Recipes to Encourage a Healthy Relationship with Food, Nourish Your Beautiful Body, and Celebrate Real Wellness for LifeA cookbook inspired by how I learned to love me, at lastPhotographs by KRISTIN TEIG MAGGIE BATTISTA 10How I Finally Realized My Beautiful PotentialRaise your hand if you’ve struggled with your health, and perhaps your weight, for some or all of your life. I’m waving both arms in the air because it feels like fixing my body has been the unequivocal purpose of every one of my days on planet earth. You see, I’ve been big most of my life, the kind of big that’s definitely fat but slightly adorable, in an I’m-not-so-threatening, sidekick sort of way. When I was way younger, I wasn’t even given a sideways glance by . . . anybody. In fact, most people would look past me, the fat girl, to the thin girl at my side, whether she was an exoti-cally beautiful member of my family or a pretty, preppy school friend. NWTF_1stpages.indd 107/17/18 11:54 AM11HOW I FINALLY REALIZED MY BEAUTIFUL POTENTIAL I suppose being ignored would have been okay for a wallflower type who wanted to fade into the background, maybe partially covered by a jacket or a whole human being. But as I got older, I never really stomached being the snubbed sidekick. I’m just not shy. I’m vocal and opinionated, doling out what’s on my mind like all the pepperoni on an extra-large pie—the more, the better. I’m enthusiastic and chatty, and usually enter a room with a big smile on my face, ready to make new friends and, you know, make life happen. In my teens, when I realized that people weren’t going to notice me for my figure, as was the case for most of the women in my life (my mother had been a model, after all), I boosted my personality, quite inadvertently, to get noticed. Eventually, my all-too-friendly disposition stuck and became the way I got folks to like me and, I’d like to think, got them to appreciate the content of my character over the imperfection of my frame. Honestly, I didn’t want people to look at my body or notice that I was 100+ pounds larger than I really wanted to be. I’ve spent decades trying to get a handle on my weight. I have been on every diet or lifestyle plan ever invented, or so it seemed, some of which I had no business trying. I went low fat, low carb, mostly grapefruit, and high protein. I even did Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers (multiple times). On occasion, I stopped eating entire food groups, fasted, and even hid food away—a trick I picked up from my parents who hid all the delicious, indulgent food groups like sandwich cookies and potato chips from their big-little kid (yes, insert sad face here). I don’t blame anyone for my lifelong body issues. I accept full responsibility for the state of my body. But listen, it’s hard to lose weight. It’s difficult to be on a diet at age nine, at age twelve, at age nineteen, or in adulthood—whatever the age, it’s hard. And if it were as easy as eating a common-sense selection of foods and exercising regu-larly, I promise you that I’d be looking svelte in a swimsuit 365 days a year, and so would all of you. In my personal experience, being fat wasn’t just the state of my body; it was who I was—it became a state of mind. After being bullied by kids for being bigger; after being ignored by boys at all the school dances; after being picked last for every sporting activity; after being told, “You’re pretty for a big girl,” for the thousandth time; I convinced myself that everyone was right. Being in that state of mind, and after so many years of trying to be smaller, healthier, prettier, and stronger, I finally hit my bottom. At the time, my main feeling wasn’t frustration or shame, though both were in the mix. Only now, after years of thoughtful review, journaling, therapy, and just plain time, do I recognize that one feeling over-shadowed and trumped every other feeling: I felt desper-ate, desperately desperate. My lowest of low points looked something like this:NWTF_1stpages.indd 117/17/18 11:54 AM1. I was in pain every day. I couldn’t walk a block, let alone a mile, because my heels were consistently sore, my calves were tight and strained, my knee joints were angry at me, and my back and thighs experienced the sort of daily agony that made it hard to get up out of bed, step into the shower (or out), or bend down to tie my shoes. I wish no disease on anyone, ever, but especially chronic pain. Chronic pain will make you hate your body for all the trouble it causes you and all the life it holds you back from living.2. I experienced tingling in all my limbs, but especially in my fingertips and toes. I could never find the cause, and neither could my doctors. Tingling in your limbs is scary; it makes you feel like you’re prime for a heart attack at any moment.3. I was so lonely. There were so many people around me, but I was so tired of being excluded from all the fun lady-type activities in life. I couldn’t shop for clothes in the same places as my friends. I wouldn’t even think to buy nice lingerie—nor ever walk into one of those types of boutiques. Shoe shopping was even a drag—my feet were wide and impossible to fit. I was reluctant to get manicures, pedicures, and especially massages, worried that someone would see my big body. And I never saw girls like me in fashion magazines; they just weren’t made for big girls.4. I wanted to prove everyone wrong. If you’re a fat girl, you get used to everyone chiding you about your size. Every year, someone had a new diet for me to try. Every month, a new food to gulp down or eliminate. And every day, people would tell me how pretty I’d be if I’d only lose weight. I was so used to hearing everyone say some-thing about my weight that I didn’t even notice when it all stopped. I don’t know if it was when I moved out on my own or met my love and got married. I think I used to ignore the comments but eventually, as I got older, I’d hold my own, telling whomever to mind their own business, get out of my face, worry about their own body, and so on. Regardless, at some point the comments stopped, and I’m sure I felt a sense of relief at first. Soon after, I realized, they had given up on me—all of them. They didn’t want to fight and left me to figure it out on my own. I wanted to show them that I could do it, on my own. In fact, I could only really do it on my own. 12HOW I FINALLY REALIZED MY BEAUTIFUL POTENTIALNWTF_1stpages.indd 127/17/18 11:54 AM5. After so many years trying to figure out what I wanted to do professionally, I finally had the formulas and business plan to open a food retail space to provide a new way to shop for food. But I was frightened I wouldn’t have the health to bring it to life. Launching a boutique requires a lot of physical energy, the ability to walk without pain, the strength to lift boxes that weighed more than ten pounds, at least a few days a week without lower back pain, and the critical thinking and mindfulness to lead a team to bring this vision to life. I wanted to be healthy enough—full of passion, spark, and vigor—to make it all happen.6. I was unhappy being so large. I don’t want to dis anyone who’s happy in their skin—we should all be so lucky to be happy and healthy at any size. I, however, was not happy. I hated my thighs rubbing together, I hated how difficult it was to shop for clothes, and I hated how people judged me. Hell, I hated how I judged me for taking an extra scoop or three of ice cream. I needed, so desperately, to find a way to stop that hate. And I did. Now, many years into the story of my life, something has changed. Now I see myself skinny. That doesn’t mean I am skinny by popular definition, because I’m far from a size 4. That means I see myself skinny in the way that I see the potential in me to be healthy, to be deserving of a fit physique, to be proud and beautiful in the sort of clothes I want to wear. I stopped being disgusted by my skin, stopped think-ing the worse of my body, and started really loving my skin for what it was and what it could be. Instead of the negative image of being too big or not small enough, I saw myself as I truly was: a body with so much beautiful potential. The change didn’t come in an instant but through an intentional process, combined with eating all the good foods, which I will share in this very personal cookbook. Once I saw myself as something more than a fat girl—like as a girl who could finally tackle all her proverbial demons; as a lady with something to say; as a busi-nesswoman with a vision to bring to life; as a food professional with a real purpose; as a person worth loving and giving love; and, as a human with a physical body that deserved care and attention—I finally began to seriously tackle my weight issues, to understand the reasons why I put food in my mouth, and to ultimately lose some of the weight that I’ve carried all of my life. I saw my full potential, my beautiful potential. I learned to love me, at last. And if I can love me, at last, I know you can love you, too.13HOW I FINALLY REALIZED MY BEAUTIFUL POTENTIALNWTF_1stpages.indd 137/17/18 11:54 AM57RECIPES FOR BETTER BASICSFERMENTED HOT SAUCEHot sauce is an acquired taste and is rarely a love-it or hate-it situation. In fact, hot sauces fall on such a wide spectrum of heat that one person’s hot sauce may be another person’s candied topping; you just never know. I prefer sauces that mix heat with funk and a little green flavor. My Fermented Hot Sauce recipe has a nice mellow heat that sneaks up on you and it’s fermented to develop the healthy probiotics and green flavor. It’s exceptionally easy too—just toss all the veg into the jar, fill it up with the briny water, and let it sit until it develops. You’ll be able to smell the spice and funk developing if you walk by or hover near the jar. Don’t throw away the brine. It’s a lighter style of hot liquid that’s great added to soups and stews, and just wonderful in a Bloody Mary cocktail. It will also help you form your next batch of hot sauce.Makes about 4 cups1. Clean a very large jar (a half-gallon jar works) and its airtight lid in very hot water and dry with clean towel. To sterilize it, run it through a dishwasher at the hottest setting or boil it in a pot of water for 10 minutes. If using a fermentation crock, clean it in very hot water first and then, to sterilize the crock, scald it with boiling water for at least 30 seconds and allow it to air dry. Find a few small plates that fit into the mouth of your jar and clean, dry, and sterilize those in the same way. Set all aside. 2. Mix the water with the salt, stirring to help dissolve the salt. Set aside to fully dissolve. continuedCRISPY SHALLOTS AND SHALLOT OILThese crispy shallots are smoky and salty, like bacon, and come together fast; I use them to top soups, salads, and noodle bowls. The resulting shallot oil is luscious and provides another complex smoky flavor to whatever it tops.Makes about 1 cup1 cup (240 ml) grape seed or safflower oil6 medium shallots, peeled and sliced about 1⁄8-inch thick Sea salt1. Put the oil in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and place pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook gently, stirring occasionally to keep the shallots under the oil, for about 15 minutes (turn down heat if they seem to be coloring too quickly), until they gradually become golden brown. Keep a close eye on the coloring as they can turn dark brown very quickly.2. Place a paper towel on a plate. Transfer the shallots to the plate using a slotted spoon, reserving the oil, and let them drain well. Blot shallots to remove any extra oil. They will become crisp as they cool. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and use within 5 days. Save the oil in a separate bottle and use within 2 weeks.NWTF_1stpages.indd 577/17/18 11:55 AM58A NEW KIND OF PANTRY2 quarts (1.9 L) filtered water, more as needed4 tablespoons sea salt, plus more as needed2 pounds (904 g) mixed peppers (mostly cubanelles and garden peppers; just a few jalapeños and serranos to get heat)½ pound (8 oz; 227 g) cherry tomatoes 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed¼ cup (60 ml) brine from a previous ferment or pickle (like from a jar of sauerkraut)3. Remove the stems and caps from the peppers. Cut slits into the toma-toes. Pile all the veg into your jar and place the small plates on top to help keep the veg submerged once you add the water. Alternatively, or in addi-tion, you can fill a plastic bag with water and put that on top to aid in keep-ing the veg submerged. If using a fermentation crock with weights, add the small plates and then the weights to help keep it all submerged. 4. Pour the salted water mixture over the veg mix until the veg are covered by at least 2 inches (5 cm). Poke any veg that slips through back under the plates. Depending on the size of your large jar, you may need more brine to cover. If you do, start by dissolving 2 tablespoons sea salt in 1 quart filtered water. Add that to the jar until the veg are sufficiently covered. 5. Seal the jar to block out any oxygen. If using a fermentation crock, place the lid on top and add water to the well to block out any oxygen. You’ll need to add water to the well every couple of days to keep the oxygen out. Place the jar in a darker nook for 14 days, or until it develops the heat and tang you like. The longer it sits, the more tangy and funky the hot sauce. 6. When you are ready to bottle your hot sauce, open the jar and use tongs to remove the plates and/or fermentation crock weights. Carefully pour the veg and brine through a strainer into a very large bowl and set the brine aside for now. Add the veg to a food processor and whiz for 2 to 3 minutes until the veg is smooth and finely pureed.7. Add ½ cup of the brine to the food processor and continue whizzing—adding more brine by the tablespoon or two until you until you reach your desired hot sauce consistency (I usually add an extra 4 tablespoons). Bottle it up and store in the back of your fridge. It’s ready to use immediately though I like to chill it first. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 1 year. Make sure to shake it well before each use, as natural, homemade products often separate.NWTF_1stpages.indd 587/17/18 11:55 AMNWTF_1stpages.indd 887/17/18 11:55 AM89LOVE YOUR BODYEverything GREEN SMOOTHIEIt feels so strange to love smoothies. It’s like I’ve come to the dark side as some sort of health geek who craves pureed produce with delicately sliced fruit and perfectly placed granola pieces on top. That’s so not me, people. But this smoothie (and the two that follow) are just easy, fresh ways to nourish my body and feel full for much of the morning. My go-to smoothie is a mix of green veg and green fruit, a few add-ins for richness, and both plant milk and water. You may most certainly do all plant milk but, eventually, you won’t need it. The water, lime juice, and ice make this smoothie way more refreshing and less dessert-like. I use refined coconut oil in most of my recipes, as it doesn’t taste so obviously of coconut flesh. If you prefer the taste of coconut, go unrefined, all the way. In all of these recipes, I recommend that you sip your smoothie slowly. This was a suggestion from my health coach Sherrie and it has made such a difference in my life. Sipping slowly gives my stomach time to fill up and my taste buds time to feel the full impact of all the flavors. In turn, I appreciate the food, even celebrate and savor it, which keeps me satisfied a little bit longer than if I had gulped it down in two seconds.Makes about 2 cupsFREQUENCY: Almost every dayFOOD PREFERENCES: DF, GF, RSF, VHANDS-ON TIME: 7 minutesTOTAL TIME: 7 minutes1 cup cleaned, roughly chopped, tightly packed greens (such as swiss chard, kale, spinach) One 2-inch (5 cm) stub of cucumber, unpeeled, cleaned1 small green apple, stem and core removed2 tablespoons protein or superfood (such as rolled oats, black chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, protein powder)1 tablespoon refined coconut oil2 teaspoons maple syrup, more or less as you preferPinch of sea salt2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)½ cup (120 ml) Cashew Milk (page 000) [[ms 57]] or other unsweetened plant milk½ cup (120 ml) water4 to 6 small ice cubesAdd all the ingredients in the order listed to a powerful blender. Blend on high (or on the smoothie setting, if you have one) until smooth and cold, adding more water if your blender stalls. Enjoy immediately but sip slowly. NWTF_1stpages.indd 897/17/18 11:55 AMNext >