Tess Challis's Blog, page 10

Healthy, Delicious, Vegan Cheese Sticks? Yeah Baby!

I've made these cheese sticks at cooking classes several times, and invariably the response is always "WOW! I can't believe these are vegan, let alone healthy!" They're from my latest book, Radiance 4 Life , which includes over 105 delicious superfood recipes.

By the way, I'm sorry I don't have a yummy, gooey photo to go with these! I tried to find a photo on a stock photography site, but I didn't want to use one that I knew was made with animal products...and the vegetarian stock photo site is lovely, but hard to always find the picture you want. Soooo...you'll just have to imagine how delish these look. Or better yet, make them yourself and you won't have to imagine!! :-)
Vegan Cheese Sticks
Yeah, I know—this stretches the boundaries of what a superfood recipe "should" be. But we all need a little comfort food now and then, right? So, we might as well make it as healthy as possible, while still keeping deliciousness as a priority!
Cheesy Filling:▪ ¾ cup cauliflower purée (steam cauliflower until tender and blend until    silky smooth)▪ 1½ cups grated vegan cheese (I use "Daiya" mozzarella)
Crunchy Breading:▪ 1¼ cup fine bread crumbs (pulse sprouted grain bread in a food processor)▪ 2 tablespoons chia seeds (or ground flaxseeds)▪ 2 teaspoons dried parsley▪ 1 teaspoon dried basil▪ ½ teaspoon each: sea salt and garlic granules
For pan-frying: 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil (not extra-virgin)
1. Stir the filling ingredients together and set aside.2. In a large bowl, combine the breading ingredients thoroughly and set aside. 3. Now I'm about to tell you something very honest, but I trust you can handle it: This next step is going to be tricky. In fact, you might wonder if you can do it. At one point, you may even curse me and my "fricking stupid recipe." But I promise that if you hang in there, you'll not only get the hang of it, but also be in a very comfortable position—one that involves gooey, scrumptious cheese sticks. 4. Are you ready to get on board? Then roll up your sleeves and roll up the cheese. To do the latter, remove about 2 tablespoons of cheesy filling and roll it into a little log formation. Next, roll it in the breading until thoroughly coated on all sides. Place on a plate. Repeat until all of the filling is used up, placing all of the sticks on a plate (leaving enough room so that they don't touch each other). Pop the plate in the freezer for 25 minutes.  
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Remove the plate from the freezer. Once the oil is hot, place the cheese sticks on the pan in a single layer and cook, uncovered, until the bottoms are golden-browned. Turn over and continue to cook until golden-browned on all sides. This will take about 2 minutes on each of the 4 sides, for a total of 8 minutes.6. Remove to a plate and serve.
Makes 12 vegan cheese sticks (serves 3-4)/SF/Blue/F (according to the guidelines in my books)♥  Superstars: sprouted grains, chia, parsley

Quick, fat-free, delicious, whole-grain, vegan blueberry cobbler? Yes, please!

As promised, here's that kickbooty recipe I was talking about yesterday. It's basically the recipe for "Ultra Light Blackberry Cobbler" from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth - except with blueberries instead of blackberries. Cuz that's what was in my fridge. I've always loved this dish because it's crazy easy, fat-free, high in fiber, and still manages to taste wonderful!
So, the top picture is what your cobbler should look like before it goes in the oven. Below that is what it looks like when it's done. But as I've said many-a-time, I am NO food photographer! That thing looked way better in real life! My lil' camera somehow failed to capture the gooey, perfectly browned gorgeousness that actually happened. Oh well...make it and see for yourself! :-)

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup almond milk (or other nondairy milk)

2 cups blueberries (or blackberries), fresh or frozen
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine the flour, baking powder, and sea salt very well in a medium bowl. Stir in the vanilla, maple syrup, and milk until evenly combined.
2. Lightly oil a round pie pan. Pour the mixture into the pan, using a rubber spatula to remove all of the batter. Evenly sprinkle the blackberries over the top of the mixture. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cobbler is a gorgeous shade of brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so, then serve immediately.
Serves 4-6; GF (with substitution)/SF/Green (according to the guidelines in my books)


* Many thanks to Dr. John and Mary McDougall for providing the inspiration for this recipe! Their books are the reason I was inspired to go vegan 20 years ago.

10 Minute Gluten-Free Pasta with Artichokes!

I have an undying love of artichokes and felt like indulging said love yesterday with a big bowl of goodness. And although I'm not gluten-free, I don't like to overdo any one nutrient - so I take lots of breaks from wheat. One of the best ways to do this is with corn-quinoa pasta. Even if you're like me and don't have to avoid gluten, you'll love the flavor, texture, and visual appeal of this healthy pasta!

8 oz. dry corn-quinoa pasta (I use "Ancient Harvest" brand)
Two 15 oz. cans or jars of water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
lots of black pepper, to taste
sea salt to taste (I use white truffle sea salt for extra deliciousness)

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. While the pasta is cooking, place all of the other ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Once the pasta is al dente, drain and toss with the "sauce." Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings
GF/SF/Blue (according to the guidelines in my books )

It's Our Last Day, Two-Weekers!!

Hey babies! How's your day 14 going? I can't believe it's already over. How did your overall experience go? Did you achieve your health goals? What did you most enjoy about this? What were your challenges?

And I have something to admit...there's a funny way the Two-Week Wellness Solution seems to work for me. I start off with a bang, then kind of slack off a bit, then end with a bang. And here's the thing that's really cool...the whole experience leaves me in a better place, ready to move forward in an empowered, vibrantly healthy way.

For example, I am now feeling so much stronger and more prone to eating high-level foods. My cravings for sweets and flour are gone. I am going to continue following most of the principles - eating loads of veggies, drinking plenty of water, eating only until level #3, etc. But it often takes me a little while to gain momentum. But the more I do this plan, the cleaner my body gets and the EASIER it gets to make really healthy choices! Yay! :-)

So, here's how my day 14 looked:


Breakfast:
lemon water
canteloupe
sprouted grain toast with earth balance

Lunch:
spring rolls!! (filled with lotsa veggies)

Snacks:
more spring rolls!

Mid-afternoon:
yummy pasta bowl (corn-quinoa pasta, tossed with a LOT of artichoke hearts, 2 teaspoons of xvoo, a little white truffle sea salt, pepper, parsley, and fresh garlic)

Dinner:
huge veggie smoothie (tomato, carrot, celery, kale, lemon, & water)
some banana "ice cream" (just bananas, a smidge of almond milk, nutmeg, vanilla, & cacao chips - inspired by Happy Herbivore's recent post!)

Exercise:
90 minutes on the exercise bike

Water:
One gallon of sun tea (made with mint, hibiscus, nettles, & green tea)

So, how did YOUR last day go, lovely ladies (and gents, if you're out there, silently observing)?? :-)

It's Day 13, Two-Weekers!

Howdy, two-weekers! How has your day gone so far? I'm doing well, feeling good, & getting inspired to finish fabulously...hope you are too!! :-)

Here's the deets on my day:

Breakfast:
lemon water
blueberries

Mid-morning:
one small "Magical Multigrain" pancake with blueberries and maple syrup

Lunch:
bean taco thingy (black beans, 2 corn tortillas, a light sprinkle of vegan cheese, and a generous portion of Mango Habanero Sauce)

Snack (throughout the day):
4 fresh spring rolls
sprouted grain English muffin
1 dark chocolate mint cookie (raw)

Exercise:
over an hour of fairly intense cardio (walking/jogging uphill on a treadmill)

Water:
a gallon

Veggies:
about 4 servings so far - planning to have a salad with blueberry balsamic for dinner to fill in the gap! :-)

Visualization:
several small visualizations throughout the day - plus one before bed to help co-create a great day tomorrow

So, feeling great about my day overall...I feel like I'm finally recovered from that intense box-moving thing I did last week. Yay!! So, how did YOUR day go?

TWWS Day 12!

Hey loverlies! Sorry to be checking in so late...but hoping your day 12 went well. Since it *is* so late, I'm gonna get to the goods...

Breakfast:
lemon water
blueberries

Lunch:
yummy burrito (sprouted tortilla filled with red potato, lots of grated carrot, black beans, & fresh salsa)
kombucha

Mid-afternoon:
hummus, pita bread, grape leaves
large salad

Lots of water, check! (about a gallon - loving the mint water I've been making!)
Exercise? Plenty of walking around + recumbent biking while watching "Waiting for Superman." So, almost 2 hours on the bike. Check! :-)

How did your day 12 go?? And thanks so much for letting me play hooky yesterday for my birthday! I will be back tomorrow with a longer blog post & an earlier check-in time. Thanks for being so awesome, lovely 2-week crew!! :-)

TWWS Day 10!

Greetings, two-weekers! We're in the home stretch now. Only a few more days to go! How are you feeling today? Are you discovering more about what foods make your body sing while doing this program? Remember, it's about progress, not perfection. Love yourself exactly where you are NOW and beautiful things will unfold! Just keep taking those steps in the direction of your dreams and you're sure to thrive.

My day 10 journal...

Breakfast:
lemon water
sweet cherries (yeah, yeah, I'm obsessed!)

Mid-morning:
2 raw cinnamon rolls

Lunch:
Yummy burrito (potatoes, zucchini, black beans, fresh salsa, and scallions)

Mid-afternoon:
coconut probiotic drink and a big salad
sprouted grain bread, toasted with a little earth balance

Dinner:
Not sure yet, but I may whip up some more "Lickety Split Pea Soup." I never get sick of it!

So, how did YOUR day 10 go, two-weekers?? Thanks for joining in - much love! :-)