Homemade pizza sauce is so simple to make! Organic tomato paste is mixed with dried herbs, water, salt, and garlic powder to create a nutritious homemade sauce. This way you can control the amount of salt you add! The 7-ounce glass jar of Bionaturae tomato paste can be found at most food co-ops and health food stores. One batch of this sauce homemade pizza sauce works well for a 12-inch pizza.

These nuts make a fantastic appetizer at a holiday gathering, especially on Christmas Eve. Or package them into glass jars to give as gifts. I like to use the wide-mouth pint-size jars. This recipe also works with other nuts such as pecans. I usually make a few batches of candied walnuts and candied pecans. Sometimes I omit the cinnamon and they are still just as delicious. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. You may need to adjust your oven temp. My kids gobble these up as they cool; it's a wonder I actually ever have any left to give as gifts!

This festive winter salad was inspired by a salad I tried at a friend's house. It would be great as part of any holiday celebration meal. It is quick and easy to prepare. Plus, you can add the dressing up to 60 minutes before serving (which actually improves the flavors). Add toasted sesame seeds to garnish the salad if desired.

Serve this flavorful Thai-style lentil soup with cooked black rice or brown rice, extra cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce if desired! The soup tastes best using a homemade chicken stock, however, homemade vegetable stock or water both work as well! 

When I first started making this soup recipe the entire pot was gone in one sitting! I now make a double batch to feed my family. I rely on leftovers for quick meals the following days! If you would like, you could freeze portions of this soup before adding the greens. When you are ready to use it, heat it up in a small pot and add a handful of greens. This will keep the soup fresh-tasting and bright.

This grain-free and egg-free yeast bread is perfect for sandwiches or toast in the morning! Experiment with different additions to add more depth of flavor. Try adding chopped kalamata olives and chopped fresh rosemary, or poppy seeds and finely diced onions to the dough during the kneading process. 

I've added a little smoked Spanish paprika to these which gives the nuts more flavor with a hint of smoke. If you don't have any issues with soy you could use regular wheat-free tamari in place of the coconut aminos. Make sure you follow the directions and roast the nuts first, then add the coconut aminos or tamari, and roast again for a few minutes. You'll have a burned mess if you roast them all at once, trust me, I know! These nuts make a fabulous appetizer for a holiday gathering or a great after school snack for your kids.

These cupcakes are perfect for a child’s birthday party or a special occasion. They have a simple, mild chocolate flavor and great texture that all children will love, gluten-free or not. I prefer the neutral flavor of avocado oil or grapeseed oil in these cupcakes. Coconut oil works too but will give the cupcakes a slight coconut flavor. Frost with the Vegan Whipped Chocolate Frosting. You can easily cut the recipe in half to make 9 cupcakes if you don't need all 18.

Serve this honey-sweetened cheesecake with the optional honey-lemon raspberry sauce below. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and lemon slices for a beautiful springtime dessert! If you are following a low-oxalate diet, simply omit the crust and make a crustless cheesecake!

Soft, warm molasses cookies straight from my mother’s kitchen were one of my favorite cookies as a child. I love the rich flavor of molasses combined with the warming, spicy flavors of the cinnamon and ginger. Here I have made them vegan and gluten-free, and still just as delicious as I remember them.

These cookies are higher protein, and lower in sugar compared to traditional chocolate chip cookies. Plus with no grainy gluten-free flours, these cookies stay moist and gooey in the center for days. This recipe uses quinoa flakes, which are made from organic quinoa that is steam-rolled into a quick cooking quinoa flake. I use Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes brand which I buy locally. I also prefer to use chunky roasted almond butter in this recipe, but regular creamy roasted almond butter works as well!

Enjoy this very simple and nutritious gluten-free and dairy-free muffin recipe with a cup of warm herbal tea for an afternoon snack. The cherries can be replaced with fresh or frozen blueberries if desired. Other delicious additions are chopped pecans, chopped dark chocolate, or sliced almonds. 

I've sat down at the computer numerous times this past week, each time starting a new post. I have wonderful recipes with lovely photos to share but somehow I just wasn't inspired enough to follow through with them. Writing a blog post, or anything in my life for that matter, comes from some sort of deep seated inspiration. It's about sharing what's alive in me to light a spark in you.

You'll love this nutritious "cheese" sauce recipe! It is very quick to prepare and can be made into a meal when topped with black beans or shredded chicken, chopped cabbage, and sautéed vegetables. The tortilla chips in these photos are homemade. I use sprouted corn tortillas and slice them into quarters using a pizza cutter then toss them in avocado oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and Herbamare.

This recipe can be prepared in just minutes once you have your beans cooked. I use cannelini beans but great northern or navy beans also work. My children love to dip carrots and celery into this dip, or spread it onto homemade gluten-free bread.

Serve this scrumptious salad over mixed organic greens for a balanced meal. This salad is best served at room temperature. This lets the olive oil in the dressing soften. Use leftover chicken from a whole roasted chicken in this salad or use my Poached Chicken Breast recipe to quickly cook up the chicken you need for this salad.

Serve these gluten-free, yeast-free, vegan cinnamon rolls for an Easter brunch or on Mother's Day morning. After following the basic recipe for the dough you can get creative for the filling. Pictured here is just the basic cinnamon and sugar filling but you could do more. You can process dates and walnuts in the food processor to spread over the rolled dough. Another favorite is a fig puree made from dried mission figs, boiling water, and orange zest. I would still add a little cinnamon and coconut sugar to some of these variations.

This is a perfect, easy weeknight meal that uses up leftover cooked chicken! Serve it with cooked black rice, white rice, or brown rice if suitable for your diet. For low-carb or keto diets, just serve it as is!

This herb-roasted leg of lamb makes a stunning centerpiece for a Spring celebration or Easter brunch—deeply flavorful, tender, and infused with aromatic herbs. For the most robust flavor, marinate the lamb overnight in the herb mixture to allow the seasonings to fully penetrate the meat. If you’re short on time, even a one-hour marinade will still yield a delicious result.

You are about to bear witness to our first ever cooking video. We decided to bring our digital camcorder with us to Hawaii in hopes of producing a few cooking videos with all of the "free time" we would have. Instead, the camcorder was filled with laughing children boogie boarding down sand hills, toddlers chasing the crashing waves, and relaxing in the sun. We shot one cooking video, one take, that's it.

Meal prep a batch of this salad on the weekend so you have ready-to-go lunches for several days during the week! The chickpeas can be replaced with leftover cooked chicken if desired! You'll need four wide-mouth quart jars for this recipe.

This dairy-free pesto recipe uses a combination of blanched fresh nettles and fresh parsley. It is absolutely delicious! Fresh nettles can be found in early Spring in very moist, rich soil in sunny locations. Learn more about harvesting fresh nettles with this photo tutorial. If you choose to add grated parmesan cheese to this recipe, then reduce the salt by half! 

Serve this tomato-free salsa over mixed greens, beans and rice, or grilled fish. If you don't live in a tropical area, you can find fresh papaya at some health food stores or Hispanic markets. When we were in Hawaii, I made this salsa with halved local cherry tomatoes and it was just as tasty! Remember to score your unripe papayas gently with a knife (shallow, lengthwise slits) to help let out some of the sap as they ripen.

Nettles are one of the first wild foods to emerge in the spring, and, undoubtedly, one of the most nutrient-dense wild plants! They thrive in rich, moist soil, and in sunny locations. You may find them blanketing a deciduous forest floor in early spring before the tree canopy emerges, or in an open, mowed field. The fallen leaves from autumn create a fertile environment for nettles to emerge from in early spring. After the dense, cold winter months, nettles arrive and remind us to lighten our loads, to cleanse, and to restore.

Meal prep a batch of these detox salads on the weekend using leftover roasted chicken! Then take them to school or work for lunches throughout the week. You can also lightly toast sunflower seeds and pack them in a separate container to sprinkle on your salad when ready to serve.

Brussels sprouts cooked in a pressure cooker are equally delicious as roasted brussels sprouts! You'll want to make sure to use smaller-sized brussels sprouts. If using larger sized, then cut them into halves before cooking. Be sure to use the quick release as soon as the timer goes off, otherwise they will quickly overcook!

Here is a recipe to make your own refined sugar-free chocolate. The options are endless. Replace the macadamia nuts with chopped raw almonds or sunflower seeds. Use chopped dried fruit in place of the shredded coconut. Add raw vanilla powder. If you would like to make this recipe without needing to purchase raw cacao butter, simply melt approximately 2 cups of organic dark chocolate chips over very low heat, and then add the remaining ingredients (except cocoa butter and cocoa powder).

The beets, pears, and almonds marry perfectly with the peppery, minty dressing in this salad. Serve for brunch or with a family dinner. I like to keep the beets, almonds, and lettuce in separate containers and serve over a few days. I cut the pears up when I am ready to serve and dress individual salads then. Serve with your favorite salad dressing or the Pepper Mint Dressing.

These cookies are true to their name. The flavor of the peanuts shines through and isn't masked by other ingredients. They are crispy on the outside, and chewy in the center. I tested them with both sucanat and coconut sugar. The batch with coconut sugar is slightly less sweet. My bet is that any granulated sweetener will work here, such as maple sugar or turbinado sugar. My preference is to always use coconut sugar which is a low-glycemic sweetener. Sunflower butter is another option for those of you who need to eat nut-free.

This lemony, peppery, garlicky, minty salad dressing is fantastic (or shall I say addicting) over crisp romaine lettuce topped with toasted pine nuts, green onions, and shredded carrots. Use it during Phase 3 of the Elimination Diet to marinate cubed chicken. Marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator and then grill.

This dairy-free soup will warm you up on a chilly winter or spring day! Serve with roasted chicken or fish, and cultured vegetables to maximize digestion. If nettle season has come your way, toss a handful of nettle leaves (use gloves!) into the simmering soup for added minerals. Also feel free to add in different fresh or dried herbs such as tarragon or marjoram. This soup can be frozen or made into a half batch for those with smaller families.

Nettles, you say? You mean those pesky weeds that grow like wildfire and sting if you brush up against them? Yes—those! What many people don’t realize is that nettles are actually a powerhouse of nutrients. Once they’re cooked, blended, or dehydrated, they completely lose their “sting” and become a delicious, mineral-rich green. Nettle season varies depending on the year and climate. Here in the Pacific Northwest, with our unusually warm and sunny winter, the first tender shoots are already here! Perfect timing for gathering and enjoying them in the kitchen. My oldest daughter, Lily, even helped me put together the photo tutorial below to show you how simple it can be to harvest and prepare these wild greens.

I created this recipe without xanthan gum and it worked beautifully. The binding action comes from the arrowroot and the oats. I think there are many possibilities to modify this recipe. For example, adding one tablespoon of ground cinnamon to the dough would be delicious! Or dust each heart with cinnamon before baking. For the chocolate lovers out there, the cookies can be dipped in a chocolate glaze after baking. I like them better plain, but you decide.

This creamy, protein-rich smoothie is a simple and delicious way to start the day or refuel after exercise. Cottage cheese provides an easy-to-digest, high-quality protein source, offering around 14 grams of protein per half cup (if you tolerate dairy). For an extra protein boost, you can add your favorite protein powder or pure amino acid powder. Berries bring a powerhouse of antioxidants, anthocyanins, and gut-supportive polyphenols that help reduce inflammation, protect brain function, and support microbiome diversity.

Rockfish are native to the west coast, and have a very mild flavor. Pan frying is a quick and easy way to prepare this type of white fish! It is best to use a very high-quality 12-inch or 14-inch stainless steel skillet when pan frying fish. Serve rockfish with a simple green salad for a light lunch or dinner!

Serve this delicious dairy-free and vegan pudding recipe as a special treat for your family; my children love this recipe! You can use either fresh or frozen mangos in this recipe. You'll need about 5 large fresh mangos or two 10-ounce frozen bags, plus another fresh mango for the topping. 

These gluten-free and egg-free donuts make a perfect holiday or birthday treat! They can be made the night before and glazed after baking. The glaze holds the moisture and the donuts become even better the next day!