(956) feuille de basilic

Spring break is only one week away! I am really excited to have a week to not have to worry about classes, even though I will sadly have to read a lot over break. I also have a trip to the beach planned which is exciting! Needless to say, I'm ready for this week to fly by already. 

I've been on a huge Saturday/Sunday brunch kick lately. I made this very delicious mexican tofu scramble with added frittata starter that I got from William-Sonoma with fire-roasted corn, onions + peppers. It was amazing and full of protein! I feel like I've been making tofu scramble pretty often here lately, but it's always easy to pull together. //happy herbivore

Everyone knows that I loooove potatoes. These paprika rosemary roasted potatoes are my absolute favorite now. Especially slathered in ketchup. //vegan brunch

I don't feel like I've made soup in a long time. This chickpea rice soup with kale was absolutely perfect. It also includes a cashew cream, which pulls everything together and adds protein. The onions are thinly sliced which caramelize lightly and are a great contrast to just regular chopped onions (may not seem like a big deal but its great). I would seriously consider making this. //post-punk kitchen

I've been trying to cook every night this week, even when I am tired and don't feel up to it. I am really trying to pull myself away from relying on processed foods unless it's an emergency. This arroz amarillo was easy to pull together. I decided to add black beans, green peas, kale...and a lot of hot sauce, obviously! //happy herbivore

I also don't feel like I've made hummus in a while, and since I've been trying to eat healthier snacks, this was an obvious choice. This particular hummus is flavored like buffalo wings, which I obviously can't eat haha. It perfectly mimics the flavors and ends up being healthier (and vegan!) This may be my new favorite hummus //butter me up brooklyn!

This night was a big deal for me. I got to meet: one of my my biggest food idols, the first food blogger I ever read, and someone I really look up to. Deb of smitten kitchen manages to cook elegant food that is easy, affordable, and written out so well that anyone can make it. She also manages to make the most complicated looking things sound easy. I have cooked the most recipes from her blog than anyone elses because of this reason, and also because of the wide array of recipes she posts. It's easy to make her recipes gluten and dairy free, even though almost none of her recipes naturally are. So this is the first big celebrity I've met, I mean, she's on the NY times best-seller list and any foodie has heard of her. Deb is incredibly down to earth, a great speaker, and very humbled. She asked if I liked cooking or baking better, and of course admitting to both, adding that I do all of her recipes gluten and dairy free. She was very intrigued to know what flours I use, what difficulties I find with baking GF, etc. It was so awesome! And I'm obviously blushing in this photo. 

We went to fiction kitchen in Raleigh this past weekend. This restaurant is an all vegan, mostly local food. I got an amazing spicy peanut smothered tempeh with broccoli and brown rice. This dessert pictured above is a gluten-free vegan chocolate truffle pie with a salted caramel crust. I was in disbelief that it was gluten-free and vegan! It was so decadent. I can't wait to go back to this place and I definitely recommend it! They also have vegan chicken and waffles, and plenty of gluten free options!

I was generously given a gigantic eggplant this weekend, which is something I never cook. Eggplant doesn't always agree with my stomach, but I am always eager to cook with new things. This also involved my grill pan, which I finally got to use! This is essentially grilled strips of eggplant, stuffed with a Italian basil tofu ricotta, then topped with cabarnet marinara sauce on top. It was so easy and delicious! If you love eggplant and Italian food, you should definitely make this! //the passionate parsley

A better picture of the leftover eggplant rolatini over vegan buttered + red pepper flake polenta.

I seriously debated even cooking tonight. But I had basil, tomatoes, and tofu ricotta nagging me in the fridge and I had to force myself to make something. Despite my apathy, I ended up making something absolutely delicious and protein packed. I have been trying to eat less carbs with every meal, just for the sake of being healthy, so I chose this over pasta. First you slow cook tomatoes in garlic, oil, and bay leaf. Then add eggs with vegan butter and seasonings. I then stirred in leftover tofu ricotta; so this has a ton of protein! //in pursuit of more

(943) je suis gâté

It's certainly been a while since I've posted! I've had a few minor injuries since then, which have been happening frequently unfortunately! I finally cut my finger pretty good and went to the ER, I burnt two fingers badly and as of yesterday, I fell on my face on campus and banged myself up pretty good. Hoorah! I guess school has been crazy too. 

Moroccan vegetable soup from EHH. Probably one of the easiest soups I've ever pulled together with pantry ingredients only! I made it spicy by adding red pepper flakes and used the leftovers in a very different way (see below) //happy herbivore everyday

I have been wanting to re-do leftovers for a while now. I baked a purple sweet potato and added vegan butter, topped it with leftover Moroccan soup, then added garlic butter sauteed spinach around it. So delicious, filling, and I'm pretty sure it has all the colors of the rainbow!

I am a sucker for nightcaps (I'm almost out of bourbon which is a PROBLEM) and this one might be my new favorite: red wine hot chocolate. I know, it sounds weird. Hot wine? But trust me. You won't go back after trying this. I used almond milk and added marshmallows on top. I can't wait to make this again! //home cooking adventure

So remember the gluten-free dairy-free pizza crust I made from scratch in october? Well, I froze the leftovers by wrapping it in saran wrap and then foil. They reheated perfectly! I am still trying not to eat Daiya whenever possible, so I made this amazing white bean pizza sauce instead. I might be hooked. It's incredibly garlicky and I added Italian herbs too. I topped it with tomatoes, kalamata olives, red pepper flakes + nooch. This pizza was amazing! This issue of chickpea magazine is where you can find the sauce.  //chickpea magazine

I love mac and cheese, hot sauce, and black beans...so this was an obvious dinner choice. It's the Pablo pasta recipe from EHH and it's now my favorite rendition on mac and cheese. The cheese sauce as green chiles, cumin, tomatoes, black beans and all of this gets smothered in hot sauce. Tooooo good. Lindsay's recipes are incredibly easy, budget friendly, and healthy. I seriously recommend all of her books! //happy herbivore everyday

I have been craving a lovely salad and have also been trying to use different cookbooks lately. This everyday chickpea-quinoa salad was my first pick from Isa Chandra's amazing book. I added shredded carrots, huge handfuls of alfalfa sprouts and mixed super greens. The homemade balsamic vinaigrette is amazing enough on its own! This salad kept me full and made me feel healthy all week. //appetite for reduction

I have been eating a lot of tofu lately, which is awesome! I went through a long period of hating tofu and not understanding it. Now I love it and try to eat it as much as possible. This was a sesame tofu scramble with swiss chard and sweet potatoes from Vegan Brunch. The flavors were great and I added a lot of sriracha to "balance" everything out. //vegan brunch

Finally tried these baked egg avocado tostadas! So easy, delicious, and great with hot sauce. I just need to try and not over cook my eggs next time...or severely burn two of my fingers! //naturally ella

It's always nice to make something that you already have all the ingredients for! This mushroom pea pasta was buttery, delicious, and simple. I love nothing more than well sauteed mushrooms and I could eat them everyday! //martha stewart

handmade Miyazaki valentine for someone special!

I didn't get to cook for Valentine's Day since I bumped myself up so well, but I still had to make cupcakes. I made Smitten Kitchen's black bottom cupcakes. I've made them before and I stand by them because: they're easy, you only need a mixer for 1 minute, there's no frosting, and they're the BEST! Essentially it's a 2/3 brownie cupcake and 1/3 cheesecake. here are the substitutions I used: 1 C sorghum flour, 1/2 C tapioca starch, 1 tsp xanthan gum + vegan cream cheese (8 oz). There is an egg in the cream cheese filling but I'm positive you can sub with egg replacer or even some blended tofu. //black-bottom cupcakes

The most perfect gift: a French "A Clockwork Orange" poster. YES