Not your grandma's Stuffing

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without stuffing. 

Portabella Pumpernickel Stuffing is one of my go-to recipes for a delicious vegan stuffing that is a perfect addition to any gobble day meal! This one is a real crowd-pleaser and even the non-vegans can’t resist! It’s so savory that you never have to mention it’s vegan! It’s gotten taste test thumbs up from carnivores as well as  vegans!!

Portabella Pumpernickel Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 lb. pumpernickel bread cut into cubes (approx. 10 slices)

2 table spoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup onions, chopped fine

2 cups celery, chopped fine

1 tablespoon minced garlic (approx. 3 cloves)

6 -8 medium portabella mushrooms, chopped (6cups)

½ cup sweet potato puree

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup pecan pieces

3 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

Ø Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large shallow casserole dish

Ø Place bread in large mixing bowl

Ø Heat 2 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and celery until soft (5-10 minute). Add mushrooms for the last few minutes

Ø Transfer the veggie mixture to the bowl of bread crumbs,

Ø Add sweet potato, sage, thyme, and pepper

Ø Stir until everything is well mixed

Ø Add 2 cups vegetable stock, and stir until it is absorbed. Add more stock as needed so that the mixture is moist and clumping together.

Ø Bake in a covered shallow casserole or baking dish for 25 minutes

Yours in health - Dr. Velonda

To reach Dr. Velonda Anderson, call or write:

Toll free: 877-888-3546

Email: info@sweetpotatodelights.com

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Holiday the Healthy Way

Surviving the holidays with minimal weight gain means being selective and exercising portion control

If you are worried about carbohydrates, you could have a worry frenzy from now until New Years Eve. Avoid the frenzy and decide to be choosy at the family feast and holiday parties. Holiday foods that are typically high in carbohydrates include stuffing, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and fruit pies, to name a few.
Don't feel obligated to sample everything on the table. For example choose either sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes; sweet potato pie or apple cobbler, not both! Make selective food choices that create a rainbow of color on your plate. 

Cooking for the Holidays with Chef Phil Jones

Whole Foods Nutrition & Culinary Education Center

3670 Woodward Avenue 

Tuesday, December 1st, 5:30 PM

Come learn some creative tips for entertaining with vegan style. Chef Phil will show you how to make simply delicious holiday appetizers and small plates that are sure to impress your guests.

Thursday, December 3rd, 5:30 PM

Not ready to prepare an entire vegan holiday meal? Chef Jones will share ideas for adding just a few vegan side dishes everyone will enjoy. Vegan can be tasty, let us show you how.

  *** Please RSVP by e-mailing Dr. Akua Woolbright. ***

Akua.Woolbright@WholeFoods.com

Sample desserts by Sweet Potato Delights (you can place your holiday order)

877-888-3546

6 Days 'til Thanksgiving - Holiday healthy tip #5

 

Holiday Recipe Tips
>Spray pans with non-stick cooking spray instead of greasing pans with
butter or shortening
>When baking replace half of the oil with applesauce to reduce the fat
>Prepare recipes with low-fat cheeses
>Instead of heavy cream, use evaporated skim milk
>Replace sour cream with equal amounts of fat-free plain yogurt
>Instead of traditional pie crusts, try using finely crushed cinnamon graham crackers
>Make angel food cake and decorate it with lite cool whip and fresh fruit for a fat-free dessert

What's a traditional Thanksgiving meal without the turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, and pie. A traditional Thanksgiving meal can have more than 2000 calories and 100 grams of fat! Here are some simple tips on how you can make your meal healthy without sacrificing the taste.
Turkey Tips:
• Instead of coating the bird in vegetable oil
or butter, spray it lightly with cooking spray.
• To keep your turkey moist without all the
fat, cook it in a browning bag.
Stuffing Secrets:
• When it comes to the stuffing or dressing,
replace real butter or margarine with butter
flavored granules. Just mix them with warm
water and you have the flavor of butter
without the fat.
• Fill your stuffing with low calorie things like
onions, celery, and poultry seasoning.
http://www.fitcitychallenge.org/content/m1/worksite/pdf/EatRightNov08.pdf

7 days 'til Thanksgiving - Holiday healthy tip #4

Skip the white and brown sugar

Whether you are a diabetic or not, you will want to keep you blood sugar from spiking while enjoying holiday sweets and treat. Substituting sorghum molasses wherever you might use brown sugar and agave nectar wherever you might use white sugar will  go a long way to keeping your holiday healthy and your waistline trim.

"It is believed that sorghum originated in Africa,where it is an important food grain and an ingredient in beer. Worldwide, it's the third largest food grain. Sorghum molasses was a favorite sweetener, particularly in the South, during the 1800s and early 1900s. Around the end of World War I refined sugar products became more readily available and less expensive, thus causing a decline in the use of sorghum as a sweetener. (http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa101798.htm)"

"While it's meant be a substitute for sugar, the truth is that agave nectar actually tastes sweeter than sugar. This can be a real benefit for you. Here's why: Agave nectar is roughly 1.5 times sweeter than sugar. However, it contains the same amount of calories as sugar. Therefore, you can use agave nectar in your coffee and get the same results as sugar, but you don't have to use as much to do it. By using less agave nectar, you can help cut calories out of your diet and possibly lose weight. (http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/3-nutritional-benefits-of-agave-nectar.html) "

Yours in health,

Dr. Velonda

313-874-BFIT (2348)

10 Days 'til Thanksgiving - Holiday Healthy Tip #1

Chew more, eat less

The July 2011 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that people who chewed each bite of food 40 times reduced how much food they ate by 12%.

Holiday Healthy Tip #1 - Slow down, chew more, eat less!

It is no conincidence that November celebrates both Diabetes Awareness & Thanksgiving. According to the November 2011 issue of Diabetes Forecast, 19% of African-Americans over the age of 20 have diabetes. When you know better, you can choose to do better.

Yours in health,

Dr. Velonda

Rethinking Thanksgiving

With turkey day fast approaching, many folks are trying to figure out the delicate balance between family feast and whacking their waistline. The key is simply rethinking old favorites and applying modern makeovers. When it comes down to it a diabetic friendly holiday spread is good for anyone in the house!

A recent Diabetes Forecast magazine article expressed the sentiment we all share, “Looking forward to the season of turkey and stuffing – but not the season of stuffing yourself. (Webb and Springer, 2011)”

From the main course to the divine dessert; tasty, easy and healthy options can makeover any holiday dinner with ease. I’m willing to bet survey results will show that holiday side dishes and desserts contribute the most (empty) calories to our diets during this time of year. Have no fear, ……

·         The Main Course – downsize

o   From full bird to breast only, the star of the evening can still be as sumptuous and satisfying as the typical holiday turkey.

o   Season turkey breast with a mixture of thyme, sage, rosemary, vegetable broth and dry white wine

·         Sides to savor – zest up the veggies and change the stuffing

o   Holiday side dishes can wreck havoc on the best laid plans to mind your calories. By adjusting the ingredients and exercising portion control, a little will go a long way and your taste buds won’t miss a thing.

o   Use almonds or hazelnuts and lemon zest with sesame seed oil to make vegetables sizzle.

o   Butternut Squash Soup

§  4 cup fresh orange juice

§  1 mango, peeled & chopped

§  4 cup butternut squash, small chunks

§  8 dates, pitted & chopped

§  1 teaspoon curry

§  Combine ingredients in blender.

§  Add water as needed for desired thickness

§   Serve ;~)

o   Brown Rice Dressing  

§  2 cups cooked brown rice

§  1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

§  ½ cup currants

§  1 small apple, cored & chopped

§  ½ teaspoon each chopped basil

§   ½ teaspoon each celery seeds

§  2 tablespoon sesame oil

§  Combine all ingredients in large sauté pan. Sauté, stirring frequently for approximately 10 minutes and Serve ;~)

o   Marinate the greens

                     http://www.youtube.com/DrVelonda1#p/u/9/uxWQy7UJkYg

·         Divine desserts – how sweet it is, but portion control is king

o   Eliminate the white sugar, replace with sweeteners like agave nectar, honey, black strap molasses

For more recipes visit    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Be-Fit-Inc/138592976177146

 Webb, R., Springer, S., (November 2011). Building a Better Holiday Season. Diabetes Forecast. Page 41

Yours in health,
Dr. Velonda

http://astore.amazon.com/drvelonsnutr-20/

Be-fit, Inc.       313-874-2348      drvelonda@gmail.com