Sautéed Lemony Broccolini

July 9, 2018Leave a comment

Copy of Copy of Copy of New Moon Celebrations

It’s like summer turned on at the flick of a switch. At that moment, Mother Nature went into full bloom and every summer fruit + veg arrived perfectly and in abundance.

One of my latest discoveries at my local farmer’s market is broccolini. Ever heard of a broccolini?! Though it is commonly called baby broccoli it’s actually its own grownup veggie and is a cross between broccoli and gai lan (Chinese broccoli). It’s tender, long thin stalks have smaller florets and occasionally has some beautiful white flowers which are totally edible. They’re almost nutty in flavor especially when roasted. But we’re in the blazes of summer right now and we are not going to turn our ovens on.

This sauté is perfect as a side dish or even served alongside a pesto coated chickpea or lentil pasta. I love the beauty of green veggies with a green sauce. More green please!

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Warming Lemon Ginger Detox Drink

April 9, 2018Leave a comment

Tempeh Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sammies (4)

4 months is a LONG time for a hiatus from a blog and for this I truly apologize. Winter for me was really a time of hibernation, self discovery and reevaluation. And sometimes we (am I alone here?) get stuck in a food rut. Yea. It’s the truth. It happened to me. I got stuck in the red lentil soup, pasta, quesadilla for dinner rotation for most of the winter because I was pretty tired. I work outside most days of the week and it was COLD in NYC. I really focused on ramping up my rest and self care, which ended up looking like: Netflix and chillin’ on the couch with hubs and lots AND lots of sleep.

The creative juices were a little on pause but the last few weeks have given birth to something new. To be honest (wait, when am I not!?), I really needed a mental break. But a piece of me was DEFINITELY missing. When I am not in constant creation mode, I don’t really feel like ME. This was a much needed pause so I can come back with a bang 😉

I am trying to step more fully into my cooking and try NEW things or even experiment with things I have tried outside that I want to GiMix (thanks to my friend David for this term, it’s da bomb).

I don’t know about you but this winter just made me feel puffy (compensating for the cold with a little extra puff?). I’m not big on doing smoothies in the winter (that’s just cray to me-cold in the cold?!) so I suck down hot bev’s like nobodies business. I frequented Le Pain Quotidien on some work days to grab their Honey lemon ginger tea. It’s sour, sweet, warm and just so damn cozy. But $5 for a small!? NOPE. I can make it at home for a fraction of the cost and drink it allllll day long.

The best part?

It’s delicious and the combo of lemon + ginger helps improve the metabolism, balance blood sugar, boosts the immune system while maintaining an alkaline state in the body (too much acid is no bueno).

You can make a big batch of this stuff and store in the fridge for sipping throughout the day or week. Oh and it can either be served warm or cold. I prefer it warm of course 😉

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Oven Roasted Tomatoes {For the end of tomato season or to make any tomato taste delish}

October 17, 2017October 17, 2017Leave a comment

I’m in denial that summer came and went. As I’m writing this it’s currently 40 something degrees and I’m wondering if I should have worn gloves or my bubble coat. Not that I have anything against fall, it’s one of my favorite seasons. I say this as I sip this delightfully comforting pumpkin spice chai with almond milk. It’s official. The season of hot beverages is upon us.

Im not going to lie.

This weather is so confusing. One minute it’s 80 and the next it’s 40 and we’re all messed up. But the best part, the weather gives us the best of both worlds: summer and fall produce. Apples AND tomatoes. Fall squash AND summer squash. Sweet potatoes and peppers. In some places there is still corn. That’s pretty awesome. I’m hoarding tomatoes like a mad woman because they’re pretty delicious and we won’t have really good fresh juicy tomatoes until next summer.

But this recipe just takes tomatoes to the next level. Roasting them enhances their deep tomato-y ness, creating a rich flavor and making them extra juicy. You can store these babies once roasted in the freezer or in a jar with some olive oil. But you’ll probably not be able to keep your hands off of them. Let’s be real, I ate half of the tomatoes I roasted before they made it to our dinner plates. Oops.

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Farmers Market Goddess Salad

July 18, 2017Leave a comment

Summer is in full swing the moment you start to see peaches. Last year we suffered a bit over here in NYC. There were some Jersey peaches but New York State did not get blessed with the juiciness of peaches. It almost felt like it wasn’t quite summer but I didn’t really notice, I was in the midst of wedding planning. This summer I’m giddy and just full blown ecstatic about the arrival of peaches, plums and nectarines. And my friends, they are juicy and ready for your salads and salsas.

I haven’t really gotten creative in the kitchen lately. I’ve been fine with making similar things over and over – if it can be made into a taco I’m going to have it (Siete foods has an amazing Almond Flour tortilla, gluten free AND vegan). But the emergence of peaches inspires me to experiment a bit I’m trying to push the envelope with food combos.

Peach and corn are an awesome combo, same with peach and blueberry, peach and tomato even, but I really haven’t gone beyond until this amazing salad.

I kid you not my husband Matt practically inhaled this salad- I even got the happy grumble in between each bite (if that’s what we’re calling it). I’d call that WINNING!

This salad has everything the farmers market has to offer in the summer: heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, micro greens, fresh peaches, cucumbers, fresh sheeps milk feta. I, of course, add in a few extra things to make it a filling, nourishing salad.

So, what are you waiting for? Get off your butt, go to the farmers market and eat this salad for days and feel awesome!

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Very Cherry Coconut Smoothie {Hydrate yo self}

June 11, 2017Leave a comment

After nearly a 2 month hiatus, I’m back ya’ll. It’s hard not to feel guilty for not being consistent posting on the blog but I’m trying not to make this a “chore.” Cooking is not a chore for me and neither is sharing my recipes. I want this to be fun, enjoyable and share some random stories I have for you. I have intentionally created time and space (I got da power!) for, well, recipe creation. I’ve been focusing on simplifying my life even though it seems there are more things filling the space from the things I’ve released. Does that make sense?

Okay, I’ll explain teehee. I recently resigned from my job as a nutrition educator at an elementary school. Around the same time (like less than a month ago) I started my work as a Doula (a birth worker, advocate for mamas) and now I’m working towards completing requirements for certification. I get to nerd out on everything about prenatal, birth and postpartum care. I’m literally reading ALL the time and have hit up the library weekly for books on books on books. While researching up the wazoo (as my husband would say), I’m finding different ways to tie all my passions together. Writing. Cooking. Holistic Wellness. Self Care. Birth. I mean, who said we have to CHOOSE ONE THING. We can do it all without having to do it all, right?

Anywhoooo…even while my brain is on overload, I’m ready for a summer of adventures (and hopefully some births, if ya’ll need a doula holler over here). After a week of weird October feeling weather, it finally feels like June and that heat, is absolutely delicious. Any other heat lovers out there? Or am I alone?

A common theme for me in the glorious heat is to sip on smoothies. I’m really not too big on heavy eating when it’s hot, so anything slurpable and grabable (yes I just made up 2 words) is da bomb dot com. And I don’t know about you but I like things that taste good and keep me feeling AMAZEBALLS as I attempt to get shit done. AMIRIGHT?! lol