Instant Ramen Jars with Miso and Veggies

I've seen this Instant Ramen Jar idea floating around the internet, so I decided to create my own version based on my favorite way to make ramen at home: with ginger, miso, mushrooms, and spinach.  What I love about this technique is that it’s nearly as easy as completely instant noodles, yet the flavor and quality is so much better. Miso is a fermented soybean paste that’s found in the refrigerated section of many grocery stores. It takes the hot water and turns it instantly into a salty, umami broth that’s rich with body.

Any wide mouth 12-16-ounce glass tupperware or mason jar would work, but I like these wide mouth gasket jars.* 

Instant Ramen Jar with Miso and Veggies recipe
Makes 4 jars

4 blocks rice ramen noodles (10 ounces; I buy Lotus Foods)
4 teaspoons low sodium Better than Boullion vegetable base
4 teaspoons white miso paste
2 teaspoons Sriracha (or to taste)
2 teaspoons grated ginger
7 ounces (1/2 of a block) firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 3.5 ounce container of shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Cook your ramen noodles according to the package directions until very al dente, about 2 minutes in just boiled water.  You want them to be fully cooked but not already breaking apart since we will be adding more hot water when we serve them.  Drain and rinse in cold water and shake off any extra water.

2. Assemble your jars in any roughly 16-ounce container.  Put 1 teaspoon bouillon base, 1 teaspoon miso paste, 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, and 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger on the bottom of each jar.  Then split the cooked noodles, cubed tofu, baby spinach, sliced mushrooms and scallions equally among the 4 jars.  Seal and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To serve: Add boiling water (from a kettle or your office water cooler hot water tap--the hotter the better) to cover all the ingredients.  At this point, I swirl my spoon at the bottom of the jar to break up the flavoring pastes and incorporate them.  Then reseal the jar and let it sit for 2 minutes.  Uncover and eat straight out of the jar or pour into a bowl if you prefer.

*affiliate link

Chickpea Toast with Harissa Yogurt

Chickpea Toast with Harissa Yogurt recipe
serves 2

Here’s my favorite recipe from my 5 Ingredient Meals: Simple Toasts class. Chickpeas are full of protein and fiber and are great for taking on the flavor of whatever you add to them. Harissa is a North African pepper paste that’s increasingly easier to find at almost any grocery store. It can be mild or hot, so start flavoring the yogurt to taste and go from there.

2 slices thick country bread, toasted
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup harissa paste (or to taste)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Grapeseed oil, salt and pepper

1. In a medium skillet, heat a drizzle of grapeseed oil.  Saute chickpeas with salt and pepper until warmed and slightly crispy.

2. Combine yogurt and harissa paste and season with salt if desired.  Spread harissa yogurt on toast and top with chickpeas.  Smash chickpeas with a fork.  Drizzle more harissa yogurt on top.  Top with cilantro.

Jam Cocktails

Jam Cocktails recipe
serves 1

This is more of a formula that a specific recipe, but it’s something I’ve been having fun with this past week. Jams and preserves are perfect bases for cocktails because they combine both sweetness and acidity—the two main elements you are often looking to add to a spirit to make a cocktail. Plus they often combine a few flavors and have a cooked down consistency that provides robustness and a little texture. Here’s the base formula I use and then how I modify it for specific flavors. Note that some jams are sweeter or more sour than others, so you’ll want to adjust the lemon juice accordingly (and potentially add a little extra honey or sugar.) Don’t know how to measure an ounce? 1 ounce is 2 tablespoons.

2 tablespoons jam
2 ounces spirit of choice (vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, etc)
1 ounce lemon juice
club soda and optional garnishes

1. Combine jam, alcohol, and lemon juice in a shaker in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well to combine. You’ll want to shake extra hard to break up the jam.

2. Pour into a cocktail glass. You can strain to get out any jam bits, or leave them in if you like the texture. Top with additional ice, a splash of club soda and any garnishes like berries, herbs, or citrus zest.

Some specific recipes:

Lady Whiskey Marmalade

2 tablespoons Quince and Apple Orange and Lemon Marmalade
2 ounces whiskey
1/2 ounce lemon juice
splash of club soda
rosemary sprig to garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine marmalade, whiskey, lemon juice and ice. Shake well.

2. Don’t strain and pour into a rocks glass. Add additional ice and top with a splash of club soda and a rosemary sprig for garnish.

Rhubarb Gin and Ginger

2 tablespoons Bushel and Peck’s Rhubarb Gin Jam
2 ounces gin
1 ounce lemon juice
splash of club soda
crystallized ginger for garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine jam, gin, lemon juice and ice and shake well.

2. Strain into a coupe glass and add a splash of club soda. Garnish with crystallized ginger on a toothpick.

Tomato, Corn, and Black Bean Saute

Tomato, Corn, and Black Bean Saute
serves 4

This recipe is a quick summery meal that involves minimal chopping and a very short cook time. It’s also a pantry-friendly meal any time of the year because you can easily use frozen corn and canned black beans. Corn and black beans together actually make a complete vegetarian protein, so it’s a reason you’ll see these two often paired together culturally. Grape tomatoes are my favorite for texture and taste, but any kind of tomato would work here as long as it’s chopped smaller.

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb frozen corn (3 cups), fire-roasted if you can find it
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (2 cups)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (1.5 cups)
½ cup basil, finely chopped
Olive oil, salt, and pepper

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.

2. Add corn, grape tomatoes, and black beans and saute until warm, about 5 minutes.

3. Turn off heat and stir in basil.  Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Lentil, Artichoke, and Kale Stew

Lentil, Artichoke, and Kale Stew recipe
serves 4

This soup is a pantry-friendly staple and easy to improvise with what you have on hand. I typically use French green lentils and red lentils in my kitchen, but was accidentally delivered 2 large containers of brown ones and had to find something to do with them. Turns out, my Mushroom Lentil Pate is also delicious with basic brown or green lentils, but this soup was filling, nourishing and delicious as well.

1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons dried herbs (I used 1 t each of oregano, thyme, and parsley)
1 10-ounce jar of marinated artichokes, chopped (frozen or canned OK too)
1 chopped veggie (I used zucchini)
1.5 cups brown lentils, rinsed
8 cups water
1 parmesan rind (optional but gives great flavor)
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 bunch of greens, chopped (fresh or frozen OK; I used kale)

1. Saute onion, carrot celery, garlic and dried herbs for a few minutes, until they are softened. Add artichoke, other veggies, lentils, and water and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Add diced tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes more. Taste and season for salt. Turn off heat and stir in greens.

Korean Tacos with Kimchi Slaw

Korean Tacos with Kimchi Slaw recipe
Serves 4

I’ve seen “Korean Tacos” on local menus for a few years now, and while they aren’t an authentic dish, I can’t help but love them. They combine pungent and refreshing korean flavors with ease-of-assembly and customization of tacos. I use Sunja brand kimchi if I’m not at a Korean grocery store, it’s tasty and vegan for those that need it. Any kind of tortilla you like could work for this—I used corn while working on this recipe, but I also love Siete Family almond flour tortillas. If you can find ready-made bao buns, those would be delicious too. The slaw is really customizable so don’t get stuck on these ingredients; I just used what was in my CSA this week. You could try napa cabbage or even a crunchy lettuce. The carrots can be bought pre-shredded and the leftovers used for lunch salads.

For Kimchi Slaw:
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (from 1/2 head green cabbage)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt

For Tofu:
drizzle of grapeseed oil
14 ounces extra firm tofu, sliced into 1/2” strips
1/4 cup arrowroot
6 tablespoons water
2-3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced

For serving:
12 taco-sized tortillas
gochujang hot sauce

1. Make the kimchi slaw: Toss cabbage, carrots, kimchi, rice vinegar, and cilantro together. Season to taste with salt. Flavors will continue to marinate and blend as you make the rest of the tacos.

2. Make tofu: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with grapeseed oil. Toss tofu strips with arrowroot and dust off any extra. Pan-fry (in 2 batches if you need to) until all sides of tofu are light golden and slightly crispy. About 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, combine water, tamari, honey and garlic in a small bowl. When tofu is golden, pour mixture over tofu and let it reduce until excess water is evaporated, about 1 minute. Arrowroot from the tofu will thicken the sauce into a glaze.

3. Assemble tacos: char tortillas if desired and serve with tofu and slaw. Drizzle optional hot sauce on top if desired.

Broccoli with Cumin and Mustard Seeds

Broccoli with Cumin and Mustard Seeds
serves 2 generously

This has been one of my go-to ways to make Indian-inspired broccoli for years. For people used to Indian dishes, it gets you a lot of that flavor without tons of ingredients or long cooking. For people not used to Indian cooking, it’s a fresh, non-intimidating way to be introduced to these flavors. Black mustard seeds are easily found at an Indian grocery store, but you can also find them in the bulk section of some health food stores like Whole Foods. Whole spices add more flavor and texture and last longer in the pantry than ground spices. Whole spices can also take this high level of heat without burning, so I think they are worth keeping at home.

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon red chile flake
salt to taste

1. In a large skillet with a lid, bring 1/4 cup water up to a simmer. Add broccoli, a pinch of salt, and cover. Let broccoli steam for 30 seconds or until bright green. Remove broccoli from skillet and wipe out skillet if necessary.

2. Heat skillet on medium high and add grapeseed oil. Add black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and red chile flake and stir until seeds start to pop and sizzle. Add broccoli back to the pan and saute to finish cooking and incorporate spice oil. Season with salt to taste.

Blueberry Turmeric Muffins

Blueberry Turmeric Muffins recipe
makes 6 muffins

These muffins are a variation on my Summer Squash Spice Muffins, an almond flour-based recipe made with minimal ingredients. Turmeric and ginger give them underlying spice and complexity, while blueberry and lemon provide a familiar flavor that’s not too sweet or tart. Because almond flour is dense and heavy, they won’t rise like traditional muffins, so don’t fill the cups too full.

dry ingredients:
1 cup, packed almond flour (this is finer than almond meal and will turn out better)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

mix-ins:
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line a muffin tin with 6 muffin liners.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Whisk together with a fork.

3. Combine all wet ingredients in a different large mixing bowl.  Whisk together with a fork.  

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, folding together with a rubber spatula until just mixed.  Add in blueberries.

5. Immediately, fill muffin cups 2/3 full (you will get a lot of spread on top if you fill them fuller--this recipe won't puff up as much as traditional muffins).  Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and removed with nothing sticking to it.  Let cool in tin for 5 minutes then cool on rack for another 15.  

Mango Rose Mousse

Mango Rose Mousse recipe
serves 2 generously

I recently learned this dairy-free mousse technique of blending frozen fruit with a single egg white to make a creamy, light mousse-like dessert. I’ve seen it done with berries and was curious if it would work with my favorite summertime fruit: mangoes. I added a splash of rosewater to give it a South Asian flair, but that is totally optional. Just don’t be tempted to add more rosewater—it’s strong stuff. This mousse is best cold and fresh so plan on chilling it and serving within a few hours of making it. It’s easy to keep all of these ingredients on hand so this would make a perfect last minute dessert for entertaining. Just remember raw egg whites are not appropriate for everyone so use pasteurized if it’s a concern or skip this recipe.

2 cups frozen mango
1/2 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 egg white

1. In a food processor with the s-blade process mango until it’s coarsely ground. Add rosewater and honey and process until combined.

2. Add egg white and process for 1-2 minutes until mixture color lightens and increases in volume. You’ll have a cold fluffy mousse. Serve immediately or transfer to the fridge for a couple of hours and serve cold. (Note: because of the egg white, the mousse will not hold much longer than a couple of hours and will begin to weep or deflate so plan on serving within this window.)

Thai-style Crab Fried Rice

Thai-style Crab Fried Rice recipe
serves 4

On a recent trip to NYC, I went to dinner at Fish Cheeks. Among our many great dishes, we had Thai-style crab fried rice that was light and delicate. Upon taking my first bite, I told my husband that crab fried rice was now going to be in our home dinner recipe rotation. For my version, I add a whole zucchini, finely chopped, to make this more of a one dish meal. You could easily fold in more herbs or greens at the end to do the same or use a combo of rice and cauliflower rice. To make this vegetarian, just leave out the crab and use tamari or soy sauce instead of the fish sauce. A vegan version could also omit the egg and use a couple shakes of dulse flakes to replicate the sea flavor of crab and fish sauce.

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cups cooked jasmine rice (from about 1 cup uncooked)
1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1/4” cubes
3 teaspoons fish sauce (or tamari)
2 eggs, beaten
1 6-ounce can of crab meat (picked over for shell remnants)
1 bunch scallions, white and dark green parts thinly sliced
2 cups cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges
Sambal oelek or hot sauce for serving

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. In 1-2 batches (depending on the size of your pan and how dark you like your fried rice), stir fry rice for 3-5 minutes. Remove rice from pan and add zucchini, adding more oil if necessary. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until tender but still firm.

2. Add rice back to pan and stir in fish sauce. Stir in beaten eggs until cooked. Add crab meat and scallions and stir until warm. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and sambael oelek for heat.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe
serves 8-10

Here I’m updating the entertaining classic of Spinach Artichoke Dip by making it vegan and more pantry-friendly. Pureed cashews make it creamy and clever recipe design means that you’ll use exactly 1 (5-ounce) bag of baby spinach and 1 (9-ounce jar) of marinated artichokes. This dip should really be served warm, so if you don’t eat all of it in one sitting, rewarm in in the oven or microwave with a splash of water or almond milk to finish up the rest.

1 ½ cups raw cashews
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, smalled diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups of unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk beverage
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
5 ounces baby spinach
1 cup marinated artichokes, rough chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Pour boiling water over raw cashews to soak for 10 minutes.  Drain.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute onions and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes.

3. Add drained cashews, almond milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt to the high powered blender and blend until smooth.  

4. Add sauteed onions and garlic, baby spinach, and marinated artichokes and pulse until rough chopped--you still want some chunky texture.  

5. Pour into a glass baking dish or pie plate and bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot.  Don’t cook too long or it will thicken too much and form a thick skin on top. Serve immediately with chips or crudite.  

Strawberry Balsamic Shrub

Strawberry Balsamic Shrub recipe
Makes 2 cups

A shrub is a sweet-tart way to preserve fruit that dates back to colonial times. And it couldn’t be easier to make: simmer fruit like berries or plums with sugar and water and add vinegar. Strain and the syrup is your shrub. Shrubs are commonly found at trendy cocktail bars and are great for making at home cocktails and mocktails. I like to dilute mine with club soda to make a fizzy, sweet, and tart drink that reminds me of kombucha. The best part about shrubs is that they are perfect for ugly, imperfect or mushy fruit (just not spoiled or moldy).

1 lb strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar (1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and the rest apple cider vinegar)

1. Bring strawberries, sugar, and water to a simmer.  Let simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes or until strawberries are super soft and liquid is darkly pigmented.

2. Add vinegars and bring up to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing fruit pulp with a wooden spoon to extract all liquid.  Save liquid in a mason jar and chill in the refrigerator. You can use the pulp to top ice cream, yogurt or toast.  

Teff Waffles

Teff Waffles recipe
makes 6-8 waffles

Teff is a naturally gluten-free pseudograin, best known for being the base ingredient for the spongy Ethiopian bread injera. These tiny grains are milled whole (not refined) to make a flour that’s high in fiber and protein. I found teff flour online* but you can also look for it in the Bob’s Red Mill section of your grocery store. We don’t own a waffle iron but borrowed this one* made by All-Clad from my mother-in-law and I loved using it, so if we do end up buying one, I’ll probably go with this one. I served these with maple syrup, strawberries, and coconut yogurt. Leftover waffles can be cooled and refrigerated or frozen and then reheated in the toaster.

2 cups teff flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
2 cups coconut milk beverage (the boxed kind, not canned coconut milk)
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1. Preheat waffle maker.

2. In a large bowl, stir together teff flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, coconut milk beverage, maple syrup, and coconut oil.

4. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Ladle batter into waffle iron and cook in batches according to iron instructions. I like to turn my waffle iron up to the highest setting and let the batter cook 2 extra minutes after the timer goes off because I like crispy waffles.

*affiliate links

Peach Gummies

Peach Gummies recipe
makes about 200 gummies

I got into homemade gummy treats earlier this year when I had a doctor tell me to eat a more animal protein temporarily during a treatment I was getting. I’ve never been much of a meat eater, so I found that adding collagen and gelatin into some plant-based foods was a good way for me to get started. Now I love these little gummy treats and appreciate that I’m getting a little protein boost from them. I found these gummy bear molds on Amazon* and love them! They come with a little dropper to get the liquid neatly in the molds. For my vegetarian/vegan friends, you can make similar gummy treats using agar agar, a seaweed based gelatin—here’s a vegan recipe to try.

2 cups defrosted frozen peaches
juice from 3 lemons
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons grassfed gelatin (I used Vital Proteins)

1. In a blender, blend defrosted peaches and lemon juice until very smooth. Transfer to a small pot and whisk in honey. Turn heat on low and whisk in grassfed gelatin, making sure no lumps remain. Bring up to a low simmer and turn off heat.

2. Transfer thickened mixture while it’s still hot to a glass baking dish or to gummy molds. If using molds you’ll want to use the dropper that comes with the set. Chill in the fridge until solidified, about 2-3 hours. Unmold and store in the fridge for about a week.

*affiliate link

Strawberry Cardamom Shake

Strawberry Cardamom Shake recipe
serves 2

Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. It’s floral and delicate but also easy to overdo, so if it’s a new ingredient to you, be cautious when you start adding it to recipes. I think it plays nicely with strawberry for my modern, Spring-y take on a strawberry milkshake. Rich coconut milk and a touch of maple syrup make this shake thick and sweet, steering it away from smoothie territory and more into a dessert-y treat.

1 cup sliced and frozen banana (1 medium banana)
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Blend all ingredients in the blender until smooth.  

Coconut-Crusted Barramundi

Coconut-Crusted Barramundi recipe
serves 2

Barramundi is a mild white fish that’s both high in Omega 3 fatty acids (950mg per 6-ounce serving) and available as a sustainably farmed frozen option. I first learned of barramundi though Australis Barramundi and you can learn more about barramundi and their farming practices via their FAQs. (disclaimer: this post is not sponsored but Australis did send me some free fish to try. I’ve since bought my own at Whole Foods.) I think it’s a fabulous fish for people who don’t like “fishy-fish.” You could also substitute cod, halibut, or mahi mahi for this recipe.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 2 ounces barramundi fillets
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
salt to taste

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet and melt coconut oil. Pat dry barramundi fillets and generously salt on both sides.

2. Dip each fillet in coconut milk and then in a plate with the unsweetened coconut. Immediately pan-fry for 2-3 minutes per side until fish is fully cooked and lightly golden.

Sweet Potato Toasts

Sweet Potato Toasts recipe
makes 4 “toasts”

Slice a sweet potato into thin planks to make simple toast-like bases for your favorite toppings like avocado and almond butter. These sweet potato toasts can be made in the oven or toaster oven like I do here but you can also make them in a regular pop-up toaster—you’ll just need to cook them a few times on the toast setting to get them fully cooked.

for toast:
1 sweet potato

topping options:
hummus + sprouts
almond butter + blueberries
peanut butter + honey
avocado + sea salt

1. Preheat toaster oven or oven to 450.  Meanwhile, slice sweet potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. To make this easier, you can first slice a thin piece off the side of the sweet potato so that it will stay stable when you cut it into the thin slices.

2. Lay sweet potato slices directly on the rack and bake for 10 minutes.  Using rubber-ended tongs, flip over the slices and bake for 10 minutes more.  Slices should be soft and lightly charred on the outside. Remove from oven and top with your favorite toast toppings.

Green Bean Fries

Green Bean Fries recipe
serves 2

This became a go-to side dish for my personal chef clients because it’s an easy way to add a green vegetable to a meal and it’s such a crowd pleaser! It’s possible to make these oven roasted “fries” with regular green beans, but the result is so much better with haricots verts, the skinny French kind. They usually come already trimmed in a 1 lb bag so this dish literally couldn’t be any easier unless I came over and roasted it for you.

1 lb haricots verts, stem end trimmed
1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 450 and line 2 half sheet trays with parchment paper.

2. Toss haricots verts with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread out evenly on sheet trays so they aren’t overlapping too much.

3. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned to your likely. Serve immediately or reheat in the oven or toaster oven to maintain crispiness.

Sauteed Sweet Plantains

Sauteed Sweet Plantains recipe
serves 2

Inspired by Cuban-style sweet plantains called maduros, these sauteed sweet plantains make a perfect side dish to salty or savory dishes like black beans and rice or roasted meat. Unlike maduros, they are not deep-fried, only lightly sauteed in coconut oil so the end result is a bit lighter. You’ll want to find the ripest plantains you can: yellow plantains that have turned black on the outside. Yellow plantains with black spots can also be used, just know that your final dish will be slightly starchier and less sweet. Green plantains are very starchy and not sweet and should not be used here.

2 very ripe plantains (blackened on the outside)
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch of salt

1. Peel plantains by slicing off the very ends and making a long, shallow slice down the side of the plantain through the skin only. Then peel off the skin like a jacket. Slice the plantains on a bias into 1/4” thick coins.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium and add coconut oil. Saute plantains (in batches if necessary) for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then add the maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and stir to coat evenly. Let the maple syrup cook down until each plantain has a very thin, sweet, sticky coating on the outside. Remove to a plate and let cool slightly before serving.

Turmeric Latte

Turmeric Spice Latte recipe
serves 1

Make reducing inflammation a calming part of your daily routine with this Turmeric Spice Latte. Turmeric teas and milks have been popular for centuries in places like India and Japan and they are just starting to pop up in coffee shops around the U.S. The presence of fat (coconut oil) and black pepper in this recipe actually increase the bioavailability of the turmeric, so don’t skip them. You can play around with how you serve this, either blending like I do here or straining out any solids for a more gently flavored brew. Feel free to sub in 1/2 teaspoon of powdered, dried turmeric and/or ginger as well if you don’t have fresh. As always consult a doctor when it comes to using food as medicine or consuming unfamiliar ingredients.

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (my homemade recipe is below)
1 teaspoon grated fresh turmeric (peeled)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (peeled)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of black pepper
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon coconut sugar or honey (optional)

1. In small pot, gently simmer almond milk, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and cardamom for 5-10 minutes.

2. Transfer mixture to blender and add coconut oil and coconut sugar if using. Blend until smooth and frothy. Serve garnished with more black pepper.

*Homemade Almond Milk recipe
makes 3 cups

1 cup raw almonds
3 cups filtered water
optional flavorings: pinch of sea salt, 1 teaspoon maple syrup

1. Soak almonds in plenty of cold, fresh water for 12-24 hours.

2. Drain off water. In a high powered blender, combine almonds and 3 cups filtered water and blend for 2-3 minutes until very smooth. Strain through a nut milk bag or a few layers of cheesecloth and add sea salt and maple syrup if using. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days.