I LOVE this smoothie. It’s as close to egg nog as a vegan can get 🙂
Grind in blender 2/3 cup raw almond, cashew, or macadamia nuts, soaked overnight and drained or add 2/3 cup nut butter. When finely ground, add 6 dates, pitted or 1/2 cup chopped dates and continue processing until dates are finely chopped.
Add to blender and puree until smooth
Eating out can often be the undoing of a good UnDiet day. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Once you understand the principles of The UnDiet you can eat anywhere and make choices that will support your weight loss and health goals.
Before ordering an appetizer or drink peruse the menu and decide whether you’ll be having a Protein, Starch or Neutral (veggies, nuts, tofu) meal, then order your appetizer and drinks accordingly.
When the waiter comes to the table, ask if there are any whole grain breads which can be substituted for some or all (depending on who you’re eating with) of the bread in the bread basket. If not, or if you’re having a Protein Meal, don’t eat from the bread basket.
If you don’t think you can survive watching everyone else eat from the bread basket, order Fruit juice, vegetable juice drink or UnDiet favorable appetizer (small salad, veggie plate, Fruit …). If you really feel you need a treat, order a glass of wine and a bottle of sparkling water and mix the two.
Since few restaurants use whole grains, you’ll find that it’s usually easier to choose a Protein or Neutral Meal when eating out.
A burger is fine, just ask the waiter to bring it without the bun (it’s easier to not eat something that’s you never even see).
A tuna or chicken salad alone or on greens is a good choice, just don’t order it as a sandwich filling.
And of course there’s steak, shrimp, chicken, etc. dishes. Just make sure they don’t contain any breading. Don’t worry about the fat in these dishes.
A baked potato topped with butter, salsa, tomato pasta sauce, bruschetta or veggies makes a good Starch Meal, especially with a side salad or all vegetable dish from the a-la-carte menu. Even a little sour cream or cheese is okay.
It is next to impossible to find a soup in a restaurant that perfectly conforms to the UnDiet guidelines, so I suggest that you make your best choice and don’t worry about things like the fact that your bean soup is made with chicken broth. Many soups are hearty enough to make a meal, especially if you add a salad, or a sandwich (if you can get it on whole grain bread and the soup is Neutral or Starch).
If rice, potatoes or pasta comes with your meal ask the waiter to replace them with vegetables, preferably grilled or steamed but take whatever you can get.
I love this wrap. It’s so versatile. You add your favorite pizza toppings so there are endless variations. It’s fun to lay out the toppings and let everybody build their own wrap.
This wrap can be either Protein, Starch or Vegetarian depending on what you top it with. While the tortilla is a Starch it is little enough that it is okay with Protein toppings, although not okay if you’re on a low carb diet.
Place several slices of mozzarella cheese (dairy or soy) on top of a whole wheat tortilla. Add any combination of your favorite pizza toppings.
Suggested toppings:
Roll tortilla tightly around toppings and place seam side down in hot pan lightly coated with olive oil. Turn when browned and brown the other side.
The lemon zest gives this rice a sweet lemon flavor, without the acidic bite of lemon juice.
Brown 2 cups uncooked brown rice in 1 tablespoon butter until rice is a slightly darker tan color.
Add and bring to boil
Cover and simmer until rice is cooked. Remove from heat and stir in finely grated zest from 4 lemons (make sure not to get any of the white pith with the zest).
This filling has a peanutty taste with less fat than peanut butter and is more digestible than peanut butter alone.
Puree until smooth
Use filling to:
Variations:
In heavy-bottomed saucepan boil until thickened to the consistency of maple syrup 1/2 cup unrefined sugar and 1/2 cup water.
It will thicken considerably when cooled. Whisk in up to 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1-2 teaspoons vanilla.
Optional: stir in 2-4 tablespoons of butter.
The bulk of your food intake should come from the top of this inverted pyramid, adding steps as your taste and lifestyle demand, with the foods at the bottom two layers of the pyramid figuring into your life only occasionally. Click onto each area of the pyramid to move to recipes using that food group.
Print this chart out and tape it to the inside of a kitchen cupboard where you can refer to it easily. If you need a little extra motivation you may want to put it on that most glorious and effective of bulletin boards – the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spoon very thick mashed potatoes (or cauliflower mashed “potatoes”) into a piping bag or into a ziplock bag, then cut the corner off. Pipe onto a buttered baking sheet in whatever shape you like. Bake until golden brown.
Even quicker – scoop potatoes with an ice-cream scoop onto buttered baking sheet and bake.
Before spooning into the piping bag stir one of the following into the mashed potatoes:
Amazing what kinds of things you’ll think up when you have hungry kids, little time and even less patience. Necessity is the mother of … good recipes 🙂
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt a little extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a flameproof casserole dish or Dutch oven.
Add 4 cups fresh or frozen chopped vegetables and saute until al dente.
Turn off heat and stir in
Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese over top of casserole and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
This recipe is so easy to vary and have a completely different dish each time. Below are some of my favorites, but please add to the Comments if you come up with a winner.
Broccoli with Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery Soup
Mushrooms with Cream of Mushroom Soup
California Veggie Mix with Cream of Celery Soup
Cauliflower with any cream soup
Asparagus with Cream of Asparagus, Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery Soup
Cut vegetables into matchsticks using a knife or mandoline. Place cut vegetables in a colander in the sink. Cook whole grain pasta with a big pinch of sea salt until al dente. Pour boiling water and pasta into colander over the vegetables. Transfer pasta and vegetables back into pot and toss with your choice of:
