I Believe in Dessert.

Dessert doesn't have to mean unhealthy. It doesn't have to mean lots of sugar or white flour. In fact, there are many ways to make your desserts BENEFICIAL to your health. Using sweeteners other than white sugar is a great place to start. Raw Agave nectar contains lots of vitamins and minerals. Sweeteners such as maple syrup, maple sugar, and brown rice syrup also contain vitamins and minerals; and don't raise your blood sugar as well. Another ingredient to look at is flour. I don't even own white flour anymore. In my pantry there is coconut, oat, spelt, and whole wheat flours; and fine cornmeal (for those delicious cornbread muffins). All of these flours contain lots of protein and fiber; making our bodies and tummies very happy!

The following chocolate chip cookie recipe is not only delicious, it is incredibly good for you! On Friday I made a batch and took them to work. Vegans and non-vegans devour them. I love hearing "I can't believe these are vegan!" and "These are healthy?!?!?! NO WAY!" So lets all eat dessert and stop feeling guilty!

The Healthiest Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World
makes 30 cookies

2 cups walnuts
3 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover 2 cookie sheets with foil.
2. Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into fine meal. Add oil, and blend 2 or 3 minutes more, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter. Transfer to bowl.




3. Whisk together brown sugar and 1/2 cup water in saucepan, and bring to a boil.





4. Pour brown sugar mixture over walnut butter, add vanilla, and stir until no lumps remain.
5. Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool dough 10 minutes.
6. Fold oats, then chocolate chips into dough.





7. Shape into 2-inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets. Flatten cookies with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water.





8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown. Cool 3 minutes on cookie sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.



Yum!

Don't be afraid to experiment with your dessert recipes you love. Try substituting the sugar, flour, milk, and eggs. A great egg substitute is 1 Tablespoon of ground flaxseeds mixed in a small bowl with 3 Tablespoons of water. This will add extra fiber to your recipe and a nice dose of Omega-3 fats!

Have fun and eat dessert!

Love,
Steph

Wednesday: Swiss Chard Tamales, Homemade Lime Tortilla Chips, and Yoga Class

On Tuesday Stephen had sent me a link to a blog he reads called Everyday Cookin'. The creator of the blog is Darius Williams, a self taught cook, who usually centers his recipes heavily around meat. This week he featured a tamale recipe that is VEGAN! Darius lives in Chicago and owns Cupcake Gallery, which recently opened in the Uptown neighborhood. They are some of the most amazing cupcakes I've ever tasted!! I definitely recommend checking it out.

Stephen was quite excited about the tamale recipe; we LOVE Mexican food! I decided Wednesday was the day to test it out ...

Swiss Chard Tamales
makes 7-9 tamales

1 cup masa flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup minced onion
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. corriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili poweder
1 cup corn
4 cups of swiss chard, cleaned and chopped
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper
corn husks (soaked in water)
(I also added some leftover soy chorizo)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill casserole dish with water and soak corn husks. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add corn and seasonings. When fragrant add chard – it will wilt down. Once this happens, remove from pan and allow to cool. In a separate bowl combine 1 cup of masa with about 1 cup of vegetable stock. Add in reserved mixture of chard and corn and combine well. Add about a third or half cup of mixture in each corn husk. Seal well and place in a baking dish. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.



Corn Tortilla Chips with Lime
serves 2-3

10 corn tortillas
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
zest from 1 lime

Cut tortillas into triangles and toss with oil, salt, pepper, and lime zest. Layer on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until crispy. Allow to cool and enjoy.



It all turned out SOOOO delicious. We were in heaven. This is one of the best (and easiest) recipes I have tried in a long time. And its healthy and vegan! We garnished it with slices of lime, pico de gallo, and guacamole.


After we ate dinner, I went to my first formal yoga class with my friend Sarah. I have decided Sarah is my PIHF (partner in health and fitness). She dorks out over health and fitness as much as I do (thats not easy to find). I was excited and nervous about yoga. I have done at home DVDs for years, but never in a class or in front of other people. The room was dimly light which was nice because I didn't feel like anyone was watching me. There were lots of different levels in class and another newbie just like me! I was surpised how well I did. I'm more flexible than I realized! After class I was so relaxed. More relaxed than I've been in a long time since I moved to Chicago. I think its safe to say I'm addicted already. I was only a little sore on Thursday. Not bad! I can't wait to go to my next class. Yoga is a great way to tone and stretch your muscles and the relaxation is a great benefit. Everyone needs to try it once!

Love,
Steph

The Effects of Caffeine and Coffee on the Body

I don't even know where to begin with caffeine, particularly coffee. It has many negative effects on the body. Here is just the beginning ... headaches, irritability, high blood pressure, increased blood sugar, upset stomach, panic attacks, depression ...

Don't kid yourselves, caffeine is a drug; and the most popular drug in the world at that. It steals minerals from your blood and bones, causes breast cysts, and strongly effects the alkalinity of your body. The natural pH of our bodies is 7.35-7.45. Coffee and caffeine create a very acidic environment, which causes our bodies to frantically restore its balance. To do that, it steals those minerals from our blood and bones, leaving our bodies weak. An acidic environment in the body is what cancer cells thrive on.

Here is a fantastic article about the importance of pH balance in the body.

I know what you are thinking, "I could never give up coffee. Stephanie has lost her mind!" But you need to decide for yourself, is it really worth it to you? A weak body and a cancerous environment?

There are some GREAT alternatives to coffee out there. My favorite is Teechino. Teechino brews just like coffee, tastes like coffee, but is known as an "herbal coffee." They even have a plan on their website to help you kick the caffeine habit! It is available on their website and most health food stores including Whole Foods. Its made from herbs, nuts, fruits and grains that are roasted, ground and brewed just like coffee. It is 75% organic, caffeine free, non acidic (it even helps to RESTORE the alkaline balance in your body), its high in potassium and soluble fiber, and is a prebiotic.




I used to be a HUGE coffee lover until I changed my lifestyle. I LOVE Teechino because I get to have my coffee ritual, as well as the smell and taste that I love! They have many flavors too! My favorite way to brew it is in my French press. I urge you all to give it a try; it could be a very small but dramatic change in your life and health.

Love,
Steph

Sunday Dinner

The tradition continues! This past Sunday it was our turn to host Rich and Sarah for Sunday dinner. On the menu: polenta casserole, salad greens, and coffee fudge brownies. The polenta casserole is great because it incorporates a grain, vegetable and protein ... so its a complete meal! I was a little disappointed with the coffee fudge brownies. They weren't very dense and gooey, which is what I love in a brownie. The texture was more like cake. They tasted fantastic, but would be even better with some frosting. Yum!



Polenta Casserole
serves 6

1 1/2 cups polenta (I like Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits/Polenta)
1 medium-size head cauliflower, cut into large pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 links soy chorizo, removed from casing
1 cup frozen corn
6 asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 tsp. sesame tahini
1/3 cup soy milk
1 1/2 tbs. shoyu (or soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos), plus more for sprinkling on top
2 tsp. umeboshi vinegar (available at Whole Foods, you could substitute red wine vinegar)
fresh basil leaves for garnish

Place the polenta in a large pot. Add the cauliflower, salt and 4 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Polenta must be stirred fairly frequently as it cooks to prevent it from sticking. Once cooked, remove from heat, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8" by 8" casserole dish. Layer the bottom of the dish with the soy chorizo, then corn kernals, then asparagus.

To the polenta/cauliflower mixture add the tahini, soy milk, shoyu, and umeboshi vinegar. Mash the mixture until the texture remembles mashed potatoes. Stir in the frozen peas. Spoon the mashed mixture into the casserole dish over the vegetables and smooth the top. Poke a few small holes in the surface, and sprinkle with a little shoyu (this makes the top crispy).

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Garnish with basil, and serve!!


Coffee Fudge Brownies
makes 12 brownies

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups agave
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup brewed decaf coffee (or Teechino, more on Teechino later ...)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup grain-sweetened, vegan chocolate chips (Sunspire!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil an 8" or 9" square baking pan.

Sift together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a seperate bowl, stir together the agave, soy milk, coffee, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Cool, cut, and serve! I recommend frosting as well ... :)

All in all, another sucessful Sunday dinner! Next week is Rich and Sarah's turn to host and plan a menu. I can't wait!

Happy eating!

Love,
Steph

We Just Had a Visitor!

Stephen was sitting in the living room reading, and he happened to turn and see an owl sitting on our window sill! He was so beautiful I almost cried! It was minutes before sundown (and through our dirty window), but here is a picture of him.


He was really small, we aren't sure if he was an adult. Does anyone know much about owls or what kind he is? He was so stunning and absolutely adorable when he blinked his eyes! I love nature ... *sigh*

Love,
Steph

Friday

Hello everyone! Its been a crazy week. Let me update you!

Tuesday

Since the beginning of the new year, I have been going room by room in our apartment and cleaning and reorganizing EVERYTHING. I hate clutter and disorganization! A few weeks ago I tackled the bathroom, and Tuesday was my day for the bedroom. I tore up the entire room, emptying all drawers, closet, etc. It was a complete war zone! I then received a phone call from Kristi that Bobcat was sick and needed to go to the vet immediately. Stephen had taken the car to Glenview for work that day, so we were going to either take a taxi or train (Kristi doesn't have a car, as most people do not in the city). Thankfully our wonderful coworker Christina let us borrow her car. I left my mess of a bedroom and we took Bobcat to the vet. They ran various tests on him, not finding much but an elevation in white blood cells, which could mean an infection. I have such a huge affection for animals, seeing Bobcat sick and having tests done on him was very emotional ... he's not even my cat!! Kristi and I had a laugh about how crazy we might be as parents! So we took him back home to rest and Kristi back to work. Then I came back to organizing the crazyness that I created in bedroom! I worked quickly to get it done before Stephen got home from work; he doesn't react well to chaos. It turned out very beautiful and sparkly! I love going into the bedroom now!! Now the trick is to keep it that way ...

Tuesday would have also been the 20th birthday for Charlie, my furry, four-legged soulmate. I still think about him all the time. He was the most perfect soul and the most perfect dog. I get teary eyed writing about him now! I will go through my pictures sometime and post one of him. I love him so much!

Wednesday

Wednesday Kristi and I were off for another one of our adventures! We started at Buffalo Exchange, where I sold some of my clothes and shoes that I had cleaned out of the closet on Tuesday. Then we went to breakfast at a restaurant neither one of us had been to before called Victory's Banner. Its a vegetarian breakfast/lunch restaurant with a seperate vegan menu. There were so many delicious sounding dishes on the menu, it was really difficult to decide! I wanted to try the bacon cheeseburger, but I really had my heart set on breakfast. I guess I will have to go back! I started with a mug of organic mint tea and deciced on the tofu scramble with mushrooms, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and soy sausage. It was served with fried potatoes and hearth bread. It was very delicious! The fried potatoes were so yummy. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very warm and inviting too. It was decorated with pale blue walls, white tables and chairs, and bright yellow booths. Each table had a vase with a real yellow orchid as well! Kristi and I both touched it to see if it was real! The staff was friendly and helpful as well. I look forward to taking Stephen there to try it. I think he'll really like it!

After breakfast we got on the train to State Street and Michigan Avenue for some shopping. Mmm ... shopping. We went to Nordstrom Rack, where I got a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses. I love them! Then to H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Nordstrom. I got some really cute skinny jeans from Nordstrom. Thanks Mom and Dad (I used my giftcard)!! By then we were exhausted and made our way home!! Another fun and eventful Wednesday :)

Thursday

I worked!

Friday

Alright, we finally made it to today. Phew! Today I am now organizing the kitchen. I have already torn it apart, but I took a break to soak some beans for dinner tonight and update this thing.

That is the disaster I created. I have 4 hours before Stephen gets home to put it back together. And to make some dinner!! The menu tonight is 16 Bean Soup and Cornbread muffins! YUM!


16 Bean Soup
served 8-10

1 lb. Goya 16 Bean Mix
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalk of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
6 cups of vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
sea salt and pepper to taste


Soak and drain beans. In a large saucepan, combine beans and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender.


Cornbread Muffins
makes 12 muffins
(This is the BEST cornbread I have ever eaten, I will never make anything else!)

1 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cups soy milk
1/4 safflower oil (or vegetable)
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 400. Line a 12 cup muffin tin. Combine the maple syrup, soy milk, and oil in a medium bowl and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and mix just until well combined (the batter is pretty runny, this is normal).
Pour the batter into the muffin tin, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. They are so yummy!!


I CAN'T WAIT TO EAT DINNER TONIGHT! I hope everyone is well!

Love,
Steph

Busy Weekend: Work, Friends and Food!

Happy Monday! Its happy for me because its the official start of my "weekend." Its 2:00pm and I'm still in my pajamas! That is a very happy thing.

Saturday and Sunday were very busy days filled with work, friends and lots of delicious food! On Saturday my friend Beth, who lives in the South suburbs, was on the North side because she had a booth at a craft fair. She makes the most adorable accessories! I have a clutch she made that I absolutely love! Its purple and black and white buffalo plaid. Check out her Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/besu

Best of all, she is a fellow vegan and huge lover of the Chicago Diner! Oh, the Chicago Diner. Words could never describe my love for this place. Its your typical diner with shakes, country fried steak, burgers, reubens, bbq rib sandwiches, fries, mac n cheese ... I could go on forever!! But guess what?!?!?!?! Its all vegan! Yep, thats right. It is by no means health food, but even a vegan needs some naughtiness now and then.

Saturday Kristi and I got off work at 4:00, and Stephen met us at Renessence (our fine establishment of employment). We donned our big, huge, monster puffy coats and snow boats and trekked to the train and headed over to ... dun dun dun ... The Chicago Diner!! Beth was just finishing at her craft fair and met us there. We started off with dessert first, we couldn't take the chance that we might possibly be too full after dinner. We each enjoyed a peanut butter cookie dough shake. Delicious! Then it was time to order dinner. Its always so hard for me to decided what I want, I love everything and I also want everything. I was feeling adventurous and went for the special "pork" tacos. I was not disapointed! Al pastor style tacos with guajillo pepper-pineapple marinated "pork" and onions topped with lettuce, tomato, cheeze, vegan sour cream and cilantro. It was served with a side of Spanish rice, salsa and avocado. The "pork" was very good. It was sweet and spicy from the marinade and the fresh toppings made it absolutely perfect!


Kristi and Beth both had the Philly cheeze "steak," and Stephen had the Caeser wrap. We were so full and tired, Stephen and I came home and watched a few episodes of "Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and crashed!

www.veggiediner.com

I worked on Sunday as well. I'm not used to working both weekend days; its a new schedule. And its exhuasting! After work, Stephen and I went to Rich and Sarah's condo in the West Loop. Sarah is new to cooking and has had her KitchenAid mixer in storage since she received it as a wedding gift over a year ago! I'm pretty sure this is a mortal sin. She decided she wanted to break it out, FINALLY, to make some chocolate chip pumpkin bread! We put our aprons on and decided to also make some black bean burgers, sweet potato fries and a green salad.

Stephanie's Black Bean Burgers
makes 4 patties

1 can of black beans (partially drained)
1 cup of cooked browned rice
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. chilli powder
2 tsp. cumin
sea salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
whole wheat hamburger buns
any burger toppings you may want (I love bbq sauce)

Open the can of black beans and partially drain. Place beans in a bowl and use a mixer to break them up, making a paste but also leaving some beans fairly intact. Stir in cooked brown rice, green bell pepper, carrot, onion powder, chilli powder, cumin, and sea salt and pepper to taste. Form into 4 patties. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat on the stove. Fry the patties about 4-5 minutes per side. Place on buns and build your burger to your liking!

Stephen's Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
olive oil
sea salt

Preheat oven to 375. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into fry size wedges. Toss them in a bowl with a touch of olive oil and sea salt. Spread them in one layer onto a cookie sheet. Bake them for 15-18 minutes, flipping them twice. Enjoy!





We enjoyed our dinner, then a slice (or two) of chocolate chip pumpkin bread for dessert! We had so much fun, we decided it is now our Sunday tradition to cook dinner together. It was a great way to kick off my official "weekend!"

Love,
Steph

A Closer Look at Spelt Flour

My recipe for pumpkin bread calls for spelt flour, but I didn't mention how wonderful it is ... let me explain!

Spelt flour has a richer, fuller flavor than other flours. It almost has a "nutty" taste. It is really high in protein AND fiber. Two ounces of the flour contain 10g of protein and 5.27g of fiber. And what I love ... it contains all eight essential amino acids! Great for veg heads! Its also great for people with wheat allergies.

Get baking with some spelt! Your body will love you!!

Love,
Steph

Kristi, Bobcat and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I love Wednesdays! My coworker Kristi and I always have Wednesdays off. More often than not, we spend it together doing various activities: errands, shopping, venting our life stresses to each other. Kristi moved to Chicago from Wisconsin last winter. We quickly bonded, both feeling like "misfits" coming from smaller towns and missing our families and friends. I had a tough time adjusting to life in Chicago. It was the hardest thing I have ever been through. Even small things like going to the grocery store were a huge adjustment ... you mean I have to take a train or walk?!?! It all seemed so difficult. I never realized how automatic most things in my life had become. I had to map out every destination. I never saw a soul that I recognized. I felt so alone. I found true comfort in meeting Kristi, knowing we had a certain understanding. We don't judge each other's silly anxieties or our lack of city savvy. We still get lost everywhere we go! Sometimes we just talk about how much we miss trees and open skies! Not only do we have a similar life experience, she is a wonderful person. She has a sweet, honest personality. Enough about our love story ...

This past Wednesday, our plans consisted of a trip to Whole Foods (which is now turning into a once a month occurrence), then heading back to her apartment (which is where my boyfriend Bobcat also lives) so I could teach her to make my delicious Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread recipe!! Not only is this bread completely heavenly, its also healthy!! It makes a great breakfast, dessert or snack. It contains no sugar or dairy products.


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
serves 4-5

2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup of agave (or maple sugar)
1 Tbs. ground flaxseeds mixed in a small bowl with 3 Tbs. water
1/2 cup soy milk or rice milk
1/3 cup safflower oil (or vegetable)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 Tbs. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup grain sweetened vegan chocolate chips (Sunspire makes delicious ones!!)
1/2 cup of walnuts (optional)

Preheat over to 350. Oil an 8" X 8" casserole dish.

Combine the pumpkin, agave, flaxseeds, soy milk, oil, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate chips and walnuts. Add the wet ingredients until just combined.


Fill the casserole dish with the batter. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes until the top springs back when pressed with a finger.


Bobcat and I snuggled for 1 hour and 15 minutes while the deliciousness baked. We are totally in love!! Someday I'm going to hide him in my purse when I leave. Kristi will never know :) Then us of the human race got to enjoy a slice of heaven:


Moist, pumpkiny, chocolately, yummy!!! It was a great Wednesday. I look forward to seeing what adventure next week holds!!


Love,
Steph

And it begins!

I am really excited to be writing my first post on my blog! My brain is so flooded with topics and ideas, I'm not sure where to begin. Lets start with a mission statement (go ahead and call me a dork, I'm used to it). My mission or goal of this blog is to have a place to share all the natural health information, recipes, restaurants, and other things I've learned since I began my journey in natural health. I also want this to be a place where I can share what I am currently doing in my life and what I am doing to continue my journey ... in Chicago! Hopefully some of my ideas and experiences will help inspire you to become more in control of your own health. Or maybe it will just give you a delicious recipe to add to your repertoire!

So now the official mission statement:

At Naturally in the City, my mission is to provide a place to share, inspire, and discover all things natural health for the benefit of the planet, and all its inhabitants!


If you have questions or topics you would like me to cover, you can email me at Stephanie@naturallyinthecity.com