Vegan Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) with Orecchiette

My friend Ann is a terrific cook. She uses exciting, high quality ingredients and has a knack for putting flavors together. Years ago, she served Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) with Orecchiette, an Italian dish that blew me away. It’s been my favorite pasta dish ever since. Typically, I avoid pasta because most dishes are weighed down with heavy sauces. But this classic dish from Puglia, home of the vegetable lovers, is refreshingly light and healthy. It has a ton of nutritious Broccoli Rabe and adorable ear shaped pasta. If you are looking for a bright, healthy taste of Italy for your vegan and non-vegan friends, this is it!!

My husband is now the chef of this recipe and rather than use strict measurements, he eyes the proportions. This is where your chef di cucina can emerge.

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Everyday Powerhouse Steamed Greens Bowl with Tahini Dressing

steamed greens bowl

As the Covid Quarantine drags on (it’s now over 2 months), I feel like Bill Murry in Groundhog Day! My motivation to try new things is suffering so my kitchen routine doesn’t vary much. I go on autopilot and repeat  the same ol’ dishes with slight variations. However, this everyday powerhouse steamed greens bowl with tahini dressing is just as fresh and tasty as ever!  It’s ultra healthy (te quiero kale and broccoli) and served with an addictive tangy, umami dressing that makes it hard to resist (even if you don’t like broccoli). I crave this bowl so often that I sometimes have it for breakfast (shhhhh)…!

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Want to Boost your Immune System? Try These Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Did you know that sweet potatoes can boost your immune system??? This is good news since our media is in a whipped frenzy about the Corona Virus. All the hand wipes and sanitizer has been sold out so how else can you protect yourself? Build up your immune system. Eat lots of  leafy green vegetables topped with these comfy cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes.

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How to Roast Delicata Squash

I love Kabocha squash but cutting it is a bear!!! I have to brace myself mentally for the challenge and work hard not to remove a finger in the process. So, I started buying these adorable Delicata squashes from the market or Trader Joes. Of all the squashes, these are the easiest to manage and come out so delicious. Simply: slice, coat, and bake for 30 minutes. Voilà – now you have yummy roasted Delicata squash to enjoy as a side dish or toss on a salad.

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Kale Chip Anyone???

I love kale!!! I always keep two bunches in the fridge at ALL times (you’d think it was a fire extinguisher!!) Kale gets a bad rap because it can taste bitter and tough which is result of not being massaged to perfection. Once you know how to massage kale to tender glory – you will LOVE it. Aside from being a super-food, kale holds up to strong conditions (unlike other greens). For example, add it to soup, and it stays vibrant and green rather than turning into a sad sap, wilty mess the next day. Even dressed up kale salads hold their perk in the fridge. Turns out kale does well in the oven too. Have you tried kale chips? I mean who ever thought to roast leafy greens???

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Holiday Cranberry Sauce

easy cranberry sauce

When I was growing up, I only wanted canned cranberry sauce to accompany my mashed potatoes and stuffing. I loved watching it wiggle out of the can keeping the exact same shape. Who even knew it was fruit???? In my case, older IS wiser!! I’ve learned how much better it is to serve freshly made cranberry sauce on your holiday Thanksgiving or Christmas table!!!

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Guac with Carrots: a High Fiber Snack

guac with carrots

I LOVE guacamole (who doesn’t?) and the best news is that avocados are one of highest fiber fruits you can eat. Compare 10 grams of fiber in an avocado with a mere 4 grams of fiber in an apple. Remember what they say about an apple a day??? Well why not an avocado a day? Eating more avocados is a great way to increase your fiber intake and this guac with carrots snack is easy to make, healthy to eat, and deliciously fun to snack on……

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Egg-less Cauliflower Fried Rice

healthy cauliflower fried rice

People have been raving about cauliflower fried rice for some time now, but I held out because I’m naturally skeptical. Could cauliflower ever taste like rice??? Hmmmmm….(doubting face). When I was growing up, Wednesday nights was when my father took my brother and I out to Sing Wu, our local Chinese restaurant. This was a special night since our parents were divorced and I got to see DAD but also because I could eat my FAVORITE dish…….Fried Rice. Oh how I savored that rice. Could cauliflower ever compare to that special memory?

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Vegan Paleo Cauliflower Stuffing from Food Faith Fitness

vegan-paleo-cauliflower-stuffing

This year, Thanksgiving hit me right in the butt. It slammed into me just as I was removing my Halloween costume….WHAM…there it was! It came swiftly and I wasn’t ready. So, when I was trying to decide what to cook for it, I was  unprepared. I didn’t have the usual time to mull over recipes and savor the anticipation.

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Shy or Insecure? Try Steamed Asparagus

“Asparagus is a very helpful food if you struggle with shyness, self-consciousness, concern over what others think of you, fear of breaking out of your shell and exposing yourself, or dread of venturing out in public. If you truly need help in these areas (as opposed to if you’re just a natural introvert who’s comfortable with who are are despite other’s misguided opinions that you should act more like an extrovert), asparagus will come to your aid and give you the confidence to rise up and claim your place in the world.” — Anthony William 

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