Italian 44 results

Mamma Mia! No Meat Balls alla Toscana

The best meatballs I ever tasted! You don't have to be vegan to love them. Everyone goes crazy for these flavorful plant-based morsels. With a taste and texture just like Italian meatballs, or "polpette", they taste fantastic with tomato sauce. If you're sensitive to Nightshades, try them with my No-Tomato Sauce. You'll never guess there's no meat. This recipe is Paleo, vegan, free of many common allergens: gluten, eggs, beans, soy, grains, cheese, and breadcrumbs. Ha ha! Even better, they've got that "Mamma Mia" Italian flavor, ...

Best Gluten-free Focaccia

Celebrate with my favorite authentic Italian Flat Bread, an easy comfort food everybody loves. This quick gluten-free, grain-free Paleo Pizza is so satisfying that it transports me to Tuscany. A great crust recipe for your favorite topping, this is delicious with onions, veggies, or even plain. I like to enjoy warm focaccia instead of bread as a quick snack or side dish. The subtle flavors of toasted onion and olive oil were a hit! No equipment needed. Makes a 12-inch focaccia. [amd-zlrec...

Sicilian Eggs with Spicy Vegan Cheese Sauce!

This high-protein, low-carb, one-skillet meal has a real Sicilian flavor when you use fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, and parsley. My vegan Spicy Cheese Sauce adds a tantalizing flavor that’s completely dairy-free. That’s because the rich, mellow flavor of this cheese is so compatible with Italian foods. You'll love this sauce and will want to pour it on everything! The sauce is made of coconut butter, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice, yet tastes almost exactly like aged cheese. It ...

Instant No-Tomato Red Sauce, Nightshade Free in 5-minutes!

In a panic running late, I needed a quick sauce for dinner. This miracle happened, and it's a winner! Blend the veggies, pour into a pan, heat, stir, and serve! Ha Ha! Looks and tastes like Italian tomato sauce, except it's pure blended veggies I already had on hand. Wow! Pour it on Zoodles, or Crispy Baked Coconut Chicken, or Meatloaf. It's nightshade free and deeeeelicious! I love my old-fashioned satisfying No-Tomato Sauce Recipe, however it requires time and patience. This one is ...

Best Dairy-free Parmesan Cheese

This is probably the best recipe I ever created. Since I LOVE Italian food, and I used to be allergic to cheese, I was HIGHLY MOTIVATED to recreate the flavor of Parmigiano Reggiano! This is basically coconut butter "cheese" with a ZING! Once you mix and chill it, you can use it just like parmesan cheese. Grate it, slice it, or cut into chunks. Instead of dairy,  the ingredients are coconut butter, lemon, nutritional yeast, and optional Vitamin C for a sharp, aged cheese flavor. BTW I ...

Paleo Caesar Salad – Mamma Mia!

I can't keep my finger out of this authentic Caesar dressing – it’s that yummy! Made it in less than 5 minutes! There’s something magical about 100% natural ingredients like olive oil, lemon and garlic that make Caesar dressing irresistible. But this Paleo dressing is also Vegan, free of anchovies, eggs and dairy! Yet, it tastes just like authentic Parmigiano Reggiano dressing. Ha Ha! Instead of cheese, it uses lemon, nutritional yeast and coconut butter. It's so delicious, you won't ...

Grain-Free Paleo Pizza Dough

Here's a quick and delicious gluten-fee, grain-free pizza crust. It has a slightly crispy texture with a rich flavor of garlic and herbs. It's a snap to make, as this pizza dough recipe has no yeast. This saves time, so you can mix it, press it in the pan, and use it! I prefer a no-yeast pizza crust because it's a lot quicker. You can make this pizza crust in either 12" or 16" size. Find the ingredient amounts for both sizes below. A round pizza pan or any flat tray will work fine - just make ...

Real-Food Paleo Pizza!

Watch out! There's a new Pizza in town. If you have a Pizza Passion like me, get ready. This Paleo Pizza is loaded with flavor and nutrition. It's a real meal. Most pizzas don't excite my senses - they're often tasteless GMO fake food, or overly salted with processed ingredients, acidic tomatoes, and don't satisfy my deep craving. However this pizza is luscious and alive with real-food flavor. A pizza crust should be delicious too! Here's a recipe for easy yeast-free 12" crust. Or take a ...

Easy Vegan Focaccia with Rosemary

This is a fantastic crispy flat bread with a savory topping that's great for vegans and anyone avoiding eggs. It's something like a Focaccia Pizza, topped with my delicious Vegan Parmesan Cheese that tastes just like "Parmigiano Reggiano". Chia seeds are a highly nutritious egg-substitute that creates a soft, pleasing texture in the bread. White chia seeds are available in most whole food groceries, and disappear in the the bread. Black chia seeds will make black spots, but it will taste just the same. ...

Zoodles in 1-minute flat

How to make zucchini noodles? Zoodles are a guilt-free, no-weight-gain solution to authentic Italian dishes like Pasta AlfredoWay better than rice, corn, quinoa, and other high-carb, processed noodles, nothing beats fresh vegetable spaghetti! Once you try zoodles you'll never go back! ...

Paleo Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Alive with flavor and life force, this pesto is an easy nutritional powerhouse you can enjoy in 2 minutes flat. It looks and tastes just like authentic Pesto Genovese, but it's dairy-free with pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts. For this vegan pesto, I used lemon juice and nutritional yeast to give a tangy parmesan taste. You'll need a food processor. Pumpkin seeds are a true superfood loaded with a wide variety of healthy nutrients from magnesium to copper, protein and zinc. ...

Low-Carb Cauliflower Risotto alla Milanese with Saffron

When I lived in Venice, Italy, I enjoyed risotto almost every day. Ha Ha! But sadly, it's loaded with carbs, and I gained a lot of weight. Traditional ingredients for Risotto alla Milanese are arborio rice, aged Parmiggiano Reggiano, and saffron. Oooh! I love saffron! I've resolved the carb problem with this Paleo-Vegan adapted recipe, so you won't gain weight like I did. It's super-low in carbs and even quicker to make. With Cauliflower Rice, you don't have to stand over a hot stove stirring ...

Zucchini Pasta Alfredo with Chicken

I love Italian food, especially when it’s pasta! But why eat high-carb spaghetti that’s nutritionally empty? Zoodles are SO easy to make on a mandoline slicer or vegetable spiralizer. Traditional Pasta Alfredo is made with heavy cream and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, a dairy load some people can’t tolerate. This delicious Paleo recipe uses nutritional yeast and lemon to give a cheese flavor that's dairy-free. It uses 1 can (1 ¾ cups) of thick full-fat coconut milk instead of cream. ...

Paleo Bone Broth

When you're feeling weak and tired, bone broth is the #1 best cure. Real broth tastes delicious and is easy to simmer for hours or overnight while you do other things. There’s nothing in the world like homemade soup made from tail bones. Ha Ha! Commercial broths are often made from unknown animal discards with sugar and MSG. Yuch! However, this bone broth is far more delicious, deeply satisfying, with an off-the-charts nutritional profile. Scroll down for complete instructions. I learned ...

Pumpkin Seed Basil Pesto, Vegan

Inspired by Italian Pesto alla Genovese, this easy pesto tastes just like the authentic original. A snap to make in a food processor or small blender, no one will ever guess it's Paleo, Vegan, free of common allergens like dairy, cheese, and GMO's. It tastes wonderful over Zoodles, salads, stir-fries, or as a dip with veggies. Basil is not only tasty, it is an anti-oxidant rich in vitamin K, flavonoids, and natural oils that protect from harmful bacteria. Pumpkin seeds are a true ...

Omega-3 Italian Fish Stew with Garlic and Saffron

This recipe is inspired by an amazing day on the Southern Adriatic coast. After teaching a Qigong workshop in Italy, I spent a few magical days in the charming beach town of Sirolo. Of course there's nothing to do but relax and eat fish! The sky and sea were calm and brilliant blue. We lounged under umbrellas all day, while the aroma of roasted garlic, olives, and the freshest fish beckoned us from the restaurant. ...

Zoodles with No-Tomato Sauce

I love Italian food, especially pasta with tomato sauce. However it's tough on my body, which prefers this amazing recipe with Zoodles and No-Tomato Sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce), and Vegan Parmesan Cheese. Why eat spaghetti that's high in carbs and nutritionally empty? I react to the acidity in tomatoes, a nightshade, like many other Caucasians. And nightshades are tough for some members of my family that have arthritis inflammation. If this isn't an issue, just use your favorite ...

Zoodles with Butter, Garlic & Herbs

This 5-minute meal that Italians call "Spaghetti con Burro e Salvia" or "Spaghetti with Butter and Sage" is a standard everyday favorite. My adapted recipe is even more delicious, and super-low in carbs, so it won't go to your waistline - Hooray! Zoodles are a favorite  5-minute veggie - much quicker than spaghetti, gluten-free, and grain-free. The easy herb sauce is just butter with your favorite fresh herbs. Sage is traditional in Venice, but feel free to use any herbs you like, such as basil, thyme, tarragon, or oregano. Grass-fed butter is packed with nutrients...

Grain-Free Almond Gnocchi with Wild Greens

One of the most beautiful, isolated retreats in the world lies in the Casentino mountains near Florence, Italy. The Sanctuary of La Verna was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1213. Their specialty is Gnocchi del Casentino made with wild forest greens. For centuries Franciscan monks gathered wild dandelion, chicory, curly endive and nettles to make these gnocchi. This recipe is adapted to be Gluten-free, Vegan and Paleo, using no cheese or flour. Instead it uses coconut, nutritional ...

Asparagus Gremolata

Wow! Want an easy and delicious way to eat asparagus! "Gremolata" sauce sounds fancy - but how simple is lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and parsley? No equipment required. I like asparagus steamed al-dente, so it's sublime flavor comes through. Asparagus is a rich source of glutathione, a detoxifier and antioxidant that helps break down free radicals. It powerfully prevents diabetes by helping to balance insulin levels. It is a natural diuretic, promoting kidney health. We wouldn't want to ...