My mother was an amazing gourmet home cook. She was my original teacher, and I was lucky to have her by my side in the kitchen. But she passed when I was 28. My next mentor was, and still is, Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa. Her no-fail recipes gave me the ease and confidence I needed to host scrumptious dinner parties and brunches. You too? I have huge respect for Ina. She makes cooking fun and is a consummate pro at elevating flavors. As I got a bit older though, I needed to change the way I ate to accommodate my health needs and those of my family. With practice, I swapped flour for gluten-free flours, bread crumbs for organic crisp rice cereal or simply grated zucchini (which makes meatballs and meat loaf very moist!), creme fraîche and her other dairy go-to's for cashew cream, and sugar for less inflammatory sweeteners such as maple syrup or coconut sugar. 

Today I watched Ina make a classic Italian panna cotta recipe, literally translated to "cooked cream." Inspired by the unusual additions of yogurt and orange liqueur, I tweaked her recipe to create a vegan, dairy free version containing healthier fat and sweetness from coconut milk, coconut yogurt, and maple syrup. Using agar agar, a plant-based seaweed, instead of gelatin makes it a vegan dessert. 

Many of my recipes here on my blog and in my book Gutsy contain healthy ingredient swaps for recipes I can no longer eat by Ina and other inspiring chefs. Here's my tip for substitutions: think through the flavor profile and purpose of the ingredient you wish to replace and have fun with a little trial and error.
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​COCONUT RASPBERRY PANNA COTTA
This delicious dessert is a dairy-free, vegan version of the Italian classic. It's easy and very impressive!
​
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Serves 5

For the panna cotta:
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup rich, unsweetened coconut yogurt (I used Cocojune plain variety)
3 T maple syrup
2 t Cointreau or other orange liqueur
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/2 t agar agar

For the raspberry jam topping:
2 pints of fresh raspberries or about 50 frozen raspberries
2 T chia seeds
2 T maple syrup
1 T Chambord or other raspberry liqueur, optional

Panna cotta: Add first six ingredients to a saucepan. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add agar agar and whisk immediately. Continue whisking and simmering for two minutes. Turn off heat. Pour or spoon mixture into 5 small glasses or Ball jars. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until firmer and bouncy to the touch. You can make this a day or two in advance; it'll keep well in the fridge.

Raspberry jam: While the panna cotta is chilling, place the first 4 topping ingredients in a saucepan. Over medium low heat, stir frequently until the raspberries break down and become juicy. Turn off heat. Cover and let come to room temperature. Or refrigerate, and bring to room temperature when ready to use. Top the panna cotta with the raspberry jam. Enjoy!

When Halloween is behind us and the weather whips through us with undeniable chilliness, a new food craving crops up in me each year. Salads, which excited me just a few weeks ago, are now on the back burner so to speak. Instead, I want to warm myself from the inside out with hearty soups, stews, and quinoa bowls, brimming with the veggies in season right now. In northern California this includes root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, collard greens, fennel, sweet potatoes and winter squashes among many others. 

This craving is a natural inclination towards specific foods that changes with the time of year. Do you feel this seasonal instinct too? It actually has a name: seasonal eating, and it describes the practice of eating food – especially produce – when it's at its harvest peak. Produce has a growing cycle, and harvesting takes place once a plant reaches its peak growth, typically offering maximum flavor and nutrition. This is especially true for produce harvested locally that is offered to consumers right away instead of traveling long distances from other states and countries. 

Once a vegetable is picked from its nutrient-rich plant source – whether plant, vine or tree – it begins to lose its nutrients according to research at the University of California, Davis. Furthermore, food that travels far is, in general, less nutritious than locally grown food because of the time from farm to table and the resulting breakdown of stored organic material. Imagine produce grown in another climate and brought to your grocery store.

Choose locally grown:

• Visit farmers markets whenever possible.
• Join CSAs (community supported agriculture).
• Look for signs in your store that say "grown locally."

Seasonal eating follows our ancestors' method of eating; they grew or foraged and harvested at just the right moment, readily enjoying or preserving these plant foods. Eating seasonally has health benefits as you get the most bang for the buck nutritionally with the plants' micronutrients at their most abundant. And, today, seasonal eating has a greater impact than just flavor and nutrition. It is also a sustainable practice that minimizes the impact on our environment and maximizes the conservation and preservation of our natural resources. So seasonal eating is good for the whole world!

For seasonal foods in your neck of the woods, visit www.seasonalfoodguide.org. 
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SWEET POTATO PIZZA
This easy, sweet and versatile crust is perfect for a plant-based pizza or for the addition of your favorite proteins.

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Serves 2-3

For crusts
2 cups sweet potato, cooked and peeled (NOTE: to cook sweet potatoes, microwave for 4 minutes, or bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or steam for 45 minutes)
1 c gluten free flour ( I used 1/2 c buckwheat flour + 1/4 c potato starch + 1/4 c coconut flour)
1 T garlic powder
1 T dried oregano
1 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1 flax egg (3 T ground flax meal + 3 T water in a glass; stir and let sit for 5 minutes)
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, convection bake setting. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liner and spray with olive oil in a 10" circle.

Mash together the sweet potato and flour either with a fork or in a food processor until well combined. Add all ingredients and mix again until well combined.

Divide dough into two balls. Place each ball onto olive oiled area of each baking sheet. Press each one out until about 10" diameter or 1/4" thickness. Neaten up edges so that they form a smooth circle. Bake for 15-20 minutes checking for doneness with browned edges.

While baking, prepare your toppings of choice. 

For toppings I used:
About 1/4 c tomato sauce per crust
​Miyokos Liquid Vegan Pizza Mozzarella
1 sliced yellow onion + 2 cloves garlic minced, sautéed
6 Crimini mushrooms thinly sliced and sautéed
1 cup of raw spinach wilted in the pan with the onion slices once they are cooked
1/8 t dried red pepper flakes per crust
1/4 t dried oregano per crust

Once the crusts are baked, topped with toppings in order listed, or choose your own toppings. Put pizzas back into oven for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

When you close your eyes and envision diabetes, what comes to mind? Well, I'm here to tell you that diabetes doesn't have to have a "look" or a predictable lifestyle associated with it. How do I know this? I'm going to share something personal with you: I discovered I was pre-diabetic earlier this year. My first reaction? Epic failure on my part. Healthy people don't get this, right? ;) But with a few learned steps, this became a huge opportunity to use functional medicine, once again, to address the root cause and reverse the result. 

After all the posts and talks I've done on the effects of high blood sugar and how to minimize sugar in your diet, how could I have been pre-diabetic? I eat well, avoid all refined sugar, exercise daily, and I'm thin. Nevertheless, a blood test revealed an A1C of 5.7, a fairly advanced stage of insulin resistance. Fortunately, insulin resistance – a progressive rise in insulin with a resistance to its ability to escort blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy – is both preventable and reversible. With a few simple steps, insulin sensitivity is restored preventing a progression into full-blown metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes. Remarkably, even with a diagnosis of diabetes, these actions can be highly effective. 

Do you know your A1C? In functional medicine, an A1C of 5.7 to 6.4 is considered pre-diabetic. Why care about insulin resistance? This condition is a root cause behind almost all chronic diseases: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Some symptoms of insulin resistance include:

• feeling hungry
• feeling weak and tired
• an increase in body fat

I'm happy to report that after making some changes for three months, my A1C is now down to 5.3. In a nutshell, here are the changes I made:

• drank apple cider vinegar in water before each meal
• ate protein + fiber + healthy fat at each meal to stabilize blood sugar; no urge to snack between meals
• eliminated grains, flour and white potatoes
• satisfied my sweet cravings with berries, sweet potatoes and grapefruit
• ate until I was about 80% full at each meal
• focused my exercise on the big muscles of the thighs and butt a few times per week
• added in a couple of key supplements that enhance insulin sensitivity 
• was accountable to a friend going through the same thing!!

If you or a loved one has a known elevation in your A1C, reach out to me. I would love to help you make a few changes to reboot your blood sugar, restore your energy and burn fat! Prevention is key and easy. If you've never been tested or it's been a while, ask your doctor for an A1C blood test and empower yourself to make a change.  

Here's an easy, gut-friendly summer salad that satisfies with protein, fiber and healthy fat and just a touch of sweetness:
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CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD WITH PROBIOTIC VINAIGRETTE
After pickles and sauerkraut are finished, I keep the brine and make the dressing right in the jar. Note: probiotic sauerkraut and pickles are always in the refrigerator section of your market and made with salt and water, not with vinegar. 
​
Serves 2-3

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2 breasts organic chicken, each cut in half widthwise
1 t salt
1/4 onion, sliced
3 T mayonnaise – I love Primal avocado mayo
3 T curry powder or to taste
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 T dried currants
your favorite greens – Here, I used arugula, friseé and cucumbers.

For the curried chicken:
Fill a large saucepan or 4-5 gallon pot 3/4 full of water. Add the salt and onion slices. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the raw chicken, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Poach chicken for 20 minutes. When done, discard onion, drain chicken, cool and cut into 1/2" cubes.

Place chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the mayo, curry, pinch salt and lemon juice and mix until well combined. Add the celery and currants and mix again. Add greens to a bowl or plate. Add dressing, recipe below, to taste and toss. Add a scoop of chicken salad. Enjoy!

For the probiotic vinaigrette:
About 1/2 - 1 cup pickle brine and/or sauerkraut brine
juice of 1 lemon
About 1/2 - 1 cup olive oil to match the amount of brine
1/2 - 1 t Dijon mustard
1/2 - 1 t salt

Combine all ingredients. Shake well to combine and emulsify.

Celebrations, holidays and expressions of love are deeply tied to carbohydrates, like celebrating July 4th with American flag cake, Valentine's Day with chocolate and Halloween with candy.  While unprocessed complex carbohydrates–think whole grains, beans, sweet potatoes and veggies–give us fuel consumed by our bodies and brains, we often eat too many processed or refined carbs, which can cause inflammation and damage to our cardiovascular system, organs and brains over time.  

When unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins. For example, when brown rice or other whole grains are cooked, chewed and digested, the natural carbohydrates break down uniformly into separate glucose molecules. These molecules enter the bloodstream, where they are burned smoothly and evenly, allowing your body to absorb all the good stuff.
 
Refined table sugar, also called sucrose, is very different. Extracted from either sugar cane or beets, it lacks vitamins, minerals and fiber, and thus requires extra effort from the body to digest. The body must deplete its own store of minerals and enzymes to absorb sucrose properly. Therefore, instead of providing the body with nutrition, it creates deficiency. It enters swiftly into the bloodstream and wreaks havoc on your blood sugar level, first pushing it sky-high—causing excitability, nervous tension and hyperactivity—and then dropping it extremely low—causing fatigue, depression, irritability, weariness and exhaustion. 
 
Sugar qualifies as an addictive substance for two reasons:

1. Eating even a small amount creates a desire for more.
2. Suddenly quitting causes withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, cravings and fatigue.

Did you know you will find sugar hidden in canned vegetables, baby food, cereals, peanut butter, bread, condiments and tomato sauce? It is often disguised in fancy language such as corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, glucose or fructose. Even some "healthy foods" contain sugar: a lemon poppy seed Clif Bar has 21 grams of sugar, or 5 teaspoons. Compare that to a chocolate-glazed cake donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, which has 14 grams of sugar, or 3 teaspoons. You may think your afternoon cup of coffee only has a little sugar, but a 16-ounce Starbucks Frappuccino actually contains 44 grams of sugar, or 10 teaspoons—that’s like eating three donuts! Overconsumption of refined sweets and added sugars found in everyday foods has led to an explosion of hypoglycemia, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 24 grams of added sugar daily or 6 teaspoons; for men 37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons. That's a pretty generous guideline. Here's how to begin to heal from the effects of an overly-sweetened, inflammatory diet:

• choose real, whole foods instead of processed 
• eat protein + healthy fat + complex carbs at each meal to keep blood sugar stable
• ditch fruit juices which, without the fiber of whole fruit, spikes blood sugar
• enjoy the sweetness of summer fruits, especially berries which have the lowest impact on blood sugar
• cut back on desserts and snacks with refined sugar 
• choose baked goods and recipes made with natural sweeteners such as maple syrup and coconut sugar
• check nutrition labels for ingredients checking for sneaky added sugars
• check nutrition labels for grams of added sugar

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EASY BREEZY SUMMER DINNER:
​GREENS SOUP AND MILLET-CRUSTED FISH TACOS

Serves 4

Print recipe

For the soup:
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, cubed
1/2 cup white wine
4 c vegetable broth
2 t salt
16 ounces fresh greens such as spinach leaves or mixed "super greens"
1 bunch basil or tarragon

Pour the olive oil into a large pot. Add the onions and sauté over medium high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini to the pot and, stirring occasionally, cook until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until simmering, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Then turn off the heat and quickly add the greens and herbs. Stir until wilted. Use an immersion blender to blend soup in the pot until smooth, or transfer soup to a blender in batches, and blend until smooth.

For the tacos:
2 T olive oil
1 cup millet flour
1/2 t salt
freshly cracked pepper to taste
1 t smoked paprika
16 ounces Pacific cod filets, or other favorite white fish
Dijon mustard
8 almond tortillas or favorite tortillas, lightly warmed
red cabbage, sliced thinly
1 avocado, cubed
cherry tomatoes sliced in half
cilantro

For the sauce:
1/2 c mayonnaise
hot sauce to taste
juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour and spread olive oil onto a sheet pan. On a large plate, combine flour, salt, pepper and smoked paprika and stir well. Meanwhile spread Dijon mustard over top and bottom of the fish filets. Dip filets into flour to coat. Shake off excess, and place onto sheet pan. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cooked through and flaky.

Create tacos by stacking fish onto tortillas and adding cabbage, avocado, tomatoes and cilantro. Top with sauce: Make sauce by combining mayo with your favorite hot sauce and lime juice. Stir well. Enjoy!

Now that spring has sprung, I'm beginning to come up for air. How about you? Even in the face of the world's uncertainty and collective pain right now, I'm feeling the awe of nature's offerings, happily heading to farmer's markets for delectable fruits and veggies, and planning some fun travel despite the enduring pandemic. Are you noticing the lightness of the season? What is shifting for you as we come out of the darker months? There's still so much to be grateful for, and I try to remind myself of that every day.

For the past several months, I've been AWOL, and I've missed you. After two-and-a-half years of studying the rigorous field of Functional Medicine, I'm excited to report that I am now a certified Functional Medicine practitioner. That means that I am armed with impeccable tools from the School of Applied Functional Medicine to help you uncover the root causes of your symptoms and diagnoses and take effective, practical steps that can reverse them. Are you motivated to learn what's behind your autoimmune disease diagnosis, your digestive woes, joint pain, fatigue, unexplained weight gain? If so, I'm happy to talk for 20-minutes about what you've been experiencing and how I can help. Reach out to me in the comments below or through the contact info on my website.

With carrots at their sweetest right now, I'm sharing this delicious carrot cake recipe. Of course it's free of inflammatory gluten, dairy and refined sugar. And it's vegan.
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VEGAN CARROT CAKE
Super moist on the inside and chewy on the outside, this carrot cake satisfies a sweet tooth without the inflammatory effects of a typical dessert.

Print recipe

1/2 c. organic applesauce (no sugar added)
1/2 c. olive oil
1 flax egg (combine 2 T flax meal + 5 T water in a glass) or 1 large egg if not vegan
1/2 c. coconut yogurt
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 t vanilla extract
2 c. almond flour
1 1/2 c. gluten-free flour blend (I combined 1/2 c. each of brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, and arrowroot flour)
3/4 c. coconut sugar
1 rounded T ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
scant 1/4 t ground cloves
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
4 c. carrots, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, convection setting preferable. Line a loaf pan with a generous sheet of parchment paper.

Combine the first six wet ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix well. In a separate bowl combine the next nine dry ingredients, and mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and mix well again. Add the shredded carrots and mix until well incorporated. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or just until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Have you ever noticed a natural shift in your food interests and cravings as the days get longer and the weather warms up? In a few weeks we will spring forward, turning the clocks ahead. Longer daylight holds the promise of spring and summer and always makes me feel happier and lighter. Is that true for you too? For this final post in my healthy food swap series, I'm talking about healthy dessert swaps to lighten up the sugar load.

A survey conducted last November found that during darker days, 79% of Americans crave more snacks at night. I know I reach for sweet treats more often in the winter months. And regardless of the season, an after-meal treat is almost a given in the Western diet. Lucky for all of us, many healthy alternatives exist – deprivation not necessary.  Recipes like fat bombs and chia pudding, below, (and many others) can be found in my book, Gutsy. You can find more recipes for the items below online, or purchase widely available pre-made options.

Desserts

• Fresh fruit sautéed in a little coconut oil with vanilla extract and/or cinnamon (with a few drops of stevia or tsp. of honey if family members need it sweeter) and topped with some crushed nuts (and maybe a drizzle of melted dark chocolate?!). Try blueberries with almonds. Banana with walnuts. Nectarines with cashews. Figs with pecans. Pineapple with macadamias. 
• Chia pudding (gets even better after sitting in the fridge for a few days)
• Avocado based puddings
• Frozen banana ice cream
• Fruit sorbet
• Fat bombs (great for keto)
• Nut and seed balls
• Frozen cherries and grapes (you can dip these in warm, melted dark chocolate too – a wonderful hot/cold treat)
• Or even just a square or two of organic dark chocolate. We recommend looking for 70% cacao or higher and a brand with as few ingredients as possible. Pleasure is about slowing down and savoring. Don’t “gobble” up a treat. Put a small bit of one square in your mouth and just let it melt. That one square can give you 5 seconds or 5 minutes of pleasure depending on how you enjoy it! ​

Now I’d love to hear from you. Please share your healthy food swaps or hacks in a comment below. Let’s share what makes your mouth water!
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NICE CREAM
Made from frozen bananas, nice cream is a dairy-free, refined-sugar free alternative to ice cream.  It is a blank palette upon which you can create so many interesting flavors! It requires a little advanced planning to pre-freeze the bananas; I regularly cut and freeze my very ripe bananas before they go bad.

Serves 2-4

2 bananas, peeled, cut into 1" pieces, bagged and frozen
3 T cacao or drinking chocolate (I used Cacoco brand drinking chocolate)
Fresh mint leaves to taste​
pinch salt
Other add-in options: 1 t cinnamon, or 1 t coffee grinds, and/or almond butter to taste

Place frozen banana pieces into a high-speed blender on highest speed, use plunger and plunge bananas until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a food processor. Add drinking chocolate, mint leaves and salt (or whichever ingredients you choose) and blend again until well combined. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

As we rapidly approach the holidays, are you noticing some seasonal food cravings? Warm, baked cookies? Spiked egg nog? Baked brie and cranberries? Yule log cake? These cravings and customs are so deep-rooted, associated with love and connection, warmth by the fire, and the beauty of the season, its sparkling lights and smells of pine. Who doesn't love holiday parties with delicious foods, desserts and drinks? By all means enjoy the foods and feels of the season! But in the aftermath, how often do you complain of feeling weighed down? For part 6 of my food swap series, I'm talking about smart snacking to fill you with protein, healthy fat and fiber-rich carbs before you chow down on holiday goodies. These healthy snacks are great between meals as needed and before parties to take the edge off those cravings. 

Throughout the year, everyone needs snack options, especially those with hypoglycemia or poor stress resilience. A key to smart snacking is to make sure it contains all three macronutrients – protein, fat and carbs – to provide satiety and blood glucose stability. What better time to upgrade your snacks than during the holidays to keep you satisfied, happy and healthy?!

Here is a list of snacks pairing protein and healthy fat with a fruit or a vegetable:

Smart Snacks

• pistachios & strawberries
• olives & baby bell peppers
• hummus & carrot sticks
• guacamole & crudité
• hard-boiled egg & grape tomatoes
• almond butter on apple slices
• grapes & cheese sticks
• jerky with oranges or cucumbers
• sunbutter with celery sticks

​
I'd love to hear from you; if you have healthy snacks you love that aren't on this list, please share below in the comments! And happy holidays everyone! xoxo
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Mom's Hummus (excerpted from my book, Gutsy)
This creamy, protein- and fiber-rich hummus was my mother’s classic recipe. Serve with raw sliced carrots, cucumber, radishes and/or jicama.

Print recipe

1 20-ounce can of chickpeas (or 2 15-oz cans), drained and well rinsed
1/4  cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large clove garlic
​1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Handful of fresh herb such as rosemary, dill or basil, optional

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Are you preparing for Thanksgiving now, weeks ahead? Whether you are already considering what to make, ordering in advance, or finding scrumptious recipes, you are on it! If you can food prep for the holidays, you can food prep anytime. Food prep is the name of the game in order to ensure healthier eating every day.

Convenience is likely the #1 reason why many of my clients will try a new food, but eventually gravitate back to less healthy options. To get in front of this boomerang, I'm talking about food prep in part 5 of my 7-part series on playing with food, so you don't have to create a meal from scratch on a daily basis. (For prior posts, scroll down the blog.) Bulk meal prep and smart shopping can help; you've heard it before: don’t go grocery shopping while hungry! These hacks can aid in throwing together a quick, healthy meal in a pinch.

Food Prep

• Just like Thanksgiving, cook once, eat many times, every time – Leftovers are king. Make more than you need, repurpose leftovers or eat as is. Most food is safe in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (unless you have histamine intolerance). For favorite meals, make extra and freeze to forego food prep on future, busy days.
• Ready-to-go proteins – Frozen fish filets, meatballs, and chicken sausages. Roasted prepared whole chicken from the grocery store. Canned salmon and sardines. Canned beans and chickpeas (always rinse very thoroughly!). Choose organic, clean varieties. These choices provide a quick protein around which to build a meal.
• Ready-to-go grains – frozen organic brown rice, quinoa, and wild rice can be used as a quick side dish or base for a grain salad. Don’t microwave in the bag – dump into a glass dish and cover with a paper towel instead.
• Sauces, dressings, and marinades – Always have some on hand. Choose options that are “dump and go,” ie, no need to add anything, if you need more convenience up front in order to explore and lock in new healthy habits. Yes, over time, of course you can indeed make your own.
• The night before prep – Lay out the first meal “kit” before bed – e.g, clean blender or fry pan, measure and prep dry ingredients, clean and cut veggies/fruit and pre-assemble a smoothie to just stick into a blender in the morning. Having things ready in sight will also help discourage any impetus to drop a healthy intention and just grab a bagel or a donut on the way in to work. 

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STUFFED PEPPERS
This is such an easy recipe. The chicken filling and the rice can be made in advance. If you are only serving one or two people, keep leftovers in the fridge for lunch or dinner the next day. Black rice has the highest antioxidant activity of all rice and has more fiber than brown rice.

Serves 4

Print Recipe

2 c black "Forbidden Rice"
1/2 t salt
4 yellow peppers
2 T olive oil 
2 lbs ground chicken
1 t dried coriander
1 t dried cumin
1 t dried oregano
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper, freshly ground pepper
1/4-1/2 t red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
Sriracha or other favorite spicy sauce, optional

Rinse and drain rice. Combine with 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a pot. Bring to boil. Turn down to low heat and simmer for 35 minutes. 

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice tops of yellow peppers off leaving most of the pepper intact. Pull out seeds and white membranes from center of peppers. Using 1 T of the olive oil, pour a bit onto a sheet pan and spread it where peppers will sit; pour a bit on your hands and coat the exterior of the peppers. Place peppers and pepper lids face down onto olive oil-covered area on pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until beginning to soften. 

Pour 1 T of olive oil into a large 11" sauté pan. Turn heat to medium high. Add chicken, spices, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring often and breaking up pieces, until chicken is cooked through. Add garlic and scallions for the last 20-30 seconds and stir well. 

To assemble, place rice on plate or bowl. Nestle a yellow pepper right side up onto the rice. Fill with chicken filling. Top with avocado pieces and Sriracha if using. Cover with yellow pepper lids. Enjoy!

Dairy is fine for some, but it can be a sneaky root cause of many symptoms including joint pain, digestive distress, asthma and skin issues. If you are a dairy lover but have these symptoms, it's worth trying a 3-week elimination to determine if you have a dairy sensitivity. Many of you are familiar with lactose intolerance – trouble digesting the dairy sugar called lactose. But there's another culprit to dairy sensitivity, and that is the protein casein. A casein intolerance can wreak all kinds of havoc on the gut and whole body. And sneaky casein fits into the same brain receptors as morphine causing a "caseiomorphin" effect, in other words, making you want more dairy!

If you've participated in my Detox program, you know what a dairy elimination means: no milk, ghee, cream butter, cheese (including hard, soft or cottage), yogurt, or foods that contain these ingredients. During the 3 weeks, see if symptoms subside. At the end of 3 weeks, reintroduce dairy, eating it at each meal, for 3 days. Watch for any symptoms. Then you'll know if you have a dairy sensitivity. But no worries if you do! There are so many great substitutes available now.

Part 4 of my healthy food swap series is all about dairy. Did you see parts 1-3?  If not, scroll down the blog posts to learn more.

Dairy Swaps

If you have a dairy sensitivity, but love milk, butter and cheese, you don’t need to suffer. The stores are filled with plant-based dairy replacements. Try the following until you find ones you love.

• Non-dairy milks – The varieties are astounding. Make sure you choose organic products without unnecessary glues and additives such as carageenan. Great as a base for smoothies, creating creamy sauces or soups, and with granola. Making your own with almonds, cashew, or even brazil nuts is fun and easy. See my almond milk recipe in my post here. Cashew milk doesn't require straining. You can find other nut milk recipes online.
• Almond yogurt – While other dairy-free options are veterans in this category, many find that almond yogurt is the most like traditional dairy yogurt, especially Greek almond yogurt. You can also try cashew and coconut-based yogurts to see which variety hits the spot.
• Butter replacement – In the US, the Miyokos coconut/cashew brand is highly butter-like in all aspects. Seriously, this has been vetted by butter aficionados. You won’t believe “it’s not butter.”
• Cashew or Almond cream cheese – You may not even be aware these options exist! In the US, Kite Hill seems to be the closest in taste and texture to a milk-based variety. It comes in many delicious flavors too.
• Not-Missing-It Alternatives? – Over time, people who feel much better eliminating dairy from their diet tend to open up to other whole-food alternatives. So much of what we crave in cheese is about a rich, creamy, salty addition to a dish. Try adding pine nuts, crushed cashews or hazelnuts to a savory dish; sauté them briefly in a little olive oil in a sauce pan with some spices (e.g. thyme, oregano), sea salt, and, if tolerated, a dash of nutritional yeast. 

DAIRY-FREE PESTO
It's the texture, savory garlic, sweet pine nuts and salt that make this pesto so good, you won't miss the Parmesan.

Print Recipe

1 head fresh basil
1/3 cup raw pine nuts
1/4 c olive oil
1 large clove garlic
1/4 t salt

In a high-powered blender, combine all ingredients. Turn power to lowest setting and allow to blend for about 1 minute or until basil has been incorporated. You want to see some pine nut pieces and basil leaf parts rather than a completely smooth mixture. Enjoy!

In part 3 of my 7-part series on healthy food swaps let's tackle vegetables (check out part 1 and 2 here and here). How many 1-cup servings of veggies do you eat daily? The USDA recommends 5 to 13 servings per day of veggies and fruit depending on your unique size and gender. 

Vegetables are high in disease-fighting fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They are the shining stars in a mostly plant-based diet. Without the glycemic impact on our blood sugar that fruit has, veggies cannot be underestimated for their positive impact on our health. 

Veggies are a choice most people could improve upon by increasing the amount and the variety consumed on a day over day basis. Not a huge fan? Try dressing them up with your favorite sauces like Asian peanut sauce, pesto, cashew cream, or a healthful salad dressing. Or tuck them into other foods you love. Below, we'll incorporate veggies in unconventional ways. Sure, spinach and leafy greens in smoothies, but what about left-over cooked veggies in a breakfast scramble? Or in a lunch wrap? Read on to boost your daily veggie habit.
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• Frozen Freedom – One of the most accessible ways to introduce veggies into the diet: buy a bunch of frozen bagged vegetables and eat a bag a day. You can also stock up on favorite varieties when they are on sale. Find a cooking method and spices that you love. Be sure to include a generous use of olive oil or ghee, a sprinkle of sunflower or pumpkin seeds or a healthy sauce to help take the edge off the bitterness, especially if you have a tentative palate. This is an easy, customizable habit which can work 365 days a year.
• Crudité – Why not clean and prep raw veggies just twice a week? Keep in containers in the fridge and use as snacks (with hummus, guac, or nut butter) or for quick meal prep. An easy answer to “mom, there is nothing to eat.” If this feels like a lot of work, buy a prepared crudité tray from the grocery store. Do this prep with your kids; especially for teens, it’s a great opportunity to teach them about knife safety and involve their handiwork in the food (hint: they are a lot more likely to eat it as a result!).  
• Sweet Roasting – When we slow-cook vegetables in the oven (toss with oil and salt/spices and put on a baking sheet or air fryer in a single layer) until they are just light caramelized, we free up their sugars and ease the bitter flavor of many vegetables, especially for the cruciferous varieties. Many people will not come near steamed Brussels sprouts, but they will gobble up a bowl of roasted ones. Try this for root vegetables too which become very sweet and creamy in texture.   
• Bagged salad – no need to shun the pre-made. Bagged, pre-washed leafy greens hold the key to salads, smoothies and quick meal prep. Salad kits are popular and are truly a 1-bag wonder – all the ingredients including the dressing included! Choose organic as these vegetables carry a high pesticide burden.
• Veggie Steaks – ever heard of cauliflower steaks? Slice a cauliflower head to ½ inch thickness, coat with olive oil, and roast with your favorite spices. Ditto for portobello mushrooms. Makes a beautiful side or a centerpiece of a vegan meal. See below for the recipe.

CAULIFLOWER STEAKS
Cauliflower steaks are a surprisingly caramelized, sweet and delicious treat. Cauliflower is a source of almost every nutrient we need including choline, which is hard to find in most foods, and sulforaphane, an antioxidant which inhibits cancer growth.

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Serves 3-4 

Print recipe

1 large head cauliflower, stemmed
Olive oil
Salt 
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse cauliflower. Place on cutting board upside down. Using sharp knife, slice cauliflower into 1/2" slices. Don't worry if some of the slices fall apart a bit. Place all slices and pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and use hands to coat both sides of cauliflower slices. Sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Roast in oven on top rack for 10-12 minutes and flip pieces with a spatula. Return to oven and cook another 12 minutes or until golden brown.