This is a guest post by Rachel Riggs, author of In Good Health.
I don’t have MS, but I feel deeply connected to the MS community because I lived with a formal MS (mis)diagnosis for five years. Eventually, I received a definitive diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), hyperadrenergic POTS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).
At the time, I owned a specialty food shop. My work—and much of my identity—was built around food. When illness upended my life, I had to step away from many of the ingredients and culinary traditions I had long relied on. Now, I adhere to a paleo diet. I share that to say: if I can go dairy, gluten, grain, refined sugar (and nightshade) free, anyone can.
Dr. Terry Wahls’ pioneering research has further reinforced what many of us with lived experience have come to understand about nutrition’s profound impact on health.
My new cookbook, In Good Health: Uncomplicated, Allergen-Aware Recipes for a Nourished Life, is the resource I wish I had when I began overhauling my own diet. The recipes are rooted in both restraint and abundance. Short ingredient lists, minimal prep. The style is bright, unfussy, and seasonal—with a distinctly California sensibility. No gimmicks, no fads—just fresh, modern, timeless food.
I wanted the baked goods in this book to feel homey and deeply satisfying. The everyday cakes, for example, are whisked together in a single bowl and made with almond flour and maple syrup.
If you're considering a significant dietary shift, I hope the recipes I’m sharing here can be a starting point. Taking control where we can is empowering—and can help make long-term change more sustainable.
This hearty beef dish, paired with your favorite vegetable mash, is as simple as it is comforting. It fills your home with the warm, inviting aroma of French onion soup and provides essential nutrients that can be lacking if red meat isn’t part of your regular rotation. Low-effort yet high-volume, it’s a meal you can enjoy for several days in a row or freeze for a quick, satisfying dinner down the line.
Savory French Onion Beef
- Combine all ingredients, except chives and flake salt, in a slow cooker in the order listed, with the chuck roast sitting on top.
- Cover, set it to high, and cook for 3 hours.
- Use a pair of tongs to flip over the roast, then cook for another 3 hours.
- Using 2 forks, break roast into smaller chunks so it will cook evenly and absorb all the other flavors. Cook for another 2 hours.
- Pick out any undesirable tendons or fat and discard. Using 2 forks, shred beef so it combines with the juices.
- Serve beef over the vegetable mash of your choice. Garnish with chives and sprinkle with flake salt, if desired.
NOTES
The ingredients fit perfectly into a 3.5-quart slow cooker. It’s important to slice the onions paper-thin so they eventually disappear into the beef.
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
This creamy cauliflower mash is a righteous stand-in for mashed potatoes. Simmering the cauliflower in coconut milk—instead of boiling in water and pouring it away—preserves its nutrients. Serve it alongside Roast Chicken (page 135), Savory French Onion Beef (page 139), or Bison Meatloaf (page 140). It reheats well, so you can make it in advance if that’s more convenient.
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
SERVES 6–8
2 large heads of cauliflower, finely chopped
1 (13.5-oz/400-ml) can full-fat, additive-free coconut milk
3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons pink salt, plus extra to taste
Maldon flake salt, for sprinkling
Chopped chives, for garnish
- In a stockpot, combine cauliflower, coconut milk, garlic, and pink salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 20 minutes, until cauliflower is very tender. Remove from the heat, uncover, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes so the excess moisture can evaporate.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender for a denser, silkier purée.) Season to taste with more pink salt.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, then sprinkle with flake salt and chives.
Fudgy Brownies with Toasted Almonds + Flake Salt
SERVES 9
Brownies
3/4 cup (200 g) well-stirred almond butter
1/2 cup (157 g) pure maple syrup
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup (182 g) unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon pink salt
1/2 cup (60 g) Valrhona cocoa powder (see Note)
3 tablespoons coconut flour (use a knife to level)
Toppings
1/2 cup (3 oz/85 g) coarsely chopped dark chocolate (see Note)
1/2 cup (60 g) unsalted, dry-roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
Maldon flake salt, for sprinkling
- Brownies Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add each brownie ingredient in the order listed, whisking well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter to the edges. Tap the pan on the counter to smooth out the thick batter.
- Top with the chopped chocolate and almonds, with the goal of covering all the batter. Add a light sprinkle of flake salt. Bake on the center rack for 30 minutes.
- Cool completely in the pan, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares.
Variation: Egg-Free Brownies To make these egg-free, you can swap out the egg for ground flax seeds and water. Add 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water to the mixing bowl first. Give it a few minutes to thicken a bit, then proceed with the recipe as written, omitting the egg.
NOTES
Using Valrhona cocoa is critical to the deep chocolatey flavor of this brownie. You may be tempted to use chocolate chips for the topping but note that they will not produce the same melty puddles as chopped dark chocolate.
You can find Rachel here:
Newsletter: https://rachelriggs.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.rachel.riggs/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Health-Uncomplicated-Allergen-Aware-Nourished/dp/1773272780
Excerpted from In Good Health: Uncomplicated, Allergen-Aware Recipes for a Nourished Life © 2025 by Rachel Riggs. Reproduced with the permission of Figure 1 Publishing. Photography by Colin Price and styled by Marian Cooper Cairns.
