"Shopping for your home and then preparing food for yourself and other household members and/or
family, friends and neighbors, is a conversation that is sometimes difficult to begin. The pull of the convenience of restaurants and especially fast food is sometimes hard to resist. However, the payoff can be tremendous for your health and wellbeing and that of those for whom you prepare food.

Here are some recipes to hopefully inspire people to prepare food at home. I plan in the future to expand this guide to include additional wellness elements, such as therapeutic exercise. I welcome your feedback and comments."

-Dr. Etemad

1. Chicken Curry (I first prepared a version of this recipe in 1988 as a college senior). Note: As alternatives, pastured beef, lamb, or pork, shrimp (wild caught), tempeh or tofu can replace the chicken.
a. Sautee ¾ cup diced celery in 1 tbsp ghee or avocado oil, medium low heat, for 15 minutes.
b. Add 1 lb. raw chicken thigh or breast (pastured ideally and definitely organic and skin on) in bite
size pieces, cook until not pink, adding while browning the chicken 1 tbsp organic coconut aminos or
gluten free tamari soy sauce, and 1 tbsp organic chicken or vegi broth.
c. With two cups additional broth, add 1 banana diced in large pieces, ½ cup raisins, currants or dates, 1.5 tbsp curry powder (for medium spicy – can add more or less as desired), 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp allspice.
d. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
e. Add 1 apple, diced into bite size pieces, then simmer 5 more minutes on low heat.
Add 1 can of coconut milk or raw milk (for the coconut milk, I recommend full fat, organic such as
“simple” Native Forest, meaning it has no xanthan gum, which is one of the many ways sugar is snuck
into food products).
f. Serve over organic white basmati rice (rinsed several times, then soaked for several hours
before cooking) or riced cauliflower if you prefer.

2. Quick Veggie Stir Fry
a. Sautee ½ cup finely diced yellow onion or celery in 2 Tbsp avocado oil or ghee or coconut oil on
medium heat for 5 minutes.
b. Lower heat to medium low, add other veggies (1 cup Maitake or other diced mushroom, 1 cup sugar snap peas, 1 cup broccoli – chopped into bite size florets --) and add 1 tbsp gluten free tamari soy sauce (or can substitute coconut aminos) and sauté an additional 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil if desired.
c. Serve with roasted potatoes and steak, chicken or tofu if desired.

2a. Ramen bowl
a. Prepare according to package directions either Shoyu or Miso organic vegan ramen, Organic Rice noodle Ramen (or similar). While the water is boiling:
b. Add one or two cloves of minced garlic.
c. Add approximately 1 tablespoon organic tamari gluten free soy sauce (or can substitute coconut
aminos).
d. Add approximately one teaspoon minced fresh ginger (ok if it was frozen).
e. Add approximately half a cup of meat (organic pastured chicken, grass fed beef or lamb, wild
caught seafood (ideally SMASH fish – Salmon, (not king) Mackerel, Anchovy, Sardines, Herring (canned sardines or salmon, anchovy in a glass jar and smoked herring or salmon is fine) or could substitute tofu
or tempeh.

3. Basic Smoothie (feel free to mix and match depending on your preference):
a. Filtered water, spring water or Coconut water, one to two cups
b. Bananas, 1 to 3 and/or fresh mango and/or fresh papaya.
c. Organic Spirulina (from Hawaii if possible).
d. 1 tablespoon organic psyllium husk or flaxseed powder or hemp seeds or acacia fiber or Organic hemp seeds (P.S. not the same as marijuana)
e. Whole milk yogurt or full fat coconut yogurt
f. A few dates and/or dried figs (or fresh if available)
g. Raw milk, Unsweetened Coconut or Almond milk approximately 1/2 cup.
h. Organic celery, one to three stalks or another favorite veggie or two.
i. Fresh or frozen berries (if going with frozen, organic wild blueberries is a good choice.
j. If desired, organic local raw honey, a teaspoon or so.
k. Blend ingredients in your blender (I recommend VitaMix; mine has lasted 12 years and is still
going strong).

4. Basic Persian stew made in the Instant Pot, though can also be done on the stove or in the oven.

a. Chop one or two onions or an equivalent amount of celery into slices and sauté for about 5 minutes in the pot on the “sauté” setting along with one pound of your favorite meat (usually chicken, beef or lamb) or you could try tempeh for a vegetarian version.
b. Turn the Instant pot off. Add 2 cups of organic vegetable broth or bone broth such as chicken or
beef. Stir with a wooden spoon.
c. Add spices (such as 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon cinnamon) and stir while the instant pot is still warm for one minute.
d. Add 2 to three tablespoons of brown sugar, grape molasses or maple syrup, depending on how
sweet you want the stew to be. As a lower glycemic alternative, you could add 5 or 6 pitted dates or prunes instead.
e. Add one tablespoon of organic tomato paste.
f. Core 5 apples and slice them into wedges, then add to the stew. As an alternative, you could substitute one or two eggplants, zucchini’s, or squashes that you sautee in a frying pan with ghee for 10 minutes on medium heat, then add to the instant pot.
g. Add about a half teaspoon of saffron threads dissolved in a tablespoon or two of hot (but not
boiling) water.
h. Place the Instant Pot on the slow cook setting, and set to 8 hours.
i. Or if you are short on time, set on “meat stew” pressure cook setting, which will take about an hour. Then carefully release the steam (or if you have more time, you can let the steam release
naturally over 20 minutes or so and stir again. Taste. Feel free to add some sea salt to taste, or squeeze in lime or lemon juice to balance the flavors.
j. Serve over white or brown rice (see next recipe for Persian saffron rice).
k. Optional garnishes at the table: fresh squeezed lemon or lime, fresh herbs such as parsley, with feta cheese, green salad and/or cut veggies.
l. Nush-e-jan! (Which in Farsi, Means “bon appétit”)
m. Feel free to adapt this to your Cultural preference.

5. Saffron flavored steamed rice with golden crust.

a. rinse 2 cups of rice five times in a small bowl, then soak for at least 7 hours in a larger bowl. Pour off water by putting rice into a rice strainer.
b. Place rice in 5 cups of water, with 1 tablespoon of sea salt and ½ a tablespoon of organic cardamom. Boil for 6 to 10 minutes. Then drain rice and rinse immediately with plenty of cold water
until rice is room temperature.
c. Mix 2 cups of rice (usually about 3 spatulas full) with 1 or two tablespoons of yogurt, ¼ cup of melted ghee and ⅛ cup of water and a few drops of saffron water (mix up one or two tablespoons of hot water with ½ a teaspoon of saffron threads, most of which you will use in the next step). Coat the bottom of the pot with this mixture, using your hands. Pile the rest of the rice on top with spatula, forming a sort of pyramid. Cook for 10 minutes with lid on, on medium heat, then turn the heat to low/simmer.
d. Mix ¼ cup water and ⅛ cup melted ghee and pour over the top of the rice. Then pour the saffron water over the rice, distributing evenly. Cook for 70 minutes on low heat (simmer) with the lid
on.

6. Pancakes
Combine in a bowl:
a. 2 cups flour (suggest a sprouted whole wheat flour or Einkorn wheat flour or can use a high quality gluten free flour) combined with 2 cups buttermilk, kefir or whole milk greek yogurt, allow to
soak for 12 to 24 hours.
b. 2 pastured eggs.
c. ½ teaspoon sea salt
d. 1 teaspoon baking soda.
e. 2 tablespoons melted butter.
f. Mix eggs, salt, baking soda and butter together in a bowl with flour and buttermilk.
g. Prepare high quality stainless steel, ceramic or cast iron pan with coconut oil, butter, ghee or a
combination.
h. Cook pancakes on low to medium heat until golden brown.
i. Serve with raw or unsalted organic butter or coconut butter, some organic fresh or frozen fruit (such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), Creme fraiche or Coconut Cream, and good old fashioned 100% pure maple syrup and/or raw honey.

7. Jeff’s Delectable Burgers

a. Place 4 or 5 Pattie’s from 1 lb. grass fed ground beef or substitute high quality veggie burgers.
b. 1 onion or 2 stalks of celery diced (red onion recommended).
c. 2 tablespoons broccoli sprouts or chopped fresh cilantro.
d. 2 tablespoons diced fresh parsley.
e. 1 diced organic jalapeno and/or pepperoncini (ok if pickled).
f. 1 diced leek or scallion, white part only.
g. 1 tablespoon gluten free organic tamari soy sauce (or can substitute coconut aminos).
h. 1 tablespoon gluten free organic worcestershire sauce.
i. (optional) Several drops of fermented hot sauce.
j. 1 Tablespoon Hickory liquid Smoke (optional) if using veggie burgers
k. Blend all ingredients in a bowl, then form into 4 or 5 patties. If using a veggie burger, stir fry veggies in a pan alongside the veggie burger.
l. Grill on medium high heat in ghee or coconut oil or a combination of the two for about 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness (3 minute per side for veggie burgers).
m. Garnish with butter lettuce and/or radicchio and/or broccoli sprouts and/or raw milk cheese (cow, goat or sheep as desired).
n. Serve on a toasted gluten free bun or a baguette made with real yeast or gluten free sourdough slices.

8. Morning healthy hot drink
a. 1 filtered water or spring water heated on a stove or electric kettle.
b. 1 teaspoon organic blackstrap molasses .
c. 2 teaspoons of ghee.
d. 1 tablespoon heavy cream or raw milk or full fat unsweetened coconut milk.
e. Once it cools to sipping temperature, optional to add 1 teaspoon raw honey and/or bee pollen.

9. Jeff’s sprouted nut cookies

a. 1.5 cups sprouted nuts (such as walnut, almond, cashew or macadamia). (see next recipe if you
want to sprout your own nuts).
b. 1/2 cup sugar (date sugar, maple sugar, coconut sugar or raw organic cane sugar)
c. 1 teaspoon organic vanilla.
d. 1 cup of arrowroot.
e. ½ cup softened or melted unsalted butter.
f. Optional: add the zest of 1 organic lemon, lime or orange.
g. Mix the nuts into a flour-like meal with a food processor or vita mix. Then place in a bowl with all other ingredients and mix well. Roll cookies into balls about the size of a golf ball (about 18 cookies usually) and place on a cookie sheet (place a sheet of parchment paper on top of cookie sheet). Bake in
a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes, taking them out at 5 minutes briefly to flatten them with a spoon, at which time you can add a single nut on top or a small amount of organic jam with no added sugar.

10. Sprouted nuts:

For all nuts except cashews, (so walnuts, pecans, almonds, macadamias, pistachios), soak the
nuts in filtered water for at least seven hours (but overnight is ok) in filtered water and sea salt. Drain, then place in a dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees (unfortunately most ovens don’t heat below 170). For cashews, soak in filtered water and sea salt for (exactly) 6 hours, then drain and place in the oven at 200 degrees and watch carefully until dehydrated and crisp (usually only takes 12 to 14 hours, but could take up to 24 hours).

11. Dog Stew:

1 cup yams or carrots or 1 pound of an organ meat such as liver or heart. 2 tbsp kelp powder or other dry seaweed
4 to 6 cups water ½ cup chopped broccoli or kale
Optional add on's: a handful of chopped mushrooms such as shiitake, a handful of goji berries, ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Combine all ingredients in a large pot or instant pot. Simmer on low heat for 4-6 hours, or if using an instant pot, set to slow cook for 4 to 6 hours. Or for instant pot, you can pressure cook for 10
minutes.

Anytime (study) snacks: Organic fresh fruit and/or veggies, organic sprouted nuts (walnut, pecan, cashew, almond), unsweetened organic dried fruit (dates, figs, mango, pineapple, papaya), cottage
cheese or full fat unsweetened yogurt, coconut yogurt, tahini or ricotta with berries or other fruit on top, greater than 75% dark chocolate, grass fed beef jerky, wild caught salmon jerky, organic cardamom pods, Dulse, sparkling water with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.

Foods and Drinks to Avoid: Anything with significant amounts of added sugar, especially sodas (diet or regular) and fruit juice (unless you juiced it or squeezed it yourself). Anything with high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, MSG, soybean oil or any soy product unless it is fermented such as miso or soy sauce,
wheat unless it is from a local trusted source such as a farmer’s market or you baked it yourself and used real yeast (and hopefully nutritional yeast too), dairy unless high quality and fermented, corn unless organic and even then rarely, any chemical additives, artificial flavors or colors, all oils especially canola, soy and cottonseed, (only healthy oils are ghee, butter, coconut, avocado heated and if not heated or minimally heated, high quality olive oil & sesame oil are ok.

A. Suggested Supplements:
If you follow the principles from section A, you won’t need many supplements, but I will discuss a few options, particularly if your lifestyle is fast paced and demanding.
a. Coconut oil: 1 tablespoon per day, taken alone or can be added to smoothies or salad dressing and can be used in cooking and baking.
b. Probiotics: take one or two capsules in the morning.
c. Especially in Winter: Vitamin D 2000 IU/day
d. Buffered Vitamin C 1000 mg/ twice per day

B. IFF:
If you brew your own tea and if you remember animals are healers and if you spend time in nature and if you cook your own food and if you find health in your food and if you develop a healthy routine and if you learn to navigate the minefield that is the grocery store and if you cultivate a healthy hobby and if
you learn to eat with a conscience and if you learn to love what you do and do what you love and if you remember that mother nature contains all the health you will ever need and if you remember that 80% of what you need to do for optimal health is free and if you remember that frozen organic fruit and
veggies go great in a smoothie and if you hasten slowly and if you recall that Jesus and Buddha said a lot of similar things and if you have a sense of humor … then you may find yourself in such a healthy state that your friends and family may want to see what you are up to … With a debt of gratitude to my Osteopathic Teacher James Jealous D.O.

C. Spiritual Approaches:
Whether you call it meditation, prayer, contemplation, tai chi, Qi gong, yoga or simply a stretch break or a nature break, I recommend you take at least 5 minutes, three times per day to work on optimization of your breathing patterns.

One way to help with this approach is to repurpose your smartphone. Download the free app “Inner Balance”, then if it looks good to you, purchase (from the heartmath store you can find on the app) a lightning pod accessory (iPhone only) or a Bluetooth accessory (for iPhone and android phones).

D. The Family Circle:
A nice meditation or contemplation exercise to do daily is to appreciate the love coming in from everyone from whom you feel love. This includes blood relatives, friends, anyone with whom you have a positive loving connection, living or already passed on.

E. Edit Your Cupboard and eat like a European:
Be constantly vigilant about what you keep in your cupboards of where you live. Try to have
food around that is both healthy and tastes good, a constant but doable challenge.
The custom practiced in most of Europe and the rest of the world is to eat your largest meal in
the middle of the day. This makes good physiological sense.

F. Recommended reading/ sources
For strategies for healthy eating, I recommend the Wise Traditions diet from the Westin A. Price Foundation. A cookbook, published by Sally Fallon in 1999, called “Nourishing Traditions”
is highly recommended. The sprouted nut cookies and pancake recipes were inspired by her
cookbook. Other cookbooks that inspired these recipes:
“The Healthy Mind Cookbook” by Rebecca Katz, 2015
“The Grain Brain Cookbook” by David Perlmutter MD, 2014
“Food of Life” by Nannie’s Batmanglij, 2017 & 1986
“ Superfood Soups” by Julie Morris, 2016