Black Hills Health Retreat Blog

The Healing Kitchen: Creamy Cucumber Dressing
The Healing Kitchen: Creamy Cucumber Dressing
Fresh cucumber and raw cashews blend with lemon, garlic and onion into a cool, creamy dressing. Includes the original recipe and optional avocado variation. Read more...
The Healing Kitchen: Creamy Avocado Dressing
The Healing Kitchen: Creamy Avocado Dressing
Ripe avocados and vegan mayonnaise blend into a rich, creamy dressing with lime or lemon. A simple five-ingredient recipe with blending and serving tips. Read more...
The Healing Kitchen: Brazilian Salad Dressing
The Healing Kitchen: Brazilian Salad Dressing
A creamy Brazil nut and tofu dressing with lemon, garlic and a fresh green onion finish. Includes the original batch recipe and a honey-free vegan option. Read more...
The Healing Kitchen: Avocado Salad Dressing with Fresh Herbs
The Healing Kitchen: Avocado Salad Dressing with Fresh Herbs
Ripe avocados, parsley, dill, basil and green onions blend into a bright, creamy salad dressing with olive oil and lemon. Read more...
The Healing Kitchen: Simple Avocado Dressing
The Healing Kitchen: Simple Avocado Dressing
A light, oil-free avocado dressing made with lemon, garlic and water. This simple blender recipe serves seven and brings a fresh finish to everyday salads. Read more...
Vegan Butter: An Almond Flour & Coconut Oil Butter with Olive Oil & Lime — Yields 2 Sticks
Vegan Butter: An Almond Flour & Coconut Oil Butter with Olive Oil & Lime — Yields 2 Sticks
This vegan butter is a genuine achievement in whole-food fat science. Almond flour (or home-blanched raw almonds processed into flour), nutritional yeast, salt, lime, water, olive oil, and refined coconut... Read more...
Mozzarella Cheese (Vegan): A Stretchy, Boiled Cashew Cheese with Tapioca Starch & Nutritional Yeast
Mozzarella Cheese (Vegan): A Stretchy, Boiled Cashew Cheese with Tapioca Starch & Nutritional Yeast
This is the most technically sophisticated cheese in The Healing Kitchen collection — and the one that most closely replicates the behavior of real mozzarella. The secret is tapioca starch.... Read more...
Jededias’ Cheese: A Coconut Milk & Soy Milk Pizza Cheese with Tahini & Honey
Jededias’ Cheese: A Coconut Milk & Soy Milk Pizza Cheese with Tahini & Honey
Named and personal, this cheese belongs to a tradition of recipe-sharing that runs through retreat cooking — a formula someone developed, tested, and passed forward. Jededias’ Cheese uses coconut milk... Read more...
Heavy Metal Detox Cilantro "Cheese": A Raw, Blended Herb Spread with Pumpkin Seeds, Dulse & Lime — Serves 6–8
Heavy Metal Detox Cilantro "Cheese": A Raw, Blended Herb Spread with Pumpkin Seeds, Dulse & Lime — Serves 6–8
This is not a cooked sauce — it is a raw, blended herb cheese: thick, verdant, intensely aromatic, and built entirely around the concept of heavy metal detoxification. Every ingredient... Read more...
Cheese Sauce with Pimiento: A Cashew-Based, Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce with Roasted Red Pepper & Nutritional Yeast
Cheese Sauce with Pimiento: A Cashew-Based, Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce with Roasted Red Pepper & Nutritional Yeast
This is the classic of The Healing Kitchen cheese collection — a rich, golden, deeply savory cashew cheese sauce built on a foundation that appears again and again in plant-based... Read more...
Lentil Burgers: A Hearty, Herb-Seasoned Plant-Based Patty with Spelt Flour & Miso
Lentil Burgers: A Hearty, Herb-Seasoned Plant-Based Patty with Spelt Flour & Miso
These lentil burgers are the kind of whole-food plant burger that genuinely satisfies — tender green or brown lentils simmered in vegetable stock until deeply soft and splitting, then mixed... Read more...
Butter, Love Your Heart: A Cornmeal-Based Plant Butter with Coconut Milk & Olive Oil
Butter, Love Your Heart: A Cornmeal-Based Plant Butter with Coconut Milk & Olive Oil
This recipe is one of The Healing Kitchen’s most charming creations — a whole-food plant butter that spreads, stores, and satisfies like real butter, made entirely from cooked cornmeal (or... Read more...
Alfredo Cheese Sauce: A Creamy, Dairy-Free White Sauce with Navy Beans, Cashews & Nutritional Yeast
Alfredo Cheese Sauce: A Creamy, Dairy-Free White Sauce with Navy Beans, Cashews & Nutritional Yeast
This Alfredo sauce is a quiet triumph of plant-based cooking. Navy beans, cashews, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and Instant Clearjel — blended smooth and cooked until thick and... Read more...
Walnut Olive Burgers: A Three-Blend, Herb-Seasoned Patty with Rolled Oats — Yields 14
Walnut Olive Burgers: A Three-Blend, Herb-Seasoned Patty with Rolled Oats — Yields 14
These are the most technique-specific burgers in The Healing Kitchen series — and the most rewarding. The recipe uses the blender three times, in a deliberate sequence, and the recipe... Read more...
Sunflower Burgers: A Pecan-Sunflower Seed Patty with Tofu, Carrot & Spelt Flour — Yields 30
Sunflower Burgers: A Pecan-Sunflower Seed Patty with Tofu, Carrot & Spelt Flour — Yields 30
These are big-batch burgers — one recipe yields 30 patties, making them the ideal choice for retreat meal service or bulk freezer prep. The foundation is blended sunflower seeds and... Read more...
Unleavened Bread: An Ancient, Wholesome Wheat Loaf with Avocado Oil — Serves 12
Unleavened Bread: An Ancient, Wholesome Wheat Loaf with Avocado Oil — Serves 12
Unleavened bread is humanity’s oldest bread — made before the discovery of fermentation, before commercial yeast, before baking powder. Just flour, water, fat, and salt, combined and baked. What it... Read more...
How to Make Sourdough Starter: Capture Wild Yeast & Build a Living Culture from Scratch
How to Make Sourdough Starter: Capture Wild Yeast & Build a Living Culture from Scratch
Before there was sourdough bread, there was the starter — the living culture of wild yeasts and Lactobacillus bacteria that makes sourdough possible. Every traditional sourdough tradition on earth, from... Read more...
Sourdough Bread: A Multi-Flour Fermented Loaf with Wheat, Corn, Rye & Sesame Options
Sourdough Bread: A Multi-Flour Fermented Loaf with Wheat, Corn, Rye & Sesame Options
This is sourdough the way it was made for thousands of years — no commercial yeast, no additives, no shortcuts. Just flour, water, salt, and a living sourdough starter whose... Read more...
Sesame Flaxseed Crackers: A Kneaded, Deeply Crispy Cracker with Quinoa, Buckwheat & Avocado Oil
Sesame Flaxseed Crackers: A Kneaded, Deeply Crispy Cracker with Quinoa, Buckwheat & Avocado Oil
These crackers take a different approach than the soaked seed crackers in The Healing Kitchen series — they are kneaded. Made from a blend of quinoa flour, buckwheat flour, ground... Read more...
Seed Crackers: A 5-Seed Superfood Cracker for Omega-3s, Minerals & Gut Health
Seed Crackers: A 5-Seed Superfood Cracker for Omega-3s, Minerals & Gut Health
These seed crackers are one of the most nutritionally concentrated snack foods you can make — a thin, crispy sheet of pure seed power. Five seeds, water, and salt. No... Read more...
Millet Quinoa Pizza Crust: A Gluten-Free, Grain-Blended Crust with Nutritional Yeast & Herbs
Millet Quinoa Pizza Crust: A Gluten-Free, Grain-Blended Crust with Nutritional Yeast & Herbs
This pizza crust is a revelation. Made entirely by soaking millet and quinoa overnight, then blending them with water, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, and coconut oil into a pourable batter,... Read more...
Nutty Pie Crust: A Date-Walnut Crust for Pies, Tarts & Wholesome Desserts — Yields 1 Medium Crust
Nutty Pie Crust: A Date-Walnut Crust for Pies, Tarts & Wholesome Desserts — Yields 1 Medium Crust
Three ingredients. Fifteen minutes. One beautifully rich, naturally sweet pie crust that contains no butter, no refined sugar, no refined flour, and no eggs — and yet delivers the depth,... Read more...
Crispy Oat Crackers: A Gluten-Free, Whole-Grain Cracker Made with Brazil Nuts, Walnuts & Avocado Oil
Crispy Oat Crackers: A Gluten-Free, Whole-Grain Cracker Made with Brazil Nuts, Walnuts & Avocado Oil
These crackers are a masterclass in whole-food snacking. Built on a foundation of quick oats, brown rice flour, buckwheat, and quinoa — all blended from whole grains — and enriched... Read more...
Chickpea Cornmeal Muffins: A Naturally Sweet, Gluten-Free Snack — Yields 20
Chickpea Cornmeal Muffins: A Naturally Sweet, Gluten-Free Snack — Yields 20
These muffins are a beautiful example of whole-food baking at its most honest — no refined sugar, no eggs, no dairy, no flour. Just soaked chickpeas and Medjool dates blended... Read more...
White Quinoa & Red Lentil Crepes: A Protein-Complete, Gluten-Free Crepe — 1 Recipe Makes 25
White Quinoa & Red Lentil Crepes: A Protein-Complete, Gluten-Free Crepe — 1 Recipe Makes 25
These crepes are one of the most elegant examples of whole-food cooking in The Healing Kitchen series. Just four ingredients — raw quinoa, raw red lentils, water, and salt —... Read more...
Most Delicious Gluten-Free Cornbread Muffins — 2 Recipes Makes 55 Small Muffins
Most Delicious Gluten-Free Cornbread Muffins — 2 Recipes Makes 55 Small Muffins
The name says it all. These gluten-free cornbread muffins have earned their reputation — golden, tender, lightly sweet from honey, and studded with frozen corn that becomes juicy and caramelized... Read more...
Whole Corn Cornbread: A Simple, Wholesome Loaf Made with Real Corn & Polenta
Whole Corn Cornbread: A Simple, Wholesome Loaf Made with Real Corn & Polenta
This cornbread is as elemental as it gets — just whole corn kernels, water, salt, oil, and polenta, baked until golden and firm. No refined flour, no eggs, no dairy.... Read more...
Chickpea Millet Waffles: A Gluten-Free, Protein-Rich Breakfast — Yields 10
Chickpea Millet Waffles: A Gluten-Free, Protein-Rich Breakfast — Yields 10
These are not your ordinary waffles. Made entirely from soaked chickpeas, millet, and water — no flour, no eggs, no dairy — these golden, crisp-edged waffles are naturally gluten-free, extraordinarily... Read more...
Bread Maker Sourdough: A Living Bread for Gut Health, Digestion & Whole-Grain Nourishment
Bread Maker Sourdough: A Living Bread for Gut Health, Digestion & Whole-Grain Nourishment
Sourdough is one of humanity's oldest foods — and one of the most remarkable. Unlike conventional bread leavened with commercial yeast, sourdough is fermented with a living starter culture of... Read more...
Pinto Beans: The Fiber-Rich Southwestern Staple for Heart Health, Blood Sugar & Gut Support
Pinto Beans: The Fiber-Rich Southwestern Staple for Heart Health, Blood Sugar & Gut Support
Pinto beans are one of America's most beloved legumes — the foundation of refried beans, burritos, and hearty stews from the Southwest to Central America. Speckled and earthy, they become... Read more...
Red Lentil Dahl: The Golden Anti-Inflammatory Bowl — Serves 6
Red Lentil Dahl: The Golden Anti-Inflammatory Bowl — Serves 6
Red lentil dahl is one of the world's great healing dishes — a staple of Indian cuisine for thousands of years and a cornerstone of Ayurvedic nutritional medicine. It is... Read more...
Northern Beans: The Mild, Creamy Legume with Powerful Benefits for Heart, Gut & Immune Health
Northern Beans: The Mild, Creamy Legume with Powerful Benefits for Heart, Gut & Immune Health
Great Northern beans are the quiet achievers of the legume family — mild in flavor, beautifully creamy in texture, and extraordinarily versatile. Their neutral profile makes them an ideal canvas... Read more...
How to Grow Mung Bean Sprouts at Home: A Living Food for Enzyme Activity, Digestion & Vitality
How to Grow Mung Bean Sprouts at Home: A Living Food for Enzyme Activity, Digestion & Vitality
Mung bean sprouts are something genuinely remarkable — a living food you can grow in your own kitchen in just three days, with nothing but beans, water, and a jar.... Read more...
Split Mung Beans: The Ayurvedic Superfood for Digestion, Detox & Gentle Nourishment — Serves 12
Split Mung Beans: The Ayurvedic Superfood for Digestion, Detox & Gentle Nourishment — Serves 12
In Ayurvedic medicine, split mung beans — also called moong dal — are considered one of the most healing, easily digestible foods available. They are traditionally prescribed during illness, detox,... Read more...
Kidney Beans: A Hearty Plant-Based Superfood for Heart Health, Energy & Immune Support
Kidney Beans: A Hearty Plant-Based Superfood for Heart Health, Energy & Immune Support
Named for their distinctive shape, kidney beans are one of the most popular and nutritious legumes in the world — a staple of everything from classic chili to Caribbean rice... Read more...
Green & Yellow Lentils: Ancient Nutrition for Modern Wellness — Serves 12
Green & Yellow Lentils: Ancient Nutrition for Modern Wellness — Serves 12
Lentils have nourished humanity for over 9,000 years — and this recipe shows exactly why. Serving 12, it's built for community, retreat cooking, and serious meal prep, delivering an iron-rich,... Read more...
Green Split-Peas: The Humble Legume with Powerful Benefits for Heart, Gut & Blood Sugar Health
Green Split-Peas: The Humble Legume with Powerful Benefits for Heart, Gut & Blood Sugar Health
Don't let their simplicity fool you — green split peas are a nutritional powerhouse. No soaking required, ready in 30 minutes, and naturally creamy, this stovetop recipe is one of... Read more...
Garbanzo Beans & Chickpeas: The Mediterranean Superfood for Blood Sugar, Satiety & Inflammation
Garbanzo Beans & Chickpeas: The Mediterranean Superfood for Blood Sugar, Satiety & Inflammation
From hummus to falafel, garbanzo beans are the world's most beloved legume — and with good reason. This Instant Pot recipe highlights their natural creaminess alongside sautéed tomatoes and celery,... Read more...
Black-Eyed Peas: The Southern Superfood for Digestive Health & Heart Support
Black-Eyed Peas: The Southern Superfood for Digestive Health & Heart Support
From West African food traditions to the American South, black-eyed peas have long symbolized prosperity and resilience. Requiring no soaking and ready in 35 minutes in the Instant Pot, this... Read more...
Black Beans: A Plant-Based Powerhouse for Gut Health, Energy & Heart Support
Black Beans: A Plant-Based Powerhouse for Gut Health, Energy & Heart Support
Black beans have been a cornerstone of traditional plant-based cooking for thousands of years — and for good reason. Rich in protein, fiber, and powerful antioxidants, this simple Instant Pot... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Men's Health
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Men's Health
Low energy, hormonal decline, and prostate concerns are among the most common issues men face after 40 — and all respond well to targeted natural support. Here's a pattern-based guide... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Immune Health
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Immune Health
Immune resilience is built in layers — foundational nutrients, long-term immune modulators, and acute activators all play distinct roles. Here's a practical guide to the herbs, mushrooms, and nutrients that... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Gut Health & Digestion
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Gut Health & Digestion
Most digestive complaints — bloating, heartburn, IBS, constipation — stem from three overlapping issues: dysbiosis, impaired digestion, and mucosal damage. Here's a symptom-based guide to the herbs, probiotics, and nutrients... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Joint Pain & Inflammation
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Joint Pain & Inflammation
Joint pain and chronic inflammation have one of the strongest evidence bases in natural medicine. Here's a practical guide to the anti-inflammatory herbs, structural nutrients, and topicals that address both... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Anxiety & Stress
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Anxiety & Stress
Anxiety and chronic stress are among the most responsive conditions to botanical intervention — when the right herb is matched to the right pattern. Here's a pattern-based guide from nervine... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Better Sleep
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Better Sleep
Most sleep supplements miss the mark because they don't match the solution to the problem. Here's a pattern-based guide to the most effective herbal and nutritional sleep support — for... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Energy & Adrenal Fatigue
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Energy & Adrenal Fatigue
Morning exhaustion, afternoon crashes, wired at night — this is the adrenal dysregulation pattern. Here's a practical morning and evening protocol using the best-researched adaptogens and nutrients for sustainable energy... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Ways to Support Thyroid Health
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Ways to Support Thyroid Health
The thyroid controls metabolism, temperature, mood, and hormones. When it underperforms, everything suffers. Here's a practical guide to the nutrients, herbs, and lifestyle factors that support healthy thyroid function naturally. Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Hormonal Balance
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Hormonal Balance
Women's hormonal health shifts dramatically across the lifespan. The herbs that help PMS in your 20s differ from what supports perimenopause in your 40s. Here's a life-stage guide to the... Read more...
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Postpartum Recovery
Ask the Herbalist: Natural Support for Postpartum Recovery
The postpartum body has given enormously — restoring it requires targeted nutrition and thoughtful herbal support. Here's a practical guide to the herbs and supplements that actually help new mothers... Read more...