Giada's Feel Good Food (36 page)

for the chicken:
In a glass baking dish, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper flakes until smooth. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

for the pesto:
In a food processor, blend the mint, spinach, cheese, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until chunky. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Spray the grill lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Remove the chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Transfer the chicken to plates and serve with the pesto.

I know what you're thinking, that this is going to taste like avocado; but the chocolate is what comes through, actually. This is a great substitute for a traditional mousse; you get the same texture without dairy. Make sure the avocadoes are ripe so you get a smooth—and not lumpy—mousse.
serves 6

Put the chocolate chips in a heat-proof medium bowl. Set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine the melted chocolate, the avocados, cocoa powder, agave, vanilla, salt, and almond milk. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon into glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

Garnish with raspberries before serving.

This is a new take on a quintessential all-American dessert. All my favorite things about a great crumble are here: the tartness of the blueberries, the sweet syrup of the baked peaches, and the crunchy, crust-like topping—but without all the sugar you will normally find hanging out in this dish. It's a healthier alternative that still tastes like an indulgence.
serves 8

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

for the filling:
In a medium bowl, combine the peaches, blueberries, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Pour into a 9-inch square baking dish.

for the topping:
In a medium bowl, combine the almonds, oats, honey, safflower oil, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling. Bake until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Vegan chocolate has no milk solids in it; sometimes it has a little coconut. You can buy it at Whole Foods or any natural foods store. Cashew
cream stands in for the heavy cream you'll find in regular truffles, contributing a great texture but no discernible flavor. Roll these in finely chopped pistachios or crystallized ginger or give them a final dusting of cocoa powder, if desired.
makes about 32 truffles

In a medium, heat-proof bowl, combine the cashew cream and chocolate chips. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the agave, vanilla, and orange zest. Refrigerate the mixture until firm, about 1 hour.

With a 1-tablespoon round measuring spoon, scoop out the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With damp hands, roll the scoops into balls and return to the baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour, or for up to 2 weeks before serving.

You need only ⅔ cup of this to make the truffles, but you can't blend that little. So either make a double batch of chocolates or sweeten leftover cashew cream with agave or sugar and use it to top cakes, ice cream, or coffee drinks.

Soak the cashews in 1 cup water for at least 2 hours or overnight at room temperature. In a blender, mix the cashews and water at high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.