Preheat oven to 400°F. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 1 hour.
In a small saucepan, combine bulgur, broth or water, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook bulgur until most of the water is absorbed and grain is tender, about 30 minutes.
Drain any excess liquid from bulgur and place in large bowl. Add parsley, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, dill, mint, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine tahini, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Whisk in enough water to make a smooth consistency, about ⅓ cup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Top with bulgur, tahini sauce, and pomegranate seeds.
1refrigerated pie crustsoftened as directed on package
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat four 10-ounce oven-safe custard dishes with 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil; place on baking sheet and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 5-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add parsnip, carrot and onions; cook 5 minutes until just tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; cook 2 minutes more. Stir in broth, flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in asparagus; cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Add cooked chicken.
Meanwhile, roll pie crust into a 12-inch circle on floured work surface. Invert a custard dish onto crust and use a paring knife to cut around the dish leaving 1/8-inch overhand, cutting 4 rounds total. Discard remaining crust.
Ladle filling into custard cups. Top each with a round of crust and press the edges to seal. Cut a slit in the center of each pot pie.
Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until crust is browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving; sauce will thicken as it stands.
Looking for the perfect side dish for your next grill night? Look no further! Grilled Corn and Peach Salad combines the season’s peak produce with the smoky fire of the grill. With farro and baby kale, this salad doesn’t have to be relegated to the side. Make it the star of the show with some grilled chicken or scallops. Tarragon has a pungent, bittersweet flavor that holds its own in the salad. If you can’t find tarragon, or don’t love its fennel-like notes, you can always substitute basil, dill, or any other soft herb you like.
In a medium saucepan, cover farro generously with water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until farro is tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare corn for grilling by pulling back husks to the base and removing the silk. Fold husks back into place and submerge corn in a large bowl of cold water to soak for at least 30 minutes. While soaking, preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every five minutes, or until kernels are tender. Remove the husks and remove the kernels once cool enough to handle.
Combine corn kernels, farro, peaches, tomatoes, avocado, and kale.
Whisk together dressing ingredients and toss with salad. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve promptly.
Street Corn Salad, also known as esquites, is the off-the-cob version of elotes. It’s creamy, with a slight kick from the jalapeño. Make sure you have some sturdy tortilla chips on hand. Part salad, part dip; either way it’s delicious! What makes this the perfect party food is you can serve it hot or cold! Put everything in a baking dish, cover with foil, and pop it on the grill if there is room. You’ll get a melty, creamy version. Keep everything chilled, and it’s a refreshing respite from summer heat.
Unexpected guests? Entertaining is easy with these Tasty Lentil Lettuce Wraps. Just a few fresh veggies and ready-to-eat madras lentils come together for a perfect bite.
We all know and love the classic crispy rice bar. Take it up a notch by adding natural peanut butter and fair-trade chocolate for these chocolate peanut butter crispy rice treats. The result? A portable treat that you can take to picnics by the water, camping under the stars, or your next backyard barbecue.
Melt butter in pan over low heat. Add agave to the pan and stir together until combined. Add peanut butter. Stir to combine.
Let this mixture cook on low for three to four minutes, stirring frequently. It should start to thicken slightly but still be a liquid when you take it off the heat. Take pan off heat. Add vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the rice crisp cereal. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into parchment-lined pan. Press mixture down firmly to be sure it all sticks together.
Let set in the fridge for one hour. Chop roasted and salted peanuts. Set aside.
Melt chocolate in microwave in 20 second increments. Stir well between each increment. Stop microwaving when there is still a bit of solid chocolate remaining.
Pour the chocolate over the top of the rice crispy treats. Spread out evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top while chocolate is liquid.
Let set in fridge. Once chocolate is firm cut into 12 squares and serve.
Berries and cream come together in this classic dessert with a twist! Using plain yogurt in the shortcakes and whipped topping add a probiotic boost and a tangy zip. Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes with Yogurt Cream are the perfect way to end a meal with family and friends.
To make the macerated strawberries combine the chopped strawberries, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium size bowl. Mix well to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature or in the fridge for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a large measuring cup combine the cream, yogurt, and egg, whisk well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg and cream mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix well, until the dough just comes together, and no dry patches of flour remain – do not overmix.
Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour as well as your hand, and press the dough out into a rectangle about 8 x 10". Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then press back out into a rectangle. fold in thirds again, the press back out into a rectangle. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into either six large shortcakes or eight smaller shortcakes.
Place the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the shortcakes with cream, and generously sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
To make the whipped yogurt cream, add the cream and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the yogurt, and gently fold in.
Assemble the shortcakes right before serving. Split the shortcakes in half. Spoon strawberries on the bottom half and add yogurt whipped cream. Place the other half of the shortcake on top.
Stress and hormone imbalance can wreak havoc on the skin, leaving acne, eczema, and wrinkles in their wake. Learn how to mitigate stress and strike a balance in your hormones to cultivate a happier reflection in the mirror.
Skindications of overall health
Like a multitasking parent, the skin juggles protecting the body from environmental stressors such as UV light; producing neurotransmitters and hormones; synthesizing vitamin D; and regulating electrolytes, fluids, and body temperature.
The skin also moonlights as a crystal ball to reflect how the body is doing internally. Your skin may be dry, itchy, flushed, yellowish, pimply, or wrinkled because of inadequate nutrition or underlying dysfunctions in your hormonal, digestive, and immune systems. And these body systems are heavily influenced by stress.
Keep it simple
Waking up and going to bed at the same time every day (regardless of whether it’s the weekend!) is key for regulating hormones, since they’re affected by the circadian rhythm. The same thing goes for mealtimes; if you keep them as consistent as possible, your stress levels and hormones will be happy.
Pair movement with stress relief for a double whammy of health benefits. Whether that’s dancing, kickboxing, or walking, choose your bliss and do it often! Exercise encourages blood flow and lymphatic drainage, both of which help tonify and detoxify the skin.
Inside-out skin care routine
Internal
External
Enjoy foods rich in the following nutrients, or supplement with:
• omega-3s (fish, walnuts, chia) • vitamin D (egg yolks, fish, mushrooms) • vitamin C (bell peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli) • vitamin E (wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds) • vitamin A (leafy greens, sweet potato, carrots) • zinc (poultry, legumes, nuts and seeds) • collagen (bone broth)
Drink good quality water to hydrate your tissues and skin.
Incorporate these topical skin care products and apply them to the face in this order:
1. Wash face with gentle cleanser.
2. Apply toner.
3. Nourish with a serum such as hyaluronic acid for dry and aging skin, and vitamins C and E to protect against skin damage.
4. Apply a small amount of moisturizer.
5. Finish with two fingertips’ worth of sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher (and reapply according to instructions).
Need extra help?
Look under the surface with blood work and other diagnostic testing to identify the contributing causes of your skin health woes. Keeping tabs on your thyroid hormones, vitamin D status, estrogen, and cortisol values in the blood can be helpful indicators of how your skin’s doing on a microscopic level.
