Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, has a nutty and complex flavor and can be compared to brown and wild rice. It is rich in antioxidants, as is apparent by its deep blackish color due to plant pigments called anthocyanins. Black rice can be eaten with your favorite main meal, or used in whole grain salads and soups. 

This creamy carrot soup is simple and nourishing and helpful for anyone with compromised digestion or leaky gut. Consider topping each bowl with stewed shredded chicken or shredded beef for a fulfilling meal.

Serve these flavorful apple and sage sausage patties with some radicchio or mixed greens and avocado for a nourishing and energizing breakfast! This recipe can be made ahead of time! Store the formed patties in between pieces of parchment paper in a covered glass container in your fridge for up to three days, then cook as needed. 

These refried beans are so much more flavorful than the kind you can get in a can. Serve them as a simple side dish with Chipotle Lime Chicken or Steak Fajitas, or use them to fill a quesadilla or enchiladas. 

This is a quick dinner meal that the whole family is sure to love. You can dress it up as much as you would like by adding a variety of toppings to your quesadillas. Each family member can choose which toppings they would like to include on their plate. Serve with tomato salsa, salsa verde, sour cream, avocado, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, or even a fried egg for some additional protein.

Roasted cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, and roasting it whole takes it to a whole new level! Serve with Brined Pork Chops or Mustard Baked Chicken and a green salad for a complete nourishing dinner. 

This simple pulled pork recipe can be used as a kitchen staple; it can be made into a taco filling, or it can be added to soups, salads, or wraps. Tart cherry juice could also be used in place of the pomegranate juice. 

This black rice salad is packed with antioxidants and comes together quickly. Serve it with roasted chicken or fish for a nourishing lunch.

This creamy low-histamine salad dressing is tangy and sweet, just like pomegranates. It pairs well with any fall or winter green salad with mixed greens or massaged kale, or try pouring it oven roasted squash or baked chicken. I like to use a neutral oil such as avocado oil when blending on a high speed, because olive oil can turn bitter when blended for too long. You can use olive oil if you prefer, or a combination of avocado and olive oil. 

This simple sauté is one of the most basic ways to prepare kale, and is a great recipe to have in your repertoire. It can be quickly prepared to add to dinner, and also makes a wonderful and nourishing addition to breakfast. Serve it along with a fried egg and some sautéed potatoes. 

Roasted brussels sprouts are a favorite in the fall, but sometimes they can take more time than you are willing to spend preparing dinner.

Steamed carrots are a staple recipe to have in your repertoire and can be served with just about any meal. Always serve basic vegetables like these steamed carrots with some type of fat. You can keep it simple and toss them in some olive oil or butter, or serve them with some roasted Wild Salmon and toasted walnuts. The fat from the other foods helps to make sure the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are fully absorbed into your body. 

Cottage pie is a comforting classic. Substitute ground lamb for the ground beef to make it a traditional shepherd’s pie. Any type of mashed potatoes could be used for the topping, so feel free to use your family’s favorite recipe with dairy, or a new recipe like these Turnip and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Serve with a simple mixed green salad for a complete meal. 

This mustard baked chicken is juicy and full of flavor. Serve with Herb Whipped Sweet Potatoes, or Steamed Potatoes with Herbs, and your favorite vegetable side dish such as Basic Sautéed Kale or Honey Braised Carrots. 

This classic spaghetti dinner is quick to come together as it uses pre-made marinara sauce from a jar. I like to add extra vegetables to my sauce, but if you are really short on time you can skip this and cook the ground beef in the pan by itself before adding the sauce. If you prefer, you can add in additional green vegetables like diced zucchini, broccoli florets, or diced bell peppers.

Use a high-quality balsamic vinegar for best results! Use this dressing to toss with mixed greens, cooked beets, warm lentils and cherry tomatoes, or grain salads. You'll want to have this dressing on hand in a glass jar at all times!

Toss this flavorful and fresh orange vinaigrette with your favorite salad greens and chopped vegetables. It is delicious tossed with baby arugula and shaved fennel bulb. It also works well as a dressing for a grain salad. Try cooked (and cooled) brown rice or quinoa, shaved fennel bulb, thinly sliced red onions, thinly sliced kale, and toasted pumpkin seeds or chopped almonds!

Use this honey-poppy seed vinaigrette with mixed green and berry salads. Try topping mixed baby greens with blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Add toasted pecans, almonds, or pumpkins seeds for added crunch!

Serve this creamy and addicting cilantro-based salad dressing on top of any Tex-Mex or Southwestern-inspired salads. It is delicious drizzled over a salad of chopped romaine, cooked black beans, roasted yams, avocado, and thinly sliced green onions! You can also use it as a marinade for chicken breasts before grilling.

Serve this flavorful, antioxidant-rich dressing over your favorite lettuce and vegetable salad. It also works well tossed with lightly steamed vegetables!

Serve this delicious red wine vinaigrette with chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers for an easy weeknight salad!

Serve this light and zesty lime vinaigrette with a spicy green salad, such as arugula, topped with cooked black beans and diced avocado. 

This creamy Asian-inspired ginger dressing is delicious served over a lettuce and cabbage salad with other Asian-inspired dishes such as Apricot Glazed Chicken, Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, or a Brown Rice and Tofu Salad. 

I like to use creamy Yukon gold potatoes in this recipe though any variety will do. This is a great meal to serve on a busy weeknight when you may not have a lot of time to cook. Serve with some lacto-fermented vegetables or a raw celery and carrot platter for an easy, nourishing meal.

This custard is super simple to prepare and requires no cooking. It can be made in minutes! I prefer to use pastured beef gelatin in my recipes. 

With only a few ingredients, this recipe can be made very quickly. Kale is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serve this delicious vegetable dish as part of a balanced dinner.

Serve this light dessert after a hearty, rich meal. You can switch out the peaches for frozen bananas, and the raspberries for blueberries. Frozen mango chunks also create a very creamy, natural sorbet! Get creative and combine your favorite fruits. For this recipe though, it is important to always have at least one creamy fruit (mango, banana, peach), then you can add in other non-creamy frozen fruits for more color, flavor, and nutrients (raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, blackberries).

Massaman, pronounced [mát.sā.màn], is a relatively mild curry dish blending Persian and Thai cuisine. The name came from “Mussulman” or a form of the word Muslim. Use my curry recipe below or create your own variations using whatever vegetables and meat you have on hand.

This dessert takes only about 10 minutes to cook. Serve this nourishing, low sugar dessert with a dollop of plain organic yogurt (dairy or coconut) and a sprinkling of chopped toasted walnuts.

When purchasing cauliflower, make sure the tops are white. If the florets have begun to spot brown or purple, it is past its nutritional peak. Cauliflower is an excellent source of the disease-fighting nutrients indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane. These two nutrients act together in the body to destroy and sweep out cancerous cells.

This is a wonderful, warming fall soup infused with Thai flavors. If you like a little less spice, then add half the amount of red chili flakes. This soup freezes very well, so stock your freezer while squash is in season!

Dal is an Indian stew made with lentils and spices, which is usually served over rice. It is very easy to make and portions can be frozen for later use. Serve this hearty dal with Indian Fried Rice and thinly sliced green cabbage tossed with my Cilantro Vinaigrette.

This soup is a great dish to prepare when you don’t have a lot of time; I use a food processor for all of the chopping, which cuts the preparation time in half. Serve this soup over cooked brown jasmine rice or white basmati rice. This soup also freezes well for later use.

Roasting red bell peppers brings out their sweetness and gives them a slightly smokey flavor. If you've never roasted fresh peppers before, follow my tip below. It may feel intimidating but it's actually incredibly easy! This soup has a medium rating for spiciness, if you like it mild add ½ teaspoon less of the crushed red chili flakes, or ½ teaspoon more for a hotter soup. Serve this soup with baked fish or chicken and a green salad.

This soup makes a wonderful fall or winter meal and freezes well for later use. Serve with roasted winter squash for a balanced, nutrient-dense meal. If you can't find organic bone-in turkey breast then use a whole organic chicken instead. 

Ginger contains compounds called gingerols. These compounds act as a powerful anti-inflammatory. Include fresh ginger regularly in your meals to assist in lowering inflammation! This delicious salad dressing will keep you coming back for more. It can also be drizzled over steamed vegetables or cooked whole grains. Store the dressing in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. When ready to use, place the jar under warm running water to thin out the olive oil.

This nutrient-dense salad creates an energizing lunch. The diverse array of flavors and textures are a delight to the taste buds! I often like to add some steamed cubed beets, which add even another dimension of color and flavor. Any dressing will work here, but the Lemon-Tahini Dressing below is especially luscious.

Raw leeks, olives, steamed potatoes, and tomatoes come together to create a brightly flavored anti-inflammatory potato salad! Olives are an excellent source of vitamin E and monounsaturated fats.

Asparagus is a great source of vitamin K1, folates, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium. Asparagus also contains a large amount of inulin, which is a carbohydrate that our bodies cannot digest. The friendly health-promoting bacteria in our large intestine, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, do digest it, though. When we feed the friendly bacteria in our gut, their growth increases, which shields out the more harmful bacteria that can have negative effects on our health.

Serve this simple vegetable dish alongside a bean or chicken curry.