I'm trying to do some new things with the blog lately to keep it interesting! Monthly favorites is something a lot of my favorite blogs do (see here). So here's a roundup of my favorite things I made in July! I hope I can still post a lot even with school and other various activities.
1. garden corn chowder with basil + chives//the PPK
I'm mildly obsessed with corn chowder and the many variations that exist on it, so this obviously had to be made. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the lime juice and coconut milk paired with the corn/potato mix. I'll still be dreaming about this one when fall rolls around.
2. Foil-packet soy lime salmon with green beans, cajun corn salad + herb potato salad
//J + S, Budget Bytes + Thug Kitchen
I made salmon for the first time (finally)! All three of these meal components are incredibly easy to pull together. I made an easier version of the corn salad by just using what I had on add and adding a LOT of hot sauce. The potato salad was a refreshing and incredibly garlicky twist on the mayo-laden side we all eat in the South. The salmon can be made on any weeknight since it takes little prep.
3. The 5-Minute Cajun Grit Bowl//here!
I have been making this grit bowl since I learned how to make polenta grits and microwave eggs. Together, they make an easy, hearty, and spicy breakfast. I can be half awake and still be able to pull this together.
4. Summer Squash Soup with Tofu Croutons//Super Natural Every Day
I'm pretty sure I have mentioned this book a few times. Heidi Swanson is the first cookbook author I discovered when I was 17 or so, and her recipes have really impacted how I cook food. I highly recommend her book to anyone who wants to experience more with vegetables, grains, beans, and eat more vegetarian food. This soup is exquisite. It's the only word I know that fits. You make a coconut oil/curry paste mash to cook potatoes and squash in, then make a coconut milk broth, finished off with crispy pan-fried tofu croutons. All of the recipes in both of her books are just as amazing.
5. Blueberry-Raspberry Cobbler with Oat Biscuit Topping//Sprouted Kitchen
My first cobbler! July seemed to be filled with a lot of 'firsts' for Infinite Zest! I had fresh, local, organic blueberries from a farm that my parents have been going to for years here in the Triad, and I wanted to make something special. I also had some raspberries to throw in. The oat biscuit topping pairs perfectly with the berries and lemon juice/zest.
[For substitutions: 1/2 C oat flour, 1/4 C sorghum flour, 1/4 C tapioca starch, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 1/2 C GF rolled oats, 5 T Earth Balance baking sticks, 1/2 C plain coconut milk yogurt]
6. The Balm 57 Cocktail//here!
It's pretty obvious that I love cocktails. I mean, next to food, I really love reading blogs like The Boys Club that post extensive info on liquor and classic drinks. This is also my first cocktail creation, recreated from a drink I had at Sticks & Stones! Dreamy blackberry whiskey pairs with agave, lemon juice, and mint for a refreshing summer drink. Bottoms up!
7. Peach Arugula Salad with Lentils, Avocado + Roasted Jalapeno Vinaigrette//Sprouted Kitchen
I'm trying to be better about making lunches for myself. Sometimes the day just gets away from me, then 4 rolls around, and suddenly I'm starting dinner with out having eaten since breakfast. Whoops! It's horrible. But I have SO many recipes saved that it makes no sense for me to just skip lunch. This decadent, perfect salad is everything I want for lunch. NC peaches, arugula from Guilford College's farm, French lentils, avocados, and the best roasted jalapeno shallot vinaigrette. The dressing will burn your nostrils a bit, but what's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. Go make this pronto!
8. Zucchini Fritters//Smitten Kitchen
Perfection in the kitchen is not easily reached, but when it is, it creates quite a sensation. You labor over something for so long: shredding the zucchini, pressing just the right amount of water out, cleaning your cast iron skillet for the first time JUST for these perfect little fritters, watching them like first-time parents to make sure they don't burn too much. It may seem tedious, like, who cares that much about some damn fritters? Well, when you take all of these extra precautions and treat it carefully, you are rewarded with this: the perfect fritter. Golden brown, puffy, and to-die-for with a cashew sour cream. Sometimes the extra effort really is worth it.
I am still posting really old things from a few weeks ago (yikes!) but now that classes are over, I can finally catch myself up.
I try not to freak out when I plan food for road trips. It's quite obvious (or it should be) that I am obsessed with planning, especially when related to food. Here are things I try to consider when packing food for trips:
-How long is the trip? - You need to consider just how much food you need to have handy. Also make sure to pack plenty of water!
-What needs to be used soon? - Look in your fridge: what food will go bad while you're out of town? Use whatever you would be throwing away a few days later.
-What's quick and uses less dishes? - No one wants to be stuck doing dishes right before they leave town. If you really want to be ahead, make your meals the day before, so all you're doing the day of is packing them up or assembling them. Also be sure to pick something that doesn't take a lot of time because you will need this time to pack (because I am a late packer!).
This brings me to my #1 choice for roadtrips: wraps. Sandwiches can be a little messy but wraps hold themselves together, especially when foil is involved. I chose these chickpea salad wraps from Heidi's 2nd cookbook because they're filling, flavorful and have vegetables! Make these for your next roadtrip //Dinner du Jour (originally Heidi Swanson)
How to make a really good pina colada:
-Buy this stuff and this rum
-Follow directions on the bottle of coconut cream
-Be amazed and how delicious and easy that was!
I found Pimm's at an ABC Superstore at the beach...so Pimm's o'clock obviously!
The sound view from our beach house
I remember this being one of the first dishes I made a couple of years ago, when I actually started cooking. This meal is easy to pull together, filling, and amazing doused in hot sauce and nutritional yeast (like most things). I always try to encourage myself to try different dishes from the food I love (Mexican, Italian, Vietnamese, etc.) and expand my horizons a bit. Start with this recipe for polenta rancheros with cumin seeds and black beans! //Vegetarian 'Ventures
After being at the beach for almost a week and indulging in snacks and blended cocktails, we needed a detox...a detox with lots of vegetables. I found this delicious, easy salad recipe with yellow squash, swiss chard, and chickpeas with a basil dressing. It sounds boring but trust me, this is just what we both needed. Just a bowl of vegetables with beans. It's really crazy how much better we felt after eating this for a few days. //In Pursuit of More
Remember what I was saying above about expanding horizons? This is another one of those dishes. Stir-fried black rice with ginger fried tofu and kale. I really loved this with sriracha on top, but I can never gauge my relationship with fresh ginger. It's hard for me to find a balance with what is enough or too much ginger. If you're not a huge fan of ginger, I would reduce it just a little bit. But this meal is still really good! It's always nice to branch out and use different grains other than plain rice or quinoa. //Whole Living
One thing that has changed around here lately is the ridiculous amount of smoothies we've been making. Maybe it's the weather or the strep I was dealing with for a few days, but I find myself making them more than a few times a week. This one is one of my favorites and I really hope you will try it! Don't let lime juice with almond milk scare you; it works fine!
-1 C almond/coconut/vegan milk
-juice of 1 lime
-1 heaping cup of frozen strawberries
-1 frozen banana
Blend + serve, adding more milk as needed. Top with coconut flakes! //Noms For the Poor
No matter how sick I am or what it is, I will only eat soup. The thought of eating canned soup all week while I had strep made me feel even worse. So with joint effort, Mike and I pulled this soup together so neither one of us would have to eat processed crap. My mom has made this soup before and I love it because of how comforting it is. It's incredibly easy but it's delicious and filling. It only has a few basic ingredients like stock, carrots, a TON of celery (hence the title of chunky celery soup), potatoes, wild rice, onions and garlic. That's really it. Eat it with toasted, vegan buttered bread if you can chew stuff like that while sick. I ate this for days and never tired of it. //101 Cookbooks
By the looks of this post, I have been cooking my way down memory lane lately! I remember this being one of the first dishes I made in my apartment. Yeah, I get nostalgic about this kind of stuff. I've posted this before, so if you haven't made it by now...do it. I am obsessed with squash and zucchini so this recipe is obviously a favorite. Coriander spiced chickpeas, tomatoes, zucchini, lots of garlic and red onions. I could eat this for days. This pairs perfectly with white jasmine rice. //Martha Stewart
These past few weeks have been crazy! I have so many food photos to share, but really haven't had the time. I'm finally on spring break, which has done nothing but stressed me out a bit more haha. Thankfully there are only seven more weeks of school left.
I have been wanting to make edamame hummus for such a long time, and after having the Trader Joes brand, I had to remake it. It takes a little longer to puree the edamame beans, but the flavors are perfectly complimented with garlic and coriander. If you're looking for a twist on the usual hummus, this is perfect and has a ton of protein! //oh she glows
Another thing I've been meaning to make for a long time are dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I have a slight problem with the Justin's packaged brand, so I had to remake them. These were cheaper, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make! This recipe used almond butter and dark chocolate, which work perfectly together. The layering of the chocolate and peanut butter gets a little tedious, but it's worth it! //sprouted kitchen
Blood orange, peach and pear sangria.
I have been cooking mostly from Happy Herbivore recipes, just because they're cheap, simple, and nutritious. This vegan alfredo sauce was perfect for a night when I didnt feel like cooking, but wanted something healthy. With 35g of protein per serving, you will definitely feel full after this (especially with protein from brown rice pasta)! It also took 10 minutes to make with cooking the pasta. //happy herbivore
I've been making a lot of salads here lately and this vegan Caesar salad dressing was amazing! I ate it for days with NC sprouts, lettuce, tomato and carrots. Because it's made from silken tofu and nutritional yeast, it also has about 3g protein per tablespoon! //everyday happy herbivore
I made vegan french toast last week for breakfast one weekday morning and it was easy/delicious! I was very surprised at how similar it tasted to regular french toast with out using any eggs! Surprisingly enough, chickpea flour and almond milk with vanilla extract produced the same flavor! //happy herbivore
Perfectly baked thyme oven fries
After finishing off my vegan caesar salad dressing, I made one of my favorites: homemade balsamic vinaigrette from Isa's amazing book. It's so easy to make and has protein from the cashews! I will be making that dressing over and over again. It went great with a salad of sprouts, avocado, cucumber, tomato + romaine. //appetite for reduction
I have been wanting to also make a vegan frittata for quite some time, since there are so many easy recipes for them that don't involve cast iron pans. I made this incredibly easy frittata from Happy Herbivore with old bay, black beans, and red pepper. I doused it in a ton of hot sauce and ate it with some really delicious thyme oven fries! //everyday happy herbivore
Blood orange gin and tonics:
Put ice cubes in the bottom of a glass. Top with a shot of gin (I used Tanqueray). Top with 1/2 C freshly squeezed blood orange juice and tonic water. Stir and enjoy!
