I always look forward to the Fourth of July because relatives come to visit us for three days and we just hang out, swim, look at the ocean and watch the fireworks from my back yard!
My brother-in-law surprised me last year with a great story that has come to be known as 'The Oatmeal Story.' He said that after eating oatmeal for breakfast at my house the summer before, he went home and started eating oatmeal for breakfast every day (This was big because he'd always skipped breakfast entirely before this). One year later, he had lost 15 pounds! And this was the only thing he had done different!
Well, a few days ago, while making plans on the phone for this year's trip to Maine, he told me another great development: He has expanded his repertoire to include a fruit and vegetable smoothie, which includes one of my favorite go-to veggies, kale. He also said he's been frequently cooking brown rice and vegetables and vegan entrees. Though he still eats a little meat, he eats it less frequently and in small portions compared with what he used to eat.
And then I just about fell out of my chair when my 180-pound, 6-foot-3 Maine Maritime graduate called himself "vegan-ish," a word coined by Kathy Freston, meaning that you are moving toward a more plant-based (or vegan) way of eating.
So what does a plant-based way of eating look like on Independence Day weekend? At my house, it will include a bounty of fresh food, including Maine-grown beans, beautiful whole-grain salads, vegetable salads and lots of other fresh vegetables and fruit, some from my own garden, some from the Farmer's Market.
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Good
Great
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Summer is officially here. Enjoy celebrating in a healthy, delicious way! (And I'll be eagerly awaiting word on what my brother-in-law is up to next!)
Try the following beautiful dish, for starters:
Summery Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is a protein-rich grain native to South America and it's really a seed, cooked like a whole grain. It only takes 15 minutes to cook, unlike brown rice, barley or other whole grains, which take about an hour. So it's a quick and easy favorite of mine.
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 red pepper (and/or carrot), diced
black olives, diced
1 zucchini
1 cup cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans
1 cup peas
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup wheat-free soy sauce or ½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
Toss ingredients together and enjoy with steamed greens and a soup if desired.
Serves 6.
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Love the recipe, I am not a parsley fan, would replace with celentros. But how do you wash quinona, Meg ? It passes through the sieves, perhaps the one in orgacinc package I do not need to wash ? Thanks..I will let you know...XO
On washing the quinoa... if you buy tru-roots brand, it doesn't need to be washed. Pre-washed? Not sure. If from the bins, then measure it out into a container. Add water to cover, rub the quinoa in circles between your palms a few times and then drain the water. Refill with clean water and cook!
On the parsley ... cilantro is a great substitute. Chopped green onions work well, too.
Have a wonderful weekend, Gypsy!
I will be reviewing your Beautiful new book and posting two more of your recipes this coming week on my Blog at nourishingcuisine.blogspot.com. Thank you for the Delicious ideas!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vegan-guide-to-nyc-2011/id408689259?mt=8
You are a person of few works, but I'll take tasty. Thanks!
I just think that this looks really great for a summer dish! Quick and easy too! I just looked it up in my copy of your new book- will be making it soon!
Definitely going to try that. I just hope the farmer's market has some!
Thanks, Meg--have a wonderful 4th!
If you like mushrooms, you'd love my mushroom soup recipe... I do a newsletter, so please feel free to sign up for it. I'll add the link.
Have you tried spinach and blueberries?
Great post, shall write later after they straighten out their hall monitors.
Where is mine , posted couple of hours ago...don`t you need to be elsewhere ??
A song for you, I will write tomorrow on your blog...this is a song of a rainy night, just soak into the spirit and beautiful music of of Tagore.
http://youtu.be/gUFMVyxRAuA