Bittersweet Hot Chocolate - rich, delicious and healthy

Ingredients for 1 person’s hot chocolate experience. Simply multiply it by the number of people who wish to enjoy.

In a saucepan combine over medium heat

  • 1.5 C of milk OK, so here’s the milk thing: I use fresh, whole goat or cow milk from a local farm. This lovely milk is available at the Portland Farmer’s Market. A non-diary option is a can of regular coconut milk, or dehydrated coconut milk powder plus enough water to make luxurious coconut milk. You could also use any other type of milk, but I’d suggest avoiding 1% or nonfat milk. It will not taste the same, and the chemicals used to defat milk are not anything you really want to consume.

  • chocolate; the darker the better. I use 1/3 of an 85% or 100% bar. If you don’t have a bar handy, use 2-3 T of unsweetened cocoa. (I admit I have also added more of both. C’mon, it’s hot CHOCOlate, not hot milk).

Warm all ingredients, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the chocolate melts, smushing the cocoa powder balls against the wall of the saucepan until they dissolve.

  • optional exotic add-ins: 1/8 teaspoon of pink peppercorns, ground in a mortar and pestle OR shaved orange rind OR grated fresh ginger OR shake of cinnamon/a clove/cardamom pod OR vanilla pod OR stir with a cinnamon stick

Pour the cocoa milk into a large mug or better yet, a drinking bowl. Add some of your favorite sweetener (local honey? maple syrup?) but only to “barely sweet enough”, keeping it rich, dark and bittersweet. Stevia could be used as a sweetener - you only need a teeny tiny amount - remember it is 400X sweeter than sugar. Then add one of the exotics to the milk and stir. I heartily suggest the crushed pink peppercorns if you’ve never tried it. Get cosy and enjoy - dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, so go ahead and feel totally virtuous.

Kimchi

I’ve adapted this recipe from my friend Alex Lewin’s book Real Food Fermentation, Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in your Home Kitchen. I love how he writes, There are lots of pictures, and he gives lots of tips and troubleshooting for many ferments.. Here’s a link to check his book out on Amazon. Props also to my friend Hans Breaux, who has also shaped this recipe which is a work in progress.

Ingredients:

  • 2’ish pounds of cleaned vegetables: chopped Napa cabbage, any other cruciferous vegetables in pieces (radish coins, daikon spears, bok choy, kale shreds etc. (I like to chop my radishes into fanciful shapes like hearts and flowers.) carrots, peppers… I make sure the bulk of it is crucifers. They are the best source of microbes.

  • big bowlful, (or very clean 1/4-sinkful) of water, 1/3 C salt dissolved in it to make brine - it needs to taste quite salty!

  • 1/2 head of garlic (3-4 cloves or more!), skinned

  • 1 large or 2 small onions, chopped

  • 1/2inch knob of ginger root, grated

  • up to 1/2 C of Korean red pepper powder, red pepper or pepper flakes (** careful, to your taste) Or none if you are capsicum-averse.

  • 1 tablespoon of sugar, or 1/2 an apple or pear

  • 1 teaspoon of fish sauce (optional - this is why kimchi might need it’s own fridge) and/or fermented shrimp paste. To make it vegetarian, use soy sauce.

  • a few scallions, chives or spring onions

Instructions:

  • Put the chopped veggies into the brine and allow to sit 6 - 8 hours, or overnight. (admittance: I have also done it for 30 minutes and made successful kimchi.) Then drain the veggies. I just pull the plug out of the sink to remove the water, then re-plug to contain the veggies. The sink makes a great mixing bowl.

  • In a food processor, blend garlic, ginger, onion, red pepper, sugar and fish sauce. add minimal water to blend easily in to a paste.

  • Cut scallions attractively into diagonal 1 inch lengths, and add to veggie mixture.

  • Add the paste to the veggies and mix thoroughly. You might want to use gloves depending on how spicy you’ve made your mixture.

  • Pack into jars leaving 2 inches of space at the top, and press down to remove bubbles - liquid will rise to cover the veggies and might spill out as the ferment progesses, so I put my jars on a plate. This is an anaerobic (oxygen-free) ferment, so keeping the veggies submerged is important. You can put in some extra brine if necessary (1T salt to 1 C water) Close the jar lid (not too tightly, so CO2 may escape) and put into a cool dark place. I use a cupboard.

  • Check the jars every day - I suggest doing this in the sink. Keep submerging the vegetables to avoid mold. Taste in a day or two, it will start to taste (and smell) like kimchi very quickly! Put it in the fridge to slow the fermentation to a crawl once it has reached the desired kimchiness (5-7 days for my taste).

Kimchi is yummy on salads, in soups, as an interesting sandwich addition - anywhere you’d use sauerkraut and more!

IMG_3057.jpg

Sauerkraut

I’ve adapted this recipe from my friend Alex Lewin’s book Real Food Fermentation, Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in your Home Kitchen. I love how he writes, There are lots of pictures, and he gives lots of tips and troubleshooting for many ferments. Here’s a link to check his book out on Amazon. If you want a bit of live coaching, you are very welcome to grab a cabbage and join me from your kitchen on 10/7 or 11/4/21 for a zoom workshop. If neither of those dates work, you can also purchase a link to my video stream and make sauerkraut any time it suits you.

Ingredients:

  • A head of cabbage, green or red (red cabbage will give you pink or ruby kraut. You can also mix them up or layer them)

  • sea salt (2 teaspoons per pound of cabbage. The correct amount of salt is important.)

  • that’s it.

Instructions:

Remove the outer leaves and the core of your cabbage. Weigh it now before it gets messy.

Chop your cabbage roughly or finely (finely chopped creates more surface area, so the ferment will move along faster) according to your taste, and put it in a big bowl. You might have to do this in two batches if you have a lot of cabbage.

Add the appropriate amount of salt to the chopped cabbage and massage it firmly with both hands until juice starts to be expressed. You might have to pound it a bit. I use the mortar from my mortar and pestle. (Be careful of your bowl if you decide to pound. I learned the hard way that a metal bowl might be a better choice.) A fresher cabbage will be juicier.

Pack the cabbage into clean glass jars leaving a couple of inches at the top, because the cabbage will expand and liquid will rise. Use something to press it down hard to expel bubbles and have the juice rise above the level of the cabbage. I use wide-mouth mason jars and pack it down with my mortar. Any sealable jar will do. The trick is to get the cabbage underwater to protect it from oxygen.

If you don’t have enough liquid expressed to cover the cabbage, add a bit of brine (1 tbsp salt dissolved in 1 C of water), or a splash of yogurt whey, or previous batch sauerkraut/other veggie ferment juice.

Store in a cool dark place preferably between 50F-75F (10-25C). I put mine in a cupboard. Apparently, the optimum temperature is 70F/21C. And store them on a tray or plate because some liquid might leak out.

Check everyday for the first few days to make sure the cabbage stays underwater. After a week, taste it - use a clean fork so as not to introduce new organisms or salivary enzymes into the ferment. It should be bubbly and start to taste like mild sauerkraut. It’ll get even better from there. Put it in the fridge to slow the ferment to a crawl when it reaches your desired level of krautiness.

IMG_3098.jpg

Shaved Zucchini Salad

There’s only so many things one can do with zucchini, and then you have to start stashing it in people’s cars, or secretly putting it on folk’s porches. This is a good one with zucchini that are not too big and still flavorful and tender. In fact I think that’s how you get ahead of the zucchini game. Pick them while they are still small- medium-sized. Otherwise, they get ridiculous.

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 pounds medium zucchini, trimmed

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Small wedge of Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Whisk oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and crushed red pepper in small bowl to blend. Set dressing aside.

Using vegetable peeler or V-slicer and working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/16 inch thick). Place ribbons in large bowl. Add basil and nuts, then dressing; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using vegetable peeler, shave strips from Parmesan wedge over salad.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-zucchini-salad-with-parmesan-pine-nuts-360251

Screen Shot 2019-08-19 at 2.49.11 PM.png

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt garlic cucumber mint sauce)

YIELDMakes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

3 Persian cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumbers, or 1 regular smooth skinned cuke. I scrape out the seeds unless its unnecessary. Cut the cuke into 1/4-inch or smaller pieces

Kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (Greek style will make it thicker if you wish)

3 tablespoons tasty cold-pressed olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, lightly crushed

1/4 cup chopped mint

PREPARATION

Toss cucumbers with a few generous pinches of salt in a small bowl; firmly squeeze several times with your hands to release excess water. Drain.
Mix cucumbers, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium bowl; season with salt. Let sit at room temperature until tzatziki tastes garlicky, 15–20 minutes; discard garlic (or crush it in there for a bigger garlic presence). Stir in mint just before serving.

Tzatziki (without mint) can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/tzatziki-greek-cucumber-yogurt-sauce

Screen Shot 2019-08-19 at 2.47.31 PM.png

Summer Lettuce Cups

I made this up for the summer potluck. I wanted easy finger food with protein, not too heavy, and that featured juicy summer garden vegetables. Since the garden is currently spewing cucumbers and tomatoes, they got the job. I used lettuce cups as a wrap for the ingredients for added crunch, moisture-resistance, fiber and finger-food-ability. Bread or crackers would have become soggy and added an unnecessary caloric burden/blood sugar spike.

Best of all worlds - it’s delicious, not messy, tastes great, and feels good in the body later on too. A true Happiness recipe.

Ingredients: package of tempeh (a package of tempeh will give you about 12-13 batons), or 24 smaller half batons, 12 or 24 leaves of butter lettuce, or another firm’ish lettuce that has medium-sized bowl-shaped leaves - endive would work well too. 12 or 24 Cherry tomatoes, cucumber cut into 12 or 24 batons, tzatziki sauce (see next recipe).

  • cut tempeh into 1/4 inch thick batons, marinate in your favorite salad dressing. (I use a home-made balsamic)

  • sauté in olive oil medium heat until golden brown on all sides, set aside to cool

  • make tzatziki sauce while tempeh is marinating (see next recipe, or create your own creamy sauce)

Bring all the ingredients separately to your event along with a nice platter, and find an accomplice to help you. A great way to easily meet new people is to ask them for help with food prep!

To assemble, put a green leaf down on the platter, add a piece of tempeh, a cherry tomato and a cucumber baton. Drizzle lightly with tzatziki sauce. Serve as individual bites, sushi-style for people to nab, wrap and eat in a bite or two.

IMG_2941.jpg

Farmer's Market Frittata

All ingredients can be sourced locally at the Portland Farmer’s market!

  • 6 eggs

  • 1 bunch of chard, leaves stripped from stems, stems chopped and diced, leaves julienned

  • 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

  • 1/2 large onion, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, squished

- sautée the diced onions and chard stems until soft, add garlic and stir around another minute, add the julienned chard leaves and cook until limp and fragrant. not too long - the chard should still be vibrantly green

- break 6 eggs into a bowl and stir up with a fork, add the feta crumbles, a few grinds of pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt'

- add the cooked onions and chard to the eggs and stir it all up together

- tip the mess into a 9” olive-oiled cast iron frying pan on medium heat - it should sizzle.

- Cook on medium heat until the eggs pull away a bit for the sides. The top middle may still be a bit liquid.

- transfer under a broiler and watch carefully until done. You could grate some parmesan on the top before so it browns up a bit.

***Other sprinkles to go on top: za’atar, sumac, and/or my signature blend of toasted cumin, hot red pepper flakes and home-oven-dried tomatoes pulverized in a vitamix.

Screen Shot 2019-05-20 at 2.41.19 PM.png

Cashew Cream -Savory or Sweet

Courtesy of Carie Bernard - Licensed Acupuncturist in Portland, and Global Dance Party dancer!

  • Great dairy substitute, and I bet it would be great as a frozen treat too! Keeps up to a week refrigerated , use 1:1 for a cream substitute.

In a small bow combine 1 cup of cashews and enough boiling water to cover. Let stand, covered, 15 minutes; drain. Rinse and drain again. (You could also let them sit in the water overnight).
In a blender or food processor combine cashews, ½ cup water and salt. Cover; blend 5 minutes or until creamy. (Carie used a VitaMix and it only took 30-60 seconds to blend to desired creaminess.) Store in the fridge up to 1 week. Makes 16 servings (1 Tbsp. each).


SWEET CASHEW CREAM Stir in 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or honey an d ½ tsp vanilla.
SAVORY CASHEW CREAM Stir in ½ tsp. lime or lemon zest, 1 tsp. lime or lemon juice, 1 clove garlic minced; and if desired, ¼ tsp. ground chipotle chile pepper. (Carie added ground rosemary.)

Some more ideas here

Screen Shot 2019-08-19 at 2.50.55 PM.png

Spinach and Baby Greens with Hemp Seed Vinaigrette

IMG_1631.JPG

Put 6-8 C greens of your choice in large salad bowl - you could also add sliced baby tomatoes, shaved carrot or red pepper for extra color. Mix 1 package of hulled hemp seeds with 3/4 C of your favorite vinaigrette so it’s juicy. Place the hemp seeds on top of the greens and mix just before serving.

Pumpkin spice bread/Squash spice Loaf

43766843_10214363803462820_5489700852694253568_n.jpg

by Emma Holder

I wanted to make this recipe, but didn't have pumpkin, or eggs, and didn't want to use lots of white flour or sugar, so I winged it. The result was delicious, dark and spicy. Since the sugar was eliminated, a drizzle of honey or a layer of jam or marmalade on top would be perfect if you needed a bit more sweet than what the molasses gives you.

Ingredients as Original (Emma’s modification in brackets)

1.5 C flour  (mixture of 0.5 C flour, 0.5 C almond meal/ 0.5 C chestnut flour (or rice flour or something else)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Baking soda

2 teaspoons of ginger powder

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, since I don't like nutmeg)

1 C pumpkin puree (1 C chopped and squished  delicata squash/ sweet dumpling /butternut squash, organic, skin left on)

1/2 C melted butter

1/2 C sugar (I omitted this completely)

1/2 C molasses

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (or more!)

2 eggs (2 Tablespoons ground flax with 6 Tablespoons water)

1/2 C raisins (optional, could also use currents or golden raisins since they are more nutritious the regular black raisins.)

How to:

 Preheat oven to 350F, mix wet, mix dry, combine wet+dry and pout into loaf pan. Bake at least 40 min or until a knife blade comes out clean.

Sopa Azteca

from Jennifer Rich

1 or 2 dried ancho chilies These are smokey in flavor, not hot.

1/4 c evoo

1 large onion chopped

1 green pepper chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

4 c vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tomatoes chopped

2 Tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

Tortillas avocado thickly grated cheese Something like: Monterey Jack, cheddar, Mex blend.

Stem & remove seeds from ancho pepper. Soften ancho pepper by simmering in water to cover pepper. Chop pepper, set aside. Add peppery water to veg stock In sauce pan, saute onion, green pepper & garlic in oil til tender. Add garlic last. Add stock, cumin & blk pepper to above. Bring to a boil then cover & simmer 20 minutes. Stir in ancho chili & tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes Add cilantro & parsley. To serve, place tortilla pieces in bowl. Add soup. Top with avo pieces & cheese.

This is a cheap, easy & hearty cold weather soup. If you can’t find anchos at Hannaford, Lois’s has them.

Savory Bok Choi

Christine Sullivan “I made up this recipe a couple of years ago and people seem to like it – enjoy!”

1-2 large heads of Bok Choi or 6 baby Bok Choi

2-4 Tbs olive oil 

1 pkg diced pancetta (4 oz.)

2-3 large cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

¼ cup water or white wine or stock

Low sodium tamari or soy sauce

  • Wash thoroughly and trim the bok choi. 

  • Keeping separate, chop the stems into ½’ chunks and chop the leaves into 1-2” pieces. 

  • Add olive oil to saute pan on medium heat. 

  • Add pancetta and cook until the fat begins to render, 

  • Add the stems and garlic and saute until tender—do not brown the garlic

  • Raise the heat, add the liquid and several dashes of soy sauce and red pepper if desired and add the leaves

  • Cover, lower heat, and cook for 5-8 minutes until the leaves are tender but not soggy. 

Serve over quinoa or wild rice




 

Kidney Bean, Avocado and Mango Salad

 By Carie Bernard, L.Ac.

1 can cooked organic red kidney beans, rinsed and strained

1 ripe avocado, diced

1 ripe mango, diced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Vinegar (I prefer Umeboshi but choose to taste)

Fresh basil cut in small ribbons to taste.

- Toss all ingredients together. Garnish with 2 basil leaves. Eat at room temperature

Edamame Salad

from Judy Rosen

1 lb. Frozen shelled edamame

3 cups frozen corn or canned corn

1 chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup sliced green onion

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 tablespoons marjoram or 2 tablespoons basil

DRESSING:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Prepare edamame according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain thoroughly Combine edamame, corn, red bell pepper green onion, red onion parsley and oregano In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, olive oil salt and pepper. Add veggies to bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Not Exactly Raw Kale Salad

Elizabeth O’Neil with changes by Carie Bernard, L.Ac.

1 bunch organic kale

1 tsp. sea salt (I use pink Himalayan salt and it’s divine!)

1/4 cup olive oil, or a little less

1/4 cup currants, or a little more (I use ½ cup of golden raisins)

1/2 cup organic sunflower seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds or cashew pieces, pine nuts or any crunchy nut or seed you like)

2 organic ripe avocados

1 red or yellow pepper

splash of lemon (I love lemon so I use a whole lemon)

Umeboshi Plum Vinegar to taste (or your favorite vinegar)

De-stem kale by pulling leaves away from the stems. Wash leaves. Spin or pat dry very well. Stack leaves, roll up and cut into thin ribbons. Put kale into a large Ziploc bag. Add salt, zip bag and massage it into the kale with your hands for 2 minutes. Make sure that you rub the salt to help break down the kale, but not that it becomes liquid-y.
Add rest of ingredients. Zip bag, allowing air in it. Shake the bag to toss. Serve and enjoy! Stays good in fridge for about 1 day.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND CHICKPEAS WITH MUSTARD AND PARSLEY

from Carie Bernard

From It’s All Good; Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great,

by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen, pg. 173, Grand Central Life & Style, New York, Boston, c. 2013

14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried
1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and discarded, cut into bite-sized florets
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Sea Salt (I use Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 Tbsp. seeded mustard
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley


Preheat oven to 400F and set rack in middle.
Toss chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustards, vinegar and ¼ cup olive oil (I use less, maybe 1/8 cup) with a big pinch of salt (I use more) and a few healthy grinds of black pepper. While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spinach Balls

from Candy Longyear:

Ingredients

  • 6 cup fresh spinach leaves trimmed, washed (230 g) see note for frozen/cooked spinach

  • 3 cup boiling water

  • 3 eggs

  • 1/2 cup grated cheese (60g) – I used Cheddar, use grated parmesan or grated emmental for more cheese flavor

  • 1/4 cup fresh herbs of your choice, finely chopped I used cilantro

  • 1 cup Gluten Free Panko Crumbs (75 g)

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to  350 F (180 C).

    2. Trim and wash the fresh spinach leaves.

    3. Place the leaves in a large mixing bowl and over with boiling water. Cover and set aside for 3 minutes.

    4. Rinse the spinach with cold tap water. Drain using your hands to squeeze all the remaining water. You should obtain about 2/3 cup (160 g) of packed cooked spinach leaves. If you are using frozen spinach, defrost and measure this quantity.

    5. Place on a chop board and finely chop the cooked spinach. Transfer into a mixing bowl.

    6. Add eggs, cheese, herbs and panko gluten free crumbs. You can also add salt and pepper if your cheese is not very salty. I did not add salt.

    7. Combine with a spoon or your hands, until it forms a batter from which you are able to form balls with your hands or use a small cookie scoop maker to avoid the mess

    8. If too moist add slightly more crumb until easy to roll as ball with your hands palms.

    9. Place the balls on a non-stick cookie tray covered with baking paper.

    10. Bake at 350F (180C) for 15-20 minutes or until golden on the top.

    11. Serve immediately or cold in luchboxes.

    12. Serve with dips of your choice like pesto, hummus or homemade ketchup.

    Recipe Notes

    Spinach measurement :  you need about 6 cups of fresh spinach. It makes about 2/3 cup (160 g) of cooked, squeezed and packed spinach. It is ok to use frozen spinach as soon as you have 2/3 cup cooked, squeezed, packed spinach.

    Cheese options: you can replace grated cheddar but mozzarella, parmesan, colby, emmental or any hard grated cheese you love.

    Herbs options: those spinach balls are very tasty with fresh parsley, dill or basil. Use your favorite herb or mix it!

Red Ancho Chili-Rubbed Salmon

Per 2/3# filet of salmon: Mix the rub ingredients: 1 t. ancho chili powder, 3/4 t. of cumin, 1/2 t. cinnamon, and 3/8 t. of jaggery (or brown, palm, or date sugar). 

Cooking method: Sauté in an oiled a hot pan, rub side down, for about 3 minutes, then flip, cover and cook in 350 degree F oven or over medium-low heat on the stove for another 3 to 4 minutes. The exact times depend on how thick the fish is.

This is a go-to dinner for me but I’d serve it chilled for the brunch.

This recipe is from Bobby Flay.