Since our diet is predominantly plant-based, we focus most of our meals around vegetables and legumes. By legumes, I mean beans, lentils and peas. This group is my go-to protein and I aim to vary the sources as much as I can. There are so many kinds of beans out there, from the common black, pinto, garbanzo (aka chickpeas) to heirloom varieties that are less widely seen. There are also so many different types of lentils – different colors, some split, different sizes, etc.Continue reading
One of the most common substitutions I am asked about is eggs. Many people are plant-based/vegan; others are avoiding eggs because their doctors told them to; and eggs are one of the most common food allergens. When I offer a sub for eggs, I consider how the eggs are used in a recipe. Are they binding a batter together? Are they adding lift? Are they the bulk of a dish, like a scramble or a frittata?Continue reading
Hello, Friends. I’m checking in. I hope you are all staying healthy and sane right now. I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you all and I appreciate this community more than ever. Thank you for your feedback, encouragement, viewership, questions, and comments. Thank you for bringing my recipes into your kitchen and cooking them for your loved ones. Thank you for sharing your photos of your beautiful finished dishes and cooking with your kids. Please continue to encourage your friends and co-workers to cook healthy food at home. When you post a recipe on social media, any recipe, it inspires your community to do the same, to cook from scratch. You send a message that cooking nutritious food is important and doable.
I pulled together a collection of recipes that may help give you some ideas for “pantry ingredients.” You most likely have enough food at home and don’t need to go out. Stay home. Improvise with what you have. I can give you suggestions for substitutions if you’re stuck. But do stick to the foods you know keep you healthy and make you feel good. Continue reading
I am STILL purging the pantry/fridge/freezer! Although my husband went to the market on Sunday and came home with tortilla chips and hummus to eat while watching the football games and I almost lost my mind. “Do you NOT watch my Instagram??? Do you NOT understand my January goals of raising awareness of food waste and promoting the exercise of using what we have before purchasing food from the market?? I mean…this is so unacceptable!!!” And then I realized I was not on a reality show, so I calmed down. But I was irritated to be sure.Continue reading
My friend Devon, the one who also gave me the recipe for my favorite Spicy Guava Tequila cocktail, served us these unbelievable giant Greek beans for dinner one night and I immediately asked for the recipe. Not only did Devon give me the recipe, but sent me home with some leftover beans, too. I stashed them away in my second fridge in the garage so that I wouldn’t have to share with my husband. I had a selfish moment, but I redeemed myself by making a whole baking dish of these beans soon thereafter.Continue reading
This stew was an innocent dinner last week. I saw my friend Leanne post a photo of this stew on her Instagram feed and it looked delicious, vegan, flavorful, easy, everything I like and the way my family eats. She mentioned she found the recipe in the NY Times. Well, what she didn’t tell me was that it was Alison Roman’s recipe for the NY Times and it had its own hashtag #thestew. Who knew??!!
I’ve become soft. That’s what my East Coast family and friends tell me. LA has had an unusally cold and rainy winter and I can’t get warm. By “cold,” I mean below 60 degrees, but above 40 degrees. I know my friends in the midwest have NO sympathy for me. I wouldn’t either. But what to do if you feel cold? Make a warming soup.Continue reading
Give me all the peasant food. I need nothing fancy to make me happy and satisfied. A good bean soup or bowl of braised lentils or refried beans is what I crave. I basically could never go Paleo because I can’t give up legumes! There are many different cultures which use legumes in their cooking – from the Mediterranean and the Middle East to India and Caribbean. Let’s not forget Latin America, South America and North America! Legumes are a nutritious, inexpensive and versatile staple in many kitchens around the globe. Did you also know beans with black or red color have crazy high amounts of antioxidants?
