On Friday nights (check the time on your guide), the Cooking Channel has leapt into the future (or should I say, the very plant-based, fabulous present, actually) and is broadcasting the first primetime all vegan cooking show! First, let me shout a resounding BRAVO, while giving those very smart people at the Cooking Channel a hearty round of applause! Now, I’d like to cordially invite you to join me in watching, “How to Live 100,” hosted by the very entertaining chef, Jason Wrobel.
“For the toe-curling, world-rocking, mind-bending, earth-shattering recipes that will have you looking like a rockstar.”—as quoted on Jason Wrobel’s website
Although “How To Live to 100” does not specifically identify itself as a vegan show but a healthy cooking show, it is keenly centered around the wonderful benefits of plant-based nutrition including easy recipes, interesting food ideas and valuable nutritional information. The hope would be that if you incorporate this wisdom into your life, it will certainly help you live healthier longer, if not to 100, then way past your expected mortality rate if you continued eating the typical American diet of excessive fat, sugar, animal derived and garbage foods.
What makes this show different and fun to watch is Jason Wrobel! Born in Detroit, trained at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, apprenticed under the world’s foremost talented chefs, Jason Wrobel is an accomplished culinary artist and has made fans of celebrities such as Woody Harrelson, Jeremy Piven, Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, John C. Reilly, Steve Buscemi, Isabelle Adjani, Oren Moverman and Russell Simmons, to name-drop a few.
“How to Live to 100” premiered last Friday night and I must admit, I was very excited, anticipating this major step forward in whole-food, plant-based nutrition. It’s quirky but a very enjoyable quirky. There are cartoons to animate the wonder of vegetables. There are auxiliary characters, mentors and friends (human, not animated) that move the action along. There’s humor and goofiness—this is one show that does not take itself seriously, although it does take its mission to help you live to the over-ripened old age of 100 very seriously, indeed. And then, of course, most importantly, there are the recipes and food prep demonstration which form the essence of the program.
Last week’s show, entitled “Goin’ Back to Cauli,” was all about cauliflower and when the show is over, you are certainly well versed in why you should be eating more cauliflower and you will be armed with several great looking recipes to get you there:
Recipes Included on Episode 1 of “How To Live 100”
These can be found on the Cooking Channel, “How To Live to 100” website (below)
- 1) Cauliflower-Lentil Tacos with Fresh Guacamole
- 2) Cauliflower Bisque
- 3) Cauliflower-Parsnip Mash with Swedish “Neatballs”
- 4) Cheesy Cauliflower “Popcorn”
- 5) Alu Gobhi
- 6) Buffalo-Style Cauliflower with Cashew-Dill Dipping Sauce
Through humor and inventiveness, Jason takes the viewer on a cauliflower-led journey. As a lover of the cauliflower, all colors included, I was already on the bandwagon and ready to try making the cauliflower-lentil tacos. The entire recipe appears of the Cooking Channel website, but here is the part that I was most interested in, the cauliflower-lentil taco filling:
CAULIFLOWER-LENTIL TACO FILLING
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 1 head cauliflower, cored and broken into florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- 1) Rinse the lentils and drain well. Combine the lentils and 3 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain of excess water and set the lentils aside.
- 2) Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until reduced to pieces the size of rice grains.
- 3) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- 4) Add the cauliflower, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of the coriander and cook for 4 minutes.
- 5) Stir in the tomato sauce and cook until the cauliflower is tender, another 3 minutes.
- 6) Add the cooked lentils to the cauliflower mixture. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon coriander. Stir in the salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes more to blend the flavors.
When Jason demonstrated this recipe on the show, it looked fabulous! I was completely ready to make it exactly as he did, but I’m always looking for an easier and/or quicker method without sacrificing health or taste, so I did make one adjustment in that I used a can of organic cooked lentils. When I have more time I will make the lentils from scratch. The result was delicious and so close to beefy taco meat that it is was really hard to tell the difference.
Last year for Super Bowl Sunday, I actually made Cauliflower “Buffalo” Wings that looked very similar to the recipe he did on this first show. I included the recipe in a blog post I did about great vegan food to serve while watching the game. I can attest to the tastiness of this recipe! With that exciting day around the corner, take a look at the original posting….click on Vegan Super Bowl Winners
Debby also loves Jason’s Chocolate Spirulina Bliss Balls which are not only the tastiest snacks in the world, but they are little powerhouses of nutrition too! You can click here for the recipe.
Tonight’s show on “How to Live to 100”, is called “Attack of Scrumptious Tomato,” and is sure to be a great one:
“Jason explores how taking care of your skin and bones is essential to living to 100. He finds that tomatoes are the perfect superfood when it comes to eating for stronger bones, healthier skin, and – as an added bonus – the fiber in these magical fruits will do wonders for your waistline. With recipes like Peruvian Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes, Dessert Crepes with Strawberry Tomato Sauce, and some amazing low-cal Smoked Tomato Tacos that he creates with Jeffrey Gardner at Alma Cocina restaurant, Jason will have you coming back for more delicious recipes that will help you live to 100.”
For a taste of Jason Wrobel’s style, take a look at his video of how to make a rich, satisfying vegan Tortilla Soup…
More links to check out…..
Cooking Channel How To Live to 100
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xox Enjoy
