Eating leftovers day after day can also get old. And having one or two ingredients left after preparing a dish feels like a waste as it creates extra work in figuring out what to do with those scraps. So, what are some tasty and easy-to-implement ways to use up those holiday leftovers to prevent food waste?

First Off, Wasting Food Is, Well… A Waste!

Food waste is a big issue in the US and other industrialized countries. According to the USDA, food waste is estimated to be 30–40% of the food supply in the United States, increasing by 25% during the holidays. And in China, household waste is 10% of all food purchased, with the largest category being fruits and vegetables.

That being said, there they are, those leftover food scraps staring you right in the face on your plate, or in your fridge. Maybe you took more food than you could eat at once. Or you didn’t end up using an entire fruit or vegetable for a recipe. So what do you do with those food scraps before they go bad? Don’t throw them away! You can save those scraps in a bin or airtight container in your refrigerator. Or check out our article How to Use Food Scraps for all the know-how on making the most of those bits and pieces.

Another tip to avoid food waste is to not leave perishable food out for longer than two hours. If you’re planning on having a buffet-style meal with people coming and going throughout the day, consider placing cold, perishable food over ice or hot food over warming plates to keep everything at the proper temperature.

Or, if your party is more of a sit-down dinner, consider taking perishable food out of the refrigerator just before your guests arrive and putting it away immediately after they leave. If friends or family members still have food on their plate, or you have a significant amount of leftovers, consider providing eco-friendly to-go containers.

Store Leftovers Efficiently

Properly storing food and consuming it within a safe time period is key when it comes to perishable foods. The USDA recommends consuming refrigerated leftovers within four days. And storage containers should be airtight. You’ll want to practice first in, first out for prepared food — use up what you have on hand first before opening something new.

Another option is to freeze vegetables or whole meals. Portioning them into individual serving containers makes it easier to grab and go as needed.

Leftover dry goods and pantry staples can continue to be stored in a cool dark place (like a cabinet or pantry) in airtight containers. Things like whole grains, legumes, and flour do have expiration dates. Therefore, make sure to store them properly, use them before they expire, or consider freezing them to extend shelf life.

Visit our blog posts Healthy Plant-Based Pantry Food Essentials for tips on setting up a plant-based pantry and 10 Easy Pantry Meals to Make Using Minimal Ingredients for ideas on how to use those staples.

Get Creative and Think Outside the Box

When it comes to reusing leftovers, allow your creativity to shine. Think beyond what they were intended for. For example, “dinner food” doesn’t only have to be eaten at dinner. A savory breakfast can be delicious, or you can split meals up into snacks.

For an additional bit of flavor and nutrition, add a plant-based sauce to veggie dishes. Cauliflower Squash Cheese Sauce is a house fave, or try one of these homemade sauces.

Have ingredients left over that you tend to only use during the holiday? Try googling (or Ecosia-ing if you like to plant trees while you search) the name of your leftover ingredients along with the word “recipe” and see what pops up. You just might find yourself a new favorite dish, like Green Bean Casserole or a twist on mashed potatoes!

Ideas for Using Up Holiday Leftovers

Watch the video below for more creative ways to use up leftovers and create new recipes.

Leftovers Recipes

Need fresh ideas on how to use up your holiday leftovers? Even if you don’t have leftover food scraps from the holidays, you can still give new life to batch-cooked items from your weekly meal prep. These highly adaptable and delicious plant-based leftovers recipes will spark new life with whatever you have on hand!

1. Harvest Grain Breakfast Bowl

If you love the idea of leftovers for breakfast, this is the recipe for you! Harvest Grain Breakfast Bowl is a wonderful way to use up leftover veggies you may have been holding on to as well as batch-cooked grains you may have on hand. Those leftover ingredients will come straight to life once you give them a try with this recipe’s creamy orange tahini dressing, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and sweet dried cranberries. The fall flavors add a pop of freshness and zing that makes even the simplest leftover ingredients into a winning recipe.

2. Energizing White Bean and Kale Soup

This soup has it all — lots of colors, tons of flavor, and the ability for customization based on whatever you have on hand. Perhaps you have some leftover collard greens from your family’s latest gathering. Or maybe you have leftover homemade vegetable broth from the food scraps you saved up during the week. Taking full advantage of any unused ingredients is a wonderful way to explore kitchen creativity, prevent food waste, and create a tasty meal, all at the same time. We think you’ll love this nourishing beans-and-greens leftover soup!

3. Green Bean Casserole

Casseroles are one of the easiest ways to use up any leftovers, especially if you have a leftover condiment or two. Just throw all the ingredients in a casserole dish and bake it in the oven. This Green Bean Casserole is seemingly indulgent but loaded with nutrition, and makes using up leftover mushroom gravy and cashew sour cream a breeze. Plus, the crispy (baked) onions on top take this recipe from good to great!

Eat Your Leftovers!

Don’t let leftover conundrums add to any holiday stress. With some proper planning and storage, a bit of curiosity, and a little creativity, you’ll be able to give those leftovers a second and third (tasty) life.

For starters, give some of the ideas in the video a try, or make one of the recipes provided. Let us know what you think. Or, if you have your own favorite way to use leftover dishes and ingredients, please share!

Tell us in the comments:

• What’s your favorite way to use up leftovers?
• What’s currently in your veggie scrap bin, and how will you use those veggies?
• What’s the first tip you’ll try to reduce food waste this holiday season?

Featured Image: iStock.com/KoliadzynskaIryna

Read Next:

• How to Cook: How to Keep Produce Fresh to Avoid Food Waste

The post How to Cook: What to Do with Holiday Leftovers appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Turmeric’s nutritional profile has also led to its status as a superfood for its multitude of antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds. In fact, Food Revolution Network recently published a cookbook called Real Superfoods — written by Ocean Robbins with recipes by yours truly — where turmeric features prominently in many a recipe.

In addition to flavoring dishes and lending its powerful health benefits, turmeric also contributes its bright yellow color, which has led to its use as a natural food dye. (And if you’ve ever spilled curry on your shirt, you know that turmeric is also a powerful and permanent fabric dye.)

So how can you reap the highly prized benefits of turmeric? And what are some ways you can incorporate it into your own cooking?

In this article, we’ll look at where you can find the golden spice, whether it’s better fresh or dried, and how to use turmeric in recipes.

What Does Turmeric Taste Like?

I’m going to sound like a wine sommelier for a minute here because turmeric is a complex spice that isn’t easy to describe. So here goes nothing. I’d say that the best words for the flavor of turmeric are “earthy,” “fragrant,” and “somewhat bitter.” I might also throw in “peppery” and “pungent” for good measure. Those attributes, as well as the spice’s bright yellow color and potent health benefits, can be traced back to curcumin, the active compound in turmeric that’s a proud member of the polyphenol family.

And while turmeric bears a close resemblance to some curry powders, it’s not the same thing. You can often find turmeric as an ingredient in curry, which is actually a spice blend that also features cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, among others (this curry is brought to you by the letter C).

Where to Buy Turmeric

Like curry powder, you can find dried, powdered turmeric in most grocery and health stores in the US and throughout the industrialized world. You can also find it online and at Indian grocery stores. Both of these options are good sources if you plan to use it often and prefer to buy it in bulk.

Fresh turmeric is harder to find. In the US, the tropical plant is grown mainly in Florida and Hawaii, where it’s in season from winter to summer. If you live in a tropical zone, you may be able to get fresh turmeric at a local farmers market. But because it’s hard to find US-grown turmeric, the US is actually the world’s largest importer of turmeric.

Some Western grocery stores (including Sainsbury’s in the UK and Publix, Walmart, and Whole Foods in the US) may carry fresh turmeric. It looks a bit like fresh ginger root, except the turmeric root is thinner and yellower. Natural foods and Indian grocery stores may also have it in stock. In Europe, the Netherlands has become the champion turmeric purchaser, surpassing the UK following the trade upheavals that accompanied Brexit.

However, India is the world’s largest producer of turmeric, with the majority coming from the state of Andhra Pradesh. The two turmeric growing seasons in India are February–May and August–October.

If you happen to be in India, you will have no trouble finding turmeric at the many spice markets in towns and cities across the country. The Indian healing tradition of Ayurveda has venerated turmeric for millennia for its culinary and medicinal properties. It’s also used on religious occasions and in wedding ceremonies. Brides don necklaces dyed with turmeric. And in the pre-wedding haldi ceremony, couples and loved ones are smeared with a turmeric paste.

How to Choose and Store Turmeric

Like its cousin ginger, turmeric is a rhizome, or subterranean plant stem. Shop for fresh turmeric the same way you would for ginger: Look for pieces that are plump, firm, and free of soft bits, mold, or cuts. The root should have a bright orange or yellowish color.

A healthy turmeric rhizome will keep for a couple of weeks in your refrigerator. Store it in a produce bag with a paper towel wrapped around the root to absorb moisture and prevent mold.

After cutting fresh turmeric, store it in an airtight container. You can also freeze turmeric. So if you find a nice root at a good price, you can preserve the goodness for up to six months. Just cut it into pieces first, and store them in a freezer-safe bag or container. For bonus points, peel or scrape off the skin, so you have cooking-ready turmeric as soon as you pull it from the freezer. Frozen turmeric is delightful to grate, as long as you remember to stop before adding your fingertips to the recipe.

Dried turmeric, like many other dried herbs and spices, can last up to three years. If you like, you can try your hand at making your own turmeric powder by first drying turmeric in a food dehydrator. After it’s dry, you just break it down in a food processor or blender and store it in a cool, dry place.

How to Cut and Prep Fresh Turmeric

Before using fresh turmeric, wash it well to remove any dirt. Research shows the best way to clean produce of any kind is in a solution of baking soda and water. This not only cleans the item but also helps remove surface pesticides.

Fresh turmeric can stain your hands, cutting boards, clothing, and pretty much anything else it touches. If you aren’t into temporary amber-colored tattoos, you may want to use kitchen gloves when cutting the roots.

Peeling turmeric is optional, but may be a good idea texture-wise since it removes the papery skin. Once peeled (or not; you do you!), the most common ways to prepare it for cooking are grating or thinly slicing the pieces.

Increasing its Bioavailability

While turmeric is a culinary superstar on its own, it’s also a team player with other spices. Pairing fresh or dried turmeric with black pepper increases the bioavailability of its curcumin.

While most of the research on this phenomenon has been conducted on rats, the levels are astounding and probably apply to humans as well.

A 2010 study found that adding pepper to turmeric that was fed to epileptic rats (our view on the use of animals in medical research is here) increased the absorption of turmeric by a whopping 20 times.

Another study (with human subjects) found that 2 grams of curcumin combined with 20 milligrams of piperine (the active component in black pepper) increased the bioavailability of curcumin by 2,000%! As you can see, you don’t need much black pepper to significantly increase the effects of curcumin.

If black pepper isn’t something you routinely add to meals, heat and the addition of fat alongside turmeric (like in FRN’s Creamy Golden Milk below) can also increase curcumin’s absorption — although these two methods are less effective than black pepper.

How to Use Turmeric

If you’d like to use fresh turmeric in a recipe that calls for dried turmeric powder, a one-inch piece of fresh turmeric is the equivalent of one teaspoon of dried turmeric.

Now that you know that, however, what are some of the best ways to use turmeric in your diet? Here are just a few ideas:

• Raw and grated over salads
• Cooked into stir-fries and rice
• Steeped to make tea
• Mixed into drinks like smoothies or golden milk
• As part of a homemade spice blend for curries and other Indian dishes
• In stews, soups, and chilies
• In baked goods
• In sauces, dressings, and marinades
• To color tofu when used as an egg substitute, like in tofu scramble and breakfast hash (pro hint: you need less turmeric than you think)

Turmeric Recipes

Turmeric is a diverse and nourishing spice that is warming, comforting, and nourishing with its earthy flavor and vibrant golden hues. Whether you choose to use fresh or dried turmeric, there is no shortage of creative and delicious ways to enjoy the benefits of this healing spice. Discover some of the best ways to cook with turmeric!

1. Turmeric Tahini Slaw

Turmeric Tahini Slaw is a simple yet creative way to enjoy the healing benefits of turmeric, whether on its own as a crunchy and craveable salad, or as a topping for tacos, burgers, burritos, or grain bowls. There’s plenty of fiber, a cornucopia of colorful veggies, and powerful anti-inflammatory benefits from turmeric — what’s not to love?

2. The Ultimate Immune-Supporting Soup

The Ultimate Immune-Supporting Soup can help you feel well in cold weather and beyond. This savory soup is filled with powerful spices, including turmeric, ginger, and cumin, and alliums, like garlic and leek. Along with herbs and spices, it’s bountiful with cruciferous veggies and plant-based protein, too. Enjoy a big bowlful of this turmeric recipe whenever you need a boost in nutrition!

3. Buckwheat, Tofu, and Broccoli Curry

Hearty, satisfying, and invigorating, thanks to curry spices, plant-based protein, chewy buckwheat, and crunchy broccoli, this dish delivers flavor, texture, and nutrition. Turmeric gives this superfood buckwheat curry a deeply rich golden color (and lots of anti-inflammatory power) that will warm you from the inside out — which may have you glowing from the inside out, too.

4. Saffron Turmeric Rice

Fluffy, fragrant, and full of flavor, Saffron Turmeric Rice is a savory and vibrant fusion of fragrant saffron-infused brown rice. Along with the pure anti-inflammatory goodness of golden turmeric, this recipe creates a delightful rice dish that ranks high in nutrition. It’s also a fun and tasty way to enjoy the healing powers of both saffron and turmeric!

5. Zesty Turmeric Ginger Carrot Cake

Fresh ginger and turmeric bring this wholesome carrot cake to life. These two spices are anti-inflammatory superstars with their phytonutrients gingerol and curcumin, respectively. Heat activates the curcumin in turmeric. But you also have the option of adding a bit of black pepper to the dry ingredients, which has been shown to be most effective in turning on curcumin’s magical powers. Enjoy a slice of this carrot cake with your favorite plant-based milk, and let dessert nourish you!

6. Ginger Turmeric Pineapple Lemonade

Refreshing, yet invigorating and healing — that’s how this soothing Ginger Turmeric Pineapple Lemonade feels as you’re sipping and savoring it. Use fresh ginger and turmeric if you’re able to find them, as they really make a difference in the flavor of the drink. However, ground turmeric and ginger are lovely options as well (and just as healing as fresh). Let this drink comfort you as you’re enjoying a relaxing activity!

7. FRN’s Creamy Golden Milk

If you love a bit of earthiness paired with a creamy texture and a touch of spice, then this golden milk is for you. Sip on this healing tonic in the morning as a replacement for coffee or as a calming beverage before bedtime, preparing your body for deep sleep. One of our favorite ingredients, tahini, gives this golden milk recipe a little extra creamy sweetness and is a great way to absorb the benefits of healing turmeric.

Get Cooking with Turmeric!

Now that you know how to choose, store, and use turmeric, you can welcome this golden spice into your kitchen to transform ordinary dishes into extraordinary culinary creations. Its earthy and somewhat bitter notes, complemented by the magical health benefits of curcumin, make it a valuable spice across various cuisines, from Indian curries to Middle Eastern delicacies.

And when it comes to incorporating turmeric into your culinary adventures, the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Experiment with turmeric-infused recipes, creating dishes that delight both your taste buds and your well-being.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you already cook with turmeric? What are your favorite dishes using the spice?
• Have you ever seen fresh turmeric root at your market or grocer? If so, have you tried it?
• Which turmeric recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Madeleine_Steinbach

Read Next:

• What Is Curry? — And How to Use It in Your Kitchen
• What Is Cumin, and Should You Eat It for Your Health?

The post Terrific Turmeric Recipes: How to Use Turmeric appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

If none of these seem like the perfect gift for the special people in your life, and you’re thinking of maybe even staying away from mass-produced items entirely, here’s another suggestion: Give the gift of homemade food.

Everybody eats. And while there are lots of delicious items you can buy in stores, there’s really nothing that compares to food made with love and care. And it’s even better when that food was created with you in mind.

Now, let’s put the oven mitt on the other hand and consider how cool it would be for you to make delicious homemade treats for the special people on your “nice” list. Whether for holidays, birthdays, or — my personal favorite reason for gift giving — “just because,”  there’s a unique joy in both giving and receiving something homemade, especially when it’s edible!

Unlike mass-produced food items, food gifts are not just about what’s inside the package but also about the love, effort, and care that you pour into the final product.

In this article, we’ll explore the art of giving homemade food gifts with seven delicious recipes that you can easily give any time of year. And in keeping with our mission here at Food Revolution Network, they all pass our triple test of “healthy, ethical, and sustainable” — in addition to being totally delicious and festive!

Why Homemade Food Makes a Great Gift

Gifting something homemade rather than store-bought is great for you, the recipient, and the planet.

1. Save Money on Gifts

For one thing, you can save money by making gifts in bulk for multiple recipients. For example, the toasted spice blend recipe below includes sunflower and sesame seeds, as well as small amounts of several spices. You might pay up to $15 for just one spice blend from the store — or you can spend $20 on ingredients and get up to a dozen homemade batches that you can gift to others.

2. Reduce Plastic Waste

The planet benefits when you avoid the plastic waste that often serves as packaging for store-bought food and gifts. (I hereby declare that you get bonus points for gifting the food in a reusable container like these stainless steel food storage containers or even wide mouth mason jars.

3. Practical and Useable

The recipient of a food gift gets something usable and delicious, and, if you’ve done your homework, something they actually want. And — since it’s made with your love — they’ll get something unique. You and your recipient will also know the item was made and given with love (and received with love), which can strengthen and enrich your connection.

4. Controlled Ingredients

Speaking of homework, I’d recommend finding out about your recipients’ taste preferences, dietary restrictions, and allergies, so you can tailor your homemade food gifts to each person. Not only does this ensure a personal touch that store-bought gifts often lack, but it can also avoid the unfortunate situation where your holiday nut brittle sends your favorite aunt to the emergency room in anaphylactic shock.

Even without allergies to think about, when you make food gifts yourself, you get to control the ingredients. You can choose high-quality, whole-food ingredients without any refined sugar or questionable additives.

5. It’s Fun!

Homemade food gifting can also be fun for kids and adults, both as givers and receivers. Let your creativity go wild and create something you’re proud of!

Tips for Choosing a Food to Gift

When choosing a food item to gift, do so with the recipient’s likes and dislikes in mind. The easiest way to gather this information is also the most straightforward: Ask them.

A high-probability strategy to avoid seriously bad outcomes — especially if kids are involved — is to make something that does not contain any of the nine major allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, and sesame seeds). If you stick to 100% plant-based treats, you automatically avoid four of them, so you just have to be cognizant of the nuts and seeds, wheat, and soy.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of food gifting is the chance to cook in bulk, saving both time and money. If you’re unfamiliar with the practice of batch cooking, our meal prep guide has you covered.

Since you’re not FedEx, you may also want to consider making food gifts that are small or at least portable and easy to transport. If you’re going to gift wrap them, think about a form that’s easy to wrap, or at least to stick a bow on.

Some ideas of small and conveniently transported food gifts include the following:

• Baked goods
• Homemade canned goods, quick pickles, preserves, etc. (here’s where mason jars come in very handy)
• Dried herbs, spice mixes, and loose-leaf teas (also a good use of mason jars — look for fancy ones often sold as wedding favors for that extra dash of class)
• Spiced nuts and seeds or granola
• Fire cider or kombucha
• Sauces, soups, dressings, spreads (and DIY kits to make them)
• Fruits, vegetables, and herbs from your garden

Unless you know that your recipient will want to consume the gift right away, it’s typically more convenient for them if the food is shelf-stable and doesn’t require refrigeration.

Alternatively, you can always gift a coupon for an item that the recipient can redeem at your mutual convenience (and you can have fun and use all your artistic creativity creating the coupon).

Where to Get Food Gift Ideas From

To get ideas for food gifts, peruse your favorite cookbooks, or think about cherished family recipes. At the risk of immodesty, this feels like a good time to mention the very first Food Revolution Network hardcover recipe book, Real Superfoods: Everyday Ingredients to Elevate Your Health.

Some of the recipes in that book that might qualify as excellent gifts include Golden Glow Lemonade (an awesome and delicious healing tonic), Crispy Miso Onion Chickpeas, Super Seedy Granola (seedy in a good way, I assure you), Velvety Chocolate Berry Dessert Cups (yes, healthy, although your recipient may not believe it after taking a bite), and Sublime Sweet Potato Mini Drop Biscuits. To whet your appetite, I’ve included two giftalicious recipes from Real Superfoods below: Sweet and Savory Spiced Pecans and FRN’s Fuel the Fire Cider.

You can also find candidates for food gifts in many other wonderful health-focused, plant-based cookbooks that we love. Check out the cookbook roundup on our blog for additional inspiration.

Practice Food Safety

Since you probably aren’t going to be preparing these food gifts in a commercial kitchen that has to undergo regular safety inspections, it’s really important that you practice fundamental food safety protocols. You do not want to share a side of salmonella with that jam because you did a slapdash job of washing a cutting board.

For kicks, let’s take a minute to review the basics:

1. Keep things clean: wash your hands and food prep surfaces often.
2. Separate: don’t cross-contaminate. Don’t chop veggies, for example, on a cutting board where you prepared a block of tofu (or meat if you eat it).
3. Cook: heat all foods to proper temperatures to kill any pathogens, checking with a food thermometer to be on the safe side.
4. Chill: refrigerate promptly to prevent bacteria from colonizing foods left for too long at room temperature.

If you will be canning items, be sure to also follow recommended food preservation guidelines to prevent spoilage.

What to Store or Wrap Your Gift In

While the food inside is the main attraction, the food gift packaging can also add fun, sparkle, and class to the experience. You won’t care how great your friend’s homemade applesauce is if they just ladle a pint of it into your lap — which I realize is an extreme example. But this is what my mind sometimes does when I’m a bit hungry while writing about food.

As we’ve seen, another great thing about homemade food gifts is the opportunity for sustainable or zero-waste packaging. And you can decorate this packaging with love and the help of your cleverness and creativity.

Mason jars — and here are a pair of very fancy ones that just scream “vintage” — or upcycled glass containers work well because they’re see-through, so a beautiful spice mix or granola can serve as its own decoration. You can also paint on the glass, or adorn it with ribbons (which I realized just moments ago is an anagram of my last name) and other accents.

You can wrap baked goods in a classy tea towel, a pretty fabric scrap left over from a project, or a reusable food wrap. Then you can deliver them in a basket, tin, or decorated produce bag.

Cereals and mixes can go in reusable silicone bags, which themselves make lovely and thoughtful gifts for someone who likes cooking. If you enjoy secondhand shops and garage sales, you might be able to amass a collection of vintage cookware that would make excellent containers for your homemade food gifts.

Recipes to Give as Food Gifts

Giving can be just as fun as receiving, especially when you tap into your creative talents as an expression of thoughtfulness, care, and gratitude. Giving the gift of scrumptious food not only provides an exciting and rewarding experience for you, it makes sharing delicious plant-based foods even more fun. We hope you enjoy creating and giving these wholesome gifts from the heart with the help of these nourishing recipes!

1. FRN’s Fuel the Fire Cider

Give the gift of warmth this holiday season with Food Revolution’s Fire Cider. Warming and immune-supporting ginger, turmeric, onion, garlic, and horseradish root create an invigorating, nourishing, and healing tonic that is the perfect gift to give those who could use a little plant magic. What’s more, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. When the vinegar runs out, simply refill and steep again!

2. Toasted Spice Blend

Creating your own homemade spice blend as a gift is a thoughtful and tasty way to express your love and appreciation any time of year. This easy-to-make blend is bursting with flavor from the variety of healthy seeds and spices and can transform any meh meal into a fantastic one in a snap. Plus, it’s guaranteed to put a huge smile on the receiver’s face!

3. Pickled Beets

Vibrant jewel-colored beets set the tone for a merry and bright gift that is as delicious as it is festive! These sweet and tangy beauties are quick to make and don’t require complicated canning. Just stick them in the fridge overnight and enjoy! Pickled beets are an affordable, sustainable, and unique gift that the receiver can enjoy again and again on their own or as an ingredient in a variety of plant-based recipes.

4. Sweet and Savory Pecans

When giving the gift of Sweet and Savory Pecans, be prepared for many thank-yous and compliments. What may seem like a rather complex and elegant gift actually couldn’t be more simple to create. These easy-to-make pecans are perfectly sweet, a little savory, and plenty crunchy. To gift them, add them to a mason jar, reusable box, or storage container. In fact, you may spend more time considering how you’d like to present the gift than making the gift itself!

Editor’s Note: Obviously, this is not a recipe for those with nut allergies. If you or your recipient is allergic to nuts, you could make a variation of this with sunflower and pumpkin seeds or try our Super Seedy Granola instead.

5. Balsamic Fig Jam

This jam is sweet, savory, and just a little bit tangy. A delightful fusion of caramel figs, tart-yet-sweet balsamic, and minty thyme, Balsamic Fig Jam makes a great hostess gift to bring to your next gathering or to contribute to a celebratory vegan charcuterie board! We highly encourage you to whip up a few batches to gift to those on your list who love a sweet and sentimental gift made from whole fruit.

6. Crispy Rosemary Cracker Thins

Cracker-making in your own kitchen?! It’s not only a fun activity for you and your family to do together, but it can also make gift-giving even more exciting! These homemade crispy cracker thins are a simple way to express your thoughtfulness and care. Best of all there are no natural or artificial flavorings needed. Thanks to the addition of rosemary, you’re left with a festive and delightfully herby flavor that’s perfect for the gift-giving season!

7. Pecan Cranberry Snowball Cookies

Show your appreciation to friends, family, and neighbors this year with the gift of these tasty snowball cookies. You can gift them in a recyclable container or large mason jar. And don’t forget to include a handwritten note about how much you appreciate them (the recipient, that is, not the cookies). Once they try these snowballs, however, they’ll likely send some appreciation right back to you. (P.S. Double the batch so you have some to keep for yourself!)

Editor’s Note: For a nut-free version of this recipe, replace the almond meal with another cup of oat flour and use seeds in place of the pecans.

The Gift of Food Is the Gift of Health

Homemade gifts can be incredibly special both for the giver and receiver. And food, in particular, makes a great gift. You know it’ll get used, and it won’t take up space the way many consumer goods do.

There are many different ways to give food as a gift. But you can start by unleashing your creativity in the kitchen. And then keep that creativity going by using reusable or upcycled items for packaging and containers. Because with homemade food gifts, you’re also giving a piece of your heart, time, and effort, which is a beautiful way to express your love and care for the recipient.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you ever received a homemade food gift? What was your favorite thing about the experience?
• What are some dishes you make that might make great gifts?
• Who are three people you can think of who would be grateful recipients of the gift of homemade food?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Daisy-Daisy

Read Next:

• Healthy Crunchy Snacks to Beat Those Potato Chip Cravings
• Food Revolution Network’s Holiday Gift Guide — 37 Healthy, Ethical, & Sustainable Wellness Gifts

The post From the Heart: Homemade Food Gifts That Speak Volumes appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Millennia later, walnuts have seamlessly transitioned from “the food of gods” to modern superfoods, thanks to science-backed research proving their remarkable nutritional benefits. Beyond taste, walnuts boast an exceptional nutritional profile, containing one of the best vegan sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also good sources of vitamin E, B vitamins, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, copper, and zinc.

A 2023 analysis of recent US dietary patterns found that many people are not consuming enough nutrients such as magnesium, fiber, and potassium. For kicks, the researchers asked their computer what would happen if those people added just ¼ cup or about 12–14 halves of walnuts a day to their usual diets, with no other changes. Even that tiny change improved their diet quality and brought their levels of under-consumed nutrients into the “adequate” range.

So what types of walnuts are out there? And if you want to add walnuts to your daily diet (and eat like a Roman god), what are some of the best ways to do so?

Types of Walnuts

There are two main types of walnuts you may encounter in stores and farm stands: English (aka Persian) walnuts and black walnuts. The walnuts you find in the grocery store are almost certainly the English kind. They’re also the ones most often used in cooking, especially in baked goods. They have a soft shell that’s pretty easy to crack with a regular nutcracker.

Black walnuts are the Fort Knox of nuts. They have an extremely hard shell and require industrial-strength tools to open. A friend with a black walnut tree harvests them by spreading them on his driveway and running his truck back and forth over them until the green hulls split open. (He says you can also use a grout mixing bit attached to a corded power drill, but the truck is more fun.)

While there are traditional walnut recipes that include black walnuts or their flour, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch Black John cake, black walnuts are now mainly used in complementary medicine. They’ve been shown to reduce inflammation, which is an underlying cause and contributor to many chronic diseases.

You can also buy or make black walnut oil for sauces and dressings. Handle with care, though; the oil can stain your skin, and the stains can last for weeks, regardless of how much you scrub.

You can easily find shelled English walnuts in most grocery stores. But the unshelled ones are a bit harder to find, especially black walnuts (unless you have your own tree). Look in the bulk bins of natural food stores or in specialty and farmers markets.

How to Store Walnuts

Because walnuts are high in oil, they can go rancid when exposed to warm temperatures for a long period of time. If you’re unsure if they’re still good, give that walnut a sniff. Fresh walnuts smell mildly nutty and have a slightly sweet taste. Rancid walnuts, on the other hand, smell like paint thinner (I’m happy to report that I don’t know what paint thinner tastes like); please don’t eat them.

To keep your walnuts from turning into turpentine, keep them cool, cold, or even frozen. After buying a bag of walnuts, store them unopened in their original packaging. Once you’ve opened the bag, or if you got scoops of them from a bulk bin, keep them in an airtight container. (Here’s a set that we recommend.)

Keep walnuts whole until you’re ready to use them. The happy life span of a chopped walnut is quite short as rancidity is caused by oxidation, and the more exposed surfaces, the quicker the oxygen in the air will turn the oil into something akin to an industrial solvent.

Frozen walnuts can last up to a year or even longer. When you’re ready to use them, transfer them to a refrigerator to thaw, where they’ll remain fresh for up to three months. (Unless, of course, that refrigerator is in a spaceship traveling at the speed of light, in which case something weird happens to time, according to this movie I watched in middle school.)

In the fridge, keep your walnuts separate from strong-smelling foods to prevent them from taking on unwanted flavors. (“Hey, who wants a Fudgy Chocolate Chip and Walnut and Garlic Pesto Brownie?”)

How to Toast Walnuts

Raw walnuts are awesome, and I would never argue with anyone who says that. At the same time, toasting your walnuts can enhance their natural flavor and impart them with a satisfying crunch that goes really well in many dishes.

There are a couple of techniques you can use to toast your walnuts. One is to place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350° F (175° C) oven for 8–10 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown.

Here’s a short video demonstrating this process, courtesy of the folks at the California Walnut Board:

If you want a more intimate and hands-on experience of walnut toasting, you can toss them in a pan on your stovetop for 2–5 minutes. Since they burn easily, toss and stir often and use medium heat (or even a bit lower, depending on your stove). Do not get distracted, even if your child or significant other comes in, puts on oven mitts, and pretends to be a lobster. Also, make sure not to overcrowd the pan to ensure even roasting.

Walnut Uses

Walnuts just want to be your friend, and they’ll happily fit into both sweet and savory recipes. Here are some sweet ways to include walnuts in your diet:

• Baked goods
• As a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothie bowls
• Nut and seed butters
• In granola

And if it’s savory you’re after, here are a bunch of options:

• Mixed with lentils for fillings in tacos or veggie burgers
• As a topping for salad
• Blended into dressings, sauces, and spreads
• Stuffed into vegetables
• In a vegan charcuterie board
• In homemade crackers

Walnut Recipes

Walnuts are so much more than just your average tree nut. They’re a delicious and crunchy topping to add to your morning oats or salad. They make an excellent base for sweet or savory sauces and spreads. And they add a bonus bit of texture and nutrition to delectable baked goods. From dressings to brownies to porridge, there’s something for everyone in this walnut recipe roundup!

1. Walnut Apple Amaranth Porridge

Walnut Apple Amaranth Porridge is a harmonious blend of naturally sweet apple, nutty amaranth, and buttery walnuts creating a warm breakfast that is equal parts cozy and nutritious. Plus, the satisfying crunch of walnuts in your porridge not only adds a delightful texture but also offers a healthy source of fats and protein. This fall-themed porridge will keep you full and satisfied, making breakfast time an autumn delight!

2. Roasted Fig and Walnut Arugula Salad with Wheat Berries and Vegan Feta

Walnuts are the pièce de résistance in this Roasted Fig and Walnut Arugula Salad with Wheat Berries and Vegan Feta. With so many delicious ingredients, walnuts not only tie all of them together but also manage to stand out in the crowd, too. They add a significant helping of omega-3 fatty acids along with essential minerals, including magnesium, manganese, and copper. Meanwhile, you’ll also experience a sweetness from the roasted fig, bitterness from the arugula, and tanginess from the vegan feta. This walnut salad recipe is a veritable feast for your taste buds!

3. Apple Walnut Sage Dressing

Plant-based dressings like this sweet and savory Apple Walnut Dressing are incredibly versatile — and much healthier than a store-bought salad dressing. You can easily make this dressing with whole foods and without oil (thanks to walnuts!). This walnut recipe is also super fast to make, usually coming together in minutes. Plus, it’s nutrient-packed, making plant-based meals extra scrumptious. The versatility of walnuts never ceases to amaze!

4. Walnut Pesto Angel Hair Pasta

Introducing Walnut Pesto Angel Hair Pasta! The combination of kale, avocado, basil, garlic, and nutritional yeast makes the pesto super nourishing. And it’s even more elevated when you add omega-3-rich walnuts to it. Walnuts offer the perfect balance of nutty flavor and buttery texture, which makes them a fantastic addition to plant-based sauces and dressings. Altogether, with warm angel hair pasta, you’ll get a comforting, wholesome, and flavorful dish the whole family will love!

5. Vegan Walnut Parmesan

This Vegan Walnut Parmesan offers a similar flavor profile to traditional parmesan cheese, thanks in part to walnuts’ healthy fats carrying the nutritional yeast’s umami flavor! Seasoned with umami flavors from the nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder, this walnut and sunflower seed parmesan is an easy-to-sprinkle and delicious-to-devour plant-based condiment. It’s a wonderful complement to many dishes, including pasta, steamed vegetables, casseroles, and stews — or anything that calls for a crumbly cheese topping.

6. Cashew Walnut Butter

Making homemade nut butter can be one of the most simple yet rewarding things you can do to better your health. Plus, it’s fun and delicious! This recipe combines cashews and walnuts, resulting in a creamy, slightly sweet, and buttery spread. You can also stir in chia or hemp seeds or add cacao powder for a chocolate-infused nut butter.

7. Fudgy Chocolate Chip and Walnut Brownies

What’s better than a warm fudgy brownie? If you guessed a warm fudgy brownie with walnuts, you’d be correct! These Fudgy Chocolate Chip and Walnut Brownies may seem too good to be true, but you certainly can have your (plant-based) brownie and eat it, too. Made with fiber-rich oat flour, fair-trade dark chocolate, applesauce, and mashed banana, these brownies will have you coming back for more with their dense, fudgy texture. Make these walnut brownie recipes anytime for a naturally sweet treat you’ll be excited to sink your teeth into!

Go Nuts with Walnuts!

From ancient Rome to contemporary kitchens, walnuts have stood the test of time. Their impressive nutritional profile makes them an easy choice for health-conscious people, and their nutty, earthy taste ensures that even gourmands will enjoy dishes that feature walnuts. In a nutshell — ha! — whether you’re cooking sweet or savory recipes, consider walnuts as a lovely addition to everyday and festive meals.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you ever eaten a dish made with black walnuts?

• What are your favorite ways to eat English walnuts?

• Which walnut recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Gokcemim

Read Next:

• You Won’t Believe How Healthy Nuts Are for You
• Healthy Crunchy Snacks to Beat Those Potato Chip Cravings

The post Nuts About Walnuts: 7 Tasty Recipes to Try appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Henry VIII was wild for sweet potatoes. And I’m sure how they were prepared was a big factor. According to the Library of Congress, his favorite way was in a “spiced sweet potato pie.” But other popular ways of eating sweet potatoes at the time were “roasted and infused with wine, boiled with prunes, or roasted with oil, vinegar, and salt.”

The sweet potato was way more popular in Europe than the white potato, which arrived with Columbus from the Americas and didn’t catch on until the 1800s. And while we’re on the subject, sweet potatoes are not actually potatoes, and in fact, aren’t related botanically. While I would never diss the potato, the sweet potato is slightly healthier, with a broader range of nutrients and a lower glycemic effect.

But sweet potatoes are, well, sweet. And they’re often turned into desserts like Henry VIII’s favorite spiced pies. But they’re also versatile enough to star in many other types of dishes, including savory ones.

So in this article, we’ll look at some of the modern ways to use them in different kinds of recipes — from savory to sweet, simple to sophisticated.

And we’ll cover how to choose, store, and clean sweet potatoes so they’re fresh and tasty when you’re ready to indulge like a king (or queen).

When Are Sweet Potatoes in Season?

While you can find sweet potatoes year-round in many grocery stores (because they can store well for a long time in the right conditions), they’re typically harvested in the fall. Sweet potatoes take from 100 to 150 days to grow, from sowing to harvest. And planting doesn’t occur until the soil warms up to at least 60°F. Sweet potato slips planted in late spring become ready to harvest in July, and those put in the ground in early summer will be ready to dig out around November.

Some varieties can stay in the ground longer, however. Certain types of Japanese sweet potatoes are in season in the winter months as well.

How to Choose and Store Sweet Potatoes

There are many varieties of sweet potatoes, ranging in color from white to yellow to orange to purple. And since the colors of whole plant foods are due to particular nutrients, they can be a big help if you want to “eat the rainbow” to get a wide variety of phytochemicals. (Note: Skittles and M&Ms don’t provide this benefit; in fact, they take advantage of the fact that our brains code “colorful” as “nutritionally complete” to get us to overconsume while we wait for all those supposed nutrients to hit our digestive tracts.)

When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for ones with skins that are intact and mostly the same color. They should also be free of bruises, cracks, or signs of sprouting. (And they should also not be made of plastic, with eyes, ears, noses, and mustaches stuck on them — oh, sorry, that’s Mr. Potato Head.) Plus, give them a gentle squeeze all over, to make sure they’re firm and not squishy (which could indicate rotting).

Once you’ve brought your sweet potatoes home, you can keep them on a kitchen countertop at room temperature — as long as you plan to consume them within a week or two.

If you’d like to store them longer, keep them in a cool, dark space like a cellar or pantry. If the ambient temperature is between 55–60°F (12.5–15.5°C) and the relative humidity is high (around 85–90%), sweet potatoes can last from three to six months.

Once you’ve cut or cooked a sweet potato, it can last from three to five days in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer.

How to Clean Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are on the EWG’s Clean 15 list, which means they’re among the fifteen plant foods lowest in pesticide residue (although they’re not free of it completely).

The main pesticide used in sweet potato farming is a fungicide found on the skin. This chemical is used to prevent scurf, which isn’t a cross between a neck covering and foam football, but rather a fungal discoloration.

You can significantly lower your exposure to this fungicide by peeling the skin, although you’ll also lose some nutrient concentration. Alternatively, you can soak them in a water and baking soda bath. To avoid mold and rotting due to excess moisture, don’t soak your sweet potatoes until you’re ready to prep and cook them.

Can You Eat Raw Sweet Potatoes?

You can’t eat regular potatoes raw (especially ones with green bits) because they contain a toxic compound called solanine. But sweet potatoes are members of a different family of tubers. They’re related to morning glories, while potatoes go to family reunions with tomatoes, eggplants, and other nightshades. Sweet potatoes and their morning glory relatives do not contain solanine, so they can be eaten raw.

However, sweet potatoes do contain raffinose, which is an oligosaccharide (the O in FODMAPs) that can cause gas, cramps, diarrhea, and nausea. On top of this, the main protein in sweet potatoes, sporamin, inhibits the properties of certain digestive enzymes. This makes it more difficult for some people to digest the proteins found in sweet potatoes, which can also lead to gastrointestinal discomfort.

So while sweet potatoes aren’t toxic and can be eaten raw, they’re easier to digest when cooked. You can also slice them and soak them in water for a few hours. This process removes some of their starch, making them more enjoyable to eat raw and possibly easier to digest.

How to Prepare Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are nothing like Green Eggs and Ham, except for one thing: You can eat them everywhere (and “everywhen,” a word that I bet Dr. Seuss wished he had thought of). Sweet potato dishes are appropriate for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts. You can cook them by boiling, baking, stir-frying, grilling, or cooking and mashing.

They’re also commonly deep-fried to make sweet potato fries, but this isn’t a healthy way to consume them. Deep-frying high-carbohydrate foods leads to the formation of acrylamide, a carcinogen, although the amount formed varies by sweet potato variety and frying method. If you like the crispiness of fries, a healthier method is to bake or air fry them, which will still form some acrylamides, but less than deep-frying in oil.

Ultimately, the best way to prepare sweet potatoes is in ways you’ll enjoy them often. And if you can cook and eat them with their skin on, you’ll help retain more antioxidants.

Sweet potatoes are high in carotenoids, namely beta-carotene, which converts into the active form of vitamin A. Because this is a fat-soluble vitamin, be sure to eat sweet potatoes with a healthy source of fat to help your body absorb as much vitamin A as possible.

How do I love sweet potatoes? Let me list the ways:

• As side dishes baked in strips (fries), mashed, or cubed
• Baked whole and stuffed with toppings
• In casseroles and chilies
• In desserts and baked goods
• Blended into soups
• In a warm salad
• In grain bowls or power bowls
• As part of a sheet pan meal

Sweet Potato Recipes

Now let’s embark on a culinary adventure that celebrates the remarkable versatility of sweet potatoes. Beyond their natural sweetness and vibrant hue lies a world of gastronomic possibilities.

From hearty soups and comforting chilies to innovative salads and tempting desserts, we’ve crafted an array of recipes that will transform your sweet potato experience. Whether you’re a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned chef, these recipes are designed to inspire and delight, proving that sweet potatoes are not just a side dish but a star ingredient in their own right.

So, sharpen your knives, fire up your stovetop, and get ready to discover the endless culinary wonders of sweet potatoes. Let the cooking begin!

1. Smoky Sweet Potato and Lentil Hash

Regular potatoes are tasty and healthy, but adding sweet potatoes to our Smoky Sweet Potato and Lentil Hash takes it to a whole new level! This dish isn’t just comforting and full of flavor; it’s also incredibly nutritious. Imagine starting your day with a hearty bowl of savory sweet potatoes. It’s like a warm hug for your taste buds — and your soul. Plus, sweet potatoes have this magical way of making us feel happy. That’s why we believe this recipe is a fantastic way to celebrate the incredible nutrition that sweet potatoes bring to the table. So go ahead and indulge in this delightful dish anytime. It’s a true mealtime superstar!

2. Sweet and Savory African Peanut Soup

Sweet potatoes add the perfect amount of natural sweetness to this creamy, nutty, and nourishing soup. With an assortment of healing spices, protein-packed chickpeas, leafy green spinach, and lots of peanut butter, this Sweet and Savory African Peanut Soup is a scrumptious treat, hot or cold. The tender cubes of sweet potato also add gorgeous color to the stew, which makes it even more exciting to enjoy. After all, we eat first with our eyes!

3. Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula Salad

Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula Salad is a light and tasty way to enjoy sweet potatoes. And best of all, it’s ready in under 30 minutes! Peppery arugula and earthy lentils are the perfect complement to the smooth texture and natural sweetness of the sweet potato. This salad is the perfect go-to when you have extra sweet potatoes you’d like to use up, or you simply want to enjoy your daily sweet potato fix.

4. Buckwheat Sweet Potato Chili

Sweet potatoes are wonderfully versatile and an excellent addition to many savory (or sweet!) dishes — including this tasty Buckwheat Sweet Potato Chili! This chili is a comforting bowl of deliciousness that is packed with tons of nutrition: protein thanks to the buckwheat and black beans, and plenty of beta-carotene, B6, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C from the sweet potato. Buckwheat and sweet potato are a truly harmonious duo — so much so that you’ll be thinking up new ways to enjoy this delightful pairing again and again!

5. Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes reign supreme when it comes to a fun, filling, and delicious way to enjoy sweet potatoes. These naturally sweet orange beauties are packed with carotenoids and fiber. Plus we can’t forget the protein-packed and phytonutrient-rich black bean and sweet corn medley, delightfully creamy avocado, and flavorful herbs and spices. If you’re striving to center your diet around consuming nutrient-dense foods, this recipe certainly will help get you there!

6. Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi just got much sweeter (and nourishing) thanks to the addition of sweet potato. These gnocchi are just as soft and pillowy as their traditional counterparts — with just a little more sweetness. What’s more, the sweet potato makes this gnocchi glow with a bright orange hue that is even more stunning when paired with your favorite green veggies and pasta sauce!

7. Sweet Potato Pie Mousse

Unlock sweet potatoes’ naturally decadent side with this silky Sweet Potato Pie Mousse. Sweet potatoes, dates, and coconut milk come together to make a lightly sweet, whipped mousse with some autumn spice that will make anyone who eats it swoon. Double the recipe to make a scrumptious sweet potato pie filling!

Enjoy Sweet Potatoes Anytime, Anywhere

As one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, sweet potatoes have firmly established their place in culinary tradition. Not only are they a nutritional powerhouse, but they also thrive in various recipes, from savory to sweet, breakfast to dessert.

Knowing when and how to choose, store, and prepare sweet potatoes ensures your full enjoyment of them. And whether enjoyed as a side dish, main course, or incorporated into desserts, sweet potatoes have proven their culinary adaptability. Take time to embrace the versatility and deliciousness of sweet potatoes when crafting your next meal.

Tell us in the comments:

• What’s your favorite way to eat sweet potatoes?

• Do you have any traditional sweet potato dishes in your family history or cultural heritage?

• Which sweet potato recipe will you try next?

iStock.com/Ika Rahma

Read Next:

• Are Sweet Potatoes Good for You? Everything You Need to Know
• Are Potatoes Healthy? The Surprising Truth About This Controversial Vegetable

The post Cooking with Sweet Potatoes: Flavorful Recipes to Try Today appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Vegetable broth is a cornerstone in cooking and is used in a variety of dishes (beyond soup!) from Thai to Italian to Japanese cuisine. It serves as the backbone of countless recipes, and, while vegetable broth can easily be made at home, many people rely on store-bought versions.

But making your own vegetable broth is a more nutritious, less wasteful, and more eco-friendly option than store-bought. The old adage “Waste not, want not” comes into play when making vegetable broth at home.

In this article’s included video, you’ll learn step-by-step how to make your own vegetable broth with an emphasis on utilizing vegetable scraps to minimize waste while maximizing nutrition and flavor.

Why Make Your Own Vegetable Broth

Optimize Nutrition

Because you get to select the ingredients that go into your homemade vegetable broth, it’s oftentimes more nutritious than broth you can purchase from the store. For example, many store-bought vegetable broth brands include a combination of carrot, celery, and allium vegetables (like onions, leeks, and garlic) — also known as mirepoix in French cooking — and maybe mushrooms. Rarely do they include much more vegetable variety than that.

Many components of various vegetables are also completely left out of store-bought vegetable broth. These scraps that are often thrown away are just as nutritious or, in some cases, even more nutritious, than the parts we are accustomed to consuming.

For example, when you think of broccoli you probably think of the florets. But did you know that broccoli leaves are higher in carotenoids, chlorophyll, vitamins E and K, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity compared to the florets? Broccoli leaves are, in their own right, true superfoods, and it would be sad to let them go to waste. Instead, toss them into your soups or stews, and add them to your homemade veggie stock!

Some broth brands may also add cane sugar or dextrose (another name for sugar), natural flavors, preservatives, and loads of sodium unless you choose an unsalted or low-sodium version. By making your own vegetable broth, you have the power to choose what goes into your soup and what stays out of it.

Be Kinder to the Planet

One of my personal favorite things to do when it comes to creating less kitchen waste is to keep a catchall bin in the fridge where all my food scraps live. If a recipe calls for ½ cup of carrots and a half carrot remains, it goes into the food scrap bin (I know, I know — I could easily turn this carrot into a snack by munching on it. But, to be honest, I just don’t love the flavor of raw carrots!). By the end of the week, the bin may be full of carrots, celery pieces, onion skin, and more — basically, enough scraps to make a delicious and nutritious broth.

You can either simmer the vegetables in water then strain them, or place the vegetables in a food processor and blend until smooth (try this method by making our Veggie Scrap Bouillon recipe). The former version will leave you with a nutrient-dense broth, but you’ll still have the sopping-wet vegetable scraps left. If you’d like to take an extra step toward a zero-waste kitchen, consider composting those scraps.

Also, consider all of the manufacturing that goes into making store-bought broth. Not only are you avoiding single-use containers and plastic packaging, but you’re also avoiding a big part of the carbon footprint that comes from sourcing, packaging, and transporting the vegetables and final product across the country to get to your grocery store.

Save Money

Making your own broth is cost-effective, too, especially when using vegetable scraps. Simply put, your produce purchases go much further when you use all veggie components.

Unfortunately, vegetable broth brands that contain carefully curated organic ingredients without preservatives and other unwanted ingredients are often more expensive. But when you make your own broth, there’s no need to spend on expensive organic or specialty broths.

Personalize and Customize

Finally, making your own broth at home allows you to personalize the flavors. Want umami flavors? Add mushrooms. Prefer naturally salty? Include celery. Looking for a broth to support your immune system? Add a variety of veggies, like leeks, mushrooms, and carrots. If you are making an Asian dish, consider adding ginger or lemongrass to the stock.

And whatever vegetable broth you create can be used in a wide range of recipes, from soups and stews to savory grains and beyond.

What You’ll Learn in Our “How to Make Vegetable Broth” Video

In the video below, you’ll learn:

• What kinds of vegetables and scraps can be used to make broth
• How to prepare the vegetables
• Various cooking methods, including stovetop, slow cooker, and pressure cooker
• How to strain and store your broth

I think you’ll find these methods simple and easily adapted to fit any kitchen!

Homemade Veggie Broth Recipes

Get ready to have some nourishing, flavorful fun in the kitchen with these wholesome vegetable broth recipes. Each recipe is simple to make, highly adaptable, and can be ready in under 30 minutes. Tap into your creative side and experiment with the ingredients that speak to you. From soups to stews to casseroles, or rice dishes, there’s no limit to what you can cook up with made-from-scratch vegetable broth!

1. Homemade Vegetable Bouillon

Preparing a nourishing homemade vegetable broth means you save on cost, eliminate packaging, and can even get in some fiber that’s often sorely lacking in store-bought broth. Rather than boiling and then simmering vegetable scraps (which is another way to make homemade broth), in this recipe, you’ll use the entire veggie by adding it to your food processor to make a bouillon. Within minutes you’ll have a deeply flavorful and nutrient-dense bouillon cube that is ready to go when you need to prepare your favorite homemade veggie soup!

2. Savory Mushroom Broth

One of the benefits of making homemade broth is that you get to decide the nutritional value, flavor profile, and ingredients! Savory Mushroom Broth is an intensely flavored umami-rich broth that is brimming with antioxidants, packed with B vitamins, and high in minerals such as selenium, potassium, and copper. What’s more, it makes a delightful base for your favorite soup, stew, casserole, or side dish. And because of all the intense umami flavor this broth imparts, you’ll be finding plenty of ways to use it!

3. Umami Vegan Dashi

Pull out the Instant Pot and get ready to prepare this profoundly flavorful and highly nourishing Umami Vegan Dashi in minutes! Prepping homemade broth in the Instant Pot not only helps get it done quickly, but thanks to the pressure cooking, the flavors become concentrated as if the broth had been simmering away for hours. By taking advantage of the Instant Pot’s magic, we’ve created an ultra-nourishing and mineral-rich broth using green onion, shiitake mushrooms, and seaweed. Together with the miso paste, this dashi makes a delicious and soothing stock that’s great for your health and your taste buds.

Cook Up a Batch of Broth

Vegetable broth’s versatility in flavoring a variety of dishes from around the world makes it a plant-based pantry essential. And making your own vegetable broth can be an empowering activity that allows you to take charge of your health and make a positive impact on the planet. By creating a broth from scratch (or following one of the included recipes), you can nourish your body, prevent food waste, and take part in a sustainable cooking practice.

Now that you’ve learned the basics of how to make vegetable broth, explore new culinary heights by cooking with it and coming up with your own DIY broth recipes.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you ever made vegetable broth from scratch?

• What did you learn from the video?

• Which veggie broth recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/beats3

Read Next:

• How to Cook: Healthy Plant-Based Pantry Food Essentials
• How to Cook Beans and Lentils from Scratch

The post How to Cook: How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

In this case, arguing back is generally not an effective approach. Instead, I’d suggest quietly introducing them to plant-based cooking, without making a big thing out of it, so they can experience its benefits (and lack of downsides) for themselves.

With the rise of plant-based eaters as a consumer segment, there are more delicious and satisfying meat-free options than ever before. You can easily find meat and dairy analogues that will actually fool the omnivores in your life into thinking that they’re eating the “real thing.”

So in this article, we’ll take an unblinking look at the obstacles you may face when introducing plant-based eating to meat-eaters. We’ll explore various “marketing” strategies, and give you a roundup of dishes so mouthwatering, your friends and family won’t even miss the meat.

Why Some People Are Reluctant to Give Plant-Based Foods a Try

When trying to influence others to eat differently, it’s important to understand why they have certain preferences in the first place. So let’s look at why some meat-eaters push back when offered plant-based fare.

Familiar Tastes

First, there’s the simple matter of taste. Many people have grown up with animal proteins as staples in their diet. It’s a familiar taste that they know and love. Meat, especially red meat, has an umami flavor that can be very appealing because it signals the presence of amino acids (the building blocks of protein). The browning effect seen when cooking meat also involves the Maillard reaction, the same reaction that makes toast and caramelized onions taste good.

Preferences for familiar foods also make sense evolutionarily. Before globalized transportation, whatever people got as babies and toddlers was, statistically speaking, what they were likely to encounter for the rest of their lives. It just wouldn’t do for kids growing up in Kerala, Yucatan, or Sichuan province to dislike spicy food.

Misconceptions About Plant-Based Eating

Second, many people harbor misconceptions about plant-based foods. They might believe that plant-based foods lack flavor or won’t satisfy their hunger. Or they may have internalized a prejudice still reinforced by many health professionals today, that plants can’t provide sufficient protein.

You can try to counter these myths with evidence, but I’ve found that people are most amenable to updating their beliefs through exposure, not argument. A great plant-based meal can invalidate beliefs about taste and satiation. And once someone has realized they enjoy plant-based eating, they might be more open to scientific evidence about the health-giving properties of such a diet.

Some misconceptions are more deeply held, and may even be unconscious. One example is that plant-based foods aren’t “manly” because meat is associated with hunting and traditional masculinity.

If someone holds this belief and is open to reexamination, I recommend showing them The Game Changers documentary. The scene where the urologist tests the erectile capacity of three male college athletes after meat- or plant-based meals may convince the manliest man that plants are the way to go!

If the meat-eating man in your life isn’t yet ready to watch a documentary showing that plant-based eating enhances both sexual and athletic performance, I’d again recommend starting with food rather than discussion. As vegan chef and racial justice activist Bryant Terry puts it, “Start with the visceral, move to the cerebral, and end with the political.” By visceral, he means giving them the experience of delicious plant-based food before trying to change their minds.

Going Against Heritage

Another deep-seated belief is that eating plant-based means rejecting and maybe even betraying one’s family and culture of origin. The thinking goes, “What kind of Italian would I be if I didn’t eat meatballs?” Or “What kind of Hungarian would I be without goulash?” etc.

Again, there’s a powerful counterargument, which is that most traditional cultures were largely plant-based until quite recently. Meat may have been eaten on special occasions, or added to dishes as flavoring or a condiment, but the vast majority of most people’s calories came from the plant foods that grew within walking distance of their villages.

But again, I’d wait to spring that argument on someone until you’ve shared a delicious, plant-based version of someone’s favorite family recipe.

Fear of the Unknown

A third reason people might resist trying plant-based dishes is simple fear of the unknown. That’s kind of the flip side of the exposure effect, and it also makes good evolutionary sense. The person who tried that unfamiliar fruit in the wild might have discovered a delicious source of nutrients, or they could have ended up as a cautionary tale about how Virginia creeper berries may look like grapes but can effectively poison you.

The key to overcoming fear of the unknown is to sprinkle in a generous dose of “known.” In this context, that means making plant-based versions of familiar dishes and using flavors, textures, and ingredients that are already familiar and accepted.

Strategies for Introducing Plant-Based Foods

Conversation and contemplation approaches are all very well and good, but at some point, the rubber has to meet the road — or, more accurately, the tofu has to meet the tongue. Here are a few strategies to gently introduce plant-based meals so as not to trigger an omnivore’s resistance.

Themed Plant-Based Days or Meals

In the old-timey times, meat was often reserved for special occasions. You can flip the script by creating special occasions reserved for eating plant-based. The most famous of these is the “Meatless Mondays” initiative, which invites people to sample the plant-based lifestyle once a week. Research shows that people are more likely to adopt a significant change on Mondays, thanks to what behavioral scientists call the “fresh start” effect.

Of course, Monday isn’t the only day of the week with a first letter just begging for an alliterative plant-based pairing. What about Taco Tuesdays, with totally or predominantly plant-based fillings? Or Smoothie Sundays? Three-Bean Salad Thursdays? (OK, that’s stretching it a bit.)

Gradual Introduction

Also known as the “camel’s nose under the tent” strategy, gradually introducing plants into a meat-lover’s diet can take several forms. One is to start by incorporating plant-based ingredients into familiar recipes.

Lentils can sub in for part or all of the ground beef in meat sauces, sloppy joes, and chilies; chickpeas can supplement or replace tuna or eggs in tuna or egg salads; and a combination of walnuts, mushrooms, and beans added to or used instead of ground meat in hamburgers and meatballs are healthier substitutions.

The trick here is to incorporate these substitutions and supplements into foods that the omnivore in your life already knows and likes.

Taste-Alike Options

Another way to get meat-eaters to try plant-based options is to have the plants look, feel, and taste like meat. There are some naturally “meaty” plant-based foods that can mimic the texture and umami flavoring of meat. And the world is now awash in plant-based meat analogues that are becoming more and more convincing.

1. Tofu & tempeh are both versatile protein sources that can take on various flavors. Made from soybeans, both originate in East Asia and have become increasingly popular in the West.
2. Lentils are more familiar to a wider number of people and can be less intimidating than other sources of plant-based protein. They’re super versatile legumes, and you can feature them as the main ingredient in a variety of soups, stews, chilies, tacos, and casseroles.
3. Seitan, also known as “wheat meat,” has a texture similar to that of beef or chicken. It’s made from wheat gluten, and takes on the flavor of whatever it’s marinated or cooked in.
4. Jackfruit is a tropical fruit known for its meaty texture. It’s often a substitute for pulled pork in vegan versions.
5. Mushrooms are great for adding meaty texture and umami flavor. Portobellos are great on the grill, shiitakes can add meat-like depth to Asian dishes (and can make a base for delicious plant-based bacon), and some varieties of oyster mushrooms taste a bit like seafood (hence the name).
6. Plant-based meat brands such as Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and an increasingly growing field of competitors can also provide great transitional foods, as the taste and texture are typically very familiar to meat-eaters. They do have their limits in terms of health, though; so at some point, you may want to phase them out in favor of more whole-food alternatives.

For tips on helping family members move toward plant-based eating, we’ve got a whole other article for you.

Scrumptious Swaps: 7 Meat-Free Meals Even Carnivores Will Crave

Prepare your taste buds for an incredible dining experience made entirely possible through plants! With so many plant-based ingredients that can double as meat substitutes, you’ve got nothing to lose by giving them a try. The key to making a meal crave-worthy for meat eaters is balancing rich umami and savory flavor with a hearty and chewy texture. Together, these flavors and textures can transform even the humblest of plant ingredients into an oft-requested recipe!

1. Portobello Mushroom “Steak” Sandwich

Mushrooms are often paired with meat to further bring out both ingredients’ umami flavors. But mushrooms also make for a great meat replacement on their own in a plant-based diet. Mushrooms’ juicy, meaty texture and savory flavor give them a similar mouthfeel to meat, albeit a much healthier version. Mushrooms have zero cholesterol, trans-fatty acids, and saturated fat. And they have tons of nutrition such as B vitamins, selenium, copper, and vitamin D (if sun-exposed). Plant-based and meat eaters alike will find this “steak” sandwich just as indulgent as a meat-based version due to the delicious marinade that infuses the mushrooms.

2. Jackfruit Carnitas Pizza

Jackfruit Carnitas Pizza is a great plant-based recipe for the meat eater in your life. It’s piled high with shredded Mexican-spiced jackfruit, sweet pineapple, red onion, and (optional) jalapeño for just a bit of heat. This pizza tastes just like you are biting into a smoky meat lovers pizza — except it’s all plants! Jackfruit mimics the texture of meat and takes on any flavors you add to it, making it a versatile ingredient that is perfect for a “meaty” pizza. We think your meat-loving friends and family members will be extra happy with the textures, flavors, and nutrition in this comforting, meat-free meal.

3. All American (BEAN and BEET) Burgers

These All American (BEAN and BEET) Burgers are big on taste as well as health-promoting nutrients. They’re moist, hearty, and brimming with healthy doses of iron, vitamin A, B vitamins, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids — not to mention flavor. No need to reach for the meat with these beauties around. Meat eaters can enjoy these tasty bean and beet burgers grill-side, and relish in the fact that their body will be as happy as their belly is!

4. One-Pot Tempeh Sausage Pasta

One-Pot Tempeh Sausage Pasta makes a delicious plant-based swap for a traditional spaghetti Bolognese dinner. Tempeh is a hearty plant protein that takes on any flavor you add to it. In this case, savory herbs and spices transform tempeh into meaty sausage crumbles. The result is a healthy and delicious meat substitute that improves even more with the addition of red tomato sauce and pasta. No one will even notice they’re not eating actual meat!

5. Korean-Inspired TLT with Pickled Veggies and Spicy Mayo

This Korean-Inspired TLT with Pickled Veggies and Spicy Mayo is a unique twist on a classic BLT, with tofu standing in for bacon. Protein-rich tofu is marinated with lots of garlic and ginger, slathered with spicy Korean-inspired mayo, and piled high with pickled veggies. Once all the fixings are on, chewy tofu will take on all the various flavors used in this dish, which makes for a delicious mouthful. Don’t be surprised if this becomes your new favorite sandwich!

6. Mushroom Lentil Chorizo Taco Bowl

The easy-peasy, plant-based chorizo in this recipe shares the smoky and savory flavors of traditional chorizo. But this version is exponentially more nutritious since it’s made with walnuts, lentils, and mushrooms. It’s a delightful meat substitute for all sorts of recipes. In this taco bowl, the chorizo adds so much wholesome flavor, texture, and nutrition that you’ll happily forget about its meat-based counterpart. What’s more, it is simple to assemble once you have the chorizo and whole grains ready to go.

7. Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Sweet Pineapple Salsa

Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Sweet Pineapple Salsa is a showstopper! The jerk tofu is a delight to both plant-based and meat eaters who enjoy exciting flavors and exploring diverse cultural cuisines. Tofu is generously rubbed with a flavorful Jamaican jerk spice blend and baked until slightly crispy, then topped with juicy and sweet pineapple salsa. This dish is equal parts sweet and spicy with a familiar meaty texture.

Give Plants a Chance!

Plant-based eating challenges traditional Western notions of what a meal should be, and so may be hard to “swallow” for people brought up on meat-based diets. But it’s not necessary — or even effective — to hit people over the head with arguments to go plant-based. There are several behavioral and culinary strategies that can make people more willing to explore plant-based options.

Ultimately, you just might find that the people in your life start asking, “Where’s the beet?” instead of “Where’s the beef?” as they discover the flavorful possibilities and positive impact of a plant-based lifestyle.

Tell us in the comments:

• If you’ve become more plant-based over time, what were some of the dishes and food strategies that helped you transition?

• What are some meat-based meals that you can use to introduce plant-based options?

• What has and hasn’t worked in terms of getting the people around you to eat less meat?

Featured Image: iStock.com/vaaseenaa

Read Next:

• Veggie Burgers and Plant-Based Meat: Pros and Cons
• The Top 5 Vegan Myths Debunked

The post From Beef to Beets: Plant-Based Recipes for Meat Lovers appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The October 31st holiday has a storied history, with its roots in the ancient Celtic tradition of Samhain, a pagan festival marking the end of the fall harvest season. Today, it’s a globally celebrated occasion where costumes, decorations, and, of course, delicious treats take center stage.

While Halloween often conjures up visions of sugary confections, we’re here to prove that you can have a ghoulishly good time while keeping things healthy, too.

In this article, we’ll explore a range of vegan Halloween recipes you can whip up for kids and adults alike. So ready your cauldron of creativity for a culinary adventure exploring seven nutritious and delicious Halloween treats.

Halloween’s Relationship with Candy

Believe it or not, candy has not always been synonymous with Halloween. Trick or treating is a relatively recent phenomenon that didn’t become commonplace in the US until the 1940s. And early treats received by trick-or-treaters actually included much healthier fare like fruit and nuts, along with baked goods, money, and small trinkets.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that candy became the preferred “treat” associated with Halloween and trick or treating. Amid fears of potential poisonings, and urban legends like razor blades hidden in candy apples, parents began to turn to commercially packaged candy.

Nowadays, Halloween is a major profit driver for candy companies, raking in billions of dollars every year. But with that comes the consumption of “monster-ous” amounts of sugar. On average, Americans celebrating Halloween consume 3.4 pounds of candy during the holiday season. And most of that is added sugar.

Aside from rotting your teeth and scaring your dentist, eating that much sugar isn’t good for your overall health. Added sugar has been implicated in contributing to a number of chronic conditions including obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. Not to mention it’s also addictive. So how can you still enjoy the Halloween holiday without damaging your health — especially if you (or your family members) have a sweet tooth?

Healthier Alternatives for a Sweet Halloween

If you want to keep the sweetness in Halloween, you can swap out the refined sugar with natural sweeteners. Date paste or date sugar can be used to create confectionaries at home or to sweeten homemade baked goods.

Of course, the best natural sweetener is fruit. If you’re craving something sweet and chewy like gummy candies, opt for treats using dried fruits like apricots, raisins, or dates. These natural alternatives provide that delightful sweetness without the added sugars.

Another trick is to create your own “candy” by dipping fruit in dark chocolate. Try using bananas, strawberries, orange slices, or pineapple chunks. Dark chocolate is not only decadently delicious but also offers some health benefits (just watch for added sugar!).

As many Halloween candies and sweets use nuts, if no one in your household is allergic, you can make your own nutty creations with whole or crushed nuts and seeds, as well as nut and seed butters.

And in keeping with a more salty, savory flavor profile, you can also make Halloween treats — or even whole meals — out of veggies and veggie dips. Try crafting foods and meals in the shape of creepy creatures like ghosts, bats, jack-o-lanterns, and characters like Frankenstein. You could even try your hand at a “char-spook-erie” board!

And don’t forget to incorporate well-loved flavors and spices associated with Halloween and the fall season. Using nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, pumpkin, and apple in your treats will keep your culinary creations both seasonal and nutritious.

7 Healthy Halloween Recipes to Trick or Treat Yourself!

Indulge in a bewitching array of homemade Halloween treats that are not only scrumptious but made with plant-powered goodness! Make your Halloween kooky and spooky with these creative, holiday-themed recipes. From Mini Mummy Pizza Toasts that are perfect for Halloween parties to a Char-Spook-Erie Board brimming with spooky delights, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

1. Mini Mummy Pizza Toast

Mini Mummy Pizza Toast is a fun and spooky treat that’s perfect for a Halloween get-together or any time you want to add a little whimsy to your day. These adorable mini pizzas are designed to look like mummies, complete with “bandages” made from creamy Cashew Mozzarella Cheese and eyes made from green olives. What’s more, this is a fun recipe to create with your kids or grandkids as you get into the Halloween spirit. You may even hear the kiddos say “Mummy dearest, you’re the best!”

2. Char-Spook-Erie Board

Bat’s Blood, Witch Fingers, and Mummy Eyes — oh my! Healthfully celebrate all that spooky season has to offer with our veggie-riffic Char-Spook-Erie Board! The creamy bat’s blood hummus, nutty green witch almond fingers, colorful mini jack-o-lanterns, and savory green olive mummy eyes are a sight to behold. Make this dish the centerpiece of your Halloween party tablescape, and get ready to enjoy some wholesome spooky fun!

3. Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Chili

Savory treats are just as magical as sweet ones, and we think you’ll agree when you serve up this delicious pumpkin chili inside a pumpkin jack-o-lantern! Sweet pumpkin, robust tomatoes, protein-rich beans, and fragrant spices create a melting pot of comforting flavors, rich texture, and, of course, a surplus of plant-powered nutrients. Whether you are having a Halloween-themed dinner party or just want to serve up a cozy fall meal to your family, this festive and nourishing Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Chili might just be the talk of the town this spooky season.

4. Witch’s Brew

“Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog.” Just kidding! No cuddly animals were harmed in the making of this fantastical witch’s brew. Let’s try this again: “A dash of Chaga and a pinch of spirulina, A sprinkle of cinnamon, and a splash of” — well, you get the point to make this incantation complete. Serve up a warm and frothy cup of our homemade Witch’s Brew on a chilly Halloween night, and enjoy the magical flavors and benefits of this wholesome plant-based potion.

5. Mini White Pumpkin Pops

These festive Mini White Pumpkin Pops are the perfect sweet treat to celebrate the season’s transition into fall. Juicy mandarin oranges are coated in creamy plant-based yogurt icing and dipped in white sesame seeds to create a cool and creamy pop that is out of this world! Not to mention, they are a lovely (adult- and kid-friendly) addition to a Halloween party menu.

6. Ghostly Puffed Millet and Amaranth Peanut Butter Treats

Have a ghoulishly good time while keeping things healthy, too, with these Ghostly Puffed Millet and Amaranth Peanut Butter Treats. Crunchy puffed whole grain cereal, nutty peanut butter, and creamy vanilla icing create a fiber-packed, mineral-rich, and naturally sweet peanut butter treat that is to un-die for! These treats are easy to make, fun, and frighteningly delicious — the way Halloween treats ought to be!

7. Chocolate Pumpkin Oat Bats

These bat-shaped bites are perfect for any festive occasion when you want to enjoy chocolaty treats with the magic of wholesome plant-based nourishment. Low in sugar and high in fiber and flavor, these Chocolate Pumpkin Oat Bats are naturally sweet and a treat to eat! What makes them even more special is the dark chocolate-dipped dried orange slices (I mean, wings!) that make these energizing bites the perfect treat to celebrate all things Halloween!

It’s Sweet to Have a Healthy Halloween

Halloween is the perfect opportunity to reimagine traditional sugary indulgences with healthier plant-based alternatives. From fruit-filled delights and nutty creations to savory veggie-based snacks, there’s a wide array of options to satisfy the spirit of Halloween without compromising on flavor or nutrition. So this Samhain, let your creativity run wild in the kitchen and discover the magic of crafting wholesome, vegan treats that are sure to bewitch your taste buds and leave you with a hauntingly delightful Halloween smorgasbord.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you celebrate Halloween?

• What are your favorite healthy Halloween snacks or treats?

• If you try these recipes above, we’d love to know what you think!

Featured Image: iStock.com/Azurita

Read Next:

• Does a Good Sweetener Exist? A Review of 15 Popular Sugar Substitutes
• Proven Health Benefits of Pumpkins and Pumpkin Seeds & How to Use Them in Your Diet

The post Vegan Halloween Treats That Won’t Scare Away Your Health appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

And that really didn’t begin to change until the First International Symposium on Umami Taste, held at the University of Hawaii in 1985 — despite the discovery of the “fifth flavor,” umami, at the turn of the 20th century.

In fact, it’s really only recently that umami has gained its rightful place in the flavor spectrum outside of Asian cultures.

For example, the restaurant chain Umami Burger has focused on making burgers using umami-rich animal- and plant-based ingredients like fish heads, caramelized onions, and roasted tomatoes since 2009. It became so successful, it spawned a chain of establishments dedicated to providing ultra-umami culinary experiences to their patrons.

Now, many a restaurant reviewer likes to point out the “rich umami flavor” of certain dishes across the spectrum of world cuisine. Umami has become a venerated part of the foodie landscape.

But umami is not just associated with gourmet natural foods, it’s also associated with a much-demonized synthetic food additive called MSG, or monosodium glutamate. MSG was first formulated and produced in 1909, originally from seaweed, and later from wheat and defatted soybeans. Since then, it’s become a mass-produced flavor enhancer that may or may not be a health risk (you’ll have to read on to find out the scientific verdict).

So what exactly makes a food umami? Do all umami tastes that derive from glutamate have the same effects as MSG? And do you have to eat meat to enjoy the savory flavor of umami? In this article, we’ll explore the world of umami tastes, and also provide opportunities for you to get a mouthful of non-MSG-based umami by sharing seven recipes featuring umami-rich foods.

How Was Umami Discovered?

The flavor we call “umami” was discovered by a Japanese chemist, Kikunae Ikeda, in 1908. After a trip to Germany, during which he first tasted asparagus, tomatoes, cheese, and meat, he began to suspect that the four known tastes — sweet, sour, bitter, and salty — didn’t account for every food flavor.

When he later came home to Japan and enjoyed a particularly delicious bowl of his wife’s dashi (seaweed broth), the rich taste reminded Ikeda of the foods he had encountered in Germany. As a result, he quickly put the seaweed (kelp) under the microscope, literally and figuratively. That’s when he discovered the chemical compound responsible for this savory and satisfying flavor: a molecule called glutamate.

Ikeda dubbed the flavor umami, putting together the Japanese words for “meaty flavor” and “essence.” The term has long had an association with Japanese cuisine — especially the dashi broth that inspired its discovery — but has become popular outside of Japan and other Asian countries in the last few decades.

What Is Umami?

Umami is now recognized as the fifth basic taste, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Humans have taste receptors specifically for umami foods. And it’s mostly associated with meaty, nutty, and savory-tasting foods with a high amino acid content.

But in order for something to taste umami, those amino acids need to be released — either by cooking or through fermentation.

In what I’m going to call the “umami paradox” (which sounds like a rejected movie title from the Jason Bourne franchise), researchers have found that umami compounds actually taste kind of bad alone, but they improve the taste of food when combined with other flavor profiles.

So umami is not only a taste in its own right but also a flavor enhancer for other tastes. Umami substances trigger the secretion of saliva, enhance appetite, and increase food palatability, qualities that often make MSG a key added ingredient in many food products and cuisines.

Glutamate vs MSG

Before we get to umami foods and recipes, we need to clear up a common misconception: that glutamate, the molecule primarily responsible for umami taste, is identical to monosodium glutamate, or MSG. While they sound similar, they’re quite different chemically.

Glutamic Acid

Natural glutamate is a safe compound that you get as part of a healthy dietary pattern.

Glutamate in food comes in the form of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid. In your body, it gets converted into glutamate, which is an amino acid neurotransmitter — a chemical that helps nerve cells in the brain send and receive information. It’s a precursor to the neurotransmitter GABA, which the brain requires to generate feelings of calm and well-being.

MSG

MSG, on the other hand, is a synthetically produced food additive and flavoring. Although it is structurally similar to glutamic acid, MSG contains a greater percentage of glutamate than is naturally occurring in foods.

It used to be extracted from ingredients like sea vegetable broth, wheat, and soybeans, but is now produced much more economically, and at a much larger scale, via fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugarcane, or molasses. Sugar beets, in particular, are often bioengineered (GMO), a process with unknown effects on the environment and long-term human health.

Is MSG safe?

That’s a complicated question with an even more complicated history.

MSG is on the US Food and Drug Administration’s GRAS list, an acronym for “Generally Regarded As Safe.” And while you might think that’s a good thing, being on that list comes with no actual guarantees.

As the nonprofit Consumer Reports puts it, being deemed GRAS actually means that little to no research exists on the additive’s safety, and food manufacturers are free to shoot first and ask questions later — or not at all. Some items that have been on or are on the GRAS list include probable carcinogens, GMOs, and trans fats. So having the FDA characterize MSG as GRAS is kind of like Al Capone bragging about never having been convicted. (I know, they got him on tax fraud in the end.)

MSG got a very bad rap starting in the 1970s — one that was not entirely backed up by research, and which may have been inflamed by racial prejudice aimed at Chinese people. MSG is a common ingredient in many Asian dishes and has a strong association with Chinese restaurants in the US.

Many people reported unpleasant symptoms after consuming food flavored with MSG. Headaches, numbness and tingling, flushing, muscle tightness, and generalized weakness are alleged side effects of MSG. However, these reactions all but disappear during controlled trials in which participants are unaware of whether they are consuming MSG or an inert placebo.

That said, there are still reasons to avoid or limit MSG. Several recent studies have shown that chronic MSG consumption can be toxic to the nervous system, causing an excitotoxic effect on neurons. The excessive amounts of glutamate seen in MSG may wreak havoc on normal levels of neurotransmitters and potentially contribute to neurodegeneration.

And while glutamate levels in foods are within ranges that the human body is accustomed to, there’s often no way to know just how much glutamate is in a serving of MSG, especially if it’s added to restaurant dishes or processed foods. MSG products like Ac’cent or Aji-No-Moto don’t disclose this information, as it’s not a required line item on the Nutrition Facts part of the packaging.

For these reasons, you may want to avoid foods containing added MSG and stick to glutamate that occurs naturally in food.

Animal Products and Umami

Many animal products are rich in umami, with meat, seafood, and cheese among the most intense. When you cook meat, glutamic acid is released along with other umami-producing compounds. Aging and fermenting typically concentrate these compounds, accounting for the intense umami tastes of cured ham, aged cheeses, and the like.

Cooking meat, and especially grilling, frying, or roasting, also contributes to the umami taste through the Maillard reaction. But this is the same reaction that creates the formation of acrylamide, which may have carcinogenic effects.

That’s one reason animal products, especially cured meats and cheese, can increase your risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Cooked meats also form other harmful compounds, including TMAO. And dairy products can contain hormones and antibiotics, contributing to the risk of cancer and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

These days, it may be far safer and healthier to get your umami from the produce section. Fortunately, there are many other umami foods to choose from.

Plant-Based Umami Foods

While humans may have evolved our love of umami to keep us from getting sick from undercooked meat, we can also find the fifth flavor in select plant-based foods.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are naturally rich in glutamic acid. When you cook tomatoes, you concentrate those glutamates, intensifying their umaminess (I thought my spellchecker would have a problem with that word, but apparently it really exists. Who knew?). Sun-drying concentrates those flavors even more, creating a potent umami taste that can contribute to mouthwatering salads, pizzas, and sauces.

To find out more about the health benefits of tomatoes, including a recipe for Umami Sun-dried Tomato and Almond Burgers, check out our comprehensive article, here.

Mushrooms

While all mushrooms, even white buttons, have some umami qualities, varieties like shiitake and porcini contain a large amount of natural glutamates. Cooking makes their umami taste even more pronounced.

For a deep dive into the world of edible fungi, check out our article on The Power of Mushrooms: Nutrition, Benefits, & Risks of Edible Mushrooms.

Seaweed

Seaweeds are rich in glutamic acid, which makes historical sense since umami was first identified and extracted from seaweed broth. Certain varieties, kombu (or kelp) in particular, are packed with umamimity (Ha! My spellchecker informs me that I just used an umami word that doesn’t exist yet!).

If you’d like to learn more about sea vegetables, check out our in-depth article, Are Sea Vegetables Good for You and the Planet? — And Are Some Better Than Others?

Fermented Foods

While some soy-derived foods, such as tofu, are famous for their blandness (taking on flavor profiles from marinating and cooking), once the humble soybean has been fermented, we’re talking umami fireworks. Fermented soy foods include tempeh, natto, miso, and soy sauce.

And while we’re talking about bland, let’s not forget the poster child: boiled white cabbage. But once you subject cabbage leaves to fermentation, such as in sauerkraut and kimchi, umami is in the house!

Hard and aged cheeses are also umami powerhouses, which means that cultured plant-based cheeses can also achieve umami greatness.

For more on the wide world of fermented foods, along with their health benefits (and some concerns), here’s our full article.

Matcha Green Tea

You might be surprised to find out that you can experience umami yumminess in green tea — unless you’re already a fan of healthy and delicious matcha. In this case, the umami taste comes not primarily from glutamic acid, but from another amino acid called L-theanine in combination with caffeine. The compound is found in all tea plants but breaks down in the sun, but plants designated for matcha are grown mostly in shade.

The polyphenols in green tea also may protect you against neurotoxicity, including that induced by consuming large quantities of glutamate.

For more on the stunning health benefits of matcha tea, here’s our full article.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast may be the plant-based umami poster child, imparting a cheesy, savory flavor that has helped many a parmesan lover transition to a dairy-free diet. Like all yeast-based products, it contains glutamic acid.

If you aren’t familiar with nooch, as it’s fondly called by those who love it, check out our comprehensive article, here.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are chock-full of amino acids, including glutamic acid. This may not be news, however, given that one of the words commonly used to describe umami is “nutty.”

Included in this group are peanuts, even though they’re technically legumes.

If you’re looking for the umamiest (yay, another new word!) experience in the world of nuts and seeds, you’ll find that peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds have the highest concentrations of glutamic acid.

Umami Recipes

Now that you know the many foods that create that delectable fifth taste, it’s time to put it into action and have some tasty fun in the kitchen. From savory breakfast to rich umami pasta bakes, there is something for everyone in this tantalizing recipe roundup!

1. Japanese-Inspired Breakfast Bowl

If there is one thing we love about Japanese cuisine (and there are many), it’s how well it captures the essence of umami. So it’s no surprise that this Japanese-Inspired Breakfast Bowl contains so many nourishing umami ingredients. From the tomato to the tamari, sea veggies, miso, and mushrooms, this dish takes inspiration from classic Japanese breakfast staples to create an umami-riffic meal that is satisfying in so many ways.

2. Umami Vegan Dashi

Dashi is a traditional Japanese seaweed stock that has a savory, salty, and umami flavor. Drawing inspiration from classic recipes, we created an ultra-nourishing and mineral-rich plant-based version using green onion, shiitake mushrooms, and seaweed. Together with the miso paste, these ingredients make a delicious and soothing stock that is great for your health and offers a rich umami taste you will adore!

3. Rainbow Millet Roll with Miso Peanut Sauce

Set aside what you may think of as sushi and take the nontraditional route by using millet instead of rice, peanut sauce instead of soy sauce, and, of course, veggies instead of fish. What is traditional about this roll is the nutrient-packed nori seaweed that lends its crunchy texture and signature umami flavor. What’s more, the delightful miso peanut dipping sauce cranks the umami meter of this recipe up to 11!

4. Kale Caesar Salad with Cheesy Chickpea Croutons

As we mentioned before, nutritional yeast may be the plant-based umami poster child thanks to its cheesy, savory flavor that is irresistible. As a toothsome cheese substitute, when combined with miso paste, these two umami ingredients elevate even the simplest of recipes. Savory, cheesy, creamy, and crunchy, this salad has the makings to be one of our dreamiest. Plus, the Dehydrated Cheesy Chickpea Croutons add a special touch that will keep you coming back to this recipe again and again!

5. Creamy Veggie Ramen

Have you ever wondered what gives ramen that remarkable flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on? If you guessed the broth, you’d be right — sort of. In reality, it’s the umami ingredients in the broth that make ramen a savory, craveable, and slurpable delight. While there are many ways to enjoy ramen, our Creamy Veggie Ramen is simply the best (in our humble opinion). Infused with fragrant aromatic vegetables, umami-rich mushrooms, miso, and a blend of creamy coconut, this is one recipe you won’t want to pass up!

6. Tempeh Sausage Stuffing

Tempeh Sausage Stuffing is one of those dishes you look forward to consuming, partly for all that umami flavor and also for the crunchy texture! The tempeh (which is fermented and has lots of umami flavor in its own right) and whole grain bread absorb the essence of the earthy mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and aromatic herbs and spices, creating a medley of savory richness that is simply satisfying. As the dish bakes, the flavors concentrate, making an umami-delicious dish that is perfect for sharing!

7. Broccoli and Tomato Pasta Bake

What’s not to love about a rich and cheesy pasta dish? In our Broccoli and Tomato Pasta Bake, nutritional yeast and creamy cashews complement the sweet and savory tones of broccoli and tomato to create a captivating combination of textures, umami-rich flavors, and nutrients. We encourage you to add other veggies that you know the family will love, as well — after all, this recipe is likely going to be in continuous rotation!

Embrace Natural Umami

Umami is a complex, nuanced taste that transcends traditional Western flavor categories. It originated within the Japanese culinary tradition and, over the past 40 years, has enchanted gourmets and gourmands around the globe.

Although umami is often associated with MSG, there may be significant differences in how synthetic glutamate acts in our bodies compared to natural sources. And while the umami receptors may have evolved to guide us to favor well-cooked meat, there are plenty of plant-based sources of umami to enjoy. Try some of the recipes above to put umami’s transformative power into culinary practice.

Tell us in the comments:

• When did you first hear about umami, the “fifth flavor”?

• What are your favorite plant-based umami foods?

• Which umami-rich dish or recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/ALLEKO

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• What is Miso? Introducing a Longevity Food of the Blue Zones
• 7 Plant-Based Bitter Foods Recipes For Picky Eaters

The post The Fifth Taste: Exploring Umami Foods and Recipes appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

How can I compare grapes to onions and garlic? Well, until the early 16th century, people didn’t eat grapes; they just made them into wine. The first person to popularize table grapes as a food in their own right was French king Francois I, whose dessert of choice was a nice bowl of Chasselas grapes.

Table grapes are no longer the royal novelty they once were. But even so, most grapes grown today still end up in wine bottles. Only 12% of grapes find their way to our tables whole and fresh. And because they’re expensive to transport, most of them get consumed in their country of origin — largely in Europe and North America.

If you live in a place where fresh grapes are available, they can bring a natural sweetness to your diet. You can just put a bunch on a plate and enjoy a dessert literally fit for a king. You can freeze them, add them to sweet and savory recipes, and enjoy them in cool summer beverages. (Having them peeled and fed to you while you recline on a divan is totally optional.)

To get the most out of this delicious and fragile fruit, however, you need to know how to choose, store, and clean them to preserve their flavor and maximize their freshness.

In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for handling grapes to ensure they remain at their best. And you’ll also get seven delicious recipes that incorporate different varieties of grapes.

When Are Grapes in Season?

Grapes ripen in the summer and fall, so you can find them fresh and local (at least if you consider the same hemisphere local) from July through November. If you have growing space and live in USDA zones 4–10, you may also be able to grow your own grape vines if you desire. Some varieties prefer cooler temperatures, while others thrive in the heat.

In addition to growing your own grapes, you can also find table grapes in grocery stores, natural foods stores, farmers markets, and community-supported agriculture (CSAs).

Globally, three Mediterranean countries dominate the grape trade: Italy, Spain, and France. In the US, California is where the vast majority of grapes are grown. (A lot of California grapes also end up as raisins. I’d make a joke about this, but my sense of humor isn’t that dry.)

How to Choose Grapes

Unlike lots of other kinds of fruit, grapes don’t ripen after picking, so look for grapes that are at their peak of sweetness: plump, well-rounded, and firm to the touch. Avoid ones that look shriveled, or have wrinkles or soft spots. The stems of grapes should be green and flexible. And don’t be put off by any powdery film on the surface of the grape’s skin — that visible bloom is a sign of freshness.

Since grapes are typically sold in bunches, take a moment to check the entire bunch for signs of mold, bruises, or damaged fruit.

Although some popular types of table grapes may be available year-round, getting them when they’re in season ensures the freshest and tastiest fruit.

How to Store Grapes

Once you get your grapes home, you can keep them fresh by storing them in your refrigerator, where they’ll keep for about two weeks. That said, my understanding of grape psychology tells me that they will start to grow sad and insecure after two or three days, wondering why you aren’t eating them.

In the fridge, you can prolong their freshness by storing them in a ventilated produce bag or an airtight container that’s free of moisture.

Out on the kitchen counter at room temperature, they’ll last three to five days, but I’d eat those grapes within a day or two for the best flavor and texture.

You can also freeze grapes, which will keep them for months. They get even sweeter when frozen, and develop a texture almost like ice cream, or a fruit popsicle. Just rinse them, pull the individual grapes off the stem, dry them, and place them individually on a cookie sheet (don’t let them touch each other to avoid clumping). Freeze the entire sheet, then put the grapes into a freezer-safe container and put them back in the freezer.

How to Clean Grapes

Unfortunately, nonorganic grapes typically have high levels of pesticide residues, earning them the dubious distinction of 8th place on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Dirty Dozen list. According to the EWG, more than 90% of grape samples tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides. To avoid these chemicals, choose organic varieties whenever possible.

Regardless of whether you’ve got organic grapes or not, however, you’ll probably want to wash them to remove any dirt, pesticides, or bacteria that may be present on their skin. While there are plenty of commercial produce-washing products out there, current research points to a simple and inexpensive method as the most effective in removing pesticides: a solution of one ounce of baking soda dissolved in 100 ounces of water. Don’t just dunk and rinse, though; soak the grapes for 12–15 minutes for maximum pesticide elimination.

How to Eat Grapes

Grapes are great both raw and cooked. You can eat raw grapes by the handful, either fresh or frozen. (I’d slow down for the frozen ones, though. Pop them one at a time into your mouth and savor the flavor explosion as it warms up and releases its juicy sweetness.)

I don’t have any research to back this up, but I believe grapes actually taste better when you feed them to yourself, rather than hiring scantily-clad people to do it for you as you recline in luxury.

Cut in two, raw grapes can add sweetness and pizzazz to leafy green salads. Similarly rendered, they are great in fruit salads, where they get along with berries, bananas, and other fruits.

Blended, they act as natural sweeteners. You can add grapes to savory salsas, salad dressings, and sauces, as well as to sweet smoothies, smoothie bowls, and acai bowls.

Cooked, grapes make great jams and jellies. They’re naturally high in pectin (the gelling agent typically added to fruit jams), so all you have to do is remove the skins, cook down, add any additional sweetener if desired, cool, and can.

You can also roast them with vegetables for a delicious and eye-popping side dish or appetizer, and include them in cooked desserts and baked goods.

Grape Recipes

Kitchen creativity knows no bounds, especially when it comes to juicy grapes! In addition to eating them by the handful and spreading them on a lunchtime PB&J, there are so many other ways to enjoy these culinary chameleons. We’ve created seven delicious ways to experience grapes that will help you reap their health benefits at the same time. There’s a recipe here for everyone. So give these grape-riffic, plant-based recipes a try!

1. Vegan Feta and Grape Skewers

The texture of a grape is a delightful blend of soft juiciness with a delicate outer skin that provides a gentle snap as you bite into it. Now imagine, in the same bite, tangy vegan feta with a burst of fresh sweet basil. Vegan Feta and Grape Skewers balance savory and sweet in an all-in-one-bite appetizer that’s guaranteed to garner rave reviews!

2. Nourishing Grape and Chia Jam

Nourishing Grape and Chia Jam is our version of a classic grape jam. By adding chia seeds (filled with lots of omega-3s) and maple syrup in place of white sugar, this jam is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and tart. Plus, the deep purple color (hello, anthocyanins!) is a gorgeous addition to your slice of toast or morning oats!

3. Refreshing Green Grape Slushie

If green grapes are your preference, then we have the recipe for you! Beat the heat with this Refreshing Green Grape Slushie. A frosty, zingy, and tantalizing blend of lime, mint, and grapes, this vibrant slushie is a celebration of natural grape flavor in a cool and invigorating frozen treat!

4. Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes

Roasted brussels sprouts and grapes take on a slightly caramelized flavor in this tantalizing side dish. Both the brussels sprouts and grapes develop a deeper flavor as they roast, making this a delicious side dish to complement a heartier meal. Pair it with grilled tofu or tempeh, or add to a savory grain bowl. What’s more, as the grapes begin to burst, their juices mix with the Balsamic Hemp Dressing to make a sweet and sticky coating on the Brussels sprouts that is out-of-this-world good!

5. Creamy Vegan Waldorf Salad

We may be biased, but juicy red grapes, toasted pecans, and a creamy yogurt dressing are a match made in heaven with this Creamy Vegan Waldorf Salad. This recipe is a  delicious and refreshing way to enjoy grapes. Plus, it’s packed with phytonutrients from the grapes, healthy fats from the pecans, and probiotics from the dressing. If you’ve been looking for some sweet plant-spiration for grapes, then look no further than this heavenly recipe!

6. Roasted Grape, Grain, and Tempeh Sausage Bowl

Roasting grapes is a game changer for a few reasons: They become melt-in-your-mouth soft while also becoming slightly caramelized, and the natural sweetness in grapes intensifies even more. Yum! Together with roasted balsamic red onion, radishes, and sweet, savory, and spicy Tempeh Sausage, you’ll enjoy a party of flavor in your mouth. This grain bowl is filling, nourishing, and one of the most delicious ways you can enjoy roasted grapes!

7. Charoset

This Jewish-inspired recipe uses grapes in both their dehydrated and juiced forms. Charoset is a delicious concoction of raisins, apples, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, and dates. But soaking them in natural grape juice takes this recipe to the next level. Although there are many ways to make this sweet relish, we think our version is one of the tastiest ways to harness the flavor and nutrition of grapes!

We’re Grapeful for Grapes!

Grapes have come a long way from their origins as wine-making fodder, and are now seen as delicious in their own right. They’re sweet, juicy, convenient, and versatile, and can be enjoyed raw and cooked, fresh and frozen. To fully savor them and get the most out of their culinary potential, it’s useful to know how to select, clean, and store them.

By following the tips and guidelines provided in this article, you can ensure that every bunch of grapes you bring home brings joy to your taste buds. So whether you’re enjoying them fresh by the handful, incorporating them into delicious recipes, or exploring their frozen wonders, let grapes add a burst of natural sweetness to your life.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you eat table grapes?
• Have you tried freezing grapes for year-round pop-in-the-mouth treats?
• Which grape recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Pekic

Read Next:

• 5 Healthy Berry Recipes & How to Use Berries

The post How to Store, Clean, and Eat Grapes appeared first on Food Revolution Network.