Nourishing Recipes and Wellness Guides for your Mind, Body and Soul
Last Friday we had no school. It’s parent teacher conference week and the kids and I had a whole day to do nothing but goof off and have some down time. No classes, no extra curricular activities, no homework, no stress… And after a day of playing in the park, swimming at the club, eating sandwiches and french fries at the pool and making Halloween cards for the teachers we decided we needed to end the day with a little homemade goodness…
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Since exploring London’s culinary scene last summer, and eating at the famed restaurant Nopi, I have been obsessed with Yotam Ottolenghi. He may quite literally be the master of fusing the diverse culinary traditions of the Mediterranean into beautiful, mouthwatering fare. Ottolenghi’s only rule: “the ingredients must always be first-rate, and the food gorgeous and tasty.” And so over the course of the next several months (or maybe even years) we will be exploring his world of Plenty.
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One of the funniest sketches on the hit TV series “Portlandia” is when the two stereotypical Portlandians sit down at a restaurant to order a chicken for dinner, but interrogate the server on the the chicken’s LinkedIn profile before they are willing to even consider ordering it. Welcome to the locavore movement, Pacific Northwest-style.
Portland is the epicenter of the locavore movement, a place where your chef, cook, baker, barista, ice cream scooper, have hunted, gathered, farmed, foraged, and sourced the ingredients from within a 100 mile radius to produce the “artisanal” delight that you may be consuming after having carefully considered whether your conscience, moral compass and personal digestive system enzymes allow you to actually eat it.
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We’re expecting another little one in the family….and before you jump to conclusions, no it’s not me! This weekend we threw my sister and her husband a little baby showerbaration. They are very laid-back and unfussy, so we wanted the party to feel the same way. At a Tom Douglas Kitchen, in downtown Seattle, simple and rustic was the theme for the soiree, and these tarts were the hit of the night.
An easy and elegant appetizer to keep guests satisfied until the main event, this recipe is just the thing. Simple, pretty and delicious, with caramelized onions, apples and aged white cheddar atop a delicate puff pastry… The guests lingered for hours and these tarts were great even at the end of the night. Easy to make, and elegant to display, serve these o’dourves at your next spring soiree and they are certain to delight!
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From “Asana” to “Vinyasa,” students of yoga speak their own language. Here’s a guide to all things yoga; making reaching “Savasana” much less intimidating.
THE METHODS
Here are the names and methods of many different styles of yoga practiced around the world and in studios close to home. I’ve also pointed out the best bets for beginners.
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If you’re looking for a really comforting, satisfying, soul soothing dish on a (thankfully) almost end of winter night, look no further. This dish has all the qualities of that warm PJ wearing, fireplace burning, fleece blanket wrapping type of comfort with almost next to nothing effort. It’s a one pot meal that I guarantee you will make over and over… and over again. The protein in the lentils and chickpeas make this a very hearty dish that will lightly warm your stomach for hours, and without a drop of oil, butter or cheese, a large serving will fill you up but is guaranteed never to weight you down.
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I didn’t break out much as a teenager, but as long as I can remember I always had periodic mild to moderate acne breakouts (often at the worst times!) as an adult. We are all taught that acne is something that happens to teenagers, but the truth is that many adults struggle with acne as well. For years I used face washes, lotions, and creams to try and combat these little bad boys that would pop up on my face, back and shoulders. Sometimes my skin would completely clear up but the result was short lived and acne would always invariably resurface days or even weeks later. This cycle went on for years and years, to the point where I was using acne face washes daily just to prevent the reoccurrence of breakouts, until I “accidentally” stumbled upon a solution…
I realized that as I slowly changed my diet and ate smarter my skin magically began to clear up. And as long as I stayed on this smart, clean diet the acne would never return. I tried experimenting to see what exactly it was that I eliminated from (and added to) my diet that resulted in my newly found clear, glowing skin….
We just got back from a fabulous week in Cancun, Mexico. Each day, after playing in the water and getting fantastic farmer’s tans while wearing their rash guards all morning, the kids ordered lunch poolside. A huge serving of amazingly rich, creamy macaroni and cheese with a side of french fries and veggies. (Yes, I let them eat french fries once in a while, and even ice cream…) The mac n’ cheese was soooo good it was hard or any of us “adults” to resist diving in and stealing a few bites for ourselves…
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I make this salad so often that it was almost an afterthought for the website. Given that this salad graces our dinner table at least 4 nights a week, I felt compelled to share it with you. It is the embodiment of the GalaKitchen food philosophy in one bowl. Most importantly, it’s a snap to prepare, easy to assemble and oh so tasty and satisfying. No longer are salads defined by a handful of something green, a smattering of carrots and white, and creamy, lipid-laden dressing out of a bottle. No, you’ve now just entered the world of superfood salad bowls. Piled high with mixed greens, herbs, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, beets, winter squash, avocados and seeds this salad will keep you going all day long. These bowls are a complete meal for lunch or dinner.
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When searching for new recipes I find myself constantly going back to asian cuisine. First off, the pictures are so enticing. When I see tofu and veggies marinated in a beautiful sauce, served with rice or noodles I can’t help but salivate a little. Second, time and again, when talking with friends I find that homemade asian food is what they struggle with most. Perhaps it’s because some asian ingredients can seem to foreign to us and when trying dishes at restaurants, the flavors often feel like they will be impossible to replicate…. often arousing suspicion that it may harbor an unknown and unacknowledged fish sauce or shrimp paste! This dish will show you that you can easily make some of the most flavorful and most beautiful, vegetarian, asian cuisine in your own home and without using any hard to find or exotic ingredients. Every ingredient in this dish can be found at your local, American, grocery store.
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