Nothing completes a crisp autumn or rainy day like a bowl of creamy soup. I am pretty sure that there isn’t a person out there who doesn’t have a nostalgic attachment to a “cream of something” soup from their past or childhood. Well I have some good news about that! You can keep your creamy, comforting stroll down memory lane while also avoiding the bad and promoting awesome, clean nutrition. This soup is very easy to make and is also great as a cold vichyssoise style soup if you have leftovers. The salsa is a tangy compliment that offers extra rich flavor in the truffle oil, but also completely optional. Read More
“Raw” Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta
Okay, I know it is always amusing when Los Angeles people start complaining about the weather…but, we DID have a little heat wave the other day, and it was really hot outside! It was one of those dog days when you can’t imagine doing anything besides climbing into a walk-in freezer at a nearby restaurant and locking the door behind you. This didn’t stop a gorgeous vine ripened tomato from calling out to me from the garden. Before I knew it I had some fresh salsa cruda with stunning fragrant basil. To keep it moving in the direction of a minimally cooked, not heat producing dinner, I decided to whip this up. I have featured the “raw” portobello before (softened by dehydration at a low temperature). This is another example of how versatile the “raw” portobello can be. This is super simple and sure to refresh, and nourish you on a hot summer day.
Heirloom Pole Bean & Potato Salad with Tarragon & Fennel Seed Dressing
Every year I plant a yummy heirloom pole bean and it never disappoints. I actually don’t remember the name…I think it is called “Rattlesnake.” I always go by the picture on the seed package…a beautiful, purple spotted pole bean. It recently started going crazy so I whipped up a quick and easy mid week salad, and here it is for your sharing and noshing enjoyment.
Seared Chinese 5-spice Figs with Cashew Cheese
Okay, I warned you that there would be more than one post for figs this week. Here is a very simple and quick way to enjoy figs on a lazy summer Sunday. Even the cashew cheese is a “quick” version that does not require fermenting or any other drawn out process. The figs used in this recipe were Turkish figs, which have gorgeous striped outer skin, but you can use any tree ripened fig. I hope you get an opportunity to enjoy this soon. Read More
Chickpea & Wild Mushroom Cakes with Basil-Mint Tzadziki
Lately I have been thinking this a lot: “A tzadziki would go great with this dish.” But I hadn’t found a great, vegan plain yogurt. Although some will argue that dairy yogurt is good for you, if you are avoiding dairy, or keeping vegan, a dairy yogurt just won’t do. Then the other day I was headed to one of my local grocery stores, but coming from a completely different direction than usual. Surprise! I rode my bicycle right into the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market. I couldn’t get from one end of the market to the other without completely spending all of my cash. Then I found a vegan nut cheese maker called Blode Kuh. And there before my eyes was a sample cup filled with cashew yogurt. Yum and yay, because not only was the yogurt fantastic, the cheese maker accepted my credit card on his “square” thing. Gotta love technology! This recipe is devoted to the people at Blode Kuh! Thank you for your awesome yogurt!! Read More
Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Macadamia Ricotta
Nothing says “summer” like fresh squash blossoms, well except for maybe fresh vine tomatoes, or figs fresh off the tree…um…you get my point..don’t you? I picked up some beautiful ones the other day at the Farmer’s Market. Admittedly, it was pretty hard not to reach for the enchilada cheese when I was dreaming about what to stuff these with. It took a few passes by the cheese aisle, but I managed. And so these delicious, healthy-ish little vegan guys were born.
Huevos con Nopalitos
Whatever you call it, that ubiquitous cactus that is probably hanging out in more back yards than many of us realize, is packed with superfood nutrition. The leaf or “pad” of the nopale is believed to support many aspects of health and well being such as weight loss, blood purification, maintaining blood sugar balance, and more. My personal philosophy is that nature designed the nopale to provide good, somewhat complete nutrition in climates where growing and cultivating food, and finding an abundant water source may be a challenge. In any case, I feel extremely lucky to have two nopale trees in my food garden. They are going crazy right now producing more nopales than we can keep up with. In the spirit of water conservation, food sustainability, and good health, why not explore how many accessible nopales are growing in your world? Here is a simple, very traditional egg recipe for enjoying fresh nopales from your garden. Be sure to cut the nopale when the leaf is still young and the thorns are still soft to the touch. Once the thorns have become wooody and hard, the nopale leaf is too mature for culinary enjoyment. You can cut nopales, clean, and cut into “nopalitos,” basically cleaned and cut up nopales, and store them in an air tight bag or container for up to a week or two. Read More
Moroccan Spiced Eggplant & Tomato with Tahini
I love cooking outdoors! One of the highlights of my summer has always been firing up my electric smoker, or using my Texas barrel as a “wood oven.” I have cooked just about everything imaginable outdoors, from pizza to smoked peaches. Grilling, smoking, and barbecuing doesn’t have to be reserved for meat. There are a lot of plant foods that do extremely well on the grill. This recipe for grilled eggplant is my favorite way to just grab an eggplant from my garden and quickly turn it into a featured grill item. If you can mix a few spices together, you can easily prepare this dish. The buttery flavor from the natural oils of the roasted eggplant along with tomato and the tahini is heaven when eaten! You can even prepare this on your stovetop griddle or in a grill pan.
Garlic Stuffed Roasted Artichoke
I love the artichoke roots that have taken hold in my food garden! Every year, a glorious new artichoke plant pops out and produces delicious artichokes right on schedule. They have become one of the highlights of spring in at our house. Artichoke roots go dormant in late summer early fall, but then wake up in early winter to start producing the plant, and spring is usually harvest time for artichokes. Many people scratch their heads at artichokes, either because they only know how to boil them, or maybe they just don’t think its worth the work required to finally get to the delicious heart of the artichoke. To me it is all worth the work, but just in case, here is a super easy way to prepare fresh artichokes, that incorporates roasted garlic. I recommend trying this accompanied by something you can spread the edible meat of the artichoke, along with the roasted garlic onto, like a baguette or a toasted flatbread. Don’t let spring pass without trying this once! It is a nice alternative to the traditional boiling method. I like to leave two or three artichokes on the plant each year because they eventually blossom into a beautiful flower. And they look as beautiful as they taste! Read More
Rainbow Spring Rolls with Almond Sauce
I love it whenever I can take a yummy favorite and reveal how easily it fits into what may be considered a stricter, more sober health regimen. Take this variation on the spring roll, for example. Well, it may not really need pointing out, but this delightful dish is…(drumroll)…raw!! Tah-dah!! This crowd pleaser, starring a handful of raw plants, works well for your weekend saturday lunch, an afternoon tea party, or as an hors d’oeuvre for your evening get together.