However, the bright, happy news of all this is that we can indeed change our patterns, one meal at a time, one day at a time, one correct choice after the other.  You see, if you choose to eat the correct protein, you will not crave refined sugar.  If you can choose the right fat, your body will not crave the wrong ones.   People only eat the way they do because of previous choices, which create cravings–your body’s attempt to obtain what it really needs–the correct choices (although getting these usually doesn’t happen and so begins the vicious cycle).  A good tip for anybody: take a good digestive enzyme supplement before meals, especially if the meal is cooked or if you’re over 30.

So how can you begin to tune your orchestra for a more harmonious lifestyle?  Easy.  Here are some basic starter lists I’ve compiled to give you a preliminary idea of what defines correct choices from each macronutrient category.  Coupled with your own willpower to actually go out and buy these foods and find simple, healthy ways to prepare them, I think you’ll find you can play any music you want to.  It’s not hard, you just need a little practice.

Good Proteins:

• Split peas, lentils, beans, nuts (raw if possible except peanuts), seeds and whole soybeans.
• NOTE: Try to obtain 35-40% of your body’s weight in grams of protein per day.  For example: I’m 105 pounds, so I try and get 42-44 grams per day.  Our minimum requirement is 18 grams a day, however most people (I especially) can not feel good on that little bit of protein.  Never exceed more than 65-70 grams daily, as it can create long-term hardship on the kidneys and output too much uric acid.  Excessive need for protein is a myth, but that’s not what this article is about.  Just know that eating foods containing the correct amino acids is what’s vital here.  Once amino acids are in the body, then we can build lean proteins.  Common thought is that people get protein from eating protein.  Not so.  Take chickens for example; they are vegans by nature and build the lean muscle that people then eat.  They obtain amino acids from plant foods in order to build those lean muscles.  Same principle applies with us: if we eat correctly, and take amino acids from plant foods, then we can create lean, strong muscle with very little effort of “working out” per say.
• Incorrect proteins:  Whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, fried meat (chicken), soy meats, fatty meats

Good Fats:

• Avocados, hemp seed/oil, flax seed/oil, coconut, olives, walnuts, almonds, savi seeds, chia seeds, grapeseed oil, sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori, arame, hijiki) and seaweed oil
• NOTE: Eating good fats (and taking an enzyme to ensure absorption) will help us to reduce cravings for bad fats (fried foods, chips, saturated animal fats, excessive omega 6 & 9′s) and also reduce cravings for sugar and processed foods made with white flour.  Good fats will also give you better energy, clear thinking, happy moods, better sleep, and keep you trim.
• Incorrect fats: hydrogenated oil, palm oil, canola oil, chips, oily foods, greasy burgers, boxed chips and cookies

Good Carbohydrates:

• All vegetables (broccoli, chard, turnips, radishes, carrots, bok choy, beets, parsnips, brussels sprouts, green beans, red cabbage, cucumbers and more)
• Complex carbohydrates including sprouted grain breads, quinoa pasta, rice and rice pastas, millet, barley, wheat berries, kamut, and spelt berries.  But be careful to portion out just 1 serving for yourself!  Even complex carbohydrates can be overwhelming to digest if there are too many.  NOTE: Avoid white flour, processed sugar (10 grams or less a day is ideal, if any, but aiming to get 20 grams or less per day is good too), doughnuts, pastries, cake, cookies and most cereals.
• Whole fresh fruits.  Not cooked or canned.
• NOTE: Fresh vegetables and fruits are wonderful, especially when organic!  Aim to eat at least 6 servings per day up to as many as you want!  If you currently don’t eat very many daily veggies/fruits, increase the amount gradually.  Some individuals may experience a bit of intestinal discomfort during the adjustment period from the added fiber.  I suggest doing 2 daily servings the first week, then 3 daily servings the next week, then 4, then 5 and so on.
• Incorrect Carbs: white bread, processed crackers with white flour, coffee cake, candy bars, gummi bears, anything made with refined flour, sodas, most items in a vending machine.

Hope you find this information helpful!  Where are you on your journey of healthy eating?  In what ways can you make improvements?  If you find that you’re craving white sugar, reach for a correct protein listed above.  If you find that you’re craving a bad carbohydrate, reach for a good fat or protein on the above list.  If you are craving a bad fat, eat one of the good carbohydrates plus a good fat.

*Macronutrients: Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates.  Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.

What you’ll need:

• 3 bags frozen organic cherries
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 Tablespoons arrowroot
• 1 teaspoon liquid stevia extract
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar (it’s like honey, only from a cactus)
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 store bought crusts (or your own recipe if you wish)

How to make the pie filling:

1. Empty the bags of cherries into a large pot and place on medium heat.
2. In a tiny bowl, mix together the lemon juice, almond extract, agave nectar, and stevia extract.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Stir the cherries, while gradually adding the arrowroot, sprinkling it evenly over the cherries so they are well-coated.  Raise heat to high.
5. Add in the lemon juice mixture while constantly stirring the cherries.  Bring to a boil.  The cherries will cook down a little bit and there will be more liquid once they heat up.
6. Constantly keep stirring until the mixture thickens (this will happen from the arrowroot being activated).
7. Oil a glass pie pan so the bottom crust doesn’t stick.  Put in the bottom crust.
8. Once the cherry mix is thick and pudding-like, turn off the heat and pour into the pie shell, placing the other shell on top.  Slice 5 holes for ventilation and bake for 35 minutes.

True or False?  Eating fat makes you fat.  False.  Eating large amounts of sugar, processed foods, or any kind of simple carbohydrates will make you fat.  Factor in the absence of correct, good fats and you’re sure to be even more fat.  Good fats will keep you thin and regulate metabolism.

True or False?  Eating sugar will make you crave salt.  True.  The more sugary treats we eat, just hours later our bodies will crave salt.  And in return, the saltiness will give way to more sugar cravings.  Those sugar cravings will lead to craving bad fats.  Before you know it, the potato chips, apple turnovers, and cheese platter have us bouncing around like a ball in a pinball game between the sugar, salt and fat.  No wonder we can’t appreciate the taste of freshly steamed vegetables or simply sliced cucumbers–we’re always craving salt, sugar or fats, all of which are missing in fresh veggies.  So it seems in order to break the cycle and regain strong, steady health, all three elements must be adjusted back to healthy levels.  But how?

When it comes to salt, sugar and fat, less of them certainly does mean a more healthy you.  But let’s not forget that there are acceptable forms of all of these dietary components.  When you’re sick, sodium is essential in proper amounts to aid in re-hydration, hence why chicken soup is supposedly “good for you”.  It’s not actually the chicken, but the broth and it’s ratio of sodium content.  I definitely appreciate my daily dose of noodle soup when I’m under the weather!  (If you want to try my favorite, it’s Dr. McDougall’s vegan “chicken” noodle soup.  It’s noodles, broth and veggies, with just 390mg of salt.)  Fruit sugar is certainly acceptable if you’re eating the whole fruit in it’s natural state, not canned!  Fruit juice is a different story because it’s missing the fiber and the fiber is what helps slow down absorption of the sugar into your bloodstream, so fruit juice is along the same lines of white sugar, although certainly dense in minerals!  Good fats are the one exception to the rule.  While low sodium and low sugar are generally a great guideline, fats must be adequate.  Think avocados, olives, flax seeds, flax seed oil, hemp seeds, savi seeds, chia seeds, and raw pumpkin seeds…those are all great examples of good fats.  And of course bad fats, fats like fried foods, doughnuts, pastries, burgers, dairy, any cooked animal meat, or anything stir-fried at too high of a temp, is not only going to make you fat, but will build up inside too, making you feel lethargic, weak, tired and craving more bad fats, sugar and definitely salt.  Major conundrum.

Sodium levels should never exceed 1200 mg a day for average individuals, that is, if you’re not in the category of having a medical reason to “watch your salt”.  Otherwise a low sodium regimen of about 700mg a day or less is necessary.  But the truth is most people are eating over 1500mg a day and sometimes as much as 3600mg!  No wonder our blood pressure is soaring in this nation!  We eat fast food, therefore we have high blood pressure!  The more processed a food is, the salt content is usually high as well.  That’s because the taste of how crumby the food really is must be disguised.  However, if you’re eating patterns and habits are formed around whole food, not processed, but always fresh, having to “watch your salt” is not really an issue.  Fresh foods are very low in salt.  Did you know that just a tiny 1/4 teaspoon contains 590mg?  A good rule of thumb I always follow while cooking from a recipe is to automatically cut the salt in half.  You can usually get away with this and it still tastes perfectly fine!

Keep your processed sugar intake to under 20 grams or less per day.  Most folks end up somewhere around the 100 gram mark by the end of the day, or more.   And it’s very easy to do.  Between the maple syrup at breakfast, cookies as a snack at the office, ketchup on the hotdog at lunch, mid-day soda, and all the garbage in between, that sugar consumption is booming.  If you want to chase away a sugar craving, grab some protein and that will cancel it.  Make a protein smoothie and bring it to work.  I like hemp protein from VEGA.  Blend it with a non-dairy milk.  Stash some raw almonds in your purse or backpack.  Pumpkin seed bars, Mrs. Mays snacks, and homemade treat bars if you’d like.  Or try packing just a good ol’ apple and enjoy the sweetness of that all by itself.

Remember, your body needs good fat, and quite a bit of it!  Our brains and nervous systems rely on it.  Good fats are protective and we need at least 20-30 grams a day.  Without good fats, such as avocados, olives, flax seeds, flax seed oil, hemp seeds, savi seeds, chia seeds, and raw pumpkin seeds, we will have brittle hair and nails, poor skin health, and dull, dry eyes.  Plus we won’t think clearly or be happy and have a good outlook on life.  With good fats missing from our diets it will also be hard to stay in shape or have energy! An average serving of flax seed oil is 14 grams.  If you make a hemp smoothie, you’re looking at about 7 additional grams.  So stock up!

Out of all three components (sugar, salt and fat), I’d say the most important one to fix first is the fat.  Start getting better fats in your diet, while eliminating the bad ones and then fixing the other two will be easier.  All three are connected.  YOU are in charge of your health.  Making better decisions is a snap if you have the right knowledge!  Here’s to a new year and a new you!

What you’ll need:

• 2 small/medium acorn squashes
• 2/3 cup millet (pre-cooked)
• 2 1/4 cup water (or vegetable broth if you don’t want to make your own broth)
• 2 tsp. veg. broth powder (if not using a pre-made broth already)
• 1/2 cup mixed frozen veggies (I used peas and carrots)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 dried Turkish apricots, chopped

What to do:

1. Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a large baking dish (or two smaller ones) with about 1/2 inch of water.
2. Cut each squash in half, scoop out seeds, and place cut side down in the water.  Bake for one hour.
3. In the meanwhile, cook the millet in the water and add the vegetable broth powder.  Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cover with the lid, leaving it angled and slightly open a bit.   Stir occasionally.  It may take between 30-40 minutes until soft and fluffy, with water absorbed but not too dry.
4. Add in frozen veggies, walnuts, and apricots.  Cover with lid and let sit until the squash is done cooking.
5. When squash is done, remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes before moving to a plate.
6. Scoop in the filling evenly between the four halves.  Serve hot!

Preparing a nice side dish of veggies is easy!  Just use a steamer, then chop and plop your choice of veggies in for about 5 minutes.

Beets are a smart choice because they are great for the blood.  Did you know that they build red blood cells and help repair anemia?  They are also wonderful for boosting the function of the lymphatic system so are a nice choice if you have a cold or flu.  Ideally they should be juiced, but lightly steaming is still beneficial.

Broccoli is deep green of course, and that just shows us how rich in calcium, magnesium and trace minerals it is.  It maintains good integrity of cells, promoting an alkalizing, cancer-unfriendly environment, while also being helpful for colon and cervical health.  It’s high in chlorophyll as well, so it helps you feel more energetic and will let you snooze better at night too.

What you’ll need:

• Any chosen amount of organic golden or red beets, chopped (1/2 large beet per serving/person)
• Any chosen amount of organic broccoli, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup per serving/person)

What to do:

1. Start with a soup pot and fill it with about 1/2 inch of water.  Bring to a boil.
2. Unfold your steamer and place it in the pot.  Put in chopped veggies
3. Set heat to medium-low and steam for 5 minutes.  Drain and serve.

Stir fried, yet still fresh tasting and a tad crunchy

I’ll admit it.  I hate cooked spinach.  I really do.  Wilted spinach?  Alright…

But, when you overcook any leafy green, my friends, that’s when your skating on thin ice.  So when it comes to good ol’ KALE, I’m practically in love.  Lightly sauteed kale with fresh garlic and olive oil is where it’s at.  Not heated so high that the nutrients are lost or that the leaves are limp and chewy, but slowly warmed so that the kale leaves are bright green and a bit crispy…and so that the olive oil is left in tact, not ruined from overheating.

This is as easy as 1,2,3….plus, when done right, kale is tasty!  Another important fact about kale is that it’s also got some awesome available calcium, magnesium, boron and a surplus of other minerals to offer.  An entire bunch (usually about 7-8 leaves) just about a day’s worth of this bone building mineral.

Preparation is simple!

What you’ll need:

• 1 bunch organic kale, washed
• 2 Tablespoons organic olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic (or chopped finely)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable broth (if you got it, otherwise no big deal)

What to do:

1. In a frying pan, on low heat, place the olive oil with the garlic and saute for about 3 minutes.  Pour in broth.
2. Add in the  the chopped kale (I cut it into 1-inch wide slices) and sprinkle with salt.  Mix with wooden spoon and saute gently for about 4-5 more minutes.  The kale should be wilted down a bit, but still bright green, and definitely not soggy.

Whatever your reasons for avoiding veggies are, it’s a new year!  Grab a new outlook on how you can actually eat more daily veggies.  How do I like my vegetables best?  Lightly steamed, gradually sauteed, or even raw.  Not fried.  Not overcooked.  And certainly not drowning in a sauce full of all sorts of preservatives.

Fresh is best, we may all know that by now.  Somehow, buying and preparing fresh veggies on a regular basis hasn’t formed a habit yet with most of us.   The complicated part is battling with ourselves and our upbringing.  Raise your hand out there if you were brought up with the notion of eating cauliflower as part of your breakfast or steamed carrots on the side instead of fries!  Any takers?  Not many, I’m sure.  Lots of potato lovers out there I bet–myself included.  However, if you are a person with only corn and potatoes on your list of  “veggie” favorites, perhaps it’s time to taste a different rainbow?  (Not skittles!  Veggies!)  When was the last time you shredded radishes on a salad?  Tossed some root vegetables like parsnips, rutabaga, or celeriac in an herbed olive oil and roasted for awhile?  Truth is, whether you decide to eat more veggies alone, or add them to various dishes, we all can use more.  We should be shooting for 10 servings a day.

The key is:  keep it simple.  Grab 1, 2, or 3 different vegetables, throw them in a pan, drizzle in a dash of olive oil, and pick a fresh herb.  Veggie, oil, herb.  And a pinch, just a pinch, of sea salt.  Seriously.  That’s all.  Saute for 4-5 minutes,  scoop onto your plate, and then savor the flavor, my dear.  When prepared correctly, plant food is in fact (gasp!) quite delicious.  Plus, it’s more nutritious as well…don’t even bother with overcooked, soggy, pale and lifeless veggies–they are practically devoid of any relevant nutrition.   Here’s some tips of how I do the following.

Steam: Put a veggie steamer in a big soup pot with about an inch of water.  Bring water to a rolling boil. Put in coarsely chopped veggies, and reduce heat to low.  Steam for 4 minutes, not longer than 5, with the cover on.

Saute: Drizzle olive oil once around a frying pan (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons).  On low/medium heat (so between low and medium), add your chopped vegetables.  Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt, a bit of pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes.  Mix around veggies with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Raw: I know this might be cheesy, but I love my Salad Shooter.  With it, there is no good excuse for not getting my daily dose of vegetables.  It makes any sort of shredding or slicing a cinch.  Radishes, carrots, celery, cucumber, zucchini, and many others come out looking like you spent hours.  Put together a salad in no time!  (Or veggie lasagna, spaghetti, pizza toppings, etc.)

Roast: After slicing vegetables (I like to do squash in my salad shooter) take a pastry brush and skim some olive oil over a baking sheet, lay down the vegetables, and brush top side of veggies then sprinkle with a bit of salt or garlic granules.  Turn your oven to 350 degrees and throw them in for 25 minutes.  If you feel so inspired, do this with bell peppers and you can then peel off the skins easily after cooking…this makes them extra soft and chewable.  Beautiful!

Baked: You only need to put about 1/2 inch of water in a glass baking dish, put in your chopped veggies, then cover with tin foil, bake at 350 degrees for about 45-55 minutes.  Presto!  Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley!

All it takes to meet n’ greet new veggies in your life is a bit of creativity and a leap of faith.  Having a few handy kitchen gadgets like a salad shooter, pastry brush or veggie steamer, does make it easy and lets participation of eating healthier food more convenient and encouraging.  Buy some asparagus.  Saute some green beans.  Start an adventure.

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Bleep. Bleep….bleep, bleep! That’s the sound of each item passing through the scanner at the checkout counter.

Bleep! There go the crackers.

Bleep! A block of organic cheese.

Bleep! Bleep! Two candy bars…followed by some goat milk, organic chicken nuggets, sourdough bread, frozen meals, and natural doughnuts. No sign of any fresh produce. Poor broccoli, taking the backseat again.

As the cashier rings up the herbal immunity formula, B-complex vitamins, and colon cleanse, the bleeping continues. My mind starts to wander… “Would she still need that colon cleanse as badly if she eliminated the chicken and dairy products in her cart?” I say to myself.

I suppose you can tell a lot about people, just from what’s in their shopping carts.

So much for the immunity formula—the sugar from the candy bars and doughnuts inhibits immunity…while one item is bringing it up, there’s another bringing it down, down so low that the immune formula possibly isn’t working one bit. Sugar creates such an acidic environment in the body; it must be eaten in limited amounts and avoided altogether when sick.

I stand there, analyzing the person’s purchase standing in line in front of me, feeling guilty about being critical of a stranger, realizing that it’s more often than not in which I non-intentionally evaluate grocery carts on a regular basis. As a Nutritionist, it’s almost hard not to. But why is it that the greater percentage of items in a typical cart is unhealthy? Even in a “health food store”? America is fascinated with flour, sugar, milk and chicken. Over and over, it seems to be the same four ingredients popping up. I keep telling myself, there is some truth to the matter here. Something is wrong with this bigger picture. Even in a health food store, with lots of food and vitamins, I somehow can’t help but wonder which products could be or should be eliminated altogether.

Perhaps it’s not that there are foods to be eradicated from existence, but maybe that we as a collective whole need to be aware of the consequences and/or benefits with every product we consume. Can you really expect to eat loads of sugar everyday without having high cholesterol or diabetes down the road? Do you really think you can eat dairy 3-5 times a day and not suffer from hormonal issues, diabetes, weight gain or acne? How in the world can you possibly eat wheat, in some shape or form, 5-7 times a day and not eventually develop a sensitivity?

If we as consumers could connect the dots with food and its parallel with well-being, how far would we be willing to go to try and prevent, delay or reverse the damage? Would you cut out the dairy if you knew about the direct link to your laundry list of concerns? At the same time, saving yourself money on supplements that deal with the hormones, diabetes, weight loss and acne because of the dairy consumption? Individually, how responsible are we for our health? And if we have been through school, learned Math, Geography, or even Quantum Physics, why in the world haven’t we been taught the very basic ABC’s of Nutrition? How many of us out there even know what a hemp nut is or tastes like? Or further, do we understand that it has a complete amino acid profile? These little plant based goodies can brag about one of the most perfect forms of protein on the planet…so what other basics of nutrition are we lacking knowledge of? Who can list the basic cruciferous vegetables?

What we need to ask ourselves, the next time we meander the aisles at the grocery store, is, “What will this food do for me? Where will this get me or who will it make me become?” Are there foods that can clean the colon? Build immunity? Support the liver? Sure! With the same token, are there foods that can do the opposites? Lower immunity? Clog the colon? Destroy your liver? Bet your bottom dollar! One of the books that I absolutely love, and is a huge help in learning the correlation of food to health is Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A. Balch.

So then, what’s all the hype about? What IS the allure of the “vitamin store” anyway? A person may think that shopping at a “health store” means you’ll be healthy, however, do we need to step back, and re-examine this perception? Is it all black and white? Or is there a gray area; an area where we need to read between the lines? Can health food stores be a haven for junk food too? All these options, whether they are actually healthy, disguised as healthy, or just a step away from regular junk food, has seemed to land under one roof. Remember, just because it’s on the shelves in a health store, even if it’s organic, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Better than other options? Quite possibly!

But what is it about the “vitamin store” concept that really bothers me? It’s that we’re spending lots of money on food and even more money on supplements. Supplements should be exactly that—a supplement to an already great food plan. Perfect example: spending a small fortune on “anti-aging” facial creams, when, these very same individuals eat fried foods, meat, alcohol, dairy, and excess refined sugar (top five aging foods in my opinion).

I’m not trying to insult anyone’s food choices by any means. I’m only trying to raise awareness that today’s health is influenced directly by yesterday’s choices. YOUR choices. Can you imagine how much more profound the affects would be if someone omitted those foods and then added the anti-aging facial cream? What if people then ate anti-aging foods in addition to eliminating the aging foods? Wow! Then the effects become even more pronounced! Diets are not only about what you subtract from your daily chow-down, but about what you add in as well. For every negative food that is subtracted, we must add in a positive food. Trying to eliminate fried foods yet still craving them big time? Examine your diet to see if you have any good fats. The body will crave bad fats when the good ones are missing. Not all fats are bad. Throw in some olives, avocados, flax seed oil, and some quality omega-3’s. Remember that quality comes at a price, but at the end of the day is worth it.

We must build ourselves from the inside out, as much as we can, as often as we can. Don’t rely on a supplement to do for you what your diet already can. Look to the food you consume first. If we continue learning more and more everyday, and take more responsibility for our health, then so we pursue a more enlightened, proactive lifestyle.

Wrap them and go! A snack for your purse, backpack or glovebox!

Need a nice, quick, healthy snack?  With warm scents of cinnamon and clove, a sprinkling of cranberries and pecans, these little squares are sure to make anyone smile!  Plus a boost of energy and correct protein with the addition of some hemp seeds.  Happy Harvest!

What you’ll need:

• 3 cups crispy brown rice cereal (I like Erewhon)
• 1/2 cup of Hemp Hearts (Hemp seed nuts from Manitoba Harvest)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pecan halves or pieces
• 1/2 cup carob (or chocolate) chips
• 1/2 cup almond butter, a heaping serving
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, a heaping serving
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to make the bars!

1. Measure out the cereal, hemp seeds, cranberries, pecans, and carob/chocolate chips in a big bowl.
2. Heat the maple and agave syrups on low in a pot.  Add the almond butter, vanilla and spices.  Whisk together until smooth and creamy.  Turn off heat.
3. Add to the cereal mix and stir thoroughly with a rubber spatula to combine the gooey syrup with all the ingredients so they stick together.
4. Place the mixture into an 8 X8 pan for thicker bars or a 9X13 for thinner bars.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before cutting into squares with a sharp knife.  Using a butter knife may not cut them nicely.  Store in the fridge.

I originally perfected this recipe on Valentine's Day last year and it was a perfect dinner for us!

Need to warm up on a chilly Autumn night?  This simple soup is just the ticket!  Try my non-dairy version of one of the world’s favorite soups.  Enjoy!

What you’ll need:

• 5 medium sized organic Idaho potatoes, peeled
• 1 organic white onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 can Navy Beans (I use Eden Organic)
• 1/4 tsp.  Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp. garlic
• 10 grinds of fresh black pepper
• 7 grinds of fresh white pepper
• 3 bouillon cubes: 2 Garden Veggie, 1 Not Chicken (I use Edward & Sons)
• 1 1/2 cups rice milk
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp. soy butter

Garnish with:

• 1 bunch scallions, rinsed and chopped finely
• Daiya Cheese (Cheddar Flavor, comes shredded)
• Non-dairy sour cream: 1/2 block firm tofu, 2 Tsp. Lemon Juice, 2-3 Tbsp. Grapeseed Oil, 1/4 tsp. salt.  Mix all in a food processor till smooth.

Let’s get cooking!

1. Start by washing the potatoes and then peeling them.  Fill a medium/large pot halfway with water, and bring to a boil.
2. Next chop up the onion and set in a bowl.
3. In a big soup pot, go twice quickly around the pot with olive oil (2-3 Tbsp?).  Put heat on low-medium and add the onion, salt, coriander, garlic, black pepper and white pepper.  Let saute for about 5 minutes until translucent. Stir occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, dice the potatoes.  Don’t have to be too small of pieces, I usually cut each potato into 8 pieces.
5. To the pot with the onions, add the 2 cups of water and the bouillon cubes.  Bring heat to medium until the cubes dissolve, then turn off the heat.
6. Add the potatoes to the boiling pot of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle, rolling boil (low heat) and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Drain potatoes, run cold water over them for ten seconds or so and return to the pot.  Add the soy butter.
8. In a blender, ladle in a couple scoops of potatoes, some of the beans (after rinsing) add a bit of the onion mixture and some of the soymilk/ricemilk.  Basically blend the potatoes, beans, onion mix, and milks.  I had to do this in three batches in the blender.  Add the finished batch into the big soup pot, then blend the next batch, and the next.  Stir the big soup pot to combine everything evenly.  You may have to reheat a bit if you plan on serving this right away.
9. Garnish with your wonderful toppings!