March 9, 2025

Sweet Potato and Jackfruit Delight

This exotic dessert is a beloved treat across Asia! Featuring jackfruit—one of the world’s largest and most antioxidant-rich tree fruits—it delivers a mild and tropical taste . You can discover this golden fresh fruit in specialty markets or conveniently canned at Asian grocers. Be sure to pick ripe jackfruit, glowing in a vibrant yellow. Combined with creamy coconut milk, known for its skin-hydrating and elasticity-boosting powers, and nutrient-packed sweet potatoes loaded with carotenoids and potassium, this dessert is as nourishing as it is delicious! SERVES 6-8 Ingredients ¼ cup tapioca 2 cups water 1 can (8 oz.) jackfruit, drained of […]
March 5, 2025

Antioxidant-Rich Kale-Cashew Pesto: Boost Flavor & Immunity

Kale-Cashew Pesto Cashews are a sweet nut that helps to balance the sharpness of kale. I use Tuscan kale, which is mild and tender. It’s also called lactinato kale, black kale, or cavolo nero. This pesto is wonderful tossed with pasta, quinoa, roasted potatoes, or even spread on sandwiches. This recipe is from The Age Beautifully Cookbook, and it’s loaded with antioxidants, which prevent and repair oxidative damage to cells caused by free radicals. Cashews themselves contribute to this antioxidant power, as they are rich in vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps protect cells from oxidative stress while supporting […]
February 18, 2025

Velvety Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Chocolatey, rich mousse is a perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day or any time of the year, really. Heart-healthy compounds abound in cocoa, so a lightened-up, vegan version of this classic recipe will benefit you and the ones you share it with. Many mousse recipes use chocolate chips for flavor, but this one features pure baking cocoa for an antioxidant punch and tangy bitterness to balance the sweetness of the syrup. Using vanilla almond or soy milk as well as vanilla extract offers depth in flavor aside from pure chocolate. Be sure to garnish with fresh strawberries or cherries for texture, […]
February 4, 2025

Baobab Butter Squares

These squares are like lemon bars but made with antioxidant-rich baobab. Baobab is an African fruit that has a powdery texture. You can buy it from Amazon or you can use fresh lemon juice (3 Tbs.) or lemon zest (1 Tbs.) instead of the baobab powder. Feel free to substitute gluten-free flour for the wheat-based flour. BENEFITS: Baobab is a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that appears to guard against heart disease and stroke and also protects the skin from the aging effects of ultraviolet rays. It contains fiber, which helps with detoxification and gut health. Yields 12 […]
November 5, 2024

Prune and Walnut Bars Are an Age-Defying Dessert

Prune and Walnut Bars Prunes and walnuts are both exceedingly high in antioxidant power. Both are listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale with over 10,000 units. Eating a ¼-cup serving of prunes, or about four prunes, provide you with 12% of the daily value for fiber, 32% of the daily value for vitamin K and 9% of the daily value for potassium. A hundred grams of prunes (about ½ cup) provides at least 9% of your daily needs for the B vitamins, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin B-6.  Walnuts have heart-healthy omega-3 […]
August 27, 2024

Quinoa with Tasty Early Summer Herbs

People often don’t use enough herbs with their grains. In the quantity here, herbs work like another vegetable, both for taste and nutrients. Tangy sorrel is a wonderful summer herb, with good-sized leaves similar to spinach. If you can’t find it, substitute the zest of one lemon, stirred in at the end. Ingredients: 1/2 pound baby carrots with tops 1 1/4 cups quinoa 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 pound sweet green onions, chopped into 1/2-inch sections, including green tops 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 1/2 ounces fresh sorrel leaves, cut crosswise into ribbons (about 2 cups) 1 ounce fresh basil […]
June 17, 2024

Give Your Day a Lift With Mangosteens

When mangosteens are in season, from May to September, I can’t wait to get my hands on some to eat fresh and in my delicious chutney. I know that these exotic treats, sometimes called purple mangosteen, will soon be gone. These beautiful little fruits are about the size of a baseball. Dark purple in color, they have a tough outer shell. The top is crowned with small green leaves and the bottom is stamped with a flowerlike shape. They almost look manufactured, but this is how God makes them. You have to carefully cut a line around the tough outer pericarp—the […]
June 17, 2024

It’s a Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Mousse 

Dark Chocolate Mousse It’s hard to imagine, but this vegan version of chocolate mousse offers the same satisfaction as its richer, less healthy sibling. Contributed by my colleague Dr. Lynn Blair, it has all of the same creaminess, the satiny, melt-in-your-mouth pleasure, and the full, no-holds-barred taste you expect from a dense and rich chocolate mousse. And if that’s not enough, just add plenty of great health benefits. Soy contains isoflavones, which help preserve bone density, lower your risk of certain cancers, and may alleviate menopausal symptoms. Dark chocolate has catechins, which are neuroprotective, and theobromine, which improves blood flow […]
April 9, 2024

Brazil Nut Tarts Are Detoxing and Delicious

Brazil Nut Tarts These tarts, with their hint of lime and rich texture, take Brazil nuts to a new level. Brazil nuts are full of detoxifying selenium and protein, as well as hearty-healthy omega-3s, which help to keep your skin elastic and hydrated and help to reduce swelling and redness. I like to make several small tarts from this recipe, but you can make large tarts if you prefer. SERVES 4-8 Ingredients 2 (9-in.) whole-wheat pie crusts 1 can (12 oz.) fat-free evaporated milk 2 Tbs. tapioca flour diluted in 4 Tbsp. water 2 beaten large eggs 2 Tbs. coconut […]