recipes

The first time I encountered the stinging nettle, I was unaware. I met its dark green leaves at a friend’s house (a friend who has a definite imp on her shoulder) and she asked me to touch them. Unsuspectingly and whole-heartedly I did, to a hand that felt it had just been stung by a million different bugs. Admittedly, it’s not very painful, but it does leave you with a buzzy feeling of ants walking down your veins. However, the rather prickly exterior of this plant hides many benefits within.

Has hunger ever gotten the best of you midflight and led you to eat those things that the airlines pass off as cookies? I set off on a project recently to create a portable snack that I could take on a plane. I had a few prerequisites: it had to be nutritious and treat-like, meaning it had to feel like some kind of reward for getting myself through airport security and onto the plane with my sanity intact.  The result? Blissful energy bites, the sweetish cashew based snacks pictured above.

It’s easy to write-off sweet baked goods, especially the kind that come in packages from the grocery or convenience store. Often laden with excess sugar, salt, and fat, the common baked good has been unfairly demonized. With the use of real fruit, good quality butter, and whole wheat flour, these Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins with Chocolate Chips are as good for the soul as they are for your health.

The next time your stomach’s a little under the weather, or you’ve just been dining on too many calories and need a filling meal that gives you respite – you need to assemble just two main ingredients – curd and rice – and make a simple yet tasty dish, curd rice! Oh, and curd is just another name for yogurt!

For centuries, the people of Mexico have used the flat leaves (or pads) of the prickly pear cactus as a food staple. The pads, called nopales, come from the family of cactus known as Opuntia ficus-indica and are an economically important source of income throughout Mexico. 

Nightshades contain some of the world's most poisonous and beloved plants all at once. Potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers are all related to belladonna (deadly nightshade), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), and mandrake, yet we love eating them!

Remember your ma yelling in your ear to eat your veggies? Well, she was right. In all cuisines and all parts of the world, vegetables are part of a healthy diet for they offer so much, for such little calories.

I bet I’m not the only one who grew up eating those really cheap, easy-to-make ramen noodles with flavor packets. (The oriental flavor was vegetarian-friendly.) So, I’d take them to school, and eat them dry (gross, I know). Whether we like to admit it or not, when prepared according to the instructions, that sodium bomb ramen was pretty good (tasting) nonetheless.

I thought I was up to date on probiotic-packed fermented products, but it turns out I was missing one very old, and very important tonic: beet kvass. I was first introduced to this powerful beverage sometime last year, when a stall at the local farmer’s market I frequent suggested I try their homemade kvass. 

Vegan chocolate is ridiculously simple to make. In fact, you're going to wish you knew how to make it sooner, instead of spending money on pre-made chocolate. Even if you're not a vegan, you'll appreciate the simplicity of this recipe. Not to mention it tastes great (especially for those who love dark chocolate)! To make matters better, not only is it healthier for you but it's also easier: This is a no bake recipe!