plant-based

Going Plant-Based for Healthy Blood Pressure

karenwpullen Blog , , , ,
Going Plant-Based for Healthy Blood Pressure

What is Blood Pressure? With each contraction of your powerful heart muscle, blood surges through your arteries, veins, and capillaries, pressing against blood vessel walls. The walls expand then relax, expand then relax, with every heartbeat.

That’s why blood pressure measurements come in two numbers: the force against the artery wall when the heart is pushing blood through it (systolic pressure), and the force between beats (diastolic pressure).

Ideally, your blood pressure should be around 110/70. There’s an exponential increase in risk of dying from a stroke or heart disease as pressures go up, starting from around 110/70. But most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if it’s reached dangerously high levels. So, it’s important to check it regularly.

Health Concerns. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is of great concern. If the blood vessels are narrowed, or stiffened with sclerosis, the heart works extra-hard and less efficiently. Over time, the force and friction of high blood pressure damages the insides of the arteries, cholesterol plaques form along those tiny tears, and arteries become narrower. Blood pressure raises even higher. It’s a vicious circle.

Read more

Crabless Cake from Hearts of Palm

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , , ,

I made these for a canape party and they were very popular.

There are many versions of crabless cakes and nearly all use hearts of palm. I like this one for the potatoes and the curry paste.

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Print Recipe

Crabless Cake with Hearts of Palm and Artichoke

Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Thai, Vegan
Servings: 12 cakes

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 3 potatoes, medium
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 1 lime juice and zest
  • 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  • 1 can hearts of palm drained
  • 1 can artichoke hearts drained
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Peel and cube the potatoes, cover with water in a pan, and boil until tender. Drain, mash, and set aside.
  • Put green onion, lime juice, lime zest, ginger, soy sauce, and curry paste into a food processor. Process to a paste.
  • Chop and shred the hearts of palm. Roughly chop the artichoke hearts. Place between two clean dishtowels and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. You want this component to be dry.
  • Mix together the potatoes, paste, and shredded vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Form into patties. Bake at 400° on a parchment-paper-covered baking sheet for about 20 minutes; flip half-way. They should be light golden brown.
  • Turn on the broiler for about one minute–watch them! They will get a bit more brown.
  • Serve with dill remoulade: mix together vegan sour cream, ketchup, mustard, dill, parsley. Or lemon wedges, or cocktail sauce.

Awesome Nachos

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , , ,

Nachos are typically a plate of tortilla chips topped with salsa, cheese, maybe beans, guacamole, ground beef, sour cream. They’re eaten as an appetizer or even a main dish.

This recipe is quite hearty but plant-based and oil-free: baked chips from oil-free tortillas, seasoned beans, salsa, a vegan queso sauce, cashew sour cream, and guacamole.

The queso recipe makes about two cups. Keep some in the fridge to top potatoes, pasta, or other vegetables. Or freeze for later.

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Awesome Nachos

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

Queso

  • 1 large potato peel & dice
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup cashews soaked 10 minutes in hot water
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Nachos

  • 6 no-oil corn tortillas
  • 1 can beans, black or pinto or mixed drained & rinsed
  • 1 can tomatoes fire-roasted are best
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin

Guacamole

  • 2 avocados ripe
  • 1 lemon's juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Optional Toppings

  • 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
  • 1 cup tomatoes chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan sour cream

Cashew Sour Cream

  • 1 cup cashews soaked 10 minutes in hot water
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Queso

  • Boil the potato, carrot, and onion in vegetable broth for 5-7 minutes until soft.
  • Add the remaining queso ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Taste; add salt and pepper if needed.

Nachos

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Cut each tortilla into 6 triangles; arrange on a baking sheet. Bake about 7 minutes until golden.
  • While they are baking, add beans and tomatoes to a small saucepan; add the seasonings and warm.

Guacamole

  • Scoop out the avocado and mash. Add lemon juice and salt and mix.

Cashew Sour Cream

  • Drain the cashews. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until creamy.

Assembly

  • On a large plate, place a generous bottom layer of chips; then alternate layers of beans and queso; finish with sour cream and guacamole. Sprinkle with any or all optional toppings.

Notes

Any leftover queso and cashew sour cream can be stored in the fridge for 5 days. They can also be frozen.
Add spinach, fresh corn, more chopped tomatoes to these nachos. Dig in and enjoy!