This meal was a breeze to make in a single pan and it comes out so juicy, sweet and tangy!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless chicken breast, cut into thirds
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1 cup shredded brussels sprouts
• 1/3 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1-2 tablespoons capers
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Spices: garlic powder (1 tsp), paprika (1/2 tsp), kosher salt & black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika. Add a drizzle of olive oil and juice of half a lemon. Coat both sides with seasonings.
2. In a large non-stick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add diced onion, wait for it to sizzle for 1 minute, then reduce to low heat. Let onions caramelize for 5-7 minutes.
3. Increase heat to medium and add the chicken breasts. Cook on medium or medium high for a few minutes until one side of the chicken reaches a nice golden brown. Flip the chicken and reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Add the kale and brussels sprouts to the pan and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the juice of ½ a lemon. Let cook for about 5 minute or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked all the way through.
5. Sprinkle with capers all over, to taste. Enjoy!

This heartwarming, healthy soup will comfort you during the coldest wintery days. It is a bowl of nutrition that can stand as a full meal. Add your favorite herbs to this flavorful veggie soup.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup diced yellow onions
• ½ cup diced fennel
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• ½ cup diced zucchini
• ½ cup diced yellow squash
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chiffonade spinach or kale
• 1 cup canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Saute onions, fennel, celery and carrots until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash and cook 5 more minutes.
2. Add stock and herbs and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Add spinach or kale, beans, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Remove and discard bay leaf.

One of my favorite things about spring is the abundance of farmer’s market produce. This salad combines the freshest, most flavorful picks in one delicious bowl.

• 2 to 3 medium beets, red or golden
• 1 bunch young dandelion greens or watercress leaves, chopped
• ½ head radicchio, thinly sliced
• 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or flax seed oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Cut beets into quarters. Place in a steamer basket over 2 inches of water in a large pot set over high heat. Cover and steam until tender but firm, about 12 minutes.
2. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and dice them.
3. Combine the avocado, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small mixing bowl.
4. In a separate serving bowl, mix beets with all the remaining ingredients.
5. Toss together with the dressing mixture. Serve at once.

I love this super-easy recipe, not just because it tastes fantastic and uses local, in-season produce, but also because it takes just 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes or so to cook. You can make the rest of the meal while it bakes.

1 sweet potato
2 parsnips
2 carrots
2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga
1 daikon radish, or substitute/add in other favorites, like squash
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage, fresh if possible

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash and dice all vegetables into bite-size cubes.

Place in a large baking dish with sides.

Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking. Serves 4 to 6.

Tip: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

This  healthy, vegan, and gluten-free soup is one of the easiest soups to make. It is delicious, warming, and it helps me feel aligned with the Fall-Winter season. When I make it, I make sure to double the amounts and freeze half in smaller mason jars for lunch or dinner appetizers on wintery days when I crave that cozy, nurtured feeling.

• 2 butternut squash cut into 2” cubes
• 2 containers of organic vegetable broth (add more broth to cover vegetables)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 parsnips, sliced
• 1 large spanish onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• pinch of nutmeg
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, sauté diced onion and chopped carrots for about 3 minutes.

Add squash, parsnips and vegetable broth to cover vegetables. Bring to boil and lower heat immediately.

Add fresh sage, turmeric, nutmeg, sea salt and pepper to taste and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Let cool a bit and pour mixture into a blender (or use a hand blender) and pureé the soup until smooth.

Garnish with your favorite herb and pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Butternut squash contains many vital poly-phenolic anti-oxidants and vitamins. It is a rich source of dietary fiber and phyto-nutrients. Squash is one of the common low-calorie vegetables recommended by dieticians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. It is high in vitamin-A , providing about 354% of RDA. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin for good eye-sight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin A help the body protected against lung and oral cavity cancers.

It’s hard enough to get kids to eat healthy, especially at school when junk food or sugary snacks seem to magically sneak their way into the cafeteria. Try these easy, nutritious lunch box ideas that your kids will actually enjoy instead of toss in the trash.

1. Switch out the traditional unhealthy white bread sandwich for something a little more interesting. One of my favorites is a vegetarian bagel sandwich, which you can re-create each week with new toppings.

Bagel Sandwich
1 whole grain seeded bagel
¼ large ripe avocado, sliced
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon sprouted sunflower seeds
¼ cup sprouts
4 thin slices cucumber

• Slice the bagel in thirds horizontally and save the middle slice for another use — smear with nut butter for your own mid-day snack. Bagels have ballooned in size over the years so the top and bottom part are plenty for a sandwich.
• Mash avocado into the bottom part of the bagel and sprinkle with sea salt, sunflower seeds and sprouts. Arrange the cucumber over the sprouts and cap with the bagel top.
• Cut in half. Wrap well or store in a snug container.
• This is best made in the morning before school to keep the bagel fresh and soft, not soggy.

2. Innovate classics, like PB&J, with ingredients that are so yummy, your kids won’t know they’re good for them. My Nut-Butter Pinwheels, for example, get their sweetness from apples and honey, not sugar-laden jelly, and the nuttiness from natural nut butters. The roll-up lavash makes them a fun finger food.

Nut-Butter Pinwheels
1 whole wheat lavash
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond, peanut or pumpkin seed butter
¼ cup apple, chopped and unpeeled
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons unsweetened granola (optional)

• Cut the lavash in half crosswise and spread both halves with the nut butter. Drizzle with honey and top with apple and granola.
• With the shorter edge of the lavash toward you roll up into a wrap. Do the same with the second half and cut each roll into four pinwheels.
• Store in snug container or reassemble each half and wrap in parchment paper.
• This can be made a day ahead, but it’s really best made in morning before school.

3. Add a side of veggie sticks. Adding one cup of veggies to meals will help prevent the blood-sugar swings that may make them feel tired and cloud their thinking mid-day. By adding zucchini, celery, carrots and cucumbers to their snack bags, your child can benefit from more energy and better focus. If they can’t bear to eat “plain” veggie sticks, add a tablespoon of hummus for dipping.

4. Surprise them with blueberries for dessert. These berries soothe their sweet tooth while boosting their brain power at the same time. The bold color of this fruit comes from anthocyanins, antioxidants that studies have shown activate brain neurons. A recent report from Tufts University suggests that 1 cup of blueberries can increase brain energy by approximately 45 percent. Your kids can enjoy them fresh, dried or frozen all school year long.

This makes for a super healthy salad that you can prepare in advance and enjoy for a couple of days. I adapted it from Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr & Chef Chad Sarno. You can serve it solo, with your favorite cooked grain, or wrapped in nori. When I have guests, I like to serve it wrapped in a cucumber slice and topped with sprouted sunflower seeds. Its a fancy and super healthy start to your meal!

• 1 bunch kale, any variety, chopped (you can all mix varieties)
• 2 cups diced bell peppers, red, yellow, and orange
• 1/2 cup chopped parsely
• 1 1/2 avocados, pit removed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons flax oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• sea salt, to taste
• pinch of cayenne, to taste
• sprouted sunflower seeds

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Massage and mix with your hands to “wilt” the kale and cream the avocado. Serve and enjoy!

This is a perfect dinner appetizer or platter for a brunch buffet. It’s becoming a favorite in my house so I thought I would share:

• 2 medium sized eggplants, cut into 1-inch rounds
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped (I mix red and orange)
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 4 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Brush olive oil on a baking sheet. Layer the eggplant rounds on the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Flip and roast for 12-15 minutes.

In the meantime, combine cherry tomatoes, onion, capers, herbs, oil, vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and pepper in a bowl.

When eggplants are roasted, top each round with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and leave in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Take out of the oven and top with the tomato and herbs mixture. Arrange on a platter and serve.

Tip: You can roast the eggplants and make the tomato mixture in advance and save them in the fridge. Just before serving, warm the eggplants, add the grated cheese and then top with tomato mixture and serve.

This is a great way to use leftover veggies in your fridge. Or, a great option for a main dish on Meatless Monday!

• All leftover veggies in your fridge that need to be used up (carrots, zucchini, squash, eggplant, etc.)
• 1 large can chopped tomatoes
• 1 can tomato puree
• 1 can chickpeas or white beans
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 6 large yams, sliced into  1/4-inch-thick slices
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley (optional)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop veggies (not yams) and sauté in a bit of olive oil until soft, 8-10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, tomato puree, vegetable broth, spices, garlic and herbs.

Add chickpeas or white beans and mix well.

Cook vegetables and beans in tomato sauce for 15 minutes on low to medium heat.

Remove veggie mixture from heat.

Slice yams into thin sheets.

Spread a little olive oil on the bottom of a square dish and cover with a layer of yams.

Spoon out veggie mix and spread evenly on top of yams.

Finish with a layer of yams and lightly brush the yams with olive oil.

Bake covered for 40 minutes.

Take off the cover and turn up the temperature to 450 degrees for 10 minutes to crisp up the top layer.

This hummus is easy to make and tastes delicious. Enjoy with fresh cut veggies and toasted whole wheat pita bread.

• 1 cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• handful parsely
• pinch cumin
• pinch sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Steam the cauliflower for approximately 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower to the food processor with all other ingredients and mix.