YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Wholly Roasted Cauliflower

Breaking apart all those hard little white florets can be a messy and time-consuming business, and I know that the contemplation of this activity has made me hesitate to purchase a cauliflower on more than one occasion.

On the other hand, another option you may not have considered is to cook your gorgeous, fresh cauliflower in one piece. Without a doubt, roasting and serving a cauliflower whole makes an impressive presentation! Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Bean Dip with Feta and Herbs

Here’s a simple, flavorful recipe from the July 2012 edition of BBC Good Food magazine. You can eat it with slices of cucumbers or crackers, or spread it on toast, or stuff a tomato with it.  I think it would also be amazing on a slice of butternut squash, roasted under the broiler for a minute or two. Continue reading




YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Zucchini with Cilantro Pesto

Thank you to Terry Walters and Clean Start for this beautiful, inspired recipe. It’s the kind of recipe many of whose ingredients, or at least some, may already be on your counter, and it’s got all kinds of valuable substitution possibilities that can keep you experimenting for a good long while. Continue reading




I Am Grateful

I am thinking about gratitude. It’s not hard for me. I was born an optimist; I always see the glass half-full. I always make lemonade from lemons — what else would you do with them? Yes, it is true that I have had my share of bad days, but I’ll be the first to tell you that they have made me a better person, and a better doctor, too. See what I mean? It’s a given. I had a quiet laugh this week when my dear friend send me a “positivity challenge” on Facebook because, as far as I’m concerned, it’s never been positivity that was the challenge! Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Tomato & Fennel Pasta Sauce

Two of my favorite things: tomatoes and fennel! This is totally the “sauce of the season,” with fresh herbs and a simple strategy for bringing out the natural sweetness of all the ingredients. If you are not a big fan of pasta, then try cooking some turkey meatballs in this sauce, or pour it over a little pile of tofu cubes, or poach a few eggs in it. Then again you could serve it with a pan of polenta or a bowl of quinoa, or use it to make a tray of lasagna. You choose! Continue reading


Perfection is the Enemy of Progress

Sometimes I imagine a sign in my office, just above the door, that says “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” I think about this a lot, especially when I see people who are hard on themselves, who discount small efforts as insufficient, or who describe themselves as lazy, or incompetent, or unfocused. They are none of these. If anything they are precisely the opposite — hard-working, goal-directed and applied — but they tend to believe that if they can’t give it their all, there’s no sense trying because there can be no chance of success. Continue reading