For Valentine's Day this year, I wanted to make something really pretty. Something super girly and pink. But it had to taste as pretty as it looked and I couldn't think of a better flavor pairing that represented pink than…
If you’re not familiar with pepian, it is a thick green Mexican sauce (or mole) that uses pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds as its base. Fish or poultry is often simmered in this sauce making it a rich dish brightened with green herbs. My version is not a classic pepian dish– I’ve taken the sauce that you’d ordinarily cook the protein in for a long time and made it a sauce for fish tacos. The bright green color comes from all the cilantro, green onions and fresh chiles.
One of my New Year resolutions was to cut out refined sugar. Another one of my resolutions was to stick to my resolutions beyond January. So here I am in February with lots of sugar cravings which means I’m making a lot of date-based desserts lately (I do make an exception for minimal quantities of very dark chocolate, which does have some refined sugar). That means a lot of date-cacao balls and these almond butter stuffed chocolate covered dates. These are even easier to make than my date-cacao balls and soo delicious.
For Valentine’s Day this year, I wanted to make something really pretty. Something super girly and pink. But it had to taste as pretty as it looked and I couldn’t think of a better flavor pairing that represented pink than rose and cardamom. I’ve used cardamom plenty of times in desserts and it’s quite possibly my favorite spice. This Persian love cake is a simple fragrant cake made from almond flour, cardamom and rose water.
Veggies prepared the right way can be just as filling and substantial as meat. One of the dishes that I’ve had on repeat is this mushroom, walnut and wild rice “meatloaf”. You’ll need a food processor but this is otherwise very easy to make and topped with some spicy tomato sauce, this can easily become the star of your dinner!
The beginning of a new year means lots of salads in my household. I’ve been making variations of this vegan Caesar dressing for years now. The base of a classic Caesar is made with egg yolk and oil, which I’ve replaced here with heart-healthy nuts and seeds. Ceasar dressing is packed with tons of flavor from all the garlic and anchovies. I’ve tried to do the same here using vegan ingredients like tamari, nutritional yeast and capers. One optional twist to this recipe is to replace the capers with a sheet of toasted salted seaweed. It gives this dressing even more umami flavor! Pour it over shredded kale or brussels sprouts or romaine. I’ve added grains, sprouts, red onion and avocado to mine but this versatile dressing will go great with any veggie!
I spent the majority of 2018 pregnant. It was a pretty easy pregnancy and loved being pregnant. I had your typical pregnancy symptoms, including the most insane cravings for sweets. There’s a misconception about pregnancy that you can just eat whatever you want and double the amount because you’re growing a baby. That can’t be […]
Every year I make plans to host an epic holiday gathering; a chance to entertain friends and family, and indulge in all the exciting new recipes I’ve created throughout the year. And yet, inevitably every year my plans fall through. It’s hard not to get overwhelmed by the holiday rush, am I right? The days […]
The 2018 Gift Guide for the Bartender and Cocktail Enthusiast.
