About

Hello! This site is a collection of my go-to recipes. All are gluten-free and most of them are dairy- and egg-free as well. Many are vegan. When I cook, my goal is to make high-fiber meals that are clean, digestible and nutrient-dense. 

I spend a lot of time thinking about how to source and cook food to be good for our bodies and also light on the planet. When I think of physical health, I think first and foremost about gut health. A healthy microbiome has been linked to a significant reduction in GI conditions, anxiety, depression, auto-immune disease and cancer. And more and more research is showing that gut health is the foundation for the whole body. I love that what’s best for our microbiome - a diet high in plant fiber (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes & whole grains) and low in animal products - is the exact same diet that’s good for the planet.

I do my best to make my meals approachable for the whole family, though I’d be lying if I said both my kids happily eat every single fiber-filled thing that I make. If you have a picky eater on your hands, don’t give up (at least that’s what I keep telling myself :) ). 

But I will say this: I’ve been very determined to get my kids to eat healthy foods and I continually challenge them with meals that involve things like kale salad, lentil stew, and quinoa. It takes a bit of work. Of course my children have been exposed to the vast majority of foods and menus that are marketed to kids and of course they like most of those foods. But they like our home food too. Both my kids will now eat a serving of this kale and cabbage salad with this vinaigrette without any arguing or complaining. They really like quinoa patties, chia pudding, curried cabbage soup, and turkey quinoa meatballs. When my kids were really little, I used to have delusions that they will love and crave only my food and that they will shun all of the less healthful options out there. Not true! They will happily destroy Doritos, cheese fries and Sour Patch Kids. But the fact that they will eat most of what I serve is success as far as I’m concerned. And the biggest wins we’ve had are the moments where my children realize for themselves that the healthier and more nutritious options are making them feel better, once again proving the notion that learnings are more powerful when we figure things out for ourselves.

This blog is gluten-free because I’m someone who can’t eat gluten and I’ve had to go through years of intestinal healing as a result of it. If including gluten in your diet is working for you, then great! I wish I could say the same. I’m not someone who thinks that wheat is inherently evil or anything like that. If you make a posted recipe using wheat flour, please leave a comment to let others know how it worked.

I live in the Seattle area with my husband Mark, our two children - Daniel and Hannah (aka Hammie), and our energetic Shepherd / Husky named Conan. I’m also a health coach and I love working with clients to develop lasting healthy habits. If you’re interested in working with me in that capacity, my coaching website can be found here.

Thank you for taking the time to read my site. I love sharing my recipes and adaptations, and am immensely happy when something I make inspires somebody else. Please comment with any thoughts or questions!

-Pavla