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This soup was inspired by the Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup. Yes that’s right. You can make it vegan by pureeing 1 large cooked potato or rice and pureeing in a blender with vegetable stock. The thick rich creamy base is studded with carrots, celery and spinach.  Serves 4 3 tablespoons/45ml/43g butter, dairy or vegan 1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2-3 stalks of celery, diced 2 garlic cloves minced 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or if gluten free 2 tablespoons mixed with half and half or almond milk 2 cups half-and-half or double cream (leave the flour out if using cream) 1 3/4 cup/435ml chicken or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon/15ml fresh thyme (1 teaspoon/5ml dried) 1 large carrot shredded 1 large handful fresh spinach leaves chopped 1 cooked chicken breast, diced if using 1 pound/450g potato gnocchi  (see our recipe here) 1 teaspoon/5ml salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml ground black pepper In a large pot on medium high heat a

WHY YOUR GRANDPARENTS DIDN’T HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES…BUT YOU MAY  So why didn’t your grandparents have food allergies? It’s really quite s imple… 1) THEY ATE SEASONAL REAL FOOD. Food came from farms and small markets in the early 1900′s, and because food preservatives were not widely used yet, food was fresh. Because of the lack of processed food, their diets were nutrient dense allowing them to get the nutrition they needed from their food. For babies, breast milk was valued and it was always in season. 2) THEY DIDN’T DIET, AND PLAY RESTRICTIVE GAMES WITH THEIR BODY AND METABOLISM. THEY ATE FOOD WHEN FOOD WAS AVAILABLE. Our grandparents did not fall victim to fad diets, food marketing, calorie counting, and other detrimental dieting habits that are popular today (in part because the marketing infrastructure didn’t exist yet). Because of this they had a healthy metabolism, and ate according to their body’s needs and cravings. 3) THEY COOKED FOOD AT HOME, USING TR

Two 6-ounce/169g cans albacore tuna 1/4 cup/60ml finely diced red onion 1/4 cup /60mlextra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon/15ml balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon/15ml minced basil 1/2 teaspoon/2ml crushed red pepper Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 ciabatta rolls, split Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, for spreading Eight 1/4 inch/6.35ml thick slices of Swiss or cheddar cheese (6 ounces/169g) Sixteen 1/8 inch/3.2ml thick lengthwise slices of kosher dill pickle 2 tablespoons/30ml/30g unsalted butter, softened In a medium bowl, mix the tuna with the onion, olive oil, vinegar, basil and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a panini press or griddle or large saute pan. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with mustard and mayonnaise and top each roll half with a slice of cheese. Spread the tuna salad on the bottoms and cover with the pickles. Close the sandwiches and spread the outsides of the rolls with the butter. Add the sandwiches to the press and cook over mode

Ingredients 8 ounces/227g whipped cream cheese 1 cup/130g powdered sugar 2-3 Tablespoons/30-45ml graham cracker crumbs 16 medium-large strawberries Directions In a food processor, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Put the combined cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture in a bowl. Put the graham cracker crumbs into another bowl. Dip the wider end of a towel dried strawberry in the cream cheese mixture, then roll it around in the graham cracker crumbs. *If the berries are excessively juicy, you can opt to scoop a small amount of the cream cheese filling and mold it around the base of the berry then dredge in the crumbs. personal chefs and event catering Palm Beach + West Palm Beach + Boca Raton + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232) www.yadachef.com south florida catering and personal chefs

This “sweet breads” have no preservatives in them.  They get dry quickly. My best friend, Bryan doesn’t even want to touch them until they begin getting dry and crumbly. makes 16 1 tablespoon/15 ml active dry yeast 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon/90g sugar 2 tablespoons/30ml vegetable shortening 1 teaspoon/5ml salt 1/2 cup/125ml lukewarm water 3 1/2 cups/348g flour 4 eggs, beaten and at room temperature Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar and yeast into lukewarm water. Let it rest for about 5 minutes until it begins to bubble (proof). In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar together. Add one egg at a time to fully incorporate, then the salt, and the bloomed yeast water. Add flour in, 1 cup at a time stirring until completely mixed. Cover with cling film and dish/tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes or double in size. Divide dough into 16 pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet with plenty of space between each do

What difference could an extra hour of sleep make in your life? Maybe quite a lot, experts say. Studies show that the gap between getting just enough sleep and getting too little sleep may affect your health, your mood, your weight, and even your sex life. If you're getting less than the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep a night, he re are nine reasons that you should shut down your computer, turn off the lights, and go to bed an hour early tonight. 1. Better health. Getting a good night's sleep won't grant you immunity from disease. But study after study has found a link between insufficient sleep and some serious health problems, such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity. In most cases, the health risks from sleep loss only become serious after years. That might not always be true, however. One study simulated the effects of the disturbed sleep patterns of shift workers on 10 young healthy adults. After a mere four days, three of them had bloo

Lentils are just full of protein and are one of the oldest domesticated crops. Lentils come in a wide variety of colours, the most common are red, green and brown. Serve this soup hot or cold and feel free to drizzle a bit more olive oil on just before serving, Serves 4 1 cup/225g lentils 2 1/2 cups/625ml water 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 pound/225g zucchini cubed 1/2 pound/225g leeks cleaned and sliced 1 stalk celery, sliced 2 tablespoons/30ml olive oil 1 onion diced 2 cloves garlic crushed 2 tablespoon/30ml chopped parsley 1/2 teaspoon/2ml black pepper Juice of 2 lemons Simmer potatoes, zucchini, leeks, and celery in large saucepan with water for 15 minutes. Add lentils , cook for 10 minutes longer or until most of the liquid is evaporated. While the stew is cooking, heat a pan with olive oil on medium heat. Cook the onions for 7- 10 minutes to golden brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add o

Why not make some healthy homemade energy bars? These delicious bars are filled with wonderful healthy ingredi ents including apricots, cashews, hemp seed, unsweetened coconut, and oats; a great snack to send the kids to school with or take to work. Most packaged granola bars or snack bars are stuffed with artificial flavors, colors, added sugars, so these are a great alternative, and super easy to make! Apricot & Cashew Energy Bars Serves: 8 Ingredients 1 cup/190g dried Turkish apricots ½ cup/70g raw cashews ¾ cup/72g shredded unsweetened coconut ⅓ cup/45g rolled oats 2 tablespoons/30ml agave syrup 1 tablespoons/15ml coconut oil, melted 2 tablespoons/30ml hemp seeds ¼ teaspoon/2ml sea salt Instructions 1. Line and 8 inch/20cm baking pan with parchment paper or saran wrap, and set aside. 2. Pulse cashews in food processor until crumbly, place in a separate bowl. 3. Pulse apricots in food processor until finely chopped. Add all other ingredients to the aprico

Today is Whiskey Sour day. Enough said! The Whiskey Sour is one classic cocktail that won’t make you sour. INGREDIENTS  IN THE WHISKEY SOUR COCKTAIL .75 oz Fresh lemon juice .75 oz Simple syrup (one part water, one part sugar) 1.5 oz Bourbon Garnish: Cherry and/or lemon wedge (optional) Glass: Rocks HOW TO MAKE THE WHISKEY SOUR COCKTAIL Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a cherry and/or lemon wedge if desired. personal chefs and event catering Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232) www.yadachef.com fort lauderdale catering and personal chefs

Serves 4 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each 1 tablespoon/15ml good olive oil Tapenade 3/4-cup/135g mix of pitted olives, black oil-cured olives, Kalamata olives, and green olives 1 small garlic clove, peeled and sliced 2 dried apricot halves, cut into small pieces 1 1/2 tablespoons/22ml drained capers 2 tablespoons/30ml extra virgin olive oil Mushroom Sauce: 4 tablespoon/60g unsalted butter 8 ounces/225g Baby Bella mushrooms, washed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 small onion,  chopped 1/2 teaspoon/2ml salt, plus extra to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to taste 1/2 cup/125ml dry white wine 2 tablespoons/30ml chopped fresh chives or par Put all the tapenade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to make a coarse puree. Cut a horizontal slit in each chicken breast to create a pocket, and stuff with the tapenade. Set aside until serving time. When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the