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.

Double Chocolate Hazelnut Candies

Needless to say, these candies are an all-around “yes.” The exterior chocolate coating will remain solid at room temperature, and the inside pocket is a soft, sweet blend of cacao and hazelnuts.

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 . . .

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.

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…

No Bake Brownies

Undercover health benefits like antioxidants, good omega fats, potassium, magnesium (and more) nutritionally rank this dessert as more of an energy bar than an “extra 20 minutes on the treadmill indulgence.” Best of all, five ingredients plus five minutes is all it takes to go from zero to brownie.