Cauliflower Couscous {a party in your mouth}

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The Awesome Autumn Cleanse

Recipe wizardry (as I like to call it) is an art. You want food to actually taste good, look good but be easy enough that the amateur home cook can think to his or herself, “Oh hell yea, I can make that and it sounds delicious.” I’ve always had that intention when it comes to my recipes, my cookbook (and long long long project of cookbook number 2- it’s a tough one guys and gals, it’s really freakin’ tough) and the classes I teach. I want everyone to feel like nourishing, healthy food is not just some luxury. It should come naturally almost like a symphony of ingredients perfectly coexisting in a foodgasmic harmony.

Can’t a girl dream?

Over the last month or so I’ve hosted a few cooking workshops (GiMix it Up) and really gave people the opportunity to get into a real NYC kitchen. I do not create my food in a commercial kitchen, I have minimal counter space and I make due with the space I have. I LOVE my apartment and my kitchen. It was one of the first things that stood out to me. I at least have cabinets and I get to create yummy things as a result. I think having people in my kitchen to see what I work with gives them a little relief. Like, hello, I’m a real person, this is real life and I’m not going to magically pull out an already made version of a dish we are putting together. That’s not how it works.

One of the awesome menus I put together, legit, took no time at all. People were amazed at how easy this meal came together, how delicious and how the flavors developed with minimal ingredients. I’m all about that life.

A messy prep shows how much fun this is 🙂
Braised greens
Delicata squash
Perfecting knife skills with some parsnip

This menu included: easy braised greens, roasted veggies AND the piece de resistance: cauliflower “couscous” with tart cherries, pepitas and a tangy, light honey lemon sauce.

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Spicy Cauli-Wings {with a tangy avo-ranch sauce}

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Cauliflower is legit a versatile af veg. I’ve done cauliflower fried “rice,” mashed cauliflower (instead of potatoes), cauliflower crust pizza. All of which I have covered on the blog. And of course, I put cauliflower in all kinds of stuff. The one thing I have always been hesitant to make: cauliflower wings.

First of all, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I have been a vegetarian my entire life. So I have no idea what wings are “supposed” to taste like. In many cases of cooking, I combine ingredients instinctually. I guess. I trust. I surrender to the culinary divine and let it lead me and pray it all works out. And usually, it does. For this case, it REALLY does. This recipe didn’t have that gooky batter that most recipes called for. I don’t really want to feel like I’m eating a fritter, I want the pure crunch of that delish cauli all up in my mouth (yea, I just said it like that).

This is crunchy. I LOVE crunchy. I can hear my mother-in-law Donna say, “gimme something crunchy.”

It’s also spicy while the avocado ranch dipping sauce perfectly complements and cools that spicy sexiness.

I know you’re all thinking about your favorite dishes to whip up for your Oscar’s themed party 😉 Add this baby to your roster.

Spicy Cauli-Wings {with a tangy avo-ranch sauce}

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Serves 4-6 people
Total time: 20-30 minutes

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Gut Healing Glow Giving Veggie Broth {For Soups, Sippin’ + Kickin’ out da Sniffles}

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Feeling under the weather last week really took a toll on my body and mental, spiritual, emotional creativity. I’m not a big fan of ordering out (in general) or finding someone (you know, like a restaurant or whoever) to concoct a magic potion for me to feel better. Though I could have skipped the time spent in the kitchen and kept my booty in bed, I chose to create this yummy broth recipe (it’s too legit to quit).

I don’t know about you but this new Bone Broth craze has me a little jelly.

I support my broth sippin’ friends but I can’t get myself to get into it since, hello, No Beef Here. There are countless benefits of bone broth when consumed regularly. When you sip broth it’s like popping your multivitamin or multimineral pills and it absorbs really quickly into your system. That’s pretty badass to me. I’d rather sip, eat, slurp, gulp my way to wellness instead of sucking down a ton of different pills (I have my exceptions of course).  Bone broth is rich in immune system supportive minerals and contains healing compounds like collagen, glutamine, glycine, etc. The collagen (I LOVE collagen, there are some plant-based options, look up Reserveage and NEO Cell) in bone broth heals your gut lining, supports joint health and keeps your skin extra sexy and supple.

For my plant based friends, I’ve created a recipe that’s DELICIOUS to sip and LUSCIOUS to use in your favorite soups.

Each ingredient was mindfully simmered in a loving pot of water to gently coax out each flavor and give you the ultimate glow. And! The best part is you get a similar benefit in terms of promoting collagen production because this baby has seaweed ANNNNNNND beets. SAY WHAT?!!!

Now, go grab your biggest pot and put this baby on the stove on low and take it slow. An orgasmic glow is WORTH that wait. I promise.

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5 Ways to Kick Cold + Flu Season’s A** {When You’ve Done EVERYTHING + You’re FED UP}

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Okay seriously guys and gals, cold and flu season is here with a vengeance.

I don’t know whether me working with children OR working outside on Saturday’s at the farmer’s market is messing with my system, but homegirl is really feelin’ it. From the random 60 degree days to the re-damn-diculous 11 degree snowy, rainy shiz, my body is like HELLLOOO what is going on. Anyone else in the Northeast going through this right now?

This is the thing that pisses me off (and I mean this in the most self-loving and self-affirming way possible), I take really good care of myself.

So how in the heck do I manage to have my sinuses act the heck up, nose running, throat tickly with some serious body soreness (and I’m not talking about the kind following working out) after doing all the “right” things? I’m sure you know I’m big on not consuming sugar, gluten, I’ve drastically cut down caffeine and I am off of coffee. I supplement regularly, drink Kombucha, eat fermented things, load my body up with nourishing, delicious foods. So, WHAT DA HECK?!

I had a few moments catching myself feeling a bit disappointed or betrayed by my body. But really, my body knows exactly what it needs. And apparently, it needs lots of cozy time to make up for all the cold weather and lots of soups.

I refuse to take any over the counter stuff because let’s face it, it just masks the symptoms and I would have to do some major overhauling of my system to get it back to a loving and nourished place.

So to keep me sane and for you to hopefully share this goodness with yo fams and peeps, here are my 5 tips for kicking this cold and flu bullsh*t’s a** while giving your body some major TLC.

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Creamy Curried Carrot Soup

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Happy New Year!!!

Any on their New Year resolution flow? I’m not a big fan of making resolutions, it just feels like a setup for failure. My mom and I were having an awesome conversation this morning about the difference between hope, faith and trust.

It sounds like it’s pretty much that same shit, right?

Hope leaves a little twinge of doubt. “I hope I get the job.” or “I hope it all works out.”

Faith is a step onward and upward but still has some minimal belief that there is a possibility something won’t happen or show up or workout.

Trust is completely about surrendering. I trust that Universe has my back. I trust that the right job is coming. I trust that my body knows what is best for it.

This is all, of course, a matter of perspective. It can mean different things for different people. But to me, it really makes a ton of sense. Being hopefully isn’t a negative thing but I would rather wholeheartedly trust that my life is taking the right course and that I am doing all the right work to making this life positive, uplifting and amazeballs af.

Okay so what in the fudge muffins does this have to do with this post and resolutions?

Well, this year I’m back to focusing on recipe testing and fully devoting myself to working on two cookbooks.
Yes.

Two.

So this is really my biggest intention for the year. Not a resolution. An intention. I am not hopeful or have faith, I trust that this is the right thing to do (if you know of any literary agents or publishers that dig ma flow, lemme know yo). And besides, recipe testing has its perks and really results in some awesome weird a** combinations.

This is where this recipe was born. I felt a tad bit toooooo selfish keeping this to myself.

I’ll be honest, I’ve NEVER made carrot soup but when hubby and I were on our honeymoon we had a delicious creamy carrot soup that ultimately had me questioning my current standings on this soup.

And boom. This sexy thang was born.

Creamy Curried Carrot Soup 


Serves 2
Total time: 45 minutes
What You Need:
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of medium (smallish) carrots (mixed colors and sizes are cool too), sliced in half
  • 1 sweet potato, cubed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon of ginger, chopped/minced/pulverized
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 2-4 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon (or more if you want it spicy) of fermented chili paste (or non-fermented, whateva you like)
  • 2-4 cups of water or veggie broth
  • 1/2 can full fat coconut milk
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • Lime juice for garnish
How You Make It:
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Prepare a baking sheet with foil. Spread out carrots and sweet potato. Proceed to rub rub rub 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil over these babies.
  3. Proceed to roast for 20 minutes or until sexily golden.
  4. Meanwhile, in an appropriately sized soup pot, sautee garlic, onion and ginger in coconut oil. Let it get fragrant and awesome.
  5. Stir in chili paste and season with more salt if you feel it’s necessary.
  6. Whisk veggie broth or water into the pot and bring to a boil.
  7. Once boiled, simmer on medium heat until your veggies are ready.
  8. Remove your veggies from the oven and slowly add to the liquid. Cook for about 15 minutes.
  9. Carefully remove soup from heat and pop soup (either in batches or all at once, just be mindful of heat) into a blender. Blend until creamy and return to pot.
  10. Pour in coconut milk and turn on the heat for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure it’s incorporated.
  11. Garnish with lime juice and cilantro, maybe more salt, if ya wanna do that 😉 or maybe some chili paste.
  12. Boom.

Now, how delicious is that?!

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit