YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Vegan Ceviche

Ceviche is a dish consisting of seafood that actually cooks in acid instead of heat. Yes, that is true. It’s slow cooking of an entirely different kind. The lime juice “cooks” the fish until it is light, flaky, and flavorful, with a satisfying flash of sour. I had never considered that there could be a vegan version until I saw this gorgeous recipe, which comes to YHIOYP from “Peas and Thank You.”

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Roasted Chicken

This is probably the simplest and most flavorful recipe I have ever tasted. It can be made simply, with red potatoes, fresh lemons, and garlic, or exotic, with sweet potatoes and preserved lemons. I have made it with carrots, too. Any way you make it, it’s sublime. The slow cooking brings out the flavor and seals in the moisture. It makes a special dish for a celebration, but it’s also a great treat at the end of a long day. Thank you to nourishingkitchen.com for this spectacular dish. Prep time is just 10 minutes, cooking time is just under 3 hours. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chickpeas & Kale As You Like It

To understand why this dish is such a great (and delicious) choice, check out this post of mine about a very special patient who taught me a lot about how to take good care of your health. Try this recipe scooped onto a salad, slid into a pita, slathered on a tortilla, snuck in a wrap, or slid into a scooped-out tomato or red pepper. It’s good for lunch, dinner, or any other time you get hungry. Thank you to Nava Atlas at vegkitchen.com.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Pomegranate Coleslaw

This is the time of year when the pomegranates ripen and come to market. While I was growing up, my family made a regular annual ceremony of opening the beautiful pomegranates to find them filled with shiny, red, juicy jewels. We shared them among ourselves, appreciating the fruits of our table, gobbling up the seeds, and counting our blessings.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Granola with Vitamin Z, a Seasonal Secret

It’s zucchini time! Zucchini has to be one of the best vegetables to hide in food. It contributes moisture and nutrients, not to mention happy bellies. And kids never suspect a thing. But it’s not just for little ones. This recipe is great for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and all kinds of food emergencies. This recipe, from Cookin’ Canuck, will blow your mind. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chickpeas on Cucumber Cups

One thing I learned from The Gardener (my mom) is that if you have a can of beans in the cabinet, you have a meal. And since it was a rare day that there weren’t a few cans of garbanzo beans (also known as chick peas) in the cabinet, there was always a meal to be had. This recipe comes from glutenfreeeasily.com.  It makes a great lunch, a great snack, a great contribution for a potluck. I think you’ll like it.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Pasta-ta-DIE-for

When a former Jersey girl tells you that she likes tomatoes, there’s a pretty good chance that she ain’t kiddin’ around. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there is only one time of year when a tomato is really worth eating at all, and now is it. Think about it this way: This time of year I celebrate tomatoes. The rest of the year I just go through the motions. So here’s one magnificent recipe for my fellow tomato lovers. It comes to you courtesy of cooks.com. If you can’t get Jersey beefsteaks, use the juiciest tomatoes you can find.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

A few weeks ago I got the idea to make a special treat for our friends. It had to be easy and, since the supermarket was already closed, it had to be made from ingredients already in my house. What do I always have around? That’s easy — chocolate and peanut butter! Even though I had never made peanut butter cups before, they turned out fantastic.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: It’s-All-Good Brownies

Lots of my friends think I never eat treats, sweets, or anything fun AT ALL. They are so wrong. Now it’s true that I don’t eat stuff that I would categorize as “food-like,” such as corn syrup, or white flour, or maltodextrin. But I definitely enjoy my share of desserts. For example, the peanut butter cups that I made a couple of weeks ago from quality dark chocolate and organic peanut butter (one ingredient — peanuts), were absolutely sublime, and easy. And yesterday I ate a chocolate macaroon that was pretty yummy. Continue reading