If you didn’t catch part 1, you can check it out here.
The winner of “Every Day Happy Herbivore” is (by random drawing) Jill! She said “This is my first holiday season since being introduced to a plant-strong way of life by the healthy eating specialist at my local Whole Foods. Curtis showed us how to make a yummy raw apple pie with a date-nut crust, and I brought that to Thanksgiving. I’m looking forward to delving into both of your cookbooks!! Thanks for the recipes!”
Congrats to Jill, not just on winning, but on becoming plant-strong!
You can still enter to win a copy of Lindsay’s new cookbook by commenting on this post, just tell us your favorite plant-strong meal!
Now, on to the interview and more recipes!
Theresa asked: 2 questions: (1) does she have a great cream of mushroom soup (ala almond milk)? (2) From plant-based eater to cookbook goddess, what’s in her near future that we can look forward to?
Linsday: I have a Skillet Green Bean Casserole recipe on happyherbivore.com. Leave off the green beans and you have a cream of mushroom soup and second, you make me blush. I’m writing my third cookbook now. I’ll also be the celebrity chef at a McDougall immersion in Feb and co-hosting an E2 potluck in Austin with Rip (and hopefully Natala!) this March.
Libby asked: Favorite foods/dishes high in iron? (I’ve been plant strong for about 1 1/2 months and have had really dark bluish circles under my eyes a few days here and there… Any clues to what else I might be missing?)
Lindsay: Iron is tricky. According to whfoods.com, If you take your iron with vitamin C, your body will absorb it better. However, if you take your iron with calcium, some research suggests this impairs the absorption. This is further complicated because many iron-rich foods, naturally contain calcium also. Iron, however, should be taken seriously so talk to your Dr, get blood work and make sure you are not anemic or have another condition. My sister was anemic as an omni, and now is anemic being plant-strong. Diet alone has not been able to help my sister. That said iron-rich foods: soy beans (edamame), lentils, spinach, tofu, sesame seeds, chickpeas, lima beans, olives and many more. See whfoods.com for a complete list.
Cheri asked: I also love the cookbook, but I am having some trouble with the baked goods. For example, with the banana bread and pumpkin bread, I am leaving them in the oven until the skewer comes out clean (about 70 minutes in my oven), but they are still very (too) moist in the center. I could leave them in longer, but they are getting very, very brown on the outside, even with the foil tent. Any thoughts about what I am doing wrong or how I might modify the recipe? Actually, since there is not egg in the breads, I still enjoy eating them without concern about doneness, but my family is not as flexible as I am.
Lindsay: Do you have an oven thermometer to confirm the temp in your oven (my oven runs cool — which means even though I turn it to 350, it’s actually only 320 in the oven), sometimes that is the culprit. If your oven temp is fine, you could also try a lower temp for longer. Also make sure you’re using a metal pan, NOT glass.
Ginto asked: How does one get a burger or loaf to stick together and not crumple apart.
Lindsay: You can use vital wheat gluten, it’s a great binder, but often it’s in the prep and shaping. I have a video on happyherbivore.com for how to shape bean burgers so they don’t fall apart and with loaves, you really have to pack those suckers down in there tight pre-baking.
Keri asked: I started a vegan lifestyle 2 months ago and I love it. But I’ve noticed that my fingernails are more brittle and I wonder if this is a correlation? And if so, how do I make sure I’m getting all my nutrients. My thyroid is fine according to recent blood work…which also showed high LDL, but I’m working on that.
Lindsay: Have Dr do a blood workup to see if you’re deficient in anything, or start taking a vegan multi-vitamin to be sure. You can also consult with a nutritionist or RD about what you’re eating, to make sure you’re getting all your nutrients — or do it yourself with an informative book like Julieanna Heaver’s Plant-Based Nutrition book. Interestingly, I had the reverse happen — hair and nails got stronger. Hope yours get stronger soon!
Dawn asked: I am a vegan and sensitive to wheat (I am finding this is a common allergy), so I try not to eat too much of it. If a recipe calls for seitan, what could I substitute? Also, if a recipe calls for flour (e.g. pumpkin, zucchini bread or cupcakes, etc) what type of gluten free flour could I use as a substitute? Finally, please recommend a delicious gluten free tortilla or lavash for my burritos and wraps. PS: I would love it if gluten free substitutes were included in the recipes. Thanks!
Lindsay: There is a great GF substitute for vital wheat gluten here.
As for baking, just use a GF all purpose flour blend (I have a recipe for GF flour blend in my new cookbook) or try oat flour. My friend that is Celiacs uses brown rice tortillas. I think she gets them at Trader Joes. Also, both books are more than 60% GF, and most recipes have suggestions for making it GF.
Katie asked: Lindsay, how did you find vegan restaurants when you travelled through Europe this summer? Many vegan restaurants use oil in their foods, what suggestions do you have for finding foods without oil when traveling?
Lindsay: I did some online research before hand to find any veg restaurants in the cities I was going to, I also asked the tourist information office when I got there, or just browsed menus and asked about ingredients (I speak French and Spanish, and a little German in addition to English. I also had a pocket translator to assist with food words). I always tell them no oil, but I find they don’t love their oil as much over there. Even in Italy, most foods didn’t seem to have oil on them. It was on the table, like salt is in America, but the food didn’t come swimming in oil. I was constantly impressed.
How about some new recipes?
Quick Burgers | makes 4
I developed these burgers in a hotel room: they’re quick, easy and require very few ingredients. (In fact, except for the beans and a seasoning packet, I sourced all the ingredients from the complimentary “breakfast bar”). I make these burgers any time I need a super fast meal or I’m really low on ingredients.
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp onion powder (granulated)
1 tsp garlic powder (granulated)
1/3 c instant oats
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mash black beans with a fork until mostly pureed but still some half beans and bean parts are left. Stir in condiments and spices until well combined. Then mix in oats. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into thin patties with your hands. Bake for 7 minutes, carefully flip over and bake for another 7 minutes, or until crusty on the outside. Slap into a bun with extra condiments and eat!
Chef’s note: If you only have rolled oats, chop them up in a food processor or blender so they are smaller and more like instant oats. Rolled oats left whole tend to make the burgers fall apart.
Per Burger: 109 Calories, 0.5g Fat, 17.6g Carbohydrates, 3g Fiber, 2.2g Sugars, 5g Protein
Spicy Orange Greens | serves 2
The slightly spicy orange sauce in this dish is one of my favorites. You can serve it with any greens you like or have on hand, but collard greens are my favorite to use. For a complete meal, serve over or tossed with noodles.
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp orange marmalade or jam
4 cups greens (any)
Pour water, soy sauce, ginger and red pepper flakes into a skillet. Turn heat to high and saute until the ginger is fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in marmalade and then add chopped greens. Reduce heat to medium and using tongs, turn greens into the sauce. This will help cook the greens down; stop when your greens are bright green and have softened. Serve.
Chef’s Note: Cooked broccoli florets may be substituted for the greens. Toss cooked broccoli with the sauce once it’s been warmed and serve.
Per Serving: 156 Calories, 1.5g Fat, 32g Carbohydrates, 8.8g Fiber, 11.6g Sugars, 10.1g Protein
Sage Gravy | makes 1 1/2 cups
Good over greens, mashed potatoes, faux chicken—anything really. This is my latest go-to gravy.
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1 tbsp rubbed sage (not powdered)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder (granulated)
1/4 tsp onion powder (granulated)
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
dash paprika
1 lemon wedge (juice of)
pinch salt
black or white pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a medium pot, taking care to rub the sage between your fingers to break it down into smaller bits, especially if your brand is a little rustic with bigger leaves and stick pieces (pull out those sticks if you can). Squeeze the juice out of your lemon wedge completely, and discard the rind. Bring gravy to near boil over high heat but just before it boils, immediately turn off the heat and remove the pot to a non-hot burner, stirring it. Taste, adding black or white pepper and salt as desired.
Chef’s Note: Brown rice flour may be substituted for a gluten-free option.
Per Serving (1/4 cup): 29 Calories, 0.3g Fat, 4.7g Carbohydrates, 1.2g Fiber, 1.2g Sugar, 2.6g Protein
We want to thank Lindsay for taking the time to answer so many of your questions! We hope that everyone picks up “Every Day Happy Herbivore“!
And lastly, for those of you on twitter, join us Wednesday December 21st for a plant-strong Holiday party on twitter! Your hosts will be Engine 2, Lindsay Nixon from Happy Herbivore and Julieanna Hever, “The Plant Based Dietitian”!
We will get the party started at 7pm EST. Be sure to follow all of us @engine2diet , @happyherbivore and @PlantDietitian on twitter. We will be answering your questions, giving tips and having a whole lot of plant-strong fun! We might even do a few giveaways!
