Wild Rice with Kabocha Squash & Sage Butter

Mix kabocha in with some comforting wild rice, toss in a sage-infused “butter” (made from coconut oil and simple, fresh flavors), and you’ve got the makings of a masterpiece.

Making chocolate the easy way {VIDEO}

There’s no better feeling than giving something that’s truly caring . . . and getting the credit for being a magically creative chocolate maker.

Homemade Energy Bars

I look at energy bars with an opportunistic attitude: how much goodness can I pack into a great tasting treat? Make that energy bar live up to its name! Here’s how to make a truly natural bar…

Perfect Kale Crisps

By this point in time, I have more recipes for kale crisps then I care to admit. There really is no one right formula to make them, but there are a few tricks in getting them to cook properly. Here are a few suggestions . . .

Parsnip Fries

I wish I had a brownie for every time I’ve been informed that eating naturally is simply too hard. While making fancy shmancy meals can be a fun project, uber delicious healthy food doesn’t have to be complicated…

The “Dirty Dozen:” when eating organic matters most

Is it necessary to eat organic all the time? Well, ideally, yeah. (And in a perfect world the idea mixing chemicals and food would be absolutely egregious in the first place). However, if a tight wallet, lack of availability, or just unfamiliarity with the organic movement is an issue, chuck the idealism at the door and instead start out by taking on baby step #1: saying NO to the Dirty Dozen list – the worst of the worst non-organic offenders.

Green Mango Smoothie

There’s something about this blend, with its thick frosty creamy mangos and sweetly inviting flavor that makes it more than “just a smoothie.” I make it a little extra thick, throw it into a bowl, and eat it with a spoon as a quasi-sherbet-like dessert.

Turnips: The Forgotten Tuber

While the Santa Monica farmer’s market buzzed with Sunday morning action, as the turnips seemed destined to simply watch quietly. Three or four to a bundle, each bundle just a dollar a piece, I began to feel a little bad for the turnip, the way you watch an acquaintance fidget awkwardly alone at a party.

Energy Tartlets

One of my favorite desserts – a beautiful, fresh fruit energy tart – will cost you about 10 minutes start-to-finish. In fact, by using simply healthy substitutions and time-saving tricks, these tarts emanate big flavor, well-rounded nutrition, and are healthy enough to be consumed at any time of the day. We healthy dessert people are pretty sneaky, no?

“Life Is Good” Salad

Upon nightfall, we’d make grand simple meals of the freshest of fresh vegetables. Here’s what went into our summertime garden salad bowl, which we consumed just about every night. Delicious. When I wasn’t eating it, I was thinking about eating it. Brought to you by nature and what’s perfectly in season . . .