Pomegranate Glazed Beets

These pomegranate glazed beets will make a beet lover out of anyone!

Every morning Steve and I take our dogs (Maggie and Sadie) to Central Park for a walk. It’s really an amazing thing to do. Before 9:00am all dogs are allowed off-leash in the park. It’s like a sci-fi movie — it’s the dogs’ world and we just live in it. Literally hundreds of dogs are running around playing and sniffing and all of them get along. It’s really quite incredible and awe-inspiring. It’s an hour of pure wonder.

Today, my plan was to go to the gym as soon as I left the park. But, it was one of those mornings… so, here I am still in my kitchen. In my gym clothes. I mean, it’s just sooooooooo hot outside and it’s so cool in here…

And, it may not be logical, but I really wanted to make …

Paleo Pizza Margherita

Pizza is almost always the answer… and this paleo pizza margherita is a healthy and delicious answer!

Yes, I eat pizza! In fact, I LOVE pizza! I always have loved pizza and I probably always will love pizza. I remember in college (many moons ago…) ordering pizza with EBA (everything but anchovies) and actually sitting there and eating an entire pie by myself. This used to surprise people because I was a skinny 5-foot tall girl who looked like I ate like a bird. But nothing could have been farther from the truth.

Fast forward to today. I’m well into my 50s and I try not to eat dairy or grains. But there is no way I’m giving up my pizza. So I have experimented with soooooooo many vegan cheeses, substitutes for cheeses, grain-free pizza crusts, vegetable pizza crusts… you name it and I’ve tried it. And, believe it or …

Vietnamese Meatball Bowls

These Vietnamese Meatball Bowls are deliciously Asian flavored… they will make you smile!

Almost all meatballs are awesome. But these meatballs are extra awesome. They are made with pork and infused with some traditional Vietnamese flavors. They are bit-sized, juicy, mouth watering, amazingly flavorful meatballs. (I do realize how over the top that sounds, but I’m sticking with it…)

Almost all food tastes better when it’s turned into a “bowl”. If you haven’t yet jumped on the bowl bandwagon, don’t wait even another minute. A “bowl” is a complete meal served in… a bowl! It’s extra special because you get so many great flavors together in one place. And they are so easy to customize to reflect your own particular tastes.

One of my favorite food bloggers, Lindsay at Pinch Of Yum, posted her awesome recipe for Banh Mi Bowls With Lemongrass Meatballs. I found that recipe so inspiring that …

Paleo Blueberry Cobbler

This paleo blueberry cobbler is an incredibly delicious dessert!

You know when you go to the market looking for organic berries and you have to to a double-take when you see the price? Sometimes I can’t believe what I’m seeing… it’s like I’m being punked or something. But, finally, it’s that time of the year when the price of berries drops down to a reasonable level. Last week, there were blueberries everywhere! And when I checked the price, not only were these gorgeous blueberries affordable, but they were packaged in huge containers. So, I bought 2 containers. I didn’t need to, but I did. Did I tell you these containers were HUGE…

I’m sure it’s happened to you: you get home from the market, and you’re all kinds of smug because you got some great deals, and then you look at what you bought and you have no idea how …

Vegan Caprese Salad With Hearts Of Palm

This vegan caprese salad with hearts of palm is even better than your favorite tomato/mozzarella salad.

What’s better than fresh ripe tomatoes in the heart of tomato season? Not much that I can think of! And when you combine these luscious, ripe, juicy tomatoes with fragrant fresh basil… it’s just the perfect marriage of summer flavors. But, with this recipe, you end up with an even better version of this traditional dish because this recipe also includes some awesome vegan mozzarella cheese and sliced hearts of palm.

I know that when a lot of people see a Caprese salad on a menu, they get all kinds of happy inside. I’ve always stayed away from these salads because of my inability to eat cheese. I am so happy to have recently found some of the most awesome vegan cheeses, so I’ve been like a kid in a candy store and I’ve …

Sweet Potato Bacon Waffles

Sweet potato bacon waffles. Enough said. Yum!

Waffles are awesome. Waffle irons are amazing. You can make waffles out of almost anything. Really. It seems to be all the rage now… everywhere I turn I see people putting such creative mixtures into their waffle irons and making these really delicious looking creations. So, I just had to jump on the bandwagon… it looked like so much fun!

So, when I first saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, I just had to try to do it justice. Jennifer at Predominantly Paleo, gets all the credit for this awesome recipe.  I absolutely love it… it’s easy, delicious, paleo, and so healthy! Go visit Jennifer at her site because I’m sure you will love it as much as I do!

My waffle iron did not disappoint… these sweet potato bacon waffles are incredible! First, let me say, however, that …

Vegetable Hummus Dip

This vegetable hummus dip make store bought hummus taste incredible!

I love to entertain. The whole process de-stresses me. I’m not one of those people who sits around ruminating about what to serve and how to present it and how to time everything just right. I just kind of wing it. Easy entertaining is one of the things people ask me about all of the time. Well, this dip is for all of you who want a great easy entertaining recipe to serve your guests while you are getting dinner ready.

This recipe is like a “food hack”. What I mean by that is that it easily takes a store-bought ingredient and turns it into something super awesome. I mean really, really awesome. So-good-that-everyone-will-be-asking-you-for-the-recipe awesome.

The base of this vegetable hummus dip recipe is store-bought hummus. Add then we add a bunch of stuff to it. And we make it …

Vegan Fettuccine Bolognese

This vegan fettuccine bolognese is a great alternative to a meaty pasta sauce!

Whenever I make a pasta dish, it’s almost always a paleo-friendly pasta recipe because I feel better when I don’t eat grains. But, I do feel better when I eat pasta (for me, it’s the most comforting food around… and, I mean, really, who doesn’t love a good bowl of pasta…?). I’m never sure whether to call the recipe “Paleo Pasta” or just call it “Pasta”.  I know this sounds trivial, but really, I get stuck with this each and every time.

Now, this recipe (which by the way is sooooo delicious), is vegan and it’s paleo. When I first typed in the title, it was “Vegan Paleo Fettuccine Bolognese”, but that’s just too long and complicated for a recipe that’s easy to make. So, for this recipe I decided to use vegan, and omit paleo. I’m …

Coconut Blood Orange Ice Pops

These coconut blood orange ice pops will make you feel like a kid again!

Ice pops are like art for me. I always wanted to be a great painter, but I wasn’t blessed with the skills for this endeavor. I can’t even draw a good circle… So, for me, food is my art. I love when you can take creative license with food and have it turn out beautiful and delicious. Ice pops are one of the easiest things you can make and yet they can be one of the most creative.

And, luckily, these awesome frozen treats can be made with great healing ingredients, with little or no calories, and can be customized to your particular tastes.

Steve likes to have dessert after dinner. Me, not so much… I prefer to stay away from the sweets after dinner, mostly because I have very little self control around them. If …

Berry Fig Yogurt Parfait

Parfaits are fun. And this berry fig yogurt parfait is delicious and energizing!

It’s getting to be the dog-days of summer — but if you’re a dog lover like I am, it’s not a bad thing at all! Yes, I know, nobody likes those ridiculously hot and humid days — the ones where the air is heavy and everything seems to move in slow motion. But summer is awesome! Even when it’s hot! You can go outside with nothing but shorts and a tank. You can walk down the street drinking the hugest iced coffee or smoothie. You can smell that warm, sweet, summery scent of the flowers and trees…

And here, in NYC, where everyone aspires to leave the city in the summer, I am happy as a clam. I’m not crazy though. I don’t turn on my oven much, and I stick to the shady side of the …