Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is just around the corner and what better way to welcome the New Year but with sweetness? In the Jewish religion, we tend to celebrate holidays and life cycles surrounded by food. For Rosh Hashanah, typically we eat apples with honey to symbolize our hopes and wishes for a sweet and healthy new year for loved ones and ourselves.  So when life calls for celebration and indulgence, it’s important to do so with real ingredients.

Holidays shouldn’t be an excuse to binge on the “bad stuff”. What’s the fun in that if you are going to spend the next week (or more) fighting your sugar cravings back under the rug?

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

½ cup rolled oats, blended to flour consistency

¾ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup cocoa powder

½ cup water

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup agave nectar

½ cup brown rice syrup

½ of a 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar (I like Green & Black 70% dark chocolate), chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8’’ x 8’’ pan

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl, except for chopped dark chocolate

Combine wet ingredients in separate mixing bowl

Combine bowls and use electric hand mixer to blend thoroughly

Hand stir in chocolate chunks

Pour into greased pan and bake until cooked – approximately 45 minutes

Allow to cool completely and place in refrigerator to solidify

Enjoy your creamy, fudgy dessert!

Call me crazy, but this summer I was fortunate to have my youngest sister live with me for about six weeks. It was the first time the two of us lived under the same roof for an extended period of time in about ten years. I’m sure many of you reading this really do think I’m crazy, but I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family, that the six weeks flew by too quickly and now I miss not seeing her every day. She loves to cook and would frequently bring home fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden where she worked. One of the last treats that she brought home was a bag full of green beans.

Growing up green beans were one of my least favorite vegetables, which was strange because I never considered myself to be a picky eater. Then I realized that I wasn’t eating green beans when they were in season. Even though green beans still don’t rank at the top of my “favorite vegetables” list, I enjoy them when I eat them in the summer, which is when they are in season. They are so crisp, cooling and delicious – perfect for the summer heat!

Eating seasonally means that the food is going to taste its best because it didn’t have to fly half way around the world and ripen in the back of a truck. Instead, the produce ripened on the tree or bush or in the ground where nature intended it to ripen in order to maximize flavor and nutrients.

So next time you think you don’t like a fruit or vegetable check to see if you are eating it when it is in season in your area. This might make all the difference.

Ingredients:

4 heaping handfuls of green beans, whole

½ large red pepper, chopped

½ large yellow pepper, chopped

½ large onion, chopped

1 cup black beans, cooked or canned

Sauce:

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons balsamic vingarette

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon water

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

Juice from 1 lemon

Directions:

In large pan add ¼ inch of water and add medium high heat

Add green beans, onions and peppers

While this is cooking, mix sauce ingredients in small mixing bowl and whisk together

Add black beans

Cook until onions are translucent and peppers and green beans are tender on the outside and crisp on the inside

Strain

Add sauce and coat evenly

The other day my new next door neighbors left a basket of tomatoes on my back porch. They had too many in their garden and they didn’t want any to go to waste. Lucky for me that I live next door. Now I had to decide what to do with them – the pressure was on!

I left the cherry tomatoes for snacking, but I wanted to try something new with the larger ones. I came up with a light sauce, perfect for summer to go with my basic meal formula. Seasonal and delicious, you can use this antioxidant-rich dressing as a substitute for salad dressing or as a light sauce for white fish.

Even though most grocery stores sell tomatoes year-round, they are staple at the Farmer’s Markers in the summer. They are known for their lycopene content, a carotenoid notorious for its antioxidant qualities. To maximize lycopene in your produce, buy organic.

The picture above starts with a bed of steamed Swiss chard. Then I piled on a mix of steamed and sautéed vegetables including zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms. I topped it off with white beans, a sprinkle of quinoa and my tomato dressing.

Ingredients:

2 cups tomatoes

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

½ teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon MatoZest

1 clove garlic

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend completely

Is it just me or is hummus becoming more popular by the day? It’s a staple at any hors d’œuvre table, the perfect topping for any sandwich, and hits the spot for a mid-afternoon snack with most fruits or vegetables.

Hummus is not only versatile but good for you too! The chickpea is a bean, and we all know that beans provide an excellent alternative to meat for protein. Plus you get a whole bunch of other good stuff you from beans that you can’t find in meat (antioxidants and fiber to name a few). I think that chickpeas sometimes slide under the radar of the bean “stigma” because they are used to make hummus, and who doesn’t love hummus. The formula may change, but the foundation is always the same – chickpeas, tahini and olive oil.

Hummus is one of my favorite foods and I love how popular it has become. Growing up I don’t think most of my friends knew what hummus was and I felt that it never tasted as good as it did in Israel. Now the manufacturing companies are getting the hang of it. My hummus “habit” can get pretty expensive with the frequency that I like to eat hummus so I now make it at home. It’s a lot less expensive, plus I don’t have the preservatives and other chemicals that many food companies add to preserve “freshness”, which is kind of ironic.

This recipe is for asparagus hummus. Swap the asparagus for another vegetable for variety or skip the extra vegetable all together for the old-school style hummus.

Ingredients:

3.5 cups Chickpeas, cooked or canned

½ cup tahini

2 cloves of garlic

1 bunch asparagus, steamed and chopped

1.5 teaspoons paprika

½ cup olive oil

½ cup water

½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Combine ingredients in blender or food processor and combine thoroughly

My youngest sister, Arielle, is living with me this summer while she works in the garden at Warren Wilson College, about 25 minutes away from my home. Lucky for us, she brings home vegetables and other goodies from the garden a couple of days a week, providing us with delicious, organic, locally grown goodness. Zucchini and squash are very plentiful right now so we have made it our mission to come up with new and exciting ways to use this duo.

Here are two ideas. Both will make your home smell amazing in two very different ways!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

3 cups rolled oats, processed in blender to create flour consistency

1 large zucchini, grated with skin intact

1 cup honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

hand full of blueberries (optional)

hand full of chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease bread pan

Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix well

Add honey and mix with spoon until ingredients are completely blended

Pour batter into bread pan

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until top is golden brown and inside is fully cooked (stick a toothpick to test)

Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving

Rosemary Zucchini & Squash

Ingredients:

1 or 2 stems of rosemary

1 small zucchini

1 small squash

Other favorite spices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Remove rosemary from stem and set aside

Cut zucchini and squash into ½ inch slices

“Thread” zucchini and squash onto rosemary stem and place in small bread loaf dish

Add about ¼ cup of water

Sprinkle rosemary onto zucchini and squash

Add any other favorite spices and a drop of extra virgin olive oil if desired

Cover with tinfoil

Bake until zucchini and squash are tender – approximately 20 minutes

Remove from stems and serve

You don’t have to say it. I know I have been slackin’ on my bloggin’ lately. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but the last couple of weeks have been flying by, packed with lots of activity including a trip up north to celebrate milestones with close friends and family and moving into a new house.

During all the hustle and bustle, I received a complimentary box from Eden Foods of their Mung Bean Pasta that I was happy to dig into as soon as my new kitchen was up and running. When it comes to pasta I usually stick to brown rice pasta since it is one of the few gluten free options out there.

As I quickly learned, mung bean pasta is another great option and is a lot lighter than brown rice pasta so it’s perfect for summer. It is a thin translucent noodle used in many Asian dishes and cooks in less than four minutes. How easy is that?

I found a recipe on the Eden Foods website, but changed some of the ingredients based on what I had in my refrigerator and what my sister had in her garden. Dinner was ready in less than 20 minutes and all of the vegetables are in season now.

These wraps make a great appetizer or side dish. Place each component into a separate bowl and let your guests make their own personal wrap.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 bag (2.4 ounces) Eden Foods mung bean pasta

1 medium squash, chopped into thin slices

1 medium zucchini, chopped into thin slices

1 medium carrot, chopped into thin slices

4 – 6 cabbage leaves

Directions:

In large pot, place steamer basket in bottom and add 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.

Add cabbage leaves and cover with lid for 3 minutes. Add remaining vegetables.

Steam until tender – about 3 or 4 minutes.

In another pot, bring water to a boil. Add mung bean pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Strain. Rinse with cold water and drain.

Fill cabbage leaf with mung bean pasta, vegetables and sauce and wrap!

Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1-2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions:

Combine in bowl and mix thoroughly

I have never had a session with a client where we did not talk about cravings. Our cravings are not something to ignore. There are many reasons why we have them, but one that we often forget about is our ancestry. Where we come from, and the foods our ancestors used to eat can play a role in the type of foods we crave today.

Many of the foods that I crave most can be traced back to my Middle Eastern roots. For example, tabouli used to be a favorite before my UC diagnosis. Tabouli is a very popular Middle Eastern salad, but is typically made with wheat (bulgur), which is a substance that my body does not digest well anymore. When I came across a tabouli recipe on 101cookbooks.com, I decided it was time to try my own version of tabouli.

To satisfy cravings for foods of your ancestors, try a healthier version. This tabouli recipe has a similar consistency to the Middle Eastern favorite, but is a little more nutrient dense. Asparagus is in season right now and is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate and vitamin C. It is good for the heart and digestive system. Asparagus makes a great snack – I like to dip it in hummus, go figure.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1 bunch asparagus, chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 cup frozen or fresh peas (not canned)

1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

Sauce:

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons brown mustard

1 teaspoon water (if desired)

Directions:

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.

Boil asparagus pieces and peas for 30 seconds – just enough so they soften outside but remain crunchy on the inside.

Strain and let cool.

While the asparagus and peas are cooling, combine lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and brown mustard in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoons of water to get desired consistency.

Combine asparagus, peas, quinoa, and chopped walnuts into large bowl.

Stir in dressing and serve.

I recently did the ol’ “switch-a-roo” of my closets. Any girl reading this post knows what I’m talking about – putting the sweaters and other fall / winter garments into storage and filling your closet with sundresses, tank tops and other spring and summer clothes. I always love the day I switch my closet because it’s like going shopping and discovering all these new clothes without having to spend a pretty penny! More importantly, it’s a sign that the seasons have officially turned and that means new foods are coming into season.

Ever notice how a salad seems more appealing to you in the summer than in the winter? This is because our bodies crave cooling foods when it’s hotter outside. Mother nature is telling us to eat foods raw or cold during spring and summer, as they will be more cooling than heavier foods. Foods that are cooked or steamed lightly and quickly can also having a cooling effect. The longer a food is cooked, the more warming it becomes. Make sense?

This blueberry pie is light but savory, and definitely cooling. It’s the first pie I ever made, and I have to say it was pretty easy, especially the clean up part because I only had the blender to clean. Make sure you are using a high-power blender like a Vita-Mix, because it takes a lot of power to turn these ingredients into piecrust and filling.

According to the Environmental Working Group, blueberries are one of the top twelve fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues so it is important to buy organic blueberries. These pesticides are absorbed into the fruits and vegetables, so washing them does not eliminate the pesticide residues completely. A growing number of experts agree that small doses of pesticides can cause permanent damage to human health.

Blueberries provide some of the strongest antioxidant activity among fruits and vegetables. They get their dark blue color from anthocyanidins, which provide blueberries with vitamin C in addition to their antioxidant protection.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup unsweetened muesli

9 – 10 Medjool dates, sliced in half and pits removed

1 cup walnuts

¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

Filling:

10 oz frozen blueberries

10 Medjool dates, sliced in half and pits removed

2 bananas

1 avocado

1 tablespoon shredded coconut

Directions:

To make the crust combine the crust ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend thoroughly. Use hands to scoop the batter and press it evenly onto the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.

Use your thumb to press some of the batter up onto the side of the pan, about ¼ – ½ inch

To make the filling combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend completely.

Pour filling into center of pie and use back of spoon to spread it evenly across the crust.

Cover and freeze for at least three hours before serving.

Any extra batter should be frozen separately in a glass container for all-natural ice cream.

My sister loves peanut butter so it only seemed appropriate to honor her birthday with peanut butter blondies. Inspired by the cookbook Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, I swapped a few ingredients for healthier alternatives.

Let me be clear – this dessert is not a “health food”, but to avoid dessert for eternity is unrealistic for most of us.  When indulging, it’s important to do so with real foods, not chemicals or artificial ingredients and flavoring.

Instead of sugar I used brown rice syrup, which is a great alternative to sugar. It is made by fermenting brown rice with enzymes to disintegrate the natural starch of this whole grain. After straining off the fermented liquid, the substance is cooked to a syrup consistency. It has a mild sweet buttery flavor so it is excellent for a bit of sweetness in your tea, salad dressings, sauces, and of course in desserts. Brown rice syrup takes longer for the body to breakdown and digest then sugar because of the complex carbohydrates components, so your energy levels will remain constant instead of crashing shortly after indulging.

Rolled oats are a great substitute for white flour. Just like white sugar, white flour enters the bloodstream quickly, causing mood and energy spikes and crashes. Refined carbohydrates, like white flour, not only lack any nutritional benefits, but have been linked to a range of health issues including weight gain and heart disease. Whole grains, like rolled oats, remain rich in micronutritents and fiber.

Ingredients:

2 cups Rolled Oats

½ cup organic Peanut Butter

¼ Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup Almond milk (or milk of your choice)

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup Brown Rice Syrup

Optional: 1/3 cup peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8 x 8 inch baking dish

Use blender or food processor to blend rolled oats to create flour consistency

In medium mixing bowl combine, use spoon to mix peanut butter, oil and brown rice syrup.

Stir in nondairy milk and vanilla.

Stir in flour and baking powder. Blend well.

Transfer dough into baking pan and press into place.

Sprinkle on the peanuts and lightly press them into the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the blondie edges are slightly darkened.

The top will appear soft and that is ok.

Allow pan to cool completely. You may even want to put the pan into the refrigerator for an hour or two before slicing to make them extra firm, but still moist and delicious.

It’s true – a healthier diet takes effort. For example, over the last year or so I have tried about half a dozen times to make a veggie burger and have failed every… single… time. Talk about feeling defeated and wanting to order take out! Perhaps “fail” is too harsh of a description, since I did actually make a veggie burger at the end of each attempt. The trouble is that I did not think any of them were worthy to share or make again…ever.

So when I decided to give it another try I used a different approach, which seemed to have made all the difference. These veggie burgers are firm on the outside and soft on the inside and very delicious.

While Ryan and I were enjoying our surprisingly good burgers we reminisced on my burger flops. There was one that we kindly refer to as the chickpea omelet. I am happy to report that there will be no more attempts on the veggie burger project. This recipe is good to go!

Ingredients: (makes 8 – 10 patties)

2 cups black beans (cooked or canned)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 large shallot

1 clove garlic

1 cup shredded carrots

¼ – ½ cup cilantro or parsley

2 cups rolled oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Grease baking pan / baking sheet

Combine all ingredients except rolled oats in blender and pour mixture into mixing bowl

Use spoon to stir in oats

Use hands to make patties and place on greased baking sheet. Patties should be about 1 inch thick.

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes and then broil for 5 minutes. Flip patties and broil for 5 more minutes.