Lani Muelrath's Inspiring "The Plant-Based Journey" Review, RECIPE and Book Giveaway!

Book Giveaway: Lani Muelrath's step by step guide AND a recipe for YOU!

I started reading about Lani and following her posts loong before The Plant-Based Journey was published. Maybe even before it was a seed pod of an idea, but somehow I doubt that! This book is the story of Lani's life; her struggle with weight control, her love of fitness and her passion for animals.

I was excited to catch a glimpse of Lani across the room at one of Dr. John McDougall's Advanced Study Weekends.  Although Lani was not on the lineup of plant-based all stars Dr. McD had arranged for the weekend, I still considered her a celeb and watched in awe. I was even more excited when Lani released her personal story, along with a "Step by Step Guide for Transitioning to a Healthy Lifestyle and Achieving Your Ideal Weight" in the book ThePlant-Based Journey.

That's right, a STEP by STEP GUIDE! If you’ve ever wanted to make the plant-based switch but felt overwhelmed about where to start, The Plant-Based Journey provides the support you need every step of the way.

My hero and Champion of the Physician's Committee, Dr. NealBarnard, has penned the forward to Lani's book, assuring me and any of the other Food for Life instructors, this book is a great addition to the lending library many of us offer our participants and recommended for their own reading.

Lani looking FABULOUS! Find out how!!

Many of you reading this post might subscribe to my Plant-based Meals to Go-Go Service at The Club on St. Simons Island. Perhaps you recall the Portobello Pot Roast we had as it was a BIG HIT! I did not have Lani's recipe (it was top secret because the book had not yet launched) but was so inspired just by her description of the dish and the images, I tried my own version for the meals service. Well, Lani's version is even BETTER and here is the recipe, right from the book! It turns out Lani was also inspired by another version of the recipe, read here:

Portobello Pot Roast

This recipe came to me as a happy surprise from my friend Jim Presentati. I first met Jim on our favorite mountain biking trail. Soon after he told me his phenomenal plant-based success story (see page TK), Jim raved about the “absolutely delicious portobello mushroom pot roast” that his wife Kathy makes. The next time I saw him, he mentioned it again. Time to investigate! When Kathy graciously sent me her recipe, I couldn’t help but think it was a perfect match for this section of the book. Who doesn’t know and love pot roast? The portobellos make the perfect savory swap-out and create a whole new gustatory experience. Here is my version, adapted from Kathy’s recipe, with just a tweak or two.

1/2 cup white wine (you can also try red—I’ve even made this with sake), divided

4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 teaspoon dried basil

2–3 cups vegetable broth, divided

4 potatoes, quartered

4 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper or lemon pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

3–4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of the wine and add the portobello mushroom slices. Allow them to cook through and brown a bit—you’ll need to keep moving them around and turning them—and then remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the pan and add the onion and garlic. Caramelize the onions by stirring them until they wilt and begin to brown. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

4. Mix the flour, sage, and basil together in a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of the broth to create a paste, and pour the mixture into the same pan you used for the mushrooms and onions. While stirring constantly over medium heat, very slowly add the rest of the broth so that you create a gravy or sauce.

5. When the mixture just starts to boil, turn the heat off and add any additional seasonings you prefer. (Kathy suggests parsley and pepper.)

6. Add the potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to the gravy mixture. If more liquid is needed to keep the vegetables from drying out, add more broth.

7. Add the mushrooms and onions to the mixture and ladle into a large ceramic or glass pot or casserole dish with a lid, layering in the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Place the lid on and put into the oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings

Note

Alternate Cooking Options:

If you have a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven that can go from cooktop to oven, you can prepare the entire dish in that fashion, as Kathy does.

'Nother NOTE: Making this gluten free is easy too! Just use a GF alternative for the flour such as brown rice flour or GF All Purpose blend (as long as it is also dairy free!)

Thank you Lani and Jennifer at BenBella books for providing a copy of The Plant-Based Journey for a giveaway! This giveaway is for readers in the US and Canada.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below, include a snippet of where you are on your journey and what inspires you! Because I am in transition from Maine to Georgia (yep, this bird flies south for the winter) I'm giving you plenty of time to enter!

The giveaway starts at 12 AM October 10th runs until October 24th at 12 AM EST.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of The Plant-Based Journey from BenBella Books. My opinions are my own and I recommend this book to you with joy.

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