Every new year starts with a buzz of produce excitement. I spend the cool fall months with cozy recipes that help to settle into a long winter. The new year is all about lighter recipes packed with flavor. I love winter squash because it plays in both spaces well and is easy to store throughout...
Blog
30 Minute Vegetarian Dinners
30 minute vegetarian dinners are my core meals. With a toddler running around, I don't have a lot of time to relax in the kitchen in the evening. I'm fairly certain 'relax' and 'toddler' are two words that don't go together. I'm usually waiting for M to get home and then running to the kitchen...
Roasted Sweet Potato and Cabbage Summer Rolls
Cooking is my creative outlet. I look for challenges in the kitchen, usually as a sort of Chopped episode. I have X ingredients on hand- what can I make? I've started doing something similar with my newsletter with help from subscribers submitting three ingredients they currently have in their kitchen. These cabbage summer rolls were...
Roasted Carrot Sandwich with Sunflower Cream
I feel that sandwiches are easy to overlook when thinking about vegetarian lunches. However, I love the endless possibilities of vegetables, greens, and sauces. A solid sandwich in my book can be as simple as fresh summer tomato, mozzarella sandwich to a cheese and pickle sandwich with mustard (and no, I'm not pregnant). This carrot...
Vegetarian Lunches for the Work Week
While I don't work in an office, I'm always helping my husband pack his lunches. It took some time to get into a routine (that we're still working on) but he always does better during the day when I send him out the door with lunch. Below are a few of my favorite vegetarian lunches...
Grilled Celeriac with White Bean Puree
This recipe is in partnership with California Olive Ranch. See below for more details. One of my marks for a good chef is how they can transform a meat-based dish into a vegetarian meal. When I'm in a group setting and request vegetarian, there are usually two outcomes: the chef used what they were doing...
Butternut Squash Toast with Pistachios and Sage
I like a solid, savory breakfast. Eggs, some form of vegetable, and a thick slice of toasted wheat bread. This butternut squash toast is all of that combined. The original recipe, from the Easy Vegetarian Cookbook, is one of my variations for bruschetta. It's a fairly loose bruschetta but the herbs and squash find a...
Halloumi Salad with Spinach and Quinoa
I often receive questions along the lines of, "how do I start to eat healthier/more produce/vegetarian." I often feel that people expect a step by step process from me but the truth is, it takes finding your own rhythm. Two things I do suggest though: start small and find ways to balance the healthy/treats. This...
Sweet Potato Barley Stew
Sesame Brussels Sprout Soba Bowl
In our house, my husband eats all the grains I prepare without complaint even though they are not his favorite. In particular, he isn't a big rice fan. Noodle bowls are my bowl compromise. Sure, noodles aren't as nutritious as grains but they still allow me to load the bowl up with lots of vegetables...
Sesame Delicata Squash Kale Salad
It's easy to overwhelm yourself with sweets and rich foods during the winter months, especially during the holiday season. And so, I like to offer a few solid lunch options that can help bring balance. I don't eat a lot of kale salads but with the sesame delicata squash and the spicy dressing, it lends...
Roasted Broccoli Pasta with Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese Sauce
As I start to balance our evening meals between what we would normally eat, versus what I should feed a toddler, I've started to find an intersection. This roasted broccoli pasta is one of those landing spots (minus the nuts for him). You may look at me crazy about my toddler eating goat cheese (he...
Sunchoke Latkes with Poached Egg
In the past year or so, my breakfast tastes have changed. I was on an oatmeal kick for years- I couldn't get enough in the mornings. However, I've started to move back to a more salty/savory breakfast with two trusted old favorites: potatoes and eggs. These sunchoke latkes are one of my favorite ways to...
Baked Barley Risotto with Carrots
One of the things I try to rally against is that certain types of recipes have to be hard. If you have ever watched almost any cooking show on television, a risotto dish almost always happens. And most likely, it's hard to nail and they paint it as a tricky dish. This is the reason...
White Bean Masala Smothered Sweet Potatoes
I'm always a bit hesitant to share recipes that have a long list of ingredients. I know there can be an automatic reaction: lots of ingredients equals a hard recipe. That's not the case with this white bean masala. At least half the ingredients and instructions are for the paste which once you make once, you'll...
Chimichurri Potato Tacos with Pinto Beans
This recipe is in partnership with California Olive Ranch. See below for more details. My love of tacos knows no limits. If I can figure a way to put a vegetable in a taco, I'll try it. These potato tacos are a riff from a vegetarian taco I had some time back at a small...
Kale Quiche with Garlic
Post sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. See below for more details. During the holidays, quiche is my gateway vegetarian recipe. It's a wonderful bridge for those who might be a meat and potatoes kind of person to those who want to load up on vegetables. This kale quiche is one of my favorites to make...
Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese with Spinach
During the winter months, we eat a lot more pasta. It's not always the healthiest but I love finding ways to add more vegetables to each dish without overloading. This sweet potato mac and cheese was one of my first experiments that has been made for years. The sweet potato helps to create a beautiful,...
Rosemary Potato Egg Bake
Post in partnership with Frontier Co-op. See below for more details. When it comes to holidays, I've always appreciated that Thanksgiving is on a Thursday. We usually get a four day weekend where we can just lounge around. As a result, it's my favorite part of the holiday. Usually, we have a leisurely breakfast on...
Baked Pumpkin French Toast
I love having people stay at our house during the holidays. I feel like it adds to the overall hum of excitement and gives me an excuse to cook recipes I wouldn't normally cook for a small family. I love french toast but it's not always the most feasible thing to make for a crowd....
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Manchego
With every holiday meal, I love having a salad. It's an easy win, providing a bit of lightness to an otherwise heavy meal. Plus, it can be a fun way to showcase ingredients in a new way. While I love roasted Brussels sprouts, shaving and serving them raw makes for a lovely salad. Add a...
Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Cream Sauce
When feeding a group of people, large or small, I'm always trying to figure out how to prep ahead. I want to have a more hands-off experience so I can enjoy time with friends and family. I often make stuffed shells to avoid a cooking frenzy. In fact, these squash stuffed shells (and a few...
Romanesco Black Lentil Pilaf
My favorite recipes are rooted in something familiar but include a twist to make it more unique and fun. Pilafs are usually grain-based but this lentil pilaf highlights one of my favorite legumes: black lentils. Paired with roasted romanesco, a spice-laden dressing, and dates, the pilaf is unique, beautiful, and tastes amazing. One word of...
Shaved Parsnip Salad with Parsley
For me, the key to holiday meals are the dishes I can easily make ahead of time but they still add to the overall meal. This parsnip salad adds crisp, freshness when paired with the rich curry but could also stand on it's own. In fact, I mixed leftover salad with cooked black lentils from...
Red Kuri Squash Curry with Chard
I like to push the boundaries on traditional holiday foods. At my thanksgiving table, we often have a mix of dishes we grew up with (green bean casserole) and the addition of dishes I like to add in for fun (this squash curry). This curry is part of my vegan thanksgiving series. It's warm, cozy,...
Slow Cooker Rutabaga Gratin with Millet
Post sponsored by Crock-Pot® Brand/Mirum Shopper. See below for more details. When it comes to holiday meals, I'm type-A (plan everything to the minute) cook. I have a schedule for every facet of the meal, to the point of where I have alarms in my phone. (In fact, I still have labels from last Thanksgiving....
Pear Salad with Gorgonzola
Pear salad with gorgonzola is one of the classic fall combinations. It's possibly overdone but still well worth sharing again (and again). This recipe is one I first start working with in 2010 but it's morphed into the version below. I use to cook the pears but I found the crispness from the fresh fruit...
Radicchio Salad with Lentils and Roasted Acorn Squash
When it comes to planning meals for small or large gatherings, I keep two things in mind: dietary restrictions and highlighting the beauty of each season. This radicchio salad with lentils and roasted acorn squash is definitely a dish of beauty. The best part? The squash roasts long enough so the skin is tender and...
Kale and Chickpea Stew
Post in partnership with Muir Glen Organic. See below for more details. Sometimes I miss the snow. I miss the excuse of not leaving the house because you can't get out the door. I miss the calming effect snow has as it falls. Most of all, I miss the cozy feeling of curling up on...
Curried Carrot Soup
a simple and delicious summer soup
Roasted Five-Spice Pumpkin Soup
Post in partnership with Frontier Co-op. See below for more details. One of my favorite items to use during the fall season is pumpkin. I'm not talking about the creamy puree you buy in a can but rather the actual pumpkin. In fact, it's easy to roast as you would any other winter squash. In...
Root Vegetable Hash Egg Skillet
When we go out for weekend brunch, I usually end up ordering what some may consider the least exciting breakfast: eggs and potatoes. I have a love of all things potatoes which has manifested into a few different potato/egg recipes. For example, this pesto potato skillet and this smoked paprika egg bake to name a...
Roasted Beet Salad with Herbs and Spinach
As the days get shorter, it's sometimes harder to motivate myself to cook. I'm somewhere in between the light summer dinners and hearty, cozy meals for snowy nights. This roasted beet salad is the perfect balance and usually where I land. It's simple, with an elegant, restaurant-like feel. But what I love most is the...
Root Vegetable Pot Pie
I have a weakness for pot pies. There's a memory that I can still picture, sitting in my grandmother's kitchen, smell of the pot pie in the oven. It's comforting to me and one of the reasons I love making pot pies. This root vegetable version has quite a few ingredients but is primarily just...
Enchilada Skillet with Eggs
Post in partnership with Muir Glen Organic. See below for more details. I love breakfast, but sometimes I get stuck in ruts. Breakfast is a low key event and my family is okay with that. As a result, we make oatmeal every weekday and most weekend mornings. When oatmeal won't do the trick, it's scrambled...
Stuffed Delicata with Chimichurri Black Beans
One of my goals every fall is to cook my way through all the hard squashes. Each one is so unique and versatile that it's a shame to stop with butternut squash. Outside of butternut, delicata is one of my favorites. That's because it cooks quickly and my favorite part is that there is no...
Roasted Rutabaga Pasta with Cashew Sauce
I have a weak spot for creamy pasta. It's on the short list of my favorite comfort foods. When I started my cooking journey, one of the first things I taught myself to make was a perfect Alfredo sauce. Ever since, it's branched out from there. More recently, I've been excited about this lemon cream...
Root Vegetable Cassoulet
Whenever I make a vegetarian version of a meat-based staple, I'm hesitant to use the same name. They aren't the same thing and really shouldn't be compared. However, the idea and inspiration shine through, especially in the recipe. This root vegetable cassoulet is stewed and hearty, echoing it's meat counterpart. In place of the meat,...
Sorghum Oven Pancake with Pear
One of my biggest hopes for this site is to get people excited about whole grains. They are such a huge part of my diet both in whole and flour form (I even wrote a cookbook about them). As such, I always get excited when I find kindred spirits, like my friend Alanna. She just...
Cracked Spelt Risotto with Roasted Beets
Post sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. See below for more details. When fall and winter come around, I make risotto almost once a week. It takes a bit longer to make but pour yourself a glass of wine and stir away. Spelt isn't one of the first grains I would normally pick for a hearty...