VEGAN RHUBARB CHEESECAKE

YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT!  it’s vegan, gluten free, healthier cheesecake and let me tell you, it’s bomb! i made it to celebrate our anniversary.  because nothing says “i love you” like a pretty homemade dessert, right?  or maybe it says “i love sweeeeeeeeets and i’ll take any excuse i can to make them!!”  either way, my fellow dessertaholics, make this- it’s easy, healthier, and freezable (yes, i have eaten it just short of completely frozen and it’s SO good!)  you’re going to love it!  and make haste because we all know rhubarb season will be gone in a flash!  xx-sarah  {more after the jump}

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CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

this past weekend i decided to tackle chocolate hazelnut spread (aka nutella). when lou and i were doing our 5 year anniversary remembering i had some flashbacks to a trip i took to italy shortly after we started dating, and one of my fondest memories of the trip was eating fresh baked foccacia with nutella and fruit for every breakfast.  heaven in breakfast form!  {more after the jump}

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CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

as promised, another recipe to make use of those preserved lemons! i whipped up this cauliflower couscous with chickpeas, preserved lemons and parsley- easy, healthy, delicious.  i would prefer it as a side dish, although we ate it as a meal (with tobasco, because in our house it isn’t a meal if there’s not hot sauce involved).  lou said it “tastes like fish” which is a little confusing because a fish has been no where near this dish. and though i love seafood, i don’t want non-seafood dishes to taste fishy!  he later backtracked and said this dish would be “so good served with fish”.  thatta husband, way to recover.  anyway, i think it was the lemon and parsley that tricked his taste association button.  or he’s fucking with me.  it’s hard to say definitively.  thoughts my friends?  xx- sarah  {more after the jump}

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STRAWBERRY COCONUT POPSICLES

i live for frozen treats in the summer- popsicles, ice cream, smoothies, frozen grapes, i just can’t get enough!  as i recently mentioned i just picked up these rad popsicle molds and now i’m on what could be considered a popsicle bender.  (who even knew that was a thing?!)  my first batch was coconut milk, banana and honey.  SO GOOD!  then i moved onto another staple- strawberry.  also delicious.  and did i mention these are healthy? yeah, the time is now and popsicles are your new best friend.  at least until my new ice cream maker gets some action, and then we may be having another conversation entirely.  if you have any suggestions for popsicles i must try, you know where to leave them!  xx- sarah  {more after the jump}

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STEAMED, CHILLED VEGETABLES WITH PRESERVED LEMON DIPPING OIL

there are no words for how much i love this, which i know seems crazy because it’s the simplest thing to make and something you wouldn’t think would be THAT satisfying.  but trust me on this one.  you will love it.  i first had a plate of steamed, chilled veggies with lemon juice, salt and olive oil at one of my favorite palm springs restaurants, birba, and now it’s become my go-to dish to make for guests.  this can replace a salad at a dinner party and i promise you, there won’t be a single complaint.  and, it’s the perfect way to get a start on eating though your preserved lemons!  {more after the jump}

i haven’t given specific amounts below because there’s just no way to go wrong here.  cook as much vegetables as you need for the occasion, and make as much dipping oil as you’d like!  you can always use the leftover to mix in with a pasta dish or drizzle over some sourdough bread.  hope you love!  xx- sarah

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PRESERVED LEMONS

 

you may remember from my last go round at pickling that i like to keep it simple when it comes to these sorts of adventures.  and i also die a small death at the thought of waiting weeks or months to enjoy the fruits of my labor (har har).  traditionally preserved lemons are made by quartering lemons, cramming as many of them as you can fit into a jar, filling up all the rest with kosher salt, seasonings and the juice from the lemons.  they’re amazing, but require THIRTY TO FORTY DAYS of relentless waiting.  to me this sounds about as satisfying as watching my fingernails grow.  i am so much more of an instant (or at least one week) gratification kind of gal. and so when i discovered mention of this shortcut route in my research i pretty much fell off my chair, picked myself up as quickly as i could and ran into the kitchen to start thinly slicing lemons and shoving them into a jar. {more after the jump}

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