EASY 8-INGREDIENT TOMATO BASIL PASTA SAUCE

Summer is here which means Basil and Tomatoes are in season. Heck yes.

A simple health philosophy of mine is to eat S.O.U.L food. And avoid eating S.A.D foods. SOUL stands for Seasonal, Organic, Unprossed, Local. SAD of course is the Standard American Diet.

In the spirit of honoring that philosophy I made tomato basil sauce since the two main ingredients are at their peak right now.

This recipe requires 8 main ingredients and 15 minutes of prep.

You could come home from work, get it on the stove and let it simmer for the next 1-3 hours while you do everything else on your list whatever that may be. The longer it simmers the better it tastes since the flavors have time to blend and meld together.

Cooking tomatoes increases or unleashes the lycopene content, a phytochemical that has cancer fighting and heart healthy properties, and increases the availability of antioxidants for absorption in the body. It's a rare example of where cooking can increase nutritional value of a food.

Here is the rough estimate recipe, I didn't measure exactly and adjusted a lot to taste.

I reccomend you do the same. Taste the sauce after every step or even every time you stir to see how its coming along. Its a great way to learn how to develope flavor and see how each ingredient effects one another.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR ADJUSTING TO TASTE:

• If its bland add more salt or tamari.

• If you are watching your salt content and its a little MEH tasting load up on the garlic powder.

• If its too sweet you could try crushed red pepper or cayenne to give it a kick.

• If the basil isn't as bright as you'd like add more and remember to add fresh basil on top of the pasta or vegetables.

• If its to thick- add vegetable broth

• too tomato-y- add vegetable broth and tamari

• Want some extra umami or cheese flavor- nutritional yeast.

If you are looking for more great tips to make your food taste auh-mazing, check out this article.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 medium yellow onion, diced

7 garlic cloves, minced

4 large beefstake tomatoes (about 3 lbs)

1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped plus more for garnish

4 Ounces tomato paste

2-3 Cups vegetable broth, depending on desired consistency

3-5 Tablespoons tamari, to taste

pink salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Instructions

1. In a large sauce pan with lid, melt oil. Add onion, cook for 3 min. Season with salt & pepper.

2. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute stirring often. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add in chopped tomatoes, basil and tomato paste. Stir to combine and let simmer for 35min, stirring occasionally.

4. Add vegetable broth, Tamari and season with spices. Stir, adjust and let simmer for 2-3 hours if possible, stirring occasionally.

(substitues for tamari are regular soy sauce or braggs liquid aminos- I didn't test these options but I think they would yeild the same salty, umami flavor the Tamari does. You could also try more salt or garlic power. However adding more salt could make the sauce taste sweeter which might not want)

Add to vegetables or pasta.

Store in fridge for 1 week or freezer up to a month.

1. I made gluten free quinoa/brown rice pasta from Trader Joes.

Mix the pasta with some olive oil and salt once done. Load up on the tomato basil sauce. Add freshly chopped basil, kalamata olives or capers and nutritional yeast.

yum city.

TROPICAL VEGAN CEVICHE and TANGY TOFU

SUMMER I can taste you.

If Tulum, Mexico was a dish it would be this.

Just looking at it and tasting it makes me feel like I am lying on a white sand beach looking out at turquoise waters with salty wind in my hair wearing the cutest damn bikini ever. Yeah, just like that.

Think: sweet, tangy, umami, chewy, crunchy and crisp!

Seriously it hits all the right notes. And its vegan

Everything about this recipe is literally perfection and I am not just saying that because I made it. I've had my fair share of kitchen fails #noshame. This one however is a real winner.

I have tried variations of this recipe about 7 times befor landing on this one. I finally got it right!

Ingredients

TANGY TOFU

1 -15 Ounce extra firm tofu (organic and sprouted preferred)

2 Tablespoons tamari

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 Teaspoon maple syrup

1/2 lime, juiced

pinch red pepper flakes

pink salt, to taste

TROPICAL CEVICHE

1/2 Cup cantelope, chopped

1/2 Cup papaya, chopped

1/2 Cup persian cucumbers, chopped

1/2 Cup hearts of palm, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

1/3 Cup jicama

1 1/2 limes juiced, zest of 1/2 a lime

3/4 Cups cilantro, chopped (more to taste)

3/4 Cups red onion, diced

1/3 Cup green onion, minced

Pinches cayenne pepper to taste

salt to taste (I used 1/2 tsp)

Instructions

1. PREP THE TOFU:

Pre-heat over to 450f.

Take out tofu brick and wrap in paper towel, put heavy(ish) object on top to remove as much moisture as possible. let it sit and use new paper towels if necessary. Be gentle though you don't want the tofu to fall apart.

Awesome tofu texture after cooking requires you to remove a lot of the water so do not skip this step.

1. While tofu is resting in the paper towels and water it being absorbed start to prep the tangy sauce.

Put all ingredients for the tangy sauce in a small bowl and whisk like crazy.

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a cast iron skiller of medium high heat.

You want there to be a lot of oil so the tofu does not stick to the pan and so it frys up and gets golden brown.

I have only tried this is a cast iron so use other pans with varied results.

Slice to tofu into 6 rectangles. First cut the brick in half horzontally and then slice in to thin bricks vertically. Not sure if that makes sense but look at what the tofu looks like in the picture for hints.

1. Once the oil is hot place the tofu bricks in the pan carefully. You dont want to splatter hot oil on yourself.

You should hear a sizzle! If not then your oil and pan are not hot enough.

Let them sear for 5 minutes, then flip on the other side and sear another 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat, pour the tangy sauce on top of the tofu right in the pan. It might begin to sizzle and bubble a little. Thats ok.

Transfer the entire cast iron skillet to the oven and let bake for 10 minutes.

1. MEANWHILE p the ceviche.

chopped up all the ingredients, combine in a bowl and mix well.

ASSMEBLE DAT: Divide up the ceviche amongst two bowls and layer with 3 tofu bricks. Garnish with lime slices, fresh cilantro and green onions.

If you want to double or triple the ceviche recipe feel free. Its good by itself, mixed in with a salad, part of a macro bowl with meal prep stuff, as a salsa with chips (add avocado), on top of roasted veggies. Whatever really.

Get creative. and Enjoy this is like my fav thing right now.

AVOCADO PEANUT RED CURRY BOWLS

Happy Memorial Day!

The beginning of summer has so much promise wrapped up in it. Longer days, warmer nights and the city of Los Angeles has a blanket of laid back vibes set out for everyone to chill out on. I've always loved summertime and since Phoenix becomes a brick oven where you can fry your eggs on the asphalt, I'll be in LA for the entire month of June. The heat plus some fun projects.

more

I am hosting a meetup in Santa Monica and a hands on cooking class and mindfullness workshop on the east side at a beautiful house.

Savor Your Summer: Sunday Funday is a laid back day in the park. We plan to design your dreamiest summer yet using a healthy dose of Neuroscience, dash of mind-body nutrition, and whole lotta culinary flavor. I am making a vegan ceiviche for you guys to snack on while we hang out.

Savor Your Summer: Soulful Retreat is a half day retreat with a hands on cooking class and an interactive exercise in mindfulness with my girl Jenn Schaefer who is an Eating Psychology Coach in Los Angeles. Jenn has help thousands of women in their journey to heal body image, disordered eating and digestive discomfort. I will be sharing the elements of developing flavor, training your palate and creating balance so your food tastes auh-mazing. Jennifer will be leading a mindfulness exerise that is sure to set your summer on sizzle.

If your curious about the event learn more here.

I would love for you to come hang out with us and enjoy food, connection and my favorite city- Los Angeles!

OK so on to the food!

The star of this recipe is without a doubt the sauce- its a freaking dream. Seriously. Peanut butter, avocado, coconut, spicy red curry - full of energizing, brain boosting healthy fat! Its sweet, tangy, spicy and so rich.

Obviously I snuck an avocado in there- this is me were dealing with. #avocadokween.

Paired with gut-health promoting, spicy kimchi, detoxifying sweet purple cabbage, umami & earty black eye'd peas and vitamin K loaded brocolli. Did you know that vitamin K improves bone health by improving calcium absorption and reducing urinary excretion of calcium? Yeah so broccoli is good for strong bones. Who knew.

The sauce recipes yields more then you need for these bowls but keeps well in the fridge for just over a week.

Be sure to use it all week long on salads, roasted veggies, protien- you name it.

HAPPY DAY YA'LL.

And- Thank you to each and every person who has served in the armed forces and made sarafices to protect us and our freedoms.

xo

Ingredients

FOR THE RICE:

1 1/2 Cup brown rice

1 Cup coconut milk or water

2 Cups vegetable broth

FOR THE AVOCADO PEANUT RED CURRY

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1/3 Cup green onion, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste

3/4 Cups smooth peanut butter

1 Cup coconut cream or full fat milk

1/2 Cup vegetable broth

1 Cup water

1 Tablespoon coconut sugar or 10 drops stevia

1/2 ripe avocado, mashed with fork

2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped

FOR THE BOWL:

2 Cups fresh purple cabbage, cut in cubes

3 Cups broccoli florets

1 can adzuki beans or black eyed peas

1 Cup kimchi, store bought

GARNISH:

sesame seeds (white or black)

fresh cilantro

green onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Make the Rice: Heat up a medium sauce pan of medium high heat. Once hot add in the brown rice and toast for 3-5 minutes until fragrent, stirring often. Add in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Once dont fluff with a fork and set aside.

2. Make the curry sauce:

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add next 3 ingredients; sauté 2 minutes.

Add curry paste; stir 1 minute. Whisk in peanut butter, then next 5 ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until reduced to 2 cups, whisking and adding broth as needed, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; cool. Stir in lime juice.

Can be made ahead of time. Just cover; chill and rewarm, thinning with broth to desired consistency. I like my sauce pretty thick but not so thick that it wont drip off the back of a spoon.

1. Steam the veggies:

In a steamer, double broiler or suace pan with 1/2 inch of water steam the broccoli and cabbage. Once tender remove from the heat.

1. Open up the can of beans or peas (whatever your using), draine and rinse until clean. Mix in with the rice.

2. Assemble the bowls.

Divide the rice/bean mixture amongst 2-4 bowls. Then pour enough sauce on to almost cover the mix. Add broccoli and cabbage, a little more sauce then top with kimchi**.

Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro and more sauce.

**I used store bought from trader joes- however after buying I realized it had fish sauce in it, so its not vegetarian friendly. I hate wasting food so I will eat it but will not purchase again- my fault for not reading the label at the store.

Friendly reminder to read labels guys!