Have a Healthy, Vegan Passover

These beautiful beet chips are delicious year round, not just on Passover!

Consider this a totally unauthorized guide to healthy food that happens to be vegan and suitable for Passover. It also can serve as a resource for easy to prepare, healthy vegan foods which happen to be gluten-free.

Special diets always pose an interesting and exciting challenge.  Passover, a Jewish weeklong holiday, is especially challenging for observers of the holiday who are of Ashkenazi descent, as these followers are to avoid most flours as well as rice, corn, beans, soy, peanuts (!), etc.  For vegans, such restrictions cut out many key sources of nutrients.  For a while, I had wondered if both sets of constraints (Passover and vegan) could be met with adequate nutrition and variety.  I gave this dietary puzzle some serious thought.

I now believe that, given proper planning, a healthy and nourishing vegan Pesach is indeed possible.  You can enjoy a number of delicious and healthy vegetarian and vegan Passover meals while adhering to the dietary guidelines for the holiday!  In fact, you can even expand your culinary horizons and try a lot of new and interesting foods while you're at it.  For those of you observing the holiday - or who are supporting friends who are choosing to do so, here are some tips for how to enjoy the holiday in a healthy, vegan way:

1. Eat lots of vegetables.  
   Veggies are delicious, healthy, and relatively inexpensive.  Almost all of them are allowed for the holiday.  They are filling, and really, we should be eating more of them anyway.  There are so many new and exciting ways to prepare vegetables that you could try.  How many have you considered?  For example, grilling, roasting, sauteeing, etc.  
   
   You could cook a different vegetable, prepared in a different way, each night.  You could even try two different types of vegetables each day.  You are bound to come away from such an experience with at least a few new recipes for vegetables you absolutely love.  Of course, I'm biased on this count-this is the Veggie Wonder blog, after all!   

Some of my favorites from this blog:
• Best broccoli of my life (just omit the nooch, it's still delicious!)
  
• Buttery brussels sprouts
  
• Curried eggplant
  
• Curried cauliflower soup
  
• Garlic chardonnay asparagus
  



2. Consume healthy and diverse sources of carbohydrates.
    Matzo crackers are of course the traditional carbohydrate for the holiday, but you can improve the nutrition quotient of your matzah by going for a variety made with whole grain, bran, or oats.  
   
   Quinoa is for some reason also allowed, and it's one of the healthiest grains out there.  You can use quinoa with sweetener, etc. as a wholesome breakfast in the morning (and you can prepare it in the slow cooker!), or with salt and pepper in a savory manner for lunch or dinner.  Substitute quinoa for couscous in tabbouleh recipes, or for rice for a delicious pilaf.  Quinoa is also an excellent source of protein.  And don't forget, potatoes-baked, mashed, or just the skins.  Yum!



3. Include healthy proteins in your diet.  
   There are proteins that you can find that work here.  Yes, tofu and beans are unfortunately out.  However, there are some protein powders which should pass muster.  For example, you can find online two magical, lifesaving powders: brazil nut protein powder and pumpkin seed protein powder.  Hemp and flax powders are also available, and may or may not be acceptable to you, depending on which set of guidelines you follow.   Protein balls are delicious, with a protein powder as the main bulking agent for various sweet treats.
   
   Protein powder can add a nice boost to anything you are making from a pudding to a smoothie.  Mmmmmmm, smoothies!   Now is a great time to try out a green monster smoothie, if you haven't done so already!
   
   You can also mix your protein powder into soups, drinks, and sauces, to be sure you get a decent amount of protein in most of your meals.
   
   Some of my favorite high-protein recipes from this blog:
   • Sweet nut butter balls (use almond butter instead of standard pb)
     
   • Chocolate almond protein truffles (substitute a different protein powder, and you are golden)
     

Following are some delicious healthy holiday food substitutions:

• Pasta-Spaghetti squash, regular shirataki noodles (the kind without tofu)
• Soups-Curried cauliflower soup, gazpacho soup, etc.
• Sauces-Guacamole, salsa, most nut butters and seed-butters (you can stir in some protein powder into creamier sauces to make a meal out of them)
• Sandwiches-layer a high protein sauce from above with cooked or raw veggies between matzo, or roll in a large leafy green, such as cabbage or lettuce, for a wrap
• Salty Snacks-Beet chips, kale chips
• Sweet Snacks-Baby carrots, homemade applesauce (really easy in the slow cooker!), baked sweet potato fries
• Desserts-Chocolate almond berry truffles from this blog, as well as our sweet nut protein balls (use almond butter instead of peanut butter); Chocolate Covered Katie also has some great ideas, including fudge babies, healthier macaroons, and a grasshopper pie (all of which I have tried, and found delicious)

This list is incomplete, and I'll add to it as time passes and I get more ideas.  Please feel free to comment with some of your vegan holiday-appropriate favorites!

Warm Spring Green Lentil Curry

Ahh, springtime.  We have a change to agreeable temperatures which are no longer cold but not yet hot.  Sweaters are nice, but coats are optional.  And a nice bowl of warm lentils just hits the spot.  Following is a take on the traditional Indian lentil dal.  It was good when I made it, and delicious two days later after the flavors had really melded in the fridge.  You can make this lentil dish with standard green lentils, which are available at pretty much any regular supermarket.  To make the dish, you will need:

• 1-1.5 cups lentils
• 4-5 cups of water (you want approximately 4 parts water for every 1 part lentils)
• 1-2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1-3 teaspoons ambhar dal masala (get a small box of MDH brand from any Indian store for $1-2)
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil of choice (olive oil works well here)
• cilantro, more salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon (optional, for garnish)

1. Rinse and sort lentils.
2. Place the lentils a small (1.5 quart) crockpot with the other ingredients.  Make sure that your crockpot is approximately 2/3 full - if you decide to use a bigger or smaller crock, adjust your quantities accordingly.
3. Cook on low, medium, or high heat in the crock until lentils are soft and tasty.
4. Garnish with additional spices if desired.
5. Enjoy!

Indian-Style Curried Eggplant in the Slow Cooker

 I love the intoxicating marriage of spices that enriches the Indian food experience.  However, I am not a fan of the time investment required to watch things simmer over a hot stove, especially as the weather starts to get warm again.  Welcome then is the wonderful slow cooker, which makes it possible to prepare Indian-style dishes in a minimum of time.  Most of what I have learned in this department has been inspired by Anupy Singla, and this recipe is a modified version of the ginger-garlic eggplant recipe in her first cookbook.

I remove some of the extra spices and garlic, creating a more mild but deeply satisfying eggplant dish well suited to my palate.  I use powdered spices here instead of fresh, for convenience.  To make this eggplant dish you will need:

• 1 medium-size eggplant
• ~1 tablespoon or more of powdered ginger
• 1-2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
• 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric
• chili and salt powder to taste
• ~1 tablespoon of oil of choice (olive oil works well here)
• plain yogurt and cilantro for garnish

1. Wash and cube the eggplant.
2. Add cubed eggplant and spices to the slow cooker, toss to coat.
3. Add oil, toss again to coat.  Make sure that your slow cooker is 2/3-3/4 full.
4. Cook on low until eggplant is tender.  If you are in the kitchen and interested in the progress of your eggplant, check on it every 1-2 hours or so.  Cooking time is flexible here, the eggplant tends to be forgiving if it is cooked longer than necessary.   My eggplant cooked for about 3 hours.
5. Garnish with yogurt and cilantro.
6. Enjoy!

Leftover eggplant, if you have any, goes nicely in this sandwich wrap.  If you enjoyed this post, also check out our slow-cooked red lentil dal and our rice pudding.

Red lentil dal

 This traditional Indian lentil dish is warm and comforting.  Thanks to the lovely Anupy Singla, I have learned that it is possible - easy, in fact - to cook delicious, healthy vegetarian and vegan Indian food in the slow cooker!  This dal is a staple now in my home - I make it at least once a week and enjoy it every time!  To make your own red lentil dal, you will need:

• 1-1 1/2 cups split red lentils
• 1-2 teaspons dal masala (I recommend MDH brand ambhar dal masala; different brands have very different spice combinations and tastes - a masala is a mixture; you can buy this in a huge quantity at pretty much any Indian market for about $1 as well as online, via the link)
• 1-2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2-3 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon oil (I used coconut, which is particularly delicious with this dal, but olive oil, etc. also works - no need to buy coconut oil specifically for this recipe!)
• Salt to taste
• Cilantro (optional) for garnish.

1. Sort and wash lentils, and add them to the slow cooker along with the spices and oil.
2. Add water so the lentils and water have a volume ratio of approximately 3 or 4 parts water to every one part lentils.
3. Make sure your slow cooker is between 2/3 and 3/4 full, if not, add lentils, etc. accordingly!  (I used a really small 1.5 quart cooker, which is why the volumes of everything here are small).
4. Turn on the cooker and let everything simmer until the lentils have disintegrated.
5. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
6. Garnish with cilantro.
7. Enjoy!

This post is part of Allergy Free Wednesdays.