PHOTOGRAPHS BY RIKKI SNYDER ✷ RECIPES BY OLIVIA ROSZKOWSKI ✷ FOOD STYLING BY LESLIE ORLANDINI

Gluten-Free Rosemary Focaccia with Citrus-Marinated Beets

Yield: 1 medium-size focaccia

Make It

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Add dry active yeast to a medium bowl with 1/4 cup warm water. Allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Stir in yogurt, sea salt, and olive oil. Destem rosemary sprigs and chop needles finely (approximately 2 tablespoons). Stir into yogurt mixture. Grate zucchinis (approximately 2 cups) and add into mixture.

Fold in gluten-free baking flour until a dough forms. The consistency will be slightly sticky.

Line a baking tray with silicone baking mat and grease lightly with olive oil. Spread out dough. 

Peel and thinly slice beets to a thickness of approximately ¼ inch. Toss with sea salt, olive oil, and additional rosemary needles for garnish (approximately 2 tablespoons). Arrange beets in a single layer over surface area of dough, pressing in gently. Top with additional rosemary needles. Top with freshly cracked pepper.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

Juice oranges (approximately 1 cup) and add to a wide pan. Bring to a boil and reduce for 5 minutes, or until syrup consistency is achieved. Brush orange reduction on baked beets.

Good to Know: Gluten-free baked goods like this focaccia are best consumed the same day. Reducing fresh-squeezed orange juice creates an incredible glaze. Using nondairy yogurt instead of water (used in most recipes) helps seal in moisture and adds rich flavor. 

Savory Harissa-Citrus Chickpea Protein Bars

Yield: 8 x 8-inch pan; 12 bars

Make It

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Lightly grease 8 x 8-inch baking pan with oil; line with parchment paper.

Drain and rinse chickpeas (approximately 2 ¾ cups). Place in a bowl and spend a few minutes smashing them with a fork or between fingers. Some remaining pieces are okay. Deseed and mince preserved lemon (approximately ¼ cup). Destem and chop parsley (approximately ½ cup).

Use a silicone spatula to fold minced preserved lemon, chopped parsley, harissa paste, and almond butter into smashed chickpeas until well combined. Mix in ground flax meal, almond flour, and sea salt and transfer to lined pan.

Press firmly into pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely; cut into bars. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.

Good to Know: Mashing canned chickpeas by hand instead of a food processor means the result isn’t mushy. Ground flax meal makes an excellent binder. Preserved lemon, harissa, and parsley act together to create a bright burst of flavor.

Broiled Grapefruit, Mint, & Honey Salmon Sheet-Pan Meal

Yield: 4 servings

Make It

Mince garlic; add to small bowl. Stir in honey, olive oil and sea salt.

To make Sheet Pan Meal:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease baking tray with olive oil.

Arrange salmon on tray. Cut radishes in half lengthwise, and add to tray. Slice grapefruits.  Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, discarding tougher ends. Add to tray. Brush salmon, grapefruit, and vegetables with garlic-honey oil. Bake for 5 minutes.

Place grapefruit slices atop salmon and return to oven. Turn oven onto high broil setting and cook for additional few minutes until tray contents are caramelized.

Serve garnished with torn mint leaves.

Good to Know: This is a great dish for feeding a large crowd with minimal effort. Finishing with fresh herbs such as mint helps accentuate the brightness of this dish. Experiment with other fish like cod or branzino.

Lime Cumin Roasted-Beet Tacos with Almond ‘Queso Fresco’

Yield: 1 1/3 cups beet mixture; 8 tacos; ½ cup ‘Queso Fresco’

Make It

Add baking tray into oven. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Trim ends, peel and dice beets (approximately 2½ cups). Transfer to large bowl. Toss diced beets with ground cumin, sea salt, and avocado oil.

Line pre-heated tray with parchment paper. Spread out beet mixture and roast for 30 minutes or until tender, tossing once halfway. Toss cooked beets with lime zest and juice.

Char tortillas briefly over an open gas flame.

Smash avocado onto each tortilla. Top with roasted beets and almond ‘queso fresco’.  Serve with extra lime wedges.

To make Almond ‘Queso Fresco’: Add blanched almond flour, sea salt, onion powder, rice vinegar and refined coconut oil to a medium bowl. Stir until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Good to Know: Seasoning the almond flour with vinegar and onion powder gives it a cheesier taste. Add any leftovers on top of greens for a flavorful salad. If you plan on reheating the beets, wait to add the lime zest as heating can result in a bitter taste.

Spring Vegetable Latkes with Lemon Basil Avocado Mousse

Yield: 8 latkes; 1½ cups mousse

Make It

Trim off tough ends of asparagus. Slice asparagus stalks, leaving 1-inch of top intact (approximately 2½ cups) and place in large bowl. Slice scallions (approximately ½ cup) and add into same bowl. Massage sliced vegetables with sea salt and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Crack in eggs, stirring vigorously to combine. Fold in chickpea flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil in large nonstick pan over medium flame. Working in batches, use ¼ cup measure to drop latke batter onto pan. Cook for 2 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter and oil, cooling oil for a minute or two between batches.

Serve warm with lemon basil avocado mousse.

Add avocados and sea salt to a blender. Zest and juice lemon and add to avocados (approximately ½ teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice). Destem basil and add leaves to blender (approximately ½ cup, packed), reserving a handful of smaller leaves for garnish. Add ½ cup water and process until avocado is smooth and some speckling of basil leaves remains.

Serve with Spring Vegetable Latkes. Garnish with reserved basil leaves.

Good to Know: Chickpea flour is gluten-free and packed with protein. It makes an incredible binder while adding nutty undernotes and a golden hue to the latkes. Salting sliced vegetables softens them and creates moisture to help the chickpea flour bind without adding water. If storing avocado mousse for a day or two, add extra lemon juice to help preserve the color.

Lemon Lentil Burgers with Smashed Cucumber Herb Salad

Yield: 2 cups batter; 8 burgers; 3 cups salad

Make It

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Dice onions (approximately 1 cup). Warm olive oil over medium flame and add onions. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened and slightly golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin. Rinse and add lentils. Cover with 2 cups water and cook at a simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked. Turn heat up to high and cook for additional few minutes to have any residual water or moisture evaporate.

Deseed and mince preserved lemons (approximately ¼ cup). Stir in minced lemon pieces and bread crumbs. Destem cilantro and chop leaves (approximately ¼ cup). Cool mixture until cool enough
to handle.

Place on parchment-lined tray and bake for 10 minutes, and flip and cook for additional 5 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch.

To make Smashed Cucumber Herb Salad: Trim cucumbers. Place cucumbers on a cutting board. Use a mallet or heavy blunt object to smash each cucumber. Remove parchment paper and cut cucumbers into slices (approximately 2½ cups). Add to a medium bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, and squeeze cucumbers in between hands to rid any excess liquid. Trim and cut radishes in half. Slice and add to cucumbers (approximately 1 cup). Chop scallions (approximately 1/3 cup), and add to same mixture. Fold in lemon juice. Chill until ready to serve.

To make Tahini Hot Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together tahini, hot sauce, and sea salt with ½ cup water.

To serve: Cut open each pita. Warm or char, if desired. Stuff with warm Lemon Lentil Burger, Smashed Cucumber Herb Salad, and Tahini Hot Sauce before serving.

Good to Know: Smashing cucumbers before cutting brings out their flavor. Cooking lentils in the onion mixture infuses them with flavor from the start. Reshape the burgers into smaller falafel balls or patties.

Best Zest: Pro Tips for Buying and Storing Citrus

Avoid skin that looks shriveled or moldy. It should be plump and bright with minimal flaws.

Select citrus with thin skin for the most juice. It should seem heavy in your hand for its size. Go for thicker skin if it’s the zest you’re after—but if the fruit is rock hard it was picked before its time or stored improperly. 

Store citrus in the crisper drawer of the fridge and it will last for a good two weeks. Store it loose or in a mesh bag; sealed plastic promotes mold growth and quick ripening.

Juice the fruit when it’s at room temp and it will yield the most liquid. Zest it first to make the squeeze easier.

Wash citrus just before using to avoid mold growth when stored.

Freeze the zest and juice separately in sealed bags or containers to enjoy up to six months. Never freeze the whole fruit.

Good to Know: Acid in savory dishes makes them extra tasty. The acid increases saliva production, which in turn helps distribute the food and exposes it to many more taste buds.