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I Don't Have Time To Make Breakfast Overnight Oats

Are you just too busy in the morning to make breakfast? Have to get to work super early? Or just not a morning person?  I hear you.  When I have to be at work EARLY in the morning (like before I even really want to be out of bed), I rely on this overnight oat recipe for breakfast.  All the goodness of oatmeal, in a convenient to-go container, that basically "cooks" itself.   Since we are talking about being too busy to make breakfast, you probably don't have a lot of time to read a long post either.  So, let's skip the chatter and get right to it.

Here is what we are making:

What You Need:

1/2 cup oatmeal (I use thick cut rolled oats. Sorry, steel cut oats won't work here)
1 tablespoon chia seeds*
3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
1-2 tablespoons nut butter (almond butter used here)
2 teaspoons nuts or seeds (pepitas used here)
2 teaspoons dried or fresh fruit** (dried cherries used here)

*Optional, but helps absorb any left over liquid, gives it a nice texture, and adds some fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Ground flax seed could be substituted here.
**add fresh fruits in the morning just before eating

Mix all of the ingredients together in container that has a lid (mason jars work well for this), shake it up, then pop it in the fridge.  The oats and chia seeds will absorb the milk while you sleep.  In the morning grab your mason jar and a spoon, breakfast is ready!  

Other combos that I love:
1. Raisins, peanut butter, and cinnamon
2. nutmeg and fresh bananas
3. dried blueberries, lemon zest (added in the morning), and almonds
4. peanut butter and jelly
5. honey, cinnamon, and fresh apples

Really anything works, use whatever you like!

OK, time for me to get a batch ready for tomorrow morning.  I hope you give this recipe a try.  Feel free to leave your favorite combos in the comments.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G


PS.  I am finishing my last busy month of residency in about a week, so I am hoping to really increase my posting frequency soon.  In the meantime follow me on Instagram for almost daily posts.

Lemony Spring Time Rice Salad

Spring is here!!! Despite the chilly New England weather, I am still going to start enjoying some light, fresh, spring foods.  But seriously, if it snows one more time this spring I am going to lose it.  The lemon and peas in this recipe will bring spring to your plate, even if mother nature insists on making winter last a little longer.  This rice salad has enough nutrients and protein to be a meal if you want or enjoy it as a side dish.  Either way, make extra for leftovers, it's even better the next day and packs up easily for lunch.  BTW, this is a great way to use up leftover rice or vegetables from another meal.  

Here is what we are making: 

Lemony Spring Time Rice Salad

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
1 cup cooked and cooled wild rice
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked peas (frozen or fresh)
1 15oz can artichoke hearts, quartered
2 carrots, in ribbons* or shredded
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted and diced
2 scallions, diced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

*use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons

As always, use whatever vegetables or herbs you like and leave out the ones you don't like.  It's your salad, do it your way!

 Dressing Ingredients:

1 lemon*, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey to taste
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
salt to taste
pepper to taste

*you can use orange or lime juice if lemon is not your thing


Simply whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.







Put all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss well, then pour on the dressing and toss again.  Done!  The longer it sits, the better it tastes.  I'm not sure that this counts as cooking...














Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Power Balls

Looking for a new pre or post workout snack?  Give these energy packed peanut butter oatmeal power balls a try.  Speaking of working out...what are you doing for exercise?

Take a look at what we are making, then let's chat about exercise:

To keep your body healthy you have to be physically active, period.  There is just not such thing as an inactive healthy body; eating healthy food alone is not enough.  If you are a gym rat, a cross fitter, a runner, etc, good for you, keep up the good work!  But, if exercise is not your thing, there is good news for you.  No one says you have to spend hours a day on an elliptical or lifting weights in the gym to be healthy.  All you really need to do is walk. The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps per day for weight management and cardiovascular health.  If you are not physically active already, this is a great beginning goal.  If walking is too boring for you, try swimming, dancing, kayaking, paddle boarding, or zumba.  I like to call these activities leisure-sizing. If you are looking for something a little more soothing try yoga, tai chi, or qigong.  As an osteopathic physician I was taught that wellness and health requires balance of the mind, body, and spirit and these practices are a great way to achieve balance while exercising.

Now that you are ready to get a workout in, let's power up with this fun snack (they also make for a great breakfast).

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Power Balls

For 6 balls you will need:
3/4 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons powered pressed peanuts*
2 tablespoons water*
2 teaspoons of dried goji berries
2 teaspoons of cacao nibs

* you can substitute 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of warm water to thin it
















Dissolve the peanut powder with the water and then mix in the oats, cacao nibs, and goji berries.   The oats should be slightly damp, but not soggy.   Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture in your hands and form it into a ball.  Repeat until you have used all of the mixture.







These can be enjoyed right away or stored in the refrigerator for later.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

It's National Doctor's Day! My Reflections on the Process of Becoming a Doctor

National Doctor's Day

Happy National Doctor's Day to my fellow doctors out there!  Who knew that there was even such a thing as Doctor's Day?  I found out on social media, typical.  Today seems like a good day to pause for a moment to think about my educational journey and what it means to me to be a doctor.  I am writing this today because those who know me well, know that medical school and residency training have been brutal.  It's supposed to be brutal, it's how you learn and grow as a physician.  In the everyday grind and long hours, it is easy to forget why I went into medicine at all.  But, when I take a minute to reflect, I remember what lead me to a career in medicine and why I still love it today.  Here is some of my story:

When I started medical school at the age of 24 I thought for sure that I wanted to be an OB/GYN.  I was interested in the birth process and thought that catching babies was going to be the best thing ever.  After my 3rd year clinical training, I quickly decided that OB/GYN was not for me.  When I really thought about it, I realized that what drew me to OB/GYN was this thought that I was going to be taking care of a family at its very beginning and that was going to be magical.  Instead what I got on my OB/GYN month was: me rushing in to deliver a baby, handing it off to mom and then never taking direct care of the baby again.  It actually made me sad.  As a family medicine doctor I get to meet my patients before they get pregnant, do their obstetrical care, deliver their baby, and then care for mom and baby after.  I also get to care for dad, grandma, uncle, and older sister too. It is awesome.  As it turned out, what I really love doing is taking care of entire families; "cradle to grave".  I'm glad that I figured that out before I graduated from medical school.  

After medical school I started my family medicine residency training.  During that time I have cared for patients in clinic settings, ORs, ERs, hospitals, birthing units, urgent cares, ICUs, etc., and I think that I have finally found my true passion within family medicine.  In case it is not obvious, my passion is using food and lifestyle for disease prevention, health maintenance, and chronic disease treatment.  I spent the first few years of my training focusing on learning how to screen people for illness, and then how to treat them with pills and procedures.  The concept of disease prevention seemed so impossible in the beginning.  I thought that I could never encourage people to take better care of their bodies.  To be honest, at that time, I wasn't taking very good care of my own body either.

In the US today it seems like a normal thing for people to develop heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. We kind of joke about it when we are admitting a patient to the hospital.  We say things like, "this is a 67 y/o female, she has all of the "regular" medical problems: obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease status post CABG (aka she has heart disease and had bypass surgery), diabetes on insulin, and chronic kidney disease. She is presenting today with chest pain...again".  It took me a year and a half as a resident to stop and think: "actually, none of those diseases are normal or the 'regular things'."  It is normal to be healthy.  It is normal to not take pills everyday.  At this point, my mind was blown.  You pretty much know what happened after that.  I started with myself first by eating a plant based diet, getting more regular exercise, and managing my stress (that is a daily struggle still).  Then I started to encourage my patients to work towards a disease preventing lifestyle as well...which is a work in progress.  Now I am dabbling with social media to see if I can get even more people moving toward health.

For me becoming a doctor has been a long and difficult journey.  I am grateful for all of the experiences, good and bad, that have brought me to this point though.  I am pumped to be finishing my residency this summer and to move on to the next chapter in my career.  "The best is yet to come..."

Thanks for following along and for reading!

Best health,

Dr. G

Candied Rosemary Nuts - A slightly healthier version and what you need to know about coconut oil!

I eat a lot of nuts...almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts...

Usually I eat roasted unsalted nuts as a healthy snack.  I sprinkle them on oatmeal, eat them by the handful, or have a few with some fruit.  As a treat or a hidden gem in a salad, I occasionally eat candied nuts.  Sometimes even I have a sweet tooth!  I had never tried to candy nuts on my own, but I found a recipe in a cookbook that I received as a gift and decided to give it a try.  I doctored it up a bit (aka lessened the sugar and substituted coconut oil for the butter) and came up with this awesome recipe.

Nuts, by the way, are a great source of healthy fats and minerals such as iron and magnesium.  They are also a decent source of protein and fiber.  Best of all there is an association with nut consumption and decreased rates of heart disease and diabetes.  This blog is supposed to be more about the food than the science, but for those of you who are interested here is the science: Nuts may help prevent death

Check out what we are making:

I used coconut oil as the fat source in this recipe. People often ask me, "What is the deal with coconut oil?"  "Is it a health food? or does it clog arteries?".  The answer is that coconut oil is not a health food and it does clog arteries, BUT less so than butter.  Coconut oil is high in saturated fat which in turn increases LDL (bad) cholesterol.  Though it does not seem to cause spikes in inflammation like saturated fats from animal sources.  Again, if you want more of the science check out this video: Does coconut oil clog arteries?  FYI the first minute or so is about Alzheimer's but then gets into the cholesterol and weight gain data.

So, basically, I made this recipe a little healthier with coconut oil in place of butter, but still not healthy.  These nuts are super delicious though, that counts for something, right?

Candied Rosemary Nuts

Here is what you need:

1 pound of unsalted raw nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, and almonds used here)

1/3 cup brown sugar 

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

pinch of salt to taste

Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and pop them into a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.

While the nuts are in the oven mix the sugar, oil, and rosemary together in a large bowl.

When the nuts are lightly roasted, remove them from the oven and pour them into the bowl with the sugar, oil, and rosemary.  Toss the nuts in the mixture until they are evenly coated.  

Spread the nuts back onto the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and set them aside to cool.  

Once cooled, enjoy...but in moderation.  Though nuts are a healthy food, they are high in fat and calories aaaannnnnnddddd we coated these nuts with sugar and oil increasing the calorie count even more.  

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G 

Soba Noodle Bowls! And a reflection from my most recent month on the inpatient medicine service

I seriously love soba noodle bowls!  If you have never had soba noodles before, they are a Japanese style noodle made of buckwheat.  Buckwheat, by the way, is a complete protein food (contains all essential amino acids) and is a good source of thiamine. Soba noodle bowls are quick and easy to make, can be made with any vegetables you like, and taste great with a variety of sauces.  In this post I am going to share my 3 favorite sauces for this bowl, generous of me, I know.

Let me show you what we are making...but then you have to read my deep thoughts before we get into the recipe.

Looks fresh and delicious right?

My deep thoughts:

As a resident I spend a month at a time working in different parts of the hospital and various clinics.  I just finished a month taking care of patients admitted to the hospital with various illnesses.  While I was on service, my team admitted a patient that I personally have taken care of in the hospital every year of my training.  We can call him Mr. X.  Mr. X is a 60 something year old man, he is morbidly obese, has diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure.  He was being admitted for a decompensation of his heart failure...again.  He has a weak heart and it can't keep up with pumping blood through his body, so fluid backs up in his lungs, legs, and even the skin of his lower abdomen.  He comes into the hospital for weeks at a time to get IV medications to help him remove the extra fluid from his body.

 Mr. X is an example of a person who has developed at least 7 serious medical conditions that could have likely been prevented or at the very least minimized by a whole food plant based diet.  There is tons of science available to back that bold statement up, please visit www.nutritionfacts.org for more details.  In America we spend a lot of money screening for and treating these chronic diseases, but hardly any on prevention.  If we could have given Mr. X a prescription for a whole food plant based diet, a daily walk, and meditation to manage his stress...maybe he wouldn't need the 10 prescription medications that he is taking or 4 hospital admissions per years.

By the way, Mr. X is not alone.  I also took care of Mr. Y who was having his leg amputated because of an infection that was a complication of his diabetes, Mrs. Z who had chest pain, Mr. A who had a heart attack, Mrs. B who had cancer, Ms. C who also had complications of diabetes and kidney failure...the list goes on.  In fact most of the people that I cared for in the hospital were there for illnesses related to their chronic disease.  My point is that the medical community needs to do a better job with disease prevention.  We need more doctors who are willing to teach their patients about lifestyles that promote health.  We need insurance companies that will pay for extended medical visits to do this teaching, cooking classes, gym memberships, and stress management. We also need patients who are willing to make lifestyle changes...maybe starting with this soba noodle bowl?!?!?

Thank you for reading.  Now are you ready for the recipe?

Soba Noodle Bowls

For each bowl you will need:
2oz soba noodles
1/2 cup shelled edamame
2 scallions, chopped
1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Or really any veges and herbs you like.  Mint is great in this dish too and sometimes I use mixed greens.






Cook the noodles according to the package directions (boil water, throw in noodles, drain noodles, done)

While the noodles are cooking make one of these sauces:

Orange Miso Sauce

2 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup

put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth

Thai Peanut Sauce

3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped roughly
2 teaspoons siracha
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid aminos

put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth

Sesame Ginger Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped

put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth


Now simply pour some sauce over your soba noodle bowl, toss, and serve.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G


PS. Questions, comments, ideas of to make America healthy again are always welcome.

Beef(less) Stew - A Great Recipe and Some Information About Why You Should Skip the Beef!

Isn't beef(less) stew, just stew?  You've got me there...it is just stew.  That doesn't make this dish any less delicious though.  This recipe has those deep rich flavors of beef stew without the artery clogging  stuff.  Did I mention that it is also super simple and cheap to make?


I reviewed several recipes for beef(less) stew on the internet before I created this one.  One of the best ideas that borrowed from another recipe was to puree some of the vegetables to thicken the stew instead of adding flour, brilliant!  Here it is:

By the way....

Humans are just not meant to eat cows...or drink their milk for that matter.   Here are 5 good reasons, other than because this stew tastes amazing, to skip the beef:

**Check out the links below to get the details on the scientific evidence backing up my statements.  All of the links go to videos from NutritionFacts.org, which is great FREE resource put together by Dr. Michael Greger, MD.  He posts videos of different lengths reviewing the most recent nutrition research for those of you who want the evidence-based information. **  

1. Beef is high is saturated fat.  Consumption of saturated fat increases LDL cholesterol which is the "bad" cholesterol associated with heart disease, America's number 1 killer.
Click here for the science!
2. Meat containing diets are associated with increased rates of colon cancer.  While most meat is digested in the small intestine up to 12% of it makes it down to the colon where it then putrefies.  Those putrefication products are carcinogenic (aka cancer causing).
Click here for the science!
3. Beef consumption is associated with hormone dependent cancers such as breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and prostate cancer.
Click here for the science!
4. Meat eaters gain more weight than non-meat eaters even when they eat the same number of calories. Meat consumption is also particularly associated with abdominal obesity.
Click here for the science!
5. Eating animal protein causes an inflammatory reaction in the kidneys that in turn causes glomerular hyperfiltration (the kidneys overworking to filter your blood).  This chronic overwork leads to deterioration of the kidneys over time, called chronic kidney disease or CKD.
Click here for the science!

Did all of that learning make you hungry?  Let's get started!

Beef(less) Stew:

1 yellow onion, chopped 

6 cloves of garlic, minced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

16 ounces of cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, chopped

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

salt to taste

pepper to taste

3 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos

2 cups vegetable stock

3 cups water

1-2 teaspoons of vegetable "Better Than Bouillon" to taste

This is a super simple one pot meal.  First put a little water in the bottom of a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Throw the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in the pot and let them start to sweat.  

Then add the mushrooms and let them cook down for a few minutes too.

Next add the potatoes, spices, herbs, soy sauce, and tomato paste.  So everything should be in the pot except the bouillon and the peas.

Pop the lid on and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.





















To thicken the stew, put a few spoonfuls into the blender and blend until smooth.  Then simply stir that mixture back into the pot.

And now for my secret ingredient...Better Than Bouillon.  Add a teaspoon or 2 to taste.  It adds a deep flavor and deepens the color of the stew as well.  FYI, it also adds a fair amount of salt so use it sparingly!















Now it is ready to eat!  If you are looking to add a little more protein to this dish stir in more peas, beans, tofu, or tempeh.  I hope you enjoy this stew and remember cows are friends, not food.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Grilled Avocado and Tomato Sandwich - Quickie Post

The weather is unreasonably nice today for New England in February, so I decided to  put up this quickie post today.  You can check it out real fast and then get outside for a walk, hike, or bike ride.  This warm weather is putting a damper on my snowshoeing, but the winter hiking has been great!  

Ok, so here is a simple yet awesome lunch idea: grilled avocado and tomato sandwich on sourdough bread.  I have been getting into whole grain sourdough breads lately.  Many argue that it is possibly the healthiest bread available on the market today.  Boasted health benefits range from increased gut protecting healthy bacteria as the dough is fermented, lower glycemic index and more easily digested because the bacteria partially breakdown the gluten, and increased mineral and vitamin availability, again because of the fermentation process.  Also, it tastes great!

Here is what we are making:

You will need:

1 or 2 slices of sourdough bread (I used one slice and made a half sandwich)
1/4 - 1/3 of an avocado, mashed
3-4 slices of tomato
pinch of salt to taste
pinch of pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of plant based spread or oil to toast the bread with (optional, the bread will toast without it)

other additions to consider: chia seeds, hemp seeds, fresh basil leaves, hummus, etc.

Spread the avocado on one side of both slices of bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sandwich the tomato slices in between.  Melt 1/2 of the plant based spread in a frying pan over medium high heat and then place the sandwich in the pan to toast.  When golden brown remove the sandwich from the pan, melt the other half of the spread in the pan and toast up the other side.  Simple.

Serve along side some tomato soup for dipping.

I don't often eat canned soup, but I did on this particular day.  To bulk up the nutrients and fiber, and to dilute the sodium I added a can of diced no salt added tomatoes to the soup.  Just a little life hack for you.

If you want to make your own tomato soup, give this one a try:  Basil Pesto! And a bunch of ways to use it (scroll down to the 4 th recipe in this post "Tomato Bisque").

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

African Peanut Stew - A Seriously Delicious Dish

I know what you are thinking, "peanut butter and vegetables mixed together to make a stew sounds gross, I'm not eating that".   I promise it does not taste like a peanut butter sandwich dipped in tomato soup.  There is just something about this recipe...the flavors are deep and rich, there's is a just enough heat, and a hint of peanut flavor.  I straight up ate leftovers for breakfast one day, it is just so good.  This is a one pot meal and could even be done in the crock pot.  I served this stew with some brown rice, but would be great with really any grain or flat bread.

Check out this lovely dish:

  

Here is what you will need:

 1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped - about 1.5 cups (or butternut squash, if you prefer)
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes, no salt or spices added
1 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups of chopped kale or spinach
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter*
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon harissa or crushed red pepper (optional)


For serving:
cilantro
crushed peanuts
cooked rice


* Let's talk about peanut butter for a quick minute.  Most commercial peanut butters are loaded with added oils, salt, and sugar.  Those added ingredients take a simple healthy food and turn it into a junk food that is loaded with calories.  Look for a peanut butter that is just ground roasted peanuts, no sugar or salt added for the healthiest product.  If that is too far from your idea of peanut butter, look for one that is natural (so you probably will have to stir it), with less sugar and salt added.  Compare the labels.  Try to avoid added palm oils in your peanut butter.  These are good rules for any nut butter...almond, cashew, whatever.

Let's get this recipe started.

In a large soup pot saute the onions and garlic over medium high heat in a little oil, water, or cooking spray until they start to sweat.

Add in the peppers, tomatoes, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Then toss in the spices.  Stir everything together and let this simmer for a few minutes.

While that is simmering, take 1 cup of the vegetable broth and whisk the peanut butter into it until it is nice and smooth.  Then add the peanut butter mixture and the rest of the broth to the pot.

Turn the heat down to medium low and let that simmer away covered until the potatoes are fork tender (about 15-20 minutes).

Then remove the cover and stir in the kale or spinach and allow it to wilt.


That's it.  Ready to serve.  Sprinkle on some crushed peanuts and cilantro (or parsley).

In case you were wondering:

Peanuts are technically a legume not a nut.  Like other legumes they are a source of protein and monounsaturated fats.  They are also nutrient dense, packing in vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, copper, manganese, folate, biotin, iron, vitamin E, B1, and B3 to name a few.


Enjoy!

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Baked Vegetable Spring Rolls

 Sometimes I just want to eat junk food!  Whatever, I am human.  The only trouble is that since I eat healthy foods most of the time, junk food makes me feel like...well junk.  This spring roll recipe is a great compromise, it tastes like junk food, but is made mostly of healthy foods and is baked instead of fried.  Win!  I made a bunch of these hoping to freeze some for Super Bowl snacks, but my "taste tester" ate them all.  In all fairness they are freaking delicious, so I can't really blame him.

Anyway, I figured that I would get this recipe up in time for the Super Bowl so that you can squeeze a few plant based items onto your menu of game day snacks.  This is a more fun way to serve carrots and celery too, so I am sure your Super Bowl party guests will be excited to see these instead of a boring veggie platter (no offense to veggie platters, obviously I love them).

Also, a big THANK YOU to everyone who has been leaving comments and shooting me emails lately! You guys are great.  Feel free to leave some of your snack ideas in the comments of this post, I would love to see what you come up with.

Here is what we are making...don't worry, they are easier than they look.  I included a video to help you out:

Spring Rolls

You will need:

1 head of cabbage, shredded*
2 carrots, shredded*
2 ribs of celery, shredded
6oz shitake mushrooms, chopped, woody stems removed
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 package of spring roll wrappers
cooking spray


*Feeling lazy? Pick up a package of coleslaw mix (just the shredded veggies, not dressed obviously) from the grocery store instead of shredding your own cabbage and carrots.  You will need about 4 cups of coleslaw mix.











Grab a large pan or wok, if you are cool enough to have one of those in your home, and throw in the mushrooms, carrots, scallions, garlic, and celery.  Once they are starting to sweat a bit stir in the cabbage, sprouts, vinegar, soy sauce, and pepper.  Let the cabbage cook through and make sure that everything is coated with the soy sauce and vinegar.

Take the pan off the heat and move it over to your work station.  It's time to make some spring rolls.










Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Take a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.  Put this near your work station too.




Now grab a wrapper and put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling on the first 1/3 of the wrapper.  I use a small ice cream scoop to keep the amount of filling consistent.

Fold the bottom corner over the filling.









Tuck in the sides.

Roll towards the opposite corner and place on the cookie sheet seam side down.







Need to see that again?  Here is a quick video.

Line the spring rolls up on the cookie sheet and then spray the tops with cooking spray.  Bake them in a 400 degree F oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

While they are baking, let's make a quick dipping sauce.

Soy and Sesame Dipping Sauce

You will need:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon siracha
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

 Whisk everything together in a bowl. Done!

If you bring these to your Super Bowl party and plop them down next to the chips and dip your friends will be impressed and love you forever.  I just ate them along side a salad tonight, whatever, don't judge.






By the way, if you have leftover filling it is great on a salad or in some broth as a soup.




Enjoy :)


Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Taco Tuesday # 9 - Dr. G's Super Green Tacos

It's that time of the week again, Taco Tuesday!!  As you have seen over and over, I make tacos out of almost anything.  This week, green foods!  These tacos are made with spicy roasted broccoli and fava bean hummus.  By the way, if you were wondering how to get your kids to eat broccoli, the answer is not to hide it in cupcakes...just put the broccoli in tacos.  Everyone likes tacos and everyone should eat broccoli.  Why you ask?  Broccoli packs in over 20 vitamins and minerals, fiber, and isothiocyanates.  Isothiocyanates have been studied extensively and found to decrease inflammation.  These anti-inflammatory properties decrease cancer and support cardiovascular health and digestive health.  Sounds like a super food to me!


Here is what we are making:

Roasted Broccoli

You will need:

3 crowns of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
taco seasoning*

*store bought is fine or make your own.
Used here:
1 teaspoon each of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon of jalapeno powder and cayenne pepper.

Toss the broccoli pieces in a bowl with the olive oil and spices.

Then spread them out onto a baking sheet and pop them in a 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes.











While those little green guys are roasting, make the hummus and the salsa.

Salsa

Any store bought fresh salsa will work here, or you can make your own.  

Try this recipe if you want to make your own salsa. 

You will need:

1 lb tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper

2-3 cloves of garlic

bunch of cilantro

juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon of orange juice

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Chop all of this stuff up and toss it in a bowl with the OJ, lime juice and salt. Mix it well then put it in the fridge and let it chill while you get everything else together.  If it sits for 20 minutes or so, it tastes even better.

Hummus

You will need:

1 cup of beans (fava, chickpea, or white beans)

1 tablespoon tahini or almond butter

1 bunch cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1/2 jalapeno

1 tablespoon olive oil or water (if you want save yourself some calories), more as needed to thin hummus

Put everything into the food processor or blender and let it rip until you have a nice smooth hummus. 

To build your tacos, grab a few whole grain flour tortillas, put the hummus down first, then the broccoli, and top with salsa.  Add whatever other toppings you like.  

These tacos are surprisingly delicious and filling, not to mention low calorie.  Enjoy!

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Whole Food Plant Based Lasagna...No Way

Lasagna without meat, sure why not.  Lasagna without cheese, impossible...right?

Wrong!  I was skeptical too, but this lasagna recipe is so amazing, that you may never eat a meat and cheese filled lasagna again.  I'm not going to lie, this takes a little bit of work to make, but is definitely worth it.  This would be a great recipe for a crowd or for freezing leftovers for later.

Here is what we are making:

When I first shared this picture on social media it was a huge hit and people were asking for the recipe.  I also got a lot of comments about this being "comfort food".  I started to think about the concept of comfort food.  Why do we turn to food for comfort?  As a culture, how did we get into this habit of eating when we are nervous, sad, stressed, or otherwise in need of comfort?  Is it at all surprising that we are such an obese nation?  Here is some free life advice: find a different way to comfort yourself and let food be an experience to nourish your body.  My top recommendations for self comfort and stress management are meditation, mindfulness, yoga, physical exercise, and artistic expression (drawing, painting, zen-doodling, music, etc).  Patients often look at me like I have 5 heads when I suggest doing yoga or meditation, but after a while they figure out that I am serious and many give it a try.  Sometimes I even practice meditation in the office with patients.  If you have never meditated before, here is an easy way to start:  sit in a comfortable position, rest one or both of you hands on your belly, however you are comfortable.  Close your eyes, gently take a breath in, and say the word soft.  Exhale fully and say belly.  Then repeat for however long you would like.  If your mind wanders invite it back to the meditation.  If your mind is wandering towards lasagna right now, I don't blame you.  Ok, back to the food.

There are 3 components of the dish that need to be made before we can construct this lasagna.
1. Tofu "ricotta cheese"
2. Basil pesto
3. spinach and mushroom filling

Tofu Ricotta Cheese

Here is what you need:

2/3 cup hulled sunflower seeds (I use roasted ones though raw works as well)
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves of garlic
2 blocks of firm tofu


*I make this in 2 batches in the food processor, so picture shows ingredients for 1 batch.

First pulse the sunflower seeds and garlic in the food processor until they are broken down to a gravel like consistency.

Then add in the rest of the ingredients and let the food processor run until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Depending on the size of your food processor you may need to do this in 2 batches.

Put your "ricotta" in a bowl and pop it in the fridge while you get everything else ready.

Basil Pesto

We've made this here on the blog before.  Check out this post for my recipe Basil Pesto and Bunch of Ways to Use It.  Make a double batch for this lasagna., you will need about 1 1/2 - 2 cups total.   

Spinach and Mushroom Filling

Here is what you need: 

6-8 cups of baby spinach

24-32oz of mushrooms, chopped (oyster and crimini used here)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

In a large saute pan cook down the mushrooms first, then throw in the garlic and spinach until the spinach has wilted.  Place this in a bowl and set aside.  

Ok, now we are ready to construct the lasagna.

Here is what you will need to complete the rest of this dish:

1 package of lasagna noodles, cooked (regular, brown rice noodles, buckwheat, whatever you want)

6 cups of tomato sauce 

tofu "ricotta cheese"

basil pesto

spinach and mushroom filling

1 tomato, sliced

In a 9x13in glass baking dish, start by spreading some sauce along the bottom.  Then layer noodles, tofu ricotta, spinach and mushroom filling, and then the pesto.  Continue to layer in this order until you use all of your ingredients or fill the pan.  Be sure to end with noodles on top.  Once you get to the final layer of noodles on top, spread on one more layer of sauce, add a single layer of sliced tomatoes with a dollop of pesto in the middle of each tomato. 

Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Then uncover and continue baking for 15 more minutes.  

When it comes out of the oven it should look like this.

Serve it up along side a salad and enjoy!

Remember that food is nourishing your body, not for comforting your mind.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G