Holiday sale, vegan classes, new services, gift certificates, and more!

It's been a wonderful year for Well on Wheels, but we couldn't have done it without you! As we enter into the holiday season once again, keeping an eye toward all things healthy and vegan, we would like to extend warm wishes to you and your family. Please make the most of the holidays and enjoy a healthy and peaceful new year!

Vegan for the Holidays Class
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The holidays can be a stressful time if you're the lone vegan in your family. Not to worry! In this class you will learn how to dress up plates with garnishes, sauces and edible flowers, hilight recipe versatility, create culinary balance through color, taste, and texture, and make food appealing for even the most skeptical nonvegans.

COST: $10 per person
NOTE: Seating is limited. Please RSVP to reserve your space.

Discounts and New Services
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If you've been struggling with sticking with your goal to be vegan or you're a long-time vegan looking for a healthy reboot, I can help! My Wellness Jumpstart has been a popular option for those who want to get started with a healthy weight loss program or learn quick meal planning techniques to make cooking stress-free.

Many people find that having hands-on instruction in cooking techniques is absolutely essential for learning how to make healthy eating easy. As a holiday bonus, this month I'm offering a discount on private cooking lessons and cooking parties. Schedule your lesson for December or January and take $25 off the regular price for a 2-hour private lesson or group cooking party. [Use Discount Code: HOLIDAYS]

I am also offering a new service of online wellness coaching via Skype for just $50 an hour. We'll set goals, identify triggers, create action steps for overcoming obstacles, and establish an easy to incorporate plan for success.

Gift Certificates
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Know someone who would like guidance on making the vegan transition? Let them know you care by purchasing a Gift Certificate for private cooking lessons, group cooking party, Wellness Jumpstart, or personal chef services which can be scheduled at their convenience. Contact me for details. 

Recipe: Vegan Thanksgiving Loaf with Mashed Potatoes and Crimini Mushroom Gravy

Wondering what to serve a vegan for Thanksgiving? This stress-free meal features a vegan twist on traditional holiday favorites like turkey and mashed potatoes and is accompanied by roasted seasonal vegetables topped with a luscious crimini mushroom gravy that everyone will enjoy.  I guarantee you’ll love this so much you may want to start a new tradition hosting a vegan ThanksLiving each year. 

Watch me demonstrate how to make the recipe here.

Holiday Loaf

Follow package directions on your favorite plant-based holiday loaf, such as Gardein’s holiday loaf, Field Roast’s celebration roast, or Tofurky roast. Serve with mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, and crimini mushroom gravy. 

Mashed Potatoes (serves 2)

3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 Tbl Earth Balance margarine

salt to taste (approx. 1/2 tsp)

Bring large pot of water to a boil, add potatoes potato, and boil on media high heat for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.  Drain and mash together with margarine.  Gradually add enough almond milk to whip smooth.  Add salt to taste.  

Mushroom Gravy (serves 4)

1-2 Tbl olive oil

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

3 Tablespoons tamari

1 1/2 cups water

2 Tablespoons tahini 

In a medium sauce pot, sauté mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until soft.  Combine cornstarch, tamari and water in a cup.  Add to pot and heat until sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and gradually whisk in tahini.  

Recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprout Slaw

I made this recipe back in early spring, but it also works well for the fall season.  The cool weather veggies like kale, Brussels sprouts, and endive go nicely with crisp, tart apples this time of year, and both can be found in this recipe.

You can watch me make this recipe on the WWLP-TV Mass Appeal cooking segment here:

http://wwlp.com/2016/03/11/spring-slaw-salad/

Shaved Brussels Sprout Slaw with Lemon  Vinaigrette 

1 Honeycrisp apple, cut into wedges and thinly sliced

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed, thinly shaved

1 endive, thinly sliced

2-3 large leaves lacinato kale, ribs removed, thinly sliced into ribbons

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

For Dressing:

1 Tbl lemon 

1-2 Tbl agave syrup

1 Tbl apple cider vinegar

2-3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, agave, cider vinegar, olive oil and salt, until completely blended. Add apple, Brussels sprouts, kale, endive, cranberries and pecans. Toss gently to mix.

Note: Shaved Brussels sprouts, sliced kale and endive can be combined ahead of time, stored in a ziplock bag, or covered and stored in fridge. When ready to serve, simply toss with remaining ingredients.

Photo Shoot

I'm thrilled to have the talented vegan photographer Annika Lundqvist of Vegan for All Seasons doing the photos for my new cookbook. Here's Annika in action and a sneak preview of some of the shots that will soon grace the cover:

Natural Gourmet Cooking Class: Tea Time!

I was back in the city this weekend to attend a cooking class at the Natural Gourmet Institute.  It's been quite awhile since I've been there, and it was great to be back.  I remember my first experience cooking in a commercial kitchen many, many years ago and feeling thrilled to use all the fancy equipment and experience the hustle and bustle of a production kitchen.  It's like being on the set of "Chopped."

Chef Ann Nunziata, pastry chef of the renowned all-vegan Ravens Restaurant, was our instructor. She offered a wealth of knowledge and tips for baking with natural ingredients such as maple sugar, coconut oil, and applesauce. We made a wide array of desserts including ice cream, brownies, cookies, scones, cake, and cheesecake.  

I think my favorite was the Lemon Cheesecake with Pecan Crust and Cherry Compote.

Our two teams also produced Pumpkin Crumb Cake, Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies, Cinnamon Chocolate Pecan Brownies, Orange Cranberry Scones, Chai Spiced Ice Cream and Peach Ice Cream.

If you ever want to learn about natural foods and get some experience cooking in a commercial kitchen, I highly recommend taking a class at the Natural Gourmet.    

Recipe: Maple Bourbon BBQ Jackfruit

As we head towards Labor Day and get ready to fire up the grill on last time for the summer, we think about recipes that will keep the lazy days of summer lingering just a little bit longer.  This recipe for BBQ jackfruit is all of that.  It's smoke like an outdoor barbecue, but it's made indoors on the stove top, so it's very versatile.  I enjoy serving it in Vietnamese bahn mi along with a crunchy cole slaw.

From start to finish it takes about 30 minutes to make. You can watch how simple it is to prepare on the video link below.

Making BBQ Jackfruit on WWLP TV's Mass Appeal

Feel free to modify the heat level to your taste.  I use Sriracha in the BBQ sauce, but you can add cayenne pepper, Habanero, or even some ghost chilis if you're daring.  Substitute molasses for the maple syrup if you want a richer sweetness, or even try seasonal fruit like peaches pureed into the mix.

It's a versatile BBQ sauce which you'll also love on baked tofu, grilled portobello mushrooms, or stewed in a pot with chickpeas.  If you can't find canned young jackfruit, you can substitute sautéed eggplant and shiitake mushroom.

BBQ Sauce

7 oz. tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 Tbl bourbon
2 Tbl tamari
2 Tbl maple syrup
3 Tbl apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Sriracha
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp sea salt

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, adding water as necessary to achieve pourable consistency.

Jackfruit with BBQ Seasoning
(serves 2-4)

20 oz. can of jackfruit in brine
1 Tbl Sucanat
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-2 Tbl olive oil
1 cup onion, sliced into half moons
1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl, mix together Sucanat, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. then set aside. Drain jackfruit, remove any seeds, and mix with seasonings in the bowl. In a large pot or skillet set on medium heat, heat oil and sauté onion for several minutes until soft. Add garlic and jackfruit and sauté several minutes. Add about 3/4 cup of the BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup water and stir together with jackfruit mixture. Cover pot, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir mixture every 5-10 minutes to prevent sticking and cook until jackfruit has softened and easily pulls apart. Turn up heat to medium high at the end to reduce sauce and concentrate flavors while stirring constantly. Serve with veggie slaw.