I was served a raw oatmeal at a breakfast that I attended a few years ago and was completely blown away at how amazing it was. I am a true oatmeal lover, but I don’t function at full capacity in the mornings. The thought of standing at the stove for half an hour to prepare breakfast is not only the last thing I feel like doing but something I do not have the luxury of time for. Preparing a batch of raw oatmeal on the weekend so it is at the ready for the week ahead allows me to enjoy all of the benefits of a hearty bowl of oatmeal each morning without any fuss at all.

As this dish can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature, it is my go to recipe to serve when I teach morning cooking classes at my home. I like to set a large bowl of it out with an array of toppings for my class to enjoy. I often have to twist a lot of arms trying to persuade people to try it as they are skeptical about this bowl of glop on the table, but nine out of ten of them are shocked at how truly delicious it is. Even those that don’t really care for oatmeal seem to like it. This oatmeal recipe not only offers the benefits of convenience and good health but it tastes absolutely delicious

Oats are an excellent source of the minerals manganese, selenium, and phosphorus, and iron as well as vitamin B1. Oats are also a fantastic source of dietary fiber. The oat bran’s dietary fiber is high in beta-glucan, which is what gives oats their reputation for being beneficial in lowering cholesterol.

Top a serving of raw oatmeal with a sprinkling of a few other nutritional powerhouses such as almonds, ground flax seeds, fresh berries, or unsweetened coconut and you have a truly perfect breakfast that will sustain you for hours.

Finding new ways to prepare chicken that are easy, different from the norm, and worth making again and again is an ongoing challenge. This is one of those dishes and I have been making with great success for over 20 years. It is fast and effortless to put together, great to make for a big crowd, and super delicious. I have never prepared this dish without at least one of my guests asking for the recipe.

You do not have to be a fan of spicy Indian food to like this dish either. The many spices used in the marinade create a mellow yet brightly flavored result that appeals to all palates. It might seems like too many ingredients to bother with at first glance, but do not let that deter you from preparing it. It is among my favorite and most dependable make ahead recipes and only requires about ten minutes of upfront time. Once the marinade is done, you can forget about it until its time to cook the chicken. It couldn’t be easier and is a guaranteed to please your guests.

Serve the chicken with brown or white basmati rice, fresh seasonal vegetables, and a simple green salad.

Fewer things are more decadent and luxurious to serve when entertaining during the holidays than a delicious pâté. It’s rich, creamy, and you swoon for more due to that power of umami that each bite of it provides. It also happens to be pure fat and the origins of it’s ingredients are best left not discussing. Imagine, if you will, indulging in the primal pleasures that come from eating pâté without the guilt or clogged arteries. This amazing recipe will help you achieve such a thing.

I have been making this recipe for pâté made with lentils and walnuts for a few years now. It has almost become a sort of parlor trick we play on our guests while they sip on champagne to say, “Try Julie’s pâté.” Our guests politely try the pâté and compliment me on how delicious it is before we reveal that it is in actuality a mock pâté that happens to be vegan. I have been asked for this recipe more times than I can count, but regretfully have never taken the time to write down a recipe with the actual measurement until about a week ago. It has always been something that I made to taste with a bit of this and a pinch of that to get it right. I promise you that this now well tested recipe will not disappoint if you follow it without alterations. It is delightfully creamy, thoroughly tasty, and absolutely perfect to share for holiday entertaining.

I began writing and posting recipes to this site with the sole purpose of sharing more healthful options for your dining pleasure. Sure we all love to sink our teeth into buttery cream laden dishes during the holidays, but even during the holidays my most requested and popular recipes tend to be those that offer seasonal flavors without all of the fat and sugar. I tend to prepare my standard favorites for the holiday table year after year, but still try to add new fare into the mix. More often than not I try to make the new additions healthier dishes like this salad made with super nutritious lentils bejeweled with roasted butternut squash and pomegranate seeds.

In the past few years I have shared a variety of my recent Holiday Menu Favorites with you from the crowd pleasing Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad to my truly inspired recipe for No Cream Creamed Spinach. This year I am, believe it or not, not cooking Thanksgiving dinner. This does not mean that I am not cooking a holiday meal for my family, but on Thanksgiving day I will be relaxing as a guest in the home of friends. For the first time in years I will find out what it feels like to be the person who is not in the kitchen. Even though I love preparing holiday meals, I have to admit that I am relishing in the fact that I will have the time to work out, take a shower before three in the afternoon, and spend the remainder of my day by the fire with a good mystery thriller. Its almost too good to be true. But being the person that I am, I still cannot keep myself from wanting to contribute to the meal in some way. This salad made with beluga lentils, roasted butternut squash, and pomegranate is a great dish to bring as a guest as it can be prepared ahead of time and does not require precious oven space. It also happens to be loaded with nutrient dense ingredients offering a kind balance to this otherwise heavy meal.

Like their name, beluga lentils are the caviar of lentils. They are beautiful, delicious, and super healthy. They are also almost twice as high in protein and higher in fiber than that of other lentil varieties.  Additionally, they cook quickly and hold their shape without becoming mushy making them ideal for salads of all sorts. Like other orange fleshed vegetables, butternut squash is a potent source of the antioxidants alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. They are pro vitamin A carotenoids which help the body convert the carotenes into vitamin A. Vitamin A is known to boost immunities, reverse skin damage, and is essential for healthy vision . They are also a great source of dietary fiber, vitamins C and E, and the minerals potassium and magnesium which help to promote strong bones. The high levels of antioxidants in these orange fleshed vegetables have shown to help reduce blood cholesterol, fight cancer, and reduce menopausal symptoms. Pomegranate is loaded with antioxidants, B vitamins, potassium, and folic acid. They are a great vegan source of iron and the seeds are high in dietary fiber. They are also anti-inflammatory and have been proven to help fight cancer as well as cardiovascular disease.

If you are like me and seem to be always on the go, it helps to have healthy, tasty, and portable snacks on hand. I rarely leave home without a few of my homemade Almond Goji Treats in my purse. They are nutty, a little bit sweet, and extremely satisfying. 

Many people tend to grab a sweet and chocolatey protein or energy bar instead of a bag of raw nuts, fresh veggies, or a piece of fruit as snack. Why not? They are convenient, easily portable, non perishable, and taste like candy. I live my life sharing secrets for healthier eating habits yet I even have my own favorite store bought bars that are supposedly clean as far as the ingredients go, but not nearly as healthy as something that is homemade. Preparing your own trail bars will require a bit more effort than buying them, but you will be left with an ample supply to last a couple of weeks. They will taste better and be better for you as well because they will be made with pure ingredients.

Almonds are a great source of protein as well as dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Goji berries contain the highest concentration of antioxidant carotenoids, namely beta-carotene, of any plant and could protect against the development of cancer. They are anti-inflammatory, improve immunity and eyesight, protect the liver, improve circulation, lower cholesterol, and restore energy. Flax seeds are rich in the heart healthy plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA). They are anti-inflammatory, an excellent source of dietary fiber, and may help women in the protection against breast cancer.

Over this past summer, I got hooked on hiking. Of course, when you are living in a place where all you have to do is walk out your front door and be enveloped in the verdant alpine glory of Park City, Utah this is something that can happen quite easily. My family and I relocated to what I deem to be a slice of heaven for a good part of our summer. I think the only days that I didn’t hike the trails were the ones when it was pouring rain. But there is another reason that I became so addicted to hiking and movement in general. I bought a Fitbit.

The Fitbit became my personal trainer offering constant encouragement to get me moving. As a full time resident of Los Angeles who spends way too much time sitting behind the wheel of my car, my life was becoming more and more sedentary. The Fitbit sets a goal for you to take 10,000 steps each day and I was lucky if I was getting in 7000 even after an hour workout on an elliptical machine. No wonder I was having trouble losing undesired pounds. Aside from my daily workout, the only real movements my body made on a regular basis involved my right foot moving from the gas to the break and back again while I sat in miserable traffic. Once I clipped the Fitbit One onto my brassiere the obsession began. I started off by driving to the beach to walk on the bluffs above the ocean-7865 steps. Then to avoid the horror of sitting in traffic trying to cross the 405 freeway I started to go to the park and walk around and around and around and around the supposedly 5/8 mile circumference-8500 steps. The Fitbit will send you an encouraging text when you are close to 10,000 steps. It encourages you to keep going and find ways to achieve your 10,000 goal steps by just moving around the house, parking farther away from the entrance to the grocery store, and making that trip up the stairs that you might have considered doing later. The Fitbit One also tracks flights of stairs and expects you to climb 10 each day.

When I got out of LA and into the mountains, I was not only able to meet my goals but to exceed them. One of the great things about this little device is that it not only prompts you with texts to reach your goal, but pumps you up when you have already met it. At around 13,000 steps, you might get a text telling you that you are an over achiever. At 20,000 steps in a day you get a special badge commemorating your achievement. When you climb great heights on your hikes, it is tracked as stairs and you get fun badges for cumulative feet like the hot air balloon, helicopter, skydiver, 747, and even rocket. All of that positive reinforcement only feeds the addiction. A 2 mile hike to the top of the mountain-99 floors. A moderate hike not quite to the top and back-46 floors, about 15,000 steps, and close to 7 miles. You cannot help but to start competing with yourself and attempting to better your best. I would head out on the mountain every day with water, a few of my Almond and Goji Berry Trail Treats, and the intention of getting in a minimum of 12,000 steps, 4-8 miles, and 50 flights of stairs. Fortunately for the sake of my feet and body, I would often have limited windows of time to overindulge in this madness as I still had to shuttle my kids around to camps, play dates, and activities. Even on those days I would get in a 3.5 mile hike and a couple of 1 mile walks with the dogs-14,000 steps.

I have been back in Los Angeles and confines of my car for a couple of months now. I no longer have the time to take long indulgent hikes and my energy is zapped by reality, but I have found a special place close to where I live to take the walks and hikes I yearn for. The views are nothing by comparison to the mountains, but it is a welcoming sanctuary in this crazy traffic filled city. My days are made better by the sycamore shaded streets, hiking trails, and the lake that is well inhabited by quacking ducks and turtles. My only complaint is that early fall brings the hottest weather to Los Angeles and it is yet to cool down. I find myself setting my alarm to get up early on weekends so I can get out there and clock those steps before it gets unbearably hot. I am hopeful that cooler weather will be here soon along with a season filled with a lot of drought relieving rain.

I know this post seems like an advertisement for the Fitbit. It is not. I am merely obsessed with this thing and I felt the need to share as I honestly think it is the best thing I have bought for myself in ages. Wearing it has inspired me to be more active and I am healthier as a result.

Note that I chose to buy the Fitbit One which attaches to your belt, pants, bra, or shirt. Before I made the purchase, I studied several articles about the device. The bracelet version which is the Fitbit Flex is a good one for people that are concerned about losing such a small unit, but it is not as accurate as the Fitbit One. The Fitbit Flex does not count stairs and in most studies it tends to overestimate your steps and mileage. In a side by side comparison of a 3 mile walk, the Fitbit One underestimated the distance by about 2/10 of a mile and the Fitbit Flex overestimated the distance by 1.2 miles. The Fitbit Flex seems to also calculate bumps in the road when driving as steps as well general arm movement. I use an app that is an exercise tracker when I hike or walk that triangulates my location on a map. The Fitbit One generally calculates my overall distance as less than the actual distance by about 10%. To me, that is better than making me think I am doing 25% more.

I have had a love for English digestive biscuits since I have been a child. These biscuits which are really just grain based shortbread-like cookies are traditionally served with tea or cheese and wine as part of a savory dessert. As I do my very best to adhere to a gluten-free diet, the only way that I was going to be able to enjoy this favorite treat was to create a recipe of my own. Cravings are a great motivator and this recipe is a real winner.

Keep in mind that this recipe was not designed to be a healthy variation of the original. Sometimes I just want to create a version of something that will satisfy the memory of taste. Living a life without gluten and gluten based baked goods after years making desserts for a living can sometimes make you feel like you are missing out. Generally speaking, the majority of the gluten-free substitutes for baked goods and pasta just don’t quite do it for me. These perfect buttery treats made me feel like I wasn’t missing out on anything at all.

It is traditional to dip apples in honey for a sweet new year on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Needless to say, it is a delicious tradition and a true example of why there is no need for things to be complicated to taste wonderful. Fresh, crisp, seasonal apples dipped in yummy raw honey is hard to beat, but this year I wanted to try to make it into a  memorable dessert instead of a mere part of the celebration. I have always found Tarte Tatin to be one of my absolute favorite desserts. The upside-down caramelized apple tart was and remains to be one of the best recipe rescues in culinary history.

I decided to apply the basic principles of the this sublime dessert in my attempt to elevate the apple and honey tradition. Caramelizing apples in lavender infused butter and honey instead of sugar did the trick. It sounds way more complicated than it is and your guests will think you are a genius for making it. The apples taste absolutely heavenly on their own, but topped with a spoonful of freshly whipped cream or over a scoop of vanilla ice cream it is a showstopper for any meal or celebration.

Please see my notes about the amounts of butter and honey to use in the ingredient list below. A traditional Tarte Tatin recipe calls for obscene amounts of butter and sugar. I found that a little goes a long way so I cut it way down with this recipe. The goal was to have enough butter and honey to properly flavor and caramelize the fruit without it being overly sweet or too rich. Have a happy, healthy, and sweet 5775.

Even though the weather here in Los Angeles is currently in the triple digits, the fall produce is starting to push many of the summer favorites to the side at the markets. Yams are taking center stage right now so it is an optimal time to prepare them in a way that will let them shine and get the attention they truly deserve.

In my most recent post, I rambled on about my love affair with creamy yellow fleshed potatoes. I also mentioned how I do my best to avoid them as they are part of the nightshade family which seem to have an inflammatory affect on my body. But sweet potatoes and yams are not nightshades or part of the the potato family for that matter. They are part of the orange fleshed vegetable group, and are so much better for you than their tuber cousins. When I am not in the mood to cook, I will often roast a yam to have for lunch or dinner. I find them to be extremely satisfying with nothing but a splash of aged balsamic vinegar, but their applications are quite versatile. I use them to replace fats in baked goods, as a base for an unbelievably good vegan sea cake (a recipe I must share very soon), and all of the usual holiday recipes that they star in. As late summer white corn is still piled high in the markets, combining the sweet kernels with yams along with a sprinkling of smoky chipotle seasoning makes it the perfect nutrient rich salad to enjoy as we transition into fall.

Sweet potatoes are extremely nutritious. They are a potent source of the antioxidants alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. They are pro vitamin A carotenoids which help the body convert the carotenes into vitamin A. Vitamin A is known to boost immunities, reverse skin damage, and is essential for healthy vision . They are also a great source of dietary fiber, vitamins C and E, and the minerals potassium and magnesium which help to promote strong bones. The high levels of antioxidants in these orange fleshed vegetables have shown to help reduce blood cholesterol, fight cancer, and reduce menopausal symptoms. Black Beans are high in dietary fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, protein, iron, and potassium. Making beans a standard part of your diet will help to fight colorectal cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Cilantro is helpful to the digestive system as it has oils that stimulate the production of digestive enzymes, as well for helping to relieve feelings of nausea. It is effectively used as a natural cleansing agent to help remove heavy metals from the body. Cilantro has chemical compounds that bind to heavy metals in tissues and organs, and these compounds help to transport them out through elimination. Additionally, cilantro has both anti inflammatory and anti bacterial benefits.

Although I do my very best to avoid night shade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants), there are times that I cannot resist creamy potatoes. When my children ask me what my favorite food is, my response is almost always potatoes. The rest of the time its pizza in case you were wondering. The nightshades are among my favorite vegetables, but about six months back I gave them up. You can only imagine how hard it was for someone such as myself to give up tomatoes right before summer, but I did it nonetheless. I did this because my body was literally blowing up like a balloon for no explained reason. I was eating an exemplary diet without sugar, gluten, or processed foods, but I was experiencing swelling that was impossible to comprehend. It was suggested to try giving up the nightshades in conjunction with a strict anti inflammatory diet. This was not easy to do, but it seemed to deliver results. I noticed the differences within a couple of weeks.

I would also like to share the fact that I currently have no indicators of Rheumatoid Arthritis in my blood work and have been off of all of my medications for over 5 months. I believe my success is due to a combination of dietary choices and exercise. I cannot say for certain if it is the avoidance of gluten, processed foods, excessive sugar, or nightshades, but I will continue on this path. You may wonder just how strict I am? Gluten is completely out of the question, and every now and then I will allow myself a meal that includes tomatoes, peppers, or potatoes. But everything else such as sugar and alcohol is taken in strict moderation.

I still love potatoes. The yellow fleshed varieties such as the Yukon Golds are my absolute favorites. They are creamy, sweet, and oh so satisfying. I like them roasted, mashed, or just about any way you could imagine. Simply boiling them and infusing them with a soft fragrant herb such as fresh tarragon while they are still hot makes a delicious potato salad or accompaniment to a meal.

It’s not healthy nor is it gluten-free, but it is the best chocolate cake you can make with the least amount of fuss. Yes, there are recipes that I prefer to this one for a velvety rich crumb, but this recipe is practically mindless to assemble with consistently good results. Because of its ease in preparation, I turn to it most often as a base for ice cream cakes, birthday cakes, or cup cakes. When I worked in restaurants, I would have to be prepared for the last minute birthday cake to have at the ready. This was my standard chocolate cake to have in the freezer because it never dried out and also worked quite well baked in sheets as well as rounds. It will not disappoint chocolate fans as it delivers a moist, rich, and delicious cake. It is great frosted, but I like it best served on its own with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

I have prepared this recipe with great success in purely vegan form. The ingredient adjustments are simple and straightforward without any noticeable change in flavor or texture. The ingredients are listed below for a single layer cake.

Even though we are entering into Labor Day weekend, Summer stone fruit is still quite abundant and delicious. At the moment, we cannot seem to get our fill of sweet and juicy white nectarines. Since I am buying 8-12 at a time, I am left with a few to play with for other things other than just gobbling them up. Adding nectarines, peaches, or plums to any late Summer salad would be great. They are fantastic paired with a variety of nuts and cheeses as well as meat and poultry as I have chosen to do with this recipe. Served on its own or over your favorite greens, this salad will make a healthy, flavorful, and satisfying lunch or light dinner to serve during those hot days of the Indian Summer.

You can cheat a little and prepare this dish with a store bought rotisserie chicken, but it will not have the subtlety of flavor as well as the moist texture achieved by poaching it yourself. It is not difficult or even time consuming to poach chicken breasts so do not allow yourself to consider the fear of too much work or too much of a challenge. Its easy and relatively quick to do. I promise. Poached chicken is also quite versatile for making other favorite salads such as a Chicken Waldorf by combining it with apples, celery, and walnuts or Curried Chicken by mixing it with curry powder, celery, raisins, apples, and coconut. Essentially all great chicken salads share a similar base of poached chicken and a mayonnaise or yogurt dressing combined with a variety of seasonings, crunchy vegetables, fresh or dried fruits, and nuts. Once you have mastered the basic skill of preparing the chicken, you can create your own.