Raw vs Cooked Tomatoes

I love my raw vegetables. I eat them all year long, in salads, as juices, and to snack on. But with tomatoes they are just more nutrition for us after cooking them.

Winter is the perfect time to take advantage of caned tomatoes instead of fresh because they are picked ripe then caned right away. The fresh tomatoes usually had to travel a long distance and probably lost a lot of its goodness by the time you get to cook with it. When in season I do chose fresh! OK, about the added salt and other ingredients you don't like, you can find brands with low salt (add a little less salt when preparing them)and limited extra ingredients and organic just read your labels.

some ways I like to eat tomatoes in the winter are over spaghetti, eggplant Parmesan, on home made pizza, veggie meatball sandwiches, chili,and Pasta e fagioli. Or you might like to try making your own tomato sauce with vegetables, it's easy!

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 leaves fresh basil or 3 tsp. dried basil
4 leaves stevia or ½ tsp. dried
1 -2 cups of chopped vegetables
12 oz. bag vegetarian chicken pieces(optional)
¼ - ½ cup sliced black olives (optional)
⅛ cup olive oil

Into a large pot add the tomatoes, water, chopped onions, and garlic. If you are using dried basil and stevia, add them now also. Bring to a boil. In 5 minutes turn the heat down to a simmer and add in the vegetables and veggie chicken pieces if you like. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add olive oil and if you are using fresh herbs put them in now. You now have a deliciousness sauce to use in any dish.

Hot Drinks for the Holiday

Now that Winter has officially begun it is nice to warm-up with a hot drink. These are 2 of my families favorites; Hot Mulled cider and Hot carob rice-milk.

Hot Mulled Cider

2 quarts cider or natural apple juice
1 tsp. whole allspice
1 ½ tsp. whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
Orange slices

Pour the cider into a crock pot or large pot and heat on low. Put the allspice and cloves into a tea ball or cheese cloth then drop into the cider along with the cinnamon sticks. Float the orange slices on top. Cover and let heat for 2 hours. Serve hot.
Variation; for hot spiced wine substitute port wine for the cider.

Hot Carob Rice-Milk

Heat a cup of carob rice-milk for each person over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. remove from heat and carefully fill mugs with with the yummy hot liquid then top with fresh whipped cream!

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla or peppermint for a holiday twist.
¼ tsp. stevia

Add all the ingredients into a blender in the order that they are listed while on low speed. Cover and turn blender speed up to high. When cream has gotten thick, it is done.

Enjoy these drinks with your family and friends and have a wonderful holiday season and all winter long!

Book Signing at Whole Foods Market/ Girls Night Out

Join me at Whole Foods Market Jenkintown Thursday, December 8th 6:30-8 p.m. For Girls Night Out in The Whole Body department! Girls Night Out is back and they’ve got a fabulous party planned with delicious samples, luxurious spa treatments, chair massage, and great gift giving ideas like Trish's Dishes Cookbook. There will also be tours of the department and some great games where you can win incredible prizes.

So bring your girlfriends and get ready to have a blast!

What to eat on "Turkey-Day" when you don't eat Turkey?

So many times when someone finds out that I am a vegetarian the first thing they say is "So what do you eat for Thanksgiving dinner?" Like they don't believe me and need to see how fast I can come up with an answer. It doesn't take them long to realize that I have been eating this way most of my life. But they still want to know what I will be eating for dinner on the day many have named after their main course "Turkey-Day."

Anytime of the year I like to eat the foods that are most abundant during that season. When to take a look at all the wonderful, comforting foods of autumn it is hard not to have many favorites. So saying they is no "traditional" dinner that I serve every year. Sometimes it is a pumpkin stuffed with a mix of hearty grains or a more traditional potato or bread stuffing accompanied by many of greens and other yummy side dishes. This is why I named one of the chapters in my cookbook "Side dishes...The Best Part of the Meal" I like to let everyone chose a favorite side.

This year my dinner will have a traditional look to it as I will be serving a "naked turkey." A vegetarian version of this holiday main course but still it is all about the sides! Starting with red onion soup then moving on to apricot acorn squash, lima beans, candied yams, fresh cranberry sauce, cabbage salad with bacon (vegetarian of course) dressing, and fresh baked bread. Moving on to dessert the ever traditional pumpkin pie and mixed berry cobbler topped with fresh whipped cream. Truly a feast filled with comfort and health.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

What Do You Do With Apples?

In my home we love apples so fall is very delicious. I love to find a way to incorporate my special ingredient into the meal I am planning. This past weekend I was making pancakes for breakfast so I chopped up an apple very fine along with some raisins, added a little bit of cinnamon to my usual pancake batter and adjusted the liquid a little. A scrumptious, hearty breakfast was had by all.

The morning before we had chunky apple muffins for a morning on the go. I will soon be making apple dumplings, apple crisp, apple-sauce cake, butternut squash soup (which is sweetened with an apple), and chopped up and added to my salad. Oh, i forgot to mention that I also love to eat them fresh picked from the tree.

Let me know your favorite ways to eat apples this season.

The rewards of growing grapes

Three out of four seasons of the year the couple of grape vines I have give me their gifts. In the spring when the young tender leaves are about the size of your hand they can be picked and made into delicious stuffed grape-leaves. Summer time provides sweet juicy grapes that are perfect for snacking or if you have more than you can eat they can be made into a special wine. Fall comes with the task of cutting down the vines but then they can be formed into wreaths or other shapes for beautiful door decorations and more.



I love growing an

assortment of plants but the grapes seem to provide me with most variety of gifts in return.

Roast Your Vegetables For Even More Sweetness

While in the midst of a bountiful harvest the choices are endless to make a hardy meal of roasted vegetables. Roasting them bring out all their natural sweetness that makes them irresistible. After you have your vegetables roasted there are a variety ways you can chose to serve them.

First start with I start with the root vegetables like onions, garlic, carrots and parsnips. Next I like to include tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, summer squash (green or yellow), and bell peppers, hot one if you like. Finally I add some fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme, and basil. Just include any vegetables and herbs that you and your family enjoy, maybe even an apple. Spread out on a baking pan and coat lightly with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for an hour at 350°.

Serve them as a side dish that will disappear instantly.

Blend in a blender until smooth for a sauce that can be served over rice or potatoes.

Serve over brown or black rice with the roasted vegetable sauce with some hearty bread as a main dish.

As a roasted vegetable soup blend until smooth adding some vegetable stock or water to thin to your desired thickness.

Enjoy the harvest
Enjoy your food
Enjoy your life