Cozy Coconut Curry with Tofu, Squash, Kale, and Quinoa

In the depths of winter, there’s nothing like a cozy curry to warm your belly and satisfy your soul. This recipe will heat you up with flavor while providing all the nutrients to support your body. There’s tofu and quinoa for protein, coconut milk for nourishing fats, squash for complex carbohydrates, and kale for all its phytochemical, vitamin, and fiber goodness. And all of this is served up in one bowl!

I make variations of this meal all year round, using the same coconut curry as a base for salmon, chicken, and seafood curries. Once you’ve got the curry mastered, experiment with different vegetables or proteins. You could even double the curry recipe and freeze half for another week - your future self will thank you.

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Cozy Coconut Curry with Tofu, Pumpkin, Kale, and Quinoa

Makes 4 Servings

Tofu
1 (16 ounce) block firm tofu, drained and pressed under a weight for 20 minutes to remove excess water)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt

Coconut Curry
2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
1 red onion, halved and cut into 1¼-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
Small handful curry leaves (optional, but recommended)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 medium tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup vegetable broth or water
½ teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk

1 bunch curly green kale, destemmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups peeled, deseeded, and chopped squash (kabocha, butternut squash, acorn, or another fleshy squash)
½ cup broth or water
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon lime juice

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl and toss with safflower oil and salt. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30-40 minutes, until tofu has firmed around the edges. 

3.  Meanwhile, make the coconut curry. In large pot, sauté pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and curry leaves and cook another 30 seconds. Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and cook another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, broth, and salt and cook 2 minutes, scraping the stuck pieces from the bottom of the pan. Transfer this mixture, along with the coconut milk, to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Rinse pot and set aside.   

4.  Add squash, kale, and broth to the rinsed pot. Cover with lid and steam over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Return the curry to the pot and add the quinoa and lime juice. Simmer a few minutes, allowing the flavors to alchemize. Taste and adjust salt and lime as needed.   

FIRE CIDER

Fire cider is an apple cider vinegar infusion that can be taken as a daily tonic to prevent colds and flus. This herbal folk remedy is an immune booster filled with anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, sinus-opening, circulation-stimulating ingredients that will warm up your system and keep the cold from setting in. Taken before meals, this tonic also can also help to improve digestion. It takes one month for fire cider to be ready, so get yours going today to be ready for fall.

Fire Cider is incredibly easy to prepare. Simply chop up your onion, peel and smash the garlic cloves, and peel and grate the ginger. Place these ingredients, along with any “extras” in a clean and dry mason jar, and cover with apple cider vinegar. After a month, strain out and compost the solid ingredients, stir the raw honey into the vinegar and transfer your elixer to the fridge for storage. You can take about 1 tablespoon of fire cider (mixed in a little bit of water or as a shot) every day before a meal or up to 3 tablespoons/day if you feel like you are coming down with a cold or the flu.

A few notes:
— Be sure to use a piece of parchment or waxed paper under the metal lid to prevent the acidic vinegar from causing the lid to corrode. We don’t want any rust in our medicine.
— I recommend working with all organic ingredients for this brew.
— Make sure that your apple cider vinegar is unpasteurized (meaning it still contains all those beneficial microbes). I like Bragg’s Raw Apple Cider Vinegar.

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Fire Cider

Makes 1 quart

1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 heads garlic, peeled and smashed
1 3-inch piece horseradish, peeled and grated
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
Optional: cayenne pepper (doesn’t need a lot), citrus peels (from one lemon or orange), turmeric (2 inch piece peeled and grated), rosemary sprigs (a few), bay leaves (a few), sage (small handful), elderberries (up to ½ cup), juniper berries (about 10)
Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
½ cup raw honey

1. Place onion, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and any other desired ingredients into a clean and dried quart jar. Fill jar with enough apple cider vinegar to cover.

2. Place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the jar and then screw on the lid. Shake well and label with date and ingredients. Leave on the countertop for four weeks, shaking daily. 

3. After four weeks, strain out onion and other ingredients. Add honey and stir well to combine. 

4. Store in fridge and take 1 tablespoon daily during cold and flu season or 1 tablespoon 3x/day if sick. 

Blueberry and Strawberry Baked Oatmeal with Walnuts and Coconut

Baked oatmeal is the ultimate meal prep breakfast. You can make it over the weekend and have leftovers to reheat and enjoy throughout the week. This version is loaded with summer's ripest berries, omega-3 rich walnuts, and tasty coconut chips. It can be made gluten and dairy free, is sweetened with maple syrup, and flavored with a bit of cinnamon and vanilla extract. In the winter, feel free to use frozen berries, apples and pears, or even persimmons. You can also try topping the baked oatmeal with a bit of yogurt. It's a delicious, nourishing, and super simple breakfast.

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Blueberry and Strawberry Baked Oatmeal with Walnuts and Coconut

Makes about 6 servings
Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free if desired)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups unsweetened, plain plant milk (oat, hemp, almond, soy)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups strawberries, chopped
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup coconut chips (or 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease a square 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Combine the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla.
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet and mix to combine. Gently stir in berries and coconut. 
5. Transfer mixture to greased baking dish and top with remaining walnuts.
6. Bake until the top is golden and the oats are set, about 40-45 minutes. Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Girl Gang Guide to Nutrition

Today I'm sharing six bites of juicy food philosophy over on the Girl Gang Craft Blog.

I give my thoughts and tips on how to renew your relationship to food and eating:
Eat to Nourish, Keep it Real, Stay Flexible, Get Creative, Honor the Earth, and Build Community.

If you've ever found yourself wondering why all the kale, juice cleanses, and super foods in the world aren't bringing you happiness, this article is for you. 

Read the article HERE. 

Girl Gang Craft is a  community for women artists, healers, and boss babes run by my close friend, yogi, artist extraordinaire Phoebe Sherman. If you are in the Bay Area, check out the craft fair April 14th, 1-5pm at East Bay Community Center. 

AIP Seafood Chowder

As a health-supportive personal chef, I’m hired by individuals on therapeutic diets to cook nutritious, healing meals that adhere to their nutrition prescriptions. It’s tough to be sick, and sometimes people simply need someone else to do the grocery shopping and cooking.

I’d been feeding a couple on the Autoimmune Paleo Diet for a few months when I made this recipe. Later that evening, I came home to the following email…

Hi Carly,

We just finished eating the seafood chowder and it might be the best soup I have ever had! It was the most comforting meal to eat after a cold and dreary day. We are so grateful for your immense creativity and talent!

Have a great week,

L

Woah!!! That put the biggest smile on my face and filled up my heart with joy.

You see, L hadn’t eaten dairy, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, nightshades, or eggs since she discovered she had celiac disease, along with an autoimmune disease, about six months back. AIP, which takes the Paleo Diet five steps further, can work amazing wonders healing the gut, reducing inflammation, and reducing antibodies produced in autoimmune conditions. But it can be incredibly challenging and restrictive, and the meals can get repetitive. My job as the culinary nutritionist is to come up with ways to keep meals exciting by boosting flavor and recreating familiar textures with a limited ingredient list.

Take this seafood chowder for example. In place of potatoes, I swap in rutabaga, a starchy root vegetable with a wonderfully earth flavor. To replace the dairy, I add full-fat coconut milk. Without flour to thicken the soup, I blend some of the vegetables and stock, which also adds creaminess. White wine may be off the menu, but white wine vinegar, for an acidic high note, is a go. The end result is an immensely satisfy, rich, and flavorful chowder that doesn’t have you missing a thing!

Nutritionally, this one pot meal is super rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as minerals like zinc and iron. That makes it a fantastic immune-boosting, brain nourishing, and heart supporting supper.

I used halibut, mussels, and canned crab meat, but feel free to swap in your favorite seafood. Try clams or shrimp in place of the mussles, or salmon or cod in place of the halibut. 

I hope you love it as much as L did!

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AIP Seafood Chowder
Makes 4-6 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 stalks celery, diced small
3 medium carrots, diced small
2 medium rutabaga, diced medium
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
8 ounces clam juice
1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
1 pound halibut, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
1 6-ounce can crab meat, excess water drained
¼ cup chopped dill

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek, garlic, celery, carrots, rutabaga, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are mostly tender.
2. Add the stock, clam juice, coconut milk, white wine vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes.
3. Turn off heat and carefully ladle 2 cups of the soup (equal amounts vegetables and liquid) into a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree a bit of the soup to achieve a  slightly thickened soup base.
4. Bring soup back to a low simmer and add the mussels. Cover and cook 2  minutes and 30 seconds. Add the halibut, cover, and cook an additional minute. Turn off heat. Add the crab meat and dill. At this point the mussels should have fully opened and halibut should be just cooked through. Simmer an additional minute if needed, but the seafood will continue to cook as the soup sits.

Carrot, Walnut, and Raisin Muffins

I fell in love with these muffins as soon as the aroma of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves began to permeate my apartment. Trust me, people will run into the kitchen to see what magic you are cooking up. I could barely wait for them to cool. They smelled that fantastic!

Grain and dairy-free, this recipe uses almond flour as the base and maple syrup for the sweetener. Throw in those shredded carrots, coconut, raisins, and walnuts, and your taste buds will be dancing with delight.

Nutritionally, I love that almond meal muffins keep me feeling so full and satisfied. These ones are packed with mono and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, and protein. AKA a winning combo for satiety. They make a fantastic sack on the go, or the perfect sweet treat on a cold winter's eve. 

The original recipe comes from Katja over at savorylotus.com.   

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Carrot, Walnut, and Rasin Muffins

Makes 12 muffins
Adapted slightly from savorylotus.com

½ cup raisins
2 cups almond flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 eggs
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cup grated carrot
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners. 
2. Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, baking soda, spices, and shredded coconut.
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, maple syrup, and apple cider viengar.
5. Drain the raisins. Stir raisins and grated carrots into wet ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined, then stir in walnuts.
6. Spoon batter into lined muffin tins. Batter will fully fill the liners. 
7. Bake for about 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes. 

Three Seed Breakfast Porridge with Spiced Stewed Peaches and Toasted Coconut

Now that there is finally a hint of that fall chill in the air, breakfast porridges are happening full force in my kitchen. The warmth and ease of bowl of slow cooked grains, topped with some fruit and nut butter, offers a delicious, filling, and nutritious start to the day. I love that I can cook a big pot of porridge at the start of the week, and then simply reheat a portion on the stove each morning. It’s efficient, affordable, and my belly is happy.

I’m going to call steel-cut oats the “gateway grain” into the marvelous world of porridge. They are widely available, affordable, totally delicious, and a nutritious choice to start the day. But I’ve found that I can fall into a steel-cut oat cooking rut if I’m not careful, eating oats week after week. Sound familiar?

This recipe provides a bit of variation to the morning oat routine. It’s a combination of millet, amaranth, and quinoa. Often called ancient grains, these three are actually seeds! (You may recognize millet as common bird seed…)

By combining these three seeds, we're upping the amino acid profile and boosting the number of vitamins and minerals of our porridge to provide our bodies with a broader spectrum of nourishing nutrients. We’re switching things up to practice our flexibility, adaptability, and openness in the kitchen and with the foods we eat. 

As we move into this fall season, let's aim for more variety, more colors, and more plants in your meals. Increase diversity! You'll not only make food more fun, but you'll be making yourself more resilient and giving your body the nutrients it needs to feel it's most vital.

Happy fall, all! Enjoy those bowls of porridge with gratitude for the abundance of nourishment this beautiful earth provides. 

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Three Grain Breakfast Porridge with Spiced Stewed Peaches and Toasted Coconut

Makes 4 servings

Porridge
1/3 cup amaranth
1/3 cup quinoa
1/3 cup millet
1 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
¼ sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Spiced Stewed Peaches
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 ripe peaches, sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
Pinch sea salt

Coconut flakes, lightly toasted for topping

1)   In a fine mesh sieve, rinse the amaranth, quinoa, and millet. Transfer to a small sauce pot and cover with water. Soak overnight.

2)   Rinse the grains and return to the pot along with 2 cups of water, the coconut milk, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3)   While the porridge is cooking, heat the coconut oil over low heat in a small sauce pan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, toasting the spices slightly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the peaches, vanilla, lemon juice, water, and salt. Stir to combine and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring nearly continuously.

4)   To serve, top porridge with stewed peaches and toasted coconut flakes. 

Raw Pepermint Brownie Bites

Raw Peppermint Brownie Bites and A Dessert Ground Rule for the Holidays
 

We all need some sweetness in our lives. So no, desserts are NOT off the menu in a Wellness Kitchen. But instead of choosing treats with refined flours and enough sugar to send you on a blood sugar roller coaster ride, you can keep your mind and body in balance by sticking to this dessert ground rule.

My Dessert Ground Rule: Pair sugar with fiber and healthy fats.

Sugar is at the top of the Glycemic Index (GI). That means it is broken down incredibly quickly and sends our blood glucose levels soaring. A high GI meal often leaves us feeling hungry shortly after eating, results a drop in energy (think afternoon slump), and can make concentrating difficult. One way to avoid this spike – and subsequent nose dive – in blood sugar is to balance the overall meal with fiber and healthy fats. Fiber and healthy fats will slow down digestion so that your body is not suddenly overloaded by all that sugary goodness. These two nutrients will also help keep you satiated and satisfied so that you’re not digging into the cookie jar twenty minutes after that slice of cake.

What foods have fiber?

Plant foods! Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains are all fiber-rich foods.

How can I pack fiber into my desserts?

• Add pureed beans. Black beans are great for brownies, cannellini beans for blondies. Trust me, no one will even know.
• Sub refined flours for whole wheat flour or try almond meal (high in fiber and protein). 
• Add nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.).
• Sub pureed pumpkin or banana for some of the liquid sweetener (maple syrup, honey, or agave). Less sugar, more fiber!
• Flax meal can replace an egg (Google Flax egg).

What are healthy fats?

The fats from nuts and seeds (flax and chia too), coconut, avocado, cold water fish, and pasture-raised, grass-fed animal products.

 How can I pack healthy fats into my desserts?

• Sub coconut oil for butter.
• Sub almond meal for refined white flour. 
• Add nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.).
• Make a frosting out of avocado.
• Choose pasture-raised, grass-fed butter and dairy.
• Did you know you could make whipped cream out of coconut milk?!?

What if I don’t want beans, pumpkin, and avocado in my desserts?

Just try to eat the fiber and healthy fats along with the sugar, applying the same ground rule to the entire meal. Basically, you simply don’t want to eat the sugary food alone, after skipping lunch, as soon as you enter the holiday party. Fill up on plant foods to get that fiber in your belly and then savor your choice of dessert with mindful intention in each bite.

Bringing it all together....

Now, let’s use this Raw Peppermint Brownie Bite as an example of how this Dessert Ground Rule comes to life on the plate. First, there are no added sugars. All the sweetness comes from the Medjool dates, which are plenty sweet on their own. Second, there’s tons of fiber in these little guys from the walnuts, almonds, and (did you guess it?!) dates. Third, the healthy fats from the nuts, as well as the shredded coconut, provide the richness and fullness-factor. They feel like a treat, but are also full of nourishment - the best kind of dessert!

I make variations of these truffle-like, raw brownie bites all year round, but, today, I felt inspired to add some peppermint extract for a festive holiday version. I'm taking them to an end-of-semester pot-luck for my Nutritional Ecology class and, after tomorrow's Advanced Nutrition exam, am very excited to announce that I've completed my first semester in graduate school.

Wishing you all peace, joy, and soul-filling wellness in the New Year!

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Raw Peppermint Brownie Bites

These brownie bites provide a dose of sweet without the sugar spike. Full of blood sugar-stabilizing fiber and satiating healthy fats, and free of refined sugar, dairy, and refined flours, they're not your average sweet treat. They are super simple to make and come together in ten minutes flat. I find they evoke memories of peppermint patties and family celebrations, and are a sure hit at any holiday or New Year's party.

Makes 22 brownie bites

1 cup walnuts
1 ¼ cup almond meal
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
8 oz medjool dates, pitted (14 dates to be exact)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (optional, but a fun flavor for the holidays)
½ teaspoon sea salt
Shredded coconut, for rolling

1.     Place the walnuts, almond meal, and cocoa powder in a food processor and process into a fine meal.
2.     Add the dates, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and sea salt. Process for 1-2 minutes until the dough, when pressed together, easily forms a ball.
3.     Roll dough into small balls and roll each ball in shredded coconut.
4.     Freeze or refrigerate until serving.  

Get Your Sprout On!

WHY I SPROUT
A story about connecting to nature and feminine energy in NYC

A Northern California nature-lover who was transplanted into the concrete jungle known as New York City, I have had to continually find ways of connecting to the earth in order to maintain my internal balance and sense of peace. As a child, I played Hide and Seek in my family’s backyard that dipped down into a vine-entangled canyon. Now I practice yoga in Prospect Park on steamy summer nights. As a teenager, I explored countless hiking trails, all within a 10-minute drive from home. Now I take Metro North for two hours to explore the Tri-State’s wilderness. As a young gardener, I enthusiastically plucked cherry tomatoes that grew abundantly from our small vegetable garden in the August heat. Now I bring that essence of cultivation directly into my city apartment.

New York City in all her glory from a roof-top garden in Chelsea.

How, you might ask, do I manage to cultivate anything while living in the quintessential Brooklyn apartment with no outdoor access, limited sun exposure, and even more limited floor space?

Yes, I tend to houseplants with greater care and attentiveness than probably necessary, but I also turn to an ancient form of food preparation, sprouting, to nourish that inherent human characteristic in me that finds purpose and meaning in connecting to nature and caring for life.

When we plant a seed, thoughtfully water it, and wait patiently for the earth to bring forth a bounty, we connect with our feminine energy - the gatherer, the nurturer. Such energy (which is not exclusive to any gender) is creative, expansive, and fluid. From my experience, New York City, with its progress/goal/success-oriented culture, stomps all over my divine feminine when I’m not paying attention.

Sprouting connects us to that feminine, nurturing energy, right in our very own kitchens. And in the most full-circle way possible, the product of those labors then nourishes us right back. A seed contains the components needed for life locked tightly inside. What happens when you plant a seed and water it? Germination turns that seed into a sprout and that sprout grows into a plant and that plant produces more seeds! Water unlocks the enzymes and nutrients and puts that process of growth into action. When you eat a legume, grain, nut, or seed that has been sprouted, you are consuming all those activated components. You are eating a little plant whose nutrients are more easily digested and absorbed. To me, the life force of sprouts is exponential in comparison to its seed-bound form.

Mung bean sprout babies all grown up and ready to be enjoyed.

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BOOSTING NUTRITION
Some facts about sprouting for my fellow nutrition nerds out there

•  Sprouting decreases phytic acid in the seed. Phytic acid is an “anti-nutrient” that binds to minerals and shuttles them out of the body. Since we want to absorb our minerals, less phytic acid means better absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc, etc. This is very important for bone health. [1] [2]

• Sprouting increases protein content and digestibility. Improving the availability of plant proteins is important because our bodies are not as efficient at absorbing them as animal proteins. Sprouting is another tool to make sure you are meeting your protein needs if you are a vegetarian, vegan, or limit your intake of animal products.

• Sprouting increases vitamin C, B vitamins, and carotenes.

• Sprouting helps to break down complex carbohydrates so that less gas is produced during digestion. MAJOR WIN!

• Sprouting produces enzymes that help aid in digestion. Yes, you are what you eat, but more importantly, you are what you digest. The better we digest our food, the more nutrients for nourishment and wellness we receive.

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HOW TO GET YOUR SPROUT ON
(When you're ready to start a little sprouting garden in your kitchen)

1.     Rinse the beans, grains, nuts, or seeds that you want to sprout. Place them in a clean quart-sized glass jar. (A quart jar can accommodate 1/3 - 1/2 cup of most seeds, beans, nuts, or grains.) Fill the jar with water (leaving a bit of room at the top) and cover with a sprouting lid or cheesecloth fastened with a heavy rubber band. Soak, unrefrigerated, overnight.

2.     Drain and rinse seeds with fresh water. Drain once again before inverting the jar so that the water can continue to drain out through the lid. Put your jar in a bowl to avoid a puddle. You may have to get slightly inventive with how you prop up your jar so that it’s at an angle.

4.     Water and drain your sprouts 2-3 times a day until they grow a little tail about 1/2 - 1 inch long, depending on the sprout. To turn the sprouts green, place them in indirect sunlight on the last growing day. Sprouts can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

This is a rough guide to sprouting. Different seeds, nuts, legumes, and grains have differing soaking and sprouting times. Here are the numbers for some of my favorite sprouts:

Germinating mung bean sprouts. I could not find my sprouting lid, so I fastened a nut milk bag to the jar with a rubberband. It worked just fine!

Mung beans
Soak time: 8-12 hours
Daily rinses: 2-3
Sprouting time: 2-4 days

Chickpeas
Soak time: 12-24 hours
Daily rinses: 2-4
Sprouting time: 3-4 days

Lentils
Soak time: 8 hours
Daily rinses: 2-3
Sprouting time: 2-4 days

Wild rice
Soak time: 48-72 hours
Daily rinses: 3-4
Sprouting time: 2-3 days

Fenugreek seeds
Soak time: 8-12 hours
Daily rinses: 2-3
Sprouting time: 3-4 days

Alfalfa seeds
Soak time: 12 hours
Daily rinses: 2-3
Sprouting time: 4-7 days

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: Try soaking and sprouting combinations of seeds with similar sprouting times together. You can create interesting flavor blends and improve the nutritional profile of your meals. I love combining fenugreek seeds with mung beans or chickpeas because of the subtle maple flavor they add.

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EAT YOUR SPROUTS
So I’ve grown these little guys. Now what do I do with them?!?

•  Sprouted legumes are a delicious addition to salads. Instead of using cooked legumes in a salad for protein, you can add sprouted mung beans, sprouted chickpeas, or sprouted lentils. They’re crunchy too!
   
• Sprouted seeds (broccoli, alfalfa, clover, fenugreek) are really delicious on a sandwich or tossed into a salad. They add a dynamic flavor and are nutritional powerhouses.  
   
• Sprouts don’t have to just be eaten raw. You can grow a micro-sprout (with a tiny tail just starting to poke through) and then follow normal cooking instructions. Use the method with some grains and legumes like brown rice, quinoa, millet, beans, and lentils.
   
• Sprouted nuts are fabulous for homemade nut milk. You can also dehydrate them and then use them in any recipe or as a snack.

For a a salad recipe that uses sprouted mung beans and fenugreek seeds, click here.

My Mung Bean Sprout Summer Salad tossed with some arugula, avocado and walnuts for a light and refreshing August lunch.

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[1] Ghavidel RA, Prakash J (2007) The impact of germination and dehulling on nutrients, antinutrients, in vitro iron and calcium bioavailability and in vitro starch and protein digestibility of some legume seeds. LWT 40:1292–1299

[2] Luo, Yuwei and Xie, Weihua (2014) Effect of soaking and sprouting on iron and zinc availability in green and white faba bean. J Food Sci Technol 12:3970-3976

[3] Britton, Sarah (2014) My New Roots. Clarkson Potter/Publishers. New York. 

Mung Bean Sprout Summer Salad

This recipe requires a little kitchen gardening experiment.

But please don't let that stop you.

Even if you've sadly killed every house plant you've ever owned: YOU CAN SPROUT!

You don't even need dirt - just a glass jar, some cheesecloth (or even an old nylon stocking), and a rubber band.

Your thumb is green enough to not mess this one up. I promise.

To read about why I am a huge fan of sprouting, click here.

Mung bean and fenugreek seed sprouts after germinating for 2 days. They grew quickly in my warm apartment.

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Mung Bean Sprout Summer Salad

While this salad could be made with any number of sprouted legumes or seeds, I've chosen mung beans and fenugreek seeds. I love the tender crispness from the mung beans and delicate maple flavor from the fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek seeds are used as a spice in Indian cooking and are rich in vitamins and minerals, help to lower LDL cholesterol, and can aid in regulating blood sugar levels. Tossed with some cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley the sprouts are simply satisfying on a hot August day.

Makes 4-6 servings

½ cup dried mung beans, sorted and rinsed
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds, rinsed
1 English cucumber, chopped (peel the skin if not-organic)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Extra-large handful parsley, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. Place the mung beans and fenugreek seeds in a clean glass quart jar. Fill the jar with water (leaving a bit of room at the top) and cover ith a sprouting lid or cheesecloth fastened with a heavy rubber band. Soak, unrefrigerated, overnight.
2. The next morning, drain and rinse seeds with fresh water. Drain well once again before inverting the jar so that the water can continue to drain out through the lid. Put your jar in a bowl to avoid a puddle. You may have to get slightly inventive with how you prop up your jar so that it’s at an angle. Water and drain the sprouts 2-3 times a day until they grow a little tail about 1/2 - 1 inch long.
3. When they are sprouted to your liking, combine the mung bean and fenugreek seed sprouts with the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and parsley. Dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste - or toss with any other dressing you feel like.
4. Serve alone or as part of a larger salad. I added mine to some baby arugula along with avocado andwalnuts for a refreshing light lunch.

Pickled Radishes and a Spring Wheat Berry Salad

If you visit my kitchen, on most days you'll find a few vegetable-filled jars sitting around, covered in colorful cloths, taking in the local Brooklyn bacteria. I love to ferment the produce available at the Farmer's Market to preserve the season's bounty and create my own probiotic edibles.

Probiotics are bacteria that find their way to the large intestine, where they assit in digestion and nutrient assimilation, and can benefit everything from brain to immune to cardiovascular health. While continually buying probiotic capsules at the natural food store gets rather expensive, fermenting a head of cabbage, a bunch of pickles, or a bundle of beets is easy on the bank account and way more delicious. Once you master these radishes, you can use the same technique with any vegetable. 

In honor of spring, a few weeks ago I used two bunches of radishes to create a big batch of these punchy pink pickles. They sat out for 10 days before I liked their tang and moved them to the fridge. Since then, I've been adding my pickled radishes to salads, such as the Spring Wheat Berry Salad I've included in this post, and using them to to top off a taco, fried egg, or bowl of soup.

Happy fermenting!

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Pickled Radishes

Makes 2 cups pickles

1 ½ tablespoons sea salt
2 cups filtered water
2 bunches red radishes, cleaned and sliced into ¼ inch thick slices
1 clove garlic (optional)
0 – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 

1. Wash one wide mouth quart jar and one quarter pint jar very well.
2. Prepare the brine by mixing the salt in the water and stirring until completely dissolved.
3. Pack the radishes into the clean quart jar. Add the garlic clove and red pepper flakes if desired. Cover with brine, leaving about and inch of room at the top of the jar.
4. Fill the quarter pint jar with water and cover with a lid. Fit this jar into the mouth of the quart jar, pressing down so that the brine reaches the rim of the quart jar and the radishes are completely submerged.
5. Use a clean, thin kitchen cloth, secured to the jar with a rubber band, to cover.
6. Allow the radishes to ferment for 4-10 days at room temperature. The longer they ferment, the tangier they will become. Taste occasionally.
7. When the taste suits you, removed the quarter pint jar, cover the quart jar with a lid and transfer the jar to the refrigerator.

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Spring Wheat Berry Salad with Pickled Radishes and Goat's Cheese

Makes 4 servings

1 cup wheat berries, rinsed and soaked overnight
2 cloves peeled garlic, one whole and one minced
Sea salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch asparagus, bottoms trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen English peas
½ cup pickled radishes
3 tablespoons pickling liquid
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 ounces crumbled goat’s cheese
4 cups baby arugula
¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
Ground black pepper

1. In a medium-sized pot, bring 5 cups water to a boil. Add wheat berries, ½ teaspoon salt, and one whole clove of garlic. Bring back up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until the wheat berries are tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, remove the garlic clove, and set aside.
2. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the minced garlic clove. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the cut asparagus, peas, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until asparagus is crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries, cooked vegetables, pickled radishes, 3 tablespoons olive oil, pickling liquid, dill, parsley, arugula, and goat’s cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with sunflower seeds and serve immediately. 

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Peanut Ginger Sauce

This recipe has “week night dinner” written all over it. Cook some brown rice, quinoa, or soba noodles to go along with it and you’ve got yourself a hearty, nutrient packed meal that your entire family – kids included – will love (and devour). The carrots, bell pepper and snow peas are merely a suggestion for a tasty vegetable medley. You can swap in your favorites, broccoli perhaps, mushrooms, bok choy, or Japanese eggplant. All will go deliciously with this spoon-licking peanut ginger sauce.

Culinary Wellness Tip: Want to save a ton of time with this recipe and have dinner on the table in 40 minutes? Press and marinate your tofu before you head out the door in the morning. Then when you come home, heat your oven and get that tofu baking. Make the sauce, prep the vegetables, and get your stir-fry going. By the time the tofu is out of the oven, you’ll be ready to add the peanut sauce and tofu to bring the dish all together.

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Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Peanut Ginger Sauce

Serves 4

Tofu
1 pound firm tofu, drained, rinsed, and pressed
3 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Pinch red pepper flakes

Peanut Ginger Sauce
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoons grated ginger
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

Vegetables
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch strips
1 pound snow peas, ends trimmed
Sea salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut the block of pressed tofu into bite-size cubes.  Combine the remaining tofu ingredients into a bowl and marinate the tofu for at least 20 minutes, stirring half way through to ensure all the tofu is coated in the marinade.
2. Transfer the tofu to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until the tofu has begun to crisp up. After about 20 minutes of cooking, use a spatula to flip the tofu baking so that it cooks evenly on all sides.
3. While the tofu is baking, combine all the ingredients for the peanut ginger sauce in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Adjust the level of ginger, lime, and maple syrup to taste.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, carrots, bell pepper, snow peas, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir-fry until all the vegetables are crisp-tender.
5. Reduce the heat to low. Add the tofu back into the pan and pour in the peanut sauce. Stir continuously so that all the vegetables and tofu are coated in the sauce.
6. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Five Holistic Food Principles to Guide the Way You Think About Eating

I get it: Food choices can be hard. We are constantly bombarded by product advertisements touting health benefits, celebrities hawking diet regimens, and magazines selling the key to that summer body. And then there are the endless aisles of food products at the grocery store to choose from, potentially questionable culinary skills in the kitchen, and the struggle to even figure out what to cook in the first place. Meanwhile the takeout option sounds more and more appealing... 

In our world full of mixed food messages, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed by all of the noise. Rather than follow the fads, here are five holistic food principles to help guide the way you think about eating. These are my core tenets, the force behind the food I cook for my clients and, yes, myself. 

1. FOOD HEALS
By choosing a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, the food you consume has the power to fight chronic disease, promote longevity, increase vitality, decrease inflammation, and boost the immune system.  With lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer at epidemic levels, it is time to start considering food the ultimate medicine for disease prevention. Diet is a modifiable disease risk factor. This means you have the power to take action and change the way you eat to support your health. Whether you are suffering from an illness or simply want to maintain optimum health, food is a primary tool for promoting and cultivating wellness.

2. WHOLE AND PLANT-BASED 
Vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals are vital for keeping the body healthy and vibrant. The best way to ensure that you are receiving the biggest dose and diversity of these nutrients is to eat a plant-based diet with a range of colorful fruits and vegetables. Consume these foods in their whole form, as nature made them before excessive processing and refinement. Work to use all of the edible parts, like beet greens as well as the roots, which are delicious sautéed with garlic and olive oil.

3. LOCAL AND SEASONAL
Buying local produce means that you will naturally eat with the seasons and consume foods at peak freshness. The colors, flavors, and beauty will be apparent in every bite. Eating with the seasons supports the body in its transitions through the year – crisp, bright salads in summer for combating the heat, comforting root vegetable stews in winter, and detoxifying greens in spring for cleansing the body of stored toxins. Learn what’s seasonal where you live by shopping at a farmer’s market. GrowNYC has this helpful resource for New Yorkers.

4. FLEXIBLE
Some years you might try to stick to a vegetarian diet, but some days you may feel like you just really need some animal protein. When you are eating a whole foods diet you can listen to your body’s cravings and work to bring balance through food. Do it without judgment, without an ego. Be flexible enough to try something new when the old stops working. Our bodies are constantly changing, so it makes sense that our diets will too. 

5. FLAVOR
You should not have to choose between flavor and health. Nourishing food can be as vibrant, bold, and exciting as you are. By balancing flavors – salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy – a whole foods diet can definitely leave you feeling satisfied and make you say YUM!

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Coconut and Almonds

Ch-ch-ch-chia!!!!

Yes, the same seeds that I watered for my terracotta Chia Pet are the main ingredients of this recipe. I’m totally crazy for the tiny seeds. I add them to smoothies, breakfast porridge, baked goods, and even salads as a nutrition booster. Once considered a staple in the Aztec diet, chia seeds are now considered a “super food” for their nutritional benefits.  

Chia seeds are well known for being a rich source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, with more per serving than even salmon. They also provide complete protein, antioxidants, and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, and zinc.

The best part – in my gut’s opinion – is the way that chia seeds help with the digestive system. Chia seeds have a ton of fiber. 1 ounce (about two tablespoons) provides 11 grams of fiber, which is over 40% of the fiber RDA for women.  This helps regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and aid in digestion. As this recipe will demonstrate, chia seeds form a gel when then come in contact with liquid. Not only does this binding quality provide an excellent egg replacer in baked goods, it also helps bind together stools, promote regularity, and coat the digestive tract in a way that reduces irritation.

After years of struggling with Irritable Bowl Syndrome, learning how to adjust the fiber in my diet has been a key tool in managing my IBS symptoms like constipation and bloating. Chia seeds, as well as flax seeds, have been two ingredients in my culinary pharmacy that keep my digestive system moving and my belly happy.

I should mention however, that when you begin to add fiber to your diet START SLOW. If you are new to chia seeds, their friends flax seeds, or phyllum husk, do not eat half of this recipe by yourself. You could end up with the reverse effects and get quite the stomach ache. Also make sure you drink plenty of water when increasing fiber to your diet. This will also help keep everything moving along in the right direction...  

THE RECIPE
As one of my clients put it after trying a version of this recipe, “These chia seeds are magic!” Without adding anything besides almond milk, chia seeds form a tapioca-like consistency that is creamy, filling, and totally delicious. By blending up some strawberries with the almond milk before adding the seeds, the pudding becomes infused with delicious strawberry flavor. Topped with toasted coconuts and slivered almonds, you might just think you're eating dessert for breakfast.

This recipe makes enough pudding to fill 5 1-cup mason jars, which is perfect if you are looking for an easy no-cook breakfast for you and your family. I've written it for this quantity because it is a great recipe to batch cook at the beginning of the week and enjoy through Friday, since these single-servings can last in the fridge for up to five days. All you have to do the morning of is add the toppings. The recipe can definitely be halved if you want to make a smaller quantity.

Finally, while I've featured strawberries here as the fruity flavor, feel free to experiment with whatever fruit inspires you. You can use the same method with mango, pineapple, or other types of berries. Mango lime chia seed pudding with toasted coconut and pecans anyone? 

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Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Coconut and Almonds

Yield: 5 1-cup servings

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 cups strawberries, divided
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sea salt
½ cup chia seeds
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
¼ cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 300F.

2. In a blender combine the almond milk, 1 cup strawberries, cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add the chia seeds and remaining cup of strawberries, pulsing a few times so that the seeds become uniformly distributed and the strawberries are cut into small chunks. Pour into single serving mason jars or one large glass container and allow to sit overnight or at least 2 hours.

3. Spread the almonds onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, add the coconut flakes and continue toasting for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow almonds and coconut to cool before storing.

4. To serve, top the pudding with about a tablespoon of the coconut and almond mixture.

Lentil Salad with Radicchio, Fennel, Oranges, and Toasted Walnuts

Now that picnic season is among us, you’ll be the talk of the park when you show up with this jazzed up lentil salad. It’s a one-bowl, wellness meal full of heart-healthy fiber, plant-based protein, and longevity-boosting antioxidants.

I’m on a mission to destroy any bad reputation attached to lentils. They are one of my absolute favorite foods, with 13 grams of protein and one quarter of your daily fiber needs per serving. They are rich in iron, folate, and minerals like copper, phosphorus, and manganese.

Protein that helps regulate blood sugar, promote heart health, and boost energy? That’s what I call PLANT POWER!

While there’s nothing fun at all about plain lentils, they are fabulous sponges, and soak up whatever flavors you decide to dress them up with. The flavor combination in this lentil salad always make me smile. The orange, parsley, and dill bring sunny cheer, and the radicchio, fennel, and walnuts provide the tantalizing crunch-factor. If you’re in the mood, add some feta or goat’s cheese for a little extra tang, but it definitely doesn’t need it if you’re dairy-free.

This dish is a perfect make-it-the-night-before salad since the flavors only get better as they have a chance to meld together. It stores well in an air-tight container for up to five days. You may have to drain out a little of the liquid that accumulates, but save it! It makes a fabulous impromptu dressing for an arugula salad.

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Lentil Salad with Radicchio, Fennel, Oranges, and Toasted walnuts

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup dried French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Sea salt
Pepper
1 head radicchio, cored and chopped
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 orange, supremed and chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
¼ cup fresh dill, minced
¼ cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1. Place rinsed lentils and ¼ teaspoon salt in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about 25 minutes, or until just tender. Drain lentils and put in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss the lentils with the dressing and set aside to marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients.
3. When the lentils have cooled, add the radicchio, fennel, orange, parsley, and dill to the lentils, tossing to combine. Top with toasted walnuts to serve.

Spring Quinoa Tabouli Salad with Arugula

This quinoa salad has “Mason Jar Lunch Recipes” written all over it.  It’s a quick and simple meal that can be ready in minutes and will stay fresh in the fridge through the week – easily reinvented into a number of grab-and-go lunches. It also made a delicious side accompaniment to some pesto-baked salmon for a healthy and satisfying weeknight dinner. 

Here’s the game plan: While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the dressing and cut the vegetables. After the quinoa has cooled, toss it all together. But here’s the catch – if you are planning on eating the salad for lunch tomorrow, keep the arugula and sunflower seeds separate so the delicate leaves don’t become mush.

To prep your on-the-go, wellness meal, use a 2-cup, wide-mouthed Ball jar (16 oz). Place 1 cup of quinoa salad at the base of the jar, then fill the remainder of the jar with arugula. Top with a tablespoon of sunflower seeds, lemon wedge, and a pinch of salt. The arugula should stay fresh and crisp until lunch time!

If you are in the mood for something hardier, sardines packed in olive oil and tossed with a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt make an excellent accompaniment to this salad. If sardines aren’t your thing, shredded chicken from last night’s leftovers would also pair quite well.  

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Spring Quinoa Tabouli Salad with Arugula

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 ¾ cups water
½ teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup parsley, minced
½ cup mint, minced
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 bunch scallions, cut into thin rounds
1 cucumber, small diced
Arugula
Sunflower seeds, toasted

1. Bring the quinoa, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a small pot, reduce to simmer, and cook covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread over a baking sheet or plate to cool.  
2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, dressing, parsley, mint, radishes, scallions, and cucumber. 
4. To serve, toss the arugula with a pinch of salt, drizzle of olive oil, and squeeze of lemon. Add the quinoa tabouli and top with toasted sunflower seeds. 

Turmeric and Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Salad

If you are cooking and the food tastes bland, what do you do? Nine times out of ten, the answer I usually hear is, “add salt.”

There is no doubt salt is a necessary ingredient for building flavor in a dish. Rather than make food “salty,” the right amount of salt can increase the sweetness of some fruits or even decrease unpleasant bitterness. Salt has the miraculous effect of simply enhancing the delicious flavors of foods.

Salt has vital biological function as well. Membrane channels in cell walls are regulated by the concentration of salt (and potassium) inside and outside of our cells. As a result, biological functions ranging from digestion to nerve transmission are impacted by the amount of sodium in our body.

High quality, non-iodized sea salt is a truly vital cooking ingredient. However, it is 100% necessary to learn how to build flavor and create dynamic taste combinations apart from the basic salt and pepper routine. Don’t our taste buds deserve something a bit more fun?

So how do we develop these tasty flavor profiles without being overly dependent on salt? One answer: herbs and spices

When we bring these ingredients into the kitchen we expand our culinary potential by one hundred fold. Think of a little fresh parsley that garnishes braised chicken. It’s the element that freshens the dish and makes it come alive with brightness. A bowl of Vietnamese pho would not be complete without the torn mint, cilantro, or basil that accompanies it. The crispy skin of my mother’s roasted chicken is so divine because of thyme and oregano (and copious amounts of butter of course).

Now think about any global cuisine that you can imagine. It is the century-old herb and spice combinations that give it the unique flavor you crave. The taste of Mexico is completely within grasp when you have some cumin, cilantro, cinnamon, and oregano on hand. You can take a trip to Provence with rosemary, sage, marjoram, and thyme, and bring India into your kitchen with turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cilantro. Herbs and spices will bring your food to the next flavor-popping level.

Not only are they essential to the culinary toolkit, but herbs and spices also bring an incredible array of nutrition onto your plate. In the recipe that follows, I’ve used a classic Indian spice combination and paired it with bright parsley and crisp mint. Between the five spices and two herbs, we’ve got cardiovascular, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and digestive benefits well covered and accounted for.

With all that stands to gain by cooking with herbs and spices - from the taste to the nutrition - the next time your food tastes a bit bland, how will you be upping the flavor?

That’s right. A bit of salt and a whole lot of herbs and spices.

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Turmeric and Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Yield: 4 – 1 ½ cup servings

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8  teaspoon cayenne
1/4  teaspoon + pinch salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup loosely packed mint, chopped
1 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one can, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup almonds, chopped and toasted

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup of the olive oil, the spices, and ¼ teaspoon salt.  Pour the oil mixture over the cauliflower and use your hands to make sure the florets are equally coated. Transfer the cauliflower onto baking sheets, making sure not to crowd them, and roast for 25 minutes. Allow cauliflower to cool.
3. While the cauliflower is in the oven, mix together the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, pinch of salt, lemon juice, honey, and garlic.
4. Combine the cooled cauliflower, lemon dressing, mint, parsley, chickpeas and raisins. Top with toasted almonds when ready to serve. 

Spaghetti Squash Boats with Tempeh Bolognese

Until I attended culinary school, tempeh always seemed like some weird meat-alternative that people tended to cook especially poorly. It was dry, bland, or rubbery. However, at the Natural Gourmet Institute, a plant-based culinary school where vegetarian proteins like tempeh took center stage, I learned that tempeh is a dynamic food with incredible versatility. It can be transformed to take on complex flavors and its meaty texture can satisfy vegetarians and omnivores alike. 

So what is tempeh? Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans. Its actually a staple food in Indonesia and has only recently become more widely available in the US. Because of the controversy surrounding soy foods, I want to clearly differentiate between tempeh and other soy products on the market.

First, tempeh is a whole food - the soybean. Ingredients like soy protein isolate or textured soy protein are usually the product of genetic engineering and a long refinement process. Processing reduces the fiber and many of the nutrients in soy.  Much of the current concern over the health effects of soy are related to these processed soy foods rather than the whole food form.

Second, tempeh is a fermented food. Since the benefits of fermentation in general are fairly well understood, I'd like to explain how it relates directly to the nutrition of soy. During fermentation, molds, yeasts, and bacteria convert carbohydrates into gasses, alcohols, and other molecules. In the case of soy, proteins are also altered in the fermentation process. This is highly beneficial for the fermented soy eater! Not only are the proteins made more digestible through fermentation, but they also form smaller protein molecules, called peptides, that act as antioxidants, boost the immune system, and help decrease inflammation. Fermentation also makes soy nutrients like calcium more bioavailable for the body. Finally, one of the key anti-cancer phytochemicals in soy, genistein, is found in higher concentrations in fermented soy products like tempeh than in other soy products like soy protein isolate, soy milk, or non-fermented tofu. 

If you are new to tempeh, this is a great recipe to get your toes wet. By grating the tempeh and cooking it like ground beef, a simple tomato sauce is elevated to a hearty meatless meal. (You could apply a similar technique to make a tempeh filling for tacos.) While the sauce could be served over pasta for a more traditional spaghetti meal, as usual I was looking for an easy way to up the nutrition on my plate. I roasted a spaghetti squash, used a fork to separate it into strands, and topped it with my tempeh Bolognese. To add some flavorful greens to the plate, I blanched some broccoli rabe and sautéed it with garlic and olive oil. Wellness on a plate!    

Spaghetti Squash Boats with Tempeh Bolognese

Yield: 2 squash boats
Adapted from Natural Gourmet Institute’s Tempeh “Bolognese”

1 medium spaghetti squash
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
8 ounces tempeh, grated
3 gloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dry basil and 1 teaspoon dry oregano)
1/8 – ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on desired spice level)
1 cup red wine
28-ounce can tomato puree
Parsley, chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. Halve spaghetti squash length-wise, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and place face up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour or until tender.
2. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened. Add remaining olive oil, tempeh, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until tempeh has slightly browned. Add the garlic, dried herbs, and red pepper flakes and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the red wine and reduce the liquid by simmering. When the tempeh is almost dry, add the tomato puree and cook covered for 15 more minutes.
4. When the squash is cooked, use a fork to break apart the strands. Top with tempeh Bolognese and chopped parsley for garnish.

Curried Chickpea Hummus with Pistachios and Parsley

Curried hummus is a major flavor situation with lemon, currants, and tahini. Its topped with pistachios and parsley and drizzled with olive oil for extra yumminess. After you realize how easy it is to blend up homemade hummus, you’ll be so over the standard, store-bought stuff.

This hummus pairs well with crackers or cut vegetables for a healthy, zesty snack. I also love it as a filling in my collard green wraps with some shredded carrots, brown rice, and sprouts.

Hummus is a fantastic snack or addition to a meal. While you can make hummus from a variety of beans (herbed navy beans hummus is another one of my favorites), I love a standard chickpea hummus. Rich in vitamins and minerals like manganese, folate, and copper, chickpeas are a fantastic source of longevity-boosting phytonutrients (plant chemicals). They are also high in fiber, which stabilizes blood sugar levels and improves digestive health.

The recipe is adapted from Rebecca Kat'z Cancer Fighting Kitchen, an incredible book has been a tremendous resource for my work with cancer patients and survivors. It is a must read for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer or wants to learn about an anti-cancer diet. Rebecca shows her readers how to add flavor-popping, nutrient-bursting meals into their life. She is a huge inspiration to me.

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: Now that you know how simple it is to make hummus, try your own flavor combinations. Use this recipe as a blueprint by omitting the currants, curry and ginger powders, garnishes, and scaling down the lemon to taste. Try a mixed herb hummus, roasted garlic hummus, or a kalamata olive and feta cheese hummus. Your friends will be very impressed! 

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Curried Chickpea Hummus

Yield: about 1 ½ cups
Adapted from Rebecca Katz’s Cancer Fighting Kitchen

¼ cup currants
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Parsley, chopped
Pistachios, chopped

1. Place the currants in a small bowl of warm water until they plump up.
2. Combine the chickpeas, water, lemon juice, tahini, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, curry powder, ground ginger, and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and lemon to taste.
3. Drain the currants, add to the food processor, and pulse until just combined. 
4. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and top with pistachios and parsley. 

Ginger and Tamari Marinated Baked Tofu

This is my go-to, basic-yet-delicious, goes-with-everything baked tofu recipe. It’s a perfect plant-based protein to add to fried rice dishes, soba noodle bowls, and vegetable stir-fries. The longer you marinate the tofu, the better it will be. I try to press the tofu, mix up the marinade, and leave the tofu marinating in a glass container in my fridge before I leave the house in the morning. That way, when I arrive home hungry and ready to eat at the end of the day, dinner will be on the table super fast and effortlessly.

I also love this recipe because you can strain the marinade and use it as seasoning for whatever else you’re serving with the tofu. The other night, I was craving a hearty portion of vegetables, so I cut up some carrots, daikon, mushrooms, scallions, and baby bok choy. I stir fried the vegetables with the marinade and just added a little grated ginger and garlic at the beginning for extra flavor. Served with a side of brown rice and topped with gomasio, this meal felt balanced and nourishing.

A few notes about buying and cooking tofu. First, buy organic tofu whenever possible. Soy is one of the most common GMO corps grown in the US. Buying organic insures that the tofu was made without genetically modified soybeans, the more sustainable choice for the environment. Second, this recipes call for “pressing” the tofu before cooking. Pressing tofu removes the excess water. Not only will it create a meatier, chewier texture, but the tofu will also soak up the marinade much better.

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: Have you ever tried gomasio? It’s a dry condiment made from ground sesame seeds, which are packed with calcium and other minerals like copper, manganese, magnesium, and even iron. You can purchase gomasio at the store (I like Eden’s Garlic Gomasio), or you can make your own if you have a mortar and pestle. Simply grind one cup dry roasted sesame seeds with 1 teaspoon sea salt. Adding a sprinkle of gomasio onto your meals is a fantastic way to increase your intake of essential minerals and add a boost of flavor.

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Ginger and Tamari Marinated Baked Tofu

Yield: 4 entrée-sized portions

1 16-ounce block firm tofu
1 clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (optional)
Pinch red pepper flakes
Gomasio, for garnishing

1. Drain tofu, wrap in paper towels, and press under a weight (I use a heavy skillet) for 20-30 minutes to remove excess water. Slice tofu into desired shapes and place in a deep baking dish.

2. In a blender, add garlic, ginger, water, tamari, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sweetener, if using, and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth and pour over tofu. Marinate the tofu in this mixture for at least 1 hour, turning the tofu so all sides can absorb the marinade evenly.

3. Preheat oven to 400F.

4. Drain tofu and spread onto a parchment-lined baking dish. Bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes, until tofu becomes firm and brown.