Blood Orange & Bourbon

A simple & delicious cocktail with oranges, bourbon and angostura bitters.

This one’s for Jack. He’s a trooper with this whole blog thing. A typical night in our kitchen looks like this: He walks in the door as I’m chopping, cooking, and setting up for our photo-session. Before he has a chance to sit down, I’m barking orders politely explaining the plan for the night. I hand him a sorry excuse for a cocktail (usually bourbon + ice) and we get to work. If I’m feeling kind, I add a splash of honey or maple syrup. If I can tell he’s had a stressful day (and he’s going to be a moody photographer) I make…

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Miso-citrus Cod en Papillote

seafood / winter / gluten free

I’m so happy that my orange aversion is over, because I’ve been cooking (and craving) citrus like crazy lately. I love this parchment paper method because the bright flavors infuse together so wonderfully. I found this purple bok choy, isn’t it so pretty? Of course, you can swap in regular bok choy just the same… I poured a tangy orange-miso sauce over everything before wrapping it up… baked it and unwrapped. I know, it looks fancy, right? But really, it was so so easy…

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Sesame & Orange Kale Salad

winter / vegan / gluten free

I’m a new believer to the raw kale salad movement. I know, I’m late to this party (especially given my love for kale). But better late than never. It was this salad from Snap Kitchen that convinced me a few weeks ago. Bright, tangy, citrusy… exactly what I’m craving during this part of the winter. I made an asian-inspired version by whisking together a dressing of miso paste, a few squeezes of orange juice and some sesame oil… and added in avocado, and toasted almonds, and pickled red onions. And speaking of late… I’ve gotta cut this short because I’m halfway…

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Sesame Clementine & Cabbage Salad

vegan / gluten free / winter

I’ve gotten over a major food fear recently. It sounds weird to say, but I haven’t eaten oranges (or fruits from the orange family) for about a year and a half. I know, it’s about the weirdest aversion to have. People in general like oranges. And I did too, until I had a certain unfortunate food experience while on vacation in Morocco. Coming home, I figured I wouldn’t look at an orange for maybe a few months… then a year and a half went by and I still had no good reason to confront them. Last month I was invited…

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Festive Endive Appetizers

Festive + light holiday appetizers that will leave you with room for dessert! Sesame tuna tartare + lemony white bean puree are delicious on endive leaves.

appetizers / gluten free / holiday

Endive… the perfect holiday party snack when it’s time to start laying off the bread already. As the holiday season comes to a close, I’m starting to crave foods that are lighter and brighter. I decided to make two of my favorite appetizers (that I love atop toasty crostini)… and serve in crispy endive leaves instead. The first is a super easy sesame tuna tartare. And because parties always need vegetarian options, the second is a lemony white bean puree. But let’s face it, my favorite thing about skipping the bread is that I can endlessly snack away and still…

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Kale & White Bean Crostini

A healthy appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings! Toasted baguette is topped with marinated white beans and sautéed kale for a tangy, savory starter.

appetizers / holiday: / kale

The season of holiday parties is beginning… I don’t know about you, but I’m still pretty full from Thanksgiving. Not that I’ll be turning down cocktails or sugary treats when they’re offered to me… but somehow I feel less guilty indulging if I’ve had my kale fix. (Kale neutralizes out cookies, right?). This appetizer is super simple to throw together (or even make ahead of time) and packs a garlicky-lemony-rosemary-ey punch…

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Roasted Squash with Apple Salsa

Sweet winter squash are topped with a crisp and tangy fall apple-jalapeño-lime salsa. Serve for a unique Thanksgiving side or a healthy vegan and GF main!

fall / vegan / gluten free

My mom is in town visiting this week. Usually she comes bearing a pile of recipe clippings that she’s been collecting for weeks leading up to the trip. I’ve been stuck in a bit of a “same-ingredient” rut lately, so I was really looking forward to someone else just telling me what to make. But this time she showed up empty-handed and said, “I’m here to eat what you make – you know, all of those recipes you post that I never get to eat because I’m not close enough to stop by for dinner.” So I sat down and…

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Sesame-Ginger Chickpea Cakes

These vegetarian sesame-ginger chickpea cakes make impressive healthy homemade appetizers. Cilantro lime yogurt sauce adds creamy texture & tons of flavor.

fall / vegetarian

As promised, here is the vegetarian followup to the tuna cakes I posted last week. I used most of the same ingredients (because I happened to have them all leftover)… the end result was pretty different, but delicious just the same. Of course, I really have a soft spot in my heart for panko-crusted anything… With this, I wanted to share a couple of handy tips: 1. Fresh ginger – keep it in the freezer, and grate it as you need it. No thawing required… by the time you grate, it’ll be thawed enough. I love to cook with ginger,…

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Green Papaya Salad

Green papaya ribbons tossed with a bright Asian-inspired herb, lime, and lemongrass dressing make a unique and healthy vegetarian meal.

salads / gluten free

I’ve been dreaming of making a green papaya salad for a while now… I just don’t see them (the unripe not-sweet green kind) around too often. A few weekends ago Jack and I ventured out to the MT Supermarket, a ridiculously huge asian market that we’d somehow never been to. If you live here in Austin, have you been there? The only way I can describe it is that it’s maybe the Asian grocery equivalent to IKEA. Super overwhelming… fun but probably only because it was our first time… and make sure you are highly caffeinated before you go. Among other treasures, I came…

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Zucchini Noodles & Avocado-Miso Sauce

Toss your summer zucchini with a gingery avocado sauce, mango, edamame, and toasted almonds to make this light 30-minute dinner. Vegan and gluten free!

vegan / gluten free

I was on a raw (well raw-ish) kick last week. Lately, I’ve been trying to eat lighter, and a bit healthier… less heavy starches, that sort of thing. I’ve been feeling really low-energy, so I’m trying to eat more veggie-focused meals and to incorporate healing foods like miso, hemp seed, and ginger. I love zucchini noodles because they really trick the senses and make you feel like you’re eating more than a bowl full of raw vegetables. Don’t get me wrong – they’re not pasta, but they have a nice tender bite that I find to be reminiscent of an al…

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Grilled Tofu Tacos with Avocado Cashew Cream

The stars of these tofu tacos are the sauces: a smoky chipotle marinade coats the grilled tofu, and a tangy avocado cashew cream tops them off.

summer / vegan / gluten free

Who doesn’t love a fish taco? Now that I’m a vegetarian, I love veggie-filled vegetarian tacos, but I miss ones filled with flaky fish. My solution? These delicious tofu tacos! To spice up my tofu, I made a chipotle/paprika/lime marinade, which lends a nice smoky balance to the other elements of these tofu tacos: tangy avocado sauce and crisp cabbage slaw. Yes, I know, I’m really into the nut sauces… cashew cream, pestos, romesco. I can tolerate very little dairy, and people give me such sad looks when I tell them that. But really folks… I’m not missing out. You’ll love…

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