Korean Daikon Radish Wrap with Vegetables

So, I guess I have thought in the past about slicing a daikon radish thin to use as a wrap. But for some reason, when my airbnb guests from Korea introduced this dish to me, it seemed like a totally groovy new thing. I think what did it was the fact that the daikon radish came already sliced into perfect round sheets, and packaged. At first, I thought it was a gyoza (pot sticker) wrapper, but when I saw that it was radish, I was pleasantly surprised. So, today we have a couple of unwitting guest bloggers,  Hyoungwoo & Silhui from Seol, Korea, and their super simple, daikon veggie rolls. I see these being very versatile, stuffed with shrimp, seared tofu, smoked mushrooms, all sorts of things. This recipe is just a basic veggie roll, just like the ones that were prepared in my home the other day.

The pickled radish has sugar, so if you want to avoid that, make your own and use a healthier substitute for the sugar, like stevia, or jaggery sugar. Besides that though, this is a great way to get some raw, nutrient density into your body in a very simple and delicious way.

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Tuscan Kale Soup with Sausage

Many of my recent clients are following a Paleo-leaning or AIP (Autoimmune Paleo) diet, part of which requires obtaining high nutrient density per calorie. So, I have been delving into meals that fit that profile. I am finding that this style of cooking does not have to be complicated at all. I love it when something really simple comes out delicious and nutritionally complex. Enter this quick, rainy day soup. Not only is it Paleo, but it’s clean, weight management friendly, and can be converted to vegan very easily. If you want to go vegan and are not concerned about avoiding certain plant based foods, you can replace the sausage with cannellini beans, but since the sausage brings some flavor to the soup, you may need to ramp up the herbs and garlic to compensate.

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Vegan Grilled Gouda & Portobello Sandwich

I couldn’t decide whether throwing together a list of somewhat obscure plant based stabilizers and coconut milk would appeal to any readers. But if you know how awesome it is to find a vegan cheese that is easy to make, and has a really wonderful MELT, you can understand why I had to finally break down and share this. Factor in the current chilly wet weather we have been having, and well, there you go!

The cheese recipe is a slight adaptation from a quick cheese recipe found on one of my favorite plant- based living blogs. The obscure ingredients can be found at a mom and pop health market, Sprouts, or Whole Foods.

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Healing Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Soup

Have you ever picked up some fresh turmeric root at the market, just to have it sort of sit in your kitchen and shrivel up? Well, here is an easy, season-appropriate way to put that turmeric root to really good use. This soup will make you want to curl up under a blanket and turn the phone off.

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Bullet Proof Golden Milk Turmeric Latte

Here is a wonderful way to get some warm, satiating healthy fats into your body with the awesome benefits of turmeric and other spices, featuring a Turmeric Spice Blend from Create Your Health Teas. This recipe is inspired by the classic Golden Milk recipe, but the emersion blender gives it a modern twist inspired by the Bulletproof diet, and adds to the creamy aesthetics. This is sure to comfort your soul on a chilly evening or morning. The fat from the almond milk and coconut oil makes the turmeric more bioavailable, for an overall wonderful, healing cup of wellness– fuel for the body and the mind! Enjoy!!

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Cocoa-Mint Spirulina Chia Pudding

Spirulina has been around the block a few times with all of us. But in spite of its past trendiness and ups and downs with the limelight, it is definitely worth keeping in your pantry due to its many awesome nutritional benefits. Luckily for all of us, there are companies out there that are passionate about keeping spirulina relevant in our lives and finding new, innovative ways to deliver it to us. Whenever that happens, if I happen to be in the know, I get my hands on it and get to work seeing what can be done to enjoy it the best ways possible. That brings us to this incredibly simple dessert that is more of a nutrition powerhouse than it is a transitional dessert, packed with almost 20 grams of vegan protein, vitamin b12, and essential fatty acids. It can be enjoyed as a sugar-free dessert, or as a quick breakfast or snack on the run. This immediately became a regular in my kitchen. It is worth adding that it’s also paleo and keto friendly!

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Spaghetti Squash, Beet & Apple Salad

Shana TovahIn the midst of all the Rosh Hashanah greetings this weekend, I decided to whip up something that touches on the Jewish New Year tradition of consuming sweet foods, like apples, honey and dates. Here is a nutrient rich, yet sweet and delicious salad that you can definitely celebrate if you are celebrating the Jewish New Year, or even throughout your year-end holidays. This is a delicious stand-alone salad, or an accompaniment for your Thanksgiving turkey or other holiday feast. And, the Omega-3 punch you get from the walnuts and walnut oil helps you keep your body in balance during the indulgent holidays. Enjoy! 

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Heirloom Tomato and Pumpkinseed Pesto Salad

If you raise basil on a regular basis, you will encounter those times when you get busy and kind of ignore the basil for a few days, and while you are busy doing other stuff, the basil goes nuts and produces an abundance of flower stalks and leaves. This happened to me the other day and in my rush to prune it all back, I ended up with a giant pile of basil. So, since autumn is just around the corner, I decided to do a variation of pesto using raw pepitas (pumpkinseeds). There is something about the pumpkinseeds’ earthiness and association with the impending fall season that just made it all seem right.

I am still getting some glorious heirloom tomatoes, although that season is nearly over, so I put together this sort of “summer-fall” transitional salad that is vegan, yet packed with high quality, raw protein and healthy fats. This vegan pesto is very versatile and I have been using it in a variety of ways beyond this salad. This recipe is definitely a keeper and a healthier alternative to traditional pesto.

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Lime & Sea Salted Watermelon & Avocado Salad

I love it when something is so ridiculously simple it almost doesn’t make sense. I have been extremely busy developing some new flex foods to compliment a new cleanse product that I have been offering on my Whole, Clean & Green Challenge. The cleanse protocol specifies a very short list of flex foods, so I was limited to basically just citrus juice and sea salt for any kind of dressing. I was delighted to discover how flawless and wonderful just watermelon, avocado, lime, and sea salt taste when combined together. And therefore I had to share it on the blog! You can make this in about three minutes. Drizzle some avocado oil on top if you must, but it really isn’t necessary.

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Fig & Shiitake Bacon Bites

Here is a fun and extremely easy variation on the bacon-wrapped fig. Actually, I wanted to see if I could wrap a fig in a shiitake bacon, but the bacon pieces aren’t quite big or flexible enough. Next time I will try making a portobello bacon. In the meantime, this is what I ended up with, and to my delight, it came out very tasty. Try this as a snack, or a vegan and Paleo-friendly summer hors d’oeuvre, if you go with the vegan cheese, or I would imagine that goat cheese would be equally amazing. You can google shiitake bacon recipes and experiment, or just use the one I came up with here. Making shiitake bacon is much easier than it sounds if you use this quick method.

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