Aren’t recipes that remind you of good times fun? Shayna and I love this kind of recipe – and this cake for just that reason. Full of tart, crisp apples, toasted walnuts and topped with a dollop of sage honey. Does it get any better?

We’ve chosen granny smith apples to use in this cake because of their ability to retain crispness and flavor when cooked. Their texture makes a good counterpart to the crunchy walnuts. And don’t just make the sage honey to top this cake. Once you try it, you’ll experiment with lots of different herb, spice and honey combinations. It’s the perfect way to add a pop to any dessert – or even a cup of tea.

Sage is also a great pair with any kind of poultry, mushrooms or apples! But not only does it make your food taste great, sage contains a variety of volatile oils, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, When combined, these components help stabilize oxygen-related metabolism and prevent oxygen-based damage to the cells. Increased intake of sage as a seasoning in food is recommended for persons with inflammatory conditions.

Apple Cake

1 ¼  Cups Raw Sugar

2/3 Cup Canola Oil

1/3 Cup Applesauce

2 Large Eggs

2 Large Egg Whites

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 ¼ Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Fine Sea Salt

½ Tsp Cinnamon

½ Tsp Allspice

¼ Tsp Baking Soda

2 Cups Chopped Granny Smith Apples

1 Cup Chopped Toasted Walnuts

*1 Recipe Sage Honey

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Step One

Preheat the oven to 350F. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, whites and vanilla until well blended.

Step Two

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and baking soda. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into wet mixture until blended. Fold in the apples and walnuts. Spoon into 2 non-stick sprayed round pans that have been lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Step Three

When the loaves have cooled, cut into 1” slices and top with the yogurt and drizzle with honey.

*Sage Honey

1/2 cup honey

6 large sage leaves, chopped

Combine the honey and sage in a small nonstick saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using.

We have so much to be thankful for… so we are spending the week with friends and family and enjoying the season. We will be back next week with another spice and recipe!

If you are looking for a delicious and different side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner, here it is. We love the combination of flavors in this easy to fix veggie dish, and how impressive it looks on the table.

Menestra is not only full of gorgeous bright colors, it’s full of nutrition, too! The main ingredients, the beans, asparagus and artichokes all bring different nutrients to the recipe. The green beans provide lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin which are all important antioxidants for our bodies. And amazing asparagus is loaded with folate, vitamins A, C, E and K. It even has a trace mineral that helps insulin transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. Finally, the artichokes are packed with antioxidants and ranks number 7 on the USDA’s top 20 antioxidant-rich foods list.

Just because the only seasoning in the dish is salt and pepper doesn’t mean it doesn’t have flavor. Salt adds flavor, and pepper does, too! Pepper with its kick of spiciness has been used in cooking since antiquity and is the world’s most traded spice. It’s native to South India, although Vietnam is today’s largest producer and exporter. Our best culinary tip for Black Pepper is: ALWAYS grind it fresh. Those little metal tins or glass bottles of pre-ground pepper lack the flavor and spicy kick of fresh ground.

Pepper also brings lots of goodness to our healthy cooking. Peppercorns are composed of a health benefiting essential oil called piperine. This volatile oil gives spicy pungent character to the pepper and provides the cancer fighting component. Another way in which pepper is beneficial is by providing health to the digestive tract. And remember over 70% of a healthy immune system begins  in the gut so add pepper generously to this fabulous recipe!

Menestra de Verdures

(Green Beans, Asparagus and Artichokes)

1 LB French Green Beans

1 LB Asparagus Spears, Sliced into at least three pieces

2 Pkgs Frozen Artichoke Hearts, Defrosted

2 TB Olive Oil

2 Oz Chopped Serrano Ham (Smoked Proscuitto can be substituted)

½ Cup Minced Red Onion

2 Garlic Cloves, Grated

2 TB Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 Cup Vegetable Stock

1 TB Lemon Zest

Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Lemon Wedges

Step One

Blanch the green beans and asparagus by dipping them in boiling water and then dropping them in a bowl of ice water.

Step Two

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the ham over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for five minutes, or until golden, add in the garlic and cook and stir for a minute. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add in the vegetables and remove from the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Taste for salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.

When talking about Cumin in our cooking classes, we always say, “it’s the original smoky-smelling spice.” If you open a bottle and take a big whiff, the aroma will transport you to another country. Why? You can be cooking almost any cuisine and see cumin in the list of ingredients.  Cumin has been around for a long time, too. Originally cultivated in the Mediterranean and Iran, it was mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

A member of the parsley family, cumin has a long history of medicinal properties within Indian cuisine. Medical research has just begun to suggest the benefits of cumin to the digestive system. The spice appears to stimulate the liver to secrete more bile, which aids in the breakdown of fats and the absorption of nutrients, leading to healthier digestion. Cumin also has beneficial antioxidants like vitamin-C and vitamin-A.

Spanish and Portuguese colonist brought cumin to the Americas – the native Indian cuisines quickly adopted it to add to their cuisine. Cumin is used both in ground forms and as seeds, like we are doing in this week’s Spicy Tuesday recipe. (We buy organic cumin because the spice is often irradiated.) We hope you like this quick and easy bread as much as we do!

CUMIN BREAD
Makes 1 loaf – Double the recipe to make a sheet tray like the picture!

3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 TB Sugar

2 Tsp Baking Powder

2 Tsp Cumin

1/2 Tsp Dry Mustard
1 ½ Tsp Sea Salt
2 Large Eggs and 2 Large Egg Whites, beaten together
1 1/2 Cups Light Buttermilk
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 Tsp Cumin Seed, toasted in a small dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic

1 Tsp Coarse Sea Salt

1 Tsp Sumac*
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, set aside. Using a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cumin, mustard and salt, season with pepper. Using a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk and oil. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring batter until just moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the toasted cumin seed, coarse sea salt and the sumac. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes clean, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes.  Remove the bread from pan and cool completely on wire rack before cutting.

*Sumac, the other spice used here is a cooking essential in the Middle East. Slightly tart and acidic it adds a pleasant lemony flavor and works as a beautiful red garnish, too!

(Mushrooms sizzling at a Healthy Holiday Veggie Cooking Class!)

Rich wild mushroom soup is warm and comforting. Hearty enough for dinner, super as a bowl of goodness for lunch the next day. Meaty and delicious mushrooms are a great way to serve up a veggie meal the whole family will enjoy.
No one will miss the meat!.

(The soup is cooking away...)

Unlike most of recipes, this soup is unique AND quicker because the dried mushrooms used in the soup are not rehydrated before you add them to the pot. The veggie stock provides enough liquid to make the distinctive taste of the dry mushrooms sing. This recipe will easily serve 8 adults, and reheats beautifully for lunch the next day or two.

This week’s featured herb, THYME is the perfect partner for the earthy taste of the mushrooms. Easy to grow and easily found in the grocery store, thyme has been used in cooking beginning with the Romans, who used thyme to “give an aromatic flavor to cheeses and liquors”. We don’t know how a thyme liquor would taste – but are sure that a cheese scented with thyme and mushrooms would be yummy!

Thyme has a history of being used in natural medicine for respiratory problems including coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion. But recently the primary volatile oil in thyme has been studied. “Thymol” has been found to protect and significantly increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes and other cell structures. In particular, the amount of DHA in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased after dietary supplementation with the herb. So by adding thyme to this wonderful mushroom soup, you add many extra antioxidants which make it even healthier and great tasting!

(The soup pureed - rich and creamy!)

Rich Wild Mushroom Soup

2 TB Unsalted Butter, Divided

1 TB Olive Oil

1 Large Yellow Onion, finely chopped

16 Oz Bellas, chopped

1 Oz *Dried Wild Mushrooms

2 – 4 Cups Vegetable Stock

½ LB Wild Mushrooms, sliced

2 TB Thyme

1 TB Fresh Lemon Juice

½ Cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Step One Melt 1 TB butter with the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened – about 7 minutes. Add the white mushrooms, dried mushrooms, stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the dried mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Step Two While the soup is cooking, sauté the wild mushrooms in the remaining TB of butter until any liquid has evaporated. Add the herbs.

Step Three Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Place back into the stockpot, and add the  sautéed wild mushrooms, lemon juice and cream. Simmer until warm, remove from the heat, stir in the yogurt and add salt and pepper to taste.

(Serving up the soup with a garnish of thyme!)

Fun FOOD FACT: Because wild mushrooms are composed of mostly water, when they are dried the natural flavors are intensified – making them even more delicious. Even better, they have long storage life, up to a year, so you can enjoy their rich taste easily.

Check out the Gorgeous Red Peppers that Shayna spied in Rome!

Red Peppers in Rome

red peppers in Rome 2

Don’t you just love an appetizer that comes together in a jif, looks impressive, and tastes great? We do too! Inspired by Shayna’s trip to Italy, here’s an easy and healthy take on a traditional Italian dish, polenta. We’ve spiced it up with a little red pepper flake and you can add some cheese if you wish, but no matter what topper you choose – it’s a wonderful bite.

Not just as an appetizer, this polenta recipe can be nestled in some baby greens that have been dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, and make a great light lunch or dinner, too.

The red pepper flakes make the mild tasting polenta, pop with just a bit of savory spice. Not only do they add flavor, but nutrition, too. Red pepper flakes have a compound called capsaicin in them. It puts the heat in chilies. It may lower the risk of skin and colon cancers. There have also been studies that show it helps people eat fewer calories. So if you do like a little heat, these squares are a perfect place to add the pepper flakes!

Polenta Squares with Toppers

6 Cups Veg Stock/Water/Skim Milk or combination

2 Cups Polenta

1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Optional ½ Cup Shredded Cheese

Step One

Line a 13×9x1-inch baking sheet  with parchment or aluminum foil. Bring milk, broth, and bay leaf to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until polenta is thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes and cheese if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step Two

Transfer polenta to the prepared baking sheet. Smooth the polenta evenly over sheet to edges. Chill until firm. Cut polenta into squares. Remove the parchment and re-line the baking sheet.

Step Three

Preheat oven to 450F. Place the squares on the sheet pan. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the polenta is golden brown. Serve topped with roasted red peppers, mushrooms or goat cheese.

Roasted Red Peppers: Toss thinly sliced roasted red peppers with a Tsp of EVOO.

Mushrooms: Slice thinly, season with salt and pepper and sauté in 1 TB EVOO, until the mushrooms have released all their juice and the pan is dry.

Goat Cheese: Spread about a Tsp of soft goat cheese on the top of the polenta squares.

We love eggplant in all its different shapes and size… did you know that more than 4 Billion acres across the world are planted with numerous varieties? This relative of the tomato and potato is a food chameleon – absorbing the flavors of whatever it is cooked with and adding its unique meaty texture to the dish.

The salad we are featuring this week can be a side or a main, as it combines eggplant with leafy greens and other veggies, and is topped with capers and our herb of the week, Basil. Just like eggplant, Basil is used in cuisines around the world. Here in the US we commonly think of it as part of Italian cuisine. Indeed, our recipe takes its flavor cues from Italy with the addition of red peppers, tomatoes and pecorino romano cheese.

Not only does Basil taste great, its also a powerhouse of nutrition.  This herb is a primary “go to” choice for its anti- inflammatory properties. This effect stems from eugenol, a volatile oil in basil that blocks enzymes in the body that cause swelling. Both fresh basil and basil oil have strong antibacterial capabilities as well. In fact, basil has been shown to stop the growth of many bacteria, so add ing it to your salad ensures its safe to eat!

Eggplant Pecorino

1 Large Eggplant, cut in long slices

1 – 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

1 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano

6 Cups Arugula

3 Roma Tomatoes cut in thin long slices

1 Recipe Balsamic Vinaigrette*

1 Roasted Red Pepper, Chopped

½ Cup Capers

½ Cup Basil, Chiffonade

Step One

Drizzle the eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant on a grill pan, in a cast iron or on a grill outside – about 2 minutes a side. While the eggplant slices are still hot off the grill, sprinkle some grated Pecorino cheese over them.

Step Two

Divide the arugula between 4 salad plates. Begin layering the eggplant and tomato slices, each layer perpendicular to the other. Drizzle with dressing and top with red pepper, capers and basil.

* Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 TB Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

¼ to ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Dry or Fresh Herbs as Desired

1 Grated Garlic Clove, optional

Spicy, pungent, hot and healthy, its hard to NOT like horseradish. Shayna and I love it for its special, (sneaky), way of enhancing flavors in food. Have you ever seen a horseradish root up close and personal?

Isn’t it gnarly and ancient looking? Did you know that it has been used in cooking since ancient times? According to Greek mythology, the oracle at Delphi was the site of the pronouncement that “ the radish was worth its weight in lead, the beet its weight in silver, and the horseradish its weight in gold.”

The horseradish plant is a member of the Brassicaceae family, a group of plants which includes cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. These vegetables are not only healthy and low in calories; they’re rich in compounds called glucosinolates, which help rid the body of cancer-causing chemicals humans are exposed to every day from pollution and carcinogens in food.

You may be familiar with its use in cocktail sauce or a bloody mary, but don’t limit this interesting herb to just a once-in-a-while treat. Horseradish can be used for lots of dishes! Its yummy flavor makes not only this weeks recipe delish, it’s a great way of adding lots of flavor to yogurt to top a baked potato, or a wonderful fall mash-up of root veggies like turnips, sweet potatoes and parsnips.

Here’s a fun and appetizing way to serve up horseradish to your family and friends!

Smoked Trout on Granny Smith Apples

1 (8 OZ) Pkg Light Cream Cheese, softened

¼ Cup Non Fat Greek Yogurt

2 Green Onions, green parts only, thinly sliced

½ Cup Minced Granny Smith Apple

2 TB Horseradish, bottled or grated fresh

1 TB Chopped Dill

1 Tsp Lemon Zest

1/2Tsp Each Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

12 OZ Smoked Trout

4 Granny Smith Apples, cored and cut into thin slices

½ Cup Coarsely Chopped Chives

Mix together the cream cheese, yogurt, onions, apples, horseradish, dill, zest and salt and pepper in a bowl. Flake the trout and gently fold it into the cheese mixture. Top each apple slice with a couple of teaspoons of the trout and sprinkle with chives.

What’s better than a treat? We can’t think of many things… That’s why we love this week’s herb and its recipe. Sweet and satisfying, easy to make and share, too! Aromatic, pungent and spicy Ginger was the inspiration for these small indulgences. Ginger is as an herb used in cuisines around the world. Though we may think about using it fresh, dried or crystallized it can also be used as a juice or oil.

It lends its name to its genus and family, which also includes turmeric, one of our favorite spices. Ginger can improve the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body. It can also help reduce the pesky sinuses that tend to flare up from time to time. And ginger can help with nausea as well so keep some fresh ginger in your freezer and pull out a chunk when you need it.

These treats are no-cook, so it’s a great way to get even the smallest kiddo in the kitchen. It’s also a great way to teach the family about portions and how foods like this are to be eaten occasionally during the week, not after every meal. Make sure to hand out aprons for everyone – It’s a very hands-on!

2 Oz Dark (At least 60% Cocoa Solids) Dark Chocolate

2 Cups Dried Cranberries

¼ Crystallized Ginger

1 Cup Dates, pitted

1 Cup Toasted Walnuts

¼ Cup Pomegranate Molasses***

1 Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds

Step One Place the chocolate in the bowl of the food processor, fitted with the knife blade. Using the pulse feature, chop the chocolate finely. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Step Two Place the cranberries, ginger, dates, walnuts and pomegranate molasses in the processor. Turning on, chop the mixture well, scraping down the side as necessary. When chopped, add in the chocolate and pulse a few times to get it incorporated.

Step Three Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls, pressing down to make sure they are firm. Roll in the sesame seeds and serve. One ball is just the right portion size and a yummy treat!

***No pomegranate molasses? Use honey instead!

Last week Shayna and I presented one of our favorite classes: Pre and Pro Biotics. Super menu and terrific instruction – all about foods that we may be familiar with, but not know much about their power to make us feel great!

When you read the recipe title below, you’ll notice it’s just a little different from the title above. Oh yes, it’s missing the word SAUERKRAUT. We’ve found that many people, when they see it, are convinced that they won’t like the dish. If you were in that camp – you’d be wrong! The sauerkraut is not easily identifiable in the finished stew, it just adds a wonderful tangy flavor. As a fermented veggie, sauerkraut has been made and enjoyed for thousands of years. Fermented foods improve digestion while restoring a healthy balance in your gut. If you have only tried to eat it on a hot dog – try this soup! You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Now that we have told you about the goodness of sauerkraut, we have to share the good news about our herb of the week, too! Fennel seeds symbolize longevity, courage, and strength. It is the seed of the Fennel plant, and has the fresh, green and licorice-y flavor that the bulb and fronds do. When you are buying fennel seed, make sure to look for green seeds. As the seed ages, it gets brown. Fennel seed packs a powerful nutritional punch, too. They have a plethora of nutrients, essential compounds, anti-oxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. So enjoy this soup with family and friends, we bet it will become a favorite!

White Bean, Artichoke and (Sauerkraut) Soup

1 TB Olive Oil

2 Yellow Onions, Chopped

1 TB Smoked Paprika

2 Tsp Turmeric

½ Tsp Each Salt and Pepper

3 Garlic Cloves, Grated

8 Cups Veg Stock

1 LB Sauerkraut, Rinsed and Drained

2 (15 OZ) Cans Cannellini Beans

1 Cup Chopped Frozen Artichoke Hearts

1 Cup Yogurt

Chopped Dill and Toasted Fennel Seeds for Garnish

Step One Heat the olive oil in a stockpot and sauté the onions with the smoked paprika, turmeric and salt and pepper until the onions are very soft. (About 30 minutes over low heat.) Add the garlic cloves in, and cook and stir until fragrant.

Step Two Add the veg stock, sauerkraut cannellini beans and artichoke to the pot and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until warm. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Garnish with dill and the toasted fennel seeds and serve.