Yield: 4-5 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 2 lbs. large peeled and deveined shrimp

Marinate Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the marinate.
2. Add the shrimp and artichoke hearts to the marinate and toss well. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Use a nonstick grill topper to grill the shrimp over medium heat. Grill for 5-8 minutes.

This enzyme-rich yogurt supports a healthy gut, while also benefiting the body through bone-boosting calcium, muscle supporting magnesium and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidant-rich berries boost the nutrition and flavor profile of the dish, but feel free to get creative with your layers – healthy granola, cacao nibs, or any type of fresh fruit you wish would all taste delicious.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 package young thai coconut meat OR 1 young thai coconut; remove meat from inside
• ¼ cup cashew milk
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon coconut nectar or raw maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• Selection of fresh berries or another desired fruit and granola for layering.

Directions:

Blend together cashew milk, coconut meat, lemon juice, sweetener and pinch of until smooth and creamy.

Take a parfait glass and layer the following:

1.  Berries
2.  Coconut meat cream
3. Granola
4. More berries; blueberries, raspberries, and or blackberries
5.  Finish with a sprinkle of coconut shreds.

*thanks to RANCH in Malibu for the recipe.  I spent a week there and loved this breakfast dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 5oz. filled cod or halibut
• 3 cups low sodium organic vegetable broth
• 4 Tablespoons chopped leek
• 4 Tablespoons chopped mushrooms
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tablespoons white miso paste
• ½ cup of warm water
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 Tablespoons chives, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring vegetable broth leeks and mushrooms to a simmer in a pot
2. Sprinkle fish fillets with sea salt and pepper
3. In a small bowl, whisk the white miso paste with warm water until miso is fully dissolved. Add miso mixture to the simmering broth/leeks/mushroom mixture and bring back to a simmer.
4. Add fish, wait until mixture returns to gentle simmer and add the lemon juice
5. Cook about 5 to 7 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
6. Garnish with chopped chives and enjoy with steamed brown rice or quinoa.

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsweetened nut milk (almond, coconut, cashew) – calcium
• 2 cups dandelion greens – liver support
• 1 cup spinach – alkalizing, iron
• 2 Tablespoons parsley – liver support
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice – alkalizing and liver support
• 2 Tablespoons flaxseed – regulates estrogen
• 1 teaspoon camu – vitamin C
• 1 Tablespoons pecans – fats and fiber
• 2 Tablespoons nut butter – fat and protein
• 1 Tablespoon raw maple syrup – polyphenol antioxidants

Directions

Blend all ingredients in blender and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup raw almonds
• 2 tbs chia seeds
• 2 tbs hemp seeds
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ¾ cup creamy raw almond butter or peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons coarse coconut flakes to coat

Directions:

1. In a food processor fitted with the ‘s’ blade, grind the almonds until finely ground.
2. Add the chia seeds and hemp seeds and grind to a fine meal.
3. Add the pitted dates, the cranberries and nut butter and blend until mixture is evenly combined.
4. Spread the mixture on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Press firmly down for an even layer and freeze for 30 minutes to set.
5. Take the mixture out of freeze and form into balls (wet hands to roll) and roll in the coconut flakes.
6. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tahini sesame seed paste (made from light colored seeds)
• 3/4 cup lukewarm water, or more for consistency
• 3 cloves raw garlic (or 5 cloves roasted garlic)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp fine ground sea salt (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Directions:

1. Grind sesame seed paste, lukewarm water, garlic, lemon juice and salt together in a food processor or blender till sauce is creamy and ivory-colored.
2. A food processor is the easiest way to make this sauce; scrape the sides of the processor periodically during processing. If using a blender, you may need to use a long-handled spoon to break up the thick part of the sauce once every 30 seconds; this will keep it from clogging your blender blades.
3. After a few minutes of blending, sauce will turn into a rich, smooth paste. If mixture is too thick, slowly add more water until it reaches the preferred consistency. You may need quite a bit of water depending on the thickness of your tahini paste.
4. If using tahini to top hummus or a meat dish, keep it thick and creamy. As a condiment for pita or falafel or a salad dressing, a more liquid sauce is usually preferred. Taste often during the blending process; add more lemon juice or salt, if desired.

Ingredients:

• 1 12 ounce bag organic dark chocolate chips
• 1 12 ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder
• 2/3 cup creamy nut butter (almond or cashew or peanut)
• 2 tablespoon dark maple syrup (or honey)

Directions:

1. Line mini muffin pan with liners.
2. Combine both types of chocolate chips in bowl and add 1 tsp coconut oil. Melt half of the chips in microwave or over stove using double broiler. Stir well. Don’t over cook.
3. Fill each liner about 1/3 way with chocolate and place in freezer.
4. Blend together in blender the matcha, nut butter and maple syrup.
5. Roll mixture into small flat balls and top the dark chocolate in each muffin tin.
6. Melt the remaining half of the chocolate chips with 1 tsp. of coconut oil the same as before and top off each cup.
7. Place in freezer for 30 minutes and then sprinkle with matcha and enjoy. You can store in airtight container in freezer for 2 months.

*adapted from The Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu

Ingredients

• 2 cups soaked raw sunflower seeds
• ½ inch fresh ginger
• 1 Tablespoon tahini paste or cashew butter
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon fresh dill
• 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped celery
• Chopped scallions (optional)

Directions

1. Blend together by pulsing the sunflower seeds, ginger, tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill, and shallot.
2. Mix in the celery and scallions.
3. Enjoy with lettuce, sprouts and veggie sticks rolled in a raw veggie wrapveggie wrap or on top of a green salad.

When the cold seasons come around, it’s natural to crave heavier or more “comforting” foods. During the winter months, we shift to a phase of hibernation when all those light, delicious raw foods—including fruit, fresh veggies and big green salads – may not be enough to satisfy us. This is because for thousands of years this craving for more calorie dense and heavier foods kept humans alive during harsh winters when food became scarce. One of the things that I advocate with Smart Life clients is actually adjusting what you eat according to the seasons. If you crave warm foods during this time, you can get plenty of them, but eating grounding, hot and savory food doesn’t have to translate to packing on the pounds!

My Smart Life eating plan can be adapted to every season. Eating well is not about perfection. We are human, so perfection is impossible. A better approach involves honoring your body and knowing what works best for you and just as importantly, what doesn’t work.

1. Balance Cooked and Raw Veggies for Maximum Benefit

While you may not crave as much raw foods, it’s good to still incorporate some raw/living nutrition into your diet, no matter how cold it is outside. You can get that by enjoying a green smoothie at room temperature rather than icy cold for breakfast or afternoon snack. Also, still have your salad and raw veggies before you dig into your hot meals or add warm veggies on top of cold salads. This can include roasted beets, steamed broccoli or sautéed lentils—in order to get some warmth without sacrificing the goodness of those enzymes and the hydrating effects a salad has on your body.

2. Soups Loaded with Vegetables are Warming and Filling.

Soups, which I love, give you more digestible nutrients, and create more satiety – you feel nourished, and in fact you are. Soups, especially the organic and vegan soups I create for the Smart Life soup cleanse, are filled with plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Moreover, because soups are easy-to-digest, all the organs like the liver and kidneys are given a little time off and they can work on disposing of toxins. These are some of my favorite winter soups:

Sweet Potato, Kale & Chickpea Soup

Lemon Chicken & Kale Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

3. Healthy Grains Can Be Warming and Satisfying:

Complex grains like brown rice, quinoa or buckwheat can be a comfort food when topped with steamed or roasted vegetables instead of heavy ingredients and filler that typically leave you feeling uncomfortable after eating. Alternatively, you can cook a pilaf of your favorite grain with chopped veggies.

Smart Life clients always enjoy this quick and easy recipe of Quinoa Pilaf

4. Warm-up with Warm Drinks

There’s no other time I hear that people are more susceptible to giving back in to the coffee or sugar-laden drinks from coffee shops than in the winter. The spicy warmth (or just the warmth!), calls to you when it’s cold, and it could feel nearly impossible to resist unless you have a few healthy recipe alternatives tucked away in your mind. I’m a BIG fan of hot tea and other hot beverages during the fall and winter months. Here are some great options:

Guilt Free Vegan Hot Chocolate

I have a recipe for a Guilt-Free Hot Chocolate make up of cashews, dates and raw cacao powder. It is simple and incredibly satisfying, especially on a cold night. Find the recipe here.

Hot Water with Lemon:

This is a staple in the Smart Life eating program, but it’s a good alternative to coffee first thing in the morning. It helps you detox, it’s warm, and the citrus helps perk you up.

Enjoy a warm smoothie:

Have a warm smoothie. Try my recipe here.

Spiced Apple Cider:

While I wouldn’t usually cook fruit juice or fruit, this is a nice treat occasionally, if you are really feeling like it. Get an organic, no sugar added apple juice and heat it on the stove at a low-medium temperature and blend in to taste some spices like: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, vanilla extract. Once warm, pour the spiced cider into a giant mug and add just a little raw honey (about ½ tsp), to sweeten it up.

Just like anything in life, preparation is key to staying lean and healthy especially during the holidays. As we’ve learned, while your body may crave warmer and more calorie-dense foods, that doesn’t mean you have to start holding on to more weight!

Living the Smart Life is all about listening and adapting to your body’s needs, including changes in the seasons. All you have to do is “trust and adjust”! Just as you ate lighter and more raw over the summer, you can shift to more cooked and savory items now that we’re in the cold seasons. As long as you keep it simple, clean, largely fiber-filled (i.e. plant-based)—you’ll be doing great! You may even emerge from the fall and winter months more fit than when they began.

Serves 6-8: Yields one 8-inch loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups uncooked red lentils (yields 4 to 4.5 cups cooked lentils)
• 5 ½ cups water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 3 cups cremini mushrooms (first measure whole, then finely chop)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
• ¾ cup flaxseed meal
• ½ cup raw walnut pieces
• ½ cup organic rolled oats
• ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano, or 2 tablespoons dried.
• Olive oil or coconut oil spray, for loaf pan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat 8-inch pan with coconut oil or olive oil cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large stockpot, combine the lentils and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 35 minutes, or until the lentils are a little mushy and slightly overcooked. Strain the lentils if needed.
3. In a separate large stockpot, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook for about 8 minutes (do not let the garlic brown). Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the chopped mushrooms and continue to cook over medium heat, until liquid evaporates, 6 to 8 minutes, then turn the heat off.
4. Add the lentils to the pot and then fold in well. Using a potato masher, slightly mash the lentils into the mixture. Let the mixture cool slightly, then add the balsamic vinegar, Bragg Liquid Aminos, and flaxseed meal. Fold in the oats, walnut pieces, and oregano.
5. Transfer the mushroom-lentil mixture to the prepared loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes, or until completely set and cooked through. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
6. Once the loaf is completely cool, transfer it to a clean work surface and slice it into 1 ½ inch pieces. Serve topped with chutney or barbecue sauce. Save the loaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.