How to make a tasty vegan, organic and gluten-free dip.

Cashew Herb Dip.

Organic, Gluten Free, Vegan

*All ingredients are organic.

2 1/2 cup cashews

1 cup cold water

1 cup fresh scallions, chopped

1 clove fresh garlic

1 generous splash of lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

• Add cashews and water to your food processor and let soak for 30 minutes.
• Pulse to combine. 
• Add scallions, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and more water as needed to reach desired consistency. 
• Dip can be prepared as thin as a salad dressing or thicker, similar to a hummus. 
• Toss in a few chickpeas to thicken and for added fiber and nutrition.

Substitute scallions with fresh arugula, spinach or basil, or switch lemon juice with lime or orange juice for a fun, summertime spread.

Photo by Dana Patrick

Erika Mallory is a certified natural foods chef and graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.  An executive chef by age 22, Erika has cooked professionally in New York and Los Angeles, providing health-supportive, personalized food therapy for recovery, healing, weight management, special diets, allergies and other food issues.  

Erika is represented by Minc Talent in Los Angeles.

Easy gluten and dairy-free brownie recipe from a chef.

This recipe was for a coworker who had a lot of dietary restrictions. I came up with the idea as, I love making desserts for our staff; however, not everyone can enjoy them. Some co-workers couldn't enjoy it because it was not gluten-free or dairy-free. So, I decided that it was unfair for them not to be able to enjoy a delicious treat. 

That's when I came up with a recipe for a cookie that they could enjoy too. Then the research began, I had never made a cookie like this before using flaxseed, almond milk and pumpkin purée and a gluten free flour blend. But it turned out to be a success.

Pumpkin Brownies 

6tbs coconut oil

¾ c pumpkin purée

6oz coco powder

2tbs flax seed +1 tbs water

1tsp vanilla extract 

3tbs cornstarch 

¼ tsp salt

1. Mix coconut oil ,pumpkin and coco powder together.

2.Make flax seed eggs by combining flax seed with water , then add to mixture.

3. Fold in vanilla ,cornstarch and salt. 

4.Bake@350 degrees for around 20 min. 

About the Chef

I remember standing in my father's kitchen while he was cooking , the fire on the stovetop the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board. I was young, felt like I didn't belong in the kitchen but it was something magical to me . Everything about being in the kitchen excites me, I knew that it was my passion. 

My name is Quency A Traore ,  I fell in love with cooking at a very young age. When my father ,who is also a Chef, used to bake cookies from scratch. It was truly a wonder to see him take something as common as flour, sugar, eggs and butter and make something as delicious as cookies . 

I am now 22 , and still remember the taste of those cookies. Which made me want to master baking so that I could replicate it. So, I went to school for three years studying baking at Monroe college, New Rochelle . Throughout college,I have worked with numerous Chefs all across NYC to learn and gain knowledge about baking and cooking.  I enjoy being around the thrill and excitement of the busy, hot, crazy performance of working in a kitchen. It's a place where you can truly be the artist that you know you are. It also allows space to experiment with crazy techniques and ingredients. There are not many places you can do that besides the kitchen.

I get inspiration from the people around me , many of my associates and friends have ideas and thoughts for food . So, me being the mad scientist I am I will take an idea and transform it. Working with dietary restrictions is challenging but, as a Chef, I am always up for the challenge. 

How to make an organic vegan soup in 5 minutes - without a microwave!

What you will need:

1. Boxed organic vegan soup

2. 3 garlic cloves

3. 2 leek stems

4.  A cup of hot water

5. Olive oil

6. Small pot

How to make it:

1. Heat pot at high heat. 

2. Put 1/2 a teaspoon of olive oil in the pot.

3. Bring pot to simmer.

4. Dice garlic and leeks and place them into pot.

5. Place 2 cups of boxed soup into pot. 

6. Bring to boil. 

7. Place hot water into soup pot and stir. 

Enjoy! 

Can serve 2-3 people. 

3 ways to affordably eat organically.

Image by Getty Images

Trust me I know, eating organically can be expensive. As a health coach, most of my clients have difficulty maintaining healthy and organic lifestyles in the city- as organic products can cost way more than conventional ones. 

So, to save us all money, here are three places that you can find cheaper organic products- from food to cleaning products:

1. Thrive Market

I have become obsessed with this online store. I love WholeFoods; however, it can be expensive, I have often heard people refer to them as whole paychecks. Thrive Market is an online market that offers 30% discounts on all products. Due to its delivery method, fresh produce is not available but they carry many household products. It is totally worth ordering from; however, give the order a full week to arrive after ordering. Even after shipping, it is still cheaper than WholeFoods. 

2. Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is not admired for their produce; however, they are known for their variety of organic products. You might be met with a long line of customers but if you can bypass that and them, you will find some great deals on organic products. The organics are priced competitively so they are relatively close to the same pricing as conventional products.There is a Trader Joe's in most major cities in The US and they deliver too. 

3. CSA aka Community Supported Agriculture. 

CSA is a program set up with a farm so that they provide you with fresh local produce as you, and other members, pay for the costs to keep the farm up and running. They are not all organic so make sure to look for the word organic. You will also need to pick up your produce every week and are sent what they have seasonally, which is environmentally sustainable too. If not choosing your weekly vegetables is okay with you, you will love this and save money. Visit: www.localharvest.org