A frittata can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; tastes as good cold or at room temperature as it does warm and is the perfect dish to make with leftovers. Think potatoes, broccoli, leeks, onions, and fresh herbs. I love cherry tomatoes cut in half and placed sliced side up on the top with fresh thyme.

It can be baked in the oven or—a bit trickier because it requires flipping—on the stovetop.

Beat the eggs only enough to blend the whites and yolks because if you beat too much, they will rise and then fall making for a denser frittata.

Pyrex glass works great for this dish, but my favorite is the cast iron skillet. 10” skillet = 12 eggs or 12” skillet = 16 eggs (add about 1/4 cup of vegetables and cheese).

Any vegetable works well. If you use spinach or chard, just make sure it is dry, as too much moisture will make for a watery frittata.

1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup cooked spinach
1/2 cup cooked onions
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 bacon or sausage

Top with 3 teaspoons fresh herbs and 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half = 20 halves placed on top
Bake at 35o˚ for about 25 minutes—different pans cook differently and different sizes make a difference also.
When the edges start to pull away from the sides, it is cooked. Allow to cool 20 minutes before slicing

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4 (6-oz.) skin-on salmon fillets, pin bones removed, patted dry
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
1/4 cup butter – optional
1 small lemon
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tsp. black sesame seeds
1 cup basil, chives, parsley and/or tarragon leaves, chopped fine

Rub salmon with 2 Tbsp. olive oil; season both sides with salt.
Set lemon upright on a cutting board and slice off 4 lobes, working around the core (the seeds will be left behind). Finely chop lobes (flesh, pith, and all) and transfer to a small bowl; you should have about 1/3 cup. Squeeze juice from core into bowl; discard core and seeds.
Add chopped shallot, sesame seeds and 1/3 cup olive oil or butter. Season with kosher salt and lots of pepper. Toss to combine.
Heat skillet and place salmon in it, skin side up. Turn after 2-3 minutes and cook until flesh is opaque, about 6–8 minutes.
Transfer salmon to a plate and let cool slightly. Spoon sauce over salmon.
Top with herbs and sprinkle with sea salt.

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• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced in thin rounds
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
• 1 pear (or apple), sliced into pieces (you can also use plums or peaches when they are in season)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4-8 teaspoons Raz el Hanout spice blend (depending on desired spiciness)
• Pinch of saffron
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. hot paprika or Berber spice blend
• 1 cup green olives
• 1 preserved lemon, skin chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
• 15 ounces organic fire roasted tomatoes, or 6 medium tomatoes, diced.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pan with a cover. Add the onions and sauté slowly until golden. While the onions are cooking, add the ginger and Raz el Hanout, saffron, cumin and paprika or Berber blend. Allow to cook for 1 minute. Add the pear, apple or or stone fruit. Add tomatoes, olives, and preserved lemon with chopped skin.

Place in covered pot or tagine and cook about 35 minutes. This is best if made the day before and reheated with the meat balls:

Lamb Balls (12-14 meat balls)

• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1/2 cup chopped pine nuts
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4-5 mint leaves, minced
• 1 tsp. Raz el Hanout
• 1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix with your hands until everything is evenly combined. Roll some of the mixture in your hands to form meatballs that are a little smaller than golf balls. Bake on a cookie sheet for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest.

These can be made ahead and added to the tagine sauce just before serving. Sprinkle the sauce with fresh chopped parsley and cilantro.

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• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. squid bodies and tentacles, cleaned and sliced into inch rings (frozen is fine)
• 1.5 lbs. greens: dandelion, beet and bok choy
• 1 serrano or other hot chili, finely diced (we used 1)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3/4″ piece ginger, grated
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 bunch basil, about 1 ounce (1 cup lightly packed)

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the greens and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the wok, then add the serrano chiles, garlic, and ginger. Add the squid and cook about 2 minutes.

Mix the fish sauce and lime. Add the fish sauce mixture and cooked greens to the pan, toss in the basil leaves and sauté until the basil is wilted, then serve.

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• 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup grated cheese— cheddar, feta or your favorite
• 1 1/4 cup milk, half & half or cream
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp. fresh thyme or chives
• Small pieces of ham or bacon, if desired

Preheat your oven to 350˚. Oil a pie dish.

Steam the chopped broccoli florets in a pan with 1 cup water until tender. Spread the broccoli and ham or bacon, if using, evenly over the dish and top it evenly with the grated cheese.

Make the custard mixture by whisking together the milk, half and half, eggs, salt, black pepper, and spices or herbs. Pour the custard into the dish and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the center is set.

Read more »»

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Yes, I know this is a lot of ingredients, but it is so very tasty!

• 3 tsp. unrefined peanut oil or sesame oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
• ½ cup thinly sliced lemon grass
• 1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise seeds
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
• 4 small dry red chiles
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. tamari
• 2 tsp. fish sauce
• 10 cups fish broth or chicken broth
• 10 ounces thin rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 lb. snow peas, Chinese broccoli or garden beans
• 1 lb. thinly sliced mushrooms 
• ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish
• ¼ cup chopped scallions,  sliced thin, for garnish
• Leaves from 1 small bunch Thai basil, for garnish
• 6 fresh green or red Thai bird chiles, slivered, for garnish
• Lime wedges for each bowl, for garnish

Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the peanut oil, and coat the bottom of the pot. When oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the stock. Add all the aromatics (ginger, lemon grass, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, coriander, fennel, dry chiles and turmeric) and stir well. Add the tamari, fish sauce and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Strain, discarding solids. (May be prepared several hours ahead.)

While the stock is cooking, sauté the shallots and mushrooms in a skillet with a little oil. Heat a skillet with 3 Tbsp. oil and add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are cooked through. Sprinkle with salt and remove from the  heat.

Put the rice vermicelli in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stir noodles as they soften. Soak for about 20 minutes until tender. Cool in a colander under running water and drain. Reserve at room temperature.

To serve, bring soup to a brisk simmer. Add the peas and cook for about 2-3 minutes.   Divide rice noodles among 4 large soup bowls and top with the mushrooms. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the cilantro, scallions and Thai basil. Pass the fresh chiles and lime wedges separately. Squeeze lime juice over just before eating. 

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Finding a new recipe for the table—or for life—is a great beginning.

Reducing waste, making more time for ourselves, eating better and living with a bit more kindness can serve all of us better.

Here I share with you a few recipes for life that you can explore and perhaps incorporate into your life this upcoming year:

Reduce waste
The average American produces five pounds of waste per day! Hopefully, you are not the average American. But we can all look for ways to reduce plastics in our lives. 

Every year, eight million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans. Consider ways to eliminate plastic in your life. If you can only find one plastic product in your daily life to drop, you are one step closer to a solution. Consider replacing plastic wrap with wet kitchen towels or these handy Bees Wrap wrappers, or Mason jars with lids for storage containers.

Anything you do this year that reduces waste will benefit all of us.

Reuse and and Repurpose
Visit the thrift shops and second hand shops when you need something, before going shopping for new. It’s amazing what these treasure troves offer in once-used goodies.

And while you visit a thrift store, browse the wardrobe section and see if you can’t find a treasure that you can wear—something that may replace a future purchase of a garment that was manufactured in a factory sweatshop or with products that are bad for the environment.

Herbs and Remedies
Consider teas for remedies and warmth. The best protection against cold and flus is not a flu shot—it is keeping your own immune system strong and healthy.

Get outside in the sun every day! 

Get plenty of rest and drink lots of teas that promote health and rest. Herbalists are creating super tasty teas that are great for our well-being during these cold seasons. My dear friend Caitlin at Mermaid Farm on Martha’s Vineyard often shares a glass jar of some recently concocted herbal blend she assures me will relieve symptoms. I find these gifts to be the best medicine I can take to stay healthy.  

I like to explore with herbs in remedies and here is one recipe that you could create:

1 cup linden flowers
1 cup elderberries
4 tablespoons dried sage
4 tablespoons dried elderflowers
4 tablespoons dried thyme 

Mix together and place in a clean jar with a tight lid. Date and label and it will keep well up to a year. 

For tea: Use 1 tablespoon in 2 cups of boiling water and allow to steep for 10 minutes.

For bath: Use 2 cups in 4 cups of water and allow to steep 60 minutes. Pour into hot bath and give yourself a good soak.

Linden is a great herb for children and adults and is wonderful for baths and for teas. It is deeply relaxing for a restorative night’s sleep.

Look for organic. The flowers are super flavorful for teas and the leaves taste more like grass, but the effects are great from either leaves or flowers.

Sage, elderberry and thyme are all great in herbal remedies that when taken together work to sooth the affects of colds and promote immune systems during the cold and flue season.Look for Elderberry Syrup for coughs or for dried elderberries in bulk through Frontier.

Here is a super tasty gluten free, dairy free dish that can stand alone or as a side dish for lunch or dinner. It is great served for leftovers on top of a lightly dressed salad.

Recipe: Sweet Potato, Spinach, Onions and Tahini
Serves 8-10 

4 pounds sweet potatoes, washed well (skin on) and cut into 1″ cubes
2 medium onions, sliced in half moons
1 Tbsp. fresh sage
3 Tbsp. fresh thyme
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. raz al hanout (this is a great mix of cumin, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, rose and nutmeg)
1 bunch spinach or chard

Preheat the oven to 350˚.

Dressing
5 Tbsp. light tahini paste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/8 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (arugula is a great substitute)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the sweet potatoes, sage, thyme, 3 Tbsp. olive oil and raz al hanout, in a bowl and toss well so that the squash is evenly coated. Spread the butternut squash and onions on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the squash is cooking, heat a skillet with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and the onion, and sauté the greens until wilted. As soon as the greens are wilted, remove from the heat and place in a serving bowl that will hold the greens and the butternut squash mixture.

Make the dressing by blending the tahini, lemon juice and garlic until you have a smooth consistency. You can add water if necessary.

Add the cooked butternut squash to the wilted greens and drizzle with the the tahini sauce.
Sprinkle with the pine nuts, parsley or arugula and salt and pepper.

Who knows where this 2019  year will take us? Predictions are fun, but intentions and passions are important guides for a well-lived life. Follow some of my recipes or create your own: The importance is in making a commitment to a better way of life. Step in, dive in, or test the waters, but whatever you do, take time to live a healthier life.

Upcoming Diaeta Way Events:

• Commit to Change Your Health
• The Gut-Brain Connection
• Cannabis and Your Health

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Isn’t it so fun to have some real comfy food?

Just be sure you are using 100% grass fed beef or bison or venison. This is one of those dishes that takes a bit more time. We like to make two at a time and freeze one for the following week.  When you are not cleansing, you can make this into a YUMMY Shepherd’s pie  (with mashed potatoes on top!) and we included the recipe in parentheses…

Use fresh herbs if you can as this is where the flavor is – as well as (extra) garlic and onions.

• 2 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, diced
• 1 medium fennel bulb chopped fine
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 whole tomatoes – fresh or canned
• 2 pounds lean ground 100% grass fed beef
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (plus 2 more), 1 tablespoon oregano, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary all chopped fine
• 1 1/2 cups garden peas
• 3 Tablespoons parsley minced

Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows

• 2.5 pounds Organic Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
• 8 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream from grass fed cows
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

Slice the mushrooms into thin slices and cook in 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil until cooked through. Sprinkle with salt and 2 tablespoons more fresh thyme. Set aside as you will place the mushrooms on top of the cooked meat mixture (and under the mashed potatoes, if you are making the Shepard’s pie.)

Add butter and oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, fennel and garlic, until just soft, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook and simmer for another 10 minutes. Mix in peas – if using frozen, it is ok if they are still frozen here. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof baking dish and spread evenly over the bottom.  Add the cooked mushrooms on top of the meat (then place potato on top of the  mushroom layer and spread out evenly) Cook in a  preheated oven until browned about 20 minutes. Spoon out the beef stew or shepherd’s pie and serve.

(Fill a large saucepan with cold water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Add potatoes to the water and bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until soft about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are soft, drain the potatoes and place them back into the saucepan for mashing. Add butter and cream and begin to mash potatoes into a semi smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper.)

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