I'm not one to often turn asparagus into soup. I think the crisp texture of asparagus makes the flavor better. This soup has changed my mind. I keep it simple with the base but the spinach adds a bump in nutrients (and green hue!) To make this soup easier, you could swap heavy cream for...
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Cashew Cream | Component Cooking
I was a bit slow to use cashew cream. I've never been shy about using heavy cream but over the years, my diet has tended a bit more towards vegan. This cream is a really useful recipe whether you're trying to eat vegan or not. The cream sauce can be thick and used as a...
Cilantro Scramble with Spiced Black Beans
I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest and Instagram. It's a wonderful space to find ideas and be inspired but at the same time, it can feel overwhelming. It can feel easy to think that all those beautiful photos of food are out of reach. This cilantro scramble is two-fold. For starters, it uses my...
Asparagus Frittata with Herbs and Mozzarella
There is hardly a better catch-all for vegetables than a frittata. I could easily riff on a frittata recipe every day (it was the frittata recipe that led me to creating all the base recipes for the cookbook). Raw, roasted, leftovers- most types of vegetables are welcome. This asparagus frittata uses a roasted asparagus mixture...
Pea Whole Wheat Couscous Risotto
Post sponsored by La Crema. See below for more details. I've always had a soft spot in my cooking for pearl couscous. Is it the healthiest choice? Not by a long shot. Is it delicious? Yes, yes it is. This small pasta cooks quick, soaks up every flavor, and has a lovely texture. I can't...
Pantry Red Harissa | Component Cooking
If there's one thing that rules my component cooking, it's sauce and sauce-like recipes. Making a sauce or two a week can bring all your meals together. I can't remember how I started making harissa but it's become a favorite component of mine. The smoky, spicy flavor works well with many different recipe types and...
Ginger-Soy Cabbage Quinoa Slaw
One of the reasons I love cooking is the constant flow. Sure, there are recipes I never change. But, a recipe I may have loved years ago can also morph and chang into something new. This quinoa slaw is a perfect example. It's a combination of two different recipes from the site that have worked...
Chipotle White Bean Tacos
Growing up, the liberal arts college in my hometown would hold an international celebration every year. It was, by far, one of my favorite things to attend. The college had a sizable student population from different countries and this event allowed all those students to showcase items and food from their cultures. When you're in...
Spiced Chickpea Fritters
If I can turn something into a fritter or cake, I will. They are comforting, easy, and can be a perfect addition to a weekly meal plan. I'm always a fan of these cauliflower cakes and quinoa cakes, but these chickpea fritters are a solid all-season recipe. If you have cooked chickpeas on hand, you...
Vegetarian Lunch, Three Ways
Post sponsored by Arla USA. See below for more details. One of the hardest parts about cooking is finding a balance between family members. Most of the time I cook one dish and everyone eats the same meal but occasionally I get a wild hair and make a few different items. This most often happens...
Spiced Black Beans | Component Cooking
In my list of components, these spiced black beans are at the top. We eat a lot of quesadillas, tacos, and enchiladas around our house. Having these beans on hand makes these meals much faster and tastier! I typically cook large batches of dried black beans with minimal added flavors then freeze them. From there,...
Coconut Curry Popcorn
A healthy and savory snack that works well for movie night!
Garlicky Spinach Cornmeal Crepes
There is a possibility that I could eat crepes for every meal. They are a light and wonderful substitute for breakfast pancakes. For lunch, I like to tuck vegetables and cheese inside and use in place of grilled cheese. For dinner, crepes can be used in place of tortillas in enchiladas. And of course, my...
Curried Carrot Cashew Salad
There are flavor combinations I have a hard time not repeating all the time. This salad is fairly indicative of one of my favorites: carrots and curry. I've made curried carrot soup, a split pea curried carrot soup, and I've been tinkering with a carrot curry for an eBook I've been working on. The earthy,...
Garlicky Greens | Component Cooking
I debated on what to share first but over the past year, these garlicky greens have made their way into numerous recipes. These greens are a wonderful all-season addition to recipes. It's simple: sauté your favorite greens with a little olive oil and garlic. I typically use kale because it has a bit of texture...
Raw Asparagus Fennel Salad and Khorsan Wheat
I am guilty of feeling compelled to cook everything, minus a few exceptions like lettuce and most fruit. I forget that some raw vegetables are beyond lovely. Take for example this asparagus fennel salad. The vegetables are thinly shaved and tossed with the dressing while the grains cook. This results in crisp vegetables softened just...
Green Curry with Potatoes and Chickpeas
Post sponsored by La Crema. See below for more details. I'm rather amazed that for as many curry recipes that I post, I've never shared a green curry recipe. Most days, I actually prefer this curry to the red. The sauce is packed full of herbs, coconut, and just a pinch of sugar to bring...
Marinara-Smothered Lentil Bites with Mozzarella
My obsession for these lentil bites knows no end. We keep an extra large batch of the bites in the freezer so that we can always have an easy meal, ready to go. This dish relies on my favorite pantry tomato sauce and a bit of cheese. These bites can be eaten by themselves, on...
Quinoa and White Bean Risotto with Brassicas
One of the things that excites me most about food, besides eating it, is the sharing of ideas and inspiration. One recipe could lead to 100's of variations which in return, could lead to 100's of more variations. There's an element of play, which I always encourage. Today I'm sharing a recipe from a blogger...
Vegetarian Picnic Recipes
When I was in college, at the first sight of spring, we would haul all our books out into the grass and stay there for hours. Coming out of the Chicago winter meant that anything 60 (with sun) felt amazing (even though we probably looked a bit out there in shorts!) And of course, I'd...
Sunchoke Soup with Fennel
When the first signs of spring start to show, I notice it in my cooking first. The flavors I use tend to brighten and recipes have an overall fresh feel. This sunchoke soup is the perfect example. The mild, earthy flavor of the sunchoke blends well with the punch of fennel and high note from...
Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potatoes
This recipe is in partnership with Frontier Co-op. See below for more details. I'm always hesitant to share a recipe that has been done many times before. There are countless recipes for lentil Shepherd's pie floating around but I'm really in love with my version. The major differences: no mushrooms (sorry to the mushroom lovers)...
Vegetarian Spring Recipes for Dinner
It's hard for me to choose a favorite season. I love the coziness of fall, the sunshine of summer, the intimate winter nights, and the renewal of spring. Spring in California feels rather abrupt. One day you look up and all the trees have beautiful flowers. It feels almost instant. Which is where we are...
Spicy Peanut Sauce Noodle Bowl
I've found that eating a bit healthier doesn't need to involve a major overhaul to everything, all at once. In fact, it's much easier to make small changes overtime. I think this logic is great for eating more plant-based meals. Start small and start easy. This spicy peanut sauce noodle bowl is one of my...
21 Kid-Friendly Vegetarian Recipes
One question I get often is, "What do I feed Mack?" Feeding a toddler can be choppy waters to navigate. We started out with a not-so-picky eater but as he gets older, he is becoming quite opinionated. And so I thought I would share a few recipes from the site that help bring us all...
Rye Pancakes
In the opening of The Homemade Flour Cookbook, before diving into all the different flours, I share a pancake recipe. It's a generic recipe but there's a solid reason behind it: it's one the best way to test the flavor of flours. Pancakes are forgiving and the perfect way to see how flour flavors will...
White Bean Gnocchi with Cauliflower and Cream Sauce
Post sponsored by La Crema. See below for more details. At least once a week, I shoot for having a date-night-in type of dinner. Most evenings we eat with Mack but occasionally I wait until he's in bed and cook a non-toddler friendly recipe. I pour myself a glass of wine (in this case, La...
Cilantro Sweet Potato Tostadas
Ever since having a child, I've noticed small changes in the way I cook. For the most part, Mack eats everything that we do (sans most salt). He polished off these chili lentils, this barley risotto, and even this lentil pilaf (much to my surprise). The small changes come in individual items, like mashed sweet...
Vegetarian Comfort Food Recipes
I like to think that the vegetarian comfort food I make is a direct mashup of my midwestern upbringing and my current California state of mind. They are meals that are (or feel) rich and are rooted in many recipes I knew as a kid. However, the recipes are heavy on fresh produce. The result...
Cracked Einkorn Porridge with Stewed Blood Oranges
Having grains in your pantry gives you an arsenal of ingredients to use. One grain can be used in many different forms. For example, einkorn is a delightfully chewy whole grain that also makes a beautiful wheat flour. However, I like the in-between state. A state where the whole grain is pulsed in a high-speed...
Butter Butternut Squash Pasta
Pasta is a weekly affair around our house. It's always a bowl full of vegetables tossed with whole wheat pasta and a drizzle of some sauce. This butternut squash pasta has long been a staple during the winter months. It's not a sauce-heavy pasta, but the flavor is so good, I never miss the sauce....
Sweet Potato Polenta with Fried Eggs
Some of my favorite dinners are ones that could easily be served for breakfast. In my mind, the act of putting an egg on something means it's ready for breakfast. This sweet potato polenta is one of a couple recipes I'll be sharing that uses sweet potato puree. It's easy to make and can be...
Black Bean Tacos with Avocado
We have a dinner rhythm to most every week. Thursday nights are pizza night while Friday's are often leftover vegetables tossed with pasta. Sometime earlier in the week is taco night. We make up guacamole and make homemade tacos or enchiladas. It may be one of my favorite dinner nights. These black bean tacos are...
Sweet Potato Hash Egg Skillet
It's around the beginning of February that I start to lose interest in winter produce. I've been eating squash and sweet potatoes for months and in California, the weather is turning to spring. We still have a bit of time before spring produce hits the market which means more creative winter recipes. This hash egg...
Quinoa Potato Cakes
Post sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. See below for more details. Our bottom drawer of our kitchen island is dedicated to potatoes of all kinds. At any given time I keep a handful of sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and Russet potatoes on hand. I've found I can pretty much make any type of meal...
Spinach Fennel Pizza
There are days I feel like I could solely blog about pizza and tacos. I find it beyond fun to come up with different combinations of toppings and fillings. The possibilities feel endless. This fennel pizza is a perfect example of what winter pizza looks like in our house. The flavor of fennel is uplifting...
Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash with Spelt
I was slow to warm up to spaghetti squash. I had fallen in love with the smooth texture of acorn and butternut squash. Spaghetti squash was different and highly unappealing. However, my thoughts have changed and I now like to use the unique texture to my advantage. This twice baked spaghetti squash is a little...
Chili Lentils over Sweet Potatoes
There's a small sandwich shop in my hometown that is a staple. The food isn't anything special but the tradition around the restaurant is there. Half the menu consists of loaded potatoes smothered with meats, nacho cheese, steamed vegetables, and of course, chili. I've made chili loaded fries before but these chili lentils are a...
Smoked Paprika Potato Spinach Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
Click around the site and you can get a feel for my food likes and dislikes. Mushrooms and tofu are limited while sweet potatoes and quinoa are featured nearly once a week. Smoked paprika is another flavor I use quite a bit. It's smoky, earthy, and sweet all at the same time. The potatoes soak...
Sumac Cauliflower Salad with Lentils
Over the years, I've fallen in love with learning about spices. From sourcing to using in recipes, each spice is wholly unique and can easily make a recipe. Sumac is newer to my pantry and only came into my kitchen when I started making my own Za'atar (which is essentially sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds)....