Dec09

avocado & pomegranate crostini

avocado pomegranate crostini / @loveandlemons

‘Tis the season for sugary, buttery treats… but as you may know, I’m not big on butter. I’m also not particularly good at holiday traditions…

Maybe it’s the Austin influence, but I love anything with avocado. I made this glorified guacamole and I think the little pomegranate gems make it especially festive. Only thing missing in this picture is a merry Christmas margarita.

avocado pomegranate crostini / @loveandlemons

For a healthier version, this would be delicious on endive spears. For a less healthy (but gluten free) version, feel free to break out the tortilla chips.

Go to the recipe “avocado & pomegranate crostini”…

Dec05

giveaway / whole foods

whole foods $75 giveaway

whole foods $75 giveaway / www.loveandlemons.com

Here’s a gift everyone could probably use – a $75 gift card to Whole Foods!

Go stock up on fancy mushrooms (or whatever you want)… leave a comment below and tell me your favorite way to cook with mushrooms. And if you don’t like mushrooms, well then you’re not eligible (kidding!!).

Not sure what to make with mushrooms? Try one of these:
Walnut-mushroom veggie burgers (from us)
Rosemary mushroom chickpea ragout (The First Mess)
Mushroom & chard bruschetta (Whole Foods)
Mushroom millet leek frittatas (Sprouted Kitchen)
Roasted king oyster mushrooms (Food & Wine)
Mixed mushroom soup (Whole Foods)
Cheesy brussels sprouts (& mushroom) lasagna (How Sweet it is)
Mushroom & kale grilled cheese (Foodie Crush)
Kale, mushroom, and ricotta calzones (Two Peas & Their Pod)

This giveaway is now closed.

Dec04

fall / gluten free / vegan-option

creamy polenta & mushrooms

creamy polenta and mushrooms / @loveandlemons

I’m short for words today… we’re in Chicago visiting my family this week, and I’m making a point to spend less time in front of the computer. Sometimes it’s just time to put the electronics away… to cut the habit of looking at your iphone every few minutes and relax a bit, you know?

creamy polenta and mushrooms / @loveandlemons

We made this warm and cozy meal last week with one of our favorite foods – mushrooms. It’s pretty simple… creamy polenta, chickpeas and a mix of sauteéd mushrooms & tarragon. They have these fancy ones right now at Whole Foods that are amazing, and more importantly – on sale. I just loved combining the texture of the oyster mushrooms with the tiny shimejis (and a few lesser expensive cremini’s to get more bang for my mushroom buck).

Topped these with just a bit of asiago cheese and popped them under the broiler for just a few minutes. A warm yet bright meal… pretty much the opposite of what it looks like outside the window here right now. Brr.

creamy polenta and mushrooms / @loveandlemons

Go to the recipe “creamy polenta & mushrooms”…

Dec01

japan / lemons / how-to

homemade ponzu

meyer lemon ponzu / @loveandlemons

If I had to pick two condiments to take to a desert island with me, my choices just might be rice vinegar and ponzu. Sriracha is a close third, and the Kewpie baby might be my number four.

But back to the ponzu—it’s so versatile. I love it over noodles, and as a dipping sauce… it’s citrusey salty-soy goodness is perfect for quick, bright meals. Since the bottled version is often made with tons of additives, I set out to make my own. Turns out, it’s surprisingly easy. After a number of experiments, I figured out that meyer lemon replicates the (traditional) yuzu flavor the closest (but by all means if you have fresh yuzus available to you – use those). I contributed this recipe last week to Food 52, so I thought I’d share it here today.

And since we’re all probably Thanksgiving-ed out, here are some light & bright dishes that would be great with the addition of fresh ponzu:

ponzu-friendly recipe roundup / @loveandlemons

Recipe links:
Sesame Clementine & Chopped Cabbage Salad
Ginger Citrus Soba with Snow Peas
Peanut Soba Spring Rolls
Mushroom Quinoa Lettuce Wraps
Miso Citrus Cod with Bok Choy

Go to the recipe “homemade ponzu”…

Nov29

kitchen gift guide / holiday 2013

a white kitchen gift guide

a white kitchen gift guide / @loveandlemons

Black friday… I’m just not into it. Malls freak me out and I’m not into stuff for the sake of stuff. But I do appreciate a few nicely made things. So I thought what better way to celebrate this awful “holiday” than with an all white-themed gift guide. I don’t know if you can tell by looking at this blog, but I kind of like white.

As I was laying out these items on my computer screen, Jack looked over my shoulder and snarkily said “so you’re making your Christmas list there?” Before I could react with a snappy comeback, I looked back at my computer and admitted, yes. Yes, I am…

I would be a happy holiday camper to have each and every item here, (with the exception of #7 which I already bought for myself last week)

1. Enamelware Colander 2. Chipper & Sprite Serving Set  3. Stoneware Mixing Bowls
4. Ceramic Ginger Grater 5. White Truffle Sea Salt   6. Crest Bottle Openers
7. Ceres Dinnerware   8. Ceramic Measuring Cups   9. Marble & Wood Rolling Pin