It’s one of those simple dishes that’s sure to impress at all your springtime gatherings. Plus it’s gluten-free and can easily be made vegan to accommodate all of your guests.

Learn the trick to making accordion slices in your potatoes and how to get your pesto to that perfect shade of spring green.

The Deliciously Layered History of Hasselback Potatoes

Spring is in the air, and with it comes the craving for fresh, vibrant flavors that celebrate the season. And what better way to embrace springtime eating than with a dish that’s as visually stunning as it is delicious?

This Salad Has Peachy Power: A Perimenopause-Friendly Recipe

At times, the kitchen can be an intense place to work. Ovens set to over 400 degrees, pots of steaming water standing at the ready, burners cranked up to high, and the speed and precision needed to get all the components of your dish to come together on one plate at the same time is more than enough to make anyone’s temperature rise! There’s no doubt that being a chef is a hot job. You may have heard the phrase, “If you can’t take heat, get out of the kitchen!” I’m someone who thrives in this heat! I love the good stress and occasional sweat that comes with working in a sweltering kitchen.

Well…that was until recently.

Try having a hot flash in a hot kitchen. I’ve got to tell you, that’s a whole new level of heat. It’s Carolina Reaper pepper hot. I’m talking a 2 million on the Scoville scale! Perhaps this is why the walk-in fridge was invented. I’m not sure. But one thing I do know: perimenopause just expedited my ticket!

A Restaurant-Style Brussels Sprouts Upgrade

When I was young, I thought Brussel sprouts were baby cabbages. I wasn’t far off – these little gems come from the same food family and have some of the same supportive effects on liver detoxification, digestion, hormone balance, and metabolism.

If you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts you may want to try this recipe. I have enjoyed Brussels sprouts at a restaurant as an appetizer. Unfortunately, most restaurants deep fry their Brussels sprouts to make them crispy, adding extra calories from potentially damaged vegetable oils. Deep frying virtually negates the health benefits of this seasonal cruciferous vegetable.

So let’s talk “detox.”

I’m a holistic chef and nutrition consultant. In my world, a detox recipe isn’t about harsh cleanses or starving through celery sadness. It’s about supporting the body’s natural detox pathways (liver, kidneys, digestion) by choosing foods that help you feel lighter, energized, and well-fed: protein, hydration, fiber, herbs, and bright flavors that wake your taste buds up.

My go-to? Fresh Start Salmon with Grapefruit and Herbs—a glossy, tangy, reset meal that feels fancy and can help ease you out of party mode. It’s the perfect dish forstarting the year strong and giving you the stamina to keep going with your new year’s resolutions.

Why this is a detox not a cleanse

Soul-Warming Bowl of Deliciousness

This recipe comes packed with nourishing ingredients like miso, kombu, garlic, ginger, and carrots. To make this a complete dish we add a side of crispy mushrooms which have some unique vitamins needed by the immune system as well as a mouthwatering umami flavor. In fact, you might just find yourself craving this soul-warming bowl of deliciousness all winter long.

The immune system is like your own personal bodyguard that works to keep you healthy and strong without you knowing. And although wintertime tends to challenge the immune system, we can boost our natural resistance starting in your own kitchen. Some of the most effective (and yummy!) ingredients include the following.

Looking for a festive and healthy holiday cookie? Holistic Chef Program Manager Carrie Bonfitto shares her favorite holiday cookie recipe that pops with a festive red jam made from some surprising ingredients in her garden.

An Edible Garden

Several years ago, my family and I were lucky enough to move into a home with an established front garden that includes a pomegranate tree and many hibiscus bushes. Here in southern California, these bloom and come to their peak of brilliant red ripeness in the fall. The crimson pomegranates hang on the tree like Christmas balls and the hibiscus flowers pop with such joy that I feel like nature has already decorated my house for the holidays!

Holistic Chef Program Manager, Chef Carrie Bonfitto shows us a twist on using some of her most beloved ingredients, pistachios, zucchini, basil, and tomatoes to create a gluten-free and dairy-free dish that’s a perfect way to celebrate summer vegetables at their peak of flavor.

These vegetable-forward ravioli-esque packages come together quickly and don’t require you to boil water or turn on your oven. They are a go-to dish to keep your kitchen cool during the heat waves of July.

Ask someone to name their favorite summer flavor and you’re likely to get watermelon as a response. Whether it’s the crisp cool crunch, the vibrant pink color, the sweet delicate juices, or just the nostalgia of summer picnics past, watermelon is a winner.  

As a holistic chef, I love serving watermelon as a quick and healthy dessert. It contains 92% water to keep you hydrated during the hot days of summer. This juice along with the fiber and minerals in the fruit work together to keep your blood sugar from spiking too much when you eat it.

This lemon and egg soup is both gluten and dairy-free making it a wonderful indulgence for those with food restrictions. It gets its creamy body and velvety mouthfeel from egg yolks. Separating the eggs into yolks and whites and using mostly yolks minimizes the eggy taste which comes from the whites. (The white is also the part of the egg that most often causes egg intolerance in people.)

The French began to cultivate strawberries in the 1300s and grow them in abundance. Fraises (strawberries in French) became a popular ingredient in French desserts. You may have enjoyed their cakes, tarts, pastries, and jams made from strawberries.

But have you ever heard of strawberry soup? This lesser-known chilled dessert comes in many different varieties, some include cream, yogurt, or coconut milk most traditional recipes will include wine or champagne. I’ve even encountered recipes that include garlic as an ingredient and turn it from dessert into a savory appetizer. Sometimes it’s cooked and then chilled in other versions it’s simply blended and chilled like a glorified smoothie.

Some of the most famous and tasty winter squashes are delicata, butternut, kabocha, and acorn. These gorgeous gourds are both decorative and delicious! So after you are done enjoying them as a center piece you can cook them up in stews, pies, quick breads, or simply roast them to perfection. 

While a few varieties like the butternut squash and the pumpkins should be peeled before eating, the skin of delicata, kabocha and acorn squash can (and should be) enjoyed! The skin provides extra fiber which is often lacking in most diets. This fiber helps to balance blood sugar and reduce overeating by keeping you fuller longer. Plus, the chew in the skin provides good textural contrast from the soft and luscious interior.

Balance out your Thanksgiving bounty with this vibrant Fennel & Orange Salad with Pomegranate Dressing. Featuring spectacular fall produce, this lettuce-free salad is an easy make-ahead dish that adds color and digestive comfort to your holiday table.

Fennel is a bulb vegetable that looks like a cross between celery and a peeled white onion. However, it’s most closely related to the carrot than either of those vegetables. Fennel’s crisp white layers have the flavor of mild licorice and can be eaten raw or cooked. Plus, its plumage of green fronds can be used as a herb or garnish similar to dill. If you’ve ever eaten Italian sausage, you most likely have tasted fennel’s flavorful seeds.

With the heat of summer upon us, this delicious no-cook recipe will keep your stove off and your kitchen cool. My fresh Rainbow Summer Rolls – a variation on a gỏi cuốn, a traditional Vietnamese dish – of fresh vegetables, herbs, and protein rolled in rice paper and served with a savory peanut dipping sauce is sure to please.

Bold colors and velvety textures make this Beet Soup with Cashew Cream a vibrant and delicious dish. The red beets and leeks, both in season from January through May, protect heart health, eye health, and strengthen the immune system. The creamy cashews keep this soup dairy-free and easy to digest.

Temake means handroll in Japanese. This variation on a traditional Japanese style handroll is loaded with sprouts and served with a sesame dipping sauce made from sprouted sesame seeds for a double dose of bio-available nutrients. Goma means sesame in Japanese, so this popular dressing is sometimes also called goma dressing. However, this soy-based version is egg-free, gluten-free, and vegan.