Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries & Cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 pint fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

To make the olive oil cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch square cake pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, water, lemon juice and zest. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.

Fill the prepared pan evenly with batter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.

This can also be made ahead of time. Store in a cake dome at room temperature for up to two days.

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar or pure maple syrup

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

To make the syrup, whisk or blend together the sugar with the lemon juice in a bowl or personal blender. Set aside.

Whipped Cream

1 (14-ounce) can of coconut milk, *chilled in fridge over night

2/3 cups powdered sugar or pure maple syrup

To make the whipped cream, chill the bowl and whisk of a stand mixer in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Skim the solidified coconut cream off the top of the chilled coconut milk and transfer the solids to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add your sweetener of choice, a little at a time, whipping for a few minutes until the mixture begins to stiffen and turn into whipped cream. You may not need all of the sugar or maple syrup. Taste as you go, working quickly so everything stays cold. Chill whipped cream in a covered container in the refrigerator. It should firm up even more as it sits in the refrigerator for the next few hours or overnight, so this is also something that can be done ahead of time.

To serve, cut the cake into squares and plate with a couple of slices of fresh strawberries. Drizzle with the syrup and add a dollop of whipped cream.

Just in time for Easter dinner this afternoon, I pulled together this salad to bring to my in-law’s. Quick and easy, with  only a few fresh ingredients you can do this too. Colorful and festive, this is the perfect side salad to accompany any meal this season. 

Spring Festive Salad

{Yield: 6}

1 bag of mixed greens

1/2 bag fresh arugula

5-6 purple brussels sprouts, thinly sliced plus a few whole leafs

4-5 florets of purple cauliflower,  tops only, chopped into tiny pieces

6 yellow tomatoes, quartered

2 Tbsp shredded carrots

1/4 cup cooked quinoa

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp local honey

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp  sunflower seeds, roasted

2 Tbsp golden raisins

microgreens, for garnish

To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon, honey, and olive oil. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Toss the first seven ingredients in a large serving bowl with the dressing. Add in the sunflower seeds and raisins, and garnish with cinnamon and microgreens.  Serve immediately.

Amaranth Porridge.

A great alternative to oatmeal, amaranth porridge is a warming bowl full of feel-good nutrients. Amaranth is a superfood seed that’s vitamin and mineral-rich, and very high in protein. A nutritional-powerhouse, this gluten-free grain has loads of vitamin E and B, calcium, iron and phosphorous. It looks and cooks similar to quinoa but is lighter in texture, malty in flavor, has a slightly sweet taste with nutty undertones. They are easy to digest and can simply be substituted for other grains in most dishes. Add this into your breakfast rotation and fuel your mornings right. Check out the recipe exclusively written for DEFINE foods HERE! 

Amaranth Porridge: coconut, maple, pear & pecan

Ring in the New Year with this new recipe! A fresh, clean start to cooking right. Good-quality, seasonal ingredients make for a perfect dish. Carrots and beets are available locally right now at your farmer’s markets. Combined with fresh fig and a bright pop of pomegranate seeds, this dish has sweet and savory earthiness that makes it grounding as a side-dish or filing enough as a meal topped over your favorite grain. Fuel your body well to feel your very best. 

Carrots, high in beta-carotene, serves as antioxidants that slows down our aging cells. Top with a healing dressing of miso and sesame for a well-balanced and grounding dish perfect for January. Miso is high in protein, rich in vitamins and minerals and gives an earthy, salty flavor, while the sesame adds rich, nutty undertones and keeps our hearts healthy.

Check out my recipe for Gingered Carrots, Beets & Fig w Miso-Sesame Dressing HERE on DEFINE foods! 

Just in time for the Holidays! This is a wonderful side dish for your festive table.  Farro is an ancient strain of hard wheat, but a plant and grain all its own. A grain of farro looks and tastes somewhat like a lighter brown rice and is often confused with spelt. It has a complex, nutty taste with undertones of oats and barley. Rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E,  farro is so easily digested and so low in gluten, it can often be eaten by people who are normally gluten-intolerant.

Healthy and hearty, high in fiber and protein, easy to cook and digest…farro is the perfect winter grain. Simply cook and toss with fresh herbs and good olive oil or use it in various recipes from soups to salads to mains and sides. I made this dish for our Thanksgiving family potluck at DEFINE recently. 

Check out the recipe for FARRO SALAD W ROASTED GRAPES & POMEGRANATE exclusively for DEFINEfoods HERE!

The perfect Fall feel-good soup. Simple enough for a weeknight and elegant enough for your Thanksgiving table. The earthy sage adds a perfectly grounding flavor to the sweet apple and  smooth butternut squash. With a subtle kick from jalapeno, you will feel like kicking up your feet next to a warm fire on a cold night. 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

{Yield: 2}

olive oil

1 shallot

2-3 sage leaves, thinly sliced

1/2 red jalapeño, seeded and minced (more if you like it hot)

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced

2 red apples, seeded and chopped

1 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup water (more or less, depending on desired thinness)

juice from 1/2 lemon

drizzle of agave or pure maple syrup

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat some olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Add the jalapeno and sage, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the squash and cook about 5 -8 minutes until starting to soften. Next, add the apples, broth and a little water just to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 – 25 minutes until vegetables are very soft.

Transfer to a blender or Vitamix and puree until smooth. You can do this in batches, if necessary. Add more water, if needed, to reached desired thinness. Add lemon juice, sweetener and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. You may need to return back to saucepan and reheat on low if not using a Vitamix.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with micro greens or fresh sage and drizzle of olive oil.

A flavorful way to bring Brussels sprouts to your holiday table. There is no better combination than miso and maple at this time of year, especially when browning up brussels! Slicing them thin lends a quicker cook time and a crisper bite. If you’re not a big tofu-lover, feel free to omit. This dish is also great without! It comes together quickly and is great as a main over quinoa, or simply as a side dish. This is another exclusive recipe for DEFINE foods. Check it out HERE!

This dish came together nicely and felt oh so good finishing a weeknight with a warm bowl full of healing Asian properties. Ginger aids in digestion, reduces pain-causing inflammation in the body, and also has antimicrobial and antiviral properties that kill germs. I use it often in dishes and always end the night with a cup of ginger tea. Shiitake contain powerful cancer-fighting properties and boost the immune system, thanks to the antiviral and antimicrobial carbohydrate lentinan, and  Sesame is high in linoleic acid, and has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well. With the added vegetables in this dish, the simmering broth will to keep you feeling grounded and healthy. 

I opted for tofu, as the recipe calls for below, and my husband added shredded chicken to his from a leftover prepared roast. I did not get a picture of the ‘his-and-hers’ options as ‘his’ was gone by the time I was done photographing ‘hers’.  I could also see salmon working well with the flavors and feel free to use any noodle of choice. Many options to choose from- kelp, whole wheat, spelt… Make it your own and enjoy! 

Ginger Soba Noodles

{Yield: 2}

1 bunch soba noodles

1/2 block of extra firm tofu, pressed and diced into 1-inch cubes (optional)

 splash of unrefined SESAME* or grape seed oil

pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/3 bunch broccolini, chopped into bite-sized pieces

small handful matchstick carrots

1/2 baby bok choy, thinly sliced

1/2 cup thinly chopped kale (about 1/2 a bunch)

 2 teaspoons minced ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 – 2 tablespoons NAMA SHOYU*, or soy sauce

1 handful thinly sliced fresh basil

a squeeze of lime juice

drizzle of toasted sesame oil

sesame seeds and micro greens for garnish

Prepare your noodles as directed. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Add a splash of oil into a large skillet on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the tofu, shaking the pan occasionally to cook the tofu evenly until edges are browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the mushrooms, broccolini, carrots, bok choy, and a pinch of sea salt and red pepper flakes to the same pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until they have wilted down, about 5  minutes. Toss in kale, ginger, garlic and shallot. Stir fry for a few minutes until the kale starts to wilt down, but garlic is not burning. Add the broth and noodles and simmer for a few minutes. Add more broth, if necessary.

Turn off heat, stir in nama shoyu, basil, lime juice and toasted sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Ladle into bowls and finish with desired garnishes. Top with cooked tofu, salmon or chicken, if using.

*NAMA SHOYU is unpasteurized soy sauce. You can purchase this and other ingredients at my online store HERE. 

I came across Muscadine grapes at the farmer’s market a few weeks ago and was intrigued, as I had never seen or tasted before. I learned that they are native to states south of the Mason-Dixon Line and as far west as Texas and have valuable antioxidants and fiber. They are definitely different from your typical table grape, with thick, butter-like skins and seeds. Muscadine grapes can be found locally at your farmers markets or farm stands from August to October. I was determined to make something with this I.O.W. (ingredient of the week), and since the skins have a slight bitterness, I decided to roast them off. This recipe came together quite nice. The roasted grapes and shallots sweetened while the peppery arugula gave the quinoa a great balance. You can also make this dish with regular grapes.

Roasted Shallot & Grape Quinoa Salad

{Yield: About 2}

1 cup quinoa

4 large shallots, peeled and quartered

olive oil

1 cup grapes, seeded

2 garlic cloves, minced

handful fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 bunch arugula

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and cooled

Dressing

1/2 shallot, minced

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To make the quinoa, toast 1 cup dry quinoa in the bottom of a saucepan for about a minute until it squeaks when stirred with a wooden spoon. Add in 2 cups of water. Bring to a bowl. Lower to a simmer. Add lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and sit for another 5. Fluff with fork. Set aside.

Toss the shallots in a bowl with drizzle of olive oil and a little sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes or so. Toss the grapes in the same bowl, again with olive oil and sea salt and black pepper, and add to shallot pan, cooking an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until shallots are browned and the grapes have just started to burst.

To make the dressing, mix together the shallots, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil until it becomes emulsified. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.

In a medium to large skillet, heat a little olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and fresh oregano and saute for a minute or two until flavorful.  Mix in about half of the quinoa along with the roasted shallots and grapes. Saute until warmed through. Take off the heat and toss in the arugula. Serve immediately with a little dressing and top with the toasted pumpkin seeds.