Fennel and kale avgolemono soup

For this classic Greek lemon and egg soup, you slowly heat an emulsion of eggs, lemon juice, and broth for a quick, comforting bowl that packs a sweet and sour punch.

Take me to the recipe!

So guys, I’m trying to lose weight. I hate admitting that because it feels like a betrayal of my hard work to unlearn diet culture over this past year. BUT! Thanks to all of that work, I think I can lose a few pounds while maintaining a healthy relationship with food and my body. Because I love food and it’s not realistic for me to give any of it up. And, while I’m still working at loving my body, I appreciate all that it’s done for me and don’t feel like it has to match an unrealistic thin, white ideal.

But the fact is, I weigh more than I’d like to. Baby weight plus quarantine weight plus holiday weight has added up. I started reigning in my eating a few months ago, which helped my mental health. Somehow feasting on unlimited amounts of Nutella to deal with postpartum and covid anxiety wasn’t working. GO FIGURE. But I focused primarily on what I was eating, rather than on how much I was eating.

Now I need to face the statistics that having had Gestation Diabetes during my second pregnancy makes it more likely that I’ll develop Type II Diabetes if I don’t maintain a healthy weight. And, one of my chief physical complaints is back pain and when I’m holding onto extra weight, there’s more stress on my spine. I want to be able to play with and pick up my kids and I can’t do that if my back is out!

Enter, soup! I love soup in the winter anyway for its coziness, but it’s the perfect vehicle for veggies and healthy fats. It’s also filling and EASY.

This version of Avgolemono in particular is one of my favorites. It’s creamy without any dairy and a well-rounded meal with the orzo and veggies. It’s also infinitely adaptable based on your diet and preferences. Doing Whole 30? Leave out the orzo and add shredded chicken. Gluten free? Swap the orzo for rice. Vegetarian? Use veggie stock instead of chicken stock. Want more protein? Add beans or quinoa. Want it zingier? Add more lemon! Want it creamier? Add another egg! The variations are endless.

The only rule with Avgolemono is this: Don’t let the eggs come to a boil! You’ll end up with scrambled egg bits in your broth and nobody wants that.

Fennel and kale avgolemono soup 

Time: about 30 minutes, mostly active
Yield: about 6 cups

6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt + more to taste (I’ve added another 1/2 tsp at the end in some batches)
1/8th tsp of black pepper 
1 bay leaf
1 large garlic clove (or 2 medium/small), peeled and lightly smashed
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
3 eggs
¼ cup lemon juice (the juice of 1 large lemon) + more to taste
2 cups lacinto kale (1 small bunch) 
1 small fennel bulb, sliced paper thin

Combine the stock, salt, black pepper, bay leaf and garlic in a pot and bring to a boil. Scoop out 1 cup of the hot stock and set aside to cool. 

Scoop out the garlic clove and add it to a blender. Set aside. 

Add the orzo and cook according to package directions, minus one minute. 

While the orzo is cooking, chop the kale and slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Set aside. 

Add the eggs and the lemon juice to the blender with the cooled garlic. Set aside.

Once the orzo is done, turn the heat down all the way and let the broth just barely simmer. Add the kale and the fennel and stir.

Check the cooling cup of broth. It should be warm, but not hot. If you can comfortably leave your finger in the broth, it’s ready. If the broth is still too hot to touch, add an ice cube and check again in one minute after the ice has melted.

Whizz the garlic, eggs, and lemon juice in the blender until just combined and slightly frothy. Add the warm broth in a stream or in 4 batches if your blender doesn’t open while running. 

Add the egg, lemon, garlic, and stock emulsion to the simmering broth and cook, stirring, for about 5 more minutes. Don’t let the soup boil!

Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and lemon as needed.

Almond and coconut baked doughnuts

A healthier baked doughnut that features whole grains, lower sugar, and my favorite flavor combination: Almond and coconut. YES, PLEASE.

Take me to the recipe!

I have bad news and good news: I was diagnosed last week with gestational diabetes. Luckily, I’m in my third trimester and don’t have much longer to go, so what’s a few weeks of monitoring my blood sugar and trying to eat really healthy foods?

I did eat half of one of these doughnuts and it didn’t send my blood sugar soaring (thanks whole grains, coconut sugar, and healthy fats!), so that was another piece of good news. Obviously, if you have diabetes of any kind, you know what works best for your body or are working with your doctor to figure that out, so not everyone will be able to say the same. But I was glad to know that at lease some treats aren’t off the table.

What has made this so hard isn’t the dietary restrictions or even the blood sugar monitoring.

What’s hardest is the added layer of scrutiny over my body when pregnancy already casts a harsh, glaring spotlight. Every routine thing you eat, drink, use on your skin, or take for a headache feels so consequential. And anyone who’s had disordered eating in the past can tell you that it takes a lot of work to STOP feeling like these minor choices are so meaningful.

Ugh. It just feel like I’ve lost myself a little more with this diagnosis. I resigned myself 8 months ago to making all of the changes you have to make when pregnant for the greater, temporary good and I wish it didn’t feel like ever day meant cutting out one more thing that brings me joy.

And now i’ll stop complaining. There are real problems in the world.

But! Lack of a delicious, healthier doughnut option doesn’t have to be one of them!

A couple of notes:

• We’re aiming for a batter that is thicker than pancake batter, but thinner than cookie dough. Depending on how much liquid you get from your banana and egg, you may want to add more flour. Start with an extra Tbsp and keep adding until you’re happy with the density.

• These doughnuts are okay without the topping, but the extra sugar, almonds, and  coconut really take them to a new place. I really don’t recommend skipping them.  

• The brown sugar and coconut oil topping makes a pretty dense mixture and a lot of the topping will fall off. BUT, it’s delicious. If you’d like something a bit smoother and more glaze-like, you can swap in 6 Tbsp powdered sugar, enough water to make a thin glaze (start with ½ tsp and add slowly), and a few drops of almond extract.

Almond coconut doughnuts

Yield: 10-12 doughnuts
Time: about 35 minutes, mostly active

 ½ large, very ripe banana, thoroughly smooshed
½ cup milk (any type will do!)
3 Tbsp full-fat yogurt (Greek or otherwise)
1 large egg
¾ cup coconut sugar
½ tsp almond extract
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1¼ + 1/4 (if needed) cups Whole Wheat pastry flour (regular whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour work too, but the texture is slightly denser)
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut 
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom

Topping:
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp brown sugar
½ cup toasted coconut slivers
½ cup toasted almond slivers
½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease your doughnuts pans with coconut or other neural oil and set aside

In a large bowl, smush the banana as much as possible. Add the rest of the wet ingredients except the coconut oil and whisk together.

Add 1¼ cups flour, baking powder, salt, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and cardamom. Mix well.

Add the coconut oil and mix well. If the mixture is too runny (if it looks like pancake batter), add the remaining ¼ cup of flour 1 Tbsp at a time and mix again.

Fill each doughnut tin about 2/3 full. 

Cook both pans (if using 2 doughnut pans) in the same oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the doughnuts just spring back when poked lightly with a finger. Rotate and pans after 5 minutes to ensure even baking.

Let cool.

In a separate small bowl, combine the coconut oil (that should still be rather liquid) with the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix. If the mixture seems too liquid and not spreadable, chill it in the refrigerator until slightly more set.

On a baking sheet, combine the coconut flakes and the sliced almonds and let brown in the cooling oven, abut 6 minutes or until you begin to smell the nuts.

Spread a small amount of the sugar and coconut oil mixture on each doughnut and sprinkle the toasted nuts and coconut over the top, pressing lightly to get them to stick.

Warm farro, chard, and pancetta salad

Winterize your salads with whole grains, quickly cooked greens, some pancetta, and a shower of cheese. You might even get your littles on board with this salty, crunchy, filling salad.

Take me to the recipe!

So! Winter is here. However you feel about that, one thing is for certain: It’s comfort food season. I mean, cold temperatures and hearty fare go together like tomato soup and grilled cheese, boeuf and bourguignon, chocolate and marshmallows…you get the idea.

Buuut, I definitely suffer from the winter blues and hiding under a weighted blanket of Gruyere doesn’t help.

This warm salad is somehow a happy medium between a green salad (there’s still plenty of green!) and a soup/stew/comfort dish (there’s pancetta and cheese! It’s warm!). There’s a lot of goodness in there but you don’t feel deprived after eating it.

I can even get my little to eat some of this along side something else. Miracle!

PS- my favorite way to eat this salad is with a runny egg on top. Talk about comfort.

Chard, pancetta, and farro salad 

Time: 35 minutes (20 active)
Yield: about 6 side servings

1 cup uncooked farro 
3 cups water 
8 oz pancetta, diced small (I use the pre-diced stuff, which doesn’t render as much fat, but is a big time-saver)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil, as needed 
1 large onion or 4 large shallots, thinly sliced 
2 small bunches chard, rinsed, dried, and roughly chopped (about 6-8 cups) 
5 large cloves garlic 
2 large pinches salt 
2 tsp balsamic vinegar 
1/2 - 1 cup crumbled ricotta salata, cotija, feta or other crumbly, salty cheese 

Rinse the farro and add to a medium pot with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the farro is tender, but still chewy. Drain any remaining water.

Heat a separate pan (I love cast iron for this dish, but use whatever you have) over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until hot. Turn the heat down to medium/medium-low (if the pancetta fat is popping, turn the heat down more and gradually raise it) and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is browned, smells gamey, and has rendered some fat, about 5 minutes.

If needed, add some olive oil to the pan. Add the sliced onions or shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions or shallots have wilted and become translucent, about 3 minutes. If the onions seem like they’re cooking too fast, adjust the flame to medium low.

Add the chard and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until the chard is wilted, about 3-5 minutes.

Test for seasoning and add salt as needed.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and stir several times. The residual heat of the pan should cook off some of the vinegar.

Drain any water from the cooked farro and add to the pan. Stir and test for seasoning.

Top with crumbled cheese and serve.