Discover the secret of my 3 easy ways to make a positive change in your diet, and enjoy a recipe for grilled tempeh with raspberry, horseradish mustard sauce.

This quick and easy recipe will knock your socks off! The sauce does double duty as the perfect dressing, as well as a sweet/savory sauce – though it’s pink it is not overly sweet. The flavors of horseradish and mustard hold their own in counterbalance to the fresh raspberry.

Change your mindset .

Think about the foods you CAN have that you will enjoy instead of thinking about what you are cutting out. Keep in mind the fact that you can now eat more foods such as avocados, nuts and beans – whereas before you may not have wanted to allocate the calories/fat/carbs to those foods. When I did that I got super excited!

Here is a great example in action. Just this past weekend my family ate at Lulu’s Waterfront Grill – a casual dining spot on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley. At first glance I saw lots of fried seafood – not anything that I was super excited about until I spied a Mediterranean salad with calamari and homemade vinaigrette. I told the waiter to please leave the fried calamari and feta off and add avocado. I was ecstatic when it came out with fresh field greens topped with a gorgeously creamy half avocado! It was one of the best salads I’ve had in a while. Even though I chose not to have the fried calamari and feta – I adore avocado which would not normally have been on the salad. Outcome – I was happier and more satisfied and didn’t have the weighted down feeling of fried food.

Educate Yourself.

It will make change MUCH easier if you educate yourself on what you’re eating. DO read the ingredients. Don’t stop after you read the calories, carbs and fat.

When I decided to change to a plant based diet there were so many reasons why I wanted to make the change – namely the suffering of animals, the environmental aspects and all the hormones and antibiotics they pump into our food – but once I really learned about what was happening in my body from the animal foods after reading the China Study, it became a no-brainer. I made the change instantly and haven’t looked back.

Maybe there is just one processed food you would love to give up….try my tip and research the ingredients then use resources to figure out what those are. You will amaze your family and impress your friends! I love Vani’s website http://foodbabe.com/. She researches ingredients in many of the popular “foods” from the commercial food industry and exposes the horrific ingredients. If you find out there is raspberry flavoring derived from the anus of a muskrat in your favorite raspberry pop tart you are much less likely to even want to eat it.

Take small steps that will compound into major change over time.

Read the Compound Effect. http://www.thecompoundeffect.com/

Say you want to switch to a plant based diet but are overwhelmed by how you would possibly find things to eat and meals to prepare. Instead shutting down and saying you could never do such a thing – start small. Find ONE recipe that sounds really delicious and is naturally vegan or gluten free – such as this Grilled Tempeh with Raspberry, Horseradish Mustard Sauce. 🙂 Don’t get too complicated. Do repeat for two weeks. The third week make your one recipe but then go out to your favorite restaurant and look at the menu to see if there is a way you could sub something you love for meat and/or dairy. The fourth week do those two things and try a new ingredient…..you get the picture.

Here is another example for you. There is an entree salad I love at a Stonewood – a steak house. It normally comes with chicken or fish and has cheese on it. Instead I get extra pine nuts and sundried tomatoes – two ingredients I saw elsewhere on the menu. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. The more we ask the faster restaurants will get the picture. Vote with your fork! Do ask the waiter what ingredients come on the salad that weren’t on the menu. Cheese? Bacon bits? Mayo or dairy based dressing?

Remember: Look at this positively. Have fun. Get creative. If you start associating this process with feelings of enjoyment, gratitude and pride – you are much more likely to create a positive experience for yourself and stick with it until it becomes habit. When it comes down to a change – it all comes down to habit. Enjoy the process and soon you won’t even have to think about it!

Recipe:

This quick and easy recipe will knock your socks off! The sauce does double duty as the perfect dressing, as well as a sweet/savory sauce – though it’s pink it is not overly sweet. The flavors of horseradish and mustard hold their own in counterbalance to the fresh raspberry.

Grilled Tempeh with Raspberry, Horseradish Mustard Sauce

Vegan, Gluten Free

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 blocks tempeh, cut in half

Olive oil spray

Coarse sea salt, fresh black pepper, onion powder to taste

Raspberry Sauce (Makes 8-10 Tbsp)

1/2 cup fresh raspberries**

2 Tbsp horseradish mustard, such as Annie’s Organic

2 tsp agave (or honey if non-vegan)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp chopped red onion

2 Tbsp water

3 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the grill to medium high; spray both sides of tempeh evenly with olive oil; season with salt, pepper & onion powder. Grill each side 5-7 minutes or until char marks appear.

2. Mix raspberry sauce in blender or Magic Bullet.

3. Pour 2 Tbsp raspberry sauce over each serving tempeh; top with a few fresh raspberries and red onion to garnish.

Nutrition Facts

4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 225.8

Total Fat 16.3 g

Saturated Fat 2.6 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 9.2 g

Cholesterol 0.0 mg

Sodium 178.9 mg

Potassium 260.8 mg

Total Carbohydrate 11.8 g

Dietary Fiber 1.1 g

Sugars 0.1 g

Protein 10.6 g

Vitamin A 0.4 %

Vitamin B-12 0.8 %

Vitamin B-6 6.6 %

Vitamin C 6.6 %

Vitamin E 6.6 %

Calcium 6.7 %

Copper 16.5 %

Folate 4.5 %

Iron 9.2 %

Magnesium 12.3 %

Manganese 44.8 %

Niacin 8.2 %

Pantothenic Acid 2.0 %

Phosphorus 15.3 %

Riboflavin 12.7 %

Selenium 0.2 %

Thiamin 3.3 %

Zinc 4.8 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.