The McDougall Plan

Mar. 14th, 2012

Return to Posting & Pressure Cooker Rant

Well, I'm always cooking, just trying new recipes again.

First, I signed up for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's web site, a "gift" from my husband. Plenty of stuff to read there, from newsletters to forums or recipes; a slew of lectures on mp3; the doctor himself commenting on various posts on a daily basis, not just when the mood hits and not just on important stuff he wants to argue against.

Anyway, one of the nice things I discovered over there is this thing called a microsalad, or confetti salad. You take a bunch of raw salad ingredients - leafy greens, green & yellow veggies, even fruit - and toss it all into a food processor and chop it up fine, so it looks like confetti. The reasoning behind doing this is that it makes the micronutrients easier to be absorbed into the body and because the overall bulk is reduced you can eat a lot more of these very low calorie dense foods. I always hated salads, no matter what leafy greens or raw veggies I put in there. Drowning them in creamy (high fat) salad dressings helped a bit, but I still choked them down, not because I liked them but because I had to.

I decided to try doing it the microsalad way and OMG! The flavors just POPPED! All these various types of lettuce and greens and just a bit of beets and onions and wow! It actually tasted a bit sweet! There will be no problem getting me to eat a salad before my main dish like Dr. McDougall suggests in the MWLP book! I've been doing this for a few days now and finally started moving off this plateau I've been on for a few YEARS, even while eating MWLP and reducing starches to almost nothing.

Another thing I've been doing is making soups, lots and lots of soups. It started with some of Mary McDougall's found on the McDougall Made Easy and McDougall Made Irresistible DVD's and now I have a whole new slew of recipes to try.

Today I decided to dust off my pressure cooker and make one that's new to me, Susan V's Curried Split Pea Soup with Cauliflower. I ran into a problem as soon as I grabbed my pressure cooker. I last used it over a year ago and had to stop when the silicone ring in the lid became tacky, a sign of deterioration. No problem - it seems they're supposed to be changed yearly and I hadn't done so since I bough the pot about 5 years ago. A quick order to Amazon and within a few weeks I had my new ring.

But I never put it in. It sat on a rocking chair for months while I made meals on the stovetop, oven and slow cooker. I even converted many pressure cooker recipes to stovetop. One day I needed the rocker the ring package was on and moved it, putting it in "a safe place" so when I needed it I would know where it is.

That's the last time I saw it.

I spent over an hour tearing the apartment apart trying to find it. I even had my son in on the chase, and usually he's great at finding things I misplaced, but it eluded even him. So I ordered a new one. At least this time I have Amazon Prime with its 2-day shipping policy so it'll be here Thursday. Good, because I have another pressure cooker meal planned for Friday.

As for that pea soup? It looks and smells delicious! I had a sip after putting in the curry and this is going to be a keeper! I have some whole wheat naan bread in the freezer that I'll defrost and serve a little microsalad before it and here's a complete meal.

I'll be back with more cooking adventures soon. Don't worry - I won't make anyone wait until next VeganMoFo this time.

Tags: cooking, pressure cooker, soup

Posted at 06:36 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

Dec. 11th, 2008

veggiesue

Bryani

Another recipe from Mary McDougall. The book says it serves 4, but not in this house. I usually double this recipe and it serves the three of us for dinner plus enough left over for one serving for lunch the next day.

If you have a slow-cooker, you can also dump all the ingredients in the pot in the morning, set it on Low, and come home to a nice hot meal 8 to 10 hours later.

* Exported from MasterCook *

                                  Bryani

Recipe By     :Mary McDougall
Serving Size : 4     Preparation Time :0:20
Categories    : Grains                         MWLP


Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1                cup onion -- chopped
2             cloves garlic -- crushed
2 1/2      teaspoons curry powder
     3/4      teaspoon cinnamon
     1/8      teaspoon cloves
2 3/4           cups water
2              large carrots -- thinly sliced
     1/2                cauliflower -- broken up
1                cup peas -- fresh or frozen
1             medium tomato -- chopped
     1/2           cup raisins, seedless
1                cup brown rice -- uncooked

In a large pot, cook onion and garlic in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes.

Add curry, cinnamon, and cloves, cook 2 minutes.

Add the remaining water, rice, carrots, cauliflower, and raisins. Bring to
a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 40 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and peas. Cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serve hot.

Source:
"McDougall Health Supporting Cookbook Volume 1 Page 51"
Copyright:
"1985"
T(cooking):
"1:00"

                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 304 Calories; 2g Fat (5.6% calories
from fat); 8g Protein; 67g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 32mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 2 Vegetable; 1
Fruit; 0 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Tags: mwlp

Posted at 10:53 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

Dec. 9th, 2008

veggiesue

Fresh Vegetable Chili

This is another family favorite. I'm lazy, I so use canned diced no-salt-added tomatoes, frozen chopped broccoli, canned and rinsed kidney beans, and double the amount of peppers, sometimes using half a bag of frozen pepper strips because a whole pound of that comes out cheaper than one measly fresh green pepper that yields just a few ounces after taking the seeds and stem out. I'll have this either with brown rice or make cornbread.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Fresh Vegetable Chili

Recipe By :Mary McDougall
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:30
Categories : Low Fat Main Dish
MWLP Acceptable

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup water
2 medium onions -- chopped
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 medium green pepper -- chopped
2 small zucchini -- cut in half then sliced
4 medium tomatoes -- chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 cups cooked kidney beans
2 tablespoons arrowroot -- or cornstarch mixed in
1/3 cup water

1) Place 1/2 cup of water in a large pot. Add onions and sauté over
medium-high heat for three minutes.

2) Add mushrooms, green pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, chili
powder, and remaining half cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil.

3) Reduce heat to medium. Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Add beans and heat through, about another 5 minutes.

5) Mix the cornstarch mixture together and add to the vegetables while
stirring. Cook and stir until thickened.

Description:
"A wonderful meal to prepare when you have lots of fresh garden
vegetables to use up."
Source:
"The McDougall Health Supporting Cookbook Volume 2, page 70"
Copyright:
"1986"
T(cooking):
"0:30"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 192 Calories; 2g Fat (6.6% calories
from fat); 12g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 48mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat;
2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

Serving Ideas : Serve over brown rice. Pass the optional toppings to spoon over the top, if desired.

1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
chopped cucumbers
sliced radishes
diced canned green chilies
sliced black olives
chopped fresh coriander

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Posted at 09:52 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

Dec. 1st, 2008

veggiesue

Greeny Beany Soup

* Exported from MasterCook *

                            Greeny Beany Soup

Recipe By     :Mary McDougall
Serving Size  : 6     Preparation Time :0:15
Categories    : Mc Dougall                      Quick And Easy Recipes
                Soup

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  ---------------------------------
  5               cups  vegetable broth
  3                     leeks -- white part only; thinly sliced
  1              large  red potato -- scrubbed & chopped
  1           teaspoon  dried basil
  1           teaspoon  dried oregano
                        freshly ground black pepper -- several twists
     1/2           cup  orzo
  15            ounces  canned white beans -- drained & rinsed
  2              small  zucchini -- cut in half lengthwise & sliced
  3               cups  fresh spinach -- *see Note
                  dash  tabasco sauce -- to taste

1) Pour one cup of the broth into a large pot. Add the leeks. Cook,
stirring occasionally, for three minutes.

2) Add the remaining 4 cups of broth, the potato, basil, oregano, and
pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

3) Add the orzo pasta and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring
occasionally.

4) Add the beans and zucchini and cook for 10 more minutes.

5) Stir in the spinach and Tabasco. Cook until the spinach has wilted,
about 2 minutes.

Source:
  "The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook, page 62"
Copyright:
  "1997"
T(cooking):
  "0:25"

                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Per Serving: 321 Calories; 4g Fat (10.8%
calories from fat); 14g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 2mg
Cholesterol; 1383mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean
Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

NOTES : * Buy triple-washed spinach in bags. Remove the stems and stack
        the leaves in piles. Cut down the center length-wise, then slice
        crosswise.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Posted at 11:58 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

Nov. 30th, 2008

veggiesue

Rainbow Skillet Medley

* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Rainbow Skillet Medley

Recipe By     :Mary McDougall
Serving Size  : 6     Preparation Time :0:15
Categories    : Low Fat                         Main Dish
                MWLP legal                      Potatoes
                Vegan

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  ---------------------------------
  5               cups  hash browns, frozen
  5               cups  water
  2               cups  chopped broccoli
     1/2           cup  vegetable broth
     1/2      teaspoon  garlic -- minced
  1              bunch  green onions -- chopped
  1                     red bell pepper -- chopped
  1                     green bell pepper -- chopped
  1                cup  frozen corn kernels
  1           teaspoon  basil
  1           teaspoon  oregano
     1/2      teaspoon  dill weed
                        freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
  1               dash  tabasco sauce -- or 2

Place the potatoes and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Add the
broccoli, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain.

Place the vegetable broth and garlic in a large nonstick frying pan.
Heat to boiling, then add the potatoes, broccoli, and the remaining
ingredients. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Source:
  "McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook"
Copyright:
  "1997"
T(cooking):
  "0:20"

                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Per Serving: 203 Calories; 2g Fat (7.6% calories
from fat); 6g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; trace
Cholesterol; 191mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable;
1/2 Fat.

NOTES : Recipe Hint:  Serve hot as a complete meal. Roll up in a tortilla
        or stuff into pita bread. Sprinkle with some salsa or Tabasco sauce for a
        spicy flavor.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Posted at 08:53 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

Oct. 6th, 2008

veggiesue

VeganMoFo Time Again

mood:

excited

Has it been a year already? Well, 11 months - it's in October instead of November this year.

The official RSS site is back on BlogLines, and this year there's over 200 participants.

Someone also set up the Google RSS Reader to gather up all the posts, too:

Go to Google Reader: http://www.google.com/reader/
Username: veganmofo@gmail.com
Password: theppk.com

and the official Flickr site is still going strong, too, so you can see photos of the food and the people.

Remember, not every recipe posted to VeganMoFo will be McDougall-legal, but everything will be vegan. Many recipes can be easily McDougallized by sautéeing in water or broth, or whatever liquid you prefer, instead of the oil or Earth Balance usually used, and in some cases, skipped entirely. You can substitute some whole wheat flour for any or all all-purpose called for in baking recipes, too. And if you have a problem McDougallizing any particular recipe, just post it to the official McDougall forums or one of the McDougall groups on Yahoogroups (regular or weight loss group), or right here on this blog and I'm sure someone will give it a try.

Tags: veganmofo

Posted at 07:22 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

May. 19th, 2008

suzybear

McDougall Wiki

A few posters to the official McDougall forums have been collecting all sorts of info on the McDougall programs and posting them on the McDougall Wiki. Go on over and take a look.

Posted at 05:43 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

Nov. 24th, 2007

veggiesue

VeganMoFo

Just like the fiction writers are having their month, NaNoWriMo -National Novel Writing Month vegan cooks are having their own first annual VeganMoFo - Vegan Month of Food.

Here's my contribution to the cause, VeggieSue's Vegan Adventures,

and here's the recipe page I made to go along with it.

Other people's blogs can be found on this RSS page set up by Isa Moskowitz, the gal who started it all on her blog.

Oct. 30th, 2007

veggiesue

Faith's Mom's Green Beans

* Exported from MasterCook *

                        Faith's Mom's Green Beans

Recipe By     :Faith in D.C.
Serving Size : 4     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Slowcooker   vegan

Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1              pound green beans
1              pound new potatoes
                        Organic Gourmet Wild Mushroom Paste -- or
8             ounces sliced mushrooms -- dark, meaty
2                     onions -- sliced
1           teaspoon liquid Barbecue Smoke® -- as needed
                        water -- to cover

Cook on High for a few hours until the vegetables are a texture you like.

Can also be simmered slowly on the stove.

Source:
"mwlp@yahoogroups.com"
Copyright:
"Sept. 2003"

                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 156 Calories; 1g Fat (3.0% calories
from fat); 6g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; trace
Cholesterol; 21mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 3 Vegetable; 0 Fat;
0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Sue's notes:
                No specific amounts were given, I just filled in what you
        see so Mastercook had something to go by for Nutritional Info.
        Adjust all the amounts to fit into your slow cooker or for personal
                preferences.

                Faith's notes:
                For me it's as much of a texture thing. Normally I like
        crunchy veggies but with certain things I like them really well
        done. The Wild Mushroom paste and the liquid smoke give it a fuller
        bodied, 'meaty' taste. When I was a kid this was dinner along
        with some bread. I know many of you won't be able to find the Wild
        Mushroom paste. It is a small jar (expensive) that comes in a very
        plain box. Keep your eyes peeled for it. (found near bouillon
        in Whole Foods type places)


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Posted at 08:24 am | Link | Any comments or questions? | Add to Memories | Share

Oct. 29th, 2007

veggiesue

First Veganomicon Recipe

This is what I made for dinner last night, except I left out the beans because, well, I just forgot to add them. Also, like I wrote in the "notes" for the recipe, I used only 1 can of tomatoes and 1 head of garlic because that's all I had on hand. This soup was so rich and luscious as-is that I can't even imagine how much better it would have been with all of that stuff!

Believe the authors when they say it makes a LOT of soup! Hubby and I both had seconds and even with all the stuff I left out we still have double that amount leftover for tonight and and maybe even another meal.

Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans

See those teeny pieces of onion and garlic floating around? Yummy!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans

Recipe By :Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans Main Dish
McDougall MWLP Acceptable Soup
Vegan

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 bulbs garlic
1 medium yellow onion -- diced as small as possible
1 cup brown rice -- long-grain
2 bay leaves, whole
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 teaspoons salt
fresh ground black pepper -- to taste
56 ounces crushed tomatoes -- 2, 28-ounce cans
1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans -- rinsed & drained if canned

Preheat the oven to 435ºF. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil wrap and roast
for 45 minutes, until soft. You should be able to feel it's soft by
pressing with a knife or your finger. Don't burn yourself, though.

Preheat a soup pot over medium heat and sauté the onions in water or broth
for 5-7 minutes, until translucent (Original recipe called for olive oil).

Add rice, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, salt & pepper and cook, stirring,
for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, then fill the can with water
twice and add (total 56 ounces of water).

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

Remove the garlic from the oven. When it's cool enough to handle, squeeze
the roasted garlic out of its skin and into a small bowl. Use a fork to
mash it into a relatively smooth consistency, then add tot he soup when
the rice is tender.

When the rice is completely cooked, remove the bay leaves, add the beans,
and continue to simmer until the beans are warmed.

Source:
"Veganomicon"
Copyright:
"2007"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 164 Calories; 1g Fat (5.9% calories
from fat); 7g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 638mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2
1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : Roasted garlic gives this pantry-staple tomato soup a little
something special. Navy beans add protein and make it a complete
meal. And since this recipe makes so much, it's a perfect
contender for freezing and eating throughout the month. Or, you
can keep it in the fridge to eat throughout the week and forget
that you ever ate anything else. - authors

Authors' Tips:
Use long-grain brown rice, not short-grain, because that kind
doesn't like to cook in broth.
If you don't have any roasted garlic hanging around and don't
intend on making any, then sauté 6 cloves of minced garlic along
with the onion.

Sue's Notes:
I used only 1 can of crushed tomatoes and 1 head of garlic because
that was all I had on hand and it was still super tasty.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Tags: soup

Previous 10

The McDougall Plan

12 Days to Dynamic Health

Mar. 14th, 2012

Return to Posting & Pressure Cooker Rant

Dec. 11th, 2008

Bryani

Dec. 9th, 2008

Fresh Vegetable Chili

Dec. 1st, 2008

Greeny Beany Soup

Nov. 30th, 2008

Rainbow Skillet Medley

Oct. 6th, 2008

VeganMoFo Time Again

May. 19th, 2008

McDougall Wiki

Nov. 24th, 2007

VeganMoFo

Oct. 30th, 2007

Faith's Mom's Green Beans

Oct. 29th, 2007

First Veganomicon Recipe

March 2012

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