The next time you’re shopping at the grocery store, look for solutions to healthy skin in the produce section, not the beauty aisle. It turns out that what you put in your body can be just as essential as what you put on your skin. Good fats — like Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in ingredients like salmon, walnuts and flax seeds — take the spotlight.
Cinnamon Roll Grainless Granola (pictured above)
Yield: About 7 cups
3 cups walnuts
2 cups almonds
2 cups pecans
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup raisins, soaked for 15 minutes and patted dry
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor or using a knife, coarsely chop the walnuts, almonds and pecans. In a medium bowl, stir together the nuts and seeds with the maple syrup, applesauce, water, raisins, cinnamon and salt. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet; bake until golden and crisp, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Greek Salad Sweet Potato Spaghetti
Yield: 4 servings
1 large sweet potato, peeled and spiralized
2 tablespoons flax seed oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more for sprinkling
Salt and pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and soaked in salted water for about 15 minutes
1/2 cucumber, chopped
Feta, crumbled, for topping
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sweet potato spirals on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar and oregano. Whisking constantly, stream in the 2 tablespoons of oil until combined; season with salt and pepper.
Place the cooked potato spirals in a serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, onion and cucumber; toss. To serve, top with the feta and sprinkle with oregano.
Salmon Scampi
Yield: 6 servings
3/4 cup finely crushed brown rice cereal crumbs
1/4 cup pine nuts, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vermouth or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 pounds whole side salmon, skin on
Lemon wedges, for serving
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the cereal crumbs, pine nuts, garlic, parsley, oil, vermouth, crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
Place the salmon, skin-side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Top completely with the garlic mixture. Bake until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Silvana Nardone is the author of the Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen: Timeless Favorites Transformed.