Pinto Beans
“I’m never buying pinto beans in a can again!” I told Jack last week, as I savored spoonful after spoonful of pinto beans straight from a pot on the stove. Maybe I was exaggerating (canned beans are darn convenient, after all), but I’ll certainly reach for them less often than I used to. If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that cooking pinto beans from scratch will yield creamier, more flavorful beans every time. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m arriving late to the dried beans party. A few years back, I did try cooking them, but without…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>When I opened Julia Turshen’s new cookbook Simply Julia, I landed on a photo of these roasted cauliflower tacos. My first thought? “I want to eat that.” After trying them, I think it’s safe to say that you’ll want to eat these cauliflower tacos too. They’re jam-packed with flavor from nutty roasted cauliflower, aromatic spices, and a zingy avocado sauce, and they’re also super easy to make. Roast the veggies, whizz up the sauce, stuff it all into tortillas, and voila! Dinner is served. If you’re looking for more recipes that combine easy prep with big flavor, I highly recommend you…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>This avocado sauce is the perfect topping for these roasted cauliflower tacos. Or any tacos, for that matter. It’s smooth, rich, and creamy, with a punch of bright flavor from lime. You only need 5 ingredients to make it, and it comes together in less than 5 minutes. I think it might be a new taco night staple in our house! The recipe comes from Julia Turshen’s new cookbook Simply Julia, which is packed with 110 recipes for healthy comfort food. Like this avocado sauce recipe (and these cauliflower tacos), each one is simple to make, but filled with flavor. They’re…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>What’s a good movie night without a bowl of freshly popped popcorn?! With the Oscars coming up this weekend, I thought I’d share a recipe for the stovetop popcorn that Jack and I love to make at home. Heads up – this stuff is seriously addictive. Salty, crunchy, and tossed with a savory sprinkle of nutritional yeast, it’ll ruin you for bagged popcorn forever. It’s crispier, it’s more flavorful, and it’s so simple to make that buying pre-popped popcorn is hardly easier. Seriously! You’re just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes away from a delectable salty snack. How to Make Popcorn…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>One of the most common questions readers ask me is, “What is nutritional yeast?”. I get it! At one time, this funky, flaky yellow powder seemed like a totally out-there ingredient to me. But today, it has a permanent place in my pantry. I use it for making “cheesy” vegan sauces and dips, punching up popcorn, and adding savory flavor to soups, scrambles, and more. Because so many of you have asked about nutritional yeast, I thought it deserved a post of its own. Below, you’ll find my Nutritional Yeast 101, complete with info on what nutritional yeast actually is,…
TO THE POST >>>>This dill sauce recipe rose out of my favorite kind of cooking: the kind where you open the fridge, look inside, and cook with what you have on hand. A few weeks ago, I had a massive bunch of fresh dill leftover from making this avocado dressing, and I was searching for ways to use it up. I’d already sprinkled dill over avocado toast and poached eggs, tossed it into salads, and whizzed it into soup (seriously, it was a big bunch). I had some gorgeous asparagus I wanted to cook too, and I thought it would be nice to…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>Each year, I make this asparagus salad recipe to celebrate the arrival of spring…which, in Chicago, is usually later than you’d think. See, in all the years that we’ve lived here, it’s snowed on Jack’s April birthday. So when we have the odd warm day in March or early April, I don’t get my hopes up. “Winter isn’t over yet,” I tell myself, “Don’t get used to this.” But this year, Jack’s birthday arrived…and it didn’t snow. It was still a little chilly, but the air smelled clean and fresh, and tulips and daffodils bloomed around the neighborhood. Dare I…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>I could eat this creamy, dreamy, dairy-free avocado dressing on just about anything. A salad? Of course! Roasted veggies? Yes, please. A grain bowl? I’m hungry already. This avocado dressing is rich, smooth, and bright, with a subtle complexity from fresh dill. It’s made with a few basic ingredients, and it whizzes up in minutes. The next time you have a ripe avocado on hand, be sure to try it. You’re going to love this recipe! Avocado Dressing Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe: Avocado, of course! I often make creamy salad dressings with nuts or…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>If you opened my fridge right now, you’d see jars upon jars of these quick pickled radishes lined up inside. They’re so pretty and pink that it’s almost a shame to eat them. I love the vibrant patterns the radishes create against the glass, all those circles and stripes. The natural beauty of these humble root veggies never ceases to amaze me. Still, eat them I will. Tangy, salty, and delightfully crisp, they’re an addictive snack or topping for toast, tacos, bowls, burgers, salads…just about anything you like! This pickled radish recipe is easy to make (the fridge does most…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>Is it just me, or is half the fun of eating artichokes the sauce you serve with them? This artichoke dipping sauce recipe has been a favorite of ours lately. It’s creamy, rich, and tangy, a perfect savory accent for the bright, nutty artichoke leaves and heart. It’s easy to make (you only need 7 ingredients, and one of them’s pepper!), and it comes together in a fraction of the time it takes to cook artichokes. Sit back and relax while they steam, and whip up the artichoke dipping sauce right before you eat! Artichoke Dipping Sauce Recipe Ingredients You…
TO THE RECIPE >>>>A few years back, when I saw a fresh artichoke at the farmers market for the first time, I knew immediately that I’d be taking it home. It was so pretty, with its tightly packed petals and thick stem tinged with purple. How could I resist it? But when I got back to the house, I realized that I had one tiny problem….I had no clue how to cook artichokes. That spring, I passed off the artichoke prep to my mom, who happened to be visiting (thanks, Mom!), but since then, I’ve mastered how to cook artichokes myself. I wanted to…
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