embodied eating, skillful nutrition + transforming your relationship with food
Harissa, a fiery Middle Eastern spice paste, adds volumes of flavor to this vibrant soup. For texture and crunch, save the seeds when you gut the pumpkin; rinse and dry them, toss with olive oil and cumin, spread on a baking sheet, and roast for 10 …
This light, creamy soup makes a simple, elegant lunch or first course for dinner; it”s topped with bright green pistou (like pesto, but without the pine nuts). Some pistou versions add finely grated mimolette, gruyere, or other hard cheese—I’m keeping this one vegan. I also …
Gluten-free? Paleo? Piece of cake. This amazing take on almond torte is as dense and rich as the sugar- and gluten-loaded original. You can grind whole almonds into flour just before making this torte, for fresher and more flavorful results, but you’ll need a food processor or blender with a very sharp blade, or one that’s capable of grinding nuts into flour, like a Vita-Mix. Otherwise, almond meal is available at most natural foods markets. I doubled the ganache recipe, let it cool slightly and swirled it for effect. Or you can simply pour the molten chocolate over the top for an easier fix.
Raspberry-Chocolate Almond Torte
Makes one 9-inch cake
2 cups almond meal*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup mashed raspberries
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch cream of tartar
1/4 cup unrefined cane sugar
1 cup coconut milk
4 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate, finely chopped
Whole raspberries for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Very lightly oil the sides of a 10-inch springform pan; cut a piece of parchment into a circle the size of the bottom of the pan, and set parchment into pan.
2. Combine almond meal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Separate egg whites and yolks into two separate bowls. Add honey, raspberries and vanilla to egg yolks and whisk to combine. Add the egg yolk mixture to the ground almond mixture, and stir to mix well.
4. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and whip with a whisk, electric mixer or standing mixer until stiff peaks form, but whites are still moist. Using a spatula, gently fold eggs whites, a little at a time, into the nut flour mixture until well-combined; mixture will be stiff and thick at first, but will loosen up as you add egg whites.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack until completely cooled.
6. Combine unrefined sugar with coconut milk in a small pot and simmer until sugar is melted. Put chocolate in a medium bowl; pour warm coconut milk over chocolate, stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes to slightly thicken it.
7. To serve, gently run a knife around the edges of the springform pan and remove pan. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and pour ganache over the cake; swirl with a knife if desired. Decorate with raspberries, slivered almonds, shaved coconut, fresh mint or edible flowers, and serve immediately.
Best way to sneak kale (or spinach, or any green) into your diet: enrobed it in olive oil, lace it with garlic and basil, and pretend it’s pesto. Macadamia nuts make a rich, indulgent pesto; or use cashews for a less-pricey option. This recipe uses Parmesan …
Makes 4 tacos 1 cup cooked or canned and rinsed black beans 1/2 cup prepared salsa 2 minced garlic cloves 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cups thawed frozen corn, drained and patted dry 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper Dash cayenne …
Grilled Vegetable Wrap with Spicy Avocado Spread
Makes 2 wraps
2 8-inch low-carb, gluten-free or whole-grain tortillas
1 small zucchini (1/2 pound)
1 small yellow summer squash (1/2 pound)
10 to 14 thin asparagus spears, tough bottoms removed
2 small red peppers, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 small avocado, mashed
1/2 cup cooked or canned and rinsed white beans
Cayenne pepper or Sriracha sauce
1 small garlic clove, pressed
6 small whole basil leaves
8 thin slices red onion
1 cup baby arugula leaves
Last winter, rushing to beat a mighty snowstorm that laid waste to most of my yard, I fashioned a makeshift cover for my still-thriving greens garden. I drove old tent stakes into the ground, connected those with PVC pipe, then draped sheets of thick plastic and layers …
The perfect grain-free chip: these baked-not-fried chips are sturdy enough to serve as crackers or dippers, or munch on them instead of chips. We used red beets, but golden or chioggia beets are a gorgeous addition. Either way, use large beets, since they’ll shrink during cooking. Play with the …
Panna cotta, a creamy custard that’s firm enough to mold (like a creamy jello) is traditionally made with gelatin. This vegan version uses agar agar, a natural gelling agent made from seaweed. Look for it in large natural grocery stores, or any Asian market. To make easy pumpkin puree that’s vastly superior to canned, cut a 3-pound pie pumpkin (not carving pumpkin) into quarters, scoop out seeds, halve each quarter, and steam pumpkin pieces for 20 minutes, or until soft. Let cool, peel off skin, and puree flesh.
Serves 4
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 vanilla bean
2 teaspoons agar agar powder (not flakes)
Vegan chocolate sauce
Cocoa powder for dusting
1. Combine pumpkin, coconut milk, agave, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove in a blender. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and with the tip of a sharp knife, scoop seeds into the blender. Reserve the vanilla pod. Puree until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more agave or spices, if you’d like.
2. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan. Whisk in agar agar powder until well blended. Add reserved vanilla pod. Bring to a high simmer and cook for 7 minutes, maintaining a lively simmer, but not allowing the mixture to boil, and stirring frequently. Mixture should be very thick and creamy.
3. Pour panna cotta mixture into four individual rounded dessert cups or ramekins, and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until very firm. To serve, dip each ramekin into a bowl of hot water, being careful not to get water in the panna cotta, then run a butter knife around the edge of each ramekin, and invert on a small dessert plate. Top with chocolate sauce, sprinkle with cocoa powder, and serve.
The cleanest cracker ever: this one’s made from vegetables and flax seeds, nothing more. For all you grain-free, dairy-free, low-carb, vegan, clean-eating, cracker-missing, Paleo people: this one’s for you! Makes about 2 dozen crackers 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes 2 cups flax seeds 3/4 cup chopped …
