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I encourage you to try my collection of recipes and to use as many organic, non-GMO and locally sourced ingredients as possible. Visit your farmers market for the freshest produce. At the supermarket, select items that are in season. Be aware that food that is transported from hundreds of miles away loses some of the nutrients and also contributes to the pollution of our planet. Shop local and purchase locally grown produce whenever possible!
"To keep your body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."—Buddhist teaching
With frigid temperatures and short days, we tend to navigate towards rich and sugary foods. Holiday time seems to be a big wave of cookies, cakes and all kinds of treats. I hear from my clients how the break rooms at work are filled with treats every day. Now that is past the beginning of January, it is time to realign our food choices. In order to warm up my…
I’m on day 12 of the reset diet and feel great! How can I feel great when I can’t have sugar, alcohol, coffee, dairy, egg or gluten? Well, I guess my body likes the stuff I can have, the good, clean, made from scratch food. I’ve been busier nowadays, with a lot of food planning, washing, chopping, roasting and sautéing. The spices I use fill my kitchen with a delightful…
Summer is in full swing and we got cucumbers in the garden. Time to make this delicious cucumber dip or Tzatziki sauce. Tzatziki is a very refreshing Greek appetizer consumed with pita chips or, in my case, blue corn tortilla chips. Ingredients: 1 cup Greek or regular plain yogurt (remember “plain”) 1/2 of big cucumber 1 TBS full fat sour cream 2 cloves garlic 1 TBS olive oil fresh dill…
The other day I realized my sweet tooth was asking for something fruity, but not just plain fruit…something refreshing and different. So I remembered I had some extra raspberries in the fridge and how my Grandma use to make this delicious mouse (we called if “foam”) out of raspberries or strawberries. So here you go! INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg white* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar…
Mushroom are not only very tasty and versatile, but they are also packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Researchers point to this vegetable (actually a fungus…) as a great source of antioxidants (especially selenium). Antioxidants protect the body from damaging free radicals that can cause conditions like heart disease and cancer. Mushrooms also help boost your immune system. Here is a quick Mushroom Sautee recipe (takes about 25 mins), so…
I got this recipe from my student Jan, and she probably got it from her friend Chris, so not really sure who to give credit here. I adapted it just a bit, I really think you will enjoy it. Poblano peppers are mild and have thin skin. They can be substituted by green bell peppers. You can turn this into a vegan dish if you skip the cheese and the…
I have heard about the French paring up the most diverse cheeses with pear, but I honestly didn’t quite trust that combination. Until I tried it as part of a salad. What a yummy “pearing”! This salad is so delicious, I had to share it with you! Check it out! Ingredients: 2 cups mix greens/ salad greens 1 pear, cored and cubed 2 oz goat cheese crumbles 2 TBS pumpkin…
We hear about kale all the time, how it is a super food, chock-full of nutrients and antioxidants, having more iron per ounce than beef, being an excellent source of magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin A. But did you know that kale is an incredible source of often-overlooked vitamin K, with more than 10 times the daily value? What is special about vitamin K? Sarah L Booth, PhD, director of…
Easy to make, this scrambled eggs dish has plenty of veggies and aside from being delicious, it looks so colorful! This will help you start your day with about 12g of protein, but no worries, you can try this for lunch or dinner. 2 eggs, organic or free range 5 grape tomatoes, halved 5 olives, halved 1 green onion or some chives handful of greens: baby spinach, kale or collard…
As we are getting ready for the big Thanksgiving feast and we count our blessings, let’s try to be mindful about other people that are partaking in the delicious meal and have some dietary restrictions. Maybe you will have guests that can not have gluten or dairy or processed foods or simply want to decrease their sugar intake. Then here is a super easy recipe to entertain these guests! It…
Did you know that barley is an excellent source of molybdenum, manganese, selenium and magnesium and helps lower cholesterol and control blood sugar? Why “Gnarly Barley”? Because my kid decided it sounds funny! Here is a delicious recipe that I presented at the National Czech and Slovak Museum. Be aware: your kitchen will smell really good, it is something related to the combined flavors of garlic, caraway and marjoram. Contact me…
Here is one of my favorite fall recipes, using in season ingredients to help warm up your soul. 1 medium butternut squash or 2 smaller acorn squash 1 carrot 1 medium onion 1 stalk celery 1 zucchini (peeled) 2 tbs butter or olive oil (vegan option) Salt, pepper to taste ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp turmeric (optional) Parsley (optional) Preparation time: 50 mins Roast the squash (cut in half, remove…
I have to admit I am very proud of my garden. Although I can not take much credit for the early spring tiling and prepping, and even some planting, I do take good care of my garden afterwards. I learned that if I do not pick the goodies every other day, the zucchini and cucumbers turn to be the size of baseball bats… So now it is the time to…
Ingredients: For the truffles: 2 cups pitted dates, coarsely chopped 1 cup boiling water 1 cup almond butter 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup coconut flour 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder For the chocolate coating: 5 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao content or higher) cut into small pieces 1 teaspoon coconut oil ¼ cup boiling water 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut Preparation: 1) Place dates in a…
Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk 3 Tbs chia seeds 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 mango or pear Preparation: Mix chia seeds and coconut milk in a container, stir until seeds are soaked, add vanilla. It will become gel like in about 15 mins, but it is best to cover and store in the fridge overnight and have this ready for breakfast. Sprinkle some cinnamon or cocoa for additional…
Ingredients: 2 large avocados – peeled, pitted, and cubed 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp honey 1/3 cup coconut milk 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp ground cinnamon Preparation: (10 min) 1) Blend avocados in food processor. 2) Add cocoa powder, sugar, honey, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and blend until smooth. Refrigerate pudding until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Ingredients: 2 avocados 1 medium tomato 2 cloves garlic 1 small lime 5 pieces cilantro chopped Salt & pepper Dash of hot sauce (optional) Mash avocados with a fork in a medium bowl. Add lime juice. Add minced garlic, and chopped cilantro. Cut onion into small cubes then add. Last, include the spices.
Ingredients 2 big sweet potatoes peeled and cubed 2-3 cloves garlic chopped 2 green onions or some chives chopped 2 TBS olive oil 1 TBS slivered almonds (optional) Rosemary, Thyme or Italian seasoning (depending on your taste) Salt, pepper Preparation (10 mins) Boil sweet potatoes until tender (not mushy), drain water and set pot aside so the potatoes cool a little bit. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. This…
Ingredients: *1 package of cream cheese softened *1/2 cup of shreded parmesan cheese *1/2 cup of shreded mozzarella cheese *2 full cups of fresh spinach leaves *14 oz. (1 jar) of artichoke hearts drained *1/4 tsp. of garlic powder * Salt and pepper *3-4 basil leaves (chopped) or ½ tsp. of Italian Seasoning Preparation: Mix cheeses and spices then add artichoke hearts and spinach. Optional: top with bread crumbs. Bake…
Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon thyme or oregano 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 cup baby spinach Salt and black pepper Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F. Wipe a baking sheet with olive oil. Place the squash, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Prick all…
( Can substitute crab meat for shrimp) Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil or grape seed oil 1 pound peeled shrimp 1 bundle chopped asparagus 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 cloves minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional) 1/2 cup broth (or water) Preparation: (15 min) 1) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. 2) Add the shrimp, asparagus, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger to the pan. 3) Cook about 2 minutes, then stir and…
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons grape seed or safflower oil 1 small onion 3 cloves chopped garlic 1 green or red pepper chopped 1 yellow squash ½ broccoli crown 1 bunch kale – washed and chopped ¼ cup water Few parsley leaves 1 TBS pine nuts or pepitas/ pumpkin seeds Salt and pepper to taste Preparation: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add onions and garlic; cook and…
Ingredients 1 bunch red beets or 2 big beets 1 medium celery root (could be replaced with 2 big carrots) 2-3 TBS olive oil 2 TBS vinegar 1-2 TBS grated horseradish (or more if you can stand the “kick”) Salt, pepper Preparation (15 mins) Peel beets and celery root (no use for the beet stems/ leaves, unless you want to use them for soup or other dish). Grate the beets…
Cucumber Quinoa Salad Ingredients: 1 English cucumber diced 2 cups chilled or room temperature cooked quinoa (boil 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups of water until soft) ½ cup diced red onion ½ crumbled feta cheese 5-6 chopped fresh basil leaves 1 batch Italian Vinaigrette Italian Vinaigrette: 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning Pinch of salt and black…
Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: 1 medium cauliflower ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk (my favorite brand is So Delicious) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste Parsley (optional) Preparation (15 mins): Cut the cauliflower florets and place in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer gently until very tender,…
Ingredients: 1 cup dried mung beans (green tiny beans typically found in the bulk aisle) 1 TBS coconut oil 1 onion chopped 2 celery stalks chopped 2 carrots diced 1 TSP ground turmeric 2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or from the jar) 3 cups water 2 bay leaves chopped fresh cilantro or parsley or dry Italian Seasoning salt and pepper 0.5 cups grated parmesan to top (optional) Preparation: Soak mung beans for…
Ingredients: 1 cup red lentils (use a strain to rinse) 2 tablespoons grape seed or sunflower oil 1 onion, chopped 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped, pressed, or minced 1 tablespoon of tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/3 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (as mild or spicy as you like) 1 carrot peeled and chopped 1 parsnip peeled and chopped 1 celery stick 5-6 cups…
My top choices for juicing: I use 1 medium beet + 1 big carrot + 1 green apple + 1 celery stalk + 1 cucumber (because I have plenty in my garden and makes the juice more refreshing). You could definitely add more greens, for me the balance of earthy roots and other veggies and fruit works just fine. I get about 2.5 cups juice and drink half of that…