avows basic self-acceptance, and then lists a few ways in which she hopes to enrich, but not improve, herself. She intends to learn French, do more art, work on a second book, and tune out naysaying about her lifestyle in 2012. I can’t think of better and more well rounded intentions.

I hope that we can all take inspiration from these fabulous ladies’ and their hopes for the new year. And of course, I’d love to hear how you intend to deepen your activism in 2012, and enrich your life?

xo

I’m so glad there’s so much enthusiasm over Lulu’s Chocolate! The deal is still up on Vegan Cuts, so do stop by and take advantage soon if you haven’t already.

Doesn’t the photo above just scream “autumn?” OK, well, to me it does. This may not be apple pie or pumpkin soup, but it sure does take advantage of some of the season’s best produce (fresh apples and purple cabbage), and it marries them with the bite of a little ginger. A quick, easy, and satisfying lunch roll!

This roll would work just as well with some collard leaves in place of the nori (nori is my latest obsession, but it’s not the only way to make this recipe work) or even some romaine leaves. It would taste great with a wide variety of nut pates or dips (I think my zesty orange cashew cheese would be great) and hummus (like my sweet potato hummus) would be a great substitute if you’re allergic to tree nuts or seeds, or if you want a lower fat/higher protein version.

The sunflower and ginger pate I use here is very simple. Feel free to embellish with spices, chopped vegetables, or even some dried fruit.

Super-Simple Gingery Sunflower Seed Pate (raw, vegan, gluten free)

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 2 hours or more
1 tsp ginger powder OR 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or nama shoyu or tamari)
Juice of half a lemon
2/3 cup water

Combine the first four ingredients in a food processor and combine well. Scrape the sides of the bowl, run the motor, and add the water until the pate reaches the consistency you like. Depending on how long you soaked the seeds, you may need less water or more than 2/3 cup.

For the rolls, you’ll want:

• 2 sheets nori
• 4 large romaine leaves
• 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 shredded carrot
• 1 small gala, Fuji, cameo, or other seasonal, organic apple!

Cut the vein out of the romaine leaves. Layer about 2-3 tbsp of the pate along the bottom third of the nori sheet. Place the romaine on top, and then pile it high with half of the veggies and apple. Roll the sheet up from the bottom, seal edges with water, and repeat with the other nori sheet.

And voila!

Check out all of that crisp, fresh, seasonal goodness. Oh, how I love apples!

Serving suggestions: I’d pair this with a big salad and about a half cup of lentils or beans. It would also work nicely with some steamed or raw broccoli and some of my cheesy sauce, or with a cup of autumnal soup (I’m really into my raw butternut squash and apple right now; I’m also a fan of my cauliflower and parsnip soup with cashew cream).

Note that when I give serving suggestions like the above, it’s to help you figure out what to do with raw meal components! Many new raw foodists don’t really know how to add bulk to some of their lighter culinary creations, or how to create a “full meal” from something like a collard wrap. That’s what I’m here for

Before I go, I want to draw special attention to a post that touched me yesterday. This year, fellow blogger Susan of The Great Balancing Act was diagnosed with
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the lympathic system that is treatable through chemotherapy. Susan is currently going through her rounds of chemo, and she is doing it with grace, humor, and wisdom. I couldn’t be more impressed with her attitude: having seen my own mother through chemo, and now that I watch dozens of children experience it daily as a pediatric hospital volunteer, I know well how much energy and courage it takes to remain positive throughout the process.

Susan’s blog, like many blogs, began as a weight loss/healthy living blog. Two days ago, she shared a few words on how illness, chemotherapy, and recovery have impacted her weight and her attitude toward her weight. I like to think that my blog is all about the intersections between health and body image, and for that reason, I encourage my readers to check the post out. It’s a wonderful reminder to all of us that we’re lucky to inhabit the bodies we like to fret over. As I move closer toward the dream of a career in health care, I’m ever more aware of how precious good health is. This makes me more committed to the lifestyle choices that matter to me, but it also makes me appreciate the sheer good fortune of having food to eat, and senses with which to savor it.

Thanks, Susan, for the perspective!

xo

Happy Monday! Hope your weekends were pleasant, and that you’re welcoming the early chill of fall (if you’re in the Northeast) with as much glee as I am.

Since everyone was so unbelievably excited about Saturday’s red grape and almond gazpacho, I thought I’d tell you all about what I did with my leftover grapes. Grapes don’t come cheaply from Whole Foods, and rather than packing them up as boring little school snacks, I figured I’d get creative, and put them to use in another recipe. What I came up with was one of my favorite recent salads.

I mentioned in my last post that my holy trinity of taste seems to be tart, salty, and sweet: I love acid and a hint of sweetness in my recipes, and though I try to cook with reasonable and even minimal amounts of sodium, I do love how salt can brighten the flavors of a solid dish. This salad happens to embody all of those qualities: its dressing, a tahini lemon and curry mix, is delicious and surprising, and it works beautifully with the sweetness of the red grapes AND raisins in this salad (yes, I decided to make it a grape double-header).

M’s vote on this one was that it wanted a little more green; I liked the way red cabbage and carrot dominated here, if only because it’s a departure from my usual green bowls, but you could definitely nix some of the carrot and amp up the romaine if you like. Dress it lightly, dress it heavy—no matter what you do, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.

Curried Carrot and Grape Slaw (raw, vegan, gluten and soy free)

Serves 4

4 large carrots, grated
1/2 small red cabbage (or a quarter of a larger one), shredded
1 heaping cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup red grapes, quartered
1/3 cup raisins

For the dressing:

4 tbsp tahini
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp curry powder
1/3 cup water
2 tsps tamari
1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup

Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, then coat well with the dressing. If you have too much dressing for your taste, and want to reserve some, it should last a week in the fridge.

Speaking of things that last, this salad will keep nicely overnight, unlike most of my salad concoctions, so feel free to make it in advance or use your leftovers generously. The flavors will be even more “married” on day two, and you’ll still have a deliciously creamy texture:

Tangy, salty, sweet, and full of crunch and texture? It doesn’t get much better. If you were to add some crispy tempeh cubes or eggplant bacon to this salad, though, or if you were to top it with a nice heap of lentils—well, it might actually get a little better. However you serve it, this one’s a winner!

Alright folks. My first Orgo exam is tonight, so please, send me your good luck wishes! I’m going to need them.

xo

Ah, simplicity.

It seems that everywhere we look, we’re being encouraged to simplify our lives: to streamline our to-do lists, to downsize our list of obligations, to clean out our closets. I can think of at least four yoga classes in the last two months that have begun with the injunction to simplify, simplify, simplify.

We all want lives that are simple and streamlined: lives in which all of our priorities have magically been distilled from needless anxieties or obligations. But of course, it’s easier said than done. These days, for example, there’s nothing I’d like more than a simple and streamlined existence. But I can’t have one–and I can think of a whole lot of women who have far more obligations than I do!

The one area of my life in which I can have simplicity, though, is in what I eat. Now as always, nothing makes me happier than food that is prepared as simply and as minimally as possible. And it seems that, the busier and more hectic life is, the more I crave simple, nourishing foods.

The following recipe is a perfect example of culinary simplicity. Vegetables, lemon, sea salt: does it get any better–or more simple than this?

Stuffed Napa Cabbage Leaves (serves 2)

4 Napa Cabbage leaves
1 large avocado, cubed
2 large steamed/baked beets, cubed
1 carrot, grated
1 cup pea shoots, chopped
1 tbsp flax/hemp oil
2 tbsp agave
1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients except for the cabbage together in a bowl. Scoop into 4 cabbage leaves, and savor.

I shared this recipe with the amazing women who participated in the Choosing Raw + Spark Wellness January cleanse (which is almost finished, and had amazing results!), and they all loved it.

We can’t always simplify our lives. But if we can’t make life less complicated, we can certainly un-complicate what’s on our plates. Today, tomorrow, and always, let’s all return to the basics: vegetables, juices, fruits, legumes, grains. Enjoy them with as little fuss, as little stress, and as little work as you can. Bon appetit, everyone!

xo