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Thanksgiving Wild Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups organic wild rice blend
  • 1 small organic leek, chopped and rinse well
  • 2 organic carrot, grated
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup organic dried cranberries
  • 3 cups organic low sodium vegetable stock or water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3-6 sprigs of a mix of organic fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano 
  • Tbsp organic dried oregano
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste

Directions:

1. Heat up a large deep skillet or pot over medium low flame. Add a splash of water (or a drizzle of olive oil) and the chopped leeks. Saute the leeks with a pinch of sea salt until translucent.

2. Stir in the grated carrots, herb sprigs, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Add the wild rice mix and stir well to combine. Allow it to toast together with the aromatics for a couple of minutes.

3. Add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, then add the vegetable stock (or water). Stir and taste for seasonings. Add more sea salt to your taste if desired.

4. Bring the rice to a simmer, cover with a tight lid and cook on low flame for 50 minutes.

5. Turn off the flame but do not remove the lid. Allow the rice to sit covered for 10 to 15 minutes and continue cooking in its own steam.

6. Discard the bay leaves and the woody sprigs from the herbs. Use a fork and gently fluff up the rice.

7. Serve warm or cold garnished with more cranberries and more fresh herbs.




“General Tso” Sticky Tofu

Ingredients:

  • 1 package organic extra firm tofu, drained
  • 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch or Arrowroot (Arrowroot flour is a gluten-free substitute for cornstarch)

Sauce:

Whisk together:

  • 4 Tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoon hot chili sauce or sriracha
  • 2 Teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • red chili pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

  1. Remove tofu from packaging, place on a plate and add plates on top to squeeze out all the water. Cut into cubes (1- 1.5 inches)
  2. Add cornstarch to a bowl, roll each tofu cube in it. 
  3. Heat oil on medium in non-stick pan, and once oil is hot, add tofu and fry until golden and crispy- about 6-8 minutes eat side, turning occasionally so all sides are crispy.
  4. Remove crispy tofu cubes to a plate with paper towels to get excess oil. Remove the pan from heat and clean off the excess oil.
  5. Return pan to the stove and pour in the sauce. Heat the sauce a little and add the tofu cubes. Stir until all cubes are evenly coated in the sauce. The sauce will thicken. 



One-Pot Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas & Herbs

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons avocado oil (or grapeseed oil)
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds (or one teaspoon ground cumin)
  • 1 Tablespoon Baharat Spice Blend or Hawaij Spice Blend 
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • 2 cups Basmati rice, rinsed
  • 2 bunches parsley or cilantro (or one bunch of each)
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix together in a small bowl the oil, cumin seeds, Hawaij spice, salt and pepper.
  3. Rinse the rice and place in a large skillet. Top with the chopped onion, chopped herbs, rinsed chickpeas, and half of the spiced oil mixture. Add the 3 cups of boiling water and mix together.
  4. Add the chicken thighs on top of the rice and brush the chicken with the remaining spiced oil mixture.
  5. Cover the pot and bake in the oven for 50 minutes.
  6. Uncover and bake for extra 10 minutes until chicken thighs are browned.



Baked Salmon with Fennel and Herbed Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces of salmon
  • 4 fennel bulbs, quartered

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh Thyme, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh Rosemary, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Brush a baking dish with olive oil and place the salmon pieces and fennel bulbs.
  3. Brush the fish and fennel with the herbed dressing.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes. Roast for 2-3 additional minutes.



Chickpea Patties

These chickpea patties are made with simple ingredients and easy prep. They are gluten free and dairy free. They pair well with tahini dressing and chopped vegetable salad.

Ingredients:

  • 1 15-ounce canned chickpea rinsed, drained
  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, flour, nutritional yeas, parsley, cumin, salt, pepper. Add 3 Tablespoons water and use a masher to combine the ingredients until they are well blended.
  2. Form 6 patties from the mixture.
  3. Heat a large pan with oil and add the patties. Cook until browned, 3-5 minutes per side.
  4. Serve with tahini or any other sauce of choice.



Lemon-Miso Grilled Tofu

Tofu Grilling Tips

Use firm, or if possible, extra-firm tofu, and always press your tofu very well before grilling. This removes a lot of the water that is naturally in tofu and will allow it to grill better. 

Ingredients:

  • One 14-ounce block extra firm tofu
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon white miso
  • 2 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional) 

Directions:

  1. Prepare the tofu by pressing all the water out. Slice into 6-8 rectangles.
  2. Whisk together the lemon juice, miso, avocado oil, garlic and black pepper. Pour 2/3 of the marinate over the tofu and let marinate for 30 minutes or longer. 
  3. Grill the tofu approximately 5 minutes on each side.
  4. Top with reserved marinate and chopped parsley and serve.



Grilled Zucchini with Tomato-Mint Relish

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).



Smart Life Vegan Lasagna

Ingredients 

  • 1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced 
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced  
  • 2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced 
  • 2 cups organic tomato sauce (“Ugly” from @ourharvest) 
  • 1 cup Feta cheese, shredded (use Violife feta for dairy-free) 
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free Panko  
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • Olive oil 
  • Fresh herbs 

Directions 

  1. Peel and slice the eggplant, season with salt and leave to “sweat” for 30 min. Wipe the salt off. Arrange the eggplant slices on a lined cooking sheet, brush with olive oil and roast lightly in oven at 400 degrees. 
  2. Brush a baking dish with olive oil and make first layer with roasted eggplant. Next layer the zucchini slices, brush with olive oil. Next layer with sliced tomatoes. Use salt and pepper to taste as you add the zucchini and tomatoes.
  3. Add tomatoes sauce over the veggies and cover with tin foil. Bake covered at 400 for 30 minute. 
  4. Uncover, top the veggie bake with shredded feta and Panko. Return to oven and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes. 
  5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with your favorite green herb before serving. 



Grilled Whole Fish

Branzini, Porgy, Arctic Char, Red Snapper and Sea Bass all turn out amazing with this simple approach to grilled whole fish – a healthy and delicious dinner option for family or guests!

Here are some tips you will find helpful for grilling a whole fish if you never tried it before:

  • First, Whole Foods and some other grocery stores will prepare your fish for you, doing the descaling and cleaning while you wait so you don’t have to mess around with that at home. Make sure you ask about this at your local fish market!
  • Second, I always try to cook a whole fish within a day of purchasing it, preferably the day of, because fish really is so much better fresh, not frozen.
  • Third, DON’T PUT YOUR FISH ON THE GRILL STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FRIDGE. A cold fish is more likely to stick to the grill. You want to pull your fish out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes while you are heating the grill and prepping lemons and garlic, as when you cook a steak.
  • Finally, grilling on an outdoor grill is amazing in Summer, but you can also grill whole fish on a rack in your oven using same recipe, and they will come out just as delicious.

Ingredients for the Fish:

  • 2 whole fish (1-1.5lbs each), scaled and gutted
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1/2 lemons, sliced into discs
  • 1-2 sprigs oregano or thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Ingredients for the Oregano Infused Oil for drizzle:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 sprig oregano

Preparation:

  1. Remove your fish from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Lightly drizzle the fish all over with the olive oil and season generously, inside and out, with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stuff the cavity of the fish with the lemon discs, garlic cloves, and oregano or thyme sprigs. Sprinkle with dried oregano.
  3. Grill your fish!
    • If using a grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and use tongs to brush the cleaned, preheated grill grates with an oil drenched paper towel. Carefully transfer the fish to the grill so the aromatics don’t fall out and grill for 6-8 minutes over medium-high heat, without moving the fish. When the first side is lightly charred on the bottom and the skin releases easily from the grill, flip the fish over and grill until cooked through and the flesh is white throughout, another 6-8 minutes.
    • If cooking in the oven: Prep a rack over a baking sheet and heat your oven to 420 degrees on Roast or Convection Roast. Place the fish on the rack and roast for 18-20 minutes, without flipping the fish over. While the fish is cooking, combine the ingredients for the infused olive oil in a small sauté pan and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Carefully remove the fish from the grill or oven and place on a platter. Drizzle with the oregano infused olive oil and serve with fresh lemon wedges.



Fennel and Orange Fish Fillet en Papillote

Ingredients

  • 2 white fish fillets (haddock, cod, snapper, sole, flounder)
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 2-3 cups chopped lacinto kale
  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
  • Parchment paper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Lay out one large sheet of parchment paper, fold in half and open flat. Place kale and fennel at the center of the paper and drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Top the veggies with fish fillet, season with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Top with 2 slices of orange and splash of white wine. Fold over the ends of the parchment paper to enclose the fish. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  4. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.