MANGO, AVOCADO AND BLACK BEAN SALAD

And as promised, I'm back with Jen's second recipe for today!  Doesn't this mango, black bean and corn salad look like exactly what you want to eat for lunch?!  Such fresh summer flavor, so satisfying on a hot summer day (of which we have a limited amount left, so get chopping!).  Recipe and a bit from Jen after the jump!  xx- Sarah

Click to read more ...

KALE NOODLE BOWL WITH AVOCADO MISO DRESSING

Click to read more ...

mmmmm. and also, yummmm.

this roasted tomato and rosemary soup with kale and potatoes is looking SO good right now!  let's just skip friday this week and go straight to saturday.  i'd like to curl up on the couch with a bowl of this and watch legends of the fall or the family stone.  so, can we agree to skip friday just this once?  via food 52

pesto panzanella salad & open faced sandwich

so you remember when i said that NOTHING IS BETTER THAN HOMEMADE PESTO?  i was totally lying. what is totally and unequivocally better than homemade pesto, is homemade pesto with bread, tomato and a high quality sweet balsamic vinegar.  THAT is to die for. you have options where this is concerned.  you can chop up some fine heirloom tomatoes, chunks of fresh sourdough bread and combine in a bowl with a generous amount of pesto (recipe here), and serve on a plate with splashes of balsamic.  it's not the prettiest, but as lou said "it made me do a dance".  it made ME eat a ridiculous amount of tomatoes and bread.  or, if you prefer a prettier presentation, an open faced sandwich will do the trick.  either way, you positively cannot go wrong.  i would eat this every day if i could.  and the best part- it takes just minutes to whip up.  i hope you try it!  

quinoa tabbouleh

first and foremost, thank you all so much for the kind words yesterday- it was an amazing experience reading your tweets, comments, facebook messages and emails. in these moments i'm truly reminded that we're all in this together. and that, my friends, is why i have this blog.  

now, something tasty for your weekend!  this quinoa tabbouleh is grain and gluten free (if you want to read an incredible story about how cutting out gluten changed one amazing woman's life, please head over here).  it's also really, really, really ridiculously good tasting. like, omg. i make a giant batch because we love it so much (so feel free to halve it on your first go-round to test it out....the wishing there was more when it's gone will make the laborious onion chopping the next time around that much easier!).  i serve it with this baba ghanoush or hummus, cucumber, kalmatta olives and toasted pita chips (slice pita into triangles, lightly brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, bake at 400 degrees until crispy). SO GOOD!

happy weekend my friends, see you monday!   {recipe below}

Click to read more ...

my perfect lunch, as of late

this meal became a fast favorite for us- it's simple, tasty and makes us feel just a little bit fancy for some reason. as lou put it: "i'd order this in a restaurant". that statement describing a salad and coming from my husband says it all, really.  i also give you the amounts below just as a guideline. when i make this i am chopping and tossing things into the bowl with abandon rather than measuring things out- it's not something i think you can mess up!  hope you enjoy!  

the what

2 cups of cooked quinoa at room temperature or chilled (how to cook quinoa here)

1/4 c. chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped 

1/3 cup tomato, chopped

1/4 cup rough chopped almonds (raw)

2 cups of wild arugula

rosemary sourdough toast

1/2 avocado, smashed

3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of EVOO

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

the how:

to make the dressing combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper in a small bowl and mix. taste to make sure you like and modify if it's too sour for your liking (add a little more olive oil if it is!)

in a large mixing bowl combine quinoa, chickpeas, red onion, tomato, almonds, and dressing. toss until everything is coated.  add arugula and mix thoroughly.

i prefer this to sit and chill in the fridge for a bit before serving. and then right before serving i squeeze a little more lemon juice and a little bit of sea salt on the individual bowls. mmmhhhmm. 

avocado toast is possibly the best thing to happen to me since these. all you need is rosemary sourdough toast, smashed avocado, chunky sea salt and black pepper. use all liberally.  

woah now romanesco!

i have never seen a crazier looking vegetable than this one. so i ignored romanesco for awhile, i dismissed it as a veggie trend with all of it's neon coloring and psychedelic shapes- too fancy for this girl. but yesterday, i broke. i bought a head. it was sitting next to some purple cabbage and i had some oprah aha moment where i pictured it mixed into a stir fry all colorful-like.  and i knew, we're going to be friends, this bizarre vegetable and I.  and so we are. it's delicious, and funky and has a great texture. i'm a fan, romanesco, i'll stick with you even when neon isn't cool anymore.

the what:

1 head of romanesco broccoli, chopped

1 cup (dry) forbidden rice

1/2 of medium/large purple cabbage, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons of ginger, peeled and finely chopped 

1 tablespoon of dark toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons shoyu (or substitute a little less soy sauce)

juice of one lime

2 green onions, sliced for garnish

siracha (optional)

the how:

prepare forbidden rice (i rinse thoroughly and then cook 1 cup of dry rice with 1 1/2 cups of water in our rice cooker).  this can be done in advance or be cooking while you're prepping the veggies.

heat sesame oil in a wok over medium heat. add onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes minutes. the onion should be softening.

add romanesco broccoli, one tablespoon of shoyu and the juice of 1/2 of the lime. mix it all up, cover and cook for 2 more minutes.

add cabbage, one tablespoon of shoyu and second half of lime. cook until the cabbage and romanesco are to your liking (I prefer a little crunch, but cook longer if you like a softer stir fry). When veggies are almost to your preference, add forbidden rice and one final tablespoon of shoyu (taste first and omit if you prefer it with less shoyu).  I also add a few squeezes of siracha for some heat!

garnish with green onions. serve to amazed friends and family & enjoy!