I am a midwesterner through and through. I love my adopted home state of California but a piece of me will always be in Illinois. I still occasionally long for those slow summer days at my parent’s house on a the lake or those mornings waking up to snow on the ground. I miss the…
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Za’atar Tomatoes with Sweet Corn Bread
I love cornbread. I’ve stated this before and it’s fairly apparent in that I’ve used cornbread in salads and in pancake/waffle form. Cornmeal is always in my pantry and during chili making months, there’s usually a piece with a slab of butter near by. This recipe is a bit of a mash-up with summer flavors….
Chilled Cucumber and California Avocado Soup
Post sponsored by California Avocado. See below for more details. Until I moved to California, summer months focused on two ingredients: sweet corn and tomatoes. When I moved to California, I learned that July is peak season for California avocados. I had no idea because in Illinois, avocados are not a local crop! Creamy, fresh…
Multigrain Pilaf with Quinoa, Millet, and Teff | Cooking Component
Have you ever watched a toddler try to eat whole grains? Or better put, cleaned 90% of those grains from the floor? This is, essentially, how I came to this component. I typically toss my son’s grains with a bit of sauce to make them stick together but I wanted a mixture that was the…
Kohlrabi Fritters with Garlic Herb Cashew Cream Sauce
I have a weakness for vegetable cakes and fritters. I’ve always loved a little fried cauliflower when I’m out having a drink but obviously, it’s an occasional treat. However, fritters are a great in-between. The vegetable are still front and center but the light pan fry provides a perfectly crisp outside. I could eat almost…
Coconut Turmeric Quinoa with Kale
When I make a recipe, I try hard to limit the amount of pots and pans I use. I am not a fan of doing dishes and any recipe that uses more than two, I’m usually out (unless I really want the meal!) This is why I love risotto and risotto-like meals so much and…
Black Bean Tacos with California Avocado-Sweet Corn Salad
Post sponsored by California Avocado. See below for more details. I’m squeezing in one last avocado recipe into June since it is still California Avocado month! This works out especially well because with temperatures well over 100˚F for the past week, I’m making more items that are fresh and require little cooking. Enter these tacos…
Bean Bake with Greens and Turnips
My first experience with turnips didn’t come until I joined the CSA. In fact, it was my first day on the farm and I was sent home with gorgeous Hakurei turnips. Of course, these were only one variety of turnips but over the years, I’ve experimented with most. Each turnip has a lovely, fairly mellow…
Halloumi Burrito Bowl with Roasted Potatoes and Guacamole
I find that most of the best recipes I create are sheer happenstance, a coming together of odds and ends in my kitchen. A few weeks back, I whipped together some of these halloumi bowls with leftover potatoes from the breakfast enchiladas, the last lonely avocado in the refrigerator, and the halloumi I’d been hoarding…
Curry Chickpea Burgers with Coconut Cabbage Slaw
This recipe is in partnership with Nugget Markets. See below for more details. Any time I move or travel some place, grocery stores are usually first on my list to find. I have a pretty high standard and it’s rare that a store has everything I need. I’m the type of person that usually goes…
19 Vegetarian Grilling Recipes
Over the years I’ve found some amazing ways to turn vegetables (with the occasional help from other items) into solid main courses. These ideas range from hearty salads tossed with grilled vegetables, skewers paired with polenta or halloumi, or whole grilled vegetables as the main star (like the grilled endives listed or even grilled cabbage)….
Roasted Carrot Multigrain Pilaf with Pepita Pesto
I’m learning that one of the greatest cooking challenges I’ve faced is one that feels like it shouldn’t be that hard: cooking for my family. My husband is not vegetarian and while my toddler will try almost anything, he’s still a toddler. I have this balance of working with everyone’s preferences to create a solid…
Soba Noodle Salad with Cabbage and Kohlrabi
After moving to California, I found myself jumping into summer produce faster than I would have in the midwest. The beginning of June brings zucchini followed shortly by sweet corn and tomatoes. However, there’s so much good spring/early summer produce that I miss because let’s face it- I’d make everything out of fresh summer tomatoes…
Broccoli Melt with Fried Egg
This recipe is in partnership with California Olive Ranch. See below for more details. There are certain combinations I’ve never found appealing. One of which is broccoli on a grilled cheese sandwich. I recently had one of these sandwiches (it was the only vegetarian option on a menu that sounded decent). So I ordered it…