https://www.loveandlemons.com/tag/vegan-optional/ Healthy, whole food, vegan and vegetarian recipes Mon, 28 Nov 2022 21:49:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.loveandlemons.com/asparagus-ribbon-mint-pea-pesto-toasts/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/asparagus-ribbon-mint-pea-pesto-toasts/#comments Sun, 20 May 2018 17:59:49 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=30548
If you love asparagus, but the people you’re living with don’t, this post is for you. Even if you’re just blasé about asparagus, like I used to be, give it a chance by ribboning it! The thin, raw ribbons tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper are so fresh and delicious that you’ll completely avoid the unpleasant fibrous, stringy experience that asparagus sometimes causes. You can toss them in salads, put them on pizza… last weekend we ate them on fancy toast because these happened to be the ingredients that I had on hand. To make the ribbons, you […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/asparagus-ribbon-mint-pea-pesto-toasts/feed/ 6 https://www.loveandlemons.com/creamy-polenta/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/creamy-polenta/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2017 16:18:31 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=26918
We celebrated Valentine’s day early this year with this creamy polenta recipe. We actually celebrate most holidays early around here… at least food-wise. Christmas cookies in October, Thanksgiving food in late August and so on.  I’m not sure what we’re doing for “real” Valentine’s yet – but once I got this recipe just right and the pictures were done, Jack and I sat down to a romantic (albeit reheated) meal for two. The only caveat – Jack doesn’t like beets. He’s not a picky eater but beets are on his short list of foods he usually won’t touch. I originally tried […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/creamy-polenta/feed/ 21 https://www.loveandlemons.com/winter-farro-kale-salad/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/winter-farro-kale-salad/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2015 15:30:26 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=22943
All you want for Christmas is a Christmas salad – right? Ok, maybe not, but in between all of the cookies and other sweet treats, doesn’t it just feel so good to eat something nourishing before your next cocktail? This salad is packed with so many things that I crave, like dark leafy kale and hearty farro; and to make it extra festive – hazelnuts and pomegranates. It’s the salad that looks like a Christmas tree. You can use either lacinato kale (pictured) or curly kale for this recipe. I usually find curly kale to be a little bit softer, but this pretty bouquet of local […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/winter-farro-kale-salad/feed/ 22 https://www.loveandlemons.com/ribollita-tuscan-white-bean-soup/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/ribollita-tuscan-white-bean-soup/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:24:18 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=22228
This Tuscan white bean soup recipe grew out of Jack’s new weekend hobby: bread-making. Over the last few weeks, he’s made some really delicious focaccia and a few loaves of ciabatta which, I have to tell you, were super impressive. I previously had this idea that rustic crusty bread would require wood-fired ovens and other non-household equipment to make. It doesn’t. The ingredients are simple, but it does require an afternoon’s worth of babysitting. Knead, fold, wait, rest… repeat… like 15 more times. After all of this hard work, when the last chunk of ciabatta went stale a few days later, I […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/ribollita-tuscan-white-bean-soup/feed/ 46 https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-vegetarian-grilling-recipes/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-vegetarian-grilling-recipes/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2015 15:31:22 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=21687
Happy holiday weekend! If you’re hosting a cookout this Labor Day weekend, here are a few simple (yet super delicious!) veggie recipe ideas. And if you’re attending a cookout this weekend – well, it’s always good to be a bringer especially if you’re the one with the special food requirements. (Who me?) Ok, let’s get started – first we’re going to load up some skewers. (Actually, first, we’re going to make some margaritas). Once you have a drink in hand, get started by marinating the mushrooms. My secret not-so-secret-anymore marinade is so easy –  olive oil, balsamic, soy sauce and black pepper. The mushrooms become deeply browned and […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-vegetarian-grilling-recipes/feed/ 5 https://www.loveandlemons.com/saras-strawberry-tabbouleh/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/saras-strawberry-tabbouleh/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:55:18 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=20710
After I posted my list of favorite spring cookbooks, I could tell that this is the book you’ve all been waiting for – and I’m here to tell you that Sara & Hugh Forte’s new book, Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon, doesn’t disappoint. The photos are of course gorgeous, and the food… well it makes you want to dig in with a spoon because all of it, like this tabbouleh recipe, looks so incredibly vibrant and delicious! The book has been sitting on my desk for a little while now, among a slew of papers, books, and other messy-desk things – which is how this tabbouleh recipe […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/saras-strawberry-tabbouleh/feed/ 19 https://www.loveandlemons.com/romanesco-chickpea-salad/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/romanesco-chickpea-salad/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2014 17:16:44 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=15742
Two things happened on Monday: It was Jack’s birthday and also we won the Saveur Reader’s Choice Best Cooking Blog award! Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of you who voted for us! As someone who’s not used to winning things, I really didn’t see this coming. I’m shocked and just so flattered. I realize — I probably should be posting cocktails and cake, but it’s been a heck of a busy week, so today I bring you: Celebration Salad. (Although, stay tuned, I have some yummy birthday carrot cake coming up next week). But for now, this […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/romanesco-chickpea-salad/feed/ 45 https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-loaded-sweet-potatoes/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-loaded-sweet-potatoes/#comments Fri, 31 Jan 2014 17:43:23 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=14505
I’ve never loved baked potatoes. I know… that’s hardly the way to begin a baked potato post. In my world (growing up), they came 2 ways: On our dinner table – plain with just a bit of margarine (sorry mom!)… and at the Yorktown Mall food court – those giant sour-cream-piled ones that seemed like a heart attack on a plate. (Which, by the way, were considered the “healthy” option because they were baked not fried! Gotta love the midwest in the 90’s). The kind that wasn’t an option? This kind… baked sweet potatoes stuffed with black beans, a little bit of […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-loaded-sweet-potatoes/feed/ 39 https://www.loveandlemons.com/stuffed-acorn-squash-kale-creminis/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/stuffed-acorn-squash-kale-creminis/#comments Mon, 25 Nov 2013 17:00:23 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=13246
Over the years we’ve had more than a few untraditional Thanksgivings… the ones where we didn’t make it to the family feast because flying during the holiday weekend is the biggest. hassle. ever. We’ve had a slew of friendsgivings, well before they were the cool hipster thing to do… One year, Jack and I spent a nice evening alone over a romantic dinner of butternut squash risotto… And I’ll never forget the year I didn’t fly home from college and I ate a can of tuna and frozen green beans. I know, so sad. But I had schoolwork to catch […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/stuffed-acorn-squash-kale-creminis/feed/ 23 https://www.loveandlemons.com/kale-apple-butternut-salad/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/kale-apple-butternut-salad/#comments Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:34:23 +0000 https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=12877
We’re on a butternut squash kick this week. It wasn’t intentional, it’s just that one butternut squash times two people equals about four meals. It’s a squash that keeps on giving. Today’s special shape: ribbons! No special gadgets required – just get out your regular veggie peeler, and peel away. Toss with a tangy dressing (it’ll help tame down the raw bite), and toss with kale, apples, herbs and nuts. If this is all too green and healthy for your traditional Thanksgiving meal, just think of it as your pre-turkey-day (delicious) detox! Kale & Apple Butternut Squash Salad   Print […]

]]> https://www.loveandlemons.com/kale-apple-butternut-salad/feed/ 27