Here’s a nutrient-dense powerhouse utilizing zucchini noodles, that’s also bursting with flavor. Shiitake mushrooms have little-known nutritional talent, providing a great source of B vitamins and other nutrients not as commonly found in other plants. I also love how quick and simple this is to make. It can be enjoyed right away as a warm dinner, or stored in mason jars for lunch on the go. Enjoy!
Read Morevegan caesar-style salad with roasted yams and pomegranate
I love making hearty, colorful, nutrient dense salads for dinner, like this vegan caesar style salad.
Some salads consist of a variety of fresh, raw vegetables. For this filling-yet light salad, I used leftover oven roasted yams. But leftovers or not, you can roast up some yams, beets, rutabagas, and put together a delicious, plant-based entre salad in less than 30 minutes. Read More
Root Vegetable Stacks with Wild Mushroom Ragout
These root vegetable stacks are a great example of what you can prepare with just a few ingredients, and at those times when you have nothing planned for dinner. Thinking of what to make for dinner always sits in the back of my mind throughout the day, no matter what else is going on. The other day I was experiencing a busy and challenging day. I knew I needed to go grocery shopping but didn’t have the time. So I resigned to the idea that I would just work with whatever I had in the kitchen when I got home. By the time it was over, I was reminded that sometimes breaking the pattern of relying on regular grocery staples is just the ticket I need to get the creative culinary juices flowing. What is the point of this story? When you are charged with preparing dinner and all you have on hand is a yam, a beet, and some mushrooms, take a pause, make like you are in a cottage in Provence, and romance some garden herbs and that jar of Dijon mustard sitting in the back of the fridge! In most cases, simpler is actually a lot better. Embrace what you have, make it the star, and you will never go wrong!
Read MorePortobello Mushroom Stuffed with Miso-Ginger Squash
I’ve always suspected that butternut squash and miso would love hanging out together… and I was totally right! This combination, along with the marinated Portobello mushroom, packs a lot of flavor. And it’s a super easy way to warm up your winter weeknight dinner table.
Immune Support Superfood Soup
I know I have been posting a lot of soups lately! I love soups because they are a simple way to get complex, nutrient density from whole foods into your life. October is a good time to start giving your immune system a little TLC. And this immune support soup recipe contains some of the best sources for key immune supporting nutrients. And, it is free of any inflammatory foods that might bog your body down or tamper with your digestion. Read More
Pear & Red Kuri Squash Soup
The feeling of fall has moved in right on schedule here in Los Angeles. So red kuri squash soup is where my mind went when I saw some beautiful red kuris at the Farmers market. This soup is super simple and can be made in a matter of minutes while you are multi-tasking and doing other stuff. I love doing recipes that don’t require a lot of measuring. Many people don’t realize how easy cooking is, and how it often doesn’t have to be perfectly exact. Getting fresh, nutrient dense foods into your body while also enjoying the flavors, shouldn’t be a daunting project! In retrospect, I think it would have been nice to garnish this with some pomegranate seeds. Perhaps there is an update in this recipe’s future! Read More
Squash Blossom Coconut Brown Rice
Every once in a while, I love to treat myself to a delicious sticky coconut brown rice dish. There are many variations that can explored, like this version using fresh squash blossoms from the garden. I actually created this by accident, when I had picked a bunch of squash blossoms with the intention of doing a stuffed squash blossom dish. But then, I got busy and forgot to make time to do the dish, and the squash blossoms no longer had the perfect constitution for stuffing. Read More
Mexican Braised Tofu with Smoky Yams
This Mexican braised tofu, and braising tofu in general, is a great, fairly easy way to add some variety to otherwise bland and funkily textured traditional tofu. There are some key components to remember though, if you want your tofu to really absorb whatever flavors you are working with. This recipe explains how to effectively drain your tofu so it can better receive the flavors in the braising process. It’s a Mexican twist on combining tomato, sweet, and smoky all together.
Mediterranean Style Romanesco Cauliflower Tacos
Sometimes I just want my taco to look a little more dazzling. And Romanesco cauliflower definitely does the trick when it comes to dazzling a plate. These tacos are actually not much of a taco, being that they contain mostly Mediterranean flavors and components. But even though, the tortilla, albeit made of potatoes, is still a tortilla! So I’m calling them tacos anyway. Now that we got that out of the way, enjoy making this super simple, vegan, recipe!
Spinach Persimmon Salad with Chickpea Miso Dressing
I am such a lucky guy, because my neighbor gave me a nice bag of Fuyu persimmons! And I picked up a container of chickpea miso, all in the same week. I saw this as a cosmic directive to whip up this Spinach Persimmon Salad; a Japanese-inspired salad that will blend well with the traditional holiday table. Unlike their counterpart, the Hachiya persimmon, the Fuyu can be enjoyed in various stages of ripeness, making them a great addition to your holiday salad! You can easily tell them apart because Fuyus are shaped more like a tomato, while Hachiya persimmons are acorn–shaped. If you try to eat a Hachiya before it gets completely soft, you will be left with a mouthful of astringent icky. This recipe uses firm, crunchy-yet ripe Fuyu persimmons as the star ingredient.