Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Lasagna

So, this is by far my favorite new recipe and after several different experimental versions, I settled on this one to share with you.

I give you fair warning, it is not for the faint of heart. It requires a lot of preparation and has multiple steps to include making your own Healthy Red Sauce and preparing your own Vegan Nut-Free Seed Ricotta Cheese. Luckily, I’ve shared both those recipes with step-by-step photos to help ease your preparation. Just click on the hyperlinks and you should be all set.

The good news is this lasagna is really delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp of chopped garlic

1 cup of slice shiitake mushrooms

1 cup of spinach

1 cup of kale

1 cup of collard greens

1 cup of beet leaves

1 1/2 cup of Longeve plant-based protein crumbles

3/4 cup of hot water

1 package of Organic Green Lentil Lasagne

1 Vegan Nut-Free Ricotta Cheese

1 Healthy Red Sauce

1 Package of Daiya Mozzarella Shreds

PREPARATION:

(1) Add olive oil to your saute pan and turn to medium heat.

(2) Add chopped garlic and sliced shiitake mushrooms

(3) Add your chopped kale, spinach, collard greens, and beet leaves. Continue to saute until soft. Remove from heat and set aside to use for the lasagna.

(4) Prepare Longeve plant-based protein crumbles by adding 3/4 cup of hot water to 1 1/2 cups of crumbles. Let sit for 5 minutes.

(5) Add some of your healthy red sauce to your saute pan on medium heat.

(6) Add the Longeve crumbles to the red sauce and mix together.

(7) Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside to use in the lasagna.

(8) Take your lasagna pan and add a layer of healthy red sauce.

(9) Add your first layer of organic green lentil lasagne.

(10) Now add a layer of your Vegan Nut-Free Seed Ricotta Cheese and spread evenly.

(11) Now add your layer of sauteed greens and mushrooms.

(12) Add another layer of healthy red sauce.

(13) Add another layer of organic green lentil lasagne.

(14) Add another layer of Vegan Nut-Free Seed Ricotta Cheese. Spread evenly.

(15) Now add your sauteed Longeve plant-based protein crumbles. Spread evenly.

(16) Now add your final layer of Organic Green Lentil Lasagne.

(17) Add another layer of healthy red sauce. Spread evenly.

(18) Spread a layer of Daiya Moz z arella Style Shreds.

(19) Top with a layer of freshly chopped parsley.

(20) Place in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees and cook for 40 minutes.

(21) Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

(22) Cut a slice and enjoy!

Vegan Nut-Free Seed Ricotta Cheese

The hardest ingredient to replace in Vegan Lasagna is the ricotta – that delicious creamy layer that is critical to any good lasagna.

Since my Ayurvedic diet also requires me to avoid nuts, it is very difficult to find a store bought ricotta that works. Thus, I created my own. In order to learn about some different techniques, I suggest you check out this amazing post from SuperFoodEvolution.

For my recipe, I use a bunch of different seeds and I am very happy with the finished product. In fact, my wife actually likes this ricotta as a dip which see eats with carrots, celery and HU gluten-free, nut-free crackers.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup of Sunflower Seeds

1 Cup of Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 Cup of Hemp Seeds

1/4 Cup of Flax Seeds

1/4 Cup of Chia Seeds

1 Cup of Water, Hemp Milk or Coconut Milk

2 Tsp of Himalayan Salt

4 probiotic capsules

1/2 Cup of Fresh Sage

(1) Add the Sunflower Seeds to a large mason jar.

(2) Add the pumpkin seeds (I like to use Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds) to the mason jar.

(3) Add the Flax Seeds to the mason jar.

(4) Add the Chia Seeds to the mason jar.

(5) Add the Hemp Seeds to the mason jar.

(5) Add your water, Hemp Milk or Coconut Milk to the mason jar.

(6) Put the lid on the mason jar and shake to get the liquid to mix throughout the seeds. Then place the jar in the refrigerator and let soak overnight.

(7) Remove the seed mixture and add to your blender.

(8) Add your probiotic by opening the capsules and pouring into the mixture. Then add your himalayan salt.

(9) Add chopped Sage to the blender.

(10) Blend until smooth. Add additional water, hemp milk or coconut milk as needed to get a creamy consistency.

(11) Remove from the blender and place in a nut milk bag. Add a mason jar full with water to act as a weight to help squeeze out any excess liquid. Let rest on the counter for 4-6 hours.

(12) Remove from the nut bag and place in a bowl or tupperware. Now your Vegan Nut-Free Seed Ricotta Cheese is ready to use or eat. Store in the refrigerator.

Healthy Red Sauce

I apologize for the delay in posting, but last week was a crazy work week.

I wanted to share my Vegan Lasagna recipe, but in order to complete the full recipe I wanted to share the recipes for the Healthy Red Sauce and the Vegan Nut-Free Seed Ricotta Cheese.

I’ll start with what I call my Healthy Red Sauce. Essentially, after years of cooking a traditional Italian Tomato Sauce, I created this recipe to (1) reduce the amount of tomatoes (trying to reduce the consumption of nightshades) and (2) to add a bunch of other ingredients that I couldn’t get my kids to eat any other way. So I essentially sneak them into the sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Can of San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes

1 Cup of Carrot

1 Cup of Celery

1 Cup of Butternut Squash (blended)

3 Shallots

3 Scallions

3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

4 Cloves of Garlic

1″ of Fresh Ginger

1″ of Fresh Tumeric

1/2 Cup of Fresh Parsley (Italian Flat or Regular)

1/2 Cup of Fresh Oregano

1 Tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tsp of Balsamic Vinegar

2-3 Cups of Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional – 1 Tbsp of Dried Italian Herbs

(1) Add the Olive Oil to a large saucepan and put on medium heat

(2) Add finely diced garlic and cook for 1 minute

(3) Add the chopped ginger and tumeric and cook for another minute

(4) Add the diced shallot and cook for an additional minute

(5) Add the diced carrots, diced celery, chopped scallions, and apple cider vinegar. Cook for 3-5 minutes until soft

(6) Add 1 Cup of pureed Butternut Squash, stir and cook for another 2 minutes

(7) Add the Can of San Marzano tomatoes, smash and mix with other ingredients

(8) Mix all the ingredients together and add your water. The less water the thicker your sauce. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer, cover and continue to cook.

(9) Add your chopped parsley

(10) Add your chopped oregano, balsamic vinegar, and Italian herbs

(11) Let simmer for 3-6 hours and then your sauce is ready to use.

Adzuki Bean Tempeh

As Team Harrison continues to expand our horizons on vegetarian and vegan options, I am increasing my exploration into homemade options over store bought packaged food. In fact, I touched on this topic in my post Make Your Own Food. Most of the packaged food includes ingredients that violate my Ayurvedic diet or have lots of preservatives, sweeteners, and excess additives that I simply don’t want. Therefore, I know that by making my own food at home I can avoid these ingredients.

One of the key foods that both Dr. Nibodhi and Andrew Sterman both recommended is tempeh. Unfortunately, most store bought tempeh is made with soy, wheat, and/or grains which I am trying to avoid. Therefore, I decided to try and make my own homemade Adzuki Bean Tempeh.

After doing a lot of research, I found the perfect recipe from Meatless Makeover which specifically uses an Instapot.

I tried this recipe and it worked GREAT! I was really surprised at how good the tempeh tasted, and more importantly I was shocked that Angie and Elvis seemed to really enjoy the finished product.

A few things to note if you are going to try and make this at home is (1) don’t overcook the beans and (2) it took MUCH longer in my Instapot then the recipe suggested. In fact, I think it took 72 hours or longer on the “Less” Yogurt setting on my Instapot.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Adzuki Beans

4 tbsp of rice wine vinegar

1 packet of Tempeh starter

6 cups of water

Below are the steps and a few pictures to help you.

(1) Buy quality Organic Dry Adzuki Beans

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(2) Measure 2 cups

(3) Soak the beans in water

(4) Add them to the pressure cooker in 6 cups of water and set to “Normal”

(5) Set to “High” for 7 minutes. When done let sit for another 10 minutes and then vent the steam and check that the beans are cooked.

(6) While the beans are cooking, prepare a ziplock bag by punching wholes 1″ apart through both sides. Also, get the metal rack to use later inside the pressure cooker.

(7) Strain and rinse the beans, then pat dry. Then transfer to a bowl, add the 4 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar and the tempeh starter pack.

(8) Add the beans to the ziplock and roll the top down pulling the beans tight.

(9) Place the bean package on the metal rack in the Instapot with the ziploc seam face down.

(10) Set the pressure cooker to the “less” setting on the Yogurt mode. I originally did 24 hours, but on my second batch I set the timer for 72 hours.

(11) Check the tempeh after 24 hours and every 12 hours thereafter until you see the growth of the mold and crust.

(12) Remove when ready and cut in half.

(13) You should be able to see the mold on the outside and the inside. This will last 10 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

(14) Now slice into 1″ to 1 1/2″ pieces and saute in your favorite way – ghee, miso tamari, olive oil, etc. and then serve over your favorite dish. Below is an example of Adzuki Bean Tempeh over Vegan Pesto Chickpea Pasta.

(15) Here is the same sauteed miso glazed tempeh over cauliflower fried rice. Garnish with mung bean sprouts, scallions, and sesame seeds. If you are making Lettuce Wraps, you can actually use the same dipping sauce and toppings over your tempeh.

I hope you enjoy and remember be kind to yourself and just do the work today!

Lettuce Wraps

Happy Sunday. I hope everyone has been able to find some time to rest and relax.

While I love lazy Sundays, it also means meal prep for Team Harrison. This week is particularly unique, because it’s the first time we are integrating our new diet with the kids meals. This means we will be trying to remove diary, gluten, nuts, and animal protein as much as possible. This doesn’t mean we are going to force the kids to follow some strict diet, but rather change the foods we put in front of them and see how it goes. I thought I had convinced Scout that Hemp milk was delicious, but she said it was gross so I bought her regular grass fed, organic Whole Milk. Remember, this is a journey, so nothing is going to happen overnight.

For the first half of the week, I am preparing Lettuce Wraps, Vegan Lasagna, Kale and White Bean Soup, Pesto Chickpea Pasta, and some Greensbury Organic Free Range Chicken tenders with gluten free crust.

A few people reached out and asked me if I wouldn’t mind sharing some of the recipes, so today I’ll share the Lettuce Wraps.

This recipe is derived is from Longeve, the company where I buy my plant based protein crumbles. Thus far, I’ve only used this product for the Lettuce Wraps and Vegan Lasagna, but I am really impressed at the quality and taste of their product. I’ve modified the recipe to fit my nutritional needs, but you can find the original recipe here.

FILLING:

1 1/2 cups of Longeve crumbles

1/4 cup of coconut aminos

2 tsp of toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp of sunflower butter

2 tsp of ginger, fresh grated

1 tsp of sriracha

1 cup of mushrooms (for my diet I use shiitake or maitake), finely chopped

1 shallot, diced

2 tbsp of coconut oil

2 tsp of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

1 cup of carrots, finely chopped

1/2 cup of scallions, sliced

14 oz can of bamboo shoots, drained and chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 head of Bibb lettuce, separated for wraps

1 tbsp of sesame seeds toasted

1 cup of mung bean sprouts

SAUCE:

1/4 cup of coconut aminos

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

PREPARATION:

(1) Prepare the Longeve crumbles by adding 3/4 cup of hot water and let sit for 5 minutes

(2) Whisk the coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sunflower butter, grated ginger and sriracha until smooth and put aside for later

(3) Heat the coconut oil to in a large skillet over medium to high heat.

(4) Add garlic

(5) Add mushrooms

(6) Add Longeve crumbles and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently

(7) Add shallots and lower heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes more, while continuing to stir

(8) Add garlic, carrot, scallions, and bamboo shoots and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring occassionally

(9) Add Cilantro

(9) Add the prepared sauce mixture to the skillet and stir to combine all the ingredients. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes

(10) Remove from heat, salt and pepper to taste

(11) Place two spoonfuls of the cooked mixture into the Bibb Lettuce leaf. Drizzle some sauce and top with bean sprouts, scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

I hope you enjoy.

Make Your Own Food

The single most important thing to do when you want to eat healthy is to prepare your own food.

When I do research and go to the Supermarket or Coop to look at plant-based foods, I am very shocked at the amount of ingredients that are added to most of the products from Impossible Burgers, to Beyond Meat and all the various meat and cheese alternatives.

To get started, let me share that my current focus is an Ayurvedic diet aimed at overall health and wellness, with a focus on reducing inflammation and reversing some coronary calcium buildup in my left anterior descending artery (LAD or Widowmaker). The inflammation in my body is mainly due to three major injuries in the Army which left me with a Service Disability rating of 30% and no cartilage in my right hip. The mild coronary artery disease is part genetics, part diet, and part lifestyle, but as I approach 50 I am more committed than ever to eliminate the plaque through science and dietary changes.

This means I am focusing on a diet high in fruits and vegetables with no four legged animals and no birds to include eggs. Additionally, I will be eliminating all nightshades (which I actually haven’t eaten in years) and while I am allowed limited fish, I will not be consuming shellfish (my favorite) nor will I be eating tuna, swordfish or catfish. Furthermore, my diet does NOT include nuts. While I am permitted to eat seeds – sunflower, flax, pumpkin, hemp – I am not allowed to consume nuts, nut milks, or nut products. Lastly, there is NO gluten. This includes wheat, rye, barley and oats. However, I can consumer long grain rice, quinoa, millet, and amaranth. I was very encouraged when I reorganized my pantry and discovered that I already had most of the approved grains in grain and flour form.

The reason I thought it was important to share my current dietary focus, is because when you go to the market or health food store and start to look at the back of the packaging for most plant-based alternatives for meat and cheese, the majority of these items contain gluten, nuts and/or soy. That’s pretty unbelievable, here I thought I was going to commit to being more planted based and I’d simply be able to go to the “healthy” section of the store and grab something from one of the new popular alternative brands like Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger. Unfortunately, that’s not going to work for me.

The good news is that it re-enforces the topic of today’s post – make your own food. The only way to truly know what you are eating and how it works for your body is to understand the process by which the food was created and what raw ingredients are assembled to get the final product.

Yesterday, I began working on two new homemade products: Adzuki Bean Tempeh and Sunflower/Pumpkin Seed Ricotti.

The reason I picked these two items was driven based upon what I wanted to eat next week – Adzuki Bean Tempeh stir-fried over mixed vegetables (next week I might try fermenting my own Kimchi) and Vegan Lasagna.

When I was in the market yesterday, I noticed the first ingredient in almost all the Tempeh was “vital gluten” or “vital wheat,” neither which I want to consume. Secondarily, most Tempeh is based on soy and while I am not technically avoiding soy, I am definitely trying to limit my exposure.

Dr. Nibodhi had actually mentioned that the local Whole Foods in Austin has one of the best Adzuki Bean Tempeh his ever eaten – so that’s what inspired my desire to make my own. I’ll let you know in a day or so how it came out.

As for the Sunflower/Pumpkin Seed Ricotti this is also a first attempt, but it’s currently sitting on the counter in a Mason jar with the probiotic, himalayan sea salt and some coconut milk. Again, I’ll check back later.

Thanks for your time today, and remember, the best way to watch what you eat is to make your own food.

Now go Do The Work Today!

Much Love

Water

As we continue our discussion of healthy living, it’s very important to focus on drinking water.

At the most basic level, drink more water.

When I was at West Point, the number one thing were told was “drink water new cadet!” And that saying has served me well throughout my life.

In terms of your health, one of the easiest habit changes to focus on is water consumption. Simply start by waking up and having a glass of room temperature water with squeezed lemon juice. The concept of consuming temperate water when waking is embraced by Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. In both cases, this first glass of water helps stimulate the villi in your intestine to help move cellular debris and other waste out of your body.

But water has lots of other benefits to include hydration, clear skin, boosting immunity, and helping your kidneys. To learn more, check out 10 Reasons Why You Should Drink More Water

The other thing that is very important to consider is the quality of the water you drink. While a lot of people love their tap water, they need to be cautious about the added chemicals like chlorine and fluoride that are normally added to municipalities.

Right now, I am drinking filtered water through a refrigerator, but ideally you would drink a more alkaline water to help reduce the acidity of your body.

I am currently shopping for a new in home system – either an Apex Water Filtration System or something more like a Berkey. I think the Apex is more convenient but it’s also a bit more of a burden to install. I’ll let you know what I decided once I hear back from a friend.

Okay, so for today, lets focus on drinking a glass of water when we wake up. Then at least one glass with each meal and ideally a total of about 10 glass or 2.5-3 liters per day.

I’ll leave you with a few quick videos from last night’s meal prep.

Incremental Changes

One of the most important things to do when transitioning to a healthier lifestyle and diet is to focus on making incremental changes. Rather than trying to make huge swings in your behavior, start with measurable steps. You don’t have to cut out all red meat, just start by cutting your portion size or frequency. So if you normally eat an entire steak, try to only eat 6 to 8 ounces. Ultimately, your goal should be a protein portion size of approximately 3-4 ounces to accompany your vegetables.

Today, I want to share a video that Angie and I made last night that shows Team Harrison trying to pull together a family meal integrating food for everyone.

Dad is on the Prolon Fast, while Angie and the kids are eating Greensbury Market Skirt Steak cooked on my new Smithey pan with Japanese Yams pressure cooked in our new Insta-Pot.

I can tell you was everything was delicious.

We hope you enjoy.

And remember, please just do the work today.

Day 2 of Healthy Living

How to get started

One of the biggest problems people face when making life changes, is the simple act of getting started.

Often the beginning of any new diet, exercise program, meditation or other habitual change can be a daunting task.

Most of us have said to ourselves, I’ll start on Monday, the first of the month, or of course, after New Years.

It really doesn’t matter when you start, just start. And if you say Monday, and you don’t get started until Wednesday, then be kind to yourself and just congratulate yourself when you do get started.

The other big problem for most people is how to get started. You don’t want to be so drastic that your new program is unattainable. In my experience, it’s always easier to smart small and build upon your initial success.

How we eat is probably the most important overall factor in our health and longevity. We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” There is a lot of truth in this statement and in fact, if you can find a diet and lifestyle that gives you more energy and focus while providing the right levels of micro and macro nutrients then the overall benefits are remarkable.

Today, there are a lot of different types of dietary lifestyles with people embracing intermittent fasting, ketogenic diets, and vegan or plant based diets.

Whatever diet you want to try – start and see what works.

Personally, during my current journey I am going to combine intermittent fasting with a vegetarian based diet. My vegetarian diet will be mostly vegan with the elimination of dairy and animal protein from 4 legged animals and birds, however I will still be eating fish. (And for those of you who have been following Greensbury, don’t worry, I will still be cooking delicious organic meats and sustainable seafood for my wife and kids).

I am targeting about 80% green leafy vegetables and 20% legumes, seeds, fruits, and fish. Additionally, I am following an Ayurvedic programs that incorporates fasting by targeting 1-2 meals a day. The first meal window is 9-10am and the second meal window is 12-2pm with no food after 6pm. In fact, I will try not to eat after the lunch meal which is the primary meal of the day.

To start my transition, I am actually using a program called Prolon. The Prolon program is a fasting mimicking diet that is vegan based. It comes in a box with all five days of the meals included in individual packaging with a simple guide of what to eat when. It’s super easy and the food is pretty tasty consisting of nut bars, soups, kale crackers and olives. I’ve only used it once before but I felt amazing and lost about 12 lbs in the first week. I am on day 2 and I have already shed 4 lbs.

This transitional program allows me to not have to think about what to eat when I get started. Then as I transition back to regular food, my system is already primed for the new lifestyle.

Another easy way to get started is an elimination diet. Make a list of things that you need to cut back on and then simply start eliminating them from what you eat. You can do this with gluten, dairy, red meat, etc.

I know that a lot of people think about eliminating carbohydrates is the key to weight loss and healthy living, but that is simply not the case. I think a lot of people confuse gluten with carbohydrates. Gluten in general is a very inflammatory food, whereas carbohydrates can be very beneficial. The consumption of sweet potatoes, legumes, seeds, quinoa, millet, long grain rice and fruits actually provide critical nutrients that our bodies need for energy. While you might think that protein is what your body and brain need the most, it is in fact carbohydrates. And when you eat protein your body simply converts the protein into carbohydrates.

Whatever diet you do pursue – please cut out sugar. Sugar is the most destructive additive to our systems. Did you know that cancer feeds off of sugar. Refined sugar is bad – plain and simply. This doesn’t mean that all fruit is bad because it has sugar. In fact, small servings of fruit can be very beneficial due to the nutrients and the energy your body gets from the fruit. I’d recommended lots of berries, red grapes, cherries, apples, kiwi, guava, mango, papaya and pineapple. However, according to Ayurvedic guidelines you should not mix fruit with the rest of your meal. In fact, have your fruit 90 minutes before or 2 hours after your other food. The only exceptions are avocados, olives and coconut. For me, this means that fruit will be the primary food at the breakfast meal without any other vegetables or protein. You can mix the fruit with coconut yogurt and you can chop in some cilantro to help detox. Cilantro is one of the best naturally chelation foods and can help remove heavy metals and other toxins.

That’s a lot for today, so think about it and then lets do the work today.

Day 1 – New Beginnings

Most people have had a lot of time to think and reflect during Covid-19 about their lives. In fact, one might argue that we’ve had too much time to evaluate our family, our job, where we live and ultimately what’s important in life.

I know for me that this period has been an amazing experience to spend more time with my family, focusing on quality time with my wife and kids. I really want to concentrate on the people and things that actually matter.

But at the same time, I have had plenty of time to eat, sleep, do pilates via Facetime, Yoga via Zoom and the occasional Peloton ride. I have also watched and read more than I ever would have during “normal” life. One of the things that has been of particular interest, is how I eat, meditate and practice self-care. I am very intrigued by Game Changers. This documentary essentially makes the case for a vegetarian based diet and the overall benefits for health and performance. The information very much aligns with a concept known as Food as Medicine which is the basis of Ayurvedic medicine. It also is very similar to concepts by a dear friend, Andrew Sterman who has recently published two books about Food for Energy and Healing.

For most of us, change and transformation is hard.

Therefore, we can’t look at drastic changes. We need to think about where we want to be in 5 years and then slowly make the changes to accomplish those goals. It’s a journey.

The purpose of this blog is to essentially help me and anyone that is interested in joining my journey to have information and tools to make changes to better our overall quality of life.

And really to live a full happy and healthy life.

To that end, the goal is not to do it all at once, but to Do The Work Today so that ultimately we can all arrive where we want to be.

I hope this site will help.