Feb27

brussels sprout & sunchoke salad

brussels sprout & sunchoke salad // loveandlemons.com

It’s hardly winter here anymore, but I’m still trying to keep all of you snowbirds in mind. Enter, the winter salad. This is full of warm roasty goodness, and brightened up with a tangy lemon-ey dressing.

brussels sprout & sunchoke salad // loveandlemons.com

Have you cooked with sunchokes? They’re new to me, but I just love them. Sliced and roasted, they have a potato-like quality. They’re less starchy so they don’t make this too heavy, but they bring a nice substantial bite. And I like my salads to have some substance.

brussels sprout & sunchoke salad // loveandlemons.com

Shaving the brussels sprouts makes this pretty fast and easy. They take just a few minutes in a pan to develop that sweet caramelized flavor… a method that I’m surprised took me this long to discover… but now that I have I’ll be using it again and again.
Go to the recipe “brussels sprout & sunchoke salad”…

Feb25

dairy free / gluten free-optional

chipotle shrimp tacos

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos // loveandlemons.com

I have some guilty confessions relating to this meal:

1. This might seem un-characteristic, given my general healthy habits but I love mayo. And I have an unhealthy addiction to Japanese Kewpie Mayo. If I had to choose 5 things to bring to a desert island, that just might be one of them. Along with a few chipotles to make this sauce.

2. I made these tacos all for myself one night last week while Jack worked late… catching up on my guiltiest of guilty tv shows… The Bachelor, which I had proudly avoided for weeks… and Smash, a show I hate that I love. (Or love to hate, I’m not sure which).

3. It might have been a proper “girl-night-in” if I had a margarita to go along with these. But that would have required too much planning so box wine it was…

Go to the recipe “chipotle shrimp tacos”…

Feb23

vegan / favorite

sesame & shiitake soba noodles

Sesame & Shiitake Soba Noodles / loveandlemons.com

I first made this cold soba a few weeks ago with this meal, and I’ve made it again and again over the last few weeks, for easy dinners and on-hand lunches.

The flavors here are pretty simple. Toasted sesame oil and soy sauce lightly coat the noodles without covering up the nutty flavor of the soba itself. And a few good splashes of rice vinegar really brighten it up.

Sesame & Shiitake Soba Noodles / loveandlemons.com

I quickly cooked some shiitakes & cabbage, but you could just as easily use whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand. (I think cucumbers would be great here in the summertime).

Make it a larger meal by tossing some seared tuna (or tofu) on top… or make it a lighter lunch by mixing in a handful of salad greens.

Sesame & Shiitake Soba Noodles / loveandlemons.com

Go to the recipe “sesame & shiitake soba noodles”…

Feb21

vegan / winter

mushrooms & wheatberries

mushroom & wheatberry sautee // loveandlemons.com

There aren’t enough mushrooms on this blog. I’m not sure how they became so under-represented here because we eat them like crazy. But I suppose I don’t make so many “recipes” with mushrooms, I just make them.

So this one is kind of a non-recipe… something we eat pretty often, changing up the vinegars & herbs to create different variations. I’ve done my best below to estimate cups and tablespoons, but I really cooked in increments of “splashes” and “handfuls.”

mushroom & wheatberry sautee // loveandlemons.com

Ok, I quite commonly cook in splashes and handfuls. It drives my proofreader (my mom) crazy. Does it drive you crazy? Are you a measurer or do you prefer to cook by feel?

Go to the recipe “mushrooms & wheatberries”…

Feb18

vegan / summer

mini ceviche tacos

mini ceviche tacos, two ways (vegetarian & pesca)

I’m guest posting today on A House in the Hills (one of my favorite blogs), while Sarah is in Mexico this week. I know, I’m jealous too.

To compensate for my vacation-envy, I made these bright little ceviche tacos and imagined myself on the beach soaking in the sun with a margarita in hand.

mini ceviche tacos, two ways (vegetarian & pesca)

Whitefish gets “cooked” with lots of lime juice. And for a fun twist I made a vegetarian version using chopped up hearts of palm that was equally, (if not more), delicious than it’s pesca counterpart.

mini tortillas

You could serve them with chips as an appetizer, or with tortillas as more of a meal… I ended up somewhere in the middle by making little mini-tortillas.

Go to the recipe “mini ceviche tacos”…