Living the WELL Life

These are…hands down…the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever made…I love it so much, there’s even a step-by-step, how-to video on my website for it.


I dare you to eat just one!


Chocolate Chunk Cookies
1 stick Earth Balance or 8 tablespoons, softened
½ cup Suzanne’s Specialties Maple Rice Nectar (brown rice syrup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup semolina flour
Pinch sea salt
Generous pinch ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 bar dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans or other nuts


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.


Place Earth Balance, rice syrup and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whip until creamy. Add flours, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Mix by hand to create a soft dough. Fold in chocolate and nuts.


Using a spoon, place cookies on baking sheet leaving space between then for spreading. You will get about 12 to a tray. Press lightly on the cookie with your fingers to flatten them slightly. 


Bake for 17-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 30-36 cookies  Read more

Leafy greens are one of the most important foods you can eat. Just when you think you’ve had enough, eat more…and more…and more…


And this lovely salad could make it easier or more delicious. 


Collard Green Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette
2-3 collard leaves, stems trimmed, left whole
2 cups baby arugula
2-3 Belgian endive, shredded
1 ripe grapefruit, sectioned


Vinaigrette
1/3 cup Chef Salvatore’s extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 grapefruit
1 tablespoon Suzanne’s Specialties brown rice syrup
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper


Bring a pot of water to a boil with a generous pinch of salt. Cook the collard greens until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove and slice into ribbons. Cool completely before continuing. 


While the greens cool, prepare the balance of ingredients and place in a mixing bowl. 


Make the dressing by whisking together oil, juice, syrup with salt and pepper to taste. 


Assemble the salad by combining cooked greens with the rest of the salad. Gently stir in dressing to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Makes 4-5 servings  Read more

This main course is so comforting during cold weather. Packed with protein and antioxidants…and flavor…this will become your go-to main course on a cold winter night.


Tempeh and Root Veggie Stew
1 pound tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes
Olivado avocado oil
3 red onions, quartered
4 carrots, chunk cut
2 parsnips, chunk cut
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Spring or filtered water
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1 cup frozen peas


Cube tempeh. Heat a generous amount of oil in a flat skillet and pan fry tempeh, turning once to ensure even browning. Add onions, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes and bay leaves.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and add water to accumulate about ½-inch. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Add potatoes, adjust seasonings to your taste and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes more. Add more water, if needed to keep a stew-like consistency. Remove bay leaves, stir in peas and cook 5 minutes more. Stir gently to combine and serve hot. Makes 4-5 servings.   Read more

Roasted vegetables could double as dessert in my book. Sweet and satisfying, roasted winter squash is so yummy, so addictive (in the best possible way), you’ll wish squash season would never end.


And to make things even sweeter, this dish is so easy. Slice, dice, season and bake. 


Roasted Winter Squash and Onions
2 red onions, large chunks
1 winter squash, halved, seeded, cut into large chunks
Chef Salvatore’s extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 2 fresh lemons
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Prepare the veggies and place them in a serving bowl. Sprinkle generously with olive oil and stir in lemon zest with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Spoon vegetables onto a sheet pan with sides and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and return to oven to brown the veggies, about 5-7 minutes more. Serve hot.  Makes 4-5 servings   Read more

A creamy, smooth soup is like comfort in a cup and as the days grow colder, a yummy soup will be more and more welcome on your table…and in your tummy.

With millet and cauliflower as the base of this velvety soup, you’ll feel less stressed from the calming nature of this whole grain and mild-mannered veggie. But don’t let their gentle nature fool you. They’re powerhouses of nutrition, giving you the energy you need to sail through the day.


Millet Cauliflower Soup
1 yellow onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
½ head cauliflower, broken into florets
½ cup yellow millet, rinsed well
4-5 cups spring or filtered water
2 tablespoons white miso
2-3 sprigs fresh flatleaf parsley, coarsely chopped for garnish

Place veggies in a soup pot with millet on top. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until millet is creamy, about 30 minutes. Remove a small amount of hot broth and dissolve miso. Stir back into soup and simmer 2-3 minutes more. Serve garnished with parsley. Makes 4-5 servings.  Read more

Back to treats…seems the season is filled with sugar plums dancing in our heads. Once you have made and sampled these decadent treats, it will be asteroids dancing in your head!


Asteroids
1 cup Suzanne’s Specialties Maple Rice Nectar (brown rice syrup)
1 cup almond butter
1 cup grain-sweetened non-dairy chocolate chips
3 cups crispy brown rice cereal


In a large sauce pan, heat rice syrup and almond butter until creamy. Stir in chocolate chips until they melt. Remove from heat and stir in crispy rice until well-incorporated. Press into a shallow, square casserole dish. Allow to set until firm. Cut into squares and serve. Makes about 1 dozen. You may also roll them into 2-inch balls instead, which makes about 2 dozen.


Variations: Any nut butter is fabulous in this treat. Peanut butter, cashew or hazelnut butter...yummy. And you can roll them in unsweetened cocoa powder, shredded coconut or finely chopped nuts to create a truffle-like treat for special occasions.  Read more

Nothing will lift your load or lighten your spirits quite like a salad. Huh? With all the running around that accompanies this time of year, a fresh, nutrient-dense salad will give you endurance and not weigh you down…providing a little ‘wiggle room’ at the dessert buffet!
I love the interesting textures and flavors in this salad. I use only the best olive oil in my salads since it plays such an important role in how we perceive them.  And this one is so yummy, it could be a light lunch or late dinner on its own! 


Shaved Fennel and Artichoke Heart Salad
Chef Salvatore’s extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thin half-moon slices
sea salt
6-8 artichoke hearts, split lengthwise
1 small fennel bulb, tops trimmed, 2-3 tablespoons leaves reserved, very thinly shaved or sliced
juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 bunch watercress or escarole, rinsed well and hand-shredded


Place a small amount of oil, garlic and red onion in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium.  When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and sauté until quite limp, 3-4 minutes.  Add artichoke hearts, sprinkle lightly with salt, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until the artichoke hearts are tender, 17-20 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in fennel and lemon juice and adjust seasoning.  Arrange greens on a platter and spoon fennel mixture over top and sprinkle reserved fennel leaves on top, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Serve warm.  Makes 4-5 servings.  


Note: To prepare an artichoke heart, cut the stem of the artichoke off at the base.  Remove the outer leaves of the artichoke by pulling them down so they snap off.  Using a sharp knife, cut the artichoke crosswise, removing the remaining leaves, leaving about a 1 ½ (one half)-inch base.  With a small paring knife, trim the green leaf stubs off the bottom of the base.  Then trim the dark green leaf stubs from the top of the base.  Using a melon baller, remove the hairy choke from the base of the artichoke.  Place the prepared artichoke heart in a bowl of cold water that has had the juice of one lemon mixed in.  Or you can use canned or jarred artichoke hearts and cook them for only 7 minutes.   Read more

Quick, easy, completely delicious main courses seem to be in high demand these days as we charge through our over-scheduled days. With the holiday rush, it’s even more important that we don’t compromise our health…that we eat well and sit around the table to enjoy our meals.


This main course will delight the palate, ease your hunger pangs and its rich protein content will provide lots of stamina for those long shopping, partying and feasting days of the season!


Fried Tempeh with Apricot Mustard
Olivado avocado oil
8 ounce block of tempeh, cut into 1-inch triangles


apricot mustard
4 tablespoons stoneground mustard
4 tablespoons unsweetened apricot preserves
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt
2 teaspoons Suzanne’s Specialties brown rice syrup
1-2 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced


Place enough oil in a skillet to generously cover the bottom.  Turn the heat to medium and when the oil is hot (patterns will form in the oil, known as dancing) begin pan-frying the tempeh until browned, turning once, cooking 1-2 minutes per side.  Drain on paper and set aside.


For the sauce, simply place all ingredients in a small sauce pan, using salt to your taste.  Warm over low heat until the preserves and rice syrup thin, creating a thick sauce, about 1 minute.  Do not cook until the mixture foams.  As soon as the apricot mustard thins, stir in tempeh to coat.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve garnished with minced parsley.  Makes 3-4 servings.    Read more

A holiday brunch favorite with my clan. While you can enjoy this dish any time of the day…even dinner; for me, it’s the perfect brunch dish. Pretty to look at and totally yummy…and easy as pie to make.
No one will miss the eggs!


Scrambled Tofu Florentine
Chef Salvatore’s extra virgin olive oil
½ yellow onion, finely diced
sea salt
1 small carrot, finely diced
1-2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 tablespoon mirin
1 pound extra firm tofu, coarsely crumbled
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ bunch arugula, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup shredded soy or rice mozzarella (vegan)
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced


Place a small amount of oil and onion in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium.  When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and sauté for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until shiny with oil.  Add mirin, crumbled tofu and turmeric and stir well, incorporating turmeric throughout the dish.  Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in arugula and soy cheese, cover and cook for 1 minute.  Turn off heat and allow to stand until cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.  Stir well to combine and serve garnished with fresh parsley.  Makes 3-4 servings.  Read more

As the holiday season gets busier, we need some easy and nourishing dishes to help us get a delicious, healthy dinner on the table quickly. I love to serve this with a fresh salad for a light dinner or simple lunch.


I also love, love, love to serve this for a holiday brunch, when we all take a morning away from shopping and wrapping and just chill out with good friends and family for a lazy morning.


Grilled Soy Sausage Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions
Chef Salvatore’s extra virgin olive oil
6-8 yellow onions, thinly sliced into half-moon pieces
sea salt
1 tablespoon Suzanne’s Specialties brown rice syrup 
½ (one half) teaspoon caraway seeds
8 ounces vegan soy sausage, sliced (I love Tofurkey or Field Roast brand)


4-8 thick slices whole grain, sourdough bread
stoneground mustard
4-8 leaves Romaine lettuce, rinsed well, left whole
2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced


Place 2 tablespoons oil in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium.  Sauté onions, with a generous pinch of salt until they begin to wilt.  Stir in rice syrup and caraway seeds, season lightly with salt and cook until onions are quite limp and browned, as long as 25 minutes, stirring frequently.


When the onions are almost ready, prepare the sausage.  Place a generous amount of oil in a skillet and turn heat to medium.  Add sausage logs and cook, turning frequently, browning them evenly.  Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly so you can handle them.


Lay bread on a dry work surface.  Spread mustard on half the slices and lay tomato slices and lettuce on top of the mustard.  Slice the sausage logs in half lengthwise and lay them on top of the tomatoes.  Lay remaining bread slices on top and cut in half diagonally.  Makes 2-4 sandwiches.  Read more