Category: Sides

Vegan Creamy Artichoke Dip

VegenSpinachDip3Today I had the pleasure of cooking with the wonderful Stephanie Hoban from Ripe Cuisine. We had such an awesome time sharing stories and bonding over cooking together. She shared her super delicious vegan & gluten free dip with me which is perfect for any party. Since the holidays are so close, it’s a perfect starter or even meal (I pretty much ate the whole thing when she left). There’s hardly any fat so it’s completely guilt-free.

During this time of year, it’s hard to find a healthy crowd pleasing dish. My friends, this is it. Move over queso and hello healthy dip! My husband, who is such a meat and potatoes kind of guy admitted that it’s great! Trust me, it’s creamy, decadent and filling, what’s not to like?

Those of you who don’t know Stephanie, she’s so impressive! She took my dream path. (If only I had known at a younger age nutrition and food was my thing.) She’s a Houston native who studied nutrition at NYU then went off to culinary school. After, she moved back to Houston, had a few jobs then opened her own vegan food truck, Ripe Cuisine. Everything on her truck is homemade, even the ketchup! If you’re in the Houston area, trying her food is a must!

VegenSpinachDip6

 

VegenSpinachDip5
Print Recipe
 Vegan Creamy Artichoke Dip
Creamy Artichoke Dip with Spinach, Basil and Pinenuts by Stephanie Hoban, Ripe Cuisine
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375 F
  2. Peel zucchini and dice. Add to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade along with drained and rinsed white beans, Vegenaise, nutritional yeast, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, salt, red chili flake, and black pepper. Process until very smooth.
  3. In a large sauté pan heat oil and sauté onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in spinach and sauté on low until wilted. Strain spinach, pressing out as much water as possible, and set aside. In the same pan, sauté roughly chopped artichokes with lemon juice in the pan juices until soft and edges brown. Add back spinach and sauté 1 minute longer.
  4. With the motor of the food processor running, add in potato flour 1 teaspoon at a time. {The mixture should thicken considerably]. Add the pureed zucchini and beans to the pan with artichokes and spinach. Remove from heat and stir in chopped basil.
  5. Transfer dip to an oven safe casserole pan, drizzle with garlic oil, if using, and sprinkle on pinenuts. Bake for 20 minutes, and broil for 1 – 2 minutes to achieve a golden top. Allow to sit and firm up for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes

Ripe Tip: By substituting the canned beans and zucchini in place of cheese you save a load of calories, fat and cholesterol in favor of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Serve with your favorite crackers, corn chips, or pita.

 

Sriracha Caramel Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts Fish Caramel 5

There’s a restaurant in Houston and Austin (Texas) called Uchi and they make the best brussel sprouts I have ever had. Back when these babies were all the rage, yes, I’m a little late, many restaurants tried to duplicate this recipe. Some were successful and some put a slight spin on them. Those of you who haven’t tried this dish, now is your chance. The best way I can describe it is crunchy, soft, salty, sweet and spicy. There’s really a lot going on.

I found a few recipes but then adapted it to suite my taste buds. Most of the recipes used a deep fryer, which makes the outside nice and crispy but the inside tender. The best way to achieve this is baking at a high temperate and making sure the sprouts are even in size. My recipe is NOT fried and healthier than their version! Though there is sugar, 3 tablespoons to be exact. But a little sugar doesn’t hurt anyone. 🙂

This Sriracha Caramel Fish Sauce Brussel Sprout recipe is the perfect addition to your holiday table. Your friends and family will love you, I promise. You can find the recipe here on Monica’s blog, Classy & Fabulous.

Brussel Sprouts Fish Caramel 4
Print Recipe
 Sriracha Caramel Brussel Sprouts
Sriracha Caramel Brussel Sprouts also found on www.classandfab.com.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425. While the oven is heating, wash and trim brussel sprout ends. If the sprouts are really large, cut them in half.
  2. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil. Spray generously with non-stick cooking spray. Toss sprouts with oil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.
  3. While the sprouts are cooking, place the sugar in a saucepan. Cook stirring with a high heat spatula until amber. Slowly pour in lemon juice, fish sauce, sriracha, garlic, and ½ c hot water. The sugar syrup may clump but keep cooking it until it melts and reduces. Add black pepper, remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Put sprouts in a serving dish and generously pour the sauce over them. Serve immediately.

Summer Salad

Summer Salad 1

Everyone needs a go-to refreshing summer salad recipe when it gets hot out. This is mine that’s sure to wow a crowd. It’s sweet and slightly bitter which compliments any dish that comes as the main course.

When I was coming up with recipe I was trying to find a veggie that pops. I really wanted a watermelon radish but they were no where to be found in my city :(. I seriously looked everywhere and tried to special order them, it was a no go. I stumbled upon these gorgeous chioggia beets, luckily! They really make the salad with their tie-dye pretty look.

Normally, I make salads with arugula, romaine or spinach but sunflower sprouts bring something different to the table. Not only is their texture slightly crunchy but it delivers a lemony nutty flavor. This is a perfect compliment to the sweet, sour and bitter flavors from the cherries, orange and beets. The best part is that this recipe is versatile for all diets: vegan, vegetarian, carnivores, gluten free, kosher and the list goes on.

Beets

 

Summer Salad 2

 

Summer Salad 2

 

Summer Salad 2
Print Recipe
 Summer Salad
Servings
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine all dressing ingredients in blender. Blend and set aside.
  2. Toss sunflower sprouts in the dressing then pile them on the plate. After, add the sectioned orange, cherries, beets and optional items. Serve immediately

Truffled Asparagus Tart

Asparagus Tart 1:The Foodie ChefI’ve been wanting to make this beautifully simple gruyere asparagus tart recipe for a while now. Houston Tidbits asked to do collaboration with me and Whole Foods and I just couldn’t pass it up. This was the perfect time to tweak this recipe to be even better than it is. If you’re looking for a perfectly pretty appetizer or a nice partner to a green salad, this recipe is the way to go! I used the best organic ingredients from Whole Foods’ 365 organic brand. It’s quality stuff and I just love their products.

I opted to purchase the puff pastry since it’s such a time consuming item to make. I remember making it in pastry school using a sheeter, which makes it so easy. The machine simply thins the dough out to your liking. I remember one time my group and I decided to make it by hand without the sheeter. (bad idea) We had to quickly roll out butter into thin sheets while folding it like a book into the dough, then repeating this process several times. You can really get some great arm muscles from this process. Get my drift? Trust me, just buy frozen puff pastry, it’s a great ready-made product.

The secret ingredient, truffle oil, was a generous gift from a sweet friend who visited France recently. It adds the perfect woodsy component to the rich buttery pastry and salty yet sweet Gruyere and asparagus. It’s a serious umami thing going on, you must try it.Asparagus Tart 6:The Foodie Chef

Asparagus Tart 7:The Foodie Chef Asparagus Tart 8:The Foodie Chef Asparagus Tart 5:The Foodie Chef Asparagus Tart 4:The Foodie Chef Asparagus Tart 2:The Foodie Chef

 

Asparagus Tart 3:The Foodie Chef
Print Recipe
 Truffled Asparagus Tart
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
  2. Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; toss in olive oil then arrange in a single layer over Gruyere. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. After, lightly drizzle with good quality truffle oil.

Baked Stuffed Artichokes

Artichokes 2

I have to admit, I have been a little intimidated by the cook time of artichokes. I like quick and easy cooking but this was a nice little challenge. Growing up my mom would steam them for an hour or so. I just remember it taking so long and then there wasn’t much to eat after that long cook time. I never thought to bake them until now. So I searched for a recipe and adapted it to the one below. (they’re super easy)

The first thing I did was slice a quarter of an inch off the top exposing the inside leaves (first picture). In the second picture, you can see I separated the leaves leaving room to fill them with delicious cheesy goodness and garlic.

artichokes 1

Next, I filled them with the parmesan mixture, stuffing it in every crevice possible.

artichokes 3

Then fill the baking pan with hot water, cover with foil and bake.

artichokes 4
Print Recipe
 Baked Stuffed Artichokes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour and 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour and 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Wash artichokes thoroughly then slice the bottom stem off letting it stand evenly.
  3. Slice 1/4 inch off the top leaves leaving them exposed. Then stretch open the leaves making room for the stuffing.
  4. Combine all ingredients except the lemon then stuff in between each leaf. After you're done stuffing, squeeze a spritz of lemon on top to preserve the color (oops I forgot to do that). Then drizzle olive oil on top of each.
  5. Place the artichokes in a baking dish and fill 1/4 of the way up with boiling water. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 

Black Bean & Chickpea Chili

Bean chili 1

When I’m making menu’s for my customers I like to think outside of the box. What can my customers only get from me and not take out? This is the challenge that I struggle with weekly when I make my menu’s. Not to mention following all of their likes and dislikes. On an occasion, I like to throw in a vegetarian dish. Well, almost vegetarian since I love my good ol’ chicken stock. A friend of mine who is a dietician helps me out on occasion when I’m suffering from menu block. She’s obsessed with vegetarian recipes so she’s the inspiration for this one 🙂

When I first tasted this recipe after making it, I ate it for lunch and dinner 3 days straight. Seriously. It has the perfect amount of spice and the beans are so filling. It’s really a healthy comfort food and highly recommend making it. My customers loved it too!

Bean chili 3
Print Recipe
 Black Bean & Chickpea Chili
Recipe adapted from Love and Lemons
Servings
4 people
Ingredients
Ingredients
Serve with
Servings
4 people
Ingredients
Ingredients
Serve with
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, salt & pepper and stir. Cook until the onion is slightly translucent then add the garlic and peppers. Stir and cook until soft.
  2. Add the canned tomatoes and the chicken stock. Then add the black beans, chickpeas, adobo sauce, corn and seasonings. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 25 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Taste and adjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper.
  4. Serve with toppings of your choice. Chill the leftovers and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes

*To make vegetarian: swap the chicken stock for water or vegetable stock

Cajun Seasoned Kale Chips

I’m always looking for a healthy snack and these kale chips are just it! They have a hint of spice and are good enough for the carnivorous fiance to approve of. These were all of the hype about a year ago but i’m bringing them back because they’re so delicious.  You can season them with so many different flavors: parm, salt & pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle powder, taco seasoning, etc.

Did I mention how healthy they are for you? Kale is the richest source of carotenoids in the leafy-green vegetable family, making it a top cancer-fighter. Cancer fighter? I’m in!

photo 5 (1)

First start out by washing the kale and preheating the oven to 425 degrees.

Kale 1

I like dinosaur kale because of its texture but you can also use other varieties.

Tear the leaves off from the stem keeping them together.

Kale 2

Dry them with a paper towel then add grapeseed oil. Spread them evenly, be sure not to crowd them as they will steam and not crisp up. Sprinkle your chosen seasoning on top. Bake for about 7 minutes depending on your oven. Be sure not to over cook them- they will burn! (it happened to one of my batches, eek!)

Kale 3

They’re light and crispy like a chip and healthy! What more can you ask for?

kale 5

 

Print Recipe
 Cajun Seasoned Kale Chips
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Servings
6
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Servings
6
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Clean the kale thoroughly then peel back the leaves from the stem leaving them in long pieces.
  3. Dry the leaves then toss them with grapeseed oil on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  4. After tossing them in oil, sprinkle the cajun seasoning on top.
  5. Bake for 7 minutes, or until crisp. Keep an eye on them! You don't want them to burn.
Recipe Notes

When spreading out the kale on a cookie sheet, make sure you don't put them too close together. They will steam instead of crisp up.

:: Pretzel Balls & Bacon Jam ::

The theme lately, with me, seems to be salty and sweet (last post).  Salty, fluffy, crispy, and chewy pretzel balls paired with sweet, savory, chewy and flavorful bacon jam. What more could you ask for? Your tastebuds will be dancing once you eat these nuggets dipped in heaven.  This will be a hit at your holiday party, superbowl party, or even just lounging on a lazy Sunday.

I made these recipes for the first time a year ago and it was a hit at our friends superbowl party. I made the jam the day before because it takes almost 4 hours to cook in the crock pot. Our apartment smelled of warm, sweet bacon which kept us salivating for days. The balls are time consuming as well so get ready to wait for the prize!

 May I present you with…

Here’s how I made the Bacon Jam

Here’s how I made the Pretzel Balls

1 hour later

:: The finished product ::

Print Recipe
 :: Pretzel Balls & Bacon Jam ::
Pretzel Balls Adapated from Paula Deen and Bacon Jam adapted from Martha Stewart
Servings
Ingredients
Bacon Jam
Pretzel Balls
Servings
Ingredients
Bacon Jam
Pretzel Balls
Instructions
Bacon Jam
  1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.
  2. Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.
Pretzel Balls
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water and yeast. When the yeast dissolves/activates, add half of the flour, the butter, salt, and sugar and mix for about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky. Let the dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until it doubles in size, about 45 to 50 minutes. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into 18-inch long ropes. On a greased cookie sheet, shape each rope into a pretzel shape. Let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
  3. In a large non-aluminum dutch oven over high heat, bring 4 cups of water and baking soda to a boil. Using a large spoon, gently lower pretzels into water a few at a time and boil until they float. Return the pretzels the sheet pan and brush with an egg wash then sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake until browned, about 12 minutes.

Moroccan Cooking with Grandma Lalouf

I had such a pleasure learning the Moroccan way of rustic cooking with my best friend Lindsey and her grandmother.  After a year of asking Lindsey to invite me over to her grandmothers, I was finally granted my wish!  I was invited over to her grandparents lovely home for a very filling lunch with the family and then a cooking lesson.
It was really interesting to hear stories of life in Algeria and Morocco when times were rough.  The style of cooking directly mirrored this. The way grandma cut the eggplant without a cutting board was very minimalistic and interesting to me.  All of the dishes had bold strong flavors from garlic to turmeric. They were all delicious and unique in their own way.  She taught me how to make the eggplant dip which is very similar to babaganoush. The recipe is to follow…

Needless to say, I had a wonderful time and hope to get an invitation back for yet another lesson 🙂










 

Print Recipe
 Grandma Lalouf's Eggplant Dip Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Cook eggplant in oil for 10 minutes then remove. Cook tomato for about 10 minutes. Add eggplant, garlic, chili oil and salt to cooked tomato. Simmer for 1 hour uncovered.
  2. This dip not only can be served with pita chips, vegetable cridite, but even spread on bread for a different sandwich!
  3. Cooking option 2: leave out the tomato and add lemon juice (to taste) and cumin (1 tsp)
  4. Enjoy!

Pork and Prawn Dumplings


I felt inspired to make these delicious purses of yummyiness from eating dim sum. I’ve had the greatest opportunity to share a few dim sum meals with my Chinese friend Kevin and his family. It’s honestly the best way to try dim sum. They order, you eat. After making these lumps of love, it has made me have much respect for dim sum makers. You need lots of patience to give some love to each dumpling. They were oh so good; especially dipped in a mixture of sweet chili sauce and soy sauce.

Print Recipe
 Pork and Prawn Dumplings
adapted from Ching-He Huang
Servings
Ingredients
Pork and Prawn Filling
Dumplings
Servings
Ingredients
Pork and Prawn Filling
Dumplings
Instructions
  1. Mix the pork, prawns, onion, ginger, soy sauce rice wine, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients.
  2. Take 1 wonton wrapper and place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center. Brush the wonton wrapper with egg wash to prevent wrappers from opening up and separating from the filling once cooked. Then, gather up the sides of the wrapper and mold it around the filling into a ball-like shape, leaving the center exposed. You can top each dumpling with a Goji berry for some added color and flavor. *Note* Cover unused wonton wrappers with a damp towel to keep them moist.
  3. Oil the bottom of a bamboo steamer and line it with parchment paper. Arrange the dumplings in the steamer, cover with a lid and place it over a pan of boiling water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the steamer. Steam the dumplings for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cooked.
  4. Meanwhile, combine the chile, and soy sauce into a bowl. Serve alongside the dumplings.
  5. You can switch up the meat if you don't enjoy either pork or prawn. Beef would be a great substitute!