Roasted Nuts with Spices.

The natural aroma and flavor in nuts bloom and deepen when you roast and toast them. The heating process also allows you to customize and infuse your own spice mix.

Ingredients: 

• For nuts, use one cup of whole unpeeled almonds, unsalted cashews, unsalted pecan halves, unsalted walnut halves or salted peanuts.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
• Spice mix:
• Spicy: 1/8 tsp chili powder and 1/8 tsp chipotle pepper (or paprika, or cayenne), pinch of salt and pepper 
• Sweet: 2 tsp dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of water, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, pinch of salt
• Ethnic: 1 tsp curry powder, pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper
• Savory: 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (or ground cumin and cayenne), pinch of salt, pinch of white pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. 
2. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil or butter and mix in the spices to your liking in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the nuts to coat evenly and turn the heat off. Keep stirring for 5 minutes until the syrup thicken and coat all the nuts.
3. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet in one single layer. Roast for 10 minutes until they start to give off lovely nutty fragrance. Toss to flip sides and to pick up oil or syrup, so the bottom side can get a chance to be roasted as well. Spread out and roast another 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven as soon as it starts to get deeper color.

Note:

• You can also roast at 400F but try 8-10 minutes and check doneness. Don't over-roast and burn them.

Quinoa Pilaf.

Quinoa has high content of complete protein profile, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and it is one of the healthiest foods on earth. The water to quinoa ratio is about 2:1. If you want it on the fluffy side, use 3 parts of water to 1 part of raw quinoa. (more on grains)

Ingredients (yield 3-4 servings): 

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 - 3 cups of chicken broth or water
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 carrot, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons of almond slivers or pine nuts
• 3-4  tablespoons of chopped dried fruits (raisons, dried apricots, dried mangoes, cranberries)
• 2-3 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Rinse quinoa with cold water and drain.
2. Heat up the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and add onion. Cook 5 minutes until the onions are soft. Add in the quinoa and stir to saute for 3-5 minutes until they are coated with oil, toasted and smells nutty.  
3. Add in the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and maintain the simmer. cover and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed. 
4. Turn the heat off and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. 
5. Open the lid and fluff with a fork. If you cook more for later use, transfer the excess proportion and let it cook before freezing or refrigerating.
6. Stir in the nuts, chopped dried fruits, herbs and vegetables. Dig in.

Notes:

• Add roasted squash or enjoy it with delicious oven fried sweet potatoes.
• Add chopped green onion to it.
• Add diced cucumber to it.
• Add other chopped nuts to it.
• Cook more quinoa and reserve for further repurposing in freezer, before adding in the nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

Sauteed Mushrooms.

Use these in a sandwich, to punch up a grain or vegetable dish (such as our quinoa pilaf), to top a grilled meat or steak, or as a side. Use a wide range of mushroom varieties as far as you can find.

Ingredients (yielding one serving): 

• 8 oz mixed mushrooms, about 12-15 medium size ones
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter, optional
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions: 

1. Clean mushrooms, brush and rinse briefly but not soak and let standing in water, as the fragrance will leach out. Wipe dry with paper towel and cut into halves or quarters.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a saute pan on medium high heat and add the mushroom when the oil shows crawling patterns (smiling at you) and indicates the oil is hot. Even out the mushroom in one single layer and season with salt, pepper. Don't crowd the mushrooms. If you have a small pan, cook in batches.
3. Cook the mushroom until they are brown outside, about 5-7 minutes. 
4. Stir in the garlic and butter and cook 3 more minutes to take the raw edge off the garlic. 
5. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle chopped parsley and grated cheese to serve.

Note:

• Fresh mushrooms contain high percentage of liquid. Cooking them in a crowded pan will make the temperature plummet too much. While the pan fails to keep up with the heat necessary to cook off the liquid released from the mushrooms quick enough, the mushrooms will end up simmering and steaming in their own juice rather than browning.

Classic Potato Salad - a Healthier Version.

This healthier potato salad is light on mayonnaise, but with bolstered flavor from the help of a sweet and tangy shot of balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients: 

• 3-4 medium red potatoes, about 1 pound
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped or thinly sliced
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chopped pickles, preferably gherkins or cornichons, or use sweet radish
• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (healthier homemade version)
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped or sliced
• pinch of cayenne, optional
• pinch of smoked paprika, optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water, with 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender when you test with the tip of a paring knife that can cut through without much resistance. Drain and cool. Cut into half inch chunks.
2. Place cut potatoes, celery, pickles, onions, mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, and eggs in a bit bowl and toss to mix and coat evenly. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika.

Homemade Potato Chips.

You can customize the flavor to your liking. Make from fresh potatoes in 20 minutes and have healthier, guilt-free snacks.

Ingredients:

• 1 large russel potato
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of cayenne
• Toppings:
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika
• 2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1-2 tsp lemon zest to top after baking

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Scrub and rinse the potatoes and cut crosswise into very thin slices (about 1/8 inch thick).
3. Toss the potato slices with olive oil and season with salt, pepper.
4. Place the potato slice on a baking sheet in one single even layer. Top with herbs and spices of choice. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown and crispy.
5. Top with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

Oven Fried Sweet Potatoes.

Sweet potatoes have a lot of fiber, high potassium and vitamin A. Bake them to bring out the natural sweetness with pinch of cayenne for a fiery bite.

Ingredients:

• One sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thin wedges or slices
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme leaves, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Mix the sweet potatoes with oil, cayenne, thyme, salt and pepper.
3. Place sweet potato wedges or sliced on a baking sheet in single layer evenly. Bake for 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender inside and slightly brown on the outside.

Note:

• You can also saute the sliced sweet potatoes on medium-low heat till golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside.

Roasted Butternut Squash.

Butternut squash is a vegetable easy to prepare, delicious and packed with anti-inflammatory beta-carotene that is good for eyes.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Chopped herbs, such as parsley, sage or tarragon
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. 
2. Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds. Chop into 1/2 inch dices. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread the squash on a baking sheet and roast about 30 minutes until they are soft al the way through and golden brown on the outside.
4. Roast the seeds for 10 minutes until they are crunchy.