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.

Japanese Pumpkin Pie

Conventional pumpkins continually overshadow a vast, deliciously endowed, and diverse spectrum of beautiful winter squash, time and time again in recipes. But not this year…

Our sweet prayers answered: Yacon Root

The holidays are just setting in and I’m stoked. I have an amazing pumpkin pie recipe that I’ll be posting in the next few days, just in time for Thanksgiving. In it, I’m using a special healthy sweetener called yacon syrup, which is made from a sweet, low glycemic root. I thought I’d give you a little headstart on the recipe, so here’s a quick video I did with Navitas Naturals on this amazing ingredient.

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…

The great egg substitute

One of my favorite baking facelifts is replacing eggs with “superseeds” like flax or chia, which are full of omega fats, fiber, protein and minerals. I swear: your muffins can’t tell the difference. Here’s the formula…

Out with the cane, in with the palm sugar (with video)

When I need a sweet boost in recipes I’ll always turn to fruit or stevia first (whole natural foods = yay!), but when those foods simply can’t pull the weight, it’s palm sugar comes to the rescue. I teamed up with superfoods company Navitas Naturals a couple weeks ago — who offers organic palm sugar — and shot this fun Navitas-style video for their “Chef’s Notes” video series.

Veggie BBQ like you mean it

Barbecues are always a hot thing to do, but with the increasing amounts of celebration surrounding a vegetarian diet, the grill game’s a-changin’.

Chef’s Notes: Goji Berries

Recently, I shot a few informational videos for Navitas Naturals to talk about the benefits of a few of their superfood products. The videos turned out pretty fun, and are a great 101 on how to use these “new” foods. Here’s one on goji berries.

Candy made from real stuff

The Greeks really have the candy thing down with their traditional Pasteli, which is essentially a chewy and crunchy treat usually made from just sesame seeds and honey. Such a simple combination, yet as sweetly comforting as it gets, with it’s pure whole food ingredients. In my version, I like to use yacon syrup (from the yacon root) instead of honey, as it lends a more sophisticated flavor alluding to molasses and hints of apple.