More Variety Coming to the Whole Dish!

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When I started blogging on the Whole Dish a handful of years ago, I just wanted a way to document my healthy journey and share all the new stuff I was learning about how food can be delicious and therapeutic for the body at the same time.

Since that first day, when I posted a recipe for quinoa blini, my journey has grown into a full blown nutrition practice and multi-media health coaching business. With that, we’re bringing the Whole Dish up to speed, by introducing a wider variety of education, recipes, tips and resources to empower our readers to lead healthier, happier lives in the most enjoyable and efficient way possible.

If you are used to only seeing recipes on here, you will start to see articles and other featured information, designed to give your experience here a lot more value. Check out this quick video to learn more about it! And let us know how you love the changes in the comments!

Portobello Mushroom Stuffed with Miso-Ginger Squash

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I’ve always suspected that butternut squash and miso would love hanging out together… and I was totally right! This combination, along with the marinated Portobello mushroom, packs a lot of flavor. And it’s a super easy way to warm up your winter weeknight dinner table.

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Indian Spiced Black Eyed Pea Hummus

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Now that the heavy-hitting holidays are officially over, it’s nice to lighten things up a bit. This recipe gives consideration to the New Year’s tradition that originated in the south, of eating black-eyed peas for prosperity in the New Year. But this offers more versatility. Enjoy this hummus on a sandwich, a top a cracker as an hors d’oeuvre, or even as a dip with raw vegetables, in the event you have already decided to take on a post-New Year’s detox or weight-loss program. I enjoyed it on some leftover sourdough bread crostini along side a baby green salad.

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Immune Support Superfood Soup

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I know I have been posting a lot of soups lately! I love soups because they are a simple way to get complex, nutrient density from whole foods into your life. October is a good time to start giving your immune system a little TLC. And this immune support soup recipe contains some of the best sources for key immune supporting nutrients. And, it is free of any inflammatory foods that might bog your body down or tamper with your digestion. Read More

Flu Season Tips for Staying Healthy & Resilient

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Flu season is right around the corner! Are you planning to get a flu shot? Or are you on the fence about the efficacy of influenza vaccinations? Whereas I can’t advise you on whether or not to get a flu shot, I can provide some flu season tips on how to nourish and strengthen your body and immune system for the cold and flu months of the year.

This article from the Center for Disease Control & Preventionexplains that although flu vaccines are a good precautionary measure, they can be less than 50% effective across the board. The article identifies, “at least two factors that play an important role in determining the likelihood that flu vaccine will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health), and 2) the similarity or “match” between the flu viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against and the flu viruses spreading in the community.” That means that if you are among the population with a weak or compromised immune

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Pear & Red Kuri Squash Soup

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The feeling of fall has moved in right on schedule here in Los Angeles. So red kuri squash soup is where my mind went when I saw some beautiful red kuris at the Farmers market. This soup is super simple and can be made in a matter of minutes while you are multi-tasking and doing other stuff. I love doing recipes that don’t require a lot of measuring. Many people don’t realize how easy cooking is, and how it often doesn’t have to be perfectly exact. Getting fresh, nutrient dense foods into your body while also enjoying the flavors, shouldn’t be a daunting project! In retrospect, I think it would have been nice to garnish this with some pomegranate seeds. Perhaps there is an update in this recipe’s future! Read More

Portobello Bacon-Wrapped Figs with Vegan Yogurt

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Shiitake bacon is a thing. But honestly, Portobello bacon is way better– because portobellos are larger, meatier, and therefore able to stand up to the bacon-making and fig-wrapping process. This recipe is super simple, quick, and a great way to enjoy all those figs that are starting to ripen in your yard, or starting to pop up at the market. Read More

Squash Blossom Coconut Brown Rice

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Every once in a while, I love to treat myself to a delicious sticky coconut brown rice dish. There are many variations that can explored, like this version using fresh squash blossoms from the garden. I actually created this by accident, when I had picked a bunch of squash blossoms with the intention of doing a stuffed squash blossom dish. But then, I got busy and forgot to make time to do the dish, and the squash blossoms no longer had the perfect constitution for stuffing. Read More

Beet, Avocado & Tomato Salad with Blood Orange & Fennel Pollen

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I recently stumbled across a jar of wild crafted fennel pollen at Cookbook, a funky little grocery market near my house. They carry stuff like locally grown produce, kombu, and to my delight, fennel pollen! Fennel pollen is kind of magical because it can be sprinkled on a variety of things- salad, popcorn, grilled fish, vine ripened tomato slices, fresh fruit– and it gives whatever it’s sprinkled on a really awesome, unique taste. And Fennel pollen has therapeutic qualities too! For this recipe I tied it into a salad with a citrus dressing, just pulling from some seasonal stuff I had picked up at the Farmers Market.

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Mexican Braised Tofu with Smoky Yams

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This Mexican braised tofu, and braising tofu in general, is a great, fairly easy way to add some variety to otherwise bland and funkily textured traditional tofu. There are some key components to remember though, if you want your tofu to really absorb whatever flavors you are working with. This recipe explains how to effectively drain your tofu so it can better receive the flavors in the braising process. It’s a Mexican twist on combining tomato, sweet, and smoky all together.

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