Two years ago, I (Bill) created a little cookbook with recipes that are SOS-free using ingredients only in their whole form. We submitted it as a contribution to a Vegan Bundle that Chef AJ and Melissa Maris put together with about 50 other contributors. It was a lot of fun, and now we're making it available, for free, on our website.
Join us to hear more.
The Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) movement has been around for quite a while. But many who adhere to it still use a number of processed ingredients like flour, nut butters or maple syrup, that are not really in their whole food form. They've been processed, and in that, there's almost always some loss of nutrient value.
Nothing terribly wrong with using processed ingredients, but as Connie and I continue on our journey for optimum health, we find that the less processed the ingredients are in our recipes, the better we feel. So, this little cookbook, with 29 recipes, gives you an idea of what can be done without using processed ingredients and still taste FABULOUS!
There are soups and salads, burgers and tacos, Buddha bowls, sauces and dressings, and, of course, Bill's favourite things to be creative with, desserts.
It also talks about why eating food in its Whole form is important, which is why I wanted to create this cookbook: to demonstrate that recipes without the common processed ingredients can be just as quick and easy and taste just as good... if not better!
It also talks about the benefits of fibre, which is often what gets processed out of a whole food, and is completely eliminated in things like sugar and oil.
Most sugar, for example, comes from sugar beets, which is very high in fibre, with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. None of those healthy parts of the beet make it through to the final product though. Such a shame. So, in this cookbook we often sweeten a dish with dates, and by doing that include all the fibre, vitamins, minerals and other healthy parts of the whole food.
Similarly, when oil is pressed from whole olives or avocados, all the fibre, and many of the vitamins, minerals and healthy phytonutrients are taken out. So, in the cookbook, when we want to add some (healthy) fat to the recipe, we use whole nuts or seeds, again retaining all the fibre, vitamins, minerals and other healthy components.
The bottom line of course, like with all of our recommendations, is to listen to your body. If anything we suggest resonates with you, give it a try. But most importantly, listen to how you feel in your body when you do it.
The intelligence in our bodies is our best physician actually, and is always giving feedback... but not in English. So we need to listen on the feeling level for that feedback.
We hope you enjoy this free offer. Just click on the green "Free Cookbook" button in the upper right corner here on our website. And let us know what you think.
The recipe this week is a Mushroom & Greens Stir Fry, using shiitake mushrooms and Bok choy, but you can use any type of mushroom or leafy green. It's wonderfully light and fresh, just prefect as spring is coming on.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Mushroom and Greens Stir Fry (Serves 4)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-inch piece of ginger, minced fine
- 3 cups of shiitake or other mushrooms, cut in slices
- 4 tablespoons filtered water
- 3 baby bok choy, cut in slices
- 2 cups broccoli flowers, cut in pieces
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- 1 8 oz. package mung bean sprouts
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy or red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Thai spices (optional)
In a large pan add garlic, ginger, mushrooms, Thai seasoning, Mrs. Dash or red pepper flakes and filtered water. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until mushrooms begin to soften.
Add bok choy and broccoli. Stir well. Let cook until soft, approximately 10 minutes.
Add green onions, miso and sprouts. Stir well and cook another 5 minutes.
Serve over a cooked grain like brown rice or ramen noodles would be nice too.