Vegetarian

Tofu lettuce cups have become a favorite of mine.  To be honest, I have always loved the lettuce wrap concept, beginning years ago with In-and-Out’s bunless, lettuce wrap “protein style” burger, which I discovered long before I even moved to California.  Tofu has also been a staple in my house.  My boys started eating tofu […]

Cauliflower quinoa vegetable rice is an easy, flavorful, and delicious side dish that you can serve with just about anything.  Cauliflower rice, or riced cauliflower as it’s also called, has become incredibly popular in recent years as a low-carb alternative to rice.  Don’t get me wrong: I love rice and I always have.  But I […]

I call this my California vegetarian burrito bowl: it’s nothing fancy, but it’s a favorite of mine.  It’s rather easy to make, adaptable, and healthy.  This one-bowl meal is a great, reliable option for busy nights when you need something fast that’s not from the freezer. This is also a great meal option for my […]

A beautiful summer salad is something we could all afford to eat more regularly.  Most people go to farmer’s markets and are excited to buy a collection of beautiful seasonal fruits and vegetables; but later at home, it is not always clear what to make with the cornucopia of items purchased.  When in doubt, I […]

Strawberry-orange quick jam is the perfect thing to do with all those berries you just picked with your kids or with leftover fruit you bought from the market that may not get eaten. This is a super easy summer cooking project that your kids could probably do by themselves.  I say let them try. This […]

There is nothing more delicious than summer peas and I could probably eat fresh summer peas with mint yogurt every day.  I will admit, I never liked peas growing up, mainly because they were always served so mushy.  My oldest son went through a very long 5-year period where peas were the only vegetable he […]

With more than 410,000 Instagram posts, “avocado toast” is no longer just a fad.  Nor are people just eating it for breakfast: it’s also being served for lunch and as a snack and has become a go-to alternative to grilled cheese for kids and grownups alike.  Avocado toast has staying power, most likely due to […]

You should eat some asparagus this Spring.  And they can be so much better than a lot of restaurants make them.  April to June is the typical growing season and the best time to eat them–since you can find them with tender stalks and vibrant green colors.  Thicker, older stems produce a woody and much tougher vegetable. […]

Pasta served with a shallot white wine sauce is much lighter than the cream-based alternatives that permeate Americanized Italian food.  Paired with mushrooms, the sauce has a rich, earthy flavor. Pappardelle with wild mushrooms is as simple as it gets, but don’t be fooled by its simplicity, it’s delicious. I served this dish recently at […]

There is a growing trend toward vegetarianism and veganism among young people.  I recently read that in the past several years, vegetarianism has increased substantially among those under 25 years old.  My anecdotal experience is similar.  My friend’s eleven-year-old decided to become a vegetarian at the age of six, despite no one else in her […]

Kale and quinoa salad is one of my favorite salads.  For those who are local to the San Francisco Bay Area, this is my version of the kale salad at Palo Alto’s Calafia Cafe.  Chef Charlie Ayers, originally from Brooklyn, New York, was the former Executive Chef for Google.  His food style got national recognition for […]

It’s called “The Ultimate Veggie Burger” for a reason, not just for vegetarians.  It’s for anyone who loves a great veggie burger every once in a while, my husband included. Melissa Clark’s recipe for “The Ultimate Veggie Burger” was published in the New York Times a few years ago and I’m thankful to have found […]

If you are unfamiliar, watermelon radishes are supremely beautiful. Their deep pink/magenta color is eye-catching and adds a real pop to any ordinary salad. Watermelon radishes are considered a heirloom Chinese Daikon radish and a member of the mustard family (along with arugula, broccoli, and turnips–who knew!). Typically, watermelon radishes are available during the spring and […]

Gazpacho is a raw vegetable soup served chilled.  Gazpacho is believed to have originated in the Southern Spanish region Andalusia but is commonly seen all over Spain and Portugal (where it is known as “Gaupacho”).  Historically, the most well-known versions of gazpacho (or “soup-salad” as it has been called) come from Seville and Córdoba.  Traditional ingredients […]

I discovered Cotija cheese several years ago when I hosted my husband’s 40th birthday party, which had a Mexican theme and was catered by Tacolicious, a fantastic California-style taqueria in San Francisco.  Cotija has become a staple in my house ever since.  Cotija is a cow’s milk cheese named for the small Mexican town in […]