Rip Esselstyn's Blog, page 6

February is Heart Health Month

February is Heart Health month but here at Engine 2, we honor the most important organ in our body, all year round.

Heart disease may be the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States today, but it doesn’t have to be. Simply  changing the way you eat, the way you prepare your meals and the way you look at exercise can help create profound long lasting changes in your health and your heart. Even if heart disease runs in your family, there is a way to change course and redirect your future.

If you’re looking for these changes, start simple. Here are some suggestions to help you.

Stepping away from the computer once a day to get some fresh air and sunshine can improve your mood by increasing serotonin levels and the production of endorphins. Getting outside can also increase red blood cell production, which carries oxygen throughout the body and to your brain. Let’s not forget that the sun can help provide Vitamin D as well!

Add more fiber to your diet! Changing the way you eat and following our Plant-Strong Engine 2 Diet or our Seven Day Rescue Plan will not only help you shed excess pounds it will increase your fiber intake! Sadly, the average American only consumes about 15 grams of fiber a day. What’s so great about fiber you ask? Fiber can help lower cholesterol and glucose levels. Fiber satiates you, giving you that full feeling so you are not hungry all the time. Increase your fiber intake slowly, consume lots of water and watch your cholesterol dip, your waist shrink and your energy sore!

Find support that encourages and motivates you. Joining our Seven Day Rescue Group on Facebook is a great way to start moving in the plant-strong direction for free. Search for meet-up groups online or simply ask a family member to join you in trying something new. If you want more information, consider attending one of our Engine 2 Events or, if you know that you are not inclined to travel, considering joining the Engine 2 Rescue 10 Week Program from the comfort of your own home.

Buy a new cookbook if you love to be in the kitchen! Rip has written 4 wonderful books each containing a recipe section to help you transition. Head to your local library and see what you can find. Searching on social media like Instagram can also be motivating. Search hashtags like #engine2 #wfpb #plantstrong or #plantbased and be sure to follow Rip Esselstyn and Engine 2 for more meal recipe inspiration and motivation. If you are not on social media, maybe our Engine 2 Meal Planner is more for you? It can take the guess work out of, “What’s for dinner?”

Put yourself first. Schedule some “me-time” during the day whether to read that recipe book, go for a run or batch cook some meals for the week. Write “no-excuses” on a post-it and tape it to your refrigerator or your computer monitor. You are important. Give yourself this gift.

Change doesn’t have to be scary, but change does require repetitive absolute commitment. Only you can create change, no one can do it for you and that’s what makes change so fantastic. Imagine the surprise when you realize you have lost ten pounds or your cholesterol numbers have drop significantly! Envision that day, that moment, now, go make the change. Do it for your heart. Do it for you.

Stay Plant-Strong!

~Pam

Top Engine 2 Recipes: Chili Cheeze Fries

Engine 2’s incredible food coach and recipe creator, Ami Mackey, shared this concoction on Instagram and in our Seven-Day Rescue Challenge Facebook group. It was an immediate, smash hit, and is sure to go down in history as a fan favorite. You won’t believe this recipe is 100% plant-strong goodness!

Looking for more delicious, plant-strong recipes? You’ll find old favorites, plus hundreds of new recipes (for the standard Engine 2 diet as well as the Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet) in the E2 Meal Planner. With access to hundreds of customizable recipes (Cooking for one? Great! Need some leftovers? We’ve got you covered too!), printable grocery list and grocery delivery in select markets, you’ll wonder how you ever planned meals without it – and all for less than $2 a week!

Ingredients
For the Oven-Roasted Fries

6 large baking potatoes (Russet or Sweet, washed and sliced into fries)
2 tablespoons salt-free Cajun seasoning

For the Chili

⅓ cup dry lentils, rinsed (Brown or green will work here)
¼ cup dry bulgur wheat
2 cups water
1 15-ounce can no salt added black beans, drained and rinsed
½ 15-ounce can no salt added fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos

For the Cheeze Sauce

2 Russet potatoes, washed, baked and peeled
2 large carrots, steamed
⅔ cup nutritional yeast
⅓ to ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons Bragg liquid aminos
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like your cheeze spicy, we’ve tested this recipe with up to 1 teaspoon of cayenne – just know, it will be hot!)
Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions
Oven-Roasted Fries

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees while washing and slicing your potatoes. Dust with salt-free Cajun seasoning. Then, bake sliced french fries on a foil-lined baking sheet for 25 to 35 minutes or until brown and crisped.

Lentil Chili

While your potatoes are roasting, it’s time to make your chili! Bring lentils, bulgur and water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 to 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain any remaining water from the pot.

Drain and rinse black beans and add to the pot along with the fire-roasted tomatoes, Bragg liquid aminos and spices. Stir to combine thoroughly and simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Cheeze Sauce

Now that your chili is simmering, let’s make your cheeze sauce! In a food processor, blend carrots and potatoes until smooth. Add nutritional yeast, Bragg liquid aminos, spices and lemon juice, and pulse until well combined.  Add almond milk last, blend until creamy.  his makes a creamy dip.  For a thinner sauce to drizzle, add more almond milk.

Tip: If you do not have a food processor, a blender will work here, but you will likely need slightly more almond milk. Start with ⅓ of a cup and add small amounts until you get to a preferred consistency.

Build your Chili Cheeze Fries appetizer for a crowd or individual servings, but stacking the fries, chili and cheeze sauce. Add hot sauce, salsa, avocado, green onion, jalapeños or any other type of garnish you wish to the dish.

Servings: 2 to 4

 

 

Making Change is Hard

(photo credit: Erin Nekervis)
Making a Change is Hard.

If you’re new to a plant-based lifestyle, there is SO MUCH to learn!  All those aisles in the grocery store suddenly have rules to apply and reading labels to find hidden oil or sugar or milk is both time consuming and frustrating.

We are so excited to tell you about a new technology that allows you to filter the entire grocery store through the lens of the Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue guidelines.  And it’s completely FREE.

Visit the Pinto website or download the mobile app in the App Store.  Once you sign up for a free account, you can select the Engine 2 Profile as your dietary preference and then search for groceries that meet our guidelines.  You’ll see all sorts of options from Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Kroger and more.  And the database is growing all the time!

See below for an example of how Pinto works.  Once you select Engine 2 as your filter, type bread in the search field.  Pinto will show all breads that meet our Seven-Day Rescue criteria and will color code them based on how well they fit the plan.  Blue is “best in class”, Green is great, Yellow means it almost fits, and Red is off plan.

 

Search Results for Bread

The filter knows bread must be whole grain, oil-free, low in sodium and no added sugars in the top two-thirds of ingredients. Now you have a list of products to purchase or request in your local store!

 

 

Click Items for More Details

Select one of the products to view complete nutritional content including ingredients, GMO status and more.

BONUS! If you are a Whole Foods Market shopper, Pinto has customized the Engine 2 database so you can view what grocery products fit our guidelines and are readily available IN YOUR LOCAL STORE. Enjoy!

 

 

Top Engine 2 Recipes: Aloha Pineapple Burgers

Got the winter blues? Perk up your day with these plant-strong burgers! They are sweet, tangy, juicy and spicy – all at once! Perfect for company and kids (skip the cayenne) – bring a napkin and your appetite!

Want more delicious, plant-strong recipes? You’ll find old favorites, plus hundreds of new recipes (for the standard Engine 2 diet as well as the Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet) in the E2 Meal Planner. With access to hundreds of customizable recipes (Cooking for one? Great! Need some leftovers? We’ve got you covered too!), printable grocery list and grocery delivery in select markets, you’ll wonder how you ever planned meals without it – and all for less than $2 a week!

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 large Vidalia onion – cut in 3/4 inch slices

1 can cannellini beans, drained

1/2 cup cooked farro (Substitute brown rice or quinoa for gluten-free)

1/2 cup green peas, cooked

1/4 cup red cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour

2 tablespoons BBQ sauce + 2 tablespoons for basting

1 tablespoon salt-free jerk seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

5 slices fresh pineapple (or canned pineapple drained)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mash beans by hand in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the onion and pineapple and mix well.

Separate the onion slices into onion rings.

Press mixture into onion ring to form a patty surrounded by a ring of onion.

Bake at 400 for 35-45 minutes on a lined baking sheet.

Baste with extra BBQ sauce and serve on a whole grain bun with a slice of grilled pineapple.

Note: These can also be grilled – though I recommend using a nonstick grill pan on your BBQ grill if you plan to do so.

Recipe makes 4-6 servings depending upon the size of your onion slices.

Inside the Engine 2 Meal Planner : Kids Choice

Being a parent isn’t easy. Being a plant-strong parent to picky kids REALLY isn’t easy. Full disclosure, my kids eat mostly plant-based. We let them make choices outside of the home which many times, are not choices I would make for them, but it usually results in some kind of discussion later on as to why they feel sick or tired. My hope is that eventually, they will make the connection.

At home they are not super adventurous in trying new things, but they do take a “no thank you bite,” which means they try it and if they don’t like it, they say, “No thank you.” Often it takes many of these kinds of “bites” before they realize they DO in fact like something. I am always reminding them that their taste buds are changing daily.

So when my 10 year old (and my pickiest) started hanging around the kitchen more, I gave her the option of deciding on dinner with one requirement, she had to choose a meal from the Engine 2 Meal Planner.

When you tell a 10 year old they are allowed to go on the laptop and play around, they jump for joy. She really loved the program and the photos.

I explained how the meal planner worked, showing her the SEARCH box and explained that she could type an ingredient that she likes into the box and suggested recipes will populate.

Naturally, she searched “pasta” because she’s a huge fan of any kind of noodle. She skimmed through all the recipes until one of them stood out to her. She saved other recipes that interested her to our Menu for the future (mom is silently jumping for joy here).

In the end, she chose Engine 2’s Pasta with Creamy Marinara. This recipe is simple to make and I had all the ingredients on hand but the best part is that she could make this all by herself (minus cooking the pasta). Win win for mom!

I helped her gather what she needed and while I cooked the pasta, she made the creamy marinara sauce. This recipe is beyond easy because it uses ingredients that are not that foreign to kids. Everyone used to tell me to have my kids help in the kitchen to get them to eat “better” but that only backfired with my kids. When they saw what food looked like before it was cooked, it turned them off completely.

This recipe however used jarred tomato sauce, cannellini beans and spices like Nutritional Yeast and Italian Seasoning. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

She dumped the tomato sauce and the rinsed and drained beans into the blender and then added the nutritional yeast and seasoning. I told her to blend that up until it gets to the desired consistency she wanted. She told me she wanted smooth, “Nothing chunky mom.”

Following the directions, I poured the sauce mixture into a sauce pan to warm up. However, I think if the sauce was thinned a bit with maybe some water or more tomato sauce, you could blend it and warm it in a high speed blender like a Vitamix avoiding the use of dirtying another pot.

It was pretty thick after it was blended but it was definitely smooth and passed her taste test with a thumbs up.

Once the sauce is warm, you add it to the already cooked pasta and voila, you have dinner! The best part however, is plating your meal. I told her that she needed to make a “final product” plate like the photo in the recipe as well as dish some out for her little sister.

She was all over making the dish look pretty and presentable. She added steamed broccoli on the side and doused that with nutritional yeast. My kids eat steamed broccoli without issue and for that I am grateful. They eat it every single day if they cannot choose another green to add to their plate. They don’t complain and I don’t mind making it.

She really enjoyed the whole process and is already asking about making that other pasta dish with the cauliflower sauce that she added to our menu! Say what? Who IS this kid? Seriously, thank you Engine 2 Meal Planner!

If you also have picky kiddos at home (or even grand kids), having them go through the meal planner might be a great way to get them interested in cooking in the kitchen more. If you don’t have the meal planner, this Pasta with Creamy Marinara is pretty tasty and kid approved. You can find the recipe here.

Stay Plant-Strong!

~Pam

P.S. Save $20 on the Engine 2 Meal Planner with code: PLANTSTRONG20 (valid on the annual plan – code expires 1/13)

Happy New Year Black Eyed Peas and Greens

In the Southern United States, Hoppin’ John (a traditional soul food) is thought to bring prosperity in the New Year. The story goes, that the peas are supposed to bring you good luck and the greens are supposed to bring you money. I am not southern, but man do I love black eyed peas and I love greens so when I first read about this tradition, I was all over it.

What I love most about black eyed peas, is that soaking is not (always) required and if you have a pressure cooker, this recipe will be cinch to make especially if you have some left over precooked potatoes, brown rice or my favorite, millet. If you do not have a pressure cooker, don’t fret! Just follow the modified recipe below.

Black Eye Peas & Greens

1 onion chopped

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1.5 cups dried black eye peas (not soaked)

2 cups low sodium veggie broth

1 cup water

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 bunch of kale or 3 cups spinach (or your favorite green)

Add the first eight (8) ingredients (basically everything but the kale) to your pressure cooker in the order listed and stir to combine.

Cook on the manual setting for 25 minutes with the vent in the sealed position.

Let pressure release naturally.

Suggestion: While the peas are cooking, make rice, millet or microwave some potatoes to serve the peas over when cooked.

When the pressure releases on the pressure cooker, add the greens and stir again to incorporate. Put the lid back on the pressure cooker to let the greens cook down until soft.

Serve over brown rice, millet or baked potatoes. We also like to add crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper and/or hot sauce to this before serving.

No pressure cooker? No problem!

Sub 2 cans of black eyed peas for the dried peas. Rinse and drain the peas and use just 1 cup of liquid (low to no sodium broth is best) instead of the 3 cups of liquid listed above and follow the below directions.

Add the chopped onion and spices (except nutritional yeast) to a large pot set to medium high heat. Add a little splash of broth if needed to prevent the onions from sticking. Saute until onions are soft.

Add the rest of the ingredients including the peas and the 1 cup of broth to the pot and heat over medium high heat stirring occasionally. You want this to get creamy if possible and may need to add some extra nutritional yeast to reach that consistency. When the greens are wilted to your liking and everything is heated through, enjoy!

May you all have a healthy, happy and now prosperous new year.

Stay Plant-Strong!

~Pam

Holiday S’molliday

T’is the season for decadence. Elaborate parties, corporate shindigs and the never-ending classroom festivities that inundate us roughly from October to January.

Avoiding the buffet tables and party invites does not mean hiding under a rock until the new year arrives. Embrace your plant-strong life and more importantly, embrace your plant-strong HEALTH!

Here are some tips and tricks for navigating the holiday season. While I would absolutely love to give everyone the gift of a plant-strong lifestyle, that is not always well received especially around the holidays. No one wants to feel shamed for what they are consuming and the same should go for you! Do not let anyone make you waiver from eating plant-strong and heart healthy. You do you but here are a few ways to add a little plant-strong flair to your holiday season.

Party or Potluck on calendar? Volunteer to bring a plant-strong dish! Check out our Engine 2 line of cookbooks or even the recipes on our website and find a recipe that you would like to eat. Double or triple as necessary but do not tell anyone it is a plant-strong recipe! This ensures that you have something to eat and shares the love of something healthy to consume. Just be warned, people will most likely love it, inhale it and then ask what was in it.
Give the gift of health. Do you know someone who is struggling with trying to eat healthy but just cannot seem to get on track? Maybe they are the only plant-strong person in their family? Why not gift them the Engine 2 Meal Planner for a few months to test it out? The recipes can be geared to single servings made in 5 minutes or less in some instances. This would really benefit someone who is just starting out eating plant-strong and needs some guidance.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away AND can make a teacher smile. Sadly our classrooms are just as full of treats and sugar bombs as the offices across most of corporate America. Our amazing teachers mold, educate and love our children daily so course we want to say thank you during the holidays! The trick is finding a healthy way to do it. Forget Starbucks gift cards or baked goods instead jump onto Pinterest and find a craft if that is your thing. I made mason jar pen and pencil holders and added Amazon gift cards (and I am not crafty at all). The teachers loved it! Teachers are always looking for more supplies for their classrooms. You can also consider ideas like gift-cards to the movies so they can spend the holiday with their family. Home-made cards from the kids sharing what they loved most about the year so far, is always a hit with teachers. Add some flowers and you have a great heartfelt gift sure to make them smile.
The dreaded dining out disease! Are you forced to dine out with friends, family or coworkers at a restaurant you know will not cater to your plant-strong life? Do not let it turn you into a Scrooge! Accept the situation for what it is. It is a social gathering so be social! If you cannot call the restaurant in advance and arrange something for yourself, be sure to eat before you go. Fill up on greens and potatoes so you’ll be plenty satiated. The bottom line is spending time with those you care about not about what is on your plate or theirs. A simple, “I ate before I came,” or “You know, I am just not that hungry today but I am so interested in your new job! Tell me about it!” can really change one’s attitude. Shift the conversation away from food and back onto whoever you are talking to. Ask about their kids, their grandkids, their work or travel. Engage in meaningful conversation which also means listening! If you can truly listen to what someone is talking about instead of focusing on what you cannot eat, you will be inclined to ask questions and you may just learn a lot more about someone you thought you knew well.

The holidays can be a stressful time regardless if you are plant-strong. Do not let what you eat or what you do not eat, be the center of your holiday season. Remember what the holidays are about and focus on being your best self both in your health and towards others.

Stay Plant-Strong!

~Pam

Mexican Spring Rolls

People often ask me what my favorite food to eat is and my answer is pretty much always the same, Fresh Thai Rolls. You know those beautiful rice paper wrapped appetizers that you will find in most Thai restaurants? They are usually filled with tofu, carrots, rice noodles and/or lettuce and some kind of herb like basil, mint or cilantro. They are served with a peanut or plum dipping sauce. Sometimes, I will eat an entire order all by myself. Hands down my favorite food.

So when my husband and I were in Hudson, New York attending Plant-Stock one year, my mind was blown when we were dining at a local restaurant called Mexican Radio and I saw Mexican Spring Rolls on their menu. We ordered them and I vowed then and there to try and re-create this wonderful new spin on my favorite dish.

MEXICAN SPRING ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup frozen corn (I chose frozen roasted corn)

¼ to ½ diced Hatch chili pepper with seeds removed (or jalapeno), amount to your spice liking

½ cup chopped cilantro

Baby Spinach

Guacamole

Brown Rice Paper Wraps

Salsa for dipping

Veggie broth (for sautéing)

Mexican Seasoning of choice (I like Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle)

Chili Powder, to taste

Garlic Powder, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add a thin layer of veggie broth then add the mushrooms, carrots, corn and chili pepper and stir to soften.

Continue to stir the veggies frequently to avoid sticking. Add more broth if they do start to stick. Sprinkle on the Mrs. Dash as well as the garlic and chili powder. No measurements needed, just sprinkle until the veggies are coated and the pan begins to smell amazing. Continue stirring until the carrots and mushrooms are soft and cooked.

Remove the pan from the stove and let sit to cool.

Now it is time to build your spring rolls. I start by using a pie pan and adding warm water to it. This is what you will dip your rice paper wraps in to soften them.

Dip your rice into the pie pan until completely coated and the rice paper just begins to soften. You don’t want it super soft, you want to have the paper still be somewhat firm. Usually I dip them 5 to 10 seconds total.

Place your wet rice paper wrap onto a plastic cutting board or surface. Do not use a wooden cutting board or your rice paper WILL stick!

Do not worry if the paper is not super soft yet, it will soften enough for you to roll it as it sits on the cutting board.

To the middle of the rice paper, add a small handful of spinach and a dollop of guacamole. I cheated and used the pre-packaged container of guac that I stick in my kid’s lunch box. Feel free to make your own if you prefer.

On top of the guacamole, add a small amount of the cooked veggie mixture. I would say about 2 tablespoons worth. You do not want to add too much because you do not want to rip the rice paper when you roll it. Then, top the veggies with a pinch or two of fresh chopped cilantro.

Next, take the bottom of the rice paper and fold up and over the veggie mixture in the middle. Then take the right side of your rice paper and fold over the veggie mixture followed by the left side. Tuck the flaps in and then roll the mixture up to the top portion of the rice paper until sealed.

Place your finished roll on a plate and move on to the next one being mindful to never let the finished rolls touch (again, they will stick and rip).

I served mine with salsa as a dipping sauce but I think you could find so many things to dip these in. Be creative! These are perfect to bring to a party too or have at your next taco night. Kids also have fun building these so make it a Mexican Spring Roll family night!

Stay Plant-Strong!

~ Pam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the Engine 2 Meal Planner : 5 Minute Chana Masala

I am back with another inside look at the Engine 2 Meal Planner. This time I had just returned from a 5 day trip out of town. My fridge was bare and my family was hungry. I always have canned beans on hand in my pantry so I turned to the Engine 2 Meal Planner and searched “beans” in the recipe search box.

Bam! 237 results for recipes with beans in them. I scanned the list until I saw something that caught my eye … a recipe that had “5 Minutes” in the title! Say what now!? I clicked and low and behold, I had all these ingredients in my pantry or freezer.

So 5-Minute Chana Masala it was going to be and let me tell you, this truly came together in 5 easy minutes. I doubled the recipe because we wanted leftovers. Literally, this is by far the easiest recipe ever. So easy my husband or 10 year old could probably follow it.

Open canned beans. Rinse canned beans. Open canned tomatoes. Dump canned tomatoes. Combine all the ingredients listed and warm on the stove. Could not be any easier than that.

As directed in the recipe, I had some frozen brown rice on hand (always do for emergencies like this) that I made in the microwave but I took an extra few minutes and made some quinoa in my pressure cooker so that we could have our leftovers for lunch the next day with a different base.

We served the rice and Chana Masala over another bed of greens because, why not right? One can never have too many greens in their life! You can also add some spices like black pepper or red chili flakes to your dish after you plate it. Overall, this was a super simple meal that can truly be a go-to option in an dinner emergency.

Using quinoa as a different base option was great for lunch the next day. I highly recommend it if you can make a batch of quinoa or even millet to add to leftovers.

Once again, the Engine 2 Meal Planner saved me from a dinner disaster. If you want to test out the recipe for 5-Minute Chana Masala, then just click HERE and enjoy! You can save $30 on our annual meal planner subscription through Cyber Monday with promo code: GIVETHANKS30

Stay Plant-Strong!

~Pam

Inside The Engine 2 Meal Planner and Announcing Our Contest Winners

We created this video to give you a real sense of all the time-saving features we have packed into our planner.  And the best part?  Even MORE amazing features are on deck.  We will never stop improving this resource because we are 110% committed to making plant-strong living easy and delicious!

 

Engine 2 Plant-Strong Meal Planner from engine 2 diet on Vimeo.

 

The Engine 2 Meal Planner is feature packed! Customize your menu from our database of hundreds of possibilities. Change your serving sizes or make enough for leftovers with the click of a button.  Get live help from our team of food coaches or watch a video to improve your cooking skills from the chefs at the Rouxbe Cooking School.  Upload your own favorite recipes to add to your weekly plan.  Create printable grocery lists from your menus. Get your grocery list delivered in over 200 cities in the USA. Have allergies or dislikes? Not a problem, add them to your preferences to avoid recipes that contain them. Dive into the meal planner to see all of the useful features we have built in to save you time and money.

We are excited to announce our three contest winners for our recipe contest! You’ve won a 12 month subscription to the Engine 2 Meal Planner.

Christine Biank

Karina Chartrand

Jill Kiesow

We’ll be adding the new recipes to the database in 2019. Thanks to all who entered!