Chocolate Cupcakes & Avocado Icing

These vegan chocolate cupcakes are a healthier dessert. The avocado icing is so rich and yummy you'll want to eat it by the spoonful!

It’s my birthday and I baked myself a cake. Actually, cupcakes… and technically I baked them last night so I could make this little b-day post today. I’m thirty-four today (ouch, that hurts to type). It’s the age that you start to forget what age you are… the age when you realize how silly you were when you felt old at 28. And it’s the age that you have to start taking really good notes because you just can’t keep “it all” in your head anymore. They say avocados and chocolate are brain foods right? (I don’t know who says,…

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Pistachio Ice Cream

You only need 6 ingredients to make this creamy pistachio ice cream! Its coconut base is the perfect rich complement to its nutty pistachio flavor.

vegan / gluten free

I’m starting to get the feeling that it’s time to travel again… and this pistachio ice cream recipe takes me right back to Italy. Last year I destroyed myself on gelato (when in Rome, right?). I know everyone has their favorite spots, but I visited Giolitti every single day, and sometimes twice in a day. I somehow convinced myself that lactose intolerance can’t possibly exist in Italy… Though I paid the price for my delusion, I enjoyed every bite nonetheless. My Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe This at-home version turned out super creamy, nutty & delicious. To avoid any dairy side effects,…

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Vegan Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Soup

A healthy but delicious creamy tomato basil soup, made vegan with coconut milk & thickened with pine nuts. Gluten free. A simple recipe for winter dinners.

vegan / gluten free / favorite

This might be my favorite thing I’ve made on this site so far. I know, that’s such a big statement since I usually feel that choosing a favorite recipe is like choosing a favorite child (or in our case, dog). But I have an un-dying love for sun dried tomatoes… not to mention basil, coconut, wine, pine nuts, & balsamic. So what happens when you put 6 of your favorite things all together? In this case, you get a warm & creamy – yet tangy – bowl of deliciousness. Just be happy that I left chocolate out of this mix.

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Simple Spinach Frittata

This flexible vegetarian spinach frittata recipe makes an easy dinner or crowd-pleasing brunch! Add your favorite spices or cheese to customize it.

breakfast / gluten free / dairy free

Here’s another fast, simple, “non-recipe” recipe that I make pretty darn often. What I love about a frittata is that the effort required is similar to making scrambled eggs, but somehow the end result is fancier. (And yes, I make my scrambled eggs with piles of greens and things). Frittatas are also my go-to dish for brunch entertaining. Because, let’s face it, who wants to get up on a Saturday morning and really cook. Not me. Pop your frittata in the oven and pour the mimosas!

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Spicy Seared Okra

One of the best okra recipes out there! Simply sautéed with jalapeño, nuts, tomatoes & garlic, okra becomes an addictive dish you won't stop craving.

summer / vegan / gluten free

I realize that it’s Halloween, and okra is not exactly candy. But this simple recipe is so good, you’ll crave it like chocolate. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but you’ll crave it nonetheless. Okra is something that’s completely new to me. I’ve been living here in Texas for a while now, but have never been inclined to give this humble vegetable a try until I had it at this summer at Contigo. Their preparation is pretty straightforward: oil, garlic… cook them over high heat so they get that nice char without becoming slimy. The genius part is the way they…

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Mushroom & Edamame Quinoa Fried “Rice”

A veggie- & protein-packed Quinoa Fried Rice from Keys to the Kitchen by Aida Mollenkamp! A healthy, easy vegetarian weeknight dinner. Gluten free.

dairy free / gluten free / keys to the kitchen

Time to get excited – I have another giveaway! Aida Mollenkamp’s new book, Keys to the Kitchen, is a new food bible. I planned to post this yesterday, but the book has so much that summing it up in a post is a nearly impossible task. In fact, it took me about 20 minutes to explain why I love this book to Jack (and I talk fast, so you don’t want to know how long a post that would be). Simply put, the book is beautiful, informative, helpful, and will make anyone, at any skill level, a better cook for…

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Ginger Miso Eggplant Noodles

Crispy tofu, mushrooms, and eggplant are tossed with gluten-free noodles and sweet Asian-inspired sauce to make a healthy weeknight summer dinner. Vegan.

vegan / gluten free / favorite

I know I say this a lot here… but my absolute favorite meals are the ones that became something out of nothing. I realize this doesn’t look like quite nothing – some of you (mom) are thinking this looks like a lot of ingredients to happen to have on hand. But I promise… a half opened thing of mushrooms on one shelf, a couple scallions in the bottom left drawer, and these few poor eggplant counting down their last days… were not exactly screaming “yay dinner” in unison. “Old me” would have left these things aside, and gone to the grocery store…

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Tahini Zucchini Noodles

Light zucchini noodles are coated in creamy vegan tahini sauce & tossed with kale, baked tofu & crunchy pine nuts. A healthy, gluten-free weeknight dinner.

summer / vegan / gluten free

Let’s just call this a seasonal transitional dish. It’s like wearing shorts with a chunky sweater because you’re not quite sure if you are warm or cold, and most days you’re a little bit of both. This tahini sauce is rich and creamy… while the cold zucchini noodles are on the lighter side. I got the idea from this pin that caught my eye… which led me to the blog Earthsprout, a beautiful raw food blog with some amazing recipes. To be honest, I wasn’t sure Jack was going to be into this one. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a finicky eater, and he…

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Sesame-Ginger Chickpea Cakes

These vegetarian sesame-ginger chickpea cakes make impressive healthy homemade appetizers. Cilantro lime yogurt sauce adds creamy texture & tons of flavor.

fall / vegetarian

As promised, here is the vegetarian followup to the tuna cakes I posted last week. I used most of the same ingredients (because I happened to have them all leftover)… the end result was pretty different, but delicious just the same. Of course, I really have a soft spot in my heart for panko-crusted anything… With this, I wanted to share a couple of handy tips: 1. Fresh ginger – keep it in the freezer, and grate it as you need it. No thawing required… by the time you grate, it’ll be thawed enough. I love to cook with ginger,…

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Tuna Cakes with Yuzu Yogurt

Make this lightly adapted version of Yotam Ottolenghi's Tuna Cakes with Yuzu Yogurt for an elegant and healthy at-home appetizer.

appetizers / seafood / favorite

I’m a little bit (more) obsessed with Ottolenghi since coming back from London. I’m kicking myself for not picking up a copy of the new cookbook, Jerusalem, while we were there (I didn’t realize it wasn’t out in the US yet and, well, books just aren’t very packable). So last weekend I sat around and bookmarked a whole bunch of recipes from his column on The Guardian. He just has so many unique ideas. This one is going into the category of “I’ll-probably-make-this-over-and-over-until-we’re-entirely-sick-of-eating-it.” You can’t exactly tell from the photo, but it’s like tuna tartare formed into a patty and…

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Edamame Dumplings

These homemade dumplings filled with edamame, basil, ginger, miso & tahini make a delicious 30-minute vegan dinner! Perfect for spring & summer weeknights.

dairy free

Somehow we ended up with a lot of photos for this one… so with that, I’m going to keep the words short. Our countdown continues… just 2 days until our trip and many many errands left to go. Thanks to everyone who left such thoughtful comments and suggestions the other day; it’s been such a huge help. This recipe was the first one I bookmarked in the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook. I realize we’ve already posted about their beautiful book before… Funny thing is that I actually made this with no intentions of photographing it… but then it was just looking so pretty… and then of…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.