Basted Duck Egg with Savory Tomato Basil Oatmeal

Do you ever wonder how “local” and “natural” your locally grown food really is? Yesterday I attended a street event in my neighborhood called El Mercado. It was planned around the opening of a new neighborhood city park, and it consisted of local community groups, and a lot of local vendors, craftspeople, food artisans, and other creative folks. I was delighted to come across a booth promoting a new store in the neighborhood called Arroyo General, a boutique-ish general store no larger than a shoe repair shop.

They sell really cool stuff sourced from the local Northeast Los Angeles area, including locally-grown produce and eggs. I couldn’t get my wallet out fast enough when I saw that they had duck eggs from a small urban farm about two miles from my house. So I ceased the opportunity to enjoy some animal based nutrition the way nature intended. This surprise encounter with local duck eggs, combined with the rainy weather outside, led to a morning fire in the fireplace and this yummy, healthy brunch dish.

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Calabaza Vegan Chili with Black & White Beans

Let’s be honest. Vegan chili is no replacement for the taste and experience of good old fashioned meat chili, with sour cream, onions, and shredded cheese. But that doesn’t stop me from embracing a healthier ingredients, having fun with the basic chili concept, and seeing where it goes. What if you could have a delicious, satisfying chili, without increasing inflammation in your body, increasing your risk of fatal disease, or risking unwanted weight gain? What if you could have an awesome chili-eating experience using plant-based, nutrient dense, cleansing foods? That is basically what you get with this vegan chili recipe.  Read More


Roasted Zucchini with “Creamy” Mushroom Stuffing

I think at least a few of my friends are scratching their heads at my new obsession with vegan cooking. Here is the truth; it isn’t exactly the vegan I am obsessed about, but more just having an in-depth go at figuring out how much essential nutrition I can get from a vegan meal; the kind of nutrition that one would normally think can only be obtained from an animal. And then there is another fascination that comes with vegan cooking- to see where you can find the essential “comfort” ingredients. That brings me to my current dating spree with nuts, especially the rich, oily ones.  I am about a recipe away from being convinced that nuts take the healthy lead in providing the comfort essentials we all love and our tastebuds count on. Move over butter, cheese, and cream, because I just made an entree that takes the “comfort” of creamy mushroom ravioli filling, and turns it on its gluten free, dairy free, vegan ear. Read More