Balance Between Healthy Food, Fitness and Wine
Rainbow Lettuce Wrap with Spicy Mango Dressing Serves 4 Vegetable Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 medium carrot, shredded 2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced 1 head romaine hearts, large leaves separated, washed and dried 2 …
Asian Quinoa & Edamame Salad Ingredients: 1/2 cup dry quinoa 1 cup frozen edamame 2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 small Persian cucumber, sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup) 1 cup shredded purple cabbage 1 cup shredded carrots …
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup organic dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the almond flour and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Then add in the remaining ingredients and mix again.
3. Plop the dough onto the baking sheet using a heaping tablespoon. Use the palm of your hand to gently form and flatten the cookies. Or keep it fun and just do plop cookies!
4. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes for soft cookies, or 15 to 20 minutes for crunchy cookies.
5. Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy!
Roasted Vegetable & Lentil Salad Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 medium sweet potato, diced into 1 inch cubes 1 red beet, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes 1 small delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out and cut into 1/2 moons 4 cups …
Falafel Tahini Mixed Greens Salad Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 2/3 cups green or brown lentils (cooked, drained and rinsed) * 1/3 cup tahini (divided) 1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped) 1 teaspoon cumin 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sea salt (divided) 1/4 cup unsweetened …
Wine and Food pairing can be difficult and daunting for some but I am here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be! Remember it’s all about what YOU like! Think of the food and the wine as complementing one another and bringing out the best qualities and attributes in each other! Pairings work when the food makes the wine taste better, and the wine makes the food taste better. If one or the other is more dominant, it is an uneven match.
You often hear about classic pairings such as a big juicy steak and Cabernet Sauvignon but I am here to tell you that there are some fabulous wine and food pairings with vegan and vegetarian food as well! Before I dive into some recommendations for specific vegetables, I am going to share what I think are the 3 most important points when it comes to wine and food pairing:
1. The wine should be more acidic than the food.
2. The wine should be sweeter than the food.
3. Drink what you LIKE!
When it comes to proper wine and food pairing, I am all about ACIDITY! So what exactly is acidity? Acidity in wine comes from tartaric, malic, and citric acid from the grapes. Acidity is responsible for the perceived tartness or crispness in wine. As grapes ripen, they become less acidic (and more sugary). Therefore, wines from cooler climates are typically more acidic because the grapes have a difficult time ripening in the cooler temperatures.
Having acid in wine is KEY to pairing wines with veggies! Without the acidity, some veggies will cause the wines to taste bitter and flabby and no one wants that in a wine!
Here is a general guideline for pairing different groups of vegetables with wines:
Green Vegetables: avocados, kale, broccoli, green beans
~ Pair with sparkling or light whites
Root Vegetables: carrots, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato
~ Pair with full-bodied white, aromatic white, rosé, or light red
Nightshades: tomato, eggplant, bell peppers
~ Pair with aromatic white, rosé, medium red, full-bodied red
Beans: black, lentil, pinto, white, you name it- all the beans!
~ Pair with sparkling, rosé, light red, medium red
Fungi: Chanterelle, cremini, maitake, shiitake
~ Pair with full-bodied white, light red, medium red, full-bodied red
Nuts: peanut, almond, pecan, cashew
~ Pair with aromatic white, rosé, or dessert wine
Fresh Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley
~ Pair with sparkling wine, light white, full-bodied white, aromatic white, rosé, light red
Peppers: chipotle, chili, ancho
~ Pair with sparkling wine, aromatic white, rosé, or medium red
Alliums: garlic, onion, shallots
~ Will pair with almost anything!
Tricky/Impossible Vegetable Pairings:
Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and artichokes! These vegetables are exceptionally challenging to pair with wine. There are certain chemical compounds within the vegetables that can actually change the perception and enjoyment of the accompanying wine. It literally makes the wine taste flabby & flat. Beer is always a viable option, but if you’d rather sip wine, opt for these choices:
• Asparagus – Grüner Veltliner or Sancerre
• Brussels Sprouts – Sauvignon Blanc or dry Chenin Blanc
• Artichokes – Champagne or a dry rosé (especially one from Tavel, France)
Some of my favorite veggie dishes with wine pairings:
Marinated Veggie-Lentil Salad Ingredients: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or sea salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne Pepper 2 cups broccoli (chopped into small florets) 1/2 English cucumber (diced) 1 cup matchstick carrots 1 yellow bell …
Blueberry Crumble Ingredients: 1/4 cup coconut oil 4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1 1/2 cups almond flour 1 cup pecans (chopped) 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 cup maple syrup Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a pie pan with a bit of …
Ingredients:
4 cups broccoli florets
1 teaspoon avocado oil
2 cups shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
1 block tempeh, cubbed
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Serve over brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice
Peanut Dressing Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
2-4 tablespoons water (add 1 time at a time until you reach desired consistency)
Directions:
1. Cook the brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice according to the directions on the package.
2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the broccoli and avocado oil and toss to combine. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In a bowl, add the tempeh along with the sesame oil, tamari and lime juice. Let marinade soak in for at least 5-10 minutes. The longer time it marinades, the more flavor! Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add the tempeh. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove and set aside.
4. In a blender or food processor make the peanut butter dressing by adding toasted sesame oil, tamari, the lime juice, maple syrup and peanut butter and blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Divide the rice/quinoa/cauliflower rice, broccoli, tempeh, carrots and bell pepper evenly between bowls. Drizzle the peanut sauce on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions, if using. Enjoy!
Notes:
Meat and seafood lovers can substitute either grilled chicken or shrimp for the tempeh! Both are delicious with this dish!
Raspberry Apple Crisp Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 cup raspberries 2 apples (chopped) 1/4 cup cinnamon (divided) 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1/2 cup cashews (chopped) 1/2 cup almonds (chopped) 1/3 cup almond Flour 2 tablespoons maple Syrup 2 tablespoons mint Leaves (optional) Directions: 1. Preheat the …
The Whole Food Plant Based Diet is a completely animal product-free approach to healthy eating that maximizes whole grains, vegetables and legumes, while minimizing refined sugars and oils . This plan provides adequate protein from a variety of plant-based sources including grains, legumes, nuts and …
Coleslaw:
2 cups shredded green cabbage
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 green onions, sliced
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lime juiced
1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
1/8 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1. In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw ingredients: shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped cilantro, and sliced green onions.
2. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, lime juice, honey, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Pour as much dressing over the coleslaw as desired. The dressing is also delicious over a salad if you want to dress the slaw lightly and use leftovers for any other salad!
3. Toss the coleslaw and dressing together. Serve the coleslaw over tacos, on sandwiches, a side salad or as a side to BBQ chicken, ribs or tempeh!
4. The coleslaw may be prepped in advance and refrigerated, or used immediately after preparation.