Prior to the mid-1990s, the concept of Portobello mushrooms on our home dinner plates was pretty much nonexistent. We really only heard about these Italian-imported, fancy mushrooms from waiters describing the ingredients in our dishes at high-end restaurants, or we may have spotted them in natural food stores but had no idea what to do…
Grains, Beans & Legumes
Chickpeas and Pasta
This week I dusted off M.F.K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf. It was published in 1942 and opens with a quote from American humanist Charlotte Perkins (Stetson) Gilman: “There’s a whining at the threshold, There’s a scratching at the floor. To work! To work! In Heaven’s name! The wolf is at the door!” It…
My Favorite Hummus
Many years ago my husband and I owned a marina store on the Intercoastal Waterway, where boats pulled in for fuel, bait, beer and snacks. Here’s a rendering he created of that sweet, little place: I never imagined owning a business like this, but an opportunity presented itself, and we thought it would be a…
Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Cream
It seems like the humble sweet potato (or yam) is on just about every Thanksgiving table. Who would have thought that a root vegetable with origins dating back roughly 5,000 years would still be so revered? If you’ve ever grown them yourself, you know how fun it is! This marks my second year and my…
Curried Lentils & Rice
Several years ago, the documentary Forks Over Knives hit the streets. It was all about the benefits of eating plant-based (vs. animal-based) food in order to ward off cancer or other unhealthy stuff. I didn’t watch it until recently, when I re-upped my Netflix subscription, and I found it eye-opening. . . I believe there are…
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Yes, it’s time to think about Fall dishes like warm soups, cocoa, roasted root veggies and, of course, all-things-pumpkin! If you love pumpkin, there are endless opportunities to enjoy the Fall-inspired squash and its signature pumpkin spice flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves. You’ll find that magical stuff in bars, pies, cookies, lattes, cold…
Farro Salad with Preserved Lemon, Basil & Edamame
Grain salad = easy + portable + hearty + healthy + delicious. I’ve made lots of them and have picked up a few tips to make them especially yummy: Any grain works. Each offers unique texture, so pick what you like like farro, wheat berries, barley, quinoa, spelt or millet. Wild grain rice is also…
Buddha Bowl with Quinoa, Beets & Chickpeas
If you’re like me, you’ve noticed tons of “Buddha bowl” pictures on social media. You know, those beautiful photographs of colorful food artfully arranged in wide-mouthed bowls, so gorgeous in fact that they make you want to reach in for a bite? Well, today I decided to make my own, but here’s a little back…
Crispy, Crunchy Chickpeas
On Monday morning I pulled out my old juicer with the intention of dedicating two days to a fresh juice fast. I wanted to do something different to start my week, determined to only consume fresh vegetable and fruit juices, and I’ve heard health experts and nutritionists say it’s good to do periodically, so…
Almond, Date & Orange Granola Bars
Today’s post is all about adaptability, or, making ‘do’ with a recipe when you just don’t have the exact ingredients on hand. Surely, this has happened to you, right? I’ve been making this recipe for “Healthy 5-Ingredient Granola Bars” for many months — it’s from my friends at Minimalist Baker and it’s a great, no-bake recipe…
Warm Barley, Kale & Date Salad
I was working furiously at my desk this morning, only to realize that my tummy was growling because it was almost 1:00 and I had nothing prepared for lunch! Plus, I anticipated my artist hubby coming out of his studio any minute, eagerly asking “what’s for lunch?”, so I had to get something in gear…
Roasted Spicy & Sweet Chickpeas
You can call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, but ultimately they’re just plain yummy and I’ve loved them since I was a kid. These funny looking legumes are not only tasty, but also, high in protein, fiber, iron and magnesium. And, as my doctor reminds me, beans are extremely beneficial to us (well, me, especially)…