Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

One woman’s labor of love to archive her family’s heritage results in a gorgeous cookbook that feeds us body, mind and spirit

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When my daughter graduated from college and moved back home a few years ago, she started cooking and experimenting with Persian dishes. She asked me about traditional Persian recipes such as Ghormeh Sabzi (Herbed Stew) and Polo Gojeh (Tomato Rice). It was then that I realized that if I didn’t write down our family recipes, the important stories and our language would be forgotten in a matter of a generation or two.

That was my incentive to write a cookbook called Persian Delicacies: Jewish Foods for Special Occasions in which I highlight Iranian food and discuss some of the customs of Persian Jewish families.

I felt an obligation to document and to pass down the recipes as well as the stories of our immigration from Iran to the next generation.

I reached out to my friends and family members and asked for their signature recipes. I wanted to collect our family stories through the prism of food and preserve them for posterity. Most of the people I asked for help from were generous in sharing their time and their specialties. My sister’s mother-in-law shared five of her famous dishes that she prepares for Shabbat (Friday night) dinners. There are also recipes from my mother, my sister, my aunts and uncle and even an exotic Syrian recipe from my cousin who is married to a Syrian man.

This labor of love took six years to compile, translate and edit. At times, the project became so overwhelming that I had to set it aside for a few months before I could resume my work. I almost gave up a few times. My family played a huge role in keeping me motivated to complete the project. What started as a small family cookbook became a 250-page tome that was finally ready for publication. I even interviewed nutritionists and doctors and incorporated their advice.

I’m proud to have published a book that can be of value to the younger generation—and I invite you to share in my family’s heritage via your kitchen.

Here are three recipes from Persian Delicacies:

Avocado & Spinach Hummus

This recipe was a creative invention with the ingredients that I use almost every day. The spinach and avocados give a rich color and a smooth texture to this staple. I’ve used this recipe as a pasta sauce as well; it’s a lighter alternative to pesto. Avocados are packed with vitamins E, K, folate, carotenoids, potassium, lutein, fiber and monounsaturated fatty acids. Eating avocados can help lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw (or canned) chickpeas
• 2 cups water
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 cup baby spinach
• ½ of a ripe avocado
• 1 small shallot (or a clove of garlic), peeled
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 or 3 sprigs of dill (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ cup vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. If you’re using dry chickpeas, soak them overnight. Drain the chickpeas and cook in 2 cups water on medium-low heat until the chickpeas are soft
2. In a blender or food processor add all the ingredients and blend until smooth
3. Serve in a medium bowl
4. Season to taste and garnish with a sprig of dill or spinach (optional)

Autumn Salad

This colorful salad is packed with vitamins and minerals. Sunflower seeds are rich in B-complex vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium and vitamin E. Squash is rich in manganese – a mineral that helps boost bone health. It helps the body’s ability to process fats and carbohydrates. Squash is also a great source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, folate and riboflavin.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red leaf lettuce (or romaine lettuce or arugula)
• 1 cup baby spinach (or kale)
• 1 avocado, cored, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup cooked and sliced (or cubed) butternut squash
• 1 medium or 2 small red beets, cooked, peeled and sliced
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or pomegranate molasses)
• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
• ¼ cup shelled sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• To make the salad dressing combine the olive oil, pomegranate molasses (or balsamic vinegar), salt and pepper in a cup or in a Mason jar. Set aside
• Arrange the lettuce, spinach and avocado on salad plates
• Arrange the squash and the beets around the greens. Get creative with your design
• Shake the Mason jar before dressing the salad. Sprinkle sunflower seeds (optional)

Vegetarian Tahchin

Tahchin is traditionally made using yogurt and chicken. This is a vegetarian version. If you prefer a non-dairy dish, you can use mayonnaise instead of yogurt. Barberries are the traditional topping for Tahchin, but you can omit them or substitute dried cherries or dried cranberries. If you are not a fan of eggplant, you can substitute mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked long grain or basmati rice
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg (or 2 egg yolks)
• 1 Japanese eggplant, peeled and sliced plus 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons saffron mixture
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or clarified butter)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup Barberries (optional)

Directions:

• Prepare the saffron mixture. Set aside.
• Place the sliced eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon salt over the eggplant to get rid of the bitter flavor. Let stand for 10 minutes. Pat the eggplants dry with a paper towel.
• In a large bowl mix the rice, yogurt, eggs, saffron mixture, lemon juice, and salt until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Pour half of the rice mixture into a greased, round or rectangular baking dish or glass dish. Add the sliced eggplant and pour the rest of the rice mixture into the dish.
• Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes. Bake for up to an hour for a crispier dish. (Garnish with barberries that have been sautéed in butter or oil and 1 small shallot if desired).

*For a non-dairy variation use ¼ cup of mayonnaise instead of the yogurt.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Mum’s Everyday Dal — Red Lentils with Sizzling Spiced Oil, by Aarti Sequeira.

The post Persian Delicacies: Preserving Family Legacy (+ 3 Delicious Recipes) appeared first on BEST SELF.

If you need a healthy appetizer to serve instead of the usual chips and salsa or fried mozzarella sticks, these will knock your socks off…

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They also look beautiful on a platter for a big party or game night. These babies have a sweet-and-salty thing going that makes them irresistible; I even eat them for lunch sometimes. They really hit the spot!

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
35 mins

Total time
45 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 8 small sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1⁄4 cup diced red onion
• 1⁄2 jalapeño, diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• to taste
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Rub each sweet potato with coconut oil and place on a sheet pan in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are fork tender.
3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the guacamole. Start by mashing the avocado. Add the tomato, onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. When the sweet potatoes are done, cut each one in half and scoop out half the filling. Set the filling aside. Layer the black beans on each sweet potato half and then layer the cheese on top of the beans.
5. Place them back in the oven to melt the cheese, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. When the cheese is melted, take the skins out of the oven and top with a scoop of guacamole.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Sweet Potato Skins appeared first on BEST SELF.

This tart, sweet, crunchy, and juicy salad is such a nice departure from typical salad ingredients…

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The combo bursts with flavor and has an amazing ability to zap sugar cravings.

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
10 mins

Total time
20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
• 1⁄4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together. Pour over the salad and serve.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Grapefruit Goddess Salad appeared first on BEST SELF.

I always have a batch of these blueberry zucchini muffins ready in the freezer for a quick snack or to add to Harley’s meals…

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They take just minutes to thaw in a toaster oven, and she loves them! They are super moist, taste absolutely delicious, and are perfect for both kids and adults. The best part? They have no added sugar. I try to give Harley vegetables with every meal, and thankfully she loves them. If your kids aren’t veggie lovers yet, the zucchini in these muffins is a great way to sneak some in; they won’t even know they are there.

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
18 mins

Total time
33 mins

Serves: 12-36

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups oat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
• 1⁄3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1⁄2 cup wild frozen blueberries, thawed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Fold in the zucchini and blueberries.
5. Line mini-muffin pans or standard muffin cups with liners or grease with coconut oil.
6. Fill each opening 3⁄4 way full. Place the pans in the oven and bake until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes for mini muffins and 18 minutes for large muffins.
7. You can store extra muffins in the freezer, reheating in a toaster oven or standard oven, or place them in your fridge the day before you want to eat them so they can thaw overnight.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Harley’s Blueberry Zucchini Muffins appeared first on BEST SELF.

There could never be too much kale in my life…

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Thankfully, my daughter loves to eat it too. Like mother, like daughter. For a more substantial dish, this pasta would be great tossed with blanched green beans or broccoli florets.

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
9 mins

Total time
19 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups (packed) chopped, stemmed curly kale
• 3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup toasted walnuts
• 1⁄3 cup grated raw Parmesan cheese
• Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 8 ounces lentil pasta

Instructions

1. Blend the kale, oil, nuts, cheese, lemon, garlic, salt, and zest in a food processor until the pesto is smooth.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
3. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
4. Pour at least 1⁄2 cup pesto over the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Toss with enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season with salt and pepper and serve, refrigerating any remaining pesto for up to one week.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto appeared first on BEST SELF.

When you crave chocolate but don’t want to eat the stuff filled with artificial ingredients sold at convenience stores, try this recipe. It’s fast, fun, easy to make, and portable.

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Prep time
5 mins

Cook time
5 mins

Total time
10 mins

Serves: 12-24

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup brown rice cereal or puffed quinoa
• 3⁄4 cup almonds or peanuts chopped, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup of water in a small pot over medium heat.
2. Set a heatproof bowl on top of the pot, creating a double boiler.
3. Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until melted and warm to touch.
4. Take off the heat and mix in the cereal, 1⁄2 cup nuts, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Stir well to combine.
5. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan lined with parchment; smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1⁄4 cup nuts over. Refrigerate just until firm enough to cut but not completely set, about 1 hour. Lift the chocolate from the pan using the parchment as an aid. Cut into 12 bars or 24 squares.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss

The post 8-Minute Candy Bars appeared first on BEST SELF.

Fall Harvest, fall musings and a recipe that helps us breathe in the transitioning season upon us

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Grasping at those last rays of warm sunshine I admire the changing colors of the leaves. It is time to grab the season’s final harvest of delicious corn. The husks are still glowing and bright green. 

When shopping for corn from the market (or any fresh vegetable), you can only choose from what is presented to you.

Try your best to find those that sing with a vibrancy that reflects the fields from which they were grown and the warmth of the hands that have gathered them for you. 

One of the good things about this year has been the discovery of places that have been right under my nose all along. And with that, the enjoyment of the most delicious corn I have ever eaten; tasting as if it were grown in butter, it is enjoyed just boiled, no salt, no added vegan butter, just eaten as is. The flavor is so beautiful, I wish everyone could experience food like this. 

October is upon us and this month’s recipe can be made with fresh corn sliced off the cob or with frozen corn… also super delicious. Indulge your senses — look around, breathe it all in and witness what is growing, what is transitioning — what sparks your creative culinary Best Self! 

“Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” 

— Friedrich Nietzce

Roasted Corn & Cherry Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 cups corn kernels (about 4-5 cobs fresh or defrosted frozen)
• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced (seeded if you prefer less heat)
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 small red onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro roughly chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the corn kernels, jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper and garlic into a baking dish. Toss with the olive oil, salt, chili powder and cumin until all of the kernels are coated. 
2. Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes stirring once halfway through. The corn should start to brown along the edges of the pan and become fragrant. Bake for a little more time if needed.
3. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and set it on a kitchen towel or wooden surface. Toss in the cherry tomatoes, red onion and cilantro and mix together with a spatula or large spoon while the corn is still warm. 
4. Add in the lime juice and mix again. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste.
5. Serve as a side or with corn chips.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating Pistachio Sugar Cookies by Christine Moss

The post Harvest Time: A Recipe for Roasted Corn & Cherry Tomato Salsa appeared first on BEST SELF.

A recipe to remind us that we can create quality food that is inexpensive and easy, plus musings on staying healthy in all aspects of your life.

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Here in the Catskills where I live, it’s finally warming up outside and I am filled with a vacillating mixture of hope, anxiety, joy, fear — and love all at the same time. When I find myself too far at the edge of one or all of those feelings, I do my best to remember to take a moment and make sure I am nourishing myself consciously. 

Grounding myself, I ask, am I drinking water? Am I feeding myself and my family with food that will keep us strong and healthy?

…or am I scrolling through the hate-filled news, angry and mindlessly eating chips and junk while crying? Truth be told… lately, it’s a bit of it all.

My heart breaks over what is happening, and for the deep-seeded racism that has been a part of our country for centuries. I cannot remain silent. I will try to feel power within the powerlessness of it all — and to stay grounded in the ways that I know how; connecting to my  creativity, nature, art, family, my kitchen.

And one thing I can continue to do is share simple, nourishing and delicious recipes that support all of us in these uncertain times (What is ever truly certain anyway?).

I want my recipes to support more than just our bodies, but encourage the wellness of our minds as well — to be easy, versatile and accessible — to fortify and feed us in all ways. 

Lately, I’ve been inspired to reconnect with summer soups, which is why I’m sharing a favorite of mine: Summer Black Bean Soup with Cucumber Yogurt Raita. Yum.

Nothing says comfort like a pot of soup no matter the time of year. And if you make too much… bring some to share with a neighbor. If you don’t have black beans — you can use red beans or lentils. Don’t have fresh herbs and can’t get out? Use dried spices and add your favorite flavors. 

The reality is that we live in a moment, in a country, where eating plant-based, healthy, local food is sadly not the norm — it actually feels more like an act of rebellion. I don’t take for granted that I have access to farms and fresh food — that I don’t live in a food desert or have to rely upon prepackaged foods filled with chemicals.

Eating healthy food shouldn’t be a privilege and yet, it is. 

That said, I’m dedicated to sharing inexpensive ways that you can stay healthy and connected to your Best Self and your community. 

Keep yourself nourished and share that nourishment with others. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), question everything you see and read. Know what you are putting into your body (and mind) — and most importantly, please be kind to each other.

Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

• Find your local CSA using your zip code: https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/csas
• Find your local Farmers Market (most are now open with Covid-19 protocols in place) https://www.localfarmmarkets.org/

This easy-to-prepare meal takes only a few ingredients that you may already have on hand. A quick trip to your local farmers market or garden can furnish you with fresh herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Summer Black Bean Soup with Cucumber Yogurt Raita

Note: Make the Cucumber Yogurt Raita first or the day before.

Cucumber Yogurt Raita

Ingredients:

• 1 organic cucumber
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 green scallion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• ½ cup unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt
• ½  tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash the cucumber well, trim off the ends and slice in half lengthwise. Do not peel. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard them. Using a box grater, grate the cucumber halves on the largest shredding hole.
2. Place the shredded cucumber in a coffee filter lined colander, sprinkle with salt and place on top of a bowl or in the sink. Let the liquid drain from the cucumber for about 30 minutes. 
3. Gently squeeze any extra liquid out of the cucumber and place in a mixing bowl. Add in the lemon juice, green onion and black pepper. Mix together and then add in the vegan yogurt.

Keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

Tips:

• If you are unable to get an organic cucumber, peel off and discard the skin before slicing in half.
• If your yogurt is very loose and watery, drain the excess liquid in the same way as the cucumber, in a coffee filter lined colander.
• Make certain your plain yogurt is unsweetened, reading the ingredients is the only way to tell for sure.
• Add in fresh herbs like mint, dill or parsley for extra flavor.
• Use as a salad dressing, or on top of some pan seared tofu.

Summer Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz. can black beans
• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock (or water)
• 1 plum tomato diced
• 1 green scallion thinly sliced
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 3-4 sprigs fresh herbs, stems removed (oregano and baby basil used here)

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil in a small pot. Toss in diced tomato, scallions, salt, dried thyme and smoked paprika. Stir gently and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to get lightly stewed. Add in the leaves of the fresh herbs and stir.
2. Pour in the can of beans, liquid and all. Add in the vegetable stock and stir together. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a medium-low flame. 
3. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Serve with Cucumber Yogurt Raita and Corn Chips.

Tip:

• Add in sliced radishes at the end, fresh corn cut from the cob or sliced green beans.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating Marmalade and Musings: From the Kitchen to Life’s Table by Christine Moss

The post Soup’s On! Musings On Life & A Recipe For Summer Black Bean Soup With Cucumber Yogurt appeared first on BEST SELF.

Inspired by the buttery flavor of pistachios, Chef Moss shares a favorite vegan sugar cookie recipe

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I love pistachios, not just the beautiful green hue they impart to dishes, but their buttery flavor is amazing. A simple sauce for over your tofu or polenta takes only a handful of pistachios, a pinch of salt and just enough water (about ¼ cup of water to 1 cup of nuts) to blend into a creamy paste in the blender. Add a spoonful of vegan sour cream or vegan butter to bring it over the edge of delicious! Use pistachios instead of walnuts or pine nuts in your favorite pesto recipe to change things up.

Native to central Asia, pistachios grow in beautiful grape-like clusters called drupes and they are a member of the cashew family. The trees have a lifespan of up to 300 years. They are lower in calories than walnuts and pecans and contain a great amount of protein and amino acids, trace minerals and vitamin B6 (as if we needed any more reasons to eat them!). 

For this recipe, use raw unsalted pistachios. They will get their toasty flavor as they bake in the cookie. 

Pistachio Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups vegan butter (sticks, not whipped)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup raw pistachios roughly chopped
• ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. With a whisk or electric mixer whip together the vegan butter and sugar until well blended and creamy. Add in the vanilla and blend thoroughly. 
3. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt and baking powder. 
4. Spoon the butter and sugar mixture into the flour and mix together. Add a little water at a time until it forms a uniform dough.
5. Roll the dough into 2 separate log shapes about 1 ½” in diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. It can also be frozen and kept up to 4 months before use.
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
7. Mix together the chopped pistachios and chocolate chips in a shallow dish.
8. Unwrap the chilled dough and slice into ½ inch thick disks. Press the cookie dough into the pistachios and chocolate chips and then place onto the cookie sheet. Repeat, leaving about 2” space between each cookie until the baking sheet is full.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a little browned around the edges and firm in the center. 

You may also enjoy Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss.

The post Recipe: Pistachio Sugar Cookies appeared first on BEST SELF.

Chef Moss muses about spring’s awakenings, the onset of mushroom foraging — and some inspiration for making healthy choices

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With the change of seasons, in this push-pull tango of warm and cold weather, it is important to keep our bodies and minds strong. When using food as medicine — the approach, the intention to heal and maintain health — is just as important as the foods you choose, where they are sourced from, and whether or not they are organic.

The decision to heal through daily life practice is no small task. Once you commit, you are confronted with a multitude of new decisions and a dizzying amount of information and opinions.

It’s important to take your time and read information from reputable sources.

Here is one more opinion. I am stubborn and change is hard. What has worked for me is to start small and choose something that is easy to be consistent with. Consistency is the key word. For example, I like to play a little game with myself. I add something nutritious (like mushrooms) to my grocery list in order to replace something I am trying to reduce and remove.

Instead of chips or ice cream, I add in a bouquet of flowers (my favorite visual and soul health food). I ask myself, do I want to spend $10 on flowers or on snack foods and treats? I head for the flowers first (many markets have fresh bouquets near their produce departments), because then I get to shop with beautiful flowers in my face. And, it deters the urge for snack foods; I don’t even walk down that aisle. Then once I am home and searching for a snack, I have to choose from the healthy foods I purchased. I have to cook some ‘real food’ because instead of a bag of chips, I have some delightful daisies. Win / win.

Another thing springtime brings is the beginning of foraging season and Morel mushroom madness. A tasty ephemeral yes, but I want to offer up another spring mushroom choice, Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms. Eating these two mushrooms regularly helps to support our immune systems and provides amino acids not found in other plant-based foods. They have even become more readily available in recent years at markets and there are endless ways to prepare them.

Indian Spiced Oysters and Shiitakes Roasted in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

• 1 pint oyster mushrooms (2 cups)
• 1 pint shiitake mushrooms (2 cups)
• 1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp powdered garlic
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Trim the ends of the oyster mushrooms and the tips of the shiitake mushroom stems. Slice thinly and place in a baking pan.
3. Sprinkle the garam masala, cumin, powdered garlic, coriander and salt over the mushrooms.
4. Add the olive oil and coconut milk to the pan. With freshly washed hands, massage the spices and coconut milk into the mushrooms evenly.
5. Bake the mushrooms for 25-30 minutes until tender and fragrant.
6. Let it cool down for a few minutes and then stir in the cilantro.
7. Serve on their own, over rice, pasta or potatoes with the coconut milk gravy.

Tips:

• Substitute other favorite mushrooms like buttons or criminis.
• Simmer stovetop on low for 20-25 minutes instead of roasting.
• Slice the stems thinner than the caps and cook them as well, they are also edible.
• Before eating, set your mushrooms outside gill side up in direct sunlight for a few hours and they will absorb and create vitamin D.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Lentil Loaf with Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Gravy, by Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Indian Spiced Oyster & Shiitake Mushrooms Roasted in Coconut Milk (Plus A Few Tips for Foraging For Good Health) appeared first on BEST SELF.

Connecting to our plates in a deeper way, Chef Moss shares her love of carrots, their origins and a recipe for Cumin Spiced Rainbow Carrot & Date Salad

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There is just something about carrots — sweet, crunchy, earthy when raw. Tender and even sweeter when cooked. At the cafe we are always working with carrots, peeling and shredding them on the mandolin for our salads. Slicing them for our pickles or to be stewed in our enchilada vegetable mix. 

Without thought, I regularly grab a slice or the end stump to munch on. If I am away from work for a few days, I tend not to eat carrots the way I do when I am at work (a habit I need to change) — and I arrive in the morning craving them.  

I believe it is more than a nutrient connection, but a deep rooted spiritual one…

The way in which carrots grow deep into the earth, pulling out and absorbing her energies and trace minerals…

Sometimes they will twist and turn as they grow down, avoiding rocks in the dirt — which is another reason why it’s so important to choose organic carrots. You are literally consuming the earth from where they were born. Their flavors change depending upon the time of year and where they were grown. It is amazing — you can taste the rain or lack thereof. You can taste the joyous days of sunshine or the sadness of ones grown indoors…

They not only reach down into the earth, but they also stretch upwards towards the sun, their leafy green tops converting sunshine into food. Eat the tops too, they still taste like carrots married with wild green chlorophyll. 

Can you tell? I really love carrots.

Cumin Spiced Rainbow Carrot and Date Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups purple carrots washed and sliced on the bias
• 2 cups yellow carrots washed and sliced on the bias
• 2 cups orange carrots washed and sliced on the bias
• 1 cup dried dates 
• 1 bunch fresh parsley leaves roughly chopped
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 TBSP thyme
• 1 tsp coriander 
• 1 tsp powdered turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TBSP water

Directions:

*Note: Cook the purple carrots separately from the other two colors, they will darken the other colors if cooked together. You will want to use 2 separate baking dishes.

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix together the cumin, thyme, coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper. Divide into thirds.
3. Toss the purple carrots with 1 TBSP olive oil and one third of the spice mix. Toss the orange and yellow carrots with 2 TBSP olive oil and the other two thirds of the spice mix.  
4. Place the purple carrots in one baking dish and the yellow & orange carrots in another baking dish along with 1 TBSP of water in each dish. Cover both with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Let them cool down.
5. Slice the dates into circles and toss gently with the roasted carrots and chopped parsley in a mixing bowl.
6. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

You may also enjoy eating Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss

The post Cumin Spiced Carrot and Date Salad (And an Ode to the Beautiful Carrot) appeared first on BEST SELF.

From the kitchen of Chef Moss — a delicious and inspiring recipe to incorporate more veggies into your family’s diet (even if you have to hide them)

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I made what I like to call, ‘Hidden Veggie’ muffins over the holidays to an attempt to get more vegetables into my family’s diet. My parents more specifically. 

Getting my kids to eat and enjoy vegetables has been a challenge throughout life as a mom.

I have had to come up with countless resourceful and creative ways of incorporating vegetables into various food forms.

Smoothies, pancakes, casseroles, pasta sauces, sandwich mixes, you name it. If I could disguise a vegetable I did it!

As they grew older, though they caught on to my ways, the complex flavors had already became a part of their palate and I didn’t have to hide the veggies as much anymore. I’m even happy to report that now that they are in college, they have their own ways of staying healthy and finding balance. 

But ironically now, the tables have turned and I am trying to get more vegetables into my parents. And surprisingly, this is an even greater struggle than with my kids. They are set in their ways and who am I to tell them how to eat? They have lived this long eating the way they do, but they are my parents and I love them and I want to see them thrive, not just simply do as they always have. 

I may be beating my head against a wall (life lesson: you can only really help when help is actually wanted), but I am stubborn like they are and this past Christmas I brought them a fresh batch of muffins; my hidden veggie muffins! And to my surprise and relief, my parents really loved them in spite of the vegetable content. 

And so maybe you are already aboard the veggie train, and I don’t have to hard sell you on these hidden vegetable tricks. But maybe someone you love needs a few extra veggies in their life or their lunchbox — or maybe you just want some more. So, I’m here to help and keep the creative veggie juices flowin’!

Eat the muffins with some peanut or almond butter for added protein and fat to feel satiated for a longer time.

The following vegetables in combination create a pretty powerful snack or breakfast on the go.

Sweet potatoes are an amazing vegetable that can be incorporated into many different dishes. If you are baking or boiling some for dinner, add one more to the pot to save for later for these muffins. Sweet potatoes are great all on their own, and with a minimal amount of maple syrup they can be mashed and put into a pie crust. Add them to your mac and ‘cheese’ sauce or pancake batter. Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber, vitamins A and  C and trace minerals. They are one of winter’s power foods to keep you going. You can also substitute some roasted butternut squash or pumpkin too.

Zucchini is also loaded with vitamins and minerals, and can possibly help control blood sugar levels for those with type two diabetes. Shredded they can also be added to pancake mix and to fillings for stuffed peppers or mushrooms, or into your smoothie.

Carrots have lots of beta carotene, potassium and fiber, along with vitamin A and B6. When shredded on the smallest holes of your box grater, they are easily mixed into batters for cakes, fritters or un-tuna salad (crumbled tofu, vegan mayonnaise, a splash of Ume plum vinegar, finely diced onion and celery and some finely grated carrot).

Have fun experimenting and substituting with different vegetables in these muffins. That is part of the joy of cooking, seeing what works, and what doesn’t work is also a valuable lesson. Become your own alchemist in the kitchen. Starting with flavors you already know and love, add new ingredients to trusted recipes and expand your flavor palette one new veggie at a time. 

And remember, good food is medicine — but it doesn’t mean you have to spend all day in the kitchen or that you have to compromise good taste. It’s actually quite the opposite. So cheers to our veggies and our creativity in the kitchen. Your Best Self will be doing a happy, healthy dance!

Hidden Vegetable Muffins 

(Makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• ½ cup rolled oats or plain granola
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 flax egg (1 TBSP ground flax meal plus 3 TBSP water mixed together, set aside)
• 1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
• 1 cup unpeeled and shredded zucchini 
• ½ cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup safflower oil
• ½ cup coconut milk

Topping Ingredients:

• ½ cup raw pecans
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 12 muffin pan with muffin liners.
2. Make the topping by pulsing the raw pecans in a food processor or blender until very fine and crumbly. 
3. Pour into a bowl and mix evenly with the ¼ cup of brown sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the ‘flax egg’ (1 TBSP ground flax meal plus 3 TBSP water mixed together) and set aside.
6. In another mixing bowl, mix together the wet ingredients; shredded carrots, zucchini, mashed sweet potato, dried cranberries, maple syrup, safflower oil and coconut milk.
7. Add the flax egg to the wet ingredients bowl and mix together well.
8. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together only until all of the flour has been moistened. Do not over mix. The batter will be very thick and heavy. 
9. Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin liners.
10. Sprinkle the pecan topping on top of each muffin, press it into the batter very lightly.
11. Bake the muffins for 30-35 minutes. Check on them about halfway through and rotate the pan if necessary. Test for doneness with a toothpick. 

Serve and enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk by Christine Moss

The post Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet appeared first on BEST SELF.

Chef Christine Moss shares a recipe for M’smen, a traditional flatbread from North Africa — and the first thing she tasted when she arrived in Tangier

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[Adapted (veganized) from The Spruce Eats]

Makes 16 breads

Note: When wrapped up, they can last up to five days in the refrigerator. I popped one in the toaster to reheat and it reminded me of a ‘toaster strudel’.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3-1/2 cups flour
• ½ cup semolina
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt (reduced because vegan butter is salty)
• ¼ tsp yeast
• 1 ½ cups warm water

For Folding and cooking:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup semolina
• ¼ cup softened vegan butter (I used Earth Balance soy free)
• Parchment paper cut into (32) 4” squares

Directions for dough:

1. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients: flour, semolina, sugar, salt and yeast.

2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly add the warm water, using clean hands mix it together as you add it in.

3. Using your hands knead the dough for six to seven minutes. If it is sticky, add a little more flour.

4. Coat the dough with a little oil and cover with a clean dry towel. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

5. Assemble your ingredients for folding and cooking.

6. Use a little of the oil to grease your work surface and your hands. A baking sheet works well for this.

7. With greased hands, divide the dough in half. Then divide each half again and again until you have 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover again with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Directions for folding and cooking:

8. Take one ball of dough and stretch it out into a very thin circle, almost see through without any holes.

9. Place it down on the work surface, it can be stretched out this way as well. Dot the surface with the vegan butter and then sprinkle with a little semolina.

10. Fold the top edge down halfway. Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge.

11. Fold the left side in towards the center and then the right side towards the center until you have a little square packet.

12. Place between two pieces of parchment paper and gently press it flat.

13. Repeat with the remaining 15 balls of dough.

14. Preheat a griddle or cast iron pan and lightly grease it with some of the oil.

15. Remove the parchment paper and fry on each side about 5-6 minutes until golden and slightly puffy.

16. Test for doneness, it should be flaky and chewy, but not undercooked.

Serve with vegan butter, maple syrup, jam or with a hearty bean soup.

You may also enjoy other vegan recipes on Chef Christine Moss’ author page.

The post Recipe: M’smen North African Flatbread appeared first on BEST SELF.

Inspired by recent travels to southern Spain, Chef Christine Moss shares a vegan comfort-food recipe (a favorite in her restaurant) to soothe your soul

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A few tips from my kitchen to yours:

• As with all recipes, please read the directions through to the end before you begin.
• I have given the brand names of some of the ingredients in this recipe because I’ve found that their distinct flavor adds to this dish.

Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry lentils (green, brown or French, your choice)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 cup diced White Onion
• ½ cup diced Carrots
• ½ cup diced Celery
• 2 cloves Garlic smashed and diced
• ¼ cup Olive Oil + 1 TBSP
• 4 leave fresh Sage sliced thinly (or 1 TBSP dried)
• 2 TBSP Cumin
• 2 TBSP dried Thyme
• 2 (14oz.) bottles of Heinz organic Ketchup
• ¼ cup Vegetable Stock or Water
• 2 TBSP Annie’s Worcestershire Sauce (other brands may not be vegan)
• 3-4 Tablespoons Tamari 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Rinse the lentils well and pick out any stones (yes, they commonly have stones). Add them to a large pot with a generous amount of water to cover the lentils and bring to a boil. Once they have reached a boil, lower the heat to very low, add in the bay leaves and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Continue to add water as it cooks out. 
3. Drain the lentils and set aside.
4. In a large sauté pan, coat the bottom with the olive oil. Heat on medium and then add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
5. Cook the vegetables for about 5-6 minutes and then add in a pinch of salt and pepper, sage, cumin and thyme. Stir together and cook for another 4-5 minutes until tender.
6. Transfer the cooked onion, carrot, celery and spice mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Stop before it turns to mush.
7. In a large mixing bowl, place the cooked lentils with the minced cooked vegetables.
8. Add in 1 full bottle of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 2 TBSP tamari, a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 
9. Using a potato masher (or washed hands) begin to mash the lentils together with everything. You are looking for a slightly cohesive mixture with some of the lentils still remaining whole. 
10. Taste it, add in more tamari, cumin and/or salt and pepper as needed.
11. Prepare an 8” baking dish with oil and spoon the lentil mixture into it.
12. With the back of a large spoon, press it down into the pan and smooth out the surface.
13. Place ½ a bottle of ketchup into another mixing bowl and thin it down with a little vegetable stock or water and 1 TBSP of olive oil.
14. Spread the ketchup mixture evenly over the top of the lentil loaf.
15. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes to caramelize the edges.
16. Allow the loaf to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy and a green vegetable such as kale or broccoli.

Caramelized Onion and Shiitake Gravy

Ingredients:

• 4-6 White or Spanish onions peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 leaves fresh sage thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms caps and stems trimmed at the ends, thinly sliced
• 3-4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tsp. arrowroot powder
• ½ cup cold water

Directions:

1. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and add in the sliced onions.
2. Place on a low flame and allow it to cook slowly, do not stir or mix.
3. Let the onions cook about 15-20 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown on the bottom and the onions in the top of the pan are beginning to turn translucent.
4. Pile the shiitake mushrooms and the garlic on top of the onions, do not stir yet. Cook another 6-7 minutes. Now stir, scrape up from the bottom of the pan. Add in the sage, thyme, pepper and salt.
5. Slowly pour in the vegetable stock and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. In a small mixing bowl place the arrowroot powder and pour the cold water into it. Mix it quickly with a fork or whisk and pour into the onions. Mix well.
7. Simmer an additional 5-6 minutes until it thickens. Add more vegetable stock if needed.

Note: If you like your gravy to be darker, add in a little Annie’s Worcestershire sauce or tamari instead of the salt!

You may also enjoy eating Autumn Stew: A Recipe of Seasonal Foods, Folk Lore and Sustenance by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Lentil Loaf With Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Gravy appeared first on BEST SELF.

While losing weight can feel like a vicious cycle, the Bright Line method provides a proven, structured diet protocol for a lasting and vibrant lifestyle

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Weight loss (and keeping weight off) is not all about ‘willpower’ despite what we’ve been told. Sure, it requires attention to detail and discipline — but it also requires quality information that will inspire and keep us on track.

The Official Bright Line Eating Cookbook: Weight Loss Made Simple, is designed precisely with this in mind and to help readers transition to a healthy way of life — one with real staying power. Building upon the success of the ‘Bright Line’ eating protocol, I realized that it needed a companion guidebook outlining tactical strategies and more precisely, exactly what to eat and how much and when.

It explores the principles behind the success of Bright Line Boot Camps and most importantly, helps people take this from the book or the workshops to their homes — to truly incorporate transformation into their lives. It approaches weight loss from another angle. Note: there won’t be any ‘cheat’ foods, because those foods keep addiction alive in the brain, slow weight loss, and leave one vulnerable to old habits. It’s about letting go of what isn’t working.

Healthy living begins with healthy eating.

But there’s more to the story. With over 70 percent of the U.S. population classified as obese or overweight, living in a world of unhealthy food choices and misinformation — it should come as no surprise that living healthy and keeping unwanted weight off has gotten so much more complicated and challenging.

That is why the core principles of Bright Line Eating (BLE) were created to support your sustainable weight loss journey. The 4 Bright Lines: sugar, flour, meals, and quantities are the pillars for clear, unambiguous boundaries, so you don’t have to sweat a guessing game of what works and what doesn’t. This is a structured guideline — no room for moderation here. But don’t let that scare you, this is about creating lasting results and winning the weight battle once and for all.

When you cut sugar and flour (in all their forms) and make a commitment to schedule your meals and prepare them with attention to quantities — you will become empowered to conquer food addiction.

Food can get complicated because there are so many options available — which sometimes sends us on a food-FOMO-frenzy, but don’t get alarmed, there is still a big, beautiful world filled with an array of color and flavor — and one without sugar and flour. I promise!

Plus, Bright Line eating is carefully constructed so that eating behaviors are shifted out of the part of the brain where decisions are made; the prefrontal cortex — and into the part of the brain where things are automatic; the basal ganglia. Meaning, with a fraction of willpower and a few weeks of discipline, you’ll be picking up good habits and routines, and dropping pounds and self-defeating behaviors. In other words, you will be re-scripting old routines that sabotaged your previous efforts.

The holidays and the colder months are right around the corner — a time when we seek comfort foods, indulge a bit more and table our health goals. But I want to see you navigate this differently and stick to your plan. That’s why I included recipes in this cookbook that are filled with flavor and void of guilt. No holiday cookie remorse here!

More specifically, I chose these recipes for Best Self so you can find a practical way to jump into the Bright Line lifestyle.

Because being a ‘Bright Lifer’ is a true way of life that goes beyond a simple diet. It’s about vibrant living and connecting to your body and health in a way that you may never have before.

It’s about joining me on this mission to combat food addiction reasonably and even automatically, so you will look good, feel well, and work productively. Win. Win. Win.

I want this for you. I want you to step into your most vibrant self and confidently participate in reclaiming your health.

Please try one or all of these savory dishes for a first step in a simple program scientifically centered on health and sustainable weight loss. Each of these recipes are foundational to my meal plans in The Official Bright Line Eating Cookbook: practical hot bowls, cold bowls, and perfect plates — and even an entire section on salad dressings. Are you ready to set yourself free from weight loss struggle once and for all? Have a seat at this table!

Hot Bowl: Italian Spaghetti Squash

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 ounces spaghetti sauce (check that sugar is not in the first 3 ingredients)
• 6 ounces beans 1 ounce Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking pan lightly with cooking spray.
2. Slice the squash in half; scoop out and discard the seeds.
3. Place the squash cut side down on the tray and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Let cool; then use a fork to scrape out the strands of squash.
5. Place 6 ounces of cooked spaghetti squash in a pot and mix with all the seasonings.
6. Add 2 ounces of spaghetti sauce and 6 ounces beans and heat through over medium heat.
7. Sprinkle with 1 ounce cheese and serve

Cold Bowl: Texas Cavier

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces frozen corn
• 16 ounces cooked black beans
• 8 ounces cooked black-eyed peas
• 2 ounces sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 10 ounces chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
• Pinch each of salt and black pepper
• 2 ounces apple cider vinegar 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped leaves

Directions:

1. Place the frozen corn in a large bowl.
2. Drain the black beans and black-eyed peas, rinse thoroughly, and add to the corn.
3. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, and tomatoes with juice.
4. Stir together.
5. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper; then add the oil and vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit so the corn completely defrosts and the flavors blend.
6. Stir in the chopped cilantro within a few hours of serving.
7. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Perfect Plate: Grilled Salmon & Spinach Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Olive oil spray
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 fresh salmon filets, enough to yield at least 8 ounces cooked
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1. Coat your skillet lightly with olive oil spray and set the heat to medium. Once the pan is warm, brown half of the garlic.
2. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Add the salmon to the skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Squeeze the juice from 2 lemon quarters over the fish; then season with more salt and pepper if desired.
5. Coat a separate pan with olive oil spray. Sauté the spinach and the remaining garlic until the spinach is slightly wilted.
6. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon quarters and season with salt and pepper.
7. Weigh out 6 ounces of sautéed spinach and top with 4 ounces of salmon.
8. Serve immediately

You may also enjoy reading Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take on the Keto Diet with a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist, by Dr. Will Cole

The post Weight Loss Made Simpler: A Sustainable Solution + 3 Easy Recipes appeared first on BEST SELF.

A hearty autumn stew whipped up with a side of folk lore and love — connecting us to the sustenance on our plates with a new appreciation

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Autumn is by far, my favorite time of year to eat. The warm sunlit days and chilly evenings stir a deep hunger within that is satiated by the abundance of amazing produce that is finally available. Not only is my belly happy, but all of my senses are in full joy mode. The colorful leaves are like stepping into a beautiful painting.

There is a faint hint of woodfire in the evening air. Warm, nutrient-dense foods keep our energy and spirits up. In this area of the Hudson Valley is a mountainous and forested region. The change from summer into autumn is magical. The history and lore of where we live is intertwined with the foods we are blessed to eat this time of year.

Though better known as the Iroquois, (a word used by the French) the Haudenosaunee perfected a style of growing that sustained not only the earth and the soil, but the health of the body as well.

I would like to respectfully honor their legend of the Three Sisters by sharing their story and a recipe that I hope will keep you full of warmth and joy as the days begin to get colder and the daylight shorter.

The legend of the ‘Three Sisters’ is widely spread across the Americas and this particular version is local to my region of upstate New York. A more detailed version can be found at The Three Sisters: Exploring an Iroquois Garden.

As the story goes, there were three sisters who lived in a field. The youngest, who was so little, could only crawl and was dressed in green. The second sister used to love to run off by herself in the warm sunshine and wore a bright yellow dress. The third sister, the eldest, stood straight and tall and always tried to protect her sisters. She wore a pale green shawl and had long silky, yellow hair that tossed about in the breezes. The three sisters loved each other and were always together.

One day a stranger came to the field, a young boy who made arrows. The three sisters were very curious about him. Soon after his appearance the youngest sister disappeared. The two sisters cried and mourned her absence. The stranger returned again and soon after that, the second sister disappeared too. Now the oldest was left all alone in the field. In despair, she cried every day. The young boy returned to the field and heard her cries. He felt badly and carried her back to his home where she was reunited with her two sisters.

They had been so curious about him that they followed him home. Winter was coming and they had decided to stay because it was warm and he needed their help. The littlest sister was by now more grown up and she helped keep the dinner pot full, the second sister sat on a shelf drying herself to be ready to fill the dinner pot later. The oldest sister joined them and helped by grinding meal. They were never separated again.

If you haven’t guessed yet, the little sister in green is the bean, the second sister is the squash and the oldest sister is the corn. Together, beans, squash and corn are the ‘sustainers of life’.

In the garden, the corn provides the ladder for the beans to grow upon and together they create shade for the squash to thrive. Most of the corn grown today goes to feed livestock or into industrial products. But as a food, it provides a foundation of complex carbohydrates; the beans provide protein, the squash provides vitamins and squash seeds provide healthy fat.

I believe that knowing and honoring where our food comes from adds a richer layer of flavor and nourishment that keeps us healthy — and connects us on a deeper level to appreciate what is on our plate — to understand true life sustenance.

Every child of today knows these sisters and needs them just as much as the little Indian boy did. For the little sister in green is the bean. Her sister in yellow is the squash, and the elder sister with long flowing hair of yellow and the green shawl is the corn.

~ A Mohawk legend

Cooking with dried beans

Dried beans have a beautiful texture both soft yet firm with tremendous flavor that cannot be compared to canned beans. It is well worth the extra step to cook with dried beans, plus dried beans are less expensive.

When buying dried beans, choose organic whenever possible. The difference in flavor (not to mention health benefits) is significant. Make sure to choose a package that looks fresh with mostly whole beans. Avoid dusty looking beans or packages with a lot of broken pieces. It’s best to purchase from bins in health stores.

Rinse dried beans very well to clean them of any dust and remove large particles of dirt or rocks (yes, rocks. It’s not uncommon to find them). Place in a bowl or pot and cover with a few inches of clean water. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Or, once your beans have been cleaned place them in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. The exact amount is not important. Bring the pot to a boil, cover and then turn off the heat. Let it soak for at least half an hour up to 3 or 4 hours.

Once your beans have soaked using either method, pour off the soaking water and rinse the beans. Put them into a large pot and cover with a few inches of clean water. On a medium heat bring the beans up to a simmer, but don’t let them boil (boiling causes them to break apart). At this point, add in a small piece of kombu, wakame or dulse seaweed to the beans to aid in digestion.

Important, do not add salt yet. Salt inhibits the beans from softening at this stage and it won’t matter how long you cook them they will remain hard. Believe me, I have made this mistake!! It is sad after hours of cooking to have inedible beans.

Simmer for 1 to 2 hours until tender. As the water gets low, add in more to keep the beans submerged as they cook. You can also transfer them to a slow cooker at this point with all of your other ingredients and let it do its magic overnight or while you are out at work. Sauté your vegetables with the spices before adding to the slow cooker for even better flavor.

When cooking beans, as it is getting close to being done, taste the broth for flavor rather than the beans as it takes a very long time for the beans to soak up all of the flavors and it can be easy to over-salt your dish early on.

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Red Bean and Butternut Squash Stew Served With Polenta

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried red kidney beans prepared and simmered according to soaking directions above
• 4 stalks celery diced
• 2-3 small carrots washed and sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1-2 small sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 Spanish onion diced
• 1 butternut squash peeled, cut into 1” cubes, seeds cleaned and reserved
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 TBSP dried thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 TBSP maple syrup
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

1. Into a large heavy-bottomed pot sauté onions, celery and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add in carrots and sweet potatoes. Sauté another 8-10 minutes.
3. Add in butternut squash and about ½ tsp salt. Stir and reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Remove lid, stir again add in prepared beans with all of their cooking liquid, bay leaves, cumin, black pepper and a little more salt. Stir and cover. Let simmer for 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally from the bottom so it doesn’t stick.
5. Stir again and taste the broth. Add in more salt if needed and the maple syrup.
6. Let it simmer slowly for another 20-30 minutes. The broth will thicken as it cooks.
7. Shut off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. It will taste even better the next day as the flavors meld together.

Polenta

Follow the directions on the package and add lots of vegan butter for a very creamy polenta. Or polenta can be purchased already prepared in the refrigerator section of your market. Slice into ½” slices and quickly pan fry in a little olive oil or vegan butter and serve on top of the stew.

Another option is to serve it with corn tortillas, cornbread or fresh corn on the cob.

You may enjoy these other vegan recipes from Chef Christine Moss on her Author Page.

The post Autumn Stew: A Recipe of Seasonal Foods, Folk Lore and Sustenance appeared first on BEST SELF.

Inspired by the shaved ices sold on the city streets of her childhood, Chef Moss serves up a refreshing take on Italian-style granitas

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Summer is in full throttle and my blender is my new best friend. From smoothies and gazpachos to refreshing fruit drinks — the blender is a great tool to help you get your nutrients without heating up the kitchen. 

And what’s summer without watermelon and those amazing shaved ices sold on city street corners that flood my mind with memories? To keep cool, here is a simple yet glorious frozen treat inspired by Italian-style Granitas. Originally from Sicily, Granitas are related to sorbet and Italian ice, however, in most of Sicily it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. 

Watermelon is an amazing fruit that keeps you hydrated and is loaded with antioxidants and lycopene which gives it its red color. Go ahead, put the lime in the coconut (milk) and eat it all up!

Watermelon Coconut and Lime Granita

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 1 can (15 oz.) full fat coconut milk
• 2 TBSP fresh lime juice
• 2 TBSP granulated sugar (helps with the freezing consistency)

Directions:

1. Blend all of the above ingredients in a blender for 1-2 minutes.
2. Pour into a metal or glass bread loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer for 2 hours.
3. Remove from the freezer and mix the granita together breaking apart any frozen lumps and return to the freezer covered with plastic wrap.
4. Let it freeze solid, depending on your freezer, for another 3-4 hours or leave overnight.
5. To serve, using a strong spoon or ice cream scoop, scrape the surface multiple times to build up a nice fluffy scoopful. Serve in a pretty bowl (garnish if you like with a fruit, mint leave or flower) and enjoy.

You may also enjoy eating Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Watermelon, Coconut & Lime Granita appeared first on BEST SELF.

Growing up the daughter of a florist, a chef shows us how flowers are not just for vases — they can actually be edible art

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Most recipes for candied flowers use egg whites. Here is an alternative recipe that uses simple syrup and super fine powdered sugar instead. 

To start, rub the petals gently between your fingers to help the simple syrup stick. Take your time, this is not a quick project, but there’s something delightful about painting each petal with the syrup — a chance to notice how each petal is different and unique from the other. Enjoy the process and the finished product!

Choose flowers from a garden that have not been sprayed with pesticides! Edible flowers can be found in high-end markets such as Whole Foods or Wegmans, or even online at Etsy or Amazon. And of course, don’t forget local farms and nurseries near you. You just may be so inspired by this project to start planting your own garden.

But before anything, be very clear on which flowers are safe to be consumed. Here is a list of a few that are edible and a few that are poisonous and should be avoided. 

Some Edible Flowers that Can Be Candied:

Lilac
Violas
Pansies
Roses
Apple Blossoms
Nasturtiums
Borage

Poisnous Flowers, Do Not Eat:

Azalia
Butterfly Weed
Clematis
Daffodil
Datura (Jimson Weed)
Foxglove
Iris
Morning Glory
Sweet Pea

DIRECTIONS:

Simple Syrup

1. 1 part sugar
2. 1 part water
3. Mix together in a small pot over a low flame and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Let it cool down, as the heat will change the color of the flowers.

Set Up Your Work Station With:

• A sheet of wax paper
• A small clean paintbrush used only for food
• Superfine powdered sugar (you can put powdered sugar into the blender to make it superfine)
• Flowers of choice
• Tweezers (for very tiny flowers such as lilacs)
• A damp cloth to clean your fingers (they will get sticky)
• A sieve for sprinkling the powdered sugar

1. For flowers with petals, paint the front and the back of the flower with the syrup and set down on the wax paper. Repeat with all of your flowers.
2. Using the sieve, sprinkle the powdered sugar over the surface of the flowers.
3. Set aside in a warm dry place and allow to dry. It can take anywhere from 4 hours to 24 hours to dry depending upon the humidity and the size of your flowers.
4. Once the flowers have dried, peel them up off of the wax paper very slowly and carefully. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. 
5. For flowers such as lilacs and apple blossoms, use the tweezers to pick up each one and dip it into the simple syrup instead of using a paintbrush.

Et voila! Garnish a plate or the top of a cake or dessert. Your creations will sing of delight and natural beauty — and the process will have your creative juices flowing. Here’s to flower power!

You may also enjoy Rustic Berry Tarts & Flamenco: Recipe & Musings From A Chef, by Christine Moss

The post Flower Power: The Edible Art of Candied Flowers appeared first on BEST SELF.

Beyond recipes, a chef shares personal stories to delight both the palate and plate — to invoke self-love and acceptance

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What do self-love, rustic berry tarts and Flamenco have in common? Me… and just quite possibly, you too. When I was mulling over the possibilities of recipes to include in this issue and decided on berry tarts, the word ‘rustic’ made me smile. It was as if that word alone gives freedom and permission to create something that looks imperfect, but can also be full of flavor and love… kind of like each of us. 

There’s a lot of pain in the world, perhaps there always was. I can’t identify the straight path to healing, probably because it’s different for each of us.

But a story I recently recalled about me and Flamenco demonstrates the path to self-love and acceptance. And there’s truly no greater gift. 

Let me just put it out there: I love Flamenco. I don’t just love Flamenco, I deeply and profoundly feel other worldly when I listen to the music and witness the dance. It transports me. In Spanish, there is a word for that, duende. The people in my life during my late 20’s did not understand my interest — and I didn’t share it with them. I didn’t have a ‘dancer’s body’ so I kept it to myself. 

For a long time, I never told anyone that I had signed up for dance lessons in a dimly lit 5-story walk up just north of Times Square. I had let my fear of what others might think or say keep a part of me hidden. When I finally worked up the courage to tell my mom, she surprised me by buying my first pair of real Flamenco dance shoes as a gift. They were authentic, imported from Spain and are similar to heeled tap shoes, but instead have multiple nails hammered into the heel and toe. 

This was the first time I really came to understand and realize that the things I like, that I am attracted to are OK, simply because I like them, and they bring no harm to others. No one else has to like them.

No one else has to understand. But you know what, I learned two more things. One: Other people really do like the same things that I like because they have created it, lived it, and kept it culturally alive for generations. Two: When you do something that you like, even if you are the only one who likes it — you show others that they need not fear what makes them unique as well. 

And you know what happened? Some of my friends eventually warmed up to my enthusiasm and came with me to a few shows. My teacher, Carlota Santana said to me:

Life is hard and bad things happen to you, but you don’t deserve those bad things. Use that in your dance… And I did. 

I wasn’t good at it. I struggled with the more complicated steps and I knew I would never be a graceful, professional dancer like the others in my class. But that never was the point. I felt real, like myself for those two hours in class without the thoughts and judgments of others, and it was just plain fun. Looking back I see that doing something I loved in spite of my fear was true self-love.

Mixed Berry Rustic Tart

Makes 9

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 8 oz (2 sticks) solid vegan butter (not the whipped)
• 3 TBSP cane sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3-4 TBSP ice water

Filling:

• 1 pint blackberries
• 1 pint Raspberries
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 2 tsp arrowroot or flour
• zest of 1 lemon

Topping:

• 2 TBSP vegan butter melted
• Cane sugar for sprinkling on top of tarts

Directions:

1. Make the dough first. Into a food processor put the flour, sugar and salt and pulse a few times to sift the ingredients together.
2. Slice the vegan butter into smaller pieces and add half to the food processor. Pulse together a few times so it is worked into the flour. Add the rest of the vegan butter and pulse it into the mixture.
3. Turn the processor on and add ice water while it is mixing 1 TBSP at a time until the dough begins to hold together into a single ball. 
4. Test the dough and if you can pinch it together and it holds it’s shape without sticking to your fingers you are done. 
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Make this filling:

1. When the dough has chilled remove it from the refrigerator and set aside.
2. Into a bowl put all of the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries with the sugar, arrowroot and lemon zest.
3. Mix together crushing a few of the berries to make a syrup with the sugar and arrowroot. Set it aside.

Roll out and fill the tarts:

1. Prep 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and a light spray of oil so the tarts don’t stick. Unwrap the dough and divide it into 9 equal parts. Roll each part into a ball and set aside.
2. Sprinkle a smooth flat surface with flour and take the first ball of dough and flatten it a bit with the palm of your hand. 
3. Roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8″ thick and set aside. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
4. Take a circle of dough and place a generous spoonful of filling in the center. About 1/4 cup of fruit. You will need to get 9 portions of fruit to fill all of your tarts.
5. Beginning with one edge, pinch and fold the dough up around the fruit all the way around the circle until you have built your tart.
6. Use a spatula to lift the tart off of your work surface and onto your prepared sheet pan. I was able to fit 6 on one pan and 3 on the other.
7. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
8. Brush the tops of each tart with melted vegan butter. It can also be used as a glue to hold together the edges of the tarts or places where it may have cracked. Its ok if it has cracked here and there, it will bake together.
9. Bake in a 400F oven for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy other recipes from Chef Christine Moss on her author page.

The post Rustic Berry Tarts & Flamenco: Recipe & Musings From A Chef appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vegan recipe for Keto-inspired roasted lettuce wraps that are light, yet satisfying with healthy fats and nutritious vegetables.

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VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, AIP
PREP: 15 minutes
Roast: 45 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 medium orange or yellow beets (about 3 inches in diameter), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick wedges 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt 
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small shallot, cut into thin wedges 
• 8 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 
• 8 large Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a shallow baking pan, toss together the beet wedges, 1-1⁄2 tablespoons oil, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper. Spread the mixture in a single layer in the pan. Cover the pan with foil. Roast for 30 minutes. 
2. Uncover, add the shallot wedges, and roast, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.
3. Add the asparagus and drizzle with the remaining 1-1⁄2 teaspoons oil. Roast, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender and starting to turn brown. 
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the avocado, juice, chives, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper. Mash to the desired consistency using a potato masher or fork. 
5. To serve, stack the lettuce leaves to make four stacks of two leaves each. Spoon the roasted vegetables on top of the lettuce stacks. Spoon the avocado mixture evenly over the vegetables. Wrap the lettuce around the vegetables and avocado mixture and serve. 

[Reprinted from Ketotarian by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2018, Will Cole]

You may also enjoy 8 Proven Health Benefits Of The Keto Diet and Ketogenic Lifestyle by Alex Reed

The post Recipe: Spring Veggie Lettuce Wrap appeared first on BEST SELF.

Food is more than medicine for the body. This ‘Blood Orange Marmalade’ recipe and chef’s musings touch both the soul and palette.

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Combatting the winter blues, one chef is inspired. 

February. It’s cold and damp and thoughts of summers past and future are getting me through the dreary days of winter. That and a favorite episode of Parks and Recreations, that is. And you know what…

I think it’s time to Treat Yo Self!

*I will warn you. Once you watch this video, you won’t be able to stop repeating this (and that’s precisely my plan). Ha. 

So while Tom and Donna have their own list of how they like to celebrate this day I invite you to make a list of your own and let’s celebrate ‘The best day of the year.’

Hmmm. For me:

• Delicious vegan chocolates from Lagusta’s Luscious here in the Hudson Valley? Treat yo self!
• Silky smooth cocoa butter based lotion because winter makes my skin dry? Treat yo self!
• Listening to ‘Kind of Blue’ by Miles Davis on repeat? Treat yo self!
• A relaxing pedicure and foot massage? Treat yo self!

February is the perfect month to take care of ourselves because it’s easy to feel down and ‘Kind of Blue’ — from stepping into that slush puddle that you thought was solid to waking up and returning home in the dark.

We’re like little house plants, we need sunlight, warmth and nurturing too.

So, light some candles when you get home and let the warm natural glow lighten up your world a little and languish in it. Remember, we move around at a much faster pace in the summer. Pleasure is essential and can be found in the smallest of details. 

If cooking is your joy as it is one of mine, here’s a recipe for some sunshine inspired Blood Orange Marmalade. 

The scent of orange is uplifting and warming. Hold the slices up to the light and admire their glistening beauty. The aroma will dance throughout your house from the moment you start peeling and slicing releasing those essential oils from the skin and then again while it simmers with cinnamon on the stove.

This is a 2 day process, but it is well worth it. It’s a true delight for the senses. I enjoy it on the usual things like toast and pancakes, but it can be added to many other dishes. Mix in a little toasted sesame oil and tamari to create a glaze for some tempeh or seitan and broccoli. Spoon some over roasted carrots or swirl into a warm bowl of oatmeal. 

There are many ways to enjoy the rest of winter and to “Treat Yo Self.”

RECIPE: Blood Orange Marmalade

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 10 blood oranges
• 2 cups cane sugar
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• Water for soaking orange rinds

Equipment:

• Sharp knife
• Container for soaking rinds overnight
• Container to hold orange sections separate from rinds
• 4-6 Quart pot
• Jars to store marmalade once done

Directions: Day 1

1. Wash the oranges very well under running water.
2. With a very sharp knife cut off the ends of the oranges and then slice away the rind and pith from the flesh of the oranges. 
3. Set aside the flesh and slice the rinds into very thin slivers. Place them into a large bowl or food storage container and cover with cold water. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator to soak overnight. This step helps to remove some of the bitterness and softens the rind for eating.
4. Cut the flesh of the orange into small chunks and remove any seeds. Store in a separate container in the refrigerator overnight as well.

Day 2

1. Drain the orange rinds in a colander and rinse under cold running water. 
2. Place rinds, orange flesh, sugar and cinnamon sticks into a 6 quart pot. Mix together and place on the stove over a high heat until it starts to bubble. Lower the heat to a very low flame (or a low setting around 2 on an electric stove).
3. Simmer for about 30-45 minutes, checking every 7-10 minutes to stir it. Once the liquid starts to evaporate taste it to see if you would like to add more sugar. If you like it sweeter, add ¼ cup more sugar along with ¼ cup water, stir together and simmer longer until the liquid once again is almost all evaporated.
4. Remove from the heat and let it cool down. It will thicken as it cools.
5. Store in decorative glass jars. It will keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Or if you are canning, follow the instructions on your canning set.

You may also enjoy eating White Christmas Coconut Treats by Danielle Shine

The post Marmalade and Musings: From the Kitchen to Life’s Table appeared first on BEST SELF.

What you eat profoundly effects your emotion state — enjoy this nutritious recipe designed to feed your palate, body and mind.

—

They don’t say food is medicine without reason. My profound 25-year journey back to restored mental wellness began with diet and supplementation. I’ve pulled 2 recipes from my book, The Essential Diet: Eating for Mental Health, because these recipes are easy to make, versatile and are powerhouse foods.

My entire book is filled with healthy, simple recipes that will guide you to change how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally — to support overall wellness.

It starts with one small step. For me, this is where it started. 

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that voices support for the age-old idea that what we eat affects not only our bodies, but our minds as well. It is important to note that many of the nutritional building blocks required to make neurotransmitters and hormones are essential nutrients. This means that we are unable to make them ourselves, and we must acquire them from our diet. 

From a root cause perspective, taking medication may not be a permanent solution to your problems if you never fix the underlying biological terrain of your body to support the production of neurotransmitters and hormones involved in mood regulation.

It is important to understand that everything that enters your body informs your body in one way or another.

The key is to make sure that you are sending your body the right messages. The fact that food is so emotionally potent is empowering. And each of us has the ability to modify our diet to benefit our bodies and minds. 

WILD SALMON is rich in the essential amino acid, tryptophan, which gets converted to the feel good neurotransmitter in the body called serotonin. This is often low in people with anxiety and depression. Wild salmon is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for mental health due to its effects on serotonin receptors in the brain. 

KALE is packed with many nutrients (vitamin A, vitamin B6, iron, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium calcium and vitamin C) definitely rating it among the best super foods. Eating more kale is a great way to significantly increase the total nutrient content of your diet.

Grilled Salmon with Balsamic Onion Glaze

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Balsamic Onion Glaze

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Salmon

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 sprig fresh rosemary
• 6 x 4 oz wild salmon fillet portions, bones removed
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:  

Balsamic Onion Glaze:

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add onions. Sweat onions, stirring often, until all liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Add half the balsamic vinegar and simmer until absorbed. Add remaining balsamic vinegar and reduce until a glaze. Season to taste and set aside.

Salmon:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. 
2. Reduce balsamic vinegar with rosemary in a small saucepot to a glaze consistency, about 8 minutes and set aside. 
3. Brush salmon fillets lightly with olive oil and season. 
4. Grill skin-side up, for 4 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees and cook 4 more minutes. 
5. Turn salmon over and cook for 8 more minutes for medium done-ness. 
6. Brush salmon with balsamic during last 5 minutes of cooking. 
7. Serve salmon with balsamic onions and steamed kale on the side.

Steamed Kale

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale (stems removed), chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Steam kale until tender, approx. 3 min. Dress with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt.  Swiss chard and mustard greens can be prepared and dressed the same way.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating GreenSpace Superfood Salad by Joel Kahn M.D.

The post Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Balsamic Onion Glaze and Steamed Kale appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious twist on a traditional pumpkin cheesecake

—

I love sharing love through food. Try it out over the holidays and spread the health to your nearest and dearest.

Free of dairy, gluten, soy, refined-sugar

[Modified from this recipe by Amy Lyons]

Makes 2 medium cakes/tarts

Ingredients:

Spiced seeds

• 1/3 cup mix of raw pumpkin + sunflower seeds
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp turmeric, ground [optional]
• 1 pinch black pepper [if using turmeric, to activate its properties]
• 1/8 tsp cayenne [optional]

Crust

• 2/3 cup gluten-free whole grain oats [sub: raw sprouted buckwheat groats or additional unsweetened shredded coconut]
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed meal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tsp raw cacao powder
• 10-12 medjool dates, pitted and chopped [if they are not soft, soak them in warm water for 10-30 minutes + drain them well]
• 1-2 tsp coconut oil, melted [if necessary to help bind the crust]

Pumpkin coconut yogurt filling

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree [I used baked organic kaboacha squash, cooled + mashed]
• 1 cup Anita’s coconut yogurt [sub: unsweetened non-dairy or organic Greek yogurt]
• 2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked + drained to soften [nut-free sub: raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid]
• 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp ginger, ground
• 1 tsp cardamom, ground
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 tsp cloves, ground
• 1/8 tsp turmeric, ground [optional]
• 1 pinch black pepper [if using turmeric, to activate its healing properties]
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 tsp maca [optional]
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup [sub: raw coconut nectar or raw local honey]
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted [if not using coconut butter]
• 1 tsp lemon juice [to taste]

Directions:

To make the seeds

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and toss to coat.
2. Spread out on a lined baking sheet and bake at 325F for 10-20 minutes, then let dry until crispy.

To prepare the crust

1. Process flax, coconut, oats/buckwheat and sea salt in a food processor until they become fine crumbs.
2. Add dates and cacao powder and process until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers [if not holding together, add more dates or a bit of melted coconut oil].
3. Lightly coat cheesecake pans with coconut oil [or use parchment paper] then firmly press the crust into the bottom, and set aside.
4. Place crust in the fridge until firm, approximately 1 hour.

To make the pumpkin coconut yogurt filling

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a high-speed blender [or large food processor] and blend/process until smooth.
2. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top, then place in the freezer for about 4 hours or overnight, garnishing finished cake/tart with spiced seeds before cake is completely firm.
3. Serve cold so the shape holds and the flavor is fresh [store extra cake in fridge or freezer].

You may also enjoy Recipe: Loaded Chocolate Bark by Natural Gourmet Institute

The post Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Yogurt Cheesecake appeared first on BEST SELF.

Savory vegan recipes of broccoli soup and sage biscuits, inspired by grandma’s kitchen

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Broccoli — we have history.

When I think of this lifelong favorite vegetable, I’m back in my grandmother’s kitchen standing at her side. Purchased frozen, there was always some broccoli on hand and much to the chagrin of the rest of my family, she indulged my appetite for it and served it with every meal when I visited. She would simmer it for “a good 20 minutes” (I remember because she would let me set the timer) — and then proceed to smother it with a giant scoopful of melting margarine. YUM — soft, salty, pudding-like heaven.

Though my preparation style and palette have significantly evolved — broccoli remains my favorite vegetable and it makes me smile, reminiscing about the time spent with her.

Kitchens are sacred spaces that pulsate with life, dancing between creation and memory.

Today, I prefer it lightly roasted or sautéed to maintain its crunch, with olive oil, a little salt and fresh garlic.

As the seasons change, I miss my grandma and the time we spent together in the kitchen and the subsequent lingering at the table as we slowly ate and shared stories. Food has the power to connect us in beautiful ways. When I want to evoke this feeling of warmth and comfort, I cook up some Creamy Broccoli Soup, my version of my childhood delight.

This recipe may seem like it has a lot of vegan butter at first, but that’s OK, grandma approves. It helps keep it silky smooth when blending, and besides — it’s delicious. I use a soy-free vegan butter which tends to be a bit saltier than the other kinds. So, I add salt towards the end of the preparation, after tasting it, to avoid it being over-salted.

As for the potatoes, Yukon Gold are a good choice because of their creamy texture when blended, but feel free to substitute with others like Russets or another white-fleshed potato.

This soup goes great with homemade Sage Biscuits!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Makes about 3 quarts

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch (~ 2 lbs.) fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion (~ 1 lb.)
• 2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes (~ 1 ½ -2 lbs.) washed, unpeeled
• 3 stalks celery, ends trimmed
• 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
• 2-3 stems fresh thyme
• 1 TBSP black pepper
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 stick (4 oz. or 8 TBSP) vegan butter (soy-free)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cups water
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cut and prep all of your vegetables first.
2. Wash and cut broccoli tops into 1” sized florets. With a vegetable peeler, peel the stalk and then cut into ½ “ thick cubes.
3. Peel and coarsely dice the onion.
4. Wash and cut the potatoes into ½” cubes, do not peel.
5. Coarsely dice the celery.
6. Strip the leaves of thyme from the stem and roughly chop to release the fragrance.
7. Into a 4-6 qt soup pot, melt the vegan butter with the olive oil.
8. Add in the celery, onions, and Sauté for about 5 minutes and then add the potato cubes. Stir gently to coat with the melted butter, oil and vegetables. Cover and let cook on medium low heat for 5 minutes.
9. Stir, make sure to mix up from the bottom. The potatoes will stick a little, scrape that up, cover again and cook for another 5 minutes.
10. Add the broccoli, the thyme and black pepper, stir well and cover, let it cook for another 5 minutes.
11. Stir again and then pour in the vegetable stock and water. Add the bay leaves. Raise the flame and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and let it simmer 15- 20 minutes.
12. Shut off the flame and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove the 2 bay leaves and discard them.
13. If using a blender, blend in small batches until all the liquid and vegetables have been blended together.

NOTE: It is important to leave the lid of the blender open just a touch while holding it in place using a kitchen towel as you turn it on. This allows the steam to escape. Some blenders have a removable part in the top of the lid for this purpose. Otherwise, the heat may force the lid off and spray hot soup when you turn it on.

You can use an immersion blender instead, following your instruction manual. It will give you a slightly chunkier soup, so if you want it super creamy, use the conventional blender.

Taste and add salt as needed.

Sage Biscuits

Note: Take care to not overwork the dough to keep the biscuits light and fluffy. And fresh sage is better than dried for flavor. You can also add or substitute rosemary or thyme.

Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups flour plus extra for working with dough
• 1 TBSP baking Powder
• ½ TSP baking Soda
• ½ TSP salt
• About 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 8 small to medium sized sage leaves left whole
• 4 TBSP vegan butter (cold) plus 1 TBSP separate for baking

Directions:

1. In a bowl, add the apple cider vinegar into the soymilk, do not stir; set it aside to curdle for about 5 minutes.
2. In a separate mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together very well until blended.
3. Cut the 4 TBSP vegan butter into small pieces and add it into the flour. Using a fork or pastry cutter mix the butter and flour together until it has a crumbly texture. It is ok for there to be a few larger lumps of butter. Gently fold in the chopped sage.
4. Using a whisk, mix together the soy milk and vinegar blend and then pour slowly into the flour mix. Fold together gently until the flour is just coated and then turn out onto a floured surface. It will be sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough over itself 4-5 times, adding small amounts of flour to keep it from sticking. (Do not roll or knead.)
5. Pat it into a 1” thick rectangle shape and then cut into 8 evenly sized rectangle shaped biscuits. Place each biscuit very close to the other onto a greased baking sheet. As they bake, you’ll want the sides to touch each other.
6. Press one sage leaf onto the top of each biscuit. Divide the remaining TBSP of butter into 8 pieces and place one piece on top of each sage leaf on each biscuit.
7. Bake in a 400F oven for 12 minutes. Turn the pan and bake for another 5-6 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.

You may also enjoy Soup’s On! Musings On Life & A Recipe For Summer Black Bean Soup With Cucumber Yogurt by Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Soup & Sage Biscuits appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vegan crunchy-chewy chocolate chip cookies paired with creamy walnut milk make a great treat after a winter outing!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 36-40 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 2 TBSP vanilla extract
• 3 cups white flour
• 8 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups cane sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 sticks earth balance soy free at room temperature
• 1 bag 10 oz vegan chocolate chips (just under 2 cups)

Directions:

1. In an electric mixer with the paddle, or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer or by hand with a whisk, fork or masher, cream together all of the butter and both sugars.
2. Add vanilla and mix until blended.
3. In separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients, oat flour, white flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients slowly to creamed butter and sugar and mix until a uniform dough has formed. 
5. Add chocolate chips and mix in by hand with a large spoon.
6. Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll into logs 2” thick diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill dough at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
7. Preheat oven to 350F. Unwrap and slice chilled dough into ½” slices and place on a greased baking sheet 2” apart.
8. Bake 5 minutes, rotate baking sheet and bake another 4-5 minutes and remove from oven while they are puffed up a bit. The trick with these is that they will not look done when its time to remove them from the oven, that’s ok, it’s what you want. Let them cool on the tray and they will finish cooking that way. This makes a tender and chewy cookie. If you leave them in for too long they get very hard to bite.

TIP: Make your own oat flour by blending the measured amount of oats plus 1 teaspoon to a blender and blend on high until you have a fine flour.

Walnut Milk

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw organic walnuts
• 3 cups water plus more for soaking
• 1 TBSP maple syrup 
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Place the walnuts in a bowl and cover with water to soak at least 1 hour at room temperature. They can soak overnight up to 12 hours, the longer they soak the creamier the milk.
2. Drain the soaked walnuts and rinse very well.
3. Place walnuts into a blender with 3 cups water, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Blend on low for 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve as is or strain through some cheesecloth to make it extra smooth. It will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk appeared first on BEST SELF.

Seaweed is not just a nutrient dense food and therapeutic treat for your skin and hair — it is an extraordinary agent of change for ocean health

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By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea…

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.

Isak Dinesen

Summer is here and the ocean is beckoning. Even if you are landlocked there are ways to bring the sea’s vitality into your life. Seaweed is not only a nutrient dense food and therapeutic treat for your skin and hair, but seaweed farming is also a newly discovered and groundbreaking way to help clean up our oceans.

This past May I had the opportunity to take two amazing workshops with Angela Willard of harmonicarts.ca where she shared her knowledge and passion of all things algae.

Seaweeds are the fastest growing plant medicine on earth with giant kelp growing at a rate of 2 feet per day.

The palatable parts of seaweed are the fronds and they have up to 20x the vitamin and mineral content of land plants. 2 teaspoons of Dulse powder is higher in potassium than a banana. If you are concerned about iodine intake, Kelp is the highest in iodine content while Nori is the lowest. But don’t skip out on all of Kelp’s benefits because you are avoiding iodine. Boil your kelp for about 30 minutes and then discard the water (you can give it to your garden plants,’ they will love it). If you do want the iodine, you can add the liquid to your soups or cooking water.

Other ways to incorporate seaweed into your life are to crumble it into your salads, add flakes to your rice and throw a piece of kombu (a kelp) into your beans when cooking to make them more digestible. And no, don’t throw away the seaweed after cooking it in your beans, it actually converts rather than absorbs the enzymes that make it difficult to digest beans. I also love to munch on packages of nori snacks, the wasabi one is my favorite.

If you like to ferment and make sauerkraut, add a bit of wakame or kombu to your jar for a briny zing.

An infusion of Kelp in water is called serum and can be used as a bath tea, hair rinse or as the liquid in your mud mask. Soak a few pieces of dried kelp in distilled water (it can expand up to 40%) in a glass jar for a day in the sunlight. Then put into your refrigerator for 1 to 5 days. The cold temperature allows the alginates to come out of the seaweed giving the serum its signature slippery feel.

Strain the fronds from the liquid before use with a cheesecloth which can then be put into the freezer as an ice pack or used as a body scrub. Just be careful to not let the seaweed go down the drain, it can clog your pipes.

Seaweed is a nourishing gift for our bodies inside and out.

Here is a recipe for a farmers’ market summer vegetable and seaweed soup:

Summer Vegetable and Seaweed Soup

(This recipe calls for dulse, which is technically an alga, but is essentially a form of seaweed and is dense with nutrients)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
• 3 small carrots scrubbed and thinly sliced, wash and set aside the carrot tops
• 1-2 garlic scapes thinly sliced or cloves of fresh garlic smashed and diced
• 2-3 red or breakfast radishes
• 2 small purple potatoes (or any firm fleshed potato you have)
• ½ bunch pencil asparagus ends trimmed and cut on the bias
• 1 Tbsp crushed dried mushrooms (I used sun dried yellow oysters, but porcini or wild mushroom mix will also work)
• 1/3 cup of dulse (about a handful), cut into tiny pieces using a clean pair of scissors

Directions:

1. Wash and prep all the vegetables except mushrooms and dulse into a soup pot and sauté in 1 TBSP olive oil
2. Stir frequently until tender and then add the crushed dried mushrooms
3. Add in the dulse (it will expand)
4. Stir around and then add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes on a medium to low flame and then remove from heat.
5. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve immediately, top with chopped carrot greens and a dollop of vegan sour cream or yogurt.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Indian Spiced Oyster & Shiitake Mushrooms Roasted in Coconut Milk (Plus A Few Tips for Foraging For Good Health) by Christine Moss

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An exploration into the truth about the health benefits of juicing vs. eating

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Juicing is a hot and healthy trend. Juice machines are more popular now than ever and, according to Barron’s, over 6,200 juice bars are now churning out swamp-colored elixirs across the country. Starbucks recently spent $30 million to acquire Evolution Fresh, a cold-crafted juice operation, hoping to capitalize on this healthy lifestyle trend. Some health experts claim juicing is better for you than eating whole fruits and vegetables because the body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives the digestive system a rest from working on the fiber. Actually, there’s no scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself.

Most juicing machines leave behind, or completely annihilate the pulp, which is chock-full of  vitamins, minerals and needed fiber.

For example, one orange (with pulp) contains approximately 30 MG of vitamin C, but if you make orange juice with that same orange (without the pulp) the fluid will contain only 18 MG of vitamin C.

Everyone’s heard the saying, “An apple a day helps keep the doctor away.” There’s a lot of truth to that. Apples contain a gamut of health enhancing ingredients, one of them being phytosterols which reduce inflammation, help lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and support a healthy immune system. Evidence also suggests that phytosterols activate pancreatic beta cells for improved insulin production.

One cup of apples contain 15.0 MG of phytosterols. One cup of apple juice contains zero MG of phytosterols. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with ‘anti-oxidant’ properties which fight off free radicals in the environment that lead to disease. Also, the sugar levels in fruit juice can cause a significant spike in blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of hyperglycemia. Eating the same fruit will have a much less blood sugar surge because its fiber content slows the release of sugar.

The antioxidant value of food is measured by using ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units, a measurement for antioxidants developed by the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institute of Health. The higher the ORAC number, the higher the antioxidants in that particular food. One example of the marked difference between juicing versus eating can be found when looking at the ORAC value of cranberries. The difference in ORAC measurement of raw cranberries is 9,090, compared to cranberry juice, which measures only 1,452.

There’s no denying it, juicing just doesn’t offer the nutritional benefits of eating raw fruits and vegetables.

A name that has become synonymous with juicing is the late great Jack Lalanne. Known as ‘The Godfather of Fitness’, and world-renowned nutritional expert, he was the creator of the ‘Juice Tiger’ and ‘The Jack Lalanne Power Juicer’.  He died  at the age of 96, still healthy and active until the very end! Jack lived long and vibrantly, and inspired millions of people to make positive health choices, to lose weight and stay in shape.

I had the honor of chatting with him at a convention I attended in Ohio. I asked Mr. Lalanne if he really preferred juicing his fruits and vegetables over eating them? He replied, “Eating fruits and vegetables is vital because they contain healthy fiber and pulp which are removed during the juicing process.” He went on to tell me he never discarded the pulp remnants after juicing but instead, used them to make homemade bread, soups, fresh sherbet and muffins.

I asked him why he didn’t show people how to do that on his Juice Tiger infomercials?” He smiled and replied, “Juice machines offer people something quick and easy. Had I recommended additional steps required after juicing, I wouldn’t have sold so many juicers.”

He’s right! People want the ‘one stop shop’ and they’d rather drink 10 oz. of juice than take the time to prepare homemade soup using the ‘good stuff’ that they throw into the garbage.

While juicing is a delicious and refreshing option, it should not be a substitute for eating. We were designed to chew our fruits and vegetables, not drink them.

What’s Next: 10 Uses for Fruit & Vegetable Pulp

The things you can do with the leftover pulp are endless and truly amazing. Seriously, this isn’t pulp fiction! Here’s my fiber rich, Top 10 favorites:

1. Use fruit pulp to make frozen ‘pulp-sicles’

Here’s one example:

Cantaloupe, Mint, and Mango

Makes about 4 ½ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and quartered
• 8-10 sprigs of fresh mint
• 2 mangoes, halved, seeded, and peeled.

Instructions:

1. Put your pulp and 2 ounces of reserved juice into the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Spoon into popsicle molds and use wooden skewers (both available on Amazon.)
3. Freeze overnight.

*An easy trick to getting them out of the mold is to fill a glass with hot water and put the mold in for a few seconds — then the ‘pulp-sicle’ will slide right out.

2. Use in DIY skincare recipes like masks and scrubs

Here’s a body scrub recipe made from leftover juice pulp:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of leftover juice pulp (pulp of any fruits or vegetables)
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ cup of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients thoroughly until smooth

*Works great as an exfoliator and aids in skin rejuvenation.

3. Add it to soups

…to thicken and increase fiber and nutrients.

4. Make a fruity tea

…by boiling fruit pulp with water, adding spices such as cinnamon or ginger, cooling, and then straining.

5. Use veggie pulp to add nutrient density

…to mac n’ cheese, pasta sauces, or layer into a lasagna.

6. Add veggie pulp to sour cream or goat cheese

…for a delicious spread or  dip.

7. Mix pulp into baked goods

…like cakes, muffins, bread or baked cookies. Celery, onion, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, apple, and berry all work great.

8. Use fruit or veggie pulp to add flavor

…texture, and moisture to pancakes.

9. Add apple pulp into your favorite oatmeal recipe

…or mix it into almond or peanut butter for a delicious fruit and nut sandwich.

10. Use it to fertilize your garden

…the mineral rich pulp will add more life to your plants, herbs, veggies and fruit garden.

You may also enjoy reading Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss

The post PULP (non)FICTION: Juicing vs. Eating — What’s More Beneficial? appeared first on BEST SELF.

Seasonal transitions are opportunities to breathe in freshness and to renew, and discover recipes that echo that lightness and spirit

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It’s time for May Day bonfires and gifting flowers to those whose spirits need lifting (including your own) — mid-spring nesting and making your surroundings pretty.

As I watch the birds and squirrels, they forage not just for food, but for decor. Functional, warm, safe and cozy; they gather bits of moss, twigs and scraps of fluff. That’s inspiration enough for me.

Opening up your heart and home, making it special for yourself, also makes it special for anyone else you wish to share your sacred personal space with.

Let’s start in the kitchen.

Turn up the music and open up your cupboards and pantry.

See what supplies need replacing, refilling and upgrading. It can be expensive to overhaul your pantry all at once. Little by little replace what you run out of with similar items, but of better quality. It will make cooking for yourself and others fun when you have a variety of fresh spices, oils and vinegars to play with.

Open up the curtains and the windows too. Light candles and string lights, day or night doesn’t matter. Bring in fresh flowers and leaves.

Put some on the table and some in your hair. Dance around a bit, hang up some art.

Next, cook something seasonal and festive, something that feeds your body, mind and spirit. They all grow hungry… nurture your best self. Nurture your nest and your nest will nurture you.

Recipe

Linguine with Asparagus and Capers in Lemon White Wine Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. box of your favorite pasta (I used linguine)
• 1 bunch thin or pencil asparagus washed, trimmed and cut into ½” pieces on the bias
• 1 small jar of capers (2-3.5oz) drained but not rinsed
• 1 stick (½ cup) of soy-free vegan butter
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 small white onion diced (about ½ cup)
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 cup of roughly chopped
• Italian parsley
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes (less than the suggested time on the package) and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water when draining.
2. While the pasta is cooking prep all of your vegetables, zest and juice the lemon.
3. Heat up your largest pan that can hold all of the cooked pasta on a medium flame and add the olive oil.
4. Sauteé the onions for 2-3 minutes and then add in the garlic.
5. Sauteé for another 3-4 minutes and add in the vegan butter.
6. Once that is completely melted add in the asparagus. Sauteé until bright green then taste one.
7. Next add in the wine, stir and then let it start to bubble. Lower the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
8. Next add in the capers and stir.
9. Then add pasta and reserved pasta water, gently stir to coat all of the noodles and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Taste and then add more salt if needed and black pepper to your liking. Shut off the heat and mix in the parsley.
10. Serve immediately with a salad and some warm bread.

Notes:

Asparagus is high in folic acid, Vitamins A, C, K, B1 and B6. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural diuretic.

You may also enjoy Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto by Vani Hari

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A nutrition-packed twist on spiralized courgettes

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I know the latest craze is all about spiralized courgettes (zucchini) and trust me, I love them, too. But I wanted to experiment with other veggies that can give you the same lovely noodle shape, taste good and still deliver that nutritional punch. So this is where the beetroot became my new courgette. But again, if you don’t have beetroot on hand, please use a courgette instead!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 good-sized beetroot (beets), peeled and spiralized
• olive or coconut oil, melted, for drizzling
• 2 clementines, peeled and segmented
• 50g (heaping 1⁄3 cup) pistachios
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 large handfuls of fresh
• Spinach sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper

For the Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• juice of 1 clementine
• juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• spiralizer

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the beet noodles on one sheet and drizzle with olive or coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes.
2. Spread the clementine segments and pistachios over the second sheet and drizzle with the honey. Bake for 5 minutes alongside the beet noodles.
3. Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and put to one side.
4. Once cooked, remove the baking sheets from the oven and combine the noodles, spinach, clementines and pistachios in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and enjoy your simple but super-yummy salad!

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post Recipe: Beetroot Noodle Salad with Clementine and Pistachios appeared first on BEST SELF.

Spring inspirations and a delicious twist on traditional pesto

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The month of February is an in-between time. Not quite yet spring and I’m trying to be patient with the last leg of winter. Although I love winter, sweaters and warm comforting food — I am ready for fresh flavors and colorful flowers.

5 things inspiring me right now:

1. Spring flower and bulb catalogs, especially Annie’s Annuals, they are very creative and extra colorful.
2. Music. Right now I am listening to Willow Smith.
3. Chocolate. Not just for Valentine’s day. I like to add a bit of cocoa to my morning coffee.
4. Mushrooms (I am obsessed) Shiitake’s are high in B vitamins and they are a food source for vitamin D. For more info check out Fungi.com
5. Conifers. Anything pine scented: bath salts, soap, candles or essential oil.

Arugula & Sunflower Seed Pesto

This is a recipe for Arugula and Sunflower Seed Pesto. It is extremely versatile and a beautiful bright green color on dreary days.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Pinch black pepper
• a few leaves fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a chunky paste.

How to use it:

• The pesto can be spread onto toasted baguette for an appetizer or snack.
• Add a few spoonfuls to a warm bowl of polenta (Bob’s Red Mill is great, follow instructions on back of package)
• Add a little extra olive oil or 1/2 a stick of Earth Balance into the processor and then spoon over warm pasta.
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Tofutti Sour Cream for a creamy pasta sauce or sandwich spread.

*A great variation is to use spring greens such as dandelion leaves.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Kefir Guacamole by Donna Schwenk

The post Recipe: Arugula & Sunflower Seed Pesto appeared first on BEST SELF.

A nutrient-packed, soul-filling recipe from the author’s GreensSpace Cafe

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Ingredients:

• 6 oz. baby kale
• 1/2 cup sliced organic beets, red or yellow
• 1/2 cup organic edamame
• 1/2 cup cubed organic tofu squares (optional)
• 2 florets of broccolini
• 1 cup quinoa
• A few pinches of any kind of fresh sprouts
• 1 tbsp. hemp seeds
• ¼ cup walnuts

Balsamic Dressing

• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Mix vigorously in a jar then serve on the side.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Spring Veggie Lettuce Wrap by Dr. Will Cole

The post Recipe: GreenSpace Superfood Salad appeared first on BEST SELF.

An easy savory recipe for chicken that packs an extra punch of veggies

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Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 large organic, free-range chicken breasts
• 1-1/2 cups whole almonds
• 2 organic eggs
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Broccoli and Cauliflower rice:

• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F?180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Slice chicken breast into 1-1/2 inch strips.
2. In a separate bowl, crack eggs and whisk together. Set aside.
3. Place almonds into a food processor and pulse to create a chunky almond meal. Add in dried spices and salt and mix to pour out onto a large plate.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg then place onto a plate with almond meal and coat all sides. Place each piece on a lined tray until all pieces are coated. Bake in the oven until golden brown. Note: check at the 30 minute mark by cutting into one of the pieces to ensure it has cooked through.
5. Once your chicken pieces are in the oven baking, use this time to create the cauliflower and broccoli rice. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you create small, rice-like pieces. Place in a pan over a low-medium heat with 2 tablespoons coconut oil and toss until cooked. Spread out onto a large platter and place cooked chicken pieces on top and serve ‘as is’ or with your favorite health-supportive sauce or dip on the side.

You. may also enjoy Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto by Vani Hari

The post Recipe: Almond Crusted Chicken With Cauliflower and Broccoli ‘Rice’ appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious guacamole fortified by probiotic kefir

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Kefir is a secret ingredient in this guacamole. Not only does it make it taste creamy and delicious but it also keeps the guacamole greener longer. In addition, the probiotics and enzymes in kefir will keep you looking younger and living longer. It’s my secret beauty weapon and key to longevity – just as it is for the many centenarians who live in the Caucasus Mountains, having drunk kefir at every meal.

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados, halved and pitted, peeled and cubed
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of Kefir cheese
• Juice of half a lime
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Celtic Sea Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the avocados in a medium bowl, and then smash and stir them with a fork, breaking them up into a chunky mass.
2. Add the kefir cheese, lime juice, and red onion. Stir to combine.
3. Top with cilantro and salt.

Makes 4 servings

You may also enjoy Recipe: Spring Veggie Lettuce Wrap by Dr. Will Cole

The post Recipe: Kefir Guacamole appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious, healthful strawberry smoothie recipe with home-made pumpkin seed milk

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Walking down the street the other day, I realized how little everyone smiles.

Whether they’re out and about walking or sitting on the subway/taking public transport, most people, quite comfortably, wear blank, very serious faces or even frowns.

This is sad to see, because what the world needs now — and forevermore — is ‘love, sweet love’ and a smile goes a LONG way to spreading it around like confetti. So why don’t we all smile more? Let’s make a pact.

I’m going to make a conscious effort to wear a smile on my face rather than a frown. After all, it has been scientifically proven that smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way that other, more synthetic stimulants like sugar, chocolate and fatty foods cannot match!

In other words, our brains get happier the more we smile, so if you’re not smiling already at this wondrous news… START. RIGHT. NOW.

And don’t forget to share the love, because when we smile at others, it spreads positive energy FAST! Whether the other person you’re smiling at smiles back at you or not (in most cases, a smile automatically generates another smile, but don’t get caught up in expectations), just know you’ve done your bit to brighten the day.

Let’s keep that smile going with a delicious, vitamin-filled, super simple smoothie. It houses lots of goodness to make your insides smile, plus I’ve included strawberries in the recipe because they contain malic acid that acts as an astringent to remove discoloration and whiten your teeth — all the more reason to show off your smile!

Strawberry Pumpkin Seed Smoothie

 To make this highly nutritious beverage, you will need to make your own pumpkin seed milk first — how fantastic is that!? Not only will you end up with one of the most delicious smoothies at the end, but you will also experience just how easy it is to make your own seed milk, YUM!

 Pumpkin Seed Milk

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (‘pepitas’), soaked overnight
• 2-4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
• OPTIONAL: 1 tablespoon organic date syrup (I use Date Lady)
• Piece of muslin, cheesecloth or 1 x nut milk bag (to strain)

Directions:

1. Soak pumpkin seeds in water overnight. Strain and rinse in the morning.
2. Place seeds in a high speed blender with 2-4 cups water (2 cups = thicker consistency, 4 cups = thinner) with cinnamon and optional date syrup.
3. Blend on high until everything combines well.
4. Strain contents through fabric or nut milk bad (squeeze out as much liquid as you can).
5. Pour milk into an air tight, lidded glass jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 days – shake well before serving.

Strawberry Pumpkin Seed Smoothie

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin seed milk
• 1 lb/450g ripe organic strawberries. You can also use frozen — defrosted or not. In the image above, I used frozen strawberries to achieve a thicker smoothie consistency.

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin seed milk and strawberries in a high speed blender. Blend on high until everything is combined well.
2. Serve warmed in winter (by heating in a small saucepan) or chilled glasses in summer (by placing serving glass in the freezer 30 minutes or longer to chill).
3. Smile. Keep smiling.

You may enjoy other Truly Healthy Banana Bread by Danielle Shrine

The post Recipe: Smile-inducing Strawberry Smoothie with Pumpkin Seed Milk appeared first on BEST SELF.

Nurture your gut health with this sensational, probiotic sauerkraut recipe

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“Go with your gut”

You’re bound to give, or be given this sage advice at least once in your life and rightly so, because it truly is one of the best pieces of advice you could ever give or receive.

Why?

Because your glorious gut is home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms, 39 trillion of those being bacterial cells! This, in comparison to the 30 trillion human cells we have in our bodies, indicates we’re more bacteria than human. Pretty cool (and a little sci-fi) don’t you agree?!

So how do you ‘go with your gut’ in the more literal sense to ensure your body and your gut is surviving and thriving? Simple!

Crowd out junky, highly processed fake foods with delicious, health supportive probiotic foods that are fermented for a period of time to allow for an abundance of beneficial bacteria to grow and feed your gut-garden like no other food on this earth.

Some of my favorite probiotic-rich fermented foods include:

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Tempeh
• Miso
• Kimchi

But my absolute all-time-favorite gut-garden food would have to be sauerkraut, or ‘kraut’ for short. Just a little of this fermented deliciousness added to at least one of your meals every single day will fertilize your gut-garden sublimely!

At first — and especially if you have a compromised gut-garden like I did a few years ago – eating sauerkraut may cause a little gas or minor bloating, but fear not! Regular, graduated consumption (begin with a teaspoon!) will help support your gut to become stronger, healthier, and ultimately happier because it will have you pooping perfectly, which is bound to put a smile on your dial.

Now, before you tell me you can’t afford to factor in a little Sauerkraut each day, because this super stuff isn’t cheap, take a look below… because you’ll see I’ve shared an amazingly easy-to-make, super-affordable sauerkraut recipe with you — the same one I created years ago for myself to compliment the healing diet I embarked on when my health hit rock bottom.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your ingredients from your closest market and get krauting, my friend!

Until next time: stay healthy and you’re bound to stay happy!

Recipe: Sensational Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

• 1 head cabbage — I used wombok Asian cabbage, but you can use any type. Organic is best
• 1 tablespoon sea salt — not table salt which has been stripped of all its healthy minerals. Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt is best
• 2 tablespoons dried dill
• Optional: Caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon
• Drinking water — filtered water is best

Directions:

1. Remove the first 2 outer leaves from the cabbage and set aside. Finely shred the rest of the cabbage — you can do this with a large chef’s knife, or simply place segments of cabbage in a food processor and pulse to shred.
2. In a large mixing bowl, with clean hands, massage cabbage and salt together. This step is the most important, so spend a good amount of time on it (about 15 minutes — pop on your favorite podcast and get comfortable!). You want the cabbage to become nice n’ juicy, it should begin to wilt and release liquid which will pool at the bottom of your bowl — this is fantastic!
3. Add dill (and/or caraway seeds) and mix to combine, then pack kraut into a large, sterilized glass jar with an air-tight lid. Pack it into the jar very tightly. Liquid should begin to pool up over the cabbage as you pack and layer it into the jar
4. Pack and layer the cabbage into the jar until you reach an inch from the top. At this point, make sure the cabbage is submersed in the salty liquid — at least 1 inch of salt water. If it isn’t, add a tiny amount of filtered water with a small pinch of salt to help submerge the cabbage. Take the reserved cabbage leaves, fold them over and pack them into the jar to help weigh down the massaged cabbage mixture. Pack the dry cabbage leaves down as much as possible so they are also submerged in water and seal the jar with the lid.
5. Leave at room temperature for at least 1 week in a cool, dark place — your pantry or a cupboard is great. Because this is a living, fermenting food, it’s likely it will release some salty water during the week, so be sure place it on absorbent towel or in a bowl to save any mess. After 1 week, unscrew the lid a little and allow the air to escape — we call this ‘burping’ your kraut, you will see bubbles rise to the top and water may release as you undo this lid. Once you’ve done this, pack cabbage down again with a clean hand and seal with the lid to continue fermenting.
6. After 2 weeks, taste your kraut! You want to taste the cabbage underneath the very top layers. It should taste sour and slightly salty with a tangy flavor. It will also have a strong aroma; this is totally normal. At this point, you can transfer it to your fridge and start enjoying it daily, but I urge you to leave it for at least another 2-3 weeks before enjoying because the longer you leave it, the more beneficial bacteria you will cultivate. Once you’re ready to eat it, transfer and store it in your fridge. Always use a clean fork each time you serve it up which will help keep the bacteria intact and safe for you and your glorious gut-garden.

You may also enjoy the article and recipes Journey To Happy and 5 Vegetarian Picnic Recipes, by Danielle Shine

The post Go With Your Gut: Sensational Sauerkraut Recipe appeared first on BEST SELF.

Healthy, gluten-free pumpkin quinoa pancakes

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Life can drag you in a million different directions each day, but you can stop the treadmill of insanity whenever you take a moment, connect to your breath, and choose to do what you love — what your soul wants and what ultimately is for your highest good. Our life expands when we start choosing to do things we love with the time and energy we have.

Meditation

Kundalini Yoga Meditation for the positive mind

Sit in easy pose. Curl your ring finger and little finger into each palm with your thumbs holding them down, with your two standing fingers held together instead of spread apart as in a peace sign. Bring in your arms so that your elbows are by your sides and your hands are by your shoulders with the two standing fingers of each hand pointing straight up. Your forearms and hands should tilt forward slightly to an angle of 30 degrees from the vertical. Press your shoulders and elbows back firmly but comfortably and keep your palms facing forward. Close your eyes and focus them on your third-eye point (the space between your eye­brows). Take slow deep breaths and mentally chant “sa ta na ma” from the third-eye point outward. This is a common Kundalini mantra that describes the cycle of life: “sa” means infinity, “ta” is life, “na” is death, and “ma” is rebirth. Start by practicing for 11 minutes, gradually building up to 31 minutes. Take a deep breath in to close, hold it, and then exhale and relax.

Pumpkin Quinoa Pancakes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (120ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
• 1 cup (112g) quinoa flour
• ½ cup (123g) pumpkin purée
• 2 tablespoons (3 ml) pumpkin pie spice (for homemade pumpkin pie spice, mix ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
• Coconut oil cooking spray, for greasing

Filling (optional)

• 8-ounce (237g) container vegan cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) date syrup
• Sprinkle of ground nutmeg and cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small cup, combine the almond milk and cream of tartar and set aside.
2. To make flax ‘egg’, mix together the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes, until thickened.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the quinoa flour, pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and the flax ‘egg’.
4. Spray a medium frying pan or griddle pan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the almond milk mixture to the mixing bowl and thoroughly mix. Pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bubbles start to form and the edges begin to crisp. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds, and then transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
5. To make the filling, if using, combine all the filling ingredients in a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. To serve, I love making silver dollar pancakes and stacking them with layers of the filling in between.

Mantra

“I choose to do things I love.”

You may also enjoy reading The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up by Cassandra Bodzak

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A healthy vegan soup with a rich and distinctive flavor

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Patience is a virtue that I wasn’t born with. A few years ago, I was listening to a Marianne Williamson lecture (Marianne Williamson is a best-selling spiritual author and lecturer), and she talked about leaving our lives up to the same force that turns the acorn into an oak tree. It finally hit me how powerful patience is. Whenever I feel my patience running low, I think about the acorn and remind myself that my patience allows the space for the magic to happen — I can trust that if I’ve planted the seed, nature will make the flower blossom.

Meditation

Kundalini Yoga Meditation for the Negative Mind

Sit in easy pose. Make a cup with your hands, your right hand cupped in your left hand, with both palms facing up. Close your eyes so that they are only slightly open, and look down toward your cupped hands. Place this open cup at the level of your heart center and allow your elbows to relax at your sides. Inhale deeply, taking a long, steady breath through the nose. Exhale in a focused stream through rounded lips, as if you were blowing a feather out of your hands. You will feel the breath go over your hands. Let any thought or desire that is negative or persistently distracting come into your mind as you breathe. Breathe the thought and feeling in, then exhale it out with the breath. Continue for 11 minutes, gradually building to 31 minutes. Close by inhaling completely and holding the breath out as you lock in your navel point. Concentrate on each vertebra of the spine until you can feel it all the way to the base, as if it is as stiff as a rod. Inhale powerfully, exhale com­pletely, and repeat the concentration. Repeat this final breath 3 to 5 times, then relax completely.

Apple Rosemary & Cauliflower Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• Olive oil cooking spray, for greasing
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 apples, thinly sliced (I prefer Pink Lady apples)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 cups (720g) unsweetened almond milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons (45g) Dijon mustard
• 4 rosemary sprigs, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7). Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Add the cauliflower, sprinkle over the garlic and onion powders, and generously season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower starts to brown.
2. In the meantime, grease another baking sheet with cooking spray and scatter across the apples. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the apples begin to brown.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
4. Transfer the roasted cauliflower and apples (setting aside a few apple slices to garnish) to a food processor or high-speed blender, and then add the onions and garlic, 1 cup (240 ml) almond milk, and Dijon mustard. Pulse until puréed, gradually adding more almond milk to achieve your desired consistency.
5. Transfer the mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat, add 2 rosemary sprigs, and simmer for 10 minutes until warm and infused with rosemary. Remove the rosemary.
6. To serve, finely chop the remaining rosemary leaves. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, and then garnish with sliced apples and chopped rosemary.

Mantra

“My patience is precious.”

You may also enjoy reading The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up by Cassandra Bodzak

The post Recipe: Apple Rosemary Cauliflower Soup appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vegan and gluten free tea cookies with the rich, yet delicate flavor of lavender

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I have learned that the power of sitting in my feminine energy is all about “being” rather than doing. Our natural power comes from magnetizing and attracting things toward us instead of going out and getting them. When you’re ready to call something into your life, being in the space to relax and receive it is powerful. I loved the idea of a lavender tea cookie that was delicate, sweet, and calming. It’s magical in its own uniqueness just like us when we truly step back and allow ourselves to receive.

MEDITATION WITH MANTRA

Kundalini Adi Shakti Mantra

For a recording of this mantra, you can purchase a track or listen via a music streaming service by searching for “Adi Shakti.” I recommend Snatam Kaur’s version.

In kundalini yoga we use this mantra to connect with the divine feminine. If you are new to chanting mantra, you can start by simply playing a recording while you sit in easy pose, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. If you want to chant along with the recording, even better. It is powerful to hear your own voice say the mantra so chant loudly with it.

Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Namo Namo

Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Namo Namo

Pritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Namo Namo

Kundalini Mata Shakti, Mata Shakti, Namo Namo

RECIPE: LAVENDER TEA COOKIES

Yield: 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (224 g) soy-free vegan butter, softened
• 1¼ cups (193 g) date sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) nondairy milk (such as soy milk or almond milk)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh lavendar
  (or 8 to 10 drops lavender essential oil)
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 -3/1 cups (261 g) quinoa flour
• ¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Lavender-colored sugar, optional

Ingredients:

1. In a large bowl, cream the vegan butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the nondairy milk, lavender, and vanilla extract and mix well. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and mix until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies turn golden brown around the edges. Roll in lavender-colored sugar, if desired.

You may also enjoy reading The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up by Cassandra Bodzak

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A super simple recipe for healthy, delicious coconut treats

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Another Best Self issue, another delicious food recipe I get to share with you — how exciting indeed! Although this latest recipe is called ‘White Christmas’, I urge you to enjoy this wonderful sweet treat all year ‘round!

Filled with nourishing, real food ingredients, it’s one of many recipes I create and call ‘high-vibe food’, meaning: food filled with healthy fats, natural fructose and antioxidant-rich ingredients that naturally and safely raise your energy and spirits.

Over the years, I’ve learned that real food wins every time when it comes to supercharging energy in a safe, health-supportive way.

Consuming products like energy bars and drinks, as well as coffee and caffeine-infused foods in pursuit of adding extra ‘oomph’ to your day just doesn’t cut it when you look at the overall effects on your long term physical and mental health.

Namely, it takes time, effort and (ironically) a LOT of energy for your body to digest and disseminate these types of manufactured stimulants. Too much of these fake foods can lead to an overloading of your nervous system which ultimately compromises your magical microbiome — your ‘second brain’ that houses good bacteria in your gut. A sure sign of this overload can include uncontrollable tremors or shaking of your hands, feeling ‘wired’ and overly emotional or experiencing extremely loose stools (runny poop, aka, diarrhea).

Instead of reaching for the Berocca, I urge you to stock up on real ingredients like the ones in the recipe below… Always choose dried fruit that’s sugar, oil and sulphur-free, and opt for fresh, seasonal fruit grown locally for best flavor and quality. When consuming these delicious offerings made by mother nature, be sure to combine them with healthy, minimally processed fats like raw nuts, seeds, nut butter, virgin coconut oil and avocados which will aid your body to fully absorb the nutrients offered by the antioxidant-rich fruit. The healthy fats will also make you feel fuller for longer, slowing down digestion and releasing more of a natural high for your mind, body, and well, let’s face it… your soul!

Bon appetit!

White Christmas Coconut Treats

Ingredients:

• 5 cups coconut butter, melted
• ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup dried currants
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.
2. Pour into a silicon mold or a lined slice tin and pop in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
3. Removing from the mold or slice into segments and enjoy!

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 months in the freezer, or 1 month in the fridge when not eating.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Loaded Chocolate Bark by Natural Gourmet Institute

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This yummy carrot ginger soup is healthy, hearty and easy to prepare

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14 Carrot Gold Ginger Soup

Yield: 2 quarts

Servings: 4 (2 cup) servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, rough chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh turmeric, minced or ground dried powder
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 14 carrots, cut into 1” chunks (about 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 quart chicken broth (4 cups)
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can organic coconut milk

Method:

1. Heat ghee / coconut oil in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, turmeric and salt; saute, 8-10 minutes.
2. Mix in carrots; cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. If your pan gets too dry, add an additional tablespoon of fat to the pan.
3. Stir nutmeg, white pepper and coriander into carrots. Sauté for one minute.
4. Add chicken broth and coconut milk; simmer for 5 minutes or until carrots are fork-tender.
5. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste for seasoning. If too thick, thin to desired consistency by adding more broth.

*Variations: add yams or squash; use fennel, cardamom, or curry powder instead of ginger

You may also enjoy Cumin Spiced Carrot and Date Salad (And an Ode to the Beautiful Carrot) by Christine Moss

The post Recipe: 14 Carrot Gold Ginger Soup appeared first on BEST SELF.

With these 4 pumpkin recipes, you can prepare the whole food in delicious and surprising ways

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Even before I became a Natural Foods Chef, I’ve always been an enthusiastic advocate for using as much of your food as possible… it helps the environment AND your bank balance so it’s a win-win!

The following 4 recipes are easily made from one whole pumpkin — Cinderella’s ride of choice to get her to the ball, BUT also the perfect fall food to get you in a warm n’ cosy mood without sacrificing your health. Speaking of, just a few health benefits that can come from eating pumpkins include:

• Improved pooping, thanks to it’s fiber content
• Better eyesight due to it’s beta-carotene which is essential for eye health
• A great big dose of protein, magnesium, potassium, and zinc hidden in its seeds.

I truly hope you enjoy each and every recipe that follows. The nachos are best eaten straight from the oven; the rest you can serve cold or re-heat, Yum!

Roasted Pumpkin Skin Nachos

(free from gluten)

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin skins
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Optional: 2 teaspoons basil, thyme, rosemary and/or cumin, for added flavor
• Optional: 250g (8oz.) grated cheese. I like to use manchego, parmesan or goat cheese

Directions:

1. Peel skins from roasted pumpkin and place on a lined baking tray.
2. Sprinkle with sea salt, spices, optional herbs and cheese.
3. Roast in an oven at 200C (400F) for about 20 minutes or until skins begin to brown and cheese begins to melt.
4. Remove and eat like nachos OR leave to cool and eat as a snack or side with main meals.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• Raw pumpkin seeds — you can include some pumpkin flesh or you can rinse them clean using a strainer.

Directions:

1. Spread seeds out on a lined baking tray and sprinkle sea salt and other flavorful spices, such as garlic, cumin and turmeric.
2. Place in a pre-heated oven 200C (400F) and roast until browned and crispy — this should only take 10-20 minutes depending upon your oven.
3. Leave to cook and store for up to 1 week in an air-tight jar in your pantry or up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

Sweet Pumpkin Soup

(free from dairy/gluten/egg/processed sugar)

Makes: 2 large, or 4 small servings. Freeze any excess soup for up to 2 months.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked pumpkin
• 2 cups full fat coconut milk
• Up to 1 tablespoon of raw honey. Start with 2 teaspoons and taste — if you prefer more, simply add another teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 fresh garlic clove)

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
2. Pour into a saucepan and heat to desired temperature.
3. Serve in bowls and top with lightly toasted pumpkin seeds — a great source of protein, copper, zinc and magnesium. You can also shave some cheese over the top, or even use some fresh herbs like parsley, coriander or dill.

SOUP CONSISTENCY TIP: If you prefer a thicker soup, add more cooked pumpkin. If you prefer a thinner soup, add another ½-1 cup of coconut milk.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Makes 1 latte

Ingredients:

• 1 cup full fat coconut milk
• ¼ cup fresh pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 teaspoons raw honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk to combine well over a medium heat.
2. Use an immersion blender or whisk to blend ingredients together well before serving once reached desired heat.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Yogurt Cheesecake by Sasha Nelson

The post 4 Pumpkin Recipes Using the Whole Food appeared first on BEST SELF.

A healthier take on delicious chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free and naturally sweetened

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free oats
• ¼ cup gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 4 dates
• 3 tablespoons almond butter
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Melt coconut oil by placing the glass jar in hot water.
2. Blend oil, maple syrup, dates, almond butter and salt in a blender.
3. Put oats and coconut flour in a bowl and stir in blended mixture.
4. Once mixed, fold in chocolate chips.
5. Make into 1” rounds. Shape them like the cookie form you want because they stay true to shape.
6. Bake at 200° for 45 minutes (you can also dehydrate these overnight at 108°).

Strategies:

1. Make time on Sunday to make snacks for the week.
2. Always make more than one batch.
3. Bake with your kids — it can be a bonding moment that teaches them a great life skill.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Loaded Chocolate Bark by the Natural Gourmet Institute

The post Recipe: Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on BEST SELF.

A simple, healthful recipe for vegetable soup the whole family will enjoy

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Ingredients:

• 6 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large potato
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 small squash
• 2 leeks, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 8 cloves garlic
• 5 tablespoons miso
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons herbs de Provence

Directions:

1. Dice veggies into similar-sized pieces.
2. Put everything except miso in pot and over with water.
3. Dissolve miso in ½ cup warm water and add to soup.
4. Cook until carrots are tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Strategies:

1. Make a soup night once a week where you consistently serve a variety of veggie soups. Call is “Veggie Day” or “Soup Day.” If you have a child who protests, after a few weeks they will bear it, and after a month or two they will come to like it.
2. You can puree it at the beginning, dice veggies really small, or add rice or noodles.
3. Play! This soup is very flexible and can be made with any firm veggies in any season — beets, green beans, parsnips, broccoli stalks (make sure to peel), zucchini. Switch the herbs de Provence for cumin and paprika for a different taste.

You may also enjoy Soup’s On! Musings On Life & A Recipe For Summer Black Bean Soup With Cucumber Yogurt by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Simple Vegetable Soup appeared first on BEST SELF.

This Good Mood Food is a healthy ice cream alternative — delicious and packed with nutritious fruit

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Summertime is the perfect excuse to make ‘good mood food’ that helps to cool and soothe the body from the inside out. And what better good mood food to choose than ice cream? Yum!

The problem is, most commercial ice creams on the grocery shelves have a LOT going on in their ingredients, including highly processed sugar and dairy products, artificial colorings, thickeners, flavorings and other weird ingredients your body has NO idea how to digest effectively.

If you’re not eating a balanced diet of fresh, seasonal veggies, fruits and real food ingredients, consumption of your favorite ice creams during summer could result in you feeling all kinds of bad throughout winter…

Thanks but NO thanks, right?!

So instead of reaching into the freezer at the store, grab some fresh fruit and the ingredients below and make your own ice cream! Only this deliciousness is called ‘nice’ cream because it’s nice and nourishing for your body, inside and outside.

As always, enjoy it with love in your heart and a great friend by your side (of course, that friend could be a pet or good book!).

Real Raspberry Nice-cream

Makes: 2 large or 4 small servings

Ingredients

• 3 bananas chopped, then frozen
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 Tablespoon virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• Toppings suggestions: crushed nuts, fresh fruit, cacao nibs, nut butter or a sprinkling of cinnamon 

Directions

1. Ensure fruit is completely frozen before combining all ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until well combined.
2. Serve immediately, or collect in an air-tight container and freeze for 10-20 minutes (depending upon your desired level of ‘frozen-ness’).
3. Store in an air-tight container in your freezer for up to 4 months.

You may also enjoy Watermelon, Coconut & Lime Granita by Chef Christine Moss

The post Raspberry ‘Nice’ Cream | A Healthy Ice Cream Alternative appeared first on BEST SELF.

A perfect, (recipe-less) healthy frittata recipe — and cooking as therapy

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Ah, the beloved recipe… Countless books, television shows, blogs (including mine), magazine articles and apps either sell, promote or share them for others to create and enjoy food. Many believe that without a recipe, you can’t make great food.

But I (humbly) disagree.

To prove this point, I am sharing a recipe-less healthy frittata video where I show you how to bring together a basic frittata using whatever you have left over in your fridge, along with some fresh bits and pieces you can purchase at your local market. I created this video because I want you to have fun with your food without all the usual recipe rules — choose your favorite natural vegetables and get cooking!

It’s easy to get caught up in behavior patterns that are influenced by others with whom we work, live, or love. Yet, it is crucial to your soul to retain your sense of self.

I read many articles suggesting therapy, meditation and other modalities to those who need to re-connect with themselves, and I’d like to add one more: cooking.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or first-time novice, I believe you can reclaim control and reconnect with yourself in your kitchen.

This may sound a bit odd, but hear me out… Recipes are like a great boss, friend or lover – they provide all the ingredients needed, along with instructions about how to use the ingredients to reach a particular delicious, positive outcome. But what happens when you get used to following recipe after recipe with no deviation or exploration? I believe you lose something very special and unique to you: connection with your own creativity.

I realize it may seem weird I’m suggesting that my recipe-less frittata video could help you regain and reclaim a part of yourself that may be missing, but remember sometimes in life, it’s the little things that count. Like baking a cake. Let me explain: Years ago, pre-chef days, when I was struggling with a difficult person in my old media job, it took me months to realize I held the power to change my situation. This light bulb moment didn’t take place at work; it took place in my kitchen after making two attempts to create a particular type of cake for my father’s birthday. Both times I followed the recipe with military precision, only to have it fail miserably.

I felt utterly defeated. I cried. Over crappy cake. And then I became angry, because I realized it wasn’t what I did that made the cake crappy…it was what I was instructed to do via the recipe! During my third attempt, I deviated from the recipe. I made changes and added ingredients I love to use, which resulted in “…one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted” — my dad’s words, not mine.

 That experience taught me to believe in myself more, to use my own brain and creativity to reach a positive outcome rather than rely solely on someone else’s rules and instructions. Of course, during my culinary studies, I had to follow instructions to pass exams and learn how to create a variety of foods I’d never cooked with before, but throughout that process I found ways to inject my creativity and flair — I always felt in control of the outcome.

In cooking and in life I always leave room for some deviation, because that’s where the magic happens. I invite you to use my simple, tasty frittata guidelines to create nourishing food you love. Let this food fuel your empowerment in the kitchen and all other areas of your life in the pursuit of creating your best self.

>Learn more about the author at danielleshine.com.

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A simple, yet delicious and zesty tomato sauce recipe to bring your meal to life

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[dairy/gluten/egg/sugar free]

Makes: 1 x 800g jar

Ingredients:

• 1 medium brown onion, diced small
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 28oz. can whole tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon organic butter (optional — this will help thicken the sauce and add more flavor)

Directions:

1. Sauté onion, spices and herbs in oil in a medium saucepan.
2. Once onion begins to brown and become caramelized, add in tomatoes and garlic and cover.
3. Let simmer for 15-20 mins before adding in optional butter, then blending with an immersion blender to emulsify and puree ingredients. Stop at when you’ve reached your desired consistency – leave some tomatoes chunky or puree until completely smooth.

TIP: serve with pasta, rice, quinoa or zoodles. This sauce pairs well with a range of savoury proteins including: vegetables, chicken tenders, meatballs, mince and lasagna. Also works well as a thin salsa dip when left quite chunky.

Store in the fridge in an airtight glass jar for up to one week. Freeze for up to one month – be sure to leave at least 2 inches between the sauce and the jar lid as water expands as it freezes.

You may also enjoy Go With Your Gut: Sensational Sauerkraut Recipe by Danielle Shine

The post Recipe: Simple Tomato Sauce appeared first on BEST SELF.

If you’re serious about supporting your health, my number one tip is to start asking where your food comes from and how it was grown

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As the weather changes, so does the quality of food, which is why it’s so important to pay close attention to where your fruits and vegetables are coming from.

With importation and exportation trades booming worldwide, it’s not enough to just ‘eat well’ anymore — if you’re serious about supporting your health, my number one tip is to start asking where your food comes from and how it was grown.

Essentially, the fewer miles your food has traveled to reach your grocery basket, the better for your health.

To truly nourish your body, keep it real and fresh — even if those grapes from Spain look mouth-wateringly good, my culinary studies have taught me their nutrients have been seriously compromised during transit.

The recipe I share with you below is made from all kinds of health-supportive ingredients, the key one being banana. Look for locally grown, non-GMO bananas for this, and be sure to purchase them a few days before making this bread — the more ripe they are, the better, richer flavor they produce.

I created this recipe after seeing so many highly processed, gluten-filled versions offered under the guise of being a ‘healthy’ alternative, purely because the of word ‘banana’ in the title.

With my recipe, you can be confident you’re eating a wonderfully nourishing, health-supportive treat you and you loved ones can enjoy for breakfast, as a nutritious snack or perhaps even as a delicious dessert.

HEALTHY BANANA BREAD

(free from gluten, dairy, sugar, eggs)
Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 300g (10 oz.) over-ripe banana fruit
• 60g (2 oz.) ripe pear
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350f (180C) and grease or line a loaf tin (L7.5″ x W3.5″ x 5″)
2. In a food processor or blender: blend banana, pear and coconut oil until smooth.
3. Add almond meal, buckwheat flour, vanilla extract, spices, salt and
   baking powder and blend again until well combined. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides to completely incorporate all of the ingredients
4. Pour mix into loaf tin and place in the oven for 45 mins or until bread
   has risen, browned on top and a cake skewer placed in the middle of the
   loaf comes out completely clean.
5. Remove from oven and leave to cool in its tin for at least 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying!

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Truly Healthy Banana Bread appeared first on BEST SELF.

Danielle Shine left a lucrative, but unfulfilling career to become a much happier chef, and shares 5 vegetarian picnic recipes

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When editor-in-chief Kristen Noel invited me to contribute to this wonderful magazine, I was overjoyed because I’m a girl who loves to share her real-food recipes with anyone wanting to nourish their insides (and delight their tastebuds!).

I’m a natural foods chef who believes real health and happiness begins in the gut — it’s our second brain, but research continues to prove it’s second to none when it comes to influencing our thoughts and emotions. With this information comes power — the power to heal, nurture, and support ourselves using what mama nature gave us.

Years ago before I was a health-supportive chef, I was a little clueless about the whole ”health and wellbeing” thing. No one could tell from the outside; I put up quite the façade, but on the inside a storm was brewing…

I was a hard-working, highly praised media executive who maintained incredibly high standards for myself, my life, and everyone in it. I believed happiness directly correlated with the amount of money in the bank, so I worked very hard to be very happy. Food was of little importance to me; if I had to skip meals to get work done, I’d do it. When I wasn’t working, I was working out — sacrificing precious time with family and friends to spend time with strangers in the gym. When I did eat, it was usually out at restaurants or home with takeout.

In short: I was focusing on all the wrong things.

But as luck would have it, I was thrown some curve balls — BIG ones that knocked me to right to my knees. First it was the decline of my health, and next it was the cracks that began to appear in aspects of my job. That period of my life was awful, upsetting, stressful, confusing, and the best thing to have ever happened.

To cut a long story of self-discovery short, I made major changes. I devoured information about health, nutrition, meditation, and yoga… I drank in the words of Dr Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, and Eckhart Tolle. I became a yoga teacher and learned how to ”listen in.” It was so powerful, I decided to become a health coach and help others do the same.

My education led to empowerment and empowerment led to epiphanies.

I left my corporate job and moved from Australia to New York to follow my calling to become a natural foods chef. It’s here we arrive together — me with my chef’s hat on and you with your willingness to try some fun, nourishing food.

The following recipes have been created to provide choice. We make them every day — some good, some not so good. But the beautiful thing about it is each day becomes a new day filled with more choices. My hope is that my foods nourish and strengthen you to make good choices.

Bon appetit!

There’s nothing I love more than sharing my learnings with others in a bid to help people heal and support themselves.

Danielle Shine

Learn more at danielleshine.com

5 Vegetarian Happy Picnic Recipes

The Happy Picnic

Shiitake ”Bacon”

A great meat-free, crispy mushroom treat to support digestion and provide a great dose of gut-friendly nutrition.

1-2 servings

Ingredient:

• 1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, de-stemmed, cut into ¼ inch strips
• ¼ cup cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari if you’re allergic/intolerant to gluten)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C
2. In a large bowl, combine mushroom strips, oil, and salt, and mix to combine.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread mushrooms out – no overlapping, you want the mushrooms to dry out evenly.
4. Place tray in the oven for 20-25 mins. Note: This really depends upon how big your mushrooms are – the smaller they are, the less time it will take, so check in at the 10-minute mark.
5. Once mushrooms shrink in size, darken, and become crisp, they are ready!

Gluten-free Squash Crackers

 1 baking tray’s worth

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup steamed squash flesh (kabocha, delicata or butternut work best)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons filtered water
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (also known as nigella seeds)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C
2. In a small bowl, mix squash and oil together with a fork (you can use a food processor for this, but you’ll get a more rustic-looking cracker making these with your hands).
3. Add flour slowly, mashing everything together to combine well. If the mix is too dry, start adding water. At first, it may appear there’s not enough liquid, but be patient and keep mixing because it all starts to come together nicely. Note: If your squash flesh is very dry, you may need to add more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time – you don’t want your dough too wet.
4. Once you have dough, place it between two sheets of baking paper (sprinkled with a little flour) and roll out to 1/8^th-inch thickness. Very carefully peel off the top layer of baking paper and transfer the bottom piece with rolled dough onto your baking tray. Prick with a fork all over and place in oven.
5. Crackers are ready once edges brown (This may take 10-15 mins or longer depending on oven. Keep an eye on them!). Remove and leave to cool – the cracker will crisp up further once cool. Snap, crack, and break up into small pieces and sample your handiwork! Great paired with dips or crushed and used as gluten-free breadcrumbs in other recipes.

“Pom Pom” Quinoa Salad

A delicious, colorful, low-inflammatory salad to serve with lunch or dinner

1 large salad, enough for 3-4 sides

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1-2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I use extra-virgin olive oil but you can also use organic unrefined canola oil or coconut oil)
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (you can also use currants)
• ½ cup purple cabbage, shredded
• 3-4 leaves of kale, deveined and cut into thin strips
• 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
• 1 fresh orange. ½ sliced into segments, ½ squeezed for juice
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds

Dressing: 

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from the other ½ of your orange)
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon raw honey

Directions: 

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water to wash away starch and grit. Combine with 2 cups water in a medium-size pot. Bring to a gentle boil before covering and reducing heat to a steady simmer. Leave for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, with the lid still on, let quinoa rest for 5 minutes. Drain any excess water, fluff with a fork, and set aside while you prepare other ingredients.
2. Saute cabbage and kale in oil until they begin to soften. Add broccoli and saute another 5 mins. Note: Broccoli will remain a little crunchy, so if you prefer soft broccoli, boil first then combine with cabbage and kale.
3. Pour quinoa into your serving bowl and mix in vegetables. Top with orange segments and seeds.
4. Combine dressing ingredients in a small glass jar with an airtight lid and shake to combine. Pour immediately over salad. Shake well each time before serving.

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free ”Cheese” ‘n’ Chive Dip

Makes about 2 cups worth

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews (soak overnight, rinse, and drain the next day)
• 1/2 cup filtered water (use less water if you want a thicker consistency)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (organic is best)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 6-7 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (you can also use dried)
• OPTIONAL: 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro (a great detoxifier for the body)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in your blender and blend on high until consistency is nice and smooth. TIP: This also works really well as a sauce. Simply add more water and pour over grains or vegetables.

Perfect Picnic Salsa

4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 tomatoes, chopped into medium pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno (OPTIONAL: Use only if you like heat)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 limes, freshly squeezed (you can also use lemons)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• ½ -1 cup fresh basil, chopped finely (you can also use fresh cilantro or parsley)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together to combine.
2. Leave in fridge overnight for all flavors to infuse together.
3. If you want a smoother dip-like salsa, place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until you reach desired consistency.
4. Enjoy as a side or as a dip. Delicious on crackers or crusty breads.

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The post Journey To Happy | Plus 5 Vegetarian Picnic Recipes appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious, incredibly simple green smoothie recipe

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Enjoy this tropical treat full of iron, potassium, and vitamin C galore. This green smoothie is likely to make your tastebuds crave seconds!

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chopped mango (recommend frozen)
• 1 cup chopped pineapple (recommend frozen)
• 2 bananas

Directions

1. Blend the spinach and water until smooth.
2. Add the mango, pineapple, and bananas and blend again.

Get more inspiration at simplegreensmoothies.com

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The post Recipe: Beginner’s Luck Green Smoothie appeared first on BEST SELF.

Chocolate bark with nuts, seeds, and orange chips… delicious

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Chocolate bark is a lovely edible gift for friends, neighbors, and coworkers, so go ahead and make several batches. Be sure to store your bark in a controlled environment to avoid a sticky situation.

Yield: About 10 3” pieces

Ingredients

• 1 thin-skinned orange
• ¾ cup shelled pistachios, toasted, cooled, and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, cooled, skinned, and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cardamom pod, ground finely and sifted
• 12 ounces dark tempered chocolate (65% cacao content)
• 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt

Special equipment:
Candy thermometer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 150F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Thinly slice orange widthwise and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 2-3 hours until dry, but slightly sticky. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. When cool enough to handle, break orange slices into shards; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, toss together nuts, seeds, and orange zest to thoroughly combine. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler until it reaches 88-90°F and pour over nut mixture to coat completely.
6. When chocolate is semi-cool but still tacky, sprinkle surface with sea salt and orange shards.
7. Place in a cool area of your kitchen or refrigerate until bark cools completely, and break up into bite-size pieces.

Plan ahead

Orange chips can be made up to several days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

This recipe by Chef Celine Beitchman was originally published in Natural Gourmet Institute’s “Healthier Holiday Desserts” e-cookbook.

NaturalGourmetInstitute.com

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The post Recipe: Loaded Chocolate Bark appeared first on BEST SELF.

Delicious, buttery, vegan cookies

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These cookies are so buttery and flaky, your friends may not believe they are vegan. We recommend making several batches because these go fast.

Yield: 20-24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons high-quality olive oil
• ¼ cup ice water, or more if needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Whisk together flour, sesame seeds, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the oil and water. Fold into the flour mixture and stir until just mixed. Do not overwork.
4. Turn dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and cover with another sheet. Roll to a 1/8” thickness.
5. Press out cookies using a 2 1/2” diameter cookie cutter. Using a small spatula, transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies are lightly golden, 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through cooking.

Note: Cookies can be served as is, or sandwiched with vanilla ice cream and topped with dark-chocolate sauce.

This recipe by Chef Barbara Rich was originally published in Natural Gourmet Institute’s “Healthier Holiday Desserts” e-cookbook.

NaturalGourmetInstitute.com

The post Recipe: Olive Oil Wafer Cookies appeared first on BEST SELF.

Robust, hearty and oh so delicious, a recipes to boost your health through those tough winter months

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Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, baked and cubed
• 1 large beet or 3 small, either quartered or in large bite-size pieces
• 1 bunch of rainbow chard, washed thoroughly and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup water
• crumbled toasted goat cheese

Directions

1. Heat large skillet on stovetop. Add two tbsp olive oil and heat for 23 minutes.
2. Add half of the red onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring in pan with a wooden spoon until soft.
3. Add 2 cloves garlic, ginger, beets and ¼ cup water. Cover pan and let beets cook until slightly tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Once the beets are cooked, remove from pan (with garlic, onion, and ginger, and set aside).
5. Add the last tbsp of oil and the second half of the red onion, 1 garlic clove, and let cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Add rainbow chard. Cover pan and let cook for about 12 minutes or until tender.
7. While chard is cooking, put goat cheese on a small pan under the broiler for a few minutes until browned.
8. When greens are cooked, place in bowl with beets and squash and gently mix together.
9. Add toasted goat cheese on top and/or your favorite toasted seeds or nuts. Enjoy!

bodyandsoulnutrition.com

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Lysa Ingalsbe’s delicious summertime recipe will leave you nourished and satisfied, blending garbanzo beans, quinoa, and other healthful ingredients

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Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce BPA-free can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup quinoa2 cups water
• 1 large bunch parsley, chopped (remove long stems)
• ⅓ cup mint leaves, chopped
• 1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• juice of one lemon
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 package baby spinach
• Optional toppings: sheep’s milk feta cheese or sliced avocado
• Instructions

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa through fine strainer.
2. Heat saucepan and dry toast quinoa until fragrant.
3. Once fragrant, add water and let cook until quinoa is translucent (about 10 minutes). 
4. While quinoa is cooking, prepare rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
5. When quinoa is finished cooking, transfer to a bowl and let cool.
6. Combine all ingredients together and serve over baby spinach at room temperature.

Learn more about Lysa at bodyandsoulnutrition.com

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The post Recipe: Minted Garbanzo Bean Quinoa Salad appeared first on BEST SELF.

This simple, power-packed green juice recipe is equally delicious put through a juicer or a blender

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Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 4 celery stalks
• 2 apples
• 6 – 8 kale leaves
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger

Directions:

1. Wash all produce well
2. Peel the lemon and core the apple.
3. Add all ingredients to juicer and enjoy!

Learn more at RebootWithJoe.com

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The post Joe’s Mean Green Juice Recipe appeared first on BEST SELF.

These delicious cakes, packed with hearty sweet potato, will satisfy a deep hunger and nourish your body with rich nutrients!

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Adapted from the Superhuman breakfast idea from Laura Hames Franklin

Ingredients:

• 1/4 sweet potato or yam, shredded
• 2 cups finely chopped kale
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 eggs, beaten kindly (For vegan version, make flax eggs by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water for each egg.)
• 1 tablespoon of olive, coconut, or sesame oil
• 1/4 sliced avocado (served on top)
• chopped parsley (optional)
• sea salt to taste
• chia seed
• favorite herbs (dill, oregano, etc.)

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in skillet, add onion and cook until translucent.
2. Add sea salt, kale, shredded sweet potato, and chia seed.
3. Let cook until the sweet potato is tender and kale is bright green (5 minutes or so).
4. Remove and place in bowl with kindly beaten eggs; mix together.
5. Using a 1-cup measuring cup, scoop mixture from bowl into skillet; the mixture should make 2-3 large patties.
6. Let cook in skillet for about 5 minutes until egg is cooked through. 
7. Add sliced avocado on top and a dollop of your favorite lacto-fermented veggies, such as Gingered Carrots or Sauerkraut by Hawthorne Valley, to add flavor and texture!

Learn more about Lysa Ingalsbe at bodyandsoulnutrition.com

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This lentil dal that had a cherished spot on our dinner table nearly every day.

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This is the dal that had a cherished spot on our dinner table nearly every day. Traditionally, we’d eat it over plain basmati rice, but here, I’ve re-imagined it as a soup. Either way, this is my comfort food, the dish I turn to when everything I hold sacred is falling apart or when I’m missing home somethin’ awful. Something about its humility, about the fact that everyone from my ancestors to generations to come turn to it for sustenance reminds me that this too shall pass. It’s something I can imagine my mum saying to me, and maybe you’ll hear her saying that to you too. Here’s her recipe.

SERVES 4

ACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes

INACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes (soaking)

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients for the Lentils (Dahl)

• 1 cup masoor dal (red or pink lentils), picked through for stones
• 2 cups water
• 1 yellow onion, diced, about 1 cup
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 (1/2 inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced, about 1 ½ cups
• 1 serrano pepper, halved, optional
• Kosher salt

Ingredients for the Tempering Oil (Bagaar)

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• Generous ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• Handful chopped fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems (about ¼ cup)
• ½ lime

Directions of the Dahl

1. Put the lentils in a strainer and rinse them under running water. Add them to a bowl, cover with water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, the onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, serrano pepper, if using, and the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any scum from the surface. DO NOT ADD SALT YET; it will toughen the lentils, thereby lengthening their cooking time. Lower the heat, cover and gently simmer until the lentils are tender, nearly translucent, and almost falling apart, about 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Whisk the lentils, releasing their natural starch, and don’t be afraid to mash some of them so the mixture thickens slightly. Add salt to taste. Pull out the serrano pepper if you wish (members of my family like to eat it so I leave it in out of tradition!).

Directions for the Bagaar

1. In a small bowl, combine the cumin and mustard seeds. In another small bowl, combine the spice powders. Keep these bowls by the stove because this will move very fast!
2. In a small skillet, over a medium flame, warm the vegetable oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add seeds and immediately cover so you don’t get covered in sputtering oil and seeds! Add the spices. They should sizzle and bubble a little — that’s the blooming and it’s exactly what you want. Don’t let them burn. The mixture should bloom for about 20 to 30 seconds, no more.
3. Pour the oil mixture into the lentils, standing back so you don’t get hurt when the mixture sputters again! To get all that spiced oil goodness into the soup, pour a ladle’s worth of soup back into the small skillet (it will sputter!) and stir to pick up all those last bits of flavor. Pour it back into the pot of soup. Stir to combine. Transfer the lentils to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Excerpted from AARTI PAARTI by Aarti Sequeira.

Copyright © 2014 by Aarti Sequeira. Used with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.

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The post Recipe: Mum’s Everyday Dal – Red Lentils With Sizzling Spiced Oil appeared first on BEST SELF.

This simple chicken stew recipe is healthy, delicious, and can be made with short notice with common ingredients

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Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14-1/2 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy, large (5-1/2 quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery, carrot, potato, and onion. Sauté the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme.
3. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.
4. Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes.
5. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes.
6. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced to a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.
7. Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew.
8. Bring the stew to just a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

[Editor’s note: If the chicken breasts break the surface of the liquid too much, then cover pan while cooking the chicken. Also recommend serving in a bowl atop brown rice – yum!]

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The post Recipe: Simple Chicken Stew appeared first on BEST SELF.

5 Tips to Avoid Sugar Overload During the Holidays

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1. Keep hydrated!

Many sugar cravings come from being dehydrated. It is easier during the winter months to forget to drink water. Begin your day with at least two 8 oz. glasses to get you off to a great start. Drink in between meals for optimum digestion.

2. Eat consistently throughout the day (every 3-4 hours).

We are much more susceptible to choosing sweets when our blood sugar is low. Make sure your meals have some greens, healthy fats, and protein to cover your nutrient requirements. Along these lines, be sure to eat BEFORE you go to a party. Even it’s just a healthy snack, you will be much less likely to binge on sugar items if you have fueled beforehand.

3. Get enough sleep!

Another common cause for sugar cravings is fatigue. Be sure to get enough even during the crazy holiday season, otherwise you will be more inclined to reach for sweet treats to keep your energy up. Listen to your body and go to sleep by 10:00 or 11:00 whenever possible.

4. ring healthy baked goods to the party to share with your friends.

Check out my recipe for chocolate chip oat cookies below.

5. If you want to indulge, make it count!

My sister-in-law brings about 8 different kinds of cookies for Christmas. I pick my favorite 3 and stick to one of each to have during our holiday time together. Savor what you truly enjoy and pass on the rest.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweetener (maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, brown sugar)
• ¾ cup coconut oil (heated into a liquid)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 large eggs (or you can use 2 tbsp ground flax seed)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups flour (I like to mix 1 cup almond flour with 1 cup spelt or unbleached white)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheet with coconut oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, mix all the ingredients together until a thick dough forms.
3. Make small balls with cookies using a tablespoon and place on the baking sheet. Bake until cookies are golden brown. Takes about 13 minutes.

Enjoy!

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The post Healthier Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies + 5 Tips to Avoid Sugar appeared first on BEST SELF.

Delicious Swiss chard sauté recipe is simple to prepare and rich in nutrients and minerals

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra olive oil or coconut oil
• 1-2 minced garlic
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 bunch of Swiss Chard, washed, cut crosswise ½ inch wide strips

Optional: handful of raisins, handful of toasted pignoli nuts, red pepper flakes, Tamari soy sauce, rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions and cook until translucent (moving the onions around with a wooden spoon after a minute).
2. Add greens and garlic. Cook until chard wilts and becomes bright green in color.
3. If raisins, pignoli nuts and red pepper flakes are desired, add at the end. For extra flavor, one dash of Tamari soy sauce and or rice vinegar can be added as well.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Kale and Sweet Potato Cakes by Lysa Ingalsbe

The post Recipe: Mineral-Rich Swiss Chard Saute appeared first on BEST SELF.