Some store-bought hummus are not bad but nothing like making it at home.  I find that I can taste more of the tahini in the homemade version and I can always adapt it to add a bit more of this and a bit more of that to get the exact flavor I want. Hummus is really nothing more than chickpeas/garbanzo beans, garlic, tahini (or sesame paste), olive oil, lime or lemon and whatever else you want to put in it to give it a kick such a...

My husband J, a francophile at heart, has been asking lately that I use herbs de provence.  He seems to miss them when I don't use them for a while.   I had to buy zucchini to reshoot a previous post from a few months ago and the greens and yellows looked so beautiful that I bought extra to roast with the herbs.    The morning light brought colors of pale white and faint purple through our side window, so after J took our toddle...

Colder days are ahead and I crave hearty sandwiches.  Roasted veggies and creamy anything together, with every bite I am warmed right up.  I only use one slice of bread since this sandwich is very rich and there is no need for the second piece.  Also, you can cut these into pieces and serve them as a side dish with soup or salad.  For the bread I  used sesame Ezekiel, which is not gluten-free but the sprouted ingredients make the b...

Summertime is great for quick cooling salads.  This one is full of protein and all the other good nutritional stuff that raw kale brings along.  If you can't find baby kale then you can substitute with spinach.  I added walnuts, raisins and grapes for a bit of sweet and crunch. Chickpea and Raw Baby Kale Salad I can of cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans 2 cups of raw baby kale (you can substitute for spinach) 1/4 cup of c...

This is a great dish that can be easily made from leftover risotto.  You'll find that risotto turns into a sticky blog the next day, so risotto cakes are a great transformation to an elegantly recycled meal. And, of course, this meal is vegan and gluten-free. Risotto Cakes 4 cups of cooked risotto (cold) olive oil for the pan and extra for drizzle on the cakes 1 teaspoon of Earth Balance spread Work the cold risotto w...

These caramelized apples are light yet sweet and satisfying.  They also make a beautiful, quick and elegant dessert for a dinner party.  Because of their consistency, caramelized apples keep very well in the refrigerator for a few days for snacking or to serve to an unexpected guest. Definitely a healthy treat for both kids and adults. The cardamom and cinnamon in the mix give the caramel complexity and a zingy bite.   I have tried d...

While living in Buenos Aires I was always amazed by the beautiful tarts or "tartas" that you could buy in most restaurants and as quick to go meals on the cheap.  I realized that it was just as quick and as inexpensive to make my own tarte and with a variety of vegetables.  The most popular tartes are made with spinach or collard greens and they are traditionally made with eggs, dairy and breading.  I replaced the last three  ingred...

Most people think of risotto as a special occasion dish because the perception is that it takes a long time to make and a ton of stirring. It takes a bit of time and a little stirring but not as much as we tend to do here in American versus Italy, where it is a popular everyday dish.   I use to slave over risotto as well until I watched my friend's mother who was visiting from Italy make a most effortlessly and delicious risotto. The k...

Roasting anything is one of my favorite cooking things to do. So why did I combine tempeh with asparagus in the same dish? The simple answer is that I love both and I often mix them together as a side dish or throw them in salads or over quinoa. I get my veggie from asparagus and my protein from tempeh and I got it mostly covered. Asparagus comes out especially yummy as the roasting brings out the juiciness and flavor, that is as long a...

Winter makes me crave warm and creamy soups.  Years ago I had a tomato soup recipe that required my time enslavement and then a wait period of simmer that by the time the first spoon went in my mouth I was so hungry that I scarfed the soup down without actually enjoying the taste. After experimenting with fresh tomatoes, and pomi tomatoes and all types of tomatoes, I found a recipe that calls for fire-roasted tomatoes that are full of ...