healthy

Saucy, Saucy Quarantine

Gallery

Well, 2020 came in hot and has made a lasting impression, particularly on my cooking game. While I kicked at-home chef-ing into high gear the first 10 weeks of quarantine, I’ve added in more take out and periodic fasting into my regimen. Now it’s winter and along with it is a recommitment to all things wholesome cooking.

It’s no secret that sauces are life for me, and being able to change up my recipe favorites by throwing in some different flavor profiles has made this whole quarantine thing much more tolerable. Kind of. If you’re feeling the need to change up your meal routine, I happily present to you some of my all time favorite go to sauces, plus a few photos of my favorite meals since March 13. Continue reading

Advertisement

Veggie Egg Soufflés

Standard

How many weekday mornings have I run out of the house without a decent breakfast? Ok, let’s me honest, it’s pretty much all of them. Even when I try to prepare meals ahead of time, it’s rare that I have any food before I arrive at my desk. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new chapter! Continue reading

Greens Soup

Standard

 

A few weekends ago, I was running errands while blasting Splendid Table on NPR (because it’s just how I do), when Sally Swift introduced Anna Thomas, and she started speaking about a “medicinal green soup.” I’ll be honest with you, I immediately scrunched my face and almost turned the radio off hearing those three worlds used together. As you can tell from previous entries, I’m a big fan of vegetables and kale in particular, but a straight up greens-based soup is never what I would describe as medicinal, wholesome, or comfort food. Thank you, Anna. I stand corrected. Continue reading

Simple, Clean Lentil Soup

Standard

It’s the start of a new year, and I imagine many are going full steam ahead toward the clean, healthy eating trend… well, for at least the next two weeks. It wasn’t my intention to jump on prototypical beginning of year food train, but I felt like a wholesome delicious soup for dinner, so here we are. Continue reading

Fruit Nut Bars

Standard

I don’t mind admitting it, I’ve become somewhat of a pro when it comes to packing my hiking snacks. Something sweet, something salty, punch of protein, and carbs to keep the tank full and fuel to burn. You can expect I’ll have some Babybel cheese, energy bites, beef jerky, and now, fruit nut bars.

The beautiful thing about these snacks is how incredibly easy they are to make and in short order. Using the base recipe of three ingredients (dried fruit, nuts, and chia seeds), you can easily modify the snack using a variety of fruits, keeping it new and refreshing. Continue reading

Summer Cherry Salsa

Standard

Whoever thought up the idea of salsa should be knighted. Seriously. Salsa is one of those side dishes that can step up your main dish’s game, or be a palatable introduction to your dinner party. With summer officially here, cherries are in season and an amazing sweet-meets-tart contribution to your meal plan. Filled with antioxidants and inflammation inhibitors, cherries offer multiple health benefits, particularly for those with arthritis, diabetes, insomnia, family history of cancer, and/or high blood pressure. Continue reading

Quick and Healthy Energy Bites

Standard

I know I’m not alone when the munchies hit me HARD from 2-3:30pm each afternoon, and I rarely have healthy snack options around to quell the hunger. Luckily, I have some health-conscious friends who introduced me to the concept of Energy Bites. These small morsels of joy not only give the necessary sweet tooth fix I crave, but also provided a much needed energy boost halfway through the afternoon. Continue reading

Animal Lovers Surprise – Vegan Chili

Standard

If you’re a carnivore like me, you may see the word “vegan” and snarl your lip a bit. It’s all right. We all come with our own judgements and assumptions about non-meat eaters, but I have to say, I’ve made this meat-free chili on many occasions, and often prefer it to its meat-full brethren. I recently participated in a friend’s annual Chili Cook Off, and while I did not win (womp, womp), my chili still received high marks. The biggest beauty is that the chili doesn’t take hours to cook (although it can if you want it to), so inside of an hour, you could be enjoying a delicious, nutrition-filled meal with the people you love. Really, is there a better way to live? Continue reading

Peruvian Green “Crack” Sauce

Standard

I have no shame. This sauce is so damn delicious that I have straight up nicknamed it “crack sauce”, and so has almost everyone else who has tried it. I bless Pinterest, This is How I Cook, and Serious Eats for bringing this baby into my life. While 2016 has been a challenging time, this sauce has certainly been a glimmering light! Continue reading

Tropical Turmeric Smoothie

Standard

Bam! Wow! That’s what my taste buds and immune system said after concocting this doozy of a smoothie. I’ve known for awhile that turmeric is a great immunity booster as well as aiding digestion and reducing inflammation*, but I hadn’t figured out how to incorporate it into my diet. A smoothie seemed the perfect opportunity to try it and it worked in spades! Test it out for yourself and let me know what variations you enjoy. Continue reading