Recipes

Mediterranean White Bean Soup

Mediterranean White Bean Soup

This Tuscan-inspired white bean soup is my go- tosoup for clients who are just starting to practice anti-inflammatory eating.It’s easy to make; contains beans and rice, which make a complete protein; andit freezes well, so leftovers can be spread out. I like to serve a small cup ofthis soup as a starter when I have a lamb dish on the menu, but it’s definitelysatisfying enough to be a meal all on its own.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
  • Add the red and green onions and sauté until they start to sweat and become soft.
  • Add the mushrooms, garlic, Italian herbs, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms start to soften and release liquid.
  • Add the broth, water, beans, and rice; increase the heat to high; and bring the soup to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.
  • Stir in the chard and continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mediterranean

Tropical Quinoa Power Bars

Tropical Quinoa Power Bars

Clients often ask me for ideas for portable, whole food snacks. While Ithink of quinoa as a super food, it’s not generally known for portability.However, it’s possible to take advantage of the sticky quality of freshlycooked quinoa, along with a few other key ingredients, to create a bar thattravels well. I love the tropical trio of apricots, coconut, and macadamia nuts(which always seem like a treat!). I choose to go fairly light on the honeybecause I prefer a more subtle sweetness, but that can certainly be adjusted totaste
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the water, quinoa, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes without stirring.
  • The quinoa will look like it sprouted and grew a tiny tail, and all of the water should be absorbed.
  • Fluff with a fork and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the quinoa (you’ll have some leftover) with the macadamia nuts, coconut, and apricots.
  • Stir in the honey, tahini, and cinnamon.
  • Cover with the coconut flour and use your hands to knead everything together until well incorporated.
  • Shape the mixture into bars approximately 3 inches long and 1 inch thick.
  • Place them in a shallow baking dish lined with parchment paper, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Notes & Wine Advice

I like to wrap these bars in parchment paper, then double wrap in foil, and store them in the freezer. I’ll pull one out in the morning and toss it in my workbag, so I can look forward to a satisfying afternoon snack.
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Course; Breakfast

Nutty Coconut Energy Truffles

Nutty Coconut Energy Truffles

This recipe is definitely one of my top fivegreatest hits. The delectable combination of nuts, dried fruit, and coconutmake it a universal favorite. I knew I was on to something when I took theseyummy little treats to a campout with friends and they were gone within secondsof opening the container. My friends still talk about them today. They’re agreat high-energy snack to take along when hiking or biking, and they can beenjoyed as a much healthier stand-in for a candy bar. I recommend using Medjooldates because they’re always fresh and moist with just the right amount ofstickiness to bind these truffles together.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the walnuts, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor.
  • Process until the nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute.
  • Add the dates, cherries, oil, almond butter, and extract.
  • Process until well combined; the mixture should have a thick, sticky consistency.
  • Check to see if you can form a truffle by rolling some of the mixture in your hands—if it falls apart easily, blend in the maple syrup.
  • Spread the coconut on a plate.
  • Scoop the nut mixture with a large spoon and roll into 1-inch balls.
  • Roll in the coconut until the balls are generously coated.
  • Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and store extras in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes & Wine Advice

Cinnamon inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory signals in the body and helps regulate blood sugar.
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Course; Snack

Anti-Inflammatory Trail Mix

Anti-Inflammatory Trail Mix

Let’s face it, trail mix has all the elements ofa perfect snack. It’s portable, it’s satisfying, and it can be fun to eat.Unfortunately, the stuff available in the bulk section can be loaded with bitsof candy, chocolate, and sugar-sweetened dried fruit. Sure, that might be whatmakes trail mix so much “fun,” but if you have to mine out the candy and leavethe nuts behind, you’re really not doing yourself any favors. This homemadeversion is a delicious and nutritious solution. I encourage families to have atrail-mix-making party where you set out small bowls of nuts, seeds, andfreeze-dried or unsweetened, unsulfured dried fruits, and have everyone createtheir own baggies of trail mix to take to school, work, or soccer practice.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds pepitas
  • ½ cup freeze-dried blueberries
  • ½ cup chopped unsweetened unsulfured dried mangoes

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, and mangoes and toss well.
  • Place any optional ingredients in small bowls and set them out to choose from.
  • Combine a little of each desired item in a ¼-cup measuring cup and pour the contents from the cup into snack bags for preportioned, power-packed snacks that are ready to grab and go!

Notes & Wine Advice

Active adults and older children (8-plus years) may want to use ½ cup as a serving. Adults watching their weight and younger children should stick with the ¼-cup portion.
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Course; Snack

Artichoke and Basil Tapenade

Artichoke and Basil Tapenade

Behold the beautiful olive! While technically afruit, olives are better known for their fatty, salty, briny characteristics.They also happen to be one of the main components of a Mediterranean diet. Iabsolutely love the fact that we can get healthy fats and otheranti-inflammatory compounds via such a remarkably tasty delivery system. Theartichoke hearts add a different texture to the tapenade while the basil reallyhelps balance the saltiness and elevates the flavor. I like to bring this snackto Super Bowl parties with the secret intention of unclogging the arteries ofthose who are overindulging in deep-fried chicken wings.
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Ingredients

  • 1 14-ounce jar artichoke hearts marinated in olive oil
  • ½ cup pitted green olives
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 4 to 5 large basil leaves or
  • 2 teaspoons dried

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
  • Serve with assorted vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower, or celery.

Notes & Wine Advice

For a slightly fancier spin on this recipe, scoop the tapenade into endive leaves and arrange in a circular pattern on a large plate. This is a hit at parties, and it couldn’t be easier for the host!
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Course; Sauce / Snack

Creamy Avocado Spinach Dip

Creamy Avocado Spinach Dip

It’s hard to imagine what would make guacamoleeven more perfect than it already is. Enter spinach—a nutritional powerhouseand anti-inflammatory superstar that can happily join the party withoutinterfering with the flavor. It’s also kid-friendly, as evidenced by mytwo-year-old nephew who put his whole face in the bowl to lick it clean oncehe’d polished off the last of the dip. The kalamata olives are optional, butthey add some nice saltiness that completely disguises the spinach.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Scoop the avocado into a food processor.
  • Add the spinach, garlic, and oil and blend.
  • Additional oil can be added for a smoother texture.
  • Add the lemon juice, cumin, and salt and blend until smooth.
  • Add the olives and pulse until they are just chopped and incorporated.
  • Serve with assorted vegetables, such as carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, or jicama.
  • This dip also works great as a sandwich spread or a topping for bean and rice dishes

Notes & Wine Advice

Spinach contains high amounts of unique carotenoids, which are plant compounds that have been shown to calm inflammation, particularly in the digestive tract.
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Course; Sauce / Snack

Shiitake Mushroom and Walnut Pâté

Shiitake Mushroom and Walnut Pâté

If you like the idea of pâté, but are not a fanof liver, this recipe is for you. Toasting the walnuts illuminates theirsweetness and tones down the bitter quality of their skins. You can use anytype of mushrooms or a combination of different types (such as chanterelle,oyster, or morel). Including butter beans helps create a silkier texture andalso adds some fiber and nutrients.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spread the walnuts on a baking pan and bake for about 12 minutes, or until they start to brown and get fragrant.
  • Set aside.
  • In a small sauté pan, heat the oil.
  • Add the mushrooms, season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and juicy, about 5 minutes.
  • Combine the walnuts, mushrooms, beans, maple syrup, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • The mixture will be somewhat thick and will resemble liver pâté.
  • Serve with assorted vegetables or rice crackers.

Notes & Wine Advice

Walnuts are one of the few plant-based foods that contain an appreciable amount of omega-3s. They also contain some rare anti-inflammatory nutrients that are found in virtually no other commonly eaten foods.
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Course; Nuts / Snack

White Bean and Kalamata Olive Hummus

White Bean and Kalamata Olive Hummus

Hummus is a great snack, but it’s easy to getburned out on the traditional chickpea variety. Using white beans is a simpleway to change it up enough that hummus will once again become exciting and new.White beans also have a more neutral flavor than chickpeas, so even those whogenerally dislike hummus often enjoy this version. White bean hummus can alsobe a more nutritious substitute for mayo and works great as a spread onvegetarian sandwiches.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the beans, garlic, and tahini in a food processor.
  • With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil and blend to the desired consistency.
  • Add the olives and pulse until they are just chopped and incorporated.
  • Season with the salt.
  • Serve with assorted vegetables, such as carrots, snap peas, cucumbers, zucchini, jicama, or daikon radishes.
  • The hummus can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Specific compounds in olives, called polyphenols, have been shown to block inflammatory pathways and reduce specific markers that are used to measure inflammation in the body.
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Course; Snack

Crispy Curried Chickpeas

Crispy Curried Chickpeas

This is such an easy and nutritious snack tomake! Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are a good source of protein, andthey’re rich in iron and potassium. But what you’ll notice most is that thesecrispy chickpeas really hit the spot when you’re in the mood for a crunchy,salty snack! You can get creative with the seasonings and experiment withdifferent herbs and spices.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel, then place in a medium bowl.
  • In a small bowl, combine the oil, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, and fenugreek and whisk with a fork.
  • Pour the oil mixture over the chickpeas and stir until they’re well coated.
  • Spread the chickpeas on a baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and rattle around the pan.
  • Serve immediately, or cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.

Notes & Wine Advice

These chickpeas are actually best when eaten shortly after cooking. They tend to lose some of their crispiness after storing unless the container is completely airtight.
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Course; Snack