EAT
Nourishing recipes for everyday meals and special occasions
Roasted Eggplant, Burrata & Spicy Tomato-Date Jam
A Dish Meant for Sharing There are dishes that ask to be plated and eaten carefully, and others that invite you to lean in, tear off a piece of bread, and dive in. Roasted Eggplant, Burrata & Spicy Tomato-Date Jam is the latter. It begins with eggplant, charred...
Roasted Beet, Orange and Mint Salad
From Market to Table: A Winter Salad in Portugal I walked along the ocean after lunch with a dear friend, the sun on my face, a cool breeze threading through my hair, the sound of life all around me. Waves crashing in wide, steady rhythms. The high-pitched giggles of...
Kale, Purple Cabbage and Curried Pineapple Salad
Kale, Purple Cabbage and Curried Pineapple Salad with Lemon–Honey Vinaigrette and a Sweet and Salty Brown Sugar Almond Crunch Some salads are just bowls of greens, but this one has some serious craveable cred. Deep greens paired with jewel-toned purple and gold signal...
Polenta Cakes with Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes with Ancho–Honey Glaze
Some dishes manage to feel both deeply comforting and quietly sophisticated at once, and these polenta cakes with roasted tomatoes and artichokes with ancho–honey glaze are one of them. We’ve been traveling over the holidays, first to New York to see our son,...
Purple Sweet Potatoes with Charred Peppers and Lemon-White Bean Purée
Sometimes a dish hits every note you didn’t even realize you were craving — salty, sweet, tangy, bright, and just a touch spicy. This roasted purple sweet potato with charred peppers recipe is one of those dishes. It looks beautiful on the table, tastes even better...
Toasted Walnut and Basil Pesto
This year, I celebrated my birthday in the most unexpected and heartwarming way: in Como, Italy, with my son and my granddaughter—three generations who all share the same birthday. We decided to meet there to be near my daughter-in-law’s family, who live just outside...
WELCOME TO A NOURISHED LIFE
I’m Eva, a cook, writer, and lifelong seeker of the good in life, living along Portugal’s windswept coast. Here, I share mostly plant-based, often gluten-free recipes that nourish both body and spirit, along with reflections on healing, aging, and intentional living.
To me, a nourished life means living with presence and grace. It’s a quiet walk by the sea, a meaningful conversation, and the joy of both the salad and the slice of cake.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Seasonal Spring Recipes
Spring cooking is all about freshness – crisp vegetables, fragrant herbs, and dishes that feel light yet satisfying. This collection brings together simple, seasonal recipes perfect for easy lunches, outdoor gatherings, and everyday nourishment
French Potato Salad
This French-style potato salad is delicious on its own, served on a bed of greens, or used as a side dish with a protein. The crisp pea pods give it a fresh flavor, and the dressing is filled with bright-tasting herbs and mustard.
Provencal Asparagus Tart
There is something about French Provencal food that really speaks to me. Haute Provence cuisine is a much lighter and simpler style of cooking verses Haute Cuisine, which is what a lot of people associate with French cooking. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of...
Lemon Asparagus Risotto
Slow Food at its Best There’s something meditative about making risotto. Unlike other dinners that invite multitasking, risotto asks you to slow down and stay present. Stirring, watching, adjusting, it’s a quiet ritual that turns simple ingredients into something rich...
Nicoise Salad
The Nicoise Salad is one of the great French culinary concoctions. It is simple, fresh tasting, and a nutritiously power-packed dish. It is a wonderful salad to make for a buffet table or pot-luck, as it allows people to take the ingredients that suite their particular diets and preferences.
Lemon & Vegetable Couscous
Looking for a side dish with bright and fresh flavors? This Lemon & Vegetable Couscous is great hot, cold, and at room temperature. It can be served as a side dish or as an excellent vegetarian or vegan entrée, when plated on a bed of greens, such as arugula. In...
Preserved Lemons
Preserved Lemons are a wonderful addition to many recipes. A staple in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisine, they have become a more popular ingredient, adding a lovely and unique citrus flavor to chicken, fish, vegetables, rice, and, my favorite, couscous dishes....
Living Well, Simply
What we choose each day—how we eat, move, rest, and connect—shapes our health, our energy, and even our mood. Rooted in both tradition and science, I believe these daily choices are powerful tools for cultivating wellbeing.
Food is an essential part of that. Some meals are pure joy and celebration, while others are created with nourishment in mind—both have their place in a life of balance and intention. As Michael Pollan wisely said, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
A well-lived life extends beyond the plate. It’s found in balance—in how we care for ourselves and how we savor the beauty of our meals, our surroundings, and the company we keep.
WELLBEING
Tools, rituals, and reflections for a nourished mind and body
Wellness Starts with Why
Discover the power of identifying your ‘why’—the key to staying motivated and creating lasting change in your journey to a healthier, more mindful life.
Understanding Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load
Understand the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load, and why glycemic load may be a more accurate way to manage blood sugar levels.
A Lesson in Perseverance – One Step at a Time
Hiking the Maroon Bells: Nature’s Lesson in Perseverance One foot in front of the other, we trekked our way up the narrow path where the Aspen trees rustled in the breeze, creating a sound somewhere between water running down a stream and that of a joyful musical...
FRESH FROM THE BLOG
Smoked Carrots With Whipped Herbed Ricotta, Lemon & Harissa
Rediscovering the Humble Carrot I’ve been a little obsessed with carrots lately. With so many varieties and colors to choose from these days, I think I’m rediscovering just how versatile and delicious they can be. This recipe came together as a way to use up a bunch...
Vegetarian French Butter Bean Cassoulet
A Rustic French Classic Cassoulet, Reimagined for a Vegetarian Table The rain has been relentless this winter as cold, blustery storms sweep across the Iberian Peninsula one after another, with Portugal bearing the brunt of their fury. For weeks, the sky has remained...
Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
A Timeless Cookie What got me thinking about these thumbprint cookies was a story about my two grandnieces, who recently started taking cooking classes in Denver. They were given little chef’s coats and clogs to wear while learning their way around the kitchen, a...