Almond Rhubarb Crumb Cake

I love rhubarb. Maybe I love it because it reminds me of my father who unironically enjoys jam, specifically strawberry rhubarb jam, more than most. I love rhubarb for it’s color and its tartness which compliments anything sweet so effortlessly. I love it because it is so specific to spring, not unlike artichokes (which I also love, perhaps because they remind me of my mother) and cherry blossoms. Just as quickly as rhubarb comes into season, sometime in late April, it leaves, sometime in early June. The fleeting weeks of rhubarb season are marked by subtle hints of change. At a time when things seem so much of the same, it is these things I hold onto most for a sense of hope—the slow retreat of wool sweaters to the back of my closet, pollen on my computer when I work outside, using Citibikes instead of the subway to get around. Time moves and seasons change and sometimes it’s okay to just allow the change to happen around you. To come into and out of seasons in your own life like rhubarb in late spring. This cake came about as a reminder of all these things. It is nostalgic, bright, simple, and delicious and I could eat it every day until peach season. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

For the Batter

1 cup rhubarb

1/2 tsp tapioca (or corn) starch

1 tbsp agave nectar 

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 eggs

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup gf flour

For the Crumble

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and add to a bowl with starch and agave. Toss until fully combined and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, with a hand whisk or an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together coconut oil, sugar and maple syrup. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (this will add air into your cake). Add in almond extract and beat again until incorporated. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine your dry ingredients. Whisk until combined. Fold into sugar mixture until fully incorporated and no dry parts remain. Add your rhubarb in, gently folding it into the batter. Pour into a 9 inch springform pan, spreading evenly to create a flat layer.

4. In a small bowl, combine all your ingredients for the crumble. Mix together and sprinkle evenly over the top of your batter. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick when inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake will be should be very moist and the edges will be a dark golden brown.

5. Allow to cool completely and dust with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy or eat it one forkful at a time straight from the pan. Whatever mood you’re feeling.

Blueberry Cornmeal Scones

My favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings in spring is get a cup of coffee and a pastry and sit and watch the world go by. With limited (but growing) gluten free and vegan options, sometimes it’s just easier to make my own. And these gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free (save for the frosting!) blueberry cornmeal scones are literally my breakfast pastry dream. Like if blueberry scones and corn muffins had a baby, these are not too sweet, perfectly moist, and super flavorful. They are all your favorite parts of scones and leave behind all your least. I topped mine with dust from dehydrated blueberries and dehydrated lemon wedge for a hint of sour to cut through the sweet of the glaze. Cheers to Saturday morning routines and making them work. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1 heaping cup blueberries (I used frozen from Trader Joes)

Juice from ½ lemon

1 tsp tapioca starch

⅔ cup finely ground cornmeal (I took polenta and pulsed it in a blender until it resembled fine sand)

1-⅓ cup gf flour (I used a mix of coconut flour, almond flour and gf flour but anything will work)

1-½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tbsp coconut sugar

Zest of ½ lemon

½ cup vegan butter

Pinch of salt

1 egg

½ cup buttermilk (½ cup non-dairy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar)

½ tsp vanilla

2 tbsp maple syrup

Frosting: 

1 cup confectioners sugar

¼ cup water (more depending on consistency)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a medium bowl, mix together blueberries, lemon juice, and starch until all the starch is wet. Set aside. 

3. In another mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt and whisk until combined. 

4. Add in butter (if using a stick of butter, cut into 8-10 cubes before adding). With a pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter and fold into flour mix until butter pieces are about the size of pea and all the flour is incorporated. Then, using your hands, form a well in the center. 

5. Pouring into the center of the well, add your egg, buttermilk, maple syrup and vanilla. Using a fork, whisk to combine. Then using your fork to gently pull flour mixture into the well, begin stirring just until all the flour is incorporated. Don’t over mix. Fold the blueberry mixture into the flour mixture. 

6. Dump your dough mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Gently, with your hands, form into a round that is about 1-2 inches high. Cut into 8 equal parts and spread apart on the pan so they are about 2 inches apart. 

7. Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. 

8. While the scones are cooling, mix frosting. Evenly spread frosting over scones and garnish with freeze dried blueberries, lemon zest, and dehydrated lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Single Layer Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream

All I can say is, I had three people ask me for the recipe after they had this. Simple, seasonal, and absolutely delicious, this is the perfect cake to serve for dinner parties, serve to friends or celebrate with. Secret’s out…recipe below!

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs (sub 2/3 cup apple sauce or 2 flax eggs if vegan)
1-1/2 cups grated peeled carrots
1/4 cup non dairy milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 inch round with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Using the widest rounds on a box grater or a food processor, grate carrots (about 4-6 medium carrots).

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Beat in dry ingredients to wet ingredients, adding a third at a time and beating well after each addition. Add in non-dairy milk and mix until incorporated.

5. Fold in grated carrots. Option to add raisins, pecans, walnuts or shredded coconut.

6. Spread batter evenly in your 8 inch round and bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick when inserted comes out clean.

While the cake is baking….

Make the frosting:

1. Beat one stick (1/2 cup) room temp vegan butter until fluffy (about 3 minutes) —i use soy free @earthbalance

2. Add in 1-1/3 cup powdered sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp non dairy milk, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Beat until fluffy.

3. Spread evenly over the cake and sprinkle with chopped pistachios or toasted coconut.

Copycat Sweetgreen Shroomami Salad

After six months of living in New York, I have learned a few things: which days and times to avoid the Grand Street Trader Joes so as not to stand in a line as long as the store itself; how to look put together when you are too hungover to think; which cafes have wifi and which don’t; how to pay what you please to get into museums; and how to spend as little money as you can on the things you love. Budgeting in New York is as far off a dream as marrying a Scandinavian prince or pulling off bangs. All you can do is try to cut costs where you can and try not to think too hard about how much you’re paying in rent. Knowing I could spend my entire net-worth on food, coffee, and wine, I have had to think long and hard about what food, coffee, and wine is worth spending money on. I love the Sweetgreen shroomami salad and could have it for lunch everyday. But at risk of spending all my money on kale, I decided to recreate the salad at home, including the ingredients in my weekly grocery haul and making a bulk batch of the most amazing miso-sesame dressing at the beginning of the week. Putting this salad together is just as easy as ordering on Grubhub and a fraction of the cost. Because we are all just trying our best but I can guarantee that things will be better with this salad in your life.

For the salad (makes 1):

1/2 cup chopped kale
1 Persian cucumber, chopped (about 1/8 cup)
Chopped basil
1/8 cup cooked quinoa
Shelled edamame
Sautéed mushrooms (see below)
Roasted tofu (see below)
Spicy miso-sesame dressing (see below)

For the dressing: (recipe adopted from @nytcooking)

2 medium garlic cloves
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon miso paste (I use red miso from @misomaster)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ cup vegetable or olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp red peeper flakes (more depending on preference)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and mix on high until smooth. Yields about one cup. Use about 1/8 cup to make your tofu. Drizzle over salad and store extra dressing in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.

For the mushrooms:
Heat about 1 tsp sesame oil in a pan. Add 2-5 baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced and cook until soft and aromatic. add 1 tbsp soy sauce and cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

For the tofu:
Strain 1/2 block of tofu (about 200 grams) well and cut into 1/2 inch size pieces. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tofu on a baking dish and toss with about 1/8 cup dressing. Bake for 15 minutes, flip and return to oven for 15-20 minutes until tofu is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before adding to your salad.

Orange Cardamom Polenta Cake

My roommates and I started calling this cake the “anytime cake” when we realized that its sublet sweetness and maleable flavor made it perfectly acceptable to eat at any time of the day. Served with a cup of coffee in the morning or with poached pears and ice cream for dessert, it became not only anytime cake, by everytime cake, as we found ourselves craving it at all hours of the day, sneaking back into the kitchen from our rooms on work from home days for bites before lunch or for a mid-day snack. This cake is easy to make and so good, you are going to want to eat it all in one sitting.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup almond flour
2/3 cup gluten-free flour
1/2cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) vegan butter softened (I use @earthbalance soy-free sticks)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 orange, zested
4 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars. Add eggs, 2 at a time, mixing well after each addition until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add vanilla, orange juice, and orange zest. Mix until just combined.
5. Add dry ingredients to butter sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Add olive oil and mix again until well combined.
6. Spread evenly in a greased springform pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with ice cream. Perfect for dessert or served with coffee.

Baked Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto

This is the perfect winter meal, meant to be enjoyed with friends (serves 4-6). It is a comfort meal—think warm cheesy rice—but its bright color and bright flavor serve to offset the traditional heavy connotation of winter fare. Skip the goat cheese if you are vegan, it will still turn out creamy and delicious!

Ingredients

3 large beets, roasted

½ cup cashews

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp lemon zest

3 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

1-½ cup arborio rice

5 cups veggie stock

1 shallot, diced

1 clove garlic

Olive oil

½ cup goat cheese

½ cup white wine

 Directions

1. Remove beet stems and wash beets well. Then wrap them loosely in aluminum foil, lightly drizzle beets with olive oil and salt, and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until they are soft and you can poke through them with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring water to a boil, pour over cashews until they are covered and set aside. 

3. In an ovenproof dutch oven, sauté 2 tbsp olive oil, shallot, and garlic over medium heat until the shallot is translucent and soft, stirring occasionally to avoid browning. Add in arborio rice and cook, stirring continuously, until the rice takes on light/golden brown color (about 2-3 minutes). 

4. Turn off heat and add 4 cups of veggie broth. Cover and bake for 35-40 minutes until all the liquid absorbs and the rice is soft. 

5. Meanwhile, strain soaked cashews and add to a blender with 1 beet, cut into large chunks, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, water and olive oil. Add salt, pepper and dried chili flakes to taste. 

6. Using the largest hole of a box grater, grate the additional two hole beets. 

7. When the rice is finished, remove from the oven and add remaining 1 cup veggie stock, white wine, goat cheese (omit if vegan), beet cashew cream, and grated beets. Mix until incorporated but don’t over mix. 

8. Serve warm and top with sautéd seafood and lemon zest. 

The Best Pumpkin Muffins for Fall

I woke up this morning and the air was cool and the leaves on the tree that I look at out my window were painted with shades of orange and it was as if overnight fall had arrived. These muffins are perfect for mornings like these. I hope you enjoy.

Servings: 12 large muffins | Prep time: 20 minutes | Bake time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

1 15oz can pumpkin

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

2 eggs (if vegan use 1/3 cup apple sauce of 2 flax eggs—2tbsp flax meal + 5tbsp water—instead)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup almond flour

1 cup gluten-free flour blend (can be homemade or storebought)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 heaping tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground allspice or cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)

For the Topping

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/2 cup oats

1-1/2 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Directions

1. This recipe couldn’t be easier. I use one bowl and mix everything by hand with a spatula. To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In your bowl, mix together pumpkin, eggs (or egg replacement) and coconut oil until well combined. Add in the vanilla, coconut sugar and maple syrup and mix until well incorporated and mixture is smooth.

3. Add in your flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices, stirring vigorously until well combined. Pour in your almond milk and mix until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

4. Set aside and make streusel topping by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.

5. Prepare a muffin tin by lining with nonstick cooking spray or paper cupcake liners. Fill each tin 3/4 of the way. Top each with about 1/2 tbsp streusel.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick, when inserted in the center of the muffin, comes out clean. Serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea.

Creamy Pesto Baked Risotto With Sea Scallops

This recipe is the comings together of many different spheres of influence in my life. For one, the creamy vegan pesto was largely the necessary product of my mother’s overgrown basil plant in our backyard. Where basil mojitos tend to be a summer drink of choice, one can only drink so many before becoming positively drunk. Alternatively, last fall, I had dinner at Lola Taverna, a Mediterranean restaurant in Lower Manhattan with fabulous cocktails and even better food. I ordered the most delicious creamy, pesto-ey orzo with shrimp. Since then, in which time I consulted a nutritionist who confirmed that was both lactose and gluten intolerant, I have thought about that meal, among others, and how I wish I could have it again. Minus the fairy lights and the pre-warm ambiance, this homemade gluten-free and dairy-free alternative makes up for what was lost. Ultimately, this recipe was created out of the persistent belief that food should only exist for its multifaceted means of making oneself feel good. This recipe is bright, flavorful, super easy, and meant to be shared.

Risotto

Serves: 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 onion diced

1-1/2 cups arborio rice

4 cups veggie stock + 1 cup veggie stock

1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio or sav blanc is best)

Pesto:

1 cup cashes (about 160 grams)

1 heaping cup basil

4 tbsp olive oil (avocado oil would also work)

1/4 cup water

2 cloves garlic

Juice from 1 lemon

Zest from 1 lemon

2 tsp salt (more for taste)

Black pepper, to taste

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. To begin, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Additionally, boil water and pour over cashews until they are covered. Allow cashews to sit.

2. In an oven-proof dutch oven or cast iron pan (that fits with a lid), heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add in onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Once the onions are soft, add in rice and allow to toast for 1-2 minutes with the heat still on medium, stirring constantly to avoid burning. The rice will take on a slightly darker color but try to avoid browning.

4. After a couple of minutes, turn the heat off and add initial 2 (or 4) cups of veggie stock. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, until almost all of the liquid has dissolved.

5. While the rice bakes, make your pesto. Strain cashews and add to a blender (or food processor). Add basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, water, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Blend on high until smooth. Set aside.

6. Once the rice has baked, remove from oven and uncover. Add additional cup of veggie stock and white wine and stir until incorporated.

7. Fold in the pesto, using a spatula to scape the edges of the blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Sea Scallops*

I used to be terrified of cooking scallops mostly because Gordon Ramsey on Master Chef made them seem like the easiest thing in the world to get wrong. But, having exhausted all of the different ways to eat salmon, I mustered up the courage to try. And it turns out, just as easy as they might be to get wrong, scallops are exceptionally easy to get right. One serving is about 4-5 large scallops—I usually go to the market day of to ensure freshness and prepare them in the following way. This recipe is for one serving of scallops and can be adjusted easily for crowds or dinner parties. (*Always SEA scallops, never bay scallops, personal preference but also I think they are just better.)

Directions:

1. In a medium pan over medium heat, add about 1 tbsp olive oil (per serving). Add one clove of garlic and allow to cook until garlic is lightly golden.

2. Salt and pepper your scallops generously on both sides. Once the garlic has some color, add your scallops to the pan. Cook for two minutes, without disturbing or moving in the pan.

3. After 2 minutes, gently flip your scallops to the other side (in the order you placed them in the pan). Add 1 tbsp of dry white wine (same from the risotto) and the juice from 1/4 lemon. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Once scallops are cooked, remove from heat and serve immediately over risotto, drizzling the wine/lemon/oil/garlic mixture over the dish. Garnish with fresh lemon zest or basil.

---

Measurements for Risotto for 2

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/3 onion diced

3/4 cups arborio rice

2 cups veggie stock + 1 cup veggie stock

1/4 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio or sav blanc is best)

For the Pesto:

1/2 cup cashes (about 160 grams)

1/2 heaping cup basil

2 tbsp olive oil (avocado oil would also work)

1/4 cup water

1 cloves garlic

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Zest from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp salt (more for taste)

Black pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Rosemary Grapefruit Gin and Soda

The Best (and easiest) Vegan Mac and Cheese

There is something to be said for maintaining the integrity of recipes from your childhood. Can the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey’s kisses in the middle ever be replaced by a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free alternative? Is vegan ice cream ever as delicious as the pint of maple walnut that your grandmother used to keep in her freezer? As I have transitioned to a more plant based, gluten free, lifestyle over the course of the last few years (slow and steady and I’m still not perfect) my mission has been to find or come up with the best versions of my favorites from my childhood like my grandmother’s gingersnap cookies to the creamy pasta alfredo I used to request for my birthday. But my all-time favorite, and also the most daunting for which to find a vegan alternative has to be mac and cheese. There truly is nothing like a bowl of homemade triple cheese mac or even a classic box of Annie’s. And where vegan cheese alternatives can be expensive and rubbery, I found myself looking for natural ingredients with which to make this classic. This was not my first or even my fifth attempt at making vegan mac and cheese and I have run the gamut of techniques from using potatoes and butternut squash, to using vegan cheese and almond milk (not good). This is by far the best version of vegan mac I have ever had, and the beauty is that it is easy, inexpensive, and reminiscent of all the goodness from the mac and cheese of my childhood, what more could you ask for?!

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup chopped yellow onion
3 clove garlic
1-1/2 tbs olive oil
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
5 tbsp nutritional yeast
16 oz dry pasta (I use mini shells or small rigatoni!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil pasta water and prepare pasta according to directions, reserving about 1 cup pasta water.

2. While pasta cooks, add cashews to a boil and cover completely in boiling water and let soak for at least 15 mins.

3. In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, and onions until onions are soft and translucent (not brown) about 5-8 mins.

4. When the onions are soft, add in Dijon mustard and spices and stir until the onions are coated. Remove from heat.

5. Drain cashews and add to a blender with about 1/4 cup reserved pasta water. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, adding more water 1 tbsp at a time until the mixture is thick but smooth.

6. Add onion mixture to cashews. Add nutritional yeast and salt and pepper. Taste and add more as needed. Blend on high until mixture is smooth and creamy, but thick.

7. When the cashew mixture is smooth and creamy, return to the pan where you sautéed your onions. Add in pasta and about 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water. Mix until pasta is well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Add pasta to a pan and top with a combination of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the top starts to brown.

9. Remove from oven, allow to cook and enjoy!!

Mediterranean Zucchini Boats with Chickpeas

milos, greece

In the early summer of 2019, my family took a trip to Greece. We started in Athens and made our way via planes, boats, and buses to three different islands over the course of ten days: Milos, Santorini, and Naxos. Each island had its own unique-ism which attracted, to varying degrees, groups of tourists each summer. Milos is known for having over 75 unique beaches, each with their own landscape and rock structure. At one of the more famous beaches, Sarakiniko, one felt as though they were walking on the moon, with white-gray rock leading you to the ocean’s edge. Santorini is famous for its white stone building with dark blue rooves that seamless blend into the dark blue of the ocean over which they loom. And Naxos, my personal favorite for a variety of reasons, was known for its food. Naxos lays like a quilt of farm-land as the island is responsible for producing almost all of the food they consume. On one day in the middle of our stay on Naxos, we visited one of the farms for a cooking class, where we not only prepared but also harvested the food we ate: fresh lemons and zucchini blossoms and tomatoes and green onions and fresh herbs. Everything came together in a three-course feast of tzatziki and fresh bread and an array of Mediterranean stuffed vegetables. Now, a year later, after months spent in quarantine, I would do anything to go back to Greece to bask in its beauty and its ease. But, in lieu of that being a possibility, I instead find myself content trying to recreate my favorite parts of my trip from the comfort of my own kitchen. These Mediterranean zucchini boats are an homage to the dinner we cooked in Naxos and a perfect way to mix up your weeknight dinner routine. They are vegan, and packed with protein, and come together in under 25 minutes. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1 zucchini

2 tbsp chopped onion

1/2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for drizzling)

1 clove garlic

1-1/2 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup chickpeas (I used canned, strained and rinsed well)

salt and pepper to taste

fresh or dried herbs (I use 1/2 tsp fresh basil. If using dried herbs, use less than if you were using fresh)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut your zucchini in half. Hallow out the middle of the zucchini with a spoon. Save filling for later.

3. In a frying pan, add 1/2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, onion, and the inside of the zucchini that you saved. Sauté on medium heat until soft and the onions are translucent, about 4-6 minutes. Add tomato paste and allow to cook for an additional 30 seconds.

4. Add chickpeas and water to your saucepan and stir until chickpeas are fully coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and herbs.

5. On a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, arrange your zucchini boats and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Fill with chickpea mixture. (Option to sprinkle with cheese before putting them in the oven if not vegan) Bake for about 15 minutes, until zucchini are soft. Sprinkle with goat cheese or feta and enjoy!

"Levain" Inspired Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

When you look for a recipe online for chocolate chips, if you are as indecisive as I am , you could lose yourself in an hours-long fruitless attempt to first differentiate, and then select, one in a million recipes. Most recipes for chocolate chip cookies looks more or less similar to the single most important chocolate chip cookie recipe: that on the back of a bag of Toll-House chips. So when Dada Eats published her recipe for Levain Bakery inspired cookies, based on the famous cookie from the New York bakery, I was thrilled, as if all my decisions had finally been made for me. These cookies are a cakey alternative to all the other chocolate chip cookies I could have made. The recipe comes together quickly and the result is absolute chocolate chip perfection.

Ingredients

Makes 8 Large Cookies

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup almond flour

1-1/2 cup gluten free flour

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

Vegan chocolate chips

Walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

3. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Fold flour mixture into egg and oil mixture and mix until combined completely and no flour is left dry. Form into eight large (like, very large) rounds.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (At minute 10, rotate baking sheet so they cook evenly)

Blueberry Coffee Cake

There is a bakery in my hometown and they make the most delicious blueberry coffee cake. Any time I am a guest in somebody’s home, I always pick up a blueberry coffee cake to accompany our breakfast in the morning. Increasingly, as I find myself surrounded by people who are either gluten-free or vegan—and as I find myself increasingly eating according to those diets—I have been looking for an alternative to serve as my house warming treat in lieu of that delicious coffee cake from the bakery down the street. While there might not be anything that beats old fashioned blueberry coffee cake, just like nothing quite beats a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the summer or crawling into bed after a long day, this recipe comes pretty close. Topped with a crumbly oat topping, this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and free from refined sugar. Definitely, a coffee cake I wouldn’t mind waking up to.

Ingredients

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup gluten free flour (I use half oat flour and half almond flour but you can use any gf flour mix)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

1/2 cup blueberries

cinnamon crumb topping

1/2 cup oats (I use gf rolled oats but any oats will work)

2 tsp maple syrup

1-1/2 tsp coconut oil, melted

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon (more if desired)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bread pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

2. In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup oats, 2 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp coconut oil and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, add coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk, apple sauce and vanilla, whisk to combine.

4. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to bowl with liquids. Whisk until well combined. Fold in blueberries.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan and top with crumb topping. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Kale “Caesar Salad”

Salads are a food for which I never follow a recipe. I have long thought of salads as being some combination of the vegetables that you have in your fridge dressed in some combination of oil and vinegar that is served on the side of a “real meal”. But my own lack of imagination doesn’t mean that there aren’t a million ways to do salad, just as my reluctance to follow a recipe doesn’t mean that there aren’t a million recipes circulating the internet with more creative pairings than the one I have historically devised.

Using kale as the base for this salad was a welcomed change-up from my nightly salad routine. Although using kale also seemed risky because of its bad rap. Often grouped in with pumpkin spice lattes and Pure Barre, kale has become a scapegoat for our aversion to being basic. Also, trying to call this a caesar salad seemed off base because it in no way resembles the traditional caesar salads from my pre-teen days that I ordered in an early and misguided attempt to be healthy. Salad is not inherently healthy, is what I quickly learned. But often the less healthy a salad, the more flavor it has. This kale salad recipe shatters this paradox and revolutionizes kale stereotypes. It is not only a healthy alternative to traditional caesar but it is also delicious and satisfying. I still usually add to it whatever I have in my fridge, but below are some basic guidelines I tend to stick to.

Salad (makes one serving)

About 2 handfuls kale

cherry tomatoes

red onions

hemp hearts

Optional but Recommended

toasted walnuts

hard-boiled egg

grilled salmon

sunflower seeds

homemade croutons

Dressing

1-1/2 tbs tahini
1 tbs olive oil
Juice from 1/4 lemon
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (more if desired for flavor)
Salt
Lemon pepper

Soba Noodle Bowls With Spicy Peanut Sauce

Recently, I have been finding that my dinners, which are often some makeshift combination of a salad and a protein, have been leaving me completely unsatiated, causing me to post-dinner snack on everything and anything in sight. So I found myself looking for a dinner that was easy, filling and delicious, where my recent repertoire of dinners might only fill two of those three important criteria. This soba noodle bowl is exactly what I needed. The tofu, which I get at Trader Joe’s comes pre-marinated, is so good, I always use the vegetables that I have on hand, so I don’t have to make a special grocery run, and the sauce comes together in a mason jar. It simply couldn’t be more perfect.

Ingredients

For the bowl (makes 2)

1 package buckwheat soba noodles (I use these from Whole Foods)

1 pkg Trader Joe’s Sriracha tofu

1/4 cup cucumber, thinly sliced (i used a carrot peeler)

2 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup purple cabbage

2 large handfuls kale

1 avocado

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

*Other vegetables I like to add include: yellow or orange bell pepper, carrots, scallions or corn

For the Sauce

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tbs soy sauce (use coconut aminos if sensitive to soy)

1 1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp honey

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon Sriracha

Directions

1. On the stove, bring 1 pot heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add soba noodles and cook according to package instructions (about 4-5 minutes)

2. While the noodles boil, make your sauce. In a mason jar, or container with a lid, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. (If it is too thick, add water 1/2 tsp at a time) Shake the container vigorously until all the ingredients are combined.

3. Prepare vegetables, chopping into thin and small pieces. In a sauté pan coated with 1 tsp olive oil, cook tofu until lightly browned.

4. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water. Place in bowl and coat with desired amount of sauce (leave a little extra to drizzle over top of vegetables).

5. Add vegetables and tofu to the bowl, top with fresh cilantro and left over sauce. Stir everything together and enjoy!

Beet Juice with Lemon and Ginger

Ingredients

1 beet, peel left on, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 granny smith apple

The flesh from 1/2 lemon, rind removed

1-1in cube of fresh or freshly frozen ginger

dash of cayenne

1-1/4 cup filtered water

Directions

1. Blend all the ingredients together on high.

2. Drain through a fine metal strainer or cheese cloth into a glass over ice.

Smoothie Recipes I Swear By

Making smoothies that are consistently good, well balanced, and actually healthy seemed like such a far reaching accomplishment, I almost gave up completely. I instead started going regularly in the morning to the local health cafe by my school and ordering a green smoothie with mango, banana, mint and spinach. Although the habit became such an expensive one to feed, I had to give up that too. So, back to the drawing board and I came up with these two smoothies which I have almost every morning and love. They are balanced, packed with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories and super filling.

Ingredients

1/2 banana, frozen

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup spinach or kale

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 scoop greek or coconut yogurt

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup filtered water

Optional

2 tsp hemp hearts

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients

1 banana, frozen

6-10 frozen mango chunks (about half cup)

1/2 cup spinach or kale

1-2 stalks of celery

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 inch cube (about 1-2 tsp) freshly frozen ginger

2 tsp hemp hearts

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 filtered water

Optional, but recommended

1-2 tsp matcha

Scoop of coconut yogurt

wellness encyclopedia

celery

good source of anti-oxidants, reduces inflammation, supports digestion, rich in vitamins and minerals

blueberries

lowering blood pressure, mental health, gut microbiome health, improved digestion, weight loss, and feeling full

cayenne

boosts metabolism, high in antioxidants, clears congestion

spinach

eye health, cancer prevention, moderates blood pressure, rich in antioxidants, high in iron

ginger

anti-inflammatory, weight loss, helps indigestion, alleviate period pain, improves brain function

almonds

high in nutrients and antioxidants, regulate blood sugar, help to lower cholesterol, reduces hunger, weight loss

Banana Bread, Gluten Free and Vegan

Banana bread is perhaps the world’s most universal love language. It is the thing I make for my friends for wine nights and the thing I make for my family on cold and rainy New England afternoons. It is the bread equivalent of a golden retriever, reliable and comforting. Where there are a million iterations of banana bread, no two overwhelmingly dissimilar, it can be hard to know which recipe to use or even harder to try a new recipe after generations of using the same one. After my sister decided to go vegan and in an attempt to have an excuse to eat banana bread more often, I came up with this recipe that was a bit healthier than its alternatives and that accessible for people with diet restrictions. This recipe is a combination of many different recipes that I have either used or considered using and after experimenting with substitutions and different types of flours I was thrilled with how it came out. I hope you can enjoy too!

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 cup gf flour (I use half almond flour, half gf flour mix)

1/2 cup gf oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Optional: walnuts, dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bread pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a bowl, lightly mash bananas so that there some large chunks remain. Add in maple syrup, coconut oil, almond milk and vanilla. Mix to combine and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix flours, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

4. Add to wet ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in nuts and chocolate in desired amount.

5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.

Red Pesto Pasta

Although when we think of pesto, we often think of the classic basil + cheese + pine nuts combination, pesto can take on a thousand forms. Pesto simply means to pound or grind, which refers to the way pestos are traditionally made, by grinding the ingredients into a small and cohesive sauce. This red pesto is so simple and a delicious alternative to its more mainstream counterpart. It is also lighter than traditional red sauces and makes for the perfect summer dinner.

Ingredients

About 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1 tbs walnuts

Juice from 1/4 lemon

1 tbs olive oil (plus more for roasting tomatoes)

About 2 tbs Fresh parsley

About 1 tbs Fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

chili flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Toss tomatoes in olive oil and salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes have taken on color and are soft. Allow to cool completely.

2. While the tomatoes are cooling, begin boiling pasta.

3. Once the tomatoes have cooled, add to a food processor. Combine with remaining ingredients. Blend on high until smooth.

4. Add pesto to pan on medium low heat. Add 3-4 tablespoons pasta water.

5. When your pasta has finished cooking, strain. Add to pesto and toss until coated.

6. Top with chili flakes and fresh herbs.

Black Bean Burgers

I stopped eating red meat when I was 15 and have since run the gamut of plant-based diets. Over the course of the last five years, I have seen the rise of plant-based meat alternative empires, which is concurrent with the rise of vegetarianism more generally in the US. Many of my friends have either cut back or stopped eating red meat altogether as they see the value, primarily the environmental value, of a more plant-based lifestyle. When I originally decided to cut out red meat, I did it almost exclusively for health reasons and where in more recent years the environmental benefits have become my primary motivating factor and I have looked for more ways to live sustainably, I continue to use plant based eating as a vehicle for healthy food. Many plant based meat alternatives are full of chemicals and synthetic ingredients. This take on a black bean burger focuses on taking whole and simple ingredients and turning it into something delicious.

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 zucchini, grated

Zest and juice of 1/2 lime

3 tbs almond flour

1-1/2 tbs cumin

1/2 tbs garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Drain and rinse one can of black beans. Add to a bowl and mash with a fork.

2. Grate zucchini. Add to beans along with lime juice and zest. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine almond flour (or any gf flour) and spices.

4. Add spice mixture to beans and stir to combine. Form into 3 patties (or 5 sliders) and refrigerate for 30 minutes—or up to 3 days.

5. Grill on medium heat or sauté in a pan drizzled with olive oil on medium-high for about 5-7 minutes a side.

6. Enjoy with whatever toppings you desire!!