Whole Food Plant-based Challenge!

Welcome to anyone new who has never read my blog before! HI!!  For those of you who have in the past, It's been way too long, I know. Between some really rough emotional years of losing way too many loved ones, and then there was 2020...I mean..c'mon.  But I am hoping that the blessings of quarantine (yes, I said blessings) have allowed my creative side to flourish once again. It certainly has gotten me back in the kitchen trying new recipes again. There has obviously been talk by the majority of the population about health. And because of the pandemic, many more folks have been in the kitchen cooking rather than eating out. 

As I encounter people who are looking to up their healthy food game, I am sometimes stunned at the lack of knowledge there is about healthy food and the fears of some people trying something new.  So I would like to introduce a Whole Food Plant-Based Challenge. This challenge will provide small steps to incorporating new, and maybe not new, foods to your menu. Either way, I am back in the kitchen (never left, but...publicly back anyway) and hoping to share some yummy and good for you recipes from my own creations to those who I follow who inspire me. 

So, onto the challenge. Maybe you’ve heard about plant-based foods and are confused as to what it is, and what it isn’t. Now throw in the term whole foods and you’re like….???

Plant-based eating is growing more popular every year. “A 2018 report by food consultants Baum and Whiteman showed that more than 30 percent of Americans have meat-free days, and “about 83 percent of U.S. consumers are adding plant-based foods to their diets to improve health and nutrition, while 62 percent do so for weight management.”   A whole-food, plant-based diet lets you meet your nutritional needs by focusing on natural, minimally processed plant foods. 

Michael Pollen, author of Food Rules-An Eaters Manual, says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”  There are several major benefits to moving to plant-based nutrition, all supported by excellent science.

According to Cleveland Clinic, If followed properly, a whole foods, plant-based diet maximizes nutrient intake and virtually eliminates foods that can lead to poor health outcomes. following this type of diet will lower your risks of:

• Heart disease
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Diabetes
• Digestive disease
• Colon and breast cancers
• Obesity

Studies also show that a plant-based diet can help to lower body weight and reduce your LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)

And the Mayo Clinic says “ Investigators have studied the relationship between plant-based food intake and various ailments in many, many studies. Spoiler alert: Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains wins.”

So, let’s get ready to rummmmble!

Winter has a host of fruits, vegetables, seeds and legumes that are available and at the peak of their flavor during these cold months. Foods like Kale, leeks, avocados, Mandarin oranges, quinoa and black bean to name a few. And I hear you thinking… “Avocados don’t grow in my region during any season, let alone winter.” But wait! They grow in other regions of the country.  Here in the US, they come from the west coast. I live in the Midwest, where not much grows during the winter except the inches of snow on the ground, but thanks to the 21st century, just about anyone can get fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season ….somewhere.  With that said, we are going to start this challenge with Kale!! 

Everyone by now has heard of kale. This leafy green has a solid resume of health benefits. It has vitamins K, C and A and is full of good-for-you antioxidants. But besides all of these goodies, kale is very versatile too.  You can throw a handful into your morning smoothie, you can make a healthy snack with it in the form of crispy kale chips and of course eat it raw as a base or addition to a salad or fix it up into a side (Can you say sautéed kale and cranberries?? Yes please!). . But one of my favorite ways to use kale is to throw it in soups! The last 10-15 minutes of cooking time, toss in a few handful’s of stripped, chopped kale and voila! Instant added health benefit and added color too!

I follow several authors, bloggers, and food sites that never disappoint, and recently I printed off a copy of Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup from Ali over at Gimme Some Oven.  Ali, gives options for Insta-Pot, Crock-Pot or Stove Top methods. Click on the Gimme Some Oven link to see ways to cook the different methods, but I have provided the stovetop method below and the ingredients that I used. This was really yummy and definitely a keeper! Thanks Ali! 

And thanks to My Honey for the photo shoot! I've been trying to get him on Instagram for years to start showing off his pictures. If you're on IG, go show him some love at dhowellphoto. Thanks!

COZY AUTUMN WILD RICE SOUP - by Gimme Some Oven

• 6 cups vegetable stock 
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice*
• 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 
• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
• Fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Get Cookin’

• Sauté the veggies. Heat an extra 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
• Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.
• Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed. We thought the original amount was just right!
• Serve warm and enjoy!

If you make this, drop me a comment. Oh heck, drop me one even if you don't. Just say Hi!

Diggin' in the Dirt,

Miss Mindy