Calling All Superheros

Packed full of greens, fish and beans. Superheros may not have the time to grill a tuna steak, so canned tuna is the perfect mighty ingredient.

A quick and healthful lunch for all those on-the-go. This salad takes minutes to toss together. Add what you like and take out what you're not crazy about, try adding broccoli florets, capers & sun-dried tomatoes.

Superhero Tuna Salad
Makes 4 Large Servings

1 can of tuna, spring water packed, low mercury
1 can of chickpeas, drained
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
handful of kalamata olives, pitted and halved
handful of Italian parsley, chopped
2 scallions, green tips only, chopped
9 oz baby spinach
1/2 C grated Parmigiano, Pecorino Or Asiago

Lemon Vinaigrette
1/3 C lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
zest of 1 lemon
1 C extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & black pepper

In a large bowl toss together the tuna, chickpeas, celery, olives, parsley, scallions, baby spinach & cheese.

In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, zest and extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste.

Drizzle 1/2 of vinaigrette over the tuna salad and toss. If coated to your liking serve, if not add more lemon vinaigrette.

Enjoy with a thick slice of crusty whole-grain toast.

Sneak Peek

Hooray! A gluten-free, dairy-free muffin that's light and dare I say airy!?! A moist crumb that would never be substituted for a doorstop. I've been testing a few recipes for my cookbook and I think I have a winner.

Ginger and Cloves cozy up with Teff and Real Pure Maple Syrup. These muffins are chock-full of Vitamins A & B, Potassium, Iron & that lovely antibacterial Lauric Acid.

So without giving away all of my secrets, here is a sneak peek of what's to come!

Oatmeal For Two

We're finally experiencing a bit of winter weather. Drizzle and gray. The perfect weather for old-fashioned steaming bowls of oatmeal.

Plain is hearty, but it's always fun to dress it up a bit!

A dollop of coconut butter for wholesome sweetness.
A Sprinkling of toasted coconut and fresh blueberries. Banana slices, sauteed cinnamon apples, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. Drizzle in honey or real maple syrup for those sweet tooth's!

Forbidden Rice Bowl

Toasted walnuts tossed with an earthy blend of forbidden black rice and seared tofu. Drizzled with a gingery lime vinaigrette. This bowl is the perfect accompaniment to a soggy wet day. Bright notes of cilantro and lime cheer with an extra pinch of cayenne pepper. It's scrumptious just warm from the stove, room temperature or straight out of the fridge.

Forbidden Rice Bowl
Serves 4-6

15-16oz Extra Firm Tofu
3 C cooked Forbidden Black Rice Or Wild Rice will do
1/2 C toasted walnut halves, chopped
handful of cilantro sprigs, chopped
2 scallions (green tips only), minced
juice from 1 lime & 1/2 the zest
2 T fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/8 t cayenne pepper, adjust to your liking
pinch of sea salt
1 T honey
1/8 C brown rice vinegar
1/8 C tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T walnut oil **(sesame oil or simply more evoo will work just as well)
1 shallot, minced

Drain the tofu and cut in half width-wise. Set the 2 pieces on a large plate, place 2 paper towels over each piece, place another plate over top and weigh down with a few heavy items like canned beans. Let drain for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast your walnuts if necessary. Pop into a 350 degree F oven for 8-12 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Gingery Lime Vinaigrette:
Using a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment, combine the lime zest & juice, ginger, cayenne pepper, sea salt & honey, pulse until well mixed. Add the brown rice vinegar, tamari, and oils and process for about 1 minute. Add the minced shallots and set aside. **If you don't have a food processor, simply whisk everything together by hand.

Seared Tofu:
Uncover the tofu and drain out any excess liquid. Cut into 1X 1/2" strips. Lightly oil a non-stick saute pan and heat over a medium-high flame. Sear the tofu on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Just before serving, gently toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Bon Appetit!

A Nourishing New Year!

Simple, Real, & Earthy flavors are what I'm craving this New Year. Today I made a warming bowl of Lemongrass-Ginger Chicken broth & Soba. I found 100% Buckwheat noodles at my local market. Eden carries soba that's unlike many other brands, as this particular type has no wheat flour, only pure and hearty Buckwheat. The perfect partner to my Lemongrass-Ginger Chicken broth.

I kept it simple and seasoned it with a few drops of tamari and a handful of scallion tips. However, sometimes I love to add chilies, cilantro and kale. It's a soup that you can have your guests dress at the table. Set out bowls of fresh herbs, veggies, bean sprouts, sliced chili peppers, chili paste, fish sauce & tamari.

To a Creative & Nourishing New Year!

Candied Ginger Applesauce

This creation is slightly sweeter than I meant for it to be, so if you are looking for a traditional applesauce reduce the sugar a bit, try 1 cup instead of 1 & 1/2 cups. This is lovely baked into a tart shell for a quick Gingery Apple Tart, dolloped over Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, or simply spooned out of the jar as is, yummmmm!

Gingery Applesauce
Makes 5 Pints

7lbs Farmers' Market Apples (a mixture of crisp, tart, sweet & soft. such as granny smith, jonagolds, galas & golden delicious)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
2/3 cup crystallized ginger, minced
1 t sea salt
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger

Combine lemon juice and water in a large stockpot. Peel, core and cut apples into 3/4-inch chunks; place apple chunks into lemon water immediately to prevent browning. Add sugar, crystallized ginger, salt and spices. Stir over medium-high heat for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat once the apples are soft and a touch translucent. Mash the apples using a potato masher or fork to desired consistency. I like mine a bit chunky.

Process as you normally would for preserving. If you are unfamiliar with preserving, simply ladle the applesauce into hot clean 1-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch space at the top. Remove the air bubbles by placing a wooden spoon into the jar against the glass on the sides, move up and down to release any bubbles. Wipe the jar threads and rims with a damp clean cloth. Cover with hot lids; secure with screw bands. Place in a pot of boiling water and process for 20 minutes. Remove jars onto a towel covered counter top. Cool completely. Make sure that the lids have properly sealed, by pressing into the center of the lid, it should not move, if by chance the lid hasn't properly sealed then pop into fridge and eat within a week or two.

Cookie Parcels

It's that time of year. When the world falls in love with cookies. The house is warmed by baking off batch after batch, and the scent of buttery sweetness settles into every nook and cranny.
This year I packaged my cookies into little old-fashioned parcels, reminiscent of old world sweet shops. I snugly secured cookies into a brown paper lunch sack and dressed it up with a label and silk ribbon.
Happy Baking & Happy Holidays!