Rip Esselstyn's Blog, page 22

Holiday Party Season

 

Has your invitation to the annual Ugly Sweater Party arrived? The easy part of the gathering is figuring out just how many strands of battery-pack lights you can add to the sweater without becoming a fire hazard. More than likely, your party hosts will want to make you feel comfortable, and maybe you will get a call that sounds like this, “Yo, Char, what is it exactly that you can eat?” Good hearted people really want to feel comfortable with your plant-strong self during the throes of their party. What you eat may be an enigma to them.

Let’s face it, the national statistic for weight gain on a standard American diet during the holiday hits the scale between a weight gain between five-seven pounds. That should be enough motivation for holding onto your plant-strong way of life. For me, it has been a real anchor of security knowing that the way I eat prevents that actual weight gain. And, honestly, it was those extra five-seven pounds that got me in trouble over a fifteen year period. I will let you do the math on that one.

Here are five plant-strong tips to help guide you during the holiday season, no matter where you are and what your crazy sweater looks like when you are headed to a party:

1. Take some veggie platters: Include different vegetables, add jicama to the fold, as well as, different colored peppers, etc. And get out some cookie cutters and cut your veggies in fun shapes. If you head over to www.engine2 diet.com, you can find some great dressings to add to the veggie display. Plain, non-dairy yogurt is a great base to a dip. Just add your favorite spices.

2. Avoid the “Cookie Walk:” In Pennsylvania, where I live, someone on the block usually has a cookie walk. Over the years, I have made Rip’s “Mighty Muffin” recipe and have used muffin tins that are shaped into trees and snowflakes. A platter of the holiday muffin is always a huge hit. And this year, I am adding ginger biscotti, because there is a fabulous recipe for them in THE PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE COOKBOOK (Crile Esselstyn, Esselstyn, 2014, Avery Press). So, if you do head to the walk, you can fill your tin with healthy treats.

3. Grab a Bite to Eat: Before you head to the party, make yourself a delicious, hearty salad. The salad will fill you up. You will feel less tempted to eat conventional foods.

4. Perfect Hostess Gift: This is when I order a few extra copies of THE ENGINE 2 DIET. It is easy to wrap, and makes the perfect gift for the party hosts. You might even want to get some cute Post-it Notes ® and highlight a few pages.

5. Have Fun: The reality of the event is the people and the fun things that go on. It doesn’t have to be about the food. Your memories will be in the people you met and the graciousness of your hosts.

Five easy tips. You’ll leave the party feeling great and when you count your blessings, being plant-strong will be at the top of your list for holiday happiness.

Happy Holidays from everyone at Engine 2.

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Engine 2 Phoenix Award: Rick’s Story

In June, 2009, my heart arrested suddenly during a USTA tennis match. I had the amazing good fortune to be playing against a team that included a cardiologist. He performed world class cpr for over 12 minutes (assisted by a peds intensivist who had finished playing his match) until the fire department rescue squad arrived and successfully restarted my heart with a defibrillator. That night, I underwent an emergent X6 bypass surgery.

Within a month after my surgery, I discovered Dr. Esselstyn’s book.  I was impressed by the science behind his recommendations, and Iimmediately  transitioned to a plant based diet. I attended Dr. Esselstyn’s day long seminar in October, 2009  and have been an adherent to his plant-based, oil free program since then. In the initial months, my recovery seemed a bit slower than I had hoped, and I soon learned that two of the bypass grafts were no good from the start. I continued to train and, in time, the combination of the plant based diet and development of good collateral circulation enabled me to return not only to playing team tennis but also to compete in 10k races and duathlons.

This past summer, I competed in the cycling races in our state level senior games and managed to qualify for both time trials and road racing events in the National Senior Games next year in Minneapolis. I will be competing in the 65-69 year old age group. I had been a trial attorney for most of my adult life and specialized in medical cases. I defended many cardiology cases, and developed a strong background in the medicine.

It was beyond ironic that a cardiologist was present to save my life when I arrested. Both he and I were subbing for our teams that evening. I am now a law professor and will be teaching a course in animal law this spring. I have a brother who underwent a nuclear stress test soon after my event. The test disclosed cardiac ischemia. He also adopted Dr. Esselstyn’s program and within three years, he was tested again.  The latest test showed no ischemia. Plant power!

Rick

The Engine 2 Phoenix Award is presented to those individuals who have changed their life after adopting a Plant-Strong lifestyle.  Do you have a story to share? Email us: info@engine2.com

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Eating Out -Mexican Food Style

Eating out is always fun, yet, sometimes a plant-strong challenge. Many people will tell you that a steak house is the easiest place for a plant-strong dinner. You grab a salad, some steamed broccoli, and an over-sized baked potato. And bingo, dinner is served.

But, let’s face it, boredom can easily set in when you repeatedly visit the local steak joint for dinner. I like the challenge of eating in ethic restaurants and trying the best way to create a delicious and flavorful plant-strong “comida.”

My “five easy pieces” are go-to suggestions for eating at your favorite, Latin restaurant. I love pan-Latino meals and can use these tips when ordering out where my college Spanish is put to use. I can get a baleada as well as a tortilla filled with vegetables ( baleada is a cross-breed of a burrito and a taco from Honduras).

Try these tips:

1. Order a salad, “sin queso.” No cheese. Ask for extra lemon quarters and make a spunky dressing with lemon juice and hot sauce. You will love it.

2. If guacamole is your thing, have it made fresh at the table and ask them to hold the oil and salt. Recently, my family and I were dining at a Mexican restaurant where a server made “tableside guacamole” and it was loaded with oil. Better than that, ask for avocado slices and use them to your liking. Guac is the new sour cream, so to speak.

3. Those fajitas on the menu might look good, but ask if the vegetables can be steamed without oil. The fajitas won’t arrive at the table with that sizzling sound, but they will be delicious and crispy.

4. Who doesn’t love beans? Sadly, most commercially prepared beans at restaurants are soaked in beef or pork fat. The beans should have a warning sign on them, that’s just how bad they are for you. Easiest thing to do? Take a can of your favorite beans! Just check the label for the sodium levels and any added fats (Eden has a canned pinto bean with 15 milligrams of sodium).

5. Ask for corn tortillas. Simple as that. And ask for brown rice. Plain, steamed, brown rice.

Not too long ago, I spent a week in the interior of Honduras, and even in a small village, I was able to easily maintain eating plant-strong. Remember, it comes back to the plants.

Oh, and the best tip? Hold the chips.

You’ll thank me, and I will leave you with a simple, “de nada.”

Buon provecho.

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Getting Ready for “Plants-Giving”

Another popular question for people who are plant-strong?

“Will you eat turkey today, because after all, it is Thanksgiving?”

Do you ever stretch your patience so far that you almost run out of an explanation? It shouldn’t be that hard to explain to Aunt Doris that “this plant thing” isn’t a diet, but rather a way of eating. It is my lifestyle.

On Thanksgiving Day, whether you visit friends, relatives, or eat out, the biggest food day of the year can create challenges. For many years, I have started my day with a 5K. All races have very cute names, usually, with the word “turkey” infused somewhere in the catchy title. For me, doing a 5K creates a solid foundation of good eating, plus, it gives me something to talk about at dinner when I want to avoid the “plant questions.”

Here are some easy, grab and go tips that you can use on Thanksgiving Day:

-Eat before you go. Have a salad. Slurp some soup. Fill your belly with delicious food.

-Everyone loves soup, and it seems that every Thanksgiving meal begins with one. So, tell Aunt Doris that you will make gallons of a hearty and rib-sticking good soup. I’d opt for bean soup with harvest vegetables. The soup will be knock-out popular.

– Volunteer to take a familiar dish, plantstrong style. Whether it be mashed sweets, Mighty Muffins, or a crudite platter using fat-free hummus. And make a lot of it, too, because people will be blown away that “your food” will taste so good. One year, I made a dozen, stuffed acorn squash entrees, and to be honest, everyone loved them. Use “poultry” seasonings (rosemary, thyme, sage, etc.) to create a familiar taste.

-Think of a few plant-strong desserts. Dumpster Blueberry Cobbler jumps out at me. And, making pumpkin pie is a breeze, especially if it is crustless, comes out more like a custard, but still has that same creamy, fall flavor that everyone loves.

-While everyone then begins to fall into a food coma after dinner, whip out some delicious herbal teas. Maybe a nice ginger tea. And enjoy the lovely conversations that will begin.

At the end of dinner, the food event will most likely be remembered by the people, the laughter, and how you create new memories for your friends and family.

But, you may still have some explaining to do to dear, lovely Aunt Doris.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Rinotta Stuffed Shells

Rinotta Stuffed Shells


Rinotta Shells in a bed of sauce and greens

My Mom used to make stuffed shells a lot when I was growing up.  The standard ricotta, mozzarella, eggs, garlic and spices filled the shells. There wasn’t anything about this dish that I didn’t love.  I have been making a great “rinotta” cheeze lately that I have used in lasagna which is great, but when I stumbled across brown rice pasta large shells the other day…I couldn’t wait to make these!

Grand Shells from Tinkyada

Recipe:

The Rinotta Cheeze

2 – 15 oz. cans Cannellini Beans (white kidney) – drained
1 package firm tofu (the refrigerated -in the little plastic tub kind not mori-nu)
4 cloves of garlic or a tablespoon of minced garlic
1-2 tablespoon of Italian seasonings (basil, oregano etc. – season to taste)

The rest…

3 – 25oz. jars no oil low sodium tomato sauce (we like Eden Organics Crushed Tomatoes with Sweet Basil)
1 – bag (5oz. fresh) baby spinach or other greens – you could also use frozen
2 – boxes large brown rice shells (these do NOT get cooked before being filled)
3/4 cup of water

In a food processor blend until smooth: beans, tofu, garlic and spices. Taste your rinotta. Need more garlic? Not enough basil? add more. Taste again. Repeat until you are happy with your creation.  Cover the bottom of a glass pan (I used a a 13×9) with crushed tomatoes about 3/4″ deep.  Add a layer of spinach. Fill the uncooked shells with the rinotta mixture using a small spoon.  Place the shells in the pan until full.  Add another layer of crushed tomatoes over the shells.  Carefully pour the 3/4 cup of water around the  interior edges of the pan.  Being careful not to pour water inside the stuffed shells themselves.  This helps the shells bake to perfection.  Top the shells with some extra Italian spices. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 425 for 35-40 minutes until the liquid is boiling and the shells are al dente.

Rinotta Cheeze!



Layer in your spinach




Shells!


Ta Da! If no blender is available, you can mash the beans and tofu by hand if necessary.  Serve this dish with a big green salad.

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A Plant-Strong Thanksgiving!

Worried about what you’ll be serving for Thanksgiving? We’ve got you covered! We have gathered up our FAVORITE plant-strong recipes from some of our favorite bloggers!

Appetizers and Soup: 

Happy Herbivore: Zucchini Sticks

Straight Up Food: Kabocha Bean Dip

Straight Up Food: Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup

Happy Herbivore: Acorn Apple Soup

Plant-Powered Kitchen: Tamari Roasted Chickpeas

Fat Free Vegan: Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin

Dreena Burton: Pumpkin Hummus

Side Dishes: 

Happy Herbivore: Mashed Potatoes

Fat Free Vegan: Ginger Glazed Carrots

Fat Free Vegan: Stuffing

Plant-Powered Kitchen: Roasted Sweet Potato Puree 

Main Dishes: 

Fat Free Vegan: Seitan Stuffed with Walnuts, Dried Cranberries and Mushrooms

Fat Free Vegan: Tofu Stuffed with Brown Rice and Mushroom Gravy

Engine 2 Meatloaf

Engine 2 Sweet Potato Lasagna 

Engine 2 Shepherds Pie

Desserts: 

Plant-Powered Kitchen: Pumpkin-Chia Raw Chocolate Pudding Parfait Cups

Happy Herbivore: Pumpkin Pie 

Straight Up Food: Pumpkin Pie Squares 

Engine 2 Chocolate Ice-Box Pie

More tips and ideas for the holiday can be found here:

Getting Ready for “Plants-Giving” with Char Nolan

Guest post: Lindsay Nixon – Plant-Strong Thanksgiving plate. (PLUS a gravy recipe!)

Keeping the Focus on Friends and Family by Tara Kemp

Think Plant-Strong For Thanksgiving by Rip Esselstyn

The College Greens: Giving Thanks

Our Thanksgiving Pinterest Board

And lastly…For lots of support during the Holiday Season, join us on our new support site, Engine 2 Extra! When you join you get all of our previous interviews, access to all of our future interviews including our 6 week Plant-Strong Holiday cooking series! You also get our Holiday E-Book which is over 80 pages of tips, stories, recipes and more. Find out all about Engine 2 Extra! 

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The Recipe Lab: A new blog series

For the past couple of years, I have been playing in my ‘Recipe Lab’ – also known as my kitchen.  I love playing with food.  I am not terribly fond of recipes.  In fact, I really don’t like measuring things.  My grandmother never measured anything and was a fantastic cook.  I really enjoy creating my own experiments (recipes). Sometimes, magic happens and the result of the experiment is a great recipe to share with you!  Sometimes…that’s not the case Stunning success or less than stellar, it’s always a lot of fun.  So it is with a sense of adventure and a bit of mad scientist that I look forward to another session in the Recipe Lab.  In sharing my adventures in the Lab, I hope to inspire you to get cozy with your ingredients, get bold with your experiments and enjoy every moment in your kitchen!

 

The next session will be dealing with a new-to-me ingredient: Agar or Agar-Agar.  This ingredient is used as a plant-based gelatin.  It is derived from Red Algae. To read more about Agar click here.  I had heard of Agar for years but had never tried using it in a recipe.  This week I saw a video making an oil-free, nut-free plant-based cheese that you could slice or even grate.  Oh my! Grateable Plant-Strong cheese??? It is with much excitement that I set out to find Agar at my local Whole Foods Market.

Any time I head to Whole Foods, I always wear a Plant-Strong t-shirt or hoodie.  It is the best defense against succumbing to Vegan junk food I might spot in the aisles amongst the Plant-Strong goods.   I am on a mission.  A Recipe Lab supply excursion!  I find the ingredients that I am looking for in the aisles.  I spot Agar flakes with the Nori wraps and other sea vegetables.  I also spot the Engine 2 Plant-Strong Pasta Sauces that happens to be on sale. So I grab a few jars and start heading to the check out lanes when someone spots my green Plant-Strong hoodie.  We have a short conversation about E2, new merchandise in the E2 Store and how great the new food line is doing.  It’s always fun talking with other folks about what we do here at Engine 2.

Back at home,  I plan my Recipe Lab session for a couple of days later.  I pick a day when I know I will have time to experiment.  I set out all of the ingredients I will be using and all of the equipment I will need to make some magic happen in the Lab.  I get my camera set up and put some music on too.  I like the Neil Young station on Pandora, great tunes for cooking! No expectations, possible mishaps, sometimes a miserable failure and yet… the hope of an extraordinarily successful experiment fit for prime time!  I like complex flavors found in simple dishes.  I prefer minimal ingredients to achieve this goal.  With that being said, I waste little – even in failure.  An unfussy palate combined with a practical sense of thriftiness pairs well.  Besides, there is not much in this world that cannot be fixed with a little sriracha sauce!

Tune in next time when the Agar Recipe Lab session begins!

 

Related posts:

S'more E2 Food Logs
Merry Christmas to All and to All a Healthy Night!!!!
Getting Started on E2 with Support from Your Local Whole Foods Market

Batter Up!

Photo: MLB/Getty Images

With the World Series in full swing, I cannot get my mind away from the fact that the Giants have a garden in the center field of San Francisco’s AT&T Park. Need some kale during the seventh inning stretch? Your search may have ended. Aside from the vegetable patch, AT&T Park was recently voted the winner of the PETA’s 2014 Vegetarian-Friendly MLB Stadiums.

Plant-perfect? No. Plant-based, yes. Easy to say that the shift in ballpark cuisine is rapidly changing, just like it is at chain restaurants. When my family and I head to the ballpark (forgive me, but I am a Phillies fan by zipcode, and a Met’s fan by birth), I still have to pack plant-strong food. But, the availability of fresh salads, fruit salads, and the like is vastly improving, making the seventh inning stretch much more fun.

Here’s a quick sketch of a few of the MLB stadiums and a short roster of the plant-based cuisine that’s presently offered. With some adaptations, it is clear to say that you can model some delicious plant-strong options by holding the oil and looking at the ingredient list:

1. San Francisco’s AT&T Park uses a great deal of packaged faux meats, but I would check out the Portobello burgers. I am still waiting for the delicious carrot dogs that are a winner (from Rip’s mom and sister, Ann and Jane) to appear on a ball park menu.

2. My home town park, Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies has several vegan options. If you can get Tony Luke to hold the oil with the broccoli rabe (and if you have a whole wheat roll in your pocket), you’ll do well. Tony Luke’s is a Philly “ins-tee-too-shun” in South Philly and that fact that “rabe” is offered at the park is huge.

3. The Pittsburgh Pirates are slinging all sorts of great food, and if I was at PNC Park, I might check out the sushi, with the hope that it was made with brown rice. If you are a plant-strong sleuth, you might be able to find something suitable.

4. The Washington Nationals have some great food including a roasted cauliflower sandwich. The Nationals Park is a two hour ride from Philadelphia, and it is on my list for next year’s games. I am still broken-hearted that the Phillies traded outfielder Jayson Werth. Rumor has it that he eats meat-free.

5. Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies play, might be the place to be. Fresh fruit kabobs? What could be better? There’s a full menu of plant-based foods. My guess would be that this is the healthiest ball park in MLB. There’s even a restaurant in section 120 called Right Field Greens! They actually have a full service salad bar! No greasy dogs in this section!

No matter where you watch baseball, eating seems to be another part of America’s favorite pastime. Today, there’s a curve in the way people are eating throughout the country, and seeing plant-based foods in national ballparks indicates that things are changing, one plant-strong bite at a time.

I have always loved baseball. As a teenager, I babysat for players and announcers from the NY Mets. When I was a school teacher, my class and I trekked to Brooklyn to the site of the former Ebbett’s Field. There’s something intriguing about the game. It is mathematical, poetic, balletic. And it has a rich history, from players, to stadium facts, and yes, to food.

As people chronicle the history books with stories about ballpark food– red-hots, peanuts and Cracker Jacks– one can only hope that the addendum to that history will soon include facts about the arrival of “Raise the Roof Lasagna” and “Mighty Muffins” to ballparks throughout the country. It is closer than you think!

As for the 2014 World Series, I am not sure who’ll take the series, but my kale is on the Giants.

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Trick or Treat…Give Me Something Plant-Strong to Eat

 

It’s that time of the year when ghosts and goblins come tapping at your door for some Halloween treats. This is a rough holiday because stores and media portray it as a much bigger holiday than it should be, and keeping it healthy can be a stealth task.

I live in one of those neighborhoods where children arrive in a steady stream starting at 4:00 PM. And, perhaps, the last caller arrives at 9:00 PM. There’s a constant trail of devoted trick or treaters. I had to really give solid, plant-strong thought to Halloween. I knew that I couldn’t compromise myself for one day, but I really wanted to stick to my plant-strong roots and share some of the good things that you could hand out for Halloween.

Here’s what works for keeping it real on Halloween, try some of these ideas. You’ll save loads of money and you will be helping to plant good seeds for better nutrition:

-Dress Up in a Mask or Costume: I know it sounds corny, but you’ll add some fun to that anticipation of the trick or treater when you answer the door dressed as a head of flames (check out the flame hats at Target!).

-Small Bottles of Water: An eight-ounce bottle of water can be pretty exciting, especially if you are a thirsty ghoul walking up and down the streets. You can store them in an iced cauldron and let the children pick out their own water. I often add some fun stickers to the label, just to make the water more fun!

-Individual Bags of Baby Carrots: What’s not to love, they’re orange and delicious.

-Microwave Popcorn: There are several brands that contain no oil or salt. Just read the labels.

-Raisins: Small boxes of raisins are fun, and they can be a lunch box treat for the school the next day. Again, a fun sticker adds some seasonal fun.

-Clementine’s: Get a marker out and create a Jack O’ Lantern face. Lots of vitamin C in those Clementines.

-Art Supplies: Packages of markers or crayons are always fun. And everyone loves holiday stickers.

This holiday doesn’t need to be about bad food. It’s about the fun of dressing up, decorating, seeing friends and neighbors, and getting to act like a kid for one night.

At our house, we play “Halloween Sounds” and I dress up as something funny. I love interacting with the children and their parents. It’s also fun seeing the same children year-to-year.

Like most holidays, Halloween isn’t about the food, it is about interaction, fun, and creating memories. We have a neighbor who’s a dentist, and he gives out toothbrushes, which I think is a great idea!

My fondest Halloween memories are from a neighbor who made little goodie bags that contained fresh fruit, money, candy, and a handwritten note that wished us a “Happy Halloween.” We also went to her house first.

And, I will say the same to you, Have a Healthy, Plant-Strong Halloween!

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Getting Others Involved with Your Plant-Strong Journey

I’ve known most of my close friends for more than twenty years. They have been through every peak, valley, and crazy diet I’ve ever been on. And frankly, I think they are still waiting for this “plant-strong thing” to be over. Many of these friends were with me on those past Monday mornings, long before Engine 2, when I vowed to healthy eating so I would lose weight and feel great. Sorry to disappoint them, but the plant-strong thing, now five years old, is here to stay.

Long ago, I learned that it was much easier to promote Engine 2 than it was to defend it. I’ve felt that my goal was to integrate E2 into my social life in such a way that others would embrace it, rather than run the other way. Change is hard, and harder for those around us.

People ask me all the time, “What do you do with social events and being plant-strong?” I will say that in my five short years of being plant-strong, I have seen so much incredible progress in grocery stores, restaurants, and even things like ball parks, that it makes being plant-strong appear more of a norm rather than the extreme. You can go out to eat and give explicit instructions to a food server, and get exactly the meal you want—no added oil, salt, or sugar.

Here are a few quick tips that have been hugely helpful to me on my journey. Maybe they can help you and your friends straddle the plant-strong life. Everyone will feel great, especially, YOU.

Gifts for Friends: Anything written by an Esselstyn is good reading for your friends. Start with The Engine 2 Diet. The book is the primer for all that is plant-strong. Of late, I have been very fond of The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn. Ann and Jane’s new scribe is numero uno on my holiday gift giving list for others. I’ve been cooking up a storm!

Have a Plant-Strong Cooking Party: You create the menu, then assign ingredients to your guests to bring. When they arrive, you give them a recipe, and off they go, on their own plant-strong journey with their ingredients. At the evening’s end, you have a delightful, plant-strong dinner that everyone will love. This type of party takes down the walls so others can “live in your world.” It’s also a ton of fun!

Movie Night at Your House: Get out your Forks Over Knives video. Movie watching for all. The snacks? Pick your favorite recipe from your plethora of great plant-strong recipes. You may want to give attendees a few recipe cards to take home, just to get them started, because once they see this movie, their lives will be changed forever.

It’s Your Birthday: Plant-strong desserts will have everyone saying, “WOW.” Jane Esselstyn even created a kale cake recipe in her new book. Be the person who says, “Oh, let me bring the cake.” Then, surprise everyone with this delicious, plant-strong cake. Desserts are an easy way to peak interest for the plant-strong side of the table. True story: I have made Mighty Muffins and taken them to parties, and frankly, they were the first thing to be devoured!

Drop Off a Plant-Strong Dinner to a Friend: No reason here, just make a plant-strong meal, and drop it off to a friend’s house. You will score big points, because everyone enjoys a night off in the kitchen. More than likely, you will get a call of excitement and gratitude. I’ve heard, “Wow, that meal was really delicious.”

What I have learned on this journey is that preaching doesn’t work. For those who really need to follow a plant-based diet, inviting them to cook with you might be the best gift ever. Seeing you in action takes down the barriers that others think they have to hurdle. The reality is that plant-based cooking is easier, quicker, and more economical.

Oh, and the best part? Clean-up is a breeze. No greasy dishes. Just some produce scraps for the compost. This gives you more time with friends to chat and chew and send good, plant-strong vibes.

What could be better?

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