August 2011
18 posts
One of my favorite things to do is go grocery shopping. I recently realized that most people think of grocery shopping as a chore. To me, it’s a relaxing experience that inspires me and invokes my sense of creativity. I basically grew up in a grocery store, so maybe I just feel more comfortable in one than most people do. I know the logical layout of grocery stores. I can walk into a store...
6 tags
Lemon Corn Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce
Pancakes are an easy way to play around with different flavor combinations and they just always make you feel better. They are my ultimate comfort food - happy, sad, healthy, sick, whatever mood I’m in, I will eat a pancake, or two. Last night I was feeling sick. I woke up from a 3 hour nap just to make these pancakes and went right back to sleep.
Pancake:
1 cup corn flour
1 cup...
5 tags
Gazpacho
I recently spent a few days at the beach in North Carolina with some of my family. I spent most of my time there in the kitchen, of course. The beach house has an amazing kitchen, so that in itself was a vacation. The last night we were there we had a bunch of veggies leftover because we were supposed to stay at least another day, but got evacuated early due to the imminent hurricane. So I made...
4 tags
Banana Split Cake
I’m not sure if you’re ready for this one. I am still quite impressed with how good my cake looked and how good my cake tasted. Despite how impressive it is, it’s quite simple and there is really no reason to be impressed at all. It involves a banana cake filled with gooey pineapple filling and fluffy buttercream, topped with dark chocolate ganache, more buttercream, maraschino...
4 tags
Baba Ganoush
My brother Justin is a little crazy about Lebanese food. I don’t think he realizes it, but it’s 90% of what he cooks and eats. Don’t get me wrong, Lebanese food is delicious, healthy, and vegan friendly. It also has a freshness that American food lacks and a more meaningful sense of tradition. On his last visit he taught me how to make baba ganoush, an eggplant dip/spread.
1...
6 tags
Garlic White Bean Soup with Kale
If I was forced to eat soup everyday I would request that it be this one. It’s full of garlicky flavor and has a great texture from the kale and the beans. It’s perfect for a winter day when nothing else seems to warm you up, but it’s also simple enough to tackle on a steamy summer day.
1 onion, diced
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed
4 cups vegetable...
6 tags
Carrot Coconut Breakfast Bread
You can eat this bread whenever you want, but I think it makes a perfect breakfast. It’s easy, just a little sweet, has a vegetable and a fruit, and it’s delicious. Plus it keeps you full for a long time! This bread freezes really well too, so if you aren’t going to use it within 5 to 7 days of making it just toss it in the freezer, defrost and it will taste brand new.
...
3 tags
Whoopie Pies
Fluffy, chocolatey, cake-like cookies sandwiched together with a soft, creamy frosting. YUM! Thanks to Shauna for sending me this recipe!
(My phone takes horrible pictures, sorry!)
Cookie:
2 c flour
1/4 c plus 1 T cocoa
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/4 c vegetable shortening
1 c non dairy milk
1 c sugar
1 1/2 t ener-g egg replacer plus 2 T water...
6 tags
Harvest Dinner
My brother Justin came to visit me in Raleigh this weekend and we came up with some collaborative dishes with all local produce from the farmer’s market!
We made a roasted beet salad, sauteed kale, and a homemade marinara sauce.
Roasted Beet Salad:
2 beets, peeled and chopped
1 onion, sliced
olive oil
red wine vinegar
Italian seasoning
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 head romaine
...
6 tags
Stuffed Acorn Squash
This is more of a fall dish, but I saw the squash at the farmer’s market and just decided to buy it. Here is what I did with it:
You’ll need:
1 acorn squash
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth (I love Better than Bouillon)
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
handful of shredded carrot
I used my crock pot to cook the squash, but it would work just as well in the...
3 tags
Whole Wheat Ginger Peach Pancakes
I know it’s a Tuesday, but I wanted pancakes. I’m sorry if you don’t like peaches, but I have an abundance of them right now. This recipe makes about 6 5-inch diameter pancakes, so about 3 servings. It’s a pancake you can feel good about because it’s a good source of whole grains, fiber, omegas from the flax and a serving of fruit! I topped mine with vanilla...
2 tags
Boston Creme Pie
This is my brother and sister-in-law’s favorite treat! I can’t blame them, it’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! This dessert is guaranteed to impress everyone with it’s taste and appearance. I have adapted this recipe from http://nomnomnomblog.com/
For the Cake:
2 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 c sugar
...
4 tags
Peach Cobbler (for 1)
A few things led me to this delicious end. Back in New York I would bake and share. In North Carolina I bake and eat. This dessert is easy to make just one serving of, so I don’t have to wallow in the guilt of eating an entire batch of cookies. Also, peaches are so easy to get fresh and local here, whereas in New York I would be drowning in berries this time of year (this recipe works for...
3 tags
Whole Wheat Strawberry Date Muffins
These muffins are perfect for breakfast! They are high in fiber, low in fat and are sweetened with agave, so they have no refined sugar!
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 c nondairy milk
1 t apple cider vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
2 T agave nectar
1/4 c canola oil
1 T ground flax seeds mixed with 3 T warm water...
4 tags
Quinoa Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Vinaigrette
Perfect for a hot summer day or night when you just want something light and healthy!
Quinoa:
I cup water
1 tsp Better than Bouillon Vegetable Broth
1 T flax seed
1/2 c quinoa
Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.
Vinaigrette:
3 T tahini
3/4 c olive oil
1/4 c freshly squeezed...
My Dad e-mailed me this:
“I can vouch for the fact that the cream cheese filling was delicious!”
3 tags
Pesto Pasta with Roasted Grape Tomatoes
This is a great summertime dish that utilizes the fresh basil and grape tomatoes that you may be growing.
Pesto:
1 handful fresh basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup nuts (whatever you have on hand works)
Olive oil
Salt (skip if the nuts are salted)
Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt. Meanwhile, make the pesto. Put all ingredients except the olive oil in a food...
