Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups chickpea flour
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp baking soda
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbs olive oil, plus olive oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease muffin tins.
2. In a medium saute pan, saute the onion for 5 minutes with salt and pepper, add in the peppers and mushrooms next and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally add the garlic in until fragrant.
3. Turn off the flame and allow the mix to cool for 5 minutes
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, water, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, baking soda and lemon juice.
5. Stir in the vegetable mix now as well. Make sure the batter is evenly  mixed. Poor into the greased muffing tray and bake for 30-35 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the  tray. 

Ingredients:

• 2 large broccoli heads, separated into florets with stems
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup Gluten-Free panko (Japanese bread flakes)
• 3 tablespoons roasted pine nuts
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the broccoli florets with stems on two sheet pans. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of EVOO, salt and pepper. Toss well, and spread in one layer on each pan. Roast for 15 minutes until crisp-tender and the edges are starting to brown.
3. In a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute (do not brown). Add the panko, tossing to coat in the oil. Cook until the panko is golden brown. Take off the stove, and add the pine nuts and lemon zest.
4. Place the roasted broccoli on a serving dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, then the panko mixture, and toss well. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 6 apples, peeled and chopped (your choice of apple, I used organic Pink Ladies)
• ¼  teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you like cinnamon like we do)
• About ½ cup of water to cover the bottom of pot

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a pot on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover with lid. 
2. Simmer apples for about 20 minutes or until soft. The smaller the pieces of chopped apple the faster cook time. 
3. Remove from heat and mash with potato masher for chunkier applesauce, or put in a food processor or blender for smoother texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Brussel Sprouts, halved
• 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
• 2 Tbs Grainy Mustard
• 2 Tbs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbs Honey

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425F
2. Toss brussel sprouts with olive oil and salt in a roasting pan. Roast stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
3. Stir together mustard, cider vinegar and honey ands toss the mixture with hot brussel sprouts.  Serve immediately.

One place where it is easy to shop for
healthy and inexpensive foods is Trader Joe’s. I love going there and get some
staples for my Smart Life kitchen. I always find new products that I can share
with my clients. Here is my top 15 from Trader Joe’s:

• Green Goddess Salad Dressing:  Delicious and flavorful low calorie, low fat, low carb dressing.  When you don’t have time to make your own, this is a good choice for a ready-made dressing.  It is also nice for dipping your crudité veggies for afternoon snack.

• Seasonings: The Chile-Lime Seasoning Blend adds flavor and a nice kick to any raw veggie. Also great to sprinkle on chicken or shrimp. Great seasoning for taco ground meat. I also like the Everything But the Bagel seasoning blend to sprinkle on raw veggies, eggs, salads, and just about EVERYTHING I eat. I add the Mushroom Umami Seasoning blend to cooked or roasted veggies including mushrooms.

• Jicama Sticks: Ready to eat crudité veggie that is packed with fiber and is delicious with a sprinkle of the chile-lime seasoning blend or the green goddess salad dressing.

• Organic Spicy Avocado Hummus:  This is a delicious organic hummus that is low in fat compared to traditional brands.  Serving size is 2 Tablespoons but it goes a long way when you eat with your salad or crudité veggies. I also like it as a spread over GG crackers.

• Organic Cucumbers: Enjoy these with the skin for more nutrients and fiber. These are my favorite veggie and they add hydration to your day. I enjoy them for snack and in my salads.

• Toasted Sesame Oil a tiny drop adds flavor and umami to any marinate/dressing. It makes everything taste like a warm and delicious Asian food.
• Coconut Aminos Skip the soy sauce and reach for coconut aminos. Most soy sauces are filled with highly processed ingredients many of them have been genetically modified. It’s also loaded with sodium. Coconut aminos is an excellent organic alternative that is both gluten and soy free.

• Dijon Mustard always stock on great tasting Dijon mustard to mix into home made salad dressings. I use it to brush over fish fillets and add some herbs and bake.

• Traditional Tunisian Harrisa Paste you can use this paste to add to cooked tomatoes and greens as a base for Shakshuka (Mediterranean Egg dish, see the recipe on my website). This is also great to any tomato based cooking dish that goes well with some Mediterranean flavors and spices.

• Frozen Organic Green Vegetable Foursome excellent combination of green veggies to steam for a fiber rich side dish.

• Frozen Organic Rainbow Cauliflower for cauliflower lovers this mix is heavenly for a steamed healthy side dish. It can also be used for cauliflower soup.

• Fresh Organic Berries are my favorite fruit and the best choice for fiber rich plus tons of antioxidants. Berries are also on the top of the list of the “Dirty Dozen” so the organic choice at Trader Joe’s is the smart choice.

• Chosen Foods Organic Avocado Oil is a healthy cooking oil with a very high smoke point that is good for high-temperature cooking. It can be used for stir-frying, sautéing, or searing. Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids and good levels of antioxidants and many other nutritional compounds.
• Organic Olive Oil Spray this is best for those who need better control for how much oil they use. Great choice for making eggs.

• Steamed Ready to Eat Lentils are the best for those with busy schedules and little time to cook. Lentils can be enjoyed many ways — on a salad, in soup, or even just on their own. These legumes clock in at 18 grams of protein per cup. Plus, they also contain a good amount of fiber and minerals, including iron and magnesium, as well as antioxidants and B vitamins.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds mushrooms ( I like to use medium size crimini or small size portobello caps)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons tamari (or coconut aminos)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Toss the mushrooms in the oil, balsamic vinegar, tamari sauce, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
2. Arrange in a single layer on a baking pan and roast in preheated 400F oven until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes, mixing half way through.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium size tomatoes
• 2 cups cooked black lentils (can replace with black beans)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (can replace with millet)
• 4 cups mushrooms (button, cremini or shitake), very finely chopped
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro
• ½ jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (use less for milder taste)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Ground pepper, to taste
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
• Optional: grated cheese (I use vegan mozzarella by VioLife to keep the dish vegan).

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the top from the tomatoes and empty the insides.
3. To make filling, sauté mushrooms and garlic in ¼ cup vegetable broth over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until fully cooked. If needed, add additional broth while cooking.
4. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stir in mushrooms and garlic.
5. Spoon filling into tomatoes, pressing down mixture slightly.
6. Sprinkle cheese on top of each tomato.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and enjoy!

This filling can be used with tomatoes, acorn squash, zucchini or peppers.

Here is a new Grilled Zucchini recipe that my family and guests have been enjoying this season.

Ingredients:

• 6 Zucchinis, sliced lengthwise
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tablespoons roasted pine nuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat
   grill to medium-high.
2. Cut
   zucchinis lengthwise and brush with EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill,
   turning once, until tender, about 6 minutes.
3. Mix
   chopped seeded tomatoes, with mint, EVOO, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in
   small bowl. Top the tomato-mint relish over grilled zucchini. Sprinkle with
   roasted pine nuts (optional).

If you have been following recent published research in nutrition, nutrition blogs, and the news, you already know that following a plant-based diet has the best outcomes when it comes to long term health and longevity.  Summer is the best time to upgrade your veggie intake and explore new vegetables when the farmers markets and produce sections of the supermarkets are filled with fresh and colorful veggies and fruits.

I recommend making sure you are eating some organic raw veggies every day as they are rich in fiber, antioxidants and flavor. Summer is a great time to eat vitamin-C rich fruits and veggies, like red peppers, berries and oranges, together with your dark green iron-rich salad greens. Combining vitamin C with iron-rich greens, makes for better absorption of iron.

Roasting Veggies

When it comes to oven roasting veggies, I recommend using parchment paper rather than foil. Recent research suggests that when we use aluminum foil during cooking, some aluminum leaches into food. Leaching increases with higher heat (roasting and broiling) and acidity (tomatoes, vinegar, vitamin C–rich produce).

Is aluminum leaching into food bad? Maybe. The average person consumes between 7 and 9 milligrams of aluminum each day through diet. The Food and Drug Administration considers such levels generally safe, however, the Center for Disease Control’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry suggests that consuming higher levels of aluminum than average may be linked to nervous system, brain, and bone diseases.

So, although some aluminum in the diet is inevitable, keep exposure minimal with simple changes such as switching to parchment paper over foil when roasting. You can use my Smart Life guide to Roasting Veggies to learn my tips for time and seasoning your roasted veggies.

Grilling Veggies

When it come to grilling veggies, the best is to
combine the veggies in large bowl with cold-pressed organic olive oil, salt, and
pepper. Spray your grill with olive oil or avocado oil and spread the veggies
on a grill pan. Close
the grill and cook on medium-high for 6-8 minutes, or until vegetables are
browned.

Here is a new Grilled Zucchini recipe that my family and guests have been enjoying this season.

Certain plant foods contain significantly more protein than others so if you’re concerned about how eating more a vegetarian diet might lack sufficient protein, here’s my recommendations for plant-based sources of protein.

1. Mix hemp hearts, which are a complete plant-based protein, into smoothies or toss them on top of salads, soups are wraps.

2. Love lentils!
They come in several colors and can be used in salads, soups, or on top of
roasted veggies.

3. Replace your rice with quinoa, another complete
plant-based protein.

4. Enjoy edamame in salads, soups, and snacks. Like
hemp and quinoa, it’s a complete protein and it provides 18-22 grams of protein
per cup.

5. Enjoy chia seeds in puddings or oatmeal. These
protein-rich seeds take any flavors you throw at them.

6. Toss your home-popped organic popcorn with nutritional
yeast, a cheesy substitute for dairy that offers 8-10 grams of
protein per 2 tablespoons.

7. Sneak spirulina into your smoothies.  It is an excellent source of protein plus an
impressive range of vitamins and minerals. When added to a smoothie, it won’t
change the taste and it will brighten your greens.

8. Replace store-bought chips or crackers with roasted
chickpeas.  They are amazing
over salads, soups, and stews.

9. Use unsweetened organic nut butter as a spread
on gluten-free breads, wraps, crudité veggies, or fresh dates.

10.Use unsweetened pea milk (try Ripple
Unsweetened) for your smoothies or morning high-fiber cereal bowl.