Author Archives: pamvanarsdall

On night three, I made an easy slow cooker meal that I had taste tested with one of my most picky carnivore friends! I love this dish and it was a hit with the fellows as well. I combined the chili with grilled sandwiches made with hummus, sliced sweet peppers, grilled zucchini slices and broccoliContinue reading “The Great Plant Based Cooking Challenge: Night Three”

I made it a little easier on myself on night two and made a simple pasta primavera, with a green salad with fresh blueberries, orange segments and walnuts and balsamic dressing, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Pasta Primavera Ingredients: Whole Wheat or Gluten Free Pasta 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 purpleContinue reading “The Great Plant Based Cooking Challenge: Night Two”

My family recently went to see the movie Game Changers, a fascinating documentary about the power of whole food planted based eating to improve athletic ability. My twenty-three year old son, John, was with us. Afterwards, John asked if I would make several plant based dinners for him and his roommates, three other twenty-three yearContinue reading “The Great Plant Based Cooking Challenge: Night One”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month so it’s a good time to talk about mushrooms. Mushrooms fight cancer using several mechanisms. They are antiangiogenic (decrease blood supply to cancer cells), apoptotic (promote cancer cell death), and protect cellular DNA. They are real superstars when it comes to boosting our immune system, which is an integralContinue reading “Mushroom and Leek Risotto”

Combine the following and then mix in dressing to coat slaw ingredients. Garnish with broccoli microgreens. 12 ounce package broccoli slaw from produce section 1/2 – 1 cup broccoli sprouts Arils from one pomegranate Two unpeeled apples (diced) Mix the following in a blender for dressing (recipe modified from Culinary Gym) ½ cup unsweetened plantContinue reading “Broccoli Sprout Slaw”

When I find a recipe that has more than one anti-cancer ingredient and I really LOVE it, I get pretty excited. This dish does just that. It combines cauliflower, a cruciferous vegetable, with turmeric. Cruciferous vegetables contain powerful phytochemicals that have been shown to have anti-cancer effects. Curcumin, the polyphenol in turmeric, has been studiedContinue reading “Turmeric Tahini Roasted Cauliflower”

The inspiration for this sandwich came from a recipe blog I subscribe to, HurryTheFoodUP. Their recipes are quick and flavorful, perfect for busy parents, students and professionals. Tempeh is a fermented soy product, a good source of protein and nutrients. Although the HurryTheFoodUp recipe called for fried tempeh, I used a marinade and baked theContinue reading “Avocado, Tempeh and Broccoli Sprouts Sandwich”

I finally found a good recipe for plant based lasagna! With a little help from Minimalist Baker, I modified this recipe from Capello’s to create a dish the family really enjoyed! Ingredients: 1 medium eggplant sliced lengthwise 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 portobello mushroom, thinly sliced 1Continue reading “Plant Based Roasted Vegetable Lasagna”

First of all these are so delicious it will be hard to believe they are GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE, DAIRY FREE AND EGG FREE. When I tell my sweet mama something like this she usually says, “There’s no way that can be good!” But these really are! And just in time for holiday baking! TheContinue reading “Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies”

This recipe is from Cookie and Kate and can be accessed at https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-butternut-squash-soup/ You will need to scroll to the bottom of her post for the recipe. This is an easy and tasty fall recipe. I made just a few changes.  Instead of parchment paper, I used a silicone mat (sil-pat) which is safe inContinue reading “Roasted Butternut Squash Soup”