Alicia Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet”
Longtime actress, vegan and activist Alicia Silverstone has just released a book entitled, “The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Losing Weight, Feeling Great and Saving the Planet.”
In her book, she covers how she came to her decision to go vegan and how her life and health have benefitted as a result. Silverstone also shares how all of us can make ethical eating choices one step at a time, without feeling deprived of meat and dairy.
Interested? Order Alicia Silverstone’s Book here.
Pecan Squares
This delicious recipe is just the thing to get you in the mood to celebrate autumn. It was given to us by Anna Smith, founder of the New School for Cooking. Enjoy!
Makes 36 squares
Crust:
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.
Sift sugar and flour together and stir in salt. Cut in butter, using two knives or your fingers, until fine crumbs form. Pat crust into the prepared baking pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
Topping:
5 1/2 ounces (2/3 cup) melted butter
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups shelled pecans, coarsely chopped
Mix melted butter, honey, cream and brown sugar together. Stir in pecans, coating them thoroughly. Spread over crust.
Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes more. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Cinnamon Sautéed Bananas
Ingredients
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cinnamon powder
5-6 strands of saffron
5 large bananas but firm but ripe
3 tsp turbinado sugar
1 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
Preparation:
Peel the bananas, cut into crosswise slices 1/4 inch thick, and keep aside. Heat the ghee in a skillet and add the cinnamon and saffron. Cook for about 30 seconds. Now add the bananas and sugar. Cook on medium heat for about three minutes or till the bananas are tender. Sprinkle the coconut and serve warm.
Before relocating to Santa Barbara, Aparna Khanolkar was the main chef at the Chopra Center for Well-Being in Carlsbad, Ca. She also taught Ayurvedic cooking classes and worked as a part-time chef at the prestigious Chopra Center for Living in Rancho Santa Fe. Today, Aparna continues her affiliation with the Chopra Center as their Culinary Consultant to resort chefs around the US and Europe while offering Ayurvedic lifestyle and culinary coaching services in the Santa Barbara area. She can assess your dosha and will work with you to create menus that are best suited for your body/mind. Each session includes a private cooking class, personalized lifestyle recommendations, and referrals to holistic health practioners. www.themistressofspice.com
Dill Rice with Carrots
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
1 cup white basmati rice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 cups water
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
1 large bunch dill
1 medium carrot thinly sliced
Preparation:
Heat one tbsp of oil or ghee and sauté the brown rice for about 3-4 mins. Then add the water and bring to a boil. Place a tight-fitting lid and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove the stems from the dill and chop finely. In the skillet, sauté the turmeric and cumin and then add the carrot and dill and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the veggies to the rice and mix well. Serve warm.
Before relocating to Santa Barbara, Aparna Khanolkar was the main chef at the Chopra Center for Well-Being in Carlsbad, Ca. She also taught Ayurvedic cooking classes and worked as a part-time chef at the prestigious Chopra Center for Living in Rancho Santa Fe. Today, Aparna continues her affiliation with the Chopra Center as their Culinary Consultant to resort chefs around the US and Europe while offering Ayurvedic lifestyle and culinary coaching services in the Santa Barbara area. She can assess your dosha and will work with you to create menus that are best suited for your body/mind. Each session includes a private cooking class, personalized lifestyle recommendations, and referrals to holistic health practioners. www.themistressofspice.com
Mariel’s Kitchen Cookbook
As the granddaughter of illustrious author Ernest Hemingway, Mariel Hemingway was destined to be in the public eye. But at just 13 years old, Mariel became famous in her own right as she made a feature film debut in “Lipstick.” Four years later, she earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Woody Allen’s film “Manhattan.” Mariel is an actress model, yoga instructor, mother of two teenage girls, and one of the leading voices for holistic and balanced living and the host of Spiritual Cinema Circle. She is also the author of Mariel Hemingway’s Healthy Living from the Inside Out. Read more
Bliss Kitchen Beet Soup
By Patti Garland
Beets are vibrant in color and antioxidant-rich, this root vegetable is both building to the blood and the body while simutaneously tonifying the liver and other organs. This simple-to-make soup is a delightful recipe for creating an uplifting meal in the spring or enjoying as a beautiful adornment to a meal anytime of the year. The cumin, cloves and cinnamon provide a spicy tang that stimulates digestion and warms the heart.
Sweet Potato Waffle
Canyon Ranch sweet potato waffles are amazing, moist and high in natural fiber they almost don’t need any butter or syrup. We find that adding a small amount of butter with just a bit of fat makes this healthy meal power us a little longer during the day. Read more
Beautiful Raw Fortune Cookies
I added fortune cookies to our Chinese-inspired menu, not fully expecting that my sous chefs Kristen and Anna would be able to actually find a way to make them. Lo and behold, they were perfectly executed. Interestingly, fortune cookies are a California—not a Chinese—invention. They remain a lighthearted and fun way to end the meal, hopefully with a welcoming prophecy.
1 1/4 cups flax meal
3/4 cup chopped pear
1/2 cup young coconut meat
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
Blend all ingredients in a Vita-mix except water until smooth.
Add water until batter is pasty but still thick. Spread into 3-inch circles on Teflex sheets and dehydrate 6–8 hours until firm but still pliable. Place a fortune note on top of each cookie with the end of note barely hanging over the edge. Carefully transer to dehydrator trays and form into fortune cookie shapes, by folding in half, and then folding again to pull down pointed edges. Use paper clips to secure edges if needed.
Dehydrate another 18–24 hours until crisp. yields 2 dozen.
Photographs by Miha Matei from “Entertaining in the Raw” by Matthew Kenney. Reprinted with permission by Gibbs Smith.
Entertaining in the Raw
ENTERTAINING IN THE RAW - Matthew Kenney
Chef Matthew Kenney takes the raw food lifestyle to exquisite new heights in Entertaining in the Raw. He combines his love of art and philosophy on food to bring you recipes for outstanding raw food dishes that will titillate your guests’ taste buds.
The recipes span many ethnicities, including Asian, Latin, French, and Indian, and feature appetizers, tapas, main dishes, breads, sauces, and decadent desserts. Matthew’s focus is always on fresh fruits and vegetables, organic, and buying food locally and in season.
Matthew Kenney’s books have sold more than 150,000 copies. He has appeared on the Today Show, the Food Network, and numerous talk shows.
Raw food is whole, fresh, and includes preferable organic ingredients none of which may be heated above 118 degrees.
Studies by the American Medical Association show that people on a plant-based diet, including raw, may be able to prevent or delay cancer. They are also less likely to develop heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
Matthew Kenney is a chef, restaurateur, caterer, and food writer. He has been nominated for the James Beard Rising Star Award. Matthew has been the chef and partner of many successful restaurants, including Matthew’s, Canteen, Commune, Mezze, and The Plant. He is the author of several cookbooks, including Everyday Raw, Raw Food Real World, and Matthew Kenney’s Mediterranean Cooking.
Summer Rolls and Red Chili–Pineapple Dipping Sauce
When entertaining, it is always most practical to make use of foods that are easily handled and not in danger of becoming wet or sticky. Dipping sauces are very useful, as they allow guests to apply them only when they are ready to taste, and it creates an interactive experience that adds to the pleasure of eating. I first fell in love with summer rolls at a French Vietnamese restaurant, Le Colonial, in New York. Although summer rolls are traditionally made with rice paper, I actually prefer the use of collard greens, which add flavor.
summer rolls
8 collard leaves, cut in half with ribs removed
2 cups julienned carrots, in 3-inch lengths
2 cups julienned cucumbers, in 3-inch lengths
2 medium zucchini, julienned in 3-inch lengths
2 cups julienned young coconut, mango, or papaya
2 red or yellow bell peppers, julienned
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Dressing
1 cup almond butter
2 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup nama shoyu
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon miso
1 (11/2-inch) piece ginger
1 (1/2-inch) piece lemongrass
3–4 Thai chiles
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dipping Sauce
2 cups fresh pineapple juice
1/4 cup raw agave
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Plus
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Dressing - Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until completely smooth, adding water as necessary to create a very thick dressing.
Dipping Sauce - Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place bowl in dehydrator to reduce overnight.
Final Assembly:
Mix macadamia nuts with enough dressing to hold them together. Place mixture on a collard green wrapper; top with a few of each filling ingredient and black sesame seeds. Roll tightly. If needed, use dressing to hold ends together.
Serve with dipping sauce. Serves 4–6
Photographs by Miha Matei from “Entertaining in the Raw” by Matthew Kenney. Reprinted with permission by Gibbs Smith.
