I was on the lookout this week for a simple salad to share with weekend guests that would offer just a hint of something different. When I came across this slaw from Jamie Oliver, I knew my search was over. It was just the right choice for our warming weather here in Austin and may offer a hint of spring to those of you still shoveling snow.

INGREDIENTS

•1 sweetheart cabbage

•3 large spears of asparagus

•3 spring onions

•2 sticks of celery

•1 large green eating apple

•1 carrot

PASSION FRUIT DRESSING

•1 large orange

•3 ripe passionfruit , plus extra to serve

•2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

•1 tablespoon poppy seeds

METHOD

1.For the dressing, finely grate the orange zest into a bowl and squeeze in all the juice. Halve the passion fruit and scrape in the pulp, then add the oil and mix together.

2.Finely slice the cabbage, discarding the core. Remove the woody ends from the asparagus, then finely slice along with the trimmed spring onions and celery. Peel and coarsely grate the apple and carrot. (I admit to using my veggie bullet here)

3.Pop all the shredded fruit and veg into a large bowl. Pour over the dressing, mix well and season to taste.

4.Enjoy straight away, or better still, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days so the veggies soften slightly and the flavours mingle and develop. Mix well before serving and spoon over a little extra passion-fruit pulp, top with shredded spring onions and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Enjoy!

Here’s what I am going for in this Oh Yum! series: Gluten free (grain free if possible), refined sugar free, dairy free and FLAVOR FULL! I’ll be sharing a Hubele family-tested recipe each week to give you a nice repertoire of treats heading into summer. I know my family is just going to hate the job of taste testing these ideas. 😉

So let’s get this party started with the perfect re-do of the classic Magic Cookie Bar. Three delightful layers make up these crowd-pleasing bars. Be sure you don’t miss the opportunity to stash a few away in your freezer.

Ingredients

Coconut sweetened condensed milk

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

Cookie crust

• 1/2 cup hazelnut flour (or almond flour)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 egg (may be replaced with a flax “egg” or commercial egg replacer)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Bar toppings

• 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips (vegan, gluten free brand please!)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.
2. Make the coconut milk sweetened condensed milk by placing the coconut milk, maple syrup and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup of liquid. The milk may splatter when it starts to boil, so just stir it and lower the heat slightly. Check how much liquid you have by pouring it into a glass measuring cup.
3. While the coconut milk reduces, make the cookie crust. Place the hazelnut flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, egg and vanilla and process until smooth. Press the dough into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, until set.
4. When the crust is done pre-baking, remove it from the oven and top it with 1 cup of chocolate chips. Press the chocolate chips into the crust slightly. Top with the chopped pecans and shredded coconut. Pour the reduced coconut milk mixture over everything. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and a little more coconut over the top. Bake for 25 minutes.
5. Allow the bars to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Meaningful Eats

An  adaption of Heidi Swanson’s Mixed Mushroom Soup, 101 Cookbooks Blog

If you are a mushroom lover like me, THIS is your soup. It’s a cold drizzly day outside but my kitchen feels so cozy when the scent of this aromatic soup fills the air.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces (I like portabellas, shitake, and oyster)

fine grain sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 medium shallots finely chopped

1 Tablespoon of fresh finely chopped or dried green herbs (consider including thyme, oregano, chives)

2-3 tablespoons of coconut or Braggs amino

1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice blend (also consider quinoa or millet)

6 cups / 1.5 l good-tasting vegetable broth (made with 2 veggie broth cubes, I prefer Rapunzel)

Directions

In your largest, widest soup pot heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.

Stir in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring a couple times along the way, until the mushrooms release their liquid and they are deeply browned. About 8 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan, set aside on a plate.

Using the same pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.

Stir in the onions and cook until tender, a few minutes. Stir 2 tablespoons of the shoyu, barley, and then the vegetable broth.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat a bit. Add the mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes or so. Stir in the toasted sesame oil and taste. You might want to add remaining tablespoon of shoyu or soy sauce, particularly if your broth wasn’t very salty. You might also want to add more toasted sesame oil a few drops at a time. Just keep tweaking until everything balances out for you. Serve sprinkled with lots of chopped chives.

Top with a handful of microgreens or toasted chopped hazelnuts

If it’s creamy you are craving consider adding 1 cup of cashew creme

Adapted from George Bryant (Civilized Caveman)

Prep time 10 mins

Cook time 60 mins

Total time 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 8 or 12 muffins

Ingredients

•4 very ripe bananas (2½ cups mashed or 575 grams)

•4 eggs (replace with ¼ chia seeds soaked in ½ to ¾ cup of water)

•1/2 cup almond butter (140 grams- can sub coconut, sunflower seed, macadamia nut, etc butter)

•4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted (substitute earth balance coconut spread or coconut oil)

•1/2 cup coconut flour (75 grams- sub in any nut flour)

•1 tablespoon cinnamon

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free)

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit

2.Combine your bananas, eggs, nut butter, and grass-fed butter in blender or mixing bowl using a hand-mixer or immersion blender

3.Once all of your ingredients are blended, add in your coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix well

4.Pour your batter into a well greased loaf pan or muffin cups

5.Place in your preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes loaf pan/ 20 minutes muffin tins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

6.Remove from oven and flip your bread out onto a cooling rack

7.Cool completely.

Variations

1.Cranberry Orange – Only use 3 tablespoons of butter. Add zest of one whole orange diced, juice of one whole orange, and 1 cup dried cranberries or fresh if you want

2.Chocolate Blueberry – Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries and ½ cup of cocoa powder

3.Pumpkin Pecan – Reduce the almond butter to ¼ cup and add ½ cup of pumpkin puree and 1 cup of roughly chopped pecan pieces

Enjoy!

We’ve had a string of cold gloomy days which had me searching for a slightly spicy comfort dish for dinner. When that’s the case it is always Heidi Swanson I turn to for help. It was delicious the first time round and even better as leftovers for Saturday lunch. Here is my adaptation from from Near & Far.

1 bunch cilantro

Extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 medium onions, diced

3 celery stalks, diced, leaves reserved- ( replaced with a medium sized peeled chopped celery root)

6 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Pinch of saffron (about 30 threads)

2 1/2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups | 10 oz | 280 g cooked chickpeas

1 1/2 cups | 9 oz | 255 g Puy dried lentils, picked over and rinsed

6 cups | 1.5 L water

4 to 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour-( replaced with arrowroot)

Scant 1/4 cup | 50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 (28-oz | 795g) can whole tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or oregano

3 oz | 55 g angel hair pasta, broken into 1-inch | 2.5cm pieces, (I used a Gluten Free Orzo )

Chopped fresh dates, to serve ( Don’t leave these out! You”ll love the sweet-salty combination.)

1. Chop the cilantro stems finely and set aside in a pile. Chop the leaves and reserve separately. Heat several spoonfuls of the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, crushed garlic, ginger, and cilantro stems, stir to coat, and cook until everything softens a bit, 5 minutes or so. Grind the saffron with the salt into a powder with a mortar and pestle and add to the pot along with the cinnamon, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Stir well before adding the chickpeas and lentils. Stir in 4 cups (1 liter) of the water and bring to a simmer.

2. In a separate large bowl, gradually whisk the remaining 2 cups (500 ml) of water into the flour, a splash at a time to avoid lumps. Add the lemon juice, tomatoes with their juice, and most of the remaining cilantro. Stir well, breaking up the tomatoes somewhat. Add this mixture to the soup and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Once at a simmer, cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked through. When you have about 5 minutes left, stir in the marjoram and pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, adjust the seasoning and serve topped with dates, the remaining cilantro, and the reserved celery leaves. Drizzle each portion with some more olive oil and serve.

Enjoy!

We are having some unusually cold and icy days here in Austin, and I am pulling from the comfort food recipes I tucked away during the blasting heat of summer. This particular version of Shepherd’s Pie is so worth the effort and absolutely won everyone over. Of course, we would expect nothing less from the amazing Jamie Oliver.

Here is my adapted version. You certainly won’t regret carving a bit of extra time out to make this satisfying dish.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 lb Japanese white sweet potatoes
• 4 T Earth Balance coconut spread
• 6 medium shallots
• 4 carrots
• 1 T coriander seeds or powder
• Coconut oil
• ½ bunch of fresh thyme, leaves separated from stems
• ¾- 1 lb baby bella mushrooms
• ¾ – 1 lb oyster mushrooms
• 7- 14 ounces of chopped fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• organic vegetable stock as needed
• 4 cups of cooked lentils (preferably Puy lentils)
• 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 T Herbes de provence
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ½ C gluten free bread crumbs or nut based breading

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Chop all the potatoes into quarters. Place Yukon Gold potatoes in a steamer, simmering until tender. Remove to cool and add white sweet potatoes to the steamer and simmer until tender.
3. Once cooled, peel and place in a bowl all together, adding coconut spread, sea salt and pepper to taste. Mash until smooth.
4. Peel and finely chop shallots and carrots.
5. Heat coconut oil in heavy pan, add coriander, thyme leaves and shallots, cooking over low heat until softened.
6. Meanwhile, roughly chop the mushrooms add to the pan. Once cooked add balsamic vinegar.
7. Cook for another 10 minutes, add canned tomatoes, turn up the heat and allow it to bubble away. Stir in the lentils and 1 cup of stock. Simmer further to blend flavors and reduce liquids.
8. Add parsley and Herbes de provence and lemon juice, then transfer to a baking dish. Spread the mashed potato blend over the top.
9. Sprinkle bread crumbs or nut breading over the mash, placing in the hot oven for around 15-30 minutes, or until piping hot through.
10. Place under the broiler very briefly until golden.

Enjoy!

Sometimes we are blessed by what little we have, as was recently my experience.

It was the end of the week, and I needed to put together one more meal with the remnants of all of the produce left in the fridge. Sometimes this leads to dinner fails and other times it’s a win. I declare this Better Broccoli Soup a win and so did my family.

Ingredients

2 Large heads of organic broccoli, the longer and thinner the stems, the better. Cut stems just below the crown of florets, set aside florets and peel the stems, if necessary, removing any thick or stringy outer layer and chop.

2 large organic shallots, peeled and finely minced

3-4 organic carrots diced

1-2 tbl of any mixed blend of dried green herbs such as parsley, oregano, thyme, chives

2 Veggie Bouillon Cubes

1 can of organic coconut milk

1 bag of chopped frozen organic spinach

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Saute shallots until soft, add broccoli stems, diced carrots, and herbs. Cover with 2 quarts of water. Cook under pressure or with a lid until vegetables are tender and aromatic.

While the soup base is cooking, gently steam broccoli heads until just fork tender but not more. Remove and rinse with cold water to stop any further cooking. Cut or break into smaller bite sized pieces.

Using a high speed blender or with immersion blender, blend the soup base until smooth. Add bouillon cubes, bag of spinach, broccoli florets, can of coconut milk and more water to reach desired consistency. Season to taste.

Enjoy!

Solstice is just around the corner, and I’ve put together a lovely spread you want to share with family or friends and mark the return to light in the weeks ahead.

Since this year, the shortest day falls on a Friday it’s all the more reason to commemorate the shift in season. The past six months we have been moving towards shorter darker days and now it’s time to bring on the light!

While cozy tealights and a roaring fire are all in order, so is a seasonal meal that is both warming and comforting. Holly, pine and mistletoe all have long been associated with solstice and if available could be added to set the mood.

Join me in welcoming in this change in seasons and enjoy this feast of flavors!

Jamie Oliver’s Winter Salad

•½ a red cabbage

•½ a white cabbage

•2 large carrots

•4 spring onions

•a few shoots from winter cabbages, such as kale or cavolo nero , optional

•300 ml milk- any plant based milk will do

•4 anchovies, from sustainable sources- replaced with a heaping spoonful of chickpea miso or other miso paste of your choice

•6 cloves of garlic

•2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

•6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

•1 teaspoons Dijon mustard

•1 handful of mixed seeds, such as poppy, sesame and sunflower

•½ a bunch of fresh mint

Full Directions Here

Meera Sodha’s Parsnip and Carrot Mulligatawny soup

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 large brown onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

3cm ginger, peeled and grated

1 green finger chilli, very finely chopped

2 carrots (250g), peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

2 parsnips (250g), peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

150g red lentils, washed and drained

1¼ litres vegetable stock

Salt

For the parsnip crisps

1 parsnip

1 ½ tbsp rapeseed oil

Full Directions Here

Susan Power’s Cinnamon Ginger Truffles

2 cups almonds, ground fine

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup agave or liquid sweetener of your choice

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup golden raisins

dried coconut

cacao powder

Full Directions Here

In search of new fall recipes, I ordered Salma Hage’s, The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook.

Having thoroughly enjoyed my time spent pouring over recipes, I certainly located some winners. And now I am looking forward to some cooler temps (in Austin that means under 100 degrees) in order to test and share my favorites.

As a sneak preview, you might want to try Hage’s Date Tahini & Cinnamon Smoothie. I’ve been a fan of date, banana, and raw cacoa smoothies for some time so the tahini and cinnamon sounded tempting. No reason to wait for a cold front for this recipe!

And here is the truth… The first one was so good, I had to make a second. 🙂

This is what you’ll need:

• 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice (I used coconut)
• 2 sliced and frozen ripe (but not overripe) bananas
• ¼ cup tahini
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and torn into pieces
• 1 drop real vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Optional garnishes: pinch of cinnamon and/or sesame seeds

Blend until smooth and enjoy!!

One of the most simple and enjoyable lunches Oma prepares in a flash is Kartoffel Rosti and salad. We convinced her to make it one more time during our last week in Oehringen, but challenged her to do so in slow motion so Sebastian and I could learn. While slowing Marianne down in the kitchen is no easy task, she is a fabulous teacher and can break down the steps of her tried and true recipes in such a way that even us novices can feel successful. Ready to make your own Rosti?

1. Wash and peel 3.5 pounds potatoes. (Here in the U.S. you will want to use Yukon Gold or Red potatoes.)
2. Shred with a food processor or by hand.
3. Chop one medium onion.
4. Heat enough sunflower or coconut oil to just cover the bottom of two skillets, dividing the onion evenly between them. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add enough water to each so that there is ½ inch in the bottom and divide a cube of veggie bouillon between the two skillets. When the water is boiling add handfuls of the grated potatoes, careful not to pack the skillet, just gently fill it.
6. Place a lid on the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook 8-10 minutes.
7. Remove the lid and check the underside of your Rosti with a spatula. It should be crispy and the grated potatoes on the top will have begun to soften. If this is true, use a plate to aide the flipping process, returning the Rosti to the pan, cooked side facing upwards.
8. Cover the Rosti once again for another 4-5 minutes, then remove the lid and cook another 5 minutes until crispy.
9. Serve alongside a hearty green salad for an ideal lunch or supper.

*Serves 4

One of the most enjoyable experiences during my summers in Germany is preparing locally inspired meals directly from the garden and this kartoffel und mangold is a fine example of how simple ingredients with simple preparation can be so delicious.

It all began when Oma, who keeps a keen eye on what is ripe and ready to eat in the garden, announced that the mangold (chard) must be eaten. Further, it was quickly determined that it would be prepared with steamed new potatoes as this was a childhood favorite of Sebastian’s.

Off I went to the garden, armed with a kitchen basin and knife, returning it full to the brim with gorgeous tender leaves and a few baby grasshoppers who I promptly returned their family.

The preparation took only minutes. After a careful cleaning, the stems are removed and the leaves are steamed whole. Once tender, they are chopped and then sautéed briefly in a bit of olive oil and finely diced onions. In the meantime, new potato quarters are peeled and steamed as well. The two are gently combined and seasoned with salt, fresh ground pepper, and nutmeg. German home cooking done right!

A raw salad every day, whether it be for lunch or before your evening meal, is an excellent way to increase your veggie intake, alkalize your body, support healthy digestion, and promote optimal elimination. Who knew a salad could be so helpful, right?

While a salad a day sounds good on paper, having what you need on hand for 7 full days can be daunting. The first challenge I faced when our home committed to eating a daily raw veggie salad was stocking up on enough produce to keep it going for a full week. It was a struggle seeing that all of the produce remained fresh and appealing through a whole stretch.

Because I dislike wilted salads about as much as I dislike an extra trip to the grocery store, I’ve found a plan that works. I begin the week using my freshly bought tender greens and move on to romaine which has a longer shelf life. Kale is a great keeper if you store it properly. When time permits, I’ll strip the leaves right after purchase and store them in an airtight container where they will keep fresh for 3-5 days. Broccoli and cabbages will last for 5-7 days, making for some hearty and crunchy salads to wrap up your week.

Here’s a shopping list to get you started and some tips on how to turn it into a week’s worth of salads.

To say the Hubele household is “big on salads” is an understatement, so please adjust the amounts below accordingly.

• 2 heads of green or red leaf lettuce
• Basket of cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• Your choice of raw nuts or seeds to toast
• 1-2 heads of romaine
• 2-3 bunches of kale
• 2-3 medium heads of broccoli
• 10 carrots
• 1 kohlrabi
• Small red cabbage
• Small green cabbage

Days One & Two: Tossed Green Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber Slices, Grated Carrots, and Chopped Nuts or Seeds
* A tossed salad can be anything but traditional by dressing it up with one of these yummy options.

Day Three: Chopped Romaine Salad
* Making a chopped romaine salad really doesn’t require a recipe, but if you feel like something special, consider this vegan caesar which will require you to buy an extra bunch of kale. In that case, go ahead and prep tomorrow night’s kale while you’re at it and it’s a win-win!

Day Four: Kale Salad
* While good kale salad recipes are plentiful, this one is especially worth a try.

Day Five: Broccoli Salad
* I happen to be partial to this crunchy Asian inspired recipe.

Day Six and Seven: Mixed Veggie Slaw
* While a good slaw is delicious fresh, I tend to prefer it the second day. With the use of a food processor, you’ll make a giant bowlful in no time. Get started with this  Detox Slaw.

Here’s to happy, healthy eating!