If there is one thing I have been very grateful for these last few months of lockdown, it is that I have a filled art box that we used to pull out about once a week for Baby Zand to do a fun project with. Now it's pretty much a daily occurrence. What else are we going to do while stuck at home for months and months? Well, this week we used up the last paint and we took a trip to Michael's to stock up for the next months of homeschooling. And guess what, Christmas decorations

In these times of complete chaos around health I find it soothing to go back to the basics; taking care of myself and my family with the healing foods I cook. The ancient health system of Ayurveda is 5000 years old and they got so many things so right. Using spices such as turmeric to boost our immune system is genius and super easy! Turmeric is featured a lot on this blog (in the Golden Quinoa Muffins, Turmeric Coconut Latte, and the Holiday Nuts) but this "Butter" Cauliflow

Summer days are still here, and with it the need for cooling foods that are super easy to prepare. Let me introduce you to my newest obsession: this creamy, chilled cucumber avocado soup. It's sooooo good. The texture is dreamy, exactly what you would expect from a creamy soup. The flavor is subtle yet delicious. And it fills you up without making you feel heavy and extremely full, so that you can be light on your feet this summer, and return to fun in the sun. You can prepar

It's not a secret that I am slightly obsessed with Cafe Umami in Oakland. The combination of flavors hits you like a bomb every time, the bowls are super healthy and balanced the way I love it, and the little cafe is a cute haven from the busy Oakland streets. Today's bowl is an effort to make a Umami bowl at home - super quick, and super delicious. Yes, it looks like a long list, but I promise you it takes less than 30 minutes to assemble everything. All you need is leftover

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I came back from our holiday with hives all over my body. I am not sure if it was stress, jetlag, sleep deprivation, pollution, exposure to other chemicals or pesticides or whatever else. Either way, I have been scratching myself bloody every night - not the most pleasant thing in the world! As soon as we landed, I knew what I had to do. I had to cut back on a lot of foods to just give my body some time to heal itself. And that mea

Tamarind is a very sour, tropical fruit that grows in little pods, and is used in cooking all around the world. It can be used for both savory dishes such as chutneys and pickling, and sweet dishes such as drinks and desserts. The most amazing fact about tamarind is that it is high in calcium - unlike most fruit. That is great for anyone who can't or doesn't want to eat dairy, and keeps getting asked where they get their calcium from :-). I love the taste of tamarind, especia

I have been down for almost a week with a pinched nerve in my back, barely able to move, let alone stand in the kitchen to cook food. So it's been smoothies and blended soups here to keep us going. And in the meantime, I am rolling on foam rollers, balls, and massaging myself to better mobility again :-). Preparation time: 40 minutes Makes 2 main or 4 side servings: For the soup: 1 leek, sliced thinly all the way with the greens 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 medium sized po

Stews and soups are my go-to recipes right now. I make them in big batches, then eat them for days. Plus, there is no reason you can't reinvent them for new meals, so it doesn't get boring. For example, one day I serve this chili with the cornbread, then I mix it with quinoa the next day, and on the last day I top it with mango slaw. Delicious and easy! This recipe makes enough for 4 servings, but you can easily double the recipe for more leftovers :-) Preparation time: 1 hou

After all the treats from various Halloween parties, let's nourish our body with a comforting, grounding bowl filled with goodness. And the best part: it only takes 15 minutes to throw together! Perfect for a busy evening when dinner needs to be on the table ASAP. In case you are new to the blog, welcome! As you will notice in many recipes, I never just cook a grain or a bean for one recipe. I prepare these in bigger batches for the week, so that then throwing together wholes

Summer is starting to fade, I can just tell! The sun rises later in the morning while I am exercising, in the evenings I need a sweater, and our veggie garden is starting to empty out. But summer BBQs are still abundant in our back yard, and this mango slaw is super simple to throw together for a crunchy, fresh side. You can make big portions of this, and prepare it a few hours ahead of time if you have a big party coming up. Just keep it in the fridge to let it marinate. Pre

I just got back from a very quick trip to Hong Kong - a wonderful sister weekend to chat non stop, to eat, to wander the streets, and to reminisce about our childhood in this crazy city. We realized the first time we arrived in Hong Kong was 26 years ago! That made me feel so old, when I feel like 15 most days. Being on ground for just a bit more than 48 hours meant that there was a huge mess up of my inner clock. Coming back and immediately taking over the household, Baby Za

Today I am going to share my favorite, easiest way to prepare nutrient dense soups in a matter of minutes. Blended vegetable soups is literally how we survive all winter long. All you need is a vegetable of your choice - for example carrots - and some kind of broth. You throw these together in a pot, bring to a simmer until the carrots are soft, then blend them, and season with salt and pepper. These soups are not fancy, but are super easy to prepare, and bring a lot of warmt

I didn't want to make anymore dishes this year where tomatoes have to shine, but there are still so many amazing tomatoes at the market right now. And to make the most of these last ones of the season, I have turned them into this super easy roasted tomato salsa. It is so good, you will just want to just stand in the kitchen and spoon it. It's loosely based on the Mexican restaurant Chevys here in the Bay Area, where my husband used to work as a teenager. He loves their salsa

We got a new dog a week ago! This was a huge decision, since it means having another baby in the house. And it also means saying goodbye to our cat TwoShoes. He went missing 2 months ago, and we miss him every day. We were hoping with a new puppy in the house, we would fill that empty space. So... meet Haigo, our 13 week old puppy. We are currently potty training him, and making sure Baby Zand doesn't forget she already IS potty trained. Needless to say, our house smells of p

I loooooove falafel. Not the deep fried, burnt tasting kind, but the crispy on the outside, juicy and herby on the inside ones. I love mine baked (check out my fabulously easy recipe here), but don't mind to eat a fried one once in while, if they are done well. But nothing compares to these falafel crackers! The chickpea flour, the cumin, the parsley, the garlic; it all blends to make a delicious falafel tasting cracker, which you can use for dips (like hummus!), as a bread s

This is not a recipe you decide to whip up from scratch. This is very much a recipe made with leftovers! Specifically, leftover grilled corn on the cob. BBQ season is in full swing, and I actually like to have plenty of leftovers to throw on salads throughout the week. Hello, yummy grilled asparagus or romaine lettuce! But what about all that leftover corn?!? I love corn, and try to get my hands on as many organic cobs as possible all summer long. But eating cold corn on the

Burgers and BBQs are summer staples. As soon as you eat more plant-based though, you are kind of left out of the fun. I mean you can only eat so many corn on the cobs until they come out of your ears. And sometimes you just really want a juicy burger to bite into. Taadaa... my brown rice burger patties are the perfect substitute. Let me be frank, if you are a hardcore meat burger lover, you are probably not going to appreciate this patty. This is for those of you who have giv

Do you crave warming comfort food, too as soon as the temperatures drop? I need creamy, warm deliciousness for every meal. I start my days with warming oatmeals - check out the free Warming Breakfasts eBook for yummy ideas! And lunch and dinner are alway a combination of leafy salads with warming bowls, like this curried quinoa. Coconut milk makes it creamy, Indian spices make the dish warming, and chili gives it just the right amount of kick. If you have read my food prep ti

Summer, sunshine, salsa… the three s that are meant to go together! Salsa is so extremely versatile, since you can dip corn chips or veggie sticks into it, spread it on crackers or bread, and my favorite: top your lunch bowls with it. Quinoa bowl topped with salsa? Delicious! Summer corn salad with a side of salsa? Yes please! Take your guacamole to the next level by mixing in the salsa? Genius! In this salsa I combined fruity tomato with sweet mango and spicy chili to get th

For the first recipe of the year, let's make something filling and delicious, but also healthy and light. You will get back into a healthier routine after the holidays, but also not feel like you are depriving yourself. This is my favorite go to side dish. I make it most weeks in big batches, and then eat from it all week long. It’s the perfect warm side dish, and also works as a cold salad. Use white and black sesame seeds for a nice color combo! Preparation time: 20 minutes

Halloween is just around the corner, so here is a little round up of my favorite healthy Halloween treats. I have served these over the years at our annual Halloween parties, as well as special Halloween fitness classes. Halloween doesn’t mean you have to throw all your healthy resolutions over board. Give these a try! Crooked apple teeth You can keep the almond slices raw or toast them slightly to make them look more browned and ugly :-) Preparation time: 5 minutes apple alm