In my opinion, quinoa is a ‘perfect food’ not only for its dense nutritional profile, but also because it is so gosh-darn easy to cook. It truly is as simple as boiling water and hanging out for 15 minutes until this fluffy, protein-rich grain is ready to eat.

I love drizzling it with a little olive oil and sea salt and eating on its own, or tossing with chicken, vegetables, and fresh herbs for a grain salad. This quinoa cake recipe is a great diversion from the usual. It is a great way to use up leftover quinoa and transform into something new.

Top these cakes with a favorite sauce or dressing, or just eat them plain. I also imagine you could make a vegan version of these with an egg replacer or a flax/water slurry. Experiment. And let me know how your kitchen adventures unfold!

Red Quinoa-Herb Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked red quinoa (from 1 cup dried)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons soft herbs, chopped (parsley, chives, dill, basil, cilantro)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspsoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Procedure:

Place cooked, cooled quinoa in a food processor and process until the grains start to bind. Transfer quinoa to a large mixing bowl. Add egg, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper; use a wooden spoon to mix. Cover mixture with parchment paper, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Using a 1/4 measuring cup, form equal size patties and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover, and return to refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

Heat a large skillet (I prefer cast-iron) over a medium-high flame. Coat the pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once it shimmers, place the patties in the pan. After 4-5 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes to develop a nice crust.

the kitchen where pickling, preserving, cheese and pie making classes took place.

fresh from the garden outside. these vegetables and herbs were incorporated in our meals throughout the weekend.

mise en place for our pickling class.

walking the path from the farm to the bay.

I am freshly back from a food-filled vacation at Salt Water Farm in Lincolville, Maine. Feeling inspired, renewed, and energized, I attempted to recreate one of my favorite recipes from the trip. On the last night there, visiting and local guests from town were invited to partake in a 4 course pig roast feast. The last course were delicious tacos with slow cooked beans, homemade corn tortillas, and a vibrant tomatillo salsa. The tomatillos were picked that morning from the garden and roasted in a wood burning open fire. Sans fresh picked tomatillos and a rustic fire, I gave this salsa my best go. I think it turned out pretty well, too.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Broiling the tomatillos on high helps to recreate the charred effect a fire lends. Choose small, firm tomatillos with the husks still attached.

Ingredients:

1 lb tomatillos, husks removed and washed
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed with skin still on
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white onion, diced
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, washed
Fresh ground pepper

Procedure:

Turn the broiler on high, and let preheat for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, halve tomatillos and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Add whole garlic cloves, oil, and salt. Toss to coat.

Arrange tomatillos skin side up on a large baking sheet. Broil for 10-12 minutes, or until skin is nicely charred. Remove from oven and let cool.

Place roasted tomatillos, onion, lime juice, and cilantro in a food processor. Blend until fully combined.

Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

In honor of my Simple + Fresh Raw Food Creations class coming up on August 26, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite raw food ‘grab-and-go’ products. And the truth is, they are some of my all-time favorite snacks, raw or not. The treats listed below help tide me over between meals and are always in my bag for air travel and road trips.

What makes these snacks ’super’ besides being nutrient dense, is that they have not been heated above 116 degrees F. In the raw food world, this is a crucial number; once food is heated past this temperature, it is belived that vital enzymes crucial for digestion and abosorption are killed, and in turn, the vital ‘life force’ and energy of the food is no longer accessible. So, these snacks provide instant energy, are rich in satiating fiber, and loaded with vitamins and minerals: Snack happy!

Goraw Original Supercookie- Amazingly enough, Sesame seeds, dates, coconut are the only ingredients in these just-sweet-enough cookies. Since there aren’t any preservatives, they don’t keep that well, so share with friends! I love crumbling them on top of my chocolate-avocado pudding for the perfect crunch.

Two Moms in the Raw Granola- This granola is chock-full of sprouted seeds, grains, and dried fruit. This granola reminds me more of broken up pieces of a granola bar, as it is chewy, dense, and full of clusters. All of the varieties are great: the goji and blueberry varieties are my favorite.

Kaia Foods Sprouted Sunflower Seeds- This is a recently added addition to my favorites list. Not only are these seeds sprouted to allow for accessible apsorption, they are also slightly sweetened with raw agave nectar and are available in a variety of flavors to satisfy both savory and sweet cravings. The mellow curry variety is really good.

Nativas Naturals Trail Mix- When a recent flight delay left me stranded at the airport for an extra 4 hours, I was so happy to have a bag of this trail mix with me. It kept me happily satisfied until I got home, and I didn’t have to venture into the dissappointing airport food court. I have only tried the superfood power mix (goji, mulberry, goldenberry, cashew, and cacao) and I love it so much I’m not sure I’ll try another.

Not skilled in the kitchen? Lacking special equipment or ingredients? No problem! It doesn’t get any easier than this delicious, satisfying and seasonally inspired oven-baked frittata. I like to roast the cherry tomatoes first to concentrate their sweetness, but if you are short on time – or patience – just use one pint and throw them in as is.

I love having these bites on hand in my refrigerator for a high protein snack or to serve alongside a salad for a light lunch: They keep well for up to 4 days.

Frittata Squares with Tomato, Summer Corn + Chives
Yields: 16 squares

Ingredients:

2 pints of cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 eggs
1 cup corn kernels (from 1-2 ears)
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1-2 tablespoons parsley, basil, and/or oregano
4 oz. goat cheese
½ teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 baking pan.

Spread tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet, toss with olive oil a pinch of salt and pepper, and roast for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

Lower oven temperature to 350.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add slightly cooled tomatoes, corn, all herbs, goat cheese, salt and pepper. Gently whisk to combine. Pour eggs into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are full cooked.

Let cool, and cut into squares for serving. Great served warm, cold, or at room temperature.

This icy drink is the perfect cooling summer pick-me-up. Adding mint leaves to a blended beverage is an easy way to add bright, fresh flavor without any fuss. I particularly love how the mint livens up the subtle sweetness of summer melons. The recipe calls for a combination of 3 melons, but it can easily be made with any variety that you have on hand.

Melon + Mint Cooler

Ingredients:

1 cup watermelon
1 cup cantaloupe
1 cup honeydew melon
10-12 mint leaves
juice of 1 lime
½-1 cup of ice
splash of coconut/plain water
2 tablespoons raw honey or agave nectar (optional)
1 teaspoon maca root powder (optional)

Procedure:

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.

This recipe has become my favorite summertime fridge staple. I can’t think of much that a side of these crisp, tangy, magenta onions will not compliment. Burgers, tacos, salads, wraps, and sandwiches are all perfect vehicles to enjoy.

I have made a slightly more ‘natural’ version than typical quick-pickling recipes by reducing the salt and using agave nectar instead of refined sugar.

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients:

1 red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup vinegar (white wine, champagne, coconut, etc)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons agave nectar

Procedure:

Place red onions in a small bowl. Combine vinegar with salt and agave nectar, and pour over onions. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, gently toss the onions in the mixture, making sure to evenly coat.

Let sit for as little as 30 minutes or as long as overnight. When the desired texture and taste is achieved, remove the onions from vinegar soaking liquid and enjoy! Onions will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.

If you spend any amount of time at a natural foods store, there is no denying the surge of coconut based products on the shelves. I love cooking with coconut oil, milk, and water, and even enjoy the occasional indulgence in coconut-based ice cream. Many people ask me why I am such an advocate of coconut products when they are known to be loaded in saturated fats, and therefore bad for heart health and weight control. The truth is that coconuts have been a staple food for tropical populations for centuries, and upon research, it was revealed that these communities have excellent health, due largely to coconut consumption.

Coconuts, particularly coconut oils, are now receiving long over due praise for their health promoting properties. Coconut oil has been dubbed, “The healthiest oil on earth,” and is quite deserving of the title. What is important to note about coconut oil is that it is rich in medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). MCFAs do not have a negative effect on cholesterol, are beneficial for liver health, and even protect against heart disease. Research has also shown that our bodies readily convert MCFAs to energy, rather than store them as fat. Coconut oil has been found to promote weight loss, strengthen the immune system, improve digestion, and prevent against degenerative disease. If you are interested in learning more about, “The Coconut Oil Miracle,” Bruce Fife wrote a popular book with more information.

I’ve found that coconut oil can easily be substituted for butter and oils in most baking and cooking recipes. And unless you have an extremely sensitive palette, coconut oil has a mostly neutral flavor profile. I always have a jar in my kitchen and another in my bathroom as it makes a fantastic body and hair oil, lending rich moisture and warding off premature aging of the skin.

So fear coconuts no more! My granola features coconut oil, and I will be posting a few more recipes featuring coconut products in the coming weeks, so hopefully you will have a chance to experiment!

This may be the easiet, most fool-proof granola recipe to date. And with such delicious results, it seems a crime to pay up to $9 a bag at the market! Delicious, buttery, and subtly sweet, it’s perfect with a splash of milk, as a yogurt topper, or even on its own. Below is the recipe as I made it for samples at a recent open house at Aspire Wellness, but feel free to use any mix of nuts, seeds, and fruits you prefer.

Coconut-Almond Granola
Recipe adapted from The Candle Cafe Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup raw almonds, rough chopped
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons agave nectar
¼ cup coconut oil (in liquid form)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup dried figs, chopped
¼ cup dried currants
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 300. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine both oat varieties, almonds, seeds, maple syrup, agave, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. Evenly spread mixture on baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes stirring every 10 minutes. Once golden and toasted, Remove from the oven and sprinkle dried fruit and coconut on top of warm sheets. Let cool before serving or storing.

Granola will keep in an air-tight container for up to a month.

Usually, I wait until a few days before a cooking class to choose, create, and test all of the recipes I will teach. And if you are a friend of mine, you know how much I complain and kick myself for doing so. Alas, I seem to be learning from my mistakes, as I have a leg up on testing for the Cooking with Fresh Herbs class on July 29.

In an attempt to feature recipes that use herbs in creative ways, I wanted to include a baked good in the mix. Since corn will soon be at its peak harvest time, a corn muffin seemed to be a natural choice. When deciding which herb to include, I first thought of rosemary. With its strong, aromatic flavor profile, rosemary would balance the mellow sweetness of corn and hold up during the baking process. And just my luck, that these muffins turned out moist, well-flavored, and had just the right crumb.

Rosemary-Corn Muffins

Adding apple cider vineger to milk is a substitute for buttermilk. I never seem to use a whole quart of buttermilk when I purchase it for a recipe, and I’ve found that this technique works almost as well to tenderize the batter and create perfectly textured baked goods. If you don’t have agave, I imagine honey or pure maple syrup would be great substitutes. And same goes for the flour: Use what you have!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped (plus1 teaspoon for garnish)
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup olive oil
1 cup fresh corn kernels (plus 3 tablespoons for garnish)

Procedure:

In a medium bowl, combine milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.

Lightly oil muffin pans and preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, rosemary, and salt. Then, add egg and oil to milk. Gently mix. Add wet ingredient to flour and stir just until combined. Fold in corn kernels. Gently spoon batter into muffin cups, almost filling them. Sprinkle a few reserved corn kernels and chopped rosemary atop the muffins before baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before removing them from pans.

Yield: 12 large muffins / 36 mini muffins