My vision for this cookbook is to dish about my favorite healthy ingredients and cooking methods for recipes that resemble meals you may already be familiar with…and some that are brand new! This book is intended for anyone who wants to eat nutritious whole-foods without giving up taste or variety. Some of the ingredients used here may be completely new to you, so I have included descriptions, pictures and suggestions of where to purchase them…just to get you started. We all know that cutting back on animal products and processed foods is one way to a healthier lifestyle and planet, so I provide many choices to keep your hungry family happy and healthy. From breakfast to dessert and all the important stuff in between, I offer you Trish’s Dishes—from my kitchen to yours.

I became a vegetarian at the age of 16 for health reasons; I had been diagnosed with arthritis and, after many failed medical treatments, I looked to natural healing techniques. One was to change my diet. I was told very simply to “cut out all refined white sugar, all white flour, and all red meat.” From that I needed to create a new diet; a whole new lifestyle of eating to support my health. With the aid of my mom I created a diet that helped me heal myself of the arthritis. When I started a family, and it grew into supporting the health of my children as well as my own, I needed to create kid-friendly meals that encouraged healthy growth. Subsequently, many friends started asking for advice on what to eat to improve their health as well. Eventually I went back to college to get a degree in Holistic Nutrition. Today I have a career as a holistic health educator and encourage people to create a lifestyle centered on healthy eating habits. It is not just filling your diet with whole, natural foods; it is important to incorporate ingredients that you are comfortable with and can fit easily into your active schedule. I have compiled this collection of recipes to help others on their path to healthier eating. Although difficult at times, change can be accomplished when taken at your own pace. I have done a lot of experimenting over the years, and to this day I am still consciously looking for new foods to share with my family and friends.

In this collection, I have taken many traditional recipes that I grew up with and transformed them to fit into my style of eating. I also love to look through cookbooks out of a desire for variety in my family’s diet, and then play around with recipes to create something totally different. My advice: First look at the recipe—if you do not have all the ingredients, see what you could use as a substitute. If you do not like an ingredient, what could you use to replace it with that you do like? I invite everyone to play with the recipes and have fun. If you do not know what an ingredient is, please check out the “What is that anyway?” section. I provide an explanation for most of the uncommon ingredients in this book and where you can purchase them. When given the choice, try to buy organic and local. It is getting easier to find organic foods in almost all stores; and is healthier for you and the earth. When buying local you not only support your local economy, but our bodies benefit more from foods grown in the same region as where we live.


Apple-Pear-Peach Crisp


This recipe is wonderful on a cold morning…the scent starts to warm you before it is even done baking. I like to make two of these at a time and put one in the freezer for a quick breakfast on a lazy day. When the fruit is not in season, I use apples and pears that I froze during the picking season and a can of peaches packed in pear juice.
2 apples
2 pears
2 peaches
½ cup apple juice
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup honey
2 tsp. cinnamon

Peal and slice all fruit, place into a greased baking dish with the apple juice. Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour the oat mixture over top of the fruit. Bake at 350°covered for 45 minutes, uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp. Serve warm-as it is or with a dab of Honey Icing.


Diva Potatoes

When you need an extraordinary potato dish this is the one. These potatoes will be loved by young and old.
4 cooked bake potatoes
2 hard-boiled eggs, pealed
½ to 1 cup of Mayonnaise (you will find this recipe in the “Extras” section)
1 Tbs. brown mustard
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Dash of sea salt
2 tsp. dill seed
Paprika

When the potatoes are cooled cut in half length wise. Scoop out the centers leaving a ¼ inch of potato in the skin. Place potato shins on a baking sheet. Mash the scooped out potato and hard boiled eggs together. When smooth, add the mayonnaise, mustard, parmesan cheese, salt, dill seed, and mix well. Evenly fill the potato skins with the mixture and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot.