Have you ever tried to turn kale into a pesto? It is a delicous way to enjoy kale, and I didn’t always like it. The secret? Hemp seeds. They are not only healthy, but delicious in this kale hemp seed pesto.
Why hemp seeds? Yes, they are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids which come along with many health benefits, but the true reason I use them is for their creamy flavor profile. Continue reading
When I planned what I’m cooking this week 8/28/2022, I started as I always do and identified what items I had to use up in the fridge. I have cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes and green beans from the garden to start my recipe search this week.
As I browsed my recipes, I looked carefully for things that can be prepped in advance to cut back on cooking time as well as ingredients within a recipe that I would not get used up. I planned additional meals around those two factors: what can I make extra of, and what will I have leftover. Continue reading
Posted in What I'm Cooking This Week
This cranberry date protein bars recipe was developed from a sugar-free, fat-free version that was made with a lot of processed ingredients. I cleaned up the recipe and made it mostly plant-based, while keeping the protein just above 10 grams per bar and it is still a low-fat and low-sugar recipe.
These protein bars are dairy free and nut free, but not vegan or soy free. I use eggs and soy milk because they really increase the protein content of these bars and are not ingredients that need avoided by people without dietary restrictions. Continue reading
Posted in Vegetarian Main Dish
One of the things I love most about gardening is that it helps me be get creative in the kitchen. The green beans in my garden have been growing well this season, and here I add them to an addicting potato salad, caper dill potato salad.
Bountiful produce tends to push you as a home cook. For me, I love to find new ways to use familiar ingredients; it keeps things interesting at dinner time. Continue reading
Posted in Gluten Free Dishes, Salad, Side Dish
Tagged capers, Dill, Green beans, Potatoes
I always have an abundance of tomatoes at the end of gardening season. I stay very busy at the end of gardening season as well with back to school and fall events so I appreciate this no peel slow cooker marinara recipe that allows me to use my tomatoes with minimal effort!
This recipe cooks for a total of 8 hours on high in the slow cooker (with one required stir). Most recipes in the slow cooker don’t cook on high for that long, but it is necessary with the marinara. Continue reading
I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone, school starts in only a few weeks! I had to share these smoked tofu summer rolls before summer is over. They are a fresh, light meal that can be easily made without heating up your kitchen!
I like to use the smoked tofu in my summer rolls because it is already cooked. You could probably use “raw” tofu straight out of the package, but the smoked tofu has better texture and it adds more flavor. Continue reading
Posted in Asian, Gluten Free Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian Main Dish
Tagged Carrots, Cucumber, Noodles, Peppers, Red cabbage, Romaine, Tofu
This simply marinated tempeh can be used in all sorts of ways. I like to use it for salads, sandwiches and wraps. The marinade is made from fridge and pantry staples so it is easy to whip up when you are planning on the fly.
Cubes are best for salads, but slices are best for sandwiches. For wraps, you could go either way, but I prefer the slices. Continue reading
I have a process that I use when I menu plan, and when I was planning what I’m cooking this week 7/24/22, I naturally started moving through the progression of my process. Therefore, I thought it would be a good discussion topic for this week’s post.
Tip #1: Go through the fridge. Make a list of all the ingredients that need used up and pull them to the front so they are front of mind as well. Don’t forget the check the freezer as well!
The next step from here involves finding or being familiar with recipes that use those ingredients. I love to read about recipe development and cooking, and I am a food blogger so this is natural for me to have lots of back-pocket recipes to pull out for all kinds of ingredients. So, how should someone else start the process? Continue reading
Posted in What I'm Cooking This Week
I love to add feta to my salads. Especially when I use a vinaigrette, the feta adds something creamy. I often find myself dumping tons of feta onto my salad because I want a little feta in every bite. This lemon feta vinaigrette solves that issue.
The feta is blended right into the dressing so end up getting a little bit coating every leaf and vegetable in your salad. It turns into a less is more situation. Continue reading
The first time I made this smoked tofu burger, I was surprised at how well the patty held its form. There are many veggie burgers that crumble and fall apart, even with the egg. This burger however, does not.
The texture of this burger was much different than a traditional veggie burger, too. Most burgers made with beans and/or grains have a mushy texture, and we die-hard vegetarians choose to love them for what they are anyway. This burger, however, has a spongy texture that is broken up by the little pieces of nuts and seeds. Continue reading
Posted in Burger, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian Main Dish
Tagged Nuts, Sunflower seeds, Tofu
