Vegetarian

My whole family loves falafel with tahini sauce. My husband and I both grew up eating falafel in NYC. In Brooklyn, we lived near a little family-run restaurant that made an amazing homemade falafel sandwich people would line up for blocks to get. I still miss it 13 years later. Here in Northern California, there […]

Vietnamese summer rolls, (also known as fresh spring rolls or summer rolls) are a healthy, often low-fat meal or snack I’m a huge fan of. Gourmet magazine’s description – “a salad packed into an edible container” –says it all. Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, done your prep work, and mastered the basics, you can […]

Everyone needs another pasta recipe. And a quick meal is even better, which works here if you take shortcuts like buying tomato sauce instead of making your own. The truth is, I was never really a huge fan of this well-known Italian-American favorite. To me, stuffed shells often seem bland and textureless. But this classic baked […]

Life is a bit repetitive these days. But we all have to eat, so I encourage you to use this time to cook new things you’ve never made before. You can do it, be daring, be bold, be different–try this! Yorkshire pudding is one of the most traditional British dishes there are, although the origins […]

I’ve always been a polenta fan. This is my favorite, effortless oven polenta with mushrooms that takes all the work out of making this hearty favorite. But when you break it down, polenta is nothing more than coarsely ground cornmeal. Served as a hot porridge-style dish, or cooled and cut which can then be baked, […]

Sometimes homemade is simply better, as is the case with pita bread. Be honest, you know exactly what I’m talking about. While store-bought pita has its purpose, when making homemade bread is not an option, but a lot is lost by sitting on the shelf. And that cardboard taste is real. I’m not a fan […]

As a kid, I was never a big bread eater. Crackers, of almost any variety, were my go-to. There were, however, a few breads I never said no to, and naan was one of them. Naan, the well-known Indian favorite is a flatbread typically made with a dry yeast, all-purpose flour, warm water, sugar, salt, […]

This is one of my favorite easy and healthful salads; roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with honey mustard vinaigrette. This wonderful, flavorful cauliflower and chickpea salad is not my recipe, it’s from Half Baked Harvest. I have only lightly adapted the recipe, mainly reducing the heat factor, but the original recipe can be seen here. This […]

My husband loves harissa and I have to credit him for exposing me to it. Maybe you’ve had it and loved it, maybe you had it and had no idea you had it, or maybe you’ve never heard of it till now. Harissa is, in a nutshell, a spicy, flavorful condiment and can be a […]

Dark, leafy green vegetables are among the most nutrient-dense foods, and let’s face it, we could all benefit from eating more of them. Some say kale is the “king of greens”, but Swiss chard is equally impressive in its wide array of nutritional benefits. Swiss chard is a leafy green belonging to the goosefoot family, which […]

Love them or hate them, Brussels sprouts have been considered a tradition at Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations for centuries. My childhood memories of sprouts are not flattering. Most of my friends have similar stories. To clarify, there is nothing more unappealing than a mushy, flavorless, overcooked sprout–nothing! But this dish for roasted Brussels sprouts with almonds […]

Not all salads are created equal. Some are complex, with many competing flavors and others are simple and subtle. In the salad world, both are needed. This is a simple one; a lovely butter lettuce and watercress salad with a creamy walnut dressing. Now don’t misunderstand me, by “simple” I don’t mean boring, I mean […]

An arepa is an iconic South American food with over 75 distinct forms and preparations. According to The Columbian Academy of Gastronomy, “arepas are part of (their) cultural heritage and can be considered a symbol of national gastronomic unity”. Arepas are flat, round, unleavened patties made from maize meal or maize flour that can be […]

I can’t call this recipe healthy, however, I can say it’s a vegetarian taco recipe that’s worthy of trying–even if you are not a vegetarian. Meanwhile, if you’re on Instagram, you may already know this dish is a popular one right now with clear staying power. This recipe was a fun one for me as I’m […]

They say pesto sauce originated in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy.  But this simple sauce can actually be traced to the ancient Romans. Romans made a very similar dish called “moretum,” a spread made of garlic, cheese, herbs, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Another influential sauce was “agliata“, a garlic sauce, common during the […]