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...
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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...
Pecan Chickpea Crumble | Component Cooking
Early on, when I was vegetarian but not cooking for myself, I found frozen veg burgers to be my friend. Were they wonderful? No. Were they easy? Yes- especially for a busy college student. I found that beyond burgers, I could crumble the burgers on a salad or grain bowl with ease. This was a...
Tahini Kale Caesar Salad with Whole-Grain Croutons
Of all the cookbooks I'm sharing this summer, Love Real Food is one of the books I am most excited about. I've known Kathryne (aka Cookie + Kate) for years- she was one of the first bloggers I connected with, primarily because our styles of cooking were similar. It's been exciting to watch her grow...
Potato Beet Salad with White Beans
When doing creative work, it's easy to start to feel in a rut. This was where I was for a good chunk of the last few months. I wasn't feeling inspired and most recipes felt rather 'meh' to me (even though they were good!) I realized I needed to reassess how I was creating recipes...
Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Salad Lemon-Avocado Dressing
Post sponsored by California Avocado. See below for more details. I have two different salad styles: light/easy and filling. Light and easy usually tend to be a solid side salad or lunch while the filling salads are meant for dinner. When M isn't home, I'm usually making a salad that looks like it should feed...
Spiced Chickpeas | Component Cooking
Given I don't eat a lot of stand-in meat products, I rely heavily on legumes to be the star of my meals (and protein filler!) If you've hung around long enough on the site, you probably know that chickpeas are my favorite. These versatile legumes can transform into so many different meals and they soak...
Spelt Spaghetti with Parsley and Garlic Oil
I've mentioned before on the site, I judge a cookbook by the recipes that appear simple. If a recipe developer cannot nail a recipe light on ingredients, I lose trust in the rest. It's a fine balance when you have only a few ingredients- each one plays an important roll and too much of one...
Cashew Carrot Ginger Noodles
I've taken a firm stance with my son- vegetables are not to be feared. I'm firmly against the idea of hiding vegetables in meals (my husband might say otherwise- but his firm stance on disliking squash isn't good for me). Vegetables are something to be celebrated, something we should be excited to eat. I think so...
White Bean Pizza with Arugula Salad
I love playing with pizza combinations. I'm fairly certain if I had my own cafe, pizza/flatbreads would have to be on the menu because I have endless combinations to share. They are the perfect base for all seasons and with a little creativity, also for specific diets like gluten-free and vegan. This white bean pizza...
Nut Lentil Bites | Component Cooking
I feel there is no greater go-to recipe for a vegetarian kitchen than a fritter, cake, or bite. Legumes, nuts, and/or grains combined with vegetables in some arrangement that can be baked or fried; it's easily the star of a recipe. These lentil bites have been around on the site for a couple years now...
Breakfast Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce
Buttered Fava Bean Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs
Fava beans always look so enticing at the market. The big pods with fresh beans tucked inside lead to dreaming about future recipes. And yet, it's easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. Fava beans have a two-shelling process which is a bit labor intensive. But, I've found time and again, it's worth it. If I...
Carrot, Feta & Pistachio Salad with Orange Blossom Toss
Cooking is a constant push forward in my life. I’m constantly challenging what I know, what ingredients I use, and even how I use common ingredients. It is exciting and overwhelming all at once. One of the areas I’m pushing myself this year is to step out of my rut with herbs. I have my...
Fruit Chutney | Component Cooking
Chutney is one of my favorite condiments. It's highly adaptable to what might be in season, it can be spiced up or dressed down, and can be the star of a recipe or a nice topping. The term chutney is a pretty loose one that can encompass many different types of condiments that traditionally used...
Oat Teff Pancakes
You may think, based on photos I've shared or things I've written, that my pantry is perfectly organized. It may be organized for a few days but eventually, it becomes overrun with grains, legumes, and canned items. Usually once it gets out of control, I start cooking my way back to organized. For a month...
Cream Baked Eggs with Asparagus
Carrot Curry with Kale and Paneer
I have a self-admitted problem of sidelining greens. I'll eat them every day but rarely are they the key to the recipe. Sure, most salads wouldn't be salads without the greens. Yet, it's rarely about them. I labeled this carrot curry but in reality, the kale is the core. The carrots are pureed into a...
Spelt Gnocchi with Fava Beans and Walnut Sauce
One of the things I love about this site is that it has served as documentation of my life through food. Sometimes, it's directly in the writing about the recipe. Other times, it's less noticeable through an overall trend. For example, I can't remember the last time I posted a recipe that takes longer than...
Creamy Millet Porridge with Roasted Strawberries
When it comes to morning porridge, I tend to stick with oatmeal (it’s the easiest to satisfy even the littlest member of the family). However, if I’m just cooking breakfast for myself, I make a cracked grain porridge. Running a grain in a coffee grinder or blender for a few pulses creates a mixture that...
Fried Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce and Quinoa
There are three kitchen tools I will always have: a good chefs knife, my flour grinder, and my high speed blender. Everything else I could do without (I've even learned my stand-mixer is a nice-to-have). With these three things, I can do pretty much anything I could ever want. You might balk at the flour...
Beet Wild Rice Salad with Pistachios
There are times I go into developing recipes where I expect failure. I expect that certain flavors won't work well together or textures won't be appealing. The reason I still try? This wild rice salad is a perfect example. The salad has some strong flavors that in theory, I thought would work well together. The...
White Bean Chard Bake
There's never a week I go without having greens in the house. Spinach, kale, and chard are always in rotation. I also always have pots of greens growing on my patio. When I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to do something similar but with greens. This chard bake is a solid base that...
Berbere Black Lentil Stew
Post sponsored by nuts.com. See below for more details. I think there is no better way to experience a city than through restaurants. I first fell in love with Ethiopian food when living in the Chicago area and ever since, I've kept a recipe for berbere spice in my repertoire. Traditionally this spice is used...
Whole Wheat Crepes | Component Cooking
If I were to keep a list of items cooked most often in my kitchen, crepes would come in first. I love whole wheat crepes for breakfast in place of pancakes, wrapping ice cream for dessert, or using in place of bread for wraps, sandwiches or even enchiladas. Most recently, we've taken to smearing nut...
Coriander Cauliflower Amaranth Salad
I was raised in a household that collected things. We visited antique stores looking for Wallace Nuttings and spode dishes. It was a big part of my childhood and while I didn't always like it,I have an appreciation for it now. Fast forward, I don't collect antiques but there are two things my house is...
Chickpea Fritter Sandwich with Hummus
Post sponsored by Flatout Flatbread. See below for more details. With toddler eating patterns taking full force in our house, I like hand-held items more often than not. This fritter sandwich was slightly born out of a combination that was requested by the two year-old: chickpea fritters and hummus. My child loves hummus and would...
Gluten-Free Cornmeal Waffles with Sorghum Strawberries
I love reading cookbooks because it gives an eye into the kitchen of someone else. You can tell ingredients or combinations a person favors. It can be telling about their past, what they've experienced, and the things they love. Sorghum syrup is one of those items you might see in my kitchen. It all started...
Lemon Vinaigrette | Component Cooking
If there's one thing I tell people to start making at home right away, it's dressing. Homemade salad dressing is as easy as whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. From that base, the possibilities of dressing are endless. While most people say you want a dressing that is 1 part acidity (lemon juice...
Spiced Sweet Potato Skewers with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
I will grill pretty much anything and grilled sweet potato has been one of my favorites throughout the years. The light char, the heavy sprinkle of spice, and creamy yogurt sauce makes it a satisfying grilled meal. This yogurt sauce is the perfect example- easy to whip up and can have a myriad of uses...