Makes: 6/8 burgers
Preparation: 20mns
Total Time: 40mns

Benefits:
Beans are a great food. Gluten-free, full of protein, cheap and super-healthy, all they need is a good recipe to make them into a hearty meal. Combine them with super Quinoa and you have a great meal, packed with proteins and good fiber.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (or small can) cooked cannellini beans
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 shallots, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel, crushed
2 teaspoons cumin
healthy handful of parsley, chopped
olive oil
salt + pepper


Directions

1. Place a large frying pan over medium high heat and add olive oil (about 1 tablespoon). Add shallots and cook for a minute until they begin to soften. Add garlic, fennel and cumin and cook for another minute until the herbs are aromatic and the garlic softens. Remove from heat and cool. **
   
2. Place the beans, quinoa and breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the parsley and cooled shallot mixture and set the pan aside but don’t clean (you’ll use this later to fry the patties). Combine everything together with your hands, mashing the beans so that the mixture turns into a paste. (If it’s feeling a little wet, add more breadcrumbs.) Season with salt and pepper.
3. When combined, form the mixture into small patties, about the size of your palm and about an inch thick.
4. Place your frying pan back on the stove over medium high heat and add a dash of olive oil to coat. Cook the patties in batches for about 3 minutes on each side until nice and golden brown. Remove from pan and immediately season with salt and a drizzle of lemon. Serve with lettuce, tomato, red onion, or other accompaniment of your choice..**

** If you are detoxing, omit the oil and soften shallots and garlic in water. Add all the ingredients as per recipe and then place your burgers in the oven, brushing the top with a dash of oil. 

Makes: 8/10 servings
Preparation: 15mns
Total Time: 30mns

Benefits:
Figs have always been one of my favorite fruits.  I love the combination of different textures when you bite into it and the variety of different ways that you can eat it. Growing up, I always watched my dad dip the flesh of the figs in Zaatar, a traditional thyme, sesame seeds and Sumac mixture. They are also delicious eaten with goat's cheese or Blue cheese and are fantastic roasted. Figs are a great source of fibre and full of vitamins and minerals. They are rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and copper and are a good source of antioxidant vitamins A, E and K that contribute to health and wellness.

Ingredients:
For the salad
8-10 handfuls of mixed young chicories, outer leaves removed
8-10 figs, stems trimmed and cut in half
For the dressing
2 shallots, finely chopped
5 figs, stemmed and cut in quarters
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Place the halved figs on a baking sheet at bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes until soft and caramelized.
2. Make the dressing: In a large mortar and pestle, pound the figs with the shallots until a paste is formed. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add the vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Arrange salad leaves on a serving dish or divide into individual plates. Place figs on top and drizzle dressing over salad. 
   
   

Tip:  Add some crumbled goat's Cheese or blue Cheese on top. Walnuts are also delicious with this salad.

Source: www.goop.com

Makes: 6 servings
Preparation: 40mns
Total Time: 120mns

Benefits:
This fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie soup provides major health benefits from the sweet potato, a much better alternative to normal potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, and healthy carbohydrates and they don't spike your blood sugar up quickly unlike normal potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds baby beets (10 to 15, depending on size)
6 cups water
3/4 cup pearled barley, rinsed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional) and coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Scrub beets under running water. Wrap the damp beets in a double layer of foil, crimping it closed to make a packet. Place in the oven and roast the beets until tender when pierced with a fork, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size. Unwrap; when cool enough to handle, slip off the skins with your fingers. Cut the beets in quarters lengthwise.
2. Meanwhile, combine water, barley and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the barley is tender, but still chewy, 40 to 50 minutes. Drain well and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
3. Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the beets, celery, radishes and scallions; toss to coat. Let the vegetables marinate in the dressing for about 15 minutes. Stir in the barley.
4. Just before serving, stir in basil and top with nuts.