♪ We have become youth obsessed.

With injections, surgery, potions and fillers that desperately try to hang onto our younger selves.

Trouble is, we can end up looking like caricatures of our young faces.

Beauty comes from the inside.

It's time to age gracefully, and naturally, as we go Back to the Cutting Board today on Christina Cooks.

(theme music) ♪ (announcer) Underwriting for Christina Cooks is provided by Suzanne's Specialties, offering a full line of alternative vegan and organic sweeteners and toppings.

Suzanne's Specialties, sweetness the way Mother Nature intended.

Additional funding is also provided by Old Yankee Cutting Boards, designed for durability and custom crafted by hand with Yankee pride and craftsmanship.

Jonathan's Spoons, individually handcrafted from cherry wood, each designed with your hand and purpose in mind.

Additional funding is also provided by: ♪ Hi, I'm Christina Pirello, and this is Christina Cooks, where each week we take fresh, seasonal ingredients and whip them into amazing dishes.

Will it all be plant-based?

Yeah.

Will it all be delicious?

Yeah.

We live in a really interesting time.

We live in a time where people don't want to get old, no matter what it takes.

They'll do anything to their appearance and end up, very often, looking like caricatures of who they were.

So, of course we all want to age well.

You don't want to wake up one day and have everything pointing towards Venezuela.

So, although it eventually will happen, sorry, if you live long enough.

And my grandfather used to say, "Every day you're vertical is a good day."

So what you want to do is take care of your insides because your health is reflected on your face.

So wherever you have wrinkles, lines, spots, dots, before you should actually have them, it's an indication that your body's working too hard and so you're not aging as well as you could.

So we're gonna put some dishes together today that'll show you how to age like a movie star.

Not kidding.

So, I have a soup pot here.

We're gonna take some extra-virgin olive oil because it's really good for your skin.

It's a monounsaturate, it's stable under heat, and it's wonderful for skin.

Think Sophia Loren.

We're gonna add some onions because onions help to keep your lungs clear.

And that also when you can oxygenate, your skin looks better.

And we're gonna put this oil and onion on heat now.

Okay, so that's gonna start to sweat a little bit.

Now we're gonna take a stalk of celery.

Celery is a really underrated veggie.

People think this is the thing you put out with hummus when you're trying to lose weight.

But the truth is, because it has such a nice balance of sodium, celery is perfect for your body.

It helps you to get rid of moisture you don't need and hold onto moisture that you do.

Plus, it's high in fiber, so it makes your intestines work well, so your lips look beautiful and moist and lush and supple.

You can't lose.

So on top of the onions goes celery.

And now we're gonna start adding a tiny pinch of salt whenever we add a vegetable so that a depth of flavor is created, 'cause this is a really simple soup.

There's not a lot in it.

But we want those things that are in it to have beautiful flavor.

And next we'll add some hot spice.

The hot spice is optional but not in my house.

You want to add hot spice because it helps to stimulate circulation, and when circulation is stimulated, your skin looks great.

So we want to do that.

Now we're gonna stir this around.

And now come back and cut a parsnip.

This is a parsnip.

Regardless of what you might hear, this is not a pale carrot, it's a parsnip.

And while I chop it, I was doing an event and it was hosted by an "expert."

And as I put the parsnip down, I said, "So this is a parsnip."

And she said, "No, that's a pale carrot."

And I said, "No, pretty much parsnip."

And she said, "Oh, come on, queen of vegetables.

I thought this was a carrot."

And I said, "It's not, it's a parsnip."

She said, "No, parsnips are round."

And I finally said, "Oh, okay."

Whatever.

But this is a parsnip.

So when you're in the supermarket and the checker doesn't know what it is, it's a parsnip.

A parsnip is a root veggie that has a very sweet taste, so it nourishes the spleen, pancreas, and stomach.

It helps you to manage sweet cravings, it helps you to look relaxed, right?

Because you're not carrying tension in the center of your body, which is where many people carry it, particularly women.

Women even have a hand gesture that they do, "Doesn't it get you right here, right here?"

So, when you eat foods that are sweet, by nature, like sweet potato, parsnip, carrot, it helps you to relax.

You stand straighter, you look better, and your face looks relaxed.

There's no resting you-know-what face.

Okay.

So, another little pinch of salt.

Now I'm putting only tiny pinches because this is a bean soup.

Give it a stir.

Smells delicious.

And now we'll add some white beans.

These are white cannellini beans.

And cannellini beans are really good for heart health, they're Italian beans, but more importantly than that, they help with fiber and they have compounds that improve the quality of your skin.

I am using canned ones so that the soup cooks in like 15 minutes.

You can use regular, but I prefer to make it go a little more quickly.

Especially when weather's warm.

Next thing to go in is a bay leaf.

A bay leaf is gonna prevent the beans from making you, uh, musical.

So that goes in.

It has--it's high in something called monosodium glutamic acid and helps you to digest protein and fiber really, really well.

So the soup's gonna cook for about 15 minutes, and then we're gonna come back and finish it off.

♪ All right, the soup is perfect, creamy consistency.

First thing you have to do is take out the bay leaf because the bay leaves are not easy to digest so you don't want to eat those.

But if you forget to take it out of your soup, you're gonna have to give somebody a prize.

So, now we're gonna take some hot soup broth.

And we're gonna dissolve some miso, white miso.

Now, white miso is really good for digestion.

It's filled with enzymes and friendly bacteria.

And you want to simmer it when the soup is really low, low, low, so that the miso doesn't overcook.

And you're gonna use about a teaspoon for every cup of liquid.

And so you're thinking, "What does this do for ya?"

Well, it helps your digestive tract.

And what that means is that you will have supple lips, right?

If you have lots of creases in your lips or they're always chapped or chafed or cracking, you need to take care of your intestines, guys.

So, I'm gonna add some miso in.

And that's gonna simmer while we get the real star of this soup ready.

And that would be escarole.

Or if you're from South Philly, "shcarole."

But escarole is a bitter green in the family of broccoli rabe, watercress, arugula, dandelion.

You need to rinse it really well because it grows in sandy soil and it's not a good mouthfeel.

You need to trim the edges off the stem.

But what escarole and other bitter greens do is help your liver.

And so if your liver's functioning well, you're metabolizing great, but the most important thing, you're avoiding that little "11" between your eyebrows.

Because when your liver's happy, you don't frown so much and so you look better.

And it's a really delicate green, so you don't have to cook it for a really long time.

You just stir it into your soup, kind of stir it around till it wilts.

And you kind of want the green to look fresh.

It goes right into the bowl like this.

This soup will have you looking like a million bucks in no time.

♪ -Can a vegetable be a fruit?

-A fruit can be a vegetable.

-What?

It can be both?

-What happens if you swallow -the seeds?

-(unintelligible).

I don't get it.

I am so confused.

♪ We must get a million letters, emails, and phone calls to the office about various things that people are confused about when they try to change to a path of healthy eating.

So I thought, rather than answer all those emails, which I try to do, I thought I'd bring some people on who actually have questions and see if we can't clear a few things up.

So I'm here today with Steve Levy, who's a former NBC anchor, sportscaster, talk show host, everything but weather girl, and--maybe, I don't know.

-And, uh-- -I knew a couple.

(Christina) Of course, you-- I'm sure you did.

(laughter) -I'm sorry.

-Professionally.

-Of course.

-Yes.

(Christina) Any other way?

So, uh, what would you like to talk about today, dear?

(Steve) Well, I confuse easily, as you know.

-Don't we all?

-So prebiotic, probiotic.

-Is one before and after?

-Well, that's what -it sounds like.

-Yeah.

And--and what-- fermented food sounds like we're eating something that's already gone bad.

(Christina) All right, well, no.

(laughs) So, let's start with pre.

Prebiotics are actually a supplement created from fibers that stimulate the intestines to make bacteria and enzymes you need to digest.

So, prebiotics are often given to children when their immune system's still forming.

I don't know that it's necessary, and we'll get to that.

Probiotics are when you need to make that friendly bacteria to help you digest.

Fermented foods do naturally what probiotics do from a supplemental standpoint.

So things that are live pickles, live sauerkraut, meaning you buy it in a refrigerator.

Miso, soy sauce, all of those are fermented foods.

And so fermented foods help to nourish your intestines to produce the enzymes and bacteria you need to digest well.

So, for me, the ultimate probiotic is miso.

So, like, making a miso soup or eating a live pickle.

And the supplements we use when someone's digestion is so poor that they need, like, a kickstart and then they can get off those and move to natural probiotics and fermented foods.

So it's not stuff that went bad.

It's actually good bacteria.

It sounds like cabbage, then, is the number one all-time perfect food.

It actually is, fermented or cooked, it actually is the perfect food.

Are we good?

-Yeah.

-Okay.

So, let's try not to be confused about pre and probiotics.

Eat some miso soup and you'll be all set.

♪ Okay, so, I bet you didn't think you could improve your skin, hair, and nails by eating an upside down cake, but you can.

It's savory.

Stay with me.

So we're gonna start to heat a cast-iron skillet, 'cause this is gonna go right into the oven.

We're gonna take some extra-virgin olive oil and oil it like you would oil any baking pan, right?

So you're just gonna take a brush.

You could use a tissue, but then don't turn the pan on because you'll have scalded fingers.

But then you'll become a federal fugitive because you wouldn't have fingerprints left.

Sorry, that was a bad...thing to tell you to do.

All right, so now you've got that, it's ready to go.

And you're gonna take a little more extra-virgin olive oil because we're gonna sauté some red onions.

And I like red onions because they're really high in magnesium and potassium, and it's really good for becoming sweet and also helping your magnesium levels to stay normalized.

And when your magnesium levels are normalized, you're not cranky.

So that's a good thing.

Pinch of salt.

And what we're gonna do is just sort of make them even on the bottom of the pan 'cause we want them to sweat.

We don't need to sauté them here.

And on top of them are gonna go any kind of cherry tomato you like.

I like mini San Marzanos, if you can find 'em, because they don't have a lot of juice in them so they're not gonna make the topping real wet because this is the top of the savory cake, the onions and the tomatoes.

So you want to put enough in here to cover the onions.

Now you don't have to go crazy with creating a pattern because that'll give you wrinkles.

Just put them in here so they look moderately pretty.

Because they're gonna caramelize and look gorgeous no matter what the pattern, okay?

Now we're gonna add some balsamic vinegar because this is gonna make those tomatoes candy.

So I'm gonna give you a little advice here that you may or may not want.

Please, please, my darling people, don't buy cheap balsamic vinegar that's mostly red wine vinegar and tastes all acidy.

And you think, "Why do people like balsamic vinegar so much?"

Buy the one that pours out a little thick, like this.

This is gonna get syrupy and candy-like.

Amazing.

Now, into this bowl we're gonna make the actual savory cake.

So we're gonna take about a cup and a half of, um, you can use sprouted whole wheat or you can use whole wheat pastry, whatever you like.

You only need about a cup and a half.

This is a thin cake.

This isn't a big, tall, highly rised cake.

So that goes in.

And then a teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda to help the cake to rise.

And then some salt to give the cake flavor.

And we mix.

Now we add some extra-virgin olive oil to give the cake a nice moist crumb, about a quarter cup, more or less.

Now you can add dried herbs to this, like dried oregano or dried basil.

I'm not a big dried herb user, so I don't really use it that much.

But you may feel free because it is a savory cake.

And now we're gonna add water to create a thin cake batter.

But not a pancake batter, a cake batter.

So I'm gonna show you what that means.

So you slowly add your liquid until it starts to really come together and loosen.

What you don't want to do is overmix.

We love to mix.

We get our spoons in there and our whisks and we're just thinking, "Let's just mix forever."

The problem is when you mix forever, what you end up with is you've activated the gluten too much and you end up with a cake that could double as a doorstop.

Not good.

So the cake batter is ready.

It's a nice, spoonable texture.

And so right before the cake batter goes over the tomatoes, we add some lemon zest.

See, I always have a lemon in the freezer.

I use them over and over until they're gone and I'm grating my knuckles on the grater.

And what this lemon zest and juice from the frozen lemon will do is actually make the tomato seem sweeter.

Also, help you digest the oil in both the sautéed veg and in the cake.

So, again, eating plant-based and trying to look your best, eating the way I'm advising you to do is a win, win, win, win.

So now we're gonna move the tomatoes and onions around just to blend the lemon zest in.

Now, if there's a lot of liquid, you're gonna want to go in here with like arrowroot or cornstarch to make sure that the topping's not too wet and runny.

But if you can find these little San Marzanos, you'll never have to do that because it just creates the perfect moist topping.

So now we take our cake batter and you have to get it sort of everywhere, but it doesn't have to be a perfect cover of the tomatoes because as it bakes it's gonna rise.

And so it'll get coverage right there.

Try to get as much of your batter as you can.

Because this is a savory cake batter, this is not a pan you're gonna want to lick, you know what I'm saying?

You wanna get this in there and not be sticking your finger in it.

So... Just move it around so it covers the tomatoes as much as you can toward the edge.

♪ And this is gonna go in the oven at 350 for about 35 minutes, and then we'll take a platter and flip it out.

Awesome.

♪ Let's talk nuts, shall we?

They're not only a great source of nutrition, but they're also a great snack.

The greatest way to eat them, and the most fun, is to eat them in the shell.

Couple reasons.

You roast 'em in the oven, you're gentle with the oils, but also it takes some work to get these shells open and get the nut out.

So the nut is actually an edible fruit inside this hard shell.

So when you have to work for them a little bit, you may not eat quite as many 'cause they're a little bit calorically dense.

But nuts give us all kinds of nutrition, from essential fatty acids to calcium to protein to fiber to great quality monounsaturated fats.

Pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts should all be on your table on a regular basis, or in your baked goods or in salads.

The one I try to stay away from, and you may choose to eat it if you like, I try to stay away from cashews so much.

They have a very strong environmental impact, the way they're produced, but more importantly than that, they're very, very, very fatty and can land a little heavy on your hips.

So, eat nuts, just be careful with them.

♪ So, all we hear about is vitamin C and antioxidants when it comes to how your skin ages.

So, many people are spending billions of dollars on antioxidant creams and vitamin C. But you can get all of that that you need in your food, and it's gonna be a dessert too.

You can't lose on this one.

We have to make a crust.

Settle down.

So we're gonna take about a cup and a half to two cups of flour depending on how big you want the finished tarte or pizza to be.

I'm gonna use two cups because, I don't know, I feel like using two cups of flour.

But you can use a cup and a half.

Measure that in.

I always use a half-cup measure whenever I bake, no matter how many cups of flour I need.

It makes me feel like I'm in control somehow.

I'm gonna use a teaspoon of baking powder so that the crust gets a little bit lighter, and a pinch of salt so it becomes sweet.

And about, eh, about a quarter cup of coconut sugar, 'cause you need the crust to be sweet 'cause it's a dessert.

Then you're gonna mix all those together.

And you're gonna add about a quarter cup of avocado oil, or olive oil, but avocado oil is gonna give you a nice, buttery crust.

So about a quarter cup.

More or less.

Actually when you make a crust like this, you're better off erring to the side of more oil and less water than less oil and more water.

Your crust'll be more pliable.

And once you get the texture of, like, wet sand or little, like, nuggets that look like peas throughout your dough, you can start adding water.

You can also use a nut milk or a grain milk, but I gotta tell ya, when it comes to baking, I've been using water.

You save calories and I get the same result, so it's another win-win.

And so you're gonna mix this, slowly adding water, because what you don't want to do is have your crust end up too wet, 'cause if it's too wet, you have to add flour, and if you have to add flour, then it gets tough, and nobody's gonna want to eat that dessert, they don't care how good it is for them.

So once you have a nice sort of textured dough that's about 80% mixed, right, it doesn't need to be fully pulled together, but it needs to be dry like this.

Clean off your spoon.

And then you're gonna take a piece of parchment paper the size of your pizza tray, let's say.

And you're gonna sprinkle it with flour.

Just a little bit so it doesn't stick.

And then you're gonna turn your dough out onto this and not really knead it, but just kind of pull it together so that the gluten becomes a little bit active.

You don't want it super active but a little active.

Then you make a disc.

And then you're gonna take a rolling pin.

If you use a rolling pin that's made of wood, you're gonna have to dust it with flour.

This is a nonstick rolling pin.

We'll see how it holds up.

Eh, moderately stick, but it's okay.

It's working.

We'll just flour the top of the pizza.

And it'll be fine.

Like that.

And what you want to do here is get a sort of round shape, it doesn't have to be perfect.

This is gonna be a rustic dessert.

But what you do have to do is make sure that it's even thickness, because if it's not, what happens is you end up with a doughy part of your tarte and a non-doughy part.

So now we're gonna take our fruit.

We have some peaches.

And they're gonna get arranged right here.

And you want to stay away from the edge, right?

You want to kind of keep your filling all to the center.

You want to put some plum slices.

This is all summer fruits, high in vitamin C and antioxidants.

Then you're gonna add some strawberry slices, make another little section over here, some raspberries.

You can use whatever you want, except watermelon 'cause it's too runny and it'll get all kinds of watery in your tart.

Now, you're gonna take the edges and you're gonna fold them up using the paper to create just an opening in the center, right?

And then... You're gonna go back, once it's all pulled up, you're gonna go back and pinch these little pleats together so the tarte holds together.

Then you're gonna put it onto your pizza tray.

And this is gonna go into the oven for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees until when you touch the dough, it's solid, and when you see the fruit bubbling.

And you'll see the result in a minute.

♪ Okay, so here's the fruit pizza fresh out of the oven.

We're gonna set this over here for a second and get the glaze cooking.

Now, the glaze is really, really simple.

We're gonna take some apricot preserves, fruit-sweetened, don't use sugar-sweetened because it's just too sweet, and you want that little bit of tartness.

Tiny bit of brown rice syrup, which is gonna help to make it glaze.

And that's gonna go onto a low heat.

Well, yeah, okay.

Now I bet you think I forgot the upside-down tart.

So here we have our tomato tarte Tatin.

(exhales nervously) (relieved sigh) (chuckles) I usually have to say, "If there's anything left behind, you take it off and put it back on the cake."

But there's nothing.

Wow!

So look at this.

I know I shouldn't act surprised, but look at that and tell me you don't want to eat that and become healthier.

Just wow.

Okay, so now it's time for our fruit pizza.

Although I have the other thing everywhere now.

Okay.

So now we're gonna take this.

Give our glaze a stir.

You just want to loosen it and combine the rice syrup and the apricot jam so that they mix.

Try not to boil this part because if you boil it it's gonna turn really hard.

And you're just gonna take this, put it mostly over the fruit, but anything you have left can kind of go onto the crust like a little bit of a sauce almost.

And you just kind of spread this around for richness, right, and to sweeten things up.

Little bit more there.

Then we're gonna take this and hopefully slide it right onto the plate.

(mellow music) Phew, it's a good day.

And so, we have our tomato tarte Tatin and our fruit pizza to help us age like movie stars.

So what are you waiting for?

Let's get Back to the Cutting Board, and I'll see you next time on Christina Cooks.

(theme music) ♪ ♪ (announcer) Underwriting for Christina Cooks is provided by Suzanne's Specialties, offering a full line of alternative vegan and organic sweeteners and toppings.

Suzanne's Specialties, sweetness the way Mother Nature intended.

Additional funding is also provided by Old Yankee Cutting Boards, designed for durability and custom crafted by hand with Yankee pride and craftsmanship.

Jonathan's Spoons, individually handcrafted from cherry wood, each designed with your hand and purpose in mind.

Additional funding is also provided by: ♪ You can find today's recipes and learn more by visiting our website at: And by following Christina on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

The companion cookbook, "Back to the Cutting Board," takes you on a journey to re-engage with the soul of cooking.

With more than 100 plant-based recipes, finding the joy in cooking has never been simpler.

To order your copy for $20 plus handling, call: Add Christina's iconic book, "Cooking the Whole Foods Way," with 500 delicious plant-based recipes.

To order both books for $39.95 plus handling, call: ♪