homemade yumm sauce

i was completely addicted to cafe yumm during grad school. the food is simple—a bowl of brown rice, black beans, avocado, tomato, cilantro—but the vegan sauce is what makes it so special. i'd been flirting with the idea of making my own batch of sauce for years (the ingredients are listed right on the jar), but the fear of it not tasting as good as cafe yumm's held me back. 

if you've had cafe yumm before, you'll quickly realize (to my dismay) that my hesitation was warranted—this isn't an exact match, in terms of taste (though color and texture are spot-on). i'm now even more convinced that there's a secret ingredient in yumm sauce that makes it so unbelievably delicious. regardless, this is still a versatile vegan sauce that can be poured over rice, quinoa, salads or used as a spread on sandwiches.

homemade yumm sauce adapted from here

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cooked soybeans (edamame)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano

in a food processor, blend water, olive oil, almonds and chickpeas until the consistency is sauce-like. then add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, soybeans, garlic, salt, curry powder, cilantro and oregano. blend until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.

straddling the seasons: baked pasta

though it's technically spring, march in portland is still pretty schizophrenic. random hail storms and frigid nights are not uncommon this time of year—hence, my non-stop cravings for baked pasta. baked pastas can be inherently heavy, so to offset that and pay homage to the new season, i doctored mine up with fennel and artichokes.

baked pasta with fennel and artichokes

8 oz. pasta (elbows or shells are best here)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 bulb of fennel, sliced very thin (stalks removed, fronds reserved)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, packed in water
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella and cheddar both work)

cook pasta until al dente and set aside. in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. once heated, add diced onion and sliced fennel and cook for about five to ten minutes, or until slightly browned. next, add garlic, salt and crushed red pepper. cook for another two minutes or so, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. add spinach and cook just until it begins to wilt. next, pour in can of crushed tomatoes and simmer the sauce for about ten minutes.

meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees f. drain, rinse and chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the sauce once it finishes simmering. add pasta to sauce, turn heat down to low and stir to combine everything. pour pasta and sauce into a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and the reserved fennel fronds. bake dish for about ten minutes, then turn oven to the broil setting and broil for about three minutes (or until the cheese is bubbling and browned).

carrot soup with crispy chickpeas

if you told me two years ago that there would come a day when i'd not only make, but like, carrot soup, i would have laughed at you. i used to despise carrots (and broccoli, bell peppers and a whole slew of other vegetables), but going vegetarian forced me to expand my pallet, and for that, i'm forever grateful. now i can't get enough—the more veggies, the better.

i omitted the tahini drizzle in this soup (couldn't stomach the nine-dollar price tag for tahini at the store), but compensated with roasted sesame seeds on top. if you do have tahini on hand, i'd highly recommend using it. i felt the sweetness from the carrots did need something creamy to balance it out a bit. next time!

carrot soup with crispy chickpeas adapted from smitten kitchen

2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
pinch red pepper flakes
4 cups vegetable broth

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

fresh lemon juice
toasted sesame seeds
cilantro

preheat your oven to 425 degreesf. heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. add in carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, curry, salt and red pepper flakes and saute for about 15 minutes. after the mixture has started to brown, pour in vegetable broth, cover pot with lid and simmer for about 30 minutes (stirring occasionally). 

while the soup is simmering, mix chickpeas with olive oil and salt and lay them out evenly on a baking sheet in your preheated oven. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they're browned and crispy.

once the carrots are soft, puree soup with an immersion blender and ladle into bowls. top with crispy chickpeas, a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

blood orange mimosas with rosemary and mint simple syrup

 

if you're looking for a refreshing drink to toast spring with, this is it! you can prep the ingredients beforehand, then put the mimosas together when you need them (which is what i did on friday for our eyes + edge gathering).

blood orange mimosas with rosemary mint simple syrup

6 blood oranges
1 bottle of champagne, chilled

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
a small handful of fresh mint leaves

squeeze the juice out of the blood oranges and set aside. in a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, rosemary and mint up to a boil. boil for one minute, then remove from heat and let the mixture sit for thirty minutes. after thirty minutes, strain mixture with a mesh strainer. combine fresh blood orange juice and herb simple syrup in a pitcher or large jar and place in the refrigerator to chill. when ready to serve, pour champagne and blood orange mixture into champagne flutes. (i used a ratio of 2/3 champagne to 1/3 juice mixture.) garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary or mint, if you're feeling fancy.

salted dark chocolate peanut butter cups

i've made a dangerous discovery. with two ingredients and about five minutes of prep time, i can have incredibly rich peanut butter cups whenever the craving strikes. there are many recipes out there for homemade peanut butter cups that involve adding powdered sugar or honey, but i really don't feel it's necessary to mess with the simplicity of the two ingredients. i mean, it's chocolate and peanut butter—you just can't go wrong with that combination!

salted dark chocolate peanut butter cups (makes 6 large cups)

about 7 oz dark chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter (i used the kind you grind yourself at the store)
pink himalayan sea salt, for topping

line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside. pour the chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave on high in increments of thirty seconds, stirring in between. after about two or three thirty-second sessions, the chocolate should be nicely tempered (smooth and shiny.) pour a little bit of the melted chocolate into the liners and use the back of the spoon to coat the bottom and sides of the liner evenly. next, drop in a little bit of peanut butter and spread it to fill up the center. then pour more chocolate over the peanut butter to cover it completely and sprinkle salt on top of the cups. place muffin tin in the fridge for thirty minutes, or until the cups are set.

current obsession

this is by no means a fancy recipe (or a groundbreaking discovery, for that matter), but lately i can't get enough of this meal—it works for breakfast, lunch and dinner. so simple, yet it feels special every time i make it!

to make: heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add in a tiny bit of butter. once the butter is warm, place a corn tortilla in the pan and top it with white cheddar, baby spinach and a sprinkle of salt. top with another corn tortilla to make a quesadilla of sorts and flip when the first side is starting to brown. let the other side brown, then remove from heat. add a little more butter (if needed) and fry an egg to your liking. place the egg on top of the quesadilla, then add sliced avocado and cilantro. if i'm feeling extra hungry, i'll fry another egg, or serve this with black beans and sliced tomatoes.

cardamom pistachio granola

in an effort to put off being a responsible adult, i made homemade granola for the first time yesterday. i may not have my taxes filed, but at least i have something delicious to top plain greek yogurt with for breakfast this week! and the best part of making granola from scratch? being able to control what does or doesn't go into it (rejoice! no raisins!)—this particular recipe has cardamom and cinnamon, which made my entire apartment smell heavenly.

cardamom pistachio granola adapted from the new york times

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raw pistachios (with their shells on)
1/4 cup organic sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

preheat oven to 300 degrees f. line a baking sheet with tin foil and set aside. remove the shells from the pistachios and give them a rough chop. 

in a large bowl, combine oats, pistachios, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. next, add the olive oil and stir until all ingredients are incorporated. pour mixture onto the lined baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. remove from pan and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. 

chana masala

until recently, i'd put off making chana masala from scratch (anything with a long list of ingredients automatically intimidates me). i'm so grateful to have it in my recipe arsenal now, as drew came down with a wicked cold this past weekend and i've been doing my best not to catch it. i whipped up a batch the other day, and i'm hoping the lemon, garlic, ginger, turmeric and cayenne that help make this dish so delicious will also help keep this impending cold at bay!

chana masala adapted from smitten kitchen

1 tbsp butter (or coconut oil)
1 yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garam masala
2 cups fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup water
1 (or 2, depending on how thick you want it) 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon

in a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat, then add onion, garlic and ginger. stir occasionally for about five minutes, or until the mixture has started to brown. turn heat down to medium-low and add coriander, cayenne, turmeric, paprika and garam masala. stir the spices constantly for about a minute or two, then add tomatoes and their juices to the mixture, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. next, add water and chickpeas. simmer uncovered for about ten minutes, then stir in lemon juice and salt. serve over brown rice with fresh cilantro for garnish.

broiled grapefruit with coconut cardamom cream

this is one of those recipes that you could argue belongs in the dessert category, as it's supremely decadent, but it could also pass as breakfast. it tastes way more unhealthy than it actually is—always a good thing in my book!

broiled grapefruit with coconut cardamom cream adapted from here

1 grapefruit, sliced in half

1/2 tbsp raw turbinado sugar

1 can full-fat coconut milk, placed in the fridge overnight

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

preheat your oven to the broil setting. place the grapefruit halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. distribute the sugar evenly over both halves and place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. open the can of coconut milk and carefully scrape the "cream" off the top—be careful not to get any of the remaining liquid mixed in with it! put your muscles to the test and whisk the cream in a bowl for about five minutes, or until it resembles whipped cream. whisk in the cardamom and serve over the broiled grapefruit.

for an extra fancy step, garnish with some fresh mint or crushed pistachios. or both!

pasta with roasted cauliflower, hazelnuts and spinach

since i spend an inordinate amount of time reading food blogs, i'm always (subconsciously) aware of what is in season. perhaps that's why i came home from the grocery store the other day with a head of cauliflower, despite not having a clear recipe in mind. luckily, i had some roasted hazelnuts leftover from my quinoa flake breakfasts and a bag of baby spinach on hand. add in some garlic, onion, olive oil and throw it over pasta? you can't possibly go wrong with that.

pasta with roasted cauliflower, hazelnuts and spinach adapted from here

1 box (8 oz.) pasta
1 head cauliflower 
olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp)
salt
red pepper flakes
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup baby spinach
juice from 1 small lemon
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
parmigiano cheese

preheat oven to 425 degrees f. wash and chop your cauliflower into florets and arrange on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, pinch of salt and a shake of red pepper flakes. roast for about 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

while the cauliflower is roasting, cook pasta until al dente. drain and set aside.

meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium-low heat. add in the onion slices, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until the onions become slightly caramelized and extremely soft. turn the heat up to medium-high and add the garlic, cook for about one minute. next, add in spinach, the roasted cauliflower, the pasta and some fresh lemon juice, stirring to combine all ingredients and allow the spinach to wilt.

remove the skillet from heat, add in the chopped hazelnuts and stir to combine. serve pasta in bowls and top with parmigiano cheese.

healthy start

you don't need me to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. i'm always searching for something that has enough staying power to get me through the morning, so when i stumbled upon quinoa flakes at the grocery store, i knew i had to try them. they taste just like oatmeal or other hot cereals, but with more protein, thanks to the quinoa. i'm sure i'll dress up the flakes in all sorts of ways, but lately i've been doing a sweet variation.

quinoa flakes with toasted coconut and hazelnuts (serves 1)

1/3 cup dry quinoa flakes
1 cup water
pinch of salt

unsweetened coconut flakes
raw hazelnuts
splash of half + half
a generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon
drizzle of honey

mix quinoa flakes, water and salt in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for two and a half minutes. stir in cinnamon and set aside.

preheat oven to 375 degrees f. on a baking sheet, spread a thin layer of coconut flakes evenly and bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure they don't burn. remove flakes and set aside, turn oven down to 350 degrees f. spread the hazelnuts out on the same baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. immediately after removing hazelnuts from oven, wrap them in a dish towel and rub the skins off.

pour hot quinoa flakes into a bowl, top with toasted coconut and hazelnuts. drizzle half + half and honey right before eating.
  

three-ingredient peanut butter cookies

if you're still looking for a holiday cookie recipe, i'm popping in today to give you a quick and easy one! i whipped these up last minute before going to a christmas party (and they were eaten shortly thereafter, hence the lack of a picture). i made some as regular cookies, and some with hershey kisses in the middle for peanut butter blossoms. they're delicious either way.

three-ingredient peanut butter cookies (makes about 2 dozen)

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar (plus extra for rolling cookies in)
2 eggs

preheat oven to 350 degrees f. mix peanut butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. once mixed, roll the dough into small balls, coat evenly with sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

if you're leaving them regular, press a fork lightly down on the batter to make crisscrosses. if you're making peanut butter blossoms, leave them in ball form until they are done cooking, then gently press a hershey kiss in the center immediately after removing them from the oven and allow to cool completely.

bake cookies for about 12-14 minutes.

happy holidays!

peppermint brownies

baking (and eating) these brownies proved to be very therapeutic this past weekend. if you make these—and resist downing the entire batch (and a bottle of wine) with your loved ones in one sitting—you could package up a few and bring them over to a friend or neighbor. i think we could all use a heaping dose of holiday cheer and community support right about now.

peppermint brownies adapted from sprouted kitchen

5 tbsp butter (i used salted and just omitted the salt from the original recipe)
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut flour

preheat oven to 350 degrees f. grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter and set aside. in a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. remove from heat, then stir in sugar, vanilla and peppermint. next, whisk in eggs, one at a time. add the flour and whisk until combined (until the batter starts pulling away from the edges of the pan). pour into greased baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, let cool completely, then slice and enjoy.

truffle salt popcorn

my favorite thing to order at bamboo sushi is the truffle avocado nigiri: buttery avocado slices over a little ball of rice, topped with a generous sprinkle of truffle salt. it inspired me to purchase my own jar of salt to keep on hand at home, and i'm now completely obsessed with putting it on popcorn. i use the plain popcorn that comes without oil or salt, pop it and add a drizzle of coconut oil. after i coat the popcorn evenly with the oil, i toss it with (a lot of) the truffle salt. best snack ever.

 

kale salad with apple and chanterelle mushrooms

i made this salad for thanksgiving, so i wanted to make sure it was hearty and festive (and delicious, of course). the kale is lightly massaged, so it still has all the nutritional benefits, but none of the bitterness and tough texture that usually accompany raw kale.

kale salad with apple and chanterelle mushrooms

1 bunch lacinato kale
about 8 chanterelle mushrooms
1 honeycrisp apple
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
a few shavings of hard goat cheese
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt

dressing

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.

wash, de-stem and cut the kale into ribbons and toss into a large bowl. pour half of the dressing over the kale and "massage" it in with your fingers for about a minute or two, until leaves are a bit wilted.

in a pan over medium-high heat, pour just a little bit of the olive oil, and add the mushrooms and salt. cook until the mushrooms have released all of their liquid, then add the rest of the oil and saute until brown and slightly crispy. remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. turn heat to low, then add pepitas with a little pinch of salt and stir frequently until the seeds are toasted.

peel and slice honeycrisp apple into matchsticks, then toss with the kale, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds and more dressing (to your taste). top with some thinly shaved goat cheese and enjoy.

pumpkin french toast

i can't believe thanksgiving is tomorrow! if you have some leftover pumpkin after all of your holiday baking, i'd highly recommend making this pumpkin french toast. it's another one of my "not really a recipe" recipes; you can adapt it any way you'd like.

pumpkin french toast

2 slices of bread
1 egg
pumpkin puree
splash of half & half
drop of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
big dash of cinnamon
big dash of pumpkin pie spice
coconut oil
honey (or maple syrup) for drizzling on after

mix egg, pumpkin puree, half & half, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. soak bread slices in the wet mixture until both sides of bread are well-coated (about 5 minutes on each side). grease a frying pan over medium-high heat with some coconut oil, and place bread slices in the hot pan. cook on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. serve with a drizzle of honey and extra cinnamon.
 

coconut butternut squash soup with sage

i love this tomato soup, but was craving a fall soup the other day, so i attempted to adapt it with a few seasonal ingredients. i kept the curry powder from the original recipe, as it lends a warm undertone to the soup and pairs nicely with the coconut milk. it's not exactly a traditional butternut squash soup (those tend to be too sweet for my liking anyway), but it's still delicious!

coconut butternut squash soup with sage adapted from 101 cookbooks

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1 15oz can butternut squash puree (found at whole foods)
1 cup water
handful fresh sage, chopped
1 15oz can light coconut milk

over medium heat, melt coconut oil in a soup pot. once melted, saute onion with salt until translucent, about 10 minutes. next, add garlic and cook for a minute or so. then, add the curry and ginger powder, "toasting" the spices for 30 seconds. pour butternut puree, water and sage into the pot, stir and let simmer for 15 minutes. remove pot from heat and puree soup with an immersion blender. put mixture back on the stove, mix in coconut milk and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. season with salt and pepper as needed.

pumpkin sage cornbread

remember the vegetarian chili i made last week? well, today i'm sharing the recipe for the pumpkin sage cornbread that accompanied it. since i took this dish to a potluck, i went the muffin route for ease, but you could also make this in a pan or a cast iron skillet. no matter what form this batter is in, it's a delicious way to pay homage to fall.

pumpkin sage cornbread (makes 16 small muffins) adapted from here

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup corn meal
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a few fresh sage leaves, chopped

1/4 cup raw honey
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup pumpkin puree

preheat oven to 375 degrees f. mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. in a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. pour batter into lined muffin tin (just halfway), and bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until you stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.

slow-cooker chili

drew bought a slow-cooker a few months ago, but i hadn't tried using it until this past weekend. on saturday morning, i threw a bunch of simple ingredients in, set it on low for 8 hours and ended up with a flavorful vegetarian chili. it couldn't have been easier!

slow-cooker chili adapted from here

1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 28-ounce can organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes 
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
salt

add all ingredients to slow-cooker and set on low for 7 or 8 hours. taste and season with salt as needed.

roasted fig sandwiches

as a vegetarian, i rarely get excited about sandwiches, but this one is special. there are so many flavors that complement each other, from the bitter arugula and the tangy goat cheese, to the sweet honey and caramelized figs. i made these for dinner when we went to see the swifts (i just topped them each with a second piece of bread to make actual sandwiches, for portability purposes), but for future occasions, i think they'd be better served open-faced.

roasted fig sandwiches (serves 4) adapted from here

slices of crusty whole wheat bread
small container of fresh figs, sliced
handful of arugula
1 small round of goat brie
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp raw honey
salt and pepper 

preheat oven to 400 degrees f. toss fig slices in olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. roast the figs for about 10 minutes, or until they start to caramelize. meanwhile, toast your bread and spread with some goat brie and add arugula. then, top everything with a few slices of roasted figs, drizzle with honey and add salt and pepper to taste.