Cookbooks
Spicy Dry-Fried Beef
This is a typical Sichuan technique for dry-frying beef. Unlike most meat stir-fries, the beef is not marinated; instead it is stir-fried immediately then cooked for a few minutes longer to intensify the beef flavors and to give give the meat a slightly chewy texture.
By Grace Young
Huevos Rancheros with Kefir Crema
Trouble finding kefir? Plain yogurt—or sour cream thinned with a little water or lime juice—works just as well in this hearty Tex-Mex dish.
By Julie Smolyansky
Mary's Panna Cotta with Red Wine Syrup
Kefir and a honey-sweetened red wine syrup gives these creamy desserts a tart, refreshing, and sophisticated edge.
By Julie Smolyansky
Mini Raspberry and Coconut Cream Tarts
Elegant, sweet, and delectable, these are true treats that fit every occasion. Definitely adjust the filling for what ingredients are local and in season where you live, and you’ll have an endlessly surprising dessert.
By Alejandro Junger, M.D.
Chilaquiles
Stock your fridge with salsa, eggs, and cheese, and keep a bag of day-old tortillas chips around to instantly throw together this filling, comforting, sobering meal.
By Nick Korbee
Avo and Egg
This simple dish of fresh smashed avocado, ripe heirloom tomato, and perfectly poached eggs is finished delicately with fresh lemon juice, herbs, and sea salt.
By Nick Korbee
Sticky Maple and Bourbon Pork Ribs
Skip the same old boring barbecue sauce and opt for a sticky malt vinegar, bourbon, and maple syrup glaze to slick up these boiled-and-baked pork ribs.
By Donna Hay
Arroz Caldo
In this Filipino chicken rice porridge, a combination of medium-grain and sticky rice cooks in freshly made chicken stock until it becomes thick and creamy.
By Yasmin Newman
Dill Potatoes
Serve these easy boiled potatoes with slow cooker corned beef, or any hearty main course.
By Hugh Acheson
Pickled Mustard Seeds
Mustard seeds that have been plumped in a pickle brine can really make a dish. They provide texture and crunch, heat and sweetness.
By Hugh Acheson
Jicama and Pomegranate Slaw
This fresh slaw is refreshing, tart, crunchy, and wonderful served alongside grilled chicken.
By Magdalena Wszelaki
Sweet Potato and Sage Pancakes
These wheat-free pancakes are sweetened with nothing but homemade, sugar-free applesauce.
By Magdalena Wszelaki
Sweet Potato Rice Crispies
Here, all of the best flavors of sweet potato casserole are combined into your favorite sweet-and-crunchy childhood treat. The best part? It all comes together in about half an hour.
By Jerrelle Guy
Hot Cocoa Cake
This chocolaty bundt is brimming with rich flavor from a combo of cocoa and chocolate-enhancing coffee powder. The melty chunks from a chopped up bar of chocolate are just an added bonus.
By Amy Emberling and Frank Carollo
Vanilla Heart Cakes With Rosewater Icing
Swap nectarines, plums, or any summer berries you like into this rustic afternoon tea cake.
By Donna Hay
Kefir-Battered Cast-Iron Fried Chicken
When a craving for fried chicken hits, I turn to this recipe, which tastes nothing like chicken that's been passed through a fast-food window—and that’s a good thing. The chicken is marinated overnight in kefir, so the lactic acid helps tenderize it while imparting a subtle buttermilk flavor. It’s fried in grapeseed oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fats and vitamin E, plus has a high smoke point, making it a nice substitute for olive or vegetable oils when frying (sautéing and stir-frying, too).
By Julie Smolyansky
Mushroom Frittata
Kefir—a yogurt-like dairy beverage—adds wonderful tang to this earthy shiitake and kale frittata, but you can sub in plain yogurt instead.
By Julie Smolyansky
Truffle, Porcini, and Pecorino Cheese Polenta
Just another attempt to sneak truffles into this cookbook one more time. The struggle is real.
By Julie Smolyansky
Winter Fruit Kefir Salad
This showstopper is a kaleidoscope of colors, a treasure chest of nutrients . . . yet not a berry to be seen. Winter fruit has its merits: Kiwi is an excellent source of vitamins C and K (the latter is needed for blood clotting), not to mention digestion-enhancing fiber. Reddish-orange persimmons contain twice the dietary fiber of apples, plus more potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, and antioxidants. Cantaloupe and honeydew both provide potassium and are super hydrating—helpful for the winter months when you might be stuck indoors amid dry, re-circulated air. Dressed in a tropical coconut kefir-and-mint vinaigrette, it's a pleasure for all of the senses.
By Julie Smolyansky
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Scones
Meet my version of an energy bar. About 30 minutes before a workout, I’ll grab one of these scones, plus some coffee and a gulp of kefir; the whole wheat flour gives me the sustained energy I need to make it through a five-mile run or an hour-long SoulCycle class . . . or just a normal, hectic day.
By Julie Smolyansky