Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pomegranate, Shaved Pecorino, Sprouted Seeds and Apple Cider Shallot Vinaigrette

As we enter into November, I think of all foods FALL! But if you live in Central / Southern California you probably are like me and don’t want to touch the oven, it’s been so warm! This salad is perfect to make ahead of time for a Thanksgiving side dish as it holds well and packs a powerful punch of nutrients and minerals. It would be delicious the day after Thanksgiving with some leftover turkey as well.

I shaved the brussels sprouts and kale, I like the texture! It’s a great base for these fall ingredients, you have the tart pomegranate, creamy pecorino, thyme sprouted pumpkin and sunflower seeds and a garlicky, lemon, apple cider vinaigrette that ties it all together. If the weather was a bit cooler I’d roast butternut squash and throw it in for some texture and color!

Lemons and kale just go together in my opinion. The tangy-ness of the local lemons pair perfectly with the hearty kale and brussels. I make this dressing at least a few hours ahead of time so the flavors marinate and blend together. You could definitely do it the day before!

Balance. For me, balance is key during the holidays! I love indulging in rich, flavorful foods… don’t get me wrong. But I still crave nutrient rich salads to break things up a bit. Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, decrease inflammation and can improve blood sugar control. Pomegranate is an anti-inflammatory, aids in digestion, is packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants. The sprouted seeds add a punch of vitamins and minerals including vitamin D…. you get my point. This salad is full of delicious superfoods.

Apple Cider Shallot Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1 shallot minced (or 2 tablespoons onion)

• Juice from 1 lemon or 1 small orange

• 2 tsps apple cider vinegar

• 2 tsps agave or honey

• 1 tsp whole grain mustard or dijon

• whisk in olive oil (approximately 1/3 cup)

• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe by Alyssa Potter

Homemade (no-strain) Cashew Milk

Who knew making nut milk could be so easy?! I’m going to show you how it’s done. Cow’s milk and I don’t really get along so I’m always trying to find a creamy, smooth milk alternative that actually tastes good. I’ve made almond milk before (which is great) but you have to strain it! Sometimes it’s easier to just throw it all in a blender and not worry about that extra step. This recipe for cashew milk couldn’t get much easier. Let me show you!

Grab the cashews from our bulk section! This is one of my favorite nuts because cashews are a powerhouse of nutrition! They contain iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and the good kind of fats :) oh, and protein!

For best results, soak overnight. Or at least 4 hours (minimum). When you soak nuts, it helps release some beneficial enzymes and is easier to digest.

I like mine extra thick to use as coffee creamer or to pour over fresh berries for dessert! I also love to add a splash to my oatmeal in the morning. You could even use it as an ice cream base.

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw cashews

• 2-3 cups water (depending on consistancy you prefer)

• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave (or 2 pitted dates!)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• pinch of sea salt

• dash of cinnamon

Instructions

I like to soak my cashews overnight for the best results! Cover them in water in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. In the morning, strain and rinse the nuts.

When you’re ready to make the milk you’ll add the nuts to a blender with 2 cups of water (start with two cups and add to refine your preferred consistency). Blend on high until smooth. Then add the sweetener, vanilla, sea salt and cinnamon and blend again for a few seconds to emulsify. Easy!

Recipe by Alyssa Potter

Wild Alaskan Cod over a Tomato, Summer Corn, Herb Salad topped with Local Peach Avocado Salsa

When summertime rolls around in this beach town, I want to eat salads every night! If I need some protein I’ll go to our local Santa Barbara Fish Market OR in this case, just stop by Pacific Health Foods for a quick, easy dinner. This Wild Alaskan Cod was very tasty. This recipe calls for lots of veggies which tastes like summer in a bowl and can be easily adjusted to the season.

All the produce used in this recipe is from our local farmers market and the shop! We have an abundance of sweet tomatoes, I can’t get enough.

I thawed the fish in the fridge over night and rinsed and patted dry before seasoning. I used a simple rub of veggie pepper (see photo to the right), Himalayan sea salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, smoked paprika and drizzled some avocado oil on top.

You can find this in our freezer section! The premium fish is frozen immediately after harvest at the very peak of freshness. It’s then expressed to their climate controlled facility where it is skillfully portioned and packed with care with a strong emphasis on quality. Orca Bay started in the 1980’s, their vision was to bring a better value direct to their customers by providing a higher quality, all natural frozen seafood than what was being sold in the market three decades ago.

This simple salad paired perfectly with the flaky fish and could be adjusted depending on the season! The peppery punch from the arugula, sweetness of the corn and tomato and the fresh crunch of the cucumber were oh so delicious.

Creamy avocado + tart peach + spicy jalapeño = summer goodness

Tomato Summer Corn Herb Salad

• 1 basket cherry tomatoes

• 1 cucumber

• 2 handfuls arugula

• 2 ears of corn

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Alaskan Wild Cod

• 2 filets

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon veggie pepper

• squeeze of lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt

Local Peach Avocado Salsa

• 1 ripe peach, nectarine or pluot diced

• 1 ripe avocado diced

• 2 scallions sliced or minced

• 2 cloves of garlic minced

• 1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped

• 1/2 jalapeño (or more if you can handle the heat) minced

• drizzle of white vinegar

• squeeze of 1/2 a lemon or lime

• salt to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees while you prepare the salad. I used raw corn off the cob but you could also char it on the grill for some extra smokiness. Slice tomatoes and cucumbers, toss with the arugula and drizzle a bit of quality olive oil before serving along with salt and pepper to taste.

I made the salsa an hour before serving so the flavors would combine. The raw garlic gives it a nice little punch paired with the spicy jalapeño, creamy avocado and sweet peach.

I love this recipe because you can prepare everything ahead of time and just throw the fish on the grill or pop it in the oven right before serving. Perfect for a summer night. The cook time will depend on the thickness of the fish, but mine were fairly thin filets so I baked them for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees. You want the fish to be opaque and flaky when pulled with a fork.

Cheers!

Recipe by Alyssa Potter

Summer Grazing Boards

This month we celebrated Whitney’s birthday! A summer birthday celebration definitely calls for some grazing boards with lots of local cheeses, charcuterie, pickles and farm fresh veggies.

How lucky are we to live in an area with such plentiful produce?! I love this time of year with the crunchy cucumbers, sweet carrots, ripe stone fruit, berries and all of the herbs.

Let’s talk cheese… the cheese I picked up from Pacific Health Foods was the Organic Pastures Raw Cheddar which is one of my personal favorites. It’s a staple at our house! Our local Carpinteria farmers market now has a Stepladder Creamery booth, yes! The fresh goat cheese is tangy and delicious, and pairs well with the summer berries. Whole Foods is where I purchased the rest of the cheeses. There was a goat log with fig and walnuts which was a nice sweet addition. We also did a grass fed cheddar, a French brie, a Dutch robusto, mimolette isigny and Cypress Grove Humboldt fog. I like to use a variety of soft and hard cheeses for these grazing boards. It’s all about textures.

We love something pickled on our boards! I chose to do a spicy pickled cauliflower, castelvetrano olives (which are my personal all time favorite), and an assortment of local olives as well.

There may not be anything better than charcuterie in my opinion. Especially if it’s quality, made with no antibiotics, small batch and humanely raised. I chose some Bresaola, Salame and Prosciutto. I also always try to use some sort of nut, marcona almonds are my go-to and feel like a treat!

Figs. Peaches. Strawberries. Blackberries. Need I say more?! I love summer. Oh, and honeycomb.

These edible flowers are from Mary at Sweet Mountain Top, which is a beautiful farm tucked in the mountains of Carpinteria. She’s a passionate lady farmer who grows herbs and flowers which she shares at our local farmers markets (Santa Barbara and Ojai markets). I rolled the goat cheese logs with these herbaceous, brightly colored petals!

Organic Vanilla Blueberry Cake + Vanilla Frosting

Baking for a first birthday party was a bit daunting! I wanted to make a cake that was organic and had little sugar for the birthday boy. I chose these products from the shop and it tasted amazing! I went to the local farmers market to pick up Lily’s fresh eggs (we sell them at the shop as well). They are from free range, hormone and antibiotic free chickens.

I added local blueberries as we have an abundant supply in Carpinteria and the birthday boy loves blueberries! I whipped up this cake in under 20 minutes (minus bake time). You could add any type of berry or even dark chocolate chips.

This is the perfect boxed cake because it’s completely organic and is moist and delicious! I used European Gourmet Bakery Organics Vanilla Cake Mix. The hints of vanilla were aromatic and exactly what you want in a cake. All you need to add are eggs, butter and milk and you’re set! If you’d like to make a dairy free cake you could also use alternatives ie.. a flax “egg”, butter alternative and nut milk of your choice or oat milk. The frosting I used was Simple Mills Organic Vanilla Frosting which is an amazing product because it only has 8 grams of sugar per serving and uses eight simple ingredients. The consistancy was just right and easy to work with.

Each box makes one 9 inch cake but we used three smaller 5 inch pans and made them thinner by pouring less batter into each.

Saying he “liked” it would be an understatement! Once he had a few bites we pulled it in the kitchen and devoured the rest!

Lundberg Rice Cakes 5 Ways

How do you eat your rice cakes?! When I’m craving a light gluten-free snack, packed with vitamins and minerals I turn to Lundberg Farms Organic Brown Rice Cakes. I’ve experimented with different toppings from the shop, here are a few of my favorites! Plus, they’re all gluten free and vegan!

We are lucky enough to live in a beach town with an abundant supply of delicious avocados! At the shop, we buy ours from the Van Wingerden family. I personally like to add something fermented to balance the creaminess of the avocado. This time I used Beat Kraut Raw Sauerkraut. It’s a probiotic and 100% organic! I added a touch of Himalayan pink sea salt and a drizzle of quality olive oil.

This Kite Hill Everything Almond Milk Cream Cheese is my new obsession… it’s full of flavor with poppy seeds, garlic, sesame seeds, onion and almond milk. It’s dairy-free, soy-free, non-gmo, gluten-free and there’s no artificial preservatives. I want to schmear it on anything and everything! I picked up a farmers market cucumber at the shop and some fresh arugula. Before diving in I sprinkled some sprouted seeds on top for a boost of flavor, delish!

Roasted Garlic Baba Hummus is usually always in my fridge. I loaded up this rice cake with a few spoonfuls and topped it with local carrots from the shop that I quickly pickled. I made my pickling liquid out of apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, black peppercorns and mustard seeds and poured it over the carrots. We have nasturtiums flowering in the yard so I garnished for a pop of color. I love adding them to salads and even desserts!

If you have’t tried Gopal’s Sprouted Nut Butters you MUST! I used the Sprouted Almond Butter on this rice cake and it was delectable. It’s a little more pricy than other nut butters at the shop but it’s well worth it. They soak and germinate their organic raw almonds then dry them at very low temperatures. This keeps it super enzyme-rich, nutrient-dense and easily digestible. I added some sliced bananas, raw walnuts and a drizzle of local honey… just because.

Recipe by Alyssa Potter

Last, but not least we have the Coyo Dairy Free Yogurt with local stone fruit, strawberries and a dash of cinnamon. Simple but so light and refreshing and can be used for a breakfast treat! The Coyo Coconut yogurt is probably my favorite dairy free yogurt. It’s dairy free, gluten free, paleo, vegan and there’s no sugar added! It has that tart taste like yogurt but it’s light and airy and coconut-y and delicious.

Kale Salad with Mary's Organic Chicken and Sprouted Seed Salad Toppers

GoRaw has an amazing new product called Organic Sprouted Seed Salad Toppers which are bursting with flavor, have 2 grams of protein per serving and are perfect for topping salads and bowls! Here’s a simple but hearty weeknight meal using products we carry at the shop!

First, marinate Mary’s Organic chicken using fresh herbs, raw garlic, quality olive oil and citrus. Using an immersion blender, I combined half a bunch of cilantro, 2 scallions, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 jalapeño, 1/2 cup of orange juice and the zest from 1 orange, 1 lime and 1 lemon plus salt and pepper to taste.

In the meantime, shave some kale and massage with olive oil and a quick squeeze of citrus of your choice. Chop all veggies you’d like to add while the chicken cooks. I used carrot, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, local avocado, red leaf lettuce, scallion and the sprouted seed mix!

Marinate chicken in the fridge for minimum of 2 hours up to 24 hours, then throw on the grill or bake! I put it on my Traeger grill at 400 degrees for approximately 20 -30 minutes depending on the size of the breast.

Pull the chicken off the grill and slice and place on top of the salad, or serve along side. This dish is easy for making ahead of time for entertaining!

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 bunch kale

• 1 carrot

• 8 mini bell peppers

• 1 avocado

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 scallion

• 2 cups sugar snap peas

• 1 head red leaf lettuce

• GoRaw organic sprouted seed salad toppers

Dressing

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon agave

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 -2 teaspoons fresh oregano, basil or parsley (or a combination)

• 1 pinch chili flakes

• 3 tablespoons white balsamic

• 5 teaspoons olive oil

Chicken Marinade

• organic Mary’s Chicken breast

• 1/2 bunch cilantro

• 2 scallions

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 jalapeño

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• zest from 1 lemon, 1 orange and 1 lime

By Alyssa Potter

Maple Berry Chia Seed Crisp (Gluten Free, Vegan)

This simple, gluten free/vegan dessert is great for entertaining any time of the year and is adaptable to an array of seasonal berries or fruit of your choice.

The chia seeds soak up juices from the berries and add texture, fiber and antioxidants! The crunchy almond flour and oat topping adds a maple scented crunch and is best served warm with a scoop of your favorite dairy-free ice cream.

Ingredients

- 16 ounces strawberries
- 3 cups blackberries and blueberries
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons corn starch (or agar agar)
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Crumble

- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (or ghee)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Quarter the strawberries and wash all berries. Place in a bowl with the chia seeds, corn starch, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and mix together. Pour into a baking dish!

Now for the crumble, place all ingredients into a bowl and mix - I usually just use my hands to squeeze ingredients together so it’s a bit clumpy. Drop the crumble evenly over the top of the berry mixture. Put in the oven uncovered for about 40 minutes or until crisp and bubbly. Enjoy!

By Alyssa Potter

Strawberries are abundant here in Central California so I went down to our local farmers market and picked up a few baskets! I also had blackberries and blueberries at home that I incorporated. Growing up in the Pacific North West, our little island was overflowing with blackberries. When we were young, my mom would send us out to pick the juicy berries and we’d come home with overflowing buckets full and make cobblers together. These memories and flavors are so nostalgic for me so I love finding ways to re-create those family recipes with a healthy twist.

All of the ingredients used in this recipe can be found at Pacific Health Foods! To keep this treat gluten free, I used almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill has a great one that we carry at the shop) and gluten free oats. I added organic chia seeds to bind together the fruit filling and sweetened with Field Day Maple Syrup.

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Need an easy, healthy weeknight meal?! We love using Alanna’s Santa Barbara Soups pre-packaged mixes for dinner. This week I experimented with the Quinoa Enchilada Casserole and it was delicious! They are healthy, non-perishable, easy to prepare meals that you can eat completely on their own or add your own twist! They are vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free (unless you choose to add cheese and sour cream like I did). We love supporting our local friends, farmers and vendors!

First, I sautéed shiitake and cremini mushrooms in a little coconut oil, salt and splash of balsamic at the end.

Then I prepped the fresh veggies and garnishes. I chose cilantro, jalapeño, radish, baby bell pepper, scallion, sour cream, avocado, a lime wedge and mango salsa. You could also grill chicken, steak or shrimp to add protein!

Then I added the contents of the package (quinoa, sweet potato, beans, corn, and seasoning) to 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes.

I uncovered and stirred, then added some shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese and topped with shaved jalapeños. I baked it in the oven with 1/4 cup of water for about 15 minutes until the cheese was bubbly.

Serve the casserole with toppings of your choice!

By Alyssa Potter

Black Pearl Rice Salad with Spring Veggies, Herb Yogurt & Pixie Vinaigrette

A healthy, easy-to-prepare salad inspired by Santa Barbara Spring bounty! Serve with an optional yogurt sauce. Gluten-Free and Vegan adaptable. Approximately 4 servings

Our local farmers markets are full of gorgeous, crisp, colorful veggies! Here in Carpinteria, we are fortunate enough to have the wonderful Farm Cart, which is a heritage farm wagon full of organic produce from our local farms. It’s run by our dear friends, Jason and Katherine Lesh. Katherine’s family has been farming organically in Santa Barbara County since 1973, as Shepherd Farms. Now, they are raising their own children in the same way as they have their own small farm, where they raise chickens and use bio-dynamic farming practices. They also outsource fruits and vegetables making an abundant selection for the farm stand.

I love checking out what they have to offer weekly and am always inspired by the variety! This week I found some of my favorite Spring veggies and wanted to incorporate them into a salad that can be used as a beautiful side dish or even a main course! It can be served cold or ambient and is even delicious the next day.

This dish is very forgiving and welcomes any variety of veggies you have on hand! I chose radishes and sugar snap peas from Frecker Farms and asparagus from Ocean Mist Farm. I quickly blanched the snap peas and asparagus and kept the radishes raw since I like the crunch!

I wanted to make a sauce that allowed me to keep the presentation of the dish clean and bright so I decided to mix up a quick yogurt sauce (you could also use a dairy-free yogurt or hummus to make vegan). I minced fresh garlic, Italian parsley, fresh mint, and lemon zest and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours to infuse. I smeared this sauce on the bottom of the platter (or you could do each individual plate). In a bowl, toss the rice and veggies in the Pixie dressing and place on top of your sauce. I had Meyer lemons from a friend’s tree so I garnished with Meyer lemon zest and fresh mint!

The next day I had leftovers and added toasted almonds, shaved kale, and avocado for a hearty lunch. Delish!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked Lundberg black pearl rice (you could also use lentils or quinoa)

3 cups spring veggies of your choice

Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain greek yogurt (or substitute vegan yogurt or hummus)

2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon finely chopped Italian parsley

1-2 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Ojai Pixie Vinaigrette:

2 Ojai pixies - squeeze the juice (you could also use an orange or lemon)

1/2 minced shallot

1 clove minced garlic

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon local avocado blossom honey

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil (or avocado oil or grapeseed oil)

salt and pepper to taste

• mix all ingredients together and slowly whisk in the oil to incorporate

By Alyssa Potter

Chicken & Ranch Purple Potato Salad

Potato salads are my absolute favorite throw together lunch! We try to always have leftover meat of some kind on hand which makes it that much easier to throw last minute meals together.

The potatoes and scallions are sourced from the Farm Cart here in town. They offer a lot of great produce that we do not have the additional space for. Check them out if you have not already!

Ingredients

1 lb chopped & boiled (until fork tender) purple potatoes

2 cups shredded chicken

1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

1/4 cup Tessameas ranch dressing

1/2 tsp sweet paprika (I tend to add more depending on my mood)

1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Add all ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy! Yes, its that easy!

Paleo Sea Salt Brownies

This recipe was adapted from our dear friend Laurel over at http://blog.sweetlaurel.com , not only is she the sweetest person you will ever meet... she is an amazing paleo baker!

Ingredients

1 cup maple syrup

2 large eggs

1 lb freshly ground almond butter

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tablespoons date butter

2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup raw cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 pinches flaky sea salt for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with coconut spray, set aside.

In order shown, place all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until cocoa is fully incorporated.

Pour/scrape batter out of blender and into prepared dish, sprinkle with desired flaky sea salt.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Once baked, pull out of oven to completely cool before removing from pan to cut.

Grain Free Cut-out Cookies

This recipe comes from our dear friend Laurel over at http://blog.sweetlaurel.com , not only is she the sweetest person you will ever meet... she is an amazing paleo baker!

The only thing I changed is using ghee or butter instead of the coconut oil, as well as half vanilla extract and half vanilla bean paste.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups Bob's almond flour

1/4 cup pasture butter (melted)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tbsp Sweet Laurel grain free vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Put all ingredients into the food processor, pulse until the dough forms 1 large ball.

Line a cutting board with one piece of parchment, put dough on parchment and press down to form a thick disk. 

Place a second piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll out dough to desired thickness. I prefer 1/4 " for nice thick cookies.

Put the rolled out dough on the cutting board in the fridge to cool for an hour. Preheating oven 30 minutes in to 350.

Take dough out of fridge and cut into desired shapes and carefully transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan. 

Bake for 6-10 minutes (turning halfway) or until they begin to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on sheet pan.

Decorate with your favorite icing! 

Notes

When I formed a ball from the dough scraps after cutting, I made sure to work quickly so the dough didn't get too warm. I also put the rolled dough back into the fridge to cool while the first batch of cookies baked. 

I have found that these cookies store best in the freezer if you're making them ahead of time.