Toast has been trending hard for some time, particularly the notorious avocado version. The combination of creamy avocado, crunchy bread, a little lime juice, and sea salt never seems to get old. If you are in need of a little update to your toast game, then you are in luck. Today is the launch of a 5 part series your new avocado toast, where Crunchy Radish will feature nutritious alternatives to up your toast game. A piece or two of toast has a perfectly happy place in a clean and a health-focused diet as long as you opt for good quality whole grain bread or a gluten-free counterpart. To help create some alternatives to the now somewhat basic, but always a favorite, avocado toast, I called upon my bi-coastal bestie, Danielle Lipson, to create some delicious and nutritious alternatives. Up first - bloody berry toast. Before you click unsubscribe, don't you fret vegheads, it's vegan and cruelty-free!
Read morehow to meal prep: breakfast part 1
Meal prep is an essential tool for anyone looking to eat healthily and to save money while managing a busy lifestyle. It is a key component that I always stress when counseling clients. While juggling culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, maintaining Crunchy Radish, and working on some exciting new projects, I have been leaning more and more on meal prep as my foundation for keeping healthy and well balanced. To help curate some upcoming posts on meal prep, I called on my very good friend, culinary producer at the Rachael Ray show, and all star meal prep-er, Jeanette Donnarumma, for her tips and recipes on meal prepping. First up, breakfast!
Read moreyou are invited to a blender bash!
Looking for a little Spring cleaning? The blender is here to help! Learn how to keep it nutritious, simple, and clean with this powerful kitchen tool. I have teamed up with Middleberg Nutrition for a delicious and informative springtime class. We will be whipping up smoothies, nut milks, salad dressings, and seasonal soups. Class includes demo, tasting, recipes, gift bag, as well as a lecture on selecting the right protein powder, navigating the various nut milk varieties, and cleaning up your diet for Spring.
Tickets: $65 per person RSVP here
Read moretacos don't wait for tuesday's: millet + butternut squash and kale tacos
Tacos are my ideal vehicle for vegetables, layered with sauce and a hint of spice. They are completely adjustable, depending on the season or with whatever leftover veggies you may have on hand. Millet and kale tacos with cashew cream are anytime of day tacos. If you are an "eat your vegetables" morning, noon, or night kind of person like me, then these can serve as a great breakfast loaded with whole grains, protein, and of course, veggies. Or, if you prefer to reserve your vegetable intake after noon, then dish these up for a quick and nourishing lunch or dinner.
Read moreradish recs: fry your rice
Very veggie stir-fried rice is one of those dishes that you should keep in your "back pocket", as they say. It's super simple, adaptable, and great for leftovers. This version is made with coconut aminos instead of tamari, for my soy-free homies. I like the ratio to typically be more heavy on the veg than the rice, which make's it primarily a vegetable dish as opposed to a rice dish. I also lean towards brown rice as my grain of choice for its density and texture, but quinoa, millet, sorghum, and amaranth would all be tasty, nutritious, and gluten-free alternatives.
Read moreprocess to plate: little park
I am all about cooking at home, but a large part of my inspiration and pleasure in food comes from going to restaurants. Living in New York City, there are a plethora of options to select from and, when I do dine out, I like to eat at restaurants that have a similar philosophy about food as I do. Little Park is one of those places. Chef and owner Andrew Carmellini's Tribeca establishment is rooted in seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Organic produce and heirloom grains are gathered daily from the greenmarket, and meat and seafood are purveyed from sustainable farmers, ranchers, and fisherman. I had the opportunity to spend the day with Little Park's Chef de Cuisine, Min Kong, to learn about the process to plate of a few of the restaurants veg-centric dishes.
Read moremake your morning better: spiced banana date oatmeal
Looking for a way to reinvent your morning oats? Look no further than this creamy dreamy oatmeal sweetened with dates and bananas kicked up a notch with anti-inflammatory warming spices. Banana date oatmeal - guaranteed to make your mornings better!
Read moreFive Recipes for a Chic Kitchen
You all know that I have a passion for beautiful food, but I also have a not-so-secret-secret passion for beautiful kitchens. I’m a firm believer that the kitchen is the heart of the home and a beautiful kitchen can inspire the most incredible recipes. I was in need of some major kitchen inspo so I turned to Interior Designer Jennifer Vaughn Miller, from Vaughn Miller Studio, who has designed some seriously delicious kitchens. See Jennifer’s kitchen advice, fit for both kitchen renters and owners alike!
Read morecue the cauli: cauliflower + red wine vinegar and currants
Cauliflower seems to be trending hard right now, whether whole roasted, riced, turned into pizza dough, or served buffalo wing style, it is one versatile veg. Like many, I have a strong affinity for this accessible vegetable which resides in one of my personal favorite veg families, the powerhouse brassica group. For this simple side dish, cauliflower is seared and than quickly roasted and doused with red wine vinegar, tossed with currants, and finished with parsley - a guaranteed staple to integrate into your cooking repertoire.
Read moreradish recs: make your own granola
Are you a sucker for granola? I am, especially for a particular one made by my mother-in-law that I affectionately like to call "granola crack". Unfortunately, most packaged and addictive granola is saturated with butter, hydrogenated oil, and processed sugar. Don't despair "crack heads", I have the antidote for your addiction - cacao cranberry granola, guaranteed to shake your shivers.
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