The research behind vegan diets was her first push. Her sold-out cooking classes was the second. When Katie Farina decided to write a cookbook, Katie’s Healing Kitchen, she wanted to fill a void for her customers—easy, affordable, meatless meals they could prepare even on a weeknight.
“They were demanding it!” the 30-year-old chef says. “My passion is to transform unhealthy recipes without compromising flavor. I also try to add as many vegetables as possible—they’re the powerhouse for healing and disease prevention.”
Farina grew up in San Diego; her parents own Wine Vault & Bistro in Mission Hills. “We would turn our dining table into a pasta factory, then lay pasta strips over a broom held up by two chairs,” she says of her earliest cooking memories.
It was at home that Farina understood the healing potential of food. Nearly a decade ago, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Farina wanted a tangible way to help. She began reading studies and cookbooks on plant-based eating, eventually enrolling in Austin’s Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts.
“When my mom was dealing with cancer I incorporated my top five favorite superfoods into her diet. Garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and broccoli sprouts are off the charts in antioxidants, amazing for lowering inflammation, and have been proven in multiple studies to help prevent many diseases, including cancer. She’s now cancer-free thanks to radiation, surgery, and healthy eating.”
Tip
“Add powerful superfoods to your diet, whether it’s stuffing broccoli sprouts into a wrap, adding cinnamon to a smoothie, or using garlic, ginger, and turmeric in a quick vegetable curry soup.”
Farina has been vegan since, and after cooking at North Park’s now-shuttered macrobiotic restaurant Casa de Luz and at a group home for troubled youth, she formed Katie’s Healing Kitchen in 2013 to teach plant-based cooking classes at Wine Vault, Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, and for private clients. “I wanted to show people how easy it can be.”
The cookbook, which is available at Wine Vault & Bistro and katieshealingkitchen.com, includes tips on equipment and meal prep and over 100 vegan recipes, most of which take 30 minutes or less. At right, she shares her take on spaghetti squash puttanesca. “My hope is that the book inspires people to get cooking,” she says. “But more than that, I hope it’s an excuse to break bread with family and friends.”
Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca
Serves 4
- 1 small spaghetti squash
- Olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, diced small
- 8 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more for a spicier version
- One 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup capers
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- Salt to taste
- 10 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced, for garnish
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the ends off the squash, then cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Gently rub the squash with a little oil. Place cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake until tender and the inside edges of the squash are starting to get a little color, about 30 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape out “noodles.” Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat a medium pot over low heat; generously cover the bottom of the pot with oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant and the shallots are starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
4. Add canned tomatoes, olives, capers, artichokes, and coconut sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
5. Salt to taste. Toss spaghetti squash in sauce. Garnish with fresh basil.
Farina has a slate of demos and hands-on sessions for the new year, including a January 12 class dedicated to her top five healthy ingredients. Check katieshealingkitchen.com for more info.
