There’s a lot going on around here. My baby is due in just over a month and we just bought a house, moving in next week! Hence, a lack of recipes, let alone blog posts.

But every so often, when time allows, I get a strong urge to bake. It’s therapeutic in the same way someone might enjoy painting or singing as a way to de-stress. The simple act of combining ingredients to create something delicious that can be enjoyed for a few days afterward (depending on your level of self-control!) always seems to take the tension away, at least for a little while.

This recipe came from one I found on Pinterest, from a blog called Ambitious Kitchen. They were originally designed to be blondies (i.e. brownies without the chocolate) but I couldn’t find the right baking pan the first time I made them, so they became cookies instead.

The brilliance of these cookies/blondies/whatever you want to call them are in the ingredients. No flour is used. No sugar. No eggs or dairy. You rely on your food processor to do most of the work for you and combine a few items you most likely already have in your pantry or fridge.

With a base of chickpeas and peanut butter, these cookies stay pretty chewy and gooey in the middle. Almost like cookie dough. Pretty decadent.

They’re the perfect comfort food for an early summer filled with excitement and anticipation!!

I’ll be back as regularly as I can – in the meantime, take good care and have a look through my recipes page if you need some inspiration!

Fresh herbs. A true sign of Spring springing. While our garden is slowly starting to grow back into its lush old self, the huge mint patch is still a dead heap of brown stalks. So the next best thing was to buy a little bunch of organic mint leaves from the store. I used it all up in two delicious meals – and can’t wait for our own mint to grow again!

Peppermint

As well as being a wonderful stomach soother, fresh mint offers many other health benefits, including:

• Antimicrobial properties in peppermint oil, inhibiting the growth of certain bacteria and types of fungus
• Natural breath freshener
• Relief from nasal symptoms associated with seasonal allergies
• Excellent source of vitamins C & A, and the mineral manganese
• Nerve soother, especially in the form of fresh mint leaf tea

Mint livens up a grainy salad like no other. The first dish I made was a farro salad with a classic combination of mint, feta, and pomegranate (although not in season, if you can find a package of the arils – the juicy red seeds – they are such a nice treat every once in a while). Watermelon chunks would be great as an alternative when we’re in the thick of summer, or slices of fresh peaches.

Another fabulous use of mint is in homemade pesto. I saw a wonderful recipe in the May issue of Real Simple magazine that I had to try – and all of a sudden I’ve found a new love. Mint Pesto is bright, fresh, and zesty and takes all of 5 minutes to make yourself. It came paired with steamed artichokes in the magazine recipe, but you could also serve it with fish, lamb, or in a salad with thinly sliced zucchini.

Mint Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

We’ve lived in the greater Boston area for 9 months now (hard to believe!) – in that time, so much has happened. Bought a house. Baby on the way. Started up my nutrition consulting business in Newton. Traveled here there and everywhere.

But we’re really starting to get to know our new home town. In particular, we’ve made our way around some wonderful restaurants in the city and the surrounding neighborhoods. While we haven’t quite explored our soon-to-be neighborhood yet (Roslindale), there are quite a few places I’d highly recommend if you live in or are visiting Boston.

What are my criteria for a good restaurant? Healthy options. More than one vegetarian option. Thoughtful ingredients sourced as locally as possible. Fresh fresh fresh! A good selection of menu items that are naturally gluten-free. And above all, delicious food!

The Elephant Walk

Cambodian/French food with plenty of delicious choices for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners. 3 locations: Boston, Cambridge, Waltham. Website: elephantwalk.com

Veggie Planet

Vegetarian and vegan delights, mostly pizza (although you can order any of the toppings on rice instead of dough). Cambridge. Website: veggieplanet.net

Blue Shirt Cafe

Nice spot for lunch, mostly wraps and sandwiches. Somerville. Website: blueshirtcafedavis.com

Ula Cafe

Tasty breakfast and lunch spot with a few healthy vegan options. Jamaica Plain. Website: ulacafe.com

Red Lentil

Creative and delicious vegan food, including DESSERT (which always gets a thumbs up from me!). Watertown. Website: theredlentil.com

Mei Mei Street Kitchen

The number one greatest food truck in Boston, hands down! Fabulous, locally sourced Chinese street food served by some seriously awesome people. All over Boston. Website: meimeiboston.com

Life Alive

Seriously great wholesome lunch grub with a smorgasbord of options. Cambridge. Website: lifealive.com

Henrietta’s Table

Locally sourced and thoughtfully prepared meals to celebrate over. Cambridge. Website: henriettastable.com

Farmstead Table

Beautiful menu that changes all the time to reflect what’s growing nearby. Newton. Website: farmsteadtable.com

51 Lincoln

Fun and inspired menu full of the best ingredients found in New England. Newton. Website: 51lincolnnewton.com

Sycamore

Seasonal, fresh ingredients grace this bistro’s menu, along with some of the best pickled veggies I’ve ever had. Newton. Website: sycamorenewton.com

Waban Kitchen

From the same people behind 51 Lincoln, this small restaurant is a neighborhood gem featuring elegant local food. Newton. Website: wabankitchen.com

Walnut Grille

Vegan cuisine from the same owners as Red Lentil with an almost identical menu. Newton. Website: walnutgrille.com

Bill’s Pizza

A neighborhood favorite with the best gluten-free pizza I’ve ever had and a fabulous selection of toppings. Newton. Website: billspizzeria.com

I’m sure I’ll be updating this list in the months to come! Does anyone have any places to recommend in Boston that I’ve missed?

As you read this, I’ll be on the tropical isle of St Thomas, soaking up some much needed sunshine before our baby arrives in June! And with that warmth in mind, I thought I’d offer you a salad recipe that requires very little effort and time but is worth making any day.

Even if it’s still Arctic temperatures where you are (and believe me, that’s how it was when the above photo was taken), you’ll feel a little lighter and brighter when you make this salad. The idea here is to keep everything simple and green, combining a decent amount of leafy greens, a bit of protein, and some healthy fats, along with some great flavors in the dressing.

Making your own salad dressing requires nothing more than a little glass jar (next time you buy capers or olives, wash out the jar and keep it!) and some everyday condiments I know you have already! If you made too much for this one salad, which happily serves two, keep the rest in the fridge for another salad.

Have you tried carob? It is subtly sweet with a hint of chocolate flavor and comes packed with wonderful nutrients. And in this case, makes for a delicious raw “truffle” you can snack on any time. Why did I use carob here instead of cocoa or cacao powder?

Benefits of Carob

• Carob is caffeine-free, making it an ideal chocolate substitute for anyone who is pregnant, has high blood pressure, or has a sensitivity to chocolate.
• It improves digestion and is used to treat diarrhea in both children and adults. It can also help with acid reflux and GERD.
• It lowers cholesterol, thanks in large part to its high fiber content.
• Rich rich rich in calcium and vitamin E.
• Full of antioxidants (just like chocolate)!

All that being said, carob does have a unique flavor that might take some getting used to. If you’re really not into it, a great quality raw cacao powder can be used in this and any recipe that calls for carob powder. At least that way you’ll get all the benefits of the cacao bean’s inherent antioxidants and magnesium.

Whip these truffles up this weekend and see if they last until Monday

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Last night was one of those where I hadn’t planned what to make for dinner. Usually, that means I’ll make some brown rice pasta or a big salad with whatever’s in the fridge, but it was time to come up with something different. I had a bag of red quinoa in my cupboard, some spinach in the fridge, and half jars full of sun dried tomatoes and black olives. The result? An Italian-inspired quinoa dish topped with a fried egg for extra protein.

With a pretty much insatiable appetite for everything these days, I was so excited when a friend emailed me the link to a fabulous gluten-free brownie recipe from Left on Amelia via Elana’s Pantry. This friend is also pregnant, so I was thrilled to try it out after her rave reviews!

They’re pretty genius (not to mention delicious). You take a whole 16-ounce jar of almond butter and mix it with a few other more traditional brownie ingredients and bake it for half an hour. What you get is a super decadent, creamy, gooey, fudgey brownie that doesn’t contain any flour, refined sugar, dairy, or weird junk.

While in London, we made the brownies using the ingredients we could find in a nearby Tesco for a family dinner (peanut butter instead of almond butter, golden syrup instead of maple syrup). The results weren’t quite as gooey and creamy, so I’d really recommend sticking to the ingredients below – even if that means tracking them down online or at a specialty store.

Almond Butter vs Peanut Butter

While both contain a good source of monounsaturated fats, almonds are far more nutritious, containing plenty of vitamin E, calcium and magnesium, as well as many other minerals. They are also a great source of fiber and protein – I’m sure you’ve seen the many health articles telling you to snack on almonds. However, when it comes to nut butters, almond is my number one choice, especially if it’s a natural product (an easy way to determine this is if the ingredients list contains 1 or 2 items: almonds and maybe salt). However, if you love peanut butter, there is still a way to enjoy it healthily:

• Choose a PB that, again, contains only peanuts and maybe salt. Anything else on that ingredients list is there for preservation, consistency, and sweetness – all of which I find totally unnecessary.
• Keep your jar of natural peanut or almond butter in the fridge to preserve it for longer.
• Make sure you stir it up each time you use it – the layer of oil at the top of your jar is totally natural and contains healthy fats that you want!
• And if you like a bit of sweetness, add that yourself – using natural jams, jellies, honey, or bananas.

Try making your own! Almond butter is generally more expensive, so instead go to the bulk bins and load up a bag with raw unsalted almonds. Grind them in your food processor for several minutes until you get the consistency you want and store in the fridge. Cheap and cheerful!

And put that almond butter to use. Make these brownies whenever you’ve got a serious sweet tooth, but they won’t last long! Here’s my take on the recipe that Marla and Elana posted.

When did pasta become such a dinner staple in the US and the UK? Was it always the standby dinner for our parents and grandparents? I have a feeling it wasn’t until the last 50 years or so that people in these countries started eating pasta at home on a weekly basis (unless they came from Italian families of course).

And now, as gluten-free diets become more and more commonplace, pasta is turning up in different forms. Our household is no exception.

Phil and I have pasta about once a week. He loves making his own pasta sauce; I like coming up with interesting additions to the dish.

But one thing is constant: we use brown rice pasta.

I haven’t eaten wheat-based pasta for a long while now. I haven’t even had spelt pasta for a while (something we ate pretty regularly in the UK). And we really can’t tell the difference in texture or flavor! There is, however, a noticeable shift in the way we feel physically. Gone are the days of weighed down, bloated, over-stuffed bellies after a bowl of pasta. The brown rice-based versions leave us feeling lighter, our bellies happier.

And that is upgrade number one.

Here are some other ways you can upgrade your standard bowl of pasta, while still hanging onto that convenient midweek dinner option:

• Add Fresh Veggies. Choose one or two vegetables. Don’t boil them. Instead, steam or saute for just a few minutes, so that their color remains intact and they still have a bit of crunch. Bonus points if the veggies are in season!
  
• Add an Interesting Protein. Too often, a pasta dish is garnished with nothing more than a jar of sauce and some powdery parmesan. Give it a bit of oomph with some protein, in the form of eggs, organic chicken sausage, or tempeh crumbles (see recipe below).
• Spice it Up. All it takes is a few shakes of some spicy red pepper flakes, or a small red chili chopped up finely. Gone are the days of bland pasta for dinner.
• Keep it Zesty. Lemon zest can take a dish of pasta from boring to vibrant.
• When in Doubt, Add Olive Oil. If you’re going sauce-less, like the below recipe, extra olive oil is definitely your friend.
  
• Grate the Cheese Yourself. I urge you to never buy grated cheese from the supermarket. It’s dry, tasteless, and usually full of added preservatives. Instead, buy a chunk of some fresh parmesan or pecorino (I like Pecorino because it’s made from sheep milk yet still has the saltiness of Parmesan) and grate as needed. It will last FOREVER in your fridge (so don’t let the price tag scare you off).

Now, go forth and make dinner interesting!

I’ve got a pretty incredible spread to share with you. It’s as tasty as it is nutritious, a combination I strive for with every meal. It takes about 2 seconds to make and only involves 2 ingredients. In fact, I could barely call this recipe, but wanted to share it nonetheless.

As a pregnant lady, I’m especially interested in finding healthful recipes that will also give me some much needed nutrient boosters. Two nutrients in particular that expectant moms need are iron and calcium. “So pop a couple of vitamins and drink some milk!” I hear the average doctor recommend. Well… not so fast.

Iron

Iron is an essential mineral, carrying oxygen in the blood, which is especially important for women. Many women are iron-deficient, resulting in anemia, a condition that leaves you feeling tired, weak, irritable, nauseous, and constipated. Iron supplements are usually prescribed to correct this imbalance. However, they are hard for the body to assimilate and shouldn’t take the place of consuming plenty of food-based iron sources. Vitamin C can also help your body to absorb iron, so taking about 500mg of C along with your daily dose of iron (whether in supplement or food form) can make a world of difference. Dairy and caffeine tend to inhibit iron absorption as well, so if you are anemic be aware of your dairy and caffeine consumption, taking them at separate times of day or decreasing them altogether. If you do decide to take an iron supplement, ensure that it is a chelated form, and pay attention to its effects on your body – if you experience nausea or constipation, stop taking them and stick to food and herb sources of iron, as below.

Iron-rich foods:

• Dark leafy green vegetables
• Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, figs, prunes, currants, cherries)
• Blackstrap molasses
• Sea vegetables
• Beans & Legumes
• Whole grains
• Eggs
• Red meat
• Liver
• Herbs (nettle, dandelion, yellow dock, alfalfa, fennel)

Calcium

Forget everything you think you know about calcium. Drinking milk all day long will not make you the calcium queen. Milk is difficult to digest for the majority of the world, so the calcium absorption the body receives is minimal. However, this mineral is crucial to good health, not just in pregnancy. Not only is it essential for the health of your bones, it can also help to reduce incidences of anxiety and insomnia. As with iron, caffeine inhibits calcium absorption, so if you know you are deficient, try reducing your caffeine intake.

Calcium-rich foods:

• Hard cheeses
• Unhulled sesame seeds
• Yogurt
• Leafy green vegetables
• Almonds
• Sea vegetables
• Salmon
• Blackstrap molasses
• Herbs (alfalfa, red raspberry leaf, nettle, chamomile, dandelion)

My great friend Gabriela told me about this concoction when I first told her about my pregnancy. She is so passionate about health and motherhood, I just knew she’d have some wonderful advice to share. This spread is quick and easy, satisfying some much needed sweetness and creaminess cravings on toast, banana bread, cornbread… whatever your heart desires!

Tahini Molasses Spread

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses

Stir up the tahini well before mixing with the molasses in a small dish. Stir it up good! Then spread it wherever you’d normally have nut butter or jam… I’m partial to gluten-free toast these days.

I personally can’t wait for this Sunday’s main event – watching all the overpriced commercials and picking my favorite. Oh and the football game too.

In the last few years, however, since I was living in London and they show the game live, which means it goes on far too late for me and my sleepy head, I’ve been more excited about having people over for chili and cornbread. It’s a great excuse to invite friends over and share a casual meal – something that requires very little effort on your part and produces tasty results.

I’ve posted about Superbowl parties I’ve had before, but decided to re-post the recipes here with some tweaks I’ve made over the years and will be using this Sunday.

Have a fabulous Super Bowl Sunday everyone and enjoy the day!

Gluten-Free Vegan Cornbread

Adapted from Veganomicon

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut or almond milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup gluten-free flour mix (like Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or honey
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Either use a cast-iron skillet or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. Combine the milk and vinegar in a jug and set aside to curdle.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the milk mixture and oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix together until just combined. Some lumps are okay.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted through the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.

Cocoa-Coconut Chili

Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp hot chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 15-oz cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• tabasco, to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• lime wedges, to serve

1. In a large pot, add oil, onion, celery, pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and allspice, and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if onions or garlic starts to burn.
2. When onions start to soften, add cocoa powder and stir for 1-2 minutes, then add tomatoes, beans, coconut milk, and coconut, and stir to combine. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in corn kernels and cook another 5 minutes to heat through. Remove cover to let liquid reduce if desired. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze on generous amounts of juice.