Tagged Cooking

sustainable holiday meal planing eco conscious

Waste-Free Kitchen Holiday Tips

With the appropriate planning, you can save money this holiday season without throwing your food ethics out the window.  Forget canned green beans, factory farmed turkey and pre-packaged stuffing.  This year, serve your family a healthy, delicious holiday feast and avoid food waste. The winter holidays are all about abundance—being surrounded by friends and family,…
how to use thanksgiving leftovers

Holiday Leftovers: Vegan Cranberry Quickbread

Like many of us, Jenn Sebestyen, author of the Veggie Inspired Blog, found herself with plenty of holiday leftovers.  So what do you do with your gorgeous home made cranberry sauce?  How about transforming it into a treat you can enjoy for breakfast, with tea or as dessert.  Jenn shares this whole food, vegan recipe…
classic pumpkin bread recipe and holiday pantry gift
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Traditional Pumpkin Bread Recipe

How to make classic pumpkin bread, and an adjusted recipe that you can give as a pantry gift. I’ve noticed a trend in bakery pumpkin bread. It seems to be getting sweeter, with more fat added, resembling a ginger cake more than a traditional pumpkin quick bread. Here is a recipe for classic pumpkin bread…
vegan vietnamese cuisine

Vegan Vietnamese Cuisine

The light, fresh flavors of traditional Vietnamese cuisine make a perfect base for exciting vegan cooking. Van, a Vietnamese vegan cook shares her passion for simple, healthy and delicious food.
Red Thai Curry Recipe

Red Thai Curry Recipe

Why order takeout when it’s so easy to cook at home? Try this easy Thai curry recipe at home for a simple, healthy and knockout delicious weeknight dinner.

Soy Anise Braised Oxtail With Preserved Plum

Here’s an easy and delicious recipe for braised oxtail, an often overlooked cut in the US. This recipe can also be made with bone in short ribs, but I hope you’ll take this opportunity to experience how tender and flavorful oxtail can be. Ingredients Oxtails (pasture raised and 100% grassfed beef); here I’m using almost…
Organic Diwali Healthy and Sustainable

Modern Organic Diwali Foods: Healthy & Sustainable 2020

This year on October 27, firecrackers will sound throughout the streets of India, as well as many other countries around the world, in celebration of Diwali—the festival of lights.  But as modern lifestyles focus on health and sustainability, the traditional festival foods are changing as well.

Cardamom Scented Grassfed Lamb Stew With Prunes Recipe

What do you think of prunes? This amazing pairing of lamb and prunes is guaranteed to give you a new perspective on this humble ingredient. Many people in the US aren’t familiar with prunes as a gourmet ingredient. Prunes are something old people eat to stay regular, right? We can take a cue from the…

Chicken Ginger Broth for Spring Colds

Many people come down with colds, flu and sinus infections when the seasons change.  Here is a recipe for Chinese ginger chicken broth that, with a little bed rest, will have you feeling better in no time. Ingredients One organically raised, ethically sourced whole chicken (giblets removed).  For guidelines on buying healthy, humane chicken, check…
Sheep milk curry and rose petal marinade for heritage breed turkey breast

Rose Petal And Indian Curry Heritage Breed Turkey Breast

Heritage breed turkeys taste richer, but can dry out when cooked. Here is an easy and delicious marinade that delivers a flavorful, moist turkey breast without a lot of fuss. I am excited to see BN Ranch heritage breed turkey at the market, a real seasonal treat. The BN stands for Bill Niman (of Niman…
make your own coconut yogurt from whole coconuts
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How to Make Yogurt From Fresh Whole Raw Coconuts

Thick, creamy homemade coconut yogurt made from coconut flesh—without the fillers and thickeners found in store bought coconut yogurt. If you do this entirely from scratch, it takes time and labor. In my opinion, the result is unquestionably worth it. There are also some shortcuts that will let you make this yogurt quickly. Many people…

Raw Coconut Mango Smoothie

This smoothie tastes a bit like a mango lassie. It’s made with raw, whole food and includes no additional sweeteners, no dairy, nuts or soy. Sustainable Food | Clean Eating | Raw Whole Food Smoothie To make this raw food smoothie, you’ll need to get your hands on some raw young coconut meat. You can…

South Indian Lime Rice

This South Indian rice dish is easy to make and, besides being delicious, also has the added benefit of turmeric, a powerful anti-inflamatory. Ingredients 2 cups long grain rice, such as Basmati a few curry leaves 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp asafoedita (hing) 1/4 tsp whole mustard seed 1/2 cup chana dal 1 tsp…
Recipe High Quality Chicken Stock
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How to Make High Quality Chicken Stock

A chicken stock recipe for serious eaters and serious cooks. Rich in flavor and high in nutrition, this stock will make everything you cook unmistakably better. This is the indispensable ingredient in so much good cooking. You’ll be amazed at how a truly well made stock will elevate all it touches, from rissotto to soup, braises…
braised escarole with mustard and bacon recipe
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Braised Escarole With Bacon and Mustard Recipe

This warm, easy and satisfying dish is perfect as lunch or a light dinner, or as a side dish. Braised escarole with bacon and mustard There are so many leafy greens to eat, and so little time! Don’t get stuck eating the same rounds of spinach, chard and kale. Perhaps you’ve never eaten escarole, or…

Cooking From Scratch: Cilantro Lime Sauce

A blender is a quick cook’s best friend and sauces can be made in a snap.   Sometimes you just need a sprig or two of a herb, such as cilantro, and yet you have to buy it in a huge bunch. That’s one reason I grow nearly all my own kitchen herbs, but last…

Green Jamu Recipe: Healing Indonesian Turmeric Juice

The health benefits of turmeric juice are many, it really is a superfood, even if it looks like an orange mummy finger.  If you’ve not tried it already, here is another jamu recipe that will also give you a solid helping of greens. Feel free to substitute other greens or herbs. It’s been unseasonably hot…
Roasted citrus slices

How To Eat Citrus: Roasting Slices

Next time you’re roasting veg or meat in your oven, throw in a sliced lemon or two.  You’ll be amazed at what heat and some good quality olive oil will produce. One way to enjoy citrus fruits is to roast them in olive oil, sprinkled with good sea salt.  You can slice them very thinly,…

Amazing Pecan Banana Bread Recipe

Even though this recipe only uses a half stick of butter, the banana bread smells and tastes amazingly buttery. Chunks of high quality dark chocolate and whole pecan halves make this an indulgent treat with afternoon tea. This banana bread has a wonderful, tender texture and is not overly sweet. It’s better the day after…
how to make ricotta cheese

Healing Your Body: Affordable Clean Food Diet

A wholesome diet of carefully sourced clean food is the foundation of good health. If you are struggling with IBS or intolerance to common foods such as dairy, soy or gluten, this is especially important. Charlotte shares her insights about discovering the diet that’s perfect for you, and how to eat well on a limited…
You can cook sous vide lamb chops on the stovetop

Sous Vide Lamb Shoulder Chop

How to cook lamb chops sous vide without a sous vide cooker. You want a thick lamb shoulder chop that’s perfectly tender and medium rare all the way through, but you don’t have a sous vide cooker or any special equipment? I’ve found an easy way to cook sous vide on the stovetop with a…

What to Eat After Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?

My housemate recently had one of his wisdom teeth removed.  It wasn’t impacted, so the surgery was fast and clean. He needed to have soft, healing foods for the first two days.  Here are some suggestions on what to eat after getting your wisdom teeth removed.   Pumpkin potato soup Ingredients One small roasted pumpkin…

Crepes Make an Easy Fast Meal

Many people think of crepes as being French, but cultures all over the world enjoy their own style of crepes.  Here are some crepe recipes to spark your imagination. Crepe recipes Classic Crepes Suzette Delicate Lacey Crepes Basic Crepe Recipe Chinese Jian Bing (with duck eggs) Chinese Scallion Crepes Vegan Everyday Veggie Crepe Recipe (vegan) Vegan…
budget organic meals

Eat Organic for Less: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Here’s another example of how you can enjoy healthy organic food on a budget. When you think of eating organic, you probably don’t think of a meal for two for less than $5. Here is a real life example of what an inexpensive, nutritious and organic meal looks like.

Dehydrating Potatoes For The Pantry

I hope all of you are putting up emergency stores against power outages, extreme weather events and natural disasters. I’d never thought about dehydrating potatoes until recently, when I read Maggie’s blog post. I prefer to eat fresh foods, so wouldn’t normally bother with dehydrated potatoes. But for an emergency pantry, or if I found…

Real Food Kitchen: DIY Dried Fruit and Vegetables

Use an inexpensive dehydrator to make the most of a season’s harvest, and to make sure your pantry is stocked with high quality, real ingredients. It’s easy to dry your own fruit using an inexpensive dehydrator, and the taste and nutritive value are much better than store-bought dried fruits.

Local Grassfed Lamb Shank Recipe

Join me in my kitchen for an easy autumn favorite made from local, organic and homegrown ingredients. Today’s real food lunch is a braised grassfed lamb shank with mint and delicata squash. Unlike most people, my main meal is lunch rather than dinner. That can pose a problem, since lunch transects my workday, but luckily…

Ethical Food On A Budget: Make Your Own Sprouts

Sprouting is a great way to add nutrient and protein rich foods to your diet if you are cutting back on meat and animal products. Learn how sprouting can help you enjoy organically grown foods on a budget. Even urbanites with no outdoor space can grow their own crops for next to nothing.
How to make pesto

Make Your Own Pesto

A hit of fresh pesto will liven up anything. It’s summertime now, which means it’s basil season. Here’s how to make an easy vegan basil pesto sauce in minutes. Do you make pesto? The best time to make pesto is when basil is in high season. One bunch of basil will make enough pesto to…
make your own coconut almond milk

Eight Reasons To Make Your Own Coconut Almond Milk

  Taking a break from dairy? With a high speed blender, you can make your own non-dairy coconut almond milk. In an effort to avoid processed foods and all the packaging, preservatives, additives and the poor quality they generally offer, I started making my own almond milk and coconut milk. But by far my favorite…
Dangers of nonstick cookware

The Best Non Toxic Nonstick Pans

Nonstick cookware is popular largely because cooking does not require the use of oils or fats, which purportedly creates healthier meals. The price for this benefit may be steep, however, as nonstick cookware has been linked to dangerous toxins.
Sprouting grains removes antinutrients

Why You Should Be Sprouting

Sprouting at home is an economical and convenient way to boost your nutrition and avoid the pitfalls of antinutrients in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. Sprouts are an excellent source of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein.

Seasonal Cooking: How to Use Fresh Chickpeas

Fresh chickpeas with Brussels sprouts and pasta recipe Spring is the time to find all kinds of foods we normal eat dried in their fresh state. Fresh garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are at the markets now, so don’t pass by these velvety green pods without giving them a try this season. Wondering how to use…

Family Cooking From Scratch

How to cook healthy, home made meals and snacks your kids will love. We all know by now that the best way to ensure healthy eating is to get in the kitchen and cook. Cooking your own food allows you to know and control what’s in it, and to source the best quality ingredients. But for many there is a gulf between knowing they should be cooking more and actually figuring out how to put home cooked healthy meals on their family’s table and in their kids’ lunch boxes day after day. That’s when clean food bloggers like Jacquelyn of…