The 5-Minute Super (Healthy) Sandwich
Grabbing an energy bar for a late morning or afternoon snack beats the hunger blues but for a tasty change, consider the 5-Minute Super (Healthy) Sandwich. Packed with nutrients and fiber, this easy-to-make sandwich is a feast for the senses: colorful, delicious, and a handful.
Creamy avocado with sun-ripened fresh tomato slices along with crunchy sprouts give this big fat sandwich a variety of flavors and textures that make it one very satisfying snack. When I served this sandwich to a friend, he stared at it, said that he felt like he was in California where “everyone” eats healthy, and then gobbled it up. It’s that good. Read more 
Thoughts on Living Vegan
Veganism often leaves people perplexed (as in “How do you get your protein?”) or thinking how strange that animal products (i.e. milk, eggs, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken breasts, pork chops, and the like) are not a part of my diet. To these people, I want to say “I understand” because I, too used to think vegans (and I used to pronounce the word “veg-ans” with a soft “g”) were extremists, outliers, and generally don’t fit in with the rest of the world. The truth is they don’t but it’s not because vegans are weird but because vegans have chosen to acknowledge, confront, and reject the horrific cruelty involved in putting animal products on a breakfast, lunch, and dinner plate, or in a bowl or glass. Read more
Why Every Individual Counts
On this very special day celebrating our nation’s birthday, I want to write about why every individual counts. There are nearly 320 million of us in this country – that’s a lot of people – enough to have made me think from time to time that what I do or don’t do really doesn’t matter. After all, I’m just one person – does it really matter if I eat a piece of grilled chicken, a slice of bacon, an ice cream cone or not think about the food chain in this country? Yes, it does and here’s why. Read more
The Better Bean Company
The Better Bean Company of Portland, Oregon (why are there so many cool food companies based out of Portland?) considers beans an essential part of fine and healthy cuisines but also realizes that most people don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen cooking beans and adding just the right amount of spices to take the beans from bland to delicious. So, they do it for you by making freshly prepared beans that rival the quality and flavor of the best home cooked or restaurant made beans. Read more
Life with a Veganista
One day my daughter came home from school and told me a joke: How do you know someone is a vegan? Answer: They tell you. There is some truth to that joke as vegans have a reputation – rightly or wrongly – of being preachy at times. Last December, my daughter decided to become a vegan and started on a journey to live a complete animal-free lifestyle, which means no meat, no dairy, no honey, no leather, and no products that have been animal tested. Read more
The Happy Herbivore
When my daughter set upon being a vegan, I was often perplexed at how to make flavorful, healthy meals that the whole family – carnivore man, vegetarian me, and vegan daughter – would enjoy. I initially consulted Forks Over Knives – both the original book and the cookbook – but often found the recipes time-consuming. I wanted quick, easy recipes with a lot of flavor which I found in The Happy Herbivore Abroad followed by The Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon. Nixon, a lawyer by education who switched careers to follow her passion for food and her love for animals. When someone asks her why she is a vegan, she replies “for my health, the animals, the environment, my pocketbook…and for you.” Read more
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a hearty dish full of vegetables, beans, and a trio of rice: wild and germinated red and brown rice. The nutty flavor of the rice combined with the slightly sweet red Adzuki beans and the earthy vegetables – mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini – and fresh chopped cilantro along with Zatar (a popular middle eastern spice) – makes for a flavorful salad that is both filling and nutritious. Easy and quick to make, the Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a terrific alternative to traditional rice or bean salad. Read more
“Forks Over Knives”
A few weeks ago, my friend, Kathy recommend a book called “Forks Over Knives” and also the movie of the same title. Her 13-year old son had decided several years before that he wasn’t going to eat anything that had eyes and became a vegetarian. In her search for information on a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, she came across this book and movie. Read more
Paddock Post 