Snacks
Cheezy Nachos with Raspberry Avocado Salsa
Nachos! Everybody loves them, whether you get them in a Mexican restaurant, at a ball game, or make them in the microwave after a night of drinking. The combination of crunchy chips and creamy melted cheese, with a liberal embellishment of spice and salsa has all the elements that bring us back again and again. Luckily for the plant-based eaters, I’ve got a vegan nacho sauce that hits all the right notes to satisfy your nacho needs. Then we’ll shake it up a little with tangy Raspberry and Avocado Salsa, for a party in your mouth!
“Green Up” Your Hummus Routine
We all love hummus. Like so many global foods, hummus has become as American as tacos and pizza. We love it so much that we can’t resist tweaking it here and there. Kind of like meeting someone great, and saying “I love you! Now change!” We just can’t resist.
Meal Prep: Make Chocolatey Zucchini Brownies
Chocolate is always in season, isn't it? Whether we are snuggled inside on a February snow day, or wilting in the heat of a humid August scorcher, chocolate always seems like a good idea. Right now, it's zucchini season, and I can think of no better way to put a...
Bake Some Purple Carrot and Blueberry Bars for Prince’s Birthday
June 7 is Prince's Birthday I'm a Minneapolitan, and let me tell you, we all felt the loss when Prince left us too soon. He was our home town musical genius, rockstar, and part of our personal soundtracks since the 80's. He was also a quiet philanthropist, sharing his...
See Red with Chipotle Beet Hummus
We love hummus. The eternal combo of chickpeas, tahini and lemon is a crowd pleaser, and has spawned endless variations. So let me join in and make a riff on hummus out of one of the most maligned vegetables out there. Beet hummus! I married a beet-disliker, so when I...
Try Sweet Corn Sambal with Krupuk, for an Indonesian-Flavored Summer Dip
There's a point in the summer when fruits and vegetables are at peak, and the challenge is to fully appreciate this moment when melons taste like melons, tomatoes really taste like tomatoes, and sweet corn sends you into a Proustian reverie. The food practically falls...
Time To Bake With Rhubarb- Rhubarb Almond Bars with Rolled Barley
The rhubarb plants in my garden don't care whether I ever get around to them. Every Spring, their crinkled leaves start growing under a coating of snow or ice, sure in the knowledge that it will soon pass. The moment the snow melts, they unfurl with great resolution...
Traveling? You Need Packable Snacks. Bring Airplane Cookies!
If you follow me on instagram, twitter or facebook (and why wouldn't you be?), you know that I've been traveling. But before I left, I made sure I had packable snacks for that looooong flight to Amsterdam. Travel Should Be Fun Aah, travel. Getting there should be half...
In a Hurry? Make Edamame Hummus With Lime
If you are hungry and tired, and just want a quick and delicious meal, look no further. All you need is a bag of edamame in the freezer and a few other fresh ingredients. This creamy, sprightly spread takes only a few minutes to make, and once you have it, you have a...
Party with Smoky Almond Butter Popcorn and Mandarin Chocolate “Shots”
Holiday entertaining is so fun, so necessary, and too often, so stressful. I know, I know, you have enough to do without having to clean the house and make food for a bunch of people. But I promise you, it's worth it. This is the end of the year, the big holiday...
Baby Squashes Filled With Creamy Squash Hummus, Kick Off Your Veganuary
It's January, or, "Veganuary," depending on your calendar. "Veganuary" is simply the idea of giving up animal foods for the month of January. Rather like Meatless Monday, but with a little more of a commitment. Creamy Squash Hummus is a perfect way to kick off your...
Pumpkin Chips? Make Sage-Pumpkinseed Pate with Frizzled Sage
The Thanksgiving themed foods are upon us. And while the "Turkey and Gravy" flavored potato chips are safe from me, there are a few of these brief appearances that are worth catching. One that I found appealing was the Food Should Taste Good Harvest Pumpkin Corn...
The Jazzy Vegetarian Gives You Vegan-Ease
Ease. We all want life to be easy. Or at least the basics shouldn't be so difficult that we struggle just to keep ourselves going. There is almost no realm of life that people want to be easier than the acquisition of food. It's the reason for fast food and packaged...
Carrot Hummus in Cucumber Cups
Hummus. It's the breakout star of the dip world. Once upon a time, it was exotic, but now the packaged hummus industry churns out millions of tubs per year. According to a 2013 WSJ article, that year $350 million worth of the tangy bean dip was purchased by consumers....
Bashed Blue Potatoes for an Easy Appetizer
Oh January, we may be done with the holidays, but we still want to see our friends. Preferably over a plate of something that makes us feel happy. Even when you start your January plan, a tasty appetizer should never be banished for long. Life is for the living, after...
Ring in the New Year with a Sassy Springroll (Don’t Tell Anyone It’s Gluten Free)
"What are you doing New Years, New Years Eve?" So goes the song, crooned longingly by an ardent admirer. All that hope, all that sweet angst, all set to a lovely melody. So what are we doing? These days, I rarely go to a big bash, or even bash much at all. A nice...
Crazy-Busy Antidotes and Bread with Tomato
I've been on vacation. To reward myself for working hard this year, I booked a trip to London and Barcelona months ago. I like having time to really look forward to it. I even bought a couple of Spanish language CD's to try to learn some Spanish, but was too busy to...
Homemade Crackers? Yes You Can.
Chances are, you learned to bake cookies in grade school, and over the years, you have tried your hand at muffins, maybe even yeasted breads. Depending on your love of the oven, you may even had some success with layer cakes and double crust pies. But have you ever...
Paleos and Vegans Unite, It’s a Sweet Potato
Maybe it's because I am a middle child. These days, I'm trying to find a little common ground. I travel in the foodie world, where the next person I see might be on a gluten free diet, the next vegan, and the next is eschewing carbohydrates via a paleo style regimen....
Robin Robertson’s Quick-Fix Vegan Cookbook Makes Speedy Easy
When you get down to it, most people find that the biggest barrier to eating well is time. Planning, shopping, cooking, all take time, and it's way easier to just grab some fast food. Well, if you are using that as your excuse to not eat...
It’s Time to Eat Your Peas
In recent news, our President admonished his opposition in Congress with a vegetable reference. He said "So we might as well do it now. Pull off the bandaid. Eat our peas. Now is the time to do it. If not now, when?" Of course, he was using the eating of the peas as...
Radishes, The Rodney Dangerfield of Veggies
The lowly radish is easy to overlook. Unless you garden, you probably see a few thin rounds scattered in the cheapest of house salads, or maybe a few on the standard relish tray. Mmm, with Ranch Dip, how could you be less excited about radishes? Well, right now, the...
The Vegetarian Party Trend, Coming in 2010
It's official, folks. Bon Appetit Magazine has announced their predictions for the food trends we will be racing to follow in the coming year. They even sent the photogenic Andrew Knowlton to CBS news to announce them. Yes, veg-heads, among the ten anointed trends...
Edamame, Easy, Fast and Great for Vegetarians
It's always nice to see a great food get popular. The sushi craze was mostly good, and recent love for local food is a beautiful thing. Congrats also go to the lovable Edamame pod, which is riding a nice wave of public interest. Credit that sushi trend with bringing...
Are Snack Foods Secretly Healthy?
Studies presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society extolled the newly found virtues of popcorn and other whole grain crackers and snacks, because they have “surprisingly large” amounts of antioxidants known as polyphenols. “We found that, in fact, whole...