I love garlic. I use it in most of my dishes and highlight it’s bold flavor in recipes like my garlic pasta, where I use a whole head of roasted garlic. One snack dish I make quite often is sautéed garlic edamame. Edamame is usually boiled in water then eaten plain or with a pinch of salt, but I just love the flavor combination cooked with crushed garlic.
Asian-Style Sesame and Garlic Green Beans – A Quick and Flavorful Side Dish
In my opinion, a side dish is just as important as a main dish and it should be flavorful enough to stand on its own. Sesame oil is one of my favorite condiments to add to a vegetable dish. The flavor is bold so you don’t need much and it’s a delicious way to jazz up green beans. Once you add it to the pan, the aroma of the sesame oil lingers in your kitchen. Then you know it’s time to eat!
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Breakfast Muesli with Pecans, Hunza Raisins and Cacao Nibs
My first experience eating muesli was in Germany during a visit meeting my soon-to-be in-laws. In Europe (specifically Switzerland and Germany), muesli is a popular uncooked breakfast cereal based on rolled oats, dried fruits and nuts. It is typically soaked in milk (I use my homemade almond milk) or yogurt and topped with fresh fruits. For extra sweetness top it off with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Mizuna Greens Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Sliced Apple
Today I made a healthy and simple salad using mizuna greens. Mizuna is a Japanese green and the flavor is delicious, like a peppery green similar to arugula, but milder. It’s wonderful eaten raw but you can also have it sauteed, steamed, pickled or used in soups. I added sweet pomegranate seeds and apple slices to compliment the slight bitter flavor of the mizuna.
Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Tempeh
We didn’t eat Brussels sprouts growing up, but after moving back to the East Coast they quickly became one of my favorite seasonal vegetables. I typically roast them in the oven which makes the outside crispy and brown, while the inside stays nice and tender.
Cranberry Tea Jam with Apples, Sweetened with Dates
I’m not a fan of getting rid of food (something I learned from my mom), so here’s a jam recipe I made using leftovers from the cranberry tea I posted a few days ago. I cooked the leftover cranberries with an apple, a perfect pairing this time of year. To soften the mixture I added some of the original cranberry tea.
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup – Blended with Carrots and Potatoes
Butternut squash is in season and soup is a great way to take advantage of this super healthy vegetable. A type of winter squash, butternut squash is rich in fiber and is an excellent source of vitamin A and E. I added some carrots and potatoes pureed in a blender making this soup very creamy with a beautiful orange hue. It’s a perfect dish to ring in the autumn season and to keep you warm on a chilly night!