ABC's The Chew Meatless Monday Recipe Veganized!

Meatless Monday is a new movement to avoid Meat and enjoy vegetarian dishes at least once a week and ABC's The Chew went Meatless today!

I am 100% Vegan everyday, but this is a great start for those looking to increase their health, vitality, and longevity the natural way!
Follow @KarinnaZ  

Here is the Verdelicious quick and easy Vegan version of Michael Symon's Mushroom Stew and Dumplings (original recipe here)

Fall Root Vegetables and Dumplings Stew

Photo courtesy of ABC.com

Ingredients:

Soup:
2 quarts Mushroom or Vegetable Broth
1 Red or Yellow Onion, sliced
2 cloves of Garlic, sliced
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups fresh Vitamin D enriched Mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Butternut Squash, diced
1 cup Parsnips, diced
1 cup Celery Root, diced
1 bunch fresh organic Thyme (bundled)
1/8 tsp grated Nutmeg

Dumplings:
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups Soymilk or Almond Milk
2 tbsp Chia Seeds or Flax Seeds
Salt and Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat the Olive oil over medium high heat, add the onions and garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.  Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms and saute until soft.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add the remaining vegetables and cook another 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme (bundled and tied for removal), then add the broth. Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring the stew to a boil, cover, and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes.

Make the dumplings:  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, seeds, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.  Then slowly whisk in the Soy or Almond Milk. The mixture should be slightly sticky and wet.

After the stew has simmered for 45 minutes, uncover and add the dumplings by the spoonful. Cover the stew and allow to steam for 4 minutes. Remove and discard the bundled thyme and tie before serving.

This dairy-free version has no cholesterol and lower fat!  Powered only by plants, you'll have increased vitality, improved health, and lower risk of developing a preventable disease.   Enjoy Health!

Visit Verdelicious.com for your favorite TV Show recipes Veganized! - Like our page on Facebook and Follow Karinna on Twitter!

Get Ready for Food Day 2012!

FoodDay.org

Verdelicious.com is joining forces with the Center for Science in the Public Interest!  We will be hosting a Food Day event in Southern California on Saturday, October 20, 2012. Press/Media Contact Here   

To help fund our event and make it a success, we are counting on local businesses, farmers markets, restaurants, health care groups, and private investors.  If you would like to be a part of this healthy food revolution, email us or donate now!  

Our goals are to promote safer and healthier diets, support sustainable organic farms, reduce hunger, reform factory farms to protect the environment, and support fair working conditions for food and farm workers.

Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Food Day, created by CSPI, is powered by a diverse coalition of food movement leaders, organizations, and people from all walks of life. Food Day takes place annually on October 24 to address issues as varied as health and nutrition, hunger, agricultural policy, animal welfare, and farm worker justice. The ultimate goal of Food Day is to strengthen and unify the food movement in order to improve our nation’s food policies.

Food Day 2011: A Day Dedicated to Sustainable, Healthy, Humane Food

A new movement is growing in the United States which focuses on the importance of quality, affordable, and healthy food. With the epidemic rise of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and food-borne illnesses, people from all walks of life are beginning to question the giant food industry.

The foods we consume should promote good health, not lead to diabetes, tooth decay, and heart disease.  Each year, Americans spend millions of dollars on medical treatments, pharmaceutical drugs, and emergency medical attention.  Procedures like liposuction and gastric bypass are now more common than a dental exam.  Look into your pantry, how many items do you purchase based on appearance "key" phrases on the packaging like "All-Natural," "Wholesome," "Healthy?"  How often do you know where the food in that package originated from?

Unfortunately, many Americans are not aware of the true nutritional value in our foods, or whether the foods they purchase are produced in a sustainable way.

The US Government spends billions of dollars annually to subsidize only 10% of the farms in the US.  The result is huge industrial farms which import cheap materials, treat animals and workers inhumanely (Watch Fast Food Nation and Food Inc.), damage the environment with pollution and chemicals, and prevent smaller sustainable family farms from succeeding. 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has created Food Day, Monday October 24th, 2011, a day dedicated to bringing awareness to these issues.  The main goal of Food Day is to inspire change and educate people about 6 key issues:

• Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
• Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness
• Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
• Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms
• Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
• Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

As a green Vegan, I celebrate Food Day everyday.  I make daily food choices which do not negatively impact the environment in any way.  If you are interested in making the shift to a healthier lifestyle, lose weight or help your family members get lean, reduce your carbon footprint, or if you are just sick of the persuasive marketing campaigns which have ultimately led to an obese, diabetic, heart-diseased society, please celebrate Food Day in your own way. Or send me an email to schedule a consultation.

"Food Day is a grassroots movement made up of individuals and
organizations passionate about promoting a healthy, sustainable,
and just food system. Food Day 2011 will culminate on October
24th with thousands of events across the country that encourage
action and celebrate food. Together we will generate media
coverage in every corner the country, send hundreds of thousands
of signatures to Members of Congress supporting our national
agenda, and most importantly, begin the millions of conversations
that will lead to individual and systemic changes."

-Center for Science in the Public Interest

CNN Report: Sustainable Urban Homesteaders

CNN aired this inspiring story recently on the Dervaes family of Pasadena--Urban Homesteaders who live sustainably on their land. I know my neighbors probably wonder why I grow so many vegetables, fruits, and edible flowers in the backyard of my little condo in Southern California, but this family truly inspires me to do even more to live Green!

What could you do to implement some of these sustainable practices?

Kind Flowers - Valentine's Day for the Socially Conscious Lovers

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

Sending your Valentine flowers is a sweet way to express love and appreciation on Valentine's Day. The most thoughtful gift of all is a bouquet without BLOOD on it.

Did you know that most flowers available from the large florist companies are purchased from third world countries who "employ" women and children and pay substandard wages? In some cases these female workers are abused and even raped and severely mistreated. Personally, I prefer potted flowers that I can keep alive!

However, giving bouquets has become a tradition.

Websites like Fair Trade Resource Network and Rainforest Alliance provide links to valuable information for you to make an informed decision about where to buy your flowers.

A flower is truly beautiful only if pain and abuse was not involved in the trade. Another option is to find a local farm in your area where you can purchase your flowers and know that the workers are treated fairly.

Question Everything! Be informed consumers. Your dollars make a vote each time you spend them! I vote to ensure women and children around the world are treated fairly and earn a decent living. How are you spending your dollars?

♥ Peace and Love this Valentine's Day ♥

♥ A Warm Welcome! ♥

Welcome to Verdelicious.com from Karinna Zarate on Vimeo.

♥ Come visit me at http://www.verdelicious.com ♥

A Low-Fat Vegan Diet Can Help Reverse Diabetes

A Low-Fat Vegan Diet Can Help Reverse Diabetes

" Significant benefits for diabetes prevention and management have been observed with vegetarian and especially vegan diets. Research to date has demonstrated that a low-fat, plant-based nutritional approach improves control of weight, glycemia, and cardiovascular risk. These studies have also shown that carefully planned vegan diets can be more nutritious than diets based on more conventional diet guidelines, with an acceptability that is comparable with that of other therapeutic regimens. Vegetarian and vegan diets present potential advantages in managing type 2 diabetes that merit the attention of individuals with diabetes and their caregivers. " ND Barnard MD Usefulness of vegetarian and vegan diets for treating type 2 diabetes

Four years ago, I became vegan overnight after watching a documentary on factory farms and the way animals are unnecessarily tortured and mutilated. Since then, I started this blog and began contributing to various magazines and online publications as an outspoken advocate of the Vegan and Green communities. Every once in a while, something happens that incites conversation on the topic of going vegan--a beef recall, a salmonella outbreak, tainted water supply, or a new startling statistic. Recently something happened closer to home. A very close family member of mine was diagnosed with diabetes and I began to take a closer look at the alternatives to traditional diabetes drugs. Although the answer was clear to me--go vegan--I found that many doctors now agree that a low-fat vegan diet can reverse the symptoms if well-planned and monitored.

Prior to Dr. Neal D. Barnard's groundbreaking study on the effects of a low-fat vegan diet in patients with diabetes, most physicians believed diabetes had no cure or treatment with the exception of drugs. The truth is, a carefully planned low-fat unrefined vegan diet helps patients with diabetes shed excess weight, and helps to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reports that patients in the study responded positively and found unexpected benefits like improved asthma conditions and mental outlook as a result of losing weight and being self-sufficient without needing drugs. The American Diabetes Association low fat non-vegan diet study patients continued to need the diabetes medications, lost less weight, and had a lower reduction of protein loss in the urine than the vegan diet patients.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2007, 23.5 million or 10.8% of individuals age 20 or older had diabetes and 12.2 million or 23.1% of individuals over 60 had diabetes in the United States. The statistics are shocking. Direct medical costs of this disease are estimated at $117 Billion dollars per annum and indirect costs (loss of work, disability) are estimated at $58 Billion per annum reaching a total of $174 Billion dollars in Diabetes related costs each year. The likelihood is high that someone you know currently has the disease or is starting to show symptoms.

Estimated prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in people aged 20 years or older, by age group, United States, 2007

People who switch to a vegan diet find that food costs are significantly lowered compared to a diet consisting of meat and animal products. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes are less expensive than beef, pork, chicken, or seafood. Although in some cases vegan food seems to cost more for the fast food consumers and those who purchased predominantly processed foods. However, the savings in medical costs for patients with diabetes far outweigh the slightly higher cost of some "specialty" foods.


The American Diabetes Association now also acknowledges that a low-fat vegan diet is more effective than their recommended ADA nutritional guidelines based on the study results:

"Eating right and exercising are the best ways for patients with type 2 diabetes to begin to treat their disease. This study shows that a low-fat vegan diet and a diet based on ADA nutrition recommendations can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood glucose levels and lower their chances for heart and blood vessel problems. These improvements were greater with the low-fat vegan diet." -American Diabetes Association

For diabetes reversal or prevention, switching to a low-fat vegan diet is proven to be more effective with longer lasting effects than previously thought. There are many reasons to eat healthier and smarter. *Please be well-informed before making any changes to your diet and consult a physician for careful monitoring of medications and sugar levels.*

"The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined." Dr Neal D Barnard

Discover Quinoa!

QUINOA, pronounced Keen-Wah, is a power-packed Super Food used by the ancient Incas.  It was considered the "Mother Grain" by the indigenous people.  Quinoa is actually a seed closely related to the sugarbeet and spinach.

Quinoa remains a staple in South American cuisine among the descendants of the Incas throughout Peru, Bolivia, and Chile because of it's high protein content. It contains more protein than most other grains, and the great news is: It's super easy to prepare!

Quinoa is appropriate for starter-Vegans because it contains all essential amino acids which our bodies use as building blocks for muscles and highly complex processes throughout our bodies.

Using Quinoa in dishes is so easy because you can just rinse, place in a rice cooker and let it cook. It cooks super fast, so if you ever have last minute guests arrive, you can whip up an awesome stir-fry dish using quinoa in 15-20 minutes!

Key Words I use when describing Quinoa: VERSATILE, PROTEIN-PACKED, NUTRITIOUS, FUN TO EAT! Below are some recipe ideas.

HOW TO COOK: Rinse First!
1. Rice Cooker: treat Quinoa like rice. 2 parts Water to 1 part Quinoa.
2. Stove Top: 1:2 Quinoa to Water, bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer, and cover for 10 - 15 minutes. When cooked, you will see the germ ring pop on the grain.

ASIAN:
1. Quinoa goes great in stir-fry dishes! Just chop up some Veggies, sauté with Earth Balance Vegan Butter or Canola Oil; add Mushrooms like Shiitakes; bean sprouts; Tamari Soy Sauce. Serve over Quinoa.
2. Fried-Quinoa: Fry the cooked Quinoa with Earth Balance Vegan Butter, add Tamari, Salt and Pepper to taste and cook until golden and yummy. Add finely minced veggies and/or Tofu and serve as a side dish!

LATIN:
Use Quinoa instead of Rice in your favorite dishes!
1. Spanish Quinoa
2. Paella con Quinoa

3. Veggie Albondigas soup made using Quinoa

ITALIAN:
Use Quinoa instead of Pasta:
1. Veggie Meatballs with Marinara sauce over Quinoa Pilaf
2. Portabello Zucchini Quinoa Cakes
3. Stuffed Mushrooms with Vegan Sausages and Quinoa

BURGERS:
Add Quinoa to your Brown Rice from-scratch Veggie Burgers for some extra protein!

DESSERTS:
Cook Quinoa until almost fully cooked, then remove from the rice cooker and add to breads, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pancakes, or muffins before baking!

Lastly, I recommend cooking Quinoa with no salt or seasonings if you are making a large batch for several dishes.  The reason for this is that you can use it in a savory dish as a substitute for rice, and you can also add it to sweetened baked goods.  Simply prepare it in advance and place in a reusable container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Enjoy! -K

Eco-Conscious Fashion: What about Leather?

Truth be told, since becoming Vegan, I have not been able to find a great pair of shoes or boots that are hot, stylish, cruelty-free and under $500.00.

Bags...Same Dilemma!

So this raises the question: if you're Vegan and against animal cruelty is recycled leather an option for you?

Ashley Watson is a designer who had an innovative idea: to create stylish handbags and wallets out of gently worn leather coats from charity thrift stores. I'm still undecided as to whether I would wear leather at all but I admire Ashley for her green ingenuity.

Charmoné is a green shoe company specializing in high-style eco-fashionable footwear which uses no animal products at all.

I'm still on a quest to see more quality cruelty-free fashion that doesn't break the bank. Any suggestions!? Email me!

Green Your Shopping Routine

Mission Possible: you can find just about anything you need to make a healthy transition in your life right in your local grocery store! To make this point, I headed down to my local Superstore today and found just about everything I usually get at specialty stores like Trader Joe's, Henry's, Whole Foods. Not everyone lives in a metro hub with specialty stores on every corner, nor does every hard-working family have an unlimited budget to spend on organic foods and snacks in tiny hand-wrapped, hand-stamped containers. Thankfully, the green awareness is spreading and some high-quality products are now available in almost every store.




A Quick Disclaimer is appropriate so as not to mislead anyone with the surprising fact that the specialty items we Vegans shop for are pricier than their Genetically-modified, processed cousins. For example, Vegenaise may cost 3 to 4 dollars more than regular Mayo; Earth Balance Vegan Butter may cost a dollar or two more than regular butter; and Soymilk (especially my favorite Silk) comes in smaller packages and costs more than cow's milk. But stop to think of this: not only are we saving money on the cost of meats and animal products --we are also potentially eliminating the cost of all the future healthcare needed for the Heart Disease, Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Heart Attack, Atherosclerosis, Parasites, Breast/Colon/Prostate Cancer, Premature Aging, Arthritis, Osteoporosis and numerous other ailments directly caused by eating High Cholesterol animal products.


Today, my goal was to show my friends that there are no excuses to not shop green! Moms, College students, frugal shoppers, this guide is for you.


I found almost all of these items at my brand new giant supercenter. With the exception of the Vegenaise and So Delicious which I purchase at Henry's or Whole Foods, all other items were found at Wal Mart. I gave myself 20 minutes to shop.


Brand Name Items:

• EnviroKidz Cereals (made with minimal ingredients, no BHA or BHT preservatives, dedicated to preserving wildlife around the world)
• Amy's Frozen Dinners and Organic Soups (Vegan, non-GMO, delicious)
• Amy's Organic Pasta Sauces
• Morningstar Farms Meal Starters (my favorite vegan "ground beef" alternatives)
• Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips
• Boca Burgers
• Bob's Red Mill grains (including Quinoa, Brown Rice, Wheat Flour)
• Knudsen Organic Juices
• Greenworks enviro-friendly cleaners
• Scotch Brite Bamboo cleaning cloths
• Scotch Brite Green Sponges
• White Cloud Recycled Bathroom Tissue

Other Verde-friendly items I found walking through the aisles:

• Produce (veggies and fruits)
• Whole grain organic breads
• Whole grain organic pastas
• Whole grain crackers, rice cakes
• Dried fruits
• Canned and packaged Beans, Legumes
• Nuts
• Canned Greens and Veggies
• Organic Juices
• Almond Milk
• Rice Milk
• SoyMilk in Kids Boxes
• Eco-friendly cleaning agents
• BPA-free Water bottles and kids cups
• Reusable Canvas shopping totes
• Organic cotton clothing for kids and adults
• Organic Pet Food
• Energy-efficient lightbulbs
• Herbs in the Garden Center
• Recycling Bins at the entrance

And I even found this beauty to decorate my window sill.

There are dozens of ways to make little changes in our daily routines and make a huge impact on the world around us. Make a statement, take a stand each time you shop!

Go Green...and you'll Save Green!

More Verde Tips to come!