Holiday Recipes

I used potatoes, parsnips and carrots to provide additional contrasts in flavor and color, but this dish would work equally well if you only use potatoes — it's true that some people do not like parsnips, but they are sweet and delightful when roasted and I think a sadly underrated vegetable. But if parsnips are just not for you and your preference is to only use potatoes, substitute an additional pound of potatoes for the parsnips and carrots.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Garlic, Mustard and Orange

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Greek Published on May 10, 2019 A hearty side dish of potatoes, parsnips and carrots roasted in a warm, fragrant and zesty mustard, garlic and citrus sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 2/3 cup olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed 2 1/2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder, to taste 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste 1 1/2 lbs (675 g) fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut into halves or quarters 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into strips 1 large carrot, scrubbed and cut into strips 2 seedless oranges, halved and cut into 1/2 inch slices 6 thyme sprigs Instructions: Preheat an oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, orange juice, oregano, thyme, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, black pepper and salt. The mixture should be fairly thick. Arrange the potatoes, parsnips, carrot and orange slices evenly into a 13 × 9 inch glass baking dish and pour the sauce over top. Toss well to coat. Place a piece of parchment paper over the baking dish and bake the vegetables in the oven for 40 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven, discard the parchment paper, and toss the vegetables. If they seem too dry, add a bit more olive oil or lemon juice. Place a few of the thyme sprigs over top. Return the vegetables to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until they are cooked through and nicely browned. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, some red chili flakes if desired, and the remaining thyme sprigs. Serve hot. Makes 5 to 6 servings

Audio accompaniment: Puzzle Muteson - En Garde

Source: https://foodandspice.blogspot.com/2019/05/roasted-root-vegetables-with-garlic.html

Jackfruit is one of those awesome ingredients that’s vegan and vegetarian friendly; but has the texture of meat without being super processed. It’s not really high in protein though (but for a fruit, 3g per cup is still impressive!), so it doesn’t compare to meat on a nutritional level, but it’s great for a meaty texture in dishes. Which is why, when paired with beans, rice and veggies – it makes for an awesome dinner that’s hearty, satisfying and super nutritious! These BBQ Jackfruit Burrito Bowls are a great way to mix up your weekly meals! They were inspired by a recipe I found on this vegan meal delivery website – which I modified slightly to make them even easier to make at home!

So what does Jackfruit look like before it’s cooked? Like this:

It’s a really funny looking plant, and it’s actually a sibling of the fig tree, which I thought was kind of cool. I’d be intimidated to cut and prepare one myself, but luckily jackfruit comes already prepared most of the time! You can get it canned which obviously saves time on prep work.

This bowl get its big flavor from AllPlants‘ custom BBQ recipe – but you can save a ton of time by using a prepared BBQ sauce – I like the organic brand from Whole Foods.

Kitchen Tools I Used for This Recipe:

My kids loved this recipe; my daughter was especially intrigued by jackfruit and the fact that we put “fruit” in our burrito bowls! I hope you love this recipe as much as we did – it’s going to be a regular rotation in our house during these colder months!

Today’s recipe is everything you’ve been looking for in a summer cake: it’s simple to make and spotlights the most beautiful fruits of the season.

If you’ve got an event to celebrate this month but you don’t want to spend the whole afternoon in the kitchen, then you are going to love this Yogurt Sheet Cake with Summer Berries. Or perhaps you are looking for an original dessert to bring to a weekend pot-luck? This recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser – and a bit of a show-stealer, too.

Best of all, you can get the kids involved in a little kitchen project, because anyone can decorate this cake. Bonus point for picking your own berries!

All images by Alison Slattery

Over the summer, I usually bake up a stream of crisps, cobblers, pies and galettes, all bursting with seasonal fruits and berries – so I don’t end up making very many cakes. I think the last one I layered and frosted was my Lemon Berry Stripe Cake to mark the Royal wedding in May.

But a significant July birthday for a special someone (Danny!) called for a celebratory cake and so Clara and I decided to have some fun.

I chose a simple sheet cake that would hold up well in the heat; no buttercream frosting, thank you very much. This one sat outside in a heat wave for an hour, and was as pretty as when we started.

Adapted from an old Gourmet magazine recipe, this cake has been in my repertoire for years. I love it, not just for its simplicity, but for its tender crumb too. No doubt the cake’s moistness is a result of the two cups of yogurt, and the addition of cake flour keeps it light as a feather.

A 9×13 cake offers a blank canvas for decorating and the possibilities are endless. Now sure, you can heap on the macarons and dust the whole thing with sprinkles, like my Perfect Chocolate Cake, but it’s July, and we’ve got berries.

Thanks to the heat we’ve been having, our raspberry bushes are doubled over with the weight of their berries, and our neighbour has offered us his row of red currant bushes, ripe for the picking. The local u-pick still has strawberries and now the blueberries are ready, too.

At the markets, we also found blackberries and bright green gooseberries, so we gathered a bit of everything for this kitchen project.

This cake beautifully showcased the gorgeous seasonal berries in the most simple way: presented like jewels on a glossy vanilla glaze. The glaze is whisked up in a bowl, poured over the top and left to run down the sides in the true unhurried fashion of lazy summer cooking.

Pair this cake with any berries or fresh fruit that you like; whatever is gorgeous and ripe at the market or in your backyard. Cherries, sliced peaches or ripe apricots would all be scrumptious, or just use every berry you can find, like me!

The children are home with me for the summer, so any time I can include them in a kitchen project, I will. Clara not only helped bake the cake, she also picked some of the berries and created the beautiful arrangement on top. I could see us making this again for a tea party with friends or bringing it with us on a picnic playdate.

We restrained ourselves when decorating the top of the cake, as we wanted an artful presentation, but once the cake is cut and served, don’t hold back. Heap those warm, sun-ripened berries onto the plates because our summers are short, and these gems don’t last long.

The yogurt cake feeds a good crowd – a dozen generous slices – but it’s just as delicious on the second day. As with all cakes, let it come up to room temperature, berries and all, before serving.

Images provided by my fellow cake-scarfing friend, Alison Slattery of Two Food Photographers. Thanks, Ali!

My friend was confused. She had heard me order a soft cheese taco plate, but when it arrived, she pointed at it and said, “What’s that? Those are enchiladas not tacos.”

To the uninitiated I could see why this would be a common assumption. While soft cheese tacos may appear to be enchiladas, as indeed they are rolled corn tortillas stuffed with cheese and smothered in sauce, in this case the sauce in question is not a chile gravy or a salsa verde, but instead chile con queso.

So why are called tacos and not enchiladas with queso? Well, it’s a matter of semantics. An enchilada is known as such because the tortillas have been dipped into a chile-based salsa. The Spanish verb enchilar, from which the word enchilada derives, means to season with chile pepper. While there are jalapeños in the queso, that sauce’s foundation is dairy not peppers, and so these rolled, stuffed, and sauced tortillas are not technically enchiladas.

No matter their quirky name, however, this addition to the Tex-Mex canon would probably still be unfamiliar to you if you’re not from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as their presence is largely concentrated to North Texas. Though if you’re a queso fan, this is clearly a shame as what’s not to enjoy about cheese, tortillas, and more cheese?

These tacos can appear on their own, usually with a side of rice and beans. They also are a popular item on combination platters, often slid onto the plate between a tamale and a beef enchilada. Either way you savor them, however, know that they are fine eating. To enjoy a soft cheese taco is to experience comfort that doesn’t require much thought beyond enjoying the natural mood enhancers brought by the dairy and peppers.

Now, curious about the taco’s history, I traced the earliest appearance of a recipe in a San Antonio cookbook published in 1937. These differed than the ones served today as these were smothered in a tomato salsa. But the presence of a softly cooked rolled corn tortillas stuffed with melted cheese, as opposed to say a folded tortilla or even a crispy tortilla, marked the arrival of something different.

From the 1940s through the 1950s, the soft cheese taco began appearing across the state of Texas, and if you were a fan, you could order one from Corpus Christi to Denton. While I don’t know if the versions on offer were served with tomato salsa, by the 1950s they would sometimes be advertised as a soft cheese taco with chile con queso, so I assume that was the prevailing style. Their heyday was brief, however, and by the 1960s they’d fallen off most menus and were concentrated mainly in North Texas.

Because they can be an elusive dish, if you crave them I recommend making them at home. They’re not difficult and if you’ve ever prepared enchiladas, the process is similar. First you make a chile con queso, then you load hot corn tortillas with shredded cheese, roll, bake until melted, then smother in sauce.

One anomaly of the soft cheese taco is that often the cheese stuffed into the tortilla is cheddar or Monterey Jack or a combination, though the queso is pure processed cheese. The contrast between the two, one sharp and one creamy, works well. For additional piquancy, I add diced onions to my filling and serve with tangy pickled jalapeño slices, though these embellishments are optional.

When I shared soft cheese tacos in my first book, a friend from Dallas that lives in New York was over the moon. “You don’t hear about these often,” she said. And unless you’re from that part of the state it’s true. I also included a version in my recent Queso book, for obvious reasons. But I thought it was time to place a recipe on the blog, as well. Soft cheese tacos are certainly deserving of all the love.

Dec 07

The cutest grain free gingerdoodle cookies make with a swirl of snickerdoodle cookie dough and gingerbread cookie dough. These festive cookies are perfectly sweet, gluten free, and great for the holidays!

The very last day of #AKCookieWeek is here and while I’m sad for it to end, I’m so excited to end it with a bang. Meet my grain free GINGERDOODLE cookies. That’s right, they’re a fusion between a gingerbread cookie and a snickerdoodle — what more could you want in a holiday cookie?!

To be honest, I had a really hard time naming these. At first, I thought about calling them gingerbread swirl cinnamon roll cookies, which was cute, but not as amazing as your suggestion of gingerdoodle.

So thank you, AK community!

These cookies were inspired by two of my other very favorite christmas cookies: my almond flour sugar cookies and my paleo ginger molasses cookies. I basically infused both doughs together, rolled them up and glazed them with a light vanilla icing.

I originally made these right before Thanksgiving and then brought them over to my mother in law’s. We both couldn’t stop eating them! They get softer as the days go on and I couldn’t resist having one with my cup of afternoon almond milk latte.

Pretty sure I’m going to be dreaming about these cookies for the rest of my life.

Please know that these cookies are both gluten free and grain free, plus they can easily be made dairy free too! I’ve included options in the notes section of the recipe.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I haven’t tested these cookies with any other flours. I know I’m going to get the question about flour replacement, but these cookies are meant to be gluten free/grain free.

If you’re interested in making a ‘regular’ version of these gingerdoodles, I suggest combining my molasses cookie dough and my brown butter snickerdoodle dough, you should get delicious results.

Cookie Week Giveaway:

We’re giving away one $250 Amazon gift card to supply all of your baking needs this season! To enter:

1. Make any Ambitious Kitchen cookie recipe, snap a photo, and share it in our Facebook Group or on Instagram. 

2. Use the hashtags #AKCookieWeek and #AmbitiousKitchen (note: make sure your account is public so that we can see your creations!)

3. The more times you enter, the better chance you have at winning! Winner will be announced on Monday, 12/10 and notified via DM. USA only, 18 years and older.

SEE HOW TO MAKE THE COOKIES:

PIN THESE GINGERDOODLE COOKIES:

Taco seasoned ground beef mixed with shredded cheddar cheese served over sweet potato noodles, kale, and avocado. This hearty, nutritious beef bowl is meal prep friendly and flavor packed! 

Every once in a while, when I’m out at an Italian spot known for their meatballs, I’ll order the meatballs. I don’t think twice about it (eating beef.) Outside of that, I don’t eat beef. There are many reasons why I choose to only occasionally eat beef, but there are no foods on the never list, because I live a life free of restrictions like that.

Of course, there are foods that I’ll never keep in my household, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t enjoy them outside the home. For me, my home is a place that inspires me to be happy and healthy. Thus, I only stock my pantry and fridge with foods that make me feel my best, since I’m home the most!

However, since I’ve started cooking all of Luca’s meals, I’ve been trying to give him a variety of foods and expose him to all types of foods and flavors. Lately, I’ve been finding ways to give him more meats, since it doesn’t come naturally in my personal meal prep each week.

I wanted to “test” beef out on him – would he like it? I can usually tell within the first 3 seconds if he’s going to like the food. And the verdict is out – he loved it!

The ground beef is seasoned with my homemade taco seasoning (in the recipe!), some broth, and of course, some shredded cheese. This gives the bowl a sauce-like consistency. Every bite is full of flavor, texture, and nutrients!

If you’re like me and don’t eat much beef, try these bowls with ground turkey! They’re kid and adult friendly!

Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a sweet potato using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Valentine’s Day is over, which means we’re rolling right on to the next commercial holiday, and what Easter basket candy is more iconic than Peeps? Maybe just one: jelly beans. But now, those two iconic springtime candies have come together. Yes, Peeps Jelly Beans are coming.

The 12 Best Easter Egg Hunts for All Ages

In addition to tons of new marshmallow bunnies and chicks, the brand is releasing brand new Peeps Jelly Beans in three different flavors including strawberry and marshmallow, lemon and marshmallow, and blueberry and marshmallow. They’re pretty cheap, too. You can get two bags for just $5.

There’s just one catch, and it’s that you can only get them at Kroger stores and their subsidiaries, which include Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, Harris Teeter, and more. The same goes for new Root Beer Float Flavored Marshmallow Chicks, priced at $3.00 for two 10-count packages.

Don't live near a Kroger? Target is also selling two new Peeps products exclusively: Chocolate Caramel Swirl Filled Delights Marshmallow Chicks Dipped in Chocolate. Just as the name suggests, these are chocolate-flavored marshmallows dipped in chocolate and filled with a caramel center. They cost $2.09 per three-count package. They launch alongside Peeps Delights Vanilla Crème Flavored Marshmallow Chicks Dipped in Crème Flavored Fudge. These vanilla cream-flavored marshmallows — dipped in the same flavor of fudge — are also $2.09 per three-count package.

New products launching at major retailers nationwide include a solid milk chocolate Peeps bunny wrapped in pastel-colored foils ($3.75 to $5.50 per bunny), Orange Sherbet Flavored Marshmallow Chicks Dipped in Crème Flavored Fudge ($1.99 to $2.49 per three-count package), Pancakes and Syrup Flavored Marshmallow Chicks ($1.69 to $2.09 per 10-count package) and Cotton Candy Flavored Marshmallow Chicks ($1.69 to $2.09 per 10-count package and $1.89 to $2.49 per 15-count package).

There are also tons of flavors returning this spring, like watermelon-, party cake-, fruit punch- and blue raspberry-flavored chicks, milk chocolate-covered chicks, classic and coconut-flavored chicks dipped in chocolate and so on and so forth. Peeps are taking over the candy aisle on many different levels this season, that’s for sure. But that’s nothing new. Americans will eat more than 600 million Peeps this Easter, and that’s just one thing you probably didn’t know about the festive sugar-dusted treat.

Here’s what this past week looked like: My Everyday Life Week 3

Sunday marketing!

Turned into all this for the week.

I’m on an arugula kick. Which reminds me…. I need to make my favorite salad.

Meal prep means I have more salads during the week. YAY.

This week my Dad had an overnight stay in the hospital after surgery.

He is ok! My brother and I went to hang out with him.

Hospital food is like plane food.

Ryan and I got ramen.

It was nice spending so much time with my brother this week.

We had a Costco adventure and thought about our Mom. The night before she was rushed to the hospital she had gone to Costco and messed her car up in the parking lot. I was standing there wondering what part of the parking lot it was. I’ll never know.  It’s still so weird to live our lives without her.

Thank you.

Rosie is always walking over my things on my desk.

A small bit of sun peeping through my mom’s rosemary plant.

Where I sit in my family room if where my Mom sat when I was growing up.

I really felt her presence this week.

Putting this crispy garlic chili oil on everything. Mostly eggs.

It rained all week. I miss the outdoors.

We saw a boy with a sticker mustache while at a stop light in SF.

So cute.

Dinner with my fairy godmother, Nancy at Foreign Cinema.

The light was just right.

I am grateful for all of the older women in my life who believe in me and LOVE to eat as well!

In the back of a cab.

A moment of sunshine this week! I caught it!

Tracy vs. Target

We had french bread pizzas this week!

Sent 150 food journals out this week!  THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT!

I have a helper.

Went to Valley Ford to visit my friend Tammi.

We found a friend on our way to get crab sandwiches and chowder.

I got to see her cute post office!

We spent the afternoon playing in our sketchbooks while chatting.

Her studio space is dreamy.

And she made the most incredible painting with a picture I gave her of my Mom.

I am so incredibly touched.

I came home with a fresh bouquet of narcissus thanks to her.  My kitchen smells so fragrant now!

Boop!

Saturday mornings are for pancakes.

This was the breakfast my Mom always made Cooper when he spent the night at her house.

Slow weekend mornings are my favorite. Just the three of us.

My horoscope told me to take it easy yesterday and I did. Ella joined in.

Taking care of the plant I grew up with.  I wish my Mom could see how much it’s grown.

So many people have sent me pictures of the Creamy Sausage & Mushroom Orecchiette recipe I posted this week!

That makes me so incredibly happy!

Trying to stay present and hopeful for the future.

Week 3 in 2018

Week 3 in 2017

Week 3 in 2016

Week 3 in 2015

Week 3   in 2014

Week 3 in 2013

Week 3  in 2012

Week 3 in 2011

With the increasing popularity of faux meats like the Impossible Burger, more brands are adding plant-based options to their portfolios. McDonald’s currently offers a vegan burger in parts of Europe — but now instead of beef, the chain is coming for chicken.

The Healthiest McDonald’s Menu Items

Vegan chicken-less nuggets — oddly dubbed “Vegetarnuggets” — are now being tested at select restaurants in Norway. Instead of meat, the filling is a potato base mixed with carrots, chickpeas, corn and onions. The finger food is coated in breadcrumbs, deep-fried and then sold in orders of four or nine. Although the ingredients sound pretty great, some think they look unappealing.

“I’d be willing to try it but it looks like it smells like hospital food,” @the.spooky.wife said on Instagram.

“The texture is disturbing,” @junkfoodcanada said, to which @food_oddity replied, “Yeah, it looks like it’s covered in crisped rice. Except, it’s not.”

Over on Twitter it’s safe to say people are hyped, but many aren’t living in Norway and are wondering if the U.S. will ever get a similar option.

“YO NORWAY MCDONALDS HAS VEGAN VEGGIE NUGGETS? YOOOOOOOO,” @srodvlv said.

“McDonalds in Norway has vegan nuggets… so I’m moving now. I’m honestly over all this nonsense happening in the states anyway,” @JustYaBasicBoy said.

“@McDonalds BRING THE VEGAN NUGGETS TO THE UNITED STATES COWARDS,” @cashewmalk said.

Last fall, the Golden Arches did release a veggie burger exclusive to the restaurant inside the company’s new global headquarters in Chicago. For a limited time only, the rotating international menu featured the McAloo Tikki from India. The patty was made from potatoes, peas and samosa seasoning topped with onion, tomato and an eggless creamy tomato mayo. Although the trend of veganism is steadily growing across the nation, the McAloo Tikki did not roll out to any additional U.S. outposts.

The other side of the world has options, though. Sweden has the McFalafel and the U.K. has vegan Happy Meals. Britain also has the Spicy Veggie, a wrap with fried vegetable tenders (peas, rice, sun-dried tomato pesto, red peppers and breadcrumbs), spicy tomato relish, tomato, lettuce and onion. There’s a kids’ version too, but it doesn’t feature anything spicy. But once again, American vegans who want a fast food fix are left wanting. According to McD’s website, they can customize salads but even those are certifiably vegetarian. Long story short: If you want a proper animal product-free meal in the U-S-of-A, get your grub on at one of America’s best vegan restaurants.

This clean eating corn casserole is a delicious, dairy free alternative for this home-style family classic!

If you love corn casserole, give this dish a try. It’s darker in color then the regular version due to the coconut sugar. It gives it a beautiful caramelized color that’s delicious too. This isn’t overly sweet, but you can taste and adjust before baking.

It’s a great side dish at any holiday table, or even just for a weeknight meal.

SAVE TIME:

To save time in the kitchen with this dish, make your creamed corn ahead of time. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once you have that made, this dish comes together in about 10 minutes, with a one hour baking time. Not too bad!

Please don’t make this mistake I did. Cover your casserole lightly with foil during baking so it doesn’t dry out so much. But aside from that, this was so delicious! I served it with beans, asparagus and some roasted sweet potatoes. It was a delicious, plant-based meal!

ABOUT THIS DISH:

Many of you may be used to the corn casserole that’s almost more like cornbread because it’s made with a box of muffin mix. But that’s not what this is. It’s definitely a baked dish with a bready-type aspect to it though. It’s very filling and satisfying without the airy, bready texture. This dish is really more about the corn and mild sweetness than it is about breading.

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Enjoy!

RECIPES USED:

• Clean Eating Creamed Corn Recipe

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