Ever see the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead?
I joined Joe Cross, the subject and filmmaker from the inspiring documentary,
on the third episode of The Joe Show to share two of my favorite mood-boosting recipes.
Watch as we make the recipes on Good Mood Foods!
I love gluten-free recipes.
Orange Hazelnut Gluten-Free Scones
I’m not celiac myself, but many of my friends are, and I like cooking for people I love.
I like cooking easy recipes that can feed all my peeps in one fell swoop – and this gluten-free recipe satisfies a diverse crowd.
Because I love connecting with people. We host brunch once a month to bring our diverse group of friends together and share time and our home.
Food holds such emotion for us because sharing food & eating together is the most intimate thing we do with other people – in public.
(Like that idea? Tweet it here!)
And I want to share the deepest intimacy with my friends as possible – to make them all feel welcome.
This recipe is one of the best for welcoming everyone’s dietary leanings and food rules to the table. Not only can gluten-free people dig in, but they welcome the vegans, the paleo-leaning (ok, there is maple syrup, but it’s pretty close).
Orange Hazelnut Scones with Raisins, Almond & Coconut Flour
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of almond flour
½ cup unsweetened coconut flour
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of baking soda
1 egg replacer
2 tbs of maple syrup
2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest from one organic orange
1/3 – 1/2 cup unsweetened almond, coconut, rice or other plant-based milk
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (pecans are a great substitute, especially if you’re from Texas like my grandma)
½ cup raisins
Directions:
This Celiac was Hungry, Then She Ate My Pizza
Her eyes closed in total bliss, as she tasted the hot slice. Then she groaned in total ecstasy.
No, this isn’t an excerpt from 50 Shades of Grey.
This is a small look behind the scenes at a private cooking class I gave last Monday night.
Easy Gluten-Free Pizza Recipe
It all started when I donated a private cooking class to my son’s preschool in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Even though we were leaving that year for kindergarten, I had fallen in love with the staff and mission of the school and wanted to support their growth one last time.
Jennifer, another mom, bought my private class, and last week we got together to cook – but there was one big request she had of our time together -
“Can you please teach me some filling gluten-free recipes?”
See, Jennifer was diagnosed as celiac last year, and has been avoiding all foods that contain gluten. While her body was recovering from the digestive hell she had suffered while eating gluten, Jenn felt unsatisfied and hungry most of the time from her new diet.
I brought over several recipes to teach her, and the hands-down favorite was this gluten-free, polenta crust pizza. We made the original recipe with egg and cow’s cheese, since her family eats dairy and keeps chickens, but the dairy free recipe below is really delicious:
Polenta Pizza Recipe
1 tablespoon olive oil
18-oz. pkg. precooked polenta
2 -4 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. flax seed meal (flax meal)
2 Tbs. gluten-free oats
1 tsp powdered garlic
½ cup plus ⅓ cup vegan Parmesan cheese
2 cups tomato sauce
1 recipe shitake bacon*
½ medium red bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch strips
1-2 scallions, greens thinly sliced
Shiitake Bacon
2 cups shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
If your CSA produce is taking over your kitchen, break out the food processor and whip it into shape!
A little bit of cooking now will save the savory goodness of the summer eggplant,
zucchini and tomatoes for fall and winter snacks long after this season is over.
1 large eggplant
2 red bell peppers (organic preferred), seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
*Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, oregano or thyme or a combination of all 3
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into even sized chunks.
Toss the veggies in a mixing bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and any herbs.
Spread them on a baking sheet.
Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, stirring with a wooden spoon on the tray once during cooking.
Cool slightly.
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, fitted with the metal s-blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse to combine to a smooth paste.
Storage:
Keep that delicious spread good for up to 6 months: freeze 1-2 cup portions in freezer-safe containers.
To thaw, refrigerate overnight.
A simple side dish of Brussels Sprouts makes any meal healthier – but what if your kid won’t eat them?
Add a hint of sweetness with sautéed apples and a touch of maple syrup – they’ll be begging for more!
*A touch of maple syrup won’t degrade the overall healthy benefits of these powerful cancer-fighting sprouts, and 1 serving has 8-12 grams of fiber, which is more than many Americans get in a day! (You should aim for at least 30 grams a day, BTW)
Shredded & Sweet Brussels Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed, dried and sliced into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large tart apple, cubed and unpeeled
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons real maple syrup
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and salt and sauté for 8 minutes.
2. When the sprouts begin to brighten and turn a nice light green, add the apple, garlic, red pepper flakes, and maple syrup. Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Once everything is heated through, but not too soft or mushy, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pecans, and pepper.
Serves 2-4 people
Inspired by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s recipe in Color Me Vegan
Summer salads are the best way I can think of to eat and beat the heat – and avoid sweating over a hot stove in an already hot kitchen.
I whipped up this vegan Greek Salad this weekend for a BBQ, and watched as the mixed crowd (some vegan, some vegetarians, some omnivores) devoured the whole bowl – glad I helped myself first!
Vegan Greek Salad
* Make the tofu “feta” a day ahead for super flavor saturation and throw it all together right before leaving for the party.
Tofu Feta
Ingredients:
1 block firm tofu, drained and blotted dry with a clean towel
1 cup chickpea or blond miso paste
Tofu Feta Cheese with Miso Recipe
Directions:
1. Spread a thin layer of miso on a dinner plate, about the same size as the largest flat side of the tofu square.
2. Cut the block of tofu in half, horizontally. Lay 1/2 of the block of tofu on the miso on plate and spread a 1/4 inch layer of miso on the top side of the tofu, making sure to cover every bit.
3. Place the final piece of tofu on top, flat. Now cover every last bit of the tofu with a thin layer of miso.
4. Wrap the entire block in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to overnight.
5. Remove the tofu from the refrigerator and gently scrape the miso off the tofu. Sorry, I wouldn’t use the miso again.
6. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside.
Vegan Greek Salad
2 cups cherry tomatoes, washed and dried
2 cups cucumbers, washed, dried and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup pitted Greek olives (kalamata are perfect)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions:
1. Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and cubed tofu into a large salad bowl.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Pour over the salad mix and gently toss with a large wooden spoon or your hands.
3. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to allow all the flavors to combine.
Enjoy!
Oh! It’s 1 o’clock, I’m hungry, and I need to keep my energy up to tackle my to-do list!
Most of my clients and Reboot & Refresh members are super busy, mostly moms with a ton on their plates, and they want healthy recipes that give them energy while being easy and delicious. That’s my speciality!
I’ve created the perfect lunch that’s filled with foods for energy, takes 5 minutes to make, and helps keep my tummy in a happy state (read: no gluten bloating, protein rich, and filled with gut-supportive greens):
Ingredients:
2 big collard leaves
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons olive paste (or chopped kalamata olives)
2 tablespoons raw sauerkraut
2 teaspoons hemp seed oil
Directions:
Wash and dry the collard leaves. Remove the thick stem sticking out below the leaf.
With the shiny, “front side” of the leaf facing up, spread half the hummus on the center of each leaf.
Top with the remaining ingredients and wrap, burrito style.
Serve and eat raw ~
When my son’s kindergarten teacher asked me to come in and prepare a recipe with the class, my mind somehow came up with a healthy, yet fun recipe that the kids could help create:
Apple Pie Ice Cream!
Apple Pie "Ice Cream"
Now, it’s not really ice cream, but I believe anything you scoop with an ice cream scooper can be called ice cream.
Gluten-free, vegan, and mostly raw, this recipe was actually a big hit, and most of the class ate their entire scoop – even some kids who said “Ew, gross!”
Here’s how we made this healthy snack together:
8 Medjool dates, pitted
3-4 Honeycrisp apples, cored
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
With all the oats and apples, this recipe will also add a nice dose of fiber for those constipation-inclined readers!
According to the Five Element system, autumn is the season of the Metal element, governed by the lungs and large intestine. This sets up the conditions for flu or head cold, which comes from your body trying to expel excess mucus, toxins, and inferior fats.
Foods with a sour taste help with this detoxification process, and can be included daily as we enter into autumn. These foods include unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, lemons, limes, grapes, raw sauerkraut and pickles, and whole grain sourdough breads.
Pungent foods such as spices, ginger, and black pepper support the Metal element. These stimulate the digestion and help with the assimilation of food. Include pungent taste with seasonal fall foods such as apples, grapes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, grapes, kale, pears, persimmons, pumpkins, winter squash, and yams.
This soup has a lot of great autumn ingredients and will help keep your body strong and centered throughout the season:
4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
1 small sweet potato, peeled, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 bunch fresh kale, washed and stems removed
1 teaspoon Mellow white miso, per cup
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Directions:
1. In a saucepan combine the water/broth, shitake mushrooms and sweet potato and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, chop the kale into bite size pieces and add to the soup.
4. Cook until tender, another 8 minutes.
5. Dissolve a teaspoon of light miso in a bowl with a small amount of broth.
6. Ladle in the soup and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Yield: 6 servings
