Thai Peanut Spaghetti Squash Bowl

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Spaghetti Squash with Thai Peanut Sauce

Making peanut sauce is like having an old childhood friend come to visit. Not the kind of friend you avoid after spotting in the grocery store during a trip to visit your parents. Rather, the kind you actually want to see. The kind you wish you could run into more often.

This, for me at least, is how it feels when I’m whizzing away peanut sauce in the food processor. Upon first taste from the spatula, I always question myself as to why I don’t let the occasion occur more often. Peanut sauce should be a current friend, not a long lost one.

Peanut Sauce

I found this recipe over on a newly discovered blog, Produce on Parade. Katie whips up some awesome vegan dishes, including the one I’m sharing with you today.

It joins a relatively new pal of mine, spaghetti squash, with that old friend I mentioned above. It’s hard to go wrong when you put those two ingredients together in a bowl, and top it with fresh herbs and salty nuts.

Consider making one and a half batches of the sauce. Heck, go crazy and double it and you could have leftovers to dip tomorrow’s broccoli in. I tend to like things on the saucy side, so I upped the amounts listed in the recipe below. If your tastes lean the same way, I suggest you do the same.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeño Bisque

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Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeño Bisque

Sometimes misfortunes come as blessings in disguise. One door closes, another one opens. And then you realize, life’s all how you look at it. Ya know?

Lately I’ve been riding the happy wave, largely because of that mindset. Jump on it, and life becomes exciting.

Sweet Potatoes

The past few weeks feel like they’ve been filled with one terrible-turned-into-awesome situation after another, this recipe included.

This weekend, when I opened up my fridge, all that stared back at me were a bunch of  cold, bare, fluorescent lit shelves. That, and a jalapeño, a bag of carrots, a half empty carton of soy milk and a few bottles of beer. I’m really adapting to bachelor life well, it appears.

With a simple trip to the grocery store, well, you couldn’t exactly call this situation “terrible”. But bare refrigerator shelves? That’s no fun, and I was antsy to get cooking. For once, I didn’t want to spend my Sunday perusing the aisles of Whole Foods of farmer’s markets. (What’s happened to me?! Swapping food shopping time for friend time? Get outta here.)

Luckily, I didn’t need to leave the kitchen after stumbling across this recipe. Within it lay the few ingredients I somehow had on hand – sweet potatoes, corn in the freezer, and that lonely jalapeño I mentioned earlier. One glance at this over on Joanne’s lovely blog, and I said screw the grocery store. This needs to be made now.

Empty fridge = a blessing in disguise, I tell you.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeño Bisque

This soup has all the right elements going for it. It’s filled with creamy, naturally sweet goodness from the potatoes, paired with a crunch from the corn and a kick of spice in there too. Use what you have on hand, or make a trip out to go gather the necessary ingredients. I promise, for this one, it’s worth it.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Nori Brown Rice Bowls with Hoison Sauce

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Nori Brown Rice Bowls with Hoison Sauce

I can’t seem to kick my iced coffee habit. The days are nearing a blustery 40 degrees, and I’m still walking out of my local cafe with ice in my java. My hands are cold, my nose is red, my coffee is staring up at me like, “girl, what were you thinking? Now I’m cold too.”

What can I say. I like high fives. I like to ride my bike. I like my coffee over ice. All year around.

Sushi, on the other hand, is not something I always reach for as wintery weather sets in. It’s by far one of my favorite meals to grab during the summer. But this time of year, it often gets ousted for soup.

Ooooh, fall.

Ooooh, fall.

Bowls like these, however, combine the best of two worlds. Fresh veg, rice and nori, all wrapped up in a warm package. Feel free to add other sushi favorites, like avocado, sesame seeds, and maybe even a splash or two of rice wine vinegar into the cooked grains. This is essentially a free-form salad, inspired by Asian flavors, not entirely adherent to sushi. The bowl is what you make of it, my friends.

Nori Brown Rice Bowls with Hoison Sauce

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Swiss Chard and Black Bean Fritters

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Swiss Chard and Black Bean Fritters

Random mornings off from work are my favorite. The streets are quiet. The sunlight is spilling itself through the windows. The music is whatever I want it to be, and however loud I choose. And the kitchen is mine for the taking.

Talk about a me-centric morning. But sometimes those are very much in need.

I shot a wedding on Friday, which allowed me to take the start of the day at my leisure. Rather than logging all those hours in front of the computer, I decided instead to spend some serious “me” time in the kitchen. Rarely a bad choice. Especially when you’re working hard, and a long day awaits.

Swiss Chard

A meal filled with greens and protein is never a bad idea before (or after one) one of those days. I particularly love how much swiss chard fits into this recipe. That rainbow stemmed green is a warrior, I tell you.

Putting up a fight against the first few frosts, swiss chard still seems to be holding its own in the gardens around here. It’s one of my favorites to view, so naturally filled with beauty and color. The day it leaves the garden will be a sad one for me.

Luckily, it’s still going strong, ready to lend its nourishment in recipes like this. These fritters are crispy on the outside, yet incredibly moist inside, and filled with all the energy you need to take on the day. Pair with a dollop of yogurt, or maybe even a ketchup/hot sauce combo if serving for breakfast.

Swiss Chard and Bean Fritters

 

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Thai Black Pepper and Garlic Tofu

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Thai Garlic and Black Pepper Tofu

Sometimes you’ve got to spice life up. Sometimes you need to go dancing until daylight savings time turns the clocks. You need to go bowling on a random Sunday afternoon. You need to forget about time, try new interests and let old ones fall behind. It’s weekends like these that remind me, life is not so serious.

Tofu on the other hand, now that’s some serious business. Learn how to press it, and marinade it, and spice it up too, and it can be your new best dinner mate.

My tofu mate? I love a good pan-fried slice, seared with soy sauce and layered on whole grain bread spread with mayo, topped with sprouts, avocado, and a little S&P. Let’s call that some serious lunch.

For dinner, something like this Thai Black Pepper and Garlic Tofu adapted from FatFree Vegan Kitchen does the trick. That’s where all that pressing and marinading and spicing comes into play.

The following recipe creates a super light and veggie-packed meal, perfect for when you’re in the mood for something wholesome. Although, if you’re like me, you’ll richen it up a bit with a splash of coconut milk. That’s how you really spice life up.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…