The Vegetarian Gourmet

By Florence Bienenfeld Ph. D. MFT and Mickey Bienenfeld

The Vegetarian Gourmet

Heavenly, Healthy & Guilt-Free Desserts
Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Munchies, Cheesecakes, Cake Rolls,
Dessert Souffles and Frozen Desserts
Hot & Hearty Soups
Marvelous Moist Breads & Muffins
Satisfying & Nourishing Entrees
Casseroles, lentil Loaves, Souffles, Crepes, quiches, Omelettes,
Pastas, Tofu Steaks and Vegi Burgers,
Mexican and Other Ethnic Specialties,
Party and Holiday Extravaganzas
refreshing Salads & Tangy Dressings
Breakfast & Brunch Bonanzas
Appealing appetizers & Snacks
Blissful Beverages
All...Low-Fat, Low-cholestrol, Low Salt & Low Sugar
with Many Gluten Free Dishes

Just imagine how proud you will feel, and how much you and your loved ones will enjoy our strictly vegetarian, healthy, nutritious and delicious low-fat, low-cholestrol, low-salt, no processed sugar, wholegrain, pure-foods recipes. You and your loved ones will never feel deprived again. So eat hearty and enjoy the good life.
Warmest Regards, Florence and Mickey Bienenfeld

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491829691

Florence Bienenfeld Ph. D. MFT

Florence and Mickey are co-authors of Mother Nature’s Garden and Healthy Baking. Vegetarians since 1976, the authors are youthful, energetic and physically active in their dairy-free lives.

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© 2013, 2014 Florence Bienenfeld Ph.D, MFT. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/06/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2971-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2969-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013919475

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

THE CONTENTS

Foreword

Important Information And Suggestions

The Introduction

Breakfast & Brunch

Soups & Breads

Salads & Dressings

Main Courses

Desserts

Potpourri

Basic Recipes

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, we wish to thank Joe D. Goldstrich, M.D., F.A.C.C. for his enthusiastic foreword. Dr. Goldstrich is the author of The Best Chance Diet (Humanics, 1982, reprinted in 1985); formerly, Cardiologist for Longevity Center in Santa Barbara, California and Director of the Heart Center in Dallas, Texas; and presently in private practice in homeopathy, cardiology and nutrition in Santa Monica, California.

With great love and appreciation, we wish to thank the following family and friends, who have either inspired a particular recipe or have inspired us generally to write this book: Lynn Avins; Ruth and Amanda Barrett; Dodo (Renee) Bienenfeld; Joel Bienenfeld (and Adam); Esther Bienenfeld; Joan Bram; Naomi Enoch; Pamela Juergenson; Joan Kellen; Joan and Michael Lachkar (owners of Michel’s Entourage Restaurant, Los Angeles); Sylvia and Ezra Novak; Ellen Rams; Phoebe, Harold, Susan and Karen Reff; Isolina Ricci; Shelly Seltzer; Joy, Elaine and Karen Stelton; Natalie Krol Solomon; Linda Thomas; Charlotte Winokur; and Selma Wities.

We wish to give a very special thank you to Kay Neves, the best typist and friend ever; and also wish to acknowledge Rita Leinwand, a Cordon Bleu and very fine gourmet cooking instructor. Special thanks to Dan Bienenfeld for adjusting and highlighting recipes for Gluten Free eaters.

Another special thank you to James E. Dalen, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts for reviewing our manuscript and for offering fine suggestions.

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FOREWORD

In the United States, approximately 1 million people die each year of heart disease. Approximately 25% of these people die suddenly. Their death is the first sign of their heart disease…the obstructions in their arteries, growing out of a lifetime of eating too much cholesterol and fat.

As a cardiologist, I had seen, only too often, the end stage of this process. When I met Nathan Pritikin in 1977, he assured me that the whole process was almost completely preventable and to some extent, reversable. I became the cardiologist at his Longevity Center in Santa Barbara and later the Medical Director at his center in Santa Monica. I proved to myself that what he said was true. In 1984, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute confirmed what Pritikin had been saying and what I had been prescribing as a cardiologist. The facts are in! What you eat does make a difference.

Micky and Flo Bienenfeld’s book, while not quite as rigorous as Pritikin, gives you wonderfully delicious recipes to fight off the ravages of cholesterol, fat and blocked arteries. Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy.

Joe D. Goldstrich, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Cardiologist and Homeopathic Physician

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND SUGGESTIONS

1. Read recipe through very carefully before beginning, and assemble all ingredients in recipe. Preheat the oven before baking. Use level measures.

2. Use non-stick baking pans for cakes, cookies, breads and muffins. Fry and saute in non-stick frying pans without oil or fat. (Read instrucions in Appendix.) Use wooden or plastic spoons, spatulas and utensils to avoid scratching non-stick surfaces.

3. Use extra large eggs whenever egg whites are called for. To beat egg whites, start at low speed until whites are foamy, and gradually increase speed to high. If there is any trace of yolk or fat in whites, they will not whip properly.

4. Evaporated skimmed milk comes in cans, which can be purchased or ordered by the case in supermarkets. Double-strength reconstituted non-fat milk powder can be used as a substitute.

5. Whip low-fat cottage cheese in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy, whenever whipped cottage cheese is called for. Avoid boiling soups or sauces after cottage cheese has been added, or cottage cheese will curdle. Avoid overbaking cheesecakes or quiches made with cottage cheese or cottage cheese will curdle.

6. Use whole wheat pastry flour in cakes and breads when it is called for. In the event whole wheat pastry flour is not available in your area, whole wheat flour can be substituted, provided that the amount of flour is reduced by 2 tablespoons per cup. Baking time is increased by 5 to 10 minutes. Always test for doneness. For a moister, slightly heavier texture, use whole wheat flour.

7. Take care not to overbake these low or non-fat/cholesterol cakes and breads, or they become too dry. Remove cakes and breads from the oven as soon as cake tester shows no sign of wet, raw, or unbaked batter. A small crumb of dry batter may still cling to tester. That’s O.K. Cakes and breads become a little less moist as they cool.

8. Amount of time required for cooking or baking and number of persons served is only approximate.

9. Be creative and improvise on your own favorite recipes. (Read How to Improvise on Your Favorite Recipes in Appendix.)

THE INTRODUCTION

Welcome to enjoying our superb, gourmet, wholesome vegetarian and many Gluten Free recipes. It is a pleasure to share our fun and delicious way of eating with you. We haven’t always eaten this way. We used to eat a lot of meat, processed foods and sweets. Our diet was also very rich in cholesterol, fat and salt. We became vegetarians about ten years ago. Then, about five years ago, we decided to reduce our intake of cholesterol, fat and salt, and to avoid sugar, caffein, preservatives and artificial additives entirely from our diet. Our friends are amazed by our energy and vigor and so are we.

It was difficult for us at first, giving up all the foods we knew and loved, until we developed our new marvelous recipes to replace the old ones. Now it feels good to be eating tasty, nourishing foods and tempting sweets that are less rich, but still rich-tasting. For example, our carob brownies taste delicious, yet they contain only 1 tablespoon of oil, instead of 1 cup of oil or butter per recipe. Do you know that a cup of oil or butter contains 1600 calories?

We sometimes share a whole creamy custard pie without guilt or a heavy feeling afterwards, because it is made of evaporated skimmed milk, egg whites, a little honey and vanilla. We can munch on our wholesome crunchy and chewy cookies to our hearts delight and feel self-righteous. These contain a variety of wholegrain cereals, egg whites, honey or fruit juice, raisins, carob and spices.

Our easy-to-prepare recipes are original. They contain only the purest, most natural wholegrain and unprocessed ingredients. They are also very low in fat, cholesterol and salt. We throw the yolks of the eggs away and use only the whites. We use non-fat and low-fat dairy products. We avoid both white and brown sugar, white flour and products containing salt, preservatives and additives of any sort. Many of the recipes are already Gluten Free, or can be converted to be.

We try to use as little sweetening as possible in our recipes. In some of our dessert recipes only fruit juice or fruit is used. We use honey instead of sugar because honey is an unprocessed food, complete with all of its own natural enzymes. We do not experience the sugar low we used to get with the small amounts of fruit juice and honey we eat.

Every once in a while we will taste rich food or desserts, but it tastes too rich or too sweet for us. What fun it is to be able to enjoy our lean, wholesome and pure cooking and baking. Our friends and family enthusiastically enjoy the delicious and nutritious foods and desserts we have created. They love to dine with us.

So enjoy preparing our recipes and eating our superb gourmet vegetarian cooking and baking. We wish you all bon appetit.

Florence and Mickey Bienenfeld

DEDICATION

To the many millions of men and women

who choose to reduce their fat, cholesterol, gluten,

salt and sugar intake; and to all who wish to enjoy superb,

nutritious, gourmet, vegetarian cooking and baking at its finest.

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

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Breakfast is a very important meal. A hearty, wholesome breakfast can get you off to a good start, and give you and your loved ones the energy you all need for a productive day. It is so sad to see so many people beginning their day with a donut, coffee and a cigarette.

Breakfast time is the perfect time to eat whole grains which provide Vitamins B, and E and roughage for your body. Brunch is a delightful way to entertain friends. This section offers you a variety of exciting, healthful and tasty breakfast and brunch recipes, which are low in salt, fat and cholesterol. So here’s wishing you a really good day, every day!

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Stuffed Papaya Halves Indian (GF)

This delicate dish is really different. Your guests won’t stop raving.

2 cups low-fat cottage cheese

3 tablespoons potato starch, or cornstarch

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon rum (optional)

1 ¼ teaspoons curry powder

⅛ teaspoon chili powder

1/16 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup raisins

3 ripe Hawaiian papayas, halved and seeded

sprinkle of coriander for topping

Mix together first 9 ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Stir in raisins. Fill 6 papaya halves, sprinkle tops with coriander, and place them in a 9x13-inch non-stick or glass oven-proof baking pan. Bake in a 450° oven for 15 minutes only. Do not overbake. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

Hot Cracked Wheat, Oats and Bran Cereal

For a healthy, delicious hot cereal, mix equal parts of cracked wheat and rolled oats, then add 2 tablespoons or more of unprocessed bran for each cup of cereal mixture. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

1 cup Cracked Wheat-Oats-Bran Cereal mixture

2 cups water

Continues on the next page

Mix together cereal and water in a small non-stick saucepan. Bring cereal to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Serves 2.

Note: — Serve cooked cereal with non-fat milk, honey, sunflower seeds and raisins.

Healthy Seven Grain and Bran Cereal

For a healthy and hearty hot cereal, mix equal parts of 7-grain cereal and rolled oats. Add 2 tablespoons or more of unprocessed bran to each cup of mixture, as desired. Store mixture in an air-tight container in refrigerator.

1 cup Seven Grain and Bran Cereal mixture

2 cups water

Mix cereal and water together in a small, non-stick pan. Bring cereal to boil, reduce heat, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Serves 2.

Note: — Serve with non-fat milk and honey, if desired. Sunflower seeds and raisins are also nice.

Pumpkin-Spiced Cereal

This spicy cereal is an exciting change and especially fun and warming on a cold morning. Leftovers can be eaten as a snack pudding.

½ cup whole grain cereal, uncooked

½ cup evaporated skimmed milk

¾ cup water

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon coriander

Continues on the next page

2 tablespoons