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Paleo Vegan Caesar Salad

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Even if this wasn’t a paleo vegan Caesar salad, you would still love it more than any other Caesar!

paleo vegan caesar salad

This Caesar salad is better than any Caesar salad you have ever had. Yup. I said it. It’s BETTER. And, it has no dairy. And the croutons are grain-free. And instead of Romaine lettuce, it’s got shaved brussels sprouts and kale. And, I’ll say it again… IT’S BETTER THAN ALL THE OTHER CAESAR SALADS YOU HAVE BEEN EATING! You should believe me (I mean, I almost never write in all caps…)

I wish I could take all of the credit for this awesome dressing, but the credit goes to Angela at Oh She Glows.  She’s amazing and she created the original version of this dressing. Check out her blog if you want a real treat.

When I made this Caesar for friends, I didn’t tell anyone it was paleo or vegan. And I’m not kidding, not one person knew, and a few asked for the recipe. My daughter is a huge Caesar fan — she knows what’s in this recipe (and what’s not) — and this Caesar is her favorite.

The dressing is whipped up in your blender. You can use whatever greens float your boat. You can use whatever croutons you like, but I encourage you to buy some grain-free bread (I actually used grain-free bagels), cube it up, toss it with a little oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and toast them in the oven, because, OMG, it’s just amazing (especially with bagel slices). If you are not a strict grain-free eater, go buy some everything bagels and slice those up — that would be awesome!

And, if you take my recommendation and use kale and brussels sprouts, this salad will make for great leftovers in the fridge, because these greens are hearty enough to sit in the dressing without wilting…

You should also try my Vegan Caprese Salad With Hearts of Palm!

paleo vegan caesar salad

paleo vegan caesar salad

Aside from being the best tasting Caesar salad ever, this paleo vegan Caesar salad is also a great healing salad:

Kale is everywhere these days. It is extremely nutritious, and because it to so popular you can find it already washed and prepared in lots of markets. My cheat for this recipe was that I bought this kale already shredded and washed at the market. If you are using a whole bunch of kale, make sure you clean the leaves thoroughly and remove the center thick stems if they bother you (I don’t like to eat these think stems when they are raw). This dark leafy green is a great source of fiber and calcium. It’s also rich in many minerals, including magnesium, iron and potassium. One serving contains 200% of the daily requirements of Vitamin C and 180% of Vitamin A.

Brussels sprouts are from the same cruciferous vegetable family as cabbage, broccoli and kale. They are rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are touted for their aid in weight loss because they have so much fiber and so few calories. Research has shown that these sprouts contain colon-cancer fighting substances and vitamins to protect against Alzheimer’s. Traditionally, they are known as more of a winter vegetable, but many markets now carry them year-round, which makes me happy because I like to eat them year-round!

Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healty choice. The cashews give this dressing a velvety, creamy texture.

Capers, although small in size, are a big source of anti-oxidants, and they actually can make you feel better emotionally because they activate the “happiness” center of your brain.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

paleo vegan caesar salad

Paleo Vegan Caesar Salad
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Recipe type: paleo, vegan, vegetarian
Cuisine: salad, side dish (Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows)
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This is the best Caesar salad you will ever have. Really. And there's no dairy and the croutons are grain-free. Enough said.
Ingredients
  • For dressing:
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • juice of ½ a lemon
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp liquid aminos
  • 2 tsp capers
  • sea salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • few drops of hot sauce (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • For salad:
  • one head of kale, sliced into ribbons
  • about 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
  • a big handful of vegan Parmesan cheese (or Parmesan of your choice)
  • For the croutons:
  • 1 or 2 bagels (I used grain-free ones), cut into small chunks
  • 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
  2. Toss the crouton ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake until slightly golden and crisp (mine took about 13 minutes).
  4. Place all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and whiz it up until really smooth (I used my Vitamix, so it was pretty fast)
  5. In a large bowl, toss together kale and Brussels sprouts.
  6. Sprinkle in the Parmesan and toss.
  7. Add the dressing and toss well.
  8. Sprinkle the croutons onto the salad and gently toss again.
  9. Enjoy!

paleo vegan caesar salad

Sesame Green Beans

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Sesame green beans are a staple in my house… they are so simple, so healing, and they can be served at room temperature!

sesame green beans

Every now and then I feel the need to post a really simple but delicious recipe. Sometimes I get a little too chef-y and I forget that simple is often better. Well, you can’t get more simple than this recipe for sesame green beans. And, you can’t get any better either!

What’s better than a fresh veggie, cooked perfectly so that it’s crisp-tender? These green beans are slightly steamed, then tossed with a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sea salt.  That’s it.  Nothing chef-y about the prep, only in the taste! Everyone will love this…

This side dish has been my go-to all summer long. It goes great with grilled meats, with my favorite paleo pasta dishes, and honestly, there’re nothing better than grabbing a leftover handful straight out of the fridge. I think these beans taste best cold or at room temperature, so that makes it even easier. You can make these awesome green beans way before you plan to serve them and, I can’t stress this enough: they are so easy to make!

For another simple vegetable dish, make my Simple Baby Bok Choy recipe.

sesame green beans

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe, but they are great healing ones:

Green beans have a lot of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B, and iron. Eating green beans can help rid the body of toxins and can help regulate metabolism. They also can help relieve that feeling of excessive fullness in your stomach and excessive belching. In Chinese medicine, green beans are eaten to clear up chronic diarrhea and even for some lower back pain.

Sesame seeds (the black ones) are a Chinese herb (Hei Zhi Ma). Black foods, in Chinese medicine, are knows as longevity foods. This herb is good for so many things, including headaches, constipation, dizziness, and even helping with lactation. White sesame seeds also have many great nutritional benefits. They are also an anti-aging food. If you have backaches, hair thats graying way too fast, ringing in the ears, weak knees, blurry vision or general weakness, go for the sesame seeds; just sprinkle them on everything. Long ago in China, sesame seeds were ground into honey to form a paste and was taken as a medicine to counter old-age and weakness. For this recipe, you can use black or white seeds, or a combination of both.

sesame green beans

Sesame Green Beans
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Recipe type: American, side dish, simple
Cuisine: vegetables, beans
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Fresh green beans are gently steamed and then tossed with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds... this is the perfect side dish for everything... and it's so easy!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb green beans, trimmed
  • 3 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Steam the beans just until they are slightly tender. Don't overcook them!
  2. Drain and toss with remaining ingredients.
  3. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.
  4. Enjoy!

sesame green beans

Pomegranate Glazed Beets

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

pomegranate beets (vertical on paper)-3736

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 beets. I know, it doesn’t have anything to do with the park or my lack of exercise, but I really wanted beets.

This recipe for pomegranate glazed beets is delicious! And it’s really, really, easy. And the color is awesome.

The next time, I want beets, I’m going to substitute them for the sweet potatoes in my recipe for Sweet Potato Spaghetti Marinara.

pomegranate beets (horizontal bowl)-3720

Here are a few great reasons to make this recipe:

Beets are SO good for you. I try to find ways to fit them into my meals as much as possible. Really… many times a week. Beets nourish blood and tonify the heart. Athletes are starting to drink beet juice as a form of endurance therapy. They are anti-carcinogenic, good for anemia, and relieve constipation. I also think it’s a great idea to eat them raw sometimes because their amazing goodness is even more pumped up this way.

Pomegranate seeds nourish the blood. In Chinese medicine, we know that many illnesses and conditions are caused by the body making poor quality blood. Pomegranates and their seeds are great at helping the body make good quality blood. They are also good to combat diarrhea, anemia and incontinence. These beets are glazed with pomegranate molasses… if you are going to go sweet, go pomegranate!

pomegranate glazed beets

Pomegranate Glazed Beets
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Recipe type: vegetables, root vegetables, side dish
Cuisine: American
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
These beets are so easy. They are sweet and tart and simply delicious. This has become my favorite side dish!
Ingredients
  • 4 medium/large red beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 2 Tbs pomegranate molasses
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Toss the beets with the oil.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Now toss them with the molasses.
  5. Spread the glazed beets out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are not touching each other.
  6. Bake until tender, about 50 minutes.
  7. Enoy!

pomegranate glazed beets

Vegan Caprese Salad With Hearts Of Palm

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

vegan caprese salad with hearts of palm

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 been ecstatic to re-create some old favorite dishes using these awesome cheeses.

It was about a billion degrees in Manhattan the other day. I was sitting in my air conditioned kitchen, hungrily browsing through some beautiful food blogs (I can literally spend hours and hours doing this…) I saw a great recipe for a tomato and hearts of palm salad from one of my favorite food bloggers at Foodie Crush. Such a simple, yet genius recipe, and her photos are so awesome, I just wanted to dive in. I was so inspired by that recipe, that I switched things up a bit and created this Vegan Caprese Salad With Hearts Of Palm. If you’ve been looking to try out some vegan cheeses, this salad is the perfect way to dive in!

If you want to try another great tomato salad, try my recipe for Tomato And Herb Salad With Roasted Lemons.

vegan caprese salad with hearts of palm
vegan caprese salad with hearts of palm

Here are some of the great healing reasons to make this salad:

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections.

The hearts of palm in this salad help create a great texture, offer extra vitamin B-6, and they also contain a good dose of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Basil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial capabilities. It also is good for settling your stomach, and it’s good at lessening the symptoms of the common cold and its accompanying cough. Basil is a spiritual herb — the scent actually calms you; you can boil some in a pot and let the aroma fill the air, you can just leave some around the house, you can toss a bunch in your bath water (I love to do this), or you can use an essential oil with basil to get some great calming effects.

vegan caprese salad with hearts of palm

Vegan Caprese Salad With Hearts Of Palm
4.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: salad
Cuisine: recipe adapted from: Foodie Crush
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
What's better than a summer Caprese salad? One that's vegan and has hearts of palm!!!
Ingredients
  • For the salad:
  • 6 medium red ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (I used Campari tomatoes)
  • 1 14-oz can hearts of palm, sliced
  • ½ of a small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 3 oz. vegan mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
  • For the dressing:
  • 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-1/2 Tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Put all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
  2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad (add it gradually, and toss after each addition so you can see how much dressing you need).
  3. Toss well.
  4. Enjoy!

vegan caprese salad with hearts of palm

Chopped Broccoli Salad

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This chopped broccoli salad is delicious, can be customized with your favorite ingredients, and can be made in advance!

chopped broccoli salad

Almost every time I buy broccoli I end up roasting it in the oven until it is nice and charred — burnt broccoli is awesome! Now that I’ve said that, this chopped broccoli salad has nothing in common with burnt broccoli… but it’s my new favorite side dish.

So, while I was making this recipe, I kept thinking to myself that if there’s no burned edges and blackened stalks, how good could it be? Well, let me tell you, it’s excellent. What this chopped broccoli salad does have is lots of fruit, nuts, and seeds. And a delicious creamy dressing. This is so good, you have to try it instead of cole slaw or potato salad the next time you need a quick side dish.

I even chopped up some Chinese herbs and tossed that into the mix. So, if you are a newbie with the herbs, this is a great recipe to start with…

I served a big bowl of it alongside some roasted salmon the other night for dinner. The next day we ate it with some chicken. I still have a bit left in my fridge and I’m going to dive in with a spoon and finish it off as soon as I’m done writing this post!

For another delicious idea for broccoli, check out my recipe for Creamy Broccoli And Mushroom Casserole.

chopped broccoli salad

This recipe has a bunch of healing ingredients:

Broccoli has a lot of potassium and is great for brain function; it also has magnesium and calcium to help regulate blood pressure. It’s also good to clear your body of excess heat and it actually can help your vision too. I love foods that make you feel better mentally as well as physically, and broccoli is one of those foods — it can lessen feelings of irritability.

Scallions, as I tell you often, are one of my favorites. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb (Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever.

Cherries are one of the best foods to combat many types of arthritis and joint pain. Also, because cherries help improve circulation, they can be helpful for post-stroke patients. In Chinese medicine, we also believe that cherries help to maintain the body’s “essence” or life-force. I always keep a bottle of organic black cherry juice in the fridge and I often drink a few ounces before bedtime or put a little in my smoothies. I also keep bags of frozen cherries in the freezer. And when fresh cherries are in season, you can always find a big bowl in my kitchen. This recipe uses tart dried cherries — I love them and use them as a substitute for raisins in many recipes.

In Asian medicine, nuts are known to be good for your brain, heart, skin and reproductive system. Almonds are particularly nutritious. They are a good source of protein and they give you energy. And, they are gluten-free. Almonds will help relieve a cough and asthma and are also good for constipation.

Long Yan Rou (Longan Fruit) is a Chinese herb that can be found in many Asian markets. They are small, like berries and have a delicious and slightly smoky and sweet flavor. This wonderful herb is great for insomnia, heart palpitations, and memory.

Sunflower seeds help lower blood pressure and can relieve headaches and dizziness. In Eastern medicine we recommend eating sunflower seeds if a person is troubled by certain severe intestinal symptoms like dysentery, or intestinal worms or certain parasites. These seeds also contain calcium and magnesium and have anti-aging properties. In Chinese medicine they are often prescribed to get rid of rashes.

Raw apple cider vinegar is one of the most amazing ingredients available today. My husband and I really do take a big spoon of it every day along with our other supplements. It helps you maintain a healthy alkaline level in your body, detoxifies the liver, and is good for your heart. This vinegar helps intestinal function, much the way probiotics do. It also acts as an antacid and can help break down mucous in the body.

chopped broccoli salad

Chopped Broccoli Salad
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Recipe type: salad, vegetables,
Cuisine: raw, vegetarian
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
This is the perfect side-dish. The broccoli is chopped and combined with delicious and healthy fruit, nuts, and seeds. It's so easy and it's so much better than traditional cole slaw or potato salad!
Ingredients
  • 1 head broccoli, florets placed in food processor and chopped (stems saved for another use)
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened dried tart cherries
  • ¼ cup raw almonds, chopped
  • ¼ cup Long Yan Rou (Longan Fruit), chopped (this is an optional Chinese herb)
  • 2 Tbs raw sunflower seeds (here are some organic ones)
  • 3 Tbs of a healthy mayonnaise (I love this one)
  • 2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (this is the one I buy)
  • 1 Tbs coconut sugar (here's a good one)
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, mix together the chopped broccoli, scallions, cherries, almonds, Long Yan Rou (if using), and the sunflower seeds.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and coconut sugar.
  3. Add the dressing to the broccoli mixture, stirring well, until combined.
  4. Enjoy!

chopped broccoli salad

Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine

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If you are looking for a comforting bowl of pasta, this roasted red pepper fettuccine will really hit the spot!

roasted red pepper fettuccine

I would eat pasta every day if I could.  There’s just something about it that’s so comforting to me. The bite and texture of perfectly cooked home made fettuccine just takes me to an awesome place.  My favorite thing about visiting Italy is all of the amazing and simple pasta dishes… each time I go I dream about them for weeks to come. (And yes, I’m well aware that if this is what’s filling my dreams, I have a bit of a problem.)

For years, since I stopped eating most grains, I felt deprived (cue the sad-face emoji here). But now that I’ve found so many great grain-free pastas, I am doing the happy dance!

The fettuccine I used in this recipe is grain-free. It’s made from almonds (by Cappello’s) and it has the same texture and taste of homemade traditional fettuccine.

I’m a little out of control though. I’m making so many different sauces and condiments to put on my pasta dishes, that my freezer is overflowing and I’ve become a bit of a food pusher to anyone who comes near my kitchen. The sauce for this roasted red pepper fettuccine is so good that the leftover container didn’t even make it to the freezer; I ate it several days in a row. My intention was to use it as a sauce for vegetables during the week, but I ate it on pasta, again. And again.

I am not a big fan of jarred roasted red peppers for this recipe, but it’s so easy to roast your own that you really should do it this way. You can roast them in the oven, or if you have a gas stove, you can just plop the pepper right on the flame like I do.

roasted red pepper fettuccineroasted red pepper fettuccine

This pasta and sauce combination is amazing:

Bell peppers help with indigestion. If you are feeling bloated and full from over-eating a lot lately, consuming bell peppers will help reduce this feeling. They are also good for blood circulation and research has shown that they are good for people with a low appetite or anorexia.

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections. This recipe contains sun dried tomatoes, which have the same great capabilities and also taste amazing!

Basil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial capabilities. It also is good for settling your stomach, and it’s good at lessening the symptoms of the common cold and its accompanying cough. Basil is a spiritual herb — the scent actually calms you; you can boil some in a pot and let the aroma fill the air, you can just leave some around the house, you can toss a bunch in your bath water (I love to do this), or you can use an essential oil with basil to get some great calming effects.

In Asian medicine, nuts are known to be good for your brain, heart, skin and reproductive system. Almonds are particularly nutritious. They are a good source of protein and they give you energy. And, they are gluten-free. Almonds will help relieve a cough and asthma and are also good for constipation. So, if you use a grain-free pasta made from almonds, like I did, you get these amazing nutritional benefits too!

roasted red pepper fettuccine

Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine
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Recipe type: pasta, paleo, grain-free, sauce, vegan, vegetarian
Cuisine: Italian, vegan
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
I used grain-free pasta and tossed it with the most amazing vegan sauce! This is easy, it's delicious, it's healthy... and it makes for awesome leftovers!
Ingredients
  • 2 red bell peppers, roasted (you can do this in the oven or on top of a gas flame) and peeled
  • 10 sun dried tomatoes, not packed in oil (soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes and then drained)
  • 8 large basil leaves
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • pinch of dried hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 pint multi-colored small tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • about ½ lb of your favorite pasta (try a grain-free one) (I used Cappello's fettuccine)
  • * Note: this recipe makes enough sauce for at least twice as much pasta as indicated, so if you have extra, be sure to store it in the fridge or freezer for another meal!
Instructions
  1. Put the roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, oil, and hot red pepper flakes into a blender. Whiz it up until smooth.
  2. Pour the sauce into a pot and place it over medium heat just until very warm.
  3. Cook the pasta al dente.
  4. Drain the pasta and toss it with sauce.
  5. Gently mix in fresh tomatoes and cilantro.
  6. Enjoy!

roasted red pepper fettuccine

Sweet Potato Spaghetti Marinara

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Sweet potato spaghetti marinara is a great alternative to traditional pasta!

sweet potato spaghetti marinara

A few years ago I bought a spiralizer and I started spiralizing everything. I became one of those annoying people who forced new creations on anyone who came into my house. While some of them were excellent, some were… well… really, really bad. Just because you can make pasta ribbons and spaghetti out of lots of things, doesn’t mean you should.

So, I took a break from my spiralizer.

Now, let me tell you about this amazing marinara sauce.  Because it is truly is amazing. A few weeks ago I spent 5 glorious days on vacation in Anguilla.  I had the honor of being able to cook with a great chef from Italy and we made his favorite simple pasta sauce.  This is my version of his recipe (I used parsley instead of basil because I wanted to try it and I had some great looking parsley in my fridge) — it’s simple and it’s delicious!

I walked into Whole Foods the other day, and in the produce department, there they were — containers of pre-cut sweet potato spaghetti. They called my name. So, I’m back at it again… and I’m excited to make these sweet potato noodles so many different ways. But for now, I wanted a vehicle for this great sauce.

This sweet potato spaghetti marinara is awesome. It was a great experiment (I’m sure there will be some more losers along the way, but this recipe is great) and it was even good cold out of the refrigerator during the week.

And here’s another vegetable spaghetti that’s a winner: Raw Spaghetti Zucchini Antipasto Salad.

sweet potato spaghetti marinarasweet potato spaghetti marinara

Here are some of the reasons you should make this sweet potato spaghetti marinara recipe:

Sweet potatoes are good for your digestive system. They can be good for both constipation and diarrhea. These orange gems also help rid your body of excess water, are good for breast health, help people with diabetes and actually can help ease night blindness. In olden times, it was common in China to rub mashed sweet potatoes on poison insect bites to remove the toxins. I haven’t tried this, but if you see me looking a tad orange, this will be why…

Parsley has been shown to reduce tumors in the lungs and to neutralize the effects of carcinogens, including cigarette smoke. It is high in vitamins A and C, and is good for your heart. This herb is also a natural breath freshener. So, if you have a chance to use more than a few sprigs as a garnish, go for it.

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections.

Scallions, as I tell you often, are one of my favorites. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb (Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever.

sweet potato spaghetti marinara

Sweet Potato Spaghetti Marinara
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Recipe type: pasta, grain-free, paleo
Cuisine: vegan, vegetarian, Italian
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
Who doesn't like spaghetti marinara? Well, here's a great one, but the spaghetti here is made from sweet potatoes... awesome!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb sweet potato spaghetti noodles (I was able to buy them pre-spiralized, but you can spiralize a few large peeled sweet potatoes yourself)
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 very large shallot, peeled and quartered (feel free to use an onion instead)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup packed parsley (leaves and stems)
  • 1 28-oz can tomatoes with basil (use whatever canned tomatoes you have on hand)
  • For topping:
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • ¼ cup parsley
Instructions
  1. Blanch the sweet potato spaghetti in a pot of salted hot water for 20 seconds, then drain it and set it aside.
  2. Make the sauce: In a large saucepan, heat the oil.
  3. Add the shallot, garlic, and parsley.
  4. Cook, over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Carefully pour the tomatoes into the pot, season generously with salt and pepper, and let the sauce cook for 45-minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Let the sauce cook a little bit, and then blend it in a standard blender or use an immersion blender, until it's very smooth.
  7. Pour the sauce back into the pot, add the sweet potato noodles, and cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until the noodles are cooked, but still al dente.
  8. Meanwhile, sauce the scallions and ¼ cup parsley in 2 Tbs oil for about 1-min.
  9. Top the spaghetti with the sautéed scallions and parsley,
  10. Enjoy!

sweet potato spaghetti marinara

Paleo Vegetable Kugel

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This paleo vegetable kugel is light and healthy!

paleo vegetable kugel

One of the first things my mother-in-law asked me to cook was a kugel for Passover. She wanted a real kugel, as she put it, not one of my healthy recipes. So, she gave me a recipe and asked me to follow it. I think that kugel had two sticks of butter in it and a bucket of matzo meal!

This year, I won’t be home for Passover.  A few months ago I had to postpone a trip because I had the flu and the only time my sister and I could reschedule for was Passover week.  So, I had to decide between the traditional family seder or a trip to Anguilla with my sister to celebrate our big birthdays… I picked the trip… so don’t judge me… I will, however, miss this paleo vegetable kugel!

Here is my healthy answer to kugel. It’s delicious and it’s made with tons of fresh veggies and a little bit of oil and tapioca flour. Steve and I ate it for dinner last week as I was testing out the recipe. It’s a kugel (even if not as traditional as my mother-in-law would like) but it’s healthy and it’s good enough to serve any time of year.

And the leftovers are awesome for breakfast. A few sunny-side-up eggs served on top of a plate of this kugel… oh my, it’s like an awesome breakfast hash…

If you are looking for a great Paleo dessert to serve, try my Paleo Lemon Cake recipe.

paleo vegetable kugel
paleo vegetable kugel

This is the healthiest kugel in the world:

Leeks are known as “grass from the sun”. They are especially beneficial when the whether is still warm but starting to turn cold, or still cold and starting to turn warm (Spring and Fall). They are great for the liver and at helping the body relieve itself of toxins. Leeks are also good at helping constipation; they help the body rid itself of toxins in the digestive tract.

Potatoes are good at soothing ulcers and neutralizing acid in the stomach and they help relieve constipation. These tubers also can help relieve arthritic inflammation. So, even though sweet potatoes are thought of as the white potato’s more nutrition sister, regular old potatoes can be just what the doctor ordered.

Sweet potatoes are good for your digestive system. They can be good for both constipation and diarrhea. These orange gems also help rid your body of excess water, are good for breast health, help people with diabetes and actually can help ease night blindness. In olden times, it was common in China to rub mashed sweet potatoes on poison insect bites to remove the toxins. I still haven’t tried this, but if need be, I will!

Zucchini cools your body off and makes you feel better during those hot days of summer. It helps your body release excess heat and it will make your mind feel more calm.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Tapioca is a starch that comes from the cassava plant. It’s not really a flour in the traditional sense; it’s grain and gluten free. It’s good for your circulation and your digestion. Oftentimes I will make recipes with tapioca flour — it seems to crisp things up well and it works as a great thickener too.

paleo vegetable kugel

Paleo Vegetable Kugel
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Recipe type: Passover, paleo, vegetables, casserole, side dish
Cuisine: recipe adapted from: What Jew Wanna Eat
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 9
Here's a great healthy side dish that's traditionally served for Passover, but it's good enough for any time of the year!
Ingredients
  • 2 large leeks, slices and soaked in bowl of cold water to remove any dirt
  • 1 large baking potato, peeled, sliced very thinly, and then cut into tiny pieces
  • 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced very thinly, and then cut into tiny pieces
  • 2 unpeeled medium zucchini, finely diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ cup tapioca flour (here's a good one)
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2-/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus and extra 2-tsp to grease the pan
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Heat 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet.
  3. Add the leeks and some salt and sauté until they start to brown, about 15 minutes.
  4. Put all of the chopped vegetables into a large bowl. Add the sautéed leeks and the tapioca flour. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Add the eggs and stir until combined well.
  6. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with 2 tsp of oil.
  7. Spread the vegetable mixture into the dish.
  8. Bake until the top starts to brown a bit, about 45 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes.
  10. Cut into pieces.
  11. NOTE: When I cut this when it was too warm, it was hard to keep some of the pieces in neat squares, so if you can, let it cool completely (even in the fridge) before you cut it. I will say, though, that it was just as delicious when I cut it hot even if it didn't look quite as pretty!

paleo vegetable kugel

Sweet Potato Strawberry Arugula Salad

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This sweet potato strawberry arugula salad has everything your body needs to feel awesome!

sweet potato strawberry arugula salad

We are in the process of trying to sell our house so there are strangers walking through at all times. It’s hard to keep the house perfectly clean for all of the potential buyers stopping by! Especially the kitchen! Now, when I cook I try to be mindful of the cleanup, which is a real challenge for me because I use a lot of equipment and ingredients when I create recipes.

I went to the market the other day with absolutely no idea of what i was going to prepare when I got home. So many things looked so good… this might have been because I was hungry when I got there, which is probably not the best time to food shop…

It’s much more of a challenge to put my food together into a cohesive meal if I’ve shopped before breakfast. If I shop hungry, everything looks great. I feel like I get one of those cartoon bubbles above my head with experimental recipe ideas written out. Sometimes when I unload the bags at home, I can’t imagine what I was thinking. But sometimes, it just works.

So, I bought a bag of produce filled with beautiful colors. I bought beautifully orange sweet potatoes, huge firm strawberries, perfectly ripe avocados, fresh arugula and spinach, and oranges the size of your head.

When I got home I was starving! And, I still hadn’t eaten breakfast. And, let me tell you, this NEVER happens — I always eat breakfast. But, the fridge was bare… even my smoothie ingredients were severely lacking.

I heated the oven and put the sweet potatoes in to roast. Then I layed out all of my other ingredients on the counter. The colors were beautiful, but they didn’t seem to be conducive of a cohesive meal.

Salad to the rescue! Sometimes beautiful fresh ingredients come together in the most unexpected ways, like in this colorful, sweet potato strawberry arugula salad. I don’t want to call this a breakfast salad, because I’m well aware that a lot of people don’t like salad for breakfast, but if you’re game, you should try it because this is an awesome breakfast!

If you like salads with out-of-the-ordinary ingredients, try my Tomato And Herb Salad With Roasted Lemons too.

sweet potato strawberry arugula salad

This salad is delicious and so good for you:

Sweet potatoes are good for your digestive system. They can be good for both constipation and diarrhea. These orange gems also help rid your body of excess water, are good for breast health, help people with diabetes and actually can help ease night blindness. In olden times, it was common in China to rub mashed sweet potatoes on poison insect bites to remove the toxins. I haven’t tried this, but if you see me looking a tad orange, this will be why…

Strawberries help get rid of excess alcohol in your body and they are good for your heart. They even help reduce plaque in your mouth and can make you feel better if you have an annoying dry cough or if you feel bloated from eating too much. So, if you’ve overindulged, strawberries are great for you.

Avocados are one of my favorite foods, both for their health benefits and because they taste great. In Chinese medicine, some practitioners recommend avocados to raise the sperm count. I like them because they are good for anemia, dry skin, palpitations and hot flashes due to menopause.

Oranges will help boost your levels of vitamins A, B and C. In Chinese medicine oranges have been used for many years to help coughs, colds and anorexia. Lately, oranges have been widely touted for their ability to help heal colon cancer. I peel my oranges and lay the rinds in the sun to dry, and save them for tea or for cooking because the rinds are an actual Chinese herb. I dry out the peels of oranges, tangerines, clementines… whatever I have. Dried tangerine peel, or “chen pi” as it’s known in Chinese medicine, is one of the greatest and most easily accessible herbs around. It’s especially good for digestive issues like abdominal discomfort, distention, fullness, bloating, belching, and nausea. It’s also great if you have a cough with a heavy or stuffy chest.

Arugula has a good amount of calcium and it also contains vitamins A, C and K. It is rich in potassium and it’s extra beneficial in the summer because it actually cools the body down. This delicious peppery green is also believed to be a libido booster. One of the first things I learned when I started really taking care of my health through proper nutrition, was to substitute dark greens for lighter greens whenever possible. One of the easiest, tastiest, and healthiest switches you can make is to swap out some of your lighter salad greens for peppery, dark arugula.

It is true that spinach contains iron, but it’s this vegetable’s lesser-known qualities that really hold my admiration. Spinach contains a substance that helps eliminate prostate cancer. It’s also great for your bones and also for memory loss. Diabetic patients may find that eating spinach helps combat excessive thirst and can even be good for night blindness. Spinach can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb calcium, so calcium-rich foods should be avoided when eating this leafy green.

Basil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial capabilities. It also is good for settling your stomach, and it’s good at lessening the symptoms of the common cold and its accompanying cough. Basil is a spiritual herb — the scent actually calms you; you can boil some in a pot and let the aroma fill the air, you can just leave some around the house, you can toss a bunch in your bath water (yes, really), or you can use an essential oil with basil to get some great calming effects.

sweet potato strawberry arugula salad

Sweet Potato Strawberry Arugula Salad
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Recipe type: salad
Cuisine: American, vegetarian, vegan
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
The colors in this salad are beautiful and the taste is even better! This salad is filled with ingredients that will heal you and make you smile!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 8 basil leaves, torn into large pieces
  • 1 orange, peeled and sliced, slices cut in half
  • 6 large strawberries, sliced
  • 1 large roasted sweet potato, roasted and then sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • For Balsamic Vinaigrette:
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar (or other healthy sweetener)
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Arrange all salad ingredients on a large platter.
  2. Whisk all dressing ingredients together and drizzle onto salad.
  3. Enjoy!

sweet potato strawberry arugula salad

Vegan Macaroni And Cheese

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Yes, you can have creamy mac and cheese and stay healthy… try this vegan macaroni and cheese… it’s so good!

vegan macaroni and cheese

I have been pretty much dairy-free for too many years to count. And, for the last several years I eat mostly grain-free too.
And, honestly, there’s not too much that I feel I’m missing. That is, except creamy pasta dishes.

When I serve something that looks like this vegan macaroni and cheese, anyone who knows me backs up and asks what it’s made of. I can’t say I blame them because I’ve tried to replicate dishes like this with some pretty strange ingredients.

I experiment with lots of creamy pasta recipes. I mean, I do this a lot. Because pasta is awesome. It’s always been my favorite food. It’s the food that I find to be the most comforting food around.

I don’t post most of my experiments because truthfully, a lot of grain-free, dairy-free pasta dishes that are supposed to taste creamy and pasta-like really aren’t that good. But when I find a good one, I get really excited. And this vegan macaroni and cheese recipe is really, really good.

The sauce is made with potatoes, carrots, nutritional yeast, and coconut milk. I know it sounds a little odd, but the texture and look are just perfect. It’s so creamy and the nutritional yeast gives it a cheesy taste. My non-vegan husband ate big bowls of this.

The pasta is made from lentils. Just lentils. This is a great find (see the recipe below for details on this awesome grain-free pasta). The texture really is like traditional pasta… it’s my new favorite pasta.

If you like the feel of this dish, take a look at this recipe for another type of vegan cheesy pasta!

vegan macaroni and cheese

Here are some of the great ingredients in this dish:

Lentils help lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar levels, are high in vitamin B and protein, and have hardly any fat. They are a good source of long-term energy and are very high in fiber. These tiny legumes also help with digestion and they are the perfect protein to eat in the summer because they actually clear the body of excess heat; long ago, cold lentil soup was prescribed for patients with heatstroke or fever.

Potatoes are good at soothing ulcers and neutralizing acid in the stomach and they help relieve constipation. These tubers also can help relieve arthritic inflammation. So, even though sweet potatoes are thought of as the white potato’s more nutrition sister, regular old potatoes can be just what the doctor ordered.

Turmeric is a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Nutritional yeast gives things a cheese-y taste without using any dairy and it adds amino acids and Vitamin B, so it’s perfect here.

Carrots help strengthen the organs in your body. They also are good for the eyes (this is their claim to fame) and they promote healthy digestion. Many moons ago, people used to make carrot tea to ward off measles and to prevent cancer. Carrots help detoxify the body and in today’s world of Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to ease constipation and tonsillitis.

In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes.

vegan macaroni and cheese

Vegan Macaroni And Cheese
5.0 from 3 reviews
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Recipe type: pasta, casserole, comfort food
Cuisine: recipe adapted from:Vegan Yumminess
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This mac and cheese really is reminiscent of the creamy cheesy pasta I remember from my childhood. But this one is grain-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients
  • 12 oz cooked pasta (I used this brand of grain-free lentil pasta)
  • 1 med baking potato, peeled, diced
  • 1 large carrot, thickly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 3 Tbs nutritional yeast (I like this kind)
  • ¼ cup coconut cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk (I buy these in bulk)
Instructions
  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion.
  3. Boil until the veggies are soft; mine took 13 minutes.
  4. Dip a measuring cup into the veggie cooking water, and save ½ of a cup of it, then drain the veggies.
  5. Place the cooked veggies in a blender with all of the remaining ingredients, except the pasta. Add the reserved cooking water.
  6. Blend until smooth and creamy (I used my Vitamix for this).
  7. Pour the sauce of the pasta and stir until well-combined.
  8. Enjoy!

vegan macaroni and cheese