Seamus Mullen posted a tip for making this 7-minute egg perfection on instagram a few days ago, and after listening to him on the Rich Roll podcast yesterday I was inspired to make ’em. I put ’em on top of a kale salad with shallots and leeks that had been cooked in ghee and hot sauce.

Perfection, indeed.

But let’s back up to the podcast for a second. If you or anyone you know/love is dealing with a medical condition, struggling in a bad cycle of pain > medication > helplessness, etc… have a listen. Seamus and Rich both know a lot about health and wellness and overcoming disease, and it’s not only inspiring to hear their stories, but you’ll probably learn a thing or two as well. I know I did.

http://www.richroll.com/podcast/seamus-mullen/

Now, to make the eggs!

Boil a pot of water, drop your eggs in, set a timer for 7 minutes, then plunge into a bowl of ice.

Done. Perfect gooey yolks.

They’re even better than I remembered… and so easy to make.

Basically take every nut and seed you have (I used almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, dates and coconut) and grind ’em up (I used my Vitamix, but you can use any food processor). Then mix that with a melty pot of coconut oil, almond butter, honey and vanilla… then freeze.

Luxury awaits.

And you’ll hopefully never eat a pre-packaged bar again

The official recipe is on Against All Grain’s blog… but you should tweak and play using your favorite nuts and seeds and make it your own. I smushed lotsa Enjoy Life grain-free, dairy-free chocolate chips in mine cause I wanna… enjoy life.

I love applesauce. Gimme a spoon and I’ll take down a jar of it in one sitting. Only problem is that the first ingredient listed on most store-bought kinds is high fructose corn syrup. Not even apples! High fructose corn syrup. Kinda sad, isn’t it? Sad and disturbing.

Instead of standing tall on my anti-sugar soapbox though, let’s discuss how to make a healthier version… one that barely needs sugar at all.

I bring you: the prettiest rosiest homemade applesauce that won’t give you diabetes. (Didn’t promise I’d stay off the anti-sugar soapbox.) This recipe is adapted from Elana Carlson at Food52, who uses cinnamon sticks and a lot more water. I don’t particularly care for cinnamon, so I just used a dash of it. Some apples, water, the sugar of your choice (I like organic palm sugar), and you’re ready to roll.

My mom-mom used to make her own applesauce with a foley, but that’s way too complicated and laborious. And unnecessary! Leave the skin on, as per Elana’s advice, and if you like your applesauce smooth, just pulse it through a Vitamix (or any kind of blender) after the apples are cooked down.

This is not your grandma’s (or sugary store-bought) applesauce. This is the new and improved applesauce. Your new favorite TV Dinner side (or, if you’re like me, midday pickmeup). Grab a spoon and dig in.

Lunch and dinner have been the easiest meals because I’ve always eaten salads, fish and vegetables, so I just cut the rice or quinoa from the dish / not a major sacrifice. Breakfast during the week has even been a walk in the park because I have the same protein/probiotic shake every morning. The biggest hurdle has been breakfast on the weekends when I used to always eat yogurt and granola. (Or avocado toast, but we know how that goes now.) Sure there are eggs, and I love me an omelette, but I needed another option, something just as easy that you can grab and go, like yogurt and granola. (Read: no stove, oven or prep time.)

That’s when I turned to my friend Jackie, my one woman health warrior who lives in LA. She’s luckily eons ahead of me in this grain-free world so she has plenty of knowledge to impart. (She’s also the reason I have a Vitamix, my most favorite machine ever, which I’ve used every single day for two years.) She’s passed along recipes too, including one of my now favorites for egg salad, which I plan to share here soon. (Thank goodness for email and texting so we can constantly be in touch about these sorts of Very Important Matters.) Anyway the last time she was visiting New York she sat on my couch and waxed poetic about the joys of chia pudding, how she eats it every morning for breakfast and that she’s full from it for hours… in a good, satisfying way. Sounds pretty good so far, right? But wait, there’s more: toppings! Who’s not a sucker for toppings? She puts hemp and sprouted sunflower seeds on her, along with fresh berries, goji berries, or any mixture thereof…

…and just like the Vitamix, Jackie is so on point with the chia pudding. I’ve come to love it because a) it takes seconds to make, b) you can make a huge batch of it to last all week, and c) the different iterations are endless — not just in terms of toppings, but what you put in the pudding itself, too. Jackie says she sometimes puts raw cacao powder in it to make a chocolate version, something I plan to try soon. (I’m also gonna try the white chia seeds she suggested, because the black ones can get stuck in your teeth.)

In the meantime I made a July 4th version with fresh strawberries and blueberries because, #USA. Let everyone else worry about what to throw on the grill this weekend; you show up to the party with this killer breakfast in hand. (You can thank Jackie later.)

The salad we created (pictured above): boston lettuce, radish sprouts (which had quite a spicy bite to ’em!), heirloom tomatoes and shaved asparagus on top. I tossed it all with two colors of sesame seeds, some chili flakes, lemon and olive oil. Simple perfection.