My name is Annette Skinner my husband and I moved to the country with our daughters in 2007, where we planned to have goats, chickens and cows to raise our own meat, eggs and dairy. Essentially, I wanted to live off the land in this way. Shortly after moving there, my husband and daughters got into 4-H, where they bred and raised pigs for the Sacramento County Fair. I decided to take a college plant-based nutrition class, because I wanted to learn about how vegetables could add nutrition to my diet.

In the spring before the class started, I had bought chicks to raise for their eggs and then for meat consumption. After learning how eating whole foods and plants can heal our bodies, I put my new knowledge into action. Thanks to an assignment in Professor Hagenburger’s Plant-Based Nutrition class, I started eating whole food, plant-based on September 1^st, 2017, and have never felt better. If you told me I would be vegan a month earlier, I would have told you there is no way I could cut meat out of my diet. Since then, I sold all of my chickens, from which I was consuming three eggs every day for breakfast. We no longer have pigs, as my daughters got so busy with soccer that they didn’t have time to do 4-H anymore. We don’t have cows anymore either.

My daughters are grown and make their own food choices. But my husband was not on board with changing his lifestyle, so in the fridge, we had “his” and “her” sides.  My husband is the cook in our family, and since I hadn’t really enjoyed cooking, I needed to keep things simple and efficient. I started making big pots of food that I could eat from throughout the week. My daughter quickly adapted her food preferences, so we both eat the food I prepare, which makes me happy, knowing it is good for her.

My father has high blood pressure, a-fib and sleep apnea. I shared some of the ideas that I learned with my mom, who is their cook, and she was very willing to try eating this way. I took her to the grocery store to help her get started with some essential things like, almond milk, raw peanut butter and 100% whole grain Dave’s Killer Bread. I also gave her some recipes that I had tried and liked. It wasn’t long after she started cooking with whole foods that my dad’s blood pressure came down and he lost weight. He says he feels much better all around.

So, for the last year, I have been making meals for myself (and my daughter) and eating really well. My husband and I have friends that we ride Harley’s with almost every weekend in the warmer months. From the beginning of my plant-based journey, they were really supportive of me, looking for restaurants with vegan options. I didn’t want them to feel like I was being a pain. I think my husband certainly didn’t want that either. However, I always seemed to find something to eat, and since many were “bar and grill” type establishments, I would often eat a vegan burger. Sometimes, I would joke that our motorcycle friends were more supportive than my husband…

Then, this September, things changed. One year after I transitioned to plant-based whole foods, my husband stood in the kitchen, getting ready to make breakfast, which would always consist of meat, since he “had” to have meat with every meal. He started pointing at his chest, while saying, “it hurts.” I asked him why he didn’t just try eating “my food” for 21 days. I told him that it would be easy since “it’s already made”. He actually liked the tofu scramble I would prepare, and would just add some kind of meat and cheese to it. So, he started October 1^st, and he has been sticking with it ever since.

Why did my husband continue past the 21 days? He says he has more energy, his mind is clearer and he feels so much better in every way. As you can see, my early Christmas present came in October this year. It is certainly nice to have support from my husband, because now we cook together and talk about what to eat when we go to restaurants. However, it makes me so happy to know that the man I love, and plan to grow old with, is using his knife, fork and spoon to protect himself from chronic disease and to invest in our future together.

I wanted to share a “go-to” recipe that is extremely easy to prepare, and makes enough for an “after ride” meal with friends, a big family, and/or multiple meals (~14 cups). It also freezes well in smaller containers, if you are cooking for one or two.

Annette’s Easy Rider Veggie Soup

This one pot meal is a great way to stay warm from the inside out! It can cook while you are at home preparing for the week ahead or while you are out on a motorcycle ride. Serve this soup “Foodie Bar-style” – with bowls of colorful toppings (see below), so that each person can make it just they way they like it!

Ingredients

3 cups celery, chopped
3 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups red onion, chopped chopped
4-5 cups potatoes* any variety, unpeeled, chopped into 1/2 in. cubes
4 cloves garlic, minced*
1 tsp chili powder, or more to taste
½ tsp dill weed, dried
½ tsp mustard powder
1 tsp black pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes (no salt added)
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
14.5 oz can tomato sauce (no salt added)
1.5 cups cooked kidney beans, (if canned, low sodium, rinsed)
1.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans, (if canned, low sodium, rinsed)
1.5 cups cooked black beans, (if canned, low sodium, rinsed)
1.5 cups corn, fresh, frozen or canned (if canned, low sodium, rinsed)
4 cups water*
2-4 cups leafy greens, well chopped* (optional, but HIGHLY recommended)

Procedure

1. Heat large soup pot on medium high, and then add onions, celery and carrots. Cook for 3-4 mins, adding a splash of water so they don’t burn.
2. Once onions are translucent, add the spices, and garlic, cooking for 30 seconds. Then, add 2 cups of water and the potatoes. Bring to a boil and turn heat down, cover, and let simmer for 10 mins or until potatoes are just tender.
3. At this point, if you wanted to head out on a motorcycle ride, you could move the mixture to a crock pot, or continue to cook on the stove. Either way, add the rest of the ingredients, along with the remaining 2 cups of water and cook until flavors have melded (20 minutes at a simmer on the stove, or up to 6 hours in a crockpot).
4. Stir in chopped leafy greens and cook until just wilted and tender. Serve with toppings for an extra boost in nutrition, texture and flavor!

Suggested toppings:

Sliced red cabbage, avocado, cilantro, pepitas, and fresh lime wedges to squeeze for juice.

The Nutrition Professor’s Cook Smart, Shop Smart, Prep Smart Tips:

*Purple potatoes, red potatoes, gold potatoes or any kind of sweet potato will also work in this recipe. Be aware that sweet potatoes will cook very quickly!

*Crush/mince/press the garlic and let it sit for ~10-20 minutes before adding it to the hot pan to maximize the health-promoting compounds.

*Low sodium vegetable broth can be used in place of water

*As Annette’s nutrition professor, I couldn’t help myself from adding leafy greens to this soup. If you chop them small, they will cook very quickly and not get stuck in anyone’s teeth! The little bit of mustard powder will optimize the cancer-fighting phytonutrients in those gorgeous greens!