holistic health coach & vegetarian chef. working hand-in-hand with lifestyle & diet, i help those in need return to a state of nourishing balance & well-being.
Roasted Carrots with Pistachio Vinaigrette
Seriously, how gorgeous are these carrots? The bright orange and deep magenta nearing purple hues are stunning. If you’re able to, you should definitely make a pit stop by your local farmers market this week to see the variety of colorful vegetables fall has to offer. I’m hopeful that even though Sandy rattled us up pretty severely here in New York and the surrounding states that our local farmers are safe and their crops survived Sandy’s demolition.
Naturally sweet, delicious and crunchy, carrots are a healthy addition you can make to your weekly menu. Lets not forget, these root vegetables come with wholesome health benefiting compounds such as beta-carotenes (this powerful natural anti-oxidant helps protect body from harmful oxygen-free radical injury), vitamin A (promotes good vision, reproduction, sperm production, maintenance of epithelial integrity, growth and development), minerals and anti-oxidants in ample amounts.
Pistachios are one of my all time favorite nuts. I remember when my girlfriends are I were much younger (sigh) we used to play cards with pistachios. They are a rich and important source of energy, protein, fats and minerals especially to those is Central, West and South Asia. This powerhouse “fruit” is a source of many phyto-chemical substances that may contribute to their overall antioxidant activity, including carotenes and vitamin E.
So yes, I would bookmark this recipe under nutritious and delicious! You can enjoy them as a side, toss them in a salad or pile them over warm quinoa. Oh, and remember to always soak nuts, seeds and grains over night. Helps immensely with digesting them! Give them a good rinse the next day. I normally let them dry out in a colander in the refrigerator, that way they don’t get moldy.
The goods.
1 bunch carrots, washed and sliced lengthwise
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
5 cloves garlic (with skin on)
Olive oil
Vinaigrette.
1 tsp mustard (good quality Dijon is best)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3-4 tbsp olive oil (break out the good stuff for vinaigrettes)
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
1/4 cup raw pistachios, roughly chopped, separated
Proceed on.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the carrots and garlic with salt, pepper and olive oil. Add in other spices if you are feeling fancy. Herb de Provence is great addition or some chili flakes to give them nice kick of heat. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until al dente!
Meanwhile, combine all you vinaigrette ingredients in a small mason jar (baby food jars are great for dressing) and give it a good shake (I know, it’s so easy to make a homemade vinaigrette with no added preservatives). Adjust the seasoning to your liking and add half the pistachios to the vinaigrette and reserve the rest for garnishing.
When the carrots are done roasting, toss them in a bowl with a couple tablespoons at a time of the dressing. Carefully remove the garlic from its skin and toss them in with the carrots as well. Garnish with pistachios. Simple as good be!
Caramelized Shallot Soup
First soup of the season! I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible my whole entire apartment smells right now, my neighbors must be going crazy. Now, before you read the ingredients below let me just tell you ahead of time that there is beer in this recipe…purely as a flavoring agent of course. You could use white wine if you desire or just deglaze with a little vegetable stock and a splash of apple cider vinegar. I decided that a little beer never hurt anyone, so why sacrifice the flavor of a hearty fall soup? Lets all admit that it didn’t take much to convince you otherwise. Gluten free? They most certainly make gluten free beer now-a-days, too!
Toppings can vary as you wish. I opted for some chopped, delicious cajun spiced raw cashews tossed with fresh cilantro and a little crumble of goat cheese. Mix it up a bit and have fun with it, this recipe makes quite a large batch of soup so you will have several cups to experiment with. Cheers to soup season!!
ingredients.
2 1/2 lbs shallots, sliced 1/4” thick
4 tbsp unsalted butter (the good stuff please, organic is best with dairy products)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cups beer (your favorite dark beer)
1 bay leaf
8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
topping.
1/2 cup nuts (I used raw, cajun spiced cashews slightly chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
5oz goat cheese, crumbled
procede.
In a large dutch oven style pot over medium high heat melt your butter.
Add shallots and a heavy pinch of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly caramelized. About 30 minutes.
Add your beer and cook until almost evaporated.
Add vegetable stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook for about another 30 minutes.
Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Meanwhile, mix your topping ingredients together lightly.
Remove the bay leaf. Ladle your soup into bowls, garnish each and enjoy this delightful soup on a chilly night.
*yields about 6 servings.
Sweet Potato Salad - deconstructed
Sweet potatoes. I. Love. Them. They are a staple in my warming meals during the fall and winter. They are beyond delicious when they are tossed with the perfect seasonings and roasted for fries or baked and smothered with every delicious (and healthy of course) topping known to man kind. Even roasted and tossed into your salad along with a handful of pumpkin seeds adds an autumn touch to your summer-go-to.
This recipe was actually a “mistake.” A glorious mistake, but one none the less. I was actually attempting to make gluten free crostini, using the sweet potato coins as a replacement for bread. Though that recipe is soon to come, I think my sweet potato was a tad too skinny this time around. In an attempt to also empty my frig, the topping is an “everything but the kitchen sink” sort, which makes it that much tastier.
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
1/2-1 tsp paprika
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
olive oil and/or coconut oil
an assortment of veggies, I used:
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8oz shitake mushrooms, diced
1/3 cup frozen corn
2 cups of fresh spinach, washed
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice the the sweet potato into about 1/4” thick coins. Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Lay on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes (time can vary from oven to oven).
Meanwhile, in a saute pan over medium high heat add a splash of coconut oil. Then add your onions, sprinkle with a touch of salt and saute until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
Next, add your mushrooms and garlic. Sprinkle with a tad bit more salt (you should always season each layer). If the pan looks dry feel free to add a touch more coconut oil, vegetable stock or filtered water. Saute until mushrooms are cooked, about 5 minutes.
Add in the spinach and corn. Sautee until the spinach is wilted and the corn is heated through. Season as needed.
Pile the sweet potatoes as you desire on a large plate. Top with your delicious assortment of veggies and a crumble of goat cheese, if desired. Wah-lah! Now you have yet another dish to add to your vegetarian repertoire.
I needed to share this photo right before I roasted these beautiful, vibrant and colorful carrots! So sweet and delicious as a perfect side dish or a salad tossed with a red wine vinaigrette, chopped pistachios and fresh cilantro. Just in case you need a healthy reminder, carrots are chock full of beta carotene (keeping those eyes bright and healthy to see the world), vitamin A, fiber, antioxidants and minerals. Mmmmmhmmmm…such a veggie lover!
Good For You Taco Salad
My love for Mexican food is quite ridiculous but I must say that I have become somewhat of an expert. I mean, I would hope so seeing how this is the cuisine I enjoy cooking on a daily basis. About a year ago I found these wonderful tortilla/taco shell baking pans to make homemade taco salads, I know, it is as heavenly as it sounds. Surprisingly most of us think that going out to a Mexican restaurant to eat think that the salad would be one of the healthiest options, no way Jose! That perfectly crispy taco shell is perfectly crisp because it is deep fried! Fried food ≠beauty food! Not only is the shell completely lacking any nutrition, typically the shell is full of artery clogging beef and cheese. No bueño for those of us who feel our bodies deserve better than that!
Thankfully I came across these taco shell bake pans, life is now complete! They take less than 10 minutes for the shell to crisp and so much healthier! I use gluten free brown rice wraps but feel free to play around with all different kinds. I like to shred a large amount of fresh romaine lettuce and make sure to fill my bowl with that first and then I can add my healthy veggies, brown rice, guacamole and salsa!
Vegan Asparagus Caesar Salad
One thing that I always have a craving for is caesar salad. Now we alllllll know how unhealthy it is for us, but what if I told you I know a vegan version that is just as delicious if not BETTER than the eggy version? Yes, I know I should have told you to sit down first, hopefully you already were seeing how you are most likely reading this on your computer on a desk/lap of choice. To put another little spin on the famous salad (said to be created by Italian Chef Caesar Cardini in Mexico) I decided to use fresh, bright green asparagus as the main focus. Though I opted for black sesame seeds to garnish (more for color than taste here) I think dark green toasted pepitas would be another perfect choice for this salad.
Ingredients…
1lb asparagus
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
5tbsp Lemon juice fresh squeezed
3/4 of a nori sheet
2 evoo
2tbsp tahini
1 garlic clove
1tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup filtered water
1-2tsp coconut oil or evoo
Directions…
Rinse soaked cashews and wash the asparagus and cut the woody ends off.
With a vegetable peeler, carefully peel the stalks into as many ribbons as possible. The unpeeled portions you can chop up and set aside.
In a blender combine the cashews, lemon juice, oil, tahini, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper and 1/4 up of water and blend until sooth.
Chop or crumple 2/3 of the nori sheet and blend again until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Can be store for up to 1 week.
In a pan over medium heat, add 1-2 tsp of oil. Add chopped left over pieces first and toss with the tongs for 2-3 minutes. Then add the peeled ribbons and toss constantly with tongs for 1-2 minutes until vibrant green and slightly softened. Toss with desired amount of dressing and serve. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds or black sesame seeds and a good crack of black pepper.
Raw Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”
I’m just going to start off by saying this is not mashed potatoes, hence the fact that mashed potatoes is in quotes. And may I add that if you are mashed potato aficionado that you might as well skip over this recipe and go on to my next. For those of you, like myself, who consider yourself to be a health nut in dire need of something to replace those not SO good for you mashed potatoes then you should definitely give this recipe a try. Oh, and you must love cauliflower! This recipe is from Kimberly Snyder’s website, who is a true inspiration to me and is actually the reason I am going back to school to be a Health Coach, but lets net get off subject here. I thought this was DELICIOUS! Especially with a good dash of hot sauce, paprika or chili flakes. I love adding a kick of spice to just about anything I eat. Top it off with a course crack of fresh black pepper and I’m telling you, you’ll be adding this to your recipe book!
Ingredients…
3 cups chopped cauliflower florets
1/4cup raw pine nuts
1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
1 tbsp cold filtered water
3/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
black pepper, to top
paprika, cayenne, chili flakes and or hot sauce optional
directions…
Blend all the ingredients until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy, like real mashed potatoes. Be sure the garlic is mixed well throughout, no one really wants to bite on a chunk of garlic. Top off with a course grind of black pepper and feel free to add any spicy seasoning to kick it up a notch!
Raw Kale & Quinoa Bowl
Though this is a new post for me this is definitely not a new recipe. I’ve made this a handful of times before and I knew I had to post it for all of you to try. My good friend (Chef) Neil told me about this very nutritious meal, it’s actually one his wife Katie has perfected as well! Kale, especially in it’s raw state, is one of the most nutritious greens you can eat and we all know how good quinoa is for us by now. Adding the warm quinoa on top of the kale wilts it a bit so it’s not so hard for those who are new to raw kale to try it out. The raw salsa and avocado add the perfect amount of acidity, flavor and fat to make it a well rounded, delicious dinner. No need for me to post a recipe for this beauty! All you need is….
-organic kale (washed and chopped)
-organic quinoa (soaked over night, rinsed and cooked according to directions)
-homemade salsa or organic salsa
-organic ripe avocado (diced)
Pile everything in a bowl in that order and wah-lah!, the easiest (and probably the healthiest) dinner you’ve prepared in weeks!
Edamame Pâté Sandwich
Yes, even vegetarians can have pâté! And you thought we were missing out. For those of us who have no idea what I’m talking about, pâté is simply a mixture of seasoned ground seafood, poultry, meat or vegetables, and often a combination of several different base ingredients. The grind can be either smooth and creamy or on the chunky side and it can be served hot or cold. There are countless variations but in today’s recipe we are taking the vegetarian Japanese-Inspired route with soy beans. For more than 2,000 years, edamame has been a Japanese mainstay. Pureed with other Japanese staples: green onion, citrus, walnuts and mint, this unique pâté is sure to please even the ‘meat’-etarians in the family. Then again, if edamame isn’t quite your thing go ahead and give peas a try and don’t forget to message me and let me know how it turns out!
Ingredients…
1 1/4 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/2 cup walnuts (soaked overnight for easier digestion)
1/3 cup mint leaves, packed
1 green onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 whole juicy lemon)
8 slices of your favorite whole grain bread (GF would be delicious as well)
2 cups greens (like arugula or watercress)
4 roasted red peppers
1-2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
Directions…
Puree edamame, walnuts, mint, green onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add about 3 tbsp of filtered water, or until desired consistency is achieved.
Spread each of the 4 bread slices with 1/3 cup pâté. Add arugula, roasted red pepper and cucumbers to each. Top with remaining bread slices.
*If you, like me, like things on the spicy side don’t be shy and go ahead and spice up your pâté with chili flakes.
