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Vegan Chicken with Zucchini Tomatoes and Polenta

Serves 4
Takes 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes in the oven

2 Tablespoons Organic Olive Oil plus an additional 2 Tablespoons Organic Olive Oil

2 cups (17 ½ ounces) Ready Made Polenta (Usually sold in a tube.) - Cut into cubes.

1 Large Organic Zucchini – Washed, Dried, Roughly Chopped

½ cup Chopped Organic Tomatoes

½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt

¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Package of Gardein Vegan Chick’n Scallopini Also available at these locations.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush bottom of Non-Stick Roasting Pan with Olive Oil.

Arrange the Polenta and Zucchini in the Non-Stick Roasting Pan. Make spaces in between.  Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil. Sprinkle with Sea Salt, Black Pepper and Garlic Powder.  Roast in the oven for 35 minutes.

Remove the Roasting Pan from the oven and scatter the Chopped Tomatoes on top of Polenta and Zucchini. Return to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Prepare Vegan Chicken while Tomatoes are cooking.

Heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a Non-Stick Frying Pan over a medium high heat. Add the Vegan Chick’n Scallopini. Cook on both sides until heated. Remove the pan from the heat and cover Frying Pan until ready to use.

Once Polenta and Vegetables done, remove from oven and place on Serving Plate.  Place the Vegan Chicken on top of Polenta and Vegetables. Serve with a Salad.

Ready to go Vegan?  Then join Dr. Neal Barnard's 21 Day Vegan Kickstart!
Diabetics can join. Dogs and Cats are Welcomed too!
 

Secretary Clinton (Jan. 12): "We are still gathering information about this catastrophic earthquake, the point of
impact, its effect on the people of Haiti. The United States is offering our full assistance to Haiti and to others in
the region. We will be providing both civilian and military disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. And our
prayers are with the people who have suffered, their families, and their loved ones." Full Text» Assistant Secretary Crowley's Remarks to the Press»

The State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about
family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747 (due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording). Our embassy
is still in the early stages of contacting American Citizens through our Warden Network. Communications are very difficult
within Haiti at this time.

Private Offers of Assistance for Haiti Relief Efforts
Anyone wishing to donate or provide assistance in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that struck near
Port au Prince on Jan 12, 2010, is asked to contact the Center for International Disaster Information.  The Center, operated
under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and
initial support from IBM, has become a valuable resource to the public, as well as US government agencies, foreign
embassies and international corporations. CIDI has established a dedicated page to coordinate Haiti support at:  http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/

You can also text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief
efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. Or you can go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts.

WHEN SUSAN LEVIN hears what Michael Phelps stuffs into his mouth — like entire pepperoni pizzas — she worries that his Olympic career could be headed for a dive. That's because she's the director of nutrition education at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which promotes a vegan diet. And along with benefits such as losing weight, lowering your risk of certain diseases and being environmentally sound, she says switching to solely plant-based food sources makes you a better athlete.

It worked for Levin, who never liked running until she went vegan 15 years ago. "I was suddenly better at it, enjoyed it more and was faster. At the end of the day, I had all of this energy," says Levin, who's seen the same level of activity in her colleagues at their Friendship Heights office. "People are bouncing off the walls. They run, bike, do yoga." And contrary to the stereotype of the vegan waif, and thanks to rich sources of protein such as grains and beans, they have real muscles.

They also have real role models, including former NBA star John Salley and professional triathlete Brendan Brazier, who are two of the celebs backing PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. The program walks users through a diet makeover with a meal plan, cooking demos and other resources, which makes the process simpler than what both Salley and Brazier went through on their own.

It was high blood pressure and family members' health history that convinced Salley to drop meat five years into his career, a move his teammates thought was bonkers. While he devoured books about nutrition, they were grabbing grub at fast-food joints. The difference, he believes, is why he managed to stay in the NBA for 15 years (and score four championship rings) and some of the other guys barely had the mojo to practice. "Literally, I was 36 and rookies couldn't keep up with me," he remembers.

Now he's working on launching a line of organic, kosher and vegan foods and consulting with a dozen current professional athletes on the advantages of a vegan diet.

He could start by handing over a copy of Brazier's new book, "Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness" ($15.95, Da Capo Press). It's the result of 20 years of experimenting with food to figure out which ones would best help his body recover from grueling endurance workouts.

"I tried all different kinds of diets. I would eat whatever anybody told me if it would help me race," says Brazier, who initially kept quiet about how he was fueling. "I figured if I do start improving, they'll ask me about it."

Now that they do, they find some of his favorite foods aren't common on most people's shopping lists: chlorella, buckwheat, kelp, salba. But if those items are too hard to find, Brazier says, you'll see a difference in your performance by any increase in the veggie content of your diet. "Eat a salad at least five times a week with leafy greens, sprouts, avocado. And a smoothie is great after a workout. It gets it in your body right away," he promises.

Brazier's followers aren't all strict vegans. He says many of them have just shifted their views on meat and dairy, and cut back. "They thought they needed it for iron and protein, and now it's because of the taste," he says.

But if you do decide to try an entirely plant-based approach to food to improve your sports performance, Levin says it's not as complicated as you might think. Just be sure to take a vitamin B12 supplement and eat sensibly. "Don't think of it in terms of what you're not eating. Think about what you are — fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains," she says. "When you see the results, you won't want to go back." 

Photo courtesy PCRM
Article courtesy of Washington Post Blog

Ready to become an EcoHero for Mother Earth and go Vegan?  Then join Dr. Neal Barnard's
21 Day Vegan Kickstart! Diabetics can join. Dogs and Cats are Welcomed too!

The Warren Township Library can help you get started on your New Year's Resolutions. They are inviting
you to participate in our first series of programs related to popular New Year's goals, such as health
improvement, increasing your brainpower, and getting organized.

Michele Caws, holistic health counselor, will be there at 2 PM on Saturday, January 30 to give you an
“Introduction to a Vegetarian Diet."  She will offer simple tips for transitioning to a vegetarian diet to fit into
your life style.

All programs require registration. Visit their website to register for the event. Simply click on “Adult Programs”,
find your program, and register. You may also call Marcela Dunham, Adult Programming Coordinator, for more
information: 908-754-5554 ext. 64.

The Warren Township Library is located at 42 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, NJ. It can be reached at 908-754-5554.

Suni J. Minorics • Reader Submitted • January 8, 2010

Live outside of Warren, NJ and ready to go Vegan?  Then join Dr. Neal Barnard's 21 Day Vegan Kickstart!
Diabetics can join. Dogs and Cats are Welcomed too!

On a recent Special Edition of Iron Chef America, Fabulous First Lady Michelle Obama was the Special
Guest who got to choose the episode's Secret Ingredient.  The Secret Ingredient for this Special Edition
of Iron Chef?  Anything from the White House Garden.  Sweet!
Carrie Devorah
Of all the yummy delights grown in the First Garden, what was named as her favorite? OMG my signature
ingredient, Sweet Potatoes!

A First Lady after my heart indeed...  In Honor EcoFab Michelle, I have decided to give my readers a sneak peak
at one of my favorite recipes from my upcoming cookbook (and yes, I am still searching for a Publisher) my..

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
                            Allergy Free Option
                         created by EcoChef Love
Gluten Free * Diabetic Friendly * Vegan * Heart Smart
                     Makes 2 Dozen Large Cookies

Note – Cookies will bake up much thicker than in the picture above if you freeze cookie
dough before baking.

½ cup Sweet Potato Purée - See Sweet Potato Purée recipe below.
½ cup Organic Pecans (Optional)

1 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats, Use Regular Rolled Oats if you are not Gluten Sensitive - Make
Oats into Oat Flour by simply grinding Oats into a Fine Flour in Food Processor for 10 - 15 minutes.
½ cup EcoChef Love’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour or Any GF All Purpose or Regular All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Aluminum Free Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Fresh Ground Nutmeg
1/3 cup Organic Canola Oil
1/2 cup Organic Light Agave - Also available at Whole Foods and Natural Grocery Stores.
1/2 cup Dark Agave
1 Tablespoon Organic Unsweetened Plain Probiotic Soyogurt - Use Rice or Coconut Yogurt if allergic
to Soy. Available at Whole Foods and Natural Grocery Stores.
½ cup Overripe Banana – Mashed with a Fork.
1/2 teaspoon Alcohol Free Vanilla                                                                          
1 cup Whole Oats                                                                                                     
¼ cup Scharffen Berger Unsweetened 99% Cacao Baking Chocolate Bar, Cut into Pieces. - Available at Whole Foods and Fine Grocery Stores.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a Baking Sheet with a piece of Parchment Paper.
Rough Chop Pecans and on prepared Baking Sheet.  Place in oven and Toast for 8 minutes. Set aside
and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together both Flours, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Sea Salt and Spices until
well blended . In another large bowl whisk together Canola Oil and both Agaves until well blended.
With a mixer, beat in Soyogurt, followed by the Sweet Potato and Banana Purees and Vanilla Extract. Working by hand, stir in the Flour mixture, then mix in Whole Oats. Stir only until everything is just combined and no lumps of Flour remain. Stir in the Chocolate Chips and Pecans.

Wrap Cookie Dough in Plastic Wrap and freeze for 1 ½ hours. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove Dough from Freezer and drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared
baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Taking care to make sure the sides of the dough for each
cookie is smooth and rounded. If you bake the cookie dough without freezing dough first, the
cookies will bake up flat, like in the picture.

Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are Golden Brown around the edges. Let cool completely
before removing from pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Sweet Potato Purée 
Makes 3 ½ Cups                                                                                                                                              Allergy Free

4 Large (1 lb. each) Organic Garnet Sweet Potatoes - Garnet Sweet Potatoes are the Sweetest in
the Sweet Potato Family.  They are the only Sweet Potato I use when I cook and bake.
 

Bake whole, unpeeled Sweet Potatoes in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or

you may also cook whole Sweet Potatoes in microwave until a fork easily inserts thru the

Sweet Potatoes (about 4 – 5 minutes).  Allow to cool completely. Carefully drain water or remove

from Microwave.  Allow to cool completely. Peel each Sweet Potato.  Then puree in Food

Processor or Blender.

Freezes well for up to 6 months if stored in proper Freezer Storage Bag.  If made 1 day in

advance, place Sweet Potato Puree in bowl.  Cover with Saran Wrap.  Keep refrigerated

until ready to use.    ©2010 TEPP                          

               Ahhh, the Sweet Life of a Vegan.  Become an EcoHero for Mother Earth and go Vegan Baby...
               Join Dr. Neal Barnard's 21 Day Vegan Kickstart! Diabetics can join. Dogs and Cats are Welcomed. oo! t                                                                   
©2010


©2010