Health Cafe Journey

I served this dish to my brother and sister-in-law who had just moved into the same new-home community we did a few weeks earlier. Moving is no fun and having a good home-cooked meal can make all the difference in getting back into the move with renewed energy. Running out for a quick meal you may regret eating or trying your luck by buying a quesadilla or pulled pork sandwich from the food truck that shows up each day at 11:30 could halt your progress. I thought this recipe I found in the Costco Connection magazine would be a hearty meal. Trying new recipes on dinner guests is a gamble, but I was game to try it. It did not disappoint. Try it out and see what you think. Cauliflower & Tomato Quiche Recipe from  Costco Connection Magazine yield  8 servings category  Main Dish cuisine  Vegetarian ingredients 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets 4 Tbsp olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, minced 8 organic eggs 1/2 C fresh chopped basil 1 C flour or gluten-free alternative...

When you were a kid did you not like mixing your food? I'll bet some of you didn't like different foods to even touch on the plate? Or were you the type that mixed it all up when you ate? My father used to say, "It all goes to the same place..." so it doesn't matter that you don't mix the food, it gets mixed up eventually. Here's a recipe that you can mix or not. Those with "do to touch" requirements... well... you can get a bigger plate. Vegetable Mélange with Tamari Ginger Dressing from Inspired by Food Matters yield 6-8 servings category Salad cuisine Vegan ingredients 1 C farro, soaked for 6 hours & rinsed 1-2 C filtered water 1/4 red cabbage shredded 2 tsp apple cider vinegar juice of 1/2 lime 1 C cooked garbanzo beans 1 avocado, thinly sliced 1 large carrot, grated or spiralized 1 large zucchini, graetd or spiralized Dressing: 2 Tbsp tamari 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 2 Tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp garlic sesame seeds, aka Gomasio directio...

For that occasional  time you want a sweet treat, this raw chocolate raspberry bark is very easy to put together. And quilt-free to eat. I buy organic cacao nibs and grind them to make the cacao powder using a coffee grinder I dedicate to making nut and seed flours. Coffee beans leave too much oil and residue behind. So it's best to have another grinder you use for grinding anything but coffee. A square glass pyrex pan works great to freeze the chocolate mixture into a bark. Rubbing the bottom and sides with coconut oil before pouring the mixture will make removing the frozen cut squares easier. Enjoy this delicious dessert anytime and get the heart healthy benefits of antioxidants, magnesium and healthy saturated fats. Raw Chocolate Raspberry Bark from Food Matters yield 24 pieces category Dessert cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian ingredients 1/2 C raw cacao powder 1/4 C maple syrup 1/2 C coconut oil, melted 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 C almond butter 1/2 C raspberries 3 Tbsp chopped rolled oa...

For Memorial Day weekend we took a road trip up the state (California) to the college town of Chico where my husband Bob earned his finance degree. He always raved about Bidwell Park, which followed Big Chico Creek through a portion of the town. There are miles of paved trails under a shady canopy of large trees and lush greenery bordering the creek. Picnic benches dot the route offering an invitation to stop and enjoy the cool creek. We brought our mountain bikes for the purpose of riding the trials. So off we went. We rode from Lower Bidwell Park all the way to Upper Bidwell Park where you can opt for more adventurous single-track, dirt trails. We saved the dirt trails for the following day when we spent several hours navigating up and down slightly technical trails (filled with protruding rocks of all sizes) getting a great workout—ending with a stop along the upper creek with a chilly dip for our weary feet. Since I may not find healthy food to eat on trips, I always plan ahead and...

Here's a great salad that's yummy anytime. It comes by way of Kalyn's Kitchen who got the inspiration from a recipe in Bon Appetite Magazine. I changed up a few items and made it my own based on what I have on hand and my food preferences. I chose to include sprouted pumpkin seeds in the recipe to add a nutrient boost. These seeds are very high in protein, low in carbohydrates and contain loads of minerals including iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc, as well as heart-healthy niacin and vitamin B3. Plus sprouting seeds multiples powerful nutrients and unlocks enzymes to super-charge digestion and support optimal wellness. Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Pick up a package of Go Raw Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds next time you go to Costco. You might also get a package of Go Raw Sprouted Sunflower Seeds while there. Both of these seeds are ingredients for my DIY trail mix . To cut the kale in short strips follow the technique I wrote in the recipe directions. Che...

This is a very simple (only five ingredients) and quick recipe to make. The cookies come out soft and chewy when warm from the oven—great time to taste test. Once cooled they become crunchy—many favs this consistency. I like chopped nuts in my cookies, so using crunchy almond butter makes one less ingredient to add. If you don't prefer the nuts, you can use creamy almond butter—your choice. Once you add the almond butter to the sugar mixture, the batter gets real thick and clogs up the beaters. Because of the almond oil in the mixture it does not stick to the beaters and can be easily scrapped off with little waste. In the picture above the cookies are spaced too close. They ended up "growing" into each other. The next batch was spaced three to a row—perfect. Almond Butter Cookies from Chris Pedersen yield 18 cookies category Dessert cuisine Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Low-Glycemic ingredients 1 large egg 1 C coconut sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla 1 C ...

Instead of medications or getting a flu shot, boost your health with a daily shot of health. Taking two shots a day (even one shot a day) of this health drink—one in the morning and one in the evening—will give your immune system a kick. But don't expect it to make-up for an unhealthy diet of processed foods and sugar. Nope! Shot of Health from   Ancestral Nutrition yield ~14 shots category Drink cuisine Vegan ingredients 1.5 C filtered water 7 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV) Juice of 1 lemon or 1 drop lemon essential oil 1 Tbsp raw honey 5 Tbsp of collagen (if you have it) directions 1. Combine in glass jar and shake until blended. 2. Store in fridge. 3. Take 1 to 2 shots (one morning, one evening) daily I just took my shot for today and, I should add, it blows your hair back. Woo! BTW if you use Bragg's ACV (which I highly encourage), you'll be getting a dose of prebiotics as well. Prebiotics is food for the good bacteria in your gut. For more information on pro and pre...

I've got some great recipes for your fall and winter enjoyment. I hope I can get them all to you in time. Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the many parties requiring a "dish to share." Consider last week's Pear and Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash the first installment. Please subscribe to this blog to get them all. Here's a yummy bean recipe for those who love green beans, but don't love the milk-based ingredients or the bacon that seems to be the latest to add to veggie salads and side dishes.  Whaa! Can anyone tell me what bacon is doing in a broccoli salad? Did you hear or read that the World Health Organization (WHO) is telling us that processed meat is cancer-causing ? Yeah! That means bacon with the added nitrates, nitrites, and other chemicals. Back to our recipe... You'll never miss the real bacon. Using shiitake mushrooms soaked in tamari, maple syrup and balsamic then roasted in smoked sea salt, you'll discover a whole new kind of wow y...

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving table? Are you doing traditional Turkey and all the accompanying starchy foods? Or do you plan to make some changes in your meal choices because you've been adjusting your lifestyle to be healthier? There are great options for yummy food–perfect for fall. I made this delicious recipe and it was all we had for dinner. Mmmmm! The fresh herbs make it really sing and it's so easy to prepare. The recipe calls for red D'Anjou pear, but you can use any variety of pear. I used a Bartlett pear and it  was mmmm good. I think you could experiment with using other fruit. How does fuyu persimmon sound?  I must try that one. Persimmons are my favorite fall fruit—maybe my all time fav actually. Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash from Costco Connection yield 4-8 servings category Main Course cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian ingredients 2 Acorn Squash 2 tsp olive oil 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper 1 C chopped pistachios 2 Tb...

This is the second Carrot Cupcake  recipe I've created. I decided the first recipe could be easier and, yes, even yummier. So I set about to make a newer, better recipe. Motivated by the upcoming celebration of our son's marriage to his college sweetheart, I spent the week before the event (dubbed the I Do BBQ ) planning, shopping and making the dishes and dessert. Our son Nur and his college sweetheart Annaliese met over 11 years ago. Nur participated in the Anime club on campus and met Annaliese there. Smitten from their first meeting, Nur spent much of the years winning her over—a true romantic tale. Both being minimalists and creatures of habit, they seem made for each other, highlighted by their love of Anime and annual vacation to Comic-Con in San Diego . The two lovebirds married in a private ceremony at San Francisco City Hall (a beautiful and cheap venue) on June 19th. The I Do BBQ allowed the extended family to meet Annaliese and share their well-wishes with the newl...

This recipe comes from fellow plant-based eating friend, Jennie . She's always looking for recipes on the web and, like me, subscribes to a few healthy recipe sites. Since she doesn't like regular mayonnaise (made from eggs) and those vegan choices made with soy, she was always looking for a replacement. She found this one on Nourishing Meals . Egg-Free Mayonnaise from NourishingMeals yield 1.5 C category Condiment cuisine Vegan ingredients 1 C raw cashews 1/4 C filtered water 2 Tbsp apple cidar vinegar 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 tsp yellow mustard powder 3/4 - 1 tsp sea salt 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil directions 1. Place cashews in bowl then cover with filtered water. Set aside to soak for 3 hours. 2. Add the soaked cashews, water, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard powder, and sea salt to your high-powered blender. Blend until thick and creamy.  3. Then add the olive oil and blend until combined. Keep blending until it is ultra smooth. You may need to stop the ...

I've made this salad three times since seeing it on Kalyn's Kitchen . It is so delicious and easy. Four simple ingredients: cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions and avocado. I went to the Wednesday Farmer's Market and got a basket of beautiful cherry heirloom tomatoes. Look at those beautiful tomatoes. The dressing is one ingredient: a good quality balsamic vinegar. I used the Trader Joe's brand, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Avocado with Balsamic Vinegar Salad from Kalyn's Kitchen yield 4 servings category Salad cuisine Vegan ingredients 3 small persian cucumbers, sliced in half-moons 1 C cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 C thinly diagonally sliced green onion 1 firm ripe avocado, cut-up 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar sea salt and pepper to taste directions 1. Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and avocado in a large bowl. 2. Pour vinegar over the salad and gently toss to coat. 3. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Try this one and I think you...