Good morning! I’m officially on vacation countdown now; 5 more days before Alan and I leave for Florida for Dr. Fuhrman’s Health Getaway. We’ve never done anything like this before where it is a vacation and conference together. Also, neither one of us has spent much time in that part of Florida (Amelia Island near the Georgia border) so it should be very interesting to see. Anywhere that has a beach sounds good right about now. Besides meeting Dr. Fuhrman and hopefully not acting all silly and nervous, I think I am most excited about having the healthy meals provided for all three meals(!) and meeting other people interested in his program. I’ve already had several people contact me about getting together so I have a feeling I will leave the event with more friends. Can’t wait!
I haven’t done that much preparation for the trip yet, but I have a general idea of what clothes I am going to pack. I plan to take my laptop for daily blogging, my nice camera and some food to get through a full day of travel on Saturday. I also bought some new sunscreen to take that Dr. Fuhrman recommends. It’s from a company called Kabana Skincare and the sunscreen has no nano particles and only natural ingredients. It’s also cruelty-free and doesn’t contain anything that harms fish or reefs when it washes off in the ocean. I’ve been using it already and I like it (I got the regular tube for body and the nude one for face):
I’ve been focusing more on healthy meals after my recent PCOS diagnosis. I am bound and determined to keep my symptoms under control with a whole foods diet with no added sugars. I feel best eating this way. On Friday evening when I was just about out of fresh ingredients from the week, I used dehydrated mushrooms that I got in Portland plus cauliflower, onion and garlic to make an easy meal. I got the ingredients ready (cauliflower is not pictured):
I blanched the cauliflower in boiling water and rinsed it in cool water in a colander until I was ready for it:
Then, I just water-sauteed the bell pepper, onion, garlic and mushrooms in a large pan and then added the cauliflower at the last minute:
I was out of greens by the end of last week, but you could always throw in some kale or spinach at the end to lightly wilt. I served this dish with some leftover cashew cheese made simply by blending cashews, lemon juice, garlic and spices:
This meal came together in about 30 minutes and I had enough for leftovers the next day.
Here’s the recipe:
Mushroom Medley
serves 4
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 cups dehydrated mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add cauliflower florets and cook in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
2. In a separate large pan, bring 2-3 tablespoons of water to boil. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and water-saute for 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add cauliflower florets and simmer for an additional 2-4 minutes or until everything is cooked through.
3. Serve with cashew cheese (see below for recipe)
Cashew Cheese - inspired by Gena’s Rosemary Cashew Cheese at Choosingraw.com
4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cashews
2-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon no-salt seasoning
Directions:
1. Combine cashews, lemon juice, garlic and no-salt seasoning in a high-speed blender and process until blended but still chunky. Use a spatula to occasionally stop the blender and wipe down the sides.
Other healthy meals from this weekend included this salad that I made from vegetables I got at the famers’ market on Saturday:
I made a version of my Creamy Hummus Dressing with garbanzo beans, parsley, onion, garlic and lemon juice.
Finally, as a treat, I made the lemon bars featured from Healthy Vegan Fridays #2 by Vicky from Sweet & Healthy Living. I followed her directions exactly for the bar portion of the dessert and they turned out awesome: they stuck together nicely and had good flavor. I couldn’t even taste the garbanzo beans! I would describe the flavor and texture as similar to that of a shortbread cookie:
For the icing, however, I went my own way and created a decadent lemon cream using macadamia nuts, applesauce, erythritol, lemon juice and vanilla. I need to play with the recipe a bit more before posting it, I want to try using fewer nuts and more applesauce and see if I can still get a creamy texture. The bars were a hit!
If you don’t like using non-nutritive sweeteners, you could definitely substitute dates in this recipe, too. I’ve been having a pretty good experience since I’ve switched to using primarily stevia, erythritol and chicory fiber to sweeten various dishes.
Have a great Monday and don’t forget to submit your whole food, vegan recipe to Healthy Vegan Fridays #3, it closes on Tuesday at midnight. Each week, my fellow organizers of this blog party are selecting the top 3 most-clicked-upon recipes and featuring them on our blogs. You can read all the details here. I’ll see you back here on Wednesday!
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
oooh those lemon bars look divine! and i love the mushroom medley! yum!
Oh Carrie, I’m sooo looking forward to hearing from the convention with Dr. Fuhrman
We are now on our 16th day of the six-Week-Plan, and doing so well.
I hope for you both that it’s a wonderful experience. I’ll save the recipe for the lemon bars for later. Have a nice trip!
Thanks Oly! It’s nice to hear you’re doing so well on the 6-week program. I’ll definitely pass on any tips I learn next week.
Aw shucks. I was hoping it would be further south near Tampa Bay. Then we could meet!
Aww, too bad!
Hi Carrie!
I am also very much looking forward to the Getaway! I usually make all my own food, so it will be a treat to be served my meals!
I am so glad you tried out the bars! I am thinking I need to get a detached oven temperature gauge. I have a feeling my oven runs cooler than most. I have made some of my recipes at other family member’s houses and they usually turn out drier when cooked at the same temperature. Did the bars seem at all dry? It look a little more cracked than mine did. If you make them again, maybe try baking them for less time.
FYI… Using the same recipe (except I used butter beans), I have also tried leaving out the oat flour and adding 1 T of coconut flour and baking them as little cookies… Almost like lemon shortbread!
Hi Vicky! I didn’t realize you are attending the Getaway! Oh my gosh, I’m sooooo excited to meet you! The bars didn’t seem dry to me, I baked them at 325 on the convection setting for a full 30 minutes. I absolutely love your blog and recipes, you’re so talented!
I though I had mentioned that I was attending… either way, I am excited to meet you too!
I am glad they didn ‘t seem to dry for you! I love reading your blog as well! 
You always make the prettiest looking salads! Mine just never turn out that good looking. Are those pea shouts on the salad? Are they good? I’ve been meaning to try them but never remember to pick them up at Trader Joe’s when we go.
Hope you have a fabulous time at the Getaway! Enjoy!!!
By pea shouts, I mean, pea shoots, blast I’m terrible without spell check!
Thanks, NutriWife, you have a great vacation, too!!! Australia is a place on my “to visit” list. And, by the way, you were close on the sprouts, they are sunflower sprouts.
Lookin’ good! And uhgh. I have melasma so I wonder if the tinted green screen would provide coverage/protection- will have to check it out!
Carrie,
Concerning the Kabana sunblock–I’ve thought about ordering it, but have hesitated because the product description warns that it “may stain clothing” due to the iron oxide used to tint it. My sunblock definitely comes into contact with my clothes at the neckline. What has been your experience with the staining issue?
Hi Susan, I haven’t noticed the Kabana sunscreen marking my clothing any worse than ordinary sunscreen. It comes out in the wash just fine. I do try to be careful around the neckline, though, for that reason. To be honest, I mainly use the Kabana sunscreen on my arms and legs and I use a different brand for face right now.
Good to know–thanks!
Have so much fun on your trip! I’m sure you’re going to come back refreshed and packed full with new knowledge that I can’t wait to hear about
Thanks, Gabby! Good luck with your move!
ahhh don’t remind me, so stressed/nervous/excited lol
Hi Carrie!
I’m new to Dr. Fuhrman and thought you might be able to help me with some of these veggie constructions. I just wrote a note asking if it’s ok to sautee onions before adding them to a salad, as I really don’t like them raw. But I don’t see my note published.
That is ok though because I thought of something else. I saw your cauliflower recipe. I am a big fan of roasted veggies – not all, but some, and cauliflower (and Brussels sprouts too) is a fave of mine. It comes out so crunchy and sweet! Yummmmm. Is this ok to do? I know some vegetables should be eaten raw and that is why I ask.
Thanks so much … And I hope I can find my posts … I’ll give it a little time.
Hi Ruth,
I just responded to your other question, it showed up on an earlier post. Let me know if you don’t see how I responded to the onion question.
In regards to roasting veggies, there are a few problems. First, roasting requires oil which is off-limits on Dr. Fuhrman’s program for the most part. Secondly, roasting requires a high temperature which he also takes issue with. I believe he really directs cooked vegetables to be prepared by either steaming or water-sauteeing.
I have had great results with blanching cauliflower, it stays fairly crunchy with lots of great, natural flavor.
Good luck!
This looks delicious. I love the idea of making my own cheese. Thanks for the great ideas
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