I’ve been on quite the vegetable kick lately. Before now, I never realized how easy it was to just throw together a meaty main dish for dinner and call it a day. Now I’ve really had to get creative so that salad is not the only thing on the menu. One of the most hearty vegetarian dishes on my rotation is shakshuka. It has an earthy yet spicy kick thanks to some key ingredients, and it spoons just so perfectly onto a steaming loaf of Homemade Bread….
Mastering the French Macaron
I finally had a free day to myself this Sunday with zero commitments, so my friend and I decided to try our hands at the French macaron. The macaron is probably one of the most intimidating baking challenges out there. If you mess up a ratio, forget to pop a few bubbles, or simply open the oven too soon, all can be lost. That said, we were determined to tease out the tricks of the pesky macaron. We made a number of different batches and tried a few different techniques to get the very best version – which, I won’t lie, took a good amount of time. After a few mishaps and broken macaron cookies (poor babies), we finally started to get the hang of it!…
Fig, Caramelized Onion + Goat Cheese Tart
Whenever I hit up my local farmer’s market, I’m always so tempted to snag myself some figs and just head for the hills to devour them whole. The biggest turn-off about a fig? The price tag. I don’t know about you, but I can’t justify spending $8 a basket on 6 or 7 beauties, no matter how perfectly ripe and tasty they happen to be. Luckily for me, I made a discovery last month that I have been waiting patiently to come to fruition (hah, get it): My neighbor’s fig tree….
Pulled “Pork” Jackfruit Sandwiches
In this edition of my favorite weekly ritual, Pantry Meal of the Week, I dug pretty deep into the depths of my fridge and pantry. I had some leftover cabbage and radish slices from the Classic Pozole Rojo we devoured the other night, so I immediately thought of coleslaw. Because that’s a totally normal train of thought. I found a few remaining cans of jackfruit in the pantry from back when I was stocking up to make BBQ “Chicken” Jackfruit Pizza the other week, and decided to take them out for a swing.
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Classic Pozole Rojo
We’re currently experiencing quite the heat spell over here in Los Angeles, but that isn’t going to stop me from devouring this entire pot of pozole that our family friend Blanca blessed us with. Being able to come home to a meal that’s already prepared and ready to go is really quite something else. Basically I just stepped into my boyfriend’s lucky shoes for the evening. (Right, Ben?)
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Grilled Garlic Prawns + Verde Sauce
Until about the time I graduated from college, I was definitely not a shellfish person. I didn’t like the briny flavors or the idea of slurping down a slimy oyster. Fast forward to now and I can’t get enough of the stuff. Maybe the palette change comes with maturity? (hah!) With my new found crustacean proclivities, I hit up my local market for my usual Monday shopping routine and noticed that they had a huge pile of fresh prawns for sale. I couldn’t help myself. I filled an entire bag while my head swam with recipe ideas….
Grilled Whole Branzino with Cilantro + Mint Relish
I have to say, I am really proud of how this dish turned out. I cooked it on a whim after finding whole branzino at my local fish market and couldn’t resist snagging two of them. Turns out I probably should have bought at least double that since the fish flew off the platter so fast I almost didn’t get to eat any of it! These little guys were on the smaller side (a little over 1 lb each), so plan on about 3/4 – 1 lb per person when making this deliciousness.
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BBQ “Chicken” Jackfruit Pizza
In case you aren’t familiar with the amazingness of the jackfruit, let me introduce you to your new favorite meat substitute. Jackfruit is a giant spiny looking monster fruit that is native to Southeast Asia. It is eaten both during its young stage when it hasn’t developed a sweet taste yet as well as once it’s ripe and has a sticky sweet flavor. It is delicious both young and fully ripe, but for this recipe we don’t want it to be too sweet, so we’re going to use the young version.
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Mama T’s Cincinnati Chili
During the winter months when I was growing up, my mom would start to make her delicious braises and stews for the four of us for dinner. One of my all time favorite recipes is her Cincinnati chili. She would start reducing the meaty sauce before we got home from school, so by the time we opened the door we would be washed in the amazing smell of spices emanating from the kitchen. …
One Pot Vegan Bolognese
This week when one of my best friends received her masters degree (woohoo!), I decided that I would be a great excuse to throw an impromptu dinner party. If you know anything about me (besides my undying love of cheese) it’s that I love a good dinner party. Realistically, I even love a sorta okay dinner party. Basically if there is food involved, I’m there and happy as a clam….