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Baked Falafel
I loveeee falafel. Few falafel places could ever compete with falafel drive-in, but I crave falafel so often that driving all the way to San Jose to get a fix doesn’t make much sense. Plus, most middle eastern places fry their falafel, which makes them super delicious, but not very healthy. These falafel are a healthier option. You can easily make them at home, freeze them, and reheat later for a quick meal. They can be served on top of a salad or in pita bread for a quick lunch. Ingredients: 1 (14 oz) can chickpea 2 garlic cloves minced 2 green onions sliced 1/2 large red onion chopped 1/2…
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Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
I love tortilla soup. I mean, in general I’m not a big soup person, but of soups- this one is definitely up there. Most restaurants make chicken or meat tortilla soups, but I decided to try to make a vegetarian one at home. Theres something about the crispy tortilla pieces in the hot soup that really is comforting. Anyway, last week I was really sick. I had a sore throat, a fever, the works. Usually this means that I would crawl to my parents house in agony wanting homemade rasam (oh wait, I did that too- thanks Appa!), but in the meanwhile, I decided that making a few quick soups was…
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Spinach Almond Pesto
I love love love fresh pestos- they taste fresher and are much healthier than store bought versions. You all probably know about my love for pesto given my previous Kale & Cashew pesto recipe. This recipe is similar, but has a slightly richer flavor given the almonds. It is also a beautiful, bright color which is fun! Ingredients: 2 C spinach (uncooked) 2 T olive oil 1/3 C sliced almonds 1 t salt 3 cloves garlic 4-5 basil leaves (to brighten up the flavor- can be omitted) 2 T water (room temp) Recipe: 1. Combine everything in a magic bullet or food processor thoroughly and enjoy! Serve with bread, pasta,…
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Tofu Masala Patties
I absolutely love the vegetarian masala burgers from trader joes. They are easy (because the come frozen) and totally delicious. However, they’re super high in sodium which I want to try to avoid when possible. I decided to try and come up with a healthier version that allowed me to use ingredients I keep at home regularly. I haven’t tried freezing them yet (but will update this post when I test that out!) Make sure to cut up all the veggies small so that the patties stick together well and don’t hesitate to be creative with the ingredients! Ingredients: 1.5 T minced garlic 1 T minced ginger 3 T finely…
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Mocha Mousse Tart (gluten free!)
My lovely friend Rebecca just turned 26 and I wanted to make her something delicious and sweet. This tart is gluten-free (though it doesn’t have to be) and not overly sweet. Plus it’s a pretty quick and easy dessert to make. Ingredients: 2/3 C melted butter + extra to grease pans 2 C graham crackers 2/3 C + 4 T cocoa 5 T warm water 1 t vanilla 4 ounces bitter sweet or dark chocolate 2 C cold heavy cream 3 T sugar 1/2 t. salt 6 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels 1/4 C black coffee Recipe: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Combine graham crackers, 2/3 C cocoa…
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Paella!
I love love love love a well made paella. Tapas are amongst my favorite foods, and paella is certainly a dish I can’t resist when I go to a spanish restaurant. There are some great places for Spanish food in SF, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to recreate paella at home. This is only my second time making paella, so I’m bound to change and improve this recipe, but thought I’d share the basic version. I made this paella with veggies and mussels, but you can easily make this vegetarian or more meaty. If you want to stay vegetarian, I’d recommend adding some extra veggies like squash, carrots,…
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Spicy Goat Cheese Arrabiata Sauce
I absolutely love arrabiata sauce. For those of you who haven’t tried it, it’s a tomato based pasta sauce with a little kick! I think it’s a nice way to spice up simple pastas like spaghetti or penne. I highly recommend making your own pasta sauces if you have the time. They don’t spoil as quickly as some store bought jars and you can freeze them in small quantities and use them whenever you feel like. Plus, they make great gifts! Ingredients: 1 C diced onion (I used a red onion) 1 can tomatoes 5-7 basil leaves chopped 1 C water at room temperature 1 T olive oil 2 t…
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Dijon Caper Brussel Sprouts
There is a restaurant called Local Kitchen right around the corner from my house and they serve the most amazing dijon caper brussel sprouts. I’ve tried to recreate them about 10 times and feel like I’ve finally come up with a good recipe that pretty closely replicates the flavor. I’m pretty sure their brussel sprouts are fried, but to make this a little healthier I decided to bake mine. Ingredients: 20 brussel sprouts (cut in halves) 2 T capers 2 T olive oil + extra to for baking 1 T dijon mustard juice of half a lemon Recipe: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Cut the brussel sprouts in…
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Homemade Hummus
Hummus might possible be my favorite snack. It’s sad, because my father is deathly allergic to chickpeas, but seriously it’s just SOO good. It’s healthy, comes in lots of flavors, and can go well on chips, pita, veggies, sandwiches, etc. I generally buy Trader Joe’s spicy or cilantro hummus. Both are really flavorful! But real talk, it’s incredibly easy to make hummus on your own and you can avoid the preservatives, bad oils, and excess salt. Why not?!? Ingredients: 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans 1/2 C tahini (sesame seed sauce) 3 cloves of garlic 1/2 T paprika 1 teaspoon salt (might need to increase, but tahini generally is salty)…
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Homemade Kale and Cashew pesto
I absolutely love pesto, but sometimes it can be a little rich and over the top. Also, store bought pesto can be too oily and unhealthy to eat regularly. Last night, I made some homemade pasta dough and was waiting the obligatory 30 minutes while it rested. I wanted to create a fun and delicious sauce for the spaghetti and thought that pesto was the way to go. I didn’t have any basil or pine nuts, but figured I could adapt this recipe for the ingredients I had on hand. I served this on pasta, but you could also serve this as a spread in a sandwich, on some crostini,…
