(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

(806) slipping/standing through time

My weeks are slowly, but surely, getting crazier. My priorities and free time are getting blurry and I seem to keep mixing them up. I am trying to be more focused, and am even trying some natural pills for focusing. We'll see how well they work! Exams are coming up, like midterms and papers, but so is fall break! So I can look forward to that...and my birthday in about a month!

Usually I'm a follower, in most situations, and especially in the kitchen. This time, however, I made my own decisions on this: taco spiced tofu nachos with vegan queso. Saute green peppers in oil in a pan for about 4-5 minutes until browning a little bit. Add crumbled tofu (I used about 1/2 a package), cumin, paprika, cayenne, chili powder, etc. Stir and saute until browned to your liking. While cooking, crumble a few pieces of Daiya pepperjack wedge in a small bowl with a bit of unsweetened vegan milk and a heavy pinch of pepper. Microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until melted. Layer chips on a plate, then salsa, then tofu, then queso, then diced avocado.

Still learning the ways of my huge IKEA frying pan, since I managed to burn most of this fried rice. Still an easy recipe, especially if you're just cooking for yourself. I don't think I'm too keen on stir fried ginger, however.

Avocado toast with lemon, sea salt + paprika//Orange spice tea with honey: Breakfast

I have days when I don't feel like cooking, but don't want to buy something/eat something "unhealthy". Freezing soup has become one of my favorite secrets. I made this zucchini tomato soup, froze it, and ate it almost a month later. It was still just as flavorful, delicious, and spicy. I learned some great soup freezing tips from the soup chick. It's easier than you think and nothing goes to waste!

This kale red onion + pistachio pizza will always be one of my favorites. As you all know, I've been on a huge homemade pizza kick since the last one I made was out of this world. As you can see, I used a different crust this time: Gillian's frozen GF/DF/WF pizza dough. It was kind of a pain to roll out and I found it didn't cook evenly. There were no instructions to pre-bake and it kind of tasted similar to pie crust. I think next time I will do a completely from scratch GF crust, which will be easy to knead with a dough hook. This pizza is seriously amazing though. The combination of wilted kale, spicy red onion, salty pistachios, and red pepper flakes is amazing.

I am constantly reminded of the importance and beauty of simplicity. I am also constantly amazed at the effortless complexity that comes with simplicity. "Homemade is always best." Everyone hears this and thinks: "Yeah, if you have the time." This sauce will change your mind. I was so surprised by the complex flavors brought out by only three ingredients: whole peeled tomatoes, butter, and an onion. That's it. You don't even need to stand over it. It was perfect. I don't think I will make another sauce ever again (okay I probably will but this one is out of this world). I'd like to make a double batch one weekend and freeze it for a quick dinner. I served it with brown rice spaghetti, red pepper flakes, dried Italian herbs, and steamed broccoli. I also added a glug of red wine to my sauce.

It's always tea time in this house.

I always amaze myself and others by somehow making gluten-free things taste not so gluten-free. I surprise people with my answer to the question: "What do you eat?" with these photos I take. Food allergies are an obstacle only if you make them an obstacle. Having allergies has totally changed my perspective on health, food, the kitchen, and the relationship the mind has with the stomach. 

I would never usually come out and say this, but food and I haven't always had the best relationship. It used to scare me. It terrified me. Would it make me sick for days? Would I be okay? Why is it doing this to me?

Resolving this issue has changed my life forever. I know it sounds stupid. You cut two big things out of your diet and your life is changed? Yes. I am not the person I was two or more years ago. My perspective on life, my body, my mind, food, has totally transformed into something amazing.

Overcoming years of struggling, sickness, depression, anxiety has made me stronger and happier. I don't see things in a negative light. I tell myself that things can only get better because they have. I never gave up. I knew I would find the key to curing whatever I had; and I did.

I encourage everyone to find their relationship with food. Don't take it for granted, instead, take advantage of it. Make it your own. Love it. Find out what you hate about it. Learn new techniques. Make your own recipes. Share with your loved ones. Brag about it!

I adapted Ming's recipe for pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting + crystallized ginger. I used 1/2 C sorghum flour, 1/2 C tapioca starch, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 4 oz vegan cream cheese and vegan butter. The smell of pumpkin and spices will totally permeate your kitchen.

(746) don't worry, mama will fix it

so I went to the beach for a week and now I'm back!...

for another week, until school starts. then who knows how much I'll be blogging.

while it's still summertime, you should make these cupcakes. it only makes six but they're sooo good (as is the vegan strawberry curd). I made them GF with sorghum/tapioca/xanthan and dairyfree with rice milk and coconut milk "whipped cream" (which failed miserably!). 

scrambled eggs//sriracha___fried potatoes//ketchup

how to make Ashley's "French" sangria: slice strawberries, peaches, and apples. put in the bottom of a pitcher. cover with a good amount of red burgundy wine (cheap/good). add a good helping of bacardi rum and good orange triple sec (the good stuff!). stir. add sugar to taste. let sit overnight and taste to adjust sugar again. it should be sweeter since the fruit absorbs most of the alcohol. eat all the fruit in the pitcher if you want to have a drunken night!

vegan gluten free chocolate cake layered with cream cheese frosting, strawberries, and blueberries from Bay Naturals Store in Myrtle Beach

 my new (favorite) dress. I love purple!

headed to the beach with beer and a backpack

my two favorite people in the entire world. hands down.

 best friend of 8 years and going strong! (especially here)

on the slingshot!

herrrp time on my part.

getting ready for a day at the fair!

vegan glutenfree chocolate raspberry cupcakes + cosmopolitans = real life stuff

grilled old bay (self-caught) mahi mahi, chicken apple sausage + kale quinoa, and asian pan fried vegetables

the asian pan-fried vegetables were to die for. made by Daniel

suggestive? yes.

finally conquered another breakfast favorite! the easiest, quickest french toast. I used rice milk and gluten-free bread for substitutions. 

I also finally tried lump crab! lump crab remoulade with avocado, herb vinaigrette and cherry tomatoes at Aspen Grille in Myrtle Beach, SC.

(726) bohemian highway, cielo drive

so I'm pretty settled in here now...and I've been cooking a lot. once I started, I just haven't been able to stop! so here's what I've been eating:

creamy, buttery scrambled eggs on garlic butter slathered toast, fresh tomatoes + chives//eat this poem

new favorite sandwich: spinach hummus, tomato, vegan cheese on GF bread baked and broiled in the oven//naturally ella

sauteed chicken breast with orange avocado salsa and garlic butter quinoa//martha stewart

one of the most delicious, easy meals I've ever made: brown rice penne pasta baked with swiss chard, vegan cheese, cabernet marinara and fresh basil//love and lemons

too much wine for two days

BLT corn salad wraps with bacon, avocado, lime juice, corn and tomatoes//joy the baker

mini strawberry shortcake cupcakes with strawberry curd and vegan coconut whipped cream//chocolate moosey

for the cupcakes we substituted: 3/4 C gluten free flour, 3/4 C xanthan gum, 1/4 C earth balance vegan butter sticks, and 1/4 C rice milk. they were some of the best cupcakes I've ever had. I want to make regular-sized ones with better whipped cream.

grilled cheese: ASSEMBLE!!!

I love matching colors...and white. I've really been on a white wine kick lately.

take out from Iron Hen Cafe for dinner: whole grain quinoa hash with sweet potatoes, grilled chicken, spinach and black beans. too good for words!