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How a health diagnosis changed the way chef Seamus Mullen cooks

The Dish: Chef Seamus Mullen
The Dish: Chef Seamus Mullen 05:03

Chef Seamus Mullen got an early exposure to pure, whole foods. He grew up on an organic farm in Vermont where his mother and grandmother provided his first cooking lessons. He went on to work in some of the top kitchens in Spain and brought his take on modern Spanish cooking back home, eventually opening the acclaimed Tertulia in New York City. 

He's also well-known for advocating for food choices to promote optimal health, which he credits for relieving his own struggle with rheumatoid arthritis. It's the subject of his latest cookbook "Real Food Heals." 

Watch the above video to hear more about Mullen's culinary journey and below are some of the chef's signature recipes: 

Kale salad with prune vinaigrette

Vinaigrette ingredients

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1/3 cup minced prunes
½ clove garlic, finely grated
sea salt and pepper to taste 

Salad ingredients

4-6 cups of baby kale or chopped Tuscan kale
2-3 radishes, thinly sliced
4 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 whole avocado, cut into ½" pieces
fresh cilantro, basil and/or mint
1 shallot or red onion, very thinly sliced
Sea salt and pepper 

Directions

1. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk together, or alternatively shake together in a mason jar.

2. Thoroughly mix remaining ingredients for the salad together in a large mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper and dress to your liking with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

'Simply the Best' granola

Ingredients

3⁄4 cup pecans
3⁄4 cup walnuts
1⁄2 cup slivered almonds
1⁄2 cup sliced almonds
1⁄2 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
½ cup cashews
1⁄4 cup flaxseeds
1⁄4 cup flaxseed meal
1⁄4 cup sesame seeds
3⁄4 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes
5 dates, pitted and chopped
1⁄4 cup chia seeds
1⁄4 cup dried tart cherries
1⁄2 cup macadamia nuts
1⁄4 cup dried mulberries
1⁄2 cup shelled pistachios
1⁄4 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid
2 ⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
11⁄2 teaspoons Jacobsen flake finishing sea salt, slightly crushed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a very large bowl and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Spread in an even layer in the prepared pan.

3. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until deep golden brown, about 40 minutes.

4. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The nuts will crisp as they cool. The granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Basic roast chickens 

Ingredients

2, 2-3 lb. whole free-range, sustainably raised chickens
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped, mixed fresh herbs such as thyme rosemary and sage 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2. Generously season the chickens inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavities of the birds with herbs then truss the chickens, tying their legs and wings against their bodies with kitchen twine. Place the chickens on a rimmed baking sheet, breast-side up, spacing them apart. 

3. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the inside of the thigh joint (but not hitting bone) registers 155 F, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

4. Transfer to a cutting board to rest and cool slightly, at least 15 minutes. Chow down on one bird; shred the meat of the other with a fork and refrigerate for other uses. 

Marinated spice-grilled carrots with mint, yogurt and pistachios 

Ingredients

1 small guindilla pepper or chile de arbol 
1 teaspoon coriander seeds 
1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
1 teaspoon mustard seeds 
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves 
1/2 star anise pod
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar  
1 small garlic clove, finely grated 
2 lbs. mixed heirloom baby carrots
Jacobsen flake finishing sea salt
Mint yogurt sauce
1/4 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios toasted
Fresh mint leaves, torn
Aged balsamic vinegar 

Directions

1. Heat a grill to medium high

2. In a spice grinder, combine the guindilla, coriander, cumin, mustard, peppercorns, cloves and star anise and pulse until ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add the olive oil, sherry vinegar and garlic. Whisk to blend. Add the carrots, season with salt, and toss until well coated. Let stand for 20 minutes. Transfer carrots to the grill, reserving the spice oil in the bowl. 

3. Grill the carrots, turning often and taking care not to burn them, until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Return to the bowl with the spice oil. Gently toss to coat, then refrigerate until cool. 

4. Place the mint yogurt in the bottom of a large bowl. Arrange the chilled carrots on top. Sprinkle with pistachios and mint leaves and finish with a generous drizzle of the aged balsamic vinegar. 

Roasted sweet potatoes with coconut, maple syrup, and espelette pepper

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes
4 tbsp coconut oil
4 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter
4 tbsp pure maple syrup 
2 tbsp Jacobsen flake finishing sea salt
2 tbsp espelette pepper or chile powder
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Fresh cilantro and mint leaves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Place the whole sweet potatoes on a roasting pan and roast until tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes. The timing will depend on their size. Remove from the oven and cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Return to roasting pan, cut sides up. 

3. Change the oven setting to broil and heat the broiler. Rub the cut sides of each sweet potato half with 1/2 tbsp each of the coconut oil and the butter then drizzle with the maple syrup. Sprinkle with salt and place under the broiler. Broil until slightly browned and caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes. Finish with a sprinkle of espelette pepper, the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro and mint. Serve immediately. 

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