Toothsome lentils, crunchy spicy paper-thin radishes, sweet fresh mint, and creamy avocado—tumble them all together in a bold citrusy dressing for this lentil, avocado, and radish salad. With a sprinkle of salty tamari pumpkin seeds on top—oh boy—we have ourselves one brightly flavored nutrient-dense salad!

Click here to PIN this Lentil, Avocado, and Radish Salad! Continue Reading…

Stir them ‘til they’re toasted, and then sizzle tamari soy sauce into the hot pan. That’s it, done. Let’s make a batch of easy pan-roasted tamari almonds and watch the game while we munch on this delicious crunch. Now, please remind me who’s playing.

Tamari almonds are about the healthiest most satisfying snack you can eat, particularly when you’re craving something salty. Almonds are rich in healthy fats and they’re a good source of protein and fiber, not to mention magnesium and vitamin E.

Pan-roasted tamari almonds are better because they’re homemade. The nuts are fresher, and, when roasted at home, tamari almonds are a far sight cheaper than the ones you buy from bulk bins. And you know exactly how they’re made.

We begin with a simple aromatic barley broth. On top go ruby radicchio ribbons and a magic relish–of salty preserved lemon, dried ancho chile and garlic. Next, dollop tangy cream, and a final sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Stirred in, all those goodies turn the previously unassuming broth into elegant slurpable soup–Chicory Soup with Barley and Lemon.

This soup is adapted from a recipe in Heidi Swanson’s cookbook, Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel.

The preserved lemon and chile relish in the Chicory Soup drew me to this particular recipe–I happened to have a jar of preserved-in-salt lemons waiting in the corner of my fridge. Heidi calls for the Moroccan lemons in her Grated Cucumber Salad, and for her Dried Fruit Salad—so if you purchase your preserved lemons you’ll find more ways to feature their distinctive flavor. Continue Reading…