Whitney Aronoff

Starseed Kitchen

healthy cooking

Life

WHAT IS A PERSONAL CHEF?

As a Personal Chef I prepare custom designed meals that meet my clients dietary and lifestyle goals. All menu planning and grocery shopping is done by me. Meals are prepared in my client’s home, packaged in nice glass containers and neatly stored in their fridge. I leave a printed menu my clients can reference throughout the week with notes on reheating instructions, how to mix and match dishes throughout the week, or additional vegetables they can add to keep their food fresh and delicious. WHAT IS A PERSONAL CHEF A personal chef serves several clients, usually one per day, and ... Read More

Beauty

A Healthy Chef’s June Day In LA

My one-day clean beauty, healthy food and wellness stops  I schedule an LA day once a month were I run around the city doing all sorts of wellness treatments, along with researching the newest health food trends and restaurants. The day consists of a little bit self-care and a little bit healthy foodie research to inspire me in the kitchen.  This is a glimpse into the life of a health supportive trained chef and what I do to stay be well and stay well. From the healthy eats, wellness modalities and beauty secrets I seek out in LA. There are a lot of shops, restaurants, and ... Read More

Breakfast & Brunch

Bison Sausage & Sweet Potato Hash

I always enjoy a visit a health food store or natural market. I often joke that I enjoy a trip to a healthy grocery store like kids enjoy a visit to the iconic toy store FAO Schwarz. It is at these alternative markets where I find culinary inspiration. I was inspired to make this dish when visiting Erewhon Market in Venice, California. Stopping in for breakfast sends all your senses into overload. They put out a beautiful display of warm and healthyish breakfast good for every diet and food allergy. The dish that caught my attention was in a giant cast iron skillet. I liked the ... Read More

Breakfast & Brunch

Overnight Oats

This recipe was developed to celebrate the 2ndanniversary of Studio A, a yoga and pilates studio located in Dana Point, California. I am grateful for the opportunity to fuel and nourish all the guests that visited the studio that day.  This is a great recipe to prepare on Sunday so your breakfast or afternoon snacks are prepared and portioned out for the week. This is always a great for weekend brunch when you have multiple guests over. This makes a large batch, which will allow you to set up a make-your-own-bowl spread. Allow guests to choose their own toppings, from dried and ... Read More

Dinner

Baked Chicken Thighs with Herbs de Provence

Crispy Chicken Thighs baked with Dijon Mustard & Herbs de Provence If you like chicken wings, but always wish there was more meat, then the chicken thigh is for you. The chicken thigh is a mix or dark and light meat, which means it retains it juices, stays moist and has lots of flavor. When you cook meat with the bone in, you gain additional health benefits and flavor that is transferred to the meat during the cooking process.  The added benefit of cooking meat with bones is that you can stock pile them for a rainy day bone broth. SAVE YOUR CHICKEN BONES FOR BONE ... Read More

Dinner

Winter Stew

WITH BONE BROTH, ROOT VEGETABLES & LAMB Nothing is better in the winter then a warm, healing meal you can easily reheat three nights in a row. This dish makes it easy for you to enjoy all those healthy foods you keep hearing about: bone broth, root vegetables, bone marrow.  You’ll use bone broth as the liquid base in this stew. Root vegetables like turnips and rutabagas will be a filling starch without the excess sugar you get from other roots & tubers. These lamb shanks are falling-off-the-bone tender, with the bone marrow soft and easy for you to scoop out into ... Read More

Breakfast & Brunch

Breakfast Bowls

Do you prefer a sweet or savory breakfast? What qualifies as breakfast food is different in every country, and every culture. In the West, it tends to be grains and sweetened baked goods. In the East, they prefer a savory breakfast, such as broth, rice, vegetables and fish. As I continue to pursue ways to heal my body with food, it leads me to creating savory breakfasts.  As a chef, I have spent time studying a large variety of food theories, including macrobiotics and Ayurveda. I’ve balanced that health supportive culinary training by working with Naturopathic Doctors to ... Read More

Dinner

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks in Bone Broth

Nothing is as delicious in the fall and winter than slow cooked food. People often misinterpret a slow cooked recipe (such as lamb or short ribs) as complicated and labor intensive. It is exactly the opposite. In all honestly, it’s the least amount of effort for the greatest reward. That is why I love this recipe so much. What makes slow cooking easy is using a Dutch Oven. It is worth the upfront investment as it will be a piece you own your whole life. Check out the options from brands like Staub and Le Creuset.  SLOW COOKING TIPS The key to slow cooking meats is using a Dutch Oven. You ... Read More

Life

Chef Tips From My Cooking Classes

  There is nothing I love more than teaching cooking classes. I want others to feel confident in the kitchen and empowered to nourish themselves and others. I’ve always loved to cook, and thought I new a lot, until I went to a health supportive culinary school. I felt the skills and education I gained was information everyone deserves to have. When I went on to cook in restaurants and food delivery services, I learned efficiency and meal prep skills. Restaurants can’t make your meal from scratch, and serve it to you in 20 minutes or less, so your food has to be made in advance and re-heated to ... Read More

Recipes

Carob Avocado Mousse

VEGAN, SUGAR-FREE & A HEALTHY TREAT I have always been a big fan of carob. I love the flavor that makes it so distinct. To expect a real chocolate flavor from carob is asking too much of a legume. Though when you taste carob in desserts, it does have a similar taste to beloved chocolate. But for me, it’s better. WHAT IS CAROB? It is a legume, grown in the Mediterranean area. The pods are often imported, ground and roasted in the United States. If you can get your hands on the fresh pods, enjoy them right out of your hands (they are like a chewy date). Where you really see the difference ... Read More

Recipes

Quick Lemon Brussels Sprouts

Sometimes we just don’t have an hour for roasted vegetables. I often walk in the door after a long day, too tired to put anything together. This is where this recipe comes in. Slicing the brussels sprouts in half is the most work you’ll put into this dish. That’s what makes it so good. It’s easy to prepare, approachable for anyone’s cooking level, and produces great results (delicious brussels sprouts). This recipe is also forgiving. Don’t have a shallot? No problem, use a quarter of a yellow or white onion. No onion? Try two to three cloves of garlic. COOKING IN A CAST IRON SKILLET I used a ... Read More

Featured

The Best Tips I Learned at a Healthy Culinary School

A culinary school grad on the tips that changed my approach to healthy cooking Four years ago, when I was laid off from my job, I knew it was a blessing. I had already requested an application to the Natural Gourmet Institute (NGI), a health supportive culinary school in New York City. For months I had been trying to figure out how I could take a sabbatical, move to New York, and attend NGI full time. My wishes were granted, and within weeks of my layoff, I submitted my application and was accepted. So long Human Resources career, hello chef life. I chose NGI because they were the first ... Read More

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