Pasta with Almond Tomato Pesto Sauce
July 15th, 2009
Tonight I flipped through old photos of my dear friends from Florence and smiled remembering all of the great times we had together. Considering it was Italy, a lot of the fun involved good food, and social gatherings. Living in Florence was a great influence on my life in so many ways and I don’t think I could have left without having a new culinary approach. No one understood how I could be vegetarian in Italy…but surprisingly I met other vegetarian/vegans in Italy too. These friends opened my eyes to new exciting directions. My friend Tracey was passionate about spinach and green beans, and thanks to her, they became staples of my diet as well. She even taught me how to make roasted chickpeas…delicious!
My friend Joslyn introduced me to so many new recipes and shared beautiful meals with me. I was always excited to join her for a dinner party. One recipe I loved was her Fennel and White Bean salad…so easy and so good! Eventually she introduced me to the recipe below for Pasta with Almond Tomato Pesto Sauce. It came from an Italian cooking magazine called Cucina Naturale which I eventually bought every issue of.
My dear friends from Italy, I am sending you love and hoping that we can gather around the table again soon to share good food and life stories.
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Tags: almonds, basil, pasta, tomatoes
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 3 Comments »
Oven Baked Fries
July 10th, 2009
Crisp and perfect!
French Fries…it is such a stereotype to think that all French people love French Fries…but I have to say my Frenchie fills that stereotype to a ‘T’. She is crazy about fries and it is a big craving food for her. How wonderful to have a healthy version of the French Fries to fill that desire.
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Tags: potatoes
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain side, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free 2 Comments »
Flax Veggie Burgers
July 9th, 2009
My favorite veggie burgers...so far!
Isn’t it wonderful when you look in the fridge and you have all of the exact ingredients you need to make your favorite recipe? I know it doesn’t happen that often, especially without having planned it, and gone out specifically to get them. This happened to me last night. It just so happened that everything I needed to make my favorite veggie burgers was all in the kitchen without even knowing it! As tired as I was, I could not pass up the chance to make now!
As the cooking process went on I realized that I also had all of the ingredients to make my favorite sun dried tomato avocado spread which goes so well with the burgers. Once I was making all of that oven baked fries followed right along…and with a little salad, I had a beautiful dinner! It came together beautifully, and I hope that you enjoy these recipes sometime soon as well. Enjoy!
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Tags: black beans, chicpeas, flax seed, green onion, millet, parsley, rice, tahini, zucchini
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 1 Comment »
Sundried Tomato Avocado Spread
July 9th, 2009
Creamy Avocado Spread
I cannot take credit for this amazing creation, but it is so good I also don’t want to keep this delicious secret to myself. C. invented this yummy combination of flavors and for some reason I always have to nag her to make it. I love it! I was please to eventually discover that it is a great compliment to our Veggie Burger recipe.
Why delay the goodness?…
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Tags: avocado, lemon, parsley, shallot, tomato
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 2 Comments »
Apologies and Fudge
July 3rd, 2009
I can’t believe over a month has passed since the last time a shared a recipe and story. I have been yearning to share more recipes, and have definitely been cooking a lot, but the elements have not been coming together for blogging. As some of you know, I have relocated to Cape Cod for the summer, and have definitely been going through some serious adjustment time. I feel like everything has been uprooted…not just my living situation…so I am in the process of finding my feet again.
One great opportunity that has arisen for me is to be able to be a personal chef for my grandparents. I am creating a variety of dishes for them once per week to supplement their meals. This is rewarding on so many levels. I am able to be creative in the kitchen, as they are open to whatever I want to create, and I am offering them love through my creations (nutritional sustenance which is easy to digest). I have even been surprised at how pleased my grandfather has been with the meals considering that he has a very strong opinion!
I am looking forward to sharing some of these new dishes here on my blog, and hope that you will enjoy them too! In the meantime I wanted to share a delicious recipe for Frozen Fudge that my friend recently posted on her blog. This vegan/raw fudge is amazing…even my grandfather loved it! I tried a version of the Frozen Fudge with almond butter instead of cashew butter, and it was wonderful (I just made a second batch tonight). Be sure to scroll over to Shak-Shuka.com to see what other great recipes, eco-friendly suggestions, and lifestyle tips she has to share.
Posted in dairy free, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free No Comments »
Roasted Vegetable Tart
May 16th, 2009
A bite of goodness
The other night we had a dinner party with some of our friends here in Boulder. It was great to see them again as time seems to get away from us when it comes to socializing. When it comes to having a dinner party, I am always happy to create something that I don’t usually make for myself. A new recipe, or an old favorite becomes an opportunity for a new twist. I have been playing with tart recipes for a little while now, and thought that would be perfect for this crowd. A mix of gluten-free gourmets I knew that it would be a great opportunity to try out a gluten-free tart crust. Thankfully, the reviews were quite supportive of the outcome!
I made two different crusts because one friend also avoids flax and almonds, but I still wanted to see how the tart would taste with those ingredients…personally I think both were really good. I will list the variations below in case you want to try both as well. I will not mislead you by saying that this recipe is easy. It was a lengthy process, but it was totally worth it! And we just made sure to make extra so we would have leftovers to savor for the next few days. (I suggest you do so as well!)
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Tags: almonds, amaranth, bell pepper, eggplant, flax seed, garlic, oat flour, oatmeal, tahini, tomato, yellow squash, zucchini
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free 2 Comments »
Cornucopia Spring Rolls
May 8th, 2009
Cornucopia Spring Rolls
We are still on our cleanse, doing well and feeling great! The amount of extra energy that I feel is wonderful, and I am noticing that I don’t need to eat as much as I often do with my regular diet. It definitely takes more preparation and consciousness but I enjoy the challenge. It is an invitation for creativity in the kitchen, and that is what I love.
We have moved onto the second phase of the cleanse, where we can introduce some grains into our diet in combination with vegetables, and since rice is on the list, I though some Spring Rolls would be a great idea. C. wasn’t so excited because she said that spring rolls usually are not so tasty and filling…so there was my challenge. To make some taste-packed and fully satisfying spring rolls.
Personally I think I did it! I was quite happy with them, and look forward to having seconds tonight.
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Tags: avocado, basil, bell pepper, carrot, cucumber, mint, mushroom, parsley, snow peas
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 3 Comments »
2 Potato Gratin with Veggies
May 4th, 2009
Spring Blossoms
Spring is definitely in full swing. In Boulder the tulips are in full bloom, the daffodils are strong and healthy, and the buds on the apple trees, crab apples and more are in bloom. I have even see the lilacs and forsythia starting to tell their spring story.
Inspired by the fresh life of spring, C. and I have decided to do a mini cleanse to feel that freshness ourselves. We too are shedding the layers of winter, emotionally and physically, and are ready to feel a little lighter with the change that is coming for us this spring. Knowing that this month is going to be a big one for us with packing, moving and re-adjusting for the summer to our new living situations, we thought a cleanse would boost our energy for what is ahead.
Every year, and maybe more than once per year, we follow the Heart of Nourishment cleanse developed by Hale Sofia Schatz. This is a wonderful cleanse which we discovered while reading her book If the Buddha Came to Dinner: How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit. It is one of the most compassionate cleanses that I have experienced so far, and am happy to return to it every time I am ready for a cleanse. Her writing is beautiful, her stories are moving, and she presents a cleanse which is accessible, and flexible…an opportunity to offer yourself some personal time of self-care. I could go on and on really, but I think you get the idea. I like her approach and her cleanse.
The first phase of the cleanse is a time when you are consuming only fruit and vegetables, and not in combination with each other. So it is also a great time to be creative in your cooking skills and come up with some new recipes. Using what we had in the fridge, I came up with this yummy new recipe for 2 Potato Gratin with Veggies. C had caramelized some onions the day before, and using some spinach and mushrooms with the potato combination, we were ready for a yummy casserole. Whether you are on a cleanse or not, I definitely suggest you try this savory treat!
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Tags: mushroom, onion, red potato, spinach, sweet potato
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free 2 Comments »
Seed, Nut and Fruit Granola
April 26th, 2009
Toasty Granola
I have definitely been inspired! The Boulder farmer’s market has come back into season, and I love it. Although the choices for fresh produce are not as abundant as they will be, it is exciting to see the early greens that are for sale at the organic farm stands, and the beautiful flowers blooming. The farmer’s market is also host to some amazing local entrepreneurs who have created delicious (and often healthy) treats.
The one that inspired me this weekend is 2 Mom’s in the Raw. They create amazing raw granolas both gluten-free and not, and the ingredients are beautiful. They also make flax seed crackers which are yummy too, but I guess I am going through a sweet phase, and love that their granola is only sweetened with agave.
I have been wanting to make granola for a while, and this finally pushed me over the edge. Although I am not ready to make a raw granola yet, I thought I would start with an oven recipe to see how it turns out. I checked out a few recipes online, but decided to just make up my own mix and see what happens. I definitely see room for improvement, but for now, it is a tasty mix of goodies.
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Tags: almonds, amaranth, apples, buckwheat, coconut, figs, oatmeal, raisins, sesame seeds
Posted in alternative grain, breakfast, dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 1 Comment »
Berries and Oat Pie
April 18th, 2009
Berries and Oat Pie
I first became inspired to have a “food blog” after finding some amazing examples online. One of the top examples that I have enjoyed subscribing to is the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. Her recipes are beautiful and so are her photos. A perfect combination for me. Every so often I would bookmark her recipes for future adventures, and one day I tested out her Blueberry Oat Bars. They look amazing and I was excited by the ease of the recipe and the results were great. I did have a little trouble spreading the top layer of oats, and found the bottom layer a little too soft, so I decided the next time that I would try a different technique to see how it would come out. I have to say that I am pretty happy with the results, and want to thank Susan V. for the beautiful recipe and creative inspiration.
I decided to let the bottom layer of oats cook in the oven for a little while on its own in order to crisp up a little and rolled out the top layer more like a pie crust. Since I didn’t have a square pan, I also ended up making this in a pie plate…and surprisingly turned out quite like a pie. I definitely suggest trying out the recipe yourself, it is quite easy, whether you follow her recipe or my variation, and you could even just make the fruit filling and have it with ice cream, dairy-free ice cream or even fresh cut bananas.
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Tags: agave, blueberry, oatmeal, strawberry
Posted in dairy free, dessert, egg-free, fruit, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 2 Comments »
