Protective Diet Class #301 Notes:

Kids’ Spaghetti Pasta-Bake Casserole and Demonstration featuring Melt and Bake Cheeze

This class simplifies dinner. Walk in the door after a busy day and throw it all in a casserole pan. Keep it simple or take it next level. Let it bake while you sit down and relax, or make a cold salad to pair with this hot starch. Cheezy comfort casseroles—we have it all!

Announcements

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Vocabulary

Functional Food

Insoluble Fiber

Curcumin

Capsaicin

Action Steps for a “Throw Together” Comfort Casserole

• Use Simple PD Kitchen Systems
• Make it easy to boost the flavor, protection, texture and satisfaction of plant-based meals by maintaining a few systems:

Tofu Rotation—keep 4 to 8 boxes of tofu on hand at all times.

– Put half of them in the “meat” drawer in the fridge—these will be used for Dressings, Mousse, Eggless Omelets and more.

– Put the other half in the freezer—these will be used for Ground Crumbles. Tofu frozen for 24+hrs, then defrosted releases

   its liquid and becomes a “dry sponge” ready to soak up marinades and seasonings. The spongy texture resembles meat.

– Transfer tofu from freezer to refrigerator the night before, or in the morning, so it’s thawed by evening meal prep time.

– Mark defrosted tofu with an “X” to indicate the change in texture, so it doesn’t get mixed up or misused.

Make Organic Soymilk—make a cost-effective quart of organic soymilk to use in PD recipes from Jerry’s Organic Plant-based Yogurt, to Quickie Cream of Veggie Soup, to Kids’ Spaghetti Casserole. Use the by-product, okara, in protective baked goods.

Pre-Chop Cruciferous Veg—chop, then wash and dry kale in a salad spinner. Lay it out to dry on kitchen towels, then “vacuum” pack it in a plastic bag by squeezing out all the air. It will stay fresh for weeks. Make Dry Steamed Kale or add to casseroles and soups. Chop broccoli and cauliflower 30 minutes before cooking to maximize sulforaphane production.

Fermented Toppings—garnish your meal with Probiotic Pickled Onions and a bright pop of Ruby Raw Kraut to add flavor, replenish healthy gut microbes, increase bioavailability and protect the immune system at a microscopic level.

Stock Up on Pantry Staples—with Pasta, Tapioca Starch, and Plant-Based Broth Mix on hand, you have meals at the ready.

• Make Great Food—Kids’ Spaghetti Casserole

Casserole Assembly: – Preheat oven. – Choose a baking dish—glass    or ceramic = easy cleanup. – Choose a pasta—white    spaghetti bakes for 40    minutes. Large pasta/whole    wheat pasta = 45 minutes. – Add liquids, seasonings &    hearty vegetables to the    baking dish. – Add pasta just before    putting it in the oven to    prevent presoaking. – Break spaghetti into 1-inch    sections for unique texture. – Cover casserole & place on    a rimmed baking sheet to    catch any bubble over. – Set a timer and bake.

Optional Meaty Addition: – Prepare marinade. – Crush spices w/a mortar &    pestle for best flavor infusion. – Squeeze liquid from defrosted    tofu—ring it out like a sponge    over the sink. – Break into medium/large   “meat” crumbles. Small    crumbles will disappear and    blend in, like seasoning. – Hand-press tofu crumbles    into the marinade so the    flavor gets drawn in like    water into a “dry sponge”. – Spread out on a lined,    rimmed baking sheet. – Add to oven w/casserole. – Set a separate timer for the    crumbles’ shorter bake time.

Browned Cheezy Topping: – Make Melt & Bake Cheeze.    according to the original    recipe w/the addition of 2    extra Tablespoons of yogurt    for increased pour-ability. – Read the Pro Tips on the    Kids’ Spaghetti Casserole    recipe for all instructions.   Final Assembly: – Set oven to broil. – Uncover and stir casserole. – Add tender add-ins, like:    fresh herbs, spinach, peas,    tomatoes and crumbles. – Spread the cheeze topping,    but not quite to the edges. – Broil on the center oven    rack. Not too close to the    broiler or it will burn.

50/50 Plating: – Make a Chopped Salad.    A hot starchy dinner makes    salad more possible in the cold    winter. Plate salad along with    hot starch comfort food. – Find a PD salad dressing that    you love, like: Spices & Herbs    Vinaigrette. Dress heavily. – Julie’s salad: iceberg lettuce,    red cabbage, celery, carrot,    yellow bell pepper, cucumber,    apple, peas, radish, onion – Chop everything uniformly. – Toss in a mixing bowl, then    plate 50/50 with the casserole. – Don’t overwhelm your family    with salad—take one scoop if    you don’t love it, two if you do. – Garnish with ferments.

• Visualize the Protective Functional Foods that are Plentiful in this Simple Casserole
• Genistein—from organic soybeans is an angiogenesis inhibitor that prevents cancer growth.
• Curcumin—from Protective Diet Plant-Based Broth Mix is anti-inflammatory.
• Allium family—garlic is anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, cancer protective and reduces blood pressure.
• Piperine—from black pepper helps with fat loss & increases bioavailability/absorption of nutrients in other foods.
• Sulforaphane—from cruciferous vegetables detoxifies the liver, improves cardiovascular health, fights cancer, etc.
• Insoluble Plant Fiber—feeds healthy gut microbes that repair the gut lining (epithelium), keeping viruses & pathogens out.
• This is part of your wellness practice. See the protection in your food and feel good about what you are putting in your body. Know what it’s doing for your microbes and your immune system. There is no guilt associated with this food.
• This is making you healthier. This is all about betterment. There is nothing we could do that would be better for us than the time we spend in our kitchen. We cannot outrun a bad diet. If you spend an extra 15 minutes chopping one or two extra veggies, or adding some herbs to our casserole, or throwing together a ferment, you are giving your body, your microbes, so much advantage. Plant fiber is the key to wellness.

Cooking Tips

• Read the entire recipe, from the Description to Pro Tips. Every Note is there to help you avoid what doesn’t work.
• Add an additional 2T. of yogurt to Melt and Bake Cheeze for better pour-ability on casseroles, Nachos, or Pizza.
• Use the pressure cook function for one minute if your pressure cooker does not have a steam function.
• Make Melt and Bake Cheeze ahead of time. Quick-release and let it sit on the counter for a couple hours. It will be fine. Leave the whisk in it so you can quickly stir before pouring and spreading.
• Radishes—cut off the leaves and put the radishes in a jar of water. Keep in the fridge and change the water often.
• Defrost frozen peas by putting them in a mug or jar with some warm water. Strain and enjoy.
• Make individual, customized salads for diners who are more particular about certain ingredients.
• When baking two things in the oven at the same time, the bake time might be slightly longer because of reduced circulation.
• Clean as you go. Clean-up is easy with fat-free ingredients, even if they are baked on. Create a paste with baking soda, castile soap and vinegar. Scrub the pan and rinse.

Student Q&A

Q: Is tapioca starch the same thing as tapioca flour? (27:40)

Q: What are the nutritional benefits of banana peel? (1:13:03)

Encouragement

• If you want a cooking partner that’s me. I’m here to walk you through this and guide you along.
• Remember the foods you loved, and work with the Protective Diet recipes to make the same things.
• Keep trying spicy foods. Just keep adding a little bit because the capsaicin is incredibly protective and exciting once you get past the idea that you are going to burn holes in your tongue. It doesn’t happen. It warms you up a little bit. It’s exciting.
• One of the most protective things we can eat is fruit, so if you are not into the veggies yet, get some fruit in your freezer.
• The most important thing is that you keep the cancer and disease fertilizers out of the diet, not so much adding veg right away.

“What is a Protective Diet really about? It’s about great food. It’s about eating, not restricting. It’s about what we CAN eat and celebrating comfort food casseroles like we are tonight.”

Recommended Recipes

Ground Crumbles	Sheet Pan Quesadillas	Mix and Mac	Plant-Based Stroganoff
Gyro Crumbles	Caesar Salad	Daily Dressing	Pozole Rojo
Italian Sausage Crumbles	Mandel Bread	Sushi Roll Bowl	Probiotic Pepper Sauce

Recommended Classes

#276 Mastering PD Cooking Techniques featuring Plant-Based Stroganoff	#269 Enjoying Delicious Food
#148 Sulforaphane Protection: Maximizing Protection on a Protective Diet	#243 Health Benefits of Spicy Food
#235 The Benefits of Sulforaphane and Co-Cooking Egg Rolls	#299 Making Organic Soymilk and Yogurt

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Class Description:

This class simplifies dinner. Walk in the door after a busy day and throw it all in a casserole pan. Keep it simple or take it next level. Let it bake while you sit down and relax, or make a cold salad to pair with this hot starch. Cheezy comfort casseroles—we have it all!

Tagged with: Capsaicin • Curcumin • Functional Food • Insoluble Fiber
Class URL: https://protectivediet.com/courses/cooking-with-julie-marie/lessons/class-301-kids-spaghetti-pasta-bake-casserole-and-demonstration-featuring-melt-and-bake-cheeze/