We are smack in the heart of asparagus season. Whether you like your asparagus spears thick or thin, there are infinite ways to prepare these springtime icons. These recipes look like some of the best:

• Asparagus Soup with Curry & Crème Fraîche (Mourad Lahlou of Aziza Restaurant)
• Asparagus Flan (Orangette)
• Lemony Risotto Croquettes with Slivered Snow Peas, Asparagus, and Leeks (Splendid Table)
• Asparagus Frittata (Simply Recipes)
• Asparagus Chili Tortilla (delicious:days)
• Spring Vegetables in a Herb Nage (Nordjus)
• Spring Panzanella (Napastyle)
• Roast Asparagus Parmesan with Steamed Morels Recipe (Sylvain Portay)

Comments (11) | April 9 - 1:34 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Make a pledge to try a new carrot recipe each week this spring, they're healthy, vibrant, and deliciously filling. We'll leave you with one shopping tip (look for spring carrots with their bushy green tops still attached) and a list of carrot inspiration to get things kicked off...

- There's a stockpile of inspired carrot recipes at the Mariquita Farm website. You'll find Glazed Carrots With Pistachios and Thyme, Carrot Yogurt Soup, Carrot Milkshake, Cardamom Carrots, and Carrots in Beer.

- Orangette serves up a simple French-style Carrot Salad

- Vibrant Carrot Dip at Cook & Eat

- Spring Salad with Arborio Rice Cakes, Roasted Baby Carrots, White Asparagus & Fava Beans from Amy Murray of Venus Restaurant

- Carrot Apricot Muffins via Culinate

- Dipping into the Nordjus archives we discover Summer Vegetables in a Herb Nage - the name says summer, but the ingredients are oh-so-springy.

Mollie Katzen's Carrot-Cashew Curry

- Brussels Sprouts with Carrots via Whole Foods

- Napa Cabbage & Carrots with Rice Wine-Oyster Sauce via Eating Well

- Young Carrot Salad with Shaved Sheep’s Milk Cheese via Vegetarian Times

- Carrot And Leek Ragout With Green Peas And Mint via CookThink

- Carrot-Wheat Berry Salad with Cumin and Raisins

- Bashed Neeps and Carrots via Delia. See if you can figure out what a neep or a swede is.

Comments (1) | March 25 - 10:51 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

I've experienced distrustful, quizzical looks my whole life by those who simply cannot comprehend why I don't go weak in the knees for chocolate. I have matured though, from outright disliking it as a child, to today where I enjoy it on occasion. Chocolate
cravings however have been an urban legend to me, widely recounted, shrouded in mystery, and not ever experienced first hand — until a few weeks ago. For reasons unknown (maybe the months of cold weather?) I felt compelled to bake up a batch of deep chocolate brownies - all-American in appearances, but a bit more au natural in the mix.

A warm, moist, nut-studded goody that was both sweet and slightly salty is what I craved. Sure a carob, oat-bran, flax-fest could have satisfied my whole foods interests, but the brownie I was dreaming of called for more of a middle ground that was a slightly less refined but no less satisfying. With a few simple tweaks to a classic brownie approach - for example, using white whole flour instead of all-purpose and brown rice syrup in place of more standard fare, I baked up a marvel of brownie-goodness.

Brown Rice Syrup Brownie Recipe

In place of or combined with the nuts, you can mix in toasted coconut, cacao nibs, chocolate chips, toasted sunflower seeds, or dried cherries. For mocha brownies, add 1 teaspoon of finely ground espresso beans when melting the chocolate and butter.

2 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used 70%)
4 tablespoon non-alkalized cocoa powder
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ cups brown rice syrup
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup toasted, coarsely chopped nuts (almond, walnuts, or pecans are good)
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or other large flaked sea salt (I used vanilla salt)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and position rack in the center. Grease an 8”x8” square cake pan.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over very low heat, combine the chocolate, cocoa powder, and butter. Stir constantly until melted and smooth. Add the brown rice syrup and vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Once cool, add the eggs and stir until well combined. Add the flour and nuts and stir until almost combined. If adding the salt, do so now and gently stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix the batter.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and spread to the edges. Place in the oven on the center rack.

Bake, rotating the pan mid-way through, until the kitchen smells of chocolate, the center is firm to touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for a full 10 minutes, then gently separate the brownies from the edges of the pan with a knife and invert onto a cooling rack.

Makes 9 brownies.

This recipe quenched my cravings so well that I haven’t wanted anything chocolate since — though if I ever do I know just where to go.

Related Links

We love Suzanne's line of organic rice nectars and the original version would be perfect for this recipe. She also makes some other exotic rice nectar flavors, including organic maple and all natural blueberry, strawberry, and chocolate!

For another great way to use brown rice syrup try Heidi's Big Sur Power Bars - they're simply delicious.

Comments (2) | March 14 - 3:43 PM

category: Recipes

The inspiration for this delicious Orange Agave Frozen Yogurt came when we were fondly looking back at Heidi’s frozen yogurt recipe, celebrating citrus, and marveling at David’s agave chocolate ice cream recipe. Sometimes synergy strikes and you end up with something that is much greater than the sum of its parts. This recipe produces a frozen yogurt that magically merges tangy, creamy yogurt, refreshing, zesty oranges, and naturally sweet agave nectar. We’re offering up a basic version, but by all means put your own twist on it. Chocolate shavings or toasted coconut would make marvelous mix-ins and although we chose oranges — Meyer lemons, tangerines, and grapefruits are just a few of the many citrus fruits that would shine here.

Agave Frozen Yogurt Recipe

A sidenote to the recipe, to make strained yogurt, pour 2 -32 oz. containers of plain yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined large sieve or colander set over a bowl drain yogurt, covered and chilled at least 8 hours, or overnight. Discard liquid in bowl.

1/3 cup fresh-squeezed organic orange juice and zest from 1-2 oranges
1/3 cup agave syrup
3 cups strained whole milk plain organic yogurt (see headnote)
pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined and refrigerate for 1 hour or place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Pour yogurt mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Best served immediately.

Makes about 1 quart.

Comments (1) | February 29 - 2:45 PM

category: Recipes, Sweeteners

Citrus is just what we need to shake off the heavy, dark days of winter. Lately we’ve been tucking juicy segments of orange here, squeezing limes there, and scattering lemon zest — well — everywhere. These fruits provide the Spring cleaning we need after months of hearty, warm, stick to your-ribs fare. True, not everyone is seeing the brisker months melt away like us Californians, but no matter where you are, Spring is just around the corner, and the recipes below will help usher it in.

On the nutrition front, while we are in full support of your apple-a-day habit, you might want to think about adding a piece of citrus fruit to your regimen as well. A range of powerful antioxidant phytochemicals, like polyphenols, lycopene, and flavonoids make these sprightly fruits great for cancer prevention. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid, and potassium you’ll get serious bang for your bite, weather you want to fight the common cold, reduce inflammation or your risk for heart disease, or just pack your kids lunch.

Are you over the everyday orange? Lemons lost their luster? Then check out this great list of the many citrus fruit varieties there are to choose from.

Citrus:
- butternut squash kasha salad with citrus vinaigrette and spicy almonds
- new ambrosia
- citrus curry lentil soup
- arugala salad with whole citrus vinaigrette

Lemons:
- whole-wheat spaghetti with fresh ricotta and lemon zest
- meyer lemon risotto
- gremolata
- lemon verbena & honey granita

Oranges:
- orange pine nut buckwheat pancakes
- peanut, orange and carrot salad
- pan-grilled polenta with blood orange and basil relish
- orange & date bars
- bergamot orange salmon

Tangelos, tangerines, clementines, & kumquats:
- tangelo-coriander brown rice pilaf
- tangerine salt
- honey tangerines and kumquats with walnuts and shaved celery
- clementine yogurt compote
- kiwi kumquat salad with key lime syrup

Pomelos & grapefruits:
- gingered pineapple and grapefruit salsa
- pomelo salad
- fennel, olive & pink grapefruit salad

Limes
- snap pea salad with radish, & lime
- cilantro lime brown rice
- watermelon with lime juice & zest
- miso-lime pesto

Zesty products:
- orange blossom honey flute
- blood orange chocolate truffles
- Elizabeth W citrus vervain room fragrance
- o olive oil citrus oils
- Microplane premium zester
- oma lemon squeezer
- organic dwarf meyer lemon tree

Comments (0) | February 26 - 8:07 AM

category: Lists, Recipes

This recipe is one that emerged in my first few years away from mom, alone in my own kitchen, on a budget, and still wanting to eat well. One evening, hungry from a day at my first job, I stared down the sparse landscape of my pantry and fridge and somehow managed to whip up this wonderful and easy savory French toast. Since then it has become a staple dish, perfect for solo-dining or, like the recipe below, feeding my friends over Sunday brunch.

As there are relatively few components to this recipe, selecting the best quality, organic ingredients will make all the difference. If you can find pastured eggs use them. Use a your favorite whole grain bread from your favorite local bakery. For the sauce, Muir Glen packed with basil is my preferred choice, but in the summer, cooking down a few fresh, ripe tomatoes is the way to go. If you have any leftovers, just pop them into the toaster-oven for an easy lunch or dinner.

Almond-Crusted French Toast with Simple Tomato Sauce & Wilted Spinach

5 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
fresh ground black pepper
6 slices whole-grain sandwich bread (day old, stale works best)
2 cups toasted, finely chopped almonds

Simple Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2-28 oz can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand or in the food processor
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

Wilted Spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large bunches of fresh spinach (about 1 ½ lbs), washed and stemmed
pinch of salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack positioned in the center. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly grease.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, but not browned. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat uncovered for 15-25 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce.

In a large shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Spread the nuts out on a large plate. Place three slices of bread into the egg mixture and soak for one minute on each side. Then lay each slice, one at a time, onto the nuts, press down so that the nuts stick, and flip to coat the other side. Transfer each slice to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining three slices of bread and arrange so that the slices do not touch. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

While the French toast bakes, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and sauté until wilted and most of the liquid released has cooked off. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Flip each slice and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the center is firm to the touch and toasts are golden brown.

Serve hot with a spoonful each of spinach and tomato sauce.

Serves 6

Variations are endless here. Just about any nut can be used in place of the almonds – pecans and walnuts work great. For an easy perk up, add 1 teaspoon each of oregano and dill to the tomato sauce and garnish the final dish with a sprinkling of feta cheese and chopped kalamata olives. For an Indian flare, replace the milk with coconut milk and add 1 ½ tablespoons of curry to the egg mixture. For a kid-friendly PB&J twist, cut each slice of bread into three fingers, use peanuts for the crust, and instead of tomato sauce and spinach, simply serve it with slices of fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey.

Comments (3) | February 22 - 1:52 PM

category: Recipes

Popcorn has been a key part of the movie-going experience since the start of American cinema. In the heyday of old Hollywood, a trip to the silver screen was a special night out — shoes shined, hair coiffed, and a stop to the concession stand were all part of the experience.

“Let’s all go to the lobby. Let’s all go to the lobby. Let’s all go the lobby....and get ourselves a snack…”

For me, going to the movies still holds that Tinsel-town magic. I love the anticipation as the lights dim, the music floats in, and I dip my fingers into a big tub of crunchy, salty, satisfying buttered popcorn.

It’s just that the concession stand offerings are one part of the movie-going experience that don’t seem to have weathered the years so well. From cardboard trays of nachos to tongue-burning sour gummy candy there’s not a mighty food in sight, and frankly, the popcorn leaves much to be desired.

What’s the solution?

BYOP

Bring your own popcorn.

Sure criers pack their tissues and an extra sweater is a must for cold-bodies, but smart snackers go tupperware-in-tow. BYOP and chances are you’ll end up eating a much tastier treat and save you a few bucks too. Below are a few inspiring corn creations that’ll at least get you through this year's Oscar season...

- curried
- southwestern
- spicy 'wine inspired'
- diy microwave popcorn
- frenchified
- truffled
- brown butter, rosemary, & lemon
- kettle-style
- chili-spiced
- "world's greatest"

Like those flicks you can see time and time again without tire, classic buttered popcorn is always a good bet, but with such a wide array of easy, stove-top options, you could have a new munchie for every movie.

Comments (0) | January 28 - 11:12 PM

category: Lists, Recipes, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

Yes, it's true that no matter how mighty the food, for those hoping to have a baby, no one morsel or meal will guarantee a visit from the stork. However, a recent Harvard study, popularly called The Fertility Diet, has produced some compelling evidence that certain foods - such as certain beans, greens, and grains - strongly support fertility in women.* Truth be told, most of us could benefit by incorporating some these findings into our diet whether we are planning for a baby or not.

The one surprise may have been the recommendation to eat full-fat dairy. One way to think about this may be to use the whole foods rationale. Just as we benefit from eating grains all smartly dressed up in their bran and germ, or apples in their pretty fiber-rich skins, it may then stand to reason that many times nature packs real food, even milk, in the way that benefits us most.

So after reading about the Fertility Diet, you might be wondering how this new set of recommendations could translate to your own kitchen. Maybe you are simply looking for a delicious way to start the day? Or perhaps you're hosting a dinner party and want to stay true to your fertility-enhancing way of eating? Below we've provided a quick overview of some of the dietary recommendations. Those are followed by a roundup of globally inspired, fertility-friendly recipes.

• iron-rich foods: beans, dark leafy greens, seeds, blackstrap molasses
• folic acid-rich foods: beans, dark green vegetables, whole grains, citrus
• low-glycemic load carbohydrates: whole grains, most fruits and vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts
• protein from plant sources: quinoa, beans (eaten with whole grains) such as lentils, soybeans/tofu, garbanzo beans, as well as nuts, and seeds
• full-fat dairy: whole milk and yogurt, cheese, ice cream
• mono-unsaturated fats: olive oil, nuts, avocado, seeds

*Please note: “…these recommendations are aimed at preventing and reversing ovulatory infertility, which accounts for one quarter or more of all cases of infertility. They won't work for infertility due to physical impediments like blocked fallopian tubes.”

Start Your Baby-Making Engines
awesome almond buckwheat pancakes
breakfast quinoa with cranberries, toasted walnuts, and honey
cornmeal mush with blackstap molasses
greek yogurt breakfast - make sure to use whole milk yogurt

Mamma Mia!
pan-seared rosemary tofu served over buckwheat polenta
simple citrus salad with marinated avocado
olive oil ice cream

Bollywood Baby
mung dal with cashews and carrots served over brown rice pilaf
swiss chard and crisp shallot rolls with cilantro raita
honey sweetened shrikhand

Fertility Fiesta
pinto bean soup over brown rice with red chile and cheese with perfect guacamole
mexican coleslaw
whole-grain mexican wedding cookies

Good Fortune Grub
szechwan tofu triangles in triple pepper sauce served over very green rice
emerald sesame kale
green tea panna cotta

Red, White, and Baby
bean and rice "meat"loaf
creamed kale
maple baked apples with dried fruits and nuts

Bon Appetit Bébé
white bean and vegetable cassoulet with millet crust
frisee and endive salad with olive vinaigrette
frozen honey mousse

Mom-To-Be Munchies
pistachio and almond butter on whole grain graham crackers
kale crunch with greek almond yogurt dip
almond caramel corn

Comments (3) | January 16 - 2:38 PM

category: Lists, News, Recipes, Studies + Trends, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

Hummus, along with guacamole, pad thai, and Greek yogurt, is yet another dish in a long line of edible international imports that have become familiar to the American palate. This favorite middle-eastern spread is now a staple - a delicious and healthy dish that can easily fill out a lunch box or a star on a party platter. I recently discovered a tahini made from black sesame seeds and was inspired to make black hummus by replacing traditional white sesame tahini and cream-colored chickpeas with black tahini and beluga lentils - the result is a beautiful midnight-hued dip.

Unlike many dips, this recipe features an almost endless number of nutritional superstars. The olive oil, garlic, and lentils alone deliver a hefty punch of good-for-you nutrients. Yet it’s the stunning, onyx-colored black tahini that takes center stage, both for its deep earthy flavor and healthy concentration of iron, calcium, and fiber. This recipe has quickly become a satisfying everyday food and one that I call upon to impress at dinner parties.

Having trouble finding beluga lentils? Black beans make a great substitute. If your grocery store doesn’t carry black sesame tahini, you can order it online here - or use the classic tahini from white sesame seeds which will produce a hummus slightly lighter in color, but still tasty.

Midnight Hummus Recipe

2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups beluga lentils, cooked
1/4 cup black sesame tahini
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of ½ lemon or more to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Place garlic into your food processor and pulse until finely minced.

Add the remaining ingredients and process for 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides of the food processor. Taste and adjust for lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process until well combined and smooth.

Serve this versatile hummus on whole grain crackers, as a dip for crisp vegetable crudités scattered with white sesame seeds, or spread inside of a warm pita with a slice of tomato, sprinkle of feta cheese – and maybe a few mint leaves.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Comments (5) | January 4 - 3:07 PM

category: New Products, Recipes, Superfoods, Vegan / Veg

From the archives. This is the perfect picnic or potluck salad in part because it can be served at room temperature. Most of you know bulgur as the foundation for tabouli, it is a quick cooking grain with a mild, ever-so-slightly nutty flavor. This recipe uses the best ingredients from the summer market.

Easy Bulgur Salad with Summer Tomatoes
1 cup medium-grind whole wheat bulgur
1 1/2 cups water
sea salt

1/2 pound green beans (or use some yellow wax beans for extra color), blanched for a couple minutes in boiling salted water and then drained

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
a couple cranks of the pepper grinder

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup mint, washed and chopped
1 1/2 cups red, orange and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

Put the bulgur and water in a saucepan with a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is cooked through. While the bulgur is cooking cut the beans into bite-sized segments on the bias and set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fluff the bulgur with a fork and toss with the lemon olive oil mixture. Add the pine nuts and mint and toss again. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add the cherry tomatoes and give one last gentle toss - gentle enough that the tomatoes stay intact. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 4 to 6.

Comments (0) | August 19 - 4:39 PM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

Summer is here with its sunshine, long days, and warm nights. It seems impossible, but we are nearly halfway through June, with the fourth of July just around the corner. This is the time of year everyone is on the hunt for great BBQ food ideas and recipes - here's a list of some we'd like to share.

BBQ Food Ideas

Before you put flame to food, you must be in the right frame of mind. MattBites lays out the ten commandments for us. Thank you Matt!

Serious Eats weighs in with grilling tips from Jame's Peterson's What's a Cook to Do? This is where you'll find the basics:

- How to Clean a Messy, Caked-On Grill
- How to Light a Fire for the Grill
- How to Keep Food from Sticking to the Grill
- Some good tips in the comments as well

And now that you're ready on those two fronts, all you're lacking are some good BBQ food ideas and recipes.

- Grilled Eggplant Burgers (link)
- Nava Atlas shares her Tofu and Potato Kebabs with Teriyaki Marinade
- Twice-grilled Stuffed zucchini (and other recipes)
- Star Chefs grilling primer & Steve Raichlen's Mushroom-rice Burgers
- Delicious Grilled Pizza with Yellow Squash, Mozzarella, and Lemon Thyme from Epicurious.

Comments (1) | June 11 - 11:00 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

If you've ever experienced a huge record scratch when attempting to pair Indian food with wine, you aren't alone. In this week's San Francisco Chronicle wine section Jon Bonné and Olivia Wu serve up a range of wine pairing suggestions that can match up with to the spices, heat, and complexity inherent to Indian cuisine.

"For the wine lover, though, finding an ideal match is more complicated. It will not be found with Gewurztraminer. That varietal's spicy profile can work every now and then, but it usually collides with the nuances of Indian food. Almost every Indian dish begins with a blend of spices, so our challenge was to find out which spices warm up to which wines.

We called on Ruta Kahate, an Indian culinary teacher and author based in the East Bay, for guidance. The three of us met to consider her list of the 10 most crucial spices in Indian cuisine -- mustard seeds, cardamom, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, mace/nutmeg, ginger, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon. Cayenne we put in a class of its own, making 11. Then we devised a list of about 80 wines -- as obvious as Syrah and as esoteric as Muller-Thurgau." (Read more)

And don't miss out on the recipes included in the article as well.
- Tangy Shredded Cabbage Salad
- Black-Eyed Peas in a Spicy Goan Curry
- Everyday Yellow Dal

Comments (0) | June 8 - 6:55 PM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg

We've been dabbling with the full spectrum of O Olive Oils over the past week, and the verdict is in. These olive oils (they come in a range of flavors), are the perfect way to put a finishing kiss of (organic) ruby grapefruit or Meyer lemon or Tahitian lime on your favorite recipes. Now you might think your recipes are pretty good without a fancy finishing oil. Fair enough. But we'd argue that these oils have the ability to add surprising (and delicious twists) to your everyday recipes. They provide a simple way to take your favorite recipes to the next level of deliciousness.

O uses olives from small family orchards near the northern foothills of the Sierras. The oils are neither infused nor flavored after the fact. The whole fruit is crushed with the olives at the same time - and only certified organic citrus is used. The oils are great in dressings, over steamed veggies, drizzled over pasta, brushed on after grilling, and in marinades. Try a slathering inside your favorite panini (use good crusty bread!)

Our absolute favorite preparation involved a bowl of white cannellini beans, toasted walnuts, and crumbled manouri cheese (your favorite soft sheep or goat's milk cheese will work here), drizzled with about a tablespoon of the Ruby Grapefruit Olive OIl, a small splash of champagne vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt.

Two other ideas we found on the O website that we can't wait to try (both with their Blood Orange Olive Oil):

- toss roasted yukon potatoes and yams (or sweet potatoes) with Blood Orange Olive Oil, fresh sage, sea salt and fresh pepper.

- add Blood Orange Olive oil to risotto with crimini mushrooms. (we be this would be great in a barley or farro based risotto-type preparation.

O also has a line of wonderful vinegars that we will write about separately.

Here's where you can buy O Olive Oil online
http://www.ooliveoil.com

Comments (0) | June 5 - 1:48 PM

category: Gift Ideas, New Products, Recipes

Many of the markets this time of year (particularly those in slighter warmer climates) are positively brimming with berries - including the king of all berries, the crown-topped, antioxidant packed blueberry.

These moist and delicious, nut-spiked, banana blueberry muffins are made with white whole wheat flour and a yogurt base. You can make them with traditional all-purpose flour as well, but we encourage you to seek out and try the wonderful white whole wheat flours now widely available in stores (King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill). Enjoy them hot out of the oven.

BANANA BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE

2 cups white whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
2 large organic eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1 cup fresh blueberries, toss in a bit of flour to keep them from sinking while baking

Heat oven to 375 and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 3/4 cup of the walnuts in a bowl and whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl using a mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar and eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, yogurt and mashed bananas, then gently mix in dry ingredients; over mixing will result in tough muffins. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin (an ice-cream scoop works well here), top with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Fill cups two-thirds full for regular muffins or to brim for a big-topped version. Spinkle with a bit of sugar here for a nice bit of swee crusted goodness. Cool for a couple minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes a dozen muffins.

Comments (2) | May 26 - 12:45 PM

category: Recipes

It is the peak of strawberry season, and we're on the lookout for the most amazing strawberry recipes. We've rounded up a few below for you to enjoy. Feel free to add any others you are particularly fond of in the comment section - we like to highlight recipes that are using whole grains, whole grain flours, whole ingredients, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, minimally refined sweeteners, and the like - so keep that in mind if you post (or at the very least recommend substitutions).

Strawberries. As if their fragrant, juicy sweetness wasn't reason enough to enjoy these heart-shaped gems, strawberries are packed with potent phyto-nutrients and health-promoting antioxidants. When you are buying strawberries be on vigilant mold alert. Be sure to peek in the bottom of the basket, or hold berry baskets up high and look underneath - a single moldy berry seems to be contagious to the whole lot. Also, keep in mind, strawberries are one of the crops where pesticide residue is most likely to be found. Buy organic berries, or berries that have been grown without pesticides.

STRAWBERRY RECIPE ROUND-UP

- Fava Beans and Strawberry Salad Recipe with Pecorino - from recent Iron Chef contender Chris Cosentino of Incanto Restaurant and Bar (link)

- Loving Greens Salad with Strawberries Recipe (link)

- Nicole Weston's Whole Wheat Strawberry Pancake Recipe (link)

- Strawberry-Coconut Scone Recipe on Post Punk Kitchen (vegan) - we'd use pure (solid) coconut oil/butter in place of the margarine. (link)

- Strawberry Fields Forever: Meg carries on her family strawberry jam-making legacy. This story posted last year deserves a big *bump* now that we are in the midst of strawberry season. (link)

Comments (1) | May 19 - 2:42 PM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg

Talk about the ultimate getaway, this place tops our list of spas to visit. The Rancho La Puerta Spa is opening its cooking school this Spring, so now in addition to hikes and hot-stone massages, you can also enjoy and learn about healthy lowfat and vegetarian recipes. If you check out the healthy cooking (eat well, live well) section on Epicurious right now, they are featuring a selection of recipes from Rancho La Puerta Spa. Can't wait for the cookbook!

"...The place to which my friends and I walked most frequently was the dining room for executive chef Jesús González's modified-vegetarian low-fat, high-flavor cuisine — called Mexican-Mediterranean at the Ranch. Its mainstays are organically grown vegetables and fruits just-picked from the Ranch's own garden, orchards, and vineyard..." (read more)

Recipes:
La Puerta Garden Beet Soup

Picante Jicama and Roasted Carrot Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing

Cashew Chard "Burritos"

Butternut Squash Flan

Comments (1) | April 10 - 8:45 PM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg

From the archives. We've talked before about the powerful, health promoting properties of spices. This is a favorite spice-centric snack that comes together in just a few minutes. The jist: top a fresh batch of freshly popped popcorn with a turmeric-rich curry powder-infused butter.

Curried Popcorn
Shopping note: Choose a curry powder that is deep yellow, or deep yellow orange in color (that’s the turmeric).

1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Plenty of freshly popped corn
add-ins like cashews or raisins (optional), chopped

Pop a big bowl of popcorn and set aside. Add any extras at this point (nuts, dried fruits)

To make the curry-infused butter add the curry powder to a saucepan of melted butter along with a couple pinches of sea salt. Toss the popcorn with a drizzle of the butter. If you want more control over the amount of butter you are applying to your popcorn, fill a small spray bottle with the curried butter and spritz and toss, spritz and toss until the popcorn is coated to your liking.

Taste for seasoning and mix in more salt if needed.

Comments (1) | April 1 - 1:20 PM

category: Recipes, Superfoods, Whole Grains

From the archives. You are going to start seeing asparagus popping up at your local Farmer's markets. First on the west coast and then as spring gets its footing, throughout other parts of the country.

Look for bright green, perky, and vibrant stems with closed, unruffled tops. (We'll write about white asparagus later in the season). And use the asparagus as quickly as possible after purchasing (within a day or two) to retain the highest nutrient levels.

This is one of our favorite asparagus recipes. A simple soup - pure, straight-forward and delicious. Vegans can certainly omit the Parmesan and sour cream called for at the end. A touch of coconut milk cream added in their place will help round out the soup and meld flavors together.

Asparagus Soup with Parmesan

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 large bunches or organic asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces

4 1/2 cups water or light vegetable broth
1/2 cup organic sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt to taste (typically 2-4 teaspoons, less if you a salty broth, more if you use water)

Make your soup base: In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil, onions, shallots, and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, or until the onions start to soften up.

Simmer: Add the asparagus, and water/broth and bring just to a boil. Dial down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the asparagus starts to get soft, but not mushy. You want it to still be bright and vibrant in color. Remove from heat.

Puree: You can use an immersion blender or stand-up blender to puree the soup. The immersion blender make quick work of pureed soups like this, and they are pretty cheap - so keep you eyes peeled if you like pureed soups. If you like asparagus soup silky smooth, blend until you get the soup as smooth as possible, and then push it through a mesh sieve. You lose a lot of the good stuff this way, but some people are picky.

Finish: Whisk in the sour cream, and Parmesan cheese. This next step is crucial. Season to taste with salt. Don't under season or your soup will taste flat. A squeeze oflemon also sometimes helps to balance out this soup and keep it bright.

Garnish with homemade croutons or toasted pine nuts.

Big pot, serves about 6.

Comments (0) | March 18 - 3:34 PM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg

From the archives. Have you tried agave nectar? You should. It's like honey...sort of. Like honey in the sense that it is sticky, oozy, sweet and natural. You can use it as a replacement for honey, but the taste and mouthfeel is ever-so-slightly different. You know how many honeys are slow and sluggish and very rich? Well agave nectar seems to have a cleaner, "fresher" taste, it also seems to be more water soluble than other liquid sweeteners which makes it easy to incorporate into your recipes or hot drinks. Diabetics give it a thumbs up because it is low on the glycemic index- so it is more slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. Vegans like it because unlike honey it isn't an animal product.

A few ways to use agave nectar:

- Almond Agave Butter (recipe)
- Apple Agave Tart (recipe)
- Oat-Date Bars (recipe)
- Coconut Cream Tapioca (recipe)

Do you have a favorite brand of agave nectar? Let us know in the comments - we would like to do a taste-off in the future.

Comments (6) | March 8 - 11:41 PM

category: Recipes, Sweeteners, Vegan / Veg

A delicious biscuit made from whole grain flours - meaning the nutritious parts of the grain the (germ and the brain) are left in the flour. In standard all-purpose white flour these are the components that are removed, leaving just the starchy endosperm portion of the grain. For some added zing a generous amount of citrus zest is added to the dough - a great way to work a bit of seasonal winter citrus into your baking. These are good alongside both savory and sweet foods - anything from a spinach omelette to a fruit salad with yogurt. For other seasonal variations on these biscuits you can add dried fruit or fresh berries in place of the citrus.

Citrus Cornmeal Biscuits

3 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 3 oranges
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
2 cups milk
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place racks in the middle.

Into a large bowl or food processor add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and zests. Add the butter and using a pastry cutter or 25 quick pulses of the processor blend until the mixture resembles tiny, pea-sized, sandy pebbles.

If using a food processor transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and with a fork stir in the milk until just combined.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto an parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each biscuit with a bit of egg white and sprinkle with a dusting of cornmeal. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden, roughly 10-13 minutes.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen large biscuits.

Comments (1) | February 5 - 11:26 AM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

Fans of Eric Gower's Breakaway Japanese Kitchen cookbook can get more of him through his new blog on the new Yahoo! food channel. Eric's recipes explore many healthful whole food ingredients, alternative sweeteners, and the like. In the past much of his cooking has had a very global fusionesque bent to it.

So far in his writing on Yahoo! Eric has covered pomegranate molasses, stock, persimmons, blenders, non-white sweeteners, and salt. So it looks as if the scope of his blog is going to touching on a range of topics from ingredient to equipment (and hopefully lots of recipes).

Visit the Breakaway Cook on Yahoo!
Visit Eric's personal homepage.

Comments (0) | December 8 - 10:54 AM

category: News, Recipes

With temperatures dropping, hearty soup and stew season is at the door. There are a lot of fantastic soup and stew recipes making use of delicious (and nutritious) whole grains like barley, amaranth, and farro, as well as brown and colored rices. Here's a starter list of five...

- Sheila Lukins' Home-Style Mushroom Barley Soup (link)

Nancy Harmon Jenkins' Farro, Bean and Chickpea Soup (link)

- Lorna Sass' Amaranth, Quinoa, and Corn Chowder (link)

- Runner's World Lentil Brown Rice Soup (link)

- Beet, Barley, and Black Soybean Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons (Post Punk Kitchen via CHOW)

Comments (0) | November 25 - 1:10 PM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

Check out the buckwheat salad in the current issue of Food & Wine Magazine. They serve up big bowls of buckwheat (kasha), fennel, and shiitake and oyster mushrooms dressed in a brooding glaze of soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and parsley oil. Yum.

Photo by: James Baigrie

Comments (2) | November 20 - 7:41 AM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

Prickly pears are the vibrant, edible, nutrient-packed fruit of the Prickly Pear cactus (nopales). I'm not really sure what their seasonality is in other regions, but I see the bright fruit (tunas) punctuating cacti along the side of Napa Valley roads around this time of year - so I thought I'd post some links.

Prickly Pear 101: You will typically encounter them in one of three colors. I go weak in the knees over the hot pink-magenta tunas which are sweeter than the yellow and white varieties. Once you've got a stash of them, you'll need to know how to deal with the prickly factor - here's a link to a tutorial on the Rancho Gordo blog demonstrating how a bit of strategic fire can solve that problem.

A few recipes for inspiration:

- Charlie Trotter & Roxanne Klein Prickly Pear and Pomegranate Smoothie (link)

- Juniper Ridge's Prickly Pear Margarita recipes (link)

- Prickly Pear Dressing (link)

- Prickly Pear Ice Cream (link)

- Prickly Pear Lemonade (link)

Photo: Steve Sando

Comments (1) | October 14 - 7:15 PM

category: Lists, Recipes, Superfoods, Vegan / Veg

Whether they are rosy-skinned and small, flecked with mottled shades of yellow and pink, or deep red and brooding, apples of all shapes, shades, and sizes are filling baskets and boxes at farmer's markets this time of year. In the spirit of the season we offer up a handful of apple-centric recipes that caught our attention. But before you dive in read what fruit detective David Karp had to say in an interview 10 years back about an apple tasting in which he sampled 44 varieties.

- Ferran Adria's Apple Caviar technique (link)
and his corresponding Apple Caviar recipe (link)

- Carol Peck's Green Tomato and Apple Chutney (link)

- Honey Roasted Applesauce on Napastyle (link)

- The Girl and the Fig's Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Compote Soup (link)

- Apple Chestnut Stuffing (link)

- Millennium's Apple Quince Cherry Strudel (link)

- Alice Water's Apple Tart (link)

Comments (1) | October 4 - 10:44 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

In this month's Gourmet magazine Rick Bayless (inspired by Veracruz chef and food anthropologist Raquel Torres) creates a hearty and complex traditional Mexican meal that is deliciously vegetarian - Beyond the Border. It's refreshing to see traditional Mexican cuisine from a fresh (to many) point of view, but as Bayless says, it's not altogether uncommon,

"the further away from the cities you go, the more indigenous the cooking becomes - meaning it reaches all the way back into Mexico's pre-Columbian past, a time when most everyday cuisine was vegetarian, and folks used a huge variety of edible plants."

The feature includes recipes for; Plantain-Stuffed Chipotles Chiles in Escabeche, Red Chileatole with Fall Vegetables,