The Conscious Kitchen

Linguine with Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Pesto

Oct

I recently posted a recipe for basil pesto. With this recipe, you can take it to the next level for a hearty and delicious meal.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Oct

When I worked in restaurants, these cookies made a regular appearance on my cookie plates. They were always a favorite of the management and wait staff so I liked to have them around for when they would visit me in the pastry kitchen. I always made them with almonds as they served well as a grown up version of the chinese almond cookies I remembered loving as a kid. They are crisp, crumbly, and will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Gluten Free and Vegan Chocoloate Chip Cookies

Oct

These are chocolate chip cookies that you can actually feel good about eating. They are good. Really good. They are made with healthy ingredients that are vegan, gluten free, and full of fiber. They also happen to be simple to make. Enjoy.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Oct

Packed with flavor and nutrients, this is a great way to enjoy vegetables. It’s delicious, satisfying, and does not require much effort. Do not be intimidated by the number of ingredients. Serve warm or at room temperature for lunch, a first course, or light dinner.

Basil Pesto

Oct

I like to keep a several pots planted with herbs outside my kitchen door. There are not huge amounts of them, but there is enough to cover me for my basic cooking and recipe needs. I currently have a few different varieties of thyme, cilantro, Italian parsley, oregano, mint, sage, and my summertime favorite, basil.

Allergy Reduction and Lower Blood Sugar for Year 5772

Sep

It is a tradition for Jewish people to dip apples and challah in honey to bring a sweet new year.

Gluten Free Pasta

Sep

There are many reasons people are seeking gluten free products. Many suffer from sensitivity or intolerance to gluten as well as an increasing number of diagnoses of Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease where the body cannot digest gluten. Gluten comes mainly from products containing wheat, rye, and barley. Studies have found that gluten is not only difficult to digest for some people, but have shown that it is the hidden culprit to many gastrointestinal issues including constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and acid reflux. It is also highly inflammatory to the body. For someone who is dealing with autoimmune conditions or fighting an inflammatory provoked disease like Cancer, it is a good idea to avoid products with gluten. It is amazing how many pills can be disposed of and how good you can feel simply by eliminating it from your diet.

Quick and Easy Lunch

Sep

Time moves so fast during the day. I seem to be in a perpetual rush to accomplish a variety of tasks and errands before I get my kids from school. I often find that stopping for lunch is an inconvenience. But running on fumes with low blood sugar is not a good option either. Since embracing a plant based diet without gluten’s, I have discovered that I need to eat at more regular intervals. I believe this is mostly because my body is functioning properly. We are not meant to go for long stretches of time without fuel to keep us going. I make it a point to stop for lunch even when I am on the go.

Linguini with Peppers and Sweet Onions

Sep

There are bound to be challenges to overcome when you commit to a Vegan and Gluten Free diet. Giving up animal proteins was easy for me, but a life without pasta was an entirely different story. I have tried several varieties of gluten free pastas in the past few months. A few of them were passable, but not quite satisfying the craving. That was until I tried Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta. It is a healthy pasta made from corn and quinoa that manages to come pretty darn close in texture to wheat pasta, and at the same time, tastes good. The ultimate endorsement for it came from my children who thought it was better than what they usually have (Barilla Plus).

Kitchen Staple: Vegetable Stock

Aug

Among the many things I learned when I began my vegan diet was that store bought vegetable broth is not very good.I have always used store bought chicken broth to make rice, soups, and other grains to give them the flavor that water alone cannot provide. Unfortunately, the vegetable stocks that I tried all left a flavor that was not to my liking. There a some vegetable bouillon cubes that work well in a pinch such as Edward & Sons Not-Chick’n or Veggie and I do use them. But unlike meat based stocks, vegetable stock is easy to make and very clean. No greasy bones and messy clean up, and it smells good too.

Thoughtful, Responsible, and Healthy Cooking

Aug

I posted this entry in August 2011 under a different banner. Today I remain on this path of nutritional discovery. I do not consider my food choices akin to being on a diet nor do I feel deprived. This is simply the way that I eat.

Russian Tea Cakes

Jul

It’s one of those cookies I remember loving as a kid. Covered in powdered sugar and dressed up like little snowballs, they were easy to spot in any bakery case. I always knew that if I picked that particular cookie, it would be satisfying where others often fell short. I have always called them Russian Tea Cakes, but they are also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies, Butterballs, or Polvorones. Historically, these cookies were gifted to guests at weddings. Much like other traditional wedding favors such as Jordan Almonds, the Wedding Cookies were filled with symbolic ingredients. Nuts for fertility, rich ingredients to bless the marriage with a rich and full life, and the powdered sugar representing purity.