Why I am eating more vegetarian meals in 2015

Why I am eating more vegetarian meals in 2015  by Candace Koney, MD, MHA


Happy New Year everyone!

Let's start with the facts:

65% of Adults in Florida are overweight or obese

Leading cause of death among Americans is Heart Disease

Ok, that's the unpleasant truth.


It is estimated that a whopping 70% of all diseases, including about 30% of all cancers are related to diet.  A vegetarian diet will decrease the risk of chronic disease.  Diseases like coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, and some types of cancers such as colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate and stomach cancers are specific examples of conditions that can be decreased through an improved diet.

 facts, but we cannot translate this bad news into actionable plans.  Here is a little more information which might motivate you to make a change in the new year.

After providing that sobering information I will also give you a wonderful recipe with black eyed peas (a new year traditional meal) as the key ingredient.  I actually got this recipe off of a friend's post, and cooked it.  This meal had all of the qualities I want in my quest for more vegetarian options.  Guess what?  My kids enjoyed it and I hope you will too!

Some additions to consider:
Sriracha sauce adds a nice kick to this recipe!
Put aside a portion of the black eyed peas after they are well cooked and mash them up, then add those peas back to the soup.  This makes your soup nice and thick (which I enjoy).

(recipe taken from Nutrition Stripped blog)

BLACK-EYED PEAS AND KALE SOUP

 

PREP TIME

20 mins

COOK TIME

3 hours

TOTAL TIME

3 hours 20 mins

A warming, satisfying high fiber soup filled with black-eyed peas and kale. GF, VGN

Author: McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN

Recipe type: soup

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
• 2 quarts vegetable stock
• 4 cups organic kale, chopped
• 6 large carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried sag
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (vegetable stock will have some salt in it- use this to taste)
• black pepper to taste
• Garnish with hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a saucepan on medium heat, add coconut oil and onions and cook until softened. Add in celery, carrots, and garlic and cook until the mixture is nice and caramelized and cooked through (look for the onions to get slightly golden brown and reduced).
2. Add spices, salt, and pepper to this mixture.
3. In a large pot or crockpot (which is what I used), pour in vegetable stock, beans, and kale.
4. Add the sauteed mixture of onions, carrots, celery into the Crockpot and let cook on "high" for 2 hours, stiring occasionally, and cooking for another 1-2 hours on "warm" or until the beans are cooked.
5. If you're using a large pot on the stove, simply cook on medium heat for 2 hours or until the beans are nice and soft.
6. Note: you have a lot of flexibility in the cooking process- if you enjoy your beans very cooked/very soft simply cook for much longer. If you like your vegetables and beans not as soft, cook for less time.
7. Stir occasionally and taste test to find your happy medium.
8. Enjoy!

NOTES

Adjust sea salt and seasoning to your taste!

I love to serve this soup with a side of gluten free cornbread, favorite pajamas, and cozy slippers. Now you’re ready to lounge, relax, cozy up with a great book or movie, piece of paper and pen to set intensions for the year, and bring in the new year right. The cornbread that I love using is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free corn bread mix and you can make it with egg (as the recipe calls for) or to make vegan just use a flax egg (1 Tbs. flax seed + 3 Tbs. water) and it still turns out perfectly!