Salt Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo

These potatoes are so, so, so, so good! They are even easier to make than they are to eat. Each little potato packs a perfectly salty crust on the outside and creamy, yukon gold center. Served with a fragrant, cilantro sauce, this dish is a great appetizer, snack or tapas.

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Salt Crusted Potatoes
serves 3-4 as tapas or appetizer
1 1/2 lbs baby yukon golds, whole, unpeeled (as close to the same size as possible)
2 tbl coarse sea salt

Place the whole potatoes in a pot big enough so they sit in one layer. Add cold water, just enough to cover. Add the salt. Place over high heat and boil rapidly until the water has evaporated, stirring the potatoes every so often to ensure even cooking.
Once the water has evaporated, lower the heat to medium-low and cook 2-3 more minutes, tossing the potatoes to evenly coat with salt.
Serve with cilantro mojo.

Cilantro Mojo
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients and blend into a slightly chunky sauce. If serving with the potatoes, do not season with salt. If making this for another dish, taste and season with salt.

Wild Mushroom & Leek Tartlets

These irresistibly tiny tarts are packed with a punch. Each one starts with a smooth cream cheese layer on the bottom and ends with caramelized mushrooms, leeks and sauteed rainbow chard leaves floating on top. Make as an appetizer or eat these as a meal like my husband and I did. Use your favorite kind of mushroom for the filling. This time of year the "mushroom guy" starts showing up at the Farmer's markets and while pricey, those mushrooms are supreme. You don't need much for this recipe so splurge a little on those morels or lobster mushrooms. You won't regret it!

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Wild Mushroom & Leek Tartlets
yields 15 mini tarts
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
6 oz wild mushrooms (morels, hen of the woods, oyster, lobster, chanterelle)
1 leek, thinly sliced
1/2 cup vegetable broth, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small head rainbow chard, stems removed, chopped into small pieces
salt, pepper & red pepper flakes to taste
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 cup herbed vegan cream cheese
1 box frozen mini phyllo tart shells, thawed


Saute the mushrooms and leeks in olive oil over medium heat until lightly caramelized, 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup vegetable broth to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Once the broth has been absorbed, add the garlic and chard. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and dill. Cook until the chard has wilted down then continue to saute for 10 minutes more. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the remaining 1/4 cup of broth and cook 3-4 minutes more until the broth has evaporated.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Fill each mini tart shell with 1 tsp of cream cheese and top with mushroom mix.
Enjoy!

Roasted Heirloom, Avocado & Basil Bruschetta

Gone are the days of boring old bruschetta with diced, bland tomatoes and some slivers of basil. It's a new day and a new season and tomatoes are starting to taste like tomatoes again! Use the best tomatoes you can find. Organic heirloom tomatoes are no longer impossible to find and provide a robust flavor to pair with avocado, garlic and basil. They are sturdy and can handle being roasted, allowing the skins to get caramelized and charred while the flesh becomes perfectly tender.
 
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Thick slices of crusty ciabatta, toasted garlic, fresh basil leaves, creamy avocado and salt-roasted heirloom tomatoes create the finest bruschetta you will have this summer! Eat this in large slices for a meal or in small pieces on a baguette for appetizers.

Roasted Heirloom, Avocado & Basil Bruschetta
serves 2 as a meal
3 large heirloom tomatoes, 1/2" slices
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt, to taste
black pepper & red pepper flakes, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 avocado, thinly sliced
4 thick pieces of ciabatta
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 425.
Drizzle a little olive oil on a baking sheet and lay the tomato slices down flat, spaced out. Drizzle the tops with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Roast for 15 minutes then turn on the broiler. Cook under the broiler for 5 minutes or so until the edges are lightly caramelized.
Lay the pieces of bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the garlic on top and place under the broiler for 5 minutes or less until the bread and garlic are toasted.
Lay pieces of avocado on the bread, sprinkle a few pieces of basil on and top with roasted tomato slices. Sprinkle with more basil leaves and a pinch more of coarse ground sea salt.

Spinach & Basil Pesto Pinwheels

Sometimes you just want to make something with puff pastry for two reasons. It's fast and it always tastes delicious. The smell of fresh basil in the grocery store had me at hello and I knew exactly what to do with it.
 
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A fragrant spinach, basil and almond pesto is made in less than five minutes and spread across a thin sheet of pastry, rolled, sliced and baked into crispy, buttery pinwheels perfect for a snack, light lunch or appetizers.

Spinach & Basil Pesto Pinwheels
makes 9+/- pinwheels
2 packed cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
1 packed cup of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tbl all-purpose flour for dusting the counter
1 roll puff pastry, thawed

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment or grease.
Combine the spinach, basil, almonds, salt and pepper in a food processer and pulse into a rough chop. Add the mayonnaise and pulse a few more times to combine. Do not over mix, you want the mixture to still have some texture. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
On a floured counter, unroll the puff pastry then use a rolling pin to thin it out more into a rectangle.
Spread out the filling in an even layer all over the pastry. Starting with the side that is longer, gently roll up the pastry into a log. Use a serrated knife to cut 1" slices and place each slice on the baking sheet, 1 1/2" apart.
Use your hand to lightly flatten each piece and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the tray half way through.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

These little spicy bites of cauliflower are awesome! Pinterest wins again.
The other night I laid in bed, late and wide awake. I found myself scouring the food & beverage section of Pinterest looking for new ideas and saw Buffalo Cauliflower over and over again. As someone who loves buffalo sauce and cauliflower, I added this to my list of things to make. Roasted instead of deep fried and tossed in a small amount of olive oil instead of butter, these bites are a perfect snack, appetizer or side dish that you can feel good about eating over and over again.

One Year Ago Today Potato Bean Burritos with Squash Ancho Sauce
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Tender pieces of roasted cauliflower tossed in hot sauce and served with crisp sticks of celery, carrots and vegan ranch. Here I included several recipes for ranch that I love to make including traditional, avocado or cilantro ranch.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
serves 3
1 large head cauliflower, cut into medium florets
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
3-4 tbl hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 425.
Toss the florets with 2 tbl of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes then place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until crispy and browned.
Toss with the remaining 1 tbl of olive oil and hot sauce, to taste.

Ranch Dressing
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tbl unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
2 tbl chopped fresh parsley

Combine the mayo, milk, vinegar, garlic, onion, dill, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the parsley by hand. Chill for 15 minutes to allow for the flavors to meld. If it's too thick for you, add more almond milk to thin it out.

Avocado Ranch
1/2 ripe avocado
1/4c vegan sour cream
1/4c vegan mayonnaise
1 tbl unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp each: salt, dried parsley, onion powder
pinch of each: dried dill, dried garlic powder

Combine all in a food processor and blend until completely creamy. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to set back up.

Cilantro Ranch
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
3 tbl fresh minced cilantro
1 tbl lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine all in a blender and season to taste. Chill for at least 15 minutes for serving to allow flavors to meld.

Black Eyed Pea Crostini

These cute little bites are ready to eat in less than 20 minutes. Start with the same base and use half of it as the creamy spread on the toast while the other half gets more veggies and herbs added to it for a textured two bite appetizer.

Toasted slices of baguette topped with creamy cannelini and black eyed pea spread and topped with whole beans, red and yellow bell peppers and cilantro.

One Year Ago Today Sweet Potato Bisque with Avocado Spring Rolls


Black Eyed Pea Crostini
makes 12 crostini
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-15oz can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1-15oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp green hot sauce (such as tobasco)
salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1 yellow bell pepper, small dice
1 tsp creole seasoning
2 tbl roughly chopped cilantro
1 baguette, 1/2" diagonal slices, toasted

Saute the onion in olive oil until tender and fragrant, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, beans, hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes more then transfer half of the bean mix to the side.
Add the bell peppers and creole seasoning to the remaining beans in the pot and continue to saute for 5-7 minutes more until tender.
Mash the beans that were set aside and add half of the cilantro. Taste and season.
Spread a layer of mashed beans on each piece of toasted bread and top with your vegetable mixture. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Lobster Mushroom Crispy Spring Rolls with Yellow Curry Dipping Sauce

Lobster mushrooms are huge, red and don't look like something you should be able to eat. But going along with my theory that the worse the mushroom looks the better it is, these taste pretty awesome!
Any mushroom will do for these in regards to both the dry and the fresh.  Hen of the Woods and Morels would also be great alternatives.

Dried cremini and fresh lobster mushrooms, napa cabbage and ginger wrapped tightly into crispy spring roll wrappers served with coconut dipping sauce and crisp cucumber slices.

Lobster Mushroom Crispy Spring Rolls
makes 6 spring rolls
1 oz dried cremini mushrooms
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1" piece fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, minced
2 cups minced lobster mushrooms
2 tsp tamari
salt and pepper
2 cups thinly shredded napa cabbage
3 tbl chopped cilantro
12 spring roll wrappers
1/4 cup cornstarch
canola oil for frying
1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Bring two cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the dried mushrooms. Soak for 10 minutes until soft, mince and set aside.
Saute the ginger, garlic and scallions in olive oil until fragrant and tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the lobster and cremini mushrooms and cook until crispy, 10 minutes. Add the tamari and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the cabbage and cilantro and cook until wilted, 5 minutes.
Set the mixture aside and set up your wrappers. Set out 6 and then double up. Brush the edges with water. Place 3 tbl of mixture in the bottom half of each wrapper. Roll in the sides of the wrappers and then up like a burrito. Place seam side down on a plate.
Once all of the wrappers have been assembled, heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large saute pan. Pan fry, seam side down first until golden brown on all sides. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with a little salt.
Serve on a bed of cabbage with cucumber slices.

Yellow Curry Dipping Sauce1 tsp coconut oil
1/2" piece fresh ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbl yellow curry paste
1-15oz can coconut milk
1 heaping tbl natural peanut butter
1 tbl organic light brown sugar
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp lime juice
salt, to taste

Saute the ginger, garlic and curry paste in coconut oil until fragrant and toasted, 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over medium-low for 15 minutes.

Chickenless Bites with Basil Salt, Lemon Aioli & Sweet Onion Cremini Salad

Tender, meaty bites of cannelini bean, tvp and spices coated in a crunchy onion crust and baked until golden brown. Served with a cool, lemon sauce, warm mushroom salad and homemade basil salt.

One Year Ago Today Sausage & Arugula Pizza with Romesco Sauce

Chickenless Bites
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-15oz can cannelini beans
1/2 cup tvp (textured vegetable protein)
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup mushroom or vegetable broth
2 tbl dijon mustard
1 tbl agave
2 tsp sriracha, or other chile sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp tamari
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups crispy french onions
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 375.
Combine the almond milk and lemon juice and set aside.
In a large bowl, mash the beans up until no whole beans remain, but not into a smooth puree.
Add the tvp, wheat gluten, broth, mustard, agave, sriracha, thyme, tamari and pepper. Combine into a ball and knead for 1-2 minutes. Separate into 10-15 little nuggets.
Combine the french onions and flour in a blender and grind finely.
Dip the nuggets in the almond milk mixture then in the onion coating.
Place on a greased baking sheet and drizzle the tops with a little olive oil.
Bake 15 minutes then flip and bake 15 more until golden brown.

Basil Salt
8-10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 tbl coarse sea salt

Grind together with a mortar and pestle into a paste.

Lemon Aioli
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tbl lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of sea salt

Combine and chill for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld together.

Sweet Onion & Cremini Salad
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 extra large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
1 tbl balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 cups baby spring greens

In a large saute pan, heat the oil and add the onion and mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until they start to become golden brown and char slightly. Season with vineganr and salt and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 25 more minutes until dark, soft and completely caramelized. Serve over greens.

Basil Walnut Squash Blossoms with Red Pepper Sauce

It's squash blossom time again and while I have tried other ways of cooking them in the past, I find that dredging in batter and frying them until crisp and golden brown is the best way yet. Most likely you will not find these in stores but at a farmer's market. Be warned that they are usually a hot commodity and you must get there early to purchase the small supply that will be available to you. Often vendors don't even have them displayed so ask and feel like you're in some sort of secret food snob club.

Fresh basil, toasted walnuts and vegan cream cheese stuffed inside tender zucchini squash blossom flowers, dipped in a quick batter and fried until crispy. Serve with red pepper sauce for dipping.
One Year Ago Today Cake Doughnuts!

Basil Walnut Squash Blossoms
8 squash blossoms
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbl walnuts, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 oz vegan cream cheese
3 tbl roughly chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
8 squash blossoms
oil for frying

Saute the walnuts and garlic in olive oil until toasted. Transfer to a bowl and add the cream cheese, basil, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.
Stuff each blossoms and twist to seal the flower leaves.

Rice Batter
1 cup brown or white rice flour
1 cup ice water
1 tsp sea salt

Whisk to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes before dipping.
 Preheat a pot of oil to 350. Dip each blossom in the batter and then in the oil. Fry until golden brown.

Red Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup for dipping
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 large red bell pepper, seeded, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
6-7 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper

Saute the onion and red bell pepper in olive oil until the onion starts to caramelize, 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes more then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and season with more salt and pepper.

Grilled Corn Crostini

These small bites are perfect as a side, an appetizer or a snack. Creamy avocado works perfectly as a spread for any topping you want to throw on top. Since corn is at it's peak, it need little cooking and even less seasoning. A simple char and a sprinkle of salt allows for the sweet corn to shine through.

One Year Ago Today Hominy & Tempeh Tacos

Grilled Corn Crostini
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 baguette, sliced diagonally in 1/2" pieces
2 corn cobs
1 avocado
2 tbl chopped, fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges
coarse sea salt

Preheat a grill or grill top to high. Toss the baguette slices and corn with olive oil and grill until dark char marks appear.
Slice the corn off the cobs.
Mash the avocado and spread on the toast. Top with corn, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt.

Marzipan Stuffed Dates with Pistachios

4 ingredients, 5 minutes to make, sweet or savory finger food, snack, dessert or appetizer...what else could you ask for??
These little jewels are so cute and flavorful with just enough sweetness to pass them off as a light dessert or serve them as a passed appetizer or snack. Buy the dates and pistachios in a bulk section and make as little or as much as you want without spending hardly anything.

Juicy dried dates stuffed with sweet almond paste, crunchy pistachios and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Marzipan Stuffed Dates
12 medjool or neglet dates
1/4 cup marzipan
2 tbl finely chopped pistachios
organic powdered sugar, for dusting

Slit the top of each date and remove the seed. Fill with 1 tsp of marzipan each and press into pistachios. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.