A couple weeks ago I was riding my bicycle through Little Tokyo, which almost always leads to a stopover at the Japanese supermarket. I stocked up on brown sushi rice, grabbed some fresh produce and ventured into some plant-based sushi making when I got home. I ended up with a pretty good variety of totally vegan sushi. This one with red peppers ended up being one of the favorites, partly because of the way the red pepper resembles traditional sushi fish like ahi tuna. In a recent article on my nutrition blog, I shared some high alkaline foods that people in their day to day cooking. Both red pepper and avocado made the list. So, in a way, you can look at this as a healthy, alkalizing sushi! Enjoy!
Socca with Dijon & Fresh Vegetables
Socca, in my opinion, is one of the best kept little secret gems in the world of gluten free cooking and healthier options. Socca is a street food from the South of France, that is so simple to make it is almost mind blowing, consisting of just chickpea flour, olive oil, water, and seasoning. It makes a healthy crepe for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner, or it can be made a little thicker, and cooked longer for a pizza crust or flatbread effect. The trick is in not trying to flip it over, but instead, letting it cook through from one side.
Riced Cauliflower Salad with Tomato, Basil & Garlic
I’m having a “mini-series” of riced cauliflower in my kitchen! Riced cauliflower is great as a raw salad, because cauliflower florets are already slightly tender and porous to start with, so, when mixed with other salad ingredients it makes a great base! So, a while, back, I tried using it as you would pasta in a classic “TBG” (tomato, basil, garlic) salad, and the results were delicious.
Heirloom Potato & Kale Latkes
I just whipped these up for brunch and decided they were share-worthy. The red, purple, and fingerling potatoes are a little healthier than the traditional russet potatoes. This is totally vegan but you can use real eggs instead of chia eggs, or even serve a couple poached eggs on top. To be honest, I was longing for a coupe duck eggs that I sometimes get from a local urban farmer. Having said that, I love the gooey texture in the middle that can only be a result of the chia seeds and the consistency of the heirloom potatoes doing a little happy dance. Enjoy these with some homemade ketchup or smoked trout. Yum!
Beet & Fresh Cheese Stacks with Avocado-Lemon Dressing
I found a recipe for a quick vegan cheese that I really like. The recipe says it’s a “Pepper Jack” but it reminds me a lot more of a fresh cheese like queso fresco or buffalo mozzarella. In any case, I am finding it to be quite versatile and useful on many dishes, from tacos to this beet salad. You can venture into making the vegan cheese, which will require some uncommon ingredients if you aren’t used to vegan baking or cheese making. Or use a favorite cashew cheese; some spreadable cashew cheeses would work great in between the layers of beets. Or, if you eat dairy, just use a good, organic dairy cheese like burrata or buffalo mozzarella.
Green Pepita Soup
In between your weekends of sugar, animal fat, and alcohol-laden holiday festivities, on a quiet weeknight at home, when your body is clambering for some real nutrition, try whipping up this extremely easy soup that is clean, vegan, and packed with super nutrition. The pepitas, while delivering a complete essential amino acid profile, also give it that comfort food edge that will surely hit the spot on a cold winter night.
Pumpkin, Potato & Leek Soup
A lot of people associate Thanksgiving with a plate full of turkey and a bunch of other stuff smushed onto the plate. But sometimes its nice to switch it up a little and add a course or two, slowing it down, adding an extra layer of civilization to the crazy, energized occasion with friends and family. This porridge-like soup does the job pretty well, and although it is super rich and creamy, it is actually vegan, so you wont weigh your guests down too much before the main turkey event, and everyone at the table can enjoy it, whatever their dietary considerations.
5 Spice Eggplant with Soba Noodles
Yay! Two of my favorite things, eggplant with Chinese 5 spice and soba noodles, rolled into one dish. I have been wanting to try this for a while and finally got around to it, and I am really glad I did. You could probably also add other veggies to this like roasted peppers, chopped spinach, and-or steamed bok choy, for example, to give it more dimension, but I love it like this, just simple and straightforward. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Hummus
If you are looking to break out of the old school of holiday-friendly dips, especially where your health is concerned, but you want to hang on to some characteristics that appeal to the autumn and winter senses, consider giving this dish a try. It works well as a dip, a spread, or a topping for a holiday canapé. I have even just enjoyed it fresh and still warm, folded into a pita or tortilla with fresh crisp greens, cucumber, and tzadziki. Actually, any time of the year, this twist on hummus punches lots of nutrition, and can fill you up fairly easily with the right kinds of calories. Read More
Roasted Delicata Squash, Fennel & Onions
Okay, admit it. I’ll bet that more times than not, when you glance at the delicata squash at the market you think, “Wow that would make a lovely table decoration.” Don’t feel in the dark. It is a cool looking squash. And I am sure you are not alone. Here is the great news though. It tastes better than it looks, and you can eat the whole thing, skin and all. I guess that’s why they call it “Delicata,” although I have done no research to back this notion– just a hunch. This recipe is extremely easy, bringing delicata squash and fennel together like soul mates. Add this to your Thanksgiving menu or serve it as a quick and easy weeknight vegan meal. I recently featured winter squash on my nutrition blog in an article titled 10 Superfoods for your Autumn Grocery List. So dig in, and know you are getting some awesome nutrition. Oh, and you can serve this right out of the oven, or make it a couple hours ahead and enjoy it at room temperature.