Blissful Bites (9 page)

These are great for breakfast potatoes or as a side dish for any meal. I love sweet potatoes so much it made sense to use them in addition to yellow potatoes. Be sure to cut the potatoes about the same size so they cook evenly.

1 medium sweet potato, small cubes

2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, small cubes

1 green bell pepper, cubed

Dash oil

Pinch sea salt

Dash nutritional yeast

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teaspoon each of 2 to 3 spices of your choice: cumin, oregano, basil, paprika, coriander, rosemary, chili powder, black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together all ingredients in a medium bowl, until the veggies are well covered with oil. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake until tender, tossing occasionally, about 45 minutes.

how to cut a bell pepper:

First slice off the bottom tip of the pepper. Face that side up and gently move your knife down each side along the seed pit. Then you can discard the pit and the little seeds aren't everywhere.

• Makes 4 to 5 servings

You could buy store-bought Fakin' Bacon or you can make a healthier version at home. This “bacon,” made with tempeh, is the perfect brunch side dish and is delicious sprinkled on top of salads.

1 package (8 ounces) tempeh

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cup tamari

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

Dash black pepper

Slice tempeh in half lengthwise, then in thin slices lengthwise. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a glass dish large enough to fit slices of tempeh in one single layer. Coat tempeh and marinate for one hour, turning once.

Drain most of the marinade from the tempeh and save, leaving a little at the bottom of the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 375 degrees F, turning once halfway through. If it looks dry at the halfway point, add a touch of the marinade to the pan.
 

blissful tip: organic is the only way to go

The pesticides and chemicals used on food products today are not meant to be in our body. Not only do these unnatural chemicals strip nutrients from our food, harm the environment, and lead to soil depletion, but they also have been linked to cancer and Parkinson's, along with many other degenerative diseases, as well as autism. To avoid digesting these harmful substances, try to buy organic. If you are buying at a farmers market, you will see banners with a certified organic seal of approval. You can also talk with the farmers to see who is not spraying their produce but aren't yet certified. Certification is a lengthy and expensive process that many farmers aren't willing to bother with, but that doesn't mean you can't find delicious, pesticide-free produce from a nonorganic certified farmer. If you don't have a local farmers market, find the nearest natural food store, co-op, or Whole Foods Market in your area. If there are no natural food stores near you, ask your local grocery to carry organic produce. As the demand increases, the store will carry more organic items. Big retailers such as Target and Walmart and grocery stores such as Albertsons have added organic product lines in their stores. The way you can tell if a produce item is organic is to look at the label:
An organic produce label will have a five-digit number starting with 9, like 94013. Nonorganic produce has a four-digit number starting with a 4.

The most heavily sprayed vegetable crops are celery; dark leafy greens such as kale, collards, and spinach; peppers; lettuce; potatoes; carrots; and zucchini; and fruits such as apples, berries, grapes, pears, cherries, nectarines, and peaches. These are called “The Dirty Dozen.” If you can't buy
all
organic produce, be sure to avoid buying at least these items conventionally. Buy a veggie wash to clean them and any other conventionally grown produce to help reduce the amount of pesticides you consume.

gluten-free savory biscuits with apricot-blueberry fruit compote

• Makes about 5 biscuits

People with a gluten intolerance shouldn't have to go without country-style biscuits! These are delicious and low in fat. Serve with
apricot-blueberry fruit compote
(recipe follows) or
mushroom gravy
(page 150) for a savory treat.

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour, plus more for rolling

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cup brown rice flour

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teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

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teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar

1 tablespoon flax seed meal

1 tablespoon arrowroot

2 tablespoons coconut oil

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cup unsweetened rice milk, mixed with 1
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teaspoon dry yeast

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

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cup unsweetened applesauce

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Mix coconut oil into dry mix using a fork or your hands until the flour is crumbly and well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rice milk and yeast and allow to sit for five minutes until it bubbles. Stir in vinegar and applesauce. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together until well combined.

Turn out onto a floured cutting board and make sure the dough stays together in a nice ball. Add more flour as needed if the dough is sticky.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1
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-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 12 minutes. Serve hot.

• Makes about 1
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cups

Compote is a very Southern thing. My friends in L.A. would always make fun of me when I said it, because I would drag the word out: “compoooot.” This makes a great topping for pancakes, scones, biscuits, toast, and grains—whether you say it with a Southern accent or not.

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

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cup dried blueberries

1 cup filtered water

1 orange, zested and juiced

Pinch sea salt

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer with lid on until the fruit gets thick and is no longer watery, about 25 minutes. Check and stir frequently so the fruit doesn't stick. Remove lid toward the end of cooking to cook off any excess water. Remove from heat and serve.

• Makes 8 scones