Many of you know Chef Del Stroufe because he is also the author of the cookbook Forks Over Knives. Forks Over Knives was a New York Times bestseller and every recipe in the book is easy and delicious. I am very excited that I have the opportunity to review Chef Del's new book, Better Than Vegan, and provide you with a question & answer from him, a giveaway and share one of his fabulous recipes. Today many bloggers are taking part in a Vegan Book Blog Tour. During this tour we will all be talking about Chef Del’s Better than Vegan cookbook....... pretty exciting and fun.....as well as getting some of his fabulous recipes and trying them.
Eating healthy just got a lot easier with this beautiful cookbook coauthored with Glen Merzer. You will not find a drop of oil in any of the recipes in this book. They are all low-fat, whole-food vegan recipes. The reason for the low-fat recipes is Chef Del gained more than 200 pounds on a vegan diet swimming in oil, and he lost more than 200 pounds on a vegan diet without any oil. Developing an understanding of what foods to eat and how to prepare them is important for many health goals. When we include the right kind of foods, they feed our cells, protect us from disease and keep our weight in check. When eating the wrong kinds of foods, our cells are deprived and can't perform their functions as well. Nutrients are lost, minerals leached from our bones, arteries become clogged, our brains foggy and we become fat and unhealthy.
Why are the simple lessons of life sometimes so hard to follow? The simple answer is addiction to the nutritionally vacant substances in our foods. When we learn how to remove these empty calorie foods and replace them with healthy alternatives, we can free ourselves from them forever. This is what Chef Del's book is all about. He states on page 25, "If you had to sum up in a couple of words what's most wrong with the American diet, what lies behind the epidemics of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer -EXCESSIVE FAT- would probably be the best answer."
The Health Seeker's Kitchen: Please describe your cookbook to us and what readers should expect?
Chef Del Stroufe: The first chapter of the book tells my story with a little humor thrown in, I tell how I ended up on my first diet at age eight, spent many decades on yoyo diets, and how I got to weigh 475 pounds on a vegan diet several decades later. In chapter 2 I describe in detail the low fat, plant based diet that helped me lose the weight, and how I changed the word diet from a verb to a noun, meaning that I went from being on a diet, to adopting the right diet that I would live on for the rest of my life, not just until I lost the weight. I also discuss 10 dietary mistakes--avoiding the excess consumption of fat, saturated fat, protein, processed foods, and hunger. In chapter 3 I discuss the kitchen tools, ingredients and techniques I use daily to cook with plant foods and maintain the healthy diet that sustains me. Finally the last section of the book has 101 recipes, including sauces and salad dressings, breakfast foods, soups, pizza, and even a few desserts.
The Health Seeker's Kitchen: You are such an inspiration to all people battling weight loss. Can you tell us about your own battle with weight and how you gained 200 and then lost 200 pounds on a Vegan Diet?
Chef Del Stroufe: My unhealthy vegan diet included a lot of high fat processed foods like potato chips, beer, pastries made with margarine, white flour, and sugar, vegetables fried in oil, coconut curry, peanut butter sandwiches, donuts, and vegan ice cream. These foods can indeed be vegan, but are not health promoting and, when eaten in excess, can promote weight gain. The healthy diet I eat now is low in fat, protein, and processed foods like sugar, margarine, or oil. I avoid high fat plant foods like avocados, and peanut butter, and I rarely drink alcohol. I eat tofu on special occasions and while I occasionally eat pizza, it is made with whole grain flour and has no or very little added fat. My new four food groups include beans, whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
Chef Del Stroufe: My unhealthy vegan diet included a lot of high fat processed foods like potato chips, beer, pastries made with margarine, white flour, and sugar, vegetables fried in oil, coconut curry, peanut butter sandwiches, donuts, and vegan ice cream. These foods can indeed be vegan, but are not health promoting and, when eaten in excess, can promote weight gain. The healthy diet I eat now is low in fat, protein, and processed foods like sugar, margarine, or oil. I avoid high fat plant foods like avocados, and peanut butter, and I rarely drink alcohol. I eat tofu on special occasions and while I occasionally eat pizza, it is made with whole grain flour and has no or very little added fat. My new four food groups include beans, whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
The Health Seeker's Kitchen: What are the dietary mistakes we all need to watch out for?
Chef Del Stroufe: There are 10 dietary mistakes I list in the book, the first seven are sins of excess, and the last three are sins of deficiency. Each is described in detail in the book:
1. Excess fat of any sort
2. Excess saturated fat
3. Excess protein, especially animal protein
4. Cholesterol
5. Excess flours
6. Overly processed foods
7. Concentrated sugars
8. Insufficient fiber
9. Insufficient water intake
10. Insufficient phytochemical intake
Printable Recipe
Serves 6 to 8
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained, and warmed
1/2 cup fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt to taste
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (about 2 cups), drained
Combine the garbanzo beans, basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and salt in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Add the artichoke hearts and pulse to chop well, leaving the artichoke hearts chunky.
From Better Than Vegan by Del Sroufe. Used by permission from BenBella Books, Inc.
Better Than Vegan Cookbook Giveaway
Enter for your chance to win Del Sroufe’s Vegan Cookbook by leaving a comment below with the answer to the following question:
“What will you do in 2014 to better yourself?”US and Canada residents only, please.
The drawing will take place on Tuesday, January 21st and the winner will be announced that day.
Best of luck!! I can't wait to read all your 2014 goals:)
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THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
Congratulations Lyz, you are the winner of Chef Del's Better Than Vegan Cookbook. Please contact me with your email so I can get your address:) Your goal to exercise more and eat less sugar will definitely bring you better health in 2014. Good Luck! I hope you enjoy the new book and that it helps you toward your goals.