French Pressed Kitchen

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Recipes

French Butter Cookies (Petits-Beurre)

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Have you heard of Petits-Beurre cookies? Amazing little french butter cookies, similar to what you’d find in a Petit Ecolier cookie (see here!). Only, like anything in cooking, they are even more delicious, fresh and customizable when you make them at home!

I had the delightful occasion to master the cookie recipe while staying with our dear friends in France, helping to make a huge batch for wedding favors. Practice makes perfect! I was courageous enough to remake the cookies for a friend’s baby shower, and they did not disappoint!! The recipe results in a buttery, flaky, easy-to-cut out dough that’s perfect for cookie cutters. Plus, you can make the dough ahead of time and choose any variation you like – for the wedding we actually made 4 different flavors: cocoa, hazelnut flour, vanilla and sea salt flakes. Almond extract, orange, and lemon zest would also be amazing!

The Recipe

The dough resembles a classic butter cookie or shortbread cookie. First the the butter, sugar and a little water are melted together, then cooled and mixed with the dry ingredients. You can sub out part of the flour for different kinds (almond flour, hazelnut flour) to have a different flavor, but even just a little will change the texture and make the cookies a bit harder to work with. I recommend staying with extracts such as vanilla and almond, or tiny add-ins like finely diced nuts or zest to keep the dough the same consistency.

I adapted this recipe slightly from Piroulie, but the original recipe was from a tiny, adorable little French cookbook and came with the cookie cutter. You could shape your own using a glass or other cookie cutter, or find a custom one on Etsy for a specific occasion – great party favors!! The animal crackers I made were these stamps from Amazon.

French Butter Cookies (Petits-Beurre)

Ingredients
  • 400 grams all-purpose flour
  • 100 grams whole wheat pastry flour
  • 200 grams granulated (white) sugar
  • 200 grams salted butter (I love Kerrygold)
  • 6.5 Tablespoons water
  • 6 grams baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or almond extract)*

* Lemon or orange zest would work well, as would some finely diced nuts (not too many though!)

Instructions
  1. Mix the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl, whisking until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter, sugar and water over low heat, stirring constantly. Wait until the mixture just boils, then remove from heat and turn off flame. Let the liquid mixture cool 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly. When the mixture is cool, add in the vanilla (or almond) extract.
  3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly add in the liquid ingredients. Mix until just combined, slowly folding in the liquid so as not to overwork the flour. When the dough comes together, shape into a few balls, then flatten into discs. Cover tightly with saran wrap, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or overnight).
  4. When ready to bake the cookies, bring the dough to room temperature (depending on your disc size, fridge temp, etc., this may take a few hours – mine took a good 2.5 hours in cool weather). The dough should be pliable enough to roll, but not so room temperature that it feels oily.
  5. Roll dough out to a thin layer (2-3mm). If the dough is a little thick, the cookies will just take a little longer to cook, and that’s okay.
  6. If using cookie cutters, dip the cookie cutter in flour each time and tap off any extra before stamping a cookie in the dough. With the cutters that I bought, this method worked nicely. Slowly lift out the cookie and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake at 350F (180C) for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are just golden brown. The cooking time can vary greatly depending on ovens, so start with a shorter amount of time to make sure they don’t burn. The cookies will harden as they cool, so as long as they look golden brown on the edges they will turn out well set.

I found that the cookies keep well for at least a week – perfect for gifts or mailing as well! They wrap well in plastic bags as they are fairly sturdy, but a small paper box would also work well and be less delicate. The bags are super cute to display, though!!

Baby Shower Idea for Customized Cookie Cutouts Jungle Theme

Hope you enjoy, and bon appétit!

Easy Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartine

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Hi friends! Popping in to share this delicious – and super easy – smoked salmon tartine! A French classic, with a base of good bread, this open faced sandwich is sure to delight.

As many of you know, Pedro and I are in France for a few months. We’re pursuing a long time goal of living and working here, taking our time to really enjoy our friends, work on our French, visit the country and keep up our French. Part of our adventure has been staying with some of our dear friends, and consequently cooking lots with them. It’s been a blast, and we’re certainly eating well. It’s been interesting adapting to all the different food options here – NO kale has been spotted yet!!! And I’m having bread for breakfast instead of eggs. What?

Instead, we’re finding all the delicious local things to enjoy. We’ve had a lot of yogurt as after lunch snacks, and we’re trying to test out some more local fish. Hence this inspiration for this dish! We made these tartines for lunch and found that it was a perfect light afternoon meal. Serve it with a salad or garnish with greens for an even simpler option.

SMOKED SALMON AND AVOCADO TARTINE

A quick and easy recipe for smoked salmon and avcocado tartines with a yogurt and cucumber spread.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

8 slices of whole grain bread
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
1/3 cup cucumber, diced small
Cucumber, sliced thinly (more diced is also fine)
1 avocado, sliced thinly or mashed
1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground black pepper

METHOD

  1. Heat oven to 400F (200C).
  2. Brush each side of the bread with olive oil. Place in the oven to crisp slightly, 3-4 minutes. Flip and let cook 1-2 more minutes. Keep an eye on your bread – you want it golden brown but not too crispy! Remove and let cool.
  3. Mix the yogurt with lemon juice, adjusting to taste. Mix in the diced cucumber, salt and pepper.
  4. Top the toasts with avocado, followed by the yogurt spread, smoked salmon and any remaining cucumber. Enjoy!




White Balsamic Kale Salad

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It’s been a hot minute since I popped in with a recipe. We’ve been full throttle in “clean out the pantry” mode, getting ready for our travels to France!! This has meant using up lots of condiments and random things, so not *all* meals have been particularly recipe ready.

This kale salad was inspired by the need for an easy + green meal – and a multi-grain croissant I had picked up at Whole Foods!! It’s a go-to recipe for a simple and bright salad, and as always, very flexible with toppings.

I made a base dressing of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and good mustard (Sir Kensington’s is my favorite!). Mix it up well, until the olive oil and vinegarare emulsified with the mustard. I usually shake it up in a well-sealed jar!

Next, massage your kale with the dressing. A hearty kale will will be great after sitting with the dressing for 10 minutes or so – it will become a bit softer. Finally, top with anything you have on hand! I used hemp seeds, carrots, a red pear, and a few almond flour crackers. Delicious for a simple and light meal! It would also be great paired with roasted chicken or shrimp.

Let me know if you try this out, and bon appetit!

WHITE BALSAMIC KALE SALAD

An easy, bright and citrusy recipe for a white balsamic kale salad that works with any topping – perfect for a quick but nutritious meal!

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

6 cups (or more) chopped kale
2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon good mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
Optional toppings: sliced carrots, sliced pear, hemp seeds, roasted chicken

METHOD

  1. Add dressing ingredients to a small jar or Tupperware. Shake vigorously to combine!
  2. Massage the kale with the dressing, reserving a bit to drizzle on top later. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add toppings and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Whole Grain Vegan Berry Cobbler

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Does anything say cozy breakfast like a warm berry cobbler?! This dish is just perfect on a cold winter morning, but it would be equally good any time of the year with fresh berries and ice cream!! I mean…look at those biscuits.

We had frozen berries from this summer to use up, and I was inspired to fulfill Pedro’s biscuit dreams (they’re his favorite food!) so I thought of combining the two in this breakfast dish. Blackberries and blueberries are the flavor stars here, but any type of berry or combination thereof would be delicious.

The biscuit topping is also simple and no nonsense – I loosely followed a few recipes I found on the web, but vegan-ized them a bit, and added a whole grain twist by using white whole wheat flour and a bit of almond flour. I couldn’t resist adding a touch of cinnamon in the biscuits as well, to give them an additional hint of warmth. Basically everything you could ask for in a comfort breakfast but without any added sugars! You could halve this recipe for a smaller breakfast portion as well.

VEGAN WHOLE WHEAT BERRY COBBLER

This is a straightforward recipe for a berry cobbler – adjust and make it your own!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole wheat flour*
4 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Earth Balance (or other butter)
1 cup almond milk
6 cups berries, fresh or frozen
1 Tablespoon arrowroot or corn starch
2 teaspoons lemon (or lime) juice

METHOD

  1. Heat oven to 400F. Toss the berries in the arrowroot or corn starch and lemon juice. Add to a round baking dish or square tin.
  2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Work in the butter until mixture is crumbly and butter is well distributed (like coarse cornmeal). Add in the milk and stir until just combined. Dough may be a bit sticky but that’s okay!
  3. Drop large 1/3 cup or so dollops of dough onto the berries. Cover the berries evenly. If you have extra dough you can fill in the open spots or bake a biscuit on the side (that will require only 10-12 minutes of baking time though).
  4. Bake the dish for about 30 minutes or until juices are bubbly. Let cool for 20 minutes or so, then dig in!!

*Notes: I subbed in 1/4 cup almond flour to make the dough a bit more moist. It was delicious!

Enjoy 🙂

Easy Mediterranean Tuna Salad

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Hi friends! Popping in to share this easy salad idea!

Like a lot of recipes lately, this was inspired by a pantry item: canned tuna! No matter how much I meal plan, there are always some pantry items I want to tackle to keep my inventory low. I purposely bought a lot of tuna so that I would eat more fish….I tricked myself and it’s working. That was the inspiration for this easy Mediterranean salad I made the other week! It came together in less than ten minutes and uses common and affordable pantry staples – canned tuna and olives! I had mine with kale, but you could use any base of greens, feta, and tomatoes for a fresh and filling meal.

This was a layered salad – not really tossed in a bowl, but I piled items on top, hence the pretty layout 🙂 I like the way the layout reminded me of a salad nicoise! Plus, it doesn’t require dirtying another bowl, which is always a plus.

I started with a base of chopped kale leaves, then drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, followed by a few dashes of salt and pepper. On top I added canned tuna that I had mixed with lemon, olive oil and turmeric (hence the yellow-ish color!). For toppings I threw on some diced tomato, bite sized carrots, sheep’s milk feta and olives. Such a perfect combination! Basil would be great, but I had a little cilantro to use up so i added that as well. The freshness of the greens, lemon + herbs really went great with the hearty cheese and tuna. These olives are super mild, too, so they didn’t overtake the rest of the dish!

Let me know if you try this out!

EASY 10 MINUTE MEDITERRANEAN TUNA SALAD

This Mediterranean tuna salad comes together in less than ten minutes and uses affordable pantry staples – canned tuna and olives! Serve it with any base of greens, feta, and tomatoes for a fresh and filling meal.

INGREDIENTS

3-4 cups leafy greens (lettuce, kale, arugula)
1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for tuna
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, plus more for tuna
1-2 small carrots, diced or sliced
1/3 cup crumbled or diced sheep’s milk feta cheese
1/4 cup pitted black olives
handful of small tomatoes, halved
1 can no salt added tuna (or salmon)
pinch of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

METHOD

  1. Tear or roughly chop your greens to desired consistency and add to a large bowl or plate. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon or so each of olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle on salt and ground pepper, to taste.
  2. Drain the tuna; break apart and stir together in a separate bowl with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice, adding salt and pepper to taste; add in the turmeric if using.
  3. Add as much of the tuna to the salad as you’d like to eat (I did a little more than half a can). Sprinkle on the carrots, olives, diced tomatoes and feta. Finish with the oregano on top!

Bon appetit 🙂

Easy Meat Sauce (Paleo + Whole30 Friendly)

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This meat sauce recipe is my go-to for a quick and filling meal. It’s packed with veggies and spices, making it naturally paleo and Whole30 friendly! You can serve it with noodles, gnocchi, spaghetti squash or over even over hearty greens like kale. It makes a perfect weeknight meal!

This dish has become one of my go-to’s for a weeknight meal. A tomato sauce is a very forgiving, easily adaptable to what you have on hand and in your pantry. I always start with a similar base – onion (red or yellow), garlic and any other veggies in the fridge – bell peppers, diced carrots, spinach, mushrooms, etc. You can use whatever you’d like to have in your sauce! I find that the red onion and carrot combination makes the sauce naturally sweet, which is a great complement to the acidity of the tomatoes and heat of a pinch of red pepper flakes.

After those veggies have cooked a bit together, the next step is to brown the ground beef. Once it’s thoroughly cooked, I love to add in a splash of wine – it really brings the meal to the next level and gives it that little touch of decadence!

Next step, sauce! The shortcut in this recipe is using a can of good, pre-made sauce (I used a Thrive Market one here). I try to have one on hand for this sauce or shaksuka at all times! You could also used canned or diced tomatoes and incorporate a little bit of extra olive oil and seasoning in place of a pre-made sauce.

Though the pasta has lots of vegetables in it, I like to serve it with steamed broccoli (or frozen then defrosted) on the side. It’s a good contrast that helps make it even more filling – and stretches the sauce a bit longer! The sauce with a little pasta (regular, paleo, chickpea, spaghetti squash, whatever!) is hearty enough to stand on its own, too. A little basil or parsley on top is perfect to finish! Here I had it with chickpea pasta for lunch one day, and spaghetti squash another – delicious!

Let me know if you try it out 🙂

Easy Meat Sauce (Paleo + Whole30 Friendly)

This meat sauce recipe is my go-to for a quick and filling meal. It’s packed with veggies and spices, making it naturally paleo and Whole30 friendly! You can serve it with noodles, gnocchi, spaghetti squash or over even over hearty greens like kale and spinach. It makes a perfect weeknight meal!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons avocado oil
1 purple onion, diced (yellow onion is fine too)
1 bell pepper, diced (optional – I use it if I have one around)
1 large carrot, grated
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup red wine (optional)
16 ounces tomato or pasta sauce (choose your favorite!)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional, leave out for paleo)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Method

  1. Heat a large pot or pan over medium heat. Add the avocado oil, then then the diced onion. Saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the diced pepper and sautee for a few minutes until soft. Finally, add the garlic and saute one more minute until fragrant.
  2. Add in the ground meat into the center and begin to brown (I like to make a ‘well’ in the center of the pan, pushing the onion mixtures slightly out towards the edges of the pan). Toss the meat to brown on both sides, breaking up any large clumps and incorporating with the onion and garlic. Add in the dried spices and stir again.
  3. Add in the wine, if using and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add in the grated carrot and sauce and mix to combine, stirring occasionally.
  5. Turn down the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Take the lid off and simmer on low 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper as needed – your sauce may have enough.
  6. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
  7. Serve on top of spaghetti squash, pasta, hearty greens or alone with crusty bread!

Make ahead: This sauce is great reheated! You can make a big batch and heat it up throughout the week with fresh pasta or veggies.

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Biscotti

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And we’re back with a cookie post!!

I’ve been traveling quite a bit this winter so my posts have dropped off a bit. Doesn’t mean the cooking has stopped! I got right back to it for Christmas, making these chocolate chip hazelnut biscotti, as requested by my mom.

In search of the perfect recipe

I searched around quite a bit for a recipe that I was happy with, but eventually landed on this one from Smitten Kitchen. I liked that it was naturally dairy free (no butter needed) and had espresso powder! I made a few updates, namely adding in a few different flours (hazelnut + white whole wheat flour) and adding in some chocolate chips in place of hazelnuts. And forgetting the egg wash (oops). They turned out great, and so perfect to pair with coffee! Hope you’ll try them out – get creative with add-ins. I think walnuts or almonds would also be great, and a white chocolate drizzle would be very pretty as well. Recipe below.

Baking Notes

The dough looks and feels very sticky, but if you wet your hands a bit and portion out the dough in a bit of flour you should be able to shape it just fine into a couple of logs. The term “rolling” doesn’t really apply here – I kind of plop mounds of dough in a line and then shape into a long rectangle. The logs really don’t need to be perfect;as long as they have a somewhat uniform shape to them then they will bake well. See below for mine!

Once you bake the first log and let it cool for a few minutes, the baked “log” will be easy to cut. Slice it as thinly as you’d like – the more the merrier in my opinion! After laying out the biscotti back on the same pan, they’ll be ready for their second bake. After the second bake, let cool, then top with whatever you like – I did a simple melted chocolate drizzle and added on holiday themed sprinkles!

Bon appetit!

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Biscotti (whole grain + dairy free)

This recipe is adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen. It makes about 50 biscotti, depending on how small you slice the cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup hazelnut flour (meal)
2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (all-purpose works too, or a mix)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (good cocoa is great, but I used Hershey’s here)
1 Tablespoon espresso powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Whisk together (or sift) the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Beat eggs lightly in mixing bowl with whisk or in an electric mixer. Beat in the sugar until just blended.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together (don’t over mix). Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips until just combined. If the dough looks too dry, add a few drops of water to make everything come together (this may depend on your flour).
  5. Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a lightly floured work surface (I used parchment paper and dusted it lightly with flour). Wet hands slightly, then pat the dough into a flattened log shape, about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Repeat with second half of dough (you can cook them side by side on a large baking sheet). I like to dollop out the dough and just flatten with my hands since the dough isn’t “rollable”.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove the baked logs and let cool for about 5 minutes, then cut on an angle into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife. Once cut, lay the the cookies down on the cut side, then return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until crisp and dry.
  7. Let cool completely. If desired, melt some chocolate for a drizzle, or dip the ends in for an even more decadent treat!

Bon appetit!

Roasted Tomato and Power Greens Polenta Bowl

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In case you’ve missed my Instagram or blog post updates lately…I’ve been ALL about the summer produce!! We have been cooking up a storm and I’m loving it. One of my favorite things has been roasting good heirloom tomatoes. Something about the added umami from the concentrated tomato flavor is just divine (see this roasted tomato tart !). Today’s recipe is an easy dish that capitalizes on this flavor – a polenta based grain bowl topped with topped with simple roasted tomatoes and sauteed power greens.

Grain bowls seem to be all the rage (hello Sweetgreen, Cava, NafNaf, Korean rice bowls, etc!). The grains are filling and you can put pretty much aaaaanything on top. If you add veggies and/or lots of greens, it’s a different, heartier take on a salad with endless possibilities! I’ve been using up my pantry grains lately, hence the inspiration for polenta, but you could definitely use barley, oats, quinoa or another grain for this.

Fort his dish I bought a few pounds of tomato “seconds” at the farmer’s market that were on their last legs – but for super cheap! They needed to be cooked right away, so I cut them up as soon as I got home and threw them in the oven  with some avocado oil for about 30 minutes until they were nice and shriveled.

Next I made polenta on the stovetop – a quick 5 minute cook in boiling water and salt brings the cornmeal to a good consistency. While that was cooling I sauteed some garlic and power greens (a blend of kale, spinach and various other greens) in a small pan until very wilted. Then, put it all together! Simple as that. You could add a fried or poached egg for an even more filling meal – the runny yolk would be so good on the polenta.

Let me know if you try it out & enjoy! Bon appetit 🙂

Roasted Tomato and Power Greens Polenta Bowl
 
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An easy polenta meal that’s perfect for a quick meal or snack! Five minute stove top polenta topped with roasted tomatoes and sautéed power greens. Naturally vegan, gluten free and super tasty!
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Serves: 2 bowls
Ingredients
Polenta
  • ½ cup dry cornmeal
  • 1 and ½ cups water
  • Pinch of salt
Tomatoes
  • 2-3 pounds tomatoes (I used heirloom)
  • 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
  • Fresh ground black pepper
Greens
  • 3-4 cups mixed baby kale, and baby spinach
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Dice the tomatoes into 1 inch or so cubes (or cut in half if using smaller cherry tomatoes). Add the baking sheet, then drizzle with 1 Tablespoon oil and black pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the tomatoes are shriveled and start to dry out. Remove and let cool, then sprinkle with salt.
  3. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot with the pinch of salt. Add in the cornmeal, then cook for about 5 minutes until mixture becomes creamy. Stir consistently so it doesn't stick to the pan. Set a side and let cool slightly.
  4. Heat a small pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon avocado oil and the garlic. Sautee the garlic until fragrant, then add in the greens and cook until wilted.
  5. Finally, bring the bowl together! Put the polenta on the bottom, then top with the wilted greens and a scoop of the roasted tomatoes. Add a pat of Earth Balance on top for an extra creamy touch.

 

 

Peach, Ricotta, and Avocado Salad with Thyme, Basil and Arugula

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Yes that’s a mouthful. No, you won’t regret it!! This arugula salad is bursting with flavor from juicy peaches, creamy avocado and ricotta, and bright thyme and white balsamic vinegar. Perfect for all your summer produce!

It’s pretty straightforward – I think you can see all the main ingredients in the photo! A base of arugula (or other light greens like baby kale + spinach would work well too), a few dollops of ricotta (I used good whole milk ricotta), sliced peaches, sliced avocado, torn basil, thyme, salt, and peppers. I drizzed on a tablespoon each of extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar at the end. You could use regular balsamic, too, but the lighter flavor of the white balsamic is nice to complement the fresh fruit and herbs. A diced version of the fruit + avocado would also be great and not require a knife!!

Enjoy, and bon appetit!

Peach, Ricotta, and Avocado Salad with Thyme, Basil and Arugula
 
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The perfect summer salad, bursting with flavor from ripe peaches, creamy ricotta and avocado, and brightness from white balsamic vinegar, basil and thyme. No cooking needed so this comes together in just a few minutes!
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Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
Salad
  • 2-4 cups arugula (or other greens)
  • ¼ avocado, sliced or diced
  • ½ ripe peach, sliced or diced
  • ⅓ cup ricotta
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, torn or finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
Dressing
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Add salad greens to a large bowl.
  2. Add on the sliced (or diced) peach and avocado. Dollop on the ricotta, a few spoonfuls at a time.
  3. Drizzle the whole dish with the olive oil, then the vinegar. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper.
  4. You can mix it up or enjoy as is, mixing as you dig into the salad!

 

Easy Arugula, Peach, Goat Cheese and Sweet Corn Salad

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My favorite salads, especially in the summer end up being a mixture of what is fresh, local and in season. This one is a great example of it!! Fresh arugula greens are mixed with sweet peaches, corn and goat cheese, then finished with a light honey balsamic vinaigrette for a super delicious and satisfying entrée sized salad.

This salad would be great for a potluck or any other gathering because it presents itself so well! Assemble all the salad components and keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to toss and serve. I didn’t have any nuts on hand, but toasted almonds, walnuts or pecans would complement the flavors well and add a little extra crunch. We served ours with seafood since we were at the beach, but this would be great with any other protein like grilled chicken or fish.

Enjoy 🙂

Easy Peach Goat Cheese Sweet Corn and Arugula Salad
 
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Fresh arugula greens are mixed with sweet peaches, sweet corn and crumbled goat cheese, then finished with a honey balsamic vinaigrette for a delicious and satisfying summer salad. Naturally #glutenfree and #grainfree. Omit cheese for a #vegan option!
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Serves: 3-4 small servings, or 2-3 large
Ingredients
Salad
  • 10 ounces arugula (or other salad greens)
  • 4-5 ounces (120g or so) goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1 peach, sliced
  • 1 ear sweet corn, peeled
  • 3 Tablespoons (25g) toasted and chopped nuts, optional
Dressing
  • ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the corn and boil until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool, then carefully slice off the kernels.
  2. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar. If using a jar, shake to combine thoroughly. If using a bowl, mix thoroughly until the mustard binds everything together.
  3. Add the salad greens, goat cheese, corn peach and nuts into a large mixing bowl. Serve as is, with dressing on the side, or drizzle the dressing on top and toss to combine.

 

Easy 2 Minute Microwave Kale

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Yes. 2 Minutes. Kale so easy you can make for any meal, any time!

Sometimes I’m in a rush and don’t have time to do the whole stove top and fancy recipe for my greens. When you just want something simple and light, this is a great go-to! I love cooking kale this way because you can control how much it cooks (just a tad, not overcooked), and it’s so FAST!! Win win.

The trick to this recipe is to dice up your kale – this is a good medium chop, but you can do even finer if you want a nice shredded look. Then just put it in a bowl, sprinkle with some water (a few tablespoons or spoonfuls), and pop into the microwave for 2 minutes (less if you have less kale). I use a microwave splatter cover over the dish to help the steaming process.

Here’s my before – it’s stacked high in this wide bowl!

After!

Top with some fresh lemon juice + salt and you’re good to go for a great side dish. You could also toss it in a light vinaigrette or any other citrus-y sauce for a bright finish.

I had mine for breakfast with sauerkraut + leftover protein (I used steak!) + kale.

Get your greens, and enjoy!

Easy 2 Minute Microwave Kale
 
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A super simple recipe for 2 minute microwave kale. Make your meal beautiful and nutritious by adding greens!
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Recipe type: Side
Serves: 4 large sides
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch of kale, washed and de-stemmed
  • 2-3 Tablespoons water
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt, to taste
Instructions
  1. Chop (fine or medium is fine - depends on your preference) or shred kale.
  2. Add all the kale to a large bowl and sprinkle with the water. If you're using more kale, add a tad more water.
  3. Cover the bowl with a microwave cover and cook on high for about 2 minutes (less if you are using less kale). If you don't have a microwave cover, toss the greens every 30 seconds or so to encourage the steaming process.
  4. Remove and let cool slightly, tossing a few times with a fork.
  5. Sprinkle with lemon and sea salt, then toss to combine. Enjoy!

 

Potato, Carrot + Turmeric Soup

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Hi friends! Today I’m sharing a fun and easy soup recipe that involves just a few ingredients!

Pedro was inspired by this soup after making it at our favorite local cooking school, Culinaerie. He’s been volunteering for a master series class that focuses on methods and techniques rather than individual recipes. I must admit, I could definitely use more practice in that realm! After all, I take most recipes and change them to my liking…so they’re all kind of methods, right?

Anyway, this recipe is super flexible – play with seasonings and portions to get it exactly how creamy or thick you want!

The Method

  • Chop veggies into roughly the same size cubes.
  • Add to a pot, then cover with broth.
  • Boil root veggies until soft.
  • Blend it all up (in this case, with turmeric root, salt + pepper).
  • Taste, season more if needed, then top with what you have on hand.

That’s it! We added sunflower seeds and cilantro because that’s what we had on hand. I especially loved the addition of turmeric becuase of all its amazing health benefits (more on that here!).

I had some leftovers with sauteed spinach and that infamous Trader Joe’s everything spice. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, this would be great.

Let me know if you try it out! Bon appétit!

Potato, Carrot and Turmeric Soup
 
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An easy and delicious vegan soup recipe with potatoes, carrots and turmeric root. Perfect for any season, served hot or cold!
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Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 potatoes
  • 6 carrots (2 medium sized per potato)
  • 1-2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 inch root of turmeric, peeled
  • Salt, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
  • Sunflower seeds, cilantro, basil, sprouts
Instructions
  1. Chop the potatoes and carrots into small cubes (about 1 inch square). Add to a large stock pot and add the chicken or vegetable broth until the vegetables are just covered. Bring to a gentle boil and keep cooking until the potatoes and carrots are soft (can be easily pierced with a fork).
  2. Let the mixture cool slightly, then carefully add the mixture to a blender (see note). Add in the turmeric root, salt, and black pepper. Now blend, blend, blend!
  3. Taste the mixture, adding more salt if necessary. If it's too thick, add a little broth to thin it out.
Notes
You can also use an immersion blender and mix everything in the same pot if you have one. Just be careful not to scratch you pot!!

 

Winedown March 2018

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Back with the first 2018 edition of Winedown!! Yes it has been almost four MONTHS since our last one – the holidays really did us in but we’re back and in action. If you’re new to Winedown you can read about it here!

Image result for wine meme

The winner last winedown was John and he chose the theme of PIE for this Winedown (fitting, considering it was just a couple weeks after pi day!). As you can guess this could’ve been a heavier than usual Winedown, but the crew was a bit smaller than usual. It was sad to miss some friends but we enjoyed the more intimate crowd! Here’s the lineup – can you guess who won before skipping to the end?!

I started things off with a twist on pie – literally! I wanted to do something different so I picked this recipe that used pie crust (puff pastry in this case) and lots of other delicious ingredients – cheddar cheese, cayenne, brown sugar, rosemary and of course, bacon! Umami, sweet and savory all together. I paired it with a prosecco since bubbles are supposed to complement the savory + sweet combination and fats of the cheese. Both were SO good!! I’ll definitely make this again for a treat.

Mckinsey came next with a delicious hand pie appetizer – raspberry and brie wrapped in pretzel dough!! I loved this take on a different kind of dough. She paired it with a slightly sparking red wine – a frizzante Lambrusco!

Up next was Pedro with a veggie inspired pie – vegan tomato, asparagus + kale pesto quiche. The secret ingredient to make it quiche like was chia!! I was totally skeptical of this but it turned out really well. Paired with a chardonnay – I liked this combination but I might have gone with a Gruner Veltliner or less okay-y white.

Ray led the charge with our main dishes  with a curry chicken pot pie. YUM!! I loved this – a tad sweet from coconut milk, savory and a bit spicy from the curry. Paired with a German Riesling. Plus, a double crust!

Our desserts were up next – Lauren started with a strawberry pie with a chocolate shortbread crust. Little whipped cream dollops on top! Paired with sparkling white. I loved the crust and ate lots of it. A good shortbread goes a long way 😉

Rachel wrapped things up with apple hand pies – note the flaky crust. I loved the crust, as always!! Paired with a sweet white.

And the winner was…ME!!! I think everyone really enjoyed the sweet + savory + spicy mix of allt he ingredients in my dish (and so did I!).  So excited to choose the next Winedown theme and not cook!! It’s going to be great 🙂 Stay tuned for the next iteration!

Paleo Smoked Fish & Lemon Spinach Quiche

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Hi hi friends! Popping in per requests to share this easy paleo quiche!

I made this on Sunday after Pedro decided he wanted a HUGE smoked fish from Costco!! We had the fish by itself on Saturday but decided it would pair better mixed into an egg dish (to decrease the saltiness and mellow the taste) – hence the creation of this quiche! I made a little crust on the bottom because I was craving something starchy, but you could make even FASTER by going crustless and making just the egg mixture. We loved it so much we had it two days in a row – the second time for a quick weekday breakfast with arugula and pickled onions. This recipe uses smoked white fish but I think smoked salmon would work well too!

If you try it out, let me know!

Bon appétit!

Paleo Smoked Fish and Spinach Quiche with Lemon
 
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Easy recipe for a paleo and gluten free quiche with smoked white fish, spinach and lemon zest with an almond flour crust!
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Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
Crust (double for a thicker crust - this just covers the bottom)
  • 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3-4 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter, or a mix
  • 1-2 Tablespoons cold water, if needed
Egg mixture
  • 8 eggs
  • ½ cup full fat coconut milk
  • ¼ cup diced smoked fish
  • 3-4 cups spinach, sauteed until wilted
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350F (175C) and grease the bottom of a pie dish with a little coconut oil.
  2. Mix the dry crust ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add in the coconut oil and/or butter with a fork and mix until crumbly and the dough starts to come together. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time and mix until a soft dough forms (you may need more - I used about 2.5 Tablespoons). Once the dough forms a soft ball (you don't want it too wet), it's ready to go!
  3. Press the dough until flat in the pie dish until even.
  4. Bake for 5-7 minutes until barely set.
  5. While the crust cooks, in a large bowl beat the eggs with coconut milk until smooth. Carefully stir in the fish, spinach and lemon zest. Finally, add in salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Add the liquid egg mixture into the slightly cooled crust.
  7. Bake 30- 35 minutes or until set to desired firmness (if you leave it in longer the eggs will have more structure; less time and it will be a little softer like traditional quiche).
Notes
You can make this quiche crustless as well! Just grease the pie dish and add the egg mixture directly in.

 

Maqui Berry Oatmeal

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Hi friends! Sharing this amazing, vibrant PURPLE maqui oatmeal recipe with you today!

Last spring I went down to the south of Chile (the Patagonia region, in Pucon) and had an awesome time hiking an volcano (!!), going to thermal baths and eating delicious foods!! One of the cool ingredients I discovered in a local store was Maqui – a type of “super berry” also known as Chilean wineberry. I was immediately enamored with the vibrant color and knew it would make some awesome dishes back home so I had to pick some up! The color in maqui comes from anthocyanins, a pigment with high antioxidant activity. It has been shown to have a ton of health benefits, including reducing inflammation, regulating blood glucose, boosting metabolism, helping digestion and much more.

So far I’ve used maqui in pancakes and now this beautiful oatmeal. I love the hint of sweetness that it adds without being overwhelming. Cocoa seems like it would be an excellent complement to the fruity flavor so that’s my next adventure. Perhaps a maqui frosted cake!

In the mean time, try these oats!! They paired great with the blueberries, and I added a hint of tropical feels with some freeze dried mango on top. A bit of Trader Joe’s seed granola sprinkled on as well! So decadent.

If you want to try out maqui, I recommend the powdered forms that you can find on Amazon. I bought this one in Chile, but you can find some other types as well like this one from Terrsaoul. The powdered kind is super versatile because you can mix it in anything (oats, smoothie, yogurt, pancakes, waffles!). I can’t wait to try the fresh kind some time though!

Bon appétit 🙂

Maqui Berry Oats
 
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A creamy, luscious, vegan and gluten free recipe for maqui berry oats. Power up your oatmeal (or porridge) with this South American super fruit!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 1 large bowl
Ingredients
Oats
  • ½ cup rolled oats*
  • 1 cup milk (almond)
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon maqui powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 scoop protein powder (optional - I used collagen peptides)
Toppings
  • Handful of granola
  • Handful of blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon hemp seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon walnuts
  • Other ideas: freeze dried fruit, fresh mint, chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Mix the oats and milk together in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a soft boil and let bubble for 2-3 minutes until slightly thick.
  2. Add in the chia seeds, maqui powder, salt , cinnamon and protein powder, if using. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  3. Cook a few more minutes until the oats looked soft and porridge-y. If the mixture looks too thick, add a little more milk to thin it out. I like to add a splash of milk at the end to cool it down a bit.
  4. Add to bowls and top with all the things!
Notes
* You can also use a half and half combination of rolled oats and oat bran to create a more porridge-y consistency. You may need to add more milk!

 

Porotos Granados

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Today I have a cozy Chliean dish for you – Porotos Granados!

Porotos granados, or Chilean bean stew. A cozy and comforting puree of corn and butternut squash, cooked with onion and garlic and classic Chilean spices. Naturally #vegan and #glutenfree.

This was a favorite of Pedro from growing up, and he made it for us recently. It’s warm and cozy from the butternut squash, slightly sweet from the corn, and earthy and smoky from the merken and other spices. It’s naturally vegan and gluten free, too, so you can feel good about eating all the veggies! The beans add a nice bit of protein as well. So basically, the perfect veggie balanced meal.

Porotos granados, or Chilean bean stew. A cozy and comforting puree of corn and butternut squash, cooked with onion and garlic and classic Chilean spices. Naturally #vegan and #glutenfree.

Since it’s a hearty stew, this is a great fall or winter dish, but you could also serve it chilled for a refreshing summer meal with the sweet corn. The earthy flavor of all the spcies is particularly comforting. The classic Chilean spice to use is merken (also spelled merquen), a red chili pepper that is often smoked after drying. If you don’t have this, smoked paprika would be a nice substitute. Either way, delicious!

Porotos granados, or Chilean bean stew. A cozy and comforting puree of corn and butternut squash, cooked with onion and garlic and classic Chilean spices. Naturally #vegan and #glutenfree.

After roasting the squash and pureeing it, the rest comes together easily like a traditional soup. Depending on how thick you like your soup, you can adjust the consistency (more liquid for soup, less liquid for more of a stew). Pedro served this with greens and tomatoes on top – and of course, more basil (I forgot it here!). You can serve greens on the side for a soup + salad type of meal.Porotos granados, or Chilean bean stew. A cozy and comforting puree of corn and butternut squash, cooked with onion and garlic and classic Chilean spices. Naturally #vegan and #glutenfree.

Porotos Granados (Chilean Bean Stew)
 
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Porotos granados, or Chilean bean stew. A cozy and comforting puree of corn and butternut squash, cooked with onion and garlic and classic Chilean spices. Naturally vegan and gluten free
Author:
Serves: 4 main dishes
Ingredients
  • 1 bag frozen corn (~ 12 oz or 350g), or 3 ears fresh corn
  • ½ butternut squash
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable stock or water
  • 1 can beans, drained and rinsed (cranberry or cannelli are great, but anything works)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1½ teaspoons merken*
  • 1½ teaspoons oregano
  • 1½ teaspoons cumin
  • ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400F (200C). Cut the butternut squash and half and remove the seeds. Roast the butternut squash until soft (20-30 minutes, depending on how big it is). Remove and let cool.
  2. Meanwhile, defrost the corn if using frozen. Reheat in the microwave or boil until soft. Let cool slightly. If using fresh corn, boil for about 10 minutes until soft, then let cool and slice off the kernels.
  3. Once the corn and squash are cool enough, add them to a blender with about half of the vegetable stock and puree until liquefied.
  4. Next, heat a pot on medium heat with oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and sautee 2-3 more minutes until fragrant. next, add the spices, adjusting to taste.
  5. Add the beans, then the puree and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit more of the stock.
  6. To serve, ladle the mixture into shallow bowls. Top with sliced tomatoes, more merken, chopped basil and sea salt.
Notes
*See link above. This somewhat spicy pepper can have a smoky flavor, similar to smoked paprika. I'd use that as a substitute if you can't find or buy merken near you!

Bon appétit!

Crispy Kale Sandwiches

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Hello friends, it’s been a while! Popping in to share DEEEEZ sandwiches, because they were so delicious.

Crispy Kale Bagel Sandwiches. An easy, #vegan and #vegetarian breakfast idea: layer crispy kale on top of salted avocado and peanut butter.

We are in full on holiday mode here in D.C., baking lots of cookies, Christmas lights up. Pedro even made his first cookie EVER!!!! this year. I haven’t really done any gift shopping yet…..but I still have a week. May the force be with me.

Anyway, these bagel sandwiches! The combinations were simple but delicious and made for an easy, last minute breakfast when I thought I didn’t have much left at home. We freeze our bagels, so I defrosted one and toasted it up nice and crunchy to start. This plain bagel, seemingly missing a serious layer of toppings, seemed like it would need something creamy on top. I spotted half an avocado in the fridge, so I decided to use that up and layered one half with it, leaving the other for peanut butter!! You could just top both sides with a little salt at this point and call it a day, but I had some Tuscan kale to use up, so I crisped it up in the oven like kale chips, then put that on top. So delicious! In summary:

Bagel + Peanut Butter+ Kale.

Try subbing in almond butter. Even more delicious. Creamy works well!

Bagel + Avocado + Sea Salt + Kale

Crispy kale brings a nice crunchy alongside the avocado.

Crispy Kale Sandwiches. An easy, #vegan and #vegetarian breakfast idea: layer crispy kale on top of salted avocado and peanut butter.

I know this combination may seem odd at first, but I find that it just works. Something about the earthiness of kale complements the richness of avocado and nut better well. I’ve been a big fan of avocado // kale // almond butter since discovering it via this blog and it has not disappointed despite my numerous modifications and additions 🙂 . Excited to share it with you now!! Try it out and let me know what you think.

Crispy Kale Sandwiches. An easy, #vegan and #vegetarian breakfast idea: layer crispy kale on top of salted avocado and peanut butter.

Crispy Kale Sandwiches
 
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Crispy Kale Sandwiches. An easy, vegan/ vegetarian breakfast idea: layer crispy kale on top of salted avocado and peanut butter. Fancy breakfast in a flash!
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 bagel (English muffin or bread would work well, too!)
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter)
  • Half of an avocado, mashed
  • 1 cup kale*
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss kale in the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until kale looks crunchy. Remove and let cool.
  2. Toast the bagel or bread until desired crispiness (I like mine crunchy to counter the smooth toppings!).
  3. Spread the peanut butter on one half and the avocado on another. Add a sprinkle of sea salt the avocado side if desired.
  4. Layer on the crispy kale, making it "stick" a little to the spread so it stays on top.
  5. Serve as halves, or put the sides together for a sandwich!
Notes
* This recipe uses crispy kale, but steamed or sauteed kale would work as well.

 

Bon appétit!

Pistachio Pomegranate Parfait

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Trying to get a little in the Christmas spirit with this holiday inspired parfait!

An easy, 5 minute holiday parfait recipe, featuring pistachio, pomegranate and nutty granola that is sure to brighten your day. #GlutenFree and #Vegan options!

And yes – it comes via sous chef Pedro!! Idea to execution, this recipe was all his 🙂 The theme was initially fall inspired, but the pomegranate and pistachio gave me all the Christmas feels. Even though the weather feels too warm here in Washington D.C., the cookies, decorations and *thoughts* of snow are enough to get me a little excited.

An easy, 5 minute holiday parfait recipe, featuring pistachio, pomegranate and nutty granola that is sure to brighten your day. #GlutenFree and #Vegan options!

Anyway, moving on to the creation of this lovely parfait.  This parfait was initially intended as a dessert, but I requested it to be moved to the morning since I was a little full that night we cooked. At first I didn’t think the pistachio would work but it totally did and was such a festive holiday touch. We had some granola on hand that I had made earlier in the week, as well as some pomegranate that Pedro had de-seeded so we used both of those. I normally wouldn’t bother to put them in a fancy glass but I’m so glad we did because it turned out so colorful 🙂 Plus, it was good to change things up with some yogurt. Love me some Fage.

An easy, 5 minute holiday parfait recipe, featuring pistachio, pomegranate and nutty granola that is sure to brighten your day. #GlutenFree and #Vegan options!

So much magical holiday spirit!

An easy, 5 minute holiday parfait recipe, featuring pistachio, pomegranate and nutty granola that is sure to brighten your day. #GlutenFree and #Vegan options!

These were totally a 5 minute creation once the prep was done – do it the night before! You could also buy pomegranate seeds already prepped, as well as use store bought granola and shelled pistachios. Then all you have to do is layer up! A bowl with toppings would also be great (I suspect this would travel well to work), but the layers are great to mix things throughout. Try it out and see what you think!

An easy, 5 minute holiday parfait recipe, featuring pistachio, pomegranate and nutty granola that is sure to brighten your day. #GlutenFree and #Vegan options!

Pistachio Pomegranate Parfait
 
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An easy, 5 minute holiday parfait, featuring pistachio, pomegranate and nutty granola that is sure to brighten your day. Gluten free and vegan options!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast, Dessert
Serves: 1 large serving
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt*
  • ⅓ cup granola, homemade or other
  • 2-3 Tablespoons pomegranate
  • 2-3 Tablespoons shelled pistachios
  • Dash of cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Layer up the ingredients in a bowl or jar: yogurt, granola, pomegranate, repeat! Top with more pomegranate and pistachios. We saved the nuts for the top so they wouldn't get soggy.
  2. No judge if you add more granola at the end.
Notes
* Try almond milk or coconut milk yogurt if you're looking for a vegan or dairy free alternative.

Bon appetit!

Roasted Walnut and Maple Granola

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GRANOLAAAAA!

Roasted Walnut Maple Granola: A deeply flavorful and crunchy breakfast granola made from roasted walnut oil, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon. Vegan and Gluten Free.

In da house. Bowls of it.

Roasted Walnut Maple Granola: A deeply flavorful and crunchy breakfast granola made from roasted walnut oil, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon. Vegan and Gluten Free.

If you’re looking for a fall granola, this is it! This mix is

+ Crunchy

+ Sweet

+ Toasty

+ Cinnamon-y

I used this roasted walnut oil as a base for the liquid in the recipe, which added a really nice depth of flavor. I’ve had it for a while and had been meaning to use it up but didn’t know how. Granola is so flexible that I figured it would be a good test case and I was right!! So much flavor. I think coconut oil and/or canola oil would great as well, it will just have less of a walnut flavor.

Roasted Walnut Maple Granola: A deeply flavorful and crunchy breakfast granola made from roasted walnut oil, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon. Vegan and Gluten Free.

We’ve had it for a few days and can’t stop snacking on it 🙂

Roasted Walnut Maple Granola: A deeply flavorful and crunchy breakfast granola made from roasted walnut oil, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon. Vegan and Gluten Free.

If you try it out, let me know!!

Roasted Walnut and Maple Granola
 
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A deeply flavorful breakfast granola made from roasted walnut oil, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon. You'll love how crunchy the oats get!
Author:
Serves: 4 generous cups
Ingredients
Dry
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (more to taste)
  • Heavy pinch of salt
Wet
  • 4 Tablespoons walnut oil (or coconut oil)
  • 4 Tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the oil and maple syrup, making sure to coat everything evenly.
  3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Check at 20 minutes and leave in a few more minutes if not toasty looking at smelling. You can stir halfway through, or leave it untouched which will result in bigger chunks of granola.
  4. Let cool, then dig in!! Best with a bowl of good milk =).

Roasted Walnut Maple Granola: A deeply flavorful and crunchy breakfast granola made from roasted walnut oil, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon. Vegan and Gluten Free.

 

Cheddar, Jalapeno and Scallion Scones (Lactose Free!)

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Savory scones!! Coming at ya, all hot and melty.

The inspiration for these delectable mini scones was our latest Winedown, where the theme was Harry Potter!!! Obviously I was very excited. One of the first recipes that came to mind and after googling was Hagrid’s rock cakes. In the book they are more of a sweet scone and terribly over baked, but I took a different spin and made them savory and more edible 😉

I borrowed the recipe from two sources, Budget Bytes and the best ever Deb aka Smitten Kitchen. I’m a huge fan of Deb’s cream biscuits, but wanted to make these a little lighter and more dairy free, so I looked for a recipe that used a bit of milk for moisture instead of cream. The cheddar cheese I got was labeled lactose free (see some like Cabot here!), and I used almond milk and Earth Balance in place of regular milk and butter. Worked great! I know Deb’s with heavy cream would be amazing and a bit lighter, but the adopted version was pretty darn good, too. I liked Deb’s technique of sauteing the jalapenos a bit before adding to the mixture.

Pre-bake delicious-ness! Finished with an egg wash and fresh black pepper.

Aaaand post bake with all that cheesy goodness. Makes for great cheddar crisps.

Cheddar, Jalapeno and Scallion Scones (Lactose Free!)
 
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Cheddar and jalapeno scallion scones made lactose more digestible with Earth Balance, almond milk and lactose free cheese used in place of normal dairy products. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Budget Bytes.
Author:
Serves: 8 medium or 16 small scones
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour*
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
Other Ingredients
  • 5 Tablespoons Earth Balance or vegan butter
  • 2 jalapenos, diced small**
  • ½ cup small diced extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3 -4 green onions (scallions), sliced
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and sautee the diced jalapeno with a little butter or oil for a few minutes until softened. Set aside and let cool.
  3. Combine the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Cut in the butter to the dry mix until it looks dry and crumbly and no big chunks remain.
  4. Mix the cooked jalapeno and cheddar chunks in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the flour until well coated. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients along with the scallions and stir to combine.
  5. In a separate small bowl, combine the milk and beaten eggs.
  6. Slowly add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. The dough will be a bit sticky, but try to form it into a rough ball.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently while forming into a large circle or square shape, with a thickness of about 1 inch. Cut into desired shape (I did squares, then divided in half to triangles), and place on a parchment or silpat lined cooking sheet.
  8. Optional: Beat an egg and a teaspoon of water together until smooth, then brush the tops of the scones with the mixture. This will help the scones to brown.
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brown (this will depend on the thickness of your scones).
  10. Serve warm if possible!
Notes
* I substituted some Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour for all purpose flour. I suspect you could substitute all of it and while the texture may change it would still be delicious!
** I took out the jalapeno seeds but you could keep some for extra heat.

Enjoy and bon appetit!

Pantry Clean Out Curry Stir Fry

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Currently feeling so inspired by this pantry clean out // leftover curry stir fry!! This came together on a whim but is my versatile base for any Thai curry dish that I make. Plus, it took less than 20 minutes to pull together. Win.

I loved this dish because it was

+ fast

+ easy

+ delicious

+ used up leftovers

+ didn’t need a real recipe!

So let’s walk you through the process!

I always start out sauteeing some leftover veggies – green onions and yellow squash in this case. Your “harder” veggies that need a little more softening like carrots, onions, or potatoes are other good options to start with. I ended up adding some shredded carrots and frozen peas hidden in the freezer. Broccoli or green beans (fresh or frozen) would work great, too. This is a pantry clean out meal, so use what you got 🙂

Next, I add several big spoonfuls of curry paste and mix it all in until even. The curry paste I use (shown below!) already has a good bit of sodium, so I used that in place of salt. After it was all mixed in, I threw in some leftover rice and sauteed greens I had on hand. I told you, pantry clean out! Empty out the tupperware! You can skip this and just do veggies, or have fresh rice on the side, too.

Finally, I added in about a 1/3 cup of coconut milk that I had leftover from my paleo gnocchi dish. You could add more to make it more curry soup-y, but even a smaller amount will give some good flavor. If you leave out the milk all together, you’ll get more of a crispy stir fry.

Finally, I add some greens on top (this time, kale) at the end to keep it fresh and healthy 🙂

Mix it all in, then serve and garnish with any toppings you have on hand.

I included the recipe below for guidelines for your next stir fry, but encourage you to be creative and use what you have on hand 🙂

Pantry Clean Out Curry Stir Fry
 
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A quick and easy Thai curry stir fry, adaptable for different veggies, proteins and spice levels - make it from anything you have on hand!
Author:
Serves: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
Curry Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon oil (for sauteeing)
  • 2-3 cups of mixed vegetables (onions, garlic, carrot, squash, potatoes)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Thai curry paste*
  • 1 cup rice or other grain (bulgur, wheatberries)
  • 1 cup leafy greens (kale or spinach work great)
  • Coconut milk
Optional Garnishes
  • Crushed peanuts
  • Chopped cashews
  • Scallions
  • Sesame seeds
  • Cilantro
Instructions
  1. Heat a pan over medium heat, then add the oil and vegetables. Sautee until softened.
  2. Add in the curry paste and stir to combine evenly. It may be a little lumpy, but will even out later when you add the milk and rice.
  3. Mix in the rice and coconut milk. A small amount of coconut milk works well for flavor, while more (~ 1 cup) will result in more of a soup-y stir fry). Heat everything until warm and evenly cooked.
  4. Add the leafy greens at the end, stirring for just a minute to wilt slightly.
  5. Serve in bowls and garnish with all the things!
Notes
* The green curry paste shown above is pretty spicy so I used about 1 big Tablespoon. I find that some other curry pastes require more for more quantity for added flavor.

Bon appetit!

Vegan and Gluten Free Pumpkin Biscuits

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Fall came late this year, but there has been no shortage of pumpkin!!

BISCUITS happened last weekend. I was inspired by this recipe from Minimalist Baker, but wanted a heartier spin than all purpose flour. I played around with a few different flours and really enjoyed the end product!

So here we go, sharing with you! STACKS of biscuits, which is the preferable quantity, don’t you think?

These could totally go sweet or savory – your choice! If you go sweet, try adding more cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a pinch of sugar. If you’re leaning savory, try Thanksgiving flavors (sage // thyme // rosemary) or just kick of cayenne pepper and paprika. Dare I even say cheese?

We had these not one but TWO days in a row, making them into sandwiches for round two (hello, sausage). Noms. They stored well wrapped up in a cloth tea towel.

Try them out and let me know what you think!!

Vegan and Gluten Free Pumpkin Biscuits
 
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Vegan and gluten free pumpkin biscuit recipe, adapted from Minimalist Baker.
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Serves: 8
Ingredients
Liquid Ingredients
  • ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 Tablespoon vinegar
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree
Dry Ingredients
  • 1½ cups gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill)
  • ½ cup fine almond flour
  • ¼ cup oat flour (finely ground oats)
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of paprika
Other
  • 4 Tablespoons Earth Balance (butter works too for a non-vegan option)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Whisk together the milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Let curdle, then add the pumpkin puree.
  3. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. To the dry ingredients, add the butter and work in until the dough looks crumbly and the butter is evenly distributed. Stir in the almond milk - pumpkin mixture until the dough is a little sticky (not wet). You should be able to gently ball it at this point.
  5. You can go the traditional route of rolling out the dough and cutting OR, I just flour-ed my hands and formed the biscuits into 8 rounds.
  6. Place the dough rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet, nestled close to each other. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. These won't rise quite as much, but should get golden brown on the edges.
  7. Serve warm with lots of butter and/or as egg sandwiches!! Leftovers store well in a tea towel and can be retoasted in a cast iron for extra crunch the next day 🙂

 

Spicy South African Biltong Hash

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Did you see my breakfast I posted last week on Instagram? If not, biltong HASH ahead!!

Biltong Hash in Lodge Cast Iron

This hash was inspired by this great restaurant I visited Atlanta, Biltong Bar. It’s in Ponce City Market – if you haven’t visited this foodie haven, highly recommend! There were so many good restaurants and fun places to window shop. Biltong Bar had their meat to go, so of course I grabbed some! See our dish below:

Dish from Biltong Bar

What’s biltong, you ask? It’s meat seasoned with vinegar, salt and other spices and then air dried, hanging 3-7 days to create a nice aged taste. Sounds weird, but is delicious. Jerky, however, is usually dried without vinegar, sometimes smoked, and generally dehydrated instead of dried.

SO how you gonna make this. Start with potatoes – I roasted mine the night before as the base. You could also sautee them in the same pan but they may take a little while longer. To start the hash, I heated up the good old Lodge cast iron, added some olive oil, diced onions and peppers and cooked util soft. I threw in the roasted potatoes and biltong at the end, then last minute added in the KALE!! Can’t skimp on the greens. This was not in Biltong Bar’s dish but I thought it was a good addition :). I meant to cook the eggs first in the cast iron but forgot (ugh), so I made them in our non-stick pan on the side. Then scooped them on top!

Biltong Hash Cast Iron Close Up

Mmm yes dem eggs. Served on my most favorite of plates.

Biltong Hash Breakfast

This was breakfast for two + lunch leftovers for me – it was great heated up, even without an egg! You could definitely make it your own with whatever peppers or potatoes (sweet!) you had on hand. Regular jerky (good quality ones of course) would work well here, too! I need to see if I can get more of the biltong shipped to me in the meantime…

Spicy South African Biltong Hash
 
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An easy breakfast or dinner hash featuring South African biltong (or jerky), potatoes and peppers. Leftovers keep great!
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Serves: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 russet potato
  • 1 onion, sliced thinly
  • 2 cubanelle peppers, sliced thinly
  • 1 -2 handfuls of biltong or beef jerky
  • 2 cups shredded kale or spinach
  • 1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2-3 eggs
Instructions
  1. Small dice the potato and roast in the oven until brown. This took about 30 minutes on 375 for me. You can do this ahead of time!
  2. Meanwhile, slice the peppers and onion thinly.
  3. Heat a skillet on medium. Add the oil, then the onion. Cook until soft and translucent.
  4. Add the sliced peppers and cook until desired softness (we like our cubanelle peppers a tad crunchy).
  5. Add the biltong, kale or other greens, salt and pepper. Stir to combine until the greens have just wilted. Turn off heat.
  6. In another pan, heat to medium and cook eggs to desired doneness. We like ours runny to combine with the veggies!
  7. Top the hash with eggs, serve and enjoy!!

Enjoy, and let me know if you’ve had biltong 🙂

Paleo Potato and Spinach Waffles (dairy free + gluten free)

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Popping in to share this super easy paleo waffle recipe with you guys!

I was inspired by the lovely Rachel Mansfield for these waffles, but put my own spin on them with ingredients I had on hand. Potatoes, spinach, coconut flour and eggs are the leading ingredients. I added a kick of spices, as well.

These were great because they came together super quickly. After shredding the potato it was a one bowl wonder – mixed it all up and was good to go. Waiting on the waffle iron is the only hard part!

We topped with all things of course — avocado, runny eggs and dat everything spice!!! Tomato and beet greens on the side.

Try this easy breakfast (or dinner) recipe NOW! Latke waffles are calling. If you need a waffle iron, this is the one I’m using. I love All-Clad!! Their products are so high quality.

Paleo Potato and Spinach Waffles (paleo + gluten free)
 
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A quick savory waffle recipe with russet potatoes, coconut flour, spinach and savory spices that comes together in 10 minutes. Paleo and gluten free. Adapted from Rachel Mansfield.
Author:
Serves: 8 medium waffles
Ingredients
  • 1 russet potato
  • 3 Tablespoons coconut flour (almond or cassava flour may work as well, though I haven't experimented)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup of spinach, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • Dash of cayenne powder
  • Big pinch of salt
  • Coconut oil for greasing
Instructions
  1. Shred the potato. It will be quite a bit liquid-y, but the coconut flour should absorb most of it.
  2. Add in the coconut flour, eggs, spinach and spices. Let sit for 2-3 minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the moisture.
  3. If the mixture looks too liquid-y, add a small spoonful of coconut flour.
  4. Heat your waffle iron and when ready, grease both sides (coconut oil, canola oil or butter would work). Add about ⅓ cup of batter into the waffle iron and close. Cook until golden brown (my waffle iron has a ready timer).
  5. Serve with savory toppings like a runny egg!
Notes
Experiment with spices and other greens! I think finely diced + sauteed onion would be a good addition.

Bon appétit!