Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

I recently became enamored with sweet potatoes. I don’t know why I’ve been rejecting them for 32 years, but now I can’t seem to get enough of that low-calorie, fiber-filled, nutrient-rich goodness! To break it down for the nutritionally challenged, sweet potatoes have almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, almost half the recommended vitamin C, four times the beta carotene and, when eaten with the skin on, they have more fiber than oatmeal. While we’re not cooking with the skins in this recipe, there’s no reason why you couldn’t buy a few more and bake them later in the week!

While I always kind of liked the idea of shepherd’s pie I never felt inclined to make it because the white, starchy, butter-laden mashed potatoes heaped on top clogged my arteries at the mere thought. But when I started cooking with sweet potatoes, using them in this dish seemed so logical.

Ingredients
½ pound lean ground beef
½ pound lean ground turkey or chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 bunch kale or spinach, chopped
4-5 medium/large sweet potatoes
¾ cup low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil

Here’s what you do:
Peel and chop sweet potatoes into cubes. Place them in a pot of cold water and bring to boil. When potatoes are cooked (you can stick a fork through them and it comes out easily), drain and return them to the pot with butter and sour cream. Mash together. Set aside.

Sauté ground meat in 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat until mostly cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining oil and sauté onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add kale and stir until wilted. Return meat to pan and mix together.

Pour meat mixture into rectangular casserole dish or Pyrex. Spread sweet potato mixture over top and smooth out. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes.

Seafood Soup

So quick, so easy. This soup assembles in minutes and is chock full of protein and nutrients. A couple of tips here: The clam juice is key here – it adds a lot of flavor; also, you can use frozen fish and shellfish, just make sure it’s uncooked and has thawed completely before adding to the soup.

And before you seafood connoisseurs get all pissy with me for adding parmesan cheese to fish, I just wanted to include it as an option. I tried the soup with and without the cheese and like both versions. The cheese adds another layer to the soup, which is nice since this is a quick meal and the flavors don’t have a lot of time to come together.

Ingredients
¼ cup clam juice
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups fresh kale, stemmed and torn into pieces
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 medium fillets of halibut, cod or other white, flaky fish, cut into bite-size pieces
8-10 jumbo uncooked shrimp
15-20 small bay scallops
5 cups of water
1 bay leaf
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese (optional)

Here’s what you do:
Add olive oil to Dutch oven or stock pot. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add clam juice and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, kale and water. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for 7-8 minutes. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Add fish, shrimp and scallops and simmer for about 5 minutes. Fish should be completely cooked. Serve immediately (with or without parmesan cheese).

My Favorite Chicken Soup

Ok, this recipe is NOT for the “wham, bam, thank you, m ‘am” kind of cook. It takes a while to build layer upon layer of flavor, so I usually make this soup on a day when I have back-to-back clients. I’m in the house, I can check on the progress in between sessions and it’s ready for dinner with a yummy tuna sandwich on the side. I try to make enough to freeze one or two containers of the stock to use down the road, but sometimes it’s just too good to make it to the freezer.

There are a couple of keys to getting this right: sautéing the vegetables before adding the water, using good bouillon, and PATIENCE. Building flavor takes time!

When it comes to bouillon, I like the Rapunzel brand, which you can find at Whole Foods and local organic markets.

Ingredients
1 chicken, cut into pieces, skin on
1 bunch of the inedible part (the dark green leaves) of leeks
2-3 carrots, coarsely chopped (cut into thirds)
2-3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped (cut into thirds)
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2-3 carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried dill or 2 teaspoons fresh dill
2 Rapunzel bouillon cubes
¼ cup olive oil
½ bag egg noodles (I use “No Yolks”) if desired
salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what you do:
Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the coarsely chopped carrots and celery, leeks, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add all the chicken pieces EXCEPT breast meat and sauté another 5 minutes. Add filtered water to fill stock pot about ¾ full and add bay leaves and dill. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer on low for about 2½ hours.

After soup has finished simmering, strain the broth and discard the coarsely chopped vegetables. Pick apart the dark meat pieces, discard all bones and reserve the meat for later. Place the broth back on the stove at high heat and add the raw chicken breasts (on the bone is preferred), and bouillon. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until breasts are cooked, about 20 minutes.

When breasts are cooked, remove from the stock and cool. Skim fat off top of stock (to make some tasty matzoh balls, reserve the fat and click here for recipe). If you want to reserve and freeze some of the stock, this is the time to separate a batch and place into containers. Allow the soup to cool before sealing them and be sure to leave a little room at the top for the soup to expand in the freezer.

Add chopped celery and carrots to remaining broth and cook at medium heat for another 10-15 minutes. Cook egg noodles separately and set aside.

When chicken breasts are cool, pick the meat apart from the bone and cut into small pieces. Add to dark meat and set aside.

To assemble, add a handful of cooked noodles and chicken, ladle broth over and serve. Store noodles, chicken and soup separately (otherwise you’ll overcook the noodles and chicken).

Easy Entrees

Broccoli, Walnut & Kale Pesto
You can make pesto out of anything. OK, almost anything. And since broccoli and kale are nutrient powerhouses, why not combine them with the rich Omega-3s of walnuts and add it to some whole wheat pasta or spread it over chicken or fish? Click here for recipe.

Spicy Pasta Bake
Ok, so I’m in a pasta mood. It must be from all the carbs I was eating in Peru. Since I’m trying to steer clear of as much gluten as possible, I’ve found that the brown rice pastas at Trader Joe’s are an excellent alternative to the starchy goodness of semolina or whole wheat noodles. And they bake well, too. Click here for recipe.

Pasta Bake with Spinach and Mushrooms
It’s healthy and it’s got green stuff in it. Kids might have to be tricked into eating it, but I never said these recipes were for kids. Feel free to change out the cheeses to suit your taste. And since we’re all adults here, we need to learn how to make a béchamel sauce. It’s soooo easy, yet I’ve messed it up countless times. The key is PATIENCE. It doesn’t take long to make, but you can’t rush the thickening of the milk (it takes about 5 minutes). Just wait. It will thicken. I promise. Click here for recipe.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
While I always kind of liked the idea of shepherd’s pie I never felt inclined to make it because the white, starchy, butter-laden mashed potatoes heaped on top clogged my arteries at the mere thought. But when I started cooking with sweet potatoes, using them in this dish seemed so logical. Click here for recipe.

Quinoa Bake
Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is not technically a grain but you can substitute it for nearly any grain in cooking. It’s actually a seed and its relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. It’s rich in protein, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals and is a good source of fiber. Click here for recipe.

Bakery (Muffins, Cakes, Breads, Cookies, etc.)

Healthy Blueberry Muffins
These muffins are to die for. Greek yogurt adds a delicious texture and the honey eliminates the need for a lot of sugar. July is the best month for blueberry picking up here in Connecticut, so stop by an orchard, pick your fill and get baking! Click here for the recipe.

Orange Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Occasionally I make smaller muffins to have as a mid-afternoon snack in between clients. The cream cheese keeps the muffins moist and the orange zest adds so much flavor. Click here for the recipe.

Mango Walnut Muffins
I've been on a muffin kick. I think it's because I hate to waste food and I've found that I can pretty much make a muffin out of anything. Sweet or savory, it's alllll goooood. I had some dried mango slices in my cabinet and a few containers of Greek yogurt that needed to be used. And, well, there you go. Click here for the recipe.

Sweet Potato Sour Cream Muffins
I made sweet potato ham muffins (don't knock it til you try it!) a few years back and posted the recipe on the blog here, but these are straight up sweet potato and are really fantastic. I like to mash up the sweet potatoes to leave small chunks of the vitamin-rich tuber visible, but you could easily puree them so that it's completely hidden for those vegetable-fearing folks (you know who you are)... Click here for the recipe.

Breakfast Banana Bread
I love banana bread and I’m always playing around with ways to make it healthier and more filling. This one is my latest attempt and I really like it. It’s more of a filling breakfast type of banana bread, but it’s still really delicious and, truth be told, I’d snack on it anytime of day. Click here for the recipe.

Apple & Pear Oatmeal Crisp
I was at the farmer’s market today with my friend Sara and I was surprised to find so many tasty apples still available in April. And since I bought a HUGE bag of Anjou pears at Trader Joe’s the other day, the decision to make this crisp was a no-brainer. The recipe list is short and the prep/cooking time is less than an hour. Perfect treat! Click here for recipe.

Chocolate Sweet Potato Torte
YES, there’s sweet potato in it and NO, you won’t even know it’s there. The sweet potato adds an incredible texture to this wheat-free dessert. It’s sooooo decadent and fudgy but it’s gluten free and delicious! Click here for recipe.


Gluten-Free Lemon Lavender Cookies
Instead of flour, almond meal is used to make this a lighter, gluten-free cookie. And amazingly, only 1 DROP of lavender oil is used to flavor the whole batch! Click here for recipe.


Chocolate Lavender Cake
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous aroma that is soothing and refreshing. Because it is the most versatile of all essential oils, no home should be without it. Lavender is an adaptogen, and therefore can assist the body when adapting to stress or imbalances. It is a great aid for relaxing and winding down before bedtime, yet has balancing properties that can also boost stamina and energy. Therapeutic-grade lavender may be used to soothe and cleanse common cuts, bruises, and skin irritations. Lavender may also be used to enhance the flavor of foods, which is what we're doing today! Click here for recipe.

Sweet Potato Ham Muffins
This recipe rocks my world. Seriously. Back when I actually dressed up and wore shoes to work, I'd visit my favorite little coffee shop once every other week (I was on a budget). They used to sell a variety of scrumptious-looking breakfast items, but since I was never a “sweets for breakfast” kind of girl (I even salt my oatmeal), I zoned in on their savory ham and cheese muffins. One bite though and you knew they weren’t healthy, so I was determined to change that. Flash forward 7 years later, and well, here you go. Click here for recipe.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Muffins
I love baking with Greek yogurt. It's a fantastic substitute for some of the less healthy ingredients you find in cake recipes and packs your food full of protein! This is not a very sweet recipe (most of my recipes aren't), but you can add another 1/2 cup of sugar if you want to increase the sweetness. Click here for recipe.

Healthy Hearty Granola Bars
Ok, so this is one of those "make it the way you want" recipes. You can add whatever kind of nuts, dried fruit or chocolate you want. Have fun with it and I promise it'll be GOOD. Click here for recipe.


Zesty Frosting
For a frosting, this recipe is a lighter version than most of what you'll find out there. Besides, we all need a few stiff peaks in our lives. Click here for recipe.

Soups and Stews

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup
I love cleaning out my pantry. Since I’m vertically challenged and my pantry extends about 2 feet over my head, I tend to forget about the extra cans of beans, tomatoes and corn I set aside months earlier. And with a pending move to Peru on the horizon, it was time to take a look at what was hiding up there. Click here for recipe.

Seafood Soup
So quick, so easy. This soup assembles in minutes and is chock full of protein and nutrients. A couple of tips here: The clam juice is key here – it adds a lot of flavor; also, you can use frozen fish and shellfish, just make sure it’s uncooked and has thawed completely before adding to the soup. Click here for recipe.

My Favorite Chicken Soup
Ok, this recipe is NOT for the “wham, bam, thank you, m ‘am” kind of cook. It takes a while to build layer upon layer of flavor, so I usually make this soup on a day when I have back-to-back clients. I’m in the house, I can check on the progress in between sessions and it’s ready for dinner with a yummy tuna sandwich on the side. I try to make enough to freeze one or two containers of the stock to use down the road, but sometimes it’s just too good to make it to the freezer. Click here for recipe.

Matzoh Balls
The key is chicken fat. Skim it from the top of your stock and, if you’re not using it right away, freeze it. If you’re adding matzoh balls to your soup, click here for the recipe.

Ribollita (Tuscan Bread Soup)
The first time I had ribollita (the best Italian bread soup EVER) I was in Lucca, one of my favorite Tuscan towns, eating everything I could get my hands on. And even though I was thoroughly enjoying this soup in the middle of August, I couldn't help but salivate over the idea of making this on a cold winter's night back home in D.C. Click here for recipe.

Matzoh Balls

The key is chicken fat. Skim it from the top of your stock and, if you’re not using it right away, freeze it. If you’re adding matzoh balls to your soup, follow this recipe:

Ingredients
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons chicken fat
4 tablespoons ice water
1 cup matzoh meal
¼ teaspoon salt

Here’s what you do:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for an hour. Bring stock to a boil and roll mixture into small balls. Add to stock. Be sure to leave room in the pot as balls will expand. Cook for 40 minutes.

Gluten Free Lemon Lavender Cookies

Instead of flour, almond meal is used to make this a lighter, gluten-free cookie. I'm working on a light lavender cookie recipe with whole wheat flour, but haven't perfected it yet, so I would advise NOT substituting just yet. I'll post a whole wheat flour recipe when I make it work.

Ingredients
1½ cups almond flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 drop of therapeutic grade lavender essential oil (or 2 teaspoons minced lavender)
1 egg
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Zest of ½ lemon

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda in bowl. Blend egg and honey, add lavender and lemon zest. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving. Makes about 12 cookies.

Quinoa Bake

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is not technically a grain but you can substitute it for nearly any grain in cooking. It’s actually a seed and its relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. It’s rich in protein, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals and is a good source of fiber.

Remove the sausage from this recipe and it's still a protein-rich meal.

Ingredients
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 eggplant
3-4 links sausage (I use pre-cooked chicken sausage, but use what you want)
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked quinoa
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (please don’t use the green can)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
olive oil for roasting and sautéing

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut eggplant into cubes, sprinkle with salt and olive oil and roast for 20 minutes.

In large sauté pan on medium-high heat, sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for 7-8 minutes. Add sausage and heat through (If you’re using uncooked sausage, cook meat until it’s 75% cooked). Add tomatoes, oregano, spinach and roasted eggplant.

Add Parmesan to quinoa and mix together in sauté pan with sausage mixture. Incorporate half the mozzarella into the mixture. Season to taste.

Pour the mixture into a large greased (I use olive oil spray) casserole dish and top with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes.

Chocolate Lavender Cake

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous aroma that is soothing and refreshing. Because it is the most versatile of all essential oils, no home should be without it. Lavender is an adaptogen, and therefore can assist the body when adapting to stress or imbalances. It is a great aid for relaxing and winding down before bedtime, yet has balancing properties that can also boost stamina and energy. Therapeutic-grade lavender may be used to soothe and cleanse common cuts, bruises, and skin irritations. Lavender may also be used to enhance the flavor of foods, which is what we're doing today!

This cake is very simple but its flavors are complex. You can also gussy it up with this delicious frosting recipe, dust some powdered sugar over the top or just plop a scoop of (low fat) vanilla ice cream next to it.

Ingredients
1 cup vanilla soy milk
2 drops therapeutic grade lavender essential oil (or 2 tbsp. dried lavender)
½ stick butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar (I use evaporated cane sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
4 egg whites
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

Here’s what you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add lavender to soy milk or, if using dried lavender, bring the milk and lavender to a boil in a small saucepan, let it steep for 5 minutes and strain, discarding lavender. Set milk aside.

Cream butter and sugar, then add lavender milk, baking powder, salt, egg whites, and vanilla extract; stir. Blend in cocoa and flour.

Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan or spring form pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool before serving or applying frosting.

Zesty Frosting

Ingredients
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Here’s what you do:
Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a heatproof bowl and set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Stir continuously over heat until the mixture is warm and the sugar is completely dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the heat.

Using a handheld electric or standing mixer, set on high beat until the mixture is entirely cooled, glossy and stiff. Beat in the lemon zest, and add the butter cubes, a few at a time, beating until the butter is almost fully incorporated after each addition. Beat until smooth. Let frosting set and cool in the refrigerator (at least 30 minutes) before applying to cake.

Let's Talk About Essential Oils

I’m taking a 4-week workshop on essentials oils run by my friend and colleague, Katherine Krupka, and, while I’ve learned so much about them over the past couple of years, I’m still surprised by how much more there is to learn.

I use them on myself and on clients. I apply them to various parts of my body, I ingest them, I even cook with them (stay tuned for recipes). They change my mood, they change the mood of the people around me, as well as improve the overall functioning of my body (especially my digestion) and alleviate muscle pain. Unbelievable.

So, what are essential oils? Well, essentially, they’re the lifeblood of a plant. They can come from the flowers, the bark of a tree, or even the roots or seeds. According to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts, priests and physicians were using essential oils thousands of years ago to heal the sick. They are the oldest form of medicine known to man and were considered more valuable than gold. And based on the effects and outcomes I’ve received through using them, I’d still consider them more valuable than gold.

But before I go any further, let me clarify: I’m talking about THERAPEUTIC GRADE OILS. Not the crap you can find at Whole Foods (sorry, Aura Cacia) or anything labeled “natural,” “pure,” or “organic” (terms that aren’t regulated when talking about oils). Those oils are good for sniffing, I guess, but if you want to use them to effect change, quality is EVERYTHING. And if they’re not therapeutic grade (98% of the oils on the market aren’t), you’re likely to be very disappointed with the outcome.

Some basics (there are hundreds of oils and blends that do many different things for the body and mind, but let’s just stick to a few for now:

Lavender: Most people use it for calming and relaxing purposes, but it’s also used to soothe burns, cuts, headaches and insomnia. Its antiseptic properties are astounding.

Peppermint: Awesome for digestion and energizing the body/mind. Inhaling the oil or adding a drop to your glass of water will wake you up and improve your focus and productivity. Rub it on your stomach if you’re feeling ill or on your temples if you’re getting a headache.

Marjoram: Yes, you can cook with it, but you can also rub it on sore muscles. Its warming properties soothe achy backs, necks, and feet. It’s a mainstay in my practice and I use it extensively on my athletes and weekend warriors.

Clary Sage: Uplifting and relaxing – great for relieving both the mental and physical symptoms of PMS. Add a few drops to a warm bath, rub some on your abdominal region or simply inhale from the bottle.

Ylang Ylang: It’s soft, flowery fragrance can calm you and bring about a sense of relaxation. It can also help release feelings of anger, tension and nervous irritability. Apply it to your hair for a natural conditioner.

These are just a few of the many oils (not even counting the blends out there that are AMAZING) that can do so much with just a few drops. To learn more, click here.

Food Affects Mood

It seems rather obvious, but how much thought do we really give to what we eat, how often we exercise or how much time we spend in front of the computer or TV? And how does it affect how we feel?

You know that what you eat affects your health, but it can also affect your mood, level of alertness and your perception of pain. If your diet is filled with simple carbohydrates (sugar, white flour, pasta or rice) there’s a good chance you may suffer from memory loss, depression and (of course) weight gain.
If you add complex carbohydrates (whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, etc.), fruits, vegetables and lean protein, your mood and your focus might improve – and so will your productivity. Keep checking back to this article for links to new recipes designed to help do just that. In the meantime, the currently posted recipes are a good start.

What else can you do to improve your mood? Essential oils, meditation, yoga, exercise and massage (of course!) do a fantastic job lifting your spirits. We’ll discuss all of these topics in upcoming posts. In the meantime, feel free to e-mail or comment on any of them and I’ll gladly supply you with information.

I’m off to the gym!

Want Local, Farm-Fresh Fruits and Veggies This Year? Now's the Time To Join a CSA!

What is a CSA, you ask? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it's a fantastic way to buy local, seasonal produce (and other items such as eggs, meat, honey, flowers, etc.) directly from a farmer. And for those of us city folk who rely on the metro, buses or scooters (yours truly), it's an easy way to skip the schlep out to the farm but still get the goods on a weekly basis!

So, here's the lowdown: Basically consumers purchase a "share" from a local farmer and in return they receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. Typically the a box consists of fruits and vegetables, but other farm products may be included such as eggs, cheese, flowers, etc.

Why this is a good thing:

Farmers receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow.

Consumers get:
- ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
- exposure to new vegetables
- to visit the farm at least once a season
- to develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

It's simple enough, right?

Well, there is the issue of "shared risk." It's the idea that "we're in this together" -- a concept I really like, even though it may suck for my dinner table.
If the farm had a tomato blight that year, I'll have to file away the salsa recipes. If a bear destroys the bee hives, my honey supply is shot to hell (trust me, it happens).

For me, sharing the risk helps to develop a sense of community among the members and the farmer. But if the potential for "not getting your money's worth" makes you feel anxious, then a CSA might not be for you. Instead, get down to your farmers market and buy local!

January is usually the month to buy your share. Click here to view a list of CSAs in the DC Metro area.

Sweet Potato Ham Muffins

This recipe rocks my world. Seriously. Back when I actually dressed up and wore shoes to work, I'd visit my favorite little coffee shop once every other week (I was on a budget). They used to sell a variety of scrumptious-looking breakfast items, but since I was never a “sweets for breakfast” kind of girl (I even salt my oatmeal), I zoned in on their savory ham and cheese muffins. One bite though and you knew they weren’t healthy, so I was determined to change that. Flash forward 7 years later, and well, here you go.

Ingredients
3 cups whole-wheat flour, spooned and leveled
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or mix of cinnamon, ginger, and allspice)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 large eggs and 1 egg white
3/4 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raw cane sugar
1 cup diced ham

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with olive oil spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk sweet potato puree, yogurt, eggs, buttermilk, and sugar to combine. Add reserved dry ingredients. Add ham. Mix just until moistened (do not overmix).

Divide evenly and spoon batter into muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

A note on the mashed sweet potatoes: I usually take either one REALLY BIG one or two average-sized ones, peel them, dice them and boil until soft (about 10 minutes). I mash them with an immersion blender or just a fork. The texture can be as smooth or lumpy as you’d like.

This is a semi-sweet, but also savory muffin. It's like Christmas dinner in a muffin.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

I love baking with Greek yogurt. It's a fantastic substitute for some of the less healthy ingredients you find in cake recipes and packs your food full of protein! This is not a very sweet recipe (most of my recipes aren't), but you can add another 1/2 cup of sugar if you want to increase the sweetness.

1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1 tsp grated lemon zest (approximately 1 lemon)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With olive oil cooking spray, thoroughly spray your loaf pan (I use 3 small loaf pans, but you can also use one big one).

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil.

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.

Cook the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. While the cake is still warm, brush the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool before serving.

Ribollita (Tuscan Bread Soup)

The first time I had ribollita (the best Italian bread soup EVER) I was in Lucca, one of my favorite Tuscan towns, eating everything I could get my hands on. And even though I was thoroughly enjoying this soup in the middle of August, I couldn't help but salivate over the idea of making this on a cold winter's night back home in D.C.

This is another one of those recipes you can add/subtract ingredients based on what you've got in the fridge, but DO NOT omit the Parmesan rind.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on bread
1 onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 ounces pancetta, chopped (can leave out if making vegetarian)
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
1 bunch chopped fresh greens (kale, chard or spinach)
1 (15 oz) can of cannelloni beans (in this recipe I prefer not to rinse them, but you can if you're worried about sodium intake)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (3-inch) piece Parmesan rind (KEY FLAVOR INGREDIENT!!!)
1 whole wheat baguette, cut into bite-sized pieces
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, pancetta, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the greens, beans, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

In a 350-degree oven, toast bread pieces for 10-12 minutes. Add to soup and let simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and Parmesan rind before serving. Sprinkle each bowlful with grated cheese.

Healthy, Hearty Granola Bars

Ok, so this is one of those "make it the way you want" recipes. You can add whatever kind of nuts, dried fruit or chocolate you want. Have fun with it and I promise it'll be GOOD.

2 cups oatmeal (not the quick cooking kind)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

**other nut alternatives include almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts or whatever's in your pantry

1/3 cup chopped dried apricots (or any other dried fruit like cranberries, cherries, mangoes, etc. -- just make the pieces morsel-sized)

1/3 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup brown rice syrup (you can buy this at most natural foods stores)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a rectangular baking dish, mix the oatmeal and nuts. Toast in oven for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through for even toasting. Place in large bowl and let cool. Add dried fruit.

Spray empty baking dish with non-stick spray.

Pour brown rice syrup and vanilla into small pot and heat up on medium-high heat until the consistency thins out (about 2-4 minutes). Pour over oatmeal mixture and mix well until blended. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle chocolate chips on top (you can also add it to the mixture, but the chocolate chips will melt and the bars will be more chocolaty).

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before cutting. Yum!

Welcome!

Ok, so it's been a long time coming: An outlet to talk about everything GOOD. For me, food is a big part of what's good, as I believe nourishing the soul also requires nourishing the stomach. For many of us, it's a major component of living well. And while that won't be the entire focus of this blog, it will be a big one (just don't be surprised if a cadre of recipes starts appearing).

It's January, the start of a new year and new resolutions. Choosing to live a healthier lifestyle usually enters the foreground this month, but how long does it last? (my friend Susie, the personal trainer, says people usually revert back to their old habits by the end of February, hence the drop-off at the gym). Let's see if we can make it last a little longer with some healthy recipes, advice from personal trainers, life coaches, cooks and anyone who is learning how to master the art of living well!