21-Day Vegan Re-start Day 4

Breakfast:  Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Serves 2 to 4

These whole-grain pancakes drizzled with pure maple syrup make for a delicious and hearty breakfast. Blueberries and aluminum-free baking powder add a delicious and healthful touch.

*Note: Aluminum’s role in the brain remains controversial. However, because aluminum has been found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, it pays to err on the side of caution. Avoid uncoated aluminum cookware and read labels when buying baking powder, antacids, and processed foods.

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder*
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup rice milk or other dairy-free milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1-2 teaspoons safflower oil, to brush the skillet
Warmed maple syrup, for drizzling

In a medium bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, whole-wheat pastry flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, and salt. Whisk briefly to blend. Slowly stir in the rice milk and stir just until the lumps disappear. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet over medium heat, then lightly brush with a little of the safflower oil. Add enough batter to form a 4-inch pancake and cook until the edges look dry and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gently flip the pancake and cook on the other side until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot, with warmed maple syrup.

Per pancake: 82 calories, 2 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 3 g sugar, 1 g total fat, 13% calories from fat, 2 g fiber, 112 mg sodium

Recipe by natural foods chef Christine Waltermyer, C.H.H.C. via PCRM.org

Lunch:  Leftovers

Dinner:  Curried Tomato Lentil Soup.  I liked this, but Fred said it was not his favorite - but he did eat it all!  This would be tasty with Indian garlic naan bread.  

Curried Tomato Lentil Soup (Shorba Addis)

Serves 3

This recipe is based on an Ethiopian soup with a rich, deep curry flavor and complex textures.

Curried Tomato Lentil Soup (Shorba Addis)

Serves 3

This recipe is based on an Ethiopian soup with a rich, deep curry flavor and complex textures.

(I used 1 tsp organic canola oil for sauting the veggies)

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 small carrot, diced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon curry powder (berbere is preferable) (I think I accidentally used only 1 teaspoon!)

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup brown or green lentils

1 Yukon Gold potato, diced (I used a medium Russet potato)

1/4 cup whole wheat orzo pasta

(I added ⅜ tsp salt)

Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion until it is brown. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and fenugreek, sautéing them for about 1 minute. Add the veggie broth and tomato paste, stirring until the tomato paste is thoroughly combined with the broth. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the lentils and stir. Once the soup comes back to a simmer, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook the soup for 20 minutes. (My lentils were not done after 20 min.) Add the potato and orzo; cook the soup, covered, for 5 more minutes. (I cooked them for 25 more minutes as the lentils and potatoes were not done.  Plus I added ½ cup more water.)  You will need to stir occasionally and watch the temperature to avoid the soup sticking to the bottom of the pan.

The Gourmet Touch: This is an Ethiopian soup, so its flavor is best created using berbere—an Ethiopian curry mix.

Core Concepts: The key to this soup is timing when you add the ingredients. Lentils require time to cook, while diced potatoes and orzo pasta need only a few minutes; these are best added to a soup during the last few minutes of cooking.

Per serving:

• Calories: 202
• Fat: 1 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Calories from Fat: 4   
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 8.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 42.3 g
• Sugar: 7.7 g
• Fiber: 7.1 g
• Sodium: 157 mg
• Calcium: 62 mg
• Iron: 4.4 mg
• Vitamin C: 17.2 mg
• Beta Carotene: 1799 mcg
• Vitamin E: 1.7 mg

Source:21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jason Wyrick of the Vegan Culinary Experience.

Using http://www.myfitnesspal.com, as a recipe analyzer, the addition of oil and salt increased the sodium per serving to 280.6mg.  Fat increased to 2.1g per serving.