Category Archives: additive-free food

Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes with no additives

Sautéing in Oil, Veggie Broth or Water: You Choose!

sauteThank goodness for friends!  One of mine, pointed out that a great number of my recipes start out with sautéing onions, garlic and other veggies.  And she wanted to know how I square sautéing with a low-fat diet.

Made me realize that she, along with a lot of other people, think that sautéing is synonymous with frying. Actually, the way I think about it is somewhat different.

First of all, let’s explore the term sauté.  The word is French and means jumped or bounced.  In traditional French cooking it means browning food to seal in the juices by bouncing it around in a small amount of very hot oil. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on August 5, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, Cote Home Grown Fare, fresh veggies, kitchen basics, weigh loss, Whole Food Plant-Based Food Kitchen | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Big Scam: Non-Fat, Low-Fat and Fat Free

nonfat

This was posted to my Facebook news feed awhile back. I shook my head and then burst out laughing.  The sign totally embodies my experience with fat-free and low-fat food. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on July 25, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, excitotoxins, sugar-free food, weigh loss, Whole Food Plant-Based Food Kitchen, Whole Food Plant-Based nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meal Replacements – Larabars

audreyRemember the plant in Little Shop of Horrors?   Audrey II whose loudest cry was “Feed Me!”  When I get hungry, my blood sugar drops and the only thing I can say is:  FEED ME!!! I know exactly how Audrey felt!

Which is why I eat “early and often.” I hate turning an irrational and distinctly un-nice person!   The antidote is eating 4-5 times a day.  If I do my blood sugar stays even and my disposition sunny. As and added bonus I feel good and effortlessly maintain my weight since my metabolism is more efficient and I don’t get strange cravings. In the end I actually consume less calories per day. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on July 22, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, gluten-free food, snacks, sugar-free food, weigh loss, Whole Food Plant-Based nutrition | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Making Salsa

Took a field trip to the local health food store; in hot pursuit of a clean sugar-free, additive-free commercial salsa.  I stood in front of the shelves of brightly labeled salsa and begin to read the labels.  A half hour and many labels later my eyes gave out. Seriously, I read lots of small print and while it did strain my eyes, I could still drive home.

by Genene Cote Posted on July 17, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, fresh veggies, kitchen basics, plant based diet, salsa | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Plant-based Fourth of July

No long weekend this year; the fourth is right in the middle of the week.  I hate when that happens.

Traditionally the 4th is a time for “All American” picnic foods.  Things like hotdogs, hamburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, pasta salad. strawberry shortcake and cherry pie.  I have the  Hamburgers, Baked Beans and corn on the cob covered. That just leaves the salad and dessert.

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by Genene Cote Posted on July 3, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, Beans, burgers, diary-free food, excitotoxins, Food Additives, gluten-free food, menu, salad, vegan, vegetarian, Whole Food Plant-Based recipes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Eggplant “Non-Parmesan”

FOOFET03My friend Beth gave me an assignment – create a vegan (non-dairy), gluten-free, fat-free (or close too it), additive-free Eggplant Parmesan to use in Sandwiches.

You know how I am, can’t resist a challenge. So I started experimenting. Many of the recipe components can be found on the Basic Recipes Pages: Tapioca Eggs, Cashew Cheese and Quick Italian Red Sauce. Please refer to that page for the specific recipe otherwise this post is going to be way to long.

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by Genene Cote Posted on June 27, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, diary-free food, fresh veggies, gluten-free food, Italian, Mirepoix, weigh loss, Whole Food Plant-Based recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Plant-Based Diet: Slow and Easy!

There is a tremendous body of research about the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.  The numerous benefits sound almost unbelievable! A list of the diseases that eating well can prevented and/or treated include :

  • allergies and autoimmune disorders (sinusitis, fibro-myalgia)
  • arthritis (osteo, Rheumatoid and Gout)
  • diabetes (type II)
  • heart disease (high blood pressure, coronary artery disease)
  • cancers (breast, prostate and colon)
  • high cholesterol
  • intestinal tract problems; specifically IBS and Gastro*esophageal Reflux
  • obesity

And that is just for starters. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 24, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, diary-free food, gluten-free food, menu, plant based diet, vegan, vegetarian | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Eating Out–Subway Offering Vegan Sandwiches

Plant based eating is becoming almost mainstream! Subway is offering vegan sandwiches in the South (Virginia and Maryland).

The news made me remember a trip to the Southern US thirty years ago.  My most vivid memory of the trip is that I almost starved to death!

We were traveling and eating in restaurants. Every day, feeding myself was a challenge! The first hurdle was finding anything vaguely vegetarian on the menu.  If I found something besides salad I still had to be very careful.  Lots of added bacon (salad dressing, baked potatoes, even mac and cheese) and foods cooked in lard. Asking the server about the ingredients was a whole other problem. Mostly the people who served me and the people I ate with couldn’t get over the fact that I didn’t eat any meat. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 22, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, excitotoxins, Food Additives, Resturants, vegan, vegetarian | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Plant-Based Diet Myth: It’s Expensive

moneyOne of the most baffling  things people say to me is “I would love to eat a plant based diet, but that is just too expensive!” I am always a little blown away but this assertion. I go to the grocery store and I watch food prices closely. . .

It was nice to find a discussion about this in The Starch Solution. Here, John McDougall states that a plant-based diet averages $4,000 savings per person per year. Or savings of  $333 per month.  You can read his discussion on pages 203-206 or search for “Food Costs” on your digital device.

For our household (just the two of us) that means saving about $650 per month. That, by the way is about what we currently spend each month.  In other words if we started eating animal based products we would double our monthly food costs.  Just in case I need another reason to stay on a plant-based diet that would work! (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 20, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, Beans, diary-free food, excitotoxins, Food Additives, fresh veggies, menu, plant based diet | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bad Week at Black Rock

What happened here?!Just so you know, Not everything I try is a success. I know that there are friends that think I am making it up.  After all I am a proficient cook with lots of experience and knowledge.

Now, it is true that I am a proficient cook with lots of experience and knowledge.  And yet, trust me, I have very bad cooking experiences!  Last week was a great example. . .  I was on a roll! (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 19, 2012
Posted in additive-free food, diary-free food, gluten-free food, menu, Pasta, sugar-free food, Whole Food Plant-Based recipes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment