Triumph Wellness

Body Positive Personal Training & Nutrition

Stuff I Love

GIVEAWAY! Jewish Food Hero Vegan Cookbook

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As so often happens in my world these days, I met Kenden Alfond through the internet.  Kenden is the founder of Jewish Food Hero, a website dedicated to nourishing the minds, bodies, and spirits of Jewish women around the globe. She offers vegan recipes which give a modern twist to  traditional Jewish meals, as well as resources to support greater health within the Jewish community.

Obviously she is my twin sister, separated at birth.

Kenden’s journey began in 2012 while Googling recipes for a family Purim meal.  All the recipes she found seemed dated and stodgy, unhealthy and old-fashioned, and were not reflective of her or her daughter’s more health conscious generation. She wondered if poor health and weight gain were the “price to pay” for engagement in Jewish life.  (Listening to most of my clients struggle with healthy eating on Shabbat and holidays, I often sadly wonder the same).

Kenden decided to create menus for every Jewish holiday that better reflected her family’s healthy values.  The Jewish Food Hero Cookbook is the result of her creativity and dedication.

I was given a copy to review and wow!  First of all, this is a very beautiful ebook.  The photographs by Matkonation are drool-worthy and inspiring.  The recipes are creative and fresh.  Every major Jewish holiday has it’s own menu and each comes with background and an intended mood and theme.  The Jewish Food Hero Cookbook will inspire the Jewish home cook, as well as emboldening us to step out of  our culture’s current unhealthy, heavy, and over-the-top indulgent holiday meal paradigm, and into one that has everyone leaving the table with a smile on their face and a spring in their step.

Kenden writes, “Cooking healthy holiday meals can be a form of creative expression, self-care, and love. I see a different food future for the Jewish people. I’m so glad you’re here and part of this vision.”
Below I am sharing a sample recipe from the book that Kenden was so generous to share with us.  It is from the Passover section and is perfect for your seder table. The recipe is vegan and does not use kiyniyot.

In addition to the recipe, Kenden has generously offered to give one copy of her cookbook away to one of my readers.  To be eligible for the give-away just comment below, or on this post on FB, or send me an email to Emily@TriumphWellness.com with your return email so I can contact you.  The winner will be chosen by Tuesday, April 12, 2016.  Contest is international – this is an ebook delivered via the internet.

 

To order a copy of the cookbook for yourself, a steal at only $9.99, go to the Jewish Food Hero website HERE.  This book would also make a lovely holiday gift.

Enjoy the sample recipe!

vegan shepherd's pie

Print
Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

    Mashed potato topping
  • 3 pounds red skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • Pie filling:
  • 2 cups diced onion (from about 2 medium onions)
  • 3 cups sliced mushrooms (from about 1/2 pound whole mushrooms)
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (not low sodium)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 cups, peeled and sliced carrots (from about 2 carrots)
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets (from about 1 small head)
  • 3 tablespoons potato starch
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Pepper to taste
    • Garnish
  • Steamed carrots, yellow summer squash, and zucchini (cut into rounds) **If you eat kitniyot during Passover, you can also use peas and thin string beans here.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
  2. Place the prepared potatoes in an extra large soup pot, and cover with at least 1 inch of cold water. Boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
  3. Set aside to cool.
  4. Meanwhile, sauté the onion and mushrooms in 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water for 10 minutes, adding more broth if needed.
  5. Add the sage, thyme, and carrots, and sauté for another 5 minutes
  6. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 more minutes
  7. Add the vegetable broth to the vegetables in the skillet, reserving 1/4 cup to mix with potato starch
  8. In a small bowl, combine the potato starch with the 1/4 cup reserved vegetable broth. Mix well.
  9. Add the potato starch mixture, sea salt, and pepper to the vegetables
  10. Stir until thickened. Set aside.
  11. Drain the cooked potatoes and mash them, adding the almond milk, pepper, and sea salt.
    12. Assemble the dish and bake
  12. Pour the cooked vegetables into a lightly oiled 9 x 13-inch glass casserole dish
  13. Top with the mashed potatoes and smooth the surface with a spoon
  14. Bake for 30 minutes
    15. Prepare the garnish:
  15. While the casserole is cooking, chop the vegetables for the garnish, paying attention to maintaining a uniform and delicate shape
  16. Steam the vegetables for the garnish just enough so they retain their beautiful color and a bit of crunch.
    17. Arrange the garnish and serve
  17. Arrange the warm vegetables on top of the casserole in a design that inspires you
  18. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
  19. Serve family style on the table.
http://triumphwellness.com/giveaway-jewish-food-hero-vegan-cookbook/

Recipe reprinted with permission of Jewish Food Hero. Copyright©2016 Jewish Food Hero

All photos in this post are by Matkonation.

 

 

Bread Machine Vegan Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

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The weekend is over and as you turn your thoughts to the upcoming week and the lunches you need to pack come Sunday morning (in Israel) or Monday morning (everywhere else), if you’re like me, you always grumble, “Crap, we’re out of bread.”

It seemed like we were constantly running to stores in search of a good loaf of sandwich bread at all hours!  And we are picky about our bread, as any former New Yorkers are wont to be.  We like those artisanal breads you have to go to a special bakery to buy.  We are not big fans of the taste or additive levels of supermarket bread. And don’t even get me started on pita!  Basically unless pita is “baked-it-fresh-this-very-moment” fresh, I will absolutely make a disastrous mess of trying to stuff sandwich fillings inside of it. I think you have to be Middle Eastern born and bred to make proper pita sandwiches.

So one day at the airport, with time to spare before our flight, we wandered into the Duty Free electronics store, as one tends to do. As my roaming eyes came to rest on a bread machine, I saw a solution to my constant “we’re out of bread” conundrum.

I purchased the Morphy Richards 900g Breadmaker several years ago now and it has been in use literally 5 days a week since. My recipe and technique have changed over the years, but today I want to share with you the sandwich bread I make daily for my family, and exactly how I do it.

A few things first:

  • You will notice that I use a combination of 1 cup semolina (solet), 2 cups whole wheat flour, and 1 cup high-gluten bread flour (kemach lechem). For me, in this machine, this gives the consistency of loaf we prefer. The semolina gives the loaf a nice crust and airy texture and the high-gluten bread flour gives it beautiful lift and light, soft crumb. I’m sure you can play around with any mix of flours – I have used part spelt, part ground oats, part chickpea flour, etc – as long as your total is 4 cups.
  • You will also notice that I use 2 tablespoons of sugar in my bread and many of you will write me nasty letters about the evils of sugar. I agree that sugar is very bad for you. But we are talking here about 2 Tbsp in a loaf that makes 12-14 slices of bread. Do the math – it ends up being a VERY small amount of sugar in each slice. Don’t lose the forest for the orthorexic trees!  And besides, as I understand the science of baking, the yeast actually eats a good part of that sugar which is what gives your bread the rise. That said, I’m sure you could cut it to 1 Tbsp if that makes you feel better. You could also use a less processed form of sugar such as molasses or maple syrup but scientifically, it’s pretty much the same to your body.
  • I don’t bake in the machine.  You CAN put the ingredients in your bread machine, set it and forget it, and it will mix, rise, and bake the entire thing. I did that, but found that, firstly, the machine’s canister makes an awkward shape and size of bread for school kid lunch sandwiches. Secondly, I didn’t like losing what amounted to several slices on each end of the loaf – one side for the baked-in mixing paddle you have to dig out, which leaves a big hole, and the top side that bakes into a domed shape. So, I put the ingredients in the machine, set it to a 1 1/2 hour mixing and rising cycle called “Dough”, then remove the dough, plop it into a normal-sized loaf pan and bake it in the oven. Why use the machine at all you ask? Because the machine kneads the dough for about 30 minutes and if you have ever tried to knead dough for 30 minutes, you know why I would prefer to avoid it. Honestly, I used to make bread that was the consistency of a door-stop. It was awful. This machine kneads and rises the dough so beautifully, my bread could now win prizes for lightness and perfection!
  • I LOVE LOVE LOVE having fresh baked bread in the house every day. It smells amazing and makes my family feel very happy. I also make our weekly challah dough in the machine and take it out to braid it. It’s amazing. My bread machine is my most used and most loved kitchen appliance!  When this one kicks the bucket, I will definitely but another one. Recommended!

Print
Bread Machine Vegan Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp sugar or any sweetener of your choice
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups wrist-warm water
  • 1 cup semolina (solet)
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup high-gluten bread flour (kemach lechem)
  • 2 1/2 - 3 tsp dry yeast

Instructions

  1. Place the ingredients in the canister of your bread machine in the exact order listed above.
  2. Turn the machine to the dough cycle only. (You can set it to whole wheat bread if you would like it to bake right in the machine (see my objections above)).
  3. When the 1 1/2 hour cycle is over and the timer rings, spray a loaf pan of the size you prefer with cooking spray.
  4. Spill a dollop of olive oil on the counter.
  5. Spread the oil around a little, coating your hands and your work space.
  6. Turn the dough out of the canister on to the oiled work space.
  7. Roll it tightly into a log, the length of your loaf pan.
  8. Place the loaf in the pan, seam-side down.
  9. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
  10. At the end of the 30 minutes, uncover the loaf and place it in a COLD oven.
  11. Turn the oven on to 180C (350F) and bake for 30 minutes.
  12. Turn loaf out on to a cooling rack to cool.
http://triumphwellness.com/bread-machine-vegan-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread/

 

My Favorite Workout Resources

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In 1991, I moved from Portland, Maine to New York City. For the first 9 months or so, I bunked with my childhood best friend, a fledgling actress busy with auditions and photo shoots. Keeping fit was the name of the game in that apartment. My roomie had a series of VHS tapes called The Firm, which were, a then, revolutionary combination of calisthenics and weight training. We Firmed ourselves Firm every single night.

I absolutely adored my first experience with at-home, follow-along workouts and kept up with The Firm for years to come, eventually moving over to DVD’s as technology changed. Being able to do a full-body workout in the comfort and privacy of your own home was a revelation to me. Prior to that, working out had meant jogging outside, joining a gym, or finding a jazzercize class in a church basement somewhere.

Fitness options have exploded with the advent of the personal computer and then the smart phone. There are tons of online workouts (many free) and loads of excellent phone apps (yes, free!)  If you are an experienced exerciser and know proper form on basic exercises, the info below will give you some terrific options to choose from. If you are a beginner, or someone who needs the accountability of other people to get your workout in, you probably will want to join a class or gym or hire a personal trainer. Know thyself.

Online Programs:

  •  BodyBuilding.com has several free online programs. If you click on Find A Plan you will see the full list from beginners to advanced, from fat burning to muscle building and everything in between. Their plans give you exact workouts for each day, as well as meal plans (not vegan, sadly). Each move comes with an instructional video or you can search their database to find videos of how to do exercises listed or what you can do for substitutions if your gym doesn’t have a piece of equipment or if it’s something you’d rather not do. Most of these plans do require access to a well-equipped gym with machines and free weights. Two programs I have done and loved were: Jamie Eason’s 12-week Live Fit Trainer and Erin Stern’s Elite Body 4-week Fitness Trainer.
  • SparkPeople.com is an online food tracker but it also has a gazllion of free workouts. Some you do right there in your office, in front of your computer, others are things like running and walking plans you can print and use offline.  You do need to be a member, but membership is free. These are good for beginning exercisers.
  • BodyRock.TV has tons of workouts online to do right there in front of your computer, some using easy to buy equipment, others without any equipment. You can find any workout you need here. There are some free sample workouts, but then series do cost a small fee.
  • TheBettyRocker, aka Bree Argetsinger, is a trainer who posts free kick-butt online workouts and group challenges. Many are free, some are for pay. I have done several of her challenges and they are HARD but fun. She gives plenty of modifications for beginning exercises. You will sweat blood, but be happy to if that’s remotely possible. Check out her youtube channel where she posts free workouts as well.
  • YogaToday posts daily yoga classes of all types. You can do a 2 week free trial before purchasing membership.
  • handstandingVegan calisthenics athlete Frank Medrano sells beginner to advanced calisthenics do-it-yourself programs from his website. I bought an earlier version of his beginner ebook and it got me hand-standing. There’s proof to the left…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apps:

  • Nike+Running is a free phone app that tracks your mileage, pace, gives you encouraging feedback and allows you to compete against others. This is what I use personally for running. I like that it allows podcasts or music to be playing while it’s running in the background.
  • Nike+Training Club (N+TC) is a free non-running workout app that gives you loads of workouts to follow with videos demonstrating each move, then voice cues while you are working out. You can workout at home or in the park or wherever. Some need equipment, some don’t. It’s a great app and I have used it a ton, but honestly the reason I don’t use it more is because I use an armband for my phone and if I can’t remember what an exercise is from the voice cue, it’s a total pain to unstrap my phone to look at it. Otherwise, it’s anything you could ever want.
  • MadBarz is a calisthenics app, also free, also amazing. So many apps, so little space on phone!
  • Freeletics, another free app, has a large European following which is fun to mix with other exercisers in foreign lands that have much worse weather than yours! (Hey look at those people doing burpees in the snow! Guess I don’t have any excuses…)

YouTube:

There are LOADS of free fitness programs on YouTube, just do a search. FitnessBlender and Zuzka Light are popular. BeFit is a storehouse for a ton of popular online videos.

Online Trainers:

Working with a trainer online sounds impossible, right? But for more experienced exercisers who know how to perform basics like barbell squats, deadlifts, and chest press with proper form, having someone remote write you a plan works just great. I worked for about 6 months with Vegan Body Builder Claudia Lailhacar and absolutely loved it. Claudia would send me weekly workouts and I would send her bi-weekly pictures of me in my undies (didn’t so much love that part) so she could see how things were coming along and make adjustments to my plan. If there were ever any exercises I wasn’t familiar with, or needed to make a substitution for, I went to bodybuilding.com’s video database (as mentioned above).

There are loads of online trainers, but be careful because this isn’t a well-regulated industry. 

If you read all of this and thought “Great, but too bad I can’t motivate myself to actually start exercising”, might I humbly suggest you book an Intro Session with me? We will talk through your resistance, blocks, obstacles, and fears, and map out a plan to get you on a consistent fitness path. There is no obligation to continue on past that first session. You can see my calendar and availability HERE.  Sessions are conducted via phone, Skype or FaceTime.

Being fit, full of energy, flexible, and strong is not only a healthy thing to be, but it greatly improves quality of life across the board. I hope the above resources help you in your pursuit of a healthy life!

My Five Favorite Podcasts

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As I mentioned in a prior post, I have been spending less and less time on social media and have found it has benefited both my productivity and my mental well-being.  But disengaging from what everyone is saying, doesn’t mean I want to disengage from what some people are saying.  Whereas Facebook, Twitter and the like, became for me a sea of cluttered noise and unwanted opinions, I still want to hear opinions and ideas, I just want to have the ability to be a little more selective.  Enter podcasts.

When you subscribe to an individual’s or a company’s podcast, you get to listen to what they have to say, in depth, while not having to listen to a million other people’s opinions of it.  Yes, you could do the same on Facebook, but presently Facebook shows you all the things the people you are friends with are clicking and commenting on, whether you are interested in those things at all.  

When do I have time to listen to podcasts you ask?  I listen while working out and while doing chores around the house.  If I go anywhere with a long bus commute or time spent standing in a long line somewhere, it’s podcasts to the rescue.

These are my current favorite podcasts:

Rise and Resist1.)  Rise and Resist

Created and hosted by health coach Lacy Davis, and trainer Holly Works, both vegans living in the Bay Area, Rise and Resist podcasts cover the areas of fitness, veganism, body image, feminism, diet, weight lifting, weight issues, eating disorders, self-love, and more.  Holly and Lacy speak naturally and honestly about their lives, their struggles, and accomplishments.  They share their favorite tips, short-cuts, snacks and ideas.  Podcasts are about an hour long and come out every 1-2 weeks. I normally hate podcasts that have tons of small talk and at first I wasn’t sure about this one because they start each podcast with a re-cap of their weeks. But as someone in a similar field of work, their days quite often resemble mine, and it was fun to hear how other coaches manage their day-to-day.  After the first 20 minutes or so they settle into the day’s topic and then end each podcast with a cute segment called One-Rep Snacks which has given me lots of fun snackage inspo.

 

rich roll2.)  The Rich Roll Podcast

Rich Roll is a vegan ultra endurance athlete and the author of autobiographical book Finding Ultra, which I very much enjoyed.  Rich has been podcasting for many years. I know this because I can remember listening to episodes while training for marathons, and I haven’t run one in years.  While not every one of Rich’s podcasts speaks to me personally, I still tune in to catch the start of each and am often surprised when an hour or more has passed and I am enthralled.  

Recently on Facebook, I recommended his 2 hour interview with Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence, all about Lawrence’s incredible, mind-boggling accomplishment of 50 Iron Man distance Triathlons in 50 days in 50 different states.  I mean, yeah, read that sentence again and think about what that really means!!  I was enraptured by this podcast, literally forgot where I was, stayed at the gym an hour longer than usual just to keep listening and it has been rattling around in my brain in the week since I listened.  Game-changing.

Rich’s podcasts are not all about veganism or even about fitness.  His goal is to interview the outliers and success stories across many different fields of human development and achievement. Because he has been at it for so long, this is a polished and professional podcast.

 

the moth3.)  The Moth

My sister told me about The Moth Story Hour and even herself presented a story at a Moth story event (which she ahem, never sent me the recording of, hint, hint).  What is the Moth? It’s straight up story telling.  People get up in front of a live audience and tell a 10-20 minute personal true story.  Some are hysterical and I laugh out loud, others are so sad, I am left weeping. Most are a little of both.  If you like stories (and who doesn’t) you will be riveted.  If you are a writer or anyone who works in a business that uses stories in their marketing (every business), you will also enjoy thinking about what makes a good story and how you can apply that in your own work.

 

muscles by brussels4.)  Muscles by Brussels Radio

Vegan coaches, body-building competitors, and owners of VeganProteins.com, Dani Taylor and her partner Giacomo Marchese, host this weekly podcast on fitness, veganism, body building, dieting, and health.  In the last podcast, they gave a super detailed peek behind the curtain of body building competitions that was just fascinating.  Dani also sells one of the best books on Flexible Dieting I have ever read and that is a frequent topic.  (Which reminds me I need to do a post on Flexible Dieting!).  I also love that in their podcasts you get the unique interplay of how men and women view and talk about things differently. As with Rise and Resist, there is no dietary dogma or faddish, woo diet stuff here. Just science-based info which I much appreciate.

 

lift like a girl5.)  Lift Like a Girl

Nia Shanks is a body-positive fitness coach for women and I must confess, although I follow her blog, I have yet to have a chance to listen to her podcasts.  But I have subscribed and wanted to mention it because I think it’ll be good.  I like the things she writes about.  Take a listen and let me know what you think.

 

 

I’m sure there are tons of other great podcasts and I’d be delighted to hear any recommendations you have, although there are only so many listening hours in a day!

In the next post I am going to share my favorite youtube channels, so please stay tuned!

Vegan Shavuot Recipes

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Shavuot is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the giving of the 10 commandments to the Israelites at Mt Sinai. For various reasons that I won’t get into here, it has become associated with a dairy-laden feast of blintzes, cheesecakes, quiches and pasta-dishes. (It is also the last feast-based holiday in the Jewish yearly calendar, until Rosh HaShanah rolls back around in the Fall. For those of us watching what we eat and constantly challenged by our religion’s obsession with dietary indulgence, this is a real hallelujah! Yay!)

If you are a vegan, or are having vegan guests, have lactose intolerance, or just want to incorporate some dairy-free dishes into your Shavuot meals, I have assembled several options from my very own blog, plus a few others. Enjoy!

Please Note: Just because something is vegan does NOT automatically mean it is more healthy!  Some of these recipes contain white flour, sugar, margarine etc (although I tried to pick healthier recipes overall). If you are working at weight loss, healing a sugar addiction, diabetes or other health issue, some of these recipes might not be for you.

Appetizers, Starters and Sides:

non-dairy baked nut cheese

Baked Almond (or Cashew) Cheese

vegan pizza rolls, vegan pizza roll bourekas

Pizza Roll Bourekas

 mini tofu quiches

Tofu Mini Quiche Cups

mushroom bourekas 12

Creamy Eggplant and Mushroom Bourekas

vegan jerusalem artichoke soup

Sunchoke Potato Soup with Chives

sun-dried tomato bean dip, pesto bean dip

Sun-dried Tomato and Pesto Bean Spreads

Mains:

vegan moussaka, eggplant, potato moussaka

Isa’s Vegan Moussaka

swiss chard quiche

Swiss Chard Quiche with Sesame-Oat Crust

spanikopita final

Spanikopita with Nut Feta

cheesy kale logo Cheezy Kale

10138894455_875884782d_b

Creamy Spinach Tagliatelle and Mushrooms by Vegan Miamstuffed-shells-1 Spinach-Stuffed Shells (no nuts!)

artichoke-and-hazelnut-cannelloni-with-lemon-soy-bechamel-sauce

Artichoke-Hazelnut Cannelloni with Lemon-Soy Bechamel Sauce

Desserts:

rice pudding 2

Coconut Cardamon Rice Pudding with Rose Water and Pistachios

cheesecake1

 Raw Cashew Cheezecake by My New Roots

(by the way, cashew cheesecake is like 100 times easier to make than dairy cheesecake and will fool everyone!)

DSC09494

 Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie by The Gentle Chef

20150425_111125_Blueberry_Lemon_Pie_Bars

Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars by Namely Marly

For MORE vegan Shavuot recipes, including some real dietary indulgences, see my pinterest boards as follows:

Vegan Cheezes, Vegan Pizzas, Vegan Pastas, Vegan Sweets

Happy Holidays!!

Review: Vegan Start Passover Cookbook

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Today we have a review, guest post and recipe sample all wrapped up in one! Rena Reich of the VeganStart blog, has written a very special e-cookbook of Vegan, Non-Kitniyot Passover recipes. Before I hand it over to Rena, I wanted to say a few things: First of all, although there is an affiliate program for this book (ask Rena for details if you are interested in that), I am NOT enrolled and not receiving financial reimbursement for sales. I did however, receive a free copy of the cookbook to review as is customary. (Just wanted you to know I have pure intentions in recommending this book).

The second thing is that although every year I put up a post or two directing readers to vegan Passover recipes, I have not shared my own recipes for a very particular reason. The whole vegan, plus kitniyot-observant, plus Israeli issue is complicated and I am uncomfortable discussing it. I figured my Jewish readers already know what I’m talking about and my non-Jewish readers probably don’t care. But maybe I presume too much so let me explain the issue here briefly: for a food to be kosher for Passover, it cannot contain leavening of any sort. But there is an additional prohibition for some people based on one’s ethnic heritage, and that is against Kitniyot, which includes all legumes, and other some other non-wheat seeds and grains like rice and corn. So that means, a vegan Ashkenazi Jew (that’s someone who identifies as from predominantly European heritage), who follows their tradition’s prohibitions, cannot eat any beans, rice, corn, soy or derivatives of those during the week of Passover. So for instance, they cannot have hummus on their matzoh, nor can they spread it with peanut butter or tofutti cream cheese, or pretty much anything else save for jam. The only proteins this person can eat for the week are quinoa, non-legume nuts, and vegetables.  While, no one in a developed nation will die of protein deficiency from one week of low protein consumption, for someone like me, who feels like ca-ca without a substantial amount of vegan protein daily, it makes for a long, hungry, and sad week.  Personally I found my own “unauthorized” solution (I have adopted Israeli/Sephardic tradition and eat kitniyot) but for many, that is not an option.

What Rena has done with this cookbook then, is to throw many vegan Jews a life-line.  She has created some very creative vegan Passover recipes for those who do not eat kitniyot.  If you are in this boat, or know someone who is, honestly, this cookbook is going to give you hope. She’s got mayo and spreads, and kugels, desserts, and even matzo balls!  Nothing uses strange ingredients or things not readily available in a supermarket. Most of the recipes are quite healthy, others, like some of the desserts, less so.  Here are the details:

The cookbook is in e-format only.

  • You can download a kindle version from amazon HERE.
  • Or the PDF, MOBI or Epub versions from Rena’s website HERE.
  • The PDF version is 95 pages.
  • There are seder tips, suggested seder menu and seder recipes, then additional recipes for the intermediate days.
  • Recipes include: Matzo Meal Pancakes, Matzo Brei, Chopped “Liver”, several salads, soups, spreads, kugels, “meatballs”, burgers, gnocchi, and desserts such as Turtle Bars, Chocolate Truffles, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Almond Mousse and several other cookies and cakes. Yes, ALL vegan and all kitniyot-free.  It’s a little mind-boggling actually!
  • Not just for Passover, as these recipes are naturally gluten-free, these would also be great for gluten-free vegans year-round.
  • The price is only $4.99 (some readers have told me it comes up as $6.99 from amazon for those ordering from Israel).

Now, let’s hear from Rena herself and get that sample recipe!

Hi, I’m Rena. I’m so happy that Emily has given me the opportunity to write a blog post on Triumph Wellness about my new Vegan Kosher for Passover Cookbook. Let me tell you where this brain child came from: I became vegan after reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, about 5 years ago. There are some books out there that have a profound effect on your life. This was definitely one of them. I grew up with animals all my life. I’ve even built a website completely devoted to pet knowledge. It’s just one of my things. Once I had the knowledge of how our food was treated before it made it to the table, I stopped eating animal products cold turkey (I see the irony here).

When I became vegan, it was just starting to become a thing. You couldn’t go out to a restaurant and get more than a salad, and even then you had to ask them to hold the cheese and eggs and salad dressing. I can’t tell you how amazing it is now to be able to go out now and get a good meal, feel full, and not have to ask what’s inside it. Those of us that are in the know, are in the know.

Because being vegan wasn’t as popular as it is today, there was really no place to look for vegan Pesach recipes that had no kitniyot (legumes). I thought about asking my Rabbi for an allowance to eat kitniyot, but that really wouldn’t help me all that much – I still needed to make food for my family. Even if I got the OK for myself, there was no way that my children (who are vegetarians) or my husband (who is an omnivore) would be able to as well. I was not willing to cook twice – food for me and food for them. I had to come up with another solution.

That’s where my blog (Vegan Start) and cookbook have come in. All the recipes in my book are completely kitnyot free and Ashkenazi friendly. I like to call what I’ve put together Jewish Soul Food. They are mostly recipes that I have grown up with, with a vegan twist.

Passover is my favorite holiday. I hope that everyone has a fun and stress-free time. Perhaps now you will also know what you are making before the holiday starts. I hope that this recipe and my cookbook give a good place to start.

I want to wish everyone a Chag Kasher v’Sameach. ~ Rena

Here’s one of my more popular Passover recipes that I’d like to share with you:

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Vegan Kneidlach – Matzo Balls (Kitniyot free)

Vegan Kneidlach – Matzo Balls (Kitniyot free)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup matzoh meal
  • 3 tablespoons potato starch
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together
  2. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour
  3. Roll into balls and place in boiling soup
  4. Simmer in soup until they grow (about 20 minutes)
  5. Take out of soup with a slotted spoon and let harden for 30 minutes to 1 hour (If you don’t take the balls out of the soup, they will fall apart. Taking them out gives them a chance to get firm. Once they have firmed up, you can put them back in the soup without any fears.)
  6. Put the balls back in the soup about 1/2 hour before it's ready to be served to heat up
  7. Serve
http://triumphwellness.com/review-vegan-start-passover-cookbook/

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