The Mindful Kitchen

New Yorker Heather Thomas is the founder of The Mindful Kitchen, a sustainable eatery and workshop hub based in Copenhagen, Denmark. She earned her MBA writing a thesis on food waste and concocting a fusion of mindfulness and cookery to help people develop new eco habits in the kitchen. In 2016, The Mindful Kitchen was born to spread the process of how to connect to nature with every bite, working with eco-chef Tom Hunt, Havana Club, Sustain, and The Eden Project. Heather has trained in climate change communications with Al Gore and the Climate Reality Project.  

Introduction  6

Chapter 1: Eating for Vitality  16

You are what you eat. Most often, people interpret that phrase as meaning you are as physically healthy as the food you put into your body. Research is emerging that paints a more holistic picture about health and food. Studies indicate that the food we eat also affects our mental and emotional well-being.

• Flatbread • Labneh  • Tzatziki • Fava Bean Falafel  • Tahini • Smoky Baba ghanoush • Hummus • Roasted Carrot Hummus • Lima Bean and Rosemary Hummus • Tabbouleh • Maple-drizzled Roast Butternut Squash • Shakshuka with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts • Orange-roasted Cauliflower with Dates • Preserved Lemons  • Preserved Lemon Spaghetti • Oven-baked Preserved Lemon Potatoes • Pucker-up Preserved Lemon Salad • Apple Cake Lasagne

Chapter 2: Eating for Comfort  46

Changing how we eat to nourish ourselves as an interdependent part of nature can be made easier by programming ourselves to feel the soulfulness of comfort food when we munch foods produced in ways that foster a regenerative world.

• Green Pea Guacamole • Green Pea Guac and Wasabi Soba • Roasted Beet and Pistachio Dip • Knækbrød • Rainbow Tomato Salad • Preserved Tomato Sauce • Zero-waste Tomato Powder • Deviled Eggs with Horseradish • Savory Tomato Preserves • Tomato and Corn Pie • Zucchini Canoes • Zucchini “Pasta” Bowls • Crispy Bean Salad • Peas in a Pod Salad • Savory Pickled Plum and Kale Salad • Strawberry Chips • Strawberry Crisp Muesli • Strawberry Preserves • Blueberry Cobbler • Brandied Cherries • Badda Bing Martini • The Good Ship (Cherry) Lollipop

Chapter 3: Eating for Creativity  80

If we want to create a regenerative world, one that is fair for all forms of life, we also have to look at why we humans adopted a mindset that caused all this mess in the first place. Climate-change solutions are human solutions, and to find them, we all need to exercise our creativity.

• Parsley and Walnut Pesto • Cilantro and Hazelnut Pesto • Basil and Brazil Nut Pesto • Peanut Butter • Peanut Milk • Zero-waste Peanut Pulp Crackers • Veggie Stir-Fry with Peanut Butter Sauce • Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto • Oatmeal Honey Bread • Savory Spinach and Mushroom Porridge • German Onion Pie • Preserved Pizza • Purple Sauerkraut • Vegetarian Smørrebrød • Wild Rice and Sauerkraut Salad • Cabbage Chips • Potato and Cabbage Patties • Zero-waste Veggie Broth Box • Stone Soup

Chapter 4: Eating for Connection  112

Developing a nature-relatedness practice deepens your sense of identity as a part of your habitat. As you progress, you begin to derive well-being benefits and behave in a more collaborative way with all the life that makes up your community.

• Cheddar and Ale Rarebit • Leek and Carrot Coconut Soup • Mint and Cilantro Chutney • Chutney-marinated Halloumi Salad • Spring Pea, Mint, and Feta Frittata • Split Pea Burgers • Leek and Hazelnut Risotto • Cannellini Beans, Ale, Mustard, and Truffle Stew • Rhubarb-marinated Tofu Steaks • Rhubarb and Lentil Curry • New Potato Salad • Asparagus Salad • Radishes à la française • Deli-style Dill Pickles • Baby Broccoli, Chickpeas, and Tahini • Roasted Carrot Couscous • Carrot Gnocchi • Sweet Rhubarb Pie • Rhubarb and Mint Sodas • Elderflower Syrup

Chapter 5: Eating for Celebration  144

Eating for celebration begins at the point of the year during which the cycle of most edible life ends, because that is where the cycle begins once again. This chapter offers a harvest feast of thanksgiving designed to cultivate your humility through gratitude and some questions to consider how to pay it forward.

Mushroom, Zucchini, and Pumpkin Seed Canapés • Vegan Creamed Corn • Garlic Truffled Mashed Potatoes • Oven-roasted Brussels Sprouts • Maple-roasted Carrots • Zero-waste Carrot Powder • Butter • Maple Butter • Buttermilk Herbed Stuffing • Short and Stout Bread • Spiced Pumpkin and Coconut Soup • Pumpkin Pie Bars • Pickled Pumpkin • Tart and Tangy Wild Berry Sauce • Baked Sweet Potato and Apple • Spiced Applesauce • Apple Molasses • Apple Molasses and Goat Cheese Pancakes • Apple Molasses Gingerbread Cookies • Apple Shrub • Temptation Preservation Cocktail

Resources  178

Index  186 

About the Author  191

Acknowledgments  192