All posts tagged: healthy recipes

Minty Feel Good Shamrock Smoothie

With St. Patty’s Day coming up I was hit with a touch of nostalgia today. I was remembering my days as a kid when March was a particularly exciting month because it meant I got to get a Shamrock Shake at my weekly trip to Mc Donald’s. I haven’t had fast food in years, but the memory left me craving a cold minty-vanilla beverage with a preternatural hue. So, of course, I decided to create a version using all natural feel good ingredients. It turned out to be so delicious, it was hard to stop myself from drinking it all before I took pictures! Below you’ll find the recipe for this sweet, creamy, Shamrock Smoothie. It’s vibrant color looks all the more beautiful when you know it’s not made with a bunch of artificial food colors. Instead we use a touch of blue-green algae called Spirulina that is quite possibly the most nutritious food on the planet. You can find it in the supplement or superfood section of natural food markets and health food stores. …

Pescan: A Feel Good Cookbook by Abbie Cornish & Jacqueline King

What is Pescan? The Easy Way to Eat Well and Feel Even Better!

Published by Jacqueline King

In the book Pescan: A Feel Good Cookbook Abbie Cornish and I share our favorite healthy and delicious recipes. We also go over basic cooking techniques and batch cooking at home. At the foundation of the book is the way we prefer to cook and eat, choosing foods that are not only tasty, but that also make us feel good. It’s a lifestyle that we both feel changed our lives for the better. We call this lifestyle “Pescan” Personally, eating pescan has given me a newfound sense of freedom around food. I can eat whenever I’m hungry, stop when I’m full, and always feel satisfied and nourished. Gone are the days of counting calories or yo-yo diets. I maintain a healthy weight without ever having to think about it, which is a welcome relief to someone who spent years dieting. I’m able to feed myself and my family in a way that is super nutritious but still feels like a joy rather than a burden. But what is pescan exactly? Read on to find out more… …

Spinach Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Pomegranate and Pecans in Sage Garlic Oil

Roasted Pumpkin, Pomegranate and Pecan Pasta in Sage Garlic Oil

Published by Jacqueline King

I came up with this roasted pumpkin pasta recipe as a way to make the best use of the pumpkins that had been decorating my front entryway. I bought a couple of varieties that were new to me this year rather than the traditional jack-o-latern type. When I cut into them with plans to make toasted pumpkin seeds, the color of the flesh inside told me that these pumpkins were made for more decorating doorsteps. I’ve tried cooking those regular pumpkins before and they were flavorless and fibrous, but these brightly colored pumpkins have a smooth, sweet flesh similar to butternut squash. The types to try are Cinderella, Fairytale, Hubbard or Sugar Pie. All you have to do to bring out their rich, sweet pumpkin flavor is roast them with a few spices. You can serve roasted pumpkin as a hearty seasonal side, but here it is paired with earthy spinach pasta, meaty pecans and sweet-tart pomegranate seeds to become a main dish that is not only beautifully balanced in flavor, but also beautiful to look …

Real Food Fast- Pumpkin Spice French Toast with Coconut Butter

Published by Jacqueline King

French toast is a deliciously decadent treat that is usually reserved for Sunday Brunch or special occasions. This version, however, is so much more nutritious than your typical French toast recipe, and so quick and easy to make, you’ll want to add it to your regular breakfast rotation. We make it with whole grain Ezekial Cinnamon Raisin Bread (available at most Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s) because it’s high in protein and doesn’t have any added sugar, but the raisins and cinnamon give it a nice touch of natural sweetness. With the added protein from the eggs and the rich creamy coconut butter on top, it’s a great energizing breakfast that will keep you going strong all morning. I only recently discovered coconut butter and it’s a new favorite substitute for regular butter. It’s wonderful to use in baking or spread on muffins, toast, pancakes or (best of all!) French toast. Made from pureed meat of the coconut, it is as rich and creamy as dairy butter with a smooth nutty flavor. It’s kind of like if …

Creamy White Wine Risotto With Roasted Mushroom and Thyme

Published by Jacqueline King

If you’re looking for a beautiful and delicious main dish to serve this holiday season, look no further than this creamy White Wine Risotto with Roasted Mushroom and Thyme. I lived in Italy for a while and have so many memories of celebratory dinners with risotto at the center. I think of it as the world’s most elegant comfort food. It’s so satisfying and warming, but still feels like a special occasion food. Like a lot of people, I assumed that to get a creamy risotto, you have to add a lot of butter and cheese, but as I began to study plant-based cooking I found out that is absolutely not true! The creaminess is actually achieved by coaxing the starch out the of the special type of rice that is used to make risotto. You do this by adding hot liquid, a little at a time as it cooks, and by stirring a lot. To get the umami flavor that is usually provided by parmesan we add a little miso paste and nutritional yeast instead. …

Kalettes with Lemon tahini Drizzle and Goji Berrie

Roasted Kalettes with Lemon Tahini Dressing and Goji Berries

Published by Jacqueline King

I’ve been reading about kalettes for a while now and was excited to finally find them live and in person, or at least cut and in person, at the farmers market recently.. Also known as lollipop kale or kale sprouts, they are the latest star ingredient of the veggie world, and with good reason. They are an adorable cross between kale and Brussels sprouts, and like their parents, kalettes are loaded with nutrients and health benefits. Their flavor is slightly less bitter than Brussels sprouts with a mild earthy flavor. You can eat them raw or sautéed, but roasted kalettes are especially delicious! While they’re great dressed simply in olive oil and a little salt and pepper, here they are turned into something really special with a heavy drizzle of spoon-licking good lemon-tahini dressing and a sprinkle of sweet-tart goji berries. This recipe is perfect… As a quick, easy, and colorful side for holiday meals. paired with grains, beans and/or other veggies in a Buddha bowl when you’re feeling run down and need a big antioxidant …

6 Easy Veggie Swaps to Cut Calories and Boost Nutrition

10 Easy Veggie Swaps to Cut Calories and Boost Nutrition

Published by Jacqueline King

We know by now that eating a diet rich in vegetables is good for our health, our mood and even our looks. Here’s a list of the veggie swaps you can make to get more of them into your meals while lightening up on calories. If you’re worried about feeling deprived, don’t. Because they’re so nutritionally dense, you may actually fuller with the veggie versions! 1. Instead of Flour Tortillas use Collard Greens- Swap out the refined flour for a crunchy collard greens next time you make a wrap and save over 100 calories while getting the anti-inflammatory benefits of vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids. How-to: Cut off the thick stem and carefully slice the rib so that it is flush to the leaf. That way it won’t break when you roll it up. Remember to always cut with the knife cutting away from your hand to avoid accidents. Add your filling in the center of the leaf, perpendicular to the stem, then fold in the sides and roll it up like a burrito. Try a …

Quick Pan-Seared Branzino with Artichoke Hearts and Lemon-Herb Sauce

Real Food Fast: Pan-Seared Branzino with Artichoke Hearts and Lemon-Herb Sauce

Published by Jacqueline King

When I was a kid, a quick seafood dinner meant fish sticks with tartar sauce. While I’m sure my mom had the best of intentions when pulling the frozen minced fish logs from their packets, (“eat it, it’s good for you!” she’d say) it’s no wonder I grew up thinking I hated fish. It wasn’t until I travelled to italy as an adult (if you can call an 18-year-old an adult?) and tried their simple preparations of white fish that I found out it could be so much more than those mushy breaded sticks of my youth. One of the most popular fish on Italian menus is Branzino, a type of European sea bass with a delicate flavor and firm, flaky texture. It has become one of my favorite fish to prepare thanks to it’s versatility and light, almost sweet taste. Here it’s paired with savory artichoke hearts and a bright, lemony herb sauce. While this recipe is significantly more delicious than fish sticks, you’ll be surprised to find that it’s just as quick and easy to …

Everything Bagel Party Potato Salad

Published by Jacqueline King

This is a dish I made to bring along to a Fourth of July BBQ that everyone loved. It’s a fun and delicious rift on an everything bagel with the works. It was inspired by a recipe in one of my favorite cooking magazines Bon Appetit. I adjusted it to make it dairy-free and include more flavorful, crunchy and nutritious veggies. I took a vegan version to the party because I knew it would go well with anything else on the menu. My husband had some for lunch before we left along with the salmon on a bed of salad greens and really loved it. So depending on what else you are serving (or your dietary preference) you can decide whether to add the lox. I used packaged tofu cream cheese from the supermarket, but you could certainly make your own. My cashew sour cream would also work well in place of the cream cheese in this recipe. I hope you enjoy it at your next gathering! xo Jacq Ingredients: serves 8-10 3 pounds Baby or Fingerling Potatoes, halved …

Cooking School: How to Make Delicious Oven Roasted Vegetables

Published by Jacqueline King

Roasting in the oven is the easiest way to make the most out of any vegetable. It’s my favorite way to cook veggies for many reasons: It brings out natural sweetness in vegetables giving them a caramelized exterior while keeping the inside moist and tender. It’s versatile, you can use whatever produce is in season at the market. Roasting is the perfect technique for batch cooking or feeding a crowd. Since you cook on a sheet pan, you can make a large quantity all at once. That means you can turn on your oven once, cook up a couple different types of veggies and have them ready to go in the fridge for the rest of the week. (3-5 days) You can roast without a recipe. Every vegetable will be enhanced by the simple addition of olive oil, salt, pepper and a little time in a hot oven. That being said, roasting is a great opportunity to get creative with your favorite spices. Once you are comfortable with the basic technique, you can have fun experimenting …