Sriracha Deviled Eggs

These little gems are something my best friend Ashley and I have been making for years. But this time, I added a few extra ingredients and used some 'traditional' deviled egg ingredients too. I hated deviled eggs for most of my life, which is odd for a Southern gal, but after making them on my own a few times I've grown to love them. I have to admit, these were breakfast for Mike and I this weekend after Ashley gave us a carton of hard-boiled eggs (leftover from April Fool's day pranks). If you serve them with Cajun home fries, no one would judge you 

(because we totally did too)

Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Yields 12

- 6 eggs, hard-boiled (make sure they're cold)

-1 green onion; light green/white parts sliced and dark green parts reserved for garnish

-1 TBS vegan mayo (or plain hummus, if you hate mayo)

-1/4-1/2 tsp yellow mustard

-1 tsp (or more) of sriracha (we used about 2 tsp)

-1 TBS minced fresh cilantro

-pinch of garlic powder

1. Remove the hard-boiled egg yolks and place in a bowl. You should be able to pop them out easily. Be sure to keep the egg white in tact! (I tore one or two)
2. Mash the yolks with a fork until crumbly and no big pieces remain.
3. Add the green onion (white and light green parts only), mayo or hummus, mustard, sriracha, cilantro and garlic powder. Stir, while mashing, until everything is incorporated. Taste and adjust spice level and seasonings to your liking.
4. Spoon (or if you're Martha Stewart, pipe with a piping bag) the filling back into the egg. I use a teaspoon measurement for this which worked great.
5. Garnish with dark green onion slices and extra sriracha. Dig in!

Smoky Summer Edamame Succotash

One thing I would like to start doing this semester is getting in the kitchen, once a week, and throwing a recipe together. I had my heart set on making some kind of succotash, but didn't feel like going to the store. I never have lima beans on hand, but I almost always have frozen edamame (in pod and shelled). Edamame makes a great snack, a quick lunch, or even a tasty hummus when paired with coriander. 

I also have a TON of squash, peppers, okra, etc. leftover from a trip my dad took to a local farm. I have never cooked okra before, but I didn't want to just deep fry it. This succotash may not be "traditional" by any means, but it satisfied my craving for something smoky, flavorful, and packed with vegetables. It comes together quickly and can be adjusted to fit whatever is in your fridge. This makes a great weeknight end-of-summer meal! Pair with a good glass of white wine and you'll be in Southern summer heaven.

Smoky Summer Edamame Succotash

• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• olive oil
• salt
• 1 green pepper, minced
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 - 3/4 C frozen organic corn, thawed*
• 1/2 - 3/4 C frozen organic edamame, thawed*
• cajun seasoning, paprika, smoked paprika, pepper, oregano, dried basil
• 15-20 okra pods, tops removed + sliced
• hot sauce
• liquid smoke
• juice of 2 small limes, or 1 large
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• serving options: cajun rice, quinoa, polenta rounds, cornbread, baked potatoes

1. Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the oil, then onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften (about 3 minutes). Add the green pepper, squash and zucchini. Cook until they begin to soften, about 3 more minutes.
2. Turn the pan up to medium-high. Add the corn and edamame, stirring to combine. Then add all the spices (and more salt if needed) to coat the vegetables. You can use different spices, but these are the ones I found fitting for a succotash. Cook a few more minutes to warm the thawed vegetables and slightly brown them.
3. Add okra, as much hot sauce as you desired (I used about 10 drops), a few drops of liquid smoke, and lime juice. Stir to combine and cook 3 more minutes. A few minutes before serving, stir in the garlic. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.
4. Serve over whatever you desire (I used quinoa with vegan butter and salt) and enjoy!

**notes: I find the easiest way to thaw frozen vegetables is to briefly run them under hot water in a colander. Feel free to use fresh corn and edamame here if they're available!

(633) noboru wataya the cat

school is almost over! I take my last exams tomorrow, then I have about two weeks until summer classes start. that means wine, films, reading & baking!

it's been in the 90s this past week or so and it's sweltering to say the very least. I had to bear the heat to make granola from super natural everyday studded with lots of orange zest, coconut, currants and walnuts. now that I've survived the heat of oven + 90 degree weather, I now have a huge ziplock bag of granola to eat with rice milk all week!

I went back to Heidi's other book, which was the first cookbook I ever received, to make this spring minestrone. it's a perfect light soup for spring (even though it's hot!) and tastes even better with fresh lemon juice and pepper. you could also make it asian (edamame + toasted sesame oil) or italian inspired (basil and lemon zest)

this was absolutely delicious, easy, and not a crazy amount of ingredients. the veggie + egg tower of power consists of caramelized red onions, roasted sweet potatoes + cherry tomatoes with wilted spinach and egg on top. how easy could that be? it was so satisfying to eat something so simple (especially when there's wine involved!)

a southern classic made vegan: black-eyed peas, garlicky sauteed russian red kale, and mashed vegan purple fingerling potatoes. I loved how southern it was with out bacon, ham, or even chicken!

just made this vinegary, crunchy lentil salad with a side of hard-boiled egg, buttered toast and delicious red wine from Shelton Homes Vineyard in NC. may have a little too much of the latter but still awesome! cold lentil salads on a hot day = win!