This recipe is courtesy of Whole Foods. Several months ago they asked for recipe makeover requests for those with food intolerances. I emailed asking for a soy, dairy, gluten-free lasagna. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one! Below is the original makeover with the soy-free option (which I used). The eggs in the recipe cleverly serve to hold all ingredients together in absence of the cheese. While it lacks the gooey, chewy texture that only loads of mozzarella can provide, the flavors come close enough to satisfy this girl’s cravings. Happy with the results, I am sharing them with all of you.
Enjoy!

Two readers requested a gluten-free, dairy-free lasagna recipe. Surprising as it may seem, not all tomato, marinara or pasta sauces are gluten-free and some even contain dairy, so be sure to read the label carefully before making your selection. For those who cannot tolerate soy, this recipe can be made soy free by eliminating the tofu. Simply increase the number of eggs to four. Distribute the egg mixture in equal parts over each layer of noodle and top with sauce as per recipe instructions.

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 (14-ounce) package soft tofu (not silken), drained (omit for soy-free)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken (I used grass-fed ground beef)
• 3/4 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch spinach, stemmed, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 4 cups gluten-free tomato or marinara sauce
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons garbanzo or fava bean flour (any gluten-free flour will be fine)
• 1 (16-ounce) package gluten-free lasagna noodles
• (always an improviser, I added carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and red peppers to my lasagna mix in place of the tofu.)

To prepare the filling, coarsely crumble tofu onto two layers of a lint-free dish towel. Wrap tofu in the towel and lightly press out excess moisture; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté onion until tender, about 4 minutes. Add turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until just brown, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. In two batches, add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes each. Stir in basil and tomato sauce. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Whisk eggs and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Add flour and whisk until well blended and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Unwrap tofu, crumble it into small pieces and add it to egg mixture. Stir to fully coat. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions in salted boiling water, but reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes. The noodles should be slightly firm, as they will continue cooking in the oven. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

To assemble the lasagna, preheat oven to 350° F. Ladle 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 13×9x2-inch baking dish and spread it out evenly. Place 3 lasagna sheets on top of the sauce. Place 1/3 of the tofu mixture on the lasagna sheets along with about a 1/4 of the sauce, distributing it evenly. Repeat layering two more times with 3 lasagna sheets, 1/3 of the tofu mixture and 1/4 of the sauce. (If going soy-free, pour a little of the beaten eggs over each layer as well) Finish with a final layer of noodles and remaining sauce, taking care to spread the sauce evenly all the way to the corners. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Info

Per serving (About 16.5oz/472g-wt.): 570 calories (170 from fat), 18g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 30g protein, 69g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 115mg cholesterol, 880mg sodium

This recipe comes from a vegetarian cookbook called “A Taste of Vitality”. It is available for free download by clicking here. I love this cookbook - it offers wonderful whole foods, largely gluten-free vegan recipes that sustain and increase health. Enjoy this recipe, and feel free to download the cookbook to try others!

As a big fan of wasabi (reader Nimmi C. will recall the great wasabi-eating contest of 1999), I was nothing short of excited to try this dish out.  The recipe can be made as instructed, or poured into a sesame-oiled baking dish and baked as a pilaf.  It has a nice bite to it but is not overwhelming. Leftovers are great in a wrap, rolled around seaweed or consumed with sashimi (raw fish).

Quinoa:

• 1.5 cups quinoa, washed
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. dark sesame oil
• (optional - use 4 cups leftover quinoa and skip quinoa cooking instructions)

Vegetables:

• 1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
• 3 medium leeks, diced small
• 1 small rutabaga, diced small
• 3/4 pound asparagus, diced small
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Tofu: (easily omitted if soy-sensitive)

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 16 oz. firm tofu (pressed as long as possible to remove excess water)
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Finishing:

• 2 tbsp. powdered wasabi (if using a paste, adjust to your taste)
• 3 tbsp. tamari (use 3 tbsp. water and1 tsp. salt mixed with wasabi if soy-sensitive)

Once quinoa is washed, place ina  saucepan with oil and salt, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Saute leeks and rutabaga until crisp-tender. Add asparagus and sea salt and cook 2 more minutes. Set aside.

Cut the tofu into small diced pieces (similar to vegetable in size). Heat a  large skillet and when it is hot, add oil and tofu. Saute, flipping diced tofu occasionally, so each side is crispy and browned. Once they become firm and crispy, lower heat, add salt, and stir gently for a minute. Turn off heat.

In a small bowl, mix wasabi and tamari until there are no lumps. Add the tofu to a large bowl, and pour the wasabi mix onto the tofu. Mix well. Add the quinoa and vegetables and continue to mix well. IF MAKING ROLLS, Briefly blend half the mixture in a food proessor and mix it back into the unblended half. This allows the mix to be pressed into rolls that actually stick together.  At this point, you can refrigerate the mix to use later, or form it into rolls immediately.

To make the rolls:

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet (allows easy removal).  If you do not have parchment paper, you can oil a baking sheet. Parchment paper is best, and very reliable for roll removal without damage.

Form rolls into sturdy, upright cylinders with your hands and place them on the baking sheet. If the mixture does not adhere well, it may be too dry; try adding some water until it stays together. If the mix is very mushy, it may be too wet. Add some brown rice flour or other whole grain flour to dry it out a little. The mix should form about 16 rolls.

If you do not want rolls, place the quinoa mix into an oiled baking dish, smoothing out the top so it is in a layer of even depth.

Place quinoa rolls or pilaf into a 400 degree oven (preheating is unnecessary). Bake for 35 minutes or until a crispy edge is formed around rolls and they are golden brown. Alternatively, bake the pilaf for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend or serve freshly mixed if time is short.

• 1 qt. vodka
• 8 vanilla pods

Split vanilla pods lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the vodka. Place pods into the bottle as well. Cover and store for at least 2 months before using. This will keep for a year at room temperature.  Split into smaller bottles to give as gifts!

To make a smaller batch, use one vanilla pod for 3/4 cup of vodka.

1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

2 tsp. olive oil or coconut oil

2 tsp. chopped ginger

12 oz. spinach or other dark leafy green

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

Place a large pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirly bottom to coat.  Add ginger and cook until fragrant - about 10 seconds. Add spinach and broth, stir once then cover.

Reduce heat to medium; cook - stirring again, until greens are wilted - about 2-3 minutes.

Add sesame oil, soy sauce, and seeds.

Toss to distribute flavors, remove from heat, and serve!

This recipe comes from a cooking class I took with Shauna James Ahern, more commonly known as the Gluten-free Girl. With fresh halibut coming into season, this simple recipe is an utterly fantastic way to celebrate a melt-in-your mouth filet of fresh halibut.

• 12 oz. fresh halibut*
• 1/3 cup forbidden black rice, ground into flour with a Vitamix or coffee grinder
• 1 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp. high quality olive oil
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter** (or coconut oil)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Comine black rice flour, salt and pepper. Place it upon a saucer and plunk the fish down into the flour mixture. Turn fish over, and coat all sides in flour. Shake off excess.

Heat an oven-proof skillet (like a cast iron skillet) until a drop of water sizzles upon the surface. Add the oil and butter to the pan. When the butter begins to foam, but hasyet to brown, add the fish. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the rice flour begins to form a crust on the fish. Flip the fish over and slip the skillet into the oven. Cook for5 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 120 degrees on a meat thermometer.

* You may substitute black cod or true cod for the halibut if you wish. Purchase thick cuts of fish for this recipe. If the fish is cut near the tail (and therefore thinner) saute’ the fish in the pan rather than searing it in the oven.

**Butter is used to make the coating crispier.

I just finished the Eugene Marathon about a week ago and set an amazing personal record. Part of preparing for an offsite marathon requires experimenting with foods that are travel friendly to minimize the chances of digestive distress on race day. I have recently discovered that my old standby - instant oatmeal - no longer works well for my body. I switched to raw granola (made from buckwheat) on race day and had no digestive issues, plenty of energy, and amazing speed.  Granted, I cannot attribute this all to raw granola, but not having an acidic stomach clearly played a part in my success.

Here is a similar recipe for home - a buckwheat muesli. Once I find a raw granola I can make and enjoy, I will post that recipe here as well.

Buckwheat Apple Muesli

Serves 1 (generously)

• 1/3 cup raw buckwheat groats
• 5 dates
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1 medium apple, sliced into quarters
• 1/8tsp. cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1-2 tbsp. shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp. walnuts or nuts/seeds of choice

Soak buckwheat and dates overnight in 1 1/4 cup water. In the morning, drain and RESERVE the soaking liquid.  Place dates and groats in a food processor or Vitamix. Add 2 apple quarters, 1/4 cup reserved liquid, juice, and spices. Process on low until fairly smooth.

Pour  into a bowl and dice remaining apple, stirring into cereal. Top with coconut and walnuts.

Nabbed from Recipezaar.com and originally credited to Sunset magazine, this recipe will be excellent on a warm summer evening.

• 8 oz. farfalle (bowtie) pasta (can use brown rice spirals or other shaped GF pasta)
• 12 oz. crimini mushrooms
• 4 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. butter, Earth Balance, or toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3tbsp. fresh ginger
• 3 tbs. fresh minced garlic
• 4 cups shredded raddichio
• 1 cup cooked, shelled edamame (Trader Joe’s has this available in their frozen foods area) or use adzuki beans if soy sensitive
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce (use 2 tsp. salt if soy sensitive)
• shaved fresh parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.  Slice all mushrooms and saute in 1 tbsp. butter or oil for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Add remaining butter/oil to pan. When melted, add ginger and garlic and stir for one minute, or until it becomes fragrant. Add radiccio adn edamame and stir until radicchio wilts - about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard and soy sauce until combined. Add cooked pasta and mushroom mixture and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper. This may be served warm or cold, and topped with freshly grated parmesan just before serving.

Serves 4

Reader and client M.H. shared this exquisite quinoa recipe with me. Quinoa is an incredible grain - a true superfood - from South America. It was a staple food of the Andean peoples for centuries. Rich in protein, iron, and calcium, quinoa is filling, versatile, and quick to cook - 20 minutes. A whole grain that is even faster than white rice!

This recipe comes from 101cookbooks.com, originally sourced to Chef MD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine.

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe

A few notes and tips from the book: low-fat soy milk may replace the low fat milk, blueberries may replace the blackberries, dark honey may replace the agave nectar, and walnuts may replace the pecans.

1 cup organic 1% low fat milk
1 cup water
1 cup organic quinoa, (hs note: rinse quinoa)
2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
4 teaspoons organic agave nectar, such as Madhava brand

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

It’s playtime in the Dream Kitchen!

On April 25th, VIBRANCE Nutrition and Fitness teamed up with Design Kompany to do a educational lunch and work party for solopreneurs. Design Kompany provided the space and I came in and demonstrated how easy it is to make a quick, healthy lunch in under 20 minutes. Here is shortened video footage of the event: (more…)

Spring has been highly elusive in the Pacific Northwest. We experienced our coldest March on record, latest snow ever in April, and as I type, it’s not quite sunny and hovering around 45 degrees. Yesterday it dipped into the 30’s; there was frost on my windshield this morning.

So this extension of winter-type weather means warm beverages. I’ve been sucking down spicy chai from World Spice Merchants and Morning Glory, but an excess of cardamom pods in my kitchen are whispering to me….”It’s time to make your own!”

Cardamom is a member of the ginger family, but lacks that spicy sensation. It’s strong and astringent and a little pungent with very mild minty undertones. It’s easily recognizable when solo, such as in a cardamom pudding.  Here in the west we use it predominantly in sweet desserts: pumpkin pies, gingerbread, and the like. In other parts of the world, it finds itself in curries, teas, and as a flavoring in coffee (Turkey). Medicinally it has been used for disorders of the mouth, throat and lungs and digestive troubles. Rumor has it it serves as an anti-dote to snake and scorpion venom, but I can’t say I’d recommend that as a first course of treatment.

Freshly ground is ideal, as it loses flavor quickly. In chai, whole pods are used. Below is a chai recipe courtesy of Chef Akasha Richmond created exclusively for WhiteWave Foods. In the interest of those with food intolerances, I have altered the recipe slightly.

Yogi Chai Tea

Serves 4

• 2 qts. water
• 12 whole cloves
• 16 green cardamom pods
• 20 whole black peppercorns
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• Eight 1/4″ pieces of fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp. loose black tea (green tea can also be used)
• 1 qt. plain soymilk, rice milk,  or nut milk
• Honey, maple syrup or agave to taste

Place water and all spices into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, allowing delicious aromas to fill your home. Turn off the heat and add black or green tea (omit for a caffeine-free chai). Let sit for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve.  Return to the pot and add non-dairy beverage of choice. Sweeten to taste.

Alternatively, refrigerate tea without the addition of the creamy, non-dairy beverage and season per cup. This is an ideal method when differing, multiple intolerances exist within one household (such as a one dairy and one soy intolerance, for instance).

I first enjoyed this recipe at the Winter Blues Party in Manhattan while a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. As halibut comes into season here in the Pacific Northwest, I cannot help but want to transition these flavors over to the fish of my homeland. The lightness of a white fish coupled with refreshing lime illicit visions of sandy white beaches and salty ocean surf. Enjoy!

Lime Mahi Mahi

Prep Time: 5 minutes

 Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients: 2 6-8 ounces, mahi mahi fillets (or use halibut when in season)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 limes, juiced
3 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
2 inches fresh grated ginger root grated, 1 ½ teaspoons
1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemon, cut into 4 slices
Directions:

1. Rinse fish, season with sea salt and pepper, and place in a shallow baking dish.
2. Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, and olive oil in a small bowl and pour over fish.
3. Turn over the mahi mahi in the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
4. Preheat skillet on medium-high heat.
5. Cook fish with marinade for 6-7 minutes per side or until fish is firm and opaque.
6. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Last week, I was interviewed by Bob Condor of the Seattle Post Intelligencer about smoothies as a recovery fuel.

Smoothies are one of the best, easiest ways to receive optimal nutrition after a workout, or as a way to begin your day. Potent in antioxidants (the treasures within fruit), smoothies also act as a ocnvenient carrier for all sorts of supplemental nutrition that may be inconvenient to receive otherwise. You may add extra protein, flax oil, additional antioxidants, green powders (or greens themselves!), liquid calcium or multivitamin complexes, bee pollen, badditional fiber, and more! The possibilities for flavors are endless and they are great hits with the kids.

Please click here to read more in the Seattle PI:
Here’s to summer smoothies!

PS — I would also like to note there is a minor factual misprint in the article. It appears as though I may not have made it clear to the author that while there are many reasons why whey protein is preferable to rice protein in a recovery smoothie, digestibility is not one of them.

–

Serve this salad as an accompaniment to fresh crab or lobster or to start a meal. The avocado will color if it sits too long, so be sure to prepare the dressing first.

SERVINGS
4

TOTAL TIME
20

INGREDIENTS
2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon local honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 cups mixed baby lettuce greens
2 papayas
2 avocados

PREPARATIONS
1. Combine the lime juice, honey, salt and pepper; blend until smooth.

2. Peel the papayas and cut them in half. Using a spoon, remove the seeds; discard seeds.

3. Slice the papaya halves into thin wedges. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Slice the flesh into thin strips.

4. Arrange the fruit slices on salad plates, alternating between papaya and avocado.

5. Combine the greens and dressing in a bowl and toss well to coat.

6. Mound a portion of the greens in the center of each plate. Drizzle with a few drops of dressing.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(Based on individual servings)
Calories: 251
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 166 mg
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Protein: 4 g

Originally published in

Find this article at: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/3023

This rice pudding is allergy free and quite exotic. Instead of using dairy and eggs, rice milk is used and the pudding is thickened with cornstarch. Arrowroot powder can be substituted for cornstarch, if desired. [2 teaspoons of arrowroot equals 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of cornstarch.]

Place the pudding rice in a large saucepan. Pour in one cup of rice milk and enough water to cover the rice one inch above the level of the rice.

Bring to a boil and cook until rice is tender.

Add remaining rice milk and sugar, if desired. Sample the mixture before adding additional sugar. Rice milk is sweet, and you may find it doesn’t need additional sweetener.

Return pudding to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer.

Mix together the cornstarch with a tablespoon or two of rice milk to form a slightly runny paste.

While stirring the rice, slowly add the cornstarch mixture.

Mix in the rosewater and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and transfer the rice into a large glass serving bowl or 6 individual ramekins. Cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for at least one hour. Garnish with rose petals before serving (if desired).

Looking through my kitchen, I noted I had some chard and yams that were beginning to look a little past their prime. Utilizing the power of Cookin’ With Google, I found a recipe for African Yam Stew, which I altered to suit my own tastes. Below is the modified recipe, which yielded fantastic results.

African Yam Stew

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp. chili oil

1/2 chopped onion

3 cups diced yams

1 can canned chick-peas

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup “The Heat is On” Spiced Peanut Butter

2 cups chopped collard greens
1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Saute’ onion in chili oil until soft. Add broth, yams, chickpeas, rice and salt; simmer for 30 minutes.

Blend peanut butter with 1/2 cup stock to make a smooth paste. Stir into the stew along with the greens and turn heat to low, allowing flavors to marry for 5 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and additional chili oil or chili sauce to taste.

Serves 4-6

This ginger jam recipe is POTENT! I plan on using it on cashew butter rice bread sandwiches in the morning, since my supply of ginger spread is no longer being offered at Trader Joe’s. While sampling it during cooking, I realized it will also do nicely whipped into cream cheese, swirled into cheesecake, or layered between spice cake.

Makes 1 12 oz. jar.

3/4 cup Finely chopped peeled ginger
1 Apple peeled - cored and finely chopped
(note - no need to chop ginger and apple if using a Vitamix)
3/4 cup Sucanat (dehydrated sugar cane juice) or date sugar
1 cup Water

Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix or food processor - process until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, place over medium heat and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Stir consistently until it reaches a jam-like thickness, about 30 minutes.

My favorite holiday food growing up was my mother’s sweet potatoes. The recipe had been passed down from my great-grandmother and unlike most family’s marshmallow-laden recipe, ours was studded with pecans and brown sugar. Often called yams, the dark orange fleshy tubers we enjoy every holiday (canned, marshmallow-laden or otherwise) are actually sweet potatoes.

These foods come into season November and December, but are available year round for our enjoyment. They are an ideal winter food - heavy and warming with a sweet taste that satisfies cravings that peak during dark months. Rich in beta-carotene, sweet potatoes give us the precursor to Vitamin A that is essential for night vision. They are a perfect example of how nature